...Persons convicted of capital murder would be executed by 5-officer team
Posted: January 28, 2009
9:35 pm Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
One state lawmaker is proposing a bill to expand the death penalty and force people convicted of homicide to face execution by a five-officer firing squad.
New Hampshire State Rep. Delmar Burridge, D-Keene, is sponsoring H.B. 37, a bill providing for execution by firing squad for anyone who causes the death of another person by use of a firearm while engaged in the commission of a felony – an offense that would be considered capital murder under Burridge's plan.
According to the bill, the commissioner of the department of corrections will be required to select five peace officers to carry out the execution of defendants convicted of capital murder.
"The commissioner or designee shall ensure that the method of judgment of death specified in the warrant is carried out at a secure correctional facility operated by the department at an hour determined by the department on the date specified in the warrant," it states.
Current law includes murder of judges, law enforcement personnel, murder for hire, some drug-related homicides and rape-murders as capital offenses, but Burridge is seeking to add homicide during an armed robbery, or other felonies committed with a weapon, to the list – excluding such criminals from the standard death by lethal injection.
"A firing squad is more humane, reliable and quick. And perfectly matches the crime with the punishment," Burridge said last week.
However, New England Cable News reports the bill has received little support so far.
"It provides for what we consider to be an unconstitutional cruel and unusual type of punishment," death penalty opponent Ryan Marvin said.
A New Hampshire man, Michael Addison, is currently on death row after he was convicted of slaying a Manchester police officer in 2006. His is scheduled to be the first execution carried out by the state since 1939.
Only two states – Idaho and Oklahoma – currently allow execution by a team of riflemen as an alternative to lethal injection. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, John Albert Taylor was the last U.S. citizen to face death by firing squad in Utah before the state eliminated the practice in 2004. He was put to death on Jan 27, 1996.
Burridge acknowledged his proposal is a long shot. Nonetheless, he believes it could act as a deterrent for potential offenders.
"I think that will thwart or frustrate or just get someone to pause, just for a minute. And that's sometimes all it takes," he said.
This WorldNetDaily article can be found here.
--jp
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
L O V E .
these are a few of my favorite quotes about horses. as i find more, i'll edit & add to this post.
The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears.
~ Arabian proverb
In riding a horse, we borrow freedom.
~ Helen Thompson
There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse.
~ Robert Smith Surtees
I heard a neigh, Oh, such a brisk and melodious neigh it was. My very heart leaped with the sound.
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
I have seen things so beautiful they have brought tears to my eyes. Yet none of them can match the gracefulness and beauty of a horse running free.
~ Author Unknown
When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk. He trots the air, the earth sings when he touches it.
~ William Shakespeare
The horse. Here is nobility without conceit, friendship without envy, beauty without vanity. A willing servant, yet never a slave.
~ Ronald Duncan
Ask me to show you poetry in motion and I will show you a horse.
~ Author Unknown
In the steady gaze of the horse shines a silent eloquence that speaks of love and loyalty, strength and courage. It is the window that reveals to us how willing is his spirit, how generous his heart.
~ Author Unknown
The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears.
~ Arabian proverb
In riding a horse, we borrow freedom.
~ Helen Thompson
There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse.
~ Robert Smith Surtees
I heard a neigh, Oh, such a brisk and melodious neigh it was. My very heart leaped with the sound.
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
I have seen things so beautiful they have brought tears to my eyes. Yet none of them can match the gracefulness and beauty of a horse running free.
~ Author Unknown
When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk. He trots the air, the earth sings when he touches it.
~ William Shakespeare
The horse. Here is nobility without conceit, friendship without envy, beauty without vanity. A willing servant, yet never a slave.
~ Ronald Duncan
Ask me to show you poetry in motion and I will show you a horse.
~ Author Unknown
In the steady gaze of the horse shines a silent eloquence that speaks of love and loyalty, strength and courage. It is the window that reveals to us how willing is his spirit, how generous his heart.
~ Author Unknown
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Look Again and Think
Do not worry about your life . . .
Matthew 6:25
A warning which needs to be repeated is that "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches," and the lust for other things, will choke out the life of God in us (Matthew 13:22). We are never free from the recurring waves of this invasion. If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends; or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the banner against it.
"I say to you, do not worry about your life . . ." Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing-our relationship to Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, "That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink." Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life. Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.
"Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34). How much trouble has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little demons have been looking into your life and saying, "What are your plans for next month— or next summer?" Jesus tells us not to worry about any of these things. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the "much more" of your heavenly Father (Matthew 6:30).
Our Daily Bread/My Utmost for His Highest
Matthew 6:25
A warning which needs to be repeated is that "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches," and the lust for other things, will choke out the life of God in us (Matthew 13:22). We are never free from the recurring waves of this invasion. If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends; or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the banner against it.
"I say to you, do not worry about your life . . ." Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing-our relationship to Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, "That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink." Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life. Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.
"Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34). How much trouble has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little demons have been looking into your life and saying, "What are your plans for next month— or next summer?" Jesus tells us not to worry about any of these things. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the "much more" of your heavenly Father (Matthew 6:30).
