Best of 2006

Quest

The scene was 10 years ago. I was a 45 year old student for a month on the University of Texas campus. Campus activity looked the same as my own school (University of Oregon) 25 years earlier. I had changed though. As a 45 year old, I was aware of the spiritual atmosphere and confident of my place in it. At Oregon, when I was a young student, I was self focused and unsure of my world. Any confidence I projected, any resolve I espoused were merely generated out of the need of the moment to project and espouse confidence and resolve. Twenty-five years later I could see the same fragile masks on some of the young students as we walked through campus between classes.
On the Texas campus, there is a big lawn crisscrossed by sidewalks. Between classes it teems with a sea of students as they cross through it for the next class. At the far end is the tallest building on campus. It is at the same time famous and infamous. It is the “Clocktower Building”. If you are old enough, you might remember the first real sniper killing in our country that was covered live on television across the nation. A man had made his way up the Clocktower Building’s 23 stories with a rifle and started killing students as they crossed the lawn on their way to class. Many more would have died if it wasn’t for a couple of brave patrolmen who, armed with only a pistol and a shotgun, climbed up the 23 flights of stairs and put an end to the carnage. I was about 15 when it happened. I had not remembered or thought of it since, but when I walked on campus 30 years later and looked up to see that building, I instantly remembered. This was that building.
However as I approached it, remembering the black and white TV images, I saw something that I was not prepared for. Engraved in the marble across the face of the huge base of the building was the quote, “Know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Young students walked past, oblivious of the building’s infamy and unmoved by the huge message carved in stone before them. The scene was surreal. Oblivious students walking past a structure that had all the impact of Golgotha. A place made infamous by the mass murdering of innocent students. The same place had the message of ultimate freedom emblazoned on it.
I watched the scene before me and realized that the students represented all of us. We are all on a quest for truth. We all walk the path that represents the quest for truth, oblivious of the fact that death itself can scour the same path, seeking who it may devour. We all are somewhere between the realization of death and the revelation of the truth.
The irony of the scene was that the author of the building’s inscription was not a sponsor of academic pursuit at all. And his statement was not about the pursuit of knowledge. Nor was it a simple platitude. After all, what he was talking about is so powerful that it is the only certain and successful defense from the clocktower killer. I wanted to walk through the square, point to the inscription and ask the students, “Who do you think first said that? What do you think that means?” What was he talking about?” I didn’t stop anyone. They all had just minutes to get to their next class. They were all too focused to pay attention to some middle aged stranger.
But you’ve got time? What do you think it means?

Best articles from before

Under the Bridge

I was all alone as I waded down the Ninilchik River in Alaska. The sun was shining and the weather was warm. My waders kept my feet and legs insulated from the icy water that rushed passed me to the Cook Inlet about a mile downstream. In the week that I had been on the Kenai Peninsula, I had fished several rivers and caught Halibut on a rolling deck in the ocean. I had experienced “combat fishing” on the Russian River and fished late into the evening on the Kasiloff River. My two fishing buddies, Norm and Ray took an opportunity to go out for one more halibut fishing trip, so I dropped them at the charter launch point and headed for the Ninilchik. Now I was standing in the middle of it all alone. I was awe-struck by the beautiful setting. The river, about as wide as a big one-lane road meandered through meadows and around big rocks. Upriver it passed under the highway bridge. Downriver, it meandered back and forth through a meadow that led through a village and the mouth.

The beauty, warmth, and solitude allowed me to think about a recurring dream that I had as a boy. I hadn’t thought about it in years, but it was fresh again, prompted by the desire to catch a fish. The dream was a scene where I as a young boy was pulling a fish from a stream that ran through our pasture. As I was pulling the fish from the stream, without looking, I knew my Dad was walking up behind me. I grabbed the fish, turned around and held it up for him. I was laughing and he was beaming. I loved that dream. The problem was that it was just that. My Dad was a wonderful father, but he never took me fishing. My whole childhood, he worked 6 days a week. The one day he got off we worked to keep the farm going. He promised but we never went fishing. Other boys my age went fishing with their dads.

So as I stood all alone on the Ninilchick, I called out to God. “Father, this place is so beautiful, would you spend some time with me, here? Would you walk with me? Would you show me what to do; where to go? Do you have time to spend with me? I know you must be busy but can we go fishing together?”

When I said that last bit, I could feel a bit of anger that I had held for all those years towards my Dad. As I sat and retied my salmon rowe bait, I repented of that immature resentment that I had somehow harbored all these years. The emotion of the moment caught me by surprise. Sitting there in the sun, with that beautiful river flowing by, I felt God’s tender presence and the strong desire to be with the Lord. I told him that His presence, enjoying this stream with me was what I longed for. Actually catching a fish was not nearly as important. As I stood up, I asked Him which way we should go. I had been heading downstream, but I sensed the desire to go upstream, wade under the bridge, and follow the river as it turned left and headed east.

I made my way slowly upstream, sometimes on the bank, sometimes in the water. I fished the holes and still water as I went. Earlier, downstream I had caught two steelhead. Normally I would be elated, but I had to release them as I was after 30 lb. king salmon. Upstream I was not even getting steelhead bites. I entered the shade of the bridge and stepped into deeper water. As I did, I was still directly under the bridge when I glanced up ahead of me and saw an odd looking little man on far bank about 40 yards ahead of me. Beside him sat a very large black dog with white eyebrows and a grayish white muzzle. It was staring at me, not with any kind of alert, but with eyes that indicated I was of no threat to him.

The little man had seen me first. He was pacing back and forth on the bank, alternating glances at me and glances into the river below him. I kept slowly approaching him, but I had to walk from the middle of the stream to the opposite bank. The bank he was standing on was about 6 feet higher than the water level. My bank was more like a beach, directly under the bridge.

