Less what goodies do we have?
* John Roberts has been confirmed as the new Chief Justice of the SCOTUS. That should be good news to all of us who are Originalists. He is smart and knows what he is doing. At least that is the impression he's giving.
* Area near Los Angeles is on fire. I do not envy those people at all. I know people in SoCal that have to deal with this every year and I do not know how they do it.
* More bombings in Iraq. Will this EVER stop? The terrorists are not wanting the US out as much as they want their own way, which is right back to the stone ages.
Thanx to breitbart.com for the news.
On a personal note, I was priviledged to help some of the hurricane evacuees last night (as well as later tonight) by picking up and delivering some items we found on Freecycle in our area. If you are interested in joining, go to www.Freecycle.com and click on your area. Lots of groups!
I guess owning a truck (even when gas is expensive) is helpful. I put a huge couch in mine last night. I am picking up a crib and some baby stuff tonight.
I may post more later, but I am a little short on time. More later, OK?
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Monday, September 26, 2005
Who's Your Daddy?
While reading the John Eldredge book "Wild at Heart", I finally realized why I have trouble connecting with God sometimes. God is our "abba", our daddy. He wants an intimate relationship with each of his children an he wants us to come to him, to depend on him fully, just like a small child depends on his earthly father. If you do not have a good role model with your biological father, then you just might be hesitant to try to connect with your Heavenly Father. I think that is where my problem lies.
I grew up in an secular home. My father was a hard working man. He was a strong provider who worked hard (one full time job and he did plumbing work on the side), but he also drank hard. He had a temper and I saw that many times. I do not think he knew how to show affection to us. He kept to himself and was mostly quiet unless he became upset or angry.
During my teenage years I wanted to gain my fathers approval more than anything. I kept a 3.5 GPA in school, I was in the chess club, the track team, and was in a few school plays and musicals. While I was never a stellar performer in any one category, I was not bad. However I cannot remember my father giving me much encouragement. By the time my senior year in high school came around, I was ready to prepare for college. I even had a school accept me where I only had to pay abut $500 semester to attend. My father was not very enthusiastic and talked me out of going. He never had much use for "college boys" in his life. I am sure he felt threatened (he only had an 8th grade education) by them.
I got married and had a son rather early in life, living across the street from my parents. Shortly after that, I moved to NC and my father told me it would be the biggest mistake of my life. I admit I was chasing a chance to get my life back on track and the odds were against me, but I wanted reassurance. I did not get it.
I was so hurt by his lack of confidence, that when I separated from my ex-wife and moved out (with no place to go and no money), I purposely did not tell them how bad things were because I figured I would get the "I told you so" speech.
When things got really bad and custody of my son was in question, I could hear my father (in my mind that is) criticizing me on the way things had gone in my life. He never said much to me, good or bad around that time. Maybe it was for the best. A few years later, I was remarried and I (nor my new bride) ever heard joyous words from my dad. He did give us $1000 toward the purchase of our first house, but I would not have asked if we had not been in very dire straits (that is a story unto itself).
After we bought our new house, I had to twist my fathers arm to get him and mom to come down to visit us. That one time was the only time he or my mother ever visited. To be honest, it was the last time he was healthy enough to travel. He became sick after that and slowly got worse. God blessed me with a visit from my dad and mom.
During that visit, they seemed to enjoy themselves somewhat. Both of them told me they liked our house. It was a starter home, but it really was a good starter home for us. We still miss it. We had a good visit, but Dad seemed a bit upset I would not let him smoke his pipe in the house. He grumble about it, but I told him that the house was smoke-free and I wanted to keep it that way. I think that is why they left a day early. He was not happy that he had to follow the house rules.
Dad and I never really got close. Over the next 3-4 years, he was in the hospital 1-2 times a year. Each time the doctors were sure he would die. I would get a call saying Dad was in the hospital and wanted to see me. I knew he loved me, he just had a hard time showing it.
In the spring of 2002, Dad finally passed away. Every time I called he was too weak to talk or he was asleep. He was in constant pain. I did manage to talk to him about a week or so before he passed.
I guess you can see why some people have trouble connecting to God.
I grew up in an secular home. My father was a hard working man. He was a strong provider who worked hard (one full time job and he did plumbing work on the side), but he also drank hard. He had a temper and I saw that many times. I do not think he knew how to show affection to us. He kept to himself and was mostly quiet unless he became upset or angry.
During my teenage years I wanted to gain my fathers approval more than anything. I kept a 3.5 GPA in school, I was in the chess club, the track team, and was in a few school plays and musicals. While I was never a stellar performer in any one category, I was not bad. However I cannot remember my father giving me much encouragement. By the time my senior year in high school came around, I was ready to prepare for college. I even had a school accept me where I only had to pay abut $500 semester to attend. My father was not very enthusiastic and talked me out of going. He never had much use for "college boys" in his life. I am sure he felt threatened (he only had an 8th grade education) by them.
I got married and had a son rather early in life, living across the street from my parents. Shortly after that, I moved to NC and my father told me it would be the biggest mistake of my life. I admit I was chasing a chance to get my life back on track and the odds were against me, but I wanted reassurance. I did not get it.
I was so hurt by his lack of confidence, that when I separated from my ex-wife and moved out (with no place to go and no money), I purposely did not tell them how bad things were because I figured I would get the "I told you so" speech.
When things got really bad and custody of my son was in question, I could hear my father (in my mind that is) criticizing me on the way things had gone in my life. He never said much to me, good or bad around that time. Maybe it was for the best. A few years later, I was remarried and I (nor my new bride) ever heard joyous words from my dad. He did give us $1000 toward the purchase of our first house, but I would not have asked if we had not been in very dire straits (that is a story unto itself).
After we bought our new house, I had to twist my fathers arm to get him and mom to come down to visit us. That one time was the only time he or my mother ever visited. To be honest, it was the last time he was healthy enough to travel. He became sick after that and slowly got worse. God blessed me with a visit from my dad and mom.
During that visit, they seemed to enjoy themselves somewhat. Both of them told me they liked our house. It was a starter home, but it really was a good starter home for us. We still miss it. We had a good visit, but Dad seemed a bit upset I would not let him smoke his pipe in the house. He grumble about it, but I told him that the house was smoke-free and I wanted to keep it that way. I think that is why they left a day early. He was not happy that he had to follow the house rules.
Dad and I never really got close. Over the next 3-4 years, he was in the hospital 1-2 times a year. Each time the doctors were sure he would die. I would get a call saying Dad was in the hospital and wanted to see me. I knew he loved me, he just had a hard time showing it.
In the spring of 2002, Dad finally passed away. Every time I called he was too weak to talk or he was asleep. He was in constant pain. I did manage to talk to him about a week or so before he passed.
I guess you can see why some people have trouble connecting to God.
Friday, September 23, 2005
"Natural" Disasters?
Maybe not. Now I am not going to pass judgment on this guy. He is (was) a professional meteorologist. Scott Stevens is pretty passionate about weather. He thinks that the major hurricanes are not natural in origin.
His pages on contrails / chemtrails is very informative. He has some theories that are a bit extreme, but interesting reading nonetheless. Check it out.
His pages on contrails / chemtrails is very informative. He has some theories that are a bit extreme, but interesting reading nonetheless. Check it out.
Gasoline ... What a Racket / Rita Update
I find this a bit annoying. Oil prices and gas futures DROP and the price of gas in my area goes UP .10 a gallon. I smell a conspiracy...
When Katrina hit, the price of gas went up .50 a gallon in 2 days. It got back to normal for almost a week and now it is slightly above "pre-Katrina" levels. My guess is that we will see it go up again although oil prices may drop. Amazing how BEFORE the impact is felt, the prices increase. Also amazing is that oil companies made a 3 billion dollar PROFIT last year. Wow, not 300 million but 3 BILLION. What if we used some of that profit and ... I don't know ... LOWER THE FRIGGIN' Price of a gallon of gas? I do my part. I walk/ride my bicycle/carpool when possible. I know I own a truck with a V8, but I only drive it 2-3 days a week. Less once I get to start telecommuting some next year. I would buy a new vehicle that is easier on gas, but since we still have a loan on the family van, I cannot afford it yet...
