Saturday, February 25, 2006

Thanks for the prayers

Thanks for the prayers.

The update is that the family has asked me to lead the memorial service.

This is so tough as I was there when this tradgedy unfolded.

Please pray with me for Grace and guidence.

Blessings,
iggy

Friday, February 24, 2006

Please pray for my Friends who lost their little one tonight

Please pray for my friends who lost their little one tonight.

We went to our day care to pick up Fischer and Ciana. While there another father was picking up his children also. When they went in to get their baby boy he had died in his sleep. We tried to give CPR and did until the ambulance arrived. We then went to the hospital to find Kyler had died.

This is a real sad and hard situation. The parents are beside themselves with grief as we are also. One cannot imagine the loss. Their names are PJ and Dawn and this is their biological child. The older brother Keenan is 3 and does not really know what has happened. They have a large family so there is support and some in the family are believers. I am not even sure how to pray so will just say, "As the Lord leads."

The day care people love the kids so much and this is real devastating. This could mean the closing of the day care. Pray also for C and J... J was in charge as this happened so she feels very guilty. (I am only using their initials)

I do not believe there was anything that was done wrong. This is just one of those horrible things...
My heart is broken.
Blessings,
iggy

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Debbie needs prayer

Debbie needs prayer.

Debbie is a reader I have recently come to know… Not well, but well enough to know she is hurting.

She needs surgery.

Life has a way of sometimes focusing in on us to the point we become like a dear in the headlights. She needs no more advise, which I admittedly gave. In a way I wish I could take the advice back and have my family go over and love on Debbie and her family,

Pray if you will. She is part of the Body of Christ… I am hurting for her… I hope you are also.

Blessings,
iggy  

Monday, February 13, 2006

Somewhat shocked

I am somewhat shocked when someone adds me to their blog roll... Makes me wonder a bit.

Not that I think I have nothing to say, but that what I say is important and is well thought out and not just a reaction to something. Writing is tough. At times I read others writings and wish I had their humor, or wit, or intellect. Sometimes I just wish I could understand what the heck some are actually saying as their writing well surpasses my our intellect.

The one thing I have come to realize is that it does not matter how smart someone is. Somehow, some way, when the heart of God, gets into our own heart and our mind gains not just knowledge, but understanding also.... Well, The Kingdom has expanded. We often think that just our own mental understanding is enough... But man, that is not true as we can not possibly grasp beyond ourselves without someone pulling us up. To understand God as He reveals Himself to us is a great challenge, but we must not think ourselves more by thinking that mere human smarts... As smart as smart can be, will get us closer to God. If it is by Grace through faith we are saved, then it is by Grace through faith we live and learn. God can teach us through other men, but to think that other men can teach us about God, and leaving God out of the equation.... Well, that is often what we call, seminary.

We must tap into the Vine, to drink it's nourishment, to grow strong and bear fruit. We can read the bible and never gain what it really means, for only with the Holy Spirit guiding us in all things will we be able to pull from the bible the understanding of the Life of Christ that now dwells in us.

I pray for my readers, and friends, and even those who hate me.... That you gain not from me, but from the true source that can give us life... And that is LIFE ETERNAL, Christ Jesus Himself.

Thank you, my new friend Daniel for adding me, and as always,
blessings,
iggy

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Introduction and a great story

bnpositive is not what you think...
If you think it a positive thinking blog... You are only part right.... Ha ha.

He has some really cool and interesting things. In a way I was keeping this blog as my little secret. You know, that blog that beats you to the punch, so you steal their ideas a bit... Err I mean they inspire you. Check his blog out.... The link is in my people, things and places of interest section.

And now... There are some blogs I read and make me wish I could write like that. waiterrant is one of those blogs. I go only on occasion. And each time I have link to this guy. I will warn those who can't tolerate strong language.... I mean swearing, cussing and such you might be offended ... But if you can tolerate just a bit, I believe you will take much with you after you read. Check out this blog's post called heaven and hell .

blessings,
iggy

Friday, February 10, 2006

A while back I sent an Email to Senator Baucus

A while back I sent an email to Senator Max Baucus

A while back I sent an email to Senator Max Baucus, which stated that they need to appoint Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.
Here is his response.

Dear Carlos :
 
Thank you for writing regarding the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important issue, and apologize for my delayed response.
 
An appointment to the bench of the Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment. The decisions of the men and women who hold those seats have dramatic impacts on the lives of citizens in Montana and across the country. For this reason, it is important that any nominee for a position on the court be carefully reviewed.
 
