1/22/07. Important People Like George and CassiaAmerica has slighted George Washington for several years by not recognizing this great Revolutionary War general and our nation’s first president. So, today is a day to celebrate his birthday. What about Cassia? You may ask, "Who is Cassia?"
Cassia Marie Rowan was born about 9:00 a.m. today. Her parents are Mark and Jenny; two-year old Elena Kay is her big sister. Glenda and I made the six hour drive to meet her late this afternoon in Virginia Beach, VA. Indeed, today is a day to celebrate! Happy birthday George and Cassia.
Oops, I told you George had been slighted. Apparently so much that I too forgot his birthday is Feb 22 and not Jan 22. Wonder when Presidents Day is this year...what a generic shame to have a day for presidents and not giving indidual recognition.
11/21/07. Mission Accomplishments About 20 years ago I began communicating with a missionary in Central America. Letters took about three weeks if they arrived at all. Phone calls were possible, but very expensive. A single call may cost $30 or more. As one might expect, efforts to set up short term mission trips were slow and time consuming.
Last week I sent an e-mail to Honduras about some details for a team of people that are going to Honduras next month for short term volunteer work. Less than two hours later I received e-mail messages from two different missionaries. One had received my e-mail in Honduras. He forwarded that message to his co-worker who was in Texas at the time. Both of these men then sent me a message. A minimum of six weeks would have elapsed using the old methods.
This type communication gives us all an opportunity to use our time more wisely, and it allows us to do so much more. Praise God.
1/19/07. The Sense that You Need to LearnOprah Winfrey made the headlines recently because she spent 40 million of her own dollars to build a school for girls in South Africa. Critics say she should have spent her money in America’s inner city schools. She has done some of that, and she made multiple trips to visit inner city schools, but became frustrated and quit. I think she made a key point with her statement about the inner city schools. “The sense that you need to learn just isn’t there,” she said. She stated that American kids put material things such as iPods and sneakers on their want lists as contrasted with African kids who would like to own a uniform so they can go to school.
“The sense that you need to learn.” That is a clue for anyone in America who is interested in educating our children. The short answer to this puzzle is that if you don’t have to work in order to eat then an iPod may be on your want list, because the one who provided your food will surely help you get the iPod.
The long answer is part of a complex package of change in America. Our prosperous nation, built upon freedom and free enterprise, is slowly being transformed into a socialist/communist one. In such a system, everyone works for the good of all with little incentive for individuals to excel. In such a society many people are not motivated to work because much of their earnings are taken away and distributed to other people so we can all be equal. And, those receiving a free or subsidized ride are not motivated to work. One such disgusting example is a bill recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives that raises the minimum wage.
Your performance, not your government, should determine your income. Besides, a good share of poverty in America results from poor decisions individuals make rather than the fact that the government is not giving someone enough money, or forcing some businessman to pay higher wages. If you don't have to work to eat, then what is the motivation to learn?
1/17/07. Get Over It.Ironic, accurate, and it proved my point. Yesterday in my post “Milking MLK” I made mention of the Black Caucus in Washington saying they need to get over it. Later that same day, a delegate in the Virginia Legislature basically said the same thing about black people and slavery.
Someone in the Virginia legislature proposed a resolution whereby the state of Virginia would make an official apology to black people for slavery of their ancestors. This is what one delegate, Donald McEachin said, “We know that when there is a wrong committed, there needs to be an apology and for 400 years this commonwealth has not apologized. I, for one, believe it is high time for that apology.”
Delegate Frank Hargrove was asked by a reporter what he thought about the proposed resolution. Hargrove said that slavery ended with the Civil War and added, “I personally think that our black citizens should get over it.” He also asked how far back apologies should go and wondered, “Are we going to force the Jews to apologize for killing Christ?”
Del. Dwight C. Jones, D-Richmond, chairman of the Virginia Black Legislative Caucus, called Hargrove’s comment that black Virginians should get over slavery “an absolute offense.”
“When somebody tells me that I should get over slavery, I can only express my emotions by saying I am appalled, absolutely appalled, that someone would take the worst institution that has ever faced Americans and tell the [descendants] of those individuals that they should just get over it,” Jones told fellow delegates.
