Tuesday, March 17, 2009

A Parable of the United States in Ten Pictures

__________________________________________
Church members will often send me emails with some amazing pictures. I do not know who took the pictures below, but the allegory that came in the email with the photographs was too good to pass up. Nature has its own way of teaching us. Double click on the photographs for a larger image. Enjoy!






The fellow sitting on the tailgate of his pickup truck never realized the show he was missing.








The little duck watches as the Eagle speeds straight at him at about 40 mph.









With perfect timing, the duck always dove and escaped with as mighty splash! Then he'd pop to the surface as soon as the Eagle flew past. This was repeated over and over for several minutes. I worried the poor duck would tire and that would be the end of him.









A second Eagle joins the attack! The duck kept diving "just in time", so the Eagles began to dive into the water after him!








After several minutes the Eagles got frustrated and began to attack each other. They soon began to dive vertically, level out, and attack head-on in a good old-fashioned game of high-speed "Chicken". Sometimes they banked away from each other at the last possible second. Other times they'd climb vertically and tear into each other while falling back toward the water. (The duck catches his breath at the right side of this picture.)









A terrible miscalculation! The luckiest shot of my life catches this 100 mph head-on collision between two Bald Eagles.









One Eagle stayed aloft and flew away, but the other lies motionless in a crumpled heap. The lucky duck survived to live another day.








It's sad to watch an Eagle drown. He wiggled, flapped and struggled mostly underwater. He finally got his head above water and with great difficulty managed to get airborne. To my astonishment, he flew straight toward me, and it was the most wretched and unstable bird flight I've ever seen!








The bedraggled Eagle circled me once - then lit atop a nearby fir tree. He had a six-foot wingspread and looked mighty angry. I was concerned that I might be his next target, but he was so exhausted he just stared at me. Then I wondered if he would topple to the ground. As he tried to dry his feathers, it seemed to me that this beleaguered Eagle symbolized America in its current trials.








My half-hour wait was rewarded with this marvelous sight. He flew away, almost good as new.

May America recover as well.

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW !!!

Excellent post !

B Nettles said...

Thanks for sharing, Wade.

And whether professional or amateur, those are great shots. You just don't train eagles to do that.

Anonymous said...

The last picture looks kinda fake.

Dismal Deacon

Anonymous said...

I guess it is obvious, sometime we feel like one of the eagles, sometime we feel like the duck.

:-)

wtreat@centurytel.net

Anonymous said...

The last picture looks like Obama without a teleprompter.

Anonymous said...

I guess that would be the next to the last picture.

The last picture looks like the teleprompter is working again.

Rex Ray said...

Wade,
I thought how in the world can anyone get mad at you for such unusual action of birds.

But then it hit me—this is not about America; this is about the SBC.

The guy on the tailgate represents the average Baptists.

The duck represents the lost world in need of a Saviour to stop living in sin underwater and fly as Eagles.

The Eagles want to snatch the duck and carry him high in the lofty clouds of Glory. Once there the duck will see the error of his ways, and will forever be with Jesus.

Ah! But a dispute develops on how to accomplish their goal. ‘Real conservatives’ were for ‘missions’ but ‘fundamentalists’ argued ‘doctrine’.

They tear at each other until the 100 mph ‘takeover’ leave ‘real conservative’ blind-sided as being classified as liberals.

Slowly the wounded Eagle is healing as the guy on the tailgate begins to wake up and once again we can cooperate through missions to save a dying world.

WatchingHISstory said...

AWESOME!!!

Joe Blackmon said...

Rex Ray

I've got this wild, wacky idea. Maybe, just maybe, Wade meant what he said by the post. No hidden meaning. I know, I know, that's kinda wild. It's kinda wacky.

Anonymous said...

When 'birds of prey' fight over 'the prize'; you can expand this theme to cover a multitude of tragedies. Think of the 'birds of prey' as denominations; and the little duck as the 'unsaved of the world'.

We need to become birds of 'pray'.

John Daly said...

I seem to recall Ben Franklin wanting the national bird to be a turkey. Imagine all the fun we could have with those metaphors. That poor duck was probably just a Calvinist trying to dodge all those angry Arminians.

Or he was probably a male pastor who had two females on his staff :)

Yep, I went there

Rex Ray said...

Joe Blackmon,
Hey! Nice for you to take up for Wade. Sorry I left the impression that he had a secrete meaning.

