To Err May be Human, but…

The 18th century English poet Alexander Pope is credited with having said "to err is human, to forgive divine." As humans, we cannot help but err. There are no perfect humans who never make a mistake. To the contrary, we all make errors in judgment on a daily basis. Most accidents, whether small or large, are caused by mistakes in judgment. Most failures of any kind are rooted in mistakes caused by poor judgment.

Whenever we make a mistake we are quick to recite the first part of Alexander Pope's quote. The defense for our mistake is to say "to err is human", and that is understandable. But, what happens when we are on the other end of the equation and someone has made a mistake that hurt us or a loved one. Are we just as willing to recite the second part of the quotation as the first? It is far more difficult to forgive than to confess "to err is human". That is why the poet ascribed forgiveness to the divine.

In the space of 43 days back in the autumn of 1970, two events took place that forever changed countless people's lives. On October 2, 1970 a plane carrying half of the Wichita State football team along with the head coach, administrators and boosters crashed outside Denver, Colorado on its way to a game in Utah. 31 people were killed including 14 football players and the head coach. After an investigation, it was determined that pilot error caused the crash. The pilot had deliberately diverted from the flight plan in order to show the people on the plane the Rocky Mountains at close range. He succeeded in doing that.

Just 43 days later, in an incredible coincidence, a plane carrying the Marshal University football team back from a game in North Carolina crashed into a hillside outside Huntington, West Virginia killing all 75 people on board, including 37 football players. Again, it was determined that pilot error caused the crash. This time it was the pilot attempting to land at an unfamiliar airport in poor weather conditions. The odds of two airplane crashes involving two college football teams happening within 43 days of each other are astronomical.

Before 1970 there had only been one crash involving a college sports team.
In 1960, the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo football team was decimated when 16 of its team members were killed (along with six others) when their Arctic Pacific airplane crashed shortly after taking off from a Toledo, Ohio airport. The cause of the crash was excess weight causing engine failure. In other words, the cause was human error.

Since 1970 there has only been one airplane crash involving a college sports team. In 1977, the entire University of Evansville basketball team was killed when their DC-3 crashed on takeoff from an Indiana airport. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the cause was improper weight balance and the failure of the crew to remove external safety locks. In other words, the cause was human error.

In the course of 17 years, four aircraft carrying four college sports teams crashed. In every case, the cause of the accident was human or pilot error. Should such tragedies be brushed aside by using the excuse; "to err is human"? But, should forgiveness be denied because the people involved were athletic celebrities?

I was a 17 year old senior in High School when the Wichita State plane crashed. I didn't know anyone on that plane, but I felt unbelievable sorrow for days after the tragedy; simply because it was our city's sports heroes who had died. I believe this is called empathetic identification in the counseling arena. Just when the impact of the Wichita State accident started to wear off, the Marshall accident took place. That accident flushed all the emotions to the surface again. As difficult as this was for me, I cannot imagine the pain and suffering those directly involved must have felt.

There is no public information available to document whether lawsuits were ever filed relating to any of the four crashes mentioned in this post. There ARE many reports of great outpouring of support from grieving friends, alumni and total strangers united in a common feeling of loss. The common threads in all four tragedies are: The cause of the crash was human error, they all involved college sports teams, and there was great sorrow, compassion and forgiveness manifested afterwards by huge numbers of people who had never known each other previously.

Fast forward 30 to 35 years to our current society. Every time there is an accident of any kind, vultures descend almost immediately to start lawsuits worth thousands if not millions of dollars. Pain and suffering along with wrongful death lawsuits are filed within days of accidents. There seems, at times, to be no time for grieving, reflecting or forgiving. It's all about the money in our materialistic society.

When disasters such as airplane crashes occur today, there seems to be an immediate outcry to pin the blame someone. Somehow we think if we can find the villain who "erred" that will make things better. Even if the "villain" is found, tried and punished; does that bring his victims back? Is it right to deny a "villain" forgiveness, if his villainous act was "human error"?

I cannot defend the foolish decision of a pilot to fly into a canyon so steep there was no way out. But, I can most certainly relate. Perhaps others have never made a poor decision in their lives, but I have made plenty. The pilot never intended to kill anybody. He probably never gave the possibility of crashing a moment's thought. He did what he felt was acceptable in the circumstances based on his skill as pilot. Unfortunately he was dead wrong.

Should a person who causes pain, suffering and even death be sued for millions of dollars because they made a mistake? This is a question that needs to be addressed in our lawsuit crazy society. Is human error justifiable ground for destroying a person's life, livelihood and reputation? Have we become so hungry for "closure" and "payment" when wronged that the concept of forgiveness is totally foreign? There are many times a person should be sued due to incompetence or deceit.

If a chartered plane crashed today carrying a major college football team; before the memorial services were finished, the courts would be clogged with lawsuits "on behalf" of the victims. First in line would be the Universities themselves, for we all know they would go bankrupt if not for the huge sums of money brought in by their football teams. "Back in the day", college sports were simply part of attending college. They were fun and helped build campus unity and camaraderie. Now they are huge money makers for Universities throughout the country.

God forbid we ever have another plane crash involving a college (or Professional) sports team. Not only would the pain and sorrow be unbearable, but the financial cost would be staggering. In our current day and time, no one but a fool would cite Alexander Pope's poem. Not only has the forgiveness been eliminated as an option for the most part, but the excuse of "human error" has been discarded as rationalization or belittling the disaster. Because of this, it is ridiculous to think that what the great poet said centuries ago could ever be pertinent again; and that, to me, is a tragedy far bigger than any other.

Disaster Discrimination

January 16, 1965 was a typical Saturday morning in Wichita, Kansas. It was very cold outside. My dad had left early to give a Civil Service Exam at Wichita State University in northeast Wichita. My grandmother went about her business as a housemother at the Institute of Logopedics in northeast Wichita. I was at home with my mom eagerly awaiting my 12th birthday celebration later in the day. Suddenly, an event took place that literally shook the city of Wichita. Here is the official account from the Wichita, Kansas fire department government archives:

“On January 16, the most tragic fire incident in the history of the City occurred, when a loaded jet fuel tanker crashed in northeast Wichita. The aircraft had just taken off from McConnell Air Force Base in the southeast part of the City. Due to engine failure, the huge plane plummeted to earth in a gigantic fire and explosion that rocked the City and sprayed the adjacent homes with burning fuel. The first company to arrive at the scene immediately radioed for a second alarm. Additional calls for assistance brought off-duty personnel, units from the Sedgwick County, McConnell Air Force Base, and reserve firefighters. The toll in this disaster numbered thirty lives, including seven crew members of the aircraft. Ten homes were lost and others were damaged. Although this type of accident had been feared for years, this crash was the only one involving a large aircraft to occur despite thousands of flights over the City.”

Personally, it was the worst birthday I ever had. My mother was asleep after working all night as a nurse at the VA hospital. I had to wake my mom up and tell her a plane had crashed in Wichita. She proceeded to panic when she heard where the plane went down. She was sure her husband and mother both had been killed. She did contact her mother and found out she was fine, but my dad never did call, he just showed up at home later with “stories” about the crash. As it turned out, the plane crashed less than a mile from where my grandmother and dad were at the time. A horrible day in Wichita for sure, but my family escaped the pain of losing loved ones by the slimmest of margins.

This event, needless to say, was a huge story in Wichita at the time. But, due to the crash taking place on a Saturday, it did not receive the national media attention such a catastrophe would normally have gained. The plane crashed in the heart of the Wichita “ghetto”. Because of this, it took many years of crying and pleading for a memorial to be put up where the crash occurred. If the crash had occurred in an affluent part of town, the memorial would probably have been erected within a year. Here is a link to a slide show with pictures of the crash: http://www.kansas.com/static/slides/071507tankercrash/

There is a billboard on the Interstate near our home in Missouri that reads: “Tornadoes are equal opportunity destroyers”. How true that statement is, not only concerning tornadoes but any natural disaster. What I would like to add to that billboard is: “Disaster relief is not always an equal opportunity restorer”. The inconvenient truth concerning disasters is that media coverage and the influx of relief services are very much dependent on the location of the disaster and the type of people impacted. Too many times, the potential for publicity and ratings are the determining factors for coverage instead of need. I am sorry to be so cynical, but I know by experience this is true.

Last March I saw firsthand the devastation caused by the tornado that ripped through Enterprise, Alabama. Most people remember the story of the wall collapsing at the High School killing many students. This was truly tragic and was a legitimate national news story. NO ONE remembers that before the tornado hit the school, it had plowed directly through the “black” depressed part of town. No one remembers for it NEVER made the news. I was there; I toured the part of town the local authorities did not want the nation to see. They did not want people to see for they did not want that part of town rebuilt, for it was “the bad part of town”. After being threatened with some jail time, I left that city repulsed by the 2007 version of the same old racial discrimination and bias that has plagued the South for years.

