A few entries ago I ranted about the Zondervan lawsuit. Now I have read where a man is suing his church because they failed to catch him while he was"filled with the spirit". I think it is time we do like the Jewish faith does, a rabbinical court. All church and religious maters are handled first by this court. The worst part about this is that it is Christians vs. Christians. If this man was a true believer in the gifts of the spirit, why wasn't he healed by his church?

Well here another fine how do you do. Lindsey, driving the Stratus, had backed out of the driveway and was getting ready to pull away when the old man across the street throws his car in reverse and plows into the back of the Stratus. 3/4ths of the rear bumper panel is crushed into the trunk. Everyone is ok and he admit ts it was his fault and even the police came and did a report and agreed it was his fault. The only problem is that Michigan has this no fault insurance,so each persons own insurance company pays the bill. One month ago I reduced my insurance to PL&PD to save money. The insurance adjuster is coming today, but I pretty sure that I'm screwed. I will now have to find away to fix it up with little cash.

Zondervan publishing is being sued. The suit states that Zondervan has misinterpreted the bible. Wow, what hole did this nut crawl out of. Let see..... the Bible, probably the most misinterpreted book ever published and one company is being sued. Let's line up all the preachers, teachers, scholars, authors, and TV Evangelist and sue them. My Lord, the book of Revelations alone could keep the courts tied up forever. The bible has been re translated so many times, and in so many languages that there is bound to be misinterpretations. This one nut is zeroing in on one verse about homosexuals. This individual is trying to promote a homosexual cause where non exist. If you feel that your church is misquoting the Bible, try to change it or go to another church. If you feel that the new translation is inaccurate, go back to the other one. It is not the Bible that you serve, but it should be your God. God knows whats in your heart and that is between your maker and you. By the way, which translation is right, Greek, Jewish, Roman, Hebrew or the King James.
This nut hand writes this suit, just like writing on a napkin, and wants to be taken seriously. The news media jumps on this like it is news worthy. Let's just go back and ban books in general. Let's put everything on tape and CDs so people won't be hurt by the written word. Give this guy a box a crayons and let him write more suits. Better yet, let him translate the bible into a version that the nutcakes of the world can rally around. He can write Genesis in blue, Exodus in red and so on.
What is next? Can we sue the people who print dictionaries?

Another week has past. Summer celebration is over as is Rothbury Music Festival. Why do they always put these on the same weekend. When the Air Fair was here, it would be on the same week as Summer Celebration. I'm sure it is decided by the same people who let the Fireworks Convention leave town and are trying to move the Clipper out of Muskegon. I look at all the vacant land around Muskegon Lake and see the possibility of growth and the chance to draw more people to Muskegon in a way that doesn't sell our souls (casino's). On the issue of casino's, If we do allow casinos. why just the Indians. These American Indians who want to save their lands, will turn around an deface it with casinos and rape the streams with gill net fishing. Not all Indians are like that, but the ones that are give the others a bad reputation.
On a different subject, the depression, or should I say recession. Prices keep rising, and salaries and jobs are going south. GM is the first to say that they will stop making big trucks and Gas guzzling SUV"S and put more emphasis on smaller cars with better gas millage. They has to loose billions of dollars and years of research to come to this conclusion? The Big 3 lost their short to foreign automobiles because of pure greed and the inability to think ahead. Let's make sure that their CEO's get huge bonuses and golden parachutes for retirement.
How about our presidential candidates, or as I like to say, "The Mr. America popularity contest". The best person isn't elected, but the most popular or the one with the most money. Both candidate are so under qualified for the job it's no wonder the economy is in such bad shape. We need scholars, not war hero's. We need intelligence, not rhetoric. We need action, not hot air. We need to set qualification for the presidency, not just popularity or party affiliation. The day we start doing that is the day we stop having clowns like Bush, Chaney, Clinton,Gore, and all the other clowns that have tried to be President. Big business and oil do run the country and are fronted by these clowns. What a sad state of affairs we have.

