Judging | Tom Hogsed

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I Was Hoping This Guy Would Fail!

August 25, 2011 in Funny Stories, Judging, Relationships, True Stories with 0 Comments

For as long as I can remember, I have had an ongoing battle with the squirrels in our backyard. Before I say what I am going to say next, I must make it clear that I love all animals except maybe snakes, alligators, or anything that stings or has the potential to kill me in an instant. Having said that, I find the squirrels in my backyard very annoying because they attempt to steal the seed I have specifically placed in the feeders for the birds. In my opinion, the nuts that fall from the trees are meant for the squirrels and the seed is intended for the birds. When I first purchased a bird-feeder, it was located very close to a tree and the squirrels would jump from the tree to the feeder and eat all the seed. That’s where the war started. Since the thieving squirrels began to rob the birds of their seed, I have been looking for ways to keep them away. After tireless research, I found the perfect solution and the birds have been able to enjoy their seed without the hoarding squirrels around to loot it.

I thought the battle was over until I caught a squirrel trying to weasel himself (or herself) down to the feeder. I was ticked. I actually got out my phone and snapped a few pictures of the evil creature as it made its’ way down the pole. I don’t own a gun so I use my camera. Go figure. My first thought was to bang my fist on the window and scare the little violator, but I decided to watch and hope for the squirrel’s demise. I also started to videotape the incident. It was perfect timing because I was able to personally witness and document the squirrel falling off of the bird-feeder onto the ground. For some odd reason, I found the failure of the squirrel satisfying. Although the squirrel incident makes me appear evil, what concerns me even more is when I hope for the demise of another person or organization. Have you ever caught yourself secretly hoping to see someone or something fail…your boss at work, the new church in your community, your sister who gets all the attention, the president, the business competition, or the friend who seems to have everything. Since when is it acceptable to wish evil on others?

Hoping for failure in others reveals that we have already failed.

Do you want to see the actual footage of the squirrel falling? Click here to view.

Someone Stole My Identity!

July 21, 2011 in Funny Stories, Judging, True Stories with 0 Comments

I don’t lose very many things. I’m not referring to competition losses (I’ve lost plenty of games in my lifetime) but the loss of items or things. Most people who know me would describe me as methodical. Every thing has a place and should be returned to that place after use. However, my methodical system recently failed me. Part of the responsibility at my job is to visit individuals who are hospitalized and sometimes I need to get into areas of the hospital that are restricted to normal guests. In order to gain access to these “restricted areas” I have a clergy badge, but the other day I arrived at the hospital in Cleveland, which is an hour drive, and could not find my clergy badge. I spent 15 minutes searching my car but I could not find it anywhere. I quickly called Leah and asked her if the kids had taken the badge. They like to clip it to their clothes and sarcastically say, “Hi, I’m Pastor Tom!” The kids had not seen it, but I had my suspicions. I even told Leah that I rarely misplace things and that someone must have taken it in order to steal my identity! I imagined a crazed killer like Michael Myers (from the 1980′s Halloween movies for those who are too young to remember) roaming the hospital with my clergy badge attached to his shirt in order to gain him access to his next victim.

A whole week had passed without any sign of my handy, dandy all-access badge so I finally decided that it was time to go through the entire process of obtaining a new one. I spent time filling out the form and making copies of my ordination certificate, but then I started to get this nagging feeling that I had left it in one of my pockets. Upon checking one of my jacket pockets this morning, guess what I discovered? A bloody clergy badge! Michael Myers must have used it and then planted it back in my pocket; of course, that’s a lie. I was responsible for misplacing it. No one else was responsible but me. I amaze myself. When something happens, I like to look for someone to blame. Instead of beginning the search in me, I begin the interrogation of others.

You and I may need to stop blaming others and take a look at ourselves. We are not as perfect as we think we are.

I Was Wrong About This Guy!

April 27, 2011 in Funny Stories, Judging, True Stories with 4 Comments

A young, long-haired man in an old pickup truck pulled up beside me and started beeping his horn and pointing at my car. It almost seemed like he was asking me to pull over. I was immediately alarmed since it was dark outside, the guy was scary looking, and I’m not really known for my fighting skills. If this cage-fighting maniac was asking me to pull off the side of the road to beat me up, he was crazy! I took karate when I was 12, but I’m 36 now and my days of using nunchucks are over. I attempted to ignore the crazy man but he kept honking his horn and pointing. My wife was sitting in the passenger’s seat so I asked her if she knew what was happening. She had no clue. I decided to go out on a limb and make direct eye contact with this lunatic. When I did, I finally understood what he was trying to tell me. My headlights were not on. This is the not the first time I’ve driven at night with my headlights turned off.