Last April I saw firsthand what happens when a tornado strikes a “politically incorrect” location. Sitting on the Rio Grande River in southern Texas is Eagle Pass. It was hit by a tornado in April of this year. That same evening, Piedras Negras, Mexico (which is across the river from Eagle Pass) was hit even harder. The Eagle Pass part of the story made national news for one day and then was forgotten. The immense damage in Piedras Negras was never reported. Eagle Pass received a fair amount of assistance from charities and the government. Piedras Negras received NO HELP, for it was on the wrong side of the river.

People in Eagle Pass, Texas live in houses. Many are not that nice, but they are buildings none the less. Houses can be repaired and moved back into after a disaster. Most, if not all the victims in Eagle Pass received assistance from charities and FEMA. There is no FEMA in Mexico and the major charities did not go there. The people in Piedras Negras who were impacted by the tornado lived in “houses” made of cardboard boxes and tarps. The local government’s response was to bulldoze the area and leave the people to find new “boxes” to live in.

Also in April, a tornado ripped through the small town of Cactus, Texas. This little town, located in the Texas Panhandle, is dirt poor and has a population that includes many migrant workers. The damage in Cactus was extensive and on par with that of Piedras Negras. The extent of assistance was about the same also. The town was denied FEMA benefits due to not getting paperwork done on time. No major charity ever went there to my knowledge. The little town was forsaken due to its location, economic condition and ethnic makeup. Should disaster response be dictated by these factors or by the need in the area destroyed?

In early May, I visited Greensburg, Kansas where a few days earlier, an F-5 tornado had wiped the town off the map. Greensburg was a nice western Kansas farming community with very few minorities, a stable tax base and an “all American” image. It even had a malt shop still in operation. Why did Greensburg receive unbelievable national attention and Cactus NONE? Why was Greensburg flooded with every major national disaster relief charity almost immediately, but only a handful ever ventured to Enterprise, Alabama? I will let you determine the answers to those questions.

A few miles east of Greensburg is a little town called Haviland, Kansas. This tiny place housed all the relief workers and agencies helping the people. Parked prominently for all to see was a huge multi-million dollar motor coach from Samaritan’s Purse disaster relief in North Carolina. It was there because the Director was in town to preach at a service. The Director is Franklin Graham, Billy’s son. His yearly salary is $345,293. I contacted Samaritan’s Purse about helping in Piedras Negras, Mexico and the request was rejected outright. I am thankful for any assistance any agency gives in times of disaster, but I tire of seeing decisions made based on reasons other than need first and foremost.

I went to Enterprise. I went to Eagle Pass, and yes, I went to Greensburg. In fact I went to Pratt, Kansas also. Why, because there was a warehouse set up there to handle all the food, water and clothing being sent from all over the country to a place THAT DID NOT NEED IT!! That’s right; the people of Greensburg were being housed by relatives and friends and had no need for supplies, for they had nowhere to put them. Yet, due to national media attention, people were sending tons of supplies for a need that did not exist. Could those supplies have been used in Enterprise, Eagle Pass, Piedras Negras and Cactus? OF COURSE they could have been used and greatly appreciated. They never made to those locations because no one knew of the need.

It truly pains me to see where so much of the money goes that people give to charities. Why the director of a disaster relief charity needs to make more than the President of the United States is beyond me. I just wish I could do a better job of relaying the need to help the small independent groups instead of dumping more and more money into the huge charities with huge overhead.

I feel badly for the fire victims in California, the disaster there is huge. But, for the most part the people there will be fine. All the major news anchors have been out there soliciting help for the people. Insurance will pay for new homes for most of those who lost theirs in the infernos. Meanwhile, people are still trying to get back into their homes in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana more than two years after Katrina. We still deal daily with situations where long ago people “fell through the cracks” and their needs have multiplied ever since the original disaster. It takes time to rebuild and restore after a disaster. It takes people and groups willing to stay put and work with people from ground zero until all is resolved.

Please, never forget the people who suffer through disasters who had the unfortunate distinction of living in the wrong part of town, not having much wealth or God-forbid are Hispanic or African-American. Disaster relief is not just for the middle class, celebrities or whites. Disaster relief should be for anyone impacted by a disaster. Think about this the next time you see an obscure little story buried at the bottom of the news about a place no one ever heard of with people most would reject due to economic or ethnic prejudices.

In response to the comment below, I have re-written this post and have taken out as much of my "bias" and sarcasm as possible. What's left are my opinions posted on my website. I can only write about what I have experienced, seen and heard. I cannot change the facts. I know what did and didn't happen in the places mentioned in this post. Nobody who has ever tried to be an "advocate" for those on the short end of the stick wins too many popularity contests. I do not expect to win any either.

My little charity, Heart2Heart SHARE is still there, albeit on a more limited scale than before. My commitment is still the same; that if there is a need and I can figure out how to get there, I will do whatever I can to help. Please keep the “little guys” in your prayers and help when and where you can. The large charities will always have plenty of support and resources to do what they do. It is the small independent groups with UNPAID volunteers who need support to keep doing what they are doing. Heart2Heart SHARE will continue to search out and help find assistance for unaffiliated independent groups whose very survival depends on individual donors willing to help. God bless you.

1957 versus 2007 Income/Expenses

It is time for me to post some more sobering statistics. This time around I want to compare what it costs to live in America today verses fifty years ago in 1957. To put this in perspective, 1957 is considered to be the height of the baby boomer generation. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the United States President and Richard Nixon was the Vice President. There were around 170 million people living in this country (compared to 300 million today). The 1957 Best Picture of the Year (The Bridge on the River Kwai) grossed $27,200. So far in 2007 the movie "The Departed" grossed $125 million. No one owned a computer fifty years ago. The only games were "board games" and make believe games. Girls still wore dresses and guys still dressed up to take a girl on a date. Mothers stayed at home to raise the kids and fathers were happy to be the breadwinner of the family.

A lot has changed in fifty short years. The United States of America bears little resemblance to the country bearing its name not even two generations ago. States that were mainly deserted deserts fifty years ago are now the fastest growing states in the country (Arizona, Nevada and Utah). Areas that were farms fifty years ago are now cities with hundreds of thousands of people. There was only one Interstate Highway fifty years ago and that was I-70. Now people can travel all over the country on multi-lane super highways going pretty much as fast as they want.

In 1957, the average income of America's 44 million families (according to the United States Commerce Department) was $5,000. There were actually 4 million families whose income was over $10,000. There were also 6.5 million families whose annual income was under $2,000. The vast majority of American families, 33 ½ million of them, had annual income between $2,000 and $10,000.

In 2006, the average income for an American family was $48,000. In fifty years the average income had increased tenfold. The main difference between 1957 and 2006 is that most families need two incomes to reach the $48,000 figure whereas fifty years ago only the father usually worked. Logic dictates that if annual income has risen tenfold in fifty years, then the cost of most items has probably risen about the same. This logic is correct in many categories, but horribly flawed in one huge area.

In 1957 the average price for a gallon of milk was $1.00. Today, that gallon of milk averages around $3.00. It really is quite amazing that something as vital as milk has only tripled in price in 50 years. The price of most other things has definitely gone up much more rapidly and dramatically.

In 1957 gasoline averaged around .30 per gallon. This should not be surprising since only a few years ago it was still under a dollar. But, even if you took the high average today of $3.00, that is only a tenfold increase in 50 years in one of the most volatile commodities on the market. Of course at the rate of increase gasoline has gone up, that would put a gallon of milk at $10. Thank God the rate of inflation for milk has not kept up with oil.

Fifty years ago, the postage stamp was 3 cents. Now it is 41 cents (at least this week). Calculating the difference in the cost of a loaf of bread is a little more difficult. There are so many kinds of bread out there today that it is very hard to compare apples and apples, but in 1957 a loaf of bread cost 19 cents and today the range is from $1.90 to 3.90. A dozen eggs cost .28 fifty years ago and many times they cost barely over a dollar today.

Most things that are still bought and sold today are about 10 times more expensive than they were fifty years ago. Even "big ticket" items follow this same rule of thumb. The average cost of a new car in 1957 was $2,100. Today, the average price for a new vehicle is $27,958. Although vehicle prices have gone up more than 10 times, the average for today's vehicles includes SUVs and luxury cars. It also takes into account the incredible advances in technology found in today's vehicles.

It is very interesting to note that in all the years my dad bought and sold vehicles (1932 through 1989), he always paid cash for the new vehicle. "Back in the day", no one ever financed a car except possibly through a credit union or a family loan. Today, the average new vehicle loan works out to $378 per month for 63 months! Considering that a new vehicle loses 70% of its value in just 48 months, what exactly do people have to show for the $4,536 per year, or the $18, 144 they pay in four years of vehicle payments? A used vehicle worth 30% of what they paid for it.

