I have always felt that the back porch is my place of refuge…as I have written in the past, it is here that I can kinda clear my mind and rid myself of the pressures of just … well, being me. I wrote one time suggesting that you try as a little experiment just thinking of nothing…not a thing…it is impossible to do. God didn’t create us that way. He gave us this gift of freewill, the ability to think and reason and past history does not speak well of our ability to do either well. Right now here on the porch I believe I have been able to achieve that position of thinking of nothing. I can’t think of anything to write about but wait I am thinking about the fact that I can’t think of anything to write about. Now the porch is for pondering…we recognize that thinking is considered not proper in the art of pondering. Kinda like “I can’t believe its not butter…  butter.” Confused? I am but it is putting words on paper…I think. Having written all this I am open to a ponder of sort. How did we arrive at such a despairing time of hate and lack of just some essence of civility among our interaction with others. As I wrote this I thought…see right off I break one of the rules of pondering…Thinking which requires a solution. I did take time to run a quick inquiry about the number of news stories that were considered to be the result of hate against another person or group…the result would fill a lot of pages. So I believe I have come up with a worthy ponder? If thinking about something results in all this hate then a good ole fashion ponder might be better. Consider this from Philippians 4:8… and yes I did change a few words…

– Ponder on These Things – 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—Ponder on these things. 

Kurt