Benazir Bhutto - A Victim of Evil

May the spirit of God be with her! You could almost see it coming. That part of the globe is so heated up, so radical, so bizarre right now - I wonder if it will ever be peaceful again? So, here's a woman, a leader of an educated nation making a comeback to politics because she has a multitude of supporters, a liberal leader in support of freedom and Democracy, trying to bring about positive change for her country, and she's cut down by someone willing to step into a crowd, gun her down, and then blow himself to pieces along with 20 others. Evil has no boundary's. It comes looking like an Angel - a messenger of God. It is deceiving many young men and women in the Middle East. One moment they're here on earth and in the blink of an eye, they're in Hell. No Virgins, no peace, no nothing - forever! Here in America, it's hard for me to imagine how Satan can so completely take over a person's mind, soul, and even their country. I hope that every American is watching the various news stories today and digesting what's happening in Pakistan and the rest of the Middle East. As Hal Lindsey wrote 30 years ago "Satan is Alive and well on planet Earth". We cannot take our freedom and peace for granted. It is God given! We Americans have a duty to care for each other and our neighbors around the world. We must do all we can to defeat this hideous Evil that attracts young Muslims to a violent death and ultimately threatens the lives of millions of innocent people around the globe. May God bless all of you, and I pray you will have a Happy New Year!

The Atheist, The Bear, and GOD!

An atheist was walking through the woods. 'What majestic trees'! 'What powerful rivers'! 'What beautiful animals'! - He said to himself. As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer. He tripped & fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him. At that instant the Atheist cried out, 'Oh my God!' Time Stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky. 'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to a cosmic accident.' 'Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer'?

The atheist looked directly into the light, 'It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian'? 'Very Well,' said the voice. The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke:

'Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen.'

"Muhammad" Teddy Bears

You'll recall the story of Gillian Gibbons, who was tried for inciting religious hatred, convicted, sentenced to 15 days prison time and deportation, and eventually pardoned (after protesters called for her execution, BTW) after naming a teddy bear Muhammed in a class exercise in Sudan.

An Arizona man has decided to support the right to Name Bears (as opposed to Bear Arms) with the site TeddyBearMuhammad.com (at the same time capitalizing on a recent event and making some cash in the process). Bears are $9.95 (50% off for the holidays), and there is a bulk ordering discount for more than 5 bears. According to the site, $1 of every bear purchased goes to the USO to support U.S. troops. Of course, I also noticed, besides the shipping fee, a handling fee of $1.99. I always find handling fees to really be just another way to make more profit. So that $1 donation is made up (if it's just one bear) by the handling fee. The site says clothes and accessories are coming soon. In a way though, it's really taking advantage of someone's poor fortune (Gibbons'). Too bad she can't share in this. Don't get me wrong, though, I find this clever and amusing, if also capitalizing on something. According to a press release on the site, Mark Bold (Site Owner) said,

"There isn’t much more that brings a smile to a child than a teddy bear, and if a child, teacher, or anyone wants one with the name Muhammad, they can now have one."

Reprinted from a Robert Lee email I received.

The Insurance debacle!

The insurance industry is almost a NIGHTMARE and it's getting worse! Why would I say something so bold? If you've had a claim against your policy or the policy of another insured person or entity, good luck getting reimbursed for your losses. If you've allowed your policy to lapse, due to not paying attention, you forgot to pay your premium on time, stupidity on your part, whatever! You'll find that your insurance company who you thought was there to take care of you in times of emergency and great need, will in reality treat you as a total stranger. DO NOT expect a friend in them, or a friendly voice on the other end of the phone ready to assist you through your difficult time. You'll actually find a seemingly caring person who is really GREED in disguise. Your insurance company is very interested in having your money to help them make more money - PERIOD , that's it, nothing else. Paying out claims today is not the priority for insurance companies that it once was not so long ago. Big companies like SAFECO and UNIVERSAL Underwriters are teaching their adjusters to deny all claims several times before settling. The motto is wear the customer down and make him settle for pennies on the dollar! If you've had a set back with finances or credit - you're out! A blip on your credit report now dictates whether you get insurance or not, and the size of premiums you pay for Home Owners and Auto insurance. What does a credit report have to do with insurance? You're not asking the Insurance company for credit! If you think this is ridiculous - do a little research on the internet and find out for yourself. My recommendation - dump SAFECO and UNIVERSAL and try to find an independent agent that can provide the kind of service we all expect from the billions of dollars we collectively pay to them each year! Good luck! You'll need it!

Words of Greatness!

In 1863, as Abraham Lincoln issued his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation establishing Thanksgiving as a national annual event, occurring on the fourth Thursday of November, he said,

“No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the most high God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people.”

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, we need to give thanks that our nation has not again endured another attack like 9/11. Six years ago most thought such an attack was inevitable by now. Along with the protecting hand of Almighty God, the diligent efforts of many Americans have made this possible. Some would grow weary of these tasks and the burdens that they place on us. Those need to be reminded who our enemy is.

Thanks to Christian Response for providing these words. Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless.