What are you thankful for?

A great question!

There are so many things to be thankful for that I rejoice thinking about them This time of year with family... The gorgeous weather... FINALLY, it is cooler! The beautiful fall colors, when the world gets all dressed up in the finest oranges, reds, browns and evergreens... The opportunity to do what I love and get paid for it... My Mom... My two daughters... My sister and her family... My great nephew who is soon to be a big brother... The crackling fire, and the smell of wood smoke on a frosty morning (or evening or afternoon, just about any time it's cold outside :)

I am most thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who loved me when i was unloveable, who picked me up from the muck and mire and forgave me even when I was disobedient and defiant. He is my all in all, and He lifts me up on the wings of eagles. He never gives up on me, and He thinks I am beautiful even without makeup, AMEN.

Gina Burgess

Wait by Russell Kelfer

For about twenty years I've had this poem never knowing who wrote it. This person sure has a nifty grasp on so many things. I ran across this again and found out it is by Russell Kelfer. Please enjoy it with me and raise up a prayer of thanksgiving for Mr. Kelfer.

WAIT
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly,patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait".
"Wait? You say, wait! " my indignant reply.
"Lord, Ineed answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or haveyou not heard?
By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign, or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
And Lord, You promised that if we believe
we need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry: I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait.
"So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut and grumbled to God,
"So, I'm waiting.... for what?" He seemed, then, to kneel,
and His eyes wept with mine,
And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want~~But, you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save.... (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.
You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that "My grace is sufficient for Thee."
Yes, your dreamsf or your loved one overnight would come true,
But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!
So, be silent, My Child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still,"WAIT."
Author Unknown

Abel's Blood

For those of you who do not know, the church I used to belong to allowed a huge injustice by accepting a wrong done to our pastor. It seems as if I shall never get over this. The grief is unbearable because my pastor has done absolutely nothing Biblically wrong to warrant this forcing of his resignation.

The 5 people that are The Boss of this church piled up a bunch of half truths and out right fabrications to make a "case" against this lovely man of God.

I know beyond any doubt that when Christian disobey God, when they listen to Satan's whispers and begin to do Satan's work for him, that God will not stand for it. His is the vengence and the judgement. Judgement is coming to that church unless repentance comes first.

This feels like divorce only much worse because it involves so much cruelty towards God through His man, the Shepard charged with God's flock. The fact that a few have blinded the many is nothing new in this Spiritual war. But, it doesn't make it taste any better.

One thing that has helped me to get through this is Abel's blood.

To me, Abel's blood calling out to God reminds me that being a believer in God does not protect us from earthly harm... in fact, it brings it ever to the forefront and is a constant risk.

The world hates Jesus. Just as Cain hated Abel and struck him down because Cain saw the promise of Jesus in his brother and hated that all the more. The injustice of that cries out for God's vengeance. The fact that God did not immediately strike down Cain exemplifies God's forbearance and how He is even now with unbelievers, and even more so with believers.

God allows the natural human course (as coarse as that can get) to show believers several things...

1. His justice is mightier and better than anything we can think up for revenge.

2. Abel's righteous blood was spilled. When injustices exist, they scream to be put right. That is something that God gives us, this sense of balance to make things right and to correct injustices. That's the conscience, the fibers of the heart, that God has written His law upon.

3. It does not take Man pointing his finger at an injustice for God to notice that it has happened. He sees it immediately upon the happening of it... Just because God seemingly does nothing about it right away does not mean that Justice will not prevail... it just means that God is longsuffering and sees a much larger picture.

God gave me a verse for comfort...

I have called you my servant, have chosen you
And not cast you off: fear nothing, for I am with you;
be not afraid, for I am your God. I strengthen you,
I help you, I support you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:9b-10

Because He walked with bare feet, He knows the pain of my blisters.
Because He had no pillow, He knows the crick in my neck.
Because He knew hunger, He knows my craving for sweets.
Because He held a baby, He knows my love for my children.
Because He built a chair, He knows why I must sit down.
Because He stilled the sea, He knows the storms in my heart.
Because He wept, He knows my terrible grief.
Because He knows my grief, my tears roll down His fingers and my trembling chin is lifted by His palm. His eyes so full of love spread healing balm throughout my being and
Because He loves me, I am at rest.
Because He died for me, I can enter the throne room of God. Gina Burgess

Fixen to...

Fixen to…
I was lounging on the beach on a mini-vacation several years ago, minding my own business. I was with several female friends and this little trip was a Mother’s Day present to all of us from our husbands. They were going to take care of the toddlers all weekend long while we got to rest, relax and recoup from Mommy Things. Theirs is a different story than this one.

On the beach this fellow from the North sat down close to our group. One of the girls politely asked, “I’m fixen to go to the room, does anyone need anything?”

This fellow sits up and says in a stilted sort of way, “Pardon me, could you please explain what ‘fixin’ to’ means? I have heard that since I’ve been down here on vacation and I do not know what it means.”

Obviously, this fellow was from the far reaches of the North to have never heard this before. After all, people from the North are saying “fer” instead of “for”. They’ve been doing this for a long time. Just watch any PBS show or Today Show. Good Morning America doesn’t count because Robin Roberts is from the South. She speaks beautifully, but there are those minor slips on occasion.

Any Southerner knows what “Fixen To” means, but can it be explained? “I’m fixen to get ready.” “I’m fixen to go to the store.”

It is the warning bell, and the announcement of A Happening. The mind and heart are set on a course of immediate action. Northerners insist upon putting an apostrophe behind the n because they view the word as ‘fixing’, which does not make any sense. I believe that is their point. We must prove them wrong with clear, logical, and precise reasoning.

Fixin’ is an ingredient for a dish and is always used in the plural form, such as hamburgers and all the fixins. It is also a trimming or accompaniment or side dish such as Easter Dinner with all the fixins. Fixing is repairing. Fixing is arrangement, “fixing her hair.” Fixing is to make rigid or put in place permanently. Fixing a game is to arrange a particular outcome. Fixing is also a navigation term. Fixing a situation can mean to smooth it over. Fixing also means to deactivate a cat’s or dog’s baby-making mechanism. However, none of those is what fixen means.

“Fixen to” is a state of being. It is that precise moment or second in time which is the point just before an action is to take place. It is the jumping off point for any Southerner. We have done everything, or almost everything, necessary up to the point of action, but have not committed to the action. We are almost at the decision point of no return. We are poised for the dive. The bell has not sounded. The gun has not been shot. We could still step down from the post and not dive... if, say, something more interesting to do comes along.

My kids were fond of announcing, “I’m fixen to clean my room.” This was to make me think they were being productive children, when in fact, they were finding things to do with their toys instead of putting them away.

