SUPER URGENT IF YOU VALUE YOUR FREE SPEECH!!!

HOUSE APPROVES “ANTI-HATE” BILL
By Rev. Ted Pike

Passage of Thought Crimes Bill Spells Doom to Free Talk Radio
In a surprising move, the House of Representatives on September 14, 2005 approved “The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2005,” HR2662, as an amendment to the Children’s Safety Act, HR3132. It was approved 223-199.

The Senate is expected to also approve a similar amendment within a month.

This federal legislation, orchestrated by the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith will lead to creation of a vast anti-hate bureaucracy in America, similar to what now exists in Canada. In Canada it is a “hate crime” to publicly criticize such federally protected groups as homosexuals and Jews. In Canada free speech talk radio no longer exists. It is even illegal now in some areas to evangelize or “proselytize” in public.

HR2662, S1145, while ostensibly punishing only violent hate crimes, nevertheless creates an anti-hate bureaucracy through several means:

It breaks down all barriers between federal and states’ rights in law enforcement. It allows federal “thought police” to meddle, upon the flimsiest of pretexts, in states’ enforcement of civil rights laws.

It requires all states to pass and enforce ADL-style anti-hate laws.

It enforces nationwide the working ADL definition of “hate” as being “bias” against federally protected groups, such as homosexuals. Such automatically makes the Bible into “hate literature” and preaching from it into “hate speech.” Result: Bible-believing Christians become potential hate criminals.
The nation was aghast last October 10th when the ADL’s national executive board member, Lynne Abraham, D.A. of Philadelphia, arrested 11 Christians as hate criminals. Her charge: Their preaching was “biased” against homosexuals. They were “hate criminals” because they used an “instrument of crime” (a megaphone) to express “hate speech,” (Bible verses) against homosexuals.

If this “big brother legislation” becomes law, the ADL and federal government will, through enabling legislation and judicial precedents, be exponentially empowered to indict Christians. Pastors, talk show hosts, publishers, critics of Israel, etc. will be liable to arrest just like the Philadelphia Eleven.

THERE’S STILL TIME TO PROTEST

Approval by the House last week does not mean that the members of the House or Senate, by granting approval, will have cast their final vote on this Orwellian legislation. Approving an amendment to a bill is not the same as passing a bill on its own terms. Final approval will come only after conference between the House and Senate decides whether this hate bill, in amendment form, should be included in passage of a children’s protection bill. Until then, members of the House and Senate are free to change their votes. It is vital that all lovers of freedom and free speech protest now!

Last spring, on June 15, this same legislation was approved by the Senate in amendment form. However, largely as a result of non-stop, wide publicity against it by the National Prayer Network, and many talk-show hosts, it was defeated in conference between the House and Senate on Oct 8, 2004. The same can happen again if Americans will raise a holy howl of protest against the theft of our First Amendment freedoms.





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To protest to your members of Congress, call toll free 1-877-762-8762.

It is time to get educated fast on the dangers of hate crime legislation. Ted Pike’s gripping video documentary, “Hate Laws: Making Criminals of Christians,” (now available on DVD) will give you, your pastor, and your church or civic club a complete education on the origins and ambitions of hate laws worldwide.

Come to www.truthtellers.org to order this video online at $24.90 postage paid or to read many more articles on hate laws.

Talk show hosts: It is time for another dynamic interview on this subject with Ted Pike. Call 503-631-3808.



