Yes, I'm taking the plunge once again. I'm going to try to do a web site along with my journal. 

Did you ever hear about the little boy who asked his Gramma, "Granny, do all fairy tales begin with 'Once upon a time?'"
 
"No dear," came her reply, "there is a whole series of fairy tales that begin with, 'If elected, I promise...'"

And ain't that the truth. Yet even at that, how important is it for Christians to vote. While there are so many blessings associated with being citizens of Heaven, one of the great blessings of being a citizen of these United States is that we can have an impact on our world. But does your vote matter?

Ask Henry Shoemaker. Well, okay, you can't. Henry was an Indiana farmer in 1840. As I understand the story, Henry got confused either about the day, date or time so he was a bit late getting to the polling place. He arrived at the county courthouse just as the polls were closing, but just in time to vote. A close vote had been expected that year, but not as close as it ended up being, so close that Henry had to cast a makeshift ballot. His choice for the state office was Madison Marsh. 

Guess what Marsh's margin of victory was? One vote.

Did you know in those days that U.S. Senators were elected by their state legislature? Marsh first vote as a legislator was for the U.S. Senate seat. He voted for a man named Harrigan. 

Guess what Harrigan's margin of victory was? One vote.

During Senator Harrigan's tenure in office, the matter of considering whether Texas would be granted statehood came before the U.S. Senate. Sen. Harrigan voted for Texas to become our 28th state. 

Guess what Texas's margin of victory was? One vote.

How different would our world be today if Henry Shoemaker hadn't purposed in his heart to make sure he made it to the polling place on election day in 1840?

Does one vote matter? Yes, especially if it's your vote. And if you are a Christian, your vote especially matters to the Lord our God.

Obama / Biden or McCain / Palin? What a choice! I can think of others I would like to have the chance to actually cast my ballot FOR this year, but such is not the case. But what if I could choose my ideal candidate?

I can't say who I would choose, but I can say what I would like him or her to represent. Or at least, I can let an email suggestion do it for me.

This email forward's been floating around for a while. Some attribute it to Bill Cosby, some to George Carlin, but the truth is no one knows who actually wrote the words. But I sure do wish some candidate for national office would have the following planks in his platform:

(1) "Press 1 for English" is immediately banned. English is the official language; speak it or wait at the border until you can.
 
(2) We will immediately go into a two year isolationist posture to  straighten out the country's attitude. NO imports, no exports. 
We will use the 'Wal-Mart's policy, 'If we ain't got it, you don't need it.'
 
(3) When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it. 
 
(4) All retired military personnel will be required to man one of our many observation towers on the southern border (for a six-month tour) They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTHBOUND aliens.
 
(5) Social security will immediately return to its original state.  If you didn't put nuttin in, you ain't gettin nuttin out. The President nor any other politician will not be able to touch it.

(6) Welfare - Checks will be handed out on Fridays at the end of the 40 hour school week and the successful completion of urinalysis and a passing grade. 
 
(7) Professional Athletes & steroids - The FIRST time you test positive you're banned for life.
 
( 8 Crime - We will adopt the Turkish method, the first time you steal, you lose your right hand (and so forth). There is no more life sentences.  If convicted of murder, you will be put to death by the same method you chose for your victim; gun, knife, strangulation, etc..
 
(9) One export will be allowed; Wheat, The world needs to eat. A bushel of wheat will be the exact price of a barrel of oil.
 
(10) All foreign aid using American taxpayer money will immediately cease, and the saved money will pay off the national debt and ultimately lower taxes. When disasters occur around the world, we'll ask the American people if they want to donate to a disaster fund, and each citizen can make the decision whether it's a worthy cause. (Shumer's note: we do this pretty well already, don't we? Yea, and amen.)
 
(11) The Pledge of Allegiance will be said every day at school and every day in Congress. (Shumer's note: including, "In God we trust.")
 
(12) The National Anthem will be played at all appropriate ceremonies, sporting events, outings, etc.

I could live with those suggestions. Could you?

I would be proud to vote for this candidate. Wouldn't you?

Okay,so I'm not thrilled with either choice, but there's no way I'm voting for Obama. At least McCain made the choice a bit more palatable by choosing Palin. I don't have to hold my nose so much, and I can vote FOR a candidate. 

It also helps the comparison / contrast given at Saddleback Church courtesy of Rick Warren's forum, and for me, most especially in their response to Warren's question, "At what point does a baby get human rights?"

Obama said that to answer that question with specifity was "above my pay grade." McCain said without hesitation that a baby's rights begin at conception.

But are there any other reasons to vote for or against one or the other?

The fact that the entire liberal media complex is in the tank for Obama, and have absolutely no shame in making no bones about it, is a strike against the big O, in my book. (Even though the Obama campaign has treated the media as so many lapdogs, unless individual members voice support for McCain, then it's, "Off the plane with you, pal. and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

So is the fact that Louis Farrakhan has anointed Obama the Messiah in his endorsement.

So is the fact that for 20 years he thought Jeremiah Wright's views were right and proper and decent and good. And it took a lot for him to finally repudiate the man and his racist, anti-American views.

Add to that the fact that if you speak negatively against him you are labeled a bigot. Call me guilty I guess, even though I wouldn't care if he's black, green or purple. His color is flaming liberal-socialist-Marxist, and that just clashes with my view of the American picture.

Add to that the fact he can paint it anyway he wants, but he has had a close association with a known and unrepentant terrorist.

And why should we overlook a member of his family from Africa living here illegally? I don't. (At least, there's only one we know about.)

But that's just me.

Barak Obama would have us believe he hasn't had a close relationship with Bill Ayers. The New York Times carried a story on Saturday, October 4, 2008 that proved you had a significantly closer relationship with Bill Ayers than what you previously admitted.   

Barak Obama has said in an interview that he only saw Tony Rezko a couple of times a year. The Chicago Sun reported on May 8, 2008 that FBI records showed that you had a significantly closer relationship with Tony Rezko than what you previously admitted -- at least weekly, according to the FBI.

In a Philadelphia speech on March 18, 2008 about "race" Obama contradicted his statement to Anderson Cooper on March 14 when he said he never heard Reverend Wright make his negative statements about white America. What was he listening to for 20 years while attending Trinity Church?

In his first debate with John McCain, Obama claimed he never said he would meet with the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and North Korea without "preparations" at lower levels. Joe Biden repeated this claim in his debate with Sarah Palin. The video tape from his debate last February clearly shows Obama answering "I would" to the question of meeting with those leaders within 12 months of his election without "any" preconditions.  

On July 14, 2008, Obama said he always knew that the surge would work. Video tapes of him from more than a year ago show him stating that the surge would not work. 

Obama now claims that his reason for voting against funding for the troops was because the bill did not include a time line for withdrawal while the video tapes of him from more than a year ago show that he voted against additional funding because he wanted our troops to be removed immediately, not in 16 months after the 2008 election as he now claims.

Obama claims to have a record of working with Republicans while the record shows that the only bill that he sponsored with a Republican was with Chuck Lugar, and that bill failed. The record shows Obama voted 97% in concert with the Democrat party and that he has the most liberal voting record in the Senate. Obama joined Republicans only 13% of the time in his votes and those 13% were only after agreement from the Democrat party.  

In the primary debates of last February 2008, Obama claimed to have talked with a "Captain" of a platoon in Afghanistan "the other day" when in fact you had a discussion in 2003 with a Lieutenant who had just been deployed to Afghanistan.  

In the debates last spring, Obama claimed to have been a "professor of Constitutional law" when in fact he has never been a professor of Constitutional law. In this last debate, he was careful to say that he taught a law class" and never mentioned being a "professor of Constitutional law."  

Obama and Biden both claimed that John McCain voted against additional funding for our troops when the actual records show the opposite. 

Obama and Biden claim that John McCain voted against funding for alternate energy sources 20 times when the record shows that John McCain specifically voted against funding for bio fuels, especially corn ... and he was right ....  corn is too expensive at producing ethanol,  and using corn to make ethanol increased the price of corn  from $2 a bushel to $6 a bushel for food.   

Obama and Biden claim that John McCain voted like them, for a tax increase on those making as little as $42,000 per year, while the voting record clearly shows that John McCain did not vote as Obama and Biden.   

Obama and Biden claim that John McCain voted with George W. Bush 90% of the time when they know that Democrats also vote 90% of the time with the President (including Joe Biden) because the vast majority of the votes are procedural.  Obama is one of the few who has not voted 90% of the time with the President because he has been missing from the Senate so often since the day he was elected.   

Obama did not take an active roll in the rescue plan, claiming the Senate did not need him. Was the real reason that he abstained was because of his close relationships with the executives of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Countrywide, and Acorn -- who all helped cause the financial problems of today -- and all made major contributions to his campaign?

Obama forgot to mention he personally represented Tony Rezko and Acorn. Tony Rezko, an Arab and close friend, was convicted of fraud in Chicago real estate transactions that bilked millions of tax dollars from the Illinois government for renovation projects that Obama sponsored as a state senator. Acorn has been convicted of voter fraud, real estate sub prime loan intimidation, and illegal campaign contributions. Tony Rezko has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Obama's political campaigns.  Obama personally used his political positions to steer money to both Tony Rezko and Acorn and he used Acorn to register thousands of phony voters for Democrats.

During his campaign, Obama said: "typical white person"... "they cling to their guns and religion"...  "they will say that I am black." Isn't that playing the race card? Interesting that he tried to label any criticism about himself as racist. 

Obama is divisive. He claims he will reduce taxes for 95% of America, but forgot to tell America that those reductions are after he removes the Bush tax reductions.  He has requested close to $1 Billion in earmarks and several million for Acorn.  His social programs will cost America $1 trillion per year, and he claims that a reduction in military spending ($100 billion for Iraq) can pay for it.   

The drain to America's economy by foreign supplied oil is $700 Billion per year (5% of GDP) while the war in Iraq is $100 Billion (less than 1% of GDP). Obama voted against any increases to oil exploration for the last 3 years and any expansion of nuclear facilities. Yet today he says he has always been for more oil and more nuclear. 

