Don't Hold Back - Tell Us How You Really Feel

During this past week, there was a reception held at the UN where an exhibition was opened commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camps. The Arab delegation was most notably absent. Isn't that special?

Stumbling Block For Mideast Peace

Boy, just when you thought things were getting peaceful between Israel and Palestine. I mean, after all, Sharon and Abbas have been talking tough about peace, and there haven't been a whole of shootings and incursions and the usual gratuitous violence we're used to.

And then come the local elections in Gaza, where the militant group Hamas has gained control of seven out of the councils. This may prove to be a substantial political challenge to the newly elected president, Mahmoud Abbas. But it's okay, because they're democratically-elected terrorists.

Keep watch, my brethren. Keep watch.

Idiocracy in Action: The City of Phoenix

This past week was a prime example of an idiocracy in action. On Tuesday this past week, the 1.4 million residents of Phoenix were informed on the morning news that they needed to boil their water and were advised not to drink it, especially if it was cloudy (hey, I'm not going to drink it anyway if it looks anything but crystal clear). It was suggested that those most susceptible to illness (the very young, the elderly, etc.) should refrain from drinking the tap water altogether. Just within the City of Phoenix? Yes. Oh, and some residents in Tolleson and Paradise Valley (that wasn't real clear in the original news release).

The problem, it turns out, was that there was excess sediment flowing into one of the treatment plants (in Mesa!) as a result from heavy runoff from recent storms. This caused the sediment level to rise to 2.1 parts per billion, over twice the Federal standard of 1 part per billion. Whoopee! I'm sure this water would have been welcomed in Indonesia. Even at the "unsafe" levels, your odds of getting hit by lightning were much, much greater than getting sick from this water.

Unlike the water, very little was real clear in the news releases. There was near panic here in the Valley, whether you were a resident of Phoenix proper or not. There were no clear cut guidelines for residents and businesses to follow. All they said was don't drink the water or brush your teeth in it until you've boiled it. Period.

It is amazing how this was interpreted across the Valley. At my wife's school, they were initially told not to use the toilets. I don't think the kids there drink out of the toilets (although my dog loves it).

At my workplace, the proper precautions were taken - signs were posted at all the drinking fountains. In the cafeteria, there was no coffee or soda (although the soda dispensers don't use tap water except in the ice dispenser - go figure). They also brought in bottled water.

Anyhow, the advisory was lifted at 4:00 pm on Wednesday pending test results, although they were supposed to have been lifted at noon, and preliminary tests reported the night before showed excellent results. So what was the delay?

This whole mess leads to some burning issues. First, the source of the problem was traced to heavy storm runoff. "Unprecedented" was the word they used. Excuse me, but I've lived here in the Valley most of my life. While there is now water flowing in the normally dry Salt River, it is nothing like it was back around 1980 when only two or three bridges connected commuters to both sides of the river. I saw with my own eyes as a wall of water rushed down the river and took out the bridges over Hayden Road and Scottsdale Road. So don't call this unprecedented. This is a mere trickle in comparison.

Second, we have had some heavy rains that could have caused this runoff. But that was two weeks before the plant was shut down. It took two weeks for a problem to arise? Now I'm not a scientist nor an engineer, but come on!

And third, once the water was declared safe to drink, does that mean we could turn on the faucet and - voila - we have instant clean water? No! All the bad water would still be in the pipes. The entire system would have to have been flushed with super-chlorinated water (this happened in Peoria AZ in 2002 after two infant boys died from meningitis suspected - but never proven - to have been traced to bacteria in the water supply of an independent water company).

And apparently Phoenix mayor, Phil Gordon, wants some answers now. Yeah, we all do, Phil.

I'm pretty thankful - this week anyway - that I don't live in Phoenix proper. I just work and go to church there. I have to admit I was the first one to the drinking fountain when the announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon.

It's amazing how we take things for granted - like expecting clean drinking water out of our faucets. Who knew? Meanwhile, I'm thankful that the City of Phoenix water is safe to drink (and always was). But as always, it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, as does the fact that we live in an idiocracy.

So What the Heck Have I Been Up To?

Um, okay, so I've been somewhat absent lately, although I've posted here now and then to let ya'll know I'm still alive and least sort of well. So what the heck have I been up to?

Well, the biggest news - healthwise anyway - is that I've now been diagnosed with mild hypertension. Not really hard to diagnose if you can measure blood pressure. Back in December the doc noticed my blood pressure was a bit high (I'd been a perfect 120-over-70 all my life up to now). He blamed it on decongestants and told me to come back in another month. Well, the BP monitor at home was telling me that the added exercise and better diet wasn't helping. I'm now taking a mild ACE inhibitor which seems to be helping. Yeah, I've climbed another rung on the Ladder of Old Age.

