Facts and Opinions by Richard Hull

306 Reasons Not To Watch Jay Leno

2011-12-17T10:59:00.000-05:00

I fell asleep the night of 12/11/11 on the recliner while watching television. I was awakened sometime between 11:30 and midnight to what seemed like someone making fun of the Holy Bible. Being somewhat disoriented I wasn't exactly sure I was hearing what I thought I was. I did realize that the program on t.v. was The Tonight Show with Jay Leno but being too tired to continue watching I looked it up online the next day and, sure enough, in five minutes and 6 seconds (306 seconds) Jay Leno managed to blaspheme almost every major account of the Holy Bible. Thus I discovered that night 306 reasons not to watch Jay Leno. Check it out for yourself and if you feel led to write NBC and let them know that this is not acceptable then you have my encouragement to do so. Here is the link:

http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/tour-of-the-bible-12211/1371674

Call It What It Is, A Christmas Tree

2011-12-05T23:02:00.000-05:00

November 19, 2011

It’s starting already I am reading things in the paper like, “the lighting of the community tree” or “the holiday tree.”

In America we have celebrated Christmas since the founding of our great nation. It is a celebration of the birth of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a time to reflect upon the blessings that have been bestowed upon this great nation because we were founded on the principles and precepts of the Holy Bible. It is for these reasons that this nation has experienced the freedoms and privileges that we enjoy.

We have removed God from our public schools and now we are making an attempt to remove Him completely from our society. We have made way too much “progress” in that area. The Holy Bible says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” It is because in the founding of this country our forefathers gave God His rightful place that we are the great nation that we are. But our attempts to remove God from the forefront have had many negative and devastating results. Time and space does not allow me to spell them out.

My point is this, it is the Christmas season. It is not just a holiday. It is a season of worshiping the One Who gave His life that we may have a future in Heaven. Christ is the reason for celebrating Christmas. It is not illegal to say Merry Christmas in public schools in spite of what some may have us to believe. It is, also, not illegal to say it when we shop. When someone tells you to have a Happy Holiday this year I hope you will reply for them to have a Merry Christmas. Christ is the Reason for the season.

Fox News' parent company investing in 'gay marriage'

2011-08-28T19:42:00.001-04:00

Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 8/24/2011 3:50:00 AM

The owner of a cable news channel is investing in homosexual marriage, and one conservative activist says that shows the direction the network is taking on the issue.

News Corporation, the parent company of Fox News, is preparing to publish a magazine devoted to planning "gay" and lesbian weddings with the debut issue of Wedding Pride next month. Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) deems it sad that the news operation trusted by many Americans is supporting homosexual marriage. But he says it is an indication of the direction the network is headed.

"Conservative and faith-based Americans do not look to Fox to promote sin. And yet, every time Fox promotes homosexuality, that's exactly what they're doing; they're promoting bad morality," LaBarbera contends.

According to him, that is the network's trend, as some talk show hosts do not even address the subject. But he argues that neutrality on the issue is not what Fox's constituency deserves.

"I think the problem is Fox News is based in New York City, which is a gay Mecca. That's one of the problems," he suggests. "But, it's this idea [of] sort of going with the media, going with the popular culture."

LaBarbera goes on to point out that when the New York Senate voted to legalize homosexual marriage, other news networks devoted considerable time to report on it, while Fox News devoted zero segments to the vote or to the governor signing the measure into law.

Great Anniversary Trip With My Wonderful Wife

2011-07-23T22:31:00.000-04:00

My wife, Carol, and I left town on Saturday morning, July 16th, not knowing where we were headed for our anniversary. We decided to go south on I-81. We drove to New Market, Virgina because there is a restaurant there that we had eaten at before and that is where my wife wanted to eat. On the way there we stopped a Belle Grove Plantation but the Plantation House was about to close for the night so we listened to a park ranger give a talk about the Battle of Cedar Creek. After the talk we drove on down to the Johnny Appleseed Restaurant where we were going to eat.

The Johnny Appleseed Restaurant just happens to be attached to a Quality Inn so we spent the night there. Looking in the phone book in the hotel room that night I found what looked like a good Fundamental Baptist Church. We got up early the next morning, Sunday, checked out of the hotel, and attended the Smith Creek Regular Baptist Church. It was built in the 1700's and ran about 30-40 people that morning. The people gave us a warm and friendly welcome and if we are ever in the area again on Sunday morning or Wednesday night we will probably go again. The Pastor gave a wonderful sermon on how we can, and should, go about sharing our faith in Christ.

After church my wife decided that she wanted to see Belle Grove Plantation so we drove back to New Market for a tour. It is a very stately mansion on rolling hills and the docent was very informative. One is not allowed to take pictures inside the house so afterward we strolled around the grounds and took quite a few photographs. I would recommend a tour of Belle Grove Plantation to anyone who has the opportunity to go.

Afterward we headed south on I-81 again and stopped at Shenandoah Caverns. We looked around the gift shop but thought the price of admission to the caverns was more than we were willing to pay. Not sure of exactly where to go from there we headed west on route 55 to Smoke Hole, West Virgina. We had been there several years previous and knew it was a beautiful place. We stopped and checked in at a motel in Smoke Hole and then drove into Petersburg and had supper at the Pizza Hut. By that time we were pretty tired and went to bed.

On Monday we took a tour of Smoke Hole Caverns, at about ten dollars per person cheaper than Shenandoah Caverns would have been. There was only one other couple on the tour and so it was a good time without a large crowd of people. We looked around the gift shop and my wife tried to, unsuccessfully, to locate an old friend.

We decided to keep moving so we left Smoke Hole and drove to Seneca Rocks where we visited to old country stores and did some walking around and taking pictures. We ate upstairs in Harper's Old Country Store where they had a small restaurant. The food was good. They have a rock climbing school at Seneca Rocks that I would love to attend but at my age I am sure that will never happen. We could not hike to Seneca Rock because the trail was closed for maintenance. We did go to the Discovery Center and enjoyed the gift shop and walking around an old homestead that is there.

From Seneca Rocks we moved on to Blackwater Falls State Park where we stayed the night in the lodge. We drove around the cabins and got some great pictures of some beautiful deer. One came up to about five feet away from the car and then walked across the road right in front of us. It was beautiful! We had dinner in the lodge restaurant. I got brown pinto beans and ham with fried potatoes and corn bread. It was delicious and the portions were very generous. We went swimming in the pool. The next morning we went on a hike of a little less than a mile with the park naturalist. She told us about a forest not too far from there that is a virgin forest called Cathedral State Park. We, also, went on a hike to a beautiful overlook called Lindy Overlook. The view was truly magnificent.

When we left Blackwater Falls we stopped at the smallest church and post office in 48 states. We took pictures and walked around the grounds. The church has six pews and seats twelve people. It was built in the 1950's by a man to honor his deceased parents. From there we went to Cathedral State Park and took our third hike of the day. We hiked a little over a mile and we were tired. This forest is virgin forest with some Eastern Hemlocks that are three-hundred to five-hundred years old. Some of them are eighty to ninety feet tall and twenty-one feet in circumference. They are very majestic. It is something worth seeing!

Afterwards, we drove to Oakland, Maryland where we had dinner at Casselman's, stopped to get some candy and came home. We drove five-hundred miles in four days and we were tired but we had a wonderful time.

Homosexuality: Still Sinful to the Holy God

2011-07-14T23:56:00.000-04:00

One day last week I arrived somewhere and walked in on a conversation that greatly disturbed me. I don't normally listen in on people's conversations but, you know, sometimes one is in a position where one cannot avoid overhearing something no matter how hard one tries. Well, that's the way it was on this particular day.

The woman sitting near me was bisexual and was talking to her collegue about how it is okay to be "gay" and how it is okay if one's children are "gay". Let me say up front, I put "gay" in quotation marks because
I disagree with the use of this word when it relates to homosexuality. Gay means happy, not homosexual, and it disturbs me that they have taken an innocent word meaning happy and have corrupted it to mean something abominable. Just like they have taken the rainbow, God's promise that He would never again destroy the world by flood, and adapted it to represent something that God calls "against nature."

I have nothing against homosexuals as people. I have had some friends that were homosexual but they knew from the beginning of that friendship where I stood on this issue. I do not think they should be beaten or persecuted for their lifestyle nor do I think they have the right to persecute Christians for what they believe. That being said, I feel the need to weigh in on the issue of homosexuality and especially the belief that it doesn't matter if one's children are "gay".

I feel that we, as Christians, and especially as a society are buying into the lie that homosexuality should be an accepted lifestyle, or that it is an "alternative" lifestyle. Nothing is further from the truth. Like it or not, homosexuality is still a sinful lifestyle according to the Bible. Adultery is still a sinful lifestyle according to the Bible. Lying is still sinful and the list could go on.

If one reads Romans Chapter One they can clearly see and understand what the Holy God of the universe has to say about homosexuality. He calls it an abomination and in His mind nothing has changed. Malachi 3:6 says in part, "For I am the LORD, I change not..." Why, you may ask, does God not change? Quite simply, He doesn't have to change. He is Right!, Perfect!, Holy! If perfection has to change then it wasn't perfection to begin with. But God is Perfection. He is and always has been Holy. He is and always has been Right! Psalm 33:4, "For the Word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in truth."

We may get to the place where the homosexual movement begins to wear us down but that does not change God's mind about it one bit. We are buying into the lie of homosexuality but God still is not pleased with it. And Romans Chapter One still calls it an abomination. Read it for yourself: "For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleaness through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:18-32.

I do believe that we should love the homosexual as we are commanded to love anyone else whether it be the drunk, the one who abuses his or her spouse, the adulterer, or the thief. However, these lifestyles are still wrong and we must still speak out against them. We must still be witnesses unto them. We must still pray for them that they will see the Light and give their heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot stand idly by while this unacceptable lifestyle is thrust upon us.

Remember, as Christians, it is our fault if God no longer chooses to bless America.

Miss USA 'Believes' in Evolution

2011-07-01T19:51:00.000-04:00

by Christine Dao *

An interesting question on evolution cropped up during the televised Miss USA pageant, which aired June 19, 2011.

Pageant organizers asked the contestants, "Should evolution be taught in schools?" Of the 51 woman, 24 answered "yes," two said "no," 24 said both evolution and creation or "all perspectives" should be taught, and one chose not to answer.

The winner, Miss California Alyssa Campanella, was one of two contestants who said specifically that they "believe" in evolution.

"I was taught evolution in my high school growing up. And I do believe in it. I mean, I'm a huge science geek, so I like to believe in, like, the Big Bang theory and, you know, the evolution of humans, you know, throughout, you know, time," she said.1

In a guest post on the Discover blog of political journalist and author Chris Mooney, molecular biologist Jamie L. Vernon wrote, "Campanella's answer demonstrated that she possesses a respectable appreciation and understanding of science."2

Additionally, she favored the legalization of medical marijuana and said that she would agree to a "tasteful" nude photo shoot as long as it presented her body in a way in which she would be respected.2

Whether one agrees or disagrees with Ms. Campanella's responses and her winning of the pageant, something interesting to note are the 26 responses that were either not in favor of teaching evolution or in favor of teaching it along with other scientific theories.

Oftentimes the respondents, including Ms. Campanella, spoke of evolution as a belief system. More often than not, the women supported presenting students with as much information as possible so that they could decide for themselves what would be best to "believe."

Just as many respondents who favored evolution had favored academic freedom, and many contestants acknowledged the faith required to accept evolution. As Dr. Vernon commented, the new Miss USA does indeed possess "a respectable appreciation and understanding of science," as demonstrated by her implicit acknowledgment that support for evolution is a matter of belief.

References

Hughes, S. A. Miss USA 2011 contestants weigh in on evolution (Video). The Washington Post BlogPost. Posted on washingtonpost.com June 21, 2011, accessed June 23, 2011.

Vernon, J. L. Miss USA 2011, "A Huge Science Geek." The Intersection, Discover Magazine. Posted on blogs.discovermagazine.com June 20, 2011, accessed June 23, 2011.

Ms. Dao is Assistant Editor at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on June 29, 2011.

Study Demonstrates Babies Reason Logically Before They Can Even Speak

2011-06-23T22:04:00.006-04:00

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

Among living creatures, only humans can think about thinking. Researchers recently performed a new set of cognitive tests on one-year-olds to discover how soon humans develop the ability to reason. Their findings surprised them.

The investigators showed the babies short videos of virtual objects bouncing around randomly inside a round "container" that had an opening at the bottom. The contents were then blocked from view, after which one of the objects was seen exiting the container. The researchers measured any surprise in the babies' reactions to the object that escaped through the opening—a choice of one that had been heading toward the opening just before the picture was covered, one that was not near the opening, or one that was actually moving in the wrong direction.

