13July2008
Posted by Roy Bischoff under: Uncategorized.
Law of the Harvest
A few months ago I planted seeds in small peat pots so I could get a head start on the growing season. However, because of an unusually cold spring, I had to keep the plants inside much longer than desirable and they failed to thrive.
There may have also been other things I should have done but didn’t. Admittedly, I still need to learn more about gardening, but thankfully, the baby plants I bought at the nursery are flourishing (see photo). I have started harvesting broccoli, zucchini, and yellow squash.
All of us understand that squash seedlings, when they mature, will yield squash. This law of the harvest applies not only gardening but to spiritual matters as well. There may be variables (like a cold spring) or factors that we do not know or understand (does my soil lack nutrients), but if we can learn and follow the laws that apply, we can predict the outcome.
If we are wise, we will seek to discover the laws that will bring about the results we desire. We can ask ourselves, “What do I really want? What principles or laws do I need to follow to achieve that end?” For example, if we want the love and respect or others, there are certain things that we will need to do to gain that love and respect. There are also things that we will avoid doing.
If we desire that peace which passes all understanding, if we desire eternal life, and we follow the Lord’s prescribed plan, we can be confident that we will obtain those blessings.
“There is a law, irrevocably decreed …upon which all blessings are predicated, and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”
12July2008
Posted by Joy Bischoff under: World Economy.
The following will help us understand a little better why were are in such an economic quagmire:
Guest Blog by Peter Anderson
Let’s suppose that a lender starts with a million dollars and the borrower starts with zero. Upon extending the loan, the borrower possesses the million dollars, yet the lender feels that he still owns the million dollars that he lent out. If anyone asks the lender what he is worth, he says,”a million dollars,” and shows the note to prove it.
Because of this conviction, there is, in the minds of the debtor and the creditor combined, two million dollars worth of value where before there was only one. When the lender calls in the debt and the borrower pays it, he gets back his million dollars. If the borrower can’t pay it, the value of the note goes to zero. Either way, the extra value disappears. If the original lender sold his note for cash, then someone else down the line loses.
In an actively traded bond market, the result of a sudden default is like a game of “hot potato”: whoever holds it last loses. Self-liquidating credit is a loan that is paid back, with interest, in a moderately short time from production. Production facilitated by the loan - for business start-up or expansion, for example - generates the financial return that makes repayment possible. The full transaction adds value to the economy.
Non-self-liquidating credit is a loan that is not tied to production and tends to stay in the system. When financial institutions lend for consumer purchases such as cars, boats or homes, or for speculations such as the purchase of stock certificates, no production effort is tied to the loan. Interest payments on such loans stress some other source of income.
Pt 1 http://lynncoins.com/deflation1.htm
Pt 2 http://lynncoins.com/deflation2.htm
12July2008
Posted by Roy Bischoff under: Uncategorized.
11July2008
Posted by Joy Bischoff under: Humor; Judaeo-Christian Values Under Attack.
Sharon Anderson sent this to me and I couldn’t resist.
City Hall in San Francisco
( A scene at City Hall in San Francisco )
“Next.”
“Good morning. We want to apply for a marriage license.”
“Names?”
“Tim and Jim Jones.”
“Jones? Are you related? I see a resemblance.”
“Yes, we’re brothers.”
“Brothers? You can’t get married.”
“Why not? Aren’t you giving marriage licenses to same gender couples?”
“Yes, thousands. But we haven’t had any siblings. That’s incest!”
“Incest?” No, we are not gay.”
“Not gay? Then why do you want to get married?”
“For the financial benefits, of course. And we do love each other.
Besides, we don’t have any other prospects.”
“But we’re issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples who’ve been
denied equal protection under the law. If you are not gay, you can get
married to a woman.”
“Wait a minute. A gay man has the same right to marry a woman as I have.
But just because I’m straight doesn’t mean I want to marry a woman. I want
to marry Jim.”
“And I want to marry Tim, Are you going to discriminate against us just
because we are not gay?”
