What An Amazing 24 Hours?

Just as I was coming down from last night's truly inspired, historic, mesmerizing, awe-capturing, show within a show within another show;
a new jolt of adrenaline hit me around noon today.

Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, accepted the VP spot for the Republican Presidential ticket.

Now, first, about last night.....to all my fellow conservatives, it IS possible to be inspired by concepts without agreeing to the philosophies.

I use the word "INSPIRED" as being - a moment something makes you feel, believe, or act differently than you had before.
This does not mean you have to change you own standards or beliefs; it just means that you were compelled to reach a little deeper in your own thoughts and decisions.

You can be inspired by a car and be compelled to buy it......this does not mean you have to agree with everything that car designer, manufacturer, or distributor believes in.

You can walk into a clothing store.....see an outfit that "speaks to you".....decide you want to buy it.......that, to me, is being inspired.....even when you know the designer has different beliefs than you; did that prevent the inspiration?

To those blessed enough to have been to Walt Disney World, were you not inspired? I mean, come on....the happiest place on earth.........but it is widely reported they have special days for those whom you do not agree with spiritually or philosophically.....does that stop the sheer awesomeness of you trip?


This happens in music all the time......there are great musicians throughout time, who have written / performed inspiring music, who have differing views as myself; however, it does not stop the heart from beating faster or the spiritual uplifting gifts that come with that hearing.

Well, last night was inspired! Knowing this country's history and the sins our people have committed on one another throughout the last 400 years, last night was miraculous. I have not heard an orator as moving, with so much pressure put upon them, as I did with Barak Obama when he accepted his nomination last night

.

And the production was AMAZING......that staging in the little time they had.....it was a wonderful achievement.

But don't get me wrong, I still despise most things he and his party stand for. It PAINS me that we do not have a speaker like that in my party. The gift and talent of oratory is not to be discarded as something 'anyone' can do........Not just ANYONE could've have done that last night.

So, yes, I was inspired and a little saddened as I went to sleep last night........I mean its over... there is nothing we can do to top that next week....

And then this morning, the political storm clouds grew darker..... a name, Sarah Palin, entered my vocabulary. Who is she? How do you say her name? She was picked as VP candidate? What?

WHY, OH WHY DID YOU PICK HER?????????

I mean its no big deal that I don't know who she is.....but NOBODY knew who she was (outside of Alaska)........this could not be happening.........we are DOOMED!!!!

Then I heard her speak.....I saw her family......I learned that she was a mom of 5 (including a soldier going to Iraq and a 5 month baby boy with Downs Syndrome)..Today was her 20th wedding anniversary and she's a fighter for the RIGHT causes. She is a STRONG Christian who goes to an Independent Bible Church

Throughout the day, I got more and more pumped up......this is a breath of fresh air...this is making a true change in our government politics as we know it.

Here is an article that TIME online has put out titled
"10 Things You Should Know About Sarah Palin"
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1837523_1837531_1837528,00.html

It was a surprise to all politicos, pundits, media, and people in general.........all the newscasts are talking about this being the biggest gamble in America Politics history...just imagine if McCain can pull this one off.......................OH MY!!!!

Its been an AMAZING 24 hours of politics in the US of A.

Pastor Hunter prayed the Closing prayer of DNC

Pastor Joel Hunter has a special church at Northland Church in the Orlando, FL area.
I have wonderful friends that have gone and continue to serve there.
He gave the closing prayer for the DNC tonight and at first I was not a happy man.

How could he endorse Barak? What is he doing?
It reminded me when Sandi Patti and Phil Driscoll performed for the Clinton inaugurals.
I was furious!

My judgmental persona was in fine form..........
Look, the bottom line is we either will work together or be left in the back of the room.

Barak will no doubt be the next president (unless some act of God intervenes)...... I won't turn away from an invite to the White House....If he becomes president, He will be our leader.
We must pray for him ....and for those in position.....pray to him!

Congratulations Pastor Hunter for praying to the world tonight!!!

ps. I particularly like the .."IN JESUS NAME"....real loud at the end of the prayer.

Why Fake An Illness or a Healing?

Evidently Hillsong and PlanetShakers singer, Mike Gugielmucci, the pastor of Edge Church (an affiliate with the Australian Assemblies of God - now called the Australian Christian Churches - traveled around telling everyone he had an aggressive form of cancer....sang with an oxygen tube in his nose... wrote the hit song Healer (on the latest Hillsong recording)...and milked the healing of his cancer............and now its revealed he NEVER had cancer..... a fact his wife didn't know about.

