Verse of The Day for Advent

Luke 1: 26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

A Most Happy Thanksgivng, Indeed

Something to be Thankful for; as well as something pretty much Guaranteed to make you smile.

Really!

It's about 16 minutes long, but you will NOT regret watching this. After two minutes, you'll be transfixed. Watch it.



Big Ole' Texas Hat Tip: Urban Grounds.

Guess What I'm Thankful for?



Happy Thanksgiving!

~~JD~~

Puritans Spin In Their Graves as Pastor Challenges Flock to "7 Days of Sex"

I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to. This would be too corny, too unbelievable. And everyone would wish they attended This Church HERE:

7 Days Of Sex Challenge

Posted: Nov 17, 2008 06:10 PM

7 straight days of sex. That was the challenge Pastor Ed Young issued to all of the married couples at his Grapevine church. Too taboo, or right on time? Whatever your opinion, this conversation and tonight's story is strictly for adults. KLTV 7's Layron Livingston sat down with some local pastors to see if the message could make it's way to your church's pulpit.

"Everybody's whining about the economy and about the world....let's move from whining to whoopee!"

The message caught some members of Fellowship Church by surprise, and its perking the ears of East Texans.
"Between a married man and a married woman...the more, the better."

Young says the challenge will help couples in his church focus on each other, reclaiming sex for married people.

"I think I'll try it this evening!"

Reverend Jerome Milton says it's about time.

"God's Word has addressed it, we won't preach it. This challenge sort of stirs all of us up to teach and to preach it, so that people can have a better understanding about it," said Rev. Milton. "And if we don't address this, then I guarantee you, Desperate Housewives will!"

Minister Mark Edge says sex is in the Bible. So why not the church? In fact, he says last week's sermon was about Christian sexuality.
"God's Word is certainly not ashamed to talk about this. God's Word understands. God understands that it is a very important part of our lives....we really should have been talking about this all along," said Edge.

"I think the concept is awesome,"

Pastor Doug Clark agrees, but says it's unrealistic to expect struggling relationships to simply get better with a week of sex. He says sex is more than just physical.

"There's so much about connection, emotion stuff...there's so much about value that's being passed back and forth. If a wife doesn't feel valued, or if a husband doesn't feel love or respected, hey, there's some issues that have to be dealt with," said Clark.

Of course, you have to practice what you preach. Pastor Young says his membership includes him and his wife. They've also accepted the challenge.

And, or course, it's a Texas church. Gotta Love that.

Is K-Y Warming Fluid Scriptural? I'm just askin' here.

No word on whether this congregation is sponsored by the Mormon church. Or the Catholics. Or the Churches of Christ. Or the (Fill-In-Blank-Here).

~~JD~~

The One God Loves

An appropriate 1100th post. We could all use some blessings.

I Am the One God Loves

Sociologists have a theory of the looking-glass self: you become what the most important person in your life (wife, father, boss, etc.) thinks you are. How would your life change if you truly believed the Bible's astounding words about Gods love for you, if you looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?

The Apostle John is known in scripture as "John, the beloved". Brennan Manning says that if John were asked, "What is your primary identity in life?" He would not reply, I am a disciple, an apostle, an evangelist, an author of one of the four Gospels, but rather, "I am the one Jesus loves."

Brennan Manning also tells the story of an Irish priest who, on a walking tour of a rural parish, sees an old peasant kneeling by the side of the road, praying. Impressed, the priest says to the man, "You must be very close to God." The peasant looks up from his prayers, thinks a moment, and then smiles, "Yes, he's very fond of me."

You are loved.

(From "What's So Amazing About Grace" by Philip Yancey)

Mark Spain, Chaplain
Director Pastoral Care
Baptist Health System

"Maturity" and "Love" make Homecoming Queen "A Double Blessing"

Okay -- Enough negativity about Obama for today. Let's talk about another reason I love Texas:

Aledo High seniors pick classmate with Down syndrome as homecoming queen

10:09 PM CDT on Saturday, October 11, 2008
By MICHAEL E. YOUNG / The Dallas Morning News

Never has the selection of a homecoming queen sent so many tears falling so freely.

