Next Level Lifehouse Everything Skit

The Fashion Police Will Get You

It's about time somebody did something about this awful "fashion statement". U.S. cities starting crackdowns on low-slung pants Monday, September 17, 2007 12:22 PM ET --> The Associated Press It's a fashion that started in prison, and now the saggy pants craze has come full circle — low-slung street strutting in some cities may soon mean run-ins with the law, including a stint in jail. Proposals to ban saggy pants are starting to ride up in several places. At the extreme end, wearing pants low enough to show boxers or bare buttocks in one small Louisiana town means six months in jail and a $500 US fine. A crackdown also is being pushed in Atlanta. And in Trenton, N.J., getting caught with your pants down may soon result in not only a fine, but a city worker assessing where your life is headed. "Are they employed? Do they have a high school diploma? It's a wonderful way to redirect at that point," said Trenton Coun. Annette Lartigue, who is drafting a law to outlaw saggy pants. "The message is clear: We don't want to see your backside." The bare-your-britches fashion is believed to have started in prisons, where inmates aren't given belts with their baggy uniform pants to prevent hangings and beatings. By the late 1980s, the trend had made it to gangster rap videos, then to skateboarders in the suburbs and high school hallways. "For young people, it's a form of rebellion and identity," said Adrian Harris, 43, a founding member of the Bronx's legendary rap group Cold Crush Brothers. "The young people think it's fashionable. They don't think it's negative." But those who want to stop them see it as an indecent, sloppy trend that is a bad influence on children. "It has the potential to catch on with elementary school kids, and we want to stop it before it gets there," said C.T. Martin, an Atlanta councillor. "Teachers have raised questions about what a distraction it is." In Atlanta, a law has been introduced to ban sagging and punishment could include small fines or community work — but no jail time, Martin said. The penalty is stiffer in Delcambre, La., where in June the town council passed an ordinance that carries a fine of up to $500 US or six months in jail for exposing underwear in public. Several other municipalities and parish governments in Louisiana have enacted similar laws in recent months. At Trenton hip-hop clothing store Razor Sharp Clothing Shop 4 Ballers, shopper Mark Wise, 30, said his jeans sag for practical reasons. "The reason I don't wear tight pants is because it's easier to get money out of my pocket this way," Wise said. "It's just more comfortable." Shop owner Mack Murray said Trenton's proposed ordinance unfairly targets blacks. "Are they going to go after construction workers and plumbers, because their pants sag, too?" Murray asked. "They're stereotyping us." The American Civil Liberties Union agrees. "In Atlanta, we see this as racial profiling," said Benetta Standly, statewide organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. "It's going to target African-American male youths. There's a fear with people associating the way you dress with crimes being committed."

I Got No Vundo

My computer has been acting wonky for the past while. Very slow and sluggish, freezing up, pop-ups (even though I have a pop-up blocker), when I'm on the internet I'm being pulled away from the site I'm on to other sites that then don't want to let me out and even being unable to shut down properly. It's been very frustrating. Then today I started getting error messages that said I had the "Trojan.Vundo". The message said they were unable to repair the infected files and then that they were unable to access those files. Well, I'm no techy but I decided to try to fix the problem myself. I went to the Symantec website and found the information I needed to remove the "Trojan.Vundo". (That sounds like something from Star Trek !) It was difficult trying to read the information with huge pop-ups getting in my way and other sites trying to kidnap me but I finally managed to print 11 pages of instructions. Yes, I said 11. Granted, most of it didn't apply to me since the "Trojan.Vundo" usually infects networks and I'm not a network. When I had finished wading through all of the information I actually only needed about 1/2 page of it. So I proceeded to download the removal tool that I needed. Then I had to shut down all of my programs that run in the background (there's about 8) and then I had to disable my System Restore. Apparently that's a very important step. If you don't do that the program very nicely saves the virus you have just removed and then reinstalls it for you the next time you reboot ! When all of that was finished I then could run the removal tool that I had downloaded. That takes about 45 minutes. Next restart the computer and run the removal tool a second time to make sure the system is clean. This whole procedure took all evening. And when I was finished, voila! It told me that I never did have "Trojan.Vundo" !

Update on Vital's Family

On Sept 8 I posted "Reunite a Family" and on Sept 14 I posted an update on "Odds and Ends". This is the latest very sad news. Please click on this link : Prayers please for Vital Z.

