But just for a little while. Ron is graduating with two associates degrees Saturday! Yea!!! And I'm taking the final in my graduate class a week from tomorrow. I have a paper due tomorrow (6-7 pages, which isn't much for a grad class), so I'm going to spend most of the night tonight working on it, and finish up tomorrow, since I'm not working. Then, I'm studying for my final.
What kind of communication/journalism graduate class has a final completely composed of matching questions? I thought for sure we would have some essay questions, but my professor said, "No, you've done enough writing for this semester." Crap! Essays are easy, manipulatable. If you're a good writer, like I am, then you can usually get through an essay final with few scratches. This matching test is going to require memory work: matching theorists to their theories and major points within those theories.
I may be in pain during the final, just because I can't manipulate a matching test. Pray for me! Please!
I'll start posting again after my final is over.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
You Might Be From Kansas If... A quiz with commentary from an actual Kansan
YOU MIGHT BE FROM KANSAS IF..................
1. You no longer associate bridges or rivers with water.
This is true. In Dodge City, the arKANSAS river is just a dry river bed with a bridge over it.
2. You have never met any celebrities (Bob Dole isn't a celebrity; he's your neighbor.)
Kirstie Alley is also from Wichita, but I've not met her or Bob Dole. My dad met Kirstie's brother once, though.
3. You know the meaning of Rock Chalk Jayhawk.
To know this one, you would probably have to have more familiarity with University of Kansas to know. All I know is that it's a rallying chant for sporting events.
4. Your closest neighbor is more than a mile away and you can still see him from your front porch.
Not in the cities, but definitely true in western Kansas!
5. You can properly pronounce Salina, Basehor, Cimmaron, Neodesha, Kechi, and Osawatomie.
sah-LINE-ah, BAY-sore, SIMM-er-ahn, nee-OH-deh-shay, KEE-chai, and ah-so-WAH-toe-mee.
7. A traffic jam involves two cars staring each other down at a four-way stop, each determined to be the most polite and let the other go first.
It's happened in front of me. Very frustrating. But most of the intersections in Wichita are controlled with automated traffic lights.
8. A Mercedes Benz is not a status symbol. A Ford F10 4x4 is. (Except in Johnson County)
And except in Wichita. But people still enjoy comparing pickup trucks.
9. You discover that in July it takes only 2 fingers to drive your car.
Only because it gets so dang hot!
10. The terms Sooners and Huskers cause hairs on the back of your neck to stand up straight and your blood pressure to rise.
Well, I'm not a sports fan, but I know of many people who can't stand the Oklahoma Sooners or Nebraska Huskers.
11 You have owned at least one belt buckle bigger than your fist.
I haven't, but I have a few relatives who have and still do.
12. You think people who complain about the wind and weather in their states are SISSIES!
No joke!
13. You are not surprised to find movie rentals, ammunition and bait all in the same store.
Some of the gas stations near our lakes are like that. Wal-Mart sells everything including videos, but doesn't rent them.
14. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door but by the availability of shade.
Only because it gets so hot! Not as true for those of us who can't walk a distance, but that's why we carry sun shades and roll our windows down about an inch.
15. You have been asked, "Where is Toto?" more than once.
I've lost count.
16. You had at least one summer job that was bucking bales or custom cutting.
Again, handicapped people usually don't. But I did spend a summer at my aunt and uncle's farm when I was six. I got to milk cows, ride horses and lead sheep to be sheared.
17. More than once you've made a beer run to another state.
No, but when Ron was active on the Air Force base, we made runs there for beer on Sundays, when all of the rest of the stores were closed.
18. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned to multiply.
Ummm... No.
19. Your school classes have been canceled because of the cold.
I can't remember, but it's very possible.
20. You know in your heart that K-State can beat Oklahoma in football.
Again, not a sports fan, but the prayers in Church change direction when the two play each other.
21. Traffic congestion is ten cars waiting to pass a combine on the highway.
Only in western Kansas. In Wichita, it's the construction on Kellogg Ave. (Highway 54/400) There's always construction somewhere in Wichita along Kellogg.
22. You have had to switch from heat to A/C in the same day.
RECENTLY!!!
23. You know everything goes better with Ranch.
No. Blue cheese.
