David Brooks is no Conservative

David Brooks was just in our area. I know many went to see him. He is no conservative. He is is critical of the conservative movement. He may be good for the Republican party. But he is a liberal.

His type of politics will be the death knell of the Republican party. We need a new party. We need a party of true fiscal and social conservatives. These are secularists without a compass, moral or otherwise. They do not understand what is happening to our country. They are oblivious. Unfortunately these left wing republican in name only interlopers get a voice. Sometimes they even sucker in the weak.

David Brooks does not speak for me or any conservative I know of. He speaks for a lukewarm middle of the road republicanism that has no future in this country. They are guppies suckered in by the philosophy that if we are nice the left will like us and might vote for us. That's why we had McCain, he was a classic middle of the road, reach across the Aisle republican. If it were NOT for Sarah Palin he would have been beaten 2-1. I was embarrassed for him the other day when he asked the Helicopter question of Pres Obama. He should resign and retire and let a real conservative take his place. We will never win the hearts and minds of the population being phony conservatives. We learned that in Illinois when Judy Barr Topinka tried to become governor against a flawed incumbent, Blago. No center. No Values.

David Brooks has a philosophical representation of why the Republican Party will fail and a Conservative movement must arise. Or we will never win another election. This is a crime. Mary Matlin was on the Today Show. Here is an interview where she is asked about David Brooks. She nails it:

On Thursday's "Today" show NBC's Meredith Vieira invited on former George W. Bush assistant Mary Matalin to discuss the excessive spending in Barack Obama's budget, and the interview got off to a promising start as Vieira actually asked Matalin, "Do you see it as a disaster in the making?" However the segment quickly turned sour when Vieira cited a critique of Bobby Jindal's post-Obama address response by New York Times columnist David Brooks and claimed: "Conservatives were criticizing him for stale ideas. He didn't say anything, nothing new." Matalin ably defended the Louisiana governor as seen in the following exchange:

MEREDITH VIEIRA: You know, you talk about a united Republican Party, but I want to read to you something that David Brooks said, now he's a conservative columnist. This was after governor Bobby Jindal gave the response to President Obama's speech on Tuesday. Brooks said, "To come up at this moment in history with a stale "Government is the problem. We can't trust the federal government." It's just a disaster for the Republican Party. The country is in a panic right now." And he went on to suggest that the party is out of touch with where this country is and where it is headed. So, you do not agree with what he said?

MARY MATALIN: No, I don't, and I live in Louisiana now, as you know, and Bobby Jindal is an extraordinary public servant. He's the greatest public policy innovator in the country today, and that isn't what he said. That's David Brook's rendition of it. Who, who's a friend. But his, Bobby Jindal has made more progress in Louisiana in the shortest period of time in the history of the state and probably in the country. Education reform and, and ethics reform. Everything that put Louisiana downscale is now one of the top states in the country. What people who are objecting to, about Governor Jindal's presentation was the presentation itself. And you know, demonstrably he was much stronger on "Meet the Press" and much stronger on the "Today" show than he was in front of a teleprompter. I think if you want to take the measure of a man, I'd rather see him be able go up against you than stand in front of a teleprompter.

VIEIRA: But you know Mary it wasn't just that. It was, again conservatives were criticizing him for stale ideas. He didn't say anything, nothing new.

MATALIN: No, these are not stale ideas. These are the essence of the, of fiscal conservatism upon which this country was founded and prospered and he is applying in, in the state of Louisiana. What is an old idea that's never worked in the history of this country or any other is government growing, which does not create wealth. It discourages investment and wealth creation. And the, they call, they're calling those ideas stale, but those are the only ones in the history of this country that have created prosperity. It worked for Kennedy, it worked for Reagan, it worked, it got us out of the last recession, and it's the only thing that's gonna grow this economy again.

Unblogrolling Activity

I revised my blogroll today. Not a big deal to anyone but me.

One was little green footballs who has become campaign headquarters for conservative atheism. Why would I consider blogrolling him? I no longer do.

The other will remain anonymous except to those who might notice he's gone. It's a man who I thought had spiritual depth and discernment who now it appears has neither. I'm saddened by this. He has gone far off the deep end. His spirit has become entangled with the world so much he no longer knows who he even is as a Christian. I wrote about him recently, about his slow slide into apostasy. I remember the last time I was with him. He talked so loud and so fast that no one else in the conversation got a word in edgewise. It was at that point I knew something was wrong. It was. I hope he comes back to the Father.

So long to these sad people. The good news is I have added a couple of real sparklers. Alan Knox is one of those. Read his blog. He's a breath of fresh air.

It's spring and it was time to do a little house cleaning.

The net effect of Taxes on the Rich

Below is a copy of a letter sent (allegedly) to the employees of a large firm. I have the man's phone number. You can call and ask him if he sent it.

When I heard President Obama say he was about to raise taxes on the Rich I laughed. I know rich. I have been rich. I know what happens when Rich in America no longer works, you go elsewhere. There are always little dominions who welcome rich folks to bring their riches.

Ask Mark Rich.

In any case, this letter is a warning to government. They won't listen. They think they are smarter than the rich. They are smarter than the near rich. But the the true rich will get wheels when the going gets tough. They don't need this. And, they don't need to sit around and have you pick their pockets. This letter was sent to a larger companies employees:

My dear fellow Workers:

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You’ve seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I’m sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what you don’t see is the back story.

I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn’t have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business—hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hit ting the Nordstrom’s for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the Goodwill store extracting any clothing item that didn’t look like it was birthed in the 70’s. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don’t. There is no “off” button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden—the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations… You never realize the back story and the sacrifices I’ve made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I’ve paid is steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don’t pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. Yo u know what my “stimulus” check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why should you? That’s nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don’t understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn’t need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don’t defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.

So where am I going with all this?

It’s quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child’s future. Frankly, it isn’t my problem any more.

Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I’m done. I’m done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about….

Signed,

Any good successful businessman or woman could sign this letter. And even if they don't, they do in their heart. What NOW??

Advice on Surviving this Great Depression from an 87 year Old Mother

Chuck Norris has written an article you should read. It's about how we must learn to live like they did during the 30s. That government can't and won't help you. This advice came from His 87 Year old Mother:

Here's her advice, in her words:

-- "Get back to the basics. Simplify your life. Live within your means. People have got to be willing to downsize and be OK with it. We must quit borrowing and cut spending. Be grateful for what you have, especially your health and loved ones. Be content with what you have, and remember the stuff will never make you happy. Never. Back then, we didn't have one-hundredth of what people do today, and yet we seemed happier than most today, even during the Great Depression.

-- "Be humble and willing to work. Back then, any work was good work. We picked cotton, picked up cans, scrap metal, whatever it took to get by. Where's that work ethic today? If someone's not being paid $10 an hour today, they're whining and unwilling to work, even if they don't have a job. The message from yesteryear is don't be too proud to do whatever it takes to meet the financial needs of your family.

-- "Be rich in love. We didn't have much. In fact, we had nothing at all, compared to people today, but we had each other. We were poor, but rich in love. We've lost the value of family and friends today, and we've got to gain it back if we're ever to get back on track. If we lose all our stuff and still have one another and our health, what have we really lost?

