April 2006 Archives

Update: St. Luke’s, in their eagerness to escape continued bad publicity, have offered to pay for Andrea to transfer to a hospital that is willing to take her. Praise God!

Let's call a spade a spade. When an insurance company pressures doctors to remove life support from a patient and those doctors take a meeting and decide that life support will be removed ... against the patient's wishes ... it is murder. When they pull that plug, they will be committing murder ... plain and simple.

This is not a family affair. This is not one side of a family wanting to keep their loved one on life support while the other contests that is not their wish. This is a woman who has made it clear that she does not want to die and wishes to remain on life support and Blue Cross Blue Shield doesn't want to foot the bill. Well, I am sorry, that is what Andrea Clark paid all those premiums for every month ... for them to foot the bill.

I am not going to ask where are all the Pro-Life Republicans. I am not going to ask where are all the Pro-Life Democrats. I am not going to ask where are all the Pro-Choice Republicans and Democrats. I am going to ask where are all the compassionate human beings that inhabit this planet and why aren't they throwing a collective hissy fit!? I am going to ask why isn't the media all over this? I am going to ask why am I not hearing about this all day and night on my TV set?

Other bloggers blogging:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield - Killing Andrea Clark for Profit?
• URGENT ACTION: Are Blue Cross Blue Shield, Hospital Placing Profits Before Life?
• KILLING MY SISTER - WE ARE PROTESTING - HELP US
• The Sad Case Of Andrea Clarke
• An Andrea Clarke Update
• Time Is Running Out For Andrea Clark
• Killing Andrea Clark - We are Protesting - Help Us
• More On Andrea Clark - URGENT Action Needed!
• Help Save Andrea Clark

Special thanks to Laura from Pursuing Holiness for bringing this to my attention. Go check out her post that has a lot of contact information on what you can do on behalf of Andrea and her family.

This is too funny ...

The judge who presided at the "Da Vinci Code" copyright infringement trial has put a code of his own into his ruling, and he said Wednesday he would "probably" confirm it to the person who breaks it.

Since Judge Peter Smith delivered his ruling April 7 in favor of Dan Brown, the author of "The Da Vinci Code," lawyers in London and New York began noticing odd italicizations in the 71-page document.

In the weeks afterward, would-be code-breakers got to work on deciphering Smith's code.

"I can't discuss the judgment," Smith said in a brief conversation with The Associated Press, "but I don't see why a judgment should not be a matter of fun."

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=1893299

Related posts:

• The Da Vinci Code
• Da Vinci Code Evangelism

I so agree with this ...

The nation's beleaguered disaster response agency should be abolished and rebuilt from scratch to avoid a repeat of multiple government failures exposed by Hurricane Katrina, a Senate inquiry has concluded.

Crippled by years of poor leadership and inadequate funding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency cannot be fixed, a bipartisan investigation says in recommendations to be released Thursday.

Though short on specifics, such as funding levels, the 86 proposed reforms suggest the United States is still woefully unprepared for a disaster of Katrina's magnitude.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1895136

It will break your heart ... Nuclear Nightmares.

Around the web:

• Chernobyl Info
• Chernobyl Legacy
• Ukrainians Remember Chernobyl Tragedy
• Ukraine Struggles With Chernobyl Legacy

Other bloggers blogging:

• Chernobyl Disaster - 20 Years Ago Today

If you have a heart for the Persecuted Church, why not join the VOM Persecution Blogosphere Program? All you have to do is have a blog, add their graphic to your site, and devote two posts a month to the cause. And, if you join now, you can get a free copy of Extreme Devotion!

This daily devotional is a compilation of 365 stories from around the world of persecuted Christians who have risked all for their faith.

Read about the Indonesian woman, Sutarsi Selong, who refused to deny Jesus even after being shot in the mouth by a Muslim warrior... And Shenia Komarov who was miraculously protected from an attack dog, causing Captain Nudnii to ask Komarov's forgiveness... Spanning 2000 years, these overcoming testimonies are enhanced with a devotional application and Scripture passage.

