Category Tail Feathers

Bits and bytes of randomness found along the flyways of cyberdom

Acts of Treason

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

“A nation can survive its fools and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable for he is known and carries his banners openly. But the traitor moves among those within the gates freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself … for the traitor appears to be no traitor: He speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their faces and their garments; he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the souls of all men. He rots the soul of a nation; he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city; he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is to be less feared.” — Cicero

Do You Have a Back-up?

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

clip_image002_thumb.jpgA View from the Nest
Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor
Insight from the Journey across the Sky

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5,6

My work requires me to travel throughout Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. It is important that I get to my destinations on time every time. Therefore I invested in a GPS navigation system that I can take with me each day to make sure that I arrive on time. It has been over two years since I purchased this unit and it has pointed me in the right direction every time I called upon it. That was until this past Saturday.

Now to be fair I can not blame the unit for failing because it was working fine until the battery went dead. Even though I had the unit plugged into the cigarette lighter of the truck I was driving, I failed to notice that there was no power coming from that cigarette lighter outlet to keep the battery of the GPS unit charged. I am thankful that the battery lasted long enough to get me to my first destination at which time the CHARGE light came on and the unit shut down.

What was I going to do? How was I going to navigate from the first stop to the next stop? I had a general idea how to get to where I needed to go but I was not sure of the direction I was traveling and how to get from the first stop to the proper highway to head to the second. I had never been to the second location before so I was not sure I was going to be able to find the location without help from a map or the GPS unit which I have totally relied upon for two years.

It is amazing how dependent we become upon technology. The convenience these gadgets bring to our lives are both a blessing and a curse. I have never been known to be one who can not find my way around and it is difficult to get me lost but I have been lost on more than one occasion. It is not a problem if I am not pressed for time or being relied upon to be somewhere at a particular time and others are waiting on me. If I have all day to get somewhere then it is not as imperative that I stay on course.

Well I had to come up with a solution to my DEAD battery dilemma. It just so happened that I had another piece of technology with me on that trip, my cell phone. Being a SPRINT subscriber I had access to SPRINT NAVIGATION and I was happy to find out it worked. In fact it worked great. I was not sure it was going to work because I had all data and extra services deactivated on the phone because I only wanted it for making and receiving calls. My first thought was to call customer service and have the SPRINT navigation service activated so that I could use it to get to my second location. I called the customer service center only to find out it did not open until an hour past the time I needed to arrive at my next destination.

I simply prayed and tried the Sprint Navigation application that I had downloaded onto the phone 2 years prior and was pleasantly surprised to find it still worked. I programmed the unit for the address I needed to get to and it took me right to the location with little or no problems.

I was relieved to have had this back-up option. I really did not know what I would have done had I not had this option. This got me to thinking about other electronic devices that I own. Most I can live without’ but some I use regularly and would find life a little less convenient if they quit working. One of those devices is my computer. The computer has become such a huge part of my life and my work that it would be difficult to function without it. I use it to keep a journal, I use it for daily devotional work and study, I use it to compose letters and articles as well as maintaining this blog and others. I use it heavily for church work. And because I have used it so much I am always mindful of the need to back up often. It is only a matter of time before the computer will crash and data will be lost. If you do not maintain a backup of your work you are going to loose it.

When it comes to electronics it is wise to have a backup because all these gadgets will fail at one time or another as my GPS adventure demonstrated. Because I have been through computer crashes and dead cell phones I have learned how to deal with the eventuality of a malfunction. I have several copies of my most important files backed up and stored in several places. So far I have been able to recover from all major computer crashes without much difficulty. Although everyone who has ever had to undergo a restore knows it is not painless.

Having a backup plan for my GPS problem and having backup files for computer malfunctions is wise especially if those electronic devices are important in your day to day activities.

But what about your day to day life? Do you have an alternate plan for the times when things just do not go as you hoped or planned? I mean what do you do when you are faced with a loss? What do you do when you find yourself in a situation that you do not know how to handle? What do you do when you find yourself in a place that is uncomfortable and unfamiliar? What do you do when you find yourself at a loss for an answer to a problem, or faced with a life threatening circumstance? Do you have an emergency back up plan? What would you do? Who would you call? Where would you go for assistance?

In the world of electronics having a backup is not difficult. It certainly does require some forethought and will probably cost you some out of pocket expense but in the long run the little it costs is priceless to the piece of mind a back up plan provides.