Just in...
The first Hurricane Rita fatalities are not from flood or wind...but fire. Painful and sad.
It looks like the damage may not be as severe to the TX coast as once predicted, but the amount of rain the area will get is going to be massive, methinks.
When Katrina hit, the price of gas went up .50 a gallon in 2 days. It got back to normal for almost a week and now it is slightly above "pre-Katrina" levels. My guess is that we will see it go up again although oil prices may drop. Amazing how BEFORE the impact is felt, the prices increase. Also amazing is that oil companies made a 3 billion dollar PROFIT last year. Wow, not 300 million but 3 BILLION. What if we used some of that profit and ... I don't know ... LOWER THE FRIGGIN' Price of a gallon of gas? I do my part. I walk/ride my bicycle/carpool when possible. I know I own a truck with a V8, but I only drive it 2-3 days a week. Less once I get to start telecommuting some next year. I would buy a new vehicle that is easier on gas, but since we still have a loan on the family van, I cannot afford it yet...
Just in...
The first Hurricane Rita fatalities are not from flood or wind...but fire. Painful and sad.
It looks like the damage may not be as severe to the TX coast as once predicted, but the amount of rain the area will get is going to be massive, methinks.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
No Breaks At All...
...for our President. Hurricane Katrina rolled through, doing BILLIONS of dollars in damage, displacing hundreds of thousands of people (1/2 of them in Texas, my current home). State and Local government had a plan to evacuate, but did not implement it (This is obviously Bush's fault), leaving tens of thousands in a leaky sports arena guarded by the US Army. No preparation, slow response (again, all Bush's fault).
Now, Rita (which may be one of the most powerful storms EVER to hit US soil) is heading towards the Texas coast (again, Bush's fault) and the people who live there are evacuating...and it is all Bush's fault! Cut the man some slack. Liberal minded people will find any reason to give a person a hard time. Is Bush perfect? No. Has he made mistakes? Yes. Did I vote for him? Yes. Am I a Republican? No (Libertarian). Does he appoint the wrong people to their positions? Sometimes.
Instead of saying that the government learned their lesson, the liberal minded want to yell at him for being prepared. Had the Texas coast not evacuated in the manner in which it has, Bush would have been called an idiot. But the simple fact is you cannot blame all the world's ills on one man. He is not the anti-christ (sorry to disappoint some of you), he is a man. A human male who loves this country and will make mistakes.
So give the man a break. He is in his second term, his last, which pleases many people. In three years, you liberal minded people and Bush haters can elect some social democrat to the White House and that person (Ms. Clinton?) can start turning the US into a socialist state. STOP bashing socialist states, El Gee. I am not. I keep in touch with many people world wide in socialist countries and while they are not fans of the US Government, they wish they had a government a little bit more like ours. No they don't want to live here, but they like what we have to offer, at least part of the time.
Now, Rita (which may be one of the most powerful storms EVER to hit US soil) is heading towards the Texas coast (again, Bush's fault) and the people who live there are evacuating...and it is all Bush's fault! Cut the man some slack. Liberal minded people will find any reason to give a person a hard time. Is Bush perfect? No. Has he made mistakes? Yes. Did I vote for him? Yes. Am I a Republican? No (Libertarian). Does he appoint the wrong people to their positions? Sometimes.
Instead of saying that the government learned their lesson, the liberal minded want to yell at him for being prepared. Had the Texas coast not evacuated in the manner in which it has, Bush would have been called an idiot. But the simple fact is you cannot blame all the world's ills on one man. He is not the anti-christ (sorry to disappoint some of you), he is a man. A human male who loves this country and will make mistakes.
So give the man a break. He is in his second term, his last, which pleases many people. In three years, you liberal minded people and Bush haters can elect some social democrat to the White House and that person (Ms. Clinton?) can start turning the US into a socialist state. STOP bashing socialist states, El Gee. I am not. I keep in touch with many people world wide in socialist countries and while they are not fans of the US Government, they wish they had a government a little bit more like ours. No they don't want to live here, but they like what we have to offer, at least part of the time.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Hurricane Pain
Hurricane Rita is currently a Level 4 storm (***UPDATE*** Level 5 at 5:32 PM Central time), heading for Galveston, TX. I previously blogged that Galveston was hit a little more than 100 years ago and the town was almost obliterated. At least 6K people died then. Needless to say Texans learn very quickly. With Rita chugging at a good click towards our coast, the town is evacuating. Smart move, methinks. I pray for the best, but it looks like thing may get ugly. New Orleans is expecting some surge which may top the levees and pour more water back into the city.
Yesterday my wife and I were talking about the humanitarian efforts going on for the Katrina victims. We have friends of ours who are sponsoring a family (a mother and 3 children) and they have offered to find her things for the apartment that has been acquired for them. Something odd, in my opinion, is that she has not expressed any desire to move into it. She is still staying at the Super 8 Motel, living off the $2000 debit card she was issued from the federal government.
Our friends also have acquired a twin bed for her (along with pillows, sheets, blankets, and comforter) but she stated she did not want it. It was too small. Someone is offering you a bed and all the accessories and you are turning it down because it is too small? You know why it is too small? She has her boyfriend living with her.
We also received some documentation on helping some of the families who are still in ravaged areas of the gulf who need some food and supplies. When I saw this I was a bit confused by it. It outlined what to put in the boxes (as well as what size box) and how to pack it. Now, that is not a bad thing, for the most part, since you do not want 50 million cans of green beans some rice with nothing else. This allows the boxes to be self contained meals, but I had two problems with that. First, it would make more sense to give money so the items could be bought in bulk by the Red Cross or some other organization and packaged up into individual meal packs. There are volunteers EVERYWHERE who would be glad to package up this in a warehouse style environment.
The second thing that bothered me was the list had preferred brands and types of food. If I am hungry, but used to living on crusty French bread, caviar, champagne and I was offered chili, rice, cornbread and sweet tea, I would take what I could get or I would starve. Being picky when you are hungry ... that is just plain stupid.
We have been hearing scattered reports of people who are taking their $2000 debit cards and buying frivolous things (expensive watches, clothes, electronics) and going to shelters to get fed and clothed. It reminds me of the painful years when my son was an infant and we (me, his bio-mom, and our son) were on food stamps. We did not get much (it was about $300 a month) but since we were good shoppers, we knew how to make it count. I would get in line at the local grocery store and see people buy LOBSTER, STEAK, and other expensive items and pay with food stamps. They figured if they were not paying for it, they could get what they wanted.
I know as Christians we are not supposed to grumble and we are supposed to give cheerfully. But are we not told to be good stewards of what we have? How can we be good stewards if what we give is used in vain? It will only turn off Christians from wanting to help because they image they have is one of people who need help, it is offered and the help is misused.
Lord, help me to understand this. I want to live in Your Word, but the world distracts me from it. Guide me and give unto me the desire to help those who need it and tell of Your Son's redeeming love.
Yesterday my wife and I were talking about the humanitarian efforts going on for the Katrina victims. We have friends of ours who are sponsoring a family (a mother and 3 children) and they have offered to find her things for the apartment that has been acquired for them. Something odd, in my opinion, is that she has not expressed any desire to move into it. She is still staying at the Super 8 Motel, living off the $2000 debit card she was issued from the federal government.
Our friends also have acquired a twin bed for her (along with pillows, sheets, blankets, and comforter) but she stated she did not want it. It was too small. Someone is offering you a bed and all the accessories and you are turning it down because it is too small? You know why it is too small? She has her boyfriend living with her.
We also received some documentation on helping some of the families who are still in ravaged areas of the gulf who need some food and supplies. When I saw this I was a bit confused by it. It outlined what to put in the boxes (as well as what size box) and how to pack it. Now, that is not a bad thing, for the most part, since you do not want 50 million cans of green beans some rice with nothing else. This allows the boxes to be self contained meals, but I had two problems with that. First, it would make more sense to give money so the items could be bought in bulk by the Red Cross or some other organization and packaged up into individual meal packs. There are volunteers EVERYWHERE who would be glad to package up this in a warehouse style environment.
