Summer Storm

Like a summer storm
You blew into my town
Stealing love from perfect strangers

Then you glanced my way
Moment sealed with your kiss
And I can still recall the feeling

You had the perfect smile
To go with the perfect words
My heart was filled with your wonder

You said, "Let's go live our dreams"
Won't hold nothing back
I'll be yours in every season

Like a summer storm
Out of nowhere you were born
Changing everything that you touched

Full of fury and grace
The way you touched my face
And my world was changed forever

The Inventor of Coca-Cola

Today's post is about the inventor of Coca-Cola, John Pemberton. John spent most of his childhood in Rome, Georgia before entering Medical College and earning his medical degree in 1850. After a brief stint practicing medicine and surgery, Dr. Pemberton opened up a drug store in Columbus, Georgia.

Then came the Civil War and Pemberton enlisted, serving in the Third Calvary for the Confederate Army. In 1865 he suffered a saber wound to the chest during the Battle of Columbus. During his recovery he became addicted to the morphine that he was using to ease his pain. This started Pemberton on a desperate search for an alternative to morphine that would allow him to cure his addiction.

Table Talk

Sometimes when I think of great figures in history, I don't tend to give them attributes with which they deal with daily life. I think of them as moving from great task to world-changing task without a thought about their daily bread, housing, or raising their children. One such man is Martin Luther. There is the hurdle of the century which he lived first of all, from 1483 until 1546.

It is difficult for me to imagine life in that century, physically, mentally or spiritually. Let's discuss the spiritual environment of the day for now. The Catholic Church reigned throughout most of the Christian world. Bibles were few and those rare copies were found in churches, not in homes. Most of the general population couldn't read or write and mass printing was just beginning to make books available for public consumption for those would could. 

Broadcasting The Games

I'm not sure how old I was when I received a tape recorder for Christmas. I do recall the euphoria of stealthy placing my microphone around the corner of a door and recording conversations that in the past had been off-limits to my childhood. This became rather tame when in playing back these conversations I realized that adults were much more boring that I had anticipated. It was clear that there had to be better uses for this technology.

Being a fan of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, I decided that recording my own audio drama would be the best use of my new gift. This goal proved elusive as well, casting and directing proved too challenging for my neighborhood recruits.  It became clear that whatever product I was going to create, it was going to be up to me and me alone to make it entertaining.

Parables of Truth

Jesus told parables filled with eons of truth. Layers upon layers of meaning are interlaced in all of the teachings of Christ. Though we tend to imagine our reality as black, white and gray concepts that is not what Jesus taught. He did not, for example, say, "the only way to the father is through me, except." The laws of his Kingdom are absolute. His Church, is absolute. And if Jesus taught in absolutes and we as fallen creatures do not obey his commandments, we are by definition living in chaos of our own creation.

There is no such thing as mildly living on the outskirts of chaos, just as you cannot be slightly, purely white. The gift of salvation from Jesus Christ re frames our existence. With the Holy Spirit we have access to the mind of God. We have the Words of God to base our decisions. We have the gift of God that we can accept to ensure our eternal salvation. Every Christian is commanded to spread the Gospel using their own gifts and talents. When the enemy attacks God's children he uses the same tactics he has chosen since the beginning of time. Confusion and diversion. Confusion about the character of God. Diversion from the mission He has charged us to complete. Black and White.