Obama claimed that he "changed" his mind about public financing for your campaign because of the money spent by Republican PACs in 2004.  The truth is that the Democrat PACs in 2004, 2006, and 2008 spent twice as much as the Republican PACs (especially George Soros and MoveOn.org).    

Mr. Obama has done nothing to stop the actions of the teachers union and college professors in the USA. They eliminated religion from our history. They teach pro-gay agendas and discuss sex with students as young as first grade. They bring their personal politics into the classrooms. They disparage conservatives. They brainwash our children. Is he reluctant to condemn their actions because teachers/professors and the NEA contribute 25% of all money donated to Democrats and none to Republicans?  

At every turn, we find lies, deceit and distortions. What a great man the Democrats have nominated, eh? Obama makes Bill and Hillary look good by comparison. (The last President to be impeached was Bill Clinton.)

Consider John McCain. He is a Naval Academy graduate and genuine war hero who has consistently put his country first.

He has operational leadership experience like all 43 previously elected presidents of the USA as a Navy Officer for 22 years. He has 26 years experience in the Senate.  

Is he a maverick? 54% of the time he participated on bills with Democrats, and he has never asked for an earmark. The only blemish on his record is his part in the Keating 5 debacle about 25 years ago.  

John McCain is honest. I might not always agree with him, but I believe him when he says something.

Remember the election in 2006? Before voting a Democratic Congress in 2006...
- Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high
- Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon
- The unemployment rate was 4.5%. 

Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen...
- Consumer confidence plummet
- The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $4.70 a gallon
- Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase)
- American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses)
- Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars
- 1% of American homes are in foreclosure
- Food prices skyrocketing over 30% in 1 year

America voted for change in 2006, and we got it! And now Obama would like us to vote for more change. Remember, it is Congress that makes the laws and spends our money -- not the President. He has to work with what's handed to him. 

Whether Democrat or a Republican you will find these statistics enlightening and amazing

SOURCE: www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.HTML 

Taxes under Clinton [C, 1999] vs taxes under Bush [B, 2008]
- Single earning $30K -- taxed C $8,400 vs. B $4,500
- Single earning $50K -- taxed C $14,000 vs B $12,500
- Single earning $75K -- taxed C $23,250 vs B $18,750
- Married earning $60K -- taxed C $16,800 vs B $9,000
- Married earning $75K -- taxed C $21,000 vs B $18,750
- Married earning $125K -- taxed C $38,750 vs B $31,250

Barack Obama promises to return to the higher tax rates if elected. It is amazing how many people who fall into the categories above think Bush is screwing them and Bill Clinton was the greatest President ever. 

If elected, Barack Obama has already promised that he will repeal the Bush tax cuts, and amazingly, a good portion of the people who fall into the categories above can't wait for it to happen.

Is the war in Iraq costing us too much? Maybe there are some other areas which need a bit more attention by LEGAL CITIZENS. Consider...

$11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments.
- Verify at: http://tinyurl.com/zob77 

$2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.
- Verify at: http://www.cis..org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

$2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens.
- Verify at: http://wwwcis..org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html 

$12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English!
- Verify at: http://transcripts.CNN.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.HTML 

$17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
- Verify at: http://transcripts..cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html 

$3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.
- Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html 

30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.
- Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html 

$90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers.
- Verify at: http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html 

$200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.
- Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html 

The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens.  In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the US 
- Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html 

During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the U. S from the Southern border.
- Verify at: Homeland Security Report: http://tinyurl..com/t9sht 

The National Policy Institute, 'estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.'
- Verify at: http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf 

In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin.
- Verify at: http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm 

'The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States.'
- Verify at: http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml 

The total cost is a whopping $338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. 

Are we THAT stupid? 

If we vote for Obama, maybe we are.

I firmly believe God is going to give us the leaders we deserve. God help us all if we deserve Obama / Biden, Pelosi, Reid et al.....

Well, lookie here: for the second year in a row, Syracuse has upset Louisville, this year 28 - 21, and at the Dome. And Syracuse actually seemed to play fairly decently in the win. This is the first win over another D-1 program this year, and it's a little bit of a surprise, since the Cards had won 3 in a row, including an impressive beat down of South Florida last week.

As head coach Greg Robinson's said, "We needed this win," demonstrating once again his mastery of the understatement, though even this win won't do much to help his job situation. But it gets them not only in the win column "period," but a win in the conference as well.

Who knows? Even though they travel to Rutgers next week, the `Cuse has actually not played as poorly as their record suggests, at least not consistently bad, so perhaps they can put together another set of 4 quarters and go on a roll: two in a row?

Then again, probably not. But for now, a win is a win is a win.

Have you heard how Obama's "truth squad" goons want to use law enforcement to make sure only nice things are said about him in Missouri?

Have you heard Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's response? 

Well, just in case you hadn't, allow me to share it with you. It's well worth your time and attention:
-----
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Gov. Blunt Statement on Obama Campaign’s Abusive Use of Missouri Law Enforcement

JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Matt Blunt today issued the following statement on news reports that have exposed plans by U.S. Senator Barack Obama to use Missouri law enforcement to threaten and intimidate his critics.

“St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch, St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer, and Obama and the leader of his Missouri campaign Senator Claire McCaskill have attached the stench of police state tactics to the Obama-Biden campaign.
 What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words, the party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment.
 This abuse of the law for intimidation insults the most sacred principles and ideals of Jefferson. I can think of nothing more offensive to Jefferson’s thinking than using the power of the state to deprive Americans of their civil rights. The only conceivable purpose of Messrs. McCulloch, Obama and the others is to frighten people away from expressing themselves, to chill free and open debate, to suppress support and donations to conservative organizations targeted by this anti-civil rights, to strangle criticism of Mr. Obama, to suppress ads about his support of higher taxes, and to choke out criticism on television, radio, the Internet, blogs, e-mail and daily conversation about the election.
 Barack Obama needs to grow up. Leftist blogs and others in the press constantly say false things about me and my family. Usually, we ignore false and scurrilous accusations because the purveyors have no credibility. When necessary, we refute them. Enlisting Missouri law enforcement to intimidate people and kill free debate is reminiscent of the Sedition Acts - not a free society.”
-----
Not much more any one could add to that, amen? Except perhaps to take note of the fact that Gov. Blunt  exercised quite measured restraint in this matter!

Other than, can I vote for him for Governor of my state next time?

Please?

Well, that's it for today and thanks for stopping in, 

Timotheus, a brother in Christ

Many years ago a group of country and western artists, including Johnny Cash and his wife June, got together and made a tribute ablum, depicting the life of Jesse James in music. For what it was, it was pretty good. One of the songs discuss the news about Jesse, being ambushed and left for dead by some Union soldiers, getting nursed back to health by his cousin, and the fact that he was getting hitched to her. The tag line to the song was, "Have you heard the news, boys? No, give us the news."

Thus, today's journal entry asks, "Have you heard the news, boys?" 

Some of it you probably have. Some of it you I highly doubt, especially that which pertains to some very local concerns. Local as in where I live, which is Syracuse, N.Y.. Perhaps you won't even care about it. That's okay. I still plan to vent on items large and small, and give you the news. So, if need be, just deal with it, dude, deal with it.

But it won't all be local stories. Promise. So let's buckle up and take a ride.

I'm a 1986 graduate of Syracuse University. This year's edition of the football team was 0-3 going in to yesterday's game against the mighty Huskies of Northeastern, a school which is in the FSC or FCS or whatever it is now -- it used to be Division I-AA. 

Wow. What a story. A D-I program beats a I-AA school. 

I won't go into the details. And I suppose a win is a win is a win. But since the Orange performance should really leave the team tinted red as in blushing for how sub-par it was in terms of dominating an opponent, all it really did is continue to expose how bad this team is.

Greg Robinson now has 8 wins as a college head coach. In 4 years. 

He won't be here next year. There's not much point in firing him now. Let him finish the year, instead of dumping this debacle of a team off on any other coach, even one of his assistants.

Greg's a great guy, or so they say. I believe that. He just hasn't been what we hoped he'd be as our coach.
-----
Speaking of local sports, our Triple A ball club, the Syracuse Chiefs, have signed a new multi-year affiliation deal with the Washington Nationals. At one time Syracuse was the farm club of the Yanks, but Syracuse has been with the Blue Jays since their inception. The last few years haven't seen too many winning records for the Chiefs, and management feels perhaps Toronto doesn't use their farm system to develop players in such a way that there can be winning at every level.

They had hoped to woo the Mets, but New York went with Buffalo. The Nationals did everything they could to make their case, including sending one of their owners and the GM to tour our facilities. They were very complimentary in public, and seemed to be sincere. The Marlins had shown some interest, but for better or for worse the powers that be voted unanimously to align themselves with Washington. 

Let's hope it's an interesting affiliation.
-----
I love how the Dumocrats < Yes, it's a mis-spelling; and your point is...? > seem desparate to tie Dale Sweetland to George Bush. But then again, they're trying to tie everyone to Bush. Now there's an original campaign strategy. 

And then Dan Maffei's sickly sweet "can't we all just get along ad" comes out in which he claims we aren't Democrats or Republicans at the gas pump, suggesting that if they can just put party bickering aside they can solve that problem. And of course he'll help with that.

Apparently Danny boy thinks we aren't smart enough to figure out that it's been his party who have done everything in their power to block real relief at the gas pump, without offering one iota of the inkling of an idea that you might be able to suggest something we can do to solve the problem, other than being obstructionists to progress and leading all that bickering. The Democrat party -- sorry, gang, they are anything but "Democratic" -- are the party of DON'T. ''

Sadly, we normally have to suffer through with them representing us here in New York.

Then there's Mike Arcuri. He's got this cute commercial where he's cutting, cutting, cutting: cutting his lawn, his son's hair, and claiming he cut's lots of taxes, finally saying he approves the message because he ""never met a tax I didn't want to cut." 

Right. Like he's cut all the taxes he claims to have cut.

Hey, Mikey, the party of the Donkey is the original tax and spenders, and nothing they've done -- or griped or moaned about -- tells me they'll do anything any different now. 

Unfortunately too few in the GOP stand out as real tax cutting small growth limited government types any more.
-----
Hey, Pakistan, how's it feel? 