The great experiment has failed. The minute Cody's mom got here she slipped out and got high. She has said it is not our business what she does and she is no longer here. She called a cab and left. Please give a prayer for her and her addictions. Also say a prayer for Cody as this has been tough on him. While his Mom was here she continually lied, got high, got sick, brought drugs into the house in a effort to sell them. I guess no good deed goes unpunished.

Today starts the great experiment. We will pick up Cody's Mom for her short stay with us. I am hoping and praying that this will go well and as anticipated. This I believe is the border between Christian caring and be made a fool of. Since I have made a fool of myself in the past, I guess I could catch up on some christian caring.

What keeps me going is the small acts of kindness I see everyday from others. Most of these acts of kindness are from people who really can't afford it. I see the greed from rich and see what it does to everyone else. There are alot of people getting rich off the backs of the poor and struggling. These people have the right to make money and God bless them for their ability to do so. They also can give donations,(tax deductions). I read in the paper where a CEO of a company was given a 5.3 Million dollar bonus for settling a strike. The conditions of the settlement where that the workers took pay cuts and a reduction in their insurance. I keep remembering the passage in the bible where God says, " What you do unto the least of these, you do unto me."

Lessons learned by the new puppy. Cat and Sean new puppy, Tyson, is still eating soft food. What goes in soft, come out softer. Our other animals get upset when someone else gets the attention. The puppy loves to eat, sleep,pee, and poop.
Our numbers have increased in this house. We now have 2 dogs, 6 humans, and 3 cats. This also does not include the fish in the agaurium and the friends of Cody and Lindsey who stop by for extended stays. This week Cody's mom will come stay with us for just over a week. On the 4th of July my son and his wife, and a bunch of their friends are coming up for a bonfire and to watch the fireworks. Talk about a housefull, but you now that someday it will be just Liz and I and the silence will be deafening. It's our job now to make these great memories for our kids and our friends. God is great.

Its a sad day around our house today. Catherines and Seans dog, Noodle, died last night. He just jumped up to bark at a passing dog, and collapsed. I think that he had a stroke. Everyone is upset about this. Sean and Cat had brought Noodle here this winter and Noodle had become one of us. He had never been happier. He played with Lindsey's dog, GIGI, and those two were inseperable. The last few days we had noticed that Noodle was stumbling and at times unable or unwilling to jump up on the coach. He also wasn't very interested in fetching sticks. He would chase them down, and then leave them. I will miss Noodle.

I woke this morning to hear that George Carlin had died. Here is a man who has swore continually in public, smoked pot, took drugs, and bashed people who believed in God. I wonder how well George's comedy routine is doing today.

Update and other garbage
Another week is winding down and everything seams peaceful. I was sitting back thinking how bad things are (unemployment, gas prices, reccession etc...) Everyone is having it bad, and that tends to get everyone a little pissy. Here I am, on disability, my wife is unable to work, my daughter and her boyfriend live with us, my youngest daughter, and one foster child live with us. We also have 3 cats and two dogs. My daughter and her boyfriend are getting married this September, and my son and his wife are getting remarried to eachother in October. Life is wonderful. The house is full of laughter, and at time anger, but it is seldom quiet. Something is alway happening. Everyday there is new challenges and adventures. Who needs soap operas. The next time is hear someone say that they are bored, come on down. We have lots of work, plenty of stories, and the coffee is always on.

What goes up, must come down. Wrong. Even though the cost of oil has gone down, the prices remain the same. The oil companies are waiting for you to become comfortable with $4 per gallon gas, and then they will continue to raise it. Never again will we see gas under $4 per gallon, and already there is talk of $5 per gallon. The more the american driver cuts back the higher the price will go. If he continues at his present rate, the price will continue to rise. There is no senareo for price reduction other then Gov't interference. There is always a reason for more profit.

A lot of folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here

in our country.
~~~
Well, there's a very simple answer.
~~~
Nobody bothered to check the oil.
~~~
We just didn't know we were getting low.
~~~
The reason for that is purely geographical
~~~
Our OIL is located in
~~~
ALASKA
~~~
California
~~~
Coastal Florida
~~~
Coastal Louisiana
~~~
Kansas
~~~
Oklahoma
~~~
Pennsylvania
and
Texas

~~~
Our
DIPSTICKS
are located in
Washington, DC!!!
Any Questions ???
NO? I didn't Think So.

---

We all look forward to the summer and this year is almost the same. Warm breezes, sunny days, green grass, birds chirping and the smell of grilling. We have had a long winter with record snow, school closings, ice, and grey skies. Don't get too excited. High gas prices, high food prices, high unemployment, and this depression is putting a damper on our summer enjoyment. Yes, I said the word depression. If it looks like a depression, smells like a depression, has all the markings of a depression you can call it a depression. Politicians and others want to call it a recession, but they are not facing reality. The the rich, it may only be a recession, but to the middle class and poor it is a depression. Politician feel that if they keep calling it a recession long enough, everyone will call it a recession. Their jobs would be in jeopardy if it were called a depression. This would mean that they are not doing the job that we elected them to do.
President Bush came up with a real lame idea. Let give money back to stimulate the economy and help out those who are struggling. Sound great? Hold on to your horses. Those people who need it the most are up to their eyeball and debt, on unemployment and social security. These people will have the money withheld for overdue student loans, back taxes, and anything else that they owe. While this may help them trim their debt, it is not putting food on their tables or helping them save their homes. Many of those of SSI, and disability really need help, but their checks were cut in half. So if this stimulus check is there to help, it is there to help those who don't need help. It gives the wealthy a few dollars to put back into the economy to build up big business as a hole.
Folks, don't fool yourself. This is a depression. Look what caused the last depression and compare it to what is causing this depression. The words you are looking for is greed and speculation. Fuel prices are fueled by speculation. The dollar is fueled by speculation, the economy is fueled by speculation, everything is fueled by speculation and speculator are the ones making the money.
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is great, but gouging your fellow man for greater profit is not what our founding fathers had in mind. WE now have two classes of people, just like Communism. Check out those similarities.

~The Living Bible~

His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college.

He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.

One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans,
his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat.

The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now,
people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.

Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.

About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill.

Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do.

How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?

It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy.

The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.

And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won't be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion.
When the minister regains control, he says, "What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget. "
"Be careful how you live, for you may be the only Bible some people will ever read!"

Well, it's Monday morning.

I just dropped off Cody at school.Gigi and I do this every morning. She loves to ride in the truck.
This week is a full week. We have to set up for a funeral and receptions for 200 people which will be on Wednesday. That same day I have to do a wedding. Codys birthday is Thursdays and Catherines birthday is Sunday.

We listened to a wonderful speaker Sunday night. He talked about...... lot of numbers, proton, nutrons, quasars, and a lot of scientific information concerning creations. Believe it or not, I understood most of it.

I mentioned that we had to go to a funeral this week. A good friend of ours dropped dead with a brain anurysm. He was only 76 and in good health. His funeral is at noon on Wednesday. I have to perform a wedding at 3.

Now that the good weather is here, there is more to do outdoors. As much as there is to do, it is still better than snow.

More to come later.

The sun is shinning and my name is not in the obits, it must be a good day.

Once again we watched the gas prices jump 20 cents per gallon. George Bush blames the congress and congress blames the president. Everyone has tried everything from boycotting Mobil, buying every other day, and bitching about it. Using less gas will drive up the price, and using more gas will drive up the price. Making a fuel substitute will raise the gas prices. Gas prices will reach 4 dollars per gallon and will even continue to rise. As a result, jobs will be cut, businesses will fail, people will lose their homes. It is called a depression. It is not a recession, but a depression. If you dust off your history books, you will see that greed caused the first depression and greed is starting this depression.
History 101 shows that the rich and greedy made a profit during the depression. It was the speculators that lost their fortunes. It was the common man that lost his money. And who did he lose it to, the rich and greedy. History is repeating itself.
The politicians and the banking industries do not want to call it a depression because they do not want a run on the banks. The politicians would have to admit failure
The last gas crisis, we had gas lines, and people could only buy gas on odd or even days. People thought this was because there was a shortage. It turned out to be a price control tool. If we slow down our importing of oil, the prices will have to come down. So we have gas lines for a few months, the results would be lower prices. Lower prices will mean a jump start to the economy. Now is the time. Ride your bikes, car pool, and use less gas. Call your congressman and ask them to sponsor a bill that oil over a certain price cannot be imported as it is a health risk.

Our politicians and president have to get a backbone. The free market system is collapsing once again and we are watching it happen. History has not taught us a thing. The stock market has given us warnings, but we do not listen. Our leaders are leading us like lambs to the wolves. This is not a republican thing, or a democratic thing, but a matter of right and wrong.

SPECIAL UPDATE SPECIAL UPDATE

We finalized the guardianship for Cody yesterday, and he is now legally a part of our clan. There is still a bunch of work to do concerning child support because it was so messed up before. We have a hearing in Hart (where Cody was born) to determine child support, who pays it, how much etc.... His mother has no income and his father works under the table so I don't see much happening there. Yesterday, neither parent showed up to contest or support the limited guardianship. I think Cody was hoping they would show just to say that they still love him. His mother called later, sounding drunk, and angry because Cody wasn't put in a childrens home.

Cody is adjusting well here at the ranch. He bought a small row boat for fishing(16 foot flat bottom). We are looking for an inexpensive or free trailer to haul the boat around. We also have to find some life jackets.

Gigi, our small little dog, is a little challenge. She will go outside to do her duty, and then turn around and do it inside. She loves to ride in the truck or car with me. She also has been very good with Liz and helping her recovery. Liz wa raised with dogs, and just loves dogs. Maybe that's why she married me.

So long for now and God bless you all.

I haven't updated in a while. I have slipped discs in my back and have been limited with activities. I am starting to feel better.
The warmer weather has made everyone feel better. I can wake up in the morning and have a cup of coffee in my yard while watching the sun rise.
My daughter LJ bought a small puppy. It has a mixture of chawawa, hound, and poodle. She is small and will remain small. I am the last person in this family who wanted a dog, so who do you think this dog is bonding with?
Today is court day to finalize custody of Cody. Cody has been with us since December and now is the time to make it legal. He is a good kid who has had a tough life and we have the chance to keep him going in the right direction. His mom, who signed away her rights, now want Cody put in child haven because she is unhappy and since she is unhappy, why should Cody be happy. She also found out that there was no money in it for her. If she now shows up to contest it, it could turn ugly.

Liz is doing much better. Her recovery is day by day, but you can see the improvements.

Cody loves fishing. He tries to go everyday. We may be eating fish for a while.

This week Sunday is the 50th ann. of Westwood Reformed Church. Liz and I have been busy putting things together.

That's about it for now.

More updates

Donald and Akiko set the date for their 2nd wedding. They have set the date at September 20. Sean and Cats is set for October 4th. November is Liz's and my birthday and December is Lindseys Birthday and Christmas. January is tenativly set for Donald and Akiko's Japanese wedding in Tokyo. Throw in holloween and, Thanksgiving, and New Years and I'm sure I'm missing something. If you happen to see me walking down the street talking to myself, you will understand why.

Good Morning. I haven't updated in a while, so here goes. Catherine and Sean have set their wedding date for October 4. I think Donald's and Akiko's 2nd wedding is in September.
Liz has been home for a while and is recovering day by day. She goes to outpatient 2 or 3 times a week. She is not working or going to school so that she can concentrate on her recovery.
We need one more signature to get temporary Guardianship of Cody. The last signature is his fathers. Cody is excited about it.
Lindsey got her first car by herself. It didn't even make it home and it broke down. Now it is fixed, not really, because the gas tank is leaking.
Donald had his first musical arraignment played by the Andrews University Orchestra. Way to go buddy.
Well I gotta go. Bye