ALL IS NOT LOST

Our church lost a good man yesterday.  God didn't call him home, but He did call Bob Arthur to Ecclesia College in Springdale, Arkansas.

As my favorite mentor always says..."God moves His people around".  This move smarted because we've served alongside Bob and know him to be a kind shepherd and faithful transmitter of God's word.

We will miss Pastor Bob.

I like kids so my favorite thing about Bob is his kid's sermon.  Sunday was no exception.  He sat down on the step with a sack chocked full of all kinds of balls.  The children were hooked.

As he took out each ball, he let different ones hold them as he asked what each one was.  "A football!"  "A baseball!"  They were stumped on the croquet ball.  Then he asked them if he could play basketball with a golf ball...or golf with a football.  "NOOO!" they all said emphatically.

He told the children that all the balls in the sack were different, but all were balls.  And God made a lot of people, but He made us all different and prepared us for different purposes.  He told them to listen to Jesus because they need to know why they were made.

After stepping on our lip after church, we began to see how Bob Arthur could be a huge blessing at Ecclesia.  It's a match; he will be terrific in the roles they need filling.  He has relational skills and a teaching heart.  Bob knows everyone in Northwest Arkansas and will be a great ambassador for the college as they grow.

Ecclesia is a work/learn college patterned after College of the Ozarks.  It is a way for kids to graduate with less than $6,000 debt.  Here is a
LINK to their site if you'd like to check it out.


I was encouraged by seeing some familiar names on their Board of Regents such as Eric Metaxas and David Barton and H.D. McCarty.  The Paris family was foundational in the beginning of the college and Twila Paris is Ecclesia's spokesperson.


Our church is trying to lean toward excitement for our pastor's new opportunities.  But we will really miss Bob and Sharna.


At first, it's scary to be without a pastor.  But then we feel our faith legs...and know that if the Lord has called Bob to another post, He has someone in mind for us, too.  


We're open if you know anyone who is looking for an opportunity in a little country church who loves the Lord.  

THE CORN TREE

Behold the corn tree.  It was designed to increase the deer population because of a feeder hung high in the tree.  The feeder scatters corn abroad like magic.

Trail cameras are wonderful things that give us an eye into the deep woods.  The camera marks the date/time at the bottom of the picture so game can be patterned.

So the stage is set.  Let's see what lives in the woods.  (Hint: you will see why there were NO deer.)

Click on the picture to enlarge Petunia Pig.  She arrived and brought her friends with her.  A feral hog is a blend of domestic pigs which made friends with Russian wild boars, imported into this country years ago.  Petunia should not be confused with the noble Razorback.


The black-white picture was taken @night with an infrared flash to keep from spooking the game.  Notice spotty Petunia to the left of the tree.

This wild hog eats ANYTHING.  They like grubs, roots, plants, acorns, snakes, mice, and insects...and even eat small livestock (like a calf or fawn).  They weigh 150-500 pounds and can be aggressive.  Pigs have a great sense of smell and poor eyesight.

The hog population in the U.S. is over 4 billion and they are in 39 states.  Pigs live 6-8 years and the sow can reproduce when she's only 6 months old.  That gives her the potential to produce 1,000 little piggies in her lifetime.

Feral hogs are completely a nuisance when they show up. That's a farmer's opinion because they trample vegetation and make "wallows" and holes where they have dug for food.  That's a hunter's opinion because hogs run off the deer.  And that's the opinion of the Game and Fish Commission, who encourages the shooting of the destructive wild pig by putting no limit or season on them.

But the corn tree had more than just visitors from the pigsty.

Check out Curious Georgette and her cub.  They are black bears who came by and caused the hogs to flee.

"ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME?"

And another black bear arrives with a reddish coat....

And an interesting black bear with a skunkish coat....

It didn't take Curious Georgette long to MacGyver the situation.  She's smart.  

Up she goes...

....and down comes the feeder.  

