Perils of Global Warming and How We’re All Going to Die Because Bush Killed Kyoto Even Though Clinton, In 1997, Did Not Even Submit The Treaty To Congress (Which Made A Point Of Unanimously Rejecting It Anyway) Because It Was Smart of Clinton To Reject It But Stoopit of Moron Bush To Kill It And Al Gore Deserves An Oscar And America Is Suffering And Disappearing Because of Evil Bush Who Is Bad And Evil And Who Makes Wars Against Peaceful People And There Is No Threat Of Islamofascism, There Is Only A Threat Of Christofascism And Other Conservative Sorts Of Fascists Things.I'm expecting this shoe to fit some. So wear it.
Monday, August 13, 2007
A Headline Worth Waiting For
The Anchoress is a favorite read of mine in the Blogosphere. She wrote the ultimate left wingnut New York Times Headline. It's goood not to share:
Sunday, August 12, 2007
suspension or pier
There are two common bridges. One that is suspension (above or below the deck) like the one that collapsed in Minneapolis or the pier type of bridge just using girders, bridge beams and cross members.
Here from Winona MN is an example of both next to each other.
I think you see some of the problem. How much span can a span span till it don't?
I'm no engineer but I'll bet some are asking that question today.
Here from Winona MN is an example of both next to each other.
I think you see some of the problem. How much span can a span span till it don't?
I'm no engineer but I'll bet some are asking that question today.
Nukes for Life
One technology I believe in for the future energy requirements is Nuclear. I have a friend that works at Argonne Labs in Chicagoland. Things are moving very quickly in this field. The most promising form of power is the Fast Rector.
It's a type of breeder reactor. Not only does it use up nearly all of the radioactive material in generating electricity, it also generates very little waste. What's more, they can and probably will dig up and reuse the waste that already exists. Even weapons grade material can be reprocessed into useful fuel.
All this means that the future is bright in real electricity generation.
He tells me that ONE of the reasons no one is building more power plants is because the nuclear plant of the future won't be like the ones we have today dotting the landscape. Then there is the capacity for retrofit.
When I lived in Germany there was a nuclear plant near our home that did not have a cooling tower but a cooling pond. It was an advanced system.
The Russians and Chinese are far down this road. We are behind. OF course the French can't get it right at all.
The good news is if we put our efforts into this we can make it work.
It's a type of breeder reactor. Not only does it use up nearly all of the radioactive material in generating electricity, it also generates very little waste. What's more, they can and probably will dig up and reuse the waste that already exists. Even weapons grade material can be reprocessed into useful fuel.
All this means that the future is bright in real electricity generation.
He tells me that ONE of the reasons no one is building more power plants is because the nuclear plant of the future won't be like the ones we have today dotting the landscape. Then there is the capacity for retrofit.
When I lived in Germany there was a nuclear plant near our home that did not have a cooling tower but a cooling pond. It was an advanced system.
The Russians and Chinese are far down this road. We are behind. OF course the French can't get it right at all.
The good news is if we put our efforts into this we can make it work.
Friday, August 10, 2007
What's Wrong With This Picture?
This is a chart from before the turn of the century of temperatures recorded by Scientists in Detroit Lakes MN. See anything funny about it?
Here's the rub. You will see how radically the temperature jumps right after the millennium.
Huge spike in global warming. Right?
Wait, what else happened when 1999 turned over to 2000? I saw Office Space and I'm pretty sure I know.
Y2K.
Yep.
A bug. Buggy ol bug.
Course, that will make no difference to the alarmists. But, with the bug debugged the warmest years on record are not the past few, they are in fact 1934, 1998 and 1921. In fact of the 10 hottest years on record 5 occur BEFORE WWII. Oh, it's hot alright. But it's been hot before and if my guess is right it will be hot again.
Just doing my part to keep things on a rational keel as we think about leaping off the bridge because the world is coming to an end. It ain't.
Why Islam is Going to be SOO much Fun
Just a hat tip to PILGRIM. As he says,
coming soon to a civilization near you.............
And people wonder why the war matters!
coming soon to a civilization near you.............
And people wonder why the war matters!
Never on Sunday or maybe
I am out of town at a men's retreat starting tonight. I will be out of town. So, postless I will be. I'm hoping for good things.I'll be back late PM Sunday. I may find time time bring news of the day (or not). In any case, till then.
OH, one other thing. This retreat represents one of two visions I have for 2007. The other is wrapped in this story in the Chicago Tribune today. We need a full blown Pentecostal expression on Sunday Nights in suburban Kane County for all those folks who no longer go to Church out of boredom and frustration. They need to be plugged back into the Body of Christ. I have the team to pull this off. Now all I need is the release.
We'll see.
For your additional entertainment you must read this punny story about the weinermobile. I thought you could be arrested for such writing.
Something is MISSING
These are pictures from a huge wind farm west and north of Brookings SD on the MN-SD border. Without hyperbole there are 1000 or more windmills on this farm. It goes for miles. Each of the generators are about the size of a Suburban SUV. They were all turning. It was staggering to think of the dollars spent to build this behemoth.
CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE THEM FULL SIZED, YOU WILL SEE HUNDREDS OF THESE IN THE BACKGROUND.
It went on for miles and miles. I was amazed at what I saw.
At the bottom of each windmill was a little transformer about the size of a house transformer. 4X4'
See it there? Now note the size of the generator, remember it's the size of a Chevy Suburban.
Suddenly as I looked around I noticed something was missing. With all those big generators all running at full tilt (a little windmill humor there) I began to ask myself:
WHERE ARE THE HIGH LINES?
I've been to Hoover Dam. I've been to the Byron Nuclear plant, I've been to the coal fired power plants in western ND. They all have huge substations accumulating the generated electricity and then sending it out on huge powerlines into the energy grid.
I saw none. Nothing. Nada. For the naysayer among you, High Tension (that means lots of volts) can't be done underground. There is too much line voltage loss to go low voltage even if you were to use a very large shielded cable
There are no power lines leading away from this wind farm.
NONE!
Which only can lead me to this conclusion. It's all a scam. The only thing those big generators generate is making people feel good, Florida Power and Lights to generate real electricity because of the offset, government matching payments and the real reason to run those big generators;
TO POWER THAT LITTLE BLINKING LIGHT ON TOP
This is why government needs to stay out of the energy regulation and encouragement business. Ethanol is a big enough scam, this may be worse.
Just to put this all in perspective and helping to understand why this is so foolish, the whole world's capacity to produce electricity from wind power is 90 MW.
That assumes they all turn all the time which isn't the case.
That's in the whole world. Global. All of them. Together. Got it?
ONE NUCLEAR PLANT in Southport North Carolina produces 1875 MW. Over 20 times as much as all the wind power in the whole world.
NOW, contrast that to all the nuclear plants operating in the world. As of 2007, the IAEA reported there are 435 nuclear power reactors in operation in the world, operating in 31 different countries.
Where do YOU think we should be putting our resources and economic incentives?
How much bridge building money has been flushed down this sewer of windpower?
CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE THEM FULL SIZED, YOU WILL SEE HUNDREDS OF THESE IN THE BACKGROUND.
It went on for miles and miles. I was amazed at what I saw.
At the bottom of each windmill was a little transformer about the size of a house transformer. 4X4'See it there? Now note the size of the generator, remember it's the size of a Chevy Suburban.
Suddenly as I looked around I noticed something was missing. With all those big generators all running at full tilt (a little windmill humor there) I began to ask myself:
WHERE ARE THE HIGH LINES?I've been to Hoover Dam. I've been to the Byron Nuclear plant, I've been to the coal fired power plants in western ND. They all have huge substations accumulating the generated electricity and then sending it out on huge powerlines into the energy grid.
I saw none. Nothing. Nada. For the naysayer among you, High Tension (that means lots of volts) can't be done underground. There is too much line voltage loss to go low voltage even if you were to use a very large shielded cable
There are no power lines leading away from this wind farm.
NONE!
Which only can lead me to this conclusion. It's all a scam. The only thing those big generators generate is making people feel good, Florida Power and Lights to generate real electricity because of the offset, government matching payments and the real reason to run those big generators;
TO POWER THAT LITTLE BLINKING LIGHT ON TOP
This is why government needs to stay out of the energy regulation and encouragement business. Ethanol is a big enough scam, this may be worse.
Just to put this all in perspective and helping to understand why this is so foolish, the whole world's capacity to produce electricity from wind power is 90 MW.
That assumes they all turn all the time which isn't the case.
That's in the whole world. Global. All of them. Together. Got it?
ONE NUCLEAR PLANT in Southport North Carolina produces 1875 MW. Over 20 times as much as all the wind power in the whole world.
NOW, contrast that to all the nuclear plants operating in the world. As of 2007, the IAEA reported there are 435 nuclear power reactors in operation in the world, operating in 31 different countries.
Where do YOU think we should be putting our resources and economic incentives?
How much bridge building money has been flushed down this sewer of windpower?
E-Mail Troubles
I am having serious trouble with my email account, gredlin@cfaith.com
I'm only getting a smattering of emails.
If you have sent or tried to send I apologise. I don't know how long this will continue.
It appears to be unfixable. That means I will have to go to another email provider and change addresses. This is most discouraging.
BUT, in the interim. If you have wanted to send me hate mail, the working email address is:
generedlin@hotmail.com
I'll keep you posted (so to speak)
All the News that's Unfit
A survey shows that the
Now if that was coming from some right wing conspiracy types I would say OK, what's new.
It's not. It's coming from the Pew Research Group. Not the most conservative bunch on the planet. In fact they mostly report stuff I don't want to agree with.
But when it comes to biased news there's more than enough. I get sick of it.
I think the turtle at the bottom has to be Keith Olberman. Some on Fox are close. Believe it or not I like Wolf Blitzer. He's not tough enough. Charlie what's his name on ABC news is good.
Overall. I agree. News media is more media than news.
US MEDIA IS SEEN AS BIASED, INACCURATE AND UNCARING.
Now if that was coming from some right wing conspiracy types I would say OK, what's new.
It's not. It's coming from the Pew Research Group. Not the most conservative bunch on the planet. In fact they mostly report stuff I don't want to agree with.
But when it comes to biased news there's more than enough. I get sick of it.
I think the turtle at the bottom has to be Keith Olberman. Some on Fox are close. Believe it or not I like Wolf Blitzer. He's not tough enough. Charlie what's his name on ABC news is good.
Overall. I agree. News media is more media than news.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Myth of Islam
I know lots of people have believed the lie that Islam is taking over the world of faith.
It's just not true.
Using a refined analysis of this chart you can make with confidence this statement:
If there were only 1000 people on the earth:
330 would be Christian in some form
180 would be Muslim in some form
160 would be atheist or non believing
140 would be some extraction of Hindu
60 would be Buddhist in some form
60 would be tribal animists in some form
60 would be traditional ancestor worship in some form
8 would be other like Scientoligist, Rastafarian, Unitarian, wicca et al
2 would be Jewish
Surprised? Don't argue with me. Argue with the statistic. I made a small switch in the Islamic category to represent some Islamic sects that do NOT embrace traditional Islam. I got that from Dr. Douglas Beacham. I believe his analysis of the numbers.
In that same population of a thousand there would be:
584 Asians and near east peoples**
123 Africans**
95 Europeans
84 Latin Americans**
55 former soviet union countries
29 north Americans
30 all others including Australia and Indonesia**
Where is Christianity spreading fastest?
Where the slowest growth of Christianity?
North America and Europe
Russia is in between.
Where is Islam spreading the fastest. It's not. Some in Africa, some in North America and Some in Europe. But it's a tough recruiting job when you mention stoning, burkas, suicide bombing and other things that make it all so darn attractive.
The fastest growing spiritual movement in the world is Pentecostal Christianity. There is no runner up. Almost any growing church in Africa, China and latin America is Pentecostal in expression.
This gives me great hope that soon in the USA, Canada and in Europe we will see things catch fire. It will take some pain first. We used to sing, send the rain. Maybe we should sing, send the pain.
It's just not true.
Using a refined analysis of this chart you can make with confidence this statement:
If there were only 1000 people on the earth:
330 would be Christian in some form
180 would be Muslim in some form
160 would be atheist or non believing
140 would be some extraction of Hindu
60 would be Buddhist in some form
60 would be tribal animists in some form
60 would be traditional ancestor worship in some form
8 would be other like Scientoligist, Rastafarian, Unitarian, wicca et al
2 would be Jewish
Surprised? Don't argue with me. Argue with the statistic. I made a small switch in the Islamic category to represent some Islamic sects that do NOT embrace traditional Islam. I got that from Dr. Douglas Beacham. I believe his analysis of the numbers.
In that same population of a thousand there would be:
584 Asians and near east peoples**
123 Africans**
95 Europeans
84 Latin Americans**
55 former soviet union countries
29 north Americans
30 all others including Australia and Indonesia**
Where is Christianity spreading fastest?
- China**
- Africa**
- Latin America**
- Australia**
- Indonesia**
Where the slowest growth of Christianity?
North America and Europe
Russia is in between.
Where is Islam spreading the fastest. It's not. Some in Africa, some in North America and Some in Europe. But it's a tough recruiting job when you mention stoning, burkas, suicide bombing and other things that make it all so darn attractive.
The fastest growing spiritual movement in the world is Pentecostal Christianity. There is no runner up. Almost any growing church in Africa, China and latin America is Pentecostal in expression.
This gives me great hope that soon in the USA, Canada and in Europe we will see things catch fire. It will take some pain first. We used to sing, send the rain. Maybe we should sing, send the pain.
All the News that Isn't Reported
I have been tough on the mainline press for misreporting the news. They deserve it. What I think is even more deceiving is the silence exhibited when major events in the Christian world take place. They are totally blacked out.
Such an event took place last week. Over 102,000 people gathered in Angel Stadium in Anaheim California to hear and see and experience the presence of God. Greg Laurie who is a pastor from that area put this on.
Almost exactly a month ago there was a similar even with not quite a hundred thousand people who gathered in Nashville for the Call. Not the same people of course.
There was a little bit of news coverage on Nashville and NONE on Anaheim.
So, here's the question. If 100,000 homosexuals, environmentalists, African Americans, or any other group were to gather in some stadium to make a statement would it get press?
Of course. There'd be wall to wall 24/7 coverage helicopters and all.
But, if it's a Christian thing the silence is deafening. I did a detailed google search to find even ONE secular news source reporting this capacity and standing room only crusade. Nothing.
But the good news is, they are happening with our without the news coverage it actually deserves. We are coming. We are rising. They will not ignore us long.
We're here to take over. Hang on world here we come. God will save the day.
Such an event took place last week. Over 102,000 people gathered in Angel Stadium in Anaheim California to hear and see and experience the presence of God. Greg Laurie who is a pastor from that area put this on.
Almost exactly a month ago there was a similar even with not quite a hundred thousand people who gathered in Nashville for the Call. Not the same people of course.
There was a little bit of news coverage on Nashville and NONE on Anaheim.
So, here's the question. If 100,000 homosexuals, environmentalists, African Americans, or any other group were to gather in some stadium to make a statement would it get press?
Of course. There'd be wall to wall 24/7 coverage helicopters and all.
But, if it's a Christian thing the silence is deafening. I did a detailed google search to find even ONE secular news source reporting this capacity and standing room only crusade. Nothing.
But the good news is, they are happening with our without the news coverage it actually deserves. We are coming. We are rising. They will not ignore us long.
"It's rising up all around.
It's the anthem of the Lord's renown.
And together we sing...Holy is the Lord God Almighty!!"
We're here to take over. Hang on world here we come. God will save the day.
Humble Beginnings
Historic Redlin Sites in South Dakota
This is the house my Dad Ralph and My Uncle Earl and several of his brothers and sisters were born in on the treeless prairie in South Dakota. They lived here from about 1903 - 1920. Yes, that is the house. 10 people lived in it for several years. Six children were BORN in that house. No hospitals.
After Redlins Came to this country the first thing they did after building a sod hut and homesteading was to build a church, or should I say Churches. Lutherans All.
Why? Heritage. Redlins have always been church builders.
It's what the Redlins had done in the old country. The picture below is a picture of the Lutheran Church of the Gollnowschen Synod which was built in Jacobsdorf Kr Naugaard Pommerania ( then Germany, now Poland). It was founded about 20 years after the reformation on the 18th of April 1545. Records of Redlin Births, deaths, baptisms and marriages go back to the mid 1600's. They had come from Estonia where records back to 1271 show that many of my distant ancestors were professors in what was then Christian (Catholic) schools and Universities. Otherwise they were farmers, shoemakers, soldiers, teachers, and hired help.
After many Redlins immigrated to this country settling first in Iron Ridge WI they built churches simultaneous with building the homes they built. Moving to South Dakota to homestead in the 1885.
TWP. My great grandfather Julius and Terry Then in 1888 they built St. Johns Lutheran Church (Wisconsin Synod) in MazeppaRedlin's great grandfather August are buried in this little church yard. That's the connection.
The inside, Redlin's filled that little church on Sunday. Here's a picture of the altar area. What history there was as the old pipe organ piped away.
In 1890 the Germantown Church was built. Redlins also. The church plant started in a one room school house where my Dad went to grade school. He was confirmed at this church. I was baptized in this building as a baby. My grandpa and grandma are buried here. So is Daniel Redlin, father of August and Julius Great Grandfathers to Terry and to me. I was best man at Cousin Merlin's wedding in this church (where I fainted) when I was a teen. There is lots of history here.
These are out in the prairie about 8 miles apart. All the Redlin brothers didn't go to the same church. I don't know the story on that but I'll bet it's a good one .Thought you would enjoy just a little insight on all that Redlin - Lutheran thing. Today I'm a happy Pentecostal with DEEP Lutheran roots. I hope to help a few Lutherans make the same transition to a deeper faith which may EVEN include the fullness of the spirit. They can still be Lutheran, it's just that there is so much more to be had than the 3 hymns and a her and a readers digest sermon in under 55 minutes including collection and communion. The rating of a Lutheran pastor in the Dakota's has much to do with keeping it under an hour and telling funny jokes.
As a Friend of mine once said, "I'm as Lutheran as Jesus is"--
I'll let you decide how Lutheran that really is.
