Discrimination Either Way      
     
   Little Sisters of the Poor are appealing the Obamacare mandate that requires them to provide contraceptive and abortifacient coverage in their employee health plans. 

   Meanwhile, a Colorado website designer has appealed a federal court's order upholding a ban on creative professionals talking about beliefs when explaining business decisions. What in the world? 

   Perhaps some day a court will rule that we can't mention Christ in our blogs. We might offend someone.

   Do anti-discrimination lawmakers and courts discriminate?

 New Adventure for Amateurs 
  
   For decades the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. has vigorously enforced amateur status for college athletes. 

   Meanwhile, universities, their employees such as coaches, and TV networks, sporting goods companies etc. cash in on the popularity of college sports, mainly football and basketball. Those two sports also finance the other 30 some sports on campus.  

   Many athletes get scholarships and other financial aid, while the above types profit from their ability to entertain us. 

   California passed a law that will allow amateurs to receive money for the use of their names, images and likeness. Fair enough. Other states are following suit, and the NCAA reluctantly is playing along.

   It's labeled a promise of "lucrative sponsorship deals for the biggest stars." 

   WHOA! 

   How would you like being a nameless hunk blocking hard for backfield mates who become stars and receive endorsements? And you - from a dysfunctional home without the means teammates might enjoy. Happy locker room! 

   Who will prevent cheaters from quietly promising financial deals to recruits? 

   We like the intent. We'll watch the implementation.

      Jimmy

Where the Money Is       
     
   Remember what the old bank robber said when asked why he robbed banks? "Because that's where the money is." 

   In a capitalistic system, money is produced by capitalists, inventors etc. Long ago, some or many U.S. companies enriched their investors and management while paying workers as little as possible. Hence, the rise of labor unions. 

   Today, companies accept their place in citizenship, support causes, and we suppose, fear the wrath of special interest groups. It's called "public relations."

   But it's never enough. Politicians and their base voters want more...always more. Hard earned success is viewed as thievery, greed and corruption. 

   Watch the candidates compete to see who will best play Robin Hood. A nation with $22 trillion in debt is considered immoral if it doesn't adopt programs projected to cost another $100 trillion or more. 

   Achievers must give more - to the government. It knows best. Well, that's what Lenin and Stalin thought. 

   Examples? Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark and others adopted wealth taxes for re-distribution, only to find that penalties on success drove away badly needed capital and investments. They all rescinded their wealth taxes. 

   It's called "class warfare," but only the government wins. What's our wealthiest metro area? Washington D.C.   

   Republican media consultant Adam Goodman says, "Capitalism needs updated, and where broken, fixed. That includes doing the right things for the right reasons for workers, customers and the nation."

   All well and good. But goodbye prosperity, if that's not where the money is. What we think about the men and women in ivory towers is beside the point. We need them.  

          Jimmy

Holy Bacteria!    

   Could it be? Can dog-eat-dog humans learn something from microorganisms? 

   Scientists at the University of Copenhagen found that (socialist?) bacteria survive by sacrificing to benefit the entire community. What a concept! What a blow to pride! 

   In their published study, researchers studied bacteria from a small corn husk where they had to fight for space. Instead of the strongest pushing out the others, microorganisms created space for the weakest to grow stronger and bigger. 

   Hey, Mr. Darwin: How does this explain "survival of the fittest?" Hey, Herr Hitler...

   Not only did bacteria make way for the weakest among them, they united against external threats such as antibiotics. They also distributed their labor by dividing tasks and helping their neighbors. 

   Shazzam! How do we put these little guys in charge of human organizations? 

   Researchers also saw that bacteria seemed to bring out the best in each other. When they acted as a community, the microbes suddenly exhibited new attributes that had been dormant while they were separated.  

   Jonathan Wells, at Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, said intelligent design goes beyond Darwin's theory of competition and survival. 
 

WORLD online

   Pilgrims found that socialism doesn't work, because of self-centered human nature. Capitalism works much better, but never perfectly, because of self-centered human nature. 

   We will always be divided over this, when we could be united under the One who created. 