Extreme Devotion will encourage you and draw you into fellowship with your suffering family members around the globe.

Why not join today?

Just got this in email and wanted to pass it on ...

The world is ecstatic with excitement about a book and movie that attempts to discredit the New Testament, and (unbelievably) Hollywood has had the audacity to use, "Use the Truth" to promote their fantasy. Let it upset you to a point where you do something about it. Please, get The DaVinci Code tract and CD and use this opportunity to turn something meant for evil, into something good. Go to the theatres and watch fans clamor for the tracts or CDs. We've also set up a website where people can listen to the message online for free... so send a link to everyone you know via email: www.DaVinciMessage.com. By the way, this came from the group that's helped us create the CD: "Please thank Ray for producing the DaVinci Code CD! I just listened to it and it is a spiritual grand slam!!! Man, I think that getting this CD out and into the hands of DaVinci code movie goers is vitally important, more so than the Passion and Narnia combined because it is going to be the unchurched that are going to flood theaters to see this movie!"

Other bloggers blogging:

• What is the Proper Christian Response to The DaVinci Code Movie by Stacy L. Harp
• Whose Fault is it that the Da Vinci Code is Popular?

Related posts:

• The Da Vinci Code

If you have written a post about The Da Vinci Code ... feel free to email me, comment, or trackback. I will get your post added. :)

And, I am so ready for this rain to end. In more ways than one. I worked my butt off yesterday ... even though I am supposed to be on bedrest. Unfortunately, there is no rest for the only person on earth and I have decided I must be the only person on earth because I am the only person on earth who can get done all the many things I have to do. It doesn't help that the imaginary people, the ones I thought were going to help, just up and disappeared. Which caused me not to get everything done I was supposed to get done and now it is raining. Hard. But, what can you expect from imaginary people?

I am pretty sure God is getting really tired of hearing me. I have been talking to Him a lot lately. A whole lot.

Billy Graham has a free offer this month for Boxers to Bandits by Stephen Fortosis and Mary Graham Reid.

Billy Graham writes, “Ruth and I think you will thoroughly enjoy this account of a newlywed couple from Virginia who abandoned everything for the sake of the Gospel.”

Click here to take advantage of this free offer.

Well, I am not much in the mood for blogging today and goodness knows I am a bad blog reader. I use Bloglines mostly and then rarely comment, even when I know the post is good. I tend to just nod my head, do a "yep" and move along. But, I decided today that since I don't feel like blogging I would instead highlight some of the blog posts today that I have enjoyed. They have either made me think, laugh, impressed me, or touched me in some way. I hope you enjoy.

• Dead Man Walking
• Christian Group Opposes Universal Preschool in California
• Devil, You Can't Touch This!
• In My Mind
• Who Knew I Was So Powerful?
• Keeping The Kids Little - Happy Easter
• Way-FM Alternative Christian Music
• Just Love
• Persecution Update

Update: Oh, I had to add this ...

• WHOA!

Update II: Cindy posted the true story of Easter. Go ahead and read it. It's better late than never! Well, not the story, but the reading/linking of it. :)

• Part I
• Part II
• Part III

Two years ago I wrote a post about the loss of my father, it's impact on me, and how I feel about him. There is no need to rewrite it all again. I couldn't say it any better than I did then and I cry just as much now as I did then. What is weird is that I knew this day was upon me, but I kept pushing it out of my mind and then wondered why everything was making me cry more than usual.

The heart knows even when the mind doesn't want to.

I love and miss you, Daddy.

I was excited to review Dirty Dancing At The Prom. As a mother of three daughters, the oldest being twelve, I admit I need all the help I can get. Especially, when my oldest is already dealing with "freak dancing" and friends who are having sex. Being a parent is a scary job, especially when you have made so many mistakes yourself. I knew that I could use a little encouragement and Barbara Curtis delivers.

