Learning Through Adversity - Feb 24

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
(Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Made one of those big life decisions that we all have to make yesterday. I'm going back to school (pending TDSB approval) in April to become a paralegal. The course will end in April 2010. My Dad asked me recently 'Would you rather be back at Tipco?'. My response was mixed. On one hand I would still have permanent full-time work which is a whole lot better than being unemployed. On the other hand I knew that I'd be stagnating in a job that had no hope of advancement and no raise offered in the past five years.

Slaves to Routine

We're all creatures of habit. We slavishly enjoy our routines, do we not? Then something unexpected happens and our lives are turned upside-down. Our initial response? Sheer terror! Then we calm down, assess the situation that has befallen us and begin to pick up the pieces. When I posted about the death of my cat in December '07 I mentioned that one of the most traumatic things that can occur to a person is the loss of a job. Sadly, many are experiencing the same trauma as the manufacturing sector in Canada takes a nosedive.

A Common Thread

When someone goes through a personal crisis questions begin to swirl. I've noticed in these testimonials that there's a common thread: What was important before rapidly fades into insignificance and what was once trivial now is of the utmost importance. A profound shift in thinking has occurred and a chapter in our life has closed. I find that over time people tend to become self-absorbed and oblivious to the needs of others. Adversity is the proverbial bucket of ice water that needs to get thrown in our face from time to time.

Excess Baggage

There's a scene in Saving Private Ryan (soon after the beach scene) where the Captain (played superbly by Tom Hanks) is press ganging a clerk to help find Private Ryan. It's one of the few humorous scenes in the movie as the clerk awkwardly tries to prepare himself. He picks up a typewriter and the Captain says 'You don't need that'. The Captain presents a pad and a pencil to the clerk who nods knowingly. 'Grab your helmet and rifle, you'll need that!', says the Captain and our hero is off. That's what adversity does. We shed stuff we don't need and pick up the helmet and rifle that we do need.

Adversity Enlarges Our World

I am about to be exposed to a whole new world that I never knew existed. 2009 won't be a banner year for me in terms of employment but it will be a memorable one in terms of personal development. Staying with Tipco would've been easy. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! But what opportunity did I have? None! I for one am looking forward to the challenge that lays ahead. An uncertain one to be sure fraught with some difficulty. I kept reminding myself 'There are no absolutes. Only God is absolute'. This new path represents uncharted territory. It is the road less traveled by which will make all the difference.

A Word to the Wise

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
(Romans 8:28)

Does God work all things for good? No! The above scripture (as well as the Jeremiah verse) are conditional. God will not help rebels and those mired in unbelief (atheists and agnostics, please take note). The adversity foisted upon those who reject Christ will receive no such divine assistance. In other words, you're on your own! I enjoy my independence and privacy as much as anyone. But I'm not so foolish so as to rebuff all manner of help when I obviously need it. Please don't be stubborn. God wants to help and He will help if you submit to Him. Please make that decision today. Nobody has to suffer alone!

Johnny Cash

The Great American Divide - Jul 20

"Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants."
- William Penn

There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
- Psalm 33:16-18

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. - Psalm 20:7

See full article here for the above quotes.


'There are some men out there who simply want to watch the world burn.'

So says Alfred (Michael Caine) to Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) in 'The Dark Knight'. Alfred relates a story about a jewel thief in the Burmese jungle. Later in the movie, Bruce asks if they ever caught him. Alfred answers in the affirmative saying, 'We burnt down the forest'. Certainly a high price to pay to catch just one man.

What Truly Divides Us Then?

Let me articulate what many are thinking today: The lunatics are running the asylum. I'm talking about the paranoid and the conspiracy whisperers who see all manner of enemies, both real and imagined. As it turns out, we don't have to look far to find these strange individuals.

The Battle for Young Hearts and Minds in the Classroom

From another K-House article:

In Louisiana this week, Governor Bobby Jindal has opened himself to a whole hurrah of criticism from the liberal community because he has signed into a law a state bill that basically allows academic freedom when it comes to controversial subjects like evolution or global warming. The law does not mandate the teaching of anything. It merely allows teachers to teach the controversies, a long as they do so objectively without an attempt to promote religious doctrine.

As John G. West recently noted on National Review Online,

"Opponents allege that the Louisiana Science Education Act is 'anti-science.' In reality, the opposition’s efforts to silence anyone who disagrees with them is the true affront to scientific inquiry. Students need to know about the current scientific consensus on a given issue, but they also need to be able to evaluate critically the evidence on which that consensus rests. They need to learn about competing interpretations of the evidence offered by scientists, as well as anomalies that aren’t well explained by existing theories."

Free and critical thought in our schools? Wow, what a radical idea! If this revolutionary idea actually catches on, more than a few university professors might be out of work!

