Just Wanting To Do Our Part

Fox News' Bill O'Reilly says in his Talking Points column today that when the story is reported tomorrow, we will hear little about how the Senate has voted 98 to 0 to allow U.S. military bases to host Boy Scout events. Meaning, according to Mr. O'Reilly, "even the most liberal senators in the country oppose the ACLU, which want the Boy Scouts banned from all federal property and has sued to make that happen."

Now we don't always agree with Mr. O'Reilly but he has come out quite strongly lately about stuff that we care about very much. So, if mainstream media will continue in their betrayal of public trust by filtering news to only allow the liberal point of view to appear as though it is "America's point of view," then we just want to do our part in bringing attention to news that they will not report about.

Apart from the Boy Scouts, we care about pointing out bias in media and tracking development in media towards fairness and balance in reporting. We care about America and, again, as Mr. O'Reilly puts it:

...that most Americans are not ideologues. They're just everyday folks who want protection from people who would kill us. They want information about the border, about al Qaeda, about what the government is doing to defeat the enemy. Most Americans do not want to hear the USA is the bad guy in the war on terror, which some liberal media are pedaling. They do not feel the mistakes at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay define this country. They do not believe the ACLU is looking out for them.

We care about calling attention to those whose warped sense of ideology blind them from the fact that they are actually traitors to the land they call home, preferring to defend the "rights" (?) of murderers rather than honor men and women who place themselves in harm's way to keep this home indeed the land of the free.

We care about children and in protecting them against abuse.

So, just in case you've missed reading about these stuff in Mr. O'Reilly's writing, you may find them here, here and here.

God bless you all.

My Hilarious Dad—This Week: Signs, Daffynitions and King Solomon

OK. I admit it. The summer season has done a number on Soldado. But that is not why we've let a couple days slide without a post. The blame on this one is on a script in my sidebar that just got updated and threw my format out of whack. The sidebar was just not visible until you scroll to the very bottom.

I thought that I've got stuff on the sidebar that are important to why I blog so I spent the time to figure out what was going on. I just got it fixed moments ago but it took deleting a whole slew of links that I had hoped would someday become reciprocal. My apologies to those affected. Hope to find the time to rebuild them.

In the meantime, it is Wednesday. It is funny or inspirational post day. Here is this week's offering:

Real Signs For Real Situations

In a health food shop window:
Closed due to illness.

In an office:
After the coffee break, staff should empty the pot and stand upside down on the draining board.

On a church door:
This is the gate of Heaven. Enter ye all by this door.
(This door is kept locked because of the draft. Please use side entrance)

Seen during a conference:
For anyone who has children and doesn't know it, there is a day care on the first floor.

In a laundromat:
Automatic washing machines. Please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.

Message on a leaflet:
If you cannot read, this leaflet will tell you how to get lessons.

On a repair shop door:
We can repair anything
(Please knock hard on the door - the bell doesn't work)

Spotted in a safari park:
Elephants Please Stay In Your Car

In a London department store:
Bargain Basement Upstairs

Notice in a dry cleaner's window:
Anyone leaving their garments here for more than 30 days will be disposed of.

Outside a second-hand shop:
We exchange anything -- bicycles, washing machines etc. Why not bring your wife along and get a wonderful bargain.

Spotted in a toilet in a London office block:
Toilet out of order. Please use floor below.

Also in an office:
Would the person who took the step ladder yesterday kindly bring it back or further steps will be taken.

Notice in a field:
The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but the bull charges.

Quicksand warning:
Quicksand. Any person passing this point will be drowned...
By order of the District Council.


New Daffynitions

Cigarette :
A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end and a fool on the other.

Lecture :
An art of transferring information from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through "the minds of either"

Conference :
The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.

Compromise :
The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.

Dictionary :
A place where success comes before work.

Conference Room :
A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and everybody disagrees later on.

Classic :
A book which people praise, but do not read.

Smile :
A curve that can set a lot of things straight.

Office :
A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

Yawn :
The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.

Etc. :
A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.

Committee :
Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.

Experience :
The name men give to their mistakes.

Atom Bomb :
An invention to end all inventions.

Philosopher :
A fool who torments himself during life, to be spoken of when dead.

Diplomat :
A person who tells you to go get lost in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip.

Opportunist :
A person who starts taking a bath if he accidentally falls into a river.

Optimist :
A person who while falling from Eiffel tower says in midway, "See I am not injured yet."

Miser :
A person who lives poor so that he can die rich.

Father :
A banker provided by nature.

Boss :
Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.

Politician :
One who shakes your hand before elections and your Confidence after.

Doctor :
A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you with his bills.


You First

Mama was making pancakes for her two sons, Morrie age 5 and Stanley age 3. The boys began to argue who should get the first pancake.

"Shame on you, boys. If King Solomon, the wise king, were here, he would say, let my brother have the first pancake."

Morrie looked at Stanley and said,"O.K., you be King Solomon today."


Source:
Andychaps "The Funnies"
andychaps_the-funnies@yahoogroups.com
Andychap@aol.com Dave "Andy" Anderson

--------------------------------------

(It is our practice in The LORD My Dad on Wednesdays to lighten up and post humor or inspiration. We do so to call attention also to the humorous facet of the LORD's character.--SDO)

It Doesn't Get Better Than This

Nope. It just doesn't get any better than this. When you can be in the wilderness with your son two nights, with just a tent for shelter and a campfire for warmth.

There's something about a dad and his son in the forest and logs in the fire. There is this teaming together in a sort of adventurous circumstances, away from computers and video games. Not many words need be said. No fancy programs need be put together.

There's something about just being there with your son as he plays his fish out to land it. To cheer and get excited every time his fishing rod shakes up and down signaling another bite. To scramble up a rock to photograph his moment. I high-fived mine after he caught his day's limit in less than fifteen minutes yesterday.

Something just takes place when a father scouts around with his son with an eye for angles and geometrical patterns for possible pictures. It was a special thrill to sense my son get so excited when he can see what my eyes can see. He got involved in setting up my camera's tripod. At one point he completely took over my camera's controls to frame this shot right here (above).

Something just happens when father and son could share a brown bagged lunch together miles and miles away from home. When they could just kick back after a successful day's fishing to just admire God's creation.

Yes. It is special. And it is as much a miracle as the abounding work of the Heavenly Father that engulfs and astounds us.

It is hardly any secret:

Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." (John 5:19)

That connection is powerful. And all that it takes to make it work is time to do things together so that son may observe father.

Indeed, God's handiwork is awesome. And, you know, that special father-son bond? God made that, too.

Bustin' Out

It could sometimes look like this photo on the right when the sun is all smiles outside and you have nowhere to go.

Not this weekend. My son and I are off to a couple of firsts.

He has always bemoaned the fact that his mom and sister have gone to several Mother and Daughter Retreats but he has never been to a Father-Son Retreat. He is right. For some reason, Mother-Daughter events get organized more than Father-Son's.

This year, though, our church put together its first Father and Son Retreat and there is just no way we are going to pass it up. So, a first for our church and a first for my son. Great spiritual program, food, fishing and other nature activities are promised. My son and I have our minds focused on the spiritual and the fishing.

What this means, though, is we'll be away through the weekend. I may not make a post again until Sunday afternoon or evening.

I hope to capture good photos on this trip. I promise to share them when I come back.

You all have a great and blessed weekend.

God bless you.

The Cat Days Of Summer

Alright, alright, you dog lovers. I know the expression is attributed to your beloved pets. Just being a little playful here with my opener. Gotta catch some attention, see.

No, this one's not the Kitty I wrote about in previous posts. This one's the neighbor's cat I spotted dozing off on top of their fence as I was about to get into my car yesterday morning to go to work. What a photo op, I thought. So, I braved the few minutes I was sure to get tardy at the workplace and took a few shots. I just could not pass this one up.

Speaking of yesterday, my apologies. I know Wednesday is our funny or inspirational post day. But while I was processing this photo, my dog, er, computer started acting up. It started confusing my photo file names and when I would delete one I end up losing another.

It was probably just reminding me that I have not defragged and have not updated my virus and spyware files and have not scanned for those for a good many weeks now. So, I did all those. Fine and dandy, my computer started smiling back at me again. The downside: after the maintenance list was all checked off, Wednesday was gone.

So, this is a make up post. We publish today what we would have yesterday. But before that, let's introduce you to the real Kitty:

This is her favorite haunt after the garage (oh, well, since it's summer, we've moved her food and water troughs to the back porch so that is for now her top stop). This is her sister's (my daughter's) bed.

