What Terri's life can teach us

Terri Schiavo passed away today. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

We should not forget the lessons the focus on the final days of her life have taught us. Regardless of where you come down on the morality of her death, none of us should sleep well for the interference that occurred in this decision. It strikes me as simply stunning that the judiciary in this country has made such a raw power grab manifested in the way they treated this woman. Are we at a point where the interests of a position taken, argued about in a court, ruled on and "judged" outweigh the importance of life and its moral underpinnings? Our forefathers created the judiciary to temper us from populist movements. How do we temper our judges?

We should all worry where we are headed next. Karen Pittman lays out an excoriation of the judges who rule by judicial fiat and the chicken littles in the statehouses and Washington who do nothing to stop this blatant power grab by the judiciary.

Ultimately, it is our responsibility to hold our government accountable. I am willing to bet this will fall off the front pages and be forgotten until the next Terri comes along. We cannot and should not let her life lesson be lost on us as a nation lest we succumb to the depravity of moral relativism and a culture of death.

Hot Cross Buns

Tomorrow is Good Friday.  I was talking with a colleague who works with some of our Australian customers.  They were eating hot cross buns today.  I was curious to know the origin.  You can find out more about them here, here and here.

The tradition of Hot Cross Buns dates back to pagan times, when the cross represented the moon and its four quarters and, when the Romans arrived in Britain, they introduced spiced buns which were marked with the sign of the cross.

 

On Good Friday in 1361 it is recorded that small spiced cakes, marked with a cross, were distributed by Father Thomas Rockliffe to the poor of St Albans in England. After this, it became traditional to make and eat hot cross buns every Good Friday.

 

It was believed by many that hot cross buns had miraculous powers. People would hang them from their kitchen ceilings to protect their homes from evil and they were used in powdered form to treat all types of illnesses. It was also said that hot cross buns baked on Good Friday would never go mouldy - although this was probably because the buns were baked so hard that there was no moisture left in the mixture for the mould to live on!

Slippery Slope to Auschwitz

Peggy Noonan gets right to the point of something that has bothering me about the Terri Schiavo tragedy. Why do so many want her to die?  We can all argue about the merits of the case.  And, many have ad nauseum.  But, there are many who are absolutely rejoicing in this woman’s death.  Call it a culture of death.  It is inexplicable to me.

Trimming the nets

The tradition of cutting down the net from the rim was started by Everett Case in 1947 when NC State beat Carolina for the Southern Conference championship.

How bloggers are keeping the MSM honest

Here is a classic example of MSM distortion, which has been corrected by the bloggers.  Looks like the MSM finally has a conscience.

Culture of Death

George Neumayr lays the wood to the Dems for their inhumanity toward man.

What they call "compassion" is jaw-dropping crassness toward the most helpless humans. The self-described party of the "little guy" is his greatest enemy, aborting him at the beginning of life or dehydrating him to death at the end of life, all the while insisting that it is for his "own good." Think of all the phony rights the Democrats will devise at the drop of a hat, yet they won't lift a finger to protect the most obvious and real right, the right to life that belongs to man by virtue of his human nature (not by virtue of his "meaningful activity"), and without which all other rights lose meaning and occasion for government protection.

GE dumps GM

Guest post from Wyatt…

From 24 years of banking experience, I can tell you that this is done only after intense scrutiny of credit risk. It is a giant slap in the face of a customer - particularly in the unregulated lending sphere.  

I imagine they will reinstate at junk bond - adjustable rates for future lines of credit (I presume this is a LOC).

However, this has been foreseeable. Think of the implications in the mutual fund market when all the GM paper is no longer attractive as part of their portfolios. This is happening in good times. Glad it is not 02 or 03  

I imagine S&P and Moody will downgrade to junk shortly.

HT:Dad

Update: Appears that the news reports may have been too fast or something leaked out that should not have been made public.  Hum!?

Emily climbs the wall! 200 feet over the fantail of a cruise ship. WOW!
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Liberal view of fighting wars

The liberals would have us fight wars through the courts.  How you do that is beyond me.  Best guess is that they want us to lose.

