Brick and mortar versus on-line

  For the most part, brick and mortar stores can no longer compete against online retailers.  In order to shop traditional retailers, one has to get dressed (some just wear their bed clothes but most people do put on clothes) drive to a store, look around and if one doesn't find what they are looking for, then on to the next store, or the next town in many cases.  Often it is a return trip home empty handed because one could not find what one was looking for, found the price to high, or the quality lacking.  Or one can sit at their computer, search for an item, compare prices among different competitors, place an order, and wait a day or two (at most three in most cases) and the item will be delivered to ones doorstep.
   There are notably exceptions:  when an item in known to be in stock locally at a good price, when one is unsure how an item looks, feels, or fits, when an item is needed now, when an item is perishable (and this is changing) , and as an excuse to get out of the house.
   Shopping  by not going to stores is not a new concept.  Sears and Roebuck built a big business through catalogue sales.  JC Penny did also.  Big retailers often make fatal mistakes.  WT Grant
closed down after their credit card fiasco.  Montgomery Wards was well on their way out by the time I reached adulthood (I can't remember why).  K-mart and Sears were both hurt by poor customer service.  Roses was did in by not having adequate in stock conditions, especially of sale items.
  I don't like Walmart.  They have come to small town America and changed the face and character of the towns  that they locate in.  I'm leery of buying certain items there because they are only sold at Walmart.  Often the items are good items are a good price but if something (or rather when) goes wrong, no one has the parts to fix the item.  If it's broke it is no bargain.
  Sears should have been the one to jump into online sale with both feet but they were too busy figuring out how to make their customers shopping experience a big hassle.  No, retailers have waited on Amazon.com to get too large to be able to compete with them.  Customers still need to be careful though.  I love Amazon but not everything is a bargain.    I recently ordered an item that locally sold for $110.00 and Amazon wanted $69.99 for for only $29.99.  It was the exact same item, same mfg..  It was not one of those to good to be true buys.
   No one can be the cheapest on everything.  Not Walmart and not Amazon.    And yes, there are people who will figure out how to rip you off.  A company has to learn how to deal with them without making life harder for all the honest folks.  I'm rather tired of the minority dictating to the most of us how we live and shop and think and feel.
   If many of our traditional stores are to survive, they need to adapt their way of doing business.
For example, I'm in need of a new mower.  Their is a dealer I pass often and I looked on line to see their selection and prices but they only show their bigger mowers.   I know they sell lawn tractors
as well as zero turn but the lawn tractors are not featured on their website.  How convenient for me if I could survey their entire selection , be able to compare quality and price, order the product and arrange delivery without actually driving to the store, writing down the model numbers and prices, then coming back home, doing the research, then driving back to the store to make my purchase.  it would be doubly frustrating if I returned to the store and my selection was no longer available.  
   Companies, big and small, have to learn that in order to survive, they have to learn to do business the customers way and quit trying to force the customer to do business their way.

Agent Orange

  For those Veterans who served boots on the ground in Vietnam, you are fully aware of Agent Orange.  For those of you who do not know what Agent Orange is, or was, just be glad you didn't have to deal with it.  Agent Orange was a chemical compound used to defoliate the forest and fields in Vietnam.  Jungles were thick which made fighting difficult and gave the enemy many places to hide.
  But Agent Orange did more than defoliate Vietnam:  It affected the troops there and caused health problems and continues to do so.  I had one and now I have been diagnosed with another.  My civilian doctor discovered the potential problem and referred me to a specialist who confirmed my doctors suspicions.  When setting up a treatment schedule I informed them that I may prefer to be seen by the VA (mainly for financial reasons).. I asked for an estimate of my out of pocket expenses if they did the procedure.
  When I hadn't heard in a week I called and they had not done the analysis yet because the doctor forget to ask for one.  Then I was told they couldn't give me one because the VA had not sent an authorization yet.  I don't think the woman understood I was trying to make a decision as to whom was going to treat m:  them because of convenience or the VA based on cost.  An authorization means that   the private sector provider does the work at VA expense.  
    I then sent an e-mail to the civilian provider explaining the situation.  I think they understand now.  I just wanted a simple answer to a simple question.
  I will have to make 40 trips to the hospital in 8 weeks regardless of who treats me.  I can go to Randolph County Hospital 10 minutes from the house or make the trip to Winston-Salem every day.
The trip to W-S will only cost me car expenses and time.  To be treated at Randolph County Hospital will cost me some cash. I just need to know if the amount is small enough to offset free care and the drive to W-S on a daily bases.
   In the mean time, I'm not getting any healthier, except for the AMD in my right eye.  The blood buildup is now gone.    

managing diabetes

   Diabetes seems to be a common ailment and so many of us struggle to control this disease.  It isn't a disease on gets by being fat but being overweight does increase ones risk of getting and treating this disease.  The worse part of the disease is the "spikes" in blood sugar levels after eating.

    A person's A1c should be 5.0 or less (that is an average of ones glucose level over a 90 period.  The daily glucose reading should remain between 90 to 110.  Ones blood sugar should be in the high 70's to low 80's just before a meal and should not rise above 160 during the two hours after eating.

   If ones blood sugar is to low or to high one can go into a coma and their life can be endangered.

  There are several things one can do.
     1.  Exercise every day.
     2.  Monitor your blood sugar levels and adjust your medication as necessary
     3.  Follow a proper diet.

 Exercising is not for weight loss per se but to build your muscles thereby stimulating your immune system.
      Without    knowing ones current condition it is impossible to handle the situation.  When ones blood sugar drops a person gets shaky and hungry.  When ones blood sugar gets too high, one can feel tired, light headed and hungry.  Sometimes it is difficult to know whether ones hunger is due to high or low blood sugar.  One certainly does not want to eat when the blood sugar is high.
  Following a proper diet can help control fluctuations in glucose levels.  Eating at the same time each day, avoiding starch foods, not adding salt or butter, and eating proper portion sizes and portion numbers.
   Work with your doctor to get the proper medication and use it like it is supposed to be used.

   My A1c had been averaging between 8.8 and 9.6, way to high for anyone and I seemed to be gaining weight every month.  I finally decided to take control  and follow the same advise I just gave you.  For the past month my average glucose reading in the morning before breakfast has been in the eighties.  My spikes after eating has been to 125 except for once when it reached 172.  ( I know what I did that day I should not have done).

    By proper eating my weight has come down and so far I have lost 20 pounds.
   My exercise program consists of  doing water aerobics for an hour and a half M-W-F and walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes T-T-S.

  It isn't easy but the results makes it worth while.

Southwest Airlines apologizes after coach's claim that staffer asked her to prove biracial son was her child

   I do not think Southwest Airlines has anything to apologize for.  If anything she owes them an apology for getting upset that the airline employee was looking out for the best interest of her child.
   In case you didn't read the story, a female basketball coach who is white tried to board a plane with a biracial baby.  The cause for concern for  the airline employee was that her last name and the baby's last name were different.  The employee just wanted to make sure the baby was safe.

Comment sections

  MSN website does not allow comments on their articles and I have come across some other news providers that do not allow comments on their articles either.  The reason cited by one site, and I have no doubt their reasoning is the same or nearly the same as other sites not allowing comments, is that so many of the comments are filled with hate, intolerance, racial slurs, insults, and rudeness.
   Many years ago CB radios became popular in passenger cars and one could apply for a license to operate one.  I had one and found them to be handy in some circumstances.  But as the radios became more popular people would resort to insulting other users and things got so bad that most people stopped using CB's so they didn't have to listen to the disrespectful chatter.
   It does seems that when you give people freedom to express themselves and the anonymity to hide their identity then the harassing speech quickly follows.  Democrats insult Republicans, whites insult blacks, non believers insult Christians, straights insult gays, men comment on women's bodies and what they would like to do, and almost everyone insults police officers.  The other side of this coin is just as childish as the first side.
  We can have a difference of opinion and have a meaningful discussion without resorting to calling each other names.  Once one person attacks then the other goes into defensive mode and the fight is on.  It should not be this way.