I was trying to point out he may be accused of it. The ‘battle’ between Christians was my wild wacky idea.

John Daly,
I see we think alike.

greg.w.h said...

So is it onomatopoeia if it applies to an action rather than a sound? I.e. "duck"?

Greg Harvey

B Nettles said...

Rex Ray,
What's a secrete meaning? Is that one that slowly oozes out and makes a mess?

Rex Ray said...

B Nettles,
OH NO! My wife corrected me on that once before.

But with your explanation, maybe it’s not so bad after all. :)

Christiane said...

ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL,
ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL , ALL THINGS WISE AND WONDERFUL,
THE LORD GOD MADE THEM ALL


Psa 139:9 If
I take the wings of the morning, [and] dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;


Psa 139:10
Even there,
shall Thy Hand lead me,
and Thy Right Hand shall hold me.


BEAUTIFUL POST !

Christiane said...

LENTEN REFLECTION

Chief Seattle's Thoughts, 1854.

It is said that this version was written by Ted Perry and he wrote the speech for a movie called "Home" which was produced in the US by the Southern Baptist Convention.

He had no idea that anyone would consider his work anything other than fiction, and he has spent quite a bit of time in the past few years trying to set the record straight.

"From the The Irish Press of Friday June 4th, 1976 ......

In 1854, "The Great White Chief" in Washington made an offer for a large area of Indian land and promised a "reservation" for the Indian people.



"In 1851 Seattle, chief of the Suquamish and other Indian tribes around Washington's Puget Sound, delivered what is considered to be one of the most beautiful and profound environmental statements ever made. The city of Seattle is named for the chief, whose speech was in response to a proposed treaty under which the Indians were persuaded to sell two million acres of land for $150,000." -- Buckminster Fuller in Critical Path.

Chief Seattle's Thoughts

"How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us.

If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.

The white man's dead forget the country of their birth when they go to walk among the stars. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of the red man. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man --- all belong to the same family.

So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us. The Great Chief sends word he will reserve us a place so that we can live comfortably to ourselves. He will be our father and we will be his children.

So, we will consider your offer to buy our land. But it will not be easy. For this land is sacred to us. This shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you the land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.

The rivers are our brothers, they quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes, and feed our children. If we sell you our land, you must remember, and teach your children, that the rivers are our brothers and yours, and you must henceforth give the rivers the kindness you would give any brother.

We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He leaves his father's grave behind, and he does not care. He kidnaps the earth from his children, and he does not care. His father's grave, and his children's birthright are forgotten. He treats his mother, the earth, and his brother, the sky, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads. His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only a desert.

I do not know. Our ways are different than your ways. The sight of your cities pains the eyes of the red man. There is no quiet place in the white man's cities. No place to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring or the rustle of the insect's wings. The clatter only seems to insult the ears. And what is there to life if a man cannot hear the lonely cry of the whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around the pond at night? I am a red man and do not understand. The Indian prefers the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of a pond and the smell of the wind itself, cleaned by a midday rain, or scented with pinon pine.

The air is precious to the red man for all things share the same breath, the beast, the tree, the man, they all share the same breath. The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. Like a man dying for many days he is numb to the stench. But if we sell you our land, you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.

The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh. And if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred as a place where even the white man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow's flowers.

So we will consider your offer to buy our land. If we decide to accept, I will make one condition - the white man must treat the beasts of this land as his brothers.

I am a savage and do not understand any other way. I have seen a thousand rotting buffaloes on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train. I am a savage and do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be made more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive.

What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children that we have taught our children that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know; the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.

Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We shall see. One thing we know which the white man may one day discover; our God is the same God.

You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land; but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white. The earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator. The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Contaminate your bed and you will one night suffocate in your own waste.

But in your perishing you will shine brightly fired by the strength of the God who brought you to this land and for some special purpose gave you dominion over this land and over the red man.

That destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not understand when the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses are tamed, the secret corners of the forest heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills blotted by talking wires.

Where is the thicket? Gone. Where is the eagle? Gone.

The end of living and the beginning of survival."


P.S. Sorry for length, but wanted to share this to give thanks to the Creator for the picture essay's animals. Love, L's

Gram said...

hmmmm....i thought she was a female duck trying to dodge 2 male eagles....

Anonymous said...

