Another Hysterical Video

Click here to learn what it means to "speak Democrat." This is an enlightening look at what politicians of that party really mean when they are speaking.

Disappointing News

From this foxnews.com article we learn that

"Between 2005 and 2006, the number of teenage girls between the ages 15 to 17 having babies rose by more than 5,700 to 138,920, from a record low of 133,138, according to an annual report on the health and well-being of children and teens published by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics."

In addition to this sad bit of news, we got the following cluster of facts:

"— The number of babies born to unwed mothers continues to increase. In 2006, 38 percent of all births were to unmarried women, up from 37 percent in 2005. The percentage of children under age 18 living with two married parents fell from 77 percent in 1980 to 68 percent in 2007. The percentage of unmarried births to women in their 20s tripled, from 19 to 58 percent for women ages 20 to 24 and from 9 to 31 percent for women ages 25 to 29. The percentage of births to unmarried women in their 30s more than doubled from 8 to 18 percent"

Immorality, as it has been since the Creation, is still a sin. And the "fruit" of immorality must live with its consequences, which are highlighted by the fact that 32% of children under age 18 are living with fewer than two parents. That's nearly one in three. This is very sad...and it does not bode well for the future of our country. [I wonder when the presidential candidates will address this? It's a whole lot more important than whether we drill offshore for oil, isn't it?]

America needs a revival, followed by a turning from sin. Then these statistics will approach the 0% level—where they should be.

I Like Lowe's, But...

After having little reason to enter the store for quite awhile, I have been to Lowe's three times in the past two weeks. I enjoy going to Lowe's: They sell things I like, and generally at good prices. But....

My last trip entailed a brief wait at the customer service desk. It wasn't a red-letter day for the CS staff; they looked a bit haggard...but that's beside the point. While I was waiting for my special order purchase to arrive at the counter, I looked around and saw that every single sign in the store had one or more subtitles in Spanish (and perhaps other languages as well). Terms like "Electronics," "Window coverings," and "Tool World" (which is a much longer phrase in Spanish) were in Spanish also; greetings like "Thank you for shopping with us" also contained something in Spanish below—presumably a translation.

The only exception was the company's website address, which is pan-lingual, apparently.

This is America, specifically West Michigan. I still think an official language, English, would be both appropriate and practical.

New Element Discovered!

This from an e-mail from a friend....

Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second to take from four days to four years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

--Anonymous

Hymn of the Week: Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Where better to be?

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.

O safe and happy shelter, O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where Heaven’s love and Heaven’s justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch that wondrous dream was given,
So seems my Savior’s cross to me, a ladder up to heaven.

There lies beneath its shadow but on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave that gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way from that eternal grave.

Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.

Book Review: "Calvin Coolidge" by David Greenberg

Calvin Coolidge is one of those presidents who, to most, is deemed to have been a trivial president. The slightly more astute will realize that he is the only president to have the birthdate of July 4, 136 years ago today.

But he was neither a trivial president nor as "silent" as many believe. He was indeed a reserved man, but his contributions were important in their day. He may not have led the country through war or other great trial, but he did lead, and was an immensely popular leader.

Greenberg's book is a well-written look at the life of this man. For those who want a scholarly but not cumbersome look at him, this is the book to get. The book gives a well-balanced view of his life, neither overly favorable nor critical; and focusing neither on the 1920's alone nor exclusively on our day.

Coolidge was a Republican, and what we today would call a conservative. Ronald Reagan hung his portrait in the White House (note: Reagan was a teenager while Coolidge was president). Toward the end of this book comes this interesting quotation:

"In his fourth annual address to Congress, on December 7, 1926, he issued a call 'for reducing, rather than expanding, government bureaus which seek to regulate and control the business activities of the people.' To the objection that workers, consumers, and other citizens needed safeguards, the president replied, 'Unfortunately, human nature cannot be changed by an act of the legislature....It is too much assumed that because an abuse exists it is the business of the national government to remedy it.'" (p. 131)

Some things never change.

Words on Modesty

As I have three young daughters, I am constantly on the lookout for wise words on this topic; I have a God-given duty to fight the strong tides of this world on the subject.

The following quotation comes from Holly Stratton and is found here on the Sharper Iron website.

In spite of the challenges outlined in this article, a more important and poignant message is that the path of modesty is paved with the glorious Gospel of Christ. As the truth of His grace fills the heart of a Christian woman, she will develop a mind of sobriety that will find her setting “her affection on things above” (Col. 3:2). The more she is consumed with the fact that her nakedness has been covered with robes of righteousness, the more she will desire to physically clothe herself in a manner that will richly—and not skimpily—demonstrate that covering. As she grows in grace, she will begin to more fully understand that, as a redeemed child of God, her clothing represents more than a physical covering. She will develop a shamefaced attitude that comes from a heart that remains keenly aware that the shame of her sin was covered by the precious blood of her beloved Savior, a covering she was unable to procure for herself. A yearning to “conceal, not reveal” will grow within her heart as she gains deeper understanding of that marriage, a beautiful picture of the Gospel that has covered her sin, offering the one venue where her nakedness can be shamelessly exposed. This truth will drive her to joyfully preserve herself for a holy union she will cherish whether she is married or not.

A Scripture For Today

This comes from the book of Ruth, chapter 3:

11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.
12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

Need Motivation? Meet Capt. Ivan Castro

I don't know about you, but I get weary of hearing yellow-spined Americans criticize the military—an organization with individuals far more competent, in general, than those same yellow-spined folks.

And then you read this story about Capt. Ivan Castro, a man who fought bravely with special forces in Iraq, who was the victim of mortar fire back in September 2006. In addition to breaking his arm and shoulder and shredding the left side of his face, he lost all vision in both eyes. He is now totally blind.

So what did he do? He set higher goals. And he remained in the Special Forces.

Of course, he cannot go into combat again. But he is actively involved in the mission of Special Forces at Fort Bragg, NC. He works hard. He is admired. He does his duty well.

He most certainly did not quit. He goes to the gym and works out, and he has run marathons in the past couple years. He is friendly and outgoing.

The article ends with this anecdote about him presiding over the promotion of another soldier:

"Affixing the new soldier's rank to his uniform, Castro urged the soldier to perform two ranks higher. In the Special Forces, he said, one has to go above and beyond what is asked — advice he lives by.

"I want to be treated the same way as other officers," Castro said. "I don't want them to take pity over me or give me something I've not earned."

If only everyone lived this way!