A rose by any other name

      Most of us have heard the expression "A rose by any other name . smell as sweet". It seems to me that the underlying thought of that statement is being adapted to the strategy of those who would completely change society to fit their desires by changing the definition of words.

     Ir worked for the rose so let us change the definition of marriage.  Even though for thousands of years the word, according to all of the dictionaries, said: Marriage is the union between a man and a woman.  So change the definition.  Why not make it between any two consenting adults.  Why not go farther and make it a union between a cowboy and his horse.

     There once was a time when a person was a racist if he judged a person by the color of his skin.  He or she was a lower class person simply because their skin was a different color.  But that has been changed so drastically that you cannot use an expression like Chinese virus.  It makes no difference that the use of the word simply denotes a suspected source of a virus and no judgmental opinion on any citizen of China.  I suppose an Irishman could object about the use of the term Irish Potato.

     We have never had a problem with bathroom privileges until we have a group of people who are in the process of changing their gender.  All of a sudden we have a problem.  I fail to see why a person would be uncomfortable in using the bathroom they have been using all of their life.  However, I will give them that possibility that they may have become uncomfortable with that restroom.  But, what could possibly be wrong with having three bathrooms or even four bathrooms.  

     Much of the changes that we are facing today have more to do with not wanting others to have what they have had for years and for them to accept the life style of others,

     The aroma of a rose would be there if you changed its name.  Very few  words are compatible with more than one accepted definition, To do so weakens the word to where it has no meaning or definition.

Halt! Who Goes There?

     Having been absence from my post of blogging for such  a long time, I find it difficult to zero in on one particular subject.  Nevertheless, I will give it a try.
     It is a very difficult time that we live in today; black snow falls, faith's wings have been clipped by reason's scissors, those things that used to be right are now considered wrong, and those things that were considered wrong are now considered right.  I seems as if there are no longer any absolute values in which something is absolutely right or absolutely wrong.  Even in our churches we have tried to make room for everybody.  Brother that's too much room.
     The latest attack upon society is the wave of interest in the transgender demands.  Here we have cries to disregard the wishes of the majority of the nation to satisfy the whelms of less than 1% of people who claim to be a transgender identifying as a person opposite to their natural identity at birth.
     No one has come close to explaining how a transgender person is being discriminated against if you have bathrooms for male, bathrooms for female and bathrooms for transgender people.  Even where is the problem of having a unisex bathroom where a person goes in an locks the door.  There is no way to protect the girls and women in the bathrooms from a grown sexual pervert who wants to claim that he now identifies as a woman.
     In Texas recently there was a person born as a female, identifying as a male who was in the process of taking testosterone and wished to compete against girls.  As in so many situations here is a person who wants their cake and eat it too.  We have opened Pandora's box! 
    

Truths, Half-Truths, White Lies and Lies

It is a long time until the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  Between now and that time you will hear thousands of lies.  There will be a mixture of truths, half-truths and lies.  If I had the vocabulary of some of my Democrat friends I would add their third category-d___ lies.  Make no mistake about it both the Democrat and the Republican party will lie, even if it hurts the nation, if it will advance their cause.   

     I recently saw a post on face book that I wish to address in this blog.  The post was prepared by an individual evidently and then shared by others, entitled, “3 Republican Lies About Welfare.”   I notice there is a prevailing trait among everyone to share those things that they believe in without checking the accuracy and to check the accuracy if it does not agree with their thinking.

.     First, I wish to address the title.  I am not a Republican or a Democrat, I have been guilty of voting for both parties and think the death of both parties, as they now function, probably would be good for America.  I have never had a Republican tell me those “lies or facts” as they are presented.  But I am sure there are elitists in both parties that individually accept those three things as fact.

Number one:  Undocumented immigrants abuse the welfare system.  Is the statement saying illegal aliens abuse the welfare system or undocumented immigrants?  There are some words some folks cannot say.  The next thing I wonder about is the use of the word abuse.  Is that saying that they use the system illegally or in some way else abuse the system?  I interpreted the statement to say that illegal aliens are receiving funds from the welfare system.  At least his “fact” is clear; They cannot qualify for any form of public assistance.  Unfortunately his fact is a lie.  First, no person citizen or noncitizen can be denied Medicaid funds.  The 1996 reforms changed almost every aspect of non-citizen eligibility for welfare.  I will not burden the reader with all of those reforms but just enough to prove that the fact is a lie.  Refugees are eligible for all welfare benefits.  A person who has worked in the United States for ten years, citizen or not, is eligible for welfare benefits and his dependents.  I think also that children born in the United States, they are citizens, and probably their parents, citizen or non-citizen, would probably be entitled to aid.

With some exceptions, non-citizens entering the United States after August 22, 1996, the date of enactment of the welfare reform legislation, are not eligible for most welfare benefits, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), SSI, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), UNTIL they have been in the U.S. for at least five years. Keeping this general principle in mind, a more thorough review of the 1996 provisions reveals both their complexity and breadth.  

Number two:  (Lie) Welfare encourages people to not work.  His fact:  Most welfare recipients work.

This is so shallow that it scarcely deserves any type of response.  Obviously, most welfare recipients are not encouraged to not work.  Many are old, retired and/or physically unable to work.  But I know folks who will not take a job for fear of losing their welfare check.  And what type of fact would his fact be since most folks are not even in physical condition to work.