A deeper faith 5-27-2018

  I missed the first three but if you view this message please leave me a comment, even if just your first name.  Our pastor is young but our attendance is growing.  I would like for you to join us.

fishing

  Today was one of those rare occasions when I got to go fishing.  Yesterday I sent my mower out for repair and it was returned today:  cost was $37.00.  One of the hooks that holds the fan belt in place was bent.  The repairman disconnected that annoying feature that requires one to stop the blades before going in reverse.  The pickup and delivery charge was $25.00 so I got out cheap.  I also fixed the church sign but got one line crooked. The cost of all the letters was only $10.00 I also got out cheap.   I feel bad for getting the line crooked but once the letters are on the sign they are there to stay.
  The VA called and approved my medications and filled my prescriptions.

  So far I'm having a good day.  

Diabetes, weight loss, and prostate cancer

  My last three A1c screening were disturbing: 9.6, 8.4, and then back to 9.6.  The average healthy person has an A1c of around 5.  I was taking Metformin, glipizide, and insulin.  The doctor dropped insulin and added Invokana and when that didn't help wanted to put me on Humolog.  I thought to myself, this is unacceptable.
  Even though I had been losing weight I diabetes was out of control.  I exercise regularly and thought I was doing what I was supposed to do.  Then I realized my problem.  A healthy diet isn't just about eating the correct number of calories and getting proper nutrition.  For a diabetic it's also about controlling spikes in blood sugar.  One side affect of failing to control ones diabetes is high triglycerides.  Why my total cholesterol was low, my good was acceptable as was my bad, my  triglycerides was extremely high.  What's really sad is I take medicine to keep it within proper range but it's still out of control.
  I decided enough was enough.  It is more than necessary to control what I eat as well as how much.
I have stopped taking the Invokana , never took the humolog, and my average blood sugar reading before breakfast has dropped from over 200 to 90.  And just as good, my blood sugar spikes, which once jumped into the 4 and five hundreds has stabilized as less than 125, except once.  My wife has some dilly bars and I ate a couple bites of one.  My blood sugar spiked to 180.  That's not unacceptable but that's not what I want to accomplish.
  As far as weight loss, I've dropped 20 pounds so far.  I'm halfway to my goal and I'm making steady progress.
  Oh yea, the other thing.  I just got the news.  It's not all bad.  It's non life threatening for now and it's treatable.  I am also a Vietnam Vet who was boots-on-the-ground so I get some help.  I should because chances are good that being in Nam gave me my health problems to begin with.  My weight gain is a side effect of the medications I take.  It's really difficult for me to lose weight because my medicine leaves me with a hungry feeling 24/7.  I've gone to a buffet, eaten until I'm full, and still feel hungry.  But I'm winning the battle of the bulge, getting my blood sugar under control, and I'll beat the prostate cancer too.  

If it sounds to good to be true

  Last year a friend told us about the great health insurance plan they had through AARP called Medicare complete.  I called the company and they said there would be no premiums.  I gave them a list of my current medications   and they assured me there was zero cost if I filled them through there online pharmacy.
   This is a big decision because I was receiving care through the VA.  My prescriptions were only $8.00  a month but with all my prescriptions and supplies the total came to $64.00.  It's not much but I'm on a fixed income so if I could save $64.00 a month I would.  The biggest hurdle is that the VA will only fill prescriptions they write and only at the VA.  I would have to see a civilian doctor.  I didn't mind since the co-pay was zero and I could get more responsive care.  I made the change.
 
The first time I had my meds filled they were zero except for the insulin.  They said there was a $25.00 co-pay.  I would have still made the switch if they had told be that but I had asked them point blank and they said is would be zero.  All tier one drugs are zero cost.
 
   Now they want to charge me $578.00.  They claim my medication should never have been free and that I have reached my deductible.  None of that was explained when I took the insurance.  Since it costs nothings I will keep it but I'll not get prescriptions from the AARP Health Care plan anymore.

 

May 13, 2018 Proverbs 31 woman

"If we let everyone go then there would be no one in jail"

  A story on MSNBC details the plight on one young woman who was stopped for a tag light being out on her car.  The officer that stopped her discovered the lady had an suspended driver's license and a failure to appear on another traffic charge.  He was just going to give her a citation and have her car towed but another officer talked him into arresting her.
   This article isn't about this particular woman but about the plight of many people, particularly blacks and especially young black women.  It details their plight because so many are to poor to afford bail money. It is written so as to make us feel sorry for those ladies and to set us against the bail system.
   In fact the bail system is in place so that people do not have to spend time in jail while awaiting trial.  I do not believe the bail system is unfair to poor people.  The lady should have registered her car as required by law.  If she had then she would not have been charged in the first place.  If she had gone to court instead of skipping the court date because she could not afford the ticket, the courts would have worked with her.  If she had made sure her car was legal to drive she would not have been stopped the second time.
   In other words if somewhere in this scenario she had acceptable responsibility for her actions she would never had needed bail in the first place.
  Being poor is no disgrace.  I'm poor.  My income places me just barely above the poverty line.  I keep my car repaired and I obey the law.  Recently I mailed my taxes to the tax department.  It should have been mailed to the NCDMV so my tag expired before I got my new sticker.  I had to arrange rides for the important stuff and skip the non essential things for a couple of weeks.  I could have easily just jumped in my car and driven it to the church which is a straight shot of 1/2 mile from the house.  Chances are high I would never had been stopped.  But if I had been I would have had a ticket to pay plus court costs.  If I just didn't go to court because I didn't have the money for the ticket I could have ended up in jail just like this woman.  It has nothing to do with being young, black or female.  It has everything to do with  making proper decisions and accepting responsibility.

My new plants

The top picture is the hanging planter  which I placed some plants from the spring plant sale at the zoo.  The center picture is of the new butterfly garden .  it has a butterfly bush, two kinds of bee balm, a black eyed Susan and one other plant with a funny name.  

The bottom picture is a mistake.   

Visit with friends

   I served in Vietnam in 1971/1972.  I was an air crewman on planes that flew daily missions in support of our troops inn Vietnam  and on my first mission I met a fellow sailor and we have been friends since that February day in 1971.  Through the years I have been to his place in Ohio and he has come to visit me wherever I have lived.  About 16 years ago he and his wife retired and for eight years traveled the United States of America visiting various beaches.  Eight years ago they purchased a motor home and have traveled around the Southern States.  Often in the Spring they head home to Ohio to visit family and friends there and quite often will stop by to visit me.  A few years ago they made it here for my birthday in November and gave me a lottery ticket as a present.
   They play occasionally and the most my friend and his wife have ever won was $40.00 but the one they gave me was worth a thousand.  I did share with them.
   They stopped by yesterday for a visit.   My old friend, although 4 years younger than me, is not in the best of health and he and his wife are considering settling down.  He said he was a little jealous of my house and gardens.  I told him I had been a little envious of all the different places he has been and things he has seen.
  We all have to make our choices in this life and when we chose to do something then a lot of others things give left by the wayside.  Often people let life dictate their decisions but sometimes we have to be bold and reach out for our dreams For me it is to be the best servant of God that I can be and to make my wife love me.

Mothers Day and the Zoo

  Instead of buying my wife a bouquet of flowers and dinner for Mother's day or Valentines Day, I try to find a way to make the day last forever, or at least a very long time.  I started by planting her a rose bush and now I have six.  I made her a rock garden and placed a statue of an angel in the center as a memorial to her mother since her mother was fond of angels.
   This year i celebrated her days by building her a butterfly garden.  I made a list of flowers and plants that are attractive to butterflies and purchased some of those plants at the spring plant sale at the NC Zoo at Asheboro.  I snagged 11 plants for only $42.00,  Seven of those plants were   strictly for the butterfly garden.  Three were for a hanging basket and the other one was for our water feature.    Neither the water feature or the butterfly garden is impressive now but once the plants fill out and multiply it is going to be very attractive to butterflies and to us.  It may take a year or two to live up to it's potential.  I already had a butterfly bush and a phlox garden as well as some Milk Weed, which I purchased last year at the Zoo plant sale.  Last year my butterfly bush, planted at the front of the house, was covered in butterflies for much of the summer.
   Milk weed is supposedly the only plant that Monarch butterflies will land on.  That may well be why we just don't see them around here.  They look much healthier this year than when I planted them and are beginning to multiply.  They have an orange flower on them.
  I'm not suggesting that you plant your Mom a flower garden because she may not want one for various reasons.  That's just what I do and my wife likes the idea.  If you really want to honor your Mom on mother's day take her to church and just spend some time with her.  The bible tells us to honor our Mother's and we will live long.  There is a big difference between saying "I love you", just showing respect, and really honoring your Mother so don't think you are fulfilling the commandment just because you call her now and then, stop by once in a while and buy her some flowers and/or a card on Mothers Day.
   I don't care if she is the meanest, most hateful, or undeserving Mother in the world.  God says we are to honor her.  do you know more than God?

Left over furniture.

  There are a few furniture items left from the yard sale at Academy Street Baptist.  A set of bunk beds and a bedroom set.  if one knows how to refinish furniture the bedroom set could be made to be a really nice set.  Contact the church( Facebook/ Anthony/Larissa Green) if you are interested.  We are trying to get a nice playground set for the kids.

Wednesday Night, May 9, 2018.

 Wednesday night at 6 pm Jimmy Davis will be the guest speaker at Academy Street Baptist Church.  He is a guitar picker, singer as well as a preacher.  I'm looking forward to seeing him Wednesday night.  I would really like to see you there too.

Battle with Diabetes

  For the past year or so I lost control of my diabetic conditional and my A1c has been at least 8.4 but more often up to 9.6.  For those who don't know A1c means the average blood sugar reading for the past 3 months.  Normal is 5.0 or below.
   Diabetics test their blood sugar reading using a meter and test stripe which gives us a daily reading.
The reading at a normal level is 90 -110.  In order to get an A1c of 8.4 or higher ones blood sugar   needs to average around 400 or higher on a daily basis.
  What makes it difficult is one can have a test result of 160 first thing in the morning and then have a proper breakfast but still have a blood sugar spike up to 400 and 500 hundred.  The cause is the body is not making insulin or not making enough insulin.  The solution is medicine, usually metformin.  If one cannot control their diabetes with metformin then other medicines are prescribed, then insulin and then other types of medicine can be given.  How much and when depends upon a particular person's ability to regulate their blood sugar reading.
   A person's diet and weight and exercise regime has a lot to do with their diabetes.  In my case I was able to control mine through diet for many years.  I lost 50 pounds and when I retired I embarked on a rigorous exercise program.  I thought I was fine until my next doctor's visit but I wasn't.  I began taking insulin.   I was warned that insulin would probably cause me to gain some weight.  It did.,  Over the next few years I gained 34 pounds but only had to take a token amount of insulin.  But in the last year my ability to control my blood sugar readings was almost nil.  My doctor but me on Invokana as well as increased  my insulin usage.  It seemed my diabetes got worse.  My doctor increased how often I take insulin and prescribed another medication.  Invokana is expensive and so is the additional medication.  In fact the two medications together is twice my monthly disposable income.
    I made a decision.  i was not going to allow diabetes to control me.  Even though I exercise everyday for at least an hour and I had been losing weight (13 pounds in three months) my diabetes was winning the battle for my health.  I made another change in my diet.  It has been hard.  I'll have to wait to find out if I continue to lose weight but my morning blood sugar reading has dropped from an average of 220 to  95.  My last two have been below 90 so I'll have to be careful not to let it drop too low.  I'm really encouraged by the results.
   I'm not saying I have the problem under control.  It's still to early to tell.  All I can say for now is that things are better.  

Teacher of the year shares speech Trump wouldn't let her read to reporters

   I am a Republican but I also am a Christian.  As a Republican I do believe in having a strong business economy so people will have jobs, earn a good living, and provide for themselves.  I did believe we needed health care reform as we should be able to purchase descent health care no matter where we work but that's pretty much it for me.
   As a Christian I do have a lot of sympathy and empathy for others.  I agree that immigrants and refuges  have a right to the same benefits of being American as Americans do except for voting and office holding.  But I also think that if you are a citizen of another country, the country you are a citizen of is the one responsible for you.  If you break into my house, I'm not going to feed and clothe you and see that you have an education and a job.  I'm going to call the police and you will be arrested.
   It is expensive yet humane that this country  does jail people for long periods of time for being here illegally but does provide them transportation back to their home.  How would you feel if someone broke into your house and all the police did was give them a ride home?  The police won't give you a ride to work if your car broke down.  They won't give your kids a ride to school if they miss the bus and your spouse is driving the only car in the family.  What if we treated illegal immigrants exactly the same as their home countries would treat you if you decided to take up residence there without the legal right to do so?
   I understand why people want to live in America and I understand that they are human just like me and I also understand they are willing to do the jobs that most Americans are unwilling to do.  If allowing anyone who wants to live here just move here is the way Americans think it should be then let our laws reflect that.  In order for a society to function properly we must have laws to govern behavior and for that society to survive we must have citizen that obey those laws.  Just because you disagree with the law does not give you the right to violate that law. It does give you the right to attempt to change that law.

Staycation

    My favorite way of taking a vacation is a one day road trip.  Occasionally my wife and I will stay over night somewhere, as we did Thursday night in our trip to Kure beach.  The weather was perfect, the beaches clean, and the travel uneventful except for one incident of someone entering Andrew Jackson Hwy's North bound lane heading South.  I didn't get to see the outcome of that event but I do hope it was uneventful.
    My wife and I had a great time.  The walk on the beach   was really nice, the fishing was great, the motel room was comfortable, and all the events were enjoyable.  In fact, those two days were some of the most enjoyable of my life.  Still, it was nice to get home.

My Advise To Younger People

   "The Chickens always come home to roast" the old saying goes.  "You are what you eat", states another.
  What do these old saying have to do we advise to young people?  I'm glad you asked.

   I've got common health problems:  high blood pressure, diabetes, and a few others, mostly caused by improper eating.  When I was young I worked hard so didn't think much of exercising and I had bad eating habits.  Often I'd have a light breakfast if I had breakfast at all and fast food for lunch.  I had a nice supper followed by desert.   After I received a promotion and began to travel  my eating habits got worse.  Often I didn't have time for breakfast and it was almost always a burger for lunch.  But once I got home, usually late in the day, I seemed so hungry I just couldn't seem to stop eating.

    I told myself that I was still young and once I got older I would develop better eating habits.  I did get older and I have adopted better eating habits but much to late.  I thought I was fine:  just a little overweight but once I got into a situation where I had steady regular hours then I could eat properly.  I was shocked when we had a health clinic at work and I discovered I was in sad shape.
  My advise:  develop good habits now and avoid the health pitfalls later.  They will come and then it's almost always to late.

fishing trip

Left the house at 7 am for a leisure fishing trip with some friends at a private pond.  Al got a strike before his bait had a chance to get completely wet.  But things settled down as quickly as they began.  Mark caught one then Al caught a few more, including a nice size bass.  Even the preacher snagged a couple after the fish began to bite around 10 o'clock when the weather began to warm up.  As for me, I was having problems associated with my recent medical exam and had to excuse myself from the trip just as the fishing was getting really good.  
  Still, I enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine .  Looking forward to the next trip.

Cherry tree disappointment

In 2016 I ordered a cherry tree that was a universal pollinator and GUARENTEED to produce cherries the very first year.  What I received was a five foot stick.  It did grow some limbs the first year but the tree was only an offshoot of the original after the first year and last year that shoot grew to about three feet high.  This spring that shoot was just a dead stick with a few signs of life at the very bottom of the stick.  Today I declared the cherry tree officially dead.

Apple trees, cedar apple rust and life.

