"We need too have a vote on it (Obamacare repeal) because we promised the people we would," Senator John McCain, R-AZ, said Sunday on "Face the Nation" on CBS. "We have to have a vote on repeal so that everybody is on record whether they want repeal" (Lufkin Daily News, 1/24/11)
If you are hoping that Obamacare will survive the recent turnover in Congress, relax; all is well. But, if you are hoping the Repubs will force repeal of Obamacare you're out of luck. They won't succeed in their bogus attempt to repeal it because insurance and pharma companies, huge donors to the Repub party, don't want it repealed. House Repubs will make a great smoke and mirrors show of fulfilling their campaign promise of voting to repeal the law knowing full well that it won't get by the Democratically controlled Senate. If it should, Mr. Obama will veto it. Then the elephants can say, "See? We tried but those stubborn ol' donkeys wouldn't cooperate." Business as usual.

If we put our ultimate trust in anyone or anything other than God we are sure to be disappointed.

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I noticed in an NFL ad that the play-off games were being seen by our armed forces in 175 countries.

a.) I didn't know there are 175 countries

b.) What business do we have putting our troops in those countries? Who made us the
world's police force?

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The Pope recently said he was shocked to hear that Christians have been killed in Egypt and other Muslim countries. With all due respect to your exalted position, sir, you should know this is not something new. It has been going on for centuries and will continue until.......?

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A small Christian group has been persuaded by Harold Camping, who heads up evangelistic Family Radio, that the world is coming to an end on May 21, 2011. (Time mag Jan. 4, 2011) Mr. Camping made a similar prediction that was to take place on Sept. 6, 1994. Did that happen and I missed it?

The group under Mr. Camping's wing is distributing flyers about the "coming" event and feverishly trying to inform the public before it's too late. Evangelism is good but I don't think this is the way to go about it.

Jesus said that no one knows the date when the world will end; not even Jesus. Yet, people will continue to believe they have found secret codes in the Bible that enable them to figure out the date. Even Isaac Newton, the great English scientist, spent years poring over the scriptures and eventually thought he had determined a date for the end of the world. God had something to say about this in Isaiah 44:25. "I am the one who shows what liars all false prophets are, by causing something else to happen than the things they say. I make wise men give opposite advice to what they should, and make them into fools." No matter how devoted and sincere decoders and self-appointed prophets are, no one can know the mind of God except the Spirit of God.

We are to be spiritually ready for whatever happens, not frightened or worried about the apocalypse. "Be not afraid; only believe" Mark 5:36
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According to recent news articles, cursive writing will soon be as unintelligible as Elizabethan English is to most of us. Cursive is sooo twentieth century. Just think; people over thirty will be able to write messages in cursive that will be a mystery to the youngsters now in school. And if the cursive document includes correct grammar it will be a double mystery. On the other hand, I confess that twitter (tweet? twert? twizzle?) language might as well be Chinese to me.
lol, bff. There; did I just say something nice or gross?**********************************************
Cleaning out our house after Nita's death, I threw or gave away hundreds (literally) of things that had been accumulated over the 60 years of our marriage. Included were plaques representing awards of various kinds. After my departure from this vale of tears no one would remember (even my memory was a little hazy about some of them) or care what they were for. I was not the least bit sentimental about them so into the dust bin they went. This led me to wonder: what, if anything, of worth and endurance would I leave behind?

My name? The Marsellos family name will disappear with the passing of my son. Not always succesfully because of all my multitude of weaknesses, I have tried to uphold the name without stain and I know he is doing, and will continue, to do the same. In the areas of father, husband, grandfather, etc., architect, poet, novelist, artist, Christian, etc., I can say without false modesty and with complete honesty that I have never felt I was more than average. ( One definition of average: The best of the worst and the worst of the best. Ugh.) Paul said we are not to think better of ourselves than we ought.

Does life have a point or is it only a collection of random events? Do we have a reason for being or are we like a weather vane, doing our job as we and others see it but being moved only by the vagarious winds? I firmly believe we have free will but is there some Grand Scheme in which, under the right conditions, my free will ultimately blends with God's will for His purposes?

It can occur at any age but middle age seems the time when many examine their progress in life. I know I did. I found that I was, so to speak, "Weighed in the balances and found wanting." (Daniel 5:27) I had no spiritual weight at all. For me, life was bleak and without real satisfaction. There are numerous ways to temporarily cover up spiritual hunger and deficiencies: appearing religious (talking the talk. I was very good at that), church attendance in body but not in spirit, denial that anything is missing, alcohol, illicit sex, drugs, work, pride (remember the Pharisees? Nothing wrong with us. We're sons of Abraham), gathering possessions, etc., but only one way to level the balances.

Jesus said to Nicodemus (and us), "You MUST be born again." There is no wiggle room in this statement; it is absolute. Take it or leave it; there's no middle ground. It will do no good to stand before God and say,"I was an Eagle Scout" or "I attended every church service all my life" or "My grandfather was a preacher" or "Our family is very prominent. We have always been good people and contributed millions to good causes." Fine. Wonderful. Congratulations. But, none of that matters unless you have been born again.

All of the above leads to a dream I had recently. In the dream I was conversing with a group of people; none that I recognized. I don't know if there were 2 people or 20. But I distinctly and clearly remember that I declared,

"I know why I was born! It was so I could lead (---?---) to Christ!"

The name of the person was a blur. Was it someone I had the privilege to influence for Jesus in the past or someone in the near future? I don't know. But I do know the joy I felt to have the confirmation of the reason for my existence. Everything else in my life has only been background.

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"Now the God of hope give you all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit" Romans 15:13

Every time I smell the odor of Vicks it immediately takes me back to my childhood and memories of my stepmother spreading the salve on my chest and throat when I had a cold. On occasion she made me swallow a spoonful of the stuff for a sore throat. I don't know if the Vicks did any good but the touch of my stepmother's hand was always soothing when I was ill. What is more comforting than a mother's touch? When that is no longer available we still enjoy the warm touch of a spouse, friend, child, etc. It is good to remember to share that with others when the opportunity is available..

LaNell and I have the privilege of serving communion, once a month, to residents of a local retirement home. Most of the residents are widows or widowers, in their 70's to 90's; some without any living relatives. We make it a practice to touch the hands or shoulders of the women and men when they receive the elements. It reinforces our efforts to show that we care. LaNell has been led to kiss the forehead of some of the women and the recipients responded with tears. It's something they have not experienced in years.

God's spirit is present there in abundance. When we leave we feel we have gained more than those we came to minister to.

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27

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Jesus said, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth."

A preacher who has spoken in countries around the world said he has been to many remote and isolated places. Some were accessible only by riverboat, horseback or airplane. But every where he went he saw Coca Cola signs. So, he thought, the uttermost part of the earth must be somewhere beyond the ubiquitous Coca Cola signs.

In 1996 he preached in a Russian city 1600 miles northeast of Moscow, deep in Siberia. He looked around the city and not one Coca Cola sign was to be found. This indeed must be the uttermost part of the earth. Yet, at each home he visited, the host would proudly show him a Gideon bible printed in Russian; distributed by Russian Gideons. (Note: The Bible distributed by the Gideons is the Holy Bible, not an interpretation by the Gideons. Gideons are Christian laymen and members of evangelical churches throughout the world.)

It is estimated that, out of the 6 billion people on earth, 1.5 billion have never read the bible or heard the gospel. Among those are people in the U.S. and in your city wherever you are; maybe your next door neighbor.

When our church proposed a building to house a separate contemporary service it met with stout resistance from some longtime members who still refer to it as "that other church." Yet, in spite of the selfish objections, the service has prospered and there are now some young men and women members who previously had not set foot in a church or read the bible. My own voiced opinion about the service before it was implemented was, "If just one person receives Christ in that service, it is worth any amount of difficulty or expense." Luke 15:8 "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."