Number three: (Lie) Most welfare recipients are minorities.  His fact:  Most welfare recipients are white.

This one is a classic.  We can talk about the number of folks on the welfare roles by the actual physical numbers or we can refer to them as a percent of the population.  Before I present the actual numbers of the welfare system permit me to use a specific case.  I know a town in Mississippi in which there is not a single white person on the welfare role.  By the same token, every person receiving welfare is black.  Sounds like something a racist would say.  However, those two statements say nothing at all because the town is an all black town.  Could be that only one person is receiving welfare; but the per cents receiving welfare still remain the same—white 0%; black 100%.

     According to the 2010 census the population of the United States was 309.3 million: of that number 223,553,265 were white, 38,929,319 were African-American.   Thus you have percentage wise: 72.4% white, 12.6% African-Americans.    23.1% of white population, 54.6% of the  African-American population, and 54.1% of the Hispanic population are on the welfare roles.  Thus the comparison is: obviously there are more whites on welfare because they make up 72.4% of the population.  But, when you compare percent of the population to the percent receiving welfare you receive a total different picture.

     If I may conclude with the immortal words of the great leader of the Democrat party, “What difference does it make?”  She was speaking of the deaths of men.  Surely, I can say the same words about the welfare system.  It matter

s not the number receiving welfare, what does matter is the number of able-bodied men and women who are abusing the system.

That Is Who We Are

President Obama tries to view the world through rose colored glasses and does not see things as they really are he remarks, “That’s not who we are.”

     There are times I try to give the man the benefit of the doubt and say that he just does not understand.  However, there are times when I think he knows exactly how things are and his goal from day one of taking office was to weaken America among the nations of the world.

     Our very existence was driven by the necessity of trying to survive.  For two hundred years we grew and expanded because of who we were.  The strongest survived, the weak did not.  We refused to bow down to the tyranny of the laws of Great Britain.  Thus, a little rag-tag band of men took up arms and defeated one of the more mighty nations on earth at that time.

     We formulated our laws based upon the Judeo-Christian concept and it stood the time and tests of two world wars, the civil war and numerous “police actions”.  He does not get the concept of our citizens owning guns.  The Japanese understood that point perfectly and did not try to attack our mainland.  Yes, Mr. President, we are a people of guns; have been and always will be.  And never forget there are still many who are a people of the bible as well.

     There are numerous things that he would learn if he would read upon American History and how the great presidents reacted.  Thank God, he was not there when the Muslim pirates demanded tribute money.  Thomas Jefferson knew exactly what to do.  President Obama would have bowed down and kissed their shoes.  Most of our presidents recognized danger to our country and reacted bravely.  Carter banned those from Iran to enter the country and even sent some home that were already here.  Obama and Hillary want to open the doors and let all come in who desire.

     We also are a people who believe in--live and let live.  At every turn he has tried to push religious freedom for and upon the Muslims.  Does he not get it; they do not want religious freedom.  They do not practice religious freedom nor will they allow others to have religious freedom.  And yet throughout this land people are being forced to grant to them freedoms that even others do not have. Until the Muslims arrived I never heard of someone demanding of an employer to give them time and a place to pray.

     Until lately our country has been one of open arms, come and join us, come and help us.  And they came from every country of the world and literally became and American.  But today, they want to come and bring their flag, bring their language, expect us to accept their cultural traditions.  Can you imagine a woman wanting to have her picture on the driving license with their face covered?  I suppose she thought that Americans were really that stupid, did we not elect Obama twice.

     I hope it was only America wanting to do what was politically correct when we elected him as president.  After all, there is nothing wrong in an African-American being president.  There were just too many red flags about this man.  Apparently is grand-father and father were Muslim, he received much of education in a Muslim school, he attended a “Christian Church” in which the pastor openly said, “God Dam, America.”  I have no way of knowing where he was born, perhaps in Hawaii, but many red flags go up about his birth certificate.  The one I think is so damaging is that his race is listed as African-American.  I have lived through the times when each and every birth and death certificate listed the black race as either, Negro, colored, or black.  The term African-American showed up around the eighties.

     He has done a lot of damage in America, but thank God, his days are limited.  The greatest fear we have today is that Hillary will continue his agenda and also add him to the Supreme Court.  God have mercy upon us.

      

      

Fulfilling the Dream

Normally, I do not blog about anything that is personal, but today I wish to make an exception.  Those of you who know me already know most of the facts presented here but this is a special tribute to a special person.

      On February 6, 1958 I had the fortune of being married to Doris June Robinson.  For fifty years she was, as is noted on the door of the conference room at South Arkansas Christian School, the perfect “preacher’s wife.”   I can truthfully say, I would neither change any of the things she did, nor things that she did not do.  Oh, we had some disagreements along the way but  usually they were my fault.  The only time the kids felt any tension between us was when a leaf fire that she was burning, spread and caught the dog house on fire to which my bird-dog was chained.      At that time I told her, Honey, you can find a wife any day of the week, but a good bird dog is hard to find.  Things were a little tense for a while.

      Early in our marriage we moved frequently; changes between schools and churches.  She never complained.  She taught herself to drive during one week when I was away for church camp.  We had our moments of sadness, as everyone has.  Our first child was premature and only lived twenty-four hours, we lost another because of a miscarriage that was caused by an automobile wreck.  Then there were the normal loses of parents and the other relatives.  We each tried to always be there for the other.