  We are studying fruit in Sunday School.  Fruit, of course, is the fruit of the Spirit.  The first lesson we talked about how to plant a tree to allow the tree to develop a healthy root system.  I have observed that some people seem to be doing things right but never mature as Christians.  it seems like the sins of this world have a hold on them and they just can't seem to let go.  The cedar apple rust life cycle reminds me of what many people go through.  They may be well grounded in the principals of their faith.  They study the bible, attend church, pray, and are involved   in church activities the way they should be but they lack the fruit that a mature Christian should produce.  The cycle of sin in their lives deforms them.  it takes outside intervention and a good treatment program to help these people survive and then thrive.
   So very often instead of offering struggling Christians a helping hand we criticize and belittle them or just ignore them and they eventually succumb to the disease and die off.  The bible says that unproductive trees should be dug around, dunged, and pruned to give them the opportunity to grow.  Scripture teaches us that we should love our brethren so we should be there to love and support them and to help them conquer their sin problem so that they may mature and bear good fruit.

cedar apple rust

   The galls on cedar/juniper trees opened today after the heavy rains continuing the cedar apple rust life.  Cedar apple rust follows a two year life cycle and will severely deformed apple trees and it's fruit.    The first years I had my apple trees they were heavily infected so I have been using a fruit tree spray with mixed success.  I recently discovered the most effective methods to eliminate the disease is to spray cedar trees from August 15th through October 15 every two weeks, and to remove any galls (dark brown hard balls) from cedar trees.  The best method is to remove any cedar trees within a 3 mile radius of the apple trees but that is impossible in most cases.  Spraying the apple trees every two weeks starting in spring when the apple trees come out of dormancy until after the galls break open will control the spread of the disease.
   I removed several galls from my cedar trees but I missed one small one.  As soon as the rain subsides I will spray my trees again and then one more application in two weeks.  I hope that I can minimize or prevent a re-infection this spring.  Last years the disease wasn't as bad as in previous years and the deformed trees are beginning to recover.  Most of them have apples this year and my healthier trees are loaded for the first time.  Maybe I'll have enough fruit so that the birds and squirrels won't eat all my fruit.

prostrate Biopsy

   Monday, April 23, 2018 at 2 pm I had an appointment for a prostrate biopsy.  It was 2:40 when I was called to go back.  First thing was a urine test then the nurse had me fill out a questionnaire and then described what I was going to go through. Before disrobing I was given a hinny shot of antibiotics.  The needle was long and the syringe was a big fat tube and it seemed like the nurse had to push forever to empty the contents into me.  There was just the initial  sting when the needle was first inserted but it wasn't all that unpleasant.
   Afterwards I disrobed and place a paper sheet over me the laid on my left side with my butt hanging slightly off the exam table.  I was administered a numbing gel which I have no idea what was numbed.  A scope was inserted in me and was twisted around in circles.  I saw the nurse hand the doctor this big plastic tube, bright green.  It reminded me of the color of  a cheap water pistol.  It seemed to me it was about eight inches long and about two inches in diameter.  It help a spring, a triggering mechanism, and a long needle.  When the trigger was pulled the needle sprang forward with a loud click.
  I believe the trigger was pulled about a dozen times, then I was told to lay on my back for about five minutes.  The entire procedure lasted about 10 minutes (counting from the time the doctor came into the room and I was allowed to leave.  It took a few minutes to check out and after I left it took another 35 minutes to drive home.  It was about four o'clock when I walked in the door.
 I was returning to normalcy by that time and I felt as if I had had a firecracker exploded in my butt and then my butthole set on fire for a couple of seconds.  standing up was unpleasant and sitting down was done with caution and discomfort, to put it mildly.  I had taken an extra soaker pad from the doctors office and stuffed in my underwear and I'm glad I did ; otherwise I might have ruined a pair of pants and my car seat.
   When I go to the bathroom my urine is initially pink and I was told that for ne next month or so my sperm will be pink.
  I was less sore on Tuesday and so far I fell normal today.  I just have to be careful not to strain myself or the bleeding could increase.  I kept one bit of information from the doctor and that is the medicine I'm taking for my AMD which is a  cancer drug that prevents blood from clotting so cancer cells can't multiple.  I don't have cancer but I do have AMD (adult related muscular degeneration)   or bleeding behind the eye.  That medication can affect my ability to stop bleeding from surgical procedures.

The Ugly Coded Critique of Chick-Fil-A's Christianity Stephen L. Carter 4

  A New Yorker wrote an article in response to Chick-fill A's building restaurants in New York as 'creepy Christianity"  Stephen L. Carter responded by claiming that to call Christianity creepy was in
de facto calling black women creepy.  He concluded that since black women are more likely to be Christian than any other segment of society that to insult Christianity is insulting them.  He explained that since 60% of blacks that are Christian are women then black women make up the largest segment of believers.
  That rezoning  reminds me of the test questions that goes like this:  If A is true and B is true then C has to be true,  To conclude that that formula is always true is not the result of good logic.  Mr. Carter made the following application:  If women are more likely to be Christian and black women make up a higher percentage of the black population that call themselves Christian then Christianity is a black women religion.. 
   Mr. Carter ignored the fact that blacks make of 15% of the population so if there is a population of 100 women then only 15 black women.  If 60%  are Christian than that means 9 out of 100 Christian women are black.  If only 20% of the remaining women called themselves Christian we still have the fact that 17 Christian women would not be black or almost twice as many non-black Christian women as white Christian women.
  I'm assuming Mr. Carter didn't do well on the math and logic parts of his college board or  IQ tests in general.
   But the biggest error I want to point out in Mr. Carter's article is that insulting Christianity is insulting Christ not his followers.

Media crucifying Shania Twain

   She was caught off guard on a question of American politics (she's Canadian).  I couldn't give an answer if asked about Canadian politics.  We have become a nation of overly tolerant and overly sensitive people.  When this country was ruled by white men our armies were made up of white men.      Yea, it was discriminatory not to let black people into the military and it sure is chauvinistic to exclude women from combat roles and lets not let the sexually confused people fight for their country.  How closed mined of the white ruling class to only allow their sons to fight the wars and die for our country.  Since being white, male, and Republican seems to be the lowest form of life in the United States of America in the 21st century many the population of this country that feels discriminated against should serve in the military and let the white boys stay home.  Give Miley Cyrus an M-16 and put her on the front lines in Iraq.  Why should it be that straight white men be the only ones allowed to die for our country.
  If there isn't enough to fill the ranks, then round up the gang members, drop them behind military lines and tell them whatever territory they capture is theirs and once they toppled the government they can make whatever laws they want to.  maybe while we are at it we can sent all the ones who think drugs should be legal to support the gang soldiers for three squares and all the pot they can smoke.
  I fought my war and I think it is about time all those who don't like my idea of what America should be to take their turn defending this country.  I was willing to die for them.  They should be willing to die for me.  

Tennesse Statue and 14 baby boys

Odd headline I agree but the headline is composed of two stories in the news I found interesting.  Some in the state of Tennessee want to erect a statue in honor of all the children who lost their lives via abortion.  Sometimes life deals us cruel circumstances and we don't always get a do over.  In fact more often than not we have to play the cards we were dealt.
  Apparently a lot of women become pregnant who didn't want to be pregnant or who changed their minds after becoming pregnant.  Raising a child is a serious responsibility as well as an expensive one.  Few people today get pregnant by accident.  If a woman feels so strongly that "It's my body"
that they use that as an excuse for an abortion and rationalizes that her quality of life would suffer because she gives birth then perhaps she should have given more careful consideration to having sex,    I doubt that it's a secret as to where babies come from and as to how they are created.  There are so many birth control methods available to women and men, I have a hard time understanding this unwanted pregnancy thing.  I also have a hard time with believing it is a woman's right to kill her fetus but after the fetus is born she can be charged with murder if she kills it.  What's the difference?
Whether inside of her or outside of her it's the same being with the same responsibilities and expenses.  The father has no say so if the woman wants to kill her child while in the womb but can be held liable for care of the child after birth.  That's not exactly fair either.
  Oh, the other story?  A couple just gave birth to their 14th child, all of which are boys.  That brings up an interesting question.  How come we say that "they are pregnant" but only she gets to determine
what happens to the baby before birth?  Any way, at the end of the story the couple comments "It's about the baby."
   Yea, that's it.  It should be about the baby.  