Some people just can’t let it go. Why worry about the past, particularly a time hundreds of years before you were born. For obvious reasons, few people will say publicly what 79-year old white Del. Frank Gargrove said. I think he is old enough to see the silliness of all the politically correct maneuvering that has invaded our culture. And, just because blacks were once slaves in America, their descendants should not have immunity from criticism from white people.
1/16/07. Milking MLK The older I get the more respect I have for the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. I have a proportional disrespect for people like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and most of the Democrats in Washington who are continually driving wedges between blacks and whites. They have been stirring the pot for decades.
Back in the 60’s when King became prominent I was pretty much consumed with my schooling and work. I didn’t pay much attention to the civil rights movement, but I did notice that violence seemed to follow King wherever he went. King preached non-violence, but tensions seemed to erupt into violence. I do think he is a hero, but I think it is about time we need to move on with some of the cultural nonsense that tends to separate people according to their color.
Let’s drop the African-American distinction. I have four grandchildren who have a black parent and a white parent. Tell me, are they African-Americans, European-Americans, African-European-Americans, or just Americans? Affirmative action is a dead horse; it has always been discrimination against white people. Can you imagine members of Congress having a “White Caucus?” Of course not, that would be racist, yet we have a Black Caucus. Drop it and get over it because it sends the wrong message and has wrong motives.
Blacks in America are victims. They are victims because of the actions of the very people who claim they want to help them. Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty became the War on the Wallet, and did nothing to alleviate poverty. About 70 percent of black babies in America are born out of wedlock, not because blacks are inherently prone to sex before marriage, but because government welfare programs have become the financial provider. The feminist movement fueled the flames resulting in two generations of young girls of all races believing the government is the husband and daddy. Men of all races are no longer held accountable for their children born out of wedlock. There is a vicious cycle at work. Government provides the money; money buys the votes, more votes brings more money to the victim. Politicians are so shameless!
Unfortunately many of the most successful blacks in America are held in contempt by the Jacksons and Sharptons and liberal politicians. The race baiters of this world accuse blacks who hold conservation Christian values as being too white. Martin Luther King deserves honor, but the most high profile “leaders in the black community” and liberal politicians today are not helping race relations in America. They are simply milking every opportunity to yell “racism.” It’s a cottage industry for them, putting millions in their own wallet while slowing the progress of many blacks in America.
1/15/07. Is Brodhead a Pinhead? On March 13, 2006 an exotic dancer claimed she was sexually assaulted by members of Duke University’s Lacrosse team. Ten days later all 46 white members of the team submitted DNA samples to authorities. Two days after that Duke’s athletic director cancelled two lacrosse games. The DNA samples were received by the State Bureau of Investigation the very next day, March 27.
Then on March 28 Duke President Richard Brodhead suspended all future lacrosse games until there is a "clearer resolution of the legal situation" involving team members and allegations of rape. To continue to play while the investigation is under way would be inappropriate, Brodhead says, and that in no way is the suspension a form of punishment for the lacrosse team's alleged actions.
Meanwhile 10 months later and a lot of water under the bridge, it appears there was no reason whatsoever to charge the Duke players. The black dancer said she was raped by some white players, but the DNA tests showed no such evidence. She changed her story several times. Forensic evidence did show DNA from several other men on her body and clothing. The Duke players were never interviewed by the Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong. The DA also implied race may have been a factor since the accuser claimed racial slugs were made toward her. Why believe her claims?
It is obvious Nifong was trying to make a case where there was none, especially when recent information found the light of day showing Nifong and the forensic expert deliberately failed to disclose the fact that DNA from four people other than the lacrosse team members was found on the woman.
Last night I saw an interview on TV with Duke’s President Brodhead. He was such a pinhead; without evidence, he threw the lacrosse team under the bus and then had the nerve to say the suspension was not a form of punishment. Perhaps he should be charged with being a wimp, and suspended while the investigation is under way.
1/9/07. Ford Had A Worse Idea. Ford Motor Company started using a slogan about 35-40 years ago that said, “Ford Had a Better Idea. Well today we could say “Ford Had a Worse Idea.”
In the past few years Ford has started targeting homosexuals with their advertising dollars, and they have contributed money to homosexual activist groups. Fortunately the American Family Association (AFA) has kept a focus on this type activity of the automaker. Ford has as one of its vice presidents a homosexual who was instrumental in getting the company to cater to homosexuals. At one point the AFA ask Ford to consider the adverse effects of promoting homosexuality. Ford agreed to change, but they did not. AFA called for a boycott.