     Her work ethics were tremendous.  Often she worked at two different jobs and then loved to get out and mow the lawn.

     We had no particular dream in life except to be together, raise our family and worship our God.  Then things suddenly changed.  A single cancer cell was discovered in her breast.  By this time two of our great-grandchildren were here.  She was so determined to have a part in raising those kids that she chose to have both breasts removed to avoid the return of the cancer.  Then a few months later the words no one wants to hear—stage four cancer.  Her cancer was a cancer of the lungs, which had spread into the bone and into the brain, thus major surgery, chemo, radiation.  Not one time did she ever complain.  However, it seemed as if her concern for the children was even stronger.  In the last few months of her life she would often waken and ask, Honey, is her head uncovered.

     She told me during those last weeks, Honey, take care of those kids.  That was her dream.

     Thus, the title, fulfilling the dream.  There are some things in life to which no question is asked, a person just does it.  There have been many who made mention of the difficulty of raising teen age kids today.  I remember a picture many years ago of a boy carrying a smaller boy on his back.  Someone asked if he were heavy.  The older boy responded, No, sir, he’s my brother.  The task of providing for Bailey and Charlee is not a burden, it is a joy, because I am Fulfilling a dream.

Normally, I do not blog about anything that is personal, but today I wish to make an exception.  Those of you who know me already know most of the facts presented here but this is a special tribute to a special person.

      On February 6, 1958 I had the fortune of being married to Doris June Robinson.  For fifty years she was, as is noted on the door of the conference room at South Arkansas Christian School, the perfect “preacher’s wife.”   I can truthfully say, I would neither change any of the things she did, nor things that she did not do.  Oh, we had some disagreements along the way but  usually they were my fault.  The only time the kids felt any tension between us was when a leaf fire that she was burning, spread and caught the dog house on fire to which my bird-dog was chained.      At that time I told her, Honey, you can find a wife any day of the week, but a good bird dog is hard to find.  Things were a little tense for a while.

      Early in our marriage we moved frequently; changes between schools and churches.  She never complained.  She taught herself to drive during one week when I was away for church camp.  We had our moments of sadness, as everyone has.  Our first child was premature and only lived twenty-four hours, we lost another because of a miscarriage that was caused by an automobile wreck.  Then there were the normal loses of parents and the other relatives.  We each tried to always be there for the other.

     Her work ethics were tremendous.  Often she worked at two different jobs and then loved to get out and mow the lawn.

     We had no particular dream in life except to be together, raise our family and worship our God.  Then things suddenly changed.  A single cancer cell was discovered in her breast.  By this time two of our great-grandchildren were here.  She was so determined to have a part in raising those kids that she chose to have both breasts removed to avoid the return of the cancer.  Then a few months later the words no one wants to hear—stage four cancer.  Her cancer was a cancer of the lungs, which had spread into the bone and into the brain, thus major surgery, chemo, radiation.  Not one time did she ever complain.  However, it seemed as if her concern for the children was even stronger.  In the last few months of her life she would often waken and ask, Honey, is her head uncovered.

     She told me during those last weeks, Honey, take care of those kids.  That was her dream.

     Thus, the title, fulfilling the dream.  There are some things in life to which no question is asked, a person just does it.  There have been many who made mention of the difficulty of raising teen age kids today.  I remember a picture many years ago of a boy carrying a smaller boy on his back.  Someone asked if he were heavy.  The older boy responded, No, sir, he’s my brother.  The task of providing for Bailey and Charlee is not a burden, it is a joy, because I am Fulfilling a dream.

Living in the Land Where Thinking It Makes It So

     Somehow we have lost our way.  During the space of time that God has allowed me to live upon the face of His earth we have turned many things completely around.  We do not live in a perfect world.  There are situations every day in which there is no perfect solution for everyone a concerned.  We must remember that my rights end where your rights begin.  But we have forgotten that most important concept.
     I am not questioning the rights or the wrongs of any of the sexual preferences of those involved, but I am questioning the handling of many of the decisions that the government is forcing upon society.  Because of space allotted I will only deal with the transgender topic at this time. 
     I understand that there are some born as a female who wish to be a mail and the expression is they identify as a male and then there are those who are born with the sexual attributes of a male and they desire to be a female.  The much worn phrase is they identify as a male or female.
     Enter a problem, what do they do now?  For thousands of years these individuals, assuming that this condition has always existed, have coped with the situation and were able to live productive lives as others who have conditions in their life to which they had difficulty adjusting.  Obviously that would be one solution.  The opposite end of the spectrum they have the option of having very expensive, radical body changing surgery.  (Is this now a civil right that a person has for the government  to pay for any change in their life in which they find themselves uncomfortable.)  There are many who have in the past and obviously will in the future who will proceed with the surgery.  The liberal group would say it is not right for them to have emotional struggles with the identity problem.  It is very doubtful that the emotional struggle will be over when the surgery is finished.  It may just be starting.  Some statistics show that the suicide rate among those who have had the transformation take place is twenty per cent higher than the normal population.
     In the meantime we have another problem.  Let us look at what might be a typical classroom setting in which we have five boys, five girls and two transgender persons--one a male who identifies as a female and the other a female who identifies as a male.  They are now all sixteen years old and for all of their school life they five boys and the male who identifies as a female have all used the same bathroom and shared the same dressing room/shower facilities.  The situation being the same for the five girls and the female who identifies as a male.  Each group has seen each other in the nude all of these years.  Now the male identifying as a female wishes to go into the girls dressing room, restroom and shower.  He is uncomfortable after all of these years being with the boys and wants to be with the girls.  Our great leader says to the school, if you don't let him do this we will cut off your money.  He would echo what many liberals are saying, you must consider his situation and not treat him any differently.  May I ask a simple question, What about the rights and feelings of the five girls and the one girl who identifies as a male, do they not have any rights?
     Do you imagine there might be a little different situation with the other group.  These five male and the male identifying as a female have shared the same dressing room and shower for years and here comes a girl to dress and shower with them.  You would have to be a fool to not see that acceptance and/or rejection is going to be different in the two different dressing rooms.
     Up until now we have always acknowledged two groups, male and female, and have provided, accordingly, facilities for two groups, male and female.  So, since we now have a third group, what could possibly be discriminating about having three facilities, male, female, transgender.  What's that?  It would make the transgender stand out if he/she had to use a separate bathroom.  Not as much as the nude body would stand out in a group of nude girls.
     Outside of the three bathrooms, the only other logical situation is one unisex facility; go in, lock the door and have your own preferential privacy.
     As an afterthought, if you can't beat them join them.  I have always wished that I could sing.  So, hereafter I shall let it be known that I identify as a musician.  I need a little funds to get me to Nashville, Tennessee.  I am sure that the government will force any of those recording companies to give me a lucrative contract.  I have in mind about the same amount that a sex-change operation would cost.  It obviously does not make any difference that I do not know one note from another, all that matters is that is the way I wish to be perceived.  Better times are just on down the road.

The Election Everyone Dreads

     I do not know of anyone in my circle that is looking forward to the presidential election of 2016.  It is a sad time as we consider the process of choosing between two candidates that many wish would just go away.  But they are not going to go away and we will either vote for one of them, waste a vote on a third party candidate, or stay at home and not vote.
     Russell Moore, who heads up the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, would like to simplify your choice for you.  He says if a person stands up to Donald Trump, he will "be on the right side of Jesus."  That makes about as much sense as when the mother of James and John wanted one of her sons to be on the either side of Jesus.  I would hope that everyone has a better reason to cast a vote than just standing up to Donald Trump.
     Let me make it perfectly clear, I don't like Donald Trump and I dislike Hillary Clinton even more, but  I will cast my vote based upon the following issues.  Whichever candidate supports things that I hold dear to my heart will receive my vote.  I am opposed to killing infants in the womb.  If there were no other issues, this one alone would secure my vote.  A nation that will kill infants in the womb will also eventually allow the old people to die.
     Secondly, I believe I have a right to own a gun.  I want to know where these candidates stand on taking away the right of Americans to bear arms.
     I think our borders, north and south, must be protected.  I have many dear friends who arrived here from Mexico.  I never asked how they crossed the border.  Some of them became naturalized citizens, some married American citizens, some were born here but I still say close the border.  If children can walk across the border, you would be stupid to think that a terrorist would not do so also.
     We must be extremely cautious in admitting the war refugees and make certain that no terrorists have infiltrated the group.
     Any individual wishing to come to America should be willing to come desiring to assimilate into the mainstream life.  Do not expect us to give you a handout.  Leave your flag behind, we have enough flag problems.  There is only one set of laws in America.  If you love your set of laws stay where you are.  Over a period of 300+ years we have developed a culture and for some of you our eating habits may be different than yours.  You know that when you come.  Don't even claim that seeing an advertisement for a pork chop offends you.  You don't have to eat it and we will not be offended when you don't.  You did not like the country you left, so don't try to make this country like the one you left, obviously you didn't like it.
     I could go on for some time, and probably will later; but these are a few of the things that will shape the final decision for who I will vote for, not whether it is Democrat or Republican, not whether it is male or female, certainly not whether it is Trump  or Clinton.

The Old Man and the Dog

Once again I have resorted to printing a complete article in the blog.  I do not know the author.  This was sent to me in an email.  I touched my heart, I hope it will touch yours.

Subject: NOT SURE IF THIS IS TRUE BUT IT IS NICE!

A beautiful story. Worth the couple of minutes it takes to read  it.


Watch out! You nearly broad-sided that car!" My father yelled at me. "Can't
you do anything right?" Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head
toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A
lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another
battle. "I saw the car, Dad. Please don't yell at me when I'm driving.
My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really
felt. Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled
back.

At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my
thoughts.... dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The
rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do
about him?

Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon. He had enjoyed being
outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of
nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed
often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to
his prowess.


The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log,
he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone,
straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about
his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger
man.

Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance
sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood
and oxygen flowing. At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating
room. He was lucky; he survived But something inside Dad died.. His zest for
life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions
and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of
visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left
alone.

My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We
hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.
Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed
nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became
frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick We
began to bicker and argue.

Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up
weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he
prayed, asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind. But the months wore
on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it was up to me to do
it. 

The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the
mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to
each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain. Just when I was giving
up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I just read something that
might help you! Let me go get the article....." I listened as she
read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All
of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their
attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for
a dog.

