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RE: A straight blast from the Pacific Coast - 7/18/2005 6:12:59 PM
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chemdude77
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One year after Fernanda's sudden debilitating stroke, she still needs your prayers. A girl scout and a soccer player with a quick wit, she now needs help swallowing food. The entire family needs prayer...
On July 3rd, 2004, an active, vibrant 9 year old girl collapsed in pain; quick action from the paramedic team saved her life. The swelling and the hindered circulation left her paralyzed and unable to talk, walk, move her arms or eat without a tube. Being in a wheelchair for more than a few hours causes her to cry. And after 54 weeks of paralysis, scoliosis has worsened  .
We complain about the inconveniences and annoyances of our lives. I thought my car problems were a big deal on Saturday. As Fernanda and her family came to church, I saw a family that still trusts in God, despite the tremendous strains and difficulties. I realized that our health can quickly change, and the experts have no answers. And I am driven to my knees, literally 
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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RE: A straight blast from the Pacific Coast - 7/20/2005 1:11:07 PM
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chemdude77
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During the heat wave, those of us on the coast experience natural air conditioning. Fog can be a welcome friend, as the inland valleys (Novato to Redding, Sonora to Fresno) experience triple digit temps  Well, OK, the real reason-- I am borrowing a car that does not have A/C 
IMO:
One of the programs that the church should establish, wherever possible, is a self-defense course. It can cost $$ to go to a studio, and alot of folks may not have alot of spare time (some training programs require months and years to truly become proficient at self-defense on the streets.) No Buddhas, no altars to the ancestors, no expensive gis, just straightforward defense tactics. Like it or not, the world is a dangerous place. Being able to use a thumbnail, elbow, knee, newspaper, chair, stick or broom to ward off that paroled felon with a drug habit is priceless. And neighbors that would not come to a Sunday service would come to the church.
I will elaborate in later posts...
I know a seminary in Canada that requires students to take martial arts as part of the core curriculum. I realize that pacifism fails to distinguish between the warrior and the thug, but God's word is pretty clear:
Proverbs 24:11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
A ministry idea for some of my friends--take it and run with it 
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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Heros and Anti-heros - 7/27/2005 3:30:32 AM
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chemdude77
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It is always good to evaluate the underlying philosophy and worldview of our entertainment. There are many elements of modern philosophy in our shows, music and movies. Chuck Colson and his crew do a great job of dissecting modern entertainment. Kudos to the Breakpoint staff on this. We are not become conformed to the philosophies and foolishness of the age.
Pop culture's heros have changed--you knew that years before you even read this 
The old Superman fought for truth, justice and the American way. He lived among "mere mortals" in an unassuming fashion, but did not hold them in contempt and ridicule. And the bad guys always got justice. Of course some of the older comic books were darker and despairing.
Behold the new anti-hero!
I ask myself these questions when I watch TV or movies, or even listen to the lyrics of a song:
What songs glorify the despair, anarchy or merciless destruction?
How is the anti-hero portrayed in film and television?
Check out the Fight Club. A co-star has a web page with the details and analysis of the characters.
Strange that the man who works a normal day job is portrayed as "emasculated" and pathetic--one of the HERD.
One actor proclaims that "You prove your masculinity not by how much pain you can inflict, but by how much you can endure". Or, "Self-destruction might be the answer".
Brad Pitt's character is vile, spiteful and mean, the most anti-social creep you would meet. He is an anarchist's dream- yet the FC directors made him appealing and attractive to audiences 
Obviously, the actors/actresses/producers/directors would not advocate or live this type of anarchist lifestyle.
The all-new "superman" kills and assaults at will; he lives by his own code, he "transcends" good and evil. The weak and defenseless are crushed, and there are no consequences. The police (and his victims) are depicted as corrupt, egomaniacal, hypocritical and pathetic.
Even the new ubermensch is politically correct enough to express some animal-rights leanings (check out Costner in 3000 Miles to Graceland and Malkovich from In the Line of Fire).
Overall, we need to be more analytical. And we need to be ready to articulate our faith, and to point out the dangers of nihilism and relativism. Worldliness is not what we wear, but our presuppositions and our world view lived out.
Psalm 53:1-4: The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God?
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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What is now considered a sport - 7/31/2005 5:46:49 PM
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chemdude77
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When I think of athletes, Lance Armstrong, Serena Williams, Chuck Lidell, Muhammed Ali, Olga Korbut, Bruce Jenner, Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaq, Peggy Fleming, Wilma Rudolph, Bobby Hull, Kelli Kwan, MaryLou Retton, Steve Garvey and Laird Hamilton come to mind, among many others. Now we can turn on "The Worldwide Leader in Sports" on cable and see 325 lb gamblers with sunglasses and a cola, and some foul words when they fold.
Hmm, I remember ABC's Wide World of Sports -- the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat....
And now, the "Total Sports Network" broadcasts poker, arm-wrestling, bass fishing, dog shows, car shows, pool, and the Competitive Eating championship (consuming 17 lbs of cow brains in 15 minutes and 13 lbs of spaghetti in 14 minutes??). Hey, I love dogs, and my Pomeranian is the cutest 
However, ESPN did show a great bass fisherman who has been at this since the age of 7. But that would not be noteworthy--except for the fact that Clay Dyer has no legs and no forearms. He pursues his passion and does not complain. He is someone that deserves admiration and respect, and he is a champion.
< Message edited by chemdude77 -- 7/31/2005 6:24:03 PM >
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
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RE: What is now considered a sport - 8/4/2005 1:24:50 AM
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chemdude77
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The apostle Paul uses language that describes athletic endeavors. For example:
1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
He does not describe the comforts of a TV evangelist, but a disciplined, rigorous life of a man who saw the risen Christ. Years in Arabia, beatings, shipwreck, stoning, perils of false brethren, heat thirst, hunger--and his final days on earth were in a prison in Rome. The prize before him was incorruptible and eternal. Note the use of the terms, fight and race:
2 Timothy 4:6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.
Again, I have heard a pastor and faculty member of an Ottowa seminary suggest that all students take a martial arts course as part of the core requirements. The life of a believer is warfare, not an intellectual exercise!! The pastor's martial arts background has given him an opportunity to witness to soldiers in Somalia and Ethiopia (after some light sparring ). And anyone taking Muay Thai knows that there is a painful process of toughening the shins (the shinbones, feet and elbows are weapons!!) What looks like a meaningless defensive block is a painful strike. But without the long, painful toughening process, a kick or stick to the shin will drop us like a brick!! 
This training is done on an unforgiving bag, in private, no audience, no hourly rate, no honor, no praise. When the opponent comes against us, we can have that confidence. Things that would have left on the ground a year ago, writhing in pain, will sting. But we will stay on our feet and stay in the fight.
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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Observations - 8/11/2005 10:23:05 PM
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chemdude77
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I sat in a company meeting this week (2 hrs +). There are those threads on Crosswalk that appear from time to time--you know, the ones that list pet peeves and turn-offs!
We deal with employees that will interrupt, contradict their own "convictions", ignore what you say, go off topic and generally waste time. When our lead engineer is talking, we have employees that start talking before he is finished! 
In general, people that interrupt you or attempt to finish your conversation tend to lose respect. Our CEO was enraged, and Tyranosaurus interruptus kept talking. The shoutdown and the tension was unpleasant.
I have seen married couples behave like this! How many divorces, job terminations, fights, killings and broken relationships are started with a hasty word 
Proverbs 14:7 -Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not [in him] the lips of knowledge.
Proverbs 15:2 -The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Proverbs 15:7 -The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish [doeth] not so.
Proverbs 15:10 -Correction [is] grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: [and] he that hateth reproof shall die.
Proverbs 16:14 -The wrath of a king [is as] messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.
Proverbs 17:14 -The beginning of strife [is as] when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.
We came close to losing a big customer yesterday; if we were not so deep in this major network redesign, we would be out.
I am still paying for a major expense, and I cannot afford a drop in income at this point.
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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RE: Observations - 8/16/2005 12:09:40 PM
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chemdude77
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Family pictures at the park.
We spent Sunday afternoon looking at videos from 1991, 1996, 1997 and 2000.
Our world has changed, beyond our predictions...
We all imagined what it would be like to look at videos and photos 10 years from now:
--My nephew is joining the Army as a medic in May 2006. This is his last year as a "civilian". I will pray for his safety in Iraq and Afghanistan
--My cousin is visiting the states. She and her husband go back to Spain in September.
--My niece is 6 years old and loves to sing. Will she be singing before the American Idol panel (an older, heavier Simon Cowell  )?
--My 10 year old nephew will probably be at Stanford in 10 years
--Another family member is expecting. She thought she would be in her 40s before she would meet someone.
Our uncles and aunts are getting real close to retirement, and some are already travelling 10 months out of the year.