How shall we fight the war we're in? Who shall we take prisoner and when, under what conditions and to whom shall we release them? The Constitution permits only one branch of government to decide those questions: the executive, not our increasingly injudicious judiciary.

State to Sweet 16

NC State beats Connecticut (65-62) and advances to final 16 for firts time since 1989!

Lenten Post Day 38

Friday, March 18
Jeremiah 29: 1 (2-3) 4-14, Romans 11:13-24, John 11:1-27
Q. 88. What are the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?
A. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer, all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.
Q. 89. How is the Word made effectual to salvation?
A. The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching, of the Word an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith unto salvation.
Q. 90. How is the Word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation?
A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love; lay it up in our hearts; and practice it in our lives.
Prayer: You are holy, O Lord, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame. (Psalm 22:3-5)
Reflection: It is important that we reflect daily through prayer on the grace God has given us. Through mediattion and calm and quiet solitude we can come to know God better.
Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

Lenten Post Day 36

Wednesday, March 16
Jeremiah 25:30-38, Romans 10:14-21, John 10:1-18
Q. 83. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
Q. 84. What doth every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come.
Q. 85. What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse, due to us for sin?
A. To escape the wrath and curse of God, due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.
Prayer: Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing. Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray. Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield. (Psalm 5:1-2, 11-12)
Reflection: God's salvation comes through Jesus Christ. We must listen to the words of Christ to follow his path. Anyone elses words are just those of a false prophet.
Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

Lenten Post Day 35

Tuesday, March 15
Jeremiah 25:8-17, Romans 10:1-13, John 9:18-41
Q. 82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. No mere man, since the Fall, is able, in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them, in thought, word, and deed.
Prayer: Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)
Reflection: We are sinners and know nothing but sin. Our salvation comes from the grace of God. The path to that salvation is through His son Jesus.
Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

Lenten Post Day 34

Monday, March 14
Jeremiah 24:1-10, Romans 9:19-33, John 9:1-17
Q. 79. Which is the Tenth Commandment?
A. The Tenth Commandment is, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.”
Q. 80. What is required in the Tenth Commandment?
A. The Tenth Commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbor and all that is his.
Q. 81. What is forbidden in the Tenth Commandment?
A. The Tenth Commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.
Prayer: O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in your wrath. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror. My soul also is struck with terror, while you, O Lord—how long? Turn, O Lord, save my life; deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love. (Psalm 6:1-4)
Reflection: We often feel sorry for ourselves when others seem to get something we want. It is funny that when we get that object of desire, we are foten dissatisfied. Covetousness is insidious and eats at our soul. We need to love who we are and what we have and praise God every day for his many blessings.
Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

Lenten Post Day 33

Sunday, March 13
Jeremiah 23:16-32, I Corinthians 9:19-27, Mark 8:31-9:1
Q. 76. Which is the Ninth Commandment?
A. The Ninth Commandment is, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
Q. 77. What is required in the Ninth Commandment?
A. The Ninth Commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbor’s good name, especially in witnessbearing.
Q. 78. What is forbidden in the Ninth Commandment?
A. The Ninth Commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbor’s good name.
Prayer: Lord I praise you! I praise you in your sanctuary; I praise you in your mighty firmament! I praise you for your mighty deeds; I praise you according to your surpassing greatness! I praise you with trumpet sound; I praise you with lute and harp! I praise you with tambourine and dance; I praise you with strings and pipe! I praise you with clanging cymbals; I praise you with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150)
Reflection: One lie leads to many lies. The truth is important for one's own soul.
Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

Lenten Post Day 32

Saturday, March 12
Jeremiah 23:9-15, Romans 9:1-18, John 6:60-71
Q. 73. Which is the Eighth Commandment?
A. The Eighth Commandment is, “Thou shalt not steal”’
Q. 74. What is required in the Eighth Commandment?
A. The Eighth Commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.
Q. 75. What is forbidden in the Eighth Commandment?
A. The Eighth Commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may, unjustly hinder our own, or our neighbor’s, wealth or outward estate.
Prayer: O Lord, let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path. (Psalm 143:8, 10)
Reflection: We need to look to God to keep our hearts pure and away from sin.
Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

Sam passes with flying colors

Sam got her learners permit today.  Passed on first try!  Here is the manual.

