I am normally a laid back kind of a guy.
I love the Lord and things of the Lord. I love Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and..."
Because I love Jesus, I love Truth, which is a who, not a what.
Today I got my blood pressure raised by the responses of some totally irresponsible reporting of and reaction to William Bennett's remarks to a caller on his show.
In response to a question by a caller, Mr. Bennett said, in part, "If you wanted to reduce crime, you could -- if that were your sole purpose -- you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down. That would be an impossibly ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down..."
As anyone with more than a third grade reading ability would immediately recognize, he was using an example of false logic to make a point. In fact he said that he was using "a hypothetical analogy while at the same time saying the proposition I was using about blacks and abortion was 'impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible,' just to ensure those who would have any doubt about what they were hearing, or for those who tuned in to the middle of the conversation."
But liberal talk-show hosts, the Democratic Party leaders and the White House have castigated him for his remarks.
Let's be clear. William Bennett said that such a hypothetical would be a bad thing. In other words, aborting every black baby on the premise that it would reduce crime would be the wrong thing to do. He was condemning the idea.
If you heard or read his remarks and you thing he was wrong to make them, what you are really saying is that YOU think black babys SHOULD be aborted to reduce crime.
And if you think that was Mr. Bennett's intent, you are stupid.
If you are a white person and you think that was Mr. Bennett's intent, you are stupid.
If you are a black person and you think that was Mr. Bennett's intent, you are stupid.
If you are an oriental person and you think that was Mr. Bennett's intent, you are stupid.
If you are a leader of the Democratic Party and you think that was Mr. Bennett's intent, you are stupid.
If you are a member of the White House staff and you think that was Mr. Bennett's intent, you are stupid.
In fact, if you are a person of average intelligence or better, you know he was saying EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE!
You are smart enough to realize that, aren't you?
You DO recognize the truth when you see it, don't you?
I can think of only one reason that a newscaster, party leader, talk-show host, newspaper reporter, leader of the Rainbow Coalition, the NAACP, or anyone else would take the one sentence out of its context and make it seem like he was making a racist remark, when he was, in fact, he was castigating those who would think such a thing. That is: that person is steeped in deliberate lies and pure evil.
This is absolute proof that it is time to back off on "political correctness," and get down to real communication.
Don't be stupid.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Good Advice!
As I wrote to you last time, we had two days of fund-raising at the station.
It was a pretty stressful time, but I did live through it so here I am back.
Several of you offered good advice about dealing with stress: breathe in through the nose, breathe out through the mouth (or was it the other way around...I never remember?); breathe in the positive, breathe out the negative (or was it the other way around...I never remember?).
But, you see, as my friend, Parker, likes to tell me, I am a person whose glass is always half empty instead of half full.
So I adopted a more positive attitude. I became positive that it would be a stressful two days.
It worked!
It was a stressful two days!
But the Lord is faithful. He got us through it and, as it turned out, it was a good two days.
So I am back. I will read your posts, do some catch-up (or mustard), and write some of my own.
God bless you all. I'll see you here tomorrow. But if I don't see you here, I'll see you over there.
It was a pretty stressful time, but I did live through it so here I am back.
Several of you offered good advice about dealing with stress: breathe in through the nose, breathe out through the mouth (or was it the other way around...I never remember?); breathe in the positive, breathe out the negative (or was it the other way around...I never remember?).
But, you see, as my friend, Parker, likes to tell me, I am a person whose glass is always half empty instead of half full.
So I adopted a more positive attitude. I became positive that it would be a stressful two days.
It worked!
It was a stressful two days!
But the Lord is faithful. He got us through it and, as it turned out, it was a good two days.
So I am back. I will read your posts, do some catch-up (or mustard), and write some of my own.
God bless you all. I'll see you here tomorrow. But if I don't see you here, I'll see you over there.
Monday, September 26, 2005
I'll Be Missin' You
Tomorrow we begin our annual "Friendraiser" at the station (kingdom.fm on the Net).
This will be two days of intense fundraising, this year with a twist.
The only Christian fm Christian station in New Orleans ended up flooded and distroyed during Katrina. We have decided to give a portion of our Faith Promises to that station to help them get back on the air.
Today was the hardest day I'v ever had in radio. It was a day fraught with change. Every time I turned around, a different decision about what we were going to do was made and the logs for the next two days had to be rebuilt, the music re-arranged and more. It got so bad that I decided to quit turning around.
Stress levels were high, and my heart really showed me what angina attacks were all about.
Pray for us that the next two days will be productive and less stressful.
I'll be back on thursday, assuming I live through all of this...Friday at the latest.
This will be two days of intense fundraising, this year with a twist.
The only Christian fm Christian station in New Orleans ended up flooded and distroyed during Katrina. We have decided to give a portion of our Faith Promises to that station to help them get back on the air.
Today was the hardest day I'v ever had in radio. It was a day fraught with change. Every time I turned around, a different decision about what we were going to do was made and the logs for the next two days had to be rebuilt, the music re-arranged and more. It got so bad that I decided to quit turning around.
Stress levels were high, and my heart really showed me what angina attacks were all about.
Pray for us that the next two days will be productive and less stressful.
I'll be back on thursday, assuming I live through all of this...Friday at the latest.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Sunday Praise
Our pastor returned this week from a missionary trip to Romania. He had quite a bit to say about it during our morning worship service, and seemed to b quite pumped up spiritually.
On the trip, som 50 people came to accept Christ as their savior. That would pump any Christian up.
He said that the Romanians were a very poor people, but that they were willing, even insistant, to share what they had with their guests.
Many of them seemed very open to the gospel, even hungry for it.
What a contrast with our country, where so many people seem to be so hostile to the gospel.
It occurs to me, though, that their hostility is no reason for us to cower or feign from telling the good news of Christ and His finished work at the cross of Calvary anytime, any place, to whomever will listen.
It is the greatest story they will ever hear and if we are persecuted for telling it, then so be it.
"We've A Story to Tell to the Nations"
by H. Ernest Nichol
We've a story to tell to the nations
That shall turn their hearts to the right,
A story of truth and mercy,
A story of peace and light
A story of peace and light
Chorus:
For the darkness shall turn to dawning
And the dawning to noonday bright.
And Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth
The kingdom of love and light.
We've a story to tell to the nations
That shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
A song tht shall conquer evil
And shatter the spear and sword,
And shatter the spear and sword.
(Chorus)
We've a message to give to the nations
That the Lord who reigneth above
Hath sent His Son to save us
And show us that God is love,
And show us that God is love.
(Chorus)
We've a Savior to show to the nations
Who the path of sorrow hath trod,
That all of the world's great peoples
Might come to the truth of God
Might come to the truth of God
For the darkness shall turn to dawning
And the dawning to noonday bright
And Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth
The kingdom of love and light.
Lord, in Jesus' name, help us to stand ready to give an account of the great hope that is within us to whoever will listen, whenever they will listen, and by whatever means they will listen. By thy Holy spirit, prepare their hearts to recieve and believe the good news of your saving love. Amen.
On the trip, som 50 people came to accept Christ as their savior. That would pump any Christian up.
He said that the Romanians were a very poor people, but that they were willing, even insistant, to share what they had with their guests.
Many of them seemed very open to the gospel, even hungry for it.
What a contrast with our country, where so many people seem to be so hostile to the gospel.
It occurs to me, though, that their hostility is no reason for us to cower or feign from telling the good news of Christ and His finished work at the cross of Calvary anytime, any place, to whomever will listen.
It is the greatest story they will ever hear and if we are persecuted for telling it, then so be it.
"We've A Story to Tell to the Nations"
by H. Ernest Nichol
We've a story to tell to the nations
That shall turn their hearts to the right,
A story of truth and mercy,
A story of peace and light
A story of peace and light
Chorus:
For the darkness shall turn to dawning
And the dawning to noonday bright.
And Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth
The kingdom of love and light.
We've a story to tell to the nations
That shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
A song tht shall conquer evil
And shatter the spear and sword,
And shatter the spear and sword.
(Chorus)
We've a message to give to the nations
That the Lord who reigneth above
Hath sent His Son to save us
And show us that God is love,
And show us that God is love.
(Chorus)
We've a Savior to show to the nations
Who the path of sorrow hath trod,
That all of the world's great peoples
Might come to the truth of God
Might come to the truth of God
For the darkness shall turn to dawning
And the dawning to noonday bright
And Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth
The kingdom of love and light.
Lord, in Jesus' name, help us to stand ready to give an account of the great hope that is within us to whoever will listen, whenever they will listen, and by whatever means they will listen. By thy Holy spirit, prepare their hearts to recieve and believe the good news of your saving love. Amen.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Once Is Enough
Jesus willingly went to the cross of Calvary to die a substitutionary death to pay a sin debt we owed, but dare not try to pay. He paid the debt we owed to God for the sin in our lives.
If Jesus never, ever did anything else for us, would that be enough?