The Battle for Young Hearts and Minds in the Classroom: Part II
The Rise of Anti-Semitism in Our Universities

There is indeed rot in our Canadian universities. I consider myself fortunate that I graduated McMaster well before 9/11. The efforts on campus to delegitimize Israel and blame America for those fateful attacks have no doubt skyrocketed since I left. If there's one thing I've learned about anti-semites is this: Not reason, not logic, not even the lessons of history can budge an anti-semite from his paranoid, conspiratorial mind-set. Jew-hatred is implacable. There cannot be peace between those that love God's chosen people and those that wish their destruction.

The 'I Hate Bush' Agenda: The Disturbing Fanaticism of the New Left

In a recent FPM article, the battle to profile terrorists in order to save American lives is one we should all support. Yet, even an attempt to try a more watered-down approach is met with hostility and threats of litigation from the usual suspects (CAIR, ACLU). I can sort of understand their point. Profiling can be abused and given to excess. I think the real reason for opposing the profiling of terrorists has more to do with left-wing fanaticism. The assumption of a 'vast, right-wing conspiracy' led by the President is a pet theory the leftists are loathe to surrender. As with the evolutionists and the anti-semites, any attempts at reason and logic is met with a brick wall of denial and a closed mind.

Of This I Am Convinced

Though we may suffer for the cause of Christ, I am convinced of the need of those who need God's healing touch. Their struggle may not neccessarily a physical one, it is a struggle that causes lack of discernment. It is God and God alone that gives us true wisdom. Therefore let us not hate our enemies; let us pray for them instead. In the meantime, we need to hold fast and continue to look up for our redemption.

Johnny Cash

Women Who Fight - Jun 27

What's hotter than an Asian woman? An Asian woman who can fight. Therefore, the only thing hotter than that is TWO Asian women fighting each other. Compliments of Rotten Tomatoes are 25 best action heroines that kicked ass and took no prisoners.

Here's Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Zhang Ziyi is the younger one in white and Michelle Yeoh is wearing lavender. Both are just as equally deadly. Oh my God I'm in love! Mind you, I wouldn't try to touch either one without permission.




Here's the veteran Michelle:

And here's the lovely Zhang Ziyi:

Hope you enjoyed the fight scene. I'll something a bit more substantive for you this weekend. Happy Birthday Canada!

Johnny Cash

Sharkwater - May 12

I just saw Sharkwater. The official website can be found here. Wow! I love documentaries, especially ones dealing with nature. Here's the trailer:


Exploitation and Greed

It is nothing short of folly that the shark fin trade is still in operation despite laws being put into place outlawing the practice. As this film notes, what good is a law, no matter how well intentioned, if there is no enforcement? You have to physically put human bodies in harm's way to prevent criminal activity. Or boats in the case.

Tastes Like Chicken, Strong Like Ox!

I was surprised to learn that the shark fins in shark fin soup actually add little or no flavor. Most of the time, chicken or pork is added to give the soup some substance. The shark fins in the soup simply add texture. There's no hard evidence either that consuming shark fins makes you stronger. Herbal medicine is a wonderful thing but shark fins have absolutely no medicinal value. Just another man-made myth that has created an illicit multi-million dollar industry.

Government Activism? Not Bloody Likely!

I like what Paul Watson said. Paraphrasing here, he said that it has always been the individual, not government, that have spawned positive social change. No mass movement has ever gotten off the ground of it's own accord. It's been small groups passionate about their cause, usually operating on a shoestring budget, that have lit the fire. If anything, history has proven us that government is in cahoots with the crooks either by turning a blind eye to the problem or outright corruption. So don't hold your breath thinking that big gov't will step in because they won't. Taking a stand and making a difference is not an easy task. But it's the only chance we have of making this world a better place.

Johnny Cash

Soylent Green is People! - Apr 7

Sorry, couldn't resist. In the wake of Charlton Heston's passing I'm going to dedicate this post to Chuck and to all those who love to eat their young. The soylent green line and the 'Get your hands off me, you damn dirty ape!' has to be two of the most memorable movie lines ever delivered.


The Destruction of Western Civilization From Within

We must remember Jesus' admonition that we must first remove the plank from our own eye before we attempt to remove the splinter in someone else's eye. Self-criticism must therefore precede the sins of others.

Politics: The GOP, Democrats and the Hollywood Left

Nobody escapes unscathed here. George W. Bush is perhaps one of the greatest lame duck presidents that America has had to endure. Bush has achieved the impossible: He has made Bill Clinton (D) look positively benign by comparison. In his article, Pat Buchanan notes:

Since 2001, he (meaning Bush - JC) has presided over the seven largest trade deficits in history, the loss of 3.5 million manufacturing jobs and the collapse of the dollar, and added but one-fifth of the private sector jobs Bill Clinton created. Gold has gone from $260 an ounce to $1,000, oil from $28 a barrel to $100.

