Reformed Chicks Blabbing: May 2007

Thursday, May 31, 2007

RNC donations down by 40%

Yeah, I would say that the base is a little ticked off, wouldn't you?

Faced with an estimated 40 percent fall-off in small-donor contributions and aging phone-bank equipment that the RNC said would cost too much to update, Anne Hathaway, the committee's chief of staff, summoned the solicitations staff last week and told them they were out of work, effective immediately, the fired staffers told The Times.

[...]

There has been a sharp decline in contributions from RNC phone solicitations, another fired staffer said, reporting that many former donors flatly refuse to give more money to the national party if Mr. Bush and the Senate Republicans insist on supporting what these angry contributors call "amnesty" for illegal aliens.
"Everyone donor in 50 states we reached has been angry, especially in the last month and a half, and for 99 percent of them immigration is the No. 1 issue," said the former employee.
The RNC spokeswoman denied that the committee has seen any drop-off in contributions.

(via)

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Please help me analyze this comment

I received the following comment to my post on Bush dissing his base:

What happened to the argument of supporting the president for doing what is right, regardless of public support polls?

Or, does that argument only apply when we're discussing the mess in Iraq?

Or perhaps it only applies when it supports what you think is right?

No need to answer... anyone who visits here often enough knows already.

And I was wondering what the heck kind of reasoning would lead to a comment like this. I think that it's beyond obvious that we would support the president in a time of war when he's trying to protect us from future attacks. When he's doing his job, I believe it's our duty to support him doing it. But when he's about to drop the ball, don't you think that he deserves criticism? He's not keeping the border safe and he's going to treat illegal immigrants from the Middle East the same way he does the illegal immigrants from Mexico. This isn't my opinion, it's not what I think. I know that we live in post-modern times but I would think that we could agree on what's clearly in front of us.

And another thing why the heck do liberals say that you did something when you clearly didn't? I never mentioned any polls. Why would I? I don't need the fact that the rest of the country agrees with me to give support to my argument, I only need to know that the president isn't doing his job. It's clear enough for even a stay-at-home mom to figure it out :-)

Google's New Street Level View

Or should it be called, "Google's New Peeping Tom View" (or "How about we spy on the cat")? By now you've probably seen the images that Drudge has been linking to of Steve Jobs house or a man standing outside a strip club. If you want to avoid being put on the Internet, duck when you see this vehicle.

Alliance of the Anonymous

Laura Ingraham gave it to Bush on her program yesterday

I knew that Bush stepped in it when he essentially called the opponents of this bill fear-mongers and now we see some of the fallout. Laura Ingraham ripped into the president on her program yesterday. You can listen to the rant here (via).

It's really a smart move to insult your base, especially since they are the only ones who still support you as president. With so little support in the media, why would you tick off the only people who will give your views a fair hearing? Not only is it stupid, it's not particularly gracious. You don't throw mud at the people who have been your staunchest supporters.

Caedmon’s Call broke up over the Prayer of Jabez!

How weird is that?

Derek explains that his first solo album was inspired by an encounter that Caedmon’s Call had with Bruce Wilkinson at a trade event. At this event, Wilkinson was supposed to speak for about 20-30 minutes, and then Caedmon’s was to perform a few songs when he finished. Wilkinson held forth for about an hour and a half telling the crowd that if they would pray the prayer of Jabez, then God would bless them. According to Derek, Wilkinson never once mentioned Christ or the gospel. Derek was so outraged, that he wanted to speak out against the gospel-free message of Bruce Wilkinson. When the rest of the band demurred, Derek struck out on his own.

Too bad they let the opportunity pass to say something. It's saddens me how popular the prosperity gospel is. We want a God who will bless us, not one who calls us to suffer:

Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

Fellowship with Christ is a fellowship in his suffering, the message of the prosperity gospel is that suffering is unusual for the Christian and that if you want the blessings of God all you have to do is _____ (in the case of the prayer of Jabez just pray "enlarge my border") but over and over again in Scripture you see that suffering is natural for the Christian.

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

1 Peter 2:20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

You can listen to Derek Webb tell his story here.

(via)

Updated: Maybe broke up is a little too strong, more like Derek Webb left over the Prayer of Jabez. Evidently, he's joining them on their latest album and tour.

What did I do during my blog vacation?

Find out here.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

A PSA from the Reformed Chick for laptop owners

Laptops are causing back, joint and neck strain. Elevate the computer and don't rest it on your legs, resting it on your legs causes you to look down at the computer which puts a strain on your neck. Also, don't rest your wrists on the edge of the laptop, this causes nerve injury:

Nicola Hunter, a physiotherapist and occupational health specialist, said that hand and arm pain similar to repetitive strain injury was easily induced by resting wrists against the edge of a laptop.
She added: "There's evidence that it stops the nerves and tendons moving as they normally would, and this can cause nerve injury."

(via)

This is the problem that I'm having now. I've been getting a pain in my right wrist, a very sharp pain and I'm unable to pick anything up because of it. It went away during my vacation but it's back now. I guess I'll have to start using a table but if I do that, doesn't that defeat the purpose of having a laptop? Why not just use a desk top?

U.S. Forces Save 41 Iraqis From al-Qaida

I did not see this, did you?

May 27, 10:01 AM (ET)

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. forces rescued 41 Iraqi civilians Sunday from an al-Qaida hide-out northeast of Baghdad, including some who showed signs of torture and broken bones, a senior U.S. official said.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, the top U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said it was the largest number of detained Iraqis ever found in a single al-Qaida hide-out. Some among the 41 had been held as long as four months, he said.

[...]

Caldwell said a tip to U.S. forces from Iraqis in Diyala led to the rescue operation.

"The people in Diyala are speaking up against al-Qaida," he said. Caldwell said U.S. troops have been engaging more directly with Iraqi civilians in Diyala in recent weeks since an additional 3,000 U.S. troops entered the province.

Maybe the Iraqi people feel secure enough now, with the additional troops, to stand up to al-Qaida?

A glimmer of hope on the horizon.

Christopher Hitchens debated Chris Hedges

Read about it here (via).

Thompson is preparing for a July 5th announcement

And will do so with cash in hand:

Fred Dalton Thompson plans to enter the presidential race with a bang over the Fourth of July holiday, announcing that week that he has already raised several million dollars and is being backed by insiders from the past three Republican administrations, Thompson advisers told
The Politico.

Thompson, the "Law and Order" star and former U.S. senator from Tennessee, has been publicly coy, even as people close to him have been furiously preparing for a late entry into the wide-open contest. But the advisers said Thompson dropped all pretenses on Tuesday afternoon during a conference call with more than 100 potential donors, each of whom was urged to raise at least $50,000.

