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I'm looking for a new Avatar.
What I'd like is something that makes a statement about who I am and what I am about. Isn't that what a blog avatar is supposed to do? So I've come upon four that I think are intriguing and interesting.
Help me, please. Look at these and give an opinion of what you think would be a good Avatar for PastorDave.
& nbsp; 
May I introduce you to Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria?
Historically he was known as Louis II, ruling from 1864-1886. He ascended the throne at the age of 19 with great hopes, but also with great personal limitations. He seemed most often to choose the wrong sides with international conflict. Government aides constantly manipulated him for personal agendas. And he tried to connect with the common man, but ingrained aristocracy forbade him from doing so.
So, after years of well-intended but failed governance, King Ludwig isolated himself from the day-to-day affairs of government by moving to the Bavarian mountains. There he focused upon several massive building projects, opulant castles to be monuments to the arts and to the king himself. He was fascinated with the great composer Richard Wagner, so one castle was a tribute to his music. Thus he created his own alternative world of happiness and beauty, out of touch with most others.
The government and country was in disarray because of lack of leadership at the top, and nation almost bankrupt by the heavy cost of the King's pet projects. Surrounding nations became increasing threats to national security. Yet, the distant monarch continued to live in his fantasy world.
Finally, the King was declared insane and removed from his throne. He died three days later.
There, you've met him, The Mad King Of Bavaria. Nice guy, no doubt. But, living in his own fantasy world of isolation. Not very good with international affairs. And, spending his nation into oblivion with personal pet projects. Why? Because he is crazy!
I am a political Conservative - with a capital “c”. And I am about to the breaking point with my disillusionment with the situation on Pennsylvania Avenue. Spending is out-of-control. I am not an economics whiz (my personal budget will attest to it), but I know these politicians, Red and Blue, are quickly spending us into hopeless debt. The War in Iraq? I've supported it as a “noble cause”, but they are not trying to win it- or get out of it. It is a political football- our children are dying, for politics. And, there is no progress of a Conservative social agenda. I think I am finally seeing what these guys do, as a habit. About every two years they leave their mansions and limos in Washington to eat pizza with us, and stir us up with bald-faced rhetoric. They have no intention to actually advance the cause, and no real respect for hard-working, family-focused, God-fearing conservative people. It's just a game of power, and folks like myself are played for the sucker.
At least Mad King Ludwig was earnest with his intentions. And, he was crazy.
I know of a nice, quiet, and tranquil little home in the North Georgia Mountains. It's a peaceful place, and they serve good meals. And, they paint your name, in pretty cursive lettering on the doorposts. “George Bush” - yep, it would fit.
This is embarassing! Repeatedly I have told George, Rummy, and JK to just keep things quiet. I like my friends, and they are never there to be used. Just the other day, Arnie and I were pumping iron. Unexpectedly he had to go, but he said, "I'll be back". I had no idea this was what he was talking about. And that Condi! We were at a church social the other night; a Baptist Women's tea party, I think. Then...I'm loaning her some dental floss...and now we chat on the phone everyday!
Anyhow, since the last election we've all been big buddies. We even have a little PastorDave & Friends, Inc. secret society. I'll not give away any of the secrets, but ole John really has that handshake mastered!
Here's some pictures they sent, and unsolicited comments. Honest!
Well, I am sitting here feeling sorry for chickens, thanks to a video I just watched...and some concerns that have been there just beneath the surface for a while.
I'm a meat-eater. But I will have to admit that, sometimes when I think about what I am consuming, and I think long and hard enough, it can make me sick.
Consider an egg, for example. Enough said.
My wife is much more health conscious than myself. She likes for us to eat meat with no chemical additives, and free-range chicken. I do not know a whole lot about the differences. It does taste a bit better, and cost a good bit more. I think the meats that she buys come from animals that supposedly have been treated humanely, raised in a healthy environment, and are free from additives.
Of course, they're still dead.
Video
Here's a little video I came across.
“45 Days In Hell: The Life And Death Of A “Broiler” Chicken”
I admit this is endorsed by PETA, and there is an agenda behind it.
But I believe it is truthful. Check it out, and give me some feedback.
http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=45_days&" title="http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=45_days&" target="_blank"http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup...;Player=qt&speed=_med
All you and I see are the finished products, shrink-wrapped, deep fried, clean and appetizing.
Consider the treatment of these animals.
It might make you sad. It might make you sick.
