LarryA2J's Blog

 Was it? Did I leave you happy, upset, angry, elated, or just leave you? Did we share memories or make new ones? Did we plan to get together again? Did we break a friendship? Did we say some things we wish we had not? Did we make promises we never had a chance to fulfill? The last time I saw my childhood best friend was at his dad’s funeral, we tried to get together for lunch and catch-up on old times but schedules would not permit it. He was killed in an auto accident a few months later. If I had known that was the last time I would see him I would have done more. One of my favorite customers at work died from cancer. What impression did I leave on her the last time I would see her? I hope it was as a friend. We would chat across the counter when she would mail a letter or two. I never knew she was dying. If only I had known that was the last time I would see her, would I have been nicer? Talked longer? I was at work and there were other customers to wait on. My favorite uncle and I would always play Checkers and I would never win. Growing up families would get together once a month to celebrate birthdays, holidays or special events. We played and played and he would win. I never got upset because I was learning. As we got older the gatherings became less frequent. Time marches on. My uncle passed away and I really don’t remember the last time I saw him. I should have kept in touch. I should have written or called. I should have done something. All my older relatives are gone, except one aunt in her eighties. Why did our family drift apart over the years? What happened to the celebrations? Time is the culprit. We all got to busy with kids, work, hobbies, sports or any number of things. There are so many more things to cram in a day that family usually gets pushed away. Think of your family and ask, “Was that the last time I will see you?” I think of all the members of my church family that have come and gone over the years. Did I do enough to keep in touch? Did I do my part? Some told us they were leaving and we said our goodbyes, hugs all around. Others just stopped coming to our church, just faded away. Did we even notice? Was that the last time I shall see you? I think of all the people I’ve come to know over the years, Craig, Jim, Debbie, Pat, Mark, Andrea, Tom, Elizabeth, Richie, Mike, Joanne, Bob, George, Linda, Mary, Barb, the list goes on and on. Each of these I consider dear friends and yet they are just memories. I just ask myself when I think of them, was that the last time I shall see you? Take time today to reflect on your life, your friendships. Is there anybody you can think of? People come and go in our lives everyday. I hope I made a lasting good impression of each and everyone. When I say goodbye I wonder - Was that the last time I shall see you?

Same old story, different player. Chrysler to layoff hundreds of workers and move production to Canada. This is yet another sign of corporate greed that gets in trouble of its own making.

For years the auto unions have pushed for higher and higher wages and benefits which in turn made the vehicles more expensive. Americans wanted vehicles bigger and bigger. Oil companies wanted more and more profits. Guess who loses? America!! Another AMERICAN company sells out to a foreign country and America loses another bit of her power and might.

For years America was the best country in the world, second to none in almost every facet of life. Look at us now. We are the door mat of the world. We fight wars for other countries and spend our tax dollars for their benefit. We've spent almost one TRILLION dollars of American tax money in Iraq fighting a "no win" battle, it is not a war. Hostile activities were declared over years ago. Will they pay us for our service? NO!!!!! Yet they are selling the oil rights to highest bidder. What I would do is pay for the war by taking one TRILLION dollars in their oil and giving it to the American taxpayer who is footing the bill.

We spend millions on lottery tickets and in casinos. Money that could be going into the gas tank and gas saved by not going to the "boat in a moat" and we complain about high gas prices.

We make mulit-millionaires out of young men in their teens and twenties calling them Professional Athletes and we pay outrageous prices for tickets and concessions and we complain about high gas prices.

We pay around five bucks a gallon for WATER and complain about high gas prices.

We pay about four bucks for a cup of coffee and complain about high gas prices.

So should we be upset when Chrysler laysoff thousands or Ford threatens to shut down plants, Hazelwood MO is already closed, because of low auto sales figures? No.

Folks this is the new America of the 2000's. We waste money on overpriced stuff, lose hundreds of dollars on the chance of "hitting the big one", move into bigger and fancier homes farther and farther away from our workplace. Want to see the cause of our problems, look in the mirror.

Now is the time America to take a stand.

Conserve fuel by combining trips or walking.

Drink water from the tap, use your own refillable bottle.

Stop wasting money on the "chance of hitting the big one". You have a better chance of getting hit by lightning in the bathtub. Casinos only make money, who do you think pays for all the millions spent on hotels, parking garages, fancy lights and machines? When was the last time you saw a "Going out of business" sign on a casino. Read the paper, they are making millions each month, of your money.

Looking to move? Try a smaller house that costs less to heat and cool.

Want a cup of coffee? Brew one at home for about 20 cents. Why pay two bucks?

America, our greed and waste got us into this mess and only we can get ourselves out. Start to day to make a difference.

Thank you and may God bless.

 

 

 

 

 

Why are people so upset about InBevs' takeover of Anheuser-Busch?

For years the US has been sending jobs overseas because of the cheap labor. Stockholders and CEO's want huge profit margins so they take the skilled labor in the US and trade it to foreign speaking workers. (Tech-support workers from India are the worst.) InBev is just trying to do what Anheuser-Busch will be trying to do soon. Send work overseas because the labor is cheaper.

America is no longer the mighty power it was back in the 60's and before. Our labor unions have bargained themselves out of the market place. The CEO's, who want to make more money than the next CEO's, are destroying the companies they work for, IE: McDonnell-Douglas, TWA Airlines. The Americans who buy foreign import products because the price is cheaper and quality better. We are all responsible for America's downfall. 

Our military is STILL the best on earth and we will defend any country against a foreign agressor. True. But who is the real idiot? You do not see Russia or China or any other country spending billions upon billions of their money to win a police action. And look what it's doing to the USA. Higher taxes, higher fuel prices, higher food prices. We, each and every American, are the ones paying for this.

It's time for us to STOP. Stop the war, stop the greed, stop the frivilous lawsuits, stop the welfare fraud, stop the global warming, stop being the doormat to the world.

The solution to America's problems is simple, not easy.

First, bring all the soldiers back home from around the world. We have enough high-tech spy stuff to monitor trouble spots without putting lives at risk.

Second, seal the borders, use the military from around the world.

Third, verify the citizenship of every single man. woman and child. If you can't produce documentation you are immediately deported to the country of your choice.

Fourth, put a cap of $100,000 on any lawsuit and lawyers get a flat fee not a third of the damages.

Fifth, limit the salary of any CEO, CFO of other company bigwig to 100 time what the lowest paid worker gets.

Sixth, put a cap on all professional sport and entertainment salary at $1,000,000 a year, use the extra funds to give raises to teacher, public servants (fire and police) and the military.

This system would bring about a balance in the economy, lower taxes, and bring America back th the GREAT country she once was. Think of what we all could do with all that extra money floating around.

Thank you and may God bless.

 

 

 

 

 

Military feels the gouge of fuel costs - Conflict in Iraq

This is crazy. Now is the time to bring our soldiers home from all over the world. Let them protect our borders. We have enough hi-tech equipment and spies to keep an eye on the world at a small fraction of the cost. If some country wants to hire us to protect them, they PAY us. A billion dollar deposit then we will act. Our country is being DESTROYED from within. We don't need terrorists to defeat us our own economy is doing that quite well. The other enemy to our country is corporate GREED. Everybody wants to make more and more profit. Big Oil told Congress that $143 Billion in profits was fair because that is what the other companies made. That is a lame excuse. The other companies are just as much to blame then. Two wrongs don't make a right. It's time that we take America back and stop giving in to the profiteers.

 

To me the most important things in this country are:

Freedom, Education, Sports and Entertainment

Why is it then that the most important people, the folks in the military and Civil Servants, firefighters and the police, get paid the least, next to them are the Teachers of our children.  While folks who entertain us or play a professional sport make the most, a multi-billion dollar industry.

When was the last time a Baseball or Football player died during a game, doing their job. I know there job is not easy, long hours of training and games but it is not considered dangerous. I believe more people die slipping in a bath tub than during a game.

On the other hand we have soldiers dying everyday. We have police officers and fire fighters dying almost every day. These folks who put their life on the line should make the most because they have the most to lose. I know that some of these folks make lots of money but that is the exception rather than the rule.

The people of America need to take back this country and get it back on the right path. Honor the people who need to be honored and compensate them accordingly. The salary should be equated to the risk of death on the job or the difference that they make on society and our future, our children. In my humble opinion professional athletes and entertainers loose out on both counts.

Thank you and may God bless.

I just heard on the news where the Government is investigating the mortgage companies because they  loaned more money to minorities for houses than they could afford to pay back thus causing the problem in the housing industry. Yet a few years ago when these same companies refused to lend money because they could not afford to pay it back they were investigated and charged with discrimination.

Folks you can't have it both ways. It's about time for the Government to get out of the way and let these companies do business. If these folks can not afford the house they want then they should either get a better paying or second job, cut back on frills or get a cheaper house.

Because of the lenders loaning more than could be paid back and use of the Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) we are in this mess. The lenders should suck it up and take the loss and stop having the Government bail them out.  It would be a good lesson for them. Of course me personally, I would love to get some free money to pay off my mortgage but no, I was smart and bought a house with a fixed interest rate and payments that I could afford. All the while my house value is dropping because others greedy mistakes.  

America, what a country!!

Stop Global Warming……Plant a Tree. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, some bacteria, and some protistans use the energy from sunlight to produce sugar, which cellular respiration converts into ATP, the "fuel" used by all living things. The conversion of unusable sunlight energy into usable chemical energy, is associated with the actions of the green pigment chlorophyll. Most of the time, the photosynthetic process uses water and releases the oxygen that we absolutely must have to stay alive. Six molecules of water plus six molecules of carbon dioxide produce one molecule of sugar plus six molecules of oxygen. This is the basic principal to stop Global Warming and everywhere I look trees are being cut down and buildings put up. It takes most trees ten to twenty years or more to reach maturity and they are cut down in minutes. We are destroying the very green leaves that we need to absorb the carbon dioxide in the air and produce oxygen. For the sake of progress we are erecting buildings we don’t need, look at all the vacant buildings just in the St Louis Metro area, and destroying our future and the future of generations to come. Even if we planted thousands of trees this year it would not have an effect for years to come. It’s obvious that we can not get rid of automobiles and auto emissions in the near future but we don’t have to add to the problem. We have folks building houses that are further and further away from work, this not only destroys “green space” but the travel distance adds to the carbon emissions and oil consumption which adds to the price of oil and gasoline. I would like to see gasoline sell for $5.00 a gallon and put a dollar or so into a fund for real tax incentives given back to folks based on how little gas they use during the year. Every driver would get a gas card for two thousand gallons of gas, paid for by the government out of this dollar. Any gas left at the end of the year and the cardholder would get that amount back as cash, like a tax refund. This is just a general idea but with time and research it could become a reality. Folks would have a real incentive to conserve gas and oil. This along with every house planting two or more new trees in their yard would have a big impact on global warming. Plus the shade from the trees would keep houses cooler in the summer and cut back on air conditioning usage, an added bonus. Plant a fruit tree and you would help even more, fresh apples are delicious.

What is it? You could call it a phrase. In Greek it’s just one word. What do you think?
The Bible is a collection of sixty-six books written over a period of thousands of years. It is divided into two Testaments.
The Old Testament was written before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. From the beginning of Genesis when Adam and Eve sinned to the book of Malachi we read about a Savior who will be born of the house and lineage of David. Almost every Old Testament book shows the relationship to the Savior, who begat who and who begat who all the way from Adam to Joseph and Mary. The New Testament was written after His birth. The Old tells us about God and points to Jesus. The New also teaches us about Jesus and His life on earth.
Many folks would say it’s “For God so loved the world…..” Others might say “Love the Lord with all your heart….” Still others might say “Love your neighbor…..” or “Do unto others……” These are all familiar verses in the Bible that we all know. There are thousands of verses in the Bible that you could say are most important. We all have our favorites.
Jesus is quoted many times throughout the New Testament. He taught many lessons and worked many miracles. He proved He was the Messiah. To me the most important sentence is “It is finished”, Tetelestai in Greek. With this phrase Jesus completed His mission on earth. Everything He did pointed to the His death on the cross.
The folks who shouted “Hosanna” on His coming to town shouted “Crucify Him” a few days later. He told His disciples what would happen several times and yet in the end they did not understand or believe. They were huddled in the upper room when He appeared in their midst. In the Garden praying, He even asked His Father to “Let this cup pass by but not My will but Yours be done”. On the cross He could have called down a legion of angels to help Him but he didn’t. He was not killed by the Roman soldiers, the Jews or even the townspeople. He willingly gave up His life for all of us.
He lived a perfect life and died a perfect death. He was the pure, flawless and perfect Lamb. When He spoke from the cross and shouted “Tetelestai”, “It is finished, Father into Your hands I commit My Spirit” He paid the price in full for our sins.
As we celebrate this Easter, this Resurrection morning take a few minutes to reflect on your sins and His forgiveness. Confess your sins to Him, admit that you’ve failed and accept His complete pardon for your life. All your sins, past, present and future will be forgiven. The debt for your life will be stamped “Paid in full”, “It is finished”, “Tetelestai”!!!
Have a joyous and Happy Easter.

We have Independence Day to remember declaring our independence from Britain in the late 1700's. We have President's Day to remember two of the greatest President's who led our country. We have Memorial Day to remember our veteran's who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defending the freedom we have today.                                             

We have Christmas to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, the ultimate Defender of our lives. He paid the greatest price that no one else could possibly pay. The Bible and the teachings in it have been around for centuries. We have more evidence to validate the Bible than any other book ever written. More hand transcribed copies written sooner after the events they tell than books written by other famous authors. Many of the books were written within fifty years of the event, often by eyewitnesses.

You wouldn’t dare tell a veteran of Iwo Jima, the D-Day Invasion at Normandy, the witnesses to Hiroshima or Nagasaki, or any other veteran that the war didn’t happen, that it was just a made up story by a bunch of men. The men who wrote the sixty-six books that make up our Bible were inspired and led by God to write what they did. It was also written over hundreds and hundreds of years. The Old Testament prophesies were fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament.      

Without Christ in Christmas we wouldn’t even have a “holiday” season. The word holiday is from the words Holy Day which commemorate a religious event in history. By wishing someone Happy Holidays you are actually wishing them a Happy Holy Day, Christmas.

I know that the desire is not to offend non-Christians but look at it this way: If the Bible is not real and just a bunch of made up stories then death is the end. You die and your existence ceases, period. On the other hand if the Bible is true and there is Heaven or Hell waiting for us after death then you are doing your valued customers a huge disservice by not promoting the Christ of Christmas. How many of your customers will spend an eternity in Hell because you failed to help spread the message of Christ.

As for me I believe in Christmas and Christ and all the Bible teaches.

Evolution, Intelligent Design or Creationism, who cares?

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, who cares?

One Nation Under God or not, who cares?

Prayer in school or not, who cares?

 

I’ve heard that man’s evolution is compared to giving a bunch of monkeys a typewriter and given enough time they would type out the Complete Works of Shakespeare. Or putting a bunch of parts in a paper bag and over time out would come a Rolex watch. Again who cares?

Whether you believe in Creation or Evolution is strictly a matter of faith and it doesn‘t matter which you choose. Do you believe in life after death? This is the real question, the ONLY question that matters. If you don’t believe in life after death stop reading here. If you believe that you die, are planted in the ground and your existence ends read no further. If you believe that you are just a bunch of cells made up of rearranged dirt why waste your time reading more.

If you do believe in life after death then you have only two choices, you go to either Heaven or Hell. I don’t consider reincarnation life after death because those folks believe that they come back to life again and that is another topic. Again, if you believe in life after death you have two choices - either Heaven or Hell. Why do you believe in Heaven and Hell? What do you think Heaven is like? What is Hell like? If these are the only two choices you have in where you spend eternity, don’t you think you should find out about them? I mean you wouldn’t buy a car that you might have for ten or fifteen years sight unseen. You would at least take it for a test drive, kick the tires or look under the hood. You wouldn’t want to get stuck with a “lemon”. You will be in eternity for a lot longer than ten or fifteen years.

The second you take your last breath and your heart takes it’s last beat you are there. In eternity where you chose to spend it. Yes, it is your choice where to spend eternity.

What is Heaven like? Heaven is God’s home. Heaven is a beautiful place. A place where there is no darkness, no pain, no suffering, absolutely no imperfection in anyone. We will each have our own mansion or room. We will be in perfect happiness and joy. We will be in perfect peace. On earth we can experience only a very small fraction of this peace and joy in our happiest moment. Heaven is really indescribable and these few words do not even begin to describe the real Heaven.

What is Hell like? A place of eternal pain and torment, like living in a fireplace, forever and ever. Ever been out in the hot sun working and longing for that cold glass of water or ice cold soda? Imagine that a thousand times more intense. You will want to die because the agony is so severe but you can’t. Your body is already dead and your soul lives on forever in eternity. Again these few words do not even begin to describe what Hell is really like.

Make the choice today as to where you will spend eternity.

The next time someone talks about the battle between evolution or the holidays, it really doesn’t matter, now does it?

These were and are the hot topics of discussion for the past few years. You can find people who take a firm stand on either side but I ask what difference does it make? All these questions point to an Almighty God and His existence.

The Kirkwood killings were a tragedy. Prayers are being lifted up all over the nation for the victims and the families. I sympathize with them.

 In a few days or weeks the real tragedy will begin, I’m referring to the lawsuits, “wrongful death” specifically. Is there really such a thing? No! As I said prayers are being lifted up all over the nation for the victims and their families. People are praying to God, the Lord Jesus Christ. God was not surprised by what has happened. Could He have stopped it? Yes. Did the gunman have a free will to shoot or not? Yes.

The Bible teaches that the life of every person was set before time began from the moment of birth, the instant your heart starts, to the moment of death, the instant your heart stops and you step into eternity. Man cannot change that span of life. Man cannot change how you die. Whether “natural causes” or as a “victim” death is the same.

God is in complete control of this and every situation where life ends. How can you pray to a God one minute and blame Him the next. Every living thing on earth will die. No one can escape death. Our simple purpose of earth, and the reason we were created, is to love and obey God and His commands.

What we perceive as tragedy God calls His perfect will for us. For the true Believer to spend an eternity in the presence of the living God is thousands of times better than the greatest pleasure on earth. 

 Just because we think someone died unexpectedly from “unnatural causes” has no bearing to God. Instead of blaming some person for this tragedy we should pray to God for peace and understanding of His will and why it happened.