Our Daily Bread/My Utmost for His Highest
Friday, January 23, 2009
and so it begins
Pastor Voddie Baucham in Texas posted this on his blog yesterday (Thursday) & I wanted to share it. We, as Christians, need to be praying for our president & for our country more than ever.
"Whitehouse.gov is a very helpful site for those interested in what’s going on in the Executive branch. The “most transparent administration” in history is now online (though I’d still like to see an official Birth Certificate... but I digress). Since President Obama took over the White House, the site has now been revamped to include his Presidential Agenda. While some hoped President Obama would begin his presidency as a centrist (I have no idea where that fantasy came from), his agenda (see here) reads like a leftist wish list. Our new President wants to do everything from “Zero-to-Five” education (that’s right, the government not only wants to indoctrinate your children, they want to start the moment they are born), to “improv[ing] the energy efficiency of... American homes.” (whatever will we do for ourselves?) However, the area that has my interest piqued is his Civil Rights Agenda.
"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender] rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect." -- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
While this statement alone could be fodder for several blogs, it is not my intention to parse everything the President does and/or says. I do, however, think his LGBT agenda is an issue of great concern for those of us committed to biblical truth. We need to be aware of what’s ahead. We must be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. With that in mind, here’s the President’s Civil Rights Agenda (note: this is the second half under the heading, “Support for the LGBT Community.”
Read the rest of Pastor Baucham's post here, where he lists some of the points on President Obama's agenda.
"Whitehouse.gov is a very helpful site for those interested in what’s going on in the Executive branch. The “most transparent administration” in history is now online (though I’d still like to see an official Birth Certificate... but I digress). Since President Obama took over the White House, the site has now been revamped to include his Presidential Agenda. While some hoped President Obama would begin his presidency as a centrist (I have no idea where that fantasy came from), his agenda (see here) reads like a leftist wish list. Our new President wants to do everything from “Zero-to-Five” education (that’s right, the government not only wants to indoctrinate your children, they want to start the moment they are born), to “improv[ing] the energy efficiency of... American homes.” (whatever will we do for ourselves?) However, the area that has my interest piqued is his Civil Rights Agenda.
"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender] rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect." -- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
While this statement alone could be fodder for several blogs, it is not my intention to parse everything the President does and/or says. I do, however, think his LGBT agenda is an issue of great concern for those of us committed to biblical truth. We need to be aware of what’s ahead. We must be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. With that in mind, here’s the President’s Civil Rights Agenda (note: this is the second half under the heading, “Support for the LGBT Community.”
Read the rest of Pastor Baucham's post here, where he lists some of the points on President Obama's agenda.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
James Dobson/Glenn Beck
Dear Friend,
Friday, January 23, is a historic day for Focus on the Family®--and for me personally. It will be 20 years ago that I sat down across from convicted serial killer Ted Bundy for his final interview before he was executed in a Florida state prison.
I will be sharing my recollections of that interview this Friday on the new Fox News Channel® series "Glenn Beck®," which airs at 5 p.m. EST.
My purpose in going on Glenn's show is to discuss the reason why Bundy chose me for his final interview when every major news anchor at every TV network was jostling for an exclusive conversation. Bundy wanted to talk about the role media violence and particularly violent, hard-core pornography had played in his years-long killing spree, and he knew the mainstream media wouldn't report that story.
He chose to tell his story to me because he knew of my work in the mid-'80s on the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, which studied its harmful effects on individuals and society. During our hour-long conversation, Bundy took care not to blame his murderous actions on his addiction to pornography--but made clear it played a significant role in his crimes.
"Pornography can reach out and snatch a kid out of any house today. It snatched me out of my home 20, 30 years ago," he told me on January 23, 1989. "I'll tell you, there are lots of other kids playing in streets around the country who are going to be dead tomorrow and the next day and the next day and next month, because other young people are reading the kinds of things and seeing the kinds of things that are available in the media today."
Sadly, Bundy was right. Pornography has been found in the possession of almost every killer where sex has been the motivation, including two of the most notorious serial killers of the last two decades: Green River Killer Gary Leon Ridgway and BTK Killer Dennis Rader. No, not everyone who uses pornography becomes a murderer, but there are serious consequences to pornography addiction. Studies done since my conversation with Bundy have documented corrosive effects on marriages and families, such as increased marital distress and risk of separation and divorce; decreased marital intimacy and sexual satisfaction; and a devaluation of monogamy, marriage and child-rearing.
Consider also that Bundy's comments were made before the Internet age and the easy availability of the most sickening kinds of pornography on the Web. He also spoke at a time when hotel porn and even cell-phone porn were not the problems they are today. The future predicted by Ted Bundy is worse than he ever could have imagined--and that's the main message I hope to get across in my time with Glenn Beck this Friday.
I do hope you will tune into the show--and will continue to partner with Focus on the Family in fighting the scourge that is pornography.
Sincerely,
James C. Dobson, Ph.D.
Founder and Chairman
P.S. Don't forget to tune into our daily Focus on the Family radio program on Monday, January 26, when we'll rebroadcast some of my interview with Ted Bundy. You can find a station in your area or listen online by visiting FocusOnTheFamily.com.
Friday, January 23, is a historic day for Focus on the Family®--and for me personally. It will be 20 years ago that I sat down across from convicted serial killer Ted Bundy for his final interview before he was executed in a Florida state prison.
