Sunday, November 14, 2010

A video that choked me up... "Porcelain Unicorn"

You will understand why I included the video in this blog:


Video provided by ywilco105


Video description:


Grand prize winner of the Philips Parallel Lines "Tell It Your Way" international competition!
 

Credits:

German Boy - Trevor Teichmann
Jewish Girl - Fiona Perry
Older Man - Bruce Schroffel
Older Woman - Rita Zohar

Producer - Anselm Clinard
Director/Writer/Editor - Keegan Wilcox
DOP - Adam Biddle
Gaffer - Phil Badger
Production Designer - Alexa Roland & Ryan Berg
Sound Mixer - Carrie Sheldon
Hair & Make-up - Georgia Jacobs
Sound Designer - Jeffrey Alan Jones
Composer - Greg Nicolett
Coloring - Sebastian Perez-Burchard
VFX - Damian Drago / Tunnel Post



See more credits at http://www.porcelainunicorn.com/

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

An honest mistake - Priceless!

This is one of those stories I received in my email this morning. Oh, yeah, it was a good reminder about how our faith can be put in a spotlight, and when we don't live up to it, see what happens?! Just sayin'...
An honest mistake...

The light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see,I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the "What Would Jesus Do" bumper sticker, the "Choose Life" license plate holder, the "Follow Me to Sunday-School" bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally... I assumed you had stolen the car."

(Priceless...)


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Saturday, June 19, 2010

God Lives Under the Bed

I received this story in my email today, and felt that I should share it!
God Lives Under the Bed

I envy Kevin. My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...'

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.

He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realises he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.

The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied.

He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.

His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.

He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple.

He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

It is then I realise that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Kevin won't be surprised at all!

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Monday, June 14, 2010

America: Graduating from God? Part 2 ~ By Chuck Norris

There could not have been a more appropriate way to open this prologue to Part 2 of Chuck's awesome series, "America: Graduating from God?" and the related columns I have posted here last night and this morning. (See RELATED STORIES at the bottom of this column.) Chuck wrote: "Glenn Beck put it well in one of his radio broadcasts earlier this year (April 20, 2010): "I beg of you to help me get this message out … faith is the answer. Get on your knees. Don't let it take a Sept. 11. Please, get on your knees. I don't care what church you go to … just turn to Him." Here's the video of Glenn in that glorious moment:

Glenn Beck: Turn to God!


Video provided by rightscoop

Normally, I am usually posting columns on another blog (Blogging in Our Time 2 Escape) on Monday mornings. However, there were these columns that I found that all referred to our need to ask God for his help in getting us through all that is facing us at this time, and it is definitely the only answer. This all started with Pat Boone's column, "Can things get any worse? You betcha." Pat was right on the money, in my humble opinion. The things that are happening in this world are way beyond our pay-grade to solve... Or maybe even over the pay-grade of "The One" (You know who I'm referring to, right? You will know that answer when you read this column by Chuck!).

And then there was Greg Laurie's absolutely outstanding column admonishing Christians to quit staying silent. America needs us. I took his advice. Apparently, so did Chuck Norris! In this column, Chuck reinforces the need to make sure that people in America understand what gave our Founding Fathers the strength to bring this country to Freedom. Yes, he notes that Obama seems to be trying to make America a secular nation, and he explains, from the point of view of Benjamin Franklin, why that is the wrong thing to do.

I must tell you that I am all for diversity of religions in America, and we must keep the freedom to keep it that way. And I believe the video of Glenn Beck's segment, that you saw above, says it all, and completely ties the posts I've put on this blog today all together. This column by Chuck Norris is an excellent conclusion, too, as it tells us that the man in the White House wants us to believe it is all about Man's solutions, and there is no need for the Lord. It is all about Obama and the government to be our savior. And folks, that just isn't working out so well. Just sayin'...


Ben Franklin could have been speaking before the president and Congress today when he gave these words at the Constitutional Convention:
In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard; and they were graciously answered. All of us, who were engaged in the struggle, must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need its assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, That God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?
These are three questions every Washington politician in particular needs to answer: "And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need [His] assistance? And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise [again] without his aid?"


By Chuck Norris

Posted: June 14, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010



Last week in Part 1, I discussed a series of evidences about how God is being omitted from American life, culture and politics. In Part 2, I will detail the No. 1 advocate for a godless society: our president.

I believe there is no greater proponent of disposing deity and godly influence over government and society than President Barack Obama, who is right now spearheading a purely secular progressive agenda unlike any leader since America's inception.

