tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842030127992462042024-02-08T02:26:19.380-08:00Random ThoughtsSubjects such as religion, politics, products and anything else that catches my fancy. Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-84690148039255911342016-11-10T19:44:00.000-08:002016-11-10T19:45:30.632-08:00I'm a White Evangelical and I Didn't Vote for Trump<br />
I'm a conservative, white evangelical, male and I didn't vote for Trump. I could not, in good conscience, vote for him. My discernment of his character is that he is egotistical, pompous and prideful. His past behavior is evidences of bigotry, prejudice, and lust. He's been accused of abusing women by women. His own words have shown him to be degrading of women. I believe in determining the worthiness to lead by the conduct of ones character. I found Trump's character wanting.<br />
<br />
I'm not happy that he won, but I'm more bothered by the response to his wining. People are protesting and rioting. People are being violent and hurting one another. Conservatives are boasting saying "I told you so. We are right and you are wrong." Liberals are afraid and angry. Some are spreading fear by claiming things like Trump is another Hitler. Some are encouraging revolt and dissent.<br />
<br />
We are very divided in this country by political ideologies, by religious beliefs, by race, and by class. We are not the "United" States. It seems more like we are the "Divided" States. Neither side understands the other. We lash out at one another in anger. We are afraid. We have tightly held beliefs and we fear that opposing beliefs will undo what we feel is right and good.<br />
<br />
We need to try to understand the others point of view. We don't need to agree but we do need to understand. I spent a few years in the gay community with people who are very liberal in their political ideology. Christians, like myself, are often seen as the enemy threatening their rights, their freedom and their beliefs. While living among them, I made a since effort to understand them and their culture. I read books. I watched movies and documentaries. I had many conversations. My goal was to understand and been seen as trying to understand. I now know that they have been persecuted and hurt. They live in fear. Many are afraid to express their desires for the same sex because of real fear of not being accepted, being ostracized, criticized, belittled, beaten, or worse. They fear loosing employment. They feel accepted only within their own community. They feel persecuted and unwelcome in church. The issue of gay marriage is not a moral issue for them. It is a human rights issue. They want to be accepted as complete and whole in society. They want the legal rights that go with marriage and the acceptance of society. For them, conservatives want to deny them rights and keep them for acceptance. For them, that means persecution, hatred, abuse and worse. Liberals are seen as accepting them and fighting for their human rights.<br />
<br />
If you hold the conservative political ideology, do you understand the liberal side? Do you understand why they fight for what they fight for? Have you lived among the poor and seen the dependency on the government and the fear of losing that? Have you driven around with an African American and felt the fear and anger he feels when a cop stops him for driving while black? Have you talked to a mother who lost her son or daughter because a police officer shot them? Have you talked to someone who lost their job because they were black, gay or a woman? Have you talked to a pregnant teen who's afraid? Have you talked to a pregnant rape victim? Have you talked to a Muslim? Have you talked to an illegal immigrant?<br />
<br />
If you hold the liberal political ideology, do you understand the conservative side? Have you talked to someone who works hard and tries to raise a family but has seen their income go down? Have you talked to someone like me who had to wait to get married because the USCIS was processing illegals ahead of my fiancee? Have you talked to someone who is out of work and is angry? Have you talked to a Christian and asked why they have their moral beliefs? Have you talked to someone who's had an abortion and is living with regret? Have you talked to small business owners who are trying to keep the business afloat and family feed? Have you talked to someone who had to go out of business?<br />
<br />
Maybe if we walked in one another's shoes for a while, we would not be so angry or so fearful. We won't ever agree, but at least we might understand. Maybe we could all agree to disagree.<br />
<br />
<br />Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-48196469778710864452016-07-15T21:15:00.001-07:002016-07-15T21:15:37.993-07:00The Oregon Kids: The Big Catch. Available on Amazon<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OZbvj8Cf08s" width="459"></iframe>Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-18900298788912496772016-07-03T13:06:00.002-07:002016-07-04T11:05:11.270-07:00An Old Story (The Good Samaritan) in a Modern Context<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jesus said, “A gang-banger was going down
the road on the south side of Chicago. Some rival gang members surrounded him,
tore off his clothes, and beat him. Then they left him lying there on the
ground almost dead.</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;">
<span id="en-ERV-25069" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“It
happened that a pastor was going down that road. When he saw the gang-banger,
he did not stop to help him. He walked away.</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span id="en-ERV-25070" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next, an Evangelical came
near. He saw the hurt gang-banger, but he went around him. He would not stop to
help him either. He just walked away.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;">
<span id="en-ERV-25071" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Then a
gay man traveled down that road. He came to the place where the hurt gang-banger
was lying. He saw the man and felt very sorry for him.</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span id="en-ERV-25072" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The gay man went to
him and treated his wounds. Then he covered the man’s wounds with cloth. The gay
man had a car. He put the hurt man on in his car, and he took him to the
hospital. There he made certain the man received the best care.</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span id="en-ERV-25073" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The next day, the gay
man took out his wallet and paid his medical bill. He said to the nurse, ‘Give
the best care to this hurt man and send his bills to my address. I will pay
them.’”</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span id="en-ERV-25074" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><br />Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-83948795908586192892016-06-10T19:25:00.001-07:002016-06-10T19:25:33.797-07:00Author Bob Richley Reading his story to his own kids.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFziyLP_ho8" width="480"></iframe>Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-89415777474473390212015-10-24T19:18:00.001-07:002015-10-24T19:33:51.651-07:00Marriage Covenant Marriage is based on commitment. It is a commitment to love, to sacrifice and to stay together regardless of the circumstances. A commitment is a human promise to another human. The problem with human commitments is the humans break commitments. We can't do as Jesus said and let our "yes" be "yes" and "no" be "no." Yet a marriage should and can last forever because Jesus also said, "What God has joined together, let no man separate." (<a href="http://biblehub.com/mark/10-9.htm" target="_blank">Mark 10:9</a>) So how can we stay together and keep love alive? The answer for my wife and me is a <a href="http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/gods-design-for-marriage/marriage-gods-idea/covenant-the-heart-of-the-marriage-mystery" target="_blank">covenant with God</a>. We were married not when we signed a marriage licence, but when we signed a covenant before God. When we signed that covenant we expected and trusted that God would keep the covenant. We put our trust in God's hands. We put our marriage in God's hands. We asked our friends and family to sign as well and in doing so asked them to support our marriage and pray for us. The covenant hangs on our wall and is the most important document in the house. We both believe that it is impossible for us to divorce and for our love to die.<br />
<br />
We have been blessed that others have used our covenant for their marriage. We welcome the use by anyone.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt; text-align: center;">Our </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt; text-align: center;">Marriage Covenant</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 3.0pt 0in;">
<div align="center" class="WPTitle" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: center;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 114%;">I, Robert, promise before God to be a
faithful husband to Rubilyn. I will love her as Christ loves the church. I will
be a servant leader putting her needs and desires ahead of my own. I will
sacrifice my time and very life for her and our family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 114%;">I, Rubilyn, promise before God to be a
faithful wife to Robert. I will respect him as my loving servant leader. I will
put his needs and desires ahead of my own. I promise to be as well organized,
trustworthy, and hard-working as the capable women described in Proverbs
31:10-31. I will care for him and the children entrusted to me and always love
and defend him as his supportive companion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 114%;">We, Rubilyn and Robert, commit before God
to strive for oneness. We pray that we may be one as the Father, Son and Spirit
are one. By God’s grace we will become one in body, mind, heart and spirit. We
vow to be honest and open in our communication. We will be submissive to each
other even to the point of adopting the other’s will and desire as our own. We
vow that our family will pray, read God’s word, attend church services and
serve our God. We vow to seek God’s will and desire for our life and marriage.
