Endings and Beginnings

We had our last fellowship meeting for the year on Saturday. For one family, our Youth Pastor, it is likely their last time at the fellowship as he is taking up a new position as a Congregational Pastor in January at another Church.

On Sunday we also commissioned a couple who will be heading towards Asia next year. It was hard in some ways, commissioning them means saying good bye soon to dear friends. But as they said, it should be a time of rejoicing because our Church as trained up, equipped and sending out another team to continue the work. So there is joy with the sadness as they end this phase of their life and get ready to embark on another.

This Thursday my mom is having surgery for breast cancer, we hope and think it hasn't spread so hopefully the surgery and radiation will take care of it. Her smoking is a concern because her lungs have been damaged by the decades of smoke. My wife is going out on Wednesday evening and I will join her on Saturday morning. When my sister arrives and if things are going well, wife and I will be going to Vegas for our last trip of the year. If things don't go well on Thursday, we will be staying with my mom instead of our trip of course.

With all of that (more then you most likely wanted to know), on to the news.

Mark Steyn has a very good contrast on how outrage is handled in the West today compared to Sudan and much of the Muslim world.

The Democratic leadership in Congress have failed to do anything and if the voters return a Democratic Congress in the 08 elections, it will be in spite of and not because of what this Congress has accomplished. On the other hand, if the voters return a Republican Congress in 08, it will because of their and President Bush's work in frustrating this Congress.

College Football. I admit I do not follow the sport very much. I let my wife take care of that and it works out fine. She enjoys watching football while I get bored and can do something else. But even with my non interest, I have to agree with Gene Wojciechowski at ESPN the current ranking system is a total joke.

Finally a Czech heroine verses a Czech tyrant. A very moving story about the mercy shown by the heroes of the Czech Republic towards the tyrants and the price some of the heroes had to pay. May they rest in peace knowing their dream of a free Czech Republic has not only come but the country is thriving.

Have a good day.