Saturday, September 30, 2006

Grandpap

My Grandfather died on Jan 18, 1986. 20 years ago. But its funny, the last 2 days I have quoted him several times. Something must of stuck. He was not perfect, but my mom used to say this song reminded her of him. It seemed appropriate to post today. He used to say, "Don't buy anything you can't pay for with Cash." He was wise in a quiet unassumed way. Steven (Nick) Gallagher...may you rest in peace.


Confederate Railroad - Daddy Never Was The Cadillac Kind

We were poor when I was young'un
I don't remember ever going hungry
Daddy made sure we didn't do without
I went to school with some of these fellas
They had money and I was jealous
I didn't know then what I know now

Daddy'd say you can't judge a book by looking at the cover
It's what's inside that really matters
Daddy never was the Cadillac kind
Said some things just glitter and shine
Taught us that love was the one thing money couldn't buy
Daddy never was the Cadillac kind

I left home right outta highschool
Bought me a big car thought it was real cool
Cruisin' around the ol' neighborhood
I'd see daddy after church on Sunday
Say you'll have to go ridin' with me someday
He just said no, I never understood
He asked me how I bought it
I told him on credit
Daddy just smiled
I'll never forget it

Daddy never was a Cadillac kind
Said some things just glitter and shine
Taught us that love was the one thing money couldn't buy
Daddy never was a Cadillac kind

It took a while but now I'm grown
Got me a house and kids of my own
The more I give 'em, the more they want
Daddy left us last November
Don't remember him ever lookin' better
All laid down in his Sunday best
I'm sure instead of all that attention
All he had wanted was a few words mentioned
A simple man, simply laid to rest
But as they drove him away in that big Cadillac
With a tear in my eye, I had to laugh

'Cause daddy never was a Cadillac kind
Said some things just glitter and shine
Just this once I hope daddy enjoyed the ride
'Cause daddy never was a Cadillac kind

Thursday, September 28, 2006

One more time

Conspiracy theorist are idiots.

They make me want to kick them for fun. I wont kick a puppy...conspiracy theorist...i do not mind kicking.

Just so we are straight on that.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Cant Argue With the Numbers!

CAN'T ARGUE WITH THE NUMBERS!

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100% How about achieving 101%? What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But,

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

AND, look how far the love of God will take you

L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that: While hard work and knowledge will get you close, and attitude will get you there, it's the Love of God that will put you over the top! It's up to you if you share this with friends & loved ones just the way I did.

How to Lose Your Dog- Mid Week Epistole

How to Lose Your Dog! by Rev Jim Massey

Some of the most profound wisdom that is shared with people these days is that of "Hind-sight." Now all of you know what that is. It is the knowledge that you so wisely give that you wish you would have known when you were in a difficult dilemma, but the only way you could ever gain that wisdom was to live through the difficulty.
Well, let this little parable serve as some "Hind-sight" that might be the most valuable in the world.
"A man had everything; a beautiful home, three cars, a plane, a boat, a cottage at the lake and a beautiful pedigreed dog, that was a real champion.
The dog was tied to a tree on the large, spacious lawn. Every day a newsboy would ride up on his bike, stop, ran over and pet the dog, and share some time with him. Since the rich man had no time for his valuable dog, the boy gained the animal's allegiance.
One day while the boy was petting the dog, the owner came out and said, 'Son, this is my dog. I paid a good price for him. I took him to the best trainers available. I've invested a lot of money in veterinary fees and grooming, but it looks like I really don't own him any more. The minute he is loose, he comes to you. I've lost my dog.'"
Maybe this should serve as a reminder of the importance of being a parent. If we do not pay close attention to our family, then the “things” of this world will draw them away from us. Today, it seems like every thing is becoming more electronic and gadget filled.
Now the challenge becomes how to hold on to them. It cannot be done by buying them more and more things because they will soon learn that the more they want to feel loved, the more they need a new toy. We must remember that the greatest gift we have for them is ourselves.
It is the same with the church or our jobs or even our friends. We must be willing to take the time to be what Christ has shown us to do and that is to live the Good News of God in our lives and to offer His love to others.

Holy Father, we sometimes forget that we need to turn our lives back to one another. We have become too busy and involved in the things to the point that we miss the life. Keep our hearts and eyes focused on You and we will then know the direction we need to go to continue to live in Your love. We pray this in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Join me next week for another Mid-week Epistle.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

1906

The year is 1906. One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes!


Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1906:

The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.

There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California .

With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union .

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower !

The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.

The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home . Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had no college education. Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.??

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death in the U.S.? were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis? 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona , Oklahoma , New Mexico , Hawaii , and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas , Nevada , was only 30 !!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.

Back then pharmacist said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health."? (Shocking!)

Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.

SO, to think I forwarded this from someone else without typing it myself, and sent it to you in a matter of seconds!

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years. It's Staggering....

Author Unknown

Monday, September 25, 2006

The Serenity Prayer

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.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Brianna has her ENT appt today. hopefully this will help with the whole school problems and the not being able to hear and her speech issues. prayers...please.

Friday, September 22, 2006

The Journey

There comes a day we accept Christ in our lives. Even if you were raised in your faith, there is probably that "I got it" moment. that one moment where things become crystal clear. That moment your life is changed. And although your heart changes that day, your life...well...it may not completely change all at once in that one day. We do not just change directions and never twist and turn and go back. Our journey with Christ is a walk. Some days, we go the right direction...others...we dont. The key is always getting back on the path less traveled.

On that path, situations present themselves to do God's work. Even sometimes when you wonder off the path they are there...waiting and calling for you. Doing the work of being a Christian...is like deciding how you walk. Are you going to be quick to take a step, slow to take a step, are you going to laugh and sing and dance along the way? Are you dragging behind you all this luggage because you think you need it? that is why that path is different for each of us, not what we should do...but how we as a human being decide to walk it. We also decide to get on the path, or to wonder off of it on our own.

For me, I can not imagine not serving my Loving God. I want my life to reflect God's teachings. I want to be obedient, not because God is a forceful "you must follow me or else" kind of God. But because I want to please a loving father, a faithful father, a father who first loved me. I serve not only out of obediance, but out of love. I keep God's commands not out of obediance but out of love. I do "the work of a Christian", not out of obediance, but out of love for the Father who first loved all of us and created us in His image.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

My "Theme" This Week in the Days of My Life

"What is popular is not always right. And What is right is not always popular."

This has not been a good week in the life of me. I would not even know where to begin. But suffice to say, I have said a lot of very unpopular things this week. Things that people not only disagree with....but have taken issue with me directly over.

*** People dieing in the desert is not an acceptable alternative to me on the issue of immigration. When I value life, it means I value ALL life. I think the border is a real issue. I think that a wall is great....if it actually covers the 2,000 miles of border and there is enough money and manpower to actually guard it. Stopping the tunnels that people dig under the current fences would be a great place to start. But people dieing in the desert is not an acceptable alternative.

*** Anti-semitism is growing around the world. Not just in the United States. And it is not just the extreme right. It is growing larger and faster in the left leaning side of our political spectrum..and around the world. All those nations that hate us, and curse Bush...also are seeing high levels of new anti-semitism. So, no. I am not imagining this. This is a problem. I am sorry you do not like your own party has people in it who hate jews. But neither do I. It is time for everyone to say enough is enough.

*** Christ calls us to make disciples of all nations. I am sorry if you do not want to hear the message. But the message is not a punishment for you. And it does not mean that I do not have the right to offer that gift to someone else just because you do not want it. IT is not a yoke, it is not a noose....it is a gift. It is yours to accept, deny, throw away or hold close. But just because you do not like my message, does not mean I should not have the right to say it. We still have freedom of speech in this nation, and the freedom of religion. Our founding fathers felt it so important...they put it first in the very first amendment.

*** You complain about having to show an ID, and then in the next breathe complain about voter fraud. If you want to make sure that fraud is not committed in elections, use a little commen sense. I do. The place to stop it is not allowing people to vote more then once, and keeping those who are not legally able to vote from voting. If you really actually want to stop voter fraud, what is the problem with a voter ID? Expecially since states say they would provide them free of charge to those who need one to vote?

