American Idol … is that really a good name for a show that millions of children watch? And do we really want people across the nation aspiring to be idols?

I would think if a reasonable person looked at the dictionary definition of “idol” then they wouldn’t ever hope to classify themselves as one. An idol can be an image or object representing a god. It can also be a person blindly or excessively adored. Or an idol could be something visible but without substance, a figment of imagination or a false concept.

It would seem out of all of these definitions the one that most closely fits the winning contestant on American Idol is a person who is blindly or excessively adored.

But people who are excessively adored often need to hire security or get restraining orders. And people who are blindly adored are adored out of ignorance. When we say someone is doing something blindly it means without understanding or thought.

I’d almost say the person that came up with the name American Idol did it blindly; but then again the name of the show might be perfectly fitting.

Now if it were called American Inspiration I might be more supportive of the whole concept. If people are turning on a TV show every week to follow something happening in someone else’s life and in turn it inspired them to do something in their own life then that’d be a good thing. But if people are turning on a show every week so they can adore or worship someone … well they might just be better off without a TV.

And on the flip side, if you are a contestant on this show would you rather inspire someone or be worshiped by them? Would you like excessive adoration and paparazzi taking away every private moment? Not if you had any sense of humility…

Sadly often in our culture humility is overlooked or forgotten.

When football games are on and a touchdown is scored who gets the most replays; someone that spikes the ball, does a dance and points at themselves or someone that kneels down and says a prayer?

Maybe modesty will never be a very marketable commodity in America. Idols might always hold prime-time spots over inspirations. Pompous football players may always get more replays than humble ones.

But I’ve never been much into following the crowd or giving in to the conventional way of doing things. So I’ll keep hoping one day there will be an American Inspiration that people are talking about. And rather than being glued to their TVs people will be out singing their own songs instead.

kenneth w.

www.BibleRhymes.com

I’ve got prayer requests today for two friends that have been in my life for a very long time.

One of the girls was going to meet with me tomorrow because she wants to be a part of the BibleRhymes team. She has a lot of experience in the advertising field and I more than welcome her expertise. But she asked me if we could reschedule our meeting because it might interfere with something that had popped up…

She told me her dear father might pass away and actually she expected his viewing may be on the day of our meeting. Of course I told her not to worry about me at all and my thoughts and prayers would be with her. I hope yours will be too!

Also a close, close friend of mine is pregnant with her first child. But after tests the doctors thought there may be difficulties coming and the child may not make it into this world. This young lady would be a tremendous mother and I can only guess how this type of news would impact a mother-to-be.

So my prayers are going out to her as well. And if you haven’t done your good deed for the day now’s your chance!

I thank you guys for everything you’ve given me … more than you’ll ever know!

All my love,

kenneth w.

www.BibleRhymes.com

There is an attitude that I’m sure each of you is familiar with. You may even be the proud owner of it sometimes. This attitude is a feeling of not caring what anyone else in the world thinks about you.

To be honest that’s an attitude I need to have every day. Otherwise I might not feel that I’m “cool” enough because instead of going to clubs or some fancy place at night I’m usually sitting somewhere writing a rhyme. And often I’m writing religious rhymes for kids which is definitely not something most “cool” people would readily admit to.

But I figure as long as I can look God in the face then I don’t care what anyone else says or thinks about me. If I can look Him straight in the eyes, that’d be cool enough for me.

And if I lived in a bubble, alone somewhere, then it wouldn’t matter what anyone else thought of me. Yet a benefit and a detriment of living in a world such as ours is that everything we do, no matter how small, has an impact on others.

Even a two second glance can make a difference in another person’s day. If I’m in my car stopped at a red light and frustrated because something in my life has gone awry, and I glance over with an angry expression at the person stopped next to me then I very well may have given them some kind of bad feelings without giving it a second thought.

But I’m giving it thought right now because every place I venture I want to bring with me an aura of sunshine. I want to display all of the best traits I can possibly muster. Not just for my own sake of being a happy man but to hopefully inspire or incite others to do the same. And with that I’m hoping for some kind of domino effect with people across the globe reaching inside themselves to pull out their best.

Now some people may think this could mean I put on an act by pretending like I never have a bad day. But here’s the truth of it; I’ll let you in on a little secret…

I’ve been grumpy before. I even thought I was going to have a bad day before. And to be perfectly honest years ago I did have a bad day, possibly even two. But it’s been a long time since that happened.

What’s been my cure? Faith.

