What Is A Hero Made Of........

YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN.....

Captain Kangaroo passed away on January 23, 2004 at age 76 , which is odd, because he always looked like he was 76. (DOB: 6/27/27 ) His death reminded me of the following story.

Some people have been a bit offended that the actor, Lee Marvin, is buried in a grave alongside 3- and 4-star generals at Arlington National Cemetery ... His marker gives his name, rank (PVT) and service (USMC). Nothing else.

Here's a guy who was only a famous movie star who served his time, why the heck does he rate burial with these guys? Well, following is the amazing answer:

I always liked Lee Marvin, but didn't know the extent of his Corps experiences.




In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed forces often in rear echelon posts where they were carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions, Lee Marvin was a genuine hero. He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima . There is only one higher Naval award... The Medal Of Honor!






If that is a surprising comment on the true character of the man, he credits his sergeant with an even greater show of bravery..

Dialog from 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson': His guest was Lee Marvin, Johnny said, 'Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded.

'Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the bottom and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi. Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys getting' shot hauling you down. But, Johnny, at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew... We both got the Cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. That dumb guy actually stood up on Red beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. Bullets flying by, with mortar rounds landing everywhere and he stood there as the main target of gunfire so that he could get his men to safety. He did this on more than one occasion because his men's safety was more important than his own life.

That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends. When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and passed it to me, lying on my belly on the litter and said, 'Where'd they get you Lee?' 'Well
Bob... If you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse!' Johnny, I'm not lying, Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew.
The Sergeant's name is Bob Keeshan. You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo.'

On another note, there was this wimpy little man (who just passed away) on PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat-proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long-sleeved sweater on TV, to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. He was a mas ter in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat

After the war Mr. Rogers became an ordained Presbyterian minister and therefore a pacifist. Vowing to never harm another human and also dedicating the rest of his life to trying to help lead children on the right path in life. He hid away the tattoos and his past life and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm.
America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did; they quietly go about their day-to-day lives, doing what they do best. They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy.
Look around and see if you can find one of those heroes in your midst.
Often, they are the ones you'd least suspect, but would most like to have on your side if anything ever happened.
Take the time to thank anyone that has fought for our freedom.. With encouragement they could be the next Captain Kangaroo or Mr.Rogers.

545 vs. 300,000,000

545 PEOPLE

By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them...

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing.. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits... The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it..

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red ...

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ, it's because they want them in IRAQ

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees....

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

What you do with this article now that you have read it.......... Is up to you. This might be funny if it weren't so darned true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule?

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts
Anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
Taxes drove me
To my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax...
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge T ax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Sales Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Ser vice FeeTax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge=2 0Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What in the hell happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'
And I still have to 'press 1' for English!?

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 100 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!
GO AHEAD - - - BE AN AMERICAN!!!

Seize The Day !!

ALL WE NEED IS LOVE

AS THE WORLD HATES, WE SHALL SHOW LOVE

If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you John 15:18-19

We live in turbulent times, troubled times, challenging times to say the very least. The news is filled with stories of violent deaths, broken families, financial tragedies, everything pointing to the erosion of our society as we know it. So much hatred in the world from the most obvious such as racism and genocide, to the subtleties of 'off color' humor, or distasteful jokes. All of these actions contribute to the demise of our human race.

For Christians, it seems as if the microscope of scrutiny is placed over us as soon as we announce our faith. Our lives did not get easier once we came to the Lord, it became more apparent that we were going to have to make some tough decisions along the path we had chosen to follow. Despite all of the murmurings, all of the insults, the insinuations, we still have to honor our Lord and Savior and follow his commands.

This is my command: Love each other John 15:17

There is no separation on who we can love; it doesn't say only 'our friends', only 'Christians', only 'our good neighbors', only 'the people we like'. No, it says 'love each other'. Maybe that is why we have prayer, so we can pray to God to give us the strength to love on those that we cannot love, for whatever reason.

Until we can begin to truly love everyone, we are truly being hypocritical. As Jesse Duplantis says, 'the Lord says we have to love everyone, but we don't have to like'em...' I can appreciate that. Let us all hope and pray that we are filled with the same compassion that Jesus had for us, for we were and still are all sinners. He paid the price on the cross for all of us, and we can never repay him.

But then again, maybe if were to follow his commandments, his instructions, his laws...that would be a greater demonstration of our love for Him, than to just say, 'I love Jesus'. To love me is to obey me He said....maybe we should do more of that.

