If_______, then________

Last night's service at church was a special time. First of all, because we are celebrating the birth of our Saviour. But also, because we got to participate in a special prayer time. We have two members of the congregation who were just diagnosed with cancer. The one guy with colon cancer, and a lady with liver/pancreatic cancer. So at the close of service last night, our pastor announced that we were going to have prayer for both of them. So about 30 people gathered around as the pastor and deacons laid hands on them, and prayed for God to take care of them as they face surgery, chemotherapy, whatever course of treatment they have to go through. We don't know whether God will physically heal them or not, but whatever happens, we know that He will never leave them or forsake them. Even though it would be great if they were both completely healed physically, the ultimate healing awaits on the other side, as it does for all who have trusted Him as Lord and Saviour.

Yesterday afternoon, I watched a little bit of a tv church service. The pastor was quoting from Luke 2:Luk 2:13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
Luk 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."


I remember taking Physics in high school. We studied about " If-then " equations. If something happens, then something else will be the result. That got me to thinking... Maybe if we give glory to God in the highest, then we might see peace on earth. Hmmm, quite a concept, don't you think?

favorite Christmas songs

I guess one of the things I like most about this time of year, is the wonderful music of Christmas. The radio stations down here always start playing a little of it on the day after Thanksgiving. There are so many "standards" that have really held up for many years now, such as "White Christmas" and "the Christmas song"( aka chestnuts roasting on an open fire). Also, there are many tunes from more recent years, such as Mary, Did You Know? and Tennessee Christmas..all of them are fantastic. How about sharing what are some of your favorite Christmas songs and/or memories of Christmases past?

Christmas shopping, DirecTV, and useless people

I enjoyed a rare Friday night off work tonight. Since I had my additional 10% discount bonus from Walmart, I decided I would use it toward Mom and Dad's Christmas gift. So today I went tv shopping, and I settled on a 26" RCA HD. After getting it unpacked and set up, lo and behold the DirecTV receiver went belly-up, so I spent a lot of time on the phone and online ordering a replacement receiver. So, it will be here in a couple of days, and hopefully balance and harmony will be restored. haha...Now, the useless people part..I had broken my watch a while back at work, so I had been going without one for a few weeks. The other day, Dad and Mom came out, and said they had a little early Christmas gift for me. You guessed it, a new watch. Now, the band was a little too big, and needed a couple of links taken out. So while I was in the store today getting the TV, I figured I'd get the watch band taken care of as well. I also had another old watch that just needed a battery replaced, so I dropped both of them off at the jewelry counter while I headed off to electronics. 30 minutes or so later, I came back to pick up the watches, and they (1) were unable to take links out of the new band (2) were unable to change batteries in the old watch (3) were unable to swap bands from the old watch to the new. So I totally struck out in the timepiece area. Oh well I can always carry it around in my shirt pocket. Either that, or take it to a professional jewelers, and pay the price. But I learned a lesson from all this...Don't buy a watch at Walmart and expect any help in the service department. Thats all I have to vent about for now, but stay tuned..

Merry Christmas to all:)

memories

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving day. This year, my family did something a little different. Our family has gotten so big, what with 4 generations represented now, that it's hard to get everyone together in one place. So we decided to have the meal at my church's fellowship hall. My dad and his brothers and sisters all grew up there, just like I did, so it was nostalgic for them as well. My cousin from near Baton Rouge(thats him on the right of the picture, standing right next to the column, wearing glasses) had made a dvd from all the pictures that everyone sent him before our reunion back in October. He brought copies for all of us to take home. What a treasure chest filled with memories it contains. Thanks Mike! Here is a picture of the group of us standing on the steps of the church.

milestone

Well what do you know, I've reached the 100-post mark on this blog thing. Maybe I'm beginning to get the hang of it after all, huh?

from my blog to yours

Happy Thanksgiving, ya'll! I hope everyone has a wonderful day with lots of friends and family. I am so blessed to have a close relationship with a large extended family. And boy howdy can they cook up some stuff..Oh well, as usual I will put off dieting until after the holidays.

Psa 100:1 A psalm of thanksgiving. Shout triumphantly to the LORD, all the earth.
Psa 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.
Psa 100:3 Acknowledge that the LORD is God. He made us, and we are His--His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Psa 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
Psa 100:5 For the LORD is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations.

You know what makes me sick?

So many places now, when they list their telephone number for folks to call, they will give out 1 + the area code, then try to be clever and spell out the remaining digits alphabetically. That aggravates the crap out of me. Why can't they just give us the stupid numbers? Sometimes when they spell it out, you have too many numbers. Like 1-800- GIVE-ME-A-BREAK already. Sheeeeshh..

Veteran's Day

My thanks go out to all who have ever worn the uniform of our Armed Forces. Also to the ones who are presently serving in many areas of the world. It's true enough, our world is a scary enough place as it is. Just imagine how worse things would be if our brave soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen hadn't went and did all that they did. So, if you see a veteran today, tell them thanks. Its the very least we can do. God bless them all..

new music

I just got the new 2-disc cd of the Eagles, Long Road out of Eden. It's very good, and they haven't lost anything, in spite of not having any new material for a number of years. The sound of this project, sort of reminds me of the early to mid 70's songs, such as Lying Eyes, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Take It Easy, etc. And an added bonus, it is only available at WalMart, so the price isn't terribly steep. $12 for the cd, and $10 for the full download on walmart.com. Give it a listen if you are, or were, an Eagles fan. You won't be disappointed!

Vote

Today was election day here in Mississippi. All of our statewide offices and many local positions are up for grabs. I hope that everyone takes advantage of this awesome privilege and responsibility that we have to choose who governs us. This has always been a very important thing in my family. For as long as I can remember, my parents and grandparents, aunts & uncles, all made it their mission to teach us the importance of casting our votes for the candidates of our choice. I believe it is something that should be prayed about before going to the polls. Given the condition of our society these days, we certainly need to seek God's wisdom concerning who to place into office. Not only this election today, but next years Presidential election. We certainly need to devote much prayer time to it in particular, for it will affect the course of the entire nation for the next several years. Listen to what the candidates have to say, then pray about it and seek direction from God as we make our decisions.

time

Last Monday, prostate exam..Today, 6-month dental checkup..boy, its tough getting old..but it beats the alternative..

Dumb Crook News

HEY -- WHAT IS THIS CRAP? OH...IT'S CRAP!
Three teenagers who grabbed a package from a woman's car in Des Moines, Iowa recently were in for an unpleasant surprise: the package contained droppings from the woman's dog. The victim said she had been walking her Cairn terrier "Tippy" and had used the bag to pick up after him. She said when she finished, she wrapped the 4-by-5-inch package and set it down on her car trunk. That's when the three teenagers rushed by. One grabbed the bundle and yelled "Thank you." The victim said she looked up, saw the trio racing away, and replied, "You're welcome." She told police,"I just wish I could have seen their faces when they opened it up."

