'They May Not Know What's Good For Them'

The poor, benighted little people. They just don't understand what a wonderful hopey-changey world Pres. Obama is offering them . . .

Andrea Mitchell has suggested that the problem Pres. Obama is facing in selling his health care plan to Americans who already have coverage is that people "may not know what's good for them."

Did she say what I think she said, Andrea Mitchell, we may not know what is good for us? Are we that frickin stupid? I guess to the elitist we are.

Prayer Study 9- Prayer of Rest

Ongoing study of Richard Foster's book "Prayer." Previous studies can be found here.

Rest. Rest. Rest in God’s love. The only work you are required now to do is to give your most intense attention to His still, small voice within. -Madame Jeanne Guyon

• Like being in the eye of the storm while we are surrounded by chaos
• The invitation of Jesus: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matt. 11:29

Sabbath Prayer
• Not primarily a cessation of work
• Means surrendering our desire to get ahead and get more
• Means trusting God to care for us
• “Does not promote inactivity, but it does promote dependent activity”

Prayer in the Middle Voice
• “Resting in God does not mean resignation or idleness. It does not mean that we sit back and hope God will do something. That is a Hindu concept of prayer, in which we sink passively into the impersonal and fated will of gods and goddesses.”
• “In the middle voice we both act and are acted upon. We participate in the formation of the action and reap the benefits of it.”
• Called “holy leisure”—continuing our daily life in the presence of God

Activity of the Trinity
• Work of prayer is not ours alone
• “The spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Rom. 8:26-27
• “The Spirit reshapes, refines, and reinterprets our feeble, ego-driven prayers. We can rest in this work of the Spirit on our behalf.”
• We participate in the trinitarian communion
• God the Spirit interprets our words and sighs
• God the Son pleads our case before God the Father
• God the Father hears our prayers as part of the divine trilogue

Classical Sabbath Prayer
• Solitude
• Simplifies us
• We learn to let go
• Follows Jesus’ pattern of prayer
• Silencio
• A renunciation of our grasping, controlling natures
• Allows God to rearrange our priorities
• Allows us to hear God
• Recollection
• “Focus”
• “Tranquility of mind, heart and spirit”
Cupping the Hands Lightly
• “The hands of God are cupped lightly. We have enough freedom so that we can stretch and grow, but also we have enough protection so that we will not be injured—and so we can be healed.”

Obama Tells The Truth!

You just have to dig for it:

There are two things that stand out about this administration: The speed with which it is taking us toward financial ruin and its uncanny ability to conceal the fact....

...Buried deep in the president's budget proposal for fiscal 2010 is a little spreadsheet called Federal Debt at the End of the Year: 1940–2014. Catalogued as Table 7.1, it is part of a subsection called “Historical Tables.” (The table cannot be viewed online, but it be can downloaded as an xls file by clicking on the hyperlink.)

The spreadsheet features a column called “Gross Debt,” which gives the size of the federal debt as a percentage of GDP. Below are the administration's projections for the next three fiscal years:

2009 = 90% of GDP
2010 = 98.1% of GDP
2011 = 101.1% of GDP

More from FrontPage

A Sign Of Things to Come?

In what may be a sign of things to come in this country, Britain is reporting 100,000 new cases of swine flu recorded in the last week. Of those cases, 840 have been hospitalized and 63 in intensive case.

The situation is getting so bad that one patient has been sent to Sweden because of a lack of beds.

The WHO has stopped tracking swine flu cases and deaths around the world. Still, it is has asked countries to be on the look out for "unexpected clusters of severe or fatal cases of H1N1 or "unexpected, unusual or notable changes in patterns of transmission" (WHO Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 3, 7/16).

One such notable event may be occuring in Mexico where it appears they are seeing a bit of a reurgence of the swine flu. Several states in southern Mexico have seen massive increases in swine flu infections in the past few weeks. H/T H5N1

Another notable event is a sharp increase in hospitalizations in Australia. Once again being tracked by H5N1, probably one of the best swine flu blogs out there and conveniently provided in the Swine Flu blogroll on the left column of this blog.

As if this weren't enough we are being told to expect shortages of any possible vaccine as the viruses aren't producing large quantities of active ingredient. (WSJ)

This virus is already acting different than other flu viruses. It has not tapered off in the summer months as most viruses do. Though not expected at this time, worst case scenarios suggest the possiblity that 40% of American workers could be affected.

Of course ultimately, these are only guesses. Perhaps the best advice is to "hope for the best and plan for the worst." This is common sense of course and good advice in any situations, be they medical, or weather or man made disasters.

Toward this end I offer this advice from Avian flu Diary:

The HHS’s Flu.gov website offers this advice on preparing for a pandemic:

You can prepare for an influenza pandemic now. You should know both the magnitude of what can happen during a pandemic outbreak and what actions you can take to help lessen the impact of an influenza pandemic on you and your family. This checklist will help you gather the information and resources you may need in case of a flu pandemic.