The Greater Fool Theory
People will fall for anything. Carbon Credits are one such.
In North Dakota if you do certain things in your farming practices you get carbon credit payments from corporations bullied by the global warming lobby into paying for some amount of pollution they generate. Farmers Union puts it on and by the way takes 10% of the take for their efforts. Money for nothing.
Here's a bit on that.
It's hush money. Guilt geld. It's also silly. Oh, you know of carbon credits. It's what Al Gore claims he bought when he was discovered to use as much energy as 10 other families combined. So he paid a bribe to the global warming mafia in the form of buying carbon credits. There's even a carbon credit card. I'm serious.
It's OK with me. It's real money. Bribes and extortion are real money. A farmer can get up to 2 dollars per acre in cash. I'm for that. That's like $320 per quarter. Pays for the gas in the pickup that gets 12 MPG which generates it's own greenhouse gas. Net zero.
It's just all so silly.
On the other hand, they do pay for planting trees and I'm for planting trees.
If you are a farmer in ND and you own land you should be in on this scam while the gettin's good. Someday we'll all wise up and realize what a sham it all really is.
Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. Wooly Bully for ND farmers. Get in on the free money while it lasts.
In North Dakota if you do certain things in your farming practices you get carbon credit payments from corporations bullied by the global warming lobby into paying for some amount of pollution they generate. Farmers Union puts it on and by the way takes 10% of the take for their efforts. Money for nothing.
Here's a bit on that.
It's hush money. Guilt geld. It's also silly. Oh, you know of carbon credits. It's what Al Gore claims he bought when he was discovered to use as much energy as 10 other families combined. So he paid a bribe to the global warming mafia in the form of buying carbon credits. There's even a carbon credit card. I'm serious.
It's OK with me. It's real money. Bribes and extortion are real money. A farmer can get up to 2 dollars per acre in cash. I'm for that. That's like $320 per quarter. Pays for the gas in the pickup that gets 12 MPG which generates it's own greenhouse gas. Net zero.
It's just all so silly.
On the other hand, they do pay for planting trees and I'm for planting trees.
If you are a farmer in ND and you own land you should be in on this scam while the gettin's good. Someday we'll all wise up and realize what a sham it all really is.
Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. Wooly Bully for ND farmers. Get in on the free money while it lasts.
Dropping Out of the House
According to this research a large portion of young people drop out of Church after High School and College. I did.
I talking about it this weekend at the Lord of Life Men's retreat. This has been a dream of mine for Lord of Life for several years. There's still one to be realized. This will change everything.
I think the reason this research is so important is we need to know how to bring those folks back.
Some never make the trip home to the Father. It's hard to be out in the elements without a covering. A sermon I heard once said, when we were kids and a storm came our parents would say, "get in the house". If we are far from the Father and storms come there's no house to get in to. We can't hear his call if we are too far away.
Sometimes the Father in love allows storms to come into our lives to bring us back. He did with me.
I guess the most holy prayer I can pray for the lost is, "Lord make them miserable so they will come home to the house where it's safe".
I talking about it this weekend at the Lord of Life Men's retreat. This has been a dream of mine for Lord of Life for several years. There's still one to be realized. This will change everything.
I think the reason this research is so important is we need to know how to bring those folks back.
Some never make the trip home to the Father. It's hard to be out in the elements without a covering. A sermon I heard once said, when we were kids and a storm came our parents would say, "get in the house". If we are far from the Father and storms come there's no house to get in to. We can't hear his call if we are too far away.
Sometimes the Father in love allows storms to come into our lives to bring us back. He did with me.
I guess the most holy prayer I can pray for the lost is, "Lord make them miserable so they will come home to the house where it's safe".
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
In life I Want to BE THIS GUY
I took this picture kitty corner from the Redlin Farm Lodge on Old HWY 81 20 miles north of Watertown ND. In a world where everyone tries to keep their head down, I like this guy's attitude.
Photography as Art
I must be honest. I have not always considered photography to be true art. You take a picture and it's a picture. Oh, you can fiddle with it in Photoshop. You can do some interesting focusy stuff. But Art?? Come on.
That is until I spent some time with a cousin of mine at the family reunion. Kirk Redlin. Kirk is a well known and renowned photographer of 30 years. He travels and judges photo exhibitions, makes talks, and has a full time business doing what most photographers make their living at, portrait photography for high school seniors.
I watched him work last weekend. He did some things that even to this minute I don't know how he did. I have been impressed with the capacity to capture the spirit of someone that an Annie Lebowitz does or the capacity to challenge our senses in form that a Robert Mapplethorpe does so well. Kirk is in that league.
Kirk can take a mundane setting and create some of the most fascinating images. I know his camera must have cost a couple grand. It does everything but dance and sing. It does puzzle me that the more capable of being manually manipulated it will allow, the more expensive the camera is.
So, my hat's off to Kirk. He's a good one. He in my humble and relatively unbiased opinion is a genuine artist.
You can look at his website here, but his real art resides elsewhere.
Wet and Wild
A couple years ago I postulated that as the climate changed the real net effect would be warmer wetter autumns, winters and springs and some very hot dry summers.
Kind of like what happens in a terrarium when it warms up. Some parts dry out, lots of parts get very wet. Water drips off the glass.
As the globe warms we will see more intense storms and floods. The answer is we must begin to learn to hold the water on the land. That means retention in swamps. That's what was there before we as people decided to drain the swamps to grow more corn for ethanol. ;>((
I remember when I moved to Chicagoland asking some of my new acquaintances at work, what do they do with all the water, how do they manage such a huge impervious watershed? These were not country folks. Watershed was not in the Chicago vocabulary. But I looked at huge paved areas with drainage to grated drains. That water has to go somewhere. I knew it would spell trouble.
In fact is does. Two days ago Rockford for the second time in 2 years was flooded. 8+ inches in a couple hours. That's a lot of rain.
In today's paper are pictures of the people standing in water.
In Aberdeen SD last spring after a huge rainfall the same thing happened. People were walking in knee deep water.
So what do army corps types do? They dig deeper ditches to take it faster to underflow-capable rivers which floods folks downstream. What needs to happen is to keep that water trapped in swamps, sloughs, ditches and other wetlands to allow for percolation and evaporation (and ducks).
We have to quit treating our rivers like sewer pipes.
I worked with the folks at BP who are in deep weeds with the state of IL because they are about to dump high nitrate and mercury effluent (waste water) into Lake Michigan. In the past I worked with them to establish estuary like areas where that effluent could go and stand in weedy reedy areas and undergo some level of transformation before heading for the lake. It worked. But now they have expanded their production capability.
They should also expand that estuary project rather than trying to work with the EPA to "Get By".
The fact is as the climate changes we are going to get a lot of bigger meaner storms and lots more big weather events. We can do better by not aggravating the situation and trying to pretend it will go away by dumping the water downstream. It won't.
Learn to hold it.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Wise Guy that Jack
In today's Chicago Tribune a pretty well written article I think worth the read. One thing I agree with the most I highlighted.
Park Ridge - Nobody asked me, but here's an old teacher's advice to this summer's college-bound kids (before they get caught up in the distraction of their excitement):
* Don't plan to save the world. The world will do what it's been doing for ages without you. Instead plan to save the best you that you are this day, especially your young passion and self-confidence, because such fire will serve you well during those times when your world turns dark and bleak.
* Don't plan to become president. That job rarely goes to the best leader, mostly to the best campaigner. Instead hone your skills as a voter so that from local dogcatcher to the White House, you can spot goodness and fight evil.
* Don't plan to become a millionaire. In an entrepreneurial society like ours, making money is easy. Making it your tool instead of your master is what's hard.
* Don't plan to become an apprentice to the rich and powerful. From the serpent in Eden to the moneymakers on Wall Street to the mythmakers in Washington, too much power will surely corrupt you.
* Don't plan to win every race. Whether it's the gold or the ring or the plaque, they only mark the runners, not measure them. The real measure of victory is how much you give of yourself to the race.
* Don't plan to be a star. Stardom is out there; authentic achievement is in here. Inside yourself. Your psyche. Your conscience. Your soul. That will be the true marquee of your life.
So as you start getting pumped for that big journey, know this now. As much as you're about to learn about the world, it will be of small consequence when compared to what you will have learned about yourself by your 25th reunion.
Practical wisdom for tomorrow's leaders
Jack Spatafora
Park Ridge - Nobody asked me, but here's an old teacher's advice to this summer's college-bound kids (before they get caught up in the distraction of their excitement):
* Don't plan to save the world. The world will do what it's been doing for ages without you. Instead plan to save the best you that you are this day, especially your young passion and self-confidence, because such fire will serve you well during those times when your world turns dark and bleak.
* Don't plan to become president. That job rarely goes to the best leader, mostly to the best campaigner. Instead hone your skills as a voter so that from local dogcatcher to the White House, you can spot goodness and fight evil.
* Don't plan to become a millionaire. In an entrepreneurial society like ours, making money is easy. Making it your tool instead of your master is what's hard.
* Don't plan to become an apprentice to the rich and powerful. From the serpent in Eden to the moneymakers on Wall Street to the mythmakers in Washington, too much power will surely corrupt you.