Lenten Post Day 31

Friday, March 11
Jeremiah 23:1-8, Romans 8:28-29, John 6:52-59
Q. 70. Which is the Seventh Commandment?
A. The Seventh Commandment is, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
Q. 71. What is required in the Seventh Commandment?
A. The Seventh Commandment requireth the preservation of our own’and our neighbor’s chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.
Q. 72. What is forbidden in the Seventh Commandment?
A. The Seventh Commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.
Prayer: Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope. (Psalm 130:2-5)
Reflection: Christ was sent by God to lead us back to God and away from the sin within us. On earth Jesus chastized us for coveting the things of our earthly world and to focus our desires on God.
Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

Picture of the family shield.
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Why Dems Don't Support Social Security Reform

Interesting article on the genesis of Democratic hatred toward reforming social security.

Thus, the phony outrage among liberals, intent on maintaining the system in its present form, offers proof of their real loyalties. And politicians who piously suggest another tax hike as some sort of corrective action are merely showing themselves to be willing to continue the theft, not only from this generation, but from future generations, until such time that the public wakes up to the sham.

Nutcase Dems

This guy loses it and endangers a woman and her two young children.  The progressives have gone off the deep end with their hatred.

Lenten Post Day 30

Thursday, March 10

 

Jeremiah 22:13-23, Romans 8:12-27, John 6:41-51

Q. 67. Which is the Sixth Commandment?

A. The Sixth Commandment is, “Thou shall not kill”

Q. 68. What is required in the Sixth Commandment?

A. The Sixth Commandment requireth all lawful endeavors to serve our own life, and the life of others.

Q. 69. What is forbidden in the Sixth Commandment?

A. The Sixth Commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.

Prayer: You O Lord have done great things for us, and we rejoice. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. (Psalm 126:3-6)

Reflection: The sixth commandment actually has two meanings.  The affirmative is that we are commanded by God not to kill.  But, the otherside of the commandment means we must seek to serve life and endeavor to nurture it.  This commandment extends to the nurturing of the Spirit within us so that we may seek God.

Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

Pack wins in 1st round of ACC

Pack 70 – FSU 54

Lenten Post Day 29

Wednesday, March 9

Jeremiah 18:1-11, Romans 8:1-11, John 6:27-40

Q. 65. What is forbidden in the Fifth Commandment?

A. The Fifth Commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honor and duty which belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations.

Q. 66. What is the reason annexed to the Fifth Commandment?

A. The reason annexed to the Fifth Commandment is a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God’s glory, and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.

Prayer: Lord you are my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? You are the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! O God of my salvation!  (Psalm 27:1, 7, 9)

Reflection: We are in a constant struggle between the Spirit within us and sin.  Our sinful nature makes us choose sin over righteousness.  God sent Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins and raised Him from the dead so that we may know the path to righteousness.  It is the Spirit within us that guides us to Jesus and back to God and helps us to overcome our sin.

Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

Analytical Review of Blogs During 2004 Election

This is a very interesting, technically detailed analysis of the interactions of blogs during the recent election cycle.

The 10 Commandments Suit

Here is a good analysis of the legal arguments around the 10 Commandments suit being deliberated by the Supreme Court.

Pack in the big dance?

Here is a preview of the selection committee which decides the 65 field team this Sunday evening.  The Pack still has a chance.  ESPN.com - Bracketology

Lenten Post Day 28

Tuesday, March 8

Jeremiah 17:19-27, Romans 7:13-25, John 6:16-27

Q. 63. Which is the Fifth Commandment?

A. The Fifth Commandment is, “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee”

Q. 64. What is required in the Fifth Commandment?

A. The Fifth Commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.

Prayer: Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

Reflection: God teaches us to follow his truth through the Laws and His Word.  That Truth is embodied in Christ.  It teaches us to respect others and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

 

Lenten Post Day 27

Monday, March 7

Jeremiah 16:91-9) 10-21, Romans 7:1-12, John 6:1-15

Q. 60. How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?

A. The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of GodÂÂ’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.