24. Your school classes have been canceled because of the heat or cold.
It's an annual occurrance.
25. You have ridden the school bus for more than an hour each way.
Only because the kids on our route lived so far apart. My family lived only 15 minutes away from the school.
26. In August, you break a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:00a.m.
Don't laugh! It's true!
27. You instantly know someone is from Johnson County when they call everything west of Topeka... "Western" Kansas.
Well, not instantly, but it's a pretty good indicator.
28. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.
Have you ever done it? It's fascinating to watch a funnel cloud form into a tornado from the safe distance of five miles when you're near your tornado shelter!
29. You know the real way to pronounce the name of Clinton's state and the river... arKANSAS.
Remember my response to the first question?
30. You think the opening day of pheasant season is a national holiday.
I don't, but there are countless thousands who would argue this point.
31. "Vacation" means going to Kansas City or Wichita for the weekend.
What?! I live in Wichita!
32. You measure distance in hours.
Remember my response to question 25?
33. You know several people who have hit more than one deer.
Ron hit one once, and I've known of many people who've hit deer. How many, I'm not sure.
34. You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events.
You mean that's not normal?
35. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
Typical in small towns. In the cities, you'd never leave anything unlocked unless you wanted it to get broken into.
36 You think of the major food groups as beer, beef and beans.
No to the first and last, but I've gotta have my beef!
37. You carry jumper cables in your car and make sure your better half knows how to use them.
Ron still needs to show me how to use ours.
38. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
Well, you never know if it's going to be snowy or steamy at the end of October!
39. You know the 4 seasons as: summer, road construction, still summer, winter.
Remember my comment about the road construction? Yeah. We have spring and fall, but they only last a couple of weeks apiece.
40. It takes you 3 hours to go to the store for one item even when you're in a rush because you have to stop and talk to everyone in town.
Only if you live in the country or know my dad, who loves to talk and doesn't read body language.
41. You lock the doors to your truck but leave the windows rolled down.
Only an inch. Remember? You don't want to invite thieves!
42. You call sodas just plain ol' "Pop"!!
I've always called it "pop." I never heard it called "soda" until I was a patient in the Shriner's Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. when I was about six years old.
43. FINALLY..... you are 100% Kansan if........... You actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your friends from Kansas.
So, did I prove I'm 100% Kansan? I think I did.
This must have been written by a Kansan too, cuz guess what, no #6!
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Handicapped?
Not since my senior year of high school have I gotten a phone call like this one:
A few of years ago, when I was walking to one of my classes on campus (this was before I got my BA, by the way), there were some guys on campus from the Army National Guard with a climbing wall, and they were challenging students to climb it and then asking them to sign up. I was wearing braces on my feet and ankles at the time, because it was the last alternative before surgery at that time. When I started my trek past their set-up, a guy asked if I was interested in signing up, and I said no. He asked why, and I pulled up my pantleg to expose my brace. He hung his head down like he was sarcastically sad.
His buddy wasn't as kind. He hadn't noticed the braces and asked me to try the climbing wall, and I told him no, that my ankles were too weak and that I had to wear braces in order to walk. He wouldn't let it die, though! I really wanted to sock him! But he got distracted by some other ladies walking by and left me alone long enough that I could get away.
I'm not sure who gave the Army my name and phone number, but if I find out, I might just launch one of those braces at them that I can't wear anymore! (Not really.) It's kinda fun to ask the military guys if they've started accepting handicapped people, especially if they see me standing or walking right in front of them. They have no idea something's wrong with me until and unless I let them see my feet. And I'll gladly take my shoes and socks off for them, if they want me to! ;)
I mean, come on. Did someone give him my phone number and not realize that I can't be recruited by any branch of the military? They'd never take me! Even if I begged, which I'm not about to do. I'd never pass a physical! They'd look at my feet one time and say, "What the he**?!" And I'd be outta there!
"Hi! Is Erica there?"
"This is she."
"Hi, Erica. Do you recall talking to an Army recruiter recently?"
"No." (In my mind, I'm thinking "why would I talk to an Army recruiter?")
"Have you given any thought to joining the Army?"
"Not unless they've started accepting handicapped people."
No response.