The second thing that bothered me was the list had preferred brands and types of food. If I am hungry, but used to living on crusty French bread, caviar, champagne and I was offered chili, rice, cornbread and sweet tea, I would take what I could get or I would starve. Being picky when you are hungry ... that is just plain stupid.
We have been hearing scattered reports of people who are taking their $2000 debit cards and buying frivolous things (expensive watches, clothes, electronics) and going to shelters to get fed and clothed. It reminds me of the painful years when my son was an infant and we (me, his bio-mom, and our son) were on food stamps. We did not get much (it was about $300 a month) but since we were good shoppers, we knew how to make it count. I would get in line at the local grocery store and see people buy LOBSTER, STEAK, and other expensive items and pay with food stamps. They figured if they were not paying for it, they could get what they wanted.
I know as Christians we are not supposed to grumble and we are supposed to give cheerfully. But are we not told to be good stewards of what we have? How can we be good stewards if what we give is used in vain? It will only turn off Christians from wanting to help because they image they have is one of people who need help, it is offered and the help is misused.
Lord, help me to understand this. I want to live in Your Word, but the world distracts me from it. Guide me and give unto me the desire to help those who need it and tell of Your Son's redeeming love.
Things I Learned in Texas
Now, I cannot vouch for all these, but some I can. BtW, you can see this list duplicated for most any state, just by changing a few of the details :-)
Thanx to Triple A (An Anonymous Angel) for this list.
* Armadillos sleep in the middle of the road with all four feet in the air.
* There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Texas.
* There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Texas, plus a few no one has ever seen before.
* Raccoons will test your melon crop, and let you know when they are ripe.
* If it grows, it will stick you. If it crawls, it will bite you!
* Nothing will kill a mesquite tree.
* There are valid reasons some people put razor wire around their house.
* A tractor is NOT an all terrain vehicle. They do get stuck.
* The wind blows at 90 mph from Oct 2 till June 25; then it stops totally until October 2. (Actually the wind never stops blowing here)
* Onced and twiced are words.
* Coldbeer is one word.
* People actually grow and eat okra.
* Green grass DOES burn.
* When you live in the country you don't have to buy a dog. City people drop them off at your front gate in the middle of the night.
* The sound of coyotes howling at night only sounds good for the first few weeks.
* When a buzzard sits on the fence and stares at you, it's time to see a doctor.
* Fix-in-to is one word.
* There ain't no such thing as "lunch". There is only breakfast, dinner and then there's supper.
* "Sweetened ice tea" is appropriate for all meals, and you start drinking it when you are two. (which I have never seen. Sweet Tea is a southern thing, not a Texas thing)
* "Backwards and forwards" means I know everything about you.
* "Jeet?" is actually a phrase meaning, "Did you eat?" and is usually followed with, "No, jew?"
* You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is.
* You work until you're done, or it's too dark to see.
* You measure distance in minutes or hours.
* You can switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
* Stores don't have bags. They have sacks.
* You see cars with the engine running in the Wal-mart parking lot with no one in them, no matter what time of the year.
* All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit or a vegetable. (I noticed this more in WV where I was raised than here in Texas)
* You install security lights on your house and garage, and leave both unlocked.
* You carry jumper cables for your own car.
* You know what "cow tipping" and "snipe hunting" are.
* You only have four spices in your kitchen: Salt, Pepper, Ketchup, and Tabasco. (Add salsa to that list. maybe to replace ketchup)
* You think everyone from north of Dallas has an accent.
* The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require six pages to cover Friday night high school football. (This is true)
* The first day of deer season is a state holiday.
* You know which leaves make good toilet paper.
* You find 100 degrees a "tad" warm.
* The four seasons are: Almost summer, summer, still summer and Christmas. (This again is so true)
* You know whether another Texan is from East, West, North, or South Texas as soon as he opens his mouth.
* Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past-time known as "goin Wal-Martin" or "off to Wally-world."
* You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chili-eatin' weather.
* A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola, or pop....It's a Coke regardless of brand or flavor. (I saw this more in NC than in Texas)
Thanx to Triple A (An Anonymous Angel) for this list.
* Armadillos sleep in the middle of the road with all four feet in the air.
* There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Texas.
* There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Texas, plus a few no one has ever seen before.
* Raccoons will test your melon crop, and let you know when they are ripe.
* If it grows, it will stick you. If it crawls, it will bite you!
* Nothing will kill a mesquite tree.
* There are valid reasons some people put razor wire around their house.
* A tractor is NOT an all terrain vehicle. They do get stuck.
* The wind blows at 90 mph from Oct 2 till June 25; then it stops totally until October 2. (Actually the wind never stops blowing here)
* Onced and twiced are words.
* Coldbeer is one word.
* People actually grow and eat okra.
* Green grass DOES burn.
* When you live in the country you don't have to buy a dog. City people drop them off at your front gate in the middle of the night.
* The sound of coyotes howling at night only sounds good for the first few weeks.
* When a buzzard sits on the fence and stares at you, it's time to see a doctor.
* Fix-in-to is one word.
* There ain't no such thing as "lunch". There is only breakfast, dinner and then there's supper.
* "Sweetened ice tea" is appropriate for all meals, and you start drinking it when you are two. (which I have never seen. Sweet Tea is a southern thing, not a Texas thing)
* "Backwards and forwards" means I know everything about you.
* "Jeet?" is actually a phrase meaning, "Did you eat?" and is usually followed with, "No, jew?"
* You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is.
* You work until you're done, or it's too dark to see.
* You measure distance in minutes or hours.
* You can switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
* Stores don't have bags. They have sacks.
* You see cars with the engine running in the Wal-mart parking lot with no one in them, no matter what time of the year.
* All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit or a vegetable. (I noticed this more in WV where I was raised than here in Texas)
* You install security lights on your house and garage, and leave both unlocked.
* You carry jumper cables for your own car.
* You know what "cow tipping" and "snipe hunting" are.
* You only have four spices in your kitchen: Salt, Pepper, Ketchup, and Tabasco. (Add salsa to that list. maybe to replace ketchup)
* You think everyone from north of Dallas has an accent.
* The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require six pages to cover Friday night high school football. (This is true)
* The first day of deer season is a state holiday.
* You know which leaves make good toilet paper.
* You find 100 degrees a "tad" warm.
* The four seasons are: Almost summer, summer, still summer and Christmas. (This again is so true)
* You know whether another Texan is from East, West, North, or South Texas as soon as he opens his mouth.
* Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past-time known as "goin Wal-Martin" or "off to Wally-world."
* You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chili-eatin' weather.
* A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola, or pop....It's a Coke regardless of brand or flavor. (I saw this more in NC than in Texas)
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Drive By...
Several years ago, back in the early days of instant messaging (back when PowWow and ICQ were the ONLY cool IM tools), it was common to get a random IM from someone you had never heard of. We called those "Drive By IM's". Some were cool, some were funny, some were down right offensive. I met a few people that way, but most people who send unsolicited instant messages are just kids. Maybe they are bored, maybe they just want to provoke, maybe they really wanted to meet new people. Who knows?
I have gotten a few drive by's in my life, but thankfully I don't get many of those any more. I have gotten one or two, but not like the bad old days. Still, it has been enough to keep me from posting my IM info on message boards.
A while back, I had blogged that at least one person has gotten an IM from someone who spoofed my IM nick. "Out of Balance" (the guy who said he got the IM) has not contacted me anymore, so I assume that the perp found no humor in sending "OoB" an instant message pretending to be me.
I got an IM today from someone claiming to be "Flute", but since I know that she is only interested in disparaging to my faith, I doubt it was her. What could she want to chat with me about?
Anyhoooo...I just deleted the message. Whoever the joker is can have their laugh. I won't fall for being baited. My name is not "Skippy".
I have gotten a few drive by's in my life, but thankfully I don't get many of those any more. I have gotten one or two, but not like the bad old days. Still, it has been enough to keep me from posting my IM info on message boards.
A while back, I had blogged that at least one person has gotten an IM from someone who spoofed my IM nick. "Out of Balance" (the guy who said he got the IM) has not contacted me anymore, so I assume that the perp found no humor in sending "OoB" an instant message pretending to be me.