I’m not saying I’m Superman or that I have a permanent shield against difficulty in my life. But if I allowed the Lord control of my spirit one-hundred percent of the time then my shield would be permanent.

Again, I haven’t had a bad day in a long, long time; but I have had a rough five or ten minutes. And as far as I’m concerned five minutes is way too long to wallow in misery or negativity of any form.

If we ask for God’s strength and assistance then we can control our thoughts. And if we use this control then we can push away any type of deleterious thoughts (whether impure or angry or jealous, etc…) that could’ve ever slipped into our brains. And if we push away all of these negative thoughts then what do we have left?

Happiness and hope, confidence and peace…

It’s easy to see people who’ve reached that level in life. They don’t walk around holding neon signs or basketball-size magnets yet others are still drawn to them. Instead of neon signs their happiness flashes incessantly. And their hope breathes life into the most worn out of souls.

These people are displaying the best they have to offer. And the best they have to offer seems so wonderful because it is simply a reflection of God.

People are simple creatures too. Often we see things that look good and become inspired to follow suit in our own fashion. How you display yourself to the world could be the inspiration someone else has been looking for their whole life. And that’s why we have to care what other people think about us or how they view us.

Our actions are not solely our actions. Whether we like it or not, whether we chose it or not, we are part of something much bigger than any one of us. Our actions, our “displays” can have exponential effects on countless people in positive or negative ways.

Now whether we want to have a positive or negative impact on the world is something we are able to choose. And it’s something only we can choose. But if we don’t choose to bring the world something positive every day then instead, by default, we will be choosing to bring something negative.

kenneth w.

www.BibleRhymes.com

God. Some people get Him and some people don’t. Some people haven’t even spent five minutes of their free-thinking time trying to get to know Him while others have dedicated their entire lives in this pursuit.

Some people have looked to science for a way to disprove the Higher Power called God. Others who devoted much of their lives to scientific pursuits (such as Alfred Einstein) have had a sincere belief in God.

Some people were never introduced to the Lord properly. Some people were introduced in a way that caused them to turn away from the Lord and any type of religion, organized or not. Fortunately others were able to get the introduction they needed at the point in their lives that they needed that throughout the world the Lord is a well-known if not well-understood Being.

And though the Lord is well-known, oftentimes He isn’t well-understood.

Some people refer to Him as simply mysterious. I refer to Him as mysteriously simple.

Children are the most precious things in this world. Their innocence, a gift from God, if not tarnished by people is a thing of beauty. Their smiles reflect true happiness and love they’ve been blessed with by the Lord. Anything that pulls them away from this innocence whether it’s a TV show or a nearby adult with a foul mouth is truly an abomination.

Yes, I know that sounds harsh. Yes, I realize adults may bang their fingers with hammers sometimes and slip. And yes, I know TV doesn’t really have any programming that’s suitable for children. The bottom line is to keep it clean around the kids and don’t create a world that forces them to adapt to perversion.

These little sponges we call children mimic behaviors and their innocent minds can be polluted in only a moment. It is because of this that children in a healthy environment should have exposure to the Lord from the days in the womb until the days that they wander off to discover the world.

Just like learning to speak a language at an early age, building a relationship with the Lord at an early age enables that relationship to become second nature. With some people, everything they do comes with the thought of the spiritual implications of their actions or a quick conversation with God. Then it becomes natural for them to “do the right thing” spiritually.

But in case a person didn’t get a childhood introduction to God they don’t have to fear. You most certainly can teach an old dog new tricks. It’s never too late to build a relationship with the Lord and it’s surprisingly, if not mysteriously simple.

Everything about the Lord is simple. And that’s why even humans can understand a Being powerful enough to create a universe which is large enough to hold a myriad of bodies with even much more mass than this planet that we call earth.

Are you curious about the Lord’s eye-color or waist size? If those are the questions you’re wondering you’re probably headed in the wrong theological direction. Do you want to know how to get ahold of Him or start a conversation with Him? Just close your eyes and invite Him into your life…

The Lord is simple if you simplify your relationship with Him. Your purpose on earth is not to understand all things on earth or even very many of them. Your purpose on earth is to prepare yourself for the next life. Concentrate on yourself, what’s within your grasp of knowledge and what’s within your control.

