Tony Thomas' Ethereal Bits

Job and Me

2011-11-20T10:10:00.000-08:00

“So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:7-10 (ESV)

My recent health woes and hospitalization have brought me back to the pages of Holy Scripture to look for answers.

One of the places I looked was in the book of Job. According to the Bible, Job was a blameless, upright, and God-fearing man. Satan tested him by taking his possessions, his family and his wealth, all with God’s permission. During the course of our lives, all of us will receive similar tests--albeit not to the extent of Job.

When times of testing come, and they surely will, the most important thing is how we respond to them. Will we blame God? Will we curse Him? Or will faith triumph over fear?

James wrote: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 (ESV)

In the Greek, the word steadfastness means endurance--the ability to withstand difficult circumstances.

One of the things that amazed me during my malady was the way that my faith sustained me in the middle of the storm.

I was not depressed or despondent. I was not fearful. I was able to endure. God put faith-filled people around me--family, friends and even Christian nurses--to help me get though this trial. My Christian friends prayed for me and I was lifted up by their prayers. The Lord brought me safely to the other side.

What have I learned? To trust God implicitly. To worship God unconditionally. To love God perfectly. To marvel in God’s sovereignty.

My experience amplified my fragility.

In the words of Peter: “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” I Peter 1:24-25 (ESV)

Back in the Saddle Again

2011-11-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

I got to drive my car today. Big deal, you might say.

For me, this is huge!

It is the first time in about a month that I got to drive. Only my second trip since I left the hospital after cellulitis ravaged my right leg.

The first time, my wife drove me to Cleveland Clinic to see my doctor. This trip, I went to get some blood tests and to pick up a prescription. I also got some groceries while I was at the local Drug Mart.

The sun was shining. The temperature was perfect. And I drove solo. My leg felt strong.

I’ll never take mundane things for granted again.

I am just thankful to be alive. And I know that the King of the Universe is looking down on me. And He is smiling!

Coming to Terms With Mortality

2011-11-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

“What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
(James 4:14 ESV)

It is amazing how fast the trajectory of your life can change. One day, you think you just have a sinus infection. A few days later, your temperature climbs to almost 104° and your leg starts to hurt. And a few days after that, you're flat on your back in a hospital bed being injected with very strong antibiotics for a bad leg infection and fighting for your life.

This is not a fictional account. This is what just happened to me.

I am 55 years old now, and rapidly approaching my 56th birthday. I've never been in the hospital since the day I was born. I've never even been to the emergency room before. Although I have several ailments, none of them has brought me to my knees-- until now.

As I hung between life and death, I was comforted by the fact that I had made a decision over 30 years ago that would determine my eternal destiny. The fact that I received Christ as my Savior has strengthened me and given me resolve, even in the face of impending peril. Being in the hospital is not easy, but I found it to be enlightening. Suddenly, I had to depend on others for my survival. Thankfully, the Lord put some really wonderful people around me to help me heal including a handful of Christian nurses.

As I recuperate at home, I am ever thankful to the Lord for bringing me through this. It put me in touch with my own mortality and made me realize that life is tenuous and we are but a vapor that appears for a while and then suddenly disappears.

Have you thought about your own mortality and eternal destiny? John 3:16

Men Behaving Badly

2011-08-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

As a Christian, I see world events through a different lens than most of my peers. One trend that concerns me is the almost daily parade of men behaving badly as seen in the media.

It seems to be fashionable these days to live with a bunch of “goddesses”, cheat on your wife with hookers and/or mistresses, marry underage girls, have secret children out of wedlock, and much more.

While this trend is not unique to our age, it seems to be garnering much more attention in our media-saturated world. The common theme is that bad behavior has consequences: loss of a spouse, a family, a career and a reputation.

What I see on my television is mirrored in the pages of Scripture.

David was a man who slept with another man’s wife, fathered an illicit child and had her husband killed in battle. Because of his actions, David saw the decimation of his family. Samson had a fondness for the wrong kind of women and it cost him his strength, his sight, and ultimately, his life.

Hopefully, eventually we will learn that a drop of pleasure is not worth an ocean of pain.

It is Time for Leadership

2011-08-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

It is time. The time for leadership has come. The U.S. credit rating has dropped. The stock market is in a free fall. Unemployment is raging. A double-dip recession seems imminent. The house is on fire.