The declaration of fixen to do something is what a Southerner does aloud to another person or other persons. We do not say to ourselves, “Okay, I’m fixin to get in bed.” That is ludicrous. Who would announce to the inner being you are about to do something? No, the point is that you have set your mind on a course of action and are seeking something from another. This is what William Penn meant when he said he was fixen to establish a colony. It is what Chaucer meant when he penned the phrase, “Hyr eyen she fixethe on him.”

What that “something” is that you are seeking is always indicated by the words that follow the thing you are about to do. “I’m fixen to go to work, set my lunch out, please.” Or, “I’m fixen to go to the post office, do you have your letter ready?”

Fixen is the Middle English way of spelling this word which has the meaning of setting one’s mind upon something, such as a course of action. It was a verb used regularly in all the best colonial families in all the East Coast colonies. Alas, it is now known as an Americanism which is “chiefly Southern”. Since it is, “chiefly Southern”, then I propose it should be spelled correctly—fixen—in the dictionary.

As for “fer” and “alright” and “changing up”, that is a different rant altogether.

Cancer in the body

There is a soreness like a tooth which has rotted to the bone in my soul. I have felt this twice before. It is called Spiritual Warfare. If you have not experienced it then you are still too young in Christ for it, or perhaps things may not be completely aligned within God’s will in your life. I don’t want to sound harsh, but it is a bald fact. Satan wants to kill, steal and destroy all things godly. He is ever at work, and never tires.

Satan loves to wiggle into a church body to cause havoc and unrest. He plants cancerous cells within the church, and a healthy, praying church will slough off those cells. But, when a church has no knee imprints in the carpet… when a church doesn’t bother with anything other than corporate prayer… when a church has prayer meeting and the only thing that goes on is Bible Study… when a church has a prayer list a mile long, but few praises… when a church has a history and reputation of ousting their pastors with little provocation… when a church has leadership that reigns instead of Jesus reigning, there is Trouble with a capital T in Church City.

Spiritual warfare holds many guises. Sometimes it appears as a tiny crack, sometimes it resembles the Christian Slicer/Dicer. Sometimes it is just Satan planting seeds of doubt, innuendo, half-truths, twisted facts, all delivered with a reasonable voice but absent the ring of truth and fairness.

Sin in churches can get a great foothold through leadership that believes itself above biblical instruction and above the church. What would be the motivation for this kind of sin? Pride. Prestige. A love of drama lends very well to this… desiring to be the center of attention… desiring to appear as the church’s protector and savior. What does that sound like to you?

To me, it smacks of Satan. I have witnessed this and it is horrific and tragic. When men decide to “do God’s will” but have no Biblical support, then Trouble with a capital T in Church City comes and stays awhile. What can possibly cut the cancer out? What can one person do?

Pray. That’s a lot. But, first one must pray with the rightness of heart, a good attitude. Praying in anger never does anyone any good, albeit righteous anger. The problem with that is the brain is so focused on the wrong, that the real reason it all happened is foreshadowed.

Trusting that God is ever in control is the second thing. No one can do anything without Jesus is in it. One must consider that the cancer is deeper and covers more territory (much like an iceberg) than appears on the surface. You have one or two who stirs up the doubt and the self-righteous indignation, then one or two more take up the banner, then another one jumps in with supposed allegations or even suppositions about an event without all the facts. But, those are just the symptoms of cancer.

Where did it begin? Which heart were the seeds of discontent sown? Which mind watered those seeds and nurtured them until fully grown? We don’t see into the hearts of men, but God does.

God has taken all of this into consideration long before America was even born, before Adam’s first child squalled in his mommy’s arms. And He prepared for it. He alone knows what must be done to cut the cancer out so the body of Christ can be fully functional. He may have plans to bring the body to its knees, or to remove the one or two cancerous organs so the body can once again be healthy.

Only God knows which scalpel to used, which catheter to use, which sponge and suction hose to use. Only He can direct the feet of those who bend to His will. The others whose necks are too stiff will wait in the wilderness and never cross over into Beulah Land. That was God’s solution for the Israelites. He wrote letters to the Seven Churches and those letters are alive today. Which church is yours? It is one of them.

If while reading this, God has brought to mind some cancerous cells in your own church body. Pray. Pray as if your life depended upon it. Because, it does. There are churches who have lost their lives because they allowed cancer to grow and consume them. Their love grew cold. They turned from their first love. But there is hope, as long as there is breath there is hope.

For me, I had to make a hugely difficult decision. Should I leave the body that I had grown to love so deeply and so much? Should I hope that one day, someone would pay attention to what I know to be full truth?

The question circles around and around... "With so many saying the same thing, how can it not be true?"

How indeed? Look how many were wrong about Jesus and how many held their tongues because the "authority" was stronger, better entrenched, had greater forces and had the full power of Satan at their backs.

After my own investigation I found that I cannot trust the leadership of this church. I cannot trust what they say, because so much of what they said was lies, twisted facts, innuendos and derogatory implications designed to malign the integrity of a man of God. I chose to leave.

I know this will affect me the rest of my life. It is so much like divorce that I am still reeling from the bruising blows dealt more than a week ago. No sleep. No concentration. Praying, praying and more praying. Why God? How can this happen to a church that claims to be yours and seeking Your will. How incredibly sad. What great judgement will come if no repentance happens.

Health Care comments...

The more I hear, the more I become afraid that America is being pillaged, soon to be raped by the Demorats in power.

The very idea that our Lawmakers are not reading the bills they are voting on is refuted by my Senator in the video below. I am terrified that the voice of reason will never come back. The wave of socialism is becoming a tsunami and that is the most frightening of all.

I don't know if it is true or not, but the example is excellent: there is a story going around the internet concerning a professor who flunked an entire class because he put them all on Obama's Socialism Grade Scale. He took the highest grade and the lowest grade, averaged them and then gave the whole class the averaged grade. The first test everyone made a C, all those who had not studied were happy for their C, all those who had studied hard were very unhappy. The next test, those who had studied, didn't. What was the use? Their grade would be lower than they deserved, so why put forth the effort? Those who hadn't studied, didn't. They had gotten a grade they didn't deserve, so why put forth any effort? Eventually, at the end of the semester, all the students had an F as the final grade. No one was happy.

Senator Wicker has some things to say about the "new" health care reform...

High Holidays approaching

I had the opportunity to attend a Rosh Hashanah celebration years ago. The one thing that made me want to leap from my chair, raise my hands as high as Heaven to be grasped by my Beloved Jesus was hearing the Shofar blow. How wonderfully exciting that was. It is so thrilling that it raises goose bumps and you must latch onto your chair to stay seated. There is nothing like it!

You can hear it for yourself here. But, nothing compares to what it is like to be in a room full of people and this sound comes from behind you.

I received this missive from my friends at Chosen People. I thought you might like to see.

Jesus is the Jewel of the High Holidays...

Shalom!
Thanks for taking a few minutes to read this note. The fall is a time of new beginnings, and our ministries across the globe are gearing up for a new season of outreach. Not only are our workers busy on campuses where we will have the opportunity to reach tens of thousands of Jewish students, but our worldwide staff members are also preparing for the High Holiday season.

