Investigating Haditha

What has happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'? You need all the facts before you can present a case in court. So, tell me how U.S. Rep. Murtha, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, can have all the facts, when the investigation isn't even over.

Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says "we'll get to the bottom of the investigation and take the appropriate action." In other words, they will take time to find out what really occurred on November 19, 2005, in Iraq, and then they will decide what needs to be done - whether some have covered up a massacre or not.

Pantano is upset specifically that a prominent war critic, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) diagnosed Haditha last week as if he had all the facts: "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood." Pantano's advice that Americans not join Murtha's rush to judgment is sound.

Facts need to be nailed down; passing premature judgment is not the way to do things. Nobody knows better than a former platoon commander named Ilario Pantano. He was charged with two counts of premeditated murder and other crimes during his stint in Iraq a year ago. He was painted as a monster by the prosecutors in the courtroom at Camp Lejeune, while his wife and Mother sat listening to it all. Then, their case was blown out of the water by the autopsy report, and all charges were dismissed. He suggests letting the courts decide whether these guys are guilty or not. Don't pass premature judgement on them.

Pace said Monday that if U.S. troops did kill innocents at Haditha, they "have not performed their duty the way that 99.9 percent of their fellow Marines have."

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Technorati Tags: Haditha, Investigation, Marines, Innocent, Guilty

Pedophiles to launch political party

It's not in America, but, if you hang around long enough, it is probably coming! I've learned to never say never.

The Charity, Freedom, and Diversity party said it would be officially launched on Wednesday. The Dutch pedophiles say, "We are going to shake the Hague awake!" And, if what they want doesn't wake up the Dutch, nothing will!

They want sex to be made legal for 12 years olds, as opposed to 16 year olds. And, they want to scrap it altogether in time, because "a ban just makes children curious", said one of the parties' founders. They also want the private possession of pornography to be legalized. And, they want pornography to be allowed on television, day and night. They want children above 16 to be allowed to appear in pornographic films and to prostitute themselves.

The Netherlands should have seen this coming, with their softness on soft drugs, prostitution, and gay marriage. But, they were in shock!

An opinion poll published Tuesday showed that 82 percent wanted the government to do something to stop the new party, while 67 percent said promoting pedophilia should be illegal.

"They make out as if they want more rights for children. But their position that children should be allowed sexual contact from age 12 is of course just in their own interest," anti-pedophile campaigner Ireen van Engelen told the AD daily.

Besides all this, they think everyone should be able to go naked in public, and that all soft and hard drugs should be legalized. In other words, 'don't put any restraints on us'!

Hopefully, the government will see the sorrow of it's ways and do something about this party. And, they definitely should do something about pedophilia in their country!

HT: Active Christian Media

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Technorati Tags: Pedophiles, Pedophilia, Netherlands, Dutch, Pornography, Prostitution, Children

That Pesky Poison Ivy!

We've always had poison ivy and poison oak around our property. But, until this year, I could almost tell you the places to stay away from in order not to get into poison ivy around here. But, not this year! Almost everywhere you look or step, you are going to find that pesky little varmint!

I'm one to just go pull up weeds in my flower beds, money grass, or anywhere I see one growing that it shouldn't be, without gloves. But, my husband came in one day and said, "stay away from the front walk in the monkey grass; it's covered with poison ivy. It's also in the flowers containers on the front steps". Well, it's not only there, but in the shrubbery that I occasionally trim, as well as in our flower beds. I've seen it just growing out in the yard! If you don't look close, you'll think it's the small box elder tree plant, which is also very prevalant around our house, since we have a number of those large trees.

Well, I just came across an article today from Associated Press that says global warming is probably the cause of this poison ivy this year. They say the poison ivy grows larger and quicker when the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere increase.

Duke and Harvard Universities have put out a study on this in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

“The fertilization effect of rising CO2 on poison ivy ... and the shift toward a more allergenic form of urushiol have important implications for the future health of both humans and forests,” the study concludes.

So, be careful, if you are working in your flowers, or trimming shrubbery. Also, campers, bikers, and hikers in the woods need to be especially careful this year. It is said this year's poison ivy is itchier than ever before!

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Technorati Tags: Poison Ivy

Sharing Memorial Day on the Internet

There are some blogs out there with great posts, honoring our fallen heroes. I am going to list just a few. Please do stop by them, read, and comment, if you feel the urge.

• Some Soldier's Mom - Memorial Day 2006 - Yes, In My Name
• Done With Mirrors - Memorial Day
• The Mahablog - Memorial Day
• Sharon Hughes - Memorial Day Tribute - Never Forget Their Sacrifice
• LaShawn Barber - Memorial Day Reflections

One of my husband's older brothers was in the Army during World War II. He was on a ship headed for Japan, when they got news of the bomb being dropped on Hiroshima, and days later, the Japanese agreed to an unconditional surrender. He died in 1990.

Linked at Conservative Cat

Technorati Tags: Memorial Day, Heroes,

A Veteran's Story

Tom Purcell tells the story of a friend's father, whom he says he never knew who he really was until he was gone.

Purcell met Robert P. Argentine in 1994, at the age of 72. He said that Argentine inspired him in that one brief meeting. Then, he lost touch with his friend. When he later bumped into him in Pittsburg, he met his friend. By then, the friend's Dad was 82, and in bad health. And, a few months ago, the cancer won.

But, Purcell learned a lot about this veteran of World War II, where he fought in four invasions. He missed death because of a dud bomb that was dropped on his full munitions truck. He came back and resumed his work as a carpenter, got married, started a family, and rose through the ranks of the Carpenters' District Council in Pennsylvania.

Like so many World War II veterans, he never spoke much about his experiences and accomplishments. It wasn't until he died that the remarkable details of his story finally began to emerge.

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Deadly Earthquake in Indonesia

The earthquake in Central Java on Saturday killed more than 4,600 people. Thousands of troops and emergency workers clawed through the rubble with bear hands, trying to find victims of the quake. One neighborhood was totally leveled by the quake and a backhoe was being used to remove the debris, hunting for victims buried there.

Indonesia has asked for foreign aid, and said anyone that could help, they would be grateful for it. Aid workers said that the dwindling supply of food and water, and the lack of housing could pose long-term challenges.

Anton Susanto, a member of the UNICEF assessment team already in the quake zone, said 30 to 40 percent of those injured were children, with many suffering from head wounds and broken bones.

“People are just laid out everywhere,” he said. “People are still very, very traumatised. Frequent aftershocks are still going on.” More than 470 aftershocks shook parts of Java, further terrifying residents who were afraid to return to their homes.

An estimated 50,000 people have been misplaced by the disaster.

And, adding to this, the volcano north of the quake's epicenter is spewing lava, and 20,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. They are on an eruption alert.

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Technorati Tags: Indonesia, Earthquake, Volcano, Emergency

Pakistani Christian Children Sold as slaves, says Christian Persecution watchdog group

Children between the ages of 6 and 12 are being sold as slaves to fund Islamic militants. Gul Khan, the militant Islamic organization, is said to have abducted children from Christian villages in the Punjab, keeping them in deplorable conditions, and said to have been selling them into sex trade or domestic servitude for $1,700 a piece.

