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My New Book, THOU SHALL NOT TAKE OUR LAND, is Almost Ready

2/27/2017

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I am excited to announce that my new book, Thou Shall Not Take Our Land , is almost ready for publication.  It will be available on Amazon  Kindle and my later result as a hard copy as well.  It is a fictional story set right here in Alachua County in the year 2033 and tells the story of a band of brothers and sisters who are willing to fight for their land.  The first publication, Volume 1: It Begins, tells how these  brave citizens identify a major threat to not only their landholdings, but to the potential landholdings of Americans across this land.

Here is the prologue which hopefully will whet your appetite for more.  If you've fought past peaceful battles over land matters, I think you'll find this book interesting.  It is fiction, and although the places are real, the story and the characters are not but if they bear any resemblance to anyone living or dead it is not by design.  The book's main purpose to provide an entertaining book while reminding readers of the ever present need to be vigilant in protecting our land.  Here's the prologue from the book which will be available on Amazon Kindle soon.  It will be available first during a short and  discounted pre-publication rate before going on line shortly thereafter. I'll keep you posted on the schedule and link.
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It was oppressively hot, humid and miserable for those out in the woods in eastern Alachua County, Florida in September 2033.  The late summer brought two tropical storms ashore in the third and fourth weeks of August, dropping over ten inches of rain in their wake.  It wasn’t a time when anyone wanted to be out in the elements, yet a large band of patriotic citizens had no choice.  They were awaiting an expected siege by armed government agents and possibly worse in the days ahead after an ongoing dispute over their land which began six months earlier.

The hearty men and women in position were battling the swamp at its worst.  The rains had brought out nature in full force, with huge swarms of hungry mosquitoes, snakes of both harmless and poisonous, vicious fire ants, spiders and other insects as well as rodents small and large seeking higher ground. And with these creatures even came a few gators seeking an easy meal in the muck.  Yet these brave men and women carved out and held their positions so that no one could surprise them. 

They were the major line of defense, facing the point most likely to face assault due to the frontage being close to a divided north-south highway, US Highway 301.  But many more of them were in frontal positions covering the rest of the entire perimeter, totaling fifteen by four miles, with the secondary positions important to insure no surprise assaults came unnoticed from any direction.  The towns of Windsor and Cross Creek were within the perimeter boundaries while both Lochloosa and Hawthorne were to the east and Gainesville was beyond the far shoreline of Newnans Lake to the west.  Checkpoints were established on all roadways running east and west through the area, requiring approval by armed personnel to enter. This effectively blocked use of another divided highway, State Route 20 by government vehicles.

Most of the men saw prior service in the military, many in combat, but now were farmers, accountants, merchants, bankers, truckers, mechanics, a minister or two, a doctor, several nurses and even a few full-time retirees. And there were a number of Annie Oakley types in the crowd, plus church women who volunteered to prepare some special meals to give a break from military rations while others served as couriers between groups, delivering supplies and personal hygiene items.  In all there were at least three hundred local area residents plus volunteers from other Florida localities involved in the effort and a significant additional number from other states who recognized the danger of the threat eventually to them as well at some point. It was about the right to land ownership and the government was seeking to destroy it.

Members of the group holding the lines, organized under the name Citizens Protecting Our Land, were determined to maintain control over their property in the area and had decades old experience with development projects which would have ultimately made it impossible to hold on to their property.  But they had never before experienced a threat like this one, a threat prompted by the current President’s thus far unannounced plans to subordinate his country to the whims of the New World Order (NWO).  But they did know that they would not accept an illegal development rule change in the local region which took authority away from local authorities and gave it to a regional board with independent authority. And as local citizens became aware that the drivers of this action were both state and government agencies who were behind these actions, they vowed to fight it by whatever means necessary.

A retired Marine, John Argyle, was the local leader of the group.  He and his father, Angus, uncovered the situation almost by mistake, but now they were joined by this band of brothers and sisters to create a force of citizens to fight for what was legally theirs in accordance with the Law of the Land, the Constitution.  All of them understood the risks and dangers, all carried weapons and were qualified in their use and all were now gathered together throughout their rural area awaiting the next action steps against them.  They were blessed by the active support of a patriotic group, the Military Patriots of America (MPA), with chapters in a number of eastern states and growing and with influence on friends in high places, something that would serve their cause well.  But at this stage of the game they were anxious.  If they must fight, they wanted to get it under way and over with so they could return to their normal lives. Yet the situation was one where most felt what they knew as normal might be gone forever and because of this they felt they had nothing to lose, for without freedom and national sovereignty they had nothing.

On this early morning on a soon-to-be hot September day, Argyle was positioned on one of the defensive lines at the center of the long eastern flank, constantly walking the line he covered, encouraging his armed team members and looking for flaws in placement of positions and equipment.  He was also in contact by radio with the other line segments who were each led by combat veterans or others knowledgeable of the terrain and well qualified with weapons, all of whom were supported by MPA advisors.  Standing with John was one of those MPA patriots, Rob Richards, who was there to lend support and to fill in for him whenever he needed to leave the line or for rest.

John’s tasks were far reaching as he quickly assessed information received from the entire force and insured that supporting forces were handling supplies and managing inventory for distribution.  He also maintained contact with those local civilian officials, like the County Sheriff and the Planning Director, who were sympathetic to his cause and tracked the administrative side of happenings by both the state and federal government. The former active duty Marine had excellent contact with a large newspaper, the Jacksonville Times-Union and was joined by an excellent reporter on site, a modern-day Ernie Pyle, a young woman with courage and a willingness to take risk to tell the story of what was unfolding.  And the senior MPA leader, its National Director, maintained informational contact with Pentagon uniformed and civilian leaders who understood their cause.

John also had the unenviable task of making all decisions about the delivery and positioning of supplies at the major logistics point at McMaster’s farm with a secondary site at his logistics point adjacent to his family home. In addition to weapons, ammo, food, water, temporary holding camps for manpower and other supporting logistics items, a motor pool was maintained for a wide variety of vehicles loaned to the patriots in support of their cause. There were transport trucks, a fuel truck, SUVs, jeeps and swamp buggies, all retrofitted as well as possible to meet the challenge.

This was the third consecutive day of full alert and emergency manning of the lines and it followed several incursions attempts the day prior, primarily designed to test their strength, identify potential weak spots and prepare for the major assault expected this day.  The sky was turning from black to gray as dawn would be coming and John was approached by MPA member, Rob Richards, suggesting that he take a break before the fight was joined.

“John, you’ve been up all night, even twenty minutes would do you good,” he said, “and I’m here and will let you know the moment anything looks anywhere close to breaking. Lean back on your poncho pack and shut your eyes for a few minutes, I’m making all the final checks for you right now.”

John finally agreed, closing his eyes as he thought about all that happened in the past six months and how it came to this. As he dozed off, he relived the recent past. He was floating through time as if he was above the fray, surrounded by serenity and quiet as if looking through a window showing how he got here. 

But while his memory of events locally that began the struggle were clear, there was so much more that John did not know.  The President, Edward Lee, who was only sworn in for his second term in the past January, was embarking on a course of action which was creating the need for this action he was leading and the road ahead would become so much more difficult. Powerful forces in Washington and on the international stage were determined to take from America what she had struggled so hard to attain many generations ago.  Will John’s patriotic group succeed or will the push for tyranny win?

The story begins.


 (C) Copyright James Dick, 2017
 

 
 
 
 




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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: God Has a Plan for Each of Us

2/25/2017

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PictureCapturing a prisoner during the Battle for Okinawa.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your path.         - Proverbs 3:5-6

Recently I had the opportunity to see a resurgent Mel Gibson's latest movie, Hacksaw Ridge, the story of a young man from the hill country of Virginia who served so valiantly as an Army medic during the Battle of Okinawa near the end of World War II.  Desmond Goss,  a Seventh Day Adventist and conscientious objector, refused to carry a weapon but also wished to stay in the Army, finally allowed to serve as a combat medic.  He decided that in a field of killing and destruction there was something good he could do to help others in great times of need.

Serving with front line troops, he still had great questions about what God wished for him to do, but he finally found the answer while serving as a medic for an Infantry unit at the top of the Maeda Escarpment (dubbed Hacksaw Ridge in the movie).  The escarpment had been attacked many times with heavy fire and manpower, yet in each previous attempt the American advance was repulsed by Japanese soldiers fighting to the death from a moonscape of combat destruction, yet surviving in an intricate underground tunnel system.

