So I've heard a couple of songs recently that have caught my attention. They both happen to be by a realitively new band called 33 miles. They are out of Franklin, Tennessee and seek to be edifying to the whole church not merely a specific age group. Several of you happy readers will like them better than 3rd Day and MercyMe as they are a much more acustic/guitar group, not so rock -ish sounding.

The two songs are "Thank You" and "What Could Be Better" and you can hear them both here.

I like "Thank You" because it is a great way of saying how many of us really start the day with a prayer, and continue that mentality throughout the day, not just to bug God like 3 year olds do with there parents, can we have this, will you fix that; BUT also to say "Thank YOU!" for everything.

"What Could Be Better" is pretty simple as well, it just says what could possibly be better than seeing Jesus face to face? Personally I can't imagine anything could be better than that, and I can't wait what about you?

I finished reading Persuasion by Jane Austen tonight. Once again I am humbled by the outlook on life of another. A friend of Anne, our heroine, is in very dire straights (especially for a women in that day and time) never allows the situation to dampen her spirits. Mrs. Clay remains industrious with her hands, since she cannot travel as a cripple; and she also remains positive. (For those of you who have read the book, will realize what a stark difference this makes with most of the other characters that surround Anne, particularly her sister Mary.) Even more telling to me is that God is attributed as the giver of this most desired gift, a positive and happy, even a contented spirit.

It makes me quite ashamed when I lamment being ever so far from home, and allow such seemingly mild physical ailments, in comparison with Mrs. Clay, bring me down. I cannot believe the good patience of my husband in dealing with me. But please, rather read what Miss Austen has to say (in Volume II, Chapter V, or Chapter 17 depending on your volume)...

"She was a widow, and poor. Her husband had been extravagant; and at his death, about two years before, had left his affairs dreadfully involved. She had had difficulties of every sort to contend with, and in addition to these distresses, had been afflicted with a severe rheumatic fever, which finally settling in her legs, had made her for the present a cripple. She had come to Bath on that account, and was now in lodgings near the hot-baths, living in a very humble way, unable even to afford herself the comfort of a servant, and of course almost excluded from society.

...

Anne found in Mrs. Smith the good sense and agreeable manners which she had almost ventured to depend on, and a disposition to converse and be cheerful beyond her expectation. Neither the dissipations of the past--and she had lived very much in the world, nor the restrictions of the present; neither sickness nor sorrow seemed to have closed her heart or ruined her spirits.

In the course of a second visit she talked with great openness, and Anne's astonishment increased. She could scarcely imagine a more cheerless situation in itself than Mrs. Smith's. She had been very fond of her husband,--she had buried him. She had been used to affluence,--it was gone. She had no child to connect her with life and happiness again, no relations to assist in the arrangement of perplexed affairs, no health to make all the rest supportable. Her accommodations were limited to a noisy parlour, and a dark bed-room behind, with no possibility of moving from one to the other without assistance, which there was only one servant in the house to afford, and she never quitted the house but to be conveyed into the warm bath.--Yet, in spite of all this, Anne had reason to believe that she had moments only of languor and depression, to hours of occupation and enjoyment. How could it be?--She watched--observed--reflected--and finally determined that this was not a case of fortitude or of resignation only.--A submissive spirit might be patient, a strong understanding would supply resolution, but here was something more; here was that elasticity of mind, that disposition to be comforted, that power of turning readily from evil to good, and of finding employment which carried her out of herself, which was from Nature alone. It was the choicest gift of Heaven; and Anne viewed her friend as one of those instances in which, by a merciful appointment, it seems designed to counterbalance almost every other want."

Many of you may have heard about the recent insanity of the West Coast Courts, trying to parents that they don't have the right to homeschool their children. Even Chuck Norris had something to say about that,

"Friends, while you keep one eye on our national borders, you might keep the other on your state’s. If academic corruption is easily conceived in California, how long will it take to crawl to your state line?