The Senate has a constitutional duty to give our advice and consent on all Supreme Court nominees. I take that duty very seriously. I think it is of the utmost importance that a Supreme Court justice nominee demonstrates that he or she will interpret the law in a balanced manner, and have a background free of ethical concerns.
 
Judge Samuel Alito's nomination presented serious concerns for many senators. After meeting him personally, I was concerned that he was not the right choice for Montana and America . His views on the increasing power of the executive branch in the federal system and the right to privacy made it clear to me that he was outside the mainstream.
 
I believe that Judge Alito is a competent, intelligent and ethical man, but he was just not consistent enough when discussing his views with me. Any nominee for the Supreme Court must meet the highest possible standards, and in my opinion, Judge Alito did not.

 
Thank you again for getting in touch with me; it is always good to hear from folks back home. Feel free to contact me with any additional concerns you might have.
 
With best personal regards, I am
 
Senator Max Baucus http://baucus.senate.gov


This was a nice letter… but it seemed to me a little out of touch… Here is my response.

Senator Max Baucus,
 
With all due respect... It seems you are a little out of touch with us "folks at home"....
He was and is one of the most respectable and able appointees. It seems that the Democrats have lost sight of who they really serve. It seems to not be us "the folks at home" but rather another agenda were "so called leaders" like Ted Kennedy are making a mockery of who the Democrats are. As one of the "folks", I am tired of the games being played. I want leadership not egomaniacs who only want to make a name for themselves.
 
You may want to get back to your roots and separate yourself from what most folks at home are calling idiots.
 
Sincerely,
Carlos Shelton 
 

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Meet Andy Scott

Meet Andy Scott
If you can help…
blessings,
iggy

ANDY'S STORY

I would like to introduce you to a very special person, Andy Scott. He is brave, full of faith, hope and an inspiration to all.
For more than 1500 days Andy Scott has dealt with the confinement of a wheel chair since a high school wrestling accident left him paralyzed in 2001. Andy was a determined wrestler who had worked hard to earn his spot as a varsity wrestler. In his coach’s words he was tough, scrappy, and not afraid of pain. His goal was a state championship his senior year. His dreams and goals changed one January afternoon when he was aggressively attempting a takedown on his opponent during a tournament. As Andy was taking the opponent down to the mat he landed in an awkward position driving his head at an angle that broke his neck. Andy underwent surgery in both Wyoming and California and regained movement in his arms and the ability to feel hot and cold, but still has very limited use of his fingers, hands and arms. He can not use his legs and is confined to a wheelchair. He must depend on others to assist with even the basic of needs. MORE >>

Coretta King and the Democrats who revise history

This is in the “are you kidding me?” dept Coretta Scott King


We had the funeral for, Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. yesterday. Her life was a continuation of the legacy left by her husband.

What is amazing to me is instead of recognizing her and her achievements the “radical” liberals…. (Notice the insert of “radical” liberals) used this platform to condemn and speak out against “political” issues. Yes, I agree that Coretta Scott King’s life was one of great political achievements… but this was not about her achievements, but about people like Jimmy Carter (who I respected greatly until lately) and his allusion to wire tapping today in fighting terrorist and the wire tapping that was ordered by DEMOCRAT BOBBY KENNEDY as they spied on Martin Luther King Jr. I find it sickening that that was left out. It seems Jimmy has the same selective memory that his Buddy Teddy Kennedy has about who and what the Democrats did as they stood not for… but against equal right of blacks in the 60’s!

I found it distasteful for the Rev. Joseph Lowery who felt it appropriate to focus on Iraq during Mrs. King’s funeral. His comments “She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. We know now that there were no weapons of mass destruction over there, but Coretta knew, and we know, that there are weapons of misdirection right down here.” were fine.. But as he continues it was clear that he was not against the war… but President Bush.

In all I think President Bush did a great job in not retaliating. Also, this could be an eye opener for him as to how to COMMUNICATE better with the American public as to what is going on.

It is sad that all of this politics had to be done… to tarnish such a great figure in history’s funeral. I just can’t imagine knowing that Martin Luther King Jr’s position of passivism that people would use the rhetoric of say, Malcolm X’s language at Coretta’s funeral.


Blessings,
iggy

Monday, February 06, 2006

Oprah preaches a sermon (by Dallas Jenkins)

This was in my e-mail as sent by RELEVANT Magazine

I thought it very interesting....


