Tag Archives: convey

It’s a Tough World Out There

As I listen to the media’s so called experts, I have a hard time believing what they are trying to sell.  Reports of economic recovery, declining unemployment and a Stock Market’s all time high seem misleading.  As I try to slow down to observe the culture around, citizens are conveying a different story.

While driving in my car, a day usually doesn’t go by without seeing at least one homeless person at an intersection with a cardboard sign: will work for food.  The retired are coming out of retirement not because they want to, but out of necessity after their pension, 401K or both have disappeared.  Meanwhile, former students who are now college graduates are beginning to consider grad school since the jobs in their fields either aren’t hiring or don’t pay enough to make a better life.

I doesn’t take a PHD to recognize it’s a tough world out there.  Individuals are struggling to find a place to call home.  Others are downgrading their expectations, wondering if they will ever find a good paying job again.  Despite these circumstances, it’s time to put on your big boys pants, buckle up your chin strap and fight hard to the finish.  Whether you taste success or failure, remember that each day on earth is a gift from God.

by Jay Mankus

So That’s Where It Comes From

Adults have different styles of communication, producing a wide range of reactions, even within their own children.  The authoritarian will claim, “this is the way its always been so there is no highway option.”  Meanwhile the laissez faire, who are often soft spoken will allow flexibility, offering little resistance to correction.  This broad spectrum of coaching, parenting  and or teaching leaves a gap, with many blanks to fill in between to properly convey crucial information.

As I child, I remember hearing daily pleas such as “wash your hands, brush your teeth and think before you speak.”  Maybe I was naive, but I never questioned or wondered why these things were so important.  I simply assumed by father knew best so I tried my best to follow directions.  While reading the Old Testament last week, I stumbled upon the source of my dad’s first command, Leviticus 15:11.

Before the invention of microscopes, God understood how germs spread.  Thus, to combat this concern, the Lord told Moses to tell the Israelites to wash their hands after going to the bathroom or before eating.  Although Obsessive Compulsive Disorder has influenced many to go to extremes, washing your hands is a simple way to remain healthy.  As Paul Harvey says in his famous radio deliveries, “Now you know, the rest of the story!”

What commands do you recall from your childhood?

by Jay Mankus