Ms. Lynch Just As Dishonorable As Mr. Holder

I had truly come to believe that the Obama Administration COULD NOT get any worse, could not sink any lower, could not become any greater an enemy of the United States and the Constitution.  Guess what.  I was SO WRONG.  Obama Care, the continued sacrifice of soldiers in an endless War On Terror (WOT) that this President promised to end, the continuance of the USA PATRIOT Act, the constant war on the Middle Class, particularly the White Middle Class, the forcing of Islamic authority and values on this Christian nation, the ever-growing spying and information collection on US citizens, the ever-increasing abuse of Executive authority.  I honestly thought it could not GET ANY WORSE.  Well, I was wrong...enter Loretta Lynch, stage left.  Ms. Lynch is the latest Constitution-shredder appointed to the office of the Attorney General.  Did we think Eric Holder had no regard for the Law of This Land?  Ms. Lynch has the gall to say that she will prosecute anyone who utters hateful speech towards Muslims.  REALLY MS. LYNCH??!!!

ARE YOU SO IGNORANT, MS. LYNCH, THAT YOU REALLY BELIEVE YOU HAVE SUCH POWER?  DO YOU REALLY, IN YOUR MOST DELUSIONAL MIND, BELIEVE YOU HAVE THIS AUTHORITY??

Ms. Lynch, I reside in Midland, Texas, United States of AMERICA.   I am relatively easy to find.  Lots of people know me here, so your agents will not have any difficulty finding me at all. With one thirty second search of the Internet you can find me, Ms. Lynch.  Now, my dear lady, please pay close attention to the following:

I am opposed to the Syrian immigration program, because I believe you and the others in power in the Executive Branch intend to use this potentially humanitarian gesture to allow Islamic extremists into this nation.  I believe that more Muslims in this nation hold extremists beliefs than you will admit.  I believe that there are many Islamic extremists already in this nation, both lone agents and cells of terrorists.  I believe you, Ms. Lynch, join President Obama in his march to destroy this nation.  I believe you know that there are so many dangerous terrorists already in the nation and you, as a terrorist sympathizer, will do nothing about these people, while you will continue your predecessor's mission of injustice in the most racist Attorney General's office of all time.

I believe that Islamic terrorists intend to bring more and more trouble to this nation, with the blessings of the White House and of your office, Ms. Lynch.  I do not believe Islam is the "religion of peace," because if it were there would not be terrorists here and abroad killing people in the name of Islam. In the event of an act of terror perpetrated by one or more jihadists, I will use whatever means I have at my disposal to defend Americans and to stop the act of terror or capture the perpetrators, if that can be done.  I will use deadly force as I am allowed by state law in defending myself and others from Islamic acts of terror.  I have a right to free speech even if it is offensive to you, Ms. Lynch.  I have a right to be free from illegal search and seizure (read national spying).  I have a right to keep and bear arms, a well-regulated militia (body of free, armed citizens) being necessary to the security of a FREE STATE, this right shall not be infringed by the government.

That is all, Ms. Lynch.  If you think you can, please send someone to arrest me.  In the meantime, please know that you are an embarrassment to this nation even in the short time you have been in office.  Please do the honorable thing (if you have any honor left) and resign your office now.

And GOD (NOT allah) BLESS AMERICA
 

When Suddenly Nothing Else Matters

Before the Thanksgiving Dinner had even settled well in our bellies, Black Friday started - on THANKSGIVING DAY.  Although many of us did not partake in Black Friday, many others did.  It was SO IMPORTANT to get to the store, get in that line, and get that thing before everyone else did!  Oh my, what if they run out before I get MINE!!

Media hardly took any time out at all for Thanksgiving, nor did the fighting and atrocities around the world slow down very much.  Syria is being torn apart by insurgents and by world powers either supporting or opposing the insurgents.  Meanwhile, in many nations people are violently opposed to any Syrian immigration in light of the recent events in France, Lebanon, Israel, Germany, and who knows where else.

But for one couple in West Texas, suddenly nothing else mattered except that their little boy lay on a bed while doctors and nurses worked feverishly to save his life.  Minutes later, nothing else mattered as they were led in shock to a small family room.  Nothing else mattered as a grief stricken father comforted a grieving mother as best he could, knowing that their child was with them no more. 

Those parents would have given anything, paid any price, taken all their treasures back to the Black Friday brokers, whatever it took, to get their little boy back.  They looked at me, totally lost, not knowing what to do next, not knowing where to turn.  And hurting so much more than they had ever hurt before.  Nothing else mattered just then.

But something, one thing, does matter.  The Good Shepherd is holding their child in His arms tonight, and has been touching them with His gentle hands all day.  The Good Shepherd carried them when they were in despair and thought that they were walking alone.  In fact, the Good Shepherd held them up and gave them strength to hold and care for each other while grieving for their baby. 

By now family and friends have come to this couple's side, another thing that matters.  Loved ones and friends sharing in the sad and hard times as well as the good times.  Of course these parents and their family and friends are sad, but soon the Good Shepherd will begin His healing, using the sad to comfort the sad...and soon both are comforted. 

May God bless this couple.

Two Outrageous Things Our President Has Done This Week

The President of the United States has done two things in the past two days that are both outrageous, one even more than the other.

First, even after the events in Paris, even after the Boston Marathon bombing, after all the many other atrocities perpetrated by ISLAMIC terrorists (who are seeming less and less the minority of Muslims, by the way), he has called on US to take in Syrian refugees (although we have no way of knowing whether they are actually FROM Syria) even after we have seen what such refugees have done in Europe, where they were welcomed with open arms and lots of government aid.  But the President cannot, through the various alphabet soup agencies, check the backgrounds of the refugees and certainly cannot guarantee that not a single one of them is already a fully trained and seasoned terrorist.  But he wants us to take these people in.  Fine, Mr. President.  Why don't you be the example for the rest of us, and take in a bunch of them, Mr. Obama?

Second, and even more outrageous to me, was your asinine statement that Americans should be ashamed because we fear "widows and three year old orphans."  I am certain that this is the most insulting statement an American president has ever made to the American people.  And it is one of the stupidest.  But it is also one of the most revealing.  You see, it reveals THIS PRESIDENT'S true feelings (CONTEMPT) for the American people, INCLUDING THOSE WHO VOTED HIM INTO OFFICE, TWICE!  Mr. Obama and the First Lady have nothing but contempt for the American people, including even the Black Americans who supported him...except those Black Americans who also happen to be either virulently racist or Muslim.  Before you jump on me for the previous statement, remember if you will the fact that Obama had to leave his church congregation during the 2008 election season and distance himself from Reverend Wright.  AND, witness Obama's appointment of Muslims to advisory posts, his dumping of the National Day of Prayer, while instituting the celebration of Ramadan ceremonies...as done by NO OTHER president.

No Mr. Obama, we are not afraid of widows and three year old orphans.  In fact, we are not afraid of terrorists, just aware of the danger they pose.  But we, at least those of us with a little common sense left, are afraid of your treasonous attitude and actions.  We are afraid you will continue to use more unconstitutional power while you remain in office to do as much damage to America as you possibly can.  We are afraid that our worthless Congress will not finally gather itself and impeach, then remove, you from that highest office that you have desecrated.  Richard Nixon tarnished the office, but at least he did it for crooked and personal gain...with no ill will toward America.  You, Mr. Obama, are America's WORST ENEMY at the moment, and I fear you and the havoc you can still wreak over the next two years FAR WORSE THAN I FEAR ANY MISGUIDED TERRORIST.   Terrorists can only kill us....we have been fighting for America and freedom since the Revolution, and not all people in the United States are afraid to fight for this nation and our way of life.  But you, Mr. Obama, can truly send this nation into chaos, at least for awhile.  So, no I am not afraid of refugee women and orphans...just the fact that you are STILL president after six years of your treasonous actions.

But, after you are gone and someone much better than you repairs what you have destroyed, your memory, your "legacy," will be just as noticeable as when a person pulls his finger out of a cup of water.  The hole that is left in the water will be bigger than your "accomplishments" as President of the United States.  God help you, Sir.

And God Bless America 

 

End of Watch: Chief Darrell Allen, Marlin Police Department, Marlin, TX

Chief Darrell Allen of the Marlin Police Department was killed doing what a lot of other officers do in their spare time - working a private security assignment to supplement his regular income.  While officers understand that danger is just as close whether they are working their assignments or working an off-duty job, most of the time these off-duty jobs go rather uneventfully.  Yet a number of officers are killed or injured each year while working these assignments.

Chief Allen was working in the company of one of his patrol officers when he was shot.  The other officer and a Temple police officer subdued the suspect.  Chief Allen spent the next ten days fighting for his life in a Temple hospital.  Yesterday he lost that fight and is now part of that thin, blue line in Heaven.

Chief Allen, thank you for your service and your sacrifice.  May God comfort your family and your colleagues as they mourn your loss.

World War II Meets West Texas Hospital

Today while I was at an un-named hospital west of Abilene, I chanced to see a little old man barely making his way through the hospital cafeteria with the aid of a walking cane, which he leaned very heavily upon.  The gentleman was trying to balance a breakfast tray while using both hands to hang on to his cane.  A very thoughtful employee came to this man's aid, carrying his breakfast to the table for him.  The elderly man was very thankful and appreciative to the hospital employee for this little kindness.  As I walked by I noticed that the man was wearing a baseball cap which had the words "World War II Veteran" embroidered in gold letters.

At my own table, I set my food down then approached this gentleman, who was obviously in his nineties.  I asked him if he had served in World War II, and he said he did.  He described briefly his tour of duty overseas and then told me of his pride in his fellow soldiers, and in America, as everyone came together and defeated the true world threat, Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Army.  I listened to him, then told him I was proud of his generation and thankful for their service to America.  He shook my hand and I left him then to his breakfast.  But he was a joy to speak with, and he is one of the last of those great men and women.

One thing I expressed to this brave man was my own regret that I had never volunteered to serve in the armed forces, and I expressed to him my gratitude for what he had done.  But especially I told him that I truly believed that his was America's greatest generation.  I told him that, knowing myself, I did not believe I could have survived in the conditions he endured.  He just smiled and said he thought I and Americans of my generation would have stood strong just like his generation did.  As I left him to his breakfast, I thought to myself how blessed I was to have met him and talked with him.  Veterans of World War II are mostly gone now, but what great people they were.  We should be very proud of this man and others like him.

God Bless America

Jade Helm Over - What Next Conspiracy?

Consider the following verse from the Good Book, Isaiah 8:12-13
12 Do not call conspiracy

everything this people calls a conspiracy;

do not fear what they fear,

and do not dread it.

13The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,

he is the one you are to fear,

he is the one you are to dread.

 

God, through Isaiah's mouth, has just taken the wind right out of my sail.  I mean, do not call everything a "conspiracy"?!  C'mon!  Many of us THRIVE on conspiracies!  Jade Helm kept me going for MONTHS!!  The "Government" was about to take over, martial law on the threshold, and football season was coming, to boot.  July 15th was the day it was supposed to start, and it did.  There were some minor troop movements around Big Spring, which is about forty miles east of my humble abode.  Over in Bastrop, the special forces did their thing, but over all it was pretty quiet.  If anything, the usual summer movement of National Guard troops and assets was less than usual. Down in Houston, way out west in El Paso, and at many other points across the state, troop maneuvers could be seen, but only barely. 

 

Soon it was August 15th.  I was STILL waiting for those dang Government troops to come and get me.  I had even made arrangements with one of my police friends (not joking!) that if I were to "disappear" he could have my trusty little AK-47 and ammunition for said weapon.  I can tell you that he, for one, was hoping that it was not just a "conspiracy theory."  My police friend had his eye on my little rifle.  And I was still reading the news, reading things on the Internet, and watching "uncensored" news on Youtube, and waiting for that knock at the door or that bang in the night, when "they" came to get me. 

 

Then, one Sunday in September, the preacher started his lesson with the above scripture.  I could not believe it.  I was familiar with some of Preacher Isaiah's words, but not particularly with Isaiah Chapter 8:12 and :13.  And I was dumbstruck.  There went the air right out of my sailboat.  My preacher said, "Do not even pay attention to those conspiracy theories.  People are always afraid of something, always predicting the end of the world."  Sure, people were doing that here in the good ol' US of A in 2015, but it turns out the "Children of Israel" were apparently doing the same thing several hundred years before the birth of our Savior.  Who would have thought?  Conspiracy theories and predictions of gloom and doom way back in the Ancient Days! 

 

You know what?  The answer was the same back then as it is now.  Don't call "conspiracy" what everyone else is calling conspiracy, and don't fear what others fear.  Those "others" are people who either don't have hope or who have let this world choke down their hope.  I think I am in the latter category.  I find that I enjoy a good conspiracy as much as the next guy.  And, on a more serious note, I am concerned, along with many other people, about the direction our country is taking, which in my opinion, is straight down hill like a "snowball headed for Hell" ala Merle Haggard.  Then along comes the preacher preaching Isaiah Chapter 8.  That preacher just flat took all the fun out of being a conspiracy theory fan.  But the preacher, and Isaiah, had another message.  Do not fear the things people who are OF this world fear.  And do not fret about conspiracies and other such ideas.  Instead, fear (respect and revere) God; otherwise, do not fear at all, as worldly men fear.

 

Rats.  As hard as it is going to be for me, I am going to have to let my conspiracy-believing, gloom and doom mongering, underground-news and video subscribing, pessimism-oriented personality fade away into the background and come back into the sunshine.  Yes, many things ARE going bad in this nation, but many things are going good, too.  Yes, the economy is in a mess, but it is not unsalvageable; neither is our nation lost...yet.  Maybe our nation will make a great awakening, a great turn-around, and we will see the best times we have ever seen.  OR...maybe the nation will continue its slide downward from a democratic republic to a fascist dictatorship.  I will do my part as a citizen to promote the continuance of this nation as a free republic, but, no matter what may happen, the thing to remember is that we should not fear "the Government," the "secret ruling elite," or any other man-made problem, but instead we should rely on God and trust in Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

 

So...the wind is gone from my conspiracy sailboat...but actually it is not so bad.  I can switch back to mundane worries, like "dang, I forgot to pay the bills on time again" and that sort of thing.  It is good, though, to know that we who may have been worried about conspiracies and takeovers and that sort of rot, are actually in good company.  Even the direct, by-blood, Children of Abraham had their conspiracy theories. and their fears that their nation was about to collapse.  

