One sunny day in late January 2013 an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Obama."
The Marine looked at the man and said, "Sir, Mr. Obama is no longer president and no longer resides here."
The old man said, "Okay," and walked away.
The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Obama."
The Marine again told the man, "Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Obama is no longer president and no longer resides here."
The man thanked him and, again, just walked away.
The third day, the same man once again approached the White House and spoke to the same U.S. Marine, saying, "I would like to go in and meet with President Obama."
The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have come here asking to speak to Mr. Obama. I've told you already that Mr. Obama is no longer the president and no longer resides here. Don't you understand?"
The old man looked at the Marine and said, "Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it."
The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, "See you tomorrow, sir."
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Trusting God
There comes a time when a person who espouses certain points of view will have the opportunity to live his words, or be shown a blow wind. In the past, I have stated my objection to the health care program. No, you didn’t miss the blog. My objections were raised in person.
Since many of you, my readers, were not present to hear them, let me repeat the objection: the government is doing the job of the Church. People are turning to the government instead of turning to God. And the Church is OK with this! (How sick is that?!)
Now the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or Public Access is in trouble, and is being abused by people who should not be on it. I know, for I was on it, myself and my family.
It was shameful really. I was paid little enough that the State could take care of my family and I. It was shameful that another area preacher was told that our comparable pay will allow him, too, to qualify for Public Assistance. So when I was allowed to find extra employment, I was grateful to be off the public dole. (Working as I did for the State, I was still on the public dole. You don’t need to point this out to me.)
Then I was dismissed from my extra employment. And I was forced back onto the public dole. It helped in that my medication was cheaper. My tests were cheaper. My exams were cheaper. But I was a good leech. I didn’t see the doctor for just any ole thing. It had to be real, like cellulitis, or broken leg, or lots and lots of blood and pain before anyone in the family went to see the ER.
We were due for renewal back in February of this year. I was already bothered by the finer oversight into my financial solvency. So when it looked like we were going to be moving to another state entirely, we let ourselves fall off the public dole. Let me tell you, I was no longer preaching hypocrisy. Even though the move did not happen, we were still free from the micro-management of the government into our daily lives.
Then it happened. My oldest found a can of oven cleaner. It was mostly crushed, but not punctured. It was not ours, for we have a self-cleaning oven. So it either fell off the trash truck or was discarded by a neighbor.
Well my boy was curious. He took a garden tine (tool used to breaking up tough soils), and punctured the can. You bet!
His face was sprayed with the caustic cleanser. Carol called me while I was visiting with a member of the church. I knew I had to race home. I found the boy in the shower. He wasn’t sure why he was there, but the pain was starting to set in. Momma got him dressed quickly and I drove even quicker to the hospital to help minimize damage, and receive quick treatment.
By the time the hospital got him into triage, his face didn’t look burned but bruised. They wanted to do a CT scan to make sure his facial bones weren’t crushed. Being the dutiful papa that I am, I gave consent.
Now comes the lady from admittance. What insurance does he have? “Sorry, Miss. We don’t have insurance. We pay cash.”
My heart sank at this. I knew that we didn’t have the funds for this. But days before, I finished my web-prank and object lesson. You might remember it, “Cold, Hard Cash”. My conclusion was to ask you, my readers, who do you trust? Are we not supposed to trust the Father in Heaven? Absolutely!
But I was at a cross-road. For 15 minutes, I sat holding a form that would give me emergency coverage in the AHCCCS. Do I? Should I? What have I been fighting for? Then the radiology tech came into the bay to take my son for the CT scan. I went with him.
What I saw as he scanned my boy is amazing. But that is for another blog. The bottom line is that it is worth every penny that the hospital is charging me.
Oh yes. I decided when we returned to the bed in the ER Bay, I crossed off the pertinent information and then put the form in the bio-hazard trash. I understand that gets burned. At least there is no dumpster diving thru that stuff. And my boy? He just had facial burns. Praise God that nothing got into his respiratory, his ears or eyes. He is now fine.
But I remembered that lesson. Who do I trust? I am taking a step of faith once again. I am going to trust God with this medical bill. I know that He will provide through His children.
Now let me be clear. I am not asking for money from you. Nor am I saying that if you do not give to me, you are not one of God’s Children. I am stating that God will provide the funds for this. And all that He gives to me above my need, I shall pass to another family’s medical bill of recent.
Here is what I AM ASKING OF YOU: I am asking that you join me in prayer about this. I need your prayers more than anything else. I can see my parents and others close to me telling me how foolish I was to disregard the insurance, even if it is public. God will be glorified through this.
And another result will happen. God will be glorified. The critics will behold His power and wonder. And finally, a goal that I have pushed in the past and still do, will become known. That is that the Church will once again take the mantle for providing for people in need.
Did you know before the Depression, people needing help with food, rent, doctor bills, what have you, would turn to God’s Church for help? Then along came the Federal Government wanting to assist the Church in providing help to those in need.