        Jimmy

Strike (Up) the Band      
    
   It must have been 1952. Hooligans were harassing my older cousin, a drummer in our high school band.

   Guess who, a pint-size, freshman trumpet player was safely near the top of the stands. Cuz talked his way out of trouble, and went on to Penn State where he marched for four years. We remember boys trying to overturn our bus - no cops anywhere. 

   In the 1930s, Michigan's band introduced Script Ohio as a friendly gesture in Columbus. Grateful OSU marchers later turned UM's idea into one of the nation's best known band maneuvers...to this day.   

   By the 1950s, UM stopped sending their band to Columbus...for its own safety.

   Earlier this fall, a Miami fan battered several musicians in Florida's band. And Iowa band members suffered "physical and sexual assault, verbal harassment and racial slurs" at Iowa State. One bandsman received broken ribs.

   Bands are easy targets for upset, sometimes inebriated fans. They can't get at the opposing team; the band is the next best thing. 

   Band members are at a disadvantage. Their uniforms make it impossible to blend in, and some carry bulky instruments. 

   Georgia's band once got dispersed outside a neutral stadium. It took two hours to reunite.

   Practicing is only part of game-day prep. Precautions include logistics, police presence, and tips for protection. Oklahoma's band director told his troops to remain in groups of at least three. Georgia's director tells members not to "return fire" when heckled. 

   A Clemson band-service fraternity enters alongside the visiting band. That seems to help.    

   Until fans stop treating wins and losses personally, this will continue.

        Jimmy



   

   

Why Be Transparent?   

   Do people see the real you? 

   We spent much of our early life avoiding just that. Like Gideon in the book of Judges, we thought of our self as the least (of everyone). 

   One benefit: There was no reason to succumb to pride. 

   If we're to become leaders, or just someone loved and trusted by others, we want to be real, not phony or pretentious. Open and transparent honesty before God and others wins the day...but be prudent. Take David:

   Search me, God, and know my heart; 

test me and know my anxious thoughts. 

See if there is any offensive way in me, 

and lead me in the way everlasting. 

(Psalm 139:23-24) 

   Giving God - first of all - open access to secrets leads to spiritual health and empowerment, says Doug Green, a California pastor. "Frequent, honest access cultivates love and confidence," he writes. "Transparency is the window allowing others to see who we are." 

   When they really know you - the good, the bad and the ugly - and still love you, it's authentic, he says. 

   The apostle Paul was vulnerable and honest. He let others see his pain and weakness - all the better for God's power to work through him.

~

   Views By the Sea has exceeded 19,000 page views in little more than five years. We're not proud, just thankful to you the readers. We know you're busy. Most of our blogs approach 300 words. We can't help it.  

   See you Monday with some music...without the volume.

       Jimmy

Having it Their Way        
    
   Almost a century ago, many Americans got their way. Prohibition ended, bootleg liquor disappeared, and drinking became normal, accompanied by relationship and health problems, and preventable deaths.

   Today we have the gradual legalization of marijuana and its own list of troubles. Canada now has safe, regulated sales, and still can't eliminate criminality. 

   In the first year of legalization, legal sales are estimated at $1 billion, while cheaper illegal sales may be upwards of $7 billion. But that's beside our point today.

   Two Devils in One?

   In 2017, a former paralegal, age 31, was legally drunk and had enough cannabis in her system to affect her brain, according to court testimony. 

   She was doing 120 mph on a Tampa expressway seconds before she rammed a sedan, killing two parents and their daughter, age 8. Her car shot across the median and struck two other vehicles. One of the drivers was seriously injured. 

   Then she came to a stop...oh, no...she regained control and drove away, stopping only when a tire fell off its wheel, two miles away. 

   She was so sorry...oh, no...in the hospital she hid vials of blood that had been drawn. 

   Drinkers and pot lovers say, that's one case. Don't punish the rest of us responsible drinkers and smokers. Yes, but there are tens of thousands of cases, and we all share the same highways. There's no going back.  

   There is a better, less expensive way to feel good: the joy of the Lord. 

