From the Offices of J. Arthur Venus

Honor to whom honor..

2007-05-28T08:59:00.000-05:00

Romans 13:7 -"Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." (KJV). But I think I'll go with the God's Word Translation again this time. "Pay everyone whatever you owe them. If you owe taxes, pay them. If you owe tolls, pay them. If you owe someone respect, respect that person. If you owe someone honor, honor that person." (GWT)

That's simple enough. Regardless of your political affiliation, regardless of your thoughts on policies or your feelings toward current leadership, each one of us owes respect. Each one of us owes honor. Each one of us has someone who is standing in a place where we could be but aren't, because that person chose to stand there for us. Their free will is allowing someone else to not have to face what they face. Because we have someone standing where we should be, we owe them. We, at the very least, owe them respect. Respect can be the most precious gift you can give. How you choose to give respect will be up to you. Showing honor doesn't have to be expensive. By simply saying "Thank you.", and meaning it, you give something you can't put a price on. But if you desire to do more, then by all means do more. Your someone deserves it.

I was going to post a video, or a link to a video, but I changed my mind. There are hundreds of memorial videos that you can watch on various sites. I didn't want to do unjustice to any by picking only one. They each have their place. I do however suggest that you go look at a few of them. Remember the fallen. Remember the standing. Remember those who can no longer stand, but have stood before. And in remembering, honor.

And as you remember those who have stood in the gap for you physically, remember also those who have stood in the gap for you spiritually. First and foremost, Christ Jesus, our High Priest. Paul calls Jesus our mediator in I Timothy 2:5. Paul also says in Romans 8:26-27 that the Spirit makes intercession for us. Jesus is the ultimate stand-in for your soul. Remember Him first. He alone is worthy. But remember also the saints who have gone before you. Some gave their life to make sure you could hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:1 - "Since we are surrounded by so many examples of faith, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up." (GWT) The KJV calls them a "cloud of witnesses". The greatest way you can honor any of them is to do exactly as the verse says: run.. and never give up. That is the honor you can pay them.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

When death comes knockin'

2007-05-24T00:26:00.001-05:00

These are just a few of the ways I'm supposed to apparently die. Thanks Jeff! (My Inner Thoughts Blog)

Justin Venus: At age 61 a group of children will text message you continuously for three years, eventually distracting you while driving and causing a fatal wreck; your fatal wreck.
Justin Venus: At age 79 a statue will fall over and crush you while giving your acceptance speech for the position of Governor.
Justin Venus: At age 83 a truly fanatic fan of your spoken word works will stalk you and torture you for a period of weeks. After refusing to sign any more autographs, the fan will kill you.
Justin Venus: At age 83 aliens will abduct you and use your body for sick and often anally-oriented experiments before dropping you off outside of a local homeless shelter smelling of beer.
Justin Venus: At age 35 you will die fighting the Interplanetary War on Terrorism on Camp Harmony, Venus.

Vroooooooom

2007-05-24T00:18:00.000-05:00

So, I got a new car. It's actually saving me money.

What I had: 2003 Chevy Trailblazer LT - nice vehicle other than the mpg.
What I have: 2007 Pontiac G6 GT - decked out, nice vehicle.. period. (and 2x the mpg!!)

Life is as life does.

2007-05-23T23:12:00.000-05:00

Granted, movie fanatics will recognize that as an adaptation from Forrest Gump - "Stupid is as stupid does." But, I feel it's appropriate. Here, my friends, is why.
As you've noticed, I've not blogged in the past several days. I've actually taken this time off to think. Mostly about the things you've read in my blogs. Those who know me and read this have probably noticed me more pensive, or what may have seemed like a foul mood. More than anything, this past week has been a state of unrest. I've had a lot of doors opened to me, a few of which are closing, and a few of which are opening wider. I've also tried to shutdown wasteful parts of my life this past week. Nothing grandiose, but we all have time sappers that we end up doing and then when we're done wonder why we ever spent time (or how we ever could have spent so much time) doing them. But that's left me with a few holes, so I'm trying things in life I'd never have seen myself trying. Nothing immoral or illegal (sorry folks... no rumors to start here), but just different spices of life. So far, they seem to be interesting. I'm sure there are some of them I will discontinue at some point and others I will try more. But it's nice to be different. Being different is something I've not been in a long time. (har har.. to all of you who just said, "oh, you're different alright!", I say "pfft..")
I'm becoming very aware of life. What it means. How short it is and can be. I don't consider myself old by any stretch of the imagination. I'm only 30. I'm a young pup. But people used to always tell me I was older than my years. Maybe it's true, maybe not. A lot of people say that "with age comes experience". I think the reverse is also very true.. and maybe more so - "with experiences comes age". Not physical years, but wisdom, understanding, a certain type of maturity (yes, there are different types of maturity), etc.
It's hard to explain, but it's like a very dense fog is starting to dissipate. Not entirely, but enough to see some things I've not seen in a long time. I know I'm jumping around a lot in my thoughts in writing this, but honestly, that's how my mind has been for the past week. It's been a maze of light and dark - seeing something clearly only to follow it into a shadow and lose it and then to find in that shadow another path to light. I know this place. I know it's purpose. And I know why I'm here. I've been here before. Every time I've been here has preceded a major life change - some good, some not. I'm still waiting to see this one.
Regardless of the tangled fishing line that is my mind right now, my whole can be summed up as written in Ecclesiastes 12:13 - "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (KJV) If you ever study the book of Ecclesiastes you'll find that the author takes stock of all of his life only to find that there is "no new thing under the sun" and that "all is vanity". Essentially, no matter what you do or how you do it, it's all be done before. More importantly, like life, it will only last for a short while. So, what conclusion did he come to? The only thing with your life that you can do that will not end up in vain is how you live for God. Plain and simple, God is the most important (fill in the blank). Now for everyone that just shut me off because I got too radical for you, I challenge you to actually find out how God wants you to live. He wants you to love and be loved. He wants you to give and be given to. He wants you to share and be shared with. He wants nothing less for you than the best you can have. Sounds pretty good now doesn't it. You just have to put Him first and "all this will be added unto you". (Matt 6:33)
Until later, "May the God who gives peace make you holy in every way. May he keep your whole being-spirit, soul, and body-blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes." - I Thess 5:23 (God's Word Translation)

