In discussions with an Atheist one thing kept popping up in my mind. Why does this person attacks all Christians, bundles them all together and tries to use science to attack faith.
Many examples on how pure science is a recipe for disaster. How about a person who got convicted of rape 20 years ago. Science and everyone said that he did it. It was impossible to contradict the scientific facts, yet 20 years later DNA absolutely proves this persons innocence. Science wasn't wrong back then, just wasn't as advanced as it is now. Science has a way to go before it can start to compare itself to the Lord God Almighty. When you look at early Christianity, some extremist burned witches at the stake. Years later we are much smarter.
The greatest flaw in the argument between Atheism and Christianity is the human factor. Not all Atheist are alike as well as Christian being the same. Free will make this impossible and thank God we are all different. I respect and agree with some scientist that disagree with the age of the earth. Yes I do question the age and do keep an open mind to it. I also don't worship the book called the Bible, but I do worship God, two completely different things. Once again the human element comes into play. Some Christians defend the Bible by saying that the word DAY in Hebrew means, "an unterminated amount of time." Does that give me complete confidence in the age of the world? no, but it does not change my faith because we are talking about two different things.
One Atheistic article went to the extreme of asking the question about God. If I am a Christian who has lost his legs and I pray to God for him to give me new legs just like the ones I had before, why can't a God who can do anything give me my legs? These fall under the question that we are not advance enough to know the answer, other then the famous standby, "Gods Will", or "God is using it to straighten your faith" etc......... Sometimes we just don't have all the answers like the DNA example I used earlier. When you want to discuss accuracies or inaccuracies in the Bible I can see that, I don't worship the book called "The Bible". That would make it an idol and God said not to worship anyone but him. I have questions with the Catholics who worship using saints and statues.
In everything there is no final answer, no one knows all the answers and all people can't be put into one categories except human. I stop reading when a author starts lumping everything together and will ignore this as a attempt to shortcut to an easy answer. This is disrespectful to science and all those scientist who have worked hard to get answers.
All living things are growing which include faiths, science and human behavior. To disrespect this is closeminded as well as trying to make scripture or science win a disscussion of faith.

Some Atheist never learn. I'm at a lost for words to describe the audacity of these people who use the same tactic to try to prove their point. They will even grasp at the ever changing world of Wikipidia as a desperate attempt to sound knowledgeable. I have already set the facts in the previous blog and still they want to change things around because of lack of credibility on their part. I pray for those so blind as those who refuse to see. I wish there was a better way of showing them the error of their twisted logic and mirror tricks. We have all seen it and debunked it and they still try to use it. These might just be the biggest idiots because they are normally intelligent, they just don't know how to use their intelligence.

You have to love the atheist approach to Christianity. Prove there is a God because we can't prove there isn't. It is squarely on the shoulders of the atheist because God came first. Even if you don't believe in the Bible, the story of God is still there and must be disproved. Historically this is impossible, scientifically it can't be replicated, and in such can't be disproved. As Christians we have faith in our God, and don't need to go to ridiculous extremes to try to defend out faith. Faith, the belief in things not seen, seems to trip them up everytime.

I have been observing messages on Facebook on the subject of fair journalism. Two gentlemen claim that Fox news is bias, while another claims that these two are crazy for believing this claim. Both side are quoting video clips and source references to back up their side and no one is backing down. I've seen this before in other discussions. Some people feel that if you are educated, then you can't be bias. Some feel that if it's news, it has to be right because Walter Concrite was the most trusted man in American and he was a journalist. Journalistic integrity is a joke. These people are paid lots of money to sell their brand of news. Sources are no longer double checked for accuracy as there is a race to be first. Being first doesn't have to be right, just first. If the story is wrong, they can spin it off on someone else or bury it because they are the news. Who can you trust to tell you the news? How about Christian News Networks? Only if you believe that the earthquake in Haiti was Gods curse on an evil people, or that anyone who is not a christian cannot tell the truth. There are more "journalist" out there then you can shake a pin at. This what I'm writing might jokingly be called journalism as well as anyone elses blogs. The old say about opinions,"like aholes, everyone has one and most of them stink" is so true. So how can you tell the truth? I wish I knew, but I think it come down to reading all, then using your brain to decide. Once again, another opinion. I did find out something interesting while listening to a sermon today. The pastor remarked on how his computer broke down and he had to write his sermon longhand.HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM............. best sermon I've heard in a long time. I believe he even mispronounce a few words, but that was ok. He had to take the time to think out what he was saying at a alot slower pace then he was used to. The brain reconnected to the fingers and once again man triumphed over machine. I'm not saying to throw out technology, just take a deep breath and slow the presses down. Not everything is a news story and main stream press should leave shoddy journalism to the paparazzi who invented it. Tabloid journalism should not be embraced as it is by the modern media. Next thing will be politicians acting like tabloid journalist......oppsss.... too late

Lets talk about the weather
Have you noticed that when storms approach Muskegon they seem to part like Moses parting the Red Sea. One half goes north and the other goes south and re form after they pass Muskegon. I am not complaining as we do seem to get the gentle storms. Is there something about Muskegon that big storms want to avoid? Maybe it is political, there is not enough media coverage to waste a good storm.

Time to cough up

Years ago when the railroad started to grow across the country, the Barons made the money while the immigrant did the work. After the immigrants were paid, they were charged room and board and everything else. Lumber barons were the same, as were miners etc....... The song said" I owe my soul to the company store. History has continued this practice into the 21 century. The one difference is that if the big companies can't find someone to work for less then nothing, they can ship the job over seas. The senate finally past the unemployment extensions to help people out. Despite the filibuster by the right, the bill will pass. People on SSI haven't had a raise in years, and insurance companies are charging more. Cost of material continue to rise, profit margin are at an all time high, and jobs are disappearing with some holding on by their finger nails. The right wing says the same thing, "Who's going to pay for it?" I am bold enough to say the answer. It's time for the upper class to cough up. That right, pay your share and pay even more. Pay til it hurts. Many people pay till it hurts with little or nothing, the rich have extra. Come on, step up to the plate. The deficit will always be there if the the poor continue to do the work.

Just finished up my cardiac rehab class. Liz and I get to watch our grandson today as his parents are going tubing. Got him back home and he fell asleep in his swing.
Doesn't feel as humid today, but it is still warm. My mission this week is to start and complete a project. I have so many half finished projects that it is driving me crazy.
Young Don is coming to the states this week. He will be spending most of his time in Indiana as a chaperon for his students. He will come home is August for some time with his family. His wife was not able to make the trip this time, but hopefully she can come another time.
God is great

MEDICINE, STILL A PRACTICE.

Jim Fix was in super shape. He was a world class runner, perfect shape, ate healthy, had his cholesterol in the perfect range and was enjoying life. He was a marathon runner that many people idolized and yet he dropped dead of a heart attack. He was a victim of CAD (coronary heart decease). Why did his arteries plug up? Medicines answer, "We don't know". This is not a slap at medicine, because without their accomplishments I would not be here today. I am not debating the God vs. science argument as that has been argued far to long.
Everyone seems to have an answer for heart disease, but people keep dying from it. People who don't have it seem to think they have the most answers, until it hits them. Some of these people will recover with no further problems while others will struggle with it the rest of their lives. Some people will smoke their whole lives and have no problem while some people will not smoke at all, and struggle with lung disease. How many so called experts on healthy diets have died prematurely. How many diets are there out there that claim to be the one? Pharmaceutical companies all claim to have the right pill for your condition. How many people die after having a successful stress test? Medicine and science have come a long way and accomplished great things never seen before but there is so much they don't know.
My cardiologist told me that during my recent heart event, er doctors with all their machine and knowledge know less then 10% of what is happening. Their job is to stabilize until answers can be found. After what seemed like dozens of test, they found a 98% blockage during my recent heart event. It wasn't until the anagram that the problem was found. During these 24+ hours I kept wondering if it was all in my head, thus leaving me with alot of stress. One year ago I was admitted with the same symptoms and nothing was found. I was diagnosed with having an event and sent home after spending 2 days in ICU. In other words, the doctor were stumped even though they were convince I was having a heart attack.
I've tried to return to work but my heart issues keep getting in the way to the point that even small part times jobs are hazardous to my health. I am on disability because of this which angers my brothers and sisters.
The reason I bring this all up is to start a discussion that the republican right wing says are us people living off the government. Why social security is not as black and white as they want it to be. According to them, I am the lazy people living off the government.

Every politician has a idea to start the economy. Some are good, and some are just dumb. Sound bites even make it look worse. Congressman Hoekstra's sound bit is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. " Tell the government to get out of the way." This is a very strong right wing sound bite. What would happen if government got out of the way?
Unfair labor practice, greed, corporate corruption, soaring prices, unfair competition, the demise of small business etc....... This is like giving the prisoners the keys. We need larger government, unfortunately, to police those who only think of themselves. We need a government that is not influenced by the profit line of big business.

Trying to get fit. I was serious about losing weight and started to work out at the YMCA. After a month of working out lightly, I have a heart attack and heart surgery. Now I am back to exercise at cardiac rehab trying to get back in shape. Does this seem like I'm going in circles? Every time I try to get back in shape, I end up with more heart problems. All the good tasting food out there, I can't have because of the dangers to my heart. I am reduced to a vegetarian who has fish and chicken once in a while, no alcohol, no stress and hopefully lost weight.
This is so confusing.

A headline this morning was saying that "Jessie Jackson sees the Labron Story like slavery." I laughed so hard that I could not read any further. It was bad enough that Labron shamelessly promoted himself, but that all those people actually watched it on ESPN didn't help. Jessie is just doing the same thing, self promotion. There are racial problem in this world, but this is not one. Labron is getting millions for what he does and in no way should be compared to slavery in any shape or form.

