Could They Be Any Slower?

Well, I had a fun drive to work this morning. I had a flat tire, with a flat spare on top of it. There was a gas station not too far, but I still wasn't able to inflate the spare. So my car limped to a tire store belonging to a well-known national chain. It wasn't busy at all and I was probably the second or third customer there. I'd be back on my way soon. So I thought. I was there an hour and fifty-two minutes. I appreciated the courteous and professional service, but come on! They were just replacing a tire. Could they be any slower?

Eating Telemarketers For Breakfast: Dynasty Mortgage Called On the Carpet

As soon as it had become available, our household became amongst the millions of telephone numbers registered on the National Do Not Call Registry. It was extremely effective in stopping the incessant calls from telemarketers wanting to sell us stuff we didn't need or want.

But alas, there was one company - Dynasty Mortgage - that felt they were above the law. They called me twice, insisting they had every right to, despite my being on the National Do Not Call List. In fact, they were most arrogant and disrepectful towards me.

I'm not the only one they did this to. On March 1, 2005 the Federal Communications Communications commission issued a press release outlining their proposal to levy fines of $770,000 against Dynasty Mortgage for violating rules regarding the National Do Not Call list. The complaint against Dynasty Mortgage was pretty specific. I was sorry that I hadn't filed a complaint against them myself. Needless to say, I was pretty happy to hear Dynasty Mortgage was called on the carpet.

But just when I thought we were safe from these annoying calls, we got one not even a week later after the FCC's press release. My wife answered the phone and had me pick up. It was from AZ Prime One Mortgage. I think they were sorry they called. I thoroughly raked them over the coals, to which they arrogantly replied that were exempt from these rules. I spoke with the so-called marketing manager (what marketing manager works on a Sunday night?) who told me to do more research. I don't need to do more research - the FTC's rules are clear and specific on the rules - and AZ Prime One Mortgage is not exempt in any way shape or form (they are not a bank, savings and loan, or credit union).

Sadly, the so-called marketing manager would not budge on his position, and I informed him that he was an idiot and ended the call. I then filed a complaint with the FTC.

Word to telemarketers: do not violate the National Do Not Call List. I will eat you for breakfast.

Got Crutches?

Boy, I never thought it could be so difficult to find crutches for an average-sized person. But on Friday morning I finally acquired some.

I saw my doctor on Thursday to check out the foot I so gracefully wrenched the day before. He didn't think it was broken but sent me out for x-rays to be sure. That was an hour-and-a-half wait to take just three pictures. I still haven't heard what the results are. But I don't think it's broken, either. In fact, now that I've been able to pretty much stay off my feet, it's feeling much better. Praise God.

Desert in Bloom

With all the rains we've had this past winter comes a wonderful bonus - wildflowers galore. The Sonoran Desert is ablaze with wildflowers. Mountainsides which are usually drab and boring with the usual brown dotted with scrub and cactus are now thick with green and yellow. Unfortunately, when the rains have subsided for the season and the summer heat hits, we're in for a pretty rough fire season in the Phoenix area. But for the time being, we are blessed with this wonderful splendor.

I took a hike today through Thunderbird Regional Park, which encompasses the Hedgepeth Hills at the north end of Glendale. With camera in hand I took a lot of pictures and I'm sharing a few of my favorites with you now.

The weather was gorgeous today, although it was pretty windy.

I also had an unfortunate little accident. Coming down from the hill I was already on the good part of the trail (no rocks, just smooth, fine gravel and dirt) and being rather complacent and not watching the ground. I never saw the rut in the otherwise good part of the trail. My right foot planted itself - or tried to - into the rut. It doesn't look broken and it's okay if I don't put a lot of weight on it. Probably be real sore in the morning.

But considering the pictures I got, it was worth it. Enjoy.

Stately sahuaro cacti.

Even the cacti are in bloom.

The hills are alive...

