I’m Going with My Gut

“𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 ‘𝑔𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔’ 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛. 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑎 𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑝 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑣𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠.” 𝐷𝑟. 𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑆𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑜

Have you ever had the feeling that something is wrong? I have that feeling right now in my gut. I even feel it in my bones. Am I the only one?

I am told by everybody; the government, the experts, the media, friends and neighbors, and even those close to me, that I’m wrong, that I am overreacting, that I see conspiracies where there are none. But try as I may, I can’t shake this feeling that there’s a whole lot of bullshit going on.

I learned to trust my intuition long ago. I regret every time I ignored it. And I see how it was spot on in the past, even when everyone around me told me I was wrong. I don’t doubt there is a virus, but try as I may, I just can't swallow the official narrative.

Is it just me or does this feel a lot like 911? I remember watching the Twin Towers fall. I was just as horrified as the next guy. But when that other building collapsed that wasn’t struck by any commercial airliner, my bullshit detector went nuts.

From that day forward, a series of events took place that deeply disturbed me. Besides the countless inconsistencies in the official 911 narrative that event became a justification to go to war with Afganistan and Iraq. It prompted a xenophobic hatred of Muslims, the justification of the TSA, the genesis of the Patriot Act, justified torture, the enforcement of “free speech zones” and a host of other erosions of our liberty, all in the name of keeping us safe. If you haven't noticed, the United States is vastly different after 911 and, I fear, it will be even worse after this mess if we aren’t vigilant.

Yes, to me, what is happening right now feels disturbingly similar to 911, except it is happening on a worldwide scale. Just like 911, we are now at war, but the enemy isn’t a radical terrorist, it is an invisible virus. And this virus can unknowingly turn me into a potentially lethal weapon. Or it can turn you into that weapon. Or perhaps that person over there is an enemy carrier. It's creepy how people interact with one another nowadays. I watch people react to one another as if everyone, including themselves, is a potential sex offender.

One thing is clear, we are at war, so governments tell us! And if it is true that “war is the health of the state” as Randolf Bourne once wrote, then one terrifying side effect of the virus is that governments all over the world, including our own, are becoming very healthy.

I’m sorry, but if you do not fear powerful government, then I doubt we will agree on anything that is happening right now. My faith in Christ is giving me great comfort because I know that my citizenship is in the kingdom of heaven with Christ as my King. I wouldn't give a wooden nickel for what the US government has devolved into and I don't trust them as far as I can throw them.

Perhaps some will think my appeal to intuition is lame, but I’m sticking by it. Something is seriously amiss.

Sword, Famine, and Pestilence

The way I see it, we have three main fears circulating in the United States and throughout the entire world right now; the fear of tyranny, the fear of a collapsed economy, and the fear of COVID-19. For many people, these fears overlap one another.

Generally speaking, I think the heart of most disagreements lies in emphasis. Those who fear tyranny are more likely to downplay the seriousness of the virus. Those who fear the illness support more government control and are willing to put off economic worries, at least for now. And those who’s businesses are going under or are feeling real hunger pains are ready to take more health risks to stay alive. Who is right? I think each of these concerns has validity.

What bothers me is how Christians are responding to this present crisis. I’m writing this as a Christian to Christians. If you do not share my faith, you might as well stop reading. It will have little value to you unless you are curious about the present-day failure of modern Christians and the Church. If you are a Christian, I implore you to set your pride aside and heed what follows.

Whether it’s tyranny, the destruction of the economy, or COVID-19, it all adds up to one thing - God is trying to get our attention. When you read the Bible, you discover time after time, God acting in and through disasters. In fact, God even says He is the Author of calamity. He says in Isaiah 45:7:

𝐼 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠; 𝐼 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙-𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑦; 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑, 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠.

You can’t read the Bible long before you see, there is more behind disasters and difficulties than just random natural acts. God uses things to call sinful people back to Him.

Jeremiah 14:12 speaks specifically about God using tyranny, a collapsed economy, and COVID-19. He said to His people:

𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑐𝑟𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑, 𝑏𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒.”

The sword is tyranny. Famine is the sign of economic collapse, and pestilence is a fatal epidemic disease such as COVID-19. The context is about Christians in the Old Testament who paid lip service to God, but their hearts were far from Him. They participated in the sins of the culture with no fear of God or His retribution.