Thompson's formal announcement is planned for Nashville. It's tentatively set for July 5, although it could come earlier. Organizers say the red pickup truck that was a hallmark of Thompson's first
Senate race will begin showing up in Iowa and New Hampshire as an emblem of what they consider his folksy, populist appeal.

An exploratory committee will be formed next week so Thompson can start raising money, and staffers will go on the payroll in early June, the organizers said. A policy team has been formed, but remains under wraps.

Thompson will also avoid the Iowa Straw Poll because he thinks that Romney will win and he will instead focus on Iowa State Fair going on at the same time.

Go read the rest of the story because it lays out Thompson's strategy.

He will be setting up a "testing the waters" committee next week:

Speculation over whether Fred Thompson is serious about running for president just went toes-up. Mr. Thompson's not-yet-a campaign has confirmed: He's dipping his toes in.

Specifically, a Thompson adviser told The New York Sun yesterday, he will announce the formation of a presidential "testing-the-waters" committee early next week — possibly as early as Sunday.

A "testing the waters" committee is a step before the more familiar presidential exploratory committee. It allows the former Tennessee senator to raise money and hire staff. But it also prevents him from doing a number of other things: advertising his candidacy, referring to himself as a real candidate (presumably just in public, he can say whatever he likes in front of the bathroom mirror), raising money that could be transferred to another candidate, or raising money to get on the ballot.

Thompson came in third in the latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll:

Even before launching a campaign, Thompson finished third in the latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, at 13% support among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. In the survey, taken May 4-6, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani led with 34%; Arizona Sen. John McCain was second at 20%. No other GOP candidate got above 10%.

Now Bush decides to get tough with his critics?

Bush is known for avoiding confrontation, in fact it's something that has angered the base for quite a while. So, who does Bush decide to take on after years of hostile rhetoric from the left? Why his base, of course.

“If you want to scare the American people, what you say is the bill’s an amnesty bill,” Mr. Bush said this afternoon at a training center for border enforcement agents located in this town in Georgia’s southeastern corner. “That’s empty political rhetoric, trying to frighten our citizens.”

Not one of his most brilliant moments. Why would you want to tick off Michelle Malkin, Rush, Hannity, Hewitt and the rest of the right? They have been staunch advocates for the war on terror and many of his policies (in fact, Hewitt was one of the few who stood by the president's choice of Harriet Miers and Rush was in favor of the Dubai ports deal) now he wants to accuse them of fear-mongering? Not smart, babe. Not smart at all.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Google's response

Here's Google's response to an email asking why they didn't have a Memorial Day icon (keep reading the updates to get the full effect of their hypocrisy).

Cindy Sheehan leaves the anti-war movement

Cindy Sheenan left the Democrat Party over the weekend and now she's leaving the anti-war movement as well. She's learned that speaking out against the left is apostasy:

I have endured a lot of smear and hatred since Casey was killed and especially since I became the so-called "Face" of the American anti-war movement. Especially since I renounced any tie I have remaining with the Democratic Party, I have been further trashed on such "liberal blogs" as the Democratic Underground. Being called an "attention whore" and being told "good riddance" are some of the more milder rebukes.

I have come to some heartbreaking conclusions this Memorial Day Morning. These are not spur of the moment reflections, but things I have been meditating on for about a year now. The conclusions that I have slowly and very reluctantly come to are very heartbreaking to me.

The first conclusion is that I was the darling of the so-called left as long as I limited my protests to George Bush and the Republican Party. Of course, I was slandered and libeled by the right as a "tool" of the Democratic Party. This label was to marginalize me and my message. How could a woman have an original thought, or be working outside of our "two-party" system?

However, when I started to hold the Democratic Party to the same standards that I held the Republican Party, support for my cause started to erode and the "left" started labeling me with the same slurs that the right used. I guess no one paid attention to me when I said that the issue of peace and people dying for no reason is not a matter of "right or left", but "right and wrong."

[...]

I am going to take whatever I have left and go home. I am going to go home and be a mother to my surviving children and try to regain some of what I have lost. I will try to maintain and nurture some very positive relationships that I have found in the journey that I was forced into when Casey died and try to repair some of the ones that have fallen apart since I began this single-minded crusade to try and change a paradigm that is now, I am afraid, carved in immovable, unbendable and rigidly mendacious marble.

Camp Casey has served its purpose. It’s for sale. Anyone want to buy five beautiful acres in Crawford , Texas ? I will consider any reasonable offer. I hear George Bush will be moving out soon, too...which makes the property even more valuable.

This is my resignation letter as the "face" of the American anti-war movement. This is not my "Checkers" moment, because I will never give up trying to help people in the world who are harmed by the empire of the good old US of A, but I am finished working in, or outside of this system. This system forcefully resists being helped and eats up the people who try to help it. I am getting out before it totally consumes me or anymore people that I love and the rest of my resources.

(via)

She didn't get her way, so she's taking her ball and going home. She seems to have started to grasp the fact that just because you want something doesn't mean you'll get it. The anti-war movement exists in a country that's divided over the war and they need to learn that they can't throw tantrums to get attention so that they can get their way. No matter how hard they try they can't force us to leave Iraq because it's not safe to do so and there are enough politicians who realize that.

I also think that she's starting to see the elephant in the room (or should I say donkey), that the Democrats aren't interested in ending this war as much as they claim. They are more interested in power. That has been clearly evident from the start.

Did you enjoy your day off?

I was busy trying to find a usable template for Life Under the Sun. I couldn't get the XML version of K2 (that's the template I was using) to work (the sidebar kept falling) and then a second template I tried to use had problems. I was finally able to get this one to work properly, though the sidebars are tiny and my graphics are too big. I'm trying to resize them but I'm having troubles with it. I spent at least an hour trying to make my email icon small enough to fit (and now it's too small so I have to start again). Very frustrating! Go check it out and let me know what you think.

Monday, May 28, 2007

The Inner Life of the Cell

Oh. My. Heck! I feel really stupid because it took me awhile to understand what the heck this guy was saying. I haven't had a science class in over 20 years so I'm a little rusty. I guess that makes me an apostate (or irrational, or a simpleton) as far as the atheists are concerned.

(via)

While watching the video I couldn't help thinking how wonderfully intricate and complex the whole process is. How amazing it would be if that level of complexity happened over millions of years and there wasn't someone who created it.

