Next week, I'm on the road, so I don't know if or when I'll have any time for updating the blog. I leave Sunday for the Southwide Baptist Fellowship meeting in Chattanooga, TN. I generally don't attend a lot of "preacher's meetings" for a variety of reasons, but I am interested in my Independent Baptist heritage and FINALLY there's a group of guys who seem to want to leave behind some of our more ridiculous baggage we've accumulated over the last 25 years or so and start focusing on doing the Lord's Work as opposed to meddling with secondary and terciary issues. Many of the leaders in the SBF are trying to reclaim the historical and sound positions on fundamental doctrines without fussing and splitting over less consequential issues which are best left to the discretion of individual and autonomous churches. I am one of the featured speakers and I'll be preaching in one of the general sessions on Tuesday morning at the Highland Park Baptist Church.
On Wednesday, I head for Orlando, FL where I will be teaching three workshops and giving the final keynote address (on Friday) at the annual Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Educator's Convention. I've been attending and speaking at these conferences 20 of the last 22 years and served as the second President of the association during the mid-to-late 90's. FACCS is the largest "State" association of Christian schools in the country and their conference is one of the best, so I'm honored to be invited back to attend, do workshops and a keynote. I'm looking forward to seeing my old Florida friends and compatriots.
Many of you know that I wrote and recorded a series of six small group studies entitled "Living Beyond Your Reality" which are loosely based on Reality TV shows. These six studies are being offered in over thirty locations across the Charlotte/Mecklenburg region and I am introducing each study with a sermon at Northside Baptist Church on Sunday mornings at 8:00 and 10:30. (This week is "Nanny 911 -- Raising Your Kids without Killing Them First.") We had over 220 people attend the home studies the first week and I'm very encouraged at the response thus far. This study is specifically for those who do not attend a church anywhere currently, so for many of these folks -- this is their first experience with a Bible study, the plan of salvation or the like. If you'd like to see the sermons or the Bible studies week-to-week, you can find them at the Northside Baptist Church website.
Here's a few miscellaneous thoughts as I close...
...I've mentioned Phil Johnson's excellent blog "Pyromaniac" on here before. His son, has a blog entitled "I Drank What?" which is simply the funniest blog I've read. You have to read his rant on "Fancy Boys". You'll be howling by the time you are halfway through it.
...Well, John Roberts is now the Chief Justice of the USSC. I am cautiously optimistic -- based largely on the perceptions of a good friend of mine who is a reasonably well-connected acquaintance of the new Chief's and who assures me he is at least a true conservative, if not a firebrand. Of greater concern at this point is Bush's next selection. I remained amused and irritated at the gall of people like Chuck Schumer who actually think that they should have the privilege of picking the next candidate for the President. Someone needs to tell him that the people made their decision last November on whom we wanted making the choice and his name isn't "Chuck". I predict a BLOODY confirmation fight and a filibuster. I also wouldn't be a bit surprised if the first nominee becomes a sacrificial lamb and that Bush will end up going back to the drawing board on this one.
...Isn't Cindy Sheehan's 15 minutes about up?
...Speaking of whacko's -- the only elected official to speak at last week-end's "Peace" rally was Georgia Rep. Cynthia Jackson (D). THAT just about says all that needs to be said about Sheehan's peace brigade.
...I'm proud to say that Mecklenburg county's newest mall has now been open for 2 full weeks and I have yet to enter it even though it's only 15 minutes from my house. Even more surprising is the fact that my wife hasn't been either. (But I suspect she'll sneak over there while I'm out of town.)
...Has anyone gotten a look at the mold taking over the city of New Orleans? NASTY! I can't understand why we are going to spend $200 Billion dollars to rebuild that place. In a city located in a state that is known above all other American areas for its graft and corruption, how smart is it to be sending down that kind of money to them?
...If anyone wants a cat, call me. I have the most fertile felines on the planet. She just showed up with 5 new kittens. (And don't bother lecturing me about spaying -- I'm not paying 180 bucks to spay a cat whose sole purpose in my life is to keep the snakes away from my house.) Speaking of which, Josh (my eight-year-old) went nuclear all over a 3-foot bright green grass snake this week and then proceeded to torture me with it's carcass all afternoon. The last straw was when I went to get in the SUV and he had it draped across the running board. What a twisted little man, he is, making his father scream like a six-year-old girl. Apparently the cat was too busy having kittens to take care of the snakes! So if you want a full-grown cat, I've got one of those for you too.
Now I've probably told you more about my week and what I'm thinking than you wanted to know. So until next time....|W|P|112809454758416730|W|P|Friday Meanderings|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
Does anyone else get tired of the propaganda Hollywood continues to pour our direction through their in-your-face and extreme leftist menu of television programming? As an unabashed “political bug”, I had high hopes that "The West Wing" would be watchable when it debutted several years ago. It only took a few episodes for me to realize that what they really should have named the show was "The Left Wing." Martin Sheen's smug, obnoxious, over-bearingingly arrogant portrayal of Democratic President Josiah Bartlett was simply insufferable and I never got into the show.
This year, ABC is offering us "Commander-in-Chief" featuring Geena Davis of "Thelma and Louise" fame. Once again, her Amazon genes kick in as an in-your-face feminist liberal as she portrays an "Independent" (yeah, right) President who happens to be unexpectedly elevated to become the first female President by virtue of the death (of a bleeding anueryism) of the elected President. Her arch-nemisis is a conservative Speaker-of-the-House, impossible-to-like, character played by Donald Sutherland. As an actress, Davis isn't half bad, nor is Sutherland. But once again, the agenda of the leftist writers and producers is not even subtle. I watched part of the first episode, but can't imagine that I'll become a regular. Too many good books to read or I could play "High-Ho Cherrio" with one of the kids and not end up nearly as irritated.
I guess one question begs to be asked, “Where is the balance?” When was the last time you saw Christians portrayed as positively on a Hollywood show or movie as the homosexuals are? When was the last time you saw a show portray a pro-life message or even QUESTIONNED the morality of abortion? Can you remember a likeable Republican in any movie or sitcom?
Why do we continue to support these shows which are so flagrantly out-of-touch with the mainstream American culture? Do we honestly believe that these shows play no part in influencing public perceptions of Christian and family values? Is there one scintilla of evidence that would suggest that this is an accurate portrayal of prevailing attitudes or mores?
In all honesty, more of us need to quit being lazy and just shut the TV off. It is healthier to watch the dying blue dot in the center of the screen than to be subjected to the liberal diatribes which pollute our homes and confuse our thinking that prevails from the Hollywood culture. It’s too bad that most Christians aren’t as passionate about the things we believe as the typical liberal entertain is. If we were, there wouldn’t be enough viewers left to keep most of today’s programming viable in an industry that worships money more than anything.|W|P|112793320470460140|W|P|Will Hollywood Ever Elect a Conservative President?|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
Robert|W|P|Several winged pigs passed overhead earlier today, so maybe....nope, never mind!
|W|P|I saw an overtly Christian message in the movie "Diary of a Mad Black Woman." There is nothing like a sound track that says "Budda cant do it, Mohammed is dead, only Jesus can set you free!" Other than that every thing else has an agenda to make the name of Jesus the butt of a joke. Cindy Swanson|W|P|Dan, your blog is looking great! Now you just need to get an RSS feed so "Bloglines" will automatically let me know when you've updated your blog. I think the Blogspot tutorial explains how to get an RSS feed. I got mine long ago, and I don't remember how I did it! :)
Phil Johnson's Pyromaniac Blog is one of the best on the web in my opinion. I don't always agree 100%, but he's guaranteed to make you think. Today, his entry is a copy of an email exchange that he had with a "Christian Evangelist" who rationalizes his tattoos and piercings as an "evangelism tool." You really should read Phil's reply as it contains a lot of truth. You can read it HERE.|W|P|112792567996305529|W|P|A Blog Article Worth Reading|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
From time to time I get totally random thoughts and I need to express them somewhere. More to follow.
(I happened to catch "Anti-War Activist" Cindy Sheehan on Chris Matthew's Crossfire on MSNBC this afternoon while driving back from West Virginia -- Thus, the inspiration for this random thought.)
I have heard Cindy Sheehan referred to as a traitor, trouble-maker, turncoat, attention-starved-Peacenik, grieving mother, sincere citizen and activist. I disagree with all of those terms. I do, however, think she's a space cadet.
Thanks for listening.|W|P|112787424173591958|W|P|Random Thought #7|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
I love to go to old hardware stores. Several times a year, I go to one of my favorites in downtown China Grove, North Carolina. In the spring, they have their baby chicks out. I usually buy some seed for my garden (whether I need it or not). I can never resist it when I go into a hardware store and they have greenhouse plants out. They just call me. The reason I like this China Grove hardware store is because every spring they offer several different kinds of exotic lettuce like I buy from the organic section from Food Lion. I’m sure the rabbits will get more of it than I do, but you can’t blame a man for trying.
Over the years, I’ve learned that greenhouses are important and very sophisticated places. I’ve known several folks who ran wholesale farms and the greenhouses were just incredible. Automatic windows and fans. Climate-controlled temperature and humidity. Auto-sprinklers. I even went to one place where you had to walk through some kind of disinfectant so that you didn’t bring some foreign bacteria into the house on your shoes.
From time to time, I have someone make an argument against Christian schools or sending kids to church or protecting them from certain influences which I call the “Hot House” or “Green House” argument. It goes something like this. You’re raising your children in an artificial environment – like a greenhouse. But they’ve got to go into the real world sometimes, so you’d better not isolate them. Put them in public schools, don’t force them to go to church, let them stay out late with their friends, don’t be so strict with the curfew things, let them rent R-rated movies and the list goes on and on.
I usually just smile at them and continue on my way. Sometimes I’ll engage them in a little banter by responding like this. Yes, you have a point. I think I’ll go rent a porno movie this evening and watch it with the kids – that’s out in the “real world” too. Or maybe I’ll take the young’uns down to the hospital this afternoon and let the TB patients cough on them for a while – I mean, hey, you can’t protect them forever, can you? Their going to get exposed to germs eventually – at least I’ll be there! (I think by now, you’re getting my point, right?)
I’m afraid we’ve allowed unbiblical philosophy to sway us away from protecting our kids. Sometimes, I believe, we have over-delegated responsibilities to others that are best performed by parents. As a pastor and an educators, I often urge parents with whom I work to build a “greenhouse” in their own home.
Proverbs 22:6 tells us to Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. This is a wonderful Proverb given to us in Wisdom. Keep in mind that Proverbs are principles and not promises. They are guidelines and counsel. You and I both know of some people who were reared in a good Christian home, but as they matured and had the opportunity to accept or reject the truth in which they were schooled, they chose to reject it. But as a principle or guide, Children who grow up in the loving, nurturing environment of a home that is committed to Biblical values, are more likely to continue in the way they should go as adults than those who don’t get such support and training. But when an adult child chooses to reject Truth, it is less of a reflection on the parent than on the adult child who apparently has not submitted his will to the Lord.
The word “train” here comes from the Hebrew word hanak, meaning “to dedicate". It conveys an idea of “hedging in” or “narrowing” and would often be used in the sense of “starting” something. Horses are “hedged in” at the beginning of a race so their start will be fair and so they will be headed in the right direction. Garden plants are “started” in small, confining containers, under the protected environment of a greenhouse so they will get a good beginning. Climbing vines and roses are placed on a trellis to that they can be guided upward in a beautiful fashion. Godly parenting demands that godly parents get their youngsters off to a good start.
You have to admit, greenhouses are interesting places. They are sophisticated in their design and simple in their goal. By shielding their young charges from cold, disease, heat, draught, pests and other dangers, greenhouses prepare immature plants for life outside the greenhouse. When they are ready, they are transplanted to the “real world” – not too soon – just when they can handle its pressures, difficulties and irregularities.
Isn’t that what we as parents should be doing as well? The notion that we should expose our children to the worst that the world has to offer as some sort of preparation for the “real world” is ludicrous. Yet, many parents push their kids into premature dating, expose their kids to the worst kinds of violence and conduct, sexualize their kids by letting them act and talk “sexy” and in general abdicate their responsibility to be keepers of the environment which allows our kids to mature before exposing them to the harsh realities of a pretty wicked world.
Let’s examine some of the responsibilities of a greenhouse and draw comparisons with our responsibilities with the adult world.
First, greenhouses are to provide protection during early states of development. 
Most tender plants are given a nice “head start” in peat cups and potting soil. This allows them to sprout in safety away from the dangers that will destroy them before they even get started. Such is the approach by the wise parent. Keeping them close to mom and dad, snarling at things that would rob them of their innocence, hiding their impressionable psyches from the cruelness of a fallen creation, we allow them to get a head start on life before having to deal with those things for which they are not ready.
Greenhouses provide shelter from harsh exposures. Do our pre-pubescent kids really need to know the horrors of violence, the draw of sexuality, the raw potential for hatred that exists in the world? Certainly, they will be exposed to it soon enough and sometimes sooner than we’d like. But why rush our kids into confrontation with that which scars, desensitizes and devastates?
Timely and measured nutrition are a priority in the greenhouse and should be in the home as well. Measured doses of nutrients, sunlight, moisture and fertilizers are given by conscientious farmers. The wise parent makes sure that their child is given the correct doses of intellectual stimulation, physical exercise and nutrition, emotional support and spiritual instruction. We’d be fools to only see that they get enough to eat, but no love or exercise or academic stimulation. Why is it that many parents, then, neglect completely the need each child has to know there is a God and that He matters? It’s nothing short of child-neglect.
Every greenhouse is a monument to the controlled environment. Constant readings and evaluation give guidance. We also should be checking the “temperature” in our home. How are the attitudes? Is there balance? Have negative influences like too much TV, unhealthy media messages, and over-extension of time crept into our life? Sometimes we need to regulate what is going on in our personal “greenhouse.”
Much care is given to make sure the plants have developed their roots. Roots give stability, help with sustenance, and are essential for reproduction. Making sure our kids know life’s “whys” and not simply the “whats” is essential in giving them roots. It is what guides discernment, encourages stability, promotes continued growth. Good rooting is dependent upon a Worldview that is permeated with the absolute values of Scripture.
Finally, the big day arrives and they are ready for transplanting. Not too soon. Not too late. Gradually, they have been exposed to a greater extreme in exposure to sunlight, temperature and watering. They are now ready to transplant into the yard or garden. The day finally comes when our kids are ready to date, get their first job, go off to school, and invade the world one step at a time. Yet, even during that time, we monitor, guide, check and pray. That’s what good parents are all about.
So, if you've bought into the whole "Anti-Greenhouse" philosophy of parenting, I'd challenge you to rethink it. Indeed, a family garden and greenhouse may be what's best for YOUR kids.|W|P|112741560566104475|W|P|Gardens and Greenhouses -- Thoughts for Parents|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
Apparently, when he or she is a Democrat. In an announcement that surprised no one yesterday, Massachussetts Senator Big Teddy Kennedy announced that he would not be supporting the nomination of John Roberts to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I actually have more philosophical respect for Kennedy than I do many conservatives (Lindsey Graham are you listening) in that at least he's a principled liberal who is consistent. I disagree with his principles, but that's the stuff of which politics is made. But you know up front from whence he is coming and for what he is striving. He's a true-blue, unabashed, partisan, Big-L Liberal.
But I'd like to point out the hypocrisy of many of his colleagues -- particularly that of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. Reid also announced yesterday that he would not be voting for Robert's confirmation. But in his announcement, he gave a pathetically clear orientation to the intellectual dishonesty of Democratic Party leadership. He almost endorsed Roberts at the same time he was announcing he would not vote for him.
Look at these quotes liften from his speech...
"No one doubts that John Roberts is an excellent lawyer and an affable person."
"...Judge Roberts has been a thoughtful, mainstream judge on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals."
"I was very impressed with Judge Roberts when I first met him, soon after he was nominated."
"No one suggests that John Roberts was motivated by bigotry or animosity towards minorities or women."
