Thankfulness - Philosophical Thoughts

The pithy sayings like, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" and "You don't know what you got until it is gone" contain much truth in them. A couple of years ago I came to the realization that being angry all the time at the consequences of my life was not producing the results I wanted. Einstein was correct when he defined insanity:

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different results."

So I made a conscience effort to change the way I think. This required me to read books out of my comfort zone. The finishing quote that re-directed me off the anger track was by Dr. Wayne Dryer who wrote in his book: The Power of Intention said,

"Change the way you look at things and the things that you look at change."

Now years later, these quotes were re-affirmed as I have spent 8 days alone as my lovely wife has been on a mother-and-daughter escapade. The good news is that I have lived my life with these quotes as my lifestyle, and I am thankful to have them validated once more. We must remember and cherish - the cornerstones of thankfulness.

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Presuppositions of Life

What is the premise that you base your life on? Everyone has faith in something or someone. The question of life is what or who do you have faith in? The key is the object of your faith. One of the most common example of this is when you are standing in a room with people. How do they know you are standing in the room with them? Answer is because I can see and talk to you - our senses tell us. Yet our senses deceive us many times and in many ways (i.e., mirages, etc.). So we presume you are in the room, we have to or there is no party just an illusion of my mind.

My Presuppositions:
1. The existence of The (not "a") Biblical God
By saying there is no God, you have just made yourself god. How do you know there is no God?
2. The Biblical God has revealed Himself to man (as recorded in the Bible)
Therefore we must trust the revelation of God in the Bible
a. General Revelation - Acts 14:14-17
b. Special Revelation - Hebrews 1:1; 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:15
c. Personal Revelation - John 1:18; Hebrews 1:2; Luke 24:44-45
3. Man's capacity to comprehend God's revelation
A better way to state this is man's lack of spiritual understanding without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
4. A consistent Hermeneutic is required
I take the literal-grammatical-historical approach with leads to Dispensationalism

From these 4 presuppositions, I work my life and my worldview. So now the question: What are your presuppositions that you base your life on?

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Isaiah 55:8-11 (NASB)
⁸"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
⁹"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
¹¹So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

The Adjustment Bureau

Along with the Matrix, Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Minority Report, etc., the latest movie "The Adjustment Bureau" causes one to think about that old phrase:

Who's choking the Chicken?

I am not a big reader of The Washington Post, however the article by Ezra Klein on the idea of "The Adjustment Bureau" and Washington being able to perform a complicated plan is worth reading. Mr. Klein clues us in on how "sophisticated it isn't":

But I tend to be shocked at how sophisticated it isn't. Communication between various political actors -- a crucial ingredient in any serious plan -- is surprisingly informal and inadequate. Members of Congress and their staffs don't really have access to secret, efficient networks of information. Instead, they read Roll Call and the Hill and The Washington Post and keep their televisions tuned to cable news, turning up the volume when a colleague involved in a bill they're interested in appears on the screen. Then everyone sits around and speculates about what they just heard. Most every political reporter can back me up when I say that it's extremely common for key players on both sides of the aisle to ask you what you're hearing or how you'd rate the chances of their bill -- and this typically happens when you're sitting down to ask them the very same questions. It's terribly disappointing and, I'm convinced, 100 percent genuine.

Here is the link:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2011/03/washington_is_bad_at_scheming.html

Mr. Klein has, to use another old phrase:

Hit the nail on the head

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Greed versus Public Service

I am not a huge fan of the Oscars; however, the award for Best Documentary gave me hope that American will and are taking back our country from the "Excess Class". This is a new category I have developed to be added to our standard Class System: The Under Class, The Working Poor Class, The Middle Class, and The Upper Class. "The Excess Class" are the very powerful Top-level executives and politicians who have no moral compass other than GREED. The question asked of "The Excess Class" is simply: How much is enough? Followed by: Why? I guess it is always the "why" questions that trap us all.

I highly recommend we as Americans watch the movie "Inside Job", become aware of those stealing our country, and take actions to prosecute the guilty. For those who might not be aware this documentary film is about the financial meltdown caused by "Wall Street Bankers" of which not a single executive has gone to jail for almost destroying our nation.






Maybe history is repeating, I am thinking of the film "Network".

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Will the Middle Class become Extinct?