If He never healed us of anything, would what He did at the cross to pay a sin debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If He never provided for us another dime in income or monetary gifts, would what He did at the cross to pay a sin debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If He never kept us from fear, harm, or fear of harm, would what He did at the cross to pay a sin debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If He never lifted us from our emotional dregs, would what He did at the cross to pay a sin debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If He never mended a relationship or took away our hurts, would what He did at the cross to pay a sin debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If He never took us to a spiritual mountaintop experience, would what He did at the cross to pay a debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If the answer to any or all of those questions is "no," then we have no idea what He did for us at Calvary, for that alone should cause us daily and everlasting joy.
If the answer to any of all of those questions is "yes," then we need to get our focus off of self, off of our health problems, off of our money problems, off of our fears, off of our emotional upheavals, off of our pain from broken relationships, and deliberately and passionately place our focus on Him.
If we do that, we will know exactly what He meant when He said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."
What things? All things? Anything we want?
"These" is a plural pronoun that has antecedents, to wit: 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
So, let us put our total trust in His grace and its suffeciency for us in every situation. Let us make the very person of Christ the in-all, of-all, by-all and through-all of everything we are and everything we do.
And let us serve Him with everything we are, with hearts full of gratitude for what He did for us at the cross of Calvary.
If Jesus never, ever did anything else for us, would that be enough?
If He never healed us of anything, would what He did at the cross to pay a sin debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If He never provided for us another dime in income or monetary gifts, would what He did at the cross to pay a sin debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If He never kept us from fear, harm, or fear of harm, would what He did at the cross to pay a sin debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If He never lifted us from our emotional dregs, would what He did at the cross to pay a sin debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If He never mended a relationship or took away our hurts, would what He did at the cross to pay a sin debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If He never took us to a spiritual mountaintop experience, would what He did at the cross to pay a debt He did not owe be enough to completely and totally satisfy us without reservation?
If the answer to any or all of those questions is "no," then we have no idea what He did for us at Calvary, for that alone should cause us daily and everlasting joy.
If the answer to any of all of those questions is "yes," then we need to get our focus off of self, off of our health problems, off of our money problems, off of our fears, off of our emotional upheavals, off of our pain from broken relationships, and deliberately and passionately place our focus on Him.
If we do that, we will know exactly what He meant when He said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."
What things? All things? Anything we want?
"These" is a plural pronoun that has antecedents, to wit: 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
So, let us put our total trust in His grace and its suffeciency for us in every situation. Let us make the very person of Christ the in-all, of-all, by-all and through-all of everything we are and everything we do.
And let us serve Him with everything we are, with hearts full of gratitude for what He did for us at the cross of Calvary.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Tag...You're It!
Your responses to my alligator story were SO funny and SO good that I decided to do it again.
One day, as I was headed to Immokalee from Lehigh Acres, I saw a man walking beside the road. He looked a bit disoriented and was not paying much attention to where he was going. More importantly, he was not paying much attention to what was going on around him. He did not see what I saw...a large HIPPO about to attack him and probably eat him on the spot.
What?
You say what?
It's not going to work again?
Oh bother.
OK, then. I'll just respond to Jeff H.'s meme or tag or whatever it is.
The term meme (pronounced [miːm] in IPA; from the Greek word μνήμη for 'memory') first appeared in the 1976 book by Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene. (Some trace the concept to the 1970 book by François Jacob, La logique du vivant (The Logic Of Life).) Though Dawkins defined the meme as "a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation," memeticists vary in their definitions of meme. The lack of a consistent, rigorous and precise definition of a meme remains one of the principal criticisms leveled at memetics, the study of memes. (From Wikipedia)
5 Things I Plan to Do Before I Die:
1. Live
2. Sleep a lot more than I currently do (Stolen from Jeff H.)
3. Lose weight
4. Conduct Handel's "Messiah" one more time.
5. Play one more good game of football (timed to be the very moment before I die)
Things I Can Do:
1. Post
2. Sing
3. Teach Bible doctrine
4. Conduct music
5. Wiggle my ears and flare my nostrils at the same time (Stolen from Jeff H.)
5 Things I Cannot Do:
1. Uhh.
2. Hmm.
3. Let me think.
4. "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.."
5. Stand the sound of any of the Dem members of the Senate Judiciary committee condescendingly moralizing to any creature higher on the evolutionary ladder than a slug (OK, that's not really being fair to the slugs) (Stolen from Jeff H.)
5 Things that Attract Me to the Opposite Sex:
1. Shortness
2. Cuteness
3. Humor
4. Beautiful smile
5. Quizzical behavior
(All attributes of my sweet wife.)
(By the way, am I the opposite sex, or are you?)
5 Things I Say Most Often:
1. "What step?"
2. "Oooops
3. "Can somebody help me up?"
4. "I'm OK....I'm OK!"
5. "Everything you need to know about God is found in the Word of God. Nothing you need to know about God is not found in the Word of God. Anything you think you know about God that is not in the Word of God you just made up."
5 Celebrity Crushes:
(I can honestly say that I am not awed by many celebrities. To me, most of them seem totally self-absorbed, have really BAD attitudes toward others, live in a constant world of un-reality, and are very boring without either a script or a song sheet in their hands. But I will give it my best shot.)
1. My wife (not so much a celebrity, but my favorite person on earth).
2. That actress who drove the bus in that corny movie about the bomb and all.
3. Kim Hill (Christian Singer who sings in my key).
4. Tom Cruise (when he is acting, not when he is talking Scientology). (I don't really have a "crush" on him, but he is a good actor).
5. Man! I can't think of anybody else! Maybe that Marge lady on CSI.
5 People I Want to Do This Next:
1. Saddam Hussain
2. Jolly Joe Stalin
3. Atilla the Hun (Attilla the Hun?) (Attila the Hun?) (How do you spell his name?)
4. Adolph Hitler
5. Jeremy Weaver at Jeremy Weaver's Blog
So there you have it. Now you know more about me than you ever wondered. If you want to blame somebody, blame Jeff H. He did it!
One day, as I was headed to Immokalee from Lehigh Acres, I saw a man walking beside the road. He looked a bit disoriented and was not paying much attention to where he was going. More importantly, he was not paying much attention to what was going on around him. He did not see what I saw...a large HIPPO about to attack him and probably eat him on the spot.
What?
You say what?
It's not going to work again?
Oh bother.
OK, then. I'll just respond to Jeff H.'s meme or tag or whatever it is.
The term meme (pronounced [miːm] in IPA; from the Greek word μνήμη for 'memory') first appeared in the 1976 book by Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene. (Some trace the concept to the 1970 book by François Jacob, La logique du vivant (The Logic Of Life).) Though Dawkins defined the meme as "a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation," memeticists vary in their definitions of meme. The lack of a consistent, rigorous and precise definition of a meme remains one of the principal criticisms leveled at memetics, the study of memes. (From Wikipedia)
5 Things I Plan to Do Before I Die:
1. Live
2. Sleep a lot more than I currently do (Stolen from Jeff H.)
3. Lose weight
4. Conduct Handel's "Messiah" one more time.
5. Play one more good game of football (timed to be the very moment before I die)
Things I Can Do:
1. Post
2. Sing
3. Teach Bible doctrine
4. Conduct music
5. Wiggle my ears and flare my nostrils at the same time (Stolen from Jeff H.)
5 Things I Cannot Do:
1. Uhh.
2. Hmm.
3. Let me think.
4. "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.."
5. Stand the sound of any of the Dem members of the Senate Judiciary committee condescendingly moralizing to any creature higher on the evolutionary ladder than a slug (OK, that's not really being fair to the slugs) (Stolen from Jeff H.)
5 Things that Attract Me to the Opposite Sex:
1. Shortness
2. Cuteness
3. Humor
4. Beautiful smile
5. Quizzical behavior
(All attributes of my sweet wife.)
(By the way, am I the opposite sex, or are you?)
5 Things I Say Most Often:
1. "What step?"
2. "Oooops
3. "Can somebody help me up?"
4. "I'm OK....I'm OK!"
5. "Everything you need to know about God is found in the Word of God. Nothing you need to know about God is not found in the Word of God. Anything you think you know about God that is not in the Word of God you just made up."
5 Celebrity Crushes:
(I can honestly say that I am not awed by many celebrities. To me, most of them seem totally self-absorbed, have really BAD attitudes toward others, live in a constant world of un-reality, and are very boring without either a script or a song sheet in their hands. But I will give it my best shot.)
1. My wife (not so much a celebrity, but my favorite person on earth).
2. That actress who drove the bus in that corny movie about the bomb and all.
3. Kim Hill (Christian Singer who sings in my key).
4. Tom Cruise (when he is acting, not when he is talking Scientology). (I don't really have a "crush" on him, but he is a good actor).
5. Man! I can't think of anybody else! Maybe that Marge lady on CSI.
5 People I Want to Do This Next:
1. Saddam Hussain
2. Jolly Joe Stalin
3. Atilla the Hun (Attilla the Hun?) (Attila the Hun?) (How do you spell his name?)
4. Adolph Hitler
5. Jeremy Weaver at Jeremy Weaver's Blog
So there you have it. Now you know more about me than you ever wondered. If you want to blame somebody, blame Jeff H. He did it!
