Amazing Grace... Christmas Lights ~Awesome

This is Amazing alright... Make sure you pause the music on the right hand side of my blog before beginning!

DADDY'S EMPTY CHAIR

A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows.

An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. 'I guess you were expecting me, he said.

'No, who are you?' said the father. The minister told him his name and then remarked, 'I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up.'

'Oh yeah, the chair,' said the bedridden man. 'Would you mind closing the door?' Puzzled, the minister shut the door. 'I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,' said the man.

'But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.'

I abandoned any attempt at prayer,' the old man continued, ' until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me, 'Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest. 'Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair.

It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'. 'Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now.'

'So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though . If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.'

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon. Did he die in peace?' he asked.

Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock , he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him .

But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?'

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, 'I wish we could all go like that.'

Charlie Bit Me!

At church this evening our pastor was talking about how some during the holidays deal with loneliness and sometimes how we tend to bring pain on our selves. He used this video to bring home his point. It is too cute to not pass on.
Make sure you stop the music on the side of my blog before beginning.



It is even funnier in slow motion...

Math 911

This was too cute!


Thanks Tina!

Post Election Depression

I got up today in the mode of thinking how everything is going to change.... and not in a good way. I was in a slump of depression on how our country has gotten so far away from the Godly Christian values that they would pick a president that is against the Christian morals I strongly believe in. I know God heard our prayers for the pro life president and marriage between a man and a woman values. I know that for whatever reason this it how it was to play out. I am also reminded of the fact that we are living in Satan's world. I think it never sunk in till this election on just how much that is true. If you think our country has seen some hard times before the election just wait. We may not see big changes at first but they will come. I love our country and do not want to see it diminish but I love God more and I see times coming that are predicted in our Bible. I fear the morals of our country will continue to get worse.

I am reminded of a scripture in an earlier post by Huntley Brown...
1 Samuel 1:18 ” When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

I put my trust and faith in the Lord and know he will see us through.
Luke 21:28
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

John McCain Concession Speech

Please pause the music to the right of this blog before starting this video.

Believing

Last night our family stood together in prayer that God would move the hearts of people in America. That our next president would be a pro life president and stand up for the family values of our nation. I am believing our next president will be John McCain.

Hebrews 11:1

Voted!

Editorial by pianist Huntley Brown explains why he won’t vote for Barack Obama.

I wanted to send this article from Huntley Brown - a fabulous concert pianist, a man of God and a black man. I appreciate so much his reasoning for not voting for Obama. I would like to see his article published or spread out via Email to as many as possible. It’s good stuff!
This is true check it out on snopes
Article taken from here.
________________________________________
Why I Can’t Vote For Obama By Huntley Brown

Dear Friends, A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama, I sent out an email with a few points. With the election just around the corner I decided to complete my perspective. Those of you on my e-list have seen some of this before but it’s worth repeating…

First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support. Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments but I need to explain why I will not be voting for him.

Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness. I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christ follower) means He leads I follow. I can’t dictate the terms He does because He is the leader.

I can’t vote black because I am black; I have to vote Christian because that’s who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should anyone from the other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I won’t be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning to name a few, wrong economic concerns will soon not matter.

We need to follow Martin Luther King’s words, don’t judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I don’t know

Obama so all I can go off is his voting record. His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the US Senate in 2007.

NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007 (01/31/2008)

To beat Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton as the most liberal senator, takes some doing. Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen to America if he had four years to work with.

There is a reason Planned Parenthood gives him a 100% rating. There is a reason the homosexual community supports him. There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro, Hamas etc. love him. There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal judges to the Supreme Court. There is a reason he voted against the infanticide bill. There is a reason he voted No on the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. There is a reason he voted No on banning partial birth abortion. There is a reason he voted No on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito. These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue.

Let’s take a look at the practice he wanted to continue

The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedures:

A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby’s leg with forceps. (Remember this is a live baby) B. The baby’s leg is pulled out into the birth canal. C. The abortionist delivers the baby’s entire body, except for the head. D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby’s skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole. E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child’s brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

God help him. There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law.

Think about this: You can’t give a kid an aspirin without parental notification but that same kid can have an abortion without parental notification. This is insane.

There is a reason he went to Jeremiah Wright’s church for 20 years.

Obama tells us he has good judgment but he sat under Jeremiah Wright teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright’s sermons. I wonder why now?

Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 “Go and make disciples of all nations.” This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to think like you, walk like you; talk like you believe what you believe etc. The question I have is what did Jeremiah Wright teach him?

Would you support a White President who went to a church which has tenets that said they have a …

1. Commitment to the White Community
2. Commitment to the White Family
3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic
4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community.
5. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions
6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the White Value System
7. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.