The babies seemed perplexed when the wrong object appeared to escape the container, indicating that even at 12 months they could predict the trajectories the objects should have taken. They were able to combine abstract knowledge with perceptual data in an exercise of "pure reasoning" in the form of Bayesian analyses.1 Bayesian logic is used in predictive modeling, which attempts to calculate the likelihood of a given future event based on prior events. The authors matched the babies' behavior to this formula, which expresses Bayesian predictive logic:

In their article published in the journal Science, the authors wrote that the infants can "integrate multiple information sources and abstract knowledge in reasoning about future outcomes." They concluded, "Preverbal infants' ability to reason about complex unseen events is surprisingly sophisticated."1

These scientists might not have expected this level of sophistication in infant reasoning abilities, but for those who understand that God made humans in His image—an image that includes the capacity for reason2—it is not so surprising to discover that babies who cannot yet talk nevertheless use Bayesian-like logic in their thought processes.

References

1. Teglas, E. et al. 2011. Pure Reasoning in 12-Month-Old Infants as Probabilistic Inference. Science. 332 (6033): 1054-1059.
2. God appeals to mankind's reasoning in Isaiah 1:18: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on June 21, 2011.

Journal Censors 'Second Law' Paper Refuting Evolution

2011-06-21T20:09:00.003-04:00

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

For life to have evolved from non-life, atoms and molecules would have had to move from a state of lower to greater organization and self-assemble into precise arrangements. But the second law of thermodynamics demonstrates that without intelligent outside influence, molecules are always in the process of breaking down.

A new technical paper on this fundamental law of nature completely undermines a naturalistic origins perspective. And this explains why the paper, after first having been approved, was withdrawn from publication.

The second law is a description of nature's universal tendency to lose orderliness over time. It describes how heat flows toward cooler areas so that temperature evens out, as well as how particles tend to distance themselves from one another, always decreasing in structured arrangement if left alone.

In a paper titled "A second look at the second law," math professor Granville Sewell of the University of Texas, El Paso showed that notions of nature alone building the complex structures of DNA are as unlikely as nature building a computer.1 Either event would violate the second law.

After the paper was accepted for publication in Applied Mathematics Letters, an anti-design blogger wrote to the editor, warning that the journal's reputation would be tarnished if the paper was printed. So, the journal's editor withdrew it.2 Sewell, who has authored at least 39 other technical papers,3 then took legal action. Since the journal's own policy states that withdrawing a reviewed and accepted paper "can only occur under exceptional circumstances" such as plagiarism or fraudulent data,4 and since Sewell's article does not contain any known errors or technical problems, he was given an apology as well as permission to post the pre-publication version of his paper on his university faculty web page—although Applied Mathematics Letters still has no plans to publish it.2

The editor's fear of printing the paper is perhaps not surprising, considering the virulent opposition exercised by many evolutionists when their scientific beliefs are academically challenged.5 And as the rejected paper indicates, since the second law states that the orderliness present in matter or energy always tends to decrease, it negates evolution's historical perspective of a massive order increase from hydrogen to humans. However, informed Darwinists argue that order can increase in one place (e.g., on earth) as long as there is a compensating decrease in order elsewhere.

But Sewell's paper shows in succinct mathematical formulae that this argument has no merit. The increase in order in one place would have to be directly linked to a decrease in another place, and such a link remains to be established.6 He wrote:

The fact that order is disappearing in the next room does not make it any easier for computers to appear in our room—unless this order is disappearing into our room, and then only if it is a type of order that makes the appearance of computers not extremely improbable, for example, computers.1

In other words, the probability is overwhelming that the atoms that comprise computers (and, by the same logic, DNA) naturally diffuse rather than assemble—let alone assemble into such information-rich patterns. The key formula, which is an expression of the rate of entropic change, is contained in standard thermodynamics texts, but its implications are seldom discussed. The upshot is that the only way to get a computer into a room is not by transferring material or energy, like light photons, from one room to another, but by someone building a computer and putting it there.

Similarly, the way to arrive at DNA is not to transfer sunlight's energy onto earth's chemicals, but for someone to build DNA and place it in living creatures on the planet. And that scenario may sound familiar to those who have read Exodus 20:11. "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is."

References

1. Sewell, G. 2011. A second look at the second law. Applied Mathematics Letters. Article in press.
2. A more thorough description of these events can be found in West, J. G. Journal Apologizes and Pays $10,000 After Censoring Article. Evolution News and Views. Posted on evolutionnews.org June 7, 2011, accessed June 9, 2011.
3. Sewell's publications are listed on his Curriculum Vitae, available at his University of Texas, El Paso faculty web page.
4. Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal. Posted on elsevier.com, accessed June 17, 2011.
5. For further examples of such opposition in the academic world, see Stein, B. 2008. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. DVD. Directed by Nathan Frankowski. Premise Media Corporation, L.P.; and Bergman, J. 2008. Slaughter of the Dissidents: The Shocking Truth about killing the Careers of Darwin Doubters. Southworth, WA: Leafcutter Press.
6. Sewell refutes the notion that the second law can be circumvented as long as the order increase/decrease occurs in an open system. In an online lecture video explaining his "second law" paper, Sewell said, "Suppose you and your wife go for a vacation, leaving a dog, a cat and a parakeet loose in the house (I put the animals there to cause the entropy to increase more rapidly, otherwise you might have to take a much longer vacation to see the same effect). When you come back you will not be surprised to see chaos in the house. But tell her some scientists say, 'but if you leave the door open while on vacation, your house becomes an open system, and the second law does not apply to open systems…you may find everything in better condition than when you left.' I'll bet she will say, 'if a maid enters through the door and cleans the house, maybe, but if all that enters is sunlight, wind and other animals, probably not.'" Sewell, G. A second look at the second law. Online video. Posted on math.utep.edu, accessed June 9, 2011.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on June 20, 2011.

New Sky Map Shows Big Bang Even More Unlikely

2011-06-14T19:08:00.000-04:00

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

Few questions hold more intrigue than that of how the universe began. Although the Bible provides a written account of this obviously miraculous event, some reject it and try to explain the origin of the universe without either miracles or miracle Maker. But the evidence is against a naturalistic cause for the cosmos, and a newly unveiled 3-D map of the sky offers yet more signs of its supernatural source.

The most popular nature-only explanation of the origin of the universe is the Big Bang, which proposes that all space, time, and matter were once densely packed into a tiny volume. For some unknown reason, this nugget exploded, yielding elements in ever-expanding space that eventually self-organized into such structures as stars, galaxies, and clusters of galaxies.
But the contradictions between this scenario and real observations are so numerous and severe that a supernatural origin for the universe is demanded.¹ For example, the First Law of Thermodynamics states that matter and energy can be neither created nor destroyed. Big Bang beliefs violate this law by positing the appearance of matter from no prior material. The Big Bang also violates the Second Law of Thermodynamics—which states that some orderliness is always lost when energy or matter are converted to other forms—by positing the creation of orderliness in the form of stars, galaxies, and galactic clusters, all with insufficient cause.
The closer that telescopes zoom in on the stars, the more obvious it is that they are out of step with Big Bang ideas. About 20 years ago, the first results from three-dimensional maps of sections of the sky showed unforeseen mega-structures. In stark contrast to the random and even distribution of stars that a Big Bang would have produced, galaxies are instead grouped into clusters and superstructures.² And the galactic clusters, tendrils, and voids exhibited in the new 3-D map serve as a blatant reminder that this universe is not random.
The new sky map, dubbed the 2MASS Redshift Survey (or 2MRS), also confirms that a Creator was needed. The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics released images of the sky within a radius of some 380 million light-years from earth, using redshifted light to calculate distances.³ Astronomers were able to map stars closer to the Milky Way, which forms a dark band across the middle of the map, than previous studies. Like prior star maps, this one shows huge, intricate structures in space that simply should not exist unless they were put there on purpose.
These supergalactic structures provide yet more evidence that the cosmos is not a product of nature, but of "he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth…that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in."⁴

References

Another problem with the Big Bang is the horizon problem, which is the question of why temperature is so remarkably uniform throughout the universe when light has not had enough time since the Big Bang to travel throughout space and evenly distribute radiation. Also, the Big Bang should have resulted in equal amounts of matter and antimatter, but the real universe is dominated by matter.
Gish, D. 1991. The Big Bang Theory Collapses. Acts & Facts. 20 (6).
Astronomers Unveil Most Complete 3-D Map of Local Universe. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics press release, May 25, 2011.
Isaiah 40:22.

Image credit: T. H. Jarrett (IPAC/SSC). This image is used for nonprofit educational presentation purposes only.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on June 10, 2011.

Thank You Veterans!!

2011-05-27T22:28:00.000-04:00

I just want to say to all of you veterans out there, thank you for all you do to protect our freedoms and this great country in which we live. I think every veteran deserves all of the good things they get in life, especially if they have been in combat.

Good rendition of our National Anthem with lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK7xF1RGCQY&feature=related

Touch Of The Master’s Hand

2011-05-26T21:44:00.003-04:00

Well it was battered and scared,

And the auctioneer felt it was hardly worth his while,

To waste much time on the old violin

but he held it up with a smile,

Well it sure ain’t much but its all we got left I guess we aught to sell it to,

Oh, now who’ll start the bid on this old violin?

Just one more and we’ll be through.

And then he cried one give me one dollar,

Who’ll make it two only two dollars who’ll make it three,

Three dollars twice now that’s a good price,
Now who’s gonna bid for me?
Raise up your hand now don’t wait any longer the auctions about to end,
Who’s got four Just one dollar more to bid on this old violin?

Well the air was hot and the people stood around as the sun was setting low,

From the back of the crowd a gray haired man,
Came forward and picked up the bow,

He wiped the dust from the old violin then he tightened up the strings,
Then he played out a melody pure and sweet, sweeter than the Angels sing,
And then the music stopped and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low he said now what am I bid,
For this old violin and he held it up with a bow.

And then he cried out one give me one thousand,
Who’ll make it two only two thousand who’ll make it three,
Three thousand twice you know that’s a good price,
Common who’s gonna to bid for me?
And the people cried out what made the change we don’t understand,
Then the auctioneer stopped and he said with a smile,
It was the touch of the Master’s hand.

You know there's many a man with his life out of tune,
Battered and scared with sin and he’s auctioned cheap,
To a thankless world much like that old violin,
Oh, but then the Master comes,
And that old foolish crowd they never understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is rought,
Just by one touch of the Masters hand.

Note: I love this poem because it is my life story.
         I would hate to imagine what would have
         happened to me had the Lord not save me
         on March 18th, 1979.

         Thank you, Lord, for loving me with a love
          far beyond my comprehension, a love that
          I will never understand.

God loves you and He can change your life if you let Him by a Touch of the Master's Hand.

A Religious Zealot With Soldier's Blood on His Hands: Herald Mail 4/6/11

2011-04-08T20:53:00.000-04:00

April 6, 2011

In response to Dan K. Thomasson of the Scripps Howard News Service’s article: A religious zealot with soldiers’ blood on his hands, which appeared in the Herald Mail on April 6, 2011 there are a couple of things I feel need to be said.

Let me first of all state that neither do I agree with Terry Jones’ burning of the Quran. It is very sad that this act has caused the death of more people and is a perfect example of how one’s actions have an effect on others for, either, good and ill. I am not, by any means, defending Mr. Jones’ decision. It is a shame that more innocent people have had to die and I am not discounting that. However, there are a few things we must realize and some facts we must face.

The people that have died because of this act of burning the Quran died as a by-product of the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11. That’s right, were it not for the attack on the World Trade Center the burning of the Quran would not have taken place. Does this justify Mr. Jones’ actions? Absolutely not! And Mr. Jones should have had better discernment. But let’s remind ourselves what caused this reaction.

On September 11, 2001 the United States was attack by religious zealots who caused the death of thousands of our fellow Americans as well as some foreigners working in or around the World Trade Center. This is not including the countless others such as firefighters, rescue workers, policeman, military personnel, and civilians who will, yet, die from lung disease and other complications as a result of selflessly doing their jobs rescuing people’s loved ones and defending our great nation. It was an attack that was, as far as we know, unprovoked.

Tonight as I sat at my computer and looked, again, at the pictures of the World Trade Center under attack and the smoke billowing from what was the symbol of the financial freedom of the free world and saw, again, the people who chose to jump to their deaths rather than fry in the heat, I am reminded of the brutal price we are all still paying. The price some have paid much more costly than the price others have and are paying. I am reminded that this atrocity did not take place because of someone in Florida burning the Quran. It took place because of someone who hates our nation and that for which it stands.

