this should stimulate some discussion...

March For Life

Some media outlets reported hundreds, others thousands, when it was actually hundreds of thousands.

(this from Jack Cashill, WorldNetDaily)

On Thursday morning, Jan. 22, I met with our six-camera crew in Washington and went over the day's objectives.

We had come to town to shoot a documentary called "Thine Eyes" (See ThineEyes.org), the first-ever high-end production centering on the annual March For Life.

We were commissioned to create this video to set the media record straight. Although I had not attended the March before, I knew enough about the way the media worked to suspect that a little straightening was in order.

The media did not disappoint. Their coverage confirmed my most paranoid suspicions and shocked even the apolitical among our crew.

Energized by Obama's promise to expand the abortion franchise, pro-life activists flooded into D.C. from all over Canada and America. To capture some sliver of this movement, we had put camera crews on busses out of Kansas, Missouri and Alabama.

By noon the marchers had gathered on the Mall, as impressively colorful, diverse and good-spirited a gathering as I have ever seen, perhaps three-quarters of them under 25.

I am told it was the best-attended march ever. The crowd was massive, and I found myself right in the middle of it, a literally overwhelming experience.

So large was the crowd, in fact, that it took us an hour of shuffling – The Shuffle for Life? – before we actually hit the street and begin the long walk up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court Building, just east of the Capitol.

To get an accurate count of the participants, we put one camera on a rooftop en route. I would estimate about 300,000 marchers. To see for yourself, watch the video.

inaugural prayer analysis

An interesting analysis of Rick Warren's Inaugural Prayer
(by Chuck Norris at Worldnetdaily).

First of all, Warren's prayer was nearly five minutes long. He didn't cower to usual audience intolerance for long prayers.

Second, Warren embarks on what theologians call a Mars Hill (Greek) apologetic, which is a biblical approach and deductive line of reason that the Apostle Paul used in teaching about a Creator God, with whom all can at first identify.

No God-fearing individual could object to Warren's wide appeal in the words:
"Almighty God, our Father, everything we see, and everything we can't see, exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory. History is your story."

Third, Warren narrows his focus by identifying the Creator as the one true Hebrew God of the Old Testament – something that sounds inclusive of Judaism but also serves as the basis and narrowing of his Christian logic. At the same time, he was culturally sensitive to (but not necessarily endorsing of) Islam, by extolling God as "the compassionate and merciful one," which is a descriptive line that opens all but one chapter of the Koran.
The Scripture tells us, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one." And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made."

Fourth, Warren covers the gamut in compassionate petitions: thanking God for racial freedom and equality, praying a blessing on Obama and his cabinet, asking God to help us all unite in freedom, forgive us of our presumption and pride and share and serve all humanity – not just ourselves or our own.

Now for the part that would have earned him nothing but jeers and disdain were it not couched in those preceding four points.

Warren turns on a dime by calling on God to help us remember this universal religious truth: that God will judge all nations and all peoples. Then, for clarity sake, the name of Warren's Supreme Judge is given. He refers to this transforming agent, who changed his own life, in four different languages: "I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life – Yeshua (Hebrew), Isa (Arabic), Jesus (English), Jesus (Spanish) …"

And just when you think the "amen" is imminent, Warren gives a coup de grace to any political or earthly power – a possible subversive chess move to subtly call Obama's regime into checkmate. He called upon the global Christian community to invoke God's power against any and all human strongholds by collectively praying the Lord's Prayer. Warren rallies all branches, traditions and denominations of the universal church by triggering a prayer response through his words, "who taught us to pray saying …"

The proof came as cameras immediately panned the Washington crowds, many of whom found themselves suddenly reciting the prayer with Warren.
(It was interesting to see that Obama chose not to publicly follow or join in.)

So why did Warren close his invocation with the Lord's Prayer? The simple answers could include it is universal, well known, and both relatively inclusive of the majority and yet exclusive to the band of Jesus' loyalists. But the truth is the Lord's Prayer is no trite meaningless religious repetition to Warren.

Reciting the Lord's Prayer is pleading with God to do nothing short of erecting His Kingdom and executing His desires on earth as they are in heaven. It is calling upon the one true God, asking for his nature to overrun ours, his wishes to be fulfilled (not ours) and his rule and reign to be established (not ours). On the flip side, it is the most "dangerous" prayer one can pray if one wants to continue to live selfishly, misuse power and maintain control over others.

