caving in

In far too many churches, revival has simply come to mean the week on the annual church calendar where someone from somewhere else gets to come in and preach for a few days. In these circumstances, the 'good Christians' prove they are so by attending and enduring every message, the 'lukewarm Christians' are the ones who come if they don't have something more pressing like a child's sports practice or the new episode of 'Fear Factor' to watch, the 'backslidden Christians are the ones who come only on Sunday morning,' and the true heathens are the ones are the ones who don't show up at all, even if its because they've planned for six months to travel with a truckload of clothes for homeless people in Mexico. We in America have turned spirituality on its head, and its entirely evident how we treat the concept of revival.

We can watch some celebrity on a talk-show prattle on about how she is against the war in Iraq because the use of bombs is terrorism to the sand and trees damaged by them, and rather than dismissing this person as a wack-job, everyone sighs and coos about 'how spiritual' that celebrity is. At the same time, when the Spirit of God moves through a congregation resulting in brokenness and change, rather than acknowledging the holy work of our holy God, this group is instead dismissed as being 'fanatical.'

Make no mistake about it, to be engaged and involved in a revival is dangerous business in this day and in this age. If you are here today because you were expecting the annual series of messages one might get in a typical event, you have come to the wrong gathering of believers. I am here today for the same reason for which I was invited. The Spirit of God is moving in this congregation. He has broken many of you and desires to break more of you because He has great plans for you and tremendous expectations of you. And my prayer has been not that I'd preach dynamic messages. My prayer hasn't been that we'd see this church grow. My prayer hasn't even been that we'd have good attendance for these meetings. My prayer has been that God would anoint the ears of those who attend, and that through His Holy Spirit, you'd be participants in revival. My prayer is that this revival would bring about a moral change in this congregation, and more important, that God, through this revival, would bring about a moral change in your individual lives.

The last time we were together, we began looking at the theme of these messages, diamonds in the dark. We joined Moses on the banks of the Red Sea, trapped along with the rest of the nation of Israel as the chariots of Pharaoh came bearing down with sabers rattling and shouting out cries of murder. But rather than facing certain death by racing their own way, they turned by faith to receive the deliverance through the waters of the One who created them, the One who called them, and now was the one who was calling them to safety. We saw that God always makes a way for those who belong to Him. Often, the very way God provides seems impossible, illogical, and even unreasonable, but He provides that way so that He may receive glory through it.

Today, we return to the Scriptures to meet a man who discovered such a deliverance in his own life. This man's name is Elijah, and he is known to us as "a prophet of God." Elijah is a hero of faith, primarily because of the lore of the account preceding our focus today. In the historical account of Israel, recorded in 1 Kings 18, we see one of the most dramatic displays of the power of God in the face of demonic opposition. Here you have this lone man of the true God, this man Elijah, on the top of Mount Carmel, the mountain known for its pagan altars. Next to Elijah are 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of Asherah - pagan prophets dining at the wicked queen Jezebel's table. 850 to 1. They, in turn, are surrounded by the people of Israel, who have been up to this point paralyzed by fear of Jezebel and accordingly, her false prophets. Elijah, showing amazing hubris, shouts out the challenge, "today is the day to get off the fence. Choose who you worship today!"

He then challenges the false prophets to a contest of epic proportions, but amazing in its simplicity. He basically says, "let's just see which God will receive the sacrifice each offers." The false prophets go to extraordinary lengths preparing and offering their sacrifice, even going so far as to cry out and inflict harm to themselves in the process. All to no avail. Elijah, on the other hand, goes to extraordinary lengths to make it humanly impossible for God to receive the sacrifice. He drowns his sacrifice in a deluge of water, drenching it completely. Then, he does the unthinkable, the unimaginable. He prays. But he doesn't pray for himself. He doesn't even pray for the pagans to be shown up. Listen to the words of the prayer of Elijah:

"Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.''

He simply prays for God to be glorified. He restates his obedience and he lays claim to God's reliability. And look what happens: God utterly consumes the sacrifice in flame. Not only that, but all the water, and all the altar, too! The people of Israel respond appropriately, falling upon their faces and return to worshipping the true God. And seizing upon the moment, Elijah quickly orders the capture of the false pagans and has them executed.

Simply stated, this moment in history is on par with the deliverance of Israel through the Red Sea, in terms of magnitude and miraculous demonstration. In both situations, the immediate situation looked incredibly dark and gloomy. But in both situations, God provided a miracle that protected His own and glorified Himself. And while we previously left Moses and the people of Israel safely on the eastern shores of the Red Sea marveling at God's deliverance, today we continue on with Elijah, to answer the important question that almost always follows an experience with the divine, holy, all-powerful God. That question, simply, is "what now?"

Today we need to grasp the reality that this is a question that every one of us has asked one time or another, following a spiritual high light in life. The term "it came to pass" is found 186 times in the Bible. Do you know what this means? It means time keeps changing things, good or bad. Good and bad. Bad times pass, praise God. But, so do good times. And whenever a good time, or a spiritually high time passes, we all find our selves asking the question, "what now?"

Well, following Elijah's great spiritual victory over 850 pagan prophets, of a time of great spiritual renewal for the people of Israel, one would hope that this would begin a epoch of sweeping change throughout the land. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. In fact, if we read the first four verses of chapter 19, we see that Elijah's spiritual high was immediately followed by a time of despair:

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.'' And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!''

How many of you have ever felt this way? Let me encourage you today and tell you if you haven't felt this way yet, just wait. At some point in time, following a spiritual victory, you will experience attack and persecution in such an extreme manner that you may wish you were dead. How's that for encouragement? I'm not saying this to put fear or discouragement into you. In fact, I'm telling you this because if you've never experienced it, when it does occur, you won't be surprised by it and you will know how to handle it.

For many Christians, this experience of dread takes place right after salvation, especially the later in life that one comes to a saving relationship by faith with Jesus Christ. There is no greater spiritual high than realizing that God has literally taken you out of hell and placed you eternally in heaven. By simple faith, you believed that Jesus paid the price that you rightfully owed, and you gained the gift you never deserved - heaven and eternal life. There is no more glorious feeling than knowing that you've been forgiven of your life's mistakes. Every lie you told, every hurt you inflicted, every wrong you've perpetrated. Forgiven. And that you now and forever more have fellowship with the God who created you and the Lord who redeemed you. This is the pinnacle of spiritual highs.

Then, the question: "what now?" Eventually, whether it be an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year later, that joy, that radiance, that faith comes under attack. You see, just like Jezebel received the report of what Elijah has done and is incited to fury, when Satan catches wind of your salvation, he is incited to fury toward you. Accordingly, he wants to kill you. I want to let you in on some pretty deep theology here - Satan hates you. He hated you before you belonged to Christ. That's why he tempted you and led you astray. He wants you to die apart from God. Because you are made in God's image, he hates you and wants to kill you. If you die apart from God, Satan is thrilled. What's bad for you is good for him. Then, you had the audacity to leave that future of death for a future of life. You quit worshipping Satan and began worshipping the true God. You, like the nation of Israel on the top of Mount Carmel, got off the fence, and began worshipping the One true God. And that really made Satan angry. He realized that he lost you. And so, like Jezebel, he went on the attack. He attacks you with doubts, with questions, with fears, with anxieties. With dread.

What's the result? For many Christians, they question whether or not God really saved them. They think because they have questions, they must not really be believers. They think because they have doubts, they must not have had a genuine experience. And so they begin to despair. If you can't trust God, who can you trust?

Look, nobody is immune to doubt, to dread. John the Baptist, while in prison, had doubts and questions if Jesus really was who he thought and hoped he was. Thomas, the disciple, expressed that that Jesus was really the resurrected Lord. At one time in the early church's first days, the people fled in fear from the persecution of the Jews. It happens. And when it does, it can be an extremely dark experience. Elijah cried out, "take my life!" I know of many a Christian who has cried out, "Oh, if I had never been saved. None of this would have ever happened to me." If you thought life was going to be easy and simple and rosy once you were saved, you didn't hear the whole story. Jesus said that believers would be hated, reviled, slandered, beaten, and killed. That doesn't sound like an easy life to me. But he also said, "blessed are you" when those things happen for His name's sake. He told us those things would happen, and sure enough, they have, the do, and they will.

As we continue in the account. Things really go from bad to worse. From the point of dread, Elijah then slips into depression. Read what happens here:

Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat.'' Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.'' So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.

We cannot understate what's taking place here. Elijah has moved from despair to a serious bout of depression. He fell into a funk. All he wanted to do was sleep. He didn't want to get up. He didn't want to eat. He just wanted to roll up into a ball and let the world swallow him whole. It didn't take him very long to move from the mountain top to the valley, spiritually speaking. He went from being bold enough to conquer 850 enemies, to being scared to the point of wanting to die, by just one little woman. And I'm not trying to minimize how cruel Jezebel was, because she was a horrible, horrible person. She was scary enough to reduce this giant of faith into a whimpering, hiding ball of fear.

Some of you may be able to identify and appreciate Elijah on an entirely different level now. You can relate because you have experienced depression, just as he did. I'm afraid if this were to happen today, Elijah would be told "just snap out of it. You've just got the blues." The fact of the matter was that his depression was very real, and very debilitating. Look at the characteristics:
* He was physically exhausted.
* He was emotionally stressed.
* He was spiritually drained.
* He was mentally fatigued.
* He was socially isolated.