Yard Sale

While our yard sale was a success and there is still money to be made from other sources, there was a lot of stuff left and the goal of $1500.00 wasn't meet.  We have as lot to donate to good will, some  furniture that needs   a little refinishing to make someone a really nice addition to their home, and hopefully a antique store will take some of the home décor items, especially the lead crystal items.
    We still have a dresser, a bunk bed set, several bed sets and an assortment of bedroom furniture
for sale.  If interested check out pictures at the church websites (Academy Street Baptist) or give our pastor a call.  

The Call to Conquer April 18. 2018

Walmart steps up battle with Amazon

How you feel about Walmart is your business but I am personally not a fan.  I do like Amazon.com though.  Walmart says it allows customer to pickup and return items ordered on line at a store.  Big Whoop.  If I wanted to go to Walmart I wouldn't be shopping on line.  I live in  a small town so I either go to Walmart, go to a larger city or shop on line.
   I'm not going to order my toothpaste, mouthwash, or morning glory seeds on line so I will make that trip to Walmart for those kind of items.  For just about everything else, there is Amazon.  They drop things off at my house and if the item isn't what it should be then I ask for a return label print it off and ship the package back.  I don't have to make a special trip.  There are plenty of drop off points on my way to just about any where I'm going.  Walmart acts like they are doing me a favor by letting me pick an item up at their store but they are making me drive to a location to retrieve a package so they don't have to pay an outside carrier to deliver the package and as a way to get me to buy something else while I'm there.
  The place I would have to go to retrieve a package is conveniently located in the back of the store.  To return an item one has to get in a usually long line.  No thanks.  I go to the gym every other day and to the swimming pool on alternative days and there are drop off boxes near each location, each much closer to me than Walmart.
  There is one company that should have been Amazon and that is Sears.  It started off as a mail order company almost from the beginning.  It could have been an easy transition for them to switch from catalog sales to an e-commerce business but they had their head stuck up their own rear and missed a golden opportunity.  Walmart wants to dictate to us how we shop and to me have proven to be a greedy uncaring company.  They don't care about their employees or the communities in which they are located.  Walmart is going to have to change more than their website before they gain me as a customer.

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Now Ministries

Faith in Action April 15. 2018

up coming yard sale.

Academy Street Baptist is having a yard sale next Saturday,  That's April 21, 2018 and it will happen between the hours of 7 am and 2 pm.  If you want it we probably have it.

New Doctor

  My eye care has been outsourced for the past 15 months is now being done in house.  The procedures followed were different and I received two shots instead on one but my eye has bothered me less than the other shots.  Only problem is my eye ball is blood red.

Where science, evolution and Scriptures agree.

Some people believe that science proves the scriptures to be untrue and that evolution and creation are opposed to each other but that isn't exactly so.
  Science and theory and scripture all agree that everything that was created was created in a brief period of time, that the earth was created first (for if plants and animals were created first, there would have been nothing for plants to grow in or animals to stand upon), and that man came last.  If man didn't come last then evolution would be devolution.  So science, theory, and scripture all agree as to the order of creation.  

Trumps cutting food stamp program

A savings of 130 billion dollars is expected over the next ten years and stricter guidelines of who is eligible to receive assistance is proposed.
  While working on my book I got to know the workings on the streets.  I also worked in a grocery store and dealt with the food stamp program from that angle too.  It really bothered me to see people come in buying jumbo shrimp and crab legs  and pay for them with food stamps.  It was also disheartening to see prostitutes paying for some one else's groceries with their food stamps in exchange for cash.  The customer gets $100.00 worth of groceries for $80.00 and the food stamp recipient gets cash to spend on drugs and or alcohol.  Before the EBT card one just traded stamps for drugs.  Going to the EBT cards didn't stop the fraud; it just made the crooks get a little more creative.
  Often the homeless mothers would have multiple children and would have several hundred dollars a week for food yet they didn't have custody of the children.  Legally, they were the primary care giver but often it was family members or close family friends who actually took care of the children but the irresponsible mothers collect the money.
  It might be a good idea if recipients were required to bring the children into the office and also to pass a drug test before being issued their money credits.  A large percentage couldn't do either I believe.
       

Observations from the news

  Even famous people have a hard time communicating in English.  I guess that should rather be especially famous people have a hard time communicating in English.  Who refers to their four year
by his first and last name four or five times in the same short paragraph?  It seems statements by sports stars and celebrities are full of grammatical errors and short, choppy incoherent thoughts.  Who would have thunk it?

  Our revival services are over at Academy Street Baptist and it remains to be seen if we are really revived or not.  We met our attendance goals and our spiritual goals.  Maybe we can still get our five converts if we are really more dedicated to service to our Lord and savior.

    It seems the news is full of violence this morning:  a pro fighter attacking a bus, a homeless man attacking a car with a four year old inside,  an explosive device in a Sam's club, a women shooter at "You Tube", a young man sentenced to 63 years in prison stemming from an incident of a robbery gone bad.  Maybe we should change our focus in reporting news.  Instead of saying "one killed in robbery" we should report 5 survived violent incident.  Anyway, the news is crazy and depressing this morning.

  Another interesting story is a lady is suing for the right to give "the finger" to the President of the United States.     I think it is a terrible idea.  Why do we act like spoiled brats when our candidate loses an election/  The members of the other party are not your enemy:  they just have a different idea of where we should be heading and how to get there.  We are not going to solve our problems by displaying a severed Presidents head or flipping the President the bird, or calling each other names.

  There are some hot button issues we are never going to compromise our views on but most of our differences can be settled by honest, open dialogue but we will never get to that point by calling each other names.

  A lesbian has sued her ex-wife for shared custody of their child.  First, the child isn't "theirs' because only one of them had been pregnant and the other one didn't have anything to do with the child's birth.  The father is a sperm donor.  I believe sperm donors should share in the cost of raising their children because they are the biological parent.

   On a more personal note, I had a craving for a bowl of ice cream and some pineapple.   I gave in to my cravings yesterday.  I'm paying for my indiscretion today by way of an extra high blood sugar reading.  

Revival

  One Way Baptist had their Revival last week with Pastor Danny Castle.  If you missed him you missed a blessing,  He is a little fireball from the North Carolina Mountains.  He organizes a youth Rally that will be coming soon and there will be thousands' of kids there so don't miss this opportunity.
    Fayetteville Street Baptist held their Revival this week and starting April 1st, Academy Street Baptist in Randleman will be having theirs.  Jake D'Andrea was the quest speaker at both Fayetteville
Baptist and at Academy Street,  Jake is an evangelist known for his work with kids.  He is often found at youth camps.  In fact he will be at the one in Burlington this August.
   Services for April 1st begin at 9:30 am so come join us for breakfast (free0 and the stay for Sunday School at 10, worship service at 11 and the evenings service, the kickoff of the Revival at 7 pm.  Services Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be at 7 pm.
    We really would like for you to join us,

Clinton Speaks

"And I had one of the young people who works for me go back and do a bit of research. They never said that to any man who was not elected. I was kind of struck by that," Clinton said.

  That is a quote from Hillary responding to people who are telling her to "Shut up".  Well, she wanted to be the first women but now can lay claim to being the first Presidential candidate to be told to shut up after losing.  

  Give credit where credit is due.

to shoot or not

Tensing shot Sam DuBose, 43, in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate in 2015. He testified that he believed his life was in in danger when DuBose tried to drive away during the traffic stop.

   Somehow, I don't believe that a motorist trying to flee a traffic ticket deserves to be shot.  Even if the policeman was standing in front of the motorist and had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck by the moving vehicle should the officer pull his weapon and fire.  If the man and turned his vehicle around and attempted to strike the policemen and the officer had no place to flee to, then perhaps deadly force would have been justified.  

   

    Once you have the tag number of the vehicle then it is an easy matter to trace the man and arrest him in a non confrontational manner.  If the tag indicates the vehicle is stolen then radio for help and pursue via policy.  

