General – Only True Hope

The Strangest Question I’ve Been Asked

November 23, 2023 by Roger E. BayramianNo Comments

Have you ever been asked a question that left you puzzled? I had that experience today when I went to give blood. The American Red Cross has been modifying the questions it asks donors, becoming more gender-neutral. Their website states, "Under the FDA’s individual donor assessment eligibility criteria, the donor history questionnaire is gender-neutral and all donors will answer the same questions regardless of gender or sexual orientation." In the past, there were questions specific to women, but now men are required to answer them. There are two questions regarding pregnancy, "Are you pregnant now?" and "Have you ever been pregnant." The choices are "Yes, No, or Skip." I quickly answered the questions, so I checked "no" to the first one, but then on the second, I checked "Skip." In the past, they would make clear that some questions are for females, but now all questions are required without any distinction. The only logical and rational response to the question is...

Living and Active – ACBC Conference Experience

October 9, 2023October 9, 2023 by Roger E. BayramianNo Comments

Fall has arrived in Southern California with a heat wave, pumpkin spice everything, and conferences. I enjoy attending one or two conferences each year since they help me grow professionally, both for my day job as an accountant and helping with ministry in the church. Last week, I attended the ACBC Annual Conference at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, CA. ACBC stands for the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, and each year, they put on a conference to help biblical counselors grow in their skills and ability to help people. This year's conference topic was Living and Active, "Biblical Counseling and the Sufficiency of Scripture." The conference included six plenary sessions and many breakout sessions. The speakers for the plenary sessions were Dale Johnson, Ernie Baker, Abner Chou, H.B. Charles, Terry Enns, and Rick Holland. Dale Johnson started the conference with the topic of "The Folly of Fig Leaves." He stated that ACBC was drawing a line in the sand...

Books, Books, and More Books

May 12, 2023May 12, 2023 by Roger E. BayramianNo Comments

There are endless books that I want to read, but limited time each day. Often, I want to escape the rat race of life to sit for an extended period of time, getting lost in a book. In the meantime, I find that I need to use the margins of time to get some reading done. There is an interesting verse in the Bible regarding books. Ecclesiastes 12:12 "My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh." Solomon, who penned these words, was an interesting character. He was known as the wisest man ever to live, yet, even with all that wisdom, he pursued the desires of his flesh and married many wives along with a harem of concubines. Wisdom and foolishness can exist alongside each other in the same person. Regardless, Solomon wrote these words at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, one...

Reflections on war and hope

March 19, 2022March 19, 2022 by Roger E. BayramianNo Comments

Six years ago, I had the privilege of visiting Ukraine with Children's Hunger Fund, the nonprofit organization I have worked at for the past eleven years. There has been an ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine for many years. In 2014 there was turmoil in Ukraine over the President who wanted to have closer contact with Russia while the people wanted to join the European Union. Instead of signing an agreement with the European Union, the President sided with Russia. In response, there were protests called the Revolution of Dignity in Kyiv at Maidan square. The outcome of that event was that the President fled to Russia for asylum, and a new president was installed. I remember visiting Maidan square and seeing the memorial of the many people who had lost their lives during the protests. Later in 2014, Russia annexed the Peninsula of Crimea away from Ukraine. They also invaded Eastern...

Reflecting on Vegas

December 10, 2021December 10, 2021 by Roger E. BayramianNo Comments

Last month I attended an accounting conference in Las Vegas. Hundreds of Accountants with their calculators gathered together at the Venetian hotel. All sarcasm aside, this trip made me think a lot about why Vegas attracts so many people. There is an aspect of Las Vegas that fascinates me. There is an appeal to our desires, drawing in people seeking different things. One might argue that the main draw of Vegas is gambling, and close behind that is entertainment. However, I think there is something more profound than a desire to become rich or be entertained. There is a way in which Vegas appeals to the different natural desires that we were created with, which so quickly become disoriented. God gave us desires, and there are many things in life to enjoy, yet we want the good things too much, sometimes we want wrong things, and we even at times do not want the right thing. I think there is one...