I will be sharing my recollections of that interview this Friday on the new Fox News Channel® series "Glenn Beck®," which airs at 5 p.m. EST.
My purpose in going on Glenn's show is to discuss the reason why Bundy chose me for his final interview when every major news anchor at every TV network was jostling for an exclusive conversation. Bundy wanted to talk about the role media violence and particularly violent, hard-core pornography had played in his years-long killing spree, and he knew the mainstream media wouldn't report that story.
He chose to tell his story to me because he knew of my work in the mid-'80s on the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, which studied its harmful effects on individuals and society. During our hour-long conversation, Bundy took care not to blame his murderous actions on his addiction to pornography--but made clear it played a significant role in his crimes.
"Pornography can reach out and snatch a kid out of any house today. It snatched me out of my home 20, 30 years ago," he told me on January 23, 1989. "I'll tell you, there are lots of other kids playing in streets around the country who are going to be dead tomorrow and the next day and the next day and next month, because other young people are reading the kinds of things and seeing the kinds of things that are available in the media today."
Sadly, Bundy was right. Pornography has been found in the possession of almost every killer where sex has been the motivation, including two of the most notorious serial killers of the last two decades: Green River Killer Gary Leon Ridgway and BTK Killer Dennis Rader. No, not everyone who uses pornography becomes a murderer, but there are serious consequences to pornography addiction. Studies done since my conversation with Bundy have documented corrosive effects on marriages and families, such as increased marital distress and risk of separation and divorce; decreased marital intimacy and sexual satisfaction; and a devaluation of monogamy, marriage and child-rearing.
Consider also that Bundy's comments were made before the Internet age and the easy availability of the most sickening kinds of pornography on the Web. He also spoke at a time when hotel porn and even cell-phone porn were not the problems they are today. The future predicted by Ted Bundy is worse than he ever could have imagined--and that's the main message I hope to get across in my time with Glenn Beck this Friday.
I do hope you will tune into the show--and will continue to partner with Focus on the Family in fighting the scourge that is pornography.
Sincerely,
James C. Dobson, Ph.D.
Founder and Chairman
P.S. Don't forget to tune into our daily Focus on the Family radio program on Monday, January 26, when we'll rebroadcast some of my interview with Ted Bundy. You can find a station in your area or listen online by visiting FocusOnTheFamily.com.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Praise for Lee and Jackson
By Chuck Baldwin
January 16, 2009
January is often referred to as "Generals Month" since no less than four famous Confederate Generals claimed January as their birth month: James Longstreet (Jan. 8, 1821), Robert E. Lee (Jan. 19, 1807), Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (Jan. 21, 1824), and George Pickett (Jan. 28, 1825). Two of these men, Lee and Jackson, are particularly noteworthy.
Without question, Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson were two of the greatest military leaders of all time. Even more, many military historians regard the Lee and Jackson tandem as perhaps the greatest battlefield duo in the history of warfare. If Jackson had survived the battle of Chancellorsville, it is very possible that the South would have prevailed at Gettysburg and perhaps would even have won the War Between the States.
In fact, it was Lord Roberts, commander-in-chief of the British armies in the early twentieth century, who said, "In my opinion, Stonewall Jackson was one of the greatest natural military geniuses the world ever saw. I will go even further than that--as a campaigner in the field, he never had a superior. In some respects, I doubt whether he ever had an equal." While the strategies and circumstances of the War of Northern Aggression can (and will) be debated by professionals and laymen alike, one fact is undeniable: Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson were two of the finest Christian gentlemen this country has ever produced. Both their character and their conduct were beyond reproach.
Unlike his northern counterpart, Ulysses S. Grant, General Lee never sanctioned or condoned slavery. Upon inheriting slaves from his deceased father-in-law, Lee immediately freed them. And according to historians, Jackson enjoyed a familial relationship with those few slaves that were in his home. In addition, unlike Abraham Lincoln and U.S. Grant, there is no record of either Lee or Jackson ever speaking disparagingly of the black race.
As those who are familiar with history know, General Grant and his wife held personal slaves before and during the War Between the States, and, contrary to popular opinion, even Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation did not free the slaves of the North. They were not freed until the Thirteenth Amendment was passed after the conclusion of the war. Grant's excuse for not freeing his slaves was that "good help is so hard to come by these days."
Furthermore, it is well established that Jackson regularly conducted a Sunday School class for black children. This was a ministry he took very seriously. As a result, he was dearly loved and appreciated by the children and their parents.
In addition, both Jackson and Lee emphatically supported the abolition of slavery. In fact, Lee called slavery "a moral and political evil." He also said "the best men in the South" opposed it and welcomed its demise. Jackson said he wished to see "the shackles struck from every slave."
To think that Lee and Jackson (and the vast majority of Confederate soldiers) would fight and die to preserve an institution they considered evil and abhorrent--and that they were already working to dismantle--is the height of absurdity. It is equally repugnant to impugn and denigrate the memory of these remarkable Christian gentlemen.
In fact, after refusing Abraham Lincoln's offer to command the Union Army in 1861, Robert E. Lee wrote to his sister on April 20 of that year to explain his decision. In the letter he wrote, "With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I have therefore resigned my commission in the army and save in defense of my native state, with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed . . ."
Lee's decision to resign his commission with the Union Army must have been the most difficult decision of his life. Remember that Lee's direct ancestors had fought in America's War For Independence. His father, "Light Horse Harry" Henry Lee, was a Revolutionary War hero, Governor of Virginia, and member of Congress. In addition, members of his family were signatories to the Declaration of Independence.
Remember, too, that not only did Robert E. Lee graduate from West Point "at the head of his class" (according to Benjamin Hallowell), he is yet today one of only six cadets to graduate from that prestigious academy without a single demerit.
However, Lee knew that Lincoln's decision to invade the South in order to prevent its secession was both immoral and unconstitutional. As a man of honor and integrity, the only thing Lee could do was that which his father had done: fight for freedom and independence. And that is exactly what he did.
Instead of allowing a politically correct culture to sully the memory of Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson, all Americans should hold them in a place of highest honor and respect. Anything less is a disservice to history and a disgrace to the principles of truth and integrity.
Accordingly, it was more than appropriate that the late President Gerald Ford, on August 5, 1975, signed Senate Joint Resolution 23, "restoring posthumously the long overdue, full rights of citizenship to General Robert E. Lee." According to President Ford, "This legislation corrects a 110-year oversight of American history." He further said, "General Lee's character has been an example to succeeding generations . . ."
The significance of the lives of Generals Lee and Jackson cannot be overvalued. While the character and influence of most of us will barely be remembered two hundred days after our departure, the sterling character of these men has endured for two hundred years. What a shame that so many of America's youth are being robbed of knowing and studying the virtue and integrity of the great General Robert E. Lee and General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson.
(c) Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2009/cbarchive_20090116.html
January 16, 2009
January is often referred to as "Generals Month" since no less than four famous Confederate Generals claimed January as their birth month: James Longstreet (Jan. 8, 1821), Robert E. Lee (Jan. 19, 1807), Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (Jan. 21, 1824), and George Pickett (Jan. 28, 1825). Two of these men, Lee and Jackson, are particularly noteworthy.
Without question, Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson were two of the greatest military leaders of all time. Even more, many military historians regard the Lee and Jackson tandem as perhaps the greatest battlefield duo in the history of warfare. If Jackson had survived the battle of Chancellorsville, it is very possible that the South would have prevailed at Gettysburg and perhaps would even have won the War Between the States.
In fact, it was Lord Roberts, commander-in-chief of the British armies in the early twentieth century, who said, "In my opinion, Stonewall Jackson was one of the greatest natural military geniuses the world ever saw. I will go even further than that--as a campaigner in the field, he never had a superior. In some respects, I doubt whether he ever had an equal." While the strategies and circumstances of the War of Northern Aggression can (and will) be debated by professionals and laymen alike, one fact is undeniable: Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson were two of the finest Christian gentlemen this country has ever produced. Both their character and their conduct were beyond reproach.
Unlike his northern counterpart, Ulysses S. Grant, General Lee never sanctioned or condoned slavery. Upon inheriting slaves from his deceased father-in-law, Lee immediately freed them. And according to historians, Jackson enjoyed a familial relationship with those few slaves that were in his home. In addition, unlike Abraham Lincoln and U.S. Grant, there is no record of either Lee or Jackson ever speaking disparagingly of the black race.
As those who are familiar with history know, General Grant and his wife held personal slaves before and during the War Between the States, and, contrary to popular opinion, even Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation did not free the slaves of the North. They were not freed until the Thirteenth Amendment was passed after the conclusion of the war. Grant's excuse for not freeing his slaves was that "good help is so hard to come by these days."
Furthermore, it is well established that Jackson regularly conducted a Sunday School class for black children. This was a ministry he took very seriously. As a result, he was dearly loved and appreciated by the children and their parents.
In addition, both Jackson and Lee emphatically supported the abolition of slavery. In fact, Lee called slavery "a moral and political evil." He also said "the best men in the South" opposed it and welcomed its demise. Jackson said he wished to see "the shackles struck from every slave."
To think that Lee and Jackson (and the vast majority of Confederate soldiers) would fight and die to preserve an institution they considered evil and abhorrent--and that they were already working to dismantle--is the height of absurdity. It is equally repugnant to impugn and denigrate the memory of these remarkable Christian gentlemen.
In fact, after refusing Abraham Lincoln's offer to command the Union Army in 1861, Robert E. Lee wrote to his sister on April 20 of that year to explain his decision. In the letter he wrote, "With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I have therefore resigned my commission in the army and save in defense of my native state, with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed . . ."
Lee's decision to resign his commission with the Union Army must have been the most difficult decision of his life. Remember that Lee's direct ancestors had fought in America's War For Independence. His father, "Light Horse Harry" Henry Lee, was a Revolutionary War hero, Governor of Virginia, and member of Congress. In addition, members of his family were signatories to the Declaration of Independence.
Remember, too, that not only did Robert E. Lee graduate from West Point "at the head of his class" (according to Benjamin Hallowell), he is yet today one of only six cadets to graduate from that prestigious academy without a single demerit.
