Milk it for all its worth

Today I saw an advertisement that encouraged Americans to eat 3-4 servings of milk and dairy a day to stay healthy. "Hm...sounds good," you might say. "I do need the protein and calcium," you might add. "I have been wanting to eat better," you assert. The problem is that such advertising is a perfect example of Americans being duped by media into obesity. Let me illustrate:

1 cup of Milk: 23% of you daily saturated fat needs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese: 69% of your daily saturated fat needs
1/2 cup American cheese: 48% of your daily saturated fat needs.

This means that if you eat three servings of dairy each day, you will have consumed 140% of your daily saturated fat needs. This is not including any other food!

We are killing our bodies because we fail to take responsibility for our bodies and knowing what we eat.

Say What?!

President Bush made some interesting remarks regarding the terrorist attack on the US embassy in Yemen...





especially in light of the fact that the Iraq war has resulted in 87,000-95,000* civilian casualties since the Bush administration began to occupy the nation.


*http://www.iraqbodycount.org/

"Will Work for Food" - The Sandman

"You are a sinner. The world is broken." Inordinate amounts of time are spent preaching this message or evangelizing with this tired concept. Certainly these statements are true and once reverberated against the cadence of culture's battle drum. As the modern project plodded along Darwinian dreamers hoped for the day that all would be better than the days prior. morning these dreamers awoke to the nightmare of reality. Only the sandman fulfilled his obligation, unlike people and the world who were supposed to be getting better-“evolving”.
By the 70's the sandman was tired of working too. The dream could no longer linger in the brash daylight of reality. In this dawn of reality, a hopeless generation was raised by.
'The world is not good-you do not have it all together!' was the message proclaimed from evangelist platforms in an attempt to awaken the culture from their modernist wonderland. The coffee is on and the culture has awakened. The church hasn’t heard them rustling and has missed their departure.
Suicide is up, divorce is up, hate crimes are up, gang activity is up, and the culture is fully aware. In response to the brokenness of the world, witchcraft, Buddhism, Hinduism, and spirituality are correspondingly on the rise as people try to find something that will fix them.
The church no longer needs to convince the world that all is lost. Everyone knows it. Churches are still using the same old platform, while culture begs for an answer to its heartache. 'Who will save us? Is there hope? Where are the answers?' the world cries out.
People are no longer asking, 'When will the world fix itself?' They want to know if there is anything to fix themselves. Christians need to stop talking and listen to the question culture is actually asking. We have the answer.

Dog-sitting

A reference was made to accountability partners in class a few days ago. Context for the subject is not relevant, it is the concept that rocked my mental faculties. Why do we have accountability partners? Conceptually I understand why. Biblical basis for individuals to speak truth into our lives and help us avoid sin is not contrived through hermeneutical gymnastics. I want to know why the office of accountability partner even exists.

Our culture is certainly individualistic and anti-community. Until this moment I had failed to see that extent. We have reached a point where we lack fundamental relationships where we can share our lives with people allowing mutual investment. Now, we must assign an individual a title, carve out weekly or monthly sessions, and arrange times to satisfy each others need to have ‘heart to heart’ discussions! It reminds me of getting rid of our children, and inviting someone’s dog to come over and urinate on our floor once a month so we can feel like we caretakers of our home.

True community-I bemoan our impersonation of you.

Virginity Rocks

Today I saw a Christian T Shirt that said “Virginity Rocks” in hot pink letters. The early nineties color clashed with the solid black background and set my eye darting for a safer place to gaze. As with most Christian merchandise, I scoffed and engaged in my regular internal dialog. It usually goes something like this:

-In an overly chipper, televangelist voice I mockingly ask myself: “well…what would Jesus do?...

-With an eye roll and disbelief in my voice I respond: “umm…certainly he would never wear that”.

I frequently repeat this process in the Christian sub-culture currently I find myself, but unlike every time I engage in this internal Q&A, it didn’t end there. As the concept of the message began to set my neurons firing I realized the blatant lie of the statement “virginity rocks” and the danger that promoting such an idea brings.