If this verse isn’t a wake-up call, I don’t know what is. I implore my brothers and sisters in Christ to take these words seriously. Let’s stop arguing and use our time and energy for something far more profitable - prayer and preaching the gospel. The world is in crisis, and we are fighting about who is right and who is wrong? About whether Donald Trump is the Messiah or the Devil? Whether we should wear a mask or not?

A while ago, I put out a plea for Christians to pray. I even made a simple outline on how to pray during this time. I don’t know why, but I got more responses about memes on tyranny than on my call to prayer. I admit, I get distracted too, but isn’t it time we put our pride away and get serious? It doesn’t matter if a call to prayer comes from someone you don’t like or someone you disagree with. Let’s put away our differences and unite in Christ. Let’s call our nation and our world to Jesus Christ. Let’s use our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to proclaim the only Way that will save this lost and dying world. That Way is faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His Law.

We Are All Homeschoolers Now

April 24, 2020

I have been ranting against unprecedented government intrusion into our lives for some time now. I just realized this morning that there is an unexpected blessing that is happening because of this epidemic. We now have a nation, perhaps even a whole world, of homeschoolers!

We homeschooled our four children right from the start and saw them through to high school graduation. Those who know little about homeschooling think that the kids are only taught by mom and dad. This simply isn’t true. Most homeschoolers utilize a variety of means to educate their children. Homeschoolers use online courses, tutors, and even participate in cooperative learning events for teaching academic disciplines. Much like what is happening right now for students who used to go to school.

Wise homeschooling parents think beyond the “desk”. Besides reading, writing, and arithmetic, homeschoolers utilize every opportunity to not only educate but prepare children for life. Something as simple as going to the grocery store becomes a lesson in economics and nutrition. Car repair can be a class in auto mechanics. And what better chemistry lab is there than baking? I hope parents stuck at home with the family utilize the wisdom of the homeschool world.

How ironic homeschooling is now the mandated form of education over nationalized public education!

Modern Day Pastors

April 21, 2020

The Ultimate Precaution

There’s something affecting humanity that is far deadlier than COVID-19 and yet so few pay it any mind. I think people fear the coronavirus because they ultimately fear death. It’s interesting to me to see how few people fear sin. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) What if we feared sin as much as the coronavirus? Sin has caused more death and destruction and devastation than any virus the world has ever seen, yet so many of us are as comfortable with sin as we are with an old familiar pair of bluejeans.

Look at all the precautions people are taking to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Governments have closed much of the world. People wear masks and keep at least 6 feet apart. We are even willing to tank the economy and all the devastation that will cause in order to flatten the curve.

Imagine if we took sin as seriously as we are taking COVID-19? Imagine if we feared God more than we feared sickness and death? Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

Please don’t misread me. Take precautions against real threats. Yet, I’m amazed and saddened by a world that puts so much energy into battling a virus while giving so little attention to sin and God.

There’s no cure for COVID-19, but there is a cure for sin. The cure is faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning blood that was poured out when He died on the cross. Take precautions against coronavirus, but shouldn't we take the greater precaution of where we will spend eternity? In Christ, we do not need to fear death or disease or destruction. Take the ultimate precaution by trusting in Jesus Christ today.

The Illusion of Control

March 17, 2020

I've been thinking a lot about “control.” Too often I believe I have control but soon realize that this is just an illusion. In the end, what real control do we really have? Perhaps we have some micro-control, but even then, our bodies can get sick enough where we have little to no say in what happens.

I suppose the only control we have is in our "will", in how we respond to what is happening around us or to us. Even that is difficult because our emotions can batter our intent to stay steady. In the end, my hope is in the God revealed through Scripture and ultimately through Jesus Christ.

The Bible reveals that God is in control, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21) And peace comes as our minds stay fixed on Him, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” (Isaiah 26:3+4)

Quite frankly, I’m conflicted about coming back into the US during this time. Frightened herds begging for government control is, and always has been, a recipe for disaster. Governmental control once gained is not easily relinquished once the crisis is over. The virus is just starting to manifest in Mexico along with the accompanying panicky fear. Who knows what it will be like down here if either or both take hold?