First, even during his campaign for the presidency, Obama sarcastically belittled America's Judeo-Christian heritage and degraded its adherents with trite remarks typical of any atheistic antagonist: "Whatever we were, we are no longer a Christian nation"; "The dangers of sectarianism are greater than ever"; "Religion doesn't allow for compromise"; "The Sermon on the Mount [is] a passage that is so radical that our own defense department wouldn't survive its application"; and "To base our policy making upon such commitments [as moral absolutes] would be a dangerous thing." (See the YouTube video below)
Barack Obama On The Importance Of A Secular Government


Video provided by godbegone
And gone but not forgotten is Obama's religiously belittling statement on the campaign trail in April of 2008 about many residents in small-town America. You might recall, at a private California fundraiser, when he addressed the economic hardships of those in Pennsylvania, he quipped: "You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. … And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion … as a way to explain their frustrations."

Second, Obama has already denied America's rich Judeo-Christian heritage before the eyes and ears of other countries, as he publicly declared in Turkey on April 6, 2009, for the whole world to hear: "We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation." (Who are the "we" to whom he refers? Would our former presidents agree with his "we"?)
Obama In Turkey "We Do Not Consider Ourselves A Christian Nation"


Video provided by Speakmymind02
Overseas, Obama avoided both America's Christian heritage and his own alleged Christian faith. He was proud to share, "I have Muslim members of my family," but avoided any declaration like, "But I am a Christian"? My primary problem with his choice of words is that, while building up himself and his leadership before the Arab world, he repeatedly belittled the country he led, and that is unbecoming for any president.

By saying America was not a religious nation of any type, Obama implied that America is a secular nation with a secular heritage, which is also an incorrect notion of our people and our history. Any of a number of statements would have been more accurate: "America is a religiously free nation – both people and government." "America is a nation in which we welcome religious diversity." "We are a religiously diverse people, in which the majority still profess Christianity." "We have a religiously free government in which its citizens are encouraged to practice their own religious convictions freely without federal coercion." But Obama used none of these or similar statements.

For Obama to convey that "We are not a Christian nation," intentionally overlooks both our religious heritage and the Christian majority still in America. He could have even said, "America is no longer a Christian nation," but he didn't say that – and even that would have been incorrect. How is it he could speak to largely Arab nations and refer to them all as Muslim, but he can't call America a Christian nation, even though Christianity is the religion to which the majority have always adhered since our founders started it?

By contrast, Thomas Jefferson, hailed as the great separatist who fought against the tyranny of denominational sectarianism in the state (and vice versa), nevertheless endorsed the use of government buildings (like the Capitol) for church services, signed a treaty with the Kaskaskia Indians that allotted federal money to support the building of a Catholic church and to pay the salary of the church's priests, and repeatedly renewed legislation that gave land to the United Brethren to help their missionary activities among the Indians.

Third, quite contrary to Obama's negative tone and sentiments about Judeo-Christian belief, in countless speeches over the past year he has sympathized and supported pro-Islamic theology and practice. The New York Times recently published a multiple-page report on how the "White House quietly courts Muslims in the U.S." Obama even refused to say anything when the Muslim jihadist and president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, publicly accused the U.S. of actively planning and plotting to stop mankind's real savior: i.e. Mahdi, the Imam that Muslims believe will be the ultimate savior of mankind.

Fourth, Obama advocates his secular agenda like other progressives because (so they naively believe) if God can be disposed, government is no longer accountable to a deity. In fact, in so doing, government vies for omnipotence and usurps the position of God. As Obama emphatically declared early in his presidency, "only government" is our savior. That is what's so disheartening about America's present political environment: The majority in Washington is truly convinced that more and bigger government is America's primary solution for recovery, future growth and security.

A clear example of this came out just last month through Obama's Faith-Based Initiative Committee recommendations. Not only is the federal government seeking to minimize the language preachers use through politically correct hate-crime laws, but now the feds are seeking to alter the message they preach as well – from saving souls to saving the earth. Obama's Faith-Based Council specifically recommends, "Bringing the power of 370,000 houses of worship across the country to the fight of climate change by greening buildings and promoting environmental stewardship in their congregations."


READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

RELATED STORIES:
    Can things get any worse? You betcha ~ By Pat Boone
    Christians: Infiltrate, don't isolate ~ By Greg Laurie

    America: Graduating from God? Part 1 ~ By Chuck Norris


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America: Graduating from God? Part 1 ~ By Chuck Norris

Rep. Randy Forbes put a video on youtube.com, which now has 3,196,272 views, and is described as follows:

Our Judeo-Christian Nation

Congressman Forbes asks the questions "Did America ever consider itself a Judeo-Christian nation?" and "If America was once a Judeo-Christian nation, when did it cease to be?" on the floor of the US House.