We will host dozens of Messianic High Holiday services in our congregations, centers and branches. We need your prayers, as we expect many Jewish people who are not yet followers of Jesus to attend these services.

When I think about the High Holidays, I often think of a diamond ring, which consists of both a setting and a jewel. The diamond by itself might be stunning, but it becomes all the more magnificent once it is placed in a setting crafted by a master
jeweler. The festivals of Israel outlined in Leviticus 23 provide us with the
perfect setting for Yeshua (Jesus), who is the shining jewel. Reading the book
of Hebrews and appreciating the sacrifice of Jesus our Messiah is much easier
when you understand something about the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). On that day once a year, the priest was to take the blood of the appointed sacrifices and sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat inside the Holy of Holies for the forgiveness of Israel’s sins (Leviticus 16).

These sacrifices never took away the guilt and shame of our sin – they were merely preparatory – the setting for the jewel. When Jesus died for our sins, He died once and for all, and you and I can rest in the knowledge that our sins are forgiven.
One meaningful verse during the High Holidays is Romans 5:8, where Paul writes,
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. As an observant Jew, the apostle Paul understood the magnificence of this statement.

No longer do we need the sacrifices of bulls and goats. Our salvation does not depend upon our efforts (which were always doomed to failure). Instead, God sent his only Son to pave the way to heaven through His sacrifice. A number of our staff members who are bringing the message of Yeshua to His own people – are furthering their training at our Charles Feinberg Center for Messianic Jewish Studies. One of our goals is to help these current and future leaders graduate from their studies without debt, so that they can go immediately to the mission field and share the glorious message of Jesus our Redeemer with our Jewish people.

This month, you can be of tremendous help! Victor and Julia B. are Israelis studying at the Feinberg Center and are completely dependent upon us in the United States for their financial support. They led a congregation in Jerusalem for more than 15 years but never had the opportunity to be theologically trained. Once Victor completes his studies, they will return to Israel and hope to plant a new congregation in Jerusalem. Your generous support can enable Victor and Julia and their two young sons – and other families like them – to continue studying and ministering in New York City.

There is so much more to learn about the High Holidays, and we have some wonderful information on our website – visit www.chosenpeople.com/highholidays
to learn more. If you would like to attend one of our High Holiday services –
and hopefully bring a Jewish friend who does not yet know the Messiah – please
call us at 212-223-2252 to find out if there is a service near you.

Thanks so much for sharing our vision for the future of Jewish ministry.
Your brother
in the Messiah,
Mitch Glaser

Comment on a FOX news report

~~~~~~~~~
Please note I have purposely misspelled some words in this post so as not to attract unwanted interest from certain sources.
~~~~~~~~~

The FOX News report is here

The title of this post will lead you to a U.N. report on teaching sexuality to children from age 5-18. It looks very good and has some most excellent points. It talks about bullying and other things that are needful for age appropriate education. I posted the article in the CASA LinkedIn forum. I never expected to get lambasted for declaring that teaching 5 year olds what masterbation is child abuse. It is as defined by the State of Mississippi. Although I am told it is not in other states. I don't have the time to check all that out, though.

If you'll look at your state's child abuse code, you might be surprised at what you find as defined child abuse.

In the state of Mississippi we find:
"(2) For purposes of this section, any material is sexually oriented if the material contains representations or descriptions, actual or simulated, of masturbation, sodomy, excretory functions, lewd exhibition of the genitals or female breasts, sadomasochistic abuse (for the purpose of sexual stimulation or gratification), homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, sexual intercourse, or physical contact with a person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or the breast or breasts of a female for the purpose of sexual stimulation, gratification or perversion. "

What the report intimates, but does not come right out and say is that many of the concepts and values must be taught across the age groups (page 28). The article includes concerns of critics who have seen the curriculum. Those are who point the finger at teaching what masterbation is to 5 year old. And it is their concern that the concepts taught may not be age approriate as the U.N. proposes.

On page 48 in the same module for 5-8 year olds, the units to be taught are a progression... "It is natural to explore our bodies, bodies feel good when touched, touching oneself is called masterbation." These are objectives for 5-8 year olds which, in my opinion, is highly inappropriate for that age. By teaching this, educators are stepping over the line of appropriate subject matter in sex educaton.

The program actually does intend to teach sexuality values, again page 28: "The overarching topics under which learning objectives have been defi ned are organized around six key concepts:
1. Relationships
2. Values, attitudes and skills
3. Culture, society and law
4. Human development
5. Sexual behaviour
6. Sexual and reproductive health"

And on page 34 for ages 9-12: Key Ideas: • Values regarding gender, relationships, intimacy, love, sexuality and reproduction influence personal behaviour and decision-making • Cultural values affect male and female gender role expectations and equality

Admittedly, the values section for ages 15-18 provides for the key insight that parents teach their values to their children and can respect that their children may form different values.

It also teaches ages 5-8 that people have the right to make their own decisions. While this is true, it could be misconstrued from a child's viewpoint because children should obey parents and submit to their decisions in a healthy way, not from an abusive standpoint. But, that is a side point to the discussion.

I do not say that children should be "kept ignorant or taught to be ashamed of their bodies". Gracious! I do believe there is a time and place for sex education and it should be biologically and scientifically addressed along with all the information about STDs and other things that people face when they become sexually active. The stats listed in this report show that the education of teens did not change behavior for the majority of respondents. That is a tell which should not be overlooked.

Because it has so much good, we should just ignore the little bit of bad? "Oh, because this is good and that is good, let's forget about this bad part." I can't wrap my brain around this: that the U.N. thinks we need to teach 5 year olds what masterbation is?

It is insidious how the world encroaches upon the innocent today. Teaching masterbation to children is sexual abuse. No matter how much candy is wrapped around it, it is sexual abuse. No one is calling sexual abuse what it really is. Because it is wrapped up in scientific jargon, it is candy-coated, then it must be okay for teachers to teach it.

Why does masterbation have to be included in this program? It is wrong that these things are already being taught in schools without parents' permission. And if parents get upset about their children being taught sex education, then they are harangued and ridiculed. (This has been reported in more than one community.)

Age appropriate or not: 25% of the children will be past it, 50% will be about on target, and 25% will be behind so it isn't right for all children anyway. The focus of the article is that masterbation is included in this curriculum proposal. Teaching that to children is sexual abuse.

I do know that some parents probably are needing some help with sex education of their children... But learning where babies come from and what body parts are is a far cry from teaching about masterbation.

CASA in Jackson County

In class last night, I found out that all this training and all this material I've been teaching is not just words on paper or images on PowerPoint. We invited CASA from Jackson County to come visit and talk to us about real life as a CASA volunteer.

They told us about real world cases, real incidents, and real problems they have faced and how they've adapted and overcome. No time or space to go into that right now, but each one gave God all the glory. Now how can anyone or any program go wrong when that happens?

