Finding Christmas Joy

Tis the joyous season, or so some people say
I was looking for some Christmas magic to flow my way
Getting together with family and friends for eats was alright
But when all was said and done, it left me high and dry

Off from work for a few days, brought some happy thoughts
But still did not bring the special joy that I earnestly sought
I relished in the early gifts I had already received
But the joy they brought was superficial and short-lived

But when my family went to bed and me still awake
In the wee early hours of a  brand new Christmas Day
As I prepared my gifts to give to my family asleep
A warm feeling begin to over my longing heart creep

It was the blessed Christmas joy that I had seeking to find
In all the wrong places with a wrong frame of mind
For in the words of the Savior in whom I do believe
"It is more blessed to give than it is to receive"

Cling to Innocence

Innocence on cliff edge, considering the ocean which lies before

Clouds kiss the water where sea and sky meet

Little girl, teddy bear in tow

Glances down at the water below

The waves beckon with white foamy hands

Promises of mystical enchantment in faraway lands

Unicorns, Pegasus’, dragons and knights in shining armor

Riding to her rescue, a princess in need of saving

Oh sweet darling princess

Cling to innocence

For soon you will swim

In oceans grim

In dangerous places

Where evil awaits

To steal your dreams

And lock you away in a dreary castle

Guarded by dragons and demons that taunt your soul

Reminding you of the little girl who once stood looking

Over the ocean dreaming of mystical places and knights in shining armor.

Manger Scenes in Blue Ridge?

After the light up Blue Ridge Festivities last weekend, the children and I drove through downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia to check out the Christmas lights. While driving by the Christmas light displays in the Blue Ridge Park located in downtown, my 10 year old daughter asked me, "Where is the Manger Scene?" I begin looking real close at the holiday light displays for a Nativity Scene and to my dismay, I could not find one. Thinking that I must have overlooked the Nativity scene, I made another circle around the Christmas Light displays and still did not see one. The next night, when I went to workout at Downtown Blue Ridge Fitness Center I circled the displays again hoping to find a Nativity Scene, no could find.

Why the big deal about a Nativity Scene? Well, the last time I checked, Christmas is a holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ. The word Christmas even spells it out. Since Christmas is a holiday that recognizes the birth of Christ, it is only logical that there should be appropriate decorations that recognize the basis of the holiday. Santa Claus, reindeer, sleighs, and Winter scenes are all fine, but why not include lights and scenes that portray what the holiday is really all about.

Maybe it was just an oversight, or maybe there is a Nativity Scene amidst the other decorations that I am not seeing or maybe quaint little Blue Ridge, Ga has become politically correct. If that is the case, may we all reminded that Christmas has traditionally been about the birth of Christ. December 25 may not be His actual birthday, but is is a day set aside that we recognize the birth of Jesus. Whether people believe that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of the world is irrelevant, Christmas is set aside to recognize His birthday. That being the case, I believe the Christmas decorations in Blue Ridge should reflect the true meaning of the season.

On a more positive note, Mark Seven Auto Detailing has a Nativity Scene at their location on Hwy 515 and Cochran's Jewelry has a Nativity Scene in their window display. Hats off to these businesses who get the true meaning of the holiday.

If I have somehow overlooked a Nativity Scene in Downtown Blue Ridge, please leave a comment and let me know I will gladly update this post.

Selfish Living

Maybe I should bite my tongue to keep from

Letting out steam

Not wanting to beat a dead horse

But I got a come clean

Many people are barking up the wrong tree

In their approach to life

Being stuck on themselves

Their problems are rife

They bending over backwards to

Have their own way

Hammered by conflict

Being in a constant fray

Narcissistic and pathetic

Caught in between

Rock and a hard place

Chasing the dream

Sorry to ramble on

I’m beating around the bush

Time to get to the point

Reveal the truth

Livin fo yo self

Is a dead end street

One day you gonna die

Your creator you’ll meet

So better get with the program

Get to living for Him

Before you kick the bucket

And meet the reaper grim











　

LG Optimus Net TM

For those who want a nice touch screen phone but do want to sign a contract or pay for a data plan plus a voice plan or additional charges, Net 10 is offering the LG Optimus Net TM. The LG Optimus is a touch screen phone that comes with many attractive features for $149.99 at this publishing. Features of this Android TM 2.3 touch screen phone are a 3.2 inch touch screen, Bluetooth ® and wireless, advanced GPS capabilities, and 3G as well as Wi-Fi ® connectivity. In addition to these features, users have the convenience of a virtual QWERTY keyboard to type out their texts or emails.

There are over 250,000 Android Apps available for this phone for users to enjoy. Additional features of the Optimis Net include a multitasking, gravity sensor/tilt and shake, 3.2 MP camera and video recorder, hands-free speaker, voice dialing and voice commands, MP3 player and hearing aid compatibility.

The Optimus Net weighs 4.4 ounces and has a battery talk time of up to 5 hours with a standby time of up to 10 days. Included with the phone are activation card, services guide, user manual, battery and charger and a 4GB microSD™ Memory Card.

This phone may not be available in all areas from Net 10, you will have to enter your zip code on the website to check for availability. Net 10 is a pay as you go plan, users pay for minutes and service days up front. At the end of service days the minutes not used are rolled over. Net 10 phone services are ideal for people who use their phones 300 minutes.

Are Stars Glorious?

Gazing up at the sparking diamonds displayed on the dark blue/black backdrop of late nightfall sky, I cry out “My God, my Creator, surely this glorious night scene declares your glory.”

Oh, to think that He who has spoke the universe into existence, hung the stars in the sky and still has time for man, no not just time for mankind, but He is ferociously in love with us, to such an extent that He poured out His life.

What a grand and glorious thought that God, the very God who is over all, not only has given us the beautiful starry skies to lose ourselves in, but also has given us His very life get lost in.

So look at the stars, be enthralled on clear nights when the stars twinkle, wink and seduce you with sparkling lights that try to pull you free from the chains of gravity, however, be careful to remember the One who created this beauty. Know that His glory shines brighter than a billion galaxies filled with an innumerable host of stars, moons, and planets. Yes, His unsurpassed glory shines the brightest of all.

Reach upwards, can you touch the stars? Such a shame such glory and beauty out of reach. Now reach out to Jesus, touch His glory, He who is Lord of all, has made His glory accessible to all. Reach out; take of the glory of the ages, the eternal glory of our God and Savior.

Going Home

Strapped down to a cold, cold gurney
The last leg of a cruel, sordid journey
The marauder who caused so much pain
Lays waiting for the drip to begin
Looking into the families’ eyes
I see the hatred and grief start to rise
As they wait for the beast to get his due
For the helpless victims that I slew
No remorse for the deeds I have done
Only regret for what is yet to come
For I know that judgment awaits
And unfortunately I have sealed my fate
The fluid begins to flow down the line
Soon it will be moving through my veins
In a few seconds I will be no more
As old man death settles the score
Time freezes and the IV drip pauses
As a man in white enters the death closet
He holds out to me a nail scarred hand
I want to reach out and take it but I can’t
The restraints that bind me just won’t give
If I could only touch Him I know I’d live
Then He reaches down and takes hold of me
I feel His love flowing so rich and free
In that moment I acknowledge Him
And repent of my wasted life of sin
He then smiles and says you are now my own
So rejoice my child you are coming home

Early Morning

In the still darkness after the midnight
As Tuesday night becomes Wednesday morn
Still reeling from the sledge hammer blows of another day of life amongst the people descended from Adam who was fabricated from the dust of the earth.
The mind is tired, too tired to think deeply, yet troubled by the shallows of trivial menial pursuits that seem to sprint across the well worn field of thought that has been trampled upon by armies of pointless, vain meditations that leave the soul empty, bereft of feeling, numb, cold as a stone.

In the still darkness of early morning
Winding down and reaching for rest
News on TV, brain on caffeine, body overworked and feeling the pain of years of abusive tasks that have been our way of life for longer than we care to think about.
Time to lay down, stretch-out, close our eyes and pursue our dear old friend who is getting harder and harder to catch as the years of life lived continue to take their toll on fragile flesh that was made for eternity but was cast mortal when our ancestors believed the serpent and ate the fruit, killing us all.

In the sunlight light of redemption
Alive despite and full of hopeThough the body is tired and dying daily, yet there is hope. Hope for today, hope for tomorrow, a hope that brings the chains of sin and sorrow. Even though the shell of flesh is declining, the real me is renewed daily. Ah, at last, my hope and confidence rests upon Him whom my soul loves, the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me, so that I might live eternally. Jesus, Jesus, the hope for all, even in the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Spiraling Downward

Repetitive beats underneath generic rhymes
Attacking brainwaves through mediocre times
Celluloid images in flat screen high depth
With plastic, botoxed, augmented features obsessed

Satellite, Safelite, cell phone ID
Insanity, vanity, reality TV
Filling the mind with snapshot snippets
Of our culture’s disease

Is it the freefall of our society in decline?
Are we content on the crumbs of “what’s hot” to dine?
Don’t we long for something deeper, higher, something above the status quo?
Or has our minds been so numbed by the Novocain of modern day dribble that we no longer know?

Downward? Homeward? Which way today?
Black/white, Wrong/right shifting shades of grey
As sunlight fades to dusky dark
At the closing of the day

Beaking he Curse

Silver shadows bouncing off ferns and small trees
That lined the ancient path
Moonbeams illuminating the old trail
To where the spell was cast
Where a bargain was struck with the dragon
The old serpent of old
As six young souls were sacrificed
Upon the bloody stone
The priest walked onward towards the spot
Crucifix in hand
With a resolve in his heart and purpose in his steps
Going to make a stand
Out in the clearing sat the stone
Where the children died
And beyond that rock stood the creature
With green fiery eyes
“Hello my friend, how can I help?”
With a hissing voice
“I am no friend of yours, you liar of old”
The priest said with holy poise
“You know the rules, no blood no deal
The curse will truly stand”
“The rules are different now deceiver of men.
See what’s in my hand”
“It’s just a cross, a trinket of men.
Should I be afraid?”
“Not of the cross, but the one who hung there
To seal your bitter fate”
The creature laughed a hideous laugh
That reeked of sulfur and smoke
The priest just lifted his eyes upward
And these few words he spoke
“By the sin of men and children’s blood
The land was once defiled
But by the blood of Christ the Son of God
The curse I now defy”
A bolt of lightning shot from the heavens
Splitting the stone in half
Two men in white appeared with chains
And the creature grabbed
As the beast was chained he screamed in despair
For he knew his time had come
He knew that he could not break the bonds
And that his time on earth was done.

Job Opportunities in North Georgia

With Americans facing with such a bleak outlook on the job frontier, one sector to consider is the restaurant sector. One of the casual dining chains in America that is still offering employment opportunities is Cracker Barrel Old Country Store.

If you live in Blue Ridge, Georgia, one of the closest Cracker Barrels is in Canton, Ga, about a 55 minute drive from Blue Ridge. If you can work with the management to let you work long shifts to avoid driving everyday then this may be a job opportunity that you want to consider.

Additional Cracker Barrels near Blue Ridge, Ga include Cleveland, Tennessee and Dalton, Ga. The store in Cleveland is the closer of the two and as far as drive time is comparable to the Cracker Barrel in Canton. However, driving to the store in Cleveland involves driving down a curvy river road that borders the Ocoee River.

I know from experience that restaurant work is hard work, but in the current job environment people cannot afford to be choosy.

We Must Go On

In unspoken words cloaked in a shroud
In darkened sentences not spoken aloud
The piercing pain of loss invades the heart
Overshadowing the soul with a ominous cloud

Mere phrases and syllables’ cannot convey
Nor oil and paint on canvas portray
The overwhelming, life-draining crushing blow
That death leaves in its cruel, cruel wake

Those left behind who have felt the sting
Who have tasted the bitter, biting loathsome drink
They must keep marching on into the tomorrow
To face what the days ahead may bring

Go on, go on, yes we must
To finish what measure of life entrusted to us
Till we've walked the last mile of frail existence          And we too, have returned to dust

Set Free from Drug and Alcohol Abuse by Jesus

God’s intervention in my life wrought a change in my life that is as distinct as daylight is from dark. I was transformed from a hedonistic, drug and alcohol abusing, immoral, filthy-mouthed, drug dealing shell of a young man who lived simply for the sinful pleasures of this life to someone who confessed Jesus as Lord and placed his life under the Lordship of Christ Jesus. Although the change was immediate, there was a long road leading up to the change; a road that took a young preachers kid from the church house to the devil’s playground before taking me back to God.
I was raised in what is known in the Deep South as “Hard-Shell Baptist Churches”. In these churches, hellfire and brimstone is preached and preached hot I might add. With my dad being a pastor and me being taken regularly to these churches, it did not take long for me to realize that I needed Jesus in my life. At the tender age of eight, on a Sunday night, while at home with my mom, I accepted Jesus as my personal savior. After a session with our pastor, he concluded that my profession was genuine, which led to my baptism.
I was a young ardent follower of Jesus; I led songs in church, prayed with other sinners, read my Bible, even witnessed about my faith to other children at school. However strong my faith was at the beginning, it did not take long for doubt to creep in. I have my speculations about some of the reasons for doubting my faith, but I will not divulge those reasons at the present time. The point is that I begin to doubt whether I had a genuine experience with Jesus, was I truly a Christian, saved, born-again, true believer or whatever you want to term it. I doubted to the extent that I begin to believe that I had never true saving faith; this is where the downward spiral began.
I begin seeking God, I would go to revival services, special services designed to get people to come to Christ. I would pray at these services for Jesus to save me but nothing seemed to happen. I was seeking an experience, a sign, something to let me know that I belong to Him. Since nothing seemed to be happening I assumed that I did not have enough faith. Eventually, I almost gave up. I say almost, because deep inside of me I hoped and prayed that someday I would have the faith to be saved.
Even though it was good to have hope and faith that someday I might become a Christian, it did little to keep me from the pitfalls of sin. From the age of around fourteen I started down a wicked road that involved pornography, alcohol, drugs, illicit sex, violence, theft and towards the end doubts about the existence of God. I will not go into the details about my sordid past; I would just have you to know that it was a very dark time in my life. I was in a darkness that took some of my comrades to prison, some to lives of addiction, some to an early grave and some to only God knows what kind of a life.
It could be said of me that I was a sinner, a very wicked young man. While I was involved in a whole host of wicked activities, there was one activity that stood out above the rest, substance abuse. Drugs and alcohol was my god. My life revolved around getting high, in my opinion, it was idolatry. Party after party, going from one binge to the next that described my life.
In the midst of my partying days I met a young lady at work, she had a boyfriend but that did not bother me. We began an affair that led to marriage. Her former boyfriend who she left to be with me was heavily into drugs, so she partied too, which was fine with me. We partied together and managed to stay married for almost a year before she left me.
I need to make something clear before I proceed, when I talk about using drugs I am not talking about casual drug use, my drug abuse ran the gamut from smoking pot to LSD, PCP, meth, cocaine, synthetic heroin, sticking needles in my arm and any pills or substance that would alter my mind. I was an equal opportunity drug abuser, I accepted all drugs. As far as alcohol goes, I was not a social drinker, I drank to get drunk. I would start drinking on Friday after work and sometimes drink until late Sunday night or early Monday morning and then sometimes get drunk through the week as well. Sometimes I would drink all night, come in and take a shower and go straight to work.
Some significant things happened during that brief marriage. I managed to get my first-degree black belt under a Christian karate instructor, who encouraged me to get back into church. I went to some of his Sunday school classes, which I believe helped bring me closer to God. Another thing that happened was that God spoke to me. Call me crazy, but I believe He spoke to me, not in an audible voice, but it may as well have been. I was laying in bed next to my wife one night when I felt that God spoke to my soul saying that I needed to pray Him. I did not want to, I was afraid my wife would make fun of me. But I could not shake it, so I told her that we needed to pray. She blew me off. But I could not shake it, I was ashamed to pray in front of her, but the Holy Spirit brought some scripture to my mind where Jesus said “If you are ashamed of me I will be ashamed of you.” This sealed the deal for me, I was going to pray. I kneeled by the bed and asked Jesus to save if I had not been saved and let me know if I was saved. I may have said some other things but that is what sticks out in my mind. After prayer, I got back into bed and tears begin streaming down my face and the words bless the name of Jesus started coming out of my mouth. That had never happened to me before. The next day things went back to how they were before, I didn’t mention my experience to anyone or for that matter give it much thought myself.
In the fall of 1986, what marriage that my wife and me had begun to disintegrate. By early February, 1987 our divorce was final. The divorce was a very painful experience, a pain that I tried to ease through my continual abuse of drugs and alcohol. The party went on, but a growing realization that had begun during the separation from my wife prior to the divorce surfaced, a realization that the party would soon be over. Deep inside I believe that I knew my partying days would soon be coming to an end. I just did not realize how soon and how it would happen.
On March 28, 1987, Saturday night, I went to a night club with my buddies.
We drank, smoked pot and had some meth, alcohol and meth was one of my favorite combinations of drugs, the alcohol helped you lose your inhibitions and the meth kept you awake and energetic. After leaving the club we went to some drug dealer’s motel I shot up some more meth and then went home. The meth kept me awake all night and when Sunday morning rolled around I still was not sleepy. A religious show came on TV, which sparked some interest, so I watched it. Still not able to sleep, I decided to take some laundry to my dad’s house and get caught up on my washing. As I pulled into the driveway they were heading for church, God was already dealing with me because I wanted to go with them but didn’t feel right about it after being out drinking and drugging all night.
I went on up to the house and still couldn’t sleep. My dad and little brother came home from church and then went to Grandmother’s house for Sunday dinner. When they left, it hit me, an overwhelming sense of you need to get right with God hit me like a ton of bricks. I fell to my knees and prayed a simple prayer for God to help me change the way that I was living, and then jumped up real quick so that nobody would walk in on me praying. After that simple prayer I believe the Holy Spirit begin a conversation with me about my life. Here is how it may have went:
Holy Spirit: “So Paul, you asked God to change your life. If you are serious you need to get rid of some things.”
I knew what He was talking about; I was carrying some drugs with me, a quarter ounce of pot and about a quarter gram of meth. This was my treasure or my idols if you will have it.
Holy Spirit: “Paul, what you going to do with your drugs.”
I thought to my self, I will keep in case I change my mind about living right.
Holy Spirit: “That is not faith Paul.”
I then thought about selling the drugs, after all, I paid good money for the drugs.
Holy Spirit: “No that is not right either, that would help someone else mess up their life.”
Then I thought of throwing the drugs into the wood heater in the living room, it was a cold March day. The Holy Spirit did not object to this, so I went to my duffle bag, dug out my stash and through them into the fire. Right then and there God met me with freedom. I knew that something had changed in my life and I felt that the shackles of sin fallen off. I was free.
My dad came home and I told my experience and went to church that night and stood before the congregation and told them what great things God had done for me. I have not been perfect since that day, but I have never been the same either. God is still working on me, and the great thing is that I know He is still working on me.