I am a Christian, but if someone burns the Bible I am not going to riot and kill someone and especially those who had nothing to do with it. I would pray that they would get right with God and realize His great love for them. To say that the burning of the Quran caused the “spate of violence in Afghanistan” is to say that we control the reactions of those who carried out this violence. It is to say that they are not responsible for their own actions. Any intelligent, thinking person would have to admit that is not true.

This is not about taking sides with Mr. Jones. It is about seeing this straight on and not from a parallax view. Mr. Thomasson, that is, apparently, the view from which you are seeing this. It is about realizing that we are at war in foreign nations because we were the ones attacked. It is about not “straining at a gnat to swallow a camel.”

Yes, Mr. Jones is wrong but Mr. Jones does not control the violent reactions of others and I doubt 9/11 was his idea. Let me say, I have nothing against Muslims but I have plenty against those (whoever they are) that chose to attack the nation that I love and the freedoms, rights, and privileges I enjoy here. Many have died and still are dying defending those freedoms, rights, and privileges so that you, Mr. Thomasson, can write your column and so that Mr. Jones, whether or not we agree with him, can burn the Quran.

My Blog Isn't Dead (Well, not completely)

2011-02-17T20:33:00.000-05:00

Hang in there folks. Even though it has been more than a year since I have posted anything on my blog (wow! it doesn't seem that long) it is not dead. I will be posting something shortly. Thank you for visiting and I hope you don't give up on me. I have been pre-occupied with a lot of other things but am almost at the place where I will resume my relationship with my blog. See you soon.

It is Christmas!

2009-12-22T18:29:00.003-05:00

When I grew up as a child in the United States of America almost everybody said, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year", this time of year. Now almost everywhere people say, "Happy Holidays." Why is that? Well, we have almost succeeded in dismissing God from the public arena. We have been under the false impression for some time that if we just ignore God He will go away and we won't have to deal with Him. However, just because that is what we think doesn't make it so.

Listen to what the Holy Bible has to say about this. In Hebrews 9:27 the Bible says, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." So whether we have forgotten about God in this life or not will make no difference because after death we must still face God's judgment.

Here is another verse that talks about the fact that ignoring God will not make Him go away. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." II Corinthians 5:10. Again, notice the first part of the verse, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ..."

You mean those who have forgotten God in this life? The verse says, "all."

We have been taught tolerance in the name of the love of God. And we are so afraid of offending others that we have sugar-coated what the Bible says. I do not believe in being unkind to others and the older I get the more compassionate I get but, let's face facts, when one talks about God someone is going to be offended. It has always been that way and always will be. Jesus said we are to "speak the truth in love" but we are to speak the truth. In fact, Jesus was perfect and even He offended others. He spoke the truth to the religious leaders of His day and they were offended. Did Jesus set out to offend? He set out to speak the truth and that is what He did. We are more compassionate to our fellow man by speaking the truth in love than we are by not speaking and letting them believe error. For those who know the truth, it is our responsibility before God to "speak the truth in love." We do no one any good by letting them believe that if they ignore God He will go away. We, too, will give an account to God. Matthew 10:33, "But whosoever will deny Me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven."

Christmas is one of the holidays in this country in which we celebrate Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. We celebrate the birth of God in flesh who came to this world to redeem sinful mankind. We have been remiss in letting the secular world and the religious world rob us of expressing the true meaning of Christmas. In schools we call it a "winter holiday." In stores they are "holiday trees." No, it is Christmas and they are Christmas trees and this is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Christ, the Redeemer of mankind!

It is Christmas, has always been Christmas, and always will be Christmas. So say it in love but say it boldly and say it with gratitude in your heart. Because God cared enough about you to offer Himself in a body to redeem you from your sin. In order to redeem me, God offered up God and that makes it a:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

The Government's Healthcare System and New Testing Guidelines

2009-11-20T20:01:00.002-05:00

Is it me or does anyone else wonder what impact the passage of the new government healthcare agenda has to do with the new guidelines for mamograms and cervical cancer screenings? It seems this thing is no sooner through the House than the guidelines for cancer screenings for women has changed. Ask yourself this, if these things are changing this quickly, what else will be changing if this atrocity passes the Senate?

Let's realize that the insurance companies will take any way out they can to save money. They are already more in control of your healthcare than your doctor. If you don't believe that wait until the next time the doctor wants you to get a test or procedure done that the insurance company won't cover.

Is the timing of the changes in cancer screening recommendations a coincidence? Personally, I don't think so, the timing is just too impeccable. When did the insurance companies and the medical industry ever line up so perfectly on something as this seems to be lining up?

While I will agree that our healthcare system is broken, and has been for a long time. This new healthcare bill is not the answer! What does the government ever control better than private industry? Even the insurance companies that we bailed out with taxpayer dollars are still paying big bonuses. Only thing is, now they are paying them with your tax dollars instead of their own money. Well, I know, it was always the customers' money but now it is also my tax money, and yours. Tell the government to stay out of healthcare until they learn to govern themselves. Hah! that would be something to see!!

And tell the government that they can no longer vote themselves a raise but that the people are going to do that from now on. If we feel that they deserve to get one. When one serves too much time in Congress they get to know too many cronies and gain too much power. That is why we need term limits, but that is another story for another time.

Oprah, Good Riddance!

2009-11-20T19:44:00.002-05:00

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Oprah but let's face facts, she is not only the queen of the talk show hosts but the queen of liberalism, as well. For years she has promoted her liberal causes and I wonder how many viewers blindly followed her without thinking about the implications of the things for which she stood. I, also, wonder how many people will upgrade their cable to get the Oprah Network when it materilizes. Oprah said that the viewers have enriched her life, I should say they have, to the tune of $2.5 billion dollars. Don't get me wrong, she did some good things with the money, as many of them do to some degree, but she did a lot of damage to the conservative belief system in this country by promoting her liberal views. And whether or not she really leaves the air remains to be seen. We have seen many celebrities claim they were retiring only to be gone a couple of months and change their minds. I will believe she is gone when after 1 year she doesn't return to do another network tv show (Oprah Network excluded). In my opinion (that is part of the name of this blog), it should have happened a long time ago. I will admit I like Oprah's compassion but it, definitely, came with an ultra-liberal bend and did a lot of damage along the way.

Oprah's stepping down may make 2011 one of the best and most memorable years ever. Goodbye and Good Riddance!!

One Quality Restaurant (And It's Family Owned)

2009-11-05T22:46:00.002-05:00

Today my wife and I had occassion to be in Hancock, Maryland. It was lunch time so we decided to stop at a family owned restaurant called Weavers. This place was great! The service was good considering they were very busy and our waitress had another waitress she was training in tow.

This restaurant cares, not only about the taste of the food, but also about the appearance. Every plate we saw brought out from the kitchen looked like something from a magazine. I ordered crab cakes which they get from Phillips seafood. Phillips is known as the best seafood place in Maryland. The crab cakes were cooked to perfection and had very little filler in them. They were the best crab cakes I have ever eaten. I ordered baby carrots and mashed potatoes and gravy as sides and, again, cooked to perfection. All of the portions were sizable as well. Even the coffee was fresh brewed and it was a large cup.

My wife ordered a salad, and a hot turkey sandwich. Real turkey on homemade bread with baked potato. Even the dinner roll I got with my meal was homemade, large, and delicious with melted butter on top.

They have their own bakery right in the restaurant where you can buy cookies, cakes, rolls, buns, pies, etc.

For desert my wife ordered a fudge brownie with peanut butter icing and I ordered a piece of carmel apple nut pie with vanilla ice cream. I had never had apple pie with nuts in it before but it was fantastic. Considering the sizes of the portions, the appearance of the food, the service, and most of all the taste, the prices were reasonable.

So, if you happen to find yourself in Hancock, Maryland and hungry. Weavers Restaurant on Main Street is definitely worth the stop. You will not be disappointed.

Prejudice, yes I have to admit it, I am

2009-10-29T15:58:00.003-04:00

Since I have come into adulthood, I have always thought of myself as not being prejudice. However, lately the Lord has shown me that I am prejudice. Oh, I am not prejudice against race, for no one can help which race they are. And I don't believe for one minute that someone should be denied opportunity in life because they happen to have a different color of skin, or are a different nationality. I am prejudice against people who are willingly ignorant. You know, those people who won't listen to anyone who tries to talk to them about their (it's all about me) attitude. That kind of attitude seems to be more and more prevalent today.

I understand people sometimes grow up in that kind of atmosphere. That is the way they were taught by their parents or the influences around them. You know, those who are loud, ignorant, and think the right answer is to just punch someone out that disagrees with them.

Some people try to tell them and show them there is a better way to live but they don't want to hear it. They like who they are, they think that is right, and they refuse to change no matter what you say.

I am prejudice against ignorance and attitude. The kind of attitude I grew up with when I was a child. I still believe there are some people who are only going to understand a good slap in the head but I don't think that carrying out the act is a good way to help someone change and it is, definitely, not a good example to set.

I am not a compassionate person but as I get older the Lord has been working in my life to make me more compassionate. I have a long way to go. And it irks me especially when we as Christians blast someone with our mouths and have no regard for how we made the other person feel or whether or not we ruined our testimony. Let's face it, some people are hard to deal with. That has always been and always will be the case. But do we really have a right to beat them down? What about what the Bible says about building each other up? That's hard to do but necessary if we are going to set a Christ-like example.

Well, this is something the Lord has been dealing with me about and something I thought might be of help to you, too. They say, "Ignorance is bliss." I think to remain ignorant is costly, in attitude, in testimony, in causing health issues, and in dollars and cents. Because beating someone into submission is costly in emergency room bills and lost relationships.

Prejudice? Yes, against those who are willingly ignorant.

I'm Back (Well, at least temporarily)

2009-05-02T09:06:00.002-04:00

For those of you who follow my blog (and I don't think anybody does except my wonderful step-daughter) I have been busy with schoolwork but have temporarily returned until my Unix/Linux class starts on May 12th.

I am waiting for my grades from last semester which just finished on April 30th so it might be a couple of weeks. I started my IT internship at the National Park Service on May 1st so life is still busy but there is a short reprieve. I, almost, came out of hiding to comment on Miss California being derided for her comment on homosexual marriage but just didn't have the time. I have nothing against homosexuals as people but their lifestyle is wrong. And it is disgusting that they have defamed the word 'gay'. I don't like to call them 'gay' because that means happy and they can't possibly be truly happy.

It is also disgusting to me that they have taken something as beautiful as the rainbow, which God created as a wonderful promise to Noah, and turned it into a symbol for an abominable lifestyle.

As far as Miss California's comment I have this to say, YOU GO GIRL!!

Well Slap My Wrist

2009-01-17T17:54:00.003-05:00

There's something that bothers me. Recently in my home town there was a policeman on trial for pointing his service revolver at his live-in girlfriend's head and telling her she wasn't worth the bullet. All of this happened because she told him she was meeting an old friend who happened to be male. I think they were going to dinner, I can't remember the exact details of all of it.

Anyway, the officer was placed on leave with pay until he went to trial. His girlfriend told the arresting officer's that she didn't believe he would have shot her. Because she made that statement, when the officer went to trial he got off. He wasn't charged with assault because his girlfriend didn't believe he would shoot her. Let's hope she was right.

To me, that officer should have been terminated. I wrote a letter to my hometown newspaper stating such and they decided not to publish it. I mean, here is a guy who is carrying a gun around all the time who, obviously, has a character flaw. All of us have some kind of character flaw(s) but we are not all carrying a gun around everyday. Here is a man who has sworn to uphold the law and breaks the law and gets away with no consequences. Sorry, I just can't agree with that. I know this, I wouldn't want him to mistake me for a criminal he is trying to arrest. If he can't control himself when it involves someone he cares about will he control himself if it is someone he doesn't? Perhaps he shouldn't have, necessarily, gone to jail but I think he should have definitely lost his job and not have been allowed to own a gun again.

And, then, just a couple of days ago there was a story in our local paper about a local prison guard who smuggled marijuana into prison and she got off with an eighteen month suspended sentence and unsupervised probation. Well, slap my wrist!

Can you say favoritism? We are sending the wrong message with this lack of justice. We are telling public servants that they are exempt from the law. I, personally, think that these people should have been held more accountable because of their position, not less accountable. It bothers me that just because of their jobs we turn our backs on right, slap them on the wrist and let them go on to have another opportunity. Oh, the guard did lose her job. Let's just hope the policeman don't lose his temper again or his girlfriend may lose a whole lot more.

God's Formula for Success In the New Year

2008-12-30T21:27:00.003-05:00

John Wooden, the eminently successful basketball coach at UCLA during its dynasty years, was asked his secret in producing stellar teams. His answer: "We master the basics. We drill over and over again on the fundamentals."
Moody Monthly, September, 1989, p. 4.