“All right, all right. I’ll give you your license. Next.”
“Hi. We are here to get married.”
“Names?”
“John Smith, Jane James, Robert Green, and June Johnson.”
“Who wants to marry whom?”
“We all want to marry each other.”
“But there are four of you!”
“That’s right. You see, we’re all bisexual. I love Jane and Robert, Jane
loves me and June, June loves Robert and Jane, and Robert loves June and
me. All of us getting married together is the only way that we can express
our sexual preferences in a marital relationship.”
“But we’ve only been granting licenses to gay and lesbian couples.”
“So you’re discriminating against bisexuals!”
“No, it’s just that, well, the traditional idea of marriage is that it’s
just for couples.”
“Since when are you standing on tradition?”
“Well, I mean, you have to draw the line somewhere.”
“Who says? There’s no logical reason to limit marriage to couples. The more
the better. Besides, we demand our rights! The mayor says the constitution
guarantees equal protection under the law. Give us a marriage license!”
“All right, all right. Next.”
“Hello, I’d like a marriage license..”
“In what names?”
“David Deets.”
“And the other man?”
“That’s all. I want to marry myself.”
“Marry yourself? What do you mean?”
“Well, my psychiatrist says I have a dual personality, so I want to marry
the two together. Maybe I can file a joint income-tax return.”
“That does it! I quit!! You people are making a mockery of marriage!!”
11July2008
Posted by Joy Bischoff under: World Economy.
Fannie, Freddie Too Critical to Fail, Lawmakers Say
By Dawn Kopecki
July 11 (Bloomberg) — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the largest buyers of U.S. home loans, are too big for the government to allow them to fail, leading Republican and Democratic lawmakers said.
A government takeover of one or both companies is one of several options that have been considered by White House officials, according to a person familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity. Senior Bush administration officials are considering placing either or both firms in a conservatorship if their problems get worse, the New York Times reported, citing people briefed on the plan whom it didn’t name.
The companies, which own or guarantee about half of the $12 trillion of U.S. mortgages, can count on a federal lifeline, said Republican Senator John McCain, and Democratic Senator Charles Schumer. The remarks by the presumptive Republican presidential candidate and head of the Joint Economic Committee indicate Congress would push the administration to use government funds to prevent the companies from failing.
“They must not fail,” McCain, of Arizona, said yesterday during a campaign stop in Belleville, Michigan. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac “are vital to Americans’ ability to own their own homes,” he said at an earlier stop in the state, one of the worst affected by the surge in foreclosures.
HERE
11July2008
Posted by Joy Bischoff under: What's News.
The two silk worms who had a race ended up in a tie.
10July2008
Posted by Roy Bischoff under: Constitution in Peril.
This was put together by Mary Jones and sent to me by Peter Anderson. I didn’t share all of it because it is long but this is very important information that every Christian who loves America should read.
Did you know that 52 of the 55 signers of The Declaration of Independence were orthodox, deeply committed Christians? The other three all believed in the Bible as the divine truth, the God of scripture, and His personal intervention.
It is the same congress that formed the American Bible Society. Immediately after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import 20,000 copies of scripture for the people of this nation.
Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is still remembered for his words, ‘Give me liberty or give me death.’ But in current textbooks the context of these words is deleted. Here is what he said: ‘An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.’
These sentences have been erased from our textbooks.
Was Patrick Henry a Christian? The following year, 1776, he wrote this ‘It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here.’
Consider these words that Thomas Jefferson wrote on the front of his well- worn Bible: ‘I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also.’
Consider these words from George Washington, the Father of our Nation, in his farewell speech on September 19, 1796:
‘It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.’
Was George Washington a Christian? Consider these words from his personal prayer book: ‘Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb and purge my heart by the Holy Spirit. Daily, frame me more and more in the likeness of thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time obtain the resurrection of the justified unto eternal life. Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind and let the world be filled with the knowledge of thy son, Jesus Christ.’