Interestingly enough, a lot of the book didn't really appeal to me. I know that doesn't make sense considering what I wrote in the previous paragraph, but I will explain. My children are facing problems that, according to the book, Barbara's children didn't have to deal with at such an early age. Her children were in their late teens. Where I live, "freak dancing" is all too common and ten year old children are doing it every weekend at parties hosted by their parents. Sex ... my next door neighbor's daughter is already sneaking out of the house and meeting boys for sex and she is only twelve. She lost her virginity when she was eleven. And, this is a child that my daughter has been friends with since she was two years old. Which, left me wondering if I was going to find some value in Dirty Dancing At The Prom, especially after I had already read a few chapters and was feeling like I wish life was as easy, and teaching my kids what God has for them was as simple, as Barbara made it sound.

Then I read Chapter Six. I cried through the whole chapter, thanking God that not only was the author willing to admit her mistakes, but that she shared how she dealt with that when it came to her kids. It is hard to raise children in today's world. It is even harder to actively raise them, keep tabs on them, know who their friends are, what they are doing ... especially when there are so many more parents who treat you like you are some kind of alien for trying to raise your children right. And, it only makes it harder when you have failed in so many areas of your own life. It makes you feel like some kind of hypocrite to tell your children not to do things you, yourself, have done ... even when you know they shouldn't do those things. Barbara helped me get past that and showed me a way that I could do so in humility and obedience to God, while showing my kids how much I love and value them. She also showed me how I can deal with their mistakes in the spirit of Christ. I so appreciate it.

Honestly, that one chapter alone makes this book worth the read ... though I am sure you will find value in the rest of the book as well. While I sometimes felt the author was a little out of touch, she still delivers a solid message. And, I happen to agree with her. She definitely has her own little spot on the "how to be a better parent" shelf. I thank God for her spot. Dirty Dancing At The Prom gave me some much needed insight that I was praying for.

- Dirty Dancing At The Prom by Barbara Curtis was sent to me as a gift by Active Christian Media. I was not paid for this review.

With each passing day I am feeling much better. So much so, I am starting to wonder if these doctors even know what they are talking about! I am not having trouble walking anymore. My pain is really minimal at this point. I really only feel it when I first get up or when I have been sitting for an extended period. It passes quickly though. The only weird thing is that I have to walk on my tip-toes when I first wake up (or sit for extended periods), but other than that ... things are feeling pretty good.

But, I am still going to take it easy. It is better to be safe than sorry. :)

On an unrelated note ... I don't know what is going on with me, but I have been crying at the drop of a hat. Everything seems to make me cry. I was flipping channels last night and came across Gangs of New York and Leonardo was all beat up and cut up and Cameron Diaz was holding him asking him if he would go to San Francisco with her and I started bawling. Then I turned the channel and came across Drumline, so I watched that until it ended and bawled at the end where they win the BET Classic. After that, it was time for Law & Order: SVU and Lou Diamond Phillips was a child molester who cut the throat of a little boy during his escape from an airport. I cried and cried and cried!

And, this is not something new for me. It happens a lot. I can be watching the news and start crying. I can even cry during commercials and do so often. If something I am watching pulls a heart string, I end up a blubbering mess. It can be something sad, something tragic, or something brutal. Even happy moments will make me cry. Someone finds love ... I am crying. Someone has a baby ... I am bawling. Someone reaches a hard-earned goal ... I am crying my eyes out. The day before yesterday, I was watching Hook and cried almost all the way through it.

I don't even understand it.

Note: When feeling ubber-empathy for everything ... don't watch TNT. Their day-time lineup will just keep you grabbing for the tissue.

The Empty Tomb

  Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

  So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

  Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

  They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

  "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

  "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"
    Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

  Jesus said to her, "Mary."
    She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

  Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "

  Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

  On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

  Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Jesus Appears to Thomas

  Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

  A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

  Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

  Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

  Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20

When I get my groove back and start really enjoying blogging again, my health decides to fail me. As I noted in another post, I have been put on bedrest for the time being. Actually, until the 26th of this month when I go for a hysterectomy consult. It looks like I am going to be down for the count for a bit. I will try to blog when I get back from that appointment to let y'all know what's up. :)

I wrote in this post that I did something to my back and that Peanut was sick and I was afraid he had parvo. Well, good news for him because he is parvo free! Thank God! Though, the poor baby is really stressed about being moved out to the country and being away from me. So much so that he has developed an ulcer and the vet had to put him on medicine for that and also something to calm his nerves.

