My heart is blessed this morning as I read the story of the really pre-mature baby, Ameillia, being able to come home this week.  Here was a baby that spent less than 22 weeks in her mother's womb before she was delivered -- the normal gestation is 37-40 weeks.  She is the tiniest baby to survive, weighing at birth at 10 oz.  Now, (Rejoice!) she is going to her home with her parents.  The doctor is even quoted as saying that they did not give the baby much hope -- but I declare that nothing is too difficult for our awesome life-creating, life-sustaining God!  Her life has a plan and purpose (see Psalm 139).
   Also, I was reading this morning on AlbertMohler.com the article in the recent TIME magazine about crisis pregnancy centers and the lives they are saving.  Great stuff!  To God be the glory!
  The battle to save innocent lives wages on, but we are thankful for victories.

    I guess the situation is an old one:  bad news sales.  Everyday we are bombarded with bad news from all around the world.  There are health crisises, there are killer weather systems, there is war, there is raping and stealing, there is murder, there is AIDS in Africa, there are random acts of violence, there is loss of life.  All of these things grab us.  I don't know exactly how, but I am sure that all of this is bound to have an affect on us as human beings.  Stress is a killer, and there is lots of stress in our wolrd and on our TV and on the internet.  I have had friends that did not own TVs, took no newspaper, and I am not sure of their time spent on the internet -- but they seemed a lot less stressed out.  Oh, I know, we'll say "yeah, they are also uninformed idiots."  Oh really.  Uninformed about what?  Life and how to live it with peace and joy?
   The church that I attend is not large, but there are lots of large hearts there.  There are men and women in my church that are engaged daily in random acts of kindness --- of course these things are never reported, and we seldom comment on them.  In fact, some go so far as to completely follow the Biblical admonition and do not even let their left hand know what their right hand is doing, much less advertising their good deeds to others.  But I am proud of them, I appreciate them, and love them and am inspired by their unselfishness.
   I guess what I really want to say today is that we must never lose sight that we are to be overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21).  Let this begin right where we are and who we are with; in our conversations, may they be encouraging not the opposite.  May we think on those things that are noble and good and praiseworthy (see Philippians 4:8). 
   Lent is approaching, and though I am not a "liturgical" Christian, perhaps we (me) would consider a news fast.  I wonder what it would do for us?  Can you even imagine not watching the TV news channels, not reading the newspaper, not reading the news websites?  Where would we go, what would we talk about, how could we live?  Perhaps THAT is why we need to go on a news fast.  For a Christian, isn't Christ enough?

    The headlines this morning are quite frightening, but tragically not surprising.  The news that a calm, cool, collected teenager walked into a crowded shopping mall and opened fire, killing at random five people and wounding others should not surprise us so much. 
   Think of the movies, the TV shows, the video games, the books and internet websites, the music  this kid has probably seen and "enjoyed" in his lifetime.  We tolerate violence, make it a "game" of all things and then squeal when an unstable person begins to live it out.  We cannot expect good things from bad things.  We cannot expect peace and love when we ignore the Prince of Peace and do not do what He says.
   Obviously I do not know the shooter, or his parents, or anything about his upbringing, but I venture to say that the above mentioned "media" were a part of his life.
   When will we wake up?  Will we wake up?  Will we be shocked for a while, shake our heads in disbelief, and then continue gliding along the path that leads to destruction?  What will we do?  Who in our family has to be killed before we do anything? 

This weekend saw a lot of buzz surrounding the presidential election of 2008.  On the reublican side of things, the speech by Rudy G. in CA was indicative of things to come from "the nation's mayor."  It seems that he is drawing rock star-like treatment from nearly everyone.  I think he will soften somewhat on his social stands -- not flip-flop, but soften, and he will be a REAL contender.  I think the nation looks at him as a leader, under crisis and our nation is in a crisis.  People say all they want to say about what is the main issue with voters -- Iraq war, economy, health-care -- but the main thing is I believe national security.  We want a leader who will put the safety and welfare of our children, homes and communities first.  Rudy may fit that bill.  He is an outsider (not from Washington, like MCain who comes from the US Senate which has not a good record of producing presidential winners), he is likable yet firm.  Plus, if he can survive the primaries and get the nomination (inspite of my friend and brother James Dobson) I think he can defeat a liberal democrat -- be it Hillary or Osama, I mean Obama.
   Which takes me to the democratic side of things.  Obama announced his intentions on Saturday.  It is frightening to see the absolute gushing from the national media for this guy.  I think they feel like Joe Biden said.  Here is a minority candidate who sounds good.  Whether he will be good or is good is another matter altogether.  I really think he will get further than Hillary and end up with the nomination -- barring a major scandal that the Clinton camp will try to bring up to destroy his chances.  Which takes me to Mrs. Clinton.  I think she comes across as divisive and calculating.  She is the ultimate insider.  People will be  looking for the fresh approach of Obama, and he will win over Clinton.
   In the genral election, I will predict (and this is all subject to change, perhaps daily between now and Nov. 2008) that Rudy will take on Obama; it will be close, but I think America will elect Rudy.  