　




　
　

Farm and Ranch Security Camera

Just posted an article on Associayed Content about the benefits of using a security camera on a farm or ranch. I knew that deer hunters used them sometimes but never thought of the benefits of using them on a ranch or a farm. Check out my article on Associated Content on using a security camera system on a farm or ranch. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8329203/farm_or_ranch_security_camera.html?cat=15

The Imprisioned Old

Though innocent, locked away
Their only crime
Getting old and gray

Pent up in nursing homes, across the land
Who will go?
And hold their hand

Their families busy, they haven't the time
To pay them a visit
Or to drop a line

Held captive by age, in an old folks home
Facing the end of the journey
Facing it all alone

Miserable Heart

Rough and callused, buried deep within
Scarred and marred by the harrowing din
That incessantly falls on perforated ears
Plagued by the curse of human fears

Yet his heart lives on though scarred it be
Bruised and battered filled with misery
As it beats in time with the insane tempo
Of a parade of fools caught in limbo

Devouring City

Underneath the pavement
Behind the brick and mortar
Below the sidewalks
Stories of lives spent
Lives wasted
Multitudes called these
familiar streets home
Their memories have faded out of sight
Under a concrete sky
Others now walk these stone sidewalks
Run these asphalt streets and
Hide behind the city walls
Their form, soon will be forgotten too
Devoured by the appetite of this unrelenting city.

Shadow on a Street or the Dying Day

Shadow images cast on empty street
Dim signs of life from a dying day
Little girl running, playing, chasing hoop across
deserted alleyway not knowing that these days of carefree play are fleeting
and that all too soon she will be running into the evening of a brief existence

Lonely man from up the street looks on
Bemoaning a life that once was but now is now just
a shadow on this lonely street staring at the final vestiges of
light cast upon this empty street of dreams unfulfilled and hopes extinguished
by the harsh, dampening of time

Empty cart, empty street, light is fading
Soon the shadows will envelope all

Image:http://www.usc.edu/schools/annenberg/asc/projects/comm544/library/images/692bg.jpg

Zombie Dad

For those who like Zombie stories, I am in the process of writing a family zombie novel or novella. Check out what I have wrote so far on Hub Pages and on Assosciated Content. I am hoping to one day finish this work. Please visit the sites and let me know what you think of the story thus far. I know that writing about zombies is a dead-end street, pun intended. But sometimes life makes ne feel like a zombie, besides zombies are interesting creatures that we know little about. Like what do they think or do they think? Do they really enjoy eating human flesh? Do they sleep at all? Zombies are mysterious and perhaps misunderstood but maybe I can shed some light on them with my story.

Fire of God

Sticky slathering of air pressing against body longing for a cool breeze of refreshment on steamy August night.

The heat of the night is joined by the fire burning within my soul, the fire of confusion, dreams unfulfilled, promises broken and the haunting realization of time slipping away.

Basking in my hot room, feeling like I am burning down from without and within, I am reminded of another fire, an ancient fire from the far reaches of eternity.

The consuming fire of the Creator God

A fire that some have tried to quench

Still it burns

A fire that consumes and cleanses the receptive souls

Yet a fire that devours those who want no part of it

Sitting in the heat, my body begging for cool relief

My soul burning down

I am waiting for the fire of God to ignite my heart with the consuming flame of His Spirit

City Rain

Sheets of water poured from the hovering grey canvas

That was stretched across the dome of sky

Misty, foggy air hung like a watery veil

Over the city streets and monolithic skyscrapers

That spiraled upward towards the heavens, whose tops were lost in the vaporous mist

The rain, the rain, the rain, shrouding my city in her liquid clothes

Dampening her heart and soul, entrancing her into a soothing melancholy trance

As the rain drops tap out the rhythm to the rainy melody sang from my misty saturated city

Inebriated, yet liberated by the liquor from above:

Pour down on me, run down these streets

Saturate me fully, quench this heat

Wash away yesterday’s filth

Cleanse me once again

Pour down on me, oh precious rain.