I went to the doctor after I dropped him off at the vet and I think my doctor has lost his mind and I plan on getting a second opinion. See, I can barely walk. I can't stand up straight. If I lift my legs while I am sitting, I want to scream. And, if I sit for more than ten minutes, my back tenses up and I can't hardly get back up. So, what does my doctor think it is? A back sprain? A slipped disc? Why no. He says it is my uterus. He says it is falling and I need to go on bedrest for two weeks.

Now, the bedrest does not sound bad ... though I have no clue how I will be able to achieve it. But, I hurt enough that lying down for long periods of time sounds really good. But, I don't see what taking an antibiotic and lying around will do for my "falling" uterus ... especially since all the pain is in my back!

Oh well.

Thursday morning I woke up and couldn't get out of bed. My back hurt so bad! It was so stiff and I couldn't bend it at all. I finally worked my way out of bed by turning around and using my hands, but I couldn't stand up straight. Finally, I was able to but only after I stood on my tip-toes. And, my back has hurt ever since. I have no clue what I did to it either. I went to bed Wednesday night and it was just fine.

I was going to go to the doctor in the morning, but Kim called and told me that she thought I needed to come out and check on Peanut. She said he hadn't eaten since the day before and he was real mopey. He isn't playing at all. So, I went out there and spent some time with him. He is obviously sick. He vomited up water twice while I was there. He looks like he has lost five pounds or more. I am scared to death that he has parvo. He has had all his shots, but I don't know what else it could be. I am taking him to the vet first thing in the morning.

All prayers are appreciated, for me and Peanut. I don't know what I am going to do if he has something deadly like parvo. He hasn't been away from me a whole week and he is already sick. I don't know what to do. I am just so upset by all this.

I just finished reading an article that basically says that the Gospel of Judas has been found and that Jesus asked Judas to betray him. That Judas was Jesus' friend and confidante in this secret pact of sorts. Read it and tell me what you think.

Did Jesus Ask Judas to Betray Him?
Discovery of 'Gospel of Judas' Raises Questions

Also, they plan on airing this on TV:

Watch the full story on ABC's "Primetime" Thursday at 10 p.m. ET and "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m. ET and get more information from National Geographic by clicking here. Watch the full documentary "The Gospel of Judas" at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, April 9, on the National Geographic Channel.

This should be interesting. I cannot help but wonder how they are going to try and convince us that the four Gospels are wrong and the betrayer's Gospel is correct.

Update 04/07/06 8:18 AM: Related article.

It is amazing what some will claim in an attempt to discredit the miracles of Jesus Christ. But walking on a patch of ice? In a storm? For three miles or more?

The Bible says in John 6:16-24 ...

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

I think the Bible makes way more sense than that scientist. Way more.

I found this uplifting and wanted to share it ...

Have you ever been imprisoned?

"Don't forget about those in prison. Suffer with them as though you were there yourself. Share the sorrow of those being mistreated, as though you feel their pain in your own bodies. - Hebrews 13:3 NLT

Tell me how much you know of the suffering of your fellow men, and I will tell you how much you have loved them. - Helmut Thielicke

Solidarity in Suffering

At any given time, many of God's saints are in prison. The prison may be literal, or it may be a product of circumstances. It can be financial debt, a broken relationship, a physical ailment, or any other consuming situation.

A huge problem in the church is when Christians look at their imprisoned brothers and sisters and assume that God has not favored them. Paul probably experienced such a phenomenon. We read his prison epistles and marvel at his suffering for the cause. But many of his contemporaries may not have marveled. They may have seen his trouble as a sign of God's disfavor and wondered why someone with so much potential had fallen to such depths.

God's prisons are full of His loved ones. He uses those experiences mightily, as He did with Paul, Joseph, John the Baptist, John the disciple, and numerous other biblical examples. In fact, many of those whom He used in powerful ways have experienced an imprisonment, captivity, or loneliness ordained directly by Him.

