As the Federal Government does not obey it's own laws with regard to 'illegal immigration', Arizona passed it's own law, one which they will enforce. Arizonians cheer this law.
For this lawful act, the state of Arizona has earned President Obama's scorn.
For this lawful act, Arizona has earned my praise and admiration.
Some of the goofier liberals are demanding that all things Arizona be boycotted, including the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"We'll teach you a lesson, Arizona! D-backs come to OUR town and you will see..."empty seats!"
Of course, it's April for one more day, and there are empty seats in every stadium until the schools let out, but still...Forrest's Mom was right.
President Obama is, as others have said, siding with the lawbreaking illegals against the American people. They can have him.

Snowy Mountaintop

I mentioned recently (April 1st post) that I have been ‘Doug in motion’-exercising to fend off physical ailments in my later years, as best I can. Being in better shape will hopefully keep my blood pressure low enough to avoid pills, blood sugar low to avoid diabetes, and generally keep me fit.
It would be futile to expect that my better health will somehow make me invulnerable to getting old.
This sinful flesh profits nothing. Nothing. We age and die in our time.
But I see God’s Grace at work in our years:
Boys live forever.
Man, so proud in his strength, his abilities,he feels that he WILL live forever, so he has no need for God.
But God is patient, and, in some cases, He allots enough years to a man so that he can grow old,
humbling prideful Man with age, with illness; some who would not seek His face in their youth may cry out to their Creator as they approach Eternity.
Note that I said, ‘in some cases’. None of us are promised a minimum number of years-babies aborted in the womb are denied even a ‘birth’. God sets the number of our years.
It hurts to see some of my elderly friends becoming more frail, but I know that God has ahold of their hands.
If God gives me a long life down here on Earth, I will survive just as I do today, by God’s Grace.
May He grant you the faith to believe and become a partaker of that same Grace, for the duration of your time here and into eternity.

Happy Mirthday, Peoples!

Well, it's over at last-the epic Smurphtastic "Avatar" has broken out on Bludvd in celebration (read:commercialization) of Earthday. Save the planet by shelling out hard earned to be lectured to by a hug-treer. Nah.
Looking around in 2010, I see a Government at odds with its peoples, a world in denial about God,
people acting like they are somebody when they aren't...it makes you either cry at the tragedy or laugh at the comedy. I do both.
But today, a beautiful day, a Friday ahead of a weekend...laughter or tears, I hope that this is a great day for you.
Postscript: If they remade "Avatar" as an earthbound urban drama, you'd have the Bruce Willis movie of last year, "The Surrogates". No Smurphette?

Grace

"5For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
Romans 8:5-8

In my future, when I am out of this corrupted body and living in a glorified one, I will no longer be capable of sin. Not there yet.
The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, which I understand fully; I have cherished that life and peace, that 'water which eternally satisfies' for many years.
But, still waiting for the final redemption, I struggle along in this sinful world, falling and getting up, falling
It is the common experience all Christians share-we want to please God, but in our lives we often fail and do things which displease Him. Paul said:
"18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin." Roman 7:18-25

Wretched about covers it. Our only Hope is in the goodness of God, that He will do as He has promised, freeing us from sin.
There is evidence of God keeping that promise in the Romans 8 passage above.
I would have no struggle with sin at all if I did not belong to God.
Pagans and those who do not know God may struggle with the breaking of moral codes, but they are generally self-imposed. They try to please themselves by living a good life and not murdering too many people, or only cheating a little on their taxes or spouses.
As with Paul, I say that nothing good dwells in me, in my flesh. If I had to trust in my goodness to get to Heaven I would be bound for hell. But we trust in the goodness of God, Who loves us in spite of our failures.
If you see a Christian sinning, don’t think for a moment that he or she is having a good time. We fall. We have defects, some of them debilitating to the point that we bring all kinds of grief on ourselves. Not because we are Christians, but because we are sinners, saved by God’s Grace, but still existing in this sinful world. Looking for the day of our redemption.

People In Motion

"The preservation of liberty is up to the people"
Sort of. In a way. Kinda yup, kinda nope.
I have great respect for the people in our country who have spoken up about the 'coarse' our country has been on.
The "Tea Party" peoples-may God Bless them!- are Patriots with a capital "P", exercising their rights of assembly, free speech and dissent against a Government they feel is harming instead of helping our country.
"Tax Day 2010" saw many Tea Parties hosted across our nation.
I didn't go to a rally, but instead did my part by going to work.
Here's the 'kinda nope' part.
God is in charge, and for His own good reasons He has established the Government we have.
Throughout the Bible there are examples of God punishing the Israelites with an evil king when they would go off into idolatry, ignoring Him and His Law. The evil king would make things so bad that the peoples would then cry out to God, repenting of their sin, begging for deliverance from the king.
While I cheer on the Tea Party people, I think we will accomplish more by seeking God, asking Him to deliver us from evil. For His is the Kingdom, now and forever.

And Maggie Said...

Bliss Cavendar: You're my Hero!
Maggie Mayhem: Put on some skates-be your own hero.

