Pentecost

Today is the Feast of Pentecost. It celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the Apostles and disciples assembled in the sealed room, fifty days (hence, “Pente-cost”) after his Resurrection. The descent of the Holy Spirit, which was promised by Jesus before He Ascended, when the disciples were still wondering what they would do when deprived of His presence. “Wait here, instead,” He said, “for the Promise of My Father…” (Acts 1:4-9) and, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was also there.

Acts 2 tells the story in detail.

“And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:2-4)

He promised them power. He gave them courage and peace, and the real power of his Spirit, not man-made temporal political power. They received the power to preach effectively and convincingly. They received the power to cast out demons and to heal, and to raise the dead. But not a single ONE of them later went on to become Caesar or one of his governors. Not quite the kind of power most people think of when they hear the word.

The New Testament, in book after book, repeatedly lists the gifts the Holy Spirit brought and imparted, as well as the effects of those gifts, both on the disciples and on the public at large. One list contains the “Fruits” of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Humility, and Self-Control” and another lists seven of the Gifts themselves: Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. There are other gifts listed elsewhere, such as prophecy, preaching, teaching, tongues, interpretation of tongues, wisdom in discourse, and discernment of spirits.

It’s obvious that any discourse on any one of the things mentioned above could fill volumes, so the New Testament letters — mostly by the Apostle Paul — are absolute gems of clarity and purpose. He was able to say what he wished to say in few, but eloquent, words.

In today’s world, and outside the “Christian community,” we hear little of the virtues mentioned above. The Lord, we know, gives His gifts “without repentance,” and never takes them back. So where are the practitioners of these gifts today, and why don’t we hear from them? I think it is obvious that the Holy Spirit, the true hero of the book of Acts, the Third Person of the Trinity, and the searcher of hearts, has been disinvited from the souls of most of us Western humans. Pondering this probability will lead most of us to conclude that we prefer our sin.

There have been numerous “revivals” of spiritual action across the denominational spectrum, especially in English-speaking countries, including the Catholic Church, which had its own Charismatic Renewal and still has numerous groups across the nation deeply committed to the works of the Holy Spirit. But these groups are small, and the general population always enjoys a good laugh at their expense, mocking them as “Holy Rollers” or “Jesus freaks.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could once again experience the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives on a general, daily basis? How did we reach the point where His presence is not only not felt, but pushed away and ignored? I say we can have Him back. If you are baptized in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, you have Him right there with you, even as you read this. The trick is to become aware of His presence, and to behave from now on as one who loves God — Father, Son, AND Holy Spirit.

“Come, Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of Your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your Divine Love. You sent forth Your Spirit, and they were created, and You shall renew the face of the earth.”

Paying His Bills

I KNOW you have been wondering whatever became of THIS little event… Well, wonder no more.

Awww… bless his helpful little heart! Now, the current resident is going to help us make sure our computers are “safe.” Is this guy a centipede? How many “other shoes” is he going to drop??

Yep. One thing you have to say about the current resident. He makes sure his political debts are paid up, even if he has no more control over his personal finances than my parrot, let alone knowing how to handle a national economy or how to keep it healthy and prosperous. Well, I guess a feller never knows when he’s going to need a bunch of suckups around him to tell him he’s on the right track. (or, aren’t we supposed to say “right” any more?)

Oh. If you are interested, you might also want to take a look at what I found today, and yes, Sonia Sotomayor is a member of La Raza.

It Can Always Get Worse

Why We Should Oppose Her

UPDATE: Robert Gibbs, the current resident’s mouthpiece, has warned people to “be very careful about how they portray Sonia Sotomayor.” Oh…does this mean he doesn’t want us to talk about what a dedicated, avowed-Marxist, utterly incompetent, reversed-5-times-out-of-6, anti-Constitutional, gun-grabbing, RACIST MEMBER OF LA RAZA she really is??

I’m not a psychologist or psychiatrist by any stretch of the imagination. But I am old enough to have a pretty fair amout of experiential knowledge, and am enough of a people-watcher to be able to spot a phony or a slimy leftist trick when I see one.