In Genesis, the book of beginnings, we see the perfect roles of men and women as established by God. Togetherness was an imprinted part of their design and is equally found in us. God made men and women to be together, to love each other and to enjoy each other. “It is not good for man to be alone.” Virginity was only existed until Eve arrived and God knew what would happen as soon as He made her. The truth is that virginity is terrible. The problem is that the world doesn’t know the proper place of sex.

We were made to be lovers, but as redeemed humans we reserve ourselves to love only our spouses. We commit to love them knowing that sex with them will be more fulfilling if we haven’t prostituted ourselves out for pleasures sake before hand. This is the message that needs to be shared. IT is the message of a redeemed, free, Jesus following life. The idea that virginity is cool will never make it into dorm rooms or high school parking lots. Not only will that idea never penetrate culture, it would prevent any God honoring families from being raised. Sex has a special place in our lives as ordained by God, we simply must not loose ourselves to desires of the flesh.

Virginity doesn’t rock-sex is just worth the wait.

Resolve #2

Resolve: To never belittle myself or my family for the sake of humor.

Recently I have seen that many pastors and public speakers do not hold to this axiom while engaging an audience. Perhaps public speaking makes them nervous, perhaps they do not trust the example they are setting for their listeners, or perhaps they simply want to entertain people and feel self-directed humor is the best way to do so. Regardless of their motivation, I never want to employ such an action in the public arena.

We are called to be witnesses for Jesus and in doing so show people what it looks like to live a redeemed life. Part of this is setting an example that others would want to emulate. This is not an issue of outward self-righteousness, but living out our faith in our daily lives. Why would anyone ever want to follow Jesus if his followers lived self-degraded lives who mock their families? Tearing myself down or ridiculing my family will never inspire anyone to live like I live-which is the last thing I want. Jesus has transformed me and I want to demonstrate that everyone. I want to show them what a true follower of Jesus looks like and I cannot do that if I do not humbly respect myself and outwardly support my family.

Which Trail?

Recently I found myself in uncommon circumstances-on a car ride with an 8 year old girl. She smiled a lot and talked even more while her long brown hair danced back and forth as if afraid to rest for too long on her shoulders. I hardly know her, but in less than thirty minutes I had grown to love her. In spite of my affection, her oration offered a terrible insight into our culture and struck me with sadness. Don’t let me get ahead of myself though.

School shopping was the latest adventure of my young friend and the main topic of discussion. She told me about Hannah Montana shirts she bought-five of them. Next were her Hannah Montana jeans-three pair. Apparel could be accessorized with Hannah Montana pencils, folders and shoes. My opinion of Miley Cyrus aside, I was astounded at her desire to identify herself with the name ‘Hannah Montana.’ Like an American flag pin (worn or not), it was clear where her allegiance lay-an army of one, bearing the emblem of a pop star who would never know her personally.

I realized that this brown-eyed whirlwind just wanted to feel like she was ‘someone’ in the sea of humanity that is 3^rd grade. Even at the elementary school level she sought acceptance (which is part of being human) but was sampling a lifestyle where she would continually define herself by the flavor of the week. As Hannah Montana becomes passé she will add a pinch of color and a dash of magic to define herself by some new temporal entity. Each time she will be seeking something that is unattainable through material possession.

Initial steps on this path will eventually come to a dead-end unless a new Way can be blazed that embraces life. I had forgotten the power and subtlety with which our culture leads us along winding trails to nowhere while we seek to end our inner lostness. What is most sad to me, is that my young friend is only one of millions beginning this trek.

Just Kickin' It

Currently the congressional democrats are attempting to pass a second economic stimulus bill as the economy continues to flounder. Justifiable skepticism exists, from me included, about the effectiveness of such measures.

One source of opposition comes from President Bush and the GOP. The White House is not holding the position that another stimulus check will be minimally effective, but the benefits of the previous stimulus check have yet to been seen.

Unfortunately, Bush’s economic plan for an economic boost has already kicked in-offsetting the effects of declining economy under his administration. This may be ready apparent to most people but I did the numbers.

If I drive 10 miles a day to work, get 25 miles to the gallon and drive nowhere other than work, I pay $64.48/month in gas. This is almost $25 more monthly than two years ago ($2.5/g)! As a dependent of my parents this past year, the $300 from the federal government allows me to break even. I don’t foresee anything else ‘kicking in’.