I don’t know if the boycott as such contributed much to the fact that Ford’s worldwide losses amounted to 1.5 billion dollars last year, but I think that an organization that would make such foolish decisions such as supporting homosexual organizations will likely make other foolish decisions that will ultimately affect their bottom line. Hey, Ford Motor Company, what did you do with the better idea.
1/5/07. Earth to PelosiEarth to Pelosi, earth to Nancy Pelosi, it is NOT about you.
"In more than 200 years of history, there was an established pecking order, and I cut in line.", said Nancy Pelosi after her rise to power as America’s first Speaker of the House in the U.S. Congress. Well Nancy, we are so proud that you had the courage to cut in line.
"This is an historic moment, for the Congress, and for the women of this country," said Pelosi, during the swearing in ceremony yesterday. "It is a moment for which we have waited more than 200 years. Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights," she told members of the House.
So we have been waiting 200 years, huh? Does she mean all have been waiting or only women have been waiting? Or, is it just the feminists who have suffered so much?
Pelosi’s comments regarding her assent to power are more sad than nauseating, though the latter is certainly enormous. She is obviously too self-absorbed to be of real value to the average American. It is noteworthy that she is the first woman to become Speaker of the House, but that should not be the main event as she is making it.
Ms. Pelosi, you should let others talk about what you have accomplished for women and what you have personally achieved. You should attend to your job as Speaker of the House rather than Speaker of Pelosi.
Unfortunately, Pelosi has demonstrated with her remarks that she is proud of her achievements to the point of being a fault. With such a feminist chip on her shoulder, she has exposed her arrogance and her instability, neither of which can be considered a valuable trait for anyone in such a powerful position in our government.
1/3/07. Peaceful Religion in the USAThe American Family Association (AFA) had an interesting Internet poll asking questions about Islam. I wasn’t surprised at the results in general, but I did think it unusual that about seven percent of the 50,000+ people completing the poll thought Islam to be a peaceful religion, but only four percent of them thought Islam was a tolerant religion. So it appears that some thought Muslims to be intolerant but peaceful.
Less than one half of one percent thought America would be better if it were a Muslim country. It is obvious that the AFA poll did not represent many members of the major news organizations. What would the numbers look like if they were able to poll only members of the ACLU? I think it is obvious that the AFA will not attract the Anti-American crowd to their website, but the results of the poll do show clearly what many Christians think about the influence of Islam in America. For example, 92 percent believe women are treated better in America than in Muslim countries, 98 percent believe Americans do more to help poor people. About 96 percent thought America is too dependant upon Muslim countries for oil.
12/25/06. Emmanuel"Behold, a virgin shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being inerpreted is, God with us." (Isaiah 7:14, RV0
12/24/06. Jesus Christ at the Dairy Queen.Earlier this week I heard about a post office in some town that was forced to remove its North Pole mail box because it was a religious symbol and that it violated the “church and state” doctrine of the Anti Christian Lawyers Union (ACLU).
The ACLU’s complain about Christianity in America is getting old and tiring. Of course this is the same ungodly group that defends all forms of vulgarity in public as free speech. While it is appropriate for you and me to be critical of the ACLU, in reality, that group can do nothing more that the public allows. We outnumber them.
I must say it is refreshing when merchants acknowledge the Christmas holiday. In less than an hour after I heard the radio report about the North Pole mail box removal I came to a Dairy Queen in Rich Creek, VA. The DQ had a sign out front that read, “Keep Christ in Christmas.” Yessss! Let the ACLU crowd get their food somewhere else. Me, I stopped in and had a burger combo and a hot fudge sundae.
Merry Christmas!!!
12/22/23. Good for GoodeThank God for men like Virgil Goode, congressman from Virginia’s 5th District. Virgil stirred the PC pudding yesterday at a news conference when he stated his concern that Muslim Keith Ellison, newly elected congressman from Michigan, stated that he wanted to be sworn in by placing his hand on the Quran. However, contrary to the PC reporters' emphasis, Goode had a greater concern than one man’s use of the Quran.