Scraggly, long-haired man. Driving redneck pickup truck. Must be up to no good.

Pastor. Judging by outward appearance. Very wrong.

There is more to a person than what we see on the outside.

How Do I Look?

March 28, 2011 in Judging, Perspective, True Stories with 0 Comments

I’d hate to have that job. As I zoomed by on the highway, I saw a truck that was attempting to tow a relatively brand new RV. The tow truck was much smaller than the RV so I was amazed that this was possible. I would just hate to be the guy responsible for towing that huge vehicle! A couple miles down the road I passed an old, beat up RV speeding down the other side of the highway. The outside was decorated with an ugly shade of brown and probably had a western mural painted on the backside but it was running, unlike the brand new one I’d seen earlier. What was the difference? I can’t say for sure, but sometimes I wonder if we place too much emphasis on what is seen rather than what is not seen. Although the new RV looked clean on the outside, it is quite possible that the hidden parts had not been well maintained. The opposite would be true for the RV from the 1970′s. Even though the outside was a little dated, I’m confident that the hidden parts had been well managed.

All of us spend an inordinate amount of time maintaining what is seen, but how much time is dedicated to what cannot be seen? The appearance of the body has become more important than the maintenance of the heart.

What Do You See?

January 25, 2011 in Judging, True Stories with 1 Comment

Northeast Ohio has received a fair amount of snow this winter. It seems as if we have had snow on the ground most days since mid-December. I’m okay with that, although it has been a little too cold for my liking. After living here for the last 12 years, I have stopped paying attention to the weather forecast because it usually means nothing. Rather than wasting my time checking The Weather Channel app, I usually get up in the morning, look out my window, and create my own forecast based on what I see. A couple days ago I peered outside and noticed that our street was covered in snow. I automatically assumed that all the surrounding roads were as bad as mine, that is, until I actually left my house and started driving around.

Limited sight results in a distorted view of reality. If you spend all your time judging the world from inside your own home, your world is too small.

You Be the Judge (or not)

October 5, 2010 in Judging, Leadership, Loving Others, Thoughts with 2 Comments

All of us have issues. You have them. I have them. The person who seems like they have it all together has them. So it confuses me when people act as if they don’t have any weaknesses, shortcomings, or struggles. What confuses me even more is when one individual judges another for a noticeable fault. Although I believe that the Bible commands Christians to judge or hold accountable those who teach doctrines contrary to Scripture (1 John 4:1-3), Jesus openly condemns those who sit in judgment of others for apparent failings. Rather than pointing out someone else’s imperfections, Jesus demands that the “self-appointed judges” take care of their own issues first (Matthew 7:1-5). I’m convinced that my issues will take a lifetime to overcome, so I am in no position to criticize another person for their flaws.

However, as a Pastor or spiritual leader I have a responsibility to confront or assist others who are ensnared in sinful issues. How can a spiritual leader or friend find balance between judging and confronting sin? Paul wrote some helpful advice to the church at Galatia concerning this very circumstance, “…if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). The key to avoid being judgmental is to realize that you are equally capable of committing the same trespass. This attitude of humility has a way of breaking down barriers which may lead to restoration…and repairing the damage is always the intended result.

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eyes when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, `Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5, NLT).

What I Learned from Hoarding

April 12, 2010 in Judging, Life, Loving Others, Transformation, True Stories with 0 Comments

Leah and I had a long day yesterday, but we got a lot accomplished…yard mowed (me), garage cleaned out (me), rearranging living room (both of us), and cleaning out Lexi’s room (Leah). At the end of the day we sat down to watch TV and turned on a show we had never seen before called, Hoarding: Buried Alive. According to wikipedia, hoarding is “a mental disorder marked by an obsessive need to acquire (and failure to use or discard) a significant amount of possessions, even if the items are worthless, hazardous, or unsanitary.” We could not stop watching the stories of these people whose lives had been ruined by their years of accumulating things. While watching the show, I kept wondering why these people just didn’t clean up their house and move on with life, but with each story there was a significant or series of significant events which contributed to their hoarding behavior. One lady shared how she had been raised by an very mean aunt who, at one point, took everything the girl owned and burned it in a barrel and made her watch. This past experience caused her to cling tightly to the things she owned in the present.

Watching this show last night reminded me that our past experiences shape the person we become. Although our past does not necessarily excuse our future actions, it does help explain why we do what we do. Allow me to take this one step further. I believe it is also important that we remain patient when a person struggles with behavior foreign to us. Even though I do not struggle with hoarding, I am not better than the person who does struggle with it…I’ve got my own problems.

