It got better

Ok, so that last post was posted before church last night. Now, while the day started rough, it a rather pleasant ending. After the good Bible study we had, a friend brought me a cake that she made. I shared it with my class today during lunch. Then, after I spoke to a student's parents about ODACS, someone offered to take a look at my car door. After a few minutes of looking at it, this person figured out the problem, went and bought the parts needed, and fixed it! It figures that it was a trivial thing. The door paneling clips brought, causing the paneling to be loose. It got stuck on the door frame molding. And it got stuck pretty well. We had a good laugh at that. Then, I had an enjoyable time of fellowship with someone.
I even got a call from my family, which is always nice. So, all in all, it was a decent day. :)

Oi

That's what I have to say about today. Aren't birthdays supposed to be good days? Today hasn't been terrible, but it hasn't been the greatest, either. I got in my car and picked up breakfast before going to work. I go to get out of my car and the door won't open. I pushed and pushed to no avail. So, I climb across the passenger seat and then walk around the car to try pulling the door open. It was all in vain. The door WILL NOT OPEN! I don't like having car issues. I think something came loose on the inside mechanism. While eating my wonderful breakfast from Chick-fil-A, an unnoticed drop of the savory "special sauce" fell on my white shirt. Grr. Then, at teachers' meeting, the people who were to bring the snack forgot. That's usually my dinner on Wednesdays.

Wednesdays are my long days since I clean the college building and usually just stay until church.

I got some cute things from my kids today. One got me soem Bath and Body Works stuff, another made me a cute butteryfly and gave me a scrapbooking kit, and a few others gave me cards. My roommates both stopped by my room at different times to get the class singing.

I guess this is just a week for not-so-smooth days. Here's a link to another blog that I read who had a bad case of the Mondays. I enjoyed reading it!

Yes,

There is a reason for the previous posts. :)