Video provided by RepRandyForbes

When I went to Chuck's column on WND tonight, I noticed it was Part 2 of a two-part series, so I went back to this Part 1 to start from the beginning. (I missed last week's column because of that morning when technology failed, and didn't get a chance to get caught up.)  Amazingly, this column was directly related to the two previous stories that I post on this blog this morning, which you can see under RELATED STORIES toward the bottom of this page. Pat Boone wrote about the problems facing America and the world that there seems to be no solutions for, except for turning to God.  The column by Greg Laurie discusses the need for Christians to quit evading and start invading. In short, both columns said that Christians must be SILENT NO MORE. And in this column, Chuck Norris explains how Christianity is being eliminated from American culture. So, it is very fitting for me to conclude this introduction to Chuck's column by saying that we must pray, and begin taking back America. We need to be the shining city on the hill for all to see. Just sayin'...

George Washington gave a very wise and timely word in his "Farewell Address" to all prospective Americans (including all government officials) who even entertain the thought that they can graduate from God. It also serves as a great "commencement address" to all graduates this spring:
"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation deserts the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
Our founders' America is on life support and breathing its last. And the only ones who can save it are the God who assisted our founders in its creation and the patriots who today bear His and our founders' baton. Our focus is no longer the total war, but one battle at a time – one rally at a time, one election at a time and one piece of legislation at a time.
By Chuck Norris

Posted: June 07, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010

(Note: This is Part 1 of a two-part series on spiritual regression in America.)


Last week I read a blog post that noted how prayer was banned at a high-school graduation in Indiana but not in Alabama. Then I read another news report about how another California high school changed its graduation "opening prayer" to "a moment of silence." No big shocker there.

Tragically, these types of devaluing religious news stories are a dime a dozen today. Spiritual regression is not only a trend but an epidemic.

The Fuller Youth Institute just reported that less than half (40 percent) of even church-going high-school seniors "significantly struggle with their faith and with finding a church after graduation." And other statistics show that, by the time they end their college education, 90 percent will have dropped out of church.

The Barna Group reports that only 29 percent of teenagers say they "will definitely" be attending church after graduation. That's about one in three if you're an optimist – about one in four if you're a pessimist. And about one in five if you believe these polled teenagers are either overly optimistic or over-exaggerators. Any way you look at it, the "Leave It to Beaver" family seems so passé and archaic in our times.

Long ago the Creator was replaced by natural causes in public classrooms. Prayer was ousted by human potential. Humans have become the kings of their castles and captains of their souls. Preaching has been overturned by political correctness. Church has been replaced by the NFL and Sunday commerce. And the government is now God, granting to all who has need. And we're shocked that more and more of our children and grandchildren want nothing to do with church?

Attrition in church attendance and faith in God is definitely on the rise. And so is animosity toward America's Judeo-Christian heritage.

Two Connecticut public schools were denied their graduation ceremonies from being held in a local church by U.S. District Court Judge Janet Hall. Hall ruled in favor of the ACLU on behalf of two local high-school seniors and their parents, who said the students were agnostic and would find it "difficult if not impossible" to attend the graduation if it were held in a church. Hall concluded that using a church for graduation would be an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. Leave it up to the ACLU and a federal judge to tell a local community where they could and could not hold their graduations, even though the majority favored it in the large church which was perfect for the big graduation crowds.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

RELATED STORIES:
Can things get any worse? You betcha ~ By Pat Boone (READ THIS 1ST)
Christians: Infiltrate, don't isolate ~ By Greg Laurie (READ THIS 2ND)


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Sunday, June 13, 2010

Christians: Infiltrate, don't isolate ~ By Greg Laurie

This column, along with the one by Pat Boone I just posted prior to this one, "Can things get any worse? You betcha," greatly inspired me. I hadn't been using this blog very often, and I have many regrets about that. Greg and Pat gave me the ONE-TWO punch that God needed me to receive today.

While I realize that the political columns are great tools to help teach people what is going on in America and the world today, Pat's column was like a beam of light shining into my eyes from a lighthouse. I wrote the following in the prologue to Pat's column: "If God is not in our lives, then who - or what - will we turn to for helping us through these times? Just sayin'..."  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I needed to remind people the ONLY source of peace in our hearts comes from God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

And then, Greg's column (this one) comes along, and reminded me of why I needed to return to speaking up about the only Truth that will really matter when it comes down to it. As Pat said, things may get a lot worse before it gets better. It is my belief that there will be a time when people will have a choice to make. Will they be willing to follow a man, like the one that promised hope and change? Or will they realize that only through Jesus Christ will they truly have salvation for their soul? Just sayin'...

...but attempting to isolate ourselves is not living out a biblical worldview. Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? … You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden ... let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:13–16 NIV). Jesus used two word pictures: salt and light, because the world is corrupt, and the world is dark. The world needs salt (a preserving agent) because it is corrupt, and the world needs light because it is dark.