Teens against gun violence

  A group of teens worked up a skit to demonstrate their frustration with gun violence of school grounds.  They have my full support on that.  In the skit the blame for the violence is place on adults .  A girl in the skit pours a soda slowly on the floor while proclaiming that she will clean up her mess in order to demonstrate the groups assertion that adults promise to stop the violence while doing the same old things that allowed the violence to happen to begin with.
   While I do agree that legislators and school administration can do more things to curb gun violence in schools, many would not be cost effective or welcomed by the students.  I suppose the best method would be to strip search everyone who comes on campus but who wants that?
   From reading about what motivates these shooters, it has occurred to me the problem isn't so much the adults as it is with the kids themselves.  Some classmates are bullied and or ignored.    It is difficult to feel as if you are an outcast and even harder when you are picked on for being different.  The problem with being different is that we are all different.  While it is true that some people are cruel and different and it really isn't safe to be around them most kids are picked on because of their size or their looks.  Years of frustration and anger build up and sometimes those pent up feelings are unleased by acts of violence.
   The best way to prevent school violence is by the kids themselves:  stop picking on other kids and embrace them and not just ignore others.  In other words, take away the reason for others to hate or resent you and you take away their motivation to exact revenge.
  The kids need to own up to their own failures and their own part in gun violence and quit blaming adults.

pan sexual

  When I was young people with a deviate sexual preference  was referred to as queer.  Queers were either men or women but they were all queer.  As time progressed they became know as gays and lesbians and even later they quit being sexually deviate  and were just practicing an alternative lifestyle.  Then we discovered that some people liked both sexes so the were called bi.  Then a movement was began and it was referred to as the gay movement or the GLB movement As time went on more letters were added include the Q for queer, which I thought had been deemed offensive but not offensive enough for r the LGBQ to not use the term.
  Recently I discovered another term and that  term is pan sexual.  Miley Cyrus considers herself pansexual, or at least she claims that title for herself but then again she did promise to leave the country if Trump was elected but she is still here so she is a liar and undependable.  Pan sexual is a real term meaning that one is willing to have sex with anyone, regardless of color, gender, or genetic makeup.
  How gross.

inappropriate comment

   A man went to use the restroom and had to remove his pistol in order to use the facilities.  He exited the restroom, forgetting to retrieve his gun.  The gun was discovered and the group leader informed.  The gun was returned but instead of letting that be the last of the incident, the leader just had to tell someone and did but within earshot of the gun owner.  Not only was the story told but the leader called the man stupid.
  Needless to say the gun owner was upset and rightfully so.  Yes, he did a dumb thing especially considering the person after him to use the restroom was a child.  Fortunately the child was accompanied by an adult who secured the gun then notified the leader.  If the leader had been as discrete as the person who found the gun then the incident would have been handled.  I'm sure that others were told of the incident increasing the embarrassment of the gun owner.  

Anchormen

  Academy Street Baptist hosted the Anchormen last night and the Anchormen gave a good performance.  The Anchormen sang at the church a year ago for Jim's kids.  These were not those Anchormen. Last year there were four of them, of which two were new.  This year there   were three of them, neither of which was of the four that sang a year ago.  The lead singer was hilarious and the group, while different,  sang many of the old Anchormen songs and captured much of the Anchormen sound.  The most noticeable difference was the trio lacked a bass singer.
  I don't believe this new group has the following of the elder Anchormen
If I had to describe their looks, I would say: Bill Clinton, Chuck Norris, and the Cheshire cat from Alice and Wonderland.  The Cheshire cat was the funny one.  

Stephen Hawkins has passed

Stephen Hawkins was regarded by many as the most intelligent man alive, a noted physicists, and an avowed atheist.  He believed that everything in existence was created in a Nano-second and that the world will be destroyed by our smart devices, not by fire or war.
   The biggest problem I have with his big bang theory is that there had to be something it existence in order to create a bang.  And if what did exist was an energy field how could it have created anything.  Most explosions destroy.  To me it takes more faith to believe that before anything was there was something and  it collided with another non existent something and created precious metals, animal and plant life, water, suns and moons and other planets, and gravity, and the animals and plants are able to reproduce than to believe that an intelligent being created what is.
    When an explosion happens particles move outward and an expanding rate becoming more distant from the other particles.  That is what is happening with our solar system If one reverses the direction of all the particles eventually one comes to the beginning.    It's sort of like watching a video in reverse.  if we could do so we would discover what caused creation.
   One of the first rules of science I learned was that nothing can be created from nothing.  The question that Stephen Hawkins was trying to answer with his Big Bang theory is where did stuff come from  and his answer is that there was an explosion and everything was created in a split second.  But the theory doesn't answer the original question:  Where does stuff come from?  If it did, then it would explain where the stuff that caused the Big Bang come from.
   Another law of science states that if something doesn't change it has no beginning nor an end.  There is only one thing that never changes and that thing is God.  God said He would destroy the earth by fire, not smart devices.
  I believe God.

Upcoming Revival

   One Way Baptist is having Revival services beginning March 19 with Danny Castle beginning at 7 pm nightly.  Want to get recharged then be sure to attend every night.  Academy Street Baptist is having their Revival services beginning April 1.  Mark D'andrea is speaking that week.  Sunday services will be at 6.  I'm not sure of the remaining times.  Also on April 1st, which is also Easter Sunday Academy Street will have breakfast beginning at 9:30 am so you are welcome to come.  No charge  to anyone.  Pick one or the other or come to both.

Exercise

I've been doing water aerobics for three years now but recently have added walking to my exercise routine.  I do water aerobics Monday Wednesday and Friday and I walk Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  I walked an hour on Mondays and thirty minutes to an hour the other two days.  Swim classes are an hour but I always get to the pool thirty minutes early and exercise on my own.
   The first time I walked I managed 22 laps in 30 minutes and I had to give it up.  Monday I walked 56 laps in an hour and today I walked 30 laps in 30 minutes.  Sometimes it's hard to get motivated, especially about walking but I do it anyway.  

Saving money on shaving

  The modern day three and four blade razor blades are fabulous for smooth and comfortable shaves but they are also expensive.  My blades say to change every two weeks but I know some who change blades after three shaves.  Ouch.  If you have plenty of money that's fine but I'd rather save mine for something I want or need instead of financing the lifestyle of the rich and famous.
  The secret is baby oil.  I was told the secret was keeping ones blade dry and I tried that but after 30 days I needed to change my blade.  Then I started coating the blade with baby oil and that helped the blade last up to six weeks.  Sometimes I would get 5 or 6 weeks per blade but not normally.  Then I hit upon the idea of the baby oil soak.
    Coating the blade with baby oil had one big drawback and that was gravity as over time the oil drained off the blade.  I took an old travel soap dish (one can be picked up at a dollar store or Walmart for cheap) and filled it half way with baby oil and just let my razor soak in it.  The oil couldn't drain off and I actually used much less baby oil than before.  I got twelve months of smooth and comfortable shaves.  I just changed blades on March 1 and took my first shave today and my old razor blades were just as comfortable and shaved as well as the new blades.

We know the problem. What's the solution.

Each time there is a mass shooting whether it be a school or shopping center or movie theater, the calls go out for gun control and many a citizen object and the battle is on and the solution long, long away.  I am one that believes Americans have the right, and should have the right to bear arms.  Personally I don't own a gun and have no interest in owning a gun.
  I've heard suggestions that we should eliminate assault weapons, make laws that make it more difficult to own a gun, make it illegal to own weapons, make it illegal not to own a weapon, putting armed ex soldiers and ex policemen in schools and several other offerings that are equally not effective or seriously entertained.   Somewhere out there is a solution that is acceptable to the majority of people.
  We seem to be a nation of extremes.  Once abortion was a crime and now it is just another form of birth control.  At one time drinking was illegal and now is as if you are a social outcast if you don't drink.  Now, some want the right to own just about every type of weapon imaginable which other think we should not be allowed to own anything.
  I just don't understand some people.  Hillary Clinton calls herself an advocate for children but she is pro abortion and proud of it.  How can one justify in their own mind that killing something one day is perfectly acceptable and the next day claim it is the most precious thing in the world.
   What we need to do is get off our soapbox for our particular cause and seek a common sense solution.  Take the emotions out of it.  Each of us will have to give up something.
   The liberals will have to acknowledge that gun ownership is a right and they are going to have to accept that.  Pro-gun activists are going to have to admit that we cannot continue as we are because it is just getting to be too dangerous.
  Maybe we can change how guns change hands, requiring all gun sales to be done under the supervision of law enforcement.  I know that one of the most stolen items is weaponry, so many there should be tighter controls guns are stored at home so that if the guns are stolen they can't be fired by the thief.    Maybe make it illegal to have anyone under twenty-one to carry a weapon when not in the company of a a responsible adult.
  I like to watch true crime stories and it seems that in too many murders the offenders are young and they have guns and are involved with drugs.  maybe we can make it illegal for anyone with a drug conviction to own a weapon.  Make the penalty stiff enough to where owning a gun is not worth the price one has to pay.  maybe some kind of mental health evaluation should be given before one can purchase a weapon.  Make it like a driver's license.  One has to be issued a picture ID and it has to be renewed ever so often.
  There is a solution out there and we have to get off our emotionally soapbox and find it.  