Amazing Wartime Facts from WWII

Amazing Wartime Facts from WWII

1. The first German serviceman killed in the war was killed by the Japanese (China, 1937)
2. The first American serviceman killed was killed by the Russians (Finland 1940).
3. The highest ranking American killed was Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair, killed by the US Army Air Corps.
4. The youngest US serviceman was 12 year old Calvin Graham, USN. He was wounded in combat and given a Dishonorable Discharge for lying about his age. (His benefits were later restored by act of Congress).
5. At the time of Pearl Harbor, the top US Navy command was called CINCUS (pronounced “sink us”), the shoulder patch of the US Army’s 45th Infantry division was the Swastika, and Hitler’s private train was named "Amerika". All three were soon changed for PR purposes.
6. More US servicemen died in the Air Corps than the Marine Corps. While completing the required 30 missions, your chance of being killed was 71%. Not that bombers were helpless. A B-17 carried 4 tons of bombs and 1.5 tons of machine gun ammo. The US 8th Air Force shot down 6,098 fighter planes, 1 for every 12,700 shots fired.
7. Germany’s power grid was much more vulnerable than realized. One estimate is that if just 1% of the bombs dropped on German industry had instead been dropped on power plants, German industry would have collapsed.
8. Generally speaking, there was no such thing as an average fighter pilot. You were either an ace or a target. For instance, Japanese ace Hiroyoshi Nishizawa shot down over 80 planes. He died while a passenger on a cargo plane.
9. It was a common practice on fighter planes to load every 5th found with a tracer round to aid in aiming. That was a mistake. The tracers had different ballistics so (at long range) if your tracers were hitting the target, 80% of your rounds were missing. Worse yet, the tracers instantly told your enemy he was under fire and from which direction. Worst of all was the practice of loading a string of tracers at the end of the belt to tell you that you were out of ammo. That was definitely not something you wanted to tell the enemy. Units that stopped using tracers saw their success rate nearly double and their loss rate go down.
10. When allied armies reached the Rhine, the first thing men did was pee in it. This was pretty universal from the lowest private to Winston Churchill (who made a big show of it) and Gen. Patton (who had himself photographed in the act).
11. German Me-264 bombers were capable of bombing New York City but it wasn’t worth the effort.
12. A number of air crewmen died of farts. (Ascending to 20,000 ft. in an un-pressurized aircraft causes intestinal gas to expand 300%!)
13. The Russians destroyed over 500 German aircraft by ramming them in midair (they also sometimes cleared minefields by marching over them). "It takes a brave man not to be a hero in the Red Army". Joseph Stalin
14. The US Army had more ships than the US Navy.
15. The German Air Force had 22 infantry divisions, 2 armor divisions, and 11 paratroop divisions. None of them were capable of airborne operations. The German Army had paratroops who WERE capable of airborne operations.
16. When the US Army landed in North Africa, among the equipment brought ashore were 3 complete Coca Cola bottling plants.
17. Among the first "Germans" captured at Normandy were several Koreans. They had been forced to fight for the Japanese Army until they were captured by the Russians and forced to fight for the Russian Army until they were captured by the Germans and forced to fight for the German Army until they were capture by the US Army.
18. The Graf Spee never sank. The scuttling attempt failed and the ship was bought by the British. On board was Germany’s newest radar system.
19. One of Japan’s methods of destroying tanks was to bury a very large artillery shell with only the nose exposed. When a tank came near the enough a soldier would whack the shell with a hammer. "Lack of weapons is no excuse for defeat." – Lt. Gen. Mataguchi
20. Following a massive naval bombardment, 35,000 US and Canadian troops stormed ashore at Kiska. 21 troops were killed in the fire-fight. It would have been worse if there had been Japanese on the island.
21. The MISS ME was an unarmed Piper Cub. While spotting for US artillery her pilot saw a similar German plane doing the same thing. He dove on the German plane and he and his co-pilot fired their pistols damaging the German plane enough that it had to make a forced landing. Whereupon they landed and took the Germans prisoner. It is unknown where they put them since the MISS ME only had two seats.
22. Most members of the Waffen SS were not German.
23. The only nation that Germany declared was on was the USA.
24. During the Japanese attack on Hong Kong, British officers objected to Canadian infantrymen taking up positions in the officer’s mess. No enlisted men allowed!
25. Nuclear physicist Niels Bohr was rescued in the nick of time from German occupied Denmark. While Danish resistance fighters provided covering fire he ran out the back door of his home stopping momentarily to grab a beer bottle full of precious “heavy water”. He finally reached England still clutching the bottle, which contained beer. Perhaps some German drank the heavy water…

25 grammar mistakes

The Grammar Hammer Handout
Grammar’s Top 25 Misses (From Most Serious to Least)
(excerpted from Douglas Cazort’s Under the Grammar Hammer, pp 19-24)

1. Wrong Tense or Verb Form (Past, Present, Future)
Incorrect: When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, he done the English
language a big favor.
Correct: When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, he did the English
language a big favor.

2. Fused or Run-on Sentence
Incorrect: Over 75 percent of mistakes in English cannot be committed in speech they can
only be made in writing.
Correct: Over 75 percent of mistakes in English cannot be committed in speech. They can
only be made in writing.

3. Sentence Fragment
Incorrect: With 500,000 words, the English vocabulary is larger than that of any other
language. Partly because 80 percent of English words come from foreign sources.
Correct: With 500,000 words, the English vocabulary is larger than that of any other
language, partly because 80 percent of English words come from foreign sources.

4. Lack of Agreement Between Subject and Verb (In number)
Incorrect: An important function of managers are delegating responsibility.
Correct: An important function of managers is delegating responsibility.

