Lost Sheep: Isaiah 58 and Caring for the Flock

 

Restore the Breach Part 2

Everyone loses their way at some point. 

From successful companies to close relationships and even nation states, laziness sets in and selfishness takes over. Depending on how long it goes, disaster is around the corner without a serious recommitment to principle. The Old Testament is full of examples of people that disobeyed God’s direction. A remnant remains of those who value the law of Moses and live by its codes. Prophets are sent to remind the people of their first love and put aside their selfishness for the sake of the next generation. Isaiah writes the last half of the book as a promise to the people of Judah. It’s a message from God, of prosperity and health if they start to value the things He values once again.   

American Morality

Judah's complains to God, why haven't you heard us? God answers, "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exploit all your laborers, indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness." (verse 3-4) The short version is that they lost their way. Their religious ceremony's are empty. The relationship is damaged.

I can’t read chapter 58 without seeing a strong parallel to the United States. Church attendance has dropped off significantly and many Christians don’t even consider serving regularly important. Nevermind the ones with no relationship to organized religion. Church attendance is only one measure of a society’s connection to faith anyway. The morality of its government (don’t laugh) and school system are also a measure. Does the innovation benefit mankind or just make people at the top wealthy? What activities do we encourage and what do we restrict? How do we deal with crime, punishment, addiction and war?

These are off the top of my head. I’m sure there are better metrics to pull from. But it shouldn’t surprise anyone that we’ve failed miserably. We’ve become consumed with our own interests to care for each other spiritually. How do I know this? Because our ceremonies are like the people of Judah. There is no heart in our ritual. We go through the motions but our energy is focused on selfish pursuits. It’s why we don’t see dramatic spiritual breakthroughs.

American Ceremony

Our world is filled with ceremonies that are void of meaning and memorials that don’t memorialize anything or anyone. American life is full of holidays, both religious and secular, that have only the scantest connection to the original meaning. A few years ago I wrote a silly piece about Monday holidays. My curmudgeon gifts are strong. We want the 3 day weekend but don’t want to memorialize the person or event. The quickest way to ignore a holiday's importance is to schedule it on a Monday. Before long, the significance of the day is overwhelmed by half-off furniture sales and 3-day weekends.

It shouldn’t surprise us that communist radicals desecrate statues, religious and secular, supposedly to make us angry. But we can’t get upset about statues and memorials we never bothered to make important. 

American Decay

In Isaiah’s day we see a population of people going through the motions of religious ceremony but ignoring the value of them. This is common in wealthy societies that have had money for generations. One generation works hard to create wealth and leave it for their offspring. The following generation grows it and begins to drift away from the values of their parents. The third generation has almost no connection to the first and seeks pleasure first. It’s not exactly like this in every society but human nature is the same across all cultures. Money and security eventually lead to decadence when unchecked by spiritual grounding in deeper meaning.

Isaiah writes to a people who observe the fast and the Sabbath without letting it change them. They’ve inverted the value of the ceremonies and put their self-interests’ ahead of God’. It’s the same with the sacraments. We take communion in church to remember the body and blood of Christ. Paul warns us not to treat such a solemn day with disrespect. Don’t “…eat and drink in an unworthy manner” or risk being judged by God. (I Corinthians 11:29) Just as in Isaiah, God warns His people to take seriously what He takes seriously. The message is the same, examine your hearts and hold them up to the standard of righteousness.

The fast isn’t the problem, neither is ceremony or memorial. Making and money and pursuing generational wealth isn’t wrong either. The problem for us, like in Isaiah’s time, is that we’ve hollowed out these days to be nothing more than marks on the calendar. Our commitment isn’t to each other. We’re used to good times, but there is a strong correlation between taking care of those around us and seeing God’s favor in our world. It’s why Isaiah says if you “extend your soul to the hungry” and focus on the next generation, you’ll be called the “Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” (verse 12)

Conclusion

God is always looking to bring us back into alignment with His principles. In Isaiah’s day it was the prophet with a word from the Lord. After Christ we had a new covenant and a grace covering for sin. But God’s primary call to take care of each other hasn’t changed. That’s also where real spiritual growth happens. When we reorder our society along Godly principles we see His favor in our world. And best of all, we get to be a part of the restoration project. We're in serious need of repair.

Lessons on Lawn Care, Progress and Learning from Mistakes

 

We Care for Lawn Care--somewhat

Mowing the grass is cathartic. I’ve said this before. Yard work is a theme that comes up regularly. It’s not a primary feature of my writing but it’s a recurring topic that resonates with me. Running and fitness are far more common themes on my page. I can humble brad about how I just don’t know if 30 miles a week is enough. Or how my weightlifting schedule has gotten progressively more detailed, despite my frequent missed days. There’s a risk of being 'braggy' when talking about success.

