EnnisP, Author at NowTHINK!AboutIt

10 Real Truths About Personal Choice

November 26, 2014 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

No Situation Is Void
Of Choice

Freedom is a hot button issue. History would be a very boring, and a short topic if it weren’t for all the skirmishes over personal freedom.

It’s universal. We all want freedom. When we have it we feel independent, unencumbered and unobstructed.

But is that really true?

Closely related to Freedom is Choice. If a person is free, the assumption is they make their own choices.

And that makes sense. Is a person really free if they don’t have choice and isn’t choice one evidence of freedom?

Freedom is the issue but choice is the mechanism.

Neither of these ideas comes without restrictions, though. Rules, conditions and limitations apply. [Read more…] about 10 Real Truths About Personal Choice

World’s Largest Quilt Done For Charity

November 18, 2014 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Quilters Turn Scraps
Into Winter Time Gold

A little over a year ago (October 2013) my wife heard about an interesting project involving quilts.

She loves all things quilts so her natural response was to look further and find out what was going on.

As it turns out the project is spearheaded by Sheila van Dyk and is quite ambitious. Sheila aims to recruit as many quilters as possible to build the world’s largest quilt verified, of course, by The Guinness Book of Records.

Ultimately the project is for charity, not fame. The large quilt will be constructed by sewing 11,000 single bed sized quilts together, which will then be separated and donated to charity. [Read more…] about World’s Largest Quilt Done For Charity

Grading The 94.7 Cycle Challenge – 2014

November 17, 2014 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

1,496 Meters
Of Climbing

The 2014 rendition of the 94.7 Cycle Challenge was all about change.

Some of the changes were great and some not so much.

The biggest change was the location of the start and finish. It was moved off the normal route, which means the route had to change also. Only about 20 kilometers were affected but it created some anxiety for both old and new riders.

The location change was inevitable. The previous start/finish line was too constricted to handle the increasing number of participants. The congestion was maddening and dangerous.

The route change was also necessary but race organizers made a few choices we hope they’ll reconsider next year.

This was my third 94.7. I know what it was like last year and how it felt this year. My trustee Garmin even provided some helpful data to share.

Here’s how I graded the race. [Read more…] about Grading The 94.7 Cycle Challenge – 2014

3 Things That Influence Christian Behavior

November 11, 2014 by EnnisP 5 Comments

You Can Counter
Bad Qualities
With Good Ones
You Can’t Eradicate Them

Have you ever wondered why people act out?

I’m talking about the good people, the ones who usually appear quite decent, no foul language or anti-social behavior.

Why do these people get caught in lies or found stealing, or worse, unexpectedly?

Sounds horrible, I know, and we don’t like talking about it but it does happen.

But the real question is this. Have you ever wondered why Christians sometimes act badly, worse even than many non-Christians?

We consider that an anomaly.

Christians are the ones who adamantly oppose wrong and hassle those who practice or promote it. They also claim to be the best and there is good reason to believe they should be.

So when a Christian does something out of character with the image they project, we get caught off balance. Makes you scratch your head and wonder what went wrong.

It can also make Christians feel a little insecure.

If it happened to them, can it happen to me?

It’s a different story for non-believers. In fact, the stubbornly non-believing are almost gleeful when Christians color outside the lines. It’s all nonsense anyway so a misstep is all the proof they need to cry hypocrisy.

Less damning unbelievers entertain the same thoughts but are a bit more gracious. They don’t assume hypocrisy or make a lot of noise.

Hypocrisy, of course, can be an issue. We can’t just ignore it but is that the only reason Christians act badly?

Are there other factors to consider? [Read more…] about 3 Things That Influence Christian Behavior

6 Proofs Your “Old Nature” Won’t Get Worse

October 31, 2014 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

If We Could Change
Our Nature
By Acting Differently
Why Would We Need Jesus

If I were to say the old nature couldn’t change many people might agree.

By “Old Nature” I mean the sinful nature, the flawed one we’re all born with.

But, if I were to say the old nature couldn’t get worse, which is what this post will try and prove, many might balk.

On the face of it, that statement isn’t easy to accept.

We know people can deteriorate morally. They can do terrible things on one day and then commit worse crimes later. It’s a process of change and it’s for the worse.

We’ve all seen it happen. One step downward creates a spiraling momentum that’s hard to stop. Inertia, once moving, doesn’t halt easily.

But there are reasons to believe this change doesn’t effect a person’s nature. [Read more…] about 6 Proofs Your “Old Nature” Won’t Get Worse