I took the suggestion of my Facebook feed and allowed Meta AI to use a picture it saw in my phone to create a four-panel comic strip. It wasn't comedic enough to use for Almost the Truth, but cute enough to preserve in this space.
Here's the original picture of SweetCheeks, Me, SkittleKid, and MisterSquishy from last Easter:
And here's the rollicking, fanciful adventure Meta turned us into...
I've been waiting for 7 months to hear any kind of news report about an impending trial or charges being filed in the case of the nationally-broadcast murder of Alex Pretti.
And yesterday evening, KARE 11 News shared this post that left me even more convinced that if we don't keep asking about it, it's never going to happen.
7 MONTHS (!!!) after everybody watched a man get pepper-sprayed, thrown to the ground and subdued by several men, disarmed of his legally carried and holstered firearm, and THEN shot to death . . . and still no legal action against the perpetrators.
With sincere sympathy and ready encouragement, Bruce W. Martin takes hurting readers through a grieving process that helps them reconcile their deep suffering with their beliefs about a good God. He helps them find deep meaning in the midst of tragedy so that they can enjoy a deeper intimacy with God and others.
A unique and compassionate take on the age-old questioning of suffering, this book is perfect for readers who have experienced life-shattering pain, such as divorce, the loss of loved ones, bankruptcy, cancer, addiction, and even violent crimes, giving them real answers to their toughest questions and helping them move forward in life after tragedy.
I met the author at a conference we both attended - he gave two keynotes and led two breakout sessions, all of which I happily soaked up before eagerly buying his book. Bottom line is, I'm glad I did. This is a well-told tale, combining lessons from the story of Job with the author's own experience of pain, loss, and grief. I came away forewarned that "in this world, you will have trouble," but also encouraged that "God is always up to something good, because he is good."
First Line: I still remember the phone call five days before Christmas 2002.
Page 56 / Line 5: So far, so good.
A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: God is far more intent on perfecting our faith through trouble than on protecting us from trouble.
Last Line: Jesus is with you.
For Renee Good & Alex Pretti
I've watched enough cop shows in my life to be familiar with what happens when there is an officer-involved shooting: The officer involved hands over their gun and badge (or shield, as the case may be) and is put on administrative duty while an investigation takes place.
Regarding the recent officer-involved shootings in the streets of Minneapolis, I'm wondering if that protocol is being followed.
I'm forced to wonder about that because all I've heard from the governmental entities overseeing the work of the involved officers are immediate statements of exoneration: Statements that are direct contradictions to the available video evidence.
In all fairness, the February 6 statement from the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is hopeful, but not exhaustive.
In no news conference have I heard an official say anything close to "The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation."
I reserve the right to be wrong about that. I mean, I admit to not seeing or hearing every statement made by every deputy director of this or that acronym. I had to turn things off for a bit. I was overwhelmed by the level of lies spewing out of the mouths of government spokespeople.
So...
I'm left wondering. What is happening with the people who pulled the triggers? Has the news cycle moved on already and now we're all upset about the Epstein files (again) and Border Patrol is breathing a sigh of relief because the spotlight is no longer on them?
American citizens have been killed. I'm wondering where the liberty and justice for all is.
I know, I know, I said I was going to avoid “current events” in my posts, but when a trusted friend shares something so unimaginable, to say nothing feels like complicity. FATHER GOD, open our eyes to what You would have us do in these troubling times!
From my friend: This is a hard post to write but last night I was in an ICE ambush raid & witnessed the abduction of 5 U.S. citizens.
This horrific ICE abduction was the most violent assault on human life I have ever seen in my life.
No due process was followed. Not one ICE agent identified themselves. Not one ICE agent asked for names, legal status, or paperwork. These “men” were masked & heavily armed and immediately & viciously assaulted the young Latino men, workers from my local Mexican restaurant.
They immediately attempted to try to also illegally seize me, a U.S. citizen and legal observer, but by a true miracle I was able to get into my car and lock the door. The ICE agents were ripping at my doors and threatening me and the other peaceful observers with huge guns like AR-15s, handguns, tasers, batons & devices to break car windows. They attempted to box me in with multiple vehicles but I escaped. The other car of men was violently broken into & taken.
