Motivational-Inspirational-Historical-Educational-Enjoyable
"Daily Motivations"
The more involved clients are the more loyal they become. -- Todd Duncan
"Daily Devotions" (NASB and/or NLT)
“...we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17
The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war. (2 Chronicles 16:9)
"The Patriot Post"
"Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us. We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them if we basely entail hereditary bondage on them." -- Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking up Arms, 6 July 1775
"Nothing is more essential to the establishment of manners in a State than that all persons employed in places of power and trust must be men of unexceptionable characters." --Samuel Adams
"All of this reads as if yanked from an Ayn Rand novel. The government, in a desperate attempt to avoid political pain caused by its own foolish economic mistakes and lax oversight, has poured billions into bankrupt companies. Then when those companies pass out bonuses they claim are necessary to retain qualified workers, the political firestorm leads government officials to propose tax rates that would make even British socialists of a half century ago blush. We are slipping into debates that have nothing to do with a free economy and everything to do with the government calibrating how to balance the favors it hands out with the inevitable moral outrage those favors engender." -- Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund
This week's 'Braying Jackass' award
"People are rightly outraged about these particular bonuses. But just as outrageous is the culture that these bonuses are a symptom of, that have existed for far too long; a situation where excess greed, excess compensation, excess risk-taking have all made us vulnerable and left us holding the bag. I hope that Wall Street and the marketplace don't think that we can return to business as usual." -- Barack Obama, whose campaign's biggest benefactor was Wall Street
The BIG lie
"I did not want to make any changes to my original Senate-passed amendment [to the stimulus bill,] but I did so at the request of administration officials, who gave us no indication that this was in any way related to AIG. Let me be clear -- I was completely unaware of these AIG bonuses until I learned of them last week." -- Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
"The Web"
I May Never See Tomorrow
http://www.ronburgess.com/Tomorrow.htm
Bird Loves Ray Charles - If you remember this one? It was about 1960. - oyh
http://www.maniacworld.com/bird-loves-ray-charles.html
When God Takes Something Away From Your Grasp...
To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.
When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
Concentrate on this sentence...
"The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you"
I think this message will work well to people who doesn't possess the virtue of PATIENCE like me. True enough! Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.
Speaker Pelosi’s Latest Move to Regulate the News
AIM Column | By Roger Aronoff
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/speaker-pelosis-latest-move-to-regulate-the-news/
The problem is that few papers have been able to successfully monetize the news on the Internet.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder announcing her intentions to hold a hearing on the issue of newspaper consolidation in the San Francisco Bay area, citing anti-trust laws as a potential avenue to do something about this. The hearing would be by the Courts & Competition Policy Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, according to Pelosi’s letter.
While clearly there are serious issues engulfing the newspaper industry, in San Francisco and elsewhere, the problem isn’t one of anti-trust violations. Pelosi has made her feelings known. She would like a return to the Fairness Doctrine. This is a nose under the tent.
Yes, the industry is changing. It has been for years. But other than perhaps some limits on one company owning too many TV, radio and newspapers in a single market, the government really should have no role in the business of news.
The whole news paradigm is changing. We have public radio and TV, both on national and local levels. We have both print and online-only newspapers and magazines. Examples: Seattle Post-Intelligencer has just gone to strictly online; U.S. News & World Report has become online only except for once-a-month consumer oriented issues in print; The Christian Science Monitor became the first national newspaper to go exclusively online; and the nearly 200-year-old Ann Arbor (Michigan) News announced this week that it is going to become exclusively web based starting in July. Many other high profile newspapers have been struggling to stay afloat―in Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, and even the New York Times has lost much of its stock value and has had to borrow money against its headquarters in New York.
The problem is that few papers have been able to successfully monetize the news on the Internet. That’s partly because advertisers aren’t satisfied with the results, and subscribers are generally reluctant when they have access to so much free material on the Internet.
The change in the news business is everywhere. We now have Propublica.com, which is 28 investigative reporters paid by the Sandlers of San Francisco, philanthropists who felt the newspapers weren’t doing enough of it on their own. They have done some great work on covering the TARP funds. The Drudge Report is still the largest by far of the news aggregators, which is another type of news source that didn’t used to exist. The Wall Street Journal is one of the only publications making money via subscribers. It is a unique brand that businessmen and stockholders the world over turn to and trust for its reliability on financial and political matters.
It’s true, and unfortunate, that many news organizations are run with the bottom line being the biggest factor to the owners. And it means that there are fewer bureaus, fewer foreign bureaus, and fewer reporters in the remaining bureaus. On the other hand we can read blogs and news sites from all over the world. There are plenty of people willing to keep providing news reports for free. It is up to us as individuals to sort out what is reliable and what isn’t. That cannot be a role for government bureaucrats or politicians.
We are going through a period comparable to changing from horse and buggy to cars. A lot of shake-up that is better left to market forces. Especially with something as sacred as news and its protector, the First Amendment. The government has no business picking winners and losers. If a government entity bails out the last remaining newspaper in a city, is that newspaper’s coverage of that entity tainted? It’s certainly suspect.
In some cities, college and even high school journalism departments have flip-cams and other high quality, low-cost video equipment and send students out to cover school board and city hall meetings. It’s obviously not as desirable as having professional journalists who have covered the beat for years, but it is an industry in flux, and often these students will do a better job than hardened reporters who have lost their passion.
One of the worst things that has happened to the newspaper industry is Craig’s List, which is where people place classified ads for little or nothing, and people go to those classified ads looking for anything from a job, to a prostitute to a used car.
Jack Shafer of Slate.com did a story back in 2006, citing a story from a Harvard Business School publication that traced the history of newspaper consolidation, and found that between 1953 and 1980, the number of family-owned newspapers went from 1,300 to 700, and that the factors included technology, labor unions, and tax codes.
The bottom line is that consolidation is part of the natural evolution of news. It means different things in different markets. This story from 2008 details the consolidation of several San Francisco Bay area publications that more or less went in together to save costs, but have still had to let many people go.
But AIM Editor Cliff Kincaid, in the book that he co-authored, The Death of Talk Radio?, and I have been warning for years that what Speaker Pelosi―and Senators John Kerry, Dick Durbin and others want is a return to the Fairness Doctrine. Our associate Bethany Stotts also wrote an excellent piece describing how the current plan by President Obama is to use localism or diversity of ownership as a ruse to accomplish the same goal. Republican Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana has gathered quotes on his website from a number of leading Democrats who have openly advocated for a return to the Fairness Doctrine.
Speaker Pelosi is determined to try to regulate what news we can read, watch and listen to. It would make it much easier for the Democrats to get their agenda enacted. This latest attempt, using anti-trust laws, should certainly fail.
Illegal Poem
I cross ocean, poor and broke,
Take bus, see employment folk.
Nice man treat me good in there,
Say I need to see welfare.
Welfare say, "You come no more,
We send cash right to your door."
Welfare checks, they make you wealthy,
Medicaid it keep you healthy!
By and by, I got plenty money,
Thanks to you, American dummy.
Write to friends in motherland,
Tell them "come fast as you can."
They come in turbans and Ford trucks,
I buy big house with welfare bucks.
They come here, we live together,
More welfare checks, it gets better!
Fourteen families, they moving in,
But neighbor's patience wearing thin.
Finally, white guy moves away,
Now I buy his house, and then I say,
"Find more aliens for house to rent."
And in the yard I put a tent.
Send for family they just trash,
But they, too, draw the welfare cash!
Everything is very good,
And soon we own the neighborhood.
We have hobby - it's called breeding,
Welfare pay for baby feeding.
Kids need dentist? Wife need pills?
We get free! We got no bills!
American crazy! He pay all year,
To keep welfare running here.
We think America darn good place!
Too darn good for the white man race.
If they no like us, they can scram,
Got lots of room in Pakistan.
It is interesting that the federal government provides a single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890.00 and each can also get an additional $580.00 in social assistance for a total of$2,470.00 .
This compares very well to a single pensioner who after contributing to the growth and development of America for 40 to 50 years can only receive a monthly maximum of $1,012.00 in old age pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement.
Maybe our pensioners should apply as refugees!
Lets send this to all Americans, so we can all be ticked off and maybe we can get the refugees cut back to $1,012.00 and the pensioners up to $2,470 00 and enjoy some of the money we were forced to submit to the Government over the last 40 or 50 years.
SEND THIS TO EVERY AMERICAN TAXPAYER YOU KNOW
APHORISM: A SHORT, POINTED SENTENCE EXPRESSING A WISE OR CLEVER OBSERVATION OR A GENERAL TRUTH; ADAGE
1. The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.
2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.
4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.
6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay
out all night?
7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
9. Scratch a cat and you will have a permanent job.
10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. - Like this: It could be a right number.
13. No one ever says, "It's only a game." when their team is winning.
14. I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
15. Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.
16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
17. Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos? (And rap music will be the Golden Oldies!)
18. Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than in a Yugo.
19. After 60, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead!
Always be yourself. Because the people that matter, don't mind. And the one's that do mind don't matter.
The Medical Profession Speaks out on the Financial Bail-Out Package]
No further comment needed....
The allergists voted to scratch it, and the dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.
The gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but the neurologists thought the administration had a lot of nerve, and the obstetricians felt they were all labouring under a misconception.
The ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted; the pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body!" while the pediatricians said, "Oh, Grow up!"
The psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, the radiologists could see right through it, and the surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing.
The internists thought it was a bitter pill to swallow, and the plastic surgeons said, "This puts a whole new face on the matter"
The podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the urologists felt the scheme wouldn't hold water.
The anaesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas; and the cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.
In the end, the proctologists left the decision up to the arseholes in Washington
"The e-mail Bag"
Kids Are Quick
TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America ..
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
CLASS: Maria.
TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?
JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables.
TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell 'crocodile?'
GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L'
TEACHER: No, that's wrong
GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.
TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
DONALD: H I J K L M N O.
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we didn't have ten years ago.
WINNIE: Me!
TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?
GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.
TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with 'I.'
MILLIE: I is..
TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, 'I am.'
MILLIE: All right... 'I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.'
TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him?
LOUIS: Because George still had the axe in his hand.
TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?
SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.
TEACHER: Clyde , your composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his?
CLYDE : No, sir. It's the same dog.
TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher
LAUGHTER IS THE SOUL'S MEDICINE
Dan was a single guy living at home
Dan was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the family business.
When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a wife with which to share his fortune.
One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away.
"I may look like just an ordinary man," he said to her, but in just a few years, my father will die, and I'll inherit $200 million."
Impressed, the woman obtained his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother.
Moral of the story: Women are so much better at financial planning than men.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Freedom of Speech! – Really?
Amendment I – Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Precious words define the First Amendment freedom in our Constitution. While the entire media protects their own individual First Amendment right views, more Liberal advocates fail to understand, trust, and/or practice opposing views equally; failing to accept more Conservative views of many, and perhaps, a majority of Americans.
Some Liberals fail to even recognize opposing positions, when other views may carry an equal or perhaps, a more productive view. For some Liberals, it is much easier to silence and/or disassociate/discard more Conservative, Christian, and/or old English common sense views. Superficially, rejecting these views are disallowing the same Freedom of Speech they themselves, otherwise, practice.
Supreme Court Justice Brandeis, a President Woodrow Wilson appointee once said, "Experience teaches us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purpose is beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."
Just as Justice Brandeis addressed, our Liberal media must understand, trust, and/or practice, all Conservative, Christian, and/or old English common sense values in our Freedom of Speech; then apply it bilaterally, rather than unilaterally.
God Bless America!
Precious words define the First Amendment freedom in our Constitution. While the entire media protects their own individual First Amendment right views, more Liberal advocates fail to understand, trust, and/or practice opposing views equally; failing to accept more Conservative views of many, and perhaps, a majority of Americans.
Some Liberals fail to even recognize opposing positions, when other views may carry an equal or perhaps, a more productive view. For some Liberals, it is much easier to silence and/or disassociate/discard more Conservative, Christian, and/or old English common sense views. Superficially, rejecting these views are disallowing the same Freedom of Speech they themselves, otherwise, practice.
Supreme Court Justice Brandeis, a President Woodrow Wilson appointee once said, "Experience teaches us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purpose is beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."
Just as Justice Brandeis addressed, our Liberal media must understand, trust, and/or practice, all Conservative, Christian, and/or old English common sense values in our Freedom of Speech; then apply it bilaterally, rather than unilaterally.
God Bless America!
ConservativeChristianRepublican-Report - 20090330
Motivational-Inspirational-Historical-Educational-Enjoyable
"Daily Motivations"
Golden Rule principles are just as necessary for operating a business profitably as are trucks, typewriters, or twine. -- James Cash (J.C.) Penney
"Daily Devotions" (NASB and/or NLT)
Betrayed by Judas "Friend, do what you came to do" (Matthew 26:50). When betrayal comes, what do you do? Get out? Get angry? Get even?
"For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him." (Philippians 2:13)
"The Patriot Post"
"To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it." -- Thomas Jefferson
"It will not be denied that power is of an encroaching nature and that it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it. After discriminating, therefore, in theory, the several classes of power, as they may in their nature be legislative, executive, or judiciary, the next and most difficult task is to provide some practical security for each, against the invasion of the others." -- James Madison, Federalist No. 48
"Did you ever know a politician that was not 'facing the most critical time in the world's affairs' every time he spoke in public?" -- humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935)
"If Washington's newfound opponents of rewarding failure want to do taxpayers a favor, how about giving back their automatic pay raises? How about returning all their AIG donations? How about taking back all the bailout money to all the failed enterprises, from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to AIG, the automakers and the big banks? Barry? Harry? Nancy? John? Chris? Bueller? Bueller?" -- columnist Michelle Malkin
From the Democrats Version... Why do they fail to investigate these on Capitol Hill?
