No problems

Let bring in the lottery, it will pay for education. Lets have a day to vote to fix our roads, Our taxes are higher because more money is needed for the roads. Lets give tax breaks to the big companies to help our economy.  Let's listen to everything a politician says, it has to be the truth.  We can't have a line item veto because it gives too much power to the president.  We need to spend money abroad to keep communist away. Obama care will cost the country too much money.  We can borrow from SSI for what ever we want and then claim SSI is broke.  We want workers to work for minimum wage, but don't give them money for food, or health care so that they are able to work. The government is running out of money, so let give aid to every other country in the world. Since we are running out of money, lets cut social programs for our own people. Building a bridge to Canada will bring in more money for workers. These are excerpts from our media in just the last year, and yet they want more money with their strings attached. There are good programs out there, but there are more bad ones.  More money for roads, bad idea.  How would big business like it if their truck had to drive thru the pot holes. I am just tired of voting and not being heard. The big business that hire the college grad without paying a dime for their education.  Wake up people, the system doesn't work.

Medicine

medical science. Over the years we have benefited from an aggressive medical care.  We have cured measle, mumps, rubela, polio,, and many more but have not cured the common cold.  We have made the insurance companies very rich, The prescription company have more money then I could count. Insurance companies can also dictate what the medical field can do or not do. When you talk to a doctor, they claim to know a small portion of the medicine as there is so much knowledge to obtain.
Why would someone want to cure cancer?  Too much money would be lost. If something happens to you and you ask the doctor what it is, he or she will most likely say one of these thing. 1) Nothing is showing up, it is all in your head so visit a psychiatrist.  It could be one of many things but we are not sure of which one.  You are a hypochondriac so get over it.Take the stress out of your life and you will get all better. There is a name for everything, rls, loose vaginal mesh, way too much weight, too old, too young.Then you have the hundreds of psychological terms. PTS, borderline personality, duel personality,  With all these great cures for all these problems you will get all better by the time the money runs out.  Many people die or live in misery because they ran out of money or insurance. People have lost their homes and cars because they couldn't afford insurance.What is the answer? Money, money and more money.  For those out their who know what I am talking about, you have gone through this.  You have watched your parents, children, and friends pass away because they dont have the money.  My heart disease, my wife's medical problems, have drained our retirement so we live day to day.  We are helped by social program and Disabilities(SDI)  I love to complain about this because I am in pain every day, can't hardly walk, and have big gaps in my memories.  I thank God every day for life, for grand children, and for those who profit from it. This is my only life and there are no do overs.

Opps, missed church today.  To be more precise I don't have a church.  How can you miss something you never had.  It was taken away, and now no longer exist. I guess you could say that it died.  It was killed with hopes of a resurrection in about a year.  I won't be called Westwood, it won't have the same people.I visit other churches, but this is the one we chose over 20 years ago. My grand children were baptized here., I played the organ and piano here.  I directed and sang in it's choir.  I served as an elder and watch many a minister come and go. This building served many a baptism, marriage, sunday school and vacation bible school.  For years we had a basketball on Monday night.  We also played gold and softball under the name Westwood.  Many funerals were held here, young and old.  We opened to the community with a bonfire on Halloween, and served breakfast before the Roosevelt Park parade. We were part of the community and yet we were closed because we were not part of the community. Reasons abound for the real reason in a decline in it;s membership.  The wrong pastors drove many away, and yet it was the people and many other reasons.  In a medical terms we were dying of a virus.  We had all the money to throw at it, but no cure was found.  With much money stored up, we died.   A cure was never searched for, a miracle didn't happen, and yet about 70 remained faithful. We tried everything, guitars, singers, hands raised to heaven, and pastors we thought would turn things around. Who failed? Our pastors, congregation, music leaders, and much more. Gossip, special groups, and failure to greet the people who came looking for a church They were looking for a show, and we were trying to give that to them.  We moved the pulpit around,  closed off the balcony, had baptisms at the lake, and many of us sat back and watched. We kept digging deeper and deeper. The harder we tried, the worse things became.  Don't open your bible, or don't open you hymnals because everything you needed was projected on a screen.  Many of us laughed when 10 minutes late was referred to as Westwood Time. How could we have failed.  We forgot to keep it simple. The pulpit became a podium, and the church service our entertainment on Sunday Mornings.  We gave up 1 hour a week of our time to worship God and perform the show.  We searched for God in our music. our sermons, and our coffee time. Our search for God was considered on how well we performed.  Now the building sits vacant, the parking lot empty, and voids of the laughters that filled this building, and told to find another church. And now we search for another church that might have those show stoppers we failed to achieve. I belive what we were searching for was alway there.  I believe we were searching for God on our terms.  Sundays were never the Sabbath, the day to keep holy. It became 1 hour of the week we had to honor.  We worshiped the day, we worshiped the book called a Bible, we worshiped the communion, we worshiped the baptism, and we worshiped what we had done.  We forgot the 10 commandments and the apostle creed, basics in our church.  We failed to dress in our finest clothes in place we wore what we felt comfortable in..
Many things we did right were done by people who have passed on.  We made our excuses because these people have left.  I would one of the first to say that I had a part in the demise of Westwood Reformed church, Westwood Church, or Lighthouse Church. Besides myself, there were many others who failed our Lord.  I am not actively looking for a church building for Sundays.  I need to look for a place where I can give of my best for the master.  There was an old saying, " you can put a dress on a pig, put on makeup, you can teach it to dance, and you can give it a name, but it is still a pig. I, myself want to become a better christian  and just once a week we give to God is so far less then he has given  me,  Before I look for a church to fill the slot, I need to take a long look at myself. What can I bring to worship our Lord.  When I find that, my search for a building will start.