"I was born with clubbed feet," I continued, "and I've had 17 surgeries on my feet."
"Seventeen surgeries, huh? Well, good luck. It sounds pretty painful."
"Yeah, it really is. I mean, I've not gone through childbirth yet, but I'd bet it's more painful that that by far."
"Wow. Well, you take care now!"
A few of years ago, when I was walking to one of my classes on campus (this was before I got my BA, by the way), there were some guys on campus from the Army National Guard with a climbing wall, and they were challenging students to climb it and then asking them to sign up. I was wearing braces on my feet and ankles at the time, because it was the last alternative before surgery at that time. When I started my trek past their set-up, a guy asked if I was interested in signing up, and I said no. He asked why, and I pulled up my pantleg to expose my brace. He hung his head down like he was sarcastically sad.
His buddy wasn't as kind. He hadn't noticed the braces and asked me to try the climbing wall, and I told him no, that my ankles were too weak and that I had to wear braces in order to walk. He wouldn't let it die, though! I really wanted to sock him! But he got distracted by some other ladies walking by and left me alone long enough that I could get away.
I'm not sure who gave the Army my name and phone number, but if I find out, I might just launch one of those braces at them that I can't wear anymore! (Not really.) It's kinda fun to ask the military guys if they've started accepting handicapped people, especially if they see me standing or walking right in front of them. They have no idea something's wrong with me until and unless I let them see my feet. And I'll gladly take my shoes and socks off for them, if they want me to! ;)
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
BTK Suspect Waives Preliminary Hearing
BTK suspect Dennis Rader was expected to plead not guilty this morning in a preliminary hearing, but his public defenders waived the hearing. The next step is the arraignment. It's scheduled for May 3.
For the associated press story on KAKE TV's web site, click here.
For the associated press story on KAKE TV's web site, click here.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Monday, April 11, 2005
Just ducky...
Saturday, while on my way to visit with my mom, I passed a very humorous sight: a duck walking straight down the center of a lane of traffic, holding up cars and trucks that honked at him. He held his head high, and slowly placed one webbed foot in front of the other, as if the vehicles behind him were his very large, motorized ducklings. Of course, it was funny to me: I wasn't the one being held up by the bird.
The experience kind of reminded me of my husband: He often doesn't care what people think. Like the duck, he can sometimes be arrogant. But I love him anyway.
The experience kind of reminded me of my husband: He often doesn't care what people think. Like the duck, he can sometimes be arrogant. But I love him anyway.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Letter from a Senator
Before Terri Schiavo died, I sent a letter to my Senator, Sam Brownback, requesting that he do whatever he could to sway the opinions of those who wanted to allow her to die. I also sent him a link to the post I wrote about this very topic.
I never expected to hear anything back, but I did, just today, by mail. Here is a part of it:
I never expected to hear anything back, but I did, just today, by mail. Here is a part of it:
"The right to life is a basic founding principle of our nation. Every human life is unique and beautiful, and deserving of respect. As a human being, Terri Schiavo should not [have been] defrauded of this basic right.Here's just a thought, if you're still interested in doing something in memory of Terri or to prevent things like that from happening again: send letters to your representatives and ask them to support this same measure that Mr. Brownback said he's backing.
"For this reason, I have co-sponsored The Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act of 2005, which was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) on March 8, 2005. The bill would amend Chapter 153 of title 28 of the U.S. Code to ensure that individuals like Terri Schiavo are granted the same due process rights under habeas corpus as those given a death row inmate.
"Habeas corpus refers to those legal rights authorized by the 14th Constitutional Amendment: 'No State shall deprive any person of life without due process of law nor deny any person within its jurisdiction equal protection of the laws.' Terri, in effect, [faced] a death penalty, since her life [ended] by a court-ordered removal of her feeding tube. I believe that every life is a precious gift. Rest assured that I will continue my stand for an individual's right to life no matter the age or situation. Thank you for your support for Terri and her family."
Monday, April 04, 2005
Well, it's almost been a year already...
...since the first of my foot surgeries last year. Remember? It was April 9, 2004: Good Friday. Gosh, Easter came early this year, huh?
