I’ll Tell You What…

When unions go on strike, they draw a lot of attention. Especially when that company is a public servant.

KCAL 9 in Los Angeles reports that the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) mechanics strike cost “$4million a day in lost business, wages and personal income tax revenues.”

This responder to a comment made in a Yahoo! Message Board believes that unions only benefit unions and NOT the employees or communities…

If these worker’s don’t want to work, they don’t have to. They won’t get paid either. It’s called a strike. It’s a free country.

“These same unions will also force a company to give them their back pay for choosing to strike. They will also intimidate people in order for them not to cross the line and “take their jobs.” Give me a break. If they go on strike, they should go to the unemployment office.

If the city is worried people’s lives will be disrupted or that people will lose their jobs, then they can pay the MTA workers more money. Or they can refuse and live with the consequences. It’s not that hard of a concept to figure out.

Extortion is not a valid method of getting a raise. In today’s society unions have long out-lived their usefulness. They use bully-tactics to get what they want for no increase in productivity. The most productive companies are those where unions do not exist.

More money doesn’t make people work harder, employeess have to want to work harder. And companies achieve that goal through the right kind of motivation, pride in one’s company, and having a sense of purpose. Without those three crucial ingredients, a company is doomed to have disgruntled workers who think it’s all about them and no one else. Unions have made workers fat, lazy, over-paid, under-appreciative, and low in morale.

I found this in the Yahoo! Technology - Reuters Internet Report area. click here

The ’Canterbury Tales’ was first published over 550 years ago.

I tell you, her sins-and they are many-have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The sun is just now coming up and today looks like another beautiful day. The newness of the now and the potential today holds is brought to mind. Does yesterday really matter when considering can be accomplished today? If that something is an on-going project, then yes. Otherwise, the new day is wide open.

This fresh start is just the way it is with the woman in the story. We don’t really know anything about her except that she was “immoral,” which may mean that she was a prostitute, and that she had many sins. One other thing that we know about her is that she was changed by Jesus.

We can only speculate about her past. She was probably brought up in a traditional Jewish household and learned the scriptures by talking with her mother and observing the Hebrew traditions. And, like today, she had friends that may not have had the best influence on her decisions in life. Or, maybe she did have Godly friends and found that the only way she could make a living is through prostitution. Was it suggested by a friend or was it observed? We do not know and never will. If we are wise, we realise how easy it is to fall into any kind of lifestyle that contradicts God’s word. And, how foolish it is to believe that we are too Godly to fall to such depths. Proverbs 16:25 say, “25There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

Have I fallen from great heights? Yes. Has the Lord always forgiven me when I ernestly ask Him for forgiveness? Yes. Am I a fool to continue in a lifestyle that I know is contrary to God’s will for my life? Most assuredly! Then, what am I waiting for?!

Great Father in heaven, I have been such a foolish child and have willfully disobeyed you. I am coming before you to humbly ask for your forgiveness, again. I have brought shame upon my life because of my actions and want to change. Give me a desire to grow in your favor and learn to be the child of God that I am supposed to be. I can’t do it on my own; that’s why I am asking for your help and guidance. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Leave your foolish ways behind, and begin to live; learn how to be wise.” Proverbs 9:6

Written by Larry the morning of September 7, 2003.