I got an IM today from someone claiming to be "Flute", but since I know that she is only interested in disparaging to my faith, I doubt it was her. What could she want to chat with me about?
Anyhoooo...I just deleted the message. Whoever the joker is can have their laugh. I won't fall for being baited. My name is not "Skippy".
Very Scary Thought
The other day I heard on the news that the City of Baton Rouge had taken in 250,000 evacuees from hurricane Katrina, literally flooding the town with new faces. Now we have another hurricane, Rita, chugging towards the Gulf Coast. Floridians (and those in Galveston, TX) are already taking precautions since it looks like it will touch the Keys first. After that, it will head into warm gulf waters, increasing up to a possible Level 3 storm. Less than a month ago, New Orleans was flattened. if this storm hits ANYWHERE in Louisiana, we are going to have bigger nightmare. Now I realize that Baton Rouge is not directly on the coast, but if the storm hits near there, that town may have major problems. Can you imagine a town that has doubled in size and also facing a disaster? Can you imagine the panic? Can you imagine more people hitting the road ... heading to Texas and Arkansas?
On a biblical note, I have heard many Christians say that they think that this was a message from God for New Orleans to clean up its act. If this storm hits anywhere in Louisiana, I bet a few more people are going to think the same thing. Scary thought.
My prayer is this. I want the storm to fizzle out. Degrade into a tropical depression, turn north over the panhandle of Florida and then head back out to sea. I will keep praying this. We do not need any more destruction in the gulf.
Katrina was the fourth most powerful storm in recorded history. A hurricane hit Galveston, TX almost 100 years to the day that Katrina hit New Orleans. Galveston lost over 6000 people and 1/3 of the town was destroyed. Those figures have made it the deadliest storm in recorded history.
So far the death toll for Katrina has been rather low compared to what was predicted. Thank God.
On a biblical note, I have heard many Christians say that they think that this was a message from God for New Orleans to clean up its act. If this storm hits anywhere in Louisiana, I bet a few more people are going to think the same thing. Scary thought.
My prayer is this. I want the storm to fizzle out. Degrade into a tropical depression, turn north over the panhandle of Florida and then head back out to sea. I will keep praying this. We do not need any more destruction in the gulf.
Katrina was the fourth most powerful storm in recorded history. A hurricane hit Galveston, TX almost 100 years to the day that Katrina hit New Orleans. Galveston lost over 6000 people and 1/3 of the town was destroyed. Those figures have made it the deadliest storm in recorded history.
So far the death toll for Katrina has been rather low compared to what was predicted. Thank God.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Hate Crime
I was listening to "Focus on the Family" on KWRD radio in Dallas today when I heard there is a law that is being pushed that will keep ministers from preaching against homosexuality, essentially making it a hate crime if they do. If so, I want Bill Maher arrested (from HBO's website):
"New Rule: Jesus is not a candle. A company in South Dakota is selling candles with the scent of Jesus. You light one and your friends say, "Christ, what's that smell?!" It's true. The formula comes straight out of the Bible. It's from the little-known letter of Paul to the Aromatherapists. But if Jesus had smelled so great, how come everybody was always offering to wash his feet? "
Why is it that telling of the sin of homosexuality is a hate crime and you can willfully insult my Lord and my beliefs and it is "comedy"?
I am very upset at this. People love to mock our faith. People wonder why I get so upset...this is the work of our Enemy. You are allowing this to happen by watching it. You encourage it when you pay for the ticket to see entertainers who spew this trash.
I was told the other day to calm down, that I was going to give myself a heart attack. "Don't worry, El Gee, they do not mean anything by it. The heck they don't! All they are wanting to do is undermine the Christian way of life. We cannot have prayer in school, but you can teach why Billy has two daddies. Disgusting. I cannot say the pledge of allegiance, but I can be forced to listen to someone tell me to use a condom instead of practicing purity.
The liberal minded people of this country will be the death of us. It has invaded our workplace by being called "diversity". We allow it in our homes, because it is "funny". We should be ashamed of ourselves.
And if you think it is just the Christian community that has stumbled, think again. The Muslims living in this country have found a new god...money. Muslims are selling adult content to people via prepaid porn cards. I am waiting to see how bad this gets.
"New Rule: Jesus is not a candle. A company in South Dakota is selling candles with the scent of Jesus. You light one and your friends say, "Christ, what's that smell?!" It's true. The formula comes straight out of the Bible. It's from the little-known letter of Paul to the Aromatherapists. But if Jesus had smelled so great, how come everybody was always offering to wash his feet? "
Why is it that telling of the sin of homosexuality is a hate crime and you can willfully insult my Lord and my beliefs and it is "comedy"?
I am very upset at this. People love to mock our faith. People wonder why I get so upset...this is the work of our Enemy. You are allowing this to happen by watching it. You encourage it when you pay for the ticket to see entertainers who spew this trash.
I was told the other day to calm down, that I was going to give myself a heart attack. "Don't worry, El Gee, they do not mean anything by it. The heck they don't! All they are wanting to do is undermine the Christian way of life. We cannot have prayer in school, but you can teach why Billy has two daddies. Disgusting. I cannot say the pledge of allegiance, but I can be forced to listen to someone tell me to use a condom instead of practicing purity.
The liberal minded people of this country will be the death of us. It has invaded our workplace by being called "diversity". We allow it in our homes, because it is "funny". We should be ashamed of ourselves.
And if you think it is just the Christian community that has stumbled, think again. The Muslims living in this country have found a new god...money. Muslims are selling adult content to people via prepaid porn cards. I am waiting to see how bad this gets.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Invasion of the Monster Insects
Yesterday was a pretty good day in most aspects. All the chores we wanted to do were completed. The day before I fasted and prayed in honor of the National Day of Prayer designated by President Bush, so I was rather hungry and thirsty most of the day.
I put a few items up in the Freecycle page for our town and part of the items were picked up quickly. I was very thankful for that. I had 3 items (a lamp, a radio, and some house plants) offered and the houseplants were picked up within a few hours. Freecycle is way cool.
Later on in the evening, my wife started to trim/groom the dogs on the patio, since it was tolerable. She set out all of her equipment and began. I was in the office typing up a budget for our son so he will have something he can go by when he decided to move out on his own. He is almost 18 and has expressed a desire to be on his own. I cautioned him, but hey, he is 18...he knows it all :-).
When I completed it, I wanted to show my wife, but she was at a delicate point in the dog grooming, so I waited until she release Maggie, the biggest dog. I stepped out any my wife told me, "El Gee, there is a HUGE bug in the crack between the patio and the wall. It is weird looking with a black head and a brown body. It looks like something you would see on the Sci Fi Channel."
I was planning on spraying some of the FIRE ant mounds that have popped up over the past few weeks, so I figured spraying for some alien bug would be no problem. Before I sprayed for it, my wife and I heard a noise similar to a cricket. My wife said, "THAT'S IT. That is the sound it makes before it comes out. I cracked jokes about my wife's description of the insect for a while and when she was done grooming I sprayed the crack with a heavy dose of bug killer. Die, insect, die.
Then I put away the spray and went inside to wash up. I started to head back outside and a HUGE cricket started stumbling around on the patio. He had just came out of the crack. My wife said, "That's the bug!"
"Honey, that is a cricket."
"Oh...it did not look like one when I saw it...but I guess you are right."
Monster Insect. Please. :-)
Before I sprayed for the killer alien insect, I sprayed the FIRE ant mounds. I was not fast enough and one bit me. I have a rather extreme reaction to fire ant bites. The bite swells up, it burns like fire for hours, then itches. It will stay swollen for a week, at least.
I hate Fire ants.
I put a few items up in the Freecycle page for our town and part of the items were picked up quickly. I was very thankful for that. I had 3 items (a lamp, a radio, and some house plants) offered and the houseplants were picked up within a few hours. Freecycle is way cool.
Later on in the evening, my wife started to trim/groom the dogs on the patio, since it was tolerable. She set out all of her equipment and began. I was in the office typing up a budget for our son so he will have something he can go by when he decided to move out on his own. He is almost 18 and has expressed a desire to be on his own. I cautioned him, but hey, he is 18...he knows it all :-).
When I completed it, I wanted to show my wife, but she was at a delicate point in the dog grooming, so I waited until she release Maggie, the biggest dog. I stepped out any my wife told me, "El Gee, there is a HUGE bug in the crack between the patio and the wall. It is weird looking with a black head and a brown body. It looks like something you would see on the Sci Fi Channel."
I was planning on spraying some of the FIRE ant mounds that have popped up over the past few weeks, so I figured spraying for some alien bug would be no problem. Before I sprayed for it, my wife and I heard a noise similar to a cricket. My wife said, "THAT'S IT. That is the sound it makes before it comes out. I cracked jokes about my wife's description of the insect for a while and when she was done grooming I sprayed the crack with a heavy dose of bug killer. Die, insect, die.
Then I put away the spray and went inside to wash up. I started to head back outside and a HUGE cricket started stumbling around on the patio. He had just came out of the crack. My wife said, "That's the bug!"
"Honey, that is a cricket."
"Oh...it did not look like one when I saw it...but I guess you are right."
Monster Insect. Please. :-)
Before I sprayed for the killer alien insect, I sprayed the FIRE ant mounds. I was not fast enough and one bit me. I have a rather extreme reaction to fire ant bites. The bite swells up, it burns like fire for hours, then itches. It will stay swollen for a week, at least.
I hate Fire ants.
Friday, September 16, 2005
NBC Goes After the Church Crowd
It looks like NBC is going after the church going crowd with its latest reality show. "Three Wishes" is the name of the latest offering in the reality show arena. Amy Grant is a host who travels to a different town each week helping needy rural people fulfill wishes. I guess it is better than some of the other programming, but it is still reality TV.
I like this idea to a degree, but I see problems with ANY reality show. As I tell my wife, I get enough reality in real life. Why watch it on TV?
It is good that the Christian faction will be getting some positive face time in prime time, however exploitation is going to be a factor. Offer the poor something for free and they will be quick to snap it up like a dying man in the desert after water.
TV has been losing ground with many people. While we have cable, we have the entry level programming that has about 30 channels for $15. We only keep it to keep the broadband connection and as soon as I can find a high speed alternative (we do not have a home phone so DSL is out) we will be dumping the cable company for good. Cable programming is horrid. Our society is reduced to watching "Desperate Housewives" and "Sex in the City". Many find it entertaining, while people like myself do not. I admit I enjoy some programming (Firefly, Law and Order, and 24 just to name a few) but I do not enjoy much of it.
I like this idea to a degree, but I see problems with ANY reality show. As I tell my wife, I get enough reality in real life. Why watch it on TV?
It is good that the Christian faction will be getting some positive face time in prime time, however exploitation is going to be a factor. Offer the poor something for free and they will be quick to snap it up like a dying man in the desert after water.
TV has been losing ground with many people. While we have cable, we have the entry level programming that has about 30 channels for $15. We only keep it to keep the broadband connection and as soon as I can find a high speed alternative (we do not have a home phone so DSL is out) we will be dumping the cable company for good. Cable programming is horrid. Our society is reduced to watching "Desperate Housewives" and "Sex in the City". Many find it entertaining, while people like myself do not. I admit I enjoy some programming (Firefly, Law and Order, and 24 just to name a few) but I do not enjoy much of it.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
More Liberal Fun
This blog (which is usually ***NSFW*** for language) is not on my regular read list, but I go back every now and then to see what she is venting about. She used to work with me (I was her supervisor at a help desk we worked on in NC). and we always had very interesting discussions. She is very bright, inquisitive, and hard working. I d not agree with her on many things but she has the ability to make me think (not too mention she told me about Kitty Litter Cake), which is not something I can say about many liberals.
In case you do not want to go to the post, I can summarize her thoughts: The liberals have turned into a bunch of whiny teenagers looking for a mole hill to make a mountain out of.
Davien Quote :
"Stop using everything that happens as an excuse to p*ss and moan about the Bush administration. Use some of that b*tchy energy to DO something about it. Educate. Lobby. Run for office. Volunteer."
* Asterisks mine :-)
Even the liberals are getting tired of the Liberals.
In case you do not want to go to the post, I can summarize her thoughts: The liberals have turned into a bunch of whiny teenagers looking for a mole hill to make a mountain out of.
Davien Quote :
"Stop using everything that happens as an excuse to p*ss and moan about the Bush administration. Use some of that b*tchy energy to DO something about it. Educate. Lobby. Run for office. Volunteer."
* Asterisks mine :-)
Even the liberals are getting tired of the Liberals.
News Worthy?
Why would a persons need to visit the toilet become news worthy? Well, if you are President Bush, then ANYTHING you do is news worthy.
In a IM message this morning, "Finn" said, "Now, I don't like much of anything the administration has done, but it's getting kind of ridiculous."
Even liberals agree. Liberal reporting in the news is "ridiculous". :-)
Lessee, Matt Drudge, The New York Post and Yahoo are all reporting this. I am not reporting the article as much as how silly it is to make it news worthy.
Update: The Times and The Times Online both covered this. Updates also show that the picture was altered (a common practice in the journalism world). Photo District News reports:
"The white parts of the picture were overexposed, so a Reuters processor used Photoshop to burn down the note. This is a standard practice for news photos, Hershorn says, and the picture was not manipulated in any other way."
Sad. Heaven help the man if he gets hungry and wants a snack.
In a IM message this morning, "Finn" said, "Now, I don't like much of anything the administration has done, but it's getting kind of ridiculous."
Even liberals agree. Liberal reporting in the news is "ridiculous". :-)
Lessee, Matt Drudge, The New York Post and Yahoo are all reporting this. I am not reporting the article as much as how silly it is to make it news worthy.
Update: The Times and The Times Online both covered this. Updates also show that the picture was altered (a common practice in the journalism world). Photo District News reports:
"The white parts of the picture were overexposed, so a Reuters processor used Photoshop to burn down the note. This is a standard practice for news photos, Hershorn says, and the picture was not manipulated in any other way."
Sad. Heaven help the man if he gets hungry and wants a snack.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Update, Shotgun Style
This is going to be a "shotgun" post covering a range of updates.
If you listen to the voice of God, you will be led to do things that you many not *want* to do, but in your heart you know you need to do. God has spoken to me a few times over the past couple of days and I must obey what he is pressing upon me.
First, I am not going to play volleyball at the old church for a while...a long while most likely. None of the other Christians who used to play are showing up anymore and I really fell alone. While we have had a pretty good turn out, these are secular people, who swear (in a church gymnasium no less), are at times rude, and really have no sense of brotherly love as most Christians would see it. If the old crew comes back, then I most likely will as well. It is not my church that we play in, so I do not feel that I should chaperone the attendees.
Secondly, I am not going back to the "CoG" web board anytime soon. I just do not belong there. I am very out of place in that group and even with the support of the few Christians who post there, it still is not very healthy. I am too passionate with my views to just "ignore" the comments like a few of the CoGer's would want me to. BtW, since "Flute" has read my blog in the past, I am sure she will find this news comforting. I noticed that she also went back to her old avatar, the little dancing magician. It is cute (old 8 bit graphics) and I think it suits her better. She only used the fish to mock me and my beliefs. While I do not agree with the way she acts, that is none of my business and I mean her no ill will. I am not the judge, God is.
On a side note, I received an IM from "Dakota" yesterday. He asked me if I was IMing "OutofBalance" (another "CoG" regular). I told "Dakota" no, that I did not even have OoB's IM nick. I received a PM (private message from the CoG board) from OoB asking me the same question. I wondered why I was being asked this. It seems that my AIM nick was hijacked or spoofed and OoB got an IM from me. I was rather concerned about this so I promptly changed my passwords on many accounts. "Finn" (another CoG'er) said he had a strange occurrence with IM as well on his work PC. I cannot remember the details.