Would you support a President who went to a church like that?

Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets of Obama’s former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton would have been marching outside.

This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20 years and just discovered he went to a racist church. The church can’t be about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race. He came for the whole world.

A church can’t have a value system based on race. The churches value system has to be based on biblical mandate. It does not matter if it?s a white church or a black church it’s still wrong. Anyone from either race that attends a church like this would never get my vote.

Obama’s former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian James Cone, author of the 1970 book A Black Theology of Liberation. Cone once wrote: “Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him.

Cone is the man Obama’s mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this?

So what does all this mean for the nation?

In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead a nation it meant one thing - judgment.

Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king. First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 “Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”

Then God says

1 Samuel 1:18 ” When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.” 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”

Here is what we know for sure.

God is not schizophrenic

He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain. As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so obviously many people are not hearing from God.

Maybe I am the one not hearing but I know God does not change and Obama contradicts many things I read in scripture so I doubt it.

For all my friends who are voting for Obama can you really look God in the face and say; Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion. He might have to nominate three or four Supreme Court justices, and I am sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will be making laws that are against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights, even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the other way because of the economy.

I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama’s positions. Finally I have two questions for all my liberal friends.

Since we know someone’s value system has to be placed on the nation,

1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation.

2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation?

Blessings, Huntley Brown

Obama: The pied piper of 'change?

This makes me think of the story of the Pied Piper because I find it hard to think America would fall for this. But it also reminds me of how we are living in the last days how people would be deceived.

Taken from here...
By Pat Boone
I remembered it only vaguely, so I pulled out my Encyclopedia Americana and read the following about the pied piper of Hamelin:

According to a German legend he was a magician who promised to rid the town of Hamelin from rats for a stipulated sum of money. He performed his task by playing on his pipe as he walked to the Weser River and the rats, following the music, were charmed into the river and drowned. On the citizens then refusing to pay the money, the piper took up his pipe once more and led the way out of the town followed by 130 children [who] vanished forever.

So, what's my point?

I see the leading Democrat candidate for the office of president of the United States as eerily similar to the fabled pied piper. Barack Obama emerged out of national obscurity with an oration at the Democrat convention in 2004, and since then has steadily charmed millions in his own party, and even some Republicans and independents, into thinking he has magical abilities to effect "change" and "unite the country." Though there's little in his brief political career to substantiate this notion, and though he has offered little in explanation of how he'd perform this magic, he's a slick and polished public speaker who has all but vanquished the former front-runner Hillary Clinton and crushed her long held political dream.

Another very sobering, troubling similarity: This Illinois magician seems to have captured the imagination and adulation of a large segment of America's young. Where he says he'll lead, they are lining up to follow – though nobody knows where that is. He hasn't been there himself, but he paints a mystical, attractive picture of a united, harmonious, progressive land where all needs are magically attended by a loving government. Almost socialistic nirvana, though he doesn't use those words.

Of course, the mesmerized young and the entranced older followers don't seem to grasp that "big government" is us – the millions of beleaguered, overtaxed, desperately hard-working citizens who will admittedly be taxed even more heavily, all manipulated by politicians like Obama and Clinton, doling out our money to accomplish their ambitions, all the while making us think we're getting something for nothing. Talk about a magic spell!

The young prospective voters flocking to every Obama rally and screaming like they're at a rock concert are the very ones the NEA has decreed don't need to be taught about the original concepts on which our nation was founded. The "history" books in a majority of our high schools and colleges have omitted or skimmed over the objectives and motivations of our Founding Fathers and largely obliterated their intentions to limit government. And God forbid – no, the NEA and many of our judges forbid – that any mention of God or biblical guidelines of morality ever find their way into a school or classroom.

So, to the uninformed and impressionable young, a tall, glib, charismatic politician who reminds them of news clips they've seen of another young, glib, charismatic senator from Massachusetts (who also charmed people into thinking he was leading them to Camelot) … well, he's just irresistible! He speaks hypnotically of "change," of "unifying" all the disparate elements in our society, of providing universal health care, of tasing the evil rich (the employers of our workers), of repairing America's tattered image around the world, and above all, of issuing orders – wearing his new commander in chief hat – to summarily bring all our troops home from Iraq. What's not to like?

Oh, he's never done anything like this, on any level – but who knows? Maybe he can pull it off; he sure talks as if he could. And to my real dismay, I've heard from mature, knowledgeable people, even some Republicans, who are so impressed with the magician's ability to "involve our young people in the political process" that they're endorsing his candidacy, all the while confessing that they disagree with him on "many fundamental issues"! What in the heck is going on? Some kind of voodoo?

