Prologue to newly released YouCat Bible by Pope Francis

“I’ll tell you something: There are more persecuted Christians in the world today than in the early days of the Church. And why are they persecuted? They are persecuted because they wear a cross and bear witness to Jesus. They are convicted because they own a Bible. The Bible is therefore a highly dangerous book—so dangerous that you are treated in some countries as if you were hiding hand grenades in your closet.

It was a non-Christian, Mahatma Gandhi, who once said: “You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilization to pieces, turn the world upside down, and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.” “

YouCat means Catholic Youth Bible.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/pope.francis.says.bible.is.a.highly.dangerous.book.that.he.loves.and.values.above.all.else/68097.htm

http://www.youcat.org/news/youcat-news/

Giving children a gift

Which candidate for president actually did something about giving children this gift? The Carson Scholars Fund, Inc. was founded in 1994 to address the education crisis in the United States. When retired world-renowned Johns Hopkins Pediatric Neurosurgeon Benjamin S. Carson, M.D. and his wife, Candy, read a research study about education in the United States, they were alarmed by the  findings. The study showed that our nation’s students ranked #21 out of 22 countries; next to the bottom of the list in science and math. Furthermore, the Carsons observed that many school display cases were filled with large trophies paying tribute to their sports teams’ achievements, while honor students were largely overlooked.” http://carsonscholars.org/

Appearances notwithstanding

Today the prompt at 3 Word Wednesday (a community for writers, poets and bloggers) is:

Nondescript, adjective: lacking distinctive or interesting features or characteristics.

Placid, adjective: (of a person or animal) not easily upset or excited, (especially of a place or stretch of water) calm and peaceful, with little movement or activity.

Quirky, adjective: characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits.

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

She looked to be the perfect friend.
Just my type.
Bookish, nondescript appearance, sensible shoes.
But first glance, first impression can be misleading.
Beneath the placid wide eyes
Were archives of quirky questions never answered.

Update on exercycle “trip”

When I started this on Dec. 26, 2014, I had a nice little program that did calculations and showed me photographs, although it began at the Atlantic Ocean.  I thought I’d never get through Virginia, then shortly after I left that state, the website lost its funding, so I’ve been on my own (which isn’t too hard since I only go 5-7 miles a day, 26-27 calories for each mile.  In December I said I would ride to Indianapolis to see my sister-in-law Jeanne who is always our fantastic hostess when we travel to Illinois, but I’d soon zipped right on past.  So now I’m at 1583 miles on October 28, 10 months later.  I passed 35 pounds sometime in July, but haven’t lost any more weight, probably it was all that bread, wine and dessert for menu del dia in Spain in September. So I’ve decided to continue on to see in-laws Rick and Kate in Huntington Beach, and  Debbie, of course, Greg and Kari and the twins, too, who must be about two now (Nov. 22). Only 670 more miles to go.

The unhinged left

Melissa Harris Perry of MSNBC, who makes $1.2 million a year reading aloud for TV shows and is worth about $40 million while owing $70,000 in back taxes, chastised a guest for using the words “hard worker” when talking about Republican Paul Ryan. Seems that term is reserved for blacks who were slaves working in the cotton fields, which obviously isn’t her, since she’s bi-racial from a Mormon family. She also is the one who ridiculed Mitt Romney’s black grandchild and is a self-proclaimed chief of the word police. This woman has serious problems with race, words, and just being polite. She gives liberals a bad name.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/oct/26/melissa-harris-perry-rants-about-slavery-after-gue/#!

The plan to elect Hillary

There are so many things wrong with the Donald Trump run for President as a Republican I'm convinced he's a Democrat plant. Unfortunately, many Republicans either lost or never had conservative values and are falling hook, line and sinker. Go back and read about how Germans hungry for change and self esteem followed a man who promised them the moon with feel-good shouting and bombastic speeches.

The reason we've got an Obama second term is because so many Christians (I've heard 54 million, but don't really know) sat out the election and pouted because they didn't want a Mormon, or their favorite didn't run. Now much of that same group is set to do the same thing and elect Hillary Clinton. I think they are the children of the folks who voted for Ross Perot and elected Bill Clinton.

