Officer Accused of Stealing Sneakers During Drug Raid

I've never been involved in a drug raid before but I have had a police officer steal from me. He was a sergeant with the High Pint Police Department.  he took the $20.00 bill I had just withdrawn from an ATM during a traffic stop.  "I'm keeping this for evidence" he said.  

Pinning on a badge doesn't make one honest any more than standing behind a pulpit makes one saved.     It is a pity that some people feel that when given a little authority or respect that they have the right to use that position to enrich themselves at the expense of others.  When I was in the military I caught a chief doing something most people would have been punished for and I called him on it.  He said "RHIP". 
"What does that mean?" I inquired. 

"Rank has it's privileges."

"RHIR" I said. 

"And what does that mean?" he retorted.

"Rank has it's responsibilities"

Sure having authority should have it's privileges, like a special parking spot or a bigger office, or a better view, or the right to ask people to do some mundane things we don't want to do but it also carries with it the responsibility of following all the rules, of being the good example, and making proper decisions. 

Just because one is a cop does not give one the privilege of stealing $20.00 from a struggling citizen or a pair of "Air Jordon's" from a suspected drug dealer. 

During the Chief Wray affair in Greensboro there were several police officer's that were forcing prostitutes to "service" them in lieu of arrest.  I'm sure that goes one in every big city police department in the country. 

It doesn't take many bad police officers to make one distrust all of them.  'One bad apple spoils the whole bushel" ws a favorite saying when I was growing up.  I fully understand what it means now. 

Who decides who goes to hell and who goes to heaven?

Someone posted a picture on my facebook page with the question:  If one person believing in a make believe friend makes one delusional, what does million believing in a make believe person make them?  I responded that neither God nor Jesus were make believe.  One lady responded that of the 7 billion people on earth only 2.7 consider themselves Christians.  Even the most evil among them would send over 4 billion people to live forever in a burning hell they pointed out so why would a so-called loving God. 

God sends no one to hell.  From the very beginning of time God has made a way of escape and Jesus himself stated that God does not wish any to perish but for all to have eternal life.  The choice of where to spend eternity belongs to us. 

For sure this world can be cruel and unforgiving and evil things happen to good people and good things happen to evil people.  It just doesn't seem fair nor does it seem like a loving God would allow good people to suffer.  God says that there is none good, no not one.  For all    have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  

What people fail to realize is that we have free will and having free will means  that we are in control of our lives and our environment.  God has made the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.  In other words, life happens and some times good happens to us and sometimes bad happens to us, just as sometimes we get caught in the rain and sometimes we don't.  Sometimes the rain is good and sometimes its bad. 

Now if the people who complain about God being unfair by allowing bad things to happen to good people really wanted God to make things so that bad things didn't happen to good people then all they have to do is give their lives over to God.  One day God will bring them to His home and they will live forever in peace.  But if they want to remain in control of their own lives and reject God then who are they to complain because God doesn't make all their dreams come true? 

Folks, one can't have it both ways.  Either God is God and we allow Him to be the God of our lives  
or God is God but we want to retain control of our own lives.  Regardless of how we feel God is God
and he is as real as you or I.  I said that to a lady and she said "He's real to me."

To me that is like expressing a belief that God is a concept or a belief system that one chooses to live by or under in order for it to exist.  I'm sorry but God I real and your feelings or beliefs about Him does not determine whether he is real or not any more than your opinion of me changes whether I am a good person or a bad person. 

God does not send people to Hell.  Hell was created for Satan and his angels.  God sent his son to die on the cross    so that any that should believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life.  That sounds like a loving and caring God to me.  So if 4 billion people chose to reject his offer then it isn't a character flaw in God nor is it a reflection of God's will.  It is our free will to chose and they have made their choice. 

Another poorly written headline

"Escaped Fla. prisoners grilled"


I wonder if they were tasty or tough.  Is marinate necessary?  Can someone please furnish the recipe. 

Funny True Story

There is a story on the internet about an airline that made an overweight man buy tickets for two seats but the seats are located in different areas of the plane. 

That reminds me of a joke I used to tell, about winning a vacation package.  it was a 7 day 6 night vacation p0ackage.  The only problem was the 7 days were in June but the 6 nights weren't until October. 

Tracfone

It took 6 days and several hours on the phone to get my new phone to work.  My frustration level was getting high.  Lately it seems there have been several things that have tried my patience the latest being the funeral tomorrow.  I'm of the nature that I will help people with just about anything if I know they really need help and are appreciative.  I will not be used to do things for a person who is quite capable of doing for themselves just because they are to lazy or to cheap.

I make video tapes at the church for shut-ins.  I originally started doing this at my own expense but the pastor wanted copies for his own record so the church purchased the DVD's.  The camera, tripod and computer all belong to me,  I give my time for free.  Two years in I had a woman ask me to make her a DVD to share with her family.  I agreed thinking it was a one time thing but now she wants one every service and I believe her family uses the DVD's as an excuse not to come to church. 