* Don't plan to win every race. Whether it's the gold or the ring or the plaque, they only mark the runners, not measure them. The real measure of victory is how much you give of yourself to the race.
* Don't plan to be a star. Stardom is out there; authentic achievement is in here. Inside yourself. Your psyche. Your conscience. Your soul. That will be the true marquee of your life.
So as you start getting pumped for that big journey, know this now. As much as you're about to learn about the world, it will be of small consequence when compared to what you will have learned about yourself by your 25th reunion.
Gay clergy come out at Lutheran meeting at Navy Pier
80 Homosexual pastors decided to go public in the ELCA Lutheran Church.
Story Here.
And we wonder....................................
Story Here.
And we wonder....................................
Paid writer vs. the masses
THIS IS FROM A WRITER WHO BEMOANS THE FUTURE. I THOUGHT IT WORTH THE READ. MAYBE YOU WILL TOO.
What's worth reading and where are not dictated by salary
The main difference between me and the average blogger is that I get paid. How long I can continue to earn a living off of something people do just as well for free is a question I occasionally ask myself, and it's one I frequently am asked by people who send me hate mail.
It's also the topic of the Carr-Benkler wager. Business writer Nicholas Carr bet Yale Law School professor Yochai Benkler that, by 2011, people will be paid for the content they submit to sites such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Digg and Flickr, currently all the domain of unpaid amateurs. This is not to be confused with Carr-Benkler II, in which they simplify things and just bet on which one of them is the bigger dork.
To find out exactly how threatening my unpaid competition is, I posted a request for columns vaguely in my style on latimes.com. Readers then voted on whether any of them were better than my column. I made it clear that no money would change hands, other than, of course, into mine.
To my dismay, I quickly got 89 submissions -- three of which arrived as hard copies. People want to be read so badly that they're willing to figure out how to use the U.S. Postal Service.
I felt better after I started reading the essays. A huge number of people, apparently unable to discern social cues indicating boredom, decided to share their genealogy. A fair number of submissions were online dating stories in which everyone but the author was a total loser. An absurd number of applicants did not understand the irony in writing about how stupid the media are for paying attention to Paris Hilton. One guy included a bar graph to explain his Iraq military strategy. And one woman gave me 3,400 words about Richard Gere kissing that Indian actress and how it relates to Apu from "The Simpsons." This writer happened to be Indian.
I started feeling worse, however, when I realized how long it was going to take me to slog through all this reading. And I felt worse yet when I found a dozen columns that were pretty good. I narrowed those down to four finalists and posted them online alongside my deep, paradigm-changing column about how I hate Elmo from "Sesame Street."
I was shocked by the results of the voting. Not because I got crushed, but because nearly 500 people read these things and voted. I think that's 110 percent of the people who visit latimes.com.
The winner, Sam Apple, wrote about his son's circumcision. It was hard to compete with because it contains the line, "In 2004, three New York babies contracted herpes from a mohel, who, in keeping with an ultra-Orthodox Jewish tradition, used his mouth to draw blood from the wound." This was news you could use.
When I called Apple to congratulate him, he modestly explained that he won because "I had a big advantage -- the Jewish vote." Apple, I quickly discovered, didn't have finely honed reporting skills, such as reading my byline.
I found out that Apple works as a writer and editor for nerve.com, an online literary magazine, and reviews baby gadgets at babble.com. He also wrote a well-received book, "Schlepping Through the Alps," and has an advance on a book about parenting classes.
He's got a master's of fine arts in non-fiction from Columbia University and has written for ESPN magazine and The New York Times Magazine. In fact, the circumcision piece had been accepted by an editor at The New York Times before getting rejected by a higher-up. I wrote a piece once for them, and it didn't make it past that first editor. Who is a friend of mine. Or, more accurately, was.
I'm totally prepared to compete against professional, trained writers using nothing but my raw skills: going on TV and schmoozing editors at parties. The important thing is that it's Apple and me against the un-copy-edited masses, and, according to the votes, combined we have a 76.6 percent approval rating from readers. The specific breakdown is irrelevant.
I agree with Maxine Waters (D)
I never thought I would see or hear myself saying such a thing that I agree with Maxine Waters, but I happen to believe that the Chinese government is corrupt and culpable in lots of bad things in the world. We need to let them know we don't appreciate their dealings with us.
SO, when MS Waters (who in reality is a nutcase but lurches into sense from time to time) opined that we should boycott the 08 Olympics I actually agree.
Call me weird. Ms Waters is.
SO, when MS Waters (who in reality is a nutcase but lurches into sense from time to time) opined that we should boycott the 08 Olympics I actually agree.
Call me weird. Ms Waters is.
John Edwards is Phony Baloney
Presidential Candidate John Edwards is a plastic banana good time rock and roll phony. He is a pretty face with nothing under it.
I have believed and known it for a long time, but this story from someone who DOES know him from his home state is most revealing. The good news is he will never be President and will slink off into obscurity after Hillary and Bill take the White House back. VP Richardson will keep Edwards in the far shadows. Obama will go back to the senate to fight another day.
You heard it all here first.
I have believed and known it for a long time, but this story from someone who DOES know him from his home state is most revealing. The good news is he will never be President and will slink off into obscurity after Hillary and Bill take the White House back. VP Richardson will keep Edwards in the far shadows. Obama will go back to the senate to fight another day.
You heard it all here first.
How to Make a Quick Hundred Grand
This ought to be easy. I mean every scientist on the planet agrees and will stake his reputation on the idea that humans cause global warming, so this should be a lay up. Right??
Well, boys and girls, now's your chance to cash in on this phony shell game.
All you have to do is prove that humans cause or even have a significant effect on global warming and you can cash that big check. Give Al Gore a call, you could split it with him. He has all the facts.
Here's who's writing that $100,000 check to the winner.
This is the safest sucker bet on the planet. There is no actual scientific data that proves anything of the kind. It's all a scam propounded on the innocent liberal community who believes anything.
This would be amusing if it wasn't so sad. The people who live their lives and drive their hybrids because like sacrificing a virgin to the god Pele this somehow will have some effect on the climate change cycle.
Get with it, the climate will change whether or not you do or don't do anything. The quicker we get this heresy out of the canon of the culture the better. Then we can start doing something about energy. Every honest attempt at this point is strangled by the idea that whatever we do will aggravate an imagined effect humans have on climate change. G W Bush's whole hydrogen push is that. He's been mislead.
I have news for you, take that stricture off and we'll get energy independence. But first we must quash this whole earth worship theology.
Well, boys and girls, now's your chance to cash in on this phony shell game.
All you have to do is prove that humans cause or even have a significant effect on global warming and you can cash that big check. Give Al Gore a call, you could split it with him. He has all the facts.
Here's who's writing that $100,000 check to the winner.
This is the safest sucker bet on the planet. There is no actual scientific data that proves anything of the kind. It's all a scam propounded on the innocent liberal community who believes anything.
This would be amusing if it wasn't so sad. The people who live their lives and drive their hybrids because like sacrificing a virgin to the god Pele this somehow will have some effect on the climate change cycle.
Get with it, the climate will change whether or not you do or don't do anything. The quicker we get this heresy out of the canon of the culture the better. Then we can start doing something about energy. Every honest attempt at this point is strangled by the idea that whatever we do will aggravate an imagined effect humans have on climate change. G W Bush's whole hydrogen push is that. He's been mislead.
I have news for you, take that stricture off and we'll get energy independence. But first we must quash this whole earth worship theology.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Pay me now or pay me later
I have much tell of the Redlin Reunion.
Some funny, some serious, some poignant.
Yesterday at 2 PM we headed off for St. Charles with the full intent of reaching home by 1 or 2 AM.
Somewhere in western MN at a rest stop a funny (not haha) odor came from under the hood of the car. Burning Rubber.
NOT GOOD.
I've burned rubber with a car before but not like this.
I looked under the car and saw what I decided was the problem. We stayed overnight in Winona MN. Nice town. I guess.
Took it to the Buick hospital. They heard what I said was wrong. Looked and (sit down for this) I was wrong. Second time all week.
It was not the belt tensioneer as I thought it might be, it was the AC pump bearing.
$1048 later and 3 hours we were on our way. I called and whined to my brother Steve who said, "That's a car payment or two". I am always preaching to him about it's cheaper to fix than buy and he handed it back to me. The worst thing you can do is to NOT fix it and hope it gets better. Pay me now or pay me later is what that is all about. Only if you wait, the later gets really bad.
It is, the ol Buick at 150,000 is good as new with 150,000 miles added.
It's nice to be home.
Some funny, some serious, some poignant.
Yesterday at 2 PM we headed off for St. Charles with the full intent of reaching home by 1 or 2 AM.
Somewhere in western MN at a rest stop a funny (not haha) odor came from under the hood of the car. Burning Rubber.
NOT GOOD.
I've burned rubber with a car before but not like this.
I looked under the car and saw what I decided was the problem. We stayed overnight in Winona MN. Nice town. I guess.
Took it to the Buick hospital. They heard what I said was wrong. Looked and (sit down for this) I was wrong. Second time all week.
It was not the belt tensioneer as I thought it might be, it was the AC pump bearing.
$1048 later and 3 hours we were on our way. I called and whined to my brother Steve who said, "That's a car payment or two". I am always preaching to him about it's cheaper to fix than buy and he handed it back to me. The worst thing you can do is to NOT fix it and hope it gets better. Pay me now or pay me later is what that is all about. Only if you wait, the later gets really bad.
It is, the ol Buick at 150,000 is good as new with 150,000 miles added.
It's nice to be home.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
A Higher Form of Faith? (a theological question)
This is my last post until next Tuesday. I'm going to a Redlin Reunion in Watertown SD. I'm hoping to see Terry Redlin as well. So, until then, sayonara
I have experienced and been taught by Lutherans, Catholics, Baptists, Methodists and Pentecostals in how to pray in faith.
The reformist branches don't reach very far. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. So, pray God's will. That's a good thing if we understand the will of God. Many people pray thy will be done as a cop out and if nothing happens it's God's will. I soon found that to be a pretty insipid way to reach out in faith.
Then there is talisman faith. Baptists and Methodists use this a great deal. They tag a holy talisman on the end of every prayer and hope if they tag it on with enough gusto God would think enough of them to respond. The talisman? In Jesus Name. Not a bad thing to do. In fact it's scriptural. It's just that we tag it on the end of the prayer like putting a stamp on an envelope hoping it will get thru the heavenly post office. Our faith is in the talisman.
Now, to be absolutely clear. When I pray, I always pray in Jesus name. It's the right thing to do. It increases my faith. I also pray according to the revealed will of God. Jesus told us to do so. The problem is it has become very formulaic and automatic for much of the body of Christ to invoke those two methodologies. Not much faith goes into a prayer that prays if it be thy will and in Jesus name without the consideration of what that really means. You could just as well read from a prayer book and expect the same results.
That's the Catholic way. They invoke rote prayers with lots of repetition, appealing to saints and Mary the mother of Jesus. No power just activity. I'm not upset with all that. I can listen to the rosary and get something out of it. When I'm traveling and listen to Catholic radio I do find it soothing and engaging when they pray the rosary. I'm just not convinced how much faith is involved.
There is a story in the Bible which I think is instructive. Jesus had just given a teaching on forgiveness of sin and an admonition regarding the treatment of little children. The apostles were obviously staggered and perhaps a bit fearful of what was just said. They implore Jesus in Luke 17 verses 5-10:
What does this mean? When they ask Jesus for a higher level of faith he tells them to talk to the tree to be planted in the sea. He doesn't tell them to pray that God would plant it in the sea, he doesn't tell them to see if it's God's will for it to be planted in the sea, he tells them to speak to the tree. In faith, their words.
Jesus talked to things, and taught that “whoever” could also speak to mountains. A mountain is primarily any obstacle that stands in your way. Faced with obstacles, most Christians pray to God. But Jesus told us to speak directly to the obstacle and tell it to be removed.
There is nothing wrong with discussing things with God. You should. But when something is blocking your progress — Jesus said YOU should tell it to get out of the way.
Most Christians just speak to God about the mountain, instead of following Jesus’ directions and speaking directly to the mountain. Are you just talking to God about the problems in your life, instead of talking directly to the problems and telling them to be removed?
According to Jesus, unbelief keeps us from speaking to our mountains. We need a higher form of faith.
What is the mountain in your life? What stands in the way of your progress? What holds you back from going forward and fulfilling God’s plan?
Speak God’s Word to that mountain! Speak to the devil and his forces and tell them to get out of your affairs. Speak to sickness and tell it that it can’t stay in your body. Speak to debt and financial lack and tell them to be removed from your life. Speak to doubt, fear, and worry and tell them to be gone.
If you say, "I just can’t believe it would do any good for me to talk to problems," that’s why you still have them.
Read what Jesus said again, and again.
When you come up against it Jesus said nothing said about praying in Jesus name, nothing about will of God. It's about speaking to situations, circumstances, diseases, finance and whatever other mountain, tree or weed is in our lives that stands between us and the destiny we carry in our being. It's an increased level of faith.
Of course we should pray. We must pray and have our faith built up, then we must speak in faith and confidence that the situation will be resolved because we speak in faith.
When Jesus came down from the mount of transfiguration there was a demon possessed boy. The disciples had been praying for him, they had been saying what Jesus said to others in mimicry. They had been tentative. The demon wouldn't come out. Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith. He did that a great deal. He said to them in essence there is a higher level of faith when you finish praying and start commanding things to be as you say them to be. Most of us never get out of the first stage of faith and to the next level which Jesus admonished us to reach. Speak to it.
When I minister to the sick, I pray first, I prepare myself and the person I'm praying for. I want their faith and mine to be a full power before I speak to the sickness. Then at the kairos moment I speak the word of Faith. I expect people to be healed. I expect finances to come in. I expect family members to be protected. It's our destiny.
Today in a conversation with Pastor Barry Kolb he told a story which exactly demonstrates this teaching. He said:
Some years ago I was transporting the Bishop and some other pastors back from the airport. We stopped at my house. They needed some stuff from the trunk of the car. But we had packed the trunk so tightly the trunk was stuck shut. We were all frustrated and I thought I was going to have to take it to the dealership to get the trunk to open. A young ministers wife (20 years old) said, "Let's pray and ask Jesus to open the trunk". We pastors and ministers looked at each other and said, "you go ahead". She prayed a simple prayer of faith and then said, "Trunk open". Of course you already know what happened. The trunk popped right open. I have tell this story to humiliate myself that I was one of the ministers that told that young woman to "go ahead". I didn't enter in. Lack of faith. No wait, that's not true, I had faith, in the car dealership to open that trunk.
IF (and I'm preaching to myself here too) you want a thing to happen or move in your life you must speak to the thing. Pray first, be built up by praying in the Holy Ghost then speak in faith believing. Even if you don't see it right away, believe. We need to walk by faith and not by sight. Jude 20 admonition Jude 1:20 (New King James Version) But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
The last part of Jesus' instruction, Do what you do as a servant and don't expect to get any thanks or blame for what you do. Just DO IT. When I pray for a sick or distressed person and speak words of faith over them, if they are healed all glory goes to God. If they are not healed I carry no blame. It's up to the Father in heaven. I do what I'm told. That's why you must read this last part of what Jesus said once again:
"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "
When I speak to a mountain, when I speak to a mulberry tree in faith believing I'm just doing my duty. You go do yours and speak to those mountains in your life. When they move take no credit. Just have joy that they responded to you.
The disciples have just had the opportunity to test their faith in speaking. They come back and this dialog takes place:
Luke 10:17-23 (with my commentary)
They will. I've seen it. I'll see it again. So can YOU!
I have experienced and been taught by Lutherans, Catholics, Baptists, Methodists and Pentecostals in how to pray in faith.
The reformist branches don't reach very far. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. So, pray God's will. That's a good thing if we understand the will of God. Many people pray thy will be done as a cop out and if nothing happens it's God's will. I soon found that to be a pretty insipid way to reach out in faith.
Then there is talisman faith. Baptists and Methodists use this a great deal. They tag a holy talisman on the end of every prayer and hope if they tag it on with enough gusto God would think enough of them to respond. The talisman? In Jesus Name. Not a bad thing to do. In fact it's scriptural. It's just that we tag it on the end of the prayer like putting a stamp on an envelope hoping it will get thru the heavenly post office. Our faith is in the talisman.
Now, to be absolutely clear. When I pray, I always pray in Jesus name. It's the right thing to do. It increases my faith. I also pray according to the revealed will of God. Jesus told us to do so. The problem is it has become very formulaic and automatic for much of the body of Christ to invoke those two methodologies. Not much faith goes into a prayer that prays if it be thy will and in Jesus name without the consideration of what that really means. You could just as well read from a prayer book and expect the same results.
That's the Catholic way. They invoke rote prayers with lots of repetition, appealing to saints and Mary the mother of Jesus. No power just activity. I'm not upset with all that. I can listen to the rosary and get something out of it. When I'm traveling and listen to Catholic radio I do find it soothing and engaging when they pray the rosary. I'm just not convinced how much faith is involved.
There is a story in the Bible which I think is instructive. Jesus had just given a teaching on forgiveness of sin and an admonition regarding the treatment of little children. The apostles were obviously staggered and perhaps a bit fearful of what was just said. They implore Jesus in Luke 17 verses 5-10:
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.
"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "
What does this mean? When they ask Jesus for a higher level of faith he tells them to talk to the tree to be planted in the sea. He doesn't tell them to pray that God would plant it in the sea, he doesn't tell them to see if it's God's will for it to be planted in the sea, he tells them to speak to the tree. In faith, their words.
An aside, a tree can't be planted in the sea and prosper. It will die, I say that as a plant guy. Even if it's not a salty sea like the sea of Galilee the plant cannot thrive in the water in the natural. Yet, IF we speak to the tree and it is planted in the sea it must prosper. That means impossible circumstances are made possible when we speak the very creative power of God (WORDS like He created the universe with) to the situation.This isn't the first time Jesus tells them to talk to situations and it should respond. There are two confirming scriptural passages with identical admonitions:
He said to them in Matthew 17:21 amp This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.
MARK 11:23 NKJ "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says.What about you, are YOU supposed to speak to your mountains or just pray about it which it the usual admonition you hear on Christian talk shows. Maybe we are not telling you the truth according to the revealed word of God. Let's look a little further.
Matthew 17:20 (New International Version)
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Jesus talked to things, and taught that “whoever” could also speak to mountains. A mountain is primarily any obstacle that stands in your way. Faced with obstacles, most Christians pray to God. But Jesus told us to speak directly to the obstacle and tell it to be removed.
There is nothing wrong with discussing things with God. You should. But when something is blocking your progress — Jesus said YOU should tell it to get out of the way.
Most Christians just speak to God about the mountain, instead of following Jesus’ directions and speaking directly to the mountain. Are you just talking to God about the problems in your life, instead of talking directly to the problems and telling them to be removed?
According to Jesus, unbelief keeps us from speaking to our mountains. We need a higher form of faith.
What is the mountain in your life? What stands in the way of your progress? What holds you back from going forward and fulfilling God’s plan?
Speak God’s Word to that mountain! Speak to the devil and his forces and tell them to get out of your affairs. Speak to sickness and tell it that it can’t stay in your body. Speak to debt and financial lack and tell them to be removed from your life. Speak to doubt, fear, and worry and tell them to be gone.
If you say, "I just can’t believe it would do any good for me to talk to problems," that’s why you still have them.
Read what Jesus said again, and again.
When you come up against it Jesus said nothing said about praying in Jesus name, nothing about will of God. It's about speaking to situations, circumstances, diseases, finance and whatever other mountain, tree or weed is in our lives that stands between us and the destiny we carry in our being. It's an increased level of faith.
Of course we should pray. We must pray and have our faith built up, then we must speak in faith and confidence that the situation will be resolved because we speak in faith.
When Jesus came down from the mount of transfiguration there was a demon possessed boy. The disciples had been praying for him, they had been saying what Jesus said to others in mimicry. They had been tentative. The demon wouldn't come out. Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith. He did that a great deal. He said to them in essence there is a higher level of faith when you finish praying and start commanding things to be as you say them to be. Most of us never get out of the first stage of faith and to the next level which Jesus admonished us to reach. Speak to it.
When I minister to the sick, I pray first, I prepare myself and the person I'm praying for. I want their faith and mine to be a full power before I speak to the sickness. Then at the kairos moment I speak the word of Faith. I expect people to be healed. I expect finances to come in. I expect family members to be protected. It's our destiny.
Today in a conversation with Pastor Barry Kolb he told a story which exactly demonstrates this teaching. He said:
"I was on a bus in winter in Russia. Russian and American pastors. The bus ran off the road into the ditch. It was stuck pretty well. We all got off the bus. The American Pastors were all on one side of the bus trying to figure out how to dig themselves out, what could be put under the tires, what might make it all work. They were putting their minds to it. On the other side of the bus the Russian Pastors were praying up a storm. They were getting their faith built up. Then at one moment they all got behind the bus and with one fell swoop the big old bus was pushed up on the road. Of course it was impossible. The American pastors spent the next little while measuring the depth of the rut the bus had just come out of. The Russian Pastors were raising their hands and praising God".
Some years ago I was transporting the Bishop and some other pastors back from the airport. We stopped at my house. They needed some stuff from the trunk of the car. But we had packed the trunk so tightly the trunk was stuck shut. We were all frustrated and I thought I was going to have to take it to the dealership to get the trunk to open. A young ministers wife (20 years old) said, "Let's pray and ask Jesus to open the trunk". We pastors and ministers looked at each other and said, "you go ahead". She prayed a simple prayer of faith and then said, "Trunk open". Of course you already know what happened. The trunk popped right open. I have tell this story to humiliate myself that I was one of the ministers that told that young woman to "go ahead". I didn't enter in. Lack of faith. No wait, that's not true, I had faith, in the car dealership to open that trunk.
IF (and I'm preaching to myself here too) you want a thing to happen or move in your life you must speak to the thing. Pray first, be built up by praying in the Holy Ghost then speak in faith believing. Even if you don't see it right away, believe. We need to walk by faith and not by sight. Jude 20 admonition Jude 1:20 (New King James Version) But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
The last part of Jesus' instruction, Do what you do as a servant and don't expect to get any thanks or blame for what you do. Just DO IT. When I pray for a sick or distressed person and speak words of faith over them, if they are healed all glory goes to God. If they are not healed I carry no blame. It's up to the Father in heaven. I do what I'm told. That's why you must read this last part of what Jesus said once again:
"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "
When I speak to a mountain, when I speak to a mulberry tree in faith believing I'm just doing my duty. You go do yours and speak to those mountains in your life. When they move take no credit. Just have joy that they responded to you.
The disciples have just had the opportunity to test their faith in speaking. They come back and this dialog takes place:
Luke 10:17-23 (with my commentary)
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." (THEY TRIED IT AND THEY LIKED THE RESULTS, KIND OF PROUD OF IT ALL)He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (HE IS SAYING AGAIN, YOU ARE DOING WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, REJOICE THAT YOU ARE A CALLED SERVANT OF GOD)
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. (IT GIVES JESUS GREAT JOY TO SEE YOU AND ME OPERATE IN THIS HIGHER FORM OF FAITH)
"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." (THIS REVELATION IS ONLY BY THE CHOICE OF JESUS, IT MUST BE CAPTURED BY FAITH)
Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
They will. I've seen it. I'll see it again. So can YOU!
ENERGY REPORT
I have been following the whole biofuel development for a long time. I know President Bush has taken a position on the technology that will solve all the problems of the world of fuels. That is his Hydrogen and fuel cell ideas and the push toward ethanol. That is a mistake. We need to allow the marketplace to solve the whole thing. There are a couple of bright spots on the horizon. Here's a review:
Ethanol. Finally, it has come fully to light by anyone with common sense that the whole ethanol headlong push is a farce when we use corn or grains as feedstocks. Cellulosic conversion doesn't work, YET. I'm not sure it will. In the end the chemistry doesn't hold up (I'm pretty deep in Organic Chemistry, I had Jungle Jim as a professor at NDSU) . Perhaps a feedstock genetically developed to yield more sugars like Sugar Cane or High Fructose Corn would be a good intermediate step. What's happening now is a joke and a travesty. Welfare for farmers is all it is.
Biodiesel from Grain like Soybeans. Same deal as Ethanol. You can't grow and crush enough oil to make it work. It's a scam. Plus you are mono-cropping and mining the soils and taking land out of production that would be better used for food and forage production rather than hammering the earth for a few beans to drive the diesel pickup around on. Again if it's possible to develop genetically a plant that produces huge volumes of oil MAYBE there might be some sense to it. I doubt it very seriously.
Butanol. I had high hopes for this technology and perhaps at some point someone will make a breakthrough. It depends on a direct conversion of unfermented sugars processed at high heats and fractions extracted from the precipitates. A shaky low output program. While at first glance it might seem to be a good plan since the promise of being able to use any sugars containing feedstuff (even lawn grass) would be great. The issue gets to be how do you get it captured before it converts to pure cellulose (drys out). My faith is much less on all this.
Garbage conversion: The whole idea of mass fermentation and reduction of garbage into energy makes a great deal of sense if it's combined with the recapture of metals, plastics, and glass for recycling. And, if the deitrus after the conversion is incinerated is used for energy for pyrolysis the system would be a closed loop. The net energy output from this would be less than the cost to do it. BUT, we already artificially support Ethanol. Wouldn't it make more sense to support this and get the energy from the process. Besides, even post consumer plastics can be converted to crude by a pyrolitic process. The water bottle you drank from was made from oil and using pyrolitics the oil can be recovered. As technology continues to find ways to do organic conversions perhaps the oil could be more efficiently recovered. All I know is we throw away masses of latent energy every day and recovering that makes sense.
Hydrogen. NOPE. Just Nope. Nothing about all that makes any sense at all.
Power from Sea Water. Sure. Sort of. I think there may be a way we will use sea water but this may not be it. Fractioning it electrolytically is a poor answer. The power needed to do this is more than the power generated. So we burn coal, oil and natural gas to generate electricity to split water into h2 and o. Dumb
Wind and Solar. Be sure to wear your hemp shirt. It's a bogus zero sum game. No energy is ever actually generated on the plus side by wind when all the inputs are measured. It's a phony program with feel good press releases. Solar has more promise as solar cells continue to improve and they are getting better every day. The problem is like flying to the sun. If you go during the day you will be burned up. You can only fly to the sun when it's night out. (Norwegian Joke). You only generate electricity when the sun shines. It doesn't always shine. Sometimes it's dark. We always need electricity. Putting power back into the grid is a shell game. Pittsburgh never gets a shot at solar power generated in New Mexico. It never makes the trip whole. Line losses and all. But for the earth mother crowd this is a solution that makes everyone feel good but doesn't work.
Oil from Coal. It's like oil from Shale Sand. Same technologies. I think this makes sense if we can just get the global warming scam put to bed. If you want to take a simple 10 question test to see if you really understand the whole human caused global warming issue, here's a link for you to look at.
Nuclear Energy. Always made sense. Still does. We need to come up with a better way to dispose of used radioactive wastes. There are technologies that make some sense. If we do this right there is a lot of weapons grade nuclear material that could power the globe for a very very long time.
