Monday, August 20, 2007

Raising the bar

Ken got our new tower up and running yesterday, and everything seems to be going well. When he took it out of the box, I actually laughed...it's the cutest little thing!

An object is provided for perspective. I said, "It's adorable!" It's a tiny little tower, and although it's upright here, we have it horizontal on the desk. The CD isn't a drawer, you slide it in like your CD player in the car. Remember those suitcase-sized processors? We've come a long way, baby!

During our low-key weekend, I also got caught up on Time magazine. There was a great cover story about Billy Graham. Regardless of political or religious alliances, I don't think many people can doubt his sincerity and commitment. The authors, Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy, wrote something that really struck me:

"His critics called him gullible, naive to the point of self-delusion; his defenders, of which there were a great many more, called him trusting, always seeing the best in powerful people and frequently eliciting it as a result." [The italics are mine.]

That's something that I've felt for years. If you choose to see the worst in people, that's probably what you'll get. However, if you expect the best, you might be surprised to see how most folks respond. Positive breeds positive. I know we've all been around people who are very negative and choose to see the worst, and it seems that they usually drag us down along with them. It doesn't have to be that way, and we have the choice and freewill to NOT buy into that. I try to be the best person I can be, and expect the same from others. I'm sure many would call that naive, and there's no denying that there are people out there who do their best to be as vindictive and nasty as possible, but that doesn't mean that I have to be drawn down to their level. I refuse to be that way, and it's just not in my nature. While I may be disappointed and disillusioned, at least I know that I won't be dishonorable.

Billy Graham has been preaching for years, and I'd say he's been one of the best examples of Christianity that I've ever seen (along with my Mom). So many people claim to be Christians, but talk is cheap. Let's see how your behavior stacks up to your words, and if your behavior is lacking, that gives Christianity a bad name. There's a word for that: hypocrisy. I understand that good deeds and decency alone do not a Christian make, but if someone claims to be a Christian, it seems to me that good deeds and decency are a given. Isn't that how it works?

 

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