The Gideons organization has distributed millions of bibles in countries around the world, even beyond the Coca Cola signs, resulting in many decisions for Christ. 1.5 billion persons seems an insurmountable number to witness to. But Jesus knew it would be possible if those who have received the Holy Spirit will use the power He has given them. Otherwise He would not have commanded it to happen. (Acts 1:8) And who has received the Holy Spirit? Everyone who has confessed Christ as their Savior. The most effective method of witnessing is one on one.
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Before embarking on a long road trip we ask God to send angels to protect us as we travel and to keep us from inadvertently doing harm to anyone. I don't pray to angels. They are ministering spirits; created by God. They only obey God. Neither do I pray to saints, the Apostles or Mary. For any of them to answer prayer they would have to be equal with God. They're not.
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In Las Vegas it is unlawful to pawn false teeth.
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When Mr. Obama was elected I wrote in a blog that Americans would not like the "changes" he would promote. Bingo. I also wrote that beneath his shining armor we would find a Chicago politician, Double bingo. Thirdly, I said he would be unable to keep his promise to change Washington and that change would only happen when Jesus returns. Triple bingo. Shortly thereafter I stated that the Democrats seemed determined to self-destruct. For the sake of our country I take no pleasure that I happened to be right on these issues. Who is going to right our ship of state and keep it from sinking further?
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Add to the former list of celebrities: alligator hunters, pawn brokers, pastry bakers, loggers, motorcycle builders, wrestlers and ballroom dancers. If you don't find yourself among these I counsel patience because new categories are opening every day. Who knows? Someday there may even be one for dippy old men who write blogs.

A Holy and Merry Christmas to all.

save

Have you noticed how many celebrity categories there are now? In addition to the usual high society, sports and Hollywood types we now have celebrities in new categories: Gamblers, (Poker Stars,) Cooks, (Paula Dean et al), Chefs (as distinguished from mere cooks), Miners (Ecuador), Political Malefactors (former governor of Illinois; former N. Y. D.A.), Mothers of Large Broods (minimum of eight, please), GlenBeckers et al, Passengers on Interrupted Cruise Voyages, Real (?) Housewives (outfitted in ensembles that cost thousands and make Beaver's mother look like a bag lady), etc.. Artist Andy Warhol, himself a celebrity, said "Everyone will have their fifteen minutes of fame." Have you had yours? Be patient.


Charles Rangel (D, NY, very popular in Harlem) is a prime example of why there needs to be term limits for members of Congress. A member of the House for 40 years he is finally being brought before a House Ethics Committee on charges of misconduct. ("House Ethics;" Isn't that an oxymoron?) Failure to pay income taxes on property he owns is only one of the charges. Rangel claims he is innocent and will not resign. Shame is a concept un known in Congress.

Mickey Rooney is 90 years old! Rooney, 50% egotist; 50% imp and 100% talent, was born to a vaudeville couple and began his show business career at the tender age of 17 months. Married 8 times he said, "Always get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day."

His other pastime was gambling. He confessed, "I lost $3 on a horse and spent a million dollars trying to get it back."


Benjamin Franklin asked an intriguing question, "If all your friends were blind, what would your house look like?" Many Americans take their design cues from "the mansion on the hill." Big is good; lavish is better. It's a sure sign that you have "arrived." On the frontier, settlers lived in one room log cabins or, on the plains, in dugouts. As soon as they could afford better they built something like they had back east. Moving up-scale has been a national ambition.
That upward movement has crested and the latest economic melt-down may change buying habits as the Great Depression did when people discovered they could do with less, --- a lot less and delayed gratification was not a form of torture. The lay-away plan was born. Thrift and frugality were seen, not as being "cheap" but as real virtues. My children learned an old New England saying, "Use it up; Wear it out; Make it do or Do without." Of course they never did without any of the necessities of life.
Except for the wealthy, the average new house will soon be 1800 square feet or less. Separate, rarely used formal dining rooms, family rooms, powder rooms, huge bathrooms, butler pantries, etc. will go by the wayside. Combining kitchen, dining and living room is becoming more in vogue. Smaller space means smaller utility bills and conservation of natural resources. If one cannot be happy and content in a 1800 s.f. house they will very likely not be happy in a 5000 s.f. house. Besides, real satisfaction and contentment arise from a spiritual relationship: building our "house" on the solid Rock of Jesus.
Fashion Forecast
For men: Look for the appearance of shoes in colors beyond black and brown. Red, blue and purple shoes will soon become more popular. And why not? Years ago (before the Elvis Presley era) I had a pair of blue suede shoes. I'm still looking for another pair. Red would be OK.
For women: Lower hemlines; mid-calf or to the ankles. Hats are coming back; some modeled after the 'cloche' hat, so popular in the 20's and the Depression. Appropriate for the present economic situation.
Oooookay; the Repubs are back in power,--well, sort of. After slathering their constituents with the whipped cream of promises soon forgotten after election, they appear to be gazing at each other with that, "Now what?" look. In their slash and burn drive to make the world safe for big banks and corporations they seem to have overlooked something essential: A comprehensive, clear-cut plan to help bring the country (the USA) out of the economic Sargasso Sea we are drifting in. Can any of them say "bi-partisan?"

