Monthly Archives: March 2008

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Organization of the Week:

ASA, the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. We do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy.

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No beer at the barber shop in my town...

"Barbershop asks attorney general to OK free beer "

Here's the thing...I know a woman who goes to a particular beauty salon because they give her champaign during her hair cut. But the guys can't get a beer?

I think that it should either "cut" both ways or not at all.

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The Amish are being prosecuted for not keeping up with technology...

MORRISTOWN, N.Y. (AP) _ The religious rights of 10 Old Order Amish men are being violated by an upstate New York town that is selectively prosecuting them for building homes without permits, a national public interest group charged Tuesday.

Meanwhile, elected officials in rural Morristown accuse the state of turning its back on them in the dispute, which the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty said involves discrimination against the Amish.(...)

The fight began in July 2006 when a member of the conservative Swartzentruber sect was charged with building a house without a permit. Since then, nine other Amish men have been cited for failing to adhere to the town's building code.

Building codes are established by the state and enforced by towns, villages and cities. Morristown updated its 22-year-old building codes in 2006 based on a model law provided by the state. The code requires new and existing structures "to keep pace with advances in technology in fire protection and building construction."

"The basis of the Old Order Amish faith is that they don't conform to new technology," said Steve Ballan, the St. Lawrence County assistant public defender who is representing the Amish men. "So if you have a law that says you have to keep pace with technology, that's the same as having a law that says no Amish allowed."

The men do not deny building houses without permits. They are willing to purchase building permits, but contend the requirements of the codes _ such as having smoke detectors, submitting engineering plans and allowing inspections _ violate their religious beliefs, Ballan said.

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MMM...chocolate.

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Things I have learned:

  • except for carrots and cherry tomatoes, buy my vegetables in a can or frozen.
  • bananas travel pretty well
  • eat the rainbow!

Each basic color of fruits and vegetables have a variety of nutrients. By eating a variety of colors you get a wider variety of nutrients

(this is NOT anywhere close to being a complete list of foods)
The reds: tomatoes, berries, peppers, radishes provide nutrients that lowers blood pressure, reduce LDL cholesterol, and supports joint tissue

The Orange/yellows: carrots, yams, squash, papaya also lower LDL cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, promotes collagen formation (for joint support) and works with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones

White veggies (mushrooms, white tea, flaxseed and pumpkin) boosts immunity, may reduce risks of certain cancers, including hormone-related cancers.

Greens (wheat grass, spinach, sprouts and other greens) lower blood pressure, supports retinal health, boosts immunity and lower LDL cholesterol.

Purple/blue fruits and veggies (blueberries, pomegranates, grapes, eggplants and prunes may protect brain cells against Alzheimer's and other oxidative-related diseases, lowers LDL cholesterol and prevents LDL oxidation, helps the body fight allergens...

😉

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And a plea for logical thinking.

The bottom line (one) is:  Is Scripture sufficient?

The bottom line (two) is:  Is Scripture trustworthy?

The text for our Palm Sunday was one that I had not heard preached on Palm Sunday - Acts 14.

(3)So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.

(...)

(19)But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

When the truth is preached, people respond. Paul consistently preached the truth, regardless of the consequences.
Here is Acts 16:

(19)But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice." The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Paul was a man who preached the truth. Every chance he got, he preached the truth. He was beaten, imprisoned, threatened with death, beaten more, imprisoned more, threatened more.

And still he preached the truth.

He knew that he was going to be martyred

2 Tim. 4:6For 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.

Peter watched James be martyred by Herod.

Acts 12:1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

and Peter watched. Peter was also threatened and imprisoned.

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.

We read of Paul being beaten, imprisoned, beaten more, threatened with death.

We read of Peter being imprisoned after watching James be martyred.

And yet they continued to preach the gospel...even under the threat of death...and the eventually DID die for the gospel; one was beheaded, the other crucified.

And yet...these are the same men who wrote PRIVATE letters to congregations and wrote

(1 Peter 3) Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands (...) Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

and

(Col. 3:18) Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

These are men who suffered and died to preach the truth of the gospel. And yet, in private letters to congregations, we see not one specific instruction to (specifically) husbands to (specifically) submit to (specifically) their wives...because they were concerned about what the authorities would say?

It would seem that men who were willing to die for the truth would be willing to write to congregations in private letters what they were really wanted to teach.

We have the same man who wrote that we ought to obey God rather than man...pandered to the culture and neglected to write that (in the face of impending martyrdom for the truth) (specifically) husbands should (specifically) submit to (specifically) their wives...because they were concerned about the authorities.

These are questions that egalitarians don't appear to like...at least I've asked it a number of times and I don't recall seeing it addressed when I've asked it.

1) Why would the same Pater who said, "We must obey God rather than men!" have obeyed the culture of those same men when teaching the truth of God concerning the submission of husbands to wives?

2) Why would the same Paul who was beaten, imprisoned, and martyred for preaching truth of God in the face of governmental persecution - why would this Paul have neglected a teaching about relationships between husbands and wives out of concern for what the governmental authorities might think?
3) If we believe the Scriptures are inspired by God and are "breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work"...why did "inspired" Scripture leave out this teaching (unless it isn't really a teaching)?

4) If Paul wrote what God breathed out, why was GOD pandering to the culture?

5) Paul preached Christ crucified (the equivalent of us teaching to follow a common criminal executed by hanging) - why would he have been concerned about what culture thought...when preaching such an UNcultural truth?
NOTE ON COMMENTS: stick to the specific questions or comments will be closed.

Back to the bottom lines:

(one) Is Scripture sufficient?  Or does it leave us on a "trajectory"?

(two) Is Scripture trustworthy?  Or does it leave out specific instructions in order to pander to culture?

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organization of the "week"

 

Each year millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in more than 60 countries around the world.

VSA arts programming and initiatives are guided by four essential principles:

 

  • Every young person with a disability deserves access to high quality arts learning experiences.
  • All artists in schools and art educators should be prepared to include students with disabilities in their instruction.
  • All children, youth, and adults with disabilities should have complete access to cultural facilities and activities.
  • All individuals with disabilities who aspire to careers in the arts should have the opportunity to develop appropriate skills.

 

 

Inclusion teaches us that all means all. Everybody. No exceptions. The arts invite people to leave familiar territory, to explore new answers and seek new questions. The arts offer a means to self-expression, communication, and independence. By learning through the arts, students become lifelong learners, experiencing the joy of discovery and exploration, and the value of each other's ideas.

VSA arts is committed to driving change - changing perceptions and practice, classroom by classroom, community by community, and ultimately society.

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From "Ask the Pastor"

Therefore, whether or not “obey” appears in the vows, a devout Christian wife desires to do everything according to her husband’s will. In this, she models the Church’s submission to her Bridegroom. Meanwhile, even as he heads the household, the believing husband still places all of his wife’s needs ahead of his own and gives her no cause to rebel against his decisions, whether or not she has promised to obey him, because his love for her is absolute.

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Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

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But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a newcovenantwith the house of Israel and the house of Judah,

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the newcovenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

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Just be weighing in on the Democrat Primary "do-over" wishes of the Michigan Democrat Party.

Sorry folks, you all blew it.

Brief history:

MICHIGAN: One could almost write a book on the machinations around Michigan's Jan. 15, 2008 primary date. Michigan Democrats, in particular Sen. Carl Levin, led the effort to challenge New Hampshire's privileged first-in-the-nation status. Levin was the driving force behind creation of the DNC Commission on Presidential Nomination Timing and Scheduling which ran in 2005-06. In April 2006 Michigan Democrats applied to the DNC for Michigan to be one of the new early pre-window states; however the DNC approved Nevada and South Carolina. Fast-forward to 2007. On Aug. 22, 2007, the Republican-controlled State Senate approved by a vote of 21 to 17 S.B. 624, which, as amended, required a statewide presidential primary election on Jan. 15, 2008 (the original bill set a date of January 29). (reactions). On Aug. 30, the Democratic-controlled House passed the legislation by a vote of 67 to 34, and the same day the Senate passed a concurred version of the bill. (letter to candidates). Gov. Granholm signed the measure into law on Sept. 4. (press release). However, on Oct. 24 Mark Grebner, an East Lansing political consultant, filed suit challenging the constitutionality of a provision of the law granting exclusive rights of voter lists to the Democratic and Republican parties. (related) In Nov. 2007 Ingham County Circuit Court Chief Judge William E. Collette issued an order prohibiting the Jan. 15 primary. The Court of Appeals upheld the ruling on Nov. 16. There were efforts to pass a legislative remedy and the parties prepared back-up plans. (press release). Finally on Nov. 21 the Michigan Supreme Court reversed the lower court rulings. (reactions). The Jan. 15 date violates Democratic and Republican national party rules, and both the DNC and the RNC have vowed to enforce penalties.

The run down. The rules say that Michigan (and others) cannot hold their primary before Iowa and New Hampshire. Michigan and Florida - knowing the rules AND the consequences - chose to hold their primary early. As a result, Michigan (according to the DNC) will have its delegates stripped of their votes. The state of Michigan will have no say in regards to the Democrat candidate for president - as a direct result of the choice that Michigan politicians made.

Fast forward to the rather entertaining contest between Clinton and Obama.

NOW. March.

Everyone in the Democratic Party appears to want to resolve how to include Michigan and Florida delegates at the national convention in August, but few can agree on what the solution should be and no one seems to want to pay for it.

Michigan and Florida were stripped of their combined 313 delegates by the DNC when the states moved their primaries ahead of Feb. 5 , Super Tuesday. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton — as well as the other candidates who had been competing before the Jan. 15 and Jan. 29 primaries respectively — agreed not to campaign in those states. Clinton won both contests, although Obama’s name was not on the ballot in Michigan. (emphasis mine)

Hello? The solution WOULD have been, to follow the rules in the first place! Of course Clinton won - Obama wasn't even on the ballot (having agreed not to campaign in the state - a consequence of Michigan's choice).

Florida and Michigan Governors to DNC and RNC:
Don’t Silence 5,163,271 AmericansTALLAHASSEE- Florida Governor Charlie Crist and Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm released a joint statement today calling on the Democratic and Republican National Committees with a very clear message: Seat our delegates.

Joint Statement from Florida Governor Charlie Crist and Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.

“The right to vote is at the very foundation of our democracy. This primary season, voters have turned out in record numbers to exercise that right, and it is reprehensible that anyone would seek to silence the voices of 5,163,271 Americans. It is intolerable that the national political parties have denied the citizens of Michigan and Florida their votes and voices at their respective national conventions.

According to the DNC and RNC, Florida and Michigan have violated party rules by moving up their primaries. Today, we each will call upon our respective state and national party chairs to resolve this matter and to ensure that the voters of Michigan and Florida are full participants in the formal selection of their parties' nominees. We must restore the rights of the more than 5 million voters whose voices have been silenced.”

With all due respect to the governors involved:  THE PARTIES ARE NOT THE ONES WHO DEPRIVED THE STATES OF THE PRIMARY DELEGATES!!!

You did.  When you signed the bill moving the primaries up KNOWING the consequences.

Clinton wants Florida, Michigan delegates to Democratic convention reinstated.

No me diga.  (ya don't say.)

Clinton could claim most of the Michigan delegates because she won that state's primary after the other major candidates pulled their names from the ballot.

Clinton "won" the Michigan primary AFTER the other major candidates pulled their names off the ballot.

Still, she received only 55 percent of the vote in the Michigan primary, with "uncommitted" garnering about 40 percent.

Okay...being the only person on the ballot, she won the primary by 15%.  I wonder what would have happened if she had been running against an actual person?

She's not factoring in Detroit.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Clinton backer who also supported the primary legislation, said in a statement she was "deeply disappointed" by the failure to enact new primary legislation.

Hmmm...maybe you should have been a little more disappointed in the FIRST one you signed.  You know, the one that got Michigan stripped of its delegate votes to start with?

They knew the rules, knew the consequences, broke the rules, got the consequences and now want a "do-over".

They should suck it up and live with the consequences.

We, the rest of the state of Michigan...have to live with the choices of our politicians every single day.  And our economy is hosed, our unemployment is (fill in the blank), our taxes are...irritating.

Every single day.

DEMOCRAT POLITICIANS WHO MADE THIS BED:  SLEEP IN IT.

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I post these Scriptures each year on Good Friday, looking at the last words of Christ, and reflecting them into both the Old and New Testaments. These words were true when they were written, true a year ago and just as true today.

Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

“God sent me before you to preserve for
you a remnant in the earth, and to keep
you alive by a great deliverance.” Gen. 45:7

“…Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors….”

Today you will be with me in paradise

He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him. Psa. 91:15″

And it shall come to pass that
everyone who calls upon the name of the Lords hall be saved.” Acts 2:21

Woman, here is your son…here is your mother.

Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother’s breast.
From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
Psa. 22:9-10

“If anyone does not provide for his relatives,
and especially for his immediate family,
he has denied the faith and is worse than an
unbeliever. 1 Tim 5:8

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
Psa. 22:1

“He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death,
in order to present you holy and blameless
and above reproach before him” Col. 1:22

I am thirsty

If your enemy is hungry, give him
food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water
to drink. Prov. 25:21

They gave me poison for food,
and for my thirst they gave
me sour wine to drink.
Psa. 69:21

I tell you the truth, anyone who gives
you a cup of water in my name because you
belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
Mark 9:41

It is finished.

“The time is coming,” declares the LORD,
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.” Jer.:13:31

Unlike the other high priests, he does not need
to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins,
and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their
sins once for all when he offered himself. Heb 7:27

Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.

Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. Psa 31:5

“…and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?” John 11:26