Desmond's unit was also called to pullback, but in doing so quickly many wounded comrades were left alive but immobile on the battlefield, easy prey for Japanese combatants looking to destroy all who were still living.  It was then that Goss realized what his mission truly was as a medic: to remain at the top of the escarpment and save as many of his surviving unit members as he could.

Over extended dangerous hours including the nighttime darkness, Goss moved about with stealth in this killing field, dragging a total of seventy-five wounded Americans to the edge of the escarpment where he, with no other support, lowered them to safety below by rigging up an operational rope harness delivery system.  Exhausted and near collapse, he continued to ask God to allow him to "get just one more" until all those he could remove were gone.

His unit was called the following day to once more assault the position and Goss went with them despite his exhaustion and with hands raw from rope burns.  He wanted to make sure, however that he saved anyone left on the top of the escarpment from Hell.

That last assault quelled once and for all the major defensive force on the island and with Okinawa's surrender so ended the last major battle against Japan.  The Battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest and most destructive extended fight in the Pacific Theater, lasting over sixty days and Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector who would not carry a rifle became the first of his class to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. 

From his time as a young man wanting to serve his nation albeit without a weapon, to the moment God let him know what he was called to do, Desmond Doss patiently waited for his assignment and asked God to show him the way.  We can all learn a great lesson from this young man and we all need to always remember that God has a plan for each of us. We just have to keep ourselves open to His wisdom and let Him show us just what it is.

God bless you all and may God bless the soul of Desmond Doss, who ultimately was given the peace of rest for eternity with His Father above in 2006.  The Lord does truly work in mysterious ways.  Realizing that should give us comfort, no matter what we face.


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Morning Joe: You Got It Wrong, Mika!

2/23/2017

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People are surprised when they hear that I like to either watch or listen frequently to the contents of the Morning Joe Show on MSNBC.  I find that if you want to understand how those with opposite political views think, then the best way to find out is by paying attention to what they like and say.  It's a good way to learn about the opposition.

Joe Scarborough used to be a Republican Congressman from the Panhandle of Florida.  I don't know what happened, maybe it was the lure of easy TV money that either flipped him or infected his soul, or he was just a closet Republican like a number of Washington insiders clearly are, but now he spouts venom with the best  of them on the Left, at least most of the time.  He actually has a good point on occasion. And his partner, Mika Brzezinski, daughter of Zbigniew of Jimmy Carter fame, also has moments when she is reasonable, but the other morning wasn't one of them.

As I listened to Mika talk about the Fake News of the Alt-Right as she calls it, although being a Conservative I have no idea what that means when the Left claims it to be an entity, she said it was the duty of the media to guide Americans into understanding the truth and believing it as a fact learned from today's liberalism.  Those weren't the exact words but they were close enough and I thought to myself how have we turned ourselves so completely upside down? But then again if they can create a fake mantra such as Alt-Right, I guess they can try anything.

But no, Mika, it is not the job of the media to try and control and direct the thought process of any citizen, it is the job of the media to present the facts, just the facts.  And in the case of a show like Morning Joe, which is an opinion program not news, it is okay to rattle off the spiel of the day, but it is important to make clear to all that it is your opinion and view, not real news.  But since we don't have any real news broadcasts these days, I guess that's why they will continue to get away with it. 

Whether you are a Liberal or a Conservative, you owe it to yourself to listen to points of view from both sides openly and then make up your own mind. Sadly, most don't do that and the art of debate has been thrown away.  Colleges have become indoctrination centers, we wear safety pins and need safe rooms instead of dealing openly and honestly with issues and we like to isolate ourselves in our own little world of fantasy.  Until we learn to talk to one another with honesty and without violence and vulgar rhetoric and behavior again, America will never get it right again. Which way do you want to go: chaos or orderly resolution of the issues?  If the answer is continued chaos, then those committing to it will soon be irrelevant.




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The Power of a Simple Little Cross

2/19/2017

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It's just a little onyx on silver Cross necklace and it doesn't seem like much, does it?  But it offers power that you wouldn't even believe, power impacting the usual small things of life which, when added together, can mean a lot. For those small things, carried out in the right way by everyday people in the course of their daily lives, reflect the positive influence we can have when we follow His guidance.  Let me explain what I mean.

