Aurora Tragedy and Guns

The shootings in Aurora are tragedies for all those involved so first and foremost pray for those affected.  With that said it never ceases to amaze me how when something like this happens folks immediately attack the guns, and not those behind the guns.  Let’s look at some statistics:

 The National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 60, No. 3, December 29,2011 that shows the death statistics compiled for the year 2009 we have the following (see page 93 of the link below):

Assault (homicide) by discharge of firearms:                          11,493

Assault (homicide) by other than discharge of firearm:          5,306

Total Homicide:                                                                       16,799

Drug-induced deaths                                                                39,147

Alcohol-induced deaths                                                           24,518

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr60/nvsr60_03.pdf

Additional Statistics from other sources (documented below the stat:

2010 DUI Deaths:                                                                    13,365

http://www.bts.gov/publications/by_the_numbers/drunk_driving/index.html

2010 Homicide Deaths by firearm:                                          8,752

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/expanded/expandhomicidemain

Number of Americans who legally own firearms:                   45 million to 50 million (depending on various websites you look at)

Observations about those statistics:

1.       When it comes to assault-homicide (the act of murdering another human being) a firearm is the preferred method of performing the act, as opposed to say a baseball bat or knife.  It is effective.

2.       The 2010 numbers show that there was a decline in murder by firearm from 2009, while the number of firearms owners is at an all-time high: http://dailycaller.com/2011/09/28/gun-crime-continues-to-decrease-despite-increase-in-gun-ownership/

3.       A human being was either behind the trigger or driving the car after drinking alcohol.

I think what the numbers above reveal is that guns don’t pull their own triggers just like cars don’t drive themselves.  So is the gun evil, is alcohol evil, and is the car evil?  The answer is no, it’s how those things are used.  So that brings us to what is the cause, well it is a matter of the heart.  This young man in Aurora decided in his own heart that he would perform these evil acts; he just used guns to carry out his intentions.  I personally know of many people that willingly get into a car under the influence of alcohol and that have also hurt or killed folks because of that action.  My question is what is the difference?  Well at the root of it, it’s a matter of the heart.  Unintentional selfishness can be just as devastating as intentional selfishness.  This young man in Aurora was very selfish and as a result had very evil intentions in his heart and used tools to carry out those intentions.  Guns, just like an automobile are tools.  Guns can be used for recreation, feeding your family (hunting) and for protecting yourself from people whose hearts have evil intentions.  The interesting thing about a criminal is that they don’t care about the law.  So is the criminal act of driving drunk any different than the criminal act of murdering someone with a gun?  Neither person cared about the law, much less the person that they injured or killed. 

Those that are hell-bent on hurting others will find a way, whether by a gun, a baseball bat, a pen, a knife, a car, whatever it is all about their heart.  They will find a way to accomplish what they want.  Let’s deal with the root issue, people’s hearts.

Here are some other interesting facts about Gun use:

http://gunowners.org/fs0404.htm

Google Joins the Anti-gun club

Google Joins the Anti-gun club which is why I will be discontinuing my use of Google mail, unfortunately there are no real competitors to Google when it comes to blogging.  I have watched over the last few years how anti-gun groups have used subterfuge to quietly accomplish their anti-gun agendas.  Doing business with like minded individuals used to be easier; however in today's internet age and "global economy" that has become harder and harder to do.  We end up doing business with companies that use our money against the very ideals and values that we spend money to support, which essentially negates those funds and even worse supports (indirectly) the very thing we are against.  Please understand that I don't think that this will make any dent in Google's business or in their anti-gun agenda and left wing thinking; however it is important that I uphold the values, principles and ideals so that my sons and their children will take note and one day make those same types of decisions.  Please visit my new blog at http://www.dontmissthejourney.com.  Also, please be patient as it will take me some time to get things updated and functioning again.

Here is a link to some of the news around Google's new policy on guns.  While I understand that this only affects the shopping aspects there is no way to know how Google adjusts their search results and I have to believe that their money is going to anti-gun PAC's and politicians.

http://nation.foxnews.com/google-banning-firearm-sales/2012/07/01/google-bans-firearm-accessories-its-shopping-services
http://www.forbes.com/sites/frankminiter/2012/07/05/google-sadly-joins-the-anti-gun-brigade/
http://news.yahoo.com/google-crosshairs-over-gun-ban-222640258.html

Great Men

There have been so many great men that have lived through the ages. What intrigues me more is how they got that way, what was their makeup? Great men (or women) are not created overnight they are usually born in adversity and had to really work (although they would call it living) through life.

