Welcome: Live Not By Lies

Welcome to Rod Reimer’s Personal Thoughts

(Caveat: Personal, as in MY opinions and mine alone, not the position of any employers or clients whether previous or current)

I should begin with some words from the wisest man written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

Ecclesiastes 12: (New International Version)

¹ Remember your Creator
    in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
    and the years approach when you will say,
    “I find no pleasure in them”—
² before the sun and the light
    and the moon and the stars grow dark,
    and the clouds return after the rain;
³ when the keepers of the house tremble,
    and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
    and those looking through the windows grow dim;
⁴ when the doors to the street are closed
    and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
    but all their songs grow faint;
⁵ when people are afraid of heights
    and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
    and the grasshopper drags itself along
    and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
    and mourners go about the streets.

⁶ Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
    and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
    and the wheel broken at the well,
⁷ and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
    and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

⁸ “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
    “Everything is meaningless!”

The Conclusion of the Matter

⁹ Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. ¹⁰ The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.

¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd. ¹² Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

¹³ Now all has been heard;
    here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
    for this is the duty of all mankind.
¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment,
    including every hidden thing,
    whether it is good or evil.

Of making many books there is no end…

So what do I have to add to the blogosphere, to the making of many books?

I’m writing these words in April of 2021:

In the midst of cancel culture, the second year of ’15 days to flatten the curve’, where people are enjoined to ‘speak your truth’.

Where ‘words are murder’, and ‘you are literally hitler’, if your truth strays from the politically acceptable narrative of the moment.

Where we are continually lectured to ‘stay home, stay safe’, while being scolded if we do not ‘follow the science’.

I could go on but unless you have lived under a rock for the past year, you know what I’m talking about.

Truth.

Simple, objective, externally verifiable, truth.

Where stated intentions are evaluated based on outcomes, not their expressed or implied nobleness.

Where virtue does not need to be signaled, merely embodied in one’s actions regardless of the audience or lack of one.

There are words to be written, whether to be read is beyond my control.

There is Truth to be shared, truths to be stood up for.

The challenge to “Live Not By Lies” was true in February of 1974 and is just as true for today. (https://www.solzhenitsyncenter.org/live-not-by-lies)

History has shown us what happens when emotions are manipulated by outright lies or the deceit of false or distorted ‘facts’.  

So this will be my small corner of sanity.

My working through of the issues as I see them.

My journey of asking why.

I am fully confident of the Who.

I am fully persuaded of Eternity, both the longing for it in each of our hearts, that is, the need for transcendence,

… as I am fully persuaded of the actual physical reality of an eternity to be spent together with the Creator and Master of the Universe…(Who loves you more than you will ever know and Who created you for a specific purpose that only YOU can fulfill)

Join with me as we embark on this journey. (Yes, there will be rabbit trails.. LOOK!! SQUIRREL!!)