The Office

Next week is the season finale of "The Office." While I hate to see it go away for the summer, I am looking forward to the finale. Big surprises, they say. And it's a full hour. Will Jim ask Pam to marry him? Will Pam say "Yes.") Will Angela and Dwight (Shrute) begin their way back to each other? (Seriously, Andy is such a dweeb.) Will Toby really move to Costa Rica or will he try to break Jim and Pam up? What will happen to Ryan because of his drug habit? Will Michael get back with psychotic Jan? Will Ryan fire Jim?

All these questions. I doubt that all those questions will be answered or that any of them are relevant. I'm looking forward to next Thursday. (FYI: NBC will broadcast 2 hours - 4 back-to-back episodes - on Sunday.)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my Mother's birthday and I would like to tell the story of an incredible woman. Mom was born in Oklahoma at the beginning of the Great Depression. The family was incredibly poor and moved to Caifornia, a la Grapes of Wrath, to find a better life. Sadly it didn't work out so they returned to Oklahoma. There was tragedy in her life; my grandparents divorced, Mom lost all but one of her siblings and alcoholism ran in the family. My mother left the chaotic family as early as she could by marrying the wrong kind of man. She had two little boys, my brothers, while she still a teenager. Whenever we talk about her early life she muses about why she was the one to survive.

I can tell you why: My mom is a Survivor in every sense of the word. She was determined to have a better life than what she came from and she succeeded. She was introduced by friends to my father, a wonderful loving man. His family took her in and treated her as one of their own. Dad encouraged her to take some college courses when I was young and she gained confidence in herself.

When I left for college she decided to become a nurse and she did. She enjoyed her work and turned out to have a gift working with the elderly. She worked in a nursing home's hospital and was especially attentive to those whose families had forgotten them. When my dad had a stroke and progressed into dementia, he had to be put in a nursing home for his safety, she nursed him for the rest of his life. She was at the nursing home daily caring for him because she didn't want to leave it to the staff. She new she could take better care of him than the staff. And when he passed away she took care of all the details of his estate with the help of the lifelong friends who introduced them.

Mom is the strongest person I've ever known. Even though she had tough times she would ride them out knowing that things always get better. I have to say that my father had alot to do with that being the positive person he was.

It's been two years now that she came to live with us and let me tell you, I am so blessed to have her here. We've never been closer and I treasure our relationship. One of the things that made this so special was that she left al her friends knowing that she would have to develop brand new friendships. When my husband lost both of his parents in the span of one year, he told her that she was the only mom he had now. For those of you who think that she moved here because she is unable to take care of herself, nothing could be farther from the truth. She looks years (decades!) younger than she is. She's still sharp as a tack. We moved her out here because she needed several joints replaced and we have an excellent orthopedic clinic not far from our home.

We've had our disagreements, of course, but we always work through them. For instance she's a neat-freak and fairly obsessed with being organized. I am neither of those. She always had to tell me to clean my room. I think I'm still rebelling from the time she told me if I didn't pick up my dirty clothes she was going to empty all the clothes in my dresser and my closet. (I had a habit of just dropping my dirty clothes on the floor when I changed my clothes) . I guess she decided she was no longer going to enable my bad habit by picking up my clothes for me. I didn't take the warning seriously and sure enough, the next day when I got home from school my dresser drawers had been emptied all over the floor. I was so mad but she reminded me she had given me fair warning. It was the last time my dirty clothes were thrown on the floor!

So, to the most incredible woman I know, Happy Birthday!

Eduation Lessons Left Behind

Doing my daily perusing of National Review Online I came across George Will's latest column about the state of public education. The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) openly talked about the disintegration of the public schoool sytem, the family and the power of teacher's unions. And this was back in 1983 based on years of research that government and the NEA attempted to supress. Moynihan was an advocate of the importance of an intact family to education results. Will writes:

Moynihan also knew that schools cannot compensate for the disintegration of families and hence communities -- the primary transmitters of social capital. No reform can enable schools to cope with the 36.9 percent of all children and 69.9 percent of black children today born out of wedlock, which means, among many other things, a continually renewed cohort of unruly adolescent males.

In 1966 the year the Coleman Report was released the government refused to print it. The report concluded:

Released quietly on the Fourth of July weekend, the report concluded that the qualities of the families from which children come to school matter much more than money as predictors of schools' effectiveness. The crucial common denominator of problems of race and class -- fractured families -- would have to be faced. But it wasn't. Instead, shopworn panaceas -- larger teacher salaries, smaller class sizes -- were pursued as colleges were reduced to offering remediation to freshmen.

