Tag Archives: wise

No Reason to Pretend

In order to put on a happy face, some individuals feel compelled to hide their misery from co-workers, family and neighbors.  Like a Halloween masquerade party, many profess to be fine all the while anguish, grief and pain collect.  Although the motto “fake it until you make it” sounds logical, there is no reason to pretend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn_QNLEFovg

From a mere vocational point of view, the last 5 years of my life have been like a hurricane, causing flood waters to break through levy’s.  As the storm surge continues to rise, my heart, soul and mind cling to promises of the Bible, hoping the trials subside soon.  When success reigned supreme, life was a piece of cake.  However, as turmoil entered my life through the winds of change, I’m not the same person.

Sure, I try to stay upbeat, but I am a mirage of my younger years, a piece of drift wood transformed by time, wind and water.  Water logged, especially around the waist, I long for dry land, a beach to call home.  Footprints along the shore are obvious signs that God has been carrying me.  When the waves calm, I will arise, perhaps wiser than before.  Like a work in progress, a strand of clay in the molding process, there is no reason to pretend it isn’t well with my soul.  Yet, I press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me, Philippians 3:12-14.

Don’t be afraid to be transparent; real so that a hurting world can see the only thing holding believers together, Romans 5:5.

by Jay Mankus

Life is Just a Blip on the Radar Screen

Modern television is filled with episodes or series devoted to UFO’s, unidentified flying objects.  Several shows claim unidentified “bogeys” entering foreign air space. They are not from this world, far more technologically advanced than our planet.  These blips on radar screens don’t belong, creating tension for pilots who encounter the unexplainable.  As theories continue to fester about the existence of aliens, one thing is certain: life is just a blip on the radar screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD0bG0SFJlU

Depending upon the career you choose, hand you’ve been dealt or how you were raised, life seems to go faster the older you become.  While talking to former students at a going away party over the weekend, my teaching career seems eons ago.  Before you know it, 7th graders are graduating from high school, accelerating this blip, like the USS Enterprise at warp speed.  On this journey through life, unless you take time to slow down, Psalm 46:10, your life will be void of permanent meaningful lasting relationships.

King David eludes to this blip in Psalm 49:10, where no one is exempt as the foolish and wise perish together.  Perhaps this may explain Solomon’s comments in Proverbs about using wealth to earn and entertain friends, taking his father’s words to heart.  The younger brother of Jesus learned a similar lesson, comparing life to a mist that vanishes into thin air, James 4:14.  In view of this truth, seize the moments you have today, Ephesians 5:15-18, making the most of the opportunities God provides.  Make your blip count before it disappears on life’s radar screen.

What legacy are you leaving behind for friends, family or neighbors? Who has been the greatest blip on your radar screen?

by Jay Mankus

Compro… Not so wise!

This morning a whisper was passing by, catching me off guard.  “Read your Bible later, you’re too tired right now!”  Like a demon assigned by the evil one to cause me to stumble, compromise was trying to implant a not so wise thought.

Nearly 5 months ago, 147 days to be exact, I began a 150 day journey, attempting to read every Psalm, one per day.  Since prayer doesn’t come natural for me, I have been trying to improve my prayer life by learning from King David.  Yet, even David found himself caught by a momentary lapse of judgment in 2 Samuel 11:1-3.  Instead of fighting this whisper of idleness, David gave into this desire, thereby fulfilling the words of James 1:13-15.

When morning comes, the consequences of compromise remain, permanently etched within one’s mind.  As a result, the stains of sin contaminate your soul.  Attached by guilt, individual’s often drift further away, now separated from God.  What started as a whisper has led to a not so wise reality.  If you are feeling defeated today, forgiveness is available every morning, Lamentations 3:22-23.  However, the longer you wait, your condition will worsen, numbing you into an eternal sleep.  Snap out of it before its too late, Hebrews 10:26-27.

by Jay Mankus

We Got Duped

Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson starred in the 1997 film Conspiracy TheoryGibson plays a New York City cab driver named Jerry Fletcher who is not afraid to share his theories based upon The Catcher and the Rye.  Fletcher spends most of his days telling anyone who will listen, including Julia Roberts, played by Alice Sutton, a Department of Justice attorney.  When I first watched this movie, I thought Gibson was crazy.  However, the older I become, the more I am beginning to think, we are getting duped.

For instance, back in the 1970’s, a scientist from Canada claimed he had discovered the cure for cancer.  After contacting the local media, he was scheduled to have a press conference the next day, telling the world of his findings.  That evening, according to reports, he died in a house fire, destroying all of his research, 12 hours before this disease would have been eradicated from mankind.

When I was young, I remember my teachers telling students about America’s ingenuity.  I recall reading and seeing shows on how buildings, canals and roads were completed as corporations and from time to time the government did whatever was necessary to finish their project.  Today, it takes road agencies a year to fix local pot holes or 10 plus years to finish road construction and expansion.  Meanwhile, scientists which once were in the business of developing cures appear to make more money on temporary medicines which usually doesn’t completely heal you.  I hope I am wrong, but recent trends support the notion that Americans are being duped.

Based upon eye witnesses and personal encounters, King Solomon is often credited as one of the wisest people to ever live, second to Jesus, the son of God.  Kings, queens and anyone who could afford the journey, traveled to catch a glimpse of Solomon’s wisdom, 1 Kings 3:16-28.  One of the wisest men I have ever met had a PhD from an Ivy League institution, a guest speaker at the school where I taught at for a decade.  During his lecture and slide show, he exposed the fraud of the missing link, revealed complete skeletal remains of early woman to explain the curse in Genesis 3:16 and evidence to support the biblical belief that snakes once had legs.

One of the points this professor was trying to communicate was if the media could convince society that the earth was created by some other means than creation, mankind could do what they want without any consequences.  In fact, many in the liberal media continue to seek to discredit Jesus, like the Roman soldiers in Matthew 28:11-15, claiming he didn’t rise from the dead.  Rather, they believe his disciples secretly stole Jesus’ body in the middle of the night, burying his remains in an undisclosed location.

Don’t take my words in this blog as gospel.  Instead, test everything I have said and search for other facts on your own, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22.  If you want the truth, may your own quest be beneficial and fruitful, setting you free, John 8:32.  Education is a life long journey, not just a piece of paper you keep framed on your wall after graduation.  Therefore, if you are diligent in your research to uncover the facts of life, you will avoid being duped by anyone or any conspiracy theory.  Enjoy the journey!

by Jay Mankus