Busy week ahead

Normal everyday stuff plus warmer weather stuff plus church stuff is all coming together at one time so I have more to do than I can possible get done.  Here is a partial list of things I need to get done:
   I have three garden spaces.  The early spring vegetables like carrots and lettuce need to get in the ground now.  Pepper seeds should have been started a month ago but with a death in the family and doctor appointments and sickness that task hasn't been done.  I'm behind on getting the trees cut up at the church and the wood stacked.  I need to buy some clover seeds for the back half acre at the church so I don't have to mow this year. 
   I've got to create and put up signs for four handicap parking places at the church.  Saturday morning I'm to meet the contractor at 8 am to discuss the remodel of my front porch, the be at the church at 9 for men's breakfast and prayer at nine and visitation afterwards.  Afterwards I have the youth meeting banquet to attend then a kids birthday party.  Jesse wants me to be with him at his nursing home ministry at 7 pm.  Somewhere in there I need to study and prepare my Sunday School lesson for the class I teach.  I also have to be available for the electrician who is building a panel box so we will have power to the church and the new building.
   On Monday I'm having two truck loads of mulch delivered which I need to get spread quickly and get cross ties for the new parking spaces.  Some time this week I need to practice my role play with my wife for Wednesday Soul-winning class.  I also need to fix the liner in the pond where the roof contractor knocked one side of it into the water and install the pumps.  Friday we are having a knew carport built.
  The church is having a fund raiser to get money for furnishing the new building and I need to find time to  visit various businesses to solicit items to sell at the yard sale.  The yard sale is April 12 so time is running short. 

What are they talking about?

The biggest complaint I hear from people who claim to be atheist and/or agnostics is that Christians try to cram what they believe down the non-believers throat.  "Let us choose for ourselves" they beg.  But how is one to choose unless one knows each side? 
  One says he can't believe without scientific proof yet science can't prove God doesn't exist. 
One person said he just couldn't believe in a two thousand year old fairy tale.  What's he talking about?

Should marijuana be legal?

     Absolutely!  I realize I'm one of the last people one would expect to say yes to that question.  Am I giving my blessing to marijuana use?  Absolutely not.  I honestly don't think anyone should smoke
the stuff.  Then why would I be for legalizing it? you wonder.  For the same reason I would not want alcohol to be illegal again. 
     I think we should make it legal in order to hurt the drug cartels and illegal growers and all the crime associated with the marijuana supply chain and gain some much needed tax revenue.  I also believe we should put as much effort into combating marijuana use as we do cigarette use.  After all people are going to do what they want to do regardless of what is right or what is the law. 
     When I was in high school the only people who used illegal drugs were already wanted by the law for a host of crimes, many of which were of the violent nature.  People, especially kids, didn't use the stuff and most of us never heard of it.  It wasn't until the Vietnam war occurred that kids started getting into drugs.  I suppose it was another way to show opposition to the war and to the government which was waging that war.  Kids don't mind giving their lives for things they believe in but if you are going to ask one to die it better be for a valid reason.  Oil rights so big oil companies can line their pockets with cash just didn't seem to be valid enough. 
    However we got here isn't the question.  We are here and the problem isn't going to go away and as long as the drug remains illegal the problem will only grow.  Kids don't trust the government nor do they trust law enforcement.  After all, the laws are to harsh for something they view as harmless, fun,
and their right to do and it is the governments fault for not allowing them to do what they want and they are resentful of law enforcement for trying to stop them from enjoying themselves. 
     Medical marijuana is a joke and everyone who doesn't have their heads stuck between their legs knows this.  I don't think many people have sympathy for crack heads, heroin addicts, or meth users and I believe the number of people using the harder illegal drugs will decline if marijuana is legalized.  The illegal drug pipeline will shrink because the number of people seeking to obtain marijuana illegally will decline dramatically.  That's the law of supply and demand. 
      I don't want to see people smoking marijuana, using hard illegal drugs, sniffing paint, drinking alcohol, or abusing legal drugs.  I just don't see the need to alter my mind for the sake of having a good time.  If we can't enjoy each others company without one or both of us having to take a substance that alters our perception of reality then I would rather not try to be your friend. 

