Do What?

Been some things in the news lately which just make me want to scratch my head and say, “Do what?”  So, thought I’d share them and maybe you can help them make more sense to me.  So, if you’re ready and willing, as the late great Jackie Gleason used to say, “And awaayyyy we go”:

• See where Steven Slater has parted ways with his now former employer.  You may be asking who he is.  He’s the Jet Blue flight attendant who cursed a passenger, grabbed a beer, and went down the emergency chute as the plane was coming up to the gate.  People were calling him a hero.  Got no idea why, though.  Wonder how many people missed their connections because of that yahbo?  Figure they couldn’t let people get off the plane after that.  Were people celebrating the fact he treated one of his customers like *$&)?  Unless he was physically in danger, it shouldn’t matter what the passenger said to set him off in the first place.  Were they celebrating that the goober was telling his employer to take their job and shove it?  Isn’t that nice in these times where about 1 out of 10 people are out of work right now?  It just never ceases to amaze me how and why some folks suddenly become folk heroes for acting like idi-ahts.  Maybe somebody out there can tell me;
• A headline the other day said some cleric over in Iran says the Holocaust is nothing more than a “superstition,” whatever that’s supposed to mean.  Well, reckon it means he doesn’t believe it really happened.  Have never understood how people can deny the Holocaust.  Guess they’re idi-ahts, too.  Know it’s hard to imagine 6 million people being killed for nothing more than the religion they were born into, especially over such a relatively short period of time.  Met a man once who told me he was one of the first Americans to go into one of those camps.  The old codger started crying while he was trying to tell me about what he saw.  This was in the mid-90’s, almost 50 years after he’d been there.  Ain’t no way I’ll ever doubt it happened, not that I really doubted it in the first place.  Anyway, not really sure what prompted the cleric to talk about the Holocaust, but it’s hard to imagine a man of God/Allah could really be so dense.  Which leads me to my next “do what?” moment…;
• There’s a preacher down in Florida somewhere trying to organize a Quran/Koran burning.  Talk about something that makes no sense at all.  Even General Patraeus (you know, the big chief of our armed forces in Afghanistan) is talking about how stupid this idea is.  He’s got enough on his plate to worry about without having to think about something like this.  But, I digress.  One thing I’ve never really understood is how some people proclaiming to be Christians can be so intolerant of others.  The Bible is pretty clear that Jesus preached a lot about tolerance of others, don’t avoid sinners or non-believers, and love one another whether they are your friend or your enemy.  As a Christian, it just boggles my mind how some Christian “leaders” can’t see that they are more like a Pharisee than than a disciple.  Does God want us to spread His word and brings others to Christ?  Absolutely.  No doubt about it.  But, God gave us free will because He knows forced love ain’t love at all.  We are supposed to bring others to Christ through love and compassion, not hate and condemnation.  Maybe it’s like a quote I saw on Twitter the other day, “To some Christians, the Bible is like the terms of agreement, everyone checks the box but few actually read it.”  Certainly hope these folks change their mind and don’t go through with it.  Of course, that would imply their brains are working in the first place (Yeah, yeah, I realize the irony in the fact I am judging them…);
• Glad to see Hurricane Earl turned out to be a bunch of nothing.  But, the downside is all the media hype leading to nothing will make people block some of the hype out each time it turns into nothing.  Then, when the big one really does hit, it will be Katrina all over again and folks will get killed cuz they think it’s just a bunch of nothing again.  Reckon it’s a double-edged sword, though. They have to use the hype so folks will pay attention nowadays, which leads to overstimulation of the senses, which turns it into white noise, which leads to even more hype to get people to pay attention again.   Just a vicious never-ending cycle.  I always follow the storms on-line, usually on wunderground.com or the National Hurricane Center websites.  Dr. Jeff Masters has a great blog on wunderground.com, too.  Also use intellicast.com to watch the Atlantic satellite pictures so I can see which systems I think will develop.  The best thing about following things on-line is I can choose how much information to look at and believe.  So, if that kind of stuff interests you, check ‘em out;
• Well, football (yes, football, not footy, for any non-Americans reading this) season is finally here!  Glad it’s finally time for the games, too.  Had our usual Favre saga this year.  The dude I talked about last time finally signed, too.  Hope all we have to yak about now are awesome games.  Saw where Matt Leinart was cut by the Cardinals the other day.  Remember when he was drafted, all the so-called “experts” were talking about what a “can’t miss” prospect he was.  Same thing with Reggie Bush.  Ain’t neither one of ‘em had the kind of career people yammered on and on about.  Just goes to show how tough it is evaluate talent sometimes.  Always thought they were kind of overrated myself.  Could be a little biased about that, though, since I’m such a big SEC fan.  If the Boise State/Virginia Tech game is a sign of things to come, will be a great season this year!;

Well, that’s all I got this time.  Thanks as always for trying to follow my rambling thoughts.  Hope you are doing well, and, as always, am interested in your opinion, too.

Ya’ll have a good one!

Does God Really…?

A Twitter friend posted some interesting questions and comments about God the other day.  They got me to thinking of some responses.  Since I needed more than 140 characters to respond, thought I’d post my response here.  I’ve been working on a blog along these same lines for a couple of weeks, anyway, so this gives me just another reason to go ahead with it.  I’m not trying to convert anybody with these ramblings.  Just putting my thoughts out there.  It’s up to you to decide what you choose to take from ‘em.  So, here I go:

• I don't believe in the Christian God [but] I've seen enough "miracles" and heard strange stories to think that I can't deny the possibility of supernatural – To paraphrase the great mind Yoda, there either Is or Is not.  There either is a God who has dominion over everything or there isn’t.  There is no Christian God, Jewish God, Muslim God, Hindu God, or any other specific brand of God.  There can be only one God.  I choose to believe there is a God cuz I’ve seen and heard lots of things that have convinced me He is here, but I will get into that a little later;

• Why do Christians automatically expect their God giving them just blessings? - Hear this question a lot, especially in the context of sports when the winner thanks God for helping them win.  Don’t think Christians (and followers of other religions) think God only blesses them and their kind.  After all, why would God care who wins the Super Bowl?  Think people are just misunderstanding the response.  To me, the response is thanking God for giving them the talent to succeed in that particular situation, which is not to say the other team has not been given the same gifts or that He has willed for the Saints to beat the Colts.  Instead, these folks realize they’ve been given a gift above others.  After all, lots of folks can play football in the backyard, but most of them don’t have the talent to make it in the NFL (or to play in the FIFA World Cup for my overseas friends).  “Religious” people realize where this talent comes from.  God gives this to them at birth, long before they’ve made the choice whether to follow God or not.  It’s not just limited to Christians, either.  Jews thank Yahweh.  Muslims thank Allah.  Christians just get more press about it cuz there are more in the high-profile sports for whatever reason.  The fact you are a Christian does not necessarily grant you more blessings than others…on Earth.  We’ve all seen successful people who aren’t “religious.”  The greatest blessing for believers will be after they pass from this lifetime and live eternally in the Kingdom of God.  Bottom line is: Christians (and others) realize where their blessings come from and like to give thanks where thanks are due.

• God is guiding me everywhere right on time, but millions die in floods, diseases and natural and other disasters?  Don’t think God controls my every movement or anything like that.  Do I think He watches out over me?  Yes, but, like any other child, I don’t always listen to Him so I do things He’s not necessarily happy about.  But, just for the sake of argument, let’s say He does guide me everywhere.  That still will not shield me from disasters.  The world ceased being a perfect place once Adam and Eve made the decision to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.  Therefore, bad things are going to happen.  Could God stop them if He chose?  Yes, and I believe sometimes He does, especially if He has a higher purpose for you being here.  Now, that don’t mean only the bad die young.  Heard a preacher say once there is no explanation why good people die before we think they should.  Unfortunately in life, there are things we are just not meant to understand nor be given an answer to;

• Why do I believe?  (This is my question, not hers)  There are many reasons why I believe.  One is because I do.  My heart of hearts tells me there is a Higher Being out there Who looks out over us and was gracious enough to let us be born.  Christianity is the only religion which worships a savior with an empty grave.  This is because Jesus conquered death by rising three days after he was killed on the cross.  With all the early Christians went through to keep it going, hard to believe it would still be around if God did not exist and Jesus didn’t rise from the grave.  Another is there are just too many things which had happen at the right time in the right place for us to be here for me to believe they happened by luck or coincidence.  But, if you are a real pragmatist, here is something to think about:  No one disputes the Bible is thousands of years old.  Many believe it is inspired by what God told the writers.  If you read Genesis 1, it says God created the heavens and earth.  Then He created life in the oceans before creating life on the land and in the air.  It also says He created the animals before He created man.  Science believes this is the same order life as we know it was created in.  The Bible told us about this thousands of years ago, long before scientists existed much less proved this to be true.  And, for the record, have always believed Who created us and why is much more important that the actual how.

So, these are my thoughts on the matter.  Like I said earlier, not trying to convert anyone.  My purpose is to give you some things to think about.  It’s up to you to decide whether you believe them to be true or not.  If God cannot make you believe, what chance do I have?  If you decide not to believe them, I will still love and respect you as a friend, and I hope you will feel the same about me.

May the Peace of the Lord be with you!

Sporadic Thoughts

Well, the pollen has finally died down a little where I’m at, and that makes me happy.  Was actually able to wear my contacts all day today.  Woo-hoo!!!  Hope it’s better where you’re at, too.

Not really much going on in the news which interests me, but have a few things rattling around in me noodle that need to come out.  So, if you’re ready, here we go:

• Started posting song lyrics on Twitter and Facebook this week.  Most of the time they reflect my mood and/or different thoughts going through me brain.  Sometimes I’m just being silly.  Always enjoy it when someone continues the lyrics.  Only had one response which threw me a little.  Anyway, if you follow me on Twitter or on Facebook, hope you are enjoying them and/or recognize most of the songs.  Due to character limits on Twitter, don’t usually credit the artist, but, if you want to know, feel free to ask.  And, if you’re curious enough about the trainwreck, you can follow me on Twitter @scotps23;
• Have told y’all before about my European tweeps.  Think what fascinates me the most is they tend to have actual conversations using Twitter.  Don’t see that much from my American tweeps.  Americans just tend to throw their thoughts out there but not comment on others.  Least not what I can see.  Not really sure why, either.  Maybe it’s unique to the folks I follow.  Or, maybe folks just think I’m boring.  Don’t know.  Anyway, it’s a lot of fun to watch their conversations ebb and flow throughout the day;
• Well, now that the airline industry lost billions cuz of the volcanic ash, the blame game has begun over who’s idea it was to ground the planes.  Believe you should always err on the side of caution when it comes to air safety.  Bottom line is no one really knew what, if any, effect the ash would have on the planes.  In the end, you have to ask yourself what’s worse, being inconvenienced or dead if you crash?  How would you like to be the airline executive who made the decision to fly when the plane crashes?;
• Been a lot of stuff out there about this whole Goldman Sachs mess.  Folks getting all excited cuz President Obama took almost a million smackers from them.  Well, they gave money to just about everyone on both sides of the aisle.  Someone asked if Mr. Prez was going to give it back.  He basically said no cuz it was from the employees rather than the company itself (long story how that is but true from what I’m reading).  Who in their right mind would think a politician would ever give that kind of dough back?  Anyway, his administration still appears poised to go after them fer now.  We shall see.  What concerns me more is the fact the Goldman Sachs indictment (or whatever it was) conveniently came out just as they are starting to make a push for Wall Street reform, whatever that means.  Nothing like using the judicial system to push your political agenda.  Of course, they are saying the timing is all just coincidental.  Uh-huh.  Whatever…Will just have to wait and see what happens;
• The Stanley Cup playoffs have been pretty awesome so far!  Lots of overtime games.  Even the ones that don’t go to OT have been pretty close.  The Stanley Cup commercials have been pretty good, too.  Have forgotten just how exciting playoff hockey can be.  Best thing about OT in the playoffs (other than the excitement of wondering which shot will be the last) is no TV timeouts;
• Been lots of hullaballoo about the NFL draft this week.  Hard to believe they are devoting an entire night of primetime just to the 1st round.  Guess it will REALLY be big time if it ever lands on a major network, not that ESPN is a slouch to be on.  Actually know some people who are going out of their way to watch them.  Will follow it close enough to see where my fellow Bama alums are going, but not much more than that;
• Peace reigns where God is present. Peace reigns when Love is present. Simple formula then: Where you have Love and God, you find Happiness – Posted on Twitter by Billy Corgan.  Billy Corgan?  Of Smashing Pumpkins fame?  Yep, that one.  Have always liked him;
• In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on. - Robert Frost

Y’all think about it…

The Empty Tomb

This is the holiest week of the year for Christians. This week excites me more as a Christian than even Christmas. Why? Easter is the day that separates Christianity from every other religion in the world. This day celebrates our Savior has an empty tomb!

Almost 2000 years ago, there were a lot of sad people on this day. They had seen someone they saw as The Messiah perish on a cross. Not just perish, but suffer a cruel and painful death. Life as they saw it was over. Little did they know how right they were!

Jesus chose to die as a sacrifice for all the sins of the world. Three days later He was alive! There are many reasons He arose from the grave. The most important is so He can walk beside those that let Him into their lives. He died so that we may live.

My family and I choose for Jesus to be a part of our lives. Does that mean our lives have been easy since that decision? Nope. Not even close. But, what it does mean is Jesus walks with us every day. He is there to comfort us and give us direction in our journey through this life. When we choose to listen, life seems a little easier. We know we will have strength and encouragement to get through the bad times. We also have someone else to help us celebrate the good things. Ultimately, we know we will have life after we leave this world. All these reasons give us the peace and happiness most people seek for their lives.

And, it's all because of an empty tomb.

If this post seems familiar to you, that's cuz it's the same one from last year.  Just couldn't think of a better way to say it this year.

Have a happy Easter!

Christmas Quotes

Well, as Christmas season is winding up (or down, however you want to look at it), thought I'd provide some of my favorite quotes from the various Christmas movies and TV shows I like. Hope these are some of your favorites, too.

• I want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle! Ralph Parker, A Christmas Story
• You'll shoot your eye out - Various characters, A Christmas Story
• My father wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan - Ralph Parker
• Only I didn't say fudge... - Ralph Parker
• FRA-GEE-LAY. Must be Italian - Mr. Parker, A Christmas Story
• Think that says FRAGILE, dear - Mrs. Parker
• It's just like Santa's workshop! Only it smells like mushrooms...and everyone looks like they want to hurt me - Buddy, Elf
• You smell like beef and cheese! You don't smell like Santa! - Buddy
• If you see a sign that says "Peep Show," that doesn't mean that they're letting you look at the new toys before Christmas - Santa, Elf
• You couldn't hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant! - Uncle Lewis, Christmas Vacation
• That there's an RV...don't you go falling in love with it now because we're taking it with us when we leave next month - Eddie, Christmas Vacation
• Can I refill your eggnog? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead? - Clark Griswald, Christmas Vacation
• Is there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?! - Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Christmas
• And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.' - Linus Van Pelt, A Charlie Brown Christmas (Luke 2:8-14)
• That's what Christmas is all about - Linus Van Pelt

Yes, indeed, Linus. That IS what Christmas is truly all about.

Not sure if I will post again before Christmas. Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. Please don't let the craziness of the season get in the way of remembering the Reason for the Season, whether you are celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah.

As always, thanks for reading, and may the Lord bless you and your family!

Quotes to Think About

Got some quotes kickin' around in me noggin which need to come out. These inspire me, keep me grounded, and/or make me laugh, among other things. So, gonna throw 'em out here. Who knows? They may touch you somehow, too. Will do my best to give credit where credit is due. Some come from TV, some from movies, some from history and various other places. Hope you enjoy:

• You beat everything! You know that?! - Andy Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show
• Poor old Horatio - Opie Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show
• Whooped 'em again, eh, Josey? - Jamie, The Outlaw Josey Wales
• Be kind for everyone you meet is involved in a great struggle - Unknown
• You never know when that stranger you just met was really an angel sent by God - David Martin
• Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it - Winston Churchill
• The tribe has spoken - Jeff Probst, Survivor
• Charging someone with murder here is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indianapolis 500 - Capt. Benjamin Williard, Apocalypse Now
• Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest - Jesus, Matthew 11:28
• A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education - Theodore Roosevelt
• If I'm so smart, why did I just put a stitch in my glove? - Col. Sherman T. Potter, M*A*S*H
• I didn't understand a word you just said, but I'll fight to the death your right to confuse me - Capt Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce, M*A*S*H
• All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent - Thomas Jefferson, a wise and great American
• A man's got to know his limitations - "Dirty" Harry Callahan. Magnum Force
• And you want to be my latex salesman - Jerry Seinfeld, Seinfeld
• Somebody left the barn door open, and the wrong cows came home - The Stranger, High Plains Drifter
• When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty - Thomas Jefferson, a wise and great American
• Oh, I'm a trained noticer - Barney Fife, The Andy Griffith Show
• Men, we just signed a treaty with the Japanese. So, if you see one of their [war] planes, shoot them down in a friendly manner - Admiral William "Bull" Halsey
• The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older - Roger Waters, "Time," The Dark Side of the Moon
• One of the saddest days of my life was the day I realized I could beat my dad at most things - Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
• Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure...than to rank with the those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat - Theodore Roosevelt
• So, do not fear, for I am with you - Isaiah 41:10
• No man is a failure who has friends - Clarence, It's A Wonderful Life
• For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life - John 3:16

Whoa. That's more than I initially thought. Could list some more but figure you're probably getting tired of reading about now. Please feel free to share any you have.

In honor of this post, have added a quote of the day section at the top. Hope you enjoy it.

Have a great weekend!

Gapses in the Synapses

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween over the weekend. Ours was pretty nice in spite of the cold weather. Well, it was cold for the South, anyway. At least the rain quit around lunchtime. Could have been very miserable.

Anyway, have a few things to comment on this week. And away we go:

• Watched a little of the Vikings/Packers game yesterday. The Favre worship wasn't quite as bad this time, but it was a little much at times. Yes, it's great that a 40 year-old-man is playing his position well in the NFL. But, there are two things that have bothered me about both of his comebacks. First, the media acts like it's the Second Coming every time. As much as it may pain some people to hear this, he's only playing football. He ain't coming back to solve world hunger, solve the Middle East crisis, etc. There are much more important things to talk about in the world. Second, don't think he understands why people outside of Green Bay aren't really fans of him, anymore. It's not because he's not playing for the Packers and it's not because they are tired of the media oogling over him, although imagine that's got something to do with it. It's because it appears he drags these decisions out to get all the media attention he can out of it. Hopefully, the third time will be the charm, and, when he announces his retirement again, he will really mean it this time. Now that he's beaten the Packers twice, maybe he will finally ride off into the sunset and retire for good while he's still at the top of his game;
• Saw a story asking whether there's room for moderates in the Republican party. Made me a little angry cuz don't think there is room for moderates in either party. The reason for the story is there's a special election for a Congressional seat in New York. One of the Republican candidates withdrew from the race over the weekend cuz the other Republican candidate was ahead of her in the polls and in raising money. She was hand-picked by the committee cuz they thought her moderate views would appeal to more people. Maybe, maybe not. If people don't think she's likable, her stances probably don't matter a whole lot. So, now there are articles questioning whether there is room for moderates in the party. My answer is there's no room for moderates in either party. Read another story where Harry Reid added a public option to a Senate healthcare reform plan. Had to do it cuz the liberal constituency in his district was up in arms. So, he added something that will further drag out the process and probably has no chance of passing just to satisfy the less-moderate side of his party, which most likely shows him the most money. Think that is one thing wrong with America these days: there's no room for moderation in either party. Won't even get into the money part of it. Wish a viable third party would arise, or, at least a viable independent candidate. Not ashamed to say I voted for Ross Perot in '92 (before he wigged out). He had a pretty strong showing and got the attention of a lot of knuckleheads in DC. Unfortunately, he went crazy in '96 so both parties went back to their usual business. Sad to see;
• See where President Obama's poll numbers have come back to earth. Shouldn't be a surprise. Most politicians seem more appealing when they are candidates as opposed to actually serving. Wish they would delve a little deeper in those polls and ask why. If I had to guess, half of those who don't like him think he's taking things too far and the other half thinks he hasn't gone far enough. For those in the latter, he's only been in office for a year. Surely you weren't expecting everything to be solved in a year. Most of our problems have been bubbling for 15-20 years (and even longer). Don't care who you are. They ain't gonna be fixed in a year. If you are a regular reader, you probably already know where I stand on this so won't chew that bubblegum again;
• In case you were wondering, the blood pressure went down enough that won't have to take any pills for now. Have lost 33 pounds since the end of June in my Battle of the Bulge. Still hope to lose about 7 more before all is said and done. The Mrs has done even better than that. (Way to go, Honey!) Most of mine has been from running 4-6 times a week and using the Lose It! app on my iPhone to count my calories. My wife has done the same along with going to Curves three times a week. The hardest part has been finding the money for all the new clothes. (By the way, that's no excuse not to diet and exercise);
• A friend reminded me that you don't have to be alone when times are rough. You can always reach out to your friends for support. True friends will be there for you through good times and bad. They will also never complain about you reaching out to them. More importantly, you can always reach out to Jesus. He reminds us in Matthew 11:28-30 that He wants to help carry our burdens in life. All we have to do is ask. Just as a reminder, if you have anything you would like me or anyone else to pray about, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail. There is a link in my profile.

That's all I got for now. Just wanted to point out the left-hand side of the page in case you've never noticed. Have some quotes over there. Also have links to other blogs that I encourage you to check out. Feel free to become a follower if you'd like. Appreciate those of you who already are. Gives me encouragement to keep it up.

Peace out!

Power of Prayer

Had the opportunity to hear Don Piper speak at my church last Sunday. His story has made me think a lot about the power of prayer this week. Prayer is truly powerful! It can change things!

Don Piper was in a horrific car accident and was dead for 90 minutes before he came back to life. He was going back to his church from a minister's workshop and was literally run over by an 18-wheeler. Every bone in his body was broken except for his right forearm and he was impaled on the steering wheel. The paramedics worked on him for a long time but eventually determined there was nothing they could do to bring him back to life.

One of the other preachers at the conference came up to the scene and heard God tell him to pray for the man in the car. After much discussion with a police officer, he crawled into the car, placed his hand on Don's right forearm, and began praying for him. In the meantime, the police had called Don's church looking for his wife. (This was in the days before cell phones.) The police told them Don was in a bad accident but would not tell them anything more than that. They immediately began praying for him. They also called other churches in the area, who called even more churches. Soon there were people all over the world praying for a man they had never even heard of, much less knew. After 90 minutes, the preacher in the car began singing What a Friend We Have in Jesus and Don joined him. The preacher got out of the car and told the remaining paramedics, "The dead man is singing!"

You might be thinking, I've heard this story before. That's because Don Piper wrote a book about the ordeal called 90 Minutes in Heaven. If you have not read it, I highly recommend it. He talks about how he went to Heaven during that time. He also talks about his struggle to recover from the accident after he came back. It's very powerful and inspirational.

Anyway, hearing him speak Sunday made me think about other miracles I've seen and heard about as a result of prayer.

Would like to share one example I witnessed:

Several years ago, there was couple in our Sunday school class who was pregnant. She went to the doctor, who ran some test and told her the baby would most likely not make it. Naturally, this news upset her. When she announced it to the class, the teacher said we were going to pray for her. At that time, we all gathered around her and began to pray. After her next doctor's visit, the doctor told her she had had a dramatic turnaround and it looked like everything would be OK. She went on to deliver a healthy baby.

Now, some folks may say it's all a coincidence. My answer would be the same as the Latter Day Saints have for a miracle which happened for them. If you've ever been to Salt Lake City, you may have seen a monument to seagulls. When the Latter Day Saints first relocated to Utah, their crops were attacked by locusts. They prayed for a miracle. Shortly thereafter a huge flock of seagulls appeared and ate the locusts. Scientists have explained it happened because the offshore winds in California have been known to blow seagulls into Utah before. The LDS response is: yes, that might be true, but you can't argue with the timing of it coming after they had prayed.

There are many stories in the Bible where miracles have happened as the result of prayer. Jesus says if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can move mountains (Matthew 17:20-21). I truly believe that. The Bible also has several stories where God has changed his plans after talking with people (see Genesis 18 just to name one example). That's all prayer really is: us having a discussion with God.

I also believe God answers all prayers. Sometimes the answer is not what we want. But, we get an answer. It's hard for us to understand that God's plans are not always the same as ours. There've been several times when my prayers have not been answered like I wanted them to. But, when everything was said and done, things turned out better than I expected and/or I received a new inspiration for my life.

Now, I'm not one of those people who thinks we should put prayer back in public schools. If it was, the prayers would be so watered down there would be no reason for it. (Will say I believe the old axiom: prayer will never be removed from schools as long as there are tests.) But, do believe in its power and feel great comfort knowing God cares enough to listen to what I have to say. It's up to me to listen for His answer and accept whatever it may be. God will listen to your prayers, too, whether they are long, eloquent, Billy Graham-type prayers, or one that's not so much. Encourage you to try it out.

Thanks for listening.

Things That Make Me Go Hmmmmm

Last time said I was going to have a blog on things I worry about. Don't really worry about many things, but do think about quite a few. Thought I'd list a few just in case someone has some answers for me. So, here are some things that make me go, "Hmmmmm."

I wonder:

• Do aliens really visit us? Hard to believe in the vast universe there is not life somewhere else. But, are they really advanced enough to visit to us? If they are that smart, why would they want to contact us in the first place?
• How can people see the miracle of life and the beauty of nature and not know God exists? Too many things had to go right for all of this to just be random luck.
• If Lincoln were observing our society today, would he say, "You can fool some of the people all of the time, some people some of the time, but some folks just ain't going to believe anything!" Some people are so hard core on both sides of the aisle, they wouldn't believe the other side if the Heavens parted and the angels sang while they were talking.
• Why do women get upset when men leave the seat up? If we can go to the trouble of lifting it, seems like they could take the time to make sure it's back down.
• If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we design a remote that beeps so we can always find it?
• How can anyone not love the Muppets?
• How could anyone truly believe they would survive a nuclear war?
• Will the people on Big Brother actually be worth watching this year? The last couple of years have been iffy at best.
• How can anyone really believe we are going to spend our way out of debt? Sure explains a lot about the state of our country.
• If anyone else has noticed society's downward turn started about the same time prayer was taken out of schools?

These are just a few of the things rattling around in me head. Thoughts and comments are welcome.

Back to A

All right. So I did the Alphabet meme (what a cool word, wonder how it's pronounced) the other day. When it came to what annoys me, I answered there were too many to list. Many people wanted to know what they were. OK, made that part up, but thought I would share them, anyway.

Here we go:

• People who feel a need to show me they are smarter than me. We both know you are. No need to rub it in.
• People who refuse to look at both sides of an issue. Both sides usually have good points.
• Why do you practically have to put your hands on the sensor to get water to come out of an automatic faucet, but the soap dispenser will shoot soap out as you walk across the room?
• Artistic people. OK, I admit it. Actually jealous of you folks. Wish I was more like you.
• People who keep their hands-free devices on all the time. You don't look cool. You look like a dork who thinks whoever may call is more important than the people you are with. Not saying you do. Just looks that way.
• Why do Americans want to be like Europeans so bad when we have fought at least four wars so we wouldn't be a part of Europe? Think of how many times you've heard, "It's all the rage in Europe" or "Well, in Europe they..." If I wanted to be like a European, I would move there.
• Groups you've never heard of protesting things just so you will find out they are there. Don't want to give any examples because that will just serve their purpose. Sure you can think of some on your own.
• People who make fun of things they don't understand. Usually says more about them than the thing they are making fun of.
• People who make fun of pro wrestling fans by saying, "You know it's fake, don't you?" Yes, they do. You know "Pretty Woman" ain't a true story and Latifah ain't a real queen, right? It's called "suspension of disbelief." Maybe you should have paid more attention in high school English.
• How can every car dealer in town have the lowest prices and the best deals? Think about it.
• People who's automatic response is "it can't be done" when they are asked to do something. Good thing our soldiers didn't think that way on D-Day.
• People who don't want to realize this country was founded on Christian principles. There's a reason God is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, we say "So help me God" when taking an oath, and "In God We Trust" is our motto, among other things.
• People who use big words they probably can't even spell. It doesn't make you sound smart. It makes you sound snooty.
• People who think sports are the most important thing in life. Unless that's what you do for a living, there are more important things in life like your family, your job, and God just to name a few. Cheer for your favorite team, follow what is going on with them, but your view on life should not hinge on whether your team won or lost that week.
• Why are people obsessed about how we were made? It's more important why we were made. Besides, if you read Genesis, the order of creation pretty much follows what science says happened. And it was written long before people had any notion of what science claims to know now.
• Non-Southerners trying to speak Southern in the movies and on TV. Most are not even close. Give it up.
• Myself because I'm guilty of most of these, too.

Well, feel a little better now. Kind of like that "Far Side" where the doctor has been pushed out the window of the stress clinic and the caption said "Hey, I feel better now." Gary Larson is a genius. Wish he would come back. Would start reading the paper again just to see his work.

A few odds and ends to finish with. I added an e-mail link to my profile. Feel free to drop me a line. May post a list of things I worry about (for lack of a better phrase) before the week is over.

May the Peace of the Lord be with you.