There is a very interesting discussion over at The League of Ordinary Gentlemen that deals with the Removal of The Middle Class. E .D. Kain has made an interesting point:

"The truth is that the traditional middle class is simply less necessary to the flow of commerce in an economy dominated by a super-rich elite investor class. So policies that favor the middle class in America have slowly been weeded out in favor of policies which tilt toward investment banks and multi-national corporations. Consciously or not, these policies are designed to replace the middle class with a low-paid service class (which nevertheless has access to long lines of credit). This service class has very little political clout, and will have less and less as whatever good service jobs are outsourced or, in the public sector, stripped of collective bargaining rights (and then privatized and promptly outsourced)."

As a pilot of a major airline (union member) and a student of history, the attack on the middle-class worker has and is a consistent jealousy from the CEOs and VPs of Corporate-America. Many of us had to read Upton Sinclair's famous book The Jungle in High School. Maybe America needs to read it again. The quote from Wikipedia says it so clearly:

"The Jungle is a 1906 novel written by journalist Upton Sinclair. Sinclair wrote the novel to point out the troubles of the working class and to show the corruption of the American meatpacking industry during the early-20th century. The novel depicts in harsh tones poverty, absence of social programs, unpleasant living and working conditions, and hopelessness prevalent among the working class, which is contrasted with the deeply-rooted corruption on the part of those in power. Sinclair's observations of the state of turn-of-the-century labor were placed front and center for the American public to see, suggesting that something needed to be changed to get rid of American "wage slavery"."

As an employee who has provided multiple concessions of wages and benefits to "keep the company afloat", I find it quite revealing that those in the CEO and VP category received "bonuses" while the employees received wage reductions. I have additionally noticed that those in the government (both national and state) "leadership" positions are requiring the workers to take concession all while they continue to receive tremendous benefits including high grossing salaries and retirement salary for the rest of their life. I wonder what that costs the taxpayer? Don't you find it interesting the Congress does not have to live under the policies they direct?

Austerity is needed, however this season of austerity must be on the backs of all Americans, not just the union worker, not just on the Middle Class. CEOs, VPs, Congress, etc. must also bear the pain and even more as they are the "leaders". If you lead you take responsibility, period, dot, end of statement.

Maybe it is time for the American Worker to remove and reduce the CEOs, VPs, & Congress Representatives in the state and national forum.

Workers Unite!

Eagle Driver
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Churchianity vs Christianity

I am halfway through a tremendous book by Michael Spencer titled: Mere Churchianity. For those of us who have left the "Church" this is our book of books. Michael has identified what we have seen, felt, and experienced in our attempt to "fit in" with the organized religions in America. I find his title very appropriate as C.S. Lewis wrote the definitive book on Christianity (Mere Christianity). Why have churches left their first love? Answer:

"Our big problem with Jesus is that we want to control things, and he turns out to be remarkable difficult to control. In the Christian enterprise, we like to formulate definitions, establish norms, and set parameters for acceptable experiences. We have empowered ourselves to determine what is and is not an appropriate relationship with Jesus, based on how we think Christianity should look and work." (page 50, emphasis mine)

Where are the churches for the "miss-fits"? Remember the Christmas cartoon Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer?

Video Clip found on YouTube

Or as Michael Spencer writes so eloquently:

"Jesus was an expert on including those who were officially excluded." (pg. 51)

Food for Thought
If you are Hungry

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Spritual Narcissism

While on a trip I spent some time reading some of my favorite blogs and web sites. I came across an incredible article on Spiritual Narcissism and gained great wisdom. Here is a quote from it:

"While complaining about others and shaming a rule-breaker at an event intended to teach equanimity is -- like the story in the beginning of this blog -- ironic, it teaches an important warning: The desire to control others in order to create a "perfect" environment that nurtures our sensitivities is a calling card of spiritual narcissism. It is not a spiritual feat to feel equanimity only when everything is going exactly as one would like. True spirituality takes place in the holy messiness of the world, in open-hearted relationship with others, and in a kind smile to one who accidentally stepped on your foot."

Many pearls of wisdom in this article.

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Life is Great

In all the belly-aching, sky-is-falling, woe-is-me, talking-head-idiots-on-tv, unreality-is-king garbage we hear and see, I am determined to remind myself that life is great even in turmoil. Laughter is truly a great medicine as witnessed by the only real news programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. So I tip my whiskey glass and enjoy a good cigar to what the late and great Paul Harvey would say, "and now you know the rest of the story."

The Rest of the Story

Picture found here: http://weasel11889.tumblr.com/post/2565025403/lets-see-you-try-without-any-preplanning-first

Be Careful out There

Eagle Driver
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