Hopefully, more hard facts and some revelations will expose the inexperience and sleight of hand imagery of this pied piper from Illinois. I've just read a bone-chilling account by Jill Stanek in Citizen magazine of the time she and others lobbying for passage of the state Born Alive Infant Protection Act confronted then newly elected U.S. Sen. Obama about his longtime opposition to the act. It was simple legislation that would require hospitals to care for infants who survive abortion, the process implemented to kill them. Obama spoke against the legislation in 2001 and 2002, and single-handedly defeated it in committee in 2003.

Stanek stood in Obama's path and told him, "Senator, we are going to pass Born Alive here in Illinois this year." He smiled smoothly and agreed, "I think you will," adding, "I would have voted for the Born Alive Infant Protection Act in Illinois had it been worded the same as the federal bill. I think that's the position the Democrats should take."

He didn't mention that he had personally stopped his committee from adding the federal wording. With him gone from the state Senate, the Born Alive legislation finally did pass in 2005.

And now, defending his staunch support for abortion for any woman or girl who wants it, he has uttered, "I'm going to teach [my daughters] … about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby!" His ideas of morality and right behavior don't include accepting responsibility for "making mistakes," apparently. No, let the innocent unborn pay the price, not his daughter.

This kind of legerdemain, this "slick Willy" approach to political ascendancy, has already camouflaged Barack Obama's I.D. as the single most liberal-voting U.S. senator, even to the left of Hillary Clinton. He's piping a very persuasive, hypnotizing tune. He's lining up millions of our young, who find him magnetic and enchanting. We'd better demand to know more about where such a pied piper would lead us – before our kids, and our nation, vanish into the river.

Washington Post... McCain for president!

This was taken from the Washington Post

Few doubt Barack Obama's considerable abilities. For many, he represents a final, healing chapter in the nation's long battle for civil rights. And he epitomizes the dreams of many African Americans who identify with him as Catholics did with John F. Kennedy - add to that his confident speeches, his charisma and his charm.

We would urge our readers to step back from the polls and press coverage, and soberly weigh the experiences and stands of Mr.Obama and John McCain.

Experience. We do not hold Mr. Obama's lack of national experience against him. Abraham Lincoln was one of America's greatest presidents and yet he never served in the Army or Navy, and he sat for only a single term in the federal legislature. What concerns us is the kind of experience that Mr. Obama has had. Throughout his adult life, he has sat at a law-professor's desk or a committee table. Never has the mantle of responsibility weighed on his shoulders alone. He has never run a city, a business or even a government agency. As Joe Biden reminds us: "The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training."

Mr. Obama has never had the kind of heartbreaking failure that steels leaders. Instead, others have cleared his path, from changing the rules for electing the president of the Harvard Law Review to wiping the names of rivals off the ballot in his first state Senate race. He has always enjoyed the hoist of a friendly press and benefited from rivals reluctant to fault him. Is he ready to lead when people or events turn against him and he alone must decide among a cacophony of advice?

By contrast, Mr. McCain's experience is impressive. In the Navy, he commanded pilots amid the boom of enemy guns and, as a prisoner, suffered five years of torture and trial that would wreck a lesser man. As a leader, he has bucked president and party while reaching out to old enemies, like Vietnam and Sen.Ted Kennedy.

On immigration, campaign-finance, global warming and other issues, we have profoundly disagreed with the Arizona senator. But in his 21 years in the Senate, we have seen a leader emerge who is not guided by the polls but who is informed by his critics. That is a rare and valuable combination of experience in any leader.

Now let's turn to the philosophies of these candidates for the nation's highest and hardest office.

Taxes. Mr. Obama has candidly promised to raise taxes, which can only wound our ailing economy. He says he will increase taxes only for those making more than $250,000 per year. Few have noticed that the $250,000 he cites seems to be gross household income. So two married senior civil servants could be considered rich and taxed accordingly. Or a dry-cleaner married to a school teacher. Or you. And, of course, "soaking the rich" means that we will all get wet. Mr. Obama's Social Security plan calls for higher taxes on everyone making more than $97,000 per year. And, of course, he favors letting the Bush tax cuts expire - raising taxes across the board. Despite Mr. Obama's talk, he considers every one not receiving a handout to be a target for taxation.

Mr. McCain opposes higher taxes.

Spending. The budget deficit has all but vanished as a political issue. The Republican-led Congress arrested it in the Clinton years and let it out on parole in the Bush years. Now the Democrat-led Congress is outspending the feckless Republicans. Public anger is beginning to build again. Mr. Obama plans nearly $5 trillion in new spending, if you add all his far-flung promises. Five trillion dollars is a pillar of dollars 335,000 miles high. (By contrast, the moon is 247,000 miles away.) Boosting deficit spending will only strangle economic growth, deflate the dollar and put future generations in debt to foreign central banks that are venturesome enough to buy American treasury bills.

Mr. McCain has vowed to cut spending over the next four years - a step in the right direction.

Supreme Court. Court watchers expect the next president to name two nominees to the high court. The judicial philosophy of those appointees will shape America for decades to come. Mr. Obama will almost certainly nominate jurists who will sweep away the laws of elected legislatures and results of popular referenda in order to serve the interests and policy preferences of a rarefied liberal faction. And we know that Mr. McCain will not appoint such judges.

War on terror. American intelligence agents and commandoes have killed or captured more than 5,000 al Qaeda terrorists in 102 countries since the September 11 attacks. The homeland has not been attacked since 2001. Only a vigorous effort can keep terrorists at bay. Mr. Obama has faulted the Bush administration and seems to favor the lawyerly approach of the Clinton years, which led to attacks on our embassies, military bases, warships and finally our skyscrapers. Mr. McCain understands that public safety is one part of the Bush legacy worth keeping.

Iraq. Tellingly, Mr. Obama talks about "ending" the war, not winning it. America has defeated insurgencies before (such as in the Moros) and is prevailing now in Iraq. Yet, Mr. Obama has not retreated from his view that America must withdraw in 16 months, with the advice of his generals. Withdrawal timetables usually increase violence, as the Soviets learned when they announced that they would leave Afghanistan in one year. 1988-89 proved to be among the deadliest 12 months of the Afghan-Soviet war. Withdrawal dates only embolden our enemies and risk American lives. Mr. Obama's timetable in Iraq seems imprudent and dangerous.

Israel and Iran. Mr. Obama says he supports Israel while pledging to meet with Iran "without preconditions." Yet, Iran is a nation that has sworn to "wipe Israel off the map." Iran's vast nuclear program sprawls over 24 sites and consumes tens of thousands of man-hours per year. The progress of its long-range missile program continues to astound intelligence officers. Mr. Obama has offered no serious plan to meet the Iranian threat. Instead, he calls for a renewed commitment to "multilateralism," which is a continuation of a failed Bush policy. Israel is our strongest democratic ally in the Middle East. Israelis and the many American citizens who live among them - as well as approximately 300,000 American soldiers and contractors living within missile range - have real reason to fear that Mr. Obama's inaction could lead to tragedy. That's why the Jewish Press and other pro-Israel publications have endorsed Mr. McCain.

Gun rights. While Mr. Obama said he supports the Second Amendment, the National Rifle Association predicts that he will be "the most anti-gun president in American history." In an April 2008 mailer, Sen. Hillary Clinton said largely the same thing. Mr. Obama supported the D.C. gun ban, which the Supreme Court deemed unconstitutional; he favors increasing federal excise taxes on guns and ammunition by 500 percent; and, in 1996, he endorsed a complete ban on handguns in Illinois. Mr. McCain supports gun rights.

Union elections. Since the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, workers have had the right to choose a union by secret ballot. This reduces the potential for intimidation and abuse from employers and organized crime. Mr. Obama supports "card check," which requires that a union be recognized if just over half of the workers in a bargaining unit sign a card publicly supporting unionization. Obviously, a worker's name is visible on that card and those who refuse to sign could be threatened at work or at home. Today, employers and their fellow workers can communicate with employees about unions. Under card check, employers and co-workers may not even know that some are considering a union until a final decision is forced upon them. Card check deprives workers of the right to make an informed decision under democratic principles. Increased unionization will smother the economy, as it has in Europe. Unions, which have suffered decades of declining membership, want it badly and Mr. Obama wants to give it to them. Mr. McCain is opposed.

Abortion. "The first thing I would do as president," Mr. Obama said, "is sign the Freedom of Choice Act," which would sweep away all federal and state restrictions on abortion (including parental consent for minors and the partial-birth abortion ban). It is no wonder that Princeton professor Robert George, a member of the President's Council on Bio-Ethics, concludes that "Barack Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion candidate ever to seek the office of President of the United States." By contrast, Mr. McCain is strongly pro-life.

On balance, Mr. Obama represents a radical break with laws and policies of the past 50 years. Mr. McCain has the experience and judgment to lead America through economic turmoil and to safeguard this nation from terrorists. We heartily endorse Sen. John McCain.

Posted on October 28 and taken from here.
The newspapers supporting McCain are kicked off Obama's plane

Doing Our Civic Duty

Today we did our patriotic and civic duty by handing out Republican pamphlets in our area.
We spent 3 hours doing this as a family. Everyone doing their part helps get the word out to remind people to vote on Tuesday.