Tuesdays with Morris

Shortly after writing the post, “Consider Sacrifice”, I read an inteview with Lenny Kravitz in the latest issue of Rolling Stone that confirmed my thoughts that the US population needs to seriously consider sacrifice over indulgence. Here’s the exchange between the writer and Kravitz that really grabbed my attention:

Writer: “On ‘Love Love Love’ you sing about living without earthly comforts. I was with you until ‘I don’t need no marijuana’.”

Kravitz: [Laughs] “The song’s not saying you can’t have any of these things but that you can’t live behind these things. You can’t let these things define you. And for me, I don’t need anything except love. The rest of it can come and go. I know a lot of people who are extremely rich, and they’re the most miserable people I’ve ever met. Money can’t buy you inspiration. For me, I’m finding that the less I have, the happier I am.”

Here you have Lenny Kravitz, a fairly successful musician, making the realization that happiness doesn’t lie in the assumption and consumption of material goods. Wouldn’t it be nice to see more in our society possessing this kind of perspective? Kravitz has realized that less is more, that money and goods don’t necessarily equal happiness. I’m glad Kravitz sings “Let love rule” rather than “let the purchasing of unnecessary products rule.”

Am I the only one getting tired of all the talk about recession and the mortgage crisis? Am I the only one that has the thought that maybe there is something more than the mortgage crisis causing the recession? Am I the only one that thinks that instead of pumping money back into the tax payers pocket the government should work on creating more jobs?

Bush and his buddies are wanting to spark the economy with this “refund”, hoping that we will all go out and spend this money. The problem is that many who actually need a break probably won’t qualify or won’t receive enough of a break. And, those who don’t really need the break will get the most benefit.

Whatever happened to asking the population to make sacrifices? Instead of telling us to spend more money, why don’t we stop this awful consumer mindset and ask people to spend less?

Also, it’s hard for me to truly buy into the mortgage crisis. Foreclosures are up…that is a fact. But, why? Unemployment? Probably. Over-spending…living beyond ones means? Most likely. If interest rates are going up and people can’t afford a payment, they need to look at making cutbacks. Do you really need cable or satellite television? Do you really need a cellphone with all the bells and whistles? Do you really need a $50,000 SUV?

Instead of encouraging and therefore promoting the consumer-driven lifestyle, I wish our government would stand up and ask citizens to make a sacrifice. Times are tough and we all need to tighten up a bit.

Oh well, I won’t complain when I get my refund. Maybe I’ll join the masses and go spend it on something I really don’t need instead of applying it towards my house or car payment. Because, after all, mindless spending is my patriotic duty.

So, the other day, I was driving my mothers vehicle and turned on the radio. My mother, being a die-hard, far-right conservative listens to AM radio stations that feature programs by guys named Rush. Every now and then, I like to listen in and see what the other side has to say. I say “the other side” because, unlike my mother, I lean more to the left and try not to vote for Republicans (however, if a candidate came along that I could line up with, I suppose I could…I try to vote for people, not parties).

Anyway, on this program, they were focusing on the faith of Mike Huckabee and how that has played an important role in his being noticed. They spoke of how his faith is an asset to his campaign, as far as the evangelical vote goes. This is the kind of talk you expect on AM radio stations.

However, it got interesting when the gentleman mentioned that people, especially Christians, should be outraged at the way Barack Obama has been treated. His faith has been questioned and trivialized. Though he has publically claimed to be a Christian (he made a recent statement about how he was hurt that some would question his faith in Jesus Christ), there are attacks (especially in the form of e-mails) saying that Obama is a Muslim and cannot be trusted.

And, I believe his faith is being questioned for two reasons…his name and his race. A guy named Barack Obama can be a Christian just as easily as a guy named Jason Morris. A man whose parents may not have been Christians can still be a Christian, like so many in this world. All of this “Obama’s not a Christian” talk is simply political tricks trying to discredit a man of the faith that many sending and forwarding these e-mails share.

Christians questioning another Christians faith…sounds like the Church to me!

Now, there are new e-mails questioning the church Obama attends and their commitment to Africa. Can I just say that many churches have made a commitment to Africa? For instance, look at the United Methodist church and the number of missionaries and schools we support in Africa. Look at the “Nothing But Nets” campaign and so many other programs. Maybe the United Methodist Church isn’t really a Christian denomination because they support Africa.

Of course, that’s ridiculous. And so is questioning the faith of a man that has been fairly vocal about what his faith truly is…

My thought is, if you don’t like a candidate, just don’t vote for them.

I’m currently sitting in the midst of a meeting that should be classified as ineffective. At least two hours of the meeting focused on dealing with one individuals questions concerning a proposal. The main issue for the ineffective nature of this meeting is that the participants are not prepared for the meeting.

A final agenda was not submitted until 4pm the day prior to the meeting. The agenda was not available to participants prior to the meeting. So, all but one or two members came to the meeting totally uneducated to the items to be discussed.

This serves as a great reminder that we need to inform people what we’re doing and trying to accomplish. In keeping people informed, you allow them to be fully prepared to participate and contribute. Information leads to preparation. And, preparation leads to effective and efficient meetings.

As a church, we need to inform people what we’re doing and trying to accomplish in order for our congregation to be prepared. That’s why advanced planning is crucial for churches, boards, and businesses to succeed.

Emily and I are currently in Indy for a convention this weekend. And, we are staying in a pretty nice hotel…a really nice hotel. Almost everything about the experience is incredible…except for one thing.

It seems like “free wi-fi” is almost a given at coffee houses, restaurants, fast food joints, truck stops, and many cheap hotels. However, at this fine hotel, in order to access the internet, one must pay $9.95 per day, per computer. Is it just me or does that seem insane?

I can stay at a Motel 6 for $37.99 a night and get free wi-fi. But, at this expensive hotel, wi-fi comes at a cost.

Of course, I can walk next door and get free wi-fi at a little coffee joint…and that’s nice. But, part of paying big bucks for a hotel is the service and convenience. I will be writing a note to the hotel about my dissatisfaction with the service received. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth…you know what I mean. By the way, I’m not mentioning the name of the hotel chain because I’m not paying for the room and really shouldn’t complain in the first place. But, come on people…this is 2008. Provide free wi-fi for your patrons.

On top of all this, I went to a bookstore that surely would have free wi-fi…only to find out that they charge a $19.95 access fee (of course, you get unlimited access). But, who wants to pay an access fee when you can walk two blocks north and get free access?

Needless to say, I found some “free” wi-fi and have ranted enough.

This evening, I’m planning to take Emily to a nice little tapas joint to enjoy some great Spanish food and wine.