What I don’t know about Sonia Sotomayor outweighs what I do know. But I listen, and I watch. And something keeps telling me that the administration has chosen her for the Supreme Court for her position on redistribution of wealth, and the fact that she is a Latina. The left presumes that those of us on the right will not protest her appointment because we dare not risk being labeled as racists, and they will be right. Most of the conventional Republicans are going to pull back from any opposition to her simply for fear of being labeled “racisist.” This is a well-practiced tactic on the left, because they KNOW Republicans don’t want to be branded with the scarlet “R.” The party of racism has historically been the Democrats. Period. Look it up if you don’t believe me. They opposed Civil Rights legislation proposed by Republicans in the sixties. But even that is beside the point of this post.

I see the left projecting their own racism and hatred for America onto the right in every choice, every appointment, and every decision. They are the past masters of projection. Nobody can demonize their own demons like the left can. What makes it work, of course, is the stable of compliant bobbleheads in the mainstream media and the “roll over and play dead” Republican establishment.

We would be not only blind but stupid not to see this and do whatever we can to stop it. The republican party is playing directly into the leftists’ trap by being AFRAID to oppose the current resident because they are afraid any opposition from them is going to be construed as “racism.” Of course, the ones doing the construing will be the projecting leftists and the helpful bobbleheads, anyway, but the compliant Republicans have learned how to keep their heads down and not make waves when the left brings out someone they CAN’T oppose. A vicious circle, and the current Republicans are locked into playing the game just as solidly as the democrats are.

We would be remiss in our duty to our posterity if we were to continue to allow the left to set our agenda, but that is what we do every time we back down on something like this. Sotomayor is a racist, doctrinaire, anti-Constitutional hack who should never have been confirmed to any bench in the past, but, as Rush says, she has a compelling story. People will look away from her blithering, party-business-as-usual history, her blind following of the redistributionist line, her racist and sexist remarks, and just advance her because she overcame some obstacles in her youth.

Well, la-di-dah. So did all the achievers in this country. That’s what “The American Way” is all about, for crying out loud. But what will you bet that as soon as that hack is ensconsed in her swanky SCOTUS office, she starts trashing America and everything about it that got her where she is? She won’t be able to help it. That’s why she has been nominated: Because the current resident knows that she hates the Constitution and can be counted upon to twist it and try to undercut its authority.

This has been the current resident’s plan all along — to get as many like-thinking Marxist purists into high offices in this country as it is possible to accomplish before he is discovered at his deviousness. This is not just a case of the fox being let into the henhouse. Think of it as a case in which the wolverines are in the lambing pen, and the watchdogs are toothless and old.

The current resident is just deranged enough to believe that only HE has the power to remake the United States into his image. He isn’t going to care how many people starve or die before his plan is put into place. He has an agenda that he is determined to carry out. Unfortunately, he also has a nearly-bottomless well of like-minded sycophants to assist him in his quest. Flying monkeys have only one purpose–to do the master’s bidding.

Do not make the mistake of thinking Sonia Sotomayor is going to be opposed by CONSERVATIVES because she is Latina, or female. We will oppose her because she is a partisan Marxist hack, just like her master.

Fuzzy Faces

I wish I had known about this beforehand. It would have been worth a trip to Anchorage with the camera and sketchbook. But, oh, well…

The 2009 World Beard And Moustache Championships contest was held in Anchorage this year, and was even won by an Alaskan. For inspiration for YOUR next beard-growing contest, check this video here. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

P.S. The gentleman above is NOT the Alaskan winner, but a contestant from Sweden. Check the video to see the winner.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I was wondering how this list of closed Chrysler/Dodge dealerships was going to look after somebody took the time to sort out all the numbers. I think I have my answer. Somebody on radio or television needs to read this list aloud during prime time. Every day for a week.

Been There, Done That

Bob Parks notes that the current resident might possibly be the “last black president,” then explains why, so be sure to read his article.

I agree with Mr. Parks, one hundred percent. The current resident has probably ruined the chances of any black candidate in the future. “Once burned, twice shy,” is an old saying. As a rule, American voters keep tending to return the same kinds of people to office over and over again. But the current resident has done some things in just the first few months of his tenure that are not sitting well with the country, regardless of the color of the voters or their opinions regarding race.

I think it’s safe to say that his pecadilloes are sufficiently irritating as to cause most of us to be very leery of any liberal black who might attempt to seek the presidency in the future, should the current resident “allow” it. Those who are experienced in these things will understand that the tint of one’s complexion is not a fair indicator of one’s patriotism or leadership ability. But most of the average voters are going to be thinking “Uh-uh. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me TWICE…” Even now, some who voted for the current resident are feeling the sting of remorse. Having been caught up in the euphoria of hopeychangeness during the campaign, they allowed themselves to be seduced into voting into office an untried, weak person of questionable psychological health.