Will concludes that "our nation is at risk now more than ever."

Please take the time to read the article and send the link to all your friends.

Pope Benedict XVI

I am not a Catholic but I was so blessed by the Pope's visit. Benedict is the perfect pope for this day and age. When he became Pope I started reading some of his writings and found that he is a profound thinker. The reason I believe that he is so relevant today is because so much of what he has studied and written is about the decline of western culture. He sees that as the most critical issue of our age and I, as an evangelical Christian, happen to agree.

Since the sixties, since God was declared dead, moral relativism has taken hold of our culture and it's happened so slowly that even Christians have grown complacent about it. Abortion and homosexuality are accepted. Partial-birth abortion is horrible and thankfully the majority is against it. So much so that Congress and many of the states have passed legislation against it. Of course courts have consistently ruled that the legislation is unconstitutional. But the culture accepts the lie that abortion should be legal for the "health" of the mother. It won't be long before euthanasia is accepted as we debate the definition of "quality of life."

Pope Benedict is ever vocal about the sanctity of life. I was so touched on Saturday as I watched him bless the children with disabilities as he walked down the aisle. He spoke about the trials the parents encounter in raising a disabled child and compared them to the trials Jesus faced. Perservere as Jesus perservered. It was very moving.

I love this Pope because he is Christ-centered. He used his time to point people to Christ who has given us new life. He also encouraged people to daily prayer. During a "rally" before mostly young people at St. Joseph's Seminary on Saturday he called the young people to consider a spiritual vocation. Our culture is caught up in the immediate and most of the youth have never been taught to wait, especially to wait on the Lord. We want what we want now. It is a selfish lifestyle and I admit I have done more of my share of getting what I want when I want it. Waiting on the Lord does not come natural to me. He exorted us to spend time in meditation and not be frightened by silence. He said to wait in silence so we might hear the voice of God. A good message for all us, young and old.

I hope you were able to watich the beautiful mass on Sunday. I've never been to mass and it was a blessing to experience the liturgy of the Catholic Church. I am thankful for his visit. I hope many Americans were pointed back to Christ. I know I was.

$40 Million for What?

It appears that MoveOn.org and Media Matters (both George Soros organizations) will spend $40 million to smear John McCain. Unless he has some awfully big skeletons buried in a closet somewhere, how can they possibly smear a war hero? He's a man of integrity and honesty. He always tries to do the right thing, although Republicans may disagree. I was against his campaign finance reform bill and the immigration bill, but I know that he doesn't waver when opinion is against him. He's never changed his stance based on which way the wind is blowing. And he's bucked his own party numerous time so he can't be tagged as a far right ideologue.

What will George Soros get for his money? I bet there will be lots of well-placed rumors and innuendos published in the NY Times and other MSM, but I'm sure they will be of no substance. When the Times published the innuendo about McCain's relationship with a lobbyist, McCain has a news conference and answered every question. I believe he is exactly who he says he is and has nothing to hide.

Revealing Obama

I hope you watched the ABC News debate the other night. I expected the same-ole same-ole from the MSM, but I was so wrong. I thought Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos did a fine, fine job. In fact my opinion is that it was the best debate of this election year. Instead of throwing softballs at Obama and Clinton and getting touchy-feely answers, Gibson and Stephanopoulos asked pointed and substantive questions with excellent follow up.

What did I learn? For one thing Hillary Clinton wiped the floor with Barack. He appeared flustered at times and struggled with some answers. Case in point - when he was asked about his relationship with Bill Ayers, an admitted and unrepentent Weather Underground terrorist, he was obviously uncomfortable as he stammered his answer, which was mostly a deflection as he compared Ayers with Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK). As though it was about disagreeing with their opinions. I was amazed that he didn't have a better response given that his campaign knew that this and other personal questions would be asked. He was remarkedly unprepared to handle them. I noticed that Senator Obama deflected this question along with questions about Reverend Wright and his "bitter" comment by saying he's already answered those questions and we needed to focus on the future and change.

Now why do these questions matter? Yesterday I heard Mark Steyn give the best answer I've heard. It matters because Obama's record is so thin. We don't really know him because he's not actually done anything other than win two elections to the Illinois state Senate and one to the US Senate. Consider this from Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Opinion Journal Online:

It is his youth, his relative untriedness, the fact that he has not suffered, been seasoned, been beat about the head by life and left struggling back, as happens to most adults by a
certain time. This is what I hear from older people, who vote in great numbers. They are not hostile to his race, they are skeptical of his inexperience."