According to Barnabas Fund, the children are beaten savagely, only fed once a day and ordered not to talk, play or pray.

The group reported that two Christian missionaries – one Pakistani, the other American – helped expose the slave trafficking after seeing photographs of boys for sale on the black market in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province.

The evidence against Khan is very overwhelming, but the police say that the organization has too much power for them to tackle. So far, there has been no investigation.

“The situation is exacerbated by issues of caste and poverty. It is in this context that such horrors can take place,” said Sookhdeo. “I am encouraged that the police did make some efforts in this case, but, as so often happens, they appear now to be intimidated themselves by the weight of the whole Islamist movement in Pakistan. I pray that the exposure of this slave trade to the international community will help bring an end to it.”

Technorati Tags: Pakistan, Children, slave trade, Islamic militants

Conservative Top 50 dates me!

I was visiting over at Don Surber's blog this morning and read his post about the Top 50 Conservative songs complied by National Review. He's complaining that there are no soul songs among them. Don thinks the Temptations should have had one among them. What about the Platters? With all their hits, surely they could have voted on just one?

Well, to show you how much their choices date me, here are the ones I know for sure.

1. #4 Sweet Home Alabama - 1974
2. #5 Wouldn't It Be Nice - Beach Boys 1966
   
3. #15 I Fought The Law - The Crickets - 1965
4. #37 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - 1969
5. #40 Wake Up Little Susie - The Everly Brothers - 1957
6. #50 Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette -1968

I went through High School with groups like The Everly Bros, The Temptations, Platters, and singers such as Buddy Holly, and others. I 'knew' Tammy Wynette from her days on early morning television show in Birmingham, AL, called The Country Boy Eddie Show. In fact, Country Boy Eddie only lives a few miles from me. We know him personally.

I liked The Pretenders, but didn't recognize the song chosen. I never listened to The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. Theirs was just not my kind of music. And, there are many more I didn't recognize. I guess you could say 'I'm getting old', lost touch with this kind of music, and the new groups. These just happen to have run across my path in the past.

Technorati Tags: Conservative Songs, Conservative, Beach Boys, Tammy Wynette, The Crickets, The Everly Brothers, The Temptations, The Platters

Tagged with a Spiritual Meme

Carol, at She Lives, has done it again. So, I guess I had better respond as best I can.

1. What is your life verse? Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
2. Give a bit of your testimony. Saved at 17, but didn't really get into really studying the Word until 1985, when I started at a new church where my son was playing lead guitar for their quartet. I became their piano player, and got into the Word deep and heavy.
   
3. Do you have a favorite preacher? Yes, mine, who teaches/preaches the WORD! And, an evangelist/pastor from Iowa, named Rex Carroll. He is a wonderful preacher, doesn't water down the Word, no matter to whom he is preaching, and he also goes to Romania and other parts of the world, preaching the gospel.
4. What is the best Bible study you have ever done? a study on Merismos of the Word (rightly dividing the Word) by my pastor.
5. What do you feel God's calling is on your life? Many years ago, we had a visiting preacher come to our church, and he gave out a word from the Lord to several of us. He knew none of us. But, among the words he gave me from the Lord was, "come sit at my feet and learn what I have for you". Since then, I had another minister tell me in a revival that I was 'like a sponge' ....... so I doing what God wanted me to do - lean on him and listen to his Words.

Who will I tag? Guess!! Cindy, Susan, Pastor Henry

Persecution Blog Carnival #2

The Persecution Carnival #2 is now up at the Christian Persecution Blog. Go check out the posts there today.

Also, why not support Voice of the Martyrs by joining the VOM Persecution Blogosphere Program. You can read the details on here.

Technorati Tags: Persecution Carnival

Say it again, Will

George Will had a great write up in JWR today about learning English. The summary of his thoughts went like this:

What makes Americans generally welcoming of immigrants, and what makes immigrants generally assimilable, is that this is a creedal nation, one dedicated to certain propositions, not one whose origins and identity are bound up with ethnicity. But if you are to be welcomed to the enjoyment of American liberty, then America has a few expectations of you. One is that you can read the nation's founding documents and laws and can comprehend the political discourse that precedes the casting of ballots.

1. Attorney General Albert Gonzales said, on "This Week", that he is not in favor of prohibiting bilingual ballots.
2. Senate Minority Harry Reid brings up racism when the subject is approached to prune the Voting Rights Act.

If one has to have 'help' in filling out a ballot, cannot understand English to make an intelligent choice, why would they be participating in voting? If they 'love' our country enough to want to come here and work and live, what is wrong with asking them to learn English, so they have a better understanding of our language? This is, after all, mostly an English-speaking nation. But, as of late, it makes you wonder if it's becoming more Mexican than American, as you see all the things that are now being required in spanish.

If we were to go to Mexico or any other nation that has their own language, then we would be expected to learn that language in order to have a life there or work. But, 'only in America' will you find the government bowing down in favor of illegal immigrants' "rights", when, in fact, they don't have any rights, other than to be treated like humans. But, 'only in America' do we give illegals anything they desire, and right now, it's the very things that only American citizens should be afforded. There is no 'right to vote' - it's a privilege, in being a law-abiding citizen of America. So, why the need of a bilingual ballot sheet?

America is truly a 'melting pot'. But, there has to be a common ground for a melting pot to work - thus, learning the English language.

Hence, if someone needs a ballot written in a language other than English, that need proves the person obtained citizenship only because the law was not enforced when he or she sought citizenship. So one reason for ending ballots in languages other than English is that continuing them makes a mockery of the rule of law, including even the prospective McCain-Kennedy law that pro-immigration groups favor.

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Technorati Tags: George Will, America, English, Spanish, Bilingual, Government

The HEART of things

I had written a post called Guard the tongue, in which I said, when a person keeps using bad words, while professing to be a Christian, there is ‘something wrong with that picture’. A couple comments mentioned it being the heart. And, I certainly agree.

The heart is the central part of our being, both spiritual and the human life. When the heart stops, we cease to be alive. But, while that heart is working within us, it is the seat of our conscience ( Romans 2:15). If we are truly Christians, the conscience should make it known to us when we disobey the laws of God. There is a prick within the spirit that lets you know you are wrong.

The heart is where the process of salvation begins. We either answer the wooing of the Holy Spirit and accept the free gift of Grace through faith, or we harden our hearts to the calling. (Psalms 95:8) When we harden our heart, we don’t see all sin as sin; we appear prideful and conceited, and we have little concern for the Word of God. We tend to forego the convictions of sin, never want to be told we are in the wrong, so we stay ignorant of God’s Word. We have a sinful nature and therefore, we are deemed as wicked. And, so the heart must be regenerated before we can willingly obey the Lord. (Ezek. 36:26; 11:19; Ps. 51:10-14)

A question was brought up: Can we habitually sin and serve God? I said I did not believe so. We are called ‘a new creature’ (II Corn 5:17) in Christ, when we are saved. We begin the process of regeneration at that moment. We don’t become perfect in an instance; in fact, we won’t be perfect until we gain our entrance into heaven and put on those white robes. But, we begin a change in our lives, our attitudes change, our countenance changes, and people can and should see the difference in us. We start to realize certain things are sin, and we work to correct those problems in our life. If we continue to do things that we realize are in, then we are habitually sinning, going against the commandments of God, and I don’t think we can be in right standing with Him.

