So Sick!

They started me on new antibiotics last week that made me sicker! I still had the lung infection, but the meds gave me a bad headache all the time, as well as nausea. I was down all weekend. This was depressing, I felt like I could not win. Anyhow, I called my doc about this and he changed my script (to Keflex or something). Anyhow, this is working. I feel SOOOO much better! I am very thankful. Maybe this junk is finally getting beat. If you remember...pray it does.

Check the next post! The video sums up what Obama is trying to accomplish. I hope he succeeds.

The Message.......

Are any other Presidential candidates saying these things? Absolutely not!
AND, he claims to NOT be taking PAC money.

I have been reading the Biography of Ben Franklin...
Based on what I'm reading there, this is not fluff,
it is what this country was founded upon.

Red State Update: Earth Hour

Well. I guess Google was just celebrating Earth Hour. I would have liked the black...this is funny though.

Google!!!

I like the new black Google sign on screen! Do you?

I am still fighting this lung infection...pneumonia? That's what they think. I'm on a second round of antibiotics.
I'm much better, but still am congested, and short of breath. I also get tired easy. So it stinks. I can't exercise, so I am getting in even worse shape. Ugh.

So enough complaining. I bought an ancient Roman coin from an Ebayer. We had some email exchanges where he told me he had 2-8 weeks to live...so it's all relative, huh!

Sean, on "Interact" (URL?)...check the comments...he added a google chat to his blog. It's cool, I might add it as well..when I FIGURE OUT HOW. :-)

Safari

You can get the Apple browser now, called Safari. It is fast, and easy to use (typical Apple). And it is a free download. I like it so far. I have not gotten it to do tabular browsing; however, that might be my fault...not sure. It it turns out that it does not have that feature I'll propbably stay with Firefox.

Missions

Jen just got home. For spring break she did mission work.....in Tulsa! Cool, huh?
There were several area churches involved. They went out each day during the week and helped build, and repair facilities; encourage other missionaries, and organize different groups, or churches; and anyone in need. She slept on the floor in a downtown church. She said it was cold. She didn't bring warm clothes...so she borrowed some. They had their van stolen the first night. Bummer! It worked out though. They got another, and the theft was caught on a security camera. Maybe they'll catch the thieves. Anyhow, I'm proud of her. That is a very cool thing to do during break!

China

I heard from semi-reliable sources that China has blocked Google, Google News, and Google Finance on the internet. In addition they have barred CNN form the country. Why? The Tibet demonstrations. This is censorship on a grand scale.

Why are we not hearing more about it? Should our government, or other media be commenting, or better, raising hell? Why not take some action? If this is really occurring, why the silence? Could it be economic? (i.e. China, the trading partner, and China the biggest investor in our national debt?) Incredible.

Preaching the gospel?

I attended, for a year or so, a church who had an African American pastor, and he NEVER talked like Obamas did. If you listen with out the explitives deleted its really quite shocking. And the Obamas were apparently quite close to this pastor! I like Obama, and his message, but this event begs the question..."What else don't we know?"
It may not matter. At this time it appears the Democrats are going to have a train wreck at their convention, and hand the election over to John McCain.
Never a dull moment, that's for sure!

The building project

I just opened a letter from our church elders about a financial problem we are having, and will continue to have until we can raise a substantial amount of money. It's our, that's right...our mortgage. A number of years ago, during more heady times, the leadership (now long gone) decided to embark on a huge project. Yes! A new building. Now 5 yrs latter, we're strapped.

It's weird that so many churches end up in this place. A growth spurt, followed by prayer, and a plan to build a new facility. Now, growth is slower, and we have a huge mortgage. Personnel have been laid off (sacrifices to the "new building" god), and leadership is scrambling. Again, what puzzles me is the number of times I have seen this. I can count half a dozen off the top of my head. Something is wrong here...but what?

Nice Cat... :-)

This is Mushka as Battle Cat...he patiently waited to get a good bite. Yes, I deserved it.

A long quote..... Maybe it will help someone.

I'm getting over what started as a bad cold, and turned into Pneumonia. I haven't been this sick in 15 yrs. at least! I've missed two weeks of work, but am feeling better this morning, at last.
Anyhow, since it really bothers me that Christians seem to lack answers to the question of suffering (when the answer is given in scripture, and somewhat confirmed in science), I'm going to quote at length from Michel Horton's book, In The Face of God. I recommend the book incidentally (my dad told me about it). I'll warn you though, it has to be read slowly! It's "thick"...as opposed to long...This book is about intimacy with God, and a critique of modern theology, particularly it's gnostic tendency.



"Even in mainstream evangelical circles, there does not seem to be a clear theology of suffering. And when people actually encounter a crisis, they discover the shallow platitudes and cliches they have heard do not suffice. They begin to question God and His ways. They have nothing beyond their agonized questions to hold them fast.
We cannot know the divine purpose for specific encounters with pain. However, the message of the cross provides us with some profoundly helpful ways of understanding and coping with the whole notion of suffering. The apostle Paul, of course, experienced more than his share of suffering. He was beaten, imprisoned, stoned, and as a result lost most of his eyesight. He also suffered great emotional and spiritual pain as he received rather regular news that one of his church plants ended up playing around with other gospels. "I have often been cold and naked...I face daily pressure of my concern for all the churched. Who is weak and I do not feel weak? (see 2 Cor. 11:27-28)

Is this the sort of reporting one should hear from an apostle? Should he not be triumphant, hiding his own problems in order to magnify the power, joy, happiness, and success that God gives to faithful servants? How will Paul's readers find sufficient motivation and inspirational example for there own lives amid such "negative confessions"?

Instead he says "If I must boast I will boast of the things that show my weakness." (v. 30)...And "When I am weak, then I am strong." (v. 10).

What kind of theology recommends suffering? Yet that is what Paul is actually suggesting-that believers look assiduously for opportunities to be weak. This is no superficial masochism that the apostle is outlining, no Stoic "stiff upper lip" theology. Rather it springs from his theology of the cross..."

OK then.......

Maybe "lies" is a little too strong language to describe Hillary's strategy as of late. How about "misstatements". Incidentally, if I make misstatements in my line of work I can get fired.

As Ohio goes...

Are you kidding me? Senator Clinton says "So goes Ohio, so goes the nation" (since she won). I'm from Ohio, I hope she is wrong! They pulled a "Clinton" on Obama. He hardly knew what hit him. You get at least four years of that crap if she's elected. I didn't mind her for some time; I even thought she might be OK as President. But these last couple weeks of media manipulation and LIES being spread, in an anything to win mentality just makes me sick. I am held to standards of truthfulness in my job. Why aren't presidential candidates? Obama has tried, and may be the last chance in a while for another leadership style (other than slash, and burn). Good grief! OK I'm venting again...that's all.

World OF Warcraft

I started playing this video game with the boys.

Midlife crisis? No...already did that when I tried to join the Air Force a couple years ago... :-)