Ready for Spring

     My large garden space

   Fruit trees:  cherry, apple, peach

  small garden space in background

  peach tree blooms just opened

  Rose garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Bang theory is valid

A scientist who is created with developing the big bang theory was told that another scientist validated his theory.  He celebrated with a drink. 

Of course his big bang theory is correct but instead of his belief that the big bang created the earth and life on it, the opposite is true.  Read Genesis chapter one verses one and two.  It says that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  And the earth was void and without form. 

There is a period after the first verse meaning there is a space, or period of time between the first verse and the second verse.    In verse 28 God told man to replenish the earth.  Replenish means to replace that which was lost.  So what does this all mean?

A careful reading, study, and understanding of the scriptures paints the following picture:  God created all that was created.  At a certain time Satan rebelled against God and set out to destroy God's creation.  Once that deed was done God had to clean the mess up that Satan had left.  So the big bang was the thing that destroyed the earth and not the thing that created life. 

Stupid is as Stupid Does

"Maine man's 'gun' turns out to be a tattoo" reads a headline in todays news. 
  When I was growing up there was a popular saying that said "stupid is as stupid does.  I never really understood that phrase until I read this story.  It seems some workers observed a man who was shirtless and had what appeared to be a gun tucked into his waistband so the police were called.  The "gun" turned out to be a tattoo.  It could very well be that this is just the first of several times this will happen to this man. 
  I can just imagine  him being pulled over for a traffic stop and a police officer seeing the tattoo while approaching the man's car and ordering him out.  Such an incident could be life threatening.  Actually, it already has been as he was surrounded by weapon bearing officers. 
  Getting a gun tattoo is the brightest idea in the world. 

Renae Juska confused in own article

    I have no idea who Renea Juska is outside of an article that appeared on the World Wide Web for Yahoo.  It was one of those little interest stories that appear at the bottom of a feature story that piques ones interest from time to time.  The title of her article was the top athlete's who became actors. 
  Stacy Keibler was listed at number 16 and the description of her begins with these words "as the only woman on the list".  There isn't anything wrong with the description except that Ester Williams was listed at number 31.  It was a short article.  She wrote it.  Hopefully she did some research yet she couldn't remember she had already listed another female on the list. 

My Body Doesn't Cooperate

Yes, I admit, I over ate for many years so I really shouldn't complain that I'm a diabetic.  However, for over 5 years my diabetes was controlled by my diet and I had slimmed down considerably.  Then two years ago my A1C jumped from 7.0 to 14.0 and I had to go on insulin.  What was significant about that was I had just begun walking 3 miles at the gym and trying to get 70 miles a week in.  If exercise was supposed to help why did my diabetes go crazy?
  The doctor warned me that I would put on 10 to 15 pounds after I started insulin   and I did plus an extra 15.  I used insulin for 3 months and then went on pills, a low dose metformin and a low glipiside (sp).  My test results have all been good  with reading of 6.9 to 7.4.  my total cholesterol
has been between 100 and 150.  The two areas I was having problems were in good cholesterol and triglycerides. 
   To combat the weight gain I started eating two eggs and a serving of plain oatmeal in the morning, a controlled portion lunch and a bowl of light chicken noodle soap from Progresso for supper with an apple or a bowl of salad mix with vinegar dressing for a snack.  I only drink water for most meals with an occasional bottle of diet green tea.  I take my medicine with cranberry juice, and regularly eat the recommended portion of almonds and walnuts.  I recently started going back to the gym.
   My biggest concern was the eating eggs daily, even EB's, would make my cholesterol too high.  Well, what a surprise my last lab results were.  My A1C was 8.4, my weight had gone up, and my cholesterol was way too low.  (36 for LDL and 24 for HDL).  So what are the recommendations for increasing HDL.  Exercise, eat almonds and walnuts, eat eggs, and drink cranberry juice.  It seems when I do what I'm supposed to my body does the opposite. 


  

25 Ways To Modify Your Pushups

I think that is the dumbest headline I've read in years, if not the dumbest ever and I've read many that don't make sense.  I understand the headline alright but I'm not doing pushups and I certainly have no interest in modifying one either.  I'm old and overweight but I can still do one or two if I so desired.  I can assure you I have absolutely no desire to do one.   If you are so into pushups that you want to modify the way you do them then that is fine for you but I don't need or want to know about it. 

Ice storms and crazy neighbors

Yes we had an ice storm Thursday night and yes a lot of people lost power.  Power at the church came back on around 7 Friday night but my neighborhood, just two block away didn't have power restored until Saturday night around 7.  All the houses surround my neighborhood within the city limits had power restored a full 24 hours before we did. 
   Fallen ice laden trees caused the majority of the damage and the trees that fell at the church were no exception.  A cedar tree from one neighbors yard snapped in two and landed in our yard.  We haven't heard a peep out of them about that tree.  But another neighbor  had a tree fall from her yard.  It went through their privacy fence into another neighbor's yard then across our fence into the church yard.  I showed up at 7:30 this morning and started cutting that tree up.  When the preacher showed up an hour later I let him take over the cutting and I stared carrying off brush and stacking logs.  At 11:30 this woman comes out in her bathrobe.  I saw her shaking her finger at the preacher so I came over to find out what was going on.  I couldn't make any sense out of what she was saying. 
    I tried to get her to clarify her problem to me but she said she was finished talking.    After talking with her a little more and with the other people there I think I understand her problem.  She claims that two people promised her that we would not be cutting the trees that were within 6 feet of the property line.  She was upset that we were doing so as it was her intention to replace the existing fence with a new one and she didn't want the new fence damaged.  She was also upset because we cut the tree that fell fro her property onto ours as she had promised someone they could cut the tree and use it for lumber. 
    Well, she should have informed the church as soon as she made that decision and certainly not four hours after I started cutting on that tree.  She also claimed that two people promised her we would not cut the trees along the fence line closer than 6 feet.  One, she said, was a black man and the other, she thought, might have been me.  Well there is no such person as a black man associated with the church.  I believe the person she is referring too  was a gentleman that I gave some wood too and then allowed to cut up a huge stump for his own use. 
     The conversation I had with her came about when she drove her lawn mover into a ditch and I tried to help her out but couldn't.  I did, however, manage to help her off her mower.  She said she was the girlfriend of the man who owned the house.  I asked her if she knew where the property line was and she knew where one boundary marker was and she showed it to me.  She asked me if I was going to cut the trees along the fence line and I told her that I personally wasn't going to be cutting trees but that the church would be cutting all the trees.  At the time most of the property was overgrown with trees, weeds, briars and brush.  I told her that we were not going to be cutting the trees next to the fence until we found out exactly where the property line was. 
    After clearing the property I found three of the boundary markers.  The property boundary showed all four sides were of equal length so knowing where three markers were, the fourth was easy to determine.  It so happened that the fence was built   on the line.
    What makes me call her a crazy neighbor is that she didn't have a clue as to who promised her what, she was concerned about damage to a fence that didn't exist, and that we cleaned up a mess caused by a tree falling from her property onto ours.  She said the preacher was the reason she never attended church and she said that a Christian would never have suggested that she repair the damage caused to church property  by said tree. 
   It just amazes me how many people know how a Christian should act when the truth is Christianity is no a code of conduct but a relationship to Christ. 

Permit is in hand

   I did what they said I couldn't do but not I but the Lord.  The contractor believed it would be weeks before I could get a permit and then he refused to pull the one from the county even though the county required him too.  The preacher was ready to call the deal off because he said the contractor  would never cooperate an it would be way to expensive and risky for us to pull the permit because we would have to assume all the liability and we have no insurance. 
  Before I set out on my quest to obtain all the necessary permits this morning I went to the church and asked God to bless my quest because what we wanted to do was for His glory and His honor. 
    This afternoon at 4:00 I was on my way home with all the necessary permits and the permit was issued in such a way that protects us during the contractors part of the job, protect the contractor during our part of the job, and protects the contractor and us during the electricians part of the job.  All permits are paid for and construction is set to begin on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 when we did not expect work to begin until the middle of May.  I had no doubts because I know the power of God. 