Goode said that all illegal immigration should stop and that legal immigration should be restricted greatly compared to what we have now. He said Diversity Visas should also be stopped now. Apparently the Diversity Visas were started in the Clinton administration in order to increase the number of people coming into the U.S. from non-English countries. Gee, now we have one more reason to be proud of Bill.
Perhaps you have not kept pace with our immigration history to know that a major influx of immigrants (legal) began in the late 1960s. Prior to that time a large percentage of those allowed into America had to come from English speaking countries, mainly Europe. A Ted Kennedy sponsored bill changed all that. Now America is the third largest Spanish speaking country in the world, and we are spending millions for bilingual education, government employees, and mounds of paper.
Virgil Goode, however, was not addressing the influx of Hispanics. He specifically mentioned that an increase in Muslims may lead to more people committed to the Koran than America's values and Constitution. He is exactly right. Although he didn’t, and couldn’t say so without be tarred and feathered by the PC crowd, Goode knows as many of us do, that the Quran does not come close to being compatible with our U.S. Constitution and America's values. Good job Goode; keep it up!
12/22/06 What’s WrongWhile driving and listening to the radio I heard about a shopping mall somewhere that has started to make some rules as to how people dress and the language they use while in that mall. It was apparently aimed at increased vulgarity by those use come there whether they are shopping or just cruising. One mother whose daughter is a part of the young set that visits the mall said, “They didn’t do anything wrong.”
In our current culture nothing is wrong. In fact, unless you were born before the late 1960s you would think most anything is right depending on the circumstances. A lot of Americans think Bill Clinton never did anything wrong in the Oval Office. Our current president, George W. Bush, doesn’t see anything wrong with open borders. TV programmers see nothing wrong with broadcasting immoral (who am I to say what is immoral) content. The bad language alone is disturbing.
Then there is the case of the current Miss U.S.A. who held on to her crown even after her unsavory late night partying in New York City made the headlines. And we have Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton grabbing similar spotlights for the same behavior.
Well it is a big ball of wax, so to speak, but we have raised two and a half generations of people who seem to have no moral compass. They have “done nothing wrong”, right? We do have some reason to remain optimistic. Someone, a magazine, or some other entity has voted Brittney Spears the Most Annoying Celebrity of the year.
12/13/06. Human Beings are Working in Meat Packing Plants.I was watching a news feature on PBS today when I heard two different men say that people (even if they are in the U.S. illegally) who work in meat packing plants are human beings. The news concerned yesterday’s raid on six meat packing plants in as many states by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). Identity theft of Social Security numbers was just one issue ICE was investigating.
Boy, I get tired of hearing “they are human beings” along with “doing the work that Americans won’t.” I’m sorry, but the old “Americans-should-feel-guilty-for-the-plight-of-the-rest-of-the- world” reason for opening up our borders to any and all is not touching my nerve of compassion.
Any Christian has plenty of opportunity to perform acts of compassion for people all over the world, because yes, they are human beings. Sadly, we Christians tend to prefer the government provide for others. The illegal alien issue should not be addressed based on feeling sorry for others. Order doesn’t rise out of chaos, and chaos is exactly what we have now with our open borders. If it is a matter of focusing on human beings who want a better life and would like to come to America, then there are about 10 billion others who would like to come here.
The human machinery that runs America is made up of middle-class, hardworking people, who struggle to pay for food, housing, transportation, education, etc. while having about 40 percent of their income confiscated by our government and then redistributed to others, including education, medical, and various welfare programs that enable illegal aliens to thrive here.
I’ll close this post by saying that all those hardworking Americans who are propping others up are human beings too.
12/12/06. We Are Marshall, We Are West VirginiaThe movie “We Are Marshall” has its premier showing tonight in Huntington, WV, which is a departure from the normal glitzy premiers in Hollywood and New York City. The film is based on the real life tragedy in 1970 when an airplane crashed carrying 75 people as it approached an airport near Huntington, WV the home of Marshall College’s (now University) Thundering Herd. The plane carried most all of Marshall’s football team, coaches, and a few prominent fans. No one survived, the team was wiped out, and some believed it would be best to discontinue the football program at Marshall.
The program was not discontinued, and the film seems to be an accurate account of how a dynamic coach, a supportive community, and a bunch of rag tag young men, some with no experience playing football came together during the 1971 season to pull off an incredible sports comeback.