Kristin Pass, an 18-year-old senior with Down syndrome, became Aledo High School's homecoming queen Friday to a joyous standing ovation and the flutter of a thousand tissues on a remarkable night for an amazing young woman.

Her grandfather, Dr. David Campbell of Corsicana, escorted her onto the field and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as Kristin joined eight other young women in the Homecoming Court to await the results of the vote, cast by the 360-plus members of Aledo High's senior class.

Then came the announcement ... and pandemonium.

"Oh my gosh! I was sitting in the student section and everyone stood up, crying and cheering for Kristin," said longtime friend and fellow senior Meaghan Geary, 17, who first met Kristin in the third grade. "It was great!"

Carolyn Pass stood at the edge of the football field, taking pictures of her daughter and friends' daughters in the court, when the stadium erupted. "It's just something you can't even imagine," she said. "And afterward, everyone was just running down to her, congratulating her. And the other girls in the court, they're all just beautiful girls, inside and out."

Ms. Pass said she spoke later with a friend. "She said the only mistake anyone made was not handing out crying towels."

The vote may have been a surprise, but no one who knows Kristin doubts her popularity, her mother said.

"Kristin has a lot of friends – she likes everyone. It doesn't matter if you're tall or short, pretty, not pretty, smart, not smart – she likes everybody. She has great friends. And Aledo is a great community." "She's just the neatest kid in the whole wide world," added her aunt, Chari Hust of Houston, "and everybody sees that."

Clay Gilmer, who works in the stadium press box, running the scoreboard and clock, said people pushed toward the windows as the young women were introduced. "They were all pulling for Kristin," Mr. Gilmer said.

When she won, he was thrilled. "This has been such a special time, a special week for Kristin," he said. "And I was really taken by the maturity and the love shown by her friends, her peers, her classmates.

"That makes this a double blessing."

Kristin pronounced the evening "exciting" and "awesome." She was so thrilled, her mother said, that she took her crown to bed with her. "She's real proud of it," her friend Meaghan added.

Kristin and her family, including sister Kendall, now a freshman, moved to Aledo when Kristin was in the third grade. She was embraced by the people in town through good times and bad, including the death of her dad, J.T., two years ago.

"We've always had great experiences here," her mom said. "We've been blessed, and I think Kristin brings a lot of blessings to the people she knows."

Her selection as homecoming queen was a wonderful surprise. But Meaghan seemed to have an inkling that it could happen.

"Everyone loves Kristin," she said, "and I didn't know for sure, but in class everyone was like, 'Who are you voting for?' and everybody was like, 'Vote for Kristin, she's so good.' "

Kristin doesn't care what's on the outside, Meaghan said. She's friends with everyone, and everyone admires that.

"She's the person we all want to be," Meaghan said.

~~JD~~

Be Still, My Soul

Just feeling it was necessary to post this today. Happy Sunday.

Be Still, My Soul

Words: Katharina von Schlegel, 1752. Music: Jean Sibelius, 1899.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

Mahrer Screed Against Christianity; Christians Riot and Behead Mahrer **UPDATED**

Oh, I'm sorry -- wrong "religion of peace" there.

Okay, I'm not Catholic -- far from it. But being an American, I respect anyone's right to worship as they believe, and respect those of other faiths with great faith in their version of religion.

Bill Mahrer has made a career out of bashing religion, so his screed here against the Pope and religion generally is not too surprising. What's really surprising is that this crap is tolerated by so many Americans.

Why DOES he have a TV show at all?



As Bill O'Reilly noted last night:

Now, Mr. Maher has made a career out of bashing religion, so his monologue comes as no surprise. But can you imagine if Maher had castigated a Jewish or Muslim leader like that? Or if he had branded a minority group with that kind of description? The American media would slaughter him.

