The Final Summit

I thought it was……
I am fan of Andy Andrews but I regretfully didn’t find his book “The Final Summit” the final principle or final answer to save mankind. His fable about David Ponder having a summit with past great world leaders was good
reading, however he was quite correct in that even their accumulative wisdom couldn’t come up with the solution …. Let’s be serious what kind of
solution to the salvation of mankind is ‘do something.’ There have been plenty of times when most of us, not knowing what to do, did something, then wished we had done nothing.

We’re introduced again to Gabriel the archangel who has anything but angelic characteristics [what is an angelic characteristic aside from carrying out God’s instructions] and yet character is one of the main considerations.
How many angels, on a mission from God are going to take offense because
Their station in the hierarchy of angels is not respected; or how many angels
Have the ability to take on human characteristics. If this was just a read for entertainment or pleasure I could over look these things, but obviously
Andy has an agenda, and with an agenda one must be extremely cautious
in developing characters, and making unsustainable generalizations.

After their third guess in the book I thought I had found the one principle, ‘love others.’ That seems to be the main message that Jesus brought with him, and the same message he left his disciples. It appears to me to be the height of human arrogance to think that we, in our own wisdom, can find the
solution to get civilization back on track. Perhaps sticking with a couple
principles to influence our society might be better than trying to find that
‘one’ that eclipses all others; particularly when that ‘one’ found is devoid
of the very essence that makes us different from the rest of God’s creation.

This book was free from the Thomas Nelson booksneeze.com bloggers
Review program; and no conditions were made on its review. ANDREWS, Andy. ‘The Final Summit.’ Nashville, Tenn. 2010, ISBN: 9780785231202

Memorial Day - In Remembrance

This memorial day worship we will begin with Communion. The last Monday in May was set aside as that day when the whole nation would remember those who had given of their lives in keeping us a free nation. There are many different ways in which this day will be celebrated; to those in warmer climate's it may be trip to the park or to the lake with a picnic on the grounds; others will gather for family reunions with family members coming together who haven't seen each other for a long time; yesterday my mother and I visited the family grave sites and purchased flowers for those who still didn't have any .... it will be a day of remembrance!
Communion is about remembrance - remembrance that 2,000 years ago a rough hewn rabbi from a small notorious town in the foothills of Galilee was crucified on a cross,freely giving his life so that we might have the privilege of accepting the gift of salvation - now that's something to celebrate - to remember every day - every moment. Its not coincidence that this memorial celebration was initiated at supper time, that the symbols by which we remember are in eating bread and drinking wine. Everyone has to eat and drink, what better time to remember than through this seemingly daily ordinary activity. Oh yes, this coming Memorial Sunday we will remember, we will celebrate, then we go forth to complete the covenant, to make the gift a noun rather than just a memory. I can't wait...............

Poor Harold Egbert Camping

The president of an American Christian radio station that spans more than 150 markets in the United States, control the flow of millions of dollars, was wrong again. In 1994 he had predicted the end of the world, and when we were still left he said that his math had been wrong - personally, I believe it was much more than a mathematical calculation gone astray. Despite the fact that Mr. Camping was wrong, I believe he represents far more believers than will ever admit their lives are not being lived as though tomorrow, or even today, could be their last. Oh, we make allowances somewhat for accidents, but over-all we don't really believe the world is going to end very soon. Yet the issue is not when the world is going to end, but when will my life here expire?! There is a subtle 'security' if you will in knowing when the end is upon us; then we can prepare, then we can get out house in order, then we can plan how our final goodbyes are going to take place; not knowing when the end is going to come is far less appealing, hence we ignore the whole issue, at least as much as possible. If Mr. Camping has done anything positive for us in his last failed prophecy it should be that he has reminded us how blessed and fragile every moment we live is - sadly I'm afraid the church, Christ followers, have chosen to focus on the error of his prediction, rather than the warning. Its not the date, its the intimacy of our relationship with the Creator.
Most of the comments I heard this past Sabbath were that if Jesus told his disciples that he didn't even know, then how can we.[Matt.24:36] We must remember that Jesus was also giving his followers a warning that its wasn't about time its was a relational issue. There was a laizze-faire attitude every time this verse was recalled. Let us not forget that Jesus did give them some signs to be aware of, that would point to the end of times .... and all these calamities of nature, which have certainly been compounded in the decade, could definitely point to a coming of the age when Christ returns. I've never been especially interested in prophecy, and sorely lack expertise in it for a minister of the gospel; but I can't help but recognize nature's unrest. A man who suffered in the tornado that ripped half of Joplin, Missouri from the map yesterday, commented that before the tornado his dog had alerted him to coming disaster and probably saved his life....could it not be that nature, and the animals God created are much more in touch with coming events ..
I know, now you think I'm sounding like Mr. Camping; nonetheless, regardless of what you may think, I think nature's groanings [Rom.8:19]'For creation waits in eager anticipation for the sons of God to be revealed.' v.22 We know that the whole of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time..' nature's groaning have a design to them.
The murder mystery musical that spoofs detective stories may not be that far off when it proclaims, 'something's afoot.' Something is afoot and only the foolish in heart refuse to acknowledge it, regardless of how far into the future its pointing.
There I've said, now I can be 'officially' proclaimed a nut!