They've just suffered a terrible terrorist attack, and we should never wish that on anyone, but their new President, ""Mr. Bhuto" [I know that's not his name -- just his identity] was in such a rush to demonstrate his independence from Washington that he was quick to condemn the cross-border raids by American commandos coming across the border from Afghanistan to hit Al Qaida militants in safe areas on Pakistan's "sovereign territory."

Maybe this will help him reconsider the need to let the good guys get the bad guys?

Doubtful.
-----
Our church pianist is a messianic Jew. Yesterday I attended shabbat services at his synagogue. It was interesting to say the least. I really appreciated how they honored the Word of God, and their unique style of worship, which seemed to have a lot of freedom and emphasis on Jesus. Can't fault them for that! Very Jewish, and a bit more charismatic than my liking, but the sermon would have been well received in our church as it was in their synagogue. A rewarding experience. I'm really glad I went.
-----
I love listening to Ravi Zacharias every Sunday morning at 8:30 on our local Christian radio network of stations. He's great. Right before Rave each week they broadcast R.C. Sproul's weekly show.

The last few weeks he's been highlighting philosophical foundations of western civilization. I couldn't bring myself to listen today. The last few weeks when I have listened I can't recall one reference to Jesus, and there was a distinct absense of teaching which would help build me up in Christ and lead me into a closer relationship with Him, or even challenge Christians in any area in which we need to be challenged.

My reaction after last week's show? What a waste of resources. And even if you give him the benefit of the doubt that he's saved, which I believe he is, he'd be hard pressed to give you that benefit. He believes in and teaches personal, pre-temporal election. 

I still have a hard time understanding how he can really convince anyone they need to get saved. If you truly believe what he believes, there's nothing we could say or do which will change the outcome for that individual, because unless God had chosen you, personally, in time eternal in the past, you might as well get used to really, really hot climes.

So I suppose what's the point in trying to help the elect get closer to Christ and have a burden for the lost? The lost can just go to hell, I guess. No need in wasting time on minor matters like that when you can talk about Plato and Aristotle and philosophical mumbo jumbo, right?

Yeah, maybe it's not a fair representation of all he believes. But then again his theology isn't a fair representation of what God believes, in my humble opinion. So I consider us even.
-----
What IS this world coming to? We've recently had a member of the military and his wife arrested for sexually abusing and raping children as young as 16 months and as old as 13 years. 16 months?!?!?

I guess this is how sick sick can be.

Then there's the 56-year old man who beat his 80-year old mother to death with her own crutch. 

http://wcbstv.com/local/far.rockaway.son.2.821021.html

When you devalue life the way we have as a society and culture, you reap what you sew.
-----
How should we react to the Ray Boltz bombshell?

Prayer, for him, his wife and his family.
-----
Charlotte Dennett thinks if she's elected Attorney General for Vermont she would have jurisdiction to prosecute the President for murder concerning the way on terror. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080919/ap_on_el_st_lo/prosecuting_bush_2

The Progressive Party candidate ought to have her head -- and law degree examined. Let's see, are they really offering those in cracker jack boxes these days? That is, if she has one.

But of course, the good folks of Vermont will probably elect her. 

Wow. The syrup isn't the only thing which runs really thick up there, eh?
-----
If any Republican had called the Veep candidate for the Dumocrats "disabled" -- totally ignoring the fact that Gov. Palin has a new born which could be called "disabled," although one who the Palin's rightly observed is a blessing from God -- he or she would have been tarred and feathered by now, at the least, and perhaps lynched for good measure. 

http://wcbstv.com/campaign08/congressman.charles.rangel.2.821541.html

And someone like Charlie Rangel would have been leading the charge with the torches and rope.

Of course, his tax problems would have caused the Dumocrats to call for any Republican in the same spot to be impeached, and all that good blah blah blah. But not Charlie boy. He'll even get to keep his Chairmanship of Ways and Means.

Oh, yeah, those JackA... err, DONKEYs... really know all about reform, don't they?

But of course, the fact that he doesn't pay his proper taxes in 2004, 2005 and 2006, because he didn't properly report all his income, isn't his fault. It's not like he violated the public trust. Just ask him, he'll tell ya!

No, it's a guerrilla war the Republicans are waging, just to smear the Dems, and these facts are really just insinuation and half-truths.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080919/ap_on_go_co/rangel_ethics

I'd say what a putz, but that honor goes to everyone who's voted for him more than once.
-----
Not that I'm the first to sling names. The "Black's Against Obama" are really just "Aunt Jemimah's" according to their critics, and Gov. Palin is a bunch of things I'll refrain from reprinting here, according to the wonderful and talented and gracious Sandra Bernhard.

Well, she's all those things if you are having a bad trip on acid and magic mushrooms.

http://www.breitbart.tv/html/178233.html 
-----
I suppose some are saying, "Boy, Bro. Tim, you're not being very nice today, are you?" 

And posting on a Sunday of all things!

Guilty as charged.

Once in a while I suppose you just have to keep it real.

Well, I'll post this later, when I help my daughter figure out a resume to use to apply for a job.

In the meantime it's off to church for a concert tonight.

Thanks for spending a few days. I hope the blast of my vent wasn't too horrendous to take.

Blessings,
Timotheus, your brother in Christ

AP writer Kathleen Hennessey reported on Wed., Sep. 17 on some of Mr. B's new get tough stratecy in campaigning. 

QUOTE ~
In Elko, Obama tried to anticipate his critics and called on the crowd of about 1,500 to sharpen their elbows, too.

I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors. I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face," he said.

"And if they tell you that, 'Well, we're not sure where he stands on guns.' I want you to say, 'He believes in the Second Amendment.' If they tell you, 'Well, he's going to raise your taxes,' you say, 'No, he's not, he's going lower them.' You are my ambassadors. You guys are the ones who can make the case."
~ UNQUOTE

I guess if you can't win an argument on substance it's better to try intimidation?

And for the record, I know Mr. B believes in the Second Amendment -- only he'd like it to remain ancient history. He and his party are for taking guns out of the hands of law-abiding Americans.

And for the record, I don't care what his supporters CLAIM, I believe he will raise taxes. Period.

So let them grunt and grundge and guffaw and be rude, if they choose. Maybe those of us who are not supporting Mr. B will simply get in his supporters face and argue right back.

I mean, after all, Mr. B wanted a really civil campaign, and I can see now clearly how he's encouraging one to develop, can't you?

Of course, don't you just love how Mrs. B wants us to understand we shouldn't just vote for Gov. Palin because she's "cute?"

At least she is cute, Mrs. B. But I believe I would vote for her based on where she stands on the issues, thank-you very much.

Lord help us all if Mr. B is elected. Frankly, He is the only hope we have, but maybe we'll see that more clearly if B. Hussein Obama is elected.

Oh the nightmares this election season is engendering...

"Husker du" is a Danish / Norwegian phrase which was the name of a concentration game when I was a boy. I don't even know if the game is around any more, but the phrase stuck with me. It means, "Do you remember?" 

It's an appropriate question for Americans to ask on this day in particular. Do you remember 9-11?

Growing up, I heard plenty of times people would say, "I remember where I was when I heard the news Kennedy had been shot." I was born in 1964, so that was before my time. But I still remember some historical landmarks. I remember being a rather small, five year old boy, sitting on my living room floor in the apartment we lived in, in England, where my dad was stationed in the Air Force, and watching on our little black and white set as the first man set foot on the moon. We were an Air Force household, so that was a big deal. Of course, it was a big deal in every American household, and every household of every nation, for that matter.

I vaguely remember Watergate. More fresh is watching Pres. Ford pardon Pres. Nixon and not quite being sure I understood what was going on, only that it was historic.

I remember our bicentennial, and enjoying lighting sparklers on my porch -- which was on the second floor connected to the flat in which I lived with my mom. The country gave itself a good birthday that year, as we should have done.

I was just about to board a bus home from campus when I first heard the news that the Challenger had blown-up. Another sad day. It was a cool and rainy day, as I recall. How appropriate.

And of course, I remember where I was when I heard the news of 9-11. I had driven about 3 hours that morning to attend a pastor's conference, way out in the country. The news reached us in dribs and drabs, and at first we only heard there had been a terrible accident, but the news kept coming in all morning long. It was strange and unsettling not being able to reach home via the phones during the mid-morning break. But by lunch time the full story -- the outline of the truth, at least -- was made known to one and all. We were shocked, grieved, and we prayed.

The drive home that day was surreal. The radio coverage was continuous and grim. There wasn't a lot of traffic on the roads, so I made good time. I remember pulling into the parking lot of our church / parsonage and there was my family. They had been scared by the sound of fighter jets overhead. We hugged a long time.

I went inside, and the pictures coming into our homes were stark, satanic, deadly. How could this be?
-----
At that time I was also serving as a "Pastor for the Day" on a local Christian radio network. In fact, I used to post my devotions here the same day they were scheduled to air on the network. Once a month, three times during that day, they would air a pre-taped devotion of about 3 minutes in length. My regular slot was the fourth Monday of the month. The first opportunity I had to tape and air a devotion after Sep. 11 was Oct. 22. In commemoration of the day, here's the text of that devotion. I think the words are still relevant, and I hope you find in them some blessing:

HELLO FRIEND, THIS IS TIMOTHY SHUMER, PASTOR OF COLOSSE BAPTIST CHURCH IN PARISH ~ YOUR PASTOR FOR THE DAY. 

This devotion is the first messaged I’ve taped as Pastor for the Day since the Sept. 11 attacks. I’ve heard that, nation-wide, there’s been an increase in church attendance, but I wonder what churches are seeing an increase. Of the pastor’s I’ve spoken too, most haven’t seen a noticeable increase in either church attendance, or during the altar call. One pastor said they did have a large number of visitors on Sept. 16, but the following week it was back to business as usual.

Business as usual. Isn’t that what we’ve been encouraged to get back to, business as usual? The problem with that is that business as usual before Sept. 11 in America wasn’t that great, or Godly.

