Woven Words and Thoughts

Can (And Should) A Woman Be a Pastor

2026-09-28T16:48:00.000-05:00

As I have listened to and watched this debate rage, there are lots of areas of ambiguity, so I want to be clear to define things. I want to avoid false equivocations and make sure we are clear on definitions and roles. Let me begin by saying that I do not object to women having leadership roles in general. I have worked with and for some wonderful leaders who are women. In this post, we are not talking about the ability of women to lead, or the value of women, but the role in leading in a spiritual sense in the church.

The next area we are to be clear on is the role of Pastor. We have made up some stuff in the modern church. The idea of associate pastor (which I have been and would like to be again) is not a New Testament church role. The role of Pastor as defined by the scripture is the lead, overseer, shepherd of the local church. The Pastor in the Bible is the Lead Pastor, not a worship leader, youth leader, education leader, etc. Those roles are not invalid, but it is not what we are talking about, we are talking about the person who leads the local church. Not a missionary or a para-church leader, but the lead or senior pastor of a church.

Now, my personal feelings is, I would like to be able to say a woman can be a pastor. I feel like that would be ok with me. My feelings however, don’t matter. What matters is what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that woman should not be in charge of the church. 1 Timothy 2:11-14. “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.”

Now my feelings about this verse is irrelevant, the fact this verse exists is what matters. Paul instructs that women are not to hold that spiritual authority, it is reserved for men. Why does Paul bring up Adam and Eve? This is important, and it has to do with the curse given to Eve. We know that she will have pain amplified in childbirth, which Paul talks about in the latter verses, but part of the curse we skip is important.

Your desire shall be for your husband,

and he shall rule over you. Genesis 3:16

That verse isn’t talking about the wife having desire to be with her husband, but to control, to usurp, to take authority, yet he is to rule over her. Paul brings up Adam and Eve, because part of the curse, God establishes that man is to be ruler and the head and have authority. This is most true in the church, that a man is to be in charge, not a woman. Again, it doesn’t matter how we feel about this verse or this arrangement, what matters is what God said about it. A woman who desires the role of pastor does so out of her curse, to be the one in charge and rule, yet men are to stand in the way and be the ones in charge.

In issues outside the church, I am fine with a woman in a leadership role, because those institutions are not putting themselves under the authority of scripture. If a woman should be in charge outside the church is not for me to judge. In spiritual issues inside the church, if a church is not willing to submit to the authority of scripture, then I don’t want to be part of that church. The scripture is the authority on all things spiritual, and how we are to conduct ourselves inside of our relationship with Christ. If we are unwilling to submit to scripture because of our feelings or because of societal pressure, we are no better than pagans who do as they please.

Bottom line, if you are a church that follows the Bible, a woman should not be a senior pastor. They can tell people about Jesus, they can be missionaries, they can serve and minister, and serve a lot of roles, just like they did in the New Testament. They can work alongside a pastor, but they cannot take the role, position, or authority of pastor, because the Bible says so.

Can a Calvinist and a non-Calvinist be Friends?

2026-09-18T11:21:19.109-05:00

I have seen a lot of posts from non-Calvinists and anti-Calvinists who believe that Calvinism is evil. They call it a heresy, a lie, and the work of the devil. As a Calvinist, this opinion makes me very sad. I think much of it comes from a misunderstanding of what a Biblical Calvinist believes. Of course, there are those who take the belief to an extreme or misrepresent it. Also, once the idea of Calvinism clicks, it is easy to look at those who argue against it and feel superior. This is sin, and believing you are better than someone else because of a theological position is wrong. Once I understood Calvinism, which I would say is the Biblical position of Salvation, things made much more sense and clicked into place for me. It is hard for me not to want to argue with someone who disagrees with it.

Now, my point of this post is not to argue with you if you are not a Calvinist. First, I want you to know that I understand and respect your position. I wasn’t always a Calvinist and I think the traditionalist view (as it is called in the SBC) is valid from a point of view. Calvinism works best if you examine time from God’s perspective, but the traditional point of view works best from a man-centered point of view. I think they are equally valid (to an extent) and even in those places I disagree and find people mistaken, I still respect that. I admit that I could be wrong about what I believe.

I think the key is to have mutual respect. Calvinists need to act less arrogantly and condescendingly. Non-Calvinists need to look beyond the disagreement to see if the person loves God and loves God’s people. Calvinists and non-Calvinists/ Traditionalists can be friends. I have good friends on both sides, and I love them all very much. The key is to see the things that unite, to find the common ground, and love and serve God together.

Can We Let God be God Sized?

2026-08-28T11:31:24.663-05:00

As I have been involved in theological discussions in my life, I have noticed one thing. Many people attempt to make God manageable. They attempt to understand God using human limitations. Limitations like knowledge, time, and most importantly, free will. People behave as if God is not really in control, just managing some aspects of the universe. Why can't we let an infinite God be infinite in size and scope?

We have this idea that God cannot violate free will, but do we get that from scripture, or a view of a small God? If we pray for people to be saved, wouldn't God override their free will to answer our prayers? If we pray that God keep us safe, would it not require God to override the free will of those who seek to do us harm? If we seek to have favor with authorities, would God not override their free will to give us favor? I am not saying that God created humans as simply His puppets, but scripture really seems to indicate that our free will isn't something that God can override. In fact, free will doesn't seem to exist. We are slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. Free will is not part of the equation.

Prophecy seems to indicate that free will isn't a thing. For example, if God says that descendants of Abraham would live in Egypt for 300 years, then return to the Promised Land and take the land, could they have used their free will to say no? Could Joseph had decided to stay in Jerusalem until Jesus was born, or did the prophecy override his free will? Could Pilate demand that Jesus be released and not crucified, therefore nullifying the words of Jesus?

People behave as if God experiences time the way we do. That He doesn't know the future, which prophecy already invalidates. Time is not a linear experience for God. Read my previous posts on God being at least a 6th-dimensional being (some hypothesize as much as 11th-dimensional). God exists in all possible realities at the same time. The question that people would ask is "how is that possible?" They ask that question because they have an idea of a man-sized, small, limited God. If they cannot fathom it, they reject it.

To have a proper, Biblical view of God, we need to understand that we cannot fathom God, we cannot understand God, we cannot limit God, and we need to stop trying. It's why we trust by faith, it is our only option.

