A Blessed and Remarkable Life

What a powerful conviction I get whenever I listen to or read about the latest in the life of Joni Eareckson Tada. Really, with all my problems, I have nothing to complain about.  Joni became a quadriplegic due to a diving accident at age 17 and in recent years, battled breast cancer. Joni Eareckson Tada continues to live a blessed and remarkable life. This video is from last month around the time she received NRB (National Religious Broadcasters) award. It is part 1. There does not appear to be a part 2 yet.

Joni Eareckson Tada will also receive the Wilberforce Award. Read about her thoughts on winning this award and on the growing mentality of ‘being better off dead than disabled’ here.

Pres. Obama Going Down

Ken Catalino Cartoon

If the Presidential election were held in November of this year, we would be looking at a Republican being sworn in as the next President in January. His top adviser, David Axelrod admits that the Pres. faces a titanic struggle for re-election. Right now it looks like he could suffer a loss worse than one-termers, Jimmy Carter or George Herbert Walker Bush.

9/11 Tragedy: Ten Years Later

 In remembering the awful tragedy of 9/11, I know there are so many people still grieving love ones lost on that horrific day. I think of those who lost more than 1 love one like the Egan family who lost 2 daughters. I remember reading of the lost of entire families on the hijacked flights, 11, 77, 175, and 93. People forget that there were children that died that day. All were on the planes. Go here to see my previous tribute to those children. I also think of the First Responders who went into the burning collapsing buildings to rescue others, but did not get out. It was 10 years ago, but for many of the grieving, it is still like it happened yesterday. My heart and prayers continue to go out to them.

I feel the decisions of Mayor Bloomberg in New York to not invite clergy and the First Responders to participate in the 10 year Memorial are so very wrong. How do you leave out the Lord and those who survived (some with grave health issues) rescuing the living and recovering the dead from such an important commemoration?

There were triumphant stories from 9/11. Find out about a few 10 years later. Go here to view a survivor of the South Tower, Brian Clark and a North Tower survivor, Tom Canavan, who I met a few years ago at the National September 11 Memorial Museum in lower Manhattan. Read about Genelle Guzman-McMillan who was one of the last to be pulled out of World Trade Center alive. And finally, go here to view an interview of burned survivor, Ling Young. God Bless them, all other 9/11 survivors, the First Responders and the families who continue to deal with the loss of love ones from the 4 hijacked planes, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

These Mobbing Teens

This is another call to prayer. This time for families. Please pray for parents to be parents and for the young lives they have bought into this world. The violence that included teen perpetrators  in London, England, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and my hometown of Philly in PA are horrific. I am sure you are asking along with me, “Where are the parents?”  Just the thought of the disciplinary actions awaiting me in my teen years if my parents found out I was a part of any kind of mob, violence kept me from even fantasizing about anything close to it.

I support Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia in what he is doing to curb what is going on. Some folks were critical of his speech he gave in his home church. Some did not like him calling out the absentee fathers and when he stated that the black teens were hurting their race. Of course, when white teens do something horrific, you do not hear that you are hurting your race, but that is the thinking.  Anyway, more importantly, these teens are hurting themselves and their families.

Mayor Nutter imposed a 9:00 P. M. curfew on young folks under 18 years of age. He meant business! Police took 50 teen into custody in the curfew crackdown. Some parents made excuses while others took responsibility. One parent on camera apologized with the son standing there and told the reporters and TV viewers of going home and taking action over what the son did.

Accounts sited that the majority of young rioters in London grew up in fatherless homes. Now I know there are single mothers out there who have and are successfully raising sons and daughters, but they are becoming more of the exception. James T. Harris, the urban radio talker in Wisconsin is correct when he said that when it comes to teen boys, they need their fathers in the home.  I pray that the reporting of the teen flash mobs and rioting is a kick in the pants wake up call to permissive and self-absorbed parents and teens everywhere, especially fathers who are in the wind and never took responsibility.

Remember to Pray for Persecuted Christians

This is a repost (with a few tweaks) from my former blog.

During your Easter/Resurrection holiday celebration, do not forget to pray for people in other lands who experience persecution for making Jesus Christ their Savior. Here in this wonderful country, we take much for granted, such as our Christian freedoms. Think about the bibles in American homes that collect dust! A few weeks ago I heard a missionary share that in Vietnam where there is strong ancestral worship, there are not many bibles. In fact there is sharing of bibles that are totally hand written.

I have heard the name of Christ defamed.  I have been called  snide names to my face and much more behind my back, because of my identification with the Lord Jesus Christ! But that is no big deal in comparing and contrasting what Christians go through in Islamic countries and other countries where Christianity is officially castigated or even forbidden.  Some people in other parts of the world experience denied medical treatment, being hunted down like an animal, face life imprisonment, or have even be executed because they accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. I have never feared any of that happening to me as a Christian in this country.

Please visit the International Christian Response, Persecuted Church and Voice of the Martyrs for specific prayer needs of persecuted Christians.

A Few Thoughts About What is Going On in Japan

With all the death and destruction and the fears of migrating radiation due to the earthquake, tsunami and aftershocks in Japan, my heart and prayers goes out to the Japanese people. They seem to have a terrifically strong resolve. I saw ABC Nightly News’ Diane Sawyer questioning people in extremely long lines for water and other essentials, quietly and patiently waiting their turn.

Is it a surprise that there has been no looting! Being human, we probably may hear about some negative behavior as the days progress along with the bad conditions. But for now, it is good to take notice of  how the Japanese people most affected, are handling the consequences of the horrific natural disasters. And talking about those most affected! What about the workers (and their family members) working an uphill battle to keep the nuclear plants from having a meltdown! Really, going inside and being exposed to all that radiation even with the protective gear!

I am guessing like me, you are positively overwhelmed when you hear of the miraculous coming out of horrendous events. Thus, I leave you with the photo of a baby who survived being buried under rubble and mud for about 3 days after being swept away out of her parent’s arms. Praise the Lord! She is fine and now back with her very thankful parents. Read more here.