When I was a child, during the Christmas season we used to always say, “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.” You don’t hear as much of that anymore. People wishing each other Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Businesses like to say, “Have a Prosperous New Year.”
Well, Christmas is over but the New Year hasn’t begun yet. I think that God wants us to have both a prosperous and happy new year and I think He has given us His formula for that in Scripture.

There is only one place where the Word of God uses the word “success.” And that is in Joshua 1:8. But I believe that God expounds on how to be a success in:
Proverbs 4:23-27.
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil."

The dictionary defines the word KEEPSAKE as Anything kept or given to be kept, for the sake of the giver; a memento.

Keep:
Bad sense- To conceal, Hidden Thing, Subtle.
Good sense- To Guard, Protect, Maintain, Obey.
I believe that since the Bible says that:
nothing can be hidden from God
since He knows everything and can even read our thoughts (Psalm 139:2 among other places)
since this proverb is really about the benefits of wisdom
We can safely say that this is talking about KEEP in the good sense.

Heart-Feelings, Will, Intellect, The Center of Anything.

With All Diligence-A Guard (the man, the post, or the prison), Watch

Hebrew: Keep thy heart above all keeping.
What does that mean to you?

To me, it means that above everything else that we feel is important to us, above everything else that we feel is worth keeping (holding onto), whether it be:
1. Worldly Possessions-I Timothy 6:17-19
2. Friendships-Proverbs 18:24
3. Family Relations-Luke 14:26,27
4. Fame-Luke 9:25
5. Popularity
6. Etc.
The Holy Bible says it is most important to keep our heart, to guard our heart.

Why Keep Our Heart With All Diligence?
The second part of the verse tells us why: “For out of it are the issues of life.”
What do you think that means?
Issues-Outgoings, or, as another person put it, Spiritual Vitality.

Let’s look at some things Jesus said to help us understand this a little better:
Matthew 15:1-20 The Pharisees are questioning Jesus about why the disciples don’t keep the tradition of washing their hands before they eat. Jesus responds by telling the Pharisee’s how they have transgressed the commandments of God.
Look at verse 7-11 and 16-20. Luke 6:43-45.
If you, really, want to get to know someone listen to what they say. Sooner or later their heart comes out.

Verse 24:
“Put away”-to turn off, to turn aside, depart, forsake, to cease, etc. Proverbs 3:7 “depart” same word as “Put away.”
Froward-primary root- to knot or distort. Make crooked, perverse.
Perverse-to be opposed to law, to transgress, contrary to law.
Lips-has to do with speech.
Doesn’t this go right along with those verses we read in Matthew and Luke?
See also:
James 1:26, Psalm 39:1, I Peter 3:10.

Verse 25:
“Look straight”-to be level, right, upright, just, lawful, etc.
Two main meanings:
1. Literally: straight
2. Ethically: an upright moral life.
This concept is reflected in many of our modern day expressions: “the straight and narrow, standing straight and tall (the good sense of pride), straight from the shoulder (honesty)”
The Hebrew idiom “to be right in the eyes of someone” means to have that person’s approval.

We should be seeking the Lord’s approval.

Have you ever been driving down the road and something off to the side catches your eye and you look that way and kind of begin to stare. What happens? In a matter of a couple of seconds you’re heading over in that direction, aren’t you? You got your eyes off of where they are supposed to be.

Lamentations 3:47-51. What Jeremiah saw affected his heart. Not in a lustful way, but it still affected his heart.
Psalm 101:3 In part: “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:”
Matthew 6:22,23: Jesus said the light of the body is the eye. Notice the exclamation point at the end of verse 23. That statement is not a question it is an exclamation.
Matthew Henry said this:
“Let the eye be fixed and not wandering; let it not rove after everything that presents itself, for then it will be diverted from good and ensnared in evil.
We must keep our eye upon our Master, and be careful to approve ourselves to Him.”

Verse 26:
“Ponder”-to roll flat, (for example, to prepare a road). to weigh mentally.
Matthew Henry says,
"put the word of God in one scale, and what thou hast done, or art about to do, in the other, and see how they agree; be nice and critical in examining whether thy way be good before the Lord and whether it will end well.’’ We must consider our past ways and examine what we have done, and our present ways, what we are doing, whither we are going, and see that we walk circumspectly. It concerns us to consider what are the duties and what the difficulties, what are the advantages and what the dangers, of our way, that we may act accordingly. "Do nothing rashly.’’

“Be Established”-one word in the Hebrew. The main idea is to bring something into an incontrovertible existence. Incontrovertible-not admitting of controversy; undeniable.

I know a preacher who was at a meeting with other preachers one time and they were discussing where they stood on an issue and it came my friend’s turn to tell where he stood on this issue and my friend said, “Well here’s where I stand.” And before he could say anymore one of the other preachers said, “Wait a minute, so and so, everybody here knows where you stand.” They knew where he stood on the issue before he even told them. That’s an Incontrovertible Existence!

A better example:
Proverbs 8:27 says that God prepared the heavens, but Proverbs 3:19 says that He also established (fixed) the heavens. One can be sure that God created the world and has it under control. The heavens have been established as His throne and the earth as His dominion. He reigns through wisdom and understanding.
That is an incontrovertible existence!

Verse 27:
“Turn not to the right hand nor to the left”
Deuteronomy 5:32, 12:32, 28:14, Joshua 1:7
We are not to deviate from the Word of God. Sometimes we get our own ideas in there and try to justify what we want to do and try to explain it away. We say, “Well, God surely doesn’t really mean that.”

Suppose a pharmacist has to calculate a dosage of medicine according to a person’s body weight, and instead of calculating it for a 100 pound woman, he calculates it for her husband who weighs 200 pounds. If the man’s wife took that medicine she would be getting twice the dosage she should be taking. That could result in a potential fatality.
Many times we are more concerned about our body than our soul. We are careful not to go to extremes that might cause us physical harm but indifferent when it comes to our spiritual health.

“Remove thy foot from evil.”
Proverbs 4:14, Psalm 1:1, Proverbs 1:10, 15.
God is serious about guarding our hearts.

Remember that quote at the beginning by John Wooden, basketball coach at UCLA?
When asked his secret in producing stellar teams. His answer: "We master the basics. We drill over and over again on the fundamentals."
You don’t have to be a theologian to be a successful Christian, you just have to drill over and over again on the fundamentals.
We haven’t mastered the basics yet. What are the basics of the Christian life?
1. Prayer
2. Bible Reading
3. Study
4. Witnessing
5. Giving
6. Scripture Memory
We try, sometimes, to make it harder than it is.

Keep thy heart with all diligence. How?
Master the basics. Drill over and over again on the fundamentals.
I never met a godly preacher that got to the place where they felt like they could stop doing the basics and be used of God.
That, after building a work for God, felt like they had gotten to the place where they could now quit praying, or quit reading their Bible, or quit studying, or didn’t have to witness, or could stop giving, or felt like they knew enough Scripture.
I am not saying we shouldn’t grow. II Peter 1:5-10 talks about growing and adding to our faith. But when we get so busy serving God that we don’t sit at His feet, we’re doing good works in the flesh. We’re missing it!

Want to be a success in your Christian life this coming year. Master the basics. Drill over and over on the fundamentals.
Proverbs 4:23-27 God’s formula for success in the coming year!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-16T01:23:00.004-05:00

I love this video. I don't like the fact that it shows Santa Claus because Christmas is about God's only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ but the message behind the song is great! I dislike the sayings, "Happy Holidays or Winter Holiday." It is Christmas! It has always been Christmas and always will be Christmas so don't be afraid to say a loud and hardy

MEEEERRRRRRYYYY CHRISTMAS!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifU_YNyJVQ0

Just because you don't like something and it offends you doesn't change what it is.

IT IS CHRISTMAS!!!

Thanks to All the Veterans

2008-11-11T11:57:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of those and their spouses (that's right their spouses make sacrifices, too) who serve our great country in the United States Armed Forces. I think it should be a law that everyone who served get the day off of work with pay. It is because of all of you that we have the freedoms, rights, and privileges we enjoy here in the U.S.A. It is because of you that we can freely express our opinion and freely worship God. It is because of you that we are free from oppression.

I believe that anyone who has served or is serving, honorably, deserves every good thing they get out of life, especially if they were in combat. Thank you for putting everyone else above your own comfort and convenience. Thank you for being willing to pay the price to serve that we may be free. Thank you for enduring whatever hardships are necessary in order for us to enjoy freedom.

Words are inadequate to express the thanks and praise you deserve for the sacrifices you made and are making. We appreciate you!

And I would like to say a special thank you to my adopted father (See previous post), who went home to be with his Lord and Saviour on October 31, 2008, for his service in the Phillipines during World War II. Thank you, dad!

Thank you, Veterans, for helping to keep America,"the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave."

A TRUE FRIEND and (dad)

2008-10-31T12:44:00.003-04:00

Today, I lost a true friend, but more than that, an adopted father. Ray and Dorothy are two people who go to my church. I adopted them as parents about fifteen or so years ago. Ray went home to be with his Lord and Saviour this morning after a couple of months of illness. Words could never express the help and blessing he and his dear wife have been to me over the years. We prayed together, laughed together, and sometimes even cried together. He left behind his wife of 62 years and a biological son. His daughter went home to be with the Lord this past July. Now they are united again in a far better place.

Ray and I shared many things in our time together here on earth but one of the most special things we shared was a Bible verse, Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." And Ray, I called him Dad, was a faithful friend, not only to me but to the Lord Jesus Christ. For years his last prayer at night was, "Lord, get me out of here before morning." He was homesick for Heaven. Now, at last, he has seen the Lord he loved and served so much and for so long, face to face.

There were times when dad and I didn't see eye to eye. There were times when he would give me unsolicited advice that I didn't want to hear. There was a time when I told his wife, who I call mom, that he didn't have much compassion. There were times when he was abrupt and, seemingly, not very kind. But when I said he didn't have much compassion, I was wrong. It takes real compassion to care about someone enough to tell them the truth even when you know they don't want to hear it. It takes real compassion to tell someone something you know may hurt them because you care about them enough to want them to be better. It takes real compassion to risk your relationship with someone enough to rebuke them and try to help them get on the right track. Thus, the verse we shared was special to me and it is even more special to me now.

There is something else about Ray. He was blind. He had been blind for 49 of his 82 years on this earth. He used to say, "The Lord had to take my eyes in order for me to see, but better to be blind than burn." And, believe me, dad could see! He used to stand up in church to give a testimony and the pastor would say, "What are you looking for Ray?" And dad would say, "I'm looking for the Lord." And he was. But he didn't just look for the Lord, I believe he saw Him like few people do while they are on this earth. I remember when we would listen to a sermon and he would say, Did you hear the preacher say this or that? And I would say, "No, I didn't hear that." And he would say, "That's the trouble with you guys that can see, you have too many distractions." One distraction that he did not have that we who can see have is the lust of the eyes. I kind of envied him for that. But though he couldn't see the physical things of this earth, he saw the Lord much more clearly than most. You see, he didn't let the things of this earth distract him. He ran the Christian race well and kept his eye on the Prize. And today he crossed the finish line and heard the sweetest sound of all from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Yes, God finally answered dad's prayer today. He got him out! Out of this old world but into His Presence. I don't know everything dad saw when he opened his eyes in Heaven but I know he saw the Lord Jesus Christ and his daughter and whatever else he saw it was better than anything he ever saw on this earth. I can imagine the colors were brighter than ever before. And his vision was clearer than it had ever been.

Dad's suffering is over. He fought a good fight, he finished the course, and he kept the faith. And he won his crown.

I will miss you, Dad. I miss you already. As you have said so often, "If you get there before I do, save me a place because I'm coming too." Well, save me a place dad. I'll see you again someday.

Another thing about dad: he didn't like to say goodbye. He said goodbye seems so final, if you're a Christian, you don't have to say goodbye because we will see each other again. Every time we hung up the telephone we would say, "So long."

So to my true friend and adopted dad, I'll just say, "So long."

The Power of God

2008-10-16T21:53:00.007-04:00

The dictionary defines power as:
1. The ability to act; capability.
2. Potential capacity.
3. Strength of force actually put forth.
4. The right, ability, or capacity to exercise control; legal authority, capacity, or competency.

The Bible says over and over again in the book of Genesis, "And God said, Let.... and it was so. In Genesis 1:1 the Bible says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." And, then, in John 1:1 it says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Notice the phrase, "In the beginning..." in both books. Let's examine this for a minute.