Friends, this is a surefire formula for depression. He was what you would call an "outgoing person." He was an extrovert. He was type-A, to the nth degree. So when this type of person suddenly turns sullen, introverted, and despondent, you can guess that some serious problems are taking place.

Have you been there? Have you ever felt like you just wanted to curl up and sleep? Did you ever not even want to get out of the bed in the morning? Have you ever had to be reminded to eat? We live in an age that says if you are feeling this way, then Paxil or some other medication is the answer. And I tell you, in some situations, medication is appropriate. But friends, in many others, the correct answer is not medication. What you need instead, is a ministering touch from the Lord. I'm not a doctor and I don't even play one on TV. But I do know we have a nation filled with people trying to solve spiritual problems with carnal solutions, and those ways rarely bring true, lasting closure.

Well, let's take some time to look at how God provides deliverance from the depression. Read with me again, beginning with verse 9:

And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?'' So he said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.'' Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.'' And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

For forty days, Elijah has just been existing. The only reason he was able to get up and put one foot in front of the other for forty days and nights is because an angel of the Lord kept ministering to him, providing him with food and water and spurring him to get up and keep moving. Finally, Elijah climbed into a cave - the perfect place to hide from the world. So the first thing the Lord did was to provide Elijah with the rest, refreshment, and encouragement that he needed to simply exist. The Lord recognized that it was going to take time to re-charge, re-energize the spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, and socially depleted prophet.

But this isn't all that the Lord provided. The word of the Lord came to him and said, "What are you doing in here?" Boy, this is an important question. And like all questions the Lord asks - He already knows the answer. He doesn't ask the question for His benefit. He asks it for ours. He knew Elijah wasn't supposed to be in that cave. He knew Elijah wasn't supposed to be walking step after step farther and farther away from home. By asking this question, God was forcing Elijah to face the reality of what was taking place in his life.

We can see that Elijah is for the first time facing the situation, and we can see the depth of his depression in how he responds to God. He says, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." He feels alone, worn out, and scared. He feels like the only reward for his obedience is persecution, isolation, and condemnation.

Now, in this day and age, when we hear of a pitiful reply like this, our first response tends to be something like, "ohh, poor you. You are such a victim. Everyone else is so mean. And you are so sad. Ohhhhh."

But look how God replies. He says, "go step outside." And look what it says. It's so easy to miss, as though it was written by One who is entirely comfortable with who He is. It says "the Lord passed by." So casually. But look what happened. We have the original concert by earth, wind and fire. An incredible wind. An earthquake of tremendous magnitude. And an immense fire. But the Lord was not in this. Instead, the Lord was in a still, small voice.

Why do you suppose this was how God chose to address Elijah? Remember, Elijah was the one who called upon the Lord on top of Mount Carmel, and He responded by being a sweeping fire. Elijah was familiar with the mighty, powerful displays of God. I believe God was reminding Elijah that He had not changed, and that he was still in control over all of His creation. But he chose to speak with Elijah in a still small voice. In this, God was showing Elijah that He is our personal Lord. He cares about each of us individually. He is intimately concerned with every detail of our lives. He is attentive to our well-being.

We need to know that nothing has changed. At various times and various ways, God has chosen to reveal His mighty power in awesome displays. But the very large majority of the time, God has ordained to speak to us through the small voice of His Holy Spirit. We cannot be a people who are concerned with "seeing a sign." We cannot be determined to be convinced by only the "awesome displays." We must remember that the Lord loves us individually and passionately and intimately. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He alone knows every potential of every potential of your life. He alone has a perfect plan for you. And today he very well likely is asking many of you, "what are you doing in this cave?"

Your cave may be depression. Your cave may be isolation. Your cave may be addiction. Your cave may be laziness. Your cave may be any number of things that have driven you step-by-step away from an intimate fellowship with your Father God. And if your response has been self-pity, if your response has been "you don't know what I've been through," then you need to heed the God who has said "quit looking for the awesome displays of my power, and start listening to my still, small voice."

Look at what that voice says to Elijah, with verse 16, and see the Lord's directions:

So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?'' So he said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.'' Then the Lord said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. "Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. "It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. "Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.''

At first read, it looks as though the Bible transcriber hiccupped and wrote the same text over again. After the mighty display, and in the small voice, God asks Elijah the exact same question. And, as before, Elijah gave the same answer.

Clearly Elijah had missed God's point.

So, rather than offering 'mighty display of power, part 2," God simply gave Him marching orders. He told him to go back and finish the work.

Now, on a quick read, this might sound heartless. If you feel that way, its entirely possible you are reading this through eyes, a mind, and a heart that has been conditioned by 21st century relativism. We're inclined to say, "what about poor Elijah's needs? Its as though the Lord completely ignored him."

But read this again from the perspective that the Lord is sovereign. He had just given Elijah every reassurance He had needed. He had shown His power, and He had shown His intimate concern for His prophet. So, when God asked Elijah the question again, and Elijah gave the same response again, he realized how hollow his answer sounded in light of God's presentation. In this regard, God's reply wasn't so much of a "quit your whining" answer, as it was, "do not fear or be afraid" answer.

Look closely at what God was doing in Elijah's life. He was leading Elijah back to the faith that was key his last spiritual mountaintop experience. Remember that Elijah claimed victory on the top of Mount Carmel before it ever occurred. He claimed that victory by faith before God delivered it, and sure enough, God did deliver it. And after Elijah had departed from faith, and fell into a deep pit of despair and depression, God showed him that the only way out of that pit was to return to the faith that he had before relied upon so heavily.

God didn't candy coat it. He didn't sympathize, or even empathize. He simply said. Leave this cave behind and obey me. Trust me. I'll give you people, and I will be victorious. Accordingly, Elijah complied.

We close today by looking at Elijah's departure. Read with me, at verse 19:

So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.'' And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?'' So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and served him.

Elijah obeyed. He left the cave. He left behind his cave of dread. He left behind the cave of depression, and by faith, he followed God and returned to faith. And upon doing so, Elijah encountered and recruited his successor Elisha, and continued on in His journey, a journey that culminated in victory, and the glorification of almighty God.

James 5:17 tells us this about Elijah: he was a man with a nature like ours. I need to hear that today. He is a hero of our faith, and I need somebody with whom I can identify. Elijah was a man just like you. Just like me. He was driven to a cave by his own doubts and his own fears. But he was also able to overcome those fears and doubts and experience spiritual breakthroughs and live a life of obedience that glorified God.

Today, God is calling some of you from your caves. He is calling you to leave behind your despair, your depression, your dread, and to be delivered. He is calling you to depart on your ongoing walk of faith, a walk that will invariably lead you back into battle against the enemy, so that God Himself may prove through you that greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.

between a rock and a hard place

I don't know if you could find many evangelical churches who would disagree with the need in our country for revival and spiritual renewal. Yet, despite this agreement, revival seems to elude many of the churches calling for it. Leonard Ravenhill, an English-born evangelist who returned to the Lord in 1994, offered this insight in his profound book, Why Revival Tarries:

America cannot fall-because she is already fallen! This goes for Britain, too. She cannot go into slavery-because her people are fettered at the moment in the chains of self-forged, self-chosen moral anarchy. Here are millions, diseased morally, with no longing for healing. Here are men paying for shadows at the price of their immortal souls, men who not only reject the Substance, but who openly sneer at and caricature it.

An unprecedented tidal wave of commandment-breaking, God-defying, soul-destroying iniquity sweeps the ocean of human affairs. Never before have men in the masses sold their souls to the devil at such bargain prices. "There is none…that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee" (Is. 64:7)….

If the church had something vital and victorious to offer, these men who choose golf clubs by day and night clubs by night might be drawn from these fleshpots….

We stand aghast when we see fine men magnetized by science, but mystified by the Christian religion. When these have forsaken faith, they feed on films and football.

This is an hour in need of burning hearts, bursting lips, and brimming eyes! If we were a tenth as spiritual as we think we are, our streets would be filled each Sunday with throngs of believers marching to Zion - with sacks on their bodies and ashes on the shaking heads, shaking at the calamity that has brought the church to be the unlovely, unnerved, unproductive thing that she is!

How apt and accurate these words are for today…yet they were written 44 years ago! How much more condemning is this assessment of the spiritual apathy and degradation in filling pews across our country.

You see, the truth of the matter is this: God is waiting on His bride to truly invite revival to visit. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is Christianity's most popular verse for revival because it explains the remedy to that which ails us:

"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

What do we see from this verse?
* God's call is upon His people. He is not waiting for the heathen to come to their senses. He is not waiting for the 'lost' to get right with Him. He's waiting for the 'found' to get right with Him.
* God's call is one for humility, for prayer, for repentance, for people to uncompromisingly seek Him. Yet, in America, congregations brag upon their own innovation, their own creativity, their own popularity. There is no humility. There is also little, if any, real fervent prayer. Our prayer meetings are the most scarcely attended of all church functions. And while 80% of evangelicals claim to pray daily, the average time of prayer is under 5 minutes. I recently took my family out to lunch. If I add it all up, I probably gave my waiter 5 minutes of my day, and about 20% of my food bill. Do you think the God who created each of us appreciates getting the same treatment as a person who gets paid to bring us our food?
* God says if you do these things, He will release the blessings of revival from heaven. He will hear us. He will forgive us. He will heal our land. It is a promise. It is a guarantee. Yet, we continually put God aside, and do things that look spiritual but are really only religious, and then we have the audacity to blame God for not blessing us in spite of ourselves.