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a
questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of
disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each
contained five to seven dogs Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black
dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each
one but rejected one after the other for various reasons: too big, too
small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the
far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat
down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats. But this was a
caricature of the breed. Years had etched his face and muzzle with
shades of gray. His hip bones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was
his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me
unwaveringly. I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about him?" The officer
looked, then shook his head in puzzlement. "He's a funny one. Appeared out
of nowhere and sat in front of the gate We brought him in, figuring someone
would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard
nothing. His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly. As the
words sank in I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to kill
him?" "Ma'am," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room
for every unclaimed dog."

I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll
take him," I said. I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me.
When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out
of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch. "Ta-da! Look what I got
for you, Dad!" I said excitedly. Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in
disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have
picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want
it" Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the
house.

Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my
temples. "You'd better get used to him, Dad. He's staying!" Dad
ignored me. "Did you hear me, Dad?" I screamed. At those words Dad whirled
angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with
hate. We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the
pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in
front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw... Dad's lower
jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw. Confusion replaced the anger
in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging
the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer
Cheyenne . Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long
hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks
of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday
services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at is
feet. Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three
years. Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends.. Then
late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne 's cold nose burrowing
through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night.
I woke Dick, put on my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay in his
bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the
night. 

Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead
beside Dad's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on.
As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked
the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad's peace of
mind.


The morning of Dad's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the
way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for
family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made
filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both
Dad and the dog who had changed his life. And then the pastor turned
to Hebrews 13:2. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by
this some have entertained angels without knowing it." "I've often
thanked God for sending that angel," he said. 

For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen
before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article...
Cheyenne 's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter... his calm
acceptance and complete devotion to my father.... and the proximity of their
deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers
after all.

Life is too short for drama or petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and
forgive quickly. Live while you are alive. Forgive now those who made you
cry. You might not get a second chance. And if you don't send this to anyone
-- no one will know. But do share this with someone. Lost time can never be
found.

God answers our prayers in His time... not ours...
AMEN?..

The Lights Are Going Out All Over Europe.

The enemy calls it Islamophobia.   I have no fear of Islam.  I have no fear of snakes.  However every poisonous one around my family, I kill.  I would not go out and bring them into my yard.  Yet we are letting the enemy do just that.  Read and pass on if you feel like it in any way.

Nothing funny about this one. Snopes says the speech is properly attributed:

Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, Chairman, Party for Freedom, the Netherlands, at the Four Seasons, New York,  introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing  Jihad Conference in Jerusalem.

The Lights are Going Out All Over Europe

Geert Wilders is a Dutch Member of  Parliament

In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: "Who lost Europe?"

"Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for  inviting me.  I come to America with a mission.  All  is not well in the old world.
There is a tremendous danger  looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic. 

We might be in  the final stages of the Islamization of Europe.  This not  only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe  itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the  West.  The United States as the last bastion of Western  civilization, facing an Islamic Europe.
First I will describe  the situation on the ground in Europe. Then, I will say a few  things about Islam.  To close I will tell you about a  meeting in Jerusalem.

The Europe you know is  changing.

You have probably seen the landmarks. But in  all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks away from your  tourist destination, there is another world. It is the world of  the parallel society created by Muslim  mass-migration.

All throughout Europe a new reality is  rising: entire Muslim neighborhoods where very few indigenous  people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might  regret it. This goes for the police as well. It's the world of  head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with  baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or  slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead. With mosques  on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot  read.  You will be hard-pressed to find any economic  activity.  These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious  fanatics.  These are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are  mushrooming in every city across Europe. These are the  building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger  portions of Europe, street by street, neighborhood by  neighborhood, city by city.

There are now thousands of  mosques throughout Europe With larger congregations than there  are in churches. And in every European city there are plans to  build super-mosques that will dwarf every church in the region.  Clearly, the signal is: we rule.

Many European cities are  already one-quarter Muslim: just take Amsterdam, Marseilles and  Malmo in Sweden. In many cities the majority of the under-18  population is Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by a ring of  Muslim neighborhoods.  Mohammad is the most popular name  among boys in many cities.

In some elementary schools in  Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that  would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult  to Muslims.

Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark  only serve halal food to all pupils. In once-tolerant Amsterdam  gays are beaten up almost exclusively by Muslims. Non-Muslim  women routinely hear 'whore, whore'. Satellite dishes are not  pointed to local TV stations, but to stations in the country of  origin.

In France school teachers are advised to avoid  authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and  Diderot; the same is increasingly true of Darwin. The history of  the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of Muslim  sensitivity.

In England sharia courts are now officially  part of the British legal system. Many neighborhoods in France  are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man  almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels,  because he was drinking during the Ramadan.

Jews are  fleeing France in record numbers, on the run for the worst wave  of anti-Semitism since World War II.  French is now  commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya, Israel.  I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about  Islamization.

A total of fifty-four million Muslims now  live in Europe. San Diego University recently calculated that a  staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim  just 12 years from now.  Bernhardt Lewis has predicted a  Muslim majority by the end of this century.

Now these are  just numbers.  And the numbers would not be threatening if  the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But  there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported  that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as  greater than their loyalty to France. One-third of French  Muslims do not object to suicide attacks.  The British  Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British  Muslim students are in favor of a worldwide caliphate   Muslims demand what they call 'respect'.  And this is how  we give them respect.  We have Muslim official state  holidays. 

 The Christian-Democratic attorney general is  willing to accept sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim  majority.  

We have cabinet members with passports from  Morocco and Turkey.