Fact Check

It would hardly surprise most Americans to assume that fact stretching and truth bending occur in the political arena to court voters. In an unfortunate event for the McCain campaign, a Florida based commercial targeting Spanish speaking voters reaches new heights in fact distortion. Only one of the half-dozen figures given regarding Florida and Latin America's relationship is correct. All others are totally false or egregiously exaggerated. The official video has been removed from the McCain website and Youtube or I would have posted a link to those locations. Just goes to show that you can't believe everything you see on TV.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/145031

Resolution 1

As I make this resolution, I must give credit to Johnathon Edwards for the initial popularization, Caleb Drahosh for his continuation of the tradition of resolutions, and Kaytlin Kaiser for her encouragement toward resolutions as they resound with my personality.

Resolve
To cease worrying over things that are truly out of my control; instead, simply respond to each situation as it arises through diligent prayer, creative problem solving, and perseverance as I trust in God's provision for each scenario.

No Starbucks?

It is startling to the me the ease at which Americans fall into fear and anxiety as a result of media broadcasting. Mainstream news broadcasting offers a limited view of unfolding information on a regularl basis. Many American’s know this but continue to be caught in the maelstrom of hype and reactionism as news is reported to them. It is time to know all the facts, whether they are reported to us or not. Paul Harvey often spoke about ‘the rest of the story’. Here is one such case.

Headline: Starbucks plans to close 600 stores nationwide (CTVglobemedia).

Amy Roback of the NBC’s Today Show began her segment on this issue by informing us that “millions of Americans will be heading to their local Starbucks today to get their morning fix, but if they are headed one of those six hundred stores slated to be closed by next year, they may soon have to find somewhere else to go.”

“Somewhere else” indeed; now, American coffee addicts will have to go to one of the remaining 10,084 stores nationwide (http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/Company_Factsheet.pdf). If consumers are unable to find a new location to frequent, they can choose to wait until the end of the year for one of the new 200 still scheduled to open (msnbc.com).

Panic not America-know the whole truth.

Know What You Support

As I feel myself being caught up in the political whirlwind billowing throughout the country, my frustration grows at the number of people who are choosing to vote, but don’t know what they are actually voting for. Informed voting is more important that any policy, political camp or presumed allegiance. Voting by political party without knowing that actual issues is like showering at the public pool assuming that it has been cleaned-its a risk that just isn't worth it.

Above all other issues, I have seen polarization without information regarding Republican = Anti-Gay Marriage and pro-life, while Democrat = Pro Gay Marriage and pro-choice. Not only is the assumption less than true, there are a myriad of additional issues to consider when voting (roughly 24). In fact, there are over 22 pages illuminating the statements and voting records of our presidential candidates that should be taken into consideration when voting this fall. All of candidates positions are summarized in one sentence blerbs so even those of us that went to public school can stay informed. Please check them out for yourself at:

www.ontheissues.org/senate/Barack_Obama.htm

www.ontheissues.org/senate/john_mccain.htm

Finally, to inform the voting populace regarding our two candidates' positions on gay marriage and abortion, consider the following positions held by each of the candidates. It may surprise you to learn that they are more similar than either party would have you believe:

Abortion
Supports federal funding for embryonic cell research-John McCain

Pass the Stem Cell Research Bill. (Jun 2004)-Barak Obama
Ok for state to restrict late-term partial birth abortion. (Apr 2008)-Barak Obama

Gay Marriage
Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)-John McCain
Ban on same-sex marriage is unRepublican; leave it to states. (Nov 2006)-John McCain

Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)-Barak Obama
Decisions about marriage should be left to the states. (Oct 2007)-Barak Obama

Looking for a "home-tel"?

Due the inability of many Americans to take a vacation this year the media has promoted "staycations". This is the concept of enjoying your own neighborhood instead of traveling out of economic necessity. Soaring gas prices, the plummeting economy and the collapsing housing market spur John Hodgman of The Daily Show to make this comment:

"Think of it this way, Paris will always be there John, but based on the rate of your sub-prime mortgage, your home might not be."

devastating in truth, but brilliant in insight.

Hot Dog Champion

I recently visited a church that was preparing for a spring children’s festival. The highlight of the day was a magic show in the afternoon. It seems to me like there is an obvious problem here. Last time I checked magic + religion = occult. Featuring a magic show a church function is like having a hot dog eating contest at the Ritz Carlton; you are sending a mixed message.

