When Hilary first ran for nomination I would have rather seen her win than Obama and nothing has changed to alter that opinion. Something was mentioned on a national news program today that makes me doubt that she would be a worthy President. As you probably know Hilary was Secretary of State when the Benghazi incident occurred. Hilary discussed the situation with ex-president and husband Bill Clinton and he advised her not to resign for fear it would hurt Obamas chances of being reelected and the Democratic party might hold a grudge against her for that and lessen her chances of being elected in 2016.
Hilary has been quoted as saying that Obama is inexperience and way over his head and doesn't really know what he is doing. In other words she is claiming that Obama is incompetent. This is all before the 2008 election. From this incident and discussion and Hilary's decision, it is obvious that she had placed her desire to become President above the need of America to have a competent leader. In other words, she feels her desires are more important than the needs of the country. Do you really want a leader that feels they are more important than the country? I would hope not.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Man Arrested After Son Skips Church [VIDEO]
There is no video and the man's arrest had nothing to do with church, religion, or God as the headline would lead one to think. A church van came by to pick the children up for church by the 8 year old slipped off. The man was charged with neglect after police were summoned to a local Family Dollar store to retrieve the boy.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Bad title, bad idea
Sometimes headlines don't really convey what an article is about. My article "I hate religion" might have given many the impression that I hate religion but far from it. I am a deacon at my church and also a ordained minister. What the article was about is the erroneous conclusion about the Reformation and the churches role is the slaughter that occurred. My apologies to anyone who thought it was about God bashing on my part.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Happy Anniversary
On the 14th I celebrated my Mom's 89th birthday and the next day I celebrated fathers day. Today was my 10th anniversary and I'm still on my honeymoon I believe. We went back to the place we first met and then to the movies to see The Jersey Boys. It was a pleasant day all around. We met in October 2003 just before her birthday and I haven't quit smiling since.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
I hate religion
I hate religion. Man has killed millions in the name of religion. I hate it when Christians cram religion down my throat. Jesus is a fairy tale. Religion is a crutch.
Those are some of the everyday and nice things people say about Christians and Christianity. Many people think Christ and God are make believe beings like the Easter bunny and Santa Claus. I would like to set the record straight on what happened during the reformation. The Catholic church was a religious organization but they had nothing to do with Christianity. John Wycliffe, the first man to translate the bible into English was persecuted by the church and was hated so much that 40 years after his death his body was unearthed and burned at the state and his ashes scattered in the Rhine. That is not of the Christ I serve.
No, the Catholic church was actually a criminal organization lead by evil men for the purpose of making money. Selling certificates absolving the processor of all sins for the remainder of his life is not what Christ taught. No true believer in Christ ever killed anyone in the name of religion. During the reformation millions of people were slaughtered by the Catholic Church in the name of religion by the authority of the Pope but no one single person died in the name of Christ.
One should study their history before making judgments on what really occurred and one should get to know Christ before deciding he isn't real.
Those are some of the everyday and nice things people say about Christians and Christianity. Many people think Christ and God are make believe beings like the Easter bunny and Santa Claus. I would like to set the record straight on what happened during the reformation. The Catholic church was a religious organization but they had nothing to do with Christianity. John Wycliffe, the first man to translate the bible into English was persecuted by the church and was hated so much that 40 years after his death his body was unearthed and burned at the state and his ashes scattered in the Rhine. That is not of the Christ I serve.
No, the Catholic church was actually a criminal organization lead by evil men for the purpose of making money. Selling certificates absolving the processor of all sins for the remainder of his life is not what Christ taught. No true believer in Christ ever killed anyone in the name of religion. During the reformation millions of people were slaughtered by the Catholic Church in the name of religion by the authority of the Pope but no one single person died in the name of Christ.
One should study their history before making judgments on what really occurred and one should get to know Christ before deciding he isn't real.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Plant sale at the Zoo
I went to the plant sale at the zoo this morning and got a little carried away. I purchased to red ice plants (I already have purple ice and yellow ice), 2 sedum plants, blue grass, a couple of cone flowers, a hibiscus bush, some hens and chicks, and a Red Velvet Elvis (its a red Iris). Some people purchased a lot more than I did but I'm running out of room in my little yard. Not satisfied, I ordered two more grape vines via the internet today. I have to confess I killed my only seedless grape vine this week so I'm having to replace it. I feel really bad about it.
My garden has started producing. I've already picked my peas and some lettuce and cucumbers and of course some hot pepper. I even gave some of them to my new neighbors. The German Johnson's have a couple of tomatoes ripe for the picking and I just grabbed my second squash off the vine today. I was checking over my garden and noticed I have six watermelons growing (Charleston Greys and I think a Crimson sweet or two). I purchased Charleston Grey seeds and a friend of mine gave me a package or two of seeds which I think were Crimson Sweet. The cantaloupe vines are running and have plenty of flowers but I didn't notice any set fruit as of today. I picked more blackberries today. I'm getting about a pint a day but next month more and more should be ripening on a daily bases.
My garden has started producing. I've already picked my peas and some lettuce and cucumbers and of course some hot pepper. I even gave some of them to my new neighbors. The German Johnson's have a couple of tomatoes ripe for the picking and I just grabbed my second squash off the vine today. I was checking over my garden and noticed I have six watermelons growing (Charleston Greys and I think a Crimson sweet or two). I purchased Charleston Grey seeds and a friend of mine gave me a package or two of seeds which I think were Crimson Sweet. The cantaloupe vines are running and have plenty of flowers but I didn't notice any set fruit as of today. I picked more blackberries today. I'm getting about a pint a day but next month more and more should be ripening on a daily bases.
Remember when bankinhg was personal
I just saw an ad for Piedmont bank in the latest copy of Our State Magazine and in the advertisement the question was asked "remember when banking was personal?" I didn't read the ad for I'm sure that Piedmont Bank wanted to convince me that I would enjoy some personal attention if I banked with them. I use a bank to cash a check once a month. Other than that I can do all my banking on line so I really don't need the personal touch. Besides the banks are staffed with young female tellers and if a older man like myself tries to talk to one they are left with the fear the teller will jump up screaming rape or something. Personal and friendly they aren't. It's a major accomplishment to get a smile or a friendly word. I'd rather stare at my computer screen than deal with people who act afraid to speak to a customer. EEEW!
I remember going to banks when all the tellers were men in dark suits and ties hiding in cages with bars between the customer and them. They weren't chatty people either but at least they knew your name. By the time I got old enough to bank for myself the bars and cages and male tellers were all gone but computers had not yet arrived on the scene. Those were the good ole days of personal banking. Clerks sat in the bank and made hand entries of every transaction. No, I never actually met one of those people but they knew me. They knew what time and what day I made my deposits and how I spent my money. if something was out of the ordinary they knew my habits well enough to determine if the matter was legitimate or if special attention was needed.
My payday was on Tuesday and I made it to the bank ever Tuesday at 3 pm to deposit my check. Several times in the course of banking with Huntsville bank I either goofed up or found myself hedging a little and getting caught. sometimes I wrote checks for a dollar or two more than I had in my account. Once it was an accounting error and once I took a chance the check wouldn't get to the bank until Wednesday but it was presented on Tuesday morning. I was never charged a fee. The bank always honored the check because they knew my deposit would be there at three o'clock on Tuesday afternoon and they also knew that over drafting my account was not my usual practice.
The third time I did this I had forgotten to enter a transaction for a few dollars and I had over drafted my account by something like 46 cents. The bank bounced the check and I had to pay a $5.00 fee to the bank and had to face the embarrassment of picking up a bad check and paying a bounced check fee as well. I asked my bank why they didn't honor the check and it was explained to me they had borrowed us of the big banks computer. The computer only knew numbers. It didn't know people. That was the day personal banking died. Brag all you want in ads but unless the bank can really know people by their banking habits it ain't personal.
Once I applied for a car loan and I was turned down because I had no credit history. it's true I had never borrowed money before. I had just been discharged from the military and was trying to get myself established. I rented an apartment, paid cash for new furniture, and found a job. All I needed now was a car. When the loan officer was explaining to me why he couldn't do business with me the bank President walked by. He glanced at me and smiled "Aren't you so and so's son?" I answered yes. "Give this young man anything he wants" the banker instructed. I know his family so there is no risk to the bank.
Bankers can't do that anymore.
I remember going to banks when all the tellers were men in dark suits and ties hiding in cages with bars between the customer and them. They weren't chatty people either but at least they knew your name. By the time I got old enough to bank for myself the bars and cages and male tellers were all gone but computers had not yet arrived on the scene. Those were the good ole days of personal banking. Clerks sat in the bank and made hand entries of every transaction. No, I never actually met one of those people but they knew me. They knew what time and what day I made my deposits and how I spent my money. if something was out of the ordinary they knew my habits well enough to determine if the matter was legitimate or if special attention was needed.
My payday was on Tuesday and I made it to the bank ever Tuesday at 3 pm to deposit my check. Several times in the course of banking with Huntsville bank I either goofed up or found myself hedging a little and getting caught. sometimes I wrote checks for a dollar or two more than I had in my account. Once it was an accounting error and once I took a chance the check wouldn't get to the bank until Wednesday but it was presented on Tuesday morning. I was never charged a fee. The bank always honored the check because they knew my deposit would be there at three o'clock on Tuesday afternoon and they also knew that over drafting my account was not my usual practice.
The third time I did this I had forgotten to enter a transaction for a few dollars and I had over drafted my account by something like 46 cents. The bank bounced the check and I had to pay a $5.00 fee to the bank and had to face the embarrassment of picking up a bad check and paying a bounced check fee as well. I asked my bank why they didn't honor the check and it was explained to me they had borrowed us of the big banks computer. The computer only knew numbers. It didn't know people. That was the day personal banking died. Brag all you want in ads but unless the bank can really know people by their banking habits it ain't personal.
Once I applied for a car loan and I was turned down because I had no credit history. it's true I had never borrowed money before. I had just been discharged from the military and was trying to get myself established. I rented an apartment, paid cash for new furniture, and found a job. All I needed now was a car. When the loan officer was explaining to me why he couldn't do business with me the bank President walked by. He glanced at me and smiled "Aren't you so and so's son?" I answered yes. "Give this young man anything he wants" the banker instructed. I know his family so there is no risk to the bank.
Bankers can't do that anymore.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Supporting others is not a detriment to ones finances
I read an advise column the other day on bad habits that lead to financial ruin and one of them was having a soft heart and contributing to charities. That must not be true as Americans have been and still are among the wealthiest people and also among the most generous.