It almost seems unreal. From that day, it took me about six or seven months to get to the point where I was able to walk again without a limp. I was still walking with a limp at the time I started my job at the Wichita Eagle in November.
It was kind of Biblical, you know? I was admitted and had surgery on Good Friday, and I was released from the hospital on Easter Sunday. That was the easier of the two foot surgeries, though. The second one, my left foot, the one I had done in July, kept me in the hospital two extra days. Man, I loved my morphine drip! Push-button pain management. How wonderful!
Thank you to everyone who prayed for me during the whole ordeal. Reconstructive foot surgery is not an easy thing to have to go through. Especially when you're falling asleep with a fork in your mouth trying to eat because the morphine and lortab are kicking your rear.
Hopefully, I'll never have to go through that again. I can tell you, though, that I can stand on my feet a lot longer than I could before. Before, I could only stand in one place for about two or three minutes before I started feeling pain, and in another minute or two, I was in excruciating agony! Now, at church, I only sit down when the rest of the congregation sits down. What a relief! It was hell to go through, but it was worth it.
I hope none of you ever have to go through anything like that. Now, I've never had a baby like Devona did, so I know nothing of the agony of childbirth, but I'd almost wager a guess to say that bone surgery is much more painful. Has anyone out there gone through both?
Special thanks, of course, to my wonderful husband, Ron, who went through all of it with me, helping me out with everything that I couldn't do for myself, for loving me even when I was screaming in agony and crying or sleeping because I was in pain and on strong medicine. Also, thanks to all of those from our church who supplied Ron and me with dinners every day for a few weeks. They kind of spoiled us. But we didn't mind.
I'm almost looking forward to when Ron and I are earning a decent income so that we can give back to all of those people who helped us out, including our church as a whole. You are all wonderful stewards of God's gifts, and to you I am very grateful.
It almost seems unreal. From that day, it took me about six or seven months to get to the point where I was able to walk again without a limp. I was still walking with a limp at the time I started my job at the Wichita Eagle in November.
It was kind of Biblical, you know? I was admitted and had surgery on Good Friday, and I was released from the hospital on Easter Sunday. That was the easier of the two foot surgeries, though. The second one, my left foot, the one I had done in July, kept me in the hospital two extra days. Man, I loved my morphine drip! Push-button pain management. How wonderful!
Thank you to everyone who prayed for me during the whole ordeal. Reconstructive foot surgery is not an easy thing to have to go through. Especially when you're falling asleep with a fork in your mouth trying to eat because the morphine and lortab are kicking your rear.
Hopefully, I'll never have to go through that again. I can tell you, though, that I can stand on my feet a lot longer than I could before. Before, I could only stand in one place for about two or three minutes before I started feeling pain, and in another minute or two, I was in excruciating agony! Now, at church, I only sit down when the rest of the congregation sits down. What a relief! It was hell to go through, but it was worth it.
I hope none of you ever have to go through anything like that. Now, I've never had a baby like Devona did, so I know nothing of the agony of childbirth, but I'd almost wager a guess to say that bone surgery is much more painful. Has anyone out there gone through both?
Special thanks, of course, to my wonderful husband, Ron, who went through all of it with me, helping me out with everything that I couldn't do for myself, for loving me even when I was screaming in agony and crying or sleeping because I was in pain and on strong medicine. Also, thanks to all of those from our church who supplied Ron and me with dinners every day for a few weeks. They kind of spoiled us. But we didn't mind.
I'm almost looking forward to when Ron and I are earning a decent income so that we can give back to all of those people who helped us out, including our church as a whole. You are all wonderful stewards of God's gifts, and to you I am very grateful.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
The funniest play-by-play of an accident ever!
I got this from the DJs from my favorite radio station: Channel 96.3, Wichita.
Turn up your speakers. Just click on the link.
An operations manager for Jack in the Box was late for a meeting and called his boss to tell him he was running late. As he was leaving the voice mail message, he witnessed an accident and went on to provide "play by play" of the incident. This is the actual voice mail message. It was forwarded so many times within Jack in the Box, it crashed their voice mail server. Just click on the web site below.
http://home.swbell.net/kf5tv/voicemail.mp3
Turn up your speakers. Just click on the link.