We Don't Drink Ketchup Competitively

I stand ready to be corrected on this matter, but I have been thinking about the ineffectiveness of drama as a means of communicating ideas. Before I am drawn and quartered by faculty and students of Julliard, I want to make a distinction between types of drama. I am not referring to professional drama or plays or musicals, but short…“skits”…shall we call them.

Perhaps I am simply not among the correct sub-culture, but when I think if skits, the only secular groups that seem to do them are anti-drug campaigns and campers. Presentations of DARE are usually as culturally up-to-date mullets and camps are intended for people who intentionally desire to leave their native culture and do things that are unacceptable within the norms of society, like walk around with a painted face and competitively drink ketchup.

With the effectiveness of these two groups changing our culture, perhaps it is time for the church to evaluate the usefulness of ‘the skit’ to impacting the culture with the message of Jesus. Sure, its cute for little kids to do skits, but isn’t that the point of skits? They are novel and cute, but no adult (outside the church, DARE and camp) performs a skit for fun or is challenged provoked by the skits he sees everyday-because no one in modern culture uses skits as a medium for presenting ideas.

Cute and novel are two adjectives that should never be used in connection with the Church or Jesus. To reach the culture around us, perhaps it is time for a new medium of expression.

External Appearance

Mercy and grace may easily be confused with injustice or weakness. To see a man walk away when he should be punished or given a prize he has not earned are examples of both virtue and sin. Discerning between the two is almost impossible by a party that only has third-person perspective.

Judgment between mercy and injustice comes only occurs within the relationship of the individuals involved. Recognizing the possessor of authority reveals whether goodness has been demonstrated or evil has prevailed.

Criminals who maintain authority or power in and receive zero punishment for their crime hold the power during injustice. A judge forced, manipulated, bullied or overcome by the transgressor to give freedom is not the wielder of power. He was weak or sentenced injustice.

A criminal who is given freedom based on the authority of a judge, without any hope of prodding or procuring his own escape has no power in the situation. Here we see grace distributed.

It is the same in everyday life for everyday people. To be manipulated, controlled or forced to grant a verdict of non-correction within a relationship is injustice and weakness at its greatest. Conversely, when no penalty is held against an individual, based only on the benevolence of the judge/harmed, grace and mercy are truly present.

No one can judge this interaction fully from the outside. The parties involved always know who has the power and authority. It is through the possession of the authority from Jesus that we are able to bestow grace on individuals who have wronged us, yet avoid injustice. Likewise, our authority in Jesus cannot be overcome unless we give up our possession of it to those who have wronged us.

Don't Cry for Me...

Continuing my thoughts on emotions…

Tennyson wrote “Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,” and unfortunately our tears may mean very little in actual repentance and changing our lives. Tears are an expression of the status of the heart, but not always of the soul. We may cry because we desire forgiveness and new action, but that does not ensure actual change in our lives. Here there is a great distinction between emotion and the spirit. Emotion, as the motivator for our desires, cannot result in lasting change.

Its Not What You Do, Its Who You Are...

At a recent missions conference, the main speaker engaged the audience with the statement, “God is good all the time,” and we would respond, ‘All the time, God is good.”

On one instance when this interaction took place, the speaker commented about our proclamation with the statement “Yes [He is good], it is in His nature.” This spurred my thoughts on to the nature of goodness.

People only do good things. God is far beyond us: He is goodness. I cannot comprehend what this means, although there are some obvious implications. First, God cannot do anything not-good, because that would go against his very being. Next, every action of God is inherently good for the same reason. Finally, it encourages me to know that there is no capriciousness in God. He does not feel like doing good things at times, or not feel like doing good things at other times. He is consistently, fully, and in essence good.

Humanity places value on being good. We act with goodness sometimes because we want to be seen as good. God is good all of the time and therefore his actions are good.

Can You Feel It?

Emotions are undeniably part of being human. Jesus was man as man was intended to be and he demonstrated emotions openly. Unlike Christ, all aspects of our nature have been corrupted and now work imperfectly.