Blessings to all so we may continue to bless others....Aloha ke Akua

ARE YOU READY......

Hurricane Felicia to Tropical Storm Felicia to Tropical Depression Felicia to OK where is this storm anyway??? BUT everyone prepared for the worst because of all of the alerts and information issued by various agencies/entities. We knew because of the National Weather Service, the NOAA, the Hurricane Hunters in their C-140's....we knew what was coming. Everyone raced to City Mill, Home Depot, Loewes, Ace Hardware to get the supplies they needed to 'survive' this storm that is headed out way.

RAPTURE - SALVATION - LIVING FOR TODAY; Worst case scenario, downgraded to the next level, to where we are today. Prepare for the worst but always BE READY!

Are YOU ready for the RAPTURE? 'Keep watch because you do not know on what day the Lord will come' Mat: 24:42

It is human nature and we are all guilty of this at one time or another at some time in our life. We have a life-changing event in our life, someone close to us passes away, we lose our job, we get divorced....the list goes on; the common denominator is that it is a LIFE CHANGING event where we have to sit back evaluate and move forward. For many of us, it is at this time that we have a GOD MOMENT, and we realize that we should be focused on God and not on so much on what is in front of us. So we hear of the Rapture, and either renew or begin our walk with GOD, embrace our SALVATION, and then.............nothing. We lose interest, the pastor's message is not as impactful, our care group gets boring, serving in the ministry becomes mundane and boring....and we revert to just 'living for today'.

We have to constantly be ready for the end times and not let our guard down. We should be telling all of our ohana, our neighbors, our friends, our coworkers, everyone.....that the RAPTURE is coming, but we have the best line of defense for them...SALVATION!!!

I know, we get more worried about a Hurricane that would last for 12 hours at the very most; and yet when it comes to making a decision of where you will live for ETERNITY....it is not as important.

Father God, in the mighty name of Jesus, I ask that you touch upon all of the believers, all of the workers that are here on this Earth, that the end is near and that we need to be PREPARED and we need to PREPARE all of those around us. Let us have the confidence you have placed in us to speak BOLDLY and let all those that we know hear the name of Jesus Christ and that SALVATION is theirs if they so choose. In your precious and matchless name, I thank you for all that You have done, all that You are doing, and all that You will do. AMEN

Rotten Roots Produce Rotten Fruits

John 1:1 ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

I want to thank all of you for waking up in the right mind, the right spirit, and finding the right road to get here today. Like someone once said, get right, get straight or get left.

Today I wanted to focus on something that we have all dealt with at one time or another in our lives, some of us have proclaimed victory, and yet I find myself constantly struggling with this; 'Rotten Roots Produce Rotten Fruits'.

Hebrews 12:14-15 NIV,

¹⁴Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

I want us to focus on something that we all deal with, and that is bitterness. Honestly, can anyone say that they have NEVER been bitter? I didn’t think so; how many of us are honest enough, BOLD ENOUGH, to say that they probably have some bitterness in them? I can, why lie….all of us, and I mean each and every one of us have something to be bitter about.

We have a lot of things to be bitter about, the bitterness of rejection, the bitterness of depression, the bitterness of low self esteem, the bitterness of chemical dependencies, the bitterness of alcoholism, and the bitterness of abuse. You can even go back to when we were all kids…..how about the bitterness of not getting chosen to be on a team, how about the bitterness of jealousy, maybe growing up you didn’t have things that your friends had. Or how about being bitter about your job because you didn’t get the promotion or didn’t get the raise you deserved? How about your spouse…are you bitter because she only nags (in your eyes)? Do you know what the definition of nagging is….being right at the wrong time. Are you bitter towards your kids because they don’t listen, or have they not grown up like you wanted them, or are you bitter because you feel they’re not realizing their full potential..the list goes on and on and on. So many things to be bitter about, it’s like having our personal pity party.

Let’s look at the 2^nd half of the verse, ‘…and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

That root or that seed of bitterness will taint everything you do...everything. Let’s look at it another way, how many of you ever had to pull weeds when you were growing up, like small kid time. You know, when you went to grandma’s house, or if you had to help your parents….funny, kids don’t do that anymore, shoot, everyone is so busy, we have a yardman do that now. But for those of you who can remember pulling weeds, did anyone have to pull out ‘nut’ weeds? Do you know how that weed got it’s name? If you didn’t pull it out by it’s root, it’d drive you nuts. But the best, and I mean the best, way to solve that problem was to ‘pull’ it out. Slowly and gently, if you just yanked it, you’d take the top off, but the root, the ‘nut root’, would still be there and create even more stress.