In the Realms of the Mind

In the realms of the mind, I have taken flight
Soared above this wasteland, escaped my plight
Dreaming my dreams, hope escalating, feels like
I almost can

Feels like I have the power to turn quivering hopes and dreams
Into concrete slabs of reality
Like one day my aspirations will be realized beyond anything that has
ever tripped my brain

In the realms of the mind, impossible is never spoken
My dreams are steadfast, resolve is unbroken
Moving forward, optimism rising, Johnny Mathis sings "Its going to be
a bright, bright, sunshiny day

Feel the blue sky and sunshine shining deep into my soul
Injecting me with confidence
Projecting an image of  achieving and accomplishing the desires that
have fired my soul with bittersweet heat

In the realm of the mind, where our dreams are birthed
Is where we weigh and measure what our ambitions are worth
Where we evaluate and estimate those things that haunt, tease and
torment our days.  

Wood Working Plans

If you enjoy working with wood or are wanting to get started in wood working, this download with 12,000 woodworking plans with step-by-step instructions, Photos And Diagrams may interest you. The my shed plans download can help you perform many DIY woodworking projects.

Snoreless Pillow

Is it possible that a snoreless pillow works? I really do not know, the promotion says that it comes with a seven-year manufacturer guarantee. Before ordering this product I would read the fine print and see what all the guarantee entails. If you order this product please come back and leave a comment on whether the anti-snoring pillow works or not. I am interested to know how it works. My wife claims that I snore pretty bad, she may want to buy me one as a Christmas present. The promo also states that this product can not be purchased in stores, let me know if you find one.

Gotta Wear my Shoes

Gonna leave my bed, jump to my feet

Gotta grab my shoes

Slip em on my feet

Gotta face this world, and all its ire

Gonna wear my shoes

Through the mucky mire

When facing the giants, up in my face

Gotta fill my shoes

Gonna win this race

Online Shopping Mall

If you enjoy shopping online, feel free to visit my website. This online shopping site offers a variety of items, from spoting goods, including gun sights and accessories and baseball training and coaching videos to woodworking plans and internet blogging tools.  Of course, this site offers a whole lot more to choose from. If you are a chronic online shopper, come by and browse the wide variety of stuff offered on this site, remember lookiing is free and you may just find something that you need.

LifeMel Honey

At LifeMelUSA.com, we offer LifeMel Honey, a unique honey produced by bees that are fed a mixture of therapeutic herbs, natural honey and other natural ingredients which allows LifeMel to support the treatment of the side-effects of chemotherapy and radiation suffered by cancer patients, thus significantly improving their quality of life. LifeMel Honey is the result of over thirty years' reasearch and has been developed to provide recognized health benefits of pure honey in combination with specific therapeutic herbs.

Motorola EX124G

I am a big fan of Net10 pre-paid cell phones. After purchasing my first Net10 smart phone, the LG900, I felt like I was moving up in the world. Now that the new as wore off of my LG900 smart phone, I have been eyeballing touch-screen phones While I have never owned a touch-screen phone, from what I have observed, touch-screen phones appear to be easier to navigate with a more vibrant display. Being a Net10 user, I did not realize that with a pay-as-you-go plan you had the option for a touch-screen, so I was very pleased when I found that Net10 and TracFone both offered the Motorola EX124G touch-screen phone.

As well as being touch-screen, the Motorola EX124G offers mobile web browsing, which is one of the reasons that I purchased my LG900 smart phone. I use my phone a minimal amount of time, so the Net10 program works well for me and fits into my budget. Now as well as having a cell phone plan that I can afford, I can also enjoy the luxury of touch screen technology with the EX124G.

Blue Ridge Lake Water Tempurature, Come on in the Water is Fine

Me and the family took a trip to the lake today. We went to Morganton Point on Blue Ridge Lake. The water felt like bathwater, in some places it even felt hot. Even though the water was hot, it was still a nice reprieve from the heat.

Fwd: Hope For Survival - Thank you Oklahoma

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: pauldy tds.net <pauldy@tds.net>
Date: Sat, Jul 9, 2011 at 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: Hope For Survival - Thank you Oklahoma
To: Jim Cruse <jimcrus@gmail.com>


Good for Oklamhoma

On Sat, Jul 9, 2011 at 9:16 AM, Jim Cruse <jimcrus@gmail.com> wrote:

                   

HB1804 HB1804 - Wikipedia, Oklahoma House Bill 1804, also known as the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act 2007, is a strict anti-illegal immigration law introduced by state Rep. Randy Terrill (R), chairman of the Revenue and Taxation Committee. The law makes it a felony even to give a person a ride if they know or have grounds to suspect them of being an illegal immigrant. It also forbids the state from providing education, health care and many other services to illegal immigrants, including infants, and requires police to check the immigration status of anyone "suspected" of being in this country illegally.[1]  If implemented nationwide there could be hope for survival as a nation.                       Videos You Should Watch At Least Once   The Liberal Obama Feds are looking for a way to nullify this beautiful law.                                                           An update from  Oklahoma     Oklahoma law passed, 37 to 9, had a few liberals in the mix, an amendment to place the Ten Commandments on the front entrance to the state capitol.  The feds in D.C., along with the ACLU, said it would be a mistake. Hey this is a conservative state, based on Christian values...!   HB 1330 Guess what.......... Oklahoma did it anyway.     Oklahoma recently passed a law in the state to incarcerate all illegal immigrants, and ship them back to where they came from unless they want to get a green card and become an American citizen.  They all scattered.  HB 1804.  Hope we didn't send any of them to your state.  This was against the advice of the Federal Government, and the ACLU, they said  it would be a mistake.                      Videos You Should Watch At Least Once Guess what.......... Oklahoma did it anyway. Recently we passed a law to include DNA samples from any and all illegal's to the Oklahoma database, for criminal investigative purposes.  Pelosi said it was unconstitutional   SB 1102 Guess what........ Oklahoma   did it anyway. Several weeks ago, we passed a law, declaring  Oklahoma as a Sovereign state, not under the Federal Government directives.  Joining  Texas , Montana   and Utah   as the only states to do so.          More states are likely to follow:  Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolina's, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi, Florida. Save your confederate money, it appears the South is about to rise up once again.  HJR 1003 The federal Government has made bold steps to take away our guns.  Oklahoma, a week ago, passed a law confirming people in this state have the right to bear arms and transport them in their vehicles.  I'm sure that was a setback for the criminals.  The Liberals didn't like it -- But ...... Guess what............ Oklahoma did it anyway.   Just this month, the state has voted and passed a law that ALL driver's license exams will be printed in English, and only English, and no other language.  They have been called racist for doing this, but the fact is that ALL of the road signs are in English only.  If you want to drive in Oklahoma , you must read and write English.  Really simple. By the way, the Liberals don't like any of this either. Guess what...who cares... Oklahoma is doing it anyway.   If you like it, pass it on, if you don't then delete it.

When Dogs Drive

It is really amazing what dogs can learn these days. I am just wondering if they got their drivers licence at the obedience school or at the State Patrol Post.

Blue Ridge Lake Summer Levels

Blue Ridge Lake is almost back up to previous levels after being down in the wintertime due to maintenance on the Blue Ridge Dam. While the lake is not yet as full as it has been in the past. The lake is full enough for fishing and recreational activities.

Boats and jet skis are now a common sight out on the beautiful waters. As visiting vacationers and locals as well are enjoying the refreshing waters of Blue Ridge Lake, which is fed by the Toccoa River, which flows down out of the mountains of Fannin County.

Swimmers are also taking advantage of the lake’s returning levels. Morganton Point, one of the top swimming areas on Blue Ridge Lake as had swimmers enjoying the lake as late as 9:00 pm over the fourth of July weekend. While the lake is not yet reached the sand beach of Morganton Point, swimmers have only to make a small trek to the waters edge.

For those who may be wondering about Blue Ridge Lake and whether it is ready for vacationers to enjoy, I say come on in the water is fine.

Casey Anthony Not Guilty

Caylee Anthony found not guilty of murdering her child. If Casey did not kill little Caylee, who killed her. Prosecution gave in my opinion a very damning case against Casey, however may we hope that she was innocent. While I do not have all the facts, I am shocked by the verdict.

UFO Sighting in Blue Ridge

I was looking out my front door at around 9:30 tonight and seen a bright light appear in the southern sky just above the mountains south of my house. It was bright like a star and just appeared out of nowhere. I was about to go outside and try to observe the light with my telescope when the light just vanished. What was the light, could have been a jet that was moving in and out of the clouds or was it a ?????
It is a mystery, my oldest son insists that it could not have been a jet, me, I don't know. All I know is that a light appeared in the sky, then it vanished. That makes it a UFO, an unidentified flying object! Wow, UFO sighting in Blue Ridge, Ga. Wonder what will be next for our quaint little town.

Writing on HubPages and Zombie Apocalypse

What does writing on HubPages and Zombie Apocalypse have in common? Not a whole lot, only that Zombie Apocalypse is one of the articles I  have published on HubPages. HubPages is an online writing site that allows writers to earn money off of adsense, Amazon, eBay and through their HubPages own advertising and referral program. HubPages is similar in someways to Associated Content and Suite 101 in that writers can choose their topic, however the earning scheme is different. While HubPages is as not as strict in their guidelines as Suite 101, they do have certain guidelines you must follow.

One of the polices is that you may not post anything that has already been published, nor can you republish anything on the Internet that you have posted on HubPages without HubPages taking your article offline. Associated Content allows you to publish previous published works and also keep your rights to republish an article if that is what you want to do.

When you publish some writing on HubPages it is known as a Hub.I have published a few Hubs so far and made a little revenue. I suppose I will give it a try for a while as well as writing for Associated Content and Textbroker. My latest Hub on HubPages is a work of fiction titled Zombie Dad. This is an ongoing project with only two chapters completed so far. If you have the opportunity, check it out; also, if you enjoy writing check out HubPages writing opportunities.

Omitting in Under God from the Pledge

According to Fox News, NBC apoligized for omitting "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance during their broadcast of the U.S. Open golf tournament. For some reason, the words "under God" were omitted from a clip of children reciting the pledge. Why would NBC omitt this part of the pledge? Was in a coincidence or is NBC afraid to mention God or are they anti-God? I don't know about the executives at NBC, but as for me and my house in Blue Ridge, Georgia, (which aint Heaven but will do until I get there) we are proud to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in its entirity including, no especially, those words "under God".

Trout Fishing Streams in Fannin County

Delayed trout fishing to start on November 1.

Many people venture to beautiful Fannin County, Georgia for the trout fishing opportunities. Living in Fannin County for the better part of 48 years, I am well acquainted with many of those streams and have fished in some of them. I decided to compile a list of trout streams to give would be trout fishermen visiting the area an idea of where to start in choosing a trout stream.

• Fightingtown Creek - This stream snakes through Fannin County and has its origin in Cashes Valley off of State Route 2. Fightingtown Creek enters the Ocoee River below Copperhill, Tennessee.
• Jacks River - Jacks River is in the Cohutta Mountains and is accessed via State Route 2. This mountain stream is in the wilderness and flow through the Jones settlement, the last bit of civilization I know of before going into the wild. I have not visited lately, but it use to be teeming with large native brown trout. A word of warning, look out for rattlesnakes.
• Hothouse Creek - This stream flows from North Carolina and feeds into the Toccoa River.  The baptizing hole om Curtis Switch in times past has been a popular fishing hole with locals.
• Toccoa River - The Toccoa River feeds Blue Ridge Lake and flows from Blue Ridge Dam into Tennessee. The river is accessible above the dam by Aska Road and Highway 60 and below the dam via Highway 515, Curtis Switch, McCaysville and multiple other ways.
• Rock Creek - Located in the mountains between Morganton, Georgia and Suches, Georgia. This stream has multiple camping sites and is home to the Rock Creek Fish Hatchery.
• Coopers Creek - This creek is off Highway 60 just past the road that turns off to Rock Creek. like Rock Creek, Coopers Creek has campsites available for campers.

