Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Whiny Privates (Click for story)
Ok, how many thought of Army privates and how many thought of other privates? Be honest! I've read this story in 2 places and now you get the real truth, unlike in the original story. Whiny Privates, that's what these soldiers are, period. When I was going through basic training a "Pro" wrestling crew came in for entertainment. Those who didn't want to go were on lockdown in the barracks. It's not like you get an option to do what you want if you don't decide to go to the entertainment offered. This concert was offered because it was there and these Privates didn't want to go, which is fine. But being on lockdown is not punishment, it's THE OTHER option; know what I mean? They don't get to do what they want or something else if they don't want to go. They are in training, choice and options are not available for your own choosing, they are available only if the trainees give them. They are whiny privates. I don't like "pro" wrestling but I went, had pizza and pop and cared little for the entertainment. I was just out of the barracks and not training!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Really? Really? What the.....? (Click for Article)
4 years ago my wife and I went through the process of adopting our beautiful little girl. We had to fill out mountains of paperwork; go through a financial check, background criminal check, pay over $20,000, and after one year stand before a judge who decided we were fit parents and able to fully adopt Hava.
Behold James and Anne Cardona of Marietta, Georgia. They have 2 precious girls and proceeded to treat them worse than caged pets. One is 5 years old weighing 160 pounds with rotting teeth and covered in bug bites. (The house was full of cockroaches, flees, and "gigantic" spiders.) Her younger sister, 4, when found was wearing only a urine soaked diaper also full of bug bites.
If you have ever seen the movie "Idiocracy" I can only picture the apartment where Frito lives.
Now I'm definitely not advocating the state getting involved with people having kids like they do when people want to adopt but come on. Put my wife and I through scrutiny paying out 20 grand and having to go to court to be deemed good enough parents while a couple like this has kids. Thankfully they were caught and put in jail and should stay in jail for a long time. Unfortunately these 2 precious little girls are scarred for life and have a long road ahead of them starting with foster care. God I pray their foster parents treat them with respect and with lots of love.
Behold James and Anne Cardona of Marietta, Georgia. They have 2 precious girls and proceeded to treat them worse than caged pets. One is 5 years old weighing 160 pounds with rotting teeth and covered in bug bites. (The house was full of cockroaches, flees, and "gigantic" spiders.) Her younger sister, 4, when found was wearing only a urine soaked diaper also full of bug bites.
If you have ever seen the movie "Idiocracy" I can only picture the apartment where Frito lives.
Now I'm definitely not advocating the state getting involved with people having kids like they do when people want to adopt but come on. Put my wife and I through scrutiny paying out 20 grand and having to go to court to be deemed good enough parents while a couple like this has kids. Thankfully they were caught and put in jail and should stay in jail for a long time. Unfortunately these 2 precious little girls are scarred for life and have a long road ahead of them starting with foster care. God I pray their foster parents treat them with respect and with lots of love.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The Amber Alert: Click on Title for Article
The Amber Alert, which alerts us to child abductions, is named after a child abducted 15 years ago in Alma, Arkansas. She was abducted while playing with other children in the parking lot of a little league game. Her name is, Morgan Nick.
A composite sketch of a suspect came out depicting a man about 6 feet tall, weighing 180 pounds with a scruffy beard and salt and pepper hair. He was driving a red pickup truck. It is reported he was talking to Morgan during the game.
Where to begin with this? A stranger with nothing but his own selfishness and desire, thinking nothing but about himself, takes a child. Takes a child from her mother, family, friends, home, school, Girl Scout troop, etc.
I don’t understand this. We can talk theology, Satan, and sin as much and as long as possible but there will never be a full understanding of why people do this sort of crime. There is no excuse on earth to justify the taking of a child let alone any human being.
I talked at length with a gentlemen who said he is a Deist and that someday humanity will be enlightened to the point nothing like this will happen. All of humanity someday will act the same and be the same looking out for the betterment of each other; like a light switch will go on and the whole world will become one. To me, that sounds harder to believe than believing in God knowing we cannot ever become Him or become what this gentlemen described.
The answer is, sin, but that’s a crutch, a fall back. What this guy did in taking, stealing, forcibly removing, someone from their home is show us that humanity will never have a light go on at the same time where all work and play together with happy smiles and sunshine with colorful butterflies.
I pray he is found and I pray Morgan is fine. I pray for her mother, family, and friends that they never give up hope. I pray before people ever do something like this again they look up and cry out to God for help.
A composite sketch of a suspect came out depicting a man about 6 feet tall, weighing 180 pounds with a scruffy beard and salt and pepper hair. He was driving a red pickup truck. It is reported he was talking to Morgan during the game.
Where to begin with this? A stranger with nothing but his own selfishness and desire, thinking nothing but about himself, takes a child. Takes a child from her mother, family, friends, home, school, Girl Scout troop, etc.
I don’t understand this. We can talk theology, Satan, and sin as much and as long as possible but there will never be a full understanding of why people do this sort of crime. There is no excuse on earth to justify the taking of a child let alone any human being.
I talked at length with a gentlemen who said he is a Deist and that someday humanity will be enlightened to the point nothing like this will happen. All of humanity someday will act the same and be the same looking out for the betterment of each other; like a light switch will go on and the whole world will become one. To me, that sounds harder to believe than believing in God knowing we cannot ever become Him or become what this gentlemen described.
The answer is, sin, but that’s a crutch, a fall back. What this guy did in taking, stealing, forcibly removing, someone from their home is show us that humanity will never have a light go on at the same time where all work and play together with happy smiles and sunshine with colorful butterflies.
I pray he is found and I pray Morgan is fine. I pray for her mother, family, and friends that they never give up hope. I pray before people ever do something like this again they look up and cry out to God for help.
High Speed Trains: Click on Title for article
High Speed Trains in the U.S.A., it’s about time. (I thought of using asterisk before the word ‘time’ but decided to keep it G.) After living in Russia, Ukraine, and Germany for lengthy periods of time please hurry with the public transportation between many more towns, cities, and states. It’s been nice to see the Light Rail used here in Minnesota but if I want to take public transportation to work I still need to take 2 buses and the light rail for more than an hour; or, 20 minutes by my car. Hmmmm, I take my car every time. But I would take public transportation every time possible if it actually got up to speed with places like, Russia, Ukraine, and Germany.
Yes, living in St. Petersburg, Russia and Sevastopol, Ukraine, the public transportation was EXCELLENT. I could get anywhere in the city in a decent time without using my car. Please bring us more public transportation so I don’t need to use my car and get mad at stupid drivers every day not knowing how to drive or obey simple road rules.
One of my favorite songs I ever wrote was about a train trip, titled 'Train Trips'. It was 3 days from St. Petersburg, Russia to Frankfurt, Germany. Saw a lot of countryside and met a lot of nice people.
Yes, living in St. Petersburg, Russia and Sevastopol, Ukraine, the public transportation was EXCELLENT. I could get anywhere in the city in a decent time without using my car. Please bring us more public transportation so I don’t need to use my car and get mad at stupid drivers every day not knowing how to drive or obey simple road rules.
One of my favorite songs I ever wrote was about a train trip, titled 'Train Trips'. It was 3 days from St. Petersburg, Russia to Frankfurt, Germany. Saw a lot of countryside and met a lot of nice people.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Letter of the Law VS Spirit of the Law
It is Friday, August 13th, 2010 and by 10 p.m. I will be at Camp Ripley for my second to the last weekend of Army National Guard Drill. On September 26th, 2 weeks after my last drill September 11-12, I will officially be out of the military entirely after 11 years of military service. I will be straight forward with this comment and with my thoughts.
The Army will lose what would have been a very good, yes, very good chaplain. “The Law” for active duty military I fought against, and lost, for over a year is: Those wanting to be an active duty military chaplain first must have served 2 years in a full time ministry position. What about someone who served 10 years in the military like myself? It doesn’t count!
So instead of the Army accepting someone who knows what to do in the military with 9 years of enlisted service and 2 years as an officer; has been to war in Iraq informally counseling many soldiers of all faiths so will therefore do the same as a chaplain going outside the wire whenever needed; started and led Bible Studies with soldiers of all faiths; informally counseled soldiers of all faiths at 2 in the morning when they knocked on my door in the barracks, not the chaplain’s door; spent 2 years in Ukraine before the Army preaching in Russian and leading Bible Studies; and has played guitar leading worship for Army chapel services for 3 years in Germany and Iraq; etc…..
The Active Army wants someone who has preached the litmus test of sermons but knows nothing of the military; knows nothing of what it means to work for the government having to balance the “God and Country” role as a chaplain serving everyone from Pentecostal Christians to Southern Baptist Christians to Hindus to Muslims to Jews.
So, I joined the Guard to become a chaplain and find work in a church but soon discovered that churches don’t want to hire those in the military, with understanding. I had someone say to me, “I have 19 applying to this position and you’re the only one with a conflict of being in the Guard. If I hire you to be our youth pastor you could be deployed at any time for a year or more leaving us with no youth pastor again. The other 18 don’t have that.” I can’t argue with someone looking for continuity in his church, especially for youth.
So, I resigned my commission and on September 26th, 2010, I will be out of the Army entirely and the Army will lose what would have been a Great Chaplain! Letter of the Law controls the Spirit of the Law at the Army’s loss!
The Army will lose what would have been a very good, yes, very good chaplain. “The Law” for active duty military I fought against, and lost, for over a year is: Those wanting to be an active duty military chaplain first must have served 2 years in a full time ministry position. What about someone who served 10 years in the military like myself? It doesn’t count!
So instead of the Army accepting someone who knows what to do in the military with 9 years of enlisted service and 2 years as an officer; has been to war in Iraq informally counseling many soldiers of all faiths so will therefore do the same as a chaplain going outside the wire whenever needed; started and led Bible Studies with soldiers of all faiths; informally counseled soldiers of all faiths at 2 in the morning when they knocked on my door in the barracks, not the chaplain’s door; spent 2 years in Ukraine before the Army preaching in Russian and leading Bible Studies; and has played guitar leading worship for Army chapel services for 3 years in Germany and Iraq; etc…..
The Active Army wants someone who has preached the litmus test of sermons but knows nothing of the military; knows nothing of what it means to work for the government having to balance the “God and Country” role as a chaplain serving everyone from Pentecostal Christians to Southern Baptist Christians to Hindus to Muslims to Jews.
So, I joined the Guard to become a chaplain and find work in a church but soon discovered that churches don’t want to hire those in the military, with understanding. I had someone say to me, “I have 19 applying to this position and you’re the only one with a conflict of being in the Guard. If I hire you to be our youth pastor you could be deployed at any time for a year or more leaving us with no youth pastor again. The other 18 don’t have that.” I can’t argue with someone looking for continuity in his church, especially for youth.
So, I resigned my commission and on September 26th, 2010, I will be out of the Army entirely and the Army will lose what would have been a Great Chaplain! Letter of the Law controls the Spirit of the Law at the Army’s loss!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
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