-- "Be a part of a community. Today people are much more alone, much more isolated. We used to be close with our neighbors. If one person had a bigger or better garden or orchard, they shared the vegetables and fruits with others in need. Society has shifted from caring for one another to being dependent upon government aid and welfare. That is why so many today trust in government to deliver them. They've forgotten an America that used to rally around one another in smaller clusters, called neighborhoods and communities. We must rekindle those local communal fires and relearn the power of that age-old commandment, 'Love thy neighbor.'

-- "Help someone else. We never quit helping others back then. Today too many people are consumed with their own problems and only helping themselves. 'What's in it for me?' is the question most are asking. But back then, it was, 'What can I do to help my neighbor, too?' I love Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life, and especially his thought, 'We were created for community, designed to be a blessing to others.' Most of all, helping others gets our minds off of our problems and puts things into better perspective.

-- "Lean upon God for help and strength. We didn't just have each other to lean on, but we had God, too. We all attended church and belonged to a faith community. Church was the hub of society, the community core and rallying point. Today people turn to government the way we used to turn to churches. It's been that way ever since Herbert Hoover's alleged promise of a 'chicken in every pot' and President Roosevelt's New Deal. Too many have abandoned faith and community. We trust in money more than God. And maybe that's a reason why we're in this economic pickle."

Now that's conventional wisdom that should be shouted and posted in every corridor of government, every community across America, and every blog on the Internet.

Call me overly pragmatic, but I think a little practical wisdom and encouragement is what we all need about now. Mom always was good for that. She still is.

I always assumed that if we could just go back and live as simply as a nation as we did in 1954 we would be OK. At one time I considered writing a book called living like it's 1954. Maybe we would be better able to weather the storm if we dialed back a bit.

I have some amazing older people who read this blog. What advice do you have, not for me, it's too late for me, for younger people. How then shall we live?

The Sharp Tounge of Ann Coulter bites again

Yes she's funny, sharp tongued and eviscerates liberals everywhere. Sort of a good looking Conservative Molly Ivins.

Her last missive, THE CAL RIFKIN PRESIDENT is classic Coulter. You must read it where she says in part:

Are we going to have to hear about this for the next four years? Obama is becoming the Cal Ripken Jr. of presidents, making history every time he suits up for a game.

Recently, Obama also became the first African-American president to order a ham sandwich late at night from the White House kitchen! That's going to get old pretty quick.

But as long as the nation is obsessed with historic milestones, is no one going to remark on what a great country it is where a mentally retarded woman can become speaker of the house?
..................
With an additional eight years of a public school education under their belts, Americans fall from the 92nd percentile in science to the 29th percentile. While American fourth-graders are bested only by South Korea and Japan in science, by 12th grade, the only countries the American students can beat are Lithuania, Cyprus and South Africa.

Which suggests that if public education were extended all the way through college, by the time a student gets to graduate school he might very well be qualified to be ... speaker of the house!

Read the whole thing if you dare.

A half Billion of us under Investigation

It's all good. Pentecostals are going to be studied. All 500 million of us. I'll be interested to see what they say. Here is the background:

"Our goal is to inspire research partnerships around the globe and fund projects that will shape the discussion for years to come," said Donald Miller, executive director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture, and author of Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement. "We are interested in understanding why Pentecostalism is growing so rapidly, what impact it is having on society, and how it is different in various cultural settings."

Representing approximately 500 million adherents around the world, Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity is distinguished both by its powerful forms of worship, prayer, and manifestation of the Spirit, and its entrepreneurial drive generating profound social, cultural, and economic changes. Sustained academic research by sociologists, anthropologists, economists, political scientists, and other scholars is necessary to understand the significant growth and impact of this religious movement.

By the way, there are far more than 500 million of us. Lots of people in Africa, India and China.

You can only study those you can find. I think the real number is closer to a billion than not.

A movie of Impact - Fireproof

Last Saturday night 200 people came out to Church to watch this movie. It was a blockbuster. The best I have ever seen on marriage. I recommend it if you haven't seen it. Go rent it. Peggy and I did on Valentines Night. Now we have seen it 3 times. It moves me every time.



February 20, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Meet Alex Kendrick, a man of unshakeable faith in God, whose incredible success both in filmmaking and publishing can only be described as miraculous. Alex has six children, the eldest age ten and the sixth due to be born in April. He and his brother Stephen have no professional training in film and writing and are in full time ministry at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.

The pair's third film, "Fireproof," starring Kirk Cameron of Growing Pains fame, was the highest-grossing independent film of 2008, with over $33 million in theatre sales, beating out such films as Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (starring Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz), and "Milk," starring Sean Penn.

That success is all the more stunning considering the film was made with an all-volunteer, 1,200-person cast and crew, drawn mostly from Sherwood Baptist church. Fireproof is the third major film venture by the church's volunteer production crew, dubbed Sherwood Pictures. "Flywheel," produced in 2004, has sold 200,000 DVDs. "Facing the Giants," in 2006, earned $10.1 million at the box office and has sold more than 1.6 million DVDs in 58 countries, in 14 languages.

Apart from the films, the Kendrick brothers have produced a book on strengthening marriages, which is currently sitting at number one on the New York Times bestseller list. The Love Dare book, as it's called, now has 2.2 million copies in print, and the book itself was a plot device in the film Fireproof.

But far more than the box office success, Kendrick cherishes the spectacular results of the book and film in terms of lives touched. Thousands of emails and testimonials report relationships restored, marriages saved, love recaptured, and divorces dissolved. The film and book give inspired step by step advice on working to salvage a marriage, even tackling the rampant yet rarely discussed marriage-killer, pornography.

LifeSiteNews.com spoke with Alex Kendrick, finding he was more than willing to share the secret of his success - God. Kendrick, who opened each filming session with prayer, told LifeSiteNews.com that his deep faith came from the example of his parents.

"We have a dad and a mom who have really been consistent in their faith," he said. "My father was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1984, had a brief time when he sank into depression and determined that he was going to praise God either way. That you don't just praise God when He blesses you, you praise Him because He is God. And that was a lesson that I watched him live out. And that has a lot to do with the way we make movies today."

Kendrick's second film, "Facing the Giants," has as its theme just that - praising God in good times and bad.

"We did not have to deal with any of the common issues in families - drinking, drugs or immoral material. We didn't have to deal with any of that," said Kendrick. "My father decided when he was a young man, after seeing those types of things wreck the former generations in my family, he decided he was going to be sold out to the Lord."

"Fireproof" deals with eliminating from family life such harmful items or behaviors, including pornography. The controversial subject was handled in the film for the sake of adults, but in a sensitive fashion so as to leave children virtually oblivious to it. LSN asked Kendrick about taking on that touchy topic.

"Well," he said, "in ministry, you tend to deal with re-occurring problems among your members and even in the community and because of cable television and the internet, men can get away with looking at immoral material by piping it into their homes. They don't have to sneak into a store and buy a magazine any more. ... As we studied and got counsel from professional counselors and as we studied what it did to marriages and families, we just realized how devastating it is and that pornography has become one of the primary reasons that couples get divorced."

The natural question for fans of the films is what's up next. But in answer to that, Kendrick could only respond with his own version of the cliché "God only knows." But for Kendrick it's no cliché, it's just a fact. "I do not have any pre-conceived notions about what all our movies are going to be about," he said. He described the process as going through a "season of prayer" where the brothers ask: "God, what would you have us to do."

As to what the brothers are up to now, the Lord, he says, has told them to, "Get your house in order." With six young children, and his brother's four, the heavenly advice is sensible. He explained we are "just pouring into our children and our families and making sure that physically and spiritually we are the healthiest that we can be."