As a Christian, I believe that the gift of Salvation is given to those who have faith and believe that Jesus Christ is who he claims to be, the Savior of Man.  Jesus is the living God who showed himself as a Man-God  coming to earth to teach us what was expected of us and to die for us. He then was resurrected unto Life before returning to the Father to sit at his right hand, awaiting those of us who believe in Him and accept His gift.  And His death wasn't just for those who lived in His time on earth, it was for all mankind forever forward until the time comes for His return to rule the world. But it's important to remember that His offer must be accepted before our earthly death, for after that event it will sadly be too late.  We can no longer make decisions in death.  But if we make the right decision in life, it can last forever.

For us Christians, that little Cross necklace is just a symbol of Him and it is a great tool to help keep us on the path that He set out for us when we committed to Him with our belief through faith.  It sounds easy to stay true but it's not, for His perpetual adversary, satan (I never acknowledge the fallen one with upper case), was given free reign on earth by God until the time that Jesus returns.  In the meantime and because we are given free will by God, satan was afforded the capability of using our weaknesses against us.  He looks for opportunities to offer us those things that we shouldn't have but which we covet, so when he identifies them he puts on a false face to make us think that he is the one we should follow, instead of our Lord. And when he is successful, he gains another victim in his push to infect evil in the very people who God loves and wants as his flock.

But the power of the Cross as a symbol of faith worn around our neck gives  us power by reminding us of the central place that He must play in our life. Sometimes it's seen by others, sometimes not, depending on the clothing we wear for different occasions but in my case I can feel it on my skin and it reminds me of its purpose.  I also see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night in the bathroom mirror, keeping Him alive in my heart at the start and the end of each day.  And for those who do see it, it sends them a signal which often leads to my joyful surprise in making the connection with another brother or sister in Christ I previously did not know.  And every little tool that we have to solidify our Christian community, particularly in today's faulty representation of us in a much more secular world, is a form of power in itself.

The power of the Cross - oh, yes, it's real. But then again, without looking at it in faith and as the basis for belief, the power wanes.  And when that happens, we all lose, for isn't a life based on someone who truly came to teach us about love and grace with hope for an eternal future better than the other options we see today?  For me, the answer is yes.  Consider it closely, will you? It can change everything in your life.


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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: If You Believe In Christ, Live It

2/18/2017

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"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."     - John 3:16 (ESV)

So let's say we regularly attend a very large, possibly a mega-church in a major metropolitan area, the service is enlightening and motivating and as we attempt to pull our vehicle out into the moving lanes in the massive parking lot, no one will allow us to enter the flow.  Or maybe it is we who see someone having trouble entering the traffic and just ignore them, saying they can wait until all traffic is gone. After all, we made it into the traffic and that other person just doesn't matter.

Admittedly, the above examples are not major issues, just routine, run of the mill nuisances, yet the way we handle such little things tells the world a lot about who we are inside and what is really important to us.

I remember once as a young man witnessing an older adult, a leader in the church, back into an empty car in the church parking lot after services, then simply drive off and leave with nary a care.  It was quite the example of a Christian church leader, don't you think, and when I reported it to the church office no one believed me until the older lady found the damage to her car and brought it to the minister's attention.  It's just an example of how so often we think that God doesn't know what we're doing, just like those in the church don't know unless they physically witness the action.  But the problem is that God knows everything and everyone and what is going on all the time.  It doesn't matter how important we are, He sees it all.

So what is my point?  Well, it's very simple and it's this: if we believe that Jesus Christ died for us and is the Savior, we must live our life like we mean it.  Follow his guidance, listen to the Holy Spirit and the guidance that he whispers to you daily and work at it. The concept of Salvation is an easy one to understand if we will open our hearts to believe, but the execution of living in the way He wants us to is the hard part.  He gave us free will to choose for ourselves and He also has given satan (lower case "s" because he isn't worthy of the capitalization) free reign on this earth to attempt to keep our commission of sin ongoing by tempting us with the very weaknesses that we have.  So execute life for Jesus, ask for God's help and use prayer and the Word to stay strong and faithful. If we do, He'll give us the protection we need and life will be so much better without the chains of slavery to evil which cause us to sin.

Now we all know the scripture which was cited above.  Believe in Jesus through faith and you will gain everlasting life.  But how can we truly believe in Jesus as our Savior if you don't make the commitment and work hard to live the way he wants us to?  The answer is obvious: we can't.

Dear Lord,  We thank you for your gifts of love and grace and we ask that you empower us with the strength and dedication to always make the right decisions to live our life for you.  We ask in Jesus' name,  Amen.