During WWII, people turned more and more to the Fed. Within a few short years, by and large, people had stopped turning first to the Church for help.
By 1974, Arizona became the last State to develop a “Department of Economic Security”, the system was fully incorporated so that the Church was no longer needed. Fully incorporated in that all the States could now meet the needs. Today, sadly, the Church does not seem able to meet these needs.
It is high time that the Church stop allowing the Government to be the help in the times of need. It is high time that the Church resumes being ambassadors of God’s Love. For this, for my needs I ask for your prayers. And together, let’s lift up His Name, giving glory to God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Thanks for sharing with me from the trail… smh.
Since many of you, my readers, were not present to hear them, let me repeat the objection: the government is doing the job of the Church. People are turning to the government instead of turning to God. And the Church is OK with this! (How sick is that?!)
Now the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or Public Access is in trouble, and is being abused by people who should not be on it. I know, for I was on it, myself and my family.
It was shameful really. I was paid little enough that the State could take care of my family and I. It was shameful that another area preacher was told that our comparable pay will allow him, too, to qualify for Public Assistance. So when I was allowed to find extra employment, I was grateful to be off the public dole. (Working as I did for the State, I was still on the public dole. You don’t need to point this out to me.)
Then I was dismissed from my extra employment. And I was forced back onto the public dole. It helped in that my medication was cheaper. My tests were cheaper. My exams were cheaper. But I was a good leech. I didn’t see the doctor for just any ole thing. It had to be real, like cellulitis, or broken leg, or lots and lots of blood and pain before anyone in the family went to see the ER.
We were due for renewal back in February of this year. I was already bothered by the finer oversight into my financial solvency. So when it looked like we were going to be moving to another state entirely, we let ourselves fall off the public dole. Let me tell you, I was no longer preaching hypocrisy. Even though the move did not happen, we were still free from the micro-management of the government into our daily lives.
Then it happened. My oldest found a can of oven cleaner. It was mostly crushed, but not punctured. It was not ours, for we have a self-cleaning oven. So it either fell off the trash truck or was discarded by a neighbor.
Well my boy was curious. He took a garden tine (tool used to breaking up tough soils), and punctured the can. You bet!
His face was sprayed with the caustic cleanser. Carol called me while I was visiting with a member of the church. I knew I had to race home. I found the boy in the shower. He wasn’t sure why he was there, but the pain was starting to set in. Momma got him dressed quickly and I drove even quicker to the hospital to help minimize damage, and receive quick treatment.
By the time the hospital got him into triage, his face didn’t look burned but bruised. They wanted to do a CT scan to make sure his facial bones weren’t crushed. Being the dutiful papa that I am, I gave consent.
Now comes the lady from admittance. What insurance does he have? “Sorry, Miss. We don’t have insurance. We pay cash.”
My heart sank at this. I knew that we didn’t have the funds for this. But days before, I finished my web-prank and object lesson. You might remember it, “Cold, Hard Cash”. My conclusion was to ask you, my readers, who do you trust? Are we not supposed to trust the Father in Heaven? Absolutely!
But I was at a cross-road. For 15 minutes, I sat holding a form that would give me emergency coverage in the AHCCCS. Do I? Should I? What have I been fighting for? Then the radiology tech came into the bay to take my son for the CT scan. I went with him.
What I saw as he scanned my boy is amazing. But that is for another blog. The bottom line is that it is worth every penny that the hospital is charging me.
Oh yes. I decided when we returned to the bed in the ER Bay, I crossed off the pertinent information and then put the form in the bio-hazard trash. I understand that gets burned. At least there is no dumpster diving thru that stuff. And my boy? He just had facial burns. Praise God that nothing got into his respiratory, his ears or eyes. He is now fine.
But I remembered that lesson. Who do I trust? I am taking a step of faith once again. I am going to trust God with this medical bill. I know that He will provide through His children.
Now let me be clear. I am not asking for money from you. Nor am I saying that if you do not give to me, you are not one of God’s Children. I am stating that God will provide the funds for this. And all that He gives to me above my need, I shall pass to another family’s medical bill of recent.
Here is what I AM ASKING OF YOU: I am asking that you join me in prayer about this. I need your prayers more than anything else. I can see my parents and others close to me telling me how foolish I was to disregard the insurance, even if it is public. God will be glorified through this.
And another result will happen. God will be glorified. The critics will behold His power and wonder. And finally, a goal that I have pushed in the past and still do, will become known. That is that the Church will once again take the mantle for providing for people in need.
Did you know before the Depression, people needing help with food, rent, doctor bills, what have you, would turn to God’s Church for help? Then along came the Federal Government wanting to assist the Church in providing help to those in need.
During WWII, people turned more and more to the Fed. Within a few short years, by and large, people had stopped turning first to the Church for help.
By 1974, Arizona became the last State to develop a “Department of Economic Security”, the system was fully incorporated so that the Church was no longer needed. Fully incorporated in that all the States could now meet the needs. Today, sadly, the Church does not seem able to meet these needs.