In the end, I will do what I can to fight the spread of both crises by praying, staying vigilant, and being there for friends and family alike.

Magical Masks and Someone to Blame

There's a letter circulating social media (see below) addressed simply to "Dear restaurant goer." An unidentified restaurant owner wrote it. I do not know if the owner is a man, but for the sake of convenience, I will be referring to the owner as "he." Besides, it has the tone more of a man than a woman, but I could be wrong.

In this letter, the owner states that he requires patrons to wear a mask for a mere 5 seconds as you go to your table or the bathroom. He believes these 5 seconds protect the livelihood of his business, prevent governmental goons from shutting him down if a case of COVID-19 is "traced" to his restaurant, and prevent the death of his employees and his family. You jeopardize and disrespect him if you don't wear your mask for 5 seconds.

Think about how absurd this is. According to a Cornell University study, the average diner takes 81.6 minutes to eat in a restaurant. That adds up to 1 hour and 21 minutes. That is a total of 4,860 seconds a person remains unmasked in his restaurant. For this owner, 5 seconds symbolize respect, protection, security, and safety.

Let's look at the math. This owner requires people to wear a mask .1% of the time while being okay with them being unmasked for 99.99%. And what are people doing during this 99.99% of the time? They are breathing, chewing, laughing, sneezing, coughing, and talking, perhaps with their mouth full, which people tend to do. Who knows how much particulate is expelled into the atmosphere during these 4,860 seconds.

This must be disturbing for hypochondriacs, but being a human being is a messy business. No matter how much you try, you and your fellow human beings are contaminating the environment with their germs, bacteria, sicknesses, and perhaps even their deadly viruses. They certainly are doing a lot more damage in 4,860 seconds than what a person could do in 5. But this owner needs someone to blame, so let's go with the disrespectful sign-ignoring unmasked jerk.

Talk about putting someone at risk. This owner requires his restaurant employees to "pick up your dishes. Your glassware. Your napkins." He makes the "clean that bathrooms after you use them." But everyone is safe because he requires a person to wear a mask for 5 seconds while at the same time allowing people to remain unmasked for 99.99% of the time doing an activity that causes far more damage than a 5-second walk.

Put on your magical mask for 5 seconds, and all will be well. If that's not superstition, I don't know what is. But at least we have someone to blame.

May I talk about these magical masks for a moment? The owner wrote, "A mask increases that safety. It doesn't guarantee it, but it makes your visit more safe for us" How much protection is being provided by masks that are worn for only .1% of the time? Most people are not wearing masks properly anyway, are they? Most people are wearing the same disgusting mask over and over again. Some wear them only over their mouth and not their nose, which kind of defeats the purpose.

Furthermore, the masks that most people wear allow droplets out the side or are cheap masks that do little to no good. Add to that; the people are now wearing bandanas or some sort of ineffective cloth covering. He is right in your belief that wearing a mask is not a "guarantee."

Magical masks indeed!

He is careful not to blame the real bullies in this equation. He fears COVID-19 will be "traced" back to his restaurant. Who's doing contact tracing? How can you possibly prove the virus originated at your restaurant all because a person failed to wear a mask for 5 seconds? He is scared, but he's fear is misplaced. The real bullies are the power-hungry political fear-mongers who have the power to destroy this man's business, not the unmasked patron.

Not only has the government struck fear into this man's heart, but it has also taken away many people's incentive to return to work. The owner almost gets it when he refers to the "sky-high unemployment benefits" with which he competes. Good old socialism, that age-old destroyer of incentive to work. But we mustn't blame socialism. We must condemn the disrespectful unmasked villain.

I honestly feel sorry for this restaurant owner. I do not doubt that he is telling the truth about how difficult it is to maneuver meeting the almost impossible requirements of an incompetent and oppressive governmental system. I believe him when he says that he puts his "entire being" into this restaurant. I understand that he is doing the best he can in a challenging situation.