Through observation and personal experience I have noticed two distinct applications of emotions: (1) as a tool for motivation or (2) as a tool for interpretation. The first seems more present in individuals who are not redeemed or submitted to the Holy Spirit.

Fear, anger, sadness, happiness or excitement cause decisions to be evaluated, are the main input when taking action or supply the drive for action. This is motivation. Here, we see emotions as the beginning and our response as secondary.

More healthily, emotions can be used to interpret life. In this manner all emotions are engaged to their fullest, including the painful ones. Through this response, life becomes more rich and it is lived more intensely.

Inhibiting emotions altogether cannot be right, since Jesus did not do this. However, Jesus saw beyond his emotions to the Father’s plan and Jesus knew his own purpose, even in day to day living. His life was not directed and motivated by emotions. I want to experience life deeply and therefore intend to use emotions as a tool and submit them to the Spirit in me, not have them direct my course of action.

Back in Action

I apologize for not haven written anything for such an extended period of time. You can be relieved that I have not stopped thinking (as some college students may be inclined to do) as spring is approaching. Simply, my thoughts have not made it as far as the internet. With that qualification, intend to be sharing a lot of what I have learned recently and what the Lord has been showing more regularly. Thank you for your patience and please enjoy.

Thinking about a Cruise

I have been spurred on by the thought ‘if you can dismiss a worldview and foolish, you don’t understand it’. After existentialism, we tackled New Age in Apologetics class. I am from the West (part of America) and I feel that I was more surrounded by New Age thought than I ever understood. The evolution of man to a higher plain of existence was a theory held by a close atheist friend, witchcraft was not startling to encounter, Yoga and spiritual enlightenment appealed even to me throughout my life

Being able to pinpoint the New Age influences and experiences in my life allowed me to define the worldview more clearly and how see it plays out in everyday life. This is only the catalyst for my next stage of thought.

Understanding New Age thought allowed me to appreciate Tom Cruise for the first time. He is constantly ridiculed at work, school, and in the media by atheists and theists alike. I was convicted of my contempt for his belief system and how foolish I made it seem. Part of me was always impressed/disturbed by his devotion to Scientology in light of its apparent foolishness. I never really gave him respect as an equally intelligent human being. I now see the error of my ways since I am able understand his worldview and therefore respect that it exists beyond the mere texts of Scientology, just as my faith moves beyond the walls of the church.

I do not agree with Cruise’s belief system or believe it is accurate. However, I see him as more of a person and am impressed/intrigued by his ability to transcend the limits of fatalistic naturalism and the dogma of modern thought. He is a man, and like all men, deserves respect; respect that should extend to his view of the world. He is made in God’s image as equally as anyone else.

Mormonism: The Modern Religion

Continuing my study of existentialism I was struck by the importance of feeling as a means of supporting truth.

I was reminded of a discussion of Christianity with my Mormon friend, and the question of how I knew that orthodox Christianity was true. This question is generally ammunition that naturalists use when attempting to ungird Christianity, so I was slightly surprised to hear it coming from a fellow theist.

After explaining my rationale for believing in Christ, my friend was obliged to answer the question "how do you know that Mormonism is true?"

The stunning response was "it feels right". "I prayed about it and it feels right."
It is impossible to argue with experience so I was left adrift in the sea of my mind looking for a response.

I now see that logic such as this as the greatest draw the present era. Naturalism has been stripped apart by deism and no longer stands on its own. At the same time, fatalism is something that most individuals seek to avoid. Finding truth by personally assigning meaning to them and trusting in feelings over empirical evidence is exactly what my friend used to justify the Mormon faith. Is it no surprise that our culture responds so quickly to that methodology? Maybe that is why there are over 13 million Mormons worldwide.

Mormonism offers truth, belonging and morality that can be ‘proven’ by feeling alone. What else could anyone in the modern era ask for?

Thanks L. for all your insight; I still pray for you.

Soren Said...

I have been reading on Existentialism and its prevalence in the current age. Many of its aspects have great appeal to the heart; mine in particular. Not only does it convey philosophical meaning, but it tugs at the needs that the my generation expresses through their art, relationships and general atmosphere.

Kierkegaard's attempt to revive dead orthodoxy, which birthed theistic existentialism, reach into the holes that the current church often leaves unfulfilled among my generation. The need for experience and the ability generally set aside absolutes for meaning defines my peers and a "more personal" faith seems to be the call of their hearts.