   She got 50 years. Now she's sorry. 

      Jimmy


    

Our Values Evolving      
         
   Maybe political animosity is not the worst problem facing America. Maybe it's that 65 percent of Americans are Christians, down from 77 percent a decade ago.

   Maybe the two items are linked. 

   The percentage of atheist, agnostic and "nothing in particular" is 26 percent - one in four of us - up from 17 percent ten years ago. At this rate, in a decade, 52 percent will be Christians and 35 percent - nothing. 

   You know where power is headed, if it's not there already. About 64 percent of teenagers rarely or never talk about religion with their friends.

   Imaging facing the Lord Almighty on Judgment Day, and He asks, 
"What do you say for yourself?"  ...   "Oh, nothing in particular." 

We're Not on Fire, Yet 

   Consider the violent events occurring in Hong Kong, Haiti, Iraq, Ecuador, Syria, Santiago, Beirut and Barcelona. Those are ones we know of. 

Two Friends Did; One Knew Better  

   Joe Biden's son, Hunter, and friends Devon Archer and Chris Heinz (stepson of John Kerry), are businessmen. Archer and Heinz were roommates at Yale. 

   The three co-founded an investment fund in 2009. Biden and Archer later got on the board of Burisma, an energy company in Ukraine. Heinz advised against that. 

   When Biden and Archer ignored Heinz's warning, he ended his business relationship with them. That might tell us something.

       Jimmy

Arriving Before Departing        
    
   What are we afraid of? 
       
   Spiders? Snakes? What others think? Falling leaves? 😏
   
   On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you fear "bad guys." 

   The world - terrorists, politicians or certain advertisers - manipulates us with fear...the key to our obedience.  

   A friend asked the Clemson football coach if he feared going undefeated and still be left out of the playoffs. The coach, a believer, answered, "If we fear what we can't control, that which we can't control will control us." 

   Okay. What about it?   

   Jesus addressed his disciples, who had not yet "arrived:" Don't fear those who can kill you, he said. (Matthew 10). 

   We get it. God is omniscient and omnipotent.   

   Jesus told the men who to fear: God, who can send body and soul to a terrible eternity in hell. We don't know how to both love and fear God. What we rightly fear is that He will do what He said He will do to the unsaved. 
  
   True believers can never be separated from God (Romans 8). Jesus told them not to be afraid of those who can kill those who belong to him. That's totally counter to human inclination. 

   But the Lord calls us to shed this inclination and grow in faith and trust. Jesus himself set an example; many have followed him into suffering and death to this very hour. They arrived spiritually before they departed (for their great reward).  

   Where now are you on the scale? Whom shall we fear? (Psalm 27)

Adapted from a devotional

         Jimmy

Human Skulls, Perfect      
     
   They say the human skull perfectly conforms to the golden ratio, also called the divine proportion, or phi, approximately 1.618. This ratio occurs when the sum of two numbers divided by the larger number equals the larger number divided by the smaller. Mathematicians, search "golden ratio."

   Researchers compared 100 human skulls with 70 skulls from six animal types. The more sophisticated the animal, the closer its skull conforms to phi. Only human skulls align perfectly, they say.

   The arrangement of leaves on a branch and branches on a trunk often conform to the ratio, exposing each leaf to the maximum amount of water and sunlight. 

Hooray for Kids

   Our National Basketball Assn. has 800,000 fans in China, and makes $$$ televising games and selling merchandise. The Chinese company which streams NBA games has a $1.5 billion deal over five years. 

   But, Houston's GM recently tweeted support for Hong Kong's freedom fight. 
  

WHISTLE ... TECHNICAL FOUL!

   Yao Ming, who played for Houston and is now head of the Chinese Basketball Assn., suspended ties to his former team. Nobody gets away with offending the communist government. 

   The NBA was "extremely disappointed with the (GM's) inappropriate comment." Also speaking for the league, all-star LeBron James, whom we respect, struck a nerve with Hong Kong protesters, U.S. lawmakers and me. 