Most of my life I have struggled financially and when I started going to church on a regular bases my wife didn't think we could contribute but we did anyway. I believe she finally became convinced that not only tithing but giving beyond what is required is a good thing. Currently our giving level is at 15% of our income. I am on Social Security and she draws a disability check from her traumatic brain injury. We paid all her medical bills in full, paid off our car, purchased another vehicle for cash, paid off all of our other bills, put on a new roof and built a porch cover over our front porch, and now are replacing our living room carpet with flooring and have more money in the bank than we did when my wife had her aneurysm. I have discovered that a person cannot out give God.
Most of my life I have struggled financially and when I started going to church on a regular bases my wife didn't think we could contribute but we did anyway. I believe she finally became convinced that not only tithing but giving beyond what is required is a good thing. Currently our giving level is at 15% of our income. I am on Social Security and she draws a disability check from her traumatic brain injury. We paid all her medical bills in full, paid off our car, purchased another vehicle for cash, paid off all of our other bills, put on a new roof and built a porch cover over our front porch, and now are replacing our living room carpet with flooring and have more money in the bank than we did when my wife had her aneurysm. I have discovered that a person cannot out give God.
Big Bang breakthrough team allows they may be wrong
Big Bang breakthrough team allows they may be wrong reads the headline of an article in todays edition of Yahoo homepage. Most people believe that existence was created via either the Big Bang or via creationism. The Big Bang breakthrough team thought they had identified the means by which the universe expanded trillion of times in a fraction of a second. They had identified some gravitational beams and had they been correct they would have proven that Albert Einstein was correct. It seems that a little bit of dust got in the way of them proving the Big Bang theory.
Actually the breakthrough team is very close to the truth. However it isn't Einstein 's theory that is correct, although it very well may be. I know the source of what caused the Big Bang and how the universe was able to expand trillions of times in a fraction of a second. Before I reveal the truth I want to call your attention to some well known facts.
We are talking about the creation of something, the very first thing. It is a scientific fact that something cannot be created from nothing so before there was a gravitational beam there had to be nothing. And even if there was a gravitational beam how was it able to expand ;nothing into the universe in a fraction of a second? According to science, the Big Bang theory is an impossibility.
It stands to reason that is there was a gravitational beam among all the nothingness before there was anything that there had to be something else in order to make nothing expand into all there is today.
There also seems to me that it is just as probable that God existed as it is probably that a gravitational beam existed. God has the capability of creating something from nothing and the ability to create everything in a fraction of a second. And not only has God that ability he is also able to make everything work together in a well ordered universe. A gravitational beam does not.
So if you want to believe it the randomness of creation by an impossible means be my guest. I would prefer you believe that existence was an intelligent design by a kind and loving God and that he sent his only begotten son to die upon a cruel cross thereby paying the penalty of sin and rising from the dead thereby offering you the free gift of life. I would also prefer you to accept that gift so that you may b e rejoined to the creator and live life as He had intended.
Actually the breakthrough team is very close to the truth. However it isn't Einstein 's theory that is correct, although it very well may be. I know the source of what caused the Big Bang and how the universe was able to expand trillions of times in a fraction of a second. Before I reveal the truth I want to call your attention to some well known facts.
We are talking about the creation of something, the very first thing. It is a scientific fact that something cannot be created from nothing so before there was a gravitational beam there had to be nothing. And even if there was a gravitational beam how was it able to expand ;nothing into the universe in a fraction of a second? According to science, the Big Bang theory is an impossibility.
It stands to reason that is there was a gravitational beam among all the nothingness before there was anything that there had to be something else in order to make nothing expand into all there is today.
There also seems to me that it is just as probable that God existed as it is probably that a gravitational beam existed. God has the capability of creating something from nothing and the ability to create everything in a fraction of a second. And not only has God that ability he is also able to make everything work together in a well ordered universe. A gravitational beam does not.
So if you want to believe it the randomness of creation by an impossible means be my guest. I would prefer you believe that existence was an intelligent design by a kind and loving God and that he sent his only begotten son to die upon a cruel cross thereby paying the penalty of sin and rising from the dead thereby offering you the free gift of life. I would also prefer you to accept that gift so that you may b e rejoined to the creator and live life as He had intended.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Need some advise or a sympathetic ear
Larry, Jeff's brother, was hired to build the front and back porch and the handicap ramp on a commercial building. When it came time for the building inspector to inspect the work neither Jess nor Larry were present but a third person who was mowing the lawn. The inspector failed the project and gave the third person a verbal list of things that needed to be corrected.
This person sought to go over the list with Jeff so Jeff could explain what needed to be done with his brother but Jeff became angry because he believed his brother did the work correctly and the county inspector was full of it. The third person explained to Jeff that he was only the messenger and that by default but to not avail.
It doesn't seem to matter to anyone that this third person, the man mowing the grass, is the actual owner of the building and is the only person who has the financial means to correct the problems with the deck. He has not been consulted about how to get the problem fixed.
So what is the proper way for this person to proceed. Just stay out of the situation or take charge?
This person sought to go over the list with Jeff so Jeff could explain what needed to be done with his brother but Jeff became angry because he believed his brother did the work correctly and the county inspector was full of it. The third person explained to Jeff that he was only the messenger and that by default but to not avail.
It doesn't seem to matter to anyone that this third person, the man mowing the grass, is the actual owner of the building and is the only person who has the financial means to correct the problems with the deck. He has not been consulted about how to get the problem fixed.