"In the beginning God created..." Genesis 1:1. "In the beginning was the Word...and the Word was God." Can this leave any doubt that the Bible is the Word of God and existed in Heaven before the world began?
Notice then John 1:3, "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." So okay, "In the beginning God created..." and, "All things were made by Him..." that word made means to become, to bring into being. Sounds like "created" to me. One of the great preachers of the past A.W. Tozer said, "The power of God...is not something God has; it is something God is. Power is something that is true of God as wisdom and love are true of Him." He, also, said, "The power of God is one with God's Will, and works only as He wills that it should."

The Bible gives us many examples of God's power. We have already mentioned one: Creation. We can, also, see the power of God manifested in the miracles performed by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, God in flesh. Let's consider some of these.

Jesus changed the water into wine in John 2:1-11 demonstrating that He has power over matter. In John 4:46-54 He healed the nobleman's son showing that He has power over the physical.
In Matthew 8:1-3 Jesus healed the leper demonstrating power over defilement.
Again in Matthew 8:5-13 He healed the centurion's servant without even being where he was, showing that Jesus has power over distance.
In verses 23-27 He calmed the storm, this is power over the deep. Verses 28-34 shows Jesus has power over demons.
And in Matthew 9:18,19,23-25 He demonstrates that He has power over death. We could go on but you get the message.

Let's look at the way God showed His power in the Old Testament. What about when God parted the waters of the Red Sea and the Israelites crossed over on dry ground. Then when Pharoah's army chased them God caused the waters to flow back and Pharoah's army was drowned. How about when He used ravens to feed Elijah in the wilderness or when David slew Goliath. And then we could talk about when Gideon's army of 300 defeated the army of the Midianites. An army some Bible scholars estimate to have been about 160,000 to 180,000 men. And, speaking of God's power what about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah?

In Luke 4:32 the Bible says, "And they (the people of Capernaum) were astonished at His doctrine:for His Word was with power." Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Psalm 29:4, "The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty." Psalm 33:4, "For the Word of the Lord is right; and all His Works are done in truth." Verse 6, "By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth." And verse 9, "For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast."

Abraham Lincoln once said, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

That has been proven in some of America's CEO's today.

When Christ laid His life down willingly that was another manifestation of His power. Likewise when He took His life up again. The resurrection is another way in which God showed His power. And Jesus' second coming will be yet another way in which His power will be proven. It could be today or tonight depending on when you are reading this.

God can give power to others for:
1. Service
2. Witnessing-Acts 1:8
3. Living-Phillipians 4:13
4. Supply-Phillipians 4:19
5. Overcoming Temptation-James 4:5-10

He has power to:
1. Forgive sin-Matthew 9:6,8
2. Give Sonship-John 1:12
3. Save-Romans 1:16, Hebrews 7:25

How should this affect us?
1. We ought to praise Him-Psalm 21:13.
2. Sing to and for Him-Psalm 59:16,17 and Psalm 81:1
3. Talk of Him-Psalm 145.

What power!!

One New Year's Day, in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. The amusing thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas.

Often, Christians neglect their spiritual maintenance, and though they are "clothed with power" (Luke 24:49) find themselves out of gas."
Steve Blankenship in God Came Near by Max Lucado, Multnomah Press, 1987, p. 95.

Don't find yourself out of gas today. Connect with the One Who holds All Power, the Lord Jesus Christ. Call on Him today for salvation and forgiveness.

Change

2008-10-10T11:15:00.019-04:00

This just in from a friend of mine. Think about the unfortunate truth of this for a change. I don't know who the original author is but they sure got it right.

.... Change .... Change!!!!!!!!!!

Not long ago I read a joke ...

It said all the politicians running for president are promising change to the American people.

We send them billions and billions of tax dollars and they send us the change. Funny? Not really; there is too much truth in it to be funny. That got me to thinking .... They all promise change. How about if they run on a promise of restoration rather than change. A restoration that would take us back in time to a place where things ran better, smoother and life was more enjoyable.

Change? That, in truth , is what they have been giving us all along. We used to have a strong dollar ... Politicians changed that.

Life used to be sacred .... Politicians changed that.

Marriage used to be sacred .... Politicians are changing that.

We used to be respected around the world ... Politicians changed that.

We used to have a strong manufacturing economy ...

Politicians changed that.

We used to have lower tax structures .... Politicians changed that.

We used to enjoy more freedoms ... Politicians changed that.

We used to be a large exporter of American made goods ...

Politicians changed that.

We used to be an openly Christian nation ...

Politicians changed that.

We used to teach patriotism in schools .... Politicians changed that.

We used to educate children in schools ... Politicians changed that.

We used to enjoy freedom of speech ...Politicians changed that.

We used to enforce LEGAL citizenship .... Politicians changed that.

We used to have affordable food & gas prices ...

Politicians changed that, too.

... and one could go on and on with this list.

What hasn't been changed, politicians are promising to change that as well if you will elect them. When, oh when, is America going to sit back with open eyes and look at what we once were and where we have come and say, enough is enough? The trouble is, America 's youthful voters today don't know of the great America that existed forty and fifty years ago. They see the world as if it has always existed, as it is now. When will we wake up? Tomorrow may be too late. When will America realize ... Politicians are what is wrong with America ? PASS THIS ONE AROUND FOR A CHANGE

A Day At The Zoo

2008-10-01T22:15:00.014-04:00

In August my oldest son and I went to visit a local zoo. We had an interesting time. One of the neat things was that the zoo offered a safari ride (for an extra fee, of course) so we decided it would be fun to take it. It took us through five areas that had been cordoned off and we got a real close up look of the animals. In fact, we had the privilege of petting and feeding them. Our tour guides (if that's what you want to call them) were really nice. The guy drove while the girl ran ahead and opened up the gates to each area. She ran her legs off. She is in great shape. I remember a day when I could have ran like that. The days when I used to run cross country in gym class are long gone. Oh to be in the shape now that I was in then. Not going to happen. Age takes its toll on all of us eventually. And it takes its toll on some of us sooner than on others. And sometimes it isn't age as much as lifestyle and how well we cared for ourselves. Anyway, I didn't mean to get into all of that.

Here is the zoo story in pictures with a few comments from me. Hope you enjoy. Perhaps you will recognize some friends. :D

A bison who, obviously, thought that popcorn was worth licking your lips over.

Baby, don't make me leave you.

Hey Henrietta, look at those funny creatures over there on that truck!

At least some people appreciate me.

Family Meeting!

The best dressed of the whole zoo.

And last, but certainly not least, our wonderful safari guides.

Thank you for sharing in our day at the zoo.

Just Passing Through

2008-10-01T14:51:00.004-04:00

Do you ever just spend time looking through people's blogs? Some of them are quite fascinating and interesting. Some seem to be the kind of people you would like to know while others are weird and a few are just plain bizarre. Blogs, like people, are interesting things. They are just as diverse as the people who created them. Some people like to share photos and others just like to share opinions, like me. Sometimes my opinions are the reason people don't continue to read my blog. That's okay, I created this blog because I have always wanted to have one. I like having one even though I am not the most creative person out there. Some blogs are really nice and mellow, some are really beautiful, and some have great pictures. And, yes, there are a few out there like mine. Just plain, kind of mundane, and maybe even a little (or a lot) boring. It would be interesting to actually make a real friend through a blog. I wonder, sometimes, if anybody ever really reads mine. Oh well, I guess that's the way things go. If you do visit feel free to leave a comment even if you don't agree with me. If you and I agree on everything one of us is not needed.

Anyway, except for the picture of my mug on this page, I am adding my first picture to this blog. It is not a picture I took but it is a picture I like and I think it is appropiate given that it is fall. I hope you enjoy it.

Sometimes when I visit a blog I leave a comment if it is something that I really like. I am grateful for those who answer though that is not why I leave them. I think if a person has a blog you enjoy or something that catches your eye it is nice to say so. Not that they care necessarily but maybe it is a little bit of encouragement. So keep blogging. And remember when it comes to this world. We are all:

Just Passing Through!

It's Been A Long Time

2008-09-26T09:49:00.006-04:00

Tomorrow we will help celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of my in-laws. Much planning, by my wonderful wife and her sisters, has gone into this. As well it should have, 50 years is a long time for anything. I couldn't imagine being married that long. Think of all the great memories two people could share. And I have no doubt that they are as much in love today as they have ever been. They are a wonderful couple and I couldn't have asked for better in-laws. We have enjoyed many good times together-holidays at their home, holiday meals at their home (my mother-in-law is a great cook), having them over for a meal (my wife is a great cook, as well), playing games, cookouts, dining out, Christmas at their home, and many good memories. I can't think of two people who deserve this milestone and celebration more. I feel privileged to be able to share in honoring them on their special day. One of the amazing things is that they still have my mother-in-law's wedding gown and the suit in which my father-in-law got married.

Fifty years! What an example for others of us who are married to follow. Fifty years of good times and hard times but they stuck it out. So many of us quit too soon today. But quitting just wasn't an option to them. What commitment! What dedication! What determination! What strength! What love!

I have been asked to say a few words at their celebration and it's hard to know what to say to honor a couple that has been married 50 years. But I know this, the love they share has blessed my heart in the time that I have known them. It does us all good, I think, in today's "throw away" society to see that there are those who believe in making it stick. To see that marriage can, and should, be permanent. To see that, yes, love can, and does, last 50+ years.

Congratulations Bernard and Lorraine. I love you!

Talking Versus Walking

2008-09-12T12:39:00.003-04:00

I don't know about you but I have a bit of a hard time seeing Obama beside McCain at Ground Zero yesterday. Not that I don't think Mr. Obama is a good American and means well (although I don't agree with him). But here is a Junior Senator serving his first term and spending half of it running for Commander-In-Chief and having never served in the military. Who won't put his hand over his heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance and won't wear a flag pin on his lapel. And he's telling me how much he loves America.

On the other hand, here is Senator McCain who has served in the Senate for quite awhile. But who, also, endured imprisonment and torture because of his love for this country. Who has taken a lot of heat for doing what he thought was right (even if, at times, I don't agree) but is willing to pay and has paid the price.

The Bible says, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." I John 3:18.

That' s John McCain as far as his service to this great country is concerned. Tested, tried, proven and still standing. That is the man who deserves to be and should be America's next Commander-In-Chief. So place a vote for a strong America and for a strong defense for America and for a leader proven and strong enough to stand. Between the two, there is no choice!

If you want a weak America vote Obama. If you want a strong America where your freedoms and liberties will be protected vote McCain.

"And the Star-Spangled Banner, oh long may she wave o'er the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!"

Pitbull Palin

2008-09-04T00:47:00.005-04:00

I don't normally follow these things as closely as I should but how about Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention! I liked the joke about the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull: lipstick. Or maybe it wasn't a joke. Well, maybe we should call her Pit bull Palin. She didn't pull any punches. Though I am waiting to see how these ethics investigations play out before I get too excited. It would be nice if the media would treat her as fairly as they treat the other candidates, especially the liberals. But I am sure it won't happen. That's okay though because then, when they win, the media can't say they helped them win. But I realize, too, that the media certainly has its role in making or breaking a candidate. I wonder how many governors drive themselves to work and have gotten rid of the governor's plane. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of months. Remember, even if you don't totally agree with the candidates, get out and Vote, Vote, Vote! Oh, we only get one vote don't we? Well, you get the idea.

Conscience

2008-09-02T19:49:00.002-04:00

Throughout his administration, Abraham Lincoln was a president under fire, especially during the scarring years of the Civil War. And though he knew he would make errors of office, he resolved never to compromise his integrity. So strong was this resolve that he once said, "I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me." Today In The Word, August, 1989, p. 21.

Wouldn't it be great if politicians felt that way today? Like I said before, it is a shame that in this great country we have to settle for the lesser of two evils when it comes to voting for President. There, surely, are some people out there who still live by the principles expressed by President Lincoln in the above quote. Of course, with the way we dig up dirt on anybody and everybody is it any wonder that some of them don't want to run? I mean suppose someone did something when they were young that they now regret, which I think most of us have, and it really wasn't that big of a deal, it will be when the media gets a hold of it. Don't get me wrong, I think the scoundrels in our society ought to be exposed but sometimes what the media tries to make a big deal was just a mistake someone made when they were young and stupid. And you can rest assured the media will, especially, make it a big deal if that person is a conservative. We are inundated daily with incidents that have been blown out of proportion by the liberal media when it comes to covering conservatives. And, yet, most of the liberal crowd live as though they have no embarrassment or shame for their lifestyles and actions. They're making it a big deal now because Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter is pregnant. I don't think it's right either and I believe it sets the wrong example but let's not act like it's all mom's fault. Maybe mom didn't watch as closely as she should have but tell me what parent never lets a 17 year old out of their sight. No one can ruin your reputation but you and we don't know all the details of this situation. We probably never will and it isn't even our business. Yes, as I said I think it is wrong and it is too bad for the daughter and her parents but daughter will not be Vice President. There are more important things to worry about this election than that. You have to realize, too, that Sarah Palin will be under more scrutiny just because she is a conservative. That, unfortunately, is the way the liberal media works. Thank God for those conservatives in media that bring some sanity to the liberal circus act.