The church has asked him to report to the police and they will be paying back those who were defrauded monetarily (which is another conversation - I mean if you give to God, it will NOT return void)

I HATE THIS!!!!!!

People we got to put our face before God (DAILY).....the world and its deceptions are capturing too many believers......

Here's the article.............

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24212817-5006301,00.html

If anyone knows Mike personally and can share anymore about this story...please let me know

Here's another article about Mike's wife staying with him

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24247868-5006301,00.html

Praise the Lord - Victoria is a free woman

I was worried about Mrs. Lakewood....... I mean, really....would she treat a flight attendant that way? Pushing her up against the wall?.....I would've LOVED to have seen that happen...but this sounded too much like a little money-hungry-blackmail.....

The Lord prevailed.....and Victoria is a free woman

Trial Begins for Pastor's Wife

http://www.abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5586434&page=1

Estelle Getty dies at 84

This woman was hilarious as Sophia Patrillo on the '80's sitcom, The Golden Girls. I loved to watch that show and laugh at the older grandmother role.
Here is an article about Estelle I found that gives a little more info on some other things she did.
____________________________

Emmy winner beloved for 'Golden Girls' role

By Duane Byrge

July 22, 2008, 01:52 PM ET

Estelle Getty (AP photo)

Estelle Getty, who played meddling mother Sophia on "The Golden Girls," died Tuesday morning. She was 84.

Getty, who suffered from advanced dementia, died around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at her Hollywood Boulevard home, said her son, Carl Gettleman of Santa Monica.

Getty won an Emmy Award in 1988 for her portrayal of the feisty octogenarian. For her role as Sophia, Getty also notched a Golden Globe Award in 1986. She also received an American Comedy Award.

Getty co-starred on "Golden Girls" from 1985-92 and reprised the tart-tongued Sophia on four other TV series: "The Golden Palace," "Nurses," "Empty Nest" and "Blossom." Getty was two months younger than Arthur, but the illusion of her age was maintained through makeup, costume and her deportment.

In similar vein of take-no-prisoners elder, Getty played Sylvester Stallone's domineering mother, Tutti Bomowski, in "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot." Generically, it was a battling-buddy movie whose comic thrust was the diminutive Getty's bossing around her L.A. lawman son.

Getty was 47 when she got her first significant role in an off-Broadway musical: She gained immediate prominence when she played in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Torch Song Trilogy," playing Harvey Fierstein's acidic mother.

She played Grandma Estelle Little in "Stuart Little" in 1999, and more recently played Sister Roseanne" in "The Million Dollar Kid."

She also appeared on "Hollywood Squares" in 1998.

Born as Estelle Scher on July 25, 1923, in New York City, she acted at an early age, performing in the "borscht belt" circuit. In 1923, she married Arthur Gettleman and raised their two children in Queens. While married, she worked as a secretary in a law office, but continue to act in small theater in New York.

She won her first movie part in 1978 in the teen comedy "Team Mates: Young Gangs of Wildwood High." She also garnered small parts in "Tootsie" and "Mask," in which she played the mother of Cher's character. The same year, she played Barry Manilow's mother in the TV movie "Copacabana."

Her movie career accelerated when she played the mannequin's (Kim Cattrall) mother in "Mannequin" (1987).

She retired in 2000 after revealing she was suffering from Parkinson's disease. Two years later, she announced she was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Getty's other films credits include "Deadly Force," "The Sissy Duckling," "A Match Made in Heaven" and "The Golden Fleece," all filmed in the '90s.

Getty wrote an autobiography, "If I Knew Then What I Know Now ... So What?" In it, she summarized: "I've played mothers to heroes and mothers to zeroes."

Getty made numerous TV guest star appearances, including: "Cagney & Lacey," "Hotel," "Newhart," "The Crew," "The John Larroquette Show," "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," "Touched by an Angel," "Mad About You" and "Ladies Man."

What's Up With That???

HOLA

I first want to say to my Spanish born, bred, speaking, living, WONDERFUL friends.....
this is not an indictment on you or your culture......
but I just can't believe the (probable) next president of the USA is saying that we need to "make sure our kids can speak Spanish".

Instead of encouraging proper grammar, vocabulary skills, better writing techniques for the language that should be an official language of this country -ENGLISH; They want us to make sure that other countries can take over more of our jobs, economic stability, and over-all esteem.