To God our loving Father we make this covenant agreement with Him and each
other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 114%;">Rubilyn & Robert<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 114%;">Before God our loving Father we are
witnesses to this covenant agreement and commit to pray for and support the
marriage of Rubilyn and Robert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-52526290955628238582014-09-09T09:03:00.001-07:002014-09-09T09:38:10.809-07:00Robin Williams May Not Be In HeavenWhen a celebrity dies a strange phenomenon happens. I feel like I've lost a friend. I've never known the person, but having seen them on television and movies, I feel like I did know them. My heart feels sad. I feel the loss. I find myself reading about the person's life and deepen my sense of grief. When Robin Williams committed suicide, I was deeply affected. I had a real friend commit suicide in my very own home. I was reminded of that fact when I saw that Robin Williams also died of suicide. I not only felt the loss for Robin Williams but my feelings of loss for my friend resurfaced.<br />
<br />
With my friends suicide, I learned that depression is a disease much like cancer is a disease and that it is a deadly disease. When my friend died, I took comfort in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A38-39&version=NKJV">Romans 8:38-39</a>: "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." My friend was a Christian. He believed that Jesus died for him and that he was forgiven of all his wrongs. I know his death did not separate him from the love of God.<br />
<br />
By worldly standards, Robin Williams seemed to be a good man. He toured with the USO and gave his time to entertain troops. He was considered a <a href="http://abcnewsradioonline.com/entertainment-news/robin-williams-was-the-bob-hope-of-his-generation.html">second Bob Hope</a>. Robin Williams visited his friend <a href="http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2014/08/robin-williams-christopher-reeve-friendship/">Christopher Reeves</a> when Reeves was despairing of life. Williams raised money for the homeless through <a href="http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/comic-relief-campaign-was-more-than-photo-op-for-robin-williams-1201282307/">Comic Relief</a>. He supported <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/12/robin-williams-charity_n_5671209.html">many other charities</a> including <a href="http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.ddJFKRNoFiG/b.4048063/k.67BA/The_Christopher_amp_Dana_Reeve_Foundation__Paralysis_amp_Spinal_Cord_Injury.htm">The Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation</a> and<a href="http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=b656abe3c96c7410VgnVCM100000290115acRCRD&vgnextchannel=fa1113c016118010VgnVCM1000000e2015acRCRD"> St. Jude Hospital</a>.<br />
<br />
Good deeds do not earn us a place in heaven. As good and kind and Robin Williams may have been, non of his deeds earns him a place in heaven. None of us can earn our way to heaven. We have <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+3%3A23&version=NKJV">all done wrong</a>. We all fail to love God and other human beings perfectly. There is <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+4%3A12%3BRomans+10%3A13&version=NKJV">only one way</a> to heaven. Because we all fail to live up to God's perfect standard of love, we are all condemned. God does not desire to condemn us. He wants us to be with him forever. God provided a way for us not be condemned. He sent his son to live the perfect life we could not live. He sent his son to be condemned and to die, so that we could be saved from condemnation and death. The only way to be with God after our body dies is to believe that his son, Jesus died for us. We must recognize that we failed God and failed to love him and others as God commands. We acknowledge to God that we have failed. We belief that Jesus' death can redeem us from our failure. We commit to God that with his help, we will become more loving like Jesus. We surrender to God so that he can begin and complete the process of making us more loving like Jesus. When we accept Jesus as the only one who can redeem us, we are reconciled to God. Then, like my friend who committed suicide, we are reconciled to God and will never be separated from God's love again.<br />
<br />
Did Robin Williams believe in Jesus? Was he reconciled to God? Did God set him free? Only God knows. According to <a href="http://hollowverse.com/robin-williams/">Hollowverse.com</a><span id="goog_80931901"></span><span id="goog_80931902"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> "Williams' father was Episcopalian and his mother was a devout Christian Scientist. Though Williams is not very religious today, he considers the possibility that his mother's faith and its idea of 'mind over matter' helped him kick his drug and alcohol addictions."He often joked about religion, but he did go into recovery for his additions. If the 12 step program was part of his recovery, there's a chance he surrendered to God as part of his recovery. According to <a href="http://www.wnd.com/2014/08/top-movie-critic-robin-williams-accepted-jesus-christ/">wnd.com</a>, Williams did hear the gospel from Dr. Ted Baehr and Baehr states "Williams had, at one point, 'accepted Jesus Christ' in one of the recovery programs, Baehr said, 'but he never found the transformation that Jesus brings.'" So there is hope that Robin Williams is in heaven. I certainly hope so.<br />
<br />Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-28187967694666657602014-08-05T09:10:00.000-07:002014-08-05T09:11:21.767-07:00Commitment<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">What does commitment mean? I think for many people, commitment
means that I'll remain as long as my needs are met and I'm happy. If we are not
happy with a job, we leave. If we are not happy in a marriage because our needs
are not being met, we leave. There was a time in our history where we were
loyal to a company for life. There was a time in our history when we were
married for life even though you faced hard times. You went through hard times
together. You stayed with the other even if you no longer felt loved or felt
happy. My grandmothers were married to drunks. They were afraid, abused and
often not happy, but they were committed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">When we realized that companies were not
loyal to us, we realized we no longer needed to remain committed to the
company. When we realized we could leave abusive situations, we did. At some point in our history, our own needs and our own happiness become more important than our commitment. Commitment
became conditional.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It is not good to stay committed in an
abusive situation. While I admire my grandmothers' courage, I'm sad that they
endured abuse. I think in our past, we fell into a trap of legalism. We remained committed
because it was morally right to do so. We endured abuse, neglect and not being
loved because it was wrong to break our commitments. Society and religion told
us it was wrong. We felt pride in keeping commitments and too afraid to break
them. We would feel ashamed of ourselves if we divorced. People who did divorce
were looked down upon by society and the church. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Now we've swung the opposite direction.
Commitments are conditional. Society and sometimes even the church encourages
us to leave when things get tough or we are not happy. Sometimes the church
fights against the messages of society but in a legalistic way still promoting
pride or shame as the motive to stay committed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">To leave a situation because we are not
happy or our needs are not being met is selfish. Marriage is not an institution
which is designed to have our needs met and to make us happy. Marriage is a
covenant relationship between two people and God. It is a means for growth to
become more like Jesus, to become less selfish, more giving, more loving and a
better person who truly is an image of the Creator. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">We must learn that God's love for us is unconditional. He is committed to us and our well being. We are not capable of keeping our commitments. We are not capable of loving unconditionally. We are not capable of obeying God's law of love. Jesus kept his commitment to us. He loves us unconditionally. He kept God's law of love perfectly because we cannot. He died for us because we deserved death yet God did not desire that we perish. He redeemed us and reconciled us to him even though we abandoned him to seek our own pleasure and happiness apart from him. We sought our own pleasure and happiness but failed to achieve it because we had abandoned the very source of love, pleasure and happiness. God asks us to recommit ourselves to him knowing we can't keep it on our own. Even though we will continue to break our commitment to God, he will not break his to us. We can be assured that nothing will ever separate us from God's love ever again. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Our commitments to each other must flow from God's commitment to us. Our love for each other must depend on God's love for us. Apart from him, we cannot keep our commitments. Apart from him, we cannot love unconditionally.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">If we are motivated by fear or shame, we will not love and keep our commitments. We may be coerced into keeping our commitments out of fear or shame. We may remain loyal because we are enslaved by fear, but we will not grow in love. Commitment itself does not enslave us. Commitment frees us when we depend on God to keep the commitment. Fear, shame, regret, selfishness, and pride enslave us.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">My wife and I signed a covenant when we
were married. In doing so, we committed ourselves to God and each other
regardless of circumstances. When we signed it, we knew we were NOT capable of
keeping the covenant and our commitment. We signed it knowing God IS capable of
keeping out covenant and commitment. We signed it in faith trusting God to keep it.
We believe our love came from God who is love. We believe God grows our love. I
love my wife more now than when I signed our covenant. Our love is strong
because our God is strong. We have no fear of divorce because we trust our God.