Recently I was reminded of some home remedies I was subjected to as a child. My step-mother was a great believer in the efficacious properties of various folk potions to cure whatever might ail me and my brother. One such potion that I remember, with a shudder, was supposed to alleviate colds and coughing. It consisted of sliced onions, covered with sugar, allowed to age on the back of the wood-burning range until a thick malodorous syrup formed. A teaspoon of it was administered every time I coughed. I nearly suffocated trying to suppress coughs.



One cannot imagine the uniquely horrible taste of this concoction. It must be experienced to fully appreciate the sulfurous aroma and the reaction of the gag reflex. No amount of resistance, crying or protest spared me from what was adamantly stated as,"good for you." Ingesting that stuff may be why I'm so goofy today.



Another form of torture, left over from the Spanish Inquisition no doubt, was the infamous mustard plaster. This was applied to my bare chest for a "deep chest cold." The plaster consisted of dry mustard and burning embers (at least that's what it felt like) mixed together and covered with a cloth. It stuck to the skin like searing glue and when finally removed it took the top layer of skin with it.



Perhaps those remedies were not as bad as a Spring tonic forced on a friend of mine as a child. His grandmother would fill a mason jar with rusty nails and then pour vinegar over them. After the rust (iron) had time to mix with the vinegar it was considered ready as a tonic to "cleanse the blood."

Of the two, I think I would prefer the onion cocktail.



People then, as now, were doing the best they could with what they knew and what they had. I'm still alive in my 80's so perhaps the folk remedies really were, " good for me."

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In the news recently were the results of a poll taken to see how much Americans know about their particular religion. Result? Not much. In fact, atheists seem best informed.

Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all people. That's pretty difficult if we can't share with others why we believe as we do.

Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said, "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.". He was saying that there are some philosophical things that cannot possibly be expressed because of the limits of language, so don't even try. Unknowingly, too many Christians have adopted Wittgenstein's words out of context and feel it best to be silent about their faith. Have you shared your faith with your children? In our flawed and imperfect way we must live out the faith as well or where is the profit?

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From a Chinese calendar:



"Lucky stars will help your development and career to achieve positive returns. Be aware to be haughty and high profile to stimulate those envied enemies who are waiting to chasten your glee. Keep soberly mind to scrutinize unexpected matters or problems. Take action, stop chattering and seek help from others."



I say again I don't believe in fortune telling (the Bible expressly forbids it) and I include this only for the delightful English grammar. Also, this person's English far surpasses my Chinese.

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I suggest you add the following to your morning prayer:



Holy and Righteous Father, I ask that today people see nothing in me but Jesus and are drawn to Him.

Miscellany

Since 2009, thousands of employees have been added to the Fed's ( taxpayer's) payroll. Read that again. Thousands added to the already bloated government bureaucracy. If you have ever tried to maneuver through the mine field of red tape and road blocks, set up by bureaucrats to obscure access to dependable information, you can only imagine the higher level of frustration in store to be brought about by this new surge of bureaucratic troops.

Outrageous!

