A Blog of Thinking Allowed

I think mediations were (are?) meant to save the Judge and court system time, in that they weed out and allow those on opposite sides to come together in some agreement.  That’s laughable to me now.   I had to  attend (you are court ordered you know to attend) what was a total waste of my time, but an obvious going through the motions to get to court and before a judge.  The opposing attorney came out with a string of lies in one sentence, to the mediator.  I can’t believe they aren’t held to truth at these proceedings.  I mean, it wasn’t even a debatable sentence, it was just full of lies.  For instance to begin with, he said the clinical psychologist who assists me with pain wrote the prescription.  That’s absurd and illegal at best.  The rest of the lies were similar ones to the first.

The good thing about a mediation is you don’t have to agree.  Once the opposition had said they weren’t going to abide by the medical doctor’s prescription, and were going to depose her (again!) before making any decisions, I stood up said we were done there, and left.  You’re only required to sign in and attend, there’s no requirement for staying.

One of the absurdities of the opposition was in his trying to convince the mediator that “no one’s heard of a case that goes on for 22 years!” To which I responded,  “I’m sorry that I’m STILL DISABLED!”  They were quiet for a moment, and then all went on with their legalese.    New cases are required by law to be settled. I pity anyone injured in today’s market/world…they don’t have a chance against the insurance companies, and certainly not with the impending government health care which has been voiced as not allowing for elderly nor disabled to obtain medical care (as they don’t contribute enough to society to warrant it.)   We’ve been told by Mr Obama himself that we should just go home and take a pain pill and… and wait to die.  Guess I’ve rambled a bit…  but it’s base of all these issues is socialized medicine that has no place for an individual’s special needs.  I guess that’s still better than gas chambers though, eh?

http://countusout.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/wheres-the-birth-certificate-billboards-will-soon-be-going-up-around-the-country/

No matter who you voted for or whether you are still happy with your choice, hopefully you do care that US Constitutional laws are being kept.  Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with the current President Obama.  A certificate of live birth is not enough to meet the Constitutional requirement of citizenship and holding of the highest office in the land.

You will begin to see these billboards around the country, asking for the proof that is required by the Constitution, and easy enough, if viable,  to present to the questioning American people.   What’s the big deal?

This current movie is really good!   Being a trekkie from the get-go (and I won’t say how young I was)  and having met “Scottie” personally before his death…  I was eager to go.   I did delay a week, as one of my sons and I had planned to go together..but he had dental issues flare up and I went alone.  We hope to go together next week, and both see it for the second time.

It’s believable, and it links things so well, like Roddenberry always did.  It also leaves it open for ANOTHER MOVIE!  YAY!

While reading the credits (yes, I’m one of those who stays to the end. I often have a surprise of an additional scene that way.) I noticed that they used Majel Roddenberry’s voice for the computer. That was sweet…and probably savvy.

A few tweeks that caught me off guard, but acceptable.  I wanted more depth… IDK maybe… music?  But the music was great!  So I’m not sure what I missed…but it was well worth my time, effort, and money.

Jack was not the first Van Impe impressed by Dr. Allen’s memorization techniques. Oscar Van Impe, Dr. Van Impe’s father, had also sat through his classes and had been given Scripture memory assignments. The older Van Impe had tackled the project by arranging verses according to Bible doctrine and placing them on index cards that he could carry with him. It was a means of making double use of his time and changed many waiting hours that would otherwise have been wasted into profitable opportunities for storing God’s Word in his heart. When Oscar went to Belgium he left his Bible memory cards behind. It was an oversight, but turned out to be a blessed blunder. Jack found them, very near the time of his return from backsliding and adopted his father’s method. He’s still using it today.

As a student, Jack found the verses he programmed into his mind were like good friends. They came to his aid when he needed them. Assignments became easier. Witnessing, a natural experience. And, best of all, this army of Bible verses marched into his ordination examination and rescued him from hours of questioning by the inisters present. When he struggled with the decision concerning the main thrust of his ministry, it was those Bible verses, now leaping into every sermon, that gave him the confidence he was equipped to preach.

During his evangelistic ministry, the power of God’s Word has been consistently demonstrated. He attributes the characteristic lasting effect of his crusades to the saturation of his sermons with the Bible. Sinners are confronted with God’s Word, rather than tear-jerking stories. The result is conviction and genuine conversions. Christians are moved to revival because they are forced to see themselves as God sees them. And that is what preaching is all about.

Not everyone appreciates memorization. Even among preachers. One Ohio minister once told Jack that his Scripture quoting was leading him into a stilted form of preaching and would hurt his ministry. Today, that homiletical expert is out of the ministry after the church died under his polished preaching, while Dr. Van Impe is still quoting Scripture and reaping the benefits of its power.

Encounters With Critics and Opponents

Having so much of the Bible committed to memory has equipped Dr. Van Impe for encounters with critics and opponents.

Members of cults who have come unsuspectingly to his door have found themselves at a loss to cope with his plain presentation of Bible truths.

Representing the Michigan Sunday School Association in a 3-hour debate with an atheist and a Roman Catholic priest, on Detroit’s radio station WXYZ, Jack quoted over 500 Bible verses in the first two hours of the program. The moderator was so upset at this domination of the debate with unanswerable arguments that he ruled that no more verses could be quoted in the debate. At that announcement, Jack stated that he would have to leave the program, since the purpose of his being there was to present the Bible. With an hour still remaining in the debate, the announcer rescinded his rule and allowed “The Walking Bible” to keep on quoting Scripture.

The moderator of a radio call-in program in Illinois had Dr. Van Impe for a guest. He hated Christianity and claimed to believe only the Old Testament. When the broadcast started, he announced that even though this was a call-in show, he would accept no calls from listeners because he wanted to use the entire hour to tear the evangelist to shreds. He started his tirade by saying, “I can’t accept the three-headed God of Christians.” In other words, he rejected and mocked the Trinity.

“Well, sir,” said Jack, “since you believe only the Old Testament, I’ll show you what that part of the Bible has to say about the Trinity.”

Beginning then at Genesis 1:1 and showing that the very first mention of God is given in the plural Hebrew word Elohim, he moved through the Old Testament revealing the truth about the Trinity.

He pointed out that the plural word for God (Elohim), was used again at the creation of man (see Genesis 1:26), the Lord has a Son (see Proverbs 30:4), that the Lord speaks to the Lord (see Psalm 110:1), and that the Lord spoke of sending the Lord to the earth (see Zechariah 2:10,11).

At that point, the distressed disc jockey decided it was time to open the program to the calls of listeners.

On a network TV station in Missouri, Jack debated a college professor. The program started with the announcer telling viewers that the debate was between a Christian and an intellectual. Some put-down! But it didn’t matter. After being bombarded with the Bible for 12 minutes, the professor surrendered and Jack used the remaining 48 minutes of the program to give his testimony.

Some admirers of Dr. Van Impe’s ability to quote 14,000 Bible verses, including virtually the entire New Testament, look upon this accomplishment as the result of a divine gift. “Not so,” the memory man replies.

Others think he has a photographic mind. “Wrong again,” he insists.

What then is the reason for this unusual feat? “Hard work,” he replies.

Desire, Discipline, and Dedication

There are three reasons why Jack Van Impe has become “The Walking Bible.” They are desire, discipline, and dedication.

Jack saw the benefits of being saturated with the Bible and he wanted them. Enumerating some of the results of such exposure to inspiration, he says,

“The Word gives us victory over sin (see Psalm 119:11). It makes us clean (see John 15:3). It is the source of faith (see Romans 10:17). It brings blessing (see Revelation 1:3).” (You can tell that he is just beginning to warm to his subject.) He has experienced the difference in his own life. The words of the Bible are no longer just promises for plaques on the wall, nor catchy texts for sermons. They are part and fiber of his very being.

He has developed the necessary self-discipline to make his goal attainable. Like Paul, he has mastered his body (see 1 Corinthians 9:27). Depriving himself of relaxation and sometimes sleep, he has always kept up his memorization of the Bible. With his pressing schedule, it would have been easier to forget those two hours of daily memorization. But ease was not his aim. He wanted to be a man of the Word.

Dr. Van Impe says he spent about 35,000 hours in memorizing 14,000 verses. And that time was all invested for the glory of God. There were no contests to win. No awards to receive. No one challenged him to a memory marathon. His service for Christ here was just as real to him as preaching or leading a soul to Christ. The Scripture memory time was a sacred rendezvous. There were few memory gimmicks used to achieve his goal. The important dimension to this accomplishment was, and is, dedication.

Eager to have others memorize the Bible, Dr. Van Impe has been willing to share the method that has made him “The Walking Bible.”

First, he prepares index cards with Bible verses on one side and the references on the other. He generally prepared 50 cards at a time. Others might not want to make that many. The important thing is to get a start with some set number of verses.