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Be Traditional: Celebrate Valentine's Day Today

2/13/2017

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Valentine's Day, the day we celebrate today was created as a day when we celebrate the power of attraction leading to romance.  It has a number of different bases from which it may have originated.  There was St. Valentine, a Christian martyred in the fifth century, who was believed to have supported young couples in love despite the objection of their elders who thought young men shouldn't be married if they were needed for war, a practice that was common in the American military until recent generations. There was some basis for that thought since warriors, when called to battle, are required to put their mission ahead of all other things, including family obligations which are the natural follow-on from a male-female loving relationship. 

And there was also the Roman festival Lupercalia, believed to be held as a right of fertility in the Roman world in February of each year.  A highlight of the festival was is cutting a butchered animal hide and dipping the strip sections in the animal's blood and then using it to slap growing crops in the field as well as young single women as a blessing for fertility.  Later on that same day these women  had their names placed in a bowl and eligible young bachelor drew names and spent a year living together with their selected choice, after which many then married.  This practice was ended in Europe by the Catholic Church, due to its celebration of the sexual union apart from marriage.

But whatever the true origination, we Americans have celebrated it for many generations as a time where males of all ages honor their wives or girlfriends with gifts of chocolate, flowers, pearls or diamonds and often so much more. Generally mothers are included for a gift due to their traditional preeminence as the glue that kept the young man's childhood on track at home.  After all, dear old Dad was the principal income source in times past and spent many hours daily toiling for the family while Mom took care of the home front.

So join in the fun, fellas', and honor those women that are important to you and especially on this day when some special lady captured your heart. And ladies, you might want to remember than special fella' with a card and a kiss.  So guys, take her out to dinner, be on your best behavior and smile, it's Valentine's Day.  She knows what day it is even if you've forgotten, so rearrange your plans if you've forgotten if that's what it takes.  If not, she'll remind you daily for the three hundred and sixty five days until it comes again. Consider yourself forewarned. Act accordingly.


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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: FOCUS for a Successful Life

2/11/2017

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The ability to focus in life is truly critical to our success, be it in our family life, work or play, and even our spiritual being.  To be the best we can be doesn't happen by accident; it comes from keeping our eye on what it is that we want to accomplish and applying ourselves fully to reaching the objective.  And while there are many examples we can use to discuss what focus, or lack thereof, has on our success, none is probably more easily seen than in sports. Whether it's a team or individual sport, the super star athlete devotes himself through his work ethic to deal with the pain and dedication that is necessary to get the prize.

There is not a better example in the sports world of dedication and work than Tom Brady, the quarterback of the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots and himself a five time Super Bowl winner.  Brady leaves no stone unturned in his practice and in his study of trends of opposing teams to the point where he routinely makes plays at crunch time that often seem impossible.  And as we saw in the recent Super Bowl, when it's crunch time in the big game, Brady reaches deep down inside himself and is able to focus to a detail level that most of us can't conceive of and that ability is what separates him from other talented quarterbacks, who also have an ability to focus well. 

And even with a great athlete like Brady, temporary lapses happen as was seen in the first half of that same game.  Brady was off target and, with a team that is molded together well like the Patriots, when the field leader gets off focus, so do his teammates with blocks being missed and receivers dropping passes. But when he got it going and in full stride with focus like a laser, the dropped passes turned into great receptions and the blocks were clean and on the mark.

Now sports is a great way to look at the difference in focus between the great ones and the ones who are just very good, but how about your focus on the ultimate goal in your life, attaining eternity in your life?  That's what God expects of you; he expects you to put your full focus on him and live your life with that focus.  And if you do, just like the great quarterbacks who win the big games, you will win the ultimate game of life.  You will inherit the Kingdom of God and dwell with him forever when this life on earth is said and done.  And that, my friends, is real focus. Do you have it?  Do you want it?  Get to work and follow His instructions.  They are readily available; all you have to do is ask.

Read the Book and study its contents, pray for His inspiration and guidance and worship Him in communion with other believers regularly.  Practice makes perfect and with continual practice in your spiritual life, direction will be provided to keep you on the path of righteousness and you will win the Super Bowl of life.  Now that is really victory.

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Medical Care: You Get What You Pay (And Vote) For

2/8/2017

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If you live in a rural area, you always need a good pair of jeans.  They become an everyday apparel item both for working in the barn, driving a tractor, or even visiting the local feed store.  Levi's, of course, is a leading brand because they are well known for long lasting life, but even they wear out in the rigors of life "digging in the dirt." So imagine you are out shopping for some new jeans, you are looking for  size 36X32 and none are on the shelf and the clerk tells you, "I'm sorry, we only carry 34X34; our policy is one size fits all."

It doesn't seem too smart for a retailer who has to make a profit to stay in business, does it?  And it's particularly so if the store in question is in a rural or suburban or, actually, in almost any casual environment where the buyer will find another store and is sure to tell friends about the incident.  It's incredulous, but that is exactly the kind of thing that has also happened to our healthcare with Obamacare and it's why it's on the way to the dustbin of bad ideas. The program, ultimately designed by Jon Gruber, an MIT academic, was created to promise Americans, "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor," while delivering much less because, paraphrasing Gruber, Americans are stupid and will accept anything.

Look, I get it that healthcare assistance is needed by many in various situations of life and I don't think that most who are adamantly opposed to Obamacare argue with that point. But to raise the premiums of thousands of hard working employees to the point where they will not, if they remain healthy, ever reach the threshold of some financial relief for healthcare costs while those less productive pay nothing is ludicrous.  There is no such thing as a free lunch or free medical care and it's time to face the truth.  If you are an American and you lose your group coverage, you will find yourself in this situation with premiums and deductibles exploding and the deductibles having to be fully met before any reimbursement is made.  Sometimes these deductibles are as high as $12,000 per year while premiums have gone from $500-$600 to $1800 per month, sticker shock on steroids. And it is, as even Gruber admitted under testimony to Congress, all part of the "con job" perpetrated on Americans by Obamacare.  It was never designed about healthcare; it was designed to gain control of nearly 20% of the economy and it is now an unmitigated disaster.

Let's instead look at programs that limit medical liability to a reasonable amount, allow insurers to cross state lines and thereby create larger pools of potential customers and regulate reasonably without requiring doctors to put filling out forms as a priority over one-on-one time with patients they see.  There are a lot of good options to consider and their are ways to devise catastrophic coverage for those who want to pay for the "small stuff" on their own, but it won't happen by passing legislation with no input from the opposition where even the victors say: "You'll have to pass the bill before you can see what's in it."  That statement still haunts former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to this day and lives on as a warning for future sessions of Congress. 

So here are just a few key guiding points which will help focus on what the American public is clamoring for. Keep it simple and cost effective, put the emphasis on the doctor-patient relationship, tailor it to the diverse needs of different groups of citizens not a one size fits all concept, require everyone to pay something for care (since when it's free it's never appreciated and it's also abused), provide a feature to provide special assistance for those truly in need due to factors beyond their control and, finally, keep the oversight that is necessary as close to the people as humanly possible.  It can be done if a system is designed by someone who truly understands the complexity of medicine and the importance of the art that good doctors practice, not a group of ideologues with a pre-planned concept of where they want it to go.  Don't finish the destruction of the best medical system in the world.  Learn from past mistakes and make it better instead.  After all, many have learned an important yet sometimes tragic lesson.  Just because you have an insurance card and carry insurance doesn't mean you'll get healthcare.


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Tom Brady: Truly an Amazing Performance

2/5/2017

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First of all, I must confess as I write this blog that I am not, nor have I ever been, a New England Patriots fan.  Maybe its because I have another team that I particularly like or that I think it's time for a new dynastic franchise to emerge to challenge them but, regardless of my feelings, last night's performance by Tom Brady was a sight to behold and one that will go down in sports history.  And with him, Bill Belichick, shows that he is truly a coach of champions.

The Patriots have proven time and time again that you can never count them out and last night they proved that beyond all questions. Brady now finds himself in the books as the greatest football quarterback ever, or at least the greatest that I have ever seen.  And after making more mistakes than normal and Brady off target for the first three quarters of the game, the fourth quarter was something to behold. 

Coming from a 21-3 deficit, the Patriots only gave up one touchdown in the second half while themselves scoring twenty-five points to tie the game in the waning moments of the second half.  Then they quickly scored after winning the toss for the overtime period, shocking the Atlanta Falcons and millions watching the greatest comeback in NFL history and the game's first overtime ever. 

It was a characteristic Brady performance, coming back dramatically after digging himself  a deep hole by remaining calm and collected throughout, trusting his ability and the mettle of his teammates to respond when they must.  And at the end, millions just watched in disbelief while Brady raised the trophy overhead with the look of a victor satisfied that he had quieted those who doubted.

So now that the dust has cleared, we have Tom Brady, a not much noticed sixth round draft pick out of college, now possessing five Super Bowl rings, taking his team to the Championship by the greatest comeback ever in the game and now, at 39, at the point in life where if he decides to retire, he goes out in style.  Will he retire?  We'll just have to wait and see what this player of players decides on his own.

Is Brady really the greatest NFL quarterback ever?  Well, while it might be my opinion I'll let the rest of you decide on your own.  But I do know this much on my own.  At a minimum he is the greatest comeback quarterback in NFL history and like him or not, he IS the Champion.  Congratulations to Tom Brady for a most memorable performance that will live on through the ages.  And congratulations to his coach and teammates for a truly great Super Bowl game.


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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: The Law of God or the Whims of Man?

2/5/2017

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Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawless.  
                                           - 1 John 3:4 (ESV)


This week we Americans have witnessed living examples of what the Prince of Darkness can do on earth to disrupt life with evil.  Violent protestors, throwing rocks, setting fires, smashing private and public property and causing harm to others were again witnessed in full display at the University of California, Berkeley.  Sadly, it was not unique, just part of an ongoing display of hate which is showing itself throughout our society, coast to coast.  And it is particularly disturbing watching it became rampant on university campuses, attacking free speech in the very places where free speech is a primary means of learning about and debating ideas.  But rather than take the matter head on and insure that openness and freedom of thought flourish, our university leaders more and more cower behind their cushy and ivy covered walls and cave to the expediency of letting violence and fear win over truth and honesty.  So why is this so prevalent today?

Well, from the Christian and Jewish perspective, the answer is very clear.  These very United States were founded under God and His Law.  From the teachings of the ancient prophets and the receipt of the Ten Commandments by Moses from God, to the presentation of the living Law as brought to us by Jesus Christ, America recognized the principal role played by God in our establishment of a government under godly principles for operating our unique societal living experiment.

The ultimate Law originates with God. The Creator of all things is timeless; He's always been in existence and knows all things.  And since all Creation is in His image, so are our leaders, endowed by God to lead the nation appropriately.  It's when our leaders become enamored with their own power, thinking themselves to be self-powered and not needing the guidance and wisdom of God that problems begin.  For when that happens, things change from the Rule of Law, law originated for purposes endowed by God to the Rule of Man, with law by and subject to the whims of mere mortal sinners.  This is contrary to the expectations of God and it leads to societal decline and disorder.  And this means chaos, disruption, corruption and ultimately anarchy which if unchecked obliterates the social compact.  And situations like what happened at Berkeley, if not swiftly and effectively ended, create just that situation where society, or in this specific case, a noted university will cease to exist in a way that is beneficial to society.

And it's important to state that even if you aren't a Christian or Jew, but are a good and decent moral person, that the Ten Commandments offers hope for all of us.  Even if you leave out the acknowledgement of God, the basic societal rules contained therein and in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount give a great basis for living in peace and harmony in a very troubled word.

But for the majority of us who claim kinship with the Judeo-Christian ethic, by taking our problems to God, asking for His divine intervention in finding the answer that meets His expectations, we can solve any problem we face and maintain a civil society.  When we refuse to face the truth and instead follow man-made concepts such as politically correct nonsense, we falter and head for disaster. 

We've seen the tragic results that behavior such as that in Berkeley has caused;  the destruction of private property, injuries to innocent people and destruction of the livelihood of many who operate services to cater to the needs of the university community.  That's criminal behavior and it must be dealt with.  And it takes people of good moral character, Christians, Jews, other religions and non-religious as well to band together to end such outrage by refusing to accept unacceptable behavior.  Isn't it way past time for our elected, community, educational and yes, even our spiritual leaders to do just that in a united fight against evil wherever it's found? Silence is complicity, and if they and we remain silent, we deserve what we get and get it we will.

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    ABOUT ME

    Hi, I'm James, a writer who studies nature,  animals and all things created by God. I also write from time to time about what I think God expects of us.  I would love to hear your thoughts on these subjects. I hope you enjoy my comments.

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