Michigan, the land of the "no fault" insurance scam strikes again. The state's conservative supreme court has stated that Insurance Companies can set car rates by credit scores. Why don't they just use magic cards and crystal balls. the rich get richer and the middle class disappears.
The fact show that the people most likely to loose a house to foreclosure, the rich. The one's most likely to pay less taxes, the rich. Most poor people have cars with just minimum coverage while the richer people will have total coverage. The bottom line is that our laws are based in profit margins. We should remove these judges from the bench and replace them with a CEO from a fortune 500 company who received a bailout from the federal government. Where is the "tea party'" on this one.

Are we still looking for weapons of mass destruction. We would have better success looking for Waldo then looking for BenLadin. Saddam and his brothers are dead, and the Taliban is a disco group in Vagas. What in the world are we doing in Iraq and Pakistan. Our children are being killed in the name of freedom, and we criticize other country's and their holy wars. We have failed to learn anything from Vietnam and Korea. This 4th of July I prayed for our men that have served and are serving our country. I pray for our leaders who use war and patriotism to protect politically backed financial interest. Oil is flowing in the gulf, and blood is flowing in Iraq, and our people are dying for a profit line. It's time to stop the flow.

Vegetarian Hell. That is where I've been sent. No red meat, no alcohol, no sweets, if it taste good spit it out. Who knew that fruits have calories and cholesterol. Can't do anything for the next two weeks that would raise my blood pressure or cause me to bleed. On top of all this, I am told to relax and get rid of the stress. i can't ride a bike, cut the lawn, drive a car, and eat meat. STRESS?

Let's git rid of stress. Everybody I owe money to, please forgive my debt. I'm on a fixed income and prices keep going up. The Republican have thrown our economy down the toilet and the value of my home is cut in half. Now my taxes are doubled to keep up with the loss of income from fallen property values. My hospital bills, after insurance, are more then I owe on the house, and Republicans want to cut my SSI disability because they think I'm a bum. Meanwhile the Republican want to cut taxes to the wealtiest American, let corporate greed run wild. WHERE THE HELL IS THE STRESS?

IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHERS PAY CASH, AND IF YOU CAN'T PAY, GET THE HELL OUT OF THE COUNTRY. THIS IS THE TRUE REPUBLICAN MONTRA. IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT YOUR RETIREMENT WAS TAKEN BY A PONZI SCHEME, WALL STREET COLLAPSE CAUSED BY THE FREEDOM TO SCREW EVERYONE. WHO'S FAULT IS THAT? ONCE YOU ARE OUT OF THE COUNTRY, THE RIGHT WING WILL CONSTRUCT FENCES TO STOP YOU FROM COMING BACK. PLEASE BE KIND ENOUGH TO DROP DEAD OVER A LANDFILL, SO OUR TAXES WON'T BE USED TO PICK UP MY DEAD CORPSE, IF I DON'T MANAGE TO GET TO THE BORDER. If I"m hungry i should move to a third word country so that a bunch of rich musicians can hold a feed the world concert to help me. WHERE THE HELL WOULD I GET STRESS FROM.

What keeps me together is the kindness of others. Christian kindness is not Republican or Democrat, it is just love in it's purest form from people not seeking return on an investment. Their investment in me, helps me invest in others.

Now that I've got that off my chest, I can feel less stressed.

A laugh for the day

Three women, two younger and one senior citizen, were sitting naked in a sauna
Suddenly, there was a beeping sound. The young women pressed her forearm and the beep stopped. The others looked at her questioningly. "That was my pager," she said. "I have a microchip under the skin of my arm."

A few minutes later, a phone rang. The second young woman lifted her palm to her ear. When she finished, she explained, "That was my mobile phone. I have a microchip in my hand."

The older woman felt very low-tech. Not to be out done, she decided she had to do something just as impressive. She stepped out of the sauna and went to the bathroom. She returned with a piece of toilet paper hanging from her rear end. The others raised their eyebrows and stared at her. The older woman finally said..."Well, will you look at that...I'm getting a fax!"

Justin Stressman said...
Of course your God would necessarily have been the one to have stricken you down in the first place, and caused you to live in fear for your life for the past 7 or 8 years now.

And it was modern medical science that was to thank for saving you...

But I don't expect you to acknowledge those points.

Why does God do bad things to good people. If God was real, why would he do this to you (the ant under the magnifying glass). If medicine alone saved my life, then medicine or science caused my heart attack (Fatty foods, preservatives, etc.).

Before I answer Justin, I will say that I have not lived in fear for my life. Yes I have had more heart problems then the ordinary man, but I don't live in fear of death, for all of us will die sometime, but I rejoice in life. I don't compare myself with the Jones', but celebrate the things I have.

Now I will say something that will get some people so mad that they will jump up and down and maybe shake their heads in disbelief." I rejoice in the things that have happened to me." . I will now explain my statement without biblical or scientific evidence, just what I believe.

I believe that God gives us all a different trail to follow thru life. If we all traveled the same road, had the same education and experiences, and we all believed the same, this would be a very boaring existence. Life is an adventure. Why in the world are we here? I believe it is to experience life, to travel that winding road, and to share it with others. If you want to go thru life fighting it, it will fight back, and if you go thru life ignoring it, it will ignore you. I rejoice in people with different opinions. I don't need pages of science to show that Justin does not believe in God. I like the simple approach. A simple,"I don't believe" would be ok with me, because it is your life and your right. The problem I have with some athiest is not the fact that they don't believe there is a God, but that they are so angry that everyone else don't share their opinion. What would I gain if someone has a different opinion then mine and I were to minimize their opinion.
I heard a minister once gave a sermon that was 45 min. long. He had many and great references. He waxed eloquent and made me marvel in his public speaking abilities. The biggest problem, he made his point after 20 min and didn't know when to shut up. He quoted people he thought were experts because they had written a book. He also missed one major point, the fact that others may think different. His road traveled was different then others, but not necessarily better or more correct, just different. If I have a higher IQ then most people, does that make me smarter then most? No, just like if Einstien was so smart, why didn't he invent perpetual motion, or why couldn't he throw a curve ball?
Is God "Picking on me"? Has science caused my problems or solved them? Once I know all the answers, I will let you know. In the mean time I will live the life that God puts in front of me.

One week ago I was fighting to stay alive. One week later I am trying to figure out what I can and can't do because of the heart attacks. One week ago the world was spinning, everything was a blur, and I was in pain. One week later I'm typing, drinking coffee and getting ready to take a short walk. One day at a time? I think I might just try that. Today is a great day and with Gods help, tomorrow will be even better.

What a week. Four heart attacks and a brand new stint in my heart. My best friend Louie had quadruple bypass surgery which was planned on Monday. I was brought in by ambulance Monday morning. We were a room apart all week. I came home Thursday and he came home Friday. Almost eight years ago we both had a heart attack, 6months apart. We are both pianist and I was scheduled to fill in for him on Sunday Morning. I'm still going to give it a try, and Louie says that he will show up to lend support. I hope we play music that is soothing to the heart.

Thank you Justin. There are not to many Christians that can thank an atheist for streghtening their faith. This past week I suffered 3 heart attacks, had a major artery stinted, and am back home. At four different times I was near death and all I could think of was how I failed Justin. God put Justin in front of me and all I did was argue something that God had already decided years ago, before man walked on this earth. I owe science and medicine a debt I may never be able to re pay (figuratively and financially). I owe God a debt that i can repay in following his lead. I owe Justin a debt for straightening my faith, a debt I can never repay. I am so sorry Justin that I failed you and I will try harder. God has a plan for my life and that includes helping Justin and reverse the harm that years of a well meaning christian family has done to him. Today is the first day of the rest of your life and mine.

History Of Father's Day
The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special. .
The origin of Father's Day is not clear. Some say that it began with a church service in West Virginia in 1908. Others say the first Father's Day ceremony was held in Vancouver, Washington.
Regardless of when the first true Father's Day occurred, the strongest promoter of the holiday was Mrs. Bruce John Dodd of Spokane, Washington. She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.
Sonora wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state.
After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. In 1909, Mrs. Dodd approached her own minister and others in Spokane about having a church service dedicated to fathers on June 5, her father's birthday. That date was too soon for her minister to prepare the service, so he spoke a few weeks later on June 19th. From then on, the state of Washington celebrated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Children made special desserts, or visited their fathers if they lived apart.
In early times, wearing flowers was a traditional way of celebrating Father's Day. Mrs. Dodd favored the red rose to honor a father still living, while a white flower honored a deceased dad. J.H. Berringer, who also held Father's Day celebrations in Washington State as early as 1912, chose a white lilac as the Father's Day Flower.
States and organizations began lobbying Congress to declare an annual Father's Day. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson approved of this idea, but it was not until 1924 when President Calvin Coolidge made it a national event to "establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations." Since then, fathers had been honored and recognized by their families throughout the country on the third Sunday in June.
In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day and put the official stamp on a celebration that was going on for almost half a century.

Luke 15: 11-32


Dad will never say
Top Ten Things You'll Never Hear a Dad Say

10. Well, how 'bout that?... I'm lost! Looks like we'll have to stop and ask for directions.

9. You know Pumpkin, now that you're thirteen, you need these birth control pill, and have fun.

8. I noticed that all your friends have a certain "up yours" attitude ... I like that.

7. Here's a credit card and the keys to my new car -- GO CRAZY.

6. You kids don’t have enough piercing. Make sure you dress in grunge, pierce everything possible, and gage your ear enough for your finger to fit thru.

