Here is a batch of interesting articles with the factsfrom townhall.com
Our current unemployment rate -- 5.4 percent -- is one of the lowest in the world and one of the lowest in our own history.
Jobs and snow jobs: Part IIThomas Sowell
Among the eyewitnesses who say Kerry came under no enemy fire on Dec. 2, 1968, is John Kerry himself. According to Douglas Brinkley's book, "Tour of Duty," Kerry wrote in his diary nine days later, on Dec. 11, 1968: "We hadn't been shot at yet." His campaign is still trying to figure out how to claim that Kerry couldn't have known this because he wasn't even on his own swiftboat at the time. The unsubstantiated heroism of Hanoi John
Ann Coulter
Well, my 1960s compeers, we are all getting on in years and in artery blockage. The knees creak. The skin sags. Cosmetic ministrations and hair coloring can deceive the public but not the physiology. The 1960s generation celebrated youth more noisily and enduringly than any other generation in American history, and now its Boy President is recovering from quadruple bypass surgery. I wish him well, but as he heads off into old age I would be remiss if I did not note that he and his champions of eternal youth have for years denied old age its achievements, and now they will be living out an old age that they themselves have created -- an old age bereft of the respect old age once commanded. No one is likely to call Bill Clinton a wise old man. No one will note his dignity or sage advice. The 60's generation
Emmett Tyrrell September 9, 2004
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Well you asked me to get back in it so here I am
An article I copied in toto from Townhall.com including links because I felt this was central to one of the precepts that I have been saying that homosexuality was a choice not a disability.
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 10, 2004
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Current Headlines
Professor's Video Proves Homosexuals Can ChangeInterviews with former homosexuals and lesbians contradict American Psychological Association.A handful of notable members of the mental health field are countering the American Psychological Association with an alternative media approach that will help those struggling with same-sex attractions, as well as their parents, pastors, and teachers.-->
Anglican Communion Will Be Reshaped, London Office May CloseQueen will not permit the break up of the Anglican Communion over the gay issue.Commission's report "will be disastrous for the Anglican Communion's pansexualists."-->
Commentary: How Will the Religious Vote?40 liberal religious leaders and 40,000 citizens sign a petition declaring that "God is not a Republican...or a Democrat."Liberals urge Americans to consider a wider range of moral issues and ask, "How did the faith of Jesus come to be known as pro-rich and pro-war?" Conservatives were disappointed in the 2000 election by four million evangelicals who did not vote at all.-->
Baptist Leader Urges Church to Prepare for Terrorist AttackSBC President Bobby Welch tells Baptist leaders, "We can do better next time.""Baptists could have touched so many more lives and helped so many more people."-->
CULTURE NEWSCourt victories: teachers and other school employees may participate in after-school religious clubs; clergy confidentiality upheld.Washington state judge rules that homosexuals have a constitutional right to marriage, and they are a protected class; lesbian Senator in Calif. promotes "Pedophile Protection Act"; gay-rights groups are spending heavily to defeat a measure banning same-sex marriage in Oregon; abortion's lost generation: Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warns that the country is facing a Social Security and Medicare funding crisis; TV watching makes teens more sexually active; Michigan and Louisiana citizens can vote on constitutional marriage amendments; study shows Christian divorce rate is identical to non-Christians.-->
DENOMINATION NEWSCanadian congregations deny bishop's request to vacate church property worth more than $1 million.Pope denounces Canadian efforts to legalize homosexual "marriages" and "same-sex unions"; Catholic and Anglican Archbishops join forces to stop euthanasia; Southern Baptists launch home-schooling organization.-->
EVANGELISM & MISSIONS NEWSCBN founder Pat Robertson will be the keynote speaker at the 'Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem'.Hundreds will gather Oct. 1 in Hollywood for inaugural National Media Prayer Breakfast; 500 Southern Baptists in the Bronx painted a 5-story middle school; American Baptist Churches USA must close a $1.5 million budget gap to avert the recall of missionaries.-->
HUMAN RIGHTS & RELIGIOUS PERSECUTIONAnother Christian in Pakistan dies, severely tortured in police custody.Taliban militants target converts to Christianity, kill five Afghan Christian men; Baptists in Belarus are set to have their personal property confiscated and their pay docked for visting a hospital to sing hymns and hand out Bibles; another Vietnamese house church leader is arrested and held for eight days of interrogation; Florida church wins right to continue holding worship services in a county community center; Catholic priest is stabbed in the back and killed while praying before Mass in India; masked gunmen storm a church in Columbia, killing three worshippers and injuring 13 more.-->
LIFE ISSUESCatholic bishop says abortion is "the greatest crime ever committed in history."Federal judge in Nebraska strikes down the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act; pro-abortion groups team up to push their agenda at international meetings; bishop condemns a Dutch proposal to extend euthanasia to children under the age of 12; U.S. in vitro fertilization clinics create more embryos than they will implant, and 80 percent say they are willing to destroy extra embryos; wife's forced abortion helps Chinese man win asylum in U.S.; Utah attempts to circumnavigate the law to fund abortion on demand and euthanasia.-->
