George Meets Scottius

Folks, I just had to share the news with you!! George, Ape, and Shep of George of the Jungle, is coming to our house for a visit! Boy, I better stock up on "ape" food, don't you think? Scottius is just besides himself!! Right Chimpie? :)

Lucy's 2008

Hello everyone! I didn't fall off the face of the earth!! For many months I have wanted to post, but too many events in our lives have prevented me from doing so. Most of all, Little Spock (not actual name :)) has kept us on the go as he is almost 20 mths. old and very busy but fun!!! (Scottius and Angus keep me going too! :)) In addition, my mother's health deteriorated even more, and we had to hospitalize her the last day of January. After much suffering, she passed away in the hospital on February 26th of this year and went to be with Christ in heaven. I am sure that my father who died in February of 1983 and my step-father who died in August of 2005, were elated to see her finally home. Time doesn't permit me to get into the specifics of her dying, etc., but I am so grateful that she is finally at peace and without pain and suffering. I miss her terribly, and have tears in my eyes as I write this. She was a great Christian mother and person. However, I go on each day with much joy because I have my faith, my family, and knowledge that she is better off than ever before.

I pray that all of you are doing well. You have been in my thoughts and prayers often!! For ones of you who have posted a comment on my Remarriage post, I hope I wrote a comment back. It has been a crazy year, trying to get her house sold, etc., but all is final now! Anyway, I pray that your marriages are being restored! Put your hope in Christ and trust in His leading!

I will be posting more because I have A LOT TO SAY about THIS ELECTION and "so called" "crisis"!! I am fired up to say the least! Just ask Scottius and Angus!!!!!

Merry Christmas everybody!! This has been a GREAT Christmas for us!! Our little "Spock" is doing very well and quite the ham! (Just had to put the name in for Angus! :)) Scottius and I are blessed to have two wonderful sons!! We have had a BLAST with Angus, still are, and enjoy watching him grow and mature!! He is a rare breed! :) And "Spock" is his own special person too!! I will have to write more on him sometime soon!! Blessings to you all!!

He is Coming Today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone!!!! Our precious little one is coming to O'Hare International today, actually later this morning!!!!!!! We received word Monday morning that we would have our Thanksgiving and Christmas gift today!!!!!!!!!! Scottius, Angus, and I are leaving very shortly to meet Scottius' cousin who is very familiar with O'Hare international flights so she will drive the most hectic part of the trip for us on the most traveled day of the year, the day before Thanksgiving!! This will be a wonderful Thanksgiving gift along with the fact that my mom is doing better too! Angus is making us so very proud too as he is getting ready to start some of his college classes at our community college next spring!! We are very blessed! Please continue to keep us in your prayers that the four of us will bond in a very special way with Christ as our center!!! You are in my prayers too!! Have a blessed Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Adoption Update

Well, I decided to make a post about our adoption for Barb and Marie. Since July 24th we have known that we were getting a little boy; however, we did not want to make it public until it was more official. We just started showing pictures of him in the past few weeks and are very anxious to get him home with us. We are just waiting for Seoul to contact our agency to let us know when he will be arriving at O'Hare International Airport!! I know that I will need to bring a lot of kleenexes that day as I weep tears of joy for this little one whom we have waited for for so long.

He is very healthy and weighed 6 pds. and so many ounces when he was born. His mother and father were going to get married; however, he was killed in an automobile accident last summer. The mother was so grief stricken that she gave him up for adoption. He is right on target with his growth, weight, etc. and seems to be in good hands with a foster mother who has been taking care of these little ones for 23 years! One of the neatest things about him is that he was born on the 24th anniversary of my dad's passing to heaven! When we get him, I will let everyone know!!!! Right now we still are very busy helping out my mom who still continues to have very serious health problems: right side of her heart isn't working, thyroid problems, gastro-intestinal problems, as well obstructive sleep apnea. I have seen my mom go from being an independent woman to a dependent woman. She is very gracious in her suffering though and is quite a witness despite the major changes in her life as well as the aggravation and pain from her health problems. We are all hoping for the best but also preparing for the worst. We have already had one death in our family just in the past few weeks with my cousin passing away from a drug overdose. He had been clean and starting a new life out of prison but just had a weak moment. He was a Christian though so we know that he is in heaven. Thank God that our family has faith in Christ. We know that although we are going through difficult times right now, we know that Christ is our strength, shield, and Saviour.
And, our circumstaces could always be worse!! We are very very blessed!!