Kendrick explained that between him and Stephen, and another brother, they have 15 children. Asked about his views on large families and contraception, he replied: "You know what, my wife and I have made all of those decisions seeking God's word and seeking Him in prayer and He has always been very clear. So, for us, He has always lain on our heart what he says in Scripture, 'Be fruitful and multiply' and 'The Children are a blessing of the Lord.' We decided that we wanted a full quiver and it is in His hands. He says very clearly in Scripture that He is the one that opens and closes the womb and so we have rejoiced in the family that He has given us."

Those interested in the book or films are directed to these websites:
http://www.fireproofthemovie.com
http://www.lovedarebook.com

Rampant Atheist Evangilism is Everywhere these days

Sounds kinda weird. Doesn't it. Yet, there is a concerted movement to evangelize on behalf of atheists. WHY? I will explain. First so you understand, according to them, if you are a Christian you are misled. Never fear, there is a woman who will save you. She is a Psychologist. Convinced that all the ills in the world would be solved if she were to wipe out the Love of Jesus by Christians. So she enters into full on Atheist Evangelism.

Here is her 7 step program to get you off that drug - Jesus:

1. Get Real.
Be honest with yourself about whether your religion is working for you. Let go of trying to force it to make sense. Have a look at life and the world AS IT IS, and stop trying to live in a parallel universe. This world might not be perfect but facing reality will help you get your life on track. If you feel guilty, realize that the religion teaches you to feel responsible when it isn’t working and tells you to go back and try harder, just like an abusive relationship.

2. Get a Grip.
Don’t panic. The fear you feel is part of the indoctrination. All those messages about what will happen to you if you leave the religion are a self-serving part of the religion. If you calm down, you’ll be just fine. Many people have been through this.

3. Get Informed.
Do everything you can to educate yourself. You are free to read and expose yourself to all the knowledge in the world – history, philosophy, other religions, mythology, anthropology, biology, psychology, sociology, and more. In particular, read about how the Bible was put together and church history. Read authors who have explained why they deconverted. Many websites have deconversion stories and helpful reading lists.

4. Get Help.
Find support in any way you can. Explore online forums to discuss issues with others leaving their religion. Join a supportive group in your area. If necessary, find a therapist who understands or go to a recovery retreat. Do the work to heal the wounds of religious abuse.

5. Get a Life.
Rebuild your life around new values and engage fully with your choices. Develop your identity as you learn to love and trust yourself. Take responsibility and create the life that works for you – in work, family, leisure, social – all the areas of commitment that make a life structure. If you still want a spiritual life, define it for yourself. Venture into the “world” for new experiences and new friends. This will take time but you can do it.

6. Get With the Program.
Welcome to the human race. Accept the idea that Earth is your home and humanity is your true family. If you aren't part of a special group that is leaving, consider what that means for you. You may want to participating in larger concerns to make the world a better place, such as caring for the environment or working for social justice. Let go of expecting God to take care of all the problems. You can begin with knowing your neighbors.

7. Get Your Groove On.
Reclaim enjoyment of sensation and pleasure as you relax with the idea of being an animal like all the others on Earth. Learn to be present here and now. Discover all the ways to appreciate nature. Enjoy and love other people instead of judging. Reclaim your creativity and express yourself any way you like, not just to “glorify God.” Love your body and take care of it. Embrace this life instead of worrying about the next. Sing and dance and laugh for no reason except Being Alive.


Marlene Winell, Ph.D., is a psychologist who works in religious recovery, and the author of Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion. Information about counseling services and weekend retreats can be found at marlenewinell.net

I'm sure you will all be signing up.

I have puzzled about this. This is NOT a republican or democrat issue. Not left or right. Not liberal or conservative. There is a huge conservative atheist movement.

Just the other day one of the spokesmen for the movement said the following: "No creationist will or can be elected President of the USA". That belief in a creator God and his creation as opposed to evolution would automatically preclude any potential President from election.

No avowedly creationist Republican candidate will be elected President of the United States. Not. Gonna. Happen. And if that creationist Republican candidate is far superior with respect to governing philosophy and executive experience and skills, as he or she may well be, it will be so much the worse for the country. Sorry Bobby, Tim & Mark. Republicans: Do NOT try this electoral experiment. Please!

I guess that would preclude Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W Bush and perhaps if my guess is right, Barack Obama. Why the objection, why the rabid atheism, why the intense atheist evangelism. I asked my close personal friends why atheist evangelism at the level it exists even finds a voice? Actually these are compiled comments, but they are good.

Here are their conclusions:

• It must be very freeing to meander through life with the knowledge that you are basically the same as a shrub, a clam or a squirrel.
• With no God, there is no devil -- ergo, there is no wrong. Do what you want when you want to whomever you want. That becomes situational ethics which is a corrupt, immoral lifestyle.
• Atheists spend a lot of time thinking about the motives for belief. Why do religious people believe these ridiculous things? When you turn the tables on atheists and ask them why they don't believe, they will answer, "Because we don't have enough evidence. We don't believe because there's no proof." But if you think about it, this is an inadequate explanation, because if you truly believe that there is no proof for God, then you're not going to bother with the matter. You're just going to live your life as if God isn't there.
  
• ......If you really look at the motivations of contemporary atheists, you'll find that they don't even really reject Christian theology. It's not as if the atheist objects to the resurrection or the parting of the sea; rather, it is Christian morality to which atheists object, particularly Christian moral prohibitions in the area of sex. The atheist looks at all of Christianity's "thou shalt nots"—homosexuality is bad; divorce is bad; adultery is bad; premarital sex is bad—and then looks at his own life and says, "If these things are really bad, then I'm a bad guy. But I'm not a bad guy; I'm a great guy. I must thus reinterpret or (preferably) abolish all of these accusatory teachings that are putting me in a bad light."
• I have never understood why atheists are so obsessed with God. Bill Maher mentions God more often than practicing Christians do during public events.
• I first noticed this when I used to post on "Yahoo Answers" in the category of "religion and spirituality". I was shocked to find that 50% of the participants in that sub-category were atheists. The atheists were constantly mocking, discrediting and insulting people of faith. Also, I have been insulted and then banned from a liberal web-site because I posted about creation.
• I never understood why people who don't believe in God, spend so much time and energy discussing God. Why are they so emotional invested in trying to prove that there is no higher meaning to life and that God does not exist?
• Methinks they doth protest too much.
• It's because they are angry at God. They are so angry that they attempt to hurt God and destroy whatever He is involved in.
• When you think about it, people don't act that way towards things that aren't real. How many organizations are out there to prove that the tooth fairy doesn't exist?
• Why are atheists so emotionally invested in the issue of God? Because they have unresolved issues with their father. Daddy stuff is very personal. And when you're so angry with your father that you take the issue cosmic, you're looking at a defiant and unstable personality. A personality so disturbed that a battle rages on most everywhere, most all the time.

What makes it more interesting is this post from Ace of Spades. You will want to read this whole thing.

The more I see of Atheist Evangelism, the more desperate they seem. Not knowing God eventually must lead to emotional imbalance in my opinion.

HOWCOME??

Why as Pastor I never wanted to know what people gave

It will dishearten you:

While Wall Street continues to endure a string of high-profile scandals and plummeting markets, a church in nearby Queens, N.Y., has decided to tackle its financial difficulties by making things personal-a little too personal for most of its members.

Two weeks ago St. Luke's Church in Whitestone, Queens, began publishing a breakdown of members' tithes and offerings in the weekly bulletin. Though the listing doesn't name any specific names, it reveals how much was given in each offering envelope and how many gave similar amounts.

For instance, last week's printed "announcement" indicated a weekly collection of $8,527 from 661 donations. Of those, 21 parishioners gave only $1. The majority of givers tossed $5 in the offering plate, with $10 coming in second place as the most popular amount given.

"It just left a bad taste in my mouth," said one 20-something churchgoer. "What someone gives is their personal business. They shouldn't be made to feel bad that they're on the lower end of the spectrum."

Many members argued that offering such public financial disclosure was not only embarrassing but also seemed like a ploy to get people to give more. "I think it will embarrass some people a bit," said Fred Peterson, 82, a parish member since 1951. "Their names aren't on there, which would be really bad. But privately, people may be embarrassed."

But St. Luke pastor John Tosi said the reason was more for financial transparency than to shame individuals. "The idea was to let them know where our money comes from and where it's going, which is important," Tosi said. "We're not embarrassing anybody, we're not judging anybody," he added. And if the efforts causes a parishioner to reach deeper into his pockets, "That's not such a bad reaction, is it?" [nypost.com, 2/22/09]

Gaining your Voice

I was at a ministry event today. For 6 hours. Ministries from all over the area.

During it the question was asked regarding future events. I held my piece. Then as time went on, with a hundred or so people in significant ministries in the room I shared what the Lord is showing me about the future. In detail. A pin dropping would have been heard.

Arlene came to me, (remember these are not Pentecostals but Evangelicals) and after hearing what I said commented, "You are prophesying". I said nothing. Then she said (she runs one of the largest homeless shelters in the whole of Chicagoland) I know you are a prophet, no one speaks like that unless they are one. God has great plans and a future for her significant ministry. I gave her the encouragement she needed to hear. She is in tune with where God is headed in her ministry.

I confessed that many have acknowledged the prophetic gift God has given me. That people call me "Prophet Gene".

She asked me to come and at some point share with her people what God is saying to the Body of Christ about the future and her ministry.

I will do that.

I was reminded of the truth of something said at this meeting: You gain your voice when you are at your highest God Given Competence heard in your Greatest Circle of Influence.

It's true. I have associates in ministry who for one reason or another do not embrace the prophetic gift brought by yours truly. That's OK, but that means they have succeeded in doing what Jezebel did, silencing the prophet.

On the other hand, there are people who are not at their highest and best competence but who have circles of influence where they exercise their gifts without the anointing. This happens in pulpits all across the Body of Christ every week.

So, if you want to gain your voice in ministry, look for people who will embrace the gift you bring in your highest and best God Given Competence and you will gain your voice.

If they haven't ears to hear, shake off the dust. Move on.

Stupid people with agendas convene to talk about stupid things

I don't get it. I don't know why I am wasting precious electrons commenting on the Energy Summit Obama convened. What dopes.

All these people were part of the summit. What makes you think any of them has a clue or is agenda free. We will never ever be energy free or engage alternatives when you have people like this trying to solve the problem.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and
John Podesta, President Bill Clinton's White House chief of staff, co-chair of President Barack Obama's transition team, and president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Moderated by former Sen. Tim Wirth (D-Colo.),
President Clinton,
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.),
Nobelist and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu,
Nobelist and former Vice President Al Gore, and
oilman T. Boone Pickens.

The stated goal of the summit was to discuss the policies needed to construct a national smart grid to support new renewable energy generation and transmission, as well as how to best wean America off of foreign oil. In reality, the summit was a made-for-media event designed to show the breadth of the coalition pushing for a comprehensive federal green energy policy. Other participants included
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney,
Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern,
Wal-Mart Chairman Lee Scott,
American Wind Energy Association CEO Denise Bode,
National Rural Electrification Cooperative Association CEO Glenn English,
Sierra Club CEO Carl Pope,
Owens Corning CEO Michael Thaman,
Robert Kennedy from the Natural Resources Defense Council,
American Electric Power CEO Michael Morris, and
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners President Fred Butler.

Now look over that list carefully. Very carefully. See any agendas? See any Payoffs to Unions? See any government as savior folks? See any political hacks? See any crackpots like Gore and Kennedy?

Where are the REAL experts? Not in this list.

It was just blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda. I had hoped for more from Obama. Looks like it's business as usual.

Oh, and by the way, ditto for the stupid Economic Summit. Political Hacks and goofballs. Where was Warren Buffet. Bill Gates? Where are the smart people or do we have to put up with wackos like Charlie Rangle soon to be imprisoned crackpot in the front row.

I wanted hope and change. I didn't vote for him, so I didn't get it. Neither did anyone who did.

The one person who scares me the most

I'm pretty fearless. I don't tremble, demons do. But this scares me. This person is Speaker of the House of Representatives, second in line if something happens to the President and the Vice President, the author of the Stimulus bill that is ravishing the USA. I need no other horror show than this.

Stock Market Wisdom

The market fell a lot today.

The further it falls, the more certain and intense will the rally be when it comes.

It's all psychology.

When the market starts to go north for whatever reason, the market will suddenly seem cheap. People will think they will miss the bottom if they don't buy in now. Money will be looking for a safe haven. Piling on will start. Irrational optimism will replace irrational pessimism. The market will zoom up. Probably to 10,500-11,000. Then caution will take over at those levels. Market will level. Bad news will hit at some point and....

The problem is, it won't and can't stay. The psychology can't sustain it. This will be a mini Kondratiev blow off and a crash once more.

The decline will happen for real and for a long time stay there (years, maybe a decade), Winter is here marketwise.

Maybe I misunderstood the order of things

The Bible says, "the fool hath said in his heart there is no God".

I have been watching the flailing around of Mr Bill Maher. Probably an intelligent man. But, he is a fool. Not because he is an atheist. That's foolish enough. But because he is acting like a fool.

He's miffed because he didn't get an Oscar nod for his anti God movie "Religulous". Hey Bill, maybe it was just a badly done film.....

You just aren't that good. Or that smart.

I wonder if a fool says in his heart there is no god or if a person who says in their heart there is no god becomes a fool. Chicken and Egg. Horse and Cart.

Just wondering.

Freud Strikes Again

This morning I mentioned something to Peggy about the NEWS MURDIA. Of course I meant the media. But, murdia may be a better description.

If you, or more important it I spend too much time watching and focusing on the things going on in the Media can Murder the hope in my Spirit.

News Murdia.... Seems about right................

OK, this is one of the COOLEST ideas ever

I have been aware of the technology that via the Internet allowed people to play music together at a distance. That in fact duets, quartets, even whole orchestra's can be connected and play one song as if they were in the same room. There is even a Jam Session website where if you have a computer and an instrument you can play with others live in real time.

This video appears to be that. According to my friend Chuck it is not exactly as I envisioned. Yet, it could be. Or should be. Read the comments. Here's a little info on the technology.

I think it is one of the most interesting applications of a technology. What impresses me most is how they all seem to give each other room as they play. It's a study in proper ensemble protocol.

Watch this, Stand by Me played by the world.

Jokes really stupid people laugh at or are offended by

I had missed this. Christopher Hitchens on Bill Maher's Show says:

I've been on the Jon Stewart show, I've been on your show, I've seen you make about five George-Bush-IQ jokes per night. There's no one I know who can't do it. You know what I think? - this is now the joke that stupid people laugh at. It's the joke that any dumb person can laugh at because they think that they ... can prove they're smarter than the president (like the people that make booing and mooing noises in your audience ... none of whom are smarter than the president).