Professor's Video Proves Homosexuals Can ChangeInterviews with former homosexuals and lesbians contradict American Psychological Association.By ED VITAGLIANO(Agape Press) While organizations like the American Psychological Association (APA) are throwing their considerable weight behind the homosexual movement, a handful of notable members of the mental health field are countering with the truth about sexual orientation.One of those professionals is Dr. Warren Throckmorton, director of college counseling and an associate professor of psychology at Grove City College, a private Christian college in Pennsylvania. His research on the possibility of changing sexual orientation was published in the June 2002 issue of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, an official publication of the APA.The subject of changing sexual orientation is an issue Throckmorton emphasizes in his counseling and teaching. "I've seen people change, people I've interviewed and even my own clients," Throckmorton told AFA Journal. "I remember one of my clients, who is no longer gay, said to me, 'Tell them that I exist.' "And that's exactly what Throckmorton has been doing. He recently released a new video, I Do Exist!, which tells the stories of five ex-homosexuals who now boldly proclaim that people can change.I Do Exist! opens with "man-on-the-street" interviews, as average Americans answer the question, "Can homosexuals change?" Former "gay" man Noe Gutierrez, Jr., then begins explaining how he began the process of change. Gutierrez is so sincere and transparent that he draws the viewer into his story.Also featured are the testimonies of former lesbians Sarah Lipp, Joann Highley, and Cheryl Quinlan, as well as former homosexual Greg Quinlan. All present a message of hope that will encourage those struggling with same-sex attractions.Supplementing the ex-gay testimonies are interviews with Throckmorton himself, Dr. Mark Yarhouse of the Regent University Department of Psychology, and Dr. Robert Spitzer, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University.In 1973, Spitzer was one of the men who was instrumental in getting the American Psychiatric Association to officially remove homosexuality from its catalog of mental illnesses. He has since come to the conclusion that some homosexuals can change their sexual orientation, and last year released the results of a study to that effect.Both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association -- along with almost every other major mental health organization -- have been forcefully promoting the homosexual agenda in recent decades.Throckmorton said it isn't science that is driving that promotion. "It's just old-fashioned politics. All of these professional [mental health] organizations have official gay and lesbian groups within them that have an agenda," he said. "They believe that homosexuality is simply another variant of human sexuality, and they have a vested interest in making sure the organization keeps promoting that view."A case in point, he said, was when the American Psychological Association adopted a resolution at its annual convention in July, advocating the legalization of same-sex marriage. The resolution was steeped in scientific language.However, Throckmorton said, the members of the committee that put forth the resolution were all homosexuals. He said, "How objective could [the committee] be? There was almost no discussion [of opposing viewpoints]. The council representatives simply voted, and it was all done internally."He said the resolution was "a political consensus, not a scientific consensus."Such actions seem to make Throckmorton even more determined to publicize a message of hope. "I feel these [ex-gay] folks are marginalized," he said. "They are afraid to talk in the church because they don't want to be viewed as gay, and they don't want to talk to people in the mental health profession because they won't be believed."I Do Exist! is a powerful way to get out the message that homosexuals can change. It is compelling and informative, and helps to explain the process by which some people come to experience same-sex attractions, act on those attractions, and enter the homosexual lifestyle.The film also makes recommendations concerning the role of church and schools in providing help to those who are experiencing same-sex attractions but do not want to take on a "gay" identity.The video could be a great tool in helping religious leaders, counselors and church members understand the complexities surrounding this controversial issue. This is especially needful because, Throckmorton said, the homosexual lifestyle is prominently displayed in our culture."There is an incessant drumbeat of emphasis on sexuality in our culture. More and more people are defining themselves in terms of sexuality," he said. "And kids are labeling themselves as gay or lesbian earlier in life than ever before."Throckmorton has also produced a CD entitled The Truth Comes Out, which contains testimonies from ex-homosexuals, information about sexual orientation from Throckmorton, and some selections of contemporary Christian music."There are already a lot of books on the market about these issues, and so we thought there was a need for an alternative media approach to help parents, pastors, and teachers who are dealing with young people who were questioning their sexual feelings," he said."And the CD and DVD were accessible to kids," he added, who might not read a book but who might listen to a CD or watch a DVD.
