Wrote this in 2002 while at Prince Sultan AB, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
The places have changed, Lexington, Concord, Valley Forge, Yorktown, Ft Mc Henry, New Orleans, Vera Cruz, Chulpultepec (spelling incorrect), First Manassas, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Manila Bay, San Juan Hill, the Trenches of France, Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, Normandy, Bastonge, Yalu River, Pork Chop Hill, Khe Sahn, Hue City, Beirut, Grenada, Panama, Al Kafji, 38 Degrees East, Kuwait City, Bosnia, Somalia, and Kosovo.
Now we add the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, a small field in Pennsylvania, and now Afghanistan and whatever comes next. The places change, the mission stays the same…defend Freedom.
Those before us look from the past at us and hope we are made of the same stuff they were.
The weapons and equipment change, but some of us have the same Minuteman spirit. If my Civil War ancestors could pull themselves out of their graves, regenerating bone and sinew, how would they view us today?
Can those who went through the hell of Iwo Jima see us as equals?
Will those who froze at Valley Forge look at our comfortable barracks and thrice daily hot meals, and laugh at us when we complain?
When the history of this war is written, I hope that we will be seen as, at least, half as good as our warrior ancestors.
May history judge us kindly.
TSgt Fred Shon Powers
363 ESFS/SFOA
Prince Sultan Air Base
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
May 17, 2002
Monday, April 27, 2009
A History Lesson
This was written while I was at Prince Sultan AB, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2002
There has always been grumbling in the ranks ever since the art of war was invented.
From the time of Tiglath-Pileser III (700s B.C.) and the first professional army.
Through the time Alexander took his army east to the Indus River.
To even Napoleon’s ill-fated attack on Russia (he lost really big).
The people in the ranks grumbled and griped, but still got the job done.
I don’t think that the British soldiers at Rorke’s Drift in 1872 jumped for joy when they
found out that 4000 Zulus were headed for them. (The Brits won by the way)
It could also be said that the 20th Maine weren’t thrilled when they were the left flank at
Gettysburg. (Day 2, Little Round Top, July 2, 1863)
Neither were the 101st Airborne, looking forward to a quiet Christmas in Bastonge,
smiled at the SS troops coming at them.
The moral is this: for 6000 years, armies were placed in strange places, did amazing
acts, and were covered with glory afterwards. In the midst of this there were gripes,
complaints, and curses. Still the job got done.
AEF 1: Hang in there, not long now.
AEF 3: Time will pass soon enough.
My only complaint: the green tortillas.
TSgt Fred Shon Powers
363 ESFS/SFOSA
AEF 1
June 6, 2002 (The 58th Anniversary of D-Day)
There has always been grumbling in the ranks ever since the art of war was invented.
From the time of Tiglath-Pileser III (700s B.C.) and the first professional army.
Through the time Alexander took his army east to the Indus River.
To even Napoleon’s ill-fated attack on Russia (he lost really big).
The people in the ranks grumbled and griped, but still got the job done.
I don’t think that the British soldiers at Rorke’s Drift in 1872 jumped for joy when they
found out that 4000 Zulus were headed for them. (The Brits won by the way)
It could also be said that the 20th Maine weren’t thrilled when they were the left flank at
Gettysburg. (Day 2, Little Round Top, July 2, 1863)
Neither were the 101st Airborne, looking forward to a quiet Christmas in Bastonge,
smiled at the SS troops coming at them.
The moral is this: for 6000 years, armies were placed in strange places, did amazing
acts, and were covered with glory afterwards. In the midst of this there were gripes,
complaints, and curses. Still the job got done.
AEF 1: Hang in there, not long now.
AEF 3: Time will pass soon enough.
My only complaint: the green tortillas.
TSgt Fred Shon Powers
363 ESFS/SFOSA
AEF 1
June 6, 2002 (The 58th Anniversary of D-Day)
Sunday, April 26, 2009
TEA
I write this as I prepared to attend the San Antonio Tea Party....
There is a stirring across the nation.
Many voices, once still, are now being found.
There is an anger never seen since, maybe 1775.
People are angry over the burdens they now bear.
They fork money over to the government and see it spent on unnecessary things.
They see their money go to those who didn’t earn it.
They are told that they are greedy if they try to keep what they have earned.
The politicians have turned their backs on them.
Does not matter if the politicians have a D or an R.
No one is listening.
They are being told that to even speak out is now an extreme act.
What happened to Freedom of Speech?
They are being told that to pay taxes is “patriotic.”
They are being told to share the burden for the current economic mess, usually be the same people who caused it.
Meanwhile, companies are being driven into the ground.
Will we have an auto industry 10 years from now?
Will Americans soon have to fork over 50%, 60%, 70% of their pay to the government?
How many generations will have to pay for the trillions in debt that is coming?
How many pet projects will be paid for with money taken from the taxpayer?
Bridges to Nowhere, Pig odor research, and a maglev train from LA to Las Vegas?
The stirring gets greater.
It turns into a single word: STOP!
STOP the excessive taxation for projects that are necessary.
STOP the hurt being put on the small business.
STOP the imposition of extreme measures by judicial diktat.
STOP with the dawdling around on border security.
STOP with the voices being stilled by hate groups.
STOP messing with the American People.
In about 2000 towns and cities, April 15 2009 will be different.
The stirring turns into a gathering.
A thousand here, ten thousand there.
Millions across the nation gather to say one word to Washington DC.
STOP!!!!
The Founding Fathers would be proud of us.
They are tired of rolling over in their graves at what the nation has become.
I agree.
I will march.
I will go to Alamo Plaza and draw a line in the sand and shout one word.
STOP!!!!!
Peace out mijos and mijas.
TEA=Taxed Enough Already.
There is a stirring across the nation.
Many voices, once still, are now being found.
There is an anger never seen since, maybe 1775.
People are angry over the burdens they now bear.
They fork money over to the government and see it spent on unnecessary things.
They see their money go to those who didn’t earn it.
They are told that they are greedy if they try to keep what they have earned.
The politicians have turned their backs on them.
Does not matter if the politicians have a D or an R.
No one is listening.
They are being told that to even speak out is now an extreme act.
What happened to Freedom of Speech?
They are being told that to pay taxes is “patriotic.”
They are being told to share the burden for the current economic mess, usually be the same people who caused it.
Meanwhile, companies are being driven into the ground.
Will we have an auto industry 10 years from now?
Will Americans soon have to fork over 50%, 60%, 70% of their pay to the government?
How many generations will have to pay for the trillions in debt that is coming?
How many pet projects will be paid for with money taken from the taxpayer?
Bridges to Nowhere, Pig odor research, and a maglev train from LA to Las Vegas?
The stirring gets greater.
It turns into a single word: STOP!
STOP the excessive taxation for projects that are necessary.
STOP the hurt being put on the small business.
STOP the imposition of extreme measures by judicial diktat.
STOP with the dawdling around on border security.
STOP with the voices being stilled by hate groups.
STOP messing with the American People.
In about 2000 towns and cities, April 15 2009 will be different.
The stirring turns into a gathering.
A thousand here, ten thousand there.
Millions across the nation gather to say one word to Washington DC.
STOP!!!!
The Founding Fathers would be proud of us.
They are tired of rolling over in their graves at what the nation has become.
I agree.
I will march.
I will go to Alamo Plaza and draw a line in the sand and shout one word.
STOP!!!!!
Peace out mijos and mijas.
TEA=Taxed Enough Already.
Secession
I wrote this in 2008 after an old friend told me her son had asked about secession....
In the past few weeks, I have been hearing a lot of talk about what to do about the changes that the Obama Administration if forcing on us. Last week, at last count, there were about 2000 Tea Parties with about 1,000,000 in total attendance across the nation.
Of course, the Liberal hate groups have been running roughshod over the movement. In their minds, a demonstration has to be backed by powerful organizations, like International ANSWER and MoveOn.org. There can be no grassroots expressions of the anger being felt by millions over what Congress and the President has done and plans to do, in their minds.
And NO, I will not explain what “teabagging” means, children and mixed company may be reading this chronicle.
And to the two-bit actress who called all of us racists for protesting Washington DC’s actions, I dare you to come to San Antonio and say that to my face.
Well, at the Austin Tea Party (which had about 2000, everyone else was in SA rocking to Ted Nugent) Governor Rick Perry made a speech that got a lot of tongues wagging. He mentioned that Texans are an independently minded lot and that if the circus in Washington does not stop, a lot of Texans will feel that there is only one thing to do.That was interpreted to mean secession.The Dems in the Legislature immediately demanded the Governor retract those statements. He has not done so.
I was asked a question about secession from an old friend I recently reconnected with via Facebook. Her youngest son had raised the question and she then asked me.
This essay is the answer.
The process of secession is the easy part; a State Legislator submits a bill in order to create Articles of Secession. If that bill is approved, the Governor signs it into law. Another method would be a full vote of the people. For example; South Carolina seceded on December 20, 1860 on a vote of the Legislature. Virginia settled for a popular vote in 1862.
That would be the easy part.
The mechanics of Secession would be difficult at best. I feel that the following questions would have to be answered before even going there;
How would a Texas Dollar be backed? Gold? Oil? Silver? Commodities? (I prefer Sam Houston on the TX$1, William Barrett Travis on the TX$5, Jose Antonio Navarro on the TX$10, Juan Seguin on the TX$20, Stephen F Austin on the TX$50, and Mirabeau Lamar on the TX$100, the coins would feature Fannin, DeZavala, and Susannah Dickerson, the only Alamo survivor)
How would the borders be protected? Instead of watching one border, we would also have to watch the Sabine and Red Rivers, as well as the West.
What about Defense? We would need to form an Army and Air Force straight away. Those of us who are veterans would have to become training cadre from Day 1, and we would be vulnerable until sufficient numbers can be fielded. Would we also need to become a nuclear power in order to keep the rest of the US at bay? The other complication would be coming in from the sea; three task forces could bottle up Houston, Beaumont/Texas City, and Corpus Christi, cutting off access to the sea. (And a revamped USS Texas would not be able to hold them off, despite the premises of a book I read back in the 80’s)
Would the US allow the transfer of Federal assets to the new Republic?
Would other nations recognize the new Government?
How many social programs would we need to maintain?Would we need to revamp our tax system?
How about trade treaties?
What type of education system will we need?
And finally, do we have the political will to pull this off?
Answer those questions, and I will be the first to shout “UP WITH SECOND REPUBLIC OF TEXAS.”
I will tell you all plain, it would not be an easy decision for me to advocate secession. I have worn the uniform of the USAF for 25 years. I have done many things while on Active Duty and as a Reservist:
I have stood guard, in double-digit below zero temperatures, over aircraft that were ready to go on short notice against the Soviet Union.
I have done the same thing in full chemical protection gear and gas mask for hours on end in order to fight a war that, Thank God, never happened.
I was part of a Ring of Steel at Mildenhall as we protected the base from terrorists during Desert Storm.
I stood guard in the burning sands of Saudi Arabia, TWICE.
I helped guard aircraft that were a three-minute supersonic flight away from the Korean DMZ.
I volunteered to go back on Active Duty after 9-11.
I fought to stay in the Service after being diagnosed with Type II diabetes.
I dropped a stripe in order to retrain as an Education and Training Manager.
I will finish my service, Lord Willing, as the 433 AW Staff Agencies Training Manager and will finally lay down my uniform on July 1, 2016.
I will do like Robert E. Lee; if my State decides to go its own way, I will go with her.
The Texas Founders would expect no less.
In the past few weeks, I have been hearing a lot of talk about what to do about the changes that the Obama Administration if forcing on us. Last week, at last count, there were about 2000 Tea Parties with about 1,000,000 in total attendance across the nation.
Of course, the Liberal hate groups have been running roughshod over the movement. In their minds, a demonstration has to be backed by powerful organizations, like International ANSWER and MoveOn.org. There can be no grassroots expressions of the anger being felt by millions over what Congress and the President has done and plans to do, in their minds.
And NO, I will not explain what “teabagging” means, children and mixed company may be reading this chronicle.
And to the two-bit actress who called all of us racists for protesting Washington DC’s actions, I dare you to come to San Antonio and say that to my face.
Well, at the Austin Tea Party (which had about 2000, everyone else was in SA rocking to Ted Nugent) Governor Rick Perry made a speech that got a lot of tongues wagging. He mentioned that Texans are an independently minded lot and that if the circus in Washington does not stop, a lot of Texans will feel that there is only one thing to do.That was interpreted to mean secession.The Dems in the Legislature immediately demanded the Governor retract those statements. He has not done so.
I was asked a question about secession from an old friend I recently reconnected with via Facebook. Her youngest son had raised the question and she then asked me.
This essay is the answer.
The process of secession is the easy part; a State Legislator submits a bill in order to create Articles of Secession. If that bill is approved, the Governor signs it into law. Another method would be a full vote of the people. For example; South Carolina seceded on December 20, 1860 on a vote of the Legislature. Virginia settled for a popular vote in 1862.
That would be the easy part.
The mechanics of Secession would be difficult at best. I feel that the following questions would have to be answered before even going there;
How would a Texas Dollar be backed? Gold? Oil? Silver? Commodities? (I prefer Sam Houston on the TX$1, William Barrett Travis on the TX$5, Jose Antonio Navarro on the TX$10, Juan Seguin on the TX$20, Stephen F Austin on the TX$50, and Mirabeau Lamar on the TX$100, the coins would feature Fannin, DeZavala, and Susannah Dickerson, the only Alamo survivor)
How would the borders be protected? Instead of watching one border, we would also have to watch the Sabine and Red Rivers, as well as the West.
What about Defense? We would need to form an Army and Air Force straight away. Those of us who are veterans would have to become training cadre from Day 1, and we would be vulnerable until sufficient numbers can be fielded. Would we also need to become a nuclear power in order to keep the rest of the US at bay? The other complication would be coming in from the sea; three task forces could bottle up Houston, Beaumont/Texas City, and Corpus Christi, cutting off access to the sea. (And a revamped USS Texas would not be able to hold them off, despite the premises of a book I read back in the 80’s)
Would the US allow the transfer of Federal assets to the new Republic?
Would other nations recognize the new Government?
How many social programs would we need to maintain?Would we need to revamp our tax system?
How about trade treaties?
What type of education system will we need?
And finally, do we have the political will to pull this off?
Answer those questions, and I will be the first to shout “UP WITH SECOND REPUBLIC OF TEXAS.”
I will tell you all plain, it would not be an easy decision for me to advocate secession. I have worn the uniform of the USAF for 25 years. I have done many things while on Active Duty and as a Reservist:
I have stood guard, in double-digit below zero temperatures, over aircraft that were ready to go on short notice against the Soviet Union.
I have done the same thing in full chemical protection gear and gas mask for hours on end in order to fight a war that, Thank God, never happened.
I was part of a Ring of Steel at Mildenhall as we protected the base from terrorists during Desert Storm.
I stood guard in the burning sands of Saudi Arabia, TWICE.
I helped guard aircraft that were a three-minute supersonic flight away from the Korean DMZ.
I volunteered to go back on Active Duty after 9-11.
I fought to stay in the Service after being diagnosed with Type II diabetes.
I dropped a stripe in order to retrain as an Education and Training Manager.
I will finish my service, Lord Willing, as the 433 AW Staff Agencies Training Manager and will finally lay down my uniform on July 1, 2016.
I will do like Robert E. Lee; if my State decides to go its own way, I will go with her.
The Texas Founders would expect no less.
As I turned 44....
I wrote this on my 44th birthday....
I was born in 1964.
Then, the US was captivated by the arrival of four mop headed youths from Liverpool. Now, popular music takes many different forms.
Then, it was vinyl records. Now it's MP3s.
Then, we were getting into a war in Vietnam. Now we are waging a War on Terror.
Then, the turmoil of the late 60s was barely forseen. Now, we are still living with its effects.
Then, a new car was about $2000. Now it's $20,000.
Then, a new house was $20,000. Now it's $200,000
Then, the jet age was just underway with the Boeing 707. Now, we have jumbos like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380.
Then, the greatest threat was a country called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Now, it's Islamic terror groups.
Then, games were Monopoly, cards, and cribbage. Now it's PS3, X-Box, and Wii.
Then, skateboards were not well known. Now, you can make a living off skateboarding.
Then, computers were the size of a small building. Now, I carry more computing power on my keychain.
Then, we at least tried to maintain a good set of values. Now, those values are held in disdain.
The price of postage has risen about 1 cent a year since my birth.
I have seen my country almost tear itself apart, from the riots of Chicago and Watts, to Watergate, to the "malaise" of the late 70s.
I have seen lines at the gas pumps on several occasions.
I have been through four recessions, and I'm still here.I have seen the price of gas go from 25 cents a gallon to $2.85.
I have seen men walking on the Moon.
I have seen TV grow from 3 channels to hundreds.
I have seen TVs grow from 18 inch black and white screens to 50 inch high definition color sets.
Then, radio was sent by carrier wave. Now, it's by satellite.
I have seen the rise of the cell phone.
I have seen computers now become as essential as a washing maching.
I have seen the rise of the greatest repository of information since the Library of Alenandria (the Internet).
Then, you had to go to the bank in order to access your account. Now it's a 24/7 ATM.
Then, most stores were closed on Sundays. Now, people don't believe that was once the case.
Then, news was a day or two old. Now, we have 24 hour news channels and the latest news is seconds old.
Now, you can get your books in either print, audio, or electronic.
Then, there were fears of a new Ice Age. Now, it's Global Warming.
Then, no one would dream that an African-American, or a woman, would be a viable candidate for President. Now both are represented.
The sports story of the year 1964 was the Tokyo Olympics. This year it's in Beijing.
Then, the up and coming fashion statement was the mini skirt. Now fashion includes low cut jeans and bare midriffs.
Then, illegal drugs were entering the public domain. Now, still here and worse than before.
Then, our borders were respected. Now, it is not (sometimes by our own people).
Then, you could meet your relatives at an airport boarding gate as they got off. Now it's a meeting area outside the security zone.
Then, people worked for what they owned. Now, people think those things are an entitlement.
Today, some people think the American Dream is evil.
Then, we learned from history. Now, some people want us to apologize for it.
Then, the nation was marking the Civil War Centennial. Now we are noting the Lincoln Bicentennial.
Then, commentary was linited to newspapers. Now we have blogs.
Then, Republicans and Democrats were rivals. Now they are mortal enemies.
Then, people respected the country even if one dod not agree with the policies. Now, people on TV, radio, and the Internet openly advocate the assassination of political leaders they don't agree with.
Now, people who are Americans, born and raised in freedom, express their contempt and hatred for the US and want to tear it down.
Then, we were respected. Now, we are condenmed no matter what we do.
Still, people still move here from around the world.
Our movies, TV shows, music, sports, food, and other cultural items can be found in many places in the world.
Despite everything, we still are the Light by the Golden Door, and the tired, huddled masses yearning to breathe free still come here.
We have changed in the past 44 years. Some for the better, some for worse.
I still have hope.
I was born in 1964.
Then, the US was captivated by the arrival of four mop headed youths from Liverpool. Now, popular music takes many different forms.
Then, it was vinyl records. Now it's MP3s.
Then, we were getting into a war in Vietnam. Now we are waging a War on Terror.
Then, the turmoil of the late 60s was barely forseen. Now, we are still living with its effects.
Then, a new car was about $2000. Now it's $20,000.
Then, a new house was $20,000. Now it's $200,000
Then, the jet age was just underway with the Boeing 707. Now, we have jumbos like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380.
Then, the greatest threat was a country called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Now, it's Islamic terror groups.
Then, games were Monopoly, cards, and cribbage. Now it's PS3, X-Box, and Wii.
Then, skateboards were not well known. Now, you can make a living off skateboarding.
Then, computers were the size of a small building. Now, I carry more computing power on my keychain.
Then, we at least tried to maintain a good set of values. Now, those values are held in disdain.
The price of postage has risen about 1 cent a year since my birth.
I have seen my country almost tear itself apart, from the riots of Chicago and Watts, to Watergate, to the "malaise" of the late 70s.
I have seen lines at the gas pumps on several occasions.
I have been through four recessions, and I'm still here.I have seen the price of gas go from 25 cents a gallon to $2.85.
I have seen men walking on the Moon.
I have seen TV grow from 3 channels to hundreds.
I have seen TVs grow from 18 inch black and white screens to 50 inch high definition color sets.
Then, radio was sent by carrier wave. Now, it's by satellite.
I have seen the rise of the cell phone.
I have seen computers now become as essential as a washing maching.
I have seen the rise of the greatest repository of information since the Library of Alenandria (the Internet).
Then, you had to go to the bank in order to access your account. Now it's a 24/7 ATM.
Then, most stores were closed on Sundays. Now, people don't believe that was once the case.
Then, news was a day or two old. Now, we have 24 hour news channels and the latest news is seconds old.
Now, you can get your books in either print, audio, or electronic.
Then, there were fears of a new Ice Age. Now, it's Global Warming.
Then, no one would dream that an African-American, or a woman, would be a viable candidate for President. Now both are represented.
The sports story of the year 1964 was the Tokyo Olympics. This year it's in Beijing.
Then, the up and coming fashion statement was the mini skirt. Now fashion includes low cut jeans and bare midriffs.
Then, illegal drugs were entering the public domain. Now, still here and worse than before.
Then, our borders were respected. Now, it is not (sometimes by our own people).
Then, you could meet your relatives at an airport boarding gate as they got off. Now it's a meeting area outside the security zone.
Then, people worked for what they owned. Now, people think those things are an entitlement.
Today, some people think the American Dream is evil.
Then, we learned from history. Now, some people want us to apologize for it.
Then, the nation was marking the Civil War Centennial. Now we are noting the Lincoln Bicentennial.
Then, commentary was linited to newspapers. Now we have blogs.
Then, Republicans and Democrats were rivals. Now they are mortal enemies.
Then, people respected the country even if one dod not agree with the policies. Now, people on TV, radio, and the Internet openly advocate the assassination of political leaders they don't agree with.
Now, people who are Americans, born and raised in freedom, express their contempt and hatred for the US and want to tear it down.
Then, we were respected. Now, we are condenmed no matter what we do.
Still, people still move here from around the world.
Our movies, TV shows, music, sports, food, and other cultural items can be found in many places in the world.
Despite everything, we still are the Light by the Golden Door, and the tired, huddled masses yearning to breathe free still come here.
We have changed in the past 44 years. Some for the better, some for worse.
I still have hope.
I Love Flying...
I wrote this in 2008 after a quick TDT to Robins AFB, GA,
Just got back from a quick trio to Georgia. I was attending a one-day class at Robins AFB. Over two days, I added 4 flights to my Lifetime Air Travel Log, making a total of 164 flights since I boarded an Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 at Houston Intercontinental Airport in 1972.
The list of flights that I have taken run the gamut of jet airliner history. That same year, I boarded a Trans World Airlines Boeing 747-100, which had just entered service. Now, there is the 747-400 in service with the 747-8 on the drawing boards.
In 1972, the Boeing 707 was still in active passenger service, I flew in two of those in 1974. Now, not many are left. The 727 was the workhouse of the airline world in the 70s. The last trip I remember in one was 1994, a short hop from Mildenhall to Ramstein, and back. 727s still make up the backbone of cargo deliveries.
The 737 became the new workhorse in the 90s, I remember a flight from Frankfurt to London in a 737-100 in 1973. The model range now goes to -900. (There was a serious plan to cstart regular trans-Atlantic service (Newark to Shannon) in a -900, but I heard no further word of that.)