So what is the proper way for this person to proceed. Just stay out of the situation or take charge?
Monday, June 09, 2014
Trouble in Paradise
One always expects trouble when good things start happening around the church. Several years ago we were just a hand full but lately we have started growing and so much so that we needed more space. The fellowship our church belongs too has been growing too. When our church joined there were twelve of us and now there are over twenty churches. I suppose growing pains are inevitable so there will be a meeting this month to discuss the future direction of the fellowship.
One pastor who has led his church from meeting in an old house to a regular church building was accused of something unspeakable by a young girl. When asked to show proof of her claims she had to admit her claims were false. She had a crush on the young preacher and was upset he paid her no attention.
We knew that trouble would be brewing once we started an expansion program and it was, for sure. We had one lady, a long time member and a faithful one at that, left and then health problems started affecting our membership. A few years ago when we started our nine pm prayer program everyone in the church got sick and one member died. It seems that problems have started popping up all over the church. Car troubles, unexplained flat tires, mechanical failures, physical illnesses, financial problems, and now it seems the flesh has reared its ugly head.
Remember when you were young and you meet this person you liked and wanted to go out with them but wouldn't unless they got a date for your best friend or they wouldn't go out with you unless you gat a date for their best friend? Well, that is sort of the case in this situation. We met a family that is a perfect fit for the church but in order to get them we also had to take the wife's brother. You know those relationships never work out. Neither is this one.
One pastor who has led his church from meeting in an old house to a regular church building was accused of something unspeakable by a young girl. When asked to show proof of her claims she had to admit her claims were false. She had a crush on the young preacher and was upset he paid her no attention.
We knew that trouble would be brewing once we started an expansion program and it was, for sure. We had one lady, a long time member and a faithful one at that, left and then health problems started affecting our membership. A few years ago when we started our nine pm prayer program everyone in the church got sick and one member died. It seems that problems have started popping up all over the church. Car troubles, unexplained flat tires, mechanical failures, physical illnesses, financial problems, and now it seems the flesh has reared its ugly head.
Remember when you were young and you meet this person you liked and wanted to go out with them but wouldn't unless they got a date for your best friend or they wouldn't go out with you unless you gat a date for their best friend? Well, that is sort of the case in this situation. We met a family that is a perfect fit for the church but in order to get them we also had to take the wife's brother. You know those relationships never work out. Neither is this one.
Sunday, June 01, 2014
I can't believe they did that!!
In the news today was an announcement that Casey Anthony has adopted a baby. Casey Anthony is the young woman who made national news after she was arrested and charged with murdering her own baby girl. I know she was acquitted but that doesn't make her innocent. I just can't believe they did that/
Friday, May 16, 2014
Some people should not be allowed in public
I hired a contractor and he managed to alienate my wife and irritate me. I have never been a fan of the man but he seems to be trusted and liked by some people I respect so I put aside my feelings and gave the man a chance. After enduring his behavior for the better part of a week I felt justified in my feelings toward him. He told me and my wife that the job would only take three days but it took 5 and even with that I have to finish up the loose ends myself. He insisted that he told us it was a five day job, even after my pastor told him he heard him promise us it would only take three days.
The church I attend contracted this man to do some work at the church today. Notwithstanding the fact he was an hour and a half late to start the job, the people that he had scheduled to pour the concrete at 10 am was still a no show at 2:30 and had no idea when they would be able to show up. He chewed out one of his employees in front of everyone for what was a very minor offense that was as much his fault as the employees. To me that showed a real lack of class. But there was something that occurred a few minutes earlier that was the final nail in the coffin as far as having a warm relationship with this man.
Now keep in mind that I am a senior citizen even though people think I am much younger than I really am. In fact the older worker, the one with little hair and that, including his beard, were gray, made a comment to me "well when you get to be my age....". Well it turned out we were born in the same year. Be that as it may, I have never suffered from allergies before but it has been so bad I actually took a breathing test. Fortunately everything was normal and after taking some allergy medication I did much better. I also take medication that cautions that using it can cause breathing problems and another medication that tells me to avoid sunlight.
During the course of this day I picked up and carried off all the scrap lumber from a weeks worth of work from building two porches and a handicap ramp, stacked a pallet of wood about 30 feet away from where it was stored, weed eated a half acre of property (every inch of it), and mowed another half acre of land with a walk behind mower. I realized at the time this man made his comment to me I was engaged in some light work but it was nearing 2:00 or maybe a little after and I had walked over eleven miles (I wear a pedometer) and took over 25,000 steps. For some reason the man felt compelled to taunt me with the following comment; "Why are you breathing hard Dale?". He had a smirk on his face while uttering those words.
Maybe he thought he knew me well enough that he could be a smart mouth and get away with it but he doesn't. If he had spoken the words with the slighted hint of caring or concern then the comment would have been appreciated but he didn't.
I have had a few encounters with the man over the last few years and my impression of him is the person he cares most about is himself and the thing he cares about most is making money and the thing he wants most for others to know about him is that he is more important than you are. In my opinion the man needs a couple of courses in sensitivity training. Until then maybe he should stay indoors away from the public.
He didn't even say thank you for the tools I lent to him so he could do the job he was hired to do.
The church I attend contracted this man to do some work at the church today. Notwithstanding the fact he was an hour and a half late to start the job, the people that he had scheduled to pour the concrete at 10 am was still a no show at 2:30 and had no idea when they would be able to show up. He chewed out one of his employees in front of everyone for what was a very minor offense that was as much his fault as the employees. To me that showed a real lack of class. But there was something that occurred a few minutes earlier that was the final nail in the coffin as far as having a warm relationship with this man.
Now keep in mind that I am a senior citizen even though people think I am much younger than I really am. In fact the older worker, the one with little hair and that, including his beard, were gray, made a comment to me "well when you get to be my age....". Well it turned out we were born in the same year. Be that as it may, I have never suffered from allergies before but it has been so bad I actually took a breathing test. Fortunately everything was normal and after taking some allergy medication I did much better. I also take medication that cautions that using it can cause breathing problems and another medication that tells me to avoid sunlight.
During the course of this day I picked up and carried off all the scrap lumber from a weeks worth of work from building two porches and a handicap ramp, stacked a pallet of wood about 30 feet away from where it was stored, weed eated a half acre of property (every inch of it), and mowed another half acre of land with a walk behind mower. I realized at the time this man made his comment to me I was engaged in some light work but it was nearing 2:00 or maybe a little after and I had walked over eleven miles (I wear a pedometer) and took over 25,000 steps. For some reason the man felt compelled to taunt me with the following comment; "Why are you breathing hard Dale?". He had a smirk on his face while uttering those words.
Maybe he thought he knew me well enough that he could be a smart mouth and get away with it but he doesn't. If he had spoken the words with the slighted hint of caring or concern then the comment would have been appreciated but he didn't.
I have had a few encounters with the man over the last few years and my impression of him is the person he cares most about is himself and the thing he cares about most is making money and the thing he wants most for others to know about him is that he is more important than you are. In my opinion the man needs a couple of courses in sensitivity training. Until then maybe he should stay indoors away from the public.
He didn't even say thank you for the tools I lent to him so he could do the job he was hired to do.
Should USA raise the gas tax?
After the economy tanked legislation was passed that placed an extra tax on gasoline so workers could be given jobs rebuilding this nations infrastructure but now we have a problem. Due to the increase in gasoline prices and government regulations requiring more fuel efficient automobiles, Americans purchase way less gasoline than was purchased six years ago and this special gasoline tax no longer can pay for these infrastructure projections. The question is: do we raise the tax on gasoline 10 to 15 cents per gallon to be able to continue to fund these projects or do we scale them back?
If we scale the projects back then many workers will be out of jobs and then we will have to pay the workers unemployment and that of course takes money that was raised from some other tax source. If we raise the gasoline tax then we all will have to find ways to use less gasoline because few us can really afford the extra cost. It really doesn't make sense to give up the security and luxury of a big SUV in order to save money at the pump if the government is just going to place a higher tax on you because you purchased less gasoline.
None of us has the luxury of raising our wages just because we are faced with a higher payment on a particular bill. I doubt seriously your employer will grant you a nickel raise because your cable bill went up $8.00 a month. You will just have to buy the store brand of an item you use, eat out at Taco Bell instead of your favorite Mexican restaurant, skip an evening at the movies, or find an alternative way to view your favorite TV programs without cable
I am so tired of government, federal, state, and local, thinking the solution to every problem is to throw more money at it. The government forced manufacturers to make smaller fuel efficient cars and then forced companies to raise prices on gasoline and added taxes on fuel in order to force us to purchase those fuel efficient cars and now Obama wants to raise our gasoline taxes even more because he was successful in reducing gasoline usage. We were good citizens but we are getting punished anyway.
I really hate it for the fellow that has to get laid off but this is the decade of the baby boomer and they are about to be faced with the problem of living from a fixed income with little retirement money due to the economic crisis that led to this whole make work infrastructure projects scheme in the first place. It's like a cat chasing its tail. Even if the cat caught his tail there isn't anything it can do with the tail anyway. Our taxes went up in order to pay for the bail out of the auto industry and in order to repay the government loans dealerships were closed which cost people their jobs so in order for them to go back to work the government raised taxes on gasoline which people couldn't afford so they purchased the more fuel efficient cars which lowered the use of gasoline when negated the benefit of the gas tax so now workers are faced with losing their jobs which is where we started from to begin with. All the American people got out of this is less safe cars and a couple of tax hikes.
Don't you just love how government works for you?
If we scale the projects back then many workers will be out of jobs and then we will have to pay the workers unemployment and that of course takes money that was raised from some other tax source. If we raise the gasoline tax then we all will have to find ways to use less gasoline because few us can really afford the extra cost. It really doesn't make sense to give up the security and luxury of a big SUV in order to save money at the pump if the government is just going to place a higher tax on you because you purchased less gasoline.
None of us has the luxury of raising our wages just because we are faced with a higher payment on a particular bill. I doubt seriously your employer will grant you a nickel raise because your cable bill went up $8.00 a month. You will just have to buy the store brand of an item you use, eat out at Taco Bell instead of your favorite Mexican restaurant, skip an evening at the movies, or find an alternative way to view your favorite TV programs without cable
I am so tired of government, federal, state, and local, thinking the solution to every problem is to throw more money at it. The government forced manufacturers to make smaller fuel efficient cars and then forced companies to raise prices on gasoline and added taxes on fuel in order to force us to purchase those fuel efficient cars and now Obama wants to raise our gasoline taxes even more because he was successful in reducing gasoline usage. We were good citizens but we are getting punished anyway.
I really hate it for the fellow that has to get laid off but this is the decade of the baby boomer and they are about to be faced with the problem of living from a fixed income with little retirement money due to the economic crisis that led to this whole make work infrastructure projects scheme in the first place. It's like a cat chasing its tail. Even if the cat caught his tail there isn't anything it can do with the tail anyway. Our taxes went up in order to pay for the bail out of the auto industry and in order to repay the government loans dealerships were closed which cost people their jobs so in order for them to go back to work the government raised taxes on gasoline which people couldn't afford so they purchased the more fuel efficient cars which lowered the use of gasoline when negated the benefit of the gas tax so now workers are faced with losing their jobs which is where we started from to begin with. All the American people got out of this is less safe cars and a couple of tax hikes.
Don't you just love how government works for you?
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Aggressive Drivers
Driving doesn't have to be as dangerous as it is but some people just get too aggressive on the roadways. Aggressive drivers on the interstates are not the young people with fancy sports cars or souped up vehicles. Aggressive drivers tend to be better educated and wealthier than the average citizen and tend to drive luxury cars particularly Mercedes. BMW drivers are quite as bad but probably rank second as far as number of aggressive drivers. Just what is it about people who drive Mercedes that makes them believe they have the right to be in front.
Just for the fun of it I've driven eighty in a fifty five and still had a Mercedes tailgating me trying to get me to move out of his way. Actually that's not true but I'm sure if I did someone in a Mercedes would think he has to go faster
I just wonder if people think a sign that says "speed limit 70" is telling them 70 is the minimum speed they can drive? I encounter enough drivers who do not know they are supposed to keep their vehicles between the lines except to pass.
I really don't mind cars that are traveling faster than I am as long as they are driving reasonably. It's the ones going 15 miles an hour above the posted speed limit or the ones that want to ride my bumper trying to intimidate me into moving over that make me uncomfortable on the roadways.
The other two kinds of maneuvers that irritate me involve turning and entering a highway. The first is when I am approaching an intersection in which the roadway is marked for a left turn lane and the driver behind me tries to slip by me on the left after I turn my signals on. The other maneuver that bothers me is when I am leaving town and enter the entrance ramp to the interstate and the car behind me will always pass me as soon as we both get into lanes of traffic.
Drivers in Randleman, NC seem to be more prone to do this than anywhere else I have lived.
I'm sure we all have our pet peeves. But of all the things people do on our streets and highways non of the maneuvers involve any particular kind of car except the aggressive highway driver.
Of course not all Mercedes drivers are aggressive drivers and not all aggressive drivers drive Mercedes. But it does seem that drivers of Mercedes act like they are entitled to special privileges on the highways.
Truth or loyalty
In "The Great Controversy" E. G. White writes ( page 85) As men rejoice in the freedom which the truth brings them they are inclined to extol those whom God has employed to break the chains of error and superstition. Satan seeks to divert men's thoughts and affections from God, and to fix them upon human agencies; he leads them to honor the mere instrument and to ignore the Hand that directs all the events of providence. Too often religious leaders who are thus praised and reverenced lose sight of their dependence upon God and are led to trust in themselves. As a result they seek to control the minds and conscience of the people who are disposed to look to them for guidance instead of looking to the word of God.
One man worked tirelessly for his church whether it be manual labor or teaching or advising or serving others. To his pastor he was ever faithful but careful to serve the office and not the man. As the church grew and families were added there can a time when a man came with whom the pastor felt a close bond and the two became fast friends. A third man, a friend, relative, and neighbor of the pastors new best friend became party to the pastors friendship and as a result was given an office in the church. The third man has taken his office seriously but has chosen to serve the pastor as a person rather than the pastor as an office.
As a result the first and faithful servant has been excluded more and more from the affairs of the church. As a result of the focus on each other rather than the things of God a crack has been seen in the fabric that has held the church together and has caused it to grow. I'm not sure if the fabric can be repaired before it becomes so large that the cloth is no longer useable.
One man worked tirelessly for his church whether it be manual labor or teaching or advising or serving others. To his pastor he was ever faithful but careful to serve the office and not the man. As the church grew and families were added there can a time when a man came with whom the pastor felt a close bond and the two became fast friends. A third man, a friend, relative, and neighbor of the pastors new best friend became party to the pastors friendship and as a result was given an office in the church. The third man has taken his office seriously but has chosen to serve the pastor as a person rather than the pastor as an office.
As a result the first and faithful servant has been excluded more and more from the affairs of the church. As a result of the focus on each other rather than the things of God a crack has been seen in the fabric that has held the church together and has caused it to grow. I'm not sure if the fabric can be repaired before it becomes so large that the cloth is no longer useable.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Black koi
Of my offspring from two years ago I kept 6 koi, two solid orange and the other four were three colors, orange, black, and white. The tri-colored ones did not have the deep colors of the original parents and were mostly white but I was hoping that over time I could breed back some beautiful colors.
To my surprise one of the fish spawned and I had hundreds of babies, most of which lived over the winter. What was a bigger surprise is that most of the Koi are solid black, a few are blue and some are black with a bronze/orange belly.
To my surprise one of the fish spawned and I had hundreds of babies, most of which lived over the winter. What was a bigger surprise is that most of the Koi are solid black, a few are blue and some are black with a bronze/orange belly.
Friday, May 09, 2014
Even if you don't believe
I'm amazed at the number of people who get hostile when one mentions anything about Jesus or God. There was an article on the web yesterday about money and how the bible was wrong. One quote it the article was " money is the root of all evil" and to prove the scriptures wrong the author quoted good rich people do with their money.
I'm glad they do but that isn't the quote. The correct quote is "the love of money is the root of all evil" Actually, money isn't even the focus of this quote. What is at stake is where or what we place our highest priorities on. Some people want to become great athletes so they use drugs to improve their chances or train so much they don't have time for family or friends. Some people want to be rich so badly they have committed murder. How about the person who so desires another person that they commit infidelity or worse. Wanting to have money or to be athletic, or to be with the person you love is not wrong. What is wrong is being so fixated on something or someone at the expense of life itself.
The second quote used in the article says that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven" This quote has nothing to do with being rich as the author believes but everything to do with what we place or priorities on.
You may have noticed I did not mention Jesus or God or religion once in my answer but the person who responded to my comments said, and I quote "jesus, jesus, jesus, why can't you religions types just shut up about jesus" Small "j's" were his, not mine".
I admit there is a possibility that there is no Jesus or no God. Maybe the day I finally admitted I could not dislodge the huge limb stuck in a tree and said "God, this is your problem" and the limb fell out of the tree was just a coincidence. Maybe the day I admitted I would never be able to get rid of the huge stump and said "God, this is your problem" and a man with a big chainsaw just drove up looking for wood and cut the stump up for me.
Maybe hen the doctors told me my wife just suffered a brain aneurysm and air lifted her to a larger hospital. That hospital also said she had suffered an aneurysm. Thirty two churches were praying for her. Even though two hospitals and four medical tests proved she had suffered an aneurysm the doctors could not find it. When my wife was suffering from double vision due to damage to her fourth cranial nerve and was told she would always have double vision, maybe it was just fate that caused her eyes to suddenly go back into focus.
I live from social security and when my wife was hospitalized we lost her income plus incurred all the medical bills. She had no income for over a year. I said I would put my faith in God to take care of us just as He promised he would. We paid all the medical bills, met all our monthly obligations,
and even paid in full our car payment, all our credit card bills, and all other bills except for one without assistance from anyone and without touching my savings account.
Time after time I have had my needs met at the exact tine they had to be taken care of when it was impossible for me to do so. You may believe it is just coincidence and you may be correct. Let me ask those of you who do not believe in God or Christ something. If you are correct and this life is all there is how will you ever know? If I am wrong and there is no afterlife then we are even. neither of us will know. But if you are wrong and I am right, then I get to spend eternity in heaven with my savior. You will get to spend eternity knowing that I was right and you were wrong.
When I was a young man I had my doubts too. I studied all the major religions and philosophies. I had to decide if God was real or not and if He was, whose God was He? Then when I decided He did exist and the God of Christians was the only one that was alive I had to decide witch church to belong too. I studied the bible and attended services from the Catholic church, the Lutherans, the Methodists, The Southern Baptists, the American Baptist, the Free Will Baptists, the Church of England, the Episcopalians, and a few I can't remember. The churches I did not get to attend I studied their doctrines and I made my decision based on which church came closest to teaching and practicing what I believe the bible was teaching.
No I will not condemn you or criticize you for being a non believer. I will tell you that Jesus is real and that he loves you and he died on the cross as payment of the penalty for your transgressions and if you accept His free gift you too can have eternal life. What you do with that knowledge is up to you. No, I will not tell you how to live, even if you become a Christian. That is God's job to clean you up, not mine.
I do know that what many people, even those who claim to be Christian, believe the bible says and what it really teaches is vastly different. For sure, many people can quote a few scriptures and many have a basic understanding of what the general concept of Christianity but few really study their bibles and pray asking for understanding. Asking for and receiving a different translation is not the key to understanding the bible. Study and pray are.
A good example would be the robe Jesus wore at His trial. Matthew says the robe was scarlet, Luke said it was purple, and John said it was purple. Mark said only that it was gorgeous . You can translated that all you want and you still come up with purple, scarlet, and gorgeous. You can't go my so-called biblical scholars who try to convince you that the purple was so faded that some thought it looked red and make all kinds of color charts to prove their point. The robe was dyed with Tyrian purple and Tyrian purple only gets brighter when exposed to sunlight and weather. God didn't forget what color the robe was nor did the men writing down the scripture make a judgment call as to what they saw.
We do sometimes when one of us thinks something is blue and another person swears it is green. No, each man saw what God wanted him to see. If you are a Christian contact me and I will explain the answer. If you are a non-believer then the answer is not what you need to be focusing on at the moment. Once you fully understand God's plan of salvation and accept that then you can move on in growing in truth.
If you continue to reject God then I wish you a long life.
I'm glad they do but that isn't the quote. The correct quote is "the love of money is the root of all evil" Actually, money isn't even the focus of this quote. What is at stake is where or what we place our highest priorities on. Some people want to become great athletes so they use drugs to improve their chances or train so much they don't have time for family or friends. Some people want to be rich so badly they have committed murder. How about the person who so desires another person that they commit infidelity or worse. Wanting to have money or to be athletic, or to be with the person you love is not wrong. What is wrong is being so fixated on something or someone at the expense of life itself.
The second quote used in the article says that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven" This quote has nothing to do with being rich as the author believes but everything to do with what we place or priorities on.
