A MATTER OF WAITING AND KNOWING

3PM (2PM Central)At this moment my sister is waiting for the required 2 hours after ingesting dye to determine what is the nature of the growth on her ovary. After a routine check-up yesterday the sonogram indicated a mass there. They're going to inject something called "Contrast" into her veins and this with the dye will give the doctors a clear view of her entire lower region.

I believe that God has already given us a clear and clean report on our lives. He says that "He holds all things in His hands", and that "nothing in the world can hurt us". This is where my faith and trust and hope lie. I believe that God has all things in His control, and that since nothing surprises Him, and all things are held tightly in His control, then we are not blown away by life's events. All things are simply in His plans. He chooses to include us in them, and bless us in them .

This is where my faith and trust lie. Pray for my sister, please.

UPDATE 6PM (5PM CST):

My sister is home. We have to wait 24-48 hours for the results of the scan to come in. She's naseous because of the liquid that she had to ingest. So now we wait and believe God.

UPDATE: Everything is great! The report has come back that there are no abnormalities or tumors. Ellen is in fine shape. Rejoice with me, my brethren. As you might imagine, my mother is the happiest of all. If you want to hear something cute, give me a call and I'll play you her message to me on my phone machine.

HAVE WE GOTTEN TOO BIG FOR GOD?

We live in a post-industrial age and man can look back on his past and revel in his vast accomplishments. He forges ahead with plans and goals that stupify the imagination. Man basks in his glory and is lifted up in worldly pride.

Man's intellect tells him that we are preeminent on this planet. Man sees himself as the highest in intelligence and at the pinnacle of glory.

And what if anything is he missing?

Is he any happier after all that he has accomplished? Is he more at peace than at anytime in his history? Has what he has brought about allowed him to draw any lasting conclusions? Is he safer? Is his world closer to a dignified unity?

By all accounts man, in spite of his impressive history, has flubbed it up. He has brought down upon himself a misery that he tries in every way to shake off. Though he has labored from sun up to sun down, he is no closer to realizing any true happiness. Man is as distant from his true purpose as he can get. He has strayed, he has gone away, he has not fulfilled his destined hope of realizing mortal satisfaction. And all because man sees himself as merely a physical being with intellect and self-proposed purpose. He denies that he is anything other than a creation of his own doing.

Man needs more. He must reach beyond himself. He must cease looking only within for what is right and good. Man was created in the image of his Creator, and the more that he resists and struggles to exercise this knowledge from his consciousness the more miserable he will become. He will in vain seek to fulfill a destiny without heavenly direction and he will be the more miserable for it. Unless he surrenders his will and bows his heart to He who has called his name more and more miserable will he become.

The God of Heaven calls,
The God of Heaven pleads,
The God of Heaven reaches,
The God of Heaven waits

I SHALL NOT FEAR

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shallI fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom shall I be afraid? ...Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day...I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about...But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine...I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me...11But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee...Blessed [is] the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is...

HOW LITTLE WE NEED

For years I was a backpacker. I really enjoyed getting into the woods by myself, and spending a day or two learning about my wild surroundings. Something that I learned early on in my excursions has stayed with me to this day. When one is in the wild you learn not how much you need to survive and thrive, but how little. In order to be mobile and more efficient one needs to pack lightly and be smart about what you carry in or to cover the most ground.

It is the same with our walk with God. We learn not how much we need in order to serve Him and live with Him, but how very little. In fact the Word gives us a clue as to what that is. We are told over and over to "Have faith in God". Faith should be the only weight that we carry in our daily life. It connects us to a living God and allows us to hear His voice. Faith keeps us on the right path and is a very light load to carry. If we have faith then God will carry all the rest. He'll carry the worry, our health, our financial concerns, our righteousness, our relationships. Only His shoulders are strong enough to carry the load of our life.

Let's give Him control. Let Him carry your pack. Have faith.

THE EVIL THAT MEN DO - Crime and Punishment

What right has one man to take the life of another? Are some humans so bereft of any sense of decency that killing another human being means absolutely nothing to them? All over America people are killing each other at an ever increasing rate. What are we coming to? Will the killing fields of America lose their red stain?

Why do people kill? That is a question more easily answered than it should be. For some, it is because they feel that they are justified. The others are simply out of control. And who is blame ultimately? Ultimately, it is the person who kills. But the killer has many accessories to the crime. Our society, with its declining moral structure and decaying placement of value on human life, is just as guilty. Why do people kill so impulsively, and seemingly without hesitation or secondary thought? It is because in the United States of America punishments no longer fit the crimes.

Murder, in thousands of communities everyday, has become a byword. It is the second, or the third segment on the evening news broadcast. It hardly causes a pricked ear, or momentary pang. It has become an integral, expected part of our daily life.

If we were to deal with murder as aggressively as it deserves (like we used to in this formerly civilized society) then the murder rate would be practically non-existent. But we have become soft, and understanding and empathetic. Criminals have become objects of pity, not of scorn or reprehension. When we deal with them, it is with kid gloves, and forbearance, always under the ever watchful, reprimanding eye of the American Civil Liberties Union.Though these animals, who by right, give up their right to basic human rights by killing without conscience, and deserve the worst punishment possible, are placed into clean, safe, comfortable rooms with others just like them and fed three meals a day (more than many hardworking, honest folk), given cable television, computer access and telephone privileges. They're even allowed to marry!

Hell, who wouldn't want this kind of paradise?! No wonder the murder rate is as high as it is.

As you might have guessed, I am a strong supporter of capital punishment, the ultimate and final punishment for those who kill. And why? Doesn't killing a hardened and heartless killer make us the killer? No, of course not. And anyone that thinks that has no understanding of human nature or Society's responsibility to protect itself. Our justice system, carrying the demands of the legislative system, has been crippled by liberal thinkers, who are more concerned with the rights of the individual criminal than with our society at large. Judges feel that they are constrained to issue limited (milquetoast) sentences because their sentencing guidelines are written by Appellate Courts headed by the most liberal judges that our nation has ever seen.

Killers kill because they have never been given a reason not to! They don't think twice about killing because they know, consciously or unconsciously, that it'll be no big deal if they're caught. Nothing gives them pause. It is not now in our national consciousness that if you kill, you die. It is merely unspokenly assumed that if you murder someone, the punishment will in no way reflect the heinous act that you have committed.

I know without any doubt why murder continues uninterrupted and at such an alarmingly rate in this country. It is because simply, we are not pissed off enough yet. How many children have to die at the hands of known and chronic child molesters until our united national outrage demands appropriate action? More and more and more until the monsters who prey upon the weakest and most dependent in our society have it in their heads that if they hurt a child, then their life will be over!

And what will happen, I ask, when we apply this principle upon a few dozen transgressors, those that assume that we're not serious, and we put them to death in a public forum for all to see and witness? Those who are inclined to kill, or who are contemplating killing, most probably will not. And the murder rate will decrease dramatically and maybe even dissapear!

Details: A person is found guilty of murder by a reasonable judge or a jury of respectable citizens. The guilty party, if he maintains his innocence, has one appeal. If this request is turned down, or if they are again found guilty, then they are put to death according to law. The punishment should take place no later than one week after judgement so that the national consciousness is maintained, so that there is a clear connection between a person's crime and their punishment.

America, which used to be the land of the free and the home of the brave, craves a return to a time where doors could remain unlocked, and our children could roam in their own yards, without the fear that our most precious possession, our life, can be taken cruelly away.

ITS BECOMING MY FAVORITE SANDWICH

I ask you not to judge me by what I eat, but by the content of my character.

While I cannot claim to have invented this sandwich, per se, I can claim to have adapted it to my personal taste. And I wonder, even as I type, if it is worthy of its own post.

Everyone has heard of a bologna and peanut butter sandwich. But has anyone heard of a fried egg and peanut butter sandwich? You heard it right. This is a combination that was introduced to me years ago by my spiritual father and mentor, Michael Hurst and his family. You drop an egg into a hot pan, break the yoke, and let it fry hard. Add that and some natural peanut butter to some quality bread and you have a delicious and nutritious meal.

But, if you know me, it can't end there. I have expanded it to make it what some might declare a dietary nightmare, but what I consider pure heaven: A bologna, peanut butter, fried egg and mustard sandwich. I've combined the old classics to make a new classic. Call it a ‘BRIAN' or a ‘CARTER' or call it whatever you want. I call it breakfast. And its time for breakfast right now.

(what would happen if I add onion...)

AS REQUESTED...

* FIVE THINGS I PLAN TO DO:

Travel through Europe. (If they'll let me in.)

Skydive. (Who wants to be my beneficiary?...bids start now!)

Buy a car that's newer than 10 years old. (No more Dusters for me)

Open a bookstore with weekly poetry readings and coffee shoppe. (Notice the European spelling.)

Help Bruce clean off his desk.

FIVE THINGS I CAN DO:

Negotiate a lower price. (Thanks to my distant Jewish heritage.)

Read quickly.

Play tennis well. (When my knees permit me.)

Fix certain things on my car. ("Can you hand me that left-handed monkey wrench?")

Appreciate Bruce's photography.

* FIVE THINGS I CANNOT DO:

Draw a nice picture. (And it really ticks me off!)

Be serious for over an hour. (Unless I'm sleeping. And even then I'm working on my timing.)

Type without making mistakes. (Made you look!)

Run like I used to. (I could run like a rabid monkey!)

See Bruce in the dark.

* FIVE THINGS THAT ATTRACT ME TO OTHERS:

The smell of food.

Warmth and a genuine personality.

If they have the spirit of Jesus.

Good or great laugh. (Like George's...I love when he laughs)

When they invite Bruce and me for a ride on their boat.

* FIVE THINGS I SAY MOST OFTEN

"Good morning". (Even when its afternoon or evening)

"Be well" (And I often mean it)

"See ya later"

"See ya Tuesday" (As a joke to those who complain that they hardly see me)

"I will not panic! I will not panic!" (Whenever I'm on a boat that is being piloted by Bruce.)

* FIVE CELEBRITY CRUSHES

A young Katherine Hepburn. (Though she was probably 5" taller than I)

Embeth Davis. (From Bicentennial Man..she is beautiful and gracious)

A young Maureen O'Hara (can you tell I watch TCM?)

Demi Moore (before she posed nude while pregnant)

Ashton Kutcher (please tell me he's not pretty!) - Besides he's married to Demi.

THE EVIL THAT MEN DO II

Jeremiah says, "The heart is deceitful and wicked above all things who can know it?" The farther that we get from the knowledge of God, the more severe will be our hatreds and our actions. As a nation and a world we're trying with all of our might to expunge from our conscience the reality of God. We cover our need with self-destructive behavior and violence and hatred toward other people. And no matter how hard we try and rail against good, we can never fully silence that voice that calls from heaven.

How long will we "kick against the pricks?" How far are we willing to go to forget who made us? Are there enough lives to destroy to satisfy our bloodlust? Is there enough alcohol or enough drugs in the world to quiet our spirit? Why can't we surrender and believe?

"Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Jesus

REAL MEN...

REAL MEN...smoke a lot....drink every night...go to bars...don't take no shit offa nobody...watch football every Sunday...ignore their kids ‘cept to kick their ass...beat their wives when they need it...hunt...swear a lot...ignore their physical pain...work like a sonuvabitch...believe in God but don't do nothin' about it...chase a little tail...don't believe in those damn doctors...die at around 56.

MMM...MMM...NASTY!

I have decided that this blog will also include restaurant reviews. I love food (maybe a bit too much) and so it makes sense that I make my repastic discoveries known.

First off, El Toro Mexican Restaurant. Located at 400 Adams St, Rochester, Pa.

I went there this past Sunday, after seeing Corpse Bride (the movie only lasts an hour and wasn't worth the $5.50) , because a Mexican Restaurant in Beaver County is VERY rare. Mexican food is one cuisine for which I hunger constantly. There are terrific places in the Mid-West where I used to live and got very used to eating quality tex-mex. Got there around 6PM and the place wasn't crowded at all. Maybe 2/3rds of the tables had patrons.

They seated me quickly and pleasantly, but I didn't like the table cuz' it was against the wall and offered no view of anything. So I asked to be moved to a table I liked that offered a view of the kitchen and had a little foot traffic. I never like to feel as if I'm stuck in some forgotten corner of the restaurant jut because I'm eating alone.

The place looks terrific with nice authentic decorations and a real Latin atmosphere replete with Mexican music. All employees are obviously Latin so I had high hopes for what was to come.

First the chips and salsa. The chips are like ones you get at any other Mexican restaurant. The salsa however is unlike any other. It was mostly water with a few chunks of tomato, onion and cilantro. Not exactly a great start.

The menu has all the classics, the finer beef, pork & chicken dishes along with everyone's favorites: enchiladas, tacos, tostados and fajitas, and even fried ice-cream.

I ordered the Super Enchilada with shredded beef which comes with rice and refried beans. (I figured I would try the common, poor man's dish first, and if they got that right, then I would come back and order the more expensive dishes).

Within 5 minutes (microwaved no doubt) the platter was in front of me, and I was immediately struck by two things: Rosie was right, the portions were meager, and everything looked really thin. To explain, the beans were more like a cheap prison bean soup, and the sauce over the enchilada was more like red water than a sauce or a gravy. And the taste of this goopy mess was as thin as the consistency.

Within 3 minutes I had consumed my $7.25 meal and had the check in hand. I always find it interesting that the cashiers at the worst restaurants never ask you how you enjoyed your meal. Maybe they instictively know your answer, or worse, just don't care. Some bad places count on one-visit customers only and last 2 or 3 years at most when the bad word-of-mouth finallly catches up to them. El-Toro just might be one of those places.

I won't be back, cuz I don't think that there's anything to go back to.

Can't someone PLEASE open a Carlos O'Kelly's here in Pittsburgh?!!

2PM Addendum:

I've talked to 3 other people since this post who have been to El Toro and each give a resounding YUCK to this sham of a restaurant. Dave, my buddy at the Post Office, has been there 3 times, just to give them a fair shake, and said that he just can't stand the food, and has no intention to go back.