It is high time that the Church stop allowing the Government to be the help in the times of need. It is high time that the Church resumes being ambassadors of God’s Love. For this, for my needs I ask for your prayers. And together, let’s lift up His Name, giving glory to God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Thanks for sharing with me from the trail… smh.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
National Day of Prayer Is Unconstitutional
Yup, that is correct. The Courts have deemed the National Day of Prayer is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. OK, maybe that is not really news. It has been 2 weeks since this was all over the web. And only now am I getting around to commenting on this event. Why am I so tardy?
There are a couple of reasons for my tardiness. The first is that this was so explosive 2 weeks ago; I didn't want my comments to be buried. The second reason is that the National Day of Prayer is next Thursday.
So the National Day of Prayer is ruled unconstitutional. It is interesting. The ruling did not surprise, nor upset me. When we live in a governmental system that is increasingly separating us from our Christian founding, then one should expect to see such actions. (This judge also lives in the same state that says, “Spare the rod, love the child.”)
So what should our response be to this? For one, there is an element of shock when Obama administration promises to appeal this. But then that is another blog thought, not for this one.
Let's consider the article itself. The link is from the USA Today. Here is the first: “Congress established the day in 1952 and in 1988 set the first Thursday in May as the day for presidents to issue proclamations asking Americans to pray.”
So the President is to ask for Americans to pray. Now one must ask the question, are we not praying the rest of the year? As Christians, are we not to be praying all the time? (Consider 1 Thessalonians 5.17: “Pray without ceasing.”)
There is also the part that the article suggests that the president asks the American People to pray. Yet do we need the blessings of the President, Congress or even a Judge to pray to our Heavenly Father? Of course not.
And yet, there is a lesson here. Though there are those in the society who will love to deny public recognition of our religious origins, the judge who writes against this day, calling it unconstitutional says something that is very true of Christian Prayer to our Heavenly Father. She wrote, “In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual's decision whether and when to pray.”
I am not sure whether or not she is a Christian. But she certainly understands the power we as Christians have in prayer. How often do we say, “I wish I could do more than pray for you”? Jesus showed us the power of prayer with the fig tree in Matthew 21.
Through prayer I have seen a mountain move for a church. Through prayer I have seen a stroke victim come out unscathed. Through prayer, I have seen a holey heart turned new. I have seen hardened hearts melt. I have seen God’s hand move mightily.
Yet it took a non-Christian point of view to remind us about this lesson. And for the other question about laws against prayer? It would not be the first time a child of God was told to not pray to God, if this indeed leads to that. Consider Daniel 6. If our government does make a law that goes against the Word of the Lord Almighty, then let us follow Daniel’s example.
Thanks for sharing with me from the trail… smh
There are a couple of reasons for my tardiness. The first is that this was so explosive 2 weeks ago; I didn't want my comments to be buried. The second reason is that the National Day of Prayer is next Thursday.
So the National Day of Prayer is ruled unconstitutional. It is interesting. The ruling did not surprise, nor upset me. When we live in a governmental system that is increasingly separating us from our Christian founding, then one should expect to see such actions. (This judge also lives in the same state that says, “Spare the rod, love the child.”)
So what should our response be to this? For one, there is an element of shock when Obama administration promises to appeal this. But then that is another blog thought, not for this one.
Let's consider the article itself. The link is from the USA Today. Here is the first: “Congress established the day in 1952 and in 1988 set the first Thursday in May as the day for presidents to issue proclamations asking Americans to pray.”
So the President is to ask for Americans to pray. Now one must ask the question, are we not praying the rest of the year? As Christians, are we not to be praying all the time? (Consider 1 Thessalonians 5.17: “Pray without ceasing.”)
There is also the part that the article suggests that the president asks the American People to pray. Yet do we need the blessings of the President, Congress or even a Judge to pray to our Heavenly Father? Of course not.
And yet, there is a lesson here. Though there are those in the society who will love to deny public recognition of our religious origins, the judge who writes against this day, calling it unconstitutional says something that is very true of Christian Prayer to our Heavenly Father. She wrote, “In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual's decision whether and when to pray.”
I am not sure whether or not she is a Christian. But she certainly understands the power we as Christians have in prayer. How often do we say, “I wish I could do more than pray for you”? Jesus showed us the power of prayer with the fig tree in Matthew 21.
Through prayer I have seen a mountain move for a church. Through prayer I have seen a stroke victim come out unscathed. Through prayer, I have seen a holey heart turned new. I have seen hardened hearts melt. I have seen God’s hand move mightily.
Yet it took a non-Christian point of view to remind us about this lesson. And for the other question about laws against prayer? It would not be the first time a child of God was told to not pray to God, if this indeed leads to that. Consider Daniel 6. If our government does make a law that goes against the Word of the Lord Almighty, then let us follow Daniel’s example.
Thanks for sharing with me from the trail… smh
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