In the face of such a time as this, faith can be a bit of a frightening experience. In the one place that is supposed to be a lighthouse of truth, we have collectively found ourselves stumbling around in the dark. And that's what makes it so scary. Well, the series of messages the Lord has laid upon my heart are based upon the premise of finding light in the dark. We will delve into God's word to examine some of the darkest moments recorded in Scripture, and discover how the light of God shines forth to men and through men who exercise humility, who repent, who call upon the Lord, and witness the mighty hand of God in miraculous ways bringing miraculous results.

Our first stop on our excursions through the darkness takes us to the book of Exodus, chapter 14. By the time we arrive here, much has occurred. Moses has assumed the mantle of leadership of the Jewish people, placed upon him by God Himself. He has gone nose-to-nose with Egypt's Pharaoh, and he has led the multitude of God's people from Pharaoh's oppression, and has led them eastward toward the land God had promised to them through their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph.

It is not far into this journey when we find ourselves here at chapter 14. Let's read the first few verses and join the camp of Israel for a time:

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.

We aren't going to spend a real long time here, just long enough to point out a few things: First, see that God leads His people by issuing expectations. He tells them exactly where to go. He says, "turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite of Baal Zephon." This is great, because they are told to accompany the pillar of cloud, God's dwelling. The only problem is, for them to actually do this, they have to turn and go back. You see, the pillar of cloud was going back there, and if God hadn't have said anything to Moses, the Jewish people would have been inclined to think that the pillar was broken, and they should just keep going the way they had originally been heading. Instead, God was saying, turn around. And then he continued to tell them to go to a location that was militarily vulnerable, to say the least. More accurately, it was outright insane to actually do what God was telling them. He was saying, 'back track (thus closing the gap between you and the Pharaoh's armies that will soon me coming from the north), and camp in a position that sandwiches you between a mountain of pagan worship to your west, a desert promising certain doom to your east, and a giant sea trapping your escape to the south."

After issuing His completely nonsensical, illogical, and altogether unreasonable expectation, God continues by explaining His intentions:

For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, `They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.' Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them;

Basically, the news has not gotten any better. Now, not only has God told His people to do something completely unreasonable, He then told them that once they were camped in this compromised location, He was bringing the pagan armies down upon them. But watch closely, because the next two details are key for the rest of the passage:

and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.'' And they did so.

God explains His intentions further by saying that the end result of this amazing strategy is to gain honor over Pharaoh and his army, so that Egyptians know that He is Lord. Here's what is significant about this:
* God is immensely concerned about bringing glory to Himself, using whatever means necessary.
* God is aggressively purposeful toward making Himself known to all people, using whatever or whomever necessary to accomplish that aim.
* God was revealing that His plan was all about bringing glory to Himself, not about bringing earthly comfort to His people.
Upon the revelation of these intentions, we see the pivotal detail: And they did so. God's people obeyed. Even when it didn't make sense. Even when obedience meant certain doom, they obeyed.

Immediately following this, we see that God begins executing His itinerary. Read with me:

Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, "Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?'' So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.

Just as God had promised, Pharaoh received the news of the actions, his hard heart saw an opportunity to undo the previously humiliation he had to endure, and commissioned his entire army to hunt them down by chariot and overtake them. In the drama of what's about to come, I want to make sure we don't overlook the important detail at the end of verse 8 - that the children of Israel went out with boldness.

Before we move on, let's just take a moment there to assess ourselves according to this template provided in Exodus 14. God's word declares that He is unchanging. Just as in days past, God still is intensely concerned about bringing glory to Himself. He is still immensely concerned about making Himself known to the unbelieving people of the world. He is still incessantly willing to use His people however He sees fit to accomplish these first two priorities, even if it means sacrificing their temporal pleasures and comfort to do so.

We have got to come to grips with this truth if we ever hope to be fully used by God. God's business of bringing glory to Himself is all about God. It is not about us. It is not about your pastor. It is not about your music. It is not about your programs. It is not about your ministries. It is about God. It is not about your priorities. It's about His. It's not about your agenda. It's about His. Accordingly, there will be many times in your life where God calls you to track back, placing yourself in places where you may be physically compromised, so that His plan will be accomplished. And the reality that we will soon see is that you will be used by God regardless of your approval of His plan. The key to determining whether or not you will be blessed by God can be summarized with one simple word: obedience. The people of Israel obeyed God. They took those first steps of faith, and with boldness, they marched back, and placed themselves in a place where they were almost literally, between a rock and a hard place.

Now, if the account of Exodus 14, can to this point be understood as 'a time of calling,' the next part of the account can be best understood as 'a time of confusion.' This is where things get pretty dark, literally and figuratively. This is where we can probably identify pretty easily, both individually and corporately. Read with me the details, beginning in verse 9:

So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, `Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.''

Look at what happens here. Just as promised, Pharaoh and his armies catch up to them. The people of Israel lift their heads to see the thundering cloud of fury bearing down upon them from the north. And just as when Peter took his eyes off the Messiah and tried to make sense of the nonsensical fact that he was walking on water, the Jews took their eyes off God and tried to figure out how to save their own skin from the mess they were suddenly in. To the left was a giant mountain. To the right was the desert. And behind them was the Red Sea. They were trapped. And because they had taken their eyes off of God, they had lost all the boldness that compelled them to take the steps of faith that had led them to this dangerous situation.

So what did they do? They cried out to God and they attacked their own leader. Friends, this isn't much different than what is happening in churches across the country. God's people can easily follow God's appointed leader when such a journey is easy. When the roads are paved, when the pews are comfortable, and the messages aren't terribly controversial, the journey is a joy and leader is loved. But as soon as sojourners of faith lift their eyes to see the oncoming enemy, far too often is the leader attacked with the very same breath being used to cry out to God.

But look at how Moses responds. Rather than personalizing the attack and attacking back, look at what he says, in verses 13-14:

And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.''

If the previous three verses were a time of confusion, then this is indeed 'a time of clarity.' Moses gives them the most incredible instructions in a time of controversy. He basically says, "Don't just do something. Stand there!" He says 'stand still.' He says, "look at the salvation of the Lord, that He will do for you today." And I love this - he says, "the Egyptians that you see today, you will see again no more…forever!" He says, "the Lord will fight for you. Your job is to hold your peace."

Friends, this is the pivotal passage to the entire chapter, and it holds the keys to experiencing a victorious life of faith in God. Your job as a believer is to hold your peace. Your job is not to take up arms and fight a battle that was never designed for you. Your job is not to begin pointing out who is good and who is bad. Your job in the face of conflict is to stand still and watch what the Lord will do for you.

How desperately we need to hear and heed this word today. Christians have been caught up, for the longest time, in 'a time of confusion.' How desperately we need 'a moment of clarity.' We need to stop fighting these wars where we wound and harm each other, rather than letting the Lord save us from our common enemy. Look at how this happens so easily on a journey of faith:

* An individual journey of faith is no different than this journey to the promised land. We each are striving to grow in our faith and relationship with God. There are times when we know and sense God has led us to a place that doesn't make sense for one reason or another. Yet, by faith, we take those first steps, and feel mighty and victorious in those initial stages. For some of you, it may be a new job. For others, it may be trying to repair a broken family relationship. For others, it may be giving up a troubling addiction. Things start out easy. You obey and are strong in your faith. Then after time, you run into a battle, and you lift your eyes. Temptations abound. Fear sets in. And at the same time you cry out to God, you attack the ones you love the most, the very ones God has given to you in times of need. If you find yourself in this situation, you must stop trying to work your way out of your calamity. You must quit trying human ways and means out of spiritual battles. For God's sake, literally, don't just do something, stand there! Witness the victory of the Lord today, for the enemies that you see here today, you shall see again no more…forever!
* A corporate journey of faith is exactly the same. As God leads this church to new exciting places of impact, initial steps are exciting, confident ones. Then, as obstacles inevitably rise up, the temptation is to turn against leadership, to give in, to give up, or to even fight using the same tried and true methods and habits that have been used for decades upon decades. But I tell you today, if you really want to have a spiritual breakthrough, if you really want to experience renewal and revival, if you really want to reach the next level and beyond, you must be ready this very day to abandon those old ways that end in death and broken fellowship. Today, stand still! Witness the victory of the Lord, for the enemies that you see today, you will see again no more…forever!

If these are the experiences you want to see, then you must cease your old ways, stand still, and let the Lord accomplish your salvation today.

Let's continue from this 'time of clarity' to 'the time of commissioning," and discover how the Lord accomplishes this victory He promises:

And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.''

Here, God asks Moses and the nation of Israel a pretty interesting question. He asks, "Why do you cry out to me?" God is not simply addressing Moses here, He is addressing the entire camp. God had told them to turn around, to come to this dangerous location, in order to accomplish His divine purpose. So they had obeyed. And now here they were, and they were scared, crying out to Him. And rather than placating them, soothing them, justifying their lack of faith, He said, "what are you crying about? Turn around and watch what I have in store for you! I am going to perform the miracle that will deliver you, that will vanquish these Egyptians today and forever, and I will do this to bring glory to myself. This is how the Egyptians will know I am Lord when I have gained honor over Pharaoh and his armies."

Friends it is often in the conflict of faith that we find ourselves in the darkest experiences of life. This is not by accident, or even by coincidence. When God has ordained to glorify Himself, He will stand fast to His plans for you. His Word tells us that His will is always Good, His plan is always manageable, and His outcome is always favorable. True faith doesn't look for humanly understandable alternatives. God's ways are ways that don't allow for alternative explanations. Rather than providing an 'out,' God leads us to toward the unexplainable, unreasonable, illogical, supernatural so that His glory will be fully manifested, and all will understand it is His hand that authors deliverance and all know He is Lord.

Now, let's continue through the following passage and see how God moves from a time of commissioning to a time of completion:

And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.'' Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.'' And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

The point of this passage is simple: God will complete what God begins. You know the song, based on Phil. 1:6 - He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it! Friends, make no mistake about it - we live in a world filled with darkness. The enemies of God are in constant pursuit of God's children, seeking opportunities to destroy and defile you. In your flesh, you will respond in human ways bringing about human results. But when you are led by God to let Him claim the victory through you using godly ways, He will protect you, He will enlighten you, and He will deliver you. When He promises victory, He will deliver it. When He says, after today, you will see these enemies no more again forever, that's exactly what He will deliver.

We see this to be the case in Exodus 14 - as we conclude with 'a time of culmination.' Read with me:

So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

It may be difficult to separate what the Bible tells us from what we remember from the various cinematic portrayals of this event. That's why these last two verses are so important. Yes, the parting of the red sea was significant. Yes the water crashing down upon Pharaoh's chariots was certainly dramatic. But God is a bottom-line God, and the important detail is that the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians. They saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. The people feared the Lord and believed Him and His servant Moses.

In the darkest, bleakest moment, God illuminated His children and brought them salvation. God told His children as they stood fearfully in a seemingly desperate situation, trapped on all sides, "trust in me. I will provide the way."

Friends, the only way to live the life God has planned for you - individually and corporately - is to live according to the plan He has provided for you. You cannot go according to your own ways and means. The Bible says those ways always and inevitably lead to death. In fact, you might be here today feeling like you're trapped on all sides, with the enemy bearing down upon you. Whether you are trapped because of a lifetime of bad decisions, or because of a single or series of an unfortunate turn of events, you find yourself realizing that your ways, your efforts have resulted in impending doom or death. Friend, if that is where you find yourself today, then hear the words of God: stand and watch the salvation that God brings today. The enemies that you see here today you will see no more again, forever!

It is important to know that God didn't create you for this - for a life to end in death and misery. God created you because He loves you and wants you to spend eternity with Him forever. But you cannot have that life because of the choices you have made. Those choices that have you where you are now. Those choices that end in death. But God, in His deep love for you, has provided you a way out of that life. It is the only way that will deliver you from certain death to certain eternal life.

The Bible uses a word to express how that way is accessed. That word is "repentance." Repentance means a change of mind that results in a change of action. For example, I might think I can make it through an intersection before that Semi coming can get there. But at the last moment, I slam on the brakes because I'd sure hate to be wrong. That's a change of mind resulting in a change of action. Repentance says that you will change your mind about your own ability to get to heaven on your own. You realize you can't be good enough, charitable enough, law-abiding enough. You realize that God's way is the only way. So you repent from your way and try God's way.

How do you do that? By faith. Hebrews 11:29 says Moses walked through the dry ground of the Red Sea by faith in God. Faith is trusting in the promises of something or someone you cannot see. You exhibit a small degree of faith every time you get into an elevator. You expect it to get you to the top floor, even though you can't see the cables. Faith in God means that you trust His way through the proverbial Red Sea, to the proverbial top floor, even though you cannot see Him. The Bible says a person who lives by faith is justified by God. Justified to enter heaven. Justified to escape death.

And finally, you need to know that its not just faith in God, but faith in God's provision. Jesus, the Son of God said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man gets to the Father except through the Son." True faith believes that Jesus is God's Son, and that He died so that you may have eternal life. In fact, the Bible says in Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Today is the day of your salvation, if you stop trying to get there on your own, and trust in the plan God has provided.

And for you who have claimed this promise, but have chosen afterward according to your own ways, it has been my prayer that you have today seen that those ways end in death in futility. There is no room in the Kingdom of God to call out to Him with one side of your mouth, and to be engaged in strife and division with the other side of your mouth. If this has been your practice, today is the day to stop living according to your flesh and begin living by faith.

a preliminary explanation

the title of the upcoming sermon series that I will begin posting daily is Diamonds in the Dark: Spiritual Breakthroughs in Dark Days.

This title is inspired by a similarly-titled book by Dr. Jack Graham, Diamonds in the Dark: Scriptural Insights for Comfort and Encouragement.

Sermon content is largely original. I did rely upon Dr. Graham's outline for my sermon on Peter's failure, and gleaned contextual material for the sermons on Elijah and heaven. And, as noted in the messages, I also drew some quotes from Leonard Ravenhill's books Why Revival Tarries and Revival God's Way.

I just wanted to give credit where it is due.

an inaccurate concept of self-importance

three times today, as Cotter passed through the living room, he'd stop at the tv and watch with fascination.

this is not abnormal, except that it was fox news he was watching, not Roly Poly Oly, or House of Mouse.

even more unusual was that the images on the screen were not of the war itself, but of the newscasters.

So finally, I asked him what he was doing.

"they keep saying my name."

So I came in to investigate further.

[tv reporter]....reporting live from Centcom headquarters in Qatar, back to you [/tv reporter]

Cotter: See?

though liberals want to accuse the military plan of being conducted by a four-year old because we haven't liberated the oppressed country without killing some tyrants in less than 100 hours, I assure you my boy has no connection to the strategery that is working effectively. He is simply a member of the latest generation to live under the blessing of a country that believes, as our president said quite beautifully, that liberty is God's gift to all people.

how does he do it?

I just watched the Iraqi information say...and I'm not kidding....

"we are winning this war. This war will end with an Iraqi victory."

I'm reminded of my own youth when I had the bad habit of telling a lie so often that I actually began to believe my lie was the truth.

(note: my lies dealt with globally-significant issues like, "I don't know where that chewing tobacco came from. I think it's Jamie's. I didn't take it. I don't know why it's got my name on it. I think Jamie's trying to get me in trouble." I never once lied about making weapons of mass destruction. Really.)

No matter the depth of my juvenile self-deception, I always "got it in the end" when my dad would paddle my rear.

Hussein's self-deceived regime, I daresay, is getting the proverbial and literal lighted fire in their britches even as I type. And when they get it in the end, they will -- as I did -- see the truth as it really is.

(postlude: here's an interesting link, for those compelled by the regime's psychotic behavior. It's titled, Will He Ever Stop Lying? Maybe these guys are just victims of collective dissociative amnesia.)

proverbs #71

he who blows upon dust fills his eyes with it.

check david gregory's visa

this msnbc hack was openly hostile to Ari Fleischer in today's white house briefing. Is it pent up frustration that Bush won't capitulate and say, "okay, you got me. it really was all about oil. and vengeance. and we really did think we could subdue a nation of 20 million run by a maniaticidal lunacric for 22 years -- I mean that's almost 2 decalogues -- in less than seven days. Or under a week, which ever came first."

The Western Hussein Enterprising Liberal Propagandist Society (WHELPS) press corps is angry that we've not put a bow on this operation, and then gripe that we're moving so fast that we just seem to be perched around Baghdad waiting, waiting, waiting.

I propose putting a burly bouncer at the press room door, and then publicly announcing:

"I'm sorry, guy. Your name's just not on the list."

he's no braveheart

I'm angry at gen. william wallace for undermining the authority of his leaders. was he a clinton appointee?

cotter on the fly

as my son was busy playing today, he took the time to poke his head in my office/laundry room to inform me of the following:

he: Daddy?
me: yes, bud?
he: I don't think I have diarrhea any more.
me: okaaayy. I'm sure glad.
he: me too. me too.

The American Military Man

another fine email sent from someone special....

Whether or not we agree with the proposed war with Iraq, the troops deserve all the support we can give them

The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country.

He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he has never collected unemployment either.

He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away.

He listens to rock and roll or hip hop or rap or jazz or swing and 155 mm Howitzers.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk.

He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark.

He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.

He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he is told to march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity.

He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle.

He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.

If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food.

He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.

He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.

He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them.

He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.

He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he
defends their right to be disrespectful.

Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom.

Beardless or not, he is not a boy.

He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.

He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding.

Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

friday five

I rarely partake in this, but saw it over at WIT, so decided to join in:

1. What was your most memorable moment from the last week? Taking Cotter to the allergist. After working hard to keep him off wheat and dairy, we learned he was allergic to neither. Instead, he was severely allergic to chicken -- the one food we've been feeding him 3 times a week ever since he could eat real food, because he liked it and we thought it was safe. I left there feeling like Parent Of The Year.
2. What one person touched your life this week? They don't know it, but the four young men I personally know who are either in, around, or training to go to Iraq to fight for liberty.
3. How have you helped someone this week? Well, I changed my daughter's diaper, which helped her, and also my wife. But I confess, my motives were just a little selfish. I'm still not sure what she ate!
4. What one thing do you need to get done by this time next week? taxes. bills. selling the house. peace in the middle east.
5. What one thing will you do over the next seven days to make your world a better place? I will have preached a revival (sermons soon online). I will have continued being a father to my children and a husband to my wife. And I will have prayed much.

play along kids....I want to know your answers.

points of clarity

I unrepentantly stole this from The Upward Way Press. So please visit his site to ease my conscience.

NOT ALL CELEBRITIES ARE BRAIN DEAD

Comments from the other side of Hollywood:

Dennis Miller: War On Iraq

All the rhetoric on whether or not we should go to war against Iraq has got my insane little brain spinning like a roulette wheel. I enjoy reading opinions from both sides, but I have detected a hint of confusion from some of you.

As I was reading the paper recently, I was reminded of the best advice someone ever gave me. He told me about the KISS method ("Keep it Simple, Stupid"). So, with this as a theme, I'd like to apply this theory for those who don't quite get it. My hope is that we can simplify things a bit and recognize a few important facts.

Here are 10 things to consider when voicing an opinion on this important issue:

1) Between President Bush and Saddam Hussein.....Hussein is the bad guy.

2) If you have faith in the United Nations to do the right thing, keep this in mind. They have Libya heading the Committee on Human Rights and Iraq heading the Global Disarmament Committee. Do your own math here.

3) If you use Google Search and type in "French Military Victories," your reply will be "Did you mean French Military Defeats?"

4) If your only anti-war slogan is "No war for oil," sue your school district for allowing you to slip through the cracks and robbing you of the education you deserve.

5) Saddam and Bin Laden will not seek United Nations approval before they try to kill us.

6) Despite what some seem to believe, Martin Sheen is NOT the President. He just plays one on TV.

7) Even if you are anti-war, you are still an "Infidel" and Bin Laden wants you dead, too.

8) If you believe in a "vast right-wing conspiracy," but not in the danger that Hussein poses, quit hanging out with the Dell computer dude.

9) We are trying to liberate them. He is trying to kill us.

10) Whether you are for military action, or against it, our young men and women overseas are fighting for us to defend our right to speak out. We all need to support them without reservation.

I hope this helps.

It does, Dennis. Thanks

well said.

way cool

I watched the fox news "The Pulse" with Shepherd Smith tonight, and caught the feature on our mine-locating dolphins, and I was totally impressed. This was so incredibly cool.

I can imagine Saddam hunkered in his bunker. Legs wrapped in bandages, just a little high on painkillers. He had just ordered a few citizens from Basrah murdered because they tried to flee, so he was feeling okay, and then this comes on the Dish Network.

That Shep, he thinks, he's sure been raking me over the coals. But all in all, a good guy. Great hair. It beats those reruns of my old speeches being shown on Al-Jazeera. They keep showing that one wear I'm wearing my old man glasses. Note to self: have entire TV crew exterminated.

and then he watches this feature.

Cursed Flipper!
[Dr. Evil impersonation]If Uday hadn't been so busy flogging the soccer team, maybe he would have gotten me some frickin' sharks with laser beams attached to their heads.[/Dr. Evil impersonation]

we pardon this scenario to drop multiple 4,700 pound bunker-busting bombs upon the head of a certain cowardly, murderous dictator. Please enjoy your liberty.

in my email

sent by my father-in-law (only slightly modified):

Dr. Edwin McNeeley, a longtime music professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote many hymns. I found this one today while looking through some material.It was written in 1942 as a choral response to a prayer for those in military service during World War II.

Dear Lord to Thy protecting care
Our loved ones we commend;
Oh, Guard and keep them in Thy will;
For thine own sake, Amen.

What a wonderful prayer for our soldiers.

to this I say amen.

and God bless America.

a blessing in the night

you don't know how badly I needed this at 2 a.m. on a sleepless night.

Thanks, Holy Weblog, for the link. Thanks, Mountain Dew Code Red, for the insomnia.

greetings from the welcome wagon

refusing to be roped in

as I diligently worked this eve, my lovely bride caught the latest manifestation of "the bachelor."

her observations:
"I was unimpressed."
"three years running of the same guy."
"he wasn't even that good looking."

whew...

plumbing the depths of God with Cotter

his latest questions for me:

Does God have a moustache?
How does God walk everywhere if He doesn't have legs?
What do you mean Jesus made everything?
Are you going to eat all that?

I think it was at this point that his attention began to stray.

counting the gray hairs

flipping through the channels, I came across Look Who's Talking.


It was made in 1989.

Mikey is now a teenager.

lets see what the little tyke is up to these days....

.

yikes!
disclaimer: this is not really Mikey. This is a fellow named Torsohorse. I don't know what that means. I'm afraid to find out. My profound apologies to Mikey.

another reason why Colin Powell is a republican

from protestwarrior:



This was an antiwar poster carried by liberals.

And this after liberal Harry Belafonte called Powell an Uncle Tom.

and I cynically doubt any accuracte condemnations of racism will sound forth.

This is one instance where liberals are thankful for the din of war.

word of the day

after being inspired by The Opinion Paper (which was added to my blogroll today), I decided to get the definition for quagmire.

I thought I knew what it meant, but I had to check to be sure, after all the media usage of the term.

For those of you too lazy to follow links (oh, but I still love you, Kelli!), here's what it says:

1. Land with a soft muddy surface.
2. A difficult or precarious situation; a predicament.

Hmmm...
Iraq...mostly desert. not known for its mud. at least not as well as, say, the cranial cavities of various news media yapdogs.
This war...approximately seven days old. 75 percent of land occupied. Citizens tearing down portrait of their dictator. POW advantage/ratio 900:1. KIA advantage/ratio (at least)100:1. not known as a predicament. at least not as much as, say, the yapdogs' conundrum of how to continually spout anti-american rhetoric whilst still claiming to be 'objective.'

ok...just wanted to make sure I understood the reality in which I live.

sung to the tune of nuthin' from nuthin' leaves nuthin'

I'm preparing to do my taxes now.

its an easy process for me, usually. But we've finally advanced to the 'big boy' tax forms, now that we declare mortgage interest payments.

Kelli did not endorse my plan to keep having children every year as a means toward supplemental dependent deductions. Nor my plan to start the "First Church of Bryan" out of our home. Nor my plan to try to list our three children as employees and deduct food and boarding costs.

clearing things up

despite rumors, this is not our home for sale.

another reason why we will win

An x-ray of President Bush.

this is an anti-victory site, but I have no problem with my president having a 'steeled determination.'

insanity

a doctor who botches abortions allowed to keep on killing.

This is why it's called a medical "practice."

cutting out the middleman

take your questions directly to the bigwigs. Today alone, Rumsfeld has told me about the Broncos' prospects for the year ahead, Ms. Rice has shared her favorite recipe, and Dick Cheney's designs on the presidency for 2K8.

proverbs #70

a good conscience is a soft pillow.

joignez le mouvement!

Who's Smarter?

C&P verbatim in an email from a good friend

by Cindy Osborne

The Hollywood group is at it again. Holding anti-war rallies, screaming about the Bush Administration, running ads in major newspapers, defaming the President and his Cabinet every chance they get, to anyone and everyone who will listen. They publicly defile them and call them names like "stupid" , "morons", and "idiots". Jessica Lange went so far as to tell a crowd in Spain that she hates President Bush and is embarrassed to be an American.

So, just how ignorant are these people who are running the country? Let's look at the biographies of these "stupid", "ignorant" , "moronic" leaders, and then at the celebrities who are castigating them:

President George W. Bush
Received a Bachelors Degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air National Guard. He began his career in the oil and gas business in Midland in 1975 and worked in the energy industry until 1986. He was elected Governor on November 8, 1994, with 53.5 percent of the vote. In a historic re-election victory, he became the first Texas Governor to be elected to consecutive four-year terms on November 3, 1998 winning 68.6 percent of the vote. In 1998 Governor Bush won 49 percent of the Hispanic vote, 27 percent of the African-American vote, 27 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of women. He won more Texas counties, 240 of 254, than any modern Republican other that Richard Nixon in 1972 and is the first Republican gubernatorial candidate to win the heavily Hispanic and Democratic border counties of El Paso, Cameron and Hidalgo. (Someone began circulating a false story about his I.Q. being lower than any other President. If you believed it, you might want to go to URBANLEGENDS.COM and see the truth.)

Vice President Dick Cheney
earned a B.A. in 1965 and a M.A. in 1966, both in political science. Two years later, he won an American Political Science Association congressional fellowship. One of Vice President Cheney's primary duties is to share with individuals, members of Congress and foreign leaders, President Bush's vision to strengthen our economy, secure our homeland and win the War on Terrorism. In his official role as President of the Senate, Vice President Cheney regularly goes to Capital Hill to meet with Senators and members of the House of Representatives to work on the Administration's legislative goals. In his travels as Vice President, he has seen first hand the great demands the war on terrorism is placing on the men and women of our military, and he is proud of the tremendous job they are doing for the United States of America.

Secretary of State Colin Powell
educated in the New York City public schools, graduating from the City College of New York (CCNY), where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in geology. He also participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1958. His further academic achievements include a Master of Business Administration Degree from George Washington University. Secretary Powell is the recipient of numerous U.S. and foreign military awards and decorations. Secretary Powell's civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the President's Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal. Several schools and other institutions have been named in his honor and he holds honorary degrees from universities and colleges across the country.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
attended Princeton University on Scholarship (AB, 1954) and served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as a Naval aviator ; Congressional Assistant to Rep. Robert Griffin (R-MI), 1957-59; U.S. Representative, Illinois, 1962-69; Assistant to the President, Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, Director of the Cost of Living Council, 1969-74; U.S. Ambassador to NATO, 1973-74; head of Presidential Transition Team, 1974; Assistant to the President, Director of White House Office of Operations, White House Chief of Staff, 1974-77; Secretary of Defense, 1975-77

Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge
raised in a working class family in veterans' public housing in Erie. He earned a scholarship to Harvard, graduating with honors in 1967. After his first year at The Dickinson School of Law, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as an infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star for Valor. After returning to Pennsylvania, he earned his Law Degree and was in private practice before becoming Assistant District Attorney in Erie County. He was elected to Congress in 1982. He was the first enlisted Vietnam combat veteran elected to the U.S. House, and was overwhelmingly re-elected six times.

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice
earned her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science,Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver in 1974;her Master's from the University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph.D.from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. (Note: Rice enrolled at the University of Denver at the age of 15, graduating at 19 with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science (Cum Laude). She earned a Master's Degree at the University of Notre Dame and a Doctorate from the University of Denver's Graduate School of International Studies. Both of her advanced degrees are also in Political Science.)

She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Morehouse College in 1991, the University of Alabama in 1994, and the University of Notre Dame in 1995. At Stanford, she has been a member of the Center for International Security and Arms Control, a Senior Fellow of the Institute for International Studies, and a Fellow (by courtesy) of the Hoover Institution. Her books include Germany Unified and Europe Transformed (1995) with Philip Zelikow, The Gorbachev Era (1986) with Alexander Dallin, and Uncertain Allegiance: The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army (1984). She also has written numerous articles on Soviet and East European foreign and defense policy, and has addressed audiences in settings ranging from the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Moscow to the Commonwealth Club to the 1992 and 2000 Republican National Conventions. From 1989 through March 1991, the period of German reunification and the final days of the Soviet Union, she served in the Bush Administration as Director, and then Senior Director, of Soviet and East European Affairs in the National Security Council, and a Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. In 1986, while an international affairs fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, she served as Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1997, she served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Gender -- Integrated Training in the Military. She was a member of the boards of directors for the Chevron Corporation, the Charles Schwab Corporation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the University of Notre Dame, the International Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan and the San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors. She was a Founding Board member of the Center for a New Generation, an educational support fund for schools in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park, California and was Vice President of the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. In addition, her past board service has encompassed such organizations as Transamerica Corporation, Hewlett Packard, the Carnegie Corporation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Rand Corporation, the National Council for Soviet and East European Studies, the Mid-Peninsula Urban Coalition and KQED, public broadcasting for San Francisco. She resides in Washington, D.C.

So who are these celebrities? What is their education? What is their experience in affairs of State or in National Security? While I will defend to the death their right to express their opinions, I think that if they are going to call into question the intelligence of our leaders, we should also have all the facts on their educations and background:

Barbra Streisand : Completed high school Career: Singing and acting

Cher: Dropped out of school in 9th grade. Career: Singing and acting

Martin Sheen: Flunked exam to enter University of Dayton. Career: Acting

Jessica Lange: Dropped out college mid-freshman year. Career: Acting

Alec Baldwin: Dropped out of George Washington U. after scandal Career: Acting

Julia Roberts: Completed high school Career: Acting

Sean Penn: Completed High school Career: Acting

Susan Sarandon: Degree in Drama from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Career: Acting

Ed Asner: Completed High school Career: Acting

George Clooney: Dropped out of University of Kentucky Career: Acting

Michael Moore: Dropped out first year University of Michigan. Career: Movie Director

Sarah Jessica Parker: Completed High School Career: Acting

Jennifer Anniston: Completed High School Career: Acting

Mike Farrell: Completed High school Career: Acting

Janeane Garofelo: Dropped out of College. Career: Stand up comedienne

Larry Hagman: Attended Bard College for one year. Career: Acting

While comparing the education and experience of these two groups, we should also remember that President Bush and his cabinet are briefed daily, even hourly, on the War on Terror and threats to our security. They are privy to information gathered around the world concerning the Middle East, the threats to America, the intentions of terrorists and terrorist-supporting governments. They are in constant communication with the CIA, the FBI, Interpol, NATO, The United Nations, our own military, and that of our allies around the world. We cannot simply believe that we have full knowledge of the threats because we watch CNN!! We cannot believe that we are in any way as informed as our leaders.

These celebrities have no intelligence-gathering agents, no fact-finding groups, no insight into the minds of those who would destroy our country. They only have a deep seated hatred for all things Republican. By nature, and no one knows quite why, the Hollywood elitists detest Conservative views and anything that supports or uplifts the United States of America. The silence was deafening from the Left when Bill Clinton bombed a pharmaceutical factory outside of Khartoum, or when he attacked the Bosnian Serbs in 1995 and 1999. He bombed Serbia itself to get Slobodan Milosevic out of Kosovo, and not a single peace rally was held. When our Rangers were ambushed in Somalia and 18 young American lives were lost, not a peep was heard from Hollywood. Yet now, after our nation has been attacked on its own soil, after 3,000 Americans were killed by freedom-hating terrorists while going about their routine lives, they want to hold rallies against the war. Why the change? Because an honest, God-fearing Republican sits in the White House.

Another irony is that in 1987, when Ronald Reagan was in office, the Hollywood group aligned themselves with disarmament groups like SANE, FREEZE and PEACE ACTION, urging our own government to disarm and freeze the manufacturing of any further nuclear weapons, in order to promote world peace. It is curious that now, even after we have heard all the evidence that Saddam Hussein has chemical, biological and is very close to obtaining nuclear weapons, their is no cry from this group for HIM to disarm. They believe we should leave him alone in his quest for these weapons of mass destruction, even though it is certain that these deadly weapons will eventually be used against us in our own cities.

So why the hype out of Hollywood? Could these celebrities believe that since they draw such astronomical salaries, they are entitled to also determine the course of our Nation? That they can make viable decisions concerning war and peace? Did Michael Moore have the backing of the Nation when he recently thanked France, on our behalf, for being a "good enough friend to tell us we were wrong"? I know for certain he was not speaking for me. Does Sean Penn fancy himself a Diplomat, in going to Iraq when we are just weeks away from war? Does he believe that his High School Diploma gives him the knowledge (and the right) to go to a country that is controlled by a maniacal dictator, and speak on behalf of the American people? Or is it the fact that he pulls in more
money per year than the average American worker will see in a lifetime? Does his bank account give him clout?

The ultimate irony is that many of these celebrities have made a shambles of their own lives, with drug abuse, alcoholism, numerous marriages and divorces, scrapes with the law, publicized temper tantrums, etc. How dare they pretend to know what is best for an entire nation! What is even more bizarre is how many people in this country will listen and accept their views, simply because they liked them in a certain movie, or have fond memories of an old television sitcom!

It is time for us, as citizens of the United States, to educate ourselves about the world around us. If future generations are going to enjoy the freedoms that our forefathers bequeathed us, if they are ever to know peace in their own country and their world, to live without fear of terrorism striking in their own cities, we must assure that this nation remains strong. We must make certain that those who would destroy us are made aware of the severe consequences that will befall them.

Yes, it is a wonderful dream to sit down with dictators and terrorists and join hands, singing Cumbaya and talking of world peace. But it is not real. We did not stop Adolph Hitler from taking over the entire continent of Europe by simply talking to him. We sent our best and brightest, with the strength and determination that this Country is known for, and defeated the Nazi regime. President John F. Kennedy did not stop the Soviet ships from unloading their nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 with mere words. He stopped them with action, and threat of immediate war if the ships did not turn around. We did not end the Cold War with conferences. It ended with the strong belief of President Ronald Reagan... PEACE through STRENGTH.

imho

michael moore is a big, fat, self-important, truth-distorting moron who obviously doesn't know what 'fictitious' means. But I hope he's thankful he lives in a country where he can say what he wants, no matter how wrong he is, and doesn't have to be afraid that he, all those who stood with him, and all they loved wouldn't be shot on sight, or fed into an industrial plastic shredder feet first, so all could hear their screams.

i hope the oscar he won for his fictitious portrayal of one of Colorado's saddest moments presented in the guise of a 'documentary' is particularly shiny in the light of truth of the freedom he so wantonly disregards.

uprising

Fox News is reporting that the Shia party in Basrah is revolting against Saddam's army. Saddam's army is responding by killing them. British forces are attempting to support the Shia uprisers.

Its a good thing our antiwar protesters have the liberty to do what they do here, rather than there.

otherwise, it would cost them their lives.

is news of a dictator actively and currently killing his own people enough to sway their misinformed opinions?

we can only hope. but I'm not optimistic on this.

God bless America.

propaganda?

