THIS ALARM CLOCK WILL WAKE YOU UP

Today it was back down to the mall shopping for a little clock. I thought I would try a large department store. As I walked in, I asked myself "where would I be if I were a travel alarm?"

It proved to be a senseless question

I wandered the aisles and up and down the escalators looking for a travel alarm clock. Now where would the clock department be? After about thirty minutes of wandering around in the store I found a cute salesperson and asked her where they had their travel alarms. She smiled and said over in the bedding department and downstairs in the electronics department. I thought bedding, it seemed a little odd, nevertheless I hiked over to bedding and looked and looked; sheets and blankets they had but no travel alarms.


Then I walked over to the escalator and glided down to the first floor and found a salesperson and asked where the electronics department was and she nodded her head toward the east. Heading east I found electronics and searched the entire department. I found the electronics salesperson and asked him where the travel alarms were. Alarm clocks? I think they're upstairs near the bath section". Bath section, now that figures, that's where I would keep my travel alarms. So back up the escalator I went and took a long hike to the bath section and again no travel alarms.

Now I'm biting my lip, I'm determined to get that clock. It's now a quest!

Wandering around I found the same sales person that started me off and asked again where the travel alarms might be.

Cynically, I suggested that the travel alarm clocks may be in the lingerie department. She looked at me thoughtfully and said, "No, I don't think they would be there." I think they're in the bedding area over near that wall. I replied that I couldn't find them there. "Here" she said, "I'll show you." We were well on our way to bedding when she asked another salesperson who said that the travel alarm clocks were in the kitchen department. And we switched courses and ultimately found travel alarms in the home furnishings department.

I bought one with a loud alarm. Made in China! And by now I was hungry enough to eat it ... but I'm not into Chinese food.

I noticed, in very small print on the bottom of the face of my new alarm clock is a warning!

"WARNING: THIS ALARM CLOCK WILL WAKE YOU UP"

What a pleasant surprise. True story.

THE STORY CROSSES TELL

The other day as I was driving past Tijuana's cemetery for the poor, I saw this view... so I pulled over and took a few photos. It was late in the afternoon and the shadows were just right. What I saw was truly 'the valley of death'. Often I have used this place as a backdrop for teaching our American teens about values. A simple lesson ... ultimately all of our stuff will end up in the hill to the left which is the dump, the Tijuana dump, and our bodies, well, they'll end up in a grave somewhere. Indeed, gravity will claim it's own. What a spot for teaching about life, values, and what's really important, namely people ... people are eternal, we should never forget that. Acres and acres of people that were but are no more!

How many of these people who were laid to rest here ever knew what the cross above them stood for.

An eternal mistake!

I think of the potential of all of those little crosses. Count them, hundreds of them, each unique yet all made common by poverty and death.

As I mused, looking over the crosses in this dry, weedy and trash-filled cemetery, I asked myself, "how much good could have been done had these people lived?" It's possible the world could have been changed by even one of these had they lived to their potential.

Let's look at these crosses from another angle; we can't escape seeing the potential for good in this graveyard for the poor. I guess that's a strange thing to say, but think about it. Is there good in death?

The truth is, because of these deaths, many gang fights never occurred. People were never murdered, never raped, never robbed. Hundreds of fatherless or motherless children were never born.

The surrounding community of Fausto is filled with the living ... and is plagued with drugs and violence of all kinds, the same things that populated this cemetery. Innocent little kids, many of them fatherless, growing up to become the same dark community.

In this valley of death I don't like to think about the unseen ... the spiritual side of this cemetery, or any cemetery. The many that blindly fell over the side of the living and dropped into eternity without knowing God; without knowing their destiny. Leaving life alone, and with nothing, absolutely nothing!

Never knowing that the cross above them was intended by God to save them before death not post them after death.

A BAD BATTERY

Saturday night I stopped by Isidro's house in the evening to let he and Luis off ... it was a long day of checking out orphanages. I was tired and ready for home.

When I got back into my SUV. to return home ... my car wouldn't start! Oh! Oh! No battery! No lights. No nothing! ... here in Pana!

Pana is well known to be a bad area at night, especially if you're a Gringo and your car is dead. A couple of houses down the street two steel doors were pulled open. A mom 'n pop tire repair shop appeared which looked like any other house ... Seeing that I needed help, two Mexican men motioned me inside.