The Lord's Prayer is, in reality, the most invasive and subversive prayer to human selfishness that one can say, able to breakdown strongholds within us, within others, and even within political structures. Praying the Lord's prayer is ideal "when your circumstances are uncontrollable, when people around you won't change (they're unchangeable), and when problems are unexplainable."

For most, Warren was reinforcing his image as "a unifying, post-Christian-right figure rather than as a divisive culture warrior." But the reality is that Warren was being as "shrewd as a serpent and innocent as a dove." And most never even caught it.

Say what you will about this purpose-driven pastor, but when you parse it out, Rev. Rick Warren's inaugural invocation was about as purpose-driven as prayers come.

strange but true ...

A 1987 Dodge van got stuck on a rock overhang in Colorado near Grand Junction after the driver sent the vehicle off a cliff in an apparent suicide attempt. Amazingly, the driver (and the van)survived the incident. "Dodge trucks - Built Ram tough"

just when you think you've heard it all...

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi defended a move to add birth control funding to the new economic "stimulus" package, claiming "contraception will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government."

The revelation came during an exchange on ABC's This Week -

STEPHANOPOULOS: Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand family planning services. How is that stimulus?

PELOSI: Well, the family planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So no apologies for that?

PELOSI: No apologies. No. we have to deal with the consequences of the downturn in our economy.

(God help us with people like this as our leaders ...)

life is precious

Inauguration Prayer

For our President, for all public servants, for the government and all who protect us, that they may be upheld and strengthened in every good deed,

And for those who work to bring peace, justice, health and protection in this and every place,

Lord in Your mercy .... Hear our prayer.

George Washington takes the Oath of Office

God Bless America!

Miracle On The Hudson

This video from the Coast Guard records the US Airplane crash into the Hudson River. Sorry - nothing happens for the first 2 minutes. But then you see the plane skid into the water on the left side of the screen, and the camera starts to zoom in. Its amazing how quickly the passengers are able to get out on the wings, and how immediate the response was from the rescue team - the first boats are there within 3 minutes. Thank be to God everyone survived!

Baptism of Jesus

"At the Baptism of our Lord, the Trinity puts all its grace into operation and expresses all its love for the world."

- St. Peter Chrysologus

my new hero

It has appeared in various forms at many nationally televised sporting events over the years, but after University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow inscribed it on his eye black for last night's BCS National Championship game, the biblical reference of "John 3:16" became the most popular search item on Google.

Tebow, who won the Heisman Trophy last year as a sophomore, led the Gators to a 24-14 victory last night over the University of Oklahoma.

In previous games, Tebow, an outspoken evangelical Christian who was born to missionary parents in the Philippines, sported on his eye black Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

The well-known verse John 3:16 is a summation of the Gospel: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Tebow and his four siblings were homeschooled by their parents, but a Florida law allowed him to play football for a public school team. He was named Florida's high school Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons and developed a reputation for toughness, finishing a game with a broken leg.
In an interview last year, Tebow said football is not even the third most important thing in his life.

"I am fortunate to have family members, coaches and teammates around who can help me stay focused on the right things for us to be successful," he said. "For me, every day includes four things: God, family, academics and football, in that order."

Blessed Epiphany

How lovely shines the Morning Star!
The nations see and hail afar, the light in Judah shining.
Thou David's Son of Jacob's race,
My Bridegroom and my King of Grace,
For Thee my heart is pining.
Lowly, Holy, Great and glorious, Thou victorious
Prince of graces, Filling all the heavenly places.

politically correct holiday greetings

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all; plus, a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country, nor is it the only 'America' in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or preference/orientation of the wisher.

Disclaimer: By accepting this greeting, you agree to these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal at any time. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first. Warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher who assumes no responsibility for any unintended emotional stress these greetings may bring to those not caught up in the holiday spirit.

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new year's prayer

Dear Father, for this coming year just one request I bring: I do not pray for happiness, or any earthly thing.

I do not ask to understand the way Thou leadest me.

But this one thing I do Thee ask, so that my eyes will see: Help me to do those things which bringeth praise to Thee.

Happy New Year