Why Trying to Fathom the Trinity is Silly

2026-08-20T12:54:26.351-05:00

In my last few posts, I have explored the idea of God existing throughout at least 6 dimensions. This places God existing in every possible time, event, and possibility. If we really embrace the reality that God is truly in all times and all possibilities, then we don't need to question things like predestination. It's only pre from a human perspective. From a 4th-dimensional view or higher, there is no past or future. Just present. When we begin to think about how big and all-encompassing God is, existing simultaneously in every time and every possibility in that time, then we need not even think about all these aspects, we can just accept them. We can accept the fact that predestination and election have no impact on our abilities to make choices, because God exists in both choices simultaneously.

This is the reason it is silly for us to think about the Trinity. We struggle with the Trinity when we believe in a man-sized God. God has no problem being three in one, if He willed it, He could be an infinite number of people. The Trinity is God revealing aspects of Himself in a way we can understand. God is infinite, so we need aspects we can grasp. We can understand The Father, The Son, The Spirit. God reveals Himself in ways we can comprehend. What we can't comprehend is how those three are one. We also can't fathom what it's like to exist in the 4th, 5th, or 6th dimension (or higher). We need to stop trying to fathom and just understand it is beyond the ability of our mind to comprehend.

If you reject that, then the reality that there are things bigger than you can comprehend is something you can't comprehend. Trippy, right?

Dimensional Reality Pt 3 - Getting Trippy!

2026-08-06T12:56:30.914-05:00

So we have talked about the first through third dimensions, where we live and move and have some control. We have talked about the 4th dimension of time (not the spatial dimension), where we experience it but have no ability to navigate. Let us move into some of the crazier and more theoretical aspects.

Now, if you are a fourth-dimensional being, you can move around in time. You can go to the beginning and then end at will. Think of the Tralfamadorians in Slaughterhouse-Five by Vonnagant. Think Dr. Who without a TARDIS. This is a state we can imagine, but of course don't experience. The ability to see all of time at once, like we see a room. They can see the beginning and end of time simultaneously and move to the areas of time like we would walk across a room. There is no "has been" or "will be", everything just is.

It would be simple to say that God exists in the 4th dimension, but it goes higher. The 5th dimension as time becomes more complicated. This is the timeline in Loki and the MCU. If you have seen Avengers Endgame, the Ancient One explains to Bruce Banner that a change creates a new timeline. A 5th-dimensional being would see and be able to move in the branches. They would see every option for every choice and how each one creates a new branch. If you turn left or right, a fourth-dimensional being would see the choice you will make; a fifth-dimensional being would see the reality if you choose both. This, of course, creates infinite timelines. Every possibility in the universe exists for the 5th-dimensional being.

A sixth-dimensional being would see every possibility in every universe, multiversal theory. This includes a universe with different physics, different realities, and different beings. This begins to move more into Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, where things that don't exist in our universe may exist in another universe.

Now, I don't see a reason that we need to move beyond the 5th dimension; 6th-10th dimensions exist in theory. If we look at God as a 5th-dimensional being, then most of the things we struggle with in theology begin to erode. Ideas like predestination and election seem to fade away with God being a 6th-dimensional being. The idea of how all things work for the good of God, or the idea of the best of all possible outcomes, is easy to embrace when we think about God as existing in the 6th dimension. In my next blog, I will explore this further.

Dimensional Reality of Theology Pt 2

2026-07-14T10:59:23.624-05:00

I want to give a little overview before we begin, because I think we all have some assumptions about many things, and I think for the purpose of this series, we need to think about those assumptions. As humans, we have only experienced life as humans, so we tend to assume that the experiences of everything else in the universe are similar. We do this innocently with our pets, ascribing human thoughts and feelings to them. We assume that our dogs and cats see, think, and feel similarly to how we see, feel, and think. It is called personification, and it is pretty natural. We also do this with God, and we sometimes very wrongly assume that God is experiencing the universe like we do, in a three-dimensional experience, moving through the 4th dimension (which is time), and now for us is now for God.

To think outside of our context, we need to understand our context. We experience reality as three-dimensional beings. The first dimension being a line, with only length. We can't see the first dimension, because there is no width to it, so it is a line without a thickness. We can, however, see the second dimension; you are looking at it now. It is length and width. A flat screen, a sheet of paper, a drawing. The cartoons or pictures cannot move off the paper, so if you were a 2nd dimensional being, you could move anywhere on the flat sheet of paper, but you couldn't come forward or backward. If you draw a box around a 2-dimensional being, it would be trapped, unable to get out.

In the third dimension, we add height, so we go from a square to a cube. We can move in any direction within that three-dimensional plane. A square would not hold us, so if I put a hula hoop around you, you could step over it, because while it has length and width, it does not have the height to contain you. I would need to turn it into a cylinder with a closed top and bottom to be a trap.

This is where things get tricky, because there are multiple aspects of the 4th dimension. As noted earlier, the 4th dimension is time, but there is also a 4th spatial dimension, where we add something else to length, width, and height. We cannot conceive of this 4th dimension, but we know theoretically a 4th-dimensional cube would be a tesseract. There is no real way to explain it, because we cannot conceive of what it would be; we are unable to perceive the 4th dimension. We know that just like we can see everything in a 2-dimensional world, a 4th-dimensional being would be able to see everything in the 3rd dimension, so it could see behind closed doors and in a closed box.

Time as the 4th dimension means a 4th-dimensional being would experience time like we experience the 3rd dimension. Just like I can see down a path, walk back and forth along it, and stop to change direction. A 4th-dimensional being can move back and forth in time, see all of time, and time does not unfold for that being, just like a path does not unfold in front of me as I walk down it, I can see it, stop, go back, go forward, and move as I will. So while we experience time, we cannot move at will in time; we are simply experiencing the passage of time as it moves. We are not a swimmer in the movement of time, simply a toy boat that is moving with it in one direction.

As we consider this aspect of reality, viewing God as a 4th-dimensional being changes all perception. For God, there is no past or future; there is just time. God is able to be at all times at the same time, and look at it laid out before Him, like we would look at a timeline. It is not a valid question to ask if God knows their future, because to God there is no future. Time from beginning to end is laid out in front of Him. It places God as the God of time, having created it, but not subject to it.

Now those are just the first 4 dimensions; in the posts to come, I want to consider the higher dimensions, what we propose they may be like, and how they impact our understanding of life and theology.

Dimensional Realities of Theology

2026-07-07T12:26:15.236-05:00

So here is something I have discovered, and I think it is worth discussion. Theologians also need to study quantum mechanics. Did you know there are up to 11 different dimensions, and understanding how they function opens a whole reality of the nature of God. I am not going to unpack everything in one post, because it would be insane to write and make you insane to read. The truth exists in mathematics, and it explains the nature of Salvation and how human choice and God's sovereignty exist at the same time.