My daughter says Kitty tells her when she likes to stay, or when she's antsy about being indoors and would prefer to be led out. She says Kitty "insists" when she wants out. Kitty has a way of waking her up if she's asleep and she wants to go out. She just has a way of telling her. I don't know how but she does. One way I am sure she likes to stay is when she does this:


Oh, yes. That's her favorite activity. According to my daughter, who is an expert on cats (and if she could only grow fur and a tail would have been a cat herself), they are asleep 65% of their lifetime, 15% in deep sleep and 50% in light.

Not a problem with me. Kitty's a lot easier to catch when she's snoring away (honest, she does!) than when she's active and alert and outside and just would not respond to all the tricks I know to catch her.

Because I have my own favorite activity around her. I scold her and ask her, "Who told you you can sleep in here, who told you?" She would just look back at me with her bored look as though to say, "Here we go again." Then I would scoop her up. She's so warm and limp and just melts into my arms when she's coming off sleep. Then I would give her hug after hug until she complains (translation: she would stop purring and her tail would start swishing back and forth vigorously).

Then I know it's time to lay her gently back down on her sister's bed and let her have at her delicious sleep. Oh, she just flows right back into it. But not until she has insulted me by shaking her head and grooming herself as though to say, "Yuch! Humans."

Oh, well. That's our Kitty. We love her to death and she just loves us right back.

Oh, the funny post? I thought I just gave you one.

You May Cross-Examine The Witness

Some youth today have encoded one universal reply to any tough question: “I don’t know.” For one, it stops further questioning. “I don’t know” says it all for them. Period. End of story.

For another, it also somehow lightens the burden for them if responsibility over something, some inappropriate language or unacceptable behavior, is even hinted.

“Would you like it if somebody also cusses at you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Would you like it if somebody is also rude to you?”

“I don’t know.”

“I don’t know” absolves them!

Very early on in my life, though, when I was just getting more aware of the world around me, I was taught by elders that cared for me something that even to this day I know applies wherever I go that the rule of law is faithfully observed: Ignorance of the law excuses no one. Just because “I don’t know” does not make me any less liable for any wrongdoing.

Now, regardless of what we know or don't know, not to believe in God is wrong. Not to believe invites consequences God has reserved for those who reject him.

It takes more faith not to believe in God than it takes to believe. That is because, to borrow from legalese, of the preponderance of the evidence. There is just no way anyone can say, “I don’t know”:

But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish of the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the LORD has done this?
In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food?
(Job 12:7-11)

Listening to some of man’s greatest thinkers, citing their so-called research and high-tech methodologies, one only really gets the sense of how laboriously they attempt to justify their unbelief. Volumes of their technical writing and journals they pass for science all become mute when confronted by a simple song from the Word of God:

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
(Psalm 8:3)

Wickedness. That’s what God calls it. Suppression of the truth. Godlessness which has no excuse:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
(Romans 1:18-20)

All of creation testify to the truth and fact of God. Jesus Christ was referring to this when, as the Pharisees attempted to silence the crowd of disciples that began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen, he pointed out:

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
(Luke 19:40)

What a gracious God. The cross that Jesus Christ endured tells us about the Father’s wrath which was poured upon the Son, saving sinners, all that would believe, from the horrendous punishment they truly deserve.

It is the same cross that holds back the terrible judgment which is the defiant unbeliever’s due. In the Father’s desire that not all perish, the unbelieving is allowed to question God’s witnesses, his Creation, his Word, his Church.

On the day of judgment, it will be revealed. No one may say, “I don’t know.” With respect to knowing God, no one is truly ignorant.

Oh, The Enchanting Trails Of Summer

The trails call. You hear them in your waking hours. You hear them in your sleep. They are the loudest when the sun shines brightly. It's hard to ignore their incessant harping over the precious seconds that zip by. Over the fact that their welcome is only most hospitable after spring. They will not be the same in the fall. Let time pass you by and they won't call again until next year.

Reluctantly, you heed their call. There is after all a whole life that beckons back at you, reminding you not to get lost in the trails of summer. Life is reality. The trails of summer is wonderland.

Oh, but for awhile you confuse the two. Why can't the trails of summer be the life?