"Talking Points" has stated this before, but there is no better example than what you just heard. It is open season on Christians in America. You can demean and defame them all you want, and the media will laugh along with you. There's no disputing this.

As a practicing Catholic, Bill Maher's opinion doesn't bother me. I don't care that he hates religion. He has a right to that opinion, and he's up front about it.

But as with the Reverend Wright story, if you attack America or if you attack Christians, do not expect to be held to account, because the media will give you a complete pass. Media Matters, not a word about Maher. Instead that vile outfit has now branded me a homophobe in addition to being a racist. NBC News, not a word about Maher. Instead, they continue to lie down with Media Matters. CNN, The New York Times, The L.A. Times, silence.

The addresses to write if your object to this moron:

HBO's Consumer Affairs Department
212-512-1208
Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
E-Mail Link HERE

The Lesson For Today

An interesting e-mail I received this morning.

A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates.

St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."

"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."

"That's wonderful," says St.Peter, "that's worth three points!"

"Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."

"Terrific!" says St.Peter.? "That's certainly worth a point."

"One point!?!! I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."

"Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says.

"Two points!?!!? "Exasperated, the man cries. "At this rate the only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God."

"Bingo, 100 points!? Come on in!"

We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and duct tape. God did it with a nail.

Amen!

~~JD~~

The Reason For The Season

Luke 23: The Crucifixion


26 As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' 30 Then they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" '[d] 31For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."[ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." 38 There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[" 43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Jesus' Death

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.
47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."

More Information:

Max Lucado's Website: Grest Place to Start Reading about God's Love.

K-Love Radio: Listen to the sounds of Christian Encouragement.

Does God Exist?: Former right-hand to Madalyn Murray O'Hair, now a vociferous Chistian advocate.

Woman Escorted Off Bus For Reading Bible Aloud ?!?!??

I find it hard to believe this actually happened in the great state of Texas, but there's a reason Madalyn Murray O'Hair based her American Atheist Society in Austin. If the lady in the story was reading at the volume level the news clip describes, this must be one thin-skinned bus driver! From the website of CBS-11 in Fort Worth:

Woman Escorted Off Bus For Reading Bible Aloud

Carol Cavazos; FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ― A passenger on a Fort Worth bus says the T. Bus Service discriminated against her religion. Christine Lutz says she was reading her Bible to her children when the bus driver asked her to stop or get off the bus.

Lutz, a Seventh Day Adventist, and her children were on their way to church. "She then said, 'Well I don't think this is the place or the time to do so.' And I said, 'Oh, but it's the perfect time and the perfect place since it is our Sabbath and it is the time with the Lord and therefore I'm going to continue.' And I continued," she explained.

Then, a TRE supervisor came on board. Lutz also told him that she would not stop reading. She and her family were escorted off the bus. "This was definitely a clear cut case of persecution," she said. "Anyone who is loud will be asked to be quiet," said representative Joan Hunter. "That is a standard policy across country in the transit industry." It doesn't matter what is said, the T has a policy of no loud or abusive behavior.

"It's only if the other passengers will complain, or it's obviously so loud it's distracting the operator, that we will ask them to stop," Hunter explained.

Of course, it's just a personal observation of my own that most atheists are incredibly thin-skinned and overly sensitive.

Whiners.

~~JD~~

Archbishop Believes In the Bible; Mainstream Media Completely Miss The Point

The Headline on THE DRUDGE REPORT read "Archbishop of Canterbury says nativity 'a legend'...", which was enough to grab my attention quickly. The Archbishop of Canterbury doesn't believe in the Christmas Story? What The . . . ????

Clicking through to the Linked page brought me to the British newspaper THE TELEGRAPH, where the headline read similarly " Archbishop says nativity 'a legend'." The story that followed, however, read very differently, and showed just how little the reporter knew about their Bible:

Archbishop Says Nativity 'a Legend'

By Sophie Borland: 1:25pm GMT 20/12/2007

The Archbishop of Canterbury said yesterday that the Christmas story of the Three Wise Men was nothing but a 'legend'. Dr Rowan Williams has claimed there was little evidence that the Magi even existed and there was certainly nothing to prove there were three of them or that they were kings.