[The transcription is mine - see original video here - at approx. 1:50]

I have watched the fake news shows, Colbert, Stewart, Maher, Letterman, Maddow, Olberman and a hundred wannabes who's only joke is George Bush is Dumb. Now, with Bush off the scene, Sarah Palin is dumb. That the whole joke. Nothing more.

While Mr Hitchens and I may not share a common faith, we share a common sense.

People who have no repertoire other than making fun of politicians with whom they disagree are stupid indeed. Those people are telling the Jew Jokes, the Norwegian Jokes, the Amos and Andy negro jokes of our modern age. George Bush and Sarah Palin walk into a bar......

HA?

They aren't funny and they aren't clever. They telegraph bad things about the people who watch them, the people who unthinkingly unanimously voted for Barack Obama because the jokesters told them to.

These are the same people who are all thin skinned and upset over a chimp cartoon. Never mind that Bush was pilloried as Chimpy Mc Chimpy thru his whole administration. That was OK. There's even a website dedicated to making fun of GWB as a Chimp.

I’m sure the audience for these shows is packed with Harvard MBAs who can fly jet fighters. No doubt many have been general managers of major league baseball franchises and quadrupled their value. The audience must be wall-to-wall with former two-term governors of large states and former two-term presidents of the United States. And you can bet most of these people in the audience have liberated 50 million people from tyranny.

People who watch these shows are unthinking drones who have no ability to acquire objective information and do their own synthesis of an original idea. Sheep

Just ridicule. That's all they know. Jokermen..

Bob Dylan, the great prophet, wrote of this:

Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune,
Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

So swiftly the sun sets in the sky,
You rise up and say goodbye to no one.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread,
Both of their futures, so full of dread, you don't show one.
Shedding off one more layer of skin,
Keeping one step ahead of the persecutor within.

Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune,
Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

You're a man of the mountains, you can walk on the clouds,
Manipulator of crowds, you're a dream twister.
You're going to Sodom and Gomorrah
But what do you care? Ain't nobody there would want to marry your sister.
Friend to the martyr, a friend to the woman of shame,
You look into the fiery furnace, see the rich man without any name.

Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune,
Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

OK - OK, I know he's not a great prophet, he just sings and writes like one sometimes.

Love Joy and Peace from an Icon of the left

Bill Maher, radical leftist crackpot has a solution to the economic crisis. I'm sure he's already advising Obama. Read this:

On the 2009 debut of his HBO show Real Time on Friday night, Bill Maher proposed his new solution for the economic crisis: legalize marijuana. In an interview with Rep. Ron Paul, he lectured: "When FDR came into office in '33, one of the first things he did was repeal Prohibition. He said we can’t afford this any more."

Paul was puzzled, so Maher continued: "When he was making radical changes, he said ‘look, we’re serious now. We’re gonna get serious, and people like liquor." Well, in this country, people love pot...[applause]...and if we ended that Prohibition, it’d be a giant boon of money."

He had an utterly straight face, no smirk. Paul denounced all the drug laws to such effect that Maher went back to joking. "Amen, stoner," he said to Paul.

Maher ended his show with another stirring solution to the financial crisis: executing two random rich guys to set an example: "If we killed two random, rich greedy pigs; blew them up at halftime at next year’s Super Bowl. Or left them hanging on the big board at the New York Stock Exchange, you know, as a warning, with their balls in their mouths, I think it would really make everyone else sit up and take notice."

That last image just makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.


I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT ANYONE ON THE PLANET THINKS I ENDORSE THIS NUTCASE OR HIS IDEAS. I'M MAKING HIM THE FOOL HE IS. Just for clarification.

Steve, however, I actually agree with you. Other anon. Helloooo?

Obama beats out Jesus as Hero - This is just getting silly

I have been poking fun at the Messiah Worship of Barack Obama by the Undiscerning left. The Sun Times has now confirmed that he is is Number One among those folks.


Here's the problem, it isn't with Obama. If I were him I would be embarrassed. He is trying to manage the problem by lowering expectations.

He can't save you, he can't heal you, he can't get you to heaven, he can't forgive your sins. He's just a man. This is pure and simple idolatry. I would fear for him, God is a Jealous God. Having other gods before Him is bad for the Idol. See Dagon. See Priests of Baal. It's not good.

The Death of The American Lutheran Church ELCA

Now the decline starts. The ELCA is going to ordain openly homosexual pastors.

I guess the lessons of the Anglican Episcopal Church have been lost on leadership.

Everything from here on out is down hill.

Watching a slow slide into apostacy

I have a man I consider a friend. Someone I have had a good relationship with. I don't think he reads this blog anymore. I am concerned about him.

Over the last couple years I have watched him slowly but surely slip into apostasy. Not all at once. It's never all at once. Just drip drip drip drip....

No crisis initiated this. Some people become apostate as Darwin did at the loss of a child. No, this apostasy comes from pollution. Nothing horrible to start with. Just continuing to pour worldly things into his spirit until now he has hardened his heart towards God. Too many books. Too many movies. Too much TV. Too much sports (yes sports can become a God replacer) and too much politics. The last one is one I have to watch. I can go over the top in that area.

I would speak to him about this, but he's not ready to hear. He's the classic frog in the pot that is beginning to boil.

Part of his spiritual demise is his intellect. He's a very smart man. So much so that he believes he can play Russian roulette in the spirit and just dump anything in there and his intellect will save him. It won't. It can't.

He has a blog, I see by his blog that he is beginning to have others question his drift. I will stay out of it. He no longer hears my input. He has succumbed to the spirit of Jezebel that always tries to silence the voice of the Prophets.

I am sad about him. He was on the verge of breakthrough. He had become connected in the spirit with some Christians of real power. The Devil knew he would be dangerous if he entered into this realm. This man was targeted in spades. Just like Adam and Eve. I can't imagine the levels of deception that must be going on in his head. People like him are most targeted right at the edge of a spiritual breakthrough.

I am believing God that he will repent. That he will come back. That we won't become a Spong, Ehreman or like the Episcopalians that have fallen by the wayside.

I'm hoping he will find the true God once again and not just find knowledge about God. I know this about the Father's dealings with us, when we drift too far, the Father in heaven will discipline us, it will be harsh and sudden. It will be very painful. Then. he will return. or he will die.

Of course he can avoid all this pain by repentance. That will be humbling. Right now his prideful state won't allow for that kind of humbling.

Come on Home Brother.

Bill Moyers = Liberal Sleeze

I have had my issues with Bill Moyers. I have often thought his sanctimonious ways were way over the top. Even for a liberal.

And he is arrogant.

And I don't like him much.

Turns out he's as slimy as I thought. Not that it shocks me much. I'm glad to see his comeuppance.

The Spirit of Homelessness

I have a friend who recently was rendered homeless. At least in common jargon. He and his wife are OK, but it caused me to thing for a moment. They aren't homeless. Not by any means.

I have been homeless in the same way. I know what it's like. To be more accurate; I know what it's like to NOT own a house or a place to live. To live out of a suitcase. To live without a place that we can call our own. To have no address. To have to go pick our mail up at the post office because there is no postbox to put it in. Homeless? We didn't go to a shelter. We didn't live in a motel. We stayed with friends for a while till we had a place to live. It's important to have friends. To us they were Mi Casa es su Casa.