NATIONAL PRAYER NETWORK, P. O. Box 828, Clackamas, OR 97015

Glitter and Glamour

I adore glitter and shiny sequins and silky fabrics with lace edging. Bright colors but not too bright or at least not all-over-brightness, with metal flower pins and big dangly earrings-yet all in moderation so as not to appear gaudy or old-womanish. (By old-womanish I am reffering to a dear old lady I met at the pool who never fails to arrive in skin-tight, polyester/spandex capris and and cleavage baring hot pink, white, or lime green tops, 'gracefully' covered with a loose smockish shirt.) But I diverge from my point.
What is the point? I guess I have been thinking about style a little more than usual lately as I near closer to my Cali trip. Oh, didn't I tell you? I am going to South Cali on Sunday for 6 days. I even made an attempt to highlight my hair but sadly it came out red. Make sure you make a point to look at my hair the next time you see it me; it is really quite funny. I think it must sound very shallow of me to be talking about fashion so much and doing extra things before I go to visit my multi-millionaire relatives and share beach space with tan, built surfer boys. So please do excuse me, this is just a very small part of my personality but I felt liking writing about it today.
Southern Cali is definitely all about glitz and glamour at least in the areas I will be visiting. I think that it will all seem rather excessive and repulsive to me though considering how much more mature I have grown to be since last time I visited SoCal and how much I hated it then.
We shall see.

AARGH!!

I am really really frustrated right now. One cause I just finished writing a really really good blog thingy and I accidentally erased and two, because, well read on...

I am really really really upset. It always surprise me to what great heights of emotion the human mind can go-from cloud nine to the pits of despair. (I am not quite there yet.) But I guess this is what life is-life is messy.

Life IS messy. Life is sometimes like a mirror that shatters into millions of pieces in front of you and you feel like you could never even begin to pick them all up and reassemble them into some kind of order. But I guess when we feel that way we need to remember that life is just that-a mirror and sometimes the greatest good in life comes when that mirror shatters and we stop seeing our reflection, our miseries, our issues, and we see the real deal and how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things.

I need to remember that. I also need to remember that I should NEVER change for a guy or even attempt to because you will also fail in some way or feel unfulfilled because someone fits him and you shouldn't try to change who you are because you fit another guy you just haven't met yet. I guess what I am trying to say is I will never stop like celtic music, classical masterpieces, and poetry to a guy who doesn't even fully know who he is. The world is full of girls who will do that I don't need to join the army of trend-followers and insecure girls. I need to be strong in this because I will be a much better person with more ways to change the world I live in.

I am not a follower or a girl who just wants to get married, settle down and have kids. I want to change the world, help in some significant way. I just don't know how yet.

That is probably going to be a little scary to some guys but it doesn't mean I am letting go on my femininity- I am so proud to be a girl but I recoginize the need for strong, sincere, compassionate, godly women and I want to be one of them-like my mom and grandma before me.

I am not a follower.

"Lost and Freed!!!!"-by Me

(Written Jan. 2005)

This poem is my personal testimony. I didn't really want to put this private poem up but it may help others who have and are going through this to see the glorious light at the end of the tunnel. This poem is long and sort of dark at the beginning but it reflects the very hard struggle it took for me to come out into the sunlight with my Master. I have shed so many tears, but now I am living in joy and rest in Christ. This is the story of my life from around age 14 to now......

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all around me the darkness reigns
i feel constricted by the silent miseries that surrounds me
i curl up into a ball
i try to think pretty, bright, sunny thoughts
the blackness overwhelmes them
i walk around on my tiptoes
i try not to disturb the other prisoners.

they are all curled up in little balls
trying to create worlds of their own
somehow we always fail
the dark never leaves us
we hear voices
whispering, speaking, shouting in our minds
we cry, we sob
we don't let anyone know of our inner torment
but we all know
we all feel the pain that exists when the sun doesn't run rise
when the darkness lift
when life seems to stop and we wait
in death-like stupors.

i can't find a way out
i can't find an escape from this black world
of pain and aloneness
i am alone
i am surrounded by others
but i am alone
we are all alone in our thoughts and paths of temporary escape
that always lead us to dead ends
i have no joy
i know not what elation is
i am always angry, alone, upset, heartbroken.

this world is like a labyrinth
we can't find a way out
the voices are leading us deeper and deeper
i try to shut them out
sometimes it works
but it always seems as if i run out of power
i cannot raise the sun
i cannot lighten my world on my own
i need help
but whose?

