Today’s post is pretty indicative of how I think (and live), in bits and pieces. I may rest my body more than is good for it, but I rarely rest my mind. We all share the technology of the brain, which dictates some common threads in how we think. That technology also makes allowances for individual interpretation of events, and for personal thoughts that belong only to us. Below are just a few things that were going through my mind when I began the process of “putting down words”, for the Earth Images blog.

I was remembering a particular workshop I taught at the Racine ( local city), Wisconsin Zoo several years ago, while I was paging (figuratively speaking) through an external hard drive full of images. As fate ( or coincidence) might have it, I opened a folder that held in its clutches, some images of a Cinereous Vulture, and some Meerkats. Those pix not only reminded me of how much I miss teaching workshops, but how much I miss some of the animals that resided at that little zoo. Zoos always gave me mixed feelings as I believe that all wild things need to experience freedom in order to have lived a complete life. With that said, I still always formed an emotional bond with the critters that lived in those zoos.

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I taught workshops off and on from the mid 1990s, until 2011. My favorite types of students were “almost” compete beginners, and experienced photographers who were ready to move on to new ideas.

That first category included people, often young people, who had down the basics of using their camera, and that’s it. It was fulfilling for me to see the light begin to go on. In some cases it took a while, in others you see the enlightenment within the first hour.

The other type of student was those who were already somewhat successful amateur image makers. They understood photography, but had not yet reached that point where they “owned” their own vision. Where they saw it their way and knew how to translate that to a finished image. In all cases when there was success, it had everything to do with the student, and little to do with me. I just showed them the road.

A teacher, is a servant. I mean that in the most positive definition of the word. They exist to aid you on your journey. The success of that journey, is eventually about the student, not the teacher. There are many photo workshop instructors who seem to feel that you are lucky that they are willing to instruct you. The truth is that they are the lucky ones. They are fortunate that you are willing to trust them with your money, and trust that their time with you will be productive.

The points above are follow in schools and universities, and they are especially true of the church.

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For those who do not think that understanding the Bible is important, regardless of your faith, when you understand end time prophecy, you will recognize everything that is happening today has already been written about. It is speeding up day by day, just as it says it will. Everything that we have always known to be good, we are now told is bad. Everything we know is bad or evil, we are informed is now good.

In my journey to understand and use the Bible as it was meant to be, I have listened to countless numbers of Pastors, teachers and Biblical scholars, and one observation I have made in that process is worth sharing.

While teachers who can recite chapter and verse are impressive, it is absolutely meaningless unless they have an accurate definition of said verse. It matters little ( to the listener) whether the misinformation is intentional or accidental. Accidental, simply means that bad, inaccurate teachers breed more of the same. I will absolutely never be capable of citing chapter and verse, and that’s okay with me. It’s not about impressing people.

It is perhaps a little strange, and bordering on inappropriate to quote Dr. Seuss to explain learning the Bible, but the statement below applies well to that journey once all of the pieces begin to fall into place. It pays to think in terms of the whole Bible first, and then separate book, chapter and verse accordingly. The historical order of the Bible is important, and it will remain consistent in the message. That will become apparent once you understand the Book as a complete entity.

“Sometimes the questions are complicated, and the answers are simple” Dr. Seuss

The Church, as defined in the Bible, has nothing to with buildings, and nothing to do with denominations, or individual ministries. The Church (Christianity), is not a religion. It is a personal relationship with God. I’m not saying you shouldn’t belong to a religion or attend a church if that’s what you need. I am saying to take it in stride and remember where the truth is. We have learned over the past 200 years, that religions and churches of varied denominations, often have the worst and most ungodly among us in charge, and even standing at the pulpit. They serve not God and therefore they do not serve man either.

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The possibility that we may experience “open” conventions at both the Republican and Democrat conventions, is in keeping with the world we live in today. We live not only in a world of people willing to do anything to succeed, but a world in where the majority of its inhabitants cannot make up their mind what they want, for any more than what seems like 60 seconds at a time. It may ultimately not be the worst thing for either party.

In any accord, we have a very interesting time ahead.

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The wisdom and courage to select freedom and chance, over dependency and government, offering “seemingly” a smothered and safe life, is a valuable but dying art. It amazes me how so many people celebrate success, ( in sports and entertainment not business), and curse everything in politics, but insist that those same politicians have ownership of us from cradle to grave. Just maybe, you can actually do that job better than they can.

The teamwork of America as a nation, with friends and families working as units, helped make this nation great, but in the end, it was rugged individualism that built America, one brick at a time. We are in the process of blowing up what was created. We are doing that because not everybody is capable of attaining the same level of success. The naysayers to America want equal failure among everybody, rather than success for those who can attain it. When everything is owned by the government, and there are no decisions left for you, there will still be the haves (ranking government employees and their families), and the have not’s (the rest of the nation). The difference is, there will be no avenue for you to reach the American Dream, because it will have died.  Freedom allows for people to reach for whatever they desire. It does not guarantee your success.  Success would be hollow indeed, it there was no risk of failure.

One former president stated something to the effect, government doesn’t solve the problem, it is the problem.

God Bless,                                                                                                                                                 Wayne