Q. 61. What is forbidden in the Fourth Commandment?

A. The Fourth Commandment forbiddeth the omission, or careless performance, of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.

Q. 62. What are the reasons annexed to the Fourth Commandment?

A. The reasons annexed to the Fourth Commandment are: GodÂÂ’s allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the Sabbath Day.

Prayer: I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. (Psalm 145:1-2)

Reflection: God gave us the Law and the Commandments so that we would no right from wrong. But, because we are of sin, we do wrong knowing it is against the Law. Jesus came into the world and died for our sins and through his death gave us the Holy Spirit so that we may always know good. God knows that because of our sinful nature, we will tend toward the wrong. But, by sacrificing his Son so that we might live and leaving us with the Holy Spirit within us, we may no right from wrong and resist the wrong.

Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

Middle East Democracy

The Weekly Standard has an excellent article about the impact of democracy in each arab country in the Middle East.  It will be interesting to watch this unfold.

Lebanon – Probably

Syria – Doubtful

Algeria – Probably

Egypt – Depends on US pressure on Mubarak

Saudi Arabia – Something in between

Iran – Pent-up demand strongest here

Iraq – The cradle of civilization is the cradle of democracy 

Pack loses a squeaker

Tough loss, which will probably knock the Pack out of the NCAA.

Wake 55 – State 53

The Bush Boom

Larry Kudlow  discusses all the positive news in the economy.

Cedar Creek a Historic Site

And this is not because of my brother’s prowess as a deer hunter.  The area is the site of a civil war era community.

Greenspan Teaches Math Too

Mr Greenspan explains the math of Social Security reform.

Mr. Greenspan delivered another lesson in the laws of arithmetic when he focused on Social Security's pay-as-you-go financing system. Pay-as-you-go worked "exceptionally well" as long as "you increased the population, relative to the number of people who were retired. But when you get the population growth slowing down, and especially the extraordinary improvement in life expectancy after age 65," Mr Greenspan matter-of-factly stated, "the arithmetic no longer works for pay-as-you-go; and what you need is a system which creates the savings that are invested in real assets to produce the real consumption in retirement." That is why he endorses personal retirement accounts, which over the long term "create the possibility of building real savings in a manner better than the pay-as-you-go system does." While the pay-as-you-go system does not have "a mechanism which creates a buildup of savings to create the real resources," he argued that personal retirement accounts "at least have the capability of doing that."

Lenten Post Day 26

Sunday, March 6

Jeremiah 14:1-9 (10-16) 17-22, Galatians 4:21-51, Mark 8:11-21

Q. 57. Which is the Fourth Commandment?

A. The Fourth Commandment is, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it!”

Q. 58. What is required in the Fourth Commandment?

A. The Fourth Commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy Sabbath to himself.

Q. 59. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to he the weekly Sabbath?

A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath.

Prayer: Lord, let all who are faithful offer prayer to you. For you are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. (Psalm 32:6-7)

Reflection: Faith opens your eyes.  Relying on signs offends God.  Those who point to signs are false prophets.  Only through faith can you see and believe.

Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

 

Sam is 15 today!
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Eurospeak

How do you parse these words?  Victor Dvaid Hanson helps out

So if Europe sounds conflicted, that's because it is. One symptom of such a troubled patient is its blustering rhetoric — as if words can mask reality, as if idealistic vocabulary and shots at America can substitute for faith in Western values, sacrifice, and risk-taking. One reason that Europe understands so well the braggadocio and sense of inferiority of the impotent Muslim world is that it suffers precisely from some of these same maladies in its own problematic relationship with the United States. A Muslim in Europe who puts a picture of bin Laden on his wall is the equivalent of a European chanting that Bush is Hitler: The Arab does not really wish to destroy the opulent European network that he counts on, nor does the European in jeans with a cell phone truly wish the U.S. would stop protecting his lifestyle. Yet each feels terrible about his own hypocrisy and accompanying appetites for what he professedly hates, and so looks to express angst on the cheap.