5. Wrong Word
Incorrect: Creative people believe their creative.
Correct: Creative people believe they’re creative.

6. Missing Comma(s) with a Nonrestrictive Element
Incorrect: Roger von Oech’s A Whack on the Side of the Head expanded and revised for the
1990’s is an excellent guide to a more creative life.
Correct: Roger von Oech’s A Whack on the Side of the Head, expanded and revised for the
1990’s, is an excellent guide to a more creative life.

7. Unnecessary Shift in Tense
Incorrect: The first English dictionary was published in 1604 and written by Robert
Cawdray, who says he produced it for “ladies…and other unskillful persons.”
Correct: The first English dictionary was published in 1604 and written by Robert
Cawdray, who said he produced it for “ladies…and other unskillful persons.”

8. Missing Commas in a Series
Incorrect: George Burns defines happiness as having a large loving caring close-knit family
in another city.
Correct: George Burns defines happiness as having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family
in another city.

9. Missing or Misplaced Possessive Apostrophe
Incorrect: Parkinsons law states that a job expands to fill allotted time.
Correct: Parkinson’s law states that a job expands to fill allotted time.

10. Unnecessary Comma(s) with a Restrictive Element
Incorrect: Linguistic research has found, that New Yorkers communicate social class
through their pronunciation of the letter r.
Correct: Linguistic research has found that New Yorkers communicate social class through
their pronunciation of the letter r.

11. Confusion of Its and It’s
Incorrect: “If it sells, its creative,” they say in advertising.
Correct: “If it sells, it’s creative,” they say in advertising.

12. Dangling or Misplaced Modifier
Incorrect: Popping, sparking, and blowing fuses, the CEO, stood helplessly watching at the
podium while the new audio-visual system self-destructed.
Correct: Popping, sparking, and blowing fuses, the new audio-visual system self-destructed
while the CEO, stood helplessly watching at the podium.

13. Lack of Agreement Between Pronoun and Antecedent
Incorrect: A “Type-A” person will hurry themselves to death.
Correct: “Type-A” people will hurry themselves to death.

14. Wrong or Missing Preposition
Incorrect: We need to invent a language in which politicians would be incapable from
lying.
Correct: We need to invent a language in which politicians would be incapable of lying.

15. Vague Pronoun Reference
Incorrect: Some managers focus only on short-term profit, which can lower the quality of
the product or service.
Correct: Some managers focus only on short-term profit, a practice that can lower the
quality of the product or service.

16. Unnecessary Shift in Pronoun
Incorrect: If one wants to become an international airline pilot, they have to learn English.
Correct: If you want to become an international airline pilot, you have to learn English.

17. Comma Splice
Incorrect: Professor Adams Sherman Hill of Harvard was obsessed with mistakes in
spelling and grammar, he passed his obsession on to generations of English teachers and the
American public.
Correct: Professor Adams Sherman Hill of Harvard was obsessed with mistakes in spelling
and grammar, and he passed his obsession on to generations of English teachers and the
American public.

18. Wrong or missing Verb Ending
Incorrect: The healthy office worker park one mile from work and walk twenty minutes for
exercise.
Correct: The healthy office worker parks one mile from work and walks twenty minutes for
exercise..

19. Missing Commas in a Compound Sentence
Incorrect: Many Americans own a thesaurus yet these books of synonyms don’t exist for
some languages with small vocabularies.
Correct: Many Americans own a thesaurus, yet these books of synonyms don’t exist for
some languages with small vocabularies.

20. Missing Comma After an Introductory Element
Incorrect: While the dog ate the cat stayed away from the dish.
Correct: While the dog ate, the cat stayed away from the dish.

Five Uncommonly Serious Mistakes
(excerpted from Douglas Cazort’s Under the Grammar Hammer, pp. 25-27)
The following five mistakes are not among the most common, but they receive strong negative responses when committed. In other words, we don’t make these mistakes very often, but when we do, we cause strong negative reactions…. If you don’t make these mistakes, you needn’t worry. If you do, takes steps to correct them.

21. Objective case pronouns used as subjects
Incorrect: Her guru and her agreed that we are what we think.
Correct: Her guru and she agreed that we are what we think.

22. Double negatives
Incorrect: One hard lesson for many to learn is that worry won’t hardly change the future.
Correct: One hard lesson for many to learn is that worry will hardly change the future.

23. Failure to capitalize proper names
Incorrect: roger von oech, the president of creative think, has conducted workshops on
creativity for american express, proctor and gamble, and the Japanese management
association.
Correct: Roger von Oech, the president of Creative Think, has conducted workshops on
creativity for American Express, Apple Computer, Proctor and Gamble, and the Japanese
Management Association.

24. Faulty parallelism
Incorrect: A good manager requires the ability to lead, the capacity to learn, and delegating.
Correct: A good manager requires the ability to lead, the capacity to learn, and the
willingness to delegate.

25. Subjective-case pronouns used as objects
Incorrect: The senator’s use of double negatives surprised my students and I.
Correct: The senator’s use of double negatives surprised my students and me.

25 facts about WV

25 Unusual Facts about West Virginia. By Ben Crookshanks

1. West Virginia is the only state to be created from another state (Virginia...in 1863).

2. Berkley Springs, a resort town, has more massage therapists than lawyers.

3. Berkley Springs is the only place in the U.S. to boast: "George Washington bathed here."

4. W.V. has had the nation's lowest crime rate for the past 26 years.

5. During the Cold War, a sprawling 112,000 sq. ft. bomb shelter was built to shelter members of congress in the event of a nuclear attack. It's located beneath the famous Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV.

6. White Sulphur Springs has the only private residence in the U.S. that is made out of coal.


7. The city of Bluefield, WV bills itself as "America's Air-Conditioned City." They back up their boast by serving free lemonade anytime the temperature reaches 90 degrees.


8. St. Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton was the site of the first Mother's Day celebration in 1908.

9. Two West Virginia men have built castles for their wives. Stephen Elkins built "Halliehurst" in 1890 for his wife Hallie Davis Elkins...the only woman in American history to be the daughter, the wife, and the mother of a U.S. senator.

10. In 1885, whiskey distiller Taylor Suite began building Berkley Castle for his new bride, Rosa Pelham, who was 31 years his junior. He died in 1908, a year before the project was finished. Rosa completed the castle but went on the squander her inheritance on extravagant living and wild parties and ended up losing the castle and living in a shack and raising chickens to make ends meet.

11. Philippi, WV was the site of the first land battle of the Civil War.

12. In 1921, West Virginia became the first state to have a sales tax. (Not all of our firsts are things to be proud of.)

13. The mother of Abraham Lincoln, Nancy Hanks, was born near Romney, WV.

14. The largest single shipment of matches...20 railroad cars full...was sent from Wheeling, WV to Memphis, TN in 1933.

15. In 1947, Chuck Yeager, a native of Hamlin, WV, became the first person to fly faster that the speed of sound.

16. The Old Stone Church, in Lewisburg, was built in 1796 while George Washington was President and has been in continuous service ever since.

17. At the end of the "Guilded Age" in the late 1890's, the town of Bramwell, WV had more millionaires per square mile than any other city in the U.S. Many of their mansions have been restored and can be visited by the public.

18. With an average altitude of 1,500 feet, WV is the highest state east of the Mississippi.

19. The first brick street in the world was laid in the city of Charleston in 1873.

20. The first concrete street in the world was laid in the town of Webster Springs, WV in 1903.

21. Indirect artillery fire (action against an unseen target) was used for the first time in military history at the Battle of Fayetteville on May 20, 1863 by a 19-year old Confederate, Sgt. Milton Humphreys. Virtually all modern artillery fire is now indirect fire.

22. James Rumsey of Shepardstown, WV invented the first steamboat. After he died suddenly in England, while raising funds for his project, his friend Robert Fulton took his plans and completed the work and is now credited with the invention of the first steamboat.

