Military decisions made for politics

Hillary and Obama made military decisions based on what they thought would benefit them politically. We've known that a long time, but none of our military voiced it until now.  General Gates, former defense secretary makes this charge in a book just released.

Gates charges that both Hillary and President Obama admitted they opposed the surge in Iraq because they believed it favored them politically.

The former secretary had contempt for Joe Biden, but most people consider Biden a light weight with little ability and no power.

A tale of baking sweet potatoes

A couple  of days ago while eating a baked sweet potato (hot, filled with butter and delicious) my mind reverted back to baking potatoes in the oven of a cast iron, wood burning stove.  After lunch  was over, potatoes and peanuts were placed in the oven, where  enough heat would be retained to bake potatoes and parch peanuts, ready for us when we got home from school.

I do not recall that we ever baked potatoes in the fireplace but some people did.   Dad used to tell the story one of his female cousins told him. She had attended a revival service one night and decided to ask the minister to have supper with her that night, not expecting by any chance he would accept, but he did.

As they entered the house she saw her mother sitting by the hearth, smoking her pipe.  The girl called out,"What's for supper, Ma?" Her mother responded, "I don't know 'bout you, but thar's mine," and pointed to the fireplace where two potatoes were baking in the ashes.

Tom Howe to return as pastor

As we "passed the peace of Christ'' this morning, I realized  "meet and greet" is one of my favorite parts of the church service. I wish a few more minutes was devoted to this so I could speak to more people.

We sang "Go Tell It on the Mountain" this morning, the second time we've sung it this season.  Last December I placed on my blog Jim Nabors singing the song. No one can sing it like Jim, but this and some other songs were removed.  I replaced it with a Sunday School singing the song.

This next week the pastoral committee and Pastor Howe will decide whether he will return.  He said he wants to return and the congregation applauded, No doubt, he will be back.

Jessica returned to Duke today

The holidays are over --Jessica left on a plane this afternoon for North Carolina and Duke University to take up her studies at the seminary.  It may be June before she returns home. Last summer we visited her  where she was serving in Birmingham, Mich.

Too hot for you, Mr.. Gore?

Global warming caused by us humans?  Keep on trying to sell that as the temperature is minus 8 at Green Bay and the wind chill can reach 50 below in Minnesota.  Many scientists admitted they were mistaken when they allowed politicians with something to gain  to sell the bull of global warming to the world.

The United States has wasted billions of dollars forcing changes in the name of global warming caused by human activity.   Hey, get this -- This country spent 7.45 billion dollars in other countries in the name of stopping global warming. I'll bet you Obama will manage to use the  cold weather to spend billions to battle "climate change."

Did you ever climb a tree? Did you fall?

I am accustomed to getting surveys for me to fill out.  If I were naive enough to think my opinions mattered, I would be filling out surveys every  day.  I was greeted the second day of 2014 by the request to enlighten the world  on a Louisiana tree survey.  In spite of myself I was intrigued; was  I supposed  to go the woods and count trees?

Not exactly,  although the first question was did I climb trees as a child, followed by did I ever relax sitting in the shade of a tree. Did I ever collect leaves, pine coins, etc?  Yes, I had two boys in 4-H who won trips and other awards for their collections of leaves, twigs and fruits of native Louisiana trees.

Questions became more serious, like should we preserve rain forests and should Bald Cypress be the state tree.  At the end of the survey was the real purpose.  A donation of ten dollars or more to the Arbor Day Foundation   could bring in gifts, including ten trees and a year's supply of coffee.

Happy New Year

As we look ahead at 2014, much  does not forecast happiness, but for today let's be optimistic that the year will live up to Ronald Reagan's view of America as "a shining city on a hill."

May God bless  you in the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ.