tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90080722024-03-07T16:25:19.354-07:00* <<< Deep Thought >>> *Salvation is by faith through grace, and not of works lest any man should boast.Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1019001127898363032008-02-03T11:57:00.000-07:002008-02-03T12:40:51.006-07:00Snow Day Blues<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiB8bdeTkredh9Cn-8P-6yWXMV2zG4Facyrj4rt8h5fEQIL6U5OXhKl5ojEkk3z3PCQPEudW10cle1CFJRicCa2XEPJ6bVQyEAH6LjdGcfd_IBXXtBFdAKeoD3uVMoPqs8Dghq/s1600-h/100_3080.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiB8bdeTkredh9Cn-8P-6yWXMV2zG4Facyrj4rt8h5fEQIL6U5OXhKl5ojEkk3z3PCQPEudW10cle1CFJRicCa2XEPJ6bVQyEAH6LjdGcfd_IBXXtBFdAKeoD3uVMoPqs8Dghq/s400/100_3080.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162831219515037346" /></a>
Well the snow today is thiker than ... ah ...
Well a picture is worth a thousands words. So have a look.
This shows just how much snow has piled up around here. I know it isn't much (compared to some places, but Idaho is a high desert. We "never" get more than a couple inches of snow. Two or three at most. But this morning, after having had a full 7 & 3/4 " snow fall earlier... here we are again with deep snow and it's still coming down.
And what a time we have been having!
I got pulled over and cited for 'wreckless driving'! The reason for this was because I'm prepared for the snow (most people are not.) I bought the Geo Tracker a few years ago, and it does very well in the mud and snow. This summer I put new tiers on it. So it has been so handy!
I left Boise the other night, headed for home. The roads had been plowed, but there was still a boken snow floor. I tested my grip on the road and found that I started to get loose at about 60. So I dropped back to between 50and 55 and continued down the highway. Now a lot of people have forgoten a basic rule of the road around here. The "Drive Right, Pass Left" rule. [The reason we call the left lane, "The fast lane" is because slower traffic is required to move to the right.]
I found that i was easily traveling faster than most of the other traffic. Not surprising since the Geo is light weight, four wheel drive and equiped with great winter snow gripping tiers! But all too often, lane hogs did not want to give up the left lane. Especially the four-wheel drive pick-up's! I don't know what is up with these guys and thier pick-up's, but no, they don't own the road and they need to learn how to share the road with the rest of us.
The sun had gone down, my headlamps were on, so I did what anyone would do.. I politely asked to pass these road blocks by flickering the brights. Some people, even around here in back-woods hicksville, know what that means.
To my dismay, an off-duty police officer, (and a pick-up driver) noticed me doing so and called the cops on me. So even after the successful navigation of 20 miles of iced-over roads, and that without slipping, slidding or any difficulty in maintaining my lane... I was cited for wreakless driving.
Around here the cops take a dim view of flikering headlights. It's considered "agressive driving" And the fact that I could move along faster than everyone else, in the mind of the dim-wighted cop, just proves his case right?
Nope. The truth is that the lighter weight vehicle had the advantage. Given the conditions, the broken-snow floor providing limited tracktion, a light vehicle does better than a big heavy one. This is an American prejudgice I think. We tend to prefer the huge tuna-boat cars, and sherman tank pick-ups.
We think that bigger is safer. It isn't always the case! In simple terms the more wieght a car has, the more it resists any change is direction or speed. Remember when you were taught to drive, how they showed you that your breaking distance would increase if you drive a big truck, bus or van? That is due to its greater weight. So it follows then, that a mini-SUV like the Tracker which weighs less than most cars and trucks on the road, would be able to move along faster, and do so safely!
The lighter weight vehicle can still accelerate, turn and stop in shorter distances than other, heavier vehicles.Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-52803882090764400312007-10-10T12:12:00.001-07:002007-10-10T12:12:07.088-07:00Dear AbbyDear Abby,<p>I understand that you are being honored by PFLAG for your open support of<br>'Gay Marriage'.<p>The Associated Press reported today that you feel homosexuality is a genetic<br>property, and that 'gays' should either be afforded all the rights that<br>'straights' have or at least be given a huge tax break.<p>First let me say that I understand your position, however, I am unable to<br>agree with it. Now let me tell you why.<p>In order to enter into a discussion about these matters I find that it is<br>impossible to communicate clearly given the state of the current popular<br>lexicon. Words like 'gay' and 'straight' only seem to have clear meanings,<br>when in fact, they don't.<p>For example, when we say 'gay and lesbian', are the terms gender specific?<br>If so, then where is the push for homosexual women's rights? Why are we<br>only supporting the rights of homosexual men? Clearly that isn't the case,<br>and hence the confusion as to the exact meaning of the term 'gay'.<br>Personally I prefer such good and wholesome words as gay, used in many a <br>Christmas<br>carol, not be dragged through the mud. Leave it alone. The term<br>'homosexual' is clear, concise, and non-gender specific.<p>Greater confusion exists where the term 'straight' is concerned.<br>Does this term include those who practice adultery as a way of life? Serial<br>relationships are not healthy whether they are of mixed genders or not. <br>When<br>I think of straights, I think of those people who are as straight as an<br>arrow, who marry once and make it for life, who never cheat on that marriage<br>and who did not play around even before the marriage. But the ambiguity in<br>the term is helpful to those who do not wish to deal with everything<br>clearly.<p>So what words do we use? All the terms that come readily to mind are<br>already tainted by their other uses. The only option then is to add<br>clarifying modifiers to the terms we all know.<p>Pure Homosexual:<br>Abbreviated PHy; means a man or woman who is only attracted to the same<br>gender, and one who never engages in sexual relations with persons of the<br>opposite gender.<p>Pure Straight:<br>Abbreviated PSy; means a man or woman who is only attracted to the opposite<br>gender, and one who preserves themselves for marriage as a singular event.<br>They do not commit either adultery nor fornication as a rule.<p>Now that we have a clear vocabulary we can proceed. Your first objection is<br>probably along the lines that no-one lives like that. These 'pure'<br>definitions are unrealistic. Even so, bear with me awhile and I'll deal<br>with that issue at the proper time.<p>My first dilemma is this: There are two world views as to how life itself<br>came to be. Either we all evolved or we were all created by God. Now if we<br>take the first case, and up-hold the best of their traditions, (survival of<br>the fittest and all that,) then when we add homosexuality into the mix of<br>genetic mutation we have a problem. If PHy couples were evolved by the<br>process of genetic mutations, then how did the mutation spread? After all,<br>by violating the biology and not mating with the opposite sex, there could<br>be no offspring, and hence no means of introducing the genetic mutation into<br>the human gene pool.<p>If we take the second case, where God created us, and claim that God himself<br>made some people PHy, then we have a dilemma because the same book (or<br>collection of books) that tells us how God created everything, also tells us<br>that God condemns certain behaviors, homosexuality being one of them. Is<br>God unjust? That same book would declare such a notion, 'non-sense'.<p>So lets consider that my definition of a PHy person is too strict, that<br>no-one acts that way. If this is true then we still have a problem. It<br>hales back to the question of Nature or Nurture. Is a person like 'X'<br>because it is their nature, or was there something in their nurturing that<br>bent them toward it? If homosexuality is mostly nurture, then it is a<br>choice, and not genetic. If it is a choice then shame on everyone who is<br>promoting it. If given the choice between war and peace, no one in their<br>right mind chooses war. But given a choice between having social acceptance<br>or living in the midst of social upheaval, why would anyone want to be the<br>canon fodder on the front of social upheaval? Shame on you Abby and to all<br>those who push others toward that war!<br>Yet we see the measure of choice that is involved. If few people in reality<br>are PHy, in the strictest sense, then they are exercising a great deal of<br>choice in their lives, as proven by their actions. These patterns of<br>behavior clearly mean that God is not unjust, nor is genetics absolute. The<br>person has and can make decisions and choices and that is what they are<br>responsible for.<p>Marriage is a practice that is found in every culture, every religion, <br>ancient<br>to modern. In every case it is the simple equation of one man plus one<br>woman = offspring and a healthy developmental situation for their nurturing.<p>The Bible says that the two shall become one flesh. We see this concept<br>fulfilled in biology where an egg from the female and a sperm from the male<br>combines and instantaneously turns into a unique mixture of their genetic<br>codes.<p>In simplistic terms, such as those used in, 'It takes a village', if every<br>couple in a village is PHy, then the village is doomed to die off. There is <br>no<br>possibility for offspring to be born, raised and to propagate the village<br>through time. Even if the chief gave everyone his blessing and a special<br>'marriage talisman', the fact remains that the biology does not work that<br>way. There is no combining off flesh into one, there are no children.<br>Hence, in my mind, no real marriage, just an empty talisman!<p>In a village where everyone is PSy, marriages mean that children will be<br>born and the village will grow and thrive.<p>Who in their right mind would encourage anyone to join a village that is<br>barren and dieing? And so I say shame on all those who promote<br>homosexuality!<p>At this point, need I comment on the Huge Tax-break thing? Well, okay, let<br>me just ask it like this; Why not give tax breaks to alcoholics? Or<br>rapist? Or prostitutes? Same reason!<p>This is my original thoughts and writing. Please address all comments to<br>the blog on which this was originally posted "Deep Thought" found at<br><a href="http://torchseven.blogspot.com">http://torchseven.blogspot.com</a>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-83216941572546288902007-09-12T07:37:00.000-07:002007-09-12T08:18:18.150-07:00New Diet PlanAbout seventeen years ago I left the service weighing around 200 pounds and with a 38 inch waist. Through the years I put on weight and gained inches bit by bit. I started looking at all those diet planes and even tried a few. Nothing seemed to work for me. I did not want to get on the dieters roller coaster and end up worse off that I started. I did not want a starvation diet or anything that would be costly. I wanted a plan that was easy, effective and healthy.
This year I finally achieved results. But I had to re-think a lot of the fundamentals. We get so wrapped up in the ideas of eating less and loosing weight. That thought process is just wrong-headed. Toss it out the window and I will show you the right approach.
First, your game plan has to be customized to you and your situation. Everybody is different. What works for you (detail-wise) may not work for anybody else. That is okay. But even more to the point, is the fact that no-one else program, pre-designed menu, calorie counter or whatever is going to work either. Forget those things, they are nonsense and anyone who tells you differently is trying to sell you something.