Those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ must learn to be patient with those who are in the process of changing because change is a lifelong process, not an overnight sensation.

Are Christians Suspicious?

November 16, 2009 in Character, Christians, Judging, Perspective, Random Thinking, The Church, True Stories with 0 Comments

Do I really look that suspicious? Really? Somebody thinks I do. It all started the other day when I had to stop by Wal-Mart to pick up a few basic things. I wasn’t inside too long before I was checking out and then heading out the automatic doors into the parking lot; however, as I exited the store, an armored truck guard must have also exited at the same time as me through the doors right next to me. We were now walking kind of parallel to each other. I finally noticed him because he was eyeing me. At first I did not realize who he was, but as soon as I saw him carrying a bag (probably full of money) and sporting a gun, I assumed he was not your friendly Wal-Mart greeter. I think what threw him off was the fact that I reached into my back pocket to retrieve my phone, but he must have assumed from my lighting fast moves that I was packing heat! His step quickened and the heavy truck door was thrown open and he disappeared into the great unknown…keeping his eye on me until the very last moment. The only thing that could have possibly made me look suspicious is the fact that I have a beard and was wearing a TOMS Shoes hat because all thieves have beards and wear hats!

I really hate it when people look at me suspiciously, especially when I know I haven’t done anything wrong. If I have done something wrong, that’s a different story. In my opinion, Christians are often on the suspicious list.

In your opinion, what makes Christians look suspect?

Do NOT Listen to This Person!

August 20, 2009 in Funny Stories, Judging, Life, Relationships, Speech, True Stories with 0 Comments

Since both of my kids have learned to ride their bikes this summer, I have been in search of a bike for myself so I can ride with them. In the meantime, I have been riding an electric scooter that requires me to push with one of my feet because the battery alone is not powerful enough to go up hills, even small ones. I’m pretty sure…let me rephrase that…I’m confident that a thirty-five year old man looks ridiculous riding a scooter; in fact, I caught a few people who saw me riding the scooter and ran inside their house in order to bring other family members outside to see the old guy on the scooter. Maybe I need to join the circus. I really didn’t care what everyone else thought about me because my kids thought I was really cool; of course, they don’t know any better, yet. After riding for a while, two middle school boys passed by us riding their bikes and looking at me they said, “Nice scooter. I wish I had one like that!” They rode away laughing. In the back of my mind I was thinking, “Listen, you little boys whose voices haven’t changed and whose armpits haven’t grown one hair yet. I’ll run over you with this scooter…if I can catch up with you!” For some reason, I allowed their snide comment to bother me.

It’s astounding how quickly we can be negatively affected by the comments of people who don’t really know us, barely know us, or don’t care about us. A judgmental word in passing, a controversial comment on your blog, an anonymous letter, or a criticizing e-mail can cause a person to re-examine his choices or even lose hope.

The voice which speaks only in passing is a voice which should be passed by.

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Jesus and All of His Loser Friends

July 31, 2009 in Attitude, Influence, Judging, Loving Others, Perspective, Relationships with 0 Comments

One day Jesus encounters a man who works for the IRS and asks him to change occupations. Instead of cheating people out of their hard earned money by collecting a little extra for himself, Jesus asks this man named Levi (Matthew) to work for Him. Without hesitation Levi closes his office, abandons everything he owns, and follows Jesus (Luke 5:27-28). This is a dramatic life change. After his early retirement from tax collecting, Levi holds a party in his home in honor of Jesus (his new boss) where the who’s who of losers and local outcasts attend alongside Jesus’ disciples (Luke 5:29). The people answering the door at Levi’s house obviously didn’t get the memo about sticking to the guest list because somehow the stuck-up religious people crashed the party accusing Jesus and His disciples of eating and drinking with losers (Luke 5:30). The so-called religious leaders thought that if Jesus and His followers were representing God, they should be a tad more discreet about the company they kept; after all, the scribes (interpreters of the Old Testament law) and Pharisees (group of people consumed with external rules) would never be caught dead befriending such outcasts.

When Jesus got word that the partypoopers had busted up the celebration, He immediately defended Himself and His disciples’ associations saying, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come not to call those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent” (Luke 5:31 NLT). Jesus’ defense here is simple. Rather than waste His time catering to people who thought they had God all figured out, He would instead spend His days offering hope and life to those who needed it most.

A lot of religious people are more concerned about who they can stay away from rather than being concerned about who needs Jesus.

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