Bottom line: Who ever you are for in this election, get out and vote because people died for your right to vote and if you don't vote they died in vain. Your vote does make a difference. How would you like to live in a country where you don't have that right and privilege? Vote! Encourage you children to vote, encourage your neighbors to vote, encourage you friends and relatives to vote. Either that or don't complain when someone is elected with whom you disagree because you were to lazy to do anything about it.

And that's my opinion.

Women's Volleyball

2008-08-21T23:39:00.002-04:00

I have a question. Maybe someone out there can shed some light on this for me. It amazes me that men can play volleyball just fine in shorts similar in length and style to that which a basketball player wears and women have to wear shorts that should only be seen by their husbands in the bedroom. Why is that? They have brought modesty or the lack thereof to a new low. I don't watch women's volleyball (or men's for that matter) but, like most Americans, I have seen it and I don't understand why it is that if men can wear modest apparel to play in why the women can't. Is that the reason that volleyball has become such a popular sport? Do some people tune in just to see how immodest the women can be this week? It borders on pornography! I think it is gross and I sure wouldn't be proud of my daughter dressing (or should I say undressing) like that. If that is what it takes to get recognition as an athlete we need to rethink some things. I know this is a popular sport but right is still right and there is nothing right about women athletes dressing in a so-called "uniform" like that. It is the most immodest sport out there. Even women tennis players have more on. So, let's see, women tennis players wear more, women swimmers wear more, women divers wear more, women basketball players wear more so it can't be that the clothes interfere with their performance. Oh, I know, the only women who don't wear more are bikini models. That must be it! They want to be bikini models! Well, why didn't they say so? They, certainly, don't care if they have any morals or they wouldn't dress like that.

IT IS JUST RIDICULOUS!!!

Should the U.S. Have Boycotted the Olympics

2008-08-07T19:12:00.011-04:00

I am not pleased with the fact that the U.S. has chosen to participate in the Olympics in China. This situation is much bigger than the athletes having the experience of a lifetime. Let me tell you why I think they should have boycotted.

It has been a known fact for many years that China has no concern for human rights. Remember the uprising at Tiananmen Square in 1989 and how it was crushed by the Chinese government using tanks and brute military force? A group of students gathered in the square to voice their protests against the government's policies. It was intended to be a peaceful protest but the Chinese government decided to bring in the military - but not just the military, heavy military armaments, against a group of students! Many of those students were shot and killed! Beijing looked like a war zone.

In spite of this atrocity by the Chinese government upon its own citizens, in the 1990's the United States government voted to extend Most Favored Nation status to China. In 2000 the U.S. made the Most Favored Nation status permanent. That is why virtually everything we wear or use is imported from China. This has, also, aided in the loss of American jobs. I saw a documentary on MPT last year that some of the people who work in the factories in China live in a dormitory and are made to work 14-16 hours a day seven days a week. They only make $120-$160 a month and only last in these jobs three to five years because they either get so exhausted they can't keep up production or get sick.

But this is what matters most to me and this is what makes me grieve the most. China persecutes, imprisons, and murders my brothers and sisters in Christ, daily! And, yet I am, virtually, forced to buy their goods, thus supporting their atheistic government. I resent the fact that I can barely find anything that is made in America today. I realize it isn't just because of China that we are in this predicament, but it is China that has and is committing the previously mentioned atrocities. When Ross Perot ran for President he said that if we ratified NAFTA we would hear that, "giant sucking sound, all of our jobs going overseas." Whether you agreed with him or not, years later this has proven to be true.

I think we send a wrong message to the world by participating in the Olympics in China. I know our athletes worked and trained hard and they deserve to be there. But I think we, as a free nation should realize that there is a lot more at stake here than just athletics. As we have heard over and over in the media, China realizes it. This is about taking a stand for freedom, whether it be religious freedom or human rights. I wish all the athletes well and I have nothing against the Chinese people. But I have a whole lot against an atheistic government who commits murder everyday and has no remorse for having no human rights. For more information on what China has done to help their image for the Olympics go to: http://www.persecution.com/topStory_telecast.html, also view the video at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6inWKFKv9UA&feature=related.

McCain's Obama Ad Not That Bad

2008-08-01T09:14:00.006-04:00

Happy August Everyone!

I just have a short comment about the latest brouhaha over the McCain ad that depicts Obama as a celebrity. I don't see this as a big deal. Let's face it, in a way Obama is a celebrity. He has gotten, at least, four times as much media coverage as McCain most of which is due to nothing short of the fact that we are saturated with a liberal media. He is very charismatic, young, good-looking and he is the kind of candidate that a liberal media can feel comfortable promoting.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a big fan of John McCain, either. I would stop short of calling him a conservative. Of course, that all depends on the standard to which he is being compared. When you compare him to a Senator who won't wear an American flag pin on his lapel it makes it a lot easier for McCain to look like a conservative. I do believe he loves America. He has the military record and the public service record to prove it. And, personally, I would rather have a president who loves this country than one of whom I am not sure.

Remember, if you don't want to vote for either candidate, you still have the option to write in a name (including your own). Yes, it is casting a losing vote but, at least, you voted for someone with whom you can feel comfortable. In this great country of ours, considering that people paid with their lives for our right to vote, not voting should never be considered an option. It would be nice if we didn't have to vote for the lesser of two evils but had a real conservative politician running for office. I am sick of hearing what is good for the Republican or Democratic party, what about what is good for America? Oh well, maybe next time.

That's my opinion, what's yours?

Next Post: Should the U.S. have boycotted the Olympics

How Important is Patriotism?

2008-07-22T22:31:00.003-04:00

Well, very soon we will go to the polls and vote for who will be our next President of this greatest of all countries. I am glad I am an American and that I have the privilege of living in America. With all of its problems it is still the greatest country in all the world. My thanks to all who have served and are serving to keep it free. I have said before that I believe that anyone who serves in the military deserves every good thing they get out of life, especially if they have served in combat, and I still feel that way. Thank you to all who serve and enable me to sit safely in my home and type my blog. We need to hold our military up in prayer everyday.

I want to take this opportunity to encourage all those who are of age to register and vote. I don't understand people who are able to vote and don't participate in the electoral process. People died fighting for your right to vote please don't take it lightly! If you don't vote, you have absolutely no right to complain about this country.

Concerning this upcoming Presidential election I have a few questions that you might want to ask yourself:
1. How important is patriotism?
2. Will our next President salute the United States flag?
3. Will he wear the American flag pin on his lapel?
4. Will he stand with his hand over his heart and say the Pledge of Allegience?
5. Will he sing the Star-Spangled Banner?
6. Will he be someone whom we can feel good about calling our Commander-in-Chief?

These are some of the, I think, main questions we need to consider before we cast our votes for our next leader. As in any organization, the leader will set the tone for the direction in which we will move for, at least, the next four years. I realize that Congress has a lot to say about the direction in which this country will be headed but, let's face it, the right leader can make a world of difference in how Congress is influenced and how they vote on things. It has been proven that the right Republican leader has had a positive influence on even a Democratic Congress and vice versa. We need a man who is a leader among men. We need a man who will stand alone if necessary. We need a man who loves the country more than he loves his party. We need a man who will do his best to make sure our military knows that they have the support of their government and who will encourage our citizenry to show support for them, as well. It isn't about whether or not one agrees with the war. It is about the fact that that is where we are. Our military is over there doing the job they are supposed to be doing and we ought to support them. We do them a great disservice when we don't show them the support they deserve. Many of them would not choose war but they are doing what they have been asked to do and they do it faithfully and without complaint. They put their lives on the line daily to protect our freedoms and so often we are not nearly as grateful as we should be. I am talking to myself, too. To tear down their morale by not showing them the support they need and deserve is unfair and shows a real lack of appreciation for the job they are doing.

Ask yourself what kind of leadership our military needs in a Commander-in-Chief and don't let them down. They haven't let you down!!

And get off you butts and VOTE, while we still have that privilege.

Richard Hull

WETA

2008-07-13T21:22:00.002-04:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been almost a week since I have posted anything. I just haven't had much to say. Unfortunately, what I have to say today isn't good.

Today, after church this morning, I was watching WETA. I don't watch public television as often as I should but I really didn't turn it on today, either, my wife did. They were showing the Tom Hanks movie, Big. I have seen the movie before, years ago. I had forgotten that there is a part in the movie where he takes the Lord's name in vain. But I was shocked when WETA allowed it to be said. I mean they made no effort to bleep it out. I try not to watch movies that have that kind of language in them. It happens from time to time but I never want to make a habit of watching that stuff. And I don't want to get to the place where it doesn't matter to me.

I sent an e-mail to WETA telling them what happened and that I didn't appreciate it and that I would be posting a letter on my blog about it. If enough Christians got together and let the media know that it is not acceptable to take the Lord's name in vain in the public domain, and meant it, it would cease. I believe in censorship. I believe in order to protect children a society has to have censorship. Let's face it, there are some things that children don't need to see. Things that are not going to do them any good. Things that they are not, yet, equipped to handle. Things that do not promote the common good. Things that hinder them from becoming responsible law-abiding citizens. Do I think that some law-abiding citizens take the Lord's name in vain? Yes, I do. But I think it shows a real lack of character on their part and a real lack of vocabulary and a real lack of ability to express oneself in an intellegent way.

It is a shame that one can not come home from church on a Sunday afternoon and sit down to watch a movie on public television, no less, without hearing someone take the Lord's name in vain. I hope if this happens to you that you will send that station an e-mail and let them know it is offensive and unacceptable. And if you support that station financially I hope you will threaten to drop your support and follow through if need be. They will, certainly, understand the financial impact it could have and, believe me, if enough people did it things would change.

Please don't look at this as a disgruntled rant. But it is past time we take a stand against this kind of blatant disrespect for the God and Creator of the universe, especially those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour.

Take a Stand,

Richard

Test Delayed

2008-07-08T22:48:00.002-04:00

Well, what a blessing! I was supposed to have a test in my college class tonight but, thankfully, it was delayed until next week - along with the assignment that was due tonight. That gives me another week to study.

Not much else has happened today. The viewing for my friend, who I love like a sister, is tomorrow. The memorial service will be Thursday. It will be a tough time. Her death came as a surprise to, I think, almost everyone who knew her.

On a brighter note, my step-son and step-daughter-in-law are expecting their first child. They are excited. My wife is, really, excited! It will be her first grandchild. She, already, wants to buy it everything! I say, "it" because we don't know if it is a boy or a girl. I don't mean to be disrespectful or impersonal. I have 3 grandchildren and I love them dearly. I don't see them very much, though.

For all of you who visit the blog, feel free to take my poll. I would love to know your opinion. Yours is as good as anyone else's.

Well, it is late and I am tired.

See you later,

Richard

Until Next Time

2008-07-06T21:10:00.002-04:00

It was a pretty good day today considering I lost someone yesterday who is like a sister to me and that it was the twentieth anniversary of the death of my mother. I wouldn't call it a happy day by any means but the fact that it is Sunday and we went to church, I think, made it a little easier. The pastor had a great message today, as he always does, but, you know, some speak to us more than others. It was from Job 39:19-25 and was entitled, "Wisdom from a Warhorse."
I had the opportunity and privilege of teaching the Firm Foundations Sunday School class today and the pastor's message went right along with my lesson. It is phenomenal how God does that. And I am always amazed and enjoy it when that happens. It is like confirmation from the Holy Spirit that you did what He wanted you to do. I taught about Uriah the Hittite from II Samuel 11. In the evening service we had a missionary to Las Vegas. That would be a hard place to start a church, but somebody has to do it. Not that they don't have churches there already but God knows what He's doing.

Anyway, it is hot and humid here. Yesterday we had some rain and thunderstorms. Today it is hot but not quite as humid. I am not complaining I love summer. I would rather have summer any day than winter. I don't like to be cold. I wish I was one of those people who could go to Florida every year for the winter. I know some people who do that, including our next door neighbors, and that would be really nice. My barber does that, too, and he takes his profession with him and is still able to earn some money while he's gone. That would make it even better.

It has been awhile since I enclosed a quote. I love good quotes so if you know any feel free to send it my way. I might use it the next time I teach Sunday School. I don't teach every week I'm really just the co-teacher for my class, which means I only teach that class when the regular teacher is gone. Sometimes the Lord allows me the privilege of substituting in another class like this morning. Anyway, the quote, I don't know who said it but here it is:

You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.