*** All laws are based on someone's moral beliefs. It does not matter how they get to that point. Whether it is thier religious beliefs or that thier great aunt's brother's sister told them it. What matters is that people should not be denied the right to vote based on how they come to that moral belief. Just because one person uses thier religion as thier compass, does not mean the conclusion is wrong. And voting for someone who agree's with your end conclusion is NOT forcing your religious beliefs on someone else. Its not. It is voting for what YOU believe.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Be Careful How you Build - Mid Week Epistole by Jim Massey

Be Careful How You Build

There was a man who was an efficient builder. He had worked for years in a large company and had reached the age of retirement. His employer asked him to build one more house. It was to be his last project.
The builder took the job, but his heart was not in it. He used cheap materials, the grade of the timber was poor, and he neglected to correct many things that would have been clear to him had he shown even his normal interest in the work.
When the house was eventually finished, his employer came to him and said, “The house is yours, here is the key. It is a present from me!” The builder immediately regretted that he had not used the best materials and engaged the most capable workers. If only he had known that the house was for him.”
Do you realize that you are the master builder that is in charge of building your “house.” I am not talking about the one that is the residence of your choice, but the one that is the residence of your life. You are the one who is given the challenge of making the foundation firm but attending to what you say and do.
You are the one who opens the windows and decides what the view will be when you look upon the things of this world. And you are the one who decorates every room either with worldly discards or heavenly treasures.
You are the only resident that God will recognize as living there, so if you are pretending to be someone else and wishing you were gifted in another way, then you just might not receive the most important gift of all, and that is Jesus Christ. He will come and fill your “house” with a warmth and presence that is truly called “Holy!”

Come Holy God, help me to be the builder that you created this day. Let me place the necessary anchors in my life that will allow me to stand against all the storms and doubts that this world will offer. I pray this in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Join me next week and I will share with you the secret on how to lose your dog.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

An Article on Politics and Christianity

The only thing I would add is that neither party I believe is completely compatable with the bible. But this is a great article. It really is. IT expresses so many of my own views and thoughts on this.

Here is just part of it....follow the link for the rest. Well, worth the read.



I get emails all the time from Democrats who jump all over me, telling me that they are life-long Christians and saying 'how dare I suggest that being a Christian and being a Democrat are mutually exclusive?' Did I say that? (I believe it, but I don't remember saying so. No matter. I am saying so now.)


I suppose it is possible to be a Christian AND a Democrat, but I don't believe it is possible for anyone to be sincere about either and make a credible claim to be both.

How can one be a sincere Christian and support the ACLU's efforts to ban God from public schools, for example. How can one support the appointment of judicial candidates based solely on the criteria that they have a philosophical agreement with Roe v. Wade while still claiming to be a Christian? It doesn't make any sense to me.

It is incomprehensible to me that the Democrats can oppose a candidate based on his personal philosophy and then deny that is the criteria they are using, at the same time SAYING that is the criteria they are basing their opposition on?

The Democrats oppose virtually every single major teaching of Christianity, but take great offense at any suggestion that they are not just as devout in their Christianity as 'the other guys'.

One of the first arguments offered is that Republicans 'aren't any better.' To prove it, they trot out endless examples of poor Christian witness among Republicans. I am not sure how that is relevant, but it does fit into the overall worldview of the US Democratic party.

.....


follow the link for the rest. Well, worth the read.

Isaiah 1

Our Sunday school class started a new unit on Isaiah last week. I am struck by the words and still how true they are today. How nations have failed God. I had to teach last week, and I have to say...I was dreading it. I get so lost in what the words mean when they are not direct. When the images cause my mind to go into sensory overload. But this passage speaks to us now, as it did to Israel then.

A Rebellious Nation
2 Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth!
For the LORD has spoken:
"I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows his master,
the donkey his owner's manger,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand."

4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people loaded with guilt,
a brood of evildoers,
children given to corruption!
They have forsaken the LORD;
they have spurned the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on him.

5 Why should you be beaten anymore?
Why do you persist in rebellion?
Your whole head is injured,
your whole heart afflicted.

6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head
there is no soundness—
only wounds and welts
and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged
or soothed with oil.

7 Your country is desolate,
your cities burned with fire;
your fields are being stripped by foreigners
right before you,
laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.

8 The Daughter of Zion is left
like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut in a field of melons,
like a city under siege.

9 Unless the LORD Almighty
had left us some survivors,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the law of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!

11 "The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?" says the LORD.
"I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?

13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.

14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;

16 wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,

17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed. [a]
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;

20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

21 See how the faithful city
has become a harlot!
She once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell in her—
but now murderers!

