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I'm coming off six days of migraine with Tropical