This is not a complete or exhaustive list of trout fishing streams in Fannin County, but will give vacationers and trout fishermen a good idea of where to begin looking for that golden trout fishing opportunity.

Toccoa River

According to an article in the May 27 edition of the News Observer, trout fishing is good this year in the lower Toccoa River. Local outfitters report that fish are being caught below the Blue Ridge Lake dam from Tammen

AdChoices

Park right below the dam to Horseshoe Bend Park above McCaysville.

The Toccoa River is stocked with trout weekly between the months of March and July and stocked twice a month from July 4 through the Labor Day holiday. The total number of fish released into the river is in the 20,000 range with some of the trout measuring 9 to 10 inches in length.

The Toccoa River feeds Blue Ridge Lake, located in Fannin County. After leaving Blue Ridge dam, the Toccoa flows towards Polk County, Tennessee where its name changes to the Ocoee River, which is well-known for its white-water rafting. There are many places to fish along the Toccoa; some of the better known places are Curtis Switch, Tammen Park, Horseshoe Bend Park and McCaysville City Park. In addition to fishing from the banks of the Toccoa or wading out into the river, fishers can also take canoes, rafts and small boats down the river.

The Toccoa River runs through Fannin County and is easily accessed by taking I-575 North until it runs into Appalachian Highway 515, and then taking 515 into Blue Ridge, Georgia. Highway 515 crosses the Toccoa on the North side of Blue Ridge right before reaching Lakewood, Georgia.

Source: News Observer, page 1, May 27 edition

Running Bleachers - Great Aerobic Activity

For a great aerobic activity, try running bleachers. Yesterday I went over to the local elementary school, which is West Fannin Elementary located in Fannin County, Georgia and started out by walking around the old football fields. After several laps I decided to walk up the old bleachers. Walking up the bleachers was not too much of a challenge, so I decided to try running up them. After running one, I decided to do another, then walked up them and then ran up the bleachers again. I continued alternating running and walking up the bleachers until my kids made me leave. If you have not been running or working out I recommend starting out walking bleachers until you have built up to running. I like walking up bleachers because you not only get a great cardio but a great leg workout as well. Additionally, walking bleachers burns calories and in my opinion picking up your knees as you walk up the bleachers is probably hitting the abs as well. So if you are looking for an exercise to take you to the next level or just wanting to try something different to break the monotony, try running bleachers.

Hot Day in Blue Ridge

It has been another hot day in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Blue Ridge Lake, which had been drained during the Winter has came up dramatically from the Winter levels. My wife and kids have already paid two visits to the lake since school in Fannin County has been let out. If you are looking for a reprieve from the heat or just a little fun in the sun check out Blue Ridge Lake. As for me, I have to put in another day at the Cracker Barrel in Canton, Georgia, which means I need to lay down and catch a few winks before it gets too late. Everybody have a good night, stay cool and remember that God loves you, try loving Him back.

Fishing in the Toccoa River

The News Observer in the May 27^th edition reports that the fishing is good in the Toccoa River below Blue Ridge Dam. Riley Gudakunst states that he has heard reports that fish are being caught in locations below the dam as far as Horseshoe Bend Park in McCaysville.

There will be approximately 20,000 fish released into the river between March and Labor Day. The river is stocked weekly until July 4^th, and then will be stocked twice a month through the Labor Day Holiday. For those wishing to fish the lower Toccoa, from Atlanta take I-575 until it turns into 515, and then follow 515 all the way to Blue Ridge. Highway 515 crosses the Toccoa River right past Roses and the Tin Loon Chinese restaurant.

Recycling Old Planks

Here is an idea for recycling old planks. Even though Christmas is a long ways off, here is an idea for a Christmas project.You can use an old plank for a Christmas craft project. You can make a Santa Claus to hang on the wall, door or even on a Christmas tree with an old plank, paint, craft wire, old buttons, black permanent mark, textured snow paint and some red felt. Once you have found a suitable plank, paint the plank using flesh-colored paint for the face, white for the eyes and red for his coat. Add pupils to the eyes using black paint, add other details such as belt, and pant inseam with the black permanent marker. Glue the old buttons to the front of the coat and using a stencil, make Santa’s beard with the textured snow paint. Cut the mittens and boots out of scrap lumbar and attach to your Santa with black craft wire. Cut the hat out of red felt and glue to the top Santa’s head. I found this interesting craft on http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf10848882.tip.html

Zombie Outbreak Preparedness

Have you made preparations for a zombie apocalypse? Do you have a plan of action should a horde of flesh eating zombies appear outside your door? The Center for Disease Control has published a post to raise public awareness in the event that the unthinkable happens.
According to the CDC, the first step in preparing for a zombie apocalypse is to have an emergency kit in your house. This kit should include enough water for each person in in your home to have a gallon a day, a well-stocked pantry of non-perishable food, cache of medicine (OTC and prescription), tools, batteries, duct tape, battery-powered radio, utility knife, soap, bleach, clothing and bedding, important documents and a first-aid kit. The CDC also encourages families to sit down and work out a game plan in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

Of course these guidelines are basic guidelines for facing any disaster or emergency. The CDC is using the popularity of zombies to remind the public of the need to be prepared before an emergency arises. But on the other hand, what if the CDC is expecting a zombie outbreak? What if the CDC foresees a deadly virus outbreak that has the potential of turning masses of people into flesh eating zombies? If the unthinkable happens, do you have a game plan?

Writing for HubPages

After being rejected by Demand Studios,I have decided to publish some articles on HubPages. HubPages does not pay upfront payments but do pay for page views, Adsense, Amazon, and ebay. If I publish enough it could provide some residual income, which in the long run may be more profitable than upfront payments. Here is my second Hub that I have published. For those not familiar with HubPages, when you publish some work, in generates a page known as a Hub. Once you have made a Hub, you can add to it, or remove parts of it. It is a neat process, it is like having a blog page.

Demand Studios Rejection

After nearly a year of churning out Demand Studios informational articles I have gotten the axe. I didn't see it coming, but it came and hit me like a ton of bricks. Here is how it went down.



I got an email from Demand Studios about two weeks ago saying that all of my assignments had expired. That didn't seem right, so I logged on to Demand Studios and found that I had been placed in the Demand Studios Writer Development Program. In this program, you claim three assignments that undergo extreme scruntinity by editors before you can claim any other articles. The first article I wrote had to be rewritten, I rewrote but do not know if it is approved or not. The second article was accepted after a rewrite. With the third article, the editor blasted me good. So I tried to follow the article as close as possible to avoid rejection, but guess what, rejected anyway. My major mistake was one sentence that had the word "to" that I missed in my editing. Do I have real writing skills? Was it a fluke, all the articles I have published? Or maybe it was meant to be. Here is the article that got me rejected, you be the judge.

Creative Uses for Old Wood Planks

Explore your creativity by making craft projects with old planks. Instead of throwing old planks away, you can reuse the planks in a variety of ways. For example, build an outdoor wooden floor mat with some old 1-inch by 3-inch planks and some twine or use some old barn wood planks to create rustic picture frames or plaques.

Wood Plank Doormat
To make a wooden doormat out of old planks, you will need enough 1-inch by 3-inch inch planks to make 7 sections, 22-inches long and twine. Once you cut the planks length, sand and stain the planks, using water resistant stain if mat is going to be an outdoor mat. Next, drill holes through the planks on the 1-inch side and thread the twine through the holes to hold planks together. Tie knots in the twine at each plank to provide spacing between the planks.

Signs
For an outdoor wedding, instead of using poster board signs to direct people to the wedding location, make a decorative sign out of an old plank. You can also use old planks to make signs for other events such as parties, barbecues or any event other event needing directional signs. In addition to directional signs for outdoor events, you can make rustic signs for businesses, homes, or as a home interior decoration.

Holiday Decorations
You can make holiday decorations from old planks. For example, for a Christmas decoration, make a wooden plank Santa Claus to. In addition to an old plank, you need paint, craft wire, old buttons, black permanent mark, textured snow paint and some red felt for this holiday craft project. Once you have painted and drawn Santa on the plank, attach mittens and boots to the project with black craft wire and glue the red felt to the top of plank for Santa’s hat

Mantel Planks
Place old planks over a mantel to make a decorative wall. To make this project, you need enough planks to go from the mantel to the ceiling and long enough to run the length of the mantel. Cut all the planks the same length, paint the planks the desired color and nail to wall above mantel. After attaching planks to wall, add decorations and memorabilia to the planks. For example, add some fishnets, seashells and decorative or mounted fish to create seaside themed wall.

I published the article on Associated Content, feel free to visit article there and see the finished work along with my sources.

Good Instruction

Good instruction from Oswald chambers this morning.

in reference to: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (view on Google Sidewiki)

Fulfilled Prohecy

I see the fullfillment of Jesus' words as I read this passage. Here I am half way around the globe, living in a different culture reading about a Jewish womam pouring perfume on Jewish man prior to His crucifixion 2000 years after the fact. Jesus spoke the truth, He is the truth, the way and the life. Know Him!

in reference to:

"Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. 11"For you always have (M)the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. 12"For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it (N)to prepare Me for burial. 13"Truly I say to you, (O)wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.""
- Matthew 26 - Passage Lookup - New American Standard Bible - BibleGateway.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Description of the Life of Faith

In todays devotional, Oswald gives a godd description of the life of faith. Todays excerpt from My Utmost for His Highest is well worth reading.

in reference to: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (view on Google Sidewiki)

Demand Studios Writer Development Program

I was greeted by a not so pleasant surprise when I opened my emails last night. I received a message from Demand Studios that all of my claimed assignments had expired. I didn't understand why it happened, the assignments were not due till next week. I logged on to my work desk on Demand Studios to find that I had been placed in the writer development program. In this program I can only claim three assignments at a time and those assignments will scrutinized by an in house copy-editor. If I pass their evaluation I will regain my regular writing privileges. This happened without warning, 67% of my articles have passed with no rewrite and mt scoreboard ranks me slightly above average. No explanation by Demand Studios of why I am in the writer development program only that it is where I am at. From scouring the Internet I realize that there are other Demand Studio writers who like myself were caught by surprise by the writer development program, additionally, it seems that the CEs were caught by surprise as well. This move by Demand Studios reminds me not to quit my day job yet.

May 31 Update
I finally got the axe, so I no longer write for Demand Studios. Been writing a little for Associated Content. The good part about Associated is that they are not as picky and you can residual income off your articles. If your articles are good enough you can recieve upfront payments as well. I am missing my extra income, but am enjoying my leisure time from writing.

Fwd: We Should Stand-up in Support of Governor Jan Brewer,

                   

Way to go Jan!!  Maybe this is a language he can understand.  The owner of the Phoenix Suns basketball team, Robert Sarver, opposes AZ's new immigration laws. Arizona 's Governor, Jan Brewer, released the following statement in response to Sarver's criticism of the new law: "What if the owners of the Suns discovered that hordes of people were sneaking into games without paying? What if they had a good idea who the gate-crashers are, but the ushers and security personnel were not allowed to ask these folks to produce their ticket stubs, thus non-paying attendees couldn't be ejected. Furthermore, what if Suns' ownership was expected to provide those who sneaked in with complimentary eats and drink? And what if, on those days when a gate-crasher became ill or injured, the Suns had to provide free medical care and shelter?" - Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer   Try going to any other country without ID.