A Man's Admission of Guilt...

"Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble." Job 14:1 NKJV I'll go ahead & say up front that this is mainly geared towards a female audience. Be advised & proceed with caution... I'll just put it out there and say that men can be complete idiots at times. I can say that because I'm a man & I have moments, sometimes extended periods, of complete lunacy. While I won't try to defend our stupidity, our arrogance, our obnoxiousness, our machismo--I would like offer somewhat of an explanation. The reality is that men have many insecurities, many weaknesses, many failures, and many troubles in life. The problem is that society tells us that we have to be John Wayne--rough & tough, taking no crap, strong, and can't show any emotion that might project a sign of weakness. We've kinda been set up to fail by the media because of the perceived model & expectation of manhood that is projected upon us. You know how you ladies feel about the image of female perfection the media establishes that most can never hope to live up to? Well, men are in the same boat--an unrealistic expectation has been set that cannot be met. With all that said and an explanation (not an excuse) established, I still say that men can be complete idiots. So, as a representative of the male gender, I want to offer an apology to females in general. I'm sorry that we have difficulty taking off our mask & allowing you to see the real person we are with all our flaws, faults, & insecurities. If we really let you in, you'll know that we are weak, that we hurt, that we struggle, that we sometimes cry--but that we fear you'll see us as unmanly if those parts of our character are revealed. So, in our attempts to "be a man" we often hurt those closest to us with our words, with our actions, and sometimes with the lack of both. While I am not that person now & I'm grateful to God for that fact, there was a time in my life that I used, abused and took advantage of females in an attempt to prove my manhood. If I could travel back in time, I would attempt to undo some of the damage I caused...but I can't. All I can do at this point is say I'm sorry and ask for forgiveness--not only from God but from womankind as a whole. Ladies, the man or men who hurt you need your forgiveness. They may never ask for it or admit they desire it, but they still need it. Aside from that, you need to release the hold their damage has on you. Unforgiveness harms you far more than the other party. In releasing him, you free yourself... In Matthew 6, as part of The Lord's Prayer, "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" (vs 12) indicates that if we want forgiveness, we must forgive others. As a matter of Fact, Jesus went on to explain just that in verses 14-15, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." I make no excuses for the pain you have endured at the hands of men. And by all means, you should establish proper boundaries to avoid further hurt. However, please forgive mankind in general for the damage we have done in the past. The reality is that we are all insecure little boys trying to live as men with no idea how to go about it. Men need to return to the Bible for guidance so they can be the leaders, the providers--the men that God created them to be. Love us in spite of ourselves. Forgive us of our shortcomings, our failures, and for the pain we've caused you. We're clueless idiots and we're sorry for the hurt & pain we've inflicted up on you, even though most of us won't admit it. Forgive us, if for no other reason than to free yourself... Blessings! Tony

I'm an American!

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance." Psalm 33:12 I'm an American, an American who is sad over the state of our great country. I so miss the America of yesteryear--a time when life was simple, when there were such things as innocence, honor, integrity and patriotism--and those things were celebrated. I miss the America that honored God, trusted God and prayed to God. I miss Bible reading, prayer & the Pledge of Allegiance in schools. I miss riding bicycles, playing in the creek, eating hot dogs at the ballpark and drinking water from the garden hose. What became of that America? How have we become so calloused, so cold and so divided? I am the melting pot within myself--a combination of German, Jewish, Scandinavian, Irish, French, Scot, Welsh, English and Native American (Creek) Indian. There's wealthy people & poor share croppers in my ancestral line. There are warriors of many of this nation's battles whose blood flows in my veins--both World Wars, The War Between the States, Korea & Vietnam and probably more. Most of my ancestors were immigrants, people who came to America seeking a better life for themselves & their families. They didn't come with the intention of changing the culture of the country, but with the plans to assimilate into the existing culture & society that was present when they arrived. They brought remembrances of their country & culture with them, and while they celebrated their heritage, they became American citizens and thrust themselves into their new world & the culture thereof. That's simply the way it was. None asked or expected America to change to accommodate them, but knew they had to learn the language & customs of the world they were now part of. It's different nowadays. People come from other countries with no allegiance to America, but desiring to live as if they were still part of the culture they left. If that culture was so great, why did they leave it? I can't appreciate being told that I must give up my rights & go against my personal beliefs & convictions so as not to offend those who don't want to be "American" but simply want to rob us of the culture, customs & Christian morals that make up America as a whole. My opinion? I'm sorry, but no one who is unable to swear an oath on the Bible should be elected to any political position anywhere in this great country. No one who isn't a legal or naturalized citizen should have access to any grants, scholarships or government programs this country offers. Call me cruel. Call me cold-hearted. But, our first priority should be to take care of our own. Would you allow you own child to starve while you fed the kids across the street? Of course not! I'm not against aiding other countries, but I don't understand why we are determined to help those who hate us & want to kill us. We should take care of our own (orphans, widows, elderly, veterans, etc.) first, then assist our allies by sending food & aid into their countries. What about those who oppose us? Well, let them fend for themselves. Let's get back to basic American values. God isn't done with this country yet, but we have to turn back to Him. We have to make Him a priority again. We have to repent and cleanse ourselves, purge the evil within (both individually and corporately) and let God be God in America again! I'm a mixture of European and Native American bloods. I have Confederate ancestry. I come from passionate & purposeful people, and yes, there are some crooks & scoundrels in the mix as well. I am Christian and I am Conservative. But, in the end, I'm proud of the Red, White & Blue. I love God, family & country. I love hot dogs & apple pie. I'm an American! I pray God will bless America again! There's my thoughts... Blessings! Tony