Business as usual for many of our political & religious leaders was to call good evil and evil good. Many reject the absolute authority of the Word of God, and promote pluralism in the place of absolute truth

Business as usual was to say any religion or belief was fine, as long as you were sincere, since all religions lead to Heaven ~ even though the Word of God teaches that that is a lie straight from the pit of hell

Business as usual was to promote all sorts of perversions as just an alternative lifestyle, and to exploit the poor by legalizing gambling

Business as usual was to say murdering the unborn was simply a choice, and if someone shot an abortionist, well, that’s justifiable murder

Business as usual was to pollute the t.v. and internet with all manner of profanity and immorality, defending it as freedom of expression

Business as usual was to say to God...we do not want You or Your Word in our schools, or our courts, or our government, or our homes...in fact God, Your Word is too narrow-minded and old fashioned, and we do not wish to risk corrupting our children or our selves with the dangerous, bigoted beliefs You represent. After all, isn’t that why we’ve built a wall between church and state?

Business as usual on Sept. 10 was for America to cry loudly to God, “Please remove Yourself and Your influence from our nation.” 

Isn’t it odd that some would actually ask “Where was God on Sept. 11?”

Maybe God took us at our word, since we refused to take Him at His Word.

In Luke 13, Jesus is told about some Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

What happened on Sept. 11 was a terrible, terrible tragedy. I do not at all want to minimize the loss of life, or suggest that those who committed these crimes do not bear full responsibility for their actions. They do.

But I wonder if God allowed Sept. 11 to take place precisely because He does NOT want us to get back to business as usual. I think it is at least a thought worthy for us to consider.

GOD BLESS YOU TODAY, MY FRIEND. THIS HAS BEEN TIMOTHY SHUMER, OF COLOSSE BAPTIST, YOUR PASTOR FOR THE DAY.
-----
For today, may I say that I think it's a downright shame and disgrace -- though no surprise -- that most of the media outlets have so cozied up to Isalm that it didn't take long to remove all vestiges of the attack -- in their visual form -- out of the public eye, almost as if the media were hoping our memories would fade, and out of sight, out of mind.

But not everyone has forgotten. Jim Byers hasn't, and he's donig what he can to make sure you and I don't either, @ http://www.fdnylodd.com/9-11-Never-Forget/Memorials/Blood-Of-Heroes.html.

Have you forgotten?

We must never forget, and we must remember to thank God for the blood of heroes.

I strongly encourage you to go to the site and watch this powerful presentation. Here's the text Jim shares there, which I hope whets your appetite:

n October of 2002, after hearing all the nay-sayers whining about going to war to fight against terrorism, (and to protect our interests and defend our allies) I wondered; how exactly do we defend and maintain our freedom then? If not by the violent destruction of those who would threaten us, then by what means? There comes a time when even peace loving people have to fight. It seemed to me that far too many of us had forgotten the real issue in all of this - the people. More precisely, the American people - our Founding Fathers, our veterans, our military, our civil servants and even regular folk - those who have died or could die in the service of this country - in establishing, protecting and maintaining our freedom. If this isn't enough of a reason to go anywhere to fight anyone - to preserve the American way of life - then what is there left on this earth that matters at all? God help us! I made 'Blood of Heroes' to remind people that everything we enjoy in America today is the result of someone's sacrifice, that it is constantly threatened - and that it is still worth fighting for. Not a lighthearted thought, indeed. Hopefully, this site will remind us all of the human cost that has been paid for our freedom, our safety and our luxury. A price paid not just so you and I can vote and pray, but also so we can sit on the couch, watching TV, having 30 minute pizzas delivered to our doors. Even if you don't vote or pray, there is still plenty left worth fighting for. Think about that. With all the invective about "blood for oil", we are not only justified in going to war - we were obligated to do it - and to do it in every place on this earth that ever poses a threat to the American way of life. It isn't blood for oil. It's blood for freedom - the blood of our heroes. We owe it to them... and we owe it to our children. Period. We are lucky to live in the United States of America - and this privilege didn't come cheap. Our Founding Fathers were not cowards. They made immense sacrifices to establish this Great Nation in freedom - not the least of which was going to war with the enemy of that freedom. All of those who have fought in the subsequent wars and conflicts and those who are fighting today have continued to make sacrifices in order to defend those original ideals. Even now, our civil servants, particularly Firefighters and Police, are making sacrifices to maintain the quality of our lives in this freedom. If you are not willing to do everything in your power to defend this Great Nation, even taking up arms if it is necessary, then who will? If you will not defend America, that is your choice - but sit in silence and do not criticize those brave and valiant individuals who have the sense of duty, the measure of courage and the determination of heart to protect America... and, I might add, your cowardly soul.Some have written with criticism. One person said they thought that including the photo of the woman falling from the building was in poor taste. Well, I am sorry you feel that way, but reality isn't always pretty. That woman really did jump - and so did hundreds of others. Yes, the photos are offensive - not because they are graphic in nature - but because of what they represent. None of them are even close, visually speaking, to the level of violence on any major network during prime time. When I hear people make this charge, what I really hear them saying is 'I can't handle reality, I need to be in denial.' Well fine then, go back to sleep Virginia. Brave men will protect you. Just stop criticizing them for doing it the only way they know how, even if it is ugly. Some people would have us forget that a heavy price has been paid so that we can live in comfort and security, barely even noticing the reality of the world around us. But that privilege didn't just fall out of a box - it was established in blood. The fact that you are comfortable is no reason to take it for granted. On September 11, 2001 - taking it for granted was no longer an option. I am sorry if you feel that the depiction of actual events should be watered down into some kind of a Hallmark Card event, just so you can feel more comfortable. That kind of logic dictates that we may as well forget the whole thing. Sorry, not here. Not now. Not ever! If we cannot remember this for what it really is, then why remember it at all? I dare not take any real credit for this presentation. After all, it is only significant because of what it showcases. All I did was take someone else's photos, someone else's quotes and someone else's music and put it all together to try and remind us all of something we should never forget anyway. The email link is not here for my benefit, but only because I would hate to miss the opportunity to share this with even more people. Many viewers have contacted me through email to ask if they could have a copy to show at gatherings for emergency and military personnel, in their churches and at their schools. That is a huge blessing to me as it means even more people will be reminded. 

I hope you will take a few moments to reflect on what we have and who paid for it. Look up and thank God that you live free in a nation that is blessed by Him and defended by heroes. Romans 5:8,9 May God continue to bless America and all who defend her. Fly the flag. 

~ Copywrite Jim Byers 2003, "for non-commercial use only"
-----
Finally, may I say if you're looking for another unique patriotic presentation, try "America: Why I love Her" < http://sagebrushpatriot.com/america.htm >, written by John Mitchum and recited by John Wayne. It's a really great presentation, and worth your time.
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In closing, I certainly hope God blesses America, but I think it's far more urgent for America to bless God. I don't think it's too late, but I do believe we are getting close to that point of no return.

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me today. Until next time, may the Lord richly bless you,
Timotheus, a brother in Christ

This year's Presidential Race was nothing to write home about. For a Christian conservative, there didn't seem to be a really palatable choice. I wasn't ready to drink the kool-aid so many conservatives had and follow Romney, in large part because he is a Mormon, and especially because he ran away from that. Then Huckabee disappointed big time as he seemed to make some gains in the race and but couldn't get traction and in an effort to do that he seemed to willfully distort Romney's record -- and in some circles, willful distortion is just another way to say "You lied." 

When it seemed inevitable that McCain would win, his conservative credentials weren't worth the toilet paper they were crayoned on, and I still doubt them greatly. But the Democrats were taking a prolonged effort to self-destruct, and that was worth the time of day, and it's pretty clear that those scars of acrimony haven't scabbed over yet, which I must admit I enjoy with some glee. 

But I suppose Obama's win was a bit more of a surprise than Clinton's coronation -- although now Mr. B seems to have assumed the mantle can be assumed, and his anointing as the liberal messiah is only waiting for a date which would go down in infamy this coming November. 

And to a conservative Christian, all of this theater of the absurb was depressing because the duplicitous media got their wish on the Republican side, McCain, and their stars were aligning on the Democrat side -- and notice, please, my refusal here to use "Democratic," which they demonstrate time and again as a party they are anything but! -- to shine brightly against the evil, black backdrop the media was sure to paint, which long, slow, broad strokes in Darth Vader black of the man who is John "George Bush" McCain. 

The trial balloons Mr. McCain were sending up on a running mate of Mr. Lieberman or Mr. Ridge, fine men personally I suppose, but being to the LEFT of McCain would thrill the elite media machine since that would all but seal our doom come election day.

And then out of nowhere -- be it left field, the blue, or other parts hither, yon and nether -- McCain tries to put forth the idea that he is indeed a maverick with an amazing Veep choice: Sarah Palin!

I for one, couldn't be happier.

And I am not one, for I am not alone.

The media has set out in short order to savage this good woman, and a backlash has begun in short order, too.

Why isn't anyone discussing Joe Biden, except in relation to how he'd better "handle with care" his Veep opponent come debate time? Because he just doesn't matter.

Why are the liberal forces massing against Sarah Palin, and attempting to reach critical mass in short order -- including some ugly elements of invective interjected by the Obama whisperers? Because she matters too much. Her choice has ushered new life into the McCain campaign, including new life into his TREASURY. Ah! Mother's milk!

It might have been McCain's convention, but he showed the wisdom of his years to let a lovely hockey mom steal his thunder.

So often in politics, I often feel I don't have any choice but to vote AGAINST a candidate. This time around, I am thrilled to be able to vote FOR a candidate, even if that candidate if John McCain. On such a critical issue, he showed rare and wonderful judgement.

And I for one am glad.

And I am not alone!

In honor of Sen. McCain's choice of Gov. Palin as a running mate, and to offer my support of both his choice and his candidacy, I wanted to offer the full text of her speech from this week's RNC, straight from www.JohnMcCain.com. But size limitations here prohibit it.

So here's the link: http://www.johnmccain.com/informing/news/Speeches/c1af6c79-f5bf-42ed-9fb9-9e83b0c580e1.htm

Review, re-read, re-watch... Enjoy!

And thanks for spending a few minutes with me today. Until next time, God bless!