It is time for President Obama to sound the alarm. We need change we can believe in. And we need it now. No more polite diplomacy. No more getting along for the sake of getting along.

It is time to come up with a plan. A plan to get America working again. A plan to create a fair and sensible overhaul of the current tax system. A plan to protect our social safety nets and the less fortunate among us.

Call Congress back. Cancel your vacation.

The time has come!

Back to 1971

2011-08-10T12:50:00.001-07:00

I remember walking into the penthouse of the Statler Hilton hotel on a chilly night in October 1971. I was a young anti-war protestor delivering leaflets to fledgling prog rocker WNCR.

As I walked into the control room, I was intrigued by the ambience. Loud music blared from the large Electro Voice speakers mounted above the Gates Stereo Statesman console. Behind the mic was a bearded cat by the name of Jeff Gelb. He was really cool and allowed me to hang out with him. I ended up becoming an intern and fetched coffee and answered phones for Lyn Doyle's "People's Night on the Radio" show.

A week or two after I started, my first cousin, Carolyn Thomas walked in. I asked her what she was doing there and she asked me the same question! It turned out that she was working overnights!! (I also found out that Doyle was my cousin by marriage).

After WNCR moved to the Stouffer Building around December 1971, interns were exiled and I moved to WMMS working with Billy Bass and David Spero for a few months. It was amazing to watch them work.

I ended up back at WNCR in February of 1972 and had a chance to run the board and "ride gain" for Carolyn and Lee Andrews on occasion.

Those days were magical and I ended up in radio myself for over 20 years, working at stations in LA and Cleveland.

Elections Have Consequences

2011-08-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t heard, S&P (Standard and Poors) has downgraded the US credit rating from AAA to AA+. This is the first time in US history that our credit rating as been downgraded. According to news reports, S& P stated: "The downgrade reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the Administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government's medium-term debt dynamics."

This isn’t good news. It seems that the Tea Party, in their effort to ram through a debt reduction plan by holding America hostage, has undermined our entire economic system. We have gone from the world fiscal gold standard to a second-rate nation in the matter of hours. And last week, we had another stock market crash. And we are seriously looking at the possibility of the dreaded double dip. I wonder what the folks that put these radical rebels into office are thinking now? Elections have consequences, you know.

And there is no way we are going to be able to restore our pristine credit rating without taxing millionaires, billionaires and big business. Cutting our social safety nets is not an option. There is still a huge price that will have to be paid and who is going to pay it? The poor? The lower middle class? No way!

And guess who the Republicans want to blame? Obama. He is the one who got us into this mess. He is the one who spent, spent, spent.

Are they delusional or do they just have a bad case of amnesia?

The Party of "No" and the Politics of Obstruction

2011-08-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

Many of you probably know that I supported Barack Obama for President. Even though I am a registered Democrat, I am actually more of an independent since I do not agree with many of the party's positions. For example, I am opposed to abortion on demand and same-sex marriage due to my Christian beliefs. I have always voted for the best person for the job rather than for a particular party.

Frankly, I am appalled at the way that President Obama has been treated by the Republican Party, the right-wing media and various pundits. First, they challenged his citizenship. The so-called "birthers" claimed that he isn't an American citizen and he was actually born in Kenya. Of course, they did not have one iota of proof. Obama silenced them by producing his certified birth certificate.

Next, they claimed that he was the communist, a Marxist or a socialist (depending on which pundit you were listening to). Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I have found him to be more of a moderate centrist than a progressive based upon his record. Even his controversial health plan is far from socialistic.

Now, they are trying to destroy him using obstructionist tactics. The recent debt ceiling fiasco is the most recent development. The "party of no" basically used extortion to get him to go along with cutting government spending without increasing taxes on millionaires, billionaires and giant corporations.

This is the most cynical political display that I have ever seen. If they are really interested in cutting the national debt, just make the people that have benefited the most during the economic downturn help pay for it. In the coming year, I expect more of the same as they continue to blame Obama for the mess that they have created. I hope the American people don't have a short memory.

Whose Default Is It, Anyway?

2011-07-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

As Congress gets ready to send us over the cliff, we should really stop and think about all of this. Really hard.

Who got us into this mess? Who started two wars that we are still paying for? Who cut taxes for the rich? Who presided over the spending binge that turned a surplus into a massive deficit. Who looked the other way while bankers lent money to anyone with a pulse and packaged these "liar loans" into real estate investment time-bombs? Who bailed out the same banks with trillions of dollars with no strings attached?

