Truth       < Belief  >     Falsehood

   What to believe? It's a question dating to the day Satan masqueraded as a talking serpent, lying to Adam's wife. He knew the truth, but he lied to her about God's command not to eat the fruit of the tree of life. 

   This wasn't about a $10 million secret, illegal deal. It was about one bite of fruit for goodness sake! Eve believed the devil; she and Adam were evicted from their awesome home, and we all have been paying a price ever since. We all are vulnerable. 

   How so? Because essentially, life is about the Creator's truth and his enemy's "disinformation." We must decide who to believe; our eternal destiny depends on it. 

~ ~ ~

   From our Bible commentary we counted about 190 verses in the Old and New Testaments centered on truth. In the four gospels Jesus is quoted 76 times saying, I tell you the truth. 

   Of course, some of those are in conversations included in one or two other New Testament books. 

   We found 25 verses about lying. And some 145 on belief. 

   As with Jesus on trial, and Stephen standing accused before the same "court," there is a fierce battle over what we believe. 

   Lies in national and world affairs can change circumstances for millions, for a lifetime, even start wars. 

   As for spiritual matters, there is a written record from the beginning, authored by God himself through his chosen servants like Moses, David, John and Paul. If we have a Bible and are of age, he demands we believe his truth!   

Continued tomorrow

       Jimmy

The lie in Belief  

   Friends, if you haven't read the last two blogs, please do. They are the basis for today's attempt to explain something. 

   In Acts chapter 7, a man with an ordinary assignment, provide food to foreign visitors - but an extraordinary relationship with the Holy Spirit - confronts people who don't believe the gospel he is spreading. 

   Rather than debate or ignore him, they sought men to lie and stir up anger. It is a tactic practiced today. Instead of addressing the issue, cancel the messenger. 

   Stephen knew Jewish history, but went over the edge when he called them "stiff-necked people," and worse. He also shamed their "fathers," whom Stephen said killed God's prophets. He accused some in the court, where he was being charged, of participating in a plot to have the "righteous One" crucified.

   Name calling isn't advised, normally. But this wasn't normal. God was not pleased that children of Abraham had killed other children (prophets) who had written what God gave them in those special times. And he was not pleased with those in this court who had insisted that Pilate crucify a man found innocent. God himself may have been speaking through Stephen.  

   However, beginning in Genesis, all along God was planning to suffer for our salvation. The "actors" indeed didn't know what they were doing. 

   Stephen paid with his life, one of the earliest martyrs. But while dying in pain, he looked toward heaven and said, Lord don't hold this sin against them. Jesus himself had said on the cross, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.  

   Of course they didn't know, because they had believed lies. They didn't know the truth about Stephen, because they believed lies. 

   Do we believe everything we hear, or read in papers and magazines?

   Maybe we'll continue this tomorrow. 

       Jimmy

Before the (supreme) Court  

   Yesterday, we left off with Stephen (just a deacon)) standing alone before the Sanhedrin, accused of blasphemy. A serious charge in those times. 

   The high priest asked him, "Are these charges true?"  

   Stephen answered by reviewing their history, beginning with Abraham. Then - Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, Moses the exodus. 

   The desert experience, Joshua, the Promised Land, and David. So far, so good. Then he quoted Scripture (Acts 7:48-50) and said - oh oh - 

   You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit. Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One.   

   And now you have betrayed and murdered him - you who have received the law ... but have not obeyed it. 

   The court became furious. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Look, he said, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

   At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. (Saul, who Jesus later renamed Paul, witnessed and approved.) 

   Did Stephen react as we might, shaking his fist and calling them names?

   While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. 

Tomorrow: Cancel culture - then and today.  

Nobody Likes to be Insulted 

   Or hit with stones. Human nature reacts, big time! 

   Background: In the months following Jesus' return to the Father - having sent the Holy Spirit to mankind - faith spread rapidly. The 12 disciples were busy helping to feed many Jewish "foreigners" in the city. Too busy.

   Some of the visitors complained they were being overlooked. 

