#NotOneMore

I am devoting all my blogs to angry rants in response to yet another child being killed by yet another gun in yet another school.

I love my kids. I want to keep them safe. I know that in a perfect world I could, but it's not a perfect world. I know that even in ideal situations there are not guarantees that my kids will be safe. But in the last 18 months there have been no less than 74 shootings in schools or on college campuses in the united states. 74 since 26 children were gunned down at a grade school in New Jersey.

And yet we go on and on and on in protecting the rights of gun owners over the lives of our own children.

This has to stop.

I do not want my kids and grand kids to live in a world where they see that the Second Amendment is more important than them. This has become so far out of hand that it literally sickens me.

If I had my way all guns would be piled up and burned. Send out the national guard with tanks, go door to door, and just take them.

But it's not up to me.

This is the real world, and like Pandora's box, the demons have been let out. We can't put them back.

But we can make them cause less heartache.

The second amendment has been used and abused. It's out of date and honestly doesn't apply anymore. There are other rights in the Bill of Rights that are far more regulated than the second. Freedom of speech for example, no one balks that there are times and places you can't say certain things, and even when you can you need a permit or a license. But background checks to buy a gun? Blasphemy!

How stupid is that?

No more dead kids. #NotOneMore

I encourage you to write every legislator you can, local, state, and federal, and demand to know what they are doing to put an end to gun violence in schools. And don't take any political rant as an answer. More guns aren't the answer. Armed teachers aren't the answer. Education is not the answer. Only real painful consequences to gun owners whose guns are used to kill. And real, painful effort into making sure only the 'right' people get guns (background checks, registration, licensing, taxing, testing - all the same things we do to own a car).

I am. Starting with the school board.

Freaking out!

So I'm watching the news last night, and it seems like New Mexico could be a deciding factor in this election! With a population of less than a million, but 5 electorial college votes, we really could!

I'm realy kind of freaking out. We are traditionally a "red" state, which means we'd swing for McCain, but the polls (if you can believe them) show we could go blue this time around, and not just the Presidential race, but the congressional races too. Which would make the balance of power in Congress favor the same party.

Get out there and vote. If you aren't sure, take a few minutes and browse the candidates websites. (Go by what they have to say for themselves, not each other, and not what anyone else has to say.) You may not be fully educated going to the polls, but it's better than "eeny-meeny-mieny-mo".

Really don't know what to say

The news out of Omaha has me in shock. I'm always saddened by news about these things, Columbine, Virginia Tech, but for some reason this one has hit me especially hard.

Why? I don't know. Too close to home maybe. I know people who live near there. I know people who work at the mall (all ok, thank you Jesus).

But all I've wanted to do his hide in bed and sleep. So, I'm going back to sleep. Maybe when I wake up the world will make more sense.

Fun Quote

"This is America, and everybody has a right to be an idiot if they want..."

- Democratic Albuquerque Mayor, Martin Chavez in a press conference denouncing a mobile billboard funded by the Republican party. (As seen on KOBTV, 9/12/07 10 pm - website does not present "updated" video, only the "5pm" version.)

Updated: Quote confirmed at this station's website, though we can't see this station in the four corners.

A Christian Response to Harry Potter

Engaging popular culture without embracing it.

Note: Click here to see my updated post on this topic on my other blog.

First, let me make it very clear. I am not suggesting that Harry Potter is for everyone. I am not denying that there is a very real danger for some people to read Harry Potter books and other books of the fantasy genre. Parents should be on the front line, standing between their children and the junk the world is throwing at them. This should be true not only for books, but more so for TV, movies and video games.

I am not going to deny that magic and witchcraft are real. There is a very real movement in American and throughout the world. A movement that claims to have roots that are very old – as old as the earth itself, but only recently has been recognized as a religious movement. I am talking about Wicca. Now, there are many good resources on Wicca from a Christian perspective, and I will not go into great detail here. If you feel that this might be an issue for you or your family, I would advise you to stay away from all forms of fantasy that use magic and occultic images as story elements, including the fiction works of Christian writers such as C.S Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein, secular works such as the “Dragon riders of Pyrn” series, or the movies of George Lucas and Stephen Speilberg.