From the AIG regulating stooges: "One way or another, we're going to try to figure out how to get these resources back." -- Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), who only a month ago made sure that these particular bonuses were exempt from regulation in the stimulus bill; Dodd is also the recipient of the most campaign cash from AIG ($103,000 in 2008)
"If you don't return it on your own, we will do it for you." -- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Congress' possible plan to take back AIG bonuses with a tax.
"Maybe it's time to fire some people." -- Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) on AIG, though we could have sworn he was talking about Congress.
"I think that not just the Chinese government, but every investor, can have absolute confidence in the soundness of investments in the United States." -- Barack Obama
"Liberals still have plenty of work to do, and if they want to be a governing majority for the foreseeable future, relabeling themselves as progressives is part of the task." --Newsweek's Eleanor Clift **How about calling them what they really are? Socialists.
"Simple Truths"
"Any time a thought, a sentence, or paragraph inspires you or opens up your thinking, you need to capture it, like a butterfly in a net, and later release it into your own field of consciousness." -- Steve Chandler
"ADF"
ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND NEWS RELEASE
March 26, 2009 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT ADF MEDIA RELATIONS: (480) 444-0020 or www.telladf.org/pressroom
Open road for Mo. ‘Choose Life’ plates after 8th Circuit clears detour
http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4887
ADF attorneys win victory in decision that upholds ruling against state’s unconstitutional license plate approval process
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alliance Defense Fund attorneys secured a victory from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit over Missouri Department of Revenue officials Thursday, clearing the way for the creation of “Choose Life” specialty license plates. In the lawsuit, ADF attorneys alleged the state violated Choose Life of Missouri’s free speech rights by engaging in viewpoint discrimination when it refused to approve the specialty plate based on its objection to the pro-life message while allowing the messages of other organizations on other specialty plates.
“The state shouldn’t discriminate against pro-life organizations for their beliefs,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Joel Oster, who argued before the 8th Circuit in October of last year. “We are pleased with the 8th Circuit’s decision to recognize the unconstitutionality of the state’s approval process and look forward to the inclusion of Choose Life in Missouri’s specialty license plate program.”
ADF attorneys filed suit in federal court against Missouri Department of Revenue officials in June 2006 after two Missouri senators–both responsible for reviewing the specialty plate applications–objected to the viewpoint of the message on a license plate proposed by Choose Life of Missouri. ADF attorneys argued that the state’s approval process, contained in Missouri Revised Statutes section 21.795(6), failed to provide sufficient decision-making criteria and therefore unconstitutionally allowed the approval committee too much of their own discretion in considering specialty plate applications. The 8th Circuit agreed.
“Because section 21.795(6) allows the Joint Committee unbridled discretion to determine who may speak based on the viewpoint of the speaker, we find that section 21.795(6) allows for viewpoint discrimination and is therefore unconstitutional,” the court wrote. “The Joint Committee can still review and approve or deny specialty plate applications based on the criteria provided [elsewhere in the law]; it simply cannot deny an application based on the viewpoint of the speaker….”
In January 2008, a federal court ruled in favor of Choose Life, determining that the state’s statute outlining the approval process for specialty plates was unconstitutional. The state appealed the ruling to the 8th Circuit, which refused to stay the district court’s decision while the case was on appeal. Last week, the state began to issue the plates, which Missouri motorists can order via the Internet.
An ADF ally, the National Legal Foundation, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case in support of Choose Life.
* Opinion issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in Roach v. Stouffer
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.
www.telladf.org
"Chuck Sproull"
An open letter I sent to Miriam-Webster this morning
By: Chuck Sproull, Springville IN
Greetings my beloved American brothers and sisters, (3/23/2009)
I'm 67 years old, and all my life I was under the impression that the Webster Dictionary was the English standard of spoken and written TRUTH. What is TRUTH?
TRUTH is the words we use to completely and accurately describe reality, the way it really is, with words having commonly understood spellings, pronunciations and definitions; which facilitate effective communication between people.
For example, the one and only TRUE and standard definition of "MARRIAGE" is and always has been (for 6,000 years) "the physical and emotional mating procedure and total life-long commitment of love between one man and one woman."
I was shocked this morning when I heard on the news that Miriam-Webster has added a false definition or marriage to include any caring relationship regardless of gender.
About 6,000 years ago, God revealed His will to Adam and Eve and for all mankind after them, to engage in normal marriage, reproduce children and "replenish the earth" (Gen 1:28). God gave mankind freedom to choose to let His moral law to govern them. According to Gen 1:26-28, 9:1, 7, Matt 19:4-6, Eph 5:31 and Deut 30:19, and consistently throughout the Bible, God is 100% for normal marriage.
In other words, for your information, just as it is impossible for two male plugs or two female sockets to "MATE" and complete the circuit intended by the Design Engineer, likewise it is impossible for two men or two women to "MARRY" and complete the biochemical reaction intended by our Creator, leading to the next generation of human life.
Therefore, because my deep, pure-hearted love for historical standards and for TRUTH, I demand that you strike that new contrived, false definition of marriage from your dictionary, and please don't let a small minority of disoriented homosexual activists steer you off course.
God bless you, and have a wonderful, free American day.
"The Web"
Restore the Rule of Law: Allow Failing Corporations to go Bankrupt
Under U.S. law, Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows a company to reorganize. Chapter 7 allows a company to dissolve itself.
The choices for AIG, as both an insurance and non-insurance company, are more complicated, but ultimately boil down to the same options. And for other companies either receiving or looking to receive a bailout from the taxpayers, the option should instead be bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy would send a needed message to U.S. investors: Don't assume the government will bail you out when you do something stupid.
And most importantly, bankruptcy would replace the rule of politicians over U.S. financial institutions with the rule of law.
Steele's Aim Off on Social Issues - Unfortunately, it appears our GOP leaders made a mistake on electing Michael Steele as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, bases on his personal beliefs on the "social issues". I was personally hoping we could rid all, whom failed to support "all life" all the time. It now appears, little did we know, the inside beliefs of Michael Steele, on the social issues of the day. It now be necessary for Michael Steele to step aside or the RNC Committee members to remove him, before the Conservatives are again kicked aside and/or out on the social issues. Protecting life is most essential to any future elections. Supporting homosexuality and/or lesbian activity as a normal life is not acceptable as normal. Having the GOP Chairman loving, believing, and practicing our "RNC Platform" http://www.gop.com/2008Platform/ issues are very critical for a political comeback in 2010. - oyh
By Ken Ervin
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/16591/CWA/nation/index.htm
According to Ron Gunzburger over at Politics 1, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele seems to be steering the party ship to the left. In a GQ magazine interview, the newly minted chairman dubs abortion "an individual choice," directly opposing his own party platform, which labels abortion "a fundamental assault on the sanctity of innocent human life."
He also demonstrates a woefully misinformed view of the homosexual lifestyle. "I don't think I've ever really subscribed to that view that you can turn it on and off like a water tap," says Steele. "You just can't simply say, oh, like, 'Tomorrow morning I'm gonna stop being gay.' It's like saying 'Tomorrow morning I'm gonna stop being black.'"
What an unfortunate comparison. I don't believe anyone's ever said that leaving homosexuality is as easy as turning it "on and off like a water tap." That's a deeply oversimplified view of the process - and a process it is. The ex-gay movement (a la Exodus International, et. al.) is more like Alcoholics Anonymous. They recognize that same-sex attractions are more easily broken one day at a time.
Where Mr. Steele errs, obviously, is in comparing sexual attractions to skin color. Mr. Steele rightly says that he will never be able to "stop being black." However, he can't say that about homosexuality because it's not about genetics, it's about temptation. No white man has ever been tempted to become black (or vice versa). And even if one has, there is no way to act upon it. The same is not true in regards to a sexually broken person dealing with same-sex attractions. And that's where Mr. Steele's argument breaks down.
I think former homosexual Tim Wilkins said it best: "One of life's mysteries is that we don't get to choose what we are tempted by. But we do choose how we respond to those temptations." The power of the cross is not that we cease to be tempted, but that sin no longer has such a strangle hold on our lives as to force us to yield to our temptations. By His death and resurrection, Jesus became the Victor over sin. Those who are under His blood have access to that victory and, by virtue of that Power, can successfully stand against those temptations.
In reality, Mr. Steele's views on homosexuality are like his views on abortion. It's an individual choice. But just like abortion, it's a bad choice. Always. Every single time.
Obama White House bars press from press award ceremony - President Obama tells us his administration is the most open of them all. My, My!
We are not making this up:
Barack Obama was elected commander in chief promising to run the most transparent presidential administration in American history.
This achievement and the overall promise of his historic administration caused the National Newspaper Publishers Assn. to name him "Newsmaker of the Year."
The president is to receive the award from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House ceremony this afternoon.
The Obama White House has closed the press award ceremony to the press.
From the president's official schedule:
"Later in the afternoon, the President and the First Lady will attend a reception with the National Newspaper Publisher Association in the State Dining Room, where they will be presented the Newsmaker of the Year award. This event is closed press."
Maybe they'll let the newspaper people pass the award through the fence.
(UPDATE: The White House notes that while other press were barred from the publishers' event, the association's publishers themselves were admitted and the event treated as an exclusive interview and it expects the association to keep a record of what transpired during it.) -- Andrew Malcolm
Justice Scalia Raises the Issue of the Right to Listen
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia may have signaled his feelings on the 'freedom to listen' during oral arguments on Citizen's United v. Federal Election Commission. The case is about whether the FEC erred in banning Citizens United from showing its movie on Hillary Clinton.
Said Scalia, "Do you think that there's a possibility that the First Amendment interest is greater when what the government is trying to stifle is not just a speaker who wants to say something, but also a hearer who wants to hear what the speaker has to say?"
The American Civil Rights Union filed an amicus brief in the case. In it, the ACRU argued the FEC violated the right of freedom of speech of not only Citizens United, but also the viewers who wanted to watch the movie
In the brief, the ACRU said, "Viewers of the Movie through the means described above hold their own constitutionally protected, freedom of speech rights to watch and to listen to the Movie and its speech."
Ken Klukowski: Supreme Court Must Be Ready to Defend Conscience Clause from Obama
On March 12, 2009, ACRU Senior Legal Analyst Ken Klukowski wrote a column posted on Human Events, that encouraged the Supreme Court to uphold the Conscience Clause for doctors who do not want to perform abortions
Said Klukowski:
For years, it's been accepted within the healthcare field that people who are morally opposed to abortion cannot be compelled to participate in performing one. This understanding has been put into law in several federal statutes, often referred to as the Conscience Clause. The Bush administration further codified this longstanding concept in a federal regulation.
You can read the entire column at Human Events
ACLU Outrage of the Week: Obama Judges versus the Constitution
Candidate Obama said he would appoint federal judges who would decide cases based on the identity of the parties -- not the facts presented. And, he has returned the American Bar Association (ABA) to vet the judicial nominees at the same time a statistical study shows that the ABA is biased toward liberal candidates. Interestingly, President Obama's first nomination.
You can read the entire Outrage here.
Biblical Humor
It doesn’t hurt to have a little biblical humor to start the day……
Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
A. Ruthless.
Q. What do they call pastors in Germany ?
A. German Shepherds ..
Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.
Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh’s daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.
Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury. David’s Triumph was heard throughout the land. Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord.
Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.
Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden ?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.
Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.
Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A. The area around Jordan . The banks were always overflowing.
Q Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible?
A. David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.
Q. Which Bible character had no parents?
A. Joshua, son of Nun.
Q. Why didn’t they play cards on the Ark ?
A. Because Noah was standing on the deck. (Groan…)
PS… Did you know it’s a sin for a woman to make coffee?
Yup, it’s in the Bible. It says . . . “He-brews”
Untimely deaths (aka: Don't mock God, or you'll die)
My note: (if he really said that) why did God wait 15 years to kill John Lennon? And what about all the people that have "mocked" God and didn't die. Or didn't mock God but died?
Edited for typical horrible format. Almost unreadable.
Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death!
Make a personal reflection about this.....
Very interesting, read until the end..... It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Here are some men and women who mocked God :
John Lennon (Singer): Some years before, during an interview with an American Magazine, he said: "Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple. Today we are
more famous than Him" (1966).
Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.
Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil ): During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.
Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet): During A show in Canecio (Rio de Janeiro), while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: "God, that's for you." He died at the age of 32 of AIDS in a horrible manner.
The man who built the Titanic: After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: "Not even God can sink it" The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic .
Marilyn Monroe (Actress): She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: "I don't need your Jesus". A week later, she was found dead in her apartment .
Bon Scott (Singer): The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: "Don't stop me, I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell". On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.
Campinas (IN 2005): In Campinas, Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend. The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: "My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You." She responded: "Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause
Inside Here....It's Already Full "
Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact.
The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken.
Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer): said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.
Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus. Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive.
"Jesus"
"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen."
"The e-mail Bag"
TELL THEM NOW… I LOVE YOU!
As we walk our path of life,
We meet people everyday.
Most are simply met by chance.
But, some are sent our way.
These become special friends
Whose bond we can't explain;
The ones who understand us
And share our joy and pain.
Their love contains no boundaries.
So, even we are apart.
Their presence enhances us
With a warmth felt in the heart.
This love becomes a passageway,
When even the miles disappear.
And so, these friends, God sends our way,
Remain forever near.
Man of the hour
I just had just finished reading a new book entitled, 'YOU CAN BE THE MAN OF YOUR HOUSE'.
I stormed into the kitchen and announced to My Wife, "From now on, you need to know that I am the man of this house and my word is Law. You will prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished eating my meal, you will serve me a sumptuous dessert.
After dinner, you are going to go upstairs with me and we will have the kind of sex that I want.
Afterwards, you are going to draw me a bath so I can relax. You will wash my back and towel me dry and bring me my robe.
Then, you will massage my feet and hands. Then tomorrow morning, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?"
She replied, "The funeral director would be my first guess."
Grandparents
Being a Grandparent…
1. She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she’d done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, ‘But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!’ I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye!!
