.jpg)
Their older daughter didn't come out onto stage until Sarah was working the crowd and then she stuck her head out of the back curtain. It was cute. 
Sarah said hi to Kenton. Kenton's Steelers hat is in the pic.
I love this pic.
Friday, October 31, 2008
More Sarah Pics!
WE SAW HER!!!!
Words cannot even BEGIN to describe how thrilled I was yesterday to be able to attend a Sarah Palin Rally. Kenton and I got to the Rally at 10:30. We stood outside in line until 1:00 when they let us go inside. Sarah arrived at 4:00 and I have never ever felt such an electric atmosphere. That woman is loved. What stood out to me the most was how REAL she and her family are. She and Todd seem to have such a close relationship. I loved watching them together. She was speaking and at one point they started chanting "Sarah, Sarah!". She turned and looked at him and he winked at her. It was so neat. I also discovered that it is true - cameras DO put 20 lbs on a person! Sarah is MUCH thinner in real life. She is pencil thin!!!
We were in the VERY front row. Standing in line for so long was worth it by far. We were almost close enough to reach out and touch her as she spoke. It was fantastic. Sarah touched us as she passed. We didn't get to shake her hand BUT..... (drumrolll please......) Todd shook my hand!!! He wasn't in a big hurry either!!! It was so so so neat. Anyways.......
praying hard for a win on Tues!!!
These kids played Rush Limbaugh for all of us in line. It was hilarious.
More pics later!!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
A Must Read
Someone (who knows how passionate I am about this election) pointed me in the direction of an excellent blog entry from a person I do not know. However, it is very very well written and so very right on. The blog is....http://pithmarrowandcoffeespoons.blogspot.com/2008/10/one-week.html. Here is her article.
Disclaimer:
Warning: This is what some folks would deem a “political” post. If you are one of those nervous types who feels that we should hide our political light under a bushel, then go away for now. I don’t often do political blogs, so you will probably be safe next time, and I respect your right not to read things that bother or frighten or anger you. If you are the type who thinks political=argue, then please—go away for now. I don’t want to argue, and I will NOT refute anything I said in this post. This is not a debate forum. Please understand that the purpose of this post is unburdening, if you will—I need to think through some things in the best way I know how—through the written word. I’m not trying to sell anyone on my own particular point of view, but neither am I going to sugarcoat it to make sure everyone is comfortable. It is what it is.
When I walk into that voting booth in one week, I will be thinking of that great mandate set down by our forefathers before I mark my ballot. You know the one I mean—it begins with: “When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. . . .”
The Declaration of Independence. I do love that document.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. [Get that? The CONSENT of the GOVERNED. That’s you and me.] That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
Looking over those three unalienable rights, endowed by our Creator, is all I need to figure out who I am casting my vote for. And it ain’t Obama.
Life—does that include the rights of the unborn? I looked up Obama’s views on abortion and noted his rejection of the Born Alive Infants Protection Law and the Induced Infant Liability Law, which would fight the requirement that doctors and nurses should be allowed to let a child born alive to linger, unattended, until death takes it. I was chilled to the bone. I don’t buy the argument that Obama only opposed it because it was already a law—he COULD have opposed it and showed support for a child’s basic right—unalienable right, if you will—to live. And his coldness in response to the testimony of the nurse who brought the issue to the floor makes me shiver. Look at the rest of his record regarding abortion—he is, without a doubt, pro-choice. Which I cannot get behind—ever.
Now, I can hear the critics saying, “Well, that is just ONE issue. It’s not the only issue. As Al Gore said, ‘It’s the economy, stupid.’” If that is true, then I am very, very sad about the direction our country has taken. I am especially saddened when these arguments come from fellow brothers and sisters in Christ—I have to wonder if they will be using that same argument when they are one day sitting at the Master’s feet, perhaps surrounded by a sea of those precious ones who were never allowed to live the lives their Creator had planned for them—“Look, Lord, it was just one issue.” Really?
How broken do you suppose his heart is when he looks at us, sometimes?
Liberty—to live free, unfettered by the unfair rules of government. How does Obama’s plan to “spread the wealth” fit into that? We fled the tyranny of England so that we would could enjoy religious freedoms and not be taxed without being represented. We set up government to serve people, not enslave them. A government that takes our money and shows us how to spend it—welfare, social security, education—is what I call a very cruel master. And Obama and friends want to include yet another government chain to our necks—health care. Show me one good government program that works (the DMV and IRS spring to mind) and I’ll show you horses that fly and rainbows that never fade.
We are really not as stupid as they think we are . . . Are we? Do we really believe that they have our good in mind—these same people who spent money they didn’t have and plunged us into darkest financial hole we have seen since the Great Depression? (And I’m including ALL politicians in Washington in this—Republicans and Democrats alike. While I have been one of President Bush’s staunchest supporters throughout his presidency, because I really do believe he makes decisions based on what he thinks is right, not based on what is popular, I think the bailout was a bad, bad move.) What does Machiavelli say in The Prince about gaining absolute power? Maybe we should all read that before casting our ballots on Tuesday next. There is nothing more absolute in terms of power than a government that serves its own agenda. A one-party Senate, Congress, and President seems a little TOO absolute to me. And we only have to look at history to remember the truth of the statement that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Corruption in Washington—we haven’t seen enough of that, right?
The pursuit of happiness. Not happiness—just the pursuit thereof. Leave me alone and let me pursue my own happiness. Don’t tell me what happy is and then try to provide it. Don’t perpetuate class warfare by telling the lower classes that they will be happy if they have what the upper classes have. If we are all equal in income, then we are all without jobs, because successful businesses usually have a trickle-down effect that benefits everyone—Mr. Big is successful and has a good year, so he creates jobs, and hires more people. Those people are then in a position to pursue their own happiness. Ask those in China about “spreading the wealth” and the pursuit of happiness. Ask those who survived Stalin: socialism is never pretty. Why do you think people flee their countries in droves, their eyes set on the freedom of America? We DO have the greatest country in the world, and I am not going to pretend that I am ashamed I feel that way. I'll shout it from the rooftops until my dying day.
What about the last part of that wonderful Declaration of Independence, the part about ridding ourselves of despotism (“a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power”) and providing new guards for future security—would you say that it behooves us to choose our leaders wisely?
Wisdom begins by petitioning the wisest of the wise. I’ll start on my knees, begging God to forgive us our sins, sins that I myself am all-to-often guilty of. Oh God, forgive us for our attitudes of complacency. Forgive us for forgetting the poor and the old, and asking the government to take care of those WE should take care of. Does it occur to anyone else that we would not need welfare or social security if we would do what God has commanded us to do and cared for the poor and the old ourselves? Aren’t we capable of kindness to each other without a government forcing it upon us?