Changing of the Colours

Fall officially arrived a couple of days ago on September 23. It is undoubtedly a beautiful time of the year with the leaves changing colour, the cool crisp air and the bountiful harvest. The only downside is that winter is close on it's heels. Edmonton is not known for having a lot of red coloured leaves in the fall, but there is one famous (at least locally) area spanning several blocks north of 137th avenue on 97th street that is spectacular. Trees with fall leaves of every imaginable colour are interspersed amongst each other, thickly bordering the street. Every year amateur and professional photographers alike fill the shoulder of the roadway, taking pictures of this awesome display of God's artistry.

U.S. Sen. Sues God

'God' Apparently Responds to Lawsuit
By NATE JENKINS, Associated Press Writer
Friday, September 21, 2007


(09-21) 13:17 PDT Lincoln, Neb. (AP) --
A legislator who filed a lawsuit against God has gotten something he might not have expected: a response. One of two court filings from "God" came Wednesday under otherworldly circumstances, according to John Friend, clerk of the Douglas County District Court in Omaha.
"This one miraculously appeared on the counter. It just all of a sudden was here — poof!" Friend said.
State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha sued God last week, seeking a permanent injunction against the Almighty for making terroristic threats, inspiring fear and causing "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."
Chambers, a self-proclaimed agnostic who often criticizes Christians, said his filing was triggered by a federal lawsuit he considers frivolous. He said he's trying to makes the point that anybody can sue anybody.
Not so, says "God." His response argues that the defendant is immune from some earthly laws and the court lacks jurisdiction.
It adds that blaming God for human oppression and suffering misses an important point.
"I created man and woman with free will and next to the promise of immortal life, free will is my greatest gift to you," according to the response, as read by Friend.
There was no contact information on the filing, although St. Michael the Archangel is listed as a witness, Friend said.
A second response from "God" disputing Chambers' allegations lists a phone number for a Corpus Christi law office. A message left for that office was not immediately returned Thursday.
Attempts to reach Chambers by phone and at his Capitol office Thursday were unsuccessful.
___
Associated Press Writer Anna Jo Bratton in Omaha contributed to this report.

Drew Marshall on Listen Up TV

For follow-up information on how this experiment worked go to : http://drewmarshall.ca/blog.html

O.J. Simpson

O.J. Simpson just will not go away. First there was his sensational double murder trial in the 90's. He was acquitted of that one although apparently 90% of people still believe that he is guilty. Then there was his terribly tasteless and inappropriate foray into the field of writing with his book "If I Did It". Now he has been charged with several offences, including armed robbery, of all things. He always seems to have a smug excuse for his outlandish behavior. This time he's calling it "an elaborate sting operation". He clearly does not believe that the normal rules of human decency and behavior apply to himself. I am hoping that this time he doesn't get away with it.

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Odds and Ends

Update: Blog Posting - Reunite a Family September 8, 2007 Hope Mission was able to raise all of the funds required to bring Vital Zimarimbeho's family from the Congo. $5000.00 was raised, then an anonymous benefactor matched the donation to reach the $10000.00 goal! Praise the Lord ! The Hope Mission Ministry Van picked up a very intoxicated regular client in the wee hours of the morning. He insisted that he was in New York and he was very impressed that Hope Mission had expanded so much that we now have a Brooklyn site ! **(Note: We don't. We're still located in Edmonton Alberta Canada) You may have noticed in the side-bar of my blog site that I have been rated by "The Truth Laid Bear". I am an "Insignificant Microbe in the Ecosystem". You can help to boost me up the evolutionary ladder by helping to increase the traffic to my site by visiting often, commenting often and telling your friends to read and comment on my site. It would also help if you would link to my site. ** (Note: This is a Christian site. I really am a Creationist. The evolution thing is just for fun.)