2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, ‘62.’ He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, ‘Did you start at 1?’
3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, ‘Who was THAT?’
4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: ‘We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods.’ The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, ‘I sure wish I’d gotten to know you sooner!’
5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, ‘Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?’ I mentally polished my halo and I said, ‘No, how are we alike?” You’re both old,’ he replied.
6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather’s word processor. She told him she was writing a story. ‘What’s it about?’ he asked. ‘I don’t know,’ she replied. ‘I can’t read.
7. I didn’t know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last she headed for the door, saying, ‘Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself!’
8. When my grandson Melvin and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, ‘It’s no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.’
9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, ‘I’m not sure.’ ‘Look in your underwear, Grandpa,’ he advised. ‘Mine says I’m four to six.’
10. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, ‘Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.’ The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. ‘That’s interesting,’ she said, ‘how do you make babies? ”It’s simple,’ replied the girl. ‘You just change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’.’
11. Children’s Logic: ‘Give me a sentence about a public servant,’ said a teacher. The small boy wrote: ‘The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.’ The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. ‘Don’t you know what pregnant means?’ she asked. ‘Sure,’ said the young boy confidently. ‘It means carrying a child.’
12. A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog’s duties. ‘They use him to keep crowds back,’ said one child. ‘No,’ said another, ‘He’s just for good luck .’ A third child brought the argument to a close. ‘They use the dogs,’ she said firmly, ‘to find the fire hydrants!’
WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT? (Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people’s.
A grandfather is a man and a grandmother is a lady!
Grandparents don’t have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn’t play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.
They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn’t step on ‘cracks.’
They don’t say, ‘Hurry up.’
Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.
They wear glasses and funny underwear.
They can take their teeth and gums out.
Grandparents don’t have to be smart.
They have to answer questions like ‘Why isn’t God married?’ and ‘How come dogs chase cats?’
When they read to us, they don’t skip. They don’t mind if we ask for the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don’t have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.
They know we should have snack time before bedtime, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we’ve acted bad.
A 6-YEAR-OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ”OH,” HE SAID, ”SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE’RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.”
GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS, BUT I DON’T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!
"Daily Motivations"
Golden Rule principles are just as necessary for operating a business profitably as are trucks, typewriters, or twine. -- James Cash (J.C.) Penney
"Daily Devotions" (NASB and/or NLT)
Betrayed by Judas "Friend, do what you came to do" (Matthew 26:50). When betrayal comes, what do you do? Get out? Get angry? Get even?
"For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him." (Philippians 2:13)
"The Patriot Post"
"To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it." -- Thomas Jefferson
"It will not be denied that power is of an encroaching nature and that it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it. After discriminating, therefore, in theory, the several classes of power, as they may in their nature be legislative, executive, or judiciary, the next and most difficult task is to provide some practical security for each, against the invasion of the others." -- James Madison, Federalist No. 48
"Did you ever know a politician that was not 'facing the most critical time in the world's affairs' every time he spoke in public?" -- humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935)
"If Washington's newfound opponents of rewarding failure want to do taxpayers a favor, how about giving back their automatic pay raises? How about returning all their AIG donations? How about taking back all the bailout money to all the failed enterprises, from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to AIG, the automakers and the big banks? Barry? Harry? Nancy? John? Chris? Bueller? Bueller?" -- columnist Michelle Malkin
From the Democrats Version... Why do they fail to investigate these on Capitol Hill?
From the AIG regulating stooges: "One way or another, we're going to try to figure out how to get these resources back." -- Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), who only a month ago made sure that these particular bonuses were exempt from regulation in the stimulus bill; Dodd is also the recipient of the most campaign cash from AIG ($103,000 in 2008)
"If you don't return it on your own, we will do it for you." -- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Congress' possible plan to take back AIG bonuses with a tax.
"Maybe it's time to fire some people." -- Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) on AIG, though we could have sworn he was talking about Congress.
"I think that not just the Chinese government, but every investor, can have absolute confidence in the soundness of investments in the United States." -- Barack Obama
"Liberals still have plenty of work to do, and if they want to be a governing majority for the foreseeable future, relabeling themselves as progressives is part of the task." --Newsweek's Eleanor Clift **How about calling them what they really are? Socialists.
"Simple Truths"
"Any time a thought, a sentence, or paragraph inspires you or opens up your thinking, you need to capture it, like a butterfly in a net, and later release it into your own field of consciousness." -- Steve Chandler
"ADF"
ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND NEWS RELEASE
March 26, 2009 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT ADF MEDIA RELATIONS: (480) 444-0020 or www.telladf.org/pressroom
Open road for Mo. ‘Choose Life’ plates after 8th Circuit clears detour
http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4887
ADF attorneys win victory in decision that upholds ruling against state’s unconstitutional license plate approval process
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alliance Defense Fund attorneys secured a victory from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit over Missouri Department of Revenue officials Thursday, clearing the way for the creation of “Choose Life” specialty license plates. In the lawsuit, ADF attorneys alleged the state violated Choose Life of Missouri’s free speech rights by engaging in viewpoint discrimination when it refused to approve the specialty plate based on its objection to the pro-life message while allowing the messages of other organizations on other specialty plates.
“The state shouldn’t discriminate against pro-life organizations for their beliefs,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Joel Oster, who argued before the 8th Circuit in October of last year. “We are pleased with the 8th Circuit’s decision to recognize the unconstitutionality of the state’s approval process and look forward to the inclusion of Choose Life in Missouri’s specialty license plate program.”
ADF attorneys filed suit in federal court against Missouri Department of Revenue officials in June 2006 after two Missouri senators–both responsible for reviewing the specialty plate applications–objected to the viewpoint of the message on a license plate proposed by Choose Life of Missouri. ADF attorneys argued that the state’s approval process, contained in Missouri Revised Statutes section 21.795(6), failed to provide sufficient decision-making criteria and therefore unconstitutionally allowed the approval committee too much of their own discretion in considering specialty plate applications. The 8th Circuit agreed.
“Because section 21.795(6) allows the Joint Committee unbridled discretion to determine who may speak based on the viewpoint of the speaker, we find that section 21.795(6) allows for viewpoint discrimination and is therefore unconstitutional,” the court wrote. “The Joint Committee can still review and approve or deny specialty plate applications based on the criteria provided [elsewhere in the law]; it simply cannot deny an application based on the viewpoint of the speaker….”
In January 2008, a federal court ruled in favor of Choose Life, determining that the state’s statute outlining the approval process for specialty plates was unconstitutional. The state appealed the ruling to the 8th Circuit, which refused to stay the district court’s decision while the case was on appeal. Last week, the state began to issue the plates, which Missouri motorists can order via the Internet.
An ADF ally, the National Legal Foundation, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case in support of Choose Life.
* Opinion issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in Roach v. Stouffer
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.
www.telladf.org
"Chuck Sproull"
An open letter I sent to Miriam-Webster this morning
By: Chuck Sproull, Springville IN
Greetings my beloved American brothers and sisters, (3/23/2009)
I'm 67 years old, and all my life I was under the impression that the Webster Dictionary was the English standard of spoken and written TRUTH. What is TRUTH?
TRUTH is the words we use to completely and accurately describe reality, the way it really is, with words having commonly understood spellings, pronunciations and definitions; which facilitate effective communication between people.
For example, the one and only TRUE and standard definition of "MARRIAGE" is and always has been (for 6,000 years) "the physical and emotional mating procedure and total life-long commitment of love between one man and one woman."
I was shocked this morning when I heard on the news that Miriam-Webster has added a false definition or marriage to include any caring relationship regardless of gender.
About 6,000 years ago, God revealed His will to Adam and Eve and for all mankind after them, to engage in normal marriage, reproduce children and "replenish the earth" (Gen 1:28). God gave mankind freedom to choose to let His moral law to govern them. According to Gen 1:26-28, 9:1, 7, Matt 19:4-6, Eph 5:31 and Deut 30:19, and consistently throughout the Bible, God is 100% for normal marriage.
In other words, for your information, just as it is impossible for two male plugs or two female sockets to "MATE" and complete the circuit intended by the Design Engineer, likewise it is impossible for two men or two women to "MARRY" and complete the biochemical reaction intended by our Creator, leading to the next generation of human life.
Therefore, because my deep, pure-hearted love for historical standards and for TRUTH, I demand that you strike that new contrived, false definition of marriage from your dictionary, and please don't let a small minority of disoriented homosexual activists steer you off course.
God bless you, and have a wonderful, free American day.
"The Web"
Restore the Rule of Law: Allow Failing Corporations to go Bankrupt
Under U.S. law, Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows a company to reorganize. Chapter 7 allows a company to dissolve itself.
The choices for AIG, as both an insurance and non-insurance company, are more complicated, but ultimately boil down to the same options. And for other companies either receiving or looking to receive a bailout from the taxpayers, the option should instead be bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy would send a needed message to U.S. investors: Don't assume the government will bail you out when you do something stupid.
And most importantly, bankruptcy would replace the rule of politicians over U.S. financial institutions with the rule of law.
Steele's Aim Off on Social Issues - Unfortunately, it appears our GOP leaders made a mistake on electing Michael Steele as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, bases on his personal beliefs on the "social issues". I was personally hoping we could rid all, whom failed to support "all life" all the time. It now appears, little did we know, the inside beliefs of Michael Steele, on the social issues of the day. It now be necessary for Michael Steele to step aside or the RNC Committee members to remove him, before the Conservatives are again kicked aside and/or out on the social issues. Protecting life is most essential to any future elections. Supporting homosexuality and/or lesbian activity as a normal life is not acceptable as normal. Having the GOP Chairman loving, believing, and practicing our "RNC Platform" http://www.gop.com/2008Platform/ issues are very critical for a political comeback in 2010. - oyh
By Ken Ervin
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/16591/CWA/nation/index.htm
According to Ron Gunzburger over at Politics 1, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele seems to be steering the party ship to the left. In a GQ magazine interview, the newly minted chairman dubs abortion "an individual choice," directly opposing his own party platform, which labels abortion "a fundamental assault on the sanctity of innocent human life."
He also demonstrates a woefully misinformed view of the homosexual lifestyle. "I don't think I've ever really subscribed to that view that you can turn it on and off like a water tap," says Steele. "You just can't simply say, oh, like, 'Tomorrow morning I'm gonna stop being gay.' It's like saying 'Tomorrow morning I'm gonna stop being black.'"
What an unfortunate comparison. I don't believe anyone's ever said that leaving homosexuality is as easy as turning it "on and off like a water tap." That's a deeply oversimplified view of the process - and a process it is. The ex-gay movement (a la Exodus International, et. al.) is more like Alcoholics Anonymous. They recognize that same-sex attractions are more easily broken one day at a time.
Where Mr. Steele errs, obviously, is in comparing sexual attractions to skin color. Mr. Steele rightly says that he will never be able to "stop being black." However, he can't say that about homosexuality because it's not about genetics, it's about temptation. No white man has ever been tempted to become black (or vice versa). And even if one has, there is no way to act upon it. The same is not true in regards to a sexually broken person dealing with same-sex attractions. And that's where Mr. Steele's argument breaks down.
I think former homosexual Tim Wilkins said it best: "One of life's mysteries is that we don't get to choose what we are tempted by. But we do choose how we respond to those temptations." The power of the cross is not that we cease to be tempted, but that sin no longer has such a strangle hold on our lives as to force us to yield to our temptations. By His death and resurrection, Jesus became the Victor over sin. Those who are under His blood have access to that victory and, by virtue of that Power, can successfully stand against those temptations.
In reality, Mr. Steele's views on homosexuality are like his views on abortion. It's an individual choice. But just like abortion, it's a bad choice. Always. Every single time.
Obama White House bars press from press award ceremony - President Obama tells us his administration is the most open of them all. My, My!
We are not making this up:
Barack Obama was elected commander in chief promising to run the most transparent presidential administration in American history.
This achievement and the overall promise of his historic administration caused the National Newspaper Publishers Assn. to name him "Newsmaker of the Year."
The president is to receive the award from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House ceremony this afternoon.
The Obama White House has closed the press award ceremony to the press.
From the president's official schedule:
"Later in the afternoon, the President and the First Lady will attend a reception with the National Newspaper Publisher Association in the State Dining Room, where they will be presented the Newsmaker of the Year award. This event is closed press."
Maybe they'll let the newspaper people pass the award through the fence.
(UPDATE: The White House notes that while other press were barred from the publishers' event, the association's publishers themselves were admitted and the event treated as an exclusive interview and it expects the association to keep a record of what transpired during it.) -- Andrew Malcolm
Justice Scalia Raises the Issue of the Right to Listen
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia may have signaled his feelings on the 'freedom to listen' during oral arguments on Citizen's United v. Federal Election Commission. The case is about whether the FEC erred in banning Citizens United from showing its movie on Hillary Clinton.
Said Scalia, "Do you think that there's a possibility that the First Amendment interest is greater when what the government is trying to stifle is not just a speaker who wants to say something, but also a hearer who wants to hear what the speaker has to say?"
The American Civil Rights Union filed an amicus brief in the case. In it, the ACRU argued the FEC violated the right of freedom of speech of not only Citizens United, but also the viewers who wanted to watch the movie
In the brief, the ACRU said, "Viewers of the Movie through the means described above hold their own constitutionally protected, freedom of speech rights to watch and to listen to the Movie and its speech."
Ken Klukowski: Supreme Court Must Be Ready to Defend Conscience Clause from Obama
On March 12, 2009, ACRU Senior Legal Analyst Ken Klukowski wrote a column posted on Human Events, that encouraged the Supreme Court to uphold the Conscience Clause for doctors who do not want to perform abortions
Said Klukowski:
For years, it's been accepted within the healthcare field that people who are morally opposed to abortion cannot be compelled to participate in performing one. This understanding has been put into law in several federal statutes, often referred to as the Conscience Clause. The Bush administration further codified this longstanding concept in a federal regulation.