It's times like this that I see the truth of God's word:

Romans 1:19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Earth in the balance? Then why are you driving an SUV?

Pictures of the parking lot at an Al Gore appearance (scroll down).

A picture for Memorial Day

Here's a picture that reminds us of the cost of war. Even though I believe that we have no choice but to fight this war until the Iraqis are ready to fight their own battles, I realize that it comes at a great cost.

No Memorial Day Tribute by Google

Without the sacrifice of our military, Google would not even exist. They would be owned by the state and subject to all kinds of restrictions. Google should remember that.

Memorial Day

I think that this video comes the closest to what we believe is the experience of the American military.

I'm thankful that there are men and women who are willing to sacrifice all that they have so that Americans can remain free of the tyranny experienced by the citizens of other nations. We do not deserve their sacrifice but I'm thankful they've made it. Whether we support the war or not we should all appreciate that there are men and women who care enough about our freedoms to be willing defend them and should honor them for their service. We should be thankful that they believe that America is a nation worth defending.

I know that there are many who believe that the freedom of the Iraqis isn't worth the blood of any American soldier, I'm glad that there are those in the military who disagree. I'm thankful that they are willing to sacrifice their lives so that others can be given the chance that we have been given and hopefully be able to teach them what it means to be free. That freedom comes with a cost and a responsibility. That freedom extends to everyone, not just a select few. If the Iraqis learn that lesson, they will be country worth defending too.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Stephen Colbert doing an avalanche rap

On Whose Line Is It Anyway:

Bill Richardson on Russet

Evidently, it was pretty brutal -- he's not ready for prime time. Here's a link to the video. I don't think the Democrats will be dumb enough to elect him but we can live in hope.

Farmer fined because he's a Christian

More Hindu persecution of Christians in India. Villagers and family force a Christian farmer from his village:

In a nation where 75 percent of the population is Hindu, there was a congregation of four Christians in his small village when Rajan expressed a faith in Jesus Christ. But that's back down to three after he lost his family and crops, and was forced to leave his home and village, because of his conversion, according to new documentation obtained by the Voice of the Martyrs.

Sources within Nepal, the mountainous nation sandwiched between India and China that holds Mt. Everest, have told the Voice of the Martyrs that the persecution campaign encompassed all parts of Rajan's life when he became a Christian.
"Hindu neighbors have dug up Rajan's cauliflower and potatoes," the VOM reported its sources confirmed. "He has lost his whole year's income."

Villagers took every opportunity to make life difficult for him, including their response when some water from his field inadvertently spilled onto a neighbor's land, the sources reported.

"He was recently fined 6,000 rupees (about $100, a large sum in Nepal), after water from his field spilled over into a neighbor's field," the VOM sources reported. "Normally, this would not be a problem, but the neighbors consider water from Rajan's field unclean because he is a Christian.

"Normally, we wouldn't fine you, but because you changed your religion and became a Christian, you need to pay 6,000 rupees," the villagers told him, according to VOM.

They even turned Rajan's wife and family against him, and he was forced to leave his home, to stay with a pastor briefly, and then to move to another village.

But nothing can separate us from the love of God:

"When Rajan left his home to live with the pastor he was sad, but said his experiences had made Jesus more precious to him than before," the Voice of the Martyrs reported. "His pastor told us that as persecuted believers, they have learned that one of the results of persecution is that Jesus becomes much more precious to them."

VOM reported, however, that Rajan's faith was unshaken.

"No matter what you do to me, I will not leave Christ," Rajan told his Hindu neighbors.

Pray for those who have lost everything to follow Christ and pray also that we who have everything will not take it for granted but will appreciate the many blessings that the Lord has given us and that we realize that he has given them to us for a purpose.

Thailand finally gets it

Idealism is great until you're mugged by reality. It would be wonderful if we could negotiate with our enemy and resolve our differences peacefully but what if the enemy refuses to negotiate? What if their tactics for getting their way are the death of thousands? Children and teachers slaughtered, schools are bombed, Buddhists beheaded, drive by shootings, journalists beheaded, bombing markets, and many more atrocities. Thailand has finally figured out that when you are at war it's better to fight than negotiate:

Frustrated by their inability to pacify a Muslim insurgency and concerned about rising impatience toward their rule, Thailand's generals have named a former commando and self-described assassin as their top security adviser.

The appointment this month of Pallop Pinmanee, a retired general notorious for his harsh tactics but admired for his survival instincts, appears to be an acknowledgement that the military-backed government's conciliatory approach toward Muslim insurgents in southern Thailand has failed.

"The way to solve the problem in the south is to get the people on your side," Pallop said in an interview this week. But if the violence continues, he said, the military should carry out "search and destroy" missions against the insurgents. "If we cannot make them surrender, then we have no choice - we have to destroy them."

Pallop's appointment also seems to signal that the generals who overthrew the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September, and who have trodden lightly against their political opponents so far, are contemplating harsher and more repressive actions toward dissent.

[...]
But he is perhaps best known for his decision to raid the Krue Se mosque in southern Thailand in 2004, a controversial move that left 32 insurgents dead. The raid helped reignite the centuries-old conflict between Thai Buddhists and ethnic Malay Muslims.
"Diplomacy is not his strong point," Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University, said of Pallop. "His expertise is to kill people and deal with things by force."

[...]

"When things get hairy, you get Pallop on your side," Thitinan said. "He knows how to fight back."

(via)

I wonder what it will take for us to realize that lesson as well.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

I'm back!!

Did you miss me? I only missed blogging when Congress passed the supplemental and when Rosie beat up poor Elisabeth Hasselbeck

I will tell you want I did on my break later. So stayed tuned :-)

Friday, May 25, 2007

The Wilson and Hitchens Monologue

I've been reading this exchange between Doug Wilson and Christopher Hitchens over at Christianity Today's Magazine.

These men have been involved in a debate entitled "Is Christianity Good for the World?". This is the final installment.

What I find fascinating is that while Wilson is engaging Hitchens in the subject and is actually asking some valid questions, Hitches seems to dismiss them without ever answering them. How is that a debate?

Hitchens' mind is so closed. He seems to have no intention of considering what Wilson is saying could be true. It seems to me that he has been making an effort to build his soapbox bigger than Wilson's so he can keep talking over his head without ever answering the questions at hand.

His effort can best be summed up in one word: monologue. It is like he is having an argument with himself.

Read Wilson's last word:

You say that you cannot believe that Christ's death on the Cross was salvation for the world because the idea is absurd. I have shown in various ways that absurdity has not been a disqualifier for any number of your current beliefs. You praise reason to the heights, yet will not give reasons for your strident and inflexible moral judgments, or why you have arbitrarily dubbed certain chemical processes "rational argument." That's absurd right now, and yet there you are, holding it.

