Friday, September 19, 2014

If you take 1 minute to read this prayer, imagine how many prayers are going up for our country.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200419096059329&set=a.1212761278536.2029275.1213896606&type=1&ref=nf

Hi Lord, it’s me. We are getting older and things are getting ...bad here. Gas prices are too high, no jobs, and food and heating costs too high. I know some have taken you out of our schools, government and even Christmas, but Lord I'm asking you to come back and re-bless America. We really need you! There are more of us who want you than those who don't! Thank You Lord, I Love You.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Tale of two brothers - a Tragedy

This is a true, but the identities are hidden to protect people. Two brothers move to a town in the Midwest together. Both raised in the same home, stuck together like glue. Sports fans. Best friends as well as brothers. Then they married.

One brother loved sports more than the other. Raised his children (two) to love sports. They played ball as soon as they could walk. When his children (boy and a girl) grew up they had become accomplished at throwing and catching any ball, of all kinds. They both excelled in High School sports. Whatever they touched they did well at. They both got full ride scholarships at major universities. They both played at divisional sports levels. They both graduated college with degrees in whatever didn't interfere too much with sports. Sports degrees which the NCAA colleges have developed so that the college sports industry of the university isn't interfered with by academics. Now that they are out of college both took a run at the big time. Nothing much happened. Now well into their twenties.. they both have college degrees but what they really know how to do is throw a ball. They are unprepared for life. No direction. Unfocused. Frustrated. Working retail. Dead end. Good athletes with no outlet for what they know how to do.. throw a ball.

The other brother was a small business owner. His kids (a boy and a girl) helped him out as they grew up. Not a big company. Small form contracting. BUT when it came time for college they picked schools that could prepare them for something. Not the fancy division one stuff, focused schools. Both paid their own way, not much debt, worked thru college, got whatever help grants and scholarships as were available. When college was over one had a degree in medicine and the other in business finance. One now works at a high level in a hospital chain for mid six figures (the girl) the other (the boy) makes a good living as a financial services executive. They have carved out significant niches in life.

What is important to remember, this is all about choices made. They were living in the same town, same opportunities, same last name, living 5 miles apart, same age kids, same genders, same birth orders. Yet the outcomes for their kids are radically different.

My caution:

Be careful of the trap of believing in sports as a path for preparation in life. It might be fun to watch, but sports does not prepare you for life.. look at the recent tragic stories in the news. We need to learn to start raising our boys in particular differently. We must stop letting the colleges harvest their physical abilities in exchange for a worthless education and then turning them out to the world unprepared for a lifetime of excellence.

One brother prepared his children for a life and they are living well, the other taught his kids to throw a ball and they are on a downward spiral. The saga of the ex athlete on the street is legendary. It's time to rethink this whole deal. College sports is dangerous to your child's future if you drink the college sports koolaid.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

· Yikes--- no one is taking him seriously at all.


From Tehran to Berlin, commentators are chewing over President Barack Obama’s speech last night on fighting the self-named Islamic State (IS). Mr. Obama’s...
news.yahoo.com|By Chelsea Sheasley

Pictures of life in Iran before the Barbarian Muslims took over


Makes me sad.

Used to be if you needed and odd transistor, resistor or capacitor they had it. No more. AND if you are OLD ENOUGH you will recognized it's predecessor, Tandy Leather. Anyone that old out there?
RadioShack says it may need to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization if it can't rework its debt or find another way to ease a cash crunch.
chicagobusiness.com

Really funny and good

Liberalism is a disease

www.jonmcnaughton.com
We have a disease. It’s infecting every aspect of our society and it’s time we did something about it.
Some of these people I really like and some I don’t, but for the sake of our health, our children and our sanity, we need to take drastic action quickly.
What if we could bring them all together, put them on a deserted island and quarantine them for say a hundred years?
They believe they have all the answers to everything. But every liberal idea I’ve ever seen has led to total failure. If they were right, their new island home would be a utopia before long.
Let’s look at the most liberal communities in the country. New York City, Detroit, Chicago…how are they doing?
Yes, I say let’s quarantine them and let nature take its course.