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Sunday Praise
Creator of all that has been created, let your creation sound forth your praises. In unison, let us join in, so that the universe and all that is in it sound forth a cacophany of praise.
Sun, moon, stars, quasars, and even black holes point to the unimaginable imagination of our Creator.
Let the power of the wind, and the majesty of the clouds, the birds of the morning and the soft lights of night give witness to your greatness.
Mighty rivers, flowing streams, rippling creeks and babbling brooks cry out in joyful praise to you, O King of Kings.
Light of the World, hear the fires that You have given us to warm us and to light our path as they crackle the percussive praise of your worth.
As we live and breathe, in humbleness and contriteness of heart, ever mindful of the great gift you have provided for us, may we sing your hallelujahs.
Whether by voice, upon tight strings, with brass or wood, whether by stick, hammer or steel, whether by the manipulation of electrons or great pipes, may our praise rise as sweet incense to the heavens.
We praise you our Creator, and bless your Name. We worship You and You alone. We praise You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one.
Receive our praise in Jesus' name.
Amen.
All Creatures of Our god and King
by St. Francis of Assisi
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
O Praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heav'n along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice;
Ye lights of evening, find a voice.
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for Thy Lord to hear,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
Thou givest man both warmth and light,
O praise Him! O prasie Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One,
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Sun, moon, stars, quasars, and even black holes point to the unimaginable imagination of our Creator.
Let the power of the wind, and the majesty of the clouds, the birds of the morning and the soft lights of night give witness to your greatness.
Mighty rivers, flowing streams, rippling creeks and babbling brooks cry out in joyful praise to you, O King of Kings.
Light of the World, hear the fires that You have given us to warm us and to light our path as they crackle the percussive praise of your worth.
As we live and breathe, in humbleness and contriteness of heart, ever mindful of the great gift you have provided for us, may we sing your hallelujahs.
Whether by voice, upon tight strings, with brass or wood, whether by stick, hammer or steel, whether by the manipulation of electrons or great pipes, may our praise rise as sweet incense to the heavens.
We praise you our Creator, and bless your Name. We worship You and You alone. We praise You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one.
Receive our praise in Jesus' name.
Amen.
All Creatures of Our god and King
by St. Francis of Assisi
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
O Praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heav'n along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice;
Ye lights of evening, find a voice.
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for Thy Lord to hear,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
Thou givest man both warmth and light,
O praise Him! O prasie Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One,
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Gator Bait
There is a great story that goes with this picture.
I used to be the Administrator of Frontier Christian Academy in a little Florida town called Immokalee (that's Im MAH kah lee).
The ride there was about 25 minutes from my home in Lehigh Acres (that's LEE hi A kers).
One day, as I was headed to Immokalee from Lehigh Acres, I saw a man walking beside the road. He looked a bit disoriented and was not paying much attention to where he was going. More importantly, he was not paying much attention to what was going on around him.
He did not see what I saw...a large alligator about to attack him and probably eat him on the spot.
Not wanting to see that much blood (being eaten by an alligator is a very messy proposition), I slammed on my brakes, jumped from my car and lept onto the back of the gator and struggled to hold him still.
As it happened, I had a roll of duct tape hooked to my belt.
An alligator has very powerful closing strength in his jaws. He could bite your arm right off. His mouth opening strength, however, is not all that strong. A grown man can, with some small effort, hold closed the mouth of a very large gator.
I reached back, grabbed the duct tape, tore loose a piece with my mouth and quickly wrapped it around the jaws of the offending reptile.
You can see the tape in the photo.
For the next several days I carried the gator around with me, telling my story to anyone who would listen. Here you see me showing off at the meeting of The Christian Chamber of Southwest Florida.
Now for the "Bait" part mentioned in the title of this blog.
Almost none of the above narrative is true.
I did serve as Administrator of Frontier Christian Academy in Immokalee, and that is me holding a real Florida alligator, and the gator is alive.
However, he was a part of a Christian wildlife program at the Christian Chamber meeting, and everybody there got to hold the gator and have their picture taken with him.
But I did tell the truth about it being a great story, and it did go with the picture.
If I wanted to, I could moralize about all of this. I could say that sometimes we experience or see certain things, somebody tells us something about it that SEEMS to fit the experience or what we see, and we adopt it as truth, even though it isn't.
I could say that.
But I'll resist the urge.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Friday Week in Review
Well.
We made it to Friday.
That's a relief for most people, but I'm still at work and will be here another couple of hours.
Not only that, I have to work Saturday, too!
Don't you feel sorry for me?
Well, why not?
Anyway, I thought I would take this opportunity to introdutce you to a few of my new friends in the blogosphere. Take some time to go see them. You'll be glad you did.
These are in no particular order, just fairly new.
Pilot Mom writes some fancifull things some funny things and some touching spiritual things. Plus, anybody who whould have a picture of an airplane on her sight has to be OK. As some of you know, I fly almost every day (on my Microsoft Flight Simulator...it's safer that way).
For a close up and personal look at Katrina and her devastation, pay a visit to Just So You'll Know . There's lots more there, too.
There is a great look at Christian servanthood at Journey of the Heart . Highly recommended.
Check out Better Bibles Blog for some in depth look at some critical Bible information. And some lighter things, too.
Over at Better Bibles Blog , John goes into things that are fun, things that are spiritual and things that are fun and spiritual. I love his sense of humor. You will, too.
Homeschooler Zoanna tells us about Katrina Kits at A Penchant for Pens .
Well, there you have it.
Some great sites to visit.
Have fun!!
We made it to Friday.
That's a relief for most people, but I'm still at work and will be here another couple of hours.
Not only that, I have to work Saturday, too!
Don't you feel sorry for me?
Well, why not?
Anyway, I thought I would take this opportunity to introdutce you to a few of my new friends in the blogosphere. Take some time to go see them. You'll be glad you did.
These are in no particular order, just fairly new.
Pilot Mom writes some fancifull things some funny things and some touching spiritual things. Plus, anybody who whould have a picture of an airplane on her sight has to be OK. As some of you know, I fly almost every day (on my Microsoft Flight Simulator...it's safer that way).
For a close up and personal look at Katrina and her devastation, pay a visit to Just So You'll Know . There's lots more there, too.
There is a great look at Christian servanthood at Journey of the Heart . Highly recommended.
Check out Better Bibles Blog for some in depth look at some critical Bible information. And some lighter things, too.
Over at Better Bibles Blog , John goes into things that are fun, things that are spiritual and things that are fun and spiritual. I love his sense of humor. You will, too.
Homeschooler Zoanna tells us about Katrina Kits at A Penchant for Pens .
Well, there you have it.
Some great sites to visit.
Have fun!!
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
I Nominate
I have been watching the John Roberts confirmation hearings, and I have a couple of observations.
1. The Democrats on the committee look and sound like raving idiots. And that's the nicest thing I can think of to say about them.
They are shrill, unnecessarily impolite, and they show exceedingly clearly, leaving no mistake, making it impossible to think otherwise, that they do not understand the very laws and proceedures about which they ask.
They are asking questions that they know VERY well are unanswerable by the nominee. If he answered them, he would immediately have to be disqualified, because they are not supposed to be asked, let alone answered.
No supreme court nominee has ever been allowed to speculate how he/she might rule on a specific issue because that would be prejudicial in the case.
Pre judging would mean that fair and impartial judging would be impossible.
2. The Republicans are, for the most part, low key. They seem to be sticking to re-wording and repeating what John Roberts has said. They have avoided putting themselves in a position where their knowledge, or lack thereof, of the law could be challenged.
3. If you are a Democrat, and your Senator is on the confirmation committee, you need to email your Senator and tell him/her to stop squeaking and squawking and start asking real questions that are appropriate for a hearing of this importance and dignity.
Tell him/her that it's OK to disagree with the nomination. If you don't like John Roberts, don't vote for him.
But for goodness sake stop making yourselves look like mindless maniacs. That's not good for you.
The overriding question seems to be about Roe vs Wade and whether it will be overturned.
Maybe he will vote to keep it. Maybe he will vote to overturn it. But to speak about which way he would vote before hearing the case would be wrong.
I know, dear reader, that you are intelligent enough to understand that. Am I right? Can you understand that?
John Roberts should have no problem being confirmed. That should not be considered a victory for the Republicans nor should it be seen as a defeat for the Democrats.
That should be seen as a victory for the process.
After all, The Constitution of the United States of America gives the Senate the responsibility of giving consent to the nomination which the President is required to make.
It's what we call "Advise and Consent," not "Advise and Descent."
1. The Democrats on the committee look and sound like raving idiots. And that's the nicest thing I can think of to say about them.
They are shrill, unnecessarily impolite, and they show exceedingly clearly, leaving no mistake, making it impossible to think otherwise, that they do not understand the very laws and proceedures about which they ask.
They are asking questions that they know VERY well are unanswerable by the nominee. If he answered them, he would immediately have to be disqualified, because they are not supposed to be asked, let alone answered.
No supreme court nominee has ever been allowed to speculate how he/she might rule on a specific issue because that would be prejudicial in the case.