Algae that is 50% biofuel when crushed from sea water and dirty water like sewage to me holds the greatest promise. I have been high on this low tech way of capturing the sun's energy and converting it to liquid fuel for a long time. I think I am about to be vindicated. It's crude but functional and makes more sense than anything else I have seen. You can read all about it here.
I have been a fan of plug in electric cars my whole life and they have a place. Hybrids are a phony baloney technology. There is hybrid technology that makes sense. It's just not the one we have now. Current hybrids are still hula hoops. Hip to own but not sensible.
We are not going to overthrow a whole liquid fuel powered industry and economic system for some non-working one. We will figure out how to create fuels that can one for one go directly into our fuel tanks and work in our 57 Chevys and diesel trucks. We will. The internal combustion engine isn't going away any time soon. Nor should it.
The good news is in the short run there is no global shortage of oil. There's lots of it. Easy oil is not as easy to find as it once was. Oklahoma gushers are rare. I would rather not dig up the tundra of Alaska. I would rather not drill in the arctic. Siberia is still largely untapped. The Bering strait is full of oil and untapped. South America has lots of undiscovered oil and Africa is loaded, Kenya, Nigeria, and others. The middle east can still pump as much as they ever did.
Much of the issues with oil shortages are political. The good news is I would like to tell the criminals that hold the world's oil to kiss my pitute. I want the USA free of the stranglehold those places have on us.
I believe that day is coming. SOON!
Ethanol. Finally, it has come fully to light by anyone with common sense that the whole ethanol headlong push is a farce when we use corn or grains as feedstocks. Cellulosic conversion doesn't work, YET. I'm not sure it will. In the end the chemistry doesn't hold up (I'm pretty deep in Organic Chemistry, I had Jungle Jim as a professor at NDSU) . Perhaps a feedstock genetically developed to yield more sugars like Sugar Cane or High Fructose Corn would be a good intermediate step. What's happening now is a joke and a travesty. Welfare for farmers is all it is.
Biodiesel from Grain like Soybeans. Same deal as Ethanol. You can't grow and crush enough oil to make it work. It's a scam. Plus you are mono-cropping and mining the soils and taking land out of production that would be better used for food and forage production rather than hammering the earth for a few beans to drive the diesel pickup around on. Again if it's possible to develop genetically a plant that produces huge volumes of oil MAYBE there might be some sense to it. I doubt it very seriously.
Butanol. I had high hopes for this technology and perhaps at some point someone will make a breakthrough. It depends on a direct conversion of unfermented sugars processed at high heats and fractions extracted from the precipitates. A shaky low output program. While at first glance it might seem to be a good plan since the promise of being able to use any sugars containing feedstuff (even lawn grass) would be great. The issue gets to be how do you get it captured before it converts to pure cellulose (drys out). My faith is much less on all this.
Garbage conversion: The whole idea of mass fermentation and reduction of garbage into energy makes a great deal of sense if it's combined with the recapture of metals, plastics, and glass for recycling. And, if the deitrus after the conversion is incinerated is used for energy for pyrolysis the system would be a closed loop. The net energy output from this would be less than the cost to do it. BUT, we already artificially support Ethanol. Wouldn't it make more sense to support this and get the energy from the process. Besides, even post consumer plastics can be converted to crude by a pyrolitic process. The water bottle you drank from was made from oil and using pyrolitics the oil can be recovered. As technology continues to find ways to do organic conversions perhaps the oil could be more efficiently recovered. All I know is we throw away masses of latent energy every day and recovering that makes sense.
Hydrogen. NOPE. Just Nope. Nothing about all that makes any sense at all.
Power from Sea Water. Sure. Sort of. I think there may be a way we will use sea water but this may not be it. Fractioning it electrolytically is a poor answer. The power needed to do this is more than the power generated. So we burn coal, oil and natural gas to generate electricity to split water into h2 and o. Dumb
Wind and Solar. Be sure to wear your hemp shirt. It's a bogus zero sum game. No energy is ever actually generated on the plus side by wind when all the inputs are measured. It's a phony program with feel good press releases. Solar has more promise as solar cells continue to improve and they are getting better every day. The problem is like flying to the sun. If you go during the day you will be burned up. You can only fly to the sun when it's night out. (Norwegian Joke). You only generate electricity when the sun shines. It doesn't always shine. Sometimes it's dark. We always need electricity. Putting power back into the grid is a shell game. Pittsburgh never gets a shot at solar power generated in New Mexico. It never makes the trip whole. Line losses and all. But for the earth mother crowd this is a solution that makes everyone feel good but doesn't work.
There are a couple of promising technologies that make real sense on the horizon.
Oil from Coal. It's like oil from Shale Sand. Same technologies. I think this makes sense if we can just get the global warming scam put to bed. If you want to take a simple 10 question test to see if you really understand the whole human caused global warming issue, here's a link for you to look at.
Nuclear Energy. Always made sense. Still does. We need to come up with a better way to dispose of used radioactive wastes. There are technologies that make some sense. If we do this right there is a lot of weapons grade nuclear material that could power the globe for a very very long time.
Algae that is 50% biofuel when crushed from sea water and dirty water like sewage to me holds the greatest promise. I have been high on this low tech way of capturing the sun's energy and converting it to liquid fuel for a long time. I think I am about to be vindicated. It's crude but functional and makes more sense than anything else I have seen. You can read all about it here.
I have been a fan of plug in electric cars my whole life and they have a place. Hybrids are a phony baloney technology. There is hybrid technology that makes sense. It's just not the one we have now. Current hybrids are still hula hoops. Hip to own but not sensible.
We are not going to overthrow a whole liquid fuel powered industry and economic system for some non-working one. We will figure out how to create fuels that can one for one go directly into our fuel tanks and work in our 57 Chevys and diesel trucks. We will. The internal combustion engine isn't going away any time soon. Nor should it.
The good news is in the short run there is no global shortage of oil. There's lots of it. Easy oil is not as easy to find as it once was. Oklahoma gushers are rare. I would rather not dig up the tundra of Alaska. I would rather not drill in the arctic. Siberia is still largely untapped. The Bering strait is full of oil and untapped. South America has lots of undiscovered oil and Africa is loaded, Kenya, Nigeria, and others. The middle east can still pump as much as they ever did.
Much of the issues with oil shortages are political. The good news is I would like to tell the criminals that hold the world's oil to kiss my pitute. I want the USA free of the stranglehold those places have on us.
I believe that day is coming. SOON!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The permanent weaker brother
I try hard to be conscious of the weaker brother (or sister). I don't want to be a stumbling block. Where I fall down is the man or woman who refuses out of spiritual pride or a religious spirit to grow in Christ. They can do nothing in Christ Jesus because they don't know him.
1st Corinthians 13 is about spiritual maturity. You can do all kinds of religious things but if they are done for show and not love they are worthless and demonstrate a person's immaturity. How do I know? I'm an expert at putting on a good show.
We know that if a little girl of 8 has the head come off her Doll she will cry and run to daddy. But at 20, or 30? If every little thing in life is a major catastrophe that's a sign of spiritual immaturity.
Or little kids can pout for a long time about petty things. But I know people in their 40's and 50's who are upset and depressed about things they should have got over 20 years ago.
People who are big babies at 40 never grew up at 12.
Life is tough sometimes. In Hebrews 11:24-26 it says of Moses (who Jesus revered in the story of Lazarus and the rich man):
It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.
HE CHOSE to suffer.
Being a big baby when you should have grown up already has a name. It's called SIN. I must confess, if a weaker brother wants to grow stronger I will do everything I can do to help him. But, if he doesn't want to step out of his weakness, I will do what I can do to offend him to shock him into reality. Even Jesus was offended with Peter and Offended Peter by saying "Get thee behind me Satan". I'll bet when Jesus said at the Last Supper "One of you is a devil" all eyes looked at Peter.
Peter wasn't offended. He didn't go off and pout. He did stupid things but kept pushing in.
That's my kind of man, weak but trying.
I just have little time for the permanent weaker brother.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Fear of Failure
I have been accused of being overly bold sometimes, even foolhardy. That is a strength in my eyes. I have been writing my testimony for the men's retreat. It's mostly about my failures before Jesus.
What I have come to realize is this, when I was born again my spirit man stopped producing any further fear in me. In other words I believed that I could not be anything but successful in Jesus if I just believed, had faith as a mustard seed and could say to the mountain, say to the sycamyne tree and they would respond.
On the other hand, my spirit can be fed fear. Fear from news media, fear from friends, fear from politicians. I then can decide to accept or reject the fear being fed me. One of our presidents of this great country said,
The one thing I have seen in reviewing my life is my point of failure is exactly where my fear point began. Whenever I allow myself to be afraid of taking a step I should take that is the seed of failure.
Fear Stops Faith Steps
I don't know why this is coming up but I wanted to mention what has become obvious to me. When I begin to fear I begin to fail.
What I have come to realize is this, when I was born again my spirit man stopped producing any further fear in me. In other words I believed that I could not be anything but successful in Jesus if I just believed, had faith as a mustard seed and could say to the mountain, say to the sycamyne tree and they would respond.