Second, the key is health. You have a health issue if you are over-weight. You probably have more than one. The best approach is to first do everything you can to promote the body's own ability to heal. It needs proper nutrition! Modify your diet not for the purpose of loosing weight, but for the purpose of eating healthy. Supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals. Try stuff. Most multi-vitamins I tried did little to nothing for me. But when I found a good combination, it reversed numerous 'chronic symptoms' I had been dealing with for years! The right diet allowed my body to make repairs, but I was still out of shape and still not loosing weight.
Next step for me was to look at some of those diet pills. I even tried a couple of the them. They all ready very much alike. They claim to work if used in conjunction with diet and exercise, oh and you have to take them with a full glass of water. Perhaps it is more about the diet and exercise! Do you think you would loose the weight if you increased your level of exercise, limited your diet and drank more water? Sure you would, but it would only last while you were doing those things. As soon as you setteled back into your normal way of doing things the weight plus a few more pounds would come right back. It has to be more than that.
So if you modify your eating habits, and not just go on a temporary diet, we have made an important step! This is a lifestyle adjustment, not a fad! Eat what you need. Eat what you enjoy. But eat to be healthy. Don't eat for unhealthy reasons, or unhealthy amounts. Don't be silly. It's not about the food, it's about leaning to feed the body the building materials it needs to be healthy! Listen to your body, it will tell you what is working, and what is not!
Then it occurred to me that all these diets ask you to drink water. You need to drink a lot more water than most people are drinking.
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Drink More Water</span>
drinking more water, you will improve your health. More water can suppress those mid-night cravings, help clean out body toxins, reduce your chances for some types of cancer and so forth. And best of all, water comes out of the tap for free. This health tip costs you almost nothing!
Bottled water isn't cheap, but it can be a much healthier choice than soda-pop at about the same price. There are also a lot of teas on the market and the sports drinks are also good. These are low sugar drinks and they have added health benefits that high-sugar carbonated drinks do not have. Send you money more wisely, drink healthy drinks too! And stay fully hydrated! You may find yourself running out of energy or feeling hungry because you are dehydrated, and not because you need a quick pick-me-up.
Putting these several items together last year I was able to go a whole year without any weight gain. I stayed at 340 pounds all year without gaining anything more. That was a first! But I was not loosing any weight either. I still became winded on climbing a single flight of stairs! I needed something more.
The third key to success came to me while watching TV. Remember that reality program called The Biggest Looser? There was a trainer on that program that worked from a simple motto. Build muscle, because muscles burn calories, fat burns nothing! That put it all together for me. This is why all those ‘diet’ products say they work. They are tested on people who are controlling their diet, increasing their exercise and drinking water. Boom! That is an important key!
For me the final piece of the puzzle fell into place when I took a summer job. I went to work as an operations and maintenance man at a local water park. The park covers about five acres of ground. I did a LOT of walking. I wore out a new pair of tennis shoes in just three months time. To keep hydrated I would drink PowerAid and bottled water one right after the other. After working eight hours in the heat of summer, I’d come home and soak in the tub.
My muscles would ache after all that work! I began to be able to climb stairs without becoming winded! I started to loose weight. I’m back into my size 50 pants and down to 320 pounds. It is working!
In reflection about what finally made the difference for me, I thought back to what I had to change. Then it hit me. The PowerAid and water! I had stopped drinking so much soda pop and started drinking a lot of PowerAid and bottled water. Now that is ’diet’ food to me! When you are working out so much that you are able to drink (and sweat) three or four bottles a day, you’ll find that you are not hungry for a lot of food, you’re too full of fluids!
This is what worked for me. I think the basic concepts will work for you too. In short, it’s not about limiting your diet to loose weight. Forget all that nonsense! It’s about improving your health. Learn to eat healthy. Improve your diet with supplemental vitamins and minerals as needed. Do some research and try what you think will help you. Then listen to your body! It will tell you if it is working or not. Cut back on soda, beer, coffee.. And any other high sugar drinks! Replace them with water, teas and sports drinks. Enjoy what you eat and drink, just don’t gorge yourself! Then start where ever you are and begin to ramp up the activity level. Walking is good! Park farther away from the grocery-stores front doors, and walk a bit farther. Take the stairs more often. Build up your muscles and keep active. This is not about a short term program. This is all about making better lifestyle choices and improving your health. Then the weight thing will take care of itself!Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-491166517675433392007-07-25T06:55:00.001-07:002007-07-25T06:55:30.687-07:00The Deathly HallowsThe seventh Harry Potter book.<p><p>I just finished reading Rowlings final installment in the series. I was <br>fearing that things would get too dark and end badly. I am elated to report <br>that this was not the case! The final book is perhaps not her best work. <br>The story line drags a bit through the middle. In the first several <br>chapters, Harry looses a lot of things that were comforting to him. As <br>He-who-must-not-be named, AKA Tom Riddle, AKA Lord Voldermort, is on the <br>rise, Harry finds himself going into hiding, along with everyone else who <br>has been resisting.<p><p>My prediction that Dumbledour would have at least one Horcrux, and would be <br>able to return proved false, however, the shadow that he cast still has <br>great impact upon this book. In other words, he may not be coming back to <br>life, but then again he isn't exactly gone.<p><p>If you're worried about who lives and who dies, then let me tell you this: <br>none of the major characters die. You can be at ease on that count, <br>however, the list of "former friends of Harry" grows quite long by the final <br>pages.<p><p>Rowlings style continues to impress me. The story is imaginative, detailed, <br>and intriguing. There are the bits of human interaction that always make me <br>laugh, there is plenty of action and some mystery. She has drawn from the <br>vast well of details written into the previous six books, and made sense out <br>of them. A lot of otherwise pointless details come floating back and impact <br>us in this book.<p><p>And should you be wondering about moral issues, this volume is better on <br>that count than all the previous ones. I have often critiqued the first <br>book because Harry is rewarded lavishly three times for breaking the rules, <br>and on the one occasion that he attempts to right a wrong, he is caught and <br>punished. It is not a tale for young children who have no solid sense of <br>right-and-wrong. This book however, makes it clear that the way you do <br>things (meaning that your motivation) is important. At times it is even <br>more important than what was done. Your motives impact your method and the <br>final results of your actions. That moral is perhaps a bit complex, but it <br>comes through rather clearly.<p><p>In all, I have to say, "Thank you J.K. Rowling for so many laughs and so <br>many pleasurable hours of reading. Your work has been delightful, <br>imaginative and so true-to-life."<p><p>I'd rate the entire series PG-13 and give'm a confident thumbs up!Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-61872154045387747002007-07-11T09:34:00.001-07:002007-07-11T09:34:16.330-07:00Harry Potter and the Oder of the PhoenixHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a movie review.<p><p>My daughters and I went to the midnight movie premiere of the Harry Potter <br>movie. I have been a fan of the books, and have read them all to date, <br>(more than once). However my review of this movie is less than <br>enthusiastic. In one word, the movie is 'incomplete.'<p><p>Yes it was a very long book, and there are a lot of details that the movie <br>script writers would have to gloss over, but the film version of this book <br>simply cuts out way too much!<p><p>To start with are the characters which should be on screen and are not; such <br>as Mundungus Fletcher, Rita Skeeter, Dobby the house elf, Freinze the <br>Centaur, and a very noisy portrait.<p><p>Then there are the scenes that have been left out: far too numerous to <br>mention; but for example…<p><p>*Harry receiving a series of letters in short succession… only gets one <br>letter instead.<p>* House cleaning in the house of Black, and how the twins pocket some of the <br>stuff.<p>* Mrs. Weasley with the bogart.<p>* The sorting hats new song of warning.<p>* The visit to Mungo's Hospital, the spectar of Neviels parents and the man <br>who would be killed by Devils Snare.<p>* Harmiony's clever use of coins.<p>* The romantic date with Choe<p>* Quiddich. All of it! Nothing about Weasley twins and Potter getting <br>kicked off the team, Or Ron making the team. No "Weasley is our king" being <br>sung.. nothing!<p><p>In fact if the book had been written in the manner in which the movie <br>portrays it, I'd have lost interest in it altogether. These movie makers <br>are working at boiling down the story to it's essential plot elements, but <br>they miss out on the two things the J.K. Rowling has going for her in her <br>writing style. They miss the humor. These bits where circumstance and <br>personality play out in unexpected ways… are humorous! And they miss out on <br>the mystery. There is an element of mystery in every book, and all the <br>clues are in place in the details of the events. By cutting out so much <br>detail you loose the clues and foil the mystery element.<p><p>All that was retained was action and drama. As if, with films like Bourne <br>and Die Hard, the audience is staving for some action and drama.<p><p>Over all the film isn't bad, but in comparison… considering what they had to <br>work with… it is very very disappointing. See it if you must, but forget <br>what you think it should look like vis-à-vis the book version. It did not <br>happen.Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-32651837494858824302007-07-03T23:19:00.001-07:002007-07-03T23:19:02.575-07:00I'm not sure what to make of thisIt comes as no surprise to me. When I check my mail, I get everything sent <br>to me personally and my alter-ego 'Pastor Torch'. In my personal mail I <br>generally get various bits of spam and the assorted "you have to forward <br>this to every one you know.." type messages. Once in a blue moon I'll get <br>an actual bit of mail (that is what makes it all worth it.) But my <br>alter-ego is commonly sent virused messages. I know this because my web <br>service affords me a layer of protection against them, thus I receive a <br>notice in my e-mail about a potential threat that was sent.<p>It comes as no shock to me that some individuals out there can't see past <br>the word "pastor" in the name and would go to great lengths to cause such a <br>one harm. But I do not know what to think of this latest attack. You see <br>they came in the form of greeting cards... you may know the kind. There are <br>many web sites you can use to create and send a friend a special greeting. <br>The e-mail they receive provides them with a link to view the card you <br>created for them.. a very nice and thoughtful service, to be sure. So what <br>does it mean when the 'greeting cards' are blocked because they have a <br>virus? Did the sender infect it, or is that the web site admin's doing? <br>Who can you trust any more?<p>So if the thoughtful greeting card you sent was not responded too.. uh, <br>perhaps you could try using a different web-site?!<p>Once again I find myself wishing I had money. Several years ago I dreamed <br>about building an intra-net. Only back then I don't think the term had even <br>been coined. The idea was simplistic enough. Put a bunch of servers online <br>in such a way that you had to get in thru a gate way of some sort. <br>Everything behind the gate would be controlled. All content would be <br>filtered to meet three objectives. 1) Nothing would be pornographic, <br>fallacious or delinquent, in other words, it must be family friendly. 2) <br>All commercial content would be local. Chat, e-mail, the people you meet <br>online, if at all possible, would be local too. 3) Finally, the most <br>difficult part, organization. Content would be organized as in a phone <br>directory. Making research a lot more profitable. The key to maintaining <br>these characteristics is in the organization of it. Once it caught on, <br>other people would be allowed to connect and include their servers, and <br>their servers content would be added tot he service. If however any content <br>on that server was non-compliant, they would be given a short window of <br>opportunity to fix it or be literally un-plugged until it is fixed. Then if <br>they connect other servers to theirs...the same rules would apply. Any <br>non-compliant content found via their link would put them in jeopardy of <br>being cut off, thus they must exercise the same level of control over their <br>connections as the originating service does.<p>Alas, I never had the money to even build a server, let alone figure out how <br>to create a gateway.