My first thought was ... is this the last of von? But at this point what are my options?

I put the car in neutral and slowly coasted in ... the men lifted the hood and started cleaning the battery, pulled it out and with a make-shift charger fast charged it.

During our conversation I told him who I was and who we were. The man, Ramon, who spoke good English, said " Oh, I've heard of you; you guys are the ones who help people."

What a relief!

When they were finished, I asked him how much for the battery charge. "No charge!" He wouldn't take a cent. "Don't let the engine die ..."

Thanks I said, and headed for home with an engine and lights.

It's nice, if you're going to be in a bad area in Tijuana on a dark night ... to be known for doing good.

Note: Two days later I returned and brought him a set of wrenches. I noted that night he only had a pair of pliers and a screw driver.

UNLOVED BOYS

I've never felt unloved. It must be a terrible feeling. Yesterday, in Tijuana, I took twelve year old Isidro shopping ... not for clothes or food but for an orphanage that he would feel comfortable in.

I don't like that kind of shopping.

What hurts most of all is that Isidro isn't a bad kid (yet.) He's a thin quiet boy who goes to school even though he isn't encouraged to. On off days you might find he and his buddy Luis working along a local dirt road, filling the big pot holes and hoping some drivers will give them a tip. They earned $4. one day. The other day he proudly showed me his watermelon plant and tomato plant near the house.

Twelve, the critical age.

He knows I like figs, so after I left he climbed a neighbor's fig tree and picked me a load of ripe figs, but I didn't return for about a week ... so much for the figs.

To his stepfather Isidro is a threat; to his alcoholic mother he's a liability. It seems the only one who really loves him is his dog.

At one point in the 'shopping' tour we sat alone in an orphanage and talked about the changes he would experience becoming part of an orphanage. The freedom he would have to give up, and the rules and discipline he would have to accept.

I told him very clearly; it's an orphanage or the street, you have to choose.

Isidro sat looking into my eyes and listening. No questions. No emotion.

In the afternoon we arrived back at the small shack he calls home, I told him to think things over and be sure of his decision. I'll be back Saturday, when he's to give me his decision.

As we got out of the car, his mother met us on the street. "Why did you bring him back? I thought you were going to leave him at an orphanage!"

How would you feel if you were Isidro?

My world is full of unloved and worthless kids ... but who really cares?

DOUBLE WHAMMY!

Double whammy is like saying, when it rains it pours!

In talking with several orphanage directors in Tijuana it becomes obvious that they're hurting, and hurting bad. The pipeline of prayer and financial support from the U.S. has all but dried up. The romance and fun of U.S. groups from local churches coming down to Tijuana for a day interacting with these little Mexican kids seems to be over ... along with it, the joy it brought. One by one the orphanages are finding themselves forgotten.

Some are closing down while others are trimming down.

The long standing three way turf war between the drug cartels and police have taken a toll on tourism, compounding an already bad Tijuana economy. High prices and no work forcing good men to go bad. Stealing and robbery have become an ugly and growing reality.

Our bad economy in the States has hit the church and forced many churches to rearrange their priorities and regroup by dropping short term missions and outside ministries. Sadly these kids across the border have been one of the first to go.

These two hits, no groups and no income, are forcing orphanages to let many of their kids to drop school and return to dysfunctional single parent families or, more literally, the dangerous streets of Tijuana ... where a kid can sell himself for a few bucks.

It's hard to see our churches so close yet so far away!

Compassion? Is that word still in our Bible dictionary?

OVERWEIGHT CHRISTIANS OR HEAVYWEIGHT CHRISTIANS?

Our nation is plagued with obesity, at least that's what "they" say and who of us can dispute it? It's 'apparent', we see obesity everywhere.

Obesity isn't new to the Christian world either; we've been plagued with it for centuries. Pink, plump, tender and pampered over-weight Christians. Overweight Christians are also 'apparent' especially on Sundays where they can be found feasting on the Word.

Today we have an abundance of great chefs, the seminaries are pumping them out every year. The goal of every good chef is to feed us what we want and make it delicious ... we need a different diet.