BASRAH -- in an inevitable turn of events-praise allah-a contingent of British combatant swine, apparently overwhelmed by the obvious-praise allah-dominance of Saddam's fierce warriors-praise allah-, laid down their weapons and joined allegiance-praise allah-to the blessed potentate-praise allah.

The western curs agreed that their former slave masters-praise allah- would assuredly face the fires of defeat and would-praise allah-be beheaded in the sandstorms of shame, confusion, and-praise allah-degradation.
--end--
this story was filed by the non-biased --praise allah-- 'news agency' Al Jazeera.

the antiwar nonmessage & the appropriate response

this clip via email of a talk show conversation between a idyllic "chirping bird" who wants to plant daisies in the mine fields of Iraq, and a man forced to leave the country because of the horrible ways and means of the tyrant who rules it.

clip is six minutes long, fyi.

have you forgotten?

If you can't understand why we're in Iraq, go here and click on the US Flag banner. This excellent flash presentation will remind you.

God Bless America!

a morale booster?

from MSNBC, apparently Wonder Woman has had a makeover. I'm not sure if it was the gals from The View, or Regis & Kelly, but from what I can see, it was probably neither.



umm, she's the one in the camo bustier, not the altogether 'ordinary' gal on the right.

statements and questions upon this startling development that just may result in a triple-digit jump in tomorrow's stock market.'

1. Linda Carter will always be Wonder Woman. For one who was a boy in the 70's, that's just an unchangeable constant.
2. She is a native of Amazonia. Is there any reason we should be concerned about this?
3. We need to tap into that technology behind the golden lasso, bullet-deflecting wristbands, and invisible jet.
4. As part of the broader Justice League of America, why haven't we heard of their involvement up to this point? Is there some sort of UN tie-in that is causing more bureaucratic difficulties? Granted, Aquaman wouldn't be much help in this conflict, but he rarely is helpful. But Superman and Green Lantern would certainly do some good, right?
5. Is the bustier really the best uniform for the job? something about camouflage speaks toward an aim of functionality and concealment. A bustier speaks toward an aim of enhanced cleavage and provocation. I'm befuddled by this (note: this word camouflage appears to be French. I am henceforth boycotting it and replacing it with the more patriotic 'disguise-o-gear.' [note to the note: 'disguise' is also French. I know this. But it is 'old French,' like the kind of French that helped fight for our liberty and freedom, not the new French that brokers arms deals with Iraqi terrorists., so its okay, and I will use it intentionally.{additional note: I've realized that 'bustier' is also french, and is also subject to boycott. I will from now on use the more accurate and patriotic term 'jello mold.'}]).
6. and this quote sums up what's really important about this matter...“After 9-11 a lot of people went back to think about who we are and to do some soul-searching,” (the WW writer Walter) Simonson said. “But remember, Wonder Woman’s specific mission is to bring peace; she’s a heroine who fights for peace.”

ohhh....

godblessamerica.

sacre' bleu!

I had my first visitor from the land of the vinegar-swilling, limburger-scented, dictator-loving, democracy-hating, oppression-advocating, silly beret-making, bravery-allergic country-that-rhymes-with-"I'm-such-a-coward-I-just-wet-my-pants."

I came up on this person's remarkably complex search at "google france" on the word "amidst."

Well, what else can I say but, "welcome. I hope you enjoyed your time stumbling through my site" (although it was entirely too brief, according to my records).
Here is the referent site from Frenchie. Here is said web site's Roquefort-hazed view of the war. One more thing....



God Bless America

signs of the impending apocalypse #33 & #34

this is one of those rare days where I've come across a trifecta of apocalyptic significa (it's only happened once previously). I wouldn't have had this for you if I hadn't decided to catch up on Dave's blog. He's possessing quite a trove of news of this relevancy.

sooo.....

#33 --
a five-yolked egg.

and

#34 --
an allah-praising gourd

all this cataclysm is making me hungry.

signs of the impending apocalypse #32

this popped up on my browser.

this in itself is not indicative of our impending global doom. It is simply an ad for bonsai. The apocalyptic link (punny, yes) is that it popped up after clicking on this from Dave's blog.

I can only imagine the web guru who thought "This erstwhile surfer was probably really looking for true bonsai when stumbling upon a site dedicated to bonsai kittens. Let me help that person out.

And as Dave himself actually dreamed in print: may all pop-up authors one day visit a proctologist to receive the report -- I found one polyp, but when I removed it, 10 more popped up in its place.

annoying descovery #1

my keyboard is lopsided. The whole thing rattles whilst I type.

another reason why I'm not a four star general

I don't have Gen. Franks' patience, situationally speaking. He handles the politically poisonous questions of the arabic 'reporters' with grace and aplomb that I simply do not possess, again -- situationally speaking. If I were he, I'd jump over that podium and issue some 'serious consequences' to help them understand the veracity with which he delivers his information.

and why does George Stephanopolous get to always ask the first question? Maybe for the same reason he gets to sit in the front row. If he were further back or had to wait, the general might not be able to see him, much less pick him out amidst all the real news media (sic) sitting in the audience.

results are in

just received news of a recent evangelistic training event held in Colorado, which culminates by participants going out and (no, really) using what they've learned. Look what happened:

Attempted visits: 158
Completed visits: 57
Gospel presented: 18
Professions of faith: 2
Enrolled in SS: 3

whattaya know? When people hear about Jesus, they believe. If you believe, go tell someone about Him.

perspective

this weekend I:

took my family to Denver.
shopped with said family and my parents, pumping hundreds of (my parent's) dollars into the economy.
negotiated the pot hole-filled, melted snow-streaming streets of the capital city
attended an arena football game with my dad and two oldest children (at which the army-a sponsor of the AFL- was rousingly supported and cheered).
played 'snatch' a word game with my dad & grandmother. I was winning, but quit when they started using 'crossword puzzle' words like adze.
carried on multiple conversations about the war, our president, our government, and the ironic idiocy violently demonstrated by 'peaceful anti-war protestors.'

While I enjoyed these and many other liberties paid for by the blood and sacrifice of my and your relatives and ancestors, the previously mentioned battled waged on in earnest ten hours ahead on the clock and a thousand years behind in political ideology. And the moment we encountered, for the first time, real resistance by the enemy, the vast majority of our news media began clucking 'chicken little' soundbytes.

we agonize that 20 of our military has been killed. so do I. but did we forget this is a war? The Red cross just reported that 31 Iraqi military are dead in Baghdad alone. Oh yeah, and only 1 non-military citizen.

we agonize that 5 of our troops are POW's being treated poorly. So do I. But for goodness sake, this better steel our resolve and firm our determination. And militaristically speaking, I believe it has. But according to the media, we're in chaotic disarray because of it. Saddam must be thrilled with all the free propaganda he's receiving from the western media. Oh, and how many POW's do we have? 3000 by General Franks' estimation given this morning.

3000 for us.

5 for them.

We're also ahead of schedule on every military timetable. They don't know if their leader is dead or alive, healthy or incapacitated.

Our leader and entire military structure is stable, entrenched, and strategizing.


the outcome is certain.

God bless America.

signs of the impending apocalypse #31

Magnum Ice Cream, a subsidiary of Unilever foods, is marketing a new line of ice cream, based upon the seven deadly sins.

for those of you disconnected from a Catholic upbringing, this means the new yummy flavors are:

sloth
greed
envy
vanity (pride -- depends on your catechism teacher, I suppose)
gluttony
lust
wrath

nothing like a double dip of gluttony in a waffle cone with sprinkles.

another fine american product

(via presurfer) you can go to slycraft and purchase a white surrender flag to be sent to Saddam's Republican Guard.

God bless America.

question of the day

have you prayed for these people today?

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. - Romans 13:1-4

and for

"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven - Matthew 5:44-45

one point of disagreement

I've seen two instances -- one in print and one on television, regarding what I believe to be improper conduct toward flags. In the print, it was the raising of the US flag in place of the Iraqi flag in one location where we had gained control. In the other, it was the taking down of the Iraqi flag at a destroyed outpost. In the print, it was reported that the US flag was later lowered. In the television report, the Iraqi flag was said to be taken as 'a souvenir' (NOTE: henceforth, I am boycotting this French word, and from now on using the English alternative 'remembrance').

I understand and agree with the removal of their flags (and even the raising of our own) if it serves some sort of tactical purpose, but cringe a bit if it is being done 'just for show.' Flags are powerful symbols, and use of those symbols should be well-thought out and deliberate. If these actions were appropriately purposeful and were misreported by news media (not a far stretch, imho), then shame on them, for perpetuating negative stereotypes. If not, we need a couple of C.O.s chewing some tail.

from the warfront

this email, forwarded to me from the mom of one of my former youth-group students, currently serving in Kuwait:

Well well well...This is a crazy place... But I want you all to know I'm not scared, and I am comming home. Please don't worry about me. We listen to the "downloaded" radio from cnn and it's crazy to hear how they make it sound to you guys. Don't get me wrong, this is war... I have seen a few things that don't care to see again. But I have no fear, that may sound crazy but god is with me, and I know that he will take care of me and his will, will be done. I can't wait to come home I miss you all and I love you all with all of my heart. Remember, don't be scared for me, I am kinda enjoying that fact that we are actually doing something over here, it was kinda getting bored.... Besides this just makes it so I can come home sooner... I love you all thanks for your support... I love you again...

please remember to pray for him and his young wife back home stateside.

thanks.

proverbs #69

a man of cruelty is God's enemy.

no big surprise

I'm a

Republican - You believe that the free market will
take care of most things, but that the
government should be there with moderate
taxation to provide for national defense and
enforcing morality. Your historical role model
is Ronald Reagan.