When it comes to the matters of life however I fear that many people fail to plan for the eventuality of an unexpected disaster. They do not have a backup plan. They have no alternative to whatever life throws at them. Many live lives of quiet desperation, toughening it out without much hope of a solid solution. Apart from faith in God the world can be a heartless, cruel place. There are not many DO OVERS permitted in real life. IN fact most of us only get one chance to get it right.

There is hope however, there is a backup plan. There is a restore button you can press to get back up and running when life throws you a curve ball. There is a place you can go to get direction and navigational tips to get you back on course. That place is found in the LORD JESUS CHRIST. His word can provide comfort, hope, solace, joy, direction, instruction for daily living and even a do over when you find yourself gone astray. God’s love and forgiveness can restore a life that has crashed. His Holy Spirit can restore the broken hearted. God’s goodness can make up for life’s cruelties. He is life’s reset button.

However it is wise to not abuse God’s mercy by continuing to live recklessly. But if life throws you a curve ball and things seems to be spinning out of control, remember that He is as close as the whisper of His name.

Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord (Jesus) shall be saved, restored, and set on the right path once again. Thank God for back-ups! Thank God for a navigational tool that never fails however it does require to be recharged from time to time. By praying and reading God’s word you keep God’s internal guidance system running at full power. Failing to plug into the power source daily weakens the navigational power of God’s Holy spirit.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey

clip_image005_thumb.gif

______________________________________________________

Related articles by Zemanta

Orderly Living

Allen Frederick 2 Comments

Orderly Living
“To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.” — Confucius
And in order to set our hearts right we need a heart transplant that only Jesus Christ can give.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalms 51:10 (NKJV)–

60 Minutes

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

clip_image002A View from the Nest

Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor

Insight from the Journey across the Sky

By Allen Scott

I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith. 2 Tim 4:7 (GW)

clip_image00460 Minutes is an American investigative television newsmagazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by long time producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation. It has been among the top-rated TV programs for much of its life, and has garnered numerous awards over the years. It is considered by many to be the preeminent investigative television program in the United States. The autumn of 2008 saw the program’s 40th anniversary, and it currently holds the record for the longest continuously running program of any genre scheduled during American network prime time; it has aired at 7 p.m. Eastern Time Sundays since December 7, 1975 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/60_Minutes

Although 60 Minutes has the reputation of being the longest running news program, on Sunday evening Oct 4th, 60 Minutes was not the only 60 minutes in prime time. The evening featured not one but two 60 minute programs when the Pittsburgh Steelers took on the San Diego Chargers in what proved to be a 60 minute nail biter finish.

If you tuned into the first half of the Steelers Chargers match-up you would have left with the feeling that it was going to be a run away win by the Steelers. However after the first 45 minutes the whole atmosphere of the game changed and the remaining 15 minutes proved to be an intense back and forth fight to the finish.

You do not have to be an investigative reporter to understand that anything can happen on any given Sunday Night in the NFL. And Sunday night Oct 4th proved this truism once again.

Although the Steelers where leading 28-0 through three quarters of play San Diego came to life in the fourth quarter and quickly closed the gap on the Steelers lead. Big Ben and his offensive line could not ride out the clock on this match, they would have to play the whole 60 minutes.

The signature ticking time piece made famous by the 60 minutes news program constantly reminded the audience of how much time remained until the end of the program. An avid 60 minutes fan knows the program is not over until Andy Rooney gives his commentary. And a football fan also knows that the game does not end at the third quarter but when the final seconds tick off the scoreboard.

Casual football watchers may have grown bored with the first half of the Steelers Chargers match-up because it was all one-sided. The Steelers appeared to be running away with the game. The Chargers where unable to stop the Steelers offense.

The game was winding down with three quarters of the game past and the Steelers where holding to a commanding lead. But once the fourth quarter started things began to change. The Chargers quickly racked up touchdown after touchdown, even fielding an on-side kick to add points to the score. The gap was quickly closing as the official time piece was ticking off the final 15:00 minutes of play. The final score was determined within the last 2 minutes of the game’s end, proving once again that a football team has to play a full 60 minutes every Sunday. They can not play half a game or even three quarters of a game. They must play all four quarters.

Many of us schedule our lives by the hour. We set aside hourly blocks for different activities. Usually we set aside at least 60 minutes each Sunday for worship in our respected churches. We schedule lunch hours and business meetings. Much of our lives are ordered around the clock. Each 60 minute segment maps our course and if recorded will show our path and where we have been.