To plan for a pandemic:
Store a two week supply of water and food. During a pandemic, if you cannot get to a store, or if stores are out of supplies, it will be important for you to have extra supplies on hand. This can be useful in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters.

Periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.
Have any nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, and vitamins.
Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them in your home.

Volunteer with local groups to prepare and assist with emergency response.
Get involved in your community as it works to prepare for an influenza pandemic.


Given the current virulence of the novel H1N1 virus, having 2-weeks worth of supplies on hand is probably sufficient. And two-weeks is also a reasonable amount of supplies to have on hand to weather practically any other major disaster.

Funny Friday-Diary of a Dog - Diary of a Cat

EXCERPTS FROM A DOG'S DIARY
Day number 180
8:00 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 am - OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!
10:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
11:30 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
12:00 noon - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
1:00 pm - OH BOY! THE YARD! MY FAVORITE!
4:00 pm - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
5:00 PM - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
5:30 PM - OH BOY! MOM! MY FAVORITE!
Day number 181
8:00 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 am - OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!10:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
11:30 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
12:00 noon - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
1:00 pm - OH BOY! THE YARD! MY FAVORITE!4:00 pm - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
5:00 PM - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
5:30 PM - OH BOY! MOM! MY FAVORITE!
Day number 182
8:00 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 am - OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!

EXCERPTS FROM A CAT'S DIARY

DAY 752 of my captivity- My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.
DAY 761 - Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair ... must try this on their bed.
DAY 765 - Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was...Hmmm. Not working according to plan.
DAY 768 - I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a burning foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent such a liquid. My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck between my teeth.
DAY 771 - There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call "beer". More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.
DAY 774 - I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird on the other hand has got to be an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time...

ACORN and Organized Crime

"Is ACORN Intentionally Structured As a Criminal Enterprise?"

That is the question being asked by minority staff on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The full report can be found over at The American Spectator but here is an excerpt:

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has repeatedly and deliberately engaged in systemic fraud. Both structurally and operationally, ACORN hides behind a paper wall of nonprofit corporate protections to conceal a criminal conspiracy on the part of its directors, to launder federal money in order to pursue a partisan political agenda and to manipulate the American electorate. (more)

$53 million dollars has gone to this group since 1994 and Obama is trying to up that amount to $8.5 billion. Just one of the many goodies slid under the mat in the stimulus bill that was shoved down our throats.

But wait, there's more. according to Judicial Watch:

The corrupt taxpayer-funded leftist group best known for its fraudulent voter registration drives has filed a federal lawsuit to kill a Pennsylvania law banning its shady quota system for registering new voters.

Already facing criminal charges in various states, the renowned Chicago-based “community group” (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now—ACORN) with close ties to President Barack Obama is trying to rewrite a Pennsylvania law to accommodate its crooked method of recruiting new voters in low-income, “underserved” communities.

The lawsuit is a response to criminal charges against five ACORN workers who collected and submitted bogus voter registration forms in the Pittsburgh area during the 2008 presidential election. Prosecutors in Allegheny County charged them with forging cards, falsifying dates of birth and Social Security numbers to fulfill ACORN’s daily quota of 20 new forms. (more)

Another Good Reason To Retire

From Michelle Malkin, another good reason I'm looking forward to retiring:

Flashback 2007:

Kansas Rep. Nancy Boyda is defending her decision to step out of a hearing room last week while a retired Army general testified about U.S. progress in Iraq.
But Republicans on Monday accused Boyda of refusing to listen to the positive aspects of the Bush administration’s new Iraq strategy.
Boyda, a freshman Democrat from Topeka, said she left the House Armed Services Committee hearing on Friday for about 10 minutes during the testimony of retired Gen. Jack Keane.
“There was only so much that you could take until we in fact had to leave the room for a while,” Boyda said after she returned, according to a transcript of the hearing. “So I think I am back and maybe can articulate some things - after so much of the frustration of having to listen to what we listened to.”
Keane had testified that since the troop surge began, U.S. forces “are on the offensive and we have the momentum.” He also said that security has improved in every neighborhood and district in and around Baghdad, and that “cafes, pool halls, coffee houses that I visited are full of people.”
When Boyda returned to the hearing, she ridiculed Keane’s description of Iraq “as in some way or another that it’s a place that I might take the family for a vacation - things are going so well - those kinds of comments will in fact show up in the media and further divide this country instead of saying, ‘Here’s the reality of the problem.’”

And now, why glory be, she’s at the Pentagon as a new assistant deputy secretary of defense! (more)
You can't make this stuff up.

Monday Morning Office Talk

The following is a conversation between a few of my military co-workers and I on Monday morning.

"I had this great idea this week-end."

"Oh, yeah? What was that?

"Well, I've been TDY the lst few weeks and had drill last week-end and thought my wife and I should do something special this week-end."

"so what was your idea?"

"Well, I thought I'd take my wife to Fredricksburg, we'd visit the wineries and then I'd take her antique shopping." (reader's note- Fredricksburg is a town of German origin famous for its peaches among other things)

"So how'd it go?"