By inviting God into your life and concentrating on yourself you can undergo a transformation from an innocent, yet self-serving baby to a tempted, yet selfless grown-up. Kindly enough the Lord gave us the game plan for this and presented it in a very easy-to-comprehend manner. It’s as simple as this…

Treat other people just as well as you would want to be treated. Think about their happiness while you are making decisions so you don’t negatively affect anyone else in any way with what you do.

If people learn that God has all the strength they need to accomplish all of the goals they’ve been given (not necessarily their own goals but the ones the Lord has given them) and also learn to treat other people in the highest regard, then they’ve learned all they need to in order to traverse this life successfully.

Of course even the most God-minded individuals will have slip-ups. People aren’t perfect and temptations are great. Temptations are also often found wearing the most fabulous camouflages. But the Lord is understanding and the road to redemption, like everything else about God, is simple to follow.

Once again just close your eyes and invite the Lord into your life. Admit your faults and your weaknesses and ask for the strength to overcome them. If you are willing to keep going through your lifelong battles with temptations, the Lord is willing to keep helping you back up and opening His arms in the hopes that you’ll run right into them and give Him a hug.

He won’t give you an overwhelming pull and force you to hug Him. But He’s always waiting to give you a squeeze as soon as you’ll allow Him to. He doesn’t want to let go of you either; but He won’t make you stay with Him.

Loving the Lord and being with Him is a simple but daily choice we have to make. The moment we dwell in ANYTHING perverse we are making a choice to push the Lord and any good spirits away from us. Even doing something as seemingly benign as telling a dirty joke allows bad spirits to come close to us while we push the good ones away. So by doing anything like this we are inviting temptation into our lives and making it more difficult for ourselves to live a care-free, happy life.

Everything from our first breaths to our last connects our souls’ journey on this earth. It may seem too detail oriented to say we can’t even get away with telling a dirty joke or two and still end up happy. You can get away with things and still end up happy. The Lord is always ready to receive a heart that sincerely loves Him. I had just been explaining the simple way to live happily and develop a relationship with God.

But once again it’s not always good to try to understand things you can’t; people can literally go crazy from this. And many things about God a human mind can’t even begin to comprehend. So keep it simple.

Invite God into your life. Love Him. Love other people (all of whom are His children) as much as yourself.

If you do these things then you’ve done your job and will most-certainly have assured the happiness of many others along the way.

Always and with much thought,

kenneth w.

www.BibleRhymes.com

A friend left a birthday wish on my MySpace today. I just went to respond to it and realized some prayers are needed in her world. One of her young relatives got in a 4-wheeling accident and is in the hospital pretty badly beaten up.

So my thanks go to her for thinking of me. And hopefully more of my thanks can go to you guys for thinking of her and her family.

At the same time I ask for so many prayers sometimes that I’m pretty sure I’ve failed to mention someone that is so very dear to me. My father’s secretary who has known me since I was a little child is going to be going in for a second round of chemo soon.

She’s holding up quite well and is in very positive spirits, but she’s always open to prayers. And really, you’re probably lucky I’ve held this one close to the chest or I could’ve written a whole book about this wonderful lady and how special she is.

Now for everybody else needing prayers tonight that I forgot to mention in this note…

I won’t forget to mention you to God when I’m talking to Him later. =)

Big hugs. Best wishes.

kenneth w.

www.BibleRhymes.com

I’ll start today’s writing with some scripture.

“The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (KJV Luke 17: 20, 21)

That short quote from Jesus can simplify the pursuit of a peaceful life in a substantial fashion.

Accomplishing things in life happens not by waiting, watching and hoping; rather by doing. This is true whether you’re trying to find God, do well in bowling, grow a quality garden, or whatever the case may be…

On one hand watching is definitely important. Oftentimes observation (with eyes and ears) is a key to learning and gaining insight to knowledge. But on the other hand, being able to watch someone bowl a perfect game is far different from being able to bowl one yourself.

Even if you’re trying to grow a garden, you can take the first step and plant the seeds but if after that all you’re planning on doing is watching then you won’t end up with a very productive garden. You have to weed gardens, trim growth, and bend branches to allow more sun penetration … and on and on.

Such is true in the pursuit of God as well.

Parents can (and should) plant the seeds of spirituality into their children. But if after that the parents just stand back and watch, chances are that not much good will come of it. Children are curious souls and often wander off of the paths that they’ve been set on. Good parents keep their ever-watching and loving eyes focused on their young ones to make sure that they don’t stray too far from the desired pathway.

An undisciplined child is like hair that has never been cut or combed or nails that have never been trimmed or a garden that has never been weeded. There is so much potential but without constant grooming and attention the child will get out of control.