And then you let them take you to the right. You let them take you to the left.

How beautiful are the trails of summer. The ones that called us the loudest this weekend led us to the sea.

They were gorgeous. Even on this cloudy, overcast and every now and then misty day. They were just sweet!


They opened up to a world of adventure. We spied on a boat that was hurrying off to what must be an important destination.

We saw a sailing David confront the Goliath of the sea!

And then we saw another boat rushing away. This one looked like the utility type. Must be very busy where they're all going.
Hey, all boats leave trails behind them. Only theirs disappear as soon as they pass by. Wonder how they find their way where they're going.

We thought, boats aren't the only stuff of the sea. Come to think of it, we came to fish. So we cast all day. We watched our lines all day. Alas, our fate was no different than this forlorn-looking angler.


So, we packed our gear and loaded them back to our car. Home is a long, long drive away.

We thanked God for giving us the time to enjoy some of summer's trails on this shoreline. Now we hit the one trail that takes us back to life as we know it daily.

Back to reality.

It Is Never Over

The Special Ops commando stealthily entered the target building. With great skill, he took down enemy fighters one after another with his silencer-equipped gun. One surprised him at a corner, though, and returned fire. The enemy’s aim was lethal. The Special Ops commando fell lifeless to the ground.

And then he stands up, chooses a different set of weapons, and starts over on his assault of the target building.

Whoa! Time out. Rewind.

The dead commando comes back to life and starts over?

Forgive me for conveniently forgetting to tell you. I was describing a character in a video game. I watched a youth playing the game because I was curious what kept players glued to the screen for hours, even days, practically forgetting there is a real world around them that they live in.

I have very rarely played video games so I can’t say my opinion is dead on expert. But there seems to be two reasons they are able to captivate their fans.

First, the challenge video games present. The player always starts seeking to win by achieving the goal set by the game. Often, there are several levels the player has to reach, with greater and greater challenge and degrees of difficulty at each level. There is an anticipated sense of fulfillment that seems to grow while the goal is being pursued.

There is something to be said about challenge, though. Challenge needs to remain interesting, difficult but surmountable, in order to keep the fan playing. When the challenge is not enough, the player abandons the game as boring. When the challenge is impossible, the player leaves the game either with a sense of betrayal or surrender. Either way, the game is dropped.

The second reason, then, for the holding power of video games has to do with second chances. I have yet to see a video game where the character the gamer is playing cannot be brought back into play and start over after being knocked out of commission. This way, the player gets the “hang” of the game, gains more skills and progressively increases his chances of winning.

In video games, I call this the “resurrection option.” It is unlimited second chances available to the gamer. Of course, when one is forever able to start over, the challenge of the game remains fresh, play continues on and on and on.

In real life, I call that hope. Sure, you say. What hope is there in reality when an assassin cuts you down and you die? Nobody gets up a second time from that and starts over.

Nobody? Think again:

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:11)

Now I would agree that, to begin with, we have already been cut down by the ultimate assassin. We are already dead in sin. We may look alive, walking and breathing in the flesh. But we are spiritually dead. Get this fleshly life taken from you and what do you have left? Game over. No starting over.

Fortunately, we have a Savior. We have Someone who gives us the resurrection option. We have Jesus Christ:

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:4)

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

Oh, yes, dying in this world does not have to mean “game over.” With Jesus Christ as our Savior, the flesh may cease to live but our spirit lives forever:

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)

We may be walking zombies but we are made alive again in Jesus Christ:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3)

What better hope can there be when one can possess the resurrection option? God is said to be the God of second chances. We can start over if we fall. We can press onward relentlessly towards the goal. Disaster, tragedy, even death cannot hold us back:

When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge. (Proverbs 14:32)

With this hope, we open ourselves to blessings from God. Hope leads to faith. Faith pleases God:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Is your hope in Jesus Christ? Is your confidence based on the sure promise of everlasting life freely offered by God’s Son? Do you want to cross over from death to life? Do you want to be able to continue moving onward regardless of what life, or death, throws at you?

If so, pray this simple prayer with me:

Dear Jesus, forgive me of my sins and come into my heart. I trust you today, Jesus, to give me everlasting life. I trust you to take me to Heaven when I die. Be the God of my life from now and forever. Thank you for saving me! Amen.