I am not the judge nor jury that will determine an entrance into that heavenly gate, thank the Lord. But, I would not want to chance missing out on reaching heaven, based on ‘my thinking’ of right or wrong, or anyone elses’, for that matter. . I believe we need to be sure of our standing with God, through reading and meditating on His Word, and asking the Holy Spirit for enlightment as to the meaning of the Word. The Word tells us to ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’. (Phillipians 2:12).

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Technorati Tags: Heart, Christian, Salvation, Habitual Sin, God

Iran Christian Convert Faces Possible Death Penalty

Iran's apostasy laws call for a death penalty if a Muslim converts to Christianity. 33 years ago, 51 year old Ali Kaboli converted from Islam to Christianity. Kaboli has, for decades, held house meetings, chancing being caught by the Iranians. His home was burned down once by unidentified arsonists. He has been threatened, arrested, and interrogated many times for his Christians actions. Yet, he carried on for his faith.

He has been held for three weeks, but his arrest was just made public by the secret police. He had received death threats 12 years ago because of he was considered an apostate to the Islam faith. He has been ordered to never leave his town. A friend, who lives abroad and unnamed, said they pushed Kaboli to leave the country 3 year ago. But, he wanted to stay in his own country, even if it meant arrest. Now, he has been arrested and faces a possible death sentence for being a Christian in a strict Islamic state.

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Technorati Tags: Iran, Christian Convert, Islam, Christianity

Guard the tongue

Okay, Adrian, you did it! Actually, he got me to thinking, when I ran across this post. I quickly let my fingers do the walking over to Challies dot com to see what the fuss was about. I quickly found out it was about inappropriateness of certain speech. Phil at Pyromaniacs had some great thoughts on this kind of talk. Also, Carla at Emergent No has taken her share of beating on her thoughts as well. But, what really got my attention was this from Centuri0n:

There is a vast difference between "There are flaws in some of the finest diamonds in the world, and yet they do not prevent their being rated at a priceless value" and refusing to reform one's tongue.

The above quote came from J.C. Ryle’s book, Holiness, which was used in Happy Mills post. I tend to agree with the Centuri0n. Centuri0n also had some great comments on the subject over at Pyromaniacs.

Matthew 12:34 tells us that ‘out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh’. What goes in must come out. If you are constantly saying swear or curse words, you are feeding it into your mind over and over. Then, when something comes up, those words come out, when a more appropriate and inoffensive word could have been used.

As Christians, are supposed to be separated from sin, and dedicated to God. We don’t need to take on the secular speech in order to impress people, or ‘get down and dirty’ because the sinner acts that way. What is this telling the world? Are we any better than the mere sinner, when we take on worldy ways? The Bible tells us to ‘sin not’..... put away all uncleanliness.

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

I believe God expects us to clean up our act after we are saved. We can kid ourselves into thinking all is well – it’s fine to say a curse word whenever we feel like it – but I don’t think that holds water with God. I believe we can do it long enough that our conscience is seared, and it no longer makes us feel bad when we repeat that kind of talk. Habits are hard to break, unless you give God control over your life. And, once your conscience is no longer bothered when you let those words ‘slip’, then something is wrong with the picture.

Madonna crosses line with stunt

What is appealing about a 47 year old woman, in a skin-tight leotard, standing as if nailed to a mirrored cross? She has never appealed to me, in any shape, form, or fashion. So, this would not have endeared her to me.

"Why would someone with so much talent seem to feel the need to promote herself by offending so many people?" the church said in a statement. David Muir, of the Evangelical Society, said, "Madonna's use of Christian imagery is an abuse and it is dangerous. She should drop it from the tour and people need to find their own means of expressing their disapproval."

Madonna's publicist wasn't available for comment. The singer has been in trouble with Christians before. The Pope called for a boycott of her 1990 tour, in which Madonna simulated masturbation during "Like a Virgin." The "Like a Prayer" video brought condemnation from the Vatican for its depiction of a black Jesus and burning crosses.

Can you imagine paying $350 for a ticket to see such a travesty?

A Church of England spokesman said: "Is Madonna prepared to take on everything else that goes with wearing a crown of thorns?

I doubt it very seriously.

Technorati Tags: Madonna

Persecution Blog Carnival #1

Jog on over to the Christian Persecution Blog and check out the entries in the new Persecution Blog Carnival. There are many great entries.

Also, if you haven't joined the VOM blogosphere program, why not make a choice to do so now. You are only required to make two entries a month about persecution of Christians and the church. That's not hard to do, with all that is going on around the world.

Linked to Conservative Cat

Technorati Tags: Christian Persecution, Carnival, Christians, Church

Sermon from Adrian Warnock

Today, I downloaded, and listened to a sermon by Adrian Warnock's blog, called David and Nehemiah - the hand of Grace. You'll find it in his blog entry Reformed Charismatic. Listen to this, and you'll be blessed.

I wrote Adrian this afternoon to tell him he needs to put this on his sidebar, rather than buried in his archives. I think there are lots of people out there in blogosphere who would enjoy this sermon.

Technorati Tags: David, Nehemiah, Grace, Adrian Warnock

Child porn suspect felt torn between two worlds

Kenneth Gourlay, the now 28 year old, who was accused of molesting 13 year old Justin Berry, was torn between his love of God and his attraction to young boys. He got into pornography via the Internet while a student at the University of Michigan in 1999.

Last week, a computer was seized from Gourlay's home. A deleted file of his diary was found on the harddrive.

"The biggest struggle for me lately is trying to cope with my sexual desires," Gourlay, now 28, wrote in a computerized diary in August 2000. "Unfortunately, I don't know what to do besides wait for God to finish."

Justin Berry testified that he was enticed into the Internet sex trade, lured to Ann Arbor and molested by Gourlay. Gourlay is now charged with 10 felony counts related to pornography and molestation of a minor in 2001. He could get a maximum of 20 years on any of those charges.

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Technorati Tags: Child porn, Internet, Pornography, Justin Berry, Kenneth Gourlay, Molestation

Senate Approves Social Security For Illegals

It is not enough that the Social Security system is already in a crisis. The Senate goes ahead and approves a bill that would allow illegals to draw social security. Doesn't matter they are not 'citizens', not even legal entries into our country. But, yet, they would be able to draw upon social security!

Siding with the illegals, Vermont Democrat Senator Patrick J. Leahy said: "We should not steal their funds or empty their Social Security accounts. That is not fair. It does not reward their hard work or their financial contributions. It violates the trust that underlies the Social Security Trust Fund."