You can read the entire column at Human Events
ACLU Outrage of the Week: Obama Judges versus the Constitution
Candidate Obama said he would appoint federal judges who would decide cases based on the identity of the parties -- not the facts presented. And, he has returned the American Bar Association (ABA) to vet the judicial nominees at the same time a statistical study shows that the ABA is biased toward liberal candidates. Interestingly, President Obama's first nomination.
You can read the entire Outrage here.
Biblical Humor
It doesn’t hurt to have a little biblical humor to start the day……
Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
A. Ruthless.
Q. What do they call pastors in Germany ?
A. German Shepherds ..
Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.
Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh’s daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.
Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury. David’s Triumph was heard throughout the land. Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord.
Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.
Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden ?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.
Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.
Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A. The area around Jordan . The banks were always overflowing.
Q Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible?
A. David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.
Q. Which Bible character had no parents?
A. Joshua, son of Nun.
Q. Why didn’t they play cards on the Ark ?
A. Because Noah was standing on the deck. (Groan…)
PS… Did you know it’s a sin for a woman to make coffee?
Yup, it’s in the Bible. It says . . . “He-brews”
Untimely deaths (aka: Don't mock God, or you'll die)
My note: (if he really said that) why did God wait 15 years to kill John Lennon? And what about all the people that have "mocked" God and didn't die. Or didn't mock God but died?
Edited for typical horrible format. Almost unreadable.
Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death!
Make a personal reflection about this.....
Very interesting, read until the end..... It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Here are some men and women who mocked God :
John Lennon (Singer): Some years before, during an interview with an American Magazine, he said: "Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple. Today we are
more famous than Him" (1966).
Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.
Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil ): During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.
Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet): During A show in Canecio (Rio de Janeiro), while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: "God, that's for you." He died at the age of 32 of AIDS in a horrible manner.
The man who built the Titanic: After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: "Not even God can sink it" The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic .
Marilyn Monroe (Actress): She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: "I don't need your Jesus". A week later, she was found dead in her apartment .
Bon Scott (Singer): The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: "Don't stop me, I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell". On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.
Campinas (IN 2005): In Campinas, Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend. The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: "My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You." She responded: "Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause
Inside Here....It's Already Full "
Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact.
The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken.
Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer): said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.
Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus. Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive.
"Jesus"
"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen."
"The e-mail Bag"
TELL THEM NOW… I LOVE YOU!
As we walk our path of life,
We meet people everyday.
Most are simply met by chance.
But, some are sent our way.
These become special friends
Whose bond we can't explain;
The ones who understand us
And share our joy and pain.
Their love contains no boundaries.
So, even we are apart.
Their presence enhances us
With a warmth felt in the heart.
This love becomes a passageway,
When even the miles disappear.
And so, these friends, God sends our way,
Remain forever near.
Man of the hour
I just had just finished reading a new book entitled, 'YOU CAN BE THE MAN OF YOUR HOUSE'.
I stormed into the kitchen and announced to My Wife, "From now on, you need to know that I am the man of this house and my word is Law. You will prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished eating my meal, you will serve me a sumptuous dessert.
After dinner, you are going to go upstairs with me and we will have the kind of sex that I want.
Afterwards, you are going to draw me a bath so I can relax. You will wash my back and towel me dry and bring me my robe.
Then, you will massage my feet and hands. Then tomorrow morning, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?"
She replied, "The funeral director would be my first guess."
Grandparents
Being a Grandparent…
1. She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she’d done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, ‘But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!’ I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye!!
2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, ‘62.’ He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, ‘Did you start at 1?’
3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, ‘Who was THAT?’
4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: ‘We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods.’ The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, ‘I sure wish I’d gotten to know you sooner!’
5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, ‘Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?’ I mentally polished my halo and I said, ‘No, how are we alike?” You’re both old,’ he replied.
6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather’s word processor. She told him she was writing a story. ‘What’s it about?’ he asked. ‘I don’t know,’ she replied. ‘I can’t read.
7. I didn’t know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last she headed for the door, saying, ‘Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself!’
8. When my grandson Melvin and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, ‘It’s no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.’
9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, ‘I’m not sure.’ ‘Look in your underwear, Grandpa,’ he advised. ‘Mine says I’m four to six.’
10. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, ‘Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.’ The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. ‘That’s interesting,’ she said, ‘how do you make babies? ”It’s simple,’ replied the girl. ‘You just change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’.’
11. Children’s Logic: ‘Give me a sentence about a public servant,’ said a teacher. The small boy wrote: ‘The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.’ The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. ‘Don’t you know what pregnant means?’ she asked. ‘Sure,’ said the young boy confidently. ‘It means carrying a child.’
12. A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog’s duties. ‘They use him to keep crowds back,’ said one child. ‘No,’ said another, ‘He’s just for good luck .’ A third child brought the argument to a close. ‘They use the dogs,’ she said firmly, ‘to find the fire hydrants!’
WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT? (Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people’s.
A grandfather is a man and a grandmother is a lady!
Grandparents don’t have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn’t play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.
They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn’t step on ‘cracks.’
They don’t say, ‘Hurry up.’
Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.
They wear glasses and funny underwear.
They can take their teeth and gums out.
Grandparents don’t have to be smart.
They have to answer questions like ‘Why isn’t God married?’ and ‘How come dogs chase cats?’
When they read to us, they don’t skip. They don’t mind if we ask for the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don’t have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.
They know we should have snack time before bedtime, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we’ve acted bad.
A 6-YEAR-OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ”OH,” HE SAID, ”SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE’RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.”
GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS, BUT I DON’T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!
Friday, March 27, 2009
ConservativeChristianRepublican-Report - 20090327
Motivational-Inspirational-Historical-Educational-Enjoyable
"Daily Motivations"
Become a hunter of blessings, actively seeking them out in every experience and person you encounter. -- Kate Nowak
"Daily Devotions" (NASB and/or NLT)
Despairing Parents My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word (Psalms 119:28). God is our source of strength when we come to our wit's end.
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" (Jeremiah 29:11)
"The Patriot Post"
"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country." -- Noah Webster, On the Education of Youth in America, 1788
"Without wishing to damp the ardor of curiosity or influence the freedom of inquiry, I will hazard a prediction that, after the most industrious and impartial researchers, the longest liver of you all will find no principles, institutions or systems of education more fit in general to be transmitted to your posterity than those you have received from your ancestors." -- John Adams, letter to the young men of the Philadelphia, 7 May 1798
"Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness." -- George Washington, Circular to the States, 9 May 1753
"A fondness for power is implanted, in most men, and it is natural to abuse it, when acquired." -- Alexander Hamilton, The Farmer Refuted, 23 February 1775
"Simple Truths"
WEATHER REPORT
BJ Gallagher
"Any day I'm vertical is a good day" ....that's what I always say.
If you ask me, "How are you?"
I'll answer, "GREAT!" because in saying so, I make it so.
When Life gives me dark clouds and rain, I appreciate the moisture that brings a soft curl to my hair.
When Life gives me sunshine, I gratefully turn my face up to feel its warmth on my cheeks.
When Life brings fog, I hug my sweater around me and give thanks for the cool shroud of mystery that makes the familiar seem different and intriguing.
When Life brings snow, I dash outside to catch the first flakes on my tongue, relishing the icy miracle that is a snowflake.
Life's events and experiences are like the weather - they come and go, no matter what my preference.
So, what the heck?! I might as well decide to enjoy them. For indeed, there IS a time for every purpose under Heaven. And each season brings its own unique blessings.
"The Web"
President Barack Obama plans to announce an escalation in Afghanistan in a speech at the White House on Friday morning, committing 4,200 more troops and hundreds more civilians, and embracing a new system of benchmarks to measure progress.
“He’s gone all in,” said an official briefed on the plan. “This is Obama’s war. He’s pushed all the chips to the center of the table.”
A patriot, that lovely lass.... Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has introduced legislation that would "bar the dollar from being replaced by any foreign currency." - Just as a cousin and friend told me on this last Wednesday that with President Obama even discussiing this issue in his news conference, it was at least being considered. Call, write, or e-mail the White House, your US Senators, and your Representative. Tell each of your support of this legislation. - oyh
Bachmann bill would ban global currency
by Eric Zimmermann
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has introduced legislation that would "bar the dollar from being replace by any foreign currency." A statement from Bachmann's website:
“Yesterday, during a Financial Services Committee hearing, I asked Secretary Geithner if he would denounce efforts to move towards a global currency and he answered unequivocally that he would," said Bachmann. "And President Obama gave the nation the same assurances. But just a day later, Secretary Geithner has left the option on the table. I want to know which it is. The American people deserve to know."
On Monday, Geithner and Bernanke both rejected the idea of a global currency in Congressional testimony. But in remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations yesterday, Geithner indicated he was open to the idea.
Top 100 Recipients of Federal Contract Awards for "FY 2009" - For details with each company, click onto "dollars amount" below. - oyh
http://www.usaspending.gov/fpds/tables.php?tabtype=t2&subtype=t&year=2009
Table sorted by dollars: re-sort using column headers
FY 2009 Rank Parent Company Name Dollars % of total
1 Lockheed Martin Corporation $3,379,884,409 7.600%
2 The Boeing Company $1,239,857,709 2.788%
3 Northrop Grumman Corporation $955,176,641 2.148%
4 Government of The United States $887,550,984 1.996%
5 Bechtel Group, Inc $788,229,192 1.772%
6 Los Alamos National Security LLC $731,898,741 1.646%
7 Kbr, Inc. $663,675,299 1.492%
8 United Space Alliance LLC $588,624,210 1.324%
9 Raytheon Company $578,127,560 1.300%
10 Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC $568,951,386 1.279%
11 McDermott International, Inc. $528,756,811 1.189%
12 Humana Inc. $513,318,318 1.154%
13 General Dynamics Corporation $497,886,757 1.120%
14 Merck & Co., Inc. $494,259,977 1.111%
15 Computer Sciences Corporation $484,463,918 1.089%
16 Alliance For Sustainable Energy, LLC $484,089,746 1.089%
17 URS Corporation $470,932,147 1.059%
18 L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. $410,043,560 0.922%
19 Ut-Battelle, LLC $396,166,223 0.891%
20 Saic, Inc. $375,248,253 0.844%
21 Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Y-12, LLC $343,645,802 0.773%
22 Harris Corporation $343,448,093 0.772%
23 Ch2m Hill Companies, Ltd. $335,974,626 0.755%
24 International Business Machines Corporation $328,358,670 0.738%
25 Bae Systems PLC $312,376,897 0.702%
26 Bearingpoint, Inc. $300,101,898 0.675%
27 Wyeth $293,600,167 0.660%
28 Honeywell International Inc $290,656,270 0.654%
29 Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. $273,648,467 0.615%
30 General Electric Company $263,278,894 0.592%
31 United Technologies Corporation $262,371,892 0.590%
32 Afinsa Bienes Tangibles SA $246,587,720 0.554%
33 Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Lls $244,189,013 0.549%
34 Valero Energy Corporation $234,721,965 0.528%
35 Alliant Techsystems Inc. $222,841,402 0.501%
36 SANOFI PASTEUR MSD S.N.C. SIGLE SPMSD $218,501,031 0.491%
37 General Motors Corporation $217,735,426 0.490%
38 Triwest Healthcare Alliance Corp. $217,072,477 0.488%
39 Health Net, Inc. $214,786,925 0.483%
40 Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Pantex, L L C $210,535,196 0.473%
41 The Shaw Group Inc $209,413,712 0.471%
42 State of California $203,145,588 0.457%
43 Macandrews & Forbes Holdings Inc. $200,913,424 0.452%
44 Battelle Memorial Institute Inc $199,802,259 0.449%
45 Glaxosmithkline PLC $198,945,686 0.447%
46 Associated Universities Inc $191,453,283 0.431%
47 Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. $190,296,485 0.428%
48 Hewlett-Packard Company $180,632,011 0.406%
49 Battelle Memoral Instit $179,213,415 0.403%
50 RUSSIA SPACE AGENCY (unknown parent company, no D&B number) $173,058,538 0.389%
51 National Security Technologies, LLC $171,023,068 0.385%
52 Siemens AG $170,251,469 0.383%
53 Uchicago Argonne, LLC $168,216,993 0.378%
54 G4S PLC $157,098,355 0.353%
55 Unisys Corporation $151,273,761 0.340%
56 Aerospace Testing Alliance $148,986,962 0.335%
57 Washington River Protection Solutions LLC $148,590,715 0.334%
58 A.P. M›ller - M‘rsk A/S $147,941,754 0.333%
59 Fermi Research Alliance LLC $140,641,582 0.316%
60 Leland Stanford Junior University $127,225,559 0.286%
61 Akal Security, Inc $117,156,469 0.263%
62 Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC $112,153,056 0.252%
63 Forfeiture Support Associates LLC $111,813,680 0.251%
64 Fluor Corporation $109,686,731 0.247%
65 Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. $103,213,264 0.232%
66 Indyne, Inc. $102,900,590 0.231%
67 Mitsui & Co. Precious Metals, Inc. $102,486,040 0.230%
68 Arctic Slope Regional Corporation $102,462,073 0.230%
69 Ford Motor Company $93,764,968 0.211%
70 Chenega Corporation $91,088,950 0.205%
71 Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc. $88,648,595 0.199%
72 Management & Training Corporation $88,078,883 0.198%
73 ITT Corporation $88,002,434 0.198%
74 Nfs Service LLC $87,004,400 0.196%
75 Dyncorp International Inc. $84,415,400 0.190%
76 Sgt, Inc. $84,121,493 0.189%
77 Westat, Inc. $82,639,637 0.186%
78 Verizon Communications Inc. $78,554,109 0.177%
79 Hopkins Johns University $78,218,922 0.176%
80 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. $77,011,985 0.173%
81 P.J. Dick Incorporated $75,802,000 0.170%
82 General Atomic Technologies Corporation $74,737,590 0.168%
83 Ceradyne, Inc. $73,119,130 0.164%
84 Accenture Ltd $71,842,586 0.162%
85 Highmark Inc. $71,134,714 0.160%
86 Perot Systems Corporation $70,930,852 0.160%
87 The Mitre Corporation $70,835,999 0.159%
88 Tl Industries, Inc. $70,048,141 0.158%
89 Caci International Inc $69,981,156 0.157%
90 Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation $67,938,542 0.153%
91 Sra International, Inc. $67,485,392 0.152%
92 Chugach Alaska Corporation $65,415,581 0.147%
93 Xerox Corporation $64,991,918 0.146%
94 Corrections Corporation of America $64,202,196 0.144%
95 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority $63,965,623 0.144%
96 Crossland Construction Company, Inc. $62,539,000 0.141%
97 Sunshine Minting, Inc. $62,096,153 0.140%
98 Hensel Phelps Construction Co $61,506,975 0.138%
99 Premier Office Complex, LLC $60,934,400 0.137%
100 Security Consultants Group Inc $60,511,029 0.136%
-- Total for top 100 $27,103,139,946 60.946%
-- All others (includes 52,527 other contractors) $17,367,462,000 39.054%
-- Total $44,470,601,946 100%
The contracts database is compiled from the FPDS-NG system. For timeliness details, please see the Data Quality tab.