(John's Note: That is certainly supported by the 2nd chapter of Matthew:

2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem 2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

2:11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

So there were an unspecified number of wise men, who gave three types of gifts. Not necessarily three wise men -- the text is not specific.)

Dr Williams argued that the traditional Christmas story was nothing but a 'legend'. He said the only reference to the wise men from the East was in Matthew's gospel and the details were very vague. Dr Williams said: "Matthew's gospel says they are astrologers, wise men, priests from somewhere outside the Roman Empire, that's all we're really told. It works quite well as legend."

(John's Note: well, it only says "wise men" -- which could mean anything. But I'm still with the Archbishop so far.)

The Archbishop went on to dispel other details of the Christmas story, adding that there were probably no asses or oxen in the stable. He argued that Christmas cards which showed the Virgin Mary cradling the baby Jesus, flanked by shepherds and wise men, were misleading.

(Okay; here we part ways a bit. In Biblical times it was common to have an "upper room" area to the stable for the stable staff to bed down in for the night. It was elevated above the livestock to take advantage of the heat generated by the animals - so there may have been animals present -- just not in the face of the baby Jesus. And nowhere in Matthew of Luke does it mention the shepherds met the Wise Men. So we're still in general agreement here.)

As for the scenes that depicted snow falling in Bethlehem, the Archbishop said the chance of this was "very unlikely".

(Agreed. Whens the last time you saw snow in the near-desert of the the Holy Lands?)

In a final blow to the traditional nativity story, Dr Williams concluded that Jesus was probably not born in December at all. He said: "Christmas was when it was because it fitted well with the winter festival."

(This is probably true, as Luke notes:

2:8 Now there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night.

The footnote to NetBIBLE says:

Some argue that shepherds were among the culturally despised, but the evidence for this view of shepherds is late, coming from 5th century Jewish materials. December 25 as the celebrated date of Jesus’ birth arose around the time of Constantine (ca. a.d. 306-337), though it is mentioned in material from Hippolytus (a.d. 165-235). Some think that the reason for celebration on this date was that it coincided with the pagan Roman festival of Saturnalia, and Christians could celebrate their own festival at this time without fear of persecution. On the basis of the statement that the shepherds were living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night it is often suggested that Jesus’ birth took place in early spring, since it was only at lambing time that shepherds stood guard over their flocks in the field.)

now, for the despicable part. He was debating a comedian on the BBC. Whose brainless idea was that?

His comments came during an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live with Simon Mayo yesterday. Later on in the show, the Archbishop was challenged by fellow guest Ricky Gervais, the comedian, about the credibility of the Christmas story. Gervais told Dr Williams he was concerned about "brainwashing" of children who are sent to faith schools at an early age, comparing teaching that God exists to belief in Father Christmas. Dr Williams said faith schools expose children to the full range of human experience and values and he did not believe they indoctrinated people.

"Brainwashing???" Wotta maroon! Sounds more to me like the BBC set up the Archbishop, and the Telegraph ran around spreading the story that 'the Archbishop doesn't believe?'

Typical. Why doesn't this surprise me? No, No -- no media left-wing bias here -- nothing to see, Move along, Move along . . .

~~JD~~

There's a Light at the End of This Tunnel

It just really hit me this morning when I woke up and popped out of bed for the first time in two months. I was actually happy to see the day come. The dark, soft, damp blanket of depression had finally lifted.

Depression?????

Yeah, depression.

Shoot, what do I have to be depressed about? Oh I dunno -- my cats died from poisoned cat food; both my cars required over a thousand dollars in repairs in two weeks time; I'm a thousand dollars in debt from my trip to Iowa last month, somebody assaulted my wife and spiked her tires at work . . .