   He accused the GM of being "uninformed," adding that "free speech can have negative consequences." Sure. LeBron's $480 million net worth and other millionaires might take a hit if they anger the dictators. 

   Other entertainment companies have traded freedom of expression for access to the Chinese market.

   But South Park brought out the youngsters with a satire to "welcome Chinese censors into our homes and our hearts." A 10-year-old on the show declared, "Anybody who would betray their ideals just to make money in China isn't worth a lick of spit." 

      Jimmy

News services

This Better Be Good     
           

[This blog will suffice for the weekend, so we had better make it good.]

     

There is only One who is good.  Matt. 19:17

The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!  Mark 1:15

No one is good except God alone.  Mark 10:18

Go into all the world and preach the good news.  Mark 16:15

But I tell you: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you.  Luke 6:27

I am the good shepherd.  John 10:11

And we know that in all things God works for 

the good of those who love him.  Rom. 8:28 

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.  Rom. 10:15

We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.  Eph. 2:10 

...be transformed by the renewing of your mind. ...test and approve 

what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Rom 12:2 

For every thing God created is good...1 Tim. 4:4

Fight the good fight of the faith.  1 Tim. 6:12

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful...so that the man of God 

may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Tim. 3:16 

God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.  Heb. 12:10

Rather be hospitable, one who loves what is good, 

who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.  Titus 1:8

...crave pure spiritual milk...you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:3

NIV 

I Am Smart, and Nosy     
    
   I can harvest and share your information, and provide a window to your interests, personality and emotions. You gave me permission when you tapped "OK."  

   I send out reports as often as one per second. I track you for the benefit of my numerous customers. I follow you and keep meticulous records.

   My eyes are not that big - just two dozen bundles of pixels, scattered around - but I generate a string of numbers that reveal the real you.

   Oh, I may not know you personally, but I know your household and all the gadgets you own - phones, tablets, laptops.

   My customers target you, because I help them know you best. Wait until election campaigns begin asking for my help. Ho ho ho. 

   You can tell me not to snoop, but most of you don't, because you don't read my Terms & Conditions.

   Don't call the Federal Trade Commission. They're okay with my set up. 

   Oh, sorry, let me reintroduce myself. I am your smart TV. Have a nice day. 

Who Are the Extremists?   

   Attorney General William Barr spoke at the University of Our Lady (Notre Dame), contending that many of our problems are spiritual issues at root. 
Is he right? 

   We've often thought likewise, though he didn't consult us.

   Tuesday on Fox News' Outnumbered, the token liberal woman countered that secular people have morals too. Christians have no corner on values. Church and state must be separate. Is she right? 

   Consider that American culture is increasingly shaped by people in high places, now that city life has replaced life on the farm. 

   We have substituted man and material for God and his kingdom. So, who is to blame for mischief, and today's sad headlines? 

   Are the Left's morals rooted in God's Word, or in the minds of men? Are we commissioned to make Earth heavenly, or do we transfer our true citizenship to his Kingdom and encourage others to do likewise? 

   It seems that true good works come from Scripture and are passed along, even to unbelievers. We can't think of any other source, given the lessons of history. 

   That doesn't make Christians necessarily better citizens than certain others, nor is the USA heaven on earth.

   Morals without God become tools of the devil.

   The people striving to replace the president in 2020 present themselves as more righteous than us - Hillary's "deplorables." If we fail to agree with their notion of rights, we are subject to exclusion and second-class citizenship. Listen to their words. There's no "live and let live."  

   Maybe Christians are the extremists in today's America. The Lord Jesus warned that the world will hate us, as it hated him. 

        Jimmy

     

Almighty Science    

   We're reading more and more "scientific" evidence that the universe, Earth and its inhabitants did not appear by accident. Whether one believes in Creator God or not, there is no better explanation for numerous recent discoveries.

   Views has passed along a number of these discoveries (by scientists with open minds), with more to come. 

   The Wall Street Journal published on page one evidence that the high priests of science are "increasingly wracked with doubt." A wind is "blowing through the fields of scholarly (ideas) about nature ... threatening the confident faith in progress that has informed Western thought for centuries." 