Want to know more about your new found hope? Find the “How Well Do You Know God?” button on the sidebar of this website, just above the animated David and Goliath. Follow where the button takes you.

Welcome to God’s family!

God bless you.

My Hilarious Dad--This Week: Doctors, Three Things And A Prayer

Doctor's Reply By Disciplines

When a panel of doctors was asked to vote on adding a new wing to their hospital,

-the Allergists voted to scratch it

-and the Dermatologists advised no rash moves.

-The Gastroenterologists had a gut feeling about it,

-but the Neurologists thought the administration had a lot of nerve,

-and the Obstetricians stated they were all laboring under a misconception.

-The Ophthalmologists considered the idea short-sighted;

-the Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body!",

-while the Pediatricians said, "Grow up!

-The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness;

-the Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing,

-and the Radiologists could see right through it!

-The Internists thought it was a bitter pill to swallow;

-the Plastic Surgeons said, "This puts a whole new face on the matter".

-The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward,

-but the Urologists felt the scheme wouldn't hold water.

-The Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas,

-and the Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.

-And in the end, the Proctologists left the decision up to some (edited out) in administration.

----------------------------------------

And how about this one e-mailed in by my famous thoughtful friend:

Three Things

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
Time
Words
Opportunity

Three things in life that may never be lost -
Peace
Hope
Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable -
Love
Self-confidence
Friends

Three things in life that are never certain -
Dreams
Success
Fortune

Three things that make a man -
Hard work
Sincerity
Commitment

Three things in life that can destroy a man -
Alcohol
Pride
Anger

Three things that are truly constant -
Father
Son
Holy Ghost

----------------------------------------

And last but not the least, the prayer my thoughtful friend offered for me which I would like to offer for you which in turn I would like you to offer for your loved ones and friends:

I ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray for you today;
to guide you and protect you, as you go along your way.
His love is always with you, His promises are true.
And when you give Him all your cares, you know He'll see you through.

Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives, e-mail buddies and siblings in Christ reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. In Jesus' precious name.

Amen.

--------------------------------------

(It is our practice in The LORD My Dad on Wednesdays to lighten up and post humor or inspiration. We do so to call attention also to the humorous facet of the LORD's character.--SDO)

Illustrating Arrogance

Throughout my long working life, I've had opportunity to work with professionals. I have come to believe that perhaps when one spends so much time in a particular field of endeavor, one tends to see things through the proverbial glasses colored by his or her area of expertise.

As such, engineers think that the solution to the world's problems is more engineering. Lawyers would retort, "No, it's the rule of law." Military men would say, "Put more military men in office and watch the world change."

I came across one funny but quite telling illustration of this from Pastor Tim's The Cybersalt Digest at http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh.

Here's how it goes:

I've long maintained that the distinction between "professionals" and "amateurs" is often very slight, often amounting to little more than that the former are paid and the latter are not. This is in no small measure because professional arrogance has been known to become intolerable if left unchecked.

So it happened that a patient was making his first visit to the doctor. "And whom," began the physician with utmost dignity, "did you consult about your illness before you came to me?"

"Only the druggist down at the corner," replied the patient.

The doctor could not conceal his contempt for the medical advice of the great "unwashed," who are not qualified to practice medicine.

"And what sort of ridiculous advice did that fool give you?"

"He told me," replied the patient innocently, "to come and see you ..."

Didn't I Tell You?

I watched some TV footage on the debate in Congress over whether the government should be in the business of funding public broadcasting, and if so whether it is properly addressing concerns about alleged bias in its programming.

As Democrat Senators Daniel Inoue and Dick Durbin (yes, that Dick Durbin) questioned Kenneth Tomlinson, the conservative chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is responsible for administering funding of PBS and National Public Radio, about Tomlinson's efforts to bring balance to PBS, my mind kept drifting back to our May 3, 2005 post here at The LORD My Dad. Just as we thought back then, the more effective Mr. Tomlinson gets, the more fire he will draw from the liberals.

What gets me about the left is their insistence on the idea of democracy but they would rather crowd the other side out of existence. And all the other side is asking is to co-exist in a fair and balanced environment where everyone's views can be heard for the public to decide on.

This attitude, so pervasive among the left, betrays a distrust in their own ideals. They seem to fear that if their views were made to stand side by side with those of others in the public arena, theirs will be judged less plausible.