The first college football game I ever saw was at Marshall in the mid-1950s when my sister was a student there. We West Virginians are a strange breed. We have an unusual pride about our state and most anything that is remotely related. A few days ago I saw a documentary “Ashes to Glory” about that same 1971 football team. I can say that West Virginian’s are going to think, “This is our story.” I didn’t attend Marshall, but I have an unusual pride because I am a West Virginian.
I haven’t seen the film yet, but I plan to. It opens in theaters December 22. From what I have heard all who were involved in producing the movie did an outstanding job portraying that 1971 team, the coaches, sports writers, and fans. Most likely this story could have unfolded anywhere in America. This is a story about Marshall, a story about West Virginia, and perhaps more importantly a story about the United States of America. Yes, We Are America.
12/11/06 My, My, What Can Happen in a Mere 370 Years.Harvard University, the first college in America will soon be 370 years old. It started as a ministry of the Gospel, and is now governed by demons from the pits of Hell; or so it seems to me. The college was named after John Harvard, a minister who left his library and half of his estate to the school. Here is a quote from one of the early brochures from the college stating a purpose of the school: "To advance Learning and perpetuate it to Posterity; dreading to leave an illiterate Ministry to the Churches." In other words they wanted to educate people to help spread the gospel. Many Christians are aware of the early goals of Harvard as well as all but one of the Ivy League schools, to provide Christian training.
Fast forward to 2006. Diana Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion at Harvard, is also the current president of the American Academy of Religion. During her address at a recent AAA conference in Washington, D.C., Eck told the group she was recently married in Massachusetts in the gay way. She received an enthusiastic applause from the crowd of 11,000.
Need I write more?
12/10/06. TV Station Disclaimer for Jesus ProgramsEarly this morning at the end of a Christian television program on a secular station I noticed that Channel 10, Roanoke, VA station had a notice that said that the station did not necessarily agree with the content of that Christian broadcast. What?? The station makes a statement to make sure viewers don’t assume the Channel 10 people are in any way agreeing with the Christian program? Just when you think you have seen and heard it all, then out comes something like this disclaimer showing the television station management wants to distance itself from Christian messages.
Practically every night I watch a little TV, but also turn it off because the content is so bad. Last night I had to turn the TV off at one point because the rot that was on that same channel, and on most all channels we can receive. My big question is, why have I never seen a TV station put a disclaimer message to go with all their filth-ridden programming?
I have lived through it and know it is true, but I still find it difficult to believe that so much change has taken place in our culture in the past 50 years. When I was a boy all Christian organizations and the people associated with them had a high level of respect. I don’t imply things were perfect, but Christianity in America had respect. Many people who were not Christians still followed the Christian principles and leadership shown by community leaders.
I guess in this day it is a bit foolish to think secular businesses would make any effort to honor God.
12/8/06. Trans Fats and TranssexualsNew York City recently banned trans fats from its restaurants. On the local news yesterday the top story was about a high school in a neighboring county that was calling the law in because some boys have been sexually harassing someone. While the gender of the harassee was not stated, the law officer did mention the work “bully”, which is code for “someone is picking on homosexuals.”
I may be wrong; the harassment may be for some other reason. However, the two stories this week, trans fats and bullying/sexual harassment just hit me a little wrong. The short analysis is this; American culture is going wacko double time when there is more fear of certain food items than there is in some of the poison going into school children’s minds. Homosexuality is being mainstreamed while boys are not informed that that behavior will take about 30 years off their life…and we a terrified of trans fats and second hand smoke.
12/5/06. Mad for 2 Days after 2 Minutes of News.The war in Iraq, the war in Iraq, the war in Iraq; the major radio and TV news services certainly know how to run a topic in the ground. I haven’t watched the major TV networks on a regular basis since Bush I was in the White House. Anyway, when I do watch a major network news show, I only need watch for about two minutes in order to be mad for two days.
The death of our American soldiers in the line of duty is tragic, but that needs to be put in perspective. If my calculations are correct an average of 2.2 of our military men and women have died each day since the war began. Contrast that 2.2/day with the 23 Americans who loose their lives each day at the hands of illegal aliens. About half are homicides and the remainder are killed by drunk drivers.