Your brother in Christ,
Timotheus

I suppose by now I should have already made some comments on the election. It used to be a subject of some merit within the confines of this journal. But not much has been normal in a while. 

Be that as it may, here's a few scattered thoughts. First, if Mr. Obama wants to be the candidate of change, he really proved it with his pick of Mr. Biden, didn't he? Not! Anything but, unless of course by "change" you mean "I'm going back to a reallly old and worn out but tested and tried and true tax and spend dyed in the wool Liberal with a capital L." And a proven plagiarizer to boot!

If you were looking for the annointing of a messiah as the next President, you clearly saw that last Thursday with Mr. B's speech in his Greek Temple. But Zeus... or Apollo... or even Hermes or Hera he's not.

He's a great talker. Great. He's exibited poor judgement in his friendships < William Ayers, Rev. Wright >, he hasn't got a record to run on, and he's an unabashed Liberal Democrat.

There's really no comparison when given a choice between Obama and McCain, is there? Honestly. No. 

I didn't really find "having" to vote for John palatable... until he pulled out his surprise Veep choice, Gov. Sarah Palin. Talk about taking the wind out of Mr. B's sails the day after his speech! Wow. That was great.

I think she's an absolutely great pick, for all the right reasons, and even some of the less than "PC" reasons, like the Alaskan bumper sticker which has come to light in the last few days which reads something like this: "Coldest state. Hottest Governor." 

I agree with all the positive which has been mentioned about Gov. Palin, her experience, her small-town, hockey mom appeal, great on Second Amendment issues, great on the economy and big ticket issues like energy and the war, and such like. 

The one thing which I would like to see get more play is the fact she comes across -- genuinely -- as a regular person, the mom next door, your neighbor. It's about time the "People's House" had some regular folks invited back in to do some of the "People's business."

I especially praise the Lord for her stance on life and traditional marriage, and the fact that she is an evangelical Christian < though I don't know much about that aspect of her life yet >, and I praise the Lord that she and her husband responded as you hope good parents would < at least on the surface in public > when it came to the news of their youngest son who would be born with some significant life challenges, and when it came to the news and subsequent revelation of their unmarried teen daughter's pregnancy. Good stuff.

She strikes me as tough, smart, certainly photogenic, and I think she's a great and savvy choice, one which gives me a reason to vote FOR McCain and not just AGAINST Obama.

Now, before I close, what about that message from the Huckster? Well, I'm on his mailing list, a hold over from when I was actively supporting him for the nomination. Even though he disappointed me in some significant ways, I still like the guy. Here's his basic e-blast report after last night's events at the Republican Convention came to a close:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Governor Mike Huckabee
Date: Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 11:57 PM
Subject: My Thoughts From The Convention Floor

What a fantastic night for the GOP. Governor Sarah Palin's speech was a homerun.

It's clear to me that Gov. Palin has what it takes to lead. She's tough, funny and a great speaker. Her line about hockey moms and pitbulls had the entire audience laughing. But behind her jokes and toughness is a genuine sincerity. Sarah understands what its like to have to work hard for your dreams. She understands the choices families are making everyday. You can't fake that kind of sincerity and it can't be taught. And it may be the quality Americans admire most in their leaders. I also want to say Mayor Giuliani and Governor Romney were equally strong.

The Convention is rocking and eagerly awaiting Senator McCain's speech tomorrow evening.

I urge you to tune in.

If you missed my speech, we have posted the transcript and the full video on the Huck Pac website.

Will email again soon.

Mike
Huck PAC, Inc.
P.O. Box 2008
Little Rock, Arkansas 72203
Paid for by Huck PAC, Inc.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee
www.huckpac.com
< If you want the details about his PAC, please visit his site. >

---------- End of Forwarded message ----------

For the record, I am currently registered with the "Right to Life" party in my state.

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for surfing on by and giving me a few moments of your time. I hope you'll come again in the near future. Have a God-blessed day. Until next time...

Your brother in Christ,
Timotheus

I suspect many of you will recognize that verse from "The Revelation of Jesus Christ," verse 19 of chapter 1 to be exact. And perhaps a fair number of those of you who recognize from whence it comes will also realize that this verse was a golden gift from the Lord which outlines the entire book.

I bring this up because on Wednesday nights I lead the Bible study at church. Now this isn't so new but I can't really remember where I'm at in terms of sharing with you where I'm at, in life. To review in brief: I resigned as pastor, and we came back "home" -- literally, moving in with my mother-in-law; and Spiritually, back to our home church.

We worked in working there slowly, but sooner rather than later I was asked to serve as a deacon, and that was possible because the Lord opened up an opportunity for me to get out of retail and into a job where my Wednesdays and Sundays would be free.

But the job -- going back to some of my secular work roots, as a collector -- didn't work out. After three months I was frankly frustrated with what I was being asked to do, and the general "how" collections was done at this agency, the atmosphere, the ambiance, the ethos, the call-it-what-you-will. The owner was a nice guy, as bosses go, and he really didn't want me to leave. I was, if nothing else, productive in making out-going calls. 

But it just wasn't what I wanted. So with some of our tax return still available, I quit in search of... something else, and hopefully something better.

I landed -- and just in time, what a quinkie-dink, eh God? -- at a non-profit organization, a consumer credit counseling organization. I got the job through a temp agency, as a temp-to-hire position; hired, that is, if they liked me, I liked them, and passed all their qualifying tests.

I passed, and they decided to keep me, and I decided to be kept. As of yesterday < 8-26-08 > I was officially "converted" from being an agency employee on staff to being employed by the organization, full-time, with benefits. So it's really a nice thing.

And I like the job, and I like helping people, too.

I also like the fact that conversion included a fairly good raise, something much needed. I have been wondering as of late if I needed to get a part-time job, and time will only tell if I still need to consider that, but for now we'll see how working out at this new pay rate works out.

So I have a good job and an active ministry at church, and perhaps the prize part of it for me is the Wednesday night Bible study. I really love to teach.

Now when I say that you might not fully understand where I'm coming from. You see, there are plenty of "Bible teachers" in the world today, on t.v., on radio, on the net, on the corner. MANY of them "teach," but it's really lecturing. Is that a valid form of teaching? Absolutely. Is it the most effective? Not at all.

The old saying of "the art and science" of a profession surely applies to teaching. There are some basic principles which you can learn which can be applied to teaching, but the actual teaching is an art form, and one must develop your artistic expression by practicing the craft.

And I think if there is a primary lesson to teaching it is this: be interactive.

Learn that principle, and you will go far, but only as far as you apply. A great key to that, then, is learning how to draw others into the conversation, how to interact with individuals in the group, and the group individually. 

Thus, learning how to ask good questions, and being a great facilitator of the answers and the conversation which ensues, while adding your own input, well, it takes some practice to get that art form down just right.

I'm not trying to say I'm the greatest teacher in the world, or that the better known "Bible teachers" you hear and see and read and so on and so forth are lesser for lecturing and not interacting -- or at least if they interact we usually don't get to experience it, Woodrole Kroll on "Back To The Bible" being a striking exception to this rule, for the group of people he has around the table, and the interaction he has, even it is more him talking than anyone else.

But I am saying it's the interactivity of teaching that I love, and I love to teach. So leading the Bible Study on Wednesday evenings is the high point of my week.

When I first came back to church, Pastor had me teach through some of the Psalms, and then eventually he moved me into 1 Thessalonians. I taught that by paragraphs, so the study lasted about 20 weeks. Towards the end of that study, Pastor polled the regulars to see where their interest lay, and while there was some diversity the most consensus came to eschatology, the study of end times events. So, soon enough, Pastor announced that he would be giving some lectures on the covenants in preparation for me teaching the book of the Revelation.

The general plan was to spend 1 week introducing the book, 1 week on chapter 1, 1 week on a general discussion of the 7 churches, 1 week each on each of the epistles to the 7 churches, and then 1 week on each of the succeeding chapters. That will mean, for all practical purposes, that some of the chapters will be better served, covered and taught by taking a topical approach to the most important topic in them. 

For example, the major topic of Rev. 13 is the anti-Christ, so we might just study the topic anti-Christ rather than simply going through the verses, when we come to it.

But still, no matter how it all works out, I'm excited to be teaching it, again. I think I have taught through and preached through this particular book about half a dozen times so far, and I've studied through it several more times than that. And it's a wonderful learning experience each time for me.

And I've shared all this with you to share one main key about the book: when you study it, remember that it is "the Revelation of Jesus Christ." It unveils hidden things about our Messiah and Saviour and Lord, and reveals them quite clearly, and we can learn so much more about Him, and we can learn to love and appreciate Him so much more, from a careful study of this book. 

And that's a great key to understanding the book: keep your mind's eye on Jesus. See what the book has to reveal about Him, and so much more about the book will be revealed to you.

And for now, I think that's all I have time to reveal. Thanks again for stopping in, and for giving me a few moments of your time and attention. 

Until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ

When I consider that my last entry prior to this was April 26, when I was boasting I wasn't really dead and that I would have a lot to share, and then before that it was January 31, when I was still semi-regular in this forum... Well it's been a long time.

I have returned, or at least, I believe I have. But it's not like I wanted it to be. Not that it has to be of historic proportions, like the return of Christ, or even the return of Gen. Macarthur, or even the return of Jordan or Favre. Fat chance for any of that. 

But it still won't be like I wanted it to be. So much has happened since I was last here, and so much water has passed under the bridge that it seems pointless to even attempt to try and comment on any of it.

And part of the frustration in trying to get back here was just how to go about, now that so much water HAS passed under the bridge?

Recently, I've gotten back to posting regularly on a forum I used to post on all the time. And I was asked there what I believe. And what a man believes is a good place to start to get to know him.

So, in an effort to sort of start with a clean slate, I thought I would attempt this come back by presenting what I believe. It's a brief summary of my own personal "Statement of Faith." I don't claim originality, but I do claim to be proud of what I believe. 

And let's also bear in mind that what you do IS what you believe, and all the rest is just religious talk...

And then of course, in the days ahead, I hope to get back to getting to much more of what I used to be getting about. Once or twice a week.