This morning, and all PM long yesterday, the news story of the moment is the death of Anna Nicole Smith.  The former Playboy Bunny, top model, TV & media "star", troubled soul, lost her life yesterday in a hotel room in Florida.  As one thinks about this sad story, one should be touched at the sadness of her life.  She was seemingly exploited based on her looks, she battled drugs and excess, she obviously had trouble finding a suitable mate, she buried a husband and a son, and on and on.  Now what is left is a big court case involving the estate of her late billionaire husband, and a tiny, innocent little baby girl who does not have a mother and no one seems to be sure who her father may be, and the press to pick through it all to feed our insatible appetites for tragedy and loss.  What a sad state of affairs.
   As I think of Anna Nicole Smith I think again of the Scripture verse, "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul?"  So said Jesus Christ in Matthew 16:26.  Anna Nicole seemed to have "everything" that the world says you need to have -- looks, money and fame.  Yet in the end she had what?  Nothing to live for; her soul was empty and as I think will be revealed in the autopsy report, she wanted to die and overdosed. How tragic.  But, this happens all around us all the time with neighbors right in our own towns.  Of course the media doesn't cover it, but there are multitudes of such lost souls.  The answer has been given to us, life has presented itself, "For God so loved the world (the Anna Nicole Smiths, the Kurt Cobains, the neighbor beside us, you and me) . . ."  Jesus says "I am the the way, the truth and the LIFE" (John 14:6); He came to give life, abundant life, whereas the enemy (the devil) comes only to kill and destroy. 
   I pray that we will get serious about spreading the message of hope and life to a world that is plunging into darkness. 
   May we lift up a prayer for the little orphan in this sad case, may we lift up our neighbors in prayer, may we pray for one another.

 May I begin this article with the stated fact that I have never met personally Ted Haggard, the man who recently was caught in an immoral "relationship" with a homosexual man, an ongoing relationship that was over several years, and left the "mega-church" he founded.  I have not met him, talked with him, or even ever heard him deliver a message.
  With that said, what I do know is what I see and read.  I see pictures of Ted Haggard and he is always grinning a toothy grin.  Even when the TV cameras caught up with him the weekend the story broke in Colorado, in the car with his wife and family, he was grinning as he spoke.  My question is, where is the brokenness?  Where is the contrition over the sin that he is guilty of against a holy and righteous God?  Where are the tears for the lives he has mis-led, and the hearts he has broken?  What about the hypocrisy that he has lived with for years?
   The other day, blaring across the headlines of AOL, were the big bold words in quotation marks, "Completely Heterosexual" and a picture of the grinning Haggard. (To his defense, perhaps that picture was taken before fall.)  I thought as I looked at the story, I have to quickly get out of this before my 6 yeard old son who was sitting beside me asked me what "heterosexual" meant and why was that man saying that.  It is then that my heart began to break.  Where are the men of God today?  Where are the holy men of God?  Where are the Godly leaders and pastors?  Oh, what an affront to our holy God that this is even a headline in the world's news.
   As I read the solemn words of our Savior in Matthew 7:21-23 -- there will be many tragic surprises on the Day of Judgement.
   May God help us and break us over the wickedness that we toy with and joke about and tolerate.  May His people be holy people, walking as Christ walked.  When we toy with sin, may we think of our groaning Lord on the cross, suffering and bleeding because of that sin. 

May we not ever grin at sin.