Lawn mowing wins aren’t really a thing. But as this blog concerns my life, lessons come from everywhere.  

To Seed or Not To Seed

At a certain point lawn mowing gets to be a pain in the ass. By September I’m usually sick of it. Last year I planted new seed in two bare spots and ran the sprinkler for around 3 weeks, for at least an hour a day. The hot summer takes its toll on a yard despite a much thicker, greener display. I figured a few things out over the years regarding grass. Paying Tru Green to come out 6 times a year is much more effective. But it’s also really expensive for a lawn this size. Can I make do with seed, water and the occasional weed killer? Yes of course. I have the time and I need the challenge. Oklahoma soil is sandy and nutrient deprived. You can lower your expectations here or you can spend more time caring for the land. I split the difference, lowered expectations and half the time.

Time is Not on My Side

Even on a light schedule, a decent lawn requires effort. You won’t see progress without some weekly maintenance. It’s why the best thing for your lawn is a mower. That probably sounds silly, but if you’re consistent the weeds won’t become a problem. It’s the cleanest, cheapest solution to keeping crab grass to a minimum. Otherwise, you’ll have to cover it with weed killer multiple times a year, a temporary fix at best. I just emptied a bottle of crab grass poison on my largest section. It will probably keep it from spreading for a month. Long term the only way to get rid of it is by digging it out and replacing it with new seed. New seed takes a lot of water. With prices going higher on everything I’m not excited to spend extra money on grass, an obvious luxury expense.

I’ll keep my improvements here and there until the weed control is dialed in enough to dump feed down a few times a year. That grass feed works well on existing turf. The hope is to thicken up the good grass and force it to spread out and overtake the rough, weedy parts. I’m much closer than I was.

Digging To China

One possible reason lawn care is cathartic, is that I can see the progress where there was only struggle before. It’s a low-level creativity that anyone with just a little effort can achieve. I’m describing not just mowing but the whole yard experience from landscaped areas to flowers, planters and grass. I covered a shallow tree root with a pile of dirt a few years ago and sectioned it off with some old landscaping timbers. The plants haven’t come around strong yet. The dirt is too shallow for a much of it. That’s my guess right now since nothing is working well. I might have better luck with ground cover and prairie grasses. It takes a few years to get it right.

That planter is a microcosm of my whole lawn care history at this house. At first I didn’t put in the effort. I mowed the lawn but beyond that, there were weeds and vines all over the back fence. They grew too high and started interfering with the electric lines that separate my house from my neighbor’s. By the end of the July you couldn’t see beyond the fence into the neighbor’s yard. Eventually I’d tear out the overgrowth and clean up the excess, a herculean effort that I did multiple years. The city came out and cut everything over 15 feet high. That helped me keep the growth to a minimum.

It looked a little less crowded season after season. One year I finally went in with a shovel and started digging out roots before they could overwhelm the fence and the garage. Now I take the mower back there like nothing ever existed. I got serious about keeping that spot clean when I replaced the roof on my garage. It would’ve been impossible to do the work needed on the garage without serious digging along the fence side first.

Conclusion

 Anytime I get discouraged about the yard, I remember how bad it looked when I moved in. I’ve planted countless bulbs, ground cover, evergreens and perennials that only lasted a season. But much of it grew and thrived. A little at a time, the effort starts to pay off and the progress becomes apparent. Lawn care’s catharsis comes from past success and knowing that more is possible.

Work Ethic and Writing: Advice From Pros

 Improving Work Ethic One Rule At a Time

Sometimes the best way to improve is to take advice from someone else. In this case, I found a blog with some advice for efficiency in work ethic. Could you come up with a different list or add a few additional rules to this one? Probably, but it’s a place to start. It’s also a way to get you thinking about where your weak points are.

You can apply this to any area of life where work is common. It doesn’t have to be your 9 to 5 job. Lately my own work ethic has slipped a little bit on the writing front. It’s only ever been a hobby for me. But it’s increased in importance as my skill has improved. I decided to take the rules from the blog and add my own commentary. It’s an exercise in thinking through what works and what doesn’t on the creative side.

Here is 1-8.

Stop Being Annoyed by Little Frustrations.

Content is one such frustration. Too many times I’ve pushed off writing because I didn’t have anything on my mind to complain about or praise. Really it’s a just an excuse to watch YouTube clips and refresh Telegram every 5 minutes. It’s a frustration in hindsight because the content wasn’t clearly laid out in my head and I had to work for it. But it’s a frustration I’m familiar with, having done this kind of writing for years now.