 

Jade Helm, the Operation, is over.  It appears that the United States survived this three-month ordeal.  Do I think that it is possible that the "Government" may someday swallow up this nation and declare martial law?  Could it be sooner than later?  Of course.  Anything is possible.  And, unfortunately, many of our leaders and the other world leaders as well, are power hungry and may well be trying to set up a mechanism to subjugate the United States and other nations into a "one-world" government.  But, will I continue to dread it, to fear it, to waste more time on trying to unravel these and other conspiracies?  No...I will not.  Life is too short.  Jade Helm is over.  What next conspiracy?  I think..none for me this time around.  Just trusting in the Good Shepherd, and living in fear (respect and reverence) of God should keep me busy enough (and content enough!) so that I have not enough time to worry about the next conspiracy.

 

God Bless America. 

 

Remember The Truth Of THAT DAY In Waco, And Don't Fall For the "Conspiracy Theory" Of The Desperate Few

What a strange world we live in, and how fickle so many people are.  I was just reading how there is growing concern, suspicion, and discontent with the way Waco PD and McLennan County law enforcement et al handled the Twin Peaks shootings.   Funny, the morning it happened, people were going out of their way to say how impressed they were and how glad they were that the police were on the spot and intervened within seconds of the trouble starting, thus saving lives of the innocent.  Now you can read how the McLennan County as well as state law enforcement officials are keeping it all a secret and limiting the information flow at least until the grand jury looks into the case.  Of course, many of the motorcycle riders there are claiming to be innocent bystanders, never mind the hundreds of weapons found lying around the grounds and inside Twin Peaks. 

Don't be led into the "conspiracy" crowd.  There were several people there bent on murder, and several hundred who either supported the activities are at least wanted to have "front seat" view of the situation.  As far as the "unfairness" of arresting so many of those "innocent bystanders," they will each get their day in court and the police will have to prove each case.  But regardless of the outcome of all these cases, the city, county, and state police agencies exercised their duty and protected the truly innocent by acting quickly and meeting an outlaw force with superior force.  It was the quick action of the police that kept the casualty list as short as it was.  It was a tragedy that nine people died, but how many more would it have been if the police had not taken the action they did as quickly as they did? 

People of McLennan County, when you are asked to serve on these juries, yes, you must listen to the facts and judge accordingly...but please, do not get caught up in the supposed conspiracy being passed off by defense attorneys and of course the "innocent" bikers who were arrested shortly after dumping their weapons where they stood.  The bikers responsible for the killings thought they would murder and get away, but what they truly got was a police force and citizens united against an outrageous criminal action that trapped many civilians in the line of fire.  These criminals got the message that Waco will not be terrorized by motorcycle gangs, or any other organized criminals.  I urge you to stick together against these criminals as the trials commence, and again, do not be taken in by those desperate people and lawyers who are calling it a conspiracy.  Remember, no one there WAS FORCED to break the law, and no one was FORCED to watch.  They all chose to be there, now they are trying to say it was not their fault, the police were out to get them. 

Below is one of the "news" articles that is drumming up the conspiracy call:

http://www.scnow.com/news/headlines/article_3a60482b-5c02-5370-832e-7e83778a705b.html

Let justice take its rightful course.  Maybe some of those arrested will be acquitted.  Maybe some will not.  But do not fall for conspiracy theories or for lawyers trying to plant their defense in the media before they come to trial.  Remember too, those with no viable defense have no recourse but to attack the police and prosecution.  The above article is case in point.

God bless America.






 

Just A Pause To Remember Our Lost Neighbors

I found myself, at different times today, thinking about that terrible day fourteen years ago.  Outside my office the flags flew at half-mast.  In the beautiful partly cloudy sky I saw a lone airliner flying away toward the west, and I remembered the one day in US history since the Wright Brothers' flight, that no airplanes were visible in our skies.  I remember watching the horrible scene as reporters covered the ongoing rescue of people in the World Trade Center.  Then we watched in shock and awe as these buildings came down, killing almost every person still inside - rescuers and victims alike.  America as a nation closed rank and joined hands in doing anything we could to help; some actually went to the scene, while others donated materials and money to the rescue attempt.

Now. a decade and a half later, there are many questions about the 9-11-01 attack that remain unanswered.  I will not venture there, but simply honor those killed in this murderous attack, and say a prayer for those who have survived the loss of their loved ones for so long.  Others will write much more eloquently about this terrible tragedy than I can, and I hope they do.  I will just say thank you for the lives of those who lived until they were taken in the attacks.  I will pray for the continuing comfort of those who live on.  I am so proud of those Americans who put their differences aside and joined together in throes of tragedy, and who stood together when when the darkness so completely veiled the light of day.

God bless America

 

Amazingly Accurate NCAA Football Predictions - Part II

As promised, my sports fan friends, here is Part II of my predictions for conference winners and game scores for the 2015 NCAA Football Season.  But before I present my predictions, here is how the predictions from Part I went:

First, my prediction for the opening game of the NCAA 2015 season went something like this:

Aug. 29th - North Dakota State Bison VS Montana Grizzlies
                   North Dakota State Bison take this game rather easily, 37-7. 
Umm..., imagine my shock and chagrin when I saw this story:

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/8/29/9225079/north-dakota-state-montana-game-final-score-result

Well, my prediction for this game was not all that close.  In fact, I was, as some would say, WAY OFF!  What should have been an easy win for the North Dakota State Bison, the defending champs of their conference, instead turned into a shoot-out that was lost in the 4th quarter when the underdog Montana Grizzlies scored ten unanswered points, including a touchdown in the last thirty seconds of the game.  The final score: Montana 38 - North Dakota State 35.   So the first game of the 2015 football season turns out to be one of the best upsets of the season as well.

So on this prediction I was just a tad off, but the outcome of this game was unexpected, to say the least, and just goes to prove the old adage...any given team can win on any given Saturday (or something like that!).

I predict, however, that in spite of this setback North Dakota will win their respective conference, as they have the past four years.  As far as Montana, one of their strokes of fortune is that they have a relatively under-recognized quarterback whose first name starts with Carson...and in the tradition of Carson Palmer, Carson Wentz is a gem for this Montana team.  In this particular game Carson Wentz racked up 198 yards and two passes for TD's.  I will insert another prediction here, free of charge.  Expect to hear the name Carson Wentz again...maybe not in Heisman discussions, but definitely in the pro draft in a couple of years.

Next prediction of Part I was this:

TCU VS Minnesota Gold Gophers
The Horned Frogs take this one, also easily, 49-3, but only if Minnesota has an accurate kicker. 

At least I can say here that I indeed picked the winner.  But beyond that this game befuddled my football spirits.  I should have factored in that any team, including TCU, can be afflicted with the "first game of the season blahs."  TCU came to play what should have been just another football game, and Minnesota came to try to get the upset!  The Horned Frog won the game on the scoreboard, but the Golden Gophers held their own and certainly have nothing to be ashamed of in this opening loss to TCU.  As for me, I should stop underestimating the underdogs.  But TCU gets credit for a very shaky win, and I get credit for a 1/2 correct prediction.

