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O Be Careful Little Hands What You Type!
There’s an industry in the job market that is growing. It is the position of Data Mining. What’s Data Mining? It is people sitting at their computers and looking for information. They are looking for information about you and what you are doing. These are not people who are trying to steal your identity or your banking information. In fact, they are not stealing anything. They are just looking at the information you are giving all of us.
Why this segment of the job market is growing is because corporations, banks and colleges are hiring these Data Miners to look for information about you. And the main place they are looking is in the social network sites.
They look at what you are writing about yourself and about your activities. They are looking at what you write about your current employer and your friends.
Some of this information is compared to statistical data to determine if you are a good candidate for a loan or a job. One example I found was this: you write how good friends of yours got a divorce. Statistics show that if your friends get a divorce, you are more at risk of getting one. If you get divorced, then you’re more likely to default on a loan. Therefore a bank might scrutinize your application more thoroughly than it would have.
However, many companies and schools are looking at your character. Does this person complain frequently? Are they critical of co-workers or other people? Does this person give out too much information about their employer, their friends? Is this person negative? Would what this person does after work impact their work habits? Would this person’s lifestyle reflect poorly on this company or school?
Basically, it comes down to this: what we say (or type) does matter. What you type does reflect who you are.
The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking;
the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.
Proverbs 15:28 (NLT)
Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,
but fools are consumed by their own lips.
Ecclesiastes 10:12 (NIV)
Standing for What’s Right
Image via Wikipedia
Martin Niemoeller, a World War I hero in Germany, was imprisoned for eight years by Hitler. He spent time in prisons and concentration camps, including Dachau. Hitler realized if Niemoeller could be persuaded to join his cause then much of his opposition would collapse, so he sent a former friend of Niemoeller’s to visit him, a friend who supported the Nazis.
Seeing Niemoeller in his cell, the onetime friend said, “Martin, Martin! Why are you here?”
Niemoeller replied, “My friend! Why are you not here?”
As we approach Memorial Day, let us remember those who stood for what was right. Let us remember those who were willing to undergo hardship and suffering and even death, so that right would triumph over wrong and evil. Let us remember those men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we might enjoy the freedom we have.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.” We must remember that everything we enjoy in this life was provided by someone’s blood.
Many shed their blood so that we might live in this great country and enjoy the freedom it provides. Many have died to keep that freedom strong. We must remember that though our freedom is ours to enjoy, it was purchased at a great cost. It was purchased by the blood of the patriots who envisioned something far greater than themselves.
Let us also remember that our freedom as God’s people was purchased by the blood of Christ. The freedom from our sin and shame was bought with great sacrifice and with much suffering.
So, whether it is the freedom of our great country or the freedom of souls, let us give thanks for those who sacrificed their all.
HE’S THE ONE!
The judge glared down from his bench at the prospective juror. “And just why it is,” he asked, “that you don’t want to serve on this jury?”
The man replied, “Well, judge, I’m biased. One look at that man convinced me that he is guilty.”
The judge scowled and replied, “That man is not the defendant, he’s the District Attorney.”
Did you know that the same sort of situation happened to Jesus? He had every right to be the prosecuting attorney, but He chose to be the defendant. The one who had no sin had every right to point our transgressions out. He could have convicted us of all of our failures and disobedient actions, but instead He chose to take them upon Himself and bear the guilt and shame that were really ours.
During this time of Lent, when we think about Jesus’ death upon the cross, we need to remember that He died for OUR sins. He took OUR place and He died OUR death.
I am glad that we have such a God who would give us such a Savior.
Don’t Forget What You’re Doing
A certain man was not much of a handyman, but he decided to save some money by changing the oil in his car himself. He prepared very carefully. He went to the store and bought a pair of vehicle ramps to drive his car up on. He bought a “creeper” so he could roll under his car easily. He also bought a special flat oil pan, a super special drip free, oil can spout, a special oil filter wrench and the oil filter. He took all of his stuff and headed home. He drove the car up on the ramps. Got on his creeper and rolled under the car where he took out the oil plug and drained the oil in the special flat oil pan. He unscrewed the oil filter with the special oil filter wrench and replaced it with the new filter. Grabbed the special drip free oil can spout and realized that he had forgotten to buy any oil. No problem, the store wasn’t that far away. So, he jumped in the car, backed it off the ramps and drove to the Store. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it. Cars don’t run very well without oil. Now along with everything else he bought, he had to pay for an overhaul.
He had everything right, except he forgot the part of an oil change, but tried to go on as if it didn’t matter.
I know a lot people who treat Christmas the same way. They have all the right decorations. They trim their tree beautifully. They spend too much money on all their gifts. But when Christmas comes, they still feel empty.
Perhaps they need to remember the main reason for Christ is Jesus. Without Him, everything else is just trimming. Without Him, everything else is pointless.