However, Lee knew that Lincoln's decision to invade the South in order to prevent its secession was both immoral and unconstitutional. As a man of honor and integrity, the only thing Lee could do was that which his father had done: fight for freedom and independence. And that is exactly what he did.
Instead of allowing a politically correct culture to sully the memory of Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson, all Americans should hold them in a place of highest honor and respect. Anything less is a disservice to history and a disgrace to the principles of truth and integrity.
Accordingly, it was more than appropriate that the late President Gerald Ford, on August 5, 1975, signed Senate Joint Resolution 23, "restoring posthumously the long overdue, full rights of citizenship to General Robert E. Lee." According to President Ford, "This legislation corrects a 110-year oversight of American history." He further said, "General Lee's character has been an example to succeeding generations . . ."
The significance of the lives of Generals Lee and Jackson cannot be overvalued. While the character and influence of most of us will barely be remembered two hundred days after our departure, the sterling character of these men has endured for two hundred years. What a shame that so many of America's youth are being robbed of knowing and studying the virtue and integrity of the great General Robert E. Lee and General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson.
(c) Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2009/cbarchive_20090116.html
Christ our Covenant
Isaiah 49:8
I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people.
Jesus Christ is the sum and substance of the covenant. As a gift of the covenant, He is the property of every believer. All that Christ, as God and Man, ever had or will have is yours--from God's free favor, to be your inheritance forever.
Our blessed Jesus, as God, is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. All that Jesus has as perfect man is yours. As a perfect man, Jesus enjoyed the Father's perfect delight. He stood accepted by the Most High God. Believer, God's acceptance of Christ is your acceptance. Don't you know that the love the Father bestowed on Christ He is bestowing on you now? For all that Christ did is yours. That perfect righteousness that Jesus worked out through His stainless life is yours; it is credited to your account.
--Charles Spurgeon
Morning By Morning
I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people.
Jesus Christ is the sum and substance of the covenant. As a gift of the covenant, He is the property of every believer. All that Christ, as God and Man, ever had or will have is yours--from God's free favor, to be your inheritance forever.
Our blessed Jesus, as God, is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. All that Jesus has as perfect man is yours. As a perfect man, Jesus enjoyed the Father's perfect delight. He stood accepted by the Most High God. Believer, God's acceptance of Christ is your acceptance. Don't you know that the love the Father bestowed on Christ He is bestowing on you now? For all that Christ did is yours. That perfect righteousness that Jesus worked out through His stainless life is yours; it is credited to your account.
--Charles Spurgeon
Morning By Morning
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Ramos and Compean are Going Home
By Chuck Baldwin
January 20, 2009
After tens of thousands of phone calls and emails, after the combined efforts of columnists such as myself and radio and television talk show hosts such as Lou Dobbs, and even after persistent appeals by congressmen such as Dana Rohrabacher, former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean finally received a commutation of their 10-plus year prison sentences from outgoing President George W. Bush and will soon be going home. It's about time! What took Mr. Bush so long?
Ramos and Compean were victimized by an out-of-control U.S. Attorney by the name of Johnny Sutton (who should be fired for his despicable conduct), and by a White House that cared more about appeasing the Mexican government than it did about protecting the American border and the Border Patrol agents who were trying to do their jobs.
I won't rehash the details of this unbelievable miscarriage of justice, as I have already covered this atrocity in past columns. See two of these columns at:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070731.html
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070131.html
I was also privileged to appear with Agent Ramos' wife, Monica, on the Lou Dobbs show last year. As such, I was the only Presidential candidate in 2008 who publicly promised to fully pardon (not just grant commutation to) Ramos and Compean. See the video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-DyfFa0tZg
According to press reports, now that President Bush has commuted the sentences of Ramos and Compean, they should be released from prison "within the next two months." In issuing the commutation, it was made clear that "Bush didn't pardon the men for their crimes, but decided instead to commute their prison sentences because he believed they were excessive and that they had already suffered the loss of their jobs, freedom and reputations."
The senior administration official quoted also said, "The action by the president, who believes the border agents received fair trials and that the verdicts were just, does not diminish the seriousness of their crimes."
Ramos and Compean have served about two years of their sentences.
And, as far as what the Bush administration official said, let's set the record straight. First of all, while Ramos and Compean have lost their jobs and more than two years of freedom (not to mention untold grief and agony by their family members), they have not lost their reputations. If anyone has lost their reputation, it is Johnny Sutton and George W. Bush, his act of clemency notwithstanding.
Secondly, if the trial and conviction of Ramos and Compean is an example of a "fair trial," everyone in the country better pray they never have to go to trial. The truth is, if there ever was an example of a Kangaroo Court in these United States, it was the trial of Ramos and Compean.
Thirdly, the "crimes" that were committed were perpetrated by a serial drug-smuggling illegal alien, and then by a groveling, grotesque U.S. Attorney's office under the leadership of Johnny Sutton.