In this post, I just want to introduce the idea; I recommend you do some study. We all know what the first three dimensions are; as humans, we are three-dimensional beings. We can move in all three dimensions, but we exist in the 4th, even though we can't navigate it by will. Now, that's where it gets tricky, because there is a fourth spatial dimension, but we are looking more at quantum mechanics, so this fourth dimension is time. We are just in time, moving forward in it; we cannot navigate time. From the 4th dimension, we begin to move forward with probabilities, choices, and branches of timelines (Think Avengers: Endgame). The top being the infinite probabilities of every decision ever made, which is a level we cannot even completely fathom, but a reality in which God exists. God is present in every time and place, in every branch of every timeline. To begin to think about this reality changes everything. Where we are, what we do, the choices we make, and how God works to bring about the best outcome in His plan.

I am going to let you sit and ponder that for a minute, and I will return to write more on the dimensions and how salvation looks outside of our limited third dimension. I hope you will join me, because this is amazing stuff.

Why Atheism isn't Logical

2026-03-31T16:21:00.001-05:00

I often see people who are atheists talk about how unintelligent Christians are. They often view themselves as intellectually superior, but when you examine the reality of the two belief systems, atheism doesn't make any sense. I am not talking about the ontological argument or creationism. Just from a self-preservation aspect, atheism is illogical.

First, unless you possess all the knowledge in the universe, you can never be 100% certain about the existence of God. If you possess half of all knowledge in the universe (and you don’t), then you have to admit that the existence of God could reside in the other half of that knowledge. Whatever your reason is for not believing in God, the reality remains that you could be wrong. As a Christian, I also acknowledge the reality that I could also be wrong. To begin the argument, let’s start with me.

In my life, I feel like I have a purpose. I have hope in eternity. I work hard, I am committed to my family, I live a good life, and I am happy. I enjoy my life, I enjoy my faith, and being part of a faith community. I will die believing I am about to enter into the presence of God. Imagine I am wrong and I die. Will I regret my life? Will I be sad and ashamed? According to atheists, I will just be gone. No soul, no spirit—just gone. I will never know I was wrong. I will die in peace, believing I am about to go to heaven, and then I will never know I was wrong. It has cost me nothing; I have lost nothing. I lived a happy life, and then I was gone.

If atheists are right, there is no purpose for life anyway—no real reason that I shouldn't live my life believing in something that isn't true. I didn't hurt anyone; I gave people something to believe in. People found purpose, hope, and peace. If there is no God, we will all die and not have any idea we were wrong.

However, if I am right, the atheist will die and then face judgment from a God they spent their life not only denying, but defying. They mocked Him, insulted His people, disobeyed His laws, and now stand in judgment—and they deserve it. Those who openly mock God deserve to be judged by God and be cast out of His presence. Holding the atheistic worldview carries all the risk but no reward. If they are right, they are in the same state I am in. We are both just gone; there is no advantage the atheist has over me in life or death. Being a Christian has the advantages in life of community, purpose, and hope. In death, I have eternal life in heaven. Being an atheist, I gain no benefit and take on the liability of standing in opposition to a Holy God. It does not make logical sense!

The Definition of Evil, God vs Man

2026-02-19T14:28:00.001-06:00

One of the criticisms that is often heard about Christians, and especially those who hold to total depravity is that people often claim to be "good people." They feel they don't do any major criminal things, they may have the occasional impropriety, but over all they are good. Most people feel they are decently behaved, and follow most of the laws, they are generally nice to strangers and animals. People feel that they operate well in the society in which they live, and are generally good people.

I would not necessarily disagree, based on the view of humanity by humanity, most people are pretty good. People generally are not out looking for trouble, and most obey the laws (mostly) aside from traffic laws like speeding and fully stopping at stop signs when there is no cop in sight. Generally, most people are good, give to charity, help out their neighbors, and act in a way that is respectable and courteous. On the standard set by man, mankind is generally pretty decent, with notable exceptions.

The issue is, we assume that God operates on the standard set by us. God does not, the standard for God is to operate on the level on which He created us to operate on, one of sinlessness. Man was created without sin or death. By sinning, man rebelled against God. That sin would not be something that would be condemned by the standard of the world today, they just ate a piece of fruit they were told not to eat. They just snuck a little bite, and it’s not like the fruit belongs to anyone else, they were the only people in the garden. According to the world’s standards, what harm could it do to eat one piece of fruit? That fruit, however, constituted treason against God, and cost man everything.

The sinful nature of man is not that man does the most evil possible at every opportunity, but that man has two deep-rooted sins that cause most of the other sins. The first is the sin of pride. We think ourselves far more important than we are, which is why we think we can sin and it’s not a big deal. It is why we can drive as fast as we want, why we should be first and why we often rage against others. Our pride drives us to think about ourselves first and others later. It is why we lash out, why we lose our temper, why we are inpatient and seldom satisfied. When faced with any choice, the one that satisfies our pride usually wins.

The second issue is our selfishness, which goes along with our pride. It is the aspect of human behavior that expresses itself first. A toddler may learn to say momma and daddy, but the most often used word is usually “mine”. We do very little without being motivated by self. Even the good we do, we often do for the reason that it makes us feel good. We get a feeling of satisfaction from doing good, and we receive some sort of reward, which motivates us to do good. There is an intrinsic selfishness that drives most of human behavior.

The issue is not that people are the most evil they can be, but that our nature is that of selfish pride. It is evident in our earliest behavior and exists all the way through life. The only hope for us is that God gives us a new nature. That He replaces the hardened heart of stone with a heart of flesh. What we need is Jesus.

How Salvation Happens

2026-02-13T16:16:00.001-06:00

I think many of the disagreements we have over theology comes down to a failure to understand the basics. Today, I want to take another opportunity to cover the basics, and I want to use Act chapter 2. Peter is preaching on the Day of Pentecost. Peter was speaking to a Jewish audience who understood sin. They understood the law because they were required to keep the Old Testament Covenant, so they understood they needed redeemed. Peter tells them that Jesus is the new sacrifie and takes away sins, and they understood that, but we will talk more about that in a little bit.

The gospel, being preached and heard was the mechanism the Holy Spirit used to convict the people, and Acts says they were cut to the heart. This is the moment of conviction, where they were illuminated for their need for salvation through Christ. They reply to the calling of the Holy Spirit and are saved. They recieve faith from hearing, as Paul writes in Romans 9, and they respond in the faith to the grace that is being given them.

