Nancy and Naomi

A friend sent a link to a testimonial video - a series of photographs - that tell an amazing death and life story of a mother and newborn baby.

I hope you will take a few minutes to watch the video and then read the message directly below it. Click here to watch the video.
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Anything I Can Do

I was just listening to the song "Is There Anything I Can Do?" by Jeff and Sheri Easter and thinking, this should be one of the major themes of life, whether a person is a Christian or a non-Christian.

Some needs only a close friend can fill, but sometimes God will send a stranger to help you through. So, whether your friend needs a hand or a stranger needs a friend .... is there anything you can do?

Click here to listen to the song.

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Inasmuch, Sue

Billie Sue Edwards Bates – January 2, 1943 – October 13, 2007

Sue Bates died early Saturday morning. She will be buried next to her husband Ron (click here to read "Inasmuch, Ron") who died in late July of this year, in the village of Goloshei, Romania.

"Missionary, wife, mother to four sons, 'Mama Sue' to hundreds of God’s poor young lambs, Sue Bates came to Romania seventeen years ago with her husband, Ron Bates. Through the years the service of Ron and Sue Bates included a preaching ministry to Rroma (Gypsy) churches, printing the Braille Bible for the Romanian Blind Society and for Russian Christians, funding basic medical services for the needy, distributing gifts from European and North American Christians to churches, schools and the homeless, and overseeing homes for almost one hundred single mothers and street orphans. Her and her husband’s ministry always sought to live out Jesus’ command in Matthew 25:40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. " (Quoted from the October 14, 2007 Inasmuch newsletter.)

You can read more about their ministry at Inasmuch. The newsletter will undoubtedly be posted on the website soon.

Sue and Ron left a wonderful legacy of love behind. And surely those they ministered to will pick up the mantle and carry on.

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Dunderhead Award 1

In case you don’t know what a dunderhead is, keep reading and you will figure it out.

I created this award after learning Stone Mountain Park in Georgia was building Coca Cola Stone Mountain. This is nothing more than a great mountain of snow – in 80 degree weather, no less. The state has just endured a summer of tough watering restrictions because of drought conditions in the state.

And to thoroughly insult those who have faithfully followed the state and individual county rules, this project began on the day Governor Sonny Perdue declared October “Take a Shorter Shower” month. Yes, folks, as Atlanta area residents were asked not to flush toilets unless necessary, a tourist attraction was busy creating snow from the dwindling supply of public water.

No, we haven’t been able to wash our cars in our driveway or bathe our dogs outside all summer, but this resort turned on their snow-making equipment, fully intending to squander 1,231,200 gallons of precious water per month to make snow. Supposedly, this is the equivalent of 106,138 showers. (I assume this figure was arrived at prior to the shorter shower announcement.)

Have you figured out what a dunderhead is yet?

Fortunately, when this story hit the news, there was such a public outcry, the snow mountain project has hit an ice boulder and crashed.

The reason given as their basis for stealing shower water from the public is they thought they were covered under an exception to the law. Namely, making snow was an essential part of their daily business. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division states otherwise. They are in violation of the law.

Stone Mountain Park has its own lake to draw water from. There was no need to filch precious public water.

I’m certain, if you didn’t previously know what a dunderhead is, you have figured it out by now. If you want to confirm your definition, click here.

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Vick Visits PETA

I am not a big PETA fan, but a friend forwarded a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) newsletter today in which PETA claims Michael Vick not only visited them but returned to take an “8-hour course in empathy and animal protection.” And he returned again to take the test. (I assume he passed the exam.)

Now, according to PETA, this does not change its stance on Vick doing jail time, nor its stance on wanting Vick barred from ever having contact with or owning another animal.

If this is true, is Vick sincere? I can no more answer that than I could whether his apology was truly sincere. To be honest, it did not appear to be, but I don’t know his heart. However, if Vick is honest and he has actually never been exposed before to animal sensitivity teachings or educated as to how and why animals should not be abused, this missing link in his education points toward the necessity of educating children at home and in school while they are young.

The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has educational materials specifically for educating children on humane treatment of animals.

The number of animal torture and killing cases involving young children is rapidly growing. Children ordinarily love animals. For any child to abuse any animal is abhorrent and abnormal.

Children need to be educated in animal etiquette. The time to start teaching them is before they begin to act out their aggressions and fears on helpless animals. Unfortunately, in far too many cases, they are taking out the physical and psychological abuse they are receiving at the hands of trusted parents, other adults or their own peers on trusting animals.
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