So for you to refuse to accept Christ because it is absurd is like a man at one end of the pool refusing to move to the other end because he might get wet. Given your premises, you will have to come up with a different reason for rejecting Christ as you do.

But for you to make this move would reveal the two fundamental tenets of true atheism. One: There is no God. Two: I hate Him.

With Hitchens having his book on the NY Times bestseller list, which means that many of our neighbors would be reading it, we should be prepared with a response to his argument. Personally, I think that Hitchens is closer to God now than he thinks he is. Who knows what God has in store for him?

Thursday, May 24, 2007

I'll Be "Lost" Without Them

At least, until next season. Bwaahh!

I admit, I was getting frustrated about how the season was going. I really wanted answers to the questions that were lingering in my mind.

**Spoiler Alert**

Well, I think they did a fantastic job ending the season last night. I actually missed the first scene with the accident because I couldn't get my t.v. to work in my bedroom, so I couldn't figure out why Jack was so distraught. I definitely thought it was a flashback, so when it turned out to be a flash forward, it blew me away. Left me speechless. Even my husband, who has "lost" interest in the show because of the many unending plot lines, was impressed.

I am so sad that Charlie died! Part of me thinks that maybe he didn't fully drown...yet, so until next season, I won't believe he died. Just like I didn't believe that Locke was killed, and I was right, so we'll have to wait and see.

Hurley saved the day. How awesome was that when he came barreling in with that van? Sure shut Sawyer up now didn't it? I thought it advanced his story because he no longer has a black cloud hanging over his head.

I was rooting Jack on when he was pummeling Ben. He deserved every punch. (Forgive me Lord, but it's true).

Loved seeing Danielle be reunited with her daughter. Ironic that they both tied Ben up together.

Can't believe that the one-eyed guy (forget his name) didn't die, again.

Seems to me that the writers of the show have gotten back on track with these last few shows. It's going to be a loooong wait for me.

Sigh.

More Thoughts on Illegal Immigration

Thomas Sowell has written a great column that got me asking some questions.

Sowell states that:

Virtually every step — even token steps — that Congress and the administration have taken toward securing the border has been backed into under pressure from the voters.

The National Guardsmen who were sent to the border but not assigned to guard the border, the 700-mile fence on paper that has become the two-mile fence in practice, and the existing “tough” penalties for the crime of crossing the border illegally that in practice mean turning the illegal border crossers loose so that they can try, try again — such actions speak louder than words.

This makes my head want to explode! Why is it only when faced with pressure from voters do they take upholding the law seriously? How can it be that our government is so ineffective in following through on what they promised? What good is stepping up "tough" penalites when they are never carried out?

Sowell goes on about their motives:

This bill gets the issue off the table and out of the political spotlight. That solves the problem of politicians who want to mollify American voters in general without risking the loss of the Hispanic vote.

The Hispanic vote can be expected to become larger and larger as the new de facto amnesty can be expected to increase the number of illegal border crossers, just as the previous — and honestly labeled — amnesty bill of 1986 led to a quadrupling of the number of illegals.

The larger the Hispanic vote becomes, the less seriously are the restrictive features of the immigration bill likely to be enforced.

Hispanic vote? I have a silly question, Don't you need to be a citizen of our country to vote in a federal election? Or is this just another law tossed to the wayside? The voter application I saw stated that you need to be. If that federal law was enforced it would take the politics out of illegal immigration.

I'm tired of being mollified by congress and the Bush administration's soft stance on this issue.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Christianity Today's 2007 Book Awards

Looking for something good to read?

Check out Christianity Today's Winners:

This year, 43 publishers nominated 291 titles. CT editors selected the top books in each category, and then panels of judges—one panel for each category—voted. In the end, we chose 22 titles that bring understanding to people, events, and ideas that shape evangelical life, thought, and mission. Selections from judges' comments are below.

This book looks interesting to me because I love apologetics:

The Language of God: 'A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
Francis S. Collins (Free Press)

Our judges said:
"Faces head-on the most tactically challenging issues that keep people from Christian faith in our time with both clarity and charity. And by showing a Christian who loves creation, science, his neighbors, and his Lord, it presents a rare and welcome picture of mature Christian character."

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Parenting Eye-Opener

We have three daughters. Two are teenagers (sigh) who are growing up so fast.

Every now and then I get hit up side the head (not literally) with something I should know by now as a parent. I admit at times, that I kinda fall asleep behind the wheel of parenting. It is definitely not intentional. Let me change metaphors here, I liken it to being lulled to sleep in a boat that is gently gliding along a peaceful river, only to wake up and discover that you are about to enter some fierce rapids. All of a sudden you jerk awake and realize how close to danger you have allowed yourself to get (parently speaking).

Such is what I discovered this afternoon when we (my girls and I) got home from school. The end of the year is approaching and we are all kind of weary. We pray nightly that we persevere strongly to the last day of school; academically for them, for me in commuting them the 40 miles a day.

My husband and I made the decision to send our girls to a Christian school when our oldest was entering 7th grade. No, it is not convienient or cheap but the sacrifice is definitely worth it.

I should insert a disclaimer here because I don't want anyone to think that we have abdicated our children's education solely to their teachers. But I must confess, the 3 years that they have been in the school I have become relaxed about teaching them the bible. Now it is part of their educational curriculum; whereas when they were in public school I was much more diligent.

Today I found out that my 13 year old is failing bible. That's right, failing bible in a Christian school! I was livid. My parenting indignation was fomenting! Is this why we are sending her to a Christian school so she can *not* learn the bible? She is studying the Old Testament and she said it is boring. God's word, boring. Okay, I know the O.T. can be hard to understand unless you see scripture as one story, and that is the story of redemption.

The bottom line is, she needs to take responsibility for her lazy learning attitude and I need to take back the responsibility of teaching her about our Christian faith. That is my (our) job as parents, not the school. I realized I had become complacent about explaining biblical truth and doctrine to her. Complacent about teaching her the what's and why's of the Christian faith.

Thank you God, for in your providence you have opened my eyes to my lack of diligence in teaching my daughters your Word. Thank you for the gift of forgiveness.

Thank you for bringing me back to Deuteronomy 6:5-7,

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Can't Resist This Quote

"A country which cannot control its borders loses control of its destiny,"

Rep. Peter T. King, New York Republican and ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, described illegal immigration as a homeland security issue -- citing the recent arrests in a plot to kill soldiers at Fort Dix, N.J.