On the other hand, my spirit can be fed fear. Fear from news media, fear from friends, fear from politicians. I then can decide to accept or reject the fear being fed me. One of our presidents of this great country said,
"So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance".Yes, that is FDR. He was so correct when it came to fear and the reaction many have to it.
The one thing I have seen in reviewing my life is my point of failure is exactly where my fear point began. Whenever I allow myself to be afraid of taking a step I should take that is the seed of failure.
Fear Stops Faith Steps
I don't know why this is coming up but I wanted to mention what has become obvious to me. When I begin to fear I begin to fail.
If you are gonna be a blogger you gotta blog
I have several friends who after seeing my blog and Julies and a few others decide "I too shall have a blog".
They are easy to start. Easy to begin.
But, if you gonna be a blogger you gotta blog. Every day. If Possible. If you skip you lose readers. People come expecting something and if nothings there they bail.
I have 20 or so blogs on my RSS feeds. You would be surprised how limited peoples blogging really is.
SO, all my good friends who decided to blog because they saw this monkey do, BLOG darn it.
That's why you went to all the trouble. Tell me what you had for lunch. Why the democrats/republicans are all idiots, what your dog did yesterday. Just blog. It's not that hard and it's a good way for those of us who love you to figure out what you are up to.
OK?
They are easy to start. Easy to begin.
But, if you gonna be a blogger you gotta blog. Every day. If Possible. If you skip you lose readers. People come expecting something and if nothings there they bail.
I have 20 or so blogs on my RSS feeds. You would be surprised how limited peoples blogging really is.
SO, all my good friends who decided to blog because they saw this monkey do, BLOG darn it.
That's why you went to all the trouble. Tell me what you had for lunch. Why the democrats/republicans are all idiots, what your dog did yesterday. Just blog. It's not that hard and it's a good way for those of us who love you to figure out what you are up to.
OK?
Red Moon Rising
Last Night coming back from Church we were far out in the country. It was about 8:30PM. The moon was just coming up. As it breached the horizon and took it's place in the sky the color was bright orange with a smiling face on it. Like the Jack-O- Lanterns of youth.
I know that what I was seeing was just dust in the air adding their tinge of color to the full moon face. I know that. But it is really a glorious sight to behold and at the edge of the horizon as it comes up looks like it takes up half the sky. Not really half but it is beautiful.
Men of long ago spoke prophetically about the moon turning red. That was an ominous sign. Sometimes in war so much smoke and dust would be generated that at certain angles looking thru the dust the moon would appear red.
I don't know if there is any sign. I do know that the moon was pumpkin orange last night. That isn't always the color. It was pretty. But there are anniversaries coming up that terrorists like to observe.
So, I'll watch by the light of a Jack-O-Lantern Moon.
I know that what I was seeing was just dust in the air adding their tinge of color to the full moon face. I know that. But it is really a glorious sight to behold and at the edge of the horizon as it comes up looks like it takes up half the sky. Not really half but it is beautiful.
Men of long ago spoke prophetically about the moon turning red. That was an ominous sign. Sometimes in war so much smoke and dust would be generated that at certain angles looking thru the dust the moon would appear red.
I don't know if there is any sign. I do know that the moon was pumpkin orange last night. That isn't always the color. It was pretty. But there are anniversaries coming up that terrorists like to observe.
So, I'll watch by the light of a Jack-O-Lantern Moon.
Racking up the Hours
For a lot of reasons I spent a total of 8 hours in church or church services yesterday. My couch called me but I couldn't respond. No nap.
In the morning I dressed like SPOCK to engage folks to come to the men's retreat in two weeks. A couple men signed up.
In the afternoon I was part of the first service ever in the new building in Berwyn. I don't think that precious old church building had heard anything like that in decades. The man from the elder board who sat in as an observer really loved what he saw and heard.
I'm convinced that this is going to work. I'm convinced there is much much more to all this than meets the eye.
Then, we were off to Rockford, our normal church night. A man who came to speak as a prophet and teacher was really on. I had to take a short nap before. But, when 5 guitars, 3 drummers, 2 keyboards, 4 singers and a wind section cranked up full blast I woke up.
The man had a word of warning for me. He pointed his finger at me and told me something I needed to hear. It's a bit frightening knowing HE knows. Not Mike, the Lord. I think sometimes I live like no one knows. HE DOES.
If I had been in the Pilgrim churches of early America I would have been considered a piker. They would go 4 hours at a crack twice on Sunday on a wooden bench without air conditioning. I did my 8 with many luxuries. HOWEVER, at the end of 8 hours I settled back for a long summer's nap.
In the morning I dressed like SPOCK to engage folks to come to the men's retreat in two weeks. A couple men signed up.
In the afternoon I was part of the first service ever in the new building in Berwyn. I don't think that precious old church building had heard anything like that in decades. The man from the elder board who sat in as an observer really loved what he saw and heard.
I'm convinced that this is going to work. I'm convinced there is much much more to all this than meets the eye.
Then, we were off to Rockford, our normal church night. A man who came to speak as a prophet and teacher was really on. I had to take a short nap before. But, when 5 guitars, 3 drummers, 2 keyboards, 4 singers and a wind section cranked up full blast I woke up.
The man had a word of warning for me. He pointed his finger at me and told me something I needed to hear. It's a bit frightening knowing HE knows. Not Mike, the Lord. I think sometimes I live like no one knows. HE DOES.
If I had been in the Pilgrim churches of early America I would have been considered a piker. They would go 4 hours at a crack twice on Sunday on a wooden bench without air conditioning. I did my 8 with many luxuries. HOWEVER, at the end of 8 hours I settled back for a long summer's nap.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Too Many Chokecherries
In North Dakota there was always a tug of war between the bird and me regarding the chokecherries on our bushes out front.
They were up earlier and ate faster than we could pick. Jays, Robins, Gracklings, blackbirds. They all feasted at the Redlin table.
I was superficially irritated but I liked to see the birds eat too.
This year it's different. We have far too few apples, no bees. And at this late date the chokecherries are drying up on the branch. This is a bad situation.
I won't use them. We still have chokecherry jelly and chokecherry syrup (the secret is grind them WITH the pits, it's fabulous).
But there are no birds to eat the fruit ready to harvest. Oh there are birds but not cherry eating birds. Nile Virus. It's sad.
I don't know if other areas are short of birds this summer but I am. Come on you guys. The cherries are free and will never taste better.
They were up earlier and ate faster than we could pick. Jays, Robins, Gracklings, blackbirds. They all feasted at the Redlin table.
I was superficially irritated but I liked to see the birds eat too.
This year it's different. We have far too few apples, no bees. And at this late date the chokecherries are drying up on the branch. This is a bad situation.
I won't use them. We still have chokecherry jelly and chokecherry syrup (the secret is grind them WITH the pits, it's fabulous).
But there are no birds to eat the fruit ready to harvest. Oh there are birds but not cherry eating birds. Nile Virus. It's sad.
I don't know if other areas are short of birds this summer but I am. Come on you guys. The cherries are free and will never taste better.
Sad but Glorious Loss
Since there is next of kin to be notified I'll not say more than this loss of a man who was a family friend happened yesterday in a sad but glorious way. I know he would have wanted to go like this. At the helm of his beloved airplane. Many pilots who I know think of the time of their stepping from time into eternity at the yoke of their bird as an apt way to go. Beats 2 years at a nursing home.
Here's the story. The Forum hasn't acknowledged yet that a Dakota Pilot is the man in the story.
Hail to you Gerry, You died as you lived.
UPDATE:
The Fargo Forum has now published the story.
A local WI TV station has told the story also.
Here's the story. The Forum hasn't acknowledged yet that a Dakota Pilot is the man in the story.
Hail to you Gerry, You died as you lived.
UPDATE:
The Fargo Forum has now published the story.
A local WI TV station has told the story also.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Great Music
A Great Song is Jason Upton's Reason to Doubt from his CD FAITH.
He's a Minnesota Boy who's done good.
The Lyrics are below. If I could find it on line for you to listen to this great song I would. I looked but it's not there.
REASON TO DOUBT BY JASON UPTON
He's a Minnesota Boy who's done good.
The Lyrics are below. If I could find it on line for you to listen to this great song I would. I looked but it's not there.
REASON TO DOUBT BY JASON UPTON
I lived my life for a while
Asking for signs to believe in
God played defense in my trial
Quietly hanging there bleeding
While i cast lots for his robe
While i point my bloody finger
He pays debts that i owe
He says "Father, forgive them"
I used to ask for a sign to believe in
But he never gave me a reason to ever doubt Him
Give me one reason to doubt He is Messiah
Give me one reason to doubt He is alive
Give me one reason to doubt i am the apple of His eye
Just one reason now
Just one reason to doubt
Ahh ah ah
Just one reason now
Just one reason to doubt
Jesus Christ
I see the faith of our fathers
Abraham, Issac, and Jacob
They never saw what was promised
But they never once felt forsaken
Through fire, famine, and sword
Tribulation and war
They never asked for a sign to beleive in
So tell me how we stand in judgment and ever doubt Him
Give me one reason to doubt He is Messiah
Give me one reason to doubt He is alive
Give me one reason to doubt i am the apple of His eye
Just one reason now
Just one reason to doubt
Ahh ah ah (x2)
Just one reason now
Just one reason to doubt
Jesus Christ
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