Bears win.

sWhen the bears were full and left, someone must have yelled "SOOIE!"

You swine better lift those little heads!  Time's up fellas.

That brown thing in the background is not warm and fuzzy.

Gone in a second.  Check out the time stamp on the picture...compared to the one above.

Aggravated hunter returns to refill the container and surveys damage.

He'll have fun later when he downloads the pics to the computer and pieces together the action.

Sunday afternoon he returns to the crime scene and helps the Game and Fish Commission.  

Pigs 0, Mike 3.  

IF YOU ASK MY OPINION...

When responding to issues publically...what's a good standard?

Shouldn't we be logical and respectful and as accurate as possible?

Before we call someone an idiot, don't we have a responsibility to know why we believe what we believe?

Reason and facts should build legs underneath a well-thought-out opinion.

That's why when I see a site like this, I'm amazed to read the hateful comments posted below it which pass for intelligent conversation.

Congresswoman Bachmann asked questions about security clearances and the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood.  For this, she is characterized as a "crazy" by one side...and thrown under the bus by her own party.

On this website, Bachmann is compared to Senator Joe McCarthy.  He was a Senator who was said to see a Communist under every bed.  He also was an outspoken Senator who died from alcoholism while still in office.  Apparently the website thinks Congresswoman Bachmann sees a Jihadist under every bed.

There is a link to the follow-up letter she wrote which was well-sourced and in detail.  If you are searching for facts about this issue, would you consider reading the  LETTER? 

Let's be reasonable.  What the Congresswoman did was question the vetting process in light of Huma Abedin's obvious connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.  It's not a witch hunt (as the website charges) if the connections are true.  They are.  Huma DOES have a mother and brother in the Muslim Brotherhood.  Ms. Bachmann is asking if Huma was vetted, given those connections.

"Well, of course she was vetted" you may be saying.  Still, here's why skeptics have concern.

1.  Early in the administration, the name of the terror war was changed to "Overseas Contingency Operation".  That perspective does not make me sleep better at night.  The President seems to have a naive conviction that if he tilts toward Muslim nations, they will favor him.  Has that happened?  


If our protection cannot APPRAISE danger...how can we be safe?


2.  In an argument before a House committee, James Clapper (our Director of National Intelligence) defended the Muslim Brotherhood as a secular organization.  Secular?  Our intelligence thinks that?  


If our protection cannot DISTINGUISH the enemy...how can we be safe?


3.  The administration refuses to say the words "Islamist terrorist".  Instead, they call incidents like the Fort Hood shooting "workplace violence".  Does anyone think that particular violence was only about the workplace?  Tell me, is it a behavioral indicator to put on your calling card (as the shooter did) that he is a "soldier of Allah"?


A member of the Department of Defense said after the shooting that it would be worse to lose our policy of diversity than to have had the shooting itself.  Really?  The President still has not said that Islamic terrorism played a part in the shooter's act.

If our protection cannot IDENTIFY the name of our enemy...how can we be safe?


4.  Reluctance by the top judicial officer of the land to use the words "Islamic terrorism" is disturbing.  When you watch this Congressional hearing, you wonder who Attorney General Eric Holder thinks our adversary is.  It took a linguistic gymnast to get through that hearing without saying the words "radical Islam".  LINK


If our protection cannot SAY the name of our enemy...how can we be safe?


5.  Vice President Biden.  "The Taliban per se is not our enemy."  The Taliban consider themselves to be an element of the umma (the worldwide community of the faithful), the Dar al-Islam, the Muslim world...and embrace Shariah just as al-Qaida.  That by definition puts us in their crosshairs.


If our protection cannot UNDERSTAND our enemy...how can we be safe?


These are five big-picture examples of a troubling mindset.  With that context, the Congresswoman's concern makes more sense.  Our enemy is said to be "hydra-headed"; because they wear no uniforms, we're all jumpy.  To think our protection may not have a grasp of the threat causes more uneasiness.  Even so, our country was at her most vulnerable emotionally after 9/11...and even then, Americans were not anti-Muslim.  NO ONE is coming after Muslims, but EVERYONE should be concerned about radical Islam.

If you ask my opinion, keeping America safe is a worthy goal regardless of who comes after you hollering "you Islamic homophobic crazy!"  Please at least read the letter Michele Bachmann wrote.

Wouldn't that be reasonable before you certify her mental condition?

WHOLESOME

Fresh-squeezed lemonade is a hot weather treat.  If you buy frozen lemonade at the grocery, you get a dose of corn syrup.  So when you can find it with three simple ingredients (lemon juice, sugar, and water)...it's worth driving through.

We have such a place close to us that serves yummy lemonade.  The business even has a pleasant drive-through.  While some fast food places growl unintelligibly at the customer, the lemonade drive-through is amazingly courteous.  It's worth the drive just to hear "it's my pleasure to serve you...please drive through".

Management does a great job of training their staff to serve the public.  They lead employees to give "second mile" service (Matthew 5:41) and believe "our work should be an act of worship...our work should be our mission field".

This business was birthed by a man who learned to work hard by helping his Mama in her boarding house during the Depression.  Then he and his wife continued to work hard for 21 years in a small Mom-and-Pop restaurant they opened.  And just past midlife (@46), he began his current gig.  The grand total?  He has 60 years in the restaurant business.

Do you think in 1946 when they first opened their little restaurant...they could envision last year's sales that came to $4 billion?

From the jump, this founder felt the Lord would have him close his business on Sundays. Well, that was unheard of; everyone thought it was crazy because the weekend draws the crowd that goes out to eat.  But this man wanted his employees to be able to worship on Sundays, so he kept his eyes on what the Lord had called him to do.  He trusted God to do the rest.

God honored the man who honored Him.  ChickFilA and Truett Cathy prospered.  They have lived their purpose statement:  "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us...and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with ChickFilA".

With that purpose, you might be anticipating generosity from the company.  You would be right.  In 1984, they started their "WinShape Foundation" to help shape leadership in the next generation.

One division, the WinShape Homes foster program, reveals Mr. Cathy's heart for children.  There are 11 foster homes in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama who have served more than 150 children.  Mr. Cathy has taught 13-year-old boys in Sunday School for 40 years.

The foundation also has divisions that support leadership in college scholarships and wilderness experiences...and a division that sponsors marriage retreats for couples in crisis.  ChickFilA also sponsors a football bowl game.  Truett Cathy has received many philanthropy awards in his 91 years, and has published five books on motivation, parenting, and business.

This man's life presents a body of evidence that begs two questions:

1.  In a free country, shouldn't a business have the right to put their money where their beliefs are?  Are we down now to only political correctness in our country?  Boston and Chicago can't "eat more chikin" because of the founder's walk with God?

Mr. Cathy built the business and shared his wealth and gave jobs to many.  He is a shiny example of what America is all about.

2.  How did operating on wholesome, biblical principles become redefined as hateful?  How can something so positive be seen as negative?  Is truth that elastic?

Perhaps you might consider supporting this man by doing a simple thing on August 1st.

Would you drive through ChickFilA that day and enjoy his product?  That's how we can tell Mr. Cathy that mainstream America sees the target on his back...

...and we appreciate his courage and faithfulness.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution says:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."  

FOUR LADIES

 LADY #1 is Najla Mahmoud, the wife of Egypt's new President Mohamed Morsi.  She is a cousin to Dr. Morsi and was 17 when they married.

President Morsi came to America in the 80's to get his Phd in engineering.  Two of their five children are American citizens because they were born in California.

In her first interview, Mrs. Morsi has said she rejects the title "first lady" and believes the president's wife should not meddle in politics.  That statement would seem at odds with her activities (explained below).

 LADY #2 is Saleha Abedin, a Pakistani widow and sociology professor who lives/teaches in Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Abedin works with The Global Peace Initiative of Women, studying social/cultural issues and how they interface with gender/religious identity.  She is a specialist in Muslim minorities in non-Muslim countries and was once listed as representing the Muslim World League (a Saudi charity with terrorist ties that promotes Sharia law).

What do LADIES #1 and 2 have in common besides women's issues and their Muslim faith?  They are reported to be two of the 63 leaders in the female division of the Muslim Brotherhood; together they serve on the Guidance Bureau.

LADY #3 is Huma Abedin, the daughter of LADY #2.  She was born in Michigan and raised in Saudi Arabia and speaks fluent Arabic, Urdu (Pakistani), and English.

An actively practicing Muslim, Huma Abedin is also the wife of the Jewish Democratic former Congressman, Anthony Weiner, who resigned last June in disgrace.

Huma Abedin has served in our government for the past sixteen years.

 LADY #4 is our Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

What do LADIES #3 and 4 have in common?  Huma Abedin is Chief-of-Staff for our Secretary of State.

An intersection of worldviews now causes concern:

if one of the stated missions for the Muslim Brotherhood is to "destroy Western Civilization from within"...

 ...then how did the Secretary of State's chief-of-staff (with access to state secrets) get security clearance?  Is is reasonable to wonder how someone with close familial ties to the Muslim Brotherhood (both Huma's mother and brother are active) was hired?

It seems that while America has gotten squishy about what we believe (while trying to tolerate and believe everything), other cultures are quite sure of their goals.

Ridiculous and conspiratorial?  It WOULD be if we didn't have examples of our naive tolerance biting us in the buttocks.

Didn't political correctness run amuck when we ignored the threat of the Fort Hood shooter? Then, incredibly...the government later redefined the incident to be "workplace violence".  Workplace violence and radical Islamization are two very different things.

These concerns have now been translated into a letter sent June 13, 2012 to the Inspector General in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence by five sitting members of Congress....Louie Gohmert, Trent Franks, Thomas Rooney, Lynn Westmoreland, and Michelle Bachmann.  link

In our culture we exalt power and beauty and this article in Vogue magazine is quite glamorous.  Huma Abedin (Weiner) may be truly serving out of a heart for America.  I hope she is.  But "Muruna" exists.  You might want to google it.

We Americans like to puff out our chest about how diverse and tolerant and open-minded we are.  This is just a call to be wise in a dangerous world.  And to put "feet" to that call, I'd like to pray regularly for Huma.  Would you consider doing the same?

REPUBLICANS AND RACE

Jack Nicholson grew up thinking his mother was his sister and his grandparents were his parents.  When Jack was 37, he heard the truth from an investigative reporter and it shook his foundations.  What disorienting news!

Here's something else that would be disorienting.

What if you went into the voting booth and set race above all other issues...voting en masse ( 95%)...for one party.  Then one day you found the party you supported had worked AGAINST your defining issue.  Wouldn't that rattle your timbers as well?

There is a lot of hot air these days about racist Republicans.  Here's a little history that would explain why Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr. was a lifelong Republican.

1854

To stop the spread of slavery, the Republican Party is formed.  The other party is pro-slavery.

1854

The Kansas-Nebraska Act (authored by a Democrat, Stephen Douglas) is written to spread slavery; the Republican Party opposes the act.

1861

President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, was elected and most states controlled by Democrats seceded from the Union in protest.

1863

Republican President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves; the Democrats continue to support slavery.

1864

The Republican Party platform calls for complete abolition of slavery.  

1865

The 13th Amendment passes and abolishes slavery forever.  Republican support is 100% and Democratic support is 23%.

1866

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 passed to protect the rights of newly-freed slaves.  The act had passed the prior year, but Democratic President Andrew Johnson vetoed the bill.  Republicans vigorously presented it again and got it through Congress.  President Johnson vetoes it again and was later impeached by the House, but acquitted in the Senate.