Our Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions had this to say:

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) says, "We have a fundamentally flawed piece of legislation on the floor of the Senate and it should never, ever, ever become law."

Senator John Ensign from Nevada tried to get through an amendment that would have prevented this from happening:

The Social Security proposal, offered by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., would have prevented illegals who become legal from collecting the benefit on wages they earned while working unlawfully.

"Social Security was not intended for people who entered our country illegally," Ensign is quoted as saying.

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Technorati Tags: Social Security, Illegals, Giveaway,

Backup Your Blog

Have you ever thought about what would happen if your blog was wiped out, all the hard work you had put in it for months, maybe years - all gone with one mishap at a server?

Well, this morning, during my stroll through blogosphere, I went to my usual stop at The Bloke, and found an interesting piece of free software that will take care of our worries. It is called WinHTTRack Website Copier. I investigated, downloaded the software, and quickly downloaded all my files from my blog! It was quick and easy, especially with a DSL connection. I checked out the mirror site on my computer and it is all there. You don't harvest email addresses with this. It is strictly for saving your site on to your computer. I have saved most of my posts on to my computer, but the earliest I had not. So, I am happy to have them all here in one place. Also, you can go back time and time again and download from your site.

This is certainly a better way of saving the entire blog than going through the hassle described at blogger, especially for blogspot.com users.

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Technorati Tags:Free Software, Blog Backup, Blog, Software

Give me liberty or give me.......

Patrick Henry! Now, there is a guy I would loved to have met. In his famous speech, “Give me liberty or give me death”, he said, “different men often see the same subject in different lights;”. A truer statement has never been made. You can have the closest friend or partner or even spouse. You may think you know their heart on certain matters. But, until you get down to where the rubber meets the road, you never know. They may agree, but, most of the time, they have an altogether different perspective than you have. But, Patrick Henry was willing to stand up and fight for what he thought was right.

While traveling on the blogosphere today, I ran across a post that mentioned Patrick Henry, and quickly the quote of ‘give me liberty or give me death’ came to mind. So, I went looking for information. I know most of you remember the quote “let your fingers do the walking” from the old yellow page ads. Now, we let our ‘fingers do the walking’ via the keyboard to the Internet to find most anything our mind can come up with.

That aside, Patrick Henry was one for religious freedom. I found a site with an excerpt from the book “Religious Denominations” by Belcher. Seems Patrick Henry, who was a lawyer among other things, heard about three Baptist preachers who were about to stand trial for, of all things, ‘for preaching the gospel of the Son of God”. Just as the indictment against the men was being read, Henry rode up on his horse, went into the Court House and took a seat at the bar. He had rode 60 miles from his home to offer his defense of these religious men. When the prosecutor finished the reading, Henry stood up, received the paper, and began the defense. He spoke in tones that got the attention of all the people in the court room, including the Judge. And, upon finishing his remarkable speech, he concluded with, “What Law Have They Violated?”, to which the Judge said, in a very authorative voice, “Sheriff, discharge those men!”

Patrick Henry was elected as Governor of Virginia in 1776. He was governor for a few years, succeeded by Thomas Jefferson, and then re-elected in 1784. He was governor for a total of three terms. He then moved his family to Leatherwood, a 10,000 acre plantation near the Virginia-North Carolina border.

“Patrick Henry was a strong critic of the constitution proposed in 1787. He was in favor of the strongest possible government for the individual states, and a weak federal government. He was also very critical of the fact that the convention was conducted in secret.”

We need another Patrick Henry, one who is not ashamed to stand up for what he believed in, and be heard, was probably the greatest orator of his time, who believed in rights for the people, and a WEAK federal government! He could probably even out talk and be heard over Senator Kennedy!

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Technorati Tags: Patrick Henry, Orator, Governor, Lawyer, Give Me Liberty, Religious Freedom

I'm just a country girl - What do I know?

Lot of emphasis has been put on the ‘fact’ that illegals come to America to do the jobs that people here will not do, one of them being working on the farms, harvesting crops. I remember, when I was a teenager, and crops had to be harvested. In fact, it takes lots of work before they are harvested. Back then, most farmers didn’t have the equipment they do today to keep their crops manicured. They hired young teenagers and other people who needed jobs to do them. I was one of those teenagers.

A farmer would bring a truck around early in the morning (before most people even get up today), and we’d jump on the back and ride to the farm for a full days work. We would hoe the crops, whatever they may be, from okra, to corn, to cotton. Then, late in the afternoons, in the boiling sun, we would go pick turnip greens, so they could be washed down and sent to the Farmer’s Market in town that night for sale the next day. It was hard work, paid little, but was satisfying to us teenagers who didn’t mind a little dirt under our fingernails, and sweaty clothes and hair. We wore gloves, but, anybody that has picked okra for an extended length of time, knows those don't always protect your hands. We would often have sore fingers, after picking okra.

And, during this time, we had our own sack lunch and ‘hot’ drinks with us (usually water), and we’d sit under a shade tree, eat and talk and laugh about the days’ work. I think many of our American teenagers are missing out on knowing what ‘work’ really is, and how to appreciate the good jobs that are available today. Most of them never will know working and living by ‘the sweat of their brow’. Most think manual labor is out of the question!

Maybe if we taught our children the importance of working at any job, to make a living, was not beneath you, then perhaps we would not be facing what we are facing today. The jobs wouldn’t be there for those illegals to come over the border for, and perhaps our crime rate would be lower. Our teenagers would not have time to get into trouble; they would be using their free time, working, and realizing things do not come to you on a silver platter. Oh, I realize many teenagers do hold jobs during school. But, I’m talking about a job that will get them out in the open, strengthening their hands and bodies and maturing their minds, not adding flab to their backsides! During my teenage years, it was very unusual to ever see an obese teenager. Now, it’s rare not to see one.

But, then, I'm only a country girl!

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They will find a way......

Senator Jeff Sessions, our senator from Alabama had this to say about the proposal for building a fence:

"Good fences make good neighbors," Sessions said. "Fences don't make bad neighbors."

Senator Durbin doesn’t see it that way:

"What we have here has become a symbol for the right wing in American politics, a fence between America and Mexico," said Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.). But Sessions called it a "reasonable proposal" that "sends a signal that open-border days are over."

President Bush had this to say recently:

But President Bush had frowned upon a border barrier in March, telling CNN en Español, "It's impractical to fence off the border." And some Democratic leaders voiced strong concern.

Michael Chertoff of Homeland Security:

The Senate-approved fence is half the length of the barrier approved in December by the House. Senate Republicans said their amendment merely codifies what Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff had told them the administration plans to build anyway.

While I back the idea of a fence being built, time will tell whether it will work or not. I don’t believe a fence, at any height, reaching from one coast to the other, will keep out an illegal that really wants to come through. There will be a means by which he comes ‘through’....... whether on his own, coming over by ladder, or crawling under through a hole. Ground can be removed; it’s already been done. And, it has been shown ladders have been built that will get you over the fence. Also, there are those that will lend support to illegals and get them across to ‘the greener grass on the other side’.