Broken families and empty homes have imprinted a void that only people or personalization can fill. When Christianity is viewed through the existential lens, it implants this need right where it is needed. This could be argued simply as contextualization: Betraying a relationship with God vs. Breaking his rules; Committing oneself to a person vs. Believing a set of propositions; Pleasing the Lord vs. Obeying the rules. How much more appealing the personalized list sounds.

It would be dangerous and utterly foolish to limit existentialism to such basic precepts. Particularly since Kierkegaard did not ultimately find the meaning he was searching for and my understanding of this philosophy is surface level at best.

Conversely the Church would claim that a personal relationship with Jesus has always been its goal. While this may be true, I now see 'The 4 Spiritual Laws' repackaged as 'Knowing God Personally' and as culture has moved beyond the modern, should not the church address it accordingly?

Absolute truth must remain, meaning must come from the Divine, Jesus is still the only way to God and knowing God is the only way to know ourselves. These are orthodoxy and cannot be moved. The question remains is the relationship with Jesus something new to this culture and that is why it is appealing to me, or is it a part of orthodoxy that has simply been readdressed?

Like all things, more study is needed to know.

Presidential Resume

I do not openly oppose George Bush. It is important to see things from all sides as well. This was sent to me in an email, and it is worth looking over if nothing else.
RESUME
GEORGE W. BUSH
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20520

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
-Law Enforcement: I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. -My Texas driving record has been "lost" and is not available.
-Military: I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam .
-College: I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:
-I ran for U.S. Congress and lost.
-I began my career in the oil business in Midland Texas , in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas . The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.
-I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money.
-With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas .

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS :
-I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union . During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America .
-I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
-I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.
-With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida , and my father's appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President of the United States , after losing by over 500,000 votes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:
-I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
-I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.
-I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.
-I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.
-I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
-I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
-I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market. In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues.
-I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. -My "poorest millionaire, " Condoleezza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.
-I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President.
-I am the all-time U.S. and world record -holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.
-My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. history, Enron.
-My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.
-I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history. I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.
-I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.
-I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
-I appointed more convicted criminals to my administration than any President in U.S. history.
-I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States Government.
-I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.
-I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.
-I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.
-I refused to allow inspector's access to U.S. "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.
-I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 US election)
-I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.
-I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history
-I garnered the most sympathy ever for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.
-I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind
-I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, preemptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. Citizens and the world community.
-I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families in wartime.
-In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.
-I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.
-I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD.
-I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES:
-All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view.
-All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
-All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review. I specified that my sealed documents will not be available for 50 years.

Divine Placement

In The Inward Journey by Gene Edwards, many ideas provoke new thoughts, but one in particular has been on my mind recently:

"I look around at the Christians whom I live with, whom I know and love so dearly. They really, truly love him ad would probably die for him today, even this minute...Some of my Christian friends who would willingly die for him today...still make terrible roommates, and husbands, and wives.
Suffering…unlike martyrdom can prove to be a mite hard on the soul...There are things martyrdom cannot do. Things only sorrow can do. Pain can take out of us that which will not yield to the divine by any other means. That which refuses to be replaced by divinity can sometimes be reached only by unjust suffering."

I love this. It frightens me for suffering, for I pray that I would not refuse what would be placed in my life by the Divine.

I know that is naive.

Most likely, much suffering awaits me...out there...somewhere...but I am content to know that it will be for God's glory through by sanctification..

Agree vs. Understand

I have heard a lot of religious dogmatism and cyclic politics in the past few days. Through it all I have been encouraged by a profound truth that I learned yesterday:

“If you aren’t attracted by a worldview, you don’t understand it”

I wish I could understand so many things, so much more deeply.

Man's Equity

With the passing of Heath Ledger, I continue to gain insight into humanity.

Today at work someone said, "[Ledger's death] is such a tragedy; he was such a good actor"

It was as if the skills of Ledger gave him value to humanity and his passing will be noted due to the loss of talent. Does not the eternal soul of Ledger, or at least his person, bear more worth than his career?

When people are qualified only by their addition to society, fallen humanism is truly at its height.