Achuckallen

Instigating Better

Politics

Careful Criticism

by

If you went back to President Bill Clinton’s first term and continued into President George W. Bush’s terms, then-President Barak Obama’s terms and President Donald Trump’s term, you would find two commonalities. First, you would discover that at the changing of the party platforms, radical changes took place. Second, you would find that the party that lost became progressively louder in the disagreement and criticism of platforms and policies.

Please don’t hear me say that we shouldn’t disagree and even disagree with great concern. I will say, however, that we must get a few things done that require some cooperation. The country must move forward and stop spending all of our energies fighting battles among ourselves. At some point, America will experience a significant and horrible challenge that will require left and right, donkey and elephant, black and white, to rally around our most core beliefs and work together.

Following that last paragraph, I am contemplating a complete rewrite. The left is warming up their keyboards, ready to fire off a blistering assault on my alleged intelligence. The right is preparing to continue the string of recent notes of joy that have called into question my faith, my sanity, and my patriotism. But I need to move on.

I titled this article “Careful Criticism.” One of the many problems in our Capital is the full-time politicians and their assault on whoever the “other party” is. It’s a problem because we are electing and paying people to do nothing but gripe, criticize, and complain. We have full-time whiners and news pundits, but very few get-it-done leaders are remaining. You pick the side, and you’ll find whiners, critics, and gripers. At some point, we have to discover some common ground and start moving forward. If we don’t, we will whine, blame, and criticize our way into a debt we cannot pay, a fight we cannot win, or a mistake from which we cannot recover.

I get it. Blue doesn’t want to agree with pro-life Red. Red doesn’t want to agree with green-deal Blue. I am not suggesting that anyone step away from their convictions. I am suggesting that there are areas in which we must fight to discover SOME common ground and press forward toward a better union and better Republic. Again, I am in no way suggesting we lay down convictions. I am suggesting that we lay down our anger, vitriol, and incivility. I mean that we rise as the great nation that we are and elect women and men with love for this country that exceeds their love for power and television time. Come on, America! We are so much better than the childish bickering that seems to keep our airwaves filled with more lavish and unstable hate-speak. To do that, we must stop electing career politicians. We must stop supporting anger-filled pundits, even if they agree with our ideologies, and we must elect leaders filled with integrity, decency, and character. We must also elect leaders that agree with serious campaign finance reform and term limits. If we do not, the stagnation of constant criticism will be rewarded with an ever-growing civil war that will occur every four-years yet change very little. At some point, we will have to elect women and men that have courage without anger. We must accept that no one is clean enough not to have some checkered past. We could use some common sense and some people that have experienced the need for grace and correction. We really could use a few leaders that have received and learned how to extend some grace and discipline.

Whatever it takes, we must move beyond the name-calling, foolish tirades, and attention-grabbing camera bluster of so-called leaders that get nothing done but partisan criticism and positioning. Maybe you should run for an elected office. Perhaps I should run for an elected office. But then, we would be under the microscope of criticism, and maybe someone might ask the question, could we handle the heat in that oven-like kitchen?

America, we must be careful with our criticism. It seems to be at the heart of our battles. We can disagree, and we should oppose other ideations of this land. We are a Republic founded on diverse people, which had, and still has vastly diverse thought. But we are Americans, for goodness sake. Let’s act like it!

Chuck

The Complexity of Reason

by

I doubt if it is safe to jump in the
water yet, but here goes.

Looking Back at the Election, I would Like to Offer Two Big Thoughts:

1. President Trump actually has no one to blame for his lost bid for a second term but himself. You cannot continually exhaust people with tirades for four years and expect a country in desperate need of logic and grace-filled leadership to continue to support you. I know that will ruffle my fellow Republicans, but I believe it to be an honest assessment of the last ninety-days of the 2020 election.

2. The Democratic teams of leadership, like Stacy Abrams out-survived the republicans. They put together a strategic plan that provided for legal means to register, gather, and count votes. While I am sure there was voter-fraud in many places, I do not believe the election was “stolen.” If like me, you were on the losing side, you want to believe that was the case, but wishing it to be so is not the same as proving that it is so. I agree with Lindsey Graham when he stated, ” I was told of 10,000 cases of illegal votes and asked for proof of ten. I received none.” I think that has been a truthful statement across the country. The bottom line lesson for republicans? Learn from Stacy Abrams. She is a brilliant human.

Here are Two Thoughts on the Attack on the Capital.