5. Your Mother and I are going away for the weekend ... you might want to consider throwing a party.

4. Well, I don't know what's wrong with your car. Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies -- you know -- that makes it run or something. Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay whatever he asks.

3. My teenage kids don’t need a curfew.

2. Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.

1. Father's Day? aahh -- don't worry about that -- it's no big deal.


Worst Fathers Day Gifts


Thong swim suit in pink
Divorce Papers
A Pink Slip - paper or silk - either is BAD news
The kids 'repaired' all your power tools
Louis Kiel swimsuit addition
A paternity test
Tickets to "The Martha Stuart Monologues"
DVD of Disco Dancing
A nipple ring
The kids redecorated your workshop
Abe Vagoda's Enema Jambouree
Martha Stuart Cook Book
Your single daughter is pregnant

A map- real men don’t need maps
Al Gores comedy selections
Pet rock
The clapper
Ebola Beer
New bed complete with white silk scarf and ice-pick holder
From wife: "Honey, I'm pregnant!"
A tie of ANY kind
A shopping spree planned by your wife
Extra Strength Viagra



How does your father stack up? I was on line the other day and googled my dad. One of the sights was for writing emails to your father who has since passed away. You can tell your father why you are mad at him. People tell their fathers how they are mad because he died. Some tell there fathers how mad they are because their fathers were never there for them. Some tell of their fathers abuse towards them. The sorrow is so great, that I could not make it through very many of the letters. The sadness that fathers day brings to some is enormous. I know that my wife has a lot of sorrow when remembering her father. There are fathers out there who don’t deserve to be honored. Some have abandoned their children, some have abused their children, and some are just not very nice.

There are fathers out there who go unnoticed. They are there day in and day out without being noticed. They fulfill their roles by giving their kids everything, but their time. They let their money show their love. There are those who can’t afford to let money show their love, so they give their love and attention. There are some who do both.

Fathers come in all sizes. Big ones, small one, hairy ones, bald ones, handsome ones, ugly ones, smelly ones, cologned ones. There are loud ones and soft ones, there are flamboyant ones, and shy ones. There are ones that pass gas in public, scratch their butts in public, laugh really loud, burp real loud. Some father might even try to embarrass you in public. There are fathers who try to be cool, when they are square. Some of us fathers are dumb, and some are smart. Some of us look like our fathers. ) Samuel Clements ( Mark Twain) once said, “When I was growing up, my father didn’t know anything, and by the time I became an adult, it surprised me how smart my father had become.” My children are quick to tell me how I just don’t understand. Life is soo different now I cannot comprehend anything.



How many fathers out there are single fathers? I lot of attention is placed on the single mom, but how about the single Dad. Since health problem forced me out of the work field, I’ve had to do most of the house chores. It is not easy. My hat is off to the single dad.



Then there is the case of recognition. When a sport figure has a camera placed in his face during a game, what is the first thing he says? Is it, Hi Dad? No, It’s Hi Mom.


Us fathers are proud when the first words that come out of a baby’s mouth is dada. Then doctors are quick to point out that babies call everything dada.



Then there is the first bike ride. There is the father running behind the bike, making sure his child does not fall. When your child is asked who taught them, they say,”I did it myself.”

Let’s talk about the TV dads. In my time, there were show like FATHER KNOWS BEST, MY THREE SONS, AND LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. The father was revered. When he came home the dinner was ready, made by his wife, cooking in a dress. The father was wise. Now you have father figures like, AL BUNDY, HOMER SIMPSON, AND THE FAMILY GUY. Movies portray fathers as unfaithful, pedifials, wife beaters, killers, and men who only care about themselves. If they like sports, they are demonized as lazy couch potatoes. If they help around the house they are called feminine.

If a women wear man clothes, like three piece suits, they are called “professional.” If men wear women clothes…………well lets not go there.

In this new age, it is tough being an all knowing father. Instead of fathers teaching there kids stuff, us fathers have to ask our kids to program our VCRs. I learned computer in college, and was looking forward eagerly to share punch cards, and computer language with my kids. I could bring them down and show them how they managed to squeeze a whole computer in one room. Now I have to ask them how to turn on the computer.

How about discipline from a father. Moms use to say, “wait till your father get home.” That used to install fear in any child. Now days the children response is, Why?. Spanking is illegal, shouting is wrong. When we fathers get home, what are we suppose to do? ……………………………………………….. Fathers have the final say, mom always say, go ask your father. That’s when you hear, Mom said it is alright if it is ok with you………………………………….. Try saying NO……………………………… Why is it that fathers have to explain their answers to their kids. If you answer yes, you are a great father, and if you answer no, you have to answer 100 questions, along with the obligatory, “You just don’t understand, but Mom said it was ok.” Let’s not forget that if you said ok, Mom was hoping you would say no, and now you are in deep…………………

The ten commandment state, Honor your father and your mother. I guess we need to put an asterisk next to it. Colossians 3:18-21. WIVES, SUBMIT TO YOUR HUSBANDS, AS IT IS FITTING IN THE LORD. HUSBANDS LOVE YOUR WIVES AND DO NOT BE HARSH TO THEM. CHILDREN OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN EVERYTHING, FOR THIS PLEASES THE LORD. FATHERS, DO NOT EMBITTER YOUR CHILDREN OR THEY WILL BECOME DISCOURAGED. Now according to Paul, we can’t “pick” on our children or they will become discouraged.

One of my children asked me, “since they have Mothers day and Fathers day, why don’t they have childrens day? What? 363 days of the year is not enough?

What’s this about “The Look”. Every father is suppose to have one. Moms don’t have the look, only fathers.

All kidding aside, I love being a father. The rewards may be few and far between, but they are the greatest rewards. The simple, Thanks Dad, youre the greatest, or I love you PAPA. Our when your child sticks up for you in an argument.





Let me tell you about my father. He was a father of six kids and worked very hard. I remember all the things that we did together

I loved sports. I spent hours throwing the ball against the garage door, because my dad didn’t like baseball. I spent hours shooting baskets by myself because my dad didn’t like basketball. The hours we could have spent hunting if my father liked to hunt, which he didn’t. We did spend some time fishing. For hours we sat in a rowboat in the middle of Green Lake waiting for the bobber to sink. Dad told me to keep quiet to as not to scare the fish. He did let me carry his clubs a few times on the golf course while he played with his friends. My mom taught me how to play golf. I was so proud when I played on sports teams, only to look in the stands and not see my dad. He was away working. When my mom had the time, she would be there.

I loved music. My dad was tone deaf, so he said. He did buy me a clarienet and we did have a piano in the house. He paid for the piano lessons. He got up with me at 6 oclock in the morning to make sure I practiced. He was there for some of my concerts, but I overheard him telling my mom that he would rather be somewhere else. Later in life ,when I had to go to these concerts, I understood.


My father was part of an era where fathers did not express their emotions. Getting a hug from my dad was very difficult. My fathers left the raising of the kids to my mom.

You know, I had the greatest Dad in the world when I was growing up. My Dad was there for me in many other ways. He supported the way my mom raised us. His job forced him to travel, but I always remember the candy bars he brought. My father bought me the things I needed, not just what I wanted. My father took the time to sit down and talk with me. When I got in trouble at school for fighting, my father stood up for me when he found out it was in self defense.

My father never raised his hand against his wife or his kids. My father never fooled around. My father didn’t have a foul tongue. When I would get hurt, guess who was there?

My father and I never saw eye to eye. Even though I was named after him, I felt that I was the least loved. In a family of Six kids, I was the “middle child. I was younger than three siblings by 2years, and older then my two youngest brothers by 5 years. Being named after your father was not easy. I felt that he had to go out of his way not to show favoritism. If my father said that something was blue, I would say it was red, just to be different. My father and I argued over the smallest of things. My Mom would say it was because we were so much alike, which would make me even madder. I would cringe when people would say that I looked and sounded just like my dad. I wanted to be different. Then my Mom would side with my dad, so I would be mad at her.

I got the hand me downs from my older brother, and my two younger brothers got new clothes. My curfew were stricter (in my mind) than anyone else’s. I got in trouble if I picked on my older sister or my younger brothers. As I grew older, my father and I drew farther apart, and my Mom stopped being the peace maker.

The summer after I turned 18, I moved out of the house. I enrolled in Grand Rapid Junior College and lived with my brother in an apartment. I had a job and went to school for two years. My brother went into the service, and I moved back home. I got a full time job and was saving my money up to go away to school.

One Saturday morning, I was sleeping in my room downstairs, my father was playing golf, I thought I heard my Mom laughing upstairs. As I slowly woke up, I realized that she was crying. I rushed upstairs to find he collapsed on the bathroom floor. She was unconscious, but breathing. I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. I called my sister, who was a nurse and on duty, to ask what to do. I had done everything you could do for a person who had fainted, and nothing was working. I called the golf course and was fortunate to get my father, who rushed home. My father and I attempted to move her to the car to take her to the hospital, but she was in to much pain and moving in and out of consciousness. We called the ambulance, which took her to the hospital. She remained in the hospital for 6 weeks, in a comma, with a brain aneurysm, until she passed away. During this time, my father and I became reacquainted. He shared with me things he had never shared before. I learned more about him in 6 weeks, then I had learned about him in 21 + years. When my father remarried, I was his best man.

I went back to college, to finish my degree, and ended up getting a job as a sales rep for a national paint company, just like my Dad. When I was tranfered to New York where I met my wife, my father was very proud. When my son was born, I called him Don, my father was proud again. I moved to Midland Michigan with another paint company, and again my father was proud. Then I excepted a job with the same company that my father worked for, and he was even more proud, even though we had to move to Indianapolis. He enjoyed visiting his grandchildren when he could. Soon after he retired, I was fired. He spent much time talking with me, and helping me thru the tough times. When job opened up in Muskegon, I took it. It was a chance to move home, I took it. I had chances to play golf and my kids could see their grandparents more often. My father had also become a father to my wife, who’s father was abusive and couldn’t care less.