Pre judging would mean that fair and impartial judging would be impossible.
2. The Republicans are, for the most part, low key. They seem to be sticking to re-wording and repeating what John Roberts has said. They have avoided putting themselves in a position where their knowledge, or lack thereof, of the law could be challenged.
3. If you are a Democrat, and your Senator is on the confirmation committee, you need to email your Senator and tell him/her to stop squeaking and squawking and start asking real questions that are appropriate for a hearing of this importance and dignity.
Tell him/her that it's OK to disagree with the nomination. If you don't like John Roberts, don't vote for him.
But for goodness sake stop making yourselves look like mindless maniacs. That's not good for you.
The overriding question seems to be about Roe vs Wade and whether it will be overturned.
Maybe he will vote to keep it. Maybe he will vote to overturn it. But to speak about which way he would vote before hearing the case would be wrong.
I know, dear reader, that you are intelligent enough to understand that. Am I right? Can you understand that?
John Roberts should have no problem being confirmed. That should not be considered a victory for the Republicans nor should it be seen as a defeat for the Democrats.
That should be seen as a victory for the process.
After all, The Constitution of the United States of America gives the Senate the responsibility of giving consent to the nomination which the President is required to make.
It's what we call "Advise and Consent," not "Advise and Descent."
Monday, September 12, 2005
Reflections
Yesterday I watched several programs remembering 9/11. I also visited many blog sites with both pictures and commentary about the tumbling of the Twin Towers.
As I watched and read, I felt the savage hurt and rage well up within me once again. To think that we were attacked on our own soil by people who have no regard for human life, who have no connection with the concept of freedom and who have not the courage to stand up and face their adversaries, but must sneak up on them, terrorize them and wantonly kill them is more than I can stomach.
I was just a baby during World War I. During Viet Nam I was a teenager and young adult.
When Pearl Harbor was attacked, we knew who the perps were. We could see them. We could hear them. We could fight back on terms that we could understand.
We took a heavy loss at Pearl Harbor, but we won the war, even though we were fighting what amounted to two wars at once, the war in Europe and the war against Japan.
In Viet Nam, we had a different issue. Viet Nam did not attack us, but they attacked a way of life. They sought to impose a political system (on people in general and us indirectly) that was the antithesis of all that we stood for.
We ultimately gave up on that war, largely because it was "unpopular" and the political powers of the day could not deal with that which was unpopular. They hadn't the guts for it.
We have once again been attacked by stealth. The aggressors, like those at Pearl Harbor, chose surprise.
Unlike Pearl Harbor, though, those in the World Trade Center were not military personnel. They were accountants, secretaries, insurance agents, lawyers, financiers, and other day-to-day working people. In their own way, they were contributors to and enjoyers of the American Dream.
What was a dream for them was a nightmare to those who attacked them. To those who commandeered those airplanes, the American Dream represented something they hated.
As Christians, how should we react to them? Jesus told us to love our enemies and do good to them who despitefully use us and persecute us for His sake.
Well, those snakes did not hate us for His sake. They hated us for the sake of a "God" whom they saw as vengeful and full of murderous vitriol for those who do not follow "him."
There is no Biblical responsibility on us to roll over and "play dead" for those who would kill us over an ideology that serves such a "god."
They are known as terrorists. They are dispersed around the globe in order to make it harder for any entity to hunt them down as a group. Their animosity toward us has not diminished one whit. They will seek other opportunities to terrorize us whenever and wherever they can.
If we relent, they will summarily snuff us out. They will not cease to kill and maim every American they can for as long as they can get away with it.
We must not forget the legacy of 9/11. We must not let down our guard. We must strive with everything that is in us to stop this foe in Iraq, in Afganistan, in the Phillipines, in Africa, in South America and anywhere else we find them.
My country has many faults. There are attitudes and actions that are dispicable. But make no mistake, this is the best country on earth.
I live here. I don't want terrorists to win this insufferable conflict. I don't want them to tell me where to live, how to live, when to live or why to live. I cherish the freedoms we have in this land.
Woe to us if we give up the fight to rid the world of these terrorists.
Forget the Alamo if you must. Put Viet Nam behind you and pretend it never happened. Let the memory of World War II fade from you mind and learn not its lessons, for it is history past.
But never, never forget the day when the World Trade Center came down.
Remember 9/11.
As I watched and read, I felt the savage hurt and rage well up within me once again. To think that we were attacked on our own soil by people who have no regard for human life, who have no connection with the concept of freedom and who have not the courage to stand up and face their adversaries, but must sneak up on them, terrorize them and wantonly kill them is more than I can stomach.
I was just a baby during World War I. During Viet Nam I was a teenager and young adult.
When Pearl Harbor was attacked, we knew who the perps were. We could see them. We could hear them. We could fight back on terms that we could understand.
We took a heavy loss at Pearl Harbor, but we won the war, even though we were fighting what amounted to two wars at once, the war in Europe and the war against Japan.
In Viet Nam, we had a different issue. Viet Nam did not attack us, but they attacked a way of life. They sought to impose a political system (on people in general and us indirectly) that was the antithesis of all that we stood for.
We ultimately gave up on that war, largely because it was "unpopular" and the political powers of the day could not deal with that which was unpopular. They hadn't the guts for it.
We have once again been attacked by stealth. The aggressors, like those at Pearl Harbor, chose surprise.
Unlike Pearl Harbor, though, those in the World Trade Center were not military personnel. They were accountants, secretaries, insurance agents, lawyers, financiers, and other day-to-day working people. In their own way, they were contributors to and enjoyers of the American Dream.
What was a dream for them was a nightmare to those who attacked them. To those who commandeered those airplanes, the American Dream represented something they hated.
As Christians, how should we react to them? Jesus told us to love our enemies and do good to them who despitefully use us and persecute us for His sake.
Well, those snakes did not hate us for His sake. They hated us for the sake of a "God" whom they saw as vengeful and full of murderous vitriol for those who do not follow "him."
There is no Biblical responsibility on us to roll over and "play dead" for those who would kill us over an ideology that serves such a "god."
They are known as terrorists. They are dispersed around the globe in order to make it harder for any entity to hunt them down as a group. Their animosity toward us has not diminished one whit. They will seek other opportunities to terrorize us whenever and wherever they can.
If we relent, they will summarily snuff us out. They will not cease to kill and maim every American they can for as long as they can get away with it.
We must not forget the legacy of 9/11. We must not let down our guard. We must strive with everything that is in us to stop this foe in Iraq, in Afganistan, in the Phillipines, in Africa, in South America and anywhere else we find them.
My country has many faults. There are attitudes and actions that are dispicable. But make no mistake, this is the best country on earth.
I live here. I don't want terrorists to win this insufferable conflict. I don't want them to tell me where to live, how to live, when to live or why to live. I cherish the freedoms we have in this land.
Woe to us if we give up the fight to rid the world of these terrorists.
Forget the Alamo if you must. Put Viet Nam behind you and pretend it never happened. Let the memory of World War II fade from you mind and learn not its lessons, for it is history past.
But never, never forget the day when the World Trade Center came down.
Remember 9/11.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Sunday Praise
Majestic and mighty Lamb of God we exalt your name today. With Isaiah we see you high and lifted up.
With a chorus of heavenly bodies, we sing your praises. Our songs of praise and shouts of worship overcome everything else. We sing of the one who gave His very life for us. We sing of the one who has paid the sin debt that was ours.
There is none like you, O Lord Jesus. You kingdom will be from everlasting to everlasting.
You who poured your love out on us as evidenced by the nail scars in your hands and the wound in your precious side that can be seen now and evermore, reign in our lives and in eternity. May your beauty overwhelm us.
We bow before you in humility and joy because you have given yourself for each of us individually. Let us praise you beyond the end of time.
You who are the Lord of all things, living and dead, whose resurrection put the seal of God on your life and your finished work at Calvary, we crown you Lord of our lives and yield ourselves to your will and your way today. You who have risen, though once dead, that we might have life eternal, we give you the throne of our heart.
King of kings and Lord of lords, One with God and One with the Holy Spirit, receive our praise as having no end.
We adore you and magnify you, O Lord, both now and forever.
CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS
by Matthew Bridges and George J. Elvey
1. Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne,
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of him who died for thee,
And hail him as thy matchless King through all eternity.
2. Crown Him the Lord of love, Behold His hands and side -
Rich wounds yet visible above In beauty glorified.
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou hast died for me:
Thy praise and glory shall not fail Throughout eternity.
3. Crown Him the Lord of life! Who triumphed o'er the grave;
Who rose victorious in the strife For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing, Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring And lives that death may die.
4. Crown him the Lord of heav'n, One with the Father known
One with the Spirit thro' Him giv'n From yonder glorious throne.
To Thee be endless praise, For Thou for us hast died.
Be Thou, O Lord, thro' endless days Adored and magnified.
With a chorus of heavenly bodies, we sing your praises. Our songs of praise and shouts of worship overcome everything else. We sing of the one who gave His very life for us. We sing of the one who has paid the sin debt that was ours.
There is none like you, O Lord Jesus. You kingdom will be from everlasting to everlasting.