I've known quite a few Heros...and a few villains.
That line spoken by Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig) in "Whip It" resonated for me because I see too much tribute being heaped at the feet of "celebrities"-sports celebrities, political, moviestars, etc. which is undeserved.
There are even "rockstar Preachers" who have followers and adherents willing to lemming right over a cliff if asked.
Maggie had it right. Don't look to others to build up your self esteem-if you wear a Dale Earnhardt jacket because your identity is tied up in your "Hero"...you can look in the mirror and no one's there.
Oh, and NFL fans who decorate their lives with team colors? The saddest idolators in town.
Be your own hero.

Good For The Roses

"16Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 17And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths." Zechariah 14:16-19

This prophesy has been on my mind lately. To get the full intent of these verses, it would be helpful to read all of Zechariah chapter 14-in simple, the Lord brings all of the nations of the world together against Jerusalem in order to judge and conquer them, setting up His Millennial Kingdom. Psalm 2 is a great companion scripture to Zechariah 14.
"any who are left of all the nations"-after that Day when Christ returns, the world population will be decimated. Look to the book of Revelation, with God's judgments/plagues coming down on a world which had refused His offer of Salvation. Decimated populations is inadequate language, but it will do for now.
There will be a remnant of humanity, the 'any who are left', and those peoples will be called to go up to Jerusalem and worship the King. As these verses state, some will be unwilling. No surprise.

Doug's speculation, meaning my opinion, which could be wrong as wrong can be:
I think that the individual peoples will decide what they will do; I am going to use myself and my buddy Bill Maher as examples.
Let's say that Bill and I each own part of a duplex in Lithuania when Christ returns-for the sake of this speculation, I wasn't "raptured" but instead lived through the Tribulation period.
Christ is on His throne in Jerusalem, and the edict goes out for all the nations to go up to Jerusalem to worship God in the Feast of Booths.
Egypt has declared that they will not go up, even though they know that they will be plagued with no rain, no favor from God, have no part in the common Grace.
Lithuanians gladly go up to Jerusalem, myself included, but Bill, who hates Jesus Christ, moves to Egypt, because he would rather die in the desert than worship Christ.
Populations will shift like this all around the world-those who would worship God that live in Egypt will move to a nation that will go up; those who refuse to worship will find their way to Graceless nations.
Right now I am an American, and I serve God in America. If America were on that Graceless nations list, I would move to Lithuania (example) because as much as I love my country, I love God more, and I wouldn't stay in a place that God would curse.
Merely speculating, but I think that is how it will go. Zechariah is a prophetic book filled with mind-blowing truths. May God Bless your reading of it.

Jesus Christ Is The Same, Now And Forever

There is only one Jesus Christ; He is not defined by His enemies, but simply is Who He is.
Most of the world does not accept Him. He knew that would happen, before the creation of the world. Still He came to restore Humanity, raising up a remnant of believers to have fellowship with God.
Why so few? Why not everyone? Why did He allow Adam and Eve to sin?
I accept on faith that He has His reasons, which we mere mortals have no right/ability to judge.
Christ glorifies His Father, our Father, the One Who said of Jesus, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Each Glorifies the other.
That is reason enough for me.
About those enemies of Christ who would like to define Him in their own terms: unloving, hateful, weak, incapable of stopping the evil we see every day. Or indefferent to evil.
He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. He is Who He IS. Holy. Righteous. God.
His Victory over sin was a foregone conclusion before the foundation of the world, though accomplished on Calvary some 2000 years ago. He could not fail, He did not fail, and evidence of that is found in your own heart.
Your heart either holds Love for Him, or hate. You yourself are evidence that He is God.
How can you go from being a Christ-hater to a Christ-lover?
You can't do it. It's beyond you. But if you seek Him earnestly, desiring to repent, turn away from this sinful world...He may find and change you. He loves doing that. Make the angels dance.

A Good Name

A Good Name


How much is your name worth to you? Would it bother you if your reputation were stained, not through something that you have done, but because of a smear, a lie, put on you by someone else?
I've been there, and it doesn't feel good.
If you treasure your good name, I doubt that you would be the one impugning someone else's reputation, as you wouldn't want to be known as "that" guy.
Go a step further. Don't echo "that" guy, don't broadcast his dirt, even if it is in line with your prejudices.
Be honorable. Prove yourself worthy of everyone's good impression of you.
You will feel good, and be able to look in the mirror without cringing.
toodles

No Worries, Mate!

Open up a bit time. I'm standing on a cusp, and said cusp presents two futures: get back in shape, to maintain a better healthy older age, or not.
I do not choose 'not'.
Months ago, I began eating healthier, especially at work, where I tend to graze through the night.
About a month ago I returned to the "gym"-I feel bettter, stronger, less stressed.
Now, with the Springtime arriving as the snows are departing, I have much to do outside, away from this keyboard.
I am still chock full of opinions, and will continue FDW...but if the posts become more infrequent,
that is because my life is more frequent.
Doug in motion.