someone once told me about Someone who can brighten my night and keep it bright
Someone who is bigger and stronger than me
but to get His help, i have to give up my own will
my own struggling to grab and hold something that isn't there
i have to cry out for His hand and hold it with everything in me
because this change of leadership is going to hurt, a lot
i want to think about it
i want to weight the good and the bad
but as i try, the voices that are trying to drown me get louder
i can't ignore them anymore.

i raise my eyes from downcast to looking up
i am going to hang on really tight
i won't let go, i yell.

it is so painful but that must mean He is working
i already feel lighter in my heart
i realise that for the first time i am experiencing joy and pain-together
i can see now little fingers of light shooting out towards me
it is dark still but it is getting lighter
and i am no longer alone.

He is beside me holding my hand
in front of me leading me
behind me guarding me
beneath me bearing me up
i am no longer alone.

i have come out of the darkness into a beautiful land
i can see other people just like me
i recognize those who used to live on my right and on my left, in pain
now we are all free
we soar and we dart like birds
we are free
but not entirely
we know that we are powered by Him
we live in faith that He will never let go
but if i let go
i will fall, i will crash, i will die
i will NEVER let go
so help me, God!!!!!!

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[I don't not have any caps but when I mention Christ-in the original form, i had everything on the left side of the page in a sort of art form. :)]

Simple Pleasures

A child's smile,
A word of kindness from a secret love,
The simplest things can cause
The greatest reactions from a sincere heart.

Don't think I am silly
If I gasp in amazement at a butterfly's wings,
Or wonder at the shape of the clouds,
Or the magnificence of a single snowflake
As it melts in my hand.
Simple pleasures they may be
But magic beauty flows from the simplest of things.

Quote of the Month-Abraham Lincoln

"I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day." - Abraham Lincoln

This is incredibly true for me. God can see the big picture, the picture He created, but we humans can only see the little section that is our lives, today. We must never question God's actions because everything happens for a purpose and fits into His grandiose scheme.

Been awhile...

That picture really isn't that great but at least it gives you a tiny idea of what I look like. My cousin said that I do NOT look good when I pose for a picture.

Anyway-life is going really well. Lifeguarding is fun and I really enjoy it.(By the way, neither of the guards in that picture are me. But that is generally what I look like. Hahaha!) Also, I have been surfing the classifieds pretty much everyday because I am nearing when I can afford a car. My guess is about 3 or 4 more paychecks will give me more than enough.

Spiritually, I think I am making progress. I am really happy because I am to the point when I can recognize something I am really need to change before it becomes enough of an issue that I need to be taken to task by someone else about it. It is really good timing because I have a lot of behoviours I need to watch for with this new job. (By the way, neither of the guards in that picture are me. But that is generally what I look like. Hahaha!)

I found out that my family is going on a vacation in the first week of September and we then get a week home before we three younger kids go to California with Dad. So September should go by really fast.

Well, I'll try to write more often. I seriously would have written sooner but Mom has started turning off her computer after she is done working on it so I often miss the cutoff date. :)

Me-Sorry it is blurry.

Lest you should lose hope....

I apologize for taking over a month to make a new post. I hope you all haven't lost faith in me.
I don't have anything brilliant to say so I'll update on what is going in with me. First, though, if you are checking out this blog occasionally, especially if you are a friend, could you please let me know because in one week, my life is going to kick into high gear, schedule-wise, and I need to know if and who I would be letting down if I didn't write, at least occasionally. Thanks ever so much.

Well:

1. I got the job as a lifeguard at the college pool this summer, in case no one knew. I am really excited but nervous, as is everyone who starts a job. But it will be fine. I was noticing how a lot of high school grads, etc., are going to do basically menial jobs this summer like cashiering or working at a fast-food restaurant and I will be taking on the tremendous responsibility of keeping hundreds of people safe in the water. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea afterall...(I am only kidding.)