Valentine's Day

  Took my wife to Americas Roadhouse express for their Valentines day special and it was well worth the price.  An appetizer, choice of seafood or ribeye, salad, and desert which was a large slab of volcano cake, 3 scoops of ice cream all drizzled in fudge.
   Today, the 16th, we went to Academy Street Baptist Church for their Valentines Day Banquet.  It is actually open to the public.  We had spaghetti and a salad and desert.  Afterwards we played some fun games like stuff the tote and some games that were two player games where one describes an object, an animal or a person and the partner   tries to guess.
  Believe it or not the women won the majority of the games that were most physical while the men took an unsurmountable lead in the more intellectual contests and winning the night.
  I was disappointed we only had two visitors, a former member and her son.  They now attend the church I went to for many years before coming to Academy Street.  I certainly will not make an effort to influence them on where to go to church.  I love both churches and I have worked hard for my previous church and I still pray for them and support them.
  We are having some events that perhaps more people will feel more comfortable attending.  We are have "The Anchormen" of March 17th and our revival begins April 1.  The last time the Anchormen were at our church we had a full house.  Come early, stay late and let's get to know one another.  It's not our church it's God's house and you are as welcomed there as I am.
   If you live in Randleman, chances are I've given you a gospel tract.  if I haven't I'll probably get to you sooner or later.  Until then, remember God loves you and so do I.

Old ways versus the young

Of course I think different than you young folks.  I was raised differently, taught different things,  and developed different values because I had different experiences.  Even so, we are more alike than different because we have the same needs and desires and the same truths apply equally to the young and the old.
   The two biggest differences I see between people my age and people under 25 are the relationship we have with drugs and the relationship we have with Christ.  Drugs, including marijuana, were something that was used by the hard core criminal element.  It wasn't until the mid sixties that illegal drugs started gaining in popularity and that was so mostly    due to protesting of the war in Vietnam.  In the fifties almost everyone belonged to a church and half those people who belonged could be found in a church somewhere on Sunday morning.  Things were so different back then that the only curse word ever uttered on film was in the movie "Gone with the Wind"
    There were lots of things wrong with peoples thoughts and actions back then: widespread discrimination, bullying, lead paint, lack of safety features on cars, and political corruption.  It seemed that not everyone who went to church was a believer  and certainly wasn't a doer of the Word.
  It's been over 50 years  since the United States of America took over the lead in the Vietnam War from the French and lots of things have changed.  We have laws against discrimination, bullying is frowned upon, laws and attitudes are changing about drug use, lead paint is being eliminated, automobiles have plenty of safety features and soon will have no drivers,  and things that were impossible 50 years ago are now common place.
  Much has changed in fifty years.  I'm glad we no longer have segregation but I believe the divide between the races is even wider now than ever.  We still have all our old social disorders although some are shown in more subtly ways.  Drug use is wide spread, drinking is more prevalent, virgins are rare, abortion is a way of life, people are way more selfish and people do not attend church and true believers are the disdain of the masses.
   It is quite possible and more than likely we have just swapped one set of evils and vices for different evils and vices but just eliminated the God that held us accountable for our moral and social failures.  It is about time that we get to know this God.  This world is a hard place to live in and we can use God's help getting through life.  Many don't believe their is a God; nevertheless that doesn't change the fact that there is one.  I'm glad I grew up in a time and place where I could get to know God but the young have a greater opportunity to serve Him and more ways to do so than I ever had.
   Hope to see you in church soon.      

Should forgiveness by the victim lesses the penalty for the guilty?

  A few years back a family was returning home from an evening out together when two gunmen confronted them, open fire with guns, and killed the mother, one son, and seriously injured the father and shot the second son in the arm.  While recuperating in the hospital the father was filled with hatred for the people who killed his family members and he thought of ways he would like to exact revenge.  Then he began to think of various scriptures and realized that he should quieten his angry and forgive the perpetrators, whomever they may be.  It was only after his change of heart did he discover that the shooters were two of his injured sons friends and they were acting on that son's instructions.
   One shooter received a life sentence, the other shooter received 15 years and the son who planned the whole affair received the death penalty.  The father wants the sentence reduced to life imprisonment.  I understand.  No one wants to see their child die, no matter what they have done.    But that decision should not be his nor is the sentence part of forgiveness.
  Forgiveness is not for the perpetrator but for the victim.  When we fail to forgive and hold hate in our hearts it's like a poison that slowly robs us of our happiness.  Forgiveness is never about letting the perpetrator get away with his crime.  The stat's role in the sentencing is that of protector of the populace.  The guilty parties sentence should not be increased because the victim hates him nor lessened because the victim has chosen to forgive him.
    I am not against the death penalty but I do believe it should be used only in the cases where it has been demonstrated that the guilty party is capable and likely to continue a life of crime and there is grave danger to the public that the guilty party may kill again.  Serial killers, spree killers, and mass killers all fit that category.  But often they get lessor sentences in order to secure a conviction or to gain information that is vital.
    The father in this case should just step away lest he run the danger of turning his hatred for the killer into forgiveness and then into hatred for the state that executed the killer.  Forgiveness has come to naught.  

He broke into an occupied car.

  Yesterday my son went to his car on his lunch hour and took a seat in the passenger side.  While relaxing a stranger broke into the car,  Both my son and the stranger were startled,  My son did get a description of the mans car but no tag number as his car was sporting a temporary tag.  One of my sons Facebook friends suggested that if that had occurred in Arizona the thief would have been shot as a high percentage of people in Arizona carry weapons.  If that be true I doubt that the chances of getting to ones gun before the thief could have gotten away are slim to none and if one shot a person after they began to flee the scene then that would be a serious crime.  If the average person in Arizona carry weapons then perhaps the thief would have been an average person and it is more likely he would have shot the victim before the victim could have retrieved his weapon.
  I am not anti-gun but I am against people who have the attitude that "if I had a weapon it is easy to make the bad people go away and I'd be the hero".  The truth is that the victim who has a weapon probably will never have the opportunity to use it. might have his weapon taken from them and used against them, or will face serious legal problems if they actually fire their weapon.
   In my son's case there is no circumstance that he could have legally shot the thief.  No weapon was seen by the victim, his life or well-being was not threatened, and the thief immediately fled the scene.  The death penalty is not an option for petty theft for the courts and it should not be an option for the citizenry.
  I believe my sons actions were proper and appropriate  Gun ownership does not entitle one to be the judge, jury, and executioner.