Adults are not much different than children in this regard. Without spiritual maintenance our engines break down and our spirits as well as our lives can become unmanageable and unenjoyable. But getting close to God and having spiritual maintenance performed isn’t a difficult task. You don’t have to call anywhere and try to set up an appointment to fit your schedule. Wherever you are, whatever time it is, you can close your eyes and find God within yourself.

He made you. You’re a breathing piece of Him. You are forever conjoined with Him (if only you allow it). He made you. He loves you. And because of this He also made true happiness and the kingdom of God easily accessible.

If you see someone that is bubbling over with happiness and contentment you need not say, “I want what they have.” Each of us has the ability to be filled with happiness if we open ourselves up to the Lord and invite good spirits to surround us. But inviting the Lord into your daily life is only the second step (recognizing that you need to do this is the first step). If you’ve reached this point though, now it’s time for the “doing.”

You don’t have to look for heaven, it’s within you; and it’s just waiting for you to recognize that. We have to engage heaven. We have to be a part of it. Bystanders just won’t do.

We can make our own portions of this world a heaven on earth. By doing good things and affecting society in a positive way you can not only start feeling but also seeing a glimpse of heaven. Good spirits not only from the other world but also from this one will come to your side (after awhile they won’t even need to be invited because your persona will become magnetizing).

Pretty soon it will feel like a tidal wave is crashing down on you. Except this wave will crash down on you with feelings of love and leave you awash with contentment. This is one wave that you won’t mind drowning under.

Yes, the kingdom of God is within you. And it can be all around you too.

kenneth w.

www.BibleRhymes.com

As I’m gazing out the window at my freshly painted trellis I’m reminded once again what each of us has the possibility of doing every morning that we wake up. My work has literally painted a picture of life-changing opportunities.

A few weeks back my trellis looked worn-out and really I had been pondering whether or not it was time to tear it down. The trellis had been stained a color that matches the brick exterior of my house so as to blend in. But the stain job must have been done a long, long time ago.

Instead of just tearing the trellis down I decided I’d put some primer on it. And the change in appearance was remarkable. The trellis had been transformed from a worn-out looking relic from antiquity to a bright, white quality addition to my yard. Before I even did any caulking or put on the final coat of eye-magnetizing semi-gloss the potential of the trellis became obvious.

And while I was out putting on the primer one day a neighbor lady stopped by. She walks around the area pretty much every evening and has been doing it for years. Even when I’m not outside to see her I know she’s walking by because I hear her calling out my dog Charlotte’s name. Charlotte never disappoints and always rushes to meet her friend…

But on that evening I was outside working so she stopped to say hello to me (before she called out for Charlotte). And she told me I made a wonderful choice by putting in the new trellis. She told me it made my backyard look great. I chuckled and teased her saying the trellis had been there as long as I’ve owned the house.

Yet at the same time the deeper point of the whole conversation became clear. There’s always time to make a fresh change. Weathered, old, or used things often can become beautiful and vibrant again; all it takes is a little work.

And I’m not just talking about old patio furniture or a kitchen that could use some updating; I’m talking about people and ideas and mindsets. People doing things or thinking about things the same old way forever and ever can get stuck in a rut without even really noticing. But if you notice that’s happening or happened to you there is a way out of the rut.

People can look at themselves like a decorator would look at a house. Forget about the house as it is but look at the possibilities of what could be. What do you want to see in your house?

Maybe you have an old, worn-out temper and would like to replace it with an updated peaceful and kind personality. I know that type of change is always easy and nice for neighbors to see. Perhaps your house has a chimney and it’s filling up the neighborhood with smoke, yet now you’re ready for a smokeless house. It’s never too late to put the Marlboro’s down.

Really, the possibilities of change are endless. And the biggest restriction people have to change is their own stubborn brains. Don’t worry, I don’t consider myself above the fray, often my brain can be stubborn too.

But I like the shiny, new look of my trellis. And now I’m going examine myself and see what changes I can make so I’ll appear and feel refreshingly new as well.

kenneth w.

www.BibleRhymes.com

When governments get into the business of health-care, whether preventative or otherwise … watch out!! Your freedoms will disappear faster than the government will try to shrink your waistline.

