Six Years Later... Where Did Our Resolve Go?

Somber memories enter our hearts and minds when this fateful day comes every fall. On this day, six years ago we saw the very embodiment of evil before our very eyes. I can distinctly remember the knot in my stomach after witnessing the symbols of democracy and capitalism shattered on a beautiful Tuesday morning. On this fateful day we saw the very embodiment of human nature in its worst form.


Terrorism struck our shores, crippling the ivory tower dream many of us had of what America symbolized. We saw wars, battles, genocide, terrorist attacks as events that occur in lands afar off. We saw them as symbols of the uncivilized world, not to be mistaken with the industrialized world we thought we knew. In that sad day, our innocence was taken away, shaping an entire generation the way the attacks on Pearl Harbor changed those who witnessed it.

On the same day that we saw the horrendous results human nature can bring, we also saw the incredible potential we can have when we apply ourselves in a selfless manner. We saw and read the stories of those who went back in to the burning buildings in an attempt to rescue others. We witnessed how the simple game of baseball could bring a sense of normalcy to the country by watching a New York team battle incredible odds again and again. We witnessed a defiant leader throw the first pitch in a World Series game as a sign to those who hated us that the U.S. was still here, still relevant, and very much alive. We rallied around the flag that has flown as a symbol of freedom and hope and stated that we would go about this new battle with the same resolve that we entered the last great battle of history...

In spite of it all, here we are six years to the day of the terror attacks on our beloved country. Ground Zero still bears the scars of that day, with no progress being made to honor those who died and bickering arising as to what should be done with the land. We find ourselves mired in a war we so eagerly supported out of our thirst for revenge and our willingness to fight the enemy wherever and whenever, taking the fight to them as opposed to having our cities be the battlegrounds they were on September 11, 2001.

What happened to the resolve we so proudly expressed in the aftermath of 9/11? We have lost sight of the purpose of this fight and it is disconcerting to see. We fight amongst ourselves, our enemy continues to threaten us and now they see us divided. A house divided against itself will not stand. Six years ago we stood strong, proud to be Americans, knowing that this new chapter in history will have the American imprint on it. It is my fear that we have lost the grip we had in writing this new era.

Where did we lose sight of this? And where do we go from here? Questions that no one has the answer for...

Despair Is Not A Method

The country has expressed its reaction to this administration’s perception of the State of the Union. It is pleasant to see that there is still a glimmer of hope among those willing to be courageous. In spite of the challenges that lay before us, it is my hope that we are able to come together and find viable solutions to the obstacles we face. I believe we have the will to face those difficult tasks, but we must also possess the wisdom to do such. Let us see how we can implement those changes.

Many of you have questions on how to achieve success on this all-important matter. It is with confidence that this administration declares that there are answers in agreement with the Word of God, the standard to which we adhere. It is our determination and purpose to live the right and God-centered way of life, devoid of terror and its destructive ways. One way to do so is through effective and heartfelt communication.

It is understood that we operate on different plains, different levels. It has been said that men and women are wired in unique and complex ways. This is true, but it does not excuse the erratic and hurtful behavior that some have engaged in. It is this type of action that leads to confrontation, complaints, terror and sadness. Our policy is that we do not negotiate with those who practice such tactics. It is not just about coming together, it is about designing a roadmap to success with benchmarks, realistic expectations, realistic goals that we can all achieve and implement.

It has been mentioned that men desire and seek to have respect from the opposite sex. The same could be said for women. How is it that we as men or women can gain that respect and how can a member of the opposite gender show us respect? It is important to note that to earn it one must first show it. Much as with friendship, we are to follow a Biblical principle in regards to respect. “A man who has friends must himself be friendly…” (Proverbs 18:24). This not only refers to how our conduct should be in order to gain friends but it can also be implemented to the topic of respect. People, to be able to have that respect we have to make sure our conduct is such that is deserving of respect. Our thoughts, our actions, our words should reflect Godly character. We cannot demand support when we ourselves engage in behavior conducive to terror.

Critical to our success in this battle of ideologies is our mindset. This fight is largely dependent on our attitudes. There are some who have a defeatist attitude and provide no solution of their own or who operate on flawed processes that predict failure and are thereby self-fulfilling. Criticism, controversy, baseless claims, and a hope falsely founded are not paths leading to cooperation. Negativity and finger pointing, as well as our own denial, will not make the situation any better. We need to focus on the positives all of us can bring to our respective situations. We acknowledge that we do not have all the answers, yet there is the underlying truth that happiness can be had when we come together in agreement for the greater good.

In accordance with agreement, we are to set reachable benchmarks as to how we engage the situation. We need to have an understanding that life is a struggle and there will be times of confusion and potential despair. How we react to this generational battle will define our success. We aim for the Godly response, one in which strength of faith, resolve and conviction are our strongest allies. This goes for all of us who desire results. Change doesn’t come by remaining idle; we make it happen through active engagement. We make it happen by making the efforts our Creator has outlined, the efforts that our Father in heaven will bless.

It has been said that hope is not a strategy. Indeed, by itself it is not a method. However, the strategy must include hope. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's statement to Gen. John Abizaid regarding the violence in Iraq: "Hope is not a strategy." Abizaid responded, "I would also say that despair is not a method. As we nod to the general who has fought battles and knows how wars are won… we ourselves say: Despair is not a method; rather we are to choose hope knowing that when we have found something special, with someone special, it should be held on to. We are to use everything in our power to protect it, arming ourselves with the word of God, faith, logic and reasoning, each based upon the former.

We Got To Show Each Other Some Love

This rite of custom brings us together at a defining hour — when decisions are hard and courage is tested. We enter the year 2007 with large endeavors underway, and others that are ours to begin. In all of this, much is asked of us. We must have the will to face difficult challenges and determined enemies — and the wisdom to face them together.

This defines what we are facing right now. We struggle through life's trials and what we ourselves do to make it more difficult than it should be. In speaking to others across the nation and gathering their collective thoughts on many a subject matters, something BIG has to change. It is deeply attached to our faith in God accomplishing those tasks, what we ourselves do to complete the job ahead of us, and whether the two are in harmony and fit into the overall picture.

The subject of dating within God's Church has apparently gathered a strong wind and some have expressed hopelessness, others have spread dissent and tyranny, while a few keep the hope of love and romance alive. As is the case with democracy, love is a fragile concept. It has been misunderstood by some, applied erroneously by many and established by a courageous few. Much as with the headlines with the War on Terror, we put our focus on the failures and struggles that we face while ignoring the good that is being accomplished.

Case in point, we pay too much attention to the heartache we've suffered and how we've been wronged. I am one who has done so and I bear the responsibilities and consequences of doing so. It leads to bitterness, anger, and loss of hope, lack of faith and opens the door to pessimism, a negative attitude. Doing so makes the battle more uphill than it already is, and we are left with a lack of fortitude to see the fight through. The vision becomes blurred and we let ourselves become hopeless.

There are some who have a misconstrued idea as to what we refer to as the War on Terror. Some think that the rhetoric refers to a universal belief in which the opposite sex is to blame entirely for the failures we have encountered in dating, how we approach it and the overall picture of relationships in the Church. This administration has not endorsed a policy of blame-all without proposing solutions. That is the essence of what I am trying to get at, being able to see where there can be agreement or at least explain how we can all improve our chances at success. It cannot be achieved by being encamped in two oppositional trenches aiming the weaponry at each other. Bipartisanship is what is desperately needed to achieve success. We should not much care about which side of the aisle we sit on – as long as we are willing to cross that aisle when there is work to be done. Outside of the Church’s Work, there is no greater work that needs to be accomplished in our lifetimes. This HAS to change if we are to partake of the same happiness we have seen a courageous few apply.

As Churchgoers, we try to keep our focus on the BIG picture. Sometimes it is difficult to do so when we get caught up in the distractions of everyday life. We try our hardest to prepare for what is just ahead, regardless of how far off that might be. We also work and educate ourselves so we could be able to provide and live a somewhat comfortable physical life. It is difficult to balance these two views, caring about a world that we KNOW is perishing. Standards and expectations remain high even though they might not be realistic.

Partly, the War on Terror rhetoric refers to the unrealistic expectations of the opposite gender. We are venturing in what I refer to as a crusade, bringing back the romance, courting, and chivalry to a society that has no idea what those terms are or the importance they have in how we conduct our lives. It seems that there is an abundance of talking a good game, saying the things that the other gender likes to hear but a lack of will to implement what should be so simple. There is talk of just wanting to settle with a converted mate, to endure through life’s struggles together, in essence, to find enduring happiness. How are we to accomplish this mission when we face enormous obstacles?