BLESS THOU THE LORD, O MY SOUL
Psalm 104


"104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

104:2 Who coverest [thyself] with light as [with] a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

104:3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

104:5 [Who] laid the foundations of the earth, [that] it should not be removed for ever.

104:6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as [with] a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

104:7 At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.

104:8 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.

104:9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

104:10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, [which] run among the hills.

104:11 They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.

104:12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, [which] sing among the branches.

104:13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.

104:14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

104:15 And wine [that] maketh glad the heart of man, [and] oil to make [his] face to shine, and bread [which] strengtheneth man's heart.

104:16 The trees of the LORD are full [of sap]; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;

104:17 Where the birds make their nests: [as for] the stork, the fir trees [are] her house.

104:18 The high hills [are] a refuge for the wild goats; [and] the rocks for the conies.

104:19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

104:20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep [forth].

104:21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.

104:22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.

104:23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.

104:24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

104:25 [So is] this great and wide sea, wherein [are] things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

104:26 There go the ships: [there is] that leviathan, [whom] thou hast made to play therein.

104:27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give [them] their meat in due season.

104:28 [That] thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

104:31 The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.

104:32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

104:33 I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

104:34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

104:35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD."


BLESS THOU THE LORD, O MY SOUL

Anonymous said...

I've got it:

One eagle is the US Government

One eagle is the AIG, trying to pull a fast one (see today's hearings on C-span)

The duck is really one of us in a 'duck suit'.

THE STORY: for years we have overspent using plastic: everyone was greedy. Then the 'thieves' in the government (the Government Eagle) came after us when they took away government oversight on Wall street.

Once all the controls were off, the sharks on Wall Street had a feeding frenzy on our economy and it fell through big-time: and the average 'Joe' (sorry Joe Blackmon, no offense intended) got scared and hid out in a 'duck suit', only all hell broke loose and as the economy crashed, the eagles went after the average 'Joe' a.k.a. (the guy in the duck suit)
The 'duck' tries to dive and hide under attack: but gets fired and looses his house. Then the 'government eagle' turns around and decides to fight the AIG Eagle: the AIG gets the better of the Government Eagle: terrible collison. AIG walks away with tax payers money to give out as 'bonuses' to CEO's by the millions. Govt. Eagle retreats to fight another day.

As for that 'chicken', I mean 'duck', well that's me.
Quack. If I could figure out what just happened here, I wouldn't have let it happen it the first place. In the meantime, I have to live in a lake, 'cause my home belongs to the bank and my job was sent overseas, and all I can do is to "quack", eat fish, and admit: 'I'm confused'. Can somebody tell me what happened?'

Yours truly:

THE "BAD-LUCK DUCK"
(a.k.a. the 'average Joe' who used to live on mainstreet USA)

oh no, here comes the gov't eagle. . . see you guys later.
SPLASH !


The '

Aussie John said...

Is the duck's name "Wade"?

Anonymous said...

Rex Ray: You win.Your are the one with his head in the mud. I was so impressed with the pictures but then I read a few comments and stopped at yours........
I went to the dentist today and commented; "wow 2 times a year I open my without getting into trouble. Been to the dentist lately???
Jim Sadler

Anonymous said...

When you can duck you don't need to wade.

Ramesh said...

Interesting developments from Fbc Jax Watchdog blog:

(Also, Tiffany Croft blog is also the issue here.

Pastor Wade's posts that includes Tiffany Croft in his posts are here.)
-----------------------------------
Tiffany Thigpen Croft said...
One other point I forgot to mention earlier. Most of you may not know that not only did FBC and Mac Brunson subpeona the records of watchdog's site, but specifically listed mine as well. Our two blog's really do not have any relevance to each other. I have not been involved in the watchdog's blog about FBC, my issue is in alerting people to the repeated crimes of a sexual offender named Pastor Darrell Gilyard within his churches.

Leads me to wonder what possible crime I committed to get an order to breach my privacy and subpeona my blog record. Am I next on their radar? The funny part is that I am listed very publicly, never have I hidden my identity. My face has been on the news and I blog using my own name. I even list my married and maiden name. Dr. Brunson knows my parents (members of his church) they love and support their Pastor wholeheartedly. Dr. Brunson knows of my history with Gilyard and the reasons I felt the need to be public. There is no reason to search out information that is right in front of us all....hmmmm.