Note: The numbers in this table can change after each data load. Transactions included in a data load can impact numbers for the current and previous fiscal years.
The data housed on USASpending.gov is provided by Federal agencies. Please refer to the Data Quality site for information about the current status of data quality. USASpending.gov is continuously developing ways
Holy Man Conversation with the Lord
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, “Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.”
The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, “You have seen Hell.”
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The holy man said, “I don’t understand.”
“It is simple” said the Lord, “it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.” When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you!
Dodd's Wife a Former Director of Bermuda-Based IPC Holdings, an AIG Controlled Company - Just how corrupt is Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn)? Is there anything Sen. Dodd will fail to do enriching his own personal gain; at taxpayers expense?
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/dodds_wife_a_former_director_o.html
By Kevin Rennie
No wonder Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn) went wobbly last week when asked about his February amendment ratifying hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses to executives at insurance giant AIG. Dodd has been one of the company's favorite recipients of campaign contributions. But it turns out that Senator Dodd's wife has also benefited from past connections to AIG as well.
From 2001-2004, Jackie Clegg Dodd served as an "outside" director of IPC Holdings, Ltd., a Bermuda-based company controlled by AIG. IPC, which provides property casualty catastrophe insurance coverage, was formed in 1993 and currently has a market cap of $1.4 billion and trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol IPCR. In 2001, in addition to a public offering of 15 million shares of stock that raised $380 million, IPC raised more than $109 million through a simultaneous private placement sale of 5.6 million shares of stock to AIG - giving AIG a 20% stake in IPC. (AIG sold its 13.397 million shares in IPC in August, 2006.)
Clegg was compensated for her duties to the company, which was managed by a subsidiary of AIG. In 2003, according to a proxy statement, Clegg received $12,000 per year and an additional $1,000 for each Directors' and committee meeting she attended. Clegg served on the Audit and Investment committees during her final year on the board.
IPC paid millions each year to other AIG-related companies for administrative and other services. Clegg was a diligent director. In 2003, the proxy statement report, she attended more than 75% of board and committee meetings. This while she served as the managing partner of Clegg International Consultants, LLC, which she created in 2001, the year she joined the board of IPC. (See Dodd's public financial disclosure reports with the Senate from 2001-2004 here.)
Dodd is likely more familiar with the complicated workings of AIG than he was letting on last week. This week may provide him with another opportunity to refresh his recollections.
Kevin Rennie, a former Republican state senator, is a columnist for the Hartford Courant. He can be reached at kfrennie@yahoo.com.
The Lost Books of the Bible
Books Mentioned, But Not Found, In The Bible There are, at least, twenty-eight books mentioned in the Bible, but not included.
Book of Jasher Here
Joshua 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
2 Samuel 1:18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)
Book of Enoch Here
Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
The Manner of the Kingdom / Book of Statutes (Missing)
1 Samuel 10:25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
Book of Samuel the Seer (Missing)
1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
Nathan the Prophet (Missing)
1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
2 Chronicles 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
The Book of the Acts of Solomon (Missing)
1 Kings 11:41 And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
Shemaiah the Prophet (Missing)
2 Chronicles 12:15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
Prophecy of Abijah (Missing)
2 Chronicles 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
Story of Prophet Iddo (Missing)
2 Chronicles 13:22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
Visions of Iddo the Seer (Missing)
2 Chronicles 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
Iddo Genealogies (Missing)
2 Chronicles 12:15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
Book of Jehu (Missing)
2 Chronicles 20:34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
Sayings of the Seers Here
2 Chronicles 33:19 His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.
Book of the Covenant (Missing)
Exodus 24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.
There are those that believe the Book of the Covenant is found in Exodus chapters 20 through 23. There are no authoritative sources for this text.
Book of the Wars of the Lord (Missing)
Numbers 21:14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,
Certain sources believe that this is to be found by drawing text from several Old Testament books. There are no authoritative sources for this text.
Book of Gad the Seer (Missing)
1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
Epistle to Corinth Here
1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
Epistle to the Ephesians (Missing)
Ephesians 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Epistle from Laodicea to the Colossians (Missing)
Colossians 4:16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
Nazarene Prophecy Source (Missing)
Matthew 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Acts of Uziah (Missing)
2 Chronicles 26:22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.
The Annals of King David (Missing)
1 Chronicles 27:24 Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. Wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering, and the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David.
Jude, the Missing Epistle (Missing)
Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Chronicles of King Ahasuerus (Missing)
Esther 2:23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
Esther 6:1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia (Missing)
Esther 10:2 And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
He took my place…..
One day, a man went to visit a church, He got there early, parked his car and got out. Another car pulled up near the driver got out and said, " I always park there! You took my place!"
The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!" The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing. After Sunday School, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, " That's where I always sit! You took my place!"
The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing.
Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change.
Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet.
Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"
The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye,
"I took your place."
"The e-mail Bag"
A Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage ( a legend )
Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?
His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.
He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.
The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man.
Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump near to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.
We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.
A turkey was chatting with a bull.
'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.' 'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.
The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.
Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
Moral of the story: Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..
"Daily Motivations"
Become a hunter of blessings, actively seeking them out in every experience and person you encounter. -- Kate Nowak
"Daily Devotions" (NASB and/or NLT)
Despairing Parents My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word (Psalms 119:28). God is our source of strength when we come to our wit's end.
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" (Jeremiah 29:11)
"The Patriot Post"
"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country." -- Noah Webster, On the Education of Youth in America, 1788
"Without wishing to damp the ardor of curiosity or influence the freedom of inquiry, I will hazard a prediction that, after the most industrious and impartial researchers, the longest liver of you all will find no principles, institutions or systems of education more fit in general to be transmitted to your posterity than those you have received from your ancestors." -- John Adams, letter to the young men of the Philadelphia, 7 May 1798
"Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness." -- George Washington, Circular to the States, 9 May 1753
"A fondness for power is implanted, in most men, and it is natural to abuse it, when acquired." -- Alexander Hamilton, The Farmer Refuted, 23 February 1775
"Simple Truths"
WEATHER REPORT
BJ Gallagher
"Any day I'm vertical is a good day" ....that's what I always say.
If you ask me, "How are you?"
I'll answer, "GREAT!" because in saying so, I make it so.
When Life gives me dark clouds and rain, I appreciate the moisture that brings a soft curl to my hair.
When Life gives me sunshine, I gratefully turn my face up to feel its warmth on my cheeks.
When Life brings fog, I hug my sweater around me and give thanks for the cool shroud of mystery that makes the familiar seem different and intriguing.
When Life brings snow, I dash outside to catch the first flakes on my tongue, relishing the icy miracle that is a snowflake.
Life's events and experiences are like the weather - they come and go, no matter what my preference.
So, what the heck?! I might as well decide to enjoy them. For indeed, there IS a time for every purpose under Heaven. And each season brings its own unique blessings.
"The Web"
President Barack Obama plans to announce an escalation in Afghanistan in a speech at the White House on Friday morning, committing 4,200 more troops and hundreds more civilians, and embracing a new system of benchmarks to measure progress.
“He’s gone all in,” said an official briefed on the plan. “This is Obama’s war. He’s pushed all the chips to the center of the table.”
A patriot, that lovely lass.... Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has introduced legislation that would "bar the dollar from being replaced by any foreign currency." - Just as a cousin and friend told me on this last Wednesday that with President Obama even discussiing this issue in his news conference, it was at least being considered. Call, write, or e-mail the White House, your US Senators, and your Representative. Tell each of your support of this legislation. - oyh
Bachmann bill would ban global currency
by Eric Zimmermann
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has introduced legislation that would "bar the dollar from being replace by any foreign currency." A statement from Bachmann's website:
“Yesterday, during a Financial Services Committee hearing, I asked Secretary Geithner if he would denounce efforts to move towards a global currency and he answered unequivocally that he would," said Bachmann. "And President Obama gave the nation the same assurances. But just a day later, Secretary Geithner has left the option on the table. I want to know which it is. The American people deserve to know."
On Monday, Geithner and Bernanke both rejected the idea of a global currency in Congressional testimony. But in remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations yesterday, Geithner indicated he was open to the idea.
Top 100 Recipients of Federal Contract Awards for "FY 2009" - For details with each company, click onto "dollars amount" below. - oyh
http://www.usaspending.gov/fpds/tables.php?tabtype=t2&subtype=t&year=2009
Table sorted by dollars: re-sort using column headers
FY 2009 Rank Parent Company Name Dollars % of total
1 Lockheed Martin Corporation $3,379,884,409 7.600%
2 The Boeing Company $1,239,857,709 2.788%
3 Northrop Grumman Corporation $955,176,641 2.148%
4 Government of The United States $887,550,984 1.996%
5 Bechtel Group, Inc $788,229,192 1.772%
6 Los Alamos National Security LLC $731,898,741 1.646%
7 Kbr, Inc. $663,675,299 1.492%
8 United Space Alliance LLC $588,624,210 1.324%
9 Raytheon Company $578,127,560 1.300%
10 Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC $568,951,386 1.279%
11 McDermott International, Inc. $528,756,811 1.189%
12 Humana Inc. $513,318,318 1.154%
13 General Dynamics Corporation $497,886,757 1.120%
14 Merck & Co., Inc. $494,259,977 1.111%
15 Computer Sciences Corporation $484,463,918 1.089%
16 Alliance For Sustainable Energy, LLC $484,089,746 1.089%
17 URS Corporation $470,932,147 1.059%
18 L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. $410,043,560 0.922%
19 Ut-Battelle, LLC $396,166,223 0.891%
20 Saic, Inc. $375,248,253 0.844%
21 Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Y-12, LLC $343,645,802 0.773%
22 Harris Corporation $343,448,093 0.772%
23 Ch2m Hill Companies, Ltd. $335,974,626 0.755%
24 International Business Machines Corporation $328,358,670 0.738%
25 Bae Systems PLC $312,376,897 0.702%
26 Bearingpoint, Inc. $300,101,898 0.675%
27 Wyeth $293,600,167 0.660%
28 Honeywell International Inc $290,656,270 0.654%
29 Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. $273,648,467 0.615%
30 General Electric Company $263,278,894 0.592%
31 United Technologies Corporation $262,371,892 0.590%
32 Afinsa Bienes Tangibles SA $246,587,720 0.554%
33 Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Lls $244,189,013 0.549%
34 Valero Energy Corporation $234,721,965 0.528%
35 Alliant Techsystems Inc. $222,841,402 0.501%
36 SANOFI PASTEUR MSD S.N.C. SIGLE SPMSD $218,501,031 0.491%
37 General Motors Corporation $217,735,426 0.490%
38 Triwest Healthcare Alliance Corp. $217,072,477 0.488%
39 Health Net, Inc. $214,786,925 0.483%
40 Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Pantex, L L C $210,535,196 0.473%
41 The Shaw Group Inc $209,413,712 0.471%
42 State of California $203,145,588 0.457%
43 Macandrews & Forbes Holdings Inc. $200,913,424 0.452%
44 Battelle Memorial Institute Inc $199,802,259 0.449%
45 Glaxosmithkline PLC $198,945,686 0.447%
46 Associated Universities Inc $191,453,283 0.431%
47 Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. $190,296,485 0.428%
48 Hewlett-Packard Company $180,632,011 0.406%
49 Battelle Memoral Instit $179,213,415 0.403%
50 RUSSIA SPACE AGENCY (unknown parent company, no D&B number) $173,058,538 0.389%
51 National Security Technologies, LLC $171,023,068 0.385%
52 Siemens AG $170,251,469 0.383%
53 Uchicago Argonne, LLC $168,216,993 0.378%
54 G4S PLC $157,098,355 0.353%
55 Unisys Corporation $151,273,761 0.340%
56 Aerospace Testing Alliance $148,986,962 0.335%
57 Washington River Protection Solutions LLC $148,590,715 0.334%
58 A.P. M›ller - M‘rsk A/S $147,941,754 0.333%
59 Fermi Research Alliance LLC $140,641,582 0.316%
60 Leland Stanford Junior University $127,225,559 0.286%
61 Akal Security, Inc $117,156,469 0.263%
62 Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC $112,153,056 0.252%
63 Forfeiture Support Associates LLC $111,813,680 0.251%
64 Fluor Corporation $109,686,731 0.247%
65 Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. $103,213,264 0.232%
66 Indyne, Inc. $102,900,590 0.231%
67 Mitsui & Co. Precious Metals, Inc. $102,486,040 0.230%
68 Arctic Slope Regional Corporation $102,462,073 0.230%
69 Ford Motor Company $93,764,968 0.211%
70 Chenega Corporation $91,088,950 0.205%
71 Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc. $88,648,595 0.199%
72 Management & Training Corporation $88,078,883 0.198%
73 ITT Corporation $88,002,434 0.198%
74 Nfs Service LLC $87,004,400 0.196%
75 Dyncorp International Inc. $84,415,400 0.190%
76 Sgt, Inc. $84,121,493 0.189%
77 Westat, Inc. $82,639,637 0.186%
78 Verizon Communications Inc. $78,554,109 0.177%
79 Hopkins Johns University $78,218,922 0.176%
80 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. $77,011,985 0.173%
81 P.J. Dick Incorporated $75,802,000 0.170%
82 General Atomic Technologies Corporation $74,737,590 0.168%
83 Ceradyne, Inc. $73,119,130 0.164%
84 Accenture Ltd $71,842,586 0.162%
85 Highmark Inc. $71,134,714 0.160%
86 Perot Systems Corporation $70,930,852 0.160%
87 The Mitre Corporation $70,835,999 0.159%
88 Tl Industries, Inc. $70,048,141 0.158%
89 Caci International Inc $69,981,156 0.157%
90 Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation $67,938,542 0.153%
91 Sra International, Inc. $67,485,392 0.152%
92 Chugach Alaska Corporation $65,415,581 0.147%
93 Xerox Corporation $64,991,918 0.146%
94 Corrections Corporation of America $64,202,196 0.144%
95 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority $63,965,623 0.144%
96 Crossland Construction Company, Inc. $62,539,000 0.141%
97 Sunshine Minting, Inc. $62,096,153 0.140%
98 Hensel Phelps Construction Co $61,506,975 0.138%
99 Premier Office Complex, LLC $60,934,400 0.137%
100 Security Consultants Group Inc $60,511,029 0.136%
-- Total for top 100 $27,103,139,946 60.946%
-- All others (includes 52,527 other contractors) $17,367,462,000 39.054%
-- Total $44,470,601,946 100%
The contracts database is compiled from the FPDS-NG system. For timeliness details, please see the Data Quality tab.