Misconceptions...

2007-05-15T21:19:00.000-05:00

Just so no one gets a misconception of their own, this post is not related to any of you who read this and may know me. This is something that came to me tonight as I was relaxing over a meal, and is something I have been thinking of for a while. Misconceptions by nature are dangerous, but especially those of a personal nature.
I was sitting and thinking (which by nature is also sometimes dangerous for me lol) about the future.... goals, wishes, expectations.. etc. I was taking stock of how I currently viewed things versus how I need to, or should, view things - as they really are. Sometimes we as humans get involved in situations and get invested in them. It's this investment that actually blurs our perspective. Because we have a vested interest, we begin to see things as we hope they will become instead of how they are. Now I know that being hopeful and optimistic has its place, but to be true to oneself, one must do his/her best to remove him/herself from that given situation and review it. If there is one thing I've learned in life, it's this - the human subconscious/will/spirit/soul/heart (whatever you want to call it) is so strong that deceiving your own mind is child's play. It's actually scriptural. Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (KJV) But I also like the God's Word Translation - "The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is." But why? Why are we like that? Why would we unintentionally intentionally deceive ourselves? Personally, I can think of a list full of reasons why I would want to sugarcoat my life. But maybe the reasons I have, and the reasons you have, are best left between each of us respectively and God.
It's a subject with a lot of weight to it. I won't lie to you. But maybe it's getting to be time when I recount my life's experiences and tally the score between what's real.. and what's me. The ultimate end of fantasy is disappointment. Unfortunately Walgreen's is right. "We don't live anywhere near perfect." At least, not yet.
But to end on a good note... be thankful for what you do possess. Friends, family, health, a right mind, an education - these are just a few examples of what you may have. Even if you have none of these, be thankful for the breath you just had. To quote a cult classic, Full Metal Jacket (1987), "The dead know only one thing: it is better to be alive" - Private Joker. I would have to agree. So be thankful, if for nothing else, for that.
Salud.

Voter Registration

2007-05-14T06:58:00.000-05:00

You may have seen at the bottom of my posts a link to Declare Yourself. But I'm sure you now see the "Register to Vote" button on the side. I just wanted to specify the reasons for adding them. I feel it is imperative that you exercise your right to vote - not only in national elections, but also local ones. This is your chance to influence your world. People who sit back and gripe about current or past situations and never voted, or even took the few minutes to register (which can now even be done online!), have zero sympathy from me. You want the world to be better? different? Make it that way. We have in our nation a wonderful opportunity to express ourselves through ballots. Take advantage of it! From experience as a deputy registrar (I helped stage a voter registration drive in college) I can tell you that registration is quick, easy, and definitely painless.
Now that you're going to register to vote, I can unveil my master plan! muahahahah!! (evil laugh) Registering to vote is the first step. Now all you have to do is think! Think about the candidates. Read up on their platforms. How do they match or differ from your opinions? What kind of history do they have when representing you on important subjects? It's actually not that hard to do this. There are all kinds of tools available to make this as easy as possible. Some of these you can find at Declare Yourself. Other good sources can be found by simply googling for them. You can even check out your favorite news website for information on candidates.
It takes very little time. It's simple. It's important. Participate in your life. Register to vote!

Blogging on the go!