The 747 was considered the king of the long-haul world. My first trip in one was from New York (JFK) to Frakfurt in 1972. My most recent flight in that type was a 747-400 from Seoul to Los Angeles in 1997.
In the early 80s the 757 had enter service, but it was 1997 before I flew in one, from Los Angeles to Memphis.
A 767 was the equipment used the first time I flew on a twin-engined aircraft across the Atlantic, however, my first flight in one was 1987, from Atlanta to Philadelphia.
My first flight on a 777 was in 2000, from London Gatwick to Dallas-Fort Worth.
Hopefully, I will soon fly on the new 787 that will enter service soon.
I have also flown on aircraft built by McDonald Douglas:I remember a flight in a DC-9 from Frankfurt to Amsterdam in which the pilot had the throttles firewalled before the plane was on the runway.
Some of those DC-9s still fly on passenger service, I flew in a Northwest DC-9 in 2007 from San Antonio to Memphis.
From the DC-9 came a series of streched versions, the MD-80, 82, 90, and 95.
The MD-95 was remaned the Boeing 717 when Boeing took over Douglas.
I also flew on the DC-10, a three engined wide body, on several trans-Atlantic trips, the most recent being 1992.
On three occasions I had the chance to fly on the DC-10's derivitive, the MD-11. They did not last too long in passenger service. but have a second life as cargo carriers.
In 1972, the Europeans, happy that their cooperation resulted in the Concorde (sadly, I never got to fly in one before they were retired in 2003), followed that with the Airbus A300. I flew in one from Orlando to Houston in 1992. Not a bad ride.
The only other times I flew in a Airbus product was in the A319, in 2006 and 2007.Airbus is now fielding the largest passenger aircraft in the world, the A380.
Over the years, airlines that I have grown up with have eiter survived or gone by the wayside:
American still exists.
Braniff went out of business in the late 80s.
Continental still exists.
Delta still exists. As a matter of fact, while I was leaving Atlanta recently, I noticed that about 85% of the aircraft there were Delta jets.
Eastern went out of business in the late 80s.
National went out of business around 1980. there was an attempt to revive the brand a few years ago, but that did not last.
Pan American died in the early 90s, and two attempts to revive it did not succeed.Southwest is the most successful airling in the world.
Trans World Airlines got taken over by American.
United still exists.
Many regional airlines like Allegeny and Pacific Southwest got absorbed into larger airlines, with the result being US Airways.
I remember an airline called Texas International, which was bought by Continental.
Many new airlines, like JetBlue and Virgin America, have come on the scene in recent years.
The major difference between 1972 and now is that service has gone down in the name of cost cutting.In 1972, you were guaranteed a decent meal. Now, you are lucky if you get a bag of pretzels with your drink. As a matter of fact, American was selling snacks on flights that were running two or less hours.
$3 for a small bag of cookies, no way!
No wonder the consessions cost so much at the airport, it's usually the only way one can get something to eat while flying.
I remember flying on Asiana from Seoul to Los Angeles and the service was outstanding, and I was in the Main Cabin!
I had never been pampered on a flight before. Inagine trying that on a US airline.
Still, I live to fly and will put up with the extra security and bring my own snacks in order to enjoy it.
My goal is to have flown 200 times by 2010.
Yep, I love flying!
Just got back from a quick trio to Georgia. I was attending a one-day class at Robins AFB. Over two days, I added 4 flights to my Lifetime Air Travel Log, making a total of 164 flights since I boarded an Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 at Houston Intercontinental Airport in 1972.
The list of flights that I have taken run the gamut of jet airliner history. That same year, I boarded a Trans World Airlines Boeing 747-100, which had just entered service. Now, there is the 747-400 in service with the 747-8 on the drawing boards.
In 1972, the Boeing 707 was still in active passenger service, I flew in two of those in 1974. Now, not many are left. The 727 was the workhouse of the airline world in the 70s. The last trip I remember in one was 1994, a short hop from Mildenhall to Ramstein, and back. 727s still make up the backbone of cargo deliveries.
The 737 became the new workhorse in the 90s, I remember a flight from Frankfurt to London in a 737-100 in 1973. The model range now goes to -900. (There was a serious plan to cstart regular trans-Atlantic service (Newark to Shannon) in a -900, but I heard no further word of that.)
The 747 was considered the king of the long-haul world. My first trip in one was from New York (JFK) to Frakfurt in 1972. My most recent flight in that type was a 747-400 from Seoul to Los Angeles in 1997.
In the early 80s the 757 had enter service, but it was 1997 before I flew in one, from Los Angeles to Memphis.
A 767 was the equipment used the first time I flew on a twin-engined aircraft across the Atlantic, however, my first flight in one was 1987, from Atlanta to Philadelphia.
My first flight on a 777 was in 2000, from London Gatwick to Dallas-Fort Worth.
Hopefully, I will soon fly on the new 787 that will enter service soon.
I have also flown on aircraft built by McDonald Douglas:I remember a flight in a DC-9 from Frankfurt to Amsterdam in which the pilot had the throttles firewalled before the plane was on the runway.
Some of those DC-9s still fly on passenger service, I flew in a Northwest DC-9 in 2007 from San Antonio to Memphis.
From the DC-9 came a series of streched versions, the MD-80, 82, 90, and 95.
The MD-95 was remaned the Boeing 717 when Boeing took over Douglas.
I also flew on the DC-10, a three engined wide body, on several trans-Atlantic trips, the most recent being 1992.
On three occasions I had the chance to fly on the DC-10's derivitive, the MD-11. They did not last too long in passenger service. but have a second life as cargo carriers.
In 1972, the Europeans, happy that their cooperation resulted in the Concorde (sadly, I never got to fly in one before they were retired in 2003), followed that with the Airbus A300. I flew in one from Orlando to Houston in 1992. Not a bad ride.
The only other times I flew in a Airbus product was in the A319, in 2006 and 2007.Airbus is now fielding the largest passenger aircraft in the world, the A380.
Over the years, airlines that I have grown up with have eiter survived or gone by the wayside:
American still exists.
Braniff went out of business in the late 80s.
Continental still exists.
Delta still exists. As a matter of fact, while I was leaving Atlanta recently, I noticed that about 85% of the aircraft there were Delta jets.
Eastern went out of business in the late 80s.
National went out of business around 1980. there was an attempt to revive the brand a few years ago, but that did not last.
Pan American died in the early 90s, and two attempts to revive it did not succeed.Southwest is the most successful airling in the world.
Trans World Airlines got taken over by American.
United still exists.
Many regional airlines like Allegeny and Pacific Southwest got absorbed into larger airlines, with the result being US Airways.
I remember an airline called Texas International, which was bought by Continental.
Many new airlines, like JetBlue and Virgin America, have come on the scene in recent years.
The major difference between 1972 and now is that service has gone down in the name of cost cutting.In 1972, you were guaranteed a decent meal. Now, you are lucky if you get a bag of pretzels with your drink. As a matter of fact, American was selling snacks on flights that were running two or less hours.
$3 for a small bag of cookies, no way!
No wonder the consessions cost so much at the airport, it's usually the only way one can get something to eat while flying.
I remember flying on Asiana from Seoul to Los Angeles and the service was outstanding, and I was in the Main Cabin!
I had never been pampered on a flight before. Inagine trying that on a US airline.
Still, I live to fly and will put up with the extra security and bring my own snacks in order to enjoy it.
My goal is to have flown 200 times by 2010.
Yep, I love flying!
I had to bury my Mother-in-Law the other day…
I wrote this in 2007 after my wife's Mother was killed in an accident...
The call came in suddenly on a Wednesday. Ten minutes before my wife and I were to head out to work, the phone rang. It was Lionel, my Mother-in-Law’s husband. He needed to speak to my wife urgently. As I went upstairs to tell her the phone call was for her, I had one of those sinking feelings. After I went back downstairs, I heard a cry from upstairs that told me that all was not well. As I reached my wife, I saw the tears that were already falling. I grabbed the phone and got the news from Lionel; they were traveling on the A34 road near Oxford when they stopped over on a lay-by (kind of like a rest area). She had departed the car and was crossing the road. An Alfa-Romero came out of the blackness and struck her, killing her instantly.
Bibi Richardson, my wife’s Mother, my Mother-in-Law, someone I had known for 21 years, was suddenly and tragically gone.
I went into emergency mode and soon had us ready to fly to England the next day.We spent two weeks there, one handling the funeral and the other starting the legal processes concerning her estate.The funeral was beautiful, held in an old English church. The grave side ceremony was also beautiful.
I remember when I first met Bibi. She was wondering just what to make of me, a young Airman First Class that her daughter was interested in. I also was still immature in some things, but for the most part, she was patient with me. We all attended the same church, near the base I was stationed at and she frequently hosted the young single servicemembers for an evening of tea and cakes.
Dinners were also interesting, she was from Guyana and the cuisine was interesting to say the least. Curry, dall, roti, and other legacies of Indians who were transported to Guyana were the regular bill of fare in her house.
She was also a prayer warrior; she would pray for me, even after I got her mad as me for one reason or another.
She had a sweet spirit, even if a little squirrelly at times.
Still, somehow, she saw something in me that allowed her to say yes after I asked for her daughters hand in marriage.
After two and a half years of courtship, Kamela and I were married with Bibi’s blessing.Through the years, we were blessed by Bibi’s prayers, packages, and visits.
Sometimes we would visit her, other times she would visit us, even to Texas.
I remember once, on her first visit to Texas, she saw all these signs that said, “Don’t Mess With Texas” on signs, shirts, and billboards. One day she went off on me about it, claiming that Texans were “too big about themselves.” I laughed my head off, before I explained to her that is was the state's anti-littering slogan.
On her second visit she brought her new husband, Lionel. They enjoyed the sights of San Antonio immensely.
The last time I saw her, she had come over after my wife’s surgery. She was a great help and I believed actually speeded Kamela’s recovery. She left that January of 2007 with us promising her we would visit her in 2008.
That was not to be, God willed otherwise.
The one thing we can take comfort in was that Bibi was Saved. She is in Heaven right now and we have the hope of a reunion someday.The past two weeks was spent with plenty of family and food. The wake after the funeral was about one of the best gatherings I ever witnessed.
Everything went well and we are back home with some good memories.
We look forward to a Heavenly Reunion with Bibi someday.
Rest in Peace
Bibi Zohora Richardson
1941-2007
The call came in suddenly on a Wednesday. Ten minutes before my wife and I were to head out to work, the phone rang. It was Lionel, my Mother-in-Law’s husband. He needed to speak to my wife urgently. As I went upstairs to tell her the phone call was for her, I had one of those sinking feelings. After I went back downstairs, I heard a cry from upstairs that told me that all was not well. As I reached my wife, I saw the tears that were already falling. I grabbed the phone and got the news from Lionel; they were traveling on the A34 road near Oxford when they stopped over on a lay-by (kind of like a rest area). She had departed the car and was crossing the road. An Alfa-Romero came out of the blackness and struck her, killing her instantly.
Bibi Richardson, my wife’s Mother, my Mother-in-Law, someone I had known for 21 years, was suddenly and tragically gone.
I went into emergency mode and soon had us ready to fly to England the next day.We spent two weeks there, one handling the funeral and the other starting the legal processes concerning her estate.The funeral was beautiful, held in an old English church. The grave side ceremony was also beautiful.
I remember when I first met Bibi. She was wondering just what to make of me, a young Airman First Class that her daughter was interested in. I also was still immature in some things, but for the most part, she was patient with me. We all attended the same church, near the base I was stationed at and she frequently hosted the young single servicemembers for an evening of tea and cakes.
Dinners were also interesting, she was from Guyana and the cuisine was interesting to say the least. Curry, dall, roti, and other legacies of Indians who were transported to Guyana were the regular bill of fare in her house.