We feel very secure and very free. We are not chained by commitment. We are
free. We are bound by love and by God who loves us. That bond cannot be broken
because God is faithful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">What is commitment? In our marriage,
commitment is a faithful covenant with God and each other bound by the love God
has given us. For us, commitment is for life. We are not bound by a legalistic
determination to stay together. We do not live in fear of shame. We are not
afraid of breaking our commitment. We are not enslaved by a promise. We are
bound by love forever. </span></div>
Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-15629566560008649292014-08-04T13:51:00.000-07:002014-08-04T13:51:41.880-07:00Legalism or GraceI read a blog written by a woman who regretted that she kept her virginity until she was married. She made a purity pledge at age 10 and kept that pledge. After she married, she felt pain and shame loosing her virginity. She stated that if she would do it over, she would not have made and kept the pledge. She based this on the pain and shame she now felt. Sadly, her problem is legalism and doesn't realize it. She never truly understood the gospel. She only understood moral legalism. She kept her virginity out of pride and shame. She was proud of keeping it and ashamed to loose it. Her motivation was to look good to others it was not gratitude for saving grace.<br />
<br />
Christian churches today in America are determined to keep a moral law and to have our children keep a moral law. On the surface, this is good. However, the way we teach keeping the law is often shame based and not grace based. What needs to be taught is the gospel. Children and adults need to be taught that Jesus unconditionally loves them, that he lived a righteous life because we cannot and that he died because we deserve death. Once we accept that he died for us, we will still be saved by grace even if we "loose our virginity." Once we realize that we are saved, we are motivated by love and gratitude to keep the moral law. We tend to teach it backwards. We teach keep the moral law at all cost, change all bad behaviors and then be saved by accepting Jesus. What we need to be taught is that we are all sinners because we break the moral law and nothing in our power can make us keep the moral law. We need a savior because we are incapable of being righteous. God offers us grace to pardon us from our sins. Once we receive his grace, we are also given the power to change. The holy spirit will convict us of sin and behavior that needs to change. He will give us power not to change the behavior but rather change who we are on the inside which will also result in changes in behavior.<br />
<br />
I just had a little baby girl. She is 3 months old. It is not my hope that she will make a purity pledge and keep it with all her might. It is my hope that she will enter into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and allow him to change her from the inside. If she makes a purity pledge, I want her to rely on the holy spirit to keep it. If she fails, I want her to know that she is forgiven and still loved.<br />
<br />
We also need to be careful not to teach only grace without teaching moral law. If we don't know the law, we won't know sin. If we don't know sin, we won't know that we need a savior. We need to be taught what is sin and that we are law breakers incapable of being law keepers. What we can't be taught is the law and that we are responsible to keep the law in our own power. We can't keep the law in our own power. We need to be saved and given the power to keep the law. John Bunyan is created with saying<br />
<br />
<span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Run, John, run, the law commands, </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #7a7a7a; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But gives us neither feet nor hands. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #7a7a7a; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Far better news the gospel brings: </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #7a7a7a; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It bids us fly and gives us wings.</span><br />
<span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The law show us sin but gives us no ability to keep it. Grace gives us forgiveness which gives us both motivation and ability to love. We motivated by gratitude for grace. We obey the law of love with love. We don't follow just a moral code, we live by a higher principle of love. When we and others fail we give and receive grace. </span><br />
<span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
I will teach her morality and I will punish my daughter when she is immoral, but I will also teach her grace. I will always let her know that Jesus died for her so she could be forgiven of her moral failure. I want her to know she was born a sinner and is a sinner so that she will know she needs a savior. Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-75811839389358072952014-05-16T08:01:00.001-07:002014-05-16T11:26:12.575-07:00USCIS is Ineffective and Inefficient <span style="font-size: large;">I've been screwed again by the USCIS. My wife is from the Philippines. She came to the US on a K-1 (fiancée) visa legally. We were married in Maui Hawaii on August 2nd 2013. When she arrived in Honolulu on August 1st 2013 she relinquished her sealed visa package which contained her medical exam records(I-693). She had been required to get a medical exam and immunizations before entering the US. She did this and I paid several hundred dollars plus travel to the only approved hospital in the Philippines. This exam couldn't be done at a local hospital. It had to be done at St. Luke's in Manila. Of course, she didn't live in Manila, not even on the same island as Manila. After giving the paper work to the officials in Honolulu, the documents should have been sent onto Denver CO since we were going to live in Boulder CO after our wedding and honeymoon. We went for her "<a href="http://www.uscis.gov/greencard">Green Card</a>" interview which required that I take off a day of work and which cost me more money. When we sat down for our interview, the first think that the interview said was that her visa package was lost but he promised to find it. He didn't find it. We were sent a notice a month later that she would be required to get a second medical exam because her first one was "deemed lost." Again it must be by an approved facility so we can't just have our family doctor perform the exam. There is an approved facility in Boulder but only if she was a patient. The Boulder facility gave us a phone number of a facility which would do the exam but it is 3 hours away. The cost of this second exam is anywhere from $200 - $500. It is NOT covered by insurance and will mean another day off work. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Prior to this fiasco, the entire visa process was delayed by 6 months due to the DACA executive order by President Obama giving processing priority to illegal immigrants. I wrote about how that order negatively affected me, other citizens and military personal <a href="http://melphleg.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-daca-executive-order-has-given.html">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I saw on the USCIS Facebook page that the USCIS was award a "customer satisfaction" award. My chin dropped. This customer is not satisfied. I've not run across a more inefficient and ineffective organization in my life. If any corporation was run like our government agencies, it would be out of business. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It is not surprising to me that the Obama administration is full of <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/14092-top-10-%E2%80%9Cmost-corrupt%E2%80%9D-list-dominated-by-obama-administration">corruption</a>. The "buck stops here." The CEO of the the US federal government is ultimately responsible for the offices under his authority. The lack of effectiveness of the USCIS is the responsibility of the leader. Our president has proven his<a href="http://ivn.us/2014/01/31/lack-presidential-leadership-leads-ineffective-governance/"> lack of leadership ability</a> many times. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It is time for this president to go. I personally cannot wait until 2016. The question is: Will I be able to endure another 2 years? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-37635656474596376902014-05-15T12:48:00.001-07:002014-05-15T12:48:48.802-07:00Being a DadOn April 23rd 2014 my precious daughter Johanna was born and I became a daddy for the first time. I am overjoyed and extremely happy. My wife was induced because she had <a href="http://www.preeclampsia.org/health-information/about-preeclampsia">preeclampsia</a> . She went through 9 hours of labor but her cervix only dilated 3 centimeters, so she had to undergo a cesarean. After witnessing what she went through, I'm convinced that the male is the weaker sex. She demonstrated tremendous strength and endurance. When she should have been resting and recovering from the surgery, she had to wake every few hours to nurse our baby.<br />
<br />
My dad is very happy that I've had a child but says he doesn't envy me raising a child in this world. He raised five children but didn't face the challenges that exist today. Honestly, I am concerned. My solution is prayer, much prayer. I've begun by praying <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A1-18&version=NIV">Psalm 139 </a>over my child often.I pray with my wife morning and night.<br />
<br />
To prepare for the birth of our child, my wife and I went on a retreat at <a href="http://www.gleneyrie.org/">Glen Eyrie</a>. We walked in beautiful creation. We prayed. We wrote in our journals. We read the Bible together. It was a great time for us both. It was very helpful to us both. I'd highly recommend doing it.<br />
<br />
Our daughter's name means "God's Gracious Gift." That is truly what she is.<br />
<br />
God’s gracious gift arrived today.<br />
Conceived by the love of two<br />
Now, forever upon our hearts will stay.<br />
Our precious baby, we love you.<br />
Resting upon Mother’s breast,<br />
Baby is safe and secure in peace.<br />
Contently she is heavenly blessed.<br />
Our love will everyday increase.<br />
As our baby will mature and grow<br />
In our care in this earthy place<br />
May she turn to God and know<br />
For eternity, love and grace.<br />
<br />
I love holding her and seeing her every day. I pray for her future and am doing my best to plan for it.Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-62504018442541357792014-02-24T12:11:00.001-08:002014-02-24T12:47:04.585-08:00Comcast (XFinity) Review<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I love the Olympics. Every two years, I am glued to the TV every
night watching. Other times of the year, I don't watch broadcast television.
Every Olympics, I must get cable installed with a DVR so I can watch the
Olympics and fast forward of the countless commercials. I called Comcast which
was my first mistake. All I really wanted was NBC, HD and a DVR. Of course, I
did not expect Comcast to offer that, so I asked for local channels in HD with
a DVR. Of course Comcast doesn't offer just local changes with HD and a DVR.
You must get their "Digital Starter Package." with a total of 80
channels 79 of which I did NOT want to the tune of $60 a month for 12 months.
After 12 months, the price is higher. $60 is their rock bottom price to get new
customers and then screw them a year later. I caved and forked over the $60 for
79 channels I don't need just to get the one I do want. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Comcast kindly sent us a DVR with a self-hook
up kit which arrived days later. I went to the web site to start my service.
The site was extremely slow and very broken. I work in IT and have better
knowledge than the average user and I couldn't get setup. The site simply did
not work. I was then forced to call customer service which was no better. They
sent a communication to my DVR and said I'd have cable in 45 minutes. I had
cable in 45 minutes but not the channels for the starter package. I had
channels I shouldn't have and didn't have channels that I should. I called
customer service again who again sent a signal to my box and again told me to
wait 45 minutes. This time it worked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Next I decide it would be nice to have
cable on our other TV. I simply hooked up cable to the TV with no other
box. I turned on the TV and had no cable. I called customer service for the
third time and was informed that I must have a cable box for an extra cost. So
the $60 became more like $66. To get this box required a trip to the Comcast
store. The person on the phone told me I had a preorder and so would not need
wait in line. I could go immediately to the cashier. This was a lie. I arrived
and I was told to self-check in and to wait. I said, but I had a preorder. I
was told, "I don't know what they told you on the phone, but you must
wait." I waited. After all other customers were handled and I was alone
the same person at the counter who told me to wait asked what I wanted, tried
to look up my name in the self-check in and couldn't find me. Since I was now
the only person there, he did handle my request and I got my box.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I also asked why I had HBO. I was told it
was included for free for two years. Nice, except I don't want HBO being
broadcast in my house. I asked if it could be removed. He said, he'd try and
didn't see why not. To my surprise, it was removed and I was relieved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Now I was ready to watch the Olympics and
I was happy though I was $66 poorer. Naturally the DVR had glitches. Sometimes
it froze and would not recover. I also learned that it could only record one
channel at a time. This was not too bad since I really only wanted to watch one
channel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Comcast was nice enough to provide
streaming of all events. If I went to NBCOlympics.com and logged into my XFinity
account, I could stream to my hearts content. I thought this was great. My wife
is from the Philippines and she wanted to see the Filipino skater. Naturally
his routine was not shown on Prime Time. The entire program was available
streaming though. There was a catch. You could not fast forward. You had to sit
through all skaters prior to the one you wanted to see. This wasn't too bad
since our skater was in the first group, however, internet streaming is not
reliable and we crashed a few times. Since we could not fast forward we had to
start from the beginning and rewatch it all. Eventually we were able to see our
Filipino skater's program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Now I'm more than ready to return our
cable box and cancel our Comcast cable TV. I'll be relieved though I don't
expect it will be easy. I wasn't easy two years ago for the summer
Olympics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I think Comcast is a greedy company with
poor customer service. Why should anyone need to pay more than $60 when only
one channel was wanted? Why doesn't Comcast offer an a la cart option? Why must
we pay for a cable box for every TV we own? Why does customer service fail to
do a simple hook up? Why does customer service lie to you? I'll be very happy
to be rid of Comcast until the next Olympics when I must do this all again or find
a better option.</span></div>
Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-74362690395446458372013-06-25T10:42:00.002-07:002014-05-15T12:30:01.294-07:00Christians Changing Culture <br /><br />Tomorrow the Supreme Court is expected to rule on <a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/03/annotated-transcript-prop-8-oral-arguments/63549/">California's Proposition 8</a> and the <a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/03/supreme-court-doma-transcript/63609/">Defense of Marriage Act</a>, These rulings could dramatically affect gay rights and the definition of marriage. To the gay community it could mean a) the sanctioning of the marriage union by society, b) the ability to access the legal benefits which are currently afforded to those who are married over those who are not married, in a common law marriage or in a civil union, and c) having the <a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html">14th amendment</a> upheld for US citizens who are gay and lesbian. To the evangelical community it could mean a) the breakdown or the upholding of their moral view of marriage being only between a man and a woman, b) the loss or the upholding of the <a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html">1st Amendment</a> allowing places of worship to practice their interpretation of their holy text without legal penalty, and c) the legal protection for private citizens, companies and corporations to conduct business and issue benefits guided by their moral conscience and beliefs without penalty. It is a battleground pitting two sides with drastically different views who are likely never to concede firmly held convictions. The ruling will be a win for one side and a loss for the other with the war ever continuing to wage.<br /><br /><br /> I believe if anything is going to change in this ever escalating war, the change must occur within the Christian community. I agree with Andrew Marin who said, "Evangelicals, and conservative Christians in general, need to let go of the same-sex marriage fight and invest in figuring out how to love like Jesus regardless of what system is in place." Jesus and his early followers did not change society or culture by fighting a political war against the laws and rulers of the day. Rather they brought about change by loving those around them. Christians know they cannot change themselves on the inside. They believe that in order to change, they must first yield to Jesus in an unconditional surrender thus allowing Jesus to make changes to their hearts. It is hypocritical to think the change can be brought to society and culture through law without surrender to Jesus. It is time to stop fighting society and laws and start fighting for the change of souls by loving others and leading them to surrender their lives to Jesus. This surrender is not brought about by coercion or argument. It is brought about by loving as Jesus loved, by being a witness and example. It is brought about by sharing the truth of God's word and his love expressed to all in his word. God is calling all to be reconciled to himself through a loving relationship with Jesus. This includes those within the gay community. <br /><br /><br /> Jesus believes in absolute moral law. He wrote the law. Christians need not give up convictions nor belief in the perfect law of love. Christians need to live by that law of love. Christians are called to love and serve society around them. Christians are to be both an example of God's moral law of love and a voice calling others to yield to that law of love by first surrendering to God not by changing hearts nor behavior first. Changing of hearts begins by surrendering to God's unconditional love. Change of behavior follows a change of heart. To dictate or demand change in society through law, coercion or force is backwards to the way in which Jesus brings change and will ultimately fail.<br /><br /><br /> Christians have realized their own moral failure and know they stand under condemnation. They understand the only way to be saved from condemnation and wrath is to accept the full payment of the penalty offered by Jesus. In doing so, they are morally purified by God and set on a course for change. Christians desire to love as God loves them, but understand they are incapable of such love. Christians yield to God to allow God's love to permeate their hearts and pour out to God and others. Christians should not, therefore, demand change in others that they know themselves to be incapable of doing. <br /><br /><br /> If Christians desire to uphold the sanctity of marriage it cannot be done by fighting society's definition of marriage. It must be done by strengthening and valuing their own marriage. Christians need to focus on their own family. Christians need to love their spouse and children well. Christians need to endure difficulties in their own marriage, yield to God, and allow God to change and improve their own hearts and marriage. A Christian marriage is one in which both partners yield to Jesus, help each other conform to his image, and love each other well putting the needs of the other ahead of their own. Christians do need to redefine marriage. The definition of marriage is not a means to individual happiness where a partner is meeting the individual's needs. The definition of marriage is a covenant promise to God to sacrifice an individual's needs and desires for the betterment of the spouse so both with grow in love for God and each other. A marriage is a picture of the union of Jesus to his bride, the church. Jesus united with his bride by sacrificing his life for his spouse. He did not seek his own happiness and pleasure but rather the needs of his spouse. The sanctity of marriage will be upheld as Christians sacrifice their own desires for the betterment of their spouse. The sanctity of marriage will be upheld as Christians yield to and grow in the love of God. The sanctity of marriage will be upheld as Christians love their spouse and children well. Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-11033783239713662042013-06-20T08:39:00.000-07:002013-06-20T10:07:20.555-07:00What is Christianity?<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I recently read an article expressing concern about the political influence and power the "Christian right." Christianity today is viewed more as a political power opposed to gay rights, women's rights, and abortion. Yet the term Christian originally meant a follower of Christ. A follower of Christ meant one who is trying to be like Jesus. Jesus was not a political figure. He did not oppose government or policy. His greatest opposition was to the religious political powers of the time. He opposed hypocritical religious leaders who laid heavy legalistic, moralistic burdens on their followers. He opposed powerful religious people who vied for political power and influence. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Jesus never condemned people as his followers do today. He accepted people, forgave people and loved them as they were. He certainly wanted and encouraged people to change but not by demand or coercion but rather by showing love and grace. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">After Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and his followers received the Holy Spirit, people were drawn to Jesus by his followers. It was not a forced conversion. People simply saw how the followers of "the Way" were loving each other, giving to each other and helping the community. Followers of Jesus shared wealth and material possessions. Followers of Jesus helped the poor. Followers of Jesus accepted people of both genders, all races and all economic status as equals. It was love that marked the Christian. Today it seems the Christians are branded as haters. Christians are seen as hating the political left, gay people, abortionists, the poor and women. Jesus must be weeping to see how his named is marred by the very people who claim to follow him and his example of love and grace.