The part that frosts people like me is the fact that American’s know we have a problem with illegals crossing our borders yet the news only surfaces because of a boiling over effect; it can’t be hidden forever. George Bush wants open borders, Democrats want open borders, the media want open borders, and except for a few like congressman Tom Tancredo, most Republicans want open borders. The truth about the illegal invasion is only reported by some conservative news sites, blogs, and radio programs.
It goes without saying that a Democrat controlled congress and Open Borders Bush is a dangerous combination.
12/4/06. Spirit of Truth and Spirit of Falsehood.People are still writing about the Rick Warren/Saddleback Church AIDS conference. Among those defending Warren’s invite of Barack Obama to the conference was Craig von Buseck of CBN. Here is what Buseck wrote on his blog at the CBN website. “I believe Rick Warren is making the right call by inviting people like Obama to be part of the conversation on AIDS. We already speak to ourselves as evangelicals. It's time to start a dialogue in this country -- and around the world -- with those who may not agree with the evangelical position, but who are willing to talk about ways to find solutions to the problems we face.”
Here is a Scripture worth noting, “We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” (1John 4:6)
It is almost a given that anytime an issue so closely tied to moral behavior such as the AIDS problem, then we Christians are wasting our time trying to find common ground with those guided by the spirit of falsehood. That seems pretty clear, “We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. Warren is not wearing his celebrity role very well, trying to be an appeaser. And, in fact, Warren may have never become a celebrity had he stuck with God’s Word rather than trying to please men. And, of course I do not agree with Buseck’s assessment.
12/3/06. The Religious Left, The Moral Center, and Christians.Friday, Dec.1 was an AIDS awareness day, and controversy surounded Rick Warren and his Saddleback church concerning some of the invited speakers at that church's AIDS conference. Many Christians were upset that Warren would invite speakers to his church who had beliefs contrary to Christian principles. Among them were Illinois Senator Barack Obama, an advocate of all types of abortion including babies who are full term. Another speaker was an openly gay homosexual, Mark R. Dybul who was recently appointed as the United States Global AIDS Coordinator by President Bush. Incidentally, I fail to see the wisdom in placing a homosexual in charge of matters concerning AIDS since the disease is largely the result of perverted behavior of homosexuals.
The criticisms of the Christians prompted a group of religious leaders who call themselves Faithful Democrats to strike back by defending the leftists who spoke at Saddleback’s AIDS meeting last week. One of these Faithful Democrats, Jim Willis of Sojourners rejected the label of “religious left” saying he wants to bring the nation to a “moral center.” Moral center? Anyone who believes there is such a thing as a moral center is definitely far left in their beliefs. I’d say religious left is exactly what the Faithful Democrats are. Those people are religious for sure, but not likely born-again Chrisitans. Christianity has no compromising center and neither does morality.
12/1/06. New Gateways.For the second time in as many days I got on my ATV and drove about 60 lambs into an adjoining field without assistance from my Border Collie Sport. It was the first time they had ever passed through that gateway. I had a very difficult time getting those seven-month old lambs to walk through the gateway even though some were literally within inches of lush green grass. The unfamiliar gateway was just too strange. While a lack of experience can prevent the sheep from doing a new thing, it is worth noting that a regular routine is easy to acquire when the animals repeatedly do the same thing.
The suicide bombers in the Middle East came to mind. The difference between a kid in America and one born and raised in a Muslim home in some Arab country is for practical purposes the way they are trained. The next thing that came to my mind was the fact that all kids are going through daily routines, being exposed to various influences each day. I see the lack of positive Christian influence via parents and/or school as a sad commentary on American Christianity. How can we continue to ignore the biblical mandate to train our children? Why do we continue to ignore the fact that public schools in this day and age are providing our children passage through the wrong gateways on a daily basis?
11/30/06. Lambs Leading Lambs.I did something yesterday that was contrary to normal sheepherding. I went into a 20-acre field on my ATV and drove about 50 April-born lambs out a gateway into an adjoining field. Without a sheepherding dog to assist me or a few older sheep in the group to provide direction my task was very difficult. It probably took me five to ten times longer to move the sheep than it would have otherwise. The primary problem was that the group had no sense of direction, with one small group going this way, another going the opposite way, others going somewhere different.