Obesity isn't a matter of genetics with Christians; it's a rather simple problem ... the same old problem; ingesting too much food with too little exercise.

Let me repeat: too much food and too little exercise.

Can there be too much of a good thing? 'Apparently' so!

It's much easier and more convenient to cook, eat and fellowship than to be outside working off those 'divine' calories.

Unfortunately, in our society there will always be the many who live to eat and the few who eat to live, which is the healthier way to go. Unfortunately too, in our spiritual parallel the same perversion exists.

Churches by the score producing and reproducing obese Christians. Christians born into Church families with a dietary predisposition to ... obesity.

Cheers for the chef? ... I don't think so.

Many Christians can quote "II Tim 2:15" "Study the Word to show yourself approved unto God ..." but few can find and quote "James 1:22"..." be doers of the Word, not just hearers, that's deception."

Hearers of the Word and not doers leads to obesity!

"Show me a fat cook and I'll show you a good cook!" or so the saying goes ... unfortunately; more of a truism than a saying. Good cooks love food; love to eat it and love to share it. Look at the great food found in churches, seminaries (Cooking schools.) and books today. Resulting in the too well fed, fat and contented Christians we see waddling around today.

God's Divine calories turned "selfish" make for unhealthy fat!

No need for diets, just more time outside the Church building using the energy from God's good food to reach a needy and hurting world.

Obvious conclusion: Let's be doers of His Word! ... not just hearers.

ALONE

In the orphanage and after our evening talk the teenagers filed out and into bed, all except fourteen year old Fernando, we asked him to stay back. "Take a seat Fernando."

It was lonely time!

This young boy is a Mexican Indian, placed in the orphanage by the Government. He doesn't speak much Spanish. He sat uncomfortably straight and stiff in his chair; his eyes avoiding ours. I know Fernando, he's very quiet and not close to anyone. A loner in the true sense of the word.

The kids call him "Indian."

I was asked to tell him that his little brother was dead.

No one wanted to tell him, neither did I. Fernando had asked about his little brother from time to time but the subject was always avoided. The Mexican Government had separated the two of them several years back, placing them in different orphanages. I knew about the situation but was waiting for information to come in as to what happened and where the young boy was buried. We only knew Fernando had no mother or father or even a relative, only his little brother, whom he loved ... and now his brother was dead. The government stonewalled us in trying to get the details.

It was time to tell him.

As we sat there, I broke the news to him as gently as I could. He took the news like the Indian he was, stoic; emotionless, his black eyes staring straight ahead. If he felt pain or loss, it didn't show.

He had no questions ... I had no answers.

I broke the silence by asked him if he liked it there at the orphanage, he paused and then whispered "no".

"Fernando, if there was anything in the world I could do for you or give you, what would it be?" ... After a long pause he whispered, "I wish I had a family."

He walked from the room ... truly alone.

COPS 'N ROBBERS

Once again America works against itself.

When I was younger I remember hearing that crime didn't pay. Does crime pay? Of course crime pays, if it didn't, there wouldn't be so many free and rich criminals. Common sense here. More and more young potential criminals are catching on. Crime pays and it's exciting. It's an accepted and 'honored' profession, for those lacking purpose.

Thank our indolent politicians for that.

Let's face another truth, if Cops didn't have criminals, they wouldn't be needed. A Cop without a criminal is like a soldier without an enemy ... it's a love hate relationship. Cops need criminals and criminals need cops, sort of a perverted symbiotic relationship. Police have their job to do and prison's have they're job to do.

They have one thing in common; they both love their job.

It seems no one in this equation is seriously interested on cutting crime down. The Mayors, Governors, politicians and media all talk about it, but let's get real ... who's really serious?

Cops and robbers will continue as they have for centuries.

Prison; 'Crime 100' or 'Gladiator Academies'! The police have their academy, and the criminal has his academy; prison. Isn't it interesting that our prisons have done nothing to really confront and solve this problem? Is there a reason? Maybe it's because the prison bureaucracy's lifeblood comes from the prison system it's self. Every bureaucracy has to grow ... and so the prison system grows!

Prison and jail are excellent places for educating and motivating the criminal. Excellent post-educational benefits.

It's well known that our prison system is motivating and educating Muslim extremists. U.S. paid training for future terrorists. Are we doing anything about it? Don't make me laugh!