My father and I don’t talk anymore. My father doesn’t even know who I am. He never calls me on the phone. When I visit him, he doesn’t even speak to me. As much as I try to talk with him, he ignores me. I tell him that I love him. And he does not answer. There are times when I wish my father would die, and yet I love him very much. My father left without saying goodbye. My father had Alzheimer disease. He would sits in a wheelchair, oblivious to his surroundings. He would still smiles, but his mind left a while ago. He might recognize his wife once in a while, but that is usually fleeting. He still could pray, and recognized hymns once in a while.

I was wrong when I said that my father and I don’t talk anymore. When I would sit with him and hold his hand, great memories came back. I know that somewhere behind that blank stare is my Dad. We conversed all the time, though no words are spoken. My memories are of a father who loved me very much, and I almost missed out on it. He doesn’t need to say one word to me, because he already has given me more then I deserve. It took a while for me to come around, but now I hear his voice wherever I go. My father is so intelligent, and I was too dumb to see it. My Dad never pushed me into anything, or threatened me if I did wrong. My fathers love to me is unconditional. It transcends disease, and death. His love is always, and will always be there. This is what I think of everyday, not just fathers day.

My heavenly fathers love to me is the same. It was established long ago, waiting for me to embrace it. It is waiting for you also, if you desire to except it. There are no strings attached, no group to join, and no one else to impress. This father has a fathers day once a week, but will accept your gifts any day. This father has given you more then you deserve. There is one string attached. You have to meet him halfway.

Yes, EVERYONE HAS A FATHER.

Thank you father, and by the way, HAPPY FATHERS DAY.

Timeline of Bible Translation History. I have put this togather incorportating my studies, Justins Comentary and I can best remember. Let me know if I missed anything.
1,400 BC: The first written Word of God: The Ten Commandments delivered to Moses.
500 BC: Completion of All Original Hebrew Manuscripts which make up The 39 Books of the Old Testament.
200 BC: Completion of the Septuagint Greek Manuscripts which contain The 39 Old Testament Books AND 14 Apocrypha Books.
1st Century AD: Completion of All Original Greek Manuscripts which make up The 27 Books of the New Testament.
315 AD: Athenasius, the Bishop of Alexandria, identifies the 27 books of the New Testament which are today recognized as the canon of scripture.
382 AD: Jerome's Latin Vulgate Manuscripts Produced which contain All 80 Books (39 Old Test. + 14 Apocrypha + 27 New Test).
500 AD: Scriptures have been Translated into Over 500 Languages.
600 AD: LATIN was the Only Language Allowed for Scripture.
995 AD: Anglo-Saxon (Early Roots of English Language) Translations of The New Testament Produced.
1384 AD: Wycliffe is the First Person to Produce a (Hand-Written) manuscript Copy of the Complete Bible; All 80 Books.
1455 AD: Gutenberg Invents the Printing Press; Books May Now be mass-Produced Instead of Individually Hand-Written. The First Book Ever Printed is Gutenberg's Bible in Latin.
1516 AD: Erasmus Produces a Greek/Latin Parallel New Testament.
1522 AD: Martin Luther's German New Testament.
1526 AD: William Tyndale's New Testament; The First New Testament printed in the English Language.
1535 AD: Myles Coverdale's Bible; The First Complete Bible printed in the English Language (80 Books: O.T. & N.T. & Apocrypha).
1537 AD: Tyndale-Matthews Bible; The Second Complete Bible printed in English. Done by John "Thomas Matthew" Rogers (80 Books).
1539 AD: The "Great Bible" Printed; The First English Language Bible Authorized for Public Use (80 Books).
1560 AD: The Geneva Bible Printed; The First English Language Bible to add Numbered Verses to Each Chapter (80 Books).
1568 AD: The Bishops Bible Printed; The Bible of which the King James was a Revision (80 Books).
1609 AD: The Douay Old Testament is added to the Rheims New Testament (of 1582) Making the First Complete English Catholic Bible; Translated from the Latin Vulgate (80 Books).
1611 AD: The King James Bible Printed; Originally with All 80 Books. The Apocrypha was Officially Removed in 1885 Leaving Only 66 Books.
1782 AD: Robert Aitken's Bible; The First English Language Bible (KJV) Printed in America.
1791 AD: Isaac Collins and Isaiah Thomas Respectively Produce the First Family Bible and First Illustrated Bible Printed in America. Both were King James Versions, with All 80 Books.
1808 AD: Jane Aitken's Bible (Daughter of Robert Aitken); The First Bible to be Printed by a Woman.
1833 AD: Noah Webster's Bible; After Producing his Famous Dictionary, Webster Printed his Own Revision of the King James Bible.
1841 AD: English Hexapla New Testament; an Early Textual Comparison showing the Greek and 6 Famous English Translations in Parallel Columns.
1846 AD: The Illuminated Bible; The Most Lavishly Illustrated Bible printed in America. A King James Version, with All 80 Books.
1885 AD: The "English Revised Version" Bible; The First Major English Revision of the KJV.
1901 AD: The "American Standard Version"; The First Major American Revision of the KJV.
1971 AD: The "New American Standard Bible" (NASB) is Published as a "Modern and Accurate Word for Word English Translation" of the Bible.
1973 AD: The "New International Version" (NIV) is Published as a "Modern and Accurate Phrase for Phrase English Translation" of the Bible.
1982 AD: The "New King James Version" (NKJV) is Published as a "Modern English Version Maintaining the Original Style of the King James."
2002 AD: The English Standard Version (ESV) is Published as a translation to bridge the gap between the accuracy of the NASB and the readability of the NIV.
Old Testament
The following are brief snap shots of the beginning and ending of the Old Testament and the reasons for the first two translations of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Aramaic and Greek
• 1875 B.C. Abraham was called by God to the land of Canaan.
• 1450 B.C. The exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt.
Autographs
There are no known autographs of any books of the Old Testament. Below is a list of the languages in which the Old Testament books were written.
• 1450-1400 B.C. The traditional date for Moses' writing of Genesis-Deuteronomy written in Hebrew.
• 586 B.C. Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews were taken into captivity to Babylon. They remained in Babylon under the Medo-Persian Empire and there began to speak Aramaic.
• 555-545 B.C. The Book of Daniel Chapters. 2:4 to 7:28 were written in Aramaic.
• 425 B.C. Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, was written in Hebrew.
• 400 B.C. Ezra Chapters. 4:8 to 6:18; and 7:12-26 were written in Aramaic.
Manuscripts
The following is a list of the oldest Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament that are still in existence.
• The Dead Sea Scrolls: date from 200 B.C. - 70 A.D. and contain the entire book of Isaiah and portions of every other Old Testament book but Esther.
• Geniza Fragments: portions the Old Testament in Hebrew and Aramaic, discovered in 1947 in an old synagogue in Cairo, Egypt, which date from about 400 A.D.
• Ben Asher Manuscripts: five or six generations of this family made copies of the Old Testament using the Masoretic Hebrew text, from 700-950 A.D. The following are examples of the Hebrew Masoretic text-type.
o Aleppo Codex: contains the complete Old Testament and is dated around 950 A.D. Unfortunately over one quarter of this Codex was destroyed in anti-Jewish riots in 1947.
o Codex Leningradensis: The complete Old Testament in Hebrew copied by the last member of the Ben Asher family in A.D. 1008.
Translations
The Old Testament was translated very early into Aramaic and Greek.
• 400 B.C. The Old Testament began to be translated into Aramaic. This translation is called the Aramaic Targums. This translation helped the Jewish people, who began to speak Aramaic from the time of their captivity in Babylon, to understand the Old Testament in the language that they commonly spoke. In the first century Palestine of Jesus' day, Aramaic was still the commonly spoken language. For example maranatha: "Our Lord has come," 1 Corinthians 16:22 is an example of an Aramaic word that is used in the New Testament.
• 250 B.C. The Old Testament was translated into Greek. This translation is known as the Septuagint. It is sometimes designated "LXX" (which is Roman numeral for "70") because it was believed that 70 to 72 translators worked to translate the Hebrew Old Testament in Greek. The Septuagint was often used by New Testament writers when they quoted from the Old Testament. The LXX was translation of the Old Testament that was used by the early Church.

1. The following is a list of the oldest Greek LXX translations of the Old Testament that are still in existence.
o Chester Beatty Papyri: Contains nine Old Testament Books in the Greek Septuagint and dates between 100-400 A.D.
o Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus each contain almost the entire Old Testament of the Greek Septuagint and they both date around 350 A.D.
The New Testament
Autographs
45- 95 A.D. The New Testament was written in Greek. The Pauline Epistles, the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, and the book of Acts are all dated from 45-63 A.D. The Gospel of John and the Revelation may have been written as late as 95 A.D.
Manuscripts
There are over 5,600 early Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament that are still in existence. The oldest manuscripts were written on papyrus and the later manuscripts were written on leather called parchment.
• 125 A.D. The New Testament manuscript which dates most closely to the original autograph was copied around 125 A.D, within 35 years of the original. It is designated "p 52" and contains a small portion of John 18. (The "p" stands for papyrus.)
• 200 A.D. Bodmer p 66 a papyrus manuscript which contains a large part of the Gospel of John.
• 200 A.D. Chester Beatty Biblical papyrus p 46 contains the Pauline Epistles and Hebrews.
• 225 A.D. Bodmer Papyrus p 75 contains the Gospels of Luke and John.
• 250-300 A.D. Chester Beatty Biblical papyrus p 45 contains portions of the four Gospels and Acts.
• 350 A.D. Codex Sinaiticus contains the entire New Testament and almost the entire Old Testament in Greek. It was discovered by a German scholar Tisendorf in 1856 at an Orthodox monastery at Mt. Sinai.
• 350 A.D. Codex Vaticanus: {B} is an almost complete New Testament. It was cataloged as being in the Vatican Library since 1475.
Translations
Early translations of the New Testament can give important insight into the underlying Greek manuscripts from which they were translated from.
• 180 A.D. Early translations of the New Testament from Greek into Latin, Syriac, and Coptic versions began about 180 A.D.
• 195 A.D. The name of the first translation of the Old and New Testaments into Latin was termed Old Latin, both Testaments having been translated from the Greek. Parts of the Old Latin were found in quotes by the church father Tertullian, who lived around 160-220 A.D. in north Africa and wrote treatises on theology.
• 300 A.D. The Old Syriac was a translation of the New Testament from the Greek into Syriac.
• 300 A.D. The Coptic Versions: Coptic was spoken in four dialects in Egypt. The Bible was translated into each of these four dialects.
• 380 A.D. The Latin Vulgate was translated by St. Jerome. He translated into Latin the Old Testament from the Hebrew and the New Testament from Greek. The Latin Vulgate became the Bible of the Western Church until the Protestant Reformation in the 1500's. It continues to be the authoritative translation of the Roman Catholic Church to this day. The Protestant Reformation saw an increase in translations of the Bible into the common languages of the people.
• Other early translations of the Bible were in Armenian, Georgian, and Ethiopic, Slavic, and Gothic.
• 1380 A.D. The first English translation of the Bible was by John Wycliffe. He translated the Bible into English from the Latin Vulgate. This was a translation from a translation and not a translation from the original Hebrew and Greek. Wycliffe was forced to translate from the Latin Vulgate because he did not know Hebrew or Greek.
In the 1380s, John Wycliffe translated the first English Bible which inspired an English religious revolution which caused persecutions against him by the Catholic Church.
In the early 1500's the German heretic, Martin Luther, almost single handedly caused the final split from the Roman Catholic church and created the beginnings of the Protestant revolution. This split still influences violence to this day. He translated the Bible into German which further spread Protestantism. Luther also helped spread anti-Semitism with his preaching and books such as his "The Jews and their lies," all supported through >his interpretation of the Bible. One should not forget that Hitler (when a Christian and great admirer of Luther) and his holocaust could not have occurred without his influence and the support of Bible believing German Christians. This should no way be confused as the reason for the Holocaust or Nazi belief.
In the 1530s William Tyndale completed his version of the English Protestant Bible (probably with the aid of Luther) and the first to print the English Bible. He too felt the persecution of the Church and he spent his last days in imprisonment and exile. His enemies finally caught him and burned him at the stake, but because of his celebrity, they strangled him first (what nice guys!).
After Luther's German Bible, others followed suit by translating the Bible into their native languages including Dutch and French. Not until 1611 C.E. did a committee of translators and interpreters complete the most popular Bible of all time, the King James Version.
Today we still have dozens of Bible translation versions, with Bible scholars still arguing over the meaning and proper translations of words and phrases. The following shows just a few of the most popular versions:
King James Version (KJV)
The New King James Version (NKJV)
Modern King James Version [Green's Translation] (MKJV)
Literal Translation Version [Green] (LITV)
International Standard Version (ISV)
The New International Version (NIV)
English Standard Version (ESV)
New English Bible (NEB)
American Standard Version (ASV)
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Today's English Version (TEV)
The Living Bible (LB)
New Century Version (NC)
New Life Version (NLV)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
Revised Young's Literal Translation (RYLT)
John Darby's New Translation
Weymouth New Testament Translation
Rotherham's

Bible Basics - Versions / Translations
All pages and information copyright 1996 Net Ministries, Inc.

Early Christians following the example of Jesus and the apostles, accepted the Old Testament writings as inspired and authoritative scripture. They used the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament. Latin translations of this became available late in the second century. Other works such as the 'Wisdom of Solomon', and 'Ecclesiasticus' were also used at times. Later, Christian congregations began to appreciate the writings of Paul, and the other apostles. The first complete 'gospels' or life of Jesus didn't appear until around 60 A.D., but collections of sermons and writings were partly available some time before this. After the 'canonization' of the Bible as we know it (see the Old Testament and New Testament sections for more information) were formed, the Bible had taken shape. There are no original manuscripts of any of the books of the Bible in existance today. Many of the handwritten texts in Greek however are available from these early times. The earliest complete manuscript of the New Testament, is the Codex Sinaiticus which dates from about the fourth century. Less complete manuscripts date as far back as the late second century or about 130 A.D.. There are more copies of scripture and manuscripts available from the earliest times for the Bible than any other ancient writings. From the many numerous manuscripts available, scholars try to achieve the most complete and accurate wording of the books of the Bible into modern languages. The earliest translations of the New Testament were the Syriac, Latin, and Coptic versions. These translations were not as good as some more modern translations since the translators did not appear to have a good command of the original languages, such as Greek.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Bible was known almost exclusively in Latin known as the Vulgate. The Jews were the first to print the Old Testament in Hebrew (the original language) in 1488. About 1514, the Greek text of the New Testament was printed, although it was not widely released. The first widely released Greek New Testament was printed by Froben with the text work completed by Erasmus about 1516. This became known as Erasmus' New Testament and underwent many improvements and editions. Meanwhile, the Latin version known as the Vulgate continued and was confirmed by the Council on Trent in 1546, although it continued to have revisions and improvements to accuracy.
With the invention of printing, the circulation of the Bible expanded rapidly. With the Reformation, the wish to have the Bible available in people's own language became stronger. One such early work was the 'Luther Bible' written in German. The 'Reformers' did not accept the Apocrypha as scripture and did not include it in their versions of the Bible. The first French Bible appeared about 1523 and at first only contained the New Testament, but was followed a few years later by the Old Testament.
The pioneer of the English Bible is William Tyndale who published the New Testament in 1525. Complete Bibles appeared as early as 1535 such as Miles Coverdale's edition. Thomas Cromwell had the Matthew Bible another English version of the time revised by Coverdale to become the Great Bible in 1539. It is interesting to note that about 90 percent of Tyndale's original translation made it into the King James Version that we know today. King James had sponsored a new translation of the Bible at request of the Puritans in 1604. It appeared in 1611, but apparently drew heavily on previous translations.
Today there are many translations, each claiming a special merit to accuracy to the original Greek, or wording to make it more understandable to an intended audience. Frequently it is necessary to look at multiple translations and versions of particular passages to establish the true meaning. Most all the modern translations publishers have sites on Internet which may be explored. A great site to compare passages is the WWW Bible Gateway. This is why you can't wrap christianity into one neat package. The bottom line is faith, pure and simple, and not as complicated.

Atheism by it own admission has said there is a God. Why would so much energy be put into something that doesn't exist. It is not up the Christians to prove God as atheism has already confirmed that. It is now in the lap of atheist to defend their weak statement that there is not a God when of course they claim there is and they are going to prove there is not a God. I am really confused. Before there were atheists God created the heavens and the earth. They can't duplicate that feat. They have to do that to disprove God not vice versa. this is why there is nothing new being shown, nothing put slight of hand, confusion and misuse of information. The bottom line is that atheism can't prove there is not a God without admitting there is a God. They try to change history, identify what they are looking for(God), but are so inept to duplicate or come close to what God has done. Atheist say "show me" I challenge you. The specimen is there, look around. analyse, dissect and then try to replicate earth. I am looking forward to see this. Can you make it orbit the sun like God made the earth to do. The ball is in your court, don't tell me, show me. To me it is like a man who claims to invent a time machine. He has the diagram, the energy sourse, and precise instruction on how to assemble. Scientifically it should work because it worked in theory and is based on pure scientific fact. We all know he has all the facts about time, it's makeup and has carbon dated other objects to know exactly where in time he is going. It still doesn't work. Time travel doesn't work, it's impossible. We don't have the mental ability to time travel, but we have the ability to disect God? Athiest, baby steps first.

I"ll share something on a lighter side

>> Posting from this morning.....just for fun...we all need some.......
>
>
> Ponderisms
> 1· I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.
> 2· There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.
> 3· Life is sexually transmitted.
> 4· Healthy is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
> 5· The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
> 6· Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
> 7· Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?
> 8· Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
> 9· All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
> 10· In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
> 11· How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
> 12· Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze these dangly things and drink whatever comes out?'
> 13· If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?
> 14· Why does your OB-GYN leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?
> 15· If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
> 16· If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
> 17· Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
> 18· Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?
> 19· Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
>
> --
> Live lively - love long - laugh lots...

http://www.therthdimension.org/AncientRome/Calendar/body_calendar.html#RomanYear. This shows the falsness of the argument about time discrepansies. Sorry, but you are arguing from an imperfect base of information. So we go back to history. I am stopping this now. I have proved my point, history has proved my point, and still they don't want to see. I put down baby steps at the top to you to read. You have to have a constant to build your theories on. Basic science. Wikipedia doesn't count as well as former blogs etc...... I'm taking time off to help other people who want to be helped.