Final Score: TCU 23 - Minnesota 17

Next prediction:

Arizona Wildcats vs. UT of San Antonio Roadrunners
Arizona 42 - UTSA 7

The good news is that I hit Arizona's score right on the head!  The bad news is that I missed UTSA's score by THIRTY POINTS!  UTSA very nearly pulled off what would have been another BIG UPSET of 2015.  Once again I failed to factor in the Big School first game "blahs."

Final Score: Arizona 42 - UTSA 37

Next Prediction:

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Alcorn State Braves
Georgia Tech (At least) 40 - Alcorn State 0

This was the third and final game of the week that I predicted, and I my "vibes" told me the Jackets would score a minimum of forty points and that the Braves would not cross the goal line.

As it happened, I picked the winner (no big surprise) but I slightly underestimated their offense and gave too much credit to the Braves' defense.  The Jackets scored 34 points in the first quarter, fourteen points in both the second and third quarters, and only seven in the fourth quarter, at which time I am sure the fourth string had been pulled out of the game and the Jacket training staff finished the game.  At this point the Braves were able to score, killing my prediction of a skunk out.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 69- Alcorn State 7

I suppose I was having opening season blahs, too, because my predictions were off, even when I picked the winners.  Lets hope the sports writer voice in my head is a little more accurate for game week three.

And here are my predictions (feel secure in betting on them - or not):
(These are teams I love to watch, not necessarily the "big games.")

September 12th:

Kansas State Wildcats vs. UTSA Roadrunners
Kansas State 35 - UTSA 28

Given that both teams played last week and should now be over the "blahs" I believe that it is safe to say the Wildcats will eventually prevail in this game, but UTSA, having gained much confidence, will certainly make this an exciting game.  Wildcats coach Bill Snyder will not let his team downplay UTSA's ability to achieve an upset, and he will prepare his team accordingly.  On the other hand, the Roadrunners, having tasted near victory over a ranked opponent, will certainly be playing at their best. I think this game will be one of the more exciting games of the day, especially for San Antonio fans who see a team this year that they can get behind, a team that can win. 

Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. University of Texas - El Paso Miners
Texas Tech 42 - UTEP 28

The Red Raiders have been "my" team for a couple of decades now, since the days of Sonny Cumbie, the great collegiate quarterback who is now, incidentally, the quarterback coach at TCU.  The Red Raiders were famous for pulling victories out of the jaws of near-hopelessness in those days, and were also famous for being bowl dream "spoilers" for some of the more powerful teams of the old Southwest Conference.  But the Raiders are still having their difficulties after last season, as we saw in their near loss last week.  This week, though, I think the Raiders will be up for a game, and well they should be, because the Miners will definitely make this one a game.  I believe Tech will put the game away in the third quarter, due to being in better overall physical condition than are the Miners.

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma 28 - Tennessee 24

I do not like the Sooners team (have not since I was a teen) and I am basically "for" any team playing against Oklahoma.  I wish that I could place the Volunteers in the winning column for this game, but I definitely get the feeling that the Sooners will take this game, but only by a touchdown.  The Volunteers are a good team this year, as are the Sooners, but I believe the Sooners will hold out for the win.  This is one prediction in which I hope the football "voices" talking to me are wrong.

Baylor Bears vs. Lamar Cardinals
Baylor 70 - Lamar 6

The Bears have an easy game this week, but they still need to focus on this game.  We've already learned the adage...you know, anything can happen on any given Saturday.  So the Bears need to be on their toes, but, barring some miracle ala Appalachian College's spectacular upset of the Michigan Wolverines in 2007, the Bears walk away with an easy win.  The referenced Appalachian upset of the Wolverines was certainly unpredicted, and is still considered by many coaches and sports writers to be the biggest upset in college football of all time.  But in the upcoming Bears vs. Cardinals game, I believe the Bears will play their usual game, and I expect that even the far end of the Baylor lineup will see action in this game.

Other games of interest

Texas A&M Aggies vs. Ball State Cardinals
A&M 56 - Ball State 28

The Aggies are a ranked team in the SEC, thus by definition a tough and dangerous team to play.  On the other hand, Ball State will have one of their better seasons in 2015.  Nonetheless, the Aggies will pound the Cardinals and will mount a pretty good defense as well.  I may be crediting Ball too highly, because the Aggies' better conditioning will add another obstacle to the Cardinals in the fourth quarter.  But this is my story and I am sticking too it.

Clemson Tigers vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers
Clemson 49 - Appalachian State 21

Clemson is a ranked team and Appalachian is a good team, but this time around the Tigers will be too much for the Mountaineers to handle.  This is not the Appalachian team that stunned Michigan in 2007.  It will be an interesting game and, if you are a Clemson fan, it will be a good game.  The Mountaineers will be steady opponents but the Tigers take the game this year.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. University of Syracuse Orangemen
Demon Deacons 28 - Syracuse 21

Here is a prediction I am throwing in at no extra cost to my reader(s?).  Why mention THIS game, you may ask?  Fine, I'll tell you.  The Demon Deacons and the Orangemen are two of my favorite mascots, and their football teams are the icing on the cake.  I mean Demon Deacon?  Orangemen?  How cool is this?  Here is another reason for this prediction.  I believe this game will decide the cellar team in the ACC.  Saturday's game may well be the last game of this season in which each team really has a fighting chance to beat another team.  From here on, the schedule just goes south for either team.  Both teams won their non-conference games last week, and both in big ways!  But this week both Wake Forest and Syracuse will be playing nearly evenly matched teams. 

Like I said, these teams have two of my favorite mascots, but in this upcoming came I predict that the Demon Deacons eventually take the lead, maybe after a brief shootout.  Once the Demon Deacons pull ahead in the third quarter, however, the Orangemen will fold and give up on this game.  A one touchdown lead may not seem like much, but I believe the Orangemen will just be too tired and demoralized at this point in the game to regain the lead.

Now, some more conference winner predictions:

Atlantic Coastal Conference
The sports writers and coaches have decided that the Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will win their respective divisions of the ACC, while Virginia Tech and Clemson will occupy the number two slots.

My own prediction is that Clemson will overcome Georgia Tech for the title, and that the Seminoles will knock the Yellow Jackets back to number two, while North Carolina and North Carolina State battle for the number three slot.  The Miami Hurricanes will be the spoilers this year and maybe take the number four slot, forcing one of the two North Carolina schools to settle for number five.

Here is another tidbit that will cost you nothing, my friends.  This tidbit is that the Miami head coach, Al Golden, is in the HOT SEAT, maybe the hottest seat in all of NCAA football at the moment. Hurricane fans are clamoring for the glory days of yore when the Canes were a powerhouse team.  Golden, starting his fifth season this year, has accumulated a 28-22 record.  Fans, and regents, are not happy at all.

Southeastern Conference (SEC)
The picker/predictors have decided that the Georgia Bulldogs will take the eastern division championship, with the Tennessee Vols taking second place.  In the western division, Alabama is picked to win, while Auburn is expected to be number two. 