And lest readers think that Ramos and Compean were alone in the wake of a Presidential administration bent on sacrificing American law enforcement personnel on the altar of appeasement to the Mexican government, please familiarize yourself with the case of the brave Texas Sheriff's Deputy, Gilmer Hernandez; and with the case of the heinous Mexican murderer, Jose Ernesto Medellin. It is incomprehensible what the Bush administration has done to facilitate illegal immigration. See the story at:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070413.html
Am I happy that President Bush has at least commuted the sentences of Ramos and Compean? Of course I am. I am happy for the two agents; I am happy for their families. They deserve to be together. I pray it will not take months to release them. And I also pray that both of these gentlemen will find gainful employment sufficient to adequately meet the needs of their wives and children.
It is shameful that the country agents Ramos and Compean were so proud and diligent to serve treated them (and their families) so disgracefully. Furthermore, it is totally disgusting to realize that the Bush administration treated a serial drug-smuggling illegal alien better than two Border Patrol agents who were simply trying to enforce our country's immigration laws. Bush's commutation of sentence does nothing to erase that humiliation.
(c) Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2009/cbarchive_20090120.html
January 20, 2009
After tens of thousands of phone calls and emails, after the combined efforts of columnists such as myself and radio and television talk show hosts such as Lou Dobbs, and even after persistent appeals by congressmen such as Dana Rohrabacher, former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean finally received a commutation of their 10-plus year prison sentences from outgoing President George W. Bush and will soon be going home. It's about time! What took Mr. Bush so long?
Ramos and Compean were victimized by an out-of-control U.S. Attorney by the name of Johnny Sutton (who should be fired for his despicable conduct), and by a White House that cared more about appeasing the Mexican government than it did about protecting the American border and the Border Patrol agents who were trying to do their jobs.
I won't rehash the details of this unbelievable miscarriage of justice, as I have already covered this atrocity in past columns. See two of these columns at:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070731.html
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070131.html
I was also privileged to appear with Agent Ramos' wife, Monica, on the Lou Dobbs show last year. As such, I was the only Presidential candidate in 2008 who publicly promised to fully pardon (not just grant commutation to) Ramos and Compean. See the video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-DyfFa0tZg
According to press reports, now that President Bush has commuted the sentences of Ramos and Compean, they should be released from prison "within the next two months." In issuing the commutation, it was made clear that "Bush didn't pardon the men for their crimes, but decided instead to commute their prison sentences because he believed they were excessive and that they had already suffered the loss of their jobs, freedom and reputations."
The senior administration official quoted also said, "The action by the president, who believes the border agents received fair trials and that the verdicts were just, does not diminish the seriousness of their crimes."
Ramos and Compean have served about two years of their sentences.
And, as far as what the Bush administration official said, let's set the record straight. First of all, while Ramos and Compean have lost their jobs and more than two years of freedom (not to mention untold grief and agony by their family members), they have not lost their reputations. If anyone has lost their reputation, it is Johnny Sutton and George W. Bush, his act of clemency notwithstanding.
Secondly, if the trial and conviction of Ramos and Compean is an example of a "fair trial," everyone in the country better pray they never have to go to trial. The truth is, if there ever was an example of a Kangaroo Court in these United States, it was the trial of Ramos and Compean.
Thirdly, the "crimes" that were committed were perpetrated by a serial drug-smuggling illegal alien, and then by a groveling, grotesque U.S. Attorney's office under the leadership of Johnny Sutton.
And lest readers think that Ramos and Compean were alone in the wake of a Presidential administration bent on sacrificing American law enforcement personnel on the altar of appeasement to the Mexican government, please familiarize yourself with the case of the brave Texas Sheriff's Deputy, Gilmer Hernandez; and with the case of the heinous Mexican murderer, Jose Ernesto Medellin. It is incomprehensible what the Bush administration has done to facilitate illegal immigration. See the story at:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070413.html
Am I happy that President Bush has at least commuted the sentences of Ramos and Compean? Of course I am. I am happy for the two agents; I am happy for their families. They deserve to be together. I pray it will not take months to release them. And I also pray that both of these gentlemen will find gainful employment sufficient to adequately meet the needs of their wives and children.
It is shameful that the country agents Ramos and Compean were so proud and diligent to serve treated them (and their families) so disgracefully. Furthermore, it is totally disgusting to realize that the Bush administration treated a serial drug-smuggling illegal alien better than two Border Patrol agents who were simply trying to enforce our country's immigration laws. Bush's commutation of sentence does nothing to erase that humiliation.
(c) Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2009/cbarchive_20090120.html
Friday, January 16, 2009
a new era
I've been thinking about President Bush's exit from office, and the new era this country is about to enter. It's daunting to think about, in a way, as President Elect Obama appears to be the most liberal man to ever sit in the White House; although, as a Christian, I can honestly say I have no cause for worry. I was reading an article on Political Derby, and came across this clip from the HBO miniseries John Adams. It's a good reminder of how our founding fathers saw our country & how they wanted things to be. Watch it if you have time, & I'd love to hear your thoughts.
(Nathan & I watched the miniseries a while back on DVD & really enjoyed it, for the most part...just beware that there are a few awkward scenes scattered throughout the series.)
(Nathan & I watched the miniseries a while back on DVD & really enjoyed it, for the most part...just beware that there are a few awkward scenes scattered throughout the series.)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Remain in Jesus
Jonah 2:9
Salvation comes from the Lord.
Salvation is the work of God. Only He can bring life to the soul that is "dead in...transgressions and sins" (Eph. 2:1). Only He can maintain the soul in its spiritual life.