Until next time,

Richard

He Make No Mistakes

2008-07-05T22:04:00.003-04:00

I believe that sometimes God brings people into our lives to fill voids that are left by people we lose. Today is the 20th anniversary of my mother's death. It is hard to believe it has been twenty years, I remember it like it was yesterday. Of course, I guess that is not something you forget. She died from lung cancer about a month after she was diagnosed. I asked the Lord to take her quickly because I did not want her to lie around and suffer. God, graciously, answered that prayer. During her last ten days in the hospital she had only allowed them to give her morphine once and that was when I first took her in. After that she refused to take it and, yet, she was in, almost, no pain. The doctors told me and my sister that they had never seen lung cancer spread so fast and they couldn't understand why she had almost no pain. I understood - we have a gracious God. He answers prayer. There are times when it seems I don't miss mom at all. And then there are times when I miss her greatly. I wish I could tell her I love her just one more time.

There is a couple that goes to my church, they are in their 80's now. I adopted them as my parents about, I don't know, twelve years ago, or so. I even call them mom and dad. They have two grown children that I love like they are my own brother and sister. But, today, around 3 p.m. their daughter, who I love like a sister, went home to be with her Lord. She had brain cancer and was 60 years old. She died on the anniversary of my mother's death. I have, now, lost a mother and a sister on the same day. It is hard even though I know she is in Heaven. I guess that is the selfish part of me. I wish I could have seen her one more time, but it wouldn't have been enough. It is a great comfort that I will see her again, someday. The thing that makes it even harder is that her dad, who I have adopted as my own, has leukemia and is dying, too. He is very weak and has lost a lot of weight. And, yet, he and his wife, whose health is also not good, must face this tragic loss. I wish I could, somehow, just make it all better. I feel so helpless. Today is a rough day for me but not nearly as rough as it is on them and their son.

There is one thing, though, that I want to say because I do not want to leave any doubt in anybody's mind about what I believe. And that one thing is this: God is good! He is in charge, not us and He, always, knows what's best! He is gracious, merciful, patient, and longsuffering, and He cares more about His children than we can ever understand. His ways are perfect and He makes no mistakes. He Is the Great Comforter!!

I have, already lost a dear friend this year. And now I have lost two. And, probably, will lose dad before this year is over. He is anxious to go! He has been asking the Lord every night, for years, to get him out of here before morning. But when that happens it will still be hard. It is not the time to let go of God when we go through these tough times but, rather, the time to cling tighter to Him. As the song says, "His strength is perfect when our strength is gone." I am not a big fan of contemporary Christian music but those words do fit at a time like this. But here is a better quote, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Proverbs 18:10. I am so glad that He avails Himself to us and we can run to Him and be safe no matter what. I hope those who read this know that peace. You can - by taking Christ as your Saviour today.

In Christ's Love,

Richard

Thank You

2008-07-03T22:47:00.011-04:00

Thanks to all our American men and women who are serving or have served in the military and to all who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free. You have kept this the greatest country in all the world. I am glad to be an American and to live in this country. The fact that everyone wants to come here to live is a testimony to what a great country this is.

To quote a line from our national anthem: "And the star spangled banner in triumph doth wave, O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave."

Richard

Mom's Birthday

2008-07-02T22:26:00.001-04:00

If my mother were still living, today would have been her birthday. She would have been 79 years old. She passed away from lung cancer 20 years ago on July 5th. That's right, she died just three days after her 59th birthday. Fortunately for us and her she went quickly. I prayed that the Lord would take her quickly because I didn't want her to lie around suffering for months. But anyway, I'll probably talk more about that on July 5th. Today would have been her birthday. Born 1929 to Charles S. and Zula M. Hull, one of 12 children 10 of which survived. One was born dead and one died as an infant shortly after its birth. There were 8 girls and 2 boys. Only 5 girls remain. She was a small woman 5'1" tall and never weighing more than 100 pounds all her life. She lived a rough life and did some things of which I am not proud, but she was mom and I loved her then and I love her now. We were very close. Even when I was young she talked to me like I was an adult. In many ways she was my best friend. When my friends were going to their peers with their problems I went to my mother. We didn't always agree but she always showed me respect. I wish I could say I did the same for her, but that wouldn't be true. She made a lot of mistakes but that's just what they were, mistakes. I don't hold those things against her.

One of the best memories I have of my mother is that when I was young she used to sing around the house a lot while she did her chores. She could sing! The Lord did not allow me to inherit her singing ability. I still remember some of the songs she used to sing. Mostly country and western (that's what we called it in those days). Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Lefty Frizzell, etc. And she could yodel. Most people today don't even know what that is. I would love to hear her sing again.

Well, I don't know what else to say so I guess it's best to shut up. Oh, just one more thing:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!

I LOVE YOU!

Chapter 3

2008-07-01T19:35:00.003-04:00

As far as Brad was concerned, he just wanted to kick back and not have to worry about the clock again. He had spent too many years working according to others' schedules, now he just wanted to relax and live a life of leisure. His FBI pension would be more than enough to support him the rest of his days, especially in this hick town.

Brad was a simple man and didn't need much in the way of material possessions. He had never had a desire to drive the latest model car or belong to the country club, he didn't even like golf.
It wasn't what he considered a "man's sport" like football or hockey. Though he would not have planned it this way, and it was not what he had expected, he was looking forward to exiting the rat race. He was looking forward to not having to chase down empty leads, having to deal with the scum of society, and writing reports. And he, certainly, wouldn't miss the travel. No, if he did any travelling from now on it would be on his own time and alone, or, at least, with whomever he chose.

Brad and Trevor, the current sheriff, were good friends. They spent many hours together talking about, what else, law enforcement. They, sometimes, went to a movie together or took in some bowling. They had a lot in common and liked each other's company. But there was something about Trevor that made Brad uneasy, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He had spent some time trying to figure out what it was but, eventually, dismissed it as paranoia left over from his days in the FBI. Anyway, prying into other peoples' lives wasn't his job anymore. And Trevor seemed like a nice enough guy. They had known each other for a while and Brad never had a reason to suspect anything was awry, but, still, there was something.

Day Trip

2008-06-30T21:47:00.004-04:00

My lovely wife and I just returned from a day trip. We had a great time! It was nice to get away, even if only for a little while. We drove west through the mountains and stopped a couple of places to eat. We, also, stopped to see a friend that we used to take to church with us. She is about 85 and is now in a nursing home about 65 miles from here. She was excited to see us. She knew, immediately, who we are in spite of the fact that she has some Alzheimers. We, also, saw about 6 deer along different parts of the highway as we were driving. The scenery is beautiful. I love the mountains. I like the ocean, too, but I would prefer the mountains over the ocean anyday. I was hoping to see some black bear, unfortunately, that didn't happen. So, it was a day of relaxation and fun. A chance to take a breather and enjoy one another's company and see an old friend and some beautiful scenery(I think I already mentioned that). Oh well, you get the idea.

So long and goodnight,

Richard

2008-06-29T23:00:00.002-04:00

The man who would know God must give time to Him.
A.W. Tozer

It does make a lot of sense, doesn't it? Think about it, when you first met your spouse and started dating him/her didn't you spend as much time together as you could? And didn't you want to know as much about them as you could? And didn't you steal moments together, even if it was only a few? It is amazing how I tend to give so little time to the One Who is the Giver of time. I must purpose in my heart to give more time to Him, to practice His presence, to pray without ceasing, to study His Word, to serve Him! It amazes me how we tend not to be late for work but we don't care if we are late for church. How we will miss a meal for a ballgame but if the church service runs over we are upset because we are late for lunch. And what about the fact that often those of us who claim to know Him go for hours everyday and don't talk to Him. If we treated our spouses or best friends like that they would be upset and would have a right to be. Yet God is patient, longsuffering, and plentious in mercy.

Leftovers

Leftovers are such humble things,

We would not serve to a guest,

And, yet, we serve them to our Lord,

Who deserves the very best.

We give to Him leftover time,

A few moments here and there,

Leftover cash we give to Him,

Such few coins as we can spare.

We give unto the world our youth,

In hatred, lust, and strife,

Then in declining years we give to Him,

The remnant of our life.

That is not mine but I don't remember who wrote it.

From the back of my wife's Bible from her college days:

Dear Friend,

I just had to send you a note to tell you how much I love and care about you. I saw you yesterday walking with your friends. I waited all day hoping you'd want to talk with Me also. As evening drew near, I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to rest you,--and I waited. You never came. Yes, it did hurt Me, but I still love you.

I saw you fall asleep last night and longed to touch your brow, so I spilled moonlight upon your pillow and face. Again, I waited, wanting to rush down so we could talk. I have so many gifts for you. You awakened late and rushed off to work. My tears were in the rain.

Today you looked so sad, so all alone. It makes my heart ache, because I do understand. My friends let me down and hurt Me so many times too, but, I love you.

Oh, if only you would listen to Me. I love you! I try to tell you in the blue sky, and in the quiet green grass. I whisper it in the leaves on the trees, and breathe it in the colors of the flowers. I shout it to you in the mountains' streams and give the birds love songs to sing. I clothe you with warm sunshine and perfume the air with nature's scents. My love for you is deeper than the biggest want or need in your life and heart. If only you knew how much I want to help you. I want you to know and meet my Father. He wants to help you too. My Father is that way, you know.

You call Me, ask Me, talk with Me. Please don't forget Me. I have so much to share with you.

I won't hassle you any further. You are free to choose Me. It is your decision. I have chosen you, and because of this, I will wait; because I love you.

Your Friend,

Jesus (Rom. 5:8/Matt. 7:11)

Enough Said!

Goodnight Everybody

Nothing Much to Say

2008-06-28T22:24:00.002-04:00

Well, believe it or not, I haven't had much to say the last couple of days. We got a heavy downpour in this part of Maryland yesterday and today but we have really been fortunate compared to those in the mid-west. I feel bad for them. I could not imagine living in those conditions, but what choice do they have? We need to keep them in our prayers.

It is amazing to me that the economy seemed to change so rapidly. The value of real estate going down, the price of gas going up, the weather is weird all over the world it seems, and the food prices rising because of it. And yet, it appears that it hasn't, really, had a profound affect (or is that effect, I get them mixed up) on us. We are still driving our SUV's and shopping, etc. I guess that's a good thing, but sometimes I wonder if it might not be better for us to have to step back and evaluate things (i.e. our lifestyles, ourselves, our blessings). I know I don't do it enough. I am thankful and glad I live in America. Which doesn't mean there aren't other places I'd like to visit. I have always wanted to go to Germany, Norway, Hawaii, and Jamaica to name a few. I took two years of german in high school but could use some help if anyone out there would be willing to teach me what I don't know (which is a lot). I enjoyed learning german and was quite good at it at the time but like other languages there are different dialects and I wonder if I ever went there how well I would fare. Though most of them probably speak english, too. Most of the world seems to be more bilingual than us Americans. I'm not sure what commentary that is on our educational system here. I do know that a lot has changed since I was in high school and I don't believe it has all been good. For one thing, when you take discipline out of the educational system and out of the homes the result can only be chaos. Please understand I am talking about discipline and not abuse. I would never advocate abuse. But when discipline is absent, in some sense, that in itself is abuse. To let a child do wrong with no consequences is abuse. Of course, there has to be a standard or, as I said, you have chaos. I didn't mean to get into all of that. We had our problems in my day, too. When dinosaurs roamed the earth. But, boy, were those dinosaur burgers good! I am trying to end on a positive note and not having much success.

I had a tee shirt once that said, "I never met a piece of chocolate I didn't like." And a sweatshirt that said, " So much chocolate, so little time." What does that have to do with the rest of this post, you ask. Absolutely nothing! But I do love chocolate so that is one more thing you know about me, not that you cared. Oh well, for someone who didn't have much to say I have rambled on a lot.

Thanks for listening and feel free to leave your opinion. And, please add your part to the story I started on June 19 and continued a couple days ago. It won't be a success without you.

Happy Blogging,

Richard

Oil Drilling and the Environment

2008-06-26T11:26:00.002-04:00

I am more than a little disturbed at the controversy over drilling for the underground oil reserves we are fortunate enough to have in this country and protecting the environment. As a former spelunker (caver) and hiker I believe in preserving the environment as much as possible. When I was being taught about caving by my grotto (caving club) we were always taught: Leave nothing but footprints, Take nothing but pictures. And that is what we did! I love being down under the earth in a cave. Unfortunately, my knees and back no longer allow me to enjoy those adventures. I love to hike but have not been able to for about a year and a half due to two knee surgeries. But I love the outdoors: camping and canoeing included. I said all of that to make a point: I love nature. I don't worship it!

