A NIV Exhaustive Concordance. That's all I wanted – not some 19th century German theological writings (which, incidentally, they didn't have either)… but the point being is that our local "Christian" book store does not carry a NIV Exhaustive Concordance.  If you want an updated 1890 concordance based upon the 1611 King James Bible?  Not a problem – take your pick from THREE books displayed on the nicely decorated shelves in the back on of the building.  

Or, perhaps you prefer the 1 lb 7.3 x 4.5 x 1.3 inches compact NIC concordance with large print? Boy do we have you covered! Never mind the fact that a "compact" concordance with "large print" would leave you with all of 2,000 words – OUT OF THE 14,197 WORDS IN THE BIBLE!!!!  (14% for you math majors)

As I left the "Christian" book store (75% of which was filled with "Christian" nik-naks), I begin to wonder: Did anyone in Boise have a NIV Exhaustive Concordance in stock? Such begin my quest.

Coconuts shells a bounding, I called the three biggest book stores in town: Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Hastings. After successfully answers all three questions, I discover that Hastings (whom I ranked the lowest on my list of even knowing what a NIV Exhaustive Concordance was) actually had one in stock!!!  Did you hear (or read as the case may be) that??!!  The store I'm usually afraid to enter due to its 'fringe' nature has a Christian Bible Reference book in STOCK while the so-called "Christian" book store doesn't!!! (I pledge the fifth on the whole "fringe" thing…)

I'm torn between ripping my clothes off and cover myself with ashes or making a whip.[@more@]

In a final attempt to redeem the "Christian" name, I call one final store: The Red Letter Books and Café based out of the local Calvary Chapel (I would of called the Vineyard Book Store, but they're closed on Mondays). To my great satisfaction (and the relief of my co-workers who DID NOT want to see me rip my clothes off), they had a copy of The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance!

The world can now continue on its 93.2 million miles journey through space.

With my quest now complete – I order a copy of The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance from the original "Christian" bookstore (gifts cards being hard to transfer…)

I stop checking the news for a few days and everything changes… *sigh*

I just now found out that Romney dropped out – and it seems that Huckabee is giving McCain a run for his money. wow… what a change! =/

oh – by the way, Plumbline was good. God really showed up and touched some people. It was amazing to see Isaiah 61 happening right in front my eyes. He is amazing!! Glory be to the God of Host!

It has been a while since I commented on the recent election. As many of you know, I originally supported Ron Paul for his views on limited government and the Constitution  of the United States of America.  However, Ron Paul doesn't seem real "electable"… (note that he DID beat Rudy!) As a result, I have been looking around at some of the other candidates – mostly John McCain and Barack Obama.

In the interest of space, I'm going to list some of my likes and dislikes along with some links for folks to find more information.

[@more@]
John McCain

Like:

* Background with war and a divided nation (ie. Vietnam war hero)
* Good thoughts about the war. He doesn't like the way it has been handled. But he also is looking at what would happen if we pulled out to fast.
* Climate change – after his 2000 presidential bid, he decided to find out more about this issue. As a result, he traveled around the world and saw the hard, cold facts. Now he realizes that we need to do something soon to lower carbon emissions. Or we will be giving our kids a dead world.
* Pork – doesn't like them. He stated that he will veto any pork barrel bill that comes to him as President (note that he thinks all the pork bill has breed corruption).

Dislike:

* McCain he has missed 56% of all votes for the 110th Congress. Basically, he decided that he doesn't need to show up for work. If he was working any other job in the country, he would be fired.

I don't know about you, but I don't want a President who can't even show up for the job he was elected to.  By the way, to put his absenteeism in perspective, Hillary Clinton has only missed 25% of all votes this term. Barack Obama has only missed 35% of all votes….

Sources: Washington Post and Dailykos.com

* McCain voted to remove Habeas Corpus. I hope this disturbs you….