   "At bottom," the Journal continued, "these observers see the breaking up of secular, rationalist humanism, a philosophy that germinated during the Renaissance ... and still permeates Western culture today." 

   "Through reason, man would discover the 'laws of nature.' But now, doubts are eroding this secular faith. Nature ... is coming to be viewed by many scientists as inherently disorderly." 

   This was published 25 years ago. A generation later, there is still no revision in science textbooks. What will it take?

   Unbelievers are loath to admit there might be Someone far greater than themselves. Meanwhile, they cling to their careers, group think, and contend that it may take centuries - but they're working on it. Stay tuned. 

Autumn Colors  
   
   Don't you love the changing colors of Fall? 

Cardinal and gold. Crimson and white. Maize and blue. 

Green and white. Scarlet and gray. Burnt orange and white.

Royal purple and gold. Orange and black.

Carolina blue and white. Garnet and gold. 

       Jimmy

A Wild Pitch    

   Read these comments from a Tampa Bay Rays star pitcher, 
then stick around for the umpires' ruling.

   Normally a starting pitcher, he missed much of this season
due to injuries and was limited to bullpen duty during the Rays'
playoff series against Houston. He wasn't a fan of watching the
game from the bullpen.  
  >  "That's not for me. I'm not going to lie. It was weird. I walked out with them. I just followed their whole bullpen routine. It was like where do I sit? 

   "Yeah, I mean it was weird; it's just super boring. That's the truth. It's boring. There's not a lot to do. You just kind of look around.

   (As a starting pitcher) "I get the advantage of I sit in the dugout and it's right there in front of me." (In the bullpen) "I'm looking at the game so far away, it's like you're in la la land.

   "It's not for me. I don't like it. Watching the game, a little boring." 
 

- Blake Snell, last year's American League Cy Young winner.

   The umpires gather around. What's the correct call?

It's not a strike.   It's not a ball.   It's a WILD PITCH!

   Young Mr. Snell just excused the lowest attendance in baseball. No need to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame in St. Pete, folks.  

   Fortunately for the ballclub, 10 to 12 thousand fans (per game) don't find it as dull as Snell did. And most of them sit much farther away. And pay to see it.  

       Jimmy

Extra inning: Some teams enjoy far greater attendance for the same show. Most of them won fewer games this year than the Rays (99). Our self worth in Florida isn't linked to baseball glory as it is in several other cities. 

The Cost of Following      
   Part 4 of 4

   On this side of the cross, opposition continues. Faced with utter defeat, the devil's only recourse is to oppose the gospel, and deceive, attack and discourage those already believing in Christ.

   The original disciples suffered abuse and imprisonment by the very people who should have known Scripture. Jesus warns of this in Matthew 10.

   While the disciples spread the Word, most of them - scholars think - were martyred. Another follower with Holy Spirit wisdom and miraculous power, Stephen, was falsely accused and stoned to death. 

   The disciple John alone survived in exile on Patmos, where the Lord gave him a supernatural, apocalyptic revelation.   

   God himself converted Saul, a persecutor of Christians, and gave him the name Paul. He provided much of the New Testament, while experiencing: 
 

 "glory and dishonor... bad report and good report... 

genuine yet regarded as imposters... dying yet living on... 

beaten, not killed... sorrowful, yet rejoicing... 

poor, yet making many rich... 

having nothing, yet possessing everything." 

   
   Much trouble. Eternal victory.  

   Paul's faith upset his former colleagues. He ended up in a Roman prison where he wrote four of his letters. It is believed he was executed, probably during the reign of young Nero. 

   Leaders in the earliest centuries (popes, etc.) were martyred, causing the church to seek safety in the world's kingdoms. Understandable, but tragic. 

   Jesus describes the cost of following in Matthew 8 and Luke 14.

   Despite all danger, Jesus calls followers in faith to resemble, "little children... for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." We are to "receive the kingdom of God like a little child." (Matthew 19; Luke 18) 

   Meet me tomorrow for worship? 

       Jimmy


  

She Was Highly Favored   
   Part 3 of 4

   God chose her to bear the Christ, by the Holy Spirit. 
Wait, hold the baby shower. 

   Caesar has ordered that every man in the empire report to his own town for a census taking. Mary, about to deliver, and Joseph of Nazareth have a three-day trek to Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). 

   They had no reservation at the Bethlehem inn. A cattle stall would have to do, and there the Christ child was born. 

   Herod heard of the "newborn king" and plotted to kill Mary's baby. An angel sent them into Egypt (Hosea 11:1) for two years, until Herod died. 

   Fast forward. Jesus at age 30 spent 40 days in the desert without food or drink, his only visitor the devil himself. 

   With the help of ministering angels, Jesus returned to Galilee and directed Mary's relative to baptize him. He began choosing disciples, who traveled with him far and wide without benefit of road maps or GPS. 

   John (Malachi 3:1) who had the honor of baptizing Jesus, got tossed in prison for criticizing hypocritical religious leaders. Worse, he told Herod it was not lawful to marry his brother's wife, Herodias, now the "first lady," who managed to have him beheaded. 

   Jesus stunned his disciples. He would return to the Father, and they would see him no more. This mystery became a nightmare. 

   The Son of God voluntarily suffered a horrible death to offer redemption for you and me and sinners everywhere. His resurrection amazed them, and the Holy Spirit empowered them. They set out to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). 

Saturday: Opposition never tires

      Jimmy

   

He Went Up the Mountain    
    Part 2 of 4  

   And down came the commandments.

   God arranged to save baby Moses in Egypt, but it was 80 years before the shepherd now in Arabia knew why. A "burning bush" told him to take hundreds of thousands of Hebrew slaves - who knew little about their God - out from under Pharaoh's iron grip and lead them over the barren desert back to this mountain. There, they would be schooled.  

   And by the way, Moses, you won't have provisions of food and drink, and your trip map crosses a sea. Don't worry; I'll be with you. 

   After 40 incredible years, Moses himself was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. God commissioned Joshua to lead, and told both men that the people would prostitute themselves to foreign gods, forsake the Lord and break the covenant. 

   On that note of no confidence, Joshua proceeded. There was no WELCOME sign at the Jordan River, no entry visas, and no free health care. 

   They were opposed by other nations, as are their descendants today. 

   Among the events, David slew Goliath. Instead of a parade or a medal of honor, he had to hide in a cave from jealous King Saul, even though God had promised David the kingdom. 

   As prophesied (see above), future generations disobeyed God. He sent Assyrians and Babylonians to destroy the divided kingdoms. The UN did nothing to help. 

   The prophet Jeremiah spent time in a cistern, and died knowing the people had ignored his warnings of God's judgment. His other prophecies were fulfilled later, and some are yet to be fulfilled. 

   God favored one of the exiles, Daniel, such that envious locals got him thrown into a den of lions. Three other faithful Jews infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar by refusing to bow down to his idol. Preferring death to worshiping idols, they were thrown into a blazing furnace. The Lord saved them all. 

Tomorrow: Will Jesus' followers fare better? 

      Jimmy

   

   
   
   

   

Let's Hear It for Moses    
   Part 1 of 4

   And for Noah, David, Daniel, Peter, Paul and Mary. These and other biblical "heroes" suffered much while the Holy Spirit authored the Word of God in the context of human experience.

   The remainder of this week we will remind you what God wrought in these ordinary people, to produce Scripture useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16) 

   Note: We call attention to life without modern convenience.

   When Adam and Eve sang, We've got the whole world, in our hands...God showed them the world outside the garden. If that wasn't trouble enough, one of their two sons killed the other.

   Noah was a righteous man. His reward was to spend a century building the world's first boat. (Newport News wasn't up and running yet.) Then God flooded the Earth and Noah's family had to start all over, without FEMA flood insurance.

   Abram also received a call from God: Leave your comfort zone and walk a long ways to a place you will be shown. Later, God told him to sacrifice his only son. It was just a test...with implications.