With this in mind, shouldn't the Democrats be laughing all the way to the White House? Not so fast! With Barack Obama (the used car salesman of the year for 2008) getting hammered over his dubious association with 'Black Liberation Theology' and Hillary's obsession with power (All hail Queen Julia!) looking eerily similar to Glenn Close in 'Fatal Attraction' it's a wonder that the bitterly divided Democrats will capture any votes at all.

Our Hollywood liberal 'friends'

Does anyone in the entertainment industry know how to be a loyal dissident anymore? And why are Congressmen Jim McDermott (D-WA), David Bonior (D-MI) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) shilling for Saddam Hussein as late as 2002? Useful idiots the lot of them. Uncle Joe would be proud of such simpletons. Such an unholy alliance the Left has with all those America haters.

Israel and the 'Peace Process': No Shortage of Stupid People in the ME

There is nothing more frustrating than watching this debacle unfold before our very eyes. All evidence shows a gathering storm in the ME and that Israel's relations with Syria and Iran are growing increasingly hostile. Abbas is no moderate and Palestinian children are still being indoctrinated with hate (who unsurprisingly grow up to become hateful adults).

Our response? We defer constantly in the vain hope that through appeasement this will all go away. The jihad that America and Israel face is not based on some cultural or religious misunderstanding. It is a fundamental difference in worldview that Islam preaches to its young that creates conflict. War, death and martyrdom become unassailable virtues. There is no 'gap' between the West and the Muslim world. It's more like a bottomless abyss. The sooner our leaders take this to heart the better (and safer) we'll all be.

Abortion: The War Against Women and Children

No other industry exemplifies human sacrifice and the eating of our young better than the abortion racket. In China and India, many fetuses are being aborted simply because they're female. Not due to some physical deformity. Not because of Down's syndrome. Just for being female. Men in China and India have no hope of getting married and starting a family of their own. Now this godless secular-progressive 'ideal' has come to the Western world. As someone who admires feminine beauty I find this repulsive. So too do many other Americans. Where are all the feminists to be found to denunciate this blatant gender discrimination? Nowhere to be found. As usual it is left up to us Judeo-Christian conservative voters to give a voice to the unborn.

Doing It Right

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

These Nepalese missionaries know what true wealth is. Praise God!

Johnny Cash

Gone Baby Gone - Mar 2

I did promise that I would change things up didn't I? Here now is my first movie review. Yay! I LOVED Gone Baby Gone. I would warn you though, the subject matter is pretty dark. Not for the littles ones, that's for sure.


From left to right is Morgan Freeman as Boston police captain Jack Doyle, Casey Affleck as P.I. Patrick Kenzie and the very lovely Michelle Monaghan as Angie Gennero. Curiously, both Casey and Michelle have in common older celebrity siblings. Elder brother Ben Affleck directed GBG and casting his younger brother in the lead role was a stroke of genius. Rare for him but even a stopped clock is right twice a day! I also think Casey is a better actor than Ben. Michelle's face may look familiar to you as the kid sister of Bridget Monaghan (the mother of Patriots QB Tom Brady's love child). Man, there's some scary good genes in those families!

(Correction as of March 10/08: Michelle Monaghan and Bridget Moynihan are not sisters. My bad. Promise I'll do a better job of researching next time. Ben and Casey are still brothers though. At least I got that part right dammit!)

You may remember Good Will Hunting. It won an Oscar for both Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for best screenplay. Like GWH, Gone Baby Gone is set in the city of Boston. Better to stick to a city you know then to try and be clever. Apparently their baseball team isn't that bad either!

I found it most curious that despite the darkness and despair, Gone Baby Gone uses a tonne of Christian imagery. It's abundantly obvious both Affleck brothers were exposed to the Catholic church at an early age. Early on in the movie, in a voice-over by Casey, he asks his priest how one can be saved yet still avoid the evil that surrounds us. The priest quotes from Matthew:

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

An interesting choice of scripture, one that shows great wisdom. Now I'm going to warn you that there's an amazing plot twist near the end. I won't tell you what it is or even give a hint (rent it yourself!). But the movie asks two basic moral questions:

1) Does the end justify the means?

2) What would you do if the truth was staring you right in the face? Would you deny it and walk away or would you act on it?

I'm a firm believer that the truth will set you free. However there are two harsh realities we face when revealing unpopular truths:

1) You WILL face opposition. Not just from your enemies, but from your family and friends.

2) There is a personal price to be paid.

So why do it? I mean nobody really wishes for adversity in their lives. Facing opposition and clamor is no picnic. But I think the decision to tell the truth is correct in the long term. Many take the easy way out and walk away from the truth. Yet their lives are burdened with guilt. In the end they still pay a steep personal price! What is the antidote to all this? The answer is simple:

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)

Nobody has to go through life carrying their guilt around like it was some millstone! Redemption is always a prayer away. Ask for forgiveness today and Jesus will pardon your sins. Please do it today. I promise you on the authority of scripture He'll do it!

Johnny Cash