You who poured your love out on us as evidenced by the nail scars in your hands and the wound in your precious side that can be seen now and evermore, reign in our lives and in eternity. May your beauty overwhelm us.
We bow before you in humility and joy because you have given yourself for each of us individually. Let us praise you beyond the end of time.
You who are the Lord of all things, living and dead, whose resurrection put the seal of God on your life and your finished work at Calvary, we crown you Lord of our lives and yield ourselves to your will and your way today. You who have risen, though once dead, that we might have life eternal, we give you the throne of our heart.
King of kings and Lord of lords, One with God and One with the Holy Spirit, receive our praise as having no end.
We adore you and magnify you, O Lord, both now and forever.
CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS
by Matthew Bridges and George J. Elvey
1. Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne,
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of him who died for thee,
And hail him as thy matchless King through all eternity.
2. Crown Him the Lord of love, Behold His hands and side -
Rich wounds yet visible above In beauty glorified.
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou hast died for me:
Thy praise and glory shall not fail Throughout eternity.
3. Crown Him the Lord of life! Who triumphed o'er the grave;
Who rose victorious in the strife For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing, Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring And lives that death may die.
4. Crown him the Lord of heav'n, One with the Father known
One with the Spirit thro' Him giv'n From yonder glorious throne.
To Thee be endless praise, For Thou for us hast died.
Be Thou, O Lord, thro' endless days Adored and magnified.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Wow!
This post is a vulgar (meaning common) attempt to make you feel sorry for me.
During this past three weeks the following things have happened:
AT WORK:
We had an on-air computer hard drive crash at the Christian radio station where I serve as production/operationas manager. (Hear us online at www.kingdom.fm. Click on "listen live" both times it appears and be certain to disable "pop-up blocking." I'm on weekdays from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm EST)
With the installation of the new hard drive came the corruption of some 4,400 audio files, each of which had to be examined and corrected, many of which still need to be done.
We had a new software program installed which did not work. It took a week to get it up and running, then yesterday it decided to skip an hour. Don't know why.
My co-worker, Parker, has gone back to school at Florida Gulf Coast University, and thus has gone back to being part-timer at the station.
Last night we were to air a live football game featuring local Christian High School, Evangelical Christian School, but the connection from the stadium to the studio refused to work. We finally got it up and running by half-time by cell phone. Poor announcers! I don't mean they did a bad job, I mean they really had it rough! One cell phone, two announcers.
A corrupted file slipped by and made it to air and sounded, well, corrupted (like a New Orleans politician).
AT HOME:
My wife has gotten this bee in her bonnet about re-grouting the bathrooms, so we have my son and his boss come over to do the job. They do a nice job, but for the next few days I have to take a shower in that foreign bathroom down the hall.
How many of you were about to express surprise that I even TAKE showers? Come on...can you really tell from there?
My mother was admitted to the hospital (OK, that's not technically at home, but I am - at least 9 hours per day). She is some better, and may go home Monday, though intially she was not expected to make it through the first night. A real blessing. Thanks for your prayers.
My friend, Jeff Graham, is still in the hospital with the broken ankle, courtesy of the VA doctor who put the metal insert in a little too aggressively. You can see his picture at Eighteen Wheels (Jeff G) .
IN THE BLOGOSPHERE
I have not been as prolific in my writing for the last week because so much of my time has been spent taking care of things at the station and at home, but I have visited every one of you as often as I could. I look forward to that every day. I really, really enjoy your sites and your comments, and follow your links frequently.
Maybe next week I can get back on schedule. I have two posts I am working on that I consider to be significant, one called "Voodoo Christianity," and the other about The Constitution of the United States of America as it relates to the government's job of insuring domestic tranquility.
In the mean time, I will continue to read and enjoy your sites and ask you to keep my mother, my wife, my job and me in your prayers.
And, as I sign off each day on the radio, "Have a beautiful day today. Make it a Christ filled day. Find a place to worship this weekend and I'll see you here tomorrow. But if I don't see you here, I'll see you over there."
During this past three weeks the following things have happened:
AT WORK:
We had an on-air computer hard drive crash at the Christian radio station where I serve as production/operationas manager. (Hear us online at www.kingdom.fm. Click on "listen live" both times it appears and be certain to disable "pop-up blocking." I'm on weekdays from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm EST)
With the installation of the new hard drive came the corruption of some 4,400 audio files, each of which had to be examined and corrected, many of which still need to be done.
We had a new software program installed which did not work. It took a week to get it up and running, then yesterday it decided to skip an hour. Don't know why.
My co-worker, Parker, has gone back to school at Florida Gulf Coast University, and thus has gone back to being part-timer at the station.
Last night we were to air a live football game featuring local Christian High School, Evangelical Christian School, but the connection from the stadium to the studio refused to work. We finally got it up and running by half-time by cell phone. Poor announcers! I don't mean they did a bad job, I mean they really had it rough! One cell phone, two announcers.
A corrupted file slipped by and made it to air and sounded, well, corrupted (like a New Orleans politician).
AT HOME:
My wife has gotten this bee in her bonnet about re-grouting the bathrooms, so we have my son and his boss come over to do the job. They do a nice job, but for the next few days I have to take a shower in that foreign bathroom down the hall.
How many of you were about to express surprise that I even TAKE showers? Come on...can you really tell from there?
My mother was admitted to the hospital (OK, that's not technically at home, but I am - at least 9 hours per day). She is some better, and may go home Monday, though intially she was not expected to make it through the first night. A real blessing. Thanks for your prayers.
My friend, Jeff Graham, is still in the hospital with the broken ankle, courtesy of the VA doctor who put the metal insert in a little too aggressively. You can see his picture at Eighteen Wheels (Jeff G) .
IN THE BLOGOSPHERE
I have not been as prolific in my writing for the last week because so much of my time has been spent taking care of things at the station and at home, but I have visited every one of you as often as I could. I look forward to that every day. I really, really enjoy your sites and your comments, and follow your links frequently.
Maybe next week I can get back on schedule. I have two posts I am working on that I consider to be significant, one called "Voodoo Christianity," and the other about The Constitution of the United States of America as it relates to the government's job of insuring domestic tranquility.
In the mean time, I will continue to read and enjoy your sites and ask you to keep my mother, my wife, my job and me in your prayers.
And, as I sign off each day on the radio, "Have a beautiful day today. Make it a Christ filled day. Find a place to worship this weekend and I'll see you here tomorrow. But if I don't see you here, I'll see you over there."
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Back by Popular Demand
What would think of an organization that is feeding over 300,000 meals per day to victims of hurricane Katrina? What if they had plans to ramp up their efforts to 500,000 meals per day by the end of this week?
What if they had been on the scenes (other places than New Orleans were hit, you know) the very next day aftert he disaster?
What would you think of an organization that provided mobile shower facitlities to the victims? What if they also provided mobile laundry facilities as well?
What if this organization began the clean-up process in Mississippi and Louisiana immediately after the storm passed.
Who is this organization?
Well, it is not the federal government. It is not the Mississippi or Louisiana state government. It is not county and parish governments.
It is not the United Athiests of America, or the International Organization of Agnostics, or NAMBA or PETA. It is not The Church of Scientology. It is not the American Association of Ghouls and Witches.
As far as I know, neither NASA nor any other "scientific" organization has mounted any such drive.
I'll bet you have not heard one single solitary word at any time from any mainstream media about this work being done.
The North American Missions Board of the Southern Baptist Convention is doing it.
That's not all!
Yes! There's more!
More than 150,000 Katrina refugees are receiving shelter, food and water at Salvation Army facilities from Texas to North Carolina. The mobile kitchens are capable of serving more than 500,000 meals per day.
Add the work of the North American Mission Board and the Salvation Army and that's 1,000,000 meals per day distributed in the name of Christ!
Hundreds of shelters are being provided as well, in the name of Christ.
"In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of one of these, my bretheren, ye have done it unto me."
What if they had been on the scenes (other places than New Orleans were hit, you know) the very next day aftert he disaster?
What would you think of an organization that provided mobile shower facitlities to the victims? What if they also provided mobile laundry facilities as well?
What if this organization began the clean-up process in Mississippi and Louisiana immediately after the storm passed.
Who is this organization?
Well, it is not the federal government. It is not the Mississippi or Louisiana state government. It is not county and parish governments.
It is not the United Athiests of America, or the International Organization of Agnostics, or NAMBA or PETA. It is not The Church of Scientology. It is not the American Association of Ghouls and Witches.
As far as I know, neither NASA nor any other "scientific" organization has mounted any such drive.
I'll bet you have not heard one single solitary word at any time from any mainstream media about this work being done.
The North American Missions Board of the Southern Baptist Convention is doing it.
That's not all!
Yes! There's more!
More than 150,000 Katrina refugees are receiving shelter, food and water at Salvation Army facilities from Texas to North Carolina. The mobile kitchens are capable of serving more than 500,000 meals per day.
Add the work of the North American Mission Board and the Salvation Army and that's 1,000,000 meals per day distributed in the name of Christ!
Hundreds of shelters are being provided as well, in the name of Christ.