Build Mental Stamina

I take mental stamina in writing to mean, stick with that conspiracy you imagined where the Department of Agriculture has a department responsible for organ harvesting. It might be a silly diversion but it gets the parts of your brain working that are needed to fill in the gaps on complex ideas. Or, teach yourself to hang in there with an idea longer than normal. If you write for 2 hours at a time, stretch it for an additional 30 minutes. Your brain gets used to thinking deeply for as long as you can force it. Ignore the siren calls to stop early for cookies or Doritos.

Get to Work Before Your Mind Makes Excuses

Excuse making is poisonous in any venture. It's especially easy to make excuses after a full day of work. Writing is a hobby for me and as such doesn't pay. There is a labor of love aspect to it or I wouldn't bother. But even though I love it, starting is tough. I need discipline to get moving. Once I open a Word document and punch in a few sentences, my focus sharpens considerably. It’s like I’ve flipped a switch and am suddenly in writing mode. I’m less likely to look for excuses once the creative side of my brain is activated. Best advice, begin.

Think of Work as Something You ‘Do,’ Not as Something You ‘Get Done’

At first glance this would seem to only apply to money making ventures, but it’s more fundamental than that. Writing is work without the salary. Hopefully one day I'll get paid, but for now it’s a hobby and I’m hoping to change that. What better way then, to assume the position of a writer in control of his craft? When I make the association with myself and my hoped-for position, it becomes the thing I do. I’m a writer. It’s not just mental gymnastics and positive thinking. It’s a necessary kind of accountability for making the next leap from hobby to career.  

Resolve Not to Give in to Distraction

Some people are more limited with their time. As such, they’ve trained themselves to be efficient with less time. As a single man, I’ve got more time than most. Even with more time however, distractions are rampant for everyone. Social media is the biggest one. Whether Facebook or rogerebert.com, each of us has a unique talent to squander free time with silly distractions. If you’re prone to scrolling endlessly and clicking on every Tik Tok video in the feed I’d recommend not even starting. I tend to listen to long form podcasts like the Joe Rogan Experience during dinner. It’s a small miracle when I can hit pause and shift gears into something more creative. But the statement above is more direct, “Resolve”. It’s an exercise in will power.

Connect your Work Toward a Larger Goal of What You Want to Become

Daydreams won’t you get you very far. The first thing you have to have is a substantial body of work. This is probably the most important thing in any creative career. No one gets a record contract from a mediocre single. In order to get great you have to build on subpar. That probably seems obvious, but even talent needs to be refined. Becoming a writer is the larger goal I’m shooting for but the vision is a little murky. How does writing a blog every week get me there? I’m not sure exactly but I’m learning how to convey my ideas, edit and work under timelines.

Develop a Mentality of Persistence and Enthusiasm

Both persistence and enthusiasm are a tough ask in a job that exists for a temporary paycheck. Writing isn’t exactly like that. It’s a skill that gives me a sense of completion like nothing else in life. But even so, laziness persists. The most effective way around the mountain is right through it. For me at least, persistence can become a superpower when I make it a habit. Earlier I mentioned adding 30 minutes to whatever regular time you spend writing. If you persist frequently enough the enthusiasm will follow. Good habits are like that.  

Settle Into a Relaxed, Focused State of Effort

This sounds to me like finding a groove. Grooves are familiar patterns of excellence that you eventually fall into when you’ve done the prep work. I can get into a writing groove after the research is done and the ideas start to form in my head. It’s the opposite of grinding out 700 words on a deadline. It’s fluid and easy, but it only happens after writing warm ups. It’s a lot like taking 50 jump shots before a basketball game to get the right feel. Grooves are more likely when you follow rules 1-7.

Conclusion

Most of these rules fit into a kind of efficiency box. Individually they’re good advice, together they help to improve our skill by a considerable degree. I’ll add one final thought. Efficiency is something that improves exponentially. You don’t keep the same routine for 20 years and become great. Routines get more efficient too. When I started writing I made it a goal to write something, anything really, once a month. After a year it became 3 to 4 times per month and eventually once a week. Soon I was writing at least 500 words a day, 4 days a week. I’ve had a lot of setbacks, but overall I’ve increased my work load.

The details are different for each person and for each discipline. The overall goal is to find a list and start checking off some boxes. Chances are you already know your weaknesses.

 

 

Novel Legal Theories in Trump's Persecution

 

Instructions from the White House to NY: "Get Trump"

The sideshow case in New York City is over for now. Trump is officially a felon.