Here comes the statistic I have been leading up to all this time. In 1957, the average price for a house in the United States was $2,330. Can you believe that! A house and a car cost roughly the same thing! I know "normal" people who pay $2,330 per month to rent an apartment. Just 50 years ago, this figure represented the average price for a house in this country.

Now consider what the average price is today (not taking into account the current depressed prices due to the sub-mortgage crises); which is $212,800. The average price of a house fifty years ago represented 50% of the annual income for the average family. The median price today is four times MORE than the average family makes in a year. This statistic explains why Americans today are saddled with a debt load that destroys marriages and causes the current unheard of foreclosure rates. Families simply cannot afford the home they live in. This is NOT a good thing.

In 1958 my parents purchased a modest home in a nice residential neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas. The house cost about $8,000 and their monthly mortgage payment was a little over $100 per month. Today, the average family in this country has a house payment of around $1,250 per month. All things being equal, if nothing else had changed between 1957 and today; then the amount paid each month for the house payment would not be much different than fifty years ago (the rule of things increasing tenfold), but all things are not equal.

Most people fifty years ago bought a house and lived in it for most, if not all of the 30 years of the mortgage. Today, people want to move into bigger and fancier houses after a few years. They never get to an equity position. If they do, they get home equity loans for toys, vacations, and other "things" and suddenly have not only a house note, but also a home equity loan note. Add in a couple of car loans, college loans and medical expenses. Once again, people cannot afford the home they live in.

Our country has always taken pride in home ownership. It is "The American Dream" after all. But, if the current trends continue, no one will be able to afford the home they live in. Instead of moving up, they will be forced to move down to housing they can afford. This is not the American way of thinking. People are not used to having less and less. That flies in the face of the "bigger, better, more and more" mentality that has fueled so many of the problems now being encountered.

There was a time in this country, not too many years ago, when people simply "made do" with what they had and could afford. With the advent of credit cards and cheap credit lines, people have been conditioned to get whatever they want, when they want it. There is no financial discipline or maturity to speak of. This ugly mentality is now being passed on the next generation who has been conditioned to have everything they want without working for it, saving for it or waiting for it.

The old values learned by those who suffered through the Great Depression have died off with that generation. The baby boom generation ushered in the greatest spending spree in American history. With it has come utter incompetence in financial matters at home, within businesses and inside the government. Perhaps a good recession or even a depression would not be all bad for this country. At the very least it would provide a wakeup call to millions of people. People might begin to understand that you can't keep spending what you do not have without someday suffering the consequences for it.

Dealing With Days of Infamy

We never know for sure what a day will bring. Odds favor it being just another in a long line of similar days; but, we don't know if the circumstances that arise in that day will be minor and forgotten the next or be earth shattering and remembered a lifetime. Most people over 70 years old recall where they were and what they were doing on December 7, 1941. That was truly a day that lives in infamy. Most people over 50 remember where they were and what they were doing on November 22, 1963. News of the assassination of President Kennedy shook the world and the day became another which lives in infamy. There is really nothing to say about September 11, 2001, except it is a day of infamy we all lived through and remember vividly.

These three dates rocked the world because genuine earth shattering events took place on those days that affected millions if not billions of people. January 10, 1998 is a date that holds far more personal significance to me and my parents than even September 11, 2001, for it rocked our world. Events took place on that day which changed our lives forever. We all have personal days of infamy that are every bit as important as birthdays and anniversaries and more important than the world's "days of infamy".

My dad was born in 1914 in rural Minnesota. My mom was born in 1918 in rural Kansas. They had their fair share of physical, marital and financial problems, but they worked through them and were married for almost 60 years. They lived in the same house in Wichita, Kansas for over 40 years and never seriously considered moving out of that house.

In the early 1990's, as my dad neared his 80^th birthday, his health declined rapidly. By the time he was 80, he was suffering from numerous serious heart and lung ailments, brought on by 60 years of drinking and smoking. The local hospital jokingly talked of dedicating a wing to him or giving him a permanent room there due to his constant hospital stays for various ailments. In spite of his physical problems, he took pride in needing no one's help to live independently.

My mom began suffering the crippling effects of arthritis when she was in her early 70's. By 1998 she was walking with a cane most of the time and was living with unbearable pain all of the time. She was a very short but heavy woman, and her size compounded her physical problems. She had horrible sleep apnea which was amplified by her body's inability to sleep at the correct times due to working the night shift as a nurse at the VA Hospital for many years. Yet, in spite of her physical problems, she was able to care for herself, go to the store and keep up with household responsibilities.

I was 45 years old and living near St. Louis, Missouri in 1998. In June of 1997 I went to the Doctor because I had pain in my chest. The next day I was in a hospital having the first of what have been 17 heart catheterizations. In December of 1997 a Doctor placed three more stents in my right coronary artery bringing the total number of stents to 6. In fact, I was in a hospital in St. Louis suffering from chest pain and other problems when I received the call that my dad was also in the hospital in Wichita having suffered a stroke.

The reason I tell you my immediate family's history is to make a point. For my dad, my mom and myself, January 10, 1998 changed everything. For my dad the change was immediate, for my mom it evolved over the ensuing year, and for me it unfolded over many years. What started out as just another cold winter's day, turned into a day that lives in infamy for my family.

Although the stroke my dad suffered on January 10, 1998 was fairly minor, it turned out to be the first of many small strokes that caused his condition to deteriorate rapidly. On August 2, 1998 my dad passed away after spending the final 7 months of his life being bounced from one hospital and nursing home to another trying to play by Medicare's rules to receive their benefits. Except for a short time when he received excellent physical therapy, he became more and more depressed as his ability to communicate, walk and care for himself disintegrated before his eyes.

My mom, perhaps because she was a retired nurse, always wanted to stay with my dad in his room when he was in the hospital. Her rationale was if he had a problem, she didn't want him to die alone. However noble this idea was, in her condition it quickly wore her out. Coupled with daily trips to wherever he was and the long walks to go see him; my mom's physical condition deteriorated almost as quickly as my dad's during the course of the 7 month ordeal.

My older sister was a school teacher at the time and could help only on weekends. My older brother lived far away in Chicago and was a top executive at a major company and could fly out to offer moral support only on an occasional basis. The only other child in the family was me and my condition at the time was almost as bad as my dad's.

In light of these facts, can you see why and how one day could change everything? Suddenly my mom had to deal with situations at the house she had never dealt with before; dad always paid the bills, kept up the cars, took out the trash, and multiple other things. Suddenly instead of a husband, my mother had another child as far as care giving. However sudden the events of January 10 were, they were inevitable due to my dad's physical condition.

It took me a couple of weeks to get medical clearance to drive to Kansas to visit my dad. At the time he was in a rehabilitation hospital being put through a program that reminded him of army boot camp. The first time I saw him he called me over to his bedside and grabbed my arm and pulled me to him with all his strength. I thought he was going to say some kind and loving words expressing his gratitude in my coming. To the contrary, all he said was "get me out of here or let me die". I cried because I could not do either of the things he wanted.

I spent the next two months going back and forth between Missouri and Kansas helping my mom, visiting my dad and arranging to get him in and out of various nursing homes. By mid March of that year I was in horrible shape and finally on March 18, 1998 I suffered a fairly major heart attack as the 6 stents failed to keep my artery open. I was slumped on the floor in my mom's kitchen and she stubbornly refused to call an ambulance. She had to be the "good mom" and personally take me to the hospital as she had my dad so many times.

Two days later on March 20, 1998 my personal day of infamy occurred. I went through the ordeal of double heart by-pass surgery. Through the unbelievable benevolence of some people in Missouri, my wife managed to find people to watch all our dogs (5 at the time), get a plane ticket, get to the airport, contend with a freak snowstorm and make it to the hospital an hour before my surgery. The sum and total of those in the waiting room during my surgery were my mom and wife. The sum and total of visitors my dad had to help him deal with the stress of knowing his son was in major surgery was zero.

It was probably inevitable that I was going to need that surgery, but the stress of trying to care for my dad and mom for two months sped up the timing greatly. I was finally given clearance to fly home many weeks after the surgery. Little did I know that when I went to visit my dad before I left that it would be the last time I would see him alive.

The operation that was to have solved all my problems only made my condition worse. Infections, rhythm problems, fluid around the heart and even pneumonia all necessitated me spending between one and seven days in the hospital seven times between April and August of 1998. I was in no way physically able to go back to Wichita and help my mom. She wept daily thinking she was going to lose her husband and son at the same time.

When Medicare benefits ran out, my mom moved my dad home in late July of that year. Within a few days he fell and broke his hip. He died a few days later in the hospital. Physically and financially it was nearly impossible for me, but I made it to the funeral where I was informed by my siblings that I was appointed caretaker of my mom from then on. That is another post for another day.

My point in telling you this morbid story is to stimulate you to prepare for situations that are coming. The reason January 10, 1998 is a date that lives in infamy for my family is because my parents never prepared for their getting older and because their 3 kids never did either. No one ever expects to grow old, have strokes, become disabled by arthritis or have heart attacks. Yet, these things happen to thousands upon thousands of people every day of the week. Those who were prepared survive and keep moving; those caught off guard are thrown into situations which have few if any positive outcomes.

As our parents age, we as their children, must take more and more responsibility for them. Denial runs rampant in families with aging parents. The kids don't want to lose their lifelong friends and the parents don't want to live out their days in a nursing home. Assisted living facilities and retirement communities are not bad things, but in due time, if a person lives long enough, they will end up helpless and needing someone to care for them 24 hours a day.

If a family would sit down and honestly make plans for dealing with potential "days of infamy", then when such a day happens, it need not mark the end of the world. If aging parents and their working children, many times living thousands of miles away, would set aside one weekend and honestly talk about these things; then what happened to me and my family would not need to happen to yours.

To make a long story short; I did become my mom's caregiver for the final 6 years of her life. She was able to live the last 18 months of her life in a special room we built for her in the home she helped us purchase. When the end looked imminent, she and I talked endlessly about "things", and especially what she wanted and didn't want when "the end" was near. When that time did come, there was no unnecessary stress and she bowed out of this life gracefully. Her pre-planned and pre-paid funeral went smoothly and her final wishes were carried out without a will even being needed.

This all happened due to the willingness to honestly talk about what no one ever wants to talk about; the end times. Please, families invest the time to honestly talk about and plan for the inevitable "days of infamy" that we all know are coming. Pretending they will never happen is nothing but denial and only makes the day of reckoning even harder to deal with. Honesty in these matters is truly the best policy. Trust me, for I lived through it.

Dad and Mom are NOT Evil Words

The Governor of California signed a bill yesterday that effectively eliminates the usage of the words “mom and dad” as well as “husband and wife” from California public schools. The law is not a list of banned words, such as "mom" and "dad", but the requirement is that the law bans discriminatory bias. The terms 'mom and dad' or 'husband and wife' could promote discrimination against homosexuals if a same-sex couple is not also featured.

It also creates the circumstances where a parent who says marriage is only for a man and a woman in the presence of a lesbian teacher could be convicted of "harassment," and a student who believes people are born either male or female could be reported as a "harasser" by a male teacher who wears women's clothes. It is no secret that this bill was pushed through the legislature by gay and lesbian activist groups.

Just because a lesbian couple objects to the word “dad”, should all the other family units that have a “dad” feel like they are doing something wrong by using this word in their families? If you don’t use “dad”, what word is to be used? If the baby’s first words aren’t “mama or dada”, what are they going to be? I called my earthly father “dad” or “daddy” from the moment I could speak. I called my earthly mother “mom” until she took her last breath. No one is going to prohibit me from speaking or writing about my dearly beloved “mom and dad”.

I understand “same-sex” marriage is an extremely controversial and hot topic. I understand how “same-sex” partners would object to the terms “husband and wife”. So as to not offend anyone, must we eliminate the pronouncement at the end of the ceremony that proclaims; “I now pronounce you husband and wife”? If some couple wants to be called “man and man” or “woman and woman”, that is their business and theirs alone. Why do we have to penalize the huge majority of people to “protect the rights” of the few when those rights plainly flow against God’s written Word?

The devilish phrase, “same-sex marriage”, never appeared in our society until just a few years ago. It is truly amazing how a concept the vast majority of people despise has taken off and drawn so much attention in such a short amount of time. State after state has rejected the idea of “same-sex marriage” in elections, yet it never goes away. The whole subject seems to thrive on public disapproval.

Some things just make me want to pack up find some other planet to move to. Outlawing “dad and mom” along with “husband and wife” from schools is one of those things. Next to be outlawed will be “father and mother” and then “man and woman”. Soon, all we will have left is “human” to describe all of us in every way. The people behind these moves will not rest until the notion of being born a boy or girl is destroyed once and for all.

The Gay-Straight Alliance Network and the Transgender Law Center is lobbying for special treatment in the school system. "If you want to use a restroom that matches your gender identity … you should be allowed to do so," it advises. "Whenever students are divided up into boys and girls, you should be allowed to join the group or participate in the program that matches your gender identity as much as possible." These people go as far as favoring allowing girls to use boys’ locker rooms and vice-a-versa in order to respect “gender identity” (not gender). The prevailing opinion is that these views will be the next law passed in California.

Why even bother to separate boys and girls? I know that many of the more liberal colleges did away with men’s and women’s dorms years ago. Now they have done away with even men’s and women’s floors and of course rest rooms. “Unisex” is the goal in all these decisions. Do these people never consider how offended the old fashioned straight people are by these moves?

“As California goes, so goes the nation” is a well known saying. God Forbid it goes that way this time. I believe it would take threats of military action to enforce a law, such as the one being considered next in California, in much of the United States. I cannot picture parents in the Deep South allowing their children to go to school and share restrooms with members of the opposite sex. I cannot fathom good wholesome Midwestern parents allowing their kids to go to a school in which boys and girls share the same locker room and showers.

Give me a break, only in a state which has gone off the deep end socially would such absurd and ludicrous behavior not only be allowed, but written into law. If I lived in the state of California I would sell my house (for a loss) as quickly as I could and move to a part of the country where God is still respected and is not going to be buried under brimstone soon.

If you read these posts, you know that I am a Bible believing Christian. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am not ashamed to be a man, a husband and if I had children, a dad. Being such things, I cannot sit by and let an incident such as the one that took place yesterday in California go by without commenting on it. If you allow the enemy to take an inch, he will go for a foot. If you allow him a toehold, he will squeeze open the door, burst in and devour you.

I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I am a concerned child of God who is sick and tired of watching elected officials take the Bible I love and rip it to shreds. Those who try and make a mockery of the God I love and the Word of God I stand for make me angry, just as the unbelief of the Pharisees and Sadducees made Jesus angry. Some issues you just can’t sit back and watch go by. Some issues you have to take a stand on. Some issues you have to be outspoken about.

I understand the risk in a post such as this. I understand it offends some people. What else is new, the Gospel has been offending people for 2,000 years. Truth is truth and all the lies on earth are not going to change the truth. God made man and He made woman. He made man and woman for each other. He made man and woman to become husband and wife. He made man and woman to be daddy and mommy to their children.

This is the truth whether people want to acknowledge it or not. The very integrity of God and His Word is being attacked in this whole issue. As a soldier of the Almighty, I must stand up for the God I love and serve. I must speak the truth in love, no matter what the cost. God is my “DAD” and no one will ever take that away from me.

The Power of God is NOT For Sale

For many years in my life, I was led to believe that God and the Bible were like a magic wand. I remember using this analogy numerous times as I “witnessed” to them. “If I had a magic wand and could wave it and get you anything you wanted, would you pay me $$$ for the wand”. Very good sales techniques used there. Appeal to the greed or need of the person you are talking to. Ask them a question they have to answer in such a way as to open the door for you to “close the sale”. Perhaps sales techniques are fine when you are a professional salesperson selling a car, but are the things of God to be “sold”?

In Acts chapter 8 there is a record of a man who wanted to purchase the power of God. Philip had gone to Samaria and preached Christ unto them. The people with one accord gave heed to what he preached and the result was an explosion of the power of God as recorded in verses 6-8. Before Philip came and turned the area upside down, a man named Simon had the city under his control through sorcery. He had tricked the people into believing that he was “the great one”. All the people, it says in verse 10 “gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, ‘this man is the great power of God’.”

When Peter and John heard about all the great things going on in Samaria, they left Jerusalem and went to Samaria to help. The first thing they did was pray that the people might receive the Holy Spirit, for they had only been water baptized and not baptized in the Holy Spirit. They laid their hands on the new believers and they received the Holy Spirit.

Watching all this happen was Simon the sorcerer. He had actually believed also and had been water baptized. In fact, it says back in verse 13 that he continued with Philip and stood in awe as he beheld the miracles and signs which were being done. Now, these two men come down from Jerusalem, lay hands on the people and they receive the Holy Spirit into manifestation. Not trying to sound Pentecostal, but there is no other explanation for what Simon saw other than the people spoke in tongues just as the apostles had on the Day of Pentecost.

Remember that Simon had for quite some time tricked the people into believing HE was the great power of God. Now he sees the true power of God in operation and he figures if he can just purchase it, he can get back to being Top Dog in Samaria. In Acts 8:18, 19 it says:

“And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive (into manifestation) the Holy Ghost.”