Which political sterotype are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

what're you?

sung to the tune of and the walls came tumblin' down

is saddam dead or injured?

this indeed would be the democrats' worst case scenario.

american idol? nevermind

I wasn't able to participate in the 3rd round audition because my Java application was too new. I was informed I could try again if I unloaded all existing versions and downloaded an old version.

as fun as all that sounds, I decided it wasn't worth the effort.

so my impending brush with fame will be delayed yet longer.

reliving the past

Kelli just opened up our sewing machine for the first time since our 2000 house fire, to make new pillows for the children.

Its smoky smelling and soot-covered.

amazing how simple sights and sounds invoke such unpleasant memories of loss.

american idol? maybe not

I've made it to the third round of try-outs for 'the ark,' the ship of fools' upcoming web-based competition. I've got two trials (I'm posing as 'Daniel'). Winner of this little adventure receives a little over a thousand duckets.

I'll let you know how it goes.

proverbs #68

"one of these days" is none of these days.

proximal irony

from the cellar, two examples of unfortunate juxtaposition of advertising & news, and one of two unusual posts paired by coincidence.

A dictator's nightmare

hickory dickory dock
saddam is watching the clock
the clock strikes eight
oops, too late
now his head is on the block.

proverbs #67

hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue.

just so you know

[stiff upper lip]my life will in fact go on, should it be determined that conducting the Oscar ceremonies is not in our nation's best interest, come Sunday evening. [/stiff upper lip]

sung to the tune of a little less conversation

Saddam & Sons, Inc. is down to 20 hours before a fire of Serious Consequences begins to fall from the Baghdad skies.

signs of the impending apocalypse #30

Pepsi is the choice of the end generation!

Revelation revealed on every can of the beverage endorsed in various times, to varying degrees of success and notoriety by:

Michael Jackson
Madonna
Britney Spears (that should be good for a few random hits)
Faith Hill
Haley Joel Osment, or whatever the name of that curly-haired girl is.
Beyonce Knowles

a MOST misused adjective

"christian"

Today, I drove past a Christian arcade.

hmmm, I thought to myself in italics, what does a arcade have to be to in fact be 'Christian?'

Is it one where all the games are saved?
Or where they simply follow the ten commandments?
And if they be Christian, were they predestined to be, or are they so of their own free will?

I understand the mind set that compels us to slap on the "Christian" name brand on every product, activity, attitude, and motive we possess. But I find we are wholly mistaken and incredibly misdirected when we assume that something be Christian simply because Christians partake or initiate it.

But then again, that's just the opinion expressed on one Christian blog.

proverbs #66

our worst enemies are the friends who have failed to find us profitable.

does this qualify

as must see TV?

the today show is about to air a colonoscopy...

...live.

I think I'm going to set aside my Raisin Bran.

number of the day

65

that's the percentage of people, according to an MSNBC/WSJ poll, that support the president going to war.

I'm not surprised that 88 % of Republicans are in agreement, but what surprised me is that 49% of dems now do.

which leads me to ask, from which alternative universe do the dems draw their definition of "support?"

Talking heads like Daschle, Pelosi, Gephart, Kennedy, Leiberman, etc., etc., ad nauseum have for weeks maligned our president's leadership, labeling it with terms like "total failure." Then, when he exhibits the fortitude they will never comprehend, much less possess, they have the audacity to say "we support our troops. We support our president."

It's ALMOST enough to make me want to cuss. or puke. or cuss while I puke.

And these same folks wonder why they can never make headway into the military vote. I'm so glad that men and women smart enough to see through their political harlotry are the ones fighting to liberate the Iraqi people from tyranny and to bring safety to America in the process.

BTW -- for those of you (52% according to the poll) worried that this war action may encite terrorist reprisals -- we were under the spectre of terrorism when we still had yet to engage the enemy. Don't you remember two mighty towers falling from the sky? Or a bomb being detonated against one of our warships? Or the destruction of our embassies? Or the circumvention of other horrible attrocities by Al Quaeda simply by the providence of God? By taking the war to them, we prevent these acts of anarchy and murder. It's just harder to monitor the progress of our safety because it is only measured in the day-by-day experience of nonviolence being perpetrated against us, a quantity that is far too easy to take for granted.

proverbs #65

tall trees catch much wind.

proverbs #64

courage consists not in hazarding without fear, but in being resolutely minded in a just cause.

why don't you say how you really feel?

from WSJ best of the web (apologies to my sensitive readers about the words to follow)...

The Washington Post, reporting from Kuwait, quotes Marine Lt. Gen. James Conway, who has a better sense of America's political pulse than the Dems do:

Conway told his troops not to worry about peace protests at home, pointing to a poll showing that 71 percent of Americans want to get the Iraq situation resolved now. "When we invade Iraq," he added, "that'll go up to 91 percent. And you know how I feel about it? Piss on everybody else."

test

seeing if my email-send program is up and working again.

be one in a million

to pray for spiritual renewal/revival in our country.

is this a coinkidink?

that upon news of the US/UK/Spain decalaration of the UN's irrelevance, that our stock market has jumped over 200 points?

there's no place like home

[deepbreath][aaaaahhhhh]after 16 days away, I'm back in my domicile, with Kelli and the children.[/aaaaahhhhh][/deepbreath]

I'm convinced

1. Hans Blix is not interested in the world's welfare.
2. The UN has never been more irrelevant than now.
3. The French may not be as good of friends as initially reported.
4. Russia will come around.
5. "Naked female protestors for Iraq" should be the new Webster's defnition for irony.
6. President Bush and Tony Blair comprehends what made Winston Churchill great.
7. The vast land between New York & LA called America is made up of people who widely support both the president and the war.
8. North Korea is a real, true threat that will be largely controlled not only by the multilateral pressures exerted by surrounding nations, but by the speed, efficiency, and overwhelming force of the United States of America to soon be demonstrated upon a like-minded terrorist state.
9. I'm thankful to God to have been born in a nation that values liberty not only for itself, but for all people, everywhere.
10. Being away from my family for an extended time (this is day 11 of 16) pales in comparison to the sacrifice and dedication of US soldiers, but helps me appreciate their gift to me and my family. Accordingly, my appreciation is best expressed in my public affirmation and ongoing prayer.

checking in

well, I'm at the NAMB annual update in Greenville, SC, and the Hilton has a computer to use. None of my email posts actually posted. Thanks Blogger. Hopefully that will be fixed with the Googlebux behind the new operation.

I'll post more later. But before I go, I had to share my most profound experience of the day. I walked in to the hotel bathroom, and for the most brief of moments, was filled with dread that I had recklessly entered the women's bathroom. The air freshener they used to mask men's odors was alarmingly floral.

Then I saw the urinals and was immediately relieved.

proverbs #63

pity the man with a giant brain and a tadpole backbone

announcement

since I'm about to log off and not log back on until the 16th when I return home, I'm going to attempt to post several proverbs to publish daily. I predict they will either all publish at once or none at all.

either way, there's not much I can do about it. so if nothing shows up after this, just amuse yourself by digging through my archives. if it all shows up at once, just read one a day, and help build up my stats.

and in the highly unlikely scenario that it actually functions correctly, then praise God, something actually went right!

perspective

from WSJ best of the web:

College	Enrollment	# of Protesters	% of students not protesting
Stanford University	7,886	300	96.20%
University of Maryland	24,638	500	97.97%
Marquette University	7,496	40	99.47%
Penn State University	34,406	1,500	95.64%
Miami University (Ohio)	14,914	125	99.16%
University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill)	15,608	100	99.36%
Virginia Commonwealth University	16,505	2	99.99%
Rice University	2,856	200	93.00%
New York University	18,628	100	99.46%
University of California (Berkeley)	22,593	300	98.67%
Rutgers University	27,939	80	99.71%

(Sources: Information Please Almanac, AP, CNN, Daily Californian, Daily Targum)

weasels, monkeys, and turkeys...oh my!

the global menagerie seems to be growing, with the recent debate between Iraqi and Kuwaiti diplomats devolving to primate/canine levels.

now, I con-cur (cur...dog...get it?!?) that we indeed live on the animal planet, but here are my simple questions:

1. Do we give these creatures a bad name by linking them with undesirable, wimpish, impish, or disdainful humans?

2. Is this type of name calling an attempt to strip these people (or even people groups) of their humanity, making it easier to encite hostility?

I've been vocal on my support of action against Iraq, and still very much am. This little PSA is just a reminder that it is a human conflict, no matter how inhumane it may escalate to be, by those who view their adversaries in a subhuman mentality, which includes those who are violently clamoring for peace (Note: this is exactly what President Bush clarified last night, in his emphasis to protect and preserve any and all human life not posing a threat to the USA and our interests [about half-way down the page]).

rhapsody in blue various shades of red

Thanks to rhapsodic I've seen what my webpage looks like to a person with tritanope colorblindness.

question of the day?

how many Iraqi citizens must die under a jack boot before we determine that containment is not the best policy?