"My wife had other plans. She wanted to go furniture shopping, so we butted heads."

"So- what kind of furniture did you end up getting?"

(with dropped head) "A bedroom suit."

"Where'd you go to buy the furniture?"

"I don't remember."

"Oh, I see, 'I may have to go furniture shopping but I don't have to like it'".

"Right. But I did get something."

"What was that?"

"I got to buy some wine from the grocery store."

"What'd she do, hum a German polka tune while you picked it out?"

"Here honey have a peach while you pick out your wine."

Good laughs and a good way to start a Monday.

New Zealand just got a little bit bigger

I figure neither the Australians nor the New Zealanders are very happy about this but it is striking news:

WELLINGTON (AFP) – A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake last week has moved the south of New Zealand closer to Australia, scientists said Wednesday. (more)

Wow even if it is only a foot, that's pretty amazing. Next thing you know they'll be sharing a beer.

Obama Says, Don't Bother Reading the Contract

A reminder that we are dealing with a slick salesman rushing us to buy that car in the lot without looking under the hood. After all, this deal "won't last long." From Human Events:

How many television hucksters rush you to buy something because the opportunity will not last? How many used car salesmen have told you that you that you need to ‘sign on the dotted line’ without fully reading the contract because the details are simply ‘boilerplate’? When was the last time some stock broker showed you the numbers for just the first few years of a loan repayment because ‘the investment will pay for itself’despite a huge balloon payment coming up? Welcome to health care reform, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid-style.

Steny Hoyer (D-Md), the House Majority Leader, recently responded to a question about members of Congress actually reading the health care reform bill before voting in favor of it. “If every member pledged to not vote for it if they hadn’t read it in its entirety, I think we would have very few votes.” In other words, do not bother to read the contract you are about to sign. Do not worry about what is actually in the bill, or what it means. Trust us -- it does not ration care to seniors, it does not raise taxes on small businesses and millions of the uninsured, it will not force you to give up your doctor or the health plan you currently have. (more)

Uh, yeah.....right.... Remember when asked about whether the Investors Business was correct in its assertion that the new plan wouldn't force you to give your doctor or health plan, Obama said he couldn't recall...

Mr Transperancy Strikes Again

Let's see, if Bush did it, it was bad, if Obama does it, it is good. More hypocrisy from the Obama.

From Judicial Watch:

To conceal the industry executives who will influence the nation’s massive healthcare overhaul, President Obama is utilizing a Bush Administration secrecy shield he has repeatedly chastised.
More than a dozen influential players representing physicians, health insurance companies and pharmaceuticals have visited the White House to discuss Obama’s coveted healthcare plan and he doesn’t want Americans to know who they are, even though the outcome will greatly affect them.

Its All About Obama

From JammieWearingFool:

Recall Barack Obama whining the other day how "this isn't about me"?Well, that's nonsense. Of course it's all about him.

...A Democrat congressman last week told me after a conversation with the president that the president had trouble in the House of Representatives, and it wasn't going to pass if there weren't some changes made ... and the president says, 'You're going to destroy my presidency.' " (read more here)

Obama Says the Time For Talk Is Done

When were we talking? How can you talk when things are being crammed down your thoat?

From the Weekly Standard blog:

"The time for talk is through." -- President Obama, talking to liberal bloggers on a conference call Monday night.

The Democratic bills in the House and Senate are a thousand pages long. They're still changing as committees try to mark them up, or as they mark up other versions of health insurance legislation. There's huge uncertainty about how lots of provisions in the bills and under consideration would work--OMB Director Orzsag and HHS Secretary Sibelius couldn't answer straightforward questions on Fox News Sunday and Meet the Press. Nothing goes into effect in any case until 2013--except the tax provisions, which would begin in 2011. Yet President Obama wants everyone to stop debating and deliberating, and act now--because he and he alone has decided "now is the time to go ahead and act."

Mayo Says Health Bill A No Go

From the Washington Times:

A world-renowned clinic that President Obama held up as an example of good medicine said Monday that the American people would be "losers" under the House's health care proposal, joining the growing chorus of critics the Obama administration is trying to fend off as the debate intensifies from Capitol Hill to Main Street.
Minnesota's not-for-profit Mayo Clinic, which Mr. Obama has repeatedly hailed as offering top quality care at affordable costs, blasted the House Democrats' version of the health care plan as lawmakers continue to grapple with several bills from each chamber and multiple committees. (more)

Until the people who make the bills are forced to live by the same rules (i.e. make congress have the same health plan they foist on the rest of us) we should not let one thing pass.