UM...COULD YOU FOLKS EXCUSE ME JUST A MOMENT?
A Columbus, Ohio police officer who was instructing bank employees on what to do during a robbery was interrupted by...a bank robbery. The suspect entered the bank and handed a teller a note demanding cash. He had somehow missed the uniformed police officer standing at a nearby teller window. The officer interrupted his class and tackled the robber after a short foot chase. The suspect has been linked to 43 other robberies.

more reunion pictures

Here are a few more pics from the first annual Lofton family reunion. The task was big, but the rewards were bigger..and boy howdy was that couchon du lait good, even if I don't know how to spell it;)

It ain't what you know

Act 4:8 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders:
Act 4:9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man--by what means he was healed--
Act 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead--by Him this man is standing here before you healthy.
Act 4:11 This Jesus is The stone despised by you builders, who has become the cornerstone.
Act 4:12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved."
Act 4:13 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and knew that they had been with Jesus.

Can people say that about us? That because of our conversation, and way of life, that they can tell we've been with Jesus?

Reunion was a huge success

Man, what a time we had this weekend at the what I hope is only the first of many reunions to come. I really got to know more about some of my family over the course of the last few days. Also learned what a Cajun microwave is and how it works. And Cajun horseshoes. There were five generations of family represented, what a rich heritage we have!

Here a couple of pictures from the weekend. The first one is of the Cajun microwave I mentioned earlier, it is the most amazing contraption that I've ever seen. Google it to learn more. The second picture is of a building right across the street from my cousin's home in Slaughter. Presently it is home to a World War II museum. But back in the 1920's and 1930's it was a bank. And the story goes that at some time (I'm guessing early 30's) it was robbed one day by a couple of people who would soon become legendary... Bonnie and Clyde . The story is , they got away with $500, which I'm sure was a pretty good sum back in the Depression days. They made their getaway up the street and headed north into Mississippi. It was just a matter of time, though, before the law caught up with them , and they were ambushed and killed by a posse of Texas and Lousiana officers on May 23, 1934 on a rural road in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.

whoa!

Marie went down like she'd been shot, on DWTS tonight..Glad she was ok. She didn't get much sympathy from it though, when the scores were announced. I predict that it'll be the Cheetah girl vs the Spice Girl in the finals...

reunion

Well its almost time for the first annual "official" Lofton/Montgomery reunion. This weekend should be filled with lots of nostalgia, laughter, and sharing many precious memories. I say "official, because we've had "mini-reunions" from time to time, usually Thanksgiving or Christmas, but this is the first time we've actually taken the time to plan something specific. A couple of my cousins and I came up with this idea back in July at the funeral of my uncle. We are hoping to make this an annual thing, because as we got older, and more of our relatives pass on, it holds more meaning. I will have more posts, and pictures from the events, hopefully beginning Sunday or Monday.

Warning----Contains Political Uncorrectness

A couple's 25th anniversary was approaching, and the husband, as usual, was struggling to come up with an appropriate gift to mark the occasion. For several years, the wife had been nagging him to buy her a sports car, with no success. As the anniversary date drew closer, she began to become more and more insistent in her demands for this car, and he kept refusing to give in to her demands. Finally, the day before the anniversary date, she informed him that come tomorrow, there had better be something in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in 4 seconds. Or else, she would beat him to within an inch of his miserable life. So, he sighed and said OK, I give up.

The next morning she jumped up and ran out to the driveway to find....a set of bathroom scales.

Duh huh!

priorities in the news media

Ben Stein is a commentator who appears on various programs on occasion, offering insights about society. I have heard his comments a couple of times, but don't remember hearing this one. But it pretty much hits the nail on the head when it comes to what people consider "newsworthy"..

Can some kindly soul please take pity on little me and explain why it's important that I know about celebrities who get sent to jail, get to leave, and then get sent back again?

Can someone explain why I should care about whether a plastered movie star goes to jail in the first place?

This is a world in which the United States is engaged in a defense and foreign policy nightmare in Iraq and another one in Afghanistan. The same people who killed 3,000 Americans on 9/11 are hurting us badly in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are resurgent all over the Middle East. They threaten to make the Arab-Israeli situation far worse than it already is.

In such a world, who cares what Hollywood stars are drinking or whether they're in jail?

Iran is about to get nuclear weapons, or so it would seem. The North Koreans have nuclear weapons and have breached a deal with the U.S. to stop making them. This is serious business. Why, in times as dangerous as these, do we care about what movie star is dating which other movie star or how many swimming pools their rehabs have?

Why do we spend so much of our day agonizing about movie stars, and big busted blondes, alive and dead? Is it to escape thinking about the real problems we have? If so, it's a mistake. Not too many real problems go away by being ignored.

Is it because we're too stupid to know what's important? When the barbarians were at the gates of Rome, did the Romans gossip about Roman actresses?

Our enemies are serious about beating us. Except for the men and women in uniform, not too many of us seem serious about beating them.

Time to pay a lot more attention to the real stars … the ones in our military wearing battle dress uniforms over body armor in Iraq and Afghanistan … and a lot less about how much time Paris Hilton spends in jail.

well how about that

According to my sitemeter, something truly amazing, sensational, tremendous, fantastic, mind-boggling, and stupendous has occured. I am in an exclusive club now, having reached the level of 200 total visits to this blog. So, what prize do I get for achieving this? Will a celebrity arrive at my house to present me a big fat check? Or at least give me a gift certificate to some place or another?. Nah, I doubt it..Its just another milestone to be commemorated, mostly inside my mind...Oh well, I guess I should thank everyone for stopping by, I couldn't have done it without your being curious to see whats going on here..So, THANKS EVERYONE:)

Oh, here's another bit of trivia for you..

HUNKY DORY
Meaning: To be okay, everything is good.
Example: As long as mom is happy, eveything is just honky dory.
Origin: Huncho-dori was a major street in Yokohama that was frequented by American sailors on leave during W.W.I. To be in Huncho-dori was to be enjoying leisure activities, and having a good time.
Alternatively,t The archaic English word "hunk" meant "goal" and is probably derived from the Dutch "honk" also meaning "goal". To have reached one's goal is to be satisfied and happy.

Now ya know!

the 3 R's

Remember when we were just starting school, we went to learn our 3 R's..reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic? Sometimes we struggled so hard with those things. Well, there are 3 R's in our spiritual life we have to struggle with as well. Remorse, Regret, and Repentance.Sometimes, there are things in our lives that it seems like "everybody is doing it, so it must be OK". But right or wrong doesn't depend on how many people do it. I've been convicted recently about something that I thought was OK, because I knew so many people were doing it. But I see now that in God's eyes, it's stealing. So, I've had to work on my 3 R's. It started off with the first R-- Remorse..Then the second --Regret..The 3'rd R, Repentance, the most important one. Because you can feel Remorse and Regret, but if you don't Repent, nothing really changes, does it? And with His help, I won't do it again. Thank you, Lord, for the conviction of the Holy Spirit to keep me on the right paths.

why most suicide bombers are Muslim

well how about that...they're just sexually frustrated

According to the Oxford University sociologist Diego Gambetta, editor of Making Sense of Suicide Missions, a comprehensive history of this troubling yet topical phenomenon, while suicide missions are not always religiously motivated, when religion is involved, it is always Muslim. Why is this? Why is Islam the only religion that motivates its followers to commit suicide missions?

The surprising answer from the evolutionary psychological perspective is that Muslim suicide bombing may have nothing to do with Islam or the Koran (except for two lines in it). It may have nothing to do with the religion, politics, the culture, the race, the ethnicity, the language, or the region. As with everything else from this perspective, it may have a lot to do with sex, or, in this case, the absence of sex.