1. For those of you that wish to absolve yourself of the riotous lunatics that busted out windows, swung from the gallery of the Congress and stormed the Capital of the United States of America, I totally understand. I heard people trying to justify this insidious action by comparing it to BLM and Antifa’s actions last summer. Is that really a reason to raid your own capital? Those who participated in that action or attempting to deny its stupidity truly express their own lack of knowledge, wisdom, decency, or patriotism. I believe that 99.99% of the people in Washington were there to protest peacefully. I do not believe that the President intended to insight any violence, but we must speak loudly regarding evil, or we will continue to wallow in it. It may be an ancient saying, but it is appropriate for this year, “Two Wrongs Never Make a Right.”

2. While I do not believe that President Trump instigated violence or intended to do so, he does bear some responsibility for this mess. To continue the barrage of insults to his own party leaders that have been so faithful to him over the past years, simply for encouraging him to act like an adult encourages other people to join the fray. Vice President Pence has been far more loyal to the President than any human on the planet. To call and browbeat state elected officials isn’t cool. To continually argue against your own people allowed those that were “on the bubble” with the President to jump off the wagon. Again, see my statement regarding Stacy Abrams. I think the Republicans got outsmarted, out strategized, and outmanned. As a result, they lost. End of story. Rather than “sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” maybe the Republicans should see it this way, “sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” Mr. Trump, you were the President. Your words carry far greater weight than us regular folks. To claim theft and enrage millions of supporters with claims that carried no legal proof was to play a significant role in what occurred at the Capital. Every side has nut jobs. Ours were public and needed to have been reprimanded by the President within seconds of the first act of violence.

I know I’ve made simple claims and elementary statements in this post. Still, now more than ever, the United States of America needs voices of logic, reason, and civility from our leaders. When our voices are shut down simply because we disagree on who we voted for, we have lost our opportunity to express decency and civility. Vocabulary.com states that REASON is defined as, “Reason usually has to do with thought and logic instead of emotion. If people think you show good reason or are reasonable, it means you think things through. If people think you have a good reason for doing something, it means you have a motive that makes sense.” Boy, oh boy, we could use some reason right now. This constant hatred and childish bickering MUST STOP! The right and the left and the middle must put the American people’s welfare – ALL OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE – ahead of party lines, party platforms, personal preferences, and petty divisions.

REASON. This great land will return to a voice of reason when we all lay down our pitchforks and words of mass destruction. When we speak to folks with which we disagree with civility tones and seek to understand more than seeking to be understood.

Reason. It’s pretty simple. Then why do we seem to work so hard to make it complex?

Peace, Chuck

So Much for Super-Spreader Events

by

So Much for Super-Spreader Events by Chuck Allen

Not that we need any further opinions on the pandemic, but both sides seem to be tossing verbal grenades at one another regarding gathering in large crowds. With masks, or without masks, we all need to take a breath.

The problem with lobbing hand grenades at whoever those other folks are, is you have to be willing for it to come back to you. Verbal sparring isn’t a new phenomenon, but it seems to be brand new in each political cycle.

The Blue side was stunned that the Red side would meet in those arenas and stadiums to get fired up in their rally. Each media site that leaned blue just had to use the term “super-spreader.” But then the Blue team won, and the Red team threw a hardy “well look at them.” I couldn’t hear super-spreader after hearing “Na-na-na-na-na.”

Our political systems reak of the rot left in the wake of our foul-mouthed hatred and venom.

Here’s a thought. How about we determine that we all have sinned in our past, and we ALL have a history. That we also (hopefully) grow and develop the ability to speak the truth and know the truth, and live in reality. No, seriously. Okay, one can hope.

Let’s get back to the point. When it comes to calling out the other side like a pair of toddler twins, be careful what you scream about. It always comes around to bite you in the butt.

Jesus had a word for the most self-righteous folks that were ready to stone a young lady that had made some deplorable choices with her life. He said, “If you have no sins, yourself, throw the first stone.” OUCH! That had to have left a mark! It should leave a mark on us as well.

Can’t we clean up our junk, bitterness, anger, and insecurities – Before we go into attack mode? I hate it when I violate this rule. I always pay the price, someday, someway. Jesus has this way of reminding us that we love to point out the dust in somebody else’s house while we have mold on the dirty dishes in our sink.

Here are two good rules to follow when we want to toss our “gotchas.”

  1. STOP! Give yourself three seconds to determine if what you are about to say will help the situation at all? If not, hang onto it and drop it in the mental trash can.
  2. Remember that you might need to take a quick peek into your past or even your future. Is it possible that these words are coming back like an Australian boomerang and will potentially decapitate you?

Have a great day! Remember your dishes and count the cost of your words. You’ll be so glad that you did.

Peace, AChuck

Ps. See you tomorrow on the 4forFRIDAY!

 

 

I’m Offended!

by

I’m Offended by AChuckAllen

Everywhere I turn, somebody has been offended. Each time that I watch the news, there are people offended and often another group of people taking up their offenses.

Come on, folks! We live in a world of diversity. We have diverse backgrounds, education, skin color, and spiritual maturity. As a result, we live in conflict. There it is! That awful “C-word,” CONFLICT! But, I don’t think we are dying from conflict, we are slowly dying from misdirected and mismanaged conflict. Wherever you are and whatever you do, is done in the sphere of diversity. And, wherever diversity exists, conflict is close behind.

We, as independent people, love our freedoms, especially when everyone agrees with us. But then life happens. Someone sees the world differently that you do, and BAM! Our diversity then becomes conflict.

We seem to be able to work together. Why then, can we not think together? Because conflict always exists, whether we verbalize or stuff it. The simple recognition that God created us uniquely should give us the catalyst to understand that we look differently, respond differently, and lead differently. Why in the world would we believe that we would not think and speak differently?

I am attempting to control my heart, and I’ve asked the Divine to guide me through this season. You know why? Well, thanks for asking. It is because I have no hope of understanding my heart, much less, changing it without God’s Spirit directing it.

We must stop being offended about everything that someone does or says. Remember that conflict is always present, so don’t take the bait. Refuse to buy into the lies that everyone has a deep and dark agenda to rob you of some freedom or right.

Ask your Creator to do a work within you that will soften your heart with empathy and sincerity, and see how differently this world of conflict is from the life God has directed us to live. Ask your Creator to thicken your skin, so you will not be the victim of everything somebody says.

The foolish, binary thoughts that we must live on the fringes of our ideals with simple yes/no questions leaves no room for us to create our own thoughts and convictions. If all we do is regurgitate someone else’s opinions, we are buying into the lies that the far right or far left has all the answers. That’s a steaming pile of poop!

Lay down your idealistic, emotional boo-boo’s and battle weary pitchforks long enough to develop an “up close” perspective. The further removed from something, the easier it is to take up an offense that was never about you. The longer we remain distanced from the problem, person or statement, we seem to be more offended. The closer we get to the statement, person or problem, the easier it is to develop sympathy, solutions and empathy for the person, problem or activity.

This overly simple, three step, mental activity will save you years of heartache and the temptation to become a statistic filled with rage and no healthy way to release that anger.

1) Live in the Spirit as He lives in you. 2) Offer grace and the reality that you may not know the whole story. 3) Discipline your soul to NOT pick up an offense unless it is personally directed at you and you can deal with it in love and preferably in person. Otherwise, let it go, let it go, let it go!

The real battle isn’t what, or who are offended by, the real battle is between your ears. I’ve discovered that when I am grateful, thoughtful, transparent, and grace-filled, I can lay those offenses down so much easier. How about you?

Go in Peace,
AChuck

Don’t miss a single day of my Weekday Podcast. Just 5 minutes/day and 5 days/week will deliver to your inbox a “Cup of Encouragement.”

Why Trump or Biden?

by

Why Will You Vote for Donald Trump or Joe Biden in 148 Days?

That should attract some attention. Who and why you will vote in November 2020. In many ways, things have radically changed since 2016, while many other things seem to remain stagnant. I struggle with being fired up about either of these candidates, but let’s face facts, that’s who we have to vote for. Here are a few things to think about:

  • It is still about the appointment of judges! More valuable than the economy and foreign policy, even immigration. It’s all about the selection of judges. If you are a conservative, as I am, then you have to weigh the track record of both candidates and determine where you want the future court(s) to go. You determine that.
  • I don’t meet many folks that are diehard supporters of either of these fellas. I do meet people that have strong opinions about their ideas, platforms, and party alignment. So if we are to measure a presidential vote on likability, Biden wins in a landslide. If we are to measure our vote on pro-business, lower taxes, and economic recovery, history would give you a reason to vote for Donald Trump. The outliers with Trump flags and Never-Trump flags aren’t the heart of this nation, any more than the far left socialists are. They are on the periphery of our voting populous.
  • If you are a Follower of Jesus, both of these candidates can drive you crazy. President Trump would help himself and our support if he considered slowing down or even shutting down the Twitter barrage of insanity. Mr. Biden would help if he could pick a belief system and stick with it. Pairing up with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren, or Kamala Harris isn’t helping calm my fears. I want to like President Trump. I like his economic position. I like his foreign policy position. I like his tax and business-first mentality. I hate that he is a bully. I cannot stand the constant attacks via Twitter. I disdain his typical rage-filled tantrums. But with Mr. Biden, I must ask, who will genuinely run the country? Before you go off on this statement, just recognize the ongoing gaffs and instability of Biden’s health. I am all for a female to run the country. We men have had 240 plus years and we seem to have digressed in our leadership capacity. But Joe, I cannot line up with the women you are talking about.
  • If I could pick a candidate to write-in, and believe that write-in counted, I would write in former Ambassador to the UN and Governor of the great state of South Carolina, Nikki Haley. She is brilliant and gracious. We could use a heavy dose of both of those characteristics.
  • I disagree with much of the Trump Doctrine, and in truth, I cannot vote for Mr. Biden as his political leanings are simply too far left for me.
  • So, it all comes down to five simple thoughts (at least to me).

    1. JUDGES and the FUTURE of THE COURTS.
    2. ECONOMIC RECOVERY from the AMERICAN SHUTDOWN.
    3. FOREIGN POLICY – NORTH KOREA, RUSSIA, and CHINA.
    4. TAXES and PRO-BUSINESS GROWTH.
    5. FAIR TRADE with GLOBAL ECONOMIES
  • I would love to be able to select a President based on his, or her faith-filled life and his commitment to Godly leadership. That doesn’t seem to be a high priority for either candidate. As a result, I will look toward these five items. Let the hate mail begin!

    –AChuck


KeyBoard Warriors

by

My Pop used to have a good word for folks with a poor mouth. He’d say, “If you haven’t got anything good to say, it’s your fault.” Pop was a wise man, with a guarded tongue.

I’ve noticed how critical and calloused the world has become, haven’t you? It’s as though we have the willpower of a cockroach when it comes to the critique of others. I remember the first time that I heard the terms, “armchair quarterback and backseat driver.” The implication of those phrases are that it is pretty stinking easy to sit in the cheap seats and critique the players on the field. It’s even easier to try and make the right calls from a distance. But hey, we live in a world where keyboards are the weapon of choice.

I’ve been in full time ministry, public speaking and the pastorate long enough to know that the only way to not be criticized is to never do anything, say anything or write anything. I’ve also experienced enough criticism to know that there are times when it is helpful and beneficial for everyone involved.

I’m one of those folks that has never professed to being one of the extraordinarily bright people. If you’ve been reading my posts over the past few years, you already know that. I am however, someone that is making an effort to better the lives of as many people as possible through the work and ministry of Sugar Hill Church, podcasts, teaching, coaching, writing, raising funds and serving wherever possible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a knucklehead at times. I’m self-centered, sinful and occasionally angry. And yet, the Lord continues to use the foolish, thank the Lord.

I’ve determined that although the world of social media is filled with praise for folks that have a quick wit and a sharp response, that’s not what I choose to do with my keyboard. And, like me, you have a choice of what to do with yours, as well.

I served with a fella, years ago that is really bright, witty and always on the hunt for a post or article to attack. Bless his heart, he’s never enjoyed the freeing feeling of offering up an original thought, but he can slam the door on somebody’s writing and quotes like a champ. I’ll bet that many of you know a person like that. On behalf of all the authors and creators out there, I’m so sorry you have to hear from these small minded, gutless and critical-spirited bullies that only peek out from behind their keyboards when in the friendly confines of like minded people.

Here is my recommendation for you, as you move forward with your creation. Drop these critical spirited folks from your list and block them on your social media platforms. Or you could do the more difficult thing and tolerate their often wicked critique until you are so jaded that you laugh out loud as you read their bully replies and critiques. Come on folks! We are better than that, right?

It’s easy to offer blistering critique from a thousand miles. I doubt that many of these folks would say the same things to you face to face. Keyboard Warriors are like that. Keep on creating and keep efforting to instigate better in this messed up world. Taylor Swift was right. “Haters gonna hate.”

I’m reminded of Dr. Kent Keith’s Paradoxical Commandments. Especially number ten, “Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.”

Thanks for Reading,
AChuck