So what was made so simple that man could understand? Why is the US experiencing horrendous weather? The majority of scientist will say it is Global Warming. That is only a symptom. It isn’t a root cause for the troubles in this country. Global Warming was written about 4000 years ago by a reputable authority. So finally the scientist have caught on. But that isn’t the reason. Man has fought against the reason for all of their existence. And it seems there is no letup in sight. There is only one outcome for this coming battle. Man will lose and die. If you would like to read about, there is a commentary written over 2000 years ago. It is very graphic and full of details. The battle is called Armageddon. It will be fought in the Valley of Jezreel near the old city of Megiddo. It says that 200 million men on one side will fight in the battle. And they will all be killed. It also says in the commentary that the blood from the soldiers will be 6 feet deep. The Victor will go on to Jerusalem. This is where He will reign for a 1000 years. When He begins His reign, there will be peace on this earth for the 1^st time. You know what is sad is that man has known this for over 2000 years. And just about nothing has changed.

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It is funny how it rains in one place and not in another. California is experiencing a drought. And in California, most of the vegetables and nuts are grown for the US. In Texas, they are still suffering through drought. Texas is beef country. The Mid-West has been experiencing storms, tornados and hurricane force winds. Then winter just ended with its storms of snow and ice. The Lower Mississippi Valley has received an abundance of rain. I had to cut my grass in between rain drops. It seems there is a pattern to this strange weather. Where the rain and wind aren’t needed, they get it. And where it is needed, they don’t get it. Of course, all of this is going to be blamed on Global Warming and the changing weather patterns. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. There is only one person who controls the weather, only one. And that person doesn’t live on this earth. Only man lives on this planet. So by the process of elimination guess who it is. You want the short version or the long version? It is so simple, it is scary. It was made simple so man could understand.

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How many people do you know including yourself, that struggle to achieve what they believe is their station in life? They want the biggest and best there is to offer in life. When I first started walking with God, He told me that I needed to be content. The bible puts it this way. It says that godliness with contentment is great gain. I had never been content with my life. I was focused on my needs. God wanted me to stop looking at my life and to start looking at the lives of ours and to see their needs. No matter what station in life they have, people are basically the same. Everyone has the same needs. In 1983, it was the Year of the Bible in the United States. Gallop poll took a surrey in the US, to see what people wanted most in life. Not only were they surprised by the answer, but amazed at the three basic needs in life. The poll showed that people wanted love, joy and peace most in their lives. You would think that it would be food, clothing and shelter. The needs of man are divided just like we are into parts. The part that is of the world, the dust of the earth, calls us to food, clothing and shelter. The part of us that is the image and likeness of God, call us to love, joy and peace. Therein is man’s struggle. Whether we will walk with God or to go the way of the world. The bible says, come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. God has made provision for all of us. And He sealed the deal with the death and resurrection of Jesus. By the way, Love, Joy and Peace are the first three gifts of the Holy Spirit that God gives freely to man. Look around and listen to see the needs of people.

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I went to supper at a local restaurant. When I was checking out, there was a young mother with her seven year old son ahead of me. They checked out picked up their food and headed to the door. I finished checking out and headed to the same door. The young boy opened the door for his mother. He saw me walking right behind them and held the door for me. There were two doors to exit and he held the door for me again. I thanked him and he replied. I know his mother taught him manners. But she taught him something even more than that. She taught him to be gracious. Most people think of being gracious as something from the Old South that has died off. People flock to south Louisiana because of the friendliness of the French people. Hospitality was practiced in the Old South. But it is still practiced today. Seeing the need in another person’s life and doing something about is hospitality. It is a form of graciousness. I hold doors open for anyone. It doesn’t make a difference who they are. If there is a need, then it needs to be done. The bible puts it very plainly, Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

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After the incident on Mount Tabor, Elijah ran for his life. He ran all the way across Israel to the Sinai. He ran to the mountain of God. He complained to God that he was the only one left in Israel that was faithful to God. God corrected him and told him that there were 7000 people who had not bowed to baal. God has always had a people. The unfortunate part of that was there were over ½ million people in Israel. You see God’s people are few and far between. Why is that? Why aren’t there more people wanting to follow God. When people get into trouble that they can’t get out of, they want God to help. But once it is over, it’s bye bye. Man wants to be god of his own life. Even if that life would kill him. And guess what, it will. God has a plan for everyone. It isn’t always the same plan except for Jesus. Our lives can be full and rich if we are willing to follow in the way. If you read church history, you’ll find that only a few people actually stepped out in faith and did what Jesus did. Those stories are well publicized. It is because people who have led simple lives are not as exciting as the big name ones. There are people all over that have lived for Jesus. There were just as many miracles in their lives as anyone. But you will never find them unless you are looking for them. I know of a maid that spoke French and went to Haiti an opened an orphanage. She lived there for 20 years into her 80’s and retired. You too can live a life that will glorify God. All it takes is faith and trust that God is who He says He is. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seeks Him. Be the few and far between not the many who’s lives end in tragedy.

