My New Church

I have decided to start my own church. You can't join it...it's mine. You can start your own church, though.

Genesis
It all starts with a firm belief in God, or at least in a higher power that is in control. Life would be really scary if I were to think that I was actually in control. There's just no way. I never would have made it this far in life. There is a God, an energy force if you will, that has created the universe and continues to be in control of things that happen.

The Bible is a great work of literature. It was written a long, long time ago by some people who are dead. It was passed down through many generations. It's been translated into many different languages. It seems to be a reasonable thought that much of what was originally written in The Bible has been lost in translation. But it still works as a road map for living your life, especially the New Testament.

Jesus Christ was a man who traveled the land healing people and doing good works. It seems plausible that he was God in the form of human flesh, and that he rose from the dead and then went to heaven. I don't need proof. I believe it.

Commandments
Don't be a loser. Treat people with respect. Do the right thing. It's so obviously simple. Duh. When you break this commandment, say you're sorry and try to make it right. Learn from your transgressions, and try not to repeat them.

Stewardship
You can't give me any money. My church doesn't accept it. It doesn't cost anything to try to be be a good person, and no amount of money is going to make me a better person. Donate it to the Red Cross.

The Church
I don't need a building. My church is everywhere that I go. God is everywhere I go, so it stands to reason that my church should be everywhere too. I'm in church 24/7.

Prayer
God knows what I'm thinking. He knows how I feel. He knows what I need and what I want. He knows who I feel sorry for and who I'd like him to watch over for me. As soon as it hits my consciousness, he knows. I don't need to stand up in front of people and make a production out of it. What purpose does that serve?

My Creed
I believe in a higher power. I believe that He is ultimately in control, but my life takes shape due to the decisions that I make.

I believe that you should be nice to people and help them out as much as you can.

I believe that no one is perfect, and that we need to atone for our mistakes, and learn from them.

A Surreal Trip

Today I attended a benefit for a young man who was killed in a one-car accident about a month ago. The circumstances surrounding the crash are sketchy, but evidently the young man in question was a passenger in a vehicle that went off the road and hit a tree or rolled over or something like that. It isn't clear as to whether alcohol was involved. Not that it would make any difference. The pain of losing a loved one is neither worsened nor lightened by the presence of alcohol.

There was a band playing at the benefit, which was the true reason for my being there. Ghetto Princess and The White Trash are friends of mine, and I hadn't heard them play for a long time. I always enjoy hearing them play live. The leader of the band is an interesting figure. Moderately tattooed and pierced, she is a bundle of energy and a formidable band leader. Her voice is part Bonnie Raitt and part Bruce Springsteen. She can belt a rocker and pick the lead as well. The bass player gets better every time I hear him. He's just what you'd want a bass player to be: steady, on time, and always there. Just like a girlfriend, only without commitments. His bottom end (sonically speaking) fills out the band's sound. The rhythm guitarist is a kindergarten teacher that drives a motorcycle and wears leather britches. Easy Rider meets Miss Davis from Romper Room. She played a sparkly blue Les Paul, and comfortably bobbed and swayed, taking the occasional vocal lead. New since the last time I saw the band, there was a young gal playing violin. She took her turn at lead vocals on a few songs as well. Very good voice. Anger-driven yet understated. Behind the drum kit sat a tag-team of an experienced bluesman and an autistic cheetah worshiper. The former provided a solid back beat, and the latter proved a worthy conversationalist after the gig. He's certain that he would have done better with fewer drums. I think he did just fine.

There weren't very many people there, so not much money must have been raised. There was a silent auction and a raffle, but not a lot of folks there to generate the kind of cash that is needed to adequately memorialize a lost loved one. I saw people there that I don't normally encounter in my everyday life. Guys with poster-sized tattoos and multiple piercings. I saw one guy with a silver stud through the bridge of his nose. It looked good with the two little braids sticking out of his goatee. I saw a pregnant girl drinking and smoking. I saw little kids running through mud puddles. I didn't see any NASCAR jackets or NFL jerseys.

I hope that the benefit gets the people what they need. I never knew the man who died, but I know that there are a bunch of hard-living, balls-to-the-wall partyers who loved him very much and miss him an awful lot.

Football Season is Coming

Yesterday the Dunn County News had a huge front page spread with pictures of the Menomonie High School football team. Open to page 3 and you can see more pictures. And this was just for an intra-squad scrimmage! Football is king here in Menomonie!

I'm not complaining about that. I avidly support the team. I'm one of those guys that gets to the games and hour early to make sure that my favorite seat is still available. I have a Menomonie Football hooded sweatshirt that I proudly wear to all of the games. I take it as hard as anyone when the home team loses (which, to be honest, doesn't happen very often!)

My youngest son has now been officially inducted in to the Menomonie Football Program. He'll be a freshman in the fall, and football practices are in full-swing. He'd like to be the quarterback, and I really hope he gets the chance to show what he can do.

I haven't been following the Packers' pre-season very carefully. My dish doesn't get me the local channels...I get the networks out of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Hence, I get more Vikings coverage than I can tolerate. At least I'll get to watch the two Packer games when they play the Vikings!

First Blog

Actually, not my first blog. I have had other blogs before, but I never kept up with them because nobody was reading it. Then I realized that I don't have to write for someone else to read, I can write for myself. Even if I'm the only one who ever reads my blog, it's worth doing. It'll be fun to look back at what I've written and and remember what was going through my head. Sometimes it might be helpful when I'm trying to remember stuff. In fact, if I ever go Alzheimer's...all I have to do is look back here and it will help me remember who I am.

But...who am I?