Molly Norris, Seattle cartoonist who started "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" in support of free speech has been advised by the FBI to go into hiding. A Muslim mufti (Islam scholar/jurist) has issued a "fatwah", or death sentence against her. Molly Norris is being denied her right of free speech in her own country and even the FBI cannot protect her. Few fatwahs are death sentences and a fatwah is not necessarily binding on all Muslims to carry out. But the FBI apparently thinks this situation is dangerous enough that Molly should abandon her home, friends and livelyhood. Using threats of violence and fear are the kind of tactics we can expect from some, but not all, adherents of this religion.
Mohammed means nothing to me but I don't disparage him or moderate Muslims even though the Qur'an (Koran) denies the divinity of Jesus and that he is the Son of God. Any restrictions repecting the depiction of Mohammed are for Muslims and do not apply to non-Muslims just as restrictions of other religions apply only to the adherents of those religions. Fundamentalist Muslims insist that everyone, including non-Muslims, must obey their restrictions.


Still on the subject of religion, a Clayton, NC freshman was sent home from school because of metal objects piercing her face, a practice against school rules. She is claiming religious persecution because she and her mother belong to the "Church of Body Modifications." From what I can find, there really is such a church. It appears to have no spiritual base but does, -- surprise!, ---have a tax-free status with the IRS. Kind of reminds me of comedian Flip Wilson's "The Church of What's Happening Now." I always thought that would be a great name for a church and even suggested it during a church committee brainstorming session. All it did was reinforce my reputation as an eccentric.


In a remarkable change, Belgium has gone from a predominantly Catholic country to a predominantly secular country in one generation. There is outrage among its citizens concerning child molestation by some current and former priests and the arrogant (their word) way the Vatican is handling the situation. Christ has been crucified again and buried in Belgium. But God has declared He will always have a witness and Jesus will rise again in that country.


For the first time, according to a news article in the Lufkin Daily News, whites entering the Univ. of Texas are in the minority. They are outnumbered by a combination of incoming students who are black, oriental and hispanic. My prediction of 2040 as the tipping point in our country, from white to tan, is looking more realistic.


A dear friend of mine died recently of a combination of ailments with emphysema as the main cause. Addiction to tobacco in the form of cigarettes was his undoing. Emphysema also caused the deaths of my brother-in-law and and sister-in-law (not in the same family.) It is an insidious disease and a terrible way to die. Yet, in the U.S., 1 in 5 Americans continue to smoke and tobacco is the cause of death for an average of 1000 people each day.
If you are a smoker: QUIT!!!

Well, Republicans are positively giddy over the prospect of taking control of the House of Reps. I humbly suggest attention of the voters be turned back to those recent years when the Repubs had control of all 3 branches of government. As they grew fat and sassy with power, they abandoned basic Repub principles. Instead, they increased central government, fostered corruption, let the hounds of Wall Street loose on an vulnerable unsuspecting public, launched 2 disasterous wars and ran the national debt into the stratosphere. But, hey; to the victor belongs the spoils, right? They finally had the keys to the candy store and they cleaned it out. The Dems came in and took the paint off the walls; all that was left.
Not to be outdone, the Dems cranked up their Magic Money Machine which is powered by thin air and a cord that reaches all the way to China. It has spewed out a bushels of greenbacks promptly delivered to the UAW, GM, banks, favored unions, favored states, favored organizations that get out the Dem voters, the corrupt Afghanistan and Iraqi governments and only the good Lord knows where else.
I know I appear cynical but having witnessed the revolving door to Congress and the White house spin so many times as the parties passed each other going in and coming out I confess I don't expect any wonderful changes. Same thing; only the names will be different.

Take heed to King Solomon in Proverbs, chapter 29:

Vs. 2 "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan."
Vs. 4 "By justice a king gives stability to the land, but one who makes heavy exactions (taxes) ruins it."
Vs. 18 "When the wicked are in authority, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall."

