The Following Was Sent To Me In An E-mail

This is not something that I would normally post, and some of you may not like what it has to say.  If that is the case, then so be it.  Your beliefs are your own.  If you do not like or agree with this post, I would greatly appreciate it if you simply do not leave a comment.  I don't want to know.  A friend sent this to me in an e-mail, and although I am not a regular church goer, I am baptized as a Baptist and do believe in God.  I don't believe that you have to show up in church every Sunday, nor have pictures of Jesus Christ or a crucifix hanging on your wall to prove that you are a believer.   The way a person lives his or her life is testament to their beliefs. Whether you want to believe it or not, there is a ton of truth in this.

Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning (an earlier Sunday) - Ben Stein  

 I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late!!
 


The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday  Morning  Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish.  And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.  I don't feel threatened.  I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me.  I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto.  In fact, I kind of like it .   It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu .  If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians.  I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.  I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country.  I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?  I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.  But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different:  This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina)..  Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.  She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives..  And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out.  How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc.  I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.  Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school.  The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself.  And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide).  We said an expert should know what he's talking about.  And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves..

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out.  I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.  Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.  Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.  Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.  

Are you laughing yet?  

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.  

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.  

If you do not think it has merit, then just discard it.. no one will know you did.  But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.  



My Best Regards,  Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

Budweiser Clydesdales

The St. Louis hitch of the Budweiser Clydesdales is in Jay and Randolph Counties in Indiana this week, honoring Jay Miller, who has been an Anheuser-Busch distributor for over 60 years.
There are eight of these awesome horses to a hitch. They are brought in in their own tractor-trailers, four horses per truck. A third truck carries the beer wagon and the tack.
They got the horses into the hitch while sitting in front of the old train station.
One horse prepared at a time. These animals are amazingly patient while waiting for the others to be added into the hitch.
Their tack is awesome!
This is one of the harnesses. Notice the eagle at the top.
This particular horse was seen doing this the entire time. Constantly tipping his head to the left, hanging his tongue out. I thought this kind of looked like he was telling his buddy a secret! LOL
Their feet are HUGE. They have a special rubber "shock absorber" between the shoe and hoof, to help prevent problems from walking on asphalt so often.

All the tails were trimmed with the red and white bows.
The gentleman in the blue shirt is Jay Miller. He got to take the ride on the hitch. It was all they could do to get him up on the wagon, then back down. They had to use a ladder, as he was not able to climb the built in steps on the wagon.
The Dalmatian's name is Bud. He is very patient too!

While the hitch was in motion, you could hear the Budweiser theme song being played in the wagon.



These pictures are done this way, because my lighting was very bad, and I couldn't light them properly, so I just played with the shadows on Photoshop to get this effect. It was overcast most of the day, and terribly humid.

There are two of these buckets hanging from the underside of the wagon. They were originally for watering the horses, but one of the handlers told me that they are just "all purpose" buckets now.
Bud got tired after they had been at a standstill for a while. He decided it was a good time to take a nap.

Very elaborate work on the tails and manes. All the manes were braided with red and white ribbon then the red and white rose buds tied in.

Okay, I know I said I was only going to start posting one picture a day, but you know me! At least it wasn't another month and a half between postings this time!
Still job hunting. It is so depressing and aggravating not being able to find work. My divorce was final on September 14. Chuck showed up last Thursday to get the last of his things. He still wants to stay friends. I don't have a problem with that. I think he kind of has some regrets, although, he wouldn't admit to it.
It's raining here, again. Most of this week it has rained, but luckily, the rain held off Wednesday when we went to see the Clydesdales. They will be in Portland, Indiana Saturday and Sunday.
Gonna go for now. Everybody have a great weekend.
Love Ya
Lisa

I'm Still Here!

I know, it's been a month and a half since my last post. Blame Facebook! I spend most of my computer time on there.
The top picture is a mama and juvenile Cedar Waxwing. First and last time I have ever seen one. I had to check my book to figure out what they were.
The baby was positively adorable! I came out my back door with my camera because I saw mama flying up into my cherry tree. By the time I got out the door, she flew off, but I looked down and saw the baby on my wood pile. He never moved when I walked past. He just watched me the entire time I was out there. I took several pictures of him from different angles, then I went over and sat in the grass by the bird bath, which was about 10 feet from the baby. I talked to him the entire time and took pictures. He started chirping at mama, but while he was talking to her, he had jumped down off the wood pile and hopped clear over to me. He even let me pet him and feed him ants! I thought that was just so cool!
they say that if a human touches a baby bird, that mama will abandon it. I had proof that it isn't true.
These pictures loaded backwards! The top pic of mama and the baby should have been last.
This one should have been first! After I fed the baby, mama landed about 20 feet from us and called the baby over to her. She was feeding him, which is my proof that they don't abandon their young after human interaction.
These flowers are on the side of my garage, but I have no idea what they are called. There are a ton of bees on them all the time!
This is one of the flowers in my so-called butterfly garden. I don't think the butterflies know it, though.
This adorable little mouse was wandering around in the field at Smith Field during D.A.R.E Fair, about 3 weeks ago. The helicopter, Samaritan, was landing for people to go and look at. I was on my way out there, but got sidetracked by this mouse. I chased him all over the place trying to get pictures of him. I even caused other people to get sidetracked by him! He was a bigger hit than the Samaritan! LOL
I did manage to catch him by the tail, but never actually held him, because I didn't want to get bitten.
He was just so adorable! Funny thing is, he wasn't running around, he was hopping like a little kangaroo! That's how he got my attention.
This is just one of the squirrels in my cherry tree in the back yard.
An elk at the elk farm out in Eaton, Indiana. I have posted pictures from here before. I had gone out on a photo safari with Tank (Gary Cole). He took me out to where they have seen a friendly deer several times, but, unfortunately, he wasn't there this time.
I shot this bee and thistle back along the trail where we went to try to find the deer. The trail winds around his friend's property and back to the Mississinewa River. Very quiet and relaxing, but it was very hot and humid that evening.
This tree was also along the path. Check out the mushrooms growing inside the hollowed trunk!
This is once we got back to the river. I went down and walked out on a little sandbar. The river wasn't very deep at this point. In the spring, it will usually overflow it's banks.
This little frog was back there too. He was sitting where they sometimes have bond fires.
This was on the path as well. A beautiful butterfly on a thistle. This picture is the colored pencil filter on Photoshop.
I really should just start posting a picture a day, like a lot of people do on here. At least I would be more apt to stay with it.
I'm still looking for work. I had an interview last Wednesday at the Dollar General Distribution Center, but I'm sure I didn't get the job. I called today and the receptionist told me that if you are chosen, you are contacted immediately, and I wasn't contacted yet, so I keep looking! I've already had to get some of my mother's money from Lyle, and I'm afraid I'm gonna have to do it again. It is my money, but he has a knack for making me feel small for having to use it. I just wish he would take his 25% of it and turn it over to me. It's mine anyway! Oh well, whatever!
Gonna get off here for now. Take a shower and go to bed.
Love Ya
Lisa

My computer is still up and running, but I'm still being bad about posting on my blog. I have been spending most of my online time on Facebook lately.
I took these shots of hummingbirds a couple of evenings ago on my front porch. They are getting a little more accustomed to me. The evening before, I was out back using the garden hose and a little female was just buzzing around the water coming from the hose.

I get a lot of shots of the hummers up in my trees now. I think it's so cute when they start chasing each other around and hear their little squeaks, although, I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned that.

According to the internet, this is a Cecropia Silkworm. I found it crawling up my Maple tree in the back yard. I hope it has a chance to change into the moth before a bird gets it. The moths are beautiful!

This Palomino lives over in Montpelier, along the Salamonie River. He came running over to the fence as soon as I got out of my car to take the picture. I just wish I had enough sense to carry apples for the horses I take pictures of.

These three geese were up on a hill, near a retention pond in Montpelier. I've taken tons of pictures of geese, but thought this was a good one.

This little girl was having a noggin scratch in my cherry tree.

Momma and baby. The robins seem to be the only juvenile birds I see around here.

this is a different baby, slightly younger than the previous one. Note the length of the tails.

Crazy little squirrel in the back yard.

Same squirrel, doing acrobatics after coming down out of the tree.

This shot may look vaguely familiar. I posted a picture very similar to this back in January. It is the same farm, just taken last week.

I took my grandson, Cody, to the park in Montpelier last week. Firemen's River Park. This adorable little kitty was wandering around and came over to me. She was so sweet, but terribly skinny. She just stayed around me and decided to use my over-sized purse/camera bag for shade. I used the graphic pen filter for this effect.

This isn't really a waterfall. It's coming from a pipe running under the road from the gravel quarry. It doesn't run all the time, but I thought it made a good shot, once I cropped the pipe out of the picture.

This is Cody. He will be 4 on August 27th. He had a good time while he was at the park. He had a couple little girls there to play with.

This is Starbucks. If you remember back to April or May, I had the series of pictures of the two horses aggravating each other. This is the one that was inside the round-pen, getting her butt bitten by Buck, the male Paint horse.

Well, some good news. I had a job interview yesterday (Monday). They liked me, so I will be called back for a second interview, probably on Friday. It is a receptionist position. The company is called 1 Industries. They sell janitorial supplies and equipment. Keep your fingers crossed and throw in a prayer or two or three! I hope I get it. The state is jerking me around about giving me my July food stamps. I can't wait till they lose their jobs and have to depend on government handouts, then they will see what it's like, having to wait.

Okay, I believe I'm going to get ready for a shower then bed. This will be early for me! I haven't been getting to bed till around 3:00 a.m. lately and not up till lunch time. I guess that's what depression does to a person. Last night, I got to bed at 3 and up at 9:30. I guess the prospect of a new job is kind of bringing me out of my depression. Check me out of Facebook. The link is on my sidebar. I do post some of the same pictures, but also some different ones. I posted pictures last night of my Kindergarten and first grade classes. Too funny. They are tagged so you can tell which goober is me!

Take care and have a great rest of the week.

Love Ya

Lisa