I'm Sorry

I am sorry that I haven't posted for a long time. My mom has been very ill since we got back from our trip in early August. She really needs a lot of help right now so I do not know when I will be able to post again. I miss posting and commenting with all of you though. And I am praying for all of you, including the Anonymous people who have commented on my remarriage post in early 2006. Take care everybody.

Vacation

Well, Angus and I are off for a couple of trips for the next two weeks while Scottius and Sammy fend for themselves at home. We will miss them! If you think about it, please keep us all in your prayers!! Thanks!!

This is The Beast, one of the rides at King's Island where our youth group will be going this week; however, Lucy will not be on this ride!! I rode on this ride three years ago and did NOT enjoy this ride one bit!! Ugh!!
There are some other good roller-coaster rides though!

The ape, Scottius Maximus is getting his beauty sleep this very minute as I type away on the computer! Thunder woke me up so I am taking advantage of having the computer all to myself this early morning!! He is such a sound sleeper! Isn't he
cute? :)

Eight Babies to Go!!

Well, I thought I would update everyone that we are now #8 on the waiting list for adopting our baby from South Korea!! Since July 1st, 3 babies have been matched with 3 families so we are moving on up!! :) We could also pass up others on the list who do not have their paperwork done since ours is completed! So...we are thinking we will probably get our baby by the end of the year or early next year, God willing. We are planning to be done home-schooling Angus by this December which is pretty amazing too! I even have his transcript completed!! Yeah!!! It is hard to believe that he is almost done - we have been home-schooling him for 11 years!!! Wow, what a blessing and privilege it has been to teach him at home! He will make a GREAT big brother!! :)

This isn't our church, just a similar picture of it. Anyway, we are having our regular Wednesday service tonight even though it is the Fourth of July. That's pretty cool. What better way to celebrate our freedoms (that we still have them at this point) than to be at church, celebrating the Lord's Supper and hearing God's Word!

Help! My Poinsetta is Dying!

Scottius and I have been so excited because our Christmas poinsetta was actually looking great after I had pruned it back about 5 weeks ago. It has been exciting to see the new growth - all the new leaves! However, suddenly it has taken a turn for the worse! I have been trying to keep it moist without overwatering it, but the leaves have began to wilt. I have also had it in indirect light as the instructions suggested. Any suggestions from any of you green thumbers? :) I would so love to keep it alive this year!!

Happy Father's Day (and Son's Day) to Scottius and Angus (and all fathers)

Happy Father's Day to Scottius and Happy Son's Day to Angus!! (When Angus was a little tike we decided to have a special day for him and named it Son's Day. A few years later he asked that we celebrate it on Father's Day too. ) Those two are pretty special even though they tease me endlessly! I deserve it most of the time though! :)

Of course, I want to wish a Happy Father's Day to all fathers too. Thanks to God, we still have Scottius' dad. My real dad died when I was nineteen, and then my step-father died a couple of years ago. We still have both our moms too which is great. They are the best parents we could ever have!

Frasier

I use to hate this show, but now I love it except for when they add in perverted lines or the swearing or "Oh, my God!" I like to fast forward it when it gets suggestive.

The cast of Marty,Eddy, Frasier, Niles, Daphne, and Roz really click together. It is particularly fun to watch Frasier and Niles go back and forth about their common cultural and "psychological" interests or their competiveness. They are really good and captivating actors! My prayer is that Christ will touch each of them in a life-changing way, and that we will see them in heaven someday.

Oops! Sorry!

Lucy goofs up again!! Goodness!! :) For some reason, I cannot edit my last post. I am just not the computer whiz like Scottius or Angus!! Anyway, the one correction I can make is about the time of passing of Billy Graham's wife, Ruth. I posted that she died on Friday instead of Thursday.

Although they are of different denominations with different doctrine from our Lutheran doctrine (She was a Presbyterian but still supported Billy Graham in his Baptist faith.), the one thing that always struck me about them was their humility. I remember him especially saying many times that the older he got, the more aware he was of his many sins and his unworthiness to be granted the gift of eternal life. That's it for all of us. None of us are worthy of ANYTHING Christ give us, especially of our faith and gift of living in heaven someday with Him by believing in Him as our Savior. That is our greatest gift. Yes, our spouses, family, loved ones, and friends are so very precious but can never be more important than Christ. He is the only way to heaven. May Christ comfort Billy Graham and his family as they await their time of going to heaven as well.

True Love

This is so sweet what Billy Graham said about his wife, Ruth, after her passing yesterday.

“Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team.  No one
else could have borne the load that she carried.  She was a vital and
integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have
been impossible without her encouragement and support.

“I am so grateful to the Lord that he gave me Ruth, and especially for
these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together.  We’ve rekindled
the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper
every day.  I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day
I can join her in Heaven.”

Ruth Bell Graham Dies Wife of Billy Graham Succumbs to Lingering Illness, Surrounded by Loved Ones at Her Deathbed ONTREAT, N.C., JUNE 14—Mrs. Ruth Bell Graham, beloved wife of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, died at 5:05 p.m. today, at her home at Little Piney Cove in Montreat, N.C., surrounded by her husband and all five children. She was 87. A public funeral service to honor Mrs. Graham has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 16 in Anderson Auditorium at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, N.C. Learn more about the public service “Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team,” Mr. Graham said of his life-long marriage and ministry partner. “No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragement and support. “I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together,” Mr. Graham continued. “We’ve rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven.” Mr. Graham confirmed today that his wife’s final resting place will be at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway in the Prayer Garden on the grounds of the recently dedicated Library bearing his name adjacent to his ministry headquarters in Charlotte. Earlier this year the Grahams agreed together that they would be buried side-by-side at the Library, a decision made by the two of them alone. Ruth Bell was born June 10, 1920, in Qingjiang, Kiangsu, China, the daughter of medical missionaries L. Nelson and Virginia Leftwich Bell. She attended high school in Pyongyang, (now North) Korea. She first came to the United States at the age of 7, while her parents were on furlough. She returned to the U.S. at the age of 17 to attend Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. Shortly after his arrival on campus, she was introduced to “Preacher,” the nickname other students gave the strapping Billy Graham from Charlotte, North Carolina. They were married in August, 1943, following their graduating together that June. Between 1945 and 1958, Mrs. Graham gave birth to five children, whom she raised—sometimes single-handedly—while her husband was away on extended national and international evangelistic crusades. The three daughters and two sons who survive her are all actively involved in ministry, including eldest son Franklin, who heads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) founded by his father. “My father would not have been what he is today if it wasn’t for my mother,” Franklin said. “She stood strong for what was biblically correct and accurate. She would help my father prepare his messages, listening with an attentive ear, and if she saw something that wasn’t right or heard something that she felt wasn’t as strong as it could be, she was a voice to strengthen this or eliminate that. Every person needs that kind of input in their life and she was that to my father.” In 1959, Mrs. Graham published her first book, “Our Christmas Story,” an illustrated volume for children. She went on to write or co-author 13 other books, many of them works of poetry she wrote as an emotional release while her husband was so often on the road through the years. “I don’t believe Mother has adequately been recognized and honored for what she had done; because, without her, Daddy’s ministry would not have been possible,” said Ruth Graham, youngest daughter—and namesake—regarding her mother’s influence and partnership in her father’s ministry. “How does one live with one of the world’s most famous men?” daughter Ruth continued. “God began training my mother for this position years ago in China. Her parents exercised a profound effect upon the development of her character, and laid the foundations for who she was. What she witnessed in her family home, she practiced for herself—dependence on God in every circumstance, love for His Word, concern for others above self, and an indomitable spirit displayed with a smile. “Her happiness and fulfillment did not depend on her circumstances,” the younger Ruth concluded. “She was a lovely, beautiful and wise woman, because early in life she made Christ her home, her purpose, her center, her confidant, and her vision.” Mrs. Graham’s significant role in Mr. Graham’s ministry was recognized in 1996, when they were jointly awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in a special ceremony in the Capital Rotunda in Washington, which reflected a consensus of love and support from all branches of government in attendance. Ruth Graham was always a vital part of Mr. Graham’s evangelistic career, and he turned to her for advice and input about many ministry decisions. One of the early uses of media by the BGEA was the “Hour of Decision” radio program begun in 1950, which she named. After her upbringing in China and high school experience in Korea, she continued to have a burden for the people of Asia. She encouraged her husband to visit and later accompanied him during his historic visits to the People’s Republic of China. Ruth Graham has been in frail health since suffering spinal meningitis in 1995. That was exacerbated by a degenerative back condition that began with a fall out of a tree while helping a grandchild fix a swing in 1974 that resulted in chronic back pain for many years. Bedridden or wheelchair-bound since the late 1990s, Mrs. Graham wasn’t able to accompany her husband during his last few years of ministry, but was always a continued source of inspiration and support for him through her prayers and wise biblical counsel. Mrs. Graham is survived by her husband Billy; daughters Virginia, Anne Morrow, and Ruth Bell; sons William Franklin, III, and Nelson Edman; 19 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.