 Without getting into the weeds of the case, the juries found him guilty…of something. It’s a convoluted case and I’m not sure I could explain it effectively. But it sounds like the New York Attorney’s General tried to show a “conspiracy” to commit a crime. The crime being the payment to Stormy Daniels, via Michael Cohen, to not talk about her and DJT’s alleged affair. Why is that a crime? Supposedly it’s a violation of campaign finance laws to list the payoff as “personal”. But the former president was never charged for violating campaign finance laws, back before the statue of limitations ran out.

Campaign Finance

The former head of the FEC (Federal Election Commission) Brad Smith has written in multiple places that no violation occurred. Campaign finance law has easy to understand rules in place.

“Would the money have been spent, whether the campaign existed or not?” is a baseline question. Only items related to the campaign (travel, equipment) count. Legal fees not related to the campaign are “personal” which is how Trump’s bookkeeper wrote them.

Smith was supposed to be an expert witness for the defense. But the vile, corrupt judge Merchan would’ve so limited the testimony that Trump’s team decided not to call him.

Effectively, Brad Smith would get to explain terms to the jury and not expound on them. Why wasn’t Trump charged for violating these federal campaign laws before? Because there is no crime, and any attempt to show criminality requires twisting yourself into a pretzel.

Novelties

A few of these blogs I’ve read said that Bragg is using a “novel” legal theory by linking Trump’s payments to Michael Cohen (a non-crime) to a larger “conspiracy” to affect an election. You should read “novel” as “bullshit”. It’s a nakedly political move to piece together a thin, legal theory and fill it with sound and fury.

If there is a silver lining it’s this, ordinary Americans can see how transparently corrupt it all is. And by extension they can see how the judicial system can be used to go after them. It’s a clear message from the deep state, stay in your lane or we’ll run you through the system. It’s called lawfare. It’s using the courts as a weapon, one that bleeds your energy and finances. Even if you win your case the expense and time committed to clearing your reputation will wear you out.

The Colorado cake baker, Jack Phillips was sued twice on religious grounds for refusing service. The first incident was for a gay couple. The second, a transgender (male to female) who wanted a cake celebrating his mental disability. Jack won the first case and lost the second.

But wins and losses are beside the point when the court costs start to add up. You’re not in the business of business anymore when the legal wrangling starts. After years of motions, appeals and requests, most people want to avoid a courthouse like a class on novel legal theories. Sadly, the hospital is where a lot end up. The pettiness inherent in lawfare is the point. The vicious and well-funded opposition forces have money and time on their side. Don’t tell me you think a transgender walked into Jack’s cake shop randomly. It’s warfare and no one is safe. That’s partly why there is so much attention from American citizens on these Trump cases. We’re smart enough to realize how this whole crooked affair affects the rest of us. We voted for him after all. This lawfare is the deep state’s attempt to invalidate our choice.

Hardball

Elected Republicans need to start playing hard ball at the state level. If you’re a former elected Democrat or a big donor to the DNC, you should be very worried. Attorney’s Generals in red states need to start dragging them through the legal mud on thin charges. Better yet, pick at least 6 or 7 high profile democrats in red states to practice “novel” legal theories on. The charges can be as flimsy as possible since, as a country, we’re beyond the spirit of the law. Make sure the SWAT teams kick in some doors and trash a few offices. Bring the TV crews, create a scene. Talk at press conferences in big hokey terms about how ‘no one is above the law’.

The downside of playing their game is that the White House calls the shots. Federal departments can run roughshod over state governments. This is probably the biggest reason we haven’t seen a tough pushback from Republicans yet.

You won’t win that many cases but you’ll send a message to institutional Democrats that lawfare goes both ways. Republican voters won’t feel alienated by their own party either. They’ll actually feel like their leaders have their interests at heart instead of what we have now. Biden opens the borders, let’s in criminals, tells Americans they’re racists’ and uses his Justice Department to go after parents of school kids. Senator Lankford tries to sell us on a border bill. Thanks for nothing.

Conclusion

Will Republicans take my advice? Probably not, but I’m surprisingly optimistic about the next 10 years in America. I think we have some very dark days ahead in the next 3 to 4 years. Both politically and financially it feels like we’re spent. We’re waiting the for the repo man to take back the truck we haven’t paid on in 4 months. So far we’ve avoided him, but time is getting late. My reason for optimism comes from knowing that every institution in this country needs to be rebuilt. Only God can renew and rebuild a people and set them on a path toward righteousness, but first He has to level the field. He’s the ultimate judge of our souls.