One morning recently I opened the kitchen outside door to go get the paper. Imagine my shock and surprise to see a snake stretched out on the threshold! To me, "harmless snake' is an oxymoron. All snakes are Cobras until otherwise identified by someone with a Doctorate of Herpetology. By the time the expert arrived all he would see would be raw snakeburger. The slimy creature and I looked at each other for what seemed an hour but it was only a nano second. I don't know which of us was the most frightened. I quickly slammed the door and searched for something to use as a weapon. I grabbed an umbrella, the only thing at hand. What I thought I could do with an umbrella I don't know but I was gripped by desperation. Fortunately for the snake (and me) he had slithered off by the time I opened the door again. I told wife LaNell she would have to be the first person out that door in the morning from now on.




New York City Mosque


President Obama got his hand slapped when he reached into the brouhaha concerning the location of the mosque. I think he now wishes he had said that the location of the mosque is something the citizens of N.Y. should work out with imam Fasail Abdul Rauf. But the President has every right to comment on the situation as do all of us. The 9/11 destruction of the Twin Towers and resulting massacre of civilians was an Islamist attack on America, not just New York City. It is a wound that has not healed and will not disappear anytime in the near future in spite of Americans' notoriously short attention span.


As with other situations of like importance, we don't know, and probably never will, what is going on behind the scenes, in secret, under the table, behind closed doors, etc. It appears to me that if Mr. Rauf is as peace-loving as he advertises he would have long ago abandoned his plan for a mosque two blocks from Ground Zero. State and local NYC authorities have offered alternative sites but Mr Rauf stubbornly insists on having his way. Is this an attempt to see if authorities will bend to his will? Is this a play for sympathy from the American public or is he playing to Muslims around the world and does he cling to this site because it might have great significance to Muslims? There are 100 mosques in NY City so the claim that the objection to a mosque being built on this site is a rejection and persecution of the Isalmist religion is patently false. Yet, this deliberate misunderstanding is the rallying cry of foreign radical Islamists used to recruit jihadists worldwide, including America, to protect their religion and to vent their rage in acts of terrorism. Muslims are extremely sensitive about their religion and expect others to respect it. Conversely, Mr. Rauf is either disrespectful of the sensitivities of New Yorkers about the area around Ground Zero or he doesn't consider their feelings worthy of consideration.

Americans are woefully ignorant about Islam, the fastest growing religion in the world. (Islam is the religion; Muslims are the followers) Again, I urge you to get a copy of the booklet, "The Facts On Islam" by John Ankerberg, John Weldon and Dillon Burroughs available at amazon.com. for around $6. You will get a fair overview of this important subject. I'm not like Chicken Little running around claiming the sky is falling. The sky is firmly fixed in place. I simply believe Americans in general and Christians in particular cannot afford to remain unaware of the influence of Islam and dangers of radical Islamists on America's future.
The pastor of a Christian church in Florida has announced that he and members of his congregation will burn copies of the Koran, the Islamic bible. This is inexcusable and un-American not to mention un-Christian. It will be a gross insult to moderate American Muslims who should not be castigated because of the inhuman acts of terrorism done by those who use their religion as an excuse to commit those acts. Book burning would play directly into the hands of radicals who will use it as propaganda to show the rest of the world supposed American intolerance and persecution of Islam.
The goal of radicals is to impose Shari'a (Islamic) law on every nation and they will not be dissuaded until every nation capitulates. I don't believe this nation will. I know for certain this citizen will not. Enough said for now.

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Our resident chef served a simple but delicious side dish for lunch today.
Go to Ruhlman.com/2010/09/baked-buttered-corn-2.html for the recipe.

Follow recipe for preparation of corn. Our chef used the kernels from 5 ears of corn

Changes and addition of bacon to recipe:


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat cast iron skillet in oven

Place 4 bacon slices in a cast iron skillet; return to oven til bacon is done

Remove skillet; set bacon aside. Do not remove bacon grease

After corn is placed in skillet, spread cooked bacon over corn; return skillet to oven. Cook as directed in recipe.
Enjoy!


Makes 4 side dish servings

I appreciate the thoughtful comments of 'Mark' who responded to last week's blog. I had read in a national news mag about the Black Panthers intimidating white voters at a polling site but I must have missed the date it occured or the editors of the mag were remiss in checking their source. Also, in further conversation with 'Mark' I found that Rosie is very generous in funding certain charities. A good reminder that most people have an altruistic part of their life we are not aware of. Thanks 'Mark.'