Are you in prison? You are probably not literally behind bars, but your circumstances may make you feel as if you are. Don't despair; it will not last. It is ordained by God and is designed either for your current witness or future usefulness. He is refining you and molding you into His image, the exact likeness of His crucified Son.

From the newsletter, God's Daily Promises. To subscribe, enter your email address and scroll down until you find the newsletter. Click subscribe and submit. God's Daily Promises is provided by Left Behind.

I have spent the last few days working on a dog pen for Peanut. My sister-n-law gave me an old pen that her Pit Bull had eaten. It was full of holes and twisted wire. It looked horrible and no one thought I could make it into a suitable pen for him. They were wrong. :) I have been blessed with a determined spirit. When I put my mind to something, I tend to accomplish whatever I am working for.

The pen looks great. It looks nothing like the pen that was given to me. My friend Kim and I untwisted all the wire and redid it. The only place we couldn't put the chain link back together was the pen door and we cut fencing for it and wired it on. There was a lot of extra wire used. We bought some electric fence wire and used it to patch areas and tie the chain link to the poles. Then I put wire fencing on top of the pen and wired it to it. After that, we placed the pen on palettes and pressed wood. We secured the pen to the wood and wired canvas over one area of the pen to protect Peanut from the weather. It really looks great.

I got Peanut a new dog house too. We are going to add a little straw to the bottom of it for comfort and he will have his pillow in there too. He is also taking his fluffy bunny with him and his squeaky newspaper. I am hoping that will help him make the transition better. I figure a few elements from home would really help ease the stress. Though, he acted like he knew the pen was going to be his new home. He laid in it and didn't even try to get out of it the whole time I was working on it.

It is really hard though. This whole situation is. I know Kim will take good care of Peanut, but I would rather he be here with me. He has never been away from me. He is a momma's boy, for real. He wants to be where I am. He doesn't care what I am doing. He wants to by lying right by me. He even waits for me while I take a bath. I don't know who this is going to be harder on ... him or me.

Related posts:

• Doggie Blues
• Doggie Blues Part II

After some much needed talks with God, I have decided that I need to change my political party. My conservative values are not being met by my current party and I think that God is leading me to change my political views. I mean, really, homosexuals are the enemy. They are everything that is wrong with this country and they are doing everything they can to brainwash people into believing that they are actually human beings and not aliens from some other planet. And, abortion ... don't even get me started! That is an evil that must be made illegal now and I don't care how many women die as a result. They shouldn't be trying to get abortions if they are illegal. For that matter, they shouldn't even be having sex ... PERIOD. Well, not unless they are married and if they are and get pregnant and their husbands want them to get abortions, they need to divorce him and have the baby anyway. Even if they have no way to support themselves or the baby ... or even if they don't want the baby. And, they had better not even consider going on welfare! That is just lazy and God does not like lazy! He just cannot stand the lazy and the lazy are always poor ... and that tells you what He thinks of the poor. Forget what Jesus said. You don't even understand what He really meant anyway.

Also, I think it is time that we Christians need to get off our collective butts and make the world bow down to our beliefs. Whether or not you are a Christian, God is real and He wants you to do what is right. Which means that even if He gave you free will, we are not going to let you use it! We are here to save you! I don't understand why so many people hate us and wish we would just go away. We are so persecuted here in America. We are trying to prevent you from sinning so you can go to Hell without ever having homosexual sex, an abortion, or living off our paychecks ... and this is the thanks that we get.

I also believe that we need to declare war on all Muslim countries. Forget the crusades! They will have nothing on this Holy War! Islam wants to call itself the religion of peace, well we will just show them what true peace is! We will just wipe them out and let Jesus do the sorting! And, while we are at it ... we need to just go ahead and wipe out all those illegal immigrants, homosexuals, abortionists, liberals, progressives, prison inmates, and welfare recipients. Oh, and don't forget the pagans! They need to die too. And, the catholics! Once we get rid of all of them, we can have Heaven on earth and then Jesus will come and reign forever!