I have been reading Sergeant York and the Great War and am almost half way through the book. It is really just a collection of Sergeant York's journals and reflections on his life through World War I. For those who don't know, Sergeant York was considered one of the greatest heroes of WWI. Here is an excerpt as to why:

Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964) was one of the most decorated American soldiers in World War I.^[1] He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest, taking 32 machine guns, killing 28 German soldiers and capturing 132 others. This action occurred during the U.S.-led portion of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France, which was part of a broader Allied offensive masterminded by Marshal Ferdinand Foch to breach the Hindenburg line and make the opposing German forces surrender.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_C._York)

York did not act in that moment because of who he was in that moment, rather he acted that way because of who he was. Here is an excerpt from the book that so far sums up what I have read and the sort of man that Alvin C. York was:

"So I was saved!
And that is the greatest victory I ever won. It's much harder to whip yourself than to whip the other fellow, I'm a-telling you, and I ought to know because I done, both. It was much harder for me to win the great victory over myself than to win it over those German machine guns in the Argonne Forest. And I was able to do it because my mother's love led me to God, and He showed me the light, and I done followed it." (Sergeant York and the Great War, pages 60-61)

After those amazing feats of bravery and leadership, Sergeant York was offered a life a fame and money, a movie was even made about him and to this day folks still talk about his bravery. Sergeant York wanted nothing more than to return to the mountains of northern Tennessee to live the life that he'd always known, he turned that life of fame and money down because he felt that he did what he must. It was all he knew and that made him a great man.

Sonship

I have been reading more of Fathered By God and there was an idea in the book that John Eldredge talked about and it was this idea of sonship, stating that "Forgiveness is not the goal. Coming home to the Father is the goal." (Page 32) How often do we as Christians focus on the fact that we are forgiven rather than on the fact that because we are forgiven we once again have relationship with the Father, the Lord of all creation. As Eldredge further makes this case he speaks about the Prodigal Son and points out that the story is "Not primarily about the prodigal son. It is about the father's heart." (Page 33) That really struck me because how often have we thought about that story and focused on the prodigal son as I am that son (or daughter). Well, while that's true we are all prodigal sons and daughters, it isn't about us; but rather it is about the Father's desire to love us, to have relationship with us. It is ALL about the relationship with Him. He gave His son so that we can have relationship with Him, that is the heart of our God.

On Youth

A dear friend gave me this in light of our recent move. I thought I would share this as well. I pray that I will always be youthful!

On Youth
Oh, the eagerness and freshness of youth! How the boy enjoys his food, his sleep, his sports, his companions, his truant days. His life is an adventure, he is widening his outlook, he is extending his dominion, he is conquering his kingdom. How cheap are his pleasures, how ready his enthusiasms! In boyhood I have more delight on a haymow with two companions and a big dog - delight that came nearer intoxication - than I have ever had in all subsequent holidays of my life. When youth goes much goes with it. When manhood comes, much comes with it. We exchange a world of delightful sensations and impressions for a world of duties and studies and meditations. The youth enjoys what the man tries to understand. Lucky is he who can get his grapes to market and keep the bloom upon them, who can carry some of the freshness and eagerness and simplicity of youth into his later years, who can have a boy's heart below a man's head.
- John Burroughs

This helps me keep perspective. Like any place Leadville Colorado has it's own challenges and what others would call work. For me what better playground is there than deep snow, mountains, or a plow on the front of a truck and a long drive way ;)

Life and all that is in it is an adventure to be lived, not a problem to be solved.

Take a look at Ecclesiates 11:8 - 12:14

Leaving a Legacy

As I reflect on our past year and what incredible changes have occurred in our lives I am left with the thought of the effect that our move will have on generations to come. We made this move to forever change the lives of our sons, and their children, to forge a new path, to allow them to grow up in adventure to explore the majesty around them. This will be a legacy.

Today I embark on a journey that I invite all those that read this to join me on. Today I start on a journey to that will change my heart so that I will in turn be able to leave a legacy to my sons so that they will see my walk with the Lord. I started to read the Bible in it's entirety using the Legacy Reading plan by Hank Hanegraaf. The reason I like this plan is because it groups the books of the Bible together by genres, you aren't simply reading from Genesis to Revelation, instead you read by Hebrew History, Prophetic Books, etc. You can find out more by taking a look at the actual plan: http://www.equip.org/site/legacy_bible_reading_plan. The other aspect is that you read at your own pace, their are goals for each month, but it's not something you have to do everyday. This is something I hope to do each an every year, not because I have to but because I want to. God has spoken to us, He has only spoken to us through His Word.

So what does this have to do with a legacy? As I have shared in the past, no matter what a person does during his/her life it will eventually be forgotten. Man is a vapor. The absolute greatest impact one can have on this life is the legacy that is left with his/her children. Whether you know it or not there is a legacy that is left. That legacy may be one like Enoch where it was said of him that he walked with the Lord. I want that to be said of me. Or, that legacy might be one of David, who, because of his sin with Bathsheba, the sword never left his home. Yes, he was a man after God's own heart, but sin has consequences. He lived and died with those consequences and it affected many generations after him, Israel and Judah didn't fall in one day, it took many generations. That was the legacy that was left. Our nation isn't where it's at today because of what people are doing today, those affects will be felt by future generations; no what we see today is because of the legacy that was left by the previous generation. I want my legacy to be that I loved the Lord, my sons saw that I loved the Lord and by loving the Lord with all my heart, by being a man after His own heart they knew I loved them. By knowing the Creator's Word and applying it in my life I will become that man, there is no other way. That's leaving a legacy.

Join me on this journey, wrestle with God and His word, I promise (and He promises) it will not leave you unchanged.

How many ropes do you hold?

I have had several situations come up over the last few months where folks tend to take on more than what is they should be responsible for. Trust me I know as I was very guilty of this. I thought I would share this story that I read from the book Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero. I highly recommend this book as it deals more about your own Christian health as opposed to the Church itself. This is a direct excerpt from the book:

Rabbi Edwin Friedman tells the story of a man who had given much thought to what he wanted from life. After trying many things, succeeding at some and failing at others, he finally decided what he wanted.

One day the opportunity came for him to experience exactly the way of living that he had dreamed about. But the opportunity would be available only for a short time. It would not wait, and it would not come again.

Eager to take advantage of this open pathway, the man started on his journey. With each step, he moved faster and faster. Each time he thought about his goal, his heart beat quicker; and with each vision of what lay ahead, he found renewed vigor.

As he hurried along, he came to a bridge that crossed through the middle of a town. The bridge spanned high above a dangerous river.

After starting across the bridge, he noticed someone coming the opposite direction. The stranger seemed to be coming toward him to greet him. A the stranger grew closer, the man could discern that they didn’t know each other, but yet they looked amazingly similar. They were even dressed alike. The only difference was that the stranger had a rope wrapped many times around his waist. If stretched out, the rope would reach a length of perhaps thirty feet.

The stranger began to unwrap the rope as he walked. Just as the two men were about to meet, the stranger said, “Pardon me, would you be so kind as to hold the end of the rope for me?”
The man agreed without a thought, reached out, and took it.

“Thank you,” said the stranger. He then added, “Two hands now, and remember, hold tight.” At that point, the stranger jumped off the bridge.

The man on the bridge abruptly felt a strong pull from the now-extended rope. He automatically held tight and was almost dragged over the side of the bridge.

“What are you trying to do?” he shouted to the stranger below.

“Just hold tight,” said the stranger.

This is ridiculous, the man thought. He began trying to haul the other man in. Yet it was just beyond his strength to bring the other back to safety.

Again he yelled over the edge, “Why did you do this?”

“Remember,” said the other, “if you let go, I will be lost.”

“But I cannot pull you up,” the man cried.

“I am your responsibility,” said the other.

“I did not ask for it,” the man said.

“If you let go, I am lost,” repeated the stranger.

The man began to look around for help. No one was within sight.

He began to think about his predicament. Here he was eagerly pursuing a unique opportunity, and now he was being sidetracked for who knows how long.

Maybe I can tie the rope somewhere, he thought. He examined the bridge carefully, but there was no way to get rid of his new found burden.

So he again yelled over the edge, “What do you want?”

“Just your help,” came the answer.

“How can I help? I cannot pull you in, and there is no place to tie the rope while I find someone else who could help you.”

“Just keep hanging on,” replied the dangling man. “That will be enough.”

Fearing that his arms could not hold out much longer, he tied the rope around his waist.
“Why did you do this?” he asked again. “Don’t you see who you have done? What possible purpose could you have in mind?”

“Just remember,” said the other, “my life is in your hands.”

Now the man was perplexed. He reasoned within himself, If I let go, all my life I will know that I let this other man die. If I stay, I risk losing my momentum toward my own long-sought-after salvation. Either way this will haunt me forever.

As time went by, still no one came. The man became keenly aware that it was almost too late to resume his journey. If he didn’t leave immediately, he wouldn’t arrive in time.

Finally, he devised a plan. “Listen,” he explained to the man hanging below, “I think I know how to save you.” He mapped out the idea. The stranger could climb back up by wrapping the rope around him. Loop by loop, the rope would become shorter.

But the dangling man had no interest in the idea.

“I don’t think I can hang on much longer,” warned the man on the bridge.

“You must try,” appealed the stranger. “If you fail, I die.”

Suddenly a new idea struck the man on the bridge. It was different and even alien to his normal way of thinking. “I want you to listen carefully,” he said, “because I mean what I am about to say.”

The dangling man indicated that he was listening.

“I will not accept the position of choice for your life, only for my own; I hereby give back the position of choice for your own life to you.”

“What do you mean?” the other asked, afraid.

“I mean, simply, it’s up to you. You decide which way this ends. I will become the counterweight. You do the pulling and bring yourself up. I will even tug some from here.”
He unwound the rope from around his waist and braced himself to be a counterweight. He was ready to help as soon as the dangling man began to act.

“You cannot mean what you say,” the other shrieked. “You would not be so selfish. I am your responsibility. What could be so important that you would let someone die? Do not do this to me.”

After a long pause, the man on the bridge uttered slowly, “I accept your choice.” In voicing those words, he freed his hands and continued his journey over the bridge.

Again I highly encourage you to pick up that book to get a good context of what this story relates to. Would you let go of the rope?