"In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of one of these, my bretheren, ye have done it unto me."
Random Ramblings II
I am writing this post for the benefit of those who like to disagree with me.
I went to my psychiatrist the other day.
He said to me, "Joe, you are a kind of a wishy-washy sort of fellow."
I said, "Maybe I am....maybe I'm Not."
He told me I was apathetic. I told him I didn't care.
He said I wouldn't be as mean as I am if only I were a little kinder.
He asked whether I had ever had thoughts of suicide. I said, "Yeah. Yesterday I was so depressed that I wanted to jump in front of a parked car."
Trying to get to the bottom of the issue, he said, "You are a very stubborn guy." To which I replied, "I adamantly refuse to admit to having a stubborn bone in my body."
"Doc," I said, "What has twenty-two legs, a big head and is irridescent green?" He said, "I don't know." I said, "I don't know either, but one is crawling up your sleeve right now."
I asked, "Say, Doctor, would you rather have a dollar or a damatta?" "What's 'damatta?'" he asked.
"Nothing's damatta with me, Doc. What's damatta with you?"
He said, "You're histerical!"
"Yeah," I said, "I know a lot about histery."
"For instance, I know that in 1492 Columbus sailed for America. That's an easy date to remember because it rhymes with 'ocean blue,' which was the color of the Atlantic in those days. If he had sailed in 1493, it would still be easy to remember, because it would rhyme with 'boundless sea.' He sailed because of a persecution by Ferdinand and Isabella, who refused to believe the world was round, even when Columbus showed them an egg.
"Ferdinand later became famous because he objected to bullfights. Said he would rather smell flowers, if he had to smell anything. He was stung, in the end, by a bee."
Ferdinand, Ferdinand, the bull with the delicate ego
Ferdinand, Ferdinand, the ladies all called him amigo.....never mind.
(with apologies to Richard Armour)
As I was leaving the psychiatrist's office, I saw two guys getting into an argument. They were about to come to blows when a police officer stepped in. I don't know what he stepped in, but he broke up the fight. That was a good thing.
I got home. My wife had on a hat I had never seen before. "Where did you get that?" "I was down in the dumps today, so I got a new hat." "I always wondered where you got those things," I said.
The dog house is not all that bad.
You might ask, "Joe, why do you write such things?"
So go ahead, ask.
I'm glad you asked.
Here's the thing. I take nothing too seriously. I don't take life too seriously. ( I am unreservedly pro-life, I just realize that none of us gets out of it alive. The stats are perfect. Death gets to 100% of us.) I don't take you too seriously. I certainly don't take myself too seriously.
The only thing I take seriously is Jesus. He is the in all, of all, by all, and through all of everything I am or ever will be.
So, except when I write about Jesus, you would do well to read what I write with an awareness that my tongue is firmly implanted in my cheek. Which may explain why my cheeks are always so sore.
There you go, then. Whatever you find in this post with which you disagree, go ahead and comment on it. I'll just crawl into my little corner and have a good cry. But I'll be alright. Don't worry. Relax. Get a life. Get over it. Whatever!
I cannot resist taking this one last parting shot......
BANG!
bu-dump-dum.
I went to my psychiatrist the other day.
He said to me, "Joe, you are a kind of a wishy-washy sort of fellow."
I said, "Maybe I am....maybe I'm Not."
He told me I was apathetic. I told him I didn't care.
He said I wouldn't be as mean as I am if only I were a little kinder.
He asked whether I had ever had thoughts of suicide. I said, "Yeah. Yesterday I was so depressed that I wanted to jump in front of a parked car."
Trying to get to the bottom of the issue, he said, "You are a very stubborn guy." To which I replied, "I adamantly refuse to admit to having a stubborn bone in my body."
"Doc," I said, "What has twenty-two legs, a big head and is irridescent green?" He said, "I don't know." I said, "I don't know either, but one is crawling up your sleeve right now."
I asked, "Say, Doctor, would you rather have a dollar or a damatta?" "What's 'damatta?'" he asked.
"Nothing's damatta with me, Doc. What's damatta with you?"
He said, "You're histerical!"
"Yeah," I said, "I know a lot about histery."
"For instance, I know that in 1492 Columbus sailed for America. That's an easy date to remember because it rhymes with 'ocean blue,' which was the color of the Atlantic in those days. If he had sailed in 1493, it would still be easy to remember, because it would rhyme with 'boundless sea.' He sailed because of a persecution by Ferdinand and Isabella, who refused to believe the world was round, even when Columbus showed them an egg.
"Ferdinand later became famous because he objected to bullfights. Said he would rather smell flowers, if he had to smell anything. He was stung, in the end, by a bee."
Ferdinand, Ferdinand, the bull with the delicate ego
Ferdinand, Ferdinand, the ladies all called him amigo.....never mind.
(with apologies to Richard Armour)
As I was leaving the psychiatrist's office, I saw two guys getting into an argument. They were about to come to blows when a police officer stepped in. I don't know what he stepped in, but he broke up the fight. That was a good thing.
I got home. My wife had on a hat I had never seen before. "Where did you get that?" "I was down in the dumps today, so I got a new hat." "I always wondered where you got those things," I said.
The dog house is not all that bad.
You might ask, "Joe, why do you write such things?"
So go ahead, ask.
I'm glad you asked.
Here's the thing. I take nothing too seriously. I don't take life too seriously. ( I am unreservedly pro-life, I just realize that none of us gets out of it alive. The stats are perfect. Death gets to 100% of us.) I don't take you too seriously. I certainly don't take myself too seriously.
The only thing I take seriously is Jesus. He is the in all, of all, by all, and through all of everything I am or ever will be.
So, except when I write about Jesus, you would do well to read what I write with an awareness that my tongue is firmly implanted in my cheek. Which may explain why my cheeks are always so sore.
There you go, then. Whatever you find in this post with which you disagree, go ahead and comment on it. I'll just crawl into my little corner and have a good cry. But I'll be alright. Don't worry. Relax. Get a life. Get over it. Whatever!
I cannot resist taking this one last parting shot......
BANG!
bu-dump-dum.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
THE FINAL WORD
Unless and until I decide otherwise, this will be my last post referencing hurricane Katrina.
There some points I want to reiterate (having iterated them before), and some additional observations I would like to make.
I also want to explain some things about this blogsite.
THE HURRICANE:
There is a difference between "sympathy" and "compassion."
"Sympathy" is an emotional response to another's plight. It is based solely on feeling and accomplishes absolutely nothing. "Compassion" is a behavior toward another's plight.
I have no sympathy for those who stayed in New Orleans by their own choice. Some of them died. I am sorry that they made the wrong choice, but I had no control over that choice.
Some of them had to stay because their government (their Mayor and their Governor) did not act to get them out, even though they had both the resources and the warnings. They should be angry, as I am, with their Governor and their Mayor.
I have great compassion for those who are in need of food, shelter and clothing. Being old, fat and having a heart problem, I cannot go to New Orleans. However, I have helped to send a very large contingent of leaders and volunteers who are providing hot meals, clothing and transportation for many to places of shelter.
The federal government is a large cumbersome entity. It is about as maneuverable as an ocean liner, compared to a small motor boat. It would not have mattered who was President, whether Reagan, Carter, Bush, Clinton or G.W., it would have still taken time for the feds to respond to this disaster.
The primary responsibility for first response lies with local and state authorities, neither of which did their jobs in Louisiana. By contrast, Mayors and the Governor in Mississippi acted quickly and with great effeciency.
There is much devastation in Mississippi, but it is getting FAR less attention from the press than is New Orleans. Its successes go virtually unreported.
If you go to the National Guard website you will see that each state has the authority to call up the Guard for emergency situations. It has been done in the past and will be done in the future. It should have been done in Louisiana. It was not done. There were plenty of National Guard troops available, as evidenced by the fact that when they WERE called in they were there.
We had a town virtually wiped out here in Southwest Florida when hurricane Charley came through. Many people from all over showed their compassion by helping provide for the needs of those displaced by the storm.
There will be other disasters. There will be wars. There will be rumors of war. There will be earthquakes. There will be tsunamis. There will be tornadoes and there will be hurricanes. We must respond to them all with our resources and our compassion and prayers.
MY BLOG:
Let there be no mistake: this is MY blog. I decide what is allowed here and I decide what is not allowed here. Period. If you don't like that, go away or be deleted.
I am grateful for the many friends I have in Blogland, and enjoy reading their posts and enjoy their comments.
I also have some "not so friends" who occasionally come by. You are welcome. Your opinions are valued. Your comments are, too, as long as they are gentlemanly and in good taste.
You may express any opinion about me you want to express. Even if it is snotty. I can easily out-snide, out-deride and out-snotty any of you, so be forewarned. There will be NO foul language on this site. Period.
If you are not man or woman enough to control your language, you are not man or woman enough to be heard here.
You will not speak unkindly or disrespectfully about ANY other commenter on my blog. If, in my opinion (the only one that counts on this issue), your comment is designed to hurt, or deride one of my honored guests, directly or by implication, you will be deleted. Speak to each other if you like, but be respectful.