What distinguishes Islam from other major religions is that it tolerates polygyny. By allowing some men to monopolize all women and altogether excluding many men from reproductive opportunities, polygyny creates shortages of available women. If 50 percent of men have two wives each, then the other 50 percent don't get any wives at all.

So polygyny increases competitive pressure on men, especially young men of low status. It therefore increases the likelihood that young men resort to violent means to gain access to mates. By doing so, they have little to lose and much to gain compared with men who already have wives. Across all societies, polygyny makes men violent, increasing crimes such as murder and rape, even after controlling for such obvious factors as economic development, economic inequality, population density, the level of democracy, and political factors in the region.

However, polygyny itself is not a sufficient cause of suicide bombing. Societies in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean are much more polygynous than the Muslim nations in the Middle East and North Africa. And they do have very high levels of violence. Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from a long history of continuous civil wars—but not suicide bombings.

The other key ingredient is the promise of 72 virgins waiting in heaven for any martyr in Islam. The prospect of exclusive access to virgins may not be so appealing to anyone who has even one mate on earth, which strict monogamy virtually guarantees. However, the prospect is quite appealing to anyone who faces the bleak reality on earth of being a complete reproductive loser.

It is the combination of polygyny and the promise of a large harem of virgins in heaven that motivates many young Muslim men to commit suicide bombings. Consistent with this explanation, all studies of suicide bombers indicate that they are significantly younger than not only the Muslim population in general but other (nonsuicidal) members of their own extreme political organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah. And nearly all suicide bombers are single.

22 ways to be a good Democrat

1. You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.

2. You have to believe that businesses create depressions and governments create prosperity.

3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than Nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Iranians and North Korean communists.

4. You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding.

5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical documented changes in the earth's climate and more affected by soccer moms driving SUV's.

6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being homosexual is natural.

7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.

8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach fourth graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.

9. You have to believe that hunters don't care about

nature, but loony activists who have never been outside of San Francisco or Portland do.

10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.

11. You have to believe that Mel Gibson spent $25 million of his own money to make "The Passion of the Christ" for financial gain only.

12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.

13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and A.G. Bell.

15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.

16. You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and is a very nice person.

17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been In charge.

18. You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.

19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying transvestites in drag and bestiality should be constitutionally protected, and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

20. You have to believe that illegal Democrat Party funding by the Chinese Government is somehow in the best interest to the United States.

21. You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast, right wing conspiracy.

22. You have to believe that it's Okay to give Federal workers the day off on Christmas Day but it's not Okay to say "Merry Christmas."

and the winners are....

STUPIDEST STATEMENT OF THE YEAR
1) "No fruit loops!” Ex-Dictator Saddam Hussein on his breakfast of choice while in jail.
2) "They think work is a four-letter word." – Senator Hillary Clinton, speaking about kids today.
3) "I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency." - Vice President Dick Cheney, on Iraq.
4) “What do you think you’re looking at, sugar tits?” Mel Gibson to female Sergeant in Malibu, California following his arrest for drunk driving.
5) "My family and I are deeply sorry for all that Vice President Cheney and his family have had to go through this past week," Harry Whittington, after Dick Cheney shot him in the face. February 17, 2006



THE DUMBEST MOMENT OF THE YEAR
1) Zinedine Zidane head butts Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final and is ejected.
2) Vice President Dick Cheney shoots friend
3) Britney Spears speeds with her baby’s head close to steering wheel
4) Danish Newspaper Jyllands-Posten publishes the controversial Mohammed cartoons
5) Protesters violently demonstrate against the Danish Mohammed cartoons



STUPIDITY AWARD FOR MAKING A STUPID SITUATION STUPIDER
1) Mel Gibson offering to urinate on the floor following his arrest for drunk driving.
2) Britney Spears almost dropping her baby after driving dangerously with him twice, and then talking about it on TV
3) Nick Flynn trips on his shoelaces, falls down a set of stairs and smashes three priceless antique Chinese vases in a museum. Flynn then criticized the museum for not taking better care of its displays.
4) The Bush Administration in Iraq
5) Deciding not to tell anyone after Vice President Dick Cheney shoots his friend.

more things that make you go hmmm...

Each year 30,000 people are seriously injured by exercise equipment.

More than 50% of the world have never made or received a telephone call.

The word "set" has more definitions than any other word in the English language.

Due to gravitational effects, you weigh slightly less when the moon is directly overhead.

A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate.

In its ancient form, the carrot was purple, not orange.

Snails breathe through their feet!

Its illegal to own a red car in Shanghai, China.

The first CD pressed in the USA was Bruce Springsteen 'Born in the USA'.

The bat on the Bacardi symbol is there because the soil where the sugar cane grows is fertile from the excessive guano (bat droppings.)

2 out of 5 people live in China or India.

Montpelier, Vermont is the only U.S. state capital without a McDonalds.

Coca-Cola was originally green.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

90% of people who read that will attempt it...

Recycling one glass jar, saves enough energy to watch T.V for 3 hours.

Annually, the amount of garbage dumped in the worlds oceans, is three times the weight of fish that is caught from the oceans.

Most lipstick contains fish scales!

What's the most shoplifted book in the United States? The Bible!

Almonds are a member of the peach family.

97% of all paper money in the US contains traces of cocaine.

More than 10 people a year are killed by vending machines.

In America in 1977, the punishment for smuggling marijuana was 15 years less than the punishment for smuggling coffee!

hurray

Its Saturday at last! I've had a pretty good week, only worked 2 nights( Tuesday and Friday). There were a couple of deferred holidays left in the bank, so I figured now was as good a time as any to use 'em up. Mom had a couple of tests done this week, and everything turned out fine, so thank God for that. At work for the past 2 weeks, we've been training a new associate for the weekend shift. He did much better than a lot of trainees I have seen come and go over the years. Seemed like he was able to grasp the concept of what we do on third shift more easily than most. We still have 2 nights left , so Tuesday and Wednesday we will get in some last chance intensive training. Then, its off to the jungle for this guy. I hope that what we have tried to teach him will serve him well in the days ( or nights) ahead. On another front, I found this site that lists unclaimed funds for the state of Mississippi, its run through the office of the state treasurer. So, I'm checking it from time to time, who knows..maybe an unknown relative left behind a few dollars thats just sitting there, waiting to be claimed. Oh well, a guy's gotta have a dream....

Someone sent me an email today with these pictures attached. It's like food art, I guess you'd call it. Whoever took the time to do these, sure has a great imagination:) Enjoy...

3 stands

Stand ON God's word.
Stand OUT from the world.
Stand UP when facing persecution.