My predictions:
East - 1 Georgia, 2 Tennessee.  I pretty much go along with them on this one.

West - 1 Auburn, 2 Alabama.  I expect that Auburn will surprise everyone and will be the Western division championship.

I hope my predictions have been entertaining for you, and I hope you follow my post as this weekend plays out.  Who knows, maybe with my intrepid impressions of the future you may feel confident to bet on your favorite based on my projections.  However, remember that I am in no way responsible for any losses you may incur.  If you win loads of money, I will certainly expect a quarter of the earning as my fee.












 

The Waste Texas - I Mean The Waste Control Specialists "Saga" Continues

Attention: All Texans.  If you think you have a "representative government," or even a government that cares about your safety, THINK AGAIN.  Waste Control Specialists, a "company" that is owned by Valhi, Inc., has been busy while you and I were distracted by all the things going on around the nation.  Back in February, Waste Control Specialists, through various bribe-makers, I mean, lobbyists and liaisons has bought and paid for a large portion of the government of Texas for years to come.  On top of that, the UNELECTED members of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) are also very close allies of Waste Control Specialists.  And guess what?  The TCEQ voted unanimously last week to approve amendments to the WCS license for its Andrews County facility.   Not only that, the TCEQ last week denied a Texas state representative's request for a hearing to contest these amendments.

Here is one article covering this situation: http://www.texastribune.org/2014/08/20/texas-nuclear-waste-dump-poised-get-wiggle-room/

So what do the amendments to the WCS license offer this company?  Well, for one thing, the amendments allow WCS to begin bringing HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE nuclear waste from all over the nation into Texas.  You may recall that WCS wooed the people of Andrews (city AND county) with the promise of LOTS of MONEY but very little danger, because the proposed nuclear waste "dump" would only accept LOW LEVEL radioactive waste such as contaminated medical gloves and garments, and spent isotopes from X-ray machines.  In return for allowing WCS to open a waste disposal sight AND bring in this low-level radioactive waste, both the City of Andrews and the County of Andrews were promised five percent of WCS revenue.  The State of Texas ("represented" by Threepeat Rick) was also promised its share of the bounty as well.  NOW WCS is poised to bring in HIGHLY DANGEROUS nuclear waste...and the good people of Andrews and surrounding area are awaiting this toxic muck with open arms, for the most part.  Once a few million bucks got spread around Waste...er, West Texas, it seems that many people forgot about the threat posed to themselves and their families, AND to ALL the people in West Texas.  "Bringin' in the SLUDGE" is now the hymn of choice, it would appear.

But the amendments to the original WCS license does something else.  Wait for it....Yes, the new amendments LOWER the size of the WCS Emergency Cleanup Fund from $136 million to only $50 million, leaving the state responsible for any costs beyond that.  So let me get this straight.  WCS brings in more waste and MORE DANGEROUS waste, which we might reasonably assume would both increase company profits AND increase the danger to area should an accident occur, AND WCS is allowed to REDUCE the cleanup funds it must guarantee the State of Texas?  This is a win-win situation, for WCS!  But you and I, as Texans, will be responsible for much of the cleanup cost associated with an accident at the WCS facility.  But that's not all....

You may remember that the original license gives WCS the option to "give" the nuclear waste facility BACK to Texas and walk away.  More likely, RUN AS FAST AS THEIR CORPORATE FEET CAN CARRY THEM out of Texas...all the way back to Delaware, where the parent corporation is based.  I am afraid that Texas ( that is YOU AND I) have been handed a dead, contaminated skunk in a bag, and we will be left holding that bag when WCS eventually bails.  Notice I said "when," not if. 

The battle to stop WCS from building their facility near Andrews was lost before it even started.  WCS had spent millions of dollars, if not billions, to build their facility BEFORE they applied for a nuclear waste disposal permit.  Once the facility was built, the "late' Harold Simmons and his minions set out to make sure they would get their license.  To that end, they bribed...I mean, DONATED, millions, if not billions, of dollars to every local, state, and even national politician they thought they would need to ram this facility down the throat of Texas.  AND the late Mr. Simmons also made sure "friends" were placed on the TCEQ, that UNELECTED commission that has so far shamelessly rubber-stamped EVERY proposal the WCS has proposed come up with since the original license was granted nearly a decade ago. 

So, while the people of Texas were distracted by many things, including Jade Helm, the coming oil bust, and now the murder of police officers around the nation but in particular in Texas, WCS bought and paid for amendments to their original license that will bring them BILLIONS more dollars in profits while making the State of Texas (you and me) responsible for a bigger share of cleanup costs should there ever be an accidental spill or release of radiation at the WCS Andrews Facility.  Once again, I would like to say a BIG "thank you" to all those involved in the WCS saga, including the people of Andrews and the right honorable local, state, and national politicians, and especially Threepeat Rick and his good ol' boys in Texas and in Washington D. C.

It may be years, even decades, but sooner or later - long after Waste Control Specialists have made their BILLIONS and absconded - the people of Texas will be left a mess to clean, and the cost of cleaning this mess may well bankrupt the state government.  Maybe I sound alarmist, but I challenge you to print this post and squirrel it away somewhere.  When the headlines finally hit the press, I am convinced my words will seem chillingly prophetic, in retrospect. 

May God bless America and God help West Texas.
 

End of Watch: Officer David Allen, Abilene PD, TX, Aug. 31, 2015

So many police officers murdered in the last few days.  I have literally not been able to blog because of this terrible feeling in my gut.  There is a war on police officers, especially White officers.  Officer Don Allen was a victim of that war, one way or another.

First, it is so hard to see a young man like that struck down in his prime, especially when we learn that the officer was tortured before finally being killed by at least two cold-hearted individuals.  Second, it is hard to believe that the murder of this police officer may have been committed by persons who attempted to use the current Black citizen against White police officer climate to cover up a crime that may or may not be connected to the current Hate Cops theme that is raging around the country.  The investigation into Officer Allen's murder continues, and I will not speculate any more than I already have.  But I eagerly await more information regarding the motive behind this officer's murder.

But in the meantime I honor Officer David Allen and thank him for his service to his neighbors and his country.  Officer Allen was engaged to be married next year, and leaves behind his grieving fiancée.  May God comfort her.  May God be with the Allen family as well, and the officers of the Abilene Police Department.  These people have lost a loved one and a valued member of the police family.

I also pray that this inexplicable and savage hatred of police officers, hatred to the point of murder, should be halted.  There are some people that have legitimate grievances with police officers, and they have all the means they need to obtain justice without resorting to murder.  Most honest people do not condone police misconduct and are not afraid to pass this message on through juries and grand juries.  And...most honest people do not condone murder and assault of innocent police officers by radical terrorists.  It is time for citizens to stand with police officers and to be ready and willing to assist or even to protect police officers if the circumstances require it.

Here is something all people should remember:  Anyone that is willing to murder a police officer, whatever the motivation may be, is certainly willing to murder innocent citizens as well.  This is one reason that such intense investigation follows an officer's murder.  Cop killers have crossed a line that tells us they are not bound by any law, and are willing to kill ANYONE, for ANY REASON.  In the current atmosphere, this means that Black terrorists who are now willing to kill White police officers are certainly willing and able to kill White citizens in general. 