What’s your favorite podcast?

September 27, 2021September 27, 2021 by Roger E. BayramianNo Comments

One of the best things about podcasts is that there are so many great ones out there, and one of the worst things about podcasts is that there is not enough time to listen to them all! I enjoy listening to podcasts on a variety of different topics, and I want to share the ones that I subscribe to along with a brief description. Maybe you will find something new to listen to. News The Briefing with Albert Mohler - Dr. Mohler reports on current news and culture events from a biblical perspective. He does a great job of helping listeners understand the importance of events with a biblical worldview.The Journal - The Wall Street Journal produces this daily podcast with Kate Linebuagh and Ryan Knutson. They cover current events on money, business, and power. Sometimes they do special mini-series (see below). The Daily - This podcast is from the New York Times featuring Michael Barbaro. I disagree with most of...

Helpful Complaining

August 18, 2021August 18, 2021 by Roger E. BayramianNo Comments

A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about why I complain so much. Most of the time I complain because there is someone or something in which I am dissatisfied. I think most people associate complaining with negativity, but I believe that there is a positive side to complaining. There are times when we can take complaining and make it helpful. When the pandemic lockdowns began in Los Angeles the freeways were empty. I remember the eerie feeling of driving on a freeway with only a handful of drivers when there were normally hundreds of them. Not only were there few cars but people were driving fast. I remember thinking that at the end of the lockdown people will need to slow down. Humans are slow to change though, and now people drive faster and more erratic than ever. I recently noticed a problem in my neighborhood at a two-way intersection. Over the last year I started to notice...

A Pandemic and a Podcast

July 1, 2021 by Roger E. BayramianNo Comments

The idea of starting a podcast was an idea that came up a few years ago among some of us at my church. There was always a lot going and starting a podcast seemed too much. Then the pandemic struck last year, and the idea of a podcast came back to our minds. My friend Rev. Dr. Jason Matossian (he does not like titles, hence the reason I use them) decided it was time to give it a try. Jason chose the name, I chose the tech. We chose a simple setup using Zoom to record and a couple of cheap mics. We published our first episode on June 15, 2020. It has been a little over a year and we have recorded over 50 episodes. There are many things I have learned; one is I realized how self-conscious talking into a mic makes me feel. I have done a fair amount of public speaking and do not have a fear...

Do you have an iPhone, or does your iPhone have you?

March 21, 2021March 21, 2021 by Roger E. BayramianNo Comments

I came across a news article this morning that talked about a Digital Detox Challenge. I am reminded about how much technology is part of everyday life. I am not against technology by any means, I was part of the generation that grew up when the internet was gaining popularity. I am in the age group that can be part of Gen X or Gen Y (Millennials), depending on whom you ask. Wikipedia is the authority on all truth, right? The article I read this morning talked about a contest where they choose people to take a 24-hour period without any technology. They will pay $2,400 and even supply a safe to lock up your devices! There is a lot to say about how gamification, financial incentives, and preventing access can be tools for temporary behavior modification. Long-lasting change comes by aiming at the heart, which I will cover in future blog posts. All that to say, this sounds like a...

The Age of Skepticism

March 15, 2021March 21, 2021 by Roger E. BayramianNo Comments

Do you have a favorite conspiracy theory? There are so many to choose from over the last year: the pandemic, stolen elections, Pizzagate, and vaccines. It seems that conspiracy theories are more common today and they come out much more quickly after a major event. We live in a unique time in history where there is a combination of misinformation and untrustworthy leadership. This is not new for humanity, but the speed of news spreading is new. Social media has allowed us the ability to create an online presence to share information with a community of people we may never meet in person. Along with that is the ability to say anything without anyone verifying the facts. Over the last year, I have listened to stories of those who have believed in conspiracy theories, those who regretted what they believed, and others who held to their beliefs even when proven false. (By this I mean that there were theories of events...