The bill has been watered down tremendously. The length of the fence being built will come short of what was approved in December by the House. But, the final vote of the night struck out an illegals ability to represent himself for legalization. He must have an employer before being able to become a legal in the U.S.

Then, there are the grumblers! Human Rights First Director Eleanor Acer says political asylum seekers would be hit hard by the provisions that are intended to expedite the removal of illegals from our country.

But, the one criticism you are going to love is this one coming from The Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law in Los Angeles.

A provision that blocks legalization for future undocumented workers using false names and security cards would keep millions of future immigrants in the shadows;

Why build a fence? Why pass a bill, if we aren’t going to improve on what we already have here – illegals who see fit to come across the border, regardless of the barriers, break the laws that we citizens would be put in jail for? Why not just open the ‘flood gates’, and let it all pour in? The President doesn’t want a fence. He’s right there with the Democrats who think this is a right-winged political move! I wonder what the people living on the borders think.

And, so, we have come to this: building a fence to keep out the illegals that come here to ‘do the job Americans will not do’. We are putting armed forces on the borders to patrol; yet there are those that say it will not work, it is illegal, and they will not be able to confront the illegals. On top of that, Mexico is threatening to sue the United States, if we put troops on our OWN borders! If Mexico would change their ways, help the poor of their country, then we wouldn’t be forced to take matters into our own hands. Their people would not be flocking to the border to get to the ‘land of plenty’; they would have it within their own country!

Linked at Conservative Cat
Open Trackback Fest at Freedom Watch
TMH's Bacon Bits - Bacon Break Recital

Technorati Tags: Border, Border Patrol, America, Mexico, Illegals

Is this America or some banana republic?

I cannot take credit for that question, because it came from a post made by Thomas Sowell over at Jewish World Review. He is writing about 'the biggest scandal' about the Duke University lacrosse players, and possibly a race card being played.

According to Newsweek, the young man at NCCU said that he wanted to see the Duke students prosecuted, "whether it happened or not. It would be justice for things that happened in the past."

I thought that this was America, the place where you could get a fair trial - where you were 'considered innocent until found guilty'. Perhaps not. At least, Prosecutor Nifong is using this incident of the accusation against the lacrosse players to further his career. Why else would he postpone the trial until next year?

It is not hard to explain politically, however. The District Attorney may well owe his recent election victory to having tapped into the kinds of racial resentments expressed by the young man at North Carolina Central University.

Now Mr. Nifong is riding a tiger and cannot safely get off. His bet best may be to let this case drag on until it fizzles out, long after the media have lost interest. His extraordinary postponement of the trial for a year suggests he understands that.

The police have even taken the taxi driver in for questioning about the case - the guy who can substantiate one of the players alibi! How can they stop his testimony, since the surveillance camera at the bank shows the truth?

If nothing else, the harassment can serve as a warning to anybody else who might feel like coming forward with testimony that undermines the prosecution's case.

Is this the way we now do things in America? Or, is this how cases have always been handled? Will these boys get a fair trial? And, if they are found innocent, which the last boy to be accused has attested to, how will they ever get their reputations back? Will the courts reprimand Nifong for his handling of this case? I doubt it!

Thanks to John In Carolina for the link to the Sixth Amendement of the Constitution, which does say these boys have the right to a speedy trial. Go over to John's and read the response he got from a law professor.

Linked at Conservative Cat
Wednesday Specials at Jo's Cafe

Technorati Tags: America, Duke University, Lacrosse, Speedy Trial, Constitution, Sixth Amendment

A "MUST READ" For Today

You must go read Andy Borowitz' column today! It will make your day, or, at least, part of it. :)

U.S. moves Lou Dobbs to Mexican Border

Technorati tags: Mexican Border, Lou Dobbs

The Path To Legitimacy

Immigration - illegal immigration, that is, has been the talk of the town, around the blogosphere, and anywhere in between, lately. Everyone and anyone has an idea on how to stop it, or possibly keep them here (yes, you read that right!). President Bush has been bashed, and lashed out at so much because of his stand on immigrants. A certain multi-bloggers blog has broken up over this immigration problem, as well.

I just got back from reading Nathan's post at Church and State on The President's Speech. He has some good points.

We can't deport 12 million illegal immigrants nor can we allow them all to stay undocumented.

We can start on the borders first, then do something about all those who are not supposed to be here. As someone said, it's not just hispanics; we have others who are also here illegally. Why not buckle down on ALL illegals? And, then redo the way they can become legal citizens. I was listening to a local radio talk show today, and this man called in. His wife is from Canada, and she is trying to become a legal citizen in the U.S., and it's going to take 8 years - lots of paper work to go through, having to get a green card first, I think he said.It's sort of like 'working your way up' in a job; except here, you are just trying to become legal.

One thing I see wrong is the fact that, if one gets a green card (the hispanics do this), they can bring all their relatives in. I'm not at all up for that idea, but it's happening right now. It should be a one-on-one thing; "I come over legally, get a job and work myself up to a citizen." It's okay to bring your wife and children, but not ever cousin, aunt and uncle or parents! But, then, when you do come, please learn our ways, and learn the national language - English, and speak it!

And, on a lighter note, read Vinnie's take on this at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy!

Liked at Conservative Cat

Technorati Tags: Immigration, Illegal Immigration, Mexico, President Bush

China Aid Association Reports Arrests of Christian Leaders

The Chinese government supposedly has a commitment to religious freedom. But, the recent arrests of house church pastors at Shandong and Jiangsu Provinces seem to contradict their sincerity.

CAA says that one pastor from South Korea was expelled by the Chinese security agency and a prominent Chinese legal scholar and rights defender was forbidden to go abroad.

The Chinese legal scholar, Dr. Fan Yafeng, researcher at the China Academy of Social Sciences, was to attend a meeting with President Bush. He was detained at the airport and forbidden to go abroad.

That meeting, held last Thursday,

was the first time that a sitting US President met a group of Chinese House Church intellectuals at his private residence in the White House. US President George W. Bush, along with Vice-President Dick Cheney, Mr. Bush's National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, Mr. Josh Bolton, the White House Chief of Staff and the President's senior Advisor Mr. Michael Gerson as well as the White House press secretary Tony Snow were informed about the situation in China and the latest development of religious freedom in China in the meeting.

Technorati Tags: China, Religious Freedom, Christian, Christian Leaders, Arrests

Kenyan Radio Station Raided - Guard killed

Eight masked men, maybe more, shot a night guard, killing him, and wounded 3 others. Then, they set part of the building afire. This happened immediately after an evangelical program called "Jesus is the Way" had discussed Christianity and Muslims. It is believed it might have been done by Muslims as a retaliatory act against the station, 93.3 Hope FM, which is run by the Nairobi Pentecostal Church.

The unknown assailants pounced on a guard at the station’s main entrance and tied him up with ropes. A passer-by who was attracted by the commotion was stabbed in the neck and chest. The thugs later shot the guard when he persistently cried for help.