I am not advocating division and civil strife.  I am calling on all people, both White and Black, and any other race as well, to join together and recognize that we all "matter."  All our lives matter!  Police officers, in the vast majority, are themselves law-abiding citizens who are trying to do a very difficult job.  We the people, at least those who want law and order, should not condone police misconduct, and certainly we should not condone nor stand idly by while our police officers are murdered by the fringe.  Neither should White people blame Black people for the acts of a very small group of terrorists who have declared war on the police.  In fact, we must resist the efforts of a few to polarize millions of good Americans into separate factions bent on each others' destruction.

If there is anything good at all that might come from the murder of these good men and women in blue, let it be that all people, White, Black, or whatever else, join together in support of the police and also join together to reclaim our country from the thugs who are trying to bring us into anarchy.

May God bless the family of David Allen, of Deputy Goforth, and of all those who have lost their men and women in blue. 

And God Bless America

End of Watch: Deputy Darren Goforth, August 28, 2015

Jesus said it this way in John 15:13:
             
                    Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

Deputy Goforth fulfilled this scripture at the last hour of his tour of duty on August 28th, as he was struck down by a very cowardly assassin whose name I will not stain this page with.  Deputy Goforth laid down his life for his friends, that is for all people in Harris County, and for all of us everywhere in this nation who are protected by brave police officers even when we sleep.

Yes, we have heard many times, especially in the last couple of years, about terrible police brutality, yet we know that these dishonest, cowardly, and rogue police officers represent less than one percent of all police officers.  Most officers love the work they do and most police want to do well at what they do.  I have respect for police officers and I very proudly served as one years ago.  I also witnessed some not so noble actions by a couple of officers over the years, and I participated helping remove a couple officers who were unfit for service.  As a civilian I have been treated mostly very well by officers who did not know me and had no idea of my background, and I have also been treated very harshly and disrespectfully by a couple of officers.  Officers are human, and they have "bad days" at work just like everyone.  But the atmosphere of hate and murderous intent towards officers that we are seeing now has me both baffled and angered.  Very angered.

I normally post a page of respect towards a fallen officer within twenty-four hours of learning of an officer's death.  The cold blooded, unprovoked, cowardly, spiteful, and senseless murder of Deputy Goforth has given me a feeling of anger I have not experienced in quite some time; therefore, I felt it was better to wait a day or so.  Now, while I am still very angry, at least I can write without putting words on this page that I might regret later.  I believe that Deputy Goforth was one of the early casualties in what could turn out a long and dangerous era for law enforcement.  I believe also that what we, you and I, as citizens do is very important, and must speak loudly and clearly to those who think they can bring murder and anarchy to our streets, who think they can kill police officers and then walk away with impunity. 

Police officers are mostly dedicated to their job, yet their job would be impossible without the support of the majority of people.  It is time for you and I as law-abiding citizens to not only abide by the law as we have, but to publicly and proudly proclaim and display our support for police officers.  As for me, I am also prepared to intervene to assist police officers who may be ambushed by these cowards as the officers perform their duties.  Just hours after Deputy Goforth was murdered, officers in another state were fired upon from a passing vehicle while they were taking a vandalism report from a citizen.  Obviously these cowards are willing to place you and I at risk as they attempt to murder officers. 

To Deputy Darren Goforth, Harris County Sheriff's Office, I express my thanks and my appreciation for his service.  To his widow and children, and to his fellow officers, I express my deepest sympathy and prayers.  This family and these officers have been robbed of a husband, father, and a brother officer.  This loss is irreplaceable, although I have confidence that this family will make it through this sad time, as will the officers of the Harris County Sheriff's Office.  For these officers, and for all officers in this state and in this nation, I pray for their safety. 

May God be with the Goforth family and the sheriff deputies and officers of Harris County.    

If I Only Lived in Montana....The REAL Opening Of College Football Season - And My Predictions Part 1

Although I am sad to see another summer come to a close (especially since I did not get to display my beach body this season) the sadness I feel is tempered with the knowledge that the 2015 College Football Season is just about to start.  Did I say "tempered?  I meant FORGOTTEN!!!!!  Kick off is slated for September 3rd!

Geaux Tigers!!!  Guns Up, Raiders!!!  Sic 'em, Bears!

Hold on...college football actually opens on an obscure date in an obscure location, Missoula, Montana on August 29th, or tomorrow night, if you are picky.  The two teams are "obscure" as well, at least to me.  I know nothing about North Dakota State, and just as much about Montana, except that they are in the new FCS Division, which used to be the old AA division.  But I would watch Norma's Beauty College vs. Bradley's School of Business if they had football teams!  I do not care about obscure, as long as it is football!

In fact it turns out that the North Dakota State Bison football team is one of the most underrated schools playing football today, except that they are NOT underrated in their division.  Nor by certain FBS teams!  The Bison defeated Iowa State last year.  In 2013 the Bison defeated Kansas State, a team that went on to defeat no less than the Wolverines in the playoffs!  North Dakota State's record with FBS teams over the past ten years is 8-3.  Not too shabby. NOW, would you want to watch this opening game?  I think it would be a treat; however, unless by some lucky chance this game shows on ESPN I doubt if I will get to watch it. 

So the official opening of NCAA Football Season is September 3rd.  I will definitely be on hand for that day, and I am equally sure the lawnmower won't start, nor will the weed eater fire up.  In fact, I am thinking some person unknown may borrow these tools.  Hopefully he will not return them until well into February!

Last year I elected not to predict the winners of various college games or the rankings at the end of football season.  I had these predictions all ready to go, but as they proved to be 99.9 % wrong, it was a good thing I did not post them.  I realize most of you would wonder how I could doubt my own football predications, and I certainly understand that.  There was just something wrong with my vibes last year.  That proved to be a fortunate decision.

But this year...I am back, and my predictions for the 2015 season will be dead on!  Or was that "dead on arrival?"  So, with no further ado, here are my first round of predictions:

Aug. 29th - North Dakota State Bison VS Montana Grizzlies
                   North Dakota State Bison take this game rather easily, 37-7. 

Sept. 3rd -  There are three games, two of which involve Texas universities.
                  
TCU VS Minnesota Gold Gophers The Horned Frogs take this one, also easily, 49-3, but only if Minnesota has an accurate kicker.

Arizona Bobcats VS University of Texas - San Antonio
The Wildcats ended last year at #22.  I do not know much about UTSA football, but I believe the Wildcats will win this one.  Can UTSA make it game?  42 - 7

The third game (actually the first game of the day) I think will not be a squeaker.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets VS Alcorn State.
I am not getting any specific vibes on this game, but I see the Jackets (#16) pulling a skunk out of the hat while scoring at least forty points themselves.

As far my predictions for the various conference winners, here is part 1:

Big 12
Dave Campbell's staff as well as others have decided that TCU will be the conference champion, and Baylor will be a close second.  I think Art Briles will bring his team to a conference championship this year and defeat the Horned Frogs in the process.  Look for Baylor and TCU to be in playoffs once again, but both teams will win their respective bowls this year.  Obviously the game of the year in the Big 12 will be Baylor VS TCU...this game decides the conference!