When we are saved, this process is what happens. Sitting in a church service, a revival service, a Bible Study, we hear the message of faith and it cuts us to the heart. It isn't a situation where we think about it, or weigh the pros and cons. It's not rational, it is a supernatural work of God that happens in our hearts. As a result, we respond in faith. We are like a starving man who is given food, that man eats without thought or consequence, thankful for the opportunity to meet the deepest need.

Now, as modern individuals, we are not part of the Jewis law, so often we need to be told about sin. We need to be told that we have broken God's law and as a result, we are headed for eternal seperation from God. As a general rule, people don't believe they are bad. Everyone knows they mess up from time to time, but generally people think they are good and will go to heaven on their merit. Most people need to be told that the standard to enter heaven on personal merit is perfection, because sin and disobeying God's commands in treason againt God. We need to be told that bad news, that we deserve Hell, but the good news, the Gospel is that Jesus died and paid the price for our sin. We are go to Heaven, not on our merit, but on His. He paid the price is we give our lives to Him and make Him Lord and Savior of our lives. We then are adopted into the family of God, and recieve part of the inheritane of Christ.

Salvation happens when the Holy Spirit awakens a person to the message of unlimited grace. When we understand, when our eyes are open. Apart from the work and power of the Holy Spirit, no one is saved. Salvation is a work of God, the part that we contribute is insignificant. It is the same as the starving man, we did not choose the food, we did not gain the food, we didn't even ask for the food, we were given the food and began to eat out of desperation. Salvation is the begger getting bread.

Now, man has some responsibilities in salvation. First, those of us who are saved are to tell others. The Holy Spirit works through hearing the message, and so as beggers who found bread, we tell others where the bread is. We are to preach, teach, and tell. Those who are lost need to be in the place to hear. They need to be available to be told. Unfortunatly, some people will never truely hear. They may hear the message, but it never cut to the heart, the Holy Spirit never illuminates them, they are never able to accept the food. They cannot see or smell or taste what is offered. That is not a failure of the messanger, or a failure of the meal, just the inability to take and eat.

Remember, we dont' argue people to Jesus. We dont' beg or guilt people. We present the truth, and the Holy Spirit does the work. We pray for all people, we tell people, we know God does the work, and we hope that everyone will be saved. That is how salvation happens.

Unapologetic Apologetics

2025-10-20T04:00:00.001-05:00

It is pretty clear that social media has changed society, and in most cases, not for the better. Today, people are very easily offended, and as a result, Christians have begun to apologize for their opinions. In a pluralistic society, there have been many topics where Christians have been silent, giving ground. It is not politically correct to say that Jesus is the exclusive and only way for a person to go to Heaven. We have stepped away from declaring the gospel as exclusive.

There are many voices on social media about theology, and many individuals want Christians to compromise, giving in to things held as fundamental doctrine. The Trinity is a prime example; there are many who say that we shouldn't promote the Trinity, yet the Trinity is a core doctrine in the orthodox Christian church. I have no problem saying that those who reject the doctrine of the Trinity, of one God in three distinct persons, are wrong. Modelists are wrong, those who reject the personhood of the Holy Spirit of the divine nature of Jesus are wrong. I will stand on what I believe, and I am unapologetic that this is orthodox faith, it is established in the scripture, and is accepted by the church fathers and the church for the last 2,000 years.

In many places, modern ideology has moved into a place where it has "discovered" new things about scripture. This is primarily the desire to change the truth of scripture to accommodate the passions and desires of modern America. As a Christian, I have no problem standing on truth, on saying that an exegesis of scripture establishes what things in the New Testament were part of ritual and customs unique to the Jews, which are binding to Christians today, and what the purpose of every law and commandment was. It is not enough to just decide what we like and what we don't, but to understand what commandment was given to the people and discern which were to keep us safe, make us holy, or were simply to avoid the pagan practices of the day.

The Bible is not random, and the laws and commandments have purpose. The nature of attributes of God that we are capable of understanding with our human level of thought is clearly seen in scripture. God reveals Himself, the nature of salvation, the plan for humanity, and the rules for holy and prosperous living. When we abandon those things because we think we know more than God, we are wrong. As a Christian, if someone teaches or believes falsehood, then I have no problem saying they are wrong. I hope they will do the same, and we can discuss where we disagree and come to an understanding. That is the way we grow, the apologetical nature that exists today is not a benifit to anyone!

The Power of Sin- The Unassuming Monster

2025-09-24T16:21:00.001-05:00

Sin is one of those words that has great meaning to some, and little to no meaning to others. To the believer, sin is that struggle of our flesh, the waiting death and corruption. It destroys our lives, relationships, peace, and joy. Sin is the enemy we struggle with every day. Sin is talked about throughout the New Testament, and we know verses about the cost of sin, the slavery to sin, and the destructive power of sin.

To a non-believer, sin is just a word. It may represent things you shouldn't do, but there is no real desire to avoid sin. For those who do not know Jesus as Savior, sin isn't a big deal and not worth even discussion. Everyone knows they do it, but not everyone really cares. The unregenerate person does not struggle to avoid or flee from sin. It is a distinct difference.

Sin is seen as a danger or not a big deal, but much of our culture really understands the power of sin. Sin holds those who are unbelievers in bondage. They are slaves to sin; they have no way to even combat the sin that holds them captive. Sin is more than just doing bad things, it becomes a lifestyle and a mindset. It becomes so ingrained that sin becomes a way of life. People are selfish, self-focused, and self-centered in the core of their being. Sin isn't something that they just do, but it really takes root as the core of the person. They are slaves, driven by the power, the longing, and the desire to sin. It sits like blinders on their eyes, unaware of their sin, unaware of the distance between them and God. They are blinded to His Holiness and Goodness, and they do not recognize their need for salvation. Sin has the power of control, the Holy Spirit is the only way to break free from sin.

In the lives of the believer, sin can become an addiction. It is not as controlling as it is in the life of the unsaved person, but it can become a trap or snare. A Christian can find themselves in sin and unable to find a way get free. They lose part of themselves as the sin separates them from God. It destroys life and peace and hope. A Christian who is mired in sin will slowly sink into its darkness.

There is hope for everyone. For the lost, the hope of faith in Jesus Christ. His death covers the sins of those who are in Christ. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, the penalty of sin is paid. A saved person can become right with God through the grace and forgiveness of Christ. For the Christian, the Holy Spirit, the power of God, the Bible, and the Church are the tools a Christian can use to pull themselves out of the depths of sin. The only hope any of us have is to repent, to turn from the sin in our lives and fully trust ourselves to Christ. That is where we find the abundant life that He promised to us all.

