Samaritan's Purse

Where there is a need, a disaster, an epidemic, a catastrophe of unusual magnitude, you'll find Samaritan's Purse to be one of the first on the scene.

Shelter, food, water, medicine, life.

Samaritan's Purse

The Liberty Institute

"Liberty Institute was founded as Free Market Foundation in 1972 as a 501(c)(3) non- profit organization dedicated to protecting freedoms and strengthening families."

"Guided by principles that limit government and promote Judeo-Christian values, Liberty Institute was founded in 1972 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to protect freedoms and strengthen families by impacting the legislature, media, grassroots, and the courts with the truth."

"Specifically, Liberty Institute works to educate, advocate, and, when necessary, litigate for freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution including:
* Freedom of Speech
* Religious Freedom
* Parental rights
* Student's Rights
* Responsible and limited Government"


The Liberty Institute

Christmas in your Heart

I just reviewed a gospel tract from the Fellowship Tract League that delivered a pretty good message about the greatest Christmas gift ever given, the Gift of Life.  The following link will enable you to read the flash version of the message, either for yourself or possibly to share with others.

The Fellowship Tract League has been supplying gospel tracts free of charge to missions and individual around the world since 1978.

Christmas in your Heart

Pride for America

I just watched Charlie Pride sing the National Anthem for game five of the World Series.  He sang it with respect, with dignity, with a seeming reverence for the song, the flag and the nation.  No "stylings", screeches, raps, performance or warbles; just the song as it was meant to be sung, with pride and respect.

Respect.  Dignity.  Pride.  Charlie Pride.

May God bless America today.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Vote.
  
Photo by Those Shirts

ushistory.org Declaration of Independence

Whose Fault Is It?

author unknown

A preacher and an atheist barber were once walking through the city slums. Said the atheist barber to the preacher: "This is why I cannot believe in a God of love. If God was as kind as you say, He would not permit all this poverty, disease, and squalor. He would not allow these poor bums to be addicted to dope and other character-destroying habits. No, I cannot believe in a God who permits these things."

The minister was silent until they met a man who was especially unkempt and filthy. His hair was hanging down his neck and he had a half-inch of stubble on his face. Said the minister, "You cannot be a very good barber or you would not permit a man like that to continue living in this neighborhood without a haircut or a shave."

Indignantly the barber answered: "Why blame me for that man's condition. I cannot help it that he is like that. He has never come in my shop; I could fix him up and make him look like a gentleman!"

Giving the barber a penetrating look, the minister said: "Then do not blame God for allowing these people to continue in their evil ways, when He is constantly inviting them to come and be saved. The reason these people are slaves to sin and evil habits is that they refuse the One who died to save and deliver them."

Who do you feed?

author unknown

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

interesting misquote

"a government big enough to give us everything we want is a government big enough to take from us everything we have.".

This quotation, usually attributed to Thomas Jefferson, is actually by President Gerald R. Ford.

"Let me reaffirm to you today my deep personal conviction that the best way to begin in our efforts is to improve the government we have, not to enlarge it. I do not believe a bigger government is necessarily a better government. May I add this: Please never forget, a government big enough to give us everything we want is a government big enough to take from us everything we have."  ~ President Gerald R. Ford's Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, April 28, 1975

This quotation is sometimes followed by a variation of an actual Jefferson quotation, "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yeild, and government to gain ground.", Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, Paris, May 27, 1788.


Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
The Jefferson Encyclopedia

and we all need to stop "giving power" ...

Islam must turn other cheek

"“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." " ~ Luke 6:27-42

I wonder ...

My youngest daughter and I watched an interesting show yesterday, "30 Days".  The premise of the show is that one person will live someone else's life, walk in their shoes, for 30 days.  The episodes watched yesterday from the first season, concerned a Christan man from Virginia living with a Muslim family in Dearborn, Michigan and a young couple living on minimum wage.

I recommend both episodes, available on Netflix, if you have it.

The episode concerning living as a Muslim was eye opening, to say the least, and should lead to some thoughtful discussion; the episode of living on minimum wage took me back to my first year in Texas and the eerily similar struggles to survive.

Netflix
30 Days

I was intrigued in watching my 11 year old daughter's face  as she watched these two episodes and look forward to the dialogue as we get opportunity to compare the "virtual" display with real time examples of life in America, not always pleasant, not always as black and white as we sometimes paint it to be, and for a great many Americans, a struggle just to survive from day to day..