Not only will I delete you, I will write a comment that tells who you are and why I deleted you, unless you do not give your name or bloglink, in which case you will be deleted anyway.
Again, thanks to all of you who have been so kind, so forthcoming and so honest in your comments on this blog. In spite of my strongheadedness and opinionation, you have been good friends. I have been awed by your response.
May God continue to bless you, friends and foe. I really appreciated you.
There some points I want to reiterate (having iterated them before), and some additional observations I would like to make.
I also want to explain some things about this blogsite.
THE HURRICANE:
There is a difference between "sympathy" and "compassion."
"Sympathy" is an emotional response to another's plight. It is based solely on feeling and accomplishes absolutely nothing. "Compassion" is a behavior toward another's plight.
I have no sympathy for those who stayed in New Orleans by their own choice. Some of them died. I am sorry that they made the wrong choice, but I had no control over that choice.
Some of them had to stay because their government (their Mayor and their Governor) did not act to get them out, even though they had both the resources and the warnings. They should be angry, as I am, with their Governor and their Mayor.
I have great compassion for those who are in need of food, shelter and clothing. Being old, fat and having a heart problem, I cannot go to New Orleans. However, I have helped to send a very large contingent of leaders and volunteers who are providing hot meals, clothing and transportation for many to places of shelter.
The federal government is a large cumbersome entity. It is about as maneuverable as an ocean liner, compared to a small motor boat. It would not have mattered who was President, whether Reagan, Carter, Bush, Clinton or G.W., it would have still taken time for the feds to respond to this disaster.
The primary responsibility for first response lies with local and state authorities, neither of which did their jobs in Louisiana. By contrast, Mayors and the Governor in Mississippi acted quickly and with great effeciency.
There is much devastation in Mississippi, but it is getting FAR less attention from the press than is New Orleans. Its successes go virtually unreported.
If you go to the National Guard website you will see that each state has the authority to call up the Guard for emergency situations. It has been done in the past and will be done in the future. It should have been done in Louisiana. It was not done. There were plenty of National Guard troops available, as evidenced by the fact that when they WERE called in they were there.
We had a town virtually wiped out here in Southwest Florida when hurricane Charley came through. Many people from all over showed their compassion by helping provide for the needs of those displaced by the storm.
There will be other disasters. There will be wars. There will be rumors of war. There will be earthquakes. There will be tsunamis. There will be tornadoes and there will be hurricanes. We must respond to them all with our resources and our compassion and prayers.
MY BLOG:
Let there be no mistake: this is MY blog. I decide what is allowed here and I decide what is not allowed here. Period. If you don't like that, go away or be deleted.
I am grateful for the many friends I have in Blogland, and enjoy reading their posts and enjoy their comments.
I also have some "not so friends" who occasionally come by. You are welcome. Your opinions are valued. Your comments are, too, as long as they are gentlemanly and in good taste.
You may express any opinion about me you want to express. Even if it is snotty. I can easily out-snide, out-deride and out-snotty any of you, so be forewarned. There will be NO foul language on this site. Period.
If you are not man or woman enough to control your language, you are not man or woman enough to be heard here.
You will not speak unkindly or disrespectfully about ANY other commenter on my blog. If, in my opinion (the only one that counts on this issue), your comment is designed to hurt, or deride one of my honored guests, directly or by implication, you will be deleted. Speak to each other if you like, but be respectful.
Not only will I delete you, I will write a comment that tells who you are and why I deleted you, unless you do not give your name or bloglink, in which case you will be deleted anyway.
Again, thanks to all of you who have been so kind, so forthcoming and so honest in your comments on this blog. In spite of my strongheadedness and opinionation, you have been good friends. I have been awed by your response.
May God continue to bless you, friends and foe. I really appreciated you.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Random Ramblings
First: Thank you for your prayers for my mother. She is better, due for a couple of more tests to find out why she is doing better (they did not ask me) and may go home tomorrow.
She did have a heart attack and they did not expect her to make it through Saturday night. But she did.
Second: I am going to stop recognizing days, because every day I am more perplexed by the stupidity of some folks with regard to the victims of hurricane Katrina.
A. Nobody should have been in New Orleans when the storm hit. They were warned, and the Governor (not the President...it's not his job) should have made state resources available to move the poor out ahead of the storm. Many just refused to go, and now they're mad about it. Sorry...I have compassion for them and think they should be helped, but I have absolutely no sympathy whatsoever...period.
B. How's cumb Mississippi is doing so much better of a job of dealing with it's part of the disaster, with much
less help from the Feds? Maybe they have a smarter Governor?
C. I have heard six different politicians of the opposite persuasion place blame for the current state of
affairs on "the administration," each one for a different reason in keeping with his or her pet agenda.
Third: If you have not read Think Sink lately, you need to do so. Jeff brings to the fore some of our leader's" foolishness. You'll want to be there when he gets punched.
Finally: I am so glad I have Jesus as my Lord. He is everything I need to make it through each day and more.
He did so much for me at the cross, that if He never did anything else, that would be enough. But praise His name, He just keeps on providing love, mercy, grace, and stability.
She did have a heart attack and they did not expect her to make it through Saturday night. But she did.
Second: I am going to stop recognizing days, because every day I am more perplexed by the stupidity of some folks with regard to the victims of hurricane Katrina.
A. Nobody should have been in New Orleans when the storm hit. They were warned, and the Governor (not the President...it's not his job) should have made state resources available to move the poor out ahead of the storm. Many just refused to go, and now they're mad about it. Sorry...I have compassion for them and think they should be helped, but I have absolutely no sympathy whatsoever...period.
B. How's cumb Mississippi is doing so much better of a job of dealing with it's part of the disaster, with much
less help from the Feds? Maybe they have a smarter Governor?
C. I have heard six different politicians of the opposite persuasion place blame for the current state of
affairs on "the administration," each one for a different reason in keeping with his or her pet agenda.
Third: If you have not read Think Sink lately, you need to do so. Jeff brings to the fore some of our leader's" foolishness. You'll want to be there when he gets punched.
Finally: I am so glad I have Jesus as my Lord. He is everything I need to make it through each day and more.
He did so much for me at the cross, that if He never did anything else, that would be enough. But praise His name, He just keeps on providing love, mercy, grace, and stability.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Prayer Request
Please pray for my mother.
As I write this, she has been taken to the hospital by ambulance with suspected acute pneumonia.
She is 87 years old and was told in 1957 that she only had 5 years to live, max.
Every day since then has been a blessing and a gift.
We want God's will to be done. We want adequate care, but no heroic measures if they will only result in her lingering.
Thank you.
As I write this, she has been taken to the hospital by ambulance with suspected acute pneumonia.
She is 87 years old and was told in 1957 that she only had 5 years to live, max.
Every day since then has been a blessing and a gift.
We want God's will to be done. We want adequate care, but no heroic measures if they will only result in her lingering.
Thank you.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Disaster Relief
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers prepare meals for distribution at a North Carolina Baptist mobile feeding unit operating from First Baptist Church. The volunteers are part of Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers assisting Mississippi and Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with services that include mass feeding, cleanup and recovery, shower trailers, child care, laundry, and communication. Photograph by John Swain (jswain@namb.net). For more information, please visit www.namb.net/drphotos or call 800-462-8657, ext. 6445. 8/30/05
Here is an example of some of the disaster relief that is already in place to help feed those in need and provide necessities.
Yesterday WAYJ FM, a local Christian radio station issued a call for help, with the intent of sending a truck loaded with necessities.
What they ended up sending was one simi and two box trucks full of diapers, baby wipes, non-perishables and much more.
There is much being done in the name of Jesus. It just does not get reported on in the "unbiased" secular media.
Praise God for the work that is being done!
Of course we do not do these things for recognition, but isn't it an encouragement to us all to see the evidence that Christians ARE doing what Christ commanded us to do?
UPDATE: CONVOY OF HOPE PROVIDES DISASTER RELIEF IN THE NAME OF CHRIST AROUND THE WORLD. PARTNERED WITH THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD.
Convoy of Hope responds to Katrina, offers help from Picayune, Mississippi
Convoy of Hope Disaster Response Teams have established a distribution point in Picayune, Miss. and are traveling further into the affected areas to establish additional locations.
Cars --often filled with five or six people who are now homeless --were lined up two miles in either direction at the Picayune distribution point.
Volunteers had served 300 families by 9 a.m. this morning. "The need for ice and water is huge," said Jeff Nene, Convoy of Hope Communications director. "The people we are serving are often in tears, thankful to receive something so small as bottled water and a couple of bags of ice. These are the simple things that we often take for granted."
More than 30 truckloads of ice, water and food are already in the region or en route. Convoy of Hope is preparing for a response that could require hundreds of loads in the weeks ahead.
MORE UPDATE:
The Christian and Missionary Alliance
Hope Amid the Ruins
[Fri, 2 Sep 2005 16:32:58 -0600]
Being Jesus feet and hands is the only way to get the gospel to these people, says Rev. Don Young, pastor of Genesis Church (Alliance) in Foley, Alabama, near Mobile. The Gulf Coast town was spared the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, and area churches have banned together with Genesis to provide humanitarian aid to their Mississippi neighbors.