Please don't feel sorry. It was long ago. We came thru it. It was cleansing. Kinda like the comment the Joker makes to Batman in the first Batman movie of the modern age. "I've been dead once, already. It's very liberating. You should think of it as therapy."

Once you've been thru it, the fear is gone.

I have come to the conclusion I no longer believe in Homelessness. It doesn't exist if you really understand home.

An old saying was, Anywhere I hang my hat is home. OR. Home is where the heart is. Both are true. Neither talks in terms of an edifice A building. A structure.

So, if a person is focused on the main thing being the main thing, he or she can never be homeless. It's impossible. They may have no place to live. But never homeless.

In this economic change we are going thru many people will be turned out of the structure they live in. It will be difficult. But not terminal. They will be out of a house, but not homeless if they are not demonized by a spirit of homelessness.

Homelessness doesn't exist except in the heart. It's a state of mind. One of the reasons I object to some of the ministry to homeless is it fills a need without dealing with the heart issue. I am glad people reached out to us in our time when we had no house. I'm glad there were options. We never felt deprived or lost. We were always whole.

Some people who show up at homeless shelters are offered a bed and something to eat. What they really need is heart help. Both are good too, but one fills a wrong need.

Homelessness is a state of mind. I think about that woman who cried to Obama about being homeless a week ago in Florida. You might have heard of it. It was a sad pitiful tale. She got a place to live. Free. From a local businessman. She is living in a house with her family now. But I know her heart from people who have tried to minister to her. She knows how to work the system.

She's still homeless, even though she now has a place to live. She is demonized with a spirit of homelessness. Unless that spirit is dealt with, nothing else matters. She is still homeless.

This is the problem with much of the foolishness the Obama program for stimulus and saving of "homes" is generating. It's dealing with the manifestation of a homeless spirit, not the empty heart that caused it. A true home cannot be saved or destroyed except in the heart.

I no longer believe in homelessness as a lack of a building.

Why I don't support open Homeless Shelters and Random Prison Ministries

Jesus was pretty clear, we were to provide and minister to his brethren. He assumed we would know which is which. I'm not sure we do. We shotgun minister and become enablers.

Yesterday I had a visit with a man I work with from time to time. He told me he went to a church pantry for food. He got what he could. He was cynical about it all. He "Suckered them".

So, the food pantry did what they do. He may even end up in a homeless shelter.

It's a sad commentary on what we have become.

I do not support random prison ministry and random support for the homeless and destitute.

Not without accountability. Something the Church is really bad at.

Grandkids. Get out your checkbook - I need a bailout

My grand kids are great. I have pictures of them on my fridge. Cute little buggers they are.

So, according to the OBAMA administration I need to thank them for bailing me out.

Isn't that cute?

The De-Leveraging of America from Consumer to Saver - Producer

We are going to go thru some hard times. It will be good and not good. This is changing the USA into a different country. Some of the changes are not good. The march to socialism is just evil. Led by men and women who do either do not know what they are doing or they are insidious conspiritors who are trying to make America into a communistic form of government. I hope it's the former, I can understand stupidity, I fear it's the latter.

What this means is as the playing field is leveled some will prosper and some will fail. For those who know how to make it work, let's hope for prosperity.

One thing is certain, our children and our children's children will be better for this. The bad lessons of the past will be unlearned. No one after the Great Depression was over longed for the Roaring 20's. That to them was a bad dream they didn't want to relive. They had taken the punishment, or better said, their children had taken the punishment and now it was time to build again. This article says much:

K. Esther Szabo was a small child when the recession of the early 1970s sent her family's fortunes into a tailspin. Her father, an economist, struggled to find work, and her mother worried about paying the bills. The family eventually filed bankruptcy.

The tensions at home put a permanent mark on Ms. Szabo. To help her family, she started working at age 8, doing chores for neighbors, and has been working ever since. When a personal-finance class in college introduced her to the idea that calamities like the one that crippled her family could be avoided with careful planning, she found the idea "mind-blowing," she says. She now co-owns a Los Altos, Calif., financial-planning firm.

In this current recession, we may be creating a new generation of Ms. Szabos. Economic downturns leave enduring marks on the career prospects and aspirations of children. Some youngsters will face lasting setbacks, while others will emerge more focused and motivated, based on studies of past recessions. The outcome depends partly on a child's age, on the example set by parents, and on whether young people can be empowered somehow to help their families through the crisis.

College students may be among the hardest-hit. Graduates who entered the job market in the recession of the early 1980s made significantly less money for at least a decade, compared with those who graduated in more prosperous times, says a study by Yale University's Lisa Kahn. Another study, a 21-year look at 39,000 father-son pairs published last year in the Journal of Labor Economics, found sons whose fathers were laid off had annual earnings 9% lower than comparable youths whose fathers kept their jobs. Recession-era grads also tended to remain stuck in lower-prestige jobs, even after the economy recovered, Dr. Kahn found. While the reasons aren't clear, some may have invested too much in their original jobs to try to move to a more prestigious job and start anew when the economy picked up. Others may have felt loyalty to the employers that harbored them in hard times.

Small children, too, are vulnerable psychologically in ways that shape their aspirations. Glen Elder, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, found in studies of the Great Depression that the self-image of small children of that era was shaped by the morale of their same-sex parent. Amid the traditional gender roles of the time, young boys suffered most, from seeing their fathers deprived of work and a sense of identity, says Dr. Elder, author of "Children of the Great Depression." Because preschoolers and pre-teens were too young to understand the causes or to help out financially, they risked growing up with "a lack of initiative, of confidence, of self-efficacy," he says.

Those who fared best, Dr. Elder says, were teenagers when the downturn hit -- young enough to avoid the worst blows, but old enough to work for pay. "They were in an opportune time ... to pick up some of the lessons of the period," he says. Depression-era hardships also led youths from hard-hit families to grow up faster; many committed to a vocation shortly after high school, earlier than offspring of more prosperous families.

Past isn't necessarily prologue, of course. Also, applying the lessons of the past will be hard; kids today who try to find work face tall hurdles, with teen employment hitting new lows, says Andrew Sum, director of Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies.

Nevertheless, parents are already finding lessons in the current troubles. Based on a study of 77 white-collar layoff victims published last year in the journal Social Forces, jobless parents are urging children to equip themselves to survive hard times, by developing transferable skills or learning to be entrepreneurs.

With luck, many youngsters will take the cue. "It's a joy for me," says Ms. Szabo, the financial planner, "when I help people see they don't have to be a victim" of a bad economy. A big reward, she adds, is seeing anxious customers leave her office with renewed confidence in their plans for the future.


To help kids cope during a downturn:

* Include children in planning solutions.
* Give kids a way to help out by doing chores or taking part-time jobs.
* Explain the crisis in age-appropriate terms.
* Set an example of hopefulness and resiliency.

We will be like those leaving Egypt, like the people crossing into the promised land, like Lot's family leaving Sodom, we will not look back in longing. We will not pine for the past. We will live in and look toward the future.

This 'stimulus money' will stimulate just as 'protection money' protects - Chicago Politics at Work

The stimulus bill just passed has hurt us beyond belief. It was so ill advised. Now the automakers are coming back, the drunken sailor needs more money to stay drunk. Time to sober up. From the Wall Street Journal:

Only in the world of politics does one "tar" an issue by calling a spending bill a spending bill. But Republicans and conservative activists are doing more than that. They're denouncing the bill's enormous size – larger than the combined cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan up until now! They're also focusing on how it's light on actual "stimulus" items and heavy on grants pleasing traditional Democrat special interest groups.