And now, they say: "Don't tax the rich. It will ruin the economy and kill job creation". Hello!

And now, they say: "Spending is out of control. We need to cut." Cut what? Social Security. Medicare. Various safety nets that help the poor, the needy and the oppressed. Is that fair?

In the words of St. James:

"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you." James 5 ESV

Remembering My Dad on Father's Day

2011-06-19T08:34:00.001-07:00

It is Father’s Day. My father passed away over 20 years ago. He may be dead, but his memory still lives in my heart. My father was a hard-working man. A brilliant man. He was someone that I wanted to imitate. I often see my life through the lens of my father’s life. I have tried to realize some of his aspirations. It hasn’t been easy, yet, it is something that I continue to strive for. I miss him terribly and think about him almost every day. I dream about him. I cannot wait to see him again. I know that we will be reunited. And I look forward to that day.

The End Of The World As We Know It?

2011-05-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

I am truly amazed at the gullibility of people that believe the musings of a false prophet. Harold Camping of the Family Radio Network has predicted that the end of the world will happen tomorrow, 5/21/11. Camping is only the latest in a long parade of false prophets who have predicted the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. And I am sure that he will not be the last.

William Miller was probably the first "prophet" of the modern era to make such a prediction. He falsely predicted that the return of Christ would take place sometime between 1843 and 1844. He finally settled on a date: October 22, 1844. Many gullible people of that time blindly sold all their belongings and quit their jobs in anticipation of this great event. (There were somewherhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gife between 50,000 and 500,000 so-called "Millerites".) Of course, it never happened and many of his followers were ruined. They not only lost their jobs and worldly possessions-- they lost their faith.

Similarly, many of Camping's followers have sold everything that they have and quit their jobs to follow his false prophecies. I can only pray that they will not lose their faith as well. False prophecies and false prophets bring reproach upon the true church and upon its Lord. We should never follow the predictions of those who claim to have special revelation of the day of Christ's return. For Jesus himself said: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." Matt 25:13

Life Beyond LeBron

2010-07-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

Before “The Decision”, I heard a television commentator say, with a straight face, that if Cleveland lost LeBron, it would be like a thermonuclear bomb hit the city.

LeBron has moved on. Miami is his new home. The time has come to get over it and move on. Northeast Ohio has a multitude of problems that it needs to address that are far more important than whether or not a sports superstar is moving on.

First of all, it has to deal with its huge image problem. The Greater Cleveland area has much more to offer than the dismal performance of its sports teams. Yet, every image that we see on national television is of “The Drive”, “The Fumble”, “The Shot”, and now, “The Decision”. In the national media, we not only read that Cleveland is the poorest city in the U.S., but Forbes Magazine has rated us as the “Most Miserable City” in the U.S.

If this is misery, at least I have some company. However, less and less company with each passing year. The Northeast Ohio area is hemorrhaging population and industry-- its precious life blood. The Cleveland Metro and the State of Ohio badly need to reinvent themselves--and fast. I watch all of those “Pure Michigan” ads and wonder: Why aren’t we doing something like that?

Greater Cleveland has much to offer: affordable housing, the beautiful Metropark system, vibrant cultural activities, a world-class symphony orchestra, museums, ethnic and racial diversity, top-notch health care and much more. What we need is a technological roadmap and industries focused on emerging trends such as renewable energy, biotechnology and the Internet.

We cannot continue to be defined by the variable performance of the Browns, the Indians and the Cavaliers. There is too much really important stuff at stake!

My Journey to the Epicenter of Evil

2009-11-29T10:43:00.001-08:00

My wife and I made a trip to Imperial Avenue recently to see the site of one of the worst mass murders in Cleveland history.

The neighborhood is not foreign to me. I was a resident for about four years back in the late 70s and lived just a few blocks from the scene of the crime. At that time, it was a nice working class neighborhood filled with sturdy, two-family homes. Since that time, urban decay has set in and, combined with the recent foreclosure crisis, a once vibrant neighborhood has turned into one filled with dilapidated, vacant houses and rampant vice.

After we parked and walked around the corner to Imperial, the first question that came to mind was: "How could this have happened"? The question is one that we should all take moment to ponder. The Sowell house looked much better than many of the others on the street. It seemed to be well cared for and in good condition. The alleged monster that lived inside seemed to have created an attractive lair.