2Ti 3:1 But know this: difficult times will come in the last days.
2Ti 3:2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good,
2Ti 3:4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2Ti 3:5 holding to the form of religion but denying its power. Avoid these people!
2Ti 3:6 For among them are those who worm their way into households and capture idle women burdened down with sins, led along by a variety of passions,
2Ti 3:7 always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
2Ti 3:8 Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth, men who are corrupt in mind, worthless in regard to the faith.
2Ti 3:9 But they will not make further progress, for their lack of understanding will be clear to all, as theirs was also.
2Ti 3:10 But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance,
2Ti 3:11 along with the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from them all.
2Ti 3:12 In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
2Ti 3:13 Evil people and imposters will become worse, deceiving and being deceived.
2Ti 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing those from whom you learned,
2Ti 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,
2Ti 3:17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

october

Well here we are, new week, new month begins today. Renewal, thats a good thing. We are having revival services at church this week ( through Wednesday). I remember a time though, when revival lasted from Sunday through Friday, and sometimes even longer than that, if people were responding to the Holy Spirit. And not just nightly at 7 pm, but there was also a morning service. What happened? Have the preachers run out of steam, or have we as people just gotten to where we don't want to hear too much preaching? It certainly isn't because God is finished speaking to us. I suspect it's us as people have too much other "stuff" going on to have a 2 service a day, 7 day long revival. Thats sad.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

(wow, I almost herniated myself spelling that) was in NYC today to speak at Columbia University. He and his entourage were able to avoid the usual gridlock of traffic by driving in the lane reserved for Holocaust Deniers. After the speech, he and his people broke into a local hotel room in an attempt to recover some stolen sports memorabilia.

thanks Jon Stewart and Jay Leno

about the poll

I voted yes, he should have been given the opportunity to speak. Otherwise, he'd have just used being denied as a chance to say " look what a bunch of hypocrites those Americans are". So I say let him speak..I hope people are intelligent enough to see through his egomaniacal, anti-Israel, Holocaust-denying BS.

thoughts for today

Psa 122:1 A Song of Ascents, of David. I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."
Psa 122:2 Our feet are standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem,
Psa 122:3 Jerusalem, that is built As a city that is compact together;
Psa 122:4 To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD-- An ordinance for Israel-- To give thanks to the name of the LORD.
Psa 122:5 For there thrones were set for judgment, The thrones of the house of David.
Psa 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
Psa 122:7 "May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces."
Psa 122:8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, "May peace be within you."
Psa 122:9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good

Ever have one of those days when it just felt like there was a black cloud hanging over your head? I felt that way when I woke up this morning, and I was tempted to just pull the covers back over my head and skip church today. But instead, I did some praying, and the Lord said go, so I gathered myself together and went. I still didn't feel good. For some time now, I have been dealing with some financial issues that Satan is using to grind me down. Because of greed, and because I wanted to have things that I really couldn't afford, I find myself facing some debts that are hard to make a dent in. But you know what? As bad as I felt when I got to church this morning, after meeting with my prayer group and being in Sunday school, my burdens didn't seem as heavy as they did only an hour or so before. Then during worship service, after singing some hymns and worship songs, and listening to God's word during the message, I realized that I didn't feel as bad as I did at the start of the day. No, my problems haven't disappeared, but God gave me strength that I needed to get through one more day. Sometimes life feels like you're just pushing against this huge rock that just refuses to move. You push and push as hard as you can, but it's still there. I think what I learned today is that maybe God isn't asking us to move the rock, just to keep pushing against it. We get tired of pushing against it when we don't see any movement. But if we will call on God for help, He will always give us the strength that we need to keep pushing for one more day. Thats all we can ask for. Tomorrow is another day. Thank you Lord, for giving me the strength that I need to face each day.

good reading

I got this today, from Heartlight.org




Servin' Safari, by Patrick D. Odum


Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we
will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have
opportunity, let us do good to all people ... (Galatians 6:9-10
NIV).

Dorian Paskowitz saw a need, and the fact that he's Israeli and those
in need are Palestinian doesn't seem to have mattered to him.

Dorian is a retired doctor from Hawaii, 86 years old, who read about
the need and decided to do something about it. He and his son left
sunny Hawaii for the war-torn Gaza Strip for their mission of mercy.
Dorian calls it a "mitzvah," a Hebrew word that means "good deed."
While you might expect Dorian to bring medical supplies, you'd be
wrong. While you wouldn't be surprised if he was bringing food or
clothing, you'd be mistaken.

Dorian Paskowitz went to the Gaza Strip bearing gifts for the
Palestinians that are very near and dear to his heart. Though he
practiced medicine for a half a century or so, he has been a surfer for
twenty-five years longer than he was a doctor. And when he read about
two Palestinian surfers who had to take turns in the gnarly surf off
the Gaza Strip, he could sit still no longer. "I said to my son, 'Come,
we'll go to Israel and get them some boards,'" Dorian explains
matter-of-factly. That's how it came about that Dorian Paskowitz,
tanned and shirtless, happened to be at the Gaza-Israeli border handing
off twelve surfboards to a grateful group of amazed Palestinian
surfers. "When a surfer sees another surfer with a board, he can't help
but say something that brings them together," Dorian says, brushing off
the obvious observations about Israeli-Palestinian tensions. "God will
surf with the devil if the waves are good."

Whether you agree or not, you have to admire the enthusiasm that leads
Dorian to such a conclusion. Arthur Rashkovan, an Israeli surfer who
calls Paskowitz a guru who brought surfing to Israel fifty years ago,
has maybe a more realistic idea: "We want Palestinians to enjoy the
surfing experience. We believe it brings people together. The idea is
for people to forget about the violence and follow the journey to peace
on the waves."

To tell you the truth, I think Dorian Paskowitz is on to something.
Diplomacy, politics, treaties, and laws can't create peace. Wars can
bring about conquest, but battering people into submission is not the
same as bringing about peace. In the end, what creates peace is people
doing good to people, however they have opportunity, until a society
loses its capacity for hate, its impulse for violence, and its
motivation for war. Twelve surfboards won't end centuries of
hostilities, of course. But, find enough people willing to risk
"mitzvahs" of their own, and suddenly anything's possible.

Sometimes it doesn't seem to make a difference.

It was another Israeli, Paul, who said, "[A]s we have opportunity, let
us do good to all people." I like the realism of that. "[A]s we have
opportunity ...." Good deeds aren't necessarily big deals that take you
halfway around the world -- maybe just across town or across the street
or across the hall. The kind of good Paul is talking about is the
everyday kind that might not garner headlines, but that can make all
the difference in the world. It's a visit to a sick friend who really
needs her spirits lifted. It's a kind word to someone who has the
weight of the world on his shoulders. It's babysitting the kids of a
couple who are struggling with their marriage and need time for each
other. It's raking the yard of that widowed neighbor who can't afford
to have it done and has no one else to do it for her. "[A]s we have
opportunity ...." That's doable, you know. All that takes is being
aware of the needs around us and the people who cross our paths. All it
takes is being willing to say "yes" instead of "no," to sacrifice a
little time or a little money or a few of our resources. Paul's talking
about giving a fellow church member a ride to the doctor, then being
there to listen when she talks about her fears. He's talking about
sitting next to that new student -- or that old one no one ever pays
any attention to -- instead of your usual lunchtime crowd. He means
giving a sandwich and a smile to a street-corner beggar, or helping
that single mom you know get school supplies for her kids. There's
nothing earth-shaking there. Nothing of international significance, but
to the person who is the beneficiary of the good -- the recipient of
your "mitzvah" -- it makes all the difference.