An operations manager for Jack in the Box was late for a meeting and called his boss to tell him he was running late. As he was leaving the voice mail message, he witnessed an accident and went on to provide "play by play" of the incident. This is the actual voice mail message. It was forwarded so many times within Jack in the Box, it crashed their voice mail server. Just click on the web site below.
http://home.swbell.net/kf5tv/voicemail.mp3
We'll see if it gets me full-time work...
This whole week, I was working on my own in the Celebrations department at The Wichita Eagle. My co-worker, who usually works three days a week while I work two, and her family went on vacation over Spring Break, so I got to take all of the hours for both of us. That means I put together the entire Celebrations announcment section: three pages.
My boss said two weeks ago that Spring Break week would be my test week to see whether he thought I was ready to be cross-trained into the Obituary department. He said he didn't want to cross-train me until he thought I could handle every aspect of Celebrations on my own. Supposedly, the system that's used in Obits is more complicated. I have my doubts.
Yesterday, which was my production day, I got my pages done and printed to negatives earlier than I ever did when I was working Fridays and sharing the week with Melody. Since my boss was still at work and in his office, also on the same floor of the building that my pages print to negative on, I stopped by his office and let him know that my pages were done and printed. He thought it was great and asked me if I would show them to him. When I did, he examined them and said they looked really good.
I'm supposed to meet with him on Wednesday at 1 p.m. (that's Central time), and he's supposed to tell me then whether, in his opinion, I'm ready to move on.
Now, this will be the third or fourth time I've met with him about moving to a more full-time capacity at the Eagle. Every time, he's come up with something else he wants me to work on first. Since I got everything done well and quickly, he shouldn't have anything to use to hold me back. But we'll see.
Melody, my co-worker, is thinking about applying for a full-time position in another department, and if she does that, Celebrations would be all mine all the time. That presents some challenges along with the obvious benefits of having a full-time job. For instance, right now, we don't leave for lunch: we eat in the office because lunchtime is when most people come in to place announcements. In other words, we get no breaks. Only one of us is in the office during the day. So what happens when I get sick? I still have to go in because there's no one there to relieve me. So how would I be able to go to see a doctor? Beats me. That's something management will have to figure out.
Anyway, I'm thinking that my boss is stalling me until Melody finds a full-time position where she wants so that he can hand Celebraions over to me without cross-training me. I hope not, though.
For these reasons, I'm almost not looking forward to this meeting. I'm almost afraid he'll come up with another excuse not to cross-train me. But for the slight chance he'll say I am, I am looking forward to it. Maybe I'm being naive. I don't know.
Whatever I am, please pray for me. This full-time work, hopefully with benefits, is something that would really help Ron and me a lot.
And, no, our announcement pages are not published online. I've made the suggestion, but nothing's been done yet. Otherwise, I'd point you toward the Internet link.
But I do need the prayers.
My boss said two weeks ago that Spring Break week would be my test week to see whether he thought I was ready to be cross-trained into the Obituary department. He said he didn't want to cross-train me until he thought I could handle every aspect of Celebrations on my own. Supposedly, the system that's used in Obits is more complicated. I have my doubts.
Yesterday, which was my production day, I got my pages done and printed to negatives earlier than I ever did when I was working Fridays and sharing the week with Melody. Since my boss was still at work and in his office, also on the same floor of the building that my pages print to negative on, I stopped by his office and let him know that my pages were done and printed. He thought it was great and asked me if I would show them to him. When I did, he examined them and said they looked really good.
I'm supposed to meet with him on Wednesday at 1 p.m. (that's Central time), and he's supposed to tell me then whether, in his opinion, I'm ready to move on.
Now, this will be the third or fourth time I've met with him about moving to a more full-time capacity at the Eagle. Every time, he's come up with something else he wants me to work on first. Since I got everything done well and quickly, he shouldn't have anything to use to hold me back. But we'll see.
Melody, my co-worker, is thinking about applying for a full-time position in another department, and if she does that, Celebrations would be all mine all the time. That presents some challenges along with the obvious benefits of having a full-time job. For instance, right now, we don't leave for lunch: we eat in the office because lunchtime is when most people come in to place announcements. In other words, we get no breaks. Only one of us is in the office during the day. So what happens when I get sick? I still have to go in because there's no one there to relieve me. So how would I be able to go to see a doctor? Beats me. That's something management will have to figure out.
Anyway, I'm thinking that my boss is stalling me until Melody finds a full-time position where she wants so that he can hand Celebraions over to me without cross-training me. I hope not, though.
For these reasons, I'm almost not looking forward to this meeting. I'm almost afraid he'll come up with another excuse not to cross-train me. But for the slight chance he'll say I am, I am looking forward to it. Maybe I'm being naive. I don't know.
Whatever I am, please pray for me. This full-time work, hopefully with benefits, is something that would really help Ron and me a lot.
And, no, our announcement pages are not published online. I've made the suggestion, but nothing's been done yet. Otherwise, I'd point you toward the Internet link.
But I do need the prayers.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Man finds legal way to kill his wife!
Well, it's official. Someone finally found a way to kill his wife in a legal way. Michael Schiavo is no better than murderering husbands everywhere, except he found a way to do it legally, after trying for 15 years.
It's one thing to have an affair, another to cheat on your spouse because he or she is incapacitated, but even more disturbing to kill your spouse because you want to make your union to the person you've been cheating with permanent!
Terri Schiavo cried inconsolably when it was explained to her what was going to happen! She's not so far gone that she doesn't know what's going on or doesn't understand. She's brain damaged, not stupid.
She knows that she's going to slowly dehydrate and starve to death, and that it could take as many as two to four weeks before that happens! Not even prisoners on death row are treated in such an inhumane way! If BTK gets the death penalty (which is up in the air right now because Kansas's death sentencing is in debate for its legality), he wouldn't even suffer as much as Terri! And he killed at least 10 people by torturing them to death!
This is one case where we can stand up and say that THE GOVERNMENT IS WRONG!!! Civil disobedience would be applicable for those who want to save Terri Schiavo's life. Why? Because we answer to a higher authority when we die, and if we do something that we know violates God's law, then our punishment is inconceivably worse than any punishment our government could dish out for not obeying! I'd even take the gas chamber over death by starvation and dehydration over the course of a month!
What is wrong with these lawmakers and lawyers? Are they so depraved of God's law, of moral fiber, of scruples that they can consider this a humane way to die? I'll bet you anything they're enjoying every bite of food they take at every meal, in spite of the fact that they've denied that to someone who did absolutely nothing to deserve it. I wonder what they would say if the tables were turned. Maybe they should be.
It's one thing to have an affair, another to cheat on your spouse because he or she is incapacitated, but even more disturbing to kill your spouse because you want to make your union to the person you've been cheating with permanent!
Terri Schiavo cried inconsolably when it was explained to her what was going to happen! She's not so far gone that she doesn't know what's going on or doesn't understand. She's brain damaged, not stupid.
She knows that she's going to slowly dehydrate and starve to death, and that it could take as many as two to four weeks before that happens! Not even prisoners on death row are treated in such an inhumane way! If BTK gets the death penalty (which is up in the air right now because Kansas's death sentencing is in debate for its legality), he wouldn't even suffer as much as Terri! And he killed at least 10 people by torturing them to death!
This is one case where we can stand up and say that THE GOVERNMENT IS WRONG!!! Civil disobedience would be applicable for those who want to save Terri Schiavo's life. Why? Because we answer to a higher authority when we die, and if we do something that we know violates God's law, then our punishment is inconceivably worse than any punishment our government could dish out for not obeying! I'd even take the gas chamber over death by starvation and dehydration over the course of a month!
What is wrong with these lawmakers and lawyers? Are they so depraved of God's law, of moral fiber, of scruples that they can consider this a humane way to die? I'll bet you anything they're enjoying every bite of food they take at every meal, in spite of the fact that they've denied that to someone who did absolutely nothing to deserve it. I wonder what they would say if the tables were turned. Maybe they should be.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
A Hymn for Holy Week Meditation
LW #490: Abide with Me
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide.
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
I need thy presence ev'ry passing hour;
What but thy grace can foil the tempter's pow'r?
Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still if thou abide with me!
Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes,
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies;
Heav'n's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Just as a note, this would be a really good song to have at a funeral. Are you surprised I said that? Here I am, not quite 25 years old and thinking about what songs I'd want to have sung at my funeral service. Well, here's my reasoning: It reflects that we need God and that we are utterly helpless without Him. It also reflects that I'll never be without God, that He'll protect me from Satan's power all the days of my life, and that when my time comes, He'll be there to usher me into His kingdom.
It also is a wonderful song for reflection on the whole meaning of Holy Week, and that is the reason I decided to post it.
Our pastor talked tonight, during his sermon, about morbidity, or the focusing on death. What is the opposite of morbidity? he asked. The answer: vanity. Is it wrong to be morbid? No. Sometimes we need to be, because it keeps us from being too vain. What is the one thing that vain people need to hear? A sermon on the morbidity of Christ, for one.
Jesus went to the cross without any vanity, celebrating His death in a way that none of us could understand. The last stanza of the hymn says a lot: "Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes, Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies; Heav'n's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me."
This is one song in which the lyrics are truly some to be strongly meditated upon and considered, especially during Holy Week.
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide.
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
I need thy presence ev'ry passing hour;
What but thy grace can foil the tempter's pow'r?
Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still if thou abide with me!
Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes,
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies;
Heav'n's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Just as a note, this would be a really good song to have at a funeral. Are you surprised I said that? Here I am, not quite 25 years old and thinking about what songs I'd want to have sung at my funeral service. Well, here's my reasoning: It reflects that we need God and that we are utterly helpless without Him. It also reflects that I'll never be without God, that He'll protect me from Satan's power all the days of my life, and that when my time comes, He'll be there to usher me into His kingdom.
It also is a wonderful song for reflection on the whole meaning of Holy Week, and that is the reason I decided to post it.
Our pastor talked tonight, during his sermon, about morbidity, or the focusing on death. What is the opposite of morbidity? he asked. The answer: vanity. Is it wrong to be morbid? No. Sometimes we need to be, because it keeps us from being too vain. What is the one thing that vain people need to hear? A sermon on the morbidity of Christ, for one.
Jesus went to the cross without any vanity, celebrating His death in a way that none of us could understand. The last stanza of the hymn says a lot: "Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes, Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies; Heav'n's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me."
This is one song in which the lyrics are truly some to be strongly meditated upon and considered, especially during Holy Week.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Quiz from Dan the Rock Guy
Shakespeare: Sonnets. Everyone has heard of you,
and almost everybody can find something
touching in you. You are calm and control
yourself, even though your wisdom and your
messages are no lesser than those of others.
Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Now, it's your turn!
A sigh of relief! A prayer of thanksgiving!
For those of you who have been following our saga since my husband's layoff two years ago, some good news has come to us: Ron has been given the opportunity to turn his student job into a full-time job, and he won't have to drop any of his classes. The reason is that he will remain part-time, but as staff, starting next month, and will begin working full-time in May after graduation!
This is a breath of fresh air, and will help us out greatly. I know that many of you have been praying for us, and for that, we thank you. God has been with us the whole time, holding us up and sustaining us in our time of great need. He has finally blessed us with employment that will allow us to get back on our feet, although we'll have to stay in our tiny apartment awhile longer in order to do so.
Praise God for his many blessings, and for those around us who have been so willing to lend a helping hand when we've needed it. We're blessed to have so many loving people in our lives, and that includes all of you.
This is a breath of fresh air, and will help us out greatly. I know that many of you have been praying for us, and for that, we thank you. God has been with us the whole time, holding us up and sustaining us in our time of great need. He has finally blessed us with employment that will allow us to get back on our feet, although we'll have to stay in our tiny apartment awhile longer in order to do so.
Praise God for his many blessings, and for those around us who have been so willing to lend a helping hand when we've needed it. We're blessed to have so many loving people in our lives, and that includes all of you.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Could DNA and a confession not be enough?
Even though Dennis Rader has confessed to authorities that he killed at least 10 people in the BTK string of killings (thereby saying that he is, in fact, BTK), and police linked his DNA (via his daughter) to some of the crime scenes, it may not be enough to convict him, according to legal observers quoted in The Wichita Eagle on Friday.