Linked at Church And State - Open Trackback

Technorati Tags: Kenya, Christianity, Jesus, Pentecostal, Muslims,

Mother's Day Flowers

This dozen of red roses was from my husband. I also got mixed red and pink rosebuds from my daughter. I was blessed with roses!

Cell Phone Madness

How in the world did we ever survive without a cell phone when we were in school? The kids now days will never get to find out, because almost everyone has one. Well, almost everyone. Seems that NYC has put a ban on those phones, and it didn't set too well with the kids or their parents.

The kids argue that they need them for parents to keep up with them (in school??) because of 9-11. Others contend that the phones are here now; why not use them?

I never remember a time, when I was in school, that I ever needed a phone. If there was an emergency, then, your parent got hold of you through the office. Or, if it was you that needed your parent because of an emergency at school, you went to the office and called your parent; simple as that! My two children made it through school without a cell phone, as well. I got a few phone calls from school, but not many that really were emergencies.

My two teenage grandchildren and all their friends have cell phones. They have them because they drive and their Mom wants to be able to keep in touch with them when they are away from home. Kids now days are into so many activities, or they work in the afternoons. They do take them to school, but they are not allowed to have them during school hours. They are either in their cars, or in their lockers, turned off until the last bell rings. I think they've done okay without one in their pocket, in their hand, or to their ear, during the school hours. They have occasionally had to call their Mom at her work because of sickness or getting hurt at school, requiring Mom to come and take them to the doctor. But, they've done the calling on a school phone in the office.

Parents have written angry letters and e-mails, staged rallies and news conferences, and threatened to sue. Some City Council members are introducing legislation on their behalf.

But Mayor Michael Bloomberg and schools Chancellor Joel Klein have staunchly refused to drop the ban. They insist cell phones are a distraction and are used to cheat, take inappropriate photos in bathrooms, and organize gang rendezvous. They are also a top stolen item.

Many schools throughout the United States have rules on the cell phone. Some let them have them, but for use only during lunch breaks. Detroit bans cell phones, and a two-time violater will not get the phone back. I think, in my granchildren's high school, if you are caught with a phone during school hours, it is no longer your phone.

But, some kids are not following rules; in fact, they don't like rules as much as they love their cell phones. So, they find ways to sneak them into their school, and some are very inventive! The only way cell phones will ever be kept completely out of the school is to have a metal detector at every door, and I don't see that happening. But, I do believe cell phones are not for school, under any circumstance, just as they shouldn't be out in the open in your work area. Turn them off; put them away - life goes on without a cell phone!

Technorati Tags: Cell Phone, School, New York City, Work

Presumed Guilty

Book Review

I was given ‘Presumed Guilty’, written by James Scott Bell, by Active Christian Media, for review. This may be a fictional novel, but, needless to say, when you begin to read, you find yourself wound up in the happenings of this family.

I did not realize, upon beginning this novel, how twisted the plot would become. The quote “oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive”, quickly popped into my mind. Everything imaginable and unimaginable begins to flow through this story. The one thing that never changed was the presence of God in the lives of the believers. Oh, satan and the demons try their very best to put this family out of commission, but it never happens – almost, but never quite makes it!

This story revolves around a pastor of a large church who has begun a task of ridding his town of pornography. He’s not only a minister, but also an author. He had just landed a big book deal, when all mayhem breaks loose. He gets caught up in the problem through a woman who comes for counseling. He loses his church position, his book deal, and almost loses his life, as he knew it then.

Throughout the book, you will find yourself thinking “God is in control; He will come to the rescue once again”, as He inevitably does, time after time. The pastor’s wife prays for her family to stay together then decides to divorce her husband, only to get the true revelation about her husband and all the other people involved in the thickening plot. This is one of the best ‘thrillers’ I have ever read. It has you reading beyond the time when your eyes feel they can’t read anymore. You are right there on those pages, waiting for the next suspense to jump out at you! I highly recommend this book. Now, I’m waiting for the next James Scott Bell novel to appear.

Linked at Jo's Cafe - Thursday's Special

Technorati Tags: Presumed Guilty, James Scott Bell

The Media Is Going to SCARE You To Death!

If there is a scare about any one thing, then the media is going to play it to the tenth round, and then some! They will try to drag as much exposure out of the scare for themselves as they can. After all, that means listeners will come back again and again.

Well, John Strossel has taken them to task. Our over-exposure to cell phones have not produced massive deaths, brain tumors or cancer. I doubt that it will ever be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that cell phones are any worse than other things we are exposed to from day to day.

Strossel says that reports have been sent out about cells phones triggering explosions at gas stations. But, on investigation, the people claiming such have had to back down on those claims. It is usually static electricity as the culprit.

At the University of Oklahoma, there's a "Center for the Study of Wireless Electromagnetic Compatibility," which researches the effects of electronic devices on our lives. The center examined incident reports and scientific data, and concluded that there was "virtually no evidence to suggest that cell phones pose a hazard at gas stations." The researchers went even further: "The historical evidence," it said, "does not support the need for further research."

We are all going to die some day. That is a given; in fact, we were born dying! We may be getting older in age, but we are still dying. But, the media seems to want to pronounce a death sentence before our time. Take cancer, for instance. Cancer is on the decline, although, from the media, you usually do not hear this. They use scare tactics. But, actually, people are being detected more rapidly than ever before, so prevention is the road to a life free of cancer. Lung cancer has increased, but only because more people have taken up smoking, although most know that it is caused by smoking. Many people were secretive about cancer, so it wasn’t thought to have been a problem years ago. But, we have early detection, more people live longer and have more of a chance of developing some kind of cancer, and, more people discuss openly having cancer.

But, the media is going to find some menace to hound us about death! Hair dye,for instance. Take all the women who have their hair dyed at the beauty salons, or perhaps do it on their own. I have yet to see a mass ‘exit’ of women because of having their hair dyed.

John Strossel had the following to say:

While I've been a reporter, I've been asked to do alarmist reports about hair dye, dry cleaning, coffee, chewing gum, saccharin, cyclamates, NutraSweet, nitrites, Red No. 2 dye, electric blankets, video display terminals, dental fillings, cellular phones, vaccines, potato chips, farmed salmon, Teflon, antiperspirants and even rubber duckies.

He says he refused to do most of the storeis because he knows, if one-tenth of all those things were true, there would be ‘mass death’. And, today, we are living longer than ever before. Strossel contends that the reason there is a so-called epedemic is that "the media, suspicious of technology, hype dubious risks."

Linked at Conservative Cat
Jo's Cafe - Thursday Specials

Technorati Tags: Media, Hype, Epidemic, John Strossel, Reporter, Death

Illegals Want Equal Rights

Do you think you, as an American, would be given the right to vote in a Mexican election, if you were not a citizen of Mexico? I don't think so. But, apparently, they think they should be given the right to vote here in America.