If you didn’t get the root, it would literally grow up to cause trouble and defile many. If you are not careful, that weed has the potential of ruining your entire lawn, the whole yard…from that one little nut weed. Why is that, because it will grow up to cause trouble…..You had to get the root, the very root of that weed if you even hoped to have a fighting chance. The root was about 2-3 times longer than the weed itself, talk about frustrating. It would drive me nuts, literally, the nut weed would drive me nuts…

Just like how some of us are holding on to that root of bitterness inside of us. When we had the chance to remove that bitter root years ago, we avoided it, it was too hard to do, we’d get to it later, or how about this…..it’ll go away. Yeah right……….

Nothing we do will ever reach the full splendor of God if we keep just a speck of bitterness in our inner core, our relationships with our wife, with our kids, with our coworkers, our ministry,....WE will never fully realize the blessings of God because of that seed, or that root of bitterness has the potential of preventing us from receiving the full blessings from God. Let all of us pray every day for repentence and for the removal of all roots of bitterness in our hearts, so that we may fully realize the blessings of God and continue to live in His favor.

Preserve Your Friendships With Aloha

Preserve Your Friendships

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" Proverbs 27:17

We are living in very, very, challenging times -- the only thing worse is that if we have to go through these tough times alone. Our friends, our close friends can give the emotional support and companionship we need when we are feeling down There is no better time to be with friends than when we feel the walls of the world closing in; a meeting at Jamba Juice or Starbucks can go a long way in saving our sanity sometimes. Some Suggestions.....

Step 1: Who are you? It’s easy to get down on yourself when facing financial problems, but people who feel unworthy of friendship rarely make friends. Like yourself and others will like you, too. Treat yourself right, be kind to yourself.

Monitor negative “self-talk.” When “woulda... coulda... shoulda” thoughts creep into your mind, cut yourself off -- then cut yourself a break. Sure, you’ve made some mistakes (everyone has!), but you also got plenty of things right. Some situations are totally out of your control, downsizing, cutting back, eliminating positions....all of these are out of your control and you are just a byproduct of a down economy. The bottom line is that either you or someone you care for has suffered a setback.

Live according to your own sense of purpose, not to please others but to please God. We like ourselves most when we follow our inner gyroscope and are walking a path pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

Step 2: Become a master of empathy. Empathy is made up of two separate skills -- sympathy and analysis. For most of us, one of these skills comes naturally while the other is more difficult. Typically, women are better at sympathy, men at analysis.

Key: Realize that your natural response is not necessarily the proper one in a particular situation. Before reacting to a friend’s problem, try to determine what sort of response this person wants. Does he/she want your sympathy, or will he consider the attention embarrassing? Does he want a solution to his problem, or would he prefer to solve it on his own?

Example: A friend who has not yet retired tells you about his employer’s increasingly precarious financial condition. If you are a sympathizer, you might focus on his concerns for the future of his job and console him... if you are an analyzer, you might suggest job-hunting techniques that could help him find a more stable employer.

A well-rounded empathizer would express concern about the situation, but listen for indications that the person wants further consolation or potential solutions before saying anything more.

Step 3: Ask for help... and lend a hand without being asked. People like people who ask for their help. It feels good to be needed, and it is flattering to be treated like an expert.

Examples: Ask a friend to help you select a book to read, a play to attend or a bed-and-breakfast for a weekend away. Target a topic this friend is knowledgeable about. Later, compliment the friend on his choice.

Providing help can build friendships as well, but only if you supply help before it is requested. If an acquaintance seems overwhelmed by responsibilities, ask “What can I do to help?” and don’t take no for an answer... or simply show up ready to help when the work is being done. Don’t wait to be asked for your assistance -- people asking for help feel uncomfortable and needy.

Step 4: Learn to listen. People tend to like people who listen to what they say. Listening means genuinely hearing and thinking about what someone else is saying, not just waiting for your chance to speak. You can learn to be an effective listener even if it is not one of your natural skills.

Exercise: When someone tells you a story, imagine that the events are happening to you. This increases the odds that your face will convey appropriate emotions. Make statements that show that you understand the speaker’s feelings and that you consider these feelings reasonable. If you are not certain what the speaker feels, take your best guess, then ask for confirmation.

Example: An acquaintance shares a story about narrowly avoiding an accident caused by a driver in the next lane shaving while looking in his rear-view mirror and traveling at 70 miles an hour.

To be a good listener, don’t prepare your own dumb-driver anecdote in your mind while this acquaintance speaks. Instead, listen and try to sense what emotion the speaker is trying to convey. Is he feeling anger at the other driver? Fear from the near miss? Or does he think the story is humorous? Then respond accordingly.

Step 5: Create shared memories. Shared experiences -- particularly those shared in times of stress -- are what bind friends together. A shortcut to deepen friendships is to create a unique experience that is sure to make a memory. Simply keep your eyes open for opportunities. You may have to spend a few dollars or make a bold move. Just do it! The memories are worth it.

Example: During a trip to Mount St. Helens, I hired a helicopter to take me, my wife and another couple down into the crater. The four of us have become very close and we often talk about that helicopter ride.

Step 6: Compliment early and often. Every time you encounter a friend, offer a compliment within the first 30 seconds. This will get things off to a positive start, and people will associate positive feelings with time spent with you -- increasing the odds that they will want to be around you. Offering compliments is particularly important at times like these when so many people are feeling down about themselves.

Key: Compliments must be honest -- it’s easy to spot insincerity. Comment on a new haircut or an item of clothing... pass along something nice you heard about the person... thank him for information or advice he provided that proved useful.

Example: At a recent dinner party, I told someone that his commitment to fitness had inspired me to exercise more.

Step 7: Become invested in your friend’s future. “What is a big dream of yours?” or “What would you like to accomplish in the next 10 years?” are good conversational questions. They show that you are interested in the person’s goals and dreams -- and allow people to present themselves in any way they like.

On the other hand, “How have you been?” is a particularly iffy question these days. It forces many people to either admit that they are suffering in this weak economy or lie and say that everything is fine. Ask about people’s plans instead, and you allow them to look forward to better times.

Once you know where people want to go in their lives, you may find opportunities to help them on their way.

Examples: Introduce them to potentially useful contacts, or e-mail an article that they may find interesting.

Now you have established an ongoing contact -- which may lead to a true friendship. But you will never know if you don’t take the first step.

BE STILL AND KNOWTHAT I AM GOD Psalms 46:10

We have all been there at one time or another, or imagine this if you will: the kids are screaming, the dog is barking, the phone is ringing, the alarm on the microwave is going off, the tv is blaring and your security system is saying that you have an intruder.....you get the picture...pure CHAOS.

Sometimes, it can just be the hustle and bustle of your daily routine, wake up, shower, brush your teeth, get the kids up, get them breakfast, get them ready, pack their lunch, fix their hair, sign their homework, check your schedule, remember your briefcase, drive the kids to school, drop them off, give your son your last $20 for his class project, your daughter reminding you about hula class, your cel phone ringing and your boss telling you that your 10 am meeting is now a 8 am.......CHAOS, PURE CHAOS.

Where was our time for God, where was the peace we need to stay focused, where was the joy of the Lord. Just as we yell at our kids to 'JUST BE QUIET, BE STILL', is the same way our Heavenly Father is looking down upon us.....just be still, and know that I am God

My prayer today is that all of us may find some time in our day to talk with God, in the quiet time, not inbetween the expresso and scone, but before the manifestations of this world begin, let us begin with the orchestration from God.

Be blessed so you may bless others

AS THE WORLD HATES, WE SHALL SHOW LOVE

If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you John 15:18-19

We live in turbulent times, troubled times, challenging times to say the very least. The news is filled with stories of violent deaths, broken families, financial tragedies, everything pointing to the erosion of our society as we know it. So much hatred in the world from the most obvious such as racism and genocide, to the subtleties of 'off color' humor, or distasteful jokes. All of these actions contribute to the demise of our human race.

For Christians, it seems as if the microscope of scrutiny is placed over us as soon as we announce our faith. Our lives did not get easier once we came to the Lord, it became more apparent that we were going to have to make some tough decisions along the path we had chosen to follow. Despite all of the murmurings, all of the insults, the insinuations, we still have to honor our Lord and Savior and follow his commands.

This is my command: Love each other John 15:17

There is no separation on who we can love; it doesn't say only 'our friends', only 'Christians', only 'our good neighbors', only 'the people we like'. No, it says 'love each other'. Maybe that is why we have prayer, so we can pray to God to give us the strength to love on those that we cannot love, for whatever reason.

Until we can begin to truly love everyone, we are truly being hypocritical. As Jesse Duplantis says, 'the Lord says we have to love everyone, but we don't have to like'em...' I can appreciate that. Let us all hope and pray that we are filled with the same compassion that Jesus had for us, for we were and still are all sinners. He paid the price on the cross for all of us, and we can never repay him.

But then again, maybe if were to follow his commandments, his instructions, his laws...that would be a greater demonstration of our love for Him, than to just say, 'I love Jesus'. To love me is to obey me He said....maybe we should do more of that.

Blessings to all so we may continue to bless others....Aloha ke Akua

It Was By Faith...

'Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.' Heb 11:1-2

It was by faith that Noah built the ark. It was by faith that Abraham obeyed God to leave his home and go to another land. It was by faith that Sara was able to have a child. It was by faith that Abraham offered Issac as a sacrifice. It was by faith that Issac offered blessings to his sons Jacob and Esau. It was by faith that Moses left Egypt. It was by faith that the people of Israel walked the riverbed of the the Red Sea. It was by faith that the people of Israel walked around Jericho for seven days. The list is endless of those that have lived not only for their faith, but because of their faith.

I am ashamed, actually embarrassed....I ask myself, what have I done in faith or by faith lately? Really, we all talk about faith, we sing about faith, we 'act' in faith...but do we really LIVE in faith? Be honest....when I think of living by faith, I envision all of our missionaries because they are truly living by and in faith. I am humbled by their dedication and commitment.

I pray today not only for myself, but for all my brothers and sisters both known and unknown, that we shall live more BY FAITH, and IN FAITH in trusting our Heavenly Father. We don't have to live perfect lives, just live HOLY. Let us all be slow to speak, quick to repent, and even quicker to forgive...then, and only then will we all be on a better path in pleasing our God. Let us live more by faith so we too may earn a good reputation.

Now be blessed so you may be a blessing to others, random acts of aloha or kindness will never go unseen by God. As God has reached out and touched your heart, may you find the compassion and boldness to help someone less fortunate than you this week.

Aloha ke Akua

Do You Remember Joshua.....

Joshua prepared to cross the river Jordan, and the Lord instructed him to gather 12 men from the 12 tribes of Israel to cross the river before the ark of the Lord. The waters would be rescinded and the 12 stones would mark a memorial for all of Israel.

Our challenge today is we forget too many things. What memorials do we have...I can’t even remember what I had for lunch most of the time. With computers, Blackberrys, Crackberrys, PDA’s, Treo’s, laptops, cel phones…we ALLOW OURSELVES to forget things. We don’t have to think because we have all of this ‘time saving’ technological gadgets to help us ‘remember’.

So what is my point…my point is God wanted Joshua and the people of Israel to REMEMBER the events that had taken place and to NOT FORGET what had happened. We as the children of God act like children more often than naught, and we should be ashamed of ourselves. We forget, we fail to remember, we become distracted on all of the WONDERFUL things that God has done for us. How many of you have been delivered by the grace of God in a financial struggle? How many of you have been delivered from a sickness or health problem by the grace of God? How many of you have been delivered from a challenging situation by the grace of God? Did you tell your kids about it? Did you tell them how they need to be faithful to the Creator of Heaven an Earth? Did you tell your friends, not your church friends, but your work friends, your soccer mom friends, your little league friends, your AYSO friends…did you tell them how Great our God is? And you sit there and ask yourself why our children do not know God? Remember this if nothing else today, Know God Know Peace, No God No Peace. That is one of my all time favorite bumper stickers……all time.

So what happens during a drought and the river Jordan begins to rescind and dry up; what do the people see? They see the memorial that God had instructed Joshua to build at the river bed...to remind them of God's awesome power. Those stones symbolized that God will never forsake us, even when the outlook is bleak, He will once again do mighty things for His people. We forget how great and awesome our God is too quickly.

We All Need Somebody....

Check this link out....

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=92498347764&h=wGU10&u=I7MZw

I LOVE THIS CLIP....SO AWESOME....One song, one voice, one prayer. We all need somebody, sometime, somewhere...we are not just islands floating in the ocean of life...we are all connected....through the one and only JESUS CHRIST, and the sooner we get it, the sooner we'll get it.

