Big government throws around taxpayer money without any sense of responsibility or sanity. Larry Edelson notes:
As our country heads toward another midnight fiscal brawl, let me give you some examples of how completely irresponsible our leaders are:
In 2010, the Internal Revenue Service spent $4.1 million on a lavish conference for 2,609 of its employees in Anaheim, California. Expenses included $50,000 for line dancing and “Star Trek” parody videos, and $64,000 in conference perks for employees, plus free meals, cocktails and hotel-suite upgrades.
In 2012, the Department of Agriculture spent $300,000 on activities promoting caviar produced in Idaho.
The Federal Communications Commission spent $2.2 billion in 2012 to provide phones to low-income Americans, up from $819 million in 2008. A review found that 41 percent of over 6 million recipients were either ineligible or failed to prove their eligibility for the program.
The Department of Energy’s Savannah River facility spent $7.7 million on severance packages for 526 temporarily hired contract workers instead of issuing layoff notices. That’s over $14,600 per “temporary” employee.
Taxpayers spent $700 million in stimulus funds on the Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Demonstration Program. An audit found that $12.3 million in reimbursements lacked required supporting documentation.
C.S. Lewis's views on education are marvelous. Amy K. Hall, writing in the Stand to Reason blog, talks about the Minneapolis C.S. Lewis conference this weekend (which I blogged about here) and says:
Joe Rigney, one of the speakers, has put together a book of collected essays
on his topic, Live Like a Narnian: Christian Discipleship in Lewis’s
Chronicles. In the introduction, he explains that good stories play a
part in shaping a person’s true perception of reality by developing a proper
taste in the reader for the good, the true, and the beautiful:
But it’s not enough to simply feel something in response to the objective
reality of the world. You must also feel rightly and proportionately to the way
the world is….
Aristotle says that the aim of education is to make the pupil like and
dislike what he ought [The Abolition of Man, p. 26].
These three realities form the foundation of true education. They also shape
the aim of education….
The little human animal will not at first have the right responses. It must
be trained to feel pleasure, liking, disgust, and hatred at those things which
really are pleasant, likeable, disgusting, and hateful [p. 26-27].
Following Plato, Lewis believed that we ought to initiate the young into
these right responses, even before they are able to rationally understand or
explain what they are feeling. The goal of such inculcation of right responses
is that, when a child raised in this way grows up and encounters Truth,
Goodness, and Beauty, he will welcome them with open arms, because he has been
prepared for, and indeed, resembles them already.
Which brings us, finally, to the function of the Narnian stories in Lewis’s
vision of education. The Narnian stories display through imaginative fiction
and fairy tale the way that the world really is. Here is courage and bravery in
its shining glory. Here is honesty and truth-telling in its simplicity and
profundity. Here is treachery in all its ugliness. Here is the face of Evil.
Here also is the face of Good. A child (or adult) who lives in such stories
will have developed the patterns of thought and affection that will be
well-prepared to embrace the True, the Good, and the Beautiful (that is, to
embrace Jesus Christ) when he finally encounters them (Him!). Like John the
Baptist, Lewis and his cast of Narnians will have prepared the way.
I just learned (a bit late) that live- streaming was available for the "Desiring God" Minneapolis conference this weekend on "The Romantic Rationalist: God, Life and Imagination in the Work of C.S. Lewis." But the good people at "Desiring God" have made available for late-comers like me free audio and video internet recordings of the plenary sessions. Wow. Topics and speakers look terrific. Have a look:
Friday, September 27
2:00 - 2:45 PM N.D. Wilson
Myth Wars: C.S. Lewis vs. Scientism (audio available)
3:00 - 3:45 PM Colin Duriez
The Friendship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien (audio available)
4:00 - 4:45 PM Lyle Dorsett
C.S. Lewis and the Care of Souls (audio available)
5:00 - 5:45 PM Joe Rigney
Live Like a Narnian: Christian Discipleship in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles (audio available)
8:30 - 9:30 PM, John Piper
The Central Story of Lewis’s Life: Why We Call Him a “Romantic Rationalist” (audio and manuscript available)
10:00 - 11:00 PM, Shane & Shane
Evening of Worship
Saturday, September 28
10:00 - 11:00 AM, Philip Ryken
Inerrancy and the Patron Saint of Evangelicalism: C.S. Lewis on Holy Scripture (audio available)
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Doug Wilson
Undragoned: C.S. Lewis on the Gift of Salvation (audio available)
2:45 - 3:45 PM, Kevin Vanhoozer
In Bright Shadow: C.S. Lewis on the Imagination for Theology and Discipleship (audio available)
8:30 - 9:30 PM, Randy Alcorn
C.S. Lewis on Heaven and the New Earth: God’s Eternal Remedy to the Problem of Evil and Suffering (audio available)
Sunday, September 29
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, John Piper
What God Made Is Good — And Must Be Sanctified: C.S. Lewis and St. Paul on the Use of Creation (audio and manuscript available)
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!“
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!
2 Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
- See more at: http://touchstonemag.com/merecomments/#sthash.6dVMrkyl.dpuf
1 “Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!“
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!
2 Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
- See more at: http://touchstonemag.com/merecomments/#sthash.6dVMrkyl.dpuf
OBAMA: If you’ve talked to somebody who said, ‘Well, I don’t know. I was watching FOX News and they said this is horrible…”
NEIL CAVUTO: Mr. President, we at FOX News are
not the problem. I hate to break it to you, sir. you are. Your words
are, your promises are. We didn’t sell this healthcare law, sir. You
did. Remember this?
OBAMA: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period.
NEIL CAVUTO: Not so. Mr. President, tell
that to tens of thousands of retirees at IBM and Time Warner and dozens
of others, who have been dumped from their coverage and told to find
their own coverage. Now, FOX News didn’t break that news to them, Mr.
President, their companies did.
FOX News didn’t push more of those firms to hire part-time workers, your healthcare law did.
FOX News didn’t incentivize fast-food restaurants to scale back their benefits, your healthcare law did.
. . . Despite
the intimidating influence of gay activism, society is beginning to recognize
the ex-gay person's existence, as ex-gay men and women are telling us about
their lives. Further, there is an impressive group of ex-gay websites, such as
peoplecanchange.com, restoredhopenetwork.com, and voices-of-change.org, where
ex-gay men and women tell their stories.
People
Can Change continues to offer its JIM (Journey Into Manhood) Weekends,
scheduled in 2013 for several locations in the U.S.,
as well as one in Israel.
The ex-gay person was also recently legally acknowledged by Washington D.C.
as a distinct sexual minority.
The
new support group Restored Hope Network has also emerged, vibrant and
powerfully committed, to replace Exodus Ministries (which recently closed
down). Further, the Executive Director of HA (Homosexuals Anonymous), Dr.
Douglas McIntyre, launched a 10-day tour this summer to lobby for freedom of
choice for youth to pursue counseling for unwanted homosexuality. [more . . .]
Mark Steyn ends his article, "Worse Is the New Normal," with the following observation:
Obamacare is something new in American life: the creation of a massive
bureaucracy charged with downsizing you — to a world of fewer doctors,
higher premiums, lousier care, more debt, fewer jobs, smaller houses,
smaller cars, smaller, fewer, less; a world where worse is the new
normal...
George Orwell, after attending a meeting of impoverished but passive
miners, remarked sadly that “there is no turbulence left in England.”
The Democrats, and much of the Republican establishment, have made a bet
that there is no turbulence left in America, and the citizenry will
stand mute before Obamacare’s wrecking ball. Unless they’re willing to
accept a worse life for their children and grandchildren, middle-class
Americans need to prove them wrong.
On February 3, 2010, from 7pm-9:30 in ATO Chapel at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, the Henry Center, in conjunction with Chosen People Ministries, hosted a conversation entitled “‘All Israel’ and the Church: A Conversation on Scripture, Eschatology, and Evangelism”. Conversational partners included Dr. Mitch Glaser of CPM, Dr. Douglas Moo of Wheaton College, Dr. Willem VanGemeren of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Dr. John Feinberg of TEDS, and the moderator, Dr. Richard Averbeck of TEDS. The event was free and open to the public.
The following provided avenues for discussion:
In Romans 11 Paul makes the case that God has not cast off his people Israel, despite their rejection as a nation of Jesus, their Messiah. His final argument that God isn’t finished with Israel is that “all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:25-27). What did Paul mean and how will this come to pass? Who constitutes “Israel,” the biological seed of Abraham or his spiritual seed? Is the salvation in view spiritual, national, socio-economical, or all of these? Has this promise been fulfilled during the NT era by individual Jews and Gentiles turning to Christ and hence “filling up” the “all Israel?” Or is the promise to be fulfilled in the end-times at the return of Christ? If the latter, will only those biologically Jewish be saved, or will there also be a massive turning to Christ among the Gentiles? Whatever the answers to such questions, what are the implications for how Christians should understand the modern state of Israel? And, of most practical importance, how should one’s understanding of Rom 11:25-27 impact one’s attitudes toward and efforts in evangelizing Jews?
The event was webcasted live and live-blogged by the Center.
Passionate conservative conviction is rare. Cruz is about attacking pernicious left-wing ideas and ideology, though the liberal press will try to divert attention and make it about Cruz. Here's the conclusion of Sen. Ted Cruz's 21 hour speech on the Senate floor:
There are few things parents care more about than their children's education. That's why the current push for Common Core (CC) curricula is so troubling. In a lecture and panel discussion today at FRC, Dr. Allan Carlson of The Howard Center and editor of "The Family in America," Maureen Van Den Berg of the American Association of Christian Schools, and FRC Senior Fellow and former Reagan Administration Department of Education Bob Morrison official outlined the dangers of CC to children and families.
Dr. Carlson noted that CC calls for "more testing, more centralization, more 'experts,' and more money for a failing (public education) system." He also said that CC has been "stripped" of Judeo-Christian values to make it appear "neutral" about worldviews and what's right and wrong. Mrs. Van Den Berg said that given its federal orientation, CC is "easily influenced by cultural norms" and observed that CC will, if widely adopted, lead to national testing controlled by the federal government and also threaten the autonomy of private, religious, and home schools. Bob Morrison summarized by paraphrasing Thomas Jefferson, that in America, the people historically have shaped the government, but "under Common Core, the government shapes the people."
The good news is that increasingly, state governments are wary of this top-down imposition on our educational system. Just yesterday, Gov. Rick Scott of Florida said his state would be "dialing back its participation" in CC testing. Contact your state officials and encourage them to avoid CC and its lure of federal money. A rotten Core is worse than no core at all.
Obama's failure to stand up for freedom and the persecuted betrays American history and ideals. Does his partiality towards Islam justify total silence towards the massacring of non-Muslim peoples? Elliot Abrams observes:
President
Obama’s speech to the United Nations today displayed the tone-deafness
to freedom and to the fate of non-Muslim peoples in the Middle East that
he has shown since coming to office.
When he discussed Iran, a vicious dictatorship whose regime is
rejected by the great majority of that nation’s population, what words
of encouragement did he have for the Iranian people? None. On the
contrary he said, “We are not seeking regime change,” reassuring not the
people but their rulers. Adding insult to injury he then said, “Iran’s
genuine commitment to go down a different path [on nuclear weapons] will
be good for the region and the world, and will help the Iranian people
meet their extraordinary potential — in commerce and culture; in science
and education.” Missing entirely was the word freedom,
which most Iranians think is a central part of their “extraordinary
potential.” When one thinks of Ronald Reagan’s messages to the people of
the Soviet Union, assuring them that we understood the true nature of
the tyranny under which they lived and that we hoped for the day when it
would fall, the decline in America’s moral leadership is shocking.
The president also had a comment about violence within Middle Eastern
societies. Telling the U.N. that “we will be engaged in the region for
the long haul,” he then added:
This includes efforts to resolve sectarian tensions that continue to
surface in places like Iraq, Syria and Bahrain. Ultimately, such
long-standing issues cannot be solved by outsiders; they must be
addressed by Muslim communities themselves. But we have seen grinding
conflicts come to an end before — most recently in Northern Ireland,
where Catholics and Protestants finally recognized that an endless cycle
of conflict was causing both communities to fall behind a fast-moving
world.
What is the message here to Christians, Baha’is, Zoroastrians, and
other religious minorities who live in the Middle East? Tragically the
message is that they don’t even exist in his eyes. He actually made a
reference to Christians in the very next sentence, apparently unaware
that Christian communities are under attack every day in the region —
most recently in Egypt. “Sectarian tensions” are not the problem;
attacks on religious minorities are the problem that is destroying
Christian communities, and the solution is not for it to be “addressed
by Muslim communities” as if the non-Muslims were not citizens with
equal rights and greater antiquity.
The president’s speech may well cause smiles in Tehran, but in the
homes of Iranians desperate to rid themselves of that despotic
theocracy, and in the homes and churches of Middle Eastern Christians
who fear for the futures and their very lives, the president is more
likely to have produced despair. It’s quite a day’s work.
lizabeth Kendall concludes her important survey saying:
The violence in Egypt is settling into a deadly cycle: (1) The MB [Muslim Brotherhood] challenges the military (resisting the coup); (2) the military responds with force; (3) MB supporters react with violence against Coptic Christians (whom they blame for the coup). Then the cycle starts again. The military cares nothing for Christians and, with money coming from Saudi Arabia, it has no interest in protecting Christians but only in protecting itself. The military would kill Christians without a second thought if it felt it were in its interests to do so, as it did in Maspero, October 2011. With the MB recruiting jihadis in Algeria and beyond, it can only be anticipated that terrorism against the State and genocidal violence against the Coptic Church will increase. Egypt's Christians need our prayers.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT -
* God, 'the hope of all the ends of the earth', will intervene in Egypt and 'still . . . the tumult of the peoples' (from Psalm 65).
* the Holy Spirit will move powerfully amongst Egyptian Christians, enabling them to stand firm in faith (Isaiah 7:9b) with confidence and assurance (Hebrews 10:35-39), so they might live radically counter-cultural lives, loving their enemies and praying for those who persecute them (Luke 6:27-36); not fearing what people fear, but honouring the Lord in all circumstances and knowing his presence according to his promise (Isaiah 8:11-15).
* the Holy Spirit will bring awakening to Egyptian Muslims, convicting multitudes of 'sin and righteousness and judgement' (from John 16:7-11); as Egypt is 'shaken' may Islam be brought down and the Lord exalted (Isaiah 2:7-21 and Hebrews 12:26-29).
Christa Case Bryant of the Christian Science Monitor subtitles her piece, "Jews are incrasingly staking a cliam to the Muslim-controlled Temple Mouont, testing the Israeli government's resolve to avoid conflict by protecting Muslim sovereignty ove the site." (HT: Drudge)
Americans who are fed up with Obamacare won a victory yesterday. The
House voted to defund Obamacare while still funding the federal
government to avoid a “devastating” shutdown. (I shall not digress, but
it’s beyond distressing to hear liberals try to convince Americans that
any government slowdown is comparable to “terrorism.”)
Now the battle goes to the Senate, and we’ll find out if Harry Reid
is so committed to the horrendous “Un-affordable Care Act” that he’ll be
the one to shut down the government to fund the unworkable Obamacare.
Let’s be clear. Republicans in Congress aren't advocating a
government shutdown. That’s why they voted in the House to fully fund
our bureaucracy while defunding Obamacare. The conservatives in Congress
are listening to the majority of Americans who do not want Obamacare.
Following the will of the people is apparently a novel idea in D.C.
these days. Just ask Senator Ted Cruz and his liberty-loving posse on
Capitol Hill who have led the charge to defund Obama’s train wreck.
Those of us who hang in there supporting a major political party with
our energy, time, and contributions would like to believe that that
party would praise principled conservatives like Ted Cruz and Mike Lee
for following through on campaign promises. We’d like to believe that
the GOP establishment would applaud the way these bold leaders have
rallied the grassroots to their cause. But, no, such praise would
require a commensurate level of guts and leadership, and the permanent
political class in D.C. is nothing if not gutless and rudderless.
After teaching How to Get Through What You're Going Through" for the past eight weeks, Kay and I felt it was time to grant the first media interview since Matthew's death. We chose CNN's Piers Morgan Live because it offered a full-hour for us to share our thoughts, rather than just short sound bites.
What happened in the taping surprised us all. Several members of the tech/camera crew were in tears, hugged us, and told us that their lives had been profoundly impacted by the experience. Piers Morgan was unusually sensitive to the moment, allowing us all the time we needed without interruption. At lunch, Piers shared that it was the most moving interview he's ever done.
In kindness, the CNN team came to us, taping the interview at our Acts of Mercy family foundation office. In our conversation, we discussed:
What it was like to parent a child who battled mental illness all his life.
What it has been like to grieve our son's suicide as public figures.
Mental illness, depression, guns, grief, and God.
What needs to change in our culture, including removing the stigma from mental illness.
How to support the mentally ill and the families who care for them.
How our faith has been tested and has grown stronger.
How we get our sins forgiven, purpose for living, and home in heaven through Jesus.
The overwhelming love we've received from our church family and others.
How God gives us HOPE in our darkest days.
The interview was raw and real. The CNN crew and our staff watched almost breathlessly. For an entire hour, you could've heard a pin drop, everyone was so riveted by what God was doing through the conversation.
I wanted to take an opportunity to pass along some of the most significant things we were privileged to say, and I would welcome your feedback on the interview.
The Six Stages of Grief
Rick:
Well, you know, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross did this thing, this thing called the four stages of death and dying and I actually think there are six. And we've been watching ourselves go through this back and forth now for several months.
I think the first stage is shock. And for us, shock still happens. For at least the first month, I kept waiting for Matthew to come in the door... I just couldn't believe that it happened. It was so sudden. And then you move from shock to sorrow, sadness, and this profound sadness that comes into your life. Then you move to what I call struggle and that's all the "why" questions. Why now? Why this? Why me? Why Matthew?
Then you move to a stage I call surrender. I wrote in my journal one day, I later tweeted it, and said, "I'd rather have all my questions unanswered and walk with God than not walk with God and have all my questions answered." But there is a struggle. And finally, I just have to surrender, so I'm not going to know. I'm not going to know all these answers.
And then you move to what I call sanctification which is the change that takes place in you. And then service. And service means I think God wants us to use our hurt. And one of the reasons we decided to do this interview with you is maybe we could help some other people.
On Losing Matthew
Kay:
I've said almost from the first moment that we learned that, "We're devastated but we're not destroyed." And when people ask that question of, how are you, there's no good answer.
And so, I finally just settled on, "I'm terrible but I'm OK." In other words, we're going to survive and someday, we'll thrive again. It's the worst thing that could ever happen.
Grief is Good
Rick:
I have cried every single day since Matthew died, but that's actually a good thing. Grief is a good thing. It's the way we get to the transitions of life. And I find, if I don't cry, then I stuff it.
When I swallow my emotions, my stomach keeps score. If I don't talk it out to my wife, to God, to friends, then I'm going to take it out on my body. And so, as guys, men, we don't do grief very well. It's not an easy thing for us because we don't like the negative emotion.
But actually, grief is a good thing. Grief is the way we get to the transitions of life and that's been helpful to me.
Choosing Joy
Rick:
We were sobbing. We were just sobbing. The day that I had feared might happen one day, since he'd been born, and the day that I prayed would never happen, happened. And I remember, as we stood in the driveway, just embracing each other, and sobbing. And Kay was wearing a necklace - you're wearing it today - that had the words of a book she wrote a year ago called Choose Joy.
And she held it up and it said, "Choose Joy." And in my mind I thought, "Are you kidding? How can I choose joy in this worst circumstance of my life?" But we - even in that moment, we were trying to say, "We're not in control but we do have a greater hope and we do have a source of joy that isn't based on our circumstances." And it was a holy moment.
Mental Illness
Rick:
Piers, any other organ in my body can get broken and there's no shame, no stigma to it. My liver stops working, my heart stops working, my lungs stop working. Well, I'll just say, "Hey, I got diabetes. My pancreas or my adrenaline glands, or whatever," but if my brain is broken, I'm supposed to feel bad about it. I'm supposed to feel shame. And so, a lot of people who should get help don't.
Piers:
It's hard to imagine. All that I've researched on this, with you and your family and Matthew, it's hard to imagine anyone who suffers from this kind of illness, who's had more love and support from their family, from a wide circle of friends, who's had more treatment from the so called experts, more institutionalized moments, everything you could imagine, and yet still it wasn't enough to save him.
Kay:
Well, if you look at the risk factors of what puts people at risk for suicide, Matthew had almost none of the risk factors. He had a great, as you say, a loving family, he had the access to care, he had friends. He had everything... The main risk factor for him was mental illness and he had that.
The Support of Saddleback Church
Rick:
I was overwhelmed by the love of our people. Kay and I had given 33 years to this church. And I felt like they all gave it back at the moment. It was just a very tender moment for me as a pastor. I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death with thousands of people. I have walked, I've stood at bed sides and seeing lots of people take their last breath. I have been there for those people for 33 years. And they were there for us when we needed them most.
Questioning God's Plan, but Never Questioning God
Rick:
I never questioned my faith in God. I question God's plan. There's a big difference. I know God is a good God. Nothing can shake that from my life. I know God is a loving God. The question is - it's like my children, my children have never doubted that they - that I love them but they sometimes doubt my wisdom and they don't think I've made the right decision. Not everything that happens in the world is God's will. Everything that happens in the world God allows, he permits but because it couldn't happen without his permission but we live in a world where there are free choices and if I chose to do wrong, I can't blame God for that. So God isn't to blame for my son's death. My son took his life. It was his choice and if I chose to go out and get drunk and get in a car and I was in an accident, killed somebody, I can't blame God for that.
Kay:
You know as Rick said it's not - our faith is currently what's got us - that foundation what's gotten us through and it's solid and strong but I have to tell you that, you know, before - I have something I want to show you. There's this box that it was given to me a few years and I - It's got the word - it's a marble box and it's got the word Hope on it and ...
It's my Hope box and I filled it with verses that gave me comfort, that gave me encouragement, verses that just kept my faith really strong before Matthew passed away and everyday I would sit and I would read these verses and that morning after we had been to his house the night before and I was pretty certain that he had taken his life. I got up that morning and I opened my Hope box and I went to these verses one more time and then after that I didn't open it for a month. I couldn't and then I started to think, so where do I go from here? What you'd do when your hope has been crashed and the only way I now how to rebuild it is to go back to my faith and to God's word and this time, I started putting verses in that give me Hope for the future like there's this amazing verse that it's 1 Corinthians 15:43 it says, "Our bodies are buried in brokenness but they will be raised in glory, they are buried in weakness but they will be raised in strength."
And so every time when I go to the cemetery, I quote that verse because, you know, what Matthew's body was broken, that gun broke his body and he was buried in brokenness but he's going to be raised in glory. He was buried in weakness. I think Matthew you were buried in weakness you will be raised in strength. So the struggle has been not in the living that God exists, not that God is evil because God is good.
But I have this other little tiny pot when there's questions I can't answer like did Matthew think of us before he pulled the trigger? Did he - was there any moment in which he suffered? Why after all those years of prayer and effort did he die? All these things that I have no answers for and I put them in this little pot, it's my mystery pot so here's my Hope box and my little mystery pot and so everyday I almost, I fill it with another question that I can't answer. But what I know to be true is that God will answer those questions. They will be answered and my hope is very certain.
A Closing Word of Hope
Kay:
It's so important that people know no matter how desperate, they're despaired, there is hope. There is - and not to give up, not to give up.
The boys had been up in the attic together helping with some cleaning. The kids uncovered an old manual typewriter and asked her, "Hey Mom, what's this?"
"Oh, that's an old typewriter," she answered, thinking that would satisfy their curiosity.
"Well, what does it do?" they queried.
"I'll show you," she said and returned with a blank piece of paper. She rolled the paper into the typewriter and began striking the keys, leaving black letters of print on the page.
"WOW!" they exclaimed, "That's really cool...but how does it work like that? Where do you plug it in?"
"There is no plug," she answered. "It doesn't need a plug."
"Then where do you put the batteries?" they persisted.
"It doesn't need batteries either," she continued.
"Wow! This is so cool!" they exclaimed. "Someone should have invented this a long time ago!"
There is something about this story that resonates with me. I like the idea of simple mechanical things that don't require electricity!
Blame the weapon, not the drugs, that's the media's philosophy. After all, to blame the drugs would be to harm the pharmaceutical industry which spends billions on advertising. Paul Joseph Watson writes: (HT: Drudge)
Despite every indication that Navy Yard shooter Aaron
Alexis was on SSRI drugs that have been linked to dozens of previous
mass shootings, the mainstream media has once again avoided all
discussion of the issue, preferring instead to blame the tragedy on a
non-existent AR-15 that the gunman didn’t even use.
We now know that Alexis “had been treated since August by the Veterans Administration for his mental problems.”
As Mike Adams points out,
“This is proof that Aaron Alexis was on psychiatric drugs, because
that’s the only treatment currently being offered by the Veterans
Administration for mental problems. Alexis’ family members also
confirmed to the press that he was being “treated” for his mental health
problems. Across the medical industry, “treatment” is the code word for
psychiatric drugging.” [more . . .]
If
you want to engage in free speech, prepare to be taxed! That's the
message from the IRS, where new documents are showing just how deep the
roots of ideological corruption go. In the most powerful display of
political profiling yet, USA Today leaked new paperwork proving that IRS was not only targeting conservative groups, but any
groups that participated in "emotional" or "anti-Obama rhetoric." A
whopping 162 groups were flagged by IRS agents for extra scrutiny on
their tax exempt applications -- only 11 of them liberal.
The scandal, which grabbed plenty of headlines when it first broke,
fell off the radar during the Syria crisis. Unfortunately for the Obama
administration, these new revelations are putting the agency where it
belongs: on the hot seat. Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) made sure of
that today
in a Ways and Means Committee hearing with acting IRS Director Daniel
Werfel. "Four months after the IRS admitted to targeting applicants for
tax-exempt status, there are still many outstanding questions about when
the targeting started, who knew about it, and why it was allowed to
continue." Boutany's goal -- like ours -- is to ensure this abuse never
happens again.
No one can be sure of that now, in an administration that uses the
IRS as a hired thug to punish and silence conservatives. Ed Morrissey at
HotAir.com
is just one of the voices demanding accountability. "When the IRS
starts targeting political dissent for scrutiny, they have stopped being
a revenue collector and have become instead a political enforcer.
That's dangerous for all Americans." If the IRS is going to wage a
secret war against conservatives, then it's time for the House to wage
an open one against corruption.
I just learned of the RMRF Coalition which attempts, as the title indicates, to "restore military religious freedom." I have put up many blog posts in the past detailing egregious incidents curtailing religious freedom in our military.
WASHINGTON,
D.C. - On September 12, 2013, Members of the Restore Military Religious
Freedom Coalition (RMRF) met with senior U.S. Air Force officials at
the Pentagon to discuss the escalation of religious liberty
infringements not just in the U.S. Air Force but across the military.
Air
Force officials also accepted over 170,000 petitions appealing to
Secretary of Defense Hagel to protect the religious liberties of service
members. A second petition with nearly 50,000 signers appealed to the
U.S. Air Force to stop the persecution of and possible legal action
against Senior Master Sgt. Philip Monk at Lackland Air Force base. The
officials also received a copy of the coalition's report documenting dozens of other religious liberty violations of service members.
I received the following from a friend and then tracked down the writer, Larry Burton.
At a Touchdown Club meeting many years before his death, Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant told the following story:
"I
had just been named the new head coach at Alabama and was off in my old
car down in South Alabama recruiting a prospect who was supposed to
have been a pretty good player and I was havin' trouble finding the
place. Getting hungry I spied an old cinder block building with a small
sign out front that simply said "Restaurant."
"I pull up, go in and every head in the place turns to stare at me.
Seems I'm the only white fella in the place. But the food smelled good
so I skip a table and go up to a cement bar and sit. A big ole man in a
tee shirt and cap comes over and says, "What do you need?" I told him I
needed lunch and what did they have today? He says, "You probably won't
like it here, today we're having chitlins, collared greens and black
eyed peas with cornbread. I'll bet you don't even know what chitlins
are, do you?" I looked him square in the eye and said, "I'm from
Arkansas, I've probably eaten a mile of them. Sounds like I'm in the
right place." They all smiled as he left to serve me up a big plate.