I guess that's why Paul warns us that our tendency will be to become
weary of doing good. It's not that doing good is in itself all that
exhausting, though it can be. I wonder if he means, though, that
sometimes it doesn't seem to make a difference. After all, the beggar
is still a beggar after he eats the sandwich I give him, and pretty
soon he'll be hungry again. That single mom doesn't have to buy her
kids' school supplies, but what about the braces and the winter coats
and the house payment? That sick friend will still be sick after my
visit, and that couple might still split up. And even after Dorian
Paskowitz dropped off those boards, Israelis and Palestinians live in
tension. What good we're able to do might not have any long-term
benefit. It might not solve any "big" problems. And that can be
tiresome.

Paul, however, promises that good deeds are never in vain. "At the
proper time we will reap a harvest," he promises -- if we don't give
up. That's what distinguishes the Big Kahunas of doing good from the
posers -- follow-through. Paul says you "do good" just because you have
an opportunity to do good, not because you see how it contributes to an
overall solution, or as part of a bigger plan. You "do good" as you
have opportunity, and you leave it to God to sort out the things that
are too big for you. And more often than not, you'll eventually see how
he used your good deed, your "mitzvah," to do something bigger than you
ever imagined. In his time -- the proper time -- you'll have your
harvest.

Until then, keep your eyes and ears and heart and mind open to the good
God wants you to do ... the good you have opportunity to do. It might
not be what you imagined and it might take you to people you'd have
never thought you would serve, but if God's calling you to do it then
there's a reason. Get your balance, get in the pipeline, and ride the
wave wherever it takes you.

Cowabunga!

sigh

I wish people would realize that all of us poor unfortunate souls who work 3rd shift, either by choice or by chance, we need a little sleep during the day. It never fails, as soon as I drop off to sleep, the telephone begins to ring. Oh well, guess I should stop complaining and get an answering machine, and a silent ring tone. I tell you the truth, third-shifters, we are the red-headed step-children of the working class. No respect at all;)

Pro 6:9 How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
Pro 6:10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest,


at least until the phone wakes me up again....

can it be?

How can it be possible that this year is almost 75% gone already? I guess it is true what older people have told me all my life, that the older one gets, the faster the years go by. Seems like only a couple of weeks ago I was graduating from high school. Since then its been pretty much a blur, ha! Well anyway, it'll soon be Christmas time again, with all the things that come along with it. Some good, and some not so good. But at the heart of it all, we must remember and never forget to commemorate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave us the gift of all gifts. The gift of Himself.

Fall already??

I can see that the big oaks are beginning to shed their leaves again. Looks like its time to visit Home Depot or Lowe's and invest in a heavy duty yard rake. A leaf blower might be good too, but the neighbors live too far away for me to blow leaves into their yard. Plus, I'd have to herd 'em through a patch of woods. The leaves, that is..not the neighbors...

this just in

Well, what do you know.. OJ is in the middle of another police investigation..13 years later. I wonder what the catch phrase for this one will be

6 years later

old things

Have you ever felt like your best days are behind you? I have. Yesterday at church, we had a guest speaker who came to challenge us to renew our commitment to missions giving, specifically the Cooperative Program. He explained to us that, for a church, giving to missions should be viewed more as a wise investment, than an expense to be cut from the budget. One thing he said that really stuck in my mind is he noticed the sign on the front of the building commemorating when our church was established. 1829.
178 years ago. Imagine that. Mississippi had only been a state for 12 years, and our nation was only 53 years old. Way back then, some people got together and were led by the Holy Spirit that a church needed to be established in this area. Imagine how many lives have been touched in those 178 years, because a group of people had a mind for missions, and the vision to make it happen. Now, here we are in 2007, and we are struggling to meet expenses, mainly because not all of the membership supports the church financially. But does this make it necessary to make big cuts in our missions budget? I am torn between wanting to see our church have a balanced budget, and yet maintain our commitment to missions. I wonder if anyone who might read this has experienced a similar situation in their church.Even though we(as a church) have been around for almost 200 years, we have to believe that God isn't finished with us yet. Perhaps we just need to be reminded of what our mission is. And I ask that you pray for us as we seek guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit regarding this.
2Ch 7:14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

good news from Honduras

Since Hurricane Felix had made landfall in Honduras and Nicaragua, I had been concerned and in prayers to the Lord about the safety of my sponsored child in Honduras. I made inquiries via email as to the situation, Well thanks to the Lord who hears and answers prayer, today I learned that it appears there was no severe damage. All of the Compassion operations in the country are reporting that, although there was lots of rain, thankfully all of the children and families are going to be OK. Thank you Lord, for hearing prayers and keeping them safe from harm.
Here is a picture of her, her name is Sarai. I have a more recent picture, but haven't gotten it scanned as of yet. I will post it later.

hmmm

It also appears that she believes all Puerto Ricans are in favor of cockfighting..and all Chinese people eat dogs and cats....uh oh, now she's gonna have to face the wrath of Geraldo Rivera and Connie Chung

some people just don't get it

From a transcript of The View, new cast member Whoopi Goldberg's comments on Michael Vick and the dogfighting charges which he pled guilty to..
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: THE MICHAEL VICK THING, SINCE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DOGS THERE'S ALL OF THESE VERY VERY STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT IT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY SAY IS, YOU KNOW, FROM HIS BACKGROUND, THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL THING FOR WHERE HE COMES FROM. IT'S LIKE COCKFIGHTING
WG: IT’S COCKFIGHTING IN PUERTO RICO. THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE INDICATIVE TO CERTAIN PARTS OF OUR COUNTRY.

WG: HE'S FROM THE SOUTH FROM THE DEEP SOUTH
WG: UNFORTUNALY IT'S PART OF THE THING.
WG: THIS IS PART OF HIS CULTURAL UPBRINGING.
WG: I'M JUST SAYING THAT INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING HE'S A BEAST AND HE'S A MONSTER THIS IS A KID WHO COMES FROM A CULTURE WHERE THIS IS NOT QUESTIONED. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

WG: THAT'S TRUE. BUT SOMETIMES -- NO, I DON'T THINK HE DID. I DON'T THINK HE DID. BECAUSE THIS IN THE WORLD THAT HE COMES FROM IT'S NOT IMPORTANT. WE HAVE A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP TO DOGS AND CATS AND THINGS. LIKE THE CHINESE. THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP TO CATS. AND YOU AND I WILL BE REALLY PISSED IF SOMEBODY ATE KITY.

OK here's the deal..I have lived in the "Deep South" for 46 years. I doubt you could get any deeper into the South than I am. And its true, you could rightfully charge me with occasionally exhibiting redneck tendencies. I mean, I sometimes wear overalls( we pronounce it as "over-hauls"), I love tomato sandwiches, I drive a pickup truck, I frequently use words such as "hey ya'll" and "yeehaw". Having said all that, I have NEVER known anyone here in the Deepest part of the Deep South who gets their kicks from dogfighting. Now, from what I read in this transcript, ole Whoopee believes that this idiot can't help what he did, because unfortunately he grew up in the Deep South. Hey ya'll, give me a freakin break. Thats not a racist statement, but its just as offensive. Its a slur directed at a region of the country. I guess you'd call that "regionism". Hmmm, but ya know, we can't be too hard on ole Whoop, after all she's from New York City, where they gots culture nstuff. So she can't help it if she's ignorant..Bless her heart;)

those of us in the Deep South understand the significance of "Bless your heart"

now I know why they call it Labor Day

Today , spent about 10 hours working on the new barn and dismantling the old one. I must say, I've done really good on this project, expense wise. Total expense for the project----about $25 for nails. Everything else, I scavenged from the old building. How's that for recycling? Here are the latest pictures.

mi familia

From Christmas 2006...we're bigger than the Soprano family

project status: August 31, 2007

Well, the new barn is really beginning to take shape now. 2 walls complete, and beginning to start work on the floor for the storage room. I took some more pictures this afternoon at feeding time for the horse. She is really grateful for her new dining room:)

barn raising update: Day 2

Today I finished putting the roof on. Then for the rest of the day I patched holes in the old tin. I knew that can of plastic roof patch would come in handy someday. Didn't have time to take any pictures today, but I will have more as progress continues. My vacation week is over, so back to work tonight.

couple more pictures

I decided to call it a day on this project. A storm cloud blew in and there was some thunder & lightning, so I ran for cover. Anyway, I am about 80% complete with the roof framework. A few more 2 x 6's to nail down, then put the tin roof on. Then the walls and floor should go pretty easy. Its a little smaller than the old barn, but we don't need as much room as the old one had. On the right in these pics, and left in the first ones I posted, will be feeding and sleeping quarters for my horse. On the far right, there will be a little room to store the horse's grain and hay in. And the middle section will be for storing equipment. Lawnmower, garden tiller, etc. In the background you can see the old barn. It looks tired and sad, huh?..It should, after holding up for 80 years or so.

under construction

Pics from barn raising, Day 1

Barn raising day

I remember studying in history class in school, how back in the 1800's, folks used to have quilting bees and such to help out their neighbors when there was a task to be done. Well, today Dad and I had something similar to that. Not a quilting bee, of course. But we did lay the foundation and set the corner posts for a new barn and tool shed. Now, all we have to do is get the lumber to build the sides and the roof, and voila, we've "got 'er done" as my good friend Larry the Cable Guy might say. There should be some usable lumber left in the old barn once we tear it down, and enough tin to put on the roof. We might have to patch some holes in the tin, but hey, recycling, thats the thing:) Don't want to be be accused of contributing to global warming 'nstuff.
For my next project, taking up old carpet in my hallway and replacing it with vinyl floor covering. Stay tuned for the next episode of This Old House! err, Barn

DO NOT OPEN UNTIL AUGUST 21

Well, I guess I'll be the first to wish myself a happy 46th. Might as well go ahead and get mine in early, lol. For all my many friends, acquaintances, admirers from afar, loyal subjects, fellow Americans, citizens of the world, and anyone else who cares;) I will gratefully receive all gifts (cash, checks, money orders, gift certificates, keys to new automobiles, etc etc etc). Address provided upon proof of existence of aforementioned gifts. Can't I just say that I'm 23 for the second time?

could this be our next President?

Whoopee, we're all gonna die

new stuff

I have spent some time today tinkering and adjusting on my blog. I've added a site meter, edited my profile a little bit, and swapped some things around. Now, I am looking for a way to add some music to the page. Hopefully, it'll make it a little more easy on the eyes and ears:) I hope that everyone had a blessed Lord's Day. Pray for us at my church as we go into a new year, with new Sunday School and Discipleship Training teachers. And also trying to put together a new budget. I believe, with prayer, and seeking God's leadership, that He will put all the pieces into place in a way that honors and glorifies Him.

Music

Every night right before I walk out the door on my way to work, I'll select a cd from the rack to listen to as I'm driving. Most of the time, I just listen to the songs but they don't really get stuck in my head. However last night, this one song on this particular cd just kept playing inside my head. Not that I mind, I have always liked this guy's music. He's a good writer and performer. So I thought I'd post the lyrics here. The first time I heard this song, I was like, wow I can't believe Willie Nelson wrote this.But this one just sticks with me for some reason.

I could tell the moment that I saw Him
He was nothing but the troublemakin' kind
His hair was much too long
And His motley group of friends
Had nothing but rebellion on their minds

He's rejected the establishment completely
And I know for sure He's never held a job
He just goes from town to town
Stirrin' up the young folks
Till they're nothin but a disrespectful mob

I know for sure He's never joined the Army
And served His country like we all have done
He'd rather wear his sandals and His flowers
While others wage the war that must be won

They arrested Him last week and found Him guilty
Sentenced Him to die, but that's no great loss
Friday they will take Him to a place called Calvary
And hang that Troublemaker to a cross

Is it just me...

or does it seem like we've lost the ability to be shocked by anything? I was listening to a radio talk show this morning, and the hosts were discussing some of the events that have happened in the past several years. Columbine, 9/11, Virginia Tech, Katrina,just to name a few. Seems like every time we have a major jolt to our country, we seem to be less shocked. Have we become so jaded or de-sensitized to tragedy, that we just say "oh well, it's just another one of those things that happen". I hope not..because I am afraid to imagine what it will take to make us sit up and take notice..

2Ch 7:13 If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on My people,
2Ch 7:14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
2Ch 7:15 My eyes will now be open and My ears attentive to prayer from this place.

my favorite day of the week

Hey folks!

Mondays, I love 'em..Its the only day I'm not really obligated to do anything or be anywhere in particular. So basically, if the grass doesn't need mowing, I just turn into a couch potato and give my tv remote a good workout.

We had a good day at church yesterday. I had been praying all week about some conflict issues that had come up last Sunday night at business meeting. And thanks to God, everything seems to have been smoothed out. So, thank God for answered prayers. Sometimes though, it's a blessing when prayers aren't answered.

In other news, I had to have a window replaced in my truck over the weekend. I live right next door to my parents, so our yards kind of overlap. So whenever Dad or I decide to cut grass, we just do the whole place. We always take time to move our vehicles to a safe place, to avoid flying rocks from the lawnmower. Unfortunately, he didn't move my truck far enough, and wham...a rock found it's way straight to my front passenger window. Good news though, a friend of mine who has a body shop replaced my window for only $100, which is far cheaper than I hoped for, and I didn't even have to deal with insurance company.

Well its time to get moving and see whats going on around the world. Gotta check the batteries in the remote;)

Git-r-done!

the heat is on

Boy am I glad I work nights. It was just about 2 degrees short of boiling in the warehouse last night. I can hardly imagine how miserable it must have been during the day shift. Well, it is August after all. Todays high temp is supposed to be 97, with heat index of 105. Tomorrow, 98. And then to top it off, Fridays high temp ...101, heat index 110. Hurray! We have finally broken into the 100s... Gotta love it, makes me wish I had a fire hydrant to open up. Apparently, the heat didn't keep folks from voting, as it was a very good turnout for election day.

Election Day

Well, its that time again, time to cast my vote for state and local elections. Governor, Lt Gov, State Treasurer, Sec'y of State, Atty General, county sheriff, circuit clerk, chancery clerk, supervisors, etc. Then next thing you know, we'll have the big Presidential election coming up next year. It's an important time in the life our county, state, and country. I haven't decided yet really who to support for President, but I must say, it doesn't look like it will be any of the currently declared candidates from either party. There are a couple of undeclared candidates who might be worth considering, time will tell.

Thats the latest from the front porch, ya'll!

Psa 118:8 Far better to take refuge in GOD than trust in people;
Psa 118:9 Far better to take refuge in GOD than trust in celebrities.

ok its been a while

since I've blogged, and someone keeps pestering me to post something new..so I thought I'd give it a shot. Even though its not totally original lol


2 pieces of string walk into a bar. The bartender says, "We don't serve strings in here. Get lost." They leave, but once outside, one of them says, "I'll bet you 20 bucks I'll get back inside and get a drink." The other accepts the deal.
He ties a half-hitch through his torso, and pulls at the fibers around his middle, giving himself a fuzzy look. He saunters confidently back to the bar.
The bartender looks up and says, "I thought I told you to get lost. We don't serve strings in here!" He replies, "You can serve me."
Bartender says, "C'mon, you're a piece of string!"
He says, "No, I'm a frayed knot."

Three teenagers who grabbed a package from a woman's car in Des Moines, Iowa recently were in for an unpleasant surprise: the package contained droppings from the woman's dog. The victim said she had been walking her Cairn terrier "Tippy" and had used the bag to pick up after him. She said when she finished, she wrapped the 4-by-5-inch package and set it down on her car trunk. That's when the three teenagers rushed by. One grabbed the bundle and yelled "Thank you." The victim said she looked up, saw the trio racing away, and replied, "You're welcome." She told police,"I just wish I could have seen their faces when they opened it up."

And so once again

it's Tuesday, which means my weekend is over..sigh...So back to the old ball and chain of a career. To be honest, though, I've pretty much got it easy doing what I do for a living. It does help me keep my math skills sharp, and its not physically demanding work, so I can't complain.
Yesterday I was able to help a friend solve a musical mystery that her daughter was given as a school assignment. Who knew that having a head full of what I always thought was useless trivia would come in handy someday? One never knows...
I hope this week at work goes as smoothly as last week. Particularly last Friday night was amazing. My mind was much clearer than normal, so I was able to really make some progress on some old projects that I had neglected due to staffing issues. We should be fully staffed all this week again, also. So hopefully I will continue to stay on top of things.
Well that is about all for now. I'm off to work on my Sunday school lesson for this Sunday. We will discusss Jesus' walking on the water. And Peter's. Remember, if you want to walk on water, the first step is to get out of the boat.

in loving memory

Yesterday I attended the funeral of my beloved uncle Junior. He was one of my Dad's brothers-in-law. A finer man you could never hope to meet, and a tremendous example of how a Christian should live their life. He lived his life with quiet strength, and total devotion to God, and his family. He and my Aunt Julia were married for 54 years, and in all that time never spent more than a day away from each others side. Only their jobs kept them separated, but only then for just a few hours. After the services yesterday, a group of aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, and sisters gathered in the church's fellowship hall, and just had a tremendous time celebrating his life and reminiscing over things he taught us. I am so wonderfully blessed to have such a close-knit extended family. Although I may be an only child, I have 15 cousins, and they are as dear to me as if they were my brothers and sisters. Uncle Junior, we will miss you very much, but we'll see you again soon. Thanks for showing us how to live and for showing us how to die with dignity. We love you.


btw I was going through some old photos the other day, and I found this one of my old pal Rusty. A very faithful companion was he, and if there is a heaven for pets, I know I will see him there as well.

SERENITY NOW

I give credit for todays blog post to 2 sources: (1) the Seinfeld tv show and (2) the Serenity Prayer poem that I remember learning as a child in Vacation Bible School. On the Seinfeld episode, Frank Costanza( George's dad), when he would get all stressed out, would recite this phrase that someone had recommended as a stress relieving technique. Actually, he didn't just recite it, he yelled it at the top of his lungs. SERENITY NOW! If you are at all familiar with that show, and his character, you recall that he was frequently stressed out over one thing or another. Anyway, how does this apply to me..Well, I have houseguests this week from out of state. My mom's brother and sister. Now, I realize that technically, these people are my relatives, but I couldn't feel any less related to them if they were from the planet Mars..Neptune..Saturn..or UrAnus...ok, cheap joke ( I always wanted to make a crack about Uranus..In short, WEIRD..So I thought maybe SERENITY NOW! might help. Well it didn't hurt...Then I remembered the Serenity Prayer. Perhaps it is more appropriate..I also learned that there was more to the poem that I had learned way back in VBS. So here it is in its entirety. Maybe ole Frank Costanza should have used this instead;)

The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.


I hope everyone had a wonderful July 4th

copied from fishdontwalk.com


Which Came First? The Chicken or the Egg?

Which came first? Do you think it was a chicken? Or do you think it was an egg?

The answer is............neither! It was not A chicken.....nor was it AN egg......it was two chickens! Don't you know anything about sex? (Don't worry this will be G-Rated).

To make an egg you need a male chicken (rooster) and a female chicken (hen). These chickens need a fully functioning reproductive system. Think...if the theory of evolution is true, the male and female would have to evolve their reproductive systems at the same TIME. Imagine the female is fully evolved, but the male is not. Does she start hen nagging him to "hurry up and evolve, we are going to be dead in a few years?"

For the chicken and the egg you need a 100% functioning male and 100% functioning female. But wait a second! They need a functioning digestive system, nervous system, immune system, skeletal system, muscular system etc.

Here is a major difference between Creation and Evolution - Creationists believe in "instant chickens." Creationists believe a Creator with a lot of power and intelligence instantly made males and females at the same time, and put them at the same place. These instant chickens had functioning eyes, mouths, legs, digestive systems, reproductive systems etc.

Evolutionists believe chickens evolved by a step by step process. They believe their eyes, mouths, digestive system, reproductive system evolved by a step by step process. Think of the details.....how does a reproductive system evolve by a step by step process? And don't forget, it has to evolve as male and female.

HOW WOULD AN EVOLUTIONIST ANSWER THE CHICKEN AND EGG QUESTION?

But the problems for the evolutionist extend further back than just the chickens. If an evolutionist were to answer the chicken and egg question, this is what they would say.

"Billions of years ago, there was nothing. Then from nothing, the origin of ALL matter and energy we have today appeared {this belief violates the First Law of Thermodynamics, which teaches matter and energy is neither created nor destroyed}. Then, for some unknown reason, this matter and energy expanded and filled the Universe with hydrogen and helium gas." {Think, evolutionists think energy moved matter a distance of 15 billion light years...and the energy originated from nothing}.

"So the Universe had a bunch of hydrogen and helium swirling around, and then due to gravity, these gases came together and formed stars! In the interior of these stars had such immense temperature and pressure, fusion occurred and heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen, iron and uranium were formed." {This is a very big "free lunch" for evolutionists; hydrogen + gravity = fusion???).

(Evolutionist still talking) "So then the stars blew up, and they hurled heavy elements out into space. These heavier elements came together because of gravity and formed the earth and our solar system, and by chance the earth formed a moon and began orbiting around the sun."

"The early earth was lifeless, but some energy somehow mixed with the matter, and somehow lifeless matter became living. {This violates the Law of Biogenesis which teaches life only comes from life}.