Note: The numbers in this table can change after each data load. Transactions included in a data load can impact numbers for the current and previous fiscal years.
The data housed on USASpending.gov is provided by Federal agencies. Please refer to the Data Quality site for information about the current status of data quality. USASpending.gov is continuously developing ways
Holy Man Conversation with the Lord
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, “Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.”
The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, “You have seen Hell.”
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The holy man said, “I don’t understand.”
“It is simple” said the Lord, “it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.” When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you!
Dodd's Wife a Former Director of Bermuda-Based IPC Holdings, an AIG Controlled Company - Just how corrupt is Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn)? Is there anything Sen. Dodd will fail to do enriching his own personal gain; at taxpayers expense?
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/dodds_wife_a_former_director_o.html
By Kevin Rennie
No wonder Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn) went wobbly last week when asked about his February amendment ratifying hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses to executives at insurance giant AIG. Dodd has been one of the company's favorite recipients of campaign contributions. But it turns out that Senator Dodd's wife has also benefited from past connections to AIG as well.
From 2001-2004, Jackie Clegg Dodd served as an "outside" director of IPC Holdings, Ltd., a Bermuda-based company controlled by AIG. IPC, which provides property casualty catastrophe insurance coverage, was formed in 1993 and currently has a market cap of $1.4 billion and trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol IPCR. In 2001, in addition to a public offering of 15 million shares of stock that raised $380 million, IPC raised more than $109 million through a simultaneous private placement sale of 5.6 million shares of stock to AIG - giving AIG a 20% stake in IPC. (AIG sold its 13.397 million shares in IPC in August, 2006.)
Clegg was compensated for her duties to the company, which was managed by a subsidiary of AIG. In 2003, according to a proxy statement, Clegg received $12,000 per year and an additional $1,000 for each Directors' and committee meeting she attended. Clegg served on the Audit and Investment committees during her final year on the board.
IPC paid millions each year to other AIG-related companies for administrative and other services. Clegg was a diligent director. In 2003, the proxy statement report, she attended more than 75% of board and committee meetings. This while she served as the managing partner of Clegg International Consultants, LLC, which she created in 2001, the year she joined the board of IPC. (See Dodd's public financial disclosure reports with the Senate from 2001-2004 here.)
Dodd is likely more familiar with the complicated workings of AIG than he was letting on last week. This week may provide him with another opportunity to refresh his recollections.
Kevin Rennie, a former Republican state senator, is a columnist for the Hartford Courant. He can be reached at kfrennie@yahoo.com.
The Lost Books of the Bible
Books Mentioned, But Not Found, In The Bible There are, at least, twenty-eight books mentioned in the Bible, but not included.
Book of Jasher Here
Joshua 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
2 Samuel 1:18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)
Book of Enoch Here
Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
The Manner of the Kingdom / Book of Statutes (Missing)
1 Samuel 10:25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
Book of Samuel the Seer (Missing)
1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
Nathan the Prophet (Missing)
1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
2 Chronicles 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
The Book of the Acts of Solomon (Missing)
1 Kings 11:41 And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
Shemaiah the Prophet (Missing)
2 Chronicles 12:15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
Prophecy of Abijah (Missing)
2 Chronicles 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
Story of Prophet Iddo (Missing)
2 Chronicles 13:22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
Visions of Iddo the Seer (Missing)
2 Chronicles 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
Iddo Genealogies (Missing)
2 Chronicles 12:15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
Book of Jehu (Missing)
2 Chronicles 20:34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
Sayings of the Seers Here
2 Chronicles 33:19 His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.
Book of the Covenant (Missing)
Exodus 24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.
There are those that believe the Book of the Covenant is found in Exodus chapters 20 through 23. There are no authoritative sources for this text.
Book of the Wars of the Lord (Missing)
Numbers 21:14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,
Certain sources believe that this is to be found by drawing text from several Old Testament books. There are no authoritative sources for this text.
Book of Gad the Seer (Missing)
1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
Epistle to Corinth Here
1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
Epistle to the Ephesians (Missing)
Ephesians 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Epistle from Laodicea to the Colossians (Missing)
Colossians 4:16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
Nazarene Prophecy Source (Missing)
Matthew 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Acts of Uziah (Missing)
2 Chronicles 26:22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.
The Annals of King David (Missing)
1 Chronicles 27:24 Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. Wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering, and the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David.
Jude, the Missing Epistle (Missing)
Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Chronicles of King Ahasuerus (Missing)
Esther 2:23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
Esther 6:1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia (Missing)
Esther 10:2 And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
He took my place…..
One day, a man went to visit a church, He got there early, parked his car and got out. Another car pulled up near the driver got out and said, " I always park there! You took my place!"
The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!" The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing. After Sunday School, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, " That's where I always sit! You took my place!"
The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing.
Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change.
Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet.
Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"
The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye,
"I took your place."
"The e-mail Bag"
A Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage ( a legend )
Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?
His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.
He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.
The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man.
Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump near to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.
We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.
A turkey was chatting with a bull.
'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.' 'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.
The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.
Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
Moral of the story: Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..
Thursday, March 26, 2009
ConservativeChristianRepublican-Report - 20090326
Motivational-Inspirational-Historical-Educational-Enjoyable
"Daily Motivations"
A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder. -- English Proverb
"Daily Devotions" (NASB and/or NLT)
Every Road Has an End In the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword (Prov. 5:4). Think about where your choices will lead you!
"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results." James 5:16)
"The Patriot Post"
"A good government implies two things; first, fidelity to the object of the government; secondly, a knowledge of the means, by which those objects can be best attained." -- James Madison
"I apprehend no danger to our country from a foreign foe ... Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. -- From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence, I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place too implicit a confidence in their public servants, and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct; that in this way they may be made the dupes of designing men, and become the instruments of their own undoing. Make them intelligent, and they will be vigilant; give them the means of detecting the wrong, and they will apply the remedy." -- U.S. Senator Daniel Webster (1782-1852)
"When I took the oath of office, I pledged loyalty to only one special interest group -- 'We the People.' Those people -- neighbors and friends, shopkeepers and laborers, farmers and craftsmen -- do not have infinite patience. As a matter of fact, some 80 years ago, Teddy Roosevelt wrote these instructive words in his first message to the Congress: 'The American people are slow to wrath, but when their wrath is once kindled, it burns like a consuming flame.' Well, perhaps that kind of wrath will be deserved if our answer to these serious problems is to repeat the mistakes of the past." -- Ronald Reagan
"What President Obama did when he reversed President Bush's executive order banning embryonic stem cell research was based not on solid science, but his desire to cater to the anti-life, pro-abortion forces and their media allies who helped elect him. In doing this, he created the potential for an outbreak of potentially fatal cancerous tumors caused by the therapeutic use of embryonic stem cells. Moreover, he killed another Bush presidential order that funded some of the most promising research on the creation of embryonic-like stem cells from harmless but potent adult stem cells. ... What most people are unaware of is that there are three types of stem cell research: there is embryonic stem cell research (ESC), there is induced pluripotent (IPSC) research, and adult stem cell research (ASC). When Barack Obama rescinded George Bush's ban on federal funding on certain types of embryonic stem cell research he also rescinded Bush's Executive Order 13435 which had provided federal funding for induced pluripotent stem cell research using harmless adult stem cells manipulated into mimicking embryonic stem cells without the risk ESC cells entail. This is where 72 different diseases are now being remedied or cured. There are no embryonic stem cells being used anywhere in the world on humans, with one tragic exception. A boy treated with embryonic stem cells for a rare genetic disease developed benign tumors, casting doubt on claims of the therapy's safety and effectiveness. ... There is a 100 percent mortality rate among lab animals that develop these tumors. That's why George Bush banned this lethal form of research that Barack Obama, who should have known better, has now legitimized by overturning this life-saving ban." -- radio talk-show host and columnist Michael Reagan
"Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is the Jennifer Lopez of congressional travel -- fickle, demanding and notoriously insensitive to the time, costs and energy needed to accommodate her endless demands. On Tuesday, the indispensable government watchdog Judicial Watch released a trove of public records through the Freedom of Information Act on Pelosi's travel arrangements with the U.S. military. As speaker of the House, Pelosi is entitled to a reasonable level of military protection and transport. But it's the size of the planes, the frequency of requests and last-minute cancellations, and the political nature of many of her trips that scream out for accountability. And, of course, it's the double-barreled hypocrisy. There's the eco-hypocrisy of the Democratic leader who wags her finger at the rest of us for our too-big carbon footprints, and crusades for massive taxes and regulation to reduce global warming. Then there's the Bay Area hypocrisy of the woman who represents one of the most anti-military areas of the country soaking up military resources to shuttle her (and her many family members) across the country almost every weekend. .... Apparently, those anti-war protesters have no problem with evil military jets currying Pelosi and her massive entourages to the funerals of the late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Charlie Norwood; foreign junkets to Rome; and politicized stops to Iowa flood sites to bash the Bush administration." -- columnist Michelle Malkin
"Simple Truths"
"Follow Your Dreams"! - Folks, this may be a rerun, but it is worth it! - oyh
http://www.thedreamsmovie.com/
http://www.thedreamsmovie.com:80/
The Strangest Secrets
http://miammovies.com/movies.php?movie=tssc
"ADF"
Disabled children lose fight against ACLU: Ariz. Supreme Court strikes down voucher program
http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4884
ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND NEWS RELEASE
March 25, 2009 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT ADF MEDIA RELATIONS: (480) 444-0020 or www.telladf.org/pressroom
Disabled children lose fight against ACLU
Ariz. Supreme Court strikes down voucher program for special needs children; ADF attorneys filed friend-of-the-court brief
PHOENIX — The American Civil Liberties Union won its fight against disabled children Wednesday when the Arizona Supreme Court struck down a state program that allowed special needs kids to use vouchers at private schools so that they could receive the best educational opportunities. ADF attorneys joined attorneys from the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe last year in submitting a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of a Christian school in defense of the voucher program, which was upheld by the Arizona Court of Appeals.
“The ACLU, People for the American Way, and the teachers’ unions have denied disabled children the educational opportunities they deserve. They are the ones hurt by this,” said ADF Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. “Special needs students who attend Christian schools shouldn’t be penalized for their beliefs.”
“Any tuition that goes to a religious school is through the choice of the parent and for the benefit of the child. It is not ‘state support’ of that school,” explained Orrick attorney Raymond Mullady, who co-wrote the friend-of-the-court brief. “We truly disagree with the high court’s decision and are saddened by its consequences for Arizona’s special needs children.”
John and Dina Phipps and Brendan and Susan Fay, founders of Father’s Heart Christian School for the disabled, removed their developmentally and physically challenged children from the Arizona public school system because of the inadequate education they received there. Two of the children suffer from autism and the other from learning and physical challenges.
Upon receiving the customized instruction they needed at Father’s Heart, their behavior and participation improved remarkably and their academic performance rose several grade levels in just one year after leaving the government school system. The children receive vouchers through the Arizona Scholarships for Pupils with Disabilities program to attend Father’s Heart, but Wednesday’s decision from the Arizona Supreme Court effectively kills the program.
Cave Creek Unified School District board member Virgel Cain, the ACLU, People for the American Way, a number of teachers’ unions, and others filed suit against Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne to challenge the constitutionality of the voucher program.
Earlier this month in a separate lawsuit, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled against the ACLU, upholding a state program for corporate taxpayers that allows tuition scholarships to be used by students at public or private schools, including religious schools.