Obama "Not Familiar" With the Health Care Bill

With Gallup saying that more Americans disapprove than approve of the way U.S. President Barack Obama is handling healthcare policy, here may be one reason why:

Obama hosted a conference call with leftist bloggers urging them to pressure Congress to pass his health plan as soon as possible.
During the call, a blogger from Maine said he kept running into an Investors Business Daily article that claimed Section 102 of the House health legislation would outlaw private insurance. He asked: “Is this true? Will people be able to keep their insurance and will insurers be able to write new policies even though H.R. 3200 is passed?” President Obama replied: “You know, I have to say that I am not familiar with the provision you are talking about.” (quote begins at 17:10) (more here)

Now don't that just give you a warm fuzzy.

Harvard Prof Outraged and So Am I- sort of..

The WaPo says that Harvard professor, Henry Louis Gates Jr is outraged by his arrest at his home. Looking at the arrest report, report and news reports by various news agencies, provided by American Spectator, I too find myself approaching something like outrage. Outraged that one of the nation's most prominent scholars of African-American history, would act in such an embarrassing and childish manner showing complete disrespect for his neighbors and the police. With such belligerent actions I wonder at the patience of the police and why he wasn't taken in sooner.

Humor Break

Thanks to Otepoti for passing this along.
Stay with it till the end.

Patriot Guard Riders

Because of Eutychus comments regarding SPC Joshua R. Farris body retrieval at Austin-Bergstrom Airport yesterday, and my subsequent comments, I just wanted to mention the Patriot Guard Riders.

If any of you gentlemen or ladies would like to join us in honoring our servicemen and women, we would love to have you join us. It's one of the toughest things I have ever done in my life, but I am proud to honor our fallen heroes.

Lineage of the Patriot Guard Riders. (From the web site)

Several people have asked how the Patriot Guard Riders got started. Here’s what we’ve been able to piece together. If anyone can give us more details, it would be greatly appreciated.

It all started back in early August of 2005 with the American Legion Riders chapter 136 from Kansas. They were appalled to hear that a fallen hero’s memory was being tarnished by misguided religious zealots who were protesting at funerals. They decided to do something about it. At the ALR 136 August meeting, Director: Chuck " Pappy " Barshney appointed members, Terry “Darkhorse” Houck, Cregg “Bronco 6” Hansen, Steve “McDaddy” McDonald, and Bill ”Wild Bill” Logan to form a committee to strategize and form a battle plan to combat Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church.

When they heard that the WBC was going to protest at the Funeral of Sgt. John Doles in Chelsea, Oklahoma, they established a Mission Statement, which included getting the families permission and contacting Law Enforcement and other Motorcycle Groups in Oklahoma. They agreed that their ultimate goal was to get veterans and motorcycle organizations involved in every state so that each state could handle the situation internally and not rely on other states to do the job. They were very successful in mustering riders to honor Sgt. Doles and limiting the intrusion by the WBC.

After the Chelsea Mission the Kansas American Legion Riders wanted all Motorcycle Groups/ Organizations to be recognized. On the 18th of October 2005 the Patriot Guard name was established and was announced on the 27th of October 2005 to the 100 + motorcyclists present at the Tonganoxie Mission to Honor Spc Lucas Frantz.

Following the missions in South Haven, KS and a later ride in Edmond, OK, Jeff “Twister” Brown, from Broken Arrow, OK, decided to do more than just ride. He saw a need to get a strong nation-wide communications and recruiting program in place. He contacted the original AL riders in Kansas and told them of his plans. They openly shared their experiences, suggestions, and encouragement. Within a matter of days, Brown had formed the Patriot Guard Riders and began a nation-wide campaign to garner support.

Similarly, after a mission ride in Greeley, CO, Hugh Knaus and Jason “Waldo” Wallin answered the call of the newly formed Patriot Guard Riders, becoming the national webmaster and communications director, respectively. Within a matter of days, a mission statement was refined and a website was built, rebuilt, and launched. A call immediately went out to individual riders and groups across the nation to join and ride with the PGR. State Captains were recruited to work more closely with the members in their area.

The growth has been phenomenal. Within a week their membership included many riders from associations like the VFW, American Legion, Rolling Thunder, ABATE, Combat Vets Motorcycle Association, Intruder Alert, Leathernecks Motorcycle Club, and almost five hundred individual riders. To the credit of Hugh and “Waldo”, the PGR website had received almost 566,000 hits in the first two weeks! Patriots from all over America and several foreign countries responded. Emails were pouring in from people wanting to support and join the newly formed PGR.

So, that’s a pretty concise picture of where we came from and where we are today. A great deal of credit goes to that small group of Kansas American Legion Riders, but none of this could have ever been accomplished without the patriot member who takes time out of their life to honor a fallen soldier and their family.

"Cans" of Success...

Believing that you can succeed at Christian growth and maturity takes no more effort than believing you cannot succeed. So why not believe that you can walk in faith and in the Spirit; that you can resist the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil; and that you can grow to maturity as a Christian.

-Why should I say I can't when the Bible says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13)?
-Why should I lack when I know that God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)?
-Why should I fear when the Bible says God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)?
-Why should I lack faith to fulfill my calling, knowing that God has allotted to me a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)?
-Why should I be weak when the Bible says that the Lord is the strength of my life and that I will display strength and take action because I know God (Psalm 27:1; Daniel 11:32)?
-Why should I allow Satan supremacy over my life when He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)?
-Why should I accept defeat when the Bible says that God always leads me in triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14)?
-Why should I lack wisdom when Christ became wisdom to me from God and God gives wisdom to me generously when I ask Him for it (1 Corinthians 1:30; James 1:5)?
-Why should I be depressed when I can recall to mind God's lovingkindness, compassion and faithfulness, and have hope (Lamentations 3:21-23)?
-Why should I worry and fret when I can cast all my anxiety on Christ who cares for me (1 Peter 5:7)?
-Why should I ever be in bondage knowing that there is liberty where the Spirit of the Lord is (2 Corinthians 3:17)?
-Why should I feel condemned when the Bible says I am not condemned because I am in Christ (Romans 8:1)?
-Why should I feel alone when Jesus said He is with me always and He will never leave me nor forsake me (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)?
-Why should I feel accursed or that I am the victim of bad luck when the Bible says that Christ redeemed me from the curse of the law that I might receive His Spirit (Galatians 3:13, 14)?
-Why should I be discontented when I, like Paul, can learn to be content in all my circumstances (Philippians 4:11)?
-Why should I feel worthless when Christ became sin on my behalf that I might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21)?
-Why should I have a persecution complex knowing that nobody can be against me when God is for me (Romans 8:31)?
-Why should I be confused when God is the author of peace and He gives me knowledge through his indwelling Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:33; 2:12)?
-Why should I feel like a failure when I am a conqueror in all things through Christ (Romans 8:37)?
-Why should I let the pressures of life bother me when I can take courage knowing that Jesus has overcome the world and its tribulations (John 16:33)?

Coming Home

Today I went to the airport to give a weather briefing to some pilots. This is part of my job as a weather forecaster with the Air Force. At many airports around the country the National Guard and civilian airport are often co-located and so it is here in Austin as well.

When I arrived I got to witness and be part of the welcome for a young man coming home from Afghanistan.

I got to see his family and a good number of Army aviators and soldiers waiting for him. There were even some police and firemen waiting to welcome him home.

I stood in line and watched the small chartered jet taxi down the runway and watched as two fire trucks from the airport sprayed a triumphal arch under which his plane slowly proceeded.

I watched as the hatch opened and soldiers moved forward and reached out their arms toward him and escorted him, slowly yet purposefully, toward his car and his family.

I watched as they gingerly helped him into the car and as they stood at attention and saluted while his luggage, some hanging clothes and his backpack, were placed in the trunk of another car that his family got in.

I watched and saluted as the flag draped coffin drove by
and I knew that there, but for the grace of God go I.
And we all knew that truth and this:
That this young man was coming home.

11 Christians Murdered in Weekend Attacks

We still have freedom of religion. Isn't it amazing how it can be so taken for granted by us.

Christian News Wire reports that seven Somali Christians were beheaded by suspected hard-line insurgents from the Al-Shabaab group. Although al-Shabaab has carried out similar severe punishments in regions under its control, these executions allegedly are the largest number done at the same time. Somalia is believed to have a 99.95% Islamic following. There are only a handful Somali Christians inside the country and they have been forced underground. Some Christians have taken refuge in neighboring countries. Somalia is ranked No. 5 on the most recent Open Doors World Watch List which ranks the top persecutors of Christians. The previous year Somalia was ranked No. 12.

New Addition

Richard Foster, in his book, "Prayer-Finding the Heart's True Journey" (which we are studying here and in my Sunday School class) talks about an instance when a cat raised theological questions. In the chapter on the Prayer of Adoration, foster relates a story to illustrate how at times we "ignore the smell of Deity." While leading a worship service in a home, Foster had just encouraged everyone to "wait upon the Lord" in listening silence. The silence was interrupted by the home's cat scratching and meowing to gain entry. Rather than just let the cat in Foster prayed for divine intervention that did not come. Later as the group was sharing how distracting the cat was, one person in the group sat quietly until someone asked him what he was thinking. He replied, "Oh, I was just wondering what God was trying to say to us through the cat."

I have wondered the same thing lately and come to the conclusion that far from being a sign from God, our new cat was more diabolical than divine. I have come to this conclusion because every morning as I sit to begin my devotional, I find that I must move from my chair to shoo the cat from rooms that it is not allowed to be in. It goes something like this:
Noooo...(the cat nonchalantly moves down the hall) Cappy....No (she gets to the end of the hall and sits down) Cappy...Cappy No! (she sprints off one direction or the other out of my sight) and then off I go down the hall to herd the cat from one of the boy's rooms.

We keep the cat out of the bedrooms as yours truly has issues with cats, namely, breathing. Thus the cat is restricted to the tiled portions of the house to keep my allergies to a reasonable level.