Lenten Post Day 25

Saturday, March 5
Jeremiah 13:1-11, Romans 6:12-23, John 8:47-59
Q. 55. What is forbidden in the Third Commandment?
A. The Third Commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known.
Q. 56. What is the reason annexed to the Third Commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the Third Commandment is that, however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.
Prayer: In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me. You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me, take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. (Psalm 31:1-5)
Reflection: We have a choice of sin or righteousness. The path of sin is easy for us. The path of righteousness is difficult.
Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

Next: Damascus

Looks like the next domino is Damascus.  Get rid of this dictatorship and we really will have a transformed Middle East.  If you step back and look at what is happening it is simply astonishing.  We are witnessing history that may only happen once in a millennium.

German discovers longest prime number

Can you count this high on your fingers?

And you wonder why these people get a voice

This cartoon is beneath contempt.  I saw this guy on Scarborough Country earlier tonight.  He spews hatred for anything conservative and especially anything religious.

The roots of freedom

We see in the Middle East the hope of the oppressed blossoming.

Heteronormative

Need I say more?

Washington State Election Review

Read the details in this analysis that Michelle Malkin uncovered.  It will make you shudder at the fraud and incompetence.  There is no way that the Governor can be viewed as anything but a fraud.

Atheism on the decline

The good news – atheism appears to be on the decline.

The bad news – paganism appears to be the principle replacement.

It’s a start.

Lenten Post Day 24

Friday, March 4

Jeremiah 11:1-8, Romans 6:1-11, John 8:33-47

Q. 53. Which is the Third Commandment?

A. The Third Commandment is, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

Q. 54. What is required in the Third Commandment?

A. The Third Commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.

Prayer: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame. But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me. I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you. (Psalm 22:1-5, 19-22)

Reflection: This lesson is tough medicine for all of us.  Jesus is telling us that we denounce Him and do not listen to Him because we are with sin.  Therefore, we violate God’s third commandment.  We would be lost but for God’s grace and Jesus sacrifice.

Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

 

Blogging to be regulated?

The FEC is considering regulating political speech on internet blogs.  The mere thinking of this action is so threatening to free speech in this country as to turn us into a dictatorship by the political elite which our own flesh and blood is dying for in Iraq and Afghanistan to overturn.  The politicos of both parties are threatened by their loss on power.  The only way to combat this is to put pressure on our elected officials to utterly reject this thinking.  Politicians will never lead us to this conclusion.  They will sell us out.  We have to put the heat on them to fix it.

HT Michelle Malkin

Military prepared for relief too

9/11 drove many changes.  We often focus on the bad.  Sometimes bad things drive changes which lead to good things.  Robert Kaplan reports on the relief efforts by the Abraham Lincoln battle group and the good they did in the post-tsunami environment.  What our military did here is no small feat and they are to be commended for the humanitarian efforts.  What is more amazing to me is the transformation of our Navy to be a nimble fighting force with the capability to project power quickly.

Russia and Germany follow France's lead on Syria

This could be a big win for democracy. The negative implications are for Saudi, Jordan (moving right) and many oil producing minors in the area.

I wonder what the impact will be on international commerce.

Certainly, the Bush visit to Putin payed off.

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NY Times Polling Errors

More mainstream media bias discovered by our friends at AnkleBiting Pundits. Frankly, I am glad that the NYT continues to do publish this stuff. It is pushing them into a tiny little corner with a tiny little audience. That will make them the backwater media before long.

If you have ever been around these types, all they can do is sip wine and whine. All their talk self-reinforces their far left view of the world. They have completely lost any notion of learning and are unwilling to reach out and thoughtfully consider other viewpoints. Their only way of feeling good about themselves is to use their media pulpit to denigrate conservatives, or any person who disagrees with them. Bush just happens to be the current object of their vile. If it wasn’t Bush, it would be someone else.

What also amazes me is the way our current president handles the invective with such grace. A lesser mortal would have blown a gasket over this stuff.