As I have noted before, this is a very hot issue with me as it is with many Americans.  I respect President Bush for being strong to protect our country through the War on Terror, Patriot Act, and enforcing important legalities to thwart future terrorist attacks; HOWEVER, I am VERY upset with him and his administration about backing this ludicrous amnesty bill.  As noted below, if the proposed amendments outlined in this end of the day bulletin had passed, then I would be more supportive of this bill.   Scottius has a great idea though:  just enforce the present law and build the fence!!!  And also, let's make sure that our border patrol agents are protected when they are trying to enforce the law and protect our country.   And while we are on the changes that need to be made, let's start by adopting English as our official and natural language of the United States of America!!  This is the United States, and if someone wants to live here, then abide by the rules and learn to be an American!!!!!!!  I have nothing against immigrants, but I am against illegal immigrants who want to make America like Mexico culturally and take advantage of our
"free" health care systems and social programs!!!  Did you know that if we cross the Mexican border and try to do what these illegals are doing, we would get kicked out of the country immediately?    Shouldn't that give our politicians a little clue what is going on here?   Well,this redhead better stop soapboxing for now or she will have to be dealing with high blood pressure problems. :)


To: Friends and Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families

Date: Monday, June 11, 2007



It’s Back

We warned you Friday that the so-called comprehensive immigration reform
bill wasn’t dead, but wounded.  Forty-eight hours later, the White House is
engaged in a full court press to resuscitate the bill.  Administration
spokesmen made the rounds on the Sunday talk shows vowing to fight on, and
President Bush will be making a rare Capitol Hill visit tomorrow to sell
the plan to skeptical senators in his own party – three-quarters of whom
voted against the bill Thursday night.

But the expenditure of additional political capital on this bill – as a
matter of politics and policy – makes little sense.  In tackling
immigration reform in a “comprehensive” manner, the politicians are putting
the cart before the horse (amnesty before border security) and they have
lost the confidence of the American people.

The respected polling firm Rasmussen Reports has done outstanding work
tracking this debate, and I wanted to share some of Rasmussen’s post-mortem
commentary:

“There is no mystery to why the public opposed the bill.  In the minds of
most Americans, immigration reform means reducing illegal immigration and
enforcing the border.  Only 16% believed the Senate bill would accomplish
that goal. …

“From the beginning, the Senate approached the issue with [the] top
priority of addressing the legal status of the illegal aliens. They
addressed concerns about guest-worker programs and questions about whether
family or skill level should be more important when determining who could
enter the country.

“All of those are important questions, but they are not the most important
question.  Rasmussen Reports polling found that 72% of Americans believe
it’s Very Important to reduce illegal immigration and enforce the borders.
Just 29% said it was Very Important to legalize the status of those
illegally living in the country today.”

Yesterday on Fox News Sunday, White House spokesman Tony Snow said, “Our
sense is that if Majority Leader Harry Reid brings it back up, which he
should, and permits a full debate, …we’re not only going to get a bill, but
we’re going to get a better bill.”

Really?  Knowing that border security and enforcement is the main concern
of the public, let’s recap just a few of the amendments that were defeated
in two weeks of debate:

--The Coleman amendment to end the policy of “sanctuary cities,” defeated
48-to-49;

--The McConnell amendment to require a photo ID for voting in order to
combat voter fraud, defeated 41-to-52;

--The Cornyn amendment to deny amnesty to gang members and illegal aliens
with criminal records, defeated 46-to-51;

--The Vitter amendment to guarantee a secure, biometric check in / check
out visa system be in place prior to any guest worker program going into
effect, defeated 48-to-49; and

--The Coburn-DeMint amendment to guarantee full border security prior to
amnesty, defeated 42-to-54.

(To see how your senators vote on these amendments, be certain check out
CWF’s online Congressional Scorecard at http://www.cwfpac.com)

Maybe President Bush is going to go to Capitol Hill tomorrow and urge
senators to reconsider their votes on these important border security
amendments.  That would be a debate worth having.  I suspect Harry Reid
decided to cut off the debate last week because all these votes against
commonsense border security issues was getting a little embarrassing.

As Rasmussen Reports noted, border security could rally the overwhelming
majority of Americans and unite the conservative base against Ted Kennedy
and the pro-amnesty liberals in the Senate.  But without these amendments,
it’s hard to imagine how we will “get a better bill,” and the insistence of
Washington’s political elites on forcing something through that the public
clearly does not want will only infuriate the grass roots even more.