Cappy is a new member of our household, obtained from a next door neighbor who decided to move out of state and decided that the two indoor cats would not make the trip. The cats were shown the door (literally) a few weeks prior to the move. There was rumor that homes had been obtained but these "fell through" at the last moment. Whatever the case the cats would soon be homeless. Ashley was the other cat, a cat with the most sour disposition I have ever known either cat or human to posses and a face to go with it. Pinched and scrunched her face looked as if she had run into a wall and mashed her face and it matched her personality perfectly. Still, it was unfortunate that Ashley was apparently a bit slow whilst crossing the road in front of her house and thus never had to face changing owners. It was, in some ways, a blessing but still sad, though her personality made it less than grievous.

Cappy- Cappy "the-perpetually-surprised-pussycat." So named because though a good cat she is, well, skittish would be an understatement. She has a continual wide -eyed expression on her face, a condition brought on by the introduction to her previous household years before, of Clumpy, the bulldog who hated cats. As a consequence of this, Cappy spent a great deal of her time above ground level hiding in cabinets and the like (a habit she has had to give up since moving in) and literally running for her life while on ground level. She is only now, after almost two months, coming to the realization that she can relax here. Her more sedentary life as added a noticable paunch. Still, vestiges of her previous life occasionally surface, most noticeably with her tail, which seems to poof out at the slightest start and at the most unexpected times. No other part of her body puffs up but her tail and with very little provocation will expand like a tiny furry umbrella. Once as my son kindly moved her from one of the bedrooms she hustled down the hall and rounded the corner, sliding on the tile floor. Out puffs her tail, to which my son remarked, "Its like a little drag chute to slow her down around the corners.

A peculiar cat, not overly found of canned chicken residue left-over from family meals or the kitty treats bought at the store, she does however have a fondness, perhaps one might say even an obsession, with strawberry yogurt. It is the only time she will venture into a lap, namely my wife's, to finish off the remains of her evening snack. After which she retreats into a corner to clean the tasty treat from the far corners of her face.

I have considered re-naming her "Crappy" and have been known to let the unflattering name escape my lips as I enter the laundry room where the kitty litter box resides and stifle my gag reflex. She is a small cat but apparently can carry (and unceremoniously drop) a rather hefty load. I mean, good gravy, it smells like my dad was in there! Of course, this condition is probably aggravated by the introduction of strawberry yogurt to her diet, but we can hope that it might be improved with the addition of the pro-biotics.

Last night, Cappy discovered the dormant Cuckoo clock hibernating since shortly after our return a little over a year ago from Germany whence it was purchased. It seems I never really could "get used to" the bloody thing cuckooing its fool head off at midnight and so its chains and associated pine cone weights hang listlessly beneath its blessedly silenced beak. It hung there unnoticed by the cat until last night when she finally discovered this new fangled "string" hanging on the wall. The first warning, I had that something was amiss was my son saying, in a low measured voice, "No, Cappy..." followed by the same phrase uttered now in a slightly more urgent tone. This was followed by chaos and panic. Cappy attacked the chain and promptly got her claw hung in a link. She tried to pull away and in so doing pulled the chain which started the weighted pine cones moving up the wall, buzzing as they went, causing Cappy the perpetually surprised pussycat, to scramble to get away and thus making the pine cones move faster and buzz louder. My son leaped from his chair and Cappy back pedaled away finally releasing the chain.
Her tail was 6 inches around.

Pro-Terror Group to Meet in Chicago Suburb

More good news out of Illinois. Apparently they feel comfortable enough to operate in the open now...

Hizb ut-Tahrir, an international movement seeking to re-establish an international Islamic state - or Caliphate - and to indoctrinate Muslims into supporting jihad, wants to step up its recruitment efforts in the United States. On July 19, the group, whose alumni include 9/ 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and suicide bombers, will hold a conference entitled "The Fall of Capitalism and the Rise of Islam" in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in Oak Lawn, Ill, a Chicago suburb. (more)

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In The News Today

A bit of what's going on and what's being talked about...

Ezra Klein, at American Spectator, citing a Senate source, offers "an insider's look" at the options the Senate Finance committee is considering to pay for health care.

And the folks at Heritage tell us why the VAT should not be considered as one of the options.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg snoozed during oral arguments today over political redistricting in Texas, as caught by the fine folks at Creative Minority Report.

Have you ever wondered why the Obama Administration is still talking/blaming Bush? Well, I'm beginning to believe that the reason in large part, is because, there is no difference...
For example, Obama runs on the theme of change and yet one (trillion) ups Bush in spending. Stimulus - Bush-1 Obama 1 (so far) Iraq? Obama keeps the Bush timetable the uses the surge technique in Afghnistan. Gitmo? Well.....in an exchange with Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) and Defense Department General Counsel Johnson it would appear that all the talk of "due process" for terrorists may be just that- talk.