And this:

Sen. Obama seems honestly surprised by the furor his the-poor-cling-to-God-and-guns remarks elicited, and if one considers his background—intense marginalization followed by the establishment's embrace—this is understandable. He was only caught speaking the secret language of America's elite, and what he said was not meant as a putdown. It was an explanation aimed at ameliorating the elites' anger toward and impatience with normal people. It's a way of explaining them, of saying, "You have to remember they're not comfortable and educated like us, they're vulnerable and so we must try to understand them and feel sympathy for and solidarity with them." You could say this at any high-class dinner party in America and not cause a ruffle. But America is not a high-class dinner party.

I think she says it all. He needs time to show us who he is and what he stands for, other than hope and "a change we can believe in." He needs a legislative record rather than promises. He may sound good, but that's just it - he sounds good. I believe his record will show that he is exactly who we speculated he was.

Now regarding Hillary's performance. I said I thought she wiped the floor with him and was glad to see that the pundits had the same opinion. Still, is it too late for her? I thought her answer to each of Senator Obama's answers on those personal matters were well done. Obviously well-rehearsed. To me she came across as authoritive and strong. The only blip on her screen was her handling of the "sniper fire" lie she was caught in. Other than that I thought she did an excellent job.

Who knows what will happen in the end? I think Obama has shown that he has alot of vulnerabilites and not much substance. Whether Democrats will think twice about nominating him remains to be seen.

Call Me Bitter!

Wow! Obama seems to have acquired the dreaded "Foot-in-Mouth" disease. John Kerry had a bad case of it in 2004. It's funny that it comes around every four years and mainly to Democratic candidates for President.

In 1991 our family moved from a small city in Texas to a very small town in Arizona (Pop. 5000). Owning guns was like a prerequisite in order to live in this small western town. Our family had its ups and downs, but never did we get bitter during the tough times. We didn't cling to our guns or become prejudiced against people who weren't like us. We also didn't cling to our religion in the negative way Obama meant. Instead we clung to Jesus and placed our faith in Him. We had faith that the tough times would bring us closer to Jesus as He is our only hope. We know that He never leaves us and even when those tough times come as a consequence of bad choices we have made, we have assurance that He will get us through. I suppose some people grow bitter when they have their hopes pinned on a job or a relationship or their own control and power and they are let down. I guess some people even grow bitter because they feel the government has let them down.

I will admit to struggling with resentment and bitterness at different times in my life, but I have NEVER looked to government for salvation. That's just silly. Ronald Reagan said it best when he said that government wasn't the answer it was the problem. To that I add that Jesus is the answer. Fellowship with other believers is the answer. Holding each other up in prayer is the answer. The Bible is the answer.

I don't think Obama understands the role faith or religion plays in our lives. It makes me wonder what role faith or religion plays in his own life. He has attended an angry church for 20 years; his spiritual mentor is a man who preached that the US started the AIDS epidemic in order to wipe out black people. From the bits of his sermons that were on TV, it sure sounded like he was spewing hate at the US (translate: White America) for making all black people victims. If this is Obama's experience with religion I understand why he and so many followers believe that Obama is the answer. I wonder whether he has truly experienced a loving God. And therein lies the problem.

He has shown himself to be terribly out of touch with the average person whose faith is the answer and not an excuse. I only hope we hear more of what this man truly believes before Nov. 8.

Punishment According To Obama

In a speech over the weekend Barack Obama spoke about sex education when he made the following statement, "Look, I got two daughters -- 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby. I don't want them punished with an STD at age 16, so it doesn't make sense to not give them information." (HT: Hugh Hewitt) (Blogger Ed Morrissey has a great take on the situation.)

Teen pregnancy is now the equivalent of STDs? Obama's handlers are now trying to back-track the statement. "It was taken out of context," they say. I find it curious that so many of his statements are taken out of context.

He did equate the two consequences of teen promiscuity and there is no doubt about what he said and meant. I think it was one of those remarks that seem to leak out which he has to later clarify. I don't believe he meant to say it, but I think it's statements like this that shows the true character of the man. Call it a "Freudian" slip.

There is another aspect to this statement I want to mention. It is that he doesn't want his daughters to face the consequences of their actions, especially pregnancy. I gathered that he would actually support a daughter getting an abortion should she get pregnant as a teen and may even facilitate it. Of course I do not know what is in his heart, but if he doesn't believe it, why would he say it?