It’s probably safe to say that the current resident has spoiled it for anyone of color who might hope to run in some subsequent national election. It is unfortunate, nay, DISASTROUS for this country that the first president of color has turned out to be such a monstrous fraud, dismal failure, and one sick puppy. Many who voted for him were convinced at the time that they were “making history.” Unfortunately, they were correct in ways they could not have foreseen.

We could have had at least one real patriot lead the way. Alan Keyes would have been a real president, a wise leader, erudite, eloquent, and passionate. But it was his passion that got him brushed aside and branded as a “kook,” and now, we are stuck with a “first” who is a sick sham and a stalking horse for the world’s Marxists. Keyes isn’t the only good possibility. Even the current chairman of the RNC, Michael Steele, would have been a better choice. Black Conservatives are a growing force on the Right, which says a lot about what the Right has to offer people of color. Getting them elected is going to be difficult, especially since the only example we have of such a chief executive is a cheesy fake, but I believe it can be done. Demanding a leader — of whatever color or configuration — who has our best interests at heart is our right and responsibility as citizens. We are entitled to have the best possible chief executive we can elect; but we need to select someone who will keep our best interests foremost in his mind.

The evidence is already there that the left will stop at nothing to put their Utopian plan into action. Whatever it takes, no matter who gets hurt or destroyed, nothing means as much to them as getting and keeping all the power. But their idea of power is “raw” power: The ability to bully and push and assert one’s authority by virtue of whatever raw power the bully has acquired, and to wield that power ruthlessly.

If we ever get out of the utter MESS this current resident has brought to us, we are going to be very wary of candidates who make us think, “Uh, no…been there, done that. No, thanks.” And this will be a sad thing for America, because real Americans don’t stop with the color of a candidate’s skin when they are searching for the right candidate for the job. Too bad the electorate wasn’t remembering the words of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Apparently, the “content of one’s character” is no longer part of the criteria for selection of a leader, and “leadership” seems to have been pushed aside in favor of “power.” No, thanks, leftists. Been there, done that…

Add Up The Numbers

Go to I HATE THE MEDIA and digg this post before it gets buried. And, while you’re at it, remember our HEROES. There is a glorious red rose at Jackson & Perkins called Veterans’ Honor. The picture simply does not do justice to the glowing, velvety red of the blooms. If you love gardening, and would like to honor the heroes in your family, check out this beautiful rose.

My Pleasure

Every year around this time, it has been my distinct honor and pleasure to express my gratitude to the men and women of the military, past and present. This year is no different.

It is my profoundest honor to thank my two veteran sons, one Army, one Navy, who took time out of their lives to serve their country and to be prepared to die for it if necessary. Words will never be able to express to them the love, admiration, and pride I feel for being the mother of two such fine men.

I can’t stop there, since we live in an area that is rich with uniformed personnel, as well as many, many retired veterans and those honorably discharged from their watches at the forefront of freedom.

I pray daily for the safe return of those in harm’s way, and for the healing and rest so deeply needed by those who have served.

There is no way I will ever be able to thank the patriots of the United States military for the honorable and courageous service they have rendered to their country.

Please go to the following links for visual images of our wonderful military and the debt we owe them, and remember everyone you can think of who ever put on the uniform of the nation’s military. We have been blessed and consecrated by the lifeblood spilled in defense of this country throughout its history. Long may America remain sovereign, long may she remain free.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

A Lesson In Foot-Shooting, etc.

The current resident is doing a fine job…of shooting himself in the foot. The more he seizes private business, demands obedience from banks, forces private enterprise to toe the line, pompously proclaims things like, “I WILL NOT TOLERATE…” the more people he alienates. It may only be a couple of people here and there. But, it may also be lage segments of the population getting fed up with such arrogant ways. So you just fly right at it, you little pipsqueak. You are doing a fine job of destroying yourself. We’ll just stand back here and watch the show.

Also, what if it turns out that the current resident is WRONG?? Wrong on taxes (You can’t stimulate the economy by taxing the air we breathe, but he is trying to do just that, i.e., Cap And Tax); wrong on spending (holy crap! Does he think we are made of money??? What the hell??); wrong on business (government seizure of private businesses is against the law, besides destroying incomes, savings, and commerce); wrong on himself (no matter what he tells you, ladies and gentlemen, he is NOT the Messiah. He is not even A messiah. He’s a selfish little egomaniac hack with delusions of grandeur). So, yes, he’s already wrong, but his worshippers refuse to see it yet, so the rest of us will have to suffer for a while longer.