• Opinion issued by the Arizona Supreme Court in Cain v. Horne
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family. ADF President Alan Sears is co-author with Craig Osten of the book The ACLU vs. America (www.acluvsamerica.com).
www.telladf.org
"The Web"
A Real American Hero - "Don't give up, don't ever give up." - NC State Basketball Coach Jimmy Volvano
http://vodpod.com/watch/1165857-walk-on-espn-video
Read the story of Cicero. mmm….2000 years and nothing has changed. We’re doomed.
http://www.amarketplaceofideas.com/the-budget-should-be-balanced-the-treasury-should-be-refilled-public-debt-should-be-reduced-the-arrogance-of-officialdom-should-be-tempered-and-controlled-and-the-assistance-to-foreign-lands-shoul.htm
The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance. -- Marcus Tullius Cicero - 55 BC
Michigan professor sent an e-mail telling Muslim students to leave the country.
If they don't like what the professor has said, they can get the hell out of here.
Very interesting ----- the University is standing by their professor and not bowing down to special interest groups!
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/wichman.asp
Professor Wichman E-mail
Claim:A Michigan professor sent an e-mail telling Muslim students to leave the country.
Status:True.
The story begins at Michigan State University with a mechanical engineering professor named Indrek Wichman.
Wichman sent an e-mail to the Muslim Student's Association. The e-mail was in response to the students' protest of the Danish cartoons that portrayed the Prophet Mohammed as a terrorist. The group had complained the cartoons were 'hate speech'
Enter Professor Wichman.
In his e-mail, he said the following:
Dear Moslem Association,
As a professor of Mechanical Engineering here at MSU I intend to protest your protest.
I am offended not by cartoons, but by more mundane things like beheadings of civilians, cowardly attacks on public buildings, suicide murders, murders of Catholic priests(the latest in Turkey), burnings of Christian churches, the continued persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt, the imposition of Sharia law on non-Muslims, the rapes of Scandinavian girls and women(called 'whores' in your culture), the murder of film directors in Holland ,and the rioting and looting in Paris France .
This is what offends me, a soft-spoken person and academic, and many, many of my colleagues. I counsel you dissatisfied, aggressive, brutal, and uncivilized slave-trading Moslems to be very aware of this as you proceed with your infantile 'protests.'
If you do not like the values of the West - see the 1st Amendment -you are free to leave. I hope for God's sake that most of you choose that option. Please return to your ancestral homelands and build them up yourselves instead of troubling Americans.
Cordially,
I. S. Wichman
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
As you can imagine, the Muslim group at the university didn't like this too well. They're demanding that Wichman be reprimanded and the university impose mandatory diversity training for faculty and mandate a seminar on hate and discrimination for all freshmen.
Now the local chapter of CAIR has jumped into the fray. CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, apparently doesn't believe that the good professor had the right to express his opinion.
For its part, the university is standing its ground in support of Professor Wichman, saying the e-mail was private, and they don't intend to publicly condemn his remarks.
Send this to your friends, and ask them to do the same. Tell them to keep passing it around until the whole country gets it. We are in a war. This political correctness crap is getting old and killing us.
If you agree with this, please send it to all your friends.
Mandatory Military Service Would Benefit the U.S.
By: Armstrong Williams
Would you like to see your son, daughter, niece, nephew or teenage neighbor become hard-working, respectful, disciplined, honorable and prepared for life? Would you like to see crime, teenage pregnancy and substance abuse rates decline? No, this is not an advertisement for a magic pill; this is an argument for mandatory military service.
Each passing generation produces teenagers who are more and more brazen, disrespectful, lazy and ill-qualified for success in the real world. Thus, our society becomes more dangerous, depleted and dishonest every year. With one simple – albeit radical – move, our government could eliminate these problems and help our children and our country reach their potential. Mandatory military service, or conscription, could cure many of our societal ills and allow American teenagers to truly reach their potential.
Mandatory military service is one of the oldest forms of national service and is common to both democratic and non-democratic countries. Such democratic countries as Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey require male and occasionally female citizens to participate in military service when they become 18 years old. These countries prove that conscription, when handled properly, can be an asset to the military, the society and the conscript.
Here's my basic plan for American conscription: Every able-bodied citizen (both men and women) must honorably serve at least two years in the United States military before they are 25 years old. They can enter the military branch of their liking, request to be trained in a specific field, and serve in the state of their choice.
Furthermore, the military will guarantee that conscience objectors or conscripts wary of conflict will be placed only in non-hostile positions. After two years of service, conscripts are free to depart the military if they choose to do so.
Mandatory military service benefits the military, the country and the conscript. The military benefits because its forces increase dramatically. For a small increase in expense, it receives an influx of able young men and women – including many of the best and brightest, who often avoid joining a professional army. Resources that go into recruiting programs can be used toward training, and because of higher head counts, outsourcing and subcontracting jobs can more easily be handled in-house.
The United States benefits from conscription because national spirit increases, national unity improves, neighborhoods become safer, and society grows healthier. With conscription, troubled teens who normally head to street corners enter the military and receive the training, discipline and experience that propel them to a stable and secure life. They unite with people of all sexes, races and religions to work toward a common good. This allows neighborhoods to become safer and society to become stronger. The workforce gets better workers, families get better mothers and fathers, and the country gets a more unified citizenship.
Conscripts benefit from the military service because they learn practical life skills such as first aid, wilderness survival, computer proficiency and self-defense. They become physically fit, mentally strong and knowledgeable in multiple areas. Conscripts learn how to work hard, discipline themselves, follow orders, think on their feet and lead their peers. Most importantly they come away from the military with the skills that benefit society, the workplace and the family. With a college degree, the men and women who served their two years with honors will be sought after by the public and private sectors.
Of course there are many people who believe conscription armies are illegal, immoral and ineffective. Arguments have been made (and sometimes history has shown) that conscripts often have low morale and little motivation to properly serve in the armed forces. Some say that many conscripts are physically or mentally unfit to be trusted and need training, educating and counseling that the military cannot provide. And finally, because of time and resource constrictions, many mandatory military service opponents point out that conscripts usually receive only rudimentary training, which can cause bloodshed during hostile situations. Besides these noted disadvantages, some economists believe that conscription armies cost more than voluntary ones.
These disadvantages are certainly valid, and I welcome them in a debate about conscription.
Mandatory military service may seem too drastic, too un-American or too impractical to implement in the 21st century, but it is a legitimate idea that deserves a fair discussion and open debate. A review of current democracies using conscription, an analysis of the U.S. military and an evaluation of our country's civilian state lead me to believe that conscription is the answer to many of our country's – and children's – woes.
Job Interview in Texas . . . . . ..
A man seeking to join an East Texas Sheriff's Department is being interviewed. The Deputy doing the interview says, "Your qualifications all look good, but there is an attitude suitability test that you must take before you can be accepted."
Then, sliding a service pistol across the desk, he says, "Take this pistol and go out and shoot six illegal aliens, six meth dealers, six Muslim extremists, and a rabbit."
"Why the rabbit?"
"Great attitude," says the Sergeant. "When can you start?"
The last one is just for you!
“[F]athers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” — Paul of Tarsus
“One father is more than a hundred Schoolmasters.” —George Herbert
“Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” — the writer of Hebrews
“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” — Charles Wadsworth
“By profession I am a soldier and take great pride in that fact, but I am also prouder, infinitely prouder, to be a father.” — Douglas MacArthur
“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” — Mark Twain
An Urgent Message
An Earth-Shattering Calamity Is About To Happen
by David Wilkerson
http://www.worldchallenge.org/coverletter/an_urgent_message
I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message to all on our mailing list, and to friends and to bishops we have met all over the world.
AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE — EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US.
For ten years I have been warning about a thousand fires coming to New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires — such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago.
There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting — including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written,
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (v. 3).
God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations. He is destroying the secular foundations.
The prophet Jeremiah pleaded with wicked Israel, “God is fashioning a calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh, turn back each of you from your evil way, and reform your ways and deeds. But they will say, It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart” (Jeremiah 18:11–12).
In Psalm 11:6, David warns, “Upon the wicked he will rain snares (coals of fire)…fire…burning wind…will be the portion of their cup.” Why? David answered, “Because the Lord is righteous” (v. 7). This is a righteous judgment — just as in the judgments of Sodom and in Noah’s generation.
WHAT SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS DO? WHAT ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE?
First, I give you a practical word I received for my own direction. If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials. In major cities, grocery stores are emptied in an hour at the sign of an impending disaster.
As for our spiritual reaction, we have but two options. This is outlined in Psalm 11. We “flee like a bird to a mountain.” Or, as David says, “He fixed his eyes on the Lord on his throne in heaven — his eyes beholding, his eyelids testing the sons of men” (v. 4). “In the Lord I take refuge” (v. 1).
I will say to my soul: No need to run…no need to hide. This is God’s righteous work. I will behold our Lord on his throne, with his eye of tender, loving kindness watching over every step I take — trusting that he will deliver his people even through floods, fires, calamities, tests, trials of all kinds.
Note: I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off. I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose.
God bless and keep you.
In Christ,
DAVID WILKERSON
"The e-mail Bag"
I Sat With Two Friends
I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.
As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, 'I will work for food.' My heart sank.
I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.
We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.
Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: 'Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square.'
Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the storefront church, going through his sack.
I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town's newest visitor.
'Looking for the pastor?' I asked.
'Not really,' he replied, 'just resting.'
'Have you eaten today?'
'Oh, I ate something early this morning.'
'Would you like to have lunch with me?'
'Do you have some work I could do for you?'
'No work,' I replied 'I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.'
'Sure,' he replied with a smile.
As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. Where you headed?'
' St. Louis '
'Where you from?'
'Oh, all over; mostly Florida ..'
'How long you been walking?'
'Fourteen years,' came the reply.
I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left
earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, 'Jesus is The Never Ending Story.'
Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He'd made some wrong
choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought.
He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God
'Nothing's been the same since,' he said, 'I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.'
'Ever think of stopping?' I asked.
'Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.'
I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: 'What's it like?'
'What?'
'To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?'
Jesus v. Satan
Jesus and Satan were having an ongoing argument about who was better at using the computer.
They had been going at it for days, and God was tired of hearing all the bickering.
Finally God said, "Cool it. I am going to set up a test which will take two hours and it will judge who does the better job."
So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.
They moused.
They did spreadsheets.
They wrote reports.
They sent faxes.
They sent e-mail.
They sent out e-mail with attachments.
They downloaded.
They did some genealogy reports.
They made cards.
They did every known job.
But, ten minutes before the time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, the rain poured, and of course, the electricity went off.
Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld.
Jesus just sighed.
The electricity finally flickered back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically screaming, "It's gone!
It's all gone! I lost everything when the power went out!"
Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all his files from the past two hours.
Satan observed this and became even more irate. "Wait! He cheated! How did he do it??!!"
God shrugged and said, "Jesus Saves"
"Daily Motivations"
A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder. -- English Proverb
"Daily Devotions" (NASB and/or NLT)
Every Road Has an End In the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword (Prov. 5:4). Think about where your choices will lead you!
"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results." James 5:16)
"The Patriot Post"
"A good government implies two things; first, fidelity to the object of the government; secondly, a knowledge of the means, by which those objects can be best attained." -- James Madison
"I apprehend no danger to our country from a foreign foe ... Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. -- From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence, I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place too implicit a confidence in their public servants, and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct; that in this way they may be made the dupes of designing men, and become the instruments of their own undoing. Make them intelligent, and they will be vigilant; give them the means of detecting the wrong, and they will apply the remedy." -- U.S. Senator Daniel Webster (1782-1852)
"When I took the oath of office, I pledged loyalty to only one special interest group -- 'We the People.' Those people -- neighbors and friends, shopkeepers and laborers, farmers and craftsmen -- do not have infinite patience. As a matter of fact, some 80 years ago, Teddy Roosevelt wrote these instructive words in his first message to the Congress: 'The American people are slow to wrath, but when their wrath is once kindled, it burns like a consuming flame.' Well, perhaps that kind of wrath will be deserved if our answer to these serious problems is to repeat the mistakes of the past." -- Ronald Reagan
"What President Obama did when he reversed President Bush's executive order banning embryonic stem cell research was based not on solid science, but his desire to cater to the anti-life, pro-abortion forces and their media allies who helped elect him. In doing this, he created the potential for an outbreak of potentially fatal cancerous tumors caused by the therapeutic use of embryonic stem cells. Moreover, he killed another Bush presidential order that funded some of the most promising research on the creation of embryonic-like stem cells from harmless but potent adult stem cells. ... What most people are unaware of is that there are three types of stem cell research: there is embryonic stem cell research (ESC), there is induced pluripotent (IPSC) research, and adult stem cell research (ASC). When Barack Obama rescinded George Bush's ban on federal funding on certain types of embryonic stem cell research he also rescinded Bush's Executive Order 13435 which had provided federal funding for induced pluripotent stem cell research using harmless adult stem cells manipulated into mimicking embryonic stem cells without the risk ESC cells entail. This is where 72 different diseases are now being remedied or cured. There are no embryonic stem cells being used anywhere in the world on humans, with one tragic exception. A boy treated with embryonic stem cells for a rare genetic disease developed benign tumors, casting doubt on claims of the therapy's safety and effectiveness. ... There is a 100 percent mortality rate among lab animals that develop these tumors. That's why George Bush banned this lethal form of research that Barack Obama, who should have known better, has now legitimized by overturning this life-saving ban." -- radio talk-show host and columnist Michael Reagan
"Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is the Jennifer Lopez of congressional travel -- fickle, demanding and notoriously insensitive to the time, costs and energy needed to accommodate her endless demands. On Tuesday, the indispensable government watchdog Judicial Watch released a trove of public records through the Freedom of Information Act on Pelosi's travel arrangements with the U.S. military. As speaker of the House, Pelosi is entitled to a reasonable level of military protection and transport. But it's the size of the planes, the frequency of requests and last-minute cancellations, and the political nature of many of her trips that scream out for accountability. And, of course, it's the double-barreled hypocrisy. There's the eco-hypocrisy of the Democratic leader who wags her finger at the rest of us for our too-big carbon footprints, and crusades for massive taxes and regulation to reduce global warming. Then there's the Bay Area hypocrisy of the woman who represents one of the most anti-military areas of the country soaking up military resources to shuttle her (and her many family members) across the country almost every weekend. .... Apparently, those anti-war protesters have no problem with evil military jets currying Pelosi and her massive entourages to the funerals of the late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Charlie Norwood; foreign junkets to Rome; and politicized stops to Iowa flood sites to bash the Bush administration." -- columnist Michelle Malkin
"Simple Truths"
"Follow Your Dreams"! - Folks, this may be a rerun, but it is worth it! - oyh
http://www.thedreamsmovie.com/
http://www.thedreamsmovie.com:80/
The Strangest Secrets
http://miammovies.com/movies.php?movie=tssc
"ADF"
Disabled children lose fight against ACLU: Ariz. Supreme Court strikes down voucher program
http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4884
ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND NEWS RELEASE
March 25, 2009 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT ADF MEDIA RELATIONS: (480) 444-0020 or www.telladf.org/pressroom
Disabled children lose fight against ACLU
Ariz. Supreme Court strikes down voucher program for special needs children; ADF attorneys filed friend-of-the-court brief
PHOENIX — The American Civil Liberties Union won its fight against disabled children Wednesday when the Arizona Supreme Court struck down a state program that allowed special needs kids to use vouchers at private schools so that they could receive the best educational opportunities. ADF attorneys joined attorneys from the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe last year in submitting a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of a Christian school in defense of the voucher program, which was upheld by the Arizona Court of Appeals.