Now I’m not against a trim waistline. I usually exercise four to five times per week. I run a few miles then lift some weights or do pushups or whatever I’m in the mood for. And I strongly agree that quality eating and exercise habits correlate to lower health-care costs. I just don’t think it’s any business of the government what kinds of foods I eat or what kinds of exercises I need to do. And as part of America is striving for nationalized health-care I think it’s time for America as a whole to look around the world to educate itself on what this could mean.

In Brazil the government has put its hands into the medical field. And in Brazil there is a law trying to be passed that would ban McDonalds from including toys with their Happy Meals. They think by marketing children’s meals with children’s toys that the children in the country won’t be able to help but to develop bad eating habits.

Instead, perhaps they should just pass a law against parents who take their children to McDonalds more than five days per week. And then they can set up a new branch of government to regulate how often people go to McDonalds; because with enough government and enough regulation maybe the ignorant populaces of the world will learn how to take care of themselves.

Or maybe we should just be aloud to live without anyone else telling us how.

In America the FDA is jumping into the tobacco industry. They assume with more regulation there will be lower future health-care costs. I assume if they stayed out of the health-care business this wouldn’t be their problem. Is there anyone in America that really needs the government to tell them that smoking isn’t a healthy activity for them?

President Obama has admitted to being a smoker for years. But at the same time he thinks he deserves the capacity to regulate your nicotine intake. Does that make sense to anybody?

And if we have to regulate one-hundred percent of society because less than one-half of a percent cannot comprehend simple health issues then our society’s freedoms will all but disappear.

I can imagine that before long you won’t be able to get buttered popcorn when you go to the movie theater. Or if you get Milk-Duds to eat or a soda to drink then a government agent will be there to make sure that you do sit-ups or jumping-jacks or else you’ll get a ticket and a fine.

With freedom comes responsibility. Eat however you want. Exercise as little as you want.

Then pay the price or receive the dividends for your own choices.

And let the government concentrate on what it’s best at … nothing.

kenneth w.

www.BibleRhymes.com

Memorial Day has come and gone. Recognitions were paid to the men and women in arms both past and present.

But as with the spirit of Christmas and as with just plain and simple being nice, these are all things that should be done consistently throughout each year.

There are more than a few mothers of soldiers that read my notes. There are many other wives of soldiers, soldiers (both male and female) and people related to one.

These young men and women are out protecting us and standing up for the little guy, not only on Memorial Day but on each and every day of the year. And it’s for these brave souls and their families that my thoughts are going out.

Please join me in a moment of prayer for their safe time in duty and for a more peaceful world that will one day wake up to change its irrational and violent behavior.

After you’ve given your moment in thought there’s a side-note.

For those of you who don’t know what “kw” means at the end of my notes…

Those are my first two initials. But sadly it shows that you haven’t purchased one of my books yet because that’s how my name appears on the cover! =)

I still love you though, it’s okay.

Be good. Stay thoughtful.

kenneth w.

www.BibleRhymes.com

Today I was out painting. My back porch has a large overhang to give shading for whoever wants to sit out there (typically my puppies). Except before today if you sat out there you wouldn’t have had a very pretty view. The ceiling paint had been cracking and peeling away and today was the day to change things.

Flip back maybe two weeks…

I had been searching through a box in my bedroom looking for something. This box had been packed with literally “stuff” when I had moved back from Montana to Michigan a couple years ago. I didn’t find what I was looking for but I did find an old WWJD bracelet that was still in pristine condition. So I decided to put it on.

So today I was out painting (and really I’ve been doing quite a bit of it since the weather has turned nice). But today was the first time I’ve noticed a phenomenon that’s been occurring. No matter how much paint I get on my fingers, hands or maybe even my arms (I never said I was a clean painter) but regardless of the amount that drips on me, my WWJD bracelet has remained spotless.

Is that a sign? Now I might have spoken too soon and tomorrow the bracelet might fall in a bucket of paint. But that would just have me thinking about this all over again.

So was it a sign?

Well, I thoroughly believe that if you look at the happenings in your life in the correct way then you’ll see all kinds of signs that you’d never paid attention to. For me, today, it just reinforced that God’s always looking out for me (no matter how messy I am). And no matter what else He’s always there.

I feel this way every day because I want to. Because I ask Him to be there and He doesn’t let me down. And because I look for His signs and keep my eyes open I can see Him in every part of my days. From the berries growing in my backyard to the puppies that go running with me to the friends I have from so many walks of life; I can see that God made them all because nobody else could have done nearly as perfect of a job!

Now it’s time for dinner so excuse me as I run.

=)

kenneth w.