Each Sunday evening, for the last 40 plus years, the news team at 60 Minutes aired their program. And for the last 90 plus years each Sunday evening, the NFL has played 60 minutes of football. Of course it takes almost 3 hours to play those 60 minutes but officially the game only lasts 60 minutes on the official time clock.

Any sports team can attest that the outcome of a game is not determined at the beginning but rather at the end. It is after the last seconds tick off the clock that the final outcome is known. Until the last second there is still

(an opportunity) a chance to change the course of a game. Had the San Diego Chargers decided that after three quarters the game was over they would not have “almost” won the game. Had Pittsburgh decided they only wanted to play for 45 minutes they would have lost the game. The possibility of a Steelers loss loomed large at the start of the last 15 minutes of the game. However, in the end, the Steelers were victorious and the Chargers left town with a lose.

No matter what has happened during your last 60 minutes of life you can still change the outcome. If you are reading this article then the official time clock of your life has not reached the final second. You are still involved in the game of life, and you can still effect the outcome of your life. If things have been going badly for you do not despair, the game is not over. Even if you have been loosing for 3 quarters of your life, there is still the final quarter to play. Never give up, never quit, never lose hope, but keep the faith and fight on, you can still effect the outcome and change the course of your life.

The Chargers charged back during the final 15 minutes of the Sunday night football game and almost came out a winner. Alas it was not to be, but I loved the fact that they never gave up.

Paul wrote to Timothy declaring that he too had fought a hard fight and had kept the faith. He completed the race. He never gave up. There were parts of Paul’s life that were not very victorious, but in the end he could say that he played the whole game. He never quit. He kept at it.

The only losers in life are those who quit living, who quit trying, who give up before the last tick of the time clock. As long as there is breath within you, keep fighting the good fight. Things can change in 60 minutes.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey

clip_image005

Related articles by Zemanta

The Sounds of Autumn

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

image A View from the Nest
Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor
Insight from the Journey across the Sky

51 I’m telling you a mystery. Not all of us will die, but we will all be changed. 52 It will happen in an instant, in a split second at the sound of the last trumpet. Indeed, that trumpet will sound, and then the dead will come back to life. They will be changed so that they can live forever. 53 This body that decays must be changed into a body that cannot decay. This mortal body must be changed into a body that will live forever. 54 When this body that decays is changed into a body that cannot decay, and this mortal body is changed into a body that will live forever, then the teaching of Scripture will come true: "Death is turned into victory! 1 Cor 15:51-54 (GW)

Canada-Goose-Szmurlo.
Image via Wikipedia

The familiar sound of honking geese caught me off guard this evening as I sat outside enjoying the end of summer. This is the last weekend before the official fall season begins. The school buses are already running around town picking up their daily charges and depositing them at their respective institutions of learning. The sounds of autumn are certainly in the air. Although the weather is turning a bit cooler in the evening it has been nice the last couple of weeks for those last minute trips to the seashore or vacations to the mountains. I have yet to get into the mindset that accompanies autumn, I am still in summertime mode. Thus the familiar honking of the southbound geese caught me unaware.

Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking into the future. No matter how hard we try to hang onto those last lazy hazy days of summer, they eventually come to an end. The incessant honking of Canadian geese is a sure sign that summer is past and winter is just around the corner. I enjoyed my summer time and really did not want it to end. To me there is something magical in a warm summer night. But alas those days are now past and the long dark nights of winter are fast approaching. Try as I might I can not extend the length of days, past the times and seasons set by God, I can only endure the long cold winter nights and anticipate once again the sound of honking geese as they return from the warm southern climate to once again grace our northern skies.

To some, the autumn honking of the geese is a welcome sign that the hot days of summer are past to me, however, I much prefer the spring time return of those same honking geese to remind me that the cold dark nights of winter are over.

Much like the sounds of the honking geese indicate the changing of the seasons, so shall the time of the End, be punctuated with the sound of the trumpet blast, indicating that death has now given way to victory, and life has sprung up from the grave. That is probably why I prefer the spring time migratory honks of the geese flying overhead to the autumnal southward trek. The latter reminds me all too well of the fleeting of time towards the darkness of night, while the former brings hope of a brighter tomorrow.

Sound forth the trumpet therefore, so that once and for all time the deadness of wintertime can be swallowed up in the springtime of new life. Until then I shall prepare for the cold long winter while anticipating the soon coming springtime renewal.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey

image