This morning when I received my headlines for the day from the NYT, the first thing mentioned was the fact the Senate had not been able to even have debate on a resolution on the Iraq war.  Dingy Harry was all out of sorts, saying the possibilites for such were over.  I am gald that that is true.  Our soldiers and their families do not not need such a resolution to be passed.  What is sickening is the polticalization of the entire matter (see John Edwards' flip-flop and all the others).  At least Osama Obama has been opposed from the get-go,; he has the only credible leg to stand on in the Democratic party - at least among those running for POTUS.
   But as the headline was what it was, I began to think, "Who is going to get blamed for this?"  Of course the Republicans will be seen as "obstructionists", but I think it is an indictment on Democratic leadership, or lack thereof.  Criticizing the Iraq war and the decisions of the White House is very hot right now, and to think they couldn't get a "symbolic" resolution passed because of "procedural knots" is just bad leadership of the majority. 
   What is really good about all this, besides the fact that such a "surrender" resolution didn't get through, is that all of the anti-American crowd lost again.  I know they should feel humiliated and let down by their "leaders" in the US Senate.
   Now we will watch the House do their thing on this matter.  I think already that America has lost respect for the Reps. there -- not that we had a lot before now.  I think Americans realize that the power-hungry, money-hungry, crooked, say-anything to get re-elected, politicians CANNOT solve our problems, much less the situation in Iraq.
   Oh, my dear friends, please pray for leadership, statesmanship to rise in this country.  Pray for mercy from our Father and may He see fit to save us as a people.

Last night, while flipping around the TV (afterall, the Super Bowl was not going exactly as I desired) I came across "Meet The Press" with Tim Russert.  His guest was former NC Senator, John Edwards.  I live in the state of NC and have with interest watched the rise of Edwards.  As Russert quizzed the former ambulance -chasing trial lawyer, who amassed his fortune off of other folks' pain and suffering, on the Iraq war I came to the conclusion:  this is certrainly not the man for the job of POTUS.  Whatever one may think of his social stands (liberal) his weakness is clearly foreign policy.  He spoke of the "political solution" that was neccessary.  My thoughts were, "How do you bring these radical islamists to a peace negogiation?"  You simply don't.  These people do not understand peace and civility; they understand fighting and war and chaos.  America must be tough, strong and resolved; we need a leader with a clear grasp of the truth, not wishful thinking.  I am not yet certain as to who that leader will be, hopefully and prayerfully they will rise up, that God will raise them up for the sake of civilization.  However, one thing I am certain about -- the former Tar Heel senator is NOT that man.

The news today is that "we" are to blame for the "fact" of global warming.  Yes, we the people, in particular I am sure, we the greedy, imperialists United States citizens are the ones at fault for the destruction of the environment.  Well, let us think about that for a moment.

Obviously our Creator, God, has given mankind stweardship of the earth (see Genesis 1-10).  Now, I agree, should we take the stewardship of the resources our gracious Father has given us more seriously?  Absolutely.  We have not been the best stewards, and as we mentioned in the last post, we will have to give an account one day.  Should we try harder?  Yes.  Can we do better?  Yes.

However, as I hear on the news (alternative sources) the science is somewhat sketchy, and sadly in the P.C. world that is university-ism and research-ism, for a scientist to even suggest that "we" have not infact destroyed the earth is blasphemey. 

The political angle on the global wearming issue cannot be overlooked.  Liberals HATE oil companies -- even though they too drive big SUVs, heat and cool their mcmansions comfortably, and so forth.  However, the "crisis" is a chance for big momma government to jump in and dictate to everyone what "we" must do in light of the "concensus" among scientists.  Raise taxes, increase regulation and control, take away freedom - forcibly - from consumers because the "elite" knows best. 

Should we care about our environment?  Yes, we have a divine command to manage well. Should we fall for the ploys of wrong-headed polticians and the "elite"?  Beware, beware, beware.

I was wondering as I read the remarks made by Senator Joe Biden about Obama, what if a Republican senator, say a Trent Lott, would have said the same?

What would Jackson, Sharpton, et al . . . the NYT, CNN, Oberman, et al . . .  be saying tonight?

What he said was horrible.  What scares me me is that I don't think it would have come out of his mouth if it had not been in his heart -- "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts . . ." So says our Maker.  The privileged senator from Delaware probably really feels this way; his constituents have been duped by his charm, and he casts the right votes to be re-elected over and over and appreciated by the above said media.  What he spoke reveals deeper, heart issues.

Will the "drive-by media" hold the senator accountable and call him to task?  Come on, we know the answer to that question.  Will Sharpton & Jackson and the others call the senator to task? Not at all likely.

Will the senator's God and Judge call for an accounting?  Definitely.  I pray for the senator's sake that when that Day arrives, that he will be washed "clean."