*Because of growth-promoting drugs, they now reach slaughtering weight at less than half the time it took in the 1950's. This makes me wonder what kinds of chemicals are being ingested with the meat. Is it healthy?
*These animals spend their entire lives inside chicken houses. They eat an unnatural diet, including manure and the remains of dead chickens.
*Ammonia level rises above twice that of accepted standards of safety for humans.
*Often they become physical freaks, having grown so rapidly the body and lungs cannot adequately support the remainder of the the body.
*At 6 weeks of age they are loaded onto trucks and transported to slaughter plants. There they are hung upside-down in shackles, and throats mechanically cut. Many are missed by the knives, but then drown in the scalding tanks.
8 billion chickens are slaughtered in the US every year!
Another 1 billion other animals are systematically and mechanically raised and slaughtered for the sake of our appetites.
When I Was A Kid...
I remember as a little boy going to my grandparents's house. They were not farmers, but they were “country”. They had chickens that roamed around in the yard, and laid eggs in the barn and in various corners of the property. I used to love to hunt eggs, always wary of the irate rooster. I can remember my grandmother strewing meal to the chickens, as they would come running to her call of “Here, chick chick chick chick.....Here, chick, chick....” Sometimes we would have a chicken dinner. Uncle B would go out and catch a chicken, to it's great protest. He'd chop off it's head with an ax, or grandma would “ring it's neck”. I didn't see that as violent; just part of the natural process of things. I guess those were free-range chickens, before the term was popular. They actually had a pretty good life. And we would sit on the porch, and talk, and watch the chickens with their broods and hear the rooster crow. And we had a pretty good life, too.
God And Chickens
Is it a sin to eat a chicken? You may consider such to be a silly question. Think about it...
Adam and Eve were vegetarians, and that is part of God's concept of Paradise. In the Heaven yet to come, the Bible describes it as a place where “the lion will lie down with the lamb”- i.e. no meat-eating.
It was because of the original sin that the first animal(s) were slain, as God made cover for the naked Adam & Eve as they left the Garden.
The levitical laws of the Old Testament, quite detailed, make pretty good sense even today as far as healthy eating is concerned.
I am not unreasonable about this. As a Biblically-defined Christian, I understand that such scriptures as Romans 14:14 and I Timothy 4:4 allow us to make a careful decision to eat meat or to abstain from meat, both of equal validity.
Some questions that I am pondering:
(1) Many of us find it unacceptable to treat dogs and cats this way. Why not chickens?
(2) Does the sterile, mechanical, and stoic apparatus that kills 9 billion animals every year say anything about our society?
(3) Would you be willing to pay more for meat, if it meant the animals were treated humanely and the meat was more healthy?
(4) Does God expect us to be kind to animals?
(5) Can a vegetarian be something other than a “weirdo”- like, a thoughtful and sincere and reasonable person?
Well, I've got to go now. I feel nausea from the meatloaf I had for lunch. Maybe my last meatloaf?
I was in line at Burger King on Saturday morning, a bit grumpy myself and just wanting a Whopper. The guy in front of me was verbally abusing the lady who was taking his order. She appeared to be maybe 19 or 20 years old, a trainee still struggling with the intricacies of a cash register and the English language. As I remember the conversation went something like this:
BIG HAIRY MAN: I want two whoppers with cheese and no mayo. And nothing else.
LITTLE MEEK WAITRESS: Would you like to make that a meal? It will only cost you a dollar more? (This is what she is trained to suggest. An expected part of her job. More correctly, she said with a heavy accent, “Wuldcha luyk da whuppa meel? Eyts only wun dullah muh!”
BIG HAIRY POMPOUS MAN: (Pointedly, loudly, eyes riveted, pausing between words for emphasis) “I.....Want....Two...Whoppers.....Nothing.....More....”
LITTLE MEEK NERVOUS WAITRESS: (Her face is flushed) “I was only trying to....” (Big mistake. She tried to converse with this man as an “equal”)
BIG HAIRY POMPOUS JERK MAN: “What are you, deaf or something? I'll tell you one more time what I want...” (By now, everyone in the place has stopped to observe, including cooks and those of us standing in line. The man is hovering in the face of the girl)
LITTLE MEEK NERVOUS SCARED WAITRESS: “Yes sir.” She takes his money and rings up the order. Her hands tremble. She drops some change. All the time, BIG MAN stares icily and unblinking.