As the old saying goes, where there's smoke...

All In A Weekend's Time

You'd think weekends would be the ideal time to blog away. Not really. In the weekdays, the family backs off. They know much of my day will be consumed by work and afterwards The LORD My Dad.

Not on weekends. The family takes over.

So, since we have missed three consecutive Saturdays of fishing, my son and I headed out to the lake yesterday. The heavily overcast skies persisted throughout the day. It was ominous. We nearly got skunked.

This first catch of the day after many long hours was a sign of what the size of the catch was going to be.

I knew,though, that the fish we usually go after get active in the evening. So, at around sundown, I bagged my bass and trout and we headed home.

When we got home, the wife took her turn. She has this tropical kalachuchi tree which she lovingly took care of for seven years. It has finally rewarded her with flowers that are rare by local standards. She called me on my promise to take pictures of it.

Here is what I feel is my best shot of my wife's kalachuchi blossoms.

And of course, church was this morning's priority. On the way there, my daughter spotted a very interesting church sign. I made a point of taking a picture of it on our way back.

Get it?

Then I cleaned our catch from yesterday's fishing. While my daughter fried them, I cleaned, mended, reorganized and put away our fishing gear.

Then I made sure I didn't miss my favorite TV pastor's message.

Finally, time for this post.

Gotta hurry. I owe the LORD a couple days' worth of devotions and Bible-in-a-year chapters.

Back to more serious blogging tomorrow.

God bless you.

When God Judges A Nation

"I'm bad! Who's bad? I'm bad! Who's bad?"

That was the line of an actor in a TV commercial celebrating a point made by his favorite sports team. "I'm bad." That's supposed to be a good(?) thing.

Watch how professional athletes celebrate. They point fingers at each other. They yell at, shove, hit the head of and scold a teammate that just scored big. Not too long ago, that would have been an assault. That is today taken to be a good(?) thing.

We call perversion an "alternative lifestyle." We call murdering unborn babies a "right." We are not to pray in school or display the Ten Commandments. The cross and the nativity scene are offensive. We are not to mention Jesus Christ unless as an expletive.

Let me cut through the chase:

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"
(1 Corinthians 3:19)

And

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
(1 Corinthians 1:25)

We think we have become so smart we can define for ourselves what is "good." Think again, my friend. When our definition of "good" runs counter to what God calls good, we defy him. We invite his judgment. The Sovereign Ruler of the universe is extremely patient. But the rebellious who would not be corrected will earn his due. The nation that insists on thumbing its nose at God will be judged in the "day of the Lord," as the prophet declares:

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight.

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine
and champions at mixing drinks,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
but deny justice to the innocent.

Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw
and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,
so their roots will decay
and their flowers blow away like dust;
for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty
and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.

(Isaiah 5:20-24)

It is said, to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

God bless you.

Who Judges The Judges?

How many Shasta's, Jessica's, Sarah Michelle's... before we come to our senses?

On 8-year old Shasta Groene's kidnap/rape case and in the murder of her family, why was suspect Joseph Duncan on the streets? It does not take a legal genius or criminal justice who's who for the question to come to mind. In fact, it was the title of the interview transcript posted on The O'Reilly Factor Interview Archive page in Foxnews yesterday.

Time and again the question occurs about suspects, or is at least alluded to, in even very recent cases like those of Jessica Lunsford, Sarah Michelle Lunde, Carlie Brucia, and others.

When a prosecutor does not look into a repeat offender's background and requests a judge for a ridiculously low bail, when the judge does not do his homework and obliges the prosecutor, when cops allow a stone unturned in their search and rescue operation that would have led to the safe recovery of the victim, when the system fails an innocent young life, who holds whom accountable?

Too many times, in the telling of these horrendous crimes against children, the phrase "offenders that fell through the cracks" is used. When are the cracks ever going to be sealed?

How many more Shasta's and Jessica's and Sarah Michelle's are we going to sacrifice to the altar of social engineering before we bow down to God and admit that he has been right all along: That man is totally depraved and unless transformed by Jesus Christ and living under the control of his Spirit is a potential monster capable of unspeakable crimes that should not really surprise us if we understand what "fallen nature" is that the Word of God says applies to mankind.