Consider these words by John Adams, our second president, who also served as chairman of the American Bible Society.
In an address to military leaders he said, ‘We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and true religion. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.’
In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: ‘The congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.
William Holmes McGuffey is the author of the McGuffey Reader, which was used for over 100 years in our public schools with over 125 million copies sold until it was stopped in 1963. President Lincoln called him the ‘Schoolmaster of the Nation.
Listen to these words of Mr. McGuffey: ‘The Christian religion is the religion of our country. From it are derived our notions on character of God, on the great moral Governor of the universe. On its doctrines are founded the peculiarities of our free institutions. From no source has the author drawn more conspicuously than from the sacred Scriptures. From all these extracts from the Bible I make no apology.
In 1963, the Supreme Court ruled that Bible reading was outlawed as unconstitutional in the public school system. The court offered this justification: ‘If portions of the New Testament were read without explanation, they could and have been psychologically harmful to children.’
Bible reading was now unconstitutional , though the Bible was quoted 94 percent of the time by those who wrote our constitution and shaped our Nation and its system of education and justice and government.
In 1965, the Courts denied as unconstitutional the rights of a student in the public school cafeteria to bow his head and pray audibly for his food.
In 1980, Stone vs. Graham outlawed the Ten Commandments in our public schools.
The Supreme Court said this: ‘If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments were to have any effect at all, it would be to induce school children to read them. And if they read them, meditated upon them, and perhaps venerated and observed them, this is not a permissible objective.’
James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution of the United States, said this: ‘We have staked the whole future of our new nation, not upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments.’
Today we are asking God to bless America. But how can He bless a Nation that has departed so far from Him?
Most of what you read in this article has been erased from our textbooks. Revisionists have rewritten history to remove the truth about our country’s Christian roots. I , Mary Jones, the designer of this web page, encourage all who read and agree with the words herein, to share it with others, so that the truth of our nation’s history may be told.
10July2008
Posted by Roy Bischoff under: What's News.
9July2008
Posted by Roy Bischoff under: Constitution in Peril.
Guest Blog by Sharon Anderson
Peter and I went to a JBS meeting this afternoon. So informative. We listened to the acceptance speech of Walter Cronkite receiving a special award from those who are promoting one world government.
Especially note minutes 6:35 to 7:16 where Cronkite says, “Most important we sign and ratify the treaty for a permanent international criminal court….That court will…hold individuals accountable for their crimes against humanity….Pat Robertson has written in a book…that ‘we should have a world government, but only when the Messiah arrives.’ (laughter) He wrote, ‘…any effort to achieve world order before that time must be the work of the devil.’ Well join me. I’m glad to sit here at the right hand of Satan.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaS6bLQixkM&feature=related
These people can sound so sincere. Do they REALLY want world peace? Do they really believe that a one world government is the path to that peace? Are they that deceived or just good actors? It seems they are like the anti-Christs in the Book of Mormon, very expert in using words and language to persuade people not to believe in Christ and to accept the falsehoods they preach. Maybe they have spoken those falsehoods so many times that they have begun to believe them themselves.
9July2008
Posted by Bryon under: General.
This is inspiring and just the kind of thing to make you smile and have teary eyes.
From a Chaplain in Iraq
Recently attended a showing of “Superman 3,” here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem the music stopped.
Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year- olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments; and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.
Here, the 1,000 Marines continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The Marines continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped.
What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter, as everyone finally sat down and expected the movie to start.
But here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Marine continued to stand at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand Marines, finishing where the recording left off:
“And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”
It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq . I wanted you to know what kind of Marines are serving you here.
Chaplain Jim Higgins on 5/14/07.
In Iraq , north of Baghdad
I think these fine men have beaten the enemy. They may not have gotten all of them but they are winning. I think we should slowly pull back on a time table and let the Iraq government crawl and then walk. In time they will be able to run with their neighbors and by then we should be gone. I do think we need a few more years of some kind of presence. Gradual decline is the key. The story was posted on www.specialforces.com