Illegal Immigration Mocks the Law

Why have immigration laws if obedience to them are arbitrary?

Arbitrary is defined in Webster's dictionary as "based on or determined by individual preference or convenience rather than by necessity".

What message does it send to the illegals who are here that it is okay to mock our laws? Can we really expect them to obey the laws after they have been given amnesty?

Who cares that there are laws for immigrating to this country? Who cares that the I.N.S. is so bloated with bureaucratic paper shuffling so as to make it null and void? For that matter, who cares that it is illegal to steal, rape, murder, drive without a seat belt, speed, mow your lawn before 8 a.m and so on and so on.

John Mark Reynolds asserts that:

illegal immigration is a law enforcement problem. Any solution to it must start with the basic flouting of law by businesses that hire illegals and by those who cross America’s borders without permission. Until this is stopped (or brought under control), the law is being mocked and republics cannot allow the law be mocked.
[...]
To simply make legal what was illegal, protecting scoff laws in business from their crimes, risks total break down in the need assumption that in America it is (generally) better to play by the rules than not.
[...]
For humane and merciful reasons, once the law is no longer bleeding daily from multiple wounds on our border, forgiveness can be the order of the day. We can begin with common sense and mercy to deal with the humans (all created in God’s image) who are here illegally.

If the law is not upheld, what will stop anarchy from becoming the law of the land?

"If everyone [does] what is right in their own eyes" [Judges 21:25], what will be the future for our country?

*Update: See what I mean?

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Biblical Holiness Quote

Good thoughts to think on the Lord's Day:

If we read the biblical understanding of holiness through the lens of our relationship to God, Jesus, as the unique revelation of God, becomes preeminent. Too often, our notions of holiness are lifted from the Old Testament without understanding them in light of God's self-revelation in Jesus. And those who have responded in faith to the revelation of God in Jesus Christ have been united with Christ.

To be a Christian means far more than merely to believe in God—as if the Christian faith were reducible to a system of beliefs—it means to be united with Jesus in and through the Holy Spirit. "I have been crucified with Christ," says Paul, "and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). Elsewhere, Paul tells us that our lives are "hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3) and that we have been "seated with [God] in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). Passages like these convey the mysterious, yet utterly real fact that, by virtue of our union with Jesus, we participate in the life of God: He dwells in us, and we dwell in him. As such, we can say that in Christ, God's holiness is our holiness In Christ, we are already holy. Any and all subsequent notions of what it means to be holy must be predicated on this truth.

As we seek to understand the implications of God's call to holiness for our lives, we must maintain the priority of our union with Christ. "We love because he first loved us," John tells us (1 John 4:19). The entire biblical narrative of God's covenant-making with his people reveals that it is only in loving response to what God has done that we lead holy lives.

Indeed, the very possibility of holiness exists only by virtue of God's gracious, saving initiative in human life and history. Our response to God's initiative is grounded and established in the perfect holiness that is already ours in Jesus Christ. Anything short of this understanding will collapse back into the notion that holiness is our doing, rather than God's. But when this priority is maintained, it provides an unshakeable foundation upon which our faltering attempts to lead holy lives may be rooted and established.

Read entire article here.
Joel Scandrett (Ph.D., Drew University) is associate editor of reference and academic books at InterVarsity Press.

Are you rooted in His holiness?

Saturday, May 19, 2007

I'm tired and need a break

As you probably can understand, I've had a very busy year! Between blogging, blogrolls, writing and leading a Bible study, writing exegesis papers and digests, schleping my kids back and forth to school, studying for midterms, finals, Greek exams, Hebrew quizzes, etc., etc., etc.

So, I'm taking a break and relaxing. No Internet, no email, no blogrolls, no blogs and now that my semester has ended, no seminary work. Just being a mom and enjoying life.

Susan has assured me that she will be posting at least once a day. So, keep checking back and see what she blogs about. Looks like illegal immigration will be the issue of the week. I picked a great week to take a break from politics.

I will see you in a week!

Thompson Responds to the Pajamas Media Poll

Here. He makes some interesting points about bipartisanship but it's not really what I want to be hear right now. I want someone who'll fight for our principles not someone who will negotiate them away.

And it's not realistic in this political climate to work with the Democrats in true bipartisanship. Heck! The Republicans can't even get along, what makes Thompson think the new president would be able bring everyone together in a effort to do what's right for this country..

Sorry, we don't want a consensus builder for president. We want an advocate for conservative principles, someone who will further our agenda at the expense of the moderates and liberals.

The attack tortoise

I need one of these to keep the neighborhood cats out of my back yard.

Friday, May 18, 2007

What I've learned so far in seminary...

That I've got a long way to go in trusting God. I blog about it here.

Right Immigration Revolt

Wanted to add this to your reading list, along with Michele's post below.

It has great round-up reaction to the latest proposed "amnesty" bill.

Scroll down for info about the previously flawed immigration bills that were passed and the consequences we are reaping for them now.

Modest Clothes for Teenagers

Any parent of a teenage girl knows that it's almost impossible to buy anything for them to wear that doesn't look like they have taken up a career in prostitution. The clothes are low-cut, tight, thin and revealing. People may wonder why Christian moms let their kids dress like that for church but it may be that they shopped for hours and that was the most modest thing they could find.

Well, now there's a decent alternative. Christa Taylor has started a new line of trendy and modest clothing for teenage girls. And it does live up to it's name. The clothes are similar to what you would find in the junior department of the store without being low-cut and cheap looking. They have some really nice choices. The prices are reasonable, too.

The only problem I had with the line is that the swimwear wasn't trendy at all, in fact it looked like it was from their 20's (maybe it was retro). I was assured that they would be adding to the collection when I asked them about it. I hope that they can come up with a decent solution to the problem of modest swimwear because I'm not mean enough to make my daughter wear that to the beach or pool.

Al Gore has lost his love of politics

This is a good thing! Al Gore struck me as someone who felt he was entitled to the White House. It's good to move on and do other things (even if those other things mean you harass others into altering their life style while you continue doing whatever you want to do):

Former U.S. vice president Al Gore says he has "fallen out of love with politics" and does not want to run for president although he has not ruled it out completely.

"If I do my job right, all the candidates will be talking about the climate crisis," Gore said in an interview with Time Magazine released on Thursday.

"And I'm not convinced the presidency is the highest and best role I could play."

I wonder what the draft Al Gore movement thinks of this. Is it the final word or is he still considering a run? There is a pretty strong desire to draft Al Gore since some in the party think Clinton is the devil and Obama is too inexperienced.