The fact is that in the 1970s, when many of the murders linked to BTK were committed, there was no way to test DNA for matches, so people didn't know how or when to collect it. But sometimes, they did collect items that had bodily fluids on them and put them into evidence bags. Oftentimes, though, since they didn't know exactly how to handle DNA evidence at that time, it was cross-contaminated with other samples, making it impossible to link to any one individual.
In some of the BTK murder cases, however, evidence that was collected was actually handled properly and stored correctly so that much of it was still viable. But there are a lot of people who doubt the accuracy of the testing because they can't be 100 percent sure that the evidence collected was handled or stored in a way that would be useful now.
Now, Rader started talking to the police shortly after his arrest last Friday. After a lawyer visited him, he stopped. Apparently, confessions may not carry as much weight as you might think. Sometimes, for some stupid reason most of us wouldn't understand, people confess to crimes that they really didn't do. I guess they just get tired of being interrogated for days on end, and finally break down rather than continue the interrogation process. But in Rader's case, he confessed right away. Why would he do that if he weren't guilty?
According to an Eagle source, "People can be coerced into falsely confessing by being denied access to lawyers, ministers or family members." But Rader has a lawyer, has visited with his pastor a number of times, and is supposed to be able to see his family this next week. From what the public knows (which isn't much at this point), he was never interrogated for 22 or 24 hours at a time, which is what sources say make some innocent people confess to crimes they didn't commit.
What makes him look more guilty is that he told the police at the jail he's in that if given a chance, he'll make a run for it. Because of that, he's kept in a cell away from other prisoners, and if he has to move away from his cell, he's put in handcuffs and shackles and is escorted by at least two officers who don't let go of him at any time.
Many of the communications between BTK and media before Rader's arrest suggested that BTK wants his story to be heard. He left clues as to who he was for police to decifer, and they make sense now when related to Rader.
How could Dennis Rader not be BTK? All of the information that has come out since his arrest seems to suggest that it's him. Even I am leaving out a lot of information in these posts about Rader, but from what you have learned, do you honestly think that BTK could be someone other than Rader? I don't. (Ron, my loving husband, please don't respond to this question. We all know what you think.)
The fact is that in the 1970s, when many of the murders linked to BTK were committed, there was no way to test DNA for matches, so people didn't know how or when to collect it. But sometimes, they did collect items that had bodily fluids on them and put them into evidence bags. Oftentimes, though, since they didn't know exactly how to handle DNA evidence at that time, it was cross-contaminated with other samples, making it impossible to link to any one individual.
In some of the BTK murder cases, however, evidence that was collected was actually handled properly and stored correctly so that much of it was still viable. But there are a lot of people who doubt the accuracy of the testing because they can't be 100 percent sure that the evidence collected was handled or stored in a way that would be useful now.
Now, Rader started talking to the police shortly after his arrest last Friday. After a lawyer visited him, he stopped. Apparently, confessions may not carry as much weight as you might think. Sometimes, for some stupid reason most of us wouldn't understand, people confess to crimes that they really didn't do. I guess they just get tired of being interrogated for days on end, and finally break down rather than continue the interrogation process. But in Rader's case, he confessed right away. Why would he do that if he weren't guilty?
According to an Eagle source, "People can be coerced into falsely confessing by being denied access to lawyers, ministers or family members." But Rader has a lawyer, has visited with his pastor a number of times, and is supposed to be able to see his family this next week. From what the public knows (which isn't much at this point), he was never interrogated for 22 or 24 hours at a time, which is what sources say make some innocent people confess to crimes they didn't commit.
What makes him look more guilty is that he told the police at the jail he's in that if given a chance, he'll make a run for it. Because of that, he's kept in a cell away from other prisoners, and if he has to move away from his cell, he's put in handcuffs and shackles and is escorted by at least two officers who don't let go of him at any time.
Many of the communications between BTK and media before Rader's arrest suggested that BTK wants his story to be heard. He left clues as to who he was for police to decifer, and they make sense now when related to Rader.
How could Dennis Rader not be BTK? All of the information that has come out since his arrest seems to suggest that it's him. Even I am leaving out a lot of information in these posts about Rader, but from what you have learned, do you honestly think that BTK could be someone other than Rader? I don't. (Ron, my loving husband, please don't respond to this question. We all know what you think.)
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