"Finn" and I chat via IM quite a bit. We are VERY different, but I do respect his opinion. He is rather intelligent and a bit of a cynic (aren't we all?). We tend to clash on religion (he is a pagan) and social issues (he is much more liberal than I am) but the nice thing is that we can see each other's views. I take no offense in his opinions, and I hope he takes nothing I say personally. We chatted yesterday about some Mormans who were coming door to door in his neighborhood. His apartment building has a locking gate / door and somehow 2 Mormons made their way into his building. Finn stated that his neighbor (not born in the US and speaks very little English) was frightened of them and missed her doctors appointment because they were roaming the halls. If this is true, that is unacceptable behavior. Of course I am not pleased with the Latter Day Saints for other reasons, but do not go where you are not invited. That is a very good way to make all religious people look bad and also get arrested.
On the home front, my wife and I are almost finished with "Love Talk"by Les and Leslie Parrott. The book has been very good (I have spotted a few errors) although some of it is quite basic. It still amazes me how the basics of communication can escape us.
Our military son has been busy on recruiting missions all week, not getting home until after we are in bed (we go to bed early when we can). That has caused him to slip in his chores a bit. I am sure he will get caught up, though. He is rather resourceful.
I will be taking Friday off, to comp for having to work Labor Day. That will give me a three day weekend this weekend and since I do not have any grass to cut, I will have most of it open to take care of other tasks. Go me!
Work has not been very fulfilling over the past year+. I am still doing a good deal of support for a product that is not very difficult to support, but is very laborious. I also have to support people who speak 4 languages (only one of which I speak) and while the corporate language is my native tongue, the local clients prefer to speak French, Spanish, or Portuguese. Sometime s the language barrier frustrates me so much I want to scream (not at my customers, it is not their fault). I pride myself (which may be why I am frustrated by this) in being able to communicate clearly. With those customers that I cannot understand nor can they understand me, this is very frustrating.
The good news about all of this is that I may not have to do this support in a few months. I was sent an e-mail from a project person in Sweden who says that they have made strides to get this support regionally supported (each local region -- there are six --will support their own, instead of the three regional support teams support the 6 regions) and that made me very happy. Lord, if it is in your will, I am ready!
I have been kicking around the idea of going back to school. I am not sure if it is the right thing to do or not. I am 40, have a few credits (maybe a 1/3) of what I need to get my associates degree and a full schedule. Can I afford the investment in time and money? Can I afford NOT TO? Am I just out of practice of being a student? I have never tested well. Tests intimidate me :) .
There has not been too many things in the news worth blogging about that you will not find in other blogs, so I have not been motivated to write about them.
Just a note on health and nutrition. If you drink energy drinks (like Red Bull, Sobe, Full Throttle, etc) read the label closely. Depending on your body type and health, certain drinks may not provide the level of energy you desire. I have been drinking "Monster" brand energy drinks for a few weeks and think they taste the best as well as give you a great physical boost. I tried Red Jak last night and did not like it at all. It only had about 2/3's the energy blend but it was very tart and not very "drinkable". I have a couple of Monster varieties at the house (Regular, low carb, and Khaos) that I need to try. The low carb should be ok, the Kaos has 70% juice (which is a bonus) and all the energy blend.
BtW, the energy blend Monster uses is made up of Vitamin B6, B12, Guarana, Gensing, Caffeine, L-Carnitine, Taruine, and Inostitol.
If you listen to the voice of God, you will be led to do things that you many not *want* to do, but in your heart you know you need to do. God has spoken to me a few times over the past couple of days and I must obey what he is pressing upon me.
First, I am not going to play volleyball at the old church for a while...a long while most likely. None of the other Christians who used to play are showing up anymore and I really fell alone. While we have had a pretty good turn out, these are secular people, who swear (in a church gymnasium no less), are at times rude, and really have no sense of brotherly love as most Christians would see it. If the old crew comes back, then I most likely will as well. It is not my church that we play in, so I do not feel that I should chaperone the attendees.
Secondly, I am not going back to the "CoG" web board anytime soon. I just do not belong there. I am very out of place in that group and even with the support of the few Christians who post there, it still is not very healthy. I am too passionate with my views to just "ignore" the comments like a few of the CoGer's would want me to. BtW, since "Flute" has read my blog in the past, I am sure she will find this news comforting. I noticed that she also went back to her old avatar, the little dancing magician. It is cute (old 8 bit graphics) and I think it suits her better. She only used the fish to mock me and my beliefs. While I do not agree with the way she acts, that is none of my business and I mean her no ill will. I am not the judge, God is.
On a side note, I received an IM from "Dakota" yesterday. He asked me if I was IMing "OutofBalance" (another "CoG" regular). I told "Dakota" no, that I did not even have OoB's IM nick. I received a PM (private message from the CoG board) from OoB asking me the same question. I wondered why I was being asked this. It seems that my AIM nick was hijacked or spoofed and OoB got an IM from me. I was rather concerned about this so I promptly changed my passwords on many accounts. "Finn" (another CoG'er) said he had a strange occurrence with IM as well on his work PC. I cannot remember the details.
"Finn" and I chat via IM quite a bit. We are VERY different, but I do respect his opinion. He is rather intelligent and a bit of a cynic (aren't we all?). We tend to clash on religion (he is a pagan) and social issues (he is much more liberal than I am) but the nice thing is that we can see each other's views. I take no offense in his opinions, and I hope he takes nothing I say personally. We chatted yesterday about some Mormans who were coming door to door in his neighborhood. His apartment building has a locking gate / door and somehow 2 Mormons made their way into his building. Finn stated that his neighbor (not born in the US and speaks very little English) was frightened of them and missed her doctors appointment because they were roaming the halls. If this is true, that is unacceptable behavior. Of course I am not pleased with the Latter Day Saints for other reasons, but do not go where you are not invited. That is a very good way to make all religious people look bad and also get arrested.
On the home front, my wife and I are almost finished with "Love Talk"by Les and Leslie Parrott. The book has been very good (I have spotted a few errors) although some of it is quite basic. It still amazes me how the basics of communication can escape us.
Our military son has been busy on recruiting missions all week, not getting home until after we are in bed (we go to bed early when we can). That has caused him to slip in his chores a bit. I am sure he will get caught up, though. He is rather resourceful.
I will be taking Friday off, to comp for having to work Labor Day. That will give me a three day weekend this weekend and since I do not have any grass to cut, I will have most of it open to take care of other tasks. Go me!
Work has not been very fulfilling over the past year+. I am still doing a good deal of support for a product that is not very difficult to support, but is very laborious. I also have to support people who speak 4 languages (only one of which I speak) and while the corporate language is my native tongue, the local clients prefer to speak French, Spanish, or Portuguese. Sometime s the language barrier frustrates me so much I want to scream (not at my customers, it is not their fault). I pride myself (which may be why I am frustrated by this) in being able to communicate clearly. With those customers that I cannot understand nor can they understand me, this is very frustrating.
The good news about all of this is that I may not have to do this support in a few months. I was sent an e-mail from a project person in Sweden who says that they have made strides to get this support regionally supported (each local region -- there are six --will support their own, instead of the three regional support teams support the 6 regions) and that made me very happy. Lord, if it is in your will, I am ready!
I have been kicking around the idea of going back to school. I am not sure if it is the right thing to do or not. I am 40, have a few credits (maybe a 1/3) of what I need to get my associates degree and a full schedule. Can I afford the investment in time and money? Can I afford NOT TO? Am I just out of practice of being a student? I have never tested well. Tests intimidate me :) .
There has not been too many things in the news worth blogging about that you will not find in other blogs, so I have not been motivated to write about them.
Just a note on health and nutrition. If you drink energy drinks (like Red Bull, Sobe, Full Throttle, etc) read the label closely. Depending on your body type and health, certain drinks may not provide the level of energy you desire. I have been drinking "Monster" brand energy drinks for a few weeks and think they taste the best as well as give you a great physical boost. I tried Red Jak last night and did not like it at all. It only had about 2/3's the energy blend but it was very tart and not very "drinkable". I have a couple of Monster varieties at the house (Regular, low carb, and Khaos) that I need to try. The low carb should be ok, the Kaos has 70% juice (which is a bonus) and all the energy blend.
BtW, the energy blend Monster uses is made up of Vitamin B6, B12, Guarana, Gensing, Caffeine, L-Carnitine, Taruine, and Inostitol.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Sometimes, I Really Like Texas
And today was one of those times. Actually September is a very good month in Texas. In the heat of summer, you get up to some humidity and the temps are not really very comfortable. In the autumn, you can wake up to low humidity and cooler temperatures, and enjoy coffee, tea, breakfast, etc outside. I do that some times. The days are still somewhat hot (90's) but the mornings are very cool and comfortable. Perfect for coffee on the patio.
I also enjoy the autumn because that is when the hot air balloonists from Dallas, Frisco, Allen, Plano, Parker, Lucas, Richardson, Fairview, etc launch their colorful creations for all of us (who happen to get up early enough) can see. Wake up any Saturday or Sunday morning in the autumn and look in a southerly direction and chances are you will see at least one.
Also, just be warned I had to turn on some anti-spam protection to keep spammers from posting on my blog. I suggest you turn it on as well.
I also enjoy the autumn because that is when the hot air balloonists from Dallas, Frisco, Allen, Plano, Parker, Lucas, Richardson, Fairview, etc launch their colorful creations for all of us (who happen to get up early enough) can see. Wake up any Saturday or Sunday morning in the autumn and look in a southerly direction and chances are you will see at least one.
Also, just be warned I had to turn on some anti-spam protection to keep spammers from posting on my blog. I suggest you turn it on as well.
Friday, September 09, 2005
Sticking Together
I e-mailed a fellow Christian today who is aware of my feelings regarding the anti-Christian bias I have witnessed in the past few weeks. This friends had some comforting words of scripture and told me that while it can be painful, God is the final judge and the offenders will reap what they sow.
Thanx Sunny for lifting my spirits.
BtW, never mess with Sunny. Either he hubby Sig9 will kill you or she will. Both are great shots!
Thanx Sunny for lifting my spirits.
BtW, never mess with Sunny. Either he hubby Sig9 will kill you or she will. Both are great shots!
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Can a Homosexual Be A Christian?
Before you answer yes or no, I would like you to think about something. I will not attempt to change your mind, but I would like to offer you something to think about.
Homosexuality is a sin, I think that most Christians agree on that. While is is not in the Ten Commandments, we have some scripture that says it is not something God approves of:
Leviticus 18:22 - Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
Leviticus 20:13 - If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
I Corinthians 6:9 - Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.
Romans 1:26-27 - Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. (27) In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Both the old testament and new testaments speak against it. Ok, it is a sin. Are they going to Hell? Do not answer that. Read on.
It has been stated that abominable in God's eyes. Greed, sloth, gluttony, murder, adultery, etc are all sins. All equal in God's eyes.
Sins are forgiven if we repent, if we ask for forgiveness. Christians sin all the time. Not always purposely, but we do.wello are wel all going to Hell?
Is homosexuality "just another sin"? Now before people start talking (and that would be the sin of gossip) I am not making any sort of statement about me, my family or anyone I know. I am curious. We have gay ministers and gay parishioners, are they condemned to Hell?
Personally, I am not 100% sure. I know we are called to love every sinner. If we do not love the homosexual sinner, are we ignoring Christ's charge to us? If we condemn them, are we being hypocrites?
I do not have the answers. I have considered both sides of this. I have considered that, as humans, we tend to place sin on a sliding scale. Lying is not as bad as adultery which is not as bad as homosexual behavior or what ever sliding scale you THINK works. It boggles the mind. I do not know what is right, I only know how I feel. I do not believe that homosexual behavior is natural. I realize this is bigoted but I am not going to lie about the way I feel.
Homosexuality is a sin, I think that most Christians agree on that. While is is not in the Ten Commandments, we have some scripture that says it is not something God approves of:
Leviticus 18:22 - Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
Leviticus 20:13 - If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
I Corinthians 6:9 - Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.
Romans 1:26-27 - Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. (27) In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Both the old testament and new testaments speak against it. Ok, it is a sin. Are they going to Hell? Do not answer that. Read on.
It has been stated that abominable in God's eyes. Greed, sloth, gluttony, murder, adultery, etc are all sins. All equal in God's eyes.
Sins are forgiven if we repent, if we ask for forgiveness. Christians sin all the time. Not always purposely, but we do.wello are wel all going to Hell?
Is homosexuality "just another sin"? Now before people start talking (and that would be the sin of gossip) I am not making any sort of statement about me, my family or anyone I know. I am curious. We have gay ministers and gay parishioners, are they condemned to Hell?
Personally, I am not 100% sure. I know we are called to love every sinner. If we do not love the homosexual sinner, are we ignoring Christ's charge to us? If we condemn them, are we being hypocrites?
I do not have the answers. I have considered both sides of this. I have considered that, as humans, we tend to place sin on a sliding scale. Lying is not as bad as adultery which is not as bad as homosexual behavior or what ever sliding scale you THINK works. It boggles the mind. I do not know what is right, I only know how I feel. I do not believe that homosexual behavior is natural. I realize this is bigoted but I am not going to lie about the way I feel.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Something to Chuckle At...
Last night my wife and I got ready to settle down for the night. Our son was at work and would not be home until after midnight. The dogs had been walked and we sleeping on the floor of our bedroom. It had been good day. All the chores we wanted to do had been completed (including the reloading of an old laptop I have decided to give to my wife to learn on) and we even had time to fellowship with 2 couples from church (dinner and 3 episodes of "Firefly" on DVD, which oddly enough my wife LIKES).
The night was winding down. As I slid in to bed, my wife looks over at me, with a smile on her face and says, "Hey honey, you wanna do a little "love talk"? I said, "OK!!", thinking that the night was about to get just a bit more interesting when she says, "No, not THAT, the book. Let's do a few more pages in the book."
We have been reading "Love Talk" a few pages a night as well as completing the optional workbooks we purchased, in hopes that we could enrich and improve our communication with each other. "Love Talk" has been very helpful in many areas and if you read it you will understand why my wife and I had this little misunderstanding. The nice thing about it was as soon as she realized what I THOUGHT she meant, she had a good laugh (actually we both did). I even told her I would blog about it and she had no problems. She is a trooper. I think I will keep her.
The night was winding down. As I slid in to bed, my wife looks over at me, with a smile on her face and says, "Hey honey, you wanna do a little "love talk"? I said, "OK!!", thinking that the night was about to get just a bit more interesting when she says, "No, not THAT, the book. Let's do a few more pages in the book."
We have been reading "Love Talk" a few pages a night as well as completing the optional workbooks we purchased, in hopes that we could enrich and improve our communication with each other. "Love Talk" has been very helpful in many areas and if you read it you will understand why my wife and I had this little misunderstanding. The nice thing about it was as soon as she realized what I THOUGHT she meant, she had a good laugh (actually we both did). I even told her I would blog about it and she had no problems. She is a trooper. I think I will keep her.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Defending Your Faith
If you would have known me 3-4 years ago, you probably would have be surprised at what you saw. While professing to be a Christian, I wore my faith like a patch...I could removed it at will. This behavior caught up to me and allowed me to FINALLY understand why secular people think Christians are hypocrites. Most of us are. I did not say all of us, I said most of us. We have the word of God in our lives only when we want it, not all the time the way God wants it. I was not letting the people I interacted with OUTSIDE of church know what I had professed. I am not 100% sure why I did that at first. Maybe I felt I would not be accepted. Maybe I was somewhat embarrassed. I do not know. What I do know that God convicted me of this behavior and I have not returned. I now defend my faith instead of ignoring the jabs at it. It has been tough at times since I am a people pleaser a big part of the time.
People in the real/physical and Internet world have distanced themselves from me. I am often ignored/ridiculed in secular chat rooms, often to have specific comments made to taunt me into verbal attacks. My web page (which was very popular for some time) has see a 50% drop in traffic in the past 2 years. Work has been different, mostly because we have a few closet Christians who will talk with me now that I have openly professed my faith. However the online world is very harsh at times.
I visit, on a frequent basis, a web board frequented by computer savvy geeks, gamers, and those who have to deal with "users" of pc's, ISP's, and like tech products. I am a very big participant on that board. I enjoy reading many of the posts there and share many of the thoughts the others have. Some of the people there are quite intelligent, however the larger percentage of them are not Christian. As a matter of fact, many are down right hostile to anything Christian. In some ways, I can see their anger. They see the actions of a few overzealous Christians and assume all Christians are the same way. Many times I get involved defending my faith, but more often that not, it turns into a gang up on the one person who has decided to speak up, namely me. I do get a defensive post in my favor every now and then, and I do appreciate it. There are even a few neutrals who jump in and pull some of the radicals off my back. I guess it says a lot when a neutral party has to calm down the scene.
One subtle sign of bias I have noticed is from my old friend, "Flute". Most of us on the board use an "avatar", or a symbolic representation of ourselves that shows up when we post. I have changed mine many times. I have used my picture, the Firefox logo, little animated geeks, geek characatures, and even the logo of the Wildcards on an old Sci-Fi show on Fox, "Space: Above and Beyond" (which by the way was an awesome sci-fi show). However, with my new attitude of my faith, I have simply chosen to use a simple sign of the fish. It has been there for about 3-4 months now. How "Flute" has shown her anti-Christian bias has been to recently change her little 8 bit animated cartoon icon (of a wizard, I think...I am not sure) to the walking "Darwin Fish" that the evolutionists like to taunt Christians with. I am sure the jab is at me since she just started doing this and it is similar to my fish. What she does not know is that I do not care she does it. We are charged to love our enemies. While that would be a tall order for me, I wish her no ill will and tend to ignore her now.
According to those who interact with her, "Flute" has recently moved from the west coast (Seattle area) to Philadelphia and is living with another board member. What really was surprising is that this board member has posted on the board he is a "biblical scholar" and is a lay minister for his church. He also posts to the web board frequently and does not seem to defend the Christian faith when we are attacked on the boards. What is odd is that he prefers to debate other Christians and defend his knowledge (which I must admit is vast. He seems very knowledgeable) instead of defending God's Word. He has even gone as far to publicly post that, "Jesus hung out with hookers and drunks. My guess is he knew how to have a good time." Such a pity. Like my friend Jim who has a gift for cartooning and does nothing with it, this scholar has great knowledge and chooses to defend it rather than God's Word.
I have often been asked, "Why do you keep going back?"
Did Christ run? Did he deny his destiny? No he did not. While I am not Christ, nor perfect like him, we are called to live a life like his. The world needs light. While I cannot change the world, I will plant seeds and if it takes 50 years and only one person I have shared with comes to the Lord, then it is worth it.
Come at me with your slings and arrow, non-believers. God is my armor. In him I trust.
People in the real/physical and Internet world have distanced themselves from me. I am often ignored/ridiculed in secular chat rooms, often to have specific comments made to taunt me into verbal attacks. My web page (which was very popular for some time) has see a 50% drop in traffic in the past 2 years. Work has been different, mostly because we have a few closet Christians who will talk with me now that I have openly professed my faith. However the online world is very harsh at times.
I visit, on a frequent basis, a web board frequented by computer savvy geeks, gamers, and those who have to deal with "users" of pc's, ISP's, and like tech products. I am a very big participant on that board. I enjoy reading many of the posts there and share many of the thoughts the others have. Some of the people there are quite intelligent, however the larger percentage of them are not Christian. As a matter of fact, many are down right hostile to anything Christian. In some ways, I can see their anger. They see the actions of a few overzealous Christians and assume all Christians are the same way. Many times I get involved defending my faith, but more often that not, it turns into a gang up on the one person who has decided to speak up, namely me. I do get a defensive post in my favor every now and then, and I do appreciate it. There are even a few neutrals who jump in and pull some of the radicals off my back. I guess it says a lot when a neutral party has to calm down the scene.
One subtle sign of bias I have noticed is from my old friend, "Flute". Most of us on the board use an "avatar", or a symbolic representation of ourselves that shows up when we post. I have changed mine many times. I have used my picture, the Firefox logo, little animated geeks, geek characatures, and even the logo of the Wildcards on an old Sci-Fi show on Fox, "Space: Above and Beyond" (which by the way was an awesome sci-fi show). However, with my new attitude of my faith, I have simply chosen to use a simple sign of the fish. It has been there for about 3-4 months now. How "Flute" has shown her anti-Christian bias has been to recently change her little 8 bit animated cartoon icon (of a wizard, I think...I am not sure) to the walking "Darwin Fish" that the evolutionists like to taunt Christians with. I am sure the jab is at me since she just started doing this and it is similar to my fish. What she does not know is that I do not care she does it. We are charged to love our enemies. While that would be a tall order for me, I wish her no ill will and tend to ignore her now.
According to those who interact with her, "Flute" has recently moved from the west coast (Seattle area) to Philadelphia and is living with another board member. What really was surprising is that this board member has posted on the board he is a "biblical scholar" and is a lay minister for his church. He also posts to the web board frequently and does not seem to defend the Christian faith when we are attacked on the boards. What is odd is that he prefers to debate other Christians and defend his knowledge (which I must admit is vast. He seems very knowledgeable) instead of defending God's Word. He has even gone as far to publicly post that, "Jesus hung out with hookers and drunks. My guess is he knew how to have a good time." Such a pity. Like my friend Jim who has a gift for cartooning and does nothing with it, this scholar has great knowledge and chooses to defend it rather than God's Word.
I have often been asked, "Why do you keep going back?"
Did Christ run? Did he deny his destiny? No he did not. While I am not Christ, nor perfect like him, we are called to live a life like his. The world needs light. While I cannot change the world, I will plant seeds and if it takes 50 years and only one person I have shared with comes to the Lord, then it is worth it.
Come at me with your slings and arrow, non-believers. God is my armor. In him I trust.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Christian Diversity
As one wanders down the road of Christian life, you will meet many wonderful and interesting people. These people will impact you in some way, however small. The Christian world is so diverse, the spectrum so wide that every day you have the potential of engaging with someone who alters your image of, "a Christian".
Most of my Christian life, the Christians I have met have been servants, with a very big heart to share their faith with those who may not know our Lord as deeply as they do. The Christians I have been used to have been "heart smart", meaning the Word is on their heart and they are not "scholars". I have met a few scholars, and like most people who have spent great amounts of time studying, they are very eager to share their knowledge, but these people also had a degree of "heart smarts" as well, just not as much as the non-scholars.
I had the opportunity to engage a man yesterday who was at first, not appear very knowledgeable in the Word. As a newer Christian, I was moved to share what little I knew with him. It became very evident (very quickly!) that the man was quite knowledgeable in the Word, much more so than I. But something else became evident after engaging him. I appeared to me that this person has spent a degree of time in study of the Word to fill his mind, but that maybe he did not have the gifts of the spirit. He was rather combative when he learned that I did not have the "book smarts" he had. I was getting the impression all he wanted to do was debate.
I will admit I misinterpreted one or 2 comments he made, which may have set him down this path. He did not appear to defend his faith, only his knowledge of it. That is where we are opposites I guess. I realize I do not have the book smarts he has and defend with my heart. He on the other hand has proven his bible knowledge and defends that. I see a bit of pride in his defense, but who among us is without sin? Me? Surely not.
Most of my Christian life, the Christians I have met have been servants, with a very big heart to share their faith with those who may not know our Lord as deeply as they do. The Christians I have been used to have been "heart smart", meaning the Word is on their heart and they are not "scholars". I have met a few scholars, and like most people who have spent great amounts of time studying, they are very eager to share their knowledge, but these people also had a degree of "heart smarts" as well, just not as much as the non-scholars.
I had the opportunity to engage a man yesterday who was at first, not appear very knowledgeable in the Word. As a newer Christian, I was moved to share what little I knew with him. It became very evident (very quickly!) that the man was quite knowledgeable in the Word, much more so than I. But something else became evident after engaging him. I appeared to me that this person has spent a degree of time in study of the Word to fill his mind, but that maybe he did not have the gifts of the spirit. He was rather combative when he learned that I did not have the "book smarts" he had. I was getting the impression all he wanted to do was debate.
I will admit I misinterpreted one or 2 comments he made, which may have set him down this path. He did not appear to defend his faith, only his knowledge of it. That is where we are opposites I guess. I realize I do not have the book smarts he has and defend with my heart. He on the other hand has proven his bible knowledge and defends that. I see a bit of pride in his defense, but who among us is without sin? Me? Surely not.
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