22 Your silver has become dross,
your choice wine is diluted with water.

23 Your rulers are rebels,
companions of thieves;
they all love bribes
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow's case does not come before them.

24 Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty,
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
"Ah, I will get relief from my foes
and avenge myself on my enemies.

25 I will turn my hand against you;
I will thoroughly purge away your dross
and remove all your impurities.

26 I will restore your judges as in days of old,
your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called
the City of Righteousness,
the Faithful City."

27 Zion will be redeemed with justice,
her penitent ones with righteousness.

28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken,
and those who forsake the LORD will perish.

29 "You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks
in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens
that you have chosen.

30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves,
like a garden without water.

31 The mighty man will become tinder
and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
with no one to quench the fire."

Last Week's Mid Week Epistole - Do You know the Enemy? By Jim Massey

Do You Know the Enemy?

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of 9-11. We remember the horror of that day and have even felt deep anger. Many people have gone to the point of really disliking someone or something so violently that they simply do not want to be in the presence of other people. A hatred like that seems to boil over and even the words that come out of your mouth are something that you never thought you would say.
I can think of other times when people have felt that way. It is hard to live in this high-pressure world without encountering problems that just seem to go completely against everything we know is right.
There is a story of a military outpost in World War I that received a dispatch informing them that war had been declared and they were to arrest all enemy aliens in their district.
Can you imagine the consternation in London when the following message was promptly received:
“Have arrested ten Germans, six Belgians, four Frenchmen, two Italians, three Austrians, and an American. Please advise immediately who we are at war with.”
Our anger can have the same problem. We have to know who or what makes us angry. When that happens, then we can begin to focus on a solution.
If it is a person, I do not think there is anyone who hates someone’s body. The arms, legs, head, all are just a part of our natural make-up. If we hate that, there is not much we can do to change it. But if it is our actions that causes someone to dislike us, then we can look at these things and bring some change to the solution.
So the next time you are angry, pause just a moment and try to find out what you are really angry about. Then when you go to God in prayer and ask Him for help, the task does not seem so impossible. You see, God loves the individual much more than the things we do. Isn’t that Good News?

Eternal Father, we realize that we are not the first ones in this world to ever be angry. Help us to realize that our anger can destroy not only those around us, but ourselves as well. Let us find the strength and love of God as we turn our anger over to your loving and healing presence. In the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Join me next week when we will find how truly focusing on all our life will bring us true blessings in the end.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Man on the Corner

In my hometown of Cumberland, MD....a long time ago, there was a man who stood on the corner outside Murphys Dept Store Downtown. He always stood in the same place. As people walked by, he would hand them a leaflet about God and say "God Bless You." People were not always nice to that old man. As a teenager I watched a bunch of boys knock the pamplets out of his hands. People make rude comments to him. People who refused his message. And me, who respected what he did, even if I did not bother to hear his message. How many others like me walked by and thought little of the words he said, or the message he was giving us?

No matter what he faced day and day out, he was there. He always came back. What faith he must of had. As an adult, I wonder if I too can show that kind of faith. The faith that I have a mission from God. His message to share. Will I ever be as faithful as that man?

He has surely passed away by now. In fact, every time i have been back in Cumberland over the last 15 years...I am always struck by what is missing. And when I look at my hometown, now through the eyes of someone who has lived much brighter and bigger places...What is missing is from those brighter places, is what I miss the most from my hometown. Things like that man on a street corner sharing the word of God.

I remember the first time I walked by there when I was "home" visiting my grandmother. And a women, just as old as the old man had been was passing out the pamphlets. I realized I missed him being there. Both are probably gone by now, but thier message lives on because they changed my life. I learned more about obediance of faith from that man on the street corner, by his example....well, then anything I could read.

By now, he is surely in God's arms. I am sure when he came home, God welcomed him. Saying, "Welcome Home my good and faithful servent." Will I get the same welcome? Am I a good and faithful servent to my Lord? Am I as obediant as that man? Do others look at my life and by my example know God? Do they see me face the same trials and still come back for more? I hope so.

God bless all the old man on the corners in this world. May each of them leave a small piece of God's message in us.

Friday, September 15, 2006

The Teacher Applicant

The Teacher Applicant

After being interviewed by the school administration, the teaching
prospect said, "Let me see if I've got this right:
"You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their
disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their
dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love
for learning.
"You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and
sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and
personal pride.

"You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship,
sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a
checkbook, and apply for a job.

"You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of
antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the state exams.

"You want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their
handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents by letter,
telephone, newsletter, and report card.

"You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a
bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that
qualifies me for food stamps.

"You want me to do all this and then you tell me...

"I CAN'T PRAY?"

Monday, September 11, 2006

Comfort

Click Here

This is a huge file, but so wonderful. It really is touching. click it and be sure to turn up the sound. It offers so much comfort... God is truely our loving Father.

Why We Can Not Afford to Elect Democrats

Click Here For Link
What is disgusting about today is that the nation is wallowing
in handwringing and symbolism rather than actively working on ways to make the world better. I detest funerals even when they are just normal culmantion of life. I loathe this type of thing though. The enshrining of the culture of violence and hatred. The best monument that can be erected will never replace the living monument of a lasting peace wrought by people of good will and based on a willingness to reach out to one another.
by Skidmore

Or this one from the same thread

The reaction to 9/11 is adolescent
At this very moment, MUCH worse things are happening all over the world in places like Iraq, Lebanon, Darfur, you name it. In fact, our government is responsible for most of the death and destruction that have gone on in Iraq, which, by all accounts, suffers the equivalent of a 9/11 every couple of weeks.

Of course 9/11 was a horrible crime and devastating for the people whose loved ones were killed, but for the whole nation to carry on as it is makes Americans look like adolescents who don't want to hear about someone dying of cancer because they themselves are having an acne flare-up.
by Lydia Leftcoast

This is a thread in itself. wow. by Philosoraptor

Happy Terror Day!
Happy bush knew but didn't tell us day. Happy they all died in vain day. Happy freedom day. Happy homeland security day. Happy fascism day. Happy exploit the dead day. Happy Osama not found yet day. Happy 3000 dead G.I.'s day.


check out this post in that thread by TheWatcher
Blah, Blah, Blah. Take your fake Patriotism somewhere else.
Edited on Mon Sep-11-06 07:34 AM by TheWatcher
"How dare you bellitle this day by making all those deaths into a political agenda?"

Isn't that what your precious Giggling Murderer of a President has done for five years? Project much?


"Shame on you."

No, shame on you for being a blind sheep and an enabler of what this administration has done.

"Shame on them if they tried a similar tactic. "

They have been for five years. Get out much?

"But shame on you here."

Blah, Blah, Blah. Never Forget 9/11. Do as I'm told. Shop and Obey. Never ask questions. Dissent is Appeasement. Finish The Mission. Progress Is Being Made. Fight Them Over There So I Can Watch American Idol Over Here. My country right or wrong. Support The War, um I mean the Troops. United We Stand. Duct Tape And Plastic. What's The Color Code Today? We're safer but not safe enough. No one could have predicted.... No one could have anticiapated...... Catapult The Propaganda. Blah, Blah, Blah.

"You have lost sight of human dignity for a cause."

You have lost sight of humanity in order to be comfortable believing and facilitating a lie.

Wake up.

"And I am ashamed for you."

And I pity you.

For you are truly lost.


Another Insane Thread by StopThePendulum

Five Years Lost
It's time to grow up

Who would have thought that words spoken long ago by Benjamin Franklin would speak so clearly to this time of terrorism and its discontents?

"A child thinks 20 shillings and 20 years can scarce ever be spent," Franklin said.

In a child, such optimism mixed with ignorance can be charming.

In leaders who shape national security policy for the United States, it's distressing.

When George W. Bush took office on Jan. 20, 2001, his minions chortled that, after a Clinton White House staffed by puerile boomers, the nation could rest easy. It was now being led by adults, people you could trust to make sound judgments: Dick Cheney. Donald Rumsfeld. Colin Powell. Condoleezza Rice.

Yet five years after al-Qaeda used planes as weapons in Manhattan, at the Pentagon, and in the sky over Pennsylvania, the war on terrorism they've conducted seems more the work of children than of grown-ups.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/editorial/15480...


And one more from the looney left by liberalhistorian in that thread


It was unusual because that ****er
knew exactly what was going to happen. His behavior is no mystery at all.

As for their not being more outrage over his continuing his schedule even after he learned of the first plane, and after they knew of the specific airplane hijack warnings-what do you expect, since the RW corporate MSM whores haven't exactly fully publicized that little gem so that few people really know about it.


