Your thoughts?

“The America Republic will endure until
the day Congress discovers that it can bribe
the public with the public’s money.”
 — Alexis de Tocqueville, 1831

Have no doubt

I studied at Faith Baptist Bible College in the 80's. During my first year, a brilliant man named David Powell was one of my instructors. His class on Old Testament Theory was, by far, my favorite class. He taught in a way that made you think outside the box, to dig deep for the answer. I loved his class. After each test, I found myself striving to get a better grade than the one before.

In 1985, I was 25 years old. 7 years earlier, I almost flunked out of high school. I received a 1.42 out of a possible 4.0 grade average. While enrolled at FBBC, I worked 50 hours a week, drove an hour each day to classes, and studied when I could. I worked full-time as the owner of a small business with 5 employees. I also worked part-time as the manager of a 64 unit residential facility. I could only attend FBBC part-time, it was all I could afford at the time.

In David Powell's freshman class, as we studied each book in the Old Testament, one of his assignments was to create a graph of the book. We were to break the book down into events and chart each one as it progressed to the next event. In the evenings, I dove into each graph with gusto. I learned things about the Old Testament I'd never thought of before. I started out the class getting a B, or 80%, but by the end of the semester I received 100%+ on my graphs and tests.

In the middle of the semester, mummering started on campus. At first, I tried to ignore the whispers that reached my ears, as I studied in the campus lounge above the cafeteria. But the whispers became bolder as time went on. Freshman who were in the class with me began to grumble about how hard the class was, Powell was a bad teacher, he did this and he did that...mur-mur-mur-mur. And I began to wonder why am I doing so well if he is such a bad teacher?

Once, I nearly stood up in class to ask them what was going on. Mr. Powell was late to class that morning and the little rebel inside me wanted to ask why someone who nearly flunked out of high school 7 years earlier and worked 50 hours a week was getting A's and they weren't? I chose to remain silent. Instead, I chose to make my sentiments known in Dr. Houghton's presence. 3 decades later I still regret my decision.

As each decade has passed, I've often thought of my time at FBBC. I love my school and pray for the students and teachers to this day. Dr. Walton and Dr. Shipp changed my life through their kind and loving example. They loved us, truly loved each student. It was an honor and privilege to attend FBBC and I look back at my time there with fondness. Today, I look forward to reading the alumni newsletter and always look for people I knew in the pages.

But I'll never forget how gossip took away a brilliant teacher. A few students wanted mediocrity. They wanted an easy road and they received it. He was let go at the end of the semester. He was replaced by someone, I don't remember who they hired. Through the power of gossip, a truly great teacher was sent away.

Gossip destroys. It should be hated by more than just One Person.

Poetic justice!

I was following this $70,000 SUV this morning and thought I'd take a pic.

The message on the back window is a little blurred. The acronym is G.R.E.A.T. which stands for
Gang Resistance Education And Training. It's a $70,000 SUV with tricked out wheels
(not seen in this shot), the kind pimps and drug dealers buy,
bright chrome wheels that keep spinning while you sit in traffic.

A remarkable family

"Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:4 (NIV)

Pass the remarkable stories of the Ten Boom family to others. 

Please visit   http://tenboom.org  for more information. Thank you!

What a beauty!

I found this on craigslist, located in Kansas City. A very rare 1889 Willcox and Gibbs Treadle.

I so want this machine!! Alas, it's a 2 day drive.

Ode to the Sewing Machine #19

Many of you follow my "Ode to the Sewing Machine" posts.  We've all seen the ads on craigslist, ebay and elsewhere.  The clueless sellers give those of us who sew a belly laugh, or two!

Better run right over there!

A productive day

Today was so beautiful in NC I decided to make a trellis for my climbing hydrangea.  I gathered dead limbs and built this.  It was finished in 2 hours.  If you can ignore the empty pots, ladder and the black garden trailer behind the trellis, please?  (sheepish grin)  I chose a climbing hydrangea because it's a flowering vine that can take some shade.  It will have lace cap flowers eventually.  I used 12' steel rebar for the bones of the trellis and then attached dead limbs.

What are you adding to your landscape this Spring?  I tend to add or change something around every year.  I had a rose garden in the back for 5 years, but this year I moved all the roses to the front yard, and placed a crepe myrtle in their place.




This is what it will look like in about 10 years.  Climbing hydrangea is a slow growing vine. (click the photo to see a larger view)  By the time it gets this big, I'll have built a larger, stronger trellis.

Proverbs31.org

The news reports have been discouraging lately, at least here in the U.S.  The gay kiss in the NFL is all over the news, meanwhile another NFL player who earned a Bronze Star for incredible bravery isn't mentioned. Alejandro Villanueva, a former U.S. Army Ranger who served three tours in Afghanistan, was selected in an NFL draft this week.



I thought I'd share my favorite online spot for devotional reading.  This site is run by several ladies who live in NC, and I'm amazed how some days it seems they post a devotional written especially for me.  Yesterdays was a good one! Click the button on the left to read it.  When the news is discouraging I remind myself that God is still on the throne and His eye is watching over me.