For those of you who don't know what Habeas Corpus is, it is the "summons with the force of a court order addressed to the custodian (such as a prison official) demanding that a prisoner be brought before the court, together with proof of authority, allowing the court to determine whether that custodian has lawful authority to hold that person, or, if not, the person should be released from custody." (source)

In regular English, the USA government can legally hold any one accused of being an "unlawful combatant" forever without telling them or anyone else why they are being held. What is even scarier is that it only takes one person, the President of the United States, to label anyone an "unlawful combatant".

So when does the term "unlawful combatant" become attached to Christians? Or anyone who dislikes the polices of the current President? Slippery slope…

Sources:
Senate.gov – amendment to "strike the provision regarding habeas review" (McCain voted against it)
Senate.gov – Military Commissions Act (McCain voted for it)

Interview at Google

Barack Obama

Like

* Obama voted against the Military Commissions Act and the removal of Habeas Corpus.
* He wants to open up communication to all nations, instead of "punishing" bad nations by refusing to talk to them.
* He recognizes that the problems with this nation is not one party or the other. It's a mind set – a way of doing things. He wants to change that – starting with himself.
* He wants to update our country's out of date military and foreign policy practices.
* Obama has lived among the poor and knows what it's like. In fact, his first job out of college was helping those in need in Chicago.
* He has an international feel having lived among the people of Indonesia. Currently he has a grandma in Kenya and sisters in Indonesia… While I know that this doesn't make a good president, I like the fact that he has experienced and understands other cultures.
* Obama wants to open up the government records to allow for people to see what is happening in congress minute-to-minute. If a congressman/women votes to add some pork to a bill, the people will know within minutes – not after the bill has already past.
* I also like he view on the environment. We need to take care of it and not throw away the very gift God gave us.

Dislike

* While I support the need to get out of Iraq (where we shouldn't of been in the first place), his current plan for pulling out seems a bit crazy. Basically he wants to pull out troops within 16 months. However, I think this may be an overstatement as part of his desire to distance himself from Hilary Clinton.
* I'm not one for "big" government – however, it has been my experience that both Democrats and Republican are big government parties so it doesn't really matter any more. For example, we had a "small" government party in office for eight years (ie the Republicans) and now the government is larger then ever before. Plus, the national debt is larger – we have given up our right to Habeas Corpus – and we now have a government who can legally spy on it's citizens. Case over.

Sources
New Beginning in Iraq – Part 1 & 2 (speech)

Interview at Google

Summary:

I don't know yet – I'm still praying that God will give me wisdom as the election draws near.

We just emailed out our 2007 Newsletter. If you did not get one, but you would like to know more about what is happening in our lives – please let me know and I will email you a copy.

God bless.[@more@]

There is 6 plus inches of snow on the ground already and more a'fallen every second. This is the worse snow storm of the winter so far… In fact, I quit work early and came home at two this afternoon – after I spent 2 hours driving there this morning… * sigh*

I wonder what is going to happen tomorrow – as in, do I get to go to work? or do I stay home and work? 15 hours before we know. =/

Ok – I saw this article and couldn't pass it up! You all have to check out this of a bear that fought along side Polish troops in the Middle East and Europe. It's pretty cool. [@more@]

Honour sought for 'Soldier Bear'

Voytek the bear – Picture courtesy Imperial War Museum
Voytek was billeted in the Borders (Imperial War Museum)

Archive footage
A campaign has been launched to build a permanent memorial to a bear which spent much of its life in Scotland – after fighting in World War II.

The bear – named Voytek – was adopted in the Middle East by Polish troops in 1943, becoming much more than a mascot.

The large animal even helped their armed forces to carry ammunition at the Battle of Monte Cassino.

Voytek – known as the Soldier Bear – later lived near Hutton in the Borders and ended his days at Edinburgh Zoo.

He was found wandering in the hills of Iran by Polish soldiers in 1943.

He liked a cigarette, he liked a bottle of beer – he drank a bottle of beer like any man
Augustyn Karolewski

They adopted him and as he grew he was trained to carry heavy mortar rounds.

When Polish forces were deployed to Europe the only way to take the bear with them was to "enlist" him.