America's gangs collect and motivate potential criminals while our prisons educate and act like a catalyst. In prison you locate your friends, learn to fight and fix your future direction.

Oh, and there is graduation!

When you graduate from prison, no one will hire you, so you are forced to continue on in crime. You get caught, and again sent on a free, government expense paid post-grad course of your choice.

The solution (And there is one.) is too humbling and costly for us to pursue.

MODEST

Modest? When was the last time you heard the word modest? It's an adjective no one uses any more. No matter what the context, the term modest just isn't used any more. It's actually out dated. Modest was never a term used for men; modest was used in the context of virtuous women.

Oh, and by the way, when was the last time you have heard the terms virtue or virtuous?

Today women have been liberated from old-fashioned 'modesty' and are free to exercise 'flaunt it' ... 'You got it? Flaunt it!' ... tease and tempt the men! Heat 'em up! That's today's dirty little game.

If the men take the game too far, it's their problem! Never the temptress, right? Ah, this progressive world.

It might be painful to accept this, but the way women dress and walk pretty well defines their character. Cheap women using their physical assets to attract cheap attention, are just that, cheap!

Beautiful but empty broads! A cheap lot! You can find them anywhere.

The women who are a cut-above, are women who dress modestly and act modestly. A quality person. A rare woman of virtue! A lady! As God puts it, a jewel.

Where is even the modest and virtuous mother?

It's apparent that our society doesn't want to deal with modesty or virtue ... or morals.

Caution, you liberal women! In your efforts to attract men, you've also attracted God. God will deal with those who make up this immodest generation, in His time and in His way.

ARE WE TO BE ALLOWED OUR ROOTS?

It seems most every ethnic group at some level wants to remain true to they're roots. They bring with them their past, their religion and colorful culture, and we accept it graciously. America is diverse. America is free; America is America!

However, when it comes to our own roots and culture, well, that's another story ... our own roots are non grata, today, why? Somehow, in this case, "our" roots are a different story. Why? Because our country's cultural roots are founded on a "Judeo Christian" ethic. Biblical roots are simply not acceptable in today's America!

A firm belief in almighty God and His Bible, was woven into the very fabric of our nation. The Judeo Christian ethic is what made us different from other nations. The Judeo Christian ethic is what made us great! No one can question the success of America; the most powerful nation on earth.

Our Judeo Christian ethic gave us, as a people, a unique and strong inner integrity. We had a higher accountability, serving a living God.

I speak in a past tense, because it seems we are dedicated to restructure our nation, in our image ... leaving out the very essential that made us great in the first place. We have pulled the Christian ethic out, along with the God that has so blessed us.

"One Nation under Obama..."

"In Obama we trust."

Is this the beginning of the Obama nation?

... where God is now past tense and spelled 'god'. A nation where our sovereign God was, but is no more!

In God's view, will we become an abomination?

Which will result in a ... God-damned-nation!

I, for one, fear!

EVIL-CENTRIC

Evil, the deadly disease carried by men, has always been an influence in society. God, His message and messengers have always resisted evil, but it seems, little by little evil is overtaking good.

God is not "in" anymore. His good, love and beauty are out in favor of ugly raw evil.

God's observation; man hates the light of God; he prefers darkness because his deeds are evil. (John 3:19)

Fact! Today evil is in. Look around. It's in for adults, it's in for teens, it's in for kids ... today evil is cool! You see it on tee shirts, bumper stickers, tattoos, concerts, T.V and movies. You literally see evil displayed and in-acted everywhere. Evil proudly and openly swaggers through the streets of every city.

The disease of evil is pandemic!

With a growing number of kids evil and destruction are a sign of courage, with death as the ultimate thrill. Evil's mammal of choice, of course, is the vampire! Talk about twisted minds.

Evil thrives in the environment of violence and anarchy! Evil's two favorite colors are black and red ... the black of darkness and red of blood.

Does there come a time where this fantasy of evil becomes an ugly reality to contend?

If so ... where are the few with the courage to confront this ugly trend?

... ACCORDING TO STATISTICS

Is it just me, or do others see a radical increase in the media use of polls, studies, surveys, and research? It seems these impressive and magic "question-me-not" numbers are everywhere, giving credibility to anything and everything! Wild numbers combined with percentages seem to be flying from every direction; just connect your statement to a "poll" or a "survey" and you have proof positive that your statement is factual.

The media is literally satiated with polls, studies and statistics.

Take a look at these impressive studies, which take thousands of dollars and multiple thousands of hours to complete! Profound questions like ... (*Do men between the age of fifty and seventy have less energy than men between the age of twenty and forty? *Do women actually have higher voices than men? *Are accident's with small cars more deadly than accidents with a larger car? *A recent survey of 5000 mothers indicated that 90% of the mothers surveyed thought that children under the age of four were not qualified to drive a car. Surprising statistics!)

Simple 'common sense' answers most of these profound mysteries ... so why the study? Why the research on senseless questions?

Take a quick look at political polls; many of which are created to give a predictable answer! One poll states one thing while another poll confirms the opposite. Could polls actually be manipulated?

Let's jump to medicine. Surveys and studies flourish in medicines. Heart trouble, joint pain, diabetes start an endless list of diseases and afflictions woven together by authentic statistics. Unfortunately these statistics form a constant flux of contradictions. What are we to believe?

It seems "percentages" of some type make any statement or argument more authoritative and authentic.

By the way, who ever checks on these whipped up statistics? We just glibly swallow them; after all they're in the newspapers and on the evening news.

Media, give us a break, cut down on your senseless studies and manipulated polls. Give us credit for having common sense. We're on to you.

(*Like many statistics, pure fiction.)

CAN'T AFFORD TO DIE

I'm really frustrated, I'm over eighty now, and simply can't afford to die ... it's too expensive!

Some time ago my sister died and I came face to face with the American death business. There's a politically correct way to die and be buried, and of course we all want to die and finish in the correct way. However, rather than a large lavish funeral with all of today's bells and whistles, we wanted to have a small, quiet, inexpensive funeral ... not necessarily a do-it-yourself, backyard thing, but the next step up. That's when I found that an “inexpensive funeral” was an oxymoron.

There is a proper way to die and it must be followed down to the very last dollar. First, of course, there is to be a certificate from the bureaucracy, that assures you, your friends and the State that you are indeed dead, or more politically correct, deceased. The next big step, and major decision ... cremation or burial? Cremation is a more inexpensive option, with some objecting to the heat. Burial, it seems, is the culturally correct way to go.

My sister wanted to be buried and so it was. First to the cemetery to choose a lovely quiet plot, preferably near a shade tree and with a nice view. (The nice funeral director pointed this out to us, especially the view.) He assured us that we got both at a very “reasonable” price. Next, was to choose a lovely, yet functional (and comfortable) casket. And, more importantly, one that would last. This took a lot of thought.

The funeral director was reluctant to let me try out a few of his caskets. (I'm one who likes to try, before I buy; if you know what I mean.) The dollars kept adding up. The big black hearse, and of course the police escort, the room rental, memory book full of names the deceased will never look at, even a cement slab that covers the casket in case of severe rain.

My sister didn't have to do the paperwork or pay the bills, that's the good thing about being the die'ee, you don't have to worry about that silly stuff and ... you get to attended your funeral in absentia.

Yep! I'm over eighty and holding off dying simply because it costs too much! Oh, for an old fashioned backyard funeral and celebration ... two pieces of wood and three nails, now that I can afford.

JIHAD!

Jihad? I've always believed the Muslims when they said they were at war. Jews, Americans, Christians are just their priorities. The Muslims overall quest, as they readily admit, is winning the world to their religion, their way, their god, the god of fire! They're serious about this god given mandate.

Win, or if necessary, conquer! Blood. JIHAD!

The Muslims are serious. The Muslims are devout. Their strategies are many and varied and certainly effective. They're slow and persistent. All Muslims? Not all, but the vast majority of millions upon millions of Muslims are actively or passively engaged in this quest. It is their hope. It's their divine mandate!

We just can't believe this!

The Muslim's most effective approach is similar to a cancer ... find a weak and unsuspecting host and quietly enter. The key word here is "host." Enter these host nations; live and grow sucking life from the host until you ultimately kill it. The freedom and openness of most civilized nations provide a great environment for this barbaric Muslim cancer to thrive. They know it and they're exploiting it. These barbarians are not dumb barbarians!