Other stuff that's going on is that I'm going to be serving on a Walk to Emmaus team next month, and I will be leading the logistical support team for the men's walk. As the Phoenix walks are typically held at my church, I also serve as liaison between the church and the Board of Directors for the Arizona Walk to Emmaus. This upcoming set of walks (we do a separate walk for men and women) is particularly challenging as we have started a contemporary worship that is held in our fellowship hall every Sunday morning - the same fellowship hall that is heavily utilized during the walks - and the same fellowship hall that our pastor doesn't care to relinquish four Sundays a year. That's okay, we can work around that. We're also having trouble with the charter school that rents space (and I use the term "rents" loosely) from our church. That may be the bigger challenge unless they get evicted in the next couple of weeks. I must admit that I'm praying for that. Needless to say, putting on this set of walks is challenging, but rather fun as we are finding all kinds of creative ways to mix up the routine so it is not disruptive to everything else going on.

Saturday was enjoyable as we have a new class of Stephen Ministers from six or seven churches in the area that have just completed their training and are about to be commissioned. Our Stephen Ministry group will be serving communion on February 6 and we will all be recommissioned on February 13 along with our two newest members.

Sunday was a day of mixed blessings. After church, S and I went over to Scottsdale to attend a memorial service for a friend of ours. He was a member of the Emmaus community, and was also a coworker of my late father-in-law. Gene was an extraordinary Christian with an odd sense of humor - a quality that no one will ever forget. He even kept up his humor right through his hospice care.

We also attended a bridal shower for the son and fiancee of S's cousin. It was a shower where couples were encouraged to attend, and it was mostly family and close friends. It was actually a lot of fun, even for the guys.

Work has been busy. Since the first of the year, we've had two new trainees on the team. I'm the guy who's quality-checking their work. So far, so good. I'm also keeping track of our inventory during this quarter. Busy, busy.

Finally, it's awesome to see God working. Our choir is responsible for cooking and serving dinner for the homeless this coming Sunday. The president of our choir came to me yesterday in somewhat of a panic. She's been called upon to help chaperone the youth on their snow trip next weekend and isn't sure she can help us on Sunday. Fortunately, I've done the feeding the homeless quite a few times and reassured her I can get things going in the kitchen. Problem solved. God provides. And I am the one to answer the call.

Well, it certainly has been busy. 'Night.

Johnny Carson, 1925-2005

Johnny at his desk on the Tonight
Show with guest Jimmy Stewart
(photo courtesy of
johnnycarson.com)

Rather sad news today, upon hearing that Johnny Carson passed away. On some nights - to many of us - his was the last image we saw before we turned off the TV and tucked ourselves into bed. I remember discussing the previous night's monologue with my high school classmates.

Of course, he has been missed since his retirement anyway. But now it's more permanent. So long, Johnny.

Urgent Prayer For Our Troops In Iraq

This is a prayer request I got through my email tonight:

As a transportation battalion, my unit will be delivering the voting machines and the ballots to villages and cities throughout Iraq during the upcoming elections. (January 30/31) Our convoys are prime targets for the insurgents because they do not want the equipment to arrive at the polling stations nor do they want the local Iraqi citizens to have the chance to vote; timely delivery must occur so that the elections occur.

Encourage your friends and family members and those within our churches to pray specifically for the electoral process. Historically, the previous totalitarian regime would not allow individual citizens to vote. Democracy will not be realized in Iraq if intelligent and competent officials are not elected to those strategic leadership positions within the emerging government; freedom will not have an opportunity to ring throughout this country if the voting process fails.

Announce this prayer request to your contacts throughout your churches, neighborhoods, and places of business. Those with leadership roles within the local church post this message in as many newsletters and bulletins as possible. There is unlimited potential for God's presence in this process but if we do not pray then our enemy will prevail (See Ephesians 6:10-17)

A prayer vigil prior to the end of the month may be an innovative opportunity for those within your sphere of influence to pray. This is a political battle that needs spiritual intervention.

A powerful story about God's intervention in the lives of David's mighty men is recorded in 2 Samuel 23:8-33. David and his warriors were victorious because of God's intervention. We want to overcome those who would stand in the way of freedom. David's mighty men triumphed over incredible odds and stood their ground and were victorious over the enemies of Israel. (Iraqi insurgents' vs God's praying people). They don't stand a chance.

I will pray with my soldiers before they leave on their convoys and move outside our installation gates here at Tallil. My soldiers are at the nerve center of the logistic operation to deliver the voting machines and election ballots. They will be driving to and entering the arena of the enemy.

This is not a game for them it is a historical mission that is extremely dangerous. No voting machines or ballots. No elections. Your prayer support and God's intervention are needed to give democracy a chance in this war torn country. Thank you for reading this e-mail. Please give this e-mail a wide dissemination.

Thank you for your prayer support for me and my family. Stand firm in your battles.

