Google Search: Squoosh a Terrorist

I'm currently ranked 3rd in the list of the results. Who'dve thunk it?

Keisha Hearing Loss Update

I just sent the following email to the evangelist of our church about what we learned during Keisha's audiology appointment today:

This afternoon Jennie and I took Keisha to see her audiologist to get an update on her hearing. We've had reason to suspect that she's lost more hearing. Our suspicions were correct; she has lost even more hearing.

The audiologist was able to boost her hearing aids to their maximum capacity. She has encouraged us to have the ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist) check Keisha out again. She also has advised us to begin considering a cochlear implant(CI) for Keisha.

I'm not sure if you know what a CI involves, but I'll give you a little bit of info. Basically, a surgeon drills a hole in Keisha's head and attaches an electrode to her auditory nerve. Once that heals over, she then gets fitted with a magnet that attaches to her head an leads to a receiver in her ear. The receiver looks a little like a hearing aid.

There's probably a website I could direct you to, but I don't have the link right now.

Please pray for us. We're considering getting a second opinion, but we're also recognizing that this direction may be where we have to go.

Love in Christ,

Dan, Jennie, and Keisha

Beetle Bailey Waves The Flag

E-mail from the Battlefront

I've posted somewhat frequently the emails I receive from a brother in Christ who is serving in the US Navy as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In his latest email, he writes:

Hi!!

How is everyone there? I am doing fine. We have not had anything big happen since the last email I sent. I am kind of bummed though. There are disciples here that I have been emailing. Many of them are American service members like myself but there are others who are the ones you hear about in KNN. The Disciples who are nationals and trying to make it in a Muslim world. Three times already we were supposed to make a port visit. I was looking forward to meeting these disciples. Anyway it looks like our next port visit will be yanked also. One of the biggest things I have been looking forward to in the Navy is being able to meet disciple around the world. Enough of that though.

I got the poster everyone signed for me. I thought it was great. I spent a lot of time going through all of the names and telling people in my shop cool stories of each person who signed it. I also got a photo of the Military Bible Talk I was part of in Pensacola. The poster you sent me and the photo from Florida serve as a constant reminder that though I am away from the Body, I am not alone out here. I can not explain how important that is. Thanks for all of the encouragement you send me. Hopefully I'll be able
to make a visit in the next few months. Thinks for everything and I love you all.

YBiC (your brother in Christ),

Dave

A Dream of Apocalyptic Proportions

I had one of the weirdest dreams last night. It was very vivid. It was about an Anthrax epidemic that occurred during Hitler's reign. Thankfully, it was just a dream:

I got to follow it from the first strain, which was "alien". Someone thought the particle/being/thing looked interesting, and they picked it up and got infected.

Moments later, a group of scientists head to this lab that has done most of the research on a vaccine. The head of the American group had this disrespectful attitude toward this one other scientist from the research lab, who seemed to be "mentally deficient" in some way. This disrespectful scientist was questioning, almost ordering everyone, trying to find out what could be done about it.

Then this eccentric scientist revealed himself to the first one. He had interviewed the first man for a job with this lab many years ago. This eccentric man took the first one to a safe, opened it, and pulled out several vials.

"What are those?" the first one asked.

"Purity vials," the other replied.

The first understood that they were pure vaccines that could be reproduced to give to others.

I guess I could apologize for this sounding so disjointed, but I just want this to get out before I forget it.

In my dream, when the flashback between the American doctor and the elder, more eccentric doctor, occurs, and the American doctor realizes that he had interviewed for a job with the other doctor, and interesting thing occurred. As a gesture of his rejection, the elder doctor forcibly kissed the other on the lips, in a homosexual kind of way. Really weird to me at the time.

So the doctor had just found the "Purity vials". (BTW, this whole dream sounds like it could have been an "X-Files" episode or something.) Then, an explosion occurs, and everyone in the lab dies. Except for me. The vials... I cannot remember what happened to them.

I begin to wonder, "Where is a good place to find refuge?" Then I remember where I grew up: Mt. Healthy. Mount Healthy was where several people settled as a refuge from the cholera virus that had occurred in Cincinnati, Ohio a long time ago. Mt. Healthy sounded like a great place to go.

I then remember heading into a stadium that would be a safe haven from the epidemic, but somehow, others that are infected find us, and I somehow get infected.

Then Hitler shows up for a rally. All I can think about is to get close to this evil madman, so that I can somehow infect him, too.

And then I wake up.

Okay, all you readers out there. Who wants to interpret the dream for me? I have my own ideas, which I may post some other time.

Military Support Ministry - Request for Prayer

Request for Prayer from Rich Garner - Military Support Ministry - Friday, March 14, 2003

As moderator for the Military Support Ministry on UpCyberDown, I often get requests for contact information, church locations, and other tid bits that help our deployed brothers and sisters stay connected to the fellowship. But recently, my inbox has been swamped with a frightening amount of email... questions, concerns, pleas... regarding one haunting threat; war.

Several brothers have informed me of their deployment plans and have requested that I put them in touch with Christians in their deployment locations. Some have announced their support for the U.S. troops. Others have voiced concerns over Biblical implications of the situation in the Middle East region. But the one reason I felt compelled to write this is the need for prayers. Not only do I get prayer requests in my Military Support inbox, but also my church email and the message boards that I moderate.

Recently, a brother contacted me and asked that we get a prayer request out to all the churches around the world. After seeing miraculous repentance and efforts at unity within the International churches, I believe this is an attainable goal.

I realize that our military ministries are comprised of hundreds of different nations... but all of us will be affected in some way or another by the US led invasion of Iraq. Therefore, on behalf of all brothers and sisters in arms that are in harms way, faithful family and friends back home and concerned Christians everywhere, I am requesting a day of prayer on Sunday March 23th, 2003, from all churches that are able to read this message.

The goal is for each church to offer prayers and petitions to God for 24 hours beginning any time on Sunday March 23th, 2003. Each church would decide the best way to accomplish the goal. (If some churches are reading this article after March 23th, be faithful that God will still hear your prayers on any day after that.)

The purpose of the prayer day is to ask God for three things:

1. Protection and safe return home (wherever home may be) for everyone involved in the war,
2. Wisdom, peace and faith that only Jesus can bring in times of war and
3. Successful spread of His Word throughout the Middle East region.

The Bible tells us that Jesus will not return until the Word of God has been preached to the entire world. Therefore I believe our prayers should focus on the Word of God being powerfully spread throughout the region and the baptism of everyone in those nations. Peace of mind and protection from harm should also be asked as well as increasing faith as we see God work miracles in a land of conflict.

So, I put this to every God-fearing, Christ-loving person who reads or hears this message. Let our voices unite in praise and worship and let us ask of our Father what He has promised us in John 14:13... "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father."

And to God be the Glory,
Rich Garner

QuotesBlog Quotient

I've loaded several quotations today. Go see.

Our Bank is Strong, But We Can Do Better Elsewhere

I've blogged before about some "customer no-service" we received from our bank. We are looking at getting an account with a local credit union.

2004 Update: We did it.

I'm going to fire my ISP

I'm going to fire my ISP. Heavy words. But, it's true. We are no longer able to afford the $21.95 per month price gouging that Earthlink does. I'm sure that there are a number of other alternatives that are much less expensive. So, here's what I'm going to do. This post has now become a forum to post your suggestions for our new ISP. Keep in mind that we live in Dayton, Ohio USA. Here are some initial possibilities:

• Big Zoo
• PeoplePC
• GBROnline

Take revenge on scamsters

Clark Howard reports that there are now Web sites that warn people about thieves and scams that are not very well known. Read before you get taken.