Rules

Last night the wife took the dog for a walk, as she walked out the door I reminded her to take a knife. She said it's still daylight, I kindly reminded her of rule #2. They of course fall after the teachings of Christ and the "Big Ten".

Now failure happens and rules get broken, no doubt. But a man should have his own rules in life that should be followed by him. Why? See rule #25 for the answer.

1. Love God.
2. Always have a knife.
3. Don't put your hands on anyone, require the same from everyone else.
4. Don't allow yourself to be wronged or insulted.
5. Everyone lies.
6. Watch the hands, hands kill.
7. If it's not yours don't take it.
8. Pockets are to be used to assist you in life.
9. All guns are loaded.
10. It is better to seek forgiveness than ask permission.
11. Keep your word.
12. Keep an eye on the door.
13. Have a plan.
14. Never apologize if you aren't wrong or for doing the job right.
    
15. Don't mess with the coffee.
16. It is better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you are not.
17. Have a second plan
    
18. Have a way to make fire.
19. Never bother a Holyman unneccessarily.
20. Don't bother the driver, he is driving.
21. If you aren't willing to lead, don't bitch about being led.
22. Cigars are acceptable. Cigarrettes are not.
23. Make love to your wife atleast once a week. A loved wife is a happy wife.
24. Work.
25. Make it home.
    

Purifier of Silver

Though she's been an incredibly easy target for the media and late night talk show hosts the last several weeks, there is something truly heart breaking yet, I hope, redemptive and most of all telling in Britney's lack of locks.

Perhaps the saddest of all things is how society immediately re-classifies her as now being "unstable" because she cut her own hair off, to the point that when she went into the Salon the stylist refused to do it. Maybe the refusal seems smart, but there was a very much missed premise there. Britney Spears, the multi-million dollar, pop princess was not free to make her own choice about her image. Had she, when pregnant decided to have an abortion claiming it was holding her back from the life she wanted, she would have been hailed by feminist the world over for living her life her way and not being held to societies standard. Cut your own hair off and you need rehab, or is it re-education.

Stick with me here.

I'm not saying she's not in some sort of trouble with chemical dependency and that she doesn't need help. However when photographed by the paparazzi spreading her legs in a car sans panties it was lewd, but somewhat acceptable in the back of the worlds mind, as if to say "well of course a pop star going clubbing wouldn't wear anything, she's a sex icon in some respect". By showing the world her last bit of privacy, the world could own her and exploit her. Ironically enough if you've seen the photos you would have noticed that the following shots are of Paris Hilton reaching over from the drivers seat and closing her legs for her. Paris Hilton of all people who has gratuitously flashed herself to the world on more than one occasion, and grinned while doing it saw it for what it was. Wrong. Wrong to be taken advantage of just because the opprotunity was there.If she herself was so comfortable with flaunting the female body, why take charge to covering Britney.

I'm coming to my bigger point here. Whether she realized it or not the perceived cry out for help by shaving her head, wasn't necessarily about drugs, but about a need to be reborn and to start again. And some times in order to start over you have to go through fire. Malachi 3:3 says this "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver". Silver in its raw form is full of impurities and in order to be made pure a silversmith must hold the silver over fire to burn off anything that isn't silver.

What Britney is finding out is that all the money, the fame, the attention has in fact left her not empty but wandering and searching. Searching for something that is unmovable, and unconditional. Britney Spears is looking for something to make her whole, she is looking for a Savior, she is earnestly and unknowingly looking for Christ. Roll your eyes is you want, but it is more than true. She has repeatedly tried to live up and for the standard of a fallen world only to find that it changes with each passing moment. Keep a wholesome appearance and she lacks "sex appeal" and only twelve year old girls will buy records, get implants go clubbing, make out with Madonna, do some drugs, and your and icon and a sex goddess....for a while. What you were doing that was "cool, crazy, and sexy" two years ago will read in the headlines as "Britney's in trouble.....all night partying, drugs, leads to breakdown". That's funny ten minutes (read: six months) ago it was a good time.

People, minds, perceptions they all change, and with that so do man made standards and truths. God however does not, He is in fact the only constant in this life.

I part with this:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable are you than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" Luke 12:22-26