-->Tell a friend about religionjournal.comClick here to learn more about Jesus Christ.Click here to learn answers to life's greatest questions.Click here to add religionjournal.com headlines to your site.
© publisher @ religionjournal.comVoice: 864-848-4700
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 10, 2004
Search Religion Journal
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Home
About
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Current Headlines
Professor's Video Proves Homosexuals Can ChangeInterviews with former homosexuals and lesbians contradict American Psychological Association.A handful of notable members of the mental health field are countering the American Psychological Association with an alternative media approach that will help those struggling with same-sex attractions, as well as their parents, pastors, and teachers.-->
Anglican Communion Will Be Reshaped, London Office May CloseQueen will not permit the break up of the Anglican Communion over the gay issue.Commission's report "will be disastrous for the Anglican Communion's pansexualists."-->
Commentary: How Will the Religious Vote?40 liberal religious leaders and 40,000 citizens sign a petition declaring that "God is not a Republican...or a Democrat."Liberals urge Americans to consider a wider range of moral issues and ask, "How did the faith of Jesus come to be known as pro-rich and pro-war?" Conservatives were disappointed in the 2000 election by four million evangelicals who did not vote at all.-->
Baptist Leader Urges Church to Prepare for Terrorist AttackSBC President Bobby Welch tells Baptist leaders, "We can do better next time.""Baptists could have touched so many more lives and helped so many more people."-->
CULTURE NEWSCourt victories: teachers and other school employees may participate in after-school religious clubs; clergy confidentiality upheld.Washington state judge rules that homosexuals have a constitutional right to marriage, and they are a protected class; lesbian Senator in Calif. promotes "Pedophile Protection Act"; gay-rights groups are spending heavily to defeat a measure banning same-sex marriage in Oregon; abortion's lost generation: Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warns that the country is facing a Social Security and Medicare funding crisis; TV watching makes teens more sexually active; Michigan and Louisiana citizens can vote on constitutional marriage amendments; study shows Christian divorce rate is identical to non-Christians.-->
DENOMINATION NEWSCanadian congregations deny bishop's request to vacate church property worth more than $1 million.Pope denounces Canadian efforts to legalize homosexual "marriages" and "same-sex unions"; Catholic and Anglican Archbishops join forces to stop euthanasia; Southern Baptists launch home-schooling organization.-->
EVANGELISM & MISSIONS NEWSCBN founder Pat Robertson will be the keynote speaker at the 'Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem'.Hundreds will gather Oct. 1 in Hollywood for inaugural National Media Prayer Breakfast; 500 Southern Baptists in the Bronx painted a 5-story middle school; American Baptist Churches USA must close a $1.5 million budget gap to avert the recall of missionaries.-->
HUMAN RIGHTS & RELIGIOUS PERSECUTIONAnother Christian in Pakistan dies, severely tortured in police custody.Taliban militants target converts to Christianity, kill five Afghan Christian men; Baptists in Belarus are set to have their personal property confiscated and their pay docked for visting a hospital to sing hymns and hand out Bibles; another Vietnamese house church leader is arrested and held for eight days of interrogation; Florida church wins right to continue holding worship services in a county community center; Catholic priest is stabbed in the back and killed while praying before Mass in India; masked gunmen storm a church in Columbia, killing three worshippers and injuring 13 more.-->
LIFE ISSUESCatholic bishop says abortion is "the greatest crime ever committed in history."Federal judge in Nebraska strikes down the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act; pro-abortion groups team up to push their agenda at international meetings; bishop condemns a Dutch proposal to extend euthanasia to children under the age of 12; U.S. in vitro fertilization clinics create more embryos than they will implant, and 80 percent say they are willing to destroy extra embryos; wife's forced abortion helps Chinese man win asylum in U.S.; Utah attempts to circumnavigate the law to fund abortion on demand and euthanasia.-->