23. In 1956, Cecil Underwood (age 34) became the youngest governor in the U.S. In 1996, Underwood ran again and became the oldest governor in the U.S.

24. The hardwood flooring in the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York was manufactured by the Meadow River Lumber Co. of Rainelle, WV.

25. West Virginia has the oddest shape of any state. This was because Union officials, during the Civil War, arranged all the pro-Union counties of Virginia into a state which then seceded from that Confederate state.

25 weirdest animals

Here are some interesting creatures!

Leafy seadragon

Sun Bear

Komondor Dog

Angora Rabbit

Red Panda

Sloth

Emperor Tamarin

White-faced Saki Monkey

Tapir

Hagfish

Star-nosed Mole

Proboscis Monkey

Pink Fairy Armadillo

Axolotl

Aye-aye

Alpaca

Tarsier

Dumbo Octopus

Frill-necked Lizard

Narwhal

Sucker-footed Bat

Pygmy Marmoset

Blobfish

Platypus

Shoebill

Yeti Crab

The 25 Funniest Analogies

I got this list from another site:

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a ThighMaster.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Hahaha! Gotta love the little things in life. I collected last night's homework with a new system for this semester and as I was checking each folder, I received this note. I got a kick out of it. Can you believe a 4th grader wrote it? This kid is really sharp.

Wir haben schnee! It finally looks like winter around here! Too bad it didn't come early enough to have a "schnee tag" or snow day. I started out with 11 of my 14 students and by dismissal, I only had 6 left! I've got to say, as much as I don't really like snow, I sure do miss it. This living in the South really messes my seasons up. I am used to seasons of construction, more construction, still construction, and winter (remember, I am from Michigan). The second semester is the longest haul, being five months long. I'd like to have a day off to just catch up. I'm practically going to live at school/church next week due to (of course) teaching, Missions Conference, and the college accreditation visit (I clean the college and have to have it looking extra nice for the visit). The college looks nice and all already, but I have to be there a little more. Oi.

Gute Nacht!

Oh, you may be wondering why I'm writing in German here and there. I did take a year of German in high (which seems so long ago now). Well, today during class, I taught my students how to say, "we have snow," in German. It was kind of funny listening to them later on in the day when they were trying to recall the phrase.

I've been dealing with someone of the Mormon belief. This person is for polygamy and says that the rapture is unbiblical (basing is on Rev. 21:1-2). I know both of these views are wrong, but I am having a hard time in stating my position clearly to the person. I know that marriage is one man and one woman. I also know that believer will be spared from the tribulation, not merely getting through it. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I was rummaging through a box of books donated to the library and came across Ron Clark's The Essential 55. It is a book on the basic manners a child should be taught. Well, according to him, it's rules and expectations. I didn't get to read the whole thing, but I flipped through a few pages. I agreed with much of what I read (I think I looked at 10-15 of the rules). One of the rules I liked was about children addressing adults with respect (yes, ma am/sir). These kids have gotten out of control with talking back and trying to barter. I see this nearly every day in my classroom, even from the students who are generally well-behaved. They think that arguing with me is going to change my mind. I just look at them and say, "What did I just say?" Or, I say,"Excuse me?" and they say, "yes, ma am," and look away or down. I'm not a parent, but I do spend countless hours with 14 children 5 days a week. I do what I can to train them, but ultimately, it is up to the parent.

Sorry...got off on a rabbit trail. The book itself seems interesting, nonetheless. The principles seem right.

Here's an update!

All right, time for an update.

For Christmas, I was able to go to MI and spend time with my family. I helped out at my parents' new home peeling 3 layers of really old wallpaper off the walls. I think I worked on that for at least 8 or 9 hours in 2 days. We did get it finished.