Economist and blogger Robert Brusca estimated that only about 24 percent of the spending in the Senate plan can be categorized accurately as "stimulus," and the rest is either "cushion" for the hard times, or categorized as "agenda" spending, advancing Democratic policy dreams. Even the stimulus is delayed, he quipped: "Does the administration go to Hallmark and buy us taxpayers a belated stimulus card?...This is no Muhammad Ali plan (float like a butterfly, sting like a bee). It's more like float like a lead balloon, bite like a flea."

Dentists and Dentistry

I read long ago a turn of the century novel, McTeauge. It was about a self taught dentist. Greed and Murder.

Painful stuff.

Growing up, dentistry was not as it is today. Mostly it was remedial. You had a problem they fixed it best they could.

Then somewhere as I was getting older the dentistry industry sold us all the idea that cosmetically we must have perfect teeth to get that perfect mate and live that perfect life.

It wasn't true and isn't... but we were told that. And culturally we bought it.

So now, decades later people my age who have teeth less than perfect are looked at as if we are just off the river in Deliverance.

I never noticed that my wonderful and beautiful wife had less than perfect teeth. It never occurred to me. Nor did she notice that of me. In fact, I was a bit of a freak. I had a tooth missing right in the front and wore a partial plate that kept slipping out.

Not until I was in my mid adulthood did I get it fixed.

Yesterday, I went in and had my second root canal ever. I lived thru it. I had been so impacted I could no longer drive. That's how bad the infection had spread thru my whole body. Even taking a strong regimen of Antibiotics I was barely able to keep it all at bay.

Now the dentist has done what he does. It was remedial. And, knowing what to expect it wasn't as bad as the first one which in hell would have been considered punishment. OK I'm kidding.

Anyway, once again your faithful gleaner is strong like bull once again. Whole and ornery.

Good to be back.

Moses turned down as Pastor of First Gospel Tabernacle

Moses, come back from the mountain, decides to become a Pastor. First Gospel Tabernacle has an opening. He applies. Here is the letter he received from the Search Committee:

Dear Moses,

We have been working hard to find the right man for our church. We have put in a lot of hours and looked over all that you sent in. While we feel you are a qualified man, we just don’t think you are a good match for our needs. We wanted to share with you some of our thoughts in hopes that it will help you find a better fit.

We listened to your sermon tapes and while the content was very good, we felt that your stuttering problem was a hurdle we just could not overcome. Our people are accustomed to really quality preaching, and we feel that your lack of polish and clarity would distract from their ability to listen to you week in and week out. Our people need more than good content to learn. We really need an entertaining and dynamic speaker who can connect us to God’s Word.

While we trust that God has called you, we also understand that you have resisted God's leading at key points along the way. We want a guy who is passionate about doing this ministry and who will never question God’s call on his life. We also understand that your wife does not totally support your calling and has acted out against you on at least one occasion. These doubts you have both demonstrated over time give us pause about your potential effectiveness as a leader.

You seem to have some good people skills Moses, and everyone says that you have a certain glow about you that really reflects God’s presence. However, we also found in talking with some of your references that you have struggled with some anger problems. It was reported to us that you once threw down, and broke, some important Church property when you saw your congregation doing some bad things. This is clearly not the way to handle those kinds of situations and we really need a pastor who is always in control of himself in tough situations because our people really do a lot of sinning.

Probably most disturbing of all is your clear lack of leadership ability. While we appreciate the difficulties of leading a mega-church with millions of followers, we were not impressed with the many instances of rebellion under your tenure. We understand that in one case of embezzlement, you forced the congregation to make a public declaration of whose side they were on and then you struck down all those who disagreed with your policies. We agree that keeping high moral standards is important, but your methods seem a bit harsh and unloving. In addition, your lack of vision seems to have kept the people wandering about for the past 40 years. Our people tend to be a bit stubborn so we really need a leader who has demonstrated more skill in guiding his congregation.

Thank you for considering us as a potential match to your call and we hope you find the right congregation that will better match your gifts and experience.

Thanks,

The Search Team

Courageous 12 year old girl speaks out on Abortion

And, what is more interesting, the school folks disqualified her, not because of the quality of the talk she gave, the topic. I guess thought control by the left is full on.

The good news is, in anger the leftist judge that was most adamant, quit. Stomped out.

The rest of the judges had a change of heart and gave her the well deserved first prize. These young people will be the salvation of our country.




WND

F-16 Churches out of fuel crashing and burning

Ron McKenzie of Blessed Economist has written an insightful post about the Church and the Economy. He paints a pretty bleak picture of what much of the American Church will look like when the economic disaster hits.

Many Christians assume that the economic crisis will turn people back to God, but this is not inevitable. The escapades of the Christian Right have turned many Americans off the church, so they will be more like to turn to alternative religions in time of need. Many people are now so secularised, that God does not even cross their minds when troubles come. Church is not even on the radar. Troubled times might benefit the religions more.

Modern people look to the state when things go wrong. If Obama can kick start the economy, that faith will be further boosted. A worse crisis will just turn people to the state. People in Africa and South America know that government leaders are crooks, who will look after their mates, so their only hope is in something supernatural. Americans have gone the other way. They see the church as crooks, looking after their mates. They will look to the state when troubles come.

To experience a harvest in times of trouble, the church will have to demonstrate a life that is viable, while all others are failing. In an economic collapse, pastor-centric, building-centric churches will be too busy worrying about their overdrafts and mortgages to be able to reap the harvest. Their members will be to busy struggling with their own hire purchase payments and credit card debt to reap a harvest. Non Christians who are struggling with debt will not take seriously churches and Christians who are stuck in the same sinking boat.

To reap a harvest during economic troubles, you will need a model of church that can bring life and hope to where people live. The point of the Commando Vision is that an economic crisis cannot produce a harvest, unless radical Christians get ready to function through tumult. The reason is that most modern churches will be wiped out by the crisis and will not be in a position to help others. I expect that the American church has too many F16 Christians and not enough commando Christians to bring in a harvest in troubled times. Therefore, I doubt that the Lord will put his church through a real economic crisis, because the risk of disaster is just too great.

I will be speaking to the body at Faith Center on this topic in a few weeks in the evening service. It's a hard word. I met with the Pastors and we discussed if what was about to be shared was too difficult for the people. It is difficult and we certainly don't want to be fear mongers. But, these are mature people ready to hear the truth. I'm not certain I would bring this to every church. We will see. Things are changing and only the churches that are ready will survive this. I don't agree with Ron that the Father will hold back the disaster to protect the church, I believe he will allow it to refine and reveal. There are enough commando Christians on the ground to make a worthy assault. The F-16 Christians and Churches will run out of fuel, be grounded or destroyed. Some of those high fliers will become commandos as they realize that it's their only hope.

I hope. If we can offer enough insight we can help them enter into this without surprise. That's part of my job.

Obama's worst enemies voted for him

I find it ironic that the very groups that elected Obama in the first place will fanatically stymie his attempts to get anything done that is “shovel ready” towards his goal of renewable energy. It’s slogans, nothing more. As soon as there will be some difficulty with quick implementation, ready for short-spanned news consumers, he’ll change the goals into something more newsworthy. He doesn't really believe it matters anyway.

