The Workin' Man Blues

'Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.' ~ II Thessalonians 4:11,12

I was raised to take the sentiments expressed in the verse above to heart--to work hard, be self-sufficient, and take care of my own business. I would just as soon chew on broken glass than take a hand out. In fact, I find it very difficult to ask for help from others--even when I have done all within my power to improve my lot or alleviate difficult circumstances. (This fact frustrates Ashlee to no end, as you can imagine.)

That being said, I find great joy in being able to help others. Jon and I were discussing this the other day in regards to his observation that this condition of radical rugged individualism seems to be epidemic among Texans. We will bend over backwards to help others but have to be brought kicking and screaming to allow others to assist us. At the root of it all, really, is the perpetual boogey-man who torments us all: Pride.

Yet, if we consider how good we feel when we help others (though it's just a fringe benefit, with the primary reason being our love for Christ), should we deny others the same feeling? Really, by allowing others to minister to us--we, in turn, minister to them.

'Hey, hey, Workin' Man

A workin' man like me.

I ain't never been on Welfare

And that's one place I won't be

Cause I keep on workin'

As long as my two hands are fit to use.

~ Merle Haggard, Workin' Man Blues

'They say: "It costs less money to build schoolhouses than jails." But what if it turns out that the state's expenditure in schoolhouse is one of the things which necessitates the expenditure in jails?' ~ Rev. R. L. Dabney

The unit I was in during my hitch in the Army (2d Armored Cavalry Regiment) has a colourful history. In the waning days of World War II, troopers of the 2d ACR rescued the Lipizzaner Stallions from certain destruction at the hands of the Red Hoarde.

One of my favourite books about one of my heroes—William Wallace—is Jane Porter’s historical novel, The Scottish Chiefs.

Kirk Cameron has come a long way from his days as Mike Seaver on 'Growing Pains.' He now has a fantastic evangelism ministry, The Way of the Master. I don't agree with all of their theological positions but they have a great heart for sharing the Gospel and they go about it as I wish I could--fearlessly.

Since my last Blast-from-the-Past Army picture was so popular--here's another offering from January 1991:

‘The head of the family is to take care that none of the family withdraw himself from any part of family-worship: and, seeing the ordinary performance of all the parts of family-worship belongs properly to the head of the family, the minister is to stir up such as are lazy, and train up such as are weak, to a fitness to these exercises...’ ~ The Directory for Family Worship [IV], bound with the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland's edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith [1647], reprinted 1994.

This one's for Pastor Coleman: “Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better.” ~ Charles Spurgeon (From the 1888 Sword and Trowel Annual Volume Preface).

“If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” —C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.