You might have this disease if you believe:
We should remove guns from law-abiding citizens who have a right to protect themselves, and leave them in the hands of criminals who will acquire the firearms illegally anyway they can. How many gun-free zones do you know that have low murder rates?
The same liberals who are trying to save us, turn around and demand abortion rights for women at the expense of over 53 million human lives.
Raise the national debt to meet the continued demand for welfare and entitlement spending at the expense of our country’s economic future.
Fight a war against terrorism without identifying who the enemy is because of political correctness and then allow illegal aliens to cross the border by the millions.
Provide kid glove treatment to Islamic radicals and unfriendly regimes and then show religious intolerance to Jews and Christians.
Allow a minority of Gay Rights Activists to dictate the definition of marriage and force Christians to comply.
Use environmentalism to thwart the energy interests of Americans at a time of great financial stress and national security.

McNaughton Answers to Liberal Questions
Why are you making fun of these people?
Most of my paintings are serious in nature, (although liberals find them amusing) this one is more of a satire. This means to me, that although it is humorous on the surface, the underlying message is very serious. Liberals use humor relentlessly as a tool to suppress conservative ideas. As always, if my paintings can cause someone to think about or debate the serious issues, it was successful.
Are you selling prints of this?
No, there are copyright restrictions. There are some things more important than money. My hope is to help people wake up to effects of liberalism in America.
Do you think all liberals are bad?
Well, yes, but I’m talking about their ideologies, which are destructive. I have many liberal friends. I know many good people that for some unfortunate reason are infected by the disease.
How did you decide whom to include in the painting?
I chose well-known liberals in different fields that influence Americans every day. There are many more who I could have included that I think are spreading the disease. Perhaps, some liberals will be pleased if they were included in the painting; like a “badge of honor.”
Why is Satan in the painting? Are you saying these people are Satanic??
I don’t know that. Perhaps most of them are just deceived. Satan is what I call the “Number One Liberal.” Liberalism is about control. Satan wants to promise you everything in exchange for your freedom. He uses lies; deceit and compulsion to have you do his bidding. In the end, you are left with nothing. How has any liberal idea ever ended well? It is instant satisfaction at the expense of your soul. Yes, liberalism is a disease.

Please. All you crazies get on the way back machine to the seventh century


I thought this was an interesting thought that I read this morning:
Every week, pastors all over the world are asked to do something that is almost impossible: preach a message to a group of people that includes...
a. Teenagers to seniors
b. Men and women
c. Mature disciples and not-yet-believers
d. The faithful and the skeptical
e. Regular attenders and first-time guests
f. Singles, married, divorced and “it’s complicated”
g. Those who need comfort and those who need a swift kick in the…
Ask pastors what their toughest regular assignment is, and speaking a message that ministers to everyone is at or near the top of the list.
This is something pastors are expected to do—and do well—that no one else is ever asked to do. Not just once, but 45-52 weeks a year.
All while keeping it fresh and new every time.
And while you’re at it, could you be:
a. Non-offensive, but challenging
b. Intellectually rigorous, but emotionally stirring
c. Scripturally based, but culturally relevant
d. Spiritual, but practical
e. Timeless, but current
f. Humorous, but reverent
g. Casual, but life-transforming
h. and keep it under 25 minutes, please?
No wonder the pastoral burnout rate is so high!
And while you’re at it, could you be:
a. Non-offensive, but challenging
b. Intellectually rigorous, but emotionally stirring
c. Scripturally based, but culturally relevant
d. Spiritual, but practical
e. Timeless, but current
f. Humorous, but reverent
g. Casual, but life-transforming
h. and keep it under 25 minutes, please?

This from the not yet President Obama in 2008.

 Easy to Monday morning quarterback. SO how's that working out for ya big guy? This man has no idea what to do... and he is succeeding in knowing nothing.
On my first day in office, I would give the military a new mission: ending this war.
nytimes.com|By By BARACK OBAMA

I was thinking about a church I know that is in collapse mode.

Then the Lord Spoke to me (an impression), you can't have a three legged stool with only two legs any more than build a church on two of the three parts of the trinity. Trinity means three. FATHER SON AND HOLY GHOST. IF one part is missing.. you don't have fullness and it collapses. It's safe and easy to talk about the love of the Father, the propitiation for our sin by the Son but dodging the Infilling of the Holy Spirit by soft teaching and preaching makes a church weak. It's more than telling people they can speak in tongues.. that's a start, a key in the ignition, but it doesn't drive the car. You have to have all the operations of First Corinthians 12 for there to be full life in a church. Or it collapses. Maybe that is why revival tarries.