What a sweet, persistent, powerful, wonderful group of people. Frances is the director and she is on the ball when it comes to utilizing voluteers' skills where they'll do the most good. It is amazing how much they've done in such a short amount of time. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm only one person and I can only do what I can do... it's up to God to do the rest.

Maybe I should think about letting God go first, eh? Let Him do all the hard stuff and I follow with a tuck here and a nip there.

Well, I'm off to read another manual. It is astounding how much studying I must do, thank goodness I love to learn and God has given me a talent for reading/retention. Otherwise, I'd be drowning.

Life is speeding along

I have been so busy these past weeks, I've forgotten to breathe.

Yesterday, I met with our county supervisors and asked for some funding for CASA. We got the funding and they are going to provide office space for us. I find that so wonderful, I can hardly sit still.

One of our board members resigned recently citing the reason that we are not walking with God on this project. Every day I God provides huge amounts of evidence that He is so into this project to protect the children of our county.

God says that it is an abomination to shed innocent blood. Abortion comes to mind, and yet what about those defenseless children who are victims of abuse and neglect everyday? I am reminded of Isaiah 58 whenever I think about the work that we are doing in Pearl River County. To lift the burdens of the oppressed, and to unlock the fetters of those who are unjustly imprisoned. It is a huge responsibility and I am greatly humbled when ever God leans over and tips the scales in our favor providing yet another miracle in proof of His work here.

I am off now to talk to the dept of human services. I am told that they do not want CASA in PRC. We'll see. I have bathed this in prayer and expect God to have walked the path trampling down all the weeds and stumbling blocks between our organizations because they will certainly work so well together.

How to break a sinful habit

I have talked about this many times before. For some reason, God has compelled me to discuss it again. I had a friend that I have completely lost touch with. I met him through the internet and we had some lively discussions. I found myself praying for him and knew that God had laid him upon my heart to intercede for. Then quite suddenly, he posted a most terrific "how to" list at Studylight.org.

His list was directed toward breaking the habit of pornography, but it can be applied to any sinful habit a Christian finds himself or herself sucked into and can's seem to break. It works! I had a terrible habit of smoking, and was also a slave to alcohol, and I also had another terrible habit which I am not brave enough to reveal here. Be that as it may, God and I broke the habits. We tackled them one at a time. It was the hardest thing I have every done in my entire life.

When we tackled the first habit (smoking), after four days of cold turkey, I fell to my knees begging God to help me, to keep me safe, to guard my feelings and my thoughts because the more I thought about smoking the more I wanted to, the more I wanted to, the more I was compelled to go buy some cigarettes. The more I was compelled, the weaker was my will and I knew I was doomed to another failure if I didn't through myself onto God's lap begging for Him to take control. Ah HA! I thought. That is it. He must have complete control and that is where I have failed in the past. The more I desired to be free of this slavery I was bound to, the tighter its hold became.

Even if you are not caught in the web of addictive behavior, you may have a loved one that is. Sometimes, all it takes is the empathetic listener to help the addicted one to see the Light.

Gary told me that he had culled this list from many different websites and books that he combed in inpatient duress to leave behind him the slavery to pornography. I will offer this in several posts because it is too vast to comprehend in one sitting.

Please read whatever has you, or someone you love, enslaved into the blank.

How to break a sinful addiction –
The Addiction In the natural, the addiction to __________ is very difficult to break. Here are some reasons.

1. It is the misuse of a natural God given desire and is often excused as just being "natural". This is because the worldly things are fleshly things. Guess which pair of glasses the world looks through?

2. The initial stimuli is difficult to avoid.

3. When one looks at the ___________ the video or magazine figures don't look back with disgust. (When one goes to a bar, you put yourself in the path of temptation if your weakness happens to be alcohol addiction. When you watch movies that have bad language, you are filling your mind with the very thing you wish to break from. Get the picture?)

4. It is often accepted as being the norm for men. ("Men will be men"). (And kids will be kids, and women will be women... it is no excuse.)

5. It is often connected with sexual gratification. (Either by self gratification or with a partner). All forms of sin are connected to self gratification, selfishness, and lack of self control. Our weaknesses are well know to Satan, make no mistake, and he uses those weaknesses for greatest effect.

6. It carries often unseen guilt with it that also has to be dealt with.

7. The wife or girlfriend through not understanding the nature of the addiction may bring stimuli into the presence of the man who is addicted. (magazines, videos, even lingerie catalogues). (May ask to go places, do things, or events that will stimulate the desire to give in to the addiction.)

8. It is usually mixed with other strong addictions such as drug, alcohol addictions, rock and rap music, and sometimes occult involvement.

9. Quite often there is a generational factor involve. (The son of an addict become an addict).

10. Most often, evil spirits are also associated with this addiction.
--------------------------------------
Warning This addiction can lead to more aggressive and violent acts such as rape, incest, child sexual abuse, sodomy, masochism, and sadism. Christians are not immune, just because they are Christian.
-------------------------------------

Steps in Overcoming the addiction
1. First, the individual must come to acknowledge that the addiction exists. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).

2. He must recognize that what he is doing is wrong. He may hate other sins but justify this one. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (I John 2:16). "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate" (Proverbs 8:13).

3. He must not blame others. "If my wife was just more affectionate." "If women were not so seductive." Adam blamed Eve blamed the serpent. Instead, the one who is addicted must begin to take responsibility to make corrections. Job said, "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" (Job 31:1).

4. He must learn the fear of the LORD. Fear of the LORD is a conscious knowledge that God disciplines his children and there will be a consequence for his sin. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10). "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6).

5. He must learn to flee temptation. "Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away" (Proverbs 4:15). "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" (I Corinthian 6:1 . "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (II Timothy 2:22). Self deception may enter in where one thinks he can play with fire without getting burned. "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?" (Proverbs 6:27-28) .

6. He must recognize that "will power" is not the answer. At a weak moment, he "will" give in. "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not" (Romans 7:1 . In contrast, for the Believer, he has access to the will of God and power of God. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). He must yield his will to God's will and be obedient by the power of God. See: "Training The Flesh".

7. He must engraft the Word of God concerning sexual purity. "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21). To engraft means to memorize and meditate upon it until it becomes a reality in one's life. Pr 6:23-24 "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman" (Proverbs 6:23-24).

8. He must destroy any pornography in his possession. "Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places" (Numbers 33:52). Remember pornography is a substitute for truth. See: Addictive Disorders.

9. He must break any generational curse that may be associated with the addiction. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Galatians 3:13). See the book, "How To Destroy The Evil Tree". Furthermore, since evil spirits are most often involved, deliverance is likely to be needed. See: The Open Door.

10. He must understand and recognize that his body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. (For the Believer) "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Corinthians 6:19-20).

11. He must learn to submit himself to God and resist the devil. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). One must understand that it not just what NOT to do, but also what TO do. Furthermore, the authority to stand must come from submission to the authority of God and those under His authority.

12. He must make himself accountable to a spiritual authority (pastor, elder, or church leader). "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16). "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you" (Hebrew 13:17). When someone has to face regular questioning about his tendency toward the addiction, it may make him think twice before pursuing it.

Go to: http://freeinchrist.truepath.com/1st.htm#begin Many are overwhelmed and feel like they may never be free.

THERE IS HOPE! A baby does not begin walking in a week; the baby has progressive stages of growth. At first the baby struggles to lift its head. Next, it struggles to just sit up. With persistence, the baby begins to crawl. Then it will make some attempts to stand (amusing at times). Finally, it can stand by holding something. Soon the child is running around on its own! In the same way - he can take progressive steps to freedom!

Realize you're not perfect; don't beat yourself up if you fail. Yet don't use this as a license to binge. Focus on one day at a time.

Is it just me?

I have been having problems with security on my computer. It seems to be too secure. I can't copy/paste something from another website to blog about it. The "accelerator" doesn't accelerate. THEN...

I'm sitting in church Sunday with worship on my mind. Bro. Kriss is preaching on the 10 commandments and we got to "You shall not steal".

You know, I really thought I was an honest person until Sunday's sermon.

Yes. I have taken pens and notepads and calendars from work to use at home. Oh, not like slipping a handful into my pocket, or anything like that. I just stick it behind my ear or in my notepad and think nothing about returning it to work. I've taken calendars for organization. I've used work internet for writing blog enteries.

There are so many ways we rationalize and justify the things we do that maybe aren't entirely wrong but are still on the shady side of right. Okay, so I did put in a huge amount of overtime with no comp time or salary upgrade. That still doesn't make it right, does it?

Just when you get to thinking you've got a handle on living Christ-like, along comes God and pretty much slaps you on the wrist to say: "You aren't there, yet. Keep working. Keep striving. You are still under construction."

That, my siblings, is very humbling. It isn't painful, but crow doesn't taste so good no matter how well it's served.

Keeping Secrets: National Security

There is an AP article written by Pamela Hess which is full of thinly veiled indignation about what she calls “unprecedented surveillance program” by executive order signed by Pres. George W. in 2001. Let us recall that it was after the 9/11 disaster, and just before we found out about the al quiada plan to fly crop dusters into buildings.

Firstly, it absolutely is precedented. Anyone who pays careful attention to the “doings” of the National Security Agency knows that any communication which is off United States ground involving non-U.S. citizens is captured and available for taking, storing, analyzing, and reporting to F.B.I. and C.I.A. and the other Spy Alphabet Soup (military and etc.). What is not so well known, is that if the communication (land lines, faxes, emails, cell phones, VoIP or other electronic device) is by a U.S. citizen, then the name of that person(s) may not be kept in file for more than a year. Nor, can it be revealed to the F.B.I. or the C.I.A or other Alphabet unless criminal activity is evidenced.

The only piece of the intelligence-gathering operation acknowledged by the Bush
White House was the wiretapping-without-warrants effort. The administration
acknowledged in 2005 that it had allowed the National Security Agency to
intercept international communications that passed through U.S. cables without
seeking court orders.

They don’t have to seek a court order. It has already been approved by Congress. It is what the N.S.A. does every day.

Although the report documents Bush administration policies, its fallout could be
a problem for the Obama administration if it inherited any or all of the
still-classified operations.

Give me a flipping break!

The N.S.A. was given authority by Congress back in 2000 to revamp its technology and in 2001 to gather both domestic and foreign intelligence because of the danger of terrorism.

What most of the lawmakers don’t realize is that this absolutely 50,000 ton elephant is too big to analyze. I won't even go into how huge the capability of our NSA's electronic surveillance. However, it is along the lines of the entire contents of the Library of Congress on an hourlyl basis. BUT... All the communications which deal with Aunt Mattie and her two dozen cats, Junior’s school grades and all the other mundane daily activities of the average American Citizen are filtered out before the communication is even recorded. The watchwords, which are varied and number in the thousands (because of all the different foreign languages in the world and all the different technologies) are what causes the click to begin recording. After an initial analysis, the recording may or may not be stored for a year or forever depending upon the context, if persons are named, if one of the conversants is a U.S. Citizen or is a legal, green card holding immigrant. Yes, green-carders are treated as U.S. citizens.

Another interesting fact is that if are trying to purchase uranium in rather large amounts, or if you are trying to purchase a missile from Russia while living in Iran even though a U.S. citizen, then that is probably cause and you'll be monitored. If you bandy about terms like C802 or use bombing and federal within a few minutes of each other, then you'll be monitored and your mode of communication will be flagged. Now why does that make me feel safer?

So, my advice to all of Congress and to other regular, law abiding citizens is: Don’t panic and unwad your underwear. If you are not a criminal, if you don’t have anything to hide, then you have nothing to fear because your conversations are not interesting enough to be monitored much less be recorded. Your privacy is intact and will remain so.

If we had had this back in 1993 when Timothy McVey had the terrorist idea to bomb the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, then 168 lives would never have been lost.

If you need confirmation of all this, there are several books written about our National Security and you can purchase them from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble or other bookstores.

Rubber rooms for teachers

Unions had their place and did great things for the American worker, but I think now is the time for the pendulum to swing the other way for a bit.

New York City has about 700 teachers who are sitting on their duffs... not teaching, not doing anything creative for children. They have been accused of everthing from sexual offenses to a child having a hat on and singing in the classroom. I think the system has gone overboard.

What has happened to our work ethics? We are so fearful of being politically correct, so controlled by union contracts that the huge corporations' products and teaching of our children is no longer the main point/attraction but a sideline. These teachers are collecting their $70,000 a year paychecks and painting watercolors, writing novels, staring at walls. There is something hugely wrong with this picture.

Here is what is wrong with the picture (emphasis is mine):

Once their hearings are over, they are either sent back to the classroom or fired. But because their cases are heard by 23 arbitrators who work only five days a month, stints of two or three years in a rubber room are common, and some teachers have been there for five or six (YEARS).

I'm thinking, can't the school system do something about this? Here's an idea. Tell the union that their arbitrators must work five days a WEEK not a month just like the rest of us working slobs have to work. I guess that is too novel, though.

I look at the state of the union and I realize the waste is more than the piled up garbage in America. Why didn't congress give every American a check for $1 million? It would have been a WHOLE lot cheaper and would have stimulated the economy in an astronomical way. Oh, guess that wouldn't have worked, though, because all the little businesses would have lost all their little workers. However, I do believe it would have worked a lot better than the bail out. All you have to do is look at each lottery winner over the past umpteen years to know that within a year or two, the poor would be poor again and the rich would have made a lot more. But, hey, the car people would still have their jobs and the mortgage companies would still be in business. I can assure you, I would have put my $ 1 million to a LOT better use than AIG did, or Chrysler, or any other bailout receipient. Hind sight and all that!