About this time, the manager of the restaurant walks in. BHPJM seems to know her! He speaks a bit of friendly banter, displaying to all of us his connection to high society. Then he points to the waitress and demands, “She was very rude and unprofessional to me.” The waitress was now graven in color, and tightlipped. The manager looked her way disaproovingly, and told BHPJM, “Don't worry. I'll take care of it.” He approved with a smug smile, then went off to consume his burgers, probably in about two bites. Then the manager went behind the counter to help take care of the now-long-line of customers.
I was standing aside, thinking. First I was hoping that, maybe, one of the cooks was able to insert something gross into his sandwich. When I got up to the girl at the counter, I smiled my biggest and said to her, “Don't worry. That guy was an A___hole.” I said it so everybody around could hear, and I want to tell you I got more “amens” than I get for a Sunday morning sermon. And that is a term I never use, but it just seemed most appropriate for the moment.
All during my meal I was thinking about what happened. I looked back and wondered why he would want to treat someone so unkindly. I went back to the counter and asked to speak to the manager. She was busy but finally worked her way over to me. I said, “Mam. I witnessed the entire encounter between those two. I want you to know this young lady did nothing wrong. That man was rude to her. And he intimidated the little girl. I think she is to be commended for handling it as well as she did.” She looked at me, sighed, and said, quite knowingly, “Thank you. I know what happened.” Obviously, this guy may have been her acquaintance, but she also knew he was a BHPJM. And I will add AH to the initials.
“A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter or to others, is not a nice person.” - Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson
My daughter, Krystal has decided upon a tradition with her dad. Every Easter we are to climb Stone Mountain at dawn for the Easter Sunrise Service. I survived again this year, and would like to share some pictures of the morning journey and the morning worship service at our church.
Here's my partner in crime, my 20-year-old College student who thinks it's funny to watch dear old dad struggle up a giant granite mountain.
I stop to rest at about a thousand steps. Not too tired. The next picture is at about halfway. The look is getting sadder. There will be a half dozen more stops, and some serious thoughts about quitting. The look is getting much sadder. I'll spare you the details, and Krystal's sadistic humor.
Stone Mountain really is a spectacular view, well worth the trip and the time with my amazing daughter. She is a joy, and I am glad I endured a near-death-experience with her.
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Now it was on to Easter worship at my church. I was rushed, as I promised to give Rod a ride to church this morning. He asked me for a ride, and I said "yes" before he told me he lived fifteen miles away. But, a promise is a promise.
Easter lilies adorn the front of the sanctuary, the color a reminder of the purity of Christ and the shape to trumpet His resurrection. And, they are a festive addition for the celebration parcel to Easter.
Pretty little girl, dressed in her Sunday finest, all excited about Easter. I call the children down to the front for a special Children's Sermon. This little girl and her family are almost always present for church. Just a few years ago they were not attending church. In God's mysterious and wonderful way we made connection, and now these good people are an integral part of so much that God is doing in and through our fellowship.
Skylar's first Easter. Did I tell you she was my granddaughter? I think she is a rather pretty little 6-week-old. She is wearing her mother's first Easter dress. I think she look just like her mom.
I saved my favorite picture for last. Don't look at the new haircut; I did climb Stone Mountain this morning. And the cheesy smile is because Skylar is looking at me and displaying the very biggest of smiles. Ah, but life indeed is good.
Happy Easter to all!
Matthew Dubay is a 25-year-old computer programmer in Saginaw, MI with some heavy emotional and financial responsibilities tied to a 7-month-old daughter. The court has ordered him to pay $500 per month child support and half of his daughter's health expenses. He admits the child is genetically his offspring. But, Dubay believes he should not be held responsible. He has filed a lawsuit, through the National Center For Men, to abdicate his parental responsibilities. Some are calling this legal matter Roe-v-Wade For Men.
Some background information is needed for clarification. His girlfriend at the time convinced him that she was unable to become pregnant because of a health complication, and that she was taking contraceptives as an added precaution. But when she became pregnant, she refused to have an abortion.
Dubay says, “I do feel I was blindsided by this woman. She is now making me pay for a child when she knew up front I was not ready to be a parent at that time.” Wells responds, “He chose that risk, and everybody knows where babies come from.”
ANALYSES AND QUESTIONS:
When a woman is faced with an unwanted/unplanned pregnancy, she has the ready availability of an abortion, including the morning-after pill. It is her right to do as she wishes with her body, is the basic argument for abortion. But, if a man is deceived into impregnating a woman against his will, should he be forced by her subsequent whim (her choice to give birth to the resultant child) to foot the bill?