But the most interesting part of the article was this stunning admission:

The Time article also includes an excerpt from Gore's new book, "The Assault on Reason," in which he writes: "It is too easy and too partisan to simply place the blame on the policies of President George W. Bush.

"We are all responsible for the decisions our country makes. We have a Congress. We have an independent judiciary. We have checks and balances. We are a nation of laws. We have free speech. We have a free press. Why have they all failed us? ... American democracy is now in danger not from any one set of ideas, but from unprecedented changes in the environment within which ideas either live and spread, or wither and die."

As far as the left is concerned it's blaspheme to say that Bush isn't the blame for something. He's the reason for everything that is evil in the world.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Blogger just got much better....

A round of applause for Blogger:

Because it is now autosaves! No more losing my posts when Firefox crashes.

Fred Thompson comments on the Illegal Immigration Bill

And demonstrates that he gets the frustration of the American public with Washington on this issue.

If you've got someone like Hewitt unhappy with the bill, it must be really bad.

Christopher Hitchens on the death of Jerry Falwell

Let's talk morality and ethics, Christopher Hitchens. How moral is it to go on a national cable show and call a man who has just died a "little toad" and a "little person?" Can't you wait a few days before you tart beating up the corpse? Maybe wait until the family has gotten a chance to bury him before you spit on his grave.

I wasn't a fan of Jerry Falwell before he died. I didn't agree with his views on much of anything but he was a Christian. That is clear from his words and deeds. I believe that he was incredibly misguided and that his dispensational premillenial view caused him to say some pretty silly things but he is my brother in Christ. I think that this take is probably pretty close to what I feel about him.

Those of you who would deny that Falwell was a Christian and want to see him in hell will not get your wish. He clearly loved the Lord and believed that he was serving him. Hitchens is wrong when he compares Falwell to Elmer Gantry and states that he took glee in duping gullible people and that he really didn't believe what he said. It is obvious to anyone, except for the most virulent theophobe, that Falwell believed and lived in the truth of what he preached and men like Hitchens will never be able to understand that.

One benefit of the interview is that Hitchens isn't wearing a false mask of human compassion. His hatred of Christians is clearly evident in his words. This is the face of atheism today. Attractive, isn't it? I guess the days of tolerance (if they ever existed) are over and now we can look forward to atheist fundamentalists who want to convert us with their rationalism and their ridicule.

The Unreported Murder

Have you heard about this?

This gruesome murder happened and it is a non-story? Why?

Michelle Malkin said one of the reasons is "because the MSM is too busy picking the bones of the latest hollywood carcass to care". I agree. I'm so tired of hearing about Anna, Lindsay, Brittney!

My heart and prayers go out to the families of this tragic, heinous crime. Thankfully the murderers were caught and will be brought to justice.

Clinton wants help picking a campaign theme song

What are your suggestions? Here's mine:

It works on so many levels! (For my modem-dependent readers, it's "Everybody's Fool" by Evanescence)

Here are her choices. Here are Club for Growth's suggestions.

You can vote here (and yes, she does give you a write in option).

Republican Debate Video: Ron Paul's 9-11 Comment

Does he think he's running as a Democrat? I can't understand the right's love of this guy. There are people out there who are spamming polls for this guy, why? Notice the wild, sustained applause for Rudy's response to Paul's 9-11 comment. This is the base, these are the voters he has to attract to win the nomination. It's never going to happen.

OK, here are the words of bin Laden on why they attacked us. It's a long list, it's not as simplistic as Iraq. Notice the first thing: Israel. Does Ron Paul suggest we cease aiding Israel (I know that's a policy that many on the left support)? Notice how far down the list Iraq is and also notice the reason bin Laden sites Iraq: the food for oil program. I know that many isolationists like Ron Paul supported that program as a way to contain Hussein. It appears to have had it's own "blowback."

Some American writers have published articles under the title 'On what basis are we fighting?' These articles have generated a number of responses, some of which adhered to the truth and were based on Islamic Law, and others which have not. Here we wanted to outline the truth - as an explanation and warning - hoping for Allah's reward, seeking success and support from Him.

While seeking Allah's help, we form our reply based on two questions directed at the Americans:

(Q1) Why are we fighting and opposing you?
Q2)What are we calling you to, and what do we want from you?

As for the first question: Why are we fighting and opposing you? The answer is very simple:

(1) Because you attacked us and continue to attack us.

a) You attacked us in Palestine:

(i) Palestine, which has sunk under military occupation for more than 80 years. The British handed over Palestine, with your help and your support, to the Jews, who have occupied it for more than 50 years; years overflowing with oppression, tyranny, crimes, killing, expulsion, destruction and devastation. The creation and continuation of Israel is one of the greatest crimes, and you are the leaders of its criminals. And of course there is no need to explain and prove the degree of American support for Israel. The creation of Israel is a crime which must be erased. Each and every person whose hands have become polluted in the contribution towards this crime must pay its*price, and pay for it heavily.

(ii) It brings us both laughter and tears to see that you have not yet tired of repeating your fabricated lies that the Jews have a historical right to Palestine, as it was promised to them in the Torah. Anyone who disputes with them on this alleged fact is accused of anti-semitism. This is one of the most fallacious, widely-circulated fabrications in history. The people of Palestine are pure Arabs and original Semites. It is the Muslims who are the inheritors of Moses (peace be upon him) and the inheritors of the real Torah that has not been changed. Muslims believe in all of the Prophets, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all. If the followers of Moses have been promised a right to Palestine in the Torah, then the Muslims are the most worthy nation of this.

When the Muslims conquered Palestine and drove out the Romans, Palestine and Jerusalem returned to Islaam, the religion of all the Prophets peace be upon them. Therefore, the call to a historical right to Palestine cannot be raised against the Islamic Ummah that believes in all the Prophets of Allah (peace and blessings be upon them) - and we make no distinction between them.

(iii) The blood pouring out of Palestine must be equally revenged. You must know that the Palestinians do not cry alone; their women are not widowed alone; their sons are not orphaned alone.

(b) You attacked us in Somalia; you supported the Russian atrocities against us in Chechnya, the Indian oppression against us in Kashmir, and the Jewish aggression against us in Lebanon.

(c) Under your supervision, consent and orders, the governments of our countries which act as your agents, attack us on a daily basis;

(i) These governments prevent our people from establishing the Islamic Shariah, using violence and lies to do so.

(ii) These governments give us a taste of humiliation, and places us in a large prison of fear and subdual.