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I have loved music since I was a little kid. People listen to music that stirs their soul. I don’t listen to every kind of music. The music that caught my attention where I was young was the Nutcracker Suite by Peter Tchaikovsky. He wrote the music when he was 6 years old. A childhood story captured his attention and he sat at the piano and expressed himself. It still stirs my soul. Beethoven use to follow Napoleon’s army to the battle. He would stand by the cannons are they fired. He became deaf and then wrote most of his music after he was deaf. Mozart would first hear the music in his head, then he would write it. Chopin left Poland because the Russians had conquered it. To raise money for the Polish relief, Chopin played concerts all over Europe until it kill him. Mozart died a pauper and was buried in an unmarked grave. Bach wrote all of his music for the church. Beethoven was taught by a protégé of Mozart. The thing I have noticed about people who devote their lives to music, that they do it with passion. Even musical prodigies devote themselves. The work is very hard and takes a long time to excel. What kind of music stirs your soul? Do you pursue your goals with passion? I have found it is the only way to live. If you want your life to be full and enjoyable, live it to the fullest. And enjoy the gift of God given to us, Music.

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This article appeared about 100 years ago in May, 1919, in Dusseldorf, Germany. It is a listing of the Communist rules for revolution. These are the rules.

• Corrupt the young get them away from religion, get them interested in sex, make them superficial and destroy their ruggedness.
• Get Control of all means of publicity thereby:
  1. Get the people’s minds off their government by focusing their attention on athletic, sexy books and plays and other trivialities.
  2. Divide the people into hostile groups by constantly harping on controversial matter of no importance.
  3. Destroy the people’s faith in their natural leaders by holding the latter up to contempt, ridicule and obloquy.
  4. Always preach true democracy, but seize power as fast and as ruthlessly as possible.
  5. By encouraging government extravagance, destroy its credit, produce fear of inflation with rising prices and general discontent.
  6. Foment unnecessary strikes in vital industries, encourage civil disorders and foster lenient and soft attitude on the part of government toward such disorders.
  7. By specious argument, cause the breakdown of the old morale virtues, honesty, sobriety, confidence, faith in the pledged word, ruggedness.
  8. Cause the registration of all firearms on some pretext, with a view toward confiscating them and leaving the population helpless.

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was written over a 100 years ago. And guess what it still works. Have you looked at America lately? This is the playbook for a certain political party. And it seems to works just fine on American citizens. They aren’t immune to this and guess what. This country will fall if it doesn’t stand up and do something about it.

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Sometimes I wish I could go back to the time when I was young. I miss that precious time. Only one of my sons is married and I have a grandson. All I want to do now is to play with him. He is 14 months old. These days I am still working 12 hours daily. My 4 sons are working just about the same. They building their lives. When each one of my sons became a teenager, they all thought that I had become senile. And thought that I didn’t know or understand anything. As each became a man, they begin to understand that I wasn’t dumb after all. Now when they have a problem, they will come to talk to me about it. You know what is funny, I did the same thing with my dad. My dad and I became close as father and son and as friends when I became an adult. I miss him and he has been gone for 33 years. My youngest son, who was in the military, cuts his hair military fashion. It is called a high and tight haircut. He convinced me to cut my hair the same way. When he finished and I put on my glasses and looked in the mirror, I saw my dad. I began researching my family history. I wanted to see who they were. I can now blame my ancestors for my bald head. I also can blame them for the set of 4 children in each generation. My family means to world to me. The view from the cheap seats is where you can see most everything but not always clearly. The End.

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I learned how to work from my mom and dad. When my dad graduated from high school, he went to work for Western Electric (AT&T) as a lineman. He was making so much money, he was able to buy a new car. He also bought silk suits from the best men’s shop in his town. He did well. Then WWII came along. He met mom before the war, but they decided to wait until he returned from the war. Just in case. When he returned, AT&T gave him his old job back. They wanted him to go to Bermuda. They were setting up their phone system. Mom wanted to go. But dad had traveled the world fighting for freedom. All he wanted to do was stay home. Mom agreed with dad. He went to work for the post office. Then 4 sons came along. Dad worked from sunrise until almost sunset. Mom was a school teacher. They were able to send us to the best high school and to college. Once we, the sons, were finished with school and married, they both retired. Then they bought a motorhome and traveled across the US and Canada. Both of my parents are gone, but I still hear them. They weren’t perfect, but gave their lives to my brothers and I. Their actions taught me how to raise my 4 sons. And how to give my life for them. The view from the cheap seats is where you can see most everything but not always clearly. To Be Continued.

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I get off from work about 6pm each night. It takes about 30 minutes to drive home. One of the jobs I had before, it took an hour to drive one way. Those were long days. I have worked a 12 hour day most of my life. I am not afraid of work. I have been working since I was 13 years old. And in the meantime, graduate from high school and went to college. My college career was interrupted by a national war. I served 6 years in the military. When I came back it was hard to go back to school. I tried but I just wasn’t as young and eager to go to school. Within 6 years, I was married and working. I tried off and on to go back. When I was 42 years old, I went to school to become an EMT. I thought I was brain dead. It was one of the hardest things I ever did. I passed the National Board exam by the skin of my teeth and became a Basic EMT. All the ambulance companies wanted me to work for them. I declined their offers because I didn’t want to pick up dead bodies on the side of the road. I was a teacher for the American Red Cross. And took the course to teach for them. I literally taught every course they offered. I have worked in so many jobs to make ends meet. I have always done what was necessary for my family. I never complained about it because I love my family. The view from the cheap seats is where you can see most everything but not always clearly. To Be Continued.

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