Christmas was very nice. My students and family spoiled me. :)

I think the only thing I did not enjoy was when I had to go in to the ER. My asthma was acting up real bad and, well, I couldn't breathe. My inhaler and nebulizer just wouldn't help me. The only good thing about it is that when you can't breathe, there's not a long wait to be seen. :) I am doing better now.

School has been very busy. We just finished up the second nine weeks of school. My kids did a pretty good job on their tests. We started our state notebook this past week. I'm learning Virginia history as I go. I think it's kind of funny that I'm teaching the history of a state that I'm not from. Well, actually, I don't Michigan state history either. :s My goal is to try to stay a couple days ahead of my class as we do this.

Today was a teacher work day, meaning no school for the kids, but teachers had to be present. I got a lot of work done. I got an email yesterday saying that I needed to write a course description of each class that I teach and make it look like a college course book entry. I teach nearly every class to my students, so that took a little bit of time. Then I had to update my course objectives for the first semester. That wasn't a difficult, but it was time consuming. Most of us didn't know a thing about them in the first place, or what to do with them. Lesson plans for next week were done today as well.

The one daunting task I had was to change my bulletin board. I just don’t like changing them because they take so much work. This month's theme is to match our missions conference: Shine the Light. I had an idea in my head and the final product is better than I thought it'd be. Now, I'm not taking credit for all the work. One of my students was in the building today (her mom is one of the high school teachers) and she came to my room looking to do something. I had her vacuum and then, knowing what an artist she is, I asked her if she wanted to help me with my bulletin board. Of course she did! We first tried using my tracer projector, but we couldn't see it on paper. So, she free-handed the lighthouse and then colored it and cut it out. She did all this as I was doing my lesson plans. The board looks so cute! It's not 100% completed, but all I have left to do is add the words. All of my letters were at home.

I'm enjoying life and I no longer feel as if it is crashing in around me. I let myself get caught up in the cares of this world. I know my treasures are in Heaven, not on earth. Thank you to those who were praying for me or left me an encouraging word. Have a wonderful day!

Update coming! :)

Do you ever feel like the whole world is crashing in around you? Mine has been like that lately. Well, I guess it is more of the outside world. Personally, I have been doing all right. I suppose you could say I have learned how to deal with things and be content. I'm not saying that it is easy for me, but that the Lord has given me the grace to do so.

There is so much going on with my family. Last weekend I had received news of my grandma's poor health. I didn’t have the money to fly up to Michigan, but my roommate paid my way and worked on getting my class covered. The Lord was certainly in all the details. I even shared that with my class after I returned. The flight to Detroit was overbooked and then when they called for boarding, Detroit had a weight restriction. Everyone could not go on that flight. I just made it onto the shuttle and the plan before the cut-off. Praise the Lord!

I am thankful for the time I got to spend with Gram while I was there. She just passed tonight, around 9pm. I'm feeling kind of numb at the moment. People often say they are sorry. What can be said to that? Nothing, really. I know I will be getting a round of "sorry's" tomorrow at church.

An answer to another prayer is that of a car. I've been car-less since last January when my little Toyota quit on my birthday. My dad had sold "Hank the Tank" last Christmas when I asked him to since the car was not being reliable for me. While I was home, my dad showed me the new-to-me car he got me. It's a little Dodge Neon. I'm very thankful. Dad is driving me back to VA and then he will fly back to MI.

Good night.

My grandma is going to start acute hospice today at the hospital for the next 24-48 hours and then will be sent home. According to the symptoms she has, she may only have a couple of weeks left. This was hard news on the family.

She has been taken off antibiotics, had her feeding tube removed, and had the wound vac removed as well. She has a deep and long incicsion (18 inches or so) in her leg that most likely will not heal due to a very low protein level. My cousin will most likely be changing the wet-to-dry dressing every day when Grandma is home.

She is on morphine every two hours for the pain and therefore, she is sleeping most of the time.

Is it right or wrong?

Is it right or wrong?

I came across some more sermon notes, this time from my pastor in MI when I was there over the summer. The text was I Corinthians 8.