But no, we have become so smart we believe we can transform man ourselves. We believe in our certificates, licenses and diplomas and we tell God to stand aside while we release calculating predators through revolving jail doors into an unsuspecting community, believing that we have rehabilitated them into outstanding citizens through our ingenious programs.

Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano put it very well: The government had better monitoring of Martha Stewart (referring to her ankle bracelet) than it did of Joseph Duncan. And their crimes don't compare at all. Are we missing something here?

According to ThrowAwayThe Key.org:

Politicians talk tough, but did you know:

The average time served
for rape is just 6 years.

The average time served for molesting a child
is just 3 years.

2/3 of felons released this year will be rearrested for
a NEW crime within 3 years.

The only way to make our families safe is to keep dangerous criminals behind bars longer. But if YOU don't speak out, it will not happen.

We've heard from the men who let Carlie's killer repeatedly violate his probation without consequence. We've heard from the men who let John Evander Couey, lifelong criminal, have chance after chance to destroy lives. It's time they heard from YOU. It's time to throw away the key.

And that's a good place to start because it involves you and me. It starts with our hearts. And by God's grace we may overcome our own frailties.

But what about the judges? What about the prosecutors? What about the cops? What about our representatives in government and their priorities? What about the laws? What about the budget, what our teachers teach that passes for education, what our TV, movie, and computer screens show that passes for entertainment?

It's time we judge the judges.

My Hilarious Dad--This Week: A Top Ten

WHY GOD CREATED EVE

10 - GOD was worried that Adam would frequently become lost in the Garden because he would not ask for directions.

09 - GOD knew that one day Adam would require someone to locate and hand him the remote.

08 - GOD knew Adam would never go out and buy himself a fig leaf when he's wore out and would therefore need Eve to buy one for him.

07 - GOD knew Adam would never be able to make a doctor's, dentist's or haircut appointment by himself.

06 - GOD knew Adam would never remember which night to put the garbage on the curb.

05 - GOD knew if the world was to be populated, men would never be able to handle the pain and discomfort of childbearing.

04 - As the keeper of the Garden, Adam would never remember where he left his tools.

03 - Apparently, Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when GOD caught him hiding in the Garden.

02 - As the Bible says, 'It's not good for man to be alone'.

01 - When God finished the creation of Adam, He stepped back, scratched his head, and said, "I can do better than that!".


Source:
AndyChaps "The Funnies"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/andychaps_the-funnies

--------------------------------------

(It is our practice in The LORD My Dad on Wednesdays to lighten up and post humor or inspiration. We do so to call attention also to the humorous facet of the LORD's character.--SDO)

Happy 4th!

America! America!


God shed his grace on thee.


And crown thy good...


...with brotherhood...


From sea to shining sea!


Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. (Psalm 33:12)


Happy 4th of July to you all!

The Days Leading To The Fourth

I thought of listing down some of the observances and events that take place early in July leading to the Independence Day celebration. I found them to range from the spiritual, the relevant and the frivolous (see entry for July 3):

FRIDAY -- July 1

THOMAS A. DORSEY, Birth Anniversary (1899)
This father of gospel music, was born at Villa Rica, GA. Originally a blues composer, Dorsey eventually combined blues and sacred music to develop gospel music. It was Dorsey's composition "Take My Hand, Precious Lord” that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had asked to have performed moments before his assassination. Dorsey, who composed more than 1,000 gospel songs and hundreds of blues songs in his lifetime, died January 23, 1993, at Chicago, IL.

MEDICARE: Anniversary (1968)
Medicare, the US health insurance program for senior citizens, went into effect. The legislation authorizing the program had been signed by President Lyndon Johnson July 30, 1965. Former President Harry Truman received the first Medicare card.


SATURDAY -- July 2

CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964: Anniversary
President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1964 into law, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race in public accommodations, in publicly owned or operated facilities, in employment and union membership and in the registration of voters.

THOMAS CRANMER, Birth Anniversary (1489)
English clergyman, reformer and martyr, born at Aslacton, Nottinghamshire, England. Archbishop of Canterbury and the principal author of THE ENGLISH BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. Cranmer ranks with Shakespeare and the translators of the KJV for his genius with the English language and may have influenced either, or both. Leader of the English Reformation where he adamantly maintained common worship and prayer should be in one's own vernacular, his work began within the reign of King Henry VIII. Cranmer was secretly married to Margaret Osiander, in opposition to the canons of the Roman Catholic Church requiring then, as now, celibacy of its priests. Condemned for heresy under Mary Tudor, he died at the stake, March 21, 1556.