Forgive us for forgetting those who have no voice—the unborn, the homeless, the broken. Give us a chance to amend this, to live the lives we were meant to live, to be the light in a dark world, champions of the down-trodden and oppressed, the place where anyone who is willing to work hard can succeed, without the fear that government will take all that he or she has worked for. Enable us to become again the country our forefathers dreamed of, where we, the people, will pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to defend this glory of a gift you have given us. Power to the people, then the states, and THEN the federal government—not the other way around. Please, God, never the other way around.
“We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”
New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Source: The Pennsylvania Packet, July 8, 1776
I am not trying to change anyone’s mind with this post. Again, I am just working through my own thoughts in the best way I know how—through writing. I praise God that I live in a country where I can do this freely, without fear that I will be censored or cast out because of my opinions. Isn’t she great, this land that we love?
Oh mighty God, bless her.
Disclaimer:
Warning: This is what some folks would deem a “political” post. If you are one of those nervous types who feels that we should hide our political light under a bushel, then go away for now. I don’t often do political blogs, so you will probably be safe next time, and I respect your right not to read things that bother or frighten or anger you. If you are the type who thinks political=argue, then please—go away for now. I don’t want to argue, and I will NOT refute anything I said in this post. This is not a debate forum. Please understand that the purpose of this post is unburdening, if you will—I need to think through some things in the best way I know how—through the written word. I’m not trying to sell anyone on my own particular point of view, but neither am I going to sugarcoat it to make sure everyone is comfortable. It is what it is.
When I walk into that voting booth in one week, I will be thinking of that great mandate set down by our forefathers before I mark my ballot. You know the one I mean—it begins with: “When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. . . .”
The Declaration of Independence. I do love that document.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. [Get that? The CONSENT of the GOVERNED. That’s you and me.] That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
Looking over those three unalienable rights, endowed by our Creator, is all I need to figure out who I am casting my vote for. And it ain’t Obama.
Life—does that include the rights of the unborn? I looked up Obama’s views on abortion and noted his rejection of the Born Alive Infants Protection Law and the Induced Infant Liability Law, which would fight the requirement that doctors and nurses should be allowed to let a child born alive to linger, unattended, until death takes it. I was chilled to the bone. I don’t buy the argument that Obama only opposed it because it was already a law—he COULD have opposed it and showed support for a child’s basic right—unalienable right, if you will—to live. And his coldness in response to the testimony of the nurse who brought the issue to the floor makes me shiver. Look at the rest of his record regarding abortion—he is, without a doubt, pro-choice. Which I cannot get behind—ever.
Now, I can hear the critics saying, “Well, that is just ONE issue. It’s not the only issue. As Al Gore said, ‘It’s the economy, stupid.’” If that is true, then I am very, very sad about the direction our country has taken. I am especially saddened when these arguments come from fellow brothers and sisters in Christ—I have to wonder if they will be using that same argument when they are one day sitting at the Master’s feet, perhaps surrounded by a sea of those precious ones who were never allowed to live the lives their Creator had planned for them—“Look, Lord, it was just one issue.” Really?
How broken do you suppose his heart is when he looks at us, sometimes?
Liberty—to live free, unfettered by the unfair rules of government. How does Obama’s plan to “spread the wealth” fit into that? We fled the tyranny of England so that we would could enjoy religious freedoms and not be taxed without being represented. We set up government to serve people, not enslave them. A government that takes our money and shows us how to spend it—welfare, social security, education—is what I call a very cruel master. And Obama and friends want to include yet another government chain to our necks—health care. Show me one good government program that works (the DMV and IRS spring to mind) and I’ll show you horses that fly and rainbows that never fade.
We are really not as stupid as they think we are . . . Are we? Do we really believe that they have our good in mind—these same people who spent money they didn’t have and plunged us into darkest financial hole we have seen since the Great Depression? (And I’m including ALL politicians in Washington in this—Republicans and Democrats alike. While I have been one of President Bush’s staunchest supporters throughout his presidency, because I really do believe he makes decisions based on what he thinks is right, not based on what is popular, I think the bailout was a bad, bad move.) What does Machiavelli say in The Prince about gaining absolute power? Maybe we should all read that before casting our ballots on Tuesday next. There is nothing more absolute in terms of power than a government that serves its own agenda. A one-party Senate, Congress, and President seems a little TOO absolute to me. And we only have to look at history to remember the truth of the statement that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Corruption in Washington—we haven’t seen enough of that, right?
The pursuit of happiness. Not happiness—just the pursuit thereof. Leave me alone and let me pursue my own happiness. Don’t tell me what happy is and then try to provide it. Don’t perpetuate class warfare by telling the lower classes that they will be happy if they have what the upper classes have. If we are all equal in income, then we are all without jobs, because successful businesses usually have a trickle-down effect that benefits everyone—Mr. Big is successful and has a good year, so he creates jobs, and hires more people. Those people are then in a position to pursue their own happiness. Ask those in China about “spreading the wealth” and the pursuit of happiness. Ask those who survived Stalin: socialism is never pretty. Why do you think people flee their countries in droves, their eyes set on the freedom of America? We DO have the greatest country in the world, and I am not going to pretend that I am ashamed I feel that way. I'll shout it from the rooftops until my dying day.
What about the last part of that wonderful Declaration of Independence, the part about ridding ourselves of despotism (“a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power”) and providing new guards for future security—would you say that it behooves us to choose our leaders wisely?
Wisdom begins by petitioning the wisest of the wise. I’ll start on my knees, begging God to forgive us our sins, sins that I myself am all-to-often guilty of. Oh God, forgive us for our attitudes of complacency. Forgive us for forgetting the poor and the old, and asking the government to take care of those WE should take care of. Does it occur to anyone else that we would not need welfare or social security if we would do what God has commanded us to do and cared for the poor and the old ourselves? Aren’t we capable of kindness to each other without a government forcing it upon us?
Forgive us for forgetting those who have no voice—the unborn, the homeless, the broken. Give us a chance to amend this, to live the lives we were meant to live, to be the light in a dark world, champions of the down-trodden and oppressed, the place where anyone who is willing to work hard can succeed, without the fear that government will take all that he or she has worked for. Enable us to become again the country our forefathers dreamed of, where we, the people, will pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to defend this glory of a gift you have given us. Power to the people, then the states, and THEN the federal government—not the other way around. Please, God, never the other way around.
“We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”
New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Source: The Pennsylvania Packet, July 8, 1776
I am not trying to change anyone’s mind with this post. Again, I am just working through my own thoughts in the best way I know how—through writing. I praise God that I live in a country where I can do this freely, without fear that I will be censored or cast out because of my opinions. Isn’t she great, this land that we love?
Oh mighty God, bless her.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
This is What I've Been Trying to Say
Disclaimer: There are several who read my blog who are Obama supporters. It is never my intention to purposely offend anyone. However, I am pretty sure that what I am about to post will be offensive to you. So..... please just don't read any further. I wasn't going to post it but this is my blog and as such I feel I can post my opinions and things that support my opinoins. Up until now, while its been pretty obvious who I support, I've never posted anything that I knew up front would be blatantly offensive to an Obama supporter. However,what I am about to post, will be. So.... if you choose to continue to read, please know that I am posting it because it is how I believe.