What Simon requested of Peter and John was quite logical. It may have been logical but it was dead wrong. You cannot purchase the power of God, and Peter makes that point loud and clear in verses 20 through 23, where it reads:

“But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish (rot) with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter; for thy heart in not right in the sight of God.
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray god, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.”

I do not believe there is any doubt as to what Peter was telling Simon. Simon asked Peter “How much to buy this power of God?”. Peter proceeds to basically tell Simon, “Go to the grave with your rotten money”. To be “in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity” means he was full of bitterness because he lost his authority over the people and he was held captive, as if chained in a prison, by sin.

If you cannot purchase the power of God; it is not for sale. God’s power is only available through grace. It is far too expensive for anyone to afford, which is why it has to be a gift. Since the power of God is not for sale; anyone trying to buy or sell it is as guilty as Simon. Oh the thin ice many ministers and ministries are treading on.

Peter’s direct confrontation of Simon’s sin brought immediate results. We read in verse 24 that Simon said to Peter: “Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me”. Simon was smarter than he may have looked. He could tell that Peter meant business and he better do what Peter said or he was in for an awful lot of trouble. The Bible never tells us if Simon truly repented. It never tells us how Peter responded to Simon’s request. I would assume Peter prayed, but whether Simon escaped the things mentioned is something only God and Simon know for sure.

Let me be brutally honest here; I do not think it is right to peddle the Word of God, Christian music and books as just more merchandise at the market. I quit buying most “Christian” music years ago because the artists and record companies were obviously in it for the money and fame. I refuse to pick up every book someone writes on some religious subject to make a few bucks at the Christian book store. I’ve been to countless meetings and conventions where the hallways are choked with tables full of books, classes and CDs being sold at prices a king would balk at.

There is a fine line between “selling the gospel” and paying the costs to produce a product. I do not believe people should be paid to preach and teach the Bible. I do not believe a person should have to pay through the nose to receive instruction on spiritual matters, listen to Christian music or read a good Christian book. I believe we are to simply announce the glad tidings of Jesus Christ and those who want to hear will stop and listen. Those who don’t want to hear will leave.

I certainly pray that those who are becoming very wealthy by “preaching the gospel” (too many names to list) would stop and look at the record in Acts chapter 8 to make sure they have not turned into a "Simon in Peter's clothing".

Why Are We Here?

The oldest question asked by man is “why am I here”. During the thousands of years of man’s existence on this planet, enough answers to that question have been proposed to fill a library. The entire field of philosophy is basically devoted to providing possible answers to man’s ultimate question of purpose in life. People have spent their entire lives searching all over the world in vain attempts to find their individual reason for being. It doesn’t have to be so difficult, for the answer to this question is simply laid out by God in His Word.

Like many other things that baffle and confuse mortal man; the question of purpose in life is neither hard to find in God’s Word nor is it difficult to understand. In fact, the entire answer is provided in one verse in the Bible. Isn’t it just like man to so complicate a subject that libraries are needed to provide space for all his theories? God sums the whole issue up in one short verse in His Word.

One night soon after Solomon became king; he went to the brazen altar before YAHWEH and offered a thousand burnt offerings. Later that night Elohim appeared to Solomon and said to him; “Ask what I should give you!” Books have been written and movies made about the fictitious genie that comes out of the bottle and grants the person three wishes. Almighty God is not a genie and He certainly doesn’t live in a bottle. What happened that night with Solomon was extraordinary and it was real.

Many years ago I took up a “dare” (or perhaps a double dog dare) from a friend and stood out on a street corner for many hours stopping people and asking them one question. The question was: “If you could have ONE thing given to you TODAY, what would it be”? Years have clouded the specifics, but I do remember that almost everyone who seriously answered the question wanted either MONEY for themselves or physical healing for themselves or a loved one. These are the answers one would expect to receive from mortals living in this world.

Solomon’s answer to this question and Elohim’s response to Solomon is a little different from my experience on the street corner. I will quote this section in 2 Chronicles 1:8-12 from the New Living Translation:

“Solomon replied to God, ‘You showed faithful love to David my father, and now you have made me king in his place.
O Lord God (YAHWEH Elohim), please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth! Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly, for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?’
God (Elohim) said to Solomon, ‘Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people---
I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future’!"

Solomon’s greatest desire was to help his people, not personal fame and fortune. I wish the leaders of many “mega-ministries” would have Solomon’s desire. Then, perhaps, there would not be the constant parade of scandal such as the one currently being handled at Oral Roberts University.

Solomon asked for knowledge and wisdom to be able to help people. Elohim not only gave him his request, He blessed him with more fame and fortune than any king who ever lived. In his prime, Elohim allowed Solomon to write what we know as the book of Proverbs. No book ever written has more wisdom than Proverbs. As long as Solomon stayed faithful, Elohim continued to bless him with wisdom as well as fame and fortune.

Solomon had a bad habit of adding more and more wives and concubines to his harem. With each wife he brought in, he added another strange god to the hodgepodge of gods in the royal palace. In time, his wives and their gods turned his heart away from YAHWEH Elohim. When Sampson compromised “his faith”, he lost the source of his strength and he failed. When Solomon compromised “his faith”, and began worshipping and serving other gods, his kingdom fell apart as well as his ability to rule with Godly wisdom. He no longer was blessed by Elohim, and suffered the consequences of his vain sin.

At the end of Solomon’s life, after (we assume) he came to grips with his failure and repented of his horrible sins; he was allowed to write what we know as the book of Ecclesiastes or The Preacher. The book begins and ends on the same basic note. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. At the end of the book, Solomon lays out the conclusion of the whole matter of life and its meaning. Quoting from the New Century Version, Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 states:

“The Teacher was very wise and taught the people what he knew. He very carefully thought about, studied, and set in order many wise teachings. The Teacher looked for just the right words to write what is dependable and true.

Words from wise people are like sharp sticks used to guide animals. They are like nails that have been driven in firmly. Altogether they are wise teachings that come from one Shepherd. So be careful, my son, about other teachings. People are always writing books, and too much study will make you tired.

Now, everything has been heard, so I give my final advice; Honor God and obey his commands, because this is all people must do.

God will judge everything, even what is done in secret, the good and the evil.”

There you have it. In one verse the entire purpose of man is laid out. Honor (fear) Elohim and obey His commands (or guard His commands); because this is all people MUST do. The New Living Translation says; “for this is everyone’s duty”. I leave you with how the Amplified Bible handled Ecclesiastes 12:13:

“All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of His creation, the object of God’s providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man.”

The purpose in our being here is to love, honor and worship God and to keep, guard and obey His commands. Love God and obey His Word; this is the reason we were born into this life. As we live to love God and do what He says, we please Him and He blesses our lives with meaning and fulfillment.

The Name and Nature of God: Part Two

When looking at the character of “God”, we must focus our attention on those qualities which, when placed together, describe His very nature. The simplest way I know to accomplish this is to look at what the Bible says “God is”. If I were to describe my earthly father in such a way as to paint a picture of his nature; I would describe who he is (or in his case, was). I can tell you that Leslie was extremely meek, humble and hungry to learn. He was very kind and gentle in his later years. Being of Swedish heritage, he was blond haired and for most of his life very lean. When he was younger he had a lightning quick temper and a strong competitive drive. If you put all these qualities together, you could envision what kind of person my dad was.

In doing a simple phrase search of “God is”, it is very interesting that the first thing mentioned in the Bible that “God is”, is found in Deuteronomy 4:24 where it states:

“For the Lord (YAHWEH) thy God (Elohim) is a consuming fire, even a jealous God (El).”

Right off the bat, YAHWEH our Elohim says that He is jealous God who will devour and consume something. What is He going to consume? Verse 24 does not tell us, so we must go back and find the context. In the preceding verse 23 it says:

“Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of anything, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee.”

Moses was exhorting the people to be careful, watch out and guard themselves so as to not forget the covenant of YAHWEH their Elohim which He had made with them. To understand what this covenant was and why it was so very important we must go back in the context to verses 9 and 10. For the remainder of this article I will be quoting from “The Scriptures” Translation published by Institute For Scriptural Research in South Africa.

“Only, guard yourself, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the Words your eyes have seen, and lest they turn aside from your heart all the days of your life. And you shall make them known to your children and your grandchildren.
The day when you stood before YAHWEH your Elohim in Horeb, YAHWEH said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me and I make them hear My Words, so that they learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth and teach them to their children.”

This day spoken of by Moses is when God gave the “10 Commandments” along with numerous other laws as recorded in Exodus chapters 19-24. I do want to call your attention to Exodus 19:16-20 which helps us understand the record in Deuteronomy better:

“And it came to be, on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain. And the sound of the ram’s horn was very loud, and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
And Mosheh (Moses) brought the people out of the camp to meet with Elohim, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
And Mount Sinai was in smoke, all of it, because YAHWEH descended upon it in fire. And its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and all the mountain trembled exceedingly.
And when the blast of the ram’s horn sounded long and became louder and louder, Mosheh spoke, and Elohim answered him by voice.
And YAHWEH came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And YAHWEH called Mosheh to the top of the mountain, and Mosheh went up.”