CONSTITUTION OF THE US TAKES EFFECT: Anniversary (1788)
Cyrus Griffin of Virginia, the president of the Congress, announced that the Constitution had been ratified by the required nine states (the ninth being New Hampshire June 21, 1788), and a committee was appointed to make preparations for the change of government.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE RESOLUTION: Anniversary (1776)
Anniversary of adoption by the Continental Congress, Philadelphia, PA, of a resolution introduced June 7, 1776 by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia: "Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved. That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign Alliances. That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation." This resolution prepared the way for adoption, July 14, 1776, of the Declaration of Independence.

THURGOOD MARSHALL: Birth Anniversary (1908)
The first African American on the US Supreme Court, was born at Baltimore, MD. For more than 20 years, he served as director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. His greatest legal victory was on May 17, 1954, when the Supreme Court decision on BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION declared an end to the "separate but equal" system of racial segregation in public schools. Nominated by President Lyndon Johnson, he began his 24-year career on the high court October 2, 1991, and he died January 24, 1993 at Washington, DC.


SUNDAY -- July 3

COMPLIMENT-YOUR-MIRROR DAY
Participation consists of complimenting your mirror on having such a wonderful owner and keeping track of whether other mirrors you meet during the day smile at you.


MONDAY -- July 4 - CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENCE DAY

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL PUBLISHED, Anniversary (1895)
The poem 'America the Beautiful' by Katherine Lee Bates, a Wellesley College professor, was first published in the CONGREGATIONALIST, a church publication.


FREEDOM WEEK (4-10)
To disseminate throughout the world information about freedom and liberty.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE APPROVAL AND SIGNING
Anniversary (1776)
The Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress: "Signed by Order and in Behalf of the Congress, John Hancock, President, Attest, Charles Thomson, Secretary." The official signing occurred on August 2, 1776. The manuscript journals of the Congress for that date state: "The declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed by the members."

Friday Night Date

We had our own fireworks!

All points bulletin: Blogger Soldado vanishes from his site again Friday. He was reportedly last seen with a dusky, good looking woman whom close acquaintances have allegedly referred to as "Soldado's wife." According to witnesses, Soldado and the woman drove south, then turned east to an undetermined destination.

Heh, heh...Let's fill you in on what happened next. Soldado and wife ended up in a movie house with a bucketful of buttered popcorn and cheers and underdog sentiments for Maggie Peyton and--yes, oh, yes--good ol' Herbie.

I know, for a couple, we sound cornier than our buttered popcorn but we don't care. We wanted to be by ourselves. We wanted to be on a date. And we wanted to be entertained. By entertainment of our choice.

Grampa and gramma were within earshot when Soldado made the invitation to the wife. They were more than excited to take care of the house and the kids.

Long and short, Soldado and wife had a blast.

Why the sudden self-centered tale? Why, friend, as you probably heard for the nth time, relationships take constant hands-on attention to keep. Like, if you want your flowering plants to reward you with blooms, you gotta soil and cultivate and water.

The principle is simple enough and well-known enough yet many remain looking like startled deer in an approaching car's headlamps when years of Monday Night Footballs and breakfast newspapers finally catch up with them and they wonder what got between them and their loved ones.

My friend, it is exciting to get to know your spouse anew every time you take the time to give them your complete undivided attention. I promise you, where your loved one is concerned in marriage, you never cross the same river twice. Otherwise, the LORD would not get so bent out of shape whenever your eyes wander. He is so confident that his creation is so full of wonder that it should satisfy the dedicated partner. It had to be, because he requires loyalty and faithfulness. One must be sufficient. If I feel like my partner is not adequate, I should perhaps first be looking at what's wrong with me. God does not make mistakes, you know.

Not exactly off topic, that's the same one-on-one faithfulness and constant working on that God expects in our relationship with him.

Now, before I fall off my soapbox, let's get back where we got this started. Hmmm... oh, yeah. My date.

Tell you what. The "constant hands-on attention" really works. Fourth of July was still a good two days from last night but we already had our own fireworks!

God bless you.