2. I have had two old friends come back into my small sphere, one for a while hopefully and the other for a brief moment in time.
I went to my childhood best friend's grad party. We split ways about 4 years ago when I was lead by God to confront her about the way she was living her life. She got angry and we haven't spoken since. But she sent me an invite to her graduation and party, I assume as a gesture of a friendship remembered so I prayed about it and went to her party. My heart was beating really, really hard as I pulled up to the house I remember so well. The memories came flooding back...yadda yadda yadda. I won't bore you with the details. Anyway, she was obviously still icy towards me even though she appreciated my effort. But that was what God wanted me to do.
I won't go into telling you about the other friend but I am glad they are back, at least for now.

Nothing else exciting is happening, which is wierd. Maybe it is the calm before the storm.......

Keep up the faith. You can be sure that if I know you, I am praying for you. You can withstand the might of the temptations surrounding you, with God's help.

My sister gave a cute little card to my mom and for the sake of encouragement and a little smile, I'll close with what it said. (I has a picture of a little lamb, dressed in armor, on the cover, valiantly holding up a shield against an onslaught of arrows.)

"The enemy is busy, busy, busy." Inside, there is a picture of the same lamb, with its shepherd standing next to it protecting it. It says, "But the Shepherd is faithful, faithful, faithful."

I am SO greatful for His faithfulness.

I got my license!!

Critical Thoughts on "Star Wars: Episode III"

I was reading The Oregonian, which is probably the most liberal, widely-spread newspaper in Oregon, and I stumbled across an article about "Star Wars: Epsiode III." Even they knew that something wasn't entirely right about the newest installment of the Star Wars trilogy, which is proudly toting the trilogy's first-ever PG-13 rating.

The rating and the cause for it is precisely the reason for my outrage and henceforth, my spewing forth of criticism in this humble blog.

The Oregonian opened its article saying that basically, this episode is the darkest and most demonic of them all. They went on to describe the brutal bloodbathes and maulings that take place during the film as Darth Vader takes revenge on his former allies.

Excerpts from:

Dark Side: Last 'Star Wars' Movie Not for Kids?
By David Germain
Associated Press
http://movies.msn.com/beacon/hubarticle.aspx?ptid=06044e61-58af-4d25-9594-4360fa1a4b68&GT1=6462

"The action is relentless and includes sequences more dark and disturbing than anything previously seen in the tragic Skywalker soap opera."

The most shocking thing The Oregonian noted was that during one scene, Darth Vader slaughters all the Jedis' children with his light saber. I had to sit down when I read that line. Have we, as a nation, really sunk as low as to see the slaughtering of innocent children as "entertainment?!!!!"

"Young Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) completes his transformation into blackhearted villain Darth Vader with a bloodbath against old allies, the body count including a corridor of "youngling" corpses - Jedi children cut down by his light saber."

Is ANYONE concerned by this, besides me? Aren't we at war right now to protect our children from terrorism and "make the world safe for our children", yet we are spending millions of dollars a month in cinema fares to sit for 2+ hours and let George Lucas' twisted film pump pure gore and violence into not only the minds of us adults (which is bad enough) but into the eager and impressionable minds of our children?

The weekend box office reports immediately following the release of "Stars Wars: Episode III" will indeed prove how sunken and depraved the American culture has become.

I can only further prove how this "cinematic" violence is NOT just going "in one ear and out the other" for today's children. I am reading a book called "No Matter How Loud I Shout: A Year in the Life of the Juvenile Court System," by Edward Humes. It is amazing how obvious it becomes the further you get into the book that we DO NOT have the answer to the jaw-dropping jump of 175% in juvenile crime since the '60s.

We don't have the answer to help kids who have murdered at age 14. But I am pleading with you to not help kids, so close to my age, get one step closer to that fall-off point by buying them a ticket to "Star Wars: Episode III."

We must protect our minds, and those of our children by boycotting "Star Wars III." Otherwise, why even be in a war to prevent it from truly happening? I wonder how many people would be calling it "entertainment" then....

You're hired!!

Wahoo. Wahoo. Wahoo. :)

I got hired to teach 4th graders how to swim. It is so tiring but fun. I am teaching them from 8:30-2:00, Mon.-Fri., for four weeks at a local high school pool. It is good pay ($9.55/hr.) and I am grateful to God for it because I need to get a car.

Speaking of getting a car, I am FINALLY getting my license. I have to go in and do the knowledge half of the written and then I come back on the 13th for the driving test. I am psyched but kind of nervous, not about the knowledge test but the skills test. (Deep breaths.) Hahaha!!

My mom says that since we have just one family car, I can just use it for driving my two younger siblings to their events/practices. Fun, fun, fun. But my sister and I are getting a car together and we are pretty close to having enough money.

Well, I have to do some stuff before I go to yet another pool to teach MORE kids how to swim for yet another hour.

Yawn.......If anyone emails me don't expect a reply for at least two days.

(So this is what being a grown-up, with a steady job, feels like. Kind of.)

OH!!!

Everyone, absolutely everyone needs to read Psalm 127. And for you lazy ones I typed it out. I like the first part the best. But I felt compelled to copy the whole thing.

PSALM 127

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For so He gives His beloved even in their sleep.

3 Behold, children are a gift from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.
5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate

I am just standing here-PLEASE ignore me!!!

I was a linesman for my little sister's volleyball game today. It was my first time and it was nerve-wracking!!!!! Mom and Verity said I looked really upset but my knees hurt and I was really nervous to not make a mistake. (Even though somehow, I don't think that YMCA parents are the type to mob a "ref" after a bad call but I have seen a few close calls.)

Anyway, it was all pretty dull, except there was one time when the ball was REALLY close to the line. Everyone, I mean everyone, was looking at me. So I crossed my fingers and said "out." It must have been right because Verity's coach said "Good call." Phew.

The rest of the game I just stood there, trying not to look stupid, and also trying to make sure I didn't use the hand signals for "out" when I meant "in." My palms got all cold and kind of sweaty and my heart beat a little hard. (Maybe that was the X-large Pepsi I had just consumed.) Either way....

I SO WANT TO DO IT AGAIN!!!!

Rain Dancing

After a long day at work and errands, I let myself go....go dancing, that is.

Today was a gorgeous day. It was sunny and warm (somewhere around 75 degrees.) There was a slight breeze and the wonderful smell of budding trees and flowers. But around 6 o'clock the sky darkened ominously and the clouds convened to make swirling forces of danger in the sky. It was incredibly beautiful, breath-taking in fact.

I saw it looming off in the distance. And true to form, the rain came, much harder than I expected, actually. It splattered in giant drops on my windshield. The wipers had a hard time keeping up with the intake.

We drove home and safely as possible which meant going 5 miles per hour slower than the high-school boy in the Thunderbird behind would have liked. But we made it and my brother and sister were exclaiming how they were so excited to go run and bike in the torrential downpour. I thought they were crazy.

But I thought about a much younger me and how I would have been out there in my swimsuit splashing through the puddles and sitting in the flooded gutters til they dammed up and over-flowed. I would have screamed and ran and splashed more than any other kid on the block.

So I decided to let go of my teenage self for one moment and forget about what my stylish peer across the street or the adults would think of my silliness. I just let go.

And it was AWESOME!!!!! At first I told myself that I was crazy and that I would get sick or something. But I know I won't. It felt so freeing and it made me so happy to go back 8 years and....

dance in the rain.

Miscellaneous Observations

I am having to give and go through tough love. Since I am experiencing both ends- I would have to say it is harder to give than to receive.

But both ways make you stronger.