Thanks to Mr. Minority for his post on this situation - Chicano Groups Sue to Allow Illegals to Vote. Hispanic groups have sued to declare a voter-approved state law in Arizona that mandates registrants to submit documents to prove their citizenship.This is something the illegals will have a problem doing, and they think it is unfair.

"The reality is that Proposition 200 erects more barriers to voting and discourages citizens from registering to vote," said Cynthia Valenzuela, MALDEF's director of litigation.

The measure was placed on the ballot through an initiative campaign whose proponents argued that its voter ID requirements would prevent and combat voter fraud by non-citizens.

It was aimed chiefly at illegal immigrants.

The state will fight the lawsuit and defend the voter-approved law, said Secretary of State Jan Brewer, the state's chief elections officer.

As Mr. Minority says, "NO citizenship, NO voting, that's the way the law is." Those laws are on the books for a reason; to prevent fraud!

Linked at Conservative Cat
Thanks to Diane's Stuff
Thanks to Stuck on Stupid - Midweek Open Post

Technorati Tags: Arizona, Mexico, Illegal Immigrants, Law, Citizenship, vote, America

Despite Severe Persecution, Nepal's Christian Church Growing Rapidly

Christians in Nepal are growing, despite the opposition of Hindu leaders and government authorities. Right now, Christians only make up less than 1% of the population.

There are house churches being held in rooms no bigger than 7 X 10 foot room, with as many as 26 people within. These house churches are illegal in Nepal, as in other places, but it is not stopping these people. There are many more house churches just like the one described above.

The Christian Freedom International, chaired by Nat Moffat, is an organization that distributes food, Bibles,medicine, and legal assistance to Nepal Christians.

In a way, what is happening in Nepal is "a good news-bad news situation for Christians," Moffat observes. "Yes, they are being persecuted terribly," he says, "but the community of believers is growing fast."

Technorati Tags: Nepal, Christians, Hindu, House Church

More Of The Cross In Mt. Soledad Natural Park

I've had lots of comments on my post 'Denying The Cross', which was about the case against the cross that is displayed in Mt.Soledad Natural Park in San Diego, California. I came across a site today with information about the cross.

The history. The current memorial is the third one on the site. The first, made of wood, was put up during WWI. It burned down in the 1920s. A stucco cross replaced it and stood until it blew down in 1952. The present cross was put up in 1952 by the Mount Soledad Memorial Association which was founded by American Legion Post 275 in 1952 to replace the memorial and to maintain it. The plaque reads: "Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Cross. Dedicated in 1954, as a tribute to all branches of the Armed Forces of U.S.A. servicemen and women. This plaque dedicated November 11, 1989. Mt. Soledad Memorial Association, City Beautiful San Diego."

So far, the courts have agreed with Phil Paulson, the atheist who said that the cross violates the separation of church and state. The city tried selling the parcel of land, 15 x 15 foot, that the cross stands on, to the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association for $14,500. But, the judge struck that down.

Mike Nelson, writer of the article had this to say:

It's a war memorial--and has been for at least 45 years. It's been maintained by a secular organization. It would be impossible to allege the American Legion to be a religious organization. I do not see any church specifically being endorsed by the presence of the cross. I don't see anyone worshipping at the foot except churches who like any other organization can RENT the park for private purposes. I see it for what it is--a memorial to servicemen and women who have served in the US armed forces.

I also disgree with Paulson's contention that the cross be moved to Mt. Soledad Presbyterian Church. It's not their cross and never has been.

Now, the city of San Diego has approximately 90 days to get the cross out of the park, or face a daily fine of $5,000 for each day they do not remove it.

Linked at Conservative Cat
Open Trackback to Stingray

Technorati Tags: Cross, Mt. Soledad Natural Park, San Diego, California

Illegal Aliens

The NFRA site has a great article on this 'from a Hispanic who lives in Texas.' Go read "Texas: Asleep at the wheel", by James H. Reza.

As an American of Mexican Heritage I want to set the record straight, American Hispanics are not all thrilled with illegal immigration.

Linked at Conservative Cat
Thanks to Blue Star Chronicles

Technorati Tags: NFRA, Texas, Hispanics, Illegals

Denying The Cross

A cross being removed from a city park may not seem like a big deal, but it is the principle of the thing. In San Diego, a cross was erected high on a hill in a city park in memory of the Korean War veterans in 1954. The town has been battling a suit by atheist, Philip Paulson since 1991, and now a judge has finally ordered the cross to be removed within 90 days, or the city is to pay a $5,000 fine for every day it defies the court order.

I have never seen so much buckling under to one person, denying the rights of others, in this country, as there is now. Madelyn O'Hara kept on until she succeeded in getting prayer removed in the schools. She met an untimely death. Atheist Michael Newdow filed a suit to take out the phrase 'In God' out of the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Next he attacks our money. He wants 'In God We Trust' stripped from our money.

If our forefathers could be around now to see what was happening in America, I think the would bow their heads and weep. It is sad that so many things we have come to understand as part of our culture are now being stripped from us, all because one or two people seem to think it is wrong to have them displayed anywhere. In other words, freedom is not freedom anymore. I respect these people's right to object to these things. But, I also disagree that they should be taken away just to appease these people. Do the other citizens of the United States not have a say in our like and dislikes? I understand that 1) moving a cross, 2) removing 'in God' from the Pledge of Allegiance, or 3) removing 'In God We Trust' from our money will in no way undermine my belief in God. Nor, will it take God out of our nation. He is an all-seeing God; He knows everything; He is omniscient. He is everywhere; He is omnipresent.

If the truth was told, these people would love to see all things pertaining to God, including the Bible removed from this nation. So far, they haven't asked that the Bibles provided by the Gideons, which happen to be in most public buildings (hospitals, doctors' offices, etc), be removed. But, I am sure it is coming! And, if it were in their power, they would try to limit our 'thoughts' about our God and Savior. In that, they will never succeed.

Technorati Tags: Cross, God, Bible, Gideons

Like Father, Like Son

Kennedy has become a household name, not because of their status in government, but mostly because of their crass behavior. This goes back to the time when Senator Edward Kennedy left Mary Jo Kopechne to die in a car which he had driven off a bridge in Chappaquiddick, Massachusetts. Senator Kennedy escaped and never called the police and reported the accident. Perhaps she could have been saved, but we will never know. But, he has never been held responsible for this wreck. So it goes with his son, Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, Democrat from Rhode Island.

To get the real scoop on Patrick Kennedy, go to Donkey Cons. There are many links and hours of reading. You should come away knowing this guy very well!

But if you're Ted Kennedy's kid, you're off the hook.

And that's PJK's basic problem: The Kennedy name is like Teflon against consequences for your screw-ups. To be a third-generation Kennedy is to exist in a sort of Nerf world, where everything is padded for you, and no matter how stupid and irresponsible you are, nothing really bad can happen to you. Not exactly a character-building environment, you see.

Stuck on Stupid also has a nice little piece on Patrick: Patriquiddick.