Unintelligent response

     I wrote in response to some ones question or comment about "gay marriage".  My statement was as follows "Gay means happy.  I prefer to call things what they really are and in this case the proper word is homosexual.  Homosexuals claim they are born that way.  I'm not going to dispute that.  All humans are born with flaws.  No one has every had to teach a child to lie.  And when a situation presents itself children will steal.  No one has to teach them to do that either.  Parents and other adults have the task of teaching children  to do the right thing.  They just naturally will do the wrong thing if they view it to their benefit.  Being born with a flaw doesn't mean that we have to continue with that behavior when we are adults.

   Some responded to that statement by saying "Well then, you can't call yourself Christian.  You have to call yourself Neo-Jewish."  I've never heard the term Neo-Jewish.  I've heard of Neo-Nazi, of which I am not one.  No where in my statement did I claim to be a Christian, Jewish, or white.  I did not state religious beliefs or opinions.  I stated facts.  I no of no person who ever lived (except for Christ) that has never told a lie.  I don't have to know ever person to claim by statement is true.  Just like 'no two snowflakes are alike is true based on sampling, my statement that no one ever had to teach a child to lie is also true. 

   I didn't even state, or even imply, that homosexuality was wrong.  I do think it is as wrong to call homosexuals gay as it is to call people wops, or spics, or japs, or crackers, or fags, or anything that is not what they really are.  The only thing I claimed in my statement is that just because a person "is born' with certain urges or feelings doesn't mean they have to practice that when they become an adult.  A homosexual may always be gay but a homosexual doesn't have to practice homosexuality any more than  a heterosexual person has to have sexual relationships when they become an adult.  Both the homosexual and the heterosexual person can remain celibate if they so desire.

   Now, exactly why would the man claim I could not call myself a Christian?  I believe his was an unintelligent response. 

Courier-Tribune

  I was surprised that the local paper published my first two articles.  So was Mike Hunter, a local businessman and one of the political players in the community.  In fact, Mr. Hunter asked me to sign one of the articles I wrote.  I was doubly surprised when I was sent a schedule for my next four  articles  since I was originally asked to only do two.  I really don't know if the response was that positive or if the paper was desperate to fill the space.    In any case I am glad to write articles for the paper because I am, after all, a writer.  I know I'm not of such a caliber that I could earn a living by the written word even though I do believe I can write better than some that do.  I have had a book published and have been paid for some of my work but most of my writing I do for the benefit of others.  I do write the monthly newsletter at church.  I like writing because I can express myself better through the written word plus I don't have to watch you turn away from what you are reading if I bore you like I would if we were talking. 

    What I am writing  for the paper are articles for the "Faith page."    The first article I wrote was on faith and the second article was on prayer as was the third(to be published one day).  My next three articles will also be on prayer.  Why prayer?  well, I'm glad you asked.

    I hate using the telephone and I am hard of hearing so everyday conversations aren't easy for me.  My brain also works differently than the brains of most people.  I am analytical and logical and I'm amazed how people can carry on meaningless banter and find it entertaining.  I also realize   that relationships are important for personal well being and if one doesn't talk, one doesn't maintain relationships without communication, even with God.  I believe talking with God several times a day in vital.

   Oh but God is real and the bible is a fairy tale, some will say.  Science has proven that creation was not by intelligent design but just happened.  Well no, science has proven no such thing.  Evolution is just a theory and there is nothing in the evolutionary theory that isn't accounted for in the creation story.  There is just so much about the evolutionary theory that defies belief but honestly it is much easier to accept as truth what others have taught us from our youth up than it is to study and observe and draw our own conclusion.  After all, how did you come to accept evolution as the truth?  I'm sure it wasn't through your own observation and work. 

    In fact, most people who study nature concluded that everything was created by a heavenly being.  People just don't like that idea because if that if true then they are accountable for their actions and they will be held to a higher standard than they really want to live by.  They don't want their lives measured by perfection because it makes one feel so vile and dirty.  Well we are vile and dirty. 
The truth is there is nothing we can do to change that.  Once a filthy rag we will always be a filthy rag.   A rag does not have the power to change what it is or even to clean  itself.  Even if it could it would just get dirty again. 

    Yes, really.  Find you a white towel or handkerchief or piece of cloth and lay it out.  Check on it every month or so and one day you will notice that it is dirty.  One cannot remain pure in this world no matter how withdrawn one tries to be.  That rag will never be pure and clean again.  If it is washed the dirt will leave particles or stains behind and the soap will leave residue and the act of washing will leave damage behind.  And no matter how clean one gets the rag it will immediately begin to get dirty again.

   So what are we to do?  We can pretend that God doesn't exist and religion is a fairy tale, we can choose to accept that we aren't as dirty as others so we must be good enough.  Yea, we may be cleaner than many Christians but that doesn't change the fact that you are a dirty rag.  Our standard isn't to be the cleanest dirty rag but to be without blemish. 

     We can't clean ourselves up.  It is impossible.  So what are we supposed to do?  Well, the truth is that's not your problem.  That's God's problem.   We just need to let God do what God does.  We just need to quit thinking we are special because we aren't so dirty or to quit denying there is such a thing as pure.  Denying clean doesn't mean that clean  isn't obtainable.  If we just accept that we are dirty and that God is the only way to get clean   then we shall be clean indeed. 

    So, what does this have to do with prayer.  Prayer is our way of communicating with God.  We don't have to change anything about our lives.  You don't have to obtain a high moral standard to b accepted by God.  That is why not all Christians have obtained the lifestyle the world has come to believe that Christians should obtain.  Christianity is not a moral code or a code of conduct or rules and regulations but a relationship and that relationship is maintained through constant communication with God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

   This isn't just something I feel or believe.  This is something I know.

SR-71 blackbird

The SR-71 Blackbird was a spy plane that was as fast as it was beautiful.  I saw one once, in Okinawa,  some forty + years ago when I was a sailor on my way to Vietnam.  In my job, I was familiar with the plane and was absolutely dumbfounded the first time I tracked one. 
   I can't talk about the particulars of my job but suffice it to say that part of my job was keeping track of air traffic in and around North Vietnam during that bloody war.  I was used to plotting the course being flown by Migs and F-4's and other aircraft, both foreign and domestic.  The biggest part of my job was knowing the location of all aircraft in the air in the war zone so we could keep our planes and pilots as safe as possible. 
   The first time I tracked on the plane entered the southeastern corner of North Vietnam and flew straight across the country and then turned and flew  in a slightly northeastern direction exiting the country in the east, turning again and flying to the dead center of North Vietnam and then turned north and flew out of the country.  The entire episode lasted about 2 1/2 minutes.  At first I thought it was a joke and that my superiors would think I made it up but it turned out to be legit. 
   I was shocked to learn that on one faithful trip the North Vietnamese  launched a Mig 23 from their most northern airstrip as soon as they detected the Blackbird in the Gulf of Tonkin.  The Mig flew as fast as it could in a steep climb and kicked in its afterburners for added speed and distance.  When the Mig reached it highest point it fired all of its air to air missiles.  It was a potluck gamble to shoot down a SR-71 and it almost worked.  The migs missiles  missed the tail of the Blackbird by about 100 yards.  That was a streak of luck to get that close.  No Blackbird was every lost to enemy action.
  I had access to the top secret books with the specs of the Blackbird but even that document would not list the planes speed.  It just said mock 3+. 
a special on TV last week claimed it's speed was in access of 1600 miles per hour.  I don't know how fast it was I do know it was impressive. 

How others see us

There is an interesting article on Yahoo about how foreigners view America and Americans and I can filly understand their views.  I have spent a great deal of time in other countries and sometimes I encountered things puzzling to me.  I was invited to a dinner an true to my upbringing I ate everything on my plate and did take a bit more of some foods and I finished those too.  I ate until I thought I would pop and I was surprised and hurt to learn that I had insulted the hostess  by leaving a clean plate.  Leaving a little food on the plate indicates that one is full.  leaving a clean plate says that one didn't enjoy what they ate. 
   In another country one waves their hand downward not from the top as Americans do.  Waving from the top signifies the calling of a dog and is viewed as an insult to the locals.  In another, children are not allowed to wear clothes, even diapers, until they are potty trained.  We would think that shocking to see naked children in public but the children of that country learn to "go potty' faster than any other children. 
    In America our children are encouraged to ask questions in school but in some countries, a question means that the student is stupid or the teacher is doing a poor job of explaining things.

  It isn't that our way is necessarily a better way  for often it isn't.  More often than not a different way of looking at stuff is just that:  different but no better nor no worse.