I Love That Diet Dr. Pepper!!!

Well for about four long years I have gone without my Diet Dr. Pepper because of the nutrasweet controversy. Therefore, I decided to start using Splenda and drinking Diet Rite instead until I heard about the Splenda controversy about six weeks ago.
But...reading about the false claims towards Nutrasweet on Snopes.com finally clinched it. I am going to drink it with moderation and not worry about it.

Hello...Hello...Hello...Scottius, I'm Back

HELLO...HELLO...HELLO SCOTTIUS, I'M BACK (but not in black :))!! It took Scottius giving me a good kick to get going on my posts again!! Well, I also have to admit that I was having trouble getting into my blog until Scottius helped me out! This "Lucyitis" is pretty sad, isn't it? Anyway, we are done with school and are just doing a few things for school on a very flexible and easygoing schedule. We want to have a fun and relaxing summer! Anyway, I hope I can do more blogging this summer than I have been able to do this past year!

There is No Easter Apart from Good Friday

There is no Easter apart from Good Friday. There is no resurrection without the cross, no rising with Christ except in dying to self that we might live again, or rather that the risen Christ might live through us.

Leonard T. Wolcott

A Poor Miserable Sinner

Thanks to Barb the evil genious I am posting this other Lutheran confession. Barb says that she likes this one better, and I have to agree with her. May your Easter be a blessed one as you focus on Christ's love for you and the free gift of eternal salvation with Him someday. He is the ONLY way to heaven.

O Almighty God, merciful Father, I a poor, miserable sinner, confess to you all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended you and justly deserved your punishment now and forever. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray you of your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of your beloved son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being.

Confession

Confession

Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

It is amazing that Holy Week is already approaching as we celebrate Palm Sunday tomorrow. May we daily repent of our sins and remember how our Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins that we committed yesterday, today, and in the future. There are NO GREATER GIFTS than the gifts of forgiveness from Christ and our eternal salvation.

Lucy is Still Alive

Hello everyone! It has been a very long time since I have posted anything. There has been SO MUCH going on, and I haven't had the chance to post. Angus and I have been sick off and on (Somehow Scottius has managed to stay well. :)); our sewer backed up and flooded 2/3 of our partly finished basement about 3 weeks ago; my mother has been having a lot of health problems; and just the ordinary routine of keeping this family going, home-schooling Angus, helping Scottius out at the office, making bracelets for our jewelry business, and working on the adoption, etc. has kept me on the move. I am definitely not complaining though because God has been VERY GOOD to us. I really believe in not having too many "irons in the fire"; however, there are times when one has no other choice. Anyway, we three work together and get done what needs to be done. By the way, we are now going "off hold" for the adoption and are #11 on the list. With all the policy changes in South Korea's adoption program, we are not sure how long it will take to get our baby, but we are thinking or hoping the end of this year or springtime of 2008. That will give me time to finish home-schooling Angus and getting him ready for college and getting my mom more settled with some help, etc. God always works out his plans for our lives in HIS OWN TIMING AND WAYS!!

Well, I will try to do a better job of keeping up with posting. I know all of you have a lot going on in your lives too. I continue to keep my posting buddies in my prayers!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Have a BLESSED Valentine's Day!!

Digging Out!!

I am SO EXCITED because I FINALLY got "my blizzard"!!!!!!!! :) I don't know how many times and how many winters that I have told Scottius how much I missed our old winters with lots of snow and cold weather! For the past several winters, winter has just not been the same with the warmer temperatures, etc. Now, I am looking forward to spring and do appreciate those warm days, especially since our electric rates are to be INCREASED by 30 - 55%, as of January 1st of this year. We have been able to keep our thermostat on 60 - 61 degrees, wear lots of layers of clothing, and grown accustomed to it. Because of that we have had cheaper bills. This next one will probably be a lot though with the new rates and colder weather.

Anyway, Samson our dog and I have been having fun with the colder weather and playing out in the snow. He is a Golden mix with husky and shepherd, leaning more to the husky side with a love for playing in the snow as well as eating chunks of it at a time. He also has that "pulling instinct" and will suddenly just lunge and pull me right along with him! We have a 45 foot leash so it doesn't take long for little old Lucy to be suddenly dragged across the yard! I have to be on my toes and ready for action at ALL times. :) Of course, I am exagerating just a tad!

Well, as I think about it, it probably is time for another "snow adventure" with Sammy!! After that, I am planning on enjoying the rest of the day being "snowed in" with Scottius and Angus and having that busyness come to a little halt!!