Subject: This election is not lost!
Dear Friends in Christ,
Are you sensing that there is something different about this presidential election? I was telling someone just recently that it seems like this election is far more serious than those in the recent past. Something in my spirit is very uneasy. In the past I have felt the need to pray for different elections but I have never felt so strongly the urge to pray, and pray fervently, for an election as I do for this one. I truly believe that if the wrong person (Obama) is elected this nation will be changed forever. We may not be able to undo the things that will be unleashed during an Obama presidency. My concern about an Obama presidency is not based on politics; it is based on righteousness.
Look at any of the major moral issues (abortion, homosexuality etc.) and you will find Obama on the wrong side of the issue, and Palin and McCain on the right side of the issue. What makes this so disturbing is that the Obama team has raised far more money than McCain/Palin and the media is unabashedly supporting Obama with every story and headline they write. Currently McCain/Palin is behind in the polls and is having a very difficult time. Some in the media have suggested that the race is over and there is little or nothing McCain can do to change the outcome. Oh how wrong they are!
Let me briefly share a story I recently read in 2 Samuel Chapter 5. David had just become king of Israel and the Philistines went up to wage war against him. So David inquired of the Lord and said, 'Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?' The LORD said, 'Yes I will surely hand them over to you.' So David went and defeated them. He said, 'As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me.' After suffering a great loss in the first battle the Philistines must have thought they now knew David defense strategy and they would be ready for him the next time, because once more the Philistines came up to attack David. So once again David inquired of the LORD, but this time the Lord gave different instructions. He said to David, 'Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.' David obeyed the Lord and was victorious.
This story holds a very important lesson for us at this time. In most presidential elections a frontal assault, a face-to-face battle, is what is needed. But this is no ordinary election. McCain is trying all the normal tactics but he is not prevailing. It seems no matter what he sa ys or does it is not effective. I am convinced this election CANNOT be won using normal methods. Just as the Lord told David to go around behind the enemy and attack him there, so we must go around the face of this election and wage war where the battle is truly raging… in the spiritual realm! The fact that the normal physical methods are not effective this time should tell us that this is a very important spiritual battle and we can only win by using spiritual methods… Prayer!
What about the sound of marching in the treetops? What is that? I have read on the Internet several accounts of fellow Christians being stirred up in their spirits to pray. Many have been drawn into times of deep prayer and weeping as they intercede for Palin and McCain. Some have woke up in the middle of the night and sensed a great need to pray, other have told of how when they heard about Sarah Palin being chosen as VP that something came over them and t hey wept and felt a need to pray for Her and McCain. Many others are feeling the calling and urging of the Spirit to enter into a time of fervent prayer and fasting for Palin and McCain and our nation.
What is this unusual stirring that is occurring? I believe it is the Sound of the Lord marching in the trees, calling his children to act quickly to pray and fast for Palin and McCain. Think about this, what would the marching have sounded like to David? It may have sounded like the rustling of leaves as when wind blows through them, but was this time something was different and out of the ordinary. Maybe it was like the sound of the great wind when the Spirit moved on the day of Pentecost. Also, God's people are referred to as Trees of Righteous in Isaiah 61. So the sound of the Lord marching in the treetops in David's time is a portrait of the Spirit of the Lord moving among and stirring up his children today.
So what are we to do when we sense this stirring of the Spirit? Two things, first we are to take it as the sign that the Lord is moving out in front of us. Anytime the Lord calls us to do something he goes ahead of us to prepare the way and fight for us. When Joshua returned from spying out Jericho the Lord gave him insight to see that the Lord had removed the Jericho 's protection so Israel could defeat them. When the Lord calls us into battle he goes ahead of us, removes the enemy's protection, and fights for us to give us the victory. Secondly, the Lord tells us when we sense the stirring of the Spirit we are to act quickly and join Him in the battle (through prayer, fasting, praise and obedience)
This election is by no means lost. For God would not be stirring up his children all across this nation and indeed around the world, to pray, if he did not want to give us the victory in this election. And he wants us to join him in the battle. God will hear the cries of his children if we will only cry out to him with fervent, earnest, prayers for this election and this nation. If those who are being drawn to prayer by the Spirit will indeed enter into a time of prayer and seeking His face, then God will have mercy on America spare us from having an ungodly leader, I'm sure of it!
One more thought, after the last debate, so-called 'conservative' David Brooks gushed about Obama, 'I thought Obama had the night he needed to have. You know, through this whole 20 month marathon, I think what struck me is how incredibly even he is. And how frankly reassuring he is. It is like you're camping, and you wake up one morning, and there is a mountain. And then the next morning, there is a mountain, and there's the next morning, there's a mountain. Obama is just the mountain. He is just there. He is always the same, he doesn't hurt himself. McCain can sometimes lob a cannonball at the mountain, but the mountain doesn't move, and the mountain doesn't care. And so I think his steadiness, his temperament has been the dramatic theme of this campaign, dramatic in being undramatic. And it was on display tonight. And the good part of the mountain is that he is reassuring and reliable.'
I'm really glad he used the word 'mountain' to describe Obama. It caused me to remember what Jesus said about unmovable mountains. Jesus said, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'
And it only takes a little faith!
This election can only be won by going around the face of the election and attacking the enemy where he is vulnerable, through prayer, fasting and praise. If you hear the sound of the Lord marching in the tree tops, if you feel the stirring of the Spirit calling y ou to pray, then move quickly into a time of prayer, for God is moving ahead of you at that time to give us the victory. May God give us ears to hear the marching!
Together with you in the battle,
Scott Whitley
Scottwhitley5486643@yahoo.com
Subject: This election is not lost!
Dear Friends in Christ,
Are you sensing that there is something different about this presidential election? I was telling someone just recently that it seems like this election is far more serious than those in the recent past. Something in my spirit is very uneasy. In the past I have felt the need to pray for different elections but I have never felt so strongly the urge to pray, and pray fervently, for an election as I do for this one. I truly believe that if the wrong person (Obama) is elected this nation will be changed forever. We may not be able to undo the things that will be unleashed during an Obama presidency. My concern about an Obama presidency is not based on politics; it is based on righteousness.
Look at any of the major moral issues (abortion, homosexuality etc.) and you will find Obama on the wrong side of the issue, and Palin and McCain on the right side of the issue. What makes this so disturbing is that the Obama team has raised far more money than McCain/Palin and the media is unabashedly supporting Obama with every story and headline they write. Currently McCain/Palin is behind in the polls and is having a very difficult time. Some in the media have suggested that the race is over and there is little or nothing McCain can do to change the outcome. Oh how wrong they are!
Let me briefly share a story I recently read in 2 Samuel Chapter 5. David had just become king of Israel and the Philistines went up to wage war against him. So David inquired of the Lord and said, 'Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?' The LORD said, 'Yes I will surely hand them over to you.' So David went and defeated them. He said, 'As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me.' After suffering a great loss in the first battle the Philistines must have thought they now knew David defense strategy and they would be ready for him the next time, because once more the Philistines came up to attack David. So once again David inquired of the LORD, but this time the Lord gave different instructions. He said to David, 'Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.' David obeyed the Lord and was victorious.