What is next? And here we are worried about the government taking away our rights to free speech and squashing our right to make our own choices...what is going on here? I guess we have a much larger problem on our hands than we first realized.

Dr. Brunson, I would be happy to meet with you to answer any questions you may have, all you need to do is ask. I am really transparent, and I actually welcome criticism or challenge as it keeps me in check and gives me accountability. Maybe if you had simply answered his questions and addressed his (and many others') concerns, it would not be such an out of control problem.

No need to create rumors against me as you all have with "Watchdog", I am no threat to you.

Dr. Brunson, this is so sad that we are here. I truly hope that you decide to reconcile all of this in the appropriate way. And then apologize to your congregation for misleading them and destroying this man's family. It would be the Godly thing to do, so much could be learned from so many by simple transparency. You have all of these Pastor's looking to you for guidance (thank's to our former Pastor's setting up the annual Pastor conference. We have already heard testimony from an attendee. that was ..appalled by the continual talk of "this blogger" and the undercurrent of anger he felt during this years conference. Imagine what next year's talk will be - let's hope it will be the way you turned this sinking (or stinking) ship around and did the right thing.

I do respect your authority as a Pastor and do not wish to seem disrespectful here. I truly wish to see this turned around properly.

MARCH 18, 2009 4:52 PM
-----------------------------------
FBC Jax Watchdog said...
Tiffany - perhaps the investigator who subpoened your records from Google and from Comcast as he did mine was interested in some of the anonymous comments on your blog. Who knows. You make a good point as to why they would subpoena informatoin from Google concerning your blog since you use your own identity.

There really are two people who might know the answer:

John Blount, Church Administator who called the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on the 9/29, the day after Chest of Joash to report possible criminal Internet activity

and

Detective Robert Hinson of the JSO who took Blount's report, and was the officer who sent subpoena's to the state attorney office to get Google and Comcast to release the identity of the Watchdog.

And of course Detective Robert Hinson is also a member of FBC Jax.

Gee, how interesting.

MARCH 18, 2009 5:02 PM

-----------------------------------

Now, let us see, did they also subpoena Christa Brown, New BBC Open Forum, Pastor Wade's blog sites too?

Are they trolling for Anonymous Commenters and their IP addresses? Here Tiffany Croft is not Anonymous. But still they went after her blog site.

Interesting.

Anonymous said...

Sounds criminal to 'go after' people like that. How can WD protect himself and his family?
And the ladies and the young girls?

These 'criminals' are not Christians. It's satanic.

Anonymous said...

"Sounds criminal to 'go after' people like that. How can WD protect himself and his family?"

Exactly. Especially since someone who works for the public as a detective and is a member of FBC Jax used their position to get the information?

Now, WD has city hall and a mega church going after him. Funny, I thought FBC Jax was conservative

Ramesh said...

If you wish to look up Chest of Joash as it related to Fbc Jax Watchdog blog posts:

Carpet, Wallpaper, Chillers, and Roof Repairs...Where Did the Money Go?

Is the Iron Still Swimming? - Part 1

What to Do After Asking for $1 Million Cash

Chest of Joash is a Royal Bust?

People Don't Like It When Leaders Use Position to Gain Wealth

Mac and Deb's Little White Lie About Sheri Klouda - Can you Apologize?

Ramesh said...

What is special about the month of September, 2008, for the Fbc Jax Leadership to file a police report on possibile criminal internet activity?

Anonymous said...

I thought the authority of the Constitution states clearly a freedom of the press.

Ramesh said...

EFF > Free Speech

EFF > Bloggers' Rights

If you're a blogger, this page is for you.

One of EFF's goals is to give you a basic roadmap to the legal issues you may confront as a blogger, to let you know you have rights, and to encourage you to blog freely with the knowledge that your legitimate speech is protected.

To that end, we have created the Legal Guide for Bloggers, a collection of blogger-specific FAQs addressing everything from fair use to defamation law to workplace whistle-blowing.

In addition, EFF continues to battle for bloggers' rights in the courtroom:

Bloggers can be journalists (and journalists can be bloggers). We're battling for legal and institutional recognition that if you engage in journalism, you're a journalist, with all of the attendant rights, privileges, and protections. (See Apple v. Does.)

Bloggers are entitled to free speech. We're working to shield you from frivolous or abusive threats and lawsuits. Internet bullies shouldn't use copyright, libel, or other claims to chill your legitimate speech. (See OPG v. Diebold.)

Bloggers have the right to political speech. We're working with a number of other public-interest organizations to ensure that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) doesn't gag bloggers' election-related speech. We argue that the FEC should adopt a presumption against the regulation of election-related speech by individuals on the Internet, and interpret the existing media exemption to apply to online media outlets that provide news reporting and commentary regarding an election -- including blogs. (See our joint comments to the FEC [PDF, 332K].)

Bloggers have the right to stay anonymous. We're continuing our battle to protect and preserve your constitutional right to anonymous speech online, including providing a guide to help you with strategies for keeping your identity private when you blog. (See How to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else).)

Bloggers have freedom from liability for hosting speech the same way other web hosts do. We're working to strengthen Section 230 liability protections under the Communications Decency Act (CDA) while spreading the word that bloggers are entitled to them. (See Barrett v. Rosenthal.)

Anonymous said...

What concerns one most is the mistreatment of Watchdog's family.
That is just plain EVIL.

What kind of a 'church' would tolerate a leadership that hurt someone in that way?

Bob Cleveland said...

It is, indeed, inspiring to see Eagles soaring and demonstrating why they're our national bird, but I prefer to rejoice in the fact that weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

:)

Byroniac said...

LOL, Bob Cleveland. I love your sense of humor.

Anonymous said...

The reason the geese got sucked into the engines was because they were "Canadian"Geese

Rex Ray said...

Jim Sadler,
If ‘power and control’ had put your head in mud because you’d not bowed to the BFM 2000—‘Golden Image of Nebuchadnezzar’, you’d relate to the downed Eagle.

Rex Ray said...

Bob,
Were they ‘sucked in’ or did they ‘dive in’ while demanding: ‘flap your wings like us or else!’

Anonymous said...

There is an interesting phenomenon concerning eagles. In my experience the first time I saw the creature, I was amazed at its majesty. It soared high above the tarmac at the airport in Alaska when I first landed (the first bald eagle I had ever seen). I constantly watched for them and they were everywhere. Sometimes you'd see 20 or more in the sky at once. The more familiar you get with the bird, while the majesty is still present, it begins to dwindle. Finally, after being around them for a long time, they are, by many residents in Alaska, viewed no more than what someone might view a buzzard - simply a large scavenger bird. They are always at the trash dumps eating dead carcasses. Well, at least the ones that live in the cities are.

I don’t know what that has to do with anything, but perhaps someone here can make an application… :)
Robert

Anonymous said...

Robert wrote,
" They ( eagles ) are always at the trash dumps eating dead carcasses. Well, at least the ones that live in the cities are. "

Maybe that's because mankind has destroyed their habitats. An eagle is a predator, one of great predators, with keen eyesight for hunting from high above in the sky. The eagle is not known for eating carrion, but for eating 'fresh kill'. That's why the great beak that can rip flesh and the giant claws that can grab onto prey and carry it away.

Once our country fed the world from our great 'bread basket' in the midwest: from the 'amber waves of grain'.

Once our country went to the defense of nations under attack from those who practiced the torture and torment of others.

Once, the people of our country were people of the Book: not trying to impose the Book on others, so much as live its honorable principles in their lives and in their dealings with one another.
Once.

But we are still, at heart, the same good people and we will find our way back to honor and right-living. Maybe it takes some hard times to bring us to our knees. Yes, let the eagle prey, and let us pray, and the greatness of our country will soar again. :)

Anonymous said...

america may recover but i have my doubts about the church.

Rex Ray said...

Our family Eagle story:
Well, maybe not everyone’s.

Newspaper: “Eagles take refuge near Lake Texoma dam.”

“Let’s go see the Eagles.”

“Look at that Eagle fly! I’ve seen Eagles fly many times”, said Jim.

Eagle lands in a tree with a lot of others.

“Praise the Lord. He has allowed us to see Eagles!” says a lady.

Nearby, I talked to a man drinking a beer who had a telescope on a tripod. Said he hadn’t seen any Eagles that day.

I reported back the birds were buzzards.

“Jim, you had us believing those were Eagles—blah, blah, blah!”

Jim talked with the Ranger to settle the dispute, but came back gloomy because he had argued, “Who are you going to believe; a drunk or a deacon in a Baptist church?”


Theholywild,
“The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Makes you wonder who the “gates of hell” are sometimes—huh?