For the Longhorns, this year should be better, after last year's disappointing bowl loss to Arkansas.  And for Coach Charles Strong, a strong finish is necessary to keep him out of the hot seat.  The folks in Austin want their team to be back in the top three.  I do not believe that will happen this year.

Texas Tech, under direction of Kliff Kingsbury, should have a better year for a couple of reasons.  For one thing, the guys are getting used to their coach.  For another, it appears that Kingsbury has settled on a quarterback this year, namely Pat Mahomes.  But...if the defense does not step up, the Red Raiders, my adopted team, will find themselves once again fighting to stay out of the cellar.  Bill Snyder and the Kansas State Wildcats will be fighting and clawing right behind Tech for the number five or four spot in the conference.  It too close for me to call at this point.

By the way, this spoiler alert is for TCU, Baylor, and Oklahoma, to beware of the Cowboys of Oklahoma State.  This team will be good.  The Cowboys have little chance of winning the Big 12, but they have a great chance of rearranging the top three teams, and maybe sending one of the top three teams to a lesser bowl game.

Southeast Conference
The SEC is the conference most people focus on during the college football season, and with good reason.  Both the East and West divisions boast some of the most powerful teams in all of college football.  Some writers and coaches have picked the Georgia Bulldogs to win the East and the Crimson Tide of Alabama to lock up the West division.  My innards tell me that Missouri will push Georgia out of the top slot, and will then defend the East against Alabama for the conference playoff.  I believe that LSU, while not in contention for the top spot, will be the divisional spoiler.  Last year the South Carolina Gamecocks came in like a lion and went out like a deflated balloon.  But this year, they will be the spoilers in the SEC East.  Plus, the usual suspects will be in bowl games.  Look also for the SEC to hog most of the bowl wins this season.

LSU is my other favorite team.  Les Miles having TWO bad years in a row?  Not likely!  Look for LSU to be in the top three in the SEC West.

I hope you have enjoyed Part 1 of my college football predictions for 2015.  Part 2 follows in a later post.

DISCLAIMER:  I am not a sports expert, sports writer, or odds maker.  I cannot take any responsibility for any loss a person may suffer by following my score predictions.  EXCEPT if the person wins based on my predictions, I then require a fifty-fifty consulting fee.






 

Little Things That Really Matter

During the weekend past, I had the pleasure of visiting my mother.  She had never seen Baby Leah and I did not tell her that my lovely bride and I were accompanied by Baby Leah.  We had invited Mom to lunch, so I brought her out to the car where everyone else was waiting.  I opened the back door to let Mom into the car, and I said, "Look Mom...look what's in the back seat!"  The look on Mom's face was priceless.  She nearly cried, and I knew that Baby Leah immediately had Mom wrapped around her little finger.  Mom held the baby later, when we returned to her home, and the smiles on both faces were priceless.  Baby Leah also met her great-uncle there, and he too was enraptured by this precious little bundle. 

Mom is getting older now, and does not venture as far away from home as she once did.  I think she had, in her heart, despaired of seeing Baby Leah in this lifetime, so I was especially glad that we were able to bring the baby to her.  I am so thankful that Leah's parents, Child B and her karate man, allowed us to take the baby with us for such a long trip.  I know Child B wanted "Grandma" to see Baby Leah as much as we did.  This was especially poignant to me, because while we were on the trip I learned that my sweet cousins had just lost their mother.  I am so sorry for my cousins' loss and I am so happy that we had the opportunity to let Mom visit with Baby Leah for a few hours.

Then today, I had the rare pleasure of dining at lunch with Child A.  I love Child A and Child B so much, and I am so happy that these two kids (well, they're grown now) thought they had cool parents, and now, as my lovely bride and I are both in our fifties, Child A and Child B STILL think they have cool parents.  My previous job was one in which I worked shift work, and thus Child A and I had lunch together at least once per week.  Today Child A himself asked if I would have lunch with him, I am so happy that Child A still wants to have lunch with me. This is one of life's little pleasures that I cannot take for granted. 

The trip from Midland to Waco this past week was one of the most dangerous trips we have ever had.  Before we were fifteen miles from the house we witnessed an accident and in fact were very nearly involved in it.  A drunk driver at six in the morning and an oilfield worker trying to get to work too fast led to a near-death-experience.  And the baby was in the car...she slept through the entire ordeal, including the hour it took to give our statements to the state trooper.  By the time we had reached our destination in Waco, we had avoided a couple of accidents and were trapped in the Interstate 35 traffic jam by another car wreck near Waco. 

My heart goes out to all who lost loved ones or who were themselves injured in car accidents on the road this week.  I am thankful to the Lord that we, my lovely bride and I, were spared from these accidents, and that Baby Leah was not hurt.  I know Child B and Child B-1 were very worried about their child.  We kept them posted of our locale (AND our condition) at all times, and sent photos and videos of the baby.  Life is very precious, turns on a dime, and sometimes ends tragically.  Other times, life ends naturally, but for each one of us, life ends.  We never know when or how, but we know the end will come eventually.  Everyone who is born will one day pass from this life.  What matters is that we live through all the days we have, and love those in our lives while we can.

 

Top Hand Cowboy Church and King David

We had the pleasure of attending the Top Hand Cowboy Church near Valley Mills today.  This is the second time I have been to this church and I enjoyed it very much.  Pastor Greg Moore is a great minister for this church.  And today, my lovely bride took our little Granddaughter to Pastor Greg as he was dedicating some little children to the Lord, and Leah got her share of the blessing too.

The lesson was probably supposed to be about "training up your children in the way of the Lord, and when they are old, they will not stray."  But somehow this sermon morphed into something else.  Something to do with "real life," and that is that troubles are with us all our lives, even the most blessed people (which Christians are, if you think about it).  But King David, in Psalm 13: 1 and verses following, was obviously having troubles:

1 How long,¹ O LORD? Will you forget me² forever? How long will you hide your face³ from me?

                                            

References for Psalms 13:1

• Cross References

• 1 13:1 - Ps 6:3
• 2 13:1 - Ps 42:9 ; La 5:20
• 3 13:1 - S Dt 31:17 ; S Ps 22:24 ; S Isa 8:17 ; S 54:9 ; Job 13:24 ; Ps 44:24

2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts⁴ and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?⁵

References for Psalms 13:2

• Cross References

• 4 13:2 - Ps 42:4 ; 55:2 ; 139:23 ; Isa 33:18 ; Da 7:28
• 5 13:2 - Ps 94:3 ; Ps 42:9

3 Look on me⁶ and answer,⁷ O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes,⁸ or I will sleep in death;⁹

References for Psalms 13:3

• Cross References

• 6 13:3 - Ps 9:12 ; 25:18 ; 31:7 ; 35:23 ; 59:4 ; 80:14 ; 107:41 ; 119:50,153
• 7 13:3 - S Ps 4:1 ; Ps 5:1
• 8 13:3 - S Ezr 9:8
• 9 13:3 - Ps 76:5 ; 90:5 ; Jer 51:39

4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,¹⁰" and my foes will rejoice when I fall.¹¹

References for Psalms 13:4

• Cross References

• 10 13:4 - S 1Ki 19:2 ; Ps 25:2
• 11 13:4 - Ps 38:16 ; 118:13

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;¹² my heart rejoices in your salvation.¹³

References for Psalms 13:5

• Cross References

• 12 13:5 - S Ps 6:4 ; Ps 52:8
• 13 13:5 - S 33:2 S 33:2

6">Job ; Ps 9:14 ; Isa 25:9 S 33:2 6">Job

6 I will sing¹⁴ to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

 

I have read this Psalm many times but there was something I had always missed, and Pastor Greg pointed it out today.  He pointed out that David asked three times, "How long, oh Lord?!"  King David, God's anointed king and chief over the Children of Israel, the man after God's own heart, felt alone, felt that God had abandoned him.  Above all, he felt that God was not answering his prayers immediately. 