This story holds a very important lesson for us at this time. In most presidential elections a frontal assault, a face-to-face battle, is what is needed. But this is no ordinary election. McCain is trying all the normal tactics but he is not prevailing. It seems no matter what he sa ys or does it is not effective. I am convinced this election CANNOT be won using normal methods. Just as the Lord told David to go around behind the enemy and attack him there, so we must go around the face of this election and wage war where the battle is truly raging… in the spiritual realm! The fact that the normal physical methods are not effective this time should tell us that this is a very important spiritual battle and we can only win by using spiritual methods… Prayer!
What about the sound of marching in the treetops? What is that? I have read on the Internet several accounts of fellow Christians being stirred up in their spirits to pray. Many have been drawn into times of deep prayer and weeping as they intercede for Palin and McCain. Some have woke up in the middle of the night and sensed a great need to pray, other have told of how when they heard about Sarah Palin being chosen as VP that something came over them and t hey wept and felt a need to pray for Her and McCain. Many others are feeling the calling and urging of the Spirit to enter into a time of fervent prayer and fasting for Palin and McCain and our nation.
What is this unusual stirring that is occurring? I believe it is the Sound of the Lord marching in the trees, calling his children to act quickly to pray and fast for Palin and McCain. Think about this, what would the marching have sounded like to David? It may have sounded like the rustling of leaves as when wind blows through them, but was this time something was different and out of the ordinary. Maybe it was like the sound of the great wind when the Spirit moved on the day of Pentecost. Also, God's people are referred to as Trees of Righteous in Isaiah 61. So the sound of the Lord marching in the treetops in David's time is a portrait of the Spirit of the Lord moving among and stirring up his children today.
So what are we to do when we sense this stirring of the Spirit? Two things, first we are to take it as the sign that the Lord is moving out in front of us. Anytime the Lord calls us to do something he goes ahead of us to prepare the way and fight for us. When Joshua returned from spying out Jericho the Lord gave him insight to see that the Lord had removed the Jericho 's protection so Israel could defeat them. When the Lord calls us into battle he goes ahead of us, removes the enemy's protection, and fights for us to give us the victory. Secondly, the Lord tells us when we sense the stirring of the Spirit we are to act quickly and join Him in the battle (through prayer, fasting, praise and obedience)
This election is by no means lost. For God would not be stirring up his children all across this nation and indeed around the world, to pray, if he did not want to give us the victory in this election. And he wants us to join him in the battle. God will hear the cries of his children if we will only cry out to him with fervent, earnest, prayers for this election and this nation. If those who are being drawn to prayer by the Spirit will indeed enter into a time of prayer and seeking His face, then God will have mercy on America spare us from having an ungodly leader, I'm sure of it!
One more thought, after the last debate, so-called 'conservative' David Brooks gushed about Obama, 'I thought Obama had the night he needed to have. You know, through this whole 20 month marathon, I think what struck me is how incredibly even he is. And how frankly reassuring he is. It is like you're camping, and you wake up one morning, and there is a mountain. And then the next morning, there is a mountain, and there's the next morning, there's a mountain. Obama is just the mountain. He is just there. He is always the same, he doesn't hurt himself. McCain can sometimes lob a cannonball at the mountain, but the mountain doesn't move, and the mountain doesn't care. And so I think his steadiness, his temperament has been the dramatic theme of this campaign, dramatic in being undramatic. And it was on display tonight. And the good part of the mountain is that he is reassuring and reliable.'
I'm really glad he used the word 'mountain' to describe Obama. It caused me to remember what Jesus said about unmovable mountains. Jesus said, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'
And it only takes a little faith!
This election can only be won by going around the face of the election and attacking the enemy where he is vulnerable, through prayer, fasting and praise. If you hear the sound of the Lord marching in the tree tops, if you feel the stirring of the Spirit calling y ou to pray, then move quickly into a time of prayer, for God is moving ahead of you at that time to give us the victory. May God give us ears to hear the marching!
Together with you in the battle,
Scott Whitley
Scottwhitley5486643@yahoo.com
Redistributing the Wealth
Someone just emailed this little example to me and its so true. Someone once said, "who really needs more than 250,000 anyways? But, that's not the point. If I work hard and earn more than that, I should be allowed to DECIDE where I want my money to go. No government should. Republican or Democrat. Here's the story.
If only they understood…
If only they understood…
Today on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read, " Vote Obama. I need the money." I laughed.
Once in the restaurant my server had on an "Obama 08" tie. Again I laughed as he had given away his political preference -- just imagine the coincidence.
When the bill came, I decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the Obama redistribution-of-wealth concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone whom I deemed more in need -- the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight.
I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the server inside as I've decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy was grateful.
At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment, I realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did nothing to earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earneven though the actual recipient deserved the money more.
I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in practical application.
Go figure???
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Makes Sense to Me
A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said:
'Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 yr. old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together.'
So the doctor said: 'Ok, and what do you want me to do?'
She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.'
The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.' She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.
Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care of 2 babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born.
If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.
The lady was horrified and said: 'No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!'
I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be ok with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.
The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point. He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb.
The crime is the same!
Great Political Advice from a Political Great
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.
--Thomas Jefferson
During this election year let's be reminded of these words:
* You cannot help the poor, by destroying the rich.
* You cannot strengthen the weak, by weakening the strong.
* You cannot bring about prosperity, by discouraging thrift.
* You cannot lift the wage earner up, by pulling the wage payer down.
* You cannot further the brotherhood of man, by inciting class hatred.
* You cannot build character and courage, by taking away men's initiative and independence.
* You cannot help men permanently, by doing for them what they could and should, do for themselves.
All the above were by Abraham Lincoln
Very, very wise words, written years ago and we still don't get it.....
For Adults Only
I have heard several say that Obama is not in favor of abortion - only if the mother's life is at risk. This following video explains (medically) how that is not true.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Revenge is Sweet
Since I am such a sweet, loving wife.....and since my wonderful husband has frequently teased me..........
What a Good Shepherd We Have
As I look back on our life since we've been married, its amazing to me how God has brought us to where we are today. Both physically (location) and spiritually. As I look back on journey we've been on thus far, I marvel at God's leadership and how His ways truly are the BEST. Our first pastorate was very rough and caused allot of heartache and sleepless nights. At the time we were so disheartened and crushed that we almost left the ministry. However, had we not had that pastorate, we would never have ended up here at Keepville and being here has been a joy beyond description. These last 4.5 years here have been worth every tear we shed before. God led us to a church here that is full of people who undeniably love us as they do their own children and grandchildren. Not only do they love us but they love our children. And, while that seems to be cliche' - it means allot to a pastor and his wife when their children are accepted and loved - DESPITE of their imperfections.