The experience was not exactly a new revelation; it was more like confirmation to me that young people, like young sheep, cannot lead one another. Let me be more specific. A typical day for school-age children puts them among their peers for most of their waking hours. Mom and Dad have little direct contact with children who attend public or private schools. We complain that teens know practically nothing about current affairs while they spend time with one another learning very little in school, but quite a bit about pop culture. Quite frankly, kids in America are lacking spiritual leadership, and part of the reason is because they spend too much time isolated in a pasture with their peers. Homeschooling…bring it on!
11/28/06. Separating sheep and goats.It seems Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback church in California is stepping in a fresh pile every time he turns around. The man, one of America’s poster boys for church growth, appears to have gotten too big for his pulpit britches. High tech gadgets follow people all over the world these days, and some video put on the Internet a few days ago caught Warren in lies concerning his comments as to how Syria is a good place for Christians to reside. It seems one pile was not enough since he has two feet; he scheduled an AIDS conference in his church later this week and invites as speaker Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. Pro-life people jumped all over that news since the Obama is a hard core abortion advocate.
Rich Warren has built one of the largest church congregations in America. His book, The Purpose Driven Life, has sold millions and millions. Some call him a false prophet. Whether he is or not, his fruit of lately is of the wrong type.
Meanwhile here on the farm I mowed the lawn yesterday, which has to be a record for cutting grass late in the year. At 7:30 a.m. today I was out repairing some fence. Later today I will select about 40 lambs to go to market. I don’t do these farm chores in a complete vacuum; I keep pinching myself wondering when Christians in America will wake up, focus on The Good Shepherd, and get over following celebrities. If we have a strong one to one relationship with Jesus Christ the charisma of some man will not sway us. Of course, in the case of churches like Saddleback, one has to wonder if the Warren followers are goats or sheep.
11/28/06. Are you making plans for a harvest 60 years from now? Yesterday a logger began harvesting some of the hardwood trees on our property. It has been about 60 years since some of that land has had trees harvested. Yesterday’s entry on this blog mentioned a focus on the future. No occupation like the farmer, and no group of people like those who are farm families have looked to the future with such devotion. Family farms are almost a thing of the past, and that “looking to the future” mentality seems to have vanished as well. While grown men now stand in line to purchase via credit card the latest version of some electronic toy that will be obsolete in six months, his great-grandfather was perhaps a farmer who carefully managed his land so there would be a good harvest 60 years later.
I have been to Central America on several trips and the lack of trees on the mountains is one of the first things I noticed. The lack of trees is the result of mismanagement of the land. While the wacko tree-hugging greenies in America get a lot of face time with the press, those people, compared to the American farmer in a family farm situation, know nothing about conservation of our natural resources. My parents and grand-parents were not wealthy, but they were frugal. They didn’t cut every tree and sell every stick of wood just because they owned it. In fact, the house I live in was built by my Dad and the first rooms he built came from used lumber that was acquired by tearing down another old house higher on the mountain near a spring. We had an abundant harvest of some very good apples last month. We have enough of those stored in the cellar to last all winter. They came from a tree my parents planted when they were in their mid-70’s.
Why has the American farmer been so unique in his conservation of natural resources? The short answer on this blog entry is that this nation was founded by Christians and was founded using Christian principles, and more than 90 percent of the people were farmers at that time.
11/27/06. A warm day in late November...is as welcome as a good rain in late July. Those of us who live and work on the farm are very much aware of environmental factors that affect our crops and livestock. We must always focus on the future, be it next year’s lamb crop or the snow storm expected to arrive within two or three days. While planning for the future is wise, we must also act today according to the opportunities. The Bible says something to the effect that those who fail to work the fields when it is warm will go hungry when the winter arrives.
So, the warm (projected high 60’s) November begs me to take advantage and complete some of those outdoor jobs…….later.
11/25/06. A Picture is Worth...
a thousand words, or perhaps 2000 if it is your grandchild! Elena Kay is shown with Baa, a seven-month old lamb.
11/24/06. Black FridayThis first entry is part of a new feature on this web site, my attempt at a personal blog. While the busiest shopping day of the year is supposed to help the profits of merchants taking advantage of the Christmas season, the fact that it is called black friday has an ominous tone.
Maybe, in fact, Black Friday is just like it sounds, an indication of what Christmas has become, the beginning of a winter holidays without Jesus Christ.