What an incredible experience for those who were there! Without veering too far off the path, can you imagine what it will be like when Jesus Christ returns and sets foot on the Mount of Olivet! Revelation 19:11-16 gives you a good idea if you wanted to read it some time.

In Deuteronomy 4, Moses is exhorting the people to never forget the whole experience of when God Himself came down on the mountain and called Moses up to receive His covenant. Verse 13 explains what this covenant was:

“And He made known to you His covenant which He commanded you to do, the Ten Words, and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. “

The covenant which Moses exhorted the people to NEVER FORGET was what people call the 10 Commandments. When you look at those commandments, the first two deal with the same subject which is; NO IDOLATRY ALLOWED! In Exodus 20: 2-5 we see:

“I am YAHWEH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim (Egypt), out of the house of slavery.
You have no other mighty ones (elohim) against My face.
You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth.
You do not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, YAHWEH your Elohim am a jealous El…”

Obviously, when you combine the record in Exodus with the one in Deuteronomy you see that what God will consume are any idols His people put up against His face, bow down to and serve.
Never forget what YAHWEH our Elohim has done for you through His son Jesus Christ. Guard your heart so as to never forget the glorious new covenant which He has made with us through the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ His Son. Cast your idols down and let the consuming fire of YAHWEH our Elohim devour them once and for all.

God Bless you and keep you safe until next time.

World Population Explosion and America's Response

The year 2007 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the height of the “baby boom”. In 1957 there were around 170 million people in this country. In 2007 there are an estimated 300 million people living in America. An increase of 130 million people in fifty years seems pretty impressive until it is compared to what has happened worldwide since 1957.

It is estimated (of course no one knows for sure), that there were approximately 300 million people living in the world at the time of Christ. By the year 1500, the world’s population had grown to just under 500 million. In just 400 years the number of people living on earth had increased by over 1 billion to 1.6 billion in 1900. In a mere 50 years (with two world wars involved), the population jumped by almost another billion to 2.5 billion in 1950.

Fast forward 57 years to our current year. There are now 2.5 billion people living in China and India alone! That means everyone who was alive on the entire earth in 1950 would now have to fit in just two countries. Over 37% of the world’s population live in two countries which together account for less than 9 % of the world’s land area.

Over 6.6 billion people live on this planet in 2007. In the year 2000 the population on earth was 6.1 billion. That means 500 million MORE people are alive now than just 7 years ago. In light of these staggering statistics, the 130 million population increase in the United States over 50 years is pretty paltry to say the least.

Over 30% of the land area of this world is found in 4 countries: Russia, Canada, United States and Australia. Currently about 500 million people live in these 4 countries (over 300 million in the United States alone). That means less than 8 % of the world’s population lives on 30% of the land and 37% of the population lives on 9% of the land. What importance do all these figures hold? What could possibly be the profit in knowing all these statistics?

The reason for understanding these things lies in the gross ignorance the vast majority of people have toward anything outside of their family or town. How many people know that 6.6 billion people live on earth? How many people know that well over one third of them live in two countries? How many people have a clue the world’s population has doubled in just 50 years? How many people have any idea the impact that so many humans has on the climate, food production and water consumption? How many people even care to know any of these things?

When a tsunami strikes Asia and kills 500,000 people that should be the biggest news story of the century. But, because that figure means nothing to most people, the scope of the catastrophe becomes very limited. The entire continent of Australia could drop into the ocean and most people wouldn’t notice. Just so long as their backyard doesn’t slide down the hill, they are happy.

I imagine very few people know that there are almost as many people living in the city of Tokyo as live in the state of California. Even fewer people know that far more people live in the state of California than in the country of Canada. All most people know about Canada is that it is cold up there and they play hockey.

We live in a huge world blessed by Almighty God with plenty of natural resources. But, as the population continues to grow in certain parts of the world, the ability of those countries to provide for their own invariably gets outstripped. Think of a country such as Bangladesh where over 150 million people are crammed like sardines into a tiny country the size of Illinois. There is no way to produce enough food and find enough water for everyone. The inevitable result is political and cultural upheaval.

The country of Sudan in Africa and the state of California in the United States both have a population of about 38 million. The similarities stop there. In every conceivable category, there is absolutely no comparison between the two places. One is so wealthy people can afford to live in small houses costing half a million dollars while the other is so poor, people have no houses to live in at all. Do too many people in California care about those in the Sudan? Very few would have a clue where on earth the country is even located.

For those who think this world can keep on going as it has for thousands of years, I think you need a good dose of reality medicine. At the current growth rate, the world could easily hit 10 billion population within the next few years. Sooner or later there will not be room, food or water for everyone. Then the tough choices start, like who is allowed to live and who is deemed a burden to society and not allowed to survive. Even today these choices have to be made in many impoverished and overpopulated countries.

I can say with full certainty that the poorest soul in the United States would be considered quite wealthy by millions if not billions of people elsewhere in the world. There are hundreds of thousands of people living on the other side of the border in Mexico who would gladly take the big box your latest plasma television came in off your hands. They would turn it into a bedroom in their home made of other cardboard boxes. There are millions of people who would (and do) sell their very body and souls for the opportunity to live in America as a street person begging for daily food. Why? Because it would be a better lot than what they now have where they live.

Yes, this long post is nothing more than a biting criticism of the stupidity and selfishness of the immigration debate. Oh selfish and complacent Americans, your arrogance will be your downfall. Your greed and lust will sooner or later destroy your beauty and benevolence that made you great. Who gave you the right to tell those who only want to eat the crumbs that fell off your table of plenty to “Go Home”. Please, America, wake up and see what you are doing before it is too late. God HAS blessed America for the purpose of America blessing the world. When America stops blessing those in need, and when America stops helping the tired and huddled masses; then America will cease to be blessed by God Almighty.

Amen.

Entertainment Tonight: The Cost of Entertaining America

The amount of money Americans spend to be entertained is staggering, to say the least. Tonight my wife and I watched a recorded episode of one of our favorite television shows; “Are you smarter than a 5th Grader”. In this episode, a gentleman won $500,000 for correctly answering 10 elementary school questions. It warms my heart to see a “certified genius” win half a million dollars answering questions asked of kids in first through fifth grade. The problem I have is that $500,000 represents more money than my father and mother made together in all the years they worked.

Jeff Foxworthy, who is the host of the Fifth Graders show, receives a “salary” of $150,000 for each one hour episode. William Peterson makes $500,000 for each “CSI” episode. Are these guys really so talented that they should make this much money just to entertain us? Is it right that Jeff Foxworthy makes more in two episodes of a game show than the President of the United States makes in a year?

Judge Judy makes 30 million dollars a year to pass judgment on cases no different than those heard daily in small claims court. Simon Cowell makes 45 million dollars a year to be a judge and critic on “American Idol”. Poor Katie Couric makes “only” 15 million dollars a year to give the news a few nights per week. Oprah Winfrey makes around 260 million dollars per year from her broadcasting and publishing empires.

The average salary for an NFL player is 1.4 million dollars per year. That is quite a bit of money to pay a 300 pound guy to dress up in a uniform and play once a week. The average salary for an NHL (hockey) player is 1.8 million dollars per year. That is a huge amount of money to pay a guy to “skate”. The average salary for a Major League Baseball player is 2.7 million dollars. At least these guys have to “work” every day for 8 months to earn their money. The average salary for an NBA (basketball) player is 4.9 million dollars. That is an incredible amount of money to pay a guy to “dribble”.

A few weeks ago Tiger Woods received 10 million dollars for winning a golf tournament. That’s right, 10 million dollars to hit a little white ball into a hole. Since when did hitting, catching and throwing balls become so lucrative? It became lucrative when Americans with far too much money and time on their hands started wasting it on worthless entertainment. Athletes make this money because Americans are willing to pay a king’s ransom to watch their “heroes” play for a few hours.

Let us assume Brad Pitt makes 20 million dollars per year (he probably makes far more than that). For the average American, a $275,000 house would be a huge investment that would entail obtaining a 30 year mortgage at over $2,000 per month. For Brad, that same house would seem to cost only $412.50. The new car that costs all of us $20,000 would seem to cost $30 to Brad. That new $2,000 computer would seem like $3 to Brad. A nice meal at a decent restaurant that costs us $40 would seem like 6 cents to Brad and the average $10 meal like 2 cents.

Entertainers are allowed to make what they make because Americans are more than willing to pay their “salaries”. America’s love affair with celebrity status along with its unquenchable thirst for sports of all kinds has led to a leak of monumental proportions when it comes to the reality and honesty of compensation. Those who contribute the least are paid the most, and those who should be paid the most are paid the least.