. . . and my Dad died.

Damn.

I'm not sure when it started exactly, but some time around the middle to end of August I started to feel it; right around the time Dad was dying and I couldn't really do much about it but watch long-distance. When he died, i just kind of shut off for a while and let the world go by while I processed and grieved.

Apparently my grief process involves Italian Chianti and Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. Well, could be worse, I s'pose.

But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I got hired for a Dialysis position last week (I've wanted to get back into Dialysis for three years) for almost $20.00 an hour as a Supervisor. The Detox place I used to work at offered me a job again -- at a substantial pay raise.

But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. You just gotta keep holdin' on, like Third Day says. Great Tune, too.




~~JD~~

What It's All About (or, "Happy Easter!")

Or, as Max said this morning, "What's Your Exit Strategy?"

Luke 24: 1-10 -- The Resurrection

Now on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood beside them in dazzling attire. The women were terribly frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has been raised! Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then the women remembered his words, and when they returned from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. But these words seemed like pure nonsense to them, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent down and saw only the strips of linen cloth; then he went home, wondering what had happened.


1st Corinthians 15: 3-9 -- Christ’s Resurrection

For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Got an Exit Strategy? A Plan for when all is said and done? And if that end was today -- would you be ready?

~~JD~~

God is Gracious, God is Truly Good

Or, as we say in South Texas, . . .


YEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!


I got the job.

The GOOD job -- the one where I run the clinic, for a substantial pay increase (almost 25% greater than my last pay rate)


YEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!





Plus Julian is leaving next Thursday for two weeks in Japan as an exchange student.

Julian!

Exchange Student!

JAPAN!!!


I'm so damned proud of that kid!

~~JD~~

Christian Ways To Reduce Stress

My buddy Brenda sent this, and I think it's very much worth passing on.

*****************************************

An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."

1. Pray. Pray Hard. Pray Frequently. Pray Often.

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and un-clutter your life.

7. Less is more. Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time, don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about it, forget it -- don't worry about it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key
buried in the garden, extra stamps, an extra can of antiperspirant, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. There is no requirement for you to talk at any time. Be comfortable with silence -- many people are not.

15. Do something for the Kid in you everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you, Jesus."

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude. Most people are doing the best they can.

31. Be kind to unkind people They probably need it the most.

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

~~JD~~

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

Or, "Unemployment as an Exercise in Faith."

I quit my job about a month ago. (For more information on that little issue see the previous post Neglecting The Neglected of Society.) When I did it I was sure I had another job at a Nursing Home to cover me. However, my last week of work, my potential new employer called to let me know "The nurse who quit has decided to stay -- so we don't have a position open now. Sorry."

Now, as a former employer in my own right I can understand why they would want to keep an employee who's already trained and whom they know; versus a new employee they'll have to train who's an unknown quantity.

Nevertheless; what's a man without honor? What sorts of persons are we who do not keep our word?

I mean -- Damn!

Fortunately for me I had 6 days of Holiday time saved up and my former employer agreed to let me stay and additional week, so my last paycheck was more like two paychecks put together. Nevertheless, next week is "Fish-or-cut-bait" time here. I need to get employed by next Friday -- no excuses.

The first week I hit the streets like I used to work; up in the morning by 6am, shower, shave, eat breakfast -- start distributing resumes and filling out applications by 9am and home by 6pm. I did this the first four days, sprinkling a few first interviews in there as well, with more first interviews and a few second interviews for the fifth day. Thus endeth the first week.

By the start of the second week a strange feeling set in firmly that I'd started feeling some on the Tuesday of the first week. Dread. Inertia. Panic. Anxiety. Agitation, overlaid with a smothering sense of inevitability.


Depression.