Muslim demands are supported by  unlawful behavior, ranging from petty crimes and random  violence, for example against ambulance workers and bus drivers,  to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its uprising in the  low-income suburbs, the banlieus.  I call the perpetrators  settler's. Because that is what they are.  They do not  come to integrate into our societies; they come to integrate our  society into their Dar-al-Islam.  Therefore, they are  settlers.

Much of this street violence I mentioned is  directed exclusively against non-Muslims, forcing many native  people to leave their neighborhoods, their cities, their  countries.  Moreover, Muslims are now a swing vote not to  be ignored.

The second thing you need to know is the  importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behavior is an example  to all Muslims and cannot be criticized.  Now, if Mohammed  had been a man of peace, let us say like Ghandi and Mother  Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed  was a warlord, a mass murderer, a pedophile, and had several  marriages - at the same time. Islamic tradition tells us how he  fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had  prisoners of war executed. Mohammad himself slaughtered the  Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza.  If it is good for Islam, it  is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.

Let no one  fool you about Islam being a religion.  Sure, it has a god,  and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a  political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules  for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate  every aspect of life.  Islam means 'submission'.   Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what  it strives for is Sharia.  If you want to compare Islam to  anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these  are all totalitarian ideologies.

Now you know why Winston  Churchill called Islam 'the most retrograde force in the world',  and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran. The public has  wholeheartedly accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees  Israel as the aggressor.  I have lived in this country and  visited it dozens of times.  I support Israel.  First,  because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of  exile up to and including Auschwitz.  Second because it is  a democracy.  And third because Israel is our first line of  defense.

This tiny country is situated on the fault line  of jihad, frustrating Islam's territorial advance.  Israel  is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the  Philippines, Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan, Lebanon, and  Aceh in Indonesia.  Israel is simply in the way.  The  same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.

The war  against Israel is not a war against Israel.  It is a war  against the West.  It is jihad.  Israel is simply  receiving the blows that are meant for all of us.  If there  would have been no Israel, Islamic imperialism would have found  other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest.  Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army  and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep  well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.

Many in  Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address  the grievances of our Muslim minorities.  But if Israel  were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to  the West.  It would not mean our Muslim minorities would  all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our  values.  On the contrary, the end of Israel would give  enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam.  They would,  and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West  is weak, and doomed.  The end of Israel would not mean the  end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would  mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they  can get Israel, they can get everything.  So-called  journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islam as a  'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'.  In my country, the  Netherlands, 60 percent of the population now sees the mass  immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since  World War II.  And another 60 percent sees Islam as the  biggest threat.  Yet there is a greater danger than  terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man  standing.  The lights may go out in Europe faster than you  can imagine.  An Islamic Europe means a Europe without  freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual  nightmare, and a loss of military might for America - as its  allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs.   With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to  preserve the heritage of Rome, Athens and Jerusalem

Dear  friends, Liberty is the most precious of gifts.  My  generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered  to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with  their lives.  All throughout Europe, American cemeteries  remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose  memory we cherish.  My generation does not own this  freedom; we are merely its custodians.  We can only hand  over this hard won liberty to Europe's children in the same  state in which it was offered to us.  We cannot strike a  deal with mullahs and imams.  Future generations would  never forgive us.  We cannot squander our liberties.   We simply do not have the right to do so.

We have to take  the necessary action now to stop this Islamic stupidity from destroying the free world that we know.
 

Please take the  time to read and understand what is written here, please send it  to every free person that you know - it is so very  important."

Understanding the Times

     It does not take a rocket scientist to understand the times which are upon us now.  Drastic times call for drastic measures.  It is past time to lay aside all of the political correctness that is used in order to make rights look wrong and wrongs look right.

     Today every senator and congressman must take a stand and vote the convictions of their constituents that sent them to Washington in the first place.  I get the feeling that the majority of both Democrats and Republicans will vote contrary to the betterment of the nation, if it will aid their party.  Those people must be brought home from Washington or better yet vote them out of office and leave them up there.

     It seems like the more power that the individuals have or seek to have, the more corrupt they become.  They will lie or twist the truth if it benefits the party.  Hillary Clinton seemingly cannot tell the truth.  She will lie about small things that mean seemingly nothing at all :  We were broke when we left the white house: We came under sniper fire; I tried to join the Marines; The Muslim religion is a peaceful religion.  Anything to get a vote.  Don't forget President Obama still things the greatest threat to America is global warming.  I suppose that is his justification for leaving the border open and inviting the enemy to come home and have lunch with us.  He tried to tug at the nation's heartstrings when he talked about the widows and orphans that were refugees.  Sounds like a good division line to me, let's allow the widows and orphans in and keep the rest out.  Even then one of the widows may have designs upon becoming the first woman suicide bomber in America.

     Most liberals don't want to hear it, but the President's  Muslim leanings constantly show through.  Remember he said, "The future must not belong to those who would slander the prophet of Islam."  Put that in the proper context when he sat in church and listened to his pastor use God's name in vain.  To you nay-sayers which is worse to slander a prophet of a religion or use God's name in vain.  He should have told Reverend(?) Wright, "The future must not belong to those who use God's name in vain." But he could not do that because of his upbringing.  Don't forget he said the sweetest sound in the world was the Muslim call to prayer.

     Hillary said we are not at war with Islam.  I think she used the wrong pronoun; she is not at war with Islam, but apparently most of the world is.  If we are not at war with them we will cease to exist as the nation we now are.  They are at war with us and it is very difficult to have a single sided war.