It has been proven that we have plenty of oil in parts of this country. It bothers me that we are so dependent on foreign oil when we have so much right here under our noses. Why should we keep giving our hard-earned money to overseas governments and tycoons when we could boost our own economy? God allowed us to have these resources for a reason! I think it's bad enough that I have a hard time buying American-made goods as it is, without also having to buy foreign oil. This is the greatest country in the world and one way we can keep it great is to break away from the dependence on foreign oil. As I said in a previous post, with the scientists and engineers we have in this country, I can not believe that we can't find alternative sources of energy faster than we are.

He who holds the purse controls the money. What's more important? Whether we dig a hole in the wilderness where no one lives or under the sea where it will never be seen, or whether we are controlled by a government that is often anti-American and doesn't really care about anything but taking our money?

I say, wake up America! We have the opportunity to, at least, help ourselves in this situation. Surely, we can do this while making as little impact on the environment as possible. It may take a little common sense, but I believe in this country and I think we can do it. And I think we must do it for the good of our freedom and our children.

That's my opinion, what's yours,

Richard

P.S. Please add your part to yesterday's story.

Chapter 2

2008-06-25T00:20:00.002-04:00

Continuing our story from June 19.

Chapter 2

Brad, the sheriff, had been in law enforcement for 21 years. He had left the small town in which he had grown up to go to college and study criminal justice. Earning his bachelors degree in just three and a half years, he went on to get his masters. After college he enlisted in the military and served as an MP. He was not a stranger to things that were out of the ordinary.

After serving two hitches in the military Brad took a job as a field investigator with the FBI. While employed with the FBI he had helped in apprehending some of the world's most hardened criminals. Once, he was even taken hostage by one. He had placed himself in jeopardy against the wishes of his superiors in order to rescue a young girl. The rescue effort was successful but at the expense of his own capture and torture, a torture for which he would always bear the scars. He had no regrets. He had done what he knew in his heart was right. Because of him that little girl was safe today and now was grown with children of her own. At first Brad had received a reprimand for disobeying the orders of his superiors, but the public outcry and gratitude of the girl's family was so great that the reprimand was rescinded and he was awarded the medal for bravery above and beyond the call of duty. But Brad knew his career as an FBI agent was over. The torture he had endured had been so severe that he would never, again, be able to keep up with the physical demands of the job. So Brad left the FBI and headed back to his hometown.

It was a quiet night when Brad arrived home. He had, purposely, walked in from the bus stop just on the outskirts of town so as to go unnoticed. Only his parents were aware of his return. He had asked them not to tell anyone he was coming. The people of his hometown were very proud of him. The facts of the case, the stories of how he had rescued that little girl, and the torture he had endured were national news. To those whom had known him since his childhood he was a true hero. Of course, Brad could not hide himself for long, he would have to go out sometime.

When some of the townsfolks knew he was home the news spread like wild fire around the small community. Plans were made to give him a hero's welcome but he was able to convince them that he did not want that kind of recognition. He had just done his job and was now home to enjoy what years he had left in obscure retirement. His desire was to spend his days fishing, hunting, and relaxing. He just wanted to be a regular part of the town again, just like when he grew up there all those years ago.

It's up to you, fellow bloggers, to write Chapter 3. What will happen in the life of Brad? What did he see the day Lyle walked into his office? You write the story. It won't be a success without you.

Richard

He was not the kind who was easily intimidated or often surprised. He thought he had seen it all, but he could not believe the sight that was before him.

2 for 1

2008-06-24T17:00:00.002-04:00

Well, this is my second post today. Only because I didn't, actually, write the first one. I just copied and pasted it. It is something to think about, though. I know I waste far too much time and it goes by so quickly.

I missed not being able to post while we were away but enjoyed the time with my lovely wife. We had a great time. On Sunday night we had a rather unique dining experience. We went to a restaurant and everything was served family style. What's so unique about that you may ask. Well, when they seated us they took us to a table that seated about ten. There was, already, a family of four sitting there so my wife and I figured that we were going to be seated at the other end of the table. When the waitress sat our plates down right next to the other family, we were a bit surprised. Since we had to pass the food back and forth we began to talk. They were from Southern California and turned out to be very nice. We ended up having our faith in common, they were, also, Christians. We talked beyond closing time and then walked out together. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. It was fun and, as I said, unique. Maybe it would be good if this kind of thing were done more frequently. Think of the possibilities. While, it is true, you may end up beside someone with whom it is hard to get along, you may get a witnessing opportunity. I would not have chosen to sit there but it is these types of incidences (is that a word?) that remind me that God is in control and I am not. It is a good thing, too, because if I were Him I wouldn't want anything to do with me. I am glad He is gracious and merciful.

Oh well, I have to shave and get ready for class. Maybe I'll post tonight, we'll see. Until next time, have a good one.

And the quote for today is: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Thomas Jefferson to William Stevens Smith, 1787

See Ya,
Richard

Time

2008-06-24T13:34:00.000-04:00

Time
Imagine that you had a bank account in which $86,400.00 was deposited every day. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!!!!
Each of us has such a bank account. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow". You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics. .
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special; special enough to spend your time. And remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present!! Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their heart to us. Show your friends how much you care..... Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND. If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends

My Day

2008-06-21T20:12:00.004-04:00

Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.
Benjamin Franklin

Good Evening Friends,

It was a beautiful day here in my hometown. There was a celebration today at church for my Pastor and his dear wife. It was their 50th anniversary. And it was a moving presentation organized, mainly, by their adult children. He pastored our church for 34 years and still serves as Pastor Emeritus and Sunday School teacher, etc. She used to teach Christian school and Sunday School. They are a wonderful couple! I felt privileged and blessed to have been an observer in this event.

Oh! But before that, this morning I had the opportunity to go to our local city farmers market with my lovely wife and beautiful step-daughter (who is home for the weekend with her new husband of just less than a month). We had breakfast at the farmers market and did a little shopping. Then I got a chance to spend some time with her one on one. It was nice. I couldn't have hand-picked better step-children. I love them like they are my own. Though I wouldn't wish divorce on my worst enemy.

We finished up the day by having my step-daughter and a friend of hers from high school for dinner. I hated to see her go. But that is part of life, I guess. Now, a few last minute chores to finish up before going to bed and church tomorrow.

Well, that's my day. I hope yours was a good one.

Richard

Just Another Rant

2008-06-20T12:28:00.004-04:00

Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery. Calvin Coolidge

Imagine this, our forefathers never intended for taxes to go over 2%. It is true, and they thought that was very high. I don't mind paying taxes, America is the greatest country in the world. However, I am not real thrilled about living in one of the most expensive states in the U.S. One of the top five, last I heard. I have been trying to get my wife to move to Tennessee (I would go with her of course). Hmmmm, do you suppose that's why she won't move? Just kidding!

Here's what is so amazing to me: When I was a child, physically not mentally, I am still a child mentally, we didn't need a state lottery to finance state programs and we didn't need slots to do it either. So my question is: Why do we need them today? Could it be that too much money is being... Well, perhaps we are not as fiscally responsible as we should be. I realize there are more social programs today than when I was a child and I think that is a good thing. But legalized gambling isn't the answer. It just results in the need for more social programs to treat those addicted to gambling... sounds like a Catch 22 to me!

It would be nice if we had some people who are morally qualified to run things seeking public office. Think of all the people out there who are qualified to run for President and do a good job but won't run for some reason or other. Oh well, I am, still, glad I am an American and that I have the privilege of living in America even if it isn't the same one in which I grew up.

Thanks to all those out there who have served and are serving to protect our freedom. America, with all its faults, is still the greatest country in the world. But it needs much prayer.

Well, I'd better get off of here and get, at least, some work done.

P.S. Don't forget to add your bit to the story I started yesterday. It won't be a success without you.

Later,
Richard

Let's Have Fun- Writing a Story

2008-06-19T23:04:00.002-04:00

Hey Fellow Bloggers! Let's have some fun writing a story. Here's how it works: I'll start and write until I am either tired or run out of ideas and then somebody else picks it up until they are either tired or runs out of ideas. And then the next person or previous person picks it up and so on.

There are just a few rules please:
1. No Profanity
2. No Sexual Innuendos
3. Just please keep it clean

It can be fun if we get some good participation.
It can be sad and/or funny or both at times.
Just try and see what happens.

I'll start. We'll title it later after we see where it goes.

Chapter One

Lyle stumbled down from the mountains after three weeks. He did not anticipate this happening to him in his wildest dreams. He had been an avid hiker since he was a young lad. His father who had been an airbourne soldier had taught him all that anyone could know about survival in the woods. He knew what plants were edible and how to make shelter out of, what would seem to the average person as, nothing. He would qualify as an expert in first aid. And, yet, something so different, so bizarre, had happened that he would have trouble explaining it to the townsfolk.
Lyle wasn't the kind of boy who would pull something questionable. He had grown up in this small community, was highly respected, and even in high school when the rest of the kids were sowing their wild oats and getting into trouble, Lyle had a reputation as a very level-headed boy. He wondered what he should do. How would he tell the authorities what had ocurred? Yet, he must tell them, this was just too serious of a matter not to say anything. Eventually, everyone would find out. How will this effect his reputation? A reputation he had worked hard to build beyond reproach since he was a youngster old enough to understand that what people thought of one does make a difference. He shuddered to think of the results of all this. He dreaded to have to face it, but face it he must. When he staggered into the police station he was visibly shaken. His old friend, Brad, the sheriff looked up at him from his seat. As their eyes met Brad couldn't believe the sight before him.

What happened to Lyle? What did Brad see? You tell us.

Maybe Later

2008-06-19T10:01:00.000-04:00

Maybe later I'll spice this thing up. I am new at blogging and have seen some interesting blogs out there. If you like beautiful, calm music check out Mr. Boo. I tried to find a comment place so I could tell him how much I enjoyed his blog but couldn't find one. If you can find it perhaps you will tell him for me.

The blogs are as diverse as the people who created them, interesting! This could be fun and I hope I will be able to maintain it. I would like to post something everyday but know that will not be possible. Soon we will be going away for a couple of days.

One of my favorite poets is Rod McKuen. I was introduced to him by a dear friend a long time ago. I can't tell you when because that would reveal my age. I have several of his books (Rod McKuen's, not my friend), I don't think my friend ever wrote a book. But you, probably, knew that. That was not a complete sentence. Anyway, I am rambling.

An excerpt from Rod McKuen's book: Caught in the Quiet:

"Caught in the quiet
Off on our own
Coming together
Staying Alone."

Maybe I'll talk to you later today.

Be Safe,
Richard

Gasoline

2008-06-18T09:08:00.000-04:00

It is truly amazing to me that in a country as great as the United States we can't find a better way to fuel our vehicles than gasoline. We have some of the best engineers and scientists in the world and we can't come up with an alternative fuel source quicker than we have. It makes me wonder how hard we're trying. Of course, we do have plenty of fuel if we could just extract that which we do have from the ground. Think about it, the oil we have in the ground in this country is there for a reason. Why should we keep supporting the Saudi's when we can benefit our own economy? I don't know much about this whole thing but I don't understand why we want to keep putting our money overseas when we have what we need here.

On another note, I don't understand how we can't find Osama Bin Laden. He has kidney disease, surely he is getting treatment and drugs somewhere. With the technology we have now, how is it that we seem to be able to find anyone but one of the most wanted terrorist out there? Amazing!

Liberal News Media

2008-06-17T10:57:00.000-04:00

Let me say that although Google is a wonderful search engine and has many great features like e-mail and others, that it is as liberal as most of the news media. For example, I know it is in the humor section of the iGoogle page but I do not appreciate the Google Chimp-O-Matic. And many of the news articles come from the more liberal sources. Therefore, I will, also, get my news from some other sources that will afford more balance. Like our food diets, we need a balanced diet when it comes to our news as well. Let me encourage those of you out there to not take your news from only the liberal sources but to find some conservative sources for your news, too. Even though you may not agree with what they say, you need a balanced diet.

Repeating what I said yesterday, I fear this country is in trouble with this upcoming election. It is a shame in this great country that we have to vote for the lesser of two evils but to not vote should not be an option.

That's my opinion. What's yours?

Sincerely,
Richard

Upcoming Election

2008-06-16T19:25:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, I can't say I am happy about any of the candidates who are running for President. It is a sad situation that in a country as great as the U.S. that we have to vote for the lesser of two evils instead of someone running who is more qualified. I fear we are in a dangerous situation if either Mr. McCain or Mr. Obama are elected. But to not vote should never be seen as on option. Oh well, that's my opinion. What's yours?