Sadly it's worse than he knows. He doesn't seem to be aware that the Executive Order he is so desperately trying to obey contains a caveat that could get him into a lot of trouble. Our esteemed Governor placed within his Executive Order No. 7BB a lovely caveat that states:

"Nothing in this order shall require the use of a mask or cloth face covering by anyone for whom doing so would be contrary to his or her health or safety because of a medical condition, a child in a child care setting, anyone under the age of 2 years, or an older child if the parent, guardian or person responsible for the child is unable to place the mask safely on the child's face. If a person declines to wear a mask or face covering because of a medical condition as described above, such person shall not be required to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition. This order shall supersede and preempt any current or future municipal order."

In other words, all a person has to do is calmly inform the host that they are declining to wear a mask because of a medical condition. Furthermore, they do not have to prove it. He just has to take their word for it. If this poor restaurant owner denies access, he will violate the Governor's Executive Order. Not only that, if he denies access, he may also be violating the Americans with Disability Act, which could open him to litigation. It'd be difficult to win, especially when "such person shall not be required to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition."

Our society is scared, and perhaps angry, about all that is happening because of COVID-19. Dysfunctional societies need a scapegoat, be it white men, Jews, blacks, the police, democrats, FOX news, those who don't wear masks, Donald Trump, you name it. I blame power-hungry corrupt government officials who are in bed with crony capitalist corporations. They scare me more than anyone else because only they have the legal right to use political power against those who have done no harm. I also blame people who won't use logic, reason, or science. Oh, that people would genuinely use real science and not the politicized form we hear machine-gunned from the media day and night.

I believe we are at a crossroads in the United States. What will tip the scale, in my opinion, is where the mob goes. If they go on the side of blaming those who do not conform to the official narrative, we are doomed. If people such as this restaurant owner wake up, start using real science, and start standing up to the real bullies, there is hope. In the meantime, I implore you to carefully examine what people are saying and believing and try to use logic, reason, and sound science to open their eyes.

***
Dear restaurant goer:

You don’t want to wear a mask. Ok. I don’t blame you. I don’t either. That’s why we set it up so you only have to wear it for the five seconds between the host stand and your table, and during your trip(s) to the bathroom. Still have a problem?

Consider this.

It was indescribably difficult for our restaurant to survive the shutdown. It devastated our savings and permanently eroded consumer confidence in dining out. Now we finally have a chance to open, and all the relevant governing bodies instruct us to require a mask for admittance.

Still have a problem?

Please also be aware that it’s also our staff preference.

Why?

First, if there is a case of COVID traced back to our restaurant, we have to test all staff and close (again) for an indeterminate amount of days. This puts an at-risk operation at even graver risk. Every day and every dollar counts more than I can describe.

Second, the employees you see in the restaurant right now opted to come back of their own volition. With sky high unemployment benefits to compete with, we have worked hard to build a workplace they want to come back to—one that offers fair compensation, above-average safety protocols and most of all, management and ownership that has their best interest in mind.

When you see a restaurant employee at work, it is usually because of some degree of loyalty or respect for the ownership, as well as faith in the safety measures they have put in place. These things took a great deal of time, effort and personal care to build. I now know that demonstrating love for my team is the most important part of my job. More than ever, I recognize how hard I have to fight for them.

If you are infected (either symptomatically or asymptomatically), you put THEM at risk, first and foremost. After all, they’re the ones that pick up your dishes. Your glassware. Your napkins. They're the ones that clean the bathrooms after you use them. DO NOT disrespect them.

On top of the terrifying work environment they have returned to, the new challenge of arguing with guests about masks is hurtful and unnecessarily punitive. Walking past a half dozen signs saying masks are required and then acting surprised about it—even when we offer to give you one at our cost—is inexcusable. And berating a host does not make you a patriot or a constitutional scholar. It makes you a bully, and it affirms the growing realization that the customer isn’t always right.

You may question the lawfulness of Executive Orders. It’s your prerogative. But one thing you can’t question is that as a guest, our safety is in your hands. A mask increases that safety. It doesn’t guarantee it, but it makes your visit more safe for us. It’s that simple.

I have put my entire being into my restaurants. It is my life’s work. Do not—DO NOT—DARE to put it and our loyal team members at risk unnecessarily. When you do so, you disrespect my wife, my daughter and son, and the life we’ve built. Not to mention the livelihood (and possibly lives) of the nearly 15 people we employ.

Bottom line: we’re trying to survive. Your concern about wearing a mask for mere seconds pales in comparison to what's at stake.