English services in Whittenberg, Germany

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDO2LlQRnhA

In 2 years (2017) we'll be celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The cathedral in Whittenberg, Germany, shown in this video is being renovated for the influx of tourists.  There is an English language ministry here of visiting Lutheran pastors for English speakers and tourists at Whittenberg.  You'll hear some really ragged congregational singing of "A Mighty Fortress," but lots of heart. Pastor this week (earlier this month) is Rev. Ronald Stehl of Red Wing. MN.  "How are you going to get to heaven" was addressed, and even Lutherans in his own congregation got the answer wrong, he says.

Bienvenidos Pto. Vallarta, Patricia

Hurricane Patricia was the strongest hurricane on record, and just messed up some trees and houses a bit when hitting Mexico, and there seems no loss of life.  Of course, there was a sand sculpture of Mary on the beach at Puerto Vallarta that was untouched. But surely prayer couldn't stop a hurricane.

Some politicians keep their promises

When Obama was running in 2008 he promised to fundamentally transform America. He's certainly kept that promise. There are times I don't recognize America. In Ohio we have legalization of marijuana on the ballot. Before you say, “Great, it didn't hurt me I still have half my brain after losing all those cells”, you must understand the money lobby is going for revising the state constitution and allowing only about 10 mega investors in the trade to grow, process and sell it. Sweet crony capitalism if I've ever seen it. Could beat Al Gore investing in cap and trade. Criminal elements in Ohio could match DC. We got casino gambling the same way—locally citizens voted it down several times until they weaseled in and made it state wide.

As he chases the wind and solar dream, Obama puts coal mining industry in 9 states at risk with new EPA regulations and is destroying the small businesses and non-profits set up in the 1970s to fight the oil interests of the middle east since coal is one of our biggest assets. Only fracking is keeping our energy costs low (while Obama takes credit for lower gasoline prices). Meanwhile we’ll be supporting the out of work miners and all the supporting businesses with our higher taxes for unemployed and 123 wealth transfer programs.

Obergefell (same sex marriage decision by SCOTUS): John Azumah, an ordained Presbyterian minister from Ghana taught a class at Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, GA), “Introduction to Islam” to seminary students, the future leaders of Christianity in America. An invited iman asserted to the class that Jesus is not the Son of God, denied the crucifixion and resurrection, and maintained the Bible had been falsified. The students all listened passively with respect and responded only with very timid and politically correct questions. Until. . . a question on homosexuality. When the guest instructor answered that it was un-Islamic, not of God and unnatural, the respectful, timid class which had heard him deny all the basic tenets of the Christian faith turned on him with shock and rage. Some wanted to cancel a planned visit to a mosque. In our culture it’s acceptable for Christians to deny Jesus, but not their own sexual desires. (from First Things, Oct. 2015, “Through African Eyes” pp. 41-46)

Washington Post has a compelling article by a special ed teacher with a PhD who is leaving the profession because of required standardized testing. Read it, it will make you weep for our educators and children. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/10/25/special-ed-teacher-quits-i-just-cannot-justify-making-students-cry-anymore/

Standardized testing is not a left/right issue, but is bi-partisan disaster. They had it when I was a kid, but not as awful as today. Common Core and Race to the Top are the Obama versions, but Bush had No Child Left Behind. I’ve never heard a single teacher or administrator praise those programs.

I disagree with Pope Francis

XIV ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY

THE VOCATION AND MISSION OF THE FAMILY
IN THE CHURCH AND THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

INSTRUMENTUM LABORIS

Chapter II

The Family and the Socio-Economic Context

The Family: An Irreplaceable Resource of Society

Economic Challenge. 14.

“The concrete aspects of family life are closely connected with economic matters. Many point out that, to this day, the family can easily suffer from a variety of things which make it vulnerable. Among the most important problems are those related to low wages, unemployment, economic insecurity, lack of decent work and a secure position at work, human trafficking and slavery.”