   The disciples called a meeting. They needed to concentrate on ministry and prayer, so they selected seven men "full of the Spirit and wisdom," to take charge of the tables. Stephen was one of the seven. Today, we think of these men as the first deacons.  

   It worked. The Word spread. Believers, even some priests, increased in number. 

   Unlike any deacon we ever knew, including myself, Stephen did "great wonders and miraculous signs." 

   The Bible (Acts chapter 7) says Jews from other provinces argued with him. They hadn't experienced "the way," and opposed what Stephen was spreading. 

   Like those who asked Pontius Pilate to condemn Jesus, with false accusations they persuaded some to say, "'We heard Stephen speak blasphemy against Moses and God.' They stirred up the elders and teachers of the law." 

   They took Stephen to the Sanhedrin - at that time the supreme court of the Jewish people - the same body that sent Jesus to Pilate for a death sentence. Again, with false witnesses, they claimed that Stephen said, "Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs of Moses." 

Tomorrow: What will the court decide?

     Jimmy

      

 

Monday: An uproar over one man

 We're Back! 

   For better or worse. Friends, it is a relief that you checked in after our lost week. We were snowed under (yes, it snows in Florida) with awesome relatives on both sides, in town either for 1. a celebration of life, or 2. a vacation. 

   A great-niece and her husband from Oregon stayed here for a week or so - wonderful to have them - but it limited my access to the computer, as if there was time to blog anyway. 

   When reader stats showed no readers after a blogless week, we began to think we lost you. Maybe it was time to hang it up. But, we'll continue as long as some of you follow Views.

   There is plenty of valuable information to be found - or recalled - in the Bible, and worldly subjects beg for our attention. 

   If you want to suggest a subject, respond to any blog and we'll decide if we're up to the task. 

We're Falling Back

   Several Biden-team members followed the script for the day: "We are using sanctions to deter the Russians." 

   Then the president goes in front of NATO and says, "Sanctions never deter." 

   And he does a U.S. no-no - getting political on foreign soil. He said he wasn't going to run for president until (Trump) said "There are good people on both sides" of the disturbance in Charlottesville. This was a misrepresentation repeated from a couple years back. Trump said that, but first he explicitly denounced the supremacists. Leftist politicians and media ignore that part. 

   Why was Biden was in Bussels in the first place? We're not leading. Please. Will some other national leader take charge of the response to Ukraine, before Putin breaks Stalin's record for deaths?    

        Jimmy

Monday: A brave man named Stephen

Truth About Badmouthing 

   It must be true that no one has broken up a marriage except the husband or wife, or both. 

   There are outside influences, homewreckers. But, only one or both of the people who agreed to marry can ultimately undo it. 

   Nations are like that, writes Andree Seu Peterson in WORLD magazine.

   Communist regimes have a problem, she says. They carry the seeds of their own destruction. The better off their people become, the more they will get ideas. Rulers must keep their grip, allow a hint of freedom, but not too much. 

   See North Korea. Then there is Hong Kong, which protested too much for the comfort of Xi Jinping and the Party. 

   We - America - are a lamp on a hill that Chinese and Russians cannot allow their people to envy. Why else does Russia mess with our elections?

   Why does Iran -  narrowly religious - call Israel "little Satan" and America the "great Satan?" If that isn't Satan pointing his finger elsewhere, what would it be?  

   Dictators may badmouth us, but us badmouthing ourselves is self-destruction, Peterson writes.  

   Countries defeated in war often rebuild. But, those destroyed from within come to an end. 

   In Matthew 12:25, Jesus said, Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. It is inner division that is fatal. 

   As for marriage, so for nations. We have a substantial population that wishes to cancel Judeo-Christian influence, our constitution and the economic system that - for better or worse - has made living more livable. Russia and China cannot destroy our heritage. Only we can do that.

   Ukrainians have it right, horrible as their current troubles are.