These people need to step back into reality.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

TWO THOUSAND ONE, NINE ELEVEN

TWO THOUSAND ONE, NINE ELEVEN (2001-911)

Two thousand one, nine eleven
Three thousand plus arrive in heaven
As they pass through the gate,
Thousands more appear in wait
A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying, "Lets sit, lets chat"

They settle down in seats of clouds
A man named Martin shouts out proud
"I have a dream!" and once he did
The Newcomer said, "Your dream still lives."
Groups of soldiers in blue and gray
Others in khaki, and green then say
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine"
The Newcomer said, "You died not in vain."


From a man on sticks one could hear
"The only thing we have to fear.
The Newcomer said, "We know the rest,
Trust us sir, we've passed that test."

"Courage doesn't hide in caves
You can't bury freedom, in a grave,"
The Newcomers had heard this voice before
A distinct Yankees twang from Hyannisport shores
A silence fell within the mist
Somehow the Newcomer knew that this
Meant time had come for her to say
What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus that day

"Back on Earth, we wrote reports,
Watched our children play in sports
Worked our gardens, sang our songs
Went to church and clipped coupons
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought
Unlike you, great we're not"


The tall man in the stovepipe hat
Stood and said, "Don't talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see
You died for freedom, just like me"
Then, before them all appeared a scene
Of rubbled streets and twisted beams
Death, destruction, smoke and dust
And people working just 'cause they must
Hauling ash, lifting stones,
Knee deep in hell, but not alone
"Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman
Side by side helping their fellow man!"


So said Martin, as he watched the scene
"Even from nightmares, can be born a dream."
Down below three firemen raised
The colors high into ashen haze
The soldiers above had seen it before
On Iwo Jima back in '45
The man on sticks studied everything closely
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly
"I see pain, I see tears,
I see sorrow -- but I don't see fear."

"You left behind husbands and wives
Daughters and sons and so many lives
Are suffering now because of this wrong
But look very closely. You're not really gone.
All of those people, even those who've never met you
All of their lives, they'll never forget you
Don't you see what has happened?
Don't you see what you've done?
You've brought them together, together as one.
With that the man in the stovepipe hat said
"Take my hand," and from there he led
Three thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven
On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven

Author UNKNOWN

Saturday, September 09, 2006

I Just Called To Say I love You....link...

I Just Called to Say I Love You
The sounds of 9/11, beyond the metallic roar by Peggy Noonan


Everyone remembers the pictures, but I think more and more about the sounds. I always ask people what they heard that day in New York. We've all seen the film and videotape, but the sound equipment of television crews didn't always catch what people have described as the deep metallic roar.

The other night on TV there was a documentary on the Ironworkers of New York's Local 40, whose members ran to the site when the towers fell. They pitched in on rescue, then stayed for eight months to deconstruct a skyscraper some of them had helped build 35 years before. An ironworker named Jim Gaffney said, "My partner kept telling me the buildings are coming down and I'm saying 'no way.' Then we heard that noise that I will never forget. It was like a creaking and then the next thing you felt the ground rumbling."

Rudy Giuliani said it was like an earthquake. The actor Jim Caviezel saw the second plane hit the towers on television and what he heard shook him: "A weird, guttural discordant sound," he called it, a sound exactly like lightning. He knew because earlier that year he'd been hit. My son, then a teenager in a high school across the river from the towers, heard the first plane go in at 8:45 a.m. It sounded, he said, like a heavy truck going hard over a big street grate.




Click on Title/Link for the rest of the article.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Have you Forgotten?

Click Here for a great video. It is a huge file...but well worth it. It brought me to tears.

We are approaching 5 years...and people are out there who have forgotten. Its time we remind them.

Scriptures for 9/11

Psalm 25:2-3
In you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. (NIV)

Psalm 119:114
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. (NIV)

Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (NIV)

Lamentations 3:20-23
I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (NIV)

Habakkuk 3:16-19
I trembled inside when I heard all this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us. Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He will make me as surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains. (NIV)

Acts 2:25-27
David said about him: "I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay... (NIV)

Romans 8:28-39
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

Thursday, September 07, 2006

What color Red Are You?




You Are Apple Red



You're never one to take life too seriously, and because of it, you're a ton of fun.