"I like Judge Roberts. I respect much of the work he has done in his career, such as his advocacy for environmentalists in the Lake Tahoe takings case several years ago. In the fullness of time, he may well prove to be a fine Supreme Court Justice."
Granted, Reid's full speech, has plenty of convuluted reasons for his vote against confirmation, but they are the reasons of idealogues and partisonship, not principal and conviction.
Even Reid admits that Roberts will be confirmed, but just not with HIS vote.
The Democrats have pontificated since O'Conner's resignation on how dangerous it would be for Bush to nominate anyone who is not at least a "moderate". They particularly warned against "conservative idealogues" like Scalia and Thomas. They conveniently chose to ignore that reality that there are at least 4 "liberal idealogues" on the bench already in the persons of Ginsberg, Breyer, Stevens and Souter.
So Bush nominates a man who has mastered the art of vague responses and an almost invisible paper trail which has been his only hope of getting a seat on the Supreme Court and they partison Democrats STILL won't vote for him. 
That's why he should look for a clone of Robert Bork and nominate him or her for the now-ready-to-nominated-seat of O'Conner. It won't matter WHO Bush nominates, unless he or she is a liberal, pro-abortionist, anti-original intent, ACLU member, they aren't going to vote in favor of seating them. So quit trying to appease them.
Sadly, most Republicans are either too polite, too principled or too much of a panty-waist to stand up for their principles like Kennedy. 
Look at how the nomination of Clinton Appointee Ginsburg sailed through both the committee and the full Senate vote a decade ago. Ginsburg may be the most unabashedly liberal (and she was a HUGE activist liberal before her nomination) justice in a generation on the court -- yet the Republicans signed off on her without a hiccup. Interestingly, Reid found it possible to vote for her, however, in spite of her writings in favor of prostitution, bigamy, and co-ed prisons and her opposition to the Boy and Girl Scouts and Mother's and Father's Day - views that are well out of the mainstream -- unless you are a Partisan Democratic Idealogue, of course.
The liberals, Democrats and mainstream media have turned the confirmation hearings into nothing more than a high-tech game of duck-and-dodge. No conservative, ever hoping to have a seat on the court, can ever express his or her views and they had better be very careful in every written opinion they issue from the day they leave law school until the day they move into one of the offices at the Court. Otherwise, they'll be "Borked" right out of the hearing rooms. In effect, the confirmation hearings have been successfully neutered into a waste of time and energy.
The Democrats don't want a pro-life litmus test, but Barbara Boxer sure isn't ashamed of her pro-abort litmus test. The Democrats don't want a "partisan idealogue", but they sure aren't ashamed of being partison idealogues as they refuse to vote to confirm a likeable, affable, vanilla-flavored nominee like John Roberts.
Sometimes, I wish Republicans and Conservatives believed what they say they believe as ardently as most Democrats I know do.|W|P|112731479102208792|W|P|When Is a Partisan Idealogue not a Partisan Idealogue?|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com Robert|W|P|Roberts got three more Democratic votes in the committee than I expected. He should end up pretty close to 75. Course the real fight is going to be the next one.
I wanted everyone to see a bunch of sharp young men -- upper classmen at Northside Christian Academy -- who did a project on our campus over the week-end. These guys are all part of Mr. Clayton Cromwell's "Christian Leadership" class in which he works with young men on learning basic mechanical, carpentry, etc... skills while learning Christian principles of leadership and character. Their first project involved re-roofing the football stadium concession stand and in the process, they decided to "personalize" it with our mascot name. They did a great job and I'm proud of them!
|W|P|112714922095202705|W|P|S'More Good Guys!|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com |W|P|Give us a picture of the whole finished work, please
Well, it's Monday morning and I'm in my weekly process of cycling out of a busy week-end filled with ministry, stress, blessings and a systematic "emptying" of my heart and head in three sermons. Preachers often joke that many of us resign on Monday's only to "re-sign" on Tuesday's. A lot of pastors I know take Monday's off to recuperate. I'm not wired that way in that Monday's are very valuable for me to review the week-end, plan for the week, get caught up on nagging correspondence or projects and set myself up for the week to come.
This week-end was a bit unusual for me on a personal level. I went to my personal/family retreat for a day of study on Friday and Saturday as I'm speaking at several colleges, the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and School annual educators convention, the Southwide Baptist Fellowship Conference and the regular and irregular services, chapels and training sessions at our own church. Then, Friday night, our youngest daughter, Katie, fell from the monkey bars at our home football game and broke two bones in her left arm which made for a miserable week-end for her and anyone in her general vicinity. (She'll be OK...they'll know if a couple more days if a cast will be sufficient or if surgery is going to be needed.) Yesterday (Sunday) was a particularly busy day as we had our first Sunday in a 6-week series of lessons entitled "Living Beyond Your Reality" that involves a weekly sermon series and over 30 weekly fellowship discussion groups being held in homes, clubhouses, etc... (BTW, I'll be offering for purchase copies of the teacher's manuals, program guide, DVD's and leader and participant booklets in a few weeks if you're interested in them. You'll also be able to stay in touch with the sermons and the lessons via the webstreaming we do on our church website @ www.northsidebaptistchurch.net.)
I did take some time to read some Blog comments and comments from other sources where I publish on my commentary, "Thanks Again, President Clinton" in which I made a line of connection between the rise in teen sexual activity of the oral kind and Mr. Clinton's public affair of the oral kind with Monica Lewinsky. Many (if not most) agreed, though several felt like I was taking cheap shots at a President I didn't care for politically. So, I thought I'd offer a few additional thoughts for clarification on the matter.
I realize that the world of politics and pop culture is a rough and tumble place of finger-pointing, grave dancing and ugliness, but I've got to admit that I was stunned a couple of years ago at the voluminous venom and open glee which was unleashed upon Rush Limbaugh's announcement that he was addicted to prescription pain killers. Limbaugh's confession was just the latest in a string of high-profile tragedies that gave liberals and pundits fodder for lectures on hypocrisy, raised questions about credibility and which have weakened the arguments of those who give at least lip-service to many conservative values.
Another example was the dirty-deal, gotchya politics demonstrated by the Los Angeles Times when it published several last-minute allegations of groping and sexual intimidation by the candidate-for-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. It raised a legitimate question (albeit with questionable motivation) and it also unleashed non-stop commentary about whether or not it was appropriate for a politician to be elected to office who had a history of immoral and boorish behavior toward women. Truly laughable at the time was the total absence of any comparisons on most of their parts to the conduct of one William Jefferson Clinton or even Teddy "Chappaquidick" Kennedy.
Just a few months prior to the Limbaugh story it was revealed that education and morality guru, William Bennett had a major gambling habit which had cost him millions of dollars while setting a stunningly poor example to those who had previously admired his public stands on family positive values.
However, let's be honest. Don't many of us conservatives and yes, conservative Christians smirk more than a little when it is a movie star or pop icon or professional athlete or a liberal democrat who is exposed for his or her sin? From Kobe Bryant to Whitney Houston to a dozen other movie stars and entertainers and politicians, we smugly shake our heads knowingly when the news of their addiction, crimes and sins make their ways to the front pages of tabloids and cable news shows. With connotations of superiority, we shake our heads in disgust and decry the moral condition of this country. And then it visits the house of conservatives and Republicans as well.
I'm confident that liberals delight in the failures of conservatives as much as conservatives delight in the flaws of liberals, but in the end, isn't it just a shame that any public figure of any political stripe falls into the tragedy of immorality, dishonesty, duplicity or any other sin? Preachers and politicians, actors and accountants, entertainers and reports -- we all have feet of clay and sin is always just ugly, painful and disappointing.
Let's face itdoesn't doesn't prefer one political party over the other. Conservatives delight when a liberal is caught in sin because it justifies our concerns and arguments. Liberals delight when a conservative is exposed because it smells of hypocrisy and Elmer Gantryism. But at the bottom line are broken individuals who are desperately wicked and have no hope for redemption short of that which only Christ can provide through His grace.
Sure, it grinds me to no end to see the same commentators accuse Arnold that excused Bill. Me thinks that there is way too much delight on the part of atheists and agnostics within and without the media over the likes of Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart and scores of pedophile priests. Rush set himself up for this vitriol by extolling virtues and leveling criticisms while indulging his own private addictions.