Also - these types of fights “fund” the left in the first place - they provide fodder for advertising campaigns for NGO’s, lawyers to “fight the power” - these are their cash in trade. It will be fun watching the semi-pragmatic democrats going to war with the loony left who fight all construction anywhere and everywhere.

There is that famous line that the best thing to do when your enemies are infighting is to do nothing and wait. I am garbling it exactly but you can understand the intent. The problem with letting them fight it out is that they don’t really have any concern for the general productivity or freedom of the society. They are blind drunk King Kongs stomping thru Manhattan leaving destruction in their wake.

As the collapse and stagnation of the Great Lake states into the Rustbelt shows, leftists work from an economic and political version of Milton’s “it's better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.” They would rather dominate in a crippled, poor and unproductive society than be equals in an effective, wealthy and productive society.

They will block projects like power transmission and power generation simply to force people to deal with them. They will invent reasons why people have to consult with them and give them veto power over new projects simply so they can have some power and position. They’ve positioned themselves to only gain by putting the breaks on development.

The situation is identical that of the mandarins versus everyone else in the final decades of failing Chinese dynasties. The mandarins mandated vast amounts of ritual and paperwork purely to justify their own positions. Unable to contribute materially, they instead created positions of power based on saying no more than saying yes. As a result, the governments of the dynasties grew progressively more paralyzed and incapable of action. Eventually they fell to internal revolt from the hinterlands or foreign invasion. The mandarin dead wood got cleared out and the process started all over again.

We are headed toward this revolt from inside and invasion from our south.

A Rant about Stupid Liberal Beliefs in Myths

A wind farm can be very successful, from the standpoint of a liberal political leader, even if the are no transmission lines to connect it to anything. It provides jobs for those who make & install the equipment, and it makes alternative-energy believers very happy. You can always say that the transmission lines will be built later, following appropriate environmental review, or that a new, “planned” community (centered around electrically-powered mass transit) will be built right next to the wind farm, or that “green” manufacturing will be located there. It doesn’t matter if these things ever actually happen: you will still get the glory and someone else can worry about paying off the bonds.

I hate that some people smoke in their cars with little kids in them and that people drink and drive

Some times out of ignorance people do things that are dangerous, ignorant, counterproductive, harmful to others, reckless, unthinking and bluntly just plain stupid.

To be clear, I do not hate the people, I hate their actions.

It's like I hate what's happening to our country because of the incompetence and stupidity of our leaders. Yes even the ones prior to the current occupant of 1600. I hate that unthinking reckless people like Chris Dodd, Charlie Rangle, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are smoking in the car windows rolled up, driving drunker than a skunk 120 miles per hour down a residential street with little kids on it.

Are they evil. Not intentionally. They are just dangerous and harmful people.

I hate what they stand for, what the left stands for in this country, what has become of a beautiful country like Venezuela that I visited once now being ruled by an evil communist despot for life. We are not far from this in the USA.

This is beyond belief and I grieve. I would apologise to my grand kids for what we have left them. They wouldn't understand, yet. I will not be able to explain how we let the American dream slip right thru our fingers.

Meanwhile the left keeps on drinking that hard stuff, loads up the Buick with kiddies, and looks for that playground to drive thru as fast as they can. They don't seem to care who they kill and destroy.

How did this happen? Who are these people? Why do they hate America so much?

What kind of civil war will set in when the populace realizes what has happened? It won't be elections, it will be insurrection. Maybe that's why the current crop of socialists are so intent on shutting down any opposition voices and taking away people's guns.

This is not a good thing. Our country has been stolen from us... yes even over the last 10 years.

We are in peril.

Healthy Church or NOT

How to Spot a Healthy Church - Quickly

Ray Pritchard

Keep Believing Ministries

In the last 18 months I have come to a few conclusions about how to quickly gauge the health of the churches we visit--either to preach or simply to participate in a worship service. The Lord has allowed us to travel from coast to coast and to visit country cities, city churches and suburban churches--some large, some small, and many in-between. I don't know if doing this sort of itinerant ministry makes you more qualified to evaluate churches, but the very fact of being in a different church almost every Sunday inevitably forces you to think about where you've been, what you've seen, and what you've experienced. On one hand, it's obviously true that coming in to preach and then leaving doesn't allow you to do an in-depth analysis. But when your schedule takes you from Tupelo, MS to Muscle Shoals, AL to Baton Rouge, LA to New Brunswick, Canada to Arlington Heights, IL (my current schedule), it does allow you to worship in a variety of settings and it gives you a birds-eye view of how things are going in various churches.

I have come to the conclusion that there are two very obvious indicators of church health that the one-time visitor can gauge very quickly.

1. Hearty congregational singing.
2. Obvious affection between the pastor and the congregation.

I have written quite a bit about hearty congregational singing. That's one factor that I never fully appreciated until I started traveling and preaching in different churches. Healthy churches love to sing. This is not a statement about worship style, hymns vs. choruses, Power Point vs. hymnals, and it has nothing to do with denominational preference, church size, location, or the beauty or lack thereof of the sanctuary. I am not suggesting that healthy churches have great "music programs," a phrase I don't much like because it tends to emphasize the performance side of things. I'm not talking about excellent "special music" or beautiful choir anthems or praise bands or organ music, as good as those things may be. Lots of churches with big "music programs" hardly sing at all, although they may have big choirs and put on excellent Easter musicals. I am speaking of a church that truly loves to sing, where the music is based on good theology and the whole congregation lifts its voice in song, where a visitor can't help but join the rising chorus of praise to God. That's easy to check because it's obvious. If the people aren't singing, you can tell it. If the singing is anemic, preaching is generally more of a challenge. I think there is a lot of theology here and some insight into the human heart and something about the work of the Holy Spirit that I don't fully understand, but I have experienced it over and over again. Healthy churches love to sing. I've yet to visit an unhealthy church or a troubled church with strong congregational singing.

Now THIS guy deserves being visited in Jail

Jesus said, "when you do it to the least of these, my brethren, you do it unto me". Like indiscriminate welfare, he didn't mean that every person in jail was his Brethren. Some were, many not. If one of his brethren ends up in jail, he needs to be consoled and helped. He will be.

This guy is who Jesus was talking about:

Pro-life pastor prepares for sentencing

Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 2/15/2009

An Oakland, California, pastor could face jail time for expressing his pro-life views.

Pastor Walter Hoye ran into trouble with an abortion clinic while doing an informational picket. Dennis Howard, leader of The Movement for a Better America, believes Hoye is innocent.

"His approach was simply to carry a sign that said 'Jesus Loves You. Can We Help?' and offering those who wanted it some information about alternatives to abortion," Howard explains.

A complaint was filed and Hoye was found guilty in spite of proof to the contrary. "There was a video taken of him doing this, and it shows that he was not harassing anybody," Howard points out. "In fact, he was being harassed by escorts from the abortion clinic."

Pastor Hoye faces up to two years in jail and a $4,000 fine. Howard is calling Christians into action. "We feel that pro-life organizations around the country ought to take up this man's cause and pray and fast between now and February 19," he concludes.

That is when Hoye is due to be sentenced.

Persecution is accellerating. Be prepared, get involved or stay on the sidelines.

Root Canal or Extraction ... no choice at all

I have a toothache. A big one.

On antibiotics.

I go in on Tues noon.

Neither outcome is exciting.