I had a wonderful conversation at the college pool the other day. I had been weight-lifting and then I went to swim for 20 minutes to cool off. But I changed my mind and got out after 10 and went and sat in the hot tub. An older guy (33 yrs.) came in and started talking to me. He told me he wanted to be in the Peace Corps. after talking for a while and then he told me that he is anti-religion, anti-God. I am about as opposite that opinion as you can be (well, guess not sinc I wouldn't say I am a radical) and I said so. Anyway, we talked about theology and everything for an hour!! I was boiling in the hot tub so I eventually just sat on the steps to avoid letting my blood reach boiling point. :)

Anyway, it was really good practice and I also worked on my listening skills and I am proud to say that I did not interupt him ONCE. Either way, I held my own very well, with God's help.

I need to take a shower before bed so I have to rush. Plus, I have to think of a speech AND write it before Tuesday morning and I cannot think of anything at all.

The other thing is that I got a temp job teaching swim lessons. I am going to work at the Cenntennial High School pool, coaching 5th-graders for 5 hours, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. I am going to make $10/ hour so that is great. I will finally have enough money for my car. Thank you, Lord!!

One more thing: I accidentally poked the shutter of my camera several weeks ago and bent it. I took it to the camera repair shop today and they said it would cost $150 to replace it so I just bought a $125 used camera which is actually a year newer than my old one. So I am out a bit, money-wise, but it is okay. It is SO worth it to me.

Well, I have to go. Please pray for me about my speech on Tuesday.

Love,

Me.

Pachelbel's Kanon in D Major...

... is sooo beautiful. I don't care if anyone thinks that it is crazy if I only listen to Irish and classical music, that I can't stand any rock or rap, and that I think that Britney Spears, oh, Federline, and Christina Aguilera and the rest should be peacefully removed to Sweden where they can undergo a 12-step program called "First Acceptance, Then Appreciation, Finally- Adoration of All Classical Music."

But that would only happen in my dreams. Too bad.

I am really tired today. I got a cold and all that jazz. I have to get up at 5:30 tomorrow morning to go to a Toastmasters group that has only 3 other people in it. Then since my mom has to go to a hair appointment, I have to walk home. Anyone who wants to swing by and pick me up-feel free. Call my cell for the address. Hahaha!!

Goodnight.

So, oh, so, so sore!!

I could barely get out of bed this morning. It isn't that I am terribly out of shape either. (Okay, maybe a little bit...) It was that some of the muscles you use to snowboard aren't used in day-to-day life.

Anyway, someone really should remind me to wear sunscreen next time. My cheeks got burned but not as bad as they could have if I hadn't been wearing foundation. Also, wierdest of all was that my EYES got sunburned. They are red today but not painful.

I went to lap swim to try and work out the kinks and that helped- a little. After I swam for 30 minutes or so I went and sat in the hot tub but 10 minutes and it would have been the most beneficial but I got too hot in there.

Either way- I would definitely go through all this again for the rush of snowboarding. My one regret is not boarding for longer. :)

I am now a snowboard chic!

Hahaha. Whatever. But I did okay for my first time and I made it down the mountain once. It was rad. (Is that an archaic term now? Someone tell me. Hahaha.)

Anyway- my two cousins (very nicely) invited me to come boarding with them. My guy cousin is a pro at it and he took some hard runs after informing me and my girl cousin/best friend of the basics. He was a good teacher and he helped us go up and down the beginner slope a couple times. Then he took us over to the big ski lift that goes to around 5,200 feet up the mountain and told us to just take it slow and that he would meet us later.

We got lost following the signs down so we switched back and forth a couple times and avoided getting hit by the good boarders and skiers. I made it down pretty well though.

The wierd thing is that I was best when I went down the runs with my back facing downhill and glancing over my shoulder. Then I could do it like a "pro" and do the whole curvy thing too. But when I turned and faced forwards I fell a lot. But when we went to the higher slopes, I got the hang of it pretty quick.

Anyway-I am totally hooked. Too bad I can't afford to go very often because of the exorbitant lift rates. However if anyone wants to invite me the next time you go up the mountain, I'll scrounge up the money somewhere. :)