A New Way to Respond on Social Media

2025-09-18T16:12:00.000-05:00

I was convicted today as I was looking at social media. There was a post and it said something about sharing the gospel instead of attacking people we don't agree with online. I don't post hateful stuff, but I will argue with people online from time to time. I shouldn't. If someone posts something I don't agree with, I often attempt to correct them. It never works. This makes sense because it doesn't work for them when they attempt to correct me, either. I am not about to abandon my values, ideals, and principles because of the opinion of someone on social media.

This got me thinking about my reason for engaging. Why do I post things to engage with these individuals? Is my goal to change their mind? It won't happen. The people who agree with me will continue to agree with me, and the people who don't agree will continue to disagree. It just perpetuates tribalism and division. Nothing is solved. I can point out all the great things that my side does or says or believes, and all the evil things the other side says, does, or believes. No one will be convicted and convinced.

I believe that my arguments don't hold any power, but I believe the gospel does have power. I believe the Holy Spirit works through words and sharing. I believe in the power of the gospel. There is an obvious disconnect between what I do and what I believe. I don't believe my words have the power to convince someone to change their ways, but I believe in the power of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. If I am going to live what I believe, I should be sharing Christ more and arguing less.

I am challenged and convicted. I hope you will join me in fighting less and sharing Christ more.

Today We Remember What People Really Are

2025-09-11T09:18:00.003-05:00

I think most of us what to look for the good in people. We know that people are created in the image of God and therefore have a capacity for good. The capacity for good. That is different from people being good, because no one is good. Jesus said, "No one is good except God," in Mark 10:18. Humans are not good by nature. Take a toddler, they are naturally selfish. You don't teach that, you have to teach them to share. You teach them to be kind, you don't have to teach them to hit or bite or throw things.

As you get older, you learn patience, you learn to control your tongue, you learn to help others. It isn't natural. The natural person is not kind. The best place to learn to be good is from God, because God is good and only God is good. What happens in a society where God is removed? What happens when we as a group of people decide we don't believe, we don't have to listen to or believe or follow or trust? What happens when the Bible is discarded and faith is abandoned? People will not be better. People will not be happier or kinder or more supportive. People will love those who love them and hate everyone else. People will become slanderers, killers, thieves. People will abandon truth and embrace fantasy.

Does it sound familiar? It should. That is where this country is. Without revival, I am afraid we are doomed.

How Program Like SNAP Have Impacted the Church

2025-07-09T10:19:00.002-05:00

During the 1st century, Christians were persecuted by Rome, yet Christians still performed ministry, helping people at personal risk. This self sacrifice causes the church to grow rapidly, as people saw the love of God pouring out from His people. This continued to be the norm for the people of God, serving the poor, the orphan, the widow, the down and out. In modern times, we still get some of that, where I live there is a Gospel Mission doing this kind of work. Many churches have food pantries and clothing donations, and there are ministries going overseas. In the United States, the church is still standing in the gap; however, that role is very marginalized because of social programs. The government has stepped in and taken the role of the church, and many Christians defend this. This is a problem.

The problem is that the government is secular, and when people receive assistance from a secular government, they tend to be more secular themselves. The church has given away it's role, and stopped being the hands and feet of Jesus. As a result, the church has turned very inward and become very selfish. Now when churches talk about sacrificial giving, it is so they can buy land, build a building, buy a van, do others things to support and grow the church, very seldom is it to help the poor. The government does that.

Here is simple reality. The church has given the role of ministry to the federal government in the form of welfare, and the church has become largely irrelevant to the society at large. The government needs to step back and limit what it does, as the church needs to step up and take seriously the responsibility left by Jesus. If things continue, more people will worship at the feet of government and not at the feet of Jesus.

The Angry Atheist

2025-06-30T10:42:00.002-05:00

Have you ever met an angry atheist? You probably have, I have met more than my fair share. They don't like the Christian faith, they don't like Christian teachings, they don't like the church, the Bible, or people telling them that God loves them. They attempt to disrupt or belittle, they tells Christians they are waisting their lives, they refer to God in terms like "Sky Daddy" and they are generally unpleasant if you are a Christian.

Here are a few things that most militant atheists will not tell you and will never admit to. First, they are not really atheists. No one gets that angry over something they believe is false. I have never gone out of my way to attempt to humiliate a flat-earth believer. I don't believe in ghosts, but I don't attack people who do. I am not a big believer in most alien theories, but I never go out of my way to call individuals who believe these things rude names.

Militant Atheists are mad, and usually they are mad at God. Something in their lives went wrong, and they blame God. You can't really hurt God, so the next best thing is to attack individuals who believe in God, and try to get them to lose their faith. Now, many of them are convinced they don't believe in God, but you can't be angry at someone who doesn't exist. They can use the "it's not God that hurt me, it's Christians," but why focus on just the Christians who hurt you, when people from every faith, creed, culture, and ethnicity hurt people all the time? It doesn't make logical sense.

Now you can't tell them any of this, they are already angry. They are not going to listen to you, they have hard hearts. Remember, the religious leaders saw Jesus do miracles, and they still crucified Him. These people have the same spirit. You can pray for them, you can love them, you can serve them, but you cannot change their hearts. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. Simply care about them, don't argue with them, do not belittle them, and pray that God softens their heart. That is really all you can do.

Why Is the Church in America Shrinking?

2025-06-24T10:06:00.002-05:00

Let me start out by saying this is a complex issue, you can't just point out one or two things and it is the silver bullet. There are also individuals much smarter than I am who have written and studied this problem extensively. I want to give you what I see as some of the biggest issues of the church, and suggest these are some of the issues we see.

We are living in a post-church age, where it is normal for people to not attend church. Most of the history of the United States, people just went to church. In the 60s, there was a shift that began and over the next 60 years, church enrollment has declined. The Jesus Movement of the 70s helped some, and some organizations like Promise Keepers have worked to support outreach, but the trend continues downward. I think there are some things that have supported this.

First, churches are pretending like it isn't happening. Most churches have continued on as if things are great, and there have been very few adjustments. The adjustments that we have made, I don't think, have been the best. As church membership has fallen away, many of the smaller and medium-sized churches have died and closed their doors, and we have seen the rise of the mega-church. I am not here to bash on the mega-church, it has done a lot of good, but just as much harm. It has created a culture of "consumer-based" Christianity, where the church is a combination of a concert, a nice message, some quality coffee, free child care, and a social gathering. Faith is not really required, and commitment is optional. Most mega-churches have a back door that is as big as the front door, and many of the people who attend never really commit and leave just as easily as they came.