(iii) These governments steal our Ummah's wealth and sell them to you at a paltry price.

(iv) These governments have surrendered to the Jews, and handed them most of Palestine, acknowledging the existence of their state over the dismembered limbs of their own people.

(v) The removal of these governments is an obligation upon us, and a necessary step to free the Ummah, to make the Shariah the supreme law and to regain Palestine. And our fight against these governments is not separate from out fight against you.

(d) You steal our wealth and oil at paltry prices because of you international influence and military threats. This theft is indeed the biggest theft ever witnessed by mankind in the history of the world.

(e) Your forces occupy our countries; you spread your military bases throughout them; you corrupt our lands, and you besiege our sanctities, to protect the security of the Jews and to ensure the continuity of your pillage of our treasures.

(f) You have starved the Muslims of Iraq, where children die every day. It is a wonder that more than 1.5 million Iraqi children have died as a result of your sanctions, and you did not show concern. Yet when 3000 of your people died, the entire world rises and has not yet sat down.

It's clear from this list that bin Laden would have us just stay in our country as he institutes Sharia law wherever al-Qaeda decides to take up residence. Maybe isolationists like Ron Paul see this as an acceptable solution to our war against Islamic fascists but thankfully we have many in the party who don't. Every single female, Christian, homosexual, Buddist (well, this one's going to be tough for them), Hindu, atheist, etc. needs to fight to make sure Sharia law isn't instituted around the world because if it were, we would all be condemned under it and subject to death and forced conversions.

BTW, if you doubt this is his intention, read his list under "What are we calling you to, and what do we want from you?" What is the first thing he is calling us to do?

(1) The first thing that we are calling you to is Islam.

(a) The religion of the Unification of God; of freedom from associating partners with Him, and rejection of this; of complete love of Him, the Exalted; of complete submission to His Laws; and of the discarding of all the opinions, orders, theories and religions which contradict with the religion He sent down to His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Islam is the religion of all the prophets, and makes no distinction between them - peace be upon them all.

It is to this religion that we call you; the seal of all the previous religions. It is the religion of Unification of God, sincerity, the best of manners, righteousness, mercy, honour, purity, and piety. It is the religion of showing kindness to others, establishing justice between them, granting them their rights, and defending the oppressed and the persecuted. It is the religion of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil with the hand, tongue and heart. It is the religion of Jihad in the way of Allah so that Allah's Word and religion reign Supreme. And it is the religion of unity and agreement on the obedience to Allah, and total equality between all people, without regarding their colour, sex, or language.

(b) It is the religion whose book - the Quran - will remained preserved and unchanged, after the other Divine books and messages have been changed. The Quran is the miracle until the Day of Judgment. Allah has challenged anyone to bring a book like the Quran or even ten verses like it.

Notice the second thing that he wants us to do (and this is a shorten list, he has much more against us than this):

(2) The second thing we call you to, is to stop your oppression, lies, immorality and debauchery that has spread among you.

(a) We call you to be a people of manners, principles, honour, and purity; to reject the immoral acts of fornication, homosexuality, intoxicants, gambling's, and trading with interest.

We call you to all of this that you may be freed from that which you have become caught up in; that you may be freed from the deceptive lies that you are a great nation, that your leaders spread amongst you to conceal from you the despicable state to which you have reached.

(b) It is saddening to tell you that you are the worst civilization witnessed by the history of mankind:

(i) You are the nation who, rather than ruling by the Shariah of Allah in its Constitution and Laws, choose to invent your own laws as you will and desire. You separate religion from your policies, contradicting the pure nature which affirms Absolute Authority to the Lord and your Creator. You flee from the embarrassing question posed to you: How is it possible for Allah the Almighty to create His creation, grant them power over all the creatures and land, grant them all the amenities of life, and then deny them that which they are most in need of: knowledge of the laws which govern their lives?

(ii) You are the nation that permits Usury, which has been forbidden by all the religions. Yet you build your economy and investments on Usury. As a result of this, in all its different forms and guises, the Jews have taken control of your economy, through which they have then taken control of your media, and now control all aspects of your life making you their servants and achieving their aims at your expense; precisely what Benjamin Franklin warned you against.

(iii) You are a nation that permits the production, trading and usage of intoxicants. You also permit drugs, and only forbid the trade of them, even though your nation is the largest consumer of them.

(iv) You are a nation that permits acts of immorality, and you consider them to be pillars of personal freedom. You have continued to sink down this abyss from level to level until incest has spread amongst you, in the face of which neither your sense of honour nor your laws object.

Who can forget your President Clinton's immoral acts committed in the official Oval office? After that you did not even bring him to account, other than that he 'made a mistake', after which everything passed with no punishment. Is there a worse kind of event for which your name will go down in history and remembered by nations?

The only way to end this war peacefully and through negotiations (as Paul believed the founding fathers advocated) would be to allow al-Qaeda to set up Sharia law. Do we really want a leader who doesn't get that?

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Christians have 10 Days to Convert to Islam in Pakistan

A religion that forces people to worship, isn't much of a religion. The Pakistanis are demonstrating what we all know: Islam doesn't mean peace it means submission:

Christians in Charsadda, a town in North-West Frontier Province in Pakistan, have been warned that if they do not convert to Islam by 17 May they will face “dire consequences and bomb explosions”, Christian Today has learned.

The threats were made in a letter circulated last week to the town’s Christian population, according to the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance.

They come as Pakistan’s National Assembly overwhelmingly rejected proposed amendments to the blasphemy laws, which were tabled by a minority representative Member of Parliament, Mr Bhandara. On 8 May, the Government led the movement in the National Assembly to defeat the reforms.

Under the existing blasphemy laws, anyone convicted of blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammad faces life imprisonment or the death penalty, according to section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Mr Bhandara, a Parsi, proposed a bill which would amend the penalty for blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammad to a five year prison sentence and a fine. He also proposed applying the law to other religions, not only Islam.

His proposals were greeted with cries of “shame” from Government and opposition benches and were rejected by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister as un-Islamic. “Islam is our religion and such bills hurt our feelings. This is not a secular state but the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” the Minister said according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

In a statement, APMA said: “Christians and other religious minorities are being roped into false cases under the blasphemy law. They are being murdered by zealots … This law is proving to be a sword hanging on the heads of non-Muslims and secular-minded people.

Join me in praying for the Christians in Islamic nations. They are being persecuted daily and yet they persevere in the faith despite the danger. Praise be to God that he's given them such strong faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Iraq withdrawal defeated in Senate

If the American people were so against this war, do you think that this bill would have lost by 67-29?