Does it seem like ISIS is taunting the world.

 Using beheading to cause universal anger and retribution. I have not truly studied the Art of War by Sun Tzu.. but I have a sense there is something in this... I wonder what the game is? Again I read Isaiah chapter 13 today and saw this...

I will stir up the Medes (Kurds) against Babylon, and no amount of silver or gold will buy them off. 18 The attacking armies will have no mercy on the young people of Babylon

  There's something to this. They're trying to bait the U.S. to attack them. When the Brits vacillate being allied with us, ISIS beheads a British citizen. I think they want a boots on the ground all out war, then Russia will defend Assad/Syria. They're hoping that the disenchanted radical Islamists will rise up in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other moderate Muslim states. They're banking on Hamas renewed fighting against the Israeli's in Gaza and hoping that Hezbollah will strike Israel from Lebanon. So while we're all looking at the global war conflagration, they will strike us in the homeland. I think they're trying to cause confusion.

 ISIS may have found Saddam Hussein's WMD's, and want to use them against our “boots on the ground.”

 Vital in this, regarding Sun Zu, is "the ground". ISIS is choosing the ground of engagement. The Art of War states that you never allow the enemy to choose the time and place of engagement. Hit them where "they are not", in a way that they do not expect - and when they run to you, THEY enter the ground that YOU have chosen.


the jaded warrior.liberty.me Sun Tzu wrote in Chapter 8 of The Art of War: "Do not depend on the enemy not coming, but depend upon our readiness against him. Do not depend on the enemy not attacking, but depend on our position...

Even people who don't care about Opera will love this. This kind of singing is beyond normal ability.

I think it's time to move to a state with a average IQ above 50.

 Any electorate that would re elect Pat Quinn is beyond help. The worse economic, social, business and cultural climate in the nation.. and here we are with Quinn leading. Amazing. Of course this is a state that re elected Rob Blagojevich, Jesse Jackson JR and a corrupt city council controlled by mob boss.. Ed Burke. IF people only understood how evil this whole thing is and how Quinn is deeply involved.. but Democrat Voters are ignorant and vote blindly committing Hara-Kiri one cut on a time to the state in which they live. SMH
A new poll shows incumbent Democrat Pat Quinn with a big lead over Republican challenger Bruce Rauner in the race for Illinois governor.
abc7chicago.com

I remember during the first Gulf War how fierce the British Fighters were.

 They were much more aggressive and lethal than the pulled punches American Fighters. Now that we have this whimpy commander in Chief, once again the British will show how it's done. I hope Obama will watch and learn.. although once a whimp always a whimp. http://www.newser.com/story/195867/uk-to-isis-well-hunt-you-for-act-of-pure-evil.html
David Cameron emerged from an emergency meeting this morning with harsh words for Islamic State militants in the wake of yesterday's video that purports to show the beheading of British aid worker... World News Summaries. | Newser
newser.com|By Polly Davis Doig

Didn't he long ago say he was Jesus? Didn't the real Jesus heal folks? I guess Kanye isn't him... I wasn't fooled for a second.


Kanye West is gonna let you finish watching his show, just as soon as everyone in the house stands up—a demand that didn't go over quite so well Friday night in Australia, reports the Independent... Celebrity News Summaries. | Newser
newser.com|By Polly Davis Doig

Time to turn Gaza back into a desert. We can deal with a little radioactivity.

In case his message that only armed jihad can establish a caliphate wasn’t fully understood by his congregation, a Muslim cleric in Gaza drove home his point...
theblaze.com

I just returned from Philadelphia, flew.

. and I've just passed through airport "security" and was impressed to find it vindictive, petty and totalitarian even by normal TSA standards - all in all more than confirming my conclusion that the principal purpose of security theater is to train formerly free people to behave as a bovine compliant herd.

Heard in a great sermon today

... you don't have to do anything to get "LIKES" from God. He isn't grading you. He loves you even before you DO anything. Stop trying so hard to get God to like you.. He cannot Like or LOVE you more than He already does. Anyone who tells you different is being religious.