(Why didn't we catch this deadly cancer in it's early stages? Ask our leaders, they will be held responsible.)

Mr. Obama; trying to negotiate with Muslims is like trying to negotiate with cancer ... There is only one way to deal with a cancer of this type ... but it simply costs too much.

SOLOMAN RENAMES MONOPOLY

As a kid I remember spending hours playing the game of Monopoly with my friends. I don't know which family bought the game, I do know that we were too poor to buy the game. Monopoly, for this poor boy, was fun and addictive. If the dice rolled right and I made the right decisions, I became rich! I remember well the day I was the wealthiest man on the board. I had my fist full of money ... Monopoly money! Then the game ended and reality set in. Instantly the money I had, returned to the worthless paper it always was.

I left the game as poor as I entered.

Monopoly is a lot like the game of life isn't it? Chance and paper in the right combination brings out the greed and makes for the illusion of wealth.

In another sense I wonder if God isn't viewing us from a similar perspective in our pursuit of money and all it can buy. The quest for the good life ... the American dream!

Solomon was honest with us when he called the game "folly."

God calls, our time is up, the games over. We leave just as we entered, with nothing ... and not that much smarter!

Life must be more than a divine roll of the dice.

When man takes God out of the equation, life becomes a meaningless game ... but with terrible consequences.

WANTED: A SOLUTION!

I smile, when I shouldn't smile. I smile at the futility of mans devices; at his confidence in the midst of pending disaster. How arrogant. How foolish man is. How foolish our leaders!

He creates his own problems, which only multiply and then tries to solve these problems which only cause more problems ... and man thinks he's so smart.

As far as technology goes, man comes up with a pretty good grade, A+, but when it comes to living in peace with himself he always comes up with a flat painful failure!

It seems all the physiologists, psychiatrists, philosophers and social workers in our world can't put "humpty-dumpty together again" but still they try.

Humpty-Dumpty has been broken a long time!

The forever failure of trying to legislate morality and mass behavior, especially when there is no consensus on what morality is, afflicts us all. Our legal box of liberty gets smaller and smaller. Our freedoms restricted!

Indeed man gravitates toward doing what's right in his own eyes not necessarily what's right in societies eyes. Laws work pretty well when there's a cop around. We can arrest the law breaker, and simply shuttle the problem away into a postponement camp. Man's solution? More cops. Bigger cops. Better guns. More lawyers. More judges and courts. longer fences. More and larger camps.

Laws made to control man's behavior have never been a solution to the behavioral change of an individual; only a temporary fear of punishment, or death. The key word here is solution. Admittedly there is no man made law that goes to the solution of changing the core of an individuals behavior; it's the heart of man that's the true prompter of his behavior. Common sense says this. God says this. History says this!

It's true that education, example and culture may affect man's behavior but truer still these influences will never change his heart. God calls man's heart evil, and evil it is.

God has the only solution to evil; it's available; it's free.

But man, being man, will continue to willfully and arrogantly bypass God in his "search" for another solution to his dilemma: controlling the effects of man's dark side ... the evil side of mankind.

Got any solutions?

WAR? WHAT WAR?

"Onward Christians soldiers" is a hymn we used to sing in the old days. We don't sing it much anymore. It's no longer popular and it never was politically correct. Not the best subject either; war was never popular in Christian circles. The hymn uses too many controversial words, words like ... Soldier? Christian? Onward? War? Battle? Enemy? The hymn implies we're in a war with an enemy. The old hymn also implies the wrong direction; forward. Today we're into "Retreats" more than victories ... and the way I see it, there can be no victory with out a struggle. Forward into battle? No wonder the hymn isn't sung much anymore. Better by far to ignore the enemy than confront him ... right?

By the way, we're having another "retreat" ... next weekend.

TEACHERS WHO MOLEST AND RAPE THEIR STUDENTS

For years liberal and progressive teachers have infiltrated our schools; colleges and universities becoming full of tenured liabilities. I've always thought that a teacher was hired to teach her subject not her bias. A true teacher is there to motivate students to learn, and in that environment, educate her students not indoctrinate them. A teacher indoctrinating students with her particular political philosophies, life philosophies or even religious convictions is simply wrong. Let all hired public school teachers keep to their given subject and teach it well. The true teacher's goal should be motivating and teaching ... not tenure.