Lock-In

Well, Angus and I are off to church for an overnight lock-in at church, a yearly event for our youth group. Poor old dad, Scottius, and Samson, our big pooch, will rough it out at home
(and get sleep I might add). I did take a little nap this afternoon and will have to finally give in about 2:30 to get some sleep. It is a lot of fun though, and I look forward to it every year.

You Just Have to Read This One!!

Senior Banking
>
> Shown below, is an actual letter that was sent to a bank by an 86 year

> old woman. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it
> published in the New York Times. (I trust that they returned her $30
> penalty.)
>
> Dear Sir:
>
> I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I
> endeavored to pay my plumber last month.
>
> By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his
> presenting the check and the arrival in my account of my monthly
> pension funds needed to honor it.
>
> I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire
> pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only
> eight years.
>
> You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity,
> and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the
> inconvenience caused to your bank.
>
> My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has
> caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.
>
> I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and
> letters, --- when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the
> impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your
> bank has become.
>
> From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood
> person.
>
> My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer

> be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed
> personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you
> must nominate.
>
> Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other
> person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application
> Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete.
>
> I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much
> about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative.
>
> Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be
> countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her

> financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be
> accompanied by documented proof.
>
> In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a
> PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me.
>
> I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have
> modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my

> account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is
> the sincerest form of flattery.
>
> Let me level the playing field even further.
>
> When you call me, press buttons as follows:
> #1 To make an appointment to see me
> #2. To query a missing payment.
> #3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
> #4. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
> #5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to
nature.
> #6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home #7.
> To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is
required. Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that

> Authorized Contact mentioned earlier.
> #8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.
>
> #9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be
> put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.
> While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music
> will play for the duration of the call.
>
> Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an
> establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement with

> the phone company.
>
> May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?
>
> Your Humble Client
>
> (Remember: This was written by a 86 year old woman.)

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

               
                                Text From:
                    THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
               (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942)



1. All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.

2. Crown Him, ye martyrs of our God,
Who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse's rod
And crown Him Lord of all.

3. Ye seed of Israel's chosen race,
Ye ransomed from the Fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all.

4. Hail Him, ye heirs of David's line,
Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.

5. Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go, spread your trophies at His feet
And crown Him Lord of all.

6. Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.

7. Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.

      ____________________________________________________________
      Notes:
      Hymn #339 from _The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal_
      Text: Rev. 19:16
      Author: Edward Perronet, 1779, ab., alt.
      Composer: Oliver Holden, 1793
      Tune: "Coronation"

Victory for Free Speech (for Now Anyway)!!!

This was reported in Gary Bauer's End of the Day Bulletin for Friday, January 19th!!

Victory!

Evidently, neither party wanted to get blamed for derailing the lobbying
reform legislation in the Senate.  Late yesterday evening an agreement was
reached after furious behind the scenes dealings that allowed the
legislation to move forward.  Senators agreed to take up the line item veto
amendment offered by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) when the Senate begins debate
on the minimum wage bill next week. 

Around 8:30 PM, the Senate voted 55-to-43 in favor of an amendment by
Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT) stripping the grassroots lobbying
restrictions out of the bill -- a victory for free speech.  We may not win
every battle, my friends, but this episode demonstrates that it is still
possible, in spite of the new majority, for the grassroots to prevail when
we work together!  I promise we will continue to defend our values here in
Washington!

A Precious Moment in Pro-Life History

This has been circulating for a couple of years (maybe three), but it is a great time to share as a witness to how life begins at conception. May more and more people wake up to the horrors of abortion and honor life as a true gift from God. And may we pray for all on the abortion side as well as for the women who are lied to about abortion and then have to deal with life-long issues of the abortion afterwards. We on the pro-life side need to approach each person on the other side with truth and grace in a gentle and loving way and not a militant way. When I see young girls or woman carrying their baby after getting pregnant out of wedlock, I thank God that at least they aren't aborting their babies.



A picture began circulating in November. It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "Picture of the Decade." It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it. The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.
During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.. The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of a newborn;21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life." Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person." Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful. Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible....and hey, pass it on. The world needs to see this one!


P.S. Don't tell me God isn't Aawesome!!!!!













There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle.

Albert Einstein

This Is GREAT!!!

My dear in-laws sent this via e-mail so I just had to post this about my good old hometown! My brother, living out that way, appreciated this as well!