As I walked up it, he spoke in such a manner that almost sounded like we were in the middle of a conversation. “There are 5 right below me. I can see them. There are another 4 where you are, under the bridge.” He was now kneeling and pulling pieces of a small fly rod out of his backpack. “We’re all alone,” he continued. “There are a bunch of people at the mouth of the river digging clams. Wasting their time. Here is where the real action is.” Now he was plunking his hook in the water, allowing it to go to the bottom and then jerking it up. “I’ll show you they are down there. Then you will believe me,” he said with excitement in his voice.

At that point, several things were running through my mind. This little man was very odd looking. Everyone on the river wore the same uniform. Fishing vest, sunglasses, ball cap, and hip waders were all the standard wardrobe. This little man was wearing a blue wool plaid jacket, blue coveralls, and an odd looking black hat. His hair was long and curly as was his full beard. Even though there was no gray in his hair, the skin on his face was very wrinkled and looked like he had spent many an Alaskan winter out in the elements. His eyes were large and dark. Fishermen wore sunglasses so we could see the fish in the water. He wasn’t wearing any, but he was claiming he could see all these fish below us. I wondered if he wasn’t looking at logs below the water’s surface, or perhaps he had spotted some more steelhead.

He continued to plunk his line into the water and jerk up. “We’re the only ones here,” he said again. “I’ll show you that these fish are here.” Suddenly, the still water below him exploded. A good sized king salmon leapt into the air, hit the water and raced to the opposite shore. He let out a whoop as his little fly rod became a lightning rod and he hung on as it jerked up and down, left and right. The fish’s energy was only increasing as it crisscrossed the little river in an effort to get unhooked. Suddenly the water stopped churning and went silent. The fish had succeeded in losing the hook. “Whoo hoo,” he yelled. “I hooked that one in the ass! Now do you believe me?”

I admit I am not a very good fisherman. But I have learned a couple of things. One thing I learned was when you see something like what I just saw, you rig your hook with the same setup and you get it in the water, fast.

“Bait won’t work,” the little man said. “Do you know how to do the Kenai flip?” The Kenai flip is a legal snagging cast used by the locals for fish that are not responding to lures or bait.

“Yes, I know how” I replied as I sat down to rig my pole with the right hook, leader length, and weight to do the Kenai flip.

“That fish stirred up the others,” my new friend told me. “Some of them are headed towards you beneath the bridge.” As I waded back beneath the bridge, he caught another. “I got this one in the mouth!” he yelled as he played it along the bank. I was now below the bridge flipping my line into the water and jerking it up when the weight hit the bottom. I could see ripples in the water; proof that he was right. His action was moving the fish down river.

But as I walked away from him, down river giving chase, something then occurred to me. The scene seemed surreal, that was plain enough. But my recent prayer suddenly came back to me. “Would you spend time with me? Would you have some fun with me? Would you show me what to do, like a dad would do?” Even though this man is pretty strange, I thought, “Lord if this is you, I am absolutely crazy to be walking away from you.” So I abruptly turned around and started fishing towards the little man who was still wrestling with his big salmon.

Now walking under the bridge towards him, I encountered the deepest water yet. I suddenly noticed that one of my waders was taking on ice cold water. I was in the shade, under the bridge working to about 20 yards from the little man standing in the sunshine when the water exploded around me. My rod bent over and nearly jerked from my hand as beside me, not 10 feet away a huge king salmon lunged to the surface. I had my drag set pretty tight but he easily stripped out line as he took off down river in an effort to get unhooked. I let out a yell and I could hear the little man yell back, encouraging me on.

Suddenly then the line went slack as I could see the big fish change directions and head directly towards me. I reeled as fast as I could to take up the slack, all the while backing up towards the beach under the bridge. But when the fish saw the bank coming up, he abruptly turned and headed across the river again towards a partially submerged log. “Oh no you don’t!” I yelled as I tightened my drag down some more and pulled with all my might. I knew if he got under the log he would be able to catch my line. I pulled again and just got his head turned in time. But there were more logs and he headed for the next one. Again I got his head turned in time and again he race towards me, causing my line to go slack. I reeled in as fast as I could. Things were looking good. I had him headed towards the beach and I knew he had to be tiring.

But I was also aware of the eventual fate of this fish. You see, it had a dorsal fin. It was a native and when I got him to shore, (if I got him to shore), I was going to have to release him. The rules were strict that we could keep only hatchery kings like the one that I had caught on the Kasilof River a few days earlier. This was a much bigger fish. He was mad at me for disturbing his peace. But at this point he was cooperating. I had him heading my direction a second time and I new I just needed to back up and bring him onto the beach.

But there is a funny thing about king salmon. I think that is why they are called kings. He took one look at the beach, turned his head down river and with more energy than even before, he took off. My drag on my reel was cinched down as hard as I could get it but it did no good. This king shot off down river, leaving a wake as he went. My reel was singing loud in protest as he shot past the two logs and over a little rock ledge to a pool below. Suddenly I saw my weight flip up in the air towards me with the leader and hook following behind. Somehow he had pulled off his hook. I watched his wake as he disappeared around the next bend.

I was far from disappointed about how this battle had ended. I knew he was destined to be set free. The fact that he did it himself only added to the thrill. The fish was huge. The battle was thrilling. I yelled out with pure elation only to hear the little man behind me adding to my cheers. “That was sure a lot more exciting than clam digging, wasn’t it!” he boomed out. I couldn’t agree more. I turned around to see him and his big dog on the bank behind me. He had real joy in his eyes as he spoke again. “Have a great Holiday!” Then he turned and stepped into the forest. His dog lingered just a bit longer, looking at me, then also turned, following on the little man’s heals as they both disappeared up a small trail.

It was suddenly quiet. I was standing in the middle of the river. Sun was bathing me in warmth and I was all alone. The water was quiet around me. I strained to catch a glimpse of the old man but he had vanished. I looked around to hopefully see another witness. I wanted to ask someone, “Did you see what just happened? But, there was no one.

If someone would have walked up then, he wouldn’t have understood. Here was a 56 year old fisherman standing in the middle of a river with tears streaming down his cheeks. A dam had burst inside of me and waves of emotion were causing me to let loose with some tears. I was remembering what I had prayed earlier. I was also remembering everything the little man had done and said. His disdain for the people digging clams at the mouth of the river when the real prize was here under the bridge was humorous. But I felt convicted, because I spend way too much time on and put way to much importance in my own version of clam digging. His ability to see the fish, his joy at showing them to me, and then his elation when I caught one were the things that I kept remembering.

Now I wrestle with this next part. Probably a good fisherman would have turned back into the water to see how many more he could hook. But I made my way to the bank, sat in the sun, embraced the solitude and simply enjoyed what had just happened as I inconspicuously wiped tears from my eyes. I also allowed my logic to take over, thinking that if the little man was not a divine being, he certainly was someone who God used. But why does everything that he said have a depth of meaning for me? Why do I remember bits of our conversation days later only to realize that each thing he said speaks deeply to me?

What - Me Worry?

OK – OK – OK! I was wrong! Generally, Republicans want us to start drilling for new sources of domestic oil because we believe there are not enough good new alternatives to stem the demand for foreign oil. We believe this is causing us to be needlessly subservient to tyrant governments in the Middle East and in South America.

But Democrats are resolute in their desire not to drill. They believe that we can come up with alternatives so drilling would be counterproductive in every way. Well, they did it. They put their best minds to it and have come up with not one, but several alternatives to solve our need for crude oil. It must be thrilling for them to command it – and then see it come forth right before their eyes. I just have to marvel at the brain power.

Who needs to start drilling again when you have these solutions to our biggest problem:

Wisdom from Larry the Cable Guy

Regarding whether or not we should tap resources in our own country for oil and/or build new refineries, don’t ever give me the excuse that we should not do it because it will not help for another 10 years. That is the lamest reason I have ever heard. To the person who offers up that logic, there should be an immediate challenge. You see, the hidden logic behind that statement is that we will have gone on to newer technology that will have replaced the need for oil. So why waste our time?

I hate that the logic behind such a stupid statement goes unchallenged. No one who uses it should get a free pass. Make them verbalize that hidden logic. Then as they stammer a bit about how we need to be weaned from oil, get ready for some fun. The problem with the “we need to . . .” philosophy is that it simply denies reality. After the person gives you the standard blah blah blah about that then ask them to describe in detail what society will look like without oil being a part of it. Encourage them to really think about it.

What you want to get them to realize is that this world will not reach that reality in 10 years. Are you reading this on your computer? Reach out and touch the frame of the screen. Touch your keyboard. Touch your computer. How about your chair. In the room you are in, take the time to touch everything that has petroleum products in them. That will take some time. Now go to the next room and do the same. Do that in the kitchen – that will really take some time. Now go out to your car and visualize that it is futuristic and does not burn any gas or oil. But go through and touch the dash board, the seat covers, the instrument panel, the belts and hoses, the lights and bumpers and now even the fenders. Now that you get the picture, really imagine a world where we have completely weaned ourselves from petroleum products. Is a refusal to access the supply of oil really the answer? Will the need for it disappear in 10 years?

Now, go to your computer and look up economic data on how fast India, China, and all third world countries are growing. We get precious little respect from them now because they are jealous of our lifestyle. Imagine going to them and telling them that we don’t mind if they want to strive towards modernism – to get disease and poverty under control – they just have to do it without petroleum products.

Before the exercise gets too bogged down, please go back to the original premise. Democrats are saying that we should not tap our own resources or build new refineries because they won’t be productive for at least 10 years. But I believe that in 10 years we will have produced more products, not less that will be made from petroleum! And I do not believe that we will have done away with petroleum driven cars by then – not by a long shot. Even if we radically change – we will still rely on petroleum as one of our most valuable resources.

Should we at long last start to drill, mine, and refine? Queue the Cable Guy.

Polar Bears or Children: Let's Hear Your Choice

Since I like writing about it, I guess I must be impassioned about showing people the right side of the Global Warming issue. The best way I know is to point out more very credible and knowledgeable people who have come from the position of support to become formidable critics of the movement.

This article, written by James Delingpole is about a Danish economist named Bjorn Lomborg. He understands some things that I have been saying all along. This isn’t a battle between those who love the environment and those who hate it. It is a battle between ethical people and a movement that has hijacked the cause for their own political purposes. What Lomborg does is put sensitive issues through a cost / benefit analysis that shows the frauds for what they are. For instance he passionately argues that one of the highest priorities should be saving starving children in Africa rather than polar bears in the Arctic.

What non-economists tend to have difficulty understanding, says Lomborg, is the concept of marginal benefit. ‘We tend to think in terms of absolute magnitude, so people will say, “Global warming is overall a bigger problem than micronutrition so we should deal with that first.” But what economists say is, “No. If you can spend a billion dollars and save 600,000 kids from dying and save about two billion people from being malnourished, that’s a lot better than spending the same amount to postpone global warming by about two minutes at the end of the century.”

Once a darling of the green movement, he now finds himself without a voice among those who still push their agenda forward. I like the following quote because it clearly states the ethical problem for the global warmers.

‘You cannot have a conversation about the biggest policy argument of the day, and then say that one side isn’t allowed to debate,’ says Lomborg. He thinks the greens have also done their cause a great disservice by talking up the climate change threat. ‘You can overplay your cards and screech so loudly that you end up losing the argument.”