The squeaking wheel gets the greese!!

     Always remember that there are two sides to every story.  The demonstrations that occurred on the campus of the University of Missouri is a prime example of that.  It matters not what the demonstration is going to be about, you will find someone who is willing to demonstrate with you.  It is possible that you can get others to go along with you even if you yourself are not even remotely connected with the demonstration.
     Enter one Johnathon Butler who avowed that he was "oppressed" and referred to "white privilege".  However, it appears that Johnathon Butler is far from being "oppressed" and certainly is far more "privileged" than 90% of the people in the United States, all races included.  It is reported that his father, Eric L. Butler, is executive vice-president of Union Pacific Railroad and the poor family only made 8.4 million dollars in 2014.  Most of us could stand to be a little more oppressed, if he is oppressed.
     That being his lowly state in life he decides to go on a hunger strike and throw in a few demands along the way.  I have no doubt that many of the incidents that were mentioned actually happened.  But some of the things that it was reported that he was upset about were dubious at the very best.
     One of the complaints was that the President of  University of Missouri, President Wolf, did not respond adequately in the aftermath of the shooting in Ferguson, Missouri of Michael Brown.  That translates into the fact that President Wolf did not disagree with the preponderance of the evidence as gleaned by a grand jury.
     Another tremendous oppression was that the graduate students were "being robbed of their health insurance."  Where has he been for the last few years when everyone else were struggling with the drastic changes brought about by Obama care.  Maybe he should take that up with the President of the United States instead of the President of the University of Missouri.
     But on second thought, why should he not take that approach, it has worked wonderfully for Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson.  He may be the next great leader in that respect.

Say, It Ain't So

     It seems to me that there is someone out there who sits around and tries to think up the most absurd things that they can.  I think they have finally succeeded.  The federal government is contemplating cutting off all funds to the schools that do not allow transgender persons to use the same dressing, showering, bathroom privileges, etc as the other sex.  Let me see if I have that correct.  A boy who identifies as being a girl can go into the girls showers and shower with them or a girl who identifies as being a boy can go into the boys shower and shower with them. 
     Now there is no way of predicting the feelings of everyone involved, but I would think most of the girls would  be offended with the nude "male looking body" being in there and probably some of the boys would welcome the "female looking body" to be showering with them.
     I will try to look at this as reasonably as I can.  For centuries we have identified two different sexes--male and female.   Because of this identification, many places have tried to accommodate both groups by providing separate facilities for dressing, showering, bathroom usage, etc.  Now, who could possibly be offended, since we have a third way of identifying people, that we have three separate facilities, one for each--male, female and transgender.  Surely, those identifying as a transgender should not bother using a single transgender facility since they are wanting to use one that is not like them anyway.  Of course this would be a temporary arrangement until the proper surgery has been performed to transfer them into the particular sex that they are identifying with.
     Gosh, that would never work because it is to reasonable and obviously not politically correct.

Sleeping With The Enemy

     Many of you will remember the movie several years ago entitled, "Sleeping With The Enemy".  As I recall a woman was in an abusive situation that was so bad that she actually faked her death in order to get out of the situation.  Until that occurred she was sleeping with the enemy.
     There is scarcely a day passing that I do not hear a remark about the assault or the war on Christianity.  Some of the younger generations may not see it as vividly as older folks.  But the attacks are there just the same.  Look at all of the government buildings that are over a 100 years old and you will see numerous biblical quotes and Christian expressions written in stone.  Today there are attempts to remove any vestige of Christian influence.
     Let me quickly state that in my mind the problem is not with the enemy, the problem is that we have gone asleep as churches and as Christians.  We have literally been sleeping with the enemy.
Matthew tells the story of the men who were overseeing a wheat field for a landowner and states, While they slept the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat.  Several years ago in the comic strip, Pogo, the little possum said, "We have found the enemy and it is us.
     And while Christians slept, prayer has been removed from our public schools, the life of the unborn has been taken. Go figure a nation that will cry, "Save the owl, kill the baby."  We have been lulled to sleep by mother fashion and father political correctness.
     Never forget, "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."
     On the night that Jesus was seized and taken for trial, Jesus took the disciples to the Garden and then took Peter, James and John a little farther.  He said watch you hear while I go and pray.  When he returned they were asleep.  He asked them "Could you not watch with me one hour."  He went back to pray and upon returning he found them asleep again.  This time he did not wake them up. I wonder how many times he has found us asleep.
          Paul said, "It is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

A Crack in the Foundation

     Often you will hear someone make a statement about the reason that we are in the mess that we are in.  There are legions of reasons why the situation has become desperate.  In our own country, which Winston Churchill once called, "The land of the free and the home of the brave", which has now become the land of the spree and the home of the rave, it would take pages just to list the many reasons we are where we are.
     We hear constantly about the education crisis in our country and the deplorable condition of the number of students that are dropping out of school or finishing without being able to go to college with out remedial work.  I think you can lay many of our problems upon the breakup of the family.  Oh, it sounded good when a certain presidential candidate said years ago, "It takes a village to raise a child."  But, the truth of the matter is, it only takes a loving caring family to raise a child.  A village can't do the job for the family.  Oh, our government wants to do the job; make the decisions; provide the means of survival, etc; but it takes a family to raise a child.  It will be a rare situation that finds a child who will be able to succeed when placed in an environment that from all practical thinking, is doomed to failure.
     One recent statistic showed that 47% of the children are living in a home in which one or both parents are not present.  Many of these children are being raised by elderly grandparents, often living on a fixed income and many of them unable to stand up to the task of raising small children.
     May God help us to see the need of couples entering into marriage be as committed to completing the task and providing all that is necessary that their children will have the opportunity to survive in today's world.