If God Should Speak

Another treasure I found in old files on my computer. This particular piece is all over the web, but I've tracked down who the author is. You can find the original at:

If God Should Speak

Joyce Faye Russell

New Labor Forum
No. 9 (Fall - Winter, 2001), pp. 146-148
"Our Father which art in heaven....."
---Yes?

Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.
---But you called me.

Called you? I didn't call you. I'm praying. "Our Father which art in heaven....."
---There you did it again.

Did What?
---Called me. You said, "Our Father which art in heaven." Here I am.....What's on your mind?

But I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord's Prayer. It makes me feel good, kind of like getting a duty done.
---All right. Go on.

"Hallowed be thy name....."
---Hold it. What do you mean by that?

By what?
---By "hallowed be thy name"?

It means.....it means.....Good grief, I don't know what it means. How should I know? It's just a part of the prayer. By the way, what does it mean?
---It means honored, holy, wonderful.

Hey, that makes sense. I never thought about what "hallowed" meant before. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
--Do you really mean that?

Sure, why not?
---What are you doing about it?

Doing? Nothing, I guess. I just think it would be kind of neat if you got control of everything down here like you have up there.
---Have I got control of you?

Well, I go to church.
---That isn't what I asked you. What about your bad temper? You've really got a problem there, you know. And then there's the way you spend your money---all on yourself. And what about the kind of books you read?

Stop picking on me! I'm just as good as some of the rest of those people at the church.
---Excuse me. I thought you were praying for my will to be done. If that is to happen, it will have to start with the ones who are praying for it. Like you, for example.

Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I could probably name some others.
---So could I.

I haven't thought about it very much until now, but I really would like to cut out some of those things. I would like to, you know, be really free
---Good. Now we're getting somewhere. We'll work together, you and I. Some victories can truly be won. I'm proud of you.

Look, Lord, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does. "Give us this day, our daily bread."
---You need to cut out the bread. You're overweight as it is.

Hey, wait a minute! What is this, "Criticize me day"? Here I was doing my religious duty, and all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my hang-ups.

---Praying is a dangerous thing. You could wind up changed, you know. That's what I'm trying to get across to you. You called me, and here I am. It's too late to stop now. Keep praying, I'm interested in the next part of your prayer.....(pause). Well, go on.

I'm scared to.
---Scared? Of what?

I know what you'll say.
---Try me and see.

"Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us."
---What about Ann?

See? I knew it! I knew you would bring her up! Why Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories about my family. She never paid back the debt she owes me. I've sworn to get even with her!
---But your prayer? What about your prayer?

I didn't mean it.
---Well, at least you're honest. But it's not much fun carrying that load of bitterness around inside, is it?

No. But I'll feel better as soon as I get even. Boy, have I got some plans for that neighbor. She'll wish she had never moved into this neighborhood.
---You won't feel any better. You'll feel worse. Revenge isn't sweet. Think of how unhappy you already are. But I can change all that.

You can? How?
---Forgive Ann. Then I'll forgive you. Then the hate and sin will be Ann's problem and not yours. You will have settled your heart.

Oh, you're right. You always are. And more than I want to revenge Ann, I want to be right with you. Ann, I want to be right with you.....(pause).....(sigh). All right. All right. I forgive her. Help her to find the right road in life, Lord. She's bound to be awfully miserable now that I think about it. Anybody who goes around doing the things she does to others has to be out of it. Someway, somehow, show her the right way.
---There now! Wonderful! How do you feel?

Hmmmmmm. Well, not bad. Not bad at all. In fact, I feel pretty great!

You know, I don't think I'll have to go to bed uptight tonight for the first time since I can remember. Maybe I won't be so tired from now on because I'm not getting enough rest. ---You're not through with your prayer. Go on.

Oh, all right. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
---Good! Good! I'll do that. Just don't put yourself in a place where you can be tempted.

What do you mean by that?

---Don't turn on the TV when you know the laundry needs to be done and the house needs to be picked up. Also, about the time you spend coffeeing with your friends, if you can't influence the conversation to positive things, perhaps you should re-think the value of those friendships. Another thing, your neighbors and friends shouldn't be your standard for "keeping up". And please don't use me for an escape hatch.

I don't understand the last part.
---Sure you do. You've done it a lot of times. You get caught in a bad situation. You get into trouble and then you come running to me, "Lord, help me out of this mess, and I promise you I'll never do it again." You remember some of those bargains you tried to make with me?

Yes and I'm ashamed, Lord. I really am.
---Which bargain are you remembering?

Well, there was the night that Bill was gone and the children and I were home alone. The wind was blowing so hard I thought the roof would go any minute and tornado warnings were out. I remember praying, "Oh God, if you spare us, I'll never skip my devotions again."
---I protected you, but you didn't keep your promise, did you?

I'm sorry, Lord, I really am. Up until now I thought that if I just prayed the Lord's Prayer every day, then I could do what I liked. I didn't expect anything to happen like it did.
---Go ahead and finish your prayer.

"For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever."
Amen
---Do you know what would bring me glory? What would really make me happy?

No, but I'd like to know. I want now to please you. I can see what a mess I've made of my life. and I can see how great it would be to really be one of your followers.
---You just answered the question.

I did?
---Yes. The thing that would bring me glory is to have people like You truly love me. And I see that happening between us. Now that some of these old sins are exposed and out of the way, well, there is no telling what we can do together.

Lord, let's see what we can make of me, O.K.?
---Yes, let's see.....

Christians' worldview has changed

I stand amazed at how flighty humans have proven to be. We can't seem to keep on the right track no matter how gloriously God makes Himself available. He provided America for those who desired to worship Him freely. It was not for those to worship any demon or idol, but for Christians. All one has to do is read historical speeches of our founding fathers or historical documents, or even read the inscriptions on the buildings in our capital. Everything points to the one true King of the universe. How sad it has taken less than 250 years for our ardor to go sour.

Barna Group asked Americans some pointed questions back in March to determine the worldview of Christians: Whether the world view is Biblical or Secular.

As a base, Barna set the standards as this:

For the purposes of the survey, a “biblical worldview” was defined as believing that absolute moral truth exists; the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches; Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic; a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or do good works; Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; and God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today. In the research, anyone who held all of those beliefs was said to have a biblical worldview.

These same questions were asked in 1995, 2000, and 2005. Astoundingly, only 9% of Americans have a Biblical Worldview. But the thing that makes me cry (I'm not talking crocodile tears here, either, I'm talking the nose-honking kind of sobbing) is that less than one out of five born again Christians have a Biblical worldview. Born again Christians were catagorized as those who believe that Jesus died on the cross for the sin of the world, rose again, they confessed their sins, accepted what He did for them and were going to Heaven when they died because of Jesus Christ.

These statistics have remained basically flat since 1995 with just a few percentage points fluctuation.

Only one in three American adults believe there is such a thing as absolute Truth, and only 46% of born again Christians believe in absolute moral truth.