Lenten Post Day 23

Thursday, March 3

Jeremiah 10:11-24, Romans 5:12-21, John 8:21-32

Q. 51. What is forbidden in the Second Commandment?

A. The Second Commandment forbiddeth the worshiping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his Word.

Q. 52. What are the reasons annexed to the Second Commandment?

A. The reasons annexed to the Second Commandment are:

God’s sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.

Prayer: Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you. Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call. (Psalm 102:1-2)

Reflection: Truth is a funny thing. We spend most of our lives hiding from the truth: avoiding a confrontation by telling a white lie, boasting about who we really are and are capable of, seeing ourselves age in the mirror and turning away, or not asking for forgiveness for our sins from God, others or ourselves. We are afraid of the truth. But, Jesus teaches us here that salvation is to be found in the truth. And, that we can only trust the truth through faith.

Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).

LA Times shills for Kim Jong Il

HughHewitt lays the wood on the LA Times for this piece.  They deserve it too.

The Times has long been lost in a hall of ideological mirrors and deep, deep left-wing ideology.  But this is a massacre of any standard of objective reporting. It is a puff piece for the most repressive government on the face of the planet, one which is starving its own people! Have the editors no conscience and no shame?  Promoting the left at home is one thing, and an aggravating thing at that, but pimping for a ruthless killer regime that exports nuclear technology and murders hundreds of thousands?

The mainstream media just do not understand that mainstream America just is not going to take this anymore.  That is why they have discounted bloggers, vilify talk radio and excoriate Fox News.  They are in a dream world headed down a path to oblivion just like the Democratic party they shill for.  Their concepts of right and wrong are so warped they can no longer identify good from evil.

State wups up on Hoos

NCSU 82 – UVA 72

History's Pivot Points

Bill Kristol argues that the Jan. 30, 2005 elections is a major turning point in history.

HISTORY IS BEST VIEWED IN the rear-view mirror. It's hard to grasp the significance of events as they happen. It's even harder to forecast their meaning when they're only scheduled to happen. And once they occur, it's usually the case that possible historical turning points, tipping points, inflection points, or just points of interest turn out in the cold glare of history to have been of merely passing importance.

But sometimes not. Just four weeks after the Iraqi election of January 30, 2005, it seems increasingly likely that that date will turn out to have been a genuine turning point. The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, ended an era. September 11, 2001, ended an interregnum. In the new era in which we now live, 1/30/05 could be a key moment--perhaps the key moment so far--in vindicating the Bush Doctrine as the right response to 9/11. And now there is the prospect of further and accelerating progress.

DC's new hazardous chemical law misses the mark

This article discussed the issues with the new law DC passed preventing hazardous chemical cars from passing through the city.  It is probably violates the ICC clause in the Constitution and just frankly does not make sense.

Lenten Post Day 22

Wednesday, March 2

 

Jeremiah 8:4-7, 18-9:6, Romans 5:1-11, John 8:12-20

Q. 49. Which is the Second Commandment?

A. The Second Commandment is, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”

Q. 50. What is required in the Second Commandment?

A. The Second Commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his Word.

Prayer: Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing. Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray. Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield.  (Psalm 5:1-2, 11-12)

Reflection: Our worship should be focused on God not on the things of this earth.  We spend much time worried about the trappings of power, prestige and status even within our own church.  We should, instead be humble before God and worship Him and Him alone.

 

Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism  (255k).

BA Pilot makes a stupid decision

You won’t see me on a BA flight in the near future.  This cockpit judgment is beyond the pale.

Lenten Post Day 21

Tuesday, March 1

Jeremiah 7:21-34, Romans 4:13-25, John 7:37-52

Q. 47. What is forbidden in the First Commandment?

A. The First Commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshiping and glorifying, the true God as God, and our God; and the giving 4 of that worship and glory to any other which is due to him alone.

Q. 48. What are we specially taught by these words, “before me,” in the First Commandment?

A. These words, “before me,” in the First Commandment teach us that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other god.

Prayer: Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

Reflection: Following Jesus and belief in God are acts of faith. If you only follow the law, you will be blind to the truth. It is only through faith, that you can see and believe.

Ref: Westminster Shorter Catechism (255k).