As he points out, the real tragedy is that so much time, money and resources are being wasted by pursuing the wrong things.

I believe the global warmers should be held accountable for the damage they are causing by preventing solvable problems from being achieved. Read this article and you will see that there is a much more credible approach that can be taken by people who really care about people rather than achieving political power.

Some of my readers believe in the Global Warming cause. Shame on you! There are too many experts out there who can easily show you that the global warming hoax is a lie. Mr. Lomborg also demonstrates that blindly accepting it costs many human lives.

How Obama can Lose the Race

As I said earlier, this is Obama’s race to lose. His path to victory is to engage the middle of the spectrum without alienating the extreme left that got him the nomination. That sounds simple, but many on the far left have shown that they have very little tolerance for any position on issues like Iraq other than their own.

A year ago, no one could have understood what the big issues were going to be in November 2008, We all thought the big issue would be Iraq. Democrats knew they would be able to crush the Republicans on the issue. Well, that is not the way it is working out. The success in Iraq is undeniable and for Obama to continue the “mistake that we should abandon” rant is now a loser for him.

The overwhelming issue is now the price of gas. And unfortunately Obama has to defend the idea that using our own technology, our own ingenuity, our own labor, and our own natural resources and our own land to increase the supply of oil is really a bad idea. This issue hurts his base. Who doesn’t care about the price of gas? Only rich people. And what is his party’s answer? Raise taxes on the oil companies. They have the unfortunate task of trying to convince people that the oil companies will pay these taxes without it affecting the price at the pump. If they win the election with that argument then we deserve what’s coming to us.

Some of the polls that are now being done are showing the Democrats that their “it is good for us to suffer with high gas prices because it protects the environment” doesn’t play with Americans. And the “let’s tax the oil companies” argument is not a winner either.

If American voters can get the message that Democrats do not want to do anything about increasing the supply of gas, but only want to increase the tax adding to our cost at the pump, then this one issue can blow Obama’s chance for the White House. Six months ago this issue did not exist. By itself, it can change the direction of the election. Conversely, Iraq was their big issue. Now the undeniable success there has taken it away as an issue for them. In the next few months, if Obama doesn’t radically adapt on these two issues he will go the way of Kerry and Gore

President Obama - Get Used To It

Watching both political parties go through the process of getting down to their best candidate for President, I have come to the conclusion that our next President will be Barack Obama. Let me put it another way. The race is clearly Barack Obama’s to lose. Here are my reasons:

• Passion. If passion is an indicator then Obama is the winner. The passion shown by his supporters is off the chart. It is an amazing phenomenon. People are showing an amazing level of zeal and enthusiasm for Obama. Conversley the McCain passion is very low. Now the poll numbers are close, but the passion index (if there is one) is strongly tilted to Obama.
• Charisma. That is important. The last two Democratic Presidential candidates were woefully lacking in charisma. Kerry was a stiff. Gore wasn’t as warm as Kerry. Obama rates off the chart in this area, too. McCain has personality. On Saturday Night Live he was really good, but no one has as much charisma as Obama.
• Press. If you believe that the press is neutral about both candidates then it just seems natural that the above two traits would in the end, natrually cause them to be warmer to Obama. If you know the truth, then you know that the press has already signed on and is contributing mightily to being co-authors of this fairytale.
• Money. Democrats are doubling down. After Gore’s loss, the Democrat money knew it had to finance the next election. They almost got it done with Kerry. To their credit they are back with their wallets. It is ironic that this last several years of relatively low taxes and strong economic numbers has contributed more to their wealth than anything else. Conversely, Republicans to this point have been less willing to bankroll McCain.

In future posts, I will discuss how Obama can lose the race and how I think McCain could win it. So what do you think? Do you see it this way?

It is Time to Take Names and Kick You-Know-Whats

I believe the Political Party that can give good solutions to the most important problems we face would be a big winner in the upcoming elections. Republicans have lost the majority of seats in the House because it seems to be on the wrong side of the issues with the majority of Americans. But are they? Regarding the energy crisis, here is how the House sees the oil production issues. Republican Congressman Roy Blunt compiled the statistics. Powerline brings it to our attention.

ANWR Exploration
House Republicans: 91% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed

Coal-to-Liquid
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 78% Opposed

Oil Shale Exploration
House Republicans: 90% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Exploration
House Republicans: 81% Supported
House Democrats: 83% Opposed

Refinery Increased Capacity
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 96% Opposed

SUMMARY

91% of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of American-made oil and gas.

86% of House Democrats have historically voted against increasing the production of American-made oil and gas.

Now I may not be a smart guy, but if Republicans running for election in their district wanted to campaign to win, they wouldn’t need yard signs, TV spots, or anything else. Just get a diligent crew to stand at gas stations and hand out fliers making people aware of the above statistics. The flier wouldn’t have to say too much. The whirring numbers at the pump would fill in all the blanks.

Of Mice and Men

We had been in our new house for about a week. Our garage was wall-to-wall boxes. It was nice and cool in the garage so we had left a sack of apples out there. I noticed one day that one of the apples was about half eaten. Little mouse droppings were around it. I was impressed that some serious eating had taken place so I threw the bag of apples away and set two mouse traps side by side. I used cheese as the bait. The next morning I went out and both traps had mice. Now I started to think about it. The first mouse had gotten fooled. The second mouse was just stupid. It had been a witness to the other mouse’s catastrophic end just three inches away. But it went right ahead and found its own hunk of cheese.

Now – change of scene. A church in Chicago. It’s big so every service is taped. After many years, the nation is exposed to the contents of the sermons of Reverend Wright. As it turns out, his pulpit was being used as a platform for highly strident political discourse. Once the content of some of the “sermons” was revealed, the general public is rightly outraged. Reverend Wright is “retired” and rightly disavowed by his most famous member, Barack Obama.

Now, a Mr. Pfleger, guest preacher, shows up at the church to deliver a sermon from the same pulpit. This is a Catholic Priest who has a flair for the cadence and style that the people who attend this church are fond of. He then launches into a highly strident political discourse. A good time was had by all. But, like Wright’s sermons this one is immediately sent over the airways and the reaction to it is just the same. By Thursday of the next week, it was over. Just today I learned he has been suspended. But the thing that puzzled me the most were some words after it was apparent he was in trouble. He prefaced his apology with a comment to the affect that “these last three days were some of the most painful of my life”.

He had no premonition that this was coming? He had no foreknowledge that he would be held accountable for his strident political "sermon"? He completely missed the Reverend Wright experience? I feel like the AFLAC Duck after trying to understand Yogi Berra. And I thought of that second mouse.

Memorial Day Thoughts

A week ago, I heard that a soldier just received the Congressional Medal of Honor. In Iraq he watched as a hand grenade was thrown into his vehicle. It rattled to the floorboards. He was manning the machine gun on top and was in a position where he could have safely bailed out of the vehicle. But beneath him, his four comrades were unaware that it was there. Rather than jump, he dove after it, covering it with his body. His four friends lived but young nineteen year old Ross McGinnis did not.

I was driving in my car when I heard it. I just had to pull over and talk to God about it. It is incredible how a young man would make such a selfless decision. Jhn 15:13 says “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” To me, the stunning reality of this verse is that it is walked out time and again by our sons and daughters. So young. So much to life yet to be lived. But in an instance the choice is before them and they make it so their friends can live.

I am sure McGinnis’s parents were stunned at the news. I am sure their grief was immense. I had a family member a long time ago who got similar news. The letter she received is now famous for its heartfelt message of condolence. I like to think of it on Memorial Day. Its author admits that condolence is not possible at a time like this. But it is important to recognize the enormity of the selfless act of all of our sons and daughters who have died for our country.

The letter was written to Mrs. Lydia Parker Bixby

Executive Mansion,
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864

Dear Madam, --I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts, that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom. Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,

A. Lincoln.

For many of us, Memorial Day is just another day off. Fishing season starts, swimming pools are opened. But we all get to do that because many purchased our wonderful freedom with their very lives. Let’s remember and honor them today.

Foreign Policy for Dummies

As President, Barack Obama would open up talks with the leadership of Iran. He claims that since Ronald Reagan talked to Gorbachev the precident has been set for him to talk to Iran with no preconditions. He needs to understand the history.

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger formalized a foreign policy tactic regarding nuclear weapons called Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). Great acronym, huh? Very simply it meant that if you launch missiles, then we launch missiles. No one can stop either of us from launching so we both have a real survival interest in being nice. A very important part of that policy was the position that neither country had an anti-missile system. For one country to develop an anti-missile system was for it to say that MAD was no longer valid.

When President Reagan took office, he very wisely understood that the Soviet Union had destroyed its own economic engine. Financially it had no power to move to the next level. He went to Congress and got the “Star Wars” program passed. Star Wars was the nickname of a very ambitious anti-missile system. He knew the Soviets could not follow suit because they were simply out of steam.

Democrats are justifying Obama’s willingness to talk to the President of Iran with the rationalization that Reagan met with his enemy, Gorbachev. Yes he did. But remember, this is the President that stomped on a covert communist takeover in Granada. This is the President who launched a missile and blew up the President of Libya’s own house. His meeting with Gorbachev was not a “no precondition” type talk. It was to simply announce “checkmate.” He came to that meeting fully armed with 4 things.

1. I will launch missiles on leaders who want to harm us.
2. I hate communism and will stop its expansion.
3. I have Star Wars to protect us. You don’t.
4. Economically speaking, you are out of gas. We are stomping on the accelerator.

Gorbachev then went back to Moscow and started presiding over the dismantling of the Soviet Union.

I have no idea what Barrack Obama is thinking when he spouts off that he is willing to talk to our enemies because Reagan talked to his. To borrow a debate line: Barrack Obama – you are no Ronald Reagan.

Global Warming is a Political Ploy

In March I wrote an article that talked about how scientists were organizing in opposition to the theory of Global Warming. The effort is discussed in an in depth study that completly refuted the theory. But just as important, these scientists took the pro-global warming advocates to task for abandoning the process of scientific research. I described the event as sort of a D-Day. These scientists had successfully established a beachhead.

I am now reporting that another beachhead has opened up. A well known Oregon scientist has successfully organized over 31,000 scientists who are not afraid to publicly declare that Global Warming in a farce. His story is here.

For those who think this is about an environmental phenomenon, let me re-explain the issue. All scientists are aware that we are experiencing climate change. Until this year, people thought the trend was temperature increase. Now they are convinced it is temperature decrease. That is confusing, but we can all deal with climate change. Changes in weather patterns mean changes in crop rotations and clothing patterns.

The huge issue is this. The Global Warming theory blames man for these fluctuations. And its formula for correcting the fluctuations is a backward march, a regression of productivity and a redistribution of wealth; in short, socialism. Scientists, thousands upon thousands of them are saying it is impossible that man has affected or can affect the world’s climate as the global warming gurus claim. Therefore these huge wealth redistribution plans will not affect the climate at all. But they will work to bring about a two-class economic system. The ruling class and the ruled class.

What these scientist are saying is that we have been had. Politicians have hijacked the issue. The weather has nothing to do with it. Taxing the more affluent cultures on a world-wide scale is what this is all about.