This month has been Pastor Appreciation Month across America. No doubt most of you reading this entry honored your pastor and his family. Our church has always done their best for us from day 1 but this month they completely blew us away (hypothetically) with their expressions of love. Each Sunday this month they did something different to show us how much we are loved. The thing that stood out to me the most was that alothough they could not afford to give us an extra paycheck or a new car or send us on a cruise to the Bahamas, they did THEIR best and as a result, their expression touched us all the more.
This Sunday they made us come up front to sit then proceeded to present, "This is your life". They had pictures up all the way across the front of the church. They had asked our families to contribute pictures from birth til we left home. Our families also contributed funny and sentimental stories about us from our childhood. Once that was completed, then the congregation was invited to participate. There were 9 or 10 who stood and said funny and sentimental things to us/about us. We went from crying to laughing and back several times. When that was complete then everyone came around and hugged us then went to look at Pastor and Mrs. Pastor when they were babies. :-) The sweet words that were whispered in my ear by my dear church family will be treasured for the rest of my life.
God truly leads us best if we will only let Him.
This month has been Pastor Appreciation Month across America. No doubt most of you reading this entry honored your pastor and his family. Our church has always done their best for us from day 1 but this month they completely blew us away (hypothetically) with their expressions of love. Each Sunday this month they did something different to show us how much we are loved. The thing that stood out to me the most was that alothough they could not afford to give us an extra paycheck or a new car or send us on a cruise to the Bahamas, they did THEIR best and as a result, their expression touched us all the more.
This Sunday they made us come up front to sit then proceeded to present, "This is your life". They had pictures up all the way across the front of the church. They had asked our families to contribute pictures from birth til we left home. Our families also contributed funny and sentimental stories about us from our childhood. Once that was completed, then the congregation was invited to participate. There were 9 or 10 who stood and said funny and sentimental things to us/about us. We went from crying to laughing and back several times. When that was complete then everyone came around and hugged us then went to look at Pastor and Mrs. Pastor when they were babies. :-) The sweet words that were whispered in my ear by my dear church family will be treasured for the rest of my life.
God truly leads us best if we will only let Him.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Encouraging Polls
I know allot of people can't stand Rush Limbaugh but this encouraged me from his show today. I especially liked the last paragraph.
Ladies and gentlemen, look at me, listen to me. This is a close election. It is not the landslide that you are being force fed daily in the Drive-By Media. This is a close election. Here is the latest Battleground Poll taken October 14th through yesterday, margin of error 3.1. One thousand likely voters, Obama is up one, 48-47 in the Battleground Poll. Other polls have this narrowing somewhat, but other polls have it just off the charts. CBS/New York Times, Obama up by 13. When you look at some of the internals in the New York Times/CBS poll, for example, who would raise your taxes, is the question? By the way, this I think 669 likely voters. The weighting of Democrat to Republican here is almost two-to-one, with a lot of independents in this, but now you tell me where they went and found people that think what I'm going to tell you? They had to take a poll of their newsroom to come up with these numbers. Who would raise your taxes? Obama, 51%; McCain, 53%; 43% say Obama would not; 37% say that McCain would not.
Now, I don't know who they are talking to, but if there are 53% of likely voters that think that McCain is more likely to raise people's tax than Obama, after all of this, I don't know who they found, I don't know who they're talking to. If this is the case, they went out and they found the most uninformed, disconnected American citizens who claim to be likely voters that they could have found. Why has your view of Obama gotten better? Try this question. CBS/New York Times poll, among those saying the view has gotten better is debate performance, 30%. I just like him, 16%. Seems calm and steady, 12%. The way he handles McCain's attacks, 7%. I can trust him, 5%. He can relate to the common person, 4%, and health care 4%. So those saying that their view of Obama has improved say it's because of those reasons. Now, why has your view of McCain gotten worse? Now, get the answers to this. They ask it of both, they ask why is your view of McCain gotten better, too, but I'm just giving you the -- because it fits the template of news coverage. Why has your view of McCain gotten worse? His attacks on Obama, 32%. Now cut me some slack, give me some break. I warned you people about this. This is exactly how they play this game.
We've got all these undecideds, we have all these independents, and they're just waiting around, they haven't made up their mind yet, and the thing that's going to turn 'em off the most is if McCain attacks Obama, because why? Well, that's partisan. And so what do they do? They run off to the most partisan political party in American history, the Democrat Party. Thirty-two percent say their view of McCain's gotten worse because of his attacks on Obama. Next up, 14%, what do you think the second highest reason that voters' views of McCain have gotten worse? Sarah Palin, 14% because he picked Sarah Palin. Now give me a break. You can't fool me, folks, on this. This is not how voters think. Debate performance, 12% have had their opinion of McCain worsened because of his debate performance. And how about this, why has your view of McCain gotten worse? He seems erratic -- right out of the Obama talking points, right out of an Obama ad, 11%, and just don't like him, 7%.
Now, what's happening here, folks, is a coordinated effort by the Democrat Party and the Drive-By Media to get you dispirited and keep you there, to keep you depressed, to keep you thinking all is lost, that there no hope whatsoever for McCain, that it is over. They leak all these things about the McCain camp saying, yeah, we're going to give up Colorado, and, yeah, we're going to give up in Michigan, and our route to victory is getting very, very narrow. They're leaking things that suggest McCain internals are horrible and rotten and everybody in the McCain campaign is dispirited and depressed. It is a concerted effort the likes of which I haven't seen even during the Clinton years. CNN gets in on the action: "A new national poll suggests that only a quarter of Americans think things are going well in the country today, while the rest of those questioned are angry, scared and stressed out. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Tuesday said things are going badly in the United States. 'It's scary how many Americans admit they are scared,' said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director. 'Americans tend to downplay the amount of fear they have when facing tough times. The fact that more than six in 10 say that they are scared shows how bad things are getting.'"
Cut me some slack here, Mr. Keating Holland. Americans have been more than willing to tell everybody how depressed we are. We have been more than willing to tell people how unhappy and miserable we are, and you people in the Drive-By Media have been documenting this for us in all of your polls. And probably some of you are going to believe this. But I'll tell you, let's examine one of the reasons why people might be scared and mad and depressed is because they're being inundated daily with a bunch of negative drivel about the election being over, McCain having no chance, Obama has it wrapped up, doesn't matter what anybody does. That's the express purpose of this whole campaign is to keep you depressed, to keep you angry and worried over the state of the country and, by the way, to make you feel helpless. You can't do anything about it because you're not running for office. All you can do is try to get some McCain-Palin yard signs but you can't even find those because Obama people are snatching them up and taking them to the city dump. You have to go to a trash Dumpster to find the McCain-Palin signs in your town.