2007-05-14T06:34:00.000-05:00

This post is actually to set up my mobile blogger. But seeing as how it's for messages / blogs on the go, I thought a "while you were out" message would be appropriate to post. I came across this one a while back and have had it saved. I'm happy I could finally use it! lol

Blue skies are gonna clear up...

2007-05-12T22:58:00.000-05:00

... so put on a happy face! Actually, Blue Sky Vineyards was the destination today. But we'll get to that in a moment. First comes the family.
Both of my nephews had games today - my younger nephew plays soccer, and my older nephew plays baseball. G2 had his game this morning. He scored 2 of the 3 goals and hussles more than any other kid on the field. I'm so proud of him! He does so well! G1 had his game this afternoon. He got 3 hits and scored once. Defensively he's better than at offense. But he's getting better at batting. I can't wait to see him hit one over the fence!
In between the games I had the pleasure of going to a graduation party for a good friend. She graduated summa cum laude (Latin for "with highest honor") with the highest gpa in her field of study. Her friends and family came out to show their support for her and we all had a great time. She cried a bit when thanking those closest to her, but she gets to do that. We love you!
Now, on to Blue Sky! Blue Sky Vineyards has been on my list of places to visit the past couple of weeks. I was able to go to a "red, white, and blues" venue last weekend for a bit. Unfortunately, we didn't get to enjoy a lot of it. My party arrived a bit late. We did however get to enjoy the scenery and one band song. The small taste that I had is what brought me back this weekend. There was a benefit for Tay-Sachs disease. Something I had never heard of until tonight and is a very worthy cause. Paying $7 at the door got you a souvenir wine glass and free samples of the house wines (should you choose to take advantage of the offer) and a cool blue wristband that got you access to the fish and bar-b-cue they also had. Although I didn't really take advantage of the food or drinks, I did enjoy the scenery and music and company once again. There is just something about sitting under a huge umbrella on the side of a hill next to a pond with your friends as you listen to music watching the sun go down. The style and design of the area is heavily influenced by Tuscany and is nothing less than beautiful. I also was able to take a few photographs of my friends (which I'm sure will find their way to MySpace). Which, I must say, I'm officially and thoroughly pleased with my choice in camera - Canon Powershot S2 IS.
Afterwards we retired to Red Lobster for a relaxing meal and some good times. The day was a success. And to make it even better, I'm going to go to bed before midnight. So for now my friends, I bid you adieu.

*edited for accuracy - My friend had the highest gpa instead of 2nd highest. Woooooot!

Commencement Cheers

2007-05-11T19:59:00.000-05:00

To all those who are celebrating graduations, whether kindergarten or university, CONGRATULATIONS!!! May your hard work be rewarded. But a very special congratulatory "whoop" to my friend Danielle. I'm extremely proud of you! Now comes the fun of law school!

Best of luck to all the graduates!

Another day, another dollar...

2007-05-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it just amazes me the magnitude of money that is spent on any given project. Today I had the opportunity to do some work for a construction company out of central Illinois. (For those who don't know, I own a network consultation company.) This company is in charge of building a new Wal-Mart coming into the area. (Side note - it's planned to be approximately 157,000 sq ft.) They had been having some issues with a proprietary software system they have to have for identification purposes on site - badges, etc. The software company was blaming the pc / network, and the construction company didn't know anything about computers. In steps me. I get there this morning and start working on the situation and a technical representative from the software company shows up. After about 5 hours of work, everything is working just fine - the pc, the network, the software, etc. And this brings me to my point.
I was finishing up my invoice to mail to the construction company's home office and was happy that I had had a productive day. But then I got to thinking how much money is actually involved. There is my fee, which although I'm not cheap, I'm by *far* not as expensive as other companies. Then there is the software company - not only the software, but the tech support (and you know they have to be paying to have someone drive from St. Louis, MO at a moment's notice). Then there is the construction company and it's employees. Add to that the cost of the land, the cost of the materials, and the time it is going to take (they said project completion will be by Dec. 1, 07) and you end up with a whole lot of dollar signs. How many millions of dollars are going to go into this project? Time, parts, labor.. they all add up *very* quickly. So when I thought of this, I just had to step back for a minute and think "Wow..".
There comes a point when you start to handle enough money that you actually never see it. Projects like this one meet that requirement. Millions of dollars are spent and accrued with a few signatures on a few pieces of paper. It just makes me think......

Photography

2007-05-09T05:23:00.000-05:00

I know I'm not the best photographer in the world, but I think I can frame a shot pretty well! So, after a few years of having this idea on the back burner, I decided to move it to the front burner. I'm going to look into becoming an amateur photographer. My dad has always said that I had a knack for taking good pictures. The new camera I got (Canon Powershot S2 IS) is phenomenal. If you want some good examples of the pictures, I posted some new ones from a Cardinals game we went to on Sunday. I plan on going out and actually planning trips to take some photos. Check out MySpace for new photos and updates more regularly.