Wedding in Tucson

This past Saturday we attended the wedding of my wife's cousin (once removed) in Tucson. We decided to make a weekend out of it. We left Friday afternoon (spent over an hour crawling in freeway traffic just trying to get out of Phoenix). We did make it in time for the rehearsal dinner.

Our hotel was about 10 minutes from the San Pedro Chapel, located in the old Fort Lowell neighborhood. It was a nice little ceremony with music provided by a mariachi band. The bride and groom (who had met in Spanish class at the University of Arizona) even exchanged part of their vows in Spanish.

The reception was held at the Wild Horse Ranch on the outskirts of town. This was a former dude ranch where John Wayne often visited while in Tucson. The food and atmosphere were wonderful!

We left Sunday morning in time to make it for church in Phoenix. Traffic on I-10 was much better, and the desert was decked out in wildflowers.

All in all, it was quite a relaxing weekend, something I needed when you consider how busy things have been at work (and why I haven't been posting much lately).

A Step Closer to the Mark of the Beast

He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. Revelation 13:16-17

While some pooh-pooh the prophecies of the End Times, this is one sign that no one can ignore because the technology to implement it is already here.

You have to be living under a rock not to notice how much more convenient banking has gotten just in the past few years. I rarely have to write a check anymore since our bank sent us ATM cards with the Visa logo. I can use it to buy gas, groceries, dog food, pay the vet, and buy stuff at Home Depot. We can now go to a restaurant and not worry about cash. The only time I really need cash now is at work when I use the vending machines. And besides, there's an ATM in the cafeteria. Damned convenient.

Over the years the world economies have been gearing up to become a single-world economy. The EURO has already become the standard currency of a dozen or so European nations that until the previous century were constantly at each others' throats.

There's already a device - RFID - in place that can track everything you buy which is implanted with this device. Nowadays we can also track our pets with a microchip implanted under their skin. There's a lot of people out there who think we all should be implanted with a microchip. We just need a good excuse.

Well, we've come closer these past couple of weeks. Identity theft has been a growing problem in our country, and that became more evident with the announcement by ChoicePoint that records of some 140,000 consumers were compromised. This has prompted upcoming Senate hearings on the matter.

Identity theft can literally ruin your life - I see it in my job everyday. Those who commit identity theft are not your casual thief. These are hardened criminals. There right down there with rapists, murderers, and child molesters. This doesn't sound very Christian, but the best deterrent to identity theft is the death penalty. Unfortunately, the penalties for identity theft are little more than a slap on the wrist.

With identity theft becoming more rampant, things like RFID and implanted microchips look very attractive. Once that happens, Big Brother or worse yet - the Antichrist - will be able to track your every move with relative ease.

Stay vigilant, my brethren. Keep watch

Weeds, Weeds, Weeds!

"Weeds, weeds, weeds!" This was the first sentence in a recent letter from our homeowners' association. It was addressed to everyone.

We have had a wonderfully wet winter here in Arizona. The nearby reservoirs are nearly full again. The desert actually looks green. And that's part of the problem.

The green represents a bumper crop of weeds. Everyone has them. They are growing everywhere. I even found two growing on the roof of my shed!

This looks to be a dry weekend. You can tell when the weekends are dry around here lately. Everyone is going outside to pull weeds. I spent about 45 minutes this morning already - and I'm pooped. Places like Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart are running out of weed killer.

The dry weekend also means that the sunshine will work on making the weeds even taller. I've already seen some around here that are four feet tall.

Ah, but while February is the Month of the Weed, and March is going to be the Month of the Weed Pulling, we are going to have some spectacular wildflowers on the mountain slopes in around Phoenix. I've already seen one hillside turning yellow from all the flowers. Life is good - really!

The Syrian Question

It is no secret that Syria is one of Israel's most hated enemies. Besides having to deal with the Palestinians, Israelis also have to contend with missiles fired at them from Lebanon - by Syrian-backed Hezbollah militants. Surely when the appointed time comes for the big attack on Israel (see my previous post on the subject), Syria will desperately want to be part of that effort.