My warning to such creeping companies of corruption is this: Best not to test Texas. If you thought we fought hard for the Alamo, wait until you see what we can do for academia. You can hide your sleaze behind No. 2 pencils, but our branding irons will find your tail sides."

You can read his column here on the recent California decision...

Gary has requested that I put up a prayer list so that we can more easily exchange the name of those who are in special need of prayer. If you will notice to your left, underneath the picture of us at the Fellowship Meeting, it is now up. I'm sure that I will continue to give further information as new names are added. Hopefully we will be able to find a way to do it, where anyone can post a Prayer Request there, but until then please feel free to let us know, and we will update it.

A note on one of the names up there. Parker Allen is the son of one of my teachers in school. He's a bit younger than me, and was in a bad wreak last week near Auburn. They still aren't sure what happened, what they do know is that the weather was bad and some how the car ended up wrapped around a utility pole. This happened last Wed (3/5), on Tuesday he came out of the coma, and his parents have been able to talk with him a bit. There are many things to worry about, he is on a ventilator and can't breathe on his own, they are unsure of the level of brain damage that may be involved, and they are having some problems with medication. HOWEVER, his leg (which was mostly shattered) seems to be on the mend, better than they expected in a week, and he is no longer in a coma. His mother has remarked, that they can feel the presence of the Lord there, and they are greatful for all the people praying for them and Parker. So if you would, please keep them in your prayers.

I have a great friend from singing school, she isn't PB but she is a very Godly minded person, and if I'm not mistaken, she's homeschooled. Her name is Abby and she has a new website, that if you have a few minutes to check out and leave her thoughts or sign her questbook, I'm sure she would greatly appreciate it.

Her most recent post is about a startling trend. California has just in effect made it illegal to homeschool if the parent doing the homeschooling is not a certified teacher. Please go check it out.

How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments.

Benjamin Franklin

Someone please tell me what politics is coming to in this country? A new chapter in the Hillary vs. Obama fight for the nomination has been brough to my attention. Superdelegates are famous people (ex-presidents, sentors, etc) that are allowed to vote for the Democratic nomination and by casting their support one way or the other, can help influence the common vote. Due to affirmative action Obama as a black man will get anyway from half to all of the superdelegate votes that have not already been pledged. Hillary on the other hand wants at least 23 of the votes that have not already been pledged because she is a woman and women are paid on average 23 cents per dollar less than men.

Apparently the candidates are now taking rules orginially passed with the intention of protecting a group of people (not I used the word intention here, I do not believe that Affirmative Action or the modern version of Women's Rights are remotely helpful) and are using them to prevert the will of roughly half of the American people. For more see here...

Whatever happened to the concept first of statesmen? Not professional politicians but statesmen. I think that perhaps Stephan A. Douglas was one of the last. Do you know what happened when he lost the race for President to Abraham Lincoln on November 6, 1860. He spent the remaining 7 months till his death on June 6, 1861, traveling all over the South in an attempt to convince the states that session wasn't the answer. He made alot of pragmatic decisions, while trying to be everything to everyone, but in the end, he worked himself to death in an attempt to save the Union, not caring that it was going to be the end of his political career. That's the difference in a statesman and a politician, one does what is right, what is best for his country, and the other only does what will get him into and keep him in office.

Now, I don't believe that this country is or should be a democracy, however, without true statesmen I don't believe that a republic will (or perhaps even should) long endure. This country was founded as a Republic. One that would take into consideration the peoples wishes and ideas, but be governed by a knowledgable and ultimately responsible elite. Those who could and would take the time to be informed on all issues and to act on issues in the way that was moral right and of greatest benifit to this country. Those men (and occasionally their influential and outspoken wives) were not by any means in agreement on all the issues, but it was a different mindset. This was put into place, because it was easy to see that democracy will lead to mob rule without checks just as an elite few ruling can quickly turn into a dictatorship of the rich and powerful. This was done because it was understood that for the most part the people would not or could not make good decisions because they were not informed. Let's be brutally honest, do we take the time to indepthly explore all the issues and come to a decision based on what is right and what is best for this country?