From Denver


Up here, in the "Mile-HiCity", we just recovered from a Historic event---
may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with
ahistoric blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH
that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds
ofmotorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores
ofcommunities and cut power to 10's of thousands.

FYI:

George Bush did not come.

FEMA did nothing.

No one howled for the government.

No one blamed the government.

No one even uttered an expletive on TV.

Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.

Our Mayor did not blame Bush or anyone else.

Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else, either.

CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC did not visit - or report on this
Category 5 snowstorm. Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.

No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.

No one looted.

Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something.

Nobody expected the government to do anything, either.

No Larry King, No Bill O'Reilly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No
Geraldo Rivera.

No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be
found.

Nope, we just melted the snow for water.

Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed
cars.

The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask
for a penny.

Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments
delivered it to the snowbound families.

Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.

We fired up wood stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman
lanterns.

We put on extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or
Die".

We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us
out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades
votes for 'sittin at home' checks.

Even though a Category "5"blizzard of this scale has never fallen
thisearly, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.

"In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of
about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% of the world's social problems
evaporate."

It does seem that way, at least to me.

I hope this gets passed on.

Maybe SOME people (Like New Orleans and Wash. DC freeloaders) will
get the message.

The world does Not owe you a living. The Government and Tax $ are
not your insurance company.

Follow Up from "Stop Bothering Me"

From Gary Bauer's End of the Day Bulletin, Thursday, January 11, 2007:

Keep It Up!

Yesterday, I reported that pro-family leaders are very concerned about a
dangerous provision buried in the Senate’s lobbying “reform” bill that
could silence the ability of grassroots organizations to keep people
informed about key issues in Congress.

I’m pleased to report that Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT), one of the bill’s
co-sponsors, introduced an amendment last night to strip these provisions
and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is co-sponsoring the Bennett
amendment. I understand that Senator Trent Lott (R-MS), a co-sponsor of
the lobbying reform bill, has also objected to the provisions restricting
grassroots communications.

This is a good start, but it’s too early to declare victory. Stay tuned,
and please keep calling your senators at (202) 224-3121.

"Stop Bothering Me!"

To: Friends and Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families

Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2007


“Stop Bothering Me!”

That’s the message members of Congress are sending to the American people
with a proposed lobbying reform bill under consideration right now. In a
symbolic gesture reacting to the Abramoff scandals, Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid made the lobbying reform legislation the first bill on the
calendar. But S. 1 contains a provision that appears aimed directly at the
American people. Seeking to silence criticism, section 220 of S. 1
includes burdensome new reporting requirements for grassroots organizations
that attempt to inform the American people about the important issues under
debate in Congress. Any communication, such as this daily report, to more
than 500 people that seeks to stimulate grassroots lobbying, defined as
“the voluntary efforts of members of the general public to communicate
their own views on an issue to federal officials,” would have to be
reported to the government. Failure to do so could result in huge fines,
which could bankrupt many pro-family organizations.

While I’m not opposed to transparency in government, the reasoning behind
this provision is extremely obtuse. Members of Congress are simply sick
and tired of hearing from you, and they are hoping that groups like ours
will stop asking you to call and email if we are faced with endless
reporting requirements and draconian fines. So, even though Jack Abramoff
has gone to jail, some politicians in Congress are trying to use “lobbying
reform” as an excuse to silence the American people!

But This Is NOT Good News!

I realize that these protests are going on more and more in America, but it still irritates me to no end!! I am not against immigration, but I am against immigrants who think that they can dictate to us how we should conduct the laws, etc. in our county. This is the United States. If someone wants to live here then that person needs to adopt our form of law, learn our language, etc. Period!!! If that person doesn't like how we do things over here then they are more than welcome to go back to their country.


The Bad News: Islamists Marching In Minneapolis

When Ethiopian troops and their Somali allies marched into Mogadishu, many
residents there cheered. For months they had been living under Sharia law,
enforced in Islamic courts. The courts were brutal and their rulings were
enforced by jihadist thugs in each neighborhood. People were shot if they
were caught watching a soccer game on TV, for example, and beaten if they
failed to pray five times a day. There were public floggings and bans on
music and women swimming.

But there is evidence that some Somalis here in the United States support
the brutal Islamic courts. Last Saturday, 1,500 Somalis demonstrated in
Minneapolis in favor of a Sharia law regime in Somalia. They demanded that
the United States stop supporting Ethiopia. Hassan Mohamud, imam of St.
Paul’s Al Taqwa Mosque, praised the brutal courts for bringing so-called
“peace and security.” Some Germans once said the exact same thing about
Adolf Hitler.

