Monthly Archives: March 2019

Odd as It May Seem

Posted in Christian values, experience, Salvation, Uncategorized by

A number of years after I was saved, I came across the passage in the Bible where Jesus healed 10 lepers.  One returned to thank Him.  Jesus asked were there not ten.  Where are the other 9?

Since that day, I tried to make sure I thanked God for what he has provided for us, though I must admit I did have some problems being thankful for the rain on cold nights when I walked a post on guard duty.  Indeed, I had a hard time thinking of just how much we humans need rain.

I also try to remind others to be thankful, even when their baseball game gets rained out or when the camping trip is ruined by the sudden deluge.  If that farmer doesn’t get that rain, he can’t feed us.  Moreover, the water from those rains is used in uncountable other ways, including manufacturing.  It is a small matter that our lives are disturbed for the short term, even if the rain becomes a little heavy.  Naturally, the rain can become a disaster.  Floods can be devastating.

My eyes have been opened to something else for which we should be thankful.  To be sure, to most, it will seem odd.  To be sure, God disciplines His children.  It hardly seems probable that a person should say, “Thanks God.  I needed that.”  Yet we should be grateful to him for His chastisement.   If He didn’t, how much more would we would go astray.  It would be bad for us and everyone around us.

We, as humans, even punish our dogs, knowing it is for their benefit.  To be sure, we chastise them when they run into the street, that is, unless we hate them and hope they get run over.  We punish our children when they decide to put their fingers on a hot stove or into the electrical outlet.  It is not because we hate them.  It is not because we take pleasure in it.  It is far easier to ignore them.

Through their childhood, we tell our children “No,” when they ask to do things that might lead to their harm.  Certainly, it is far easier to say yes and just hope for the best.

So, maybe, the next time you think God is punishing you, You just might say “Thank you.”  You might say, “I appreciate that.”  Conceivably, you just might even say, “I needed that.”  Even if you don’t mean it, it is still the right thing to do.  Eventually, it just might change your point of view.  It has already changed mine.

Some Hints on Avoiding Gun Tradgedies

Posted in guard duty, Gun Safety, Important things, Uncategorized by

Back in 1976, approximately, I heard a story in the news about a man who was killed by accident.  A woman who was licensed to carry had a .38 caliber pistol in her purse.  She casually put the purse on a counter and it went off, shooting the man next to her.

When I was in Vietnam and on guard duty, the officer-of-the-guard gave his thirty-eight to the sergeant-of-the-guard and told him to put it up.  Instead, he decided to horse around with it for a while and play quick-draw.

A marine ought to know better than that, especially a sergeant.  Accidentally, he shot another marine in the belly.  Last I heard, the man went into surgery.  I don’t know if he lived through it or not.

They were two tragic events that were preventable by following a few simple safety rules.  Every year there are more of them.

Don’t misunderstand.  I am not in favor of eliminating guns, certainly not in the Marines.  In fact, I am in favor of people being able to own guns and use them in their defense.  However, I would like to make known a few simple rules to avoid such tragedies.  First, in general, guns are not toys.  They should be respected and great care should be used for their handling and storage.

Specifically, for revolvers, the chamber under the hammer should be empty.  It means you have five instead of six bullets in the gun, but it is a small thing considering the safety factor.  It completely eliminates the possibility of the gun going off as the result of a jolt.  In the first example, it would mean not having to say she’s sorry.

Generally, the following should be followed with all guns.

  1. Until proven otherwise, all guns should be treated as if they are loaded.
  2. When proven to be unloaded, all guns should be treated as if they are loaded.
  3. Never point a gun at anyone or anything you don’t intend to shoot.
  4. Do not play with guns. If you want to play quick-draw, get a toy.
  5. Verify your target. That intruder just might be a friend or relative.  It has happened and it has caused immeasurable grief that will last a lifetime.
  6. Never threaten a person with a gun unless you are willing to use it. It is possible that your gun might be used on you.
  7. Finally, practice. It will improve accuracy and confidence.  Moreover, if you aim at one person, you don’t want to hit the person next to him… or behind him.

Remember, guns can be very permanent.  An accident with a gun can have permanent results.

AOC

Posted in Abuse of Power, Communism, Deceit, Dummycrats, Politcal Opinion, Uncategorized by

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seems to think it would be better if we went back to the horse and buggy days.  The problem with that is that there aren’t many horses and buggies around anymore.  Maybe she has a few she wants to sell.

It’s why I call them dummycrats.  Anyone who has a brain can tell that her ideas are horrible.  If she gets re-elected in 2020, it will say a lot about those who voted for her.

Remember, if the government provides all our needs, then it also has total control over us.  That is called tyranny.  It is not compatible with our constitution.  It is why the dummycrats want to control the judicial system.  They know they can’t force their non-constitutional ideas upon us without twisting the meaning of The Constitution.

By the way, when the dummycrats are elected, they take an oath to defend The Constitution.  Virtually all of them are guilty of ignoring that oath.  Anyone who has a good knowledge of The Constitution should realize that.

The Walls?

Posted in Border wall, Communism, Dummycrats, Politcal Opinion, Uncategorized by

If there were walls around California and New York, people would be scaling the walls to leave the states… sort of like East Berlin.

If there were walls around Texas and Florida, people would be scaling the walls to get in… sort of like the US.

Do we really want dummycrats running the country as they do New York or California?

As a side note, East Berlin was an ecological disaster before the wall came down… sort of like China.  West Berlin was a clean modern city.  Now, the whole city is clean.  Communism only works in the imagination of dummycrats.