He suggests choosing verses by subject or doctrine, not by chapter. At one time, he tried memorizing by chapter, but found himself less able to use the verses quickly. He would lose valuable time working through a number of verses to get to the one he needed. Memorizing by subject or doctrine is more liable to bring verses to mind when a given subject is raised.

Use a good concordance (possibly Young’s or Strong’s), and make a list of choice verses on the particular word or subject you wish to study. For example, you might take the word “save” or “saved” in studying the doctrine of salvation. Placing the verses on your cards chronologically will help to keep your thoughts organized. You may want to use the following verses: Isaiah 45:22; Jeremiah 8:20; Matthew 1:21; Luke l9:10, John 3:17; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:1; 1 Corinthians 1.21; Ephesians 2:8,9; I Timothy 1:l5, 2:4; and Hebrews 7-25.

Memory cards could look like this:

Side 1
Subject: Salvation
Isaiah 45:22
Side 2
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

First let me apologize to our UK friends for the pitifully poor attitudes our new administration has shown them.  Remember that half of this country did not vote for the inexperienced and now ignorant or arrogant President of the USA.[I refer to some of the antics being done, sending back the coveted bust of Churchill, and now giving PM Brown a basketful of DVDs in exchange for his wonderful gift of a pen set from the same ship as the desk presented earlier, the HMS Resolve. Oh, said  movie DVDs? They can’t even play them in the UK.]

  Secondly,  I also apologize (as though I could do such a thing for the entire mess) for the continual use of “tea” regarding any uprising this country needs to make. ;)  I was sent this by a friend, and I rather like the idea and just might do it.  Sends a message without words. Of course, I’m not sure this administration can read words, much less read tea.

“Washington has forgotten they work for us.  We don’t work for them.  Throwing good money after bad is NOT the answer.  I am sick of the midnight, closed door sessions to come up with a plan.  I am sick of Congress raking CEO’s over the coals while they, themselves, have defaulted on their taxes, and now have given themselves another raise.  I am sick of the bailed out companies having lavish vacations and retreats on my dollar.  I am sick of being told it is MY responsibility to rescue people that, knowingly, bought more house than they could afford.  I am sick of being made to feel it is my patriotic duty to pay MORE taxes.  I am a responsible citizen.  I pay my taxes.  I live on a budget and I don’t ask someone else to carry the burden for poor decisions I may make.  I have emailed my congressmen and senators asking them to NOT vote for the stimulus package as it was written without reading it first.  They don’t listen.  No one listened.  They voted for it, pork and all.

O.K. folks, here it is.  You may think you are just one voice and what you think won’t make a difference.  Well, yes, it will and YES, WE CAN!!  If you are disgusted and angry with the way  Washington is handling our taxes.  If you are fearful of the fallout from the wreckless spending of BILLIONS to bailout and “stimulate” without accountability and responsibility then we need to become ONE, LOUD VOICE THAT CAN BE HEARD FROM EVERY CITY, TOWN, SUBURB AND HOME IN AMERICA.   There is a growing protest to demand that Congress, the President and his cabinet LISTEN to us, the American Citizens.  What is being done in  Washington is NOT the way to handle the economic free fall.

So, here’s the plan.  On April 1, 2009, all Americans are asked to send a TEABAG to  Washington ,  D.C.   You do not have to enclose a note or any other information unless you so desire.  Just a TEABAG.   Many cities are organizing protests.  If you simply search, “New American Tea Party”, several sites will come up.  If you aren’t the ‘protester’ type, simply make your one voice heard with a TEABAG.  Your one voice will become a roar when joined with millions of others that feel the same way.  Yes, something needs to be done but the lack of confidence as shown by the steady decline in the stock market speaks volumes.

This was not my idea.  I visited the sites of the ‘New American Tea Party’ and an online survey showed over 90% of thousands said they would send the teabag on April 1.  Why, April 1???  We want them to reach  Washington by April 15.   Will you do it?  I will!       Send it to;     1600 Pennsylvania Ave.      Washington ,  D.C.  20500 .

Forward this to everyone in your address book.  Visit the website below for more information about the ‘New American Tea Party’.  I would encourage everyone to go ahead and get the envelope ready to mail, then just drop it in the mail April 1.  Can’t guarantee what the postage will be by then, it is going up as we speak, but have your envelope ready.  What will this cost you?  A little time and a 42 (+??) cent stamp.

