Another Man's Meat says it for me.

Phil Dillon of Another Man's Meat has said what I have felt but did not take the time to put into words. Good thing I didn't because he has said it so eloquently had I attempted the words his post would have made me look bad.

He titled the post, "The Center Must Hold"
Phil shows a concern about the criticism by both religious and political zealots over the Katrina disaster. - God is punishing the U.S. because of Yada, yada, yada... - Bush did not sign the Kyoto Treaty so Yada, yada, yada...


Phil is on vacation but he left us with a wonderful post. If he can access the internet he may visit the blogosphere before he gets back home but doesn't plan on it.

First we are shown through the forgotten/often ignored second half of the story of Jonah that Man should be concerned for man and not put his selfish interests first. Jonah cared more about a plant than he cared about a city full of people. Are there any people around us today like that?

Then Phil tells us of another vacation he was on when tragedy struck America. He shares some of his reaction to 9-11 and sees the similarities not in the cause but in the effect.

I felt the following paragraph to be poignant.

I understand the anger and the frustration that comes at tragic times like these. I felt the same frustration and helplessness four years ago that feel now. But I believe the appropriate way to express that anger and frustration now is to pray and to give. The time for criticism will come later. The time to cleanse ourselves of personal or political sins will come later. When that day dawns we can convene commissions and we can hold prayer meetings. We can find out what we should have done logistically or spiritually. We can fix bridges and buildings, we can build homes and businesses, we can mend lives, and we can, if necessary, repent. But this is not the time for the looters of our national fabric to gain a foothold. There is far too much work to do now and we who occupy the center must hold. We've given and we've prayed, but more will be required of us. We must not allow the extremists to carry the day!

As the great philosopher Rodney King once said, "Can't we all just get along?"
prying1 sez, "At least for a couple of weeks?"prying1

Roberts Jumping Over and Ahead

Wandering about the blogosphere this evening I came across a post at VOLuntarilyConservative on Judge Roberts and his nomination to the Chief Justice position on the Supreme Court. - In the comments on the post Ariadne of Ariadne's Labyrinth asked the question, "Won't the rest of the judiciaries resent the hell outta Roberts if he bypasses sitting on the bench to become the chief justice?"

Fair question. I think the answer however really does not matter. Ariadne was really asking Rob Huddleston, whose site I was visiting but being the buttinski I am (no offense to persons of Polish extraction) I had to reply.

prying1 sez

- quote - If they allow this to affect their decisions THEY should not be allowed the position! - end quote -

prying1

Katrina pics

Hat tip to aka.alias for the link to this site. If you like scenic pictures she has some beauties posted here. Check some of her previous posts. -

weather channel pics of Katrina prying1

Gone Fishing!

I received these pics from a friend in Texas of her grandchildren who are staying with her for a while. Their mom is getting a chance to visit her husband who is in the military and deployed in the Middle East. Although we have never met I find myself filled with a sense of kinship of Spirit with this family. Something about seeing these kids in Texas playing by a river takes me back a few years......

These pics remind me of a Saturday I spent on base at Ft. Sam Houston Texas. I was in the army and had learned not to stay in the barracks sacked out on a bunk on Saturdays. Much as I loved to lounge around and read on my days off it was dangerous. Any sergeant could walk in and conscript a person for any detail he wanted. I knew this from experience but that is another story.

So I took a walk towards some of the nearby woods and found a section of a river. Some might have called it a stream but it looked a mite too big for that. I thanked the Lord for the chance to experience a bit of His nature and walked along the bank. The Lord and I were having a mighty good heart to Heart talk. Part of the conversation I mentioned to the Lord that it sure was a mighty fine day to dip a line in the water. He and I both knew He had put a few fish in there.

Soon I found a supple long stick and I mentioned to the Lord that it would have made a good pole if I had a line and hook. Going on a piece I found a bit of line that was tangled in a branch by the shore. It untangled pretty easy and became another good reason to praise Him for His providence. Walking further I came across a man fishing on the bank who gladly gave me a hook from his tackle box. While conversing with him a grasshopper that was waiting to become bait hopped on by. I waved goodbye to the fisherman and quickly caught the last ingredient of my endeavors.

Around a bend I found a quiet spot away from the man who might have been a general for all I knew. I figured he wanted to fish alone or he would have been with a friend. I baited up, tossed the hopper into the water and sat on a log to wait. After a bit of kicking the grasshopper finally settled down and sank. Having no weight on the line I could not pull it taut the way I would have liked but that didn't really matter much. I was fishing! Half a country from my home in California and I was fishing. That was all that was important to me. That and the time I could spend in this quiet location away from people, in the woods, away from the army and with my Lord Jesus.

He and I had a good conversation that day. Most of it spent with me talking but there were enough times where the Lord got to put in his 2 cents worth too. Wish I could remember what we were talking about. I am positive that most of it was Him sharing His love. - Suddenly the line went taut. I pulled a bit and the line pulled back. It went first to the right and then doubled back to the left. I pulled a bit harder and the line went slack. From the way it pulled I figured it to be a turtle that stole my bait. Just as well because had I caught a fish I had no way to cook it anyway. They frowned on fires in the barracks.

It was a wonderful day. One of those days the Bible talks about when it said, This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! -

prying1