1868

The 14th Amendment passes and recognizes newly freed slaves as U.S. citizens.  Republicans support it 94%, Democratic support is 0%.

1870

The 15th Amendment passes and makes secure the right to vote to newly-freed slaves.  Republicans support the amendment 100%, and Democratic support is 0%.

1871

The Civil Rights Act of 1871 (the anti-KKK Act) is passed by Republicans.  The KKK was begun two years earlier as the "terrorist arm" of the Democratic Party.

1875

The Civil Rights Act of 1875 passed and is the first anti-discrimination law in America.  Republicans supported it 99% and Democratic support was 0%.

1884

A Republican former slave and African-American Congressman, John Lynch, chaired the 1884 Republican National Convention.  Teddy Roosevelt seconded his nomination.

1914

President Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, segregates the Federal government and U.S. military, reversing 50 years of previous integration.

1915

The first movie was shown in the White House.  Democratic President Woodrow Wilson shows "Birth of a Nation", which portrays the KKK heroically.

1922

Republican Leonidas Dyer passes the first "anti-lynching" law through the House of Representatives.  Of the 119 members who voted AGAINST the bill, 103 were Democrats.

1957

Republican President Dwight Eisenhower passes the first Civil Rights law in 82 years and the Democratic Party filibusters the bill. Republican support is 92% and Democratic support is 54%.

1960

Republican President Dwight Eisenhower passes the Civil Rights Act of 1960.  The Democratic party filibusters the bill.  Republicans support it 93% and Democrats support is 68%.

1964 

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed, due largely to Republican Minority Leader Everett Dirksen (who helped write/push the bill through a Democratic filibuster).  Republicans support the bill 80% and Democratic support was 63%.  




Please tell me...how in the WORLD have we come from such emperical evidence...to today?  Facts cannot massage the truth.  Surely irony is pushed over the edge to see Democrats use race against Republicans.


It's true that in 1964, it was Democrats JFK and LBJ who called for civil rights and were the faces that rightly received credit (while Arkansas' Democratic Senator Fulbright teamed up with other Democratic Southern Senators like Al Gore, Sr. and Robert Byrd to personally filibuster AGAINST the bill for 14 hours straight and a total 83 days).  So we give credit where credit is due.  


But if it seems courageous to call for civil rights in the 1960's, can we just imagine what it was like to make the call in the 1860's?   Republicans know what that was like.


Our President campaigned behind a podium with letters that said TURNING THE PAGE ON RACE.  Everyone wanted that!  He promised to unite us and bring people together, but today all we hear is division and rancor; race is a LOT more polarizing than it was four years ago.  And somewhere along the way, the tags were switched on which party supports which issue.  

Can we even imagine this racist poster from the 1800's that was designed to help Democrats?  Not so pretty, is it?  But it made the clear distinction between party platforms.


History stands. Republicans have consistently been an advocate for civil rights from the very beginning.  They stood for right when it was hard to stand.  All the reparations in the world do not change that fact. 

So as we move through these next 115 days before the election, be prepared for charges of racism to fly. 


But please call truth to mind. 

COOL REFLECTIONS ON THE FOURTH

Mike and I stayed in on the Fourth this year and rested.

That seemed wise since we are in the second week of triple digit temps that have made it so dry that a burn ban is in effect.  In fact, all individual fireworks have been shut down.

It's sad to drive by all the fireworks stands and not see ONE customer.  Some folks are taking a huge hit to the wallet this Fourth of July.

With time to look out the windows, we were entertained by some new backyard visuals.

 NATGEO VISITORS
In the morning, we noticed a brown streak and realized it was two spotted fawns that were dropped in June.  They were zipping around as if it were spring and then they settled down to enjoy the shade.

It's fun to see their Mama just appear magically out of the woods to check on them.  She's never far.