Yet Syria seems to be conspicuously absent from the prophecy laid out in Ezekiel 38. Why is that? Well, consider these two prophecies:

An oracle concerning Damascus: "See, Damascus will no longer be a city
but will become a heap of ruins. [Isaiah 17:1]

"Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad." [Jeremiah 49:26-27]

Sounds to me like Damascus is going to be taken out before they get their big chance.

Although the Bible states that one day, Jerusalem shall become "a burdensome stone for all people," [Zechariah 12:3] I would submit to you that Syria (of which Damascus is the capital) has become the burdensome stone at this point in history.

Syria maintains some 20,000 troops in Lebanon. No surprise here. Syria shares a narrow border with Israel. Having troops stationed in Lebanon offers a wider invasion route into Israel.

Last week's apparent assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, is believed by many to have been sanctioned by Syria. That would be no surprise if that were the case. Hariri, credited with helping rebuild Lebanon after its long and bloody civil war, was also critical of the pro-Syrian regime in Lebanon.

The bombing attack set off political shock waves throughout Lebanon. It's becoming more apparent that some of the Lebanese people are also fed up with the pro-Syrian regime as well. Opposition leaders are calling for a "peaceful uprising for independence," demanding dismissal of the government, withdrawal of all Syrian troops, and to pave the way for free and democratic elections.

Anti-Syrian sentiment is running so high now that it was even reported that some protesters allegedly set fire to tents of Syrian farm workers. Syrian troops stationed in Lebanon have been ordered to stay in their barracks for their own protection.

Syria is caught between a rock a hard spot right now. They depend on Lebanon for economic support. They may have to fight the Lebanese in order to stay, in which case they will be judged harshly by the world community. On the other hand, if they are forced to withdraw, it will be just as devastating to the Syrian government, and they might not last long.

There's been plenty of outside pressure on Syria as well. The United Nations reiterated UN Resolution 1559, which calls for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon (Syrian troops were deployed to Lebanon during the civil war of 1975-90 - no doubt to tip the balance in Damascus' favor - and haven't left since).

On top of that, the Bush administration has long accused Syria of supporting anti-Israeli militants and the insurgency in Iraq. It's also quite likely there's a lot of terrorist training going on there. Diplomatically things have gotten so bad between the U.S. and Syria that we have recalled our ambassador there this week.

Oh yeah, then there's that pesky story about the Russians allegedly packing up Iraqi WMD and shipping them off to Syria.

It's interesting with all the sabre-rattling going on now that Syria has allied itself with Iran. They're in deep doo-doo, and they know it. They need all the help they can get. I just wonder how much more helpful the Iranians will be. They're already supporting Hezbollah. But will they send troops or planes? Will it matter? Right now we probably have our aerial drones spying on them, and the Iranian government is paranoid enough over the "shiny objects" flying in their airspace.

There's just too many cards stacked up against Syria right now. Perhaps the next piece of the prophecy puzzle will involve Syria. Who knows (but God) the degree of destruction that will be leveled upon Damascus? And will it perhaps be the catalyst for attacking Israel?

Stay vigilant, my brethren. Keep watch.

Busy, Busy, Busy Weekend

It's been almost two weeks since my last post. I've been taking it easy - as well as preparing for the Walk to Emmaus which was held at my church this last weekend. The big day finally came Thursday evening as pilgrims (those attending for the first team) and team members (those who are serving the pilgrims in some capacity) arrived for the weekend.

All went very well.

My responsibility was logistical support. I had been making preparations with the church for quite some time, not only for this Walk but for future walks. Our newest challenge is working around the new 9:00 Contemporary Service which is held in the same fellowship hall where the Walk to Emmaus is typically held. I had prayed about being on the team in this role for the purpose of keeping it all running smoothly. I must say, it all all worked out even better than I expected.

The Contemporary Service required to have one of the talk sessions given in another location, namely the Sanctuary. It also made it necessary for the cook team to cease all activity as it would have disrupted the church service. We instead had them attend the Contemporary Service and even share some songs with the congregation - it was a hit! We certainly boosted the image of the Walk to Emmaus with my church, perhaps even to the point of planting some seeds in getting more people from our church to attend.

One very interesting aspect of this Walk to Emmaus weekend was the weather. Here in Arizona, it usually doesn't rain much - if at all - during any given three days. Forecasts were showing a lot of rain headed our way for the weekend. It had already taken a lot to remove the man-made obstacles for this spirit-filled weekend; now we had to contend with nature. I knew who was in charge. I prayed to God (as I'm sure others) in regards to the weather. I praised God for the rains we've had this year, helping to alleviate our drought. I acknowledged that we still needed more rain to heal our land. Then I asked that God would make this Emmaus weekend occur as comfortably as possible under these rainy conditions.

Sure enough, God answers prayers. The rain came Thursday afternoon but it was quite light, and not enough to interfere with setting up the conference room, the kitchen, and the sleeping quarters. By Friday morning, the rain had grown heavier and steadier. It never let up the entire day. Except when the pilgrims and talk team went to chapel. The rain just stopped. And it stayed that way until they returned to the fellowship hall. Coincidence? No, it was God-incidental. The rain had grown even heavier overnight, but stopped to the point where I saw stars when I awoke early Saturday morning. The clouds were starting to gather again as the pilgrims and talk team went to chapel, but again they were dry. Dark clouds were rolling in from the west and I figured they open up soon. They did as soon as everyone was back in the fellowship hall. The rain continued throughout the day - but stopped in time for the arrival of the Emmaus community for services that evening. On Sunday, there was no rain.

It was a wonderful weekend. With my brothers in Christ, I started some new friendships and deepened several others.

I even experienced God touching my heart in a special way. There were no words, but an overwhelming feeling that God was communicating to me his plan for one of the other team members - that this team member would be the lay leader for one of these weekends in the near future. It was quite compelling, like nothing I've felt before. I shared this feeling with my friend and advised him to be listening for God's call. He said he didn't feel ready; I replied, "None of us ever do." I think his expression reflected surprise toward my reply. Had I prophesied? I don't know, but I think he and I may find out soon enough. Nonetheless, this was a very emotional experience for me.

This is the fourteenth Walk to Emmaus/Chrysalis team I have served on. I was thankful that I took today off from work - I would have had to call in sick anyway. This weekend was exhausting and at times painful for me. Last night and this morning I slept as many hours as I had the entire weekend. I awoke with my head pounding. My muscles ached and my feet hurt. I asked myself if the sacrifice was worth it. My answer was a resounding YES. The heartfelt testimony of the pilgrims - those sheep who were in our charge - bore that out.

Giving Terrorists the Finger

On Election Day here in America we show our civic pride by slapping on an "I Voted Today" sticker. In Iraq, they proudly display their ink-stained fingers.

On Sunday, many brave Iraqis made a statement to the world by getting out to vote in their country's first democratic election despite threats of grievous violence. In essence, they gave the insurgency and the terrorists leading it the finger.

From the news reports I can sense the excitement these people must have felt. Many wept for joy. Are we Americans as passionate about our right to vote? I'd like to think we are - we're just able to do it so much more easily.

I feel this demonstrates to the insurgency that they have not won the hearts and minds of the Iraqi majority - at least not yet. I am cautiously optimistic that this could be a turning point for Iraq, one way or the other. Certainly the "credibility" of the insurgency has reached an all-time low.

With this election, Iraq - along with Afghanistan - is already the closest thing to a democracy ever seen in the Arab world. And that scares a lot of people in that region. But despite all threats, intimidation, and the rhetoric from the jihadists (you can't call them freedom fighters!), the people have spoken.