<p>In the mean time, I hope at least there is some truth to story that all porn <br>might be forced to use the extension .prn<p>That makes so much sense... on so many levels... for government to place <br>this regulatory stipulation on the internet and all of it's content. Think <br>of all the school's and libraries and businesses who would then only need to <br>block *.prn in-order to prevent porn from being accessed by their systems! <br>It would end the madness and errors they struggle with now days to filter <br>out the porn and maintain the educational web sites.<p>I could further dream that malicious virus ridden sights could be regulated <br>to *.vrs or some such, but then no one would be foolish enough to blunder <br>into their trap. Even when it comes in the form of a cute greeting card.Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-61776031019864873322007-06-13T08:16:00.001-07:002007-06-13T08:16:29.137-07:00So far this summer,Gosh! May has melted into June already!<p>I'm not sure if it was the heat or the rain. Idaho's weather has been all <br>over the map. We have seen highs in the 60's one day and 80 to 90 the next. <br>We even had more rain-fall in one day than we usually get for the entire <br>month! (Maybe that will mean that the rest of the month will be warm and <br>dry? But don't count on it!)<p>The girls had a camping trip last week-end. They went up with the church <br>youth group and had a good time. They pitched tents in good weather and <br>packed things up in the rain. Needless to say they got back in dampened <br>spirits. They had hoped to have more fun than it turned out to be.<p>Pilar and I celebrated our 18'th wedding anniversary (on the day that it <br>rained all day) We had a wonderful time helping a friend pack all her <br>belongings and move them to storage. That is like a minus ten on the <br>romantic scale, but it was the right thing to do, even if the timing could <br>have and should have been better.<p>I drove school bus for a couple weeks (again) because the school year for <br>the local school district ended three weeks latter than my college classes <br>did. Meanwhile, I'd gotten an e-mail about a position open at a near-by <br>water park called Roaring Springs. I was interviewed and hired! This is <br>the answer to many prayers. It is a full time job that is seasonal and I <br>can return to it every summer until I'm finished with school. It will also <br>allow me some opportunity to apply the skills I am being taught.<p>I guess mom & dad have had a real trying time… ask her about their water woe's! <br>They hired a guy to come in and install a lawn sprinkler system. They knew <br>there was a tap for the water somewhere, but in all these years of living <br>there they had never been able to find it. After cutting the power and <br>phone lines to the shop and house, and digging up about half the yard I hear <br>they finally discovered that the tap was buried under their front steps. In <br>the mean time, their phones and internet access was down. Mom had to have <br>her lap-top set-up to run off my wireless here at home so she could keep up <br>with her work. She isn't allowed to return to work just yet since the knee <br>surgery, so she has done the mobile office thing and connects via the net to <br>her pc at work. That way she can still get her work done even if it means <br>putting up with being around her grandchildren instead of cranky office <br>co-workers; reclining on the sofa instead of bolt upright in a flimsy task <br>chair; having home cooked meals instead of fast food; and listing to some <br>TV, radio or water fountain gurgle in the back-ground as opposed to a lot of <br>chatter and telephone ringing and printers whirring and clicking. Rumor has <br>it that she just might be ready to get the other knee done about the time <br>the new school years starts up… ;-)<p> Pilar has been able to keep her time card filled. Maybe too much?! They <br>are two people short in a four-man office. In order to compensate they <br>shifted from four ten-hour shifts per week to five 8-hour shifts. The good <br>news is that they can cover all the days this way, the bad news is that they <br>can't get ten hours worth of work done in just 8 hours. It has caused her a <br>lot of stress. She is a very thorough worker. Leaving a job where only the <br>higher priority stuff has gotten finished is not her style. She has no job <br>satisfaction from a job like that! That, as well as the pressure to do more <br>in less time, has put a tremendous load on her.<p>Summers are always a blur of activities. The Mercedes is up for sale at a <br>local car lot. They took it on a consignment basis. A neighbor might be <br>interested in buying the trailer dad gave me several years ago. I told him <br>he could make me an offer. I would be just as happy with something about <br>half the size right now.<p>Well that is about all that is going on around here… what has your family <br>been up too? I'd love to hear from you too!Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-39365033693589177472007-05-28T07:17:00.001-07:002007-05-28T07:24:35.668-07:00In Memory of our Trops Today.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7wvV5wy5IDKUaFOKuWLX7ZTLRi7mXp1cpKIX67mlWHVnNcBoGQ4tbiyPdla3TF-6CuC4vZ6kFwlRpCuaRzgHFQLnmWOV9dAtMZiO2cmE-ZJ_0dPd8bHw4MLccLI9sdPdAjeo/s1600-h/preview12.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7wvV5wy5IDKUaFOKuWLX7ZTLRi7mXp1cpKIX67mlWHVnNcBoGQ4tbiyPdla3TF-6CuC4vZ6kFwlRpCuaRzgHFQLnmWOV9dAtMZiO2cmE-ZJ_0dPd8bHw4MLccLI9sdPdAjeo/s400/preview12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069617344017089362" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rnLQSoT0pU-6vm08xLzxGXajgqSRHQroaRlYvbVftppVcR4HsJQ8rZsykqZNAlGBRtyTaY1rmh9fK2g9LHVP4LaSP2cd2Gf3RbyJ6VbMdKFG8Kk3E7SCVI1A1dR5EaTcMPQE/s1600-h/kuwaitd.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rnLQSoT0pU-6vm08xLzxGXajgqSRHQroaRlYvbVftppVcR4HsJQ8rZsykqZNAlGBRtyTaY1rmh9fK2g9LHVP4LaSP2cd2Gf3RbyJ6VbMdKFG8Kk3E7SCVI1A1dR5EaTcMPQE/s400/kuwaitd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069617228052972354" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOfTbaOsbpgCn2OlUSp_BjWfS36OgfBAnjFnbT7zags0_QOPZHRLI5FX7BmF1WT5uvd62XK-_r8sYb5fQlxkVKT3fVPh-hgbNXB7eU8wxT77j4DBp8GsMA8C9x5Ia6_CGLk4p/s1600-h/iraqmap.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOfTbaOsbpgCn2OlUSp_BjWfS36OgfBAnjFnbT7zags0_QOPZHRLI5FX7BmF1WT5uvd62XK-_r8sYb5fQlxkVKT3fVPh-hgbNXB7eU8wxT77j4DBp8GsMA8C9x5Ia6_CGLk4p/s400/iraqmap.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069617039074411314" /></a>
<DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">In Memory of our Troops!</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Then and Now.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Today is Memorial Day 2007.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>We are at war in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region><st1:place>Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Our troops are in harms way and many people just want to see it end, to bring them home.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They do not see the point of this war and just want to be done with it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In keeping with this day of remembering, I thought I'd remind some of you how all this began.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Go back to July 1990.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Saddam Hussein is the military dictator of <st1:country-region><st1:place>Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He rose to power under the Ba'th party and hates the Shi'ites.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He has been at war against <st1:country-region><st1:place>Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region>, but suddenly abandons that in favor of <st1:country-region><st1:place>Kuwait</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He accuses <st1:country-region><st1:place>Kuwait</st1:place></st1:country-region> of essentially stealing their oil and on Aug 2'nd commands his troops to occupy the smaller and more vulnerable <st1:country-region><st1:place>Kuwait</st1:place></st1:country-region> to their south.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><IMG height=468 src="cid:001801c7a132$fcf1f2e0$020aa8c0@blacky" width=433 v:shapes="_x0000_i1025"></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The UN immediately condemned these actions and a coalition was assembled against him.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Operation</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType>Desert</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> Shield commenced which consisted mainly of economic sanctions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>These did not work, and on January 15'th 1991 the allied forces of the USA, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, and others… turned Desert Shield into Desert Storm commencing with an air campaign and precision bombing attacks.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>[ On a side note:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is interesting that the price of gasoline in these allied nations has risen to between 3 and 7 dollars a gallon, while in Arab nations it is still under a dollar a gallon. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>How did that happen?]</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Hussein responded with big words, threats and acts of terror.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He called on all Muslims to unite in a "Holy War" against the West (US) and defined us as the satanic enemy.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He had 39 Soviet-made "Scud" missiles launched at Tel-Aviv and <st1:City><st1:place>Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> in spite of the fact the <st1:country-region><st1:place>Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> was staying neutral in this war!</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Hussein had the pipelines breached and spilled Kuwaiti oil into the sea in hopes of polluting the water for other Arab Nations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>He also had 365 out of 700 oil wells burned.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><IMG height=337 src="cid:001901c7a132$fcf1f2e0$020aa8c0@blacky" width=504 v:shapes="_x0000_i1026"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The oil wells burned for about 8 months before they could be extinguished.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was dubbed "Ecco-Terror" and worst man-made disaster of all time.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The smoke plume was thick, dark, and stayed close to the ground fouling the air. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place>Kuwait</st1:place></st1:country-region> got the brunt of it. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The smoke choked out the sun for up to 1500 miles away and was clearly visible from space.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><IMG height=306 src="cid:001a01c7a132$fcf1f2e0$020aa8c0@blacky" width=408 v:shapes="_x0000_i1027"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">This view up the </SPAN><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Persian Gulf</SPAN></st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> from the </SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Qatar</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceType><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Peninsula</SPAN></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> into southern </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Iraq</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> (25.5N, 51.0E) shows an excursion of the smoke plumes from the </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kuwait</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> oil fires set during the short Persian Gulf War. Smoke from the fires north of </SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kuwait</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceType><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">City</SPAN></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">, extends across the </SPAN><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Persian Gulf</SPAN></st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> while a larger smoke plume from the southern fires heads into southern </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Saudi Arabia</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> before beginning to spread out and become more diffuse<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">[ Side Note:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>During the eight month period about six million barrels of crude oil and about 85 million cubic meters of natural gas were burned each day!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And yet the environmental & human health effects of these fires were <U>MUCH</U> less significant than expected.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>In fact, numerous studies found that concentrations of most harmful airborne chemicals like VOCs, PAHs, and heavy metals were lower in Kuwait City and at American military bases just miles from the fires than in major cities in the United States!]</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">On February 23'rd the ground war started, Desert Storm was now if full force.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However the <st1:country-region><st1:place>Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> forces were decimated and fled in short order.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>By February 27'th, (just four days latter) all our major objectives had been achieved.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place>Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> had been kicked out of <st1:country-region><st1:place>Kuwait</st1:place></st1:country-region>, and our troops were halted at the boarders.