         Jimmy

  

         

Answer in Plain Sight 

Mona Charen's View

   "The shift in attitudes toward Russia ... it remains to be seen whether it will stick. Human tendency toward complacency and denial is very strong. One way we'll know if democracies have truly grappled with the moment is what they do on energy.

   "Without energy revenue, Russia is defanged. Oil and gas account for nearly 40 percent of Russia's federal revenue and 60 percent of exports. The old gibe that Russia is a 'gas station with nukes' was only somewhat exaggerated. Europe currently relies on Russia for 40 percent of its energy needs. 

   "Another path, better for the climate than liquified natural gas and more reliable than renewables, is in plain sight - nuclear power. (It is estimated) that world energy demand will increase 50 percent by 2050. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries cannot in conscience deny development to the world's poorer nations. 

   "Nor can we delude ourselves that renewables, at the current state of technology, can take up all the slack created by giving up fossil fuels. 

   "Amazingly, there is an existing technology that can produce the energy the world needs without harming the climate. And yet we hesitate. Nuclear power is the key to limiting climate change and hobbling some of the world's worst aggressors. 

   "If we're serious about both problems, we'll clear the air of superstitions about nuclear power. Nuclear power plants cannot explode like nuclear bombs. They require much less land than solar or wind. Nuclear waste can be safely buried. 

   "...evaluate trade-offs like adults. Are we serious about choking off the source of Putin's power or not? Are we serious about combating climate change without illusions that wind and solar will do the job? Nuclear energy can be a major part of the solution to both challenges." 

~ ~ ~

We believed all this when we worked for Westinghouse in the late 20th century. The company built nuclear power plants, but environmentalists - not all - are staunch opponents of clean, nuclear energy.    Jimmy

Seeing Through Fog of War  

                  This is our blog, but today we give you Mona Charen,                      columnist, journalist, commentator: 

   "Imagine that Russian President Vladimir Putin had used different tactics. Imagine that Putin had just been a little less nakedly aggressive; if he had worked to undermine democracy and dismantle the post-Cold War architecture with a bit more subtlety; if he had stuck with the tactics he employed in Georgia and Crimea and in American and European elections; he and Russia would not now be the international pariahs they have become. 

   "The fact is that Putin has done more than enough over the past two decades to earn the hostility and suspicion of free people. He has murdered his political opponents. He has crushed the free press. He committed war crimes against Chechnya, targeting civilians in Grozny and causing the deaths of up to 50,000. 

   "He invaded Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, annexing Crimea. He sided with Bashar al-Assad in Syria, bombing civilian targets including hospitals in Aleppo and facilitating the use of chemical weapons. And through subterfuge, he sowed division in Europe, the United States and around the globe, supporting extremists of the left and the right and undermining confidence in elections. 

   "You can do all that and more and get away with it. What you cannot do is roll tanks into another country. That, apparently, is the sort of act that finally reminds people of good and evil in this world. 

   "Ukrainians deserve our gratitude. Their heroism in the face of this brutal attack has shocked people into hard-headed realism. Putin did the one thing that no one can misinterpret or explain away. No more illusions. Aggressors are real. Freedom is worth defending." 

Continued tomorrow: Her answer to two problems in plain sight

Spiritual Warfare  

   On March 21 we are curious about Psalm 21. 

   While Ukrainians struggle against evil human forces, believers the world over struggle against unseen, but very real, forces of evil. We long for victory over Satan and his demonic powers. Beginning with verse 6:

   "Surely you have granted him (the king) eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.

   "Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes. At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the Lord will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them. - vv. 8-9

   "You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. - v. 10

   "Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow. 

   "Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might." 

   

    

Remember Me? 

   All you out there...worried sick about the disappearance of Views By the Sea, about a blogger without a blog.   

   We can't see you. Are you wearing green? Celebrating St. Patrick's Day? 

   Jimmy Donut is back in his den, struggling to make sense of the clutter, unsure what day it is. 

   We and our sister-in-law have hosted family members for over a week, some here for a "Celebration of Life," others on a long-planned vacation. The last family flew back north this afternoon, and our den is once again mine. All mine. 