“The ACLU, People for the American Way, and the teachers’ unions have denied disabled children the educational opportunities they deserve. They are the ones hurt by this,” said ADF Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. “Special needs students who attend Christian schools shouldn’t be penalized for their beliefs.”
“Any tuition that goes to a religious school is through the choice of the parent and for the benefit of the child. It is not ‘state support’ of that school,” explained Orrick attorney Raymond Mullady, who co-wrote the friend-of-the-court brief. “We truly disagree with the high court’s decision and are saddened by its consequences for Arizona’s special needs children.”
John and Dina Phipps and Brendan and Susan Fay, founders of Father’s Heart Christian School for the disabled, removed their developmentally and physically challenged children from the Arizona public school system because of the inadequate education they received there. Two of the children suffer from autism and the other from learning and physical challenges.
Upon receiving the customized instruction they needed at Father’s Heart, their behavior and participation improved remarkably and their academic performance rose several grade levels in just one year after leaving the government school system. The children receive vouchers through the Arizona Scholarships for Pupils with Disabilities program to attend Father’s Heart, but Wednesday’s decision from the Arizona Supreme Court effectively kills the program.
Cave Creek Unified School District board member Virgel Cain, the ACLU, People for the American Way, a number of teachers’ unions, and others filed suit against Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne to challenge the constitutionality of the voucher program.
Earlier this month in a separate lawsuit, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled against the ACLU, upholding a state program for corporate taxpayers that allows tuition scholarships to be used by students at public or private schools, including religious schools.
• Opinion issued by the Arizona Supreme Court in Cain v. Horne
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family. ADF President Alan Sears is co-author with Craig Osten of the book The ACLU vs. America (www.acluvsamerica.com).
www.telladf.org
"The Web"
A Real American Hero - "Don't give up, don't ever give up." - NC State Basketball Coach Jimmy Volvano
http://vodpod.com/watch/1165857-walk-on-espn-video
Read the story of Cicero. mmm….2000 years and nothing has changed. We’re doomed.
http://www.amarketplaceofideas.com/the-budget-should-be-balanced-the-treasury-should-be-refilled-public-debt-should-be-reduced-the-arrogance-of-officialdom-should-be-tempered-and-controlled-and-the-assistance-to-foreign-lands-shoul.htm
The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance. -- Marcus Tullius Cicero - 55 BC
Michigan professor sent an e-mail telling Muslim students to leave the country.
If they don't like what the professor has said, they can get the hell out of here.
Very interesting ----- the University is standing by their professor and not bowing down to special interest groups!
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/wichman.asp
Professor Wichman E-mail
Claim:A Michigan professor sent an e-mail telling Muslim students to leave the country.
Status:True.
The story begins at Michigan State University with a mechanical engineering professor named Indrek Wichman.
Wichman sent an e-mail to the Muslim Student's Association. The e-mail was in response to the students' protest of the Danish cartoons that portrayed the Prophet Mohammed as a terrorist. The group had complained the cartoons were 'hate speech'
Enter Professor Wichman.
In his e-mail, he said the following:
Dear Moslem Association,
As a professor of Mechanical Engineering here at MSU I intend to protest your protest.
I am offended not by cartoons, but by more mundane things like beheadings of civilians, cowardly attacks on public buildings, suicide murders, murders of Catholic priests(the latest in Turkey), burnings of Christian churches, the continued persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt, the imposition of Sharia law on non-Muslims, the rapes of Scandinavian girls and women(called 'whores' in your culture), the murder of film directors in Holland ,and the rioting and looting in Paris France .
This is what offends me, a soft-spoken person and academic, and many, many of my colleagues. I counsel you dissatisfied, aggressive, brutal, and uncivilized slave-trading Moslems to be very aware of this as you proceed with your infantile 'protests.'
If you do not like the values of the West - see the 1st Amendment -you are free to leave. I hope for God's sake that most of you choose that option. Please return to your ancestral homelands and build them up yourselves instead of troubling Americans.
Cordially,
I. S. Wichman
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
As you can imagine, the Muslim group at the university didn't like this too well. They're demanding that Wichman be reprimanded and the university impose mandatory diversity training for faculty and mandate a seminar on hate and discrimination for all freshmen.
Now the local chapter of CAIR has jumped into the fray. CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, apparently doesn't believe that the good professor had the right to express his opinion.
For its part, the university is standing its ground in support of Professor Wichman, saying the e-mail was private, and they don't intend to publicly condemn his remarks.
Send this to your friends, and ask them to do the same. Tell them to keep passing it around until the whole country gets it. We are in a war. This political correctness crap is getting old and killing us.
If you agree with this, please send it to all your friends.
Mandatory Military Service Would Benefit the U.S.
By: Armstrong Williams
Would you like to see your son, daughter, niece, nephew or teenage neighbor become hard-working, respectful, disciplined, honorable and prepared for life? Would you like to see crime, teenage pregnancy and substance abuse rates decline? No, this is not an advertisement for a magic pill; this is an argument for mandatory military service.
Each passing generation produces teenagers who are more and more brazen, disrespectful, lazy and ill-qualified for success in the real world. Thus, our society becomes more dangerous, depleted and dishonest every year. With one simple – albeit radical – move, our government could eliminate these problems and help our children and our country reach their potential. Mandatory military service, or conscription, could cure many of our societal ills and allow American teenagers to truly reach their potential.
Mandatory military service is one of the oldest forms of national service and is common to both democratic and non-democratic countries. Such democratic countries as Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey require male and occasionally female citizens to participate in military service when they become 18 years old. These countries prove that conscription, when handled properly, can be an asset to the military, the society and the conscript.
Here's my basic plan for American conscription: Every able-bodied citizen (both men and women) must honorably serve at least two years in the United States military before they are 25 years old. They can enter the military branch of their liking, request to be trained in a specific field, and serve in the state of their choice.
Furthermore, the military will guarantee that conscience objectors or conscripts wary of conflict will be placed only in non-hostile positions. After two years of service, conscripts are free to depart the military if they choose to do so.
Mandatory military service benefits the military, the country and the conscript. The military benefits because its forces increase dramatically. For a small increase in expense, it receives an influx of able young men and women – including many of the best and brightest, who often avoid joining a professional army. Resources that go into recruiting programs can be used toward training, and because of higher head counts, outsourcing and subcontracting jobs can more easily be handled in-house.
The United States benefits from conscription because national spirit increases, national unity improves, neighborhoods become safer, and society grows healthier. With conscription, troubled teens who normally head to street corners enter the military and receive the training, discipline and experience that propel them to a stable and secure life. They unite with people of all sexes, races and religions to work toward a common good. This allows neighborhoods to become safer and society to become stronger. The workforce gets better workers, families get better mothers and fathers, and the country gets a more unified citizenship.
Conscripts benefit from the military service because they learn practical life skills such as first aid, wilderness survival, computer proficiency and self-defense. They become physically fit, mentally strong and knowledgeable in multiple areas. Conscripts learn how to work hard, discipline themselves, follow orders, think on their feet and lead their peers. Most importantly they come away from the military with the skills that benefit society, the workplace and the family. With a college degree, the men and women who served their two years with honors will be sought after by the public and private sectors.
Of course there are many people who believe conscription armies are illegal, immoral and ineffective. Arguments have been made (and sometimes history has shown) that conscripts often have low morale and little motivation to properly serve in the armed forces. Some say that many conscripts are physically or mentally unfit to be trusted and need training, educating and counseling that the military cannot provide. And finally, because of time and resource constrictions, many mandatory military service opponents point out that conscripts usually receive only rudimentary training, which can cause bloodshed during hostile situations. Besides these noted disadvantages, some economists believe that conscription armies cost more than voluntary ones.
These disadvantages are certainly valid, and I welcome them in a debate about conscription.
Mandatory military service may seem too drastic, too un-American or too impractical to implement in the 21st century, but it is a legitimate idea that deserves a fair discussion and open debate. A review of current democracies using conscription, an analysis of the U.S. military and an evaluation of our country's civilian state lead me to believe that conscription is the answer to many of our country's – and children's – woes.
Job Interview in Texas . . . . . ..
A man seeking to join an East Texas Sheriff's Department is being interviewed. The Deputy doing the interview says, "Your qualifications all look good, but there is an attitude suitability test that you must take before you can be accepted."
Then, sliding a service pistol across the desk, he says, "Take this pistol and go out and shoot six illegal aliens, six meth dealers, six Muslim extremists, and a rabbit."
"Why the rabbit?"
"Great attitude," says the Sergeant. "When can you start?"
The last one is just for you!
“[F]athers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” — Paul of Tarsus
“One father is more than a hundred Schoolmasters.” —George Herbert
“Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” — the writer of Hebrews
“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” — Charles Wadsworth
“By profession I am a soldier and take great pride in that fact, but I am also prouder, infinitely prouder, to be a father.” — Douglas MacArthur
“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” — Mark Twain
An Urgent Message
An Earth-Shattering Calamity Is About To Happen
by David Wilkerson
http://www.worldchallenge.org/coverletter/an_urgent_message
I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message to all on our mailing list, and to friends and to bishops we have met all over the world.
AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE — EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US.
For ten years I have been warning about a thousand fires coming to New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires — such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago.
There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting — including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written,
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (v. 3).
God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations. He is destroying the secular foundations.
The prophet Jeremiah pleaded with wicked Israel, “God is fashioning a calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh, turn back each of you from your evil way, and reform your ways and deeds. But they will say, It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart” (Jeremiah 18:11–12).
In Psalm 11:6, David warns, “Upon the wicked he will rain snares (coals of fire)…fire…burning wind…will be the portion of their cup.” Why? David answered, “Because the Lord is righteous” (v. 7). This is a righteous judgment — just as in the judgments of Sodom and in Noah’s generation.
WHAT SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS DO? WHAT ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE?
First, I give you a practical word I received for my own direction. If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials. In major cities, grocery stores are emptied in an hour at the sign of an impending disaster.
As for our spiritual reaction, we have but two options. This is outlined in Psalm 11. We “flee like a bird to a mountain.” Or, as David says, “He fixed his eyes on the Lord on his throne in heaven — his eyes beholding, his eyelids testing the sons of men” (v. 4). “In the Lord I take refuge” (v. 1).
I will say to my soul: No need to run…no need to hide. This is God’s righteous work. I will behold our Lord on his throne, with his eye of tender, loving kindness watching over every step I take — trusting that he will deliver his people even through floods, fires, calamities, tests, trials of all kinds.
Note: I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off. I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose.
God bless and keep you.
In Christ,
DAVID WILKERSON
"The e-mail Bag"
I Sat With Two Friends
I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.
As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, 'I will work for food.' My heart sank.
I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.
We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.
Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: 'Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square.'
Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the storefront church, going through his sack.
I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town's newest visitor.
'Looking for the pastor?' I asked.
'Not really,' he replied, 'just resting.'
'Have you eaten today?'
'Oh, I ate something early this morning.'
'Would you like to have lunch with me?'
'Do you have some work I could do for you?'
'No work,' I replied 'I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.'
'Sure,' he replied with a smile.
As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. Where you headed?'
' St. Louis '
'Where you from?'
'Oh, all over; mostly Florida ..'
'How long you been walking?'
'Fourteen years,' came the reply.
I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left
earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, 'Jesus is The Never Ending Story.'
Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He'd made some wrong
choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought.
He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God
'Nothing's been the same since,' he said, 'I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.'
'Ever think of stopping?' I asked.
'Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.'
I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: 'What's it like?'
'What?'
'To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?'
Jesus v. Satan
Jesus and Satan were having an ongoing argument about who was better at using the computer.
They had been going at it for days, and God was tired of hearing all the bickering.
Finally God said, "Cool it. I am going to set up a test which will take two hours and it will judge who does the better job."
So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.
They moused.
They did spreadsheets.
They wrote reports.
They sent faxes.
They sent e-mail.
They sent out e-mail with attachments.
They downloaded.
They did some genealogy reports.
They made cards.
They did every known job.
But, ten minutes before the time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, the rain poured, and of course, the electricity went off.
Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld.
Jesus just sighed.
The electricity finally flickered back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically screaming, "It's gone!
It's all gone! I lost everything when the power went out!"
Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all his files from the past two hours.
Satan observed this and became even more irate. "Wait! He cheated! How did he do it??!!"
God shrugged and said, "Jesus Saves"
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