And, am I the only one around here who thinks Joe Biden reminds them of Cliffie from “Cheers?” It’s hard to despise Uncle Joe Biden. He’s such a mental lightweight. Poor thing. I don’t think he’s as malicious or vindictive as his boss. Of course, time will tell. But even though Cliffie is obnoxious and loudmouthed and ignorant and boorish and classless and … I can actually stand to listen to him. Maybe it’s because he has the delivery style of a nightclub comic. Whatever it is, he will be “Cliffie” to me from now on, just because.

Fish Stories

Everybody who fishes in Alaska has at least one good story to tell. Most of them are so outlandish that nobody from Outside believes them. Maybe that’s how the term “fish story” got started. Elsewhere on this blog, I’ve written about fishing here in Heaven. If there is one thing that is always memorable about a trip to Alaska, it is almost invariably the adventuresome fishing.

Fishing here naturally means you will be exposed to nature in its WILDEST. This can lead to hair-raising fish stories, obviously, but I am relieved to say that, although I have come close, I’ve never had one of those kinds of fishing expeditions. One of those in a lifetime would be “an elegant sufficiency and a superbundance,” as my sweet little gray-haired mama used to say. Nor have I had the incredibly euphoria-producing experience of landing a 100-pound monster Chinook (we call them Kings) on light tackle, although I did enjoy the battle of having a big silver take my light line and tiny hook when I was fishing for Dolly Varden (like a trout with attitude). That was quite a hayride, and cost me the tip of my favorite light pole, which I miss to this day. Sweet little blue pole… :o( But, I got the big wuzzer!

But some stories just beg to be retold, like my 4-year-old son, who wailed, as a trophy-size silver took his lure and ran with it, “I CAN’T HELP IT!!!” Meaning, obviously, that he couldn’t “help” the fish into the boat. Or the time I KNEW I had the anchor rope, and disgustedly cranked it up, all the time trying desperately to dislodge my hook, only to discover a fifteen-pound “chicken” halibut looking at me with a lopsided grin…

And, sometimes, the stories really are unbelievable, like the fish that jump into the boat on a more or less regular basis. But that might be explained rationally. Salmon jump out of the water and land with a “smack!” for some reason known only to them as soon as they come near their spawning grounds. They could be trying to escape predators. They might be trying to loosen eggs in preparation for the spawning to come. Some fishermen say the salmon are just happy to be home. Who knows? But, often, a boat will intervene in this exuberant display, and the fish will land, flopping wildly, at the feet of some overjoyed fisherman. Sometimes, the fish jump right back out of the boat, too. :o)

But, I would be remiss if I didn’t pass on the heart-warming tale of the two fishermen, side by side, fishing off the city dock in Valdez a few years ago. One fisherman had been there most of the day, if the sunburned face and empty beer bottles around his chair were any indication. The water was about 20 feet below us, and a six-pound fish on the end of a line being dragged straight up will get away more often than not. So, a helpful and very busy soul stood below with a large dipnet to assist the various fishermen as they brought in their catches. He was tipped frequently for his service.

I (being the “other” fisherman) took up my position next to Mr. Sunburn and made my first cast. Got a fish, the netter netted it, and hubby took it away to clean at the cleaning table. I cast again. Caught another one. Same situation. Next cast, I got another. Virtually every cast I made caught a fish. But, cast for cast, the guy next to me kept getting SKUNKED. I started to feel embarrassed, and almost stopped fishing because I felt sorry for him. But instead, I just took six of the gleaming torpedoes, and gave the rest to the guy with the faulty equipment (obviously, it was that bad tackle that was causing all the fish to avoid his lure and busily jump onto other people’s hooks). So, we both went home with our limits, and he never had to lift a finger (so to speak). And, yes, some people’s fish stories never get told because they are so embarrassing.

I could regale you with the oft-told, little-believed stories of the fish we caught on the motor, or the day we limited out without leaving the small boat harbor. Well, those are overdone, so I won’t repeat them here. I wouldn’t want anybody to think I can’t tell the truth when it comes to fish stories, after all.

P.S. Unfortunately, those are not my fish in the picture, darn it.