"...So the Obama administration is all for due process, as long as it produces the correct result. Obama already has said that Guantanamo detainees who cannot be successfully tried by military commissions or civilian courts can still be imprisoned indefinitely if they are considered too dangerous to release. Now Johnson is saying that even those who are prosecuted can be kept imprisoned regardless of the verdict. The only point of prosecuting them, it seems, is to create an impression of due process while continuing the Bush detention policies that Obama condemned during the campaign. (Reason)

The most disgusting and tragic news of the day has to be this story on "Abortion Partys" over at LifeSite.

Continuing, matters of conscience are fast eroding away as a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today ruled that Washington pharmacists will likely have to obey a 2007 regulation forcing them to distribute the abortifacient morning-after pill. We'll have to watch and see if the case goes further and what its results might be.

Last but not least, Lifesite reports that the owner of one of Canada's largest and most lavish spas, has launched a human rights complaint against the Bishop of Peterborough Ontario for refusing him permission to continue to serve as an altar server.


Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of.

Want to know who made such a statement? Go over to Bedlam or Parnassus and find out.

Euripides has posted another Steven Crowder video- always good for a laugh - on the deadly subject of what's wrong with nationalized healthcare..

Warning against a third stimulus here.

And a warning from our Islamo-fascist friends here in a disturbing video posted on YouTube

A Woman Healed- Some Thoughts on Mark5:24-34

My devotional reading last week included these verses from the fifth chapter of Mark and for better or worse or indifferent (probably the latter two) I thought I would share some of my thoughts.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
31"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "
32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."


"If I just touch his clothes" the woman says. She needs no signs, no proof, no actual presence, she need only touch his clothes. What faith. She did not need the God/Man himself but only the accouterments, the trappings if you will, such was the strength of her faith that God was indeed present in this place and time; her place and time.

Would that we had such faith in "the robes of God". In its most obvious forms the robes of God are the Church and her sacraments and ministers of the Gospel. Father Gabriel Amorth, former Chief Exorcist of Rome, lists in his book, An Exorcist Tells His Story, seven main ways that the devil can harm humans: temptation, pain, possession, oppression, obsession, infestation and subjugation. When avoidance of sin fails the remedy he recommends are "the robes of God" i.e. repentance and confession. Also highly recommended: prayer, the sacraments, living according to the Gospel, and refusing to bear grudges. God has given us the Church as the primary instrument of His salvation till he returns. Would that we had the faith to trust it to heal us.

I often hear it said that we are the hands and feet of Christ. While I appreciate the sentiment behind the saying, I find it on the whole, rather distasteful, for it seems to render Christ impotent without our assistance. God will have His way with us with or without our assistance. Part of the Good News is that He seeks us out to be part of His healing and creative presence in the world. Conduits, if you will, of His mercy and grace. In this respect then, WE are the robes of God, instruments of the Great Physician to assist in healing the world around us.

Finally, as I read that Jesus was searching through the crowd and asking "Who touched me," and I watch as the woman, trembling in fear, comes and falls at his feet and tells him everything, I am reminded of another story:

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"
He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (Genesis 3:8-10)

This woman did not hide and told Jesus EVERYTHING. Presumably more than just her physical ailments, she did not hold back and told him everything. God seeks our friendship as well as our worship and adoration. He seeks to know us and be known by us and he hopes that we should agree to such an invitation out of the desire of our hearts and love for Him, hiding nothing of ourselves.

Take a Break

Now I actually like the movie, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." The only one of the spaghetti westerns I do like. I don't know why, I just do. But I really like the soundtrack.
Thanks to Chewy, I now know how they did it:

Humor Break

For those of you you are cat lovers or (if you wait long enough) for those who are not cat lovers or for anyone who has ever had any trouble with a printer...

Prayer of Adoration-Prayer Study Part 8

Continuing our study of Richard Foster's book on prayer. Previous notes can be found here.

Moving Upward

• All prayer will contain elements of adoration
• “In the prayer of adoration we love God for himself, for his very being, for his radiant joy.” Douglas Steere
• We begin by blessing and enter the silence of awe and adoration

Praise/Thanksgiving

• Thanksgiving—glorify God because of what God has done for us
• Praise—glorify God because of who God is
• An artificial distinction since strains of both elements will be present

God Receives Our Adoration

• “God thirsts to be thirsted after.” St. Augustine
• “Our God is not made of stone. His heart is the most sensitive and tender of all. No act goes unnoticed, no matter how insignificant or small.”

Obstacles
• Inattention—we simply miss God’s presence in the midst of our lives
• Wrong kind of attention—we analyze instead of praise or we are not interruptible
• Greed—in the presence of God’s gracious gifts we ask for more
• Conceit—we focus on our ability to see God in ways that others cannot

What it Takes

• Requires instruction just as children must be taught to say thank you
• Begins in ordinary life by attending to the small blessings of God
• “To experience the tiny theophany is itself to adore.” C. S. Lewis
• Find our “grateful center” (from Sue Monk Kidd)
• Practice gratitude for the blessings we receive each day
• Practice magnifying God; making God larger
• Use the Psalms as a guide to praise
• Use music
• Celebrate the work of God like Miriam at the shore of the Red Sea

News Round-Up

I have neglected posting lately and for the 1 or 2 folks who come by here (or used to) to see some news I apologize and offer this meager attempt at assuaging your disappointment.

Al Gore today compared the battle against climate change with the struggle against the Nazis - really,
while temps plummet in D.C after passage of the climate bill.

and the WashingtonTimes weighs in with this:

...The congressional cap-and-trade shtick would be tired even if weren't the familiar boondoggle of tax increases, big-government micro-regulation, and pork-a-palooza payoffs to preferred clients of the Democratic Party.
Granted that carbon credits already were a dubious racket equivalent to the sale of "indulgences" in medieval Europe, the decision by congressional power brokers to give away credits to well-connected Democratic Party interests surely represents the environmental movement's formal jumping of the endangered great white shark....

Meanwhile, Obama advisers are saying if the first stimulus didn't work then we need a second one. I mean its only money, right?

In China they're having trouble with the Uighurs
(btw- here's a nice synopsis:
Uighurs are ethnically Turkic Muslims
They make up about 45% of the region's population. 40% are Han Chinese
China re-established control in 1949 after crushing short-lived state of East Turkestan
Since then, large-scale immigration of Han Chinese
Uighurs fear erosion of traditional culture
Sporadic violence since 1991
Attack on 4 Aug 2008 near Kashgar kills 16 Chinese policemen)

and Iran is having trouble getting all its clerics on the same page regarding the election.

In Afghanistan, a former Gitmo inmate captured in 2001 and released in 2007 is leading the fight against US forces.

Ever wonder what it must cost the Obama Administration to control the media? Well, Accuracy in Media has some interesting numbers.

And apparently we are one step closer to a thinking cap. Now if we can just get congress to wear them.

Back and So Forth on the 4th

I spent the week-end in San Angelo visiting my mom and brother and his family. It has become a bit of a tradition over the last few years prompted by my wife's yearly mission travels to Haiti which, in recent years, has taken her away over the 4th of July.

The boys and I began a few years ago, buying fireworks and trundling out west of San Angelo where my mom lives in the country and having our own private fireworks show. The following night we have taken to going out to the local minor league baseball stadium and watching a somewhat larger show. The great thing is, that the crowds are small as the really big show is done out at the lake, a trek and an experience I have chosen to avoid in my older, less patient years.

This year, my wife was in town and so we all made the trip together. I found that my wife was somewhat fond of fireworks and rather enjoyed getting rid of the "leftovers" of years past prior to my oldest son and I lighting the larger "ooh and ahh" mortar type fireworks. This was his first year to light most of them himself. One more in a long line of coming of age experiences.

During the course of the visit my wife took on the "project" of cleaning out my mother's pantry. About 4 ft wide and 6 high and about half as deep it has been the recipient of many baking supplies, jellies and spices that my mother was unable to use due to various ailments, among which can be listed a pack-rat syndrome that she faithfully handed down to me from her own mother. This illness is usually found in garages and closets and desks and the like but has been known to spread to pantry and refrigerator as well. The disease has been the cause of many a family horror story particularly as my grandmother aged and eyesight and sense of smell waned, like the one my mother re-told as we started our journey through the pantry of finding an unidentified object in my grandmother's fridge.
"What was the black thing in the plastic container, she asked?
To which the reply was given, "Oh, its meat."
But upon further inspection the "meat" was found to be carrots of some unknown age and state.

"At least I'm not as bad as that," she said as we fought our way to the first shelf of the pantry.
"we'll see," I said. And indeed we did.

We removed 5 large garbage bags of jars, cans, rice, flours, brown sugars and the like from this food time capsule disguised as a pantry. All with expired dates years out. The oldest find in this archeology site was a can of clams from 1991.

In the midst of this dig, my mother tripped on the edge of one of the bags and fell on her knees. Parchment paper skin and brittle body, bled and swelled and ached. She did not go to the fireworks display with us in town. She had fallen the night before we came and hit her head on a table. Her legs and arms have many marks from this or that, many from limbs that scratch as she mowes (riding lawnmower) the acre property that her one room bedsitter of a house nestles on next to the creek.

"There are many lives stuffed into this one," I remarked to my wife as we drove down the lane toward my mom's house. "Before the divorce, after the divorce, when my dad re-married, when my mom re-married, when they bought this place in the country as a second house and finally when my step-dad died and my mother moved out here for good." A thousand memories and many forgotten or buried. All a life story on their own and all jammed into the one life that is me.

Through all of this mom has been a constant, if at times a bit off the wall and smothering, at least she was consistent in her idiosyncrasies.

But this trip I saw the next chapter. I saw her unsteadiness and her sadness as she threw out the baking materials that she had not used for quite some time. She still loves to cook, mind you, but it hurts now to stand in the kitchen for any length of time. I saw her embarrassment as she threw out things bought with memories of husband and family close by made excess by her life of living alone.

I do not know how many years are left. It may be one or twenty or something in between but a page has turned and the book must be steadied on my arm.