Professor's Video Proves Homosexuals Can ChangeInterviews with former homosexuals and lesbians contradict American Psychological Association.By ED VITAGLIANO(Agape Press) While organizations like the American Psychological Association (APA) are throwing their considerable weight behind the homosexual movement, a handful of notable members of the mental health field are countering with the truth about sexual orientation.One of those professionals is Dr. Warren Throckmorton, director of college counseling and an associate professor of psychology at Grove City College, a private Christian college in Pennsylvania. His research on the possibility of changing sexual orientation was published in the June 2002 issue of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, an official publication of the APA.The subject of changing sexual orientation is an issue Throckmorton emphasizes in his counseling and teaching. "I've seen people change, people I've interviewed and even my own clients," Throckmorton told AFA Journal. "I remember one of my clients, who is no longer gay, said to me, 'Tell them that I exist.' "And that's exactly what Throckmorton has been doing. He recently released a new video, I Do Exist!, which tells the stories of five ex-homosexuals who now boldly proclaim that people can change.I Do Exist! opens with "man-on-the-street" interviews, as average Americans answer the question, "Can homosexuals change?" Former "gay" man Noe Gutierrez, Jr., then begins explaining how he began the process of change. Gutierrez is so sincere and transparent that he draws the viewer into his story.Also featured are the testimonies of former lesbians Sarah Lipp, Joann Highley, and Cheryl Quinlan, as well as former homosexual Greg Quinlan. All present a message of hope that will encourage those struggling with same-sex attractions.Supplementing the ex-gay testimonies are interviews with Throckmorton himself, Dr. Mark Yarhouse of the Regent University Department of Psychology, and Dr. Robert Spitzer, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University.In 1973, Spitzer was one of the men who was instrumental in getting the American Psychiatric Association to officially remove homosexuality from its catalog of mental illnesses. He has since come to the conclusion that some homosexuals can change their sexual orientation, and last year released the results of a study to that effect.Both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association -- along with almost every other major mental health organization -- have been forcefully promoting the homosexual agenda in recent decades.Throckmorton said it isn't science that is driving that promotion. "It's just old-fashioned politics. All of these professional [mental health] organizations have official gay and lesbian groups within them that have an agenda," he said. "They believe that homosexuality is simply another variant of human sexuality, and they have a vested interest in making sure the organization keeps promoting that view."A case in point, he said, was when the American Psychological Association adopted a resolution at its annual convention in July, advocating the legalization of same-sex marriage. The resolution was steeped in scientific language.However, Throckmorton said, the members of the committee that put forth the resolution were all homosexuals. He said, "How objective could [the committee] be? There was almost no discussion [of opposing viewpoints]. The council representatives simply voted, and it was all done internally."He said the resolution was "a political consensus, not a scientific consensus."Such actions seem to make Throckmorton even more determined to publicize a message of hope. "I feel these [ex-gay] folks are marginalized," he said. "They are afraid to talk in the church because they don't want to be viewed as gay, and they don't want to talk to people in the mental health profession because they won't be believed."I Do Exist! is a powerful way to get out the message that homosexuals can change. It is compelling and informative, and helps to explain the process by which some people come to experience same-sex attractions, act on those attractions, and enter the homosexual lifestyle.The film also makes recommendations concerning the role of church and schools in providing help to those who are experiencing same-sex attractions but do not want to take on a "gay" identity.The video could be a great tool in helping religious leaders, counselors and church members understand the complexities surrounding this controversial issue. This is especially needful because, Throckmorton said, the homosexual lifestyle is prominently displayed in our culture."There is an incessant drumbeat of emphasis on sexuality in our culture. More and more people are defining themselves in terms of sexuality," he said. "And kids are labeling themselves as gay or lesbian earlier in life than ever before."Throckmorton has also produced a CD entitled The Truth Comes Out, which contains testimonies from ex-homosexuals, information about sexual orientation from Throckmorton, and some selections of contemporary Christian music."There are already a lot of books on the market about these issues, and so we thought there was a need for an alternative media approach to help parents, pastors, and teachers who are dealing with young people who were questioning their sexual feelings," he said."And the CD and DVD were accessible to kids," he added, who might not read a book but who might listen to a CD or watch a DVD.
-->Tell a friend about religionjournal.comClick here to learn more about Jesus Christ.Click here to learn answers to life's greatest questions.Click here to add religionjournal.com headlines to your site.