But, here is the kicker. Of all self-professing born again Christians, only 79% believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. I wonder how can anyone who believes Jesus will bring them to Heaven when they die can NOT believe in the absolute Truth of the Bible?

How can anyone plan to stand in the throne room of God, with His train filling the place, His glory blinding all around Him and say, "Well, God, I believe your Son, but I don't believe everything You said in the Bible. I tried to live a good life, but some of Your Biblical principles are just way out there around Pluto. I just couldn't swallow it all. Now, where's my crown?"

And they stand there looking up at God unflinchingly and say, "Oh, by the way, God, I don't believe that Your Son lived a completely and totally sinless life while He was here. Yeah, and there are 38% of all Your born again children that agree with me."

Oh, LORD, have mercy on Your children!

The End Times are definitely here. Matt 24:12 And because lawlessness shall have been multiplied, the love of the many will grow cold.

1Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, cleaving to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons, 2 in lying speakers in hypocrisy, being seared in their own conscience, 3 forbidding to marry, saying to abstain from foods, which God created for partaking with thanksgiving by the believers and those knowing the truth.

The Barna Group's survey also found these alarming statistics: The research data showed that one pattern emerged loud and clear: young adults rarely possess a biblical worldview. The current study found that less than one-half of one percent of adults in the Mosaic generation – i.e., those aged 18 to 23 – have a biblical worldview, compared to about one out of every nine older adults.
Other groups that possess a below average likelihood of having a biblical worldview included people who describe themselves as liberal on social and political matters (also less than one-half of one percent); Catholics (2%); Democrats (4%) and residents of the Northeast (4%).

I have a sore heart because of this. If we are not deeply careful, then we will wake up and find our Christian values and morals completely compromised. In fact, we are already there. One has only to look at how God felt about His Chosen People, Israel, who had the same attitudes that we Americans have today, to understand the dire peril we face right now. I think our best strategy is to fall to our knees, no better yet, fall on our faces and implore God's mercy on His children. To beg Him to open the stopped up ears and blind eyes, to pour the Spirit's understanding and wisdom into our leaders. Otherwise, we'll be marching to Babylon.

I feel betrayed...

I don't know why I'm surprised. I actually did expect it, and we were even warned that it would happen. Our President is as naive as a new born babe if he thinks that the "extremism" he is talking about can be confronted or controlled. I quote:

CAIRO (AP) -- Quoting from the Quran for emphasis, President Barack Obama called for a "new beginning between the United States and Muslims" Thursday and aid together, they could confront violent extremism across the globe and advance the timeless search for peace in the Middle East. "This cycle of suspicion and discord must end," Obama said in a widely anticipated speech in one of the world's largest Muslim countries, an address designed to reframe relations after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

The problems go a lot deeper than Obama can possibly recognize because he has no clue how passionate religionism can be. He's had a very easy life, so has no clue what a Cause can do to the hearts of mankind. And, Jihad is a Cause.

Ethically, he thinks he is right because this is what he promised during the campaign. He would sit down and talk with these Islamic peoples who dared to come to our shores and try to destroy us through use of airplanes as bombs and rhetoric as verbal swords. These guys are not playing around and would as soon stab us in the back as smile at us on the street.

Where, I ask, is Obama's fleet of advisors who have actually read the top secret reports on Jihad activity in the U.S. and around the world? He doesn't have a clue how to deal with this religious based war. He's trying to use reason, when it is a Faith-Based problem. I am appalled and the American public is betrayed.

Obama is fixing to hand over the U.S. to these extremist in an attempt at peace, and it's going to be all wrapped up like a Christmas package. And this part of his speech makes me cry:

In a gesture to the Islamic world, Obama conceded at the beginning of his remarks that tension "has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations."

It is an implied statement casting blame upon the U.S. as the "bad guy" in all this. Really? I wonder what our boys with boots on the ground in Iraq and Afganistan think about denied "rights" and denied "opportunities" and "proxies"? How about the feelings of the thousands of wives, mothers, and children of the fallen soldiers who happened to be in the wrong "opportunity" when these violent muslems were exercising their "rights"?

You can find a tribute to Maj. Steve V. Long here. I wrote the tribute because I feel so deeply appreciative that so many have given their lives for our freedom and so many have given their lives for the Freedom of the Iraqi people. Did you think of that, Mr. Obama? Have you looked, Mr. Obama, at how costly the freedom of other people has become and are you willing to flush that cost down the proverbial toilet?

This is what I received in my inbox from the White House about 10 minutes ago:

Hello -
As a Senior Advisor to the President, I'm here in Cairo, Egypt where I watched President Obama deliver an unprecedented speech calling for a new beginning for the United States and Muslim communities around the world.

We all know that there has been tension between the United States and some Muslim communities. But, as the President said this morning, if all sides face the sources of tension squarely and focus on mutual interests, we can find a new way forward.

The President outlined some big goals for this new beginning in his speech -- including disrupting, dismantling, and defeating violent extremism. It was a historic speech, and since many Americans were asleep at the time it was given we wanted to make sure you had a chance to see it:

Majority-Muslim countries around the world are filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives, just as in America. Indeed, part of what makes America great is having nearly seven million Muslim Americans living here today and enriching our culture and communities.

We can extend that kind of relationship abroad. It won't always be easy, but if we make an effort to bridge our differences rather than resigning ourselves to animosity, we can move toward a more peaceful world over time.

Thank you, David Axelrod Senior Advisor to the President

Just how do you propose to deal with unreasonable people, Mr. President? What mutual interests do we have with Jihad, Mr. Obama?

I think it is time that the Demorats take their head out of the sand and really look at the problem in a new way. Terrorists have a Cause that is embedded deep in their hearts. You can't change their minds because they believe they are right. I don't have a solution, I wish I did. But, I know making deals with a terrorist is not the way to win friends and influence people who have been stung by terrorism.

Congressman Gene Taylor

Gene Taylor is a Democrat--notice I did spell it correctly this time. Although, he is a Democrat, he is an honorable man, as well as one who is deeply concerned for his constituents. I wrote him a letter concerned about recognizing gay marriages and this is his reply to me.

June 2, 2009

Ms Gina Burgess
********
Picayune, MS 39466

Dear Gina:

Thank you for contacting me and expressing your opposition to efforts by some members of the District of Columbia City Council who wish to recognize gay marriages.

You will be pleased to know I have consistently supported marriage as a union of a man and a woman. I will firmly oppose any legislation that comes before the House of Representatives that would allow Washington D.C. to permit same sex marriage.

Additionally, I am a cosponsor of Congressman Broun's Marriage Protection amendment, H.J.Res. 89. My support of the Marriage Protection Amendment is a deeply held personal and moral position. I voted for a similar Constitutional Amendment on July 18, 2006, when I cast my vote in favor of the Federal Marriage Amendment which defined marriage as between a man and a woman. While the amendment received a vote of 236-187, it did not attain the two-thirds majority vote that is required to amend the U.S. Constitution.