If I have faith or hope or love, they are God's gifts to me. If my life is steady and consistent, that's because God upholds me with His hand. I can do nothing to preserve myself, except what God does first inside of me.
Whatever I have, all my goodness comes from God. Without Jesus I can do nothing. As a branch cannot bear fruit unless it remains in the vine (Jn. 15:4), neither can I, unless I remain in Jesus.
--Charles Spurgeon
Morning By Morning
Salvation comes from the Lord.
Salvation is the work of God. Only He can bring life to the soul that is "dead in...transgressions and sins" (Eph. 2:1). Only He can maintain the soul in its spiritual life.
If I have faith or hope or love, they are God's gifts to me. If my life is steady and consistent, that's because God upholds me with His hand. I can do nothing to preserve myself, except what God does first inside of me.
Whatever I have, all my goodness comes from God. Without Jesus I can do nothing. As a branch cannot bear fruit unless it remains in the vine (Jn. 15:4), neither can I, unless I remain in Jesus.
--Charles Spurgeon
Morning By Morning
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
love story
i can't get enough of taylor swift's current single, "love story". it's a great song...if you haven't heard it, you can watch the official video here.
and here are the lyrics if you don't want/don't have time to watch the video. :)
We were both young when I first saw you.
I close my eyes and the flashback starts:
I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air.
See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.
See you make your way through the crowd and say hello;
Little did I know..
That you were Romeo; you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet."
And I was crying on the staircase,
Begging you, 'Please, don't go.'
And I said,"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story; Baby, just say 'Yes.'"
So I sneak out to the garden to see you.
We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew.
So close your eyes; escape this town for a little while.
'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter,
And my daddy said "Stay away from Juliet."
But you were everything to me;
I was begging you, "Please, don't go."
And I said,"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess;
It's a love story; Baby, just say 'Yes.'"
Romeo, save me; they're tryin' to tell me how to feel.
This love is difficult, but it's real.
Don't be afraid; we'll make it out of this mess.
It's a love story; Baby, just say 'Yes.'"
I got tired of waiting,
Wondering if you were ever comin' around.
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town.
And I said,"Romeo save me, I've been feeling so alone.
I keep waiting for you but you never come.
Is this in my head? I don't know what to think."
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said,
"Marry me, Juliet. You'll never have to be alone.
I love you, and that's all I really know.
I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress;
It's a love story; Baby, just say 'Yes.'"
We were both young when I first saw you...
Written by Taylor Swift
and here are the lyrics if you don't want/don't have time to watch the video. :)
We were both young when I first saw you.
I close my eyes and the flashback starts:
I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air.
See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.
See you make your way through the crowd and say hello;
Little did I know..
That you were Romeo; you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet."
And I was crying on the staircase,
Begging you, 'Please, don't go.'
And I said,"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story; Baby, just say 'Yes.'"
So I sneak out to the garden to see you.
We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew.
So close your eyes; escape this town for a little while.
'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter,
And my daddy said "Stay away from Juliet."
But you were everything to me;
I was begging you, "Please, don't go."
And I said,"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess;
It's a love story; Baby, just say 'Yes.'"
Romeo, save me; they're tryin' to tell me how to feel.
This love is difficult, but it's real.
Don't be afraid; we'll make it out of this mess.
It's a love story; Baby, just say 'Yes.'"
I got tired of waiting,
Wondering if you were ever comin' around.
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town.
And I said,"Romeo save me, I've been feeling so alone.
I keep waiting for you but you never come.
Is this in my head? I don't know what to think."
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said,
"Marry me, Juliet. You'll never have to be alone.
I love you, and that's all I really know.
I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress;
It's a love story; Baby, just say 'Yes.'"
We were both young when I first saw you...
Written by Taylor Swift
new chairs
nathan & i have decided to get rid of the old, ugly (but free!) love seat that has been in our "reading area" for the last few years. we want to replace it with a couple of chairs, to make the area more conducive to conversation...& comfort. i've been looking around online to see what's out there, to try to get an idea of what i want, & here are a few ideas i've come across so far. i really like this & this from target, but they aren't carried in the store, so i can't try them out to see if they're comfy or not. bummer. i also like this by broyhill, & this by ashley, but oh my! the prices! i think we're going to end up seeing what we can find at big lots, since that would be more in our price range!
i am planning to check out unclaimed furniture after work today, though, to see what kind of deals they have going on. we got money for christmas from nathan's parents & grandpa, which will hopefully pay for one chair. we'll see! i'm excited about looking, though...it's always fun to shop!
i am planning to check out unclaimed furniture after work today, though, to see what kind of deals they have going on. we got money for christmas from nathan's parents & grandpa, which will hopefully pay for one chair. we'll see! i'm excited about looking, though...it's always fun to shop!
Monday, January 12, 2009
I See Love
Some see a teacher
Standing on a hill
Speaking words of wisdom.
Some see a healer
Reaching out his hand
To give sight to a blind man.
Some see a dreamer
Wasting his life
On what can never be.
Some see a fool
Dying for his dreams.
