We've Been Elfed

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1121013070

I got this message from my cousin and thought I'd pass it on as well :

MERRY CHRISTMAS....On the way home last night, I was listening to the radio when a newscaster called his little 91 year old granny to talk to her about the "Holidays". He mentioned that he had noticed that Christmas has become so "politically correct" that no mention of Christmas is made by most retailers, we now wish people "Happy Holidays." His granny said she missed the Old Fashioned Christmas when everyone wished each other "Merry Christmas". I thought about it and agree...so this year I will be making a conscious effort to wish everyone Merry Christmas...my way of saying that I am celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. So I'm asking my buddies, if you agree with me, to please do the same. And if you'll pass this on to your buddies, and so on...maybe we can prevent one more treasured tradition from being lost in the sea of "Political Correctness."



This is NOT a Holiday Tree
This is a Christmas tree.
It is not a Hanukkah bush,
It is not an Allah plant,
It is not a Holiday hedge.
It is a Christmas tree.
Say it... CHRISTmas , CHRISTmas , CHRISTmas Yes. CHRISTmas - celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ!!!

Take a stand !!

Osteen Said What?

The wrong message.

They Have Done Away with the Cross

The right message.

The "Alberta Advantage"

The so called "Alberta Advantage" has not been an advantage to everyone. The booming economy in Alberta has caused housing costs to sky rocket. Many people have come to Alberta to seek their fortunes and have found that without the skills and education required to obtain the high paying jobs, they are in just as bad, if not worse economic shape than they were before they left their homes.

These are just a few examples of housing options that some people have resorted to in Edmonton. With the temperatures plummeting to -18 Celsius
(-28 with the wind chill) in the last few days and with snow on the ground, many who are sleeping outdoors are facing the very really danger of frostbite and hypothermia.

Emergency shelters are quickly filling to capacity and although new spaces have been opened up this winter, there is still not nearly enough room to accommodate the cities estimated 2800 homeless. Not all of the homeless are employable, with ages ranging from the low teens to some who are over the age of 65. Many suffer from substance abuse problems, mental illness, physical disabilities and/or lack of formal

education and social/life skills.

While affordable housing is a necessity, that alone will not solve the homeless crisis. Strong support networks and agencies dedicated to "retraining" and instilling a sense of worth in these individuals are just as vital to achieving a long term solution.

iHuman

Displayed on the outside wall of the ihuman Society building; artwork created by dis-advantaged youth:

The following information comes from the ihuman website, a charitable organization located in Edmonton Alberta. Some of their artwork is on display on the outside of their building. It shows a lot of talent. I took pictures.

Mission Statement
The ihuman Youth Society is a non-profit, charitable organization whose mission is to work with high-risk youth and to promote their re-integration into the community through a program involving crisis intervention, arts mentorship, and life skills development programs.

Clientele

ihuman's clientele consists of high risk youth, many of who are either working or living on the streets. Drug addiction is one of the youths’ greatest problems, more specifically in terms of crystal meth, with unassessed mental health issues coming in close second.
Kicking the drug habit and turning your life around takes time and constant support – the average time a youth stays in an ihuman program is three years. In that time, they get kids off the streets, and into arts-based programs which lead them to heal and discover their own identity. Simultaneously, they give the youth constant support and guidance while they transition into independent living and steady employment.

Origin of Name

The ihuman name came from an Inuit term identifying the sympathetic relationship of the individual within the collective community; One for all and all for one.

http://www.ihuman.org/

Giant Microbes

Just when I thought nothing could shock me any more I got surprised - something did. I was cruising around on the net when I stumbled across a company based in Stamford, Connecticut called GIANTmicrobes that makes and sells "cuddly", plush, disease causing microbes and pathogens. Included in their list of "toys" is Polio, Ebola, the Plague, HIV, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, pimples, bad breath, Typhoid Fever, E. Coli, Salmonella and more. Also included are lice, bedbugs, dust mites and other "critters". Each "toy" comes with a tag with a picture of the real microbe and a description of the disease. They are calling these "educational toys".

I also came across a price list:

single microbe $7.95

starter collection (15 pack) $85.00

Venereals (2 pack) $12.00

maladies (6 pack) $33.00

intermediate set of 31 $178.00

critters (5 pack) $30.00

collection of all 47 $275.00

This has to be the epitome of bad taste. I'm sure that people who are victims of these diseases, not to mention those who have lost loved ones to them, do not consider this a game. This has to be one of the most disturbing examples of capitalism run amok that I have heard of since serial killer trading cards.