In the end, maybe what all of us need is a good dose of human compassion and Christian grace. That doesn't excuse any of the behavior in question. It was wrong. All of it. Some of it is criminal and should be addressed as such. I don't believe for a second that a groping creep or an abusive predator has any business holding elected office at any level. Pastors who are immoral and violate their vows or Biblical standards of conduct should be defrocked and removed from their holy offices.
But after the dust has settled, there are some very human men and women standing in the debris of sin's consequences and who will tell them and show them of God's unconditional love and the opportunity for restoration if we are too busy mocking their frailties and feeling superior in the fact that we have not fallen so far, so fast or so publicly?
Let's make a commitment that we'll pray for those who have fallen and not simply gossip about them. Regardless of your or their political persuasion, they need our prayers. Let's not let a political agenda blind us to the horrific tragedy of sin and the opportunity we each have to be ambassadors of God's grace to those who are hurting.|W|P|112714522494639236|W|P|Of Sinners and Saints|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com |W|P|One angle on this to add:Conservatives live under the stereotype of "conservative" - hence, moral, pure, honest, etc.
When they sin (like we all do), they are broadcast as hypocrites, liars, demons, etc.
Liberals, on the other hand, never make any claim to moral righteousness. Therefore, it is never expected of them. Jesse Jackson's rise from the ash heap of his "love child" is proof enough of that.
Of course, liberals do love to pretend "better than you" because "I care about the children", but they're just empty shells, without substance, out for a selfish power grab.
|W|P|Actually, I do know what I'm missing. This is from tacobell.com:40 carbs
540 calories
30 fat grams
80 mg. cholesterol
1380 mg. sodium
Enjoy :)
|W|P|Stay away for that mystrey meat! Go try a quesadilla from Phat Burrito or make your own. |W|P|Is this how the linguistic element of the Tower of Babel started? |W|P|He knows better. He does it on purpose to irritate type "a"s like us! Cindy Swanson|W|P|Dan, thanks so much for adding me to your blogroll! Yeah, I know what you mean about President Bush, but even very educated people sometimes have those verbal quirks. One of Rockford's mayord, back in the 80's (he was an attorney and every well-educated, by the way), for some reason would say "nineting-87" instead of "nineteen-87." Go figure. And one of my best-loved pastors, Dr. W.E. Dowell, ALWAYS said "binnis" instead of "business.' Ronald Reagan said "govment" instead of "government." It's just one of those things...
In the September 15, 2005 issue of the Washington Post (in the article entitled Study Looks at Teen Sex Levels) reporter Laura Sessions Stepp offers a shocking peek into the reality of today's teen values. According to the article:
"Slightly more than half of American teenagers, ages 15 to 19, have engaged in oral sex, with females and males reporting similar levels of experience, according to the most comprehensive national survey of sexual behaviors ever released by the federal government.
The report today by the National Center for Health Statistics shows that the figure increases to about 70 percent of 18- and 19-year-olds."
Since President Clinton’s perversion of actions and words infected our national psyche and dialogue in the late 1990's, I, and many of my colleagues who regularly work with teenagers in church and school settings, have noticed a significant trend among our teens. Our young people are "redefining" the definition of sex into such a way that recreational sexual activity (particularly oral sex) that does not involve intercourse is rationalized as "not really sex".
Simply put, the generation of young people who were watching Tom Brokow and Peter Jennings during the dinner hour entone the explicit details of Clinton's immorality and subsequent obfuscated confession, adopted his carnal values and definitions as their own. It really doesn't require a lot to convince a teen that anything resembling or leading to sex is acceptable on a good day, but when you hear about the President of the United States playing doctor with a young intern in the Oval Office of the World's greatest nation, well -- I'm mean -- isn't a he a role model? It's probably the one period of 
history most 13-18 year olds can recall in perfect detail without so much as the need for a quick reference to a messy spiral-bound notebook. Thanks to President Clinton and his intern-cum-hussy Monica Lewinsky, traditional definitions and standards among teenagers regarding sex have been completely obliterated.
Among the many things being debated during his shameful terms of office was the definition of what truly constituted “sex.” And it really IS more than a matter of what your definition of the word “is”, “is” and has become rather relatively redefined and has now become whatever your definition of “sex” is.
And so now, among the many ramifications and consequences of Mr. Clinton’s immorality is a redefinition of sexual conduct by a generation of young people whose impressions and values regarding sexual activity were defined by the Presidents actions.
Another study on the sexual practices of 15-19 year-old males as sited on msnbc.com also revealed some alarming trends. Of those findings, one of the most disturbing was the apparent lack of comprehension about what constitutes “abstinence.”
According to the study, by the Urban Institute, many teen-age boys are engaging in sexual activities including the anal and oral variety. While 55% of teen-age males say they’ve participated in sexual intercourse, two-thirds have had experience with other types of sexual activity.
According to the report, many adolescents consider the type of sexual activity introduced to the public discourse by Mr. Clinton and Monica, to be a precursor or substitute for intercourse and something that does not count as sex. Researchers and health care workers have found that many young people perceive oral, anal and other manual forms of sex as something other than sex – and remarkably, often even see such activity as “abstinence.” Apparently, sexual activity does not involve the risk of pregnancy is not considered to be “true sex.”
Parents of teens should also note another seismic shift in values that involves girls. Remember the days when boys were the "predators" and girls were the "prey". Well folks, those days are gone.
Here's what else the Post article revealed...
"A release by the center six months ago, based on the same survey results, showed that slightly more girls than boys have intercourse before they turn 20. In addition, other national data indicate that the same proportion of high school girls and boys have sex only one time with a particular person or have relationships with others that they are not romantically involved with."
In other words, the girls have become more promiscuous than the boys! Any observant adult who works with teens today will see aggressive girls who chase young men looking for love, attention and affection. Many times they will do about anything, and I mean "anything" to gain the attention of the guys. Add to this absentee and distant dads who do not provide their daughters with appropriate security, affection and accountability and you'll see that many girls today are "looking for love in all the wrong places."
In addition, today's panty-waisted dads often seem brain dead or afraid to confront when their daughters beebop out of their houses wearing skin-tight jeans, super-tight T-shirts and mid-riff baring and low-cut tops. If a dad was concerned about his daughters reputation, values, security and purity, he'd get involved. (But this will lead to another rant if I'm not careful.)
Of course, these trends incorporate several fallacies into a behavior that threatens the health of the participants due to sexually-transmitted diseases, obliterates morality and purity and which has a deep and lingering impact on the ability to have healthy emotional and sexual relationships in the future.
I apologize for the graphic nature of this topic, but I am very concerned that even teens from Christian homes have begun buying into this revisionist definition of sex and morality. Kids are now justifying their promiscuous behavior in “legal” terminology rather than by Biblically-principled standards.
Lest you think that this kind of problem is not happening in the middle-class neighborhoods of heartland America and the Bible-belt South or even nice evangelical church families, allow me to burst your bubble. Here's another quote from the Post article...
The data also underscore the fact that, unlike their parents' generation, many young people -- particularly those from middle- and upper-income white families -- simply do not consider oral sex a big deal.
"Oral sex is far less intimate than intercourse. It's a different kind of relationship," said Claire Brindis, professor of pediatrics at the University of California-San Francisco. "At 50 percent, we're talking about a major social norm. It's part of kids' lives."
The new data [shows] that nearly one in four virgin teens has engaged in oral sex.
Indeed, it could be argued because of some of the findings that those who kids who have made commitments to purity in programs such as "True Love Waits" may be seeing oral and other sexual practices as a satisfactory method of maintaining their (perceived) virginity. In fact, they sometimes refer to it as being a "technical virgin."
Ask any committed and married spouse what the definitions of sexual behavior are and you will quickly be informed that all manner of sexual contact with someone other than your spouse is a violation of the commitment to matrimonial monogamy and fidelity. There will be no parsing of words or hiding behind blurred definitions. It is clear in the minds and hearts of all who have pledged themselves to someone else.