I seem to have lost 1/2 of the previous post. I will repost later. Sorry

You have to love the dogged determination, anger, and repetitive use of outdated rhetoric.
Since I try to help all people ,let review the evidence or rational of this discussion. Please stop me if I use big words.Let me also admit that I lied about not writing anything else about this topic. Sorry.
First, facts and history are on the side of Christianity when attacked by science misused by some atheist. First of all, the biggest rule is that there is no historical facts that atheist can use so they try to destroy or change what they can't understand. They try to spin it.
Second is their claim that science has all the "knowledge" and claims to refute the bible. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Has science duplicated this. The answer is no. You can go though everyday of creation and science can only duplicate one day. The seventh day God rested. These facts are solid.
Third is that they want God to take a blood test or "show his ID" You want to scientifically understand God when you can't even come close to doing what he has done. They want to understand the creator of the universe by a slide rule or a petrie dish. That is like trying to get to the moon in little red wagon. They still stand back and shake their fist at God and try to disclaim him. Man, who doesn't even use 1/2 of their brain is trying to match up to infinite knowledge. I do believe that some of our greatest human brain are in the field of science, but compared to the knowledge of God it is very small. Its like the puff fish that tries to make itself look bigger then it is to scare off those who would attack him.
Fourth is the child like temper tantrum and name calling when someone won't except their point of view and claims that everyone is an idiot if you don't buy into their outdated rhetoric. When all else fails, scream yell, and call names.
Now that I have put this to rest point, set and match lets understand something. We Christians also don't have all the answers. God did not give us a bigger brain or made us better in any way. We are all part of the human race with everything that come along with it. The biggest difference is the atheist inability to realise that not all thing can be understood. If they cant see it, explain it, or break it down in a petrie dish, it must be false. We christian call it faith, believing without seeing. As atheism stumbles for an identity in this world, so do we as christian. We divide our selves into denomination, religions, and some claim that they are the only one. We try to convert the world when in most cases we don't have control of our own lives. You don't need to try to tear someone down to build yourself up. You don't need to convert the world when you can't talk to your neighbor. Atheism and Christianity will never agree until the final proof, There is a heaven or we all are worm food when we die.
I wish the world was black and white, I wish that all christian could come together in peace and harmony, I wish for peace an harmony among all people. As for Atheist and Christians alike, I hope you solve your identity crisis.
I am some what upset that I was pulled into a dialogue that melts down to"I'm right and you are wrong". If I come across with the image that I know everything, that would be a wrong, and I hope I didn't. I don't hate atheist and I have to refrain from name calling when they refuse to see the light. I am sharing my faith and beliefs for all to see. Share your own beliefs.



Fourth point are the "cry baby" atheist that stamp their feet and claim that no one acknowledges them. I just read an article on Jack Adams face book that claim the atheist are never polled. To these atheist, you claim not to be a religion, a party and no political agenda. You have no by rule and are not a branch of science. There is no count to how many atheist there are out there. I have no doubt that there are many atheist, some more fringe then others. In short, A non religion, that wants to be counted as a religion to be counted, and then disappear into the dust. As far as religions go, they are a religion with the good and bad that come from that. Welcome to the real world.

Rewriting history part II

The Bp oil spill. BP is attempting to rewrite recent history. Their scientist are now saying that the spell is not as bad. It's only in one portion of the world and confined to the gulf. They are there to help the small people. Once again we should submit to people wanting a second chance at history. I don't think so.

Al Gore and the democratic party tried to rewrite history in Florida during the election. Once the truth came out, he was smart enough to back off.

The Republican party once said it was the party of God. When scandal broke out in their ranks, they tried to change history by say that other people had called them this. They tried to change history.

History is history. Get it right the first time and you will still have someone trying to rewrite history. This has gone on since the beginning of time and I'm really getting tired of people trying to change it.

Politics don't call it changing history. They put a different slant to it.

Hillary Clinton tried to change history by calling it a vast right wing conspiracy. She couldn't change what Bill did, it was as they say, HISTORY

I could go on and on with these facts but what's the use. Some people will never see the light If history is not what you want, try to change it. It seems to be the intelligent way.

By the way, there are quite a few countries in the African Continent that want to change their history. Let all gather together to help them. I'm sure there is a way that we can spin these violation of human rights

I have a new name for our history books. HISTORY, THE SPUN ADDITION

Rewriting History.
After many on line chat with Justin he has made it very clear. The bible is the only historical document of the times, ie the dead sea scrolls. People through out the ages have tried to rewrite history because it doesn't fit for them. There is nothing historical to refute, so the next thing is to discredit historians. Nazi have been trying to do that. They don't like the fact that came out looking bad, so they claim it didn't happen. They will try to present scientific evidence that it didn't happen. They want to discredit history. Man landed on the moon, but a group of people want to say it all happened in a sound stage. They can't believe eyewitness and would rather discredit history. HISTORY, if you don't like it , change it. This is my last entry on this subject. There is nothing new here, History has spoken.

The person that I was talking about in my previous blog has the entire conversation on his blog site, please visit it to read it all. I would have put it all on but I am not that competent on a computer (old school). To have a fair discussion you have to have ground rules. Be civil, be competent in your sources (Wikipedia and your own publishing are not allowed) These would and are not allowed in most educational settings as well as Universities. For personal reference I can only be competent in the protestant faith, so generalities won't work.( I can't explain why some people kill in the name of God, nor can I explain Madalyn Murry Ohair and her death) As I said in our discussion, we both live in the same town and I would enjoy talking in person. Anyone else that wants to chime in, please do. I ask that you speak for yourself as I want this to be a learning experience for everyone, not a war. If you want to quote the bible, please state what version and what language you are interpreting from. At the time I have posted this entry there were 5 responses from my previous article.

As I afor mentioned, when a Athiest can't win on open and honest discussion, here is what his responce This is a direct quote

God is IMAGINARY you dolt. And you yourself admitted that you have NO evidence to the contrary, and I've explained to your thick skulled self numerous times now that the burden of proof is on YOU to demonstrate otherwise, and that arguing that your God is real because we CAN'T disprove it is an invalid argument... the argument from ignorance (or negative proof), and is no more valid than me claiming that the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the REAL God of the universe and your God is his bitch. Of course you can't prove that isn't true... and you don't have to because fantastic claims WITHOUT EVIDENCE can be DISMISSED WITHOUT EVIDENCE.

And more importantly my provincial friend, WE DO HAVE A TON OF EVIDENCE THAT SHOWS THAT YOUR BIBLE IS BULLSHIT. THAT YOUR RELIGION IS A FALLACIOUS HOUSE OF CARDS AND THAT YOUR FAITH IS FUNDAMENTALLY INHERENTLY ILLOGICAL, IRRATIONAL, UNREASONABLE AND OUTRIGHT HOSTILE TO FACTS, EVIDENCE, AND THE VERY THING THAT SETS HUMANITY APART FROM THE REST OF THE ANIMALS... REASON.

You are an embarrassment to the human race.

(There's a limit to my patience when dealing with deluded fools. I have presented more than enough evidence in this discussion to prove how WRONG you and your son are. That you cannot wrap your bumpkin head around that is your loss. I have invested enough energy in this discussion and am more than comfortable with leaving the evidence as it stands for those less lost to reality.)

I bid you good day.

What a 24 hours. As I mentioned before, I was on facebook having what I thought was a civilized discussion with an atheist. What I didn't realize is that the wall belonged to another atheist. Ok, no problems, I have had many such discussion. My son Donald in Japan joined in. Having studied cults and religion I remembered the standard way cults use to win you to their side. This system has been used for many years and was abandoned by because it doesn't work. I could not believe that they were still using this. In short, the system start out with empathy, then the person telling how well versed he or she is in the bible. The next step is a switch to science to start a base of discussion. The next step is to merge all other religions and compare it to science. The next crucial step is to take the bible, and compare it to science. The trick is to stay clear of narrowing down to one denomination or faith, keep it general. One example is how could christian defend the crusades etc... The next move is to cut down the bible into an English interpretation, avoiding all translation and language barriers in translating. Keep piling on useless fact and then tell the person that only he knows the correct translation. The book that Christians most Revere, the book that they most hate, they are going to interpret it for you since you are not smart enough. If this is not working, they will resort to carpet bombing. They want to pour on so much information to make you feel little. If this doesn't work, which is very rare, they will insult you and move on. They will always talk in generalities and never specifics. The last phase that usually works is go apologize for the outburst and try to get the person to hear what they want you to hear. This is the Dale Carnage approach. They will try to point out how you really agree with them. They will say how smart you really are as if to say that ordinary people don't understand, only the highly educated like themselves. What astounded me the most is that Jehovah's Witness stopped using this process over 20 years ago. Most atheist stay clear of the bible, and try to interject politic to get converts. This system was used by a person who was educating your children. Politicians love to use this system by telling people they can only be heard by agreeing with the party, not the person. They will do the thinking for you. I guess it just goes to show you that there is nothing new under the sun. People are creatures of habit and will always fall into old ruts. When someone tries to think for you, run, they are trying to sell you something that most people won't buy on it's own value.

On my facebook I am involved in a discussion with a athiest. This person claims that science has all the answer as any athiest would. Unfortunately science is so flawed, and relegion or the bible is too misinterpreted to have a meaningful discussion. He wants to lump all relegions into one neat package to attack with scientific assumptions and theories. I can have 100 different scientist to discuss one aspect or one topic and have 100 different answers with facts to back them up. How many scientist get published because they used their evidence to prove or disprove another scientist theory. The one big question is, "Did God give scientist the knowledge to disprove Gods existence"?

I am speechless...... People want the government to step in financially to heal the ills caused by BP's oil spill. Even people on the far right are calling for the president to step in. OMG. These are the same people that don't want to pay for a national health care because it will put us in debt. LMO.

TEA PARTY. A non movement that is gaining strength by bogus counts on newscast. If they had a million man march, 2 million would be counted. Keep those camera angle close. The truth is less than 1% show up to the rallies.

Sara Palin knows the truth because she can see Russia from her house.

Quote.... People are against windmills in Lake Michigan because they fear what happened in the Gulf will happen here, ?????????????????????????????? These same people will move next to train track, and complain about the noise a windmill will make. They will then want the train to move.

I must be losing my mind. This is suppose to be the age of intelligence. The great computer age is here and all out worries have disappeared. Machine was suppose to do all the work, and man sits back and enjoys life. We are the the baby boomers. We changed everything with peace love and harmony. I should be sitting back, drinking a twenty-five cent coke and singing " I'd like to teach the world to sing". We solved the oil pollution with the Exxon Valdez spill. Never again would that happen. Our parents learned their lessons in the depression and never again would that happen. Corrupt politicians were thrown out of office(Nixon), and never again would that happen. The carpetbaggers were outlawed and never again would people be conned out of their money. We learned our lesson in Vietnam and would never let that happen again. We learned not to trust in gasoline availability during the the Carter administration. We tore down the Berlin wall during the Reagan administration bringing about world peace. We learned that when a person goes bankrupt in everything he does, you don't elect him President because his dad use to be president. Just because we heard it on the radio or TV doesn't mean it is true. I guess that computers got smarter and people got dummer.

I just realized that it was fifty years ago that I had my first piano recital. Since then I have played in all states east of the Mississippi except 2, and a few states west of the Mississippi. I have played in more denomination than I can count, and a few more bars on the weekend. I have played for Weddings and funerals, baptism, confirmations, and last requests for dying people. I have played organs, all kind of pianos, mogue synthesizer and many electric keyboards. The only organ I haven't played is a Wurlitzer. This is the one with all the drums etc...
I'm writing about this for a good reason. My grandfather, whom I got the music gene from, never told me anything about the piano. He never taught me to play, never told stories of his playing history, nothing at all. I have heard second hand stories, but that was it. He died when I was very young. My father and mother did not have musical ability. My mother felt that if I were young enough to go to school, I could start learning to play the piano. My oldest sisters, and older brother were also taking lesson at this time. My oldest sister and I would would continue with lessons. Every morning,starting at 6am, you could hear my sister and I practicing the piano. I still have my first piano, waiting in the garage to be refinished. For the next 10 years I would take lesson, and once a year participate in a piano recital. The early years were mainly a lot of practice and occasional performance. With all that practice you would think I would have been better. Piano was the starting point for instrumental and vocal training and performing.

I'd like to bash on our medical system once again. For those who work in our medical system this is not aimed at you. The doctors, nurses,aids, and those who work hard in our system are in most cases under appreciated and under paid. These professionals should be paid for what they do, and paid well. It's the system that is broke, not the people. Most hospitals have systems in place to help those who are poor and can't afford medical care. Many doctors contribute to organizations that will help people out. These people are not the problem. There are even some doctor who work their practice like a production line, and as long as they do their job well, they can get a rich as they want. When that doctors level of care diminishes because he is too busy for his patients, then I have a problem. Insurance companies are not the major problem, but do contribute in a major way. I do not bash on them for wanting to make money and a profit for their shareholders. In most cases they are following the law and guidelines set for them. There are those who abuse the system, and they should be held responsible. Then there is our political system where most of our problems are. Our congressman and senators were originally part time, true public servants. Now they are full time, and receiving money from so many resources that money, not intellect runs government. Bridges to nowhere, million dollar toilet seats, and government backed studies in to watching mold grow are the problems. Doctor afraid of being sued for "whatever", when a medical board could determine if there is a problem. Doctors then run tests to make sure they are not going to get sued. Insurance companies paying more in doctor and legal expenses, and on and on...........
In our case, we have had major medical problems and now have insurance, but what insurance doesn't cover is astronomical. It will take a long time to catch up since due to these medical problems my wife and I cannot work. When I look at the bill from her last surgery, the waste is unbelievable. Maybe it is not waste, but I see doctor billing multiple times, and some doctors I don't remember even seeing. If I were to pay cash instead of insurance, my cost would be 50% lower, and discounts to insurance providers make those who have no insurance cost much higher. It's called, "The system", and the system is broke. We need to keep it simple. The procedure done in Maine should be the same price as that procedure done in Michigan. The Cost of tongue depressors are the same, etc....... Companies have the right to make a profit, not to gouge or cheat.

I fixed the lawnmower. To some that might not be a big deal, but to me it is in the miracle department. I was able to get the grass cut before the rain.
One of our local police departments are being investigated by the State Police for a poorly managed evidence room. There is supposedly missing money, drugs etc.... Police being investigated by Police sounds troubling to me. That is like big business writing it's own rules.
Scientist for BP gas are saying that only 3% of the worlds oil pollution is from disasters like those in the Gulf. What they don't say is that 100% of the area is polluted and that is what the locals are concerned about. No matter how much you fine the oil companies, they will just recoup with higher prices to the people they damage. Since there is a cap on how much the companies can be fined, our government will be picking up the tab, as well as lost businesses, lost because of this spill.Once again big business will win and the people will lose.

Monday morning and the lawn mower breaks. Ahhhhhhhh Mondays............What next?

Liz is home. She had her spinal fusion surgery on Monday, and came home yesterday. For the next 6 weeks she won't be able to do much but take short walks, rest, and walk again. I will be her gofer and nurse as well as chief brush and bottle washer. Day 2 and all is well.

What a year so far. On Monday, Liz goes in for spinal surgery. Her spinal cord is being pinched by the disc, moved in 4 different locations. Her walking is very painful and getting worse. There are times when her legs will just give out, or she will be in such pain that even small walking is tough. Sunday, following the worship service, we will have a prayer circle for Liz at Westwood Reformed Church. This will be at approx. 11:30 am. I am requesting prayers for her at that time, even if you can't be there. We are praying for her physically and mentally and that God will guide the surgeons hand, and comfort Liz's mind. The surgery will be Monday morning @ 7:30 am and should be between 2 1/2 and 3 hours long. I am praying 24/7 as God and I walk thru life together.
These last couple of years have been very tough for us, but God never gives us more then we can handle. Liz and I have been unable to work due to my heart disease and lizs many medical and other problems. Many people have said that we are living off the government with disability insurance and are a drain on the economy. My prayer is that God will never put you in this situation, but may open your eyes to the problems that many have to deal with. I am thankful we have SSI as without it, I would most likely not be here. I have been paying into SSI since I was 13, and did not believe I would ever need it. Now I am thankful it is there as it enables us to get by with what we need and not what we want. We have tried to open our house to troubled teens and has been blessed with seeing other life stories that make ours so small. Our Children are on there own and we are very proud of them. Liz and I became grandparents for the first time and we thank God for Vincente. God has truly blessed us as our path has been different but has been in his hands all the way. We are not worthy of Gods love, but he gives it. The gifts that God has given us far out number the problems, and the problems just give us more time in prayer with God.
Prayer is so important and so needed. God is great.

Just when you think you have heard it all, more crap appears. The far right wants less government interference and that I can understand. It seems like today you need a form 20sht to use the bathroom. The president has now suggested privatizing the space program, in other words getting the government out of the commercial space business. The right wing and big business is apposed to this claiming that they need the government to put their satellites into orbit. I'm so confused.

Change, you gotta love it. First people want it, then they realize that things won't be the same, and then they fear it, then they fight against it. Our need for health care is a big change. Many people fear it for the sake of wanting something to be afraid of. You would think that we were giving every person a brand new house and car for free and saying that this mystical beast that we call "government" will pay for it. Lets get some facts down before this becomes a sci-fi movie of the week.
1- We need a better healthcare system then we have now. The one we have now is broken. We can replace it or fix it. Neither side of the asle want to work togather and want to blame each other.
2- We don't have the money to pay for it. The Republicans left us with a huge deficit and that you can't deny. Maybe we should wait until there is no deficit before spending another dime. Maybe a few more non tax paying people will die off while we wait.
3- Let let the current system run it's course. Prescription, insurance and other medical related companys can write their own rules, make as much profit as they like, and then when they have reach the top of the mountain they can withdraw their money, put millions out of work, and leave people dying without healthcare because they lost heir jobs. Wait, didn't this just happen?
4- Let's throw the baby out with the bath water. Let's change everything.
Our system is not set up to handle something like this. Basic changes need to happen first. Get rid of the income tax and replace it with a stright tax on everything. The more you spend, the more you are taxed. No tax exemptions for anyone. Then offer affordable health care to everyone. It's so easy, even a caveman can do it. More to come.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/muskegon/index.ssf/2010/03/the_partys_at_alley_door_for_p.html



Check it out, it's my nephew.

What a beautiful Monday Morning. The sun is shinning, The Spartans won (basketball) and health reformed finally passed. Now that the debate is over and the president will sign it, we can now get to the truths of this package. Many have said that they don't want the government running health care. First of all, we are the government. Remember that line"we the people". Instead of corporate greed running the system, the people who We elect will oversee the system. If we lived in China, then I would worry about a government run health care system. Folk, we are number 19 in the world in health Care for our people. 19th doesn't even get you on the medal stand in the Olympics. When you are at work, and your work was rated 19th, you would be looking for a new job. Seniority does not protect a person who is 19th at their job. We now have a president who will stand and take the chance to improve something that is so broken. Special interest can move on to something else, but the job of life and health is now in the peoples hands. This may not be the perfect fix, and yes, I don't believe it is, but we are now moving in the right direction. The democratic process is working. More to come.

Check out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U4Ha9HQvMo&feature=topvideos



I don't need to add anything to this.

What is customer service
1- An automated computer system that works you around in circles. For this press 1, for that press 2
2- A computer system that tries to understand the english language. "I'm sorry,I did not understand the last word you said, please press 5 and try again".
3- A live person, that happens to be in India. The person learned the english language last week and is trying it out on you.
4- An answering system that tells you that due to a large volume of calls, they cannot answer your call, and then hangs up.
5- An email system that give automated responces like a copy of the web page that you just read.
6- At last, a human being that speaks clear english language. Unfortunantely it is their first day, and they have to transfer you to one of the above choices. Before they pass you on they exclaim, have a nice day. As you are swearing at the person not to transfer you, you hear the sound of a dial tone.

In the Muskegon Chronicle there was a letter to the editor from a person who was complaining that an organist was playing too loud. Days later another person responded by saying that this was not the venue for objecting to this. Church organist/pianist are a dying breed. Many churches have gone to electronic music, or just guitars. People don't realize that given time, you may not hear that organ at all. Some day when the power goes out, someone will look at that keyboard and ask,"Does anyone know how to play this thing?" To that organist, "play louder, they still can't hear you."

Why do church people like to fight. Is it the thought that"I'm right and you are wrong"? Through out history, churches have fought with others and themselves. You would think that history has shown that there are no winners, only losers.
Remember the song,"my dogs better then your dog"? Some have rewritten it to say, "My God's better then your God".

Monday morning starting over. Liz and I just got back from our 30 min walk. We were going to go to the Y, but then realized it was MLK Jr. birthday, and all the kids are out of school. That means that the Y would be real busy.
I didn't go to church yesterday. I still have mixed emotions about where to go and why I am going. Socially it is nice to see people, but then does that make it a social club?
My hand look terrible. I went into the ER on Saturday, and they said I have a ganglion cyst. It look and sounds alot worse then it is.
I just can't believe the Haite situation. I heard that The Rev. Pat Robertson said the reason the quake struck there was because they had sinned and God let the devil do his stuff. Pat need a reality check and his medications increased.

I know that I haven't blog lately. Alot has been going on.
I am now completely retired. I quit the part time janitorial job. When you work for the church you are attending it is very hard. The job had fit my condition very well, but along came someone else who wanted the job, and the demands on me were tripled, so much to the point it was effecting my heart and my soul. Obviously this takes a chunk out of our income, so we had to make cutbacks.
Liz and I are starting the YMCA to try to get in better shape. With both of us with health limitations, I think we will start up slowly.
We visited Unity church last week, as we explore the possibility and changing churches. We were warmly greeted, but their piano player is very different. I will try to stay updated to all those thousands of people that read this blog.

wow, I'm enjoying a moment of quiet and solitude. Ok, thats enough, got a lot of things to do. Have to finish up the laundryroom with Cat. She has worked her butt off on the laundryroom and bath. I hope to have it done before Christmas, but stuff keeps popping up. This week two dear friends our ours passed away, one here in Muskegon, and one in Florida. They were both in their 80"s a God had blessed them with a wonderful and spirit filled life. With a funeral on Tuesday and Christmas Eve service, as janitors, we will have a full week on setups, cleanings, and teardowns. (Don & Liz)

Four weddings in 2 years. How should I feel. Happy, sad, wait ...I know...poor. I now have the females in the family married off. Girls are the most expensive. We had 40 rsvp's returned and 175 people showed up. Fortunately I decided to plan for 150 as this was my best guess. We still fed everyone and had no leftovers to try to get rid of. We finished cleaning up the church around midnight after starting the day at 7am. That was a long day. Louie used his truck as a lemo for the bride a groom. They thought it was BA. Monday we took Don Jr. back to Ohare for his plane ride back to Japan. He had come up to surprise his little sister, and that he did. She was so surprised that I was glad she didn't miscarry. Now everything is getting back to it's chaotic state, never back to normal, and we can know prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thank God for Prozac.

Here we go again. Today, my youngest daughter is getting married. This will be the fourth wedding in two years. Donald came home from Japan and surprised his little sister last night. Before the wedding , we still have to finish setting up the reception, putting together food, setting tables, and all the other stuff that goes with a wedding. This promises to be a busy weekend as we will end the weekend by driving Donald back to Chicago for his flight back to Japan on Monday.

Michigan wind power and alternative energy. Our great state government decided that it is time to look into alternative energy to help Michigan grow. Alternative energy would create new jobs, and help out the state. They put togather plans for a great big windmill, that combined with others would create cheaper energy. The construction of said windmills would create new jobs. Wind energy to the rescue..... opps... they gave the construction bid to Canada. The only wind I see is from Lansing. Last person out, please turn off the lights.

I love stupid people. I especially like people who are suppose to be smart but are really dumber than dirt. I know for a fact that I am not the smartest bulb in the pack, but at least I have some common sense and am able to use my brain for more then counter weight to keep my head strait. For years I use to listen to Rush Limbaugh's radio show. Although I did not agree with him on all topics, I did respect his knowledge,until now. I know that his show is all about ratings and making it interesting for people to listen. Love him or hate him, he just wants you to listen. He's a clown, a show man, an antagonist..... he what you want and what you hate. Why do people care what Rush has to say. His show is alot like professional wrestling, fake but with great athletes. Rush tries to be all things to all people. Either you love him and listen, or hate him, and listen. What people understand is that it is entertainment, nothing else. Once gain we give an actor credit for the role he is playing. I don't go to DR. Gregory House for medical advice so why should I go to this actor for political advice. The dumb people are the ones that faithfully follow him like a person follows a soap opera. Soap operas' professional wrestling, and Rush Limbaugh are not real. Why does the media give him so much attention? Ratings.

Wednesday morning and you can tell tht fall is in the air. Now the weather has me thin kin that I need to put the storms up. I turned on the heat yesterday for the first time.
I talked with the people at Westinghouse, about my fire in my TV. The moment I mentioned fire, they were making arraignments for it to be shipped to them and a new one sent back to me. A flat screen HD tv that is less then 2 years old should not catch fire. I have had great success with my tvs, and they all came from westinghouse should it should not surprise me that they don't want a bad one starting a fire. I'm sending ours back to them today, and they will send out a new one. They are also paying the shipping cost and all I have to do is pack it and ship it. I'll update how things go.

It just keep coming. This weekend our main tv caught fire. It's a 32" flat screen and it was less then two years old. Fortunately nothing else caught fire. The lead abatement people said we won't get our house done until next year. Lindsey's baby is due in April so I hope next year means before then. If her husband to be doesn't get work before the wedding, they may be living with us on (Walton's) Van Antwerpen's mountain. Cat and Sean are looking to move out in October, but if they don't, we will have room for everyone.
We talked with Don and Akiko in Japan. We use Skype for two way visual communications. They are doing great and love it there.
We are in the middle of sending out invites for Lindsey's wedding in November. Have you ever heard the story of a man who made a pot of soup out of two stones? This is what I feel like, paying for a wedding with little money and short notice.
Cliff asked me how I do it? I'll get back with you on that one.

Boy, is this a year. I've had more happen in the last 10 years of my life than I could dream up. Although I have had a very interesting life, lot of travel, wonderful kid, and a great marriage. Yes, this was interesting, but not like the last 10 years. When I was 47 I was suppose to be having a mid life crisis. Instead I was dead for a few minutes with a massive cornary. I few months later I lost our home to a expert swindler. WE lived in an apartment for a while until I found our new home. During this time, my wife has serious medical problem that leaves her unable to work. I also am unable to work. My oldest son get married and moves to Japan, my second child marries and her and her husband move in with us. My youngest daughter has announced that she is pregnant and is getting married in November. My youngest son want to fight MMA. I have become a pastor, married many couples, almost excomunicated by another pastor and now am playing the piano for a praise team. What a wild ride.

What a day. My daughter Lindsey told Liz and I that she is pregnant and will now be moving up her wedding date to November. I am very happy for her and Chris and looking forward to becoming a Grandpa. I know I look way too young to be a grandpa. She is due April 16, the day before Liz and my anniversary. So, within a year and a half we will have had 4 weddings and a grandchild on the way.

This bad economy brings out the strangeness in people. My daughter Lindsey has a small dog call Gigi. This dog is about the size of most cats. We licenced her the first year. This past year when didn't because money was tight. By the time you pay for her shot, and her licence you are talking over $200.00. This little dog is always inside and does not roam the neighborhood. Vector Control is now harassing us to licence her at all cost. They have sent a citation and a ticket to appear in court to make sure we license our dog. If we don't comply, we can be arrested and jailed. They haven't even stopped by to see if the dog is alive or still living with us. She is alive, and living with us. She is in great health and is very happy. Still they want their money to save their jobs. People are losing their jobs, going broke, and don't have extra money to spend. Crime rates are up, health care is down, and we are worried about a small dog having it's licence.

It's hard to believe that it is already September. What a year so far. I do misss the chapel and all of our friends from their. I Miss hearing the golden vocals of cliff. What a voice and mind.
I miss Don and Akiko. They are now in Japan. I talk with them regularly on Skypes, two way video. After teaching his first day of school, they closed the school for a week. No, he did not cause it, swine flu did. So his first week is a paid vacation. This swine flu thing might end up being a bad as predicted.
With all this debate over nation health care, and can't but wonder how people can outright lie about nation health care in other countries. As I said, my son and his wife are in Japan which has national health care. They love it, their friends love, everyone loves it. I talk with Canadians, they love it. I cannot find a real Case of people hating it, except people who get rich off it. Getting rich off sick and dying people is.......well............ sick. Oh, by the way, this depression or recession that we are in was caused by the greed of the rich, not the poor. The people who don't want a national health care is because of greed, not because of government, bad medicine or any other thing that they would concoct.