That 1,500 Somalis in Minneapolis were willing to rally publicly for this
kind of oppression is deeply disturbing. I can’t help but notice that none
of the demonstrators have chosen to live in Somalia, but rather have come
here.

Illegal immigration is one problem, but how many people are we allowing
into the country LEGALLY who are bringing with them the murderous worldview
of the Islamic fascists? We will continue to work very hard to press both
the White House and Congress for immigration reform that places America’s
national security first.


TK, Did you hear about this matter in your local news?

This Is Encouraging News!

To: Friends and Supporters



From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families

Date: Wednesday, January 3, 2007

The Good News: Islamists Losing In Somalia

While we were celebrating Christmas, a war was raging halfway around the
world that has gone totally unnoticed by Big Media. The war-torn nation of
Somalia was once again on the verge of being overrun by radical Islamist
militias, infiltrated by Al Qaeda and supported by Islamic nations in the
Middle East. On Christmas Eve, Ethiopian troops entered Somalia and took
up the fight against the Islamist militias alongside forces loyal to the
Somali government.

Within days, they had driven the jihadists out of Mogadishu – the very city
where U.S. forces were ambushed in 1993. (You may recall that this ambush
and America’s subsequent withdrawal led Osama bin Laden to conclude that
America was a “paper tiger” that “after a few blows ran in defeat.”) The
combined Ethiopian/Somali forces pressed their offensive and eventually
routed the Islamists out of their stronghold in Kismayo.

Interestingly, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, representing 57
Muslim countries, issued a statement in Saudi Arabia denouncing the
Ethiopian intervention, even though it has ended the fighting and brought
peace to the troubled nation.

Lucy's Expert NFL Picks for Week 17

Philadelphia
Baltimore
New Orleans
Houston
Detroit
Chicago
Kansas City
Indianapolis
New England
New York Jets
Cincinnatti
Seatle
St. Louis
San Diego
Denver

Good Old Rocky!!!

As Scottius mentioned in his post yesterday, he and I just saw the new Rocky movie, Rocky Balboa. We got a bucket full of popcorn (about 16 cups) for .$50 each. That's the special on Tuesdays! Of course, we went to the matinee too so we went out to the movies for about $15.75 total!! Now that is a pretty cheap movie date!

Anyway, we thought that it was a pretty good movie. Of course, you have to like the other Rocky movies to like it. As always Rocky was that same neat character who was very genuine and caring which made the story more interesting and inviting. I appreciated the reference to Jesus Christ too. There was some cussing and a couple of women dressed in revealing outfits which I can always do without, but at least it was only a few times. It is worth the money to go and see, in my humble opinion.

Can Coldwater Clean Dishes?

Can Cold Water Clean Dishes?

This is for all the germ conscious folks that worry about using cold water to clean.

John went to visit his 90 year old grandfather in a very secluded, rural area of Georgia.

After spending a great evening chatting the night away, John's grandfather prepared breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. However, John noticed a film like substance on his plate, and questioned his grandfather asking, "Are these plates clean?"

His grandfather replied, "They're as clean as cold water can get them. Just you go ahead and finish your meal, Sonny!"

For lunch the old man made hamburgers. Again, John was concerned about the plates as his appeared to have tiny specks around the edge that looked like dried egg and asked, "Are you sure these plates are clean?"

Without looking up the old man said, "I told you before, Sonny, those dishes are as clean as cold water can get them. Now don't you fret, I don't want to hear another word about it!"

Later that afternoon, John was on his way to a nearby town and as he was leaving, his grandfather's dog started to growl, and wouldn't let him pass. John yelled and said, "Grandfather, your dog won't let me get to my car".

Without diverting his attention from the football game he was watching on TV, the old man shouted...

"COLDWATER, GO LAY DOWN!!!!"

Meet Coldwater.....................





Can Cold Water Clean Dishes?

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone, especially Rebecca, Barb the Evil Genius, Quipper, Marie, TK, DMG, Lauren, Kathy, Pastor Snyder, and Polly! If I left someone out, please forgive me. It is almost 1:00 in the morning, and my Lucy brain needs a rest!! :)
Hopefully I will be able to blog more in the near future! Anyway, you guys are really special and are in my prayers!! May the true meaning of Christmas reign in our hearts everyday!!

Lucy's "Expert" Picks for Week 15

Baltimore
Detroit
New England
Tennessee
Miami
Minnesota
Philadelphia
Carolina
Chicago
New Orleans
Denver
Kansas City
St. Louis

Monday night:
Indianapolis