Fom email--

The Lord has a way of revealing those of us who really know him, and those that don't! Think about it! Kerry gave a big speech last week about how his faith is so "important" to him. In this attempt to convince the American people that we should consider him for president, he announced that his favorite Bible verse is John 16:3.

Of course the speech writer meant John 3:16, but nobody in the Kerry camp was familiar enough with scripture to catch the error. And do you know what John 16:3 says? John 16:3 says; "They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me."

The Spirit works in strange ways.

August 20, 2004

Twice Is Once Too Many

Read: James 3:1-12

With [our tongue] we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men. —James 3:9

Bible In One Year: Psalms 105-106; 1 Corinthians 3

When I begin to grade the papers from the students in my college freshman writing class, I'm rather lenient about correcting their mistakes, hoping I won't see the same errors again.

But when the next paper contains the identical mistakes, I begin to get a little irritated. I expect the students to learn from their errors and avoid them the next time. Usually, though, it doesn't quite work that way.

Sounds like our Christian life. The Lord patiently reminds us through the Holy Spirit's presence, for example, that we shouldn't say negative things about others. He tells us to be kind and compassionate instead of fault-finding and vindictive (Ephesians 4:31-32). But we sometimes slip back into our old habit of letting both "fresh" and "bitter" words come from our lips in our conversations about others (James 3:8-12).

With my students, I go back to the basics to erase old habits. We train. We review. We practice. We eliminate the errors.

The Lord patiently continues to work with us about the way we speak of other people. As we listen to His training, learn from our mistakes, and depend on His power, we'll grow and change. —Dave Branon

To be like Jesus—that's our goal,
Though it doesn't happen fast;
We trust the Spirit—He's our Guide,
Till we're glorified at last. —Branon

To put failure behind you, face up to it.

Happy weekend, Aqua! And hello to all the Finest.

I've been a bit under the weather this week but I've been here lurking every day. Can't keep a Finest Fan down!

Mayor, your Military Monday and all the devotions you share with us were superb.

Billie, you and Louie came up with a winner thread about past dating stories. What a hoot!

Mama_Bear, what a lovely tribute to a beautiful state. My family and I used to spend most every summer vacation visiting my aunt and uncle in Colorado Springs. He was stationed at the AF base there. The first time I visited the base that beautiful chapel was being built. Yeah, I'm that old.

LadyX, the picture you put up of Pike's Peak brought back such memories. The veiw from my aunt & uncle's back deck was of that beautiful mountain. It was an especially stunning sight as it caught the first rays of the morning sun. One of God's special blessings, to be sure.

JH2, Mr. Wordmeister, what else can I say? The dems certainly seem to be jumping from the frying pan and into the fire. It is sobering indeed to think that these folks have actually been *elected* and have a shot at being elected again (shudder). Keep exposing them, John, with your unique and effective wit.

Hope everyone has a fun weekend!

~~ PHOTOS from CHARLEY's Foray to PUNTA GORDA ~ ~

First, let me thank all of you have offered prayers for Steve, treating patients there. He was able to go home Wednesday evening, going back at 6 this morning, and thus able to download some photographs he had taken.
Photography is one of his hobbies, and he wanted records useful to DMAT, and has placed them on a website for easy viewing.
(Each one has a Properties URL and can be used freely.)

This is the e-mail with the information for you to get there, before I post a few of them today.

"I've uploaded some of my photos from our DMAT deployment to Hurricane Charley on www.NikonNet.com. We replaced one of the three hospitals closed by storm damage by setting up our treatment tents in a parking lot across the street. We can do pretty much anything a regular hospital can do except hang blood. The first day, we only saw about 50 patients, but when the streets were more cleared and the word got out, we began receiving many more casualties each day. I worked the day shift from 7am to 7pm. On Wednesday, I was one of two PAs working with two physicians. Along with nurses and paramedics, we saw over 130 patients. That's busy even for a well-staffed emergency department!

To get to the website, simply click the address below and you'll be sent directly to my NikonNet photo album:

http://home1.nikonnet.com/servlet/com.arcsoft.LoginNew?com=arcsoftBanner&awp=index3.html&DIRECT=&USERNAME=nikonpa&PASSWORD=nikoneditor_-1355445236&WHO=memberguest

If that doesn't work, go to www.nikonnet.com, and click the "Albums" button. Then log in using the following information:

You should be able to download any pictures you want by right-clicking on them and saving them to your hard drive. You should be able to share this login information with others, but you'll only be able to log in one at a time.

Don't forget to sign my guestbook!"

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There are 39 photographs - a few of them of patient wounds that are not too gross.

Do note that only one person at a time can view the album, so be patient and go back, if need be. Although I have a slow dialup connection, it did not take very long for each to load for me. Advancing was easy, arrows to go forward and back.

If you do sign his guestbook, perhaps place 'FR' by your name, either real or screen name?
That way, he will know you are a Friendly Freeper, and of Freeper Power ..:))

Will post a few of them here for you today...

Several are not of the damage, but of beauty, as well.
All his adult life, knowing I am Florida clouds-and-sunrises/sunets-deprived, he has fed me spectacular pictures.
One was when he had made a presentation at a Conference in Boston, flying home to Florida - shot a sunset over the wingtip while going past Cape Canaveral for me.

The best kinds of presents, compared with material, store bought things...