Why people accept evolution and reject Christianity

The world is a wonderful and wondrous place and man has always wondered how it came to be.  Early man accepted the belief that a god created all that exists or at least controlled life.  Some people believed in many gods and some believed in only one God.  
  The conflict between man and God has always been that man wanted to be the captain of his soul and the master of his fate but God said man was created for God's pleasure.  For thousands of years the question was not whether God existed but whose God is the real God.  But for the last 100 years man has begun to question and finally to deny the existence of God and has come to accept the theory of evolution and the Big Bang theory as facts.  I can fully understand and appreciate that.
   It makes perfect since that one put their faith into science and to believe that everything that exists was created in an instance when two forces that couldn't exist if there were nothing collided.  People think that God is a fantasy because He is quiet and they can't see, feel, or touch Him.  The truth is few people even know that I exist and some that do question things that have happened to me even though I know them to be true.
  As I understand the theory of evolution as a result of nothing colliding with itself and creating something (everything that exists I have been told) and creating a previously non existent world in which there was water, rocks, and little creatures composed of a single cell that could divide itself into two parts and make a friend.  I don't know what the single cell creatures ate but apparently that was created also at the time of the big explosion (which everyone know that explosions nearly always destroy stuff). The for some unknown reason one of these single cell animals didn't divide but got stuck together as a two celled animal and decided it liked that.  The two celled creature could survive better because it was bigger and could therefore control more of the food source, what ever that was.  Maybe it could have been each other, no one ever said that I am aware of.
  I suppose some of the other single cell creatures liked what they saw in the twin celled creature and decided to duplicate that maneuver.  I'm not sure how they thought since a brain would have required it's own cell which can't exist in a single cell creature  but I'm supposed to accept that because God doesn't communicate with us ( I think He might be more inclined to if we believed he existed).
  Anyway as more and more single celled creatures became twin celled creatures (why some didn't has never been explained to me) some of the twins decided that if two is better than one perhaps more than two is better than just two.  If they could just become three or more celled creatures maybe they could have a real brain  so that's what they did.  Some of the other creatures liked what they saw and some other thought that multiple cells were a good idea but they wanted a different configuration so all these little creatures started becoming what they thought was a superior life form. One day one of the creatures got tired of all the hassle in the water and decided to crawl out of the water and see what was on the dry land and so it did.
   One of the other creatures saw what the first one did and decided to see what it was up two so it crawled out of the water also.  The first one didn't liked the second one joining it on land so chased it up a tree (where trees came from we are never told.  maybe the algae the single celled creatures were eating got tired of being lunch so they changed into something else although even trees don't have brains and so are not capable of making decisions.  But of course many the big bang created all vegetation but only single celled creatures so there would be a food source available or the multiple-celled creatures that would eventually crawl out of the water and need a food source.  But then that would require planning for the future and I don't know how two non existent forces could have ever thought of that.  If they could have then they would have been gods.)  Once up a tree the creatures needed a way to navigate from place to place so some thought long tails would be a good idea while other thought wings would work better.
  Eventually one of the tree creatures with the long tail got tired of swinging in the trees and decided
to come down.  It had realized that a brain was better than a tail so it grew it's brain larger and walked upright so it could use it's hands for something useful.  One day it realized it didn't need it's tail anymore so that disappeared.  What I don't understand is why this big brained creature that no walked upright thought it a good idea to get rid of it's protective hair, fur, or features, whatever it had and become naked and vulnerable to changes it the weather and the harsh effects of the sun and then have to find another way to clothed itself by killing other creatures and making something out of plants.
  It seems for the first time this creature which finally got a brain capable of making decisions (so it believes but teaches us that single celled creatures did) and  thought itself to be superior because it walked upright and had opposable thumbs made a bad  decision.
    One would think after millions of years to develop from a single celled creature into a walking talking creature with opposable thumbs that in the millions of years since then that this creature would know better than to put stuff into itself that would after the way this brain worked, especially such a substance as would take control of that brain.  It seems this creature evolved to the point that it could not longer improve upon itself and decided to self destruct.
  If this creature has evolved to it's highest form then it will eventually wipe itself out by destroying itself with the desire to have more and with it's own discoveries and inventions.  .
  This creature has only one hope of continuing to exist and the hope is God, the everlasting Father, the Creator of all.  The way to this father is through Jesus Christ who died on the cross of Calvary to provide a way for this creature to escape the trap it made for itself.
 

Simpleb equals nightmare

I installed a new chandelier over the dinner table but the lights (new LED's) were so bright  (How bright were they Johnny?) that they were annoying so my wife asked me to put in a dimmer switch.  I finally got around to getting one Wednesday  and made an attempt to install it but when I pulled out the old light switch I had no idea how to proceed.  I just shoved everything back into the wall and turned the power back on but my new chandelier didn't come on. 
   My wife called the electrician to install the dimmer switch and he also had to take my chandelier down.  As much trouble as I had installing it, I was afraid he'd never get it back up but he had it fixed and reinstalled in just a few minutes.  He said the company would send me a bill.  I'm dreading that as I know electricians aren't cheap.  .

Puzzle complete

The headline says it all.  I just coated the puzzle with puzzle glue and will do the backside once the top is dry then it will be suitable for framing.

Puzzle completion-to-date photo

puzzle mania

142 pieces to go.

puzzle progress

I had a very good puzzle day putting together around 40 pieces.  I have now completed 720 pieces.  Just 280 to go.  I still am unable to connect the lighthouse with the ocean,  Nothing seems to fit.

Sexless Marriage

A couple were just united in marriage in a Las Vegas wedding (attended by the President's daughter)but it wasn't a union created in love but just because they feel a deep friendship.  They do not intend to have sex with each other but will continue to live their lives as if they were not married.  The article says "experts" think this is a good idea.  
    I think it is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of.

snowflake

Snowflake

This word is used to describe someone who is perceived as hypersensitive because their feelings are as fragile as a snowflake. Liberals are most often referred to as snowflakes because there's a misconception that they can't handle when someone disagrees with their views. Here's a suggestion though: Instead of reverting to calling people names, how about having civilized conversations where people listen and try to understand one another's views? Check out the list of insults that have been reinvented as compliments.

Is it a puzzle or a mystery?

'I am the light" by Danny Hahlbohm is the featured art in a 1,000 piece puzzle produced by S8unsout.  The scene is a light house a night during rough seas with the image of a pair of hands in the background.  For the most part the puzzle is blue and black.  The rocks have streaks of gold and some of the water has green in it but for 90% of the puzzle is just various shades of blue.  many pieces are solid blue or solid black.
    Putting together a 1,000 piece puzzle is a challenge in and of itself but through in solid colors and it because more difficult.  But it isn't the one color theme that makes this puzzle so challenging .  It's the interchangeable pieces.  I put together a whole section of border and two layers of pieces underneath that only to discover that none of the pieces were in the correct place.  I have never put together a puzzle with so many pieces that fit where they didn't belong.
   I'm not a puzzle champ by any means but I have put together my fair share of puzzles and many of them difficult but it would take an Adrian Monk to be considered competent with this one.  I've already been at this one a month and I am about 50% done.  I finally managed to get the light house connect with the border but only after discovering the border and surrounding pieces were put together wrong even though they fit together perfectly.
  My goal is 10 pieces a day.  Today I thought I had my 10 pieces but after discovering the error I may have backed up some.  Well, tomorrow is another day.

What shall the New Year Bring?

We all have renewed hope in a New Year that things will get better. at least for us.  We have hope that there will be peace in the world, safety in our neighborhood, a better job, an increased salary, better health, less expenses, happier relationships, and a more satisfying life.  One famous novel began :It was the worst of times, it was the best of times".  That is true for all of us.  Those of us going through the roughest patches of our lives will find that not all is bad and those going through the best of times will find that not all is perfect.  Things can always get worse and things could always be better.
    A man once said "Life is not all about what happens to us but about how we react to it."  In others words, our attitude means more than our circumstances.  There are many sad rich people and there are happy poor people.  Some with many worldly goods have no real friends and many with plenty of friends have few worldly goods.  Both will admit that friends are far more important that things.  Some people make the mistake of thinking the way to get friends is to have things.
   A valuable lesson that I have learned is that there is one friend who will never forsake you and that friend is Jesus Christ.  Being a Christian is not about church attendance although Christ does expect us to go as often as we can.  It is not about being good or doing good deeds although Christ does expect us to be good and to be good to our neighbors, friends and foes alike.  Being a Christian is not about reading your Bible although Christ does want us to study to show ourselves approved unto God.  Christianity is not about religion but it is about having a relationship to God through Jesus Christ.
  The only way to assure oneself of a better new year is to draw closer to Christ.  From a worldly point of view  a Christian may have a very bad year but  he may still be filled with joy because he has a good relationship with Christ.  Remember, a relationship with Christ is far better than anything this world has to offer.