Blessings,

Lyle Chaplain (CPT - captain)

Lyle Shackelford

Battalion ChaplainHHD,

57th Transportation Battalion

Providing With Mobility" Keep Em Moving"

Palestinian Authority - The Moment of Truth

Before the body of Yassir Arafat had even grown cold, there was a glimmer of hope for some that the Roadmap to Peace would be resumed in the Middle East, specifically between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The Israelis, who refused to negotiate with Arafat, were now looking forward to hammering out a peace deal with his most likely successor, Mahmoud Abbas. And indeed, Abbas overwhelmingly won the election on January 9. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was quick to congratulate Abbas two days later.

Ah, but the status quo was resumed on January 13 at the Karzi Terminal, a crossing point between Israel and the Gaza Strip. It was then and there that Palestinian militants (Hamas, the Popular Resistance, and Al-Aqsa Brigade all claim responsibility) blasted their way in and opened fire on Israeli civilians, killing six and wounding five. The IDF returned fire and killed three militants.

The next day, Israel suspended all contact with the Palestinian Authority with the following statement issued by an Israel spokesman: "The prime minister has ordered suspension of all contacts with Palestinian Authority representatives and the closure of all Gaza terminals until real steps are taken against terrorist acts." You can't blame Israel for their response.

Well, today Abbas has ordered a crackdown against all Palestinian militants in hopes to get control of the situation and broker peace between Israel and the PA. Now we may finally see if there is any authority behind the Palestinian Authority. If the PA is not able to police itself, the IDF stands ready to do it for them.

So here at the beginning of the post-Arafat Palestine, the moment of truth is at hand. Keep watch.

Resisting Temptation

Sometimes an interesting Biblical lesson will come to me during the most benign of circumstances. Such was the case last week as I drove down the freeway.

When I am paying attention to my speed, I typically drive at or slightly above the speed limit. So there I was on I-10, doing my typical 60-65 mph. As usual, quite a few people were passing by, no doubt some of them giving me dirty looks, etc. Checking my speed once again, I knew I was in the right. And that's when it hit me.

I asked myself how often do I find myself doing what the Bible tells me is right while the rest of the world is doing the opposite - and is quite okay with doing the opposite.

In church this last week we heard the story of Jesus being baptized in the Jordan River [Matthew 3:13-17] The next thing he did was go into the Wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. It was there that Satan tempted him - three times in fact. Yet Jesus prevailed [Matthew 4:1-11], and in doing so, he modeled to us how to resist temptation.

Ah, but Jesus knows we are but human. Please note that the Lord's Prayer does not contain the phrase, "help us not to give in to temptation." When we pray to God, "lead us not into temptation," we are asking him to take away the temptation altogether before we have a chance to succumb to it.

I'm a diabetic who loves chocolate. That's not a good thing if I know there's chocolate around. I'm quite likely to go grab some of that chocolate for the short-term satisfaction I get despite the long-term ill-effects on my health. Sound familiar? Has anyone here never experienced that? But if that chocolate is nowhere around my home or office, or anywhere else I happen to be lurking around, then I'm pretty safe.

We Christians hold the light of the world, yet the world wants to blow it out. Don't let the world blow it out - let that little light of yours shine. And if you need God's help to lead you away from temptation, just ask him. Amen.

Overwhelming Task

Perhaps you've heard the story of the starfish [complete story]. A man is walking along a beach, picking up starfish and tossing them back into the sea. When asked what he is doing, he explains that the tide is low and the sun is out; the starfish laying exposed on the beach will surely die. When he is told that with the miles and miles of beach, surely he can't make a difference, the man picks up another starfish and tosses it into the sea saying, "It made a difference to that one!".

Looking at the devastation in South Asia, one has to think what a daunting task it will be get life back to normal again. Will it ever be normal again? All those survivors need so much help. It does seem overwhelming.

But even the most meager donation can help someone over there. Perhaps whatever help you can give can only help one person. But you know what? That in itself is enough.

Crumbling Pillar of Faith?

In Islam, one of the Pillars of Faith is almsgiving - caring for the needy. Surely last week's killer tsunami has provided a rich opportunity to practice that aspect of faith.

So let's see which Muslim countries have been the most generous in providing tsunami aid to their mostly-Muslim brethren in South Asia [source article] :

1. Saudi Arabia ($10 million)
2. Qatar ($2.6 million)
3. (tie) Kuwait, Libya ($2 million each)
4. Turkey ($1.25 million)
5. Iran ($627,000)

Wow! And what about the great Satan America? $350 million - in government aid. That doesn't include private donations which are in the hundreds of millions.

Japan leads all nations now with $500 million (that's half a billion).

Now don't get me wrong. This is not a contest to see who can raise the most money for the tsunami victims. But if one of your pillars of faith is almsgiving, then this is a ripe opportunity to put your money where your mouth is. After all, the world is watching.