If he really wants to prevent STDs and teen pregnancies why doesn't he support abstinence education? Abstinence is the only way to 100% prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. And statistics support the success of abstinence programs in schools but instead of supporting abstinence programs, most liberals are more concerned about condoms and a sex education program that supports teen sexual behavior. I am reminded of Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders' (Clinton) pro-abortion statement "... every child a wanted child ..." (emphasis mine.)

Last but not least I think King David said it all in Psalm 139: 13-16 (NIV).

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

The Family Gift

I am currently with our extended family. We gathered in San Angelo, Texas for my father-in-law's memorial service, which turned out to be a celebration of his life. We also celebrated his passage into the presence of Jesus where there is no more pain, no more trials and tribulation and no more disappointments. There were relatives from his family as well as my mother-in-law's family. (She passed on almost a year ago.) We learned so many things about Ron's early life and the things that influenced him to become a great and humble man. It's too bad that deaths in the family are the catalysts that bring us together because we are a great family. My sister-in-law, Becky, commented that with Ron and Faye no longer with us, we would have to be deliberate about getting together more often than funerals and weddings. Ron and Faye seemed to be the initiators of family gatherings, so with them no longer with us, it would be our responsibility to plan to be together.

My husband has 3 brothers and a sister. His brothers and sister are all married with children, and the children are growing and having children of their own. We were introduced to my nephew's new wife and the family finally got to meet our own daughter-in-law and grandson. One of the greatest aspects of our family is that we are all close; the brothers and their wives, the sister with all of us and our children are friends with each other. We live all over the country so getting together takes an effort. But what a reward when we do!

I have 2 older brothers but they are somewhat older than me so I really grew up as an only child. I longed for a big family and finally got one when I married my husband. They are a treasure to me, a blessing I do not deserve. But who deserves the gift of a large loving family? Were it not for the grace of God, we would be alone in the world. Our family doesn't share just bloodlines, we also shares the bond of the blood of Jesus and THAT is the biggest blessing.

I hope, whatever the size of your family, that you will experience the gift that family is.

Absence

My father-in-law passed away. I haven't felt much like posting to my blog. The memorial service is next week, and I'm sure after everything is taken care of, I'll be back.

Add Value To Others

"Help your brothers," is what God said to Isreal's leaders. How long were they to help their brothers? "Until they too have taken possession of the land that God is giving them" (Jos. 1:14-15.)

That's a long time. What if they were to fall on their way to the promised land? Would it be okay to move on leaving them behind? Of course not! One theme running through the Bible is endurance. We are supposed to finish the race. Sometimes we'll be running while at other times we'll just be plodding along barely able to just put one foot in front of the other. I know alot about plodding, both physically and spiritually. When I'm plodding, more often than not, I'll sit down. I'll tell myself that I just can't go on and I'll start again later. But what if I were carrying someone to safety? I'd probably want to sit down, but I'll go on to get the job done and then I'll rest.

We are told to finish. Israel was told to finish. People are depending on us to finish so they might fulfill the promises of God. Here's the question: Do I do that which is only for my benefit or do I add value to others? I know what God has commanded me to do: endure, finish, complete. And in the process add value to others.

Did You Hear This?

Yesterday Geraldine Ferraro said publicly that if Obama were white or a woman he would never be in this position. WOW! Today she's come under so much fire from Democrats but has stuck by her words.

I think she voiced what many Democrats feels, but don't dare say.

Personally I think she's right. No one would take seriously a white man or a woman who's served in the Senate a mere 2 years. But very few question Obama and he's been given a pass by the press.

Interesting.

UPDATE: Ferraro has resigned as an adivsor to the Clinton campaign. She's still standing by her words.

Last Post About Spitzer

I'm tired of the story already. I don't wish to know all the details of his trysts with prostitutes. I hope this is my last post on the subject.

I did want to make this one comment. Don't you think the silence from Democrats was deafening? Even though Spitzer was not liked by those who knew him, and I assume that means Democrats, I don't recall one Democrat on the national scene calling for his resignation.

Democrats have been pointing the finger at Republicans for being the party of corruption. There are GOP politicians who have fallen, but as soon as information about them is made public, Democrats are standing before the press calling for their resignation and linking their mistakes to all Republican politicians. And the press serves as the megaphone for the Democratic party.