Now another member asked the pastor to tell me to videotape his brothers funeral.  I am upset by this for several reasons.  First and foremost, if he needs me to do something then he should ask me.  If I was being paid by the church or using church equipment and videoing was part of my duties then he is right in asking the pastor but that isn't the case.  The pastor should have told him to talk it over with me.    If I was in agreement to do this thing then I need to know exactly what he is expecting.  I have already informed him that I don't do funerals so his going around me is doubly offensive.   

I'm an unhappy camper

I wrote about the man that asked the preacher to tell me to mow his grass.  Well the jerk has been at it again.  Earlier in the week I told him I didn't do funerals.  I've been to several and have been a pall bearer in two: my grandmothers and Mrs. Tickles.  The only other funeral I've been to was my fathers.  I have been to the funeral home several more times for "the viewing" or the reception or the wake or whatever one wishes to call it.  I'll sign the register, shake the hands of the family but I don't view the body. 
Well it seems that this man again called the preacher to tell him to have be video tape the funeral of his brother.  Being an unhappy camper is an understatement of how I'm really feeling.   

Are we the only one?

Is the United States of American the only country that shuts itself down?  I hope we are because I hate to think that there are other countries as stupid as our government seems to be. 

Tracfone customer no service

My wife purchased me a new phone, one that I can text on once it becomes active.  I followed instructions to activate my phone and transfer my old number to my new phone.  It didn't work.  I waited 4 days so I gave it enough time.  I sent three emails the third day but I not received any replies yet.  I did chat with one re this morning but he finally admitted he couldn't help me so he gave me a number to call and a pin number. 

I called the number and talked to a lady who said my new phone was now active.  Well, my old phone is now active although tracfone says it isn't and my new phone is still inactive.  I've tried to e-mail tracfone twice more but they are still ignoring me.    I'm getting irritated by the process.  I had to go through something similar the last time I did this but it didn't take as long, they responded to my e-mails, and the chat guy fixed the problem.  Their customer no-service department really sucks. 

An idiot speaks

The only service I have missed at church was the Sunday the police came to get me so the paramedics could help my wife who has a mini-stroke.  She had just been released from the hospital after suffering from a brain aneurysm.  I teach Sunday School and am the Deacon of the church.  But before I became the deacon and Sunday School teacher and even before I could attend the Church on a full time bases, I volunteered to mow the grass. 

  I started by using my lawn mower but it was a hassle loading it up every week so I purchased one to keep at the church.  At the end of the mowing season the vines and briars that surrounded the church was taken over more and more yard.  I didn't have many tools, a lopper, a small handsaw, and a mattock so they had to do.  I cleared about half the wooded area that winter.  At the end of last summer I hit a small stump and damaged the mower.  I purchased a rider for use this year.  Last winter I purchased a chain saw and started  clearing out the remainder of the property.  several years prior a bunch of trees had been cut down and left.  The fallen trees dried out and vine entangled the limbs and trucks and briars grew up and wild bushes and small trees and tall, thick weeds and it was a nightmare to clean out.  I spent over $200.00 on replacement chain saw chains. 

This summer I again planted pumpkins in the cleared area but the heavy rains caused the seeds to rot and few pumpkins came up and the weeds eventually killed the remaining pumpkins so I was left with a field of tall weeds.  I have spent the last several weeks pulling the weeds.  I even cleaned off a fifty foot strip eight feet wide that belonged to the neighbor. 

I've painted, power washed the church, put up fencing, and I take care of the trash and recycling and the sign out front and any expenses I've incurred have been out of pocket.  I recently purchased a good quality weed eater to use at the church. 

There was an elderly gentleman that had a hard time getting his lawn mowed so I went over to his house every now and then and cut his grass for him. 

All this work I've done for free without complaining and expecting nothing in return.  I'm not paid nor compensated in any way for my equipment or my labor.  It is something I do because I want to do it. 

Today I made myself available for a family of a heart attack victim who are faced with the decision concerning whether to continue life support or terminate the mans life.  One of the members of or church was sitting between me and the pastor.  He leaned over to say something to the preacher in secret but I saw him glance at me besides him gesturing with a hand in my direction.  I asked them what was going on. 

The man had told the pastor to tell me to go mow his grass because his lawn mower broke.  And that's why I say "An idiot spoke."

armed or not?

Often times we read about police killing an unarmed suspect and sometimes there are lawsuits against the police department involved.  I never gave much thought to it except to think about what the dead person did to aggravate the police to the point they killed him.  Often times these incidents occur after a traffic stop, usually after a high speed chase.  I wonder why the police fired there weapons when the suspect was unarmed. 
  But todays story of the incident in DC  the driver of the car was killed and it seems she was probably unarmed.  But she had a deadly weapon:  her car.  Automobiles are perhaps the most deadly thing in America. 

10 secrets of success

1.  develop a realistic plan for your life. 
2.  manage your time effectively
3.  surround yourself with successful people.
4.  measure your worth in the contributions you are currently making, not what you have done in the past
5.  reveal in accomplishments, not experience.
6.  Accept responsibility for your shortcomings and failures
7.  if you are being paid, do the job well
8. people that pay me have the right to direct me
9.  be willing to volunteer
10 Go the extra mile