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">The gospel message is hidden by the view of Christianity as a political power and the poor example of those who claim to follow Jesus and yet condemn others. The gospel was and is good news. The gospel does not condemn. People are already condemned by their own conscience and sense of guilt. The Holy Spirit is doing his job of convicting people of their guilt. We are all guilty of not loving ourselves, others or God perfectly. We know this in our heart of hearts. We know that if we stood before a perfect, holy and just God, we would be condemned and deservingly so. The gospel is simply that we can be forgiven of our wrongs, be set free from condemnation and reconciled to the God who longs to love us and embrace us as his own children. That forgiveness is available because Jesus was condemned on our behalf. He paid the penalty for our wrongs, the penalty of death that we deserve. We are all condemned to hell. It is not that gays and abortionists are condemned over all others or are under some special condemnation. We are all condemned. It doesn't matter if we are gay, straight, pro life, pro choice, conservative, liberal, male or female. We are all equally condemned. The only way out of condemnation for all of us is faith in the sacrifice and love of Jesus. Believing that he died and rose from the dead proving he was very God is the only way to receive forgiveness for our wrongs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Christianity is not a religion. It is not a political force. It is not an exclusive club. It is not a moral institution. It is not even the means by which we may be saved from condemnation. A real Christian is someone who has surrendered to Jesus and is trying to follow him and his way of love and grace. A Christian understands grace and the forgiveness is a gift from God. A Christian is not perfect. A Christian does many, many things wrong and contrary to the teachings and examples of Jesus. A Christian is simply forgiven by grace through faith in Jesus. In other words, a Christian is not condemned for wrongs committed but believes the condemnation was paid by Jesus who is very God. It is this acceptance of love from God that motivates a Christian to follow God's perfect law of love. Though a Christian often fails, the Christian does not rely on success or failure but rather on the grace and love of God. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, Christians should be agents of change in the world but not through political force, coercion or condemnation of others. Christians should be the change, the example, the way. As followers of Jesus, Christians should seek to love others not condemn others. Christians should change the world through acts of kindness and love as his Jesus' original followers did 2000 years ago. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">No one can change on their own including Christians. Christians rely on the Holy Spirit to change them from the inside out. Christians don't expect to change on their own. Why should Christians expect the world to conform to a holy standard which they themselves cannot conform without the Holy Spirit? Anyone can changes external behavior through will power but no one except God can change the heart. Only as God draws a soul to Jesus and that soul surrenders to Jesus can the Holy Spirit be received and begin to change the person. Change will not happen by politics, by laws, or by effort. Change will happen as a person is drawn to the love of Jesus, receives forgiveness and the power to be changed by the Holy Spirit.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">What is a Christian? A Christian is someone who has received forgiveness by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus on their behalf. A Christian is someone who follows Jesus and is like Jesus not by personal effort but by reliance on the Holy Spirit. A Christian is someone who brings change to the family, the church, the community, the nation and the world through examples and acts of love and charity. </span><br />
<br /></div>
Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-55200287419157626522013-06-05T11:25:00.001-07:002013-06-05T11:25:32.767-07:00From Zero to FiftyOn June 22nd 2013, my parents will be celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary. I am engaged to be married for the first time in my life. As I look to them for an example of how to have a successful and happy marriage, one thing stands out: commitment. My parents made a vow that they have kept for fifty years. That kind of commitment is truly golden and rare.<br />
<br />
I have many friends who come from a broken home. Either their parents divorced or they had an absent father. I had neither. My parents never considered divorce and my father was always present. My parent's attended athletic and cultural events where their kids were participants. They continue to do so for their grandkids. My parents took us out for dinner one on one. This was not an easy task since there were five of us. My parents took us camping for a month of vacation for several years during our childhood. Cell phones and laptops didn't exist, so we were without a phone or any connection to the outside world. We had each other and nature. That time bonded us as a family.<br />
<br />
I am engaged to a woman who lives overseas.I have not been able to touch her now for eleven months. We've communicated nearly every day via Skype so we can at least see and hear each other. We've done a Bible study every time we've talked. We pray together every time. During this long waiting process, we are learning the meaning of commitment. Not being able to touch or do activities together is very difficult. We only have time of conversation, sharing videos and playing online games. We've endured many delays in obtaining a visa for her so we can marry. We've tried unsuccessfully to buy a house. It is difficult only to shop for a house over the internet. I can visit the home, but my fiancee cannot. We've endured the hardship of trying to sell a home in a buyers market. We've had to make life changing financial decisions together. Though all this we remain committed to each other. We are committed to love one another. This love is not just a high feeling. Our love from the beginning has been a commitment to show love in action.<br />
<br />
I feel very blessed to have parents who have remained committed and faithful to one another for fifty years. I am blessed to find a woman who is committed to loving me for fifty years or more should we live that long. I, too, and committed to her for life. I know it is our commitment to each other and to God that will keep our love and marriage strong for our entire lifetime.<br />
<br />
I am not naive enough to think that our marriage will be without difficulties. My parents certainly endured trying and difficult times. Raising five children was not easy. My dad had to make difficult choices to give up things like business travel, golf and fishing so he could spend time with family. My mom endured times of sadness. Each child presented our own unique form of difficulties. I know it was not easy for my parents, but they remained faithful to God, their kids and each other.<br />
<br />
My fiancee and I are starting at zero years and have an example of fifty years to follow. I am so blessed and thankful that I have such a fine example of love, commitment and faith to follow.Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-29262377263178854772013-05-30T10:50:00.001-07:002013-05-30T19:35:42.450-07:00Buying a House in Boulder<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">In Illinois where there is still high unemployment and many forclosures, houses are taking many months to sell or are not selling at all. I put my
townhouse on the market in August and did not receive an offer for 9 months. I
had to accept a price that was $50,000 less than what I had paid for it in
2000. I had bought it at pre construction prices, so the day I moved into the
house it was worth more than I paid for it. At the peak of the housing bubble,
it was worth $100,000 more than I paid for it. Though the housing market is
starting to show slight improvement, across the nation, houses are still
selling at low prices and taking a long time to sell. Not so in Boulder, CO.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I've been window shopping in Boulder for a
few months now and even attempted a few offers with the contingency of selling
my house in Illinois. I stood no chance of buying in Boulder with a
contingency. In Boulder, a house goes on the market on Friday and by Sunday
there are 3 or 4 offers on the house at or near asking price. Not many are
selling houses so inventory is very low. With the ever increasing fear that
interest rates will rise, there are many buyers looking to buy now. This is
creating a highly competitive market which is great for sellers but terrible
for buyers like me. If I'm able to make an offer on a house, I'm competing with
2 or 3 other offers without a contingency. Most of the time, I'm unable to make
an offer before the house goes under contract. I've missed making an offer
before the house is under contract by a day and sometimes only by a few
hours. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">One seller was very smart. The seller put
the house on the market on Sunday and told their agent that they'd accept
offers until Wednesday at noon. This allowed the seller to receive many offers
and choose the best one. It gave buyers like me a chance to think.
Unfortunately for me, we decided to put an offer on another house only to have
it go under contract before our offer was presented. In the meantime, we missed
the deadline for the other house.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">There are foolish people who think they
can take serious advantage of the market. One seller is selling by owner to
avoid paying an agent. The seller is not listed on MLS. His price was originally
set at $4,000 more than the closest comp in his association of condominiums. He
was also unwilling to pay my agent out of the sale of the house but wanted me
to pay my agent cash on top of his selling price. My agent graciously sent him
comps and explained that his house would not appraise at his price which would
be a loss for him, the seller, and me, the buyer. After receiving my offer
which $8,000 less than his asking price and $4,000 less than comp which was an
end unit and in better condition, the seller rejected my offer and raised his
price by $10,000. Even in the highly competitive Boulder seller's market, this
seller will not sell his condo until he lowers his price closer the comps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Why is the Boulder market so good for
sellers whereas in most of the country, it's a buyer's market?
There are three reasons as the real estate motto goes, "location,
location, location." Boulder has been ranked the #1 city to live in
the <a href="http://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/articles/?action=view&articleID=107&menuID=205">Men's
Journal</a>. Boulder is near the Foothill Mountains, known as the
"Flatirons." Boulder with its many bike paths and bike lanes is rated
the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.bicycling.com/news/advocacy/3-boulder-co">3rd best city for
bikers</a>. There are many paths for walking and running in Boulder. Backpacker
magazine rated Boulder the <a href="http://www.backpacker.com/august_09_the_best_cities_to_raise_an_outdoor_kid/destinations/13126">best
place to raise a kid in 2009.</a> Forbes rated it 27th in the best<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.forbes.com/best-places-for-business/list/">places for business</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in 2012.There are many startup
companies in Boulder. Boulder has 40,000 acres of open space at the edge
of town. Boulder is the home of the University of Colorado.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I enjoy Boulder. I<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://melphleg.blogspot.com/2013/05/commuter-biking-in-boulder.html">bike
to work</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in Boulder. I have a
very nice tech job at a small company in Boulder. I love the run the trails in
the foothills. Walking down the pedestrian mall on Pearl Street can be an
entertaining experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I'm confident that when I'm able to
actually buy a house in Boulder (maybe after I don't have a contingency), I'll
be able to sell it for a profit. However, it's not likely that I'd want to move
from Boulder.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br />
<br />
<!-- Start bankrate.com code --><br /><table bgcolor="#D0D7E5" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" style="width: 330px;"><thead style="background-color: white;">
<tr><td><a href="http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/mortgages/"><strong>Mortgage Rates</strong></a></td><td align="center"><a href="http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/mortgages/?prods=1"><strong>30 yr fixed</strong></a></td><td align="center"><a href="http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/mortgages/?prods=2"><strong>15 yr fixed</strong></a></td><td align="center"><a href="http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/mortgages/?prods=6"><strong>5/1 ARM</strong></a></td><td align="center"><a href="http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/mortgages/?prods=4"><strong>30 yr jumbo</strong></a></td></tr>
<tr><td>5/29/2013</td><td align="center">3.99</td><td align="center">3.21</td><td align="center">2.97</td><td align="center">4.20</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#F5F8FD"><td>5/22/2013</td><td align="center">3.74</td><td align="center">2.97</td><td align="center">2.7</td><td align="center">3.99</td></tr>