It's an irrational fear, really. I know fully well that I'm doing everything possible to locate a new job. In fact, I (at this minute) have three very good offfers for employment. The first is to be the Wound Care Specialist in a Nursing Home on Day Shift, with standard benefits; the second is as a psychiatric nurse in a major Psych Hospital chain, offering Blue Cross Healthcare and willing to work with me on my schooling schedule. The third (which I did an unprecedented third interview for today, and the offer I'm still waiting to hear from) is to be a clinic manager for a local multi-clinic chain about 4 blocks from the apartment. Mondays through Fridays 8-5; great health and dental; very low employee turnover (which means nobody wants to leave this place), and very motivated, happy employees.

Yeah, I could stay there and work a long, loooonnnggggg time. If they offer more than the other two places (who are both offering the same I was making at my previous employer) I'll be really happy.

It helps to focus on the good things these potential employers are offering; otherwise I'm focussing on "why haven't they called!" or "I need to make a decision soon!" kind of panic-y stuff.

The thing that is incredibly frustrating to Ariane is that she's always accusing me of being impatient, when i feel the reverse is true. I've just put the whole thing in God's hands and pray at least once a day about it -- usually when I'm starting to feel the tendrils of depression creep in.

But I should know tomorrow for sure -- if not Friday. If not, I'm going to accept on of the other two offers and get it over with. I think I'd tend to go first with the Psychiatric Hospital, then the Nursing Home.

Maybe.

Well, we'll see.

Meanwhile, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers are running through my head.

Meanwhile, the tendrils of depression creep in. And the Dread. The Inertia. The Panic. The Anxiety. The Agitation, overlaid with a smothering sense of inevitability.

I'm praying hard. You pray hard too.

~~JD~~

Church Matters

I went to church today. If you've been following this 'blog for any length of time you know where I go; if you don't, click on the title of this post to find out. My congregation is one of several famous mega-churches in the greater San Antonio area (John Hagee's Cornerstone Church is almost walking distance up the street from us.) The bulletin at my congregation has the admonition "Today is devoted to Worship. If noted guests are present, please refrain from seeking autographs or making personal requests."

And it happens on a regular basis. My preacher, being a noted author and lecturer, tends to draw celebrity guests to him. The chuch is frequently referred to as "Max's Church" in San Antonio, which bugs Max just a bit -- he says "I didn't die for this church; Jesus did. David Robinson (late of the San Antonio Spurs) teaches my Men's Bible Class on Thursday; so NBA players are a fairly frequent sight as well.

(Coincidentally, this is a weird parallel to my own life. Having driven a limousine for a couple of years, I've met more than my share of celebrities through my work. Plus being a comic book afficianado has brought me into contact with other persons of note. Ask me sometime about the time I almost ran over Walter Koenig --Mister Chekov of Star Trek-- while reasearching my Thesis in Chicago.)

We had two celebrities in church this morning. The first was conservative commentator Cal Thomas. I had spotted him sitting a few rows up from us and thought he looked familiar. When the preacher introduced him, he said that Cal had agreed to be recoginized if he was identified as "just a fellow sinner." He waved from his seat when the preacher introduced him without standing; and it was very refreshing to see a celebrity who was humble and meek in the presence of the Lord.

I'm going to have to start reading his column more.

The other celebrities were unexpected. You probably don't know them. Their names are Greg and Rebecca Pruitt and their children Hannah, Abigail, and Paul. The Pruitts have just returned from twelve (12!) years in West Africa translating the Bible into the Yalunka language; a missionary team sponsored by my congregation.

For 12 years!

And all three of those kids are under 10, which means they're all having massive culture shock right about now.

The congregation gave the Pruitts a standing ovation -- for over a minute.

Wow. I can't even imagine what that must have been like. The entire worldview of the Yalunkas is radically different from Western civilization. For instance, Greg Pruitt told the congregation that the Yalunka tribes believe in demons, and it's hard not to find a Yalunka who hasn't seen at least one demon. Sacrificing chickens and small animals to dispel demons is common practice.

The thing that really won over the Yalunka was the gospel's promise that "demons also believe, and tremble." Greg related a story that his ten year old daughter had told him once "Daddy, there was something in our room last night; and it growled at me."

He asked her if she was scared, and she said No; "I told it that I belonged to Jesus; and he should get outta here right now!"


And the demon fled.


Think about that for a few seconds. Here I am, writing on a 21st century word processor over the Intenet -- a guy with a couple of degrees and who speaks a couple of languages -- writing on the possibility -- no, the certainty -- that a ten-year-old-girl in the year 2006 is casting out demons.


And 3,500 people in the congregations watching this sermon never doubting it for a minute.

We live in odd times. Or maybe we just live in times when society has so completely tried to separate the spiritual from the physical that even talking about the spiritual seems odd any more.

Which, I think, is sad, really.

When I think of ten-year-old Hannah Pruitt standing in her bedroom in a hut in West Africa telling a growling demon to go away because she belongs to Jesus, it brings a proud smile to my face. And maybe just a touch of envy for her complete faith.

Meanwhile, (1) I'm back in school and doing well; (2) the weather is beautiful (66 degrees) and the sun is warm; (3) I'm in love with my wife, (4) my health is good, and (5) The Outlaw Josey Wales is on TV.

Life is still Good.

~~JD~~

God of the Illogical

I've been following the "War on Christmas" thing very closely this year, in no small part due to John Gibson's wonderful book The War On Christmas. Plus Fox News has been giving it a lot of play to support the book as well.

So I've been trying to imagine the best way to respond to an atheist who debates the logic of it all (and lets be frank -- all atheists at some point or another will inevitably begin to debate the logic of there being a God or His actions.) Oddly enough, I can't even begin to frame that debate.

Broad Overview of God's Interactions with Humanity: God creates Man (an intelligent being with Free Will) as a "companion" to interact with. Man complains he's lonely, so God creates a "woman" to be Man's companion.

Okay, so far so good -- right?

Unfortunately, the humans rebel against God by doing the only thing they're forbidden to do -- eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Q: "So Why would God forbid humans to do anything if he loved them?" A: "Because Free Will is worth nothing if choice isn't involved.")

The entire resto of the Old Testament is the story of how God gave mankind rules to live by; Mankind screws up the rules; and God charges in to the rescue again by forgiveness of their sins. Cases in Point: (1) The Flood, (2) Deliverance from Egypt, (3) Conquering Canaan, (4) The Prophets, (5) Babylonian Captivity, etc., etc.

And that's just the BROAD strokes -- In the life of King David alone there's a TON of examples -- enough to fill this blog to capacity and crash the server, had I enough time and inclination to type my fingers to the bone today.

Fortunately for you, I don't.

So after mankind completely screws up Paradise in Eden, God makes the ultimate sacrifice -- literally -- for mankind. He comes down to earth -- physically -- and dies trying to rescue us all.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2: 8-14.

I'm sorry -- there is Absolutely No Logic to this event. To come to earth? To experience Pain? To be rejected by the very people who profess to love and revere you? To die a lonely, embarrassing, lingering painful death on a cross?

No-Logic-Whatsoever.


Really, it's all about keeping promises. Promises like "I will never forsake you." It's about trust -- it's about never losing Hope -- and most importantly . . .

It's about Love.

If you don't understand the logic of Love, there's no having a discussion with you about it.


Merry Christmas, everybody.

~~JD~~

Life Is What Happens To You On The Way To Do Other Things . . . .

The oddest thing happened to me the other day.

For the first thing, I've noticed that Interstate highways leading away from the Gulf Coast (I-37 from Corpus Christi TX; I-45 from Galveston TX; I-65 from Mobile AL) all have exta-wide right shoulders and little blue-and-white signs every 2 miles that read "Hurricane Evacuation Route." It's a bit weird watching the little signs leading away from the coast for 50 miles or so, but nice to knolw somebody had the foresight to think of such a contingency.

Makes sense, right? In case of impending hurricane, they use the shoulder too for added traffic capability.