How do we, as Republicans, convince the public that there is more corruption in the other party? It would be extremely difficult given the liberal preferences of the press. But there must be some way. I get discouraged when the public is ignorant of the corruption in the Democratic party. We must find a way to show who we really are despite the bias of the press.

Private Failings

He resigned. Eliot Spitzer will no longer be Governor of New York come Monday. It will be interesting to see if federal prosecutors will make a deal with him or throw the book at him. I'm sure Spitzer and his attorneys are trying to work some sort of deal. He's certainly thrown the book at corporations and officers of those corporations. He's stood before the press and accused corporate officers of receiving too much compensation. He's also prosecuted prostitution rings. I think so many Democrats voiced support for his resignation because he's not very likable. (CORRECTION: I was incorrect regarding Democrats calling for Spitzer's resignation. Actually it was Republicans in the state legislature who called for his resignation and gave him a deadline to resign or face impeachment.) For years as New York Attorney General he's presented himself as a white knight while those who found themselves targeted saw him as holier-than-thou.

I watched his press conference this morning and I was struck by his use of the words "private failings." He said it at least twice as if to convince the audience that this was simply a private matter between him and his family. He did admit to failing the people of New York, but he emphasized "private failings."

This was the same talking point of Bill Clinton. "It's just about sex. It's about his personal life and doesn't have anything to do with his presidency." It was a private failing on his part or so his minions tried to convince us.

In Spitzer's case, however, this really isn't all about private failings. While this certainly affects his family and friends, this was a public failing. He broke numerous laws. The story of how he came under suspicion is confusing to me. There seems to be a new piece of the puzzle everyday. Today I heard that banks were first suspicious when money was moved around. They are obligated to report such activity especially when it concerns a public official. Evidently at least one account was for a shell corporation. TheIRS suspects tax evasion in cases like this. I'm sure we'll learn more and more about it as time goes on. Most likely we'll be sick of hearing about it!

As much as he would like to convince us or as much as he, himself, believes it, this is not about private failings. It's about criminal behavior.

Eliott Spitzer

How could I not blog about this?

Governor Spitzer of New York was caught with his pants down yesterday as news leaked out about a federal investigation of a prostitution ring. In turns out Governor Spitzer was a patron of this ring and had been wiretapped soliciting a prostitute from the business. This is the same Spitzer who, as Attorney General of New York, prosecuted such prostitution rings because of their ties to organized crime.

Well, well, well!

Spitzer isn't even a Republican and there are cries for him to resign. This rarely happens to Democrats. Bill Clinton got away with sex with an intern in the White House and then lying under oath. William Jefferson (D-LA) seems to have gotten away with stuffing $100,000 in his freezer. He's under federal investigation for this, but there he is, still serving in the House of Representatives. I guess there's a double-standard for Democrats. What about Barney Franks (D-MA), openly gay, whose partner was running a prostitution business from their home? The last time I checked he was still there, getting re-elected time after time. Democrats seem to have a penjant for looking the other way when it concerns one of their own.

Yesterday I heard James Carville say on CNN that people shouldn't make a big deal of it if it was one of two times. Today I heard some say that this wouldn't be a big deal if prostitution was legal and that it should be legalized. (Hmmm. I'll bet murder wouldn't be that big a deal if only it was legalized!)

Spitzer is probably not going to survive this because according to press reports he's been patronizing this particular ring since 2002 and has spent somewhere around $80,000. And there's something a little fishy with these payments; they were moved around accounts. And to make it even worse these reports hint at Sptizer requesting some "special" activities of the prostitutes. Now that is truly too much information, but no one with half a brain can stick his head in the sand and say it doesn't matter.

I imagine Spitzer may be trying to figure out how to salvage his political career. I don't think he can. He has been mentioned as a possible candidate for president in the future. Will the people forget or will something like this actually become "no big deal" in the future?

It is almost a given that Spitzer is a sexual addict. Men don't spend $80,000 on hookers unless it's a compulsion. A gambler who has just lost $80,000 gambling is compulsive. Bill O'Reilly thinks Spitzer was wanting to get caught because he's self-destructive. I disagree. Yes, he's self-destructive as any addict is. But I doubt he wanted to get caught. I doubt he thought he would ever be caught. But there it is. Monday he was at a place he never thought he would be.

I pity his poor wife who had to stand at his side during a painful news conference. Most of all I feel so sorry for his children. It's too bad he didn't think twice before putting them all in this nightmarish situation.

Most of all I pity the citizens whose country is, as Robert Bork writes, is "Slouching Toward Gomorrah."