Friday Morning and 70 degrees outside.  Birds chirping, dogs barking, lawns be cut.  Yes, afresh new day

When I was young racial unrest was at a peak.  Selma, Dr. King, Rosa Park,Bobby Kennedy were in the paper.  Along with that was the Vietnam war, the protesters, Kent State, and many other deplorable things.  Richard Nixon was president, and then he wasn't. Just about every day there was some type of protest on a college campus that the police had to quell. Whites and Black were beaten by the police and the local authority.  Our answer was to smoke refer and sing kumbaya around a fire. Another answer was to burn the town down, engage is conversation that fell on deaf ears.  Many a great speech was spoken but very few were listened to. We blamed the police for not being tough enough, and the government prying into our private live. Supposedly the FBI had a file on everyone, and those people were referred to as communist.  The cold war was at its height, and everyone was afraid of a nuclear war. Not only were we in Vietnam, but also in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, middle east, and even some spots you could not find on a map.  There was the Cuban Missile conflict, and many assassination including a President,a senator,  and a civil rights leader. Plants were spewing toxins into the air and into the ground. Car did not have seat belts and they were a major pollution contributor.  Unions were doing their best to stir the pot for rights and wrongs. And we still sat around smoking reefer and singing. The democrats blamed the Republican, and the Republican blamed democrat.  Our government was corrupt as were many of our leaders.  There were payoffs and bribes.  The rich got richer and the poor got poorer. The TV consisted of 3 or 4 station with reporter twisting the truth. People went to church on Sunday, God was allowed in public places and if you were gay, you kept it to yourself.  Today we have it a lot better? We have improved as a human race?  Our health care and poverty is not a problem?  We are still at war. We have sanctioned assassinations? The computer has made life easier for everyone? Computers will do the work and we will sit around smoking reefer. We come a long way baby, to get where we got to today. Policemen are not shooting as many black people and Big Business and Insurance companies grow,paid for by our tax money. Our educational level is one of the worse in the free world and yet we claim to know more then those who preceded us. People, left and right, everyone, pull your head out of you donkey and wake up.  You don't have a better idea, as a matter of fact the only thing coming out of Washington are lies and BS.  Can we really call those days of old"The good ole days". It must be that I just felt better because the reefer was "out of this world man". Did I ever use the word "groovy"? Blame it on the pot. As Walter Concrite and Paul Harvey would say, "And thats the way it is".

Blasting the liberals and conservatives

I love to share observations without making judgements. I am putting myself in a conservatives shoes

Social security is a hand out. People on welfare are black, unwilling to work, are cheating the system, and  uneducated . There is nothing wrong in our police depts.  Social programs are making us communist. The government should tell you what to do (unless it is liberal). Big business should not be governed, they will never do anything wrong.  I know I have missed alot. Our medical system is great.

Liberals
Republicans love war because it is profitable.  It's my money.  I get to tell you everything. Money dictate law.  All whites are racist. HGBT is just an excuse for a weak mind. War is always wrong if it is not profitable.  Unions are a joke to take away my money.  If we cure the problems in Ferguson everything will be ok.

Confusing?  It is to me.  I believe that we have mixed observation and judgments. I do believe both side have a part of the solutions, but don't understand the problems. News seems to be determined by how many papers it can sell.  What we determine is proper news, or a ratings boost. These are my beliefs and they cannot be argued.  However, they can be discussed rationally.  What I believe should not be considered true or false.  My beliefs should be one that includes all, not just mine.  I doesn't matter if it is religious or political,  Is it right or wrong for everyone?  If you disagree with me, let talk about it.  My only request is that you use your brain and not what your political party tells you.  I love to ask questions and how you come to that conclusion.  Let have fun and throw political correctness out the window.  If you want to argue, go talk to a political party addict.  They are happy to argue with you.

Money doesn't solve the problem, but I wouldn't mind trying to solve the problems with money. Money seems to always dictate the problem.  

I have renamed my blog to "Lost tribe of Westwood"

Months ago Westwood Reformed Church in Muskegon Michigan closed it's doors.  Although the congregation did not have a money problem, it's problems were in it's declining membership, and a congregation that had lost touch with it's community.  There were very few children in the church and the future did not look good.  It was decided to give the church back to the RCA, close the doors, and tell what people that were left that they no longer have a church to call home.  The "plan" was to keep it closed for a least a year and then reopen it under another name.  The worship service would target the younger crowd with loud music, flashing light, and a regular road show.  Some how this will attract new people to attend this new church. Our memberships will be held by the RCA until they deem it necessary to remove it, or a transfer is requested. No church, no people, and no outreach for a while..  In theory this sound good but on closer examination ....well I'm not sure

For years the RCA has been losing membership. Some of the reason could be that fewer and fewer people are attending church.  This society is a computer, glitzzy, and attached to the TV.  Another reason could be that the RCA has outdated itself.  It fails to approach subjects like homosexuals, and alternate life styles. Why do most people go to church. in one word, "tradition". As children they went, their parents went and their parents parents went. Once the tradition was broken for something new, the numbers started to dwindle. Our churches have become social clubs, which by the way, are losing membership also.  Why meet face to face when you can do it by keyboard.  If a church is not a mega church, there must be something wrong. We lost our simple faith.  We forgot that we are not there for the show.  We need to define why we go to church. We need to ask why we need mega churches when the simple country church has worked for soo long. We need to realize we are there to serve and assist our communities. I truly believe that The Reformed Church in America has lost it's faith and it's way.  So with that in mind, let the side show begin.

back again

After along time of nothing to say, just thought I would start up again.  Medical problems have been on the fore front .  My heart with it's 5 stints is now doing fine.  Two day before Thanksgiving I awoke from a nap unable to move anything from my neck on down.  After "millions" of test, nothing could be found.  It was like I had a stroke, but there was no eveidence of having one.  I was transfered to Saint Marys hospital is GrandRapids , and they could find nothing.  By this time my hand were back with tremors and with the help of a therapist my legs were starting to work. I was discharged to home and started physical and speech therapy. for the next 5 months I started to improve with a lot of hard work.  I still have no answers, just a lot of guesses. Just about everything is back except short term memory.  Some days my legs hold me up and some days they don't. My balance is still off so I use either a cane or a walker. Last visit to the neurologist showed nothing except to plan a needle test in three months. Although I see a psychiatrist for stress, they claim that in no way could stress could cause this. I am now taking things into my own hand and am trying to see a orthopedic surgeon. I have been told that i have had bulging disks and maybe this has something to do with this. My family doctor has to refer me to him before I can do anything. So now I have good days and bad days.

Our house insurance company will drop our coverage to F1 unless we re roof. We don't have the money, but it looks good for getting a grant. I can't get on my facebook because I couldn't remember my password to facebook or to the email acount that I formed the page from.  I think I might have it solved, I will know in 24 hours.

We have brought another dog into our house.  He is bulldog and american healer.  Vinny wanted his own dog, so I gave in.  Guess who gets to take care Leo.  He is 5 months old and very friendly, just not completely house broken. We had to get a tree cut down before it fell down, and we had to buy a new car last year. We went to New York last year to visit liz's aunt, and then down to Jersey to visit with Don and Akiko who have returned from Japan.  We now have a total of 5 grandchildren.

Because of damage done to the brain, I can't remember alot of things which has caused some problems.  Liz does her best to help me when i can't find the words.

Our church decided to shutdown.  We were not getting any younger people, and us older ones were dying off. Before we went broke we shut the doors and the RCA will try to transform this church to better serve this community.  The 70 or so of us will have to search for a new home church. The transformation to our church should take about a year. i assume alot of loud music and great lighting and sound system that will blast your ears off.

For the first time since last year the temperature is rising above 60.  It feels great.

Our stove decided to stop working, so my brother had one from a house he was turning.  It was in pretty rough shape.  A lot of elbow grease, sanding, and cleaning it looks like a brand new kitchen stove with everything working.

My computer quit and thanks to friends we were able to piece one together that is working pretty good.  The passwords I didn't write are lost in my brain forever.

For those who care, I think I am caught up.  A lot of work to do this summer for the body, the house, and the family.  With God's help we will make it through.