No matter who you are, now matter where you go, you'll need somebody to stand by you. We were not created to walk this Earth by ourselves, God gave us a companion, he gave us someone that we would have by our side. In our society today, it seems more and more the norm that you have to 'act' to be 'somebody'....it's 'all about me' runs rampant with our teenagers today. Kids today all want to 'grow up' as fast as they can, at the sacrifice of losing the innocence of their youth. Why is it we can't wait to get older, and then when we get older, we spend our time chasing the fountain of youth....makes you think.

As Jesus surrounded himself with his disciples, to love on, to teach and then to send out to preach the Good Word, they were His family. Firm discipline combined with compassionate love helped each of them grow as men of God, and go forth to spread the Gospel. Like our family, we too should take the lead and do the same. Make the time to be with your kids, go to the park, watch the sun set or count the clouds in the sky. It's OK to be bored, to let your mind wander, so you can dream....how many of us still know how to dream, or is that just too childish?

There will come a time, maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but there will come a time in your life that we will all need somebody, and may we be there to support each other. God is always with us, but sometimes a BIG ANGEL HUG can make a world of difference. Go in peace with the blessing of our Lord

Daddy, You're The Greatest

What sweet music to my ears, when I hear my daughter Isabella say those words.....'daddy, you're the greatest'.... That is all we as men, as fathers need to hear from their children, an acknowledgement of who we are, what we are, and what we stand for.

"Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" Ephesians 5:25

The greatest and most important thing that any father can do for his children is to love their mother. As in the scripture above, Christ gave the ultimate sacrifice for the church, and ultimately for us. How many of us love our wives wholeheartedly that we would do the same...don't answer that, just think about it. This is the same woman that honored you with giving her life to you, for better or for worse; the same woman that has put up with all of your antics over the years; the same woman that has birthed your children and raised them with you; the same woman that has believed in you from day one; the same woman that would go without, so that your children may have; the same woman that manages the household 365 days a year, a tireless and thankless task; the same woman that still looks at you with eyes filled with love and happiness...the same woman that made a vow to be your wife.

Men, when did we get so arrogant, when did we forget all of the shared struggles and battles we had, when did we begin to think it was all about 'me', and not about HIM? Men, when did we begin to take our wives for granted and forget to wake up with a joyful heart and to go to sleep with a grateful heart because the Lord blessed us with an angel? Men, when did we think that we became 'PLAYERS' and forgot about our Daily 'PRAYERS'?

Funny, as I get older, it seems that the Lord has not gotten weary of constantly repeating himself to me, and has not given up on banging my head with his ever so Holy 2' x 4'. As men we are such creatures of habit, and yet even when we know that what we are doing is not the best choice....we continue to do it. Why is that? I implore all men who are married.....do the right thing....Love on your wife, so that your children may see you as 'the greatest daddy. One day every man will answer to God for his actions, all of his actions, and that frightens me. True, we cannot make up for the past, but we can ask for forgiveness and make the future better, with God, by God and for God. I will continue to pray for all of the husbands and fathers out there, that by God's grace, you can come into alignment for your assignment, and that God will have favor over you.

A Fatherless Society

We Live In a Fatherless World

There are many factors that create a sense of fatherlessness in our society. Over 50% of children in North America will grow up at some point in a single parent home. 1/3 of live births are to unmarried women. Over one million men with children under 18 are in prison. And every year, thousands of children lose their fathers prematurely due to untimely accidents and illnesses

The end result is that millions of children do not a have father living in their home. The absence of a father's love impacts every area of the life of our communities. Fatherless children are 2-5 times more likely to drop out of school. 75% of people in drug abuse centers come from fatherless homes. And the statistics continue to mount daily.

Most gang members do not have a father in the home. 90% of homeless and run away teens come from fatherless homes. 71% of teen pregnancies are of children of single parents. 75% of all teen suicides are to children of single parents. Children of single parent homes are 2-3 times more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems. And 85% of all youth in prisons grew up in a fatherless home.

Statistics do not lie:

Statistics clearly state that the absence of a father's love in a home, dramatically increases the chance for the children to drop out of school, to have emotional and behavioral problems, abuse drugs, run away from home and commit crimes that lead to prison. While it would be ideal if all of the hurting fathers would return to their homes and take their rightful God given place, the reality of this happening is remote, if not impossible.

FATHERLESS CHILDREN GROW UP TO BE FATHERLESS ADULTS

IT IS A GENERATIONAL CURSE, THAT WE HAVE TO REVERSE