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Hussein remained in <st1:City><st1:place>Baghdad</st1:place></st1:City>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He was supposed to comply with UN inspectors and allows us the assurance that he would not attempt to collect or create weapons of mass destruction, but he did not.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He obstructed the efforts of the UN Weapons inspectors, ultimately banning them from accessing anything.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Economic sanctions were again employed with no greater success than before. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Meanwhile, the best foothold our troops could enjoy, was at the hospitality of the Saudi-Arabians.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And these boys made life a little less than comfortable for our troops.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We could not enjoy the diversity of freedoms that we have come to know on our own soil,<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>especially those freedoms of religious expression.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>One thing I know about our military, they do not care for being dictated to by anyone other than the commander and chief!</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">So why are we still fighting in <st1:country-region><st1:place>Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In a word, Saddam Hussein.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He gave place to terror and to terrorist's.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Via radical Muslim doctrines, doctrines of hate and death to all Westerners (US), we find ourselves defending our freedoms, our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, on foreign soil.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><IMG height=279 src="cid:001b01c7a132$fcf1f2e0$020aa8c0@blacky" width=408 v:shapes="_x0000_i1028"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The question we all have to ask ourselves is this:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Is it better to fight this war over here or over there?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Should American soil be scorched like this?</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><IMG height=271 src="cid:001c01c7a132$fcf1f2e0$020aa8c0@blacky" width=408 v:shapes="_x0000_i1029"></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">And how do you fight such a war?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Do we use weapons or do we use diplomacy, words, and actions to combat the ideas born in religious doctrines?</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><IMG height=528 src="cid:001d01c7a132$fcf43cd0$020aa8c0@blacky" width=354 v:shapes="_x0000_i1030"></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">In my opinion you have to do both.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Military action is required to deal with suicide bombers, snipers, car bombs and other terrorist activities.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(The few rotten apples in the barrel.)<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But the freedoms we enjoy here are not exclusive to American soil.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They are Basic Human Rights which all people should be able to enjoy, everywhere.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">We brought down Saddam Hussein.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We brought down a dictatorship.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Iraqi people have held an election and are starting to enjoy both the liberty and responsibilities of freedom.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This part of the war will only be won given time and the proper use of diplomacy.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Our words and our actions have to send out a message, a message which is more powerful and better thought out than the ideas behind the Muslim doctrines of hate and death toward all Westerns.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">And in the process we might just find a better foothold for our troops and military bases in a more American-friendly nation as a result.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It would suit our Military. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It would suit American interests (in keeping oil prices down) and would allows us to continue aid to a new budding nation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Democracy in an Arab/Muslim nation… that has never happened before has it?</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Keep our troops and their commanders in your prayers.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">-Dan Willey.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P></DIV>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-31748966688430606602007-05-02T23:06:00.001-07:002007-05-02T23:06:44.645-07:00This month.<DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>-=-=-</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>What a month I've had! It started with Pilar and her gal-bladder surgery. Then we payed a visit to the ER when one of her 'stitches opened up. About the time she was back on her feet, my mom had a knee replaced & came here after being released from the hospital. We live in a nice flat house with no stairs... unless you come up here to the office. So I've been running for meds, paying visits to the hospital and trips to the physical therapy for the last two weeks. Today Amanda was seen by Quick Care, the ER and an Optomologist... she had bumped her head off the rock ceiling in Kuna Cave last saturday and had been experiencing periodic headaches ever since... she may have a mild concussion!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>-=-=-</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>I was near exhausted today after all the running around. I went to sleep around 8 but Pilar woke me up when she came in. After that I had trouble getting back to sleep so I came up to the office. I always check my e-mail... and I have plenty of class work to be getting on with. But the rain tonight is enough to keep anyone awake. It start to drizzle a bit around noon. That cleared off but darker clouds could be seen looming in the distance. By evening it had tried to rain in earnest, but subsided once more. As I lay on the bed almost asleep it started to really pour down, that was when I decided to make a hot cup of tea and try to get some studying in.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>-=-=- </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>I have had several different ones vist my cache "Peace of Junk", it is a very easy find and not too terribly difficult to reach. Only one logged visit to the cache "Humpty Dumpty" which is up a hill out behind the dump. To get there you either need a 4x4 or take a nice half-mile walk. Go figure.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>-=-=-</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>I still want to hook-up and do some caching sometime this summer...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>Keep in touch...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>Oh... one more thing... a VERY COOL LINK!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>I don't know what kind of music you favor these days, but this "music" has just captivated me! It is so cool. Okay load the page and sit through a short commercial. Then a 'music machine' will appear. The hoax going around is that some engineers at Iowa Tech built this thing our of John Deer parts. The truth is that it is all Computer Animated, available if you want to buy the DVD... but you have got to see this!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#810081><A href="http://www.atomfilms.com/film/animusic_pipedream.jsp">http://www.atomfilms.com/film/animusic_pipedream.jsp</A></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#810081></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>-=-=-</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>Well now that I have written this I see parts of it need wider distribution. I'll have to post some of it on the blog.. :-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>God bless and take care!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-64525743588203702122007-04-24T07:44:00.000-07:002007-04-24T07:46:29.317-07:00Should guns be allowed in schools?Guns in School.
In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech. Shootings, I’ve heard some discussion about what it will take to make our schools safe. One man suggested that we arm the students; others think that is just pure foolishness. So let’s consider the alternatives.
The problem is that a student or students will decide to go on a killing spree. They arm themselves and appear at their school where the daily routine and emergency protocols are known to them. Then they randomly take the lives of others, staff and students, until law enforcement has arrived in sufficient numbers to close off any available exits. But this was not a hit and run, their own lives are the ones they take last. It would appear that they were suicidal from the start, and had no planes to try and get away.
The problem may be that this person has lost all hope. It may be that they feel they are incapable of dealing with the world and all of its societal pressures. Is the kamikaze mission which ends in self-destruction a last ditch effort to be noticed or to ‘in effect’ impose their will on a world, even if only for a moment? Is this perhaps an attempt at grasping their moment in the lime-light, even if it is infamy and not fame?
Regardless of the source of the disturbance, the fact is that the other students and faculty are facing down the barrel of a loose canon. A canon that has pre-meditated the death of as many people as they can access, and considers their own life forfeit from the start. There is no reasoning with this person. Pleading, begging, reasoning or counseling are a waste of time. They have a gun. You do not. For the moment they have the god-like power to choose who lives and who dies. You are their subjects.
How do you respond to that? Preventative measures would have to be aimed at either figuring out what has spawned this phenomenon (addressing the differences of a modern education in contrast with how things were taught in past) or at early detection and identifying probable shooters to getting them into counseling. The outcome of such directions will invariably open up the rift between the secular and the sacred or it will expose the limitations of our current psychological practices. Neither of these are going to lead to a satisfactory result any time soon.
Failing preventative methods leaves us with the situation of a student throwing lead at anything that moves. There can only be one answer to that. The sooner someone can throw lead back, the fewer lives this kamikaze is going to be able to take. Cameras will not stop someone from pulling a trigger, nor will ID badges, nor will uniforms, or metal detectors or any other form of ‘physical’ security. All these devices will do is increase the resemblance between our schools and our prisons. No student in a ‘free society’ wants or needs to be treated like they are in a prison! Plus it will have the undesirable effect of insuring our would-be shooters that no one inside can possibly shoot back. But what if that were taken away? What if they had no assurance that they were going to be able reign supreme, even if only for the ten to fifteen minuets it would take for officers to arrive? What if they had to deal with the very same fear that they are using to incite terror? What if the ‘terrorist’ had a reason to be terrified?
That can only happen if students who are of age and who choose to do so, are permitted to exercise their right to self-protection, and ensure their ability to fight gun-fire with gun-fire by bearing arms sufficient to the need of self-preservation. Only then will a shooter have to fear being shot at. Their ‘subjects’ would have the same power as they do, and their god-like ability to pick and choose who lives and who dies would be stripped away from them.
Making schools a safe place to live is not something anyone can do for them. Whether it is a campus or a foreign country, populating it with militia is not synonymous with providing security. You’d think that Americans would have learned this lesson by now. Security will only occur when the students or residence are enabled to defend themselves. When they are secure in the knowledge that they can deal anything life throws at them, then they will feel and be secure. No ‘system’ will ever give them that. And the reason is for this is simple. No system is fool-proof. Nor is this a perfect solution, but then this isn’t a perfect world. As long as there is the threat of yet another student going berserk, the best solution is the one that minimizes the damages.Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-41775601800780025002007-04-18T06:46:00.000-07:002007-04-18T06:55:26.688-07:00Geo Caching<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKMTQ0wFuUvt0PkGkapxODAxYWmyQSV9-BMWP6BjcvK0gWfwafuYmCFm99sHd46AGfqK8jCrdmhyt7MKkTQK3Xm1LMWBM2sw3v2EAmZe0KLQjU5EAlb5Y4WPPSVgOd91WZaC6/s1600-h/100_2515.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKMTQ0wFuUvt0PkGkapxODAxYWmyQSV9-BMWP6BjcvK0gWfwafuYmCFm99sHd46AGfqK8jCrdmhyt7MKkTQK3Xm1LMWBM2sw3v2EAmZe0KLQjU5EAlb5Y4WPPSVgOd91WZaC6/s400/100_2515.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054764378130174098" /></a>
This is my first attempt at creating a geocahe. I used a large plastic flower pot. Cut the bottom off about 2.5 in. up and buried the top part up-side-down. The bottom piece forms a tight lid and the cement provides camaflage...