Sadly, the videos of the past show family members who have passed on (unexpectedly).
For some of us who are single, we wonder:
Will I look back at the photos and reminisce with my wife and kids? Will I still be the lone guy at the family reunion, ten years from now? Will I pose alone in the photos, while families gather near the lake for a family shot?
Instead of posing for a shot by myself, I posed with the 15 family members. The only other unmarried family member is a 19 year old cousin who did not bring her current boyfriend.
Now my family did not ask me stupid questions or even belittle me about being alone. They are great, and they do not even ask me about my personal life. I get some good-natured ribbing from my bro, but no stupid cliches that used to come from church ladies and nosey old harridans-- the NOSY O'Donnells with their slanderous innuendos .
Some of the most vicious spitting cobras I have encountered were menopausal, 50-something union members and secretaries. Steve Irwin wouldn't touch 'em with a 10 foot pole. Gossip, innuendo and slander have NO place in church. Having said that...
I love my current family
When the photographer asked to get a shot of me by myself, I told them that I had to get back to work. It was Monday morning, and it was the truth
In reality, I left, alone, went back to work, singing the blues
I thank the Lord for His protection, His mercy, His provision and the fact that I my arms, legs, eyes and ears work. Sometimes I wonder about the brain cells 
< Message edited by chemdude77 -- 8/16/2005 12:19:55 PM >
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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RE: Just pondering.... - 8/20/2005 2:49:02 AM
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chemdude77
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Dan Inosanto was Bruce Lee's friend and training partner. He will be teaching this weekend in Stockton. Lord willing, I will be out there learning from an incredible master of the arts of JKD, arnis and kali...
I will not trace the steps of my ancestors back to England anytime soon: it is becoming a bit more of a shooting gallery these days 
I had a mind bending roll through the Music Thread (where we all can tell everyone what ungodly music looks like, but we always change the subject when asked to identify godly music--after attacking those we disagree with).
I can point to my own experience of music that reflects an anti-Christian worldview. This is my own opinion. It is my own observation, and not a papal edict.
I was a pale, 139 lb kid who lived near housing projects with gangs. I slept with a revolver under the pillow. As a guy that grew up in a violent urban area in California, I have as much hatred for most of the secular hip-hop culture as anyone. Not the people, but the philosophy and worldview. I am not too thrilled about colleges that teach several classes on rap and hip-hip, with a class devoted to the lyrics and life of Tupac.
Many people in the neighborhood wanted to pay their bills, send their kids to college, and walk to the store or to work without being harmed. They did not like the 14 year old kids who shot dogs, vandalized property, burglarized their residence and harrassed their daughters.
What else did we hate about this subculture?
The violent shouting and cursing, the murder of kids and college students who drive down the wrong street, the violent robberies, the seething hatred for police, the large bottle of cheap liquor, the cannabis, the stupid jewelry, the uneducated slang, the pants under the gluteus, the firing of Glocks on July 4th, the cars with the loud speakers at 3 AM, ad nauseum. It represents criminality, greed, abuse of women, the projects that swallow young children, a subculture that produces nothing and sinks to the lowest common denominator.
I told a friend in England about my early days in a California city, along with the nightly "entertainment", and she asked me which part of London I lived in!!!
After college, I moved to East San Jose. Even in the affluent neighborhoods, lowered Nissan pickups with 100 lb subwoofers broadcast rants from NWA, Snoop Dog, Eminem, Ice T (rap tracks include Cop Killer), Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Lewdacris, Easy E, Mac Dre (served time for felony), Public Enema, Dr Dre (no medical degree), Notorious P.I.G, Sister Soulja.
I tuned into MTV during the South Central riots of '92, and NWA rap video, **** The Police, was in the rotation. The hatred for Koreans was in one of Ice Cube's rap ditties; Easy E rapped about machine gunning a courtroom to get his homeys out. Most of these "poets" would extol the virtues of their 40 oz malt liquor.
Pick up the local newspaper's "lifestyle" section. Check out the cover page: a profile on a rapper who drives an Escalade and drinks Patron, but did not finish high school. There are alot of people in the inner city who are studying to be doctors, carrying 18 units at the university, working in rescue missions, providing ministries to the elderly, or devoting their lives to teaching in public schools. They rarely get any press.
The pastor of the old pentecostal church (and her three kids) in the area had two Cadillacs, one 4WD, two motorcycles, an Alfa Romeo and a Jaguar. She also had three properties in the suburbs and a cabin in Tahoe (worth over $1 M). She and her kids did not live on the neighborhood, even if the parishioners that tithed to her did.