All the extras take their meaning, their purpose from Him.
So don’t forget what you are doing this Christmas season. Don’t forget Jesus. He’s the one that makes everything else work.
The Mystery of the Incarnation
An elephant was thoroughly enjoying himself as he splashed about in the river. A mouse was perched on the sandy shore. It was obvious that he was disturbed about something.
The mouse yelled at the elephant, “Come out of the water at once.”
The elephant laughed and said, “Why should I come out?”
The mouse was not about to be humiliated by this mountain of flesh. He kept yelling and yelling.
The elephant realized that if he wanted any peace and quiet he had better come out of the water. Slowly the elephant lumbered out of the water and stood towering over the mouse. “Now, why did you want me to come out of the water?”
The mouse looked up and said, “I wanted to see if you were wearing my bathing suit.”
I love this story. My wife gives me that “Remind me why I married you” look whenever I tell it. But this story, because it is absurd, reminds me of just how absurd it is that God could fit into human flesh. I think it would be far easier and more easily understood for an elephant to fit into a mouse’s bathing suit.
But that is the mystery of the incarnation. God did become flesh and dwell among us. He wrapped our sinful wounded flesh around the body that the universe cannot contain and became a baby. The all powerful, nothing-is-impossible God became the most vulnerable helpless creature on the face of the earth.
And He did it just for me … and you.
How He did it, I cannot comprehend. Why He did it, escapes me. But that He did it, amazes me. And though I cannot figure it out, though it is easier for me to believe that an elephant can wear a mouse’s bathing suit, I am thankful He did.
“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. ” (John 1:14, The Message)
Accept No Substitute
In Nome, Alaska, teachers receive the same professional journals and publications as teachers in other states. But the situations they face are quite different from all the other states.
A fourth-grade teacher, a newcomer to Alaska, had just received her latest curriculum resource and was discussing with the class the suggestions for a Christmas pageant. The instruction manual read: “For the children playing Santa’s reindeer, there should be brown outfits, and passable reindeer horns could be made of bare branches, trimmed to the proper shapes and painted.”
She looked out at the barren, treeless, snow-covered landscape. “Well, children,” she sighed, “I guess we’ll have to do something else. We can’t make horns of branches because there isn’t a tree for miles.”
The children looked disappointed. Then one little boy spoke up, “We haven’t any trees, teacher,” he said. “But we do have lots of reindeer horns.”
Sometimes we have to improvise. Our shepherds wear bathrobes. We make camels out of cardboard. But sometimes we substitute so much that we overlook the real thing.
We adults do a good job of substituting as well. We are so caught up in the festivities that we have forgotten the real message of Christmas. We have let Santa Claus and bright lights and packages take the place of the Christ Child and His message of salvation and hope.
This Christmas, let’s not substitute any longer. We will still have joy and happiness, but it will come from having Christ in our hearts and not tree branches on our heads.
What I Want For Christmas
Since Advent starts this Sunday, I have been thinking about what I want for Christmas and I have come up with a few things. Here they are:
1. A Christmas letter from someone who’s children are average.
2. To be able to find the scissors and tape when I need them.
3. That when I order online, that they would tell me if they are out of stock before I type in all the address and payment information.
4. An express checkout line that actually is express.
5. To spend more time shopping and less time looking for a parking place.
6. To see a lot less hype and a lot more love.
7. To see Santa less and Christ more.
8. To spend more time enjoying my friends and family.
9. To spend more time thinking about how much God loves me and that He sent His Son so I would know it.
10. That each of you would have a very holy and blessed Christmas season.
I hope I get what I want for Christmas.
Something You Should Know Before You Speak
The Slidell Sentry-News, reported in their January 25, 1998 issue of a man in Holyoke, Massachusetts that was arrested on an old charge of driving without a license. He used his one phone call from the police station to give a friend a detailed description of how to find a stash of crack cocaine he had hidden in an alley.
Police Sgt. George Girard said Hipolito Vega spoke in Spanish, apparently not realizing that every word he said was understood by the booking officer, Manuel Rivera.
Officers got to the alley first and found a sandwich bag with six bundles of crack cocaine “rocks,” just where Vega said he had put it before he was captured. Vega, 30, was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Imagine how shocked Mr. Vega was when he realized that not only were his words heard but understood. He thought no one would understand and therefore, he was safe concerning his actions. In reality, however, he wasn’t too bright.
In reality, we are not always very smart either. We think we get away with a lot as well. We cast thoughtless words around as if no one matters. We gossip about others as if they were objects we can dispose of like worn out clothing. We text and Facebook as if people were no better than animals. We speak too often and think not often enough. Then we are shocked if anyone is hurt or offended.
This week, act and speak as if God can hear and understand what you’re saying. Besides, after all He can.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. — Psalm 139:4 (NIV)
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