Roadkill, my raccoon icon gives you some persecive of size and I use him in a lot of my pictures to 'stamp' them as genuinely mine.
The site is in the review phase. If it is passed it will be up on the website www.geocaching.com under the name "Peace of Junk", but a friend of mine isn't sure if having the cache buried like this is going to be allowed. On one hand I did have to dig a hole, but on the good side, I am not making anyone dig in order to find it. So we will have to see what the reviewer thinks about it.Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-16902196691971695372007-04-18T06:36:00.000-07:002007-04-18T06:44:41.612-07:00The Benz<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOa7vj0ShyphenhyphenOgmSSnhqdeyixYDwk3jcNB4_BQigERnEdrusz3Ltxj0yySELcHCz2yaUrgx0MReWXkuWs0zcrGLYCGzQGfYOHny7Hs5UNdEYajz90wY9D84FzuQipphZedMUNys/s1600-h/100_2509.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOa7vj0ShyphenhyphenOgmSSnhqdeyixYDwk3jcNB4_BQigERnEdrusz3Ltxj0yySELcHCz2yaUrgx0MReWXkuWs0zcrGLYCGzQGfYOHny7Hs5UNdEYajz90wY9D84FzuQipphZedMUNys/s400/100_2509.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054763622215929986" /></a>
Yea, this friend-of-the-familey has been amoung us for almost 30 years. It still has its original paint and interior, which means it is due some spurcing-up but dad rebuilt the engine and restored the running gear. I cleaned it up and installed a CD/AM/FM that really kicks! Almost everything is back in working order. There is an issue with the power door locks (minor fix) nor did I bother with A/C or Cruze-Control. I got everything else working again... I put it in the paper and online asking 4,000 but that is my 'best guess' as to what it is worth. So far I've had no calls on it at all.Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-12010836658990336552007-04-15T16:09:00.000-07:002007-04-15T16:19:58.698-07:00End TimesDurring the time that Jesus walked upon this planet, the religious leaders of the day, the people, and the various special interest groups of that time, were all very missguided about what the saviour must do. They had the prophesies, they had thier ideas, and as it turned out, not one of them was right. Not one!
Now we have the prophies of his "Second Coming" and the end of life on the planet as we now know it.. the End Times. We have religious learership too, and our leadership his thier ideas on how all this will come about.
I could be wrong, but history has a way of playing out again and again. It occures to me that our main-stream idea's about the second-coming of the christ are probably about as accurate as were the ideas about his first arrival. If that so the the entire collection of books in the "Left Behind" series is fiction upon fiction upon fiction.
I have done some random "events" posting on here thus far... but would anyone be interested in going "topical"?
-Dan.Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1176169356434619852007-04-09T18:42:00.000-07:002007-04-09T18:42:36.536-07:00An E-mail I got about Bill snd Hillary<p class="mobile-post">
----- Original Message ----- </p><p class="mobile-post">Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 10:28 AM
Subject: Fw: Fwd: Bill snd Hillary</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton registers for the draft on September 08, 1964, accepting all
contractual conditions of registering for the draft.</p><p class="mobile-post">Selective Service Number 326 46 228.</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton classified 2-S on November 17, 1964.</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton reclassified 1-A on March 20, 1968.</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton ordered to report for induction on July 28, 1969.</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton refuses to report and is not inducted into the military.</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton reclassified 1-D after enlisting in the United States Army
Reserves on August 07, 1969, under authority of Col. E. Holmes.</p><p class="mobile-post">Clinton signs enlistment papers and takes oath of enlistment.</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton fails to report to his duty station at the University of
Arkansas ROTC , September 1969.</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton reclassified 1-A on October 30, 1969, as enlistment with Army
Reserves is revoked by Colonel E. Holmes and Clinton now AWOL and subject to
arrest under Public Law 90-40 (2)(a) registrant who has failed to
report...remain liable for induction.'</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton's birth date lottery number is 311, drawn December 1, 1969, but
anyone who has already been ordered to report for induction is INELIGIBLE!</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton runs for Congress (1974), while a fugitive from justice under
Public Law 90-40.</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton runs for Arkansas Attorney General (1976), while a fugitive
from justice.</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton receives pardon on January 21,1977, from President Carter.</p><p class="mobile-post">Bill Clinton FIRST PARDONED FEDERAL FELON ever to serve as President of the
United States .</p><p class="mobile-post">All these facts come from Freedom of Information requests, public laws, and
various books that have been published, and have not been refuted by Clinton
.</p><p class="mobile-post">After the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, President Clinton promised that
those responsible would be hunted down and punished.</p><p class="mobile-post">After the 1995 bombing in Saudi Arabia , which killed five U.S. military
personnel; Clinton promised t hat those responsible would be hunted down and
punished.</p><p class="mobile-post">After the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia , which killed 19 and
injured 200 U.S. military personnel; Clinton promised that those responsible
would be hunted down and punished.</p><p class="mobile-post">After the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Africa, which killed 224 and
injured 5,000; Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down
and punished.</p><p class="mobile-post">After the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 and injured 39 U.S.
sailors; Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and
punished.</p><p class="mobile-post">Maybe if Clinton had kept those promises, an estimated 3,000 people in New
York and Washington , DC that are now dead would be alive today.</p><p class="mobile-post">AN INTERESTING QUESTION:
This question was raised on a Philly radio call-in show. Without casting
stones, it is a legitimate question.</p><p class="mobile-post">There are two men, both extremely wealthy. One develops relatively cheap
software and gives billions of dollars to charity.</p><p class="mobile-post">The other sponsors terrorism. That being the case, why was it that the
Clinton Administration spent more money chasing down Bill Gates over the
eight years in office, than Osama bin Laden?</p><p class="mobile-post">THINK ABOUT IT!
It is a strange turn of events. Hillary gets $8 Million for her forth
coming memoir. Bill gets about $12 Million for his memoir yet to be written.
This from two people who spent 8 years being unable to Recall anything about
past events while under oath.</p><p class="mobile-post">Sincerely,</p><p class="mobile-post">Cdr. Hamilton McWhorter USN (ret)</p><p class="mobile-post">P.S. Please forward this to as many people as you can! We don't want this
woman to even THINK of running for President</p><p class="mobile-post">... and, why doesn't the press ever ask any questions about these things?
Do you think they would hesitate for a second to ask about it if the
Clintons were Conservative Republicans?</p><p class="mobile-post"> </p>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1176041002191134862007-04-08T07:03:00.000-07:002007-04-08T07:03:22.253-07:00Long Over-due<p class="mobile-post">Happy Easter! Yes, this is Easter Sunday. And wouldn't you know it, the
April showers have already started. The weathermen say it will rain today
until sometime after noon. So much for the morning egg-hunt-plans.</p><p class="mobile-post">Pilar got up at 5AM to go to work. (This is why I'm up and finding some
time to stop and blog). She has surgery tomorrow morning, and then a few
days of R & R to re-coop. I have to hand it to Pilar, she is a trooper!
She came home from 8 hours of work Saturday, and found me working around the
yard. I pulled the trailer out and started loading it with trash that I
need to haul off to the dump, so she came out and started collecting junk
from the back yard too. Saturday was such a pretty day. I started out by
washing the car, (this only a scant few hours before the rain unwashed it
again, if you know about Idaho dirt, you know what I mean. Washing the car
lead me to washing the oil off the driveway, which lead me to cleaning up a
bit in the garage, which lead me to need the trailer to collect all the
trash... and so it goes. I think they call this Adult ADD. It is difficult
to finish one thing before you run into something else that needs doing, and
then another, and another, and so on.</p><p class="mobile-post">Well, on Saturdays I have the liberty to address house work, the other five
days of the week (excluding Sundays) are reserved for homework of the
college kind. I have made good progress with the Physics class, but I am
still struggling with the math. Calculus II these days. Step by small
incremental step I am getting this stuff, just no where near as fast as I
should be able to learn it. It is discouraging on some levels, and hearting
to know that some folk never get it. I suppose slow is better than not at
all, but slow is causing the cost of learning all this stuff to go up... and
that is not a good thing.</p><p class="mobile-post">Saturdays have also become a day to do a bit of recreation. These days I
have discovered Geocaching. This is a bit of a sport, only it is played
with a GPS and all the common-since you can muster. Basically the game
works like this: other people have hidden small plastic containers in
various and random places. Inside the containers are a log-book, and
nick-knacks for trade. You are given the coordinates of the location and
possibly a hint or two. You use your GPS to guide you to the general
location, and use your common sense to figure out where someone else might
have hidden a small container in that area. All this is recorded on a
web-site... geocaching.com. If you locate the cache, you write your name
in the log book, and log the find on the web site. I have found 17 already,
and was unable to find about half that many. Occasionally these caches are
discovered by people who know nothing about the game, and so the cache is
"stolen"... for that reason you have to use a bit of stealth when you find
and re-hide a cache, so you don't cause anyone to become suspicious. That
is the nuts and bolts of the game, but the really great part about it has
nothing to do with plastic boxes, GPS technology or dollar store trinkets.
The really great part is that people stash these things in some of the most
scenic, unusual or off-beat places. You will be guided to some of the
neatest locations... places you had no idea even existed... probably places
very close to where you live. I like the caches that are just out of town
the best. This summer I hope to be able to put a trip together and geocache
all the locations in and around Silver City Idaho. There is so much history
up there, but I have never had a road-map to find it all like I will with
the GPS and numerous cache sites! I want to take a tent, a camera and rent
a quad for the trip. Any body else up for a bit of adventure?</p><p class="mobile-post">Stained glass. Back in my High-school daze, I had an art teacher that
showed us how to make stained glass windows. My wife and children all enjoy
some handi-crafts, and often is the time we would visit a hobby craft store.
I would look for any sort of stained glass supplies, but I never found any.