Can a man be forced, by the law, to reproduce? ''Reproductive choice should be a fundamental human right, not just a woman's right," says Mel Feit, executive director of the National Center for Men.
I have answers/opinion about the issues raised with this important case, and intend to share them as we interact. What do you think- should Matthew Dubay be forced, by the law, to support this child?
QUOTES WORTH CONSIDERING:
A CAN'T-WIN SITUATION
"Satan wants to cripple you and then blame you for limping." - Adrian Rogers
INTENTIONAL AGNOSTICISM
"Some people can't find Jesus for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman." - Adrian Rogers
ADVICE OF THE ELDERS
"Life is surely given us for higher purposes than to gather what our ancestors wisely have thrown away." - Samuel Johnson
MONEY
"History is littered with the stories of nations destroyed by their own wealth." - Calvin Coolidge
WHERE?
"Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." - Inscription over the pulpit in the chapel at West Point
I want to respond to some interaction thats come along on my blog. And in the process I'd like to give my personal philosophy about blogging and bloggers.
Particularly germane are some points and responses by eraserhead667 and funkadelichika. Funk responds to Eraser by thanking him for "...making me think twice about the author of this blog" (being me, PastorDave).
I'd like to communicate to you what I am seeking to do when I engage in t-blog.
Some blogs I write have a higher quality content than others. I think that, sometimes, I will write something that is quite poignant. Other times it is intentionally not meant to be taken seriously. And then, sometimes, I will write something that just does a poor job of making the point or makes an improper point. Such is the nature of blogging. I'm not trying to deceive or be improper, but sometimes it happens.
What I will ask is that you not judge myself, or for that fact any blogger, too harshly. Speaking for myself, I do this for fun and as a creative release. It is a great way to interact with people of a somewhat different variety. You will notice I do not preach sermons with my blogging. And rarely do I engage in overly heavy and pressing debate. I'd like for others to learn from what I have to say. But I'm imperfect at the craft. If you want a writing without error, true in all matters of intent and message, then you will have to move to something of a higher plane than PastorDave.
Now, eraserhead667 and I have interacted back-and-forth about a difference of opinion concerning what I wrote in a previous blog. The interaction took a typical pattern in this arena, and it goes something like this:
(1) A statement is made and response given, both temperamental of nature and irritating to the other side. Namecalling ensues.
(2) A bit of time passes
(3) Two reasonable persons exchange, more clearly and with less accusation, their views and consider more carefully the position of the other.
(4) The truth wins out, involving some movement to the center on the point of both
(5) A greater respect for one another is an end result
I've seen this pattern work many times on t-blog, which gives me a great respect for the quality of people to be met in this particular venue. As a matter of fact, for reasonable and smart adult interaction, I think this place is the best.
This fellow told me, clearly, that I have no business calling someone a name, or judging the quality of a person on the basis of surface appearance. I didn't want to accept his challenge. But, he is right. I've acknowledged it. And he said he actually agreed with some of the other points made in the same blog. He also said he had read other blogs I have written and found them to be of a higher, more noble character. I know, those weren't his exact words, and he may want to challenge my interpretation- but I was quite honored by his assessment.
I am not going to take any singular difference I may have with any one blogger and allow that to taint my connection with them here on t-blog. I'll give examples. Some of these guys/gals use some rather salty language and content in their blogs. Yet I like the persons. What I generally do is sift through the more "inappropriate" content and come up with something interesting and then give comment. And, some of you guys/gals are much more liberal/conservative in your religious beliefs than myself. And political beliefs! What I do is enjoy the opportunity to interact with you, because I learn and grow through the exchange. These people are good for me, and as long as we can celebrate one another's differences, then it is good.
All of the previous to say that I would be truly disappointed, even hurt, if you would judge me too harshly or discount me because I would write something you do not like. In many areas, I am about as conservative as they come. But when it comes to interaction and fellowship, I'm actually pretty liberal. And I've invited most all of you fellow t-bloggers into my circle of friendship. In over a year of this thing, I have come across only one blogger that I have chosen to cut contact with. In his posts and counters, he kept using the phrase "F____ Jesus". I'm sorry, but I think that is carrying things too far. That is intentional disrespect for me and for something that means all the world to me. So when he would not quit, then I quit him. But, as long as there is a modicum of respect, then I enjoy this blogging.