However, if we are going to follow democratic tendancies in this country (little d means type of government as opposed to big D being a party) the people should be allowed their choice. That means not thwarting their opinion by rediculous laws like affirmative action. All affirmative action is today, had has been for several decades now, is reverse descrimination. You have two kids equal in all respects trying to get into college, who do you take the white kid or the black. Colleges will take the black, because they are required to fullfil a racial quota. I believe that women and men in the workplace who do equal work should receive equal pay; however, my question becomes if their quality of work is equal. I don't care what gender, race, or anything else you are you desire to be rewarded based on your merits, not your condition.

My father taught me that work ethic was important. No matter how I was being treated, how much I was being paid, who my boss was, that whatever job I had I was to do to the very best of my ability, because my contract wasn't based on those other things, it was agreed that I would fullfil all of these requirements and be paid x amount. The role of President is no different. You present your merits to the people, and they make a decision hopefully based on what is morally right, and what is best for this country. They won't all agree, but when it's over you play by the rules.

As I finished reading Mandfield Park last night (to myself, not aloud), I have one final observation, before happily returning to the year 2008. Fanny is a delightful character. While, sometimes you want her to grow up a little and get a harder skin, she is amazingly gentle and thinks nothing of herself. Our main problem in life isn't that we think too poorly of ourselves, but that we think too much of ourselves. Infact, that's pretty much what Bro. Buddy preached on a few weeks ago. Reading of how Fanny never thinks enough of herself to be offended reminds me of a verse, Philippians 2:3, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."

(This is found in Chapter 2, or Volume I, Chapter II)
Fanny, with all her faults of ignorance and timidity, was fixed at Mansfield Park, and learning to transfer in its favour much of her attachment to her former home, grew up there not unhappily among her cousins. There was no positive ill–nature in Maria or Julia; and though Fanny was often mortified by their treatment of her, she thought too lowly of her own claims to feel injured by it.

(This is found in Chapter 28 or Volume II, Chapter X)
She had hoped to have William all to herself the last morning. It would have been an unspeakable indulgence. But though her wishes were overthrown, there was no spirit of murmuring within her. On the contrary, she was so totally unused to have her pleasure consulted, or to have anything take place at all in the way she could desire, that she was more disposed to wonder and rejoice in having carried her point so far, than to repine at the counteraction which followed.

For Christmas, Mother gave me all of Jane Austin's works, a set of books, often checked out of our public library, but someone never personally acquired by myself. There is an excelent observation that she makes on reading in Mansfield Park (Chapter 37 or Volume III, Chapter III, depending on your book). The first quote is about the skillful reading of Shakespeare by Mr. Crawford for the first time in many years, and the second quote is on the woeful state of reading aloud by the country at large. I only observe this to say 1) what sad condition does a nation fall into which has no skill at reading, and 2) what a wonderful gift it is.

Crawford took the volume. “Let me have the pleasure of finishing that speech to your ladyship,” said he. “I shall find it immediately.” And by carefully giving way to the inclination of the leaves, he did find it, or within a page or two, quite near enough to satisfy Lady Bertram, who assured him, as soon as he mentioned the name of Cardinal Wolsey, that he had got the very speech. Not a look or an offer of help had Fanny given; not a syllable for or against. All her attention was for her work. She seemed determined to be interested by nothing else. But taste was too strong in her. She could not abstract her mind five minutes: she was forced to listen; his reading was capital, and her pleasure in good reading extreme. To good reading, however, she had been long used: her uncle read well, her cousins all, Edmund very well, but in Mr. Crawford’s reading there was a variety of excellence beyond what she had ever met with. The King, the Queen, Buckingham, Wolsey, Cromwell, all were given in turn; for with the happiest knack, the happiest power of jumping and guessing, he could always alight at will on the best scene, or the best speeches of each; and whether it were dignity, or pride, or tenderness, or remorse, or whatever were to be expressed, he could do it with equal beauty. It was truly dramatic. His acting had first taught Fanny what pleasure a play might give, and his reading brought all his acting before her again; nay, perhaps with greater enjoyment, for it came unexpectedly, and with no such drawback as she had been used to suffer in seeing him on the stage with Miss Bertram.