Well I messed around with 'stained-glass-paint' and made a design for a bit
of window I have here in the office, but it never looked right to me. So I
got the bug and started looking online. You can find anything online. Then
I got curious, and pulled open the phone book. Believe it or not, we have a
specialty stained-glass shop right here in Nampa! I was amazed! I bought
three sheets of glass and went right to work. I have had a bit of trouble
finding the right solder and soldering iron... a 100 to 150 watt iron is a
tough find these days, and so is the traditional 60/40 solder. Building
supplies used to stock it, but their stock is all the silver (lead free)
junk now. When I get this project installed, I will put up some pictures..
on the photo blog.</p><p class="mobile-post">For Sale. It was a longer project than I'd figured on, but I was at long
last able to get the small blue Geo back on it's wheels. Naday is finally
driving it, but not very happy about it. She never wanted to drive my
Geo-Tracker either, but she became accustomed to it. At least it has the
automatic. The Metro is a standard, and you'd think she was being tortured
by that. She has not been easily coerced into learning how to drive a
stick-shift! She even dubbed the car, "The Anti-Christ" because of how it
has "treated" her. Any one else can get in it and drive it smoothly....
:-) Thank God I had the foresight to install a new clutch kit in it while I
had it apart! But the additional car left me with two to drive, and some
bills backing up. I need cash. So I started to sell the Tracker... but it
is 4-wheel drive, seats four (just), and tows a trailer, not to mention, it
has a cool (removable) hard top, and I can go convertible with it). The
Mercedes-Benz is almost as good on fuel, but burns Diesel (which costs more
at the pump these days), it seats five, and has a great stereo (installed by
yours truly). It was a tough call, but after weighing out all the pro's and
con's, I decided to sell the ol' Mercedes. It has been in the family since
(gosh) I can't recall, It's a 1976, and Dad would have had to have bought it
before we moved up here, so he bought it around 78 or 79 at the latest.
Tina learned to drive in that car, and I took my date to the high-school
prom in that car. Dad finally rebuilt the engine and turned it over to me
about a year ago. I've had to do a bit of work on it myself. But most
everything is working like it is supposed too... with the exceptions of
non-essential air-conditioning and cruse control... options the car came
with. I have it listed in the local paper coming out today as well as with
three online classifieds. I hope to find it a good home with an
auto-enthusiast.</p>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1172940528294464692007-03-03T09:48:00.000-07:002007-03-03T09:48:48.383-07:00Google Re-Direct<p class="mobile-post">If you Goggled dlwilley@photoblog.com and it sent you here..
it has misdirected you. Sort-of. Somewhere in all the text I've
written, I mentioned the other blog I keep, the one WITH photo's</p><p class="mobile-post">Where you want to go is:</p><p class="mobile-post">http://dlwilley.photoblog.com</p><p class="mobile-post">That's the one with pictures.</p><p class="mobile-post">This is the one where I rant/rave or debate.</p><p class="mobile-post">I don't think anyone reads this one, to tell you
all the truth. At least no one has responded
to anything here in a long,</p><p class="mobile-post"> long</p><p class="mobile-post">long</p><p class="mobile-post">long</p><p class="mobile-post">long time.</p>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1172157293762752852007-02-22T08:14:00.000-07:002007-02-22T08:14:53.810-07:00This week-end<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Watching the news this morning; weather man said that if our plans included travel in the area at and around McCall, we might want to change them. That area is under a snow warning right now. We have plans to go up Friday night. Johanna and Anthony are planning on getting married there on Saturday, and then there is the big dinner afterwards. Our plan is to stay over-night and travel back home on Sunday morning. We will keep an eye on the weather & hope that mother nature is not going to modify them. After-all, Tina has worked so hard to make this happen! </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Would I laugh if it all fell apart? I would not wish that on Johanna, maybe... but I'd find it hard to not be delighted if Tina's plans were ruined. This is adult-sibling-rivalry. At the drop of a hat I'd not go at all. Last week-end they were all at the house, upstairs: where Tina and Randy stay, My family and I went and payed a vist to mom & dad, dowstairs, same house. None of them said 'Hello'. They couldn't even bring themselves to walk down a flight of stairs to say "Hi"! And yet I am expected to make a two or three hour drive to attend the wedding.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Yea.. right!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>So okay, I went upstairs and payed them a visit. I got the doe-in-the-head-lights responce. All wide-eyed and nervious, but no genuien happiness to see thier one and only true uncle... I get so sick of that. I think the next time I meet Joseph I need to hit him over the head with a baseball bat. Toss it aside and when he notices that I'm standing there, say, "Hi! How are you!" and smile real big, full of genuine affection.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Perhapps I'm well on my way to becoming a grummpy old man who will walk with a cane, not because he needs the support, as much as he enjoys having a big stick at the ready to whack young whipper-snappers who need to be taught some respect! ^_^</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>He he he! I'm venting and making a joke out of it! Well if any famlly member happens upon this, a remote possibility of which I doubt. Just keep in mind that... umm... er... I'm just joking... yea that's it, this is all in fun.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Oh and that if I take any good pictures, I'll publish them on the photoblog. I can never seam to get this site to show the pictures.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>-Dan.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1170133080903366872007-01-29T21:58:00.000-07:002007-01-29T21:58:01.016-07:00The day the Wii came home.<p class="mobile-post">It had taken almost two months. Every chance we got we would cruse past the
Game section and check to see if any Wiis' were on the shelf. We talked to
the clerks and acquired all the intel. We could about when they received
them and when we should be at the store to possibly find one. On Sunday
morning, we received word that one store had gotten a new shipment in. Game
Crazy got them on Saturday, thus it just might be possible that other
retailers in the area would be stalking them over-night. Early the next
morning we set out and meet three major department stores at the door as
they opened up. All to no avail it seemed. None of them had gotten any in.</p><p class="mobile-post">Just when it looked, well, like a waist of time, suddenly a clerk blurted
out that Wal-Mart was supposed to have just received a shipment of Wiis'.
We headed over to Wal-Mart with all the haste possible for one wishing to
avoid any police type entanglements. There they were at last. 6 unopened,
fresh from the factory, white and printed boxes, each containing a
brand-spanking-new Wii! The girls both beamed and grinned like Cheshire
cats!</p><p class="mobile-post">It is Monday night. The girls have already plugged in about 9 hours of
Zelda, and tried out every feature of Wii-Sports. Even my wife, who has
never gotten on a game machine before in her life, enjoyed a round of
bowling with the family. Tonight, after dinner, Grandma Pat & Grandpa Carl
joined us and tried it out. They golfed, bowled and practiced their batting
and pitching on the Baseball field. Grandma went away saying she just might
have to buy one of these for herself.</p><p class="mobile-post">The Wii has got to be the biggest advancement in game systems since the
development of the Attari. The X-Box and the PS3's are both doomed to go
down in flames. I mean come on! A bunch of over-aged "juvenile delinquents"
might like net-working a bunch of systems together and gaming all night, but
lets face it. Grandma, Grandpa and the kids are not going to be up all night
playing Halo! The Wii has already endeared itself to an entirely new and
larger market of potential gamers! EVERYONE! Yes everyone from 102 to just
big enough to handle the remote.</p><p class="mobile-post">Programmers beware! If you think you can just port over your old games,
your "first-person-shooters" .. games like Halo or Resident Evil, the Mature
games et. al. It won't work! They will not sell. The Wii has opened up a
market for FAMILY FRIENDLY games. Multiple player games. Games that open
up social interaction, require physical movement and advance gaming physics.
The Wii is about people coming together and having FUN. It is not a machine
for your isolated lone predator, blood and gutts, shoot everything that
moves trash. Okay! I hope your getting this!</p><p class="mobile-post">I can't wait to see some good driving/race games on our Wii. Mario-Carts or
something like it might even be fun. Hunting games, Fishing games. Olympic
sports like you have never seen them before! I'd love to see Spyro, Rayman,
or Odd world. All with entirely new moves and utilizing the features of the
new controllers of course.
</p>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1167939637796698322007-01-04T12:40:00.000-07:002007-01-04T12:40:37.963-07:00Managing Growth<p class="mobile-post">It is foolish to build houses over your farm land.</p><p class="mobile-post">I know I read that somewhere, I thought it was in Proverbs, but try as I
might, I can't seem to find it right now.</p><p class="mobile-post">The truth of that statement should be self evident. More houses means more
people. Less farm land means less food. More people, less food. This is
not a sustainable trend. But that is what we are doing here in the Treasure
Valley, and a lot of other places all over the Western States. We are
selling out our small farms to developers. Once these fields produced corn,
barley, or maybe hay, something people or live stock could eat.. Now they
produce grass clippings which get put in the trash.</p><p class="mobile-post">Americans everywhere need to re-think the way we use land. Land is a finite
resource. There is only so much of it, and it is not all the same. Flat
lands which are good for growing things and close to a water supply are
rare. Some 70% of Idaho is reserved National lands. BLM or Forest Service
land... and either way a lot of that is not sceanic or productive,
endangered habitat anything. Most of it is too steep to hike, too dry to
farm, and to remote for people to care about.</p><p class="mobile-post">It would be a good thing if some of these area's were made availible for
development rather than surrender any more productive farmable ground to
housing tracts. I know there are some who fight against development of the
Boise foothills, but the alternitives are worse in the long run. Homes can
be built on hills, it gives them a view. Houses can be built on rock, it
gives them a firm foundation. Homes can be built on hills and rock, but
farms can't. I hope city planners everywhere will exercise some wisdom, and
cause the growth to occure where it should. Use wisdom, fore-thought and
planning. Preserve what is good and productive, loose only that wich we can
afford to loose. We are building tomorrow, lets make it grand. If we
don't, then the next generation will have to do it over again, and at a
higher cost.</p><p class="mobile-post"> </p>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1167156324615157962006-12-26T11:05:00.000-07:002006-12-26T11:05:24.710-07:00Christmas 06Praise God. We had a white Christmas for once. Not too much snow, but the grass stayed covered while the roads cleared. I have some pictures up on the photoblog. Take a look at dlwilley.photoblog.com.
With funds a bit tight, this year I missed the family shopping trips. It’s always fun to pair-up with someone you’re NOT shopping for, and then help each other shop for the rest of them. I enjoy the hiding gifts… wrapping things… trying to guess what you’ve been given and such. That and the wonderfully lit houses, the fun, happy music and such, all come together to make this time of year so special (in spite of the gloomy weather and gray overcast days). Sure, we know that the Christ was probably born in April or May… but celebrating His birth at this time of year makes good sense.