Now, let's say among those who are angry, worried, depressed, and suicidal over the state of the country, what kind of intelligence are we talking about here when you try to understand how you take that emotion that people have, the fright, the depression, the fear, and then vote for Obama? Well, it boils down to that if these people are being honest, all they want is change, change, change. By the way, a Fox News Rasmussen Report poll this week, slightly improved situation for McCain compared to a week ago, though the underlying dynamic of the election still favors Obama. McCain gains a light lead in Florida and Ohio, a slight lead, yet it still has the underlying dynamic of the election favoring Obama. It's a close race, ladies and gentlemen. Battleground Poll out today, one point, Obama 48-47. Battleground is the bipartisan poll, as you know, with Celinda Lake doing the Democrat work and Ed Goeas doing the Republican work. It tends to be a poll that even shifts a little bit to the left. So as hard as it may be, we've got 14 days until the election. As hard as it may be, folks, you're going to have to turn off the TV or just watch it and resist it, because it's going to get worse these next two weeks.
They've taken Biden off the campaign trail. They're not releasing all of his medical records, either, by the way. They're not releasing his brain scans, he's had a couple of aneurysms. Biden's off the campaign trail and of course it has nothing to do with the stupid thing he said -- well, I don't know how stupid it was, probably accurate, that little Barry is going to be tested by some mean terrorists when he's elected president. One of the things that might happen, Russians sending bombers down to Venezuela. What if Castro is actually dead? I wouldn't put it past to be true. If he's not dead, he will soon assume room temperature. What if Hugo Chavez tries to capture Cuba? A very likely scenario, by the way. Chavez has his eyes on Cuba. The last thing he wants is for the United States to get in there, end the embargo and normalize relationships with Cuba. Any number of things could possibly happen. Yesterday the Biden comments laid buried. Today they're all over the place. The brilliant Madam Albright is now out defending Biden and saying that he's right. We have all of these sound bites. But when we come back from the break here, we're going to talk taxes and the economy, Obama, Barney Frank. I mean, if you're worried about the future, if you're worried about your economic future, you have got to pay attention to what's going to happen to your economics if Obama happens to win this thing.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: One more poll that I want to share with you, folks. It is from Military Times. This Military Times poll indicates landslide support for John McCain. McCain captures 68% of the military vote to Barack Obama's 23%. This is a poll by the Military Times newspaper group. It suggests there's "overwhelming support" for McCain among US troops in every branch of the armed forces by nearly three-to-one margin. Now, why do you suspect this is? Here we have overwhelming military support for McCain. My guess is they know what Biden said is true. The people in the US military, folks, did not sign up to be "tested" because of an untested, weak rookie like Barack Obama.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Saturday Evening Chuckle
Our dear Mrs. Herl sent us this email and I loved it. Here it is:
UPS Airlines
Just in case you need a laugh:Remember it takes a college degree to fly a plane, but only a high school diploma to fix one; a reassurance to those of us who fly routinely in our jobs.
After every flight, UPS pilots fill out a form, called a 'gripe sheet,' which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.
Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by UPS ' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.
By the way, UPS is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident.
P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land veryrough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
P: Something loose in cockpit
S: Something tightened in cockpit
P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.
P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minutedescent
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.
P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.
P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search
P: Aircraft handles funny. (I love this one!)
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right and be serious.
P:Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
P : Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.
And the best one for last:
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.
Favorite Pics of the Week
My Gifts
Byron's Grandma Gurnee (Granny)
Four Generations of Gurnee's
The Favorite In-laws
The Favorite In-laws and their favorite grandchildren
First Driving Lesson
The job inspector looks on.
First of the season for Kenton!
Thank the Lord for Father-in-laws
Byron has been so immersed in his studies this past month that several things that have really needed done have gone undone. So, my favorite father-in-law came up this past week and worked on several projects. One was the sidewalk that has been a health hazard for several weeks.
As a side note to some of my anti-homeschooling readers: this is one benefit of homeschooling - my kids helped and learned about ratios and how to mix up cement. Had they been in a brick and mortar school that day, they would have 1. not had been able to spend quality time with their grandparents and 2. missed out on the experience of learning about ratios and cement.
The finished sidewalk looks so nice!! Thanks Dad Gurnee!!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
This Isn't Over Yet Folks
From http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/docs/2008-IBD-TIPP-DAY3.html
Overall Two Man Race
obama- 45%
mccain- 42%
unsure- 13%
By party afflilation..
Obama
Democrats 85%
Republican - 5%
Independants- 38%
McCain
Republicans 87%
democrat- 7%
Independants- 38%
If you look at Party affiliation McCain is ahead.
Interesting Poll from KDKA
Byron just posted this on his blog but it was so encouraging to me that I had to post it too. Please keep in mind that Pittsburgh is very much Obama territory. Democrats have the upper hand in a big way. Add to that the blatant bias of KDKA toward Obama - as evidenced by yesterdays censorship of Kevin Miller. Anyways... here's a bit of good news.
A poll from KDKA in Pittsburgh:
Did the final presidential debate change who you will vote for?
No, I will vote for John McCain.
63%
No, I will vote for Barack Obama.
20%
Yes, I am switching my vote to John McCain.
15%
Yes, I am switching my vote to Barack Obama.
1%
I think the debate helped McCain.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Obama Has Already Started (Fairness Doctrine)
I am sitting here alternating between furious and sick to my stomach.
I try to daily listen to http://www.kdkaradio.com/. They have 2 talk show hosts from 11:00-4:00 that I enjoy listening to. They are both conservative hosts pretty much along the same lines as Rush Limbaugh. Well, today as I tuned in I heard the KDKA administration announcing that due to so much negative communication from the public they were, as of today, not allowing the talk show host to speak negatively about Obama or anything regarding him. As an olive branch to these people KDKA has offered Barak Obama THREE HOURS of uninterrupted time on their station. He will host this talk show on a day of his choosing without any counterbalance.
Can anyone say, "censorship"?
I honestly cannot believe it.
Monday, October 13, 2008
McCain/Palin Tradition
If you've followed my blog for very long you'll know that music is near and dear to my heart. I just found this little clip and it just kinda made me smile. The words, the syle, the motive, etc. I just found it to be overall fun (don't forget that I'm a true blue country farm girl. They say you can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl. That is SO true). Hope you enjoy.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
We Are Appreciated
Tonight our wonderful church people had a potluck supper in our honor for Pastor's Appreciation month. It was so nice just being together as a church family. We have the best congregation there is. The food was delicious (seriously it was a huge spread and so so delicious) and the fellowship was so refreshing. God is blessing our church with such a spirit of unity and oneness. We are privileged to pastor such a wonderful group of people. Here's a couple pics from the evening. Byron will be posting more pics later tonight or tomorrow.
Vincent Joins the Hunting World
Be sure to check Byron's blog tonight or tomorrow to hear all the "important" (ya right) details.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The Way to a Daughter in law's heart
Just ask my favorite Mother-in-law... she knows!! (P.S. I'm sure there are other ways as well but chocolate always gets bonus points!) Thanks Mom Gurnee!