1 Corinthians 8
1Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

2And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

3But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

4As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

5For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)

6But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

7Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

8But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

9But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

10For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

11And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

12But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

13Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

I. Can you ask God to bless it?
(Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.)

II. Can you thank Him for it?
(Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.)

III. Is it to the glory of God?
(1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.)

IV. Is it of the world?
(1 John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.)

1. Is it a stumbling block to others?

2. Will it be a weight?
(Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,)

3. Is it to please God rather than man?

4. Do I realize the consequences?
(Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.)

5. Is it expedient?/Does it edify?

6. Will is serve the right master?

7. Will His indwelling presence permit it?

I think that so many times people get stuck on the "thou shall" and "thou shall not" parts instead of simply pleasing the Lord. I know I've seen it in my life.

Reasons for restricted revival

Reasons for restricted revival

As I was reading my Bible one morning, I came a across some sermon notes I took when I was in college. The thought of "revival" is not necessarily for the church alone, but each Christian in their daily life. Revival means to bring back those life-giving qualities to someone (picture someone who has nearly drowned in a pool and are revived). It is very important that a Christian is alive as they serve the Lord.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (King James Version)If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Here are the main points that I have written down in my Bible:

1. Proud
2. Prayerless
3. Blind
4. Wicked

Instead of giving up our sins, we try to protect them. How much better it is to realize the fact that in the Christian's life, he is no more bound by the chains of sin! We are FREE!

Give thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for and the Lord has been so good to me even when I lack in faith. I am thankful for my salvation and that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. I am thankful for my family and friends and the opportunities I have to fellowship with them. I am thankful that I live next door to the church and can walk to church/work while I don't have a car. I am thankful for that God is using me in His service as a teacher. I am thankful for each of my students.

I was given a few invites for dinner. I accepted two of them this year. In the early afternoon, I went to an older couple's house. I thought that they were going to have all of their kids and family over, but it was just us. I had a wonderful time of fellowship with them and the meal was delicious. I even tried clam dressing. That was interesting. It was nice and relaxing.

Then in the evening, I went to a house that I went to last year. This couple helps out in the hispanic church and invited a number of people over. There were 11 adults and 5 children (all under the age of 5) there. As we were fellowshipping while the food was cooking, we sang some songs. It was really neat to hear hymns being sung in Spanish and English at the same time. After another delicious meal, we all went into the living room to read some verses and sings some more songs. This was done in both languages. After we all read some verses in English, one lady asked if we all could to the same in Spanish. So, I did try to read in Spanish when my turn came. I even tried to sing in Spanish. The whole experience was very interesting and a blessing.

I hope you had a great day.

Psalm 136
1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Salmos 136
1 Dad gracias al SEÑOR porque El es bueno, porque para siempre es su misericordia.

Thank you Mr. Clinton

Dear Mr. Ex President Clinton:

I recently saw a bumper sticker that said, "Thank me, I voted for Clinton-Gore." So, I sat down and reflected on that, and I am sending my "Thank you" for what you have done, specifically:

1. Thank you for introducing us to Jennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky, Dolly Kyle Browning, Kathleen Willey, and Juanita Broderick. Did I leave anyone out?

2. Thank you for teaching my 8 year old about oral sex. I had really planned to wait until he was a little older to discuss it with him, but now he knows more about it than I did as a senior in college.

3. Thank you for showing us that sexual harassment in the work place (especially the White House) and on the job is OK, and all you have to know is what the meaning of "it" is. It really is great to know that certain sexual acts are not sex, and one person may have sex while the other one does NOT have sex.

4. Thank you for reintroducing the concept of impeachment to a new generation and demonstrating that the ridiculous plot of the movie "Wag the Dog" could be plausible after all.

5. Thanks for making Jimmy Carter look competent, Gerald Ford look graceful, Richard Nixon look honest, Lyndon Johnson look truthful, and John Kennedy look moral.