This year, however, I missed out on most of what I enjoy about Christmas. I did want to see the family assemble and have a good time together. We are getting to be such a large group that deciding on <em><strong>where</strong></em> to meet is becoming a problem. Hosting a party for this motley crew is also a lot of work, and fairly expensive. So I made what I thought to be some practical suggestions. First have someone host who has a large enough room. (A couple of the newer homes are larger and fairly spacious.) Second, the host shouldn’t be expected to cook everything. We have so many who can afford to contribute, and it is easy to cook one or two dishes. We represent some five or six married couples, who all have homes and kitchens and can cook. Then when we come together we can all enjoy a wide variety of foods and probably in great quantities. It seemed like a good idea. But I was disappointed because not everyone showed up.
I had started talking to the family about Christmas right <strong>after Thanksgiving</strong>. I did not want to host the dinner here, because our house just isn’t quite large enough for everybody. But other options were shot down and our house was chosen in the end. Then it was suggested that we do something more informal, and just have finger foods. That meant that less space was needed, as no huge table setting would be needed. Since we were not setting up tables and chairs, we went ahead and made some deserts and drinks. My cousin John showed, as did my parents and my sister, Tina. Or I should say; Tina, Randy and the twins, but her boys and their wives and children all were no-shows… so we ended up with more than twice the amount of food than we needed. (The boys were either not told about the party at all or figured that since their mom would be hosting a big dinner the very next night… Christmas Eve was their night to spend with their wives families… and not with us). Hence my disappointment!
So in part, my plan to put our family party together as a co-operative effort ended up being a sham! The real family party ended up at Tina’s (as always) and we were not even invited. But I have to curb my disappointment with this somewhat, because those who did show up here on Christmas Eve all had a great time! No one went away hungry. We all sat around the table and played games. Mom even stayed after everyone else left and played cards till after midnight. No one was trapped in the kitchen trying to put everything together. No one was stressed out by the daunting task of making sure everything is prepared. So all-in-all the concept I’d proposed seemed to work.
I guess these family traditions are harder to change than I’d figured. Well, perhaps next year a few more of the family will see the sense in this and we can get more people involved in planning and preparing the family Christmas dinner. I know it’s a huge a job, but it is far easier to put it all together if everyone takes part, and the work load is delegated out. It is also more rewarding (for me at least) if I know I have added something to everyone’s enjoyment of the holiday. When I’m just invited to attend a party hosted and pre-paired by them, I feel like an unwelcome guest at what should be my family get-together.
As it turned out, we were able to take the ample leftovers to a friend’s house. They were struggling a bit under the load of preparing food for a rather large group and when we came along with Turkey Soup, Steak, Shrimp, Salad, Pie, Cheese Cake, Brownies, Fresh Fruit, Wine and more… it just kind of made their day! We ate, played games and had a great time!
So this year I opened not a gift. Nope, not so much as one wrapped gift. But I lacked nothing. I was surrounded by the love of family and friends, and that means more to me than all gifts in the world. If they only knew how much it means to me to be able to spend time with them, perhaps a few more of them would want to show up!Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1165289224465543412006-12-04T20:27:00.000-07:002006-12-04T20:27:04.543-07:00Life's too short<a href="http://torchseven.blogspot.com/"><<< Deep Thought >>></a>
Life is just too short. I ask you. You spend you early years just learning about life, then you have to learn howoake a living, and then about the time your getting all this figured out, someone pulls out the "RIP" imbossed ballons! PLEASE! I think man ought to live to be about 150 or 200. That way you can learn all the things you ought to know and have enough time to enjoy it too. Maybe then we'd want to build things like they used to.. buildings and such that were ment to stand for a few hundred years instead of this trash that'll be lucky to stand for longer than the morgage payments will last.
I suppose that is a bit harsh.
Funny though. how life is. I've lived clean & never did nobody no harm. But life has never cut me a break nor done me any favors.
Yes I have travled. Canada to Florida, Mexico, Korea, Spain and England too. I have seen life from more vistas than most men ever do.
In spite of all that, there are many more places I have never seen. Hawii, Rio, Venice, Scottland, Ireland, Sweeden.
Life is just too short.Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1162313114528799912006-10-31T09:45:00.000-07:002006-10-31T09:45:14.646-07:00Quick Notes<p class="mobile-post"></p><p class="mobile-post">As it has been rather a long time since I've written, I thought I'd just
make some quick notes about the major events.</p><p class="mobile-post">Although we had him for only a few months, Tiggy, our big yellow cat has
passed away. The only thing we can figure is that he must have gotten into
something toxic, because he stoped eating and litterly just waisted away.
I've never know an animal or person that seemed not to have an evil bone in
their body, not one, like this cat did. His eyes reflected a light emerald
green, rather than red, his manner was gentile and un-impossing. If I can
find just one person like that before I die, and make that person my friend,
I'd die a wealthy man, and I wouldn't need money to do it. The cat will be
missed.</p><p class="mobile-post">David, our friend and neighbour from the old house, stuck the front of his
car under a truck. It did little to the truck, but his Geo Metro sustained
a good deal of modification. I helped him bang out the worst of the dents,
a replace a busted headlight. It could be fixed, but a car like that isn't
worth a lot to start with, and as it is holding togeather, drivable, and
still street leagel, he is content to drive it as is.</p><p class="mobile-post">Our sea-food night appears to have been a success. Our Real-Life Group came
over last tuesday for fish, salmon, shrimp, fettachinni, salad and a movie.
We watched, "The God's Must Be Crazy" an older film, but still a fun one,
and soo, so funny! Everyone eat a lot, laughed a lot, and had a good time.</p><p class="mobile-post">Amanda has been in marching band. The band at Nampa High School has held a
great deal of respect in the community for several years, and has proven
itself again this year. They swept the local compitition, and took almost
every award in the District as well, so they went to Seattle for a state
wide compition, where they had placed 8'th the year before, and took 4'th
place this year! We are all proud of her, and the NHS Marching Band. After
all, it is hard enough for some people to walk and chew bublegum at the same
time, while these kids are marching in formation and playing music at the
same time! Great Job Dawwgs!</p><p class="mobile-post">Pilar continues to excel in her carrer. She took the Discharge Planner
possition a few months back, and she may not have to wait long before she is
asked to take over that office. Her current supervisor is making elementry
level mistakes that there are no excuses for.</p><p class="mobile-post">Nadya is now a Junior in Highschool, and for the first time in her life she
is having to work at keeping her grades up. But then, she is already taking
college level courses. Through a program offered by the school, in
cooperation with NNU, the local University, she can earn college credits
from her classes at the Highschool this year, because some of the classes
she is taking now, are equivalent to the class offerings at NNU. The
program is called "concurrent credits" and requires us to pay a fee (a
fraction of the price that college credits nomally cost). Her success at
this level could mean that she will have most of her College freshman
courses completed on graduation from H.S.</p><p class="mobile-post">I'm just glad that I've been back in school and learning all this advanced
math and stuff. Otherwise, dear old dad would have been clueless about how
to help her with her homework lately. As it is I've managed to stay one or
two steps ahead of her, but my lead is wanning. She got into a physics
class this year, and I have to wait until the spring to get into physics.
I'm required to have Calculus I under my belt before I can get into that
class.
I should be able to must it this time though. I got an 'A' on the frist
exam, a 'C' on the second. Our thrid exam will come about the middle of
next week, so there isn't much new matterial to put on an exam. I'm
confident that I'll pass the class with good marks. I have been retaking
the Pre-Calculus corse (for the grade) at the same time. This has enable me
to re-inforce my algebra skills, and to plug a few holes. Ultamatly it
should prove worth the time when it props up my GPA. I've had some trouble
with all this math... at this point I'd not recomend to anyone older,
looking to get a BS degree, that they go back full time. Instead, I'd
recomend that they start with a series of night classes, and concentrate on
the math. Get through Calculus I and then go after it full time! In any
case, look to your weaknesses, and deal with them first. I always liked
math, so I did not suspect that I'd have any trouble with it, but I have
been having some trouble, too much trouble, with these math classes.</p><p class="mobile-post">They are falling like flies! My Uncle passed away, our friend & Nephew to
my sister passed awaw, our pet cat... and now... Mom called me saturday and
told me that Terry Rock was found dead in his home. Terry was one of the
few relitives that I grew up with. I think he is only a second cousin, but
he and older sister Melinda were very close to the same age as Tina and I
and while we lived in Eureka, we saw a lot of each other. Terry taught me
how to ride a mini-bike, walk on stilts, shoot pool, and play war with
rubber-band guns or stinging neddel 'gernades'. I don't think my parents
ever realised how much of a bad influence he was on me. (he he)!