It is ironic that news of this scientist comes from Oregon. Because another message came from Oregon about the same day. It was from Barack Obama. “We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK."

Something tells me that the Global Warming ploy works for him just fine.

The Lebanon Reality

While we watch who wins the American Idol show, there is a drama being played out that has huge implications regarding the Middle East.

Iran is at the door of Israel. It is at its northern border ready to attack. So did you hear about that? Do you understand what is happening over there? Ralph Peters of the New York Post makes it really clear. Oh, it’s not really Iran. Its just Hezbollah. Iran trained, Iran armed, Iran equipped, Iran funded, Iran supported Hezbollah. Peters says that there is only one way this is going to go. He asks the following:

When will we face reality? Hezbollah can't be appeased. Hezbollah can't be integrated into a democratic government and domesticated. And Hezbollah, whose cadres believe that death is a promotion, can't be deterred by wagging fingers and flyovers.

When war approaches, typically you see huge headlines and lots of news coverage. But this is hardly even being mentioned. The mainstream media avoids the topic. Heck they don’t understand it any way. Read Peters’ excellent article. It will give you something to pray about. This is very serious.

A Vegan's Worst Nightmare

Switzerland has always been known for its ability to get along with everyone. The people are kind and friendly. And, from what I can see here, they are constantly looking for ways to be kinder and friendlier.

Apparently, the Swiss are seriously looking into the concept of plants’ rights. You know, people have rights, animals now have rights, and so why not plants? Our green friends are our fellow inhabitants on the planet aren’t they? They have prepared a report called The Dignity of Living Beings with Regards to Plants. They are using big words like plant dignity and biocentric moral view. You can read about it here.

So everyone grab hands. You on the right, grab that tree branch. You on the left, take a hold of that fern frawn. Now sway with the music as we sing. . . All we are s-a-y-i-n-g, is give peas a chance.

Feel the love? Feel the connectedness?

Me neither.

The Most Difficult Race

This presidential race is sure getting interesting. The marathon competition this year has been grueling for the candidates. It has also polarized the Democrats and made them choose to love one candidate and hate the other. When it is finally decided, the winner (Obama is the odds on favorite) will have to suddenly do an about face and make nice comments about the other in an effort to heal all the wounds in his own party. Normally that is routine, but this year the race has been so combative that it will not be easy.

Hats off to John McCain for staying away from the negative crossfire between Clinton and Obama. If the Democratic primary is any indication, this race will have the potential of being the most vicious competition there ever was. It is sickening to witness how brutal the campaigns can become. Some might say it is unfair. But remember, the heat from the campaign is simply training for the heat the winner will take as President. President Clinton took such withering punishment at the end of his term, I couldn’t see how he could still function. President Bush has taken as much punishment and is ending his second term with record low ratings. I am amazed by his continued optimism in spite of the way he has become the world’s voodoo doll. He has never forgotten who he is or what he believes.

I hope that the American people recognize the spirit that each candidate will be bringing. Candidates will say different things about issues to different people. But we can always discern the spirit that they bring. We can also see that spirit the spouse brings as well.

Clueless in Indiana

It is fun for me to comment on the political world. There is so much going on there. Lest someone thinks that I simply pick on the Democrats, I found something to balance the scales.

An Indiana Republican Congressional candidate Tony Zirkle was asked to be the guest speaker at a function in Chicago. His topic was the negative effects of pornography and prostitution. The organization he spoke at was the National Socialist Worker’s Party. It is obvious that young Mr. Zirkle didn’t understand who these people were. Defending them, he said he didn’t know enough about them to favor or oppose them. He also defended his choice to speak by saying he would bring his message anywhere. Well Mr. Zirkle, there were some clues you should have picked up on. Here are a few:

1. The big poster behind him of their hero.
2. The uniforms and the brass hardware worn by the club leaders at the speaker’s table.
3. The reason for the event – their hero’s birthday.
4. And last but not least, the birthday cake with their hero Hitler’s picture on it and the words under the picture – Seig Heil!

Well, he got his photo opportunity. Here it is. I am going to predict his political career is over. It should be. The article that tells about it is aptly named: Worst Campaign Idea Ever?

How do Millions of Muslms get converted to Chrisitanity every year?

I read something that really fascinated me. In our conflict with Islam, we do not seem to gain any ground with our efforts to evangelize them. We hear of some things but the impact we have had on showing them the error of their ways and the light of Christianity has been extremely limited.

As it happens there is a man who has been incredibly successful in his efforts to talk to Muslims about the tenants of their beliefs. His name is Zakaria Botros. How much of an impact does he have? He is known in the Muslim world as Public Enemy #1. He is a Coptic Priest who runs a TV program where he dresses in a dark robe with a huge cross around his neck. According to the article written by Raymond Ibrahim, Islamic cleric Ahmad al-Qatani blames him for converting 6 million Muslims a year to Christianity.

His method is that he sits with a Koran and a Bible and challenges the Muslim clergy on what their beliefs are. He asks questions like, “Is jihad an obligation for all Muslims?”; “Are women inferior to men in Islam?”; “Did Mohammed say that adulterous female monkeys should be stoned?” When they respond, which isn’t often because he makes them appear foolish, they end up having to agree with him on absurd Muslim laws. But he wisely never comes to the conclusion of the absurdity of the Muslim faith on the program. He simply repeats the question. So he doesn’t criticize Islam. He just asks questions and then backs up the answer with irrefutable truth from Islam’s own sources. The program is widely watched in the Muslim world.

Read the article I found here.

Check out Father Zakaria Botros’s website here.

I'm Like - A Bible Scholar! Well, Maybe Not

I can’t help it. With every new Presidential candidate, I try to figure out if perhaps this one is the new leader of the New World Order being revealed to us. When Bill Clinton was nominated by the Democratic Party in 1992, he so badly abused scripture in his speeches that I was concerned he was the one. But he just turned out to be – well – Bill Clinton.

When Reagan was nominated in 1984, some people (mean-spirited Democrats) counted the letters in his name, Ronald Wilson Reagan and got 666. That was obviously wrong.

If Barak Obama’s name stands for 666, I can’t see it. I almost gave up thinking about that when there it was. I was trying too hard. It’s right there in scripture! Mark 13:14 mentions the Obamanation of desolation! I knew I didn’t like that guy!

You Read it Here First

We have been witness to the most interesting primary election campaigns in our lifetime. Is it not clearly evident that God is orchestrating this for His people to witness?

Remember when Israel got to choose its King? The process that they went through produced the best amalgamation of attributes that the people could think of. He was a blend of positive features, a cultural and political masterpiece. And, I imagine that there was a list of also-rans. Other candidates who didn’t measure up one way or another. They picked a sure winner – in their eyes. And Saul became their first King.

It seems like this time in America we are choosing our King. It is not a normal election by anyone’s definition. I have been avoiding writing about it a while. It is not that I didn’t want to, but there was so much being written, it seemed like I would be adding to the noise.

It is significant that the Democrats are choosing Obama. He certainly has political smarts but his appeal seems to me to be apolitical. Maybe “anti-political” is a better word. In other words those who are giving him his momentum are doing so because of what he doesn’t stand for rather than what he does. And there are so many people who are fed up with the political system that Obama is the best anti-choice there is.

So, here is the problem for Obama. If he stands for anti- Bush, anti- Washington. anti- old ways, then who will be his Vice President? Obama has an experience problem. Who can solve that problem without being part of the thing that Obama is anti? He needs someone who knows Washington, but who is not really part of what it has done in the past years since the Democrats have taken control of the House and the Senate. Obama has a kind of “rock star” status. Taking up with a Washington insider will compromise that. There is only one person he can choose. I believe he will have the guts to do it. It is the nuclear option. He is going to pick former Vice President and Nobel Prize Winner, Al Gore.

You read it here first.

Living Generously

For most of our adult lives, Helen and I have had some very deep friends. I say deep because we have shared many deep moments, important moments in our lives together.

We are so excited for our deep friends, Steve and Patty because they have moved to Redding, California to focus their lives on experiencing daily the kingdom of God.

In their blog Redding Revelations they shared an experience recently where they were able to help a friend in a time of need. When the need became more acute, their help became more abundant. They also realized when their Pastor asked if anyone had a need for money that they adopted a demure attitude (like we all tend to do) and posed a response of “ no, we do not have a need for money.”

They then related an experience where God showed them that He knows their hearts. He surprised them with a financial blessing. The timing of the blessing was a clear message to them. He recognized generous hearts such as theirs. And just like a great father, he ignored their “we don’t need money” typical response and blessed them beyond belief anyway.

Here is what I realized when I read their story.

1. The financial blessing was in the works for a long time. But God chose to put it into their laps, not in a time of high need, but at a time when they were manifesting hearts of generosity.
2. We all like to manifest a little Protestant ethic and deny ourselves. The Pastor’s question of who needed money got that response from them. But in reality, if our hearts are for His kingdom and our hands are open in a posture of generosity then yes, we need money. We need it because we see others we can bless with it.

Their story makes me want to immediately figure out how to incorporate the things they experienced into my life.

How can I be generous with what I have? Not that I need to show God my generosity, but I just want to make that a more natural and routine part of my life. What has God blessed me with, or what do I have plenty of, that I can pass on and bless others with?

I Did Something Right

Thirty-five years ago I stepped up and took a chance. I walked forward and said, “I do.” As you can see from the photo, I was really young. I had no perspective about such things as marriage except a naïve and innocent love of the incredibly cheerful, happy, and beautiful young blond lady standing next to me. I married Helen. She took my hand and joined my life in college, then on a farm, then in a small house in a strange town. She never complained and she always remained at my side. We had children together and we raised them. Now we are a couple again.

We learned something along the way. In Ephesians Paul says to men, “Husband love your wives as Christ loves the church”. The “love your wives” part in the Greek means to continually, daily, express your love to your wife. I learned that wives need the daily expression of love. Husbands don’t need that so much. But wives remain faithful and committed to their husbands when husbands express, show, demonstrate, spell out, hint, or just tell their wives they love them – daily.

A few verses later, Paul tells the wives to respect their husbands. Husband don’t need words of love as much as they need words of respect. Men need to conquer the world. But they need someone to conquer it for. A guy can get up and face the opposition every day if his wife believes in him. It doesn’t matter if his boss, his competition, his coworkers, or his customers don’t believe in him. If his wife believes in him, and expresses it daily, then he can do anything.

So here’s to my bride of 35 years. She believes in me! And I love her!

Wherever I Stand - I Stand With Israel

I’ve read the book. I know the plot line. Every nation of the world abandons Israel. They all have to. Israel needs to be in a position where no nation comes to its aid. It needs to be backed into a corner where its only hope for salvation is God himself.

Just the same, as this political season moves forward, watching the attitude of our country change before our eyes is very hard to take. Watching what is happening is like watching a horror movie and shouting at the lady as she backs into a dark room. “Don’t do that! Turn around and watch where you’re going!” But the lady has a script to follow. I know that in the end, the hero saves the lady.

Fortunately, for us, our future is tied with our God. We are not only readers of the book, we are in it. No matter what our government does, or when it does it, individually, we are with the winning side.

But how is it that so many Christians are becoming backers of the Palestinian movement instead of backers of Israel? Why is it that whole denominations are making official statements in support of the Palestinian position claiming their rights to the land of Israel? Why has the erosion of support for Israel not only been in the political realm but simultaneously in the religious realm as well?