We spoke to a few people familiar with the neighborhood and acquainted with some of the visitors to 12205 Imperial. Based upon what they told us, the visitors all had three things in common: they were female, they lived on the street and they had an affection for crack cocaine—an affection that would eventually cost them their lives. It seems that their addiction had alienated them their friends, family and society.

These were the invisible people that seemed to have been misplaced by all of us. When we saw them walking down the street, we turned our heads and looked the other way. Many of us have moved as far away from them as possible so we didn't have to see them or experience their little island of desperation, devastation and decay.

This brings to mind the Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan. In the parable, Jesus tells us about a man who was beaten and stripped of his clothes by robbers who left him half-dead. The arrogant priest and the Levite walked by him, moving to the other side of the road so they could be as far away from him as possible. The lowly Samaritan picked him up, nursed his wounds and paid for his lodging. Then the Lord asked the expert of the Law that he was speaking to which of the three was this man's neighbor? The expert said: "The one who had mercy on him".

The Lord said: "Go and do likewise".

It Has Been an Interesting Year

2009-10-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

It has been an interesting year for Barack Obama. He has gone from "Yes, We Can", to the White House and, finally, to the Nobel Peace Prize. For us observing on the sidelines, however, Obama the trailer is proving to be better than Obama the movie. There is much work to be done and a bit more than three years left in his term.

Of course, Obama cannot be blamed for the "hangover" caused by Bush's, Congress' and corporate America's unregulated eight-year binge. After all, he has been made heir to the worst economy since the great depression, escalating unemployment, two major wars, rampant nuclear proliferation and a medical system that is on the verge of collapse.

What should be his priorities?

1. End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: It is becoming apparent we are losing both wars and the carnage must stop. To quote Country Joe and the Fish from the sixties: "And it's 1...2...3...what are we fighting for?" It should be obvious to us by now that we are not going to bring democracy to either nation and our continued presence is just going to further destabilize the region and fuel more terrorist activity. Our experimentation with regime change should come to end and we should bring the troops home.

2. Create Jobs: With unemployment spiraling up towards 10% (and much higher in many areas), job creation must come to the fore. We need to re-train our workers, re-tool our factories and re-think our economic priorities. In addition, we must encourage and fund entrepreneurship and innovation. Unless, we are able to create more jobs (and fast), our entire economy is in danger of flat lining.

3. Re-Regulation: It should be obvious by now that deregulation has failed and is the cause of many of the problems that we are currently experiencing. We need to take another look at the regulations that were put in force back in 1933 and 1934 and tighten up all of the loopholes that various pieces of legislation enacted since have created. The subsidization of corporate America's failures must end. "Too big to fail" has to be eradicated from our vocabulary.

4. Health Care: We need affordable and accessible health care. We need to view it as a basic human right, not something that is only available to those who can afford it. Personally, I am all for a single payer system a la Canada and Europe but it looks like that will not be a reality. At the very least we need a competitive, free-market system with a public option to reduce costs and assure portability. The special interests that are causing Congress to create what is essentially a medical monopoly must be defeated.

One year almost down. Three to go. Can we do it? "Yes, we can"!

Where Are We Now?

2009-05-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

It is now May 2009. Where are we now?

When will me emerge from this mega-recession? When will prosperity and plenty return to the 50 states.

Good question.

There are signs that things are getting better. Unemployment seems to be stabilizing. The stimulus money is flowing. Bailouts abound. People are starting to buy houses again (at bargain prices and tiny interest rates). Credit card companies are gouging their way to profitability. Some banks show signs of financial health.

Even with all this going on, I have the feeling that things will never be like they were before the meltdown began.

I think this is the new 1934. We will see re-regulation of the financial industry. We will see companies investing less and cutting more. Americans will learn to live less affluently. Quality of life and not quantity of life will become the new benchmark.

A new paradigm is about to begin.

A Different Kind of Presidency

2009-04-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

As I watch President Barack Obama, I can say I'm impressed. His presidency is light years removed from the failed presidency of George W. Bush.

First off, he is amazingly active. No perpetual vacation for him. He seems to be constantly on the road - meeting the people of America in town halls, visiting distant lands and attending conferences and summits with foreign dignitaries and heads of state. No grass is growing under Obama's feet.