Defining marriage as between a man and a woman is far above petty partisan politics for me. While many Republicans voted for the amendment and many Democrats voted against it, the 2006 vote proves that protecting traditional marriage is not a partisan issue. In fact, thirty-four Democrats voted for the amendment, and twenty-seven Republicans voted against it.

In 2004, 86 percent of Mississippians voted in favor of an amendment to the Mississippi State Constitution that defined marriage as between a man and woman. The same amendment also outlaws marriages between persons of the same gender performed in other states or countries. The passage of this amendment clearly defines the opinions of Mississippians regarding the issue of same-sex marriage. I voted to ban same-sex marriage as a congressman in Washington, DC and as a citizen in Bay St. Louis.

Again, thank you for contacting me. If I may be of further assistance, please feel free to get in touch with me.

Sincerely,

GENE TAYLOR
Member of Congress
GT:rj

Scary Sonia Sotomayor

It is extremely scary that Judge Sotomayor may bend the ears of our lawmakers. What I find most disturbing is that "a string" of reversals to her opinions and judgements have been handed down by the Supreme Court Justices.

What does that literally mean? In my humble opinion, it means that she has an opposing viewpoint. In one ruling, she said that the cost of saving fishing was irrelevant to the technology due to the wording of a statute. Whereas, the Supreme Court Justices disagreed that the same clean up with the same results could be done by the companies for billions of dollars cheaper. That's right, B as in Billions of Dollars.

It gives me the shivers that someone who would be still handing down opinions for my grandchildren (if I had any) has this basic and cavalier disregard for economic impact of her rulings.

Judge Scalia wrote that following Judge "Sotomayor's reasoning would cost nine times what was necessary to accomplish" the same thing or nearly the same using more inexpensive technology.

Why was she stuck on technology? Because the wording of the statute was "best technology" which would not allow the EPA to consider company costs.

The EPA's current practice is a reasonable and hence legitimate exercise of
its discretion to weigh benefits against costs ... We conclude that the EPA
permissibly relied on cost-benefit analysis," the majority said in its April
decision.
The ruling sat much better with business advocates than did
Sotomayor's.
"If the best available technology is only so good to save
X number of fish and you have to spend X billion dollars more to come up with
better technology and implement it, those costs are going to be passed on to
consumers and their energy bills," said Glenn Lammi, counsel to the Washington
Legal Foundation.

Is it just me? Am I reading danger here that really isn't dangerous? What else can the Obama regime do to us that isn't already being done?

Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

Young Cons

I've provided the lyrics below in case this thing from YouTube doesn't work. I'm new at this, as you know, because I have never done a direct YouTube video on my blog, but I thought this was worthy enough. Oh, not for what it says! Anyone familiar with me and my blog, I'm a conservative and I'm a Christian. I thought this worthy enough because it is so refreshing. Instead of things of hate, or things of Darwin, or things of humanism, we find two college students who are not only Christian but are adamently Christian. These two young men are on the right track and I hope there are more out there who will find courage to step out in faith for their faith because of these men.

Why are we allowing tyranny to reign? Why do we sit complacently in our recliners and rail at the TV which does no good? Our generation is paving the foundation for the end times. In a way that is exciting, but in a way it is incredibly sad that we allowed it to get this far.

Serious C:
“Yo this ones for all the young conservatives.
I rep the Northeast and I’m still a young con,
Let your voice release, you don't have to be obamatrons.
I debate any poser who don't shoot straight,
Government spending needs to deflate,
Your ideas are lightweight,
Ya careers in checkmate
I frustrate. I increase the pulse rate
I hate when,
government dictatin, makin, statements, bout how to be a merchant,
How to run a restaurant, how to lay the pavement
Bailout a business, but can't protect an infant
Deficiencies are blatant, young con treatment
I stand one man, outnumbered at my college
Thank you Miss Cali for reminding us of marriage
Can't support abortion, and call yourself a Christian
I support life, you're a puzzled politician
Terrorists were imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay,
Now they're in our neighborhoods, planning out doomsday
No such thing as utopia,
no government can control ya, baby ya,
Reap the benefits hard work, self reliant
Listen to Stiltz, my dude’s a lyrical giant
Yo Stiltz... make it two time... please”
Stiltz:
“I'm 6'9 head and shoulder above the rest
Liberals playin checkers, I'm playin chess
My conservative view is drill baby drill
You can say you hate me but
I'm praying for you still
My dislike for thee most def is not hyperbole
Taxes are the subject and I will spit them verbally
I'm just livin life a conservative philosophy
Sorry Hilary not a right wing conspiracy
We need more women with intellectual integrity
I'm talkin Megyn Kelly not Nancy Pelosi
My main motto is you best work hard
It's not the hand you were given, but how you lay down your cards
I don't speak lies but I spit the facts
28% the new capital gains tax
Porkulus bill lacks a few stats
The more money we spend, the more mine is worth Jack
The Bible says we're a people under God,
Usin radar for radical Jihad
AIG was hooked up by Chris Dodd
A classy gift ain't an Ipod
The standards of my crew ain’t republicans dude
I'm reppin Jesus Christ and conservative views
Study history and true conservative moves
Every single time they refuse to lose
I’m starting to see a modern day Jimmy Carter
When really nothin but a Reagan era starter”
Serious C:
“Yo, We americans son
Hit ya with some knowledge
The movement has begun
Everyone can succeed
Because our soldiers bleed, for us
I said it in the verse,
now I'll say it in the chorus”
Stiltz:
“We young conservatives son
Hard work is our motto
The movement has begun
EVERYONE can succeed cause our soldiers bleed, daily
My views are rock solid, no chance you can break me”
Serious C:
“Phase me, make me, into something that ain’t me
Serious c... can’t nobody shake me
great like the Gatsby, poppin posers like acne
Don't matter if your gay, straight, Christian or Muslim
There's one thing we all hate, called socialism.
It's loathsome, and America ain’t the outcome,
Raise taxes on the people,
And you’re gonna feel symptoms, problems
I gotta message for a young con:
superman that socialism,
waterboard that terrorism”
Stiltz:
“I fulfill the role that's inherently mine
Teaching politics through my rap and my rhyme
I'm signing off this track with a question in mind
How will this country get its precious change in time?
Three things taught me conservative love:
Jesus, Ronald Reagan, plus Atlas Shrugged
Saving our nation from inflation devastation
On my hands and my knees praying for salvation”
Serious C:
“Yo, We americans son
Hit ya with some knowledge
The movement has begun
Everyone can succeed
Because our soldiers bleed, for us
I said it in the verse,
now I'll say it in the chorus”
Stiltz:
“We young conservatives son
Hard work is our motto
The movement has begun
EVERYONE can succeed cause our soldiers bleed, daily
My views are rock solid, no chance you can break me”