Home Raoul's TGIF Southern Talk

Southern Talk

Blind Side

I’m sharing a touching video (see below) about a little girl who sees for the first time. It reminded me of the Gospel passage of Jesus healing a blind man (John 9) which I studied recently. If you don’t want to hear heavy stuff move on the joke section. I just have to get this off my chest.

We’ve all experienced a desire for things seemingly unattainable: a brand new home, a car, hi-tech toys, the latest fashion assortment, etc. … and they need not just be material things. They could be relationships: a loving family, a Prince Charming, a best friend, etc. For the blind man, it was a humble request to function just like everybody else.

Imagine what it was like to wake up everyday in darkness. To not even know how your food looks. To not be able to run free. To rely on sound and smell, taste and touch because those were your only tools.

Then one day, a stranger opens your eyes and you see light for the first time. You see your hands — “so that’s what they look like.” You see art and writing on flat paper. You see colors — “so that’s red blood, green grass and brown dirt. (“I can’t believe nobody told me my blue shoes don’t match my green robe — just kidding!“)

But before you have time to discover more things, you see angry, disbelieving faces, talking loudly at you because somehow you are finally like everybody else. Who invited you to their club? They ask you questions but you have no answer. They insist you fit into their limited realities and dismiss the preponderous possibility of a miracle. You suggest an answer they refuse to consider.

“You were born completely in sin! How is it that you dare to teach us?” Then they expelled him.
— John 9: 34

Many of us, even those in high scholarly places, carry wrong (deeply ingrained) assumptions that lead to the inability to realize we could be wrong thus depriving us of ever finding the truth.

Jesus said, “I have come into the world to exercise judgment so that those who don’t see can see and those who see will become blind.”

Some Pharisees who were with him heard what he said and asked, “Surely we aren’t blind, are we?

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you wouldn’t have any sin, but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”
— John 9: 39-41

Did you get that? Jesus challenged them to dig into their assumptions and if they insist that they didn’t need to be taught, then yeah — “they’re blind indeed!

Let’s ask ourselves: Are we blind to our assumptions? Do we refuse to listen because ideas do not fit our reality? Are we noisy parrots that have little original thought? Are we blind?

Since birth, the blind man was in the minority of a population that could see the physical world. After he gained his sight, he experienced an unexpected paradigm shift because he was again in the minority in a world that was spiritually blind.

TGIF people!

Southern Talk

Contributed by Naomi of N Hollywood, CA

North Carolina
A man in North Carolina had a flat tire, pulled off on the side of the road,
and proceeded to put a bouquet of flowers in front of the car and one behind it.Then he got back in the car to wait.

A passerby studied the scene as he drove by, and was so curious he turned around and went back. He asked the fellow what the problem was.

North Carolina flat tire

The man replied, “I got a flat tahr.”
The passerby asked, “But what’s with the flowers?”
The man responded, “When you break down they tell you to put flares in the front and flares in the back. I never did understand it neither.”

Tennessee
A Tennessee State trooper pulled over a pickup on I-65.
The trooper asked, “Got any ID?

Tennessee state trooper and driver cartoon

The driver replied, “Bout whut?

Texas
The Sheriff pulled up next to the guy unloading garbage out of his pick-up
into the ditch. The Sheriff asked, “Why are you dumping garbage in the ditch? Don’t you see that sign right over your head?”

Yep,” he replied. “That’s why I’m dumpin’ it here, ‘cause it says:
Fine For Dumping Garbage.’”

Texas Sheriff cartoon

Y’all kin say whut y’all want ‘about the South, but y’all never heard o’ nobody retirin’ an’ movin’ North.  Have ya?

Now That I'm Older cartoon

TGIF Videos

funny video

Girlfriend Massage vs. Wife Massage
Sent by Raffy of Manila

You can already guess which is the preferred massage.

Watch Video

Tearjerker video

Baby Sees For the First Time
Sent by Leo of Taipei, Taiwan

There are shorter videos that lead up to that amazing moment but the buildup is just as good. It’s a modern man-made-miracle.

Watch Video

Parting Shot

Thanks to Mel of Washington, D.C. who shared this photo

More exciting than Curling

Iron Man Competition

Load More Related Articles
  • Marriage Tip

    My wife and I watched a beautiful movie about the struggles of married life. It’s not a ne…
  • Happy Hell

    "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. We’re here in Hollywood California to celebrate the bi…
  • Tax Loophole

    Remember the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines? He transitioned from a legally…
Load More By Raoul Pascual
  • Marriage Tip

    My wife and I watched a beautiful movie about the struggles of married life. It’s not a ne…
  • Happy Hell

    "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. We’re here in Hollywood California to celebrate the bi…
  • Tax Loophole

    Remember the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines? He transitioned from a legally…
Load More In Raoul's TGIF

5 Comments

  1. TGIF Reader

    March 2, 2018 at 3:06 pm

    Hi Raoul,

    “If you don’t want to hear heavy stuff move on the joke section.”

    I hope nobody did, and missed the good message.
    Your story on “Lucky (or Blessed) Joe” still reverberates in my consciousness; I’ve meditated on it.
    Please don’t stop your “serious” talks. I am sure many, like me, are benefiting from them.

    God Bless,

    Pete

    Reply

  2. TGIF Reader

    March 2, 2018 at 3:08 pm

    Super. Praise God

    Sam

    Reply

  3. TGIF Reader

    March 2, 2018 at 3:18 pm

    Thank you for the blind side message.

    Ethel

    Reply

  4. TGIF Reader

    March 2, 2018 at 4:51 pm

    Hi Brother Raoul,

    I love Southern “Talk”, we have a dear friend from Tennessee who has been here many years and that loses it , but when she visits home for a week or so, it comes back to her. We get the biggest kick out of it! Thank you for these thoughts. If this video doesn’t bring you to tears nothing will of this little child seeing for the first time. It is more than touching – it is moving! Especially after Linda Belle and I last night attended our first board meeting of the year for O.P.I.- Opportunities for the Physically Impaired. We need all the help we can get with this endeavor. Our members are mainly blind or visually impaired. Many people are not comfortable being around folks with disabilities, however the high school Linda Belle and I attended in L.A., John Marshall was the only school in L.A. S.D. in those years that allowed blind students, and we are always amazed at how well they got themselves around the campus and these students were some of the most popular among all the students. So when we met Jose Jimenez (yes just like the comedian of yesterday!), who is the founder of OPI and one of the Goal Ball players we were attracted to the organization and its members. Our Goal Ball Tournament in August 2018 is looking to bring a men and women’s teams from the Philippines too – they now come from across the U.S., Australia, Canada, and Mexico,. The sighted board members last night discussed exactly what you shared about not being able to see what those that are blessed with sight take for granted. I am going to forward a response to a long time friend, also used to be in our Toastmaster Club # 20 in Montebello. I just sent him in an email. He sends me a thought of the day by Aristotle and I had to comment on it. The email is my response. With sight we have to always be grateful. Our blind friends do not have sight, but they do have Vision. Sometimes Vision possibly is more important than sight!
    God bless you,
    (:>}) – Chuck

    Reply

  5. TGIF Reader

    March 2, 2018 at 4:52 pm

    Not sure if you got my initial response. But, I had to blow my nose twice after watching you videos. Awesome articles and info as usual.

    Heather

    Reply

Leave a Reply to TGIF Reader Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Check Also

Marriage Tip

My wife and I watched a beautiful movie about the struggles of married life. It’s not a ne…