I almost feel like I'm at a 12-Step Meeting. I walk to the front and say, "I'm PastorDave, and sometimes I'm a bad blogger."
Or, maybe I feel a bit like Mr. Rogers. I'm wearing my sweater, and smiling into the monitor, as I sing, "Won't you be my friend?"
Take a close look at this guy. I have some questions for you.
If you were to pull up to a QuikTrip at 2:00 in the morning, and this guy were hanging out at the edge of the parking lot, would you go ahead and get out of your car, or would you lock the doors and wait for him to leave?
Would you consider him to be the next pastor of your church, or would you put his resume deep toward the bottom of the pile?
Were you to be the security guard at the Federal Building, would you want to see an ID before you would allow this guy to rub elbows with Senators and Congressmen?
Some of my fellow t-bloggers have questioned my negative statements concerning the appearance of Cynthia McKinney. And I agree the photo I chose to use on the previous blog does not do justice to her visage. Actually she can appear to be an attractive woman. One political commentator refers to her as "...the cutest little Communist in Washington". And I understand she can come across as warm and friendly of personality. And, I guess if I were to ask Jesus, he would point me toward I Samuel 16:7, "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." So I lose this battle; I should not speak disparagingly of the appearance of another fellow being. I can speak personally that I do not want others to judge me by appearance; sometimes I can come across as stern and harsh, when most often my heart is just the opposite.
Surely others would not judge the guy in the above photograph too harshly:
*If he were a hitchhiker, you would give him a ride.
*You'd buy a used car from him, right?
*And if he were single, you'd want him to date your sister. Right?
Oh, but wouldn't the world be a nicer place if we were not to judge according to appearance.
If you are a security guard, and see this person walking your way, wouldn't you at least perk up and take notice?
I understand how incorrect it is to profile on the basis of appearance. But your job is to protect US Congresspersons and dignitaries in a busy setting. And the appearance of this person, now coming your way, does not exactly remind you of grandmother and apple pie.
There are 435 members of Congress, and you have not memorized every facial profile- you are a security guard, not a Rhodes Scholar. Besides, since her official photograph, this particular woman has changed her hairstyle and gained weight. And she is not wearing the official lapel pen to identify her as a Congressperson and thus qualify her to bypass security. So she appears a stranger to you.
You do your job, for the sake of the security of all involved. You ask her to stop. Three times you ask her to stop, even as she ignores your request, refuses eye contact, and continues forward. So you grab her arm to forcibly halt her intrusion. By this time you are wondering if she could have a weapon- perhaps a gun or even a bomb. These are proper concerns of our day and time. And indeed she does have a weapon- a cell phone, with which she proceeds to hit you several times. Before matters digress any further, bystanders step forward to identify your assailant as Congresswoman Cyntha McKinney of Georgia. Once confirmed, she is allowed to proceed.
If you were this security guard, would you press charges? You were just doing your job. And, it is an important job; lives are at stake. This woman has both injured and embarassed you. Agreed that you are not of her status. You do not have her name recognition, political clout, or income. You are a security guard, a blue-collar worker. But do you deserve such treatment?
At a national press conference Friday afternoon, Cynthia McKinney stood before our nation and proclaimed she was grossly mistreated by this guard because she was female and black. Her enterage nodded in unison. A group of little black school children from south Georgia, at the capital for a field trip, hed up placards of support. Her lawyers spoke of the terrible misjustice, and promised an investigation of this officer. Danny Glover (he of Lethal Weapon fame) and Harry Belafonte stood to state their support.
What will result? I will now look into the Urim and Thummin and prognosticate...the prophesy is now becoming clear:
*This poor and simple security guard will be effectively painted as a yokel and racist, will lose his job and pension, and eventually see the need to move to Idaho to prevent being mugged in a dark alley.
*All charges will be dropped. Cynthia McKinney will continue to walk past security with a smug superiority, cell phone in hand to smash any would-be hindrance.
*A bronze statue of Cynthia McKinney will be placed at the very spot of the encounter. It will display a small woman with eyes fearful and arm being twisted off. And every year, on the anniversary date, she will come to lay flowers at its pedestal.
*Cynthia McKinney will serve nineteen more terms in Congress, re-elected by 70% margins.
*Periodically, she will assail others with various objects: A cameraman with a hairbrush, fellow congressman with a doo-rag, and another security guard with a suffocating headlock. She will be proved to be the victim of all altercations because of racism. And, Danny Glover will speak on her behalf.