Edmund watched the progress of her attention, and was amused and gratified by seeing how she gradually slackened in the needlework, which at the beginning seemed to occupy her totally: how it fell from her hand while she sat motionless over it, and at last, how the eyes which had appeared so studiously to avoid him throughout the day were turned and fixed on Crawford—fixed on him for minutes, fixed on him, in short, till the attraction drew Crawford’s upon her, and the book was closed, and the charm was broken. Then she was shrinking again into herself, and blushing and working as hard as ever; but it had been enough to give Edmund encouragement for his friend, and as he cordially thanked him, he hoped to be expressing Fanny’s secret feelings too.

...

The subject of reading aloud was farther discussed. The two young men were the only talkers, but they, standing by the fire, talked over the too common neglect of the qualification, the total inattention to it, in the ordinary school–system for boys, the consequently natural, yet in some instances almost unnatural, degree of ignorance and uncouthness of men, of sensible and well–informed men, when suddenly called to the necessity of reading aloud, which had fallen within their notice, giving instances of blunders, and failures with their secondary causes, the want of management of the voice, of proper modulation and emphasis, of foresight and judgment, all proceeding from the first cause: want of early attention and habit; and Fanny was listening again with great entertainment.

I haven't posted in sometime other than the prayer request, because other than being sick, there really hasn't been much going on. However, today something exciting came in the mail, a big box of cds that I ordered.

We recently had to buy a new computer. The old one finally took all the stress it could take, and will no longer manage all the programs that I need it to for work. One of the more annoying things that it did in it's last few months of life, is that it got into a fight with my itunes while looking for more space, and deleted one of the folders. Leaving me with alot of music that had to be completely reloaded. The one minor problem is that I had a number of cds that friends had loaded on for me to check out, or that I loaded on to it that actually belonged to my brothers. My thinking was that if I actually liked the stuff I would eventually get around to buying the cds, and if not I just deleted it off. In reality, I haven't managed to buy that many of the cds, and now I'm almost musicless.

The biggest loss was that it erased most of my Contempory Christian, which in my experience is harder to find on cds in stores. The best of that stuff was pretty much every cd that Third Day put out. I orginally got all of these from my dear friend (who is no longer South of me) when I first started listening to some of this type of music. Happily I ordered them all (at a discounted rate) from their website last week and they arrived today. The one downer, I couldn't order Southern Tracks, because it was a limited release in 1999. Maybe I need to borrow it... :)

On another note, I was able to see MercyMe in concert on Saturday night at the Strawberry Festival, it was pretty amazing. They even sang So Long Self (you know the one from the previous post.)

First, Bro. Buddy went home yestserday. He is still pretty tired, but they have him on some pain medication, some antibotics for the infections, and are planning to do a colonoscopy in six weeks. They were not able to do one in the hospital already because they were afraid of rupturing his colon.

Secondly, Mom continues to inprove. Today she is going to town, getting out of the house and driving on her own for the first time since the surgery. She's already ordered all of us to stop bringing her food, and carry it to the Abernathy's instead.

Nextly, the plague has been going around down here, aka some version of the flu/stomache bug. Several have been sick last week I was sick for about 12 hours, and was feeling tired in the morning until this morning. Gary was pretty sick for a couple of days. Abel has been sick for about a week, and as of last night Sara seems to have caught it. (I've moved on to the Abernathy's now.) Hopefully everyone will be back to normal in the next few days.