She was also a prayer warrior; she would pray for me, even after I got her mad as me for one reason or another.
She had a sweet spirit, even if a little squirrelly at times.
Still, somehow, she saw something in me that allowed her to say yes after I asked for her daughters hand in marriage.
After two and a half years of courtship, Kamela and I were married with Bibi’s blessing.Through the years, we were blessed by Bibi’s prayers, packages, and visits.
Sometimes we would visit her, other times she would visit us, even to Texas.
I remember once, on her first visit to Texas, she saw all these signs that said, “Don’t Mess With Texas” on signs, shirts, and billboards. One day she went off on me about it, claiming that Texans were “too big about themselves.” I laughed my head off, before I explained to her that is was the state's anti-littering slogan.
On her second visit she brought her new husband, Lionel. They enjoyed the sights of San Antonio immensely.
The last time I saw her, she had come over after my wife’s surgery. She was a great help and I believed actually speeded Kamela’s recovery. She left that January of 2007 with us promising her we would visit her in 2008.
That was not to be, God willed otherwise.
The one thing we can take comfort in was that Bibi was Saved. She is in Heaven right now and we have the hope of a reunion someday.The past two weeks was spent with plenty of family and food. The wake after the funeral was about one of the best gatherings I ever witnessed.
Everything went well and we are back home with some good memories.
We look forward to a Heavenly Reunion with Bibi someday.
Rest in Peace
Bibi Zohora Richardson
1941-2007
It's Christmas
I wrote this during the Christmas season in 2005;
12/01/06, the Christmas season has already started. The weekend was full of people jamming into stores to buy discounted merchandise. With that came a few tussles as some people who think that the rules don’t apply to them tried to cut into line.
Another sign of the season are the lawsuits by the so-called American Civil Liberties Union seeking to ban displays of the Nativity. Even the mention of Christmas sends Liberals into a tizzy, screaming that it is not “inclusive.”
Their rationale is that if Hindus, Muslims, and Jews don’t celebrate Christmas, then no one else should.
Let me see. I’m not a Hindu, so I don’t celebrate any Hindu festivals. I’m not a Muslim, so I don’t celebrate Eid. I’m not Jewish, so I don’t celebrate Hanukah. Does that mean that they should not celebrate then because I’m not included?
In this society it seems proper to exclude certain groups in the name of “diversity” and “inclusion.” This means discrimination against Christians and any holidays associated with Christianity.
For example:1. Displays of Nativity scenes on town squares have been labeled “government pushing religion” regardless of what the majority of a town’s residents mat think. Now it takes one “offended” person to spoil everyone’s Christmas.
2. Schools have banned Christmas Hymns from their programs in fear of offending non-Christians who might attend.
3. A suburb prohibited the display of the colors red and green because they were considered “too Christian.”
4. A school has now banned the display of Christmas trees and Santa Claus. The rationale was that these were symbols of Christmas and therefore “Christian.”
5. The phrase “Merry Christmas” is now considered “religious harassment.” Terms such as “Happy Holidays” and “Seasons Greetings” are accepted as politically correct. Major retailers, citing their international customers, have accepted this policy.
6. Another retailer has banned the Salvation Army from setting up their collection kettles in front of their stores.
7. A lawyer, like clockwork, starts a lawsuit trying to force the US Government to remove Christmas from the list of Federally recognized holidays. He always loses.
These among many…..
It does not help that Christmas has become more commercialized in the past 40 years. Today it seems to be a whirlwind of parties, celebrations, concerts, TV specials (including multiple showings of It’s a Wonderful Life) and such. This year (2005) while people were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Christmas Sale commercials were already playing. The discount stores were open at 5 a.m. to begin the shopping season. Some places needed riot police to keep order.
My favorite past time during the season is to go to the mall and watch people screaming as they run from one store to the other. Sometimes there is a case of spontaneous combustion as the shopper blows up from the pressure, accompanied by the presents rolling across the floor. Usually it goes like this:AAAAAAAAAA…………….ack……….ack…………BOOM!!.........rattle rattle.
My second favorite past time is thinking of ways to dispose of the most dangerous substance mankind has ever produced……fruitcake.
This is that concoction of candied fruit that is sent all over the world. These cakes have been likened to weapons of mass destruction, which is interesting since they are indestructible.
The average half-life of a standard fruitcake is about 1,000,000 years. Far more than plutonium.
Top ten ways to dispose of a Fruitcake:
Medieval Artillery Devices: Catapult, Trebuchet, Sling-shot. Partial to Roman Ballistae.
High Explosives: But I’m not allowed to use them within city limits.
Acid: The fruit just soaked up the acid and smiled.
Nuclear Reactors: The power boosted 500%. (Hmmm…a new fuel source?)
Running it over with a tank: Broke too many treads.
Baseball Bats: Several bats got broken.
Golf Clubs: Got chased off the course.
Dropped off a building: The sidewalk got cratered.
Fire: didn’t do a thing.
Nuclear Weapons: That idea got nixed because the government stopped tests in the 1990s.
Even though this has been satire pointed at fruitcakes, this is how some people think about the confection. Meanwhile, I’ll go get my trebuchet.
The Real meaning of Christmas:
As people rush to and fro to make their purchases, decorate their houses, prepare meals and desserts, travel to see relatives, and attend the office party, it is easy to forget the reason for the season.
According to Christians, such as myself, December 25 is set aside to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, God in human form and Savior of mankind. The reason I said set aside is that the exact date had never been recorded. Here is what I do know:This was during the reign of Ceasar Augustus, also known as Octavian, the 1st Roman Emperor. In the book of Luke, Chapter 2, it is recorded that Octavian ordered a census of all who lived in the Empire. This count was essential for the purpose of taxation. This required heads of households and their families to travel to their ancestral home to register with Roman authorities. This is why Joseph had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. He was descended from the line of King David, who was from Bethlehem, so any descendents had to travel there. Joseph had to travel with his wife, Mary, who was already pregnant with Jesus. God allowed her to get pregnant, without the sexual requirement, in order to fulfill the prophecy that the Messiah was to be born of a virgin. Here is the reason why this date could not have been in December. Even in the Middle East it can get cold and snowy. Travel during that time, especially on foot and even with donkeys, would be treacherous at best. The logistics required for a census including the possibility of sea travel, which was seldom done in winter, required things to be done in late Spring or early Summer. Scholars have narrowed the date of Jesus’ birth to either 7 or 6 B.C. between March and June.The date of December 25 was chosen by the Council of Nicaea, almost 400 years after Christ’s birth. The date actually coincided with the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, a winter festival which celebrated “the birth of the sun,” meaning that this was the time that daily sunlight had begun to increase (it seems that there was scant knowledge of the Earth’s axial tilt at the time). All the council had to do was change “sun” to “Son” and there you have it.
Other things to consider:What we have come to know as the Nativity scene did not happen at once.
Joseph and Mary were probably in Bethlehem several weeks before Jesus was born.
Middle Eastern customs would have had Joseph and Mary taken in by distant relatives or complete strangers. “No room at the inn” may have meant that there was no room in the guest accommodation that would have been at the upper level of a common house. Inns as we know them did not exist, but there might have been taverns with a few sleeping accommodations.
The Manger was actually the box in which hay was placed for the feeding of farm animals.
There would have been shepherds who arrived that night, since they were in the local area.
The Wise Men arrived from as near as Persia (now Iran) or even as far as India, which would have been a 1 ½ to 2 year trip to reach the area.
The census was a lengthy process, which would have required Joseph and Mary to still be in Bethlehem when the Wise Men arrived.
It does not really matter all the ins and outs of Jesus birth. What matters is that He was born. There was one mission, to redeem mankind. In order to do that, He had to be born as a human being and live as one (a future essay will address that).
The other Christmas traditions came later;
Christmas trees were a German invention.
Santa Claus is based on Saint Nicholas, a person born in Turkey and is revered around December 8 in Europe.
Santa’s present form may be an American invention, however other countries have different versions.
Lights on the tree have been attributed to Martin Luther, but that has not been confirmed.
Holidays were generally feast days, so that would account for the massive dinners.
Kissing under the mistletoe seems to have originated in Britain. The use of mistletoe and holly may have originated with the Druids.
Christmas was actually banned by Puritans, who considered the holiday papist (meaning Catholic) and therefore a sin.
It soon cane back into favor.
The act of singing carols was called “wassailing.” This was also a drink.Britain’s traditional Boxing Day (December 26) is thought to originate with the tradition of the lord of the manor giving gifts to the servants.
Based on my beliefs:
THIS IS CHRISTMAS
NOT A “HOLIDAY FESTIVAL”
NOT A “WINTER HOLIDAY”
THERE ARE NO “HOLIDAY TREES”
IT’S CHRISTMAS
THERE IS NO REASON TO BAN OR LIMIT IT.
IF I WANT TO CALL IT CHRISTMAS, NO ONE HAS THE POWER OR THE RIGHT TO STOP ME!
YOU CAN CALL IT ANYTHING YOU WANT, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO FORCE ME TO CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT!
12/01/06, the Christmas season has already started. The weekend was full of people jamming into stores to buy discounted merchandise. With that came a few tussles as some people who think that the rules don’t apply to them tried to cut into line.
Another sign of the season are the lawsuits by the so-called American Civil Liberties Union seeking to ban displays of the Nativity. Even the mention of Christmas sends Liberals into a tizzy, screaming that it is not “inclusive.”
Their rationale is that if Hindus, Muslims, and Jews don’t celebrate Christmas, then no one else should.
Let me see. I’m not a Hindu, so I don’t celebrate any Hindu festivals. I’m not a Muslim, so I don’t celebrate Eid. I’m not Jewish, so I don’t celebrate Hanukah. Does that mean that they should not celebrate then because I’m not included?
In this society it seems proper to exclude certain groups in the name of “diversity” and “inclusion.” This means discrimination against Christians and any holidays associated with Christianity.
For example:1. Displays of Nativity scenes on town squares have been labeled “government pushing religion” regardless of what the majority of a town’s residents mat think. Now it takes one “offended” person to spoil everyone’s Christmas.
2. Schools have banned Christmas Hymns from their programs in fear of offending non-Christians who might attend.
3. A suburb prohibited the display of the colors red and green because they were considered “too Christian.”
4. A school has now banned the display of Christmas trees and Santa Claus. The rationale was that these were symbols of Christmas and therefore “Christian.”
5. The phrase “Merry Christmas” is now considered “religious harassment.” Terms such as “Happy Holidays” and “Seasons Greetings” are accepted as politically correct. Major retailers, citing their international customers, have accepted this policy.
6. Another retailer has banned the Salvation Army from setting up their collection kettles in front of their stores.
7. A lawyer, like clockwork, starts a lawsuit trying to force the US Government to remove Christmas from the list of Federally recognized holidays. He always loses.
These among many…..
It does not help that Christmas has become more commercialized in the past 40 years. Today it seems to be a whirlwind of parties, celebrations, concerts, TV specials (including multiple showings of It’s a Wonderful Life) and such. This year (2005) while people were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Christmas Sale commercials were already playing. The discount stores were open at 5 a.m. to begin the shopping season. Some places needed riot police to keep order.
My favorite past time during the season is to go to the mall and watch people screaming as they run from one store to the other. Sometimes there is a case of spontaneous combustion as the shopper blows up from the pressure, accompanied by the presents rolling across the floor. Usually it goes like this:AAAAAAAAAA…………….ack……….ack…………BOOM!!.........rattle rattle.
My second favorite past time is thinking of ways to dispose of the most dangerous substance mankind has ever produced……fruitcake.
This is that concoction of candied fruit that is sent all over the world. These cakes have been likened to weapons of mass destruction, which is interesting since they are indestructible.
The average half-life of a standard fruitcake is about 1,000,000 years. Far more than plutonium.
Top ten ways to dispose of a Fruitcake:
Medieval Artillery Devices: Catapult, Trebuchet, Sling-shot. Partial to Roman Ballistae.
High Explosives: But I’m not allowed to use them within city limits.
Acid: The fruit just soaked up the acid and smiled.
Nuclear Reactors: The power boosted 500%. (Hmmm…a new fuel source?)
Running it over with a tank: Broke too many treads.
Baseball Bats: Several bats got broken.
Golf Clubs: Got chased off the course.
Dropped off a building: The sidewalk got cratered.
Fire: didn’t do a thing.
Nuclear Weapons: That idea got nixed because the government stopped tests in the 1990s.
Even though this has been satire pointed at fruitcakes, this is how some people think about the confection. Meanwhile, I’ll go get my trebuchet.
The Real meaning of Christmas:
As people rush to and fro to make their purchases, decorate their houses, prepare meals and desserts, travel to see relatives, and attend the office party, it is easy to forget the reason for the season.
According to Christians, such as myself, December 25 is set aside to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, God in human form and Savior of mankind. The reason I said set aside is that the exact date had never been recorded. Here is what I do know:This was during the reign of Ceasar Augustus, also known as Octavian, the 1st Roman Emperor. In the book of Luke, Chapter 2, it is recorded that Octavian ordered a census of all who lived in the Empire. This count was essential for the purpose of taxation. This required heads of households and their families to travel to their ancestral home to register with Roman authorities. This is why Joseph had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. He was descended from the line of King David, who was from Bethlehem, so any descendents had to travel there. Joseph had to travel with his wife, Mary, who was already pregnant with Jesus. God allowed her to get pregnant, without the sexual requirement, in order to fulfill the prophecy that the Messiah was to be born of a virgin. Here is the reason why this date could not have been in December. Even in the Middle East it can get cold and snowy. Travel during that time, especially on foot and even with donkeys, would be treacherous at best. The logistics required for a census including the possibility of sea travel, which was seldom done in winter, required things to be done in late Spring or early Summer. Scholars have narrowed the date of Jesus’ birth to either 7 or 6 B.C. between March and June.The date of December 25 was chosen by the Council of Nicaea, almost 400 years after Christ’s birth. The date actually coincided with the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, a winter festival which celebrated “the birth of the sun,” meaning that this was the time that daily sunlight had begun to increase (it seems that there was scant knowledge of the Earth’s axial tilt at the time). All the council had to do was change “sun” to “Son” and there you have it.
Other things to consider:What we have come to know as the Nativity scene did not happen at once.
Joseph and Mary were probably in Bethlehem several weeks before Jesus was born.
Middle Eastern customs would have had Joseph and Mary taken in by distant relatives or complete strangers. “No room at the inn” may have meant that there was no room in the guest accommodation that would have been at the upper level of a common house. Inns as we know them did not exist, but there might have been taverns with a few sleeping accommodations.
The Manger was actually the box in which hay was placed for the feeding of farm animals.
There would have been shepherds who arrived that night, since they were in the local area.
The Wise Men arrived from as near as Persia (now Iran) or even as far as India, which would have been a 1 ½ to 2 year trip to reach the area.
The census was a lengthy process, which would have required Joseph and Mary to still be in Bethlehem when the Wise Men arrived.
It does not really matter all the ins and outs of Jesus birth. What matters is that He was born. There was one mission, to redeem mankind. In order to do that, He had to be born as a human being and live as one (a future essay will address that).
The other Christmas traditions came later;
Christmas trees were a German invention.
Santa Claus is based on Saint Nicholas, a person born in Turkey and is revered around December 8 in Europe.
Santa’s present form may be an American invention, however other countries have different versions.
Lights on the tree have been attributed to Martin Luther, but that has not been confirmed.
Holidays were generally feast days, so that would account for the massive dinners.
Kissing under the mistletoe seems to have originated in Britain. The use of mistletoe and holly may have originated with the Druids.
Christmas was actually banned by Puritans, who considered the holiday papist (meaning Catholic) and therefore a sin.
It soon cane back into favor.
The act of singing carols was called “wassailing.” This was also a drink.Britain’s traditional Boxing Day (December 26) is thought to originate with the tradition of the lord of the manor giving gifts to the servants.
Based on my beliefs:
THIS IS CHRISTMAS
NOT A “HOLIDAY FESTIVAL”
NOT A “WINTER HOLIDAY”
THERE ARE NO “HOLIDAY TREES”
IT’S CHRISTMAS
THERE IS NO REASON TO BAN OR LIMIT IT.
IF I WANT TO CALL IT CHRISTMAS, NO ONE HAS THE POWER OR THE RIGHT TO STOP ME!
YOU CAN CALL IT ANYTHING YOU WANT, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO FORCE ME TO CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT!
Why am I still in uniform?
I wrote thin in 2006:
A question was recently put to me. I was asked “What keeps you coming to these Reserve weekends?” This gave way to another question, what makes a person put on the uniform of any of the US Armed Forces and do things that could not be conceived as a youth. Some of us are motivated by the pay, others by the benefits, other by the opportunities for advancement, and others by either a sense of duty or as part of a family tradition.
To look at what drives the warrior class in this country, we look at those who came before us:
I look at a sentry shivering in the cold of Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78, keeping to his duty while others were slipping away back to their homes and farms. He warms his hands over a small fire and thinks about the reasons he is there. Perhaps he was a Massachusetts farmer who answered the call in 1775 as the British moved to arrest the leaders of the young revolt. Maybe he was a Virginia shopkeeper who answered the call when a local farmer, George Washington, was named to lead the embryonic army. Perhaps the publishing of the Declaration of Independence inspired him. Perhaps it was simply the idea of a radical new concept, freedom and the right to live as he wanted, to improve himself, to set off to find a new life for himself and his family. He sees the only way to ensure this is to remain where he is. Putting up with the lack of food, shelter, and other comforts, he knows that there is something better down the road.
I look at Marines, supported by naval forces, slipping into Tripoli harbor to destroy an American ship captured by Barbary pirates in what was the first major foreign challenge to US power.
I look at a rag-tag group of frontiersmen and soldiers facing a professional army that outnumbered them almost three to one. On an area outside of New Orleans, the rag-tag group won. What inspired them to endure waves of attacks and not break and run?
I see a small group of men from all walks of life holed up in a crumbling church, waiting for an attack that would kill them all.
I see waves of soldiers and Marines storming a fortress outside Mexico City, when they could have bypassed it. They also admired the defenders, adding to the mindset that we do not need to kill all of them to win.
I see groups of soldiers in blue waiting behind a wall in Pennsylvania for an attack they could see coming at them.
I see a group of soldiers in gray and butternut marching across a field at those same blue clad soldiers, all the while facing constant artillery fire.
What drives these people to do this? Is it a devotion to an idea, however misguided? Is it a fight to decide what a society decides for themselves? Did a soldier from Virginia really cross that small deadly space just for the right to enslave others? I think not. Did a soldier from Maine really enlisted to only free slaves? Again I think not. I believe that they fought for their idea on how the US should be. The slaves became the moral issue that also had to be fought over. Or in other words, one issue amongst many.
I see a group of soldiers formed from all facets of society storming up a hill in Cuba in order to free a people from being dominated.
I see another group of soldiers landing in France in 1917 to save Europe from Imperial German and Austro-Hungarian domination. These men would spend months in muddy trenches and conduct attacks into machine gun fire in order to bring a bloody war to an end.
I see their sons, nearly thirty years later, manning bombers in broad daylight in the face of enemy fire, falling by the hundreds. They waded onto beaches from Normandy to Iwo Jima, and faced an enemy willing to die for every inch. They holed up in a ruined Belgian city in the dead of winter and met a counter-attack that killed 10,000 of them. They died by the thousands piercing the darkness in Europe and had to resort to atomic weapons to achieve final victory in Asia.
I see a group of people on frozen mountains in Korea, fighting to preserve freedom from attacking Communists.
I see others in the jungles of Vietnam, fighting for freedom while politicians were limiting their operations and others were supporting the enemy.
I see others coming to the rescue in Lebanon, Kuwait, Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and lately Iraq.
I see them hauling supplies and help to people around the world, such as the recent tsunami in South Asia.I see service personnel deployed around the world, living in conditions ranging from barracks to tents.
Eating food consisting of everything from fully cooked meals to Meals-Ready-to-Eat.
Spending anything from 90 days to a year and a half in these locations.
They face car bombs, suicide bombs, mortar attacks, and other methods used by a group that hates the idea of freedom and wants to kill those who want to bring that freedom. They also face derision from a few of their own country people who would rather support the enemy than support freedom.
They also put up with a few that realized what raising their hand and swearing the oath to protect the nation meant and tried to back out. (Personal note: I’m of the opinion that if an individual does not want to fulfill the obligation that the uniform brings, he/she should be made to pay back all the pay, benefits and the cost of training them).
Those of us who put on the uniform are the elite. Not everybody can do this. Not everybody can put up with the long hours, time away from their families, the conditions they can live in, and the fact that not everybody appreciates what they do.
If you want to understand the price that freedom costs, go to a National Cemetery, go to the Vietnam Memorial, go to the cemeteries we have in France and Britain, go talk to a veteran, go to a museum, and finally, go study the history of this country and its struggles for freedom.
One thing however, if you don’t have any experience with the US Armed Forces, there is no way you can understand the price of keeping the USA and our friends free.
Why am I still in an Air Force uniform after 22 years, 12 of them Active, the rest Reserve? Why did I try to stay in, changing my job from Security Forces to Education and Training after I was diagnosed as Type II diabetic, and losing a stripe in the process?
It’s simple. I still believe in the idea of the United States of America. I believe that despite all the struggles and conflicts, we are still the last, best hope for freedom in the world. If we were gone, God help the rest of the world.
A question was recently put to me. I was asked “What keeps you coming to these Reserve weekends?” This gave way to another question, what makes a person put on the uniform of any of the US Armed Forces and do things that could not be conceived as a youth. Some of us are motivated by the pay, others by the benefits, other by the opportunities for advancement, and others by either a sense of duty or as part of a family tradition.
To look at what drives the warrior class in this country, we look at those who came before us:
I look at a sentry shivering in the cold of Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78, keeping to his duty while others were slipping away back to their homes and farms. He warms his hands over a small fire and thinks about the reasons he is there. Perhaps he was a Massachusetts farmer who answered the call in 1775 as the British moved to arrest the leaders of the young revolt. Maybe he was a Virginia shopkeeper who answered the call when a local farmer, George Washington, was named to lead the embryonic army. Perhaps the publishing of the Declaration of Independence inspired him. Perhaps it was simply the idea of a radical new concept, freedom and the right to live as he wanted, to improve himself, to set off to find a new life for himself and his family. He sees the only way to ensure this is to remain where he is. Putting up with the lack of food, shelter, and other comforts, he knows that there is something better down the road.
I look at Marines, supported by naval forces, slipping into Tripoli harbor to destroy an American ship captured by Barbary pirates in what was the first major foreign challenge to US power.
I look at a rag-tag group of frontiersmen and soldiers facing a professional army that outnumbered them almost three to one. On an area outside of New Orleans, the rag-tag group won. What inspired them to endure waves of attacks and not break and run?
I see a small group of men from all walks of life holed up in a crumbling church, waiting for an attack that would kill them all.
I see waves of soldiers and Marines storming a fortress outside Mexico City, when they could have bypassed it. They also admired the defenders, adding to the mindset that we do not need to kill all of them to win.
I see groups of soldiers in blue waiting behind a wall in Pennsylvania for an attack they could see coming at them.
I see a group of soldiers in gray and butternut marching across a field at those same blue clad soldiers, all the while facing constant artillery fire.
What drives these people to do this? Is it a devotion to an idea, however misguided? Is it a fight to decide what a society decides for themselves? Did a soldier from Virginia really cross that small deadly space just for the right to enslave others? I think not. Did a soldier from Maine really enlisted to only free slaves? Again I think not. I believe that they fought for their idea on how the US should be. The slaves became the moral issue that also had to be fought over. Or in other words, one issue amongst many.
I see a group of soldiers formed from all facets of society storming up a hill in Cuba in order to free a people from being dominated.
I see another group of soldiers landing in France in 1917 to save Europe from Imperial German and Austro-Hungarian domination. These men would spend months in muddy trenches and conduct attacks into machine gun fire in order to bring a bloody war to an end.
I see their sons, nearly thirty years later, manning bombers in broad daylight in the face of enemy fire, falling by the hundreds. They waded onto beaches from Normandy to Iwo Jima, and faced an enemy willing to die for every inch. They holed up in a ruined Belgian city in the dead of winter and met a counter-attack that killed 10,000 of them. They died by the thousands piercing the darkness in Europe and had to resort to atomic weapons to achieve final victory in Asia.
I see a group of people on frozen mountains in Korea, fighting to preserve freedom from attacking Communists.
I see others in the jungles of Vietnam, fighting for freedom while politicians were limiting their operations and others were supporting the enemy.
I see others coming to the rescue in Lebanon, Kuwait, Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and lately Iraq.
I see them hauling supplies and help to people around the world, such as the recent tsunami in South Asia.I see service personnel deployed around the world, living in conditions ranging from barracks to tents.
Eating food consisting of everything from fully cooked meals to Meals-Ready-to-Eat.
Spending anything from 90 days to a year and a half in these locations.
They face car bombs, suicide bombs, mortar attacks, and other methods used by a group that hates the idea of freedom and wants to kill those who want to bring that freedom. They also face derision from a few of their own country people who would rather support the enemy than support freedom.
They also put up with a few that realized what raising their hand and swearing the oath to protect the nation meant and tried to back out. (Personal note: I’m of the opinion that if an individual does not want to fulfill the obligation that the uniform brings, he/she should be made to pay back all the pay, benefits and the cost of training them).
Those of us who put on the uniform are the elite. Not everybody can do this. Not everybody can put up with the long hours, time away from their families, the conditions they can live in, and the fact that not everybody appreciates what they do.
If you want to understand the price that freedom costs, go to a National Cemetery, go to the Vietnam Memorial, go to the cemeteries we have in France and Britain, go talk to a veteran, go to a museum, and finally, go study the history of this country and its struggles for freedom.
One thing however, if you don’t have any experience with the US Armed Forces, there is no way you can understand the price of keeping the USA and our friends free.
Why am I still in an Air Force uniform after 22 years, 12 of them Active, the rest Reserve? Why did I try to stay in, changing my job from Security Forces to Education and Training after I was diagnosed as Type II diabetic, and losing a stripe in the process?
It’s simple. I still believe in the idea of the United States of America. I believe that despite all the struggles and conflicts, we are still the last, best hope for freedom in the world. If we were gone, God help the rest of the world.
In defense of our history
I wrote this in 2006;
This problem that I have with the PC types is that they assert that the US is an evil country, guilty of countless crimes against humanity. It is true there are low points in our history, but that does not mean that you discount the rest. Our history is rich in events, heroism, and achievement. It is also full of tragedy.
If America is so bad:Why would a group of shopkeepers, fishermen, farmers, and artisans band together to take on the finest army in the world at the time with antiquated weapons? (The British army had the best musketmen in the world.)
Why would a group of men (Yes, men. Remember this was the 1700s, although I heard that Abigail Adams gave her husband John a few ideas.) sit in a room in Philadelphia and risk a hangman’s noose to promote a radical idea? (Note to Liberals, it’s called Liberty.)
Why would some of those same men a decade later hammer out the finest Constitution in human history? (Thank you James Madison, and others.)
Why would some take up the cause of abolishing African slavery, over the objections of others? (Benjamin Franklin helped found one of the first anti-slavery groups in the nation.)
Why would another group of shopkeepers, fishermen, farmers, artisans, mechanics, and industrial workers form an army to keep the nation together? (That was called the Union army.)
Why would innovators unite the nation by both telegraph wire and the railroad? (The Transcontinental Railroad with the wire strung up beside it.)
Why would millions of people from around the world risk everything to come here? (Immigrants)
Why would men from all walks of life go to foreign shores and give their lives to help liberate whole peoples? (Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Grenada, Gulf War I, Afghanistan, and Gulf War II.)
Why would African-Americans attempt to overcome difficulties imposed by society to achieve heroism on the battlefield? (Ever heard of the 99th Fighter Squadron, known as the “Red Tails?” They never lost a single bomber that they escorted. And what about Dorrie Miller, the cook’s assistant who manned a machine gun and shot down two enemy bombers at Pearl Harbor?)
Why would a preacher named Martin Luther King decide to fight for his people? (From Montgomery, Alabama to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.)
Or Cesar Chavez fight for his? (He helped Hispanic farm workers and as a result helped all.)
Why would a President inspire us to go to the moon? (John F. Kennedy)
Why would our Armed Forces fight a war despite its unpopularity? (Vietnam)
Why would a nation commit to stop one of its greatest threats? (Communism and the Soviet Union.)
Why would a nation commit to free a people once again? (Kuwait)
Why would we respond after 9-11? (The War on Terror)
Why would we still support the nation while some of our own people are trying to rip it apart? (Let the Liberals crow, we will go forward.)The answer: we believe in an idea called freedom.
But are we angelic? No.Our dealings with the native tribes should have been better. The “Trail of Tears,” the warfare out west, and the reservations should never have taken place.
We should have never been involved in the slave trade. (Started by the Portuguese, then handled by the Spanish, then the Dutch, then by the British and French, then finally by us, who ended our involvement in the trade in 1808.)
We should have never allowed “Black Codes” and “Jim Crow” and “separate but equal” to exist. (Everybody deserves a shot at life; the skin color does not matter.)
We should never have invaded Central American countries just to preserve the fruit and sugar market. (Invade Nicaragua for bananas, that’s nuts.)
We should have never allowed Japanese-Americans to be placed in internment camps. (They were not the enemy.)
We should have been quicker to integrate the races. (Should have started in 1866.)
We should have never gone into Vietnam without giving the troops a freer hand. (Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara himself said that we had the chance to avoid it all together.)
We should not have allowed hate groups to exist. (Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nation, Nazis, etc.)
We should have never allowed the killing of nearly 30,000,000 babies to become legal.
Maybe we should have not supported authoritarian regimes just because they were anti-Communist. (Iran under the Shah, which is why they are still ticked off with us. Another example is the Philippines under Marcos and his wife, the shoe lady.)
There are others. We are not perfect.This is what we don’t do:We don’t rule the world. We maybe the only superpower (of course the Chinese may have an issue with that), but we are not interested in bending the rest of the world to our will. We do not seek a Pax Americana. On the other hand, we will not seek the world’s permission to protect ourselves or come to the aid of an oppressed people.
Let me spell it out for you:America is not an evil nation
If you really believe that America is evil, don’t come here. We can do without you just fine.
Despite all of the things that happened, this country is still the last, best, hope for freedom. If this nation ends, the implications for the rest of the world are too staggering to think about.
This problem that I have with the PC types is that they assert that the US is an evil country, guilty of countless crimes against humanity. It is true there are low points in our history, but that does not mean that you discount the rest. Our history is rich in events, heroism, and achievement. It is also full of tragedy.
If America is so bad:Why would a group of shopkeepers, fishermen, farmers, and artisans band together to take on the finest army in the world at the time with antiquated weapons? (The British army had the best musketmen in the world.)
Why would a group of men (Yes, men. Remember this was the 1700s, although I heard that Abigail Adams gave her husband John a few ideas.) sit in a room in Philadelphia and risk a hangman’s noose to promote a radical idea? (Note to Liberals, it’s called Liberty.)
Why would some of those same men a decade later hammer out the finest Constitution in human history? (Thank you James Madison, and others.)
Why would some take up the cause of abolishing African slavery, over the objections of others? (Benjamin Franklin helped found one of the first anti-slavery groups in the nation.)
Why would another group of shopkeepers, fishermen, farmers, artisans, mechanics, and industrial workers form an army to keep the nation together? (That was called the Union army.)
Why would innovators unite the nation by both telegraph wire and the railroad? (The Transcontinental Railroad with the wire strung up beside it.)
Why would millions of people from around the world risk everything to come here? (Immigrants)
Why would men from all walks of life go to foreign shores and give their lives to help liberate whole peoples? (Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Grenada, Gulf War I, Afghanistan, and Gulf War II.)
Why would African-Americans attempt to overcome difficulties imposed by society to achieve heroism on the battlefield? (Ever heard of the 99th Fighter Squadron, known as the “Red Tails?” They never lost a single bomber that they escorted. And what about Dorrie Miller, the cook’s assistant who manned a machine gun and shot down two enemy bombers at Pearl Harbor?)
Why would a preacher named Martin Luther King decide to fight for his people? (From Montgomery, Alabama to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.)
Or Cesar Chavez fight for his? (He helped Hispanic farm workers and as a result helped all.)
Why would a President inspire us to go to the moon? (John F. Kennedy)
Why would our Armed Forces fight a war despite its unpopularity? (Vietnam)
Why would a nation commit to stop one of its greatest threats? (Communism and the Soviet Union.)
Why would a nation commit to free a people once again? (Kuwait)
Why would we respond after 9-11? (The War on Terror)
Why would we still support the nation while some of our own people are trying to rip it apart? (Let the Liberals crow, we will go forward.)The answer: we believe in an idea called freedom.
But are we angelic? No.Our dealings with the native tribes should have been better. The “Trail of Tears,” the warfare out west, and the reservations should never have taken place.
We should have never been involved in the slave trade. (Started by the Portuguese, then handled by the Spanish, then the Dutch, then by the British and French, then finally by us, who ended our involvement in the trade in 1808.)
We should have never allowed “Black Codes” and “Jim Crow” and “separate but equal” to exist. (Everybody deserves a shot at life; the skin color does not matter.)
We should never have invaded Central American countries just to preserve the fruit and sugar market. (Invade Nicaragua for bananas, that’s nuts.)
We should have never allowed Japanese-Americans to be placed in internment camps. (They were not the enemy.)
We should have been quicker to integrate the races. (Should have started in 1866.)
We should have never gone into Vietnam without giving the troops a freer hand. (Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara himself said that we had the chance to avoid it all together.)
We should not have allowed hate groups to exist. (Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nation, Nazis, etc.)
We should have never allowed the killing of nearly 30,000,000 babies to become legal.
Maybe we should have not supported authoritarian regimes just because they were anti-Communist. (Iran under the Shah, which is why they are still ticked off with us. Another example is the Philippines under Marcos and his wife, the shoe lady.)
There are others. We are not perfect.This is what we don’t do:We don’t rule the world. We maybe the only superpower (of course the Chinese may have an issue with that), but we are not interested in bending the rest of the world to our will. We do not seek a Pax Americana. On the other hand, we will not seek the world’s permission to protect ourselves or come to the aid of an oppressed people.
Let me spell it out for you:America is not an evil nation
If you really believe that America is evil, don’t come here. We can do without you just fine.
Despite all of the things that happened, this country is still the last, best, hope for freedom. If this nation ends, the implications for the rest of the world are too staggering to think about.
I will defend my Faith
I wrote this during a debate on Faith in the Public Square (written in 2005):
I was amazed when I saw a bumper sticker on a car in Mississippi last year:
Bashing Christians is the only government approved hate speech in America.
Considering the amount of attacks on Christians since the 1960s, I’m beginning to wonder if that is the case. In light of recent actions, I’m thinking I’m right.
Here is what I mean;The 10 Commandments, the basis for civil law, is now banned from public display.
The City of Los Angeles was forced to remove a small cross from its crest under threat of a lawsuit.
Texas has been ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court to ban prayers at school events.
Politicians have declared that religious people are “unqualified” for public service.
College professors have labeled religious people “retarded.”
The Pledge of Allegiance has been under attack for the phrase “under God.”
A school district in California banned the Declaration of Independence because of the words “divine Providence.”
Many businesses have mandated “sensitivity” training that teaches “tolerance” but shows no tolerance for Christians.
Mainstream Colleges discriminate against students from Christian schools as well as home schooled individuals.
Saying “God Bless You” can now get you sued.
Displays of religious themed pictures are banned in some businesses.
Religious organizations have been banned from school property (in violation of the First Amendment and the Freedom of Religion Restoration Act).
And Heaven help those who mention the “J” word. (Jesus)
All of this in the name of ‘tolerance.”
Christians have been accused of bigotry, racism, homophobia, intolerance and many other things that cannot be printed here.
We (yes, I’m a Christian) have been told that we have to accept lifestyles that are abhorrent to us.
When we express our right to be “tolerated’ we are told that we have no such right.
We are told that we can’t force our “morality” down other people’s throats but must accept the homosexual lifestyle.
If 80% of a states residents vote a law outlawing homosexual marriage can get overruled by a court, what recourse do we have when the government decides its against the law to be a Christian (a West Coast town had decided that Christians, amongst others were “not welcome” in their town).
Christians, as a rule, do not impose their faith on others. We have a command to share the fact that Jesus came to earth to die for the sins of the world.
Our operation instruction is: Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Matthew 28: 19 & 20
This is the command all Christians operate with. We are commanded to tell folks about Jesus and Salvation. People have the choice weather or not to accept Him.
To understand Christians, one must understand the message. It is very simple. This is called the “Romans Road:”As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:10
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
These verses mean that all people are sinners. You see, God is Holy, and He cannot stand sin in his presence. Therefore, we cannot approach God in our present condition.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Romans 5:12
This means that by the act of one man, Adam (don’t blame Eve for all of it, Adam had a hand in it too) sin entered the world and a penalty was established, death.
For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
This codifies the penalty, but there is hope. Now when death is mentioned, there are two deaths. First is the physical, meaning the end of life.
Next is the spiritual, meaning an eternity spent in a place of punishment, called Hell.
Jesus offers a chance to escape the spiritual death.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6
This means that we cannot achieve God’s presence by our own strength. Church membership, good works, living a “good” life (remember Romans 3:23) and giving money to the church will not cut it.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
This means that God showed his love for humanity by coming to Earth, assuming Human form, and allowing Himself to be killed in order to redeem Humanity.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10
This means that through the death of Jesus, Humanity can be reconciled to God.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness: and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10: 9 & 10
Here is how you can be saved. You must believe that:
1. You are a sinner.
2. You believe that Jesus is God in Human form that died for your sin and was raised from the dead, and
3. Confess your sins and accept Him as your Savior, you will be saved.
For whosover shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13
The method is simple, just call on His name.
All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. John 6:37
Jesus said that Himself, all who accept Him will be accepted by Him.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1: 8 & 9
We must remember that we are sinners, even when we are saved. We are still Human. We can go to the Father and have our sins forgiven.
If you read this and want to have your sins forgiven, all you need to do is pray this simple prayer:Lord Jesus, I’m a sinner. I ask that my sins be forgiven and I accept you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for dying on the cross to save me. In your Name I pray, Amen.
See! It’s that simple!
This is what we believe. We don’t wish to take over the government, as liberals accuse us of. We just want to live our lives according to what we believe.
I was amazed when I saw a bumper sticker on a car in Mississippi last year:
Bashing Christians is the only government approved hate speech in America.
Considering the amount of attacks on Christians since the 1960s, I’m beginning to wonder if that is the case. In light of recent actions, I’m thinking I’m right.
Here is what I mean;The 10 Commandments, the basis for civil law, is now banned from public display.
The City of Los Angeles was forced to remove a small cross from its crest under threat of a lawsuit.
Texas has been ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court to ban prayers at school events.
Politicians have declared that religious people are “unqualified” for public service.
College professors have labeled religious people “retarded.”
The Pledge of Allegiance has been under attack for the phrase “under God.”
A school district in California banned the Declaration of Independence because of the words “divine Providence.”
Many businesses have mandated “sensitivity” training that teaches “tolerance” but shows no tolerance for Christians.
Mainstream Colleges discriminate against students from Christian schools as well as home schooled individuals.
Saying “God Bless You” can now get you sued.
Displays of religious themed pictures are banned in some businesses.
Religious organizations have been banned from school property (in violation of the First Amendment and the Freedom of Religion Restoration Act).
And Heaven help those who mention the “J” word. (Jesus)
All of this in the name of ‘tolerance.”
Christians have been accused of bigotry, racism, homophobia, intolerance and many other things that cannot be printed here.
We (yes, I’m a Christian) have been told that we have to accept lifestyles that are abhorrent to us.
When we express our right to be “tolerated’ we are told that we have no such right.
We are told that we can’t force our “morality” down other people’s throats but must accept the homosexual lifestyle.
If 80% of a states residents vote a law outlawing homosexual marriage can get overruled by a court, what recourse do we have when the government decides its against the law to be a Christian (a West Coast town had decided that Christians, amongst others were “not welcome” in their town).
Christians, as a rule, do not impose their faith on others. We have a command to share the fact that Jesus came to earth to die for the sins of the world.
Our operation instruction is: Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Matthew 28: 19 & 20
This is the command all Christians operate with. We are commanded to tell folks about Jesus and Salvation. People have the choice weather or not to accept Him.
To understand Christians, one must understand the message. It is very simple. This is called the “Romans Road:”As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:10
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
These verses mean that all people are sinners. You see, God is Holy, and He cannot stand sin in his presence. Therefore, we cannot approach God in our present condition.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Romans 5:12
This means that by the act of one man, Adam (don’t blame Eve for all of it, Adam had a hand in it too) sin entered the world and a penalty was established, death.
For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
This codifies the penalty, but there is hope. Now when death is mentioned, there are two deaths. First is the physical, meaning the end of life.
Next is the spiritual, meaning an eternity spent in a place of punishment, called Hell.
Jesus offers a chance to escape the spiritual death.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6
This means that we cannot achieve God’s presence by our own strength. Church membership, good works, living a “good” life (remember Romans 3:23) and giving money to the church will not cut it.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
This means that God showed his love for humanity by coming to Earth, assuming Human form, and allowing Himself to be killed in order to redeem Humanity.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10
This means that through the death of Jesus, Humanity can be reconciled to God.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness: and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10: 9 & 10
Here is how you can be saved. You must believe that:
1. You are a sinner.
2. You believe that Jesus is God in Human form that died for your sin and was raised from the dead, and
3. Confess your sins and accept Him as your Savior, you will be saved.
For whosover shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13
The method is simple, just call on His name.
All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. John 6:37
Jesus said that Himself, all who accept Him will be accepted by Him.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1: 8 & 9
We must remember that we are sinners, even when we are saved. We are still Human. We can go to the Father and have our sins forgiven.
If you read this and want to have your sins forgiven, all you need to do is pray this simple prayer:Lord Jesus, I’m a sinner. I ask that my sins be forgiven and I accept you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for dying on the cross to save me. In your Name I pray, Amen.
See! It’s that simple!
This is what we believe. We don’t wish to take over the government, as liberals accuse us of. We just want to live our lives according to what we believe.
My Declaration of Freedoms
I wrote this in 2006 while think on what it means to be free:
1. I have the freedom to worship God according to my conscience without the fear of the ACLU, People for the Separation of Church and State, and other like organizations taking me to court.
2. I have the freedom to declare my views on marriage (one man, one woman) without the fear of attack from gay activists.
3. I have the freedom to associate with whom I wish to and not be forced to do so on the basis of demographics.
4. I have the freedom to NOT be told how to conduct my own affairs by activist groups.
5. I have the freedom to live under the Constitution of the United States as it is written and amended, not as a judge thinks it should be according to his/her agenda.
6. I have the freedom to expect my government to protect the borders as they are mandated and not be accused of racism by those who support lawbreakers.
7. I have the freedom to protect my family and property without fear of retaliation by either the state or the criminal.
8. I have the freedom NOT to have my vote nullified by a judge if the results do not favor a certain group.
9. I have the freedom to take responsibility for my own actions and NOT sue others for things that I do.
10. I have the freedom to ignore Hollywood.
11. I have the freedom to ignore those I disagree with. (They have a right to their views, but I have the right to ignore them).
12. I have the freedom to teach others the way to live, and let them decide for themselves.
13. I have the freedom to ignore Liberals.
14. I have the freedom to expect my elected officials to put THEIR money where their mouth is.
15. I have the freedom to respect the President, no matter who that person is.
16. I have the freedom to respect the results of an election, even if my side loses. That freedom is in effect ONLY if I voted in said election.
17. I have the freedom to criticize my elected officials ONLY if I had voted in the past election.
18. I have the freedom to vote, even if I have to stand in a line.
19. I have the freedom to ignore those who didn’t vote. Their views don’t count.
20. I have the freedom to support the troops that are in harm’s way and to tell their detractors: IF YOU WERE NOT THERE OR IF YOU WERE NEVER IN THE US ARMED FORCES, SHUT UP!!
21. I have the freedom to support (or detract) the policies of my country without having to worry about what the other countries may think.
22. I have the freedom NOT to be held accountable for my ancestor’s actions.23. I have the freedom to choose what I see and what I read.
24. I have the freedom to teach all sides of our nation’s history without bias or adherence to someone’s agenda. (Revisionists take note.)
25. I have the freedom to make a living without fear of the government taking it away.
26. I have the freedom to support the unborn. I do NOT have the freedom to use violence in aid of that view.
27. I have the freedom to support the display of the 10 Commandments, the Nativity and other religious symbols without fear of a lawsuit. I would not allow one display to be at the expense of another.
28. I have the freedom to associate with others WITHOUT taking “sensitivity” training.
29. I have the freedom to die on God’s timetable, not a court’s.
30. I have the freedom to protect the flag.
31. I have the freedom to expect nothing from the government, but to expect me to handle my affairs.
32. I have the freedom to protect children from those who would do them harm.
33. I have the freedom to chase the American Dream and to help others to do the same.
34. I have the freedom to live the lifestyle that I choose.
35. I have the freedom NOT to have my life ruled by nine persons in a courtroom.
36. I have the freedom NOT to be asked for “identity papers” beyond my driver’s license, passport, and military ID.
37. I have the freedom NOT to seek permission to travel.
38. I have the freedom to express myself without fear of persecution.
39. I have the freedom to expect a degree of safety.
40. And finally, I have the freedom to expect a return on all that tax money I sent in.
1. I have the freedom to worship God according to my conscience without the fear of the ACLU, People for the Separation of Church and State, and other like organizations taking me to court.
2. I have the freedom to declare my views on marriage (one man, one woman) without the fear of attack from gay activists.
3. I have the freedom to associate with whom I wish to and not be forced to do so on the basis of demographics.
4. I have the freedom to NOT be told how to conduct my own affairs by activist groups.
5. I have the freedom to live under the Constitution of the United States as it is written and amended, not as a judge thinks it should be according to his/her agenda.
6. I have the freedom to expect my government to protect the borders as they are mandated and not be accused of racism by those who support lawbreakers.
7. I have the freedom to protect my family and property without fear of retaliation by either the state or the criminal.
8. I have the freedom NOT to have my vote nullified by a judge if the results do not favor a certain group.
9. I have the freedom to take responsibility for my own actions and NOT sue others for things that I do.
10. I have the freedom to ignore Hollywood.
11. I have the freedom to ignore those I disagree with. (They have a right to their views, but I have the right to ignore them).
12. I have the freedom to teach others the way to live, and let them decide for themselves.
13. I have the freedom to ignore Liberals.
14. I have the freedom to expect my elected officials to put THEIR money where their mouth is.
15. I have the freedom to respect the President, no matter who that person is.
16. I have the freedom to respect the results of an election, even if my side loses. That freedom is in effect ONLY if I voted in said election.
17. I have the freedom to criticize my elected officials ONLY if I had voted in the past election.
18. I have the freedom to vote, even if I have to stand in a line.
19. I have the freedom to ignore those who didn’t vote. Their views don’t count.
20. I have the freedom to support the troops that are in harm’s way and to tell their detractors: IF YOU WERE NOT THERE OR IF YOU WERE NEVER IN THE US ARMED FORCES, SHUT UP!!
21. I have the freedom to support (or detract) the policies of my country without having to worry about what the other countries may think.
22. I have the freedom NOT to be held accountable for my ancestor’s actions.23. I have the freedom to choose what I see and what I read.
24. I have the freedom to teach all sides of our nation’s history without bias or adherence to someone’s agenda. (Revisionists take note.)
25. I have the freedom to make a living without fear of the government taking it away.
26. I have the freedom to support the unborn. I do NOT have the freedom to use violence in aid of that view.
27. I have the freedom to support the display of the 10 Commandments, the Nativity and other religious symbols without fear of a lawsuit. I would not allow one display to be at the expense of another.
28. I have the freedom to associate with others WITHOUT taking “sensitivity” training.
29. I have the freedom to die on God’s timetable, not a court’s.
30. I have the freedom to protect the flag.
31. I have the freedom to expect nothing from the government, but to expect me to handle my affairs.
32. I have the freedom to protect children from those who would do them harm.
33. I have the freedom to chase the American Dream and to help others to do the same.
34. I have the freedom to live the lifestyle that I choose.
35. I have the freedom NOT to have my life ruled by nine persons in a courtroom.
36. I have the freedom NOT to be asked for “identity papers” beyond my driver’s license, passport, and military ID.
37. I have the freedom NOT to seek permission to travel.
38. I have the freedom to express myself without fear of persecution.
39. I have the freedom to expect a degree of safety.
40. And finally, I have the freedom to expect a return on all that tax money I sent in.
Broken Dreams
I wrote this while taking stock of my life on my 42nd Birthday
As I start a new year in which will, among other things, see my 42nd birthday, I began to look back at many things that I could have accomplished, but did not due to things either within my control or beyond it. I found that there have been many broken dreams in my life, but I’m having a good life none the less.
Let’s see:I did want to become an airline pilot. I was even accepted into a aeronautical university in Florida. Alas, the lack of funds stopped me. I settled for a time at the University of Texas at San Antonio, but I was unprepared for college life, so I bombed out. I also was unable to complete my Private Pilots license, also due to a lack of funds (that and I was not too motivated).
Result: I joined the USAF and still serve as a Reservist. I will celebrate my 22nd year in an Air Force uniform with 12 of those years in Active service. Now that I’m diabetic, my chances of ever getting even a Recreational Pilots License are now zero.
Oh well.I had a second chance to ascend to the USAF Officer ranks with an appointment to the Academy, but my age was the stopper. Since I was not very good at Math, I would have to attend the Prep School, but I would finish that after my 22nd birthday, and therefore ineligible.
Result: I decided to apply myself as an enlisted person. I soon ended up in the United Kingdom and met my wife.I tried on several occasions to finish my Associates degree, finally doing so in 1993. I did so once again in 2006.
On a silly note, I did want to be a drummer in a Contemporary Christian Band. That fell through when not enough people wanted to form a band. Result: my last performance as a drummer was at a Fiesta parade in 1984. I think the next time I take up drumsticks will be to play a Civil War style drum.
I have other dreams that I have yet to try to do. Visit Gettysburg, see the Great Wall of China, visit Ground Zero at Hiroshima, and walk through Red Square. I’ve got time to fulfill those as long as I have life.
I don’t understand those who feel they are entitled to great success without working at it. I once read about a young man who had tried out for the University of Miami (Florida) football team as a first string quarterback. He had it in his mind while he was growing up that that position would be his for the asking. Problem was, he was not as good as the one who did get the position. He eventually transferred to another school, then proceeded to sue the U of Miami for denying him the position he felt he was entitled to. Instead of accepting a place as backup and improving his skills, he stormed off, claiming “mental distress” and probably destroyed any shot at the NFL he might have had.
I read similar stories about people who sued contests when they lose, or a company when they are fired, again claiming that they were “entitled” to win the contest or keep their job. I saw it almost daily as a security guard at West Corporation, having to escort people who were fired for a company infraction, all the while claiming their innocence (even in the face of recorded evidence) or else proclaiming that even if they accept that they did wrong, the company had no right to fire them.
Everyone has had a dream broken at one time or another, but that is no reason to sue what is perceived as the one who destroyed their dream. In 99% of the broken dreams, the reason can be found by looking in the mirror. We are not entitled to success, but we are required to work for what we want. However, we are not entitled to step on others on the way to that achievement.Sometimes we just need to sit back and review what we do have. Sometimes, when we do that review, that thing we have been chasing turns pale by comparison.
Let me think:I have a hope of salvation by my acceptance of Jesus as my savior.I have a wonderful wife. Our dream of a family was stopped by circumstances beyond our control. Still we are blessed. (Besides, she is saved too.)
I do have a decent job. I also have the right to look for ways to better my career. That is under my control.
I live in a good house. I also have the right to improve that in order to provide for my wife.
I don’t drive a flashy car. What I have is good enough.
We both have families that love us. In that we are super rich.
I can do things I enjoy when I have the time to do it.
We have a wonderful church we can worship in.
We are blessed by working in a Children’s Ministry. (Hey, if we could not have children of our own, we just love everyone else’s.)
All in all, I think my life is just wonderful.So what if I never became an Air Force officer, flying everything from F-16s to the Space Shuttle. So what if I’m not rich. So what if I don’t live in a fancy house and drive a fancy car.This is the nature of life, we try, we fail, and we succeed. Our broken dreams are to lessons that are learned, to be used to help us to the next level. Life is too short to be spent in a game of “only if I…”
As I start a new year in which will, among other things, see my 42nd birthday, I began to look back at many things that I could have accomplished, but did not due to things either within my control or beyond it. I found that there have been many broken dreams in my life, but I’m having a good life none the less.
Let’s see:I did want to become an airline pilot. I was even accepted into a aeronautical university in Florida. Alas, the lack of funds stopped me. I settled for a time at the University of Texas at San Antonio, but I was unprepared for college life, so I bombed out. I also was unable to complete my Private Pilots license, also due to a lack of funds (that and I was not too motivated).
Result: I joined the USAF and still serve as a Reservist. I will celebrate my 22nd year in an Air Force uniform with 12 of those years in Active service. Now that I’m diabetic, my chances of ever getting even a Recreational Pilots License are now zero.
Oh well.I had a second chance to ascend to the USAF Officer ranks with an appointment to the Academy, but my age was the stopper. Since I was not very good at Math, I would have to attend the Prep School, but I would finish that after my 22nd birthday, and therefore ineligible.
Result: I decided to apply myself as an enlisted person. I soon ended up in the United Kingdom and met my wife.I tried on several occasions to finish my Associates degree, finally doing so in 1993. I did so once again in 2006.
On a silly note, I did want to be a drummer in a Contemporary Christian Band. That fell through when not enough people wanted to form a band. Result: my last performance as a drummer was at a Fiesta parade in 1984. I think the next time I take up drumsticks will be to play a Civil War style drum.
I have other dreams that I have yet to try to do. Visit Gettysburg, see the Great Wall of China, visit Ground Zero at Hiroshima, and walk through Red Square. I’ve got time to fulfill those as long as I have life.
I don’t understand those who feel they are entitled to great success without working at it. I once read about a young man who had tried out for the University of Miami (Florida) football team as a first string quarterback. He had it in his mind while he was growing up that that position would be his for the asking. Problem was, he was not as good as the one who did get the position. He eventually transferred to another school, then proceeded to sue the U of Miami for denying him the position he felt he was entitled to. Instead of accepting a place as backup and improving his skills, he stormed off, claiming “mental distress” and probably destroyed any shot at the NFL he might have had.
I read similar stories about people who sued contests when they lose, or a company when they are fired, again claiming that they were “entitled” to win the contest or keep their job. I saw it almost daily as a security guard at West Corporation, having to escort people who were fired for a company infraction, all the while claiming their innocence (even in the face of recorded evidence) or else proclaiming that even if they accept that they did wrong, the company had no right to fire them.
Everyone has had a dream broken at one time or another, but that is no reason to sue what is perceived as the one who destroyed their dream. In 99% of the broken dreams, the reason can be found by looking in the mirror. We are not entitled to success, but we are required to work for what we want. However, we are not entitled to step on others on the way to that achievement.Sometimes we just need to sit back and review what we do have. Sometimes, when we do that review, that thing we have been chasing turns pale by comparison.
Let me think:I have a hope of salvation by my acceptance of Jesus as my savior.I have a wonderful wife. Our dream of a family was stopped by circumstances beyond our control. Still we are blessed. (Besides, she is saved too.)
I do have a decent job. I also have the right to look for ways to better my career. That is under my control.
I live in a good house. I also have the right to improve that in order to provide for my wife.
I don’t drive a flashy car. What I have is good enough.
We both have families that love us. In that we are super rich.
I can do things I enjoy when I have the time to do it.
We have a wonderful church we can worship in.
We are blessed by working in a Children’s Ministry. (Hey, if we could not have children of our own, we just love everyone else’s.)
All in all, I think my life is just wonderful.So what if I never became an Air Force officer, flying everything from F-16s to the Space Shuttle. So what if I’m not rich. So what if I don’t live in a fancy house and drive a fancy car.This is the nature of life, we try, we fail, and we succeed. Our broken dreams are to lessons that are learned, to be used to help us to the next level. Life is too short to be spent in a game of “only if I…”
I wrote this after my wife lost her remaining kidney to cancer.
I stand on an abyss, a musket in my hands.
I see an enemy, one that is invisible.
Cancer, you came once before and took one of her kidneys.
How dare you come again.
Curse you that you are back for Round Two.
Curse you, be visible so I can fight.
I scream the Rebel Yell and steel myself for the assault.
But this is swift, silent, deadly.
God says,"This is not your fight."
The Doctor says,"God gave me the skills to help."
But Cancer is too entrenched.
The other kidney fell to the assault.
I jam my musket,bayonet first into the dirt.
My vows say protect her.
Did I fail?
God says,"My Ways are not your ways."
"My Strength is perfect in your weakness."
My strength drains.
I stretch out my hand.
God help me.
I want to fight to protect her.
But I'm powerless.
I pray.
His strength flows into me.
I now accept what has happened.
I now stand in the gap and she will be protected.
The Rebel Yell this time is in celebration.
I stand on an abyss, a musket in my hands.
I see an enemy, one that is invisible.
Cancer, you came once before and took one of her kidneys.
How dare you come again.
Curse you that you are back for Round Two.
Curse you, be visible so I can fight.
I scream the Rebel Yell and steel myself for the assault.
But this is swift, silent, deadly.
God says,"This is not your fight."
The Doctor says,"God gave me the skills to help."
But Cancer is too entrenched.
The other kidney fell to the assault.
I jam my musket,bayonet first into the dirt.
My vows say protect her.
Did I fail?
God says,"My Ways are not your ways."
"My Strength is perfect in your weakness."
My strength drains.
I stretch out my hand.
God help me.
I want to fight to protect her.
But I'm powerless.
I pray.
His strength flows into me.
I now accept what has happened.
I now stand in the gap and she will be protected.
The Rebel Yell this time is in celebration.
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