For those who are still with me, I hope you will hear me out. As Christians, we are to stay away from all appearances of evil. However, I don’t think that means we should be ignorant of what goes on in the world around us. Jesus himself engaged the culture around him while never getting sucked into it. He gave us an example in the encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. For Jews, being seen with a Samaritan was out of the question – talking with one even worse. Jesus not only approached a Samaritan and talked to one, but a WOMAN besides. As a result of that encounter, many people heard about Jesus and I imagine many found salvation.

There is no question that Harry potter is HUGE. The books have spawned movies, clothes, toys, games, you name it. Now as the book series comes to a close, “Pottermania” is bigger than ever. How should the Christian community respond? First, let me tell you the wrong way.

Some churches have held Harry Potter book burnings. Now, I feel that everything a Christian does should bring people to the Cross. A general rule should be, if Hitler tried it, maybe go another way. (My apologies to comedian Brad Stein for stealing that line!) Where did these churches get the books they burned? They bought them. Did this keep the books from the hands of others? No, they just made more and sold those. What good came of these burning parties? What kind of statement did that make? Well, for those outside the church, all it really did was make us look like ignorant fools. I believe that any reaction to anything in the popular culture that does not bring people to Christ is the wrong reaction.

I also don’t think it’s appropriate to go too far the opposite extreme. Should we become “fanatics” and learn everything there is to know about the books and movies? No. Christ should be the center of our lives and everything we do should bring us and other closer to Him. Any “mania”, whether it be Harry Potter or Star Wars or even Chronicles of Narnia, that diverts your attention away from Christ is not a good thing.

So, what should we do? How do we respond to Potter-mania? Like Jesus approaching the woman at the well, approach, engage, and talk about it.

Read the books. It’s important to know what they are about. Yes, they talk about ghosts, and wizards and witches and magic. The books are not ABOUT magic. There is no where in any of the books that gives you a how-to on performing any real-life magic. The magic in the books is story book magic, fairy tale magic, just like the magic in the writings of C.S. Lewis, JRR Tolkein and the Wizard of Oz. A better parallel might be comparing the magic in Potter to the Force in the Star Wars movies. Some people can “do it” others can’t. While not set in outer space or Middle Earth, Harry Potter lives in a fictional world where some people are “magic folk” while others are “muggles” (non-magic folk). Unlike real magic (Wicca), where anyone can supposedly learn to do it, given the right tools and training, the magic in the Potter books is an in-born ability that only some of the characters have.

So what are the books about? The story is written from the perspective of someone following Harry Potter around and eavesdropping on his thoughts. Imagine Harry having a video camera on his shoulder and we are watching what the camera sees. Harry is an orphan that is living with his Aunt, Uncle, and extremely spoiled cousin Dudley. When we meet Harry, his room is the crawlspace under the stairs. He is lonely and basically neglected. He is unwanted and unloved. On his eleventh birthday he finds out that he does not belong in the cruel love-less world he is living in. He receives an invitation to attend “Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry”, a school where “magic-folk” learn to use and refine their natural abilities. (Note: only “magic folk” are invited to Hogwarts, it is not a place where “muggles” –people who can’t do magic – can learn to do so.)

The “vehicle” of the story is what happens to Harry while he’s going to school. The story itself is your typical good versus evil line. Vader vs. Skywalker, Aragorn vs. Sauron, Aslan vs. the White Witch, it’s all the same. The bad guy is clearly defined and you want to root for the good guy. In the Potter books the bad guy is an evil wizard named Voldemort. Every book covers a year's worth of school culminating in a showdown between Harry and Voldemort (or one of his henchmen). Again, the focus is not on magic.

What happens along the way is a story about building friendships, alliances, and finding your place in the world. Very little is said of the mechanism of magic and much is said about Harry Potter’s relationships with those around him. The books are about who your true family and friends are and not about mixing potions and casting spells.