When he comes back he says, "You ain't from around here then?"
Yesterday Daniel Henninger of the Wall Street Journal wrote a piece titled "The Laurel and Hardy Presidency." Mark Steyn wrote a piece saying "Every American ally is cringing with embarassment at the amateurishness of the last month." Today Victor Davis Hansonspelled outin the clearest possible way, what is and is not Obama's foreign policy. The result is a confusing tangle of contradictions which has left the prestige of the United States greatly diminished and the world in a much more dangerous place. VDH writes:
We are contemplating going to war in Syria to help the opposition a
lot and to hurt Assad some, or to help the opposition some and hurt
Assad a lot, or to hurt Assad some and help the opposition some, or to
force Assad to stop or to leave, or to stop but stay, or to stop and
leave; or to restore the word of the president, or the word of the
United States, or the word of the international community by bombing, or
by threatening to bomb but not bombing, or by neither threatening
to bomb nor bombing; or to warn the Russians to stay out, or to welcome
the Russians to come in, or to warn the Russians to stay out and welcome
the Russians to come in. Message? We are planning to do all kinds of
things by not doing anything.
We had planned a “shot across the
bow” against Syria, which was to be “unbelievably small” but could by no
stretch of the imagination be a “pinprick” — given that the U.S.
military “doesn’t do pinpricks.” But a pinprick at least hits its
target, while a shot across the bow does not. Message? The
administration apparently wants to talk about taking military action
rather than take military action, and so splits the difference and talks
about taking a little bit of military action.
Let me tell you what American exceptionalism is -- and please bear
with me, those of you who've heard this, because it needs to be
repeated, particularly now.
Our president doesn't understand what it is. Vladimir Putin may know
what it really is but he's taking the occasion of Obama's lack
understanding to use Obama's definition and then spank Obama with it. . . .
Anyway, what American exceptionalism is not: It is not that we are
better people. It is not that we are superior people. It is not that
we are smarter people. It is not that God loves us and hates everybody
else. It is not that God prefers us. It is not that God doesn't prefer
anybody else.
American exceptionalism has nothing to do with anything but freedom and liberty. Here is what American exceptionalism is. . . .
The parents looking for an alternative to the liberal turn of the Boy Scouts of America finally have one! Last Friday, former Eagle Scouts, parents, scoutmasters, and church leaders introduced America to Trail Life USA-- an outdoor adventure program that embraces all of the principles of traditional scouting -- without the pro-homosexual politics. Our good friend John Stemberger, who helped lead the fight to save the BSA, said the new group has been overwhelmed by the demand. More than 30,000 people have contacted Trail Life USA to get connected to the organization, which officially launches January 1.
"Our vision will be to become the premier national character development organization for young men which produces godly and responsible husbands, fathers, and citizens," Stemberger said. "Parents are going to love the new outdoor adventure program, and we are very excited to be part of this next chapter in the history of scouting in America." Open to boys ages 5-17, Trail Life USA already has 70 troops in waiting, with more certain to join once word spreads. To learn how you and your church can get involved, check out the new website, www.TrailLifeUSA.com, and watch the video!
Alena S. Newman titles her article, "Manufactured people have rights too." It carries the subtitle, "Third party reproduction disrespects the humanity of donor-conceived people." This is a powerful and insightful article. Our so-called "enlightened age" gets darker and darker by the day and the hour.
Third
party reproduction disrespects the humanity of donor-conceived people. -
See more at:
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/manufactured_people_have_rights_too#sthash.RhCC2I6Q.dpuf
“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
As a former quarterback, Craig James isn't used to being on the defensive. But unfortunately, that's exactly where Fox Sports is putting him in a story that should rock the football world. The retired Pro-Bowler became the latest face of the war on religious liberty, when -- after one day on the job -- Fox Sports gave James the boot for his conservative views on marriage. And here's the kicker: he made the comments, not at the sports desk, but during last year's Senate campaign!
Apart from being a popular analyst, Craig also had political aspirations -- aspirations he followed to Texas in an unsuccessful bid against Ted Cruz during the primary. In the course of the campaign, Craig was asked -- as all candidates are -- about his views on marriage and sexuality. James's opinion happens to coincide with the research, which is that no one is born gay. And, as an orthodox Christian, he didn't shy away from the eternal consequences of this sin or any other. "...[T]hey are going to have to answer to the Lord for their actions," he said before pledging not to support same-sex unions.
According to Sports Illustrated, the regional affiliate of Fox hired Craig without involving upper management. "Fox Sports executives were not happy with the hire by the regional network," sources explain. High level executives felt he hadn't been properly vetted (or, properly excluded, depending on how you look at it). When the news broke, a Fox Sports spokesman tried to explain away the network's religious profiling. "We just asked ourselves how Craig's statements would play in our human resources department. He couldn't say those things here."
As a friend correctly wrote: "The UN spends all its time on Israel, while the Arabs get away with genocide on a massive scale."
Below is a MUST READspeech given by Simon Deng, a former Sudanese slave, at the Durban III Counter- Conference held in New York City in September, 2011. The Arab atrocities in Sudan and elsewhere continue! This speech is not out of date!!! The text of the speech appears below.
I want to thank the organizers of this conference, The Perils of Global Intolerance. It is a great honor for me and it is a privilege really to be among today's distinguished speakers.
I came here as a friend of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. I came to protest this Durban conference which is based on a set of lies. It is organized by nations who are themselves are guilty of the worst kinds of oppression.
It will not help the victims of racism. It will only isolate and target the Jewish state. It is a tool of the enemies of Israel. The UN has itself become a tool against Israel. For over 50 years, 82 percent of the UN General Assembly emergency meetings have been about condemning one state – Israel. Hitler couldn't have been made happier.
The Durban Conference is an outrage. All decent people will know that.
But friends, I come here today with a radical idea. I come to tell you that there are peoples who suffer from the UN's anti-Israelism even more than the Israelis. I belong to one of those people.
Please hear me out.
By exaggerating Palestinian suffering, and by blaming the Jews for it, the UN has muffled the cries of those who suffer on a far larger scale.
For over 50 years the indigenous black population of Sudan — Christians and Muslims alike — has been the victims of the brutal, racist Arab Muslim regimes in Khartoum.
The UN is focused about Palestinians, while ignoring ethnic cleansing in Sudan.
In South Sudan, my homeland, about 4 million innocent men, women and children were slaughtered from 1955 to 2005. Seven million were ethnically cleansed and they became the largest refugee group since World War II.
The UN is concerned about the so-called Palestinian refugees. They dedicated a separate agency for them, and they are treated with a special privilege.
Meanwhile, my people, ethnically cleansed, murdered and enslaved, are relatively ignored. The UN refuses to tell the world the truth about the real causes of Sudan's conflicts. Who knows really what is happening in Darfur? It is not a "tribal conflict."
It is a conflict rooted in Arab colonialism well known in north Africa. In Darfur, a region in the Western Sudan, everybody is Muslim. Everybody is Muslim because the Arabs invaded the North of Africa and converted the indigenous people to Islam. In the eyes of the Islamists in Khartoum, the Darfuris are not Muslim enough. And the Darfuris do not want to be Arabized. They love their own African languages and dress and customs. The Arab response is genocide! But nobody at the UN tells the truth about Darfur.
It’s worth noting that Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Britain now
all have prime ministers to the right of the US president. That’s a kind
of American exceptionalism the world could do without.
Today Kathryn Jean Lopez interviewed Raymond Ibrahim, author of Crucified Again. He is the "go-to" guy for information on Islamic persecution of Christians in the Middle East. On his website, Raymond Ibrahim, he posted a video
of what appear to be Islamic extremists attacking Christian churches in
Syria — St. Elias Church and St. Grace Church in the Christian village
of Maaloula near Damascus – where villagers still speak Aramaic, the
language Christ spoke.
KJL: . . . . Do we have any idea how many churches have been attacked in Syria and Egypt recently?
IBRAHIM:
In Egypt, in just the last few weeks, approximately 80 churches and
monasteries and other Christian institutions were attacked, many set
aflame and/or destroyed. In Syria, I am not sure of the exact number,
but nary a month goes by when I compile my monthly Muslim persecution of Christians series,
that an attack on at least one Syrian church or monastery does not take
place. A recent report says that a decade after the U.S. “liberated”
neighboring Iraq, some 70 churches have been destroyed. That appears to
be the fate of the ancient churches of Syria should the Obama
administration get its way in Syria. . .
KJL: Are Syrian Christians better off if the U.S. does not strike against Assad?
IBRAHIM:
Absolutely. That is not because Assad is a great guy, but because the
alternatives — the same alternatives we saw in Libya and Egypt, that is,
the Islamists and jihadis — are hostile to “infidel” Christians, a fact
with ample doctrinal, historical, and current-affair proof. . .
KJL: How can the U.S. help? Specifically the Christians and minorities under fire?
IBRAHIM:
It is sad to say, but the days when Mideast Christians called for U.S.
help are gone. Today, all that Copts, Christian Syrians, and others
want from the U.S. is for it to not get involved — since apparently
every time it does get involved it’s to help those who persecute
Christians, Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and now al-Qaeda in Syria.
Watching Mideast media, it’s clear that millions of Egyptians and
Syrians — both Christians and moderate Muslims and others — want nothing
more from the U.S. than for it to stop supporting terrorists, under the
guise of “freedom” and “democracy.” [more . . .]
The media can spin the news, but it can't rewrite the facts on same-sex "marriage." Social scientist Mark Regnerus made that quite clear in his analysis of public opinion on the topic. Leaning on new Rice University research, the University of Texas professor debunks the convenient storyline of most of reporters -- which is that there's an avalanche of support for homosexual "marriage" that puts conservatives squarely on the "wrong side of history." Rice's Michael Emerson and Laura Essenburg studied the attitudes of 1,300 adults in 2006 and 2012 and found less support for same-sex "marriage" than polls like Gallup and CNN typically find. In fact, Regnerus writes, "in 2012 53% of those surveyed agreed that the only legal marriage should be between a man and a woman, while 13% sat on the fence, and 33% disagreed with the statement.
Second, they detected no statistical significant change in overall sentiment on same-sex marriage over those six years. Third, some things did change -- minds -- and not all of them toward favoring same-sex marriage." In a separate poll, George Barna found that the resistance to counterfeit marriage was actually increasing among evangelical Christians (from 95% to 98%). Like FRC, Regnerus credits most of the inflated support for counterfeit marriage to the line of questioning used in the surveys. Gallup, Regnerus points out, insists on "priming" its respondents with leading questions about the legality of homosexuality, which helps produce a more desired outcome on later queries about marriage. . .
If Israel's leaders had doubts before, they don't anymore. Conclusion: Obama cannot be depended on to deal with Iran. Israel will have to go it alone. Joel Rosenberg reports on Israel's dismay at Obama's vacillation and chaotic aproach to decision making:
It is not exactly starting off as a happy New Year in Jerusalem.
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his security cabinet are mortified by
what they are seeing unfold – not in Damascus, but in Washington.
To
be sure, Israeli leaders are concerned but not surprised by the
horrific blood-letting that is underway between the evil Assad regime
and the demonic forces of al-Qaeda and their radical Islamic partners.
But the Israelis are stunned and dismayed by the vacillating, lurching,
confused, and chaotic approach to decision-making of President Obama and
his top advisers.
Officially, the Israeli government supports the
Obama administration’s approach to Syria. “Israel agrees with President
Obama that the use of chemical weapons is a ‘heinous act’ for which the
Assad regime must be held accountable and for which there must be
‘international consequences,’” said Michael Oren,
the Israeli ambassador in Washington. “Israel further agrees with the
president that the use of chemical weapons promotes the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction and encourages ‘governments who would
choose to build nuclear arms.’”
This should not be surprising. Israel is, after all, America’s best friend in the Middle East and most loyal ally on the planet.
But behind the scenes, Netanyahu and his team have never felt more alone.
If
President Obama is so distrusted by the American people and her
representatives in Congress that he cannot build solid support for
limited military strikes against Syria’s chemical-weapons facilities,
the Israelis are coming to the painful realization that there is
no chance for the president to pull together support for preemptive
military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Zero. Nada. Zilch.
Update: CBN has produced "Made in Israel," a five-part series spotlighting Israel's amazing accomplishments regarding water (this video), agriculture, medicine, "clean & green," and technology. All are short, well done, and very worth viewing.
Victor Davis Hanson summarizes the world's measure of Obama:
Obama has earned a reputation for predictable equivocation,
rhetorically eloquent, but not decisive, sermonizing without
consequences, judgmental but not muscular — as we saw from serial but
meaningless deadlines to Iran, simultaneous surges and withdrawal dates
in Afghanistan, pink-lines in Syria, leading from behind in Libya,
unpunished killers in Benghazi, flip-flop-flip in Egypt, failed
flirtations with the Muslim Brotherhood and the new Ottomanism, and
reset reset with Putin — all at a time of massive defense cuts, the
so-called pivot, Anglo-American dissolution, and loud proclamations
about a new, reduced U.S. profile abroad.The result is that our
rivals and enemies seem more rash than at any time in the last 15 years,
our allies never more bewildered. . .
And thus the world has become more dangerous than ever as enemies likely become emboldened to test U.S. resolve in any number of places in the world. I don't think Obama's Syria initiative as proposed will erase world impressions of Obama.
Popular and widely read Egyptian newspaper Al Wafd published
the above picture today portraying U.S. President Barrack Hussein Obama
as Satan himself. The unflattering picture has been making the rounds
on Facebook in the Middle East and, according to Al Wafd, is
representative of the hatred growing numbers of people in the region
have for the American president, thanks to his staunch and unwavering
support for Islamists and jihadiis — whether in Nigeria, Libya, Egypt,
or Syria — even as they terrorize, murder, rape, and burn down Christian
churches, that is, even as they engage in diabolical activities.
A confident little boy was practicing baseball. He said: "I'm going to be the greatest baseball player in the world!" Then he threw the ball up and made a huge swing and missed.
He picked up the ball again, said: "I'm going to be the greatest baseball player in the world!" threw the ball up, took a great big swing, and missed again.
Once more, he said: "I'm going to be the greatest baseball player in the world!" threw the ball in the air, made his biggest swing yet, and missed the ball yet again.
He raised both his arms and cheered: "Hooray! I'm the greatest pitcher in the world!!"
Israel generously shares its discoveries and innovations with surrounding countries as well.
Update: CBN has produced "Made in Israel,"
a five-part series spotlighting Israel's amazing accomplishments
regarding water, agriculture (this video), medicine, "clean &
green," and technology. All are short, well done, and very worth
viewing.
Allahu akbar does not mean “thank God,” as McCain seems to have affirmed
when he said, “That’s what they’re saying.” Allahu akbar means “Allah
is greater” – not, as it is often translated, “God is great.” The
significance of this is enormous, as it is essentially a proclamation of
superiority and supremacism. Allah is greater – than any of the gods of
the infidels, and Islam is superior to all other religions. . . .
Islamic jihadists always shout “Allahu akbar” when attacking infidels.
It is a declaration of the superiority of their god and their way of
life over those of their victims. 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta also stated
that it was meant to make the infidels afraid. He wrote instructions to jihadists that were found in his baggage: “Shout, ‘Allahu Akbar,’ because this strikes fear in the hearts of the non-believers.” [more. . .]
Daniel Greenfield also weighs in. Update 2: And definitely not to be missed is Andrew C. McCarthy's explanation and commentary on "Allahu Akhbar!"
The plight of the Klein family exposes the true nature of the left. Those who preach tolerance and diversity are the least tolerant and the least diverse of all.
Four children, ages 7 to 14, have been forcibly taken from their
Darmstadt, Germany, home by police armed with a battering ram, and their
parents have been told they won’t see them again soon, all over the
issue of homeschooling, according to a stunning new report from the Home School Legal Defense Association.
HSLDA, the world’s premiere advocate for homeschoolers, said the
family of Dirk and Petra Wunderlich has battled for several years
Germany’s World War II-era requirement that all children submit to the
indoctrination programs in the nation’s public schools.
The shocking raid was made solely because the parents were providing
their children’s education, HSLDA said. The organization noted the
paperwork that authorized police officers and social workers to use
force on the children contained no claims of mistreatment. [more. . .]
After teaching How to Get Through What You're Going Through" for the past eight weeks, Kay and I felt it was time to grant the first media interview since Matthew's death. We chose CNN's Piers Morgan Live because it offered a full-hour for us to share our thoughts, rather than just short sound bites.
If
you want to engage in free speech, prepare to be taxed! That's the
message from the IRS, where new documents are showing just how deep the
roots of ideological corruption go. In the most powerful display of
political profiling yet, 
Raymond Ibrahim