However, as we go out to impact our culture with the good news, we must also realize that, by and large, people are not always supportive of and receptive to what we have to say. But we must say it anyway.

As Christians, we may try to withdraw into our own subculture, but that is not what we are to do. The objective of a Christian is not to isolate, but to infiltrate. It is not to evade, but to invade. We want to influence the world – not have the world influence us. We are to impact our culture without being compromised by it.

By Greg Laurie

Posted: June 12, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010



A few years ago I arrived home to one of California's rolling blackouts. The lights wouldn't turn on. The streetlights were dark. The Internet was down. People in the neighborhood had walked out into the middle of the street and were standing there as if to say, "What do we do now?" There was no light anywhere. All I had was my cell phone, which had a low battery, but there was a little light emanating from it that I used to find my way around. And what I discovered was that a little light can go a long way.

We are living in a very dark time culturally, where a little light can go a long way. Today, an entire generation of young people seems to be adrift morally and spiritually. Research has found that most Millennials, also known as Generation Y, don't pray, don't read the Bible and don't go to church. One expert was quoted in USA Today as saying that if the trend continues, "the Millennial generation will see churches closing as quickly as GM dealerships."

Part of the fault lies at the feet of my generation, the baby boomers. We are obsessed with being forever young. We are the generation that effectively started what we know as the youth culture today, and a lot of us just can't let go. As Glenn Frey of the Eagles joked on tour, "Welcome to the Eagles Assisted Living Tour." That is pretty accurate. Their hit, "Heartache Tonight," could now be changed to "Heartburn Tonight." Our generation has gone from acid rock to acid reflux.

The baby boomers have been so obsessed with themselves that we have forgotten to raise our children in God's ways. We have been so busy rebelling from our moral upbringing that we have raised a generation that doesn't seem to have any moral bearings whatsoever.

That is why the Gospel is so desperately needed today. The Bible teaches that the culture will not get better with time; it will get worse. Despite the fact that we have increased in scientific, medical, historical, educational, psychological and technological knowledge to an astounding degree, we have not in any way, shape or form changed our own basic nature, and we have not improved society.

Sure, our confidence has increased, but our peace of mind has diminished. Our accomplishments have increased, but our sense of purpose and meaning have all but disappeared. Instead of improving the moral and spiritual quality of our lives, our discoveries and accomplishments have simply provided new ways to show ourselves for what we really are: depraved, sinful and wicked.

There was a buoyant optimism in the 19th century, a time Mark Twain described as the Gilded Age. A new philosophy for living was emerging, and everyone felt that as the millennium had just dawned, man literally would build a heaven on earth. It was actually thought that humankind would best nature, and even God, through its version of modern technology.


READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

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Can things get any worse? You betcha ~ By Pat Boone

Pat mentions many of the most difficult problems facing us, both in the United States, and in the world. After reading this column yesterday, I pondered on it for awhile, and thought of some more issues that face us. The one thing going on here in the United States that disturbs me the most is that the ACLU, the courts, and the public schools are doing their best to remove God from our lives. That is most disturbing in regard to what Pat has written about and regarding to what Ronald Reagan had said: "There are no human solutions to the world's problems now; there are only divine solutions." If God is not in our lives, then who - or what - will we turn to for helping us through these times? Just sayin'...
... Are things going to get a lot worse than they are already?

Yes, they certainly can – and very well may. Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division, warns: "The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity. A century-class solar storm could cause twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina."

I believe Ronald Reagan was right. If there are going to be real solutions to our problems today, we've got to be asking for divine help. No president, no human government is up to the job.


By Pat Boone

Posted: June 12, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010



My long-cherished friend, Ronald Reagan, during his second term as president of the United States, made this solemn observation: "There are no human solutions to the world's problems now; there are only divine solutions."

Chew on that a few minutes.

In just the last few years, and indeed in the last few months, problems and crises are erupting around the world that do defy human solutions. What can mere mortals do about the rash of cataclysmic earthquakes? Or tornados that sweep in violently from nowhere? Or hurricanes, even when the weather forecasters warn us they're coming?

As the Chicken Little of our day, Al Gore, wins a Nobel Prize for proclaiming "The sky is melting! The sky is melting!" to all who will listen, we learn that a growing majority of knowledgeable scientists disagree with him and also that some of the major "experts" on global warming have been "cooking the books."

And even the most serious believers in eminent meltdown, like the folks at Kyoto and Copenhagen, agree that if we earthlings did everything in our power to curb all carbon emissions for the next 20 years … the combined efforts would only result in less than one degree of change!

So what's the point? Humans really can't do anything about it – but pray, perhaps.

As the unimaginable gusher pours billions in precious oil into the Gulf waters, not only wasting precious fuel but murdering sea life and the ecological balance of our southern and eastern seacoasts, nobody from the president on down or the panicked brass at British Petroleum has been able to stop it. Try as they all will, it seems to be out of human hands.

What about wars and rumors of wars? All the attempts to bring about world peace and harmony among nations have failed miserably. Hatreds and animosities, that often seem inexcusable and pointless to all who aren't involved, roil on unabated and explode in senseless, inhuman violence in the Middle East and elsewhere. The recent high-seas killing by the North Koreans of their ethnic brothers; the deadly debacle that occurred when Palestinian sympathizers tried to run the Israeli blockade; the Taliban killing fellow Muslims and anybody else they can ambush – to accomplish what? Almost all this defies human reason, but nobody can bring it to an end.

Is there anywhere else to turn?

Here in America, a paralyzed president and Democratic Congress can't find any solution to the immigration problems. And they don't seem in any hurry to, either – at least not till after the elections later this year. They know that there are 14 million illegal aliens who have flooded across our borders and that a growing number of states are taking matters into their own hands, since the federal government is not performing its constitutionally mandated duty. But, lest they lose the possibility of adding 14 million new grateful voters to the Democratic rolls, all they can do is rail against Arizona for actually doing something about their own in-state rampage of drug traffic, home invasions, kidnappings and unbearable economic burdens.

They call the Arizona law "unconstitutional" and "racist," without actually reading the words or discovering that the federal laws are stricter than Arizona's. (And so are Mexico's.)

Is there a Solomon in the house?

We are being steadily and relentlessly bankrupted, of course. Instead of treating irresponsible banks and semigovernmental funds (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) like regional and local businesses, allowing them to claim Chapter 11 and regroup, swallowing their own self-imposed losses, our fledgling president and his team are subjecting 300 million Americans to trillions of dollars of debt we can never dig our way out of. It's insanity, but they have the reins, and no matter what the majority of citizens say, they are determined to pursue their course to the bitter end.

Overturning many decades of alliance with our close friend Israel, President Obama is blatantly siding with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. As the New York Times has just reported, Mr. Obama follows his rude and dismissive treatment of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu – in the White House – by meeting with Abbas and promising him a $400 million aid package for the Palestinian settlements in the West Bank and Gaza – in the White House.

What, in the name of God, can America possibly want from Mahmoud Abbas? What do we owe the Palestinians? Why, if their Arab and Muslim brothers care at all about them, can't they use some of the vast oil wealth they use to attack us to come to the humanitarian aid of Gaza? Why does our president think he should load even more outlandish debt on us to win him points with … whom? And what, again in the name of God, does he have against Israel and its right to do what it wants in its own homeland?


READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

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Saturday, April 24, 2010

Carbon-phobia? Not me ~ By Joseph Farah

Joseph writes a wonderful column that tells us not to be afraid of our "carbon footprint," but instead, fear the "sin footprint."
So, remember, carbon-phobia will get you nowhere. But we all need to have a healthy fear of sin. That's the ultimate pollutant in this world. It's the ultimate toxin. It's the ultimate threat to your life and the lives of everyone else on planet Earth.
By Joseph Farah

Posted: April 24, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010



Are you afraid of carbon?

Do you worry about the size of your "carbon footprint"?

Do you lie awake at night worried about how carbon dioxide might destroy the planet?

I don't.

And I'm simply amazed that so many otherwise intelligent people have been taken in by one of the biggest hoaxes in the history of the world – the notion that a naturally occurring gas, one absolutely vital to life on planet Earth, is being produced by man's activities at such levels that it threatens apocalyptic catastrophe.

It's not true.

There's no evidence to support the hysteria.

It's all a scam put forward by powerful people who want more control over your life and the lives of others.

It's the worst kind of superstitious nonsense. Yet, people believe it. They believe it because "scientists" say it. They believe it because they're taught to believe it in school and in college. They believe it because the media tell them to believe it. They believe it because Madison Avenue tells them to believe it. And, of course, they believe it because governments all over the world promote it because it empowers them.

Nevertheless, I tell you there is nothing to worry about with regard to your "carbon footprint."

God is not going to punish you or the world's population because of a "carbon footprint."

He made the world from nothing by breathing it into existence – not by assembling or rearranging atoms and molecules, but by creating all of them from nothing.

God doesn't care about "carbon footprints."

God cares about sin footprints.

He didn't tell us not to exhale.

He didn't tell us not to populate the planet, He told us to be abundant and multiply.

He never hinted we have anything to worry about with regard to our use of natural resources. He made a great big planet and gave us a few key rules to live by. He told us if we followed those rules, we would have a longer and better life.

And knowing that we would not be able to keep those few simple rules, He even gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for those trespasses, so that we would have the chance to live eternally with Him.

Maybe that sounds like a fairy tale to some of you.

I've got news for you. That's reality. "Global warming" is not. Man-made catastrophic climate change is the myth.

Your "carbon footprint" means nothing to God.

It's your sin footprint that counts.


READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Let not your heart be troubled, Jesus is coming soon!

Jack and Rexella Van Impe on 03-23-10 talk about major scenarios facing us - catastrophes, wars, and pestilence - and that there is a reason to "Let not your heart be troubled." Jesus will be returning soon.

In this video, their greatest moment was when they castigated the Obama administration for their treatment of Israel in regard to the housing development in East Jerusalem. This part appears toward the end of the video. Don't miss it!


Video provided by TheREALjohnny2k

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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Places of the Heart

On a day like this, when I believe we could lose our freedom, I really needed to see or hear something to lift me up. I found out, in a big way, that it pays to actually check out private messages that I receive on my youtube account. Today, I received one that recommended a video to see. I watched it, and though the video quality may not have been impressive, I quickly understood that this was not about the "video." (Nice scenery, though, but a little jerky). It was all about the music and the lyrics. Just read the lyrics as you listen to the song. I think you will be glad that I finally checked my messages!


Video provided by apinkowski77

And, now the beautiful lyrics:

(Written by Sheryl and Adam Pinkowski; Performed by KRISSY)

Places of the Heart.

Does your heart reach out to your soul
Feeling a need for you to belong
A place where no one feels alone
So warm and safe from every wrong
Why does the sun light up the sky
And the trees shade you and I
Why does the grape hold on to the vine
Rivers that flow through valley's of time
Look at the mountains they stand so tall
Look at the sea how the billows roll
Colours of Autumn leaves in fall
Oh Lord You made them all
And when you see how the eagle flies
Spreads her wings over mountains high
Then to her young ones in their nest
She folds them to her breast
Does your heart reach out to your Soul
Feeling a need for you to belong
A place where no one feels alone
So warm and safe from every wrong

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Saturday, March 20, 2010

What was God thinking? ~ By Patrice Lewis

Patrice Lewis writes about the horrible misfortunes of a family she knows. It is a sad story. Yet, she does make a very good point about why things like this happen to good people. Does God have anything to do with it?
"God does not cause our misfortunes. ... Some are caused by bad luck, some are caused by bad people, and some are simply an inevitable consequence of our being human and being mortal, living in a world of inflexible natural laws. The painful things that happen to us are not punishments for our misbehavior, nor are they in any way part of some grand design on God's part. Because the tragedy is not God's will, we need not feel hurt or betrayed by God when tragedy strikes. We can turn to Him for help in overcoming it, precisely because we can tell ourselves that God is as outraged by it as we are."
~ Rabbi Harold Kushner, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People."
By Patrice Lewis

Posted: March 20, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010




I'm going to do something I've never before done in my columns: ask for help. No, not for me; but for some people we know.

When tragedy strikes, it's a common reaction to ask, "God, why? Why would You let this happen?"

I received a phone call on the afternoon of St. Patrick's Day from my friend Tiffani. "I'm calling with a prayer request," she said, chocking back sobs. "Even as we speak, the Doles' house is burning down."

To receive such a call is shocking at best, but this case takes some explanation.

The Doles are a homeschooling family of eight children. They would have had nine, but they lost a baby (Tucker) a couple years ago. Mike Dole lost his job, so the family has been struggling. Tracy was pregnant with their 10th child when they learned the baby had a rare and usually fatal congenital heart defect. Little Jethro was born dead three weeks ago. The doctors revived him. He underwent surgery
and is in precarious condition. We don't know if he will live.

And now their house has burned down.

I asked my husband, "How much can one family take?"

And then I got mad at God. How could He let such a thing happen? One or two things, maybe. But to lose a baby? And a job? And possibly another baby? And their home? And all their possessions?

So yes, I was mad at God. What was He thinking? Couldn't He … maybe spread things out a little?

Why do bad things happen to good people? These kinds of multiple blows should be reserved for bad people. That's the kind of neat and orderly "payback" it would be nice to see. The only people to lose jobs, lose babies and lose homes should be those who … well, who deserve it.

But of course that's not how things work in this world. While some say God's plan is perfect, sometimes it sure is hard to see what that plan could be. What on earth is God doing, burning down the Dole's home in addition to losing their source of income and taking their littlest baby? Is He just plain mean?

Troubled, I turned to Harold Kushner's classic book "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." The author surmises that maybe things don't happen because God directly "causes" them to happen. Sometimes things just … happen. But it's what we DO with those things that make a difference. Do we turn to God or reject Him? Do we seek solace in prayer or in hatred? Do we cope by opening ourselves spiritually or by shutting ourselves off with bitterness? Better minds than mine have pondered these dilemmas for centuries.