You may have noticed I did not mention Jesus or God or religion once in my answer but the person who responded to my comments said, and I quote "jesus, jesus, jesus, why can't you religions types just shut up about jesus" Small "j's" were his, not mine".
I admit there is a possibility that there is no Jesus or no God. Maybe the day I finally admitted I could not dislodge the huge limb stuck in a tree and said "God, this is your problem" and the limb fell out of the tree was just a coincidence. Maybe the day I admitted I would never be able to get rid of the huge stump and said "God, this is your problem" and a man with a big chainsaw just drove up looking for wood and cut the stump up for me.
Maybe hen the doctors told me my wife just suffered a brain aneurysm and air lifted her to a larger hospital. That hospital also said she had suffered an aneurysm. Thirty two churches were praying for her. Even though two hospitals and four medical tests proved she had suffered an aneurysm the doctors could not find it. When my wife was suffering from double vision due to damage to her fourth cranial nerve and was told she would always have double vision, maybe it was just fate that caused her eyes to suddenly go back into focus.
I live from social security and when my wife was hospitalized we lost her income plus incurred all the medical bills. She had no income for over a year. I said I would put my faith in God to take care of us just as He promised he would. We paid all the medical bills, met all our monthly obligations,
and even paid in full our car payment, all our credit card bills, and all other bills except for one without assistance from anyone and without touching my savings account.
Time after time I have had my needs met at the exact tine they had to be taken care of when it was impossible for me to do so. You may believe it is just coincidence and you may be correct. Let me ask those of you who do not believe in God or Christ something. If you are correct and this life is all there is how will you ever know? If I am wrong and there is no afterlife then we are even. neither of us will know. But if you are wrong and I am right, then I get to spend eternity in heaven with my savior. You will get to spend eternity knowing that I was right and you were wrong.
When I was a young man I had my doubts too. I studied all the major religions and philosophies. I had to decide if God was real or not and if He was, whose God was He? Then when I decided He did exist and the God of Christians was the only one that was alive I had to decide witch church to belong too. I studied the bible and attended services from the Catholic church, the Lutherans, the Methodists, The Southern Baptists, the American Baptist, the Free Will Baptists, the Church of England, the Episcopalians, and a few I can't remember. The churches I did not get to attend I studied their doctrines and I made my decision based on which church came closest to teaching and practicing what I believe the bible was teaching.
No I will not condemn you or criticize you for being a non believer. I will tell you that Jesus is real and that he loves you and he died on the cross as payment of the penalty for your transgressions and if you accept His free gift you too can have eternal life. What you do with that knowledge is up to you. No, I will not tell you how to live, even if you become a Christian. That is God's job to clean you up, not mine.
I do know that what many people, even those who claim to be Christian, believe the bible says and what it really teaches is vastly different. For sure, many people can quote a few scriptures and many have a basic understanding of what the general concept of Christianity but few really study their bibles and pray asking for understanding. Asking for and receiving a different translation is not the key to understanding the bible. Study and pray are.
A good example would be the robe Jesus wore at His trial. Matthew says the robe was scarlet, Luke said it was purple, and John said it was purple. Mark said only that it was gorgeous . You can translated that all you want and you still come up with purple, scarlet, and gorgeous. You can't go my so-called biblical scholars who try to convince you that the purple was so faded that some thought it looked red and make all kinds of color charts to prove their point. The robe was dyed with Tyrian purple and Tyrian purple only gets brighter when exposed to sunlight and weather. God didn't forget what color the robe was nor did the men writing down the scripture make a judgment call as to what they saw.
We do sometimes when one of us thinks something is blue and another person swears it is green. No, each man saw what God wanted him to see. If you are a Christian contact me and I will explain the answer. If you are a non-believer then the answer is not what you need to be focusing on at the moment. Once you fully understand God's plan of salvation and accept that then you can move on in growing in truth.
If you continue to reject God then I wish you a long life.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Lawn Care Services
From time to time everyone needs help with their lawn care needs. Maybe your mower is in the shop for repairs or you have to be away from home for a week or two or maybe you prefer to have someone else take care of your lawn care needs on a weekly bases. Whatever your needs I know of two men who are in the business of mowing grass: Jeff Smith and Wendell Herring.
I am not endorsing these two men nor am I recommending them. They have just started their lawn care business and I have no idea if they are good at it or not. What I can tell you is I know the two fellows and they are of good character, not given to strong drink and they have been dependable people for as long as I have know them.
The contact number for them is 336 858 7127 or 336 267 7887.
I am not endorsing these two men nor am I recommending them. They have just started their lawn care business and I have no idea if they are good at it or not. What I can tell you is I know the two fellows and they are of good character, not given to strong drink and they have been dependable people for as long as I have know them.
The contact number for them is 336 858 7127 or 336 267 7887.
What Color was the Robe?
"What Color Was the Robe?" was the title of my message tonight. I don't get to preach often but I try to be ready. Honestly, I believe this message was a good one for any preacher. I know I learned a great deal through the preparation and I believe the congregation learned a lot tonight also.
I did record this message and I am going to make a few copies available to family and a couple of preachers. I normally don't mail out copies but I will make an exception. If you would like a copy e-mail me at dsprl2000@yahoo.com and leave me your address and I'll see you get a copy.
I did record this message and I am going to make a few copies available to family and a couple of preachers. I normally don't mail out copies but I will make an exception. If you would like a copy e-mail me at dsprl2000@yahoo.com and leave me your address and I'll see you get a copy.
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