The answer is that “replacement theology” is going mainstream. Replacement theology is a “christian” belief that Israel forfeited its right to the actual land when it rejected Jesus. Christians therefore replace the Jews as God’s chosen people and the land of Israel becomes a metaphor and not an actuality.

Why is this theory growing so much in popularity? Because it lines up with the only reasonable approach that many people can see to bring peace to the region and therefore to the rest of the world. For “christians” who believe that God only acts through the affairs of men, it makes sense. Where peace is the objective, they cannot see any other possible way. And peace is a christian objective.

The other end of this phenomenon is that the Christians who hold that God gave that land to the Jews will be looked upon by the rest of the world as unrealistic extremists. Our only justification for defending Israel will be that we believe that the Abrahamic Covenant is still in force. It is rapidly coming about that no government will hold that position. It is rapidly coming about that no reasonable, peace loving world citizen will hold that position. The only two groups that will hold that position will be a portion of Christianity and a few ultra-religious extremist Jews.

What will I say when I am labeled as one of those extremists? “GUILTY AS CHARGED!” I know that when God makes a covenant, He keeps it. And I know that He is gathering to himself people who desire to keep their covenant with Him. As the saying goes, wherever I stand, I stand with Israel.

Truth Wins a War

When the Allies stormed the beaches on D Day in 1944, the implications of the success were huge. The opposition couldn’t stop them from landing and establishing positions on the mainland. If the Allies could do that, then the implications for the opposition was that the war was lost. It was only a matter of time.

Today is D Day again. A beachhead has been established. The opposition has lost the beachhead and will not be able to push them back. It is now only a matter of time. Let’s hope that the opposition recognizes the implications and abandons their effort. After all, it is now inevitable that their side has lost.

Today, a large group of the most reputable scientists in the world in the field of climatology have issued the most detailed report ever done. Their conclusion, the beachhead, if you will, is that the man made global warming theory is undeniably false. The report is not something that can be ignored. It is so detailed that it puts the “scientists” who have supported the theory on notice that their hypotheses have been busted. Something so thorough invites the opposition to challenge it. After all, that is the way science moves forward. These scientists do not deny the challenge. They only lament that the world leaders have bought into a “theory” from “scientists” who themselves discouraged challenge. They lament that “scientists” allowed politicians to hijack their discipline for their own purposes. That is the beachhead. They are taking their discipline back. Truth cannot be denied.

Interestingly enough, they do not refute that climate change is upon us. They acknowledge and document it. They simply refute that man has significantly participated in it and that man can significantly alter it going forward. So this study isn’t a tome on denying the need for conservation efforts. However, it is the wooden stake in the heart of the political movement that says that large scale economic restructuring is the only way we can hope to survive the horrible future we have purchased with our technology.

When I have talked to people who have bought into the global warming cause, I have been rather shocked that they were unable to separate the good cause of conservation from the politically socialist cause of economic wealth redistribution. These people identify with Al Gore’s passion, but fail to understand the sinister socialist framework that he claims is necessary to solve the problem. In his future, power and wealth then fall to the ones who make up the rules of redistribution (socialist world leaders) and away from those who have created and earned it (us).

Now, the choice is clear. If you are a truth seeker, you cannot believe in the man-made global warming theory. If you believe in the man-made global warming theory, you cannot be a truth seeker.

Charlie's Place

If you have been to our house then you have met the smallest member of our family. He has soft brown hair and a big flag tail. Charlie is what you call a terrier mix. We still speculate on what the mix is. But whatever it is, it’s a good one. Everyone who meets him seems to be amazed at his personality. He loves people and interacts with them so easily that you forget he is a dog. We even try to train him to react like a human. But every once in a while, he reminds us that he is all dog. And sometimes the dog approach to situations is the best

Last evening I walked out of our house only to see a little white dog in our front yard. There was about 4 inches of fresh snow on the ground and the dog nearly blended in. There was a leash attached to the dog. And as I stepped out of the house further, the scene began to make sense. The cute little dog was squatting down and crapping on my front lawn. Standing behind him a few feet away, holding its leash was a woman all bundled up in a matching jacket and pants snow suit.

Now good upbringing in a polite society leads one to be cordial in all situations. So, as the embarrassed woman smiled at me, I just nodded and said, “Oh, hello, there.” She shrugged her shoulders and then looked alarmed because it was then that Charlie bolted from the house and trotted up to her dog with a “what are you doing here?” attitude.

Charlie rushed up to the little dog and they started to go through the sniff each other ritual. The lady was concerned about the confrontation and tried to quiet an agitated Charlie by saying “Oh – what a cute dog you have.”

Because I am human, I wanted to defuse any confrontation too so I immediately started in on a “No Charlie, go into the house Charlie” routine.

But here is the thing that I realized. People sometimes go to too great of lengths to be polite. Dogs don’t need to. They are dogs and the world to them is about territory. Charlie knows dogs well. And as many people can verify he is a quick study of people, too.

In one grand move, Charlie snorted at the intruding little white dog, marched over to the woman holding the leash. He lifted his leg and turned the snow on her stylish snow boot a bright yellow. Then as she shrieked and started hopping around trying to avoid the yellow snow puddle, Charlie turned and trotted into the house, his flag tail waiving high in the air.

The woman then turned to me and said in weak voice, “I guess this is his territory.” It was my turn to shrug my shoulders. I then walked back into the house where my daughter was scolding Charlie for being so much like a dog. I told her that I thought he didn’t deserve a scolding. We gave him his favorite dog biscuit, instead. Then Helen, Jill, and I laughed so hard we started crying. We know that the lady and her dog will never visit our front yard again. Charlie made sure of that.