Why are we so open-ended about relationships and commitment? Are we truly “open-ended about our options”, “waiting for the right guy/girl to come into our lives” or do we simply push away the best thing that God could send our way? We CANNOT have it both ways. To pray to God to provide and proceed to push him/her out when we can potentially achieve that happiness is utterly indefensible. There are going to be struggles and I suggest we break off the idea we all have concocted in our minds about the perfect scenario. We ourselves are not perfect; there is no Utopia in sight, the perfect spouse is not coming through the door anytime soon. It is time to stop engaging in a thought process that is a total disconnect from reality. The fact is that we need not to lower our standards but to make our expectations compatible with reality.

Reality is that there is an impending collapse of Western society, as we know it. Life is a lot more difficult for us than it was for our parents. I suggest speaking with those who gave you life and gain insight as to what they went through in their marriages. Too often we see the “finished” product of a happy marriage but we do not see the blood, sweat and tears that went into such a magnificent creation. We see the happiness and joy of some but do not have any concept of what it takes to have a joyous relationship eventually leading to marriage.

It is safe to say we seek to serve God, to love and support a spouse, to live happily… to have God and each other. Whatever your beliefs are, they are not in favor of failure. Let us take this moment to look within ourselves for a new strategy, a strategy of hope.

Rebirth of an Administration

Well the KC Weekend came and went and it was incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable. Once again it felt like a mini-Feast condensed in one weekend. It is becoming THE event to attend if you didn't get to spend the Feast with your friends. A lot of hard work went into it and I am grateful for those who made it happen.

The weekend was wonderful in all areas. I enjoyed the Bible Study and seeing people from all over the country coming for this one weekend. A group of us went to Applebee's on Friday night and had a grand ole time catching up with friends, singing along, dancing and referring to the War on Terror. Richard Pomicter and I served as chaffeurs for the weekend although he did more of the driving in my car than I did. The Sabbath started off wonderfully as we picked up two of this administration's sympathizers for brunch at IHOP. Needless to say, it was great to spend time with God's people and have meaningful conversation with them. We arrived at services and it was as hard to find seats as it was in Copper Mountain. I wasn't expecting to see almost 500 people attend a regional weekend. The sermon was given by Dr. Winnail and he brought up some great points on what guys and girls expect out of each other as well as what healthy families practice. It will go a long way if we start applying those lessons on a daily basis.

After services there was a massive potluck but surprisingly I was not hungry and did not eat. I think it surprised a lot of people that I was saying no to food. I enjoyed the dancing though, especially to the salsa songs I recommended. It's always a good time to bust out my Latin moves which I don't do nearly enough. It's the strongest hand this administration has so it was enjoyable to get out there and dance :)

We did the afterparty thing at the Hayden's with the other 50 people who were there. High times that night for the regime since there were great conversations with wonderful people involved. I think I went to bed at around 4am and woke up the next day pumped about the sports. I played with Jason, Juan and Chris and we played fairly well together. We played Josh's team twice and those were fun games. I think the most intense game was the one we played against the "LCG" team with the shiny jerseys. Great game all around and some good basketball was played. Unfortunately we lost one game but hopefully better planning will go in for next year since the brackets kinda fell apart after awhile.

New Years was spent at many different locations: at the Keesee's to watch Hitch (one of my favorite movies), at the bowling alley, a brief stop at Fox & Hound (I got a free beer out of it), and then Richard Olson's place. Great times all around and it was sad to see everybody go.

It seems that in spite of the Democratic takeover of Congress there is still a will to fight the War that is before us. These are dark times for the Jedi but as long as we're standing we can overcome the obstacles set before us. The sympathizers seem to be numbering up but we need greater and more emphatic support. We're still relevant, alive and kickin'.

In Light Of What Has Happened

12/9/06
Sabbath Services (KC)

1st Part (by: Mr. Millich) “Damage Control”

In response to Mr. Bryce’s and other allegations found rampant on the web. (Ed’s note: Issues raised are numbered and the Church’s response is in bullet points. I hope this is of some help to you all.)