9/11

Jane Hansen, president of Aglow International, gave a message in Milwaukee in November 2006 that was very significant. What she said of 9/11 I found the most interesting. Consider this:
America was born not on the fourth of July, that was when it became independent. When it became fully constituted as a nation, it was April 30, 1789. That was the day we had a government, a senate, a house of representatives, a president and when he was inaugurated, there was a call to dedicate America, a call to prayer and the words went out no nation can expect the favor of God if it turns away from God's ways. So they gathered the leaders to a little church ready to dedicate America to God. That was America's consecration ground. The capital, then, was not in Washington DC, it was in New York City. The little chapel, St. Paul's, is standing today. That chapel is at the corner of ground zero. America was dedicated to God at the corner of ground zero. When judgment comes, it touches the place where the nation has been dedicated and where it made its covenant.But there is more. We all know that the seal of America is the eagle. And the eagle holds arrows in one hand and an olive branch in another. And it has a shield in front of it. It is the symbol of this nation's power, might and protection. Do you know where the original one is kept? It is not in the White House, it is not at the Pentagon, it is in that little chapel at the corner of ground zero. Also on the wall is a plaque that is Washington's prayer when he said, "Lord, God, keep this nation under your perfect protection." All around ground zero, every building was in some way shattered or affected. Most of the buildings had to be taken down, destroyed, brought to the ground, except for one. There was a small chapel where America had been dedicated to God, that God kept. It is called the miracle of 9/11.When Solomon dedicated the temple and he prayed, we see it in 1 Chronicles 7:14 where it says, "If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, if they will seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Interestingly, both 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina took place in the Hebrew month of Elul, the time of repentance leading up to Yom Kippur. That month has just shifted. Could we be in that period of time, that period of grace, where God is watching over this nation, yearning for this nation, wanting to bring revival to this nation, but He is waiting to hear the cry of the people crying out in repentance for our haughtiness for turning from Him? For thinking we are so brilliant and so smart that we have all the answers and can do it our way? And we have turned from Him. We are in a period of grace. It has been five years since 9/11. That grace will not last forever.

God's 26 Guards

Here's a message that will bring you chills. Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then said, "I'll pray for them later?" Or has anyone ever called you and said,"I need you to pray for me, I have this need?" The following story may change the way that you think about prayer and also the way you pray. You will be blessed by this.... A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan. "While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine, and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital. Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord. I then traveled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident....Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards. At this, I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No, sir, I was not the only person to see the guards, my friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.' At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story: "On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. "Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?" The men who had met together to pray that day stood up.The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26! This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in mysterious ways. If you ever hear such prodding, go along with it. Nothing is ever hurt by prayer except the gates of hell. If we all take it to heart, we can turn this world toward God once again. As the above true story clearly illustrates,"With God all things are possible". God hears and answers the prayers of the faithful. After you read this, please pass it on and give God thanks for the beautiful gift of your faith, for the powerful gift of prayer, and for the many miracles He works in your own daily life. I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for you today.To guide you and protect you as you go along your way. His love is always with you, His promises are true, and when we give Him our cares you know He'll see us through. So when the road you're traveling on seems difficult at best, Just remember I'm here praying, and God will do the rest.

Hugs

Free Hugs Campaign. (music by Sick Puppies.net album out)

Pastor Berlin V Guerrero Update

On May 27, 2007 Pastor Berlin Guerrero was abducted at gunpoint (see : post - Pastor Berlin V Guerrero August 10, 2007) The following is an update of what has been happening since then. PRESS STATEMENT # 2 It has been three months since I was abducted and tortured by elements of the Naval Intelligence Security Force (NISF) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and turned over to the Provincial Police Office of the Philippine National Police (PNP-PPO) at Imus, Cavite. I am now an inmate of the Cavite Provincial Jail (CPJ) at Trece Martirez City, Cavite. I am getting closer to my 100th day in prison which will be on Sept 04 2007. My only hope for a fair judgement and released from jail is in the court of the last resort, the Supreme Court of the Philippines. There are no new charges against me. I am held in prison on the basis of a murder offense which occurred seventeen years ago. I am innocent of the murder charge. The Presiding Judge of the Regional Court, Branch 19 at Bacoor Cavite, failed to catch the sight of the truth. Judge Matias Garcia 111 in his order on Auguust 2 2007, overlooked the glaring facts of my case. Judge Matias Garcia lll, with grave abuse of discretion, ignored the following; 1) The information filed against me lacks probable cause to indict me of the crime of murder. 2) That the Warrant of Arrest issued by Judge Edelwina Pastoral of the Regional Trial Court was issued merely as a matter of course without probable cause, and without conducting the required personal examination of the complainant and prosecution witness. 3) That my basic Human Rights were viciously defiled and trampled upon by those who were duty-bound to uphold them. It was expected for the judge to grant my motions for release, but the judge needed to be safe, away from possible harm, by denying my motion and ordering instead my arraignment and litigation of my case. The RTC Branch 19, as my first line of defense has become another instrument of injustice on my part. As a Pastor in prison, I have taken upon the cause of my fellow inmates who suffer the consequences of subhuman prison conditions and the slow moving court cases proceedings, not to mention the violations against the basic human rights done to numerous inmates by police and other security forces. I am now a victim among many. At this point, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all who are "moving heaven and earth" here and abroad, for my immediate release, and are extending their support to my family. Pastor BERLIN V. GUERRERO August 28 2007 Cavite Provincial Jail Trece Martirez City, Cavite

1st annual East Coast Christian Motorcycle Event

Great video

Reunite a Family

I know this is short notice but anyone who can't make it Sunday but who still wishes to donate can contact Hope Mission main office (Edmonton Alberta).
Help Reunite Vital's Family
Greetings,Let me introduce Vital Zimarimbeho. Vital has served faithfully in the custodial department at the Herb Jamieson Centre for 1 year and 4 months since arriving from Congo 2 years ago. Vital was a nurse in Congo. Since his arrival in Canada, Vital’s mother, father and brother were all savagely killed in the warfare that has raged through that part of Africa. His wife and 4 children (his only remaining family) are in a refugee camp near Goma in Congo and after over a year of effort by a great many people their passports and visas have been issued and they are ready to travel to Edmonton to be reunited.Vital has paid the cost of the immigration applications (about $1,400) plus the costs of passports and visas but has no money left for the plane tickets. I have made arrangements with a reputable local ticket agency to forward the tickets to Vital’s family but we need to raise $10,380.00. This fare is in Canadian dollars and is good for travel from Kigali Rwanda to Edmonton in September 2007. If it takes longer then we will have to get another quote. The fare is not guaranteed until actual payment is made so the sooner we raise the money the better.Please see the poster below inviting you and anyone you think might be interested in attending, to a benefit concert at the Hope Mission centre at 9908-106 ave. on Sunday the 9th of September at 4:00 pm. If you are unable to attend but would still like to help us reunite the Zimarimbeho family, please make out a cheque to Hope Mission and be sure to mark it “for Vital’s family” and mail it or drop it off as soon as possible.God bless you as you give!

Excellence VS Perfection

On Thursday night, Sept 6, someone decided that Hollywood Pizza on 118 ave and 84 st needs a drive-through. They drove right through the wall ! We arrived on the scene shortly after it happened. Everyone seemed a little dazed but no one appeared to be hurt.

I spotted this quote and decided to share it.

"Diamonds" Are Forever

I spotted this on the internet and I can't help but think that this is goulish. The testimonials of "satisfied customers" made me more than a little uncomfortable. What do you think?

LifeGem®. Forever. Like the memory of a loved one, a diamond lasts forever.

What is a LifeGem®?
The LifeGem® is a certified, high-quality diamond created from the carbon of your loved one...
as a memorial to their unique life.
as a symbol of your personal and precious bond.
Whether you've lost a loved one or simply want to celebrate your love, the LifeGem diamond provides a way to embrace your loved one’s memory day by day. The LifeGem® is the most unique and timeless tribute available for creating a testimony to their unique life. Your LifeGem memorial will offer comfort and support when and where you need it, and provide a lasting memory that endures just as a diamond does. Forever.

Marriage

God invented marriage. He intended it to be the permanent union of one man and one woman. It was to be the base upon which a strong family was to be built: a father, a mother and children. On Saturday we attended the wedding of Ed's nephew Jeff and his fiancee Kiera. It was a beautiful event and hopefully the beginning of a beautiful journey for them together.


Genesis 2:21-24
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Matthew 19:5-6
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

I'm Baaaaaack

I haven't blogged for awhile (since August 22, 2007). I work 12 hour shifts, 4 on and 4 off, so when I'm working I don't have much time. My last four days off my sister, Val, and I drove 11 hours to MacKenzie BC to visit my nephew Ryan, his wife Char and their four children. Although it rained and was cold most of the time we had a lot of fun. We stopped at Mt. Robson on the way.

My first Blog Post (see: New Life April 20, 2007) mentioned the birth of my nephew's son, Seth Elijah Jackson. They had him dedicated while we were there.

MacKenzie is a sawmill town. There is a park where they have displayed the "World's Largest Tree Crusher". The picture beside it is Emma sitting on a wrecking ball.

Ryan and his family are fortunate enough to live five minutes from Morphee Lake. The lake with the mountains in the background is beautiful.

We played endless games of scrabble, did Facebook quizzes and went out for ice cream. Thank you Ryan and Char for a great weekend.