6. Thank you for the 73 House and Senate witnesses who have pled the 5th Amendment and 17 witnesses who have fled the country to avoid testifying about Democratic campaign fund raising.

7. Thank you, for the 19 charges, 8 convictions, and 4 imprisonment's from the Whitewater "mess" and the 55 criminal charges and 32 criminal convictions (so far) in the other "Clinton" scandals.

8. Thanks also for reducing our military by half, "gutting" much of our foreign policy, and flying all over the world on "vacations" carefully disguised as necessary trips.

9. Thank you, also, for "finding" millions of dollars (I really didn't need it in the first place, and I can't think of a more deserving group of recipients for my hard-earned tax dollars) for all of your globe-trotting. I understand you, the family and your cronies have logged in more time aboard Air Force One than any other administration.

10. Now that you've left the White House, thanks for the 140 pardons of convicted felons and indicted felons-in-exile. We will love to have them rejoin society. (Not to mention the scores you pardoned while Governor of Arkansas)

11. Thanks also for removing the White House silverware. I'm sure that Laura Bush didn't like the pattern anyway. Also, enjoy the housewarming gifts you've received from your "friends."

12. Thanks to you and your staff in the West Wing of the White House for vandalizing and destroying government property on the way out. I also appreciate removing all of that excess weight (China, silverware, linen, towels, ash trays, soap, pens, magnetic compass, flight manuals, etc.) out of Air Force 1. The weight savings means burning less fuel, thus less tax dollars spent on jet fuel. Thank you!

13. And finally, please ensure that Hillary enjoys the $8 million dollar advance for her "tell-all" book and you, Bill, the $10 million advance for your memoirs. Who says crime doesn't pay!

14. The last and most important point - thank you for forcing Israel to let Mohammed Atta go free. Terrorist pilot Mohammed Atta blew up a bus in Israel in 1986. The Israelis captured, tried and imprisoned him. As part of the Oslo agreement with the Palestinians in 1993, Israel had to agree to release so-called "political prisoners". However, the Israelis would not release any with blood on their hands. The American President at the time, Bill Clinton, and his Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, "insisted" that all prisoners be released. Thus Mohammed Atta was freed and eventually thanked the US by flying an airplane into Tower One of the World Trade Center. This was reported by many of the American TV networks at the time that the terrorists were first identified. It was censored in the US from all later reports. Why should Americans know the real truth? What a guy!!

God bless America and THANK YOU (once again) for spending my taxes so wisely and frugally.

SINCERELY,
A US Citizen

PS. Please pass along a special thank you to Al Gore for "inventing" the Internet, without which I would not be able to send this wonderful, factual e-mail.

AND THE REST OF THE STORY

Hillary Rodham Clinton, as a New York State Senator, now comes under the "Congressional Retirement and Staffing Plan," which means that even if she never gets reelected, she STILL receives her Congressional salary until she dies. (Would it not be nice if all Americans were pension eligible after only 4 years?)

If Bill outlives her, he then inherits HER salary until HE dies. He is already getting his Presidential salary until he dies. If Hillary outlives Bill, she also gets HIS salary until she dies. Guess who pays for that? WE DO !

It's common knowledge that in order for her to establish NY residency, they purchased a million dollar-plus house in upscale Chappaqua, New York. Makes sense. They are entitled to Secret Service protection for life. Still makes sense.

Here is where it becomes interesting. Their mortgage payments hover at around $10,000 per month. BUT, an extra residence HAD to be built within the acreage to house the Secret Service agents.

The Clintons charge the Federal government $10,000 monthly rent for the use of that extra residence, which is just about equal to their mortgage payment. This means that we, the taxpayers, are paying the Clinton's salary, mortgage, transportation, safety and security, as well as the salaries for their 12 man staff -- and, this is all perfectly legal!

When she runs for President, will you vote for her?