“The following effects of economic inequity are reflected in a particularly acute manner in the family: growth is impeded; a home is missing; couples do not wish to have children; children find it difficult to study and become independent; and a calm planning for the future is precluded. Pope Francis insists that a change in perception by everyone in society is necessary to overcome this situation: "Growth in justice requires more than economic growth, while presupposing such growth: it requires decisions, programmes, mechanisms and processes specifically geared to a better distribution of income, the creation of sources of employment and an integral promotion of the poor which goes beyond a simple welfare mentality" (EG, 204). Renewed solidarity between generations begins with attending to the poor of this generation, before those of future generations, giving particular attention to family needs.”

The girls of a Christian school in Chibok, Nigeria who were kidnapped by Boko Haram last year were not kidnapped because they were poor or their parents didn’t have jobs or they lacked an education.  Hitler didn’t imprison and gas Jews because either he or they were poor. Stalin didn’t send East Europeans to the Gulag because they were poor, uneducated, or lacked resources.  North Koreans aren’t starving to death because they are poor.  Christian Armenians didn’t die on a death march a hundred years ago because either they or the Turks were poor. No, it is a power based philosophy, not poverty. And the very entities the Pope assumes will make the decisions for the distribution of wealth are the entities which killed 100 million of their own citizens in the 20th century.

The United States has 123 programs to transfer wealth from the employed and comfortable to the low income and unemployed, and a total of 2,293 Federal assistance programs.   If the Pope were correct, there would be no poverty in the United States where we “distribute” $22,000 a year to each low income person.

If the Pope were correct about secure income solving the world’s problem (or bringing the masses to Jesus, which is why we have a Pope) why are there unhappy, mentally ill, dysfunctional, suicidal, imprisoned and wealthy celebrities, CEOs, doctors and politicians? Back to the drawing board, sir. Economic growth solves more poverty than socialist programs with a Christian veneer.

In 1820, the vast majority of people lived in extreme poverty and only a tiny elite enjoyed higher standards of living. Economic growth over the last 200 years completely transformed our world, and poverty fell continuously over the last two centuries. This is even more remarkable when we consider that the population increased 7-fold over the same time (which in itself is a consequence of increasing living standards and decreasing mortality – especially of infants and children – around the world). In a world without economic growth, an increase in the population would result in less and less income for everyone, and a 7-fold increase would have surely resulted in a world in which everyone is extremely poor. . .

The first of the Millenium Development Goals set by the UN was to halve the population living in absolute poverty between 1990 and 2015. Rapid economic growth meant that this goal – arguably the most important – was achieved (5 years ahead of time) in 2010.

World Poverty

It was rapid economic growth not redistribution of wealth that achieved that.

I’ve always wondered if there was a reason to eat celery

World’s Healthiest Foods newsletter writes:  “If you have become accustomed to thinking about celery as a crunchy, low-cal vegetable but not a key part of your health support, it is time to think again.

Recent research has greatly bolstered our knowledge about celery's anti-inflammatory health benefits, including its protection against inflammation in the digestive tract itself. Some of the unique non-starch polysaccharides in celery—including apiuman—appear especially important in producing these anti-inflammatory benefits. (Unlike starchy polysaccharides that provide plants with a way to store simple sugars, these non-starch polysaccharides in celery help provide this vegetable with its unique structure and are not made from simple sugars but rather from pectins.)

While celery is also rich in well-known antioxidants like vitamin C and flavonoids, scientists have now identified at least a dozen other types of antioxidant nutrients in celery. These antioxidants include dihydrostilbenoids like lunularin as well as furanocoumarins like bergapten and psoralen. The antioxidant support we get from celery is largely due to its phenolic nutrients that have been shown to help protect us against unwanted oxygen damage to our cells, blood vessels, and organ systems. “

Additional information on celery.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas

• Add chopped celery to your favorite tuna fish or chicken salad recipe.
• Enjoy the delicious tradition of eating peanut butter on celery stalks.
• Use celery leaves in salads.
• Braise chopped celery, radicchio and onions and serve topped with walnuts and your favorite soft cheese.
• Next time you are making fresh squeezed carrot juice give it a unique taste dimension by adding some celery to it.
• Add celery leaves and sliced celery stalks to soups, stews, casseroles, and Healthy Stir-Fries.
• Consider the purchase of celery in its non-Pascal varieties. Root celery can be served as a major plate vegetable all its own, and leaf celery can be substituted for parsley in almost any recipe.

http://www.livescience.com/50640-celery-nutrition.html

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270678.php

Adult Sunday School, October 2015, UALC

Our Sunday school class is studying Romans, and for two weeks had an outstanding, articulate retired Lutheran pastor, Douglas McBride formerly of San Antonio, as our teacher. Class members are taking us through Romans after his excellent overview and first three chapters. I hope he can come back.

Paul wrote a letter to the Roman church, a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles, from  Corinth, while he was on his third missionary journey between 56 and 58 A.D. He was on his way to Spain.**  At the time he was gathering an offering from the Gentile Christians for the church in Jerusalem (15:25; Acts 24:17). Over half of the people he specifically mentions in the letter have Greek or Roman names, and he calls the Jews, “my brothers.” The church may have been started by his converts, but no one knows for certain. Since he first mentions Phoebe it appears that she brought the letter to Rome, so she must have been a trusted convert and helper. He greets a number of households indicating the church was made up of numerous groups, and he addresses in the letter a number of situations, many of which sound similar to our churches today. Struggles among themselves; how to deal with the government, etc.

He encourages unity and accepting one another, just as Christ accepted them. Yet it seems the church has never been more divided and scattered than today.

In the free box at church I found the New International Version of the Bible (Zondervan) on cassette.  I may be one of the few people who still have a hand held cassette player, so I’ve been listening to Romans while using my exercycle. Usually, I don’t enjoy audio of the Bible--speakers/voice actors go too fast or it’s too monotonous, but this one is really excellent.  There are music and sound effects, and when the writers reflect on OT passages of Jesus’ messages, there is a slight echo or reverberation.

* * “We know little about the early years of Christianity in the Iberian Peninsula. According to legend the apostle James --at Christ’s urging--carried the gospel to the country in 40 AD, but the early church writers have nothing to say about it. We know that St Paul intended to visit in Spain (Epistle to the Romans, XV, 24 and 28), which would suggest that there were organised groups for him to preach to. But there is no evidence that he made the trip, nor does any church in Spain popularly claim to have been founded by Paul.

By the second century, however, some Christian communities were probably established in the peninsula. We know that St Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons (France), writing around 180 AD, alludes to Christian churches amongst the Celts and Iberians.  We also know from a letter by St Cyprian of Carthage (?-258?) that by 254 AD there were Christian communities in Astorga, Mérida, León and Zaragoza.”  Source.

Obama and the military

Obama vetoed the NDAA. He stabbed our military in the back and sunk us at a very dangerous time—right on the heels of his giving the store to Iran to build nuclear weapons. Such bills had been vetoed by only four past presidents according to WSJ—in 1978, 1988, 1995 and 2007. In each case, the president objected to an actual provision in the bill, and each time Congress’s Armed Services committees were able to find a compromise that earned the presidential signature. Obama isn't about bi-partisanship or compromise.

In vetoing this legislation, President Obama has made history, but for all the wrong reasons. He has become the first commander in chief willing to sacrifice national security by vetoing a bill that authorizes pay, benefits and training for U.S. troops, simply because he seeks leverage to pursue his domestic political agenda.

The president didn’t veto the bill because of any of its policies, which make some of the most significant reforms to the Pentagon in more than 30 years, while giving troops the vital capabilities necessary to combat today’s mounting threats. (Wall St. Journal)

Defense is part of discretionary spending. It’s 16% of the $3.8 trillion compared to the 60% (mandated) spending on Medicare, Medicaid, S0cial Security, unemployment.

Bacon is good for you?

I’m having a big salad for lunch—red leaf lettuce, some shredded cabbage, sliced mushrooms, cooked beet stalks, cherry tomatoes and

bacon!

Bacon is an excellent source of high protein, low carbohydrate energy that helps to reset the metabolism, making weight loss much easier and is helpful in building muscle tissues that are lean and strong. Not only is bacon a good source of amino acids, but it does not contain any mercury – which is typically found in most seafood today. Moreover, the balance of protein to fat in bacon is a very healthy ratio of four to one; it is among the highest protein to fat balance ratios found in any source of meat, poultry or fish.

A major reason to enjoy bacon is that it contains choline, an important water-soluble vitamin in the B family; that helps boost memory and healthy brain function. Choline in our diet helps in preventing mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Rather than taking vitamins and minerals in a pill every day, eating bacon is a much more delicious way of providing the body with a range of essential vitamins and minerals to help the body organs function at peak efficiency. These include vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B12 (cobalamin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxal phosphate), zinc, iron and magnesium.

Bacon is a potent source of oleic acid and saturated fats. Both substances help reduce the levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL), lower’s triglycerides, and raises HDL – commonly referred to as the good form of cholesterol. Strangely enough, most foodies don’t realize that bacon is also composed of monounsaturated fats – the kind that contains lots of healthy fat soluble vitamins and minerals.

http://thesilverclouddiet.com/2013/01/consider-the-many-health-benefits-of-bacon/

http://draxe.com/what-is-choline/

http://www.simplehealthacupuncture.com/index.php/acupuncture-blog/54-7-guiltless-reasons-to-eat-your-bacon

Letting liberals do the devil’s work

As in Protestantism, the liberals are trying to destroy the Catholic church. And as in Protestantism, it is the smaller, less powerful, Africans and East Europeans who we hope will save the day. "All the old errors of the 60s seem to have come back to haunt us. By gently chiding them rather than stamping them out and disciplining or ousting their proponents, we now have seven new evil spirits along with the first infesting the Church. There are surely harder times coming with even greater confusion in the Church." When the secular media promote anything in the Christian faith, you know to look for the devil.

 https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/popes-encouragement-of-airing-formal-heresy-is-severing-the-church

http://blogs.new.spectator.co.uk/2015/10/crisis-for-pope-francis-as-top-level-cardinals-tell-him-your-synod-could-lead-to-the-collapse-of-the-church/

http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/the-city-gates.cfm?id=1176

Investing in Whirlpool

In going through my e-mail this morning I noticed we had purchased 35 shares of Whirlpool (investment advisor) for $5,124.89 at $146.4254 a share (I may own more, but don’t have that information at hand). Whirlpool is the number one major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $20 billion in annual sales, 100,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers throughout the world in 2014.  So I took a look at what had been going on and see that Whirlpool had slumped to its 52-week low Friday after it reported weaker-than-expected quarterly revenue, but beat earnings expectations in its latest quarter, thanks to cost cuts and acquisitions that drove European and Asian sales. So I guess to professionals, that’s the time to buy—don’t buy high?

I like the idea of investing in something I know, use, can see, and touch, even though I’m not the one who placed the order. The headquarters are in the mid-west—Benton Harbor, Michigan.  In the past year we remodeled our kitchen and replaced the appliances.  I now have a Whirlpool microwave and refrigerator/freezer, a GE double oven and a Kitchen Aid dishwasher.  I suppose it would be better to have all the same company to get a color match, but in all cases since these were replacements, we had to go with what would fit. The double oven replacement was a nightmare—don’t ever spec one unless you absolutely need it. I wasn’t happy that the new microwave sticks out so much further than the old one which was flush with the cabinets, but after looking at other models, magazine ads, and other homes (my daughter’s), I see they are all that way.