<tr><td>5/15/2013</td><td align="center">3.71</td><td align="center">2.92</td><td align="center">2.68</td><td align="center">3.99</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#F5F8FD"><td>5/8/2013</td><td align="center">3.6</td><td align="center">2.82</td><td align="center">2.64</td><td align="center">4.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>5/1/2013</td><td align="center">3.52</td><td align="center">2.75</td><td align="center">2.63</td><td align="center">3.93</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#F5F8FD"><td>4/24/2013</td><td align="center">3.57</td><td align="center">2.80</td><td align="center">2.65</td><td align="center">3.98</td></tr>
<tr><td>4/17/2013</td><td align="center">3.61</td><td align="center">2.85</td><td align="center">2.66</td><td align="center">3.98</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#F5F8FD"><td>4/10/2013</td><td align="center">3.64</td><td align="center">2.89</td><td align="center">2.7</td><td align="center">4.03</td></tr>
<tr><td>4/3/2013</td><td align="center">3.73</td><td align="center">2.95</td><td align="center">2.72</td><td align="center">4.07</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#F5F8FD"><td>3/27/2013</td><td align="center">3.75</td><td align="center">2.97</td><td align="center">2.71</td><td align="center">4.1</td></tr>
<tr><td>3/20/2013</td><td align="center">3.78</td><td align="center">2.97</td><td align="center">2.71</td><td align="center">4.13</td></tr>
</thead></table>
<link href="http://www.bankrate.com/system/story/embed.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><!-- End bankrate.com code --><br /></div>
Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0Boulder, CO, USA40.0149856 -105.2705455999999939.820449100000005 -105.59326909999999 40.2095221 -104.9478221tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-27846258391754513942013-05-21T10:20:00.001-07:002013-05-21T10:20:33.542-07:00My Proverbs 31 Woman<span class="text Prov-31-10" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">10 </sup>A wife of noble character<sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-17295A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup> who can find?<sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-17295B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-31-10" style="position: relative;">She is worth far more than rubies.</span></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span class="text Prov-31-11" id="en-NIV-17296" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">11 </sup>Her husband<sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-17296C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup> has full confidence in her</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-31-11" style="position: relative;">and lacks nothing of value.<sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-17296D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup></span></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span class="text Prov-31-12" id="en-NIV-17297" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">12 </sup>She brings him good, not harm,</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-31-12" style="position: relative;">all the days of her life.</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Prov-31-12" style="position: relative;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Prov-31-12" style="position: relative;"><span class="text Prov-31-25" id="en-NIV-17310" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">25 </sup>She is clothed with strength and dignity;</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-31-25" style="position: relative;">she can laugh at the days to come.</span></span><br /><span class="text Prov-31-26" id="en-NIV-17311" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">26 </sup>She speaks with wisdom,</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-31-26" style="position: relative;">and faithful instruction is on her tongue.<sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-17311A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup></span></span><br /><span class="text Prov-31-27" id="en-NIV-17312" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">27 </sup>She watches over the affairs of her household</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-31-27" style="position: relative;">and does not eat the bread of idleness.</span></span><br /><span class="text Prov-31-28" id="en-NIV-17313" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">28 </sup>Her children arise and call her blessed;</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-31-28" style="position: relative;">her husband also, and he praises her:</span></span><br /><span class="text Prov-31-29" id="en-NIV-17314" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">29 </sup>“Many women do noble things,</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-31-29" style="position: relative;">but you surpass them all.”</span></span><br /><span class="text Prov-31-30" id="en-NIV-17315" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">30 </sup>Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-31-30" style="position: relative;">but a woman who fears the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> is to be praised</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Prov-31-12" style="position: relative;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-31-30" style="position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2031:10-12;25-30&version=NIV">Proverb 31:10-12;25-30</a><br />
<br />
<br />
I have been single all my life, but have desired to be married. When I was just 3 years old, I asked my aunt how old you had to be to get married. I am now 47 years old and engaged to be married to a very beautiful woman. I have never been married all these years. It was worth the wait. God asks us to wait on him. I believe when we wait, God gives us his best. When we take matters into our own hand to take what God does not give us, it causes tremendous grief. I have often done that and regretted it. God certainly forgave me but I also at times suffered consequences.<br />
<br />
The woman God has given me is certainly a woman of noble character, a virtuous woman. She believes in obedience to God and his word. She studies his word daily. She is very involved in her church. She attends classes and teaches others. She loves to worship in song. She truly loves, respects and honors God.<br />
<br />
She is certainly worth more than rubies. In fact, the first part of her name is Ruby which shows her value. Love is what we all need the most and she gives love very freely and consistently. Receiving her love is of greater value than any precious gem.<br />
<br />
She is strong. She has endured trials and God has molded her character through those trials. She is from the Philippines which is a very poor country. She has very little in material possessions compared to the poorest American. In spite of poor living conditions, she is able to laugh and giggle freely.<br />
<br />
She is wise. We read the Bible together and she often demonstrates wisdom from the Holy Spirit with the insights she shares. She gives me wise input into all our financial decisions as a couple. She has a good understanding of the differences between men and women. She knows how to speak and listen to me.<br />
<br />
She is certainly not idle. She worked in another country to make money not for herself but for her family. She received a nursing degree and had to work hard to be able to afford school. She works faithfully for her family and for her church. She shows unselfishness in all she does. She is very generous and giving.<br />
<br />
She has no children yet, but I'm certain when she does, they will call her blessed. She loves kids. She gives affection, love and instruction to her sibling's children. I certainly praise her and believe she is worthy of honor and praise.<br />
<br />
She is certainly beautiful in her outer appearance and takes time to make herself look so. Yet, I know that beauty will fade. Her heart's beauty will never fade. She truly fears and respects the Lord. The love she has in her heart shines on her countenance giving her even more beauty.<br />
<br />
Soon after we met, I prayed to God. I was interested in a few women at the time and asked for his wisdom to help me choose. I felt led to begin a Bible study. It was doing a study on 1 Corinthians 13 which convinced me to begin to court this woman. I asked her father's permission to do so and he readily agreed. In a short time, I visited her in the Philippines. It did not take me long to be convinced with no uncertainty that she was the woman God had prepared for me. I asked her father's permission to marry her and then after receiving his approval, I asked her. She said yes. Now we are waiting for her visa to be issued so she can come to America and we can be married.<br />
<br />
I waited a long time to meet her and now have been waiting over 10 months to marry her. I'm still waiting, but God has already proved that waiting on him is the best thing to do. His timing is perfect and his gifts are the greatest.<br />
<br />
God often tells us to wait. He is teaching delayed gratification and faith. I know it will be very gratifying to be with my bride but I must wait. The time waiting has certainly tested my faith and my trust in God. I admit at times I've faltered. It is not easy to wait but God has proved that it is worth it.<br />
<br />
What are you waiting for? Wait on God's time and his gifts. It is worth it.<br />
<br />
Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-58699584474420551852013-05-17T09:28:00.000-07:002013-05-17T21:48:07.170-07:00I love you<br />
I love you. Those are the three most powerful words in the English language. From the time we are born, we not only long to hear those words but know they are true. The most important thing we need to know as a baby is that Mom and Dad love us. Sadly, many of us grew up not knowing that to be true. The two people who should have loved us the most didn't.<br />
<br />
As we grow up, we seek to know we are loved by others -- by siblings, aunts, uncles, teachers, friends, acquaintances, bosses, etc. We perform our best. We do our best to earn the love and acceptance of those we meet. If that doesn't work, we do our worst just to gain attention as a substitute for being loved. If we are not loved or do not feel loved, we will do much to fill the hole in our hearts that it leaves. We will dress like others to be accepted. We will do what others do hoping to fit in. We will hold onto unhealthy relationships, we will socialize, we will serve others, we will give away our money, we will give our time, we will drink, we will take drugs, we will even kill just to be loved and accepted.<br />
<br />
I love you. We need to hear those words daily. We need to be touched so we know we are loved. We need people to spend time with us to know we are loved. We need to receive gifts to know we are loved. We need to be served and receive acts of kindness to know we are loved. We need to be praised and told we've done well to know we are loved. Gary Chapman author of <a href="http://www.5lovelanguages.com/">The Five Love Languages </a>believes that we speak and hear 5 different love languages to communicate love.We all need physical touch, gifts of love, quality time spent with us, acts of service, and words of affirmation to feel loved.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Are you loved? Do you have parents who love you? Do you have friends who love you? Do you have a spouse who loves you? Do you have children who love you?<br />
<br />
There must be at least one individual in your life who loves you. If not, you could not survive. Being loved is that important. <a href="http://www.casacolumbus.org/no-child-can-live-without-love/">CASA</a>, an organization fighting child abuse states "'No child can live without love' is a powerful and truthful statement. Growing up in a loving environment and being shown love is fundamental to a child’s development."<br />
<br />
The good news is there is at least one individual who loves you. He knows you intimately. He knows all the good things you've done. He knows all the bad things you've done. He knows every lie and every truth. He knows when you've loved and when you've hated. He knows when you've given and when you've taken. He knows every fault, every hidden thing about you. And he loves you. He loves you passionately. He loves you unconditionally. He desperately wants you to know how much he loves you.<br />
<br />
There is nothing you can do to earn this individual's love and there's nothing you can do to stop him from loving you. He loves you as you are right now. He's loved you since before you were born. He will love you long after you've died.<br />
<br />
His name is Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus Christ. Jesus loves you. He passionately loves you. He desperately wants you to know he loves you. You can't earn his love. You can't do anything that will stop him from loving you.<br />