To allegations that the Church does not encourage free thought or questions:
The Church is NOT against questions.
-it is more than willing to answer questions.
-the problem is not with the questions, it is with rebellion and heresy. When people are rebelling against God or promoting heresy then the Church has to take action.
-if the Church is wrong about something, it will change.

Issues:

We live in a “greater Church of God” era
There is only one Church of God.

Rev. 3:1-6 God separated the eras from each one; the people from the Sardis era were spiritually dead but there were a few who were alive when Mr. Armstrong began to lay the foundations for the Radio Church of God, later the Worldwide Church of God. Even though God was working with Philadelphia there were still people from the Sardis era alive.

Rev. 3:7-13 The Philadelphia era is still functioning. There were going to be people with little followings and that’s why God exhorts us to hold fast to the Truth.

Rev. 3:14-22 Christ loves the people in Laodicea. God chastens every son whom He loves.

We are the remnant of the Philadelphia era living in a Laodicean age.

Rev. 2:18,25; 3:3 There are remnants of other eras that will be around when Christ returns.

Rev. 12:13-17 Satan wishes to destroy the Church and its fragments.

The separation of the Philadelphian and Laodicean eras occurred with the apostacy.

Makeup is a sin
Is. 3:16 Misprint on the translation.

Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Meredith have advocated a sound, middle of the road approach
Mr. Armstrong never went back and forth on the Sabbath, the Holy Days, repentance, the gospel of the Kingdom. He (and we thereafter) has stood fast on the important things and has not compromised on those issues.
The only difficulties have been in judgments.

LCG is preaching a mixed-up message of the gospel
· The gospel is preached the same way it always has been.
· We’re not confused or “mixed-up” about the gospel’s message.
· The Church has NEVER advocated Sabbath breaking. (This was in response to some things Mr. Millich read online where an issue with the Sabbath was brought up in Alabama. Mr. Millich wanted to put that to rest because he used to be the Pastor in the area and knew about the situation more than those who commented on it.) He also added, “No one gets away with anything, we all stand before God!”

LCG teaches a three-fold commission
· The Ezekiel warning message is part of our commission. Preaching the gospel to all nations as a witness, preparing the flock and blowing the Ezekiel trumpet warning is all part of God’s Church commission.

LCG is categorizing sins (smoking, chewing tobacco, using drugs are not terrible sins and it is condoned)
· The Church does not categorize sins.
· The Church does try to help people who have addictions and tries to help them overcome.

Mat. 7:18-23 The Church, as Christ Himself said, believes that the weightier matters of the law define us. These you ought to not have undone!

LCG teaches that it is ok to meet in halls with holiday decorations
· We cannot always meet in the ideal places but the important thing is that we meet on the Sabbath to honor God.
· What are going to do? Are we to say, “let’s not meet this Sabbath because our hall has holiday decorations?” It is preposterous to compromise meeting on the Sabbath because of the hall’s decorations.

LCG teaches a different way of tithing than what Mr. Armstrong advocated
· Tithing off your net income has always been taught and practiced and will continue to be.
· Mr. Millich also gave the example of past cases that because of some Asian countries’ high rates of taxation, people were not able to give a third tithe. Mr. Armstrong understood that in some countries it was impossible to keep a third tithe when people were being taxed upwards of 75-80% of their income. Giving that third tithe would have not allowed those people to buy food and sustenance. Things like this happen sometimes and rulings must be made to ensure people’s well-being.

2nd Part (by: Mr. Millich) “Church Government”

Ed’s note: Mr. Millich was reading from a 1974 letter from Mr. Armstrong regarding the makeup issue. He wanted to use HWA’s own words so we could compare it with what Mr. Meredith has been saying all along. The letter was not so much about makeup as it was stating the importance of Church government. So the following points all come from Mr. Armstrong’s letter.

Satan has not given up his assault on God’s Work. We must guard against those attacks. He rebelled against God’s government in the beginning and he has tried to destroy God’s government in God’s Church. If he destroys God’s government in God’s Church then he can cripple the gospel message from getting out to the world. (Mr. Millich proceeded to add: “Which group is using the most of its resources in preaching the gospel? The Living Church of God has been doing God’s Work!”)

1 Cor. 1:10 We are exhorted to not allow divisions come between us and be joined together with the mind of Christ. To have that same mind and that same judgment.

God has not chosen perfect men to do His Work. Christ chose imperfect men who are willing to follow Him unconditionally.

The source of Church government is from God
-The head of the Church is Jesus Christ Himself. He leads the Church, has led it and will continue to lead it until His Second Coming.

Mat. 16:18 The Church of God is headed by Jesus Christ, the Rock of the Old Testament.

Eph. 1:15-23 Christ is the head of the Church, all things are put under His feet.

Heb.11:1,6 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

We understand that we are not a “spiritual democracy”

Numb. 12:1,5-9 Moses was not perfect, he made mistakes but he was faithful to God.

Numb. 16:1-3, 28-30 Korah’s rebellion against God’s established form of government through Moses and the repercussions: they were swallowed up by the earth.

Eph. 4 Roles and offices in God’s Church to ensure order, to establish sound doctrine and to feed God’s people. These are God ordained positions and He is the one who places people in those positions.

Quick update

Hello to all! A lot has gone on since I last updated my blog post-Feast. Crazy things have been going on all over the place. I'll sum it up in the following:
1. I got a job in KC and I've been living temporarily with the Millich's. The job isn't going so well, but the experience should be a plus. The Millich's have been so supportive and helpful and a great influence in my life.

2. The War on Terror has gone terribly bad. To those who understand the analogy, you'll get a kick out of it. It is both literal and metaphorical. Democrats have gained power in Congress and we brace ourselves for a critical 2-year stretch. Voices from all over are advocating cuttin' 'n runnin' while a few actually still stand for something.

3. Once again the Church is up against the forces of Satan as he tries to destroy what God has put in place. It's amazing how so much has changed in so little time. I do have sermon notes forthcoming from this past Sabbath as Mr. Millich did a wonderful job of countering the false allegations that are spewing all over the Internet about God's Church.

4. Life has presented new twists and turns and I seem to be stuck at the fork on the road with no idea as to where to go. Friendships have changed dramatically or have even been lost for difficult reasons. Harsh judgments have been cast and now I must learn how to deal with it all. Regardless, I continue to press toward the ultimate goal of God's Kingdom.

5. As stated above, some friends have come to the forefront and become people I could not envision life without. Buddies such as Jeremy and Richard Pomicter, Tiffani, Erin, Annie have all been there for me during these hard times. Thanks to my buddies :)

Well, I'm out and I'll post some more in a little while! Hope you guys are all doing well!

That's Not How We Do In Iowa

The much delayed post-Feast blog on what was quite possibly the Best. Feast. Ever.

This Feast, more than any other I've been a part of, was about the sermons and their spiritual impact than it was about all the people in Copper Mountain, Colorado. The amount of young people who were there and the fellowship that came resulted from it was a definite plus. All around it was a great year. Of course this Feast was memorable from the things that were talked about to the intense physical football that was played to the new friends that we made. I will highlight the quotes or events that made Copper Mountain '06 a great year.

"We're building 4 more towers!" - Line from the remix of "Welcome To Atlanta" as we rolled to the Feast and continued building more analogies to the War on Terror.

"B-B-Q" - Singlehandedly THE line from the past two Feasts. Referring to anything you do with someone from the opposite sex. It was great to see more people use the term and poke fun at each other.

"I just want some ice cream" - What Kristen Lewis called the guys' counterattack to "brain chemistry" (more below). It involves the talking, the phone calls, the walks that two people can share at any time. Pretty much refers to acts of kosherness between a guy and a girl )

"Brain Chemistry" - The two most dreaded words I have ever heard in my life:) It was coined by the resident Canadian, Kristen Lewis. When things went wrong I used it myself and blamed everything on brain chemistry. Plus, it was the perfect answer for one of the silly questions in the 4,000 questions book. Apparently there is a chemical reaction in the brains of two people but it is not enhanced by getting an A in chemistry while in school. It is just something that clicks somehow :)

"Your fundamental flaw is that you're Canadian" - Richard's brilliant line to Kristen one night at the Feast. And like other amazing quotes, it was re-used by many :)

"They are left-wing, liberal, communist, pinkos" - Mr. Meredith describing the United States' media and their portrayal of the news during his Opening Night message :)

"I want to be Jeremy and I want you to be my Kristin" - Philosophy made up by Richard in which we take Jeremy's success in the relationship area and apply it to our own lives and situation.

"We're breaking the rules" - A line that was used many a times during the Feast to poke fun at 2 people with a unique past :) It is not to be used indiscriminately though as it has repercussions.

"That's not how we do in Iowa" - My response to the scoring system that was employed while playing Taboo with the girls one afternoon. It seems to me that every time I've played that game the rules change depending on the people involved. Oh well, it was fun.

"20%???!!! Who in the world leaves a 20% tip? That is prepostorous!!!" - My response to Kristin Vorel's clue on trying to get the word "Tip" while playing Taboo. She said, "it is customary to give 20%" and it is now part of the lingo me and her employ when we speak to each other.

"There will NOT be a democracy in Iraq" - Mr. Meredith commenting on the state of the Middle East. It is also a quote we have used in our analogy in the War on Terror.

"The FLAW" - Ryan and his brilliant philosophy!

"In what world???" - Richard expressing frustration at a certain topic during guys' night.

Along with these quotes there were many events and moments that stood out. The Six Flags outing was quite a success and a big thank you and show of gratitude goes out to Kyle and the effort he put into it. I am sure he lost some sleep and some sanity in organizing the event but it went off without a hitch. It was a wonderful time and there was some definite bonding time with the 8 other people in the Armada :) Plus, we got to witness and partake of Jeremy's 4 illegal driving maneuvers on the day. Truly one of life's greatest joys!

Playing tackle football was also a challenging adventure. The altitude definitely presented a challenge in playing consistently but it was fun. The hits were brutal, the bruises can prove it, but the fun was priceless. Even some of the girls got into the action and did pretty well. I saw some great catches and some awesome tackling. I think Josh can attest to that :)

It was also encouraging to meet new people and actually spend time with them. I also got to know certain people better and had some enlightening conversations with them. It is always a plus to get to know someone beyond their face, name, and location. This was the poorest year for me financially but the most rewarding spiritually.

I think it should also be mentioned how we handled ourselves at the Feast. We got together many times and enjoyed a drink or two but it never got out of hand. I have to say I was proud of all of us young people and how courteous we were to each other. Way to go guys! I hope ya'll Feast was as great as it was for the people in Colorado.

Nos fuimos pai

Nothing like staying up late the night before heading out for the Feast road trip to get the excitement going. I did pack most of my things on Sunday but I left the dress clothes for last so they would be less wrinkly when I get to Colorado. This is going to be some kind of Feast, and I mean that in a positive way :)
Today started with some weird events happening around me. Quite scarring and if you care to know I'd gladly share the story in person but not in the blogosphere. We had our 1st playoff game for intramural football so that was on my mind for most of the day. I felt quite pumped and determined that we were going to pull out all the stops to win. Lo and behold, we played a pretty complete game as a team. Good solid defense along with some opportunistic offense allowed us to play with confidence.
I don't know what happened but we were just flying to the ball. I think we all played the best game we've played since we started doing intramurals the past 4 years :) I did pretty well quarterbacking, running around, getting some good passes out to my guys and I had 2 interceptions on defense. The second interception was the sweetest one because it was at the opponents goal line and I caught the ball one handed before it touched the ground and ran it back for what seemed like half the field. Apparently one of my teammates completely annihilated some guy on a block so they brought the ball back but it sealed the game. We didn't throw interceptions, played within ourselves and came out with the win. Not too bad for a team that lost all three preseason games. Too bad Mike and I leave tomorrow for the Feast and we won't be able to play the next game on Monday. Hopefully the rest of the team will hold down the fort and who knows, we might play deeper into the playoffs.
Now that I've ranted about our sport accomplishments, I have to say that I probably overpacked like no other for this Feast. It seems like it will be nice on the weather front in Colorado but you also have to prepare just in case it turns nasty. Plus, I've got some nice clothes I want to show off so I packed those in too. Too many dress shirts, probably too many "nice" going out shirts and a disproportionate amount of ties. Add it up and there's not enough days for the amount of clothes but I'm prepared :)
I pray everyone has a safe and enjoyable trip to the respective Feast site they will be attending. For those of you going to Colorado, I'll see you there on Friday! You guys ready? I sure am!