Also, Kitchen Aid is owned by Whirlpool which owns 13 brands, including: Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht, and Gladiator. With the housing market rebounding,  sales to new housing installers should rebound in the coming years after a slow down in 2008. If the construction trucks in our condo complex are any indication, remodeling is booming also.

http://investors.whirlpoolcorp.com/

http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Whirlpool_%28WHR%29

Wicked Columbus, Ohio

We went out with David and Beverly Meyers tonight to do a little belated celebrating for our birthdays/anniversary and came home with a copy of his new book, "Wicked Columbus, Ohio" co-authored with daughter Elise Meyers Walker. This would certainly make a fine Christmas present if you have a local history buff on your list. Royalties go to support a young woman paralyzed in a gun battle between 2 gangs.

A rich vocabulary protects against dementia

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141021085524.htm

'Cognitive reserve' is the name given to the brain's capacity to compensate for the loss of its functions. This reserve cannot be measured directly; rather, it is calculated through indicators believed to increase this capacity.

A research project at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) has studied how having a wide vocabulary influences cognitive reserve in the elderly.

As Cristina Lojo Seoane, from the USC, co-author of the study published in the journal Anales de Psicología (Annals of Psychology), explains: "We focused on level of vocabulary as it is considered an indicator of crystallised intelligence (the use of previously acquired intellectual skills). We aimed to deepen our understanding of its relation to cognitive reserve."

The research team chose a sample of 326 subjects over the age of 50 -- 222 healthy individuals and 104 with mild cognitive impairment. They then measured their levels of vocabulary, along with other measures such as their years of schooling, the complexity of their jobs and their reading habits.

They also analysed the scores they obtained in various tests, such as the vocabulary subtest of the 'Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale' (WAIS) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test.

"With a regression analysis we calculated the probability of impairment to the vocabulary levels of the participants," Lojo Seoane continues.

The results revealed a greater prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in participants who achieved a lower vocabulary level score.

"This led us to the conclusion that a higher level of vocabulary, as a measure of cognitive reserve, can protect against cognitive impairment," the researcher concludes.”

So instead of tweets and texting, perhaps you should blog?

"There is strong indication that a particular set of life activities are associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia and with a slower rate of memory decline in normal ageing. These include having a higher education, mentally stimulating occupations, strong social networks and having a variety of leisure interests. The amount of cognitive reserve appears to be plastic and influenced by aspects of experience in every stage of life."
Cognitive reserve--can we increase it?

3 word Wednesday on Friday—Lotza and her treats

The owner of this site provides 3 words each Wednesday as a prompt/inspiration for writers.  Entries can be an essay, poem, a blog or thought. Helps when you have a brain freeze and it encourages spontaneity. The words this Wednesday are:

Jab, verb: poke (someone or something) roughly or quickly, especially with something sharp or pointed; poke someone or something roughly or quickly with (a sharp or pointed object or a part of the body); noun: a quick, sharp blow, especially with the fist, a sharp painful sensation or feeling.

Labored, adjective: done with great effort and difficulty, (especially of humor or a performance) not spontaneous or fluent.

Makeshift, adjective: serving as a temporary substitute; sufficient for the time being; noun: a temporary substitute or device.

She’s deaf now, my little calico.
And sometimes I worry about her eyesight
If she misses it.
Sweet kitty, she’ll jab at the treat
I toss across the tile floor
Slipping and sliding,
A makeshift exercise therapy
After she labored so long at napping.

Homeschool art project

My husband works with children who are homeschooled by their mother for their art requirement.  Today they worked in watercolor; he demonstrates and then they follow what he does. Because they spend their summers at Lakeside also, today’s project was a sail boat. They have also been his models for some of his winning paintings, a current one in the Ohio Watercolor Society Traveling Show.

The younger girl won best of show this summer in the Lakeside Children’s Art show. The older girl takes ballet lessons and last winter was in the Nutcracker production here in Columbus which we went to see.  The boy likes to dress like a cowboy and at lunch today he said the Roy Rogers prayer.

“Lord, I reckon I'm not much just by myself,
I fail to do a lot of things I ought to do.
But Lord, when trails are steep and passes high,
Help me ride it straight the whole way through.

And when in the falling dusk I get that final call,
I do not care how many flowers they send,
Above all else, the happiest trail would be,
For You to say to me, "Let's ride, My Friend." “
Amen