Next, there is a transparency and willingness to communicate. Even sensitive and controversial information such as the CIA's "persuasion" protocols. Press conferences and speeches are an almost daily occurrence. The Internet and technology make him instantly accessible. This president is not cloistered behind the walls of the White House.

Finally, there is a mental vigor and sense of humor unseen since the days of JFK. Although the USA is at the crossroads in many respects, I think it will be an exciting four years!

Looking Forward to 2009

2009-01-03T11:22:00.000-08:00

I am getting the feeling that 2009 is going to be a messy year.

With skyrocketing unemployment on the way, retail closures, economic meltdown, foreclosures that are moving up the food chain and wars and terrorist attacks breaking out everywhere, it is going to be painful to say the least.

A lot of people are going to be stressed to the max, our social service agencies are going to be pressed to the breaking point and our society will be impacted by massive lifestyle changes.

For me, it is going to be a year of hunkering down and spiritual introspection. It will be a year of quiet times deep in thought and prayer and a year of reassessment. I will probably spend time watching and thinking about the so called "plain people", the Amish, who live so simply but live a rich and meaningful life.

My Christian faith gives me hope in the face of extreme adversity. As it says so beautifully in the Young's Literal Translation of Romans 12:12: "in the hope rejoicing; in the tribulation enduring; in the prayer persevering;"

A good plan for the year ahead.

America 2.0

2008-12-14T22:56:00.000-08:00

I am convinced that this country is in need of quantum change.

Just read the news:

Economic meltdown. Unbridled political corruption. Corporate greed and mismanagement on an unprecedented scale. Ten percent of all mortgages delinquent. Massive foreclosures with hundreds of thousands more to come. Millions of jobs lost--perhaps forever. A deep recession that may eventually lead to depression.

How can we overcome such mind-numbing adversity? It seems a complete makeover of our economic and political system is overdue. No more "pay to play" politics. No more "trickle down economics". The huge middle class economic engine and the small businesses job-creation engine must be refueled and reinvigorated.

Enough with doling out billions to the fat cats. Stimulus needs to be provided to the average American in massive doses. Our leaders need to mirror our needs and desires and to address them. A national health care system needs to be created and fast. We need to get serious about moving away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources.

To save this country and our quality of life, the solution must come from the bottom up and not from the top down. It must begin with each one of us.

Reasons to Be Thankful

2008-11-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

As I write this on Thanksgiving Day 2008, I sit here clothed, well fed, warm and comfortable in my own home. Food. Clothing. Shelter. We take these things for granted here in the "land of plenty". In other parts of the world, there is rampant hunger, torturous heat and mind-numbing cold.

Those of us who have friends and family who love us, pets that adore us, the ability to make a living, reasonably good health and a degree of material prosperity have much to be thankful for.

Let us all give thanks!

Four Trillion Dollars

2008-11-25T20:35:00.000-08:00

Four trillion dollars.

Think about that figure for a moment. Staggering. Unfathomable.

Yet, that is how much we have spent thus far on the bail out of financial behemoths that were consumed by their own greed. How much more money will be thrown at other industries that are in the throes of death due to managerial incompetence and unmitigated avarice? Who knows?

The stunning fact behind this humongous figure is that the cumulative net effect of all of this "stimulus" is similar to tossing a pebble in the ocean.

Imagine my outrage when I opened a letter addressed to me from my credit card holder, Citibank. After enjoying a $20 billion snack from the American taxpayers, now they want to raise my interest rate from 8.9% to 14.9%. I carry a healthy balance on that card (who doesn't these days?) and have a pristine payment record.

I called them to make sure that it wasn't a misprint of an optical illusion. It wasn't. Non-negotiable. If I opted out of the new "agreement" (which I did), they would yank my card when it expires.

The unmitigated avarice continues. And I get the unsettling feeling that this is only the tip of the iceberg.

A New Day in America

2008-11-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

Written on Wednesday, November 5, 2008

As I look outside, the sun is shining brightly. This a new day in America.

Finally, a man can be judged by the content of his character rather than the color of his skin.

The phrase that we all have memorized from the Declaration of Independence now has real meaning: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

The dreams of my ancestors who were once shipped to this country in chains have been realized. I know that my father, who was involved in civil rights and the fight for equal opportunity for all, is looking down on me from heaven and smiling.

I can't wait to bask in the sunshine of this new day.