I refer you to a much deeper literary commentary on the Potter books than I am able to present here. Go to your library or Christian bookstore and ask for “Looking for God in Harry Potter” by John Granger. While this book has been as much bashed as the Potter books themselves, the author gives a very deep analysis of the books as literature without endorsing them. (Though he does admit enjoying reading them.) You can also check out his Blog at: http://hogwartsprofessor.com/?page_id=2 (this link sends you to the “about” page so you can learn about Mr. Granger’s point of view before deciding if you want to read more about what he has to say.

In closing, let me just say once more that I do not endorse the Harry Potter books or movies for every family, every child, or every situation. However, as Christians, we can’t ignore it and shouldn't bash it without at least understanding a little of it. As with everything we should “test the spirits”, know what you’re up against and don’t let an opportunity to share the gospel slip by.

Best quote I've heard yet regarding the war.

Found This News Article online. The story itself isn't all that suprising, but there's a great quote from the VFW Commander-in-chief.

"Supporting our troops is not an acknowledgment that you support the politics of the war."

Regardless of how you feel about the war, regardless of how our troops feel about the war, support them.

There is still hope!

Can you believe this? If it's true, there is still hope for mankind!

Thief returns stolen purse with cell phone after 21 text messages

Can I just shoot my mouth off for a while?

Normally, I keep my political opinions to myself because I really don't know much about it. Unlike some people who feel like they have it all figured out, I'm not too proud to say I don't get it. There is just too much fuzzy gray area for anything to be as clean cut as some people would like you to think it is. If you ask me my opinion on things like abortion, embryonic stem cell research, gay marriage, illegal immigration, and Iraq, I'll tell you, but my opinion is just that, opinion. Yes, my opinion may be based on what I've read, my religious beliefs or personal experience, but in the end, it is my opinion.

When it comes to voting, opinion isn't enough. This is where the fuzzy gray area comes in. If you vote your opinion, you might make things a bigger mess than they already are. If you are going to vote, it is your civic duty to do some homework. Don't listen to the mudslinging ads on TV, don't listen to the news, get the facts for yourself. Know which political party stands for what, know which candidate stands for what (because they may or may not vote their party line).

That being said, I am greatly dismayed at the election results we are seeing today. It's not that I think one party is necessarily better than another, it's not that I was hoping for either the status quo or a dramatic change, but I was hoping to see a little more intelligence from the voting public.

Instead of doing their homework, most voters fell for the hype and even more deeply entrenched the flawed and dangerous two party system that had been becoming more polarized and less productive over the last 14 years. A better balance of "left wing republicans" and "right wing democrats" would have been much more encouraging, but instead this election was more about mudslinging and inaccurate character portrayals than anything actually resembling the facts.

The only way this country can move forward is to trash the political party system as it exists now and have candidates that will actually do the right thing for the people. One party shouldn't run scared and start firing it's prominent people just because the other party suddenly has a majority in one branch or another. Today's events clearly show that it's not about right and wrong or black and white, it's about red and blue. The parties, not the people, are in control.

Now, don't get me wrong, political parties are not a problem in themselves. It's the current "club of two, no one else allowed" system that we currently have. They are not allowing room for the fuzzy gray, they are instead moving further apart, with neither one actually representing the best issues of the people, they are just trying to be as different from each other as possible. When the two become so polarized that there is no middle ground, that is a problem.

And that's where things get worse. Neither side wants to let the other have the things they want, even if it's what the people want. In effect, they are neither democratic or republican - they are instead selfish and vindictive.

So, where do I stand on the war and all that? What does it matter? Any changes that may occur in the next two years will not amount to much beyond bipartisan bickering and finger pointing. After that when a new president is elected, it will either continue or turn into a steamroller, progressing the platform of the party and not the true interests of the people.

It's time to wake up America. The political system we have has to change. Not the people in charge, the places we get the people who are in charge. Do your homework, talk to the candidates if possible, learn what the Democratic and Republican parties really stand for, read, study and vote for what is right, not what's red or blue.

As for me, I'm thinking of moving to Canada or Australia.....

This is how to do it.