This is NOT the land of the free. Watching firsthand as U.S. citizens are brutally beaten & dragged by a paramilitary group of 8 unidentifiable men is unconscionable. This is not the FREEDOM my husband, my grandpas or my friends fought & continue to fight for. I am appalled and you should be too. This is both unconstitutional AND illegal. If you’re not already, wake up to this reality right now of ALL U.S. citizens, regardless of OUR skin color.
It could be you next.
It seems like every day, there is a shocking event or executive order or tragic occurrence that overtakes the news cycle and results in a flood of social media posts:
And me?
With a very few exceptions, I have avoided weighing in. Pouring gasoline on a fire seldom results in the fire going out. That has proven to be true on the occasion of those few exceptions.
Besides, I honestly am more interested in people falling in love with Jesus than in hating Trump or Woke Culture or whatever either side views as The Enemy.
In addition to that, what will my cries into the void change or accomplish, anyway?
But then I think of the famous quote from Martin Niemöller:
"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
I really have been struggling, but I think that writing this down has helped me come to a conclusion.
I think the long-term betterment of life as we know it will be best served by me if I lift up the name of Jesus and pray for his words in John 12:32 to be fulfilled:
"When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."
I refuse to lay down and accept all the hurtful, ugly, immoral words and actions of the U.S.A.'s current president.
Say what you can about his policies, it's his character that I cannot condone.
Now, there are plenty of things about his policies and executive orders that anger me to no end, but I recognize the possibility of reasonable people having different opinions about economics, immigration, and EBT cards.
What I cannot comprehend is allowing a pass to someone who treats people with the utmost disrespect while expecting unflinching loyalty. This man talks and behaves like a spoiled preschooler, ignoring the rulings of judges and the intent of the laws of our land.
You wouldn't allow your child to behave this way. Why are you accepting it from a grown man? How can you say, "He's doing what I voted for?"
Congratulations to our 2017 Kia Sportage!
Neither Beloved nor I can recall ever reaching the 100,000 mile milestone with any of our previous vehicles.
That's a lot of trips from Minnesota to Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wyoming, and Arkansas.
Not wanting my inspirational blog, Truth Is..., to become saturated with personal rants, please allow me to use this outlet to blow off a little steam.
I am grieved at the current political ads that use the phrase "the freedom to control your own body" as the patriotic-sounding code words for "the ability to kill an unborn human."
This is not a matter of religious faith, but of basic biology:
Some may say, "That's right, and I have the right to say whether I want to incubate someone else with my body."
Yes, you do, but the time to make that decision is before you get pregnant. Because the minute you conceive, you are now dealing with another person's rights, not just your own. You have every right in the world to flail your arms around at random, but that right ends at the point where your arms come in contact with someone else's nose.
You do not have the right to harm someone else, and that pre-born human is someone else, with their own DNA, fingerprints, and heartbeat.
Calling abortion "personal reproductive rights" does not change the fact that it ends a human's life.
Some may say, "But it's just a blob of tissue...a product of conception. It's not really human, is it?"
Again, I'm not espousing a religious belief, but basic biology. When two humans have sex and the female becomes pregnant, the product of that conception is human; no different from you or me except for their size, level of development, environment, and degree of dependency.
* * * * * * *
So, my dear political candidate, when you smile into the camera and tell me I should vote for you because of your plans to uphold a woman's freedom to control her own body...it makes my stomach churn, my eyes water, and my heart grieve.
I started sifting through one of the piles of papers in my home office this morning and found this...I don't know...poem?
I wrote it on a series of sticky notes; I think either in the middle of the night or right after getting up some morning. I'm pretty sure it's close to being a true story.
Crying in My Sleep
I dreamt of you last night
You had created a beautiful coffee-table book
of quotes and pictures
and poems and life
You had bared your soul in print
and put me on the cover
Me
On the cover
And I sobbed so deeply I couldn't breathe
To be so fondly remembered
To have a memory of yourself so deeply cherished
Well, it is able to separate bone from marrow
and put Humpty Dumpty together again
I dreamt of you last night
And was reborn
I am saddened by medical professionals talking about how important it is for their patients to be able to make their own medical decisions concerning the "right" to choose whether or not to continue a pregnancy.
To get an idea of how these ads affect me, do a little word association.
Every time you hear the phrase "what to do with her own body" or "reproduction rights," insert the words "kill babies."
I know, I know...that sounds so harsh, but just do it.
"If I am elected, I will fight for a woman's right to decide what to do with her own body" becomes "If I am elected, I will fight for a woman's right to decide to kill babies."
"Our reproduction rights are at risk" turns into "Our right to kill babies is at risk."
Because the unborn entity ("fetus", "glob of cells", "embryo", "under-developed human being", "child that has yet to be born") is not "her own body." He or she has his or her own unique fingerprints, heartbeat, brainwaves, and DNA. And while it sounds American to say that a woman has a right to choose what to do with her own body, it has always been true that my right to swing my arms about ends at the tip of someone else's nose. My right to do what I want with my own body does not include causing harm to someone else.
And the unborn entity is someone else.
For more nuanced and empathetic discussions about all this, you are invited to check out the posts about abortion that I've made on the "Truth Is..." blog. (Click here)
P.S. It also saddens me that, here in Minnesota at least, the upcoming election seems to be focusing on this one issue, forcing us to decide, "If you are in favor of abortions, you must vote for Democrats and if you are against abortions, you must vote for Republicans." That saddens me because almost everything else the Republican party has been doing for the last several years goes against my grain, sticks in my craw, makes me throw up a little, etc.
Thanks to Daughter Buckeye's subscription to Disney+, Beloved and I watched the latest Disney/Pixar movie, Lightyear, last weekend. [Disclaimer: everything I write from here on reflects my views and opinions and shines no light on what Beloved thought or thinks.]
First of all, the concept of making the movie that inspired Andy's love of the Buzz Lightyear action figure in the Toy Story franchise is brilliant.
Second of all, the execution of that concept was less than brilliant. Don't get me wrong, the movie looked amazing and had a few elements of grin-worthy humor and wow-inducing action, but the whole plot about (spoiler alert?) Buzz Lightyear learning that he can't always accomplish tasks by himself and needs to accept help from others is so cliche as to be trite and not emotionally engaging in the least.
Third of all, you may recall a relatively short-lived outcry against the film because of a reported kiss between two females. Well, let me say this about that:
1. Yes, two female characters got married, but if they ever kissed, I never saw it. (There was a sort of montage of scenes that showed the passage of time. MAYBE the alleged kiss happened then but was so quick that I missed it?)
2. And so what? Which is more damaging, a cartoon depiction of a daily reality or another round of ammunition in the fight to paint Christians as hateful bigots?
Seriously, I am so weary of bandwagons and left-bashing and name-calling...all done in the name of Jesus.
Whatever happened to "and they'll know we are Christians by our love"?
A sleepy college town. A brutal murder. A passel of peculiar witnesses. Meet the people of Muscatatuck, Indiana, and follow the adventures of an unlikely crime-solving duo. Detective Jackson Reed digs through conflicting evidence and contends with the town's oddball residents to uncover the truth. Professor Peregrine Pribble deploys his natural nosiness to help solve the crime. And the outcome is not what you'd expect in this hometown whodunit.
It's not every day a person can say they just finished reading a novel written by a high school classmate who also happens to be the daughter of their former minister. But today is that day for me. Sarah worked for decades at a small college in Huntington, Indiana, and has set this mystery in a similar place, full of what I am sure are personal references to the kind of folks she spent years working alongside. I love the way Sarah plays with words and says totally honest things in absolutely humorous ways. Take her bio, for instance: "Sarah Hume lives a long way from anywhere you have visited in the rural Midwest. She has been on a diet since 1995 and feeds any stray cats that wander up. Sarah is currently working on her second novel in the Pribble series. At least, that's what she tells her publisher." TWO THUMBS UP!
First Line: In the chill of early morning on Sunday, February 25, Almeda Bishop lay awake.
Page 56, 5th sentence: Services will be held there at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Last Line: And that the instant her body was discovered, the clock in the tower of College Hall stopped dead.
Here you will find lyrics to 99 songs of humor, longing, love, despair, lament, joy, wonder, life & death, and so on and so forth, etc. The honesty will catch you, the rhymes entrance you, and the rhythms should pretty much take care of the rests. Please, fasten your safety belts as you are treated to stories of Arizona night skies, small-town revenge, joyous artistic creation, depression-era heatwaves, a dancehall Lothario, a child astronomer lost in the desert, ghosts of lost loves, and fickle fingers of fate that tickle ribcages.
Off and on for two decades, Roland and I played together on the stage of the Dakota Chautauqua as part of the Dakota County (MN) Fair. We sang. He played mandolin and guitar and banjolin. My character tried to convince his character that electricity is a good thing. A splendid time was guaranteed for all. When it comes to this book, Roland is still playing. He has words bouncing off each other and creating funhouse mirror effects that make the reading of these song lyrics a journey of delightful discovery. (Feel free to get one yourself by going to Amazon.)
First Line: We gather as a plethora, sing a single song.
Page 56/Line 5: A hawk swooped down my street.
Last Line: From my small apartment where I write, I hear birds compare the sunrise to the night.
The current hateful yelling...on both sides of the abortion issue...grieves me. I'm pretty sure no minds have been changed or hearts moved as a result of chanting slogans or screaming insults. I am convinced that very few convictions have been modified from reading a "discussion" thread on Twitter or Facebook.
And yet, here I am, wanting to make a particular point that seems to be getting missed.
It concerns me that folks seem to be labeling the argument against abortion as a religious stance...that the main reason to be against abortion is "because God says so."
Let me be perfectly clear.
Abortion is not a religious issue.
Really...it's not.
We need to set aside all the stereotypes of Bible-thumpers and Planned Parenthood money-makers and calmly consider the basics of whether the pre-born entity is human. That's the only question that needs to be answered because if it's human, then killing it is murder. If it's not human, then treat it like a malignant tumor, I suppose.
Now, I clearly have a researched answer to that question. And if you want to read more about all that, let me direct you to my inspirational blog, Truth Is..., and its several posts about abortion. (Click those links.)
But THIS particular post is about this one particular point: Don't brush off the life-and-death issue of abortion as being a matter of religious opinion. The things that matter in the discussion are scientific facts.
That being said, we must avoid living up to the stereotype of caring only about the pre-born entity. The fathers and mothers and children must be treated with compassion, empathy, and respect, or all our "pro-life" rhetoric rings untrue.
For the record, that's why I so appreciate the work done by Amnion Pregnancy Center, which cares for EVERYONE affected by an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy.
No yelling. No Bible-thumping. No slogan chanting. (Hmm...that would look good on a banner being marched down a sidewalk. Just kidding!)
Yes, I am saddened by the most recent loss of school-aged lives.
Yes, I am grieved on behalf of the disrupted families.
But you know what? Posting about it on social media platforms won't change anything.
Raising a ruckus with our elected officials won't change anything. At least it hasn't during the last two decades since Columbine.
TWO DECADES!
It's time to hold those elected officials responsible for their lack of action.
While I am convinced that the ultimate solution will only take place when more and more people give up on worshipping their rights and start worshipping Jesus, I do have a suggestion that just might make an impact.
Don't re-elect anyone.
"But MY guy is in favor of my stand on issues."
- Your guy is also part of the partisan division that refuses to cooperate and compromise and accomplish any real change. As long as WE continue to stand in the muck of our own hatred and selfishness, the politicians will, too.
Part of what makes Jesus the ultimate solution is that he specializes in creating clean slates. This suggestion of mine is a non-religious shadow of that.
#ReElectNoOne
This is not a joke. This is the only language Washington understands.
What a wonderful resource is LinkedIn. Do a simple search, and you are presented with multiple employment opportunities for positions that fit you to a T.
"Oh good!" you say. "This was posted only 18 hours ago. I love getting my iron in the fire when it's hot."
And so you click Apply to start the process and see THIS...
And you think, "No longer exists??? How is that even POSSible?!!?" and little wisps of smoke escape from your ears and nostrils.
And so, for your education, entertainment, and to give you something to do while your latest TikTok upload is processing, here's a relatively concise rundown of my current creative outlets:
Almost the Truth™ (http://www.almostthetruth.com) - This was my first online presence...not counting MySpace, which certainly doesn't count...and originated from an idea Sam Helgerson and I had about a humor-laced Bible study radio show (because podcasts had not been invented yet).
Almost the Truth Blog (https://almostthetruth.blogspot.com): If laughter is the best medicine, ALMOST THE TRUTH™ exists to heal the world. New posts every Friday.
Almost the Truth™ Publishing on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AlmostTheTruth): In addition to the Friday postings of the blog, this page is the host of #TheMorningGames - 8:30 Central, almost every weekday morning, you will find the following line up of diversions:
Monday - #MondayMirth - A video clip or illustration that should start your week with a smile
Tuesday - #TuesdayTrivia - Be the first to give the correct, non-Googled answer and win the day's VirtualPrize (no actual prizes are harmed in the playing of #TheMorningGames)
Wednesday - #WednesdayWhatIsIt - A cropped image is posted and the VirtualPrize goes to the first person who correctly identifies it. (It could be a product logo, a scene from film or television, or an almost-common object)
Thursday - #TBT - Our Throwback Thursday will feature blog posts from the early days when hardly anybody knew about us.
Friday - #Earworm Friday - Start the weekend with a song that just might cycle through your head until Monday.
Almost the Truth™ Publishing Books (https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/deweyroth): Self-published collections of the blog's posts and Almost the Truth About Youth Ministry: Salesmen, Secretaries, and Smart Alecks which is a book full of twisted tales and suspect opinions based on my 14+ years as a youth minister.
Almost the Truth™ YouTube Playlist (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLruHdMzfLT7wYAaJCFmlwaF64MAyg8nmt): From time to time, I make a video of me reading one of the blog posts...usually because it involves some singing.
Truth Is... (https://www.facebook.com/DeweyTruth): While Almost the Truth is all about laughs, Truth Is... is all about looking a little deeper.
Truth Is... Blog (https://deweytruth.blogspot.com): It's been said that no one has cornered the market on truth. That's probably accurate, but it doesn't rule out the possibility of this being a little corner of truth, tucked away in the huge City of Life, where, according to Paul Simon, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls. New posts every Thursday.
Truth Is... Podcast: After 10 years of blogging, I decided to create a podcast that kind of functions as a Throwback Thursday because the podcast consists of me reading the Truth Is... blog, starting with the very first ones from 2012. But for people who listen to podcasts and don't read blogs, this is all brand new stuff! Good thing Truth is timeless.
New podcasts are dropped every Tuesday on SEVEN streaming platforms PLUS a video version posted on Dewey Roth's YouTube channel!
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/dewey-roth
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1JgQzFmNgGX25ofwgjYJoA
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/truth-is…/id1586997516
Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/truth-is-dot-dot-dot-1
Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82NTNiMzlhOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/eyc6uwz0
Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/truth-is-GqvmQr
and
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQBwF3gcF1itdroQ208MVPA
Dewey's Jukebox (https://www.facebook.com/DeweysJukebox): This podcast is a #VirtualWurlitzer filled with personal favorites and secret gems. Six decades of music are swimming around in my head, and now it can swim around in YOUR head, too. But please, mister, please...don't play B-17.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1EtUT0bmkUmj8S18jmomnv?si=f1b0308c56b94e26
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/dewey-roth0
Twitter (@deweyroth): Where links to all new blog and podcast posts can be found, along with random bits of serious silliness and silly seriousness. If you have a Twitter account, I would appreciate being followed by you. Makes me look good to possible book publishers and employers!
Instagram (@deweyroth): Where I don't do a whole heckuva lot, but sometimes #MondayMirth and #TuesdayTrivia show up here as well as on Facebook.
It's been 28 days since she died and I thought I was mostly done crying. And then Pastor Brad went and lead us in a special prayer during worship. He didn't even need to start actually praying and I was already tight-throated, unable to breathe, and sitting there with shoulders bobbing up and down in a silent sob.
It's not like I talked to her every day...or even every week...but the thought of having no one to call this afternoon gripped me hard.
But I'm grateful.
Nobody is perfect, but God blessed me with a childhood and a life-foundation that has served me well and left me unscarred.
Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
“There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
From the publisher: “ The world’s two deadliest spies in the ultimate showdown....Bourne must infiltrate the Medusan group and use himself as bait to lure the cunning Jackal into a deadly trap - a trap from which only one of them will escape.”
From me: I shouldn’t really be writing about this, because 12 1/2 chapters into this 42-chapter book, I said, “You know what? I don’t really care about this. I’m only reading it so I can say that I finished the original Bourne trilogy. It’s not really adding to my life at all...not even entertainment.” So, I took it to my nearest Little Free Library and made a donation of it.
Page 56/Sentence 5: “I repeat,” said Jason.
“A downpour of childhood abuse left Debbie Roth drenched in pain and anger that hindered her relationships with others and with God. For a long time, she hid her misery, refusing to acknowledge its existence—until a fresh betrayal set change in motion. As a storm raged in her present, the dam holding back the pain of her past broke open. Try as she might, Debbie could no longer stand in the raging waters and pretend to enjoy the sun. She had to find a way to survive the flood.”
In addition to being in charge of fundraising for this self-published project, I also did the final proofreading and author consoling. I really am proud of Beloved for persevering and getting this accomplished. May it be a shining light of God’s encouragement for everyone who reads it.
56/5: That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
“For decades, SCC’s music and message have brought hope and inspiration to millions. Now, for the first time, Steven openly shares the experiences that have shaped him, his faith, his family, and his music in a life that has included incredible highs and faith-shaking lows.”
Having read his wife’s book, Choosing to See, I was interested to hear Steven’s side of the story of losing their adopted daughter to a tragic accident. I certainly got that story...well-told and emotionally wrenching...but was also treated to the story behind several of SCC’s songs and enough about his upbringing to get an idea of what makes him tick. This is recommended reading for anyone who has enjoyed Chapman’s music.
56/5: Okay, so it was actually a legitimate single followed by a multitude of overthrows and errors on the part of the opposing team that resulted in an inside-the-park home run.
“Do blind people see in their dreams? Is it really true that elephants are afraid of mice? Strange questions like these were often sent to Bill McLain, the Webmaster for Xerox. Instead of ignoring them, McLain decided to answer each email he received. He soon became an online legend, attracting national attention. Now the most extraordinary questions - and his equally extraordinary responses - can be found in this irresistibly entertaining collection of weird, wacky, and wonderful trivia.”
This is one of those books that I picked up from time to time and just read a few pages of at any one sitting. It totally lives up to the publisher’s description and, even though it was published in 1999 and the author at one point even describes how to use a search engine, I found this to be really enjoyable.
56/5: They are also one half of the famous peanut butter and jelly sandwich team.
“Filled with provocative puzzles, anecdotes, exercises, metaphors, cartoons, questions, quotations, stories, and tips; this book systematically breaks through your mental blocks and unlocks your mind for creative thinking.”
The fact that the cover includes the phrase “The bestselling creativity classic - expanded and revised for the 1990s” might clue you in that I bought and read this when I was still a youth minister. The bad news is, I was laid off in June and thought this might be a good thing to read again as I broaden my job search. The good news is, it really is a wake-up call to think outside the box (without using that tired, old phrase).
56/5: Well, thousands of years ago, the ancients looked up, emphasized some of the stars, made some connections, and came up with the figure of a lion - a celestial Rorschach!