And although you have a great sense of humor, you are never superficial.

Deep and caring, you do like to get to the core of people - to understand them well.

However, any probing you do is light hearted and fun, sometimes causing people to misjudge you.

Anxieties of Living - Mid Week Epistole by Jim Massey

ANXIETIES OF LIVING
Have you ever been anxious about a day? You rise up the first thing in the morning and you already dread what the day will bring. You are not sure why, you only know the feeling of dread seems to cover your heart like a damp heavy blanket, and no matter where we turn, every word we hear causes us to fear what "might " be coming.
If you feel that way today, then I want to take you for a moment to the letter that Paul wrote to the Church in Galatia. In the fifth chapter, Paul begins by saying: "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." And it is the 22nd verse of that chapter that tells us what God provides to the Christian who walks in the fullness of the Spirit of God: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. " (Galatians 5:1f)

I heard it told yet another way.
"Love is the key.
Joy is love singing.
Peace is love resting.
Long-suffering is love enduring.
Kindness is love's touch.
Goodness is love's character.
Faithfulness is love's habit. ,
Gentleness is love's self-forgetfulness.
Self-control is love holding the reins."

Many times I realize that the character of God, which is love at it's fullest, offers us greater strength than we could never imagine. Even in the times it may appear that we might never be victorious, the suffering will have to be endured.

Let us pray: Eternal and loving God. We walk in this world today with deep concerns in our hearts. We wish we could tell what tomorrow will bring, but we know that it is in Your plan, and because of that wonderful assurance, we are content with the tasks you present to us today. Let us draw upon Your love now and forever. We pray this in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Next week we will open God's Word together again. As we leave, let me share another thought with you:

"God is the key.
Joy is God singing.
Peace is God resting.
Long-suffering is God enduring.
Kindness is God's touch.
Goodness is God's character.
Faithfulness is God's habit.
Gentleness is God's self-forgetfulness.
Self-control is God holding the reins."

May God richly bless you this day.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Observation's of Paul

We are about to conclude our study on Acts in Sunday school and on sunday we studied acts 24ish....about paul being taken to jail. And he almost seems humbled. Almost. Not excatly...but almost. And we had this discussion about paul's life, and I had one of those lightbulb moments.

So many times in our lives, we want to ask...why God? Why did it happen this way? What is your plan for us Lord? Why? Isnt that the question of man....why? And we want answers so badly. We pray for God's will, and even when we get it....we are unhappy. We want to understand why we must suffer and why we must go through bad times. We want to know how this works for God's plan. If we are doing it right.....

Then I look at paul. Often I have wondered...Why Paul? Why Paul, Lord? He hurt God's people. He was so passionate about everything he did, including hurting God's people. So, Why Paul? Paul was a roman citizen and we see in Acts how that saved his neck a time or two. And once he was changed, he was just as passionate about bringing others to Christ. We see he was beaten or people tried to kill him....in every city he went into. And yet, Paul built the modern day church of the gentiles. So, when we ask....Why Paul? What we are really asking is Why Me? Am I too worthy to serve? What is your plan for me?

This story as a whole is a wonderful one that shows that to every person, God has a plan. We can accept that plan...or turn from it. But God's plan for us is there. We may not always understand it. There is times the world too will flog us. Maybe not physically but mentally beat us down. But no matter what God's plan is for us.... Even through the dark times, God has a plan. If we give ourselves to His will, His plan....He will surely lead us.

As I read these passages in Acts, I was thinking of a hymn. This hymn is a wonderful song....and it always touches me in such a way...

The Spirit Song// Hymn of Promise

In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;
There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Grace

John Wesley believed in 3 kinds of grace.

prevenient (preparing) grace
accepting (justifying) grace
sustaining (sanctifying) grace

Prevenient grace is with us from birth, preparing us for new life in Christ. Mankind was not completely depraved. Instead, God gave us a small smark of divine Grace to help us to recongize the justifying grace when it arrived in our lives.

Justifying Grace talks about a conversion or being born again. This grace allows us a new life with our Lord and Savior. Man has free will, we are free to accept or deny Christ justifying Grace.

Substaining Grace is what happens next. This Grace moves us towards perfection Too many times we live in the Justifying....and do not move towards the substaining. Wesley believed that people could backslide. That without substaining grace, one could fall from grace.