Parents and pastors need to make sure that we are countering this convoluted thinking and Biblically unjustifiable behavior by stressing that Scripture tells us to flee fornication of any kind. While such conversations are uncomfortable, they must take place in appropriate forums so that the primary voice heard by our children is that of someone with moral authority and Biblical foundation.
Our nation was catapulted into a near-crisis state of immorality during the Clinton years. Among the many tragic legacies that Bill Clinton has left us has been a dishonest and dangerous mentality and example regarding how people of integrity handle God’s gift of sexual expression. Refusing to discuss this issue or pretending that our kids are properly informed or adequately ignorant of it only puts them at risk to being overtaken by a culture and conduct that has no Biblical moorings. Purity, chastity and morality may be unpopular and even rare in today’s society, but it is still Biblical and it is still possible. Let’s not give in to that which is wrong and unbiblical. CLC|W|P|You said it very well. Now, if I may add a rant of my own. Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to read a number of novels for teens. I have been dumbfounded at the casualness with which sex is treated. Teens, today, have at their fingertips a wide array of stories in which both heterogeneous couples and couples of the same gender engage in acts of intimacy, and both are treated as though impurity is the norm or at the very least acceptable. Besides that, they also have the capability, at the click of a mouse, to access and view images too shameful to mention. All the while, parents remain blissfully oblivious that sexual acts are being committed in the hearts and minds of their teenagers long before they are made physical. The bleeding heart liberals call for access to all materials for all people regardless of their age or the appropriateness of the material. Besides, they maintain, making materials forbidden and inaccessible will only make them more tantalizing. I might say that, then, it becomes a matter of the heart. As a GUBA baby boomer, I was reared in a fairly sheltered environment making me the recipient of preventive grace -- I haven't had a sinful past to overcome. I don't have images on my mind that I need to erase. The crucial issue here is that my parents were the adults and consequently the authorities and God was holy whose holiness we, as Christians, were to reflect. Ephesians 3:17 beseeches believers to live in such away that Christ is at “home in their hearts” (NLT). Christ cannot be at home when there is the clutter of sinful images. Purity of heart and thought precedes purity of word and behavior. A helpful tool is the little devotional book My Heart Christ’s Home in that it describes how radically our lives are altered when we give Him the deed and key to our hearts. CLC|W|P|My apologies. I neglected to provide a link to "My Heart Christ's Home." It is http://www.spiritwatch.org/hearthome.htm. CLC|W|P|My appologies. I neglected to provide the link for "My Heart Christ's Home." It is http://www.spiritwatch.org/hearthome.htm. |W|P|I am amazed that there are people who really think increased teen sex lies at the blame of Bill Clinton. People need to stop blaming everything on Clinton. He didnt have that much power. I know conservatives like to think he did but he truly didnt. Teens have more sex because(drum roll please)it feels good and they are exposed to more sexual material today than they were 10,15,20 years ago. From the internet,cable tv,music videos,and much more education and open sexual talk due to HIV and AIDS it's pretty clear teens have more exposure to sex than just Clinton's sex life. So just be honest with your readers that you hate Clinton and will find blame to place on him no matter if it's valid or not. I find the present President's behavior to be much more offensive than Clinton's sexual affair and to think I'm not a democrat but rather a moderate republican who feels outside of Clinton's moral downfall he was a good President whereas President Bush may not have sexual affairs(as much as we know)but he has taken the United States to it's lowest levels since before Ronald Reagan recused us after the Nixon,Ford,Carter debacles. Dan Burrell|W|P|Julian...you are neither a genuine Republican, nor are you Moderate if you think that Clinton was a better President than Bush (and I'm no super-Bush fan.) If you worked with teens for the last quarter-century like I have, you would see personally the impact the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal had how teens view oral sex. What was once whispered about is now negotiated openly. What once had a huge "ewwww" factor among teens is now the new equivalent to the "good night kiss." Don't let your blind loyalty to Clinton keep you from admitting the truth. He changed the way a generation viewed a lot of things because of the status of his office and the conduct of his character. |W|P|What about Republicans? Clinton's affair taught us that even the president could not have sex outside of mariage without consequences. That was not the case with Newt. Newt was not publicly humiliated and taught us that an oral sex affair was okay even when you are married. http://www.realchange.org/gingrich.htm As a teenager reading about Newt's affairs made way more of an impression. And what about Bill O'Rielly http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1013043mackris1.htmlI suggest you read the entire complaint. Also, Gov. Arnold, admitted to gang-raping some chick in a 1977 interview: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/arnoldinter2.html
Teenagers look up to Arnold way more than Bill Clinton. At least Clinton was between consenting adults. Arnold has had multiple ladies complain about unwanted sexual advances as well as admitting a gang-rape. He also has had multiple affairs. I guess if you're a Republican, we'll just pretend it's all okay. But if you're a Democrat, you'll be punished and we'll blame all our problems on you.
Dan Burrell|W|P|Anonymous, What about Republicans? Let me tell you... Gingrich is a jerk. I've met him and his second wife when he was House Speaker. She could not have been more miserable. What he did to her was vile and wicked. I wouldn't vote for Governer "Ahnold" if he was the only person running for dog catcher. I've always found O'Reilly to be unsufferable. (So why do you listen to him if you don't like him. I agree with some of his politics and still don't watch/listen to him.)Here's the bottom line...if you don't think Clinton influenced the way our teens think about oral sex then you are simply out of touch with reality. That has nothing to do with his politics (which I find deplorable, but not the reason I was writing and I offered no link between his politics and his conduct. I was linking his conduct with today's research.)
If Clinton was a Republican, btw, I'm fully confident he would have been removed from office through impeachment. You see, there are enough Republicans out there for whom morality DOES matter that the margin would have been there. And, for the record, if Bush had done what Clinton did -- or Reagan for that matter -- I would have been in the front of the line calling his impeachment.
This isn't about politics, but about morality. In my worldview, I'd rather have a moral President than one that is winsome, electable, sexy, hip or whatever it was that gave Clinton two terms.
|W|P|Who said I listen to O'Rielly? I can't stand the jerk or anything else from Fox news.And Bush's lies were moral? Not to mention that by his own omission he was drunk for 20 years and had a girlfriend who got an abortion.
As a former teenager who has classmates in Iraq, I can say you are the one who is totally out of touch. I can say from first hand experience, not wanting to have a child is the primary reason for engaging in oral sex. Easy access to porn on the internet may have something to do with it -- wait, that's Al Gore's Fault!
|W|P|In your talk about sex and immororality, you forgot to list masturbation. Why is that evil you may ask? Any sexual activity with anyone other than your spouse is immoral, which includes yourself. Sex is meant for a husband and wife, which each other. And I apologize for being graphic, but any form of sex done outside of vaginal sex is sodomy, and has been taught as so by the church fathers throughout the centuries.As far as teenage concerns about pregnancy, that is the primary reason for sex, with pleasure being secondary. As Christians, the means to an end of sexual relations should always be with the the idea of possibly conceiving happily with each coitus. That is also why contraceptive use is also damning. If due to financial difficulties or having other young children would make a new child an extreme hardship, husbands and wifes should join together in prayer and sexual fasting during the fertile time for the woman (about 5 days per month, (Natural Family Planning)
We Christian-folk love to rail on certain sins. Things like adultery and drinking and cheating and stealing. We “amen” the preacher with gusto when he talks about homosexuality and moral deviancy. We feel inspired when someone takes on abortion and immorality. But when the pastor hits a few of our personal “favorite” sin, well, in the words of one old Baptist I heard once, “That preacher, he’s done quit preachin’ and gone to meddlin’!” Perhaps no particular sermon on sin should cause silence in the church faster than one that addresses the topic of GOSSIP.
In Lori Palatnik’s book, Gossip: Ten Pathways to Eliminate it From Your Life, she includes a 19th century folktale that drives an important point home.
It seems that a certain man went about town slandering the town’s wisest man. One day, he went to the wise man’s home and asked for forgiveness. The wise man, realizing that this man had not internalized the gravity of his transgressions, told him that he would forgive him on one condition: that he go home, take a feather pillow from his house, cut it up and scatter the feathers to the wind. After he had done so, he should then return to the wise man’s house.