So he was given a name, rank and number and took part in the Italian campaign.

He saw action at Monte Cassino before being billeted – along with about 3,000 other Polish troops – at the army camp in the Scottish Borders.

The soldiers who were stationed with him say that he was easy to get along with.

"He was just like a dog – nobody was scared of him," said Polish veteran Augustyn Karolewski, who still lives near the site of the camp.

Voytek the bear – Picture courtesy Imperial War Museum
The bear travelled with troops (Picture: Imperial War Museum)

"He liked a cigarette, he liked a bottle of beer – he drank a bottle of beer like any man."

When the troops were demobilised, Voytek spent his last days at Edinburgh Zoo.

Mr Karolewski went back to see him on a couple of occasions and found he still responded to the Polish language.

"I went to Edinburgh Zoo once or twice when Voytek was there," he said.

"And as soon as I mentioned his name he would sit on his backside and shake his head wanting a cigarette.

"It wasn't easy to throw a cigarette to him – all the attempts I made until he eventually got one."

Voytek was a major attraction at the zoo until his death in 1963.

Eyemouth High School teacher Garry Paulin is now writing a new book, telling the bear's remarkable story.

'Totally amazing'

Local campaigner Aileen Orr would like to see a memorial created at Holyrood to the bear she says was part of both the community and the area's history.

She first heard about Voytek as a child from her grandfather, who served with the King's Own Scottish Borderers.

"I thought he had made it up to be quite honest but it was only when I got married and came here that I knew in fact he was here, Voytek was here," she said.

"When I heard from the community that so few people knew about him I began to actually research the facts.

"It is just amazing, the story is totally amazing."

A KITTEN survived a plane trip halfway across the United States after accidentally ending up in a suitcase, a newspaper reported overnight.

Seth Levy's suitcase, in which 10-month-old tabby Gracie Mae stowed away, was mistakenly picked up by the wrong person after a 2 1/2 hour plane trip from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Dallas-Fort Worth airport in Texas.

But the man who took the suitcase called the kitten's Florida home and spoke to Mr Levy's wife, Kelly, of Palm Beach Gardens, and agreed to hold the cat until her husband could pick it up, the Sun-Sentinel newspaper said.

"Hi, you're not going to believe this, but I am calling from Fort Worth, Texas. And I accidentally picked up your husband's luggage, and when I opened the luggage a cat jumped out," Mr Levy recalled the man telling her on the phone.

News.com.au – From correspondents in Miami: January 23, 2008 04:43am

You got to wonder…how did the baggage sceeners miss a live cat?

"Hey George, you got to see this! Some nutcase is has a skeleton in his bag!"

"Really?! Let me see!"

"What do you think we should do? Report it?"

"Are you crazy?! That would mean four extra hours of work! Dude, I don't what your talking about – 'cause, I didn't see that thing!"

 [@more@]

A BERLIN burglar's break-in took an unexpected turn when he stumbled upon a corpse and felt compelled to call the police.

"He called to say he'd just broken into a flat and found a dead body," said a spokeswoman for Berlin police Thursday. "He gave the address of the place and then hung up."

Officers discovered the 64-year-old resident of the flat dead in his bedroom. The man had passed away about two weeks ago, and authorities are not treating the death as suspicious.

The burglar has not been heard of since. Local media said he fled the apartment empty-handed, but police could not confirm this.

News.com.au, January 18, 2008 11:23am 

 For those with a calendar, I posted this on January 22nd – but since I had a lot of other news to share with you all… I decided to postpone the article until the 27th.  

New Life Fellowship in Orange Park, Florida found a new way to get people into the pews: advertise using sexually 'charged' billboards.  Full article here

The good news – it worked! The pastor specially mentioned that church attendance has increased since the billboards hit the streets. Note that the signs are promoting a new sermon series about "Pure Sex: God's Way".   

However, not everyone is happy with the billboards (as one might of guess). [interesting enough, I found an online political forum talking about this story..]

My view: cool. The church needs to be talking about sex – and putting it on a billboard to bring in new folks – brilliant.