The base salary for a new nurse is $39,000 per year on average. After 3 years it “climbs” to $47,000. How important are nurses compared to basketball players? Should a basketball player really make 100 times what a nurse makes per year? How many lives have basketball players saved or helped make comfortable?

The average pay for a police officer is $45,000 per year. Should a an actor who portrays a police officer on television make 10 times more for a one hour show than a real police officer makes in a year of daily putting his life on line? Should a television judge make 700 times more per year than the average police officer on the street? Something is terribly wrong with this picture.

The average pay for a school teacher is $47,600 per year. Granted, a teacher works only 9 months per year, but their job is perhaps the toughest one on earth. Is it right that the teacher who slaves away in a rundown inner city “hellhole” school should make only 1/ 5460th of what Oprah pulls in per year?

Is Oprah 5460 times more important than your average teacher? Is Judge Judy 700 times more important than your average police officer? Is an NBA player 100 times more important than your average nurse? Isn’t it interesting that the vast majority of teachers, police officers and nurses rarely complain about their salaries? They do what they do for the love of what they are doing and knowing they are “making a difference” in our world. Athletes and entertainers are notorious for complaining about not making enough for what they do.

The next time you turn on your television, go to the movies or attend a professional sporting event; think about how much money is being thrown away to provide you with a few minutes or hours of entertainment. While numerous small charities dry up on the vine for lack of funding, people seem to have no shortage of extra money to throw in the trash can of “Entertainment Tonight”.

God Bless you and keep you safe.

Parents; These are YOUR Children!!

The other day I was at a garage sale where there were tons of toys and other children’s articles. A very young boy who was old enough to walk but not put words together was wrestling with some type of inflatable toy attempting to do who knows what with it. He was obviously getting very frustrated, for the utterances coming out of his mouth were becoming more and more guttural and animated.

Suddenly the boy screamed at the top of his lungs, threw the toy on the driveway and proceeded to start jumping up and down on it in an attempt to break it. At the same time he was yelling incoherent words and noises at the object he was so frustrated with. Amazingly there was no parent around to intercede; they were too busy and too uninterested to notice what was happening.

In due time, the boy go tired of that object and moved on to another. I watched in utter disbelief as the exact same thing happened, only this time the boy won. When he threw the toy on the driveway it broke. Immediately the mother ran over and scolded the boy, not for the tantrum, but for breaking the toy. Of course the boy was not happy and he proceeded to start slapping the mother while yelling and screaming. In his mind, the mother was no different than the toy. If he had been big enough, he would have picked her up and threw her down just like the two toys.

Since the time I was forced to witness this incident, I have tried to understand what exactly happened. Many questions have arisen in my mind concerning all parties involved. How can a two year old develop so much anger so quickly in their life? How can a mother allow their child to slap her and yell at her? How can society allow parents to be so apathetic that they do not provide training to their children?

Earlier in the week I had to go the Emergency Room at the Hospital to have something checked out. While waiting for test results in my little cubicle, a mother and child were brought into the room next to mine. The child had a bad ear infection that had gotten worse over the weekend.

From the time they arrived until the time I was allowed to leave 90 minutes later, the child screamed at the top of his lungs non-stop. I have never heard such blood curdling cries in my life. It literally sounded as if someone was cutting off the child’s fingers and toes one by one. During this 90 minutes nothing was done by the parent or hospital staff to try and quiet the child. No soothing words, no sucker, no medication; nothing. Instead, one unhappy and sick child was allowed to make 18 sick and miserable adults also in the ER sicker and more miserable.

Why are children allowed to run the show? Why are adults petrified at the idea of instructing, correcting and if need be, punishing their children? Do parents not understand that their children’s behavior affects other people? Do they not see how when they allow their kids to run up and down the aisles of Wal Mart screaming and running into people right and left; that this could be a little disconcerting to others, especially the elderly and disabled?

I used to take my elderly mother to the store once a week. This allowed her to get out of the house and do something. We had to stop this activity because the screaming and running kids got her so worked up she would go into a panic attack. We live in a selfish society where many people could care less about the feelings and welfare of anyone but themselves.

Ever notice how many times in a store a child will run and run and finally come back to the mother with a toy or candy and demand they be allowed to get it. Sometimes the parent will say no, but many times they yield because they know what will happen if they refuse. The kid goes into a full scale tantrum in the store complete with yelling and screaming and hitting. Why are kids allowed to run the show? Why can’t parents take control of their kids and be parents?

Our culture has turned kids into pampered and spoiled brats. They get everything they want when they want it, and when they don’t, they let the whole world know how unhappy they are. Isn’t it interesting how this also defines the attitude and behavior of many adults? Children raised without discipline turn into adults with no bounds on their behavior and in turn provide many new patients to Doctors and clients for defense and divorce attorneys.

Parents do not need to beat their children into submission. Parents do not need to “reason” with them either. Parents need to instruct, teach, train and provide what parents were put on earth to do; parental guidance. But, due to job schedules and other activities, parents dump the training of their children on the school, church and television. The end result is a society full of undisciplined and spoiled children who turn into selfish and apathetic adults.

I wish this sign would be posted in every store and along every highway in the country; “Parents, please take responsibility for your children”. Parents, these are YOUR children, thus they are YOUR responsibility to love, protect, provide for, train and teach. You are the parent and this is YOUR job. I had better stop or next we will be talking about what foster care has done to our society. Thank you for allowing me to get this “burning subject” off my chest. Next post I will return to the regularly scheduled subjects.

God bless you and keep you safe.

Character/Hypocrisy---Part One

Character is defined as the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of a person. A person’s reputation is established by their character. Character refers to the moral qualities and ethical standards that make up the inner nature of a person. Hypocrisy would thus be when the outward appearance in a person’s life does not accurately reflect their true inner nature. Character actors are experts at hypocrisy. Their very livelihood depends on their ability to portray a person so accurately so as to make people believe the character is real.

Character is who you are when no one else is around. Character reflects the true identity of a person. Character can either be good or bad, pleasing or repulsive, sterling or fake. Ultimately, only God knows the true identity of people for He looks on the heart and not on the outward appearance. People fool other people all the time by putting up facades, wearing masks and speaking and doing things only to win other’s approval or respect. Politicians are experts at this. They spend their entire lives being someone they are not, just to get elected and re-elected.

A person should be judged by their character not their outward appearance. Clothing, make up, plastic surgery and other “props” can alter the outward appearance of a person so as to fool just about everybody. Masters of disguise can hide their true identity from everyone but themselves and God. People who live dual lives truly are some of the best actors in the world and should be given prominent roles in upcoming movies and television shows. It is beyond me how people can project one image and live an entirely different one.

If you know in your heart that you are rotten, vile, disgusting and repulsive, yet portray to all around you that you are kind, gentle, pure and attractive; you are a hypocrite. If you know in your heart that you have hurt people, abused people’s trust and flat out lied to those who love you, yet “appear” to be the most honest, upright and loving person on earth; you are worse than a hypocrite, you are a rotten, vile, disgusting and repulsive phony and fraud. Anyone who can smile and tell you how wonderful you are while stabbing you in the back to steal the $5 in your wallet is the ultimate hypocrite

Near the end of Jesus ministry while in Jerusalem, he confronted the Scribes and Pharisees regarding their hypocrisy. Among the many incredible things Jesus said, a couple really stand out. In Matthew 23:27 and 28 it says in the New Living Translation:

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees, Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.

Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Jesus pretty well sums it all up in verse 33:

“Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?”

Obviously God and His Son Jesus Christ do not think too highly of hypocrisy, especially in the religious arena. To err is human it has been said, but to deliberately deceive people for the sole purpose of stealing from them, killing them and destroying them is behavior straight from the pit of hell, and that is where those guilty of such abhorrent things will be spending eternity. There is no excuse for deliberate deception in any realm, but especially in the ‘religious’ sphere.

The next time you see a political, religious or other intellectual leader exhibiting “holier than thou” characteristics; rest assured that more than likely they are guilty of hypocrisy and fraud. People who “demand” respect because of their positions and titles rarely deserve it. Respect is a privilege to be won not a right bestowed because of position or rank. People should earn our respect through their sterling character and faithful service, not be blindly handed it because of the initials before or after their name.

Always be on guard for wolves in sheep clothing and for other great pretenders. Be aware of those who through sleight of hand and other trickery appear to something they are not. Never fall prey to things that appear too good to be true, for they are never are. Jesus told his disciples to be “wise as serpents, yet gentle as doves”. I believe these words are still quite applicable today. Watch out for hypocrites, magicians and other experts of illusion. Look on people’s hearts and not their outward appearances. God does, and if it is good enough for Him, it should be for us also.
God bless you and keep you safe.