© publisher @ religionjournal.comVoice: 864-848-4700
Friday, September 10, 2004
Chainsaws
The sound of chainsaws has finally dwindled. For the last 24 hours you could here the sound of chainsaws all over the city as people cleaned up after the storm. And now everyone is awaiting the next storm the third one projected to hit Florida this year. It has been 40 years since 3 major Hurricanes hit that state but I remind everyone that it is not unprecedented. I wish that people would remember that to sit and say I am tired of the battle well Move. For God sake crap happens.
I'm scared that the other locust tree will fall on my meager home if we get another high end tropical storm but you know what? If it does I'll fix it up and carry on. What else in the history of mankind have we done. If you nincompoops want to wine about the weather you could move to Iraq or how about the north pole better yet the south pole. Now buck up and get on with it or get out. Do me a favor and don't move to my city-we hate waa-iners here. We would rather work our selves to death than waa-ine about it. This is a city of solutions not waa-iners.
I'm scared that the other locust tree will fall on my meager home if we get another high end tropical storm but you know what? If it does I'll fix it up and carry on. What else in the history of mankind have we done. If you nincompoops want to wine about the weather you could move to Iraq or how about the north pole better yet the south pole. Now buck up and get on with it or get out. Do me a favor and don't move to my city-we hate waa-iners here. We would rather work our selves to death than waa-ine about it. This is a city of solutions not waa-iners.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
What was I saying about inconvenienced by a monster tropical storm....Oh yeah.
Well tropical storm Francis just nailed middle Georgia. About 9:30 pm last night trees started coming down in winds that must have gusted to 60-65 miles an hour. My wife and I went to bed at about 10 o'clock with the wind rocking this old trailer and I could not rest. I was resting my hand on the wall and could feel it bend with the wind. At about 12 I heard a strange kind of thumping,bume bume. Not wanting to get up I layed there listening to the storm and the rat-a-tat of rain being driven off of the aluminum siding. Finally at 12:30 am to restless to stay in bed, I got up, and pulled the cover off of the window. With all of my security lights on I looking out of the window into an eerie night yet something was wrong. I looked up into the sky and could see where I should not be able to. "HEY", I said out loud," We've got a tree down". It had fallen across the road and was blocking the rest of the park. My wife jumped out of bed and we started going around the house looking out the windows. Again I said uh-oh. I saw oak leaves and brancehs around my car. Oh-boy, it's 14 year old Toyota with 177 thousand miles on the odometer and I only had liability on it. The car still runs good and I would be hard pressed to replace it. Well bless it the limbs missed my car. Whew. My wife and I stayed up for a little while longer marveling at the storm and how God had protects us .
21,000 people lost their electricity in the county. Our power co. flint is kicking butt and we are down to 6000. 72000 in Macon and Bibb county and over 400,000 in Georgia. This was one giant long winded momma. Flash flooding, the rescues (6 people rappled back across a raging stream that the day before they walked across) schools out, fire trucks screaming around all night. It was 105 miles an hour at land fall in Florida and still gusting up to 65 after crossing the peninsula and clawing it's way up the pan handle and into the state. Awesome.
I have been in some storms before especially up in northern Wisconsin in the winter. The coldest I ever saw was 60 below with 100 below windchill. The highest winds in thunderstorms coming off of the plains and out over lake Superior often reached 100 mph briefly, but to be caught in a tropical storm (only a tropical storm) that rages on for hours was frightening and exhilerating. I don't think I can imagine what it would be like to have been at the point of land fall. It must be a completely life changing experience.
21,000 people lost their electricity in the county. Our power co. flint is kicking butt and we are down to 6000. 72000 in Macon and Bibb county and over 400,000 in Georgia. This was one giant long winded momma. Flash flooding, the rescues (6 people rappled back across a raging stream that the day before they walked across) schools out, fire trucks screaming around all night. It was 105 miles an hour at land fall in Florida and still gusting up to 65 after crossing the peninsula and clawing it's way up the pan handle and into the state. Awesome.
I have been in some storms before especially up in northern Wisconsin in the winter. The coldest I ever saw was 60 below with 100 below windchill. The highest winds in thunderstorms coming off of the plains and out over lake Superior often reached 100 mph briefly, but to be caught in a tropical storm (only a tropical storm) that rages on for hours was frightening and exhilerating. I don't think I can imagine what it would be like to have been at the point of land fall. It must be a completely life changing experience.