   But, it was good times, and we miss them all ... from Oregon, Washington, Ohio, Indiana, New York and Georgia. 

   Friday I must take our HOA revised Bylaws to the clerk of court for the records. And I will spend time boning up on information pertaining to our HOA annual meeting that occurs Saturday. 

   Oh yeah. I will be "elected" to continue in my secretary's position, or replaced by another man who wants my place. 

   And we've kept one eye on Ukraine. 

   Well, that's enough babble for this week. Hope to return Monday with some helpful reminders from the Word of God. 

       Jimmy

 

 The apostles persecuted

   "The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 

   "Then the high priest and all his associates...were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 'Go,' he said, 'and tell the people the full message of this new life.'

   (The next morning) "...someone said...'Look. The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.'

   (Back to the Sanhedrin) "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood. 

   "Peter and the others replied: 'We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior, that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.'

   "They were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel...addressed them: 'Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. I advise you, Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.'

   "They called the apostles in and had them flogged. The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." 

Acts 5:12, 17-20, 25, 28-35, 38-41

 Before the Sanhedrin 

   "The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them.

   "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said: 'Rulers and elders of the people. If we are being called to account for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.' 

   "'Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.'" 

   When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.

   "Then they...commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.' After further threats, they let them go. 

   "...all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old."

Acts 4:5, 8-14, 18-22

Life-long cripple is healed;

Peter seizes the moment

   "Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate...where he was put every day to beg. - Acts 3:2 

   "Peter said, 'Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.' Instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God. - vv.6, 8 

   "When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate...and they were filled with wonder and amazement... - vv. 9-10

    Peter knew some of these people had helped 

to hand Jesus over to be disowned and killed. He said:

   "You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. - vv. 15-16

   "This is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. - vv. 18-19

   "He (Jesus) must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all people on earth will be blessed.' When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."  - vv, 21, 25

                      After Abraham passed his extraordinary test, God said,                                       "...through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed,                              because you have obeyed me."  - Genesis 22:18 

The genealogy of Jesus (Luke chapter 3) begins with Adam, goes through Noah, later Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and eventually David, who also foresaw his "descendent" on the throne. 

When the Spirit comes,

Peter explains: 

   "This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.'" - Joel 2:28-32 

   "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 

   "But God raised him from the dead ... because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 

   "David said about him: 'I saw the Lord always before me... Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'  - Psalm 16:8-11

   "Brothers... the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.

   "Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.

   "Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, and has poured out what you now see and hear. Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ."

Acts 2:22-36

   

The kingdom is coming to Israel;

But first, the Spirit has work to do

Luke thoroughly investigated the times of Jesus. He wrote the gospel known by his name. He also investigated the times following, and accompanied Paul and others on missionary journeys. He recorded these actions - we're certain with much help from the Spirit - in a letter to a friend, now called the book of Acts. 

~

   "In my former book... I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach... After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 

   "On one occasion...he gave them this command, 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised... For John was baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 

< The people had been expecting the Messiah for centuries. >

   "So when they met together, they asked him, 'Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?' 

   "He said to them, 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'" 

Acts 1:1-8

   

   

 

Lord, are you going to restore

the kingdom to Israel?

Monday on Views >

Coming Attractions  

   We'll tell you what's on our plate over the next 2-1/2 weeks, and then tell you what to expect on Views By the Sea.

* This is a time for spring cleaning, inside and out

* We must replace flowers that February's frost killed; fertilizer has to be applied in several flower beds.

* A "celebration of life" is coming, and we will host the overflow - a couple from Oregon, of the immediate family. 

* Five close members of our family happen to be coming the same week. This was planned and flights paid for months ago. They have rented a house nearby, but will spend their days with us. We haven't seen them for three years.

* Our pool deck needs a thorough cleaning, and pool water needs attention after winter's inattention.

* Food prep will be Mrs. Donut's concern, but we have a hunch her husband will have fun in the kitchen as well, even if just washing dishes.  

* Beside all this, I am running for reelection to our homeowners board, and must prepare for one or two "meet the candidates" sessions before the March 19 election. 

* Meanwhile, homeowners or church board messages land in my inbox more days than not. 

   Therefore, there is little time for Views. We have something better for you. Five days a week we will post some very special scriptures, and you will have food from far above the sea.

   We probably won't mention Ukraine, unless Putin and all his generals turn themselves into the world court on war-crimes. Or the Russian people do to him as Italians did to Mussolini. 

       Jimmy

 

The Day of the Lord  

   Here's a verse Vladimir Putin needs to know:

   'Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble and that day that is coming will set them on fire,' says the Lord Almighty. 

   There is good news for those who are faithful and honor God ... and as we like to add, "No matter what!" 

   But for you who honor my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. 

Commentary: The day of the Lord will also mean salvation and deliverance for all who love and serve him. In his kingdom God's glory and righteousness will shine like the sun, bringing goodness, blessing, salvation and healing. Everything will be made right. 

   The above verses are from the last chapter of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, which we have grown to love and learn from. 

         Jimmy

Give Me Liberty

   or Give Me Death! 

   So said Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, wartime President of Ukraine. 

   Okay, we fib. It was Patrick Henry, urging the Virginia Convention to contribute troops for a possible revolution, March 23, 1775. Among his audience: Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. 

   Isn't this the same spirit with which Zelenskyy rallies his nation? This is the man who told the U.S. "I don't need a ride (to safety), I need weapons." 

   In fact, his life in 2022 warfare is far more at risk than Henry's in the horse and buggy 18th century. If the Russians find him, will someone include his middle name on his tombstone? 

   We continue to be somewhat shocked that one nation is capable of the evil Russia displays. Even this remnant of Stalin's Soviet Union. 

   This isn't two nations fighting over territory. This is slaughter by a bully against people that should be close friends...minding their own business. 

   Russia's young soldiers seem not to be all in. But pilots and artillery gunners target civilians, and it may get worse. They don't have to be men of faith. It's just evil. Dear God, they're targeting children! 

   It's past time for free nations to stop doing business with dark regimes. Let's sacrifice some wealth if that's what it takes. We're not sure key players are ready for that. 

   Meanwhile, John Kerry want's us to stay focused on climate change. Sheesh!

   How about these Ukrainian women, some of them with young children, families possibly separated with no assurance. They speak to news people clear eyed, with purpose and clarity. 

       Jimmy

   

Reaching Generation Z 

   While young people in Ukraine, ages 13-25, are fighting for their lives, or running for their lives, the same generation in America seeks answers to life. 

   Josh Packard, Ph.D., has helpful insights. 

   Pastors and others wishing to help youngsters with their faith don't necessarily know how to reach them. It's not like prior years.

   Weakening family ties and many distractions have replaced the habits common in the 1950s.

   Our particular church has a strong senior membership, and an active pre-teen group of about a dozen children. But, don't expect to see more than a handful of Gen Z youth, if that.

   Packard says many youth claim to be religious and/or spiritual. But, don't try to help them unless you are trusted, and vulnerable. Times are uncertain, and many find support within their social networks - friends and family members, not church. 

   Authentic relationships are possible, he writes. "Leaders can build trust by listening, caring, and demonstrating integrity, transparency and expertise." 

   Credentials, titles and professional status are not enough. Youth need to believe that a person cares for them, listens to them and believes in them. Big programs and catchy sermon titles don't impress. 

   Due to the location of our home, Mrs. Donut and I were asked to take a teenager to Sunday School and Church each Sunday. Otherwise someone would need to go out of the way, or she wouldn't get there at all.

   So we take her, when she hasn't been grounded. We now understand why she would rather talk on her cell phone than chat with us. Thankfully, she confides in a couple leaders, and feels safer in church than at home.

   Our country and the church needs Generation Z, and they need us, if we're available.

Mr. Packard is executive director of 

Springtide Research Institute in Greeley, Colorado.