<br />
There is, however, a problem. The problem is that you've done things that separate you from God. You see God is righteous and holy. He's never done anything wrong. He is love. He is good.<br />
<br />
You and I have done many things that are not loving to both ourselves and others. We hurt others. We hurt ourselves. This both grieves God because he loves us and separates us from God. God's law is a law of love. He tells us to love him because he first loved us and to love ourselves and others. His command is to love him and love others perfectly. We fail to do both.<br />
<br />
God is also just. There is a penalty for the things you do wrong. That penalty is death. Death would separate you from God forever. God does not want that. He wants to be with you forever. He loves you.<br />
<br />
So, God provided a way to both satisfy his justice and his love. He took the penalty for the unloving things you've done upon himself. Jesus came to this earth, lived as a man and died. He lived a perfect life of love. He died for you, taking the penalty you deserve. Having done this, God has provided a bridge to himself for you. All you have to do is accept his love and cross the bridge by believing that Jesus died for you because you've done unloving things. Believe this and God will forgive you. God gives us all a choice. We can choose to remain condemned for our disobedience to God's law of love or we can choose to accept his payment for our guilt and be reconciled to him and his love.<br />
<br />
There is a catch. The catch is that if you accept Jesus, he will begin to change you because he loves you. He knows the unloving things you do hurt you and others he loves. So he will give you the power to change when you submit to his reign in your life. You will also be so overwhelmed with his love for you that you will want to serve him and others. You will want to tell others about his love.<br />
<br />
God is not out to deprive you of good things. On the contrary, he wants to give you the best. Following him and living by his loving commands is the best.<br />
<br />
You may be skeptical of this. This may seem too good to be true. But what if it is true? Is it not worth investigating? I challenge you, look into this. See if it is true. Ask a Christian friend. Tell that friend you are skeptical but want to know the truth. Read a Bible. Read the gospels and examine the life of this man Jesus. Read books by former atheists like C. S. Lewis' 'Mere Christianity' or Lee Strobel's 'The Case for Christ.'<br />
<br />
You'll find these three words are true: 'Jesus loves you.' Yes, you. As you are. No conditions. He loves you. He made you. He wants to spend an eternity with you. Yes, Jesus wants to touch you, to spend time with you, to give you gifts, to serve you and to affirm you. One day he wants to say to you, 'I love you, my child. I'm so joyful that you let me love you. I'm so joyful you let me change you. I'm so joyful you let me serve others through you. Well done. Come near now and be with me and my father forever.'This is about the greatest and truest love that any of us can find.Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-40840475040257516222013-05-16T14:02:00.000-07:002015-06-26T11:10:07.742-07:00A Right Wing Evangelical Christian Defends Gay Rights<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I am a white, male, right wing, evangelical Christian. My
political and moral views are often very conservative. In the last three years, my traditional and strongly held convictions have been greatly challenged. I've
been living in the home of a lesbian who has been a dear friend of mine since
High School. I've known her for over 30 years. I've interacted closely with
many of her lesbian friends and have had some difficult conversations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I am now engaged
to be married and firmly believe in the sanctity of marriage between
a man and a woman. I believe that God conducted and ordained the first marriage
between a man and a woman. My fiancée and I have been reading many books on the
topic of marriage to prepare us for marriage. We see the purpose of marriage as
being a means to grow each spouse into the image and character of our savior
Jesus Christ. We don't see marriage as a means to make each other happy or to
feel loved always. We see it as way for us to grow in love toward our God and
toward each other. We see it as the most intimate human relationship possible.
We are in love but that love is much more a commitment to each other than
a feeling. It is a daily decision as well as daily actions based on that
decision. I do not believe that society gives me the right to marry. I believe
marriage is a covenant promise made to God and to my spouse. It is
a lifelong commitment to love one person first and foremost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The issue of gay
marriage and gay rights has taken on a new meaning for me. For the Christian,
gay marriage and gay rights are moral issues. To the gay community they are
civil rights issues only. Christians who fight against gay rights think
that if society permits gay marriage and other gay rights, society is condoning
sin and destroying the sanctity of marriage. In fighting against gay rights,
the Christian is building a wall of mistrust and anger which blinds the gay
person to the love and acceptance that Jesus modeled. Rather than loving and
accepting the individual as Jesus loved and accepted people, the Christian is
making the gay person a target of violence and hatred. When Jesus was presented
a woman caught in the act of adultery, he told the crowd that anyone could
throw the first stone to kill her if they had no sin. No one threw stones for
all recognized their own sinfulness. Christians today have become
stone throwers. Jesus did not condemn this woman. He did not throw stones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The current gay
rights movement has its roots in the Stonewall Riots of 1969. In the
summer of 1969, a group of gay New Yorkers made a stand against raiding police
officers at a popular gay bar called The Stonewall Inn. Very few establishments
welcomed openly gay people in the 1960s. Those that did were often bars. Police
were cracking down on gay bars for operating without Liquor Authority licenses.
Licenses were refused to bars that served gays. Often Mafia affiliates ran the
unlicensed establishments and so had to deal with the police to stay in business.
Police would raid the gay bars and demand money under the threats of
imprisonment. On June 27, 1969, a police raid on the Stonewall arrested 13
people inside the bar. A woman, cried out to the assembled bystanders as she
was shoved into a paddy wagon, "Why don't you guys do something!" The
crowd fought back. Chants of “Gay Power!” echoed in the streets. Soon, beer
bottles and trash cans were flying. The crowd swelled to over 2000. Police
reinforcements came. Over the next 6 days fire hoses turned on people in the
street, barricades were thrown, police were kicked and a firebomb was thrown
inside the bar. Gay pride parades originally occurred on June 27th to
commemorate the Stonewall Riots.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Before the gay
rights movement, people could be arrested for kissing in public, holding hands
or dancing. Police harassment and brutality have been constant features of gay
and lesbian life for decades. Gays have been detained indefinitely. They have
been beaten and publicly humiliated. Lesbian and male drag queens through
the 1950s and 1960s suffered frequent rapes and sexual assaults from police
officers. Civilians committed these same crimes without interference
from police. GLBT people are fighting for protection under the law not
persecution by the law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">In 1953, President
Eisenhower issued executive order making homosexuality a necessary and
sufficient reason to fire any federal employee. Many defense industries
followed suit. Eisenhower's executive order stood from 1953 until 1993. There
has never been any employment protection for gay people as there is now for
straight white women, straight men, and women and men who belong to racial and ethnic
minorities. Employers routinely refuse to hire gay people regardless of their
qualifications and fire any who manage to be hired. GLBT people are fighting
for equal employment opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">In fighting for
gay marriage now, the GLBT community is fighting for civil rights. When a
partner is hospitalized, the partner who has loved and lived with them for
decades is refused the right to be at their bedside or to make life decisions
because they are not family. If a partner dies and no will has been left, the
surviving partner has no legal claim to shared property and possessions. Gay
couples without marriage licenses are denied family health benefits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I have also
observed that gay marriage is a matter of acceptance for the gay community. The
gay community wants to be accepted as normal by society rather than
be persecuted and mistreated. The gay couple wants to have a ceremony
celebrating their love and commitment as much as any straight couple. The gay
couple wants this ceremony and marriage to be accepted by society as normal.
The LGBT community is not seen as normal. They do not feel accepted by society
and certainly not by Christians. Every difference sets them apart and
contributes to their sense of not belonging. Acceptance of gay marriage
would give them more of a sense of acceptance. The only place where they truly
feel safe and accepted is among their peers. In society, they are not only
afraid of not being accepted but also of being harmed. The fear is well founded
for they have been the victims of much hate and violence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Having closely
interacted with people in the gay community for 3 years, I've seen the anger
and the hurt. I've been educated about the harm and discrimination
afflicted upon gay individuals. I understand why Christians are seen as the
enemy. Gay people do not see a loving and compassionate Jesus when they observe
Christians. They see the church and Christianity as a
powerful political organization that opposes basic human
rights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">When Jesus walked
the earth, he accepted people as they were. He had
no political agenda. He did not fight to overthrow oppressive Rome or
free his fellow Jews. He did not condemn individuals. He forgave people
and told them to go and sin no more. People were motivated not to sin anymore
because they were not condemned but rather were loved and accepted. When
Jesus walked the earth, he chose to attend parties hosted by people society
considered terrible sinners. When Jesus walked the earth, he broke
society taboos and spoke with women. He allowed prostitutes to touch him. He
touched and healed ostracized lepers. If he walked the earth today,
do you suppose he would walk into gay bars and attend gay parties or would he
refuse to associate with "those" people as his followers do? If
he walked the earth today, do you think he would
loudly condemn gays and fight against individual rights as his
followers do now?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The class of
people Jesus loudly criticized where religious authorities who pridefully
considered themselves better than the "sinners" around them. Are not
we Christians in danger of being like these hypocritical religious leaders?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">All of us fail to
love God perfectly with all our hearts, souls and minds. All of us fail to love
perfectly ourselves, our friends, our acquaintances, our neighbors and our
enemies. We all fail to keep these two basic commands of God to love him and to
love others. His laws are for our own good yet all of us fail to keep them. All
of us, therefore, are under just condemnation and deserve hell. Forgiveness is
available to us all. Jesus took the penalty of death that we all justly
deserve. He offers his death as payment for us so we can be reconciled to the
God and Father who passionately and unconditionally loves us all. There is no
special hell for gays. There is no special condemnation for the LGBT people. God offers his love and forgiveness to all of us and all
of us need his forgiveness. There are none who do right. There are none who are
sinless. Only Jesus perfectly loved. Only the death of Jesus can be
accepted by God as a means for forgiveness. God offers us all a choice. We can
choose to be condemned or we can choose the payment for our sins offered by
Jesus and receive forgiveness. He desires a relationship with all human beings.