But I see love (I see love)
I see love (I see love)
Light of heaven breaking through
Well, I see grace (I see grace)
I see God's face (I see God's face)
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see You
I see love
Some see a prisoner
Alone before his judge
With no one to defend him.
Some see a victim
Beaten and abused
With all the world against him.
Some see a martyr
Carrying his cross
For what he believes.
Some see a hero
Who set his people free.
But I see love (I see love)
I see love (I see love)
Light of heaven breaking through
Well, I see grace (I see grace)
I see God's face (I see Gods face)
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see You
With your last breath
I see love.
Through your death
I see life.
I see peace in the eyes of the King
I see hope in your suffering (I see love)
I see a calm in the center of the storm
I see a Saviour
I see love.
I see love.
Light of heaven breaking through (heaven breaking through)
I see grace.
I see God's face
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see you
I see love
When I see you
I see heaven breaking through
See Gods face
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see you
When I see you
When I see you
I see love
I see love
When I see
Some see Him walking from an empty grave.
Written by: Steven Curtis Chapman, Mark Lee, Bart Millard & Mac Powell
Standing on a hill
Speaking words of wisdom.
Some see a healer
Reaching out his hand
To give sight to a blind man.
Some see a dreamer
Wasting his life
On what can never be.
Some see a fool
Dying for his dreams.
But I see love (I see love)
I see love (I see love)
Light of heaven breaking through
Well, I see grace (I see grace)
I see God's face (I see God's face)
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see You
I see love
Some see a prisoner
Alone before his judge
With no one to defend him.
Some see a victim
Beaten and abused
With all the world against him.
Some see a martyr
Carrying his cross
For what he believes.
Some see a hero
Who set his people free.
But I see love (I see love)
I see love (I see love)
Light of heaven breaking through
Well, I see grace (I see grace)
I see God's face (I see Gods face)
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see You
With your last breath
I see love.
Through your death
I see life.
I see peace in the eyes of the King
I see hope in your suffering (I see love)
I see a calm in the center of the storm
I see a Saviour
I see love.
I see love.
Light of heaven breaking through (heaven breaking through)
I see grace.
I see God's face
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see you
I see love
When I see you
I see heaven breaking through
See Gods face
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see you
When I see you
When I see you
I see love
I see love
When I see
Some see Him walking from an empty grave.
Written by: Steven Curtis Chapman, Mark Lee, Bart Millard & Mac Powell
The Shepherd Leads
Psalm 23:2 NKJV
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
In the second verse of the Twenty-third Psalm, David the poet becomes David the artist. His quill becomes a brush, his parchment a canvas, and his words paint a picture. A flock of sheep on folded legs, encircling a shepherd. Bellies nestled deep in the long shoots of grass. A still pond on one side, the watching shepherd on the other. "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters."
Note the two pronouns preceding the two verbs. He makes me...He leads me...
Who is the active one? Who is in charge? The shepherd. The shepherd selects the trail and prepares the pasture. The sheep's job--our job--is to watch the Shepherd.
--Max Lucado
Traveling Light
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
In the second verse of the Twenty-third Psalm, David the poet becomes David the artist. His quill becomes a brush, his parchment a canvas, and his words paint a picture. A flock of sheep on folded legs, encircling a shepherd. Bellies nestled deep in the long shoots of grass. A still pond on one side, the watching shepherd on the other. "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters."
Note the two pronouns preceding the two verbs. He makes me...He leads me...
Who is the active one? Who is in charge? The shepherd. The shepherd selects the trail and prepares the pasture. The sheep's job--our job--is to watch the Shepherd.
--Max Lucado
Traveling Light
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
YOU
I Peter 2:9
You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.
I'd like to deliver a beautiful message to you, my friend. God's hand on your life may be just beginning to make its mark. That steep hill you've been climbing for such a long time may be the ramp to a destiny beyond your dreams. I do not believe there is any such thing as an accidental or ill-timed birth. You may have arrived in a home that was financially strapped. You may have known brokeness, hurt, and insecurity since your earliest days--but please hear me on this:
You were not an accident.
--Charles Swindoll
You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.
I'd like to deliver a beautiful message to you, my friend. God's hand on your life may be just beginning to make its mark. That steep hill you've been climbing for such a long time may be the ramp to a destiny beyond your dreams. I do not believe there is any such thing as an accidental or ill-timed birth. You may have arrived in a home that was financially strapped. You may have known brokeness, hurt, and insecurity since your earliest days--but please hear me on this:
You were not an accident.
--Charles Swindoll
Sunday, January 4, 2009
starting the year the right way...
Nathan & I decided to officially end the holiday season with a weekend away. Saturday morning we headed up to Chimney Rock, NC. We spent a few hours enjoying the Park, then spent a couple more visiting the shops in the area & having a late lunch. We drove into Hendersonville & walked around downtown for a while, then spent the night. Sunday morning, we headed toward Asheville, where we spent a couple of hours driving around exploring, then went back to Hendersonville to go to a couple of antique stores that weren't open yet when we left in the morning. Then, we went back downtown & had lunch at Mike's on Main, & finished off the weekend with some ice cream at Kilwin's. We had absolutely beautiful weather both days...we couldn't have picked a better weekend to go! Now, we're back home, relaxing & getting ready to move back into the real world tomorrow. 
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