A Rose by Any Other Name

     It sounds so wonderful, "a rose by any other name would smell so sweet".  It would be a peculiar type person who would not agree with that statement. However, today I wish to take a different statement that has been around for many years and elaborate upon it.
     The story has been repeated many times as an object lesson.  A man was walking up in the mountains and had reached the level above what is called tree level.  It was extremely cold at this high altitude.  He came across a rattlesnake that was almost dead from the cold.  The rattlesnake asked the man to take him back down where it was warmer.  The man responded that he was afraid of the rattlesnake because he knew they would bite.  The rattlesnake promised not to bite the man.  So the man picked up the snake, placed the snake inside his coat for warmth and started back down the mountain for warmer weather.  Upon reaching the warmer weather, the snake suddenly bit the man.  The man said to the snake, "You promised that you would not bite me."  The snake replied, "You knew what I was when you picked me up."
     I cannot believe that the American people are so blind in their acceptance of the Muslim people as to ignore what they have stood for all of these years; what they do in every country that they control; what the basic concept of their ideology toward others that do not belong to their faith is (convert or die); and yet any criticism of them is categorized as hate.
     Perhaps it is not the American people who are blind.  I think that the problem is the leaders of our country who would destroy our country to try to satisfy a blind "politically correctness."  Most of them do it ignorantly, however there are a few, the president number one, who has never tried to hide his concern and fondness for the Muslim religion.  Remember, he said in effect I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.
     Some would like to label thoughts as I have mentioned as being Islamophobia.  Never!  I do not fear the rattlesnake.  I will never be bitten by a rattlesnake that I can see.  It is the one that I cannot see that I fear.  I do not fear the Muslims, but I have no intention of being a party to those who would turn our country into what the country looked like which they left, they did not like enough to stay there.  Now they would change our culture and our laws to be what they left behind.
     A rose by any other name still would smell just as sweet.  And they danger of the Muslim religion overseas is still just as dangerous over here.
    

I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist

     I have borrowed for the topic today the title of a book by: Norman Geisler, Frank Turek and David Limbaugh: I don't have enough faith to be an atheist.  That thought should prod our attention to a whole new concept of thinking.  We automatically believe that those who are involved in religion of necessity must have faith in that which they believe.  I suggest to you that the atheist also has to have faith in what he believes.  He must have faith that what the Christian is saying is wrong.  There is no way that he can prove that they are wrong.  Christians should never try to prove to others beyond the shadow of doubt that what they believe is true.  You see, a man cannot come into a right relationship with God without faith.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  That being said, I just don't have enough faith to be an atheist.

     Let us think along this line a little farther.  Webster defines religion as being an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies and rules used to worship a god or group of gods.  (notice the small g in both cases.)  Webster farther defines religion as being: An interest, a belief or an activity that is very important to a person or group.  Dictionary.com defines religion as: a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects.

     Going along with the wider definition of religion I would say that atheism is a religion.  Oh, you say, they don't believe there is a god.  That is just one of the negative concepts of their religion that they do not believe in God.  All religions have specific things that they do not believe in as well as that which they do believe.  I will leave it up to the atheist to state what things he believes in.

     Now here we find the atheist wanting the government to make a law favoring their religion over other religions when they ask for the ten commandments to be removed, no prayer in public places and the removal of such statements as, "In God we Trust".  Surely, the government will cease trying to appease the Atheist Religion in their conquest to enforce their doctrinal beliefs.

Putting a New Slant on an Old View

    
There are a few concepts that I would like to consider today from a totally different perspective than that which is normal.  Albert Einstein once challenged a professor on three separate concepts that would be of value for us to consider today.  By no means are these thoughts original with me but credit goes total and completely to Mr. Einstein. 
     Mr. Einstein challenged his professor by making the statement that there was no such thing as darkness.  He suggested that darkness only existed as an absence of light.  You can have bright light, dim light, or even brilliant light but when you had no light all that was left was darkness.  He made the same argument about heat and cold.   There is no actual thing or even a measuring scale for what we call cold.  When you consider heat you can easily imagine all of the varying degrees of heat.  You can have high heat, low heat, warm heat, extreme heat, etch. but when you have no heat you have cold.  We measure heat by British thermal units (btu's) or degrees.  You can even go down to a point of -458 degrees F.  That is where all movement of molecules cease, the lower range of heat.  Why can it get no colder, because there is no more heat to be lost.
     Of particular interest to me, especially coming from Mr. Einstein, was his discussion of evil.  When he was confronted with the statement that God created evil therefore God must be evil, he countered with the argument that evil did not exist by itself; that evil was not present as an entity unto itself.  He argued that what we see of evil in this world, is not that which was the design of God but what was left in the absence of God.  Which is another way of presenting that God is love, but when his love is rejected what you have left is  the wrath of God.  It is as simple as flipping a coin--you get heads or tails.  When you deal with God you get--His wrath or His love.  The choice is up to the individual.