   His grandson Jacob had to go afar to find a non-Canaanite wife, a shepherdess. After working for her father for seven years, Jacob was tricked into serving another seven years. 

   He would become the "father" of 12 tribes, but first, his oldest sons lied to him that his favorite, young son was killed by an animal. Cruel.

   But Joseph was alive in Egypt where he had been "trafficked," serving one of Pharaoh's officials. Mrs. Potiphar had a cheating heart, and falsely accused Joseph of wrong doing. 

   We don't have space here to describe the conditions in his prison. But God was with him.    
   

Tomorrow: Up the mountain

       Jimmy

    

American Pastimes    
Cheers and Jeers       
   
   October baseball. Few words count: strike, ball, safe, out. 

      Everyday politics. Words are all that count.

   Impartial umpires. Fairness. Good sports.

      Bi-partisan Congress. Hyperbole, hypocrisy. Blood sport. 
 

   "We have to impeach the president or he will be reelected."

Sorry about that, voters.

   Rep. Nancy Pelosi: "Principles Americans hold dear...have been violated...judging the president (not) with fairness but impeaching him with a vengeance..." Oh, that was Ms. Pelosi back when Bill Clinton was impeached after due process.  

   A kangaroo court is an inquisition without due process, where those who judge have one verdict in mind. 

   Last we looked, the U.S. Constitution says nothing about political parties. No Republicans or Democrats are to be found. We put up with them and their personal aims because the alternative might look like Iran or North Korea or Russia. 

   The Sixth Amendment assures a public trial by impartial juries. Is Congress excused from abiding by the same spirit? If the president did seriously wrong, where is the impartial jury? 
 

Apparently he did not commit

an impeachable offense, or they

would vote and open up the process

for others to cross examine witnesses,

as was done with both Nixon and Clinton.

   Politicians with barely 15 percent approval claim they're defending the Constitution. We wonder if most members in both parties, if ask, could find a copy of it.

   Would someone tell Congress the election is in November 2020? That's when Americans who still support fair play will stand up and be counted. Only then will we - should we - know the final score. 

   Is this pastime past its time?

Some content from Adam Goodman, an Edward R. Murrow Fellow

a Republican. So? 

      Jimmy

This is Amazing!          
    
   A female cop, 31, off duty after another stressful day, parks on the wrong level of her apartment garage...enters the unlocked door of what she thinks is her apartment...and shoots dead a man she thinks is an intruder.  

   Another white on black shooting. The family and community is rightly, highly upset.

   To the courtroom.

   This woman is distraught and deeply sorry. She is found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

   The victim's side is troubled that her sentence isn't worse. 

   But his brother tells the court he prefers no prison time for her, and asks the judge if he can give her a hug. Granted. 

   They embrace with emotion. He pleads that she will receive Christ into her life. 

   Sounds like a man who does more than attend church. He follows Jesus. 
   
   If we're seeing this right, he can mentor me any day.

        Jimmy

Suspect Solutions    
    

  More wisdom from  

  Janie B. Cheaney,  

  WORLD magazine.  

     

   "In the United States, one party or the other will roll out a policy "solution" with great fanfare, but with little discussion of the causes of a problem or even what the real problem is. 

   "Policy is touted as savior before we've agreed on what needs to be saved: 
Incomes, or values?  Choice, or life?  Jobs, or purpose? 

   "Policy can't answer these questions, and by itself won't solve a single problem. We should keep that in mind in 2020." 

Charity Down  
   Despite rising incomes, charitable giving was down 3.4 percent last year. Some "experts" blame the 2017 tax reform law, which raised the standard deduction, removing the tax benefit of giving. 

Suicide Up   
   The increase in our U.S. suicide rate from 1999 to 2017 was 33 percent. 
Does anyone agree with me that - in part - this is a result of America semi-officially turning its back on God? 

   If I'm raised in a culture without time for God, and without godly parents, when life gets overly tough, I can just end it and escape. No big deal? 

We'll escape for the weekend,

and trust you'll click in on Monday.

🙏

Jimmy