I’m not a huge Oprah Winfrey fan. I think she’s a genuine and sincere person who has done some wonderful things for many disadvantaged people, and her success is remarkable and to be admired. But in general, I don’t find her all that exciting or compelling, and I don’t think she says or preaches anything radical. There’s not anything necessarily wrong with that; it just doesn’t draw my attention five hours a week.
But last week, she did a show that was radical and incredibly compelling, and she said things that you’d normally expect from a C.S. Lewis or Os Guinness-type. Of course, what she said was quite a damaging blow to her own worldview, but hey, it’s progress.
As you may know, there’s a book titled A Million Little Pieces, a memoir about the recovery from drug addiction by James Frey. It became a publishing phenomenon, especially after Oprah added it to her book club. Millions of people testified that they were inspired or changed by his raw, unflinching look at the horrors of drug addiction. Several stories were so graphic and shocking that some readers had to turn away from the page, but the stories still moved them, especially considering that he survived them and recovered.
Problem is, many of the stories were embellished or never happened. I won’t get into all of them here, but the point is that the guy lied in the book, lied about his past in subsequent interviews and lied on Oprah’s show. After this was uncovered, he went on Larry King to discuss it, and Oprah chimed in with her two cents. She said that because so many people were affected by the book and because the core themes were relevant, she didn’t feel the book should be invalidated.Fast-forward to her remarkable show last week. She got on the air and apologized, offering no excuses or conditions. Pretty rare. She said that her comments on Larry King implied that “the truth doesn’t matter.” She added, “But the truth does matter, and I’m sorry for suggesting otherwise.” She had Frey on the show, and she laid into him, rebuking his lies and expressing her humiliation and anger. “I’ve been duped,” she said, on the verge of tears.As a Christian, I was thrilled to hear her say this. I’ve always been confused by which situations the pop culture elite deems as “fact-important.” Bill Clinton’s lies about sex with an intern? Not really important. Mel Gibson’s supposed historical inaccuracies in The Passion? Dangerous. Scorsese’s inaccuracies in The Last Temptation of Christ? Artistic expression. James Frey’s lies to Oprah Winfrey? Embarrassing.But most importantly, the key issue where truth doesn’t seem to be vital is religion. “What’s true for you may not be true for me, and that’s OK” is a popular phrase. Many are hesitant to define Islamic culture as "wrong" because it they're simply coming from a different perspective. I’ve even heard non-Christians say that it’s not important that the Bible is inaccurate as long as it’s helped people. Jesus said He was the only way to heaven, which many, of course, believe is a lie, yet He was a “good man.” I remember during the Ellen DeGeneres furor, Oprah responded to a girl’s charges that homosexual behavior is sin by saying, “But that’s just your perspective.”But now, when faced with the embarrassment of being “duped” on national television, Oprah declares that the truth “does matter.” Even though millions of people were helped by Frey’s book, it was under false pretenses, and that suddenly made a difference. Nationally respected commentators and journalists were brought on the show to examine how tragic this was, and what steps must be taken to ensure “that something like this never happens again.”A question I would have asked Oprah is, “Why?” Why does the truth matter so much if a lie was helpful? What if Frey had never been exposed as a liar? Oprah not would have felt duped or embarrassed, and millions of people would have continued to be inspired by his book. And the pretty standard belief that “absolute truth isn’t relevant” would continue to thrive.Well, as Frey amazingly says in his own book on two occasions, “The truth is all that matters.” The Jim Garrison character in Oliver Stone’s collection of fabrications, JFK, said the same thing. Because man is so capable of inconsistency, failure and evil, we don’t want a world where a man or woman decides which truth is important and which lie is helpful. As Oprah said, we’d prefer to decide for ourselves whether we can handle the truth or not; we don’t need someone else “duping” us because they think we’ll be better off.The website that uncovered Frey’s lies, thesmokinggun.com, did it in a couple of days and with little effort. The Bible has been scrutinized for thousands of years, and a charge of factual inaccuracy has yet to be proven. It’s a pretty good feeling not only to believe that “truth does matter,” but that in having my life changed by a book I base all my beliefs on, I haven’t been duped.


Dallas Jenkins is the president of Jenkins Entertainment.
He is also a director and producer of several features and short films.


Check out his website at http://www.jenkins-entertainment.com/.









Thursday, February 02, 2006

We are looking for a Music Director

We are looking for a music director at Word of Mouth Fellowship.

What I prefer is a young Christian band who will be also part of an out reach program.

Is there anyone already in the Billings (Montana) area ready to take up the challenge?

Blessings,
iggy