The next problem is leadership. Not the leadership of the church, but the principle of leadership. Sure, leadership is important, but it has become the golden calf of churches. Leadership has become an idol, people love to be in charge. When someone wants to be in charge but can't, they go to one of a couple of places. They run for the city council or the school board. When that doesn't work, they find a way to become in charge of an HOA, and they find a leadership position in the church. So many places we find in the New Testament that leadership is supposed to be gracious, servant, giving, and gentile. That's not what we get, we have the CEO, Captain, General, Commander type leadership. I would dare say many church leaders do not know Jesus, they know leadership, and they just want to be in charge. Combine this with the mega church model, and you have leaders who want a big church, but not really Jesus. Joel Osteen, anyone? Without leadership who is sold out to Jesus, who is preaching Jesus, lives are not being changed, and the church is optional.

Next, gossip. In America, we love gossip. We have TV shows and magazines dedicated to gossip. In the church, we are more interested in talking about someone's struggles than we are about helping them through them. The culture at large loves it when a Christian falls. People right now know who Michael Tait is who have never heard of DC Talk or Newsboys. If you Google his name, the first thing you will see is the dirt and the gossip. Sure, we need to hold people accountable, but quietly and out of love and for the purpose of restoration. That's not what we do, we destroy people. We see people destroyed because of sin, and then we realize we have sin. I have messed up, and I don't want that plastered all over my church, do you? People stop going to church because they don't want their mistakes making the front page of the bulletin. People are afraid to be condemned.

My last point, we have left evangelism to the church. It used to be that people came to church to hear about Jesus, but not people aren't coming to church, so they aren't hearing about Jesus. We don't have outreach like we need, and church members are not sharing their faith. I know it's hard, that is why I wrote a book about it, to help make a plan and make it easier. It's still hard, but it has to happen. Christians have to find ways to share their faith outside the church, because people are no longer coming into the church. America has become more of a mission field than ever before, and we have to take missionary mindsets. People need to see their need for the church, because right now they don't.

Now, this isn't an exhaustive list, there are more reasons, and some that are church or area-specific. This is just a few places that I see big, glaring holes in the way the modern American church is operating. You can add lots of things, such as the way churches have abandoned the Bible, kids leaving after graduating, the moral decline due to social media, and all sorts of other reasons. My point is, these things we can work on in our churches today, and my prayer is to begin moving towards a society that values the gathering on Sunday morning for prayer, worship, and growth.

Be Careful Who Your Teacher Is

2025-06-23T10:17:00.001-05:00

During the 1st centry, there we no shortages of "messiahs". The Jewish people knew the Messiah was coming, but they got it mixed up a little. They assumed the Messiah would be a political leader, conquering Rome and setting Israel up as the strongest nation. In reality, Jesus came to conquer the empire of sin, not Rome, but that's another blog. Jesus was The Messiah, but many claimed the title. This continues even to today, where many claim to be divine, have special divine knowledge. Jesus told us this would happen. Paul and John both wrote this would happen. Leaders and false teachers have existed since the beginning. Today is no different.

I have an author's page on Tiktok, and the first comment I got was one of these false teachers. They decided to "correct my theology" and then spouted some crazy stuff about Christianity not having any connection to God. I am not sure if he was a Jewish mystic or just a strange Christian-Jewish hybrid or a gnostic, or just someone who watched too many youtube videos. The fact remains that heretics and false teachers are everywhere. They will attempt to tell you things that lead you away from the faith. They will attempt to connect parts of scripture in an intracit web to twist the truth to justify their belief system.

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 Peter 2:1

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15

I'm A Good Person, So Will I Go To Heaven?

2025-06-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

This is probably the most believed thing for most Americans today. The belief that 1. our trip to Heaven is earned by good behavior and 2. we are good and deserve to go. Both statements are false. I can say that with no hesitation because the Bible say it.

No one is good. Don't believe me?

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11     no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one.” Romans 3:10-12 (ESV).

Jesus said the same thing. He said no one is good but God. You are not a good person, nor am I. Sure, I do good things, but on my own, they are for me. I do good because I feel obligated, because it helps me feel good, because I get clout, to impress someone. We are all selfish, as deep as it goes. If we are not good, then what about Heaven? Can I be good enough to go to Heaven?

Here is the fact. Jesus came, Emmanuel, God with us, the Divine Incarnation. God became a man, came to Earth, lived for 33 years, and then died a horrible, agonizing death to pay the penalty for sin. Know why He did that? It was to pay the debt that you owe because of the things you have done in violation of God's laws. He didn't do it just in case you aren't good enough on your own. He did it because you aren't. You can't earn Heaven.

Your sin is too great, and you have nothing of value. You can't make it to Heaven by your behavior. You need Jesus to get you to Heaven. Here is how it works. The Holy Spirit is going to show you (the Biblical word is convict) of your sins. Once that happens, you will understand what I am saying. You will see how holy God is and how far off you are. If that hasn't happened, I will pray that it does for you, and I recommend you pray and ask God to show you. To send the Holy Spirit to show you and convict you. Once that happens, once you see yourself for who you are because of the work of the Holy Spirit, you will cry out to God for forgiveness, and he will forgive you because of what Jesus did.

There are some Biblical things that go with this, like Romans 10:9, if you confess that Jesus is your Lord and savior and believe that He died and rose from the dead, you are saved (Dan paraphrase). This happens when you are convicted by the Holy Spirit.

He is the truth, and it is hard for lots of us. Many of us have been lied to, saying you can just choose Jesus. Well, you can't. We have been lied to that if we are good people, keep the commandments, go to church, pray, do all the things, we will go to Heaven. Well, you won't. This is the fact, and Jesus said it. Unless you repent, you will perish. Luke 13. You must repent, and good people don't need to repent, but you are not a good person. You are either a sinner or a sinner saved by grace.

The last bit of bad news, that after reading this, you still think you have been good enough to go to Heaven, your final destination is not Heaven. Church can't get you there, doing all the things won't get you there. Pray and ask God to show you that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, and when you are confronted with the holiness of God and you cry out for grace and forgiveness, then you can trust you are on your way to Heaven.

Let me know if I can pray with you.

Can you help me out?

2025-06-17T10:08:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone,

So, as I have taken this journey of writing and blogging and publishing and podcasting and all the other things, I have found one thing I struggle with. Advertising. I am not much for self promotion, and I don't know how to help people find my resources. I want to do something simple today, if you will please help me out.

First, if you simply comment on this post, where you saw this post. It can be simple like "facebook" or "x" so I can see where my traffic is coming from. I am not asking you to subscribe or put your info, I am not using this for any other purpose, you can be anonymous, but I need help. I have studied English, Theology, and Education, and I don't know much about marketing.

Thank you!

Getting Back to the Focus- Let's Talk Theology

2025-06-16T09:20:00.007-05:00

Hey everyone, I've used this blog as an outlet and platform to discuss various topics. I have not been ashamed to say that this blog exists to allow me to write and work on becoming a better writer. That being said, I do have an agenda, and that is to write about, think about, and unpack theological ideas. The title of the blog is "Woven Words and Thoughts" because one of the ways I understand the interaction between God and man, the divine and the moral, the holy and the profane, is something I call wovenism. It's not a new theology; it's an old theology expressed in different terms. I haven't written about it much; I've been all over the place, but it's time to come home, in a manner of speaking. Let's talk theology.

I want to start where things started for me. I was not always on the Calvinist side of the fence. No one really begins there, not those individuals who have an Evangelical background anyway. There is such an emphasis on choice, on personal responsibility, and the language we use is very much focused on the individual doing the work. We use words like "decision" and "invite" to give action to the work of salvation. In many evangelical presentations, God is passive, and the individual being converted is the active participant. God simply offers salvation, and we do the rest in choosing, praying, accepting, surrendering, following, etc. I was very ok with this for a very long time. I was very focused on evangelism; I was passionate about it, and I studied books like "How to Share Jesus without Fear." I read books I was involved in FAITH Sunday School Evangelism. I was involved in the FCA at my High School and the Baptist group (which has undergone three name changes, I believe it's now called Christian Challenge) in college. The more I read and studied, the more confused I became. Here is my confusion:

Whose work is Salvation? Can a person just choose to be saved? Does God have any role in individual salvation, or was it up to me, as the person sharing, and the individual to choose Jesus? That is how I acted, that I had to do all the things right, and if I did, the person would get saved. The problem was, I wasn't that successful. I shared the gospel with people who rejected it, even though I used all these methods from all these people who wrote books. I was struggling, maybe it was me, maybe I was a failure of an evangelist. I studied more, I worked harder, I even wrote a book. I upped my game, I used more pressure when I felt like it was needed, after all, this was the person's eternal life. One day, instead of looking at books about Evangelism, I decided I would read Acts to look for answers, maybe Paul could help. After all, he was the greatest missionary ever, right? Then I read this:

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48

Here is the context. Paul was witnessing to the Jews, and they were rejecting the message, having Paul arrested or beaten, so he said, "Forget it, I'll witness to the Gentiles (non Jews). Then this passage, they rejoiced and the ones appointed to eternal life, they are the only ones who believed. Now I had questions: What does that mean? Appointed by whom? It says clearly they are appointed to eternal life, and some told me "that means that after they are saved, they are appointed to eternal lif,e" but the way the passage is written, that would require them to be saved, then appointed, then believe. Isn't the belief that God raised Jesus from the dead what causes you to be saved? Romans 10:9 seems to indicate that. So they were appointed first, then believed.

This reality started me on a journey of exploration, study, faith, and learning. I want to continue to share that journey with you, so it is time to get back on the path. I am thankful for everyone who joins me, please continue to respectfully interact with me, and we can learn more about God, faith, salvation, and the Bible together.

How In The World Did We Get Here (Politically)?

2025-05-28T11:35:00.001-05:00

I am conservative. To be specific, I am a conservative libertarian and believe in small government, freedom, and the free market. As a conservative, I agree with many of Trump's policies and positions, but some of the things he says, I'm not a fan of. I would like him to be kinder and more relaxed. He seems confrontational just for the sake of being belligerent.

In thinking about Trump, many think he is causing much of the hatred that exists in politics, but I am confident that is not true. I think it is the opposite. The climate of today's politics created Donald Trump's Presidency. It did not begin with Trump, and it won't end with Trump, and chances are, it will create something worse.

Historically, the Republican Party has been the party of your grandfather. The nice old guy with a pocket full of butterscotch candies. The Democrats were young, emotional, and opinionated, and said whatever they felt. The Republicans were polite, not passionate. This was fine until the left moved farther left, and many centrists found themselves on the right. They were not the typical Republicans; they were young and opinionated. They found themselves in the crosshairs of the current liberals because they didn't agree with transgenders in athletes, they disagree with abortion, they don't side with Palestine, and they don't want to get rid of oil and natural gas. They were called racist, sexist, and homophobic. They found themselves in the crosshairs of angry liberals, and when they looked to the existing Republican Party, they found the nice old guy who just took the verbal assault. They viewed the Republican Party as weak and spineless, and they needed someone who represented them.

The current politicians weren't going to do it, so they found a new breed of Republican. Led by Donald Trump, we now have individuals in the party who are not the picture of grandpa with butterscotch candies. They are angry, opinionated, and not going to sit by and be attacked, simply because they are being polite. They hit back, they hit first, they are not just going to take it.

This may be a biased opinion, but the liberals have been the bullies for so long, they didn't know how to take it. They were used to being able to say whatever they wanted, and no one but Rush Limbaugh said much of anything. Republican lawmakers sure didn't, so just the few pundits on the right were easy enough to ignore. After all, most of the legacy media was on the side of the liberals. They were happy with their ability to speak to the angry masses, the minorities, the young people, those who were struggling. They could stand up and yell and scream. Now, there is a sense of rampant disgust at Republicans by the Democrats because the Republicans now act like the Democrats.

Republicans and Democrats have become mean, nasty, cruel, and hateful. This isn't because of a President or elected official, it is mostly from social media. The elected officials are a reflection of the culture. Those in office are a reflection of the society. Why do we have a President who acts the way Trump does? Simple, he was elected in response to the behavior and actions of the Democrats.

This is a hard pill to swallow for many, but the Democrats caused Trump.

When Kindness Bites Back

2025-05-23T19:21:00.001-05:00

I have worked with several organizations that help people, and have personally tried to help people. This isn't a post to brag; lots and lots of people also help others. I have worked alongside these people, working on houses, making beds, handing out school supplies, giving food, packing boxes, and trying to make my community better. There are lots of people with good hearts, and organizations that exist to care for people. These are great, and they need to continue.

Once in a while, when you are helping someone, you find a bad apple. I have seen first hand what happens when you try to help someone who falls into the category. Often they are a bit of a narcissist, and often they used some sort of controlled substance (often meth). These individuals often feel like they are entitled to help and support, and they expect you to give them whatever they want. If they don't get it, they often lash out. They don't have boundaries, and they killed their conscious a long time ago. These individuals will make your life difficult if you do not give them what they want. They exist, and they may show up in your life. They will often go to great lengths to get money, including scamming, extortion, lying, threatening, and theft.