How do we reach those who are numbed by the anger and violence? Will we see Islam make inroads into the inner cities? Or will the Gospel reach those mission fields right here at home?
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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History can be fun! - 8/21/2005 1:46:58 AM
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chemdude77
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We had the opportunity to attend Professor Dan Inosanto's seminar this weekend. This is not just martial arts training; this was a lesson in American and world history!! Woohoo!! 
There is a large Filipino community in the San Joaquin Valley. The second largest Filipino community is --New Orleans!!  And there is a sizeable community in Mexico, around Acapulco. More about this later...
While I was clumsy and inept with the double stick routines, and overwhelmed with the Professor's many different styles and methods, I was riveted for 5 hours with the demonstrations, sparring and drills, interspersed with an fascinating look at the history of the Philippines. And American history is intertwined with the history of the island nation.
Many of the uncles and grandfathers in these communities served in World War II, fighting the heavily armed Japanese invaders in horrendous conditions in Southeast Asia. They engaged in intelligence operations in the Philippines in 1942, before the American forces landed.
They also sustained heavy casualties in their battles with the Japanese armies. In the crowded and treacherous terrain, fighters could not use rifles without killing each other. This is where the bayonet, the elbow, hands and feet were lethal.
People may not know about the 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiment or the 978th Signal Group. Even the latest movie, The Great Raid, does not give ample recognition to the bravery and fighting skills of the Philippine Scouts. This rescue was made possible, to a large extent, by Filipino fighters.
Remember that the island nation was under Spanish rule for more than 3 centuries. The Spanish fleet conscripted Filipino men for their ships (10 men under one Spanish officer). Typical Spanish rule, as they also conscripted Aztecs and other conquered peoples to fight.
The sword and dagger skills were brutal and effective, and are still in use. There are subsystems within the system, different guros, etc.
According to the Professor, the Filipino conscripts in the Spanish navy were renowned among the Spaniards for their fighting. They were not known for patience Perhaps that is why they jumped ship in Mexico and settled in Acapulco and parts of Louisiana.
The Filipino culture is influenced by Spain, Indonesia, Muslim missionaries, India, Malay, China, Japan, Eastern Africa, and America. The southern provinces are primarily Muslim, and use the Arabic script. The north is Roman Catholic (as well as Baptist and pentecostal).
The fighting arts have been refined and adapted, even when swords were outlawed. Bamboo sticks and daggers are effective in close combat.
I remember my high school history lessons: rote memorization of dates and names And I attended a private Christian school!
What happens to those who forget their history?
What events occured during the Jewish Wars of the first century?
How did the early church thrive in a pagan, hostile Roman Empire?
How were the American and French revolutions different? What were the similarities?
How could the Dutch conquer the islands of Indonesia, but not the Philippines?
How did the Muslim armies sweep over North Africa, Spain and Persia so quickly?
How did the National Socialist Party come to power in Germany?
How did the Bolsheviks seize power in Russia?
How did the papacy acquire such great power in Europe?
How could the great empires of England, Spain, Greece, Rome, Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, and the old Soviet Union crumble?
How did the Greeks defeat the numerically superior Persian military?
How did the targeting of civilians in the Civil War affect military policies toward the native Americans?
And name the author and philosopher who declared the following:
"From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs."
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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Observations - 8/29/2005 5:12:56 AM
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chemdude77
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We have some very interesting members in our little covenant community. One is Jake, an inventor and craftsman. He developed some very interesting medical devices back in the 50s for Stanford University. He has invested wisely, but don't think he has retired to a secluded villa to play golf
He uses his mechanical abilities to design sturdy Wi-Fi equipment, designed for Grenada's Christian radio station. Forget Starbuck Wireless internet, Grenada is a true hot-spot
Born in the Netherlands, he survived the Nazi reign of terror. He often hid in bails of hay, fled his house and hid in a ditch, or hid in an attic to avoid the concentration camps. He lost two wives to illness (one was carrying his child), and still feels alone at times, mainly during the holidays.
Yet he tells every single acquaintence about the Lord; he tells strangers about his life in Christ. Everyone he meets, he treats with dignity and respect. And the Gospel goes forth.
He loves to talk, and will spend hours with you, talking about inventions, the human heart, medical devices. And his conversations and stories are always fascinating. He has walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and he delights in God.
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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Helping the survivors of Katrina - 9/2/2005 11:52:36 AM
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chemdude77
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We are in the last days. We have been living in the last days since the Resurrection.
However, I do expect our nation to face some very difficult times.
We are spending $150 B to make Iraq safe for Burger King and Starbucks?!? Iraq will be under a theocracy, with the constitution subordinated to Sharia law. Assyrian and Chaldean Christian communities may disappear from Iraq. Iran and Syria are recruiting thousands of young terrorists to turn Iraq into a big Mess-o-potamia My nephew is going overseas in 2006 as a medic. I am concerned.
On the homefront:
Here is just one of the relief agencies working at ground zero.
Fats Domino is safe, thankfully. But many have died in the heat and squalor. We resemble a third-world country.
Engineers and wetlands experts were expecting this. The National Geographic article is chillingly accurate and blunt.
I am pretty disgusted with many of the various self-proclaimed prophets on the Web. We have heard all sorts of superstition and speculation. Even on CW, there are claims that God is punishing New Orleans for the G/L/T/BS Decadance Festival that was to take place, and the Hurricane is His judgment against Mardi Gras and gambling and overconsumption of gumbo .
God is not pleased when we rejoice over calamity...
Luke 13:2-5:
And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
How many churches were destroyed? How many godly men, women and children were killed? Who knows the hidden counsels of the Lord?
We want justice for our neighbor, but mercy for our own sinfulness?? This backward thinking must change!
Remember that close to 1/3 of Europe was wiped out by the bubonic plague--hundreds of years ago. Mongols wiped out entire ethnic groups throughout Asia--hundreds of years ago. Typhoons, floods, plagues, wars, genocide and misery have been with us since the fall of man.
Of course, there are differences. Besides population growth?
-CNN was not providing 24x7 feeds of the Muslim invasion of Eastern Europe.
-Genghis Khan never had embedded reporters in his horde.
-C-SPAN did not carry the "trials" of the Spanish Inquisition
["Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!!"]
-Geraldo was not reporting from a satellite feed from the Danube river when the germanic hordes descended into Rome.
-Greta Van Sustern was not live from Krakatoa when the eruption and tsunamis swept through Southeast Asia (in 1883).
-NPR never had an interview with Muhammed OR Ali.
-ABC never broadcast the Extreme Makeover of the Taj Majal.
-VH1 did not give us the "Fabulous Life of Bloody Mary".
-Poor Aaron Brown would never give us interviews among the Crusaders ("Young man, is this your first Crusade? What do you think about the lack of water, and the fact that Rumsfeld still has not provided ships to evacuate you from the desert? Do fear being captured and enslaved? What does the Arab street think about this invasion?")
People abandoned their livelihood and their possessions to wait for the return of Christ--back in 999 AD!!
< Message edited by chemdude77 -- 9/3/2005 12:29:23 AM >
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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RE: Helping the survivors of Katrina - 9/3/2005 7:14:26 PM
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chemdude77
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When it comes to rapid deployment, churches and private charities can't be beat. Within 48 hrs, churches opened their doors to refugees.
While members of the media often revile the church, they rarely give credit to the clergy and the volunteers of all denominations.
And we have active duty troops deployed in the afflicted area, with more to come:
quote:
Bush Sending More Troops to Gulf Coast
NewsMax.com Wires
Saturday, Sept. 3, 2005
WASHINGTON - President Bush is ordering additional active duty forces to the hurricane-battered Gulf Coast region, he said Saturday.
"The enormity of the task requires more resources," the president said. "In America we do not abandon our fellow citizens in their hour of need."
Bush said 4,000 active duty troops are already in the area and 7,000 more will arrive in the next 72 hours from the Army's 82nd Airborne from Fort Bragg, N.C., and 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas and the Marines' 1st and 2nd Expeditionary forces from Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Camp Lejeune, N.C.
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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Post-Labor Day Thoughts - 9/7/2005 12:04:47 AM
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chemdude77
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I did my workout on the bag, and now I am watching a dumb comedy, Hot Shots A parody of Apocalpse Now, Rambo, Jean Claude Van Damme, the Navy Seals movie Arnold (the bad actor turned mediocre governor). Charlie Sheen can be amusing...
I have posted some quips and quotes, more for my own benefit than anything. Some are funny, some are inspiring, and the last quote is??
The final quote is from a PAGAN INTELLECTUAL editor for what I consider a trash periodical, Vanity Fair. I include this to show the folly and the demonic hatred from too many environmentalists. He may yank the insensitive tirade off of his site if the notoriety builds...