And despite the negative viewpoints being broadcast by the Arab media, I can't help but think that a small seed may have been planted in the hearts and minds of many. In defiance to what they're being told, I can't help but think that there are some in the Arab world who are watching their Iraqi brethren gleefully casting their ballots on television and saying to themselves, "I want that."

Democratic revolution in the Arab world is a longshot, but in our lifetime we have witnessed something we didn't think remotely possible twenty years ago - the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union and its satellites. Never underestimate the human spirit when it thirsts for freedom.

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.

Staggering Numbers

A few days ago it seemed pretty astounding that the death toll from last week's tsunami could reach 40,000. The official number of confirmed dead is now 138,631. That doesn't include all the nameless fishermen who made their living around the islands of Indonesia - and their families.

I've heard the toll could even go as high as 500,000.

The people of South Asia could use whatever help we can offer. Many relief agencies say what they need most is cash.

I also offer up this prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask you to reach out those who have survived this horrible disaster. Give them their daily bread and a safe place to sleep. Help them get on their feet again. Give them hope in the face of despair. These things I pray in the name of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Nativity Scenes - Latest Additions To Our Collection

My wife S has taken to collecting nativity scenes in recent years. I thought I'd show off our newest additions.

This one I believe is a Cabbage Patch nativity scene. The box that stores these figures actually becomes part of the scene. Clever.

This one is very simple (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus) but pretty much gets the point across, spelling out JOY.

And this one is now our favorite, featuring characters from Veggie Tales. Note that all the figures are vegetables - even the cow is two vegetables in a cow costume! And when you press on the star, it sings O Little Town of Bethlehem in a somewhat childlike voice that strains to hit the high notes (not unlike myself trying to sing on Christmas Eve).

Nice Little Mountain Hike

Yesterday I thought it would be nice to take a little hike and sightseeing tour of the White Tank Mountains located on the far west end of the Phoenix metro area. This photo was taken just inside the entrance to White Tank Mountain Regional Park:

Here's another view of the mountains from the north side of the park looking south.

This photo was taken along the Waterfall Trail, looking upstream. Infrequent torrential rains flow off of the steep, serrated mountain peaks, through the canyons, and onto the plain below. Floodwaters, pouring down chutes and dropping off of ledges, have scoured out several depressions, or tanks, in the white granite below, thereby giving the White Tank Mountains their name. If you look carefully in this photo, you can see how the canyon narrows significantly. At the end of this canyon lies one of these white tanks. The waterfall forming it is just out of the picture to the right of the end of the canyon.

This is the white tank at the end of the canyon.

And this is the waterfall feeding it from above:

The White Tank Mountains also have plenty of these petroglyphs left by the ancient Hohokam Indians.

Earthquake

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. Matthew 24:6, 7

Despite the rumblings of mankind, God always seems to make His presence known. Such was the case yesterday, when a 9.0 earthquake struck deep under the Indian Ocean. The quake itself probably hurt no one. But the massive tsunami created by this massive temblor will perhaps be regarded the most devastating natural disaster in recent history. Somewhere between one-third and one-half of the victims are children.

New estimates predict the death toll could reach as high as 45,000. An estimated one million have been displaced. And to make matters worse, the UN has just issued an epidemic warning for the region.

Numerous relief agencies are already mobilized to deal with the crisis. As for me, I've already designated the offering from my last paycheck towards UMCOR. I hope that you, through whatever organization [more links] you choose, would consider the same.

Amazingly Refreshed

Well it's back to work today and tomorrow. In some ways it didn't seem like a holiday - just a really jam-packed weekend. But evidently I've gotten enough sleep and gotten over my cold enough that I actually feel rested. Work is still a little stressful, but we've got more people working our stuff this week. So it's not too bad. I still look forward to some time off at the end of this week though. Then I can do some serious relaxation!