What could you receive in benefits?  Maybe, just maybe, our elected officials will start to listen to the people…  Take out the Pork!  Tell us how the money is being spent.  We want TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.  Remember, the money will be spent over the next 4-5 years.  It is not too late to save ourselves and especially our children who will bear the brunt of this endless mess. ”

I watched a lady on a religious channel this last week explaining how she had helped murder over 35000 babies just for the money.  She had repented, but was sharing the story so unsuspecting people realized something she doubts they know.

She explained that the planned parenthood clinics (and those like them)  give girls birth control pills that won’t work for their lifestyle.  They give them ones that are too weak to prevent pregnancy in general, or ones that have to be taken the same hour each day.   Thus, when the girls become pregnant, they return to the clinic and the abortion is done.  

She said she made more money from the abortions.  She also said that their target audience was ten year old girls, because the average …if they get them that young, is that they can get 3-5 abortions from them by the time the girls are 18!   (More money.)

What else can I say?

I find them quite interesting.  I’ve been through the gambit of meetings, places, people especially when it comes to religion.  The current trend for the relaxed atmosphere concerns me though.  I know that we are to be “as Romans when in Rome” etc however how far does this go when it comes to the house of God for worshipping the Most High?

The most recent visit encountered large round tables with comfortable chairs, tablecloths, coffee and cookies.  Children sat and colored and teens texted during the presentation.  I’m sure they call it a sermon, but that too is subjective.  The Jumbotrons blare with strobed pictures along with posting up the words to the latest chorus the group will sing.  The blare of the horn or the drumroll is so loud the guitar is all but drowned out.

The verses where Christ said that His house shall be called a house of prayer, and His throwing the money changers out of the temple come to mind.

The attendees were in jeans and tees and casual shoes.  Sipping their coffee from the Starbucks located within the church entryway, they nod or nod off to the speaker.  I guess some of that is no different.  But what of the act of learning -and teaching the younger- how to worship God?

It was a surreal experience actually.  As I stood at the side back of the meeting a strange sense of “knowing” came over me.  I saw the congregation as though it was a ragtag group who had missed the rapture.  With a few of the people left over from “real church” (people who pretended to know God but didn’t, and weren’t taken in the rapture)  leading them in what they could recall from when the Christians were still on earth, they lead those who realize they have been left behind and have come to the church house to find God at last.   No one really knew what they were doing, but had a deep desire to do it.  The presentation is given every night at 7 pm.

I thank God for His salvation.  I think I’ll return to that meeting place…though I’m not sure what God has for me there.

I finally built up the courage to see this one. Yesterday made 2 years since I put Figaro down. : It came out on Christmas day here, and I met another disabled lady with a service dog at the theater the day before. That next day was her birthday, and she had also had to put down a service dog, she was coming back to see it…we wept in the aisles together. That was about all I could do then, so saddened by it. I waited, thinking I would never go see this movie.

Oh, did I mention I took Caleb with me to the theater? His first time! He was gem…I half expected it. When the end of the movie was about…and he seemed ready to leave too… but as I began to sob and go through the tissues, he put his front paws and head up on my lap…and then licked my tears. What a great dog.

I haven’t told him yet that I signed us up for advanced training beginning Sunday.  He’s had beginner, and service dog training, but I want more from him.  I think he’s smart enough to be one of those “no leash necessary” type dogs.

Enough already!  LOL  One of the coldest winters, cold fronts etc especially for the NE and it’s all due to global warming?  How dumb do you think I am to buy that?  South Florida had some of it’s coldest months already, and we usually have winter the 3rd week in January (only.)  This is not global warming.  It isn’t global anything.

Does anyone recall when the powers that be scared the whole population with the fear of global cooling, in fact global FREEZING?  The scientists spoke and ranted about the coming ICE AGE for land’s sake!  It wasn’t that either then.  It isn’t global warming now.

There are changes in the earth, natural ones such as the earth’s axis.  It does that.  And that can cause a lot of what we’re experiencing periodically.

There’s also Biblical prophecy that forewarns of many weather changes by the way, but you don’t hear anyone becoming upset over that.  I’d be more concerned over the prophecies in the Bible than anything Al Gore creates.  The Bible has a good track record for being correct.

I have thoughts about the greenhouse gas effect, but I’ll leave that for another blog day.

ANYWAY,  57% of the scientists are saying they need more data to determine what the trend is today.  That’s quite a chunk of intelligent specialists.  They aren’t worried.   I’m surely not.  Just give it a rest, okay?  The world has enough terror in it without being terrorized by weather pundits.

Matthew 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.