His offer is open to all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The gay community
only sees condemnation and opposition from the Christian community. It is my
hope and prayer that my gay friends would see beyond the bad example of
Christians and see the loving acceptance offered by Jesus. It is my hope
and prayer the Christians would cease to condemn and be a better example of the
love and acceptance that Jesus has given them so that others would receive the
same love and acceptance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">We believers in
Jesus are fighting the wrong battle. Our battle is not against society. Our
battle is for souls. That battle is fought on our knees and
by imitating our savior in loving others well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Before the throne
of God we are all equal. The only right we have before God is the right to die
for we all deserve condemnation. We can earn no rights
or privileges from God. We can only receive grace as a gift which we
don't deserve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-59637878970313096522013-05-16T08:37:00.003-07:002013-05-30T12:45:43.955-07:00Commuter Biking in BoulderFor the past year, I've been riding my bicycle to work, to run errands and to visit friends. There have only been 2 or 3 days where I drove my car to work because of icy road conditions. I've managed to do grocery shopping on my bike. I've visited friends in nearby towns riding my bike. I use my car only once or twice a month. In fact, I used my car so little that the battery drained. I now purposely run the car just to charge the battery when I don't use the car for two weeks.<br />
<br />
I live in Boulder, CO which is rated the 3rd best place for biking by <a href="http://www.bicycling.com/ride-maps/featured-rides/3-boulder-co-0">Bicycling Magazine</a>. There are plenty of bike lanes and bike paths that make commuting by bike very easy.<br />
<br />
I've found the experience very enjoyable and found many benefits to biking instead of driving a car. It is a great stress reliever after work to ride my bike. My route is on a bike path which runs alongside a creek. It is pleasant to hear the rushing water of the creek. I have a nice view of the Flatirons along the route. I have very little stops since most of the route is on a bike path. Driving a car home in slow moving traffic would add to the stress of the day. It is much more enjoyable to ride a bike.<br />
<br />
I've not been sick in two years or more. I've not even had a cold. I'm sure biking every day contributes to my health. There are other factors of course. I run 4 or 5 times a week. I eat healthy. I regularly see an acupuncturist and chiropractor.<br />
<br />
A study the Oil Price Information Service did for CNNMoney found that the average American household spent $368.09 on gas. I'm not only saving on gas, but also maintenance cost on my car. In 2011 the average American spent 1.6% of their income on auto maintenance according the <a href="ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/ce/share/2011/age.txt">US Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> .<br />
<br />
There are downfalls to riding practically every day in all kinds of weather. I have had some falls on ice which has damaged my bike and given me a few bruises. It can be miserable riding in falling snow and on icy roads. The bike itself does need to be maintained and repaired, but the expense is much less than a car repair.<br />
<br />
The downsides are minor compared to the benefits. My overall mood and health is much better riding a bike than when I commuted by car. There is great joy in riding every day. Even in the winter, it is very invigorating to ride a bike. In the spring on warm sunny days, it is a real pleasure to be on a bike in nature.<br />
<br />
I would recommend commuting by bike to anyone. <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/">May is national month</a>, so it would be a good time to start.Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0Boulder, CO, USA40.0149856 -105.2705455999999939.820449100000005 -105.59326909999999 40.2095221 -104.9478221tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-9020222420920143472013-05-15T14:47:00.001-07:002013-05-17T10:00:33.816-07:00HTC Incredible Review<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I have owned an HTC Incredible Droid for over two years.
At first I loved the phone. I could read my friends post on Facebook and post to Facebook. I could read and
compose both work and personal email. I could listen to music. I could use the
GPS to find my way around town. I thought it was great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I've changed my
mind. I still love the GPS. I get lost easily so it is a big help except when
it is inaccurate or gives poor directions which it has done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I love the music
player except that it uses too much space. I had loaded much of my music on the
phone only to remove it later. I now use the Google Play which has all my music
in the cloud. This is great except I don't dare cache anything to the phone due
to space issues. This means it takes a while to load and play music. Sometimes
the music will not play at all and sometimes it pauses while it buffers.
It also doesn't play where there is little or no reception. This makes it
rather useless in the mountains where I like to run the trails. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">What has changed
my mind about the phone is the use of space. Though there appears to be plenty
of space available on the phone, the operating system continues to warn me that
it is low on disk space. The major hogs of space have been the Facebook app,
the Yahoo mail app and the Kindle app. I dare not use these apps. It is better
to access Facebook and mail through the browser app. The worst part about using
up space is that the phone will not receive text messages or voicemails if it
thinks there is not enough space. If I don't clear the space on the phone, I
will not receive a text message or voicemail until I do. I've gone days without receiving a
message. I wondered why someone had not responded for days until I cleared the
space and then received several text messages and voicemails. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The worst thing
about the HTC Incredible Droid is that it fails to work as a phone. This
is its primary function. I will call someone or receive a call and the person
will not hear a word from me. It is silent. I hang up, reboot the phone and
then call them again. This fixes the problem, but it should never be a problem.
At the very least a phone should function as a phone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I do not recommend
anyone buying or even receiving for a free an HTC Incredible Droid. It is
not worth the headaches and frustrations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184203012799246204.post-18686935226742037062013-05-15T14:20:00.001-07:002013-05-17T10:02:22.545-07:00The DACA executive order has given priority to illegal immigrants over regular citizens and military personnel.<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The DACA executive order has given priority to illegal immigrants over regular citizens and military personnel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="font-size: 16px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">On June 15, 2012, President Obama signed a memo calling for deferred action for certain undocumented young people who came to the U.S. as children and have pursued education or military service here. Applications under the program which is called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ("DACA") begin on August 15, 2012. Individuals who arrived in the US illegally under the age of 16 and who were under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012 are eligible to remain in the U.S. for 2 years effectively granting them a 2-year amnesty. These illegal individuals who apply are processed through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This USCIS office also processes fiancé(e) and marriage visas for fiancé(e)s and spouses of US citizens. This process has been severely hindered by the DACA. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="font-size: 16px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">On August 6th 2012, the USCIS received an I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E) from myself. I am a natural born U.S. citizen. The process for my fiancee to receive her K1 visa is supposed to take 6 to 8 months. After more than 8 months and the application had not yet moved from the California Service Center to the National Visa Center. Prior to the DACA, the process in California took only 5 months. According to the USCIS web site, no processing for K1 Visas has occurred for the entire year. The last petitions processed according to the site were received on July 18th. This date has not changed since December of last year though the site was last updated in April this year. Jorge Lowree, a staff member for immigration issues, in the office of Jared Polis confirmed this. He said, “I have discussed your case with the California Service Center. The Liaison in their office has indicated that while your case is outside of their typical processing time, they are currently dealing with a tremendous backlog of fiancé visa petitions. Therefore ... they are currently processing cases received on or before July 18, 2012.” This tremendous backlog has occurred because of the DACA.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="font-size: 16px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">When called my representative, Jared Polis and spoke to Jorge Loweree in charge of immigration issues, I received no help to push my petition forward. I should have not expected help from the staff of someone has signed a letter asking President Obama to give healthcare to the same individuals covered by the DACA.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="font-size: 16px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Among those of us who seek a K1 visa for fiancé(e), are military and former military personnel who met their significant other abroad. It would seem that President Obama did not consider the welfare of ordinary U.S. citizens and brave military personnel in approving the DACA. Such a memo signed by President Obama gives priority to illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens and military personnel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="font-size: 16px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">My fiancee has already shed many tears because of the delays. The DACA has personally hurt us and we are very upset.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This was not a law passed by Congress. The "Dream Act" failed to pass. The president issued this executive order bypassing congress. The constitution which the president has sworn to defend clearly states that congress creates laws not the president.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In overstepping his bounds as president, he has clearly hurt many citizens and military personnel who are anxiously waiting to be united with their loved ones. I have now been waiting more than 10 months when it should have taken at the most 8 months. Thank you Mr. President. </span>Bob Richleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084593855086503576noreply@blogger.com3