Thanks again for dropping in, even if it's for the first time, and spending a few moments with me. As always, your comments are warmly welcomed. 

Until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ
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REV. TIMOTHY SHUMER, M.A. ~ BRIEF PERSONAL STATEMENT OF FAITH

PLEASE NOTE: The Scripture references given in this statement are intended
to be “representative” rather than “exhaustive” in supporting the various points given.

I do hereby affirm and agree with God that the following truths are taught in Scripture as absolute facts, and therefore I believe...

That the creation of the universe and man happened by direct fiat of God, in 6 literal, 24 hour days ~ Gen. 1, John 1:1-5, Col. 1:16-17

That there is a Triune Godhead ~ Father, Son, Holy Ghost ~ Who are eternally co-existent ~ Gen. 1:26, Matt. 3:16-17, Acts 5:1-10, 1 John 5:7 ~ And of the same essence ~ Rev. 15:4 with Acts 3:14 and Luke 1:15

In the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, and in the inerrancy and authority of Scripture as given by holy men of old who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. I believe God has preserved His Word so that today we can say we have THE Word of God. And today, I believe God's Word has been kept intact for native speakers of the English tongue in the King James Version of the Bible ~ Deut. 29:29, Prov. 30:5-6, Rom. 15:4, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, 2 Pet. 1:19-21, 2 Pet. 3:15-16

In the incarnation and virgin birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, by the conception of the Holy Spirit ~ Matt. 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-37

That Christ was a vicarious sacrifice for the sins of the world by the shedding of His blood on the cross of Calvary ~ Matt. 27:46, John 3:14-18, John 19:30-34, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:20, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2

In the bodily resurrection of Christ from the tomb ~ John 20:26-29, 1 Cor. 15:4-8

That the gift of eternal life by the grace of God is bestowed upon all (everyone and anyone) who will truly believe the Gospel ~ John 3:16, Rom. 6:23, Eph. 2:8-9

In the permanent indwelling of the Holy Ghost Who empowers believers for holy living and Christian service ~ John 14:22-26, John 15:26-27, Acts 11:17-18, 1 Cor. 6:19-20, Eph. 1:13-14, Eph. 2:10-22 

One practical aspect of the gift of the Holy Ghost ~ Acts 2:38, Acts 10:45 ~ is that if a person is truly converted to Christ and “born again” then they are secure in Christ and can never lose their salvation, for salvation is not some “thing” but a Person – Jesus Christ – and a relationship with Him established by the new birth ~ John 1:10-13, John 10:25-30, 1 John 5:10-13, Rev. 3:14-20

In the institution of the local church for this dispensation, commonly known among us as the Church Age ~ BEGUN: Matt. 16:13-20 ~ WAITING to be empowered: Acts 1:8 ~ PERMANENTLY EMPOWERED (for the duration of this dispensation): Acts 2:1-5 

I believe the Biblical order is ~ Holy Spirit inspired conviction based upon the proclamation of God's Word, repentance, belief & salvation ~ Mark 1:14-15

I believe once a person is saved they can then be Scripturally baptized by immersion ~ Acts 2:38-41, Acts 8:35-39 ~ This is not an option, it is a command ~ Matt. 28:19

I believe baptism is the "key" to the church, that is, church membership, however, I also believe that it's primary function is an outward picture of an inward Spiritual reality ~ Acts 2:38-41, Rom. 6

Today the church has as it’s primary Christ-given mission three main points which should be reflected in all she does – preaching the Gospel; baptizing all who repent and believe; and then teaching these converts to all things whatsoever Jesus commanded [ie: helping the convert grow into a Spirit-filled disciple of the Lord Jesus] ~ Matt. 28:18-20, Gal. 2:20

I believe that the Lord's Supper was given to the Church, and therefore you must be a member of a local church and you should partake of the Memorial Meal ONLY in the Body to which God places you into, at His direction, discretion & pleasure ~ 1 Cor. 11-12

In preaching as God's method of reaching the world today, and the gift of preachers to the church ~ Rom. 10:14-15, 1 Cor. 1:17-31, Eph. 4:11-13

That EVERY believer is COMMANDED to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in their life ~ John 15:1-17, Gal. 5:22-25 ~ I also believe service to God is the right (and responsibility) only of those in Christ, and is best done within the context of their local church ~ Eph. 2:10, Heb. 10

That the Spirit gifts every believer as He sees fit, and that every believer ought to strive to know their Spiritual gift and utilize it within the church to the glory of God ~ Rom. 12:3-8, 1 Cor. 12-14, Eph. 4:1-7

I believe that God can choose any method He desires to reach people, and to confirm the preaching of His Word, however, when "that which is perfect is come" (ie: His Word in the native tongue of a people / language group), then the need for signs & wonders & miracles ceases to exist ~ 1 Cor. 13

Further, if God uses "tongues" or "miraculous signs" today, I believe He will do so exactly as His Word said He did when He first used them ~ Acts 2, 1 Cor. 12-14

I believe if someone has the gift of healing, they'd better use it to the glory of God, and not be a preacher who's getting "meats for the belly, and belly for the meats" ~ So frankly I do not believe in faith-healers (so-called), but I do believe God can heal by faith ~ James 5

That the Lord is most pleased when we cultivate the greatest fruit, charity, and employ it in all that we do, especially concerning the proclamation of God's Word and Truth to all ~ Matt. 10:16, Gal. 4:16, Eph. 4:15

In the pre-tribulational rapture of all true Christians by our Lord Jesus Christ at His imminent return ~ 1 Thes. 4:13-5:6, Titus 2:13, Rev. 1:19, Rev. 4:1 ~ And the pre-millenial return of Christ with His saints to rule and reign for a literal 1,000 years ~ Rev. 19 & 20

In the vital need for evangelization due to a literal heaven and a literal hell ~ Mark 9:43-48, Mark 16:15-16, Luke 12:5, Luke 16:19-31, John 3:14-18 ~ In the final eternal punishment of the devil and his angels, along with all the lost of all the ages, in the Lake of Fire, after the Great White Throne Judgment, and that this will be followed by the creation of a New Heaven and a New Earth, the eternal bliss and home of the saved, wherein dwelleth righteousness ~ Matt. 25:41, 2 Pet. 3:1-13, Rev. 20 - 22:5

I also believe there's too much "born against" preaching & not enough "born again" preaching. However, I also realize when you stand for the Lord and His Truth you stand against certain practices and beliefs. So, in case you aren't clear on this from the above... 
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN NEO-ORTHODOXY, NEO-EVANGELICALISM, THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMEMENT, OR THE "TONGUES & HEALING & SIGNS & WONDER" MOVEMENT OR CROWD (AS THOSE "MIRACLES" ARE COMMONLY PRACTICED BY TODAY).

If something in the above statement was not 100 % clear, or I did not cover something you 
would like to know about – especially where I stand on any doctrinal matter – please ask ~ Matt. 7:7-8

I believe these things represent the faith once delivered to the saints which we are exhorted to earnestly contend for in confirming and defending that faith to all, friend and foe, in as Christ-like a manner as we are able to think, speak and act ~ Jude 3, 1 Pet. 3:14-16, 2 Pet. 3:17-18, Phil. 1:7, Phil. 1:17, John 3:30

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. ~ Numbers 6:24-26

...but I'm sure it's seemed like that.

There's a lot to share, and I doubt I'll be able to share it all.

But I'll try to share some.

And I'll try to do that soon.

Blessings,
Bro. Tim

PRIMARILY SPEAKING... With each primary result, each party's race seems to be shoring up. By now John Edwards is gone on the Democrat side, and the Republicans have recently lost Fred Thompson and Rudy Guilliani [sp?].

Obama was clearly the front-runner coming out of South Carolina, but Hillary's "victory" in Florida gives her and her lib-media supports some "mo'" to use going into Super Tuesday. McCain seems to continue to gain steam and all the conservatives who are upset over this and over Romney's continued also-ran showings are using Huckabee as the whipping boy for the reason why Mormon Mitt can't win.

Why most evangelicals aren't coming out and reversing that argument, as to why any evangelical is taking Romney seriously and giving votes which should go to Huckabee is beyond me. I know those who consider themselves the only "true conservatives" will not accept Huckabee any more than McCain, but I chuckle over that when I consider that some "fundamentalists" won't accept an evangelical as their brother, either. Go figure.

I think the Democratic side is a bit less certain now. No comments out of me on that until after Super Tuesday. As to the Republicans, McCain is the choice of the blue bloods who trend more liberal anyway, and that's sad. I fear if McCain effectively raps things up on Super Tuesday, it will be an all but certain celebration for the Donkey party come November.

Why do I fear that? Because no matter if it would be a Pres. Obama or a Pres. Clinton "2" [but who expects the liberal media types to do that to her as it has done to our current President?], they will be the absolutely worst thing for the pro-life movement. Not to mention how bad that will be for our country's problem with illegal aliens -- and, no, I don't expect using the PC Police's term for them makes it any better, sort of like before the media had to grudgingly accept "pro-life" instead of continuing to foist upon us all the lie of "anti-abortion." And, of course, the election of a Democrat would more than anything else signal the sure and certain loss of the war on terror. At least those are my fears.

One can only hope a McCain presidency would be a tad better on abortion issues, especially on the appointment of judges to the Federal bench, and I trust he would simply be better in terms of military issues, though for the life of me I can't see much difference between him and any other liberal on immigration policy.

But that's just me.

LISTEN UP!... Here's a heads up for all of you. I am scheduled to be a guest on "Open Mike," a local-origination show on the Mars Hill Network on Friday, Feb. 8. The focus of the show will be prayer, especially to take prayer requests and pray for them on the air. If you are in the MHN listening area [most of New York State and select parts of eastern Canada], I hope you'll tune in at 8 o'clock on the 8th. If you can't listen over the air, perhaps you'll consider listening online by pointing your browser to http://www.marshillnetwork.org and tune in to the live audio stream of the broadcast. [This is recommended only for those who have something faster than dial-up.]

WHAT'S COOKIN'?...Recently I was at the main branch of our county library system -- recently as in the entry I wrote about my adventure downtown -- in fact, it was the last entry here. I was waiting to use one of the p.c.'s they have available, and since I had some time to kill I decided to try to find a novel to read, just for pleasure. It's been a long time since I had a book to read just for fun, but that hasn't diminished how much I like to read. So I start looking at the stacks on the floor I'm on and wouldn't you know it I'm right near the large-print books. Well, that's not so bad. I'm getting older and my eyesight is, too.

So I start looking through and the thought hits me, why not try a Stephen King? It's been a lll-ooo-nnn-ggg time since I read one of his books. I still enjoy a spooky story, though I don't watch most spooky-scary-supernatural thriller movies because most are rated "R," and for good reason. With every passing year, what passes for an "R" rating gets to be simply more and more revolting to God, and it should simply be that to any of his children.

The central library does have a LOT of books, and a good number of large print editions. I would guess they have all of King's novels, but not all in large print. But that's okay, I haven't read most of his works, so they would all be new to me, and just having 8 or 10 to choose from should be a sufficient choice, no matter who the author is, right?

I finally settle on one, and as I mentioned before, started reading it to be sure I wanted to borrow it before my p.c. time began. I did borrow it, and in the next day or so began reading it in earnest.

Wow. Was that a mistake.

First, one of the reasons I haven't read a Stephen King novel in a long time is because I read most of his works before I was saved. Second, I will admit to being scared by his books in the past, but in this one the parts which were supposed to be scary were either bland or funny, so the effect I sought was a bust. Third, my mind and soul were literally assaulted by all of the cussing in the book.

I was no better for the attempt to read this book. In fact, I was far, far worse for the experience. Especially the foul language, for that's who I used to be, and who I don't want to be any more. For a moment I thought, "Wow, does he have to portray his characters talking like that?" And then I thought better of that critique, because the truth is he's probably trying to emulate real life, and when I think about some of the conversations I can't help overhearing at work -- you know, like when all you're trying to do is eat your lunch in the lunch room and there are others simply talking in there -- or when you're waiting on a customer and you can't really regulate their conversation...

It does make me wonder, why do people feel the need to swear? And then I think, they don't feel the need to swear, it's just part and parcel of who they are. It's sad.

But, because the Bible declares that we should ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. ~ I am thankful for this. It was a great reminder and a wake up call.

It was a reminder to me that when you go into the realm of the world don't expect anything more than the things of the world, including their salty-saltless language.

And it was a wake up call to remember the old adage, "You are what you eat." And as with most things, that is as true Spiritually as it is physically. As in...

Galatians 6:6-8  Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Proverbs 1:20-33  Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:  She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, [saying], How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Proverbs 6:12-19  A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness [is] in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.  Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him:  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Romans 2:6-11  Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:  For there is no respect of persons with God.

Romans 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Romans 13:11-14  And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].

2 Peter 2:20-22  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

So, if you are what you eat, what are you? Perhaps it's better to ask, what's cookin'? As for me, I can tell you I got sick from what I ate, but after a healthy dose of that which comes from The Good Seed, I'm feeling much better.

WELL, FOLKS... That's all for now. I'm just happy I was able to get in one more entry before January, 2008 came to an end.

As always, thanks for stopping in, and until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ

P.S.: MOST OF THE COMMENTS SUBMITTED FOR POSTING ON MY JOURNAL ENTRIES ARE ADS OR SPAM. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER NOT ALLOWING ANY MORE COMMENTS. IN AN EFFORT TO WEED THROUGH ALL THE COMMENTS IN A MORE EXPEDITIOUS MANNER, IF YOU WISH TO LEAVE A COMMENT PLEASE SIGN YOUR ENTRY WITH YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME. IF YOU DO NOT WISH YOUR LAST NAME POSTED ONLINE, PLEASE STATE THAT IN YOUR COMMENT AND I WILL DELETE IT FROM YOUR ENTRY BEFORE I POST IT. HOWEVER, IF YOUR COMMENT IS SUBMITTED WITHOUT A FIRST AND LAST NAME I WILL SIMPLY DELETE IT WITHOUT REVIEWING IT.
     I TRUST MOST OF YOU UNDERSTAND MY DILEMMA, AND WILL HONOR MY REQUEST. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP UP WITH THE LEGITIMATE COMMENTS WHILE SPENDING LESS TIME REVIEWING SPAM COMMENTS. BECAUSE I SINCERELY DO WELCOME LEGITIMATE COMMENTS, PERIODICALLY I WILL ADD THIS POSTSCRIPT TO ENTRIES, TO ENCOURAGE MY E-FRIENDS & VISITORS TO DO JUST THAT.
     OF COURSE, YOU STILL HAVE THE OPTION OF SIMPLY EMAILING YOUR COMMENTS TO ME. THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND ASSISTANCE IN THIS. GOD BLESS!

This past Saturday John McCain pulled a mild surprise when he took South Carolina. He must not be considered the front-runner without question. This is unfortunate because if he is able to parlay his early success into the nomination, the Democrats will be firmly in control of the White House and Congress come November. That also bodes ill for America when it comes to the third branch of Government, since there are Justices simply waiting for a liberal to be in power in order to retire. What a sad and awful spectacle that suggests for our great country. And how real. God help us!

And yet that may be what God is doing -- helping us to receive just want so many have asked for, for so long. Getting what we deserve... "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" [Revelation 22:20b].

As a large part of my political self is interested to see how the next Republican primary/-ies will unfold I'm going to set aside my desire to write about the type of candidate I'd really like to see in this dog and pony show -- a la "If I were the candidate..." -- and move onto something different.

This past Saturday I visited a co-worker in the hospital. She in her thirties, too young for the problems she's having, especially some heart trouble. She was hoping to be discharged Tuesday, and then face an undetermined amount of time for recuperation, which will also include having her gall bladder removed. Only time will tell how long she will have to be out of work.

I tried to keep the visit relatively brief and light, including the delivery of six pages of blonde jokes to raise her spirits, some "M & M's" for her kids when they next came a calling -- later that day, in fact -- and a flower from the gift shop. She seemed genuinely pleased and a little bit surprised at the visit, but glad. We had a nice little visit and then she got a phone call, and while she was on the phone her father arrived. After a few pleasantries I decided this would be a good time to take my leave -- though neither of them made me feel that way -- but frankly with her being as ill as she's been, it seemed to me one of the best thing for her is to spend time with her Dad. So I took the opportunity to pray with them both, and just before leaving I proffered one more gift, a Gospel of John, noting that I have often found comfort in God's Word, and hoped she would, too. And, sincerely, I hope she reads and finds the hope I have.

I've been praying for her, and will continue to do so. I'd appreciate your prayers for Lisa, her health, her work situation [hopefully not being out of work too long], her family -- especially comfort for her young daughters -- and for her salvation as well.

My plan for the rest of the day was pretty simple. From the hospital to downtown proper is about a 10 minute walk, so I planned to walk downtown, especially to visit the main branch of the library, and then hop a bus home.

The walk downtown was uneventful, save for the brutal cold which swept in from the west. Miles north of us the wind brought in several feet of snow, but here in Syracuse it only brought bitter cold. But it was sunny, too, so it was bearable enough.

On the way to the library I stumbled upon the local pro-life rally in observance of the horrendous anniversary of Roe-v-Wade and Doe-v-Bolton. I say stumbled in part because I had forgotten this was the weekend for such activities, and also because I frankly didn't know this march was planned. Clearly it was organized by the local Catholic diocese, and had a distinctly Catholic flavor to it, but it was also clear that any friend of life was welcome to join them.

I decided against staying and joining in the march because I didn't know how long a time they had planned for it to go on, and I really did have some things to take care of, so I listened to some of speeches and clapped with the rest, and then continued on my way to the library to finish the errands I had planned. As I left I wondered why more evangelicals weren't in the forefront of events like this. I wondered why I wasn't. And, no, I don't have any good answer.

It wasn't long before I made it to the library, and signed up to use a computer. I had a little time to kill before my reservation so I went and found a book to check out. I began reading it to be sure I wanted to borrow it, and then it was my time to be on the pc. I got done all I needed to, and then was preparing to leave when I saw an old high school friend, Walter.

Walter's worked for the library all these years, and for the police department, too. He does some computer work for the police, and general customer service the library. It was nice to catch up a bit with him, and I invited him to come hear me preach the next day [for the evening service] at my home church where I would be filling the pulpit while my pastor was guest speaker at a church pastored by a friend of his. Walt said he'd might come, but I suspected he wouldn't. However, we did exchange phone numbers, and I look forward to being in touch with him in the near future.

I also once again gave him a tract and hoped he would read it, and heed it.

Coming out of the library, I phoned home to update my family on my progress, and it was getting a bit late so I decided I would try to find a bite to eat before coming home. Strolling the main street in search of meal stired memories and thoughts.

It had been a long time since I spent any significant time downtown. I walked the long city block from the library to the main bus intersection, got a schedule for the bus I was planning to ride home, and then tried to figure out where I could go to eat on a Saturday afternoon. Many of the lunch places that are open during the week are closed on a Saturday.

I quickly decided that it would be nice to take home some carmelcorn -- from the landmark Carmelcorn shop, of course -- and headed in that direction. That's one place that hasn't changed in so many years, one of the most comforting things about downtown, because so much has changed.

As a boy I can remember the many downtown department stores, stores which truly had distinct departments and knowledgeable salespeople who made a career out of the fine art of selling. I remember the Woolworths with it's bi-level shopping and lunch counter, Dey Brothers, Sibleys, the K-mart I was arrested at for shoplifting [another long story -- mostly I was a troubled youth who made a misguided attempt to get some attention], and several other stores.

As I grew, the downtown landscape changed. I remember how the stores seemed to move out slowly, yet all at once. There's an office building there which now houses a radio station, right off the main square where so many community events are held each year, currently featuring the Christmas tree and community creche [which was the subject of a federal law-suit some years ago and now stands protected because of that suit!]. It's also on the site of the fountains in the warmer weather months, which double as a skating rink at this time of the year. Saturday was so nice as to attract a good number of skaters, too.