Monday, September 06, 2004
Hurricanes
We are now getting the northeastern edge of tropical storm Francis here in middle Georgia, in fact it started raining about 1:30 to 2:am this morning. There is nothing I have experienced quite like an incoming tropical storm. The incredible damage that one of these storms not withstanding; the air is fresh and clear the rain pure, you can almost feel the earth drinking up and cleansing itself.
I am aware of the dire interruption in mens lives but we as men can plan for it. To people that wish that there were no Hurricanes should consider that without them some of the southeast and south would be dry-even desert. They are life to us. So I have a recommendation to the people who live on the coast. Concrete houses. I wouldn't take away the joy of living on the beaches for any reason but if you afford the house you should afford the extra expense of hardening your homes to withstand the wind and the flooding. Please.
One other item I want to bring up is that these storms remind men that God is in control. It is one of those things that we cannot regulate. One of the stressors that literally strips away all other cares and reminds us what is important. Our personal friendship and relationship with the Patriarch of our family. God.
It is indeed unfortunate that we have to have these awesome natural events like tornadoes and earthquakes or volcanoes or in the future a meteor to make us focus on what is important.
On the chance that anyone would think that I have not had my own life inconvenienced by one of these meteorological giants; I have.
In 1994, a storm named Andrew, after devastating the pan-handle of Florida became occluded over central Georgia and wandered around between Macon and Atlanta for 3 days dropping 8 inches in Warner Robins and up to 24 inches in other places flooding nearly every city and cutting every road. My new home town became literally an island. No one could get in and no one out, no air traffic-no helicopters.
At that time I lived in an apartment complex on the first floor by a man made lake. It had for two weeks prior to this storm, rained constantly and the ground was already saturated. We watched with trepidation the news as up stream of us dam after dam burst and sent torrents of water our direction . After two days I began to marvel that our lake appeared to be holding it's own, that is until 9 am. I noticed that the lake had come up about 1 foot. I made up my mind to check it more frequently and 20 minutes later it had risen 4 more feet and I sounded the alarm to my children; Jez and Jannell, to grab a suitcase and pack some clothes, that we were getting out of there. I called work and told them that I would be late that, I was moving my kids to higher ground. I called my wife Michele and her grandmother and made arrangements to stay there temporarily. I then went on to work and gathered up all the 5 gallon pales I could find, returned to my apartment and put all of our belongings that I could up; in a vain effort I thought, that they might be spared. I returned to work and hoped. That evening I acquired a comp. Room from work and moved my family into it . My wife got worried about our pets and insisted that we make a trip out to the apartment to get our pets and some more clothing. I was reluctant; I figured that by now the lake had taken our home. We drove out but could not get all the way there. A part of the runoff system crossed the drive and the road was completely inundated by a tremendous wash. A police officer was stationed there and would not let us drive across. My wife was frantic for the pets. So we walked across with me in the lead and each of us holding the hands of the one behind us. The water was calf deep pushing against us as I tested the road inch by inch in a terrible fear that it was washed out. To my surprise it was not and we were across safely. When we reached our building the water was now at the slab it was built on and only about 2 inches from going over. The rains kept coming. We hurriedly gathered up what we could in garbage bags locked the door behind us and took off reaching once again the torrent of water cascading down the hill and across the road. Again I lead us across feeling my way as we went. Again by God the road was not washed out. But the Law officer made it plain over his loud speaker that there would be no more crossing the road because it was too dangerous.
We slept that night and arrose the next day, still no let up in the rain, still wondering if we had a home or if it was flooded. I couldn't help my curiosity and drove down to the complex to see if I could find out anything, at 8 am the water had miraculously not enter our place. I was praying that the dam would break so the water in the lake would go down, not thinking of course that the people down stream would get flooded. Finally, at 10 am we heard the news on the radio that the small dam that held back our lake had burst and they were sending warnings down stream to get out of the way of a new rush of water. We returned home to find that by the blessings of God the water had not entered our house. Others at the complex were not so fortunate. They had been flooded out and lost pretty much everything.
Yet in those moments I remember telling my boss that I liked the storm because it reminds people that there is always something bigger than themselves and that we should always be mindful of, has something else in store for us than our meager minds can conceive.
I am thankful for the storm that keeps my feet grounded in truth and recogs in the evil that they are not in control but something greater than they. The storms does terrible damage to our personal possesions but leaves us with a renewed spirit. A new start. A new spirit of giving and helping each other. A new compassion for others. A better understanding of ourselves and our God that we should not place our lives in our personal possesions or our personal pleasure but in the hands of God. A new understanding that God spares us but the things we have will be left behind forever.
