Canción de tierra

Para ver la versión original en inglés, haga click aquí.

Canción de tierra

Somos todos los ciudadanos de la tierra,
no separado por país ni por el nacimiento.
Nuestra supervivencia depende de uno al otro,
Y yo soy, por el derecho, su hermano lejano.
Pero si somos del mismo doblez, por qué somos personas
Luchar que tan frío para el poder no es correcto.
El orgullo debe estar dentro de la vista del Señor.
¿Pero el hermano, por qué somos nosotros tan lejanos?
El mundo físico proporciona resistencia.
Deseo que pueda sentirme para siempre la brisa,
Pero las personas cortan bosques y árboles.
Las personas reciclan recursos para su consideración
antes que sean idos y son demasiado tarde.
A pesar de su ropa, el color o el nombre,
En los ojos, nosotros somos todo lo mismo.
Y si usted se siente que está solo que está
siempre bienvenido en mi casa.

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No need for “official English language”

Language is the art of communication, especially in a societal sense.  This country has been created and grown on the diversity of thoughts, ideals, and language.  As a result the way the people talk in New Hampshire do not communicate the same way as people do in New Orleans, and there are a variety of other regional accents just as distinctive in other parts to this country.

Since the mid-1980’s, a conservative political effort has grown to legislate English as the official national language.  Those who believe this think that a collective use of foreign languages in the USA hurts rather than helping immigrants, and the cost of printing signs and documents in various languages is a waste of tax money. This “Official English” bill H.R. 997 would eliminate publishing official publications other in than a “standard” English. With more than 33 million foreign-born people in this country, communication is crucial for all segments of society.

It is important to note here, as a man with a formal education and as a writer, a command of the written and spoken English is imperative for success in a general sense, and on a regional or national scale.  English is a standard of business for the world, but realize English is a changing language influence heavily by foreign influences and cultures. Through a strong diversity emerges an even stronger unity of conversation and sharing of ideas.

Any effort to legislate an “official” language for this country would be denial of everything this country stands for, and such an “official” conservative movement could lead to an “official religion” here.  One language does not fit all, even if the waistband has enough elastic to expand from sea to shining sea.

Peace be you with always,

Rev. Paul Abernathy

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” -2 Peter 1:2

Contact Paul Abernathy at paulabernathy@gmail.com.

Want to know more about the members of Lambda Sigma Chi? Click here to meet the members of the unofficial fraternity.

 Photo Gallery

Covered Bridge

Through the magic of technology and computers, the World of Words by Elias Tobias presents a portfolio of ArtBrushed images that originated as digital photographs by Mike Hall.  You save the entire image to your computer free, and use the ArtBrushed photo for wallpaper or the screensaver.  You can print it and frame it, too. Just click on the image on this post and and choose the “Save photo as” option when you right click again.  Select which folder the file will go, then you name that file. Approve the change and you’re set.

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Cheap Information

Rev. Paul Abernathy, one of the more outspoken members of the unofficial fraternity, uses his religious training to make a personal statement.

Cheap Information
Adam looked around paradise,
and he was at wonder and peace.
Then he saw other animals had a mate,
and then God blessed him with Eve.
On a bright day, she saw a snake
coiled on a limb of low tree.
It said she could have knowledge
of the world, and the price was
discounted, practically free.
All she had to do was take a bite
from an apple from this one tree.
She asked Adam, and God had warned
him, saying, “All you need is me.”
Eve was hungry, and in the middle
of the night she got a bite of
an apple when Adam was asleep.
In the morning, they realized they
were naked and gathered some leaves
to cover parts of their body that
other animals showed naturally.
Even with knowledge and power,
people can easily be deceived,
especially when the drive for
this information can exceed
the paradise that we have
already existing under our feet.

Have you read the childrens story, The Peasant Princess? It is in English, French, Spanish, German, and Arabic.

She’s the laundromat queen

She’s the laundromat queen,
always looking for a dream
of a man lean in the jeans.
Her normal is just obscene,
and her hands are hot and mean.
She’s the laundromat queen.

No matter if its Friday or Saturday night,
she searches for the man who is right;
and when she has him in her sight,
she makes sure her blouse is tight.
She won’t leave him alone without a fight
because she the laundromat queen,
always looking for a dream
even though it always seems
all she wants is a wedding ring
from the man who can bring
her away from this grinding scene.
Until then she’s the laundromat queen,
taking her Tide on a Tuesday night
trying to make her clothes as bright
as her old street corner light
where she once looked for Mr. Right.

She’s the laundromat queen,
always looking for a dream
of a man lean in the jeans
even though it always seems
all she wants is a wedding ring.
She’s the laundromat queen.

Like a friendly scavenger hunt? Learn more about this web blog with two Elias Tobias Trivia Quizzes.

Soy un Escritor

Para ver la versión original en inglés, haga click aquí.

Soy un Escritor

Soy un escritor, un combatiente,
y yo aventan mis verbos para
que una voz dentro de mí pueda
oído por los que me adorarán y
me odiarán en mi cada palabra.

Soy un escritor, un combatiente,
y el campeón de una causa para
que puedan mostrar soluciones a los
desperfectos de la vida que parecen
a los que rompen uno de las
muchas leyes confusas.

Soy un escritor, un combatiente,
y en mi propia manera especial
habla para los que no tienen
tiempo de decir lo que está en
los corazones porque trabajan
duramente terminar sólo el día.

Soy un escritor, un combatiente,
uno con una voz silenciosa que
tiene el poder en un mundo limitado de
elección que es contaminada
por los que siempre deben
hacer ruido fuerte.

Soy un escritor, un combatiente,
y yo escribirán al fin para ello es
un derecho que muchos se ha
muerto para defender tan podría
estar libre escribir lo que deseo,
aún a ésos yo quizás ofenda.

Soy un escritor, un combatiente,
y yo ponen palabras a la canción
tan si quiere la música, también,
canta sólo adelante, y quizá mi
mensaje todavía estará aquí mucho
tiempo después soy ido.

Have you read the childrens story, The Peasant Princess? It is in English, French, Spanish, German, and Arabic.

Le Combat

Le Combat
Dans ce combat personne meurt,
Pour petit climps de mensonges
s’Accroche et le côté pour que l’un peutsurvivre.

Dans ce combat il n’y a pas de fusil
Mais rien ne revient à une simple bagatelle.
Et quand le blessé est mis dansles tas
La Menace sur les glissements d’âme.

Dans ce quelque chose de combat est perdu.
Le temps et la patience sont les coûts.
Les ennuis communs sont les ennemis
Et c’est le combat de l’âme.

Pour lire ce poème en anglais, cliquez ici.

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Am I Worthy?

Am I worthy of being the recipient of God’s love through Jesus Christ?   This may seem a silly question a minister of all people should ask himself, but it truly an important question all of us have to answer.

I heard the line “Am I Worthy?” in a Western movie with Lee Marvin about a group of Americans who are hired by an American railroad mogul to retrieve his kidnapped wife from a Mexican renegade. In this scene, a Mexican farmer, who is helping the Americans in a foreign land, is approached by the Mexican renegade and his band of “bad guys.”  The Americans, with their weapons ready to fire from a train car, watch as the man directs the Mexican bandits away from the Americans.  For his efforts, he is beaten and trampled by horses of the bandits as they ride away.  With the “bad guys” out of the scene, the Mexican man struggles to stand with his arms straight out from his body like a cross facing the Americans and asks, “Am I worthy?”  With the magic of Hollywood, the man recovers quickly in a few scenes later and helps the Americans with their task at hand.

This was good stage directing.  Paul, in his writings to encourage the early Christians, wonders if he is worthy. Very knowledgeable about the Jewish traditions when employed by the Romans, he committed many sins against Christians to say the least. With his conversion, he became a new person, and worked to make God’s kingdom a reality for others.  As a minister, I have to be humble enough to ask the same questions Paul did of his life. The call to be a minister, and a minister for children, was a difficult decision to make in a way because, like Paul, I had to become a new person worthy of the post.
In His ministry, Jesus had parables that often put the Pharisees in a bad light, such as the one about the Pharisee and the tax collector. Even back then, tax collectors had a bad reputation, but Jesus said the worse of the two was the Pharisee, the one who knew God’s law and taught it to the Jews.

That man had status, power, and wealth, but it was an earthly rank. The fact that Jesus said he was the Son of God made the Pharisees even more angry or jealous, and clearing the Temple of sinful people didn’t help their view of Him. The kingdom Jesus proclaims is not here on earth.  It is in Heaven.

Modern religious leaders have fallen from grace for their sins because the power of God they felt initially in their work became a power they perceived as their own. They were not worthy, just as the Pharisee.  In my work, I sometimes struggle to meet the needs of my family, the church, and the youth I serve all at the same time. Wild horses can knock me down, and I want to be able to stand up, with my arms straight out, and ask the Lord, “Am I Worthy?”

Peace be you with always,

Rev. Paul Abernathy

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” -2 Peter 1:2

Contact Paul Abernathy at paulabernathy@gmail.com.

Want to know more about the members of Lambda Sigma Chi? Click here to meet the members of the unofficial fraternity.

Patriotic Horse

(Photo by Mike Hall)

Louisville is known internationally for its interest in horses, and to celebrate this a series of horse statues around town are painted by local artists, much like the cattle are decorated in in Dallas.  This horse celebrates the submarine, the USS Lexington.
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 Photo Gallery

Meditation Pond

Through the magic of technology and computers, the World of Words by Elias Tobias presents a portfolio of ArtBrushed images that originated as digital photographs by Mike Hall.  You save the entire image to your computer free, and use the ArtBrushed photo for wallpaper or the screensaver.  You can print it and frame it, too. Just click on the image on this post and and choose the “Save photo as” option when you right click again.  Select which folder the file will go, then you name that file. Approve the change and you’re set.

Like a friendly scavenger hunt? Learn more about this web blog with two Elias Tobias Trivia Quizzes.