But that office building had once been a mall, and I remember shopping there, thinking how neat it was that someone tried to bring a mall to the heart of the city. There's still a mall there, sort of. It's anchor is the library, and it used to have a lot of shops and a food court. Now the food court is gone and most of the shops, replaced by mostly office space. But it's still a good use of a building, I suppose.

I remember the old library, still standing and being used by some group I can't remember why. What a great building, put up by Andrew Carnegie. Just like the one in Fulton, though Fulton's is smaller, but still used as a library. Oh, the wonderful architecture cities hold.

Perhaps some of my memories were stirred on the walk downtown, passing by our museum. I remember visiting there frequently in my youth, and thinking I should take my kids one of these days. And one of these days I shall.

I passed the skating on the way to the sub shop I recalled seeing downtown, only to find it was closed on Saturday. Getting there necessitated me passing the old Federal Post Office. What a grand structure! I still remember as a boy visiting there to conduct postal business [ie: buy a stamp and mail a letter, like duh!]. Ah, memories, sweet memories.

I was getting frustrated and hungry at this point, when I noticed two door down from the sub shop a pizza joint. Thank the Lord! I got some good char broiled wings and some loaded fries, and then off I went, back-tracking to the main bus stop for my ride home.

On the way there I passed the newspaper building, which holds memories of my time when I was involved in the newspaper club -- it's sponsored by the Boy Scouts but for the life of me the proper name simply escapes me right now! -- and what things I learned there.

Waiting for the bus brought back memories, too. Before I had a car, and when I worked downtown, the bus was it for transportation. We have a very good bus system here, very much on time and dependable, and rather affordable all things considered. It's hard to reconcile now how I really survived on the bus, but I did, and when I did it was just fine.

It was still brutal out waiting for the bus, but finally it came. The bus line I would ride home on once upon a time has been discontinued by the transit company, but the one I rode home came close to it. And as I sat on the bus waiting to go home, and then in the going home, my thoughts turned to my brother. Years after I grew up and had a car and was more or less self-sufficient in that respect, he still relied on the bus as his primary way to get around. In fact, he just got off a bus moments before he dropped dead on that June day when he died.

My thoughts turning to him, stirred up a whole new set of memories and thoughts, and more than their fare share of sadnesses, too. What a hard life he led. How I did not appreciate my brother or demonstrate my love to him sufficiently. I didn't help him enough either. The many ways I was not a good brother.

I know some who know me and knew him might protest and try to make me feel better, noting how he was so proud of me, and loved me, and appreciated the help I did give him, and always spoke of me, and spoke well, and so forth. And that would all be true, yes. But so would all the memories and thoughts which came roaring back to me, and overtook me on that bus ride home.

Getting to my stop, getting off, and walking the block or so home gave me a chance to collect myself, and get mentally prepared to move forward with the rest of my night, allowing my wife to get out to see her mother [who is doing rehab in a center after a brief hospital stay due to problems she's had with her legs], to take care of the children while she was gone, and to get some work done on the sermon I was to deliver the following night.

Ah, that sermon! I know it was the Word of God, and I know a few were moved by it sufficiently to go to the altar, but I also know that it just fell a bit flat. I don't mean to degrade the Lord here, nor presume I knew everything it might have done in people's hearts. But when you do something visible for the Lord, like teach, preach, sing a special, and so forth, you ought to want to do a good job for His sake. I tried, but perhaps I tried too hard, and perhaps it was too long, too. Not perhaps, it was, maybe by 10 or 15 minutes.

And as soon as it was done I realized all that I could have said and done differently. Maybe I'll bear that in mind should I be given another opportunity to serve the Lord in that way.

And, all of that is another story not worth sharing for now. Thanks for letting me vent about my adventure from this past weekend, and thanks again for stopping in, for giving me a few moments of your time and attention.

Until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ

P.S.: MOST OF THE COMMENTS SUBMITTED FOR POSTING ON MY JOURNAL ENTRIES ARE ADS OR SPAM. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER NOT ALLOWING ANY MORE COMMENTS. IN AN EFFORT TO WEED THROUGH ALL THE COMMENTS IN A MORE EXPEDITIOUS MANNER, IF YOU WISH TO LEAVE A COMMENT PLEASE SIGN YOUR ENTRY WITH YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME. IF YOU DO NOT WISH YOUR LAST NAME POSTED ONLINE, PLEASE STATE THAT IN YOUR COMMENT AND I WILL DELETE IT FROM YOUR ENTRY BEFORE I POST IT. HOWEVER, IF YOUR COMMENT IS SUBMITTED WITHOUT A FIRST AND LAST NAME I WILL SIMPLY DELETE IT WITHOUT REVIEWING IT.
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The results from Michigan are slightly disheartening for me as a Huckabee fan. Not that Mr. Romney scored a "big" win -- 9 points -- nor that he won several distinct categories of voters. Some of this was to be expected.

First, Michigan was a must win for the Mormon candidate. While the Romney camp has been very liberal in campaign spending, they spent even more in Michigan in an attempt to secure a victory. You might not think they would have to, since Mitt's father was Governor, allowing Mitt to play the role of favorite son. But the realities of this campaign forced them to make that expensive decision. What failed in Iowa and New Hampshire finally succeeded in Michigan. Thus his win in Michigan can be said to have been somewhat expected.

That he garnered a majority of votes of those who classified themselves as Republicans isn't of necessity unexpected. Based on the media autopsy of the win, I surmise these votes would be the old guard country clubbers, and they probably feel very comfortable with Romney, who is likely perceived to be one of them.

I can to a point understand how he might win the conservatives, because Mormons have a very conservative persona, even though some of Romney's own stands are legitimate flip flops on social issues.

But how in the world did he win with the evangelicals? Is it because so many of their fearless leaders have decided Romney is the best choice? Is it because people don't really think Huckabee could win, or they want to punish Huckabee in some weird Rush-Limbaugh-conservative inspired way? Hey, if enough people vote for Huckabee, he will win.

I would expect Evangelicals who say they believe the Bible would agree that most Mormons have been deceived by the devil and are involved in a cult. I know Huckabee refused to be suckered into that line of questioning by the media, and perhaps it is appropriate for him to take a no-stand stand on that particular issue in the press, but I have no qualms about saying it. Biblically speaking, Mormonism is a cult, a false psuedo-Christian cult.

Romney is a Mormon, so at best we can say he has been willfully deceived and continues to be so. At worst -- and let's remember he did serve his time as a missionary, very faithfully as reports have put it -- at worst Romney has helped in deceiving others.

If a man is going to be so wrong about Biblical truth, if he can be so deceived about it, how can any evangelical even think to trust him with their vote for the most powerful job in the world? Not to mention the problems with his record, especially from a socially conservative point of view.

Sorry, but I just don't get it. If Romney becomes the eventual nominee, I seriously will have to think long and hard about if I could vote for him. I certainly could not vote for any of the Democrats, but I hate to use my vote as a vote against a candidate. I would much rather vote for one.

Lord willing, I will be able to post this on the day of the South Carolina primary. I can't see how Romney wins here, and if he doesn't I think that really spells trouble for him in Florida. Thompson might be a spoiler in S.C. for Huckabee, but that remains to be seen. As a Huckabee supporter, we can only hope that he wins S.C. and is propelled forward into Florida.

Of course, many think McCain will have something to say about it. I hope S.C. has something to say about McCain, the same as when they took him out of the race last time.

Very seriously, if you are an evangelical, and you plan to vote for Romney, I would really be interested in your reasoning. I can respect that you might not choose Huckabee, on any number of planes. But to vote for a deceived member of a pseudo-Christian cult, one that preys on unsuspecting, young believers, and leads millions of others astray, often straight to hell?

Forgive me if I don't sound sincere in asking, but I truly am sincere and in earnest. How do you justify voting for Romney. I really would be interested to know. Perhaps you would drop me an email and let me know?

In the meantime, the more I speak about this election, the more I feel strongly that I should write an entry along the lines of, "If I were the candidate...," to express what I would love to hear one candidate state as what he believes and what he would do, and to really live up to those statements as well. Perhaps very soon.

In the meantime, thanks again for stopping in, and for giving me a few moments of your time and attention.

Until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ

It's a fact of real life that there are some really stupid people. I suppose it's also a sad fact that we are sometimes them. It doesn't just happen to the best of us, but to all of us.

That said, it's almost worst when we happen to be the victim of a stupid person. I say almost only because if we are the perpetrator of stupid, that is worse. But being the victim runs a close second.

I was the victim recently. [What? You thought I might `fess up on myself?]

I was waiting on a man who had a small purchase to make, about $4. He decided to use a credit card. He's charging a $4 purchase? Well, such a small amount no longer carries the stigma it may have once. Lots of people do it, and really I suppose if they are fine with it why should I quibble.

It's standard to check the card of the purchaser, to make sure there isn't anything to be concerned about, protecting against fraud and such. So after HE swipes the card, I ask to see it, and HE hands it to me. [Emphasis mine.]

The name on the card is a woman's name. Not a name which might be a man's, like "Lee," but rather clearly a woman. And he was clearly a man.

Obviously he realized there would be some question about it, so he says, "Don't worry. It will go through. Trust me." As if he really was trying to perpetrate a fraud he would admit it?

To complicate matters, the card holder had written on the back, "Please ask for I.D.," which is a very smart thing to do on a credit card. Unfortunately many places no longer check these things, but some places and some cashiers do. And I did.

So I say something like, "I'm sorry sir, you're clearly not [the cardholder -- I don't even want to mention the real first name here for obvious reasons]. Is there a way we can contact the card holder by phone to see if she will approve the sale."

It would be an understatement to say that this was not quite the idea he had in mind. It was clear he was exerting an excessive amount of energy to restrain himself from freely cussing me out, and I do believe if he thought he could have taken a swing at me, he would have.

However, he obliged by taking out his cell phone and calling his "fiancee." She was very happy to grant her permission, and more than understanding about why we were asking. In fact, she was almost effusive in her thanks to me for checking.

I thanked her for her time, and handed him back the phone, which he disdainfully closed and put away. I finished the transaction, and processed it as a phone sale, which I wrote in the place where he would have signed had it been his card.

This prompted him to say, "What did you write t