More About Speeding

Apparently Irish judges do not respect laws discouraging speeding any more than the Alberta judge does that I wrote about in my last post. A judge in Dublin reduced the charges against a speeding driver, saying that the speed did not look as bad in miles per hour as it did in kilometers per hour. (His 180 km/h speed only calculated to 112 m/h in a 100 km/h or 62 m/h zone.) The charges against him were reduced from dangerous driving, which would have resulted in losing his driver's license, to careless driving which got him a 1000 euro fine ($1450.00).

And speeding isn't the only thing that the Irish are lenient on. There is a law that drivers who fail their first driver's test can still get their license and drive by them self. That law is being changed effective mid-2008. Transport Department statistics say that 1-6 Irish drivers have never passed a road test.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21560119/

Speed Kills

That's what we've always been told isn't it? Speed kills. I've always assumed that the reason we have speed limits is because speeds over those limits are dangerous. That's not necessarily so, according to at least one Provincial Court Judge in Alberta. Last week a 17 year old driver was acquitted of two criminal offence counts of "dangerous driving causing death" after an accident in which he sped up to 143 km/h (the normal highway speed limit is 100 km/h) to pass another vehicle.

The driver sped up to pass a pickup truck. When the truck began to change lanes the boy swerved right, then jerked the wheel to the left in an "instinctive correction". The car skidded across the highway and became airborne before hitting the ditch and rolling. His two passengers, a fifteen year old girl and a sixteen year old boy, were both killed. The driver sustained minor injuries. All of the occupants were wearing seat belts and alcohol was not a factor.

The judge said that to convict the driver of dangerous driving, she would have to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that his conduct "amounted to a marked departure from the standard of care a reasonable person would observe in the same situation. The death alone is not conclusive proof of dangerous driving. The driving is not to be measured against the benefit of hindsight."

Again, I ask, is not the fact that we have speed limits enough to release us from the need to use hindsight to determine that speeding is dangerous? Haven't experts already determined what speed is safe and what speeds are unsafe on any given stretch of highway? If the answer to these two questions is no, then speed limits are simply an opportunity for governments to generate revenue from fines. If the answer is yes then this young man should have known that the speed at which he was driving had the potential to be dangerous and he should have been convicted.

More on Pastor Berlin V. Guerrero

I received the following e-mail with an update of what has been happening with Pastor Berlin Guerrero. I posted about his situation Aug 10, 2007 Pastor Berlin V. Guerrero and on Sept 9, 2007 Pastor Berlin Guerrero Update.
--------------------

I wanted to give you an update on Pastor Berlin Guerrero. I got a nice e-mail from his wife Mylene today and they express their heartfelt gratitude for all the prayers and letters.

She says that her husband continues to receive letters from different parts of the world and they really give him comfort "despite of the indignities he experienced inside the jail". She feels the letters are making a difference. The jail personnel are hesitant to abuse him. Some of the letters he has received have been opened already but he is getting them.

They are still waiting for a Supreme Court decision. Other celebrity cases are being given priority at the moment.

A church in Ohio held a fundraiser for the Guerrero family since this has been costly for them. Just to show what kind of family this is, they immediately bought a small sound system so Pastor Berlin could hold services and Bible Studies inside the jail!

Pastor Berlin is teaching beginner and advanced Bible Studies, has started an inmate choir, and is leading worship services. He is wanting to start a health program and legal assistance program as well. His brother said that Pastor Berlin's cell has been turned into a chapel.

So - thank you for your part in encouraging Pastor Berlin. If you would like to write him or the Supreme Court judge, here are the addresses again.

Gracia Burnham
PO Box 10
Rose Hill, KS 67133
graciaburnham@yahoo.com

About "A Pittance of Time"

I am a day late posting this video but it is worth listening to any time of the year. A beautiful and moving tribute to our brave men and women who defend our freedom.

The following appears on "petergosse" account on YouTube :

November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a Shoppers Drug Mart store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the store's PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.Terry was impressed with the store's leadership role in adopting the Legion's "two minutes of silence" initiative. He felt that the store's contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable.When eleven o'clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the "two minutes of silence" to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect.Terry's anger towards the father for trying to engage the store's clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was later channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, "A Pittance of Time". Terry later recorded "A Pittance of Time" and included it on his full-length music CD, "The Power of the Dream".

A Pittance of Time

Location of "Crucifixion of Christ" Sculptures

My November 5 post of pictures of "the Crucifixion of Christ" sculptures near Amarillo Texas generated more hits on my blog than any other post. One comment said that the writer was having trouble pinpointing the exact location of the sculptures so I did some research and came up with an answer. Unfortunately the person commented anonymously so I can't send them the information. Hopefully they will come back to this website.

The sculptures are located on the south side of Interstate 40 between the Interstate and the old Route 66 going west from Groom Texas. While I was looking for this information I discovered that a couple of the facts I had received with the pictures may be incorrect, so here is the information I came up with. I said that the sculptures were done by one man and that he did them from the goodness of his heart. I also said that the land was donated. Apparently the two founders of "Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ Ministries" asked a third man to help them create the sculptures. He was paid for his work. Unfortunately a dispute ensued over ownership of the copyrights for the works and that matter was taken to court. I do not know the outcome of the case. I have included a link to my source for this information :

http://www.amarillo.com/stories/082205/new_2589737.shtml

In any case, the sculptures are still beautiful and I still want to see them someday.

1 Corinthians 1:18
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Remembrance Day

November 11 is Remembrance Day in Canada, a day set aside to honor our Armed Forces who put their own lives on the line to insure peace and prosperity for the rest of us. Many Canadians will be wearing a poppy, the symbol of our respect for all of those who have chosen to dedicate their life to defending our freedom. May God bless them and their families richly.

To read about the history and significance of Remembrance Day and it's traditions : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day

It's a Small World After All

This image is owned by NASA http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/My sister, Val, is a genealogist http://kithncousin.blogspot.com/ or for her complete website http://kithncousin.com/ . She has been corresponding with a gentleman from Germany who is also a genealogist and he recently e-mailed her that he would be in Canada this week on business and maybe he could call her. Remember that Canada is the second largest country in the world by area after Russia. When she asked him where he would be he told her that he was going to Fort McMurray Alberta and would be staying in Edmonton! Edmonton is where she lives! Her and I were able to meet him for coffee and they spent the evening chatting about the families from the area our German grandmother came from. He had a wealth of information on his laptop that he was willing to share with Val.

Val's blogspot has some interesting stories about how her family and her husband's family intersected half a world away 100-200 years before they ever met. It's all very fascinating and proves that it really is a small, small world.

The Crucifixion of Christ

These are some of the pictures (there were 18 in all), that were sent to me by a friend, of The Crucifixion of Christ that a man sculptured out of metal near Amarillo, Texas ... The cross is a giant made of metal also. The man did this out of the kindness of his heart. Someone donated the land to him. It is an amazing display that graphically tells the story. I would love to see it in person some day.

Halloween With the Homeless

Ed & I have never worked on Halloween before - it always fell on our days off - so we weren't sure what to expect this year. Surprisingly, it was a very quiet night. Maybe because it was in the middle of the week we saw almost no one on the streets - very few homeless people and/or non-homeless people. The weather was beautiful for Halloween so we expected to see more partiers, but nothing out of the ordinary occurred. Go figure !

The following day we had an extra special shift that was filled with blessings. First, one of our very generous supporters that we hadn't seen for awhile because he was working out of town contacted us. He had gone shopping and he thought of us. He brought us a large bag of winter gloves, another filled with socks, and another with underwear. He also included a lot of toiletries - toothbrushes, shampoo etc. God bless you Dave for your generosity.

Next we came across a camp of five people in a back alley. They were excited to see us and gratefull to share in the blessings Dave had left with us. One of the women had a toy bunny she had gotten from somewhere, when you pressed it's paw it danced. We laughed and talked for awhile, then we prayed with them. It was awesome. One of the men had tears in his eyes.

A little later we came across another group of people sleeping in another alley. Again they were excited about the donations we were able to distribute. It was like Christmas to them. Sometimes we have passed that camp late at night when they were asleep already and we would leave bag lunches by them for morning. One of the men commented that it always made them feel good to wake up in the morning and find the lunches and know that it meant that we had come by while they were sleeping to check up on them. We again had the opportunity to pray with them.

To make our shift complete we came across a man who for a whole year has been bitter and angry. He would often swear and spit at us when we saw him. That night for some reason he was moved to apologize for his previous behavior and actually spoke with us and accepted a bag lunch!

Thank you God. Sometimes the work we do can be very tiring and takes a lot out of us and we sometimes wonder why we do it. That night we KNEW why we do it.

Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.