These people exist, but they are not my point. My point today is, keep helping people. These individuals will show up, and they will make things hard for a while, but the world still needs people to do good. Keep moving forward, these individuals will quickly move on if they discover they can't get anything from you. If they attack you, know that is because they see love and compassion in you. They seek to take advantage of that, but that doesn't negate the love and compassion in you. Keep moving forward, seek to do good, even to those who do evil. The world needs it!

What is the Deal with Profanity?

2025-05-22T09:56:00.006-05:00

As I finished the school year with my seniors, I asked a couple of questions I wanted them to think about. First, who are you right now? Second, who do you want to be? Not your job, not your position, but who you are as a person. Then I asked them about the way they talk, and I want to open the question up. Why is profanity so prevalent in our society?

If someone were talking to you and used the f-word over and over. They constantly swore in their conversation, what are your thoughts about that person? Do you think, "Wow, they are really educated"? Do you think "they are so well spoken"? Do you have more respect for someone who uses lots of profanity? Do you think they are a good person if they use the f-word over and over?

The reason we call those words "vulgar" is that the vulgar aspects of the language are the aspects used by the poor, uneducated, common folks. It's low class, it is trashy. When you hear people using a lot of profanity, are they associated more with high society or trailer park trash? Be honest with yourself, how do you think about people who swear often?

My students agreed that profanity makes us think less of a person. We think rude, disrespectful, uneducated, and unrefined. We don't think highly of people who swear a lot, so why do so many people use it? Does it make you better to swear? Does it make you a more well-spoken individual? Does it make others respect you? Do you seem tough, strong, mature, or wise? What advantage is had by using profanity?

The bigger question is, why do so many people use it so often? What is the purpose of using profanity? Why do we start using it, why do we continue to use it, and why is it so prevalent in our society? Does it demonstrate our collective ignorance or anger, or just a lack of imagination in our vocabulary? Does it simply show how Americans (and Western society) are unoriginal and just do what everyone else does? Do we just do it because we feel like being "cool", that is how we are supposed to talk?

Do you use profanity? If so, why?

Why is Kindness so Rare?

2025-05-15T16:51:00.001-05:00

Like most individuals, I spend time on Facebook. I really like Facebook Marketplace, but I am on some sites for local news and information. On those local sites, I have found a great many of them are dedicated to people just being hateful to each other. It seems to be the default these days on social media, to insult and be hateful to one another. It is just how people respond and communicate these days. It can be pretty toxic, and I have often wondered why people are so quick to be hateful.

I spend my time in two very specific circles, the classes I teach and the church I Pastor. There is some good-natured roasting in my classes, but the kids all seem to generally like each other and get along. I don't allow cruelty in my classroom. Most of my students are good-natured, and there isn't much of an issue most days. There is the occasional conflict that we solve pretty quickly. We laugh more than anything.

At church, of course, there is very little hatefulness. Where I currently pastor, we all get along very well, and conflict is almost non-existent. This isn't the case in every church, but we are fortunate. Our church genuinely cares about one another, and there is healthy cooperation and communication. At church, we definitely don't assume the worst in people, and there is no venomous hatred like we see on Facebook.

When I find myself outside of my typical areas, I have seen excessive hatred. Sometimes you see it in the retail world, with people being angry about not getting their way. You sometimes see it in restaurants or other places in the public square. You see it constantly on social media. It seems to be a place where anger and hostility boil over, and individuals have no restraint. The only place you see the same level of hostility is when people are driving. Go too slow, too fast, or wait too long at a stop sign, and you will see what I mean. Put people behind the wheel of a car, and Dr. Jekyll is quickly replaced with Mr. Hyde. Why are people so angry? I have a few thoughts.

First is the obvious: people are unhappy with their lives. In our consumer-driven, self-focused society, people are angry. People want more than they have, want to be comfortable and happy, and never bothered or inconvenienced. Those things are impossible to have all of the time. They are disappointed in their wages, the cost of living, taxes, the government, the weather, and anything else that seems to cause a problem. People no longer know how to deal with disappointment, with hardship, with not getting their way, so they are angry and unhappy. People feel victimized and targeted all the time, and if they spend time on social media, they probably are. People are treated badly by others, so they are unhappy. In today's society, people are miserable because they have no idea how not to be.

Contentment is a skill; it is something you learn. No person will ever be completely satisfied; there are some things outside of your control. No matter how much money you have, no matter how successful or famous you are, you can't save yourself from heartbreak and disappointment. It is going to happen and the things and stuff will not bring comfort. Sitting on a pile of money will not mend a broken heart. Bottom line, the most successful people still lose sometimes, even the healthiest people die, and nothing can save a person from hurt. We have stopped teaching how to deal with adversity. We have tried to help everyone have good self-esteem and self-image, but we created a community full of narcissists who feel like they should never have to struggle. The result is anger and the constant battle cry of "this isn't fair" when in reality, struggle and pain are the only fair things, because they are the only things that come on all of us.

In addition to people not knowing how to deal with adversity, people have become extremely selfish. I call this the selfie generation. When I was growing up, I only saw myself when I was standing in front of a mirror. Most cameras had to get film developed, unless you had one of the instant cameras. We didn't stare at ourselves, and filters didn't exist. Today, many people spend a lot of time looking at themselves, taking selfies with filters on. They are constantly airbrushed like a magazine model, and they have become quite full of themselves. People feel like they are the best, should have the best, and are the most important. Selfishness is at an all-time high. The selfie generation loves itself a little too much.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, people are not naturally kind. Kindness and politeness have to be taught. Toddlers do not share instinctively; they have to be taught. People must be taught to be kind, and it is a skill that is taught less and less today. Parents who are unkind raise children who are unkind. Hateful people spread hate to others. Our society does not value kindness, goodness, gentleness unless it is in other people. Many people expect others to treat them well and with respect, but they refuse to reciprocate. Everyone has expectations that they will be treated better than they treat others, and it is not difficult to see the end result. Disrespectful people are not respected, and lash out and act badly. The disrespect breeds disrespect, and the cycle continues. The golden rule has become antique, obsolete, and neglected, and the result is a self-centered and hate-filled society.

The answer is simple, but very difficult. Be kind to people who are unkind. Show respect to the disrespectful. Give compassion and grace. It will require you to be abused, to be treated unfairly, and for you to not get your way. It will be hurtful and difficult, and you will feel like you are being walked on. The only way society will change is to have people strong enough to handle it. Weak people lash out in anger and hatred; strong people withstand the storm. Our society has become emotionally weak, egos are fragile, and people are broken. Strong people are required, and strength is built and earned; it is not given. We have to become strong to stem the tide of hatred that is threatening to devour our country.