"Now, not only did non living matter come to life, it was also able to metabolize" "(metabolism is taking energy from your surroundings and utilizing it to maintain life, humans eat, plants perform photosynthesis). This first life also was able to reproduce! And it was able to mutate to other organisms! It eventually evolved into a fish-like organism, then into an amphibian, then into a reptile, then eventually.....to a chicken!."

Remember, this answer is not sufficient. For sexual reproduction, evolution has to make a male and a female, at the same time, and at the SAME PLACE. If the male evolves 10 miles away from the female...you won't get any eggs. What do they need to live? Food would have to evolve before the chickens. Water would have to evolve, the right temperature would have to evolve, and so would thousands of other things in order to support life.

What is the best explanation for the chicken and the egg? The Garden of Eden story. The Garden of Eden teaches a supernatural being with intelligence and power to instantly make male and female chickens and put them where there is the right food, temperature, gravity etc.

My belief is that it takes much more faith to believe in Evolution than Creation.

Two important questions to ask regarding the theory of evolution:

Could evolution have happened?
Did evolution happen?

"Could it happen" is a science question. Evolutionists think mutations turned bacteria into chickens. Mutations scramble DNA. Mutations make lung cancer, not lungs. Mutations do not make organs, they degrade organs - so the answer appears to be no, is could not have happened.

"Did evolution happen" is a history question. Since there are no living transitional forms, and the trillions of fossils do not show any transitions, a sound conclusion is it did not happen.

Thank God it's.......

FRIDAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

well, its over

My vacation week has sadly at an end, so back to work I go tonight. I enjoyed my days off, it gave me some time to rest and relax. Not too much though, Dad and I managed to paint the old house. That was my Father's Day gift to him, helping him with that and some other home improvement projects. In a way, I am looking forward to getting back to my job. I like my coworkers, and we work well together to get things done. So, it gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride when, even though we are understaffed, we all put our shoulders to the wheel and " Git-r-Done"

We all have a cross to bear, if we are to follow Christ...

Mat 19:16 Just then someone came up and asked Him, "Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?"
Mat 19:17 "Why do you ask Me about what is good?" He said to him. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."
Mat 19:18 "Which ones?" he asked Him. Jesus answered, Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness;
Mat 19:19 honor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.
Mat 19:20 "I have kept all these," the young man told Him. "What do I still lack?"
Mat 19:21 "If you want to be perfect," Jesus said to him, "go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me."
Mat 19:22 When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
Mat 19:23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "I assure you: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!
Mat 19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."
Mat 19:25 When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, "Then who can be saved?"
Mat 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

longing for Tara?

Meet the Princess of my canine family, Miss Scarlett O'Hairy. She is 4 years old, and a gorgeous golden retriever. Based on pictures that we have posted as of late, you might think that my friend Bonnie and I are having a dog show on our blogs. Well, maybe we are..two very proud canine parents we are;)

monkeying around with camera

I took this picture on the high resolution setting, can't really see what the difference is between high and standard resolution. Untrained eyes, I guess, lol

This is a wood carving that a friend of mine did several years ago. Pretty good, eh?

Here they are

Fresh vegetables for the picking
Corn, squash, tomatoes, peas, butterbeans, stringbeans, peppers

Out of the ordinary

Day 2 of vacation--life is good:)

Accomplished one of my goals for this week already- yesterday I made the leap and got the buzz cut. This feels so much better, with the temperature climbing into the upper 90's. Heck, I might just keep this haircut year-round.

So here's the out of the ordinary part. Having worked the graveyard shift for a number of years, I tend to watch tv late at night, on my nights off. Normally, I prefer Letterman over Leno. However, after checking the program guide for last night, I noticed that Fred Thompson was scheduled to make an appearance on Leno's show. I really wanted to see what he had to say, you know- try to get a feel for what he stands for. I was really impressed at what he had to say, he seems to be more in tune with what I believe our country needs in a president. The other Republican candidates, they don't seem to have the values that our leaders need to lead. I am looking forward to this guy getting in the race. I really believe he will be our best chance to keep the Democratic party from winning the Presidency. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, either one-- I fear would mean we are in big trouble.

OK enough politics. Today I plan to take some more pictures and post them here, haven't decided yet what my subject will be, so you'll just have to wait and see;)

I have been

trying to take some new pictures of the dogs and/or myself. So far I've only managed to get this one picture of Jack, the chocolate Lab. And I must say, it was quite a chore to get him to sit still long enough to snap this one. I had planned some pictures of him and the others in costume, but they took a vote and said "no, ain't gonna happen..". Well, have no fear, they don't know that I have veto power, so stay tuned for updated pictures..


Here's Jack, he's sooooo ADD

a day in MY life

So this morning I had to be in the county seat on business. As I was passing through the courthouse, I walked past the Chancery Clerk's office, and through the door I saw an old friend of mine from back in the day. We hadn't seen each other since..well, I guess since our last high school class reunion, maybe back in 2004. We stood in the hall for about half an hour and laughed and shared lots of good memories. This guy has been a real friend to me for over 30 years, so it was great to have an opportunity to catch up. It was well worth not getting to sleep until almost 11 am. We made plans to get together for a longer visit next week, while I'm on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N..( eat your heart out, Bonnie) lol. I am looking forward to catch up further, I might even bring some stuff to toss on the grill. Friends, true friends, are a rare and blessed thing, and I consider myself fortunate to have a few, both online and in the "real" world. God bless them all...
Ok, here's todays poll question..Should I get a buzz cut, shaved head, or leave well enough alone?

Pro 17:1 Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife.

wastin' away again

Greetings from the Ponderosa, ya'll. Hmm, I'm not sure if it's spelled y'all, or ya'll. Maybe it depends on how deep you live in the Deep South. Here's a random thought..if the further south you travel, you eventually wind up in the North, does that mean that you go through a whole 360 degrees of dialects? Inquiring minds want to know..

Well now for the news around here. Mom is making good progress in her recovery from pneumonia. She hasn't had to use the oxygen for 3 days now. And only uses the nebulizer at night before bedtime. Breathing is back to normal, and no more flareups with blood sugar levels.
I've taken the past couple of nights off from work,had a killer headache yesterday, and still didn't feel up to going back in tonight. Thank God I have lots of sick leave built up to cover myself. Anyways, I'll need the rest to face next week, we have an associate out on vacation, so that means 3 of us will have to take up slack. Not a problem, really, other than it cuts into my goofing-off time. But then again, after next week, I will be off for a week's vacation. Which will probably be spent mostly gathering and processing fresh vegetables. Hurray! I can't wait for some fresh corn..or as we call it, roast'n ears..

I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to everyone who prayed for Mom, and Dad, and myself during her recent hospital stay. I am amazed, that not only friends, neighbors, church family were there for us in person, but also my friends from the Net..people who don't even know Mom, were also praying. Its awesome how God puts people in our lives to lift us up. So, once again, sincerely...

THANKS & GOD BLESS

Psa 1:1 How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join a group of mockers!
Psa 1:2 Instead, his delight is in the LORD's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
Psa 1:3 He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Psa 1:4 The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Psa 1:5 Therefore the wicked will not survive the judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous.
Psa 1:6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.



p.s. About the title of this post, I borrowed it from Jimmy Buffett, but I'm not drinking margaritas at the moment, and green tea ville just doesn't sound as good ;)