Let Your Heart Be Broken
And, on the next page in the same songbook was this song that is quite a gem as well and written to a familiar tune (Like a River Glorious). The words of this song were written by Bryan Jeffery Leech in 1975. The music by James Mountain in 1876. Here's some more words to ponder (bolded words, my emphasis added. I just loved the way those phrases were worded):
Let Your Heart Be Broken
1. Let your heart be broken for a world in need
Feed the mouths that hunger; Soothe the wounds that bleed;
Give the cup of water and the loaf of bread -
Be the hands of Jesus, serving in His stead.
2. Here on earth applying principles of love -
Visible expression God still rules above,
Living illustration of the Living Word
To the minds of all who've never seen and heard.
3. Blest to be a blessing, privileged to care,
Challenged by the need apparent everywhere,
Where mankind is wanting fill the vacant place;
Be the means thro' which the Lord reveals His grace.
4. Add to your believing deeds that prove it true -
Knowing Christ as Saviour, make Him Master too:
Follow in His footsteps, go where He has trod,
In the world's great trouble risk yourself for God.
5. Let your heart be tender and your vision clear -
See mankind as God sees; serve Him far and near.
Let your heart be broken by a brother's pain;
Share your rich resources - give and give again.
1. Let your heart be broken for a world in need
Feed the mouths that hunger; Soothe the wounds that bleed;
Give the cup of water and the loaf of bread -
Be the hands of Jesus, serving in His stead.
2. Here on earth applying principles of love -
Visible expression God still rules above,
Living illustration of the Living Word
To the minds of all who've never seen and heard.
3. Blest to be a blessing, privileged to care,
Challenged by the need apparent everywhere,
Where mankind is wanting fill the vacant place;
Be the means thro' which the Lord reveals His grace.
4. Add to your believing deeds that prove it true -
Knowing Christ as Saviour, make Him Master too:
Follow in His footsteps, go where He has trod,
In the world's great trouble risk yourself for God.
5. Let your heart be tender and your vision clear -
See mankind as God sees; serve Him far and near.
Let your heart be broken by a brother's pain;
Share your rich resources - give and give again.
When the Church of Jesus
Last night I was working on our church's Christmas program and I came across this song in our church songbook. It is in a minor key and doesn't particularly lend itself to effortless congregational participation like "Love Lifted Me" or something along those lines. However, the words really jumped out at me. And no, even as great as the words are, they don't quite fit into our program theme of "Mary, Did you Know?" LOL
When the Church of Jesus
Words and Music by Fred Pratt Green, 1968
1. When the Church of Jesus shuts its outer door,
Lest the roar of traffic drown the voice of prayer,
May our prayers, Lord, make us ten times more aware
That the world we banish is our Christian care.
2. If our hearts are lifted where devotion soars
High above this hungry, suffring world of ours,
Lest our hymns should drug us to forget its needs,
Forge our Christian worship into Christian deeds.
3. Lest the gifts we offer - money, talents, time -
Serve to salve our conscience to our secret shame,
Lord, reprove, inspire us by the way You give;
Teach us, dying Savior, how true Christians live.
Don't Forget Who's In Control
The Democrats aren't in control. The Republican's aren't control. The polls aren't in control. Our God is still in control. We must not lose sight of this fact.
The Facelift Continues
Our church has been undergoing a pretty radical renovation for about 3.5 yrs now. It's been slow going since the church voted to stay out of debt. Which simply means, we only build/remodel as the finances permit. However, we are making allot of progress and it looks SO nice. I am beyond excited to see how it is improving and changing. One of the biggest improvements that I just couldn't wait for, was the facelift to the front of the church. I am one of "those people" who like to have everything symmetrical. And, well, if you know our church, you know that the front entry is NOT in the middle of the church structure. It has just bugged me. Now, granted, the new entry is not centered either but it doesn't look quite so bad!! LOL. Yesterday Byron and Tom Rodgers (old faithful) started tearing out the old entry and very soon it will be all covered with siding and I will be able to look out my kitchen window and not see the awful, left of center, door!! YEAH!! Anyways... go to Byron's blog to see a bunch of pictures from the work day. I'll post a couple here for you.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
I'm now the servant
Vincent just came in a bit ago and told me he needed me to get him a coat. I said, "Well, I really don't see any reason why you can't get a coat yourself. After all, who was your servant last year?" He very seriously looked at me and said, "You were mommy!" I rolled my eyes at him and he said, "But Mommy, you do so well at it!" I guess that is a compliment, eh?!
Already?!!
Yesterday I told my very wise and mature (not) almost 5 yr old daughter to put on a coat if she planned to go outside and play. She turned around and said, "Moooooommmmmm you are so WEIRD!" The whole scene was complete with hugely exaggerated rolling eyes. I thought I had a few years before I lost all intelligence.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Cooking with the media
I sure hope this article is right!!
Cooking with AP: Polls Radically Change Party Mix to Fabricate an Obama Trend
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer ... bama-trend
By Tom Blumer * October 2, 2008 - 06:26 ET
In the kitchens of the Associated Press, it's almost as if the wire service asked its chief cook -- er, pollster -- GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media, to do the following:
Whip up a tasty, representative poll after the Republican Convention.
Cooking with AP: Polls Radically Change Party Mix to Fabricate an Obama Trend
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer ... bama-trend
By Tom Blumer * October 2, 2008 - 06:26 ET
In the kitchens of the Associated Press, it's almost as if the wire service asked its chief cook -- er, pollster -- GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media, to do the following:
Whip up a tasty, representative poll after the Republican Convention.
Three weeks later, make the same dish, but this time adjust the mix of ingredients by radically oversampling Democrats and undersampling Republicans, thereby creating a false illusion of momentum in the campaign of Barack Obama, and of decline in John McCain's.
Hope people don't notice the changes in the recipe.
Of course we don't know if the differences between AP-CfK's Sept. 5-10 and Sept. 27-30 results were created deliberately, but the results sure look suspicious (both polls are available at PDF links found at AP-GfK's home page).
The more recent poll shows Obama with a 7-point lead among likely voters, both with and without leaners; the earlier poll showed McCain with a 5-point lead with leaners, and 4 points without.
Almost all of this 12-point swing (11 points with leaners) is more than likely almost completely due to major differences between the two polls' samples:
"Somehow," the sample make-up changed from 33-31 Democrat to 40-29 Democrat from the earlier to the latter poll -- a shift of nine points.
"Somehow," the Strong-Dem vs. Strong-GOP difference went from nothing to eight points.
"Somehow," the Strong-GOP vs. Moderate-GOP mix went from +3 to -3, a swing of six points.
Here's my best estimate of how the Sept. 27-30 poll would have turned out if AP-GfK had used a sample similar to the one it used Sept. 5-10:
After correcting for differences in the samples, almost all of Obama's double-digit pickup disappears, leaving McCain with four- and three-point leads without and with leaners, respectively. Even if one argues that the first poll showed a too-small gap between the two parties in the number of people sampled, substituting the 5-point difference Gallup identified shortly after the GOP convention would still leave McCain with a slight lead.
Either AP isn't supervising its GfK cooks properly, or it's directing them to poison discussions of presidential race, while hoping that no one notices the rancid product it is clearly producing.
AP waitress -- er, reporter -- Liz Sidoti brought out the new poll's results for our consumption yesterday with this exultant intro:
Barack Obama has surged to a seven-point lead over John McCain one month before the presidential election, lifted by voters who think the Democrat is better suited to lead the nation through its sudden financial crisis, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll that underscores the mounting concerns of some McCain backers.
Likely voters now back Obama 48-41 percent over McCain, a dramatic shift from an AP-GfK survey that gave the Republican a slight edge nearly three weeks ago, before Wall Street collapsed and sent ripples across worldwide markets.
As you can see above, her celebration is founded on fabrication; thus, her "explanations" are deep-fried in deception.
Just because AP, GfK, and Sidoti are serving us this rotten recipe doesn't mean that readers have to swallow it. So don't.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Needed - Soundtrack
We are in need of a soundtrack for the song, "Mary Did You Know?" for our Christmas program here at the church. I am doing our entire program around that song and I am needing the soundtrack for that specific song. Thanks in advance!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Question for Biblical Scholars
In our ladies Bible study tonight we came upon this verse:
Genesis 22:12
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me.
The ladies wanted to know why God said, "... thine only son from me." when he was NOT Abraham's only son.
Any ideas?
Yeah. This is the VP I want.
I'm so happy I finally found someone else who thinks that corn syrup is more deadly than a terrorist. (rolling eyes)
Just got off the phone with the FBI. I opened my pantry and saw two bottles of very menacing Corn Syrup hiding behind two bottles of ketchup.
They told me to secure the area, take notes and wait for a SWAT team to arrive.
Thank Goodness for Joe Biden. This sleeper cell has been in my kitchen for almost a year.
Was Choosing Palin a Mistake?
The following article is one of the best I've read recently:
Was the Palin Pick a Mistake?
That’s the odd question some conservatives are asking after the first-term Alaskan governor has demonstrated in recent television interviews what I presumed everyone already knew—she’s not a Washington insider, doesn’t have all the policy answers, talks kinda funny, and at this point, isn’t fully prepared to be President of the United States of America.
This questioning of McCain’s pick by seasoned pundits like Kathleen Parker, who two weeks ago was praising McCain’s choice as inspired and now has called for Gov. Palin to step down from the ticket, is odd, because they should know better. They should know the number two spot has never been about who would be the second, third, or tenth best occupant of the Oval Office.
Just ask Senator Obama.
Or just listen to Senator Biden himself.
When we vote for a president we make a bet. We bet he will be sticking around for at least four years. We bet on his health and stamina. We bet he won’t be killed. We bet he won’t choke on his broccoli. And we bet the running mate will compliment his or her abilities.
Campaigns always float to the public the big white lie that their first consideration in picking a vice-president candidate is “one-heart-beat-away” readiness. That sounds very presidential. It comforts. But it isn’t true. Candidates pick their running mates by balancing two factors 1) how many votes the name will draw to the voting booths 2) how well the two will work together as a team if elected.
If Gov. Sarah Palin was an inspired pick—a hypothesis yet to be proven—it will be because of who she is as a woman and mother, her natural and proven leadership, and the traditional values she holds dearly and sincerely.
It will have nothing to do with what she already knows about Washington politics.
If, in Thursday night’s debate, Gov. Palin communicates all three of these unique qualities in words, body language, and in a humble, strong, and kind tone (instead of trying to act like a policy wonk, foreign affairs expert, or even like a president) she may seal the deal for McCain.
And if that happens, she will serve the country in the same unique way.
This scenario is possible because I believe America is starving for some sincerity. We know instinctively we are in trouble today on Wall Street — and on every street — because we have lost our way. Our troubles are not technical; they are human, they are moral.
And who would doubt the perfect form of sincerity is an honest mother who listens to us, a courageous woman who speaks the truth to us, a strong lady who works for us?
Imagine some of that feminine genius in the White House! It may be the only thing that would assure the average voter that Senator McCain will keep his many campaign promises.
Certainly nobody will believe Gov. Palin if she tells us she suddenly knows the technical solution to our economic woes, or if she reminds us again of her experience as Russia’s neighbor, or if she rolls her “r’s” when she talks about Mexico.
But if on Thursday Sarah Palin is every bit Governor Palin—the mom, the wife, the good neighbor, the Christian believer, the intuitive politician who knows how to choose adviser and when to take their advice, the patriot, the state executive with the highest approval rate in the country—and no more, she might go down in history as inspired, if indeed that’s what she is.What do you think?
God bless,
Father Jonathan
Father Jonathan Morris is author of the new book, “The Promise: God’s Purpose and Plan for when Life Hurts.” For more information click here.
Holmes County Ohio
Last Saturday we took our people on a trip to Holmes County Ohio. There were 14 of us - a FULL van!! We had so much fun. We have such wonderful parishioners. We are truly blessed. We had several who wanted to go but we didn't have room so it was a "first come first served" sign up plan. We desperately need a van of our own but the Evangelistic Tabernacle in Coooperstown was kind enough to loan us their van for the day. We are planning another trip in the spring. Byron has quite a few pics on his blog of our day.
Refuge
The last couple days have been very emotionally tiring for me. Life just gets that way sometimes ya know? I have felt just desperate for even just a tidbit of scripture that would just leap out at me and speak to my need. My devotions this AM didn't really speak to me like I had hoped so I sat down to the computer to the online devotions I have set up. Before that though I decided to check my bloglines. Jenny had updated her blog. This is what I found on her blog. JUST WHAT I NEEDED!!!
Here it is from the NIV:
Psalms 91
O Lord,Whose power is infinite and wisdom infallible,
Order things that they may neither hinder, nor discourage me,
nor prove obstacles to the progress of thy cause;
Stand between me and all strife, that no evil befall,
no sin corrupt my gifts, zeal, attainments:
May I follow duty and not any foolish device of my own;
Permit me not to labour at work which thou wilt not bless,
that I may serve thee without disgrace or debt;
Let me dwell in thy most secret place under thy shadow,
where is safe impenetrable protection from
the arrow that flieth by day,
the pestilence that walketh in darkness,
the strife of tongues,
the malice of ill-will,
the hurt of unkind talk,
the snares of company,
the perils of youth,
the temptations of middle life,
the mournings of old age,
the fear of death.
I am entirely dependent upon thee for support, counsel, consolation,
Uphold me by thy free Spirit,
and may I not think it enough to be preserved from falling,
but may I always go forward,
always abounding in the work thou givest me to do.
Strengthen me by thy Spirit in my inner self
for every purpose of my Christian life.
All my jewels I give to the shadow of the safety that is in thee--
my name anew in Christ,
my body, soul, talents, character,
my success, husband (I [Jenny] changed this one word), children, friends, work,
my preset, my future, my end.
Take them, they are thine, and I am thine, now and for ever.
Amen, Amen, Amen.
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