I found this article that more than anything I have ever seen shows how we, as Christians, should be. In a world that wants to laugh and point at us and tell us that we're all backwards and crazy, these people are the first ones I've seen in a long time that are doing it right.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15174741/

The article states "Dozens of Amish neighbors came out Saturday to mourn the quiet milkman who killed five of their young girls and wounded five more in a brief, unfathomable rampage."

It goes on to say "About half of perhaps 75 mourners on hand were Amish."

Could you do it? Could you go to the funeral of the man who killed your children? I don't know if I could.

But that's what's missing in the Christian community today, deep, honest, true FORGIVENESS.

All the world sees is "we're right they're wrong", to make matters worse, equal air time is given to the freaks of our culture - like the group from Kansas who goes around to funerals of soldiers carrying signs saying "God hates F***" - and we all get painted with the same brush.

Worse yet, we fight amongst ourselves - "my chuch is better than your church", "my church is the only REAL church", "don't read THAT translation, it's perverted". All the while we're missing the point. It's not 'what WOULD Jesus do', it's supposed to be 'what DID Jesus do'. He died, and as he was dying he said "forgive them...."

So, here we have this quiet group of people, - people who will never see this blog, by the way because they really don't care, - who very simply, very quietly did the right thing. Not for the media attention, not for political gain, just because it was the right thing to do.

If they can forgive that man, and do it with open arms and hearts, then what is our problem? What is my problem?

Hurt-icane

Two months later and the world has totally changed.

In case you missed it at the end of my last ramblings, Anna and I are expecting again. That's our biggest news on a personal level. But unless
you've been on Mars, you know all about the double whammy that has hit the Gulf coast.

I've never been to New Orleans, and now I never will, at least not the way it was. While I don't doubt that there will always be Mardi Gras, Jazz,
and Cajun cooking, they will exist in a city that has drastically changed. Even if they somehow could rebuild it exactly the way it was, the people
have been touched by a disaster that has affected them on too many levels to ever get their lives back to anything resembling the normal they
knew. The worst part is that it was the every day people, the ones who really are the life blood of any city, who were most affected. The working
class, or more appropriately, the working poor. Those who, even when ordered to leave, couldn't. In spite of the coming storm, they couldn't take
the day off, couldn't afford the gas to go any where, couldn't afford a hotel room when they got there.

Unfortunately, their in-ability to leave was coupled with poor planning on the part of relief agencies. They had assumed the most people would
have followed the evacuation order. They hadn't counted on the thousands, then the hundreds of thousands that would need help. Was it their
fault they couldn't leave? No. Was it FEMA's fault they didn't get help right away? No. Who’s to blame? Well, if we must blame someone, then all of
America is to blame. All of us.

All of us because we have accepted a system where we have a class of people who work hard day after day but still live on the fringe of
starvation. A system where stuff has taken priority over concern for your fellow man. A system where we assume that just because the poorest
American has more then the wealthiest person in the so-called Third World that they have all they need to survive in the American Way.

I am tired of people who are looking for a scapegoat. The head of FEMA resigned. That wasn't good enough, so people are asking for the
President to be removed. Why? Because that same system that has allowed the term "working poor" become part of our vocabulary also has led
us to believe that nothing is our fault, it’s always someone else to blame.

When are we going to realize that selfish materialism has given us a reality just as fake and unfulfilling as the computer generated world in the
movie "The Matrix". A reality driven and controlled by the machines of wealth, greed, and fantasy of a better life full of stuff. And underneath is

the
gritty reality of those under the machine's spell, a class of people who do 90% of the work for 10% of the reward.

There is a better way. Some of us have found it. We haven't arrived yet, but we're on the way. Have we escaped the Matrix? No, but we know
we will. In the meantime we don't have to follow the rules, because the rules of the world ain't working for us, they're working against us. What is
this way? Maybe you've heard it, too.

"Jesus said 'I am the way, the truth, and the life...'"

A Rant and Ramble

So now it's August. I've made some changes to this to save space on the main page. Hope this makes life easier, maybe it won't, but I like it.

Like most years, late summer brings with it depression. Why? I don't really know. I'm just wired that way. Is it the amount of daylight? I don't
know. Is it some psychological thing from the trauma that was my life in high school? I don't know. Could it be that by August I just need a real
vacation. And by real vacation I mean get in the minivan and go somewhere with people in mouse costumes and rides that make you throw up.
Hotels. Expensive food that isn't all that good. VACATION in AMERICA! Pointless? You bet. Waste of money? Absolutely. Totally worth it? YES!!!

That's like one of those credit card commercials:

Gas for the minivan - $475

Entrance to the amusement park - $640

Funnel cake at the park - $15

Throwing up all over Mickey - Priceless

But, that's probably not going to happen this year - again. But I will be getting a few days off in a week or so. God willing. Then a couple of
weeks after that I get to go on business trips. Two of 'em. Fun? No, not really. I have to spend the whole day in and out of airports, then hours
and hours and HOURS of boring crap. Not to mention the fact that I have to FLY!

Have I mentioned that I hate to fly? The long lines and the security check at the airport, I can live with that. And if I get to fly in one of the

big
planes, that's not so bad. (still makes me wanna HURL, but not so bad). It's the little planes that I get stuck in that bug me. Imagine a '65 Impala
with wings - and not the ones you see at the car shows, I'm talking about the kind with 200000 miles on it, muffler held on with an untwisted wire
coat hanger, dashboard all cracked with pieces of foam sticking out, just like the seats. That's the kind of plane I seem to get stuck in. All shaking
and rattling and bouncing up and down more than driving on a gravel road in Nebraska. So not only do I have to fly once, but twice within two
weeks. Yippee.

I saw the saddest stupidest thing today. And of course the sadder and stupider it is the more likely it is to get time on the Today show. (No,
forget the soldiers in Iraq. Don't show the people in Afghanistan who are bowing in the streets thanking Americans for removing the Taliban.
Instead show the few who continue to call our President a liar because it's the "right" thing to do. Let's not show "ground zero" anymore or talk
about the people who lost loved ones and are still suffering 4 years later - yes, it's only been 4 YEARS. No, instead, let's put on Bill Mahr to talk
about his new book that bashes everyone who doesn't think like he does - and who does?) So, anyway, here's Katie Couric interviewing
these old ladies who supposedly really wanted to sign up to serve in the military - on the condition that they send home and equal number of
boys. All the while they are singing anti-Bush songs, carrying signs that proclaim "no war for oil" (by the way, anyone who really believes we're in
Iraq for the oil - let me point out that there's more in Texas and New Mexico than Iraq currently produces). Why are these people on TV? Because
the media is controlled by the liberals and liberals think its ok to bash Bush. When "their president" was in office - and having ADULTEROUS SEX in
that OFFICE - we were the ones being intolerant of his "humanity". Now we're the bad guys for supporting a president who’s protecting
Americans by taking out those who will hurt us. Explain that to me, please.

That's my soapbox rant for the day.

Oh, and by the way, Anna and I are expecting.

a few things

Wow, has it really been more than a month since I wrote last? It's been insane. Since my last rant, I have seen the President in person, been on

the radio, made arrangements for a live performance in my store by James Clay (whose that you say, don't worry, you'll know soon enough - if you

listen to Christian radio that is), and boy I don't know what else. But this past month just flew by.

Currently we are making adjustments to get the kids acclimated to public school. I knew there would be issues, and so far it hasn't been anything

unexpected, but we have to do what we have to do. So far they are (mostly) making straight A's, we just need to fill the gaps.

Today was "See you at the Pole". If you don't know what this is, go here. Tasha was thrilled to hook up with

other kids who believe as she does. Cheni, on the other hand, didn't seem too thrilled with standing out in the cold. But it was still nice to hear

about the schools not putting a damper on this.

What else is going on? Well, I'll be spending the better part of next week at Estes park in Colorado. Before you get jealous, it's a business trip.

Three days with my boss in a cabin with no electricity and 14 other managers who are stressed about leaving their stores for the better part of a

week. hooray.

The anniversary of 9/11 slipped by me. As you noticed from my previous rant, this is something that I still feel very strongly about, especially

when it comes to all the anti-war idiots who'd rather sit by and do nothing waiting for another attack to come. Yea, so we were wrong about the WMD's

in Iraq, but so what? Were we supposed to sit by and wait for them to have them? Bush did the right thing, in fact I don't think he's gone far enough,

we should be looking to Iran next. You think Kerry's got the balls? I hope so, because like it or not he will probably be the next president.

OK, off my soap box for now. What else? Not sure right now, I'm a little fried.

A rant

2 years, 11 months, has it been that long, and yet that short since what we've come to know as 9-11? The attack on Pearl Harbor was almost 63 years

ago, and yet America still bears the scars of that day. The idea that attack that dragged us into World War II was the fault of the President, that's

just stupid. But here, in our media saturated society of today, where almost everyone has seen the images of the towers burning, we find it necessary

to question, to doubt, and even criticize. Are we so dense? How can we so easily forget the almost 3000 who died that day? Most were civilians, going

about their daily lives. (By contrast, almost 2500 perished at Pearl Harbor, almost all of them military men - trained for war and presumably aware

that militry service has it's risks.)

Do I like the thought that our men and women are fighting and dying in the middle east? Do I like the idea that many more will die before peace is

restored (as if that were possible in the middle east). No, of course not, but those responsible for the attack on American soil must be brought to

justice. And any others that might threaten us must also be stopped. If we have to do it alone, fine ,but you don't walk on The USA.

But there's more going on that the media doesn't tell you. There's a greater war going on that I hope and pray that our President (and his

competition for the office, should he be elected) are taking seriously. Most others are shrugging it off because in thier minds, religion has nothing

to do with the real world. The real war, the real battle, will not be the USA vs. terrorism, it will be Islam vs. Christianity. That's really what

started it all. The hijackers on 9-11 were convinced they were giving thier lives in the will of Allah, that when they crashed the planes they would

immediately be transported to paradise. (Do a web search for the flight recordings from those flights.)

The latest player in this stage is supposedly one of our allies, Saudi Arabia. They supported us in the first gulf war 13 years ago - allowing the

US lead forces a base of operations while we evicted Iraq from Kuwait. But what most people don't know - because it's "religion" and "doesn't matter"

is that Saudi Arabia is overwhelmingly fundamentalist Islamic. On 9-11, many citizens of that country were cheering for the attackers. Still sound

like our ally? Now Saudi Arabia is "talking" (read that as "thinly vieled threat") about sending a multi nation Islamic force into Iraq and

Afganistan. Do you really think this Islamic force is going to HELP the U.S. lead forces alreay there?

In spite of the fact that most Americans don't really practice any religion, and many others are Jewish, Buddhist, and yes, even Islamic, we are

seen as a Christian country. The very tennets of Islam demand that Christians, Jews, and others should be exterminated. (See the Quran - specifially

"infidels", that is non-muslims should be turned to the "true path" or killed.) As such, as a place of freedom of religion (or freedom FROM religion,

as some like to read it) we, collectively, the entire population of the United States, are a target. The war is just getting started.

I support our president, and I will support the next president, whether I vote for him or not, because that is what Americans should do. But more

so, I support the actions of our government to protect it's citizens. Yes, war is bad, who wants to be known as the war country? But sometimes you do

what you have to do. And while I disagree with the religion - or non-religion - of my neighbor, I respect his right to practice it. I respect thier

right to be wrong. What would Jesus do? He'd say "follow Me", but He'd also say "see ya" if you chose not to. That's what Islam stands against, and

that's what we have to protect.

In about a month the country will again turn it's eyes toward New York, the Pentagon, and the field where the last plane crashed. We will remember

the sacrifice of those thousands. And the comparisons will be make with Pearl Harbor again, and yes, unfortunately, there will be the loud ones who

say it was a conspiracy, talk about elaborate connections to Al Quida, blah blah blah blah. I hope you will remember that people died, a lot of

people. And we cannot let it happen again.