Pot Calls Kettle Black

The Congress of the United States of America never ceases to amaze me. I only heard snippets of the grilling of oil company executives, but it seems to me it is a classic example of the "pot calling the kettle black."

Do I wish I had invested in oil rather than airlines? Yes! But oil company executives don't set the price of oil --speculators do. Isn't our whole economy based on the premise that one charges what the market will bear? That's Capitalism. It's better than Socialism, right! And these people in Congress who do NOTHING but talk (there have been 45 such excursions into "gas" pricing without so much as one change in law or any attempt to allow for the increase in production of domestic oil and refinery capabilities) are the same folks who keep raising their own salary and benefits, spending your money on barrels of pork that benefit the few, using your grand-children's income to pay entitlements today, and showing up for work a couple of days a week between endless vacations and junkets abroad, or of course, not at all (except to pick up a paycheck) if running for some other office.

If God ran His personal business in this fashion, He would be all talk and no blessing. Instead He keeps lavishing His grace on our Nation while we seemingly try to shut Him out at every turn.

Is it hot in here?

In Good Faith

I understand that Israel and Syria are conducting "talks" through an intermediary, Turkey. Associated Press reported, In statements issued minutes apart, the two governments said they "have declared their intent to conduct these talks in good faith and with an open mind," with a goal of reaching "a comprehensive peace."

Isn't that God's plan for people? Each individual is "at war" with God, and the only resolution is through the intermediary Jesus Christ who through His sacrificial death provides for "peace with God."

I don't know if Israel and her enemies will every reach a comprehensive peace, but I do know that no one has to continue to be separated from God. Jesus Christ has provided and open door through which one may, by faith, be reconciled to God. If you have not made that step of faith, today would be a good time.

Increase? Decrease?

Here a paragraph from an Associated Press story:

Energy prices fell by 0.2 percent in April after a 2.9 percent surge in March. The PPI report showed that gasoline costs fell by 4.6 percent. However, that decline reflected the government's seasonal adjustment methods. Since gasoline prices rose less than they usually do in April, that translated into a decline in the government's figures.

While I am confident every Economist understands this thinking, I admit I am a little fuzzy. Does it say that because the prices rose less than they normally do, that means they actually went down?

Now the reason that is important to me is because my Preacher asked me to study the trends in Worship attendance at our Church. So I have been trying to be creative in my approach. I'm thinking. . .that if attendance went down less in May than it normally does, that would mean we actually had an increase in Worship attendance. So this Summer, when attendance goes down due to vacations, or company coming, or it being too hot to pray, even if our attendance drops below what we normally have from a numbers perspective, we will actually be able to report an increase in attendance for this Summer because it is more than what was less than last time we reported more.

Yep, I think the preacher is going to like this thinking!

A Million Dollar Bill

I've got a one million dollar bill on my desk. It has a picture of Ronald Reagan on it. Of course it is an advertising piece. It it a Gospel tract (of sorts) that someone handed to me on the street.

Don't you wish we had another Ronald Reagan in the wings ready to lead our country? Maybe you were not a Reagan fan, or maybe you think he was not a great President. That's OK. Everybody is entitled to their opinion.


One thing that is true, however, is that he had a handle on the problems that faced our nation, and during his tenure, some wonderful results were seen and received by the people of the United States.


I don't personally see that kind of leadership on the current political scene. Perhaps I am blind, or at least in need of glasses, but one thing I know for sure; if we ever needed to pray for our nation and its leadership, it is now. Pray for those in office. Pray for those who will be in office with the next election. Pray like you have never prayed before from a political perspective. I am confident that God is going to allow one of the current candidates to win the Presidency (even thought I keep praying otherwise).

Fundamental Change

LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer, reported: SAN FRANCISCO - In a monumental victory for the gay rights movement, the California Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage Thursday in a ruling that would allow same-sex couples in the nation's biggest state to tie the knot.

It's a sad day in the neighborhood. Here's why. Our forefathers, the framers of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were careful to establish a democratic republic and not an oligarchy. Yet, every year (or less) we move toward the polar opposite of what they envisioned and what we have celebrated all these years since the founding of our great nation.

Now, those who are in positions of authority - the California Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of the United States, and other Courts in other places, have decided that it is their job to "legislate from the bench" and override the will of the public and the electorate. Who knows if this ruling, and others in many places around our country, and, of course, in Washington, D. C., will stand up. But the drift is on and moving ever forward. When we become an oligarchy, you might want to make sure you are in the right "class."

If you're concerned about my take on the issue of "gay marriage" here is that tidbit: God must be running his patience in hyper-drive to keep from destroying this nation, given that "Sodom and Gomorrha" thing.

The End Is Near

I've been thinking about getting one of those "sandwich board" signs that says, "The End Is Near," and standing on the corner, or walking up and down in front of the mall.

I've been hearing about the bad economy, taking a look at our national debt, recognizing that entitlement programs (Social Security is my focus) are funded out of the imagination, hearing all the Presidential candidates promising to raise taxes, cut services, ignore illegal immigration, and those in power encouraging everyone to produce more oil except us (which I think will get the price of gasoline up to around $8.47 per gallon), and recognizing that the only thing growing faster than immorality in the United States is the birthrate in China and India (they should have enough people to take over the World in about twenty minutes).

Today, I got this quote in my e-mail: “Well, the conference met today and appointed a commission to meet tomorrow and appoint a delegation which will eventually appoint a subcommittee to draw up ways and means of finding out what to start with first.” —Will Rogers

I'm beginning to believe that if things don't improve fast, our only resort will be to turn back to God.

Force Them To Take It!

"You have to think it through — do you want to secure an area of the country by military force? What kinds of potential security risks would that create?" says Jan Egeland, the former U.N. emergency relief coordinator. "I can't imagine any humanitarian organization wanting to shoot their way in with food."

This quote from a CNN news source points up a real sticky problem. Here's the gist:

The disaster in Burma presents the world with perhaps its most serious humanitarian crisis since the 2004 Asian tsunami. By most reliable estimates, close to 100,000 people are dead. Delays in delivering relief to the victims, the inaccessibility of the stricken areas and the poor state of Burma's infrastructure and health systems mean that number is sure to rise. With as many as 1 million people still at risk, it is conceivable that the death toll will, within days, approach that of the entire number of civilians killed in the genocide in Darfur.

The military regime that runs Burma has imposed so many conditions on those who would actually deliver it that barely a trickle has made it through. That's why it's time to consider a more serious option: invading Burma. Some observers, including former USAID director Andrew Natsios, have called on the U.S. to unilaterally begin air drops to the Burmese people regardless of what the junta says.

That means we are going to force them to take our aid, whether they want it or not. After all it would save lives and every life is precious. Isn't that the same position the Church of Jesus Christ is in today. We have the "life-saving" goods and the "World" does not want it. Barely a trickle of the Good News is getting through. It's easy to just ignore the dying when they are not on your doorstep. But just as we have a mandate to provide aid to those who have physical need, so the Church has the commission to meet the spiritual need of all by sharing the Good News far and wide. We can't force anyone to take it, but we can find those holes (for the trickle) and get it done when and where we can.