My blog will be coming out at random times instead of regularly. It does take time and I have a lot of other interests; too many, probably.

Fancifulfloyd's Fearless Forecast, continued

After reading today that many incoming college freshmen do not wear watches, have never used a phone with a cord attached, do not write in cursive or use email, I realized how far behind the times I am. Some of my "Fearless Forecasts" now appear quaint and, though only guesses, way off the mark. Changes in technology and its effects on society are accelerating at a dizzying pace. Young people readily accept tech change but it can strike fear in the hearts of the middle-aged and elderly or at the least make them very uncomfortable. They may feel the world is racing ahead without them and whatever significance they had is disappearing. But there are others in the older age groups who may not fully embrace rapid change but who jump on for the ride and reserve their opinions 'til they see where it takes them.

Aldous Huxley, in his book "Brave New world," was remarkably prescient. Written in novel form around 1930, many of his predictions have come to pass. One in particular has remained with me even though I read it some 40 years ago. In the future Huxley saw the nuclear family as we know it, father, mother and children, has disappeared except for one family that is exhibited ------in a zoo.

Could it be that our nation is moving in that direction? Not long ago having a baby out of wedlock stigmatized both mother and baby. Today, there is slight, if any, such stigma attached to unwed mothers or their offspring. The divorce rate hovers around 50% of all marriages. It is interesting to note that the divorce rate is slightly higher for couples in which one or both individuals are Christians. In the future there will be far fewer divorces because marriage itself is being progressively viewed as archaic and unnecessary. Sex is regarded as recreational and considered an integral part of dating. This is another indication of the fading influence of the church which was once the arbitor of morals in a community.

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Please read Matthew 20:1-16

This Jesus' parable of the landowner who hires day laborers at different times of a day, promising to pay them "what is right" for their services. At the end of the day the landowner directs his farm manager to pay the workers beginning with the last hired and then going to the first. Work for a full day was from 6:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the evening and was worth one denarius. Imagine the astonishment and resentment of those who had worked all 12 hours when they saw that those who had worked only one hour and the others who had worked less than a full day got paid a whole denarius. When it became their turn, the full-day laborers expected to be given more than one denarius. When it didn't happen they let the landowner hear about it. Their attitude was: We worked longer; we deserve more pay than these others, it's only fair.

"Not fair? " the landowner said. "I didn't deceive you. You got the going rate of one denarius for a day of work. I choose to be generous and I can do as I wish with my money. Take your denarius and go home."

The landowner represents God. Those who were first hired may be seen as the Pharisees and other leaders who saw themselves as having labored since the time of Abraham. They and their ancestors had been following what they understood to be God's directions for a long time and felt they were entitled to a greater reward. Note that that the landowner was not compelled by law, need or custom to hire any of these men. He could have gone on and found others who might be looking for a day's pay. It was the landowner's choice.

Many Jews in Jesus' day believed wealth was a sign of God's favor and a person's righteousness. But God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) and he is free to dispense his grace as he sees fit. God's generosity is shown in the landowner's hiring of every laborer available and paying the last as much as the first. Jesus says we can trust God to be fair and the last who come into the Kingdom will be treated as well as those who entered first. Note also: the early hires were content with the usual denarius for their work until they saw that the latecomers were getting the same. Instead of being grateful that they had what was promised them and they could now feed their families another day, they began to concentrate on what they didn't get. This is one of the chief causes of discontent and misery personally, nationally and internationally.

I recently watched a tv program of an interview with a man born without arms or legs. It would seem he had cause to berate God for letting him be born with that condition. Instead of complaining, he took what he had been given and became an evangelist for Christ. Wherever he goes people are drawn to him, amazed at his joyful spirit and that he glorifies God who, in opinion of many, dealt the man a really bad hand.

We should thank God for what we have. No matter what condition we are in there are millions of people in the world who would gladly change places with us. "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

Next blog: The mosque in New York City