Andrews' Raiders

I read this book in just a few seconds over 2hrs. Its the story of the great train heist by a band of Union soldiers during the Civil War ........ although the attempt was unsuccessful, the early stages of its success is quite a read. I had heard about it before, but finally decided to read the story. A little less than half the twenty some men that tried to steal the Confederate engine the 'General' were finally hug, while over half of them finally made it back to the Union lines is quite a story, plus all of them were first recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. When most of the Union raiders where being transferred from Chattanooga to Atlanta in boxcars, the engine on the train was the General, go figure; another strange quirk of history. As I was reading the book memories concerning it began to float back into my mind. I remembered that in the County Historical/Genealogical Library there were copies of books, and newspaper articles, about this raid .......... then I remembered that out at the County Historical Museum [in my home town] there was a whole gallery dedicated to this Raid. Books, articles, huge pictures of different phases of the raid, etc.. So on my way out of town, from visiting with mom, I stopped by the museum, and asked the director about it and she told me that the Union engineer, William Knight, who finally escaped to freedom through the Underground Railroad was a resident of a town in our county - matter of fact I have an uncle and aunt living there, and used to have more relatives in that very town. My, my, this world is getting smaller.
FEUERLICHT, Roberta Strauss. Crowell-Collier Press. New York, New York. 1963
ISBN: [I can't find one; unless this is it, though I'm suspecting it might simply
be a local library number] 31348000208245
Crowell-Collier is a subsidy of The Macmillian Company, New York.

Lost and Found

Yesterday afternoon I was about 25min. from home on a 2hr. trip back from visiting mom in Ohio when I received a phone call from my aunt that mom had lost her purse and thought she had left it in my car. First of all mom was never in my car, and second she had had her purse when we went down to grandma's house where my aunts/uncles are holding a rummage sale to sell gram's things. Gram B. is in a nursing home. To make a long story just a tad shorter, I waited in a mall shopping center, praying what to do, when my aunt called back and said my uncle had searched gram's house, my mom's car, and mom's house and they still couldn't find it..... so I told my aunt I was turning around and would be back to mom's in about an hour and half. After about a half hour I called mom's house, and my uncle answered. They had found mom's purse tucked away under the sink at Gram's house. Evidentally she had placed it there so that no one at the sale would run off with it..................and finally uncle D. found it.
Of course when I got home Mom said she had told them it was there all along, it was just pushed back into the recesses of the cabinet; and so I tried to calm her down, she was quite shook by all the commotion she had caused, and yet she did at least begin to talk about some measures that need to be taken, that she hadn't prior been willing to consider - I think it scared her, a whole lot more than she will admit. So we went over to visit Gram again, who was quite shook by the affair also.
Well every day is a new day, and I am earnestly going to try call mom every single day early in the morning as she's getting started ......... time will tell. Truthly I never thought I'd be at this stage with mom, but better she than dad; he would have really been an over-the-top challenge. God is good, and I really prayed hard, as was my aunt and uncle over God helping them find the purse - and He did!

sexy eyes peek thru.....................

How in the world did this email get through my spam filter? 'sexyeyes'peeked through and got on my regular email list - now, despite my curiosity, I'm not opening the email up ... but its leading line reads "Look up your HoopUp tonight." Yah, right I'm at the end of the church year, a ton of things to get done, my mother can't remember the last thing she did ten minutes ago, and they want me to get a HookUp - why me?ha.

Suspended Sex

I've just been informed that both teenagers having sex on the charter school bus have been suspended.