We need the storm not only for the rain but for our souls as well.
I am aware of the dire interruption in mens lives but we as men can plan for it. To people that wish that there were no Hurricanes should consider that without them some of the southeast and south would be dry-even desert. They are life to us. So I have a recommendation to the people who live on the coast. Concrete houses. I wouldn't take away the joy of living on the beaches for any reason but if you afford the house you should afford the extra expense of hardening your homes to withstand the wind and the flooding. Please.
One other item I want to bring up is that these storms remind men that God is in control. It is one of those things that we cannot regulate. One of the stressors that literally strips away all other cares and reminds us what is important. Our personal friendship and relationship with the Patriarch of our family. God.
It is indeed unfortunate that we have to have these awesome natural events like tornadoes and earthquakes or volcanoes or in the future a meteor to make us focus on what is important.
On the chance that anyone would think that I have not had my own life inconvenienced by one of these meteorological giants; I have.
In 1994, a storm named Andrew, after devastating the pan-handle of Florida became occluded over central Georgia and wandered around between Macon and Atlanta for 3 days dropping 8 inches in Warner Robins and up to 24 inches in other places flooding nearly every city and cutting every road. My new home town became literally an island. No one could get in and no one out, no air traffic-no helicopters.
At that time I lived in an apartment complex on the first floor by a man made lake. It had for two weeks prior to this storm, rained constantly and the ground was already saturated. We watched with trepidation the news as up stream of us dam after dam burst and sent torrents of water our direction . After two days I began to marvel that our lake appeared to be holding it's own, that is until 9 am. I noticed that the lake had come up about 1 foot. I made up my mind to check it more frequently and 20 minutes later it had risen 4 more feet and I sounded the alarm to my children; Jez and Jannell, to grab a suitcase and pack some clothes, that we were getting out of there. I called work and told them that I would be late that, I was moving my kids to higher ground. I called my wife Michele and her grandmother and made arrangements to stay there temporarily. I then went on to work and gathered up all the 5 gallon pales I could find, returned to my apartment and put all of our belongings that I could up; in a vain effort I thought, that they might be spared. I returned to work and hoped. That evening I acquired a comp. Room from work and moved my family into it . My wife got worried about our pets and insisted that we make a trip out to the apartment to get our pets and some more clothing. I was reluctant; I figured that by now the lake had taken our home. We drove out but could not get all the way there. A part of the runoff system crossed the drive and the road was completely inundated by a tremendous wash. A police officer was stationed there and would not let us drive across. My wife was frantic for the pets. So we walked across with me in the lead and each of us holding the hands of the one behind us. The water was calf deep pushing against us as I tested the road inch by inch in a terrible fear that it was washed out. To my surprise it was not and we were across safely. When we reached our building the water was now at the slab it was built on and only about 2 inches from going over. The rains kept coming. We hurriedly gathered up what we could in garbage bags locked the door behind us and took off reaching once again the torrent of water cascading down the hill and across the road. Again I lead us across feeling my way as we went. Again by God the road was not washed out. But the Law officer made it plain over his loud speaker that there would be no more crossing the road because it was too dangerous.
We slept that night and arrose the next day, still no let up in the rain, still wondering if we had a home or if it was flooded. I couldn't help my curiosity and drove down to the complex to see if I could find out anything, at 8 am the water had miraculously not enter our place. I was praying that the dam would break so the water in the lake would go down, not thinking of course that the people down stream would get flooded. Finally, at 10 am we heard the news on the radio that the small dam that held back our lake had burst and they were sending warnings down stream to get out of the way of a new rush of water. We returned home to find that by the blessings of God the water had not entered our house. Others at the complex were not so fortunate. They had been flooded out and lost pretty much everything.
Yet in those moments I remember telling my boss that I liked the storm because it reminds people that there is always something bigger than themselves and that we should always be mindful of, has something else in store for us than our meager minds can conceive.
I am thankful for the storm that keeps my feet grounded in truth and recogs in the evil that they are not in control but something greater than they. The storms does terrible damage to our personal possesions but leaves us with a renewed spirit. A new start. A new spirit of giving and helping each other. A new compassion for others. A better understanding of ourselves and our God that we should not place our lives in our personal possesions or our personal pleasure but in the hands of God. A new understanding that God spares us but the things we have will be left behind forever.
We need the storm not only for the rain but for our souls as well.
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