 

But here is the most important part that I had missed, and Pastor Greg pointed it out so clearly.  In the middle of King David's despair and loneliness, in his feeling of being ignored by God, of being alone in his troubles and while he was surrounded by his enemies, in the midst of this terrible situation, God did not answer David; at least it is not noted in this Psalm.  But, instead of either feeling sorry for himself or cursing and yelling at God, what did David say?

 

In verse Five and Six, King David, who had not yet received an answer for God, said, "But I will trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.

 

King David knew we would not always have prosperity, peace, and rain in this world, but nevertheless he would always trust in God's unfailing love, because his heart could rejoice in his salvation no matter what the world or the Devil might have to offer, and whether or not David received an answer from God immediately. 

 

I struggle with trying to understand why bad things happen to good people, and why Christians face the same trials, or maybe worse, than nonbelievers.  There are really only three answers, as King David told us.  Trust in God's unfailing love, rejoice in God's unfailing salvation, and sing praises to God, because he has been good to you.

 

It was a great service and a great lesson, and here it is in a nutshell.  I hope these words offer a little encouragement to you even though we live in a crazy world where bad things happen, and even worse, bad things happen to good people.    And I will say this again, trust in God's unfailing love, rejoice in God's unfailing salvation, and sing praises to God, because he has been good to you.

 

Amen, and God Bless America

 

 

 

Jade Helm Is Being Quiet Tonight

Operation Jade Helm, the very alarming "realistic military exercise" (I always thought most military exercises were fairly realistic) got underway on July 15th with barely an audible whimper.  This operation is taking place simultaneously in at least nine states, but most of America cannot see it, and no news is being reported about it, at least on main stream media (MSM).  I saw a few articles in the news about how that the military was not going to allow the media to have access to Jade Helm exercises, and it appears that this is in fact the case.

So what is going on with Jade Helm?  I do not know.  All I do know is that I have not been arrested by any of the "unconventional forces" attempting to operate in the area "without being detected by the public."   And, like much of the rest of the public, I have not detected any of these unconventional forces myself.  I have heard people talking about seeing a few helicopters that they would not normally see.  I have not heard of anyone disappearing...but, would I hear anything about that?  If a person were indeed spirited away by unconventional forces to an unconventional location, would ANYONE hear about it?

One thing I do hear is a lot of people, both in person and in the press, talking derisively about anyone who might have been worried or "paranoid" about the true intentions, the purpose, of Jade Helm.   I hear these people, and some news personalities, saying with much laughter "look, it is July 15th and nothing happened?  See, all you paranoid rednecks...nothing happened!  You are all fools!"  Yes, there is a lot of laughter and joking going around.  And Jade Helm is going on.

Why does Jade Helm concern me just a little?  Because there are some unusual things about this particular operation that go beyond the possibility of a sudden military takeover or imposition of martial law.  First, the purpose for this RMT is so that our soldiers will be better able to conduct urban warfare over seas.  Wrong!  American soldiers operating in American cities will NOT help them operate undetected in foreign cities.  People are different in other nations, thus operating undetected in America would certainly not equal being able to operate undetected in say, an Iranian city or an Egyptian city.  The second purpose of Jade Helm is that it is so widespread across the United States so that our soldiers can practice operating on various terrains similar to those in other countries.  Wrong!  They do not need to practice OFF OF military bases scattered all over millions of acres across the United States to find this "varied terrain."  Again, not a very convincing reason for this exercise.

Many people are laughing at persons such as myself who have serious concerns about Jade Helm, by saying that "nothing" happened on July15th.  My question is, what was EXPECTED to happen on July 15th?  Were armed forces expected to attack simultaneously at many points across the southwest and western United States at the stroke of midnight on July 15th?  More likely than that would be that units of soldiers would simply begin moving across their various designated points of departure in a low keyed operation such as a simple march across the country-side.  Later on will follow more dramatic exercises.  I believe that Jade Helm will start with a whimper and go out like a lion.  But who knows?  I am certainly not a psychic.

The biggest concern I have about Jade Helm is that the United States government and the people are allowing such an operation to go on at all.  Hand in hand with this is my concern that Jade Helm is being sold as an exercise to help train our troops with urban operations overseas when in reality it is a means of showing and telling the American people that we should, and indeed MUST, allow our armed forces to train amongst the civilian population, when in reality the United States Constitution actually forbids this.  Jade Helm, in other words, is an operation to get Americans accustomed to having the military training in civilian areas at any time, and to get us accustomed to yielding to military authority in civilian areas even when the military is "just training."  Maybe we will be asked to submit to "capture" (just a part of the exercise, mind you) so that we can help our soldiers learn these skills and tactics.  All of this combines to acclimate us to having a strong military presence on our streets at all times.  And that is truly what the entire purpose of Jade Helm may be: The acclimation of the United States to martial law without martial law ever having to be declared or "implemented."

Jade Helm also may have had a secondary, and largely successful, purpose...that purpose being to bring dissidents and "concerned citizens" to the surface, to identify them, so that these people can be picked up later, or at least monitored for possible "attention" later on.  The Internet, the alternative media, are flooded right now with citizens sharing their views and their videos concerning Jade Helm.  Those who identify themselves on the Internet as a) being concerned about Jade Helm; b) having strong beliefs in the Constitution of the United States; c) espousing views as conservative Christians, etc., become subject to open identification which could be used later if Jade Helm or something like it indeed "went live" in America.

Yes, Jade Helm is being very quiet right now.  Maybe it will be that way throughout the operation.  I for one, however, would love to see this type of military operation prohibited by our military commanders, since it is prohibited by our laws.  Of course I am talking about our consensual laws, not rule by Executive Order, and worse, rule by unconstitutional laws passed by our Congress because individual senators and representatives either cannot or will not stand up for the people and for their own oaths of office, but instead cater either to political fear and correctness, or worse, to those who provide the millions of dollars at campaign time.  Executive orders now in operation have the effect of negating our Constitution and effectively placing this nation under the dictatorship of the industrial-military complex, while our elected officials do nothing to stop this, largely because they themselves are puppets of the corporate side of the same complex.  So Jade Helm is indeed quiet for the moment, and maybe it will remain so.  But this quiet is the same as the quiet of a tiger stalking its prey.  The targeted animal, oblivious to its danger, goes about its business as the tiger sets to spring.  So it is with Jade Helm.  And all is quiet tonight.

God bless America