Fortunatly for me, we had moved away before he found drugs... something that
may have played a roll in his early departure. He can't be but about 45
yers of age... too young to be dying!</p><p class="mobile-post">Well, see how much you miss when you don't keep, er, well, when I don't keep
the journal upto date. ( grin ) Life is just too short and way too fast
passed! -Dan. </p>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1159280309913359902006-09-26T07:18:00.000-07:002006-09-26T07:18:29.976-07:00NEW OR USED<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>There are only two things I know of that will keep a diesel engine from starting, short of total mechanical failure that is. One is a fuel problem such as a plugged fuel filter or a leaking fuel line which lets air get into the fuel pump. The other is glow-plugs. These little plugs are a lot like gas engine spark plugs, but they are only needed to get things warmed up enough to start the engine, and then they are turned off.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>I went out to the car on Monday to go to class and found it had been smitten by a bad glow plug. It would not start. The last time this happened, I messed around with it most of an afternoon and into the evening. Dad finally came over and gave me some tips, and a replacement (used) glow plug to swap out with the bad one. This system is not the best design either. Five glow plugs are wired one after the other so when just one goes bad the circuit is broken and none of them work! But this time I was ready for it! I had been mindful of the fact that I was depending on a miss-matched group of aged plugs, but also of the fact that I did not know how to work on them. When I was searching for some small diesel fuel line, I was directed to a foreign auto parts store that has a lot more that I'd like to buy! Trust me on that one. While there, I picked up a repair manual and five brand new glow plus. I just hadn't had the time or maybe the incentive to install them.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Here in Idaho, I think the mentality of most people is to spend as little as possible on repairs. For example, find which one went bad, get a good one (used if possible, they cost less) and just replace the one that went bad. This saves you a lot of money on repairs, right? But does it? Sure the cost of the parts is less out of pocket, but isn't there a lot more to consider? In my case, if I just replaced the one, how long would it last? Winter is approaching and the glow plugged are working harder in the mornings than they have all summer. More heat is needed to start a freezing cold engine than is needed when it's about 70 degrees out. By changing out all five, I should avoid having to do this again anytime soon, especially in the bite of winters weather. But I was talking about costs here. It took me about three hours to swap them all out. If it had been done in a shop, the final bill might have come to about 4 or 5 hundred dollars. In addition I lost a day of classes... I paid for those too! If all I had accomplished was to replace one that was blown with a plug that is just as likely to fail soon anyhow, how many more times this winter would I be missing classes and spending several hours under the hood searching for a bad glow plug?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>With some things, it doesn't make sense to buy new when used parts are available. With some things that wear out or burn out over time, it just doesn't make sense to buy used when new parts are available. Obvious examples are tiers, brake pads, clutch plates, ignition parts, starters, alternators and such. These things fail eventually and replacing them with another used part is perhaps a stop gad measure, at best. It ensures that at some near future date, it will have to be fixed all over again. So the cost out of pocket is soon exceeded by the "down-time" and by the "shop-time". By that I mean the cost of not having a working vehicle (in my case it was the loss of classes that I pay to attend) and the cost of labor to make repairs, which in a shop is above 100 dollars an hour now? So the cost of new plugs over used is cheaper if I don't have to put it in the shop just one extra time.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Still I thank God for his grace. If this car had not started one time earlier... things would have been quite different. You see, at home here, I had the parts and tools and manual. Everything I needed to make the repairs. The last time I started this car was Thursday, leaving school. (I stayed home sick Friday (flu) didn't go anywhere Saturday, and Sunday we used the wife's car to go to church.) So if the car had failed to start just one use earlier it would have left me stranded at school, in Boise (25 miles away from home) mid-day, ill with the flu, no tools, no parts, no one to call for a couple hours... that would have been the Murphy's Law moment! You know, the guy who says that things always go wrong at the worst possible moment. Well, in my case it didn't. That is something to be grateful for!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1157467378317705172006-09-05T07:42:00.000-07:002006-09-05T07:42:58.670-07:002 UP & 1 BACK<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>All week, my mom and I debated about what to do for labor day. My sister had made plans for the family to go camping, but those fell through because the camp grounds closed. (Wildland fires were in the area, and they were shut down.) A few other ideas were bounced around, but in the end it looked like everyone would be going in different directions.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Friday came and we still were not decided, but mom had gotten news that her brother (my uncle) was in the hospital, and not doing well. They were going to try him on dialysis, if it went well, he might live to see the new year, if not, well, they gave him up to two weeks. With that in mind, I told mom we should use this opportunity to get out of town and go see him while he is still among the living. It would mean more to him and I to actually talk a bit than to pay respects at a funeral. Dad has been working near there, and had hoped we would all get to come se him, so she finally agreed to the idea and we all packed for a short trip to Yuba City California on Friday night.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Saturday morning we left early. Two hours into the trip, mom got a call. Dad had drove down from Eureka and was in the hospital with uncle Doyle already. Dialysis that morning had gone okay, Doyle was looking a bit better. Then we got another call. Doyle had taken a turn for the worst, he might live long enough for us to see him. Then another call Doyle had passed away. The trip suddenly changed from one where we were going to visit Doyle, to one where we needed to take his sister (mom) down, and we all needed to be with the family. Then she got another call. My sisters nephew, Carl, had been hurt in an accident. No details. Latter we got more. Carl had passed away. The young man had been out riding motorcycles with some friends, two of them had gotten tangled up, Carl was injured and died soon after, the other man was still in a critical condition.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>We arrived late Saturday in Yuba City. We were able to connect with Sterly, Brandon, Steven and their families... we also paid a visit to Bert, Doyle's wife. I was glad we had made the effort and taken the time, in spite of the sad circumstances. Monday came and it was time for us to head back to Idaho. I had promised my daughters something of a camping trip, so we took in a short detour off the main roads and climbed around a mountain for a couple of hours before continuing on home.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Out on HWY 395, Nadya started asking for a pit-stop. We skated through the small town of "Likely" without seeing any place we wanted to stop, so we pushed on another 20 miles and pulled into a Rite Aid parking lot. Upon getting out I looked down and saw that the front tire was almost down to the rim. It was FLAT! We had everything onboard that we needed to change it except a lug wrench! And while there were a surprising number of small businesses open on the labor day in the small town of Alturas, not one of them sold anything like a lug wrench. I found a station with air, and got the rim off the ground, but the tire's side wall was already damaged and the tire a complete loss. Then I found an engine shop with one door cracked open. The mechanic was there on personal business, but he helped me swap out the flat for the spare. I thanked him with a 20. Least I could do for saving us from being stuck overnight in Alturas!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>So we lost two on the way up. We lost one on the way back. The loss on the trip back pales in comparison to the promise of young life taken by tragedy. It pales in comparison to the loss of a good man, though elderly, in failing health, Doyle was one of the good guys, and this old world just doesn't seem to have as many of those as it used too. We grieve the loss of one more. Our grief is tempered by the sincere hope and faith that both these men, young and old though they were, had both found the saving grace of our Lord Jesus, and that today they are both in a better place. Our prayers go out to their families and friends. May God's peace be with you all. </FONT></DIV>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008072.post-1156094101402512732006-08-20T10:15:00.000-07:002006-08-20T10:15:01.466-07:00To Judge or Not to Judge<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'"><FONT size=3>The following response to an earlier post caught my attention, and I wanted to address it fully.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This line of reasoning has been around for some time and I just can not abide by it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ill explain why.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But first a look at the posted response.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'"><FONT size=3>Anonymous said <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'"><FONT size=3>This was in my mailbox as part of my Bible verse of the day and I thought of you.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Romans 14:1-13.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(See passage)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'"><FONT size=3><snipped for brevity><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'">I pray that you consider that you risk losing someone by judging them.</SPAN></I><SPAN style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'">The key verse in this passage is Romans 14:4, </SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Who art thou that judgest another mans servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3>Thus the idea is promoted that the Christian should not judge.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3>There are two fundamental differences between what I promote and what this passage condemns.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3>First:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The passage is clearly written about Christians passing judgment upon other Christians.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I agree with the passage, that such a practice is wrong.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>From time to time you will hear a minister condemn the activities of another minister.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That is a bad business.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As we grow in the Lord it is important to learn that God calls each of us to unique avenues of ministry.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My favorite example is to compare Noah with Moses, both had the problem of getting a large group over a body of water.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Noah was instructed by God to build a boat, and the fact that he did so makes him a great man of the faith.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But if Moses had followed Noahs example at the red sea it would have been a sin.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Moses was given different instructions, as were fitting to the situation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This is confusing to the new converts.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But what it means is that we should not criticize OTHER CHRISTIANS just because they do things differently than we would.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This is normal, expected and even part of Gods overall plan.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Second:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The activity in question is not something that is clearly contrary to the Laws of God.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Neither the parting of the </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Red Sea</SPAN></st1:place><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> or the building of a boat is a violation of any of the ten commandments.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Please note that there is a huge difference between violating the laws of God and violating the traditions of various denominations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mankind is always writing rules.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Scribes and Pharases turned Gods basic laws into several volumes of man-made rules.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Any Law Library is another example of this fact.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Every denomination has its version of the Doctrine and Covenants, whether or not they have stopped and wrote them down.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Men like rules! <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>BUT the only rules that we will be held to at the great judgment, are those which are given to us by God.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Those are the only ones that really count.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Also note that there is a huge difference between expounding on the Law of God and passing judgment.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>How can anyone keep Gods laws if they do not know what they are?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And how can they know what the Laws are, if no one teaches them? <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But teaching the Law is not pointing our finger at someone and calling them a sinner.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is the act of expounding or promoting the Laws of God.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Nor is admonishing people not to lie or steal a judgment of any particular individual. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is educating them that the act itself is a sin.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In other words, I maintain that exposing sin is not the same thing as exposing the sinner.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3>Now that I have defined the differences between what I believe we should be doing, from what we should not be doing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Id like to explain WHY we should be doing this.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Okay?<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3>The biblical cautions against being judgmental are clear and oft quoted. But these assertions have been so overstated that they impress me like the difference between being open minded and being so open minded that have become mindless.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Are Christians really supposed to be so judgment free that they become the epitome of indiscretion?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I think not!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The act of discerning right from wrong is a fundamental exercise in judgment.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Learning right from wrong is a lifelong process and a fundamental part of Christianity!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But that isnt all.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It isnt enough to pursue this for yourself only.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Live and let Live philosophy of life.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I think God calls us to do more than that.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3>A part of being a Christian is being salt and light to the world.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Salt is a preservative.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are supposed to help preserve the nations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The scripture asks the provocative question, that if salt looses its flavor, how will you season it?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then it points out that flavorless salt is good for nothing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My take on that?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Simple, if the Christians look like, act like, sound like the world well if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck and acts like a duck, it is a duck.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Christians who blend in too well with the world, so that you cant tell the difference between them and the lost, are not being salt or light.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3>To make the point a little sharper, we need only consider Gods word to Ezekiel.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>See Ezekiel 3:17-21.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">17.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of </SPAN></I><st1:country-region><st1:place><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Israel</SPAN></I></st1:place></st1:country-region><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>18.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>19.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>20.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>21.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3>As I understand this, if we are not warning the lost of the consequences of sin, then their blood is on our hands.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are accountable.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3>Havent we all been commissioned to spread the gospel message?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Are not we all given that task?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then I ask you this; how can you tell people about the saving grace of Jesus, if and when the lost know nothing about God, Gods Law or their sin?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You might as well be telling them that Santa Cause threw himself on a live grenade to save them from the bogeyman under the bed.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is all a bunch of silly nonsense to them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You have to start, like the book of Genesis starts, with the existence of God, that God created everything, and that means it all belongs to Him, and that because he owns it, he has the right to make the rules.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then I need to know what his rules are, forsaking all the man-made tripe, and then I need to figure out whether Im guilty or innocent by those rules.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then and only then will the gospel message become meaningful.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3>What they do with that message, is between them and God.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But if we fail to warn the world about the whole the wages of sin is death, thing, then we are the ones who sin before God.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><FONT size=3>-Pastor Torch.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV>Pastor Torchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02864000467105552970noreply@blogger.com0