Though puzzled by this strange request, the man was happy to be let off with so easy a penance. He quickly cut up the pillow, scattered the feathers and returned to the house.
“Am I now forgiven?” he asked.
“Just one more thing,” the wise man said. “Now go and gather up all the feathers.”
“But that’s impossible. The wind has already scattered them.”
“Precisely,” he answered. “And though you may truly wish to correct the evil you have done, it is as impossible to repair the damage done by your words as it is to recover the feathers. Your words are out there in the marketplace, spreading hate, even as we speak.”
Once we have spread some unkind or untrue statement about something, undoing the damage is akin to trying to un-ring a bell or un-fire a gun. It’s impossible. It’s too late. It can’t be reversed. It’s like feathers in the wind. Scattered without the hope of ever being able to gather up all those ill-spoken words together again.
If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of gossip or slander, you know how painful, embarrassing and frustrating it can be. In many cases, the rumor that has been spread hasn’t been spread maliciously with the intention or desire to destroy. Instead, it was just spread carelessly with the intention of titillating or speculating. On the other hand, gossiping can be a wicked act that is truly sinful. Sometimes it can be motivated by envy or self-centeredness or pride or even spite. None of which are particularly noble motivations.
Christians tend to avoid the term “gossip” while gleefully engaging it. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve heard gossip spread under the guise of sharing a “prayer request.” It usually follows a statement that beings with, “I want to share something with you so that you can pray about it more intelligently…” Once we’ve anesthetized the listener with these spiritually sounding words, we then dump the messing information all over them. If we were honest, we’d be forced to admit that it was never about prayer or concern or wanting to help – if that were the case, we wouldn’t have said a word. It was about spreading something that was juicy and scandalous and that folks, is nothing less than gossip and nothing more than sin.
Can you imagine what kind of encouragement might be meted out if we responded to every temptation to gossip with a word of praise or edification instead? What if we prayed instead of griped? Complemented instead of tearing down? Commended rather than criticize? Would we not be acting more Biblically if we did?
Yep, it isn’t nearly as much fun to hear someone condemn gossip as it is cheating on their taxes. But in the end, it may be just want we need. For our good and God’s glory.
|W|P|112672386563581325|W|P|Feathers in the Wind|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
Though puzzled by this strange request, the man was happy to be let off with so easy a penance. He quickly cut up the pillow, scattered the feathers and returned to the house.
“Am I now forgiven?” he asked.
“Just one more thing,” the wise man said. “Now go and gather up all the feathers.”
“But that’s impossible. The wind has already scattered them.”
“Precisely,” he answered. “And though you may truly wish to correct the evil you have done, it is as impossible to repair the damage done by your words as it is to recover the feathers. Your words are out there in the marketplace, spreading hate, even as we speak.”
Once we have spread some unkind or untrue statement about something, undoing the damage is akin to trying to un-ring a bell or un-fire a gun. It’s impossible. It’s too late. It can’t be reversed. It’s like feathers in the wind. Scattered without the hope of ever being able to gather up all those ill-spoken words together again.
If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of gossip or slander, you know how painful, embarrassing and frustrating it can be. In many cases, the rumor that has been spread hasn’t been spread maliciously with the intention or desire to destroy. Instead, it was just spread carelessly with the intention of titillating or speculating. On the other hand, gossiping can be a wicked act that is truly sinful. Sometimes it can be motivated by envy or self-centeredness or pride or even spite. None of which are particularly noble motivations.
Christians tend to avoid the term “gossip” while gleefully engaging it. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve heard gossip spread under the guise of sharing a “prayer request.” It usually follows a statement that beings with, “I want to share something with you so that you can pray about it more intelligently…” Once we’ve anesthetized the listener with these spiritually sounding words, we then dump the messing information all over them. If we were honest, we’d be forced to admit that it was never about prayer or concern or wanting to help – if that were the case, we wouldn’t have said a word. It was about spreading something that was juicy and scandalous and that folks, is nothing less than gossip and nothing more than sin.
Can you imagine what kind of encouragement might be meted out if we responded to every temptation to gossip with a word of praise or edification instead? What if we prayed instead of griped? Complemented instead of tearing down? Commended rather than criticize? Would we not be acting more Biblically if we did?
Yep, it isn’t nearly as much fun to hear someone condemn gossip as it is cheating on their taxes. But in the end, it may be just want we need. For our good and God’s glory. |W|P|I agree with you concerning gossip how ever the wise man must not have been a Christian. My Bible tells me we are to forgive 7 x 70.This wise man might not be so wise after all?
CLC|W|P|I don't think the issue is the spiritual condition of the man in the story. The point is that we live in an age of "cheap grace" (to borrow from Bonhoffer). We often think we can sin against God and others and that a mere apology can "fix" things. By asking the man to gather the feathers, he was impressing on the man the enormity of his transgression.
I just finished conducting a funeral for a wonderful old saint of the Lord. He was a pillar in our church having attended for nearly a quarter of a century and serving as a deacon, greeter and in many other capacities. But what few people knew about this man was the depth of his generosity.
He was an exceptionally successful business man though you wouldn’t know it by his lifestyle. He kept that simple. I believe one of the reasons he wanted to live simply was because it allowed him to do more for others and to be generous to the Lord’s work.
Those who attend my church who read this will probably figure out about whom I am writing and that’s OK though he would surely give me a scolding for doing this. I would classify this man as an “investor.” Let me give you some examples:
- Each year at the beginning of school, if we had some kids who couldn’t attend because of financial problems, he’d write a check to make sure they got a Christian education.
- The last time he attended church, weakened with cancer and surgery, he tucked a check for $1,000 in my hand to help purchase materials for our “Living Beyond Reality” home study campaign for evangelism. You could hardly read his writing, but even then, he had a heart for helping out.
- If he heard of someone who needed tires on their car or were having a problem financially, he’d take care of it, but only under the condition that we didn’t tell who had helped them.
- He faithfully tithed plus more and always participated in a significant way in any special offering or project.
- This is kind of personal, but at Christmas and Thanksgiving, he would often bring my family a honey-baked ham or turkey breast (our favorite) or a gift certificate to a restaurant that we wouldn’t normally have gone to because of price with a handwritten note. Little things like that go along way to keep a pastor and his family encouraged.
He did these things and I never asked him to do a thing. He just heard about the need and then wanted to take care of it. He was an investor.
His generation is dying off far too rapidly. He was a WW2 vet and I’m told that they are dying off at the rate of 1,000 a week. He was a hard-shelled businessman who gave you quality work for an agreed upon price and his word was as good as his bond. He did it right and particularly so if it was the Lord’s work. In fact, after he finished doing a project for the ministry, he would almost always take the profit from the project after it was completed and turn around and put it right back in the offering. He wasn’t going to make money off of working for God’s people.
Today’s generation is more about “what’s in it for me?” Special offerings? I’d just be thankful if they’d follow the Biblical practice of tithing. We look to the government to bail us out of trouble without thinking of how we might be used by God to meet some personal need for someone. We are far faster to heap criticism on leadership than encouragement. We spend and borrow to attain a lifestyle that holds us hostage and we don’t have the breathing space financially to look for ways to “invest” in others.
I know this, our ministry today was built by Godly and devoted men who saw themselves as tools and conduits for God’s resources which flowed through them. I wonder if my generation and the one after me will live their lives and groom their hearts in such a way that we also will be “investors” in what God wants to do in us and through us. |W|P|You ask a very good question. Sounds like this was a very good man in your church. It seems as if there is a lot of talk about the WW2 generation and how much it is admired for their character and spiritual depth but when it comes to following their advice or counsel too many times it is ignored, laughed at or even scorned. Modern day christians and church leaders today have a new way to do things and dismiss the ways of what has been called "one of the greatest generations ever" as old-fashioned and irrelevant in todays techo-advanced world--and then wonder why they are having so many problems in the church. Modern day mega-churches with their contemporary services, ear-itching messages, and casual dress atmosphere are springing up everywhere. They are filled to the brim with warm bodies on Sunday morning but where are they at on Sunday night and Wednesday night? So much for the "3-to-thrive" from the old fogies like Lee Roberson. Why are so many churches struggling financially with such "successful" attendance programs? Why isn't a spirit of revival sweeping America with all the Joel Osteens and Rick Warren "wannabee's"? I believe it's because true spiritualism has been replaced by emotionalism. Kudos to these leaders who know how to generate a crowd but is it man-driven growth generated by appealing to the physical senses or God-driven growth generated by the Holy Spirit's drawing? The difference can be found at the altar. Most people are drawn to these churches by the excitement of an emotionally charged, contemporary "worshipful performance" experience, (along with a cup a cappachino) and will raise their arms with an ethereal gaze towards heaven, but it's only a feeling that lasts about as long as it takes for the arms to come back to the normal position. Interestingly one can also see this same reaction during a rock concert. It's sad that a lot people "think" they are worshipping but it's only an "appearance" and therefore "has no power thereof". In today's churches emotions and intellectualism are mistakenly perceived as spiritualism but hearts are never changed when the service is over, and subsequently true spiritual growth, maturity and character never occurs. Perhaps a dose of old-fashioned, old time "prayer meetings in the woods" would be a good place to start. Children today need to see real men on their knees crying out to God, fervently asking for Him to move amongst His people like our fathers did or else we will lose this forever. And as far as the casual dress goes I believe one day in the not to distant future no one will know what "Sunday Shoes" are.
I keep thinking I’ve said all that I have to say (or SHOULD say) when it comes to the Katrina’s disaster. But then something comes along and I just find something else that gives me pause and makes me want to write. Thus, my topic for this blog entry.
Could it possibly be that we have become spoiled in this country when it comes to the response of our government when disaster strikes? Several articles that I read over the week-end would seem to give evidence that would support my question. All week-end long, liberals and conservatives alike have pointed rhetoric-sharpened fingers at the President, the feds from Chertoff to Brown, the Governor of Louisiana and the mayor of New Orleans. Much of this finger-pointing is suspect, in my opinion, due to the lines on which much of the blaming is being done – ie, racial lines, anti-Bush lines, anti-FEMA lines, anti-Big Government lines, pro-Big Government lines, etc….
I’m now convinced that there is enough blame to indict all the various levels of government for not acting in the best way they could have or should have. Let’s face it, Bush wasn’t up to his usual “I’m-in-charge-here-help-is-on-the-way” best that exudes confidence and calms panic. Somebody should have handed the man a bullhorn and put him on the I-10 bridge in New Orleans within 24 hours after the flood. Governor Blanco needs to explain why she kept the Red Cross back when they were willing to get to where the action was and why she was so sluggish in requesting and allowing Federal assistance. Nagin (in my opinion the least competent of the triumvirate) still needs to tell us why those acres of buses which ended up under water weren’t used to evacuate the Superdome (and no one is buying that whole “We didn’t have any place to send them” line.) Of course, I didn’t have to even mention FEMA Director Brown who is now simply a mass of roadkill left over from Katrina’s fury. He might have been excellent at arranging horse shows for Arabian stallions, but apparently he couldn’t have been less informed as to what was going on in New Orleans until someone who had been watching the news for the previous 48 hours let him in on the fact that there was a pretty significant emergency taking place there.
So, now that I’ve done my own finger-pointing, should this not be considered?
- Thus far, Americans have emptied their own pockets to the tune of $700 million plus (and climbing) to help with aid and assistance and this doesn’t even include those who have personally handed and sent cash and supplies directly by the truckloads and millions.
- The American government has already allocated $60 Billion plus (and that’s Billion with a B. Start counting right now if you’re an infant and continue until you are 70 years old and you still will not have counted up to ONE billion.) Some wild-eyed estimators are saying that the government will end up sending upwards of $300 BILLION for the reconstruction of the Gulf States. (Let’s hope these are the same folks that estimated 10,000 plus dead in New Orleans.)
- Private insurers are going to pick up over $100 Billion more in reimbursements by many estimates.
- Economists say that this will more than likely cause only the briefest of hiccups in our economy and in the end may serve to boost our economy (which is what happened after Andrew if you’ll recall.)
- Hundreds of thousands of people have been successfully relocated, given places to live, had jobs provided for them, had people treat them with dignity and decency from all 50 states.
- Religious groups, conventions, individual churches and other organizations that are faith-based are POURING into the area with their own form of independent relief and assistance. Were it not for the Southern Baptists (for the record, I’m not a Southern Baptist), thousands of people would have already gone hungry – and that’s according to the Red Cross who works closely with them.
Now I ask you, what other citizens other than American citizens in the entire world could expect such a generous, personal, professional, coordinated, compassionate, did I mention generous, response from their government and fellow citizens? We talk about the delay of 72 hours or so, but I lived through Hurricane Andrew which was a smaller, drier, more compact storm and I remember the same delay there. New Orleans didn’t face just one disaster, but TWO – the Hurricane then the flood. There is no model for this kind of relief effort. Throw in the bands of marauding looters and dangerous druggies and criminals running through the streets (which is also pretty much unparalleled in experience) and you had the recipe for even greater problems. Help DID eventually come and it has been massive.
While a few foreign nations have provided token help of supplies and a few nations totally enriched by our appetite for all things petroleum have dumped large sums of cash – these were mostly acts of “neighborliness” that, in the end, would have been filled in with our own resources had they not been given. Unlike other nations who have disasters befall them, we are not dependent upon larger or richer nations to come in and help us rebuild (which is just another evidence of God’s grace on us). (Sub-rant here – from what I understand France provided for us, we should ask them not to bother. With “friends” like them, they’d be speaking German today.)
My point is this…we are now TWO weeks removed. Yes, in the first 96 hours there was some confusion and missed opportunities and we are better than that. But, now 14 days removed from a catastrophe of Biblical proportions (welcome to my cliché fest), recovery is now well on its way, people are being rescued and cared for, help is flooding into the region and we, as a nation, are demonstrating unparalleled support for our fellow citizens. It will take years to repair all that was destroyed. Could we have and can we do more? Sure. But I dare you to find another nation anywhere at any time, who has done a better, faster, more generous job of helping hurting people at a time of crisis.
Let’s not quit. Let’s make plans to do even better next time. But let’s also not whine excessively without looking for the bright points and the right actions that DID occur.
I’ve been around the world a few times. I can tell you this. There are a lot of folks living in the slums of Rio, in huts in India, in lean-to’s in Africa, in villages in Mexico, in mountain villages in Albania who would be thrilled to get a MRE to feast upon, a set of used clothing, a leak-proof roof over the head and a disaster cot and pillow under it – and they aren’t going through a disaster right now…that’s just daily living for them.
And for those wanting to give through Northside Ministries to Katrina relief, you may bring your material donations to our campus at 333 Jeremiah Blvd. (I-85 at Exit 41 – Sugar Creek Road) in Charlotte, NC. One of the best things you can provide is money. If you’d like to contribute to this by making a tax deductible donation, you may send your check marked “Katrina Relief” to Northside Baptist Church, 333 Jeremiah Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28262 or you may go to our website at www.northsidebaptistchurch.net and go to the “give” button and make an on-line donation – again making sure that you mark it “Katrina Relief”. Every single dollar that comes in will be sent directly to a local church relief project for distribution to needy individuals and families.
|W|P|About 6 years ago I worked for a home health agency in greenville sc where jesse jackson was raised and his mother still lives. I was called to her house to see if she could recieve home nursing help. I had to get her on meals on wheels because she wasn't able to cook and lived in a house that was very very old. I was SHOCKED to see that Jesse Jackson let his own mother live in such conditions and neglect. So Jesse needs to take care of his own affair and family before he starts out to save the world with his hypocritical statements. I send this anonymous because I don't want my nursing license to be at risk due to confidentiality, but I thought you would find it interesting. It sure did shed a new light of my opinion of him for me. Northside Member
Thanks for listening.|W|P|112623050369846998|W|P|Random Thought #2|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
|W|P|112619586924847118|W|P|Supporting Hurricane Victims|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com Robert|W|P|The friction between Mayor "Buses" Nagin and Governor "Hamlet" Blanco goes back to 2003 when despite being a Democrat, he endorsed Republican candidate Bobby Jindal against her in the gubernatorial election. To be polite, they hate each other's guts. Tens of thousands of innocent people have suffered as a result. It's not just criminal incompetence...it's also petty paybacks. Robert|W|P|Apparently it made her less gramatical too.
Yesterday, mostly beneath the radar screen of the media which are rightfully covering the aftermath of Katrina's destruction, fewer people than normally would, watched the flag-draped casket of Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist placed in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court to lie in state as former clerks, family, friends and those who were just wanting to be respectful filed by to show honor.
In my opinion, Rehnquist will go down in the upper echelons of the relatively short list of Chief Justices. I have two close friends who have served as clerks to Justices, one of them to Rehnquist himself, and they both speak of the dichotomy of his personality and leadership -- on one hand he was a stern and business-like officer of the court who refused to suffer fools gladly, while on the other he was warm, personable and exhibited personal qualities which inspired no small amount of loyalty to him as a person.
Mostly, the media has been respectful of his tenure this week as even in the cut-throat world of today's journalism it is considered poor form to speak ill of such a high-profile leader who succumbed in old age to an awful disease. Historians will later write from a greater macro and micro perspective as they learn intimate stories from the approximately 100 clerks who served him and have faithfully kept 
the veil of secrecy which surrounds their elite ranks and who will now be free to share more of their experiences. History itself will continue to emanate from his lengthy tenure both as a junior justice and the Chief one for quite some time -- particularly in light of the high likelihood that his former clerk and protege, John Roberts will assume his duties within weeks.
A couple of years ago, I enjoyed a lengthy personal visit with Justice Clarence Thomas in his private chambers which was arranged by one of his clerks who was a close friend of mine. If the Supreme Court is successful at anything, it has accomplished an air of stability and tradition and gravitas which makes it unique among our three primary governmental estates. It was then that I got the briefest of glimpses behind the mystery and majesty of the court and saw the justices as they really are -- mere mortals, frail ones at that. While waiting for court to start and then after its dismissal, I was able to stand in a back hall at a secure distance and watch the nine enter and exit the robing chamber behind their bench. I was struck by the lack of height connected to the towering intellect of Justice Scalia. Justice Ginsberg is just a tiny waif who looked like she was on her way to her 5th grade classroom to teach an unruly mob of 10 year olds. Souter appeared to be mousy -- a sort of Mr. Rogers clone, yet he may well represent one of the greatest disappointments in appointments my generation of conservatives has seen. Sandra Day O'Conner looked very frail with shaking hands and head. Her ill husband sat just a row or two in front of me during the session. Rehnquist, even before his cancer diagnosis, appeared to be in pain -- probably from his years of back problems. All in all, I well recall how human, how mortal they each seemed. Perhaps that is why they wear the robes and erect the great marble columns in their chambers -- to compensate for their humanity with the aura of authority and invinsibility.
I wish I knew with certainty that the Chief had a personal relationship with Christ. Frankly, I see no evidence whatsoever that any of the nine are evangelical Christians (and I honestly doubt that a genuine evangelical would be confirmable considering today's popular contempt for people of deep conservative religious faith by the power elites.) But even in my ignorance of his or other's relationship with God, I know that all of us -- from the Chief to the most anonymous victim of Katrina who lies beneath a sheet in a New Orleans alley -- all of us, will someday give account to God for what we did with Him. It's a sobering thought.
My friend who clerked for the Chief Justice once described to me a moment on which he stood on the stairs of the magnificent Supreme Court building and thought, "I'll never have a better job than this one." Indeed, the privilege of working alongside of or beneath great thinkers and leaders is a blessing and a benefit. In all the justified adrenaline-juiced response to the catastrophe in the gulf states, may we pause for a moment and give appreciation for those who serve our nation in robes and uniforms, outposts and capitol hill offices -- for they are the ministers of God for our good.
Chief Rehnquist leaves a large gavel behind. Let's pray for the Justice who wields it next.|W|P|112611547033707891|W|P|Lost in Katrina -- Hail to the Chief Justice|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com |W|P|This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Amid all the horrific news of the week, I enjoyed one of the most enjoyable experiences of my ministry. This week is the time scheduled every year for our school back-to-school spiritual retreat which we hold at Windy Camp Camp near Weaversville, NC. We rent the whole facility and it costs us nearly $30,000 to do so and it is worth every last penny. It is a week wherein we get to know out 9-12 graders (all 198 of them this year) and we have a great time of team building, preaching, worship and just plain ol' fun! I go every year (this was my 6th trip) and I just can't imagine missing it.
I took our ace videographer, Scott Brannon with us and we videotaped several hours of lessons for our up-coming Living Beyond Reality home study lessons and some other material we've been working on. In between tapings, I got to know our kids better and I'm just so proud to have a school like Northside Christian Academy and young people like ours.
We have a week-long class competition in which they do everything from the ridiculous (cricket eating and burping contests) to the sublime (talent acts that are just outstanding!). The week ends with what we call the "Northside Steeplechase" which is 30-minute race between classes that involves everything from "blobbing" to leapfrogging to basketball relays and a whole lot more. 
We have daily seminars (I enjoyed teaching our 10-12 graders principles of Christian dating) which addressed teen topics like dating, worship, fear and more. 
Each evening, we enjoyed great preaching from Pastor Rick Wood, Senior Pastor of Grace Church in South Bend, IN. Rick went to college with Julie and me and we hadn't seen him in many years. The Lord has given him a great pastoral ministry and he's OUTSTANDING with teens. (If you want to contact him for a youth retreat, email me and I'll put you in touch with him.)
The worship was lead by one of our alumni, Darren Libby (Class of 2002) and his college roommate, Tyler, and the Lord really opened the hearts of our students as they joined in with their whole hearts, singing praise to the Lord.
At the end of Thursday night's service, groups of teens gathered in personal and intense prayer for each other, their school and for their own leadership within the student body. The room was filled with the sounds of teenagers calling out to the Lord. 
It was fantastic! I told a couple of the deacons who were there as parent chaperones.... "THIS is why I went in the ministry. I didn't go to attend deacon's meetings and do administration. I want to serve the Lord to see Him change the lives of people." And He did just that.
It's always bittersweet to have to conclude the week. The kids stayed up real late at "Sippy Town" and getting last minute pictures taken. Most of the kids loaded up on the school buses and headed home. 
However, I joined the seniors in going over to the French Broad River where we took a five-mile white water rafting trip. It was my first time doing this and it was a blast. But the best fun was just spending a few more hours with a great Senior Class. Of course, I'm a little prejudiced as Nathan (my oldest) is a senior this year, but they are truly some great kids. I'm going to be chaperoning their Senior Trip next March and I'm already looking forward to it. .
You know, many people spend an awful lot of energy trash-talking teenagers these days. In any group of people -- teens or older folks -- there will be some "bad eggs." But I always leave our teenagers feeling encouraged and enthused. These kids are more passionate about worship and talk more freely about the Lord and what's going on in their lives than the teens of my generation. They face things I never had to face. And yes, they mess up sometimes and get loud and raucous and nerve-wracking at times...but in the end, I'll take their passion and joy and zeal any day of the week and I can't wait to serve them as the next generation of adults in our church! 
Love ya, kids!|W|P|112597528723087856|W|P|A Week with Great Kids!|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com |W|P|Amen and Amen. It was a awesome week. It is also our responsibility to follow up with these teens on keeping their commitments. We need to encourage them and support them. That was the best week I have had in a while. |W|P|WOW!!! What a blessing to look and hear about some of my kids I taught back in the 4th grade. I am proud to have been a part of their life. |W|P|AMEN!!!GOD BLESS each and everyone who touches the lives of our young people,this is such of a crucial time in their lives and they are at a stage where vaules and morals will be molded from their surroundings and interactions with others. I'm proud to have a child at Northside Christian Academy,the school,instructors,students and most importantly church are PRICELESS.Surely GOD is smiling down on Northside. GOD BLESS