Are We a Josiah or a Jehoiakim?

In Jeremiah 22 the prophet Jeremiah speaks of judgment against the evil kings of Judah that followed after the “good” king Josiah. In verses 13-19, a scathing denunciation of King Jehoiakim is recorded.

“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.
He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms. So he makes l large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red.
Jeremiah 22:13, 14 NIV

Obviously God does not think highly of “slave labor” which is what making people work for nothing and not paying them for their labor amounts to. God lays out in His Word in numerous places the principle that a laborer is worthy of his hire. God does not expect people to work for someone else and never receive any compensation. Tyrants and despots force their people to work for only bread and water. Tyrants and despots do not know or love God.

“Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father (Josiah) have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him.
He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? Declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 22:15, 16 NIV

What a brilliant commentary of our current times! Does it make you “special”, or a “VIP”, or someone who is to be bowed down to and worshipped just because you have a bigger, better, more and more house, vehicle or yacht? Is your church better because it has a bigger and newer building? Josiah was a humble king who refused to put up with evil. He enjoyed life because he did what was right and just, just like his ancestor David. He did not seek to impress others with palaces and such. He simply did what was right and just and all went well with him.

What specifically allowed Josiah to enjoy life and have things go well for him was that he had his priorities in the right order. Instead of devoting all his energy to pleasing himself by using others to build him elaborate palaces and throne rooms; he defended the cause of the poor and needy. Any King, President, Prime Minister etc. who’s first and foremost concern is not the welfare of the poor and needy is automatically a hypocrite, egotistical fool and a tyrant. Time and again in the Old Testament there are records where God makes it perfectly clear that the primary function of those in authority is to care for the needs of those who are poor and needy.

Do you want to know the Lord? Verse 16 states that to know the Lord is to defend the cause of the poor and needy. It is to advocate, do justice, treat equitably and otherwise HELP those who cannot help themselves. Anyone who wants to know the Lord HAS to be involved helping those who are sick, homeless, old, disabled and broken. Read about the fast of the Lord in 58 and what Jesus said about the subject in Matthew 25:31-46. You cannot know, understand or love the Lord unless you have a heart of compassion willing to “stand in the gap” and advocate for those who are not able to help themselves.

“But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion.””
Jeremiah 22:17 NIV

There you have the stark comparison between Josiah and Jehoiakim. Josiah knew, feared and loved the Lord because he took care of those who were afflicted and downtrodden. Jehoiakim used the people for self-gain for his only concern was to make himself the most powerful and wealthy man on earth. When power and wealth are the most important things to a person, they will stop at nothing to get them, even if it means murder, blackmail, extortion and fraud.

People in high places whose only desire is for bigger, better, more and more will do whatever it takes to achieve their plans. People are nothing but means to an end for these evil people. They will kill and destroy anyone standing in their way. From their unbridled love of money and lust for power comes the intense motivation to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. These people are especially adept at gaining their power and wealth at the expense of and on the backs of the poor and huddled masses. Truly their eyes and hearts are set only on dishonest gain through whatever means necessary to get it.

What did Jehoiakim have to look forward to in life? Did Jeremiah tell him he would end up being richer and more powerful than Solomon? Was the end result of all his disgusting evil going to be the title of “King of the Universe For Ever and Ever”? Look at what the Lord says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

“He will have the burial of a donkey—dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.”
Jeremiah 22:19 NIV

Instead of the eternal glory Jehoiakim thought he was gaining through his wealth and power on earth, he ended up being given the burial of a donkey. Isn’t it interesting how some of the most evil people who ever lived, ended up dying some of the most horrible deaths. People will all ultimately “reap what they sow” in this life. If they sow evil, then in due time evil will befall them, no matter important they thought they were.

I pray that we all could have the heart of Josiah. I pray that we all are willing to give with love and compassion, our lives and resources to those who are “poor and needy”. I pray we never are found guilty of the lust for power and wealth that doomed people like Jehoiakim and countless others who have lived and died on this earth. I pray we understand that our purpose in living is not to become rich and famous but to lovingly serve others in the shadows of obscurity and in the light of the glory of God.
God Bless you and keep you safe

“Be Prepared” Is Not Just a Scout Motto

When I was a "wee lad" I belonged to the local Boy Scout troop for a few years. I remember little about that experience other than their motto: "Be Prepared". If I could only shout one non-spiritual message to this nation everyday it would be: "Be Prepared". Investing a little time and money to be prepared for what might happen (especially regarding natural disasters) will reap huge returns. People suffer needlessly in disasters because they were either not prepared for what was coming or ignored warnings to get out of harm's way when the disaster was at their doorstep. Ignorance and stubbornness can be fatal attitudes when it comes to surviving a disaster.

I am concerned, on this first day of October, with situations that could happen in the natural realm. Those of you who follow what I write know I have been very apprehensive about this year's hurricane season since last May when I attended a Hurricane Summit in Houston, TX. It was stated then by many experts that the biggest worry this year was "sleeper" storms that would blow up at the last minute and surprise people by their rapid development and strength.

Many of the tropical storms this season have done this very thing. The only reason the vast majority of people in this country don't know anything about this is because most of these storms have crashed into Mexico. If the meteorological steering currents had been slightly different, we would have seen not one, but two category 5 hurricanes hit our Gulf Coast instead of the Mexican coast. If the storm which hit Texas recently had stayed over water another 8 hours, it could have hit the exact same area as Hurricane Rita hit two years ago at the same strength. These "near misses" should not be laughed at or ignored. The month of October could be an exceptionally busy month for hurricanes, especially along the Gulf Coast.

A situation is developing currently that could cause huge problems for the Gulf Coast. The east coast of Florida has been seeing gale force winds and outrageous waves for several days. This has not been caused by a hurricane, but by a developing storm that could turn into a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico later this week. There are other areas of disturbed weather waiting in the wings that could end up in the Gulf next week. This is not a good situation for either the people down there trying to rebuild, or the oil industry who have to evacuate their rigs when storms develop in the Gulf.

In the last few days there has been a rash of moderate to severe earthquakes around the world. What is unusual is the location of some of these quakes. Undersea earthquakes have hit near Guam, New Zealand and Japan. There has also been a flurry of activity in the western United States. Unlike hurricanes, earthquakes cannot be accurately predicted. There are certainly areas more prone to major earthquakes (like Indonesia), but no one can say a quake is going to hit a particular place at a predetermined time.

I do not wish to be negative, but what if we, in this country, had a major earthquake hit either the west coast or in middle America (New Madrid fault), and at the same general time have a category 5 hurricane slam into either the Gulf Coast or along the eastern seaboard? Having been involved with disaster relief a little bit, I can assure you a double blow such as this would have a devastating effect on this country.

On September 22, 1989 Hurricane Hugo ripped into Charleston, SC with 140 mph winds. Until Andrew in 1992 and Katrina in 2005, Hugo was the costliest storm to ever hit the United States. Many of us can recall the images of destruction not only the night of the storm but even more so the next day. People who lived through Hugo will never forget it, just as those who lived through Andrew in 1992 and of course Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005.

On October 17, 1989 at 5:04 pm a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck near San Francisco, California. The reason many of us remember that quake so well was because the World Series was being played in San Francisco that year between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. In fact, the game was just getting ready to start when the earth moved, power was cut off and the entire nation wondered what was going on out there.

Most of us can vividly recall the images of burning warehouses in San Francisco and collapsed freeways in Oakland. Although the damage and fatalities could have been far worse, that earthquake, because of the media attention given it, gave America a crash course in how devastating an earthquake can be. Two huge disasters on opposite sides of the country happened within three weeks of each other.

A lot has changed in this country since 1989. The amount of new construction and population growth in both California and along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts is staggering. If a major earthquake (6.9 is strong but not major) were to hit Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle; the amount of devastation, money needed to repair the damage and loss of life is incalculable. If a category 5 hurricane with a 25 foot storm surge would strike a major eastern city; the physical damage and loss of life would be so great no one would believe it.

No one in Greensburg, Kansas thought that one of their common springtime severe storms would produce an F-5 tornado that would literally wipe the town off the map. No one in southeastern Minnesota thought a few days of heavy storms would cause unprecedented flash flooding. No one in Texas ever thought they would see as much rain and flooding as they have seen this year. No one in Springfield, Missouri last winter expected an unprecedented ice storm to knock down trees and power lines resulting in no electricity for weeks. No one ever expects a disaster, and no one can stop a natural disaster from happening. All you can do is prepare, prepare and prepare some more.

Please, no matter where you live, take some time and prepare for whatever might be coming. Whether severe storms, hurricanes, floods, tornados, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires or ice; preparation is the key to survival, and survival is not something we in this country think much about. Prepare for the worst but keep praying and hoping for the best. Those are the best words I could give you today. God bless you and keep you safe.