The second thing? Well, last Sunday we decided to go to beautiful Corpus Christi Texas. Fabled land of Spring Break debaucheries, Sunshine, and the world's greatest coastal fishing, as well as the home of the U.S.S. Lexington -- the feared "Blue Ghost" aircraft carrier of WWII. Seems like a safe bet for a day trip, right?

Heh. Guess again.

Admission to the Lady Lex was about $21.95 per person -- substantially greater than we planned. After touring the old girl (which is in substantial need of repair, unfortunately) we drove though downtown Corpus looking for a beachside seafood joint, figuring it'd be chaper and fresher closer to the Gulf, right?

Again, Heh-heh-heh.

With apologies to any residents of the Belle of the Gulf, she's certainly seen better days. The downtown looked like a hurricane had been through there recently, although it's almost certainly been 10 years or better. Vacant lots; closed stores; and a general air of urban semi-blight prevailed. After miles of driving up and down Seaside Blvd looking for a place to eat, we eventually returned to our starting point to an old-fashoined Diner which had very good food -- but not the seafood we had our taste buds set on.

A nice day, slightly disappointing overall, but not terrible. Still, disappointing, and a bit creepy and sad.

So this past Friday (five days later, for those completists out there) I took a day off for another excursion. After a quick pit-stop at the ever-delightful Buc-ee's (see previous post) which has become my nephew David's favorite kitschy tourist trap, drove on to Houston TX and the Johnson Manned Space Center. There we saw the sights and (almost) took the tour of the Center before it started raining and abbreviated out tour.

Since we had some extra time on our hands, we decided to toodle the 27 miles down I-45 to Galveston Island and see what was out there as well. A trip unplanned; almost as an afterthought, but that road less traveled has made all the difference. We found Houston's Chinatown that we'd been looking for (for almost 3 years!) We also found a plethora of Seaside souvenir shops, bars, and cheap excellent seafood joints like we'd been searching for the previous weekend, and ate until we were stuffed. The place we found had the BEST deep-fried soft-shelled crabs I've eaten since i was stationed in Augusta Georgia 21 years ago -- just magnificent. Out waiter was a teenaged Russian emigre attending U.T.-Houston, and was both surprised and thrilled I spoke a bit of conversational Russkiy.

Imagine that.

Galveston's pretty enough and reasonably-enough-priced that we talked about maybe moving there. Oh yeah, that'd break my heart; having to live on the ocean and eat fresh seafood every day.

God Provides, indeed.

~~~JD~~~

I don't know why Miracles surprise me anymore . . .

For the past week we've been waiting for word about Ariane's family in Mauritius. (Mauritius was right in the path of last week's tsunami in the Indian Ocean.) Yesterday we found a website Published in Mauritius(http://www.tropicscope.com/eventreadmore.asp?ID=2142) that says this:

"The tsunami caused by the major earthquake in Asia has not caused any casualties or damages to Mauritius. Although the wave crossed the whole Indian Ocean on Sunday the 26th of December, from the Far East to the coasts of Africa, the people of Mauritius have hardly noticed anything on this Sunday. . . Although the sea level went up and down in an extreme manner creating strong currents in some places, the coral barriers around the island of Mauritius protected the island form drastic rises in sea level. The phenomenon lasted about one hour and has not caused any damage anywhere and no deaths or casualties have been reported."

By the way, Diego Garcia is fine too. Same Coral reefs.

Considering the inundation of the Maldives to the North (76 confirmed deaths) and the incredible death toll in Sri Lanka to the south (8,942 confirmed dead at this writing) this is truly a miracle from God!

I'm sure these small miracles won't be reported in a press wallowing in the sorrow and horror of the tsunami. But they are truly miraculous. I don't know why I'm surprised, really. Yet the Israelites, even after witnessing the miracles in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the pillar of fire that lead them across thedesert in Sinai, still doubted the power of God enough to build the Golden Calf. ( Exodus 32:1 -- "When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, 'Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.'"

Humans. We're some funny people that way.