The people of Genesis Church are adopting the community of Waveland, Mississippi, near the Louisiana border. The town’s 7,000 residents lost 75 percent of the town. The church has sent a truckload of food, and fuel for the local hospital generator will arrive shortly. The church is committing the next six months to this needy community.
UPDATE:
DID YOU KNOW THAT THE SALVATION ARMY IS A CHURCH, not "just" a large non-profit charity?
They are a denomination. They hold worship services every week. They sing, pray and share the Gospel
And they provide relief during disasters.
The Salvation Army continues to feed and shelter refugees of Hurricane Katrina. We will continue to work diligently while there is need to meet that need in whatever ways we can. We thank you for your partnership with us.A $100 donation to The Salvation Army will feed a family of four for two days, provide two cases of drinking water and one household clean-up kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets, and cleaning supplies. Donate now...
MORE
A newscaster said today that "...many believe President Bush is moving too slowly. The mercy ship, for instance, won't be there for two weeks."
Well la-dee-dah!
What does this stupid, ignorant, self-serving reporter suggest the President, or anybody else, do about that? Ships move slowly. He can't change that. Neither can his opponents in Congress. Neither can that news reporter.
Then I saw some guy who had lost it all. My heart went out to him. Yet he said, "Bush can send hellicopters to Iraq but he cant send one here. Come on, Mr. Bush..."
Again we have a man who is, understandably, upset. But his "upsetness" is wrongly directed. There already ARE hellicopters at the disaster area. They just haven't gotten to this man yet. He so absorbed in his own grief, again, understandably, that he cannot realize the enormity of this disaster.
But the real fault lies, again, witht the reporting.
I have not heard one single interview with someone who is grateful that he or she was plucked from their roof-top to safety. Not one report on someone who has had a "happy" experience with government rescuers.
Yet I know they are there, else everybody would be dead.
So why don't we hear about them? Hmmm? Go ahead...figure that one out.
Well la-dee-dah!
What does this stupid, ignorant, self-serving reporter suggest the President, or anybody else, do about that? Ships move slowly. He can't change that. Neither can his opponents in Congress. Neither can that news reporter.
Then I saw some guy who had lost it all. My heart went out to him. Yet he said, "Bush can send hellicopters to Iraq but he cant send one here. Come on, Mr. Bush..."
Again we have a man who is, understandably, upset. But his "upsetness" is wrongly directed. There already ARE hellicopters at the disaster area. They just haven't gotten to this man yet. He so absorbed in his own grief, again, understandably, that he cannot realize the enormity of this disaster.
But the real fault lies, again, witht the reporting.
I have not heard one single interview with someone who is grateful that he or she was plucked from their roof-top to safety. Not one report on someone who has had a "happy" experience with government rescuers.
Yet I know they are there, else everybody would be dead.
So why don't we hear about them? Hmmm? Go ahead...figure that one out.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
ARRRRRRRGH!
I am a kinda laid back type in most situations. Just look at my picture, sitting back and enjoying a glass of iced tea.
But today I am angrier than I have been in a long, long time.
"Why are you so angry?" I hear you asking.
Thanks for asking. I am going to tell you.
I was in the car, searching for a gas station with gas (I can't believe we're having a shortage in our area). I heard an interview with a government official of some kind by an info-idiot looking for answers about the government's role in the hurricane disaster in which the following question was asked:
"Is it fair to say that the government may not have done enough to prevent this disaster from happening and was ill prepared to respond when it did?"
S A Y W H A T? (Make that the loudest most incredulous shout possible.)
There is only one possible motive for a question like that (aside from rank ignoramousness).
So right here and now I call on that info-moron to say exactly what could have been done to prevent a hurricane from going wherever it goes and doing whatever it does. Now, you imbicile! Tell us NOW!
What? You can't tell us?
Then I have this advice for you and anyone who has ever thought, mused or otherwise raised a question like that:
SHUT YOUR STUPID, HALF-WITTED, NUMB-SKULLED, HAIRBRAINED, SPREAD-POSTERIORED, IDIOTIC, MORONIC, PIG-HEADED, TWISTED, FOOLISH, MOUTH UNTIL YOU CAN COME UP WITH, AND HEAD UP A DELEGATION TO PUT INTO EFFECT, A VIABLE SOLUTION TO THE NEEDS OF THE VICTIMS AND THE RESTORATION OF THEIR PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS!
Being a Christian, I say that, of course, in love.
For the life of me I can find no explanation for the insufferable comments made by politicians for their own political gain in this issue.
This is a time to stop worrying about who is in power and start doing whatever it takes to help those who are suffering from the effects of Katrina.
They need water, food, clothing, diapers, baby wipes, shelter, medicine and other life requirements.
Politicians, stop blubbering philosphically and politically and start doing something to help, not tomorrow, not next week, not when you are back in session, NOW.
Ted Kennedy...go down there and DO something. Dianne Feinstein, go down there and DO something. President Bush, go down there and DO something.
Take your secret service people with you, if you must. If you do, don't let them spend their time protecting you...make them DO something. Clean something. Pick up something. Pick up a hammer and build something.
Carry buckets of water over to the levies and pour some water back into the Gulf of Mexico.
Join the 30,000 Southern Baptist volunteers and the thousands of volunteers from the Assemblies of God, and the folks from the Christian and Missionary Alliance and the uncountable others who will be there with aid.
Help the Salvation Army, the Americn Red Cross and other non-profit agencies that will be there in numbers far exceeding the number of federal and local military and para-military people there.
Come on! Show us leadership by example!
Get off of your fat, pompous, economy-sucking posteriors and be a part of the solution.
Give up the pork in your favorite piece of legislation and give the money to one or more of the agencies involved in search and rescue. Buy some boats and GIVE them to people who need to get around and who then can help others.
Fire up a grill and cook some of those steaks, and delicacies wasting away in your pantries and feed someone who has not eaten in three or four days.
Be a REAL part of the human race and show the compassion of action.
By this time next month we will know what you are really made of.
What a scary thought.
But today I am angrier than I have been in a long, long time.
"Why are you so angry?" I hear you asking.
Thanks for asking. I am going to tell you.
I was in the car, searching for a gas station with gas (I can't believe we're having a shortage in our area). I heard an interview with a government official of some kind by an info-idiot looking for answers about the government's role in the hurricane disaster in which the following question was asked:
"Is it fair to say that the government may not have done enough to prevent this disaster from happening and was ill prepared to respond when it did?"
S A Y W H A T? (Make that the loudest most incredulous shout possible.)
There is only one possible motive for a question like that (aside from rank ignoramousness).
So right here and now I call on that info-moron to say exactly what could have been done to prevent a hurricane from going wherever it goes and doing whatever it does. Now, you imbicile! Tell us NOW!
What? You can't tell us?
Then I have this advice for you and anyone who has ever thought, mused or otherwise raised a question like that:
SHUT YOUR STUPID, HALF-WITTED, NUMB-SKULLED, HAIRBRAINED, SPREAD-POSTERIORED, IDIOTIC, MORONIC, PIG-HEADED, TWISTED, FOOLISH, MOUTH UNTIL YOU CAN COME UP WITH, AND HEAD UP A DELEGATION TO PUT INTO EFFECT, A VIABLE SOLUTION TO THE NEEDS OF THE VICTIMS AND THE RESTORATION OF THEIR PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS!
Being a Christian, I say that, of course, in love.
For the life of me I can find no explanation for the insufferable comments made by politicians for their own political gain in this issue.
This is a time to stop worrying about who is in power and start doing whatever it takes to help those who are suffering from the effects of Katrina.
They need water, food, clothing, diapers, baby wipes, shelter, medicine and other life requirements.
Politicians, stop blubbering philosphically and politically and start doing something to help, not tomorrow, not next week, not when you are back in session, NOW.
Ted Kennedy...go down there and DO something. Dianne Feinstein, go down there and DO something. President Bush, go down there and DO something.
Take your secret service people with you, if you must. If you do, don't let them spend their time protecting you...make them DO something. Clean something. Pick up something. Pick up a hammer and build something.
Carry buckets of water over to the levies and pour some water back into the Gulf of Mexico.
Join the 30,000 Southern Baptist volunteers and the thousands of volunteers from the Assemblies of God, and the folks from the Christian and Missionary Alliance and the uncountable others who will be there with aid.
Help the Salvation Army, the Americn Red Cross and other non-profit agencies that will be there in numbers far exceeding the number of federal and local military and para-military people there.
Come on! Show us leadership by example!
Get off of your fat, pompous, economy-sucking posteriors and be a part of the solution.
Give up the pork in your favorite piece of legislation and give the money to one or more of the agencies involved in search and rescue. Buy some boats and GIVE them to people who need to get around and who then can help others.
Fire up a grill and cook some of those steaks, and delicacies wasting away in your pantries and feed someone who has not eaten in three or four days.
Be a REAL part of the human race and show the compassion of action.
By this time next month we will know what you are really made of.
What a scary thought.
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