Gen MacArthur's quote is useful for anyone besieged by unsolicited advice from friends and family
From Catch 22:
I'm going to be immortal or die trying.
Bruce Lee:
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.
President Harry S Truman:
It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
General Douglas MacArthur:
I realize that advice is worth what it costs--that is, nothing.
Winston Churchill:
When I warned them that Britain would fight on alone, whatever they did, their Generals told their Prime Minister and his divided cabinet that in three weeks, England would have her neck wrung like a chicken - Some chicken! Some neck!
Vince Lombardi:
Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.
Anonymous:
When they outlaw marriage, then only outlaws will have inlaws!
Mark Twain
Any simple problem can be made unsolvable if enough meetings are held to discuss it.
William Blake:
A Truth that's told with bad intent beats all the Lies you can invent.
Some ponderings from Calvin And Hobbes:
That's the whole problem with science. You've got a bunch of empiricists trying to describe things of unimaginable wonder.
Some thoughts from J.C. Ryle:
A man "may be a very ignorant man, and yet be saved." He may be unable to read a word, or write a letter. He may know nothing of geography beyond the bounds of his own city or county, and be utterly unable to say which is nearest to England, Paris or New York. He may know nothing of arithmetic, and not see any difference between a million and a thousand. He may know nothing of history, not even of his own land, and be quite ignorant whether his country is headed up by a Tribal Chief or by Queen Elizabeth. He may know nothing of science and its discoveries—and whether Julius Caesar won his victories with gunpowder, or the apostles had a printing press, or the sun orbits around the earth—may be matters about which he has not an idea. And yet, if that very man has heard Bible truth with his ears and believed it with his heart, he knows enough to save his soul. He will be found in the end with Lazarus in heaven, while his scientific fellow-creature, who has died unconverted, is lost forever.
As for the last quote, this twisted viewpoint is not that uncommon in California. I have co-workers that are elated when tsunamis and hurricanes make landfall. They think that there are too many folks on planet Earth--that whole overpopulation myth.
And the compassionate editor of Vanity Fair, James Walcott (2004):
I root for hurricanes. When, courtesy of the Weather Channel, I see one forming in the ocean off the coast of Africa, I find myself longing for it to become big and strong--Mother Nature's fist of fury, Gaia's stern rebuke. Considering the havoc mankind has wreaked upon nature with deforesting, stripmining, and the destruction of animal habitat, it only seems fair that nature get some of its own back and teach us that there are forces greater than our own. Sure, a hearty volcano can be enjoyable. Burning rivers of lava: so picturesque. But a volcano is stationary, like Dennis Hastert after a big lunch. It doesn't offer the same dramatic suspense. Hurricanes are in unpredictable flux. They move, change direction, strengthen, weaken, lose an eyewall, repair an eyewall; they seem to have volition and opera-diva personalities
So there's something disappointing when a hurricane doesn't make landfall, or peters out into a puny Category One. Reporters and weather announcers may profess relief and gratitude that residents were spared the full unleashing of the vortex, but their coverage belies this. They love having reporters shouting into microphones on rain-lashed beaches as the stray yacht gets flung around like a bath toy. The helicopter shots of rows of mobile rooms smashed as if stomped on by a giant boot are money shots to the news networks.
Hurricane Frances also has a heraldic quality. Camille Paglia observed on Salon in February, 2003 that the explosion of the Columbia shuttle on the eve of the war on Iraq was a "stunning omen," one that would make a Roman general think twice. A catastrophe strewing death, fire, and human remains across Bush's home state of Texas was inauspicious to our undertaking; and so it has proven to be. Frances is the second hurricane to afflict Florida, home of brother Jeb, in rapid succession.
The gods are not pleased.
He may pull the page off of his blog, in the light of Katrina...
< Message edited by chemdude77 -- 9/7/2005 12:24:51 AM >
_____________________________
"Learn to put yourself there, 'cause someone is going to put you there whether you like it or not." Steve Maxwell
Meanderings and ponderings
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Memory - 9/11/2005 6:56:23 PM
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chemdude77
Posts: 515
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Here to Eternity!
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Memory is something that fades too easily with age. It is a fight to maintain memory and keep our minds | | |
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--and I am not a morning person 
And the little furball doesn't have a care in the world... 
Another young man dies - 
We have three football teams within 70 miles. Only CAL is impressive this year.