Linked at Conservative Cat

Technorati Tags: Patrick Kennedy, Edward Kennedy, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Democrat

Nepalese Christians Need Helping Hand

Christianity is growing throughout the Hindu kingdom. But, Christians are in the minority and are being constantly persecuted. Christian Freedom International says that they need a helping hand. Anyone who converts to Christianity there is faced with persecution from locals and sometimes even the government.

Nepal is one of the poorest countries, and Hindu extremism is on the rise. And, proselytizing is a crime.

In other parts of the country Maoist insurgents threaten Christians, suppress worship services, and force churches to close.

"Christians are persecuted in Nepal. They need help, so we are responding to the challenge," said Jacobson.

Technorati Tags: Nepal, Christianity, Hindu, Persecution

National Day of Prayer

Today is National Day of Prayer. Be in prayer for our nation. Also, visit the Christian Persecution blog and read the prayer requests for the Persecuted Church. These people certainly need your prayers.

Technorati Tags: Prayer, NationalDayofPrayer, PersecutedChurch

Blog For The Persecuted Church

Voice of the Martyrs has a blog called Christian Persecution Blog. I just joined their VOM Persecution Blogosphere Program. I put their banner on my blog and committed to posting at least two posts a month for the Persecuted Church. If you feel you would like to do this, visit the Christian Persecution Blog. You can join there, and you will be sent the banner to put on your blog.

Technorati Tags: ChristianPersecution, PersecutedChurch

We Are God's Workmanship

Have you ever thought about what that meant?

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The Amplified puts it like this: “We are God’s own handiwork”. He fashioned us after himself, gave us knowledge of his will, the Holy Spirit to guide us so we would glorify God in our conversation, and, in all things, be holy.

Last night, at the monthly meeting of our Ladies’ Ministry, the speaker began with Ephesians 2:10, and, with all the conversation, we got no farther than that one verse. She thought she would be teaching on Ephesians 3, but, somehow, she turned back to Ephesians 2, and this verse jumped out at her.

We are God’s creation; nothing could ever change my mind about that. We are not products of evolution, for he did not make us one thing, and we gradually changed into a person. No, Genesis 2:7 says ‘"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Then, he took a rib from Adam, as he slept, and formed woman. We are God’s own handiwork. He is the perfect craftsman, one who formed man, and created every living thing on earth.

The Bible said, “God said”, “God saw”, “God called”, “God made” – there is nothing that says God ever gave a thought – or ‘studied’ for anything. There was no measuring, no plans – just GOD said, saw, called, and made! And, he fashioned us after HIS own image! It’s been said that we use only 10-20% of our brain. How do they know? I believe we simply do not live up to the potential that God gave us. We do not do things to stimulate the brain into action. In other words, we don’t go that extra mile in order to become more in life. We become complacent where we are, and think we’ll never do better, which is what happens, when ‘we decide’ we’ve done all we can do.

I’ve often heard that ‘if you don’t use it, you will lose it’ – and I think this applies to the knowledge stored in the brain. It is sort of like putting lettuce in the refrigerator. You let it sit for weeks on end, thinking the refrigerator will keep it fresh. When you go back to get it, it is limp and unusable. Same with our brain: we store information up, never going back to use it in any shape, form, or fashion. Then, when we try to remember those things stored that we haven’t used in maybe years, we can’t remember them. I don’t think this is what God intended. He did make us ‘in His image’, ‘in His likeness’, and I do not believe he has forgotten one thing about us; he even knows the number of the hairs on our head! And, sometimes, we can’t even remember what day it is! He didn’t make a flaw within us, but, from Adam and Eve’s time in the garden, when they disobeyed, we’ve had to suffer the consequences of their disobedience. His workmanship has become flawed; we are born with flaws. We develop diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia that impair our minds.

But, this in no way reflects on God’s perfect workmanship. There are qualities within this body that man could never clone. He may try to clone the body, but man can never clone the soul or spiritual nature. No matter how man tries, he will never be the perfect craftsman that God Almighty is and was the day he ‘made man in his image’.

Technorati Tags: God, Workmanship, Handiwork, Bible, Adam, Soul, clone

People Who Shape Our World

Thanks to Tim at Challies Dot Com for posting on Time Magazines' 100 choices for people who are shaping our world today. After checking out the article, I decided to pick out one that I thought was worthy of mention. One of these happens to be the innovators of Flickr, a husband and wife team, Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield.

Flickr has made it possible to put your photos online and share them with family, friends, or the entire world. I have seen some of the most beautiful pictures from around the world on Flickr - places and scenes I may never get to see in person. Yet, viewing those very photos someone else has put up makes it seem as though you've been there.

Anyone can make a Flickr account very easily. Then, you have the ability to upload pictures you want to share. Also, you can get the code to put Flickr on your blog, and share those pictures with many more than may never go to Flickr without the prompt from the Flickr logo on your site.

Technorati Tags: Flickr

Missouri: Show Me Illegal Alien Restrictions

Wednesday, the Missouri Senate passed a bill 29-3 to crackdown on undocumented immigration. The bill represents the toughest restrictions that lawmakers have made on illegal immigration. The bill will now go to the House. The bill, SB 1250, is expected to pass in the House next week.

Sen. Bill Alter, a High Ridge Republican, said he was spurred to propose the bill in part after a number of undocumented workers were arrested on a taxpayer-subsidized housing project in O’Fallon.

“Illegal immigrants in this state are taking jobs that should go to Missourians,” said Alter, who added that undocumented immigrants are a drain on the state’s social services and education system.

“This has nothing to do with the fact that they (undocumented immigrants) are good people,” he said.

The bill will give the Highway Patrol new enforcement authority and also will punish contractors who hire undocumented workers on public jobs.

Alter also agreed to language from Sen. Tim Green, a St. Louis Democrat, that penalizes contractors who hire undocumented workers on taxpayer-funded projects. Any employer on a public project found to knowingly use undocumented workers would be banned from working on any public contracts for three years.

The bill's sponsor, Senator Bill Alter, has been invited to Illinois by Freedom Folks. The Bald Chick says it is 'another state that's not mine on the right track'.

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The Gideons

Sunday morning, we had a guest speaker at our church. He was from The Gideons International. This organization is a non-profit organization that is sponsored by donations from pastors, churches, and others who want to see God's Word spread around the world. This was our church's third year to have one of their members as a guest speaker.

Mr. Reid gave us a little information about the Gideons. He said they had distributed bibles in 180 countries. He also told us that President Bush was given the 1 billioneth Bible, when he got in office. The Bibles are placed in doctors' offices, hospitals, and hotel rooms and more. I have never been in a hotel or motel that did not have a Gideon Bible in the room. They are placing as many as one million copies of the Bible in these areas every 7 days.

I remember wanting a Bible the night I was hospitalized with a broken hip. Mine was in my suitcase, since I had been on a bus tour when the accident occurred. So, my husband reached into the drawer of the stand by my hospital bed, and there lay a Gideons Bible. I'll always remember that, because WORD was what I needed most, at the time, and they had provided the Bible for us to read. Thank you, Gideons.

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