A Few Days Away

Huzzah! Tomorrow is the departure day for a camping trip with a friend of mine. I have been counting down on Facebook for a few days now and tomorrow is the big day! I have needed some time away and it will be fun to get out of Rowan County for a weekend.

Originally we had planned to go to bee-U-ti-ful Julian Price Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway just outside of Blowing Rock. However, I discovered today that their campsites don't open until May 15. Bummer. So as an alternative we have decided to go to Cade's Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It should be a fun trip. It is a little further away, but I haven't been there in years, and I'm looking forward to visiting some of the places that I used to go with another friend. I hope that we get to see some wildlife, and I just discovered that Rocky Top is within walking distance from the park. (But then again, so is San Francisco.... We'll see if I venture that far.)

I was thwarted in my efforts today to finish planting my garden. Unfortunately the drive shaft that dad had bought for the tiller didn't fit. We ended up taking it back and then going to the John Deere place only to discover that they didn't have what we needed either. They have ordered it and it should be in tomorrow. Unfortunately, I won't be here when it gets in. Hopefully this will fix our problem with the tiller, and I'll be able to finally till the entire garden without it breaking! I have purchased most of my plants and have also discovered a large collection of seeds that my dad had in his freezer. I look forward to getting things squared away when I get back. I have expanded the garden considerably this year. I hope that it will be big enough to handle all that I hope to plant. And I hope that I will be big enough to keep up with it!

I'll share pictures when I get back!

Sons Of Korah - Psalm 117 Live

These guys are fantastic. They remind me of Burlap to Cashmere.

Stuff...

Tomorrow will be a major gardening day - at least as I have it planned right now. There is tons to do. I need to do some plowing and I need to weed and hoe. I need to re-plant some of my peas and get my ground ready for tomatoes and other things. It should be a day full of activity.

Beyond that there have been some good things happening. I recently got to attend the MorningStar Spiritual Warfare conference at Heritage. That was really good. I learned some things, but mostly they helped me to fit some pieces together for me. That was the best part. I was pleased to hear the harmony of their message with the guys at the International House Of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City.

Of course on the heels of a spiritual warfare conference there has been some to contend with, but the good thing is that it has mostly been helping to cement the lessons that I learned at the conference and is teaching me how to fight better from day to day. I look forward to expanding the Kingdom of God in my sphere of influence. It starts with my own home.

The weather here has been glorious. I really could not ask for better, and I am looking forward to doing some camping with a friend in the mountains this weekend. I need a retreat. I think this should do nicely. It is supposed to rain some this weekend. I hope it won't be too bad. I'd be fine if it would bypass the place where we are camping, but I think they need rain up there, so I won't complain. I just hope that on this camping trip the skunk that I encountered on the last trip won't show up.

I noticed that Arlen Specter defected to the Democratic Party today. All I can say is that it is about time. I don't know why he didn't do it years ago. It's not like he was a real Republican to begin with. He's been acting like a Democrat for all these years. It isn't that I want the Democrats to get any more votes. I certainly don't, but it chafes me for people to pretend to be something they are not. I guess that applies to just about everyone in Washington.

The only down side is that it puts us one vote away from the Democrats having the ability to stop a filibuster. Thank God for that one vote. We weren't helped any by Al Franken's theft of the election for his senate seat. If only Republicans would be so audacious as he.

With the legislation that is getting rammed through these days the Republicans need to figure out how to filibuster and use it well. I am very displeased by this hate crimes bill that is being run through. Once again, I am astounded by how long it takes to pass reasonable, helpful legislation and yet how quickly a bill that tries to gut the constitution or something that the government has no business putting its hands on can rip through both houses. Refer to the quote in my banner if you want to know how I really feel about it. God will judge.

I will try to do a better job of blogging. I have stayed away from the news a lot lately because I have a severe allergy to stupidity and liars. This allergy makes me want to yell and say ugly words, and it makes it very hard to pray for the people that I am supposed to be praying for. This is bad because it could cause me to be mistaken for a Right-Wing Extremist. Oh wait... But then again in this "new" atmosphere even a centrist looks like one. God help us.

Anyway, that is enough ranting and rambling for one night. I'll do my best to get you updated again soon!

Pick Up Man - Joe Diffie

This song is dedicated to my friend, Larry. You were a good one. I wish you were still around, buddy.

Rocky Top - The Osborne Brothers

Too good... too good. Hard to beat the Osborne Brothers.

I Heard My Savior Calling - Rhonda Vincent

This is good stuff! I've seen her in concert before and she is fantastic.

Happy Easter

He Is Risen!

Congratulations

Congratulations to the Tarheels who won the NCAA division 1 national championship in basketball last night. It is a good thing that they didn't choke in the big game like they usually do. I had already planned to mock them thoroughly.

Curses! Foiled again!

Actually, I wouldn't have as much trouble pulling for the Tarheels in situations like this if their fans weren't so bloody obnoxious. I have been subjected to their overexuberance now since before the tournament began, and I am as sick of it as I am for the hype over our new president. But since Tarheel fans have no self control, then they will have to give up on counting on my EVER pulling for them under any circumstances whatsoever. And they can prepare themselves for my withering sarcasm when they inevitably lose a big game.

Anybody Know Who These Guys Are?

These guys were the main characters from my favorite show of all time, Emergency!. I watched the show with great devotion and even have pictures that I drew from no later than second grade based on the show. I watched it every Friday night and woe be unto any stupid basketball game that interrupted its normal scheduled broadcast. Me and my best friend Johnny Ward played this at recess every day.

When it went into syndication I watched it every afternoon - religiously. I lost track of it I think the year that we moved from Greensboro to Salisbury. Yet one more reason to mourn that year.

However, I just recently discovered that the whole series is available on DVD! SCORE! It would be a major score if I had actually acquired them! One day I shall... one day....

HUZZAH!!!!!!! I Wish Every Republican Senator Had This Guy's Moxie

Mr. President, these words apply as aptly to you as they did to the British Prime Minister. It is equally applicable to every congressman and senator who has used his or her position to increase discretionary spending and line his own pockets. I am frankly sick of each and every one of you who uses political doublespeak to to pretend that you are actually doing something for this country when you are only busy serving yourselves. You will stand before a holy God one day and answer for your malfeasance and for your utter disregard of God's law. It would be better for you to be taken out to the deepest part of the ocean, chained to an anchor, and launched overboard than to be standing in that Courtroom on that day in your present condition.

Amen.

Pretty much sums it up...

I Begin To Understand...

Let us look forward to the time when we can take the flag of our country and nail it below the Cross, and there let it wave as it waved in the olden times, and let us gather around it and inscribe for our motto: ‘Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever,’ and exclaim: Christ first, our country next!

- President Andrew Johnson

I think I begin to comprehend how it is possible that folks wanted to impeach this guy. If he wrote these words he was probably too radical for the powers that be. Too bad that I don't know of any people in our government that feel the same way about it today.