This fellow lit on our arbor in the afternoon.  I'm no raptor expert, but after googling "hawks", I've learned there are tons of varieties.

Perhaps this guy is a Rough-Legged Hawk.  He's only about two feet long, but has an impressive four foot wingspread.

The article says he likes mice and insects; Mike thinks he's eating our grasshoppers.  Good.

REMEMBERING
This July 4th is the second anniversary of Mike's father's death.  Mike gave Daddy Bert's caregiver and secretary a call.  They were so kind to Bert.

We've thought it pretty neat that Daddy Bert's last day was Independence Day.

BRANSON VACAY
We downloaded pictures from last week's trip when the Little Rock Cruses met the Saferites and F'ville Cruses up at Branson.

Branson is such a great place for families to play because of its wholesome atmosphere and friendly people.  A kid-friendly place is getting to be an endangered species.  Our friends the Nouguiers blessed us with two condos for the kids at Holiday Hills and that also included a spot for our motor home.

Silver Dollar City was Day One.  True, it was 103 degrees, but that thinned the crowds so that our crew didn't have to contend with lines at the rides.  And your blood runs cold when you ride the Plunge.  Look at that point man lean into it!  (click to enlarge...those faces are priceless)

Late in the afternoon when their faces were red, they ducked into an indoor bubble show.  The kids were very impressed and jabbered about how the Bubble Man could blow square bubbles.  My turn at being impressed was that Papa kept up with the crew all day in the heat.  Beth and Will and I had a leisurely time in the air-conditioned condo.

Joe's Crab Shack was a good rendezvous after a day in the park.  The cousins had such a good time with one another.

The next day was for Whitewater and Beth got to go along while Papa and I kept Will.

I've been around some happy babies, but I'll wager Will is the happiest and easiest to take places.  You grin at him and he grins at you.

Wait.  It may be a tie between Lily and Will for the title of happiest/easiest. 

One of Lily's favorite things to do is don jewelry from a box of old costume jewelry that her Grandmother Erma donated.  Wasn't that a brilliant gift?

All three girls love to garb up, but here's Lily in a nice pair of pearl earbobs.  

The Cruses @Whitewater...

...and after Whitewater.  You pay a place to take the starch right outta you.

The next morning Laura and Beth hit the outlet malls while Matt kept the baby all day and Brad took the other kids to see the animals @Bass Pro Shop and then to Sight and Sound Theatre to buy tickets to see "Joseph".  

This is the Sight and Sound Theatre which sits atop a tall hill in Branson.  "Joseph" was such a treat!  Mike and I went a day early so that we could see the play.  It really brought the Bible to life.  

The theatre has 30' props and side stages that make it "wraparound".  They use real animals (camels and sheep and horses) that come down the aisles.  The music was recorded by the Prague Orchestra.  It's first class.

We loved that the grands all knew the story of Joseph.  "Oh, we know that story" they all said, when asked.  I wasn't sure that they would recognize what the sheaves of wheat were in the play, so I asked if they knew what bowed down to Joseph in his dream.  Two kiddos said something about his brothers, but Hanna said "well, actually it was the bunches of wheat that bowed down".  Hanna doesn't miss a thing.  

Here's a link to the STORY and also a VIDEO.  If you're in the neighborhood, "Joseph" is a great investment of time and money.  It will be showing until the end of the year.

DOUBLY GRATEFUL

My husband is a dear man who is tenderhearted and likes to reflect.  Although I've accused him of playing "melancholy delight"...we both have played that game lately.  

One night at dinner in Branson, Mike looked down the "table for eleven" and kept shaking his head and saying..."I can't believe we have five grandchildren".  He wasn't marveling that we were old enough to have them; we're more than old enough.  We just marvel at God's goodness.

So for our time of life..and for our sovereign placement in a country which has afforded more liberty and comfort than we deserve...we thank our gracious Father in heaven.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good! How blessed  is the one who takes shelter in him!" Psalm 34.8