"It is easier to shun the bait...then get caught in the snare."
-Ravi Zacharias

Obama said...

Just got done watching the Democratic national convention. Obama ended it with the scripture reference "let us hold firmly to the hope that we profess". The actual verse he was referring to was most likely Hebrews 4:14 (New International Version) which states "14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.".... gotta use it in Context Obama. So do you think he used it in the right context?

Lessons from a Dog...

Today was a long day! I was at Ball State till 9:30, after which I quickly went home to my apt. Thankfully I resisted the urge to turn on the TV and turn my mind off. Instead I sat on the balcony and pondered while the warm august breeze blew ever so gently in the nights presence. I noticed through the glass sliding doors from my 3rd floor view that a tenant in the 1st floor apartments was playing tug of war with his large doberman looking dog. And then it hit me, my story with the living God was often like this animal. As does this salivating beast depend on his master for food, so I reach to the father for true nourishment. Often the dog is accepted into families not for his intellect or his contribution...but simply because he loves and surrenders to the master. My disobedient acts led me to mentally form the picture of once such dog walking along with his master. In my minds eye I could see at times how patiently I would walk along side the Father...but when something I liked would catch my eye, and I would chase after it. I was oblivious to any dangers that would lay ahead. Of course He always saw farther than I, and His patient walk reveled that He had been on this trail before. Eventually the chase would end and I would come to my senses. I would turn around and see that the master had been running along side me, concerned about my life. Like so many times before I would turn with my tail between my legs, recognizing my mistake and desiring to resume my walk with Him. He has always happily excepted me back into his loving arms, embracing me no matter the distance. The analogy contains many flaws, but in it's essence it serves as a reminder to me that ultimate dependence on Jesus is not a burden... but in fact is liberating. Reliance on my self... well that's just plain dangerous.

"...Time....is on my side...yes it is..."

It's amazing how often I procrastinate on those things that matter most, only to delay the inevitable. I often find myself finishing those little tasks like cleaning the apartment or doing dishes, when more important things require my attention (don't even get me started on my thesis). I found myself doing this very same thing just hours ago. I have a large paper due that is worth a significant portion of my grade, and instead of rushing to finish it...I decide it's a good time to shave all the hair off my chest.

Now before you go deleting me from your phone book or removing me as a friend on facebook, allow me to explain. I don't normally shave my chest (*Coff* Luke Burger *Coff*), but this was a special circumstance. I had gotten sun burned all over my chest, arms, and back two weeks ago and in the past week the skin has been pealing off my body. When I get in the shower (warning, this is gross), the skin peals off and clings to my Brawny Paper Towel Man chest hair. This makes me look like I just stepped out of the radioactive Chernobyl, not the effect I want if I am going to the pool. This at least solves that problem. Yet don't you think this could have waited.

It's not just me, The author of "How to eat a frog" talks about how, in every one's life, there are those things that influence most the impact of one's life. They represent in importance around the top in the list of the things we plan on getting done. Ironically the majority of people spend 90 percent of their time on those tasks in the bottom of that list and only 10 percent on the top. If I devoted the majority of my time to what was truly important... such impact would be noticeable. Think about it. Oh, and have you recognized yet that the quote from the title is from a song, "tiiiiiiiimmmmmeeeee, is on my side...yes it is". Don't recognize it? It's also sung by Azeal in the movie Fallen with Denzel Washington (good movie).

the problem with self control...

Behavioral psychologists agree with the statement while psychoanalysts scoff at it. Humanities idea of “self control”, is considered by some to be an immeasurable internal force which allows us to show self restraint. Behaviorist suggest instead that we are a product of our reinforces and believe that proposing the idea of a construct inside us to explain internal motivators actually takes control away.

Many are familiar with the famous experiment involving Pavlov’s Dogs; how he was able to elicit salivating in dogs to a unrelated stimulus of a bell ringing. In a similar way we are reinforced everyday by a process called the A.B.C method. An example of step A (Antecedent) would be the phone ringing. An example of step B (Behavior) would be picking it up. An example of step C (Consequence) is someone answering. In this situation we have a example of unconscious positive reinforcement. If the consequence was pleasurable, the person is likely to repeat such behavior. Another example of reinforcement is hitting the snooze button. In this situation we have a negative reinforcement; the annoying noise was taken away.
It get’s interesting from here. If we continue conditioning theses neurological process for a sustained portion of time, the axons become hard and permanent. When this happens, the only treatment to undue this is brick therapy (bash em in the head with a brick). So here is my problem with pornography. If someone has a history of looking at a certain type of porn for example, they can retrain what they are actually sexually stimulated to (depending on what they are using as a stimulus at). Perhaps it’s no coincidence the majority of known pedophiles have a shared history of looking at pornography.

It must be noted that this simple conditioning with reinforces is much more complex in humans, probably more than behaviorist care to admit. A fellow named Maslow developed a hierarchy of needs that we attempt to fill, and any number of our behaviors can be unconsciously driven to meet one of these needs.
So if you your tired of making promises to yourself that seem to be broken as quickly as they can be made, alter your behavior through simple behavioral modification. Were all unhappy in some fashion with the frequency, duration, or intensity of one or more behaviors. Such modification will involve altering these factors: response effort, environment, and reinforcements. Regardless if this mentality may seem fatalistic, it is important to remember that in every opportunity we can still turn towards goodness. The problem is with each selfish decision we make, were more likely to repeat that process again.

the impact of your bro's and hoe's

Isn't it interesting in life how people can make all the difference merely by there presence. If there involved in your life, they influence it, and hopefully in a positive way. It makes you wonder if heroes and villains in our everyday struggle are simply characters in life responding to their supporting cast. The funny website "Garfield Minus Garfield" is an example of this to some degree, without the character...Jon is a crazy person... the comic is funnier to.

we have the ability to make a difference ...

Now more than ever we can make a difference in the word on the behalf of justice. Those who are against poverty can now put there money where their mouth is. The micro lender Kiva (www.Kiva.org) allows you to micro loan money out to impoverished people to make a better life for themselves. To under stand more about the process, check out "Banker to the Poor" by Muhammad Yunis.