There's a scene from an old Western movie about some pioneers. In the movie, a man's wife had died, leaving him with a small daughter. A woman, pregnant with her first child, loses her husband on the trail.

The woman looked at the wreckage of her dreams and blamed God for her troubles. The man took her aside and said, "I know you're mad at God. But God is not responsible for your problems." He added, "When I go for a walk with my daughter and she trips and falls, she knows I didn't push her down. But she also knows that I will be there to lift her up. To minister to her hurts, to support her on her journey and if necessary to carry her home."

I take comfort from this thought. Perhaps God didn't smite the Doles because He was having a bad hair day. Perhaps stuff just … happens. It's how we deal with the "stuff" that matters.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

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Sunday, January 31, 2010

God helps those who ... ~ By Greg Laurie

Commentary from WorldNetDaily
Greg Laurie
By Greg Laurie

Posted: January 30, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010



Some people think the Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves. But you won't find this quoted in the Bible. In fact, it is not a biblical concept. The fact is that God helps those who can't help themselves. God helps those who see how radical their condition is, who recognize there is no way they can save their own souls.

The Bible tells the story of a man like this, a man who was in a very difficult state – a seemingly hopeless situation. I think it may even have been his utter helplessness that drew Jesus to him. He had been abandoned. He was a desperately lonely man, a man who, for all practical purposes, was an outcast.

Paralyzed for 38 years, he spent his days by a pool in Jerusalem called Bethesda, hoping for a miracle. All alone and in need, he was surrounded by people who were blind, lame and paralyzed. Each were waiting for the stirring of the water – believed to be the work of an angel – because the first one to step into the pool would be healed.

Perhaps the night before, this man had offered up a prayer to God. Maybe he prayed, "Lord, if you would just help me be the first one into the water when the angel stirs it up, I would be so grateful." Little did he realize that God himself would come in human form and give him far more than what he asked for. Instead of sending an angel to stir up the waters, God was about to stir up his life – not just physically, but – more importantly – spiritually. The Bible tells us that God is able to do above and beyond that which we could ask or think (see Ephesians 3:20). And that is what happened in this man's life.

The Bible says that "Jesus saw him lying there" (John 5:6 NIV). What I find interesting is that he wasn't the only person there at the pool. There were a lot of people. But we don't read that Jesus saw them. The Bible says that Jesus saw him. And that is important to realize, because when God looks into a crowd of people, he sees you. He sees you as an individual, just like he saw this man. In the midst of all this activity Jesus had time for an individual whom he knew by name.

Then Jesus asked him – and in a broad sense, all of us – a poignant question: "Do you want to get well?" (verse 6 NIV). Or to expand the question, "Do you want to change your life?" Jesus was essentially asking, "Are you willing to put yourself, just as you are, in my hands? Are you ready for me to do for you what you are unable to do for yourself?"

Now this may seem like a strange question. We might think, What kind of thing is that to ask a guy who is paralyzed and unable to move? Of course he wants to be made well. But not everyone wants to change. Not every drug addict wants to be free from the power of drugs. Not every immoral person wants to be a moral person. Not every person who has chosen a certain lifestyle wants to break free from it. So it is a valid question: Do you want to change your life?

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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Another great movie recommendation ~ By Joseph Farah

Commentary from WorldNetDaily
Joseph FarahBy Joseph Farah

Posted: January 30, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010

I can't remember the last time I had two current movie recommendations to offer at the same time.

I told you last week about "The Book of Eli," an amazing new release starring Denzel Washington – the kind of movie one would never expect to come out of Hollywood. If you haven't yet seen it, do so. But remember, it is mega-violent and contains some very rough language and harsh scenes unsuitable for kids.

This week, I want to tell you about "The Blind Side," a movie for the whole family starring Sandra Bullock.

This one is the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless black teenager welcomed into a wealthy white Christian family.

What these two films have in common is a strong Christian worldview – not exactly considered part of Hollywood's formula for success.

Both are stories of faith in action – one fantasy, one very real.

"The Blind Side" is a feel-good movie all the way.

It's a story about the biblical admonition to care for orphans lived out by a mom and her family – and the joy and victory it brings not only to the young man, but to all those involved.

The movie is an adaptation of the 2006 book by Michael Lewis – "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game."

Michael Oher was born to a crack addict mother in Memphis in 1986. he had trouble in school, was bounced around in foster care and spent periods of his life before the age of 16 on the streets.

Through the intervention of other adults in his life, Oher is enrolled in a private Christian high school, where he continues to flounder as a student and still faces the challenges of poverty, alienation and learning problems.