Remember teachers, you have the bully platform! You influence the lives of your students; every teacher should carry this responsibility honestly and responsibly.

Exploiting the minds of young idealistic students and molesting their minds in the name of education should be high crime. No true teacher with integrity would do such a thing!

Publish Post

In high school, years ago, I had an old tenured teacher who would take our class period each day to preach his communistic philosophy. He would spin his lessons in History class with communistic thought. He was just one of many diseased teachers in the California School system. A teacher who should have been fired, but this was California and progressive California likes teachers like that.

I don't have children; if I did I would home teach or move out of California.

Years ago San Francisco was just a progressive city in California; it has now become California! When will it become our nation?

Parents, and the church have the right and responsibility of teaching and influencing their children in the area of morals, ethics, and character, and integrity along with religious and political views.

There should be some outrage! Don't molest my children; physically or intellectually! Indoctrination has no part in our public schools.

We need more intelligent kids and less confused ones!

SOME CHRISTIANS ARE FOOLS

Years ago I was visiting a Wycliffe tribal missionary in the jungles of Bolivia working with his tribe. This handful of Indians were the remnant of large tribe; a man several wives and his large family were all that were left. This missionary was willing to invest five to ten years living in the jungle with his family to bring the Gospel to these few people.

The nationals saw them as a group of dirty thieves.

In speaking one day here in the U.S, I brought this example up as an illustration of dedication and commitment. Later a friend of mine pulled me aside to give me his take on this missionary. My friend was a "mature" Christian, intelligent, wealthy ... and an engineer. He was logical and pragmatic in his perspective ... so his response was as follows

"Von, why does this missionary invest his time and our money on so few people? It would make more sense to become a pastor of a church here, that way he could work with a hundred, two hundred or three hundred people. His so called investment just doesn't make sense."

Most of us Christians claim that even if we were the only sinner on earth, Christ would have willingly sacrificed His life for us. We're satisfied with that pious answer. Yet this missionary willing to invest his life in this handful of primitive people to give them the Gospel, an education, medical help ... well, it doesn't make sense.

Or does it?

Our missionary brother was called to do God's will and that's what he was doing in the middle of the hot humid jungle.

Indeed God's ways are not our ways. God's thoughts are not our thoughts. Isaiah writes it this way. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah. 55:9)

... and God is not willing that any should perish! (II Peter 3:9)

Ahh secular Christians, making their hasty judgments based on bang for the buck!

OUR HUNGER FOR HIGH!

We're a nation of rich pampered and unhappy people. Oh, we have our poor, that's true, but our "poor" is not the "poor" we find in Haiti, India or Africa. That poor is real poor.

We rich North Americans have become not only unhappy but unhealthy too.

Unhealthy? I'm not talking food or height to weight ratio here but a more accurate yet invisible standard; I'm talking pharmacy here. I'm talking pills, capsules, sprays, ointments, vitamins. There's over the counter medicine for the "do it yourself" crew and behind the counter medicine for the doctor's more "impatient patients". Pharmaceuticals; literally a ton of variety packed on a growing variety of shelving. Each little bottle jar or box offering no solution, simply a promise of symptomatic relief for pain or discomfort. Relief in a matter of minutes! Ahh ...

In my day the little old drug stores of the past were more limited. There weren't many of them in the town or city. Over the counter medicines offered little more than a bottle of aspirin and behind the counter and the man in white, were the syringes and pills. We simply took pain and discomfort as a part of life. Sounds strange doesn't it?

We got hooked on Coke ... Coca-Cola early. Our nations first true addiction.

Today we want to feel good. Our healthy and natural endorphins are no longer enough, we want to push it! This attitude makes a candidate ... for addiction.

We want a legitimate high. We expect it ... it's our right as Americans to be "happy and high". In fact what makes the whole thing so dangerous is that we, as a people, have addicted ourselves to "high and happy". We are searching for a "high and happy" that is as elusive as the treasure at the end of a beautiful rainbow.

Still, we search the shelves ... looking for high!

We have let ourselves and our children become candidates for a "high" and "happy" lifestyle that doesn't exist.