Why arent people thankful

This was an email that circulated in late October, but I find it worth posting. Allegedly David Letterman wrote it but I am not sure that is the case.




“As most of you know I am not a President Bush fan, nor have I ever been, but this is not about Bush, it is about us, as Americans, and it seems to hit the mark.

The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What are we so unhappy about?'

A. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?

B. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

C. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

D. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

E. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state.

F. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

G. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough either.

H. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

I. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

J. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.

K. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

L. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

M. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom.

There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an 'other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable' discharge after a few days in
the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?

Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sell s, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!

Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.' 'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

-David Letterman

Thanksgiving

The Christians who started this Country knew what it meant to give "Thanks" to God. As the Godless people continue to rewrite the History of our nation we start to demean things like Thanksgiving and they start adding falsehoods about the celebration, in each of these revisions you hear about the "horrible people" who came to settle this Country. When in reality not all the people were bad and in fact most all of them were here because of their belief in God. From Christopher Columbus realizing the world was round because of the Bible to, the Puritans preaching the Gospel freely here, even being missionaries to the natives. So it is a good reminder to give "Thanks" to God for all that he has blessed us with and the fact that his Grace is sufficient for those who trust in Him.

The heart that is constantly over flowing with gratitude will be safe from those attacks of resentfulness and gloom that bother so many persons.
A.W. Tozer

Enter His gates with Thanksgiving, and His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him; bless His name. Psalm 100:4

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Psalm 107:1

but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing;
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Pilgrim Edward Winslow described the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving in these words:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men on fowling [bird hunting] so that we might, after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as... served the company almost a week... Many of the Indians [came] amongst us and... their greatest King, Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted; and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought... And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet BY THE GOODNESS OF GOD WE ARE... FAR FROM WANT."

Abraham Lincoln the man after true Civil Liberties said in 1863 at the Thanksgiving Proclamation.
"When I left Springfield [to assume the Presidency] I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ."

It is a day to give THANKS to the LORD!

Some of Jim's preaching

WOW

A friend and brother went to be with the Lord yesterday

Jim Jones who was known to many as a man who sought after God and preached the word, died yesterday. I had the opportunity and privilege of knowing Jim through GNN and being able to glean from his wisdom.

Please pray for his family!

By Jim Moore
of the Daily Courier
A Grants Pass man died
Thursday afternoon when the
bicycle he was riding collided
with a large truck. The crash
occurred on G Street near Oak
Street. Dead is James Shelvy
Jones, 40, of Grants Pass.
Detectives reported that a
Moser Paving truck driven by
Gerald Eugene Mercer, 73, was
involved in the accident, which
occurred around 1:27 p.m.
The truck may have been coming
from a nearby construction
zone, farther west on G Street.
Otis Farrell said he was riding
a bicycle westbound on G
Street and was a witness to the
crash.
He said the bicyclist was
northbound and did not stop
before entering G Street, apparently
from Oak Street, in front
of the eastbound truck.
The truck swerved to its left,
but “the truck driver didn’t have
a chance to hit his brakes,” Farrell
said.
More than a dozen public
safety personnel, two fire
trucks, an ambulance, a police
motorcycle, several police cars
and two public safety pickups
converged on the scene. A section
of G Street was closed and
traffic was detoured around the
scene.
The investigation is ongoing
and anyone who witnessed the
accident or has any information
is asked to call the detective
division of the Grants Pass
Department of Public Safety at
474-6370.
❏ ❏ ❏
Reach reporter Jim Moore at
474-3721 or jmoore@thedailycourier.

Here is a great video of Jim

Forgiveness is supernatural

If you think about it there are many things that are beyond naturalistic explanation. Love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness are just a few things that the world and science cannot contemplate or use naturalistic rationalizations. I want to contend that this is proof for the existence of God. These things which are hardwired into us have no other explanation other than a being who is beyond our capabilities imparting those on us. I have experienced much forgiveness in my life by a God who is merciful on me..... but how often do we forgive others? This is my personal challenge to make sure that I have forgiven even the least of issues and the people associated with those things. Have you forgiven lately?

Irony of the "anti" and "hate" speech

If you did not know already Proposition 8 which essentially keeps Marriage to a man and a woman passed. During the weeks before the voting Mormons, Evangelicals, Catholics and Secular groups all appealed to their spheres of influence to make sure they voted consistently with their "worldview". The Mormon Church got a lot of publicity for sending out information and telling their members to vote for Proposition 8. Some of this could have been due to the fact that Steve Young (a professing Mormon) was in the media with his opinion on the topic.

So flash forward to today, Proposition 8 passes and the Homosexual community is up in arms about it. They decidedly went after the Mormon Church and began protesting at their temples calling Mormons names like "Bigots" and "Haters".

What I find ironic is that the Mormons are being accused of something which is not true, that of being "hateful" to the Homosexual Community. I know that they do not hate them in any way, they just are professing their worldview and voting their ideology. The irony is that Mormons often do this to Evangelicals or anyone disagreeing with Mormon doctrine or theology that they are "anti" which is synonymous in their use as "hateful" towards the Mormons because they disagree on these things.

I pray that this will be a valuable lesson for those that use this type of pejorative rhetoric, that just because people disagree does not mean they hate anyone. We need to start separating ideas and people in these discussions. Tolerance is not agreeing with the other side it is permissibly enduring them.
For more information please see
Aaron wrote a great piece on this topic here

News report here

Why Obama is not a Christian

Still thinking of voting for Obama?



Part 2



Part 6



Part 7