The Senate on Wednesday rejected legislation that would cut off money for combat operations in Iraq after March 31, 2008.

The vote was a loss for Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., and other Democrats who want to end the war. But the effort picked up support from members, including presidential hopefuls previously reluctant to limit war funding — an indication of the conflict's unpopularity among voters.

The proposal lost 29-67 on a procedural vote, falling 31 votes short of the necessary votes to advance.

The Senate also narrowly rejected a proposal by Republican moderates intended to restrict U.S. aid for Iraq, after Democratic leaders lashed out against the proposal as too weak. The 52-44 vote was widely supported by Republicans, but fell eight votes shy of the required 60.

The Senate agreed only on a nonbinding resolution expressing the need to pass a war spending bill by Memorial Day. That proposal passed by an 87-9 vote.

Another nonbinding resolution? They love those, don't they?

I am sooo smiling!!!

Cause I'm done!!

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Celebrate with me, people!

Thanks so much for the prayers, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can live again. I can read novels and watch TV. I can take my daughters shopping and I can finally blog again.

More Evidence of Saddam-al Qaeda Ties

Interesting...

An al Qaeda document newly released by the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) of the United States Military Academy provides an extraordinary new connection to a previously reported order by Saddam Hussein to support al Qaeda attacks upon US forces in Somalia. It corresponds with other documents that show Saddam Hussein was using Islamic terrorists as proxies to attack US interests.

[...]

The al Qaeda document is entitled The Ogaden File: Operation Holding (Al-Msk). Its' name refers to a tribal region of Ethiopia extending into Somalia (Ogaden) and ‘al-Msk' is an acronym for the Mission to hold Somalia and Kenya. The file is a personal log about a group of al Qaeda terrorists sent to Somalia in 1993 to provide military training to local Islamic militants. Islamic fighters trained by al Qaeda would later >kill 18 Army Special Forces soldiersBlack Hawk Down. The US government confirmed the involvement of al Qaeda and Usama bin Laden in a 1998 indictment against him for the Somali attacks.

The al Qaeda document itself provides a fascinating look at training operations of an expeditionary nature in hostile territory. It lists several terrorists who subsequently became high ranking al Qaeda leaders (most were later killed or captured by US forces). Many of them were Egyptians with the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) terror group led by al Qaeda number two man Ayman al Zawahiri. The log was written by an al Qaeda terrorist named Saif al-Islam al Masri who was known to be a leader of al Qaeda in Somalia and an EIJ leader. He is now in US custody.

I wonder if anyone in the MSM will pick up on this?

Doubt it.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Fred Thompson Responds to Michael Moore's Debate Challenge

Video here (via).

With a cigar in his hand he responds to Michael Moore's comments with a slam dunk! You've got to love him as a candidate. He just proved he's not George Bush!

BTW, why does all the news happen when I can't comment? I so want to say something more about Michael Moore's comments but it will have to wait until after my final. Back to work.

Jerry Falwell Has Died

Breaking News:

LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) - The Rev. Jerry Falwell, the television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority and used it to mold the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University. He was 73.

Ron Godwin, the university's executive vice president, said Falwell, 73, was found unresponsive late Tuesday morning and taken to Lynchburg General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

"I had breakfast with him, and he was fine at breakfast," Godwin said. "He went to his office, I went to mine, and they found him unresponsive."

Pray for his family.

Teachers "Cry Wolf" and Terrify Students

What ever happened to the obligatory fire drill? You know, the one where students are told ahead of time what will take place so that it will not cause fear and panic.

This was in very poor judgement:

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) -- Two school employees who staged a fake gun attack on a group of students during a field trip have been suspended, school officials said Monday.

During the last night of a weeklong trip to a state park, staff members convinced 69 sixth-grade students from Scales Elementary School that there was a gunman on the loose.

The students were told to lie on the floor or hide underneath tables and stay quiet. After the lights went out, some of the children began to cry. A teacher, disguised in a hooded sweat shirt, pulled on locked doors.

I've been thinking about how I would have reacted if I was one of those sixth-graders. I would have been terrified. I understand that the Asst.Principal and teacher thought they were trying teach the students something, but what? How to mistrust their teachers, how to be anxious in school?

What they did is the equivalent of yelling "fire" in a crowded theater; they should be fired.

Monday, May 14, 2007

See you Wednesday!

Sorry guys but I'm under the gun for this exam and I have to turn all of my attention to it. Please pray that I will be able to complete all the readings and study the class notes before Wednesday.

Check back in to see if Susan posted something (she might notice that I'm busy and be gracious enough to post knowing that I'm unable to so :-)

In the mean time, Adrian Warnock has been doing a series of posts on the atonement. I've linked to his atonement label, so you'll need to scroll down a bit. If you've missed them, go check them out. The doctrine of atonement is under attack as he explains here, go read the quote, it's really quite illogical -- when you take away substitution and the wrath of God you're left with no reason for the cross.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the moms out there including my mom and mom-in-law, enjoy your day. I'll be spending mine studying for my final.

Thompson's edited prepared speech

He must have had confidence in his speech writing ability to attempt to rewrite a speech that he was using to introduce himself to the American people. Unfortunately, it was misplaced confidence. From Novak's column:

Fred Thompson's admittedly disappointing debut as a potential presidential candidate addressing Republicans in Orange County, Calif., May 4 stemmed from his decision to personally rewrite an effective speech written for him.

A 1,600-word excerpt from the prepared speech, put on the Internet, energized conservative activists in Washington. But the actor-politician sat down in his Balboa Bay Club suite to rewrite the speech. Thompson does not like to read from texts, and he reduced his rewrite to notes that became the basis for his presentation.

The final version delivered was less tightly organized and more verbose than his prepared remarks. It omitted making common cause with Sen. Tom Coburn's crusade against pork, and added a concluding anecdote about talking issues with sixth-grade students.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

91 year-old WWII vet is beaten and his car is stole while crowd watches

Thankfully the man was arrested. Here's a video of the incident.

(via)

Bullies and drug dealers

Karol of Alarming News grew up in the neighborhood with two of the Fort Dix jihadists:

When Elvis and Dritan Duka, two of the three brothers arrested on terrorism charges in Fort Dix, were kids, they were neighborhood bullies. When they got a little older, they became drug dealers.

(via)

I guess once a bully, always a bully.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Monday, May 28, 2007

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Friday, May 25, 2007

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Monday, May 21, 2007

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Friday, May 18, 2007

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Monday, May 14, 2007

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Saturday, May 12, 2007

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