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August 24, 2009 - The Blind Side Movie Trailer
This November, you'll get a hard-hitting football movie featuring no less than Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates and Tim McGraw. It's called The Blind Side, and it might be the Rudy of the new millenium.

When a high school student, operating under the perfect storm of being poor, wildly undereducated and badly out of shape, gets recruited by a major football program that grooms him into the exact opposite, his life will change forever. But will it change it for the better? Check out the trailer.

November is the perfect time of year for this kind of movie to hit because it so clearly wants to go for an Oscar run. But at the same time, it should prove accessible to anyone who watches it. Dust off your thesauruses--you'll need synonyms for "heart-warming" because EVERYONE'S going to call it that. But do you want your heart warmed? Or does this one leave you cold? Hit the comments section and tell us what you think. Thanks for watching!

The Blind Side Cast: Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates, Kim Dickens, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Rhoda Griffis, Ray McKinnon, Lily Collins

The Blind Side movie trailer courtesy 20th Century Fox. The Blind Side open in US theaters November 20th, 2009. The Blind Side is directed by John Lee Hancock.

Video provided by ClevverMovies
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Friday, January 22, 2010

Building consensus on life ~ By Joseph Farah

Commentary from WorldNetDaily
Joseph Farah
By Joseph Farah

Posted: January 22, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010


It's unusual for a newsman to offer up a diatribe on the sanctity of life.

Yet, today, as we mark the 37th anniversary of the most ill-conceived and most politicized Supreme Court decision in the history of our republic, I feel compelled to speak out again.

Any society, if it is to remain a self-governing, free and cohesive one, must have consensus on some foundational issues.

Our founders understood this. In fact, they knew well that slavery was an issue causing so much division within the early republic that it could well tear the nation apart – as it did in an internecine war that would be the bloodiest in which Americans ever fought.

From the beginning, however, there was a consensus on the sanctity of life.

It was written into the Declaration of Independence and, in a way, less directly, yet still clearly, into the Constitution of the United States.

Only when America began to lose its moral bearings did the idea that people had an inherent right to kill their unborn offspring and others who couldn't speak for themselves begin to emerge and even dominate our society.

Today, I am considered some kind of fanatic within my own profession because of my outspokenness about the sanctity of life.

Yet, child sacrifice, whether performed in the name of Baal or to the gods of feminism, political correctness, convenience or the "right to choose," is wrong, immoral, evil and sinful. It always was and it always will be.

On that principle, Americans need to rebuild a consensus.

Without some media support, that will be difficult.

It might surprise some that many of the greatest newspapers in America were founded on Christian principles. After the American Revolution, Christians dominated U.S. journalism, and their worldview characterized many major American newspapers. What was the largest circulation weekly in 1830? The New York Christian Advocate.

What were newspapers like in those days? Three-quarters of all material in papers at that time was religious, theological, ethical and devotional. And, in the early 19th century, New York City alone boasted 52 magazines and newspapers that called themselves Christian. Between 1825 and 1845, more than 100 cities and towns in America had explicitly Christian newspapers.

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Go see 'The Book of Eli' ~ By Joseph Farah

Commentary from WorldNetDaily
"If you are looking for an action-packed adventure movie that carries a powerful message and profound truth, I urge you to go see Denzel Washington's triumph."
Joseph Farah
By Joseph Farah

Posted: January 21, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010


I saw a great movie last weekend.

That's not something I can say very often.

It's called "The Book of Eli" and stars Denzel Washington.

In Hollywood high concept language, you might want to think of "Mad Max" meets "Raiders of the Lost Ark." But that wouldn't be doing it justice.

It's a hard movie to watch – dark, violent. It's not a movie for children. But its redemptive message couldn't be clearer or more needed for a time such as this.

The movie is set in the future, after an apocalyptic event or events leading to the destruction of organized society in America and the rest of the world. What's left after this somewhat mysterious disaster are marauding bands of criminals who prey on others, widespread cannibalism, drunkenness and pockets of communities with little sense of morality.

It seems after the "event," there was an effort to destroy all the world's Bibles. In their wisdom, world leaders deduced that it was this book that caused this plague to befall them.

One man, though, has a copy of the King James Bible and is given a mission by God to take it West. He is also promised that he will be protected in this quest.

The movie is about Eli's story and what he encounters on this trip.

I don't believe I have ever seen a more overtly Christian movie come out of Hollywood.

It shows what the world would be like devoid of God's Word, His law and the hope of salvation He offers. It shows what happens when the salt and light and truth are removed from the world. It shows the world in its most fallen state.

How a movie like this could even be made today is a mystery. One has to conclude it has much to do with Denzel Washington's own values and clout in the industry. He not only stars in the movie, he is one of the producers.

The overall theme is walking by faith, not by sight.

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