Do not expect something for nothing. Be willing to give an equivalent value for all that you desire, & include in your plans a definite provision for doing so. –Napoleon Hill

Coffee is God's way of saying "sorry you have to wake up so early"

Weekend began with #LFC beating Everton, & is ending with the #Patriots beating Oakland. If I can win my fantasy games, it'll be perfect.

"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas A. Edison

A very disappointing way to start the day, but how could I expect #LFC to come back being 2 men down. Better luck next time Reds. #YNWA

"Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones." -Phillips Brooks Have a great weekend everyone!

Funny, all this time, I thought I was posting on this blog from my phone only to come here today and see that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WAS POSTED!!! Ah, technology, always working except for when you need it.

Happy 14th Birthday Christien - An Open Letter

I can't believe that it has been so long since I last saw you. I never dreamed that when I said goodbye to you that day in October 2004 that you would be starting high school and I still wouldn't have seen or talked to you. I do miss you son. I do want to be a part of your life. I do want to know what is going on in it, who your teachers are, who your friends are, and how your grades are. I want to hear you say to me "I love you, dad". I know by now your voice has changed, but I can still hear those words coming from your child voice that I last heard. Mi hijo, I love you. You and your brother Aaron are what are most important in my life. Please remember those words I told you in the park that day and hold them as gospel. I am your father and I will always love you.

I hope yet again that you had an enjoyable birthday. I can't wait for the day that I get to celebrate another one with you. Until then, please stay safe, respect your mother, and obey her. Remember, you have a whole other family that loves you and misses you. Hopefully, one day, you'll give my dad his wish of having all his sons and grandchildren together. I love you mi hijo. Happy birthday. Que Dios te bendiga.

An Open Letter to Rev Terry Jones

Dear Rev. Terry Jones,

I hope you are happy with yourself. Please show me in the Bible where God says to burn the Quran. Remember that when Jesus, whom you claim to follow, was here on earth, he said “I came not to condemn the law but to fulfill it” He also said “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “love your neighbor as you love yourself”. Which of these are you fulfilling with your hateful, vengeful act of ignorance and stupidity. You know, it’s narrow minded bigots such as yourself who give true Christians a bad name and a bad rap.

Now let me be clear, I am no good Christian. I recognize this. I consider myself to be like the thief to the right of Jesus – I know I’ve done wrong and I am deserving of whatever punishment I am receiving. Actually, I am worse because knowing the truth, I am still disobedient of God’s word, but I am nowhere near the level that you are sir. Right or wrong as to the way these people zealously defend their own religion, you knew that your actions would precipitate violent reprisal; and yet, you still went ahead with it. And for what?! What great evil did those books cause that couldn’t be overcome with the words in the bible?

Rev. Jones, you say that those people’s lives that died were not on your head but you are wrong sir! You were the man in the crowded theater who yelled “Fire!” that caused the stampede that killed 11 people and injured dozens more. Did you strap those bombs on those suicide bombers and tell them to go blow themselves up where there would be a lot of collateral damage? No, but you gave them the motivation. What’s the matter? Have the tithes been down lately? Did you think that since your church received as cash infusion last year with your publicity stunt, you needed to outdo yourself so you could get more? Are you upset that the Pastor down the road just bought himself a new Hyundai, so you wanted to go all out in order to afford an Escalade? Whatever your reasons, understand that whatever money you raised from this little escapade is blood money. You are no better than Judas receiving his 13 pieces of silver. And lest you think I am using the wrong analogy, how can you using the shield of God’s word as an excuse to propagate bigotry and hatred be anything but a betrayal of Jesus?!

God’s words are not in a book. They are in your heart. They are in your soul. You live it, breathe, taste it, and relish it every day. Take the time to actually read the Bible and pay closer attention to what God does in it and what He is saying to you as you are reading it. He didn’t have the Israelites just go and attack people of other faiths simply because they did not believe in Him. The Israelites were either attacked first, in which case they were defending themselves, or these people were doing things that were detestable even by today’s standards; such as those who worshipped Moloch by “sacrificing infants to the pyres in his honor”.

Rev. Jones, I only use the title Reverend for you as a courtesy. You should not be bringing God’s word to the masses and you should not be considered a man of God for your actions. You are supposed to embody God on earth and you do not! Although only God can judge you, I am entitled to have my opinion of you, and my opinion of you sir is not a good. And until you express contrition for your actions and its results, it never will be.

Christien, I'm still thinking of you and missing you. I love you son.

Successful Import

This blog has been imported from the now defunct Yahoo 360 by way of Wordpress. I will attempt to maintain it, but no promises. There other posts that I have made on Yahoo's new "Pulse" service. They can be read here. If the link does not work, please copy and link the following: http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZRATZND3BFHQTZOBAWOLMU5ZEU/blog.

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