He might as well have said......"We are not a strong enough nation to endure the well-being of our children without them needing to go to other countries for work"

or maybe have said...... "Our future businesses will be owned and operated by people from other countries who will bring their own languages, hire only people who can speak their languages, and eventually do business with only those who speak their languages"

In the spiritual realm, its the same thing as saying.... "We need to make sure our children learn other religions......open their mind to other faiths and show more tolerance to other people's lack of standards. Instead of relying and promoting and believing in our faith, let's start looking elsewhere"

Now, I am all for studying other languages, traveling to other countries, enjoying other cultures of food, dance, & entertainment. I have taken Spanish and German in college....I have sung in Italian, Latin, German, French, Russian and Spanish....My favorite food is MEXICAN......My favorite country (other than USA) is Austria....
My favorite city (other than NYC) is Hong Kong.

It is a joy to submerge yourself in other environments.....but COME ON!!!! This is a major US political figure speaking at a campaign rally on the topic of immigration......and instead of pumping up your own country's educational vitality by encouraging MORE ENGLISH learning and speaking, you say "we need to make sure our kids speak Spanish"????

What's up with that???

I leave you with 2 thoughts:

1). If all the other countries have official languages, why is it so politically incorrect for us to have the language we have been speaking for over 200 years be our official language.

&

2). Before we make a national policy plea to ensure our children learn other languages, let's teach them how to spell, write, and read English first. We have a society that doesn't know how to even speak well; Universities running rampant with students who've never learned how to write a decent paper; & All ages who don't know how to read


ADIOS

Maria Chapman Funeral Service - News Story

I know this is a little late...but its touching......a bit of the funeral service for Maria Chapman, daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman. Matt Redman is leading the worship

Peace....Maria

Major Week of Sadness

I took the fam away the last two days for some wonderful time together. Away from computer, blogs, and even phone (although the latter was not by choice....it just so happens I jumped into the swimming pool with my cell phone in my pocket...yes it died)......

So many things happened the last few days:

• Little David Archuleta lost......to my surprise and, honestly, joy. I thought the little teeny boppers were gonna rule the phone and text lines voting for the tyke........but D.C. won out.
  

• John McCain rejected both John Hagee and Rod Parsley's endorsements.......... the scary thing about this for me is not only how politicians are so fickle when it comes to "who" is supporting them and what those endorsers can bring (as far as votes); but I am seeing how the church is hiding behind the political correctness that is destroying the whole belief system......I mean all Christians (or those who live by the Word of God) should believe what Hagee and Parsley are preaching but where are the Joel Osteens and Rick Warrens..........they are hiding folks.....or just trying to stay out of the fray.... but isn't that the same thing?

• Dottie Rambo's funeral services were this week. It sounds like it was an incredible service. You can go to this website for pictures and an Order of Service. http://www.gospelmusicupdate.com/news2007/dottietn.shtm

• And, finally, Steven Curtis Chapman's 5 year old adoptive child, Maria's funeral services were held today. In case you hadn't heard, Maria was accidentally struck by an SUV one of her brothers were driving this week. She died at the hospital later.
  

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080523/TUNEIN/805230396/1838/TUNEIN03

I can't imagine this happening.....yet it does everyday.
Life is so precious and so fleeting.

How will we live it the fullest and most promising?

And now for another side of PARENTHOOD...

STAY OUT OF YOUR KIDS WAY...............Mr. Archuleta






To add to the well-qualified "Dads of the Year" like Macaulay Culkin's father, Lindsey Lohan's father, and Kevin Federline... Jeff Archuleta, father of American Idol shoo-in winner David, is going down the tubes as a tyrant dad or STAGE DAD in the biz.

A stage dad is one who lives their own dream of fame and stardom through their kids...until it destroys them both.
Most stage dads become managers and executives of the child's finances and, undoubtedly, the millions of dollars get tied up in bad deals
Traditionally, stage moms have had all the bad press. One of the all-time greatest written musicals was a story about the worst kind of stage mom, GYPSY

http://www.gypsybroadway.com/



Anyways, read these articles......poor little David, poor 17-year old Mormon from Utah with a voice of gold and a dad of greed............David, stick to it...your dad no longer can be around you for the next couple of weeks.....you will do well......you will succeed.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D90INQO80&show_article=1


http://guanabee.com/2008/03/portrait-of-a-stage-dad-jeff-a.php

Kelly Clarkson sings Ave Maria

YOU'LL LOVE THIS....IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IT.

One of this generations greatest voices.....I've never heard this song sound this good (excusing the first 30 seconds and the ending {ppeeeeeuuuu}