The Apartment

I've added "The Apartment" to my list of movies to see at least once. It is directed by Billy Wilder who wrote "Sabrina," "Some Like It Hot" and "Stalag 17" in addition to "The Apartment." These are just a few of his screenplays and there are many of his screenplays that he directed and/or produced as well.

A favorite of mine, "The Apartment" is about a not-so-good girl who meets a rather nebbish good man in an interesting way. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are believable in their roles. All in all a really good movie to put on your "Must See" list.

"The Apartment" is on TCM tomorrow night (Saturday, March 8) at 8:00 EST.

"A Spoonful of Rhetoric"

Today at National Review Online, Charles Krauthammer writes about Obama and whether we really know him. In fact he says the only way McCain and Clinton can defeat an opponent as dazzlingly new and fresh as Obama is to ask: Do you really know this guy?

Good point. If you ask people who support Obama why they support him you'll not hear actual accomplishments as a freshman Senator. You'll hear an adoration and awe as one might experience in church. Of course in the church setting the object of awe and adoration is God, not man. Ask any supporter why he supports Obama and you'll hear things like he's articulate, that he will unite the country (the how seems unimportant), that he gives us hope. So basically supporters swoon for his rhetoric. Really, they swoon, if you've been watching the reporters following his campaign. Women have fainted as they are as overcome with his rhetoric. His rallies have been likened to religious revivals.

"Obama coats the bitter pill of his myopic leftism in super-sweet sophistry," says Krauthammer. In grandiose terms he says he is a healer, a uniter, a conciliator, but never gives us the details. Yes, there will be college education for everyone, healthcare for everyone and a chicken in every pot. Who he is will be found in the details. So far there have been no details; what does that tell us about who he is?

Big Brother Is Watching

Yesterday as I watched coverage of the bombing of the military recruiting office in New York City, I saw the photographs of the bomber approach the building. It bothered me even though I know cameras are all around us. I wonder if those cameras will become 'Big Brother.'

I support whatever it takes to defeat terrorism. However, I am concerned that one day terrorism will be interpreted to include the activities in our lives that we take for granted. I wonder what will happen with a federal government that wants to control more and more of our lives, Will attending church be considered a terrorist activity or bad for society? What about smoking or home-schooling or having a carbon footprint too large?

I trust the Bush administration to respect our right to privacy, but I wouldn't trust any liberal administration. That may seem biased but it's liberals who don't seem to trust an individual to make choices for himself. Which is why they are bent on expanding a federal government where the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. It only takes a liberal federal judiciary to redefine privacy that limits just about everything we do.

We need to be vigilant and vocal about our right to privacy and elect conservative representatives who will respect and defend our right to privacy. We need to elect a President who will appoint Supreme Court Justices who are strict constructionists of the Constitution and who won't redefine privacy. Or we may find Big Brother watching us.

"All Scripture is God-Breathed"

In my devotional today the subject was being faithful to the Scriptures. Starting with the first lie of Satan to Eve that God didn't really mean what He said, the writer made the point that Satan is still peddling the same line.

"If you're sincere, it doesn't matter what you believe."

"We must not offend anyone."

"There is truth in the Bible, but not all the Bible is true."

"Jesus was a great philosopher like Mohammed and many things He said are relevant like feeding the hungry, rescuing those living in poverty and not judging."

According to Paul, "All scripture is God-breathed," (2 Tim. 3:16) and Isaiah says "If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20.)

There are certain truths in this world, such as the number of pounds in a ton, the number inches in a foot, 2 + 2 = 4. These have always meant the same thing and people don't make their own interpretations. They are as relevant today as they always were. They have not changed with the times.

In the same way, the Word of God is as relevant today as throughout the history of all time. They are not to be shaped to fit our own beliefs just to rationalize our behaviors. They do not change with the times, with political philosophy or Hollywood. And scriptures are not to be picked and chosen out of context. I have heard more often than I care to count people say, "The Bible says not to judge and Christians are so judgmental." I heard Charles Barkley say this on CNN, although he identified all conservatives as judgmental Christians.

Does God mean what He says? Has He always meant what He says? And do I live like I believe it? Am I unfaithful to the Scriptures. I'm afraid I am in so many ways. But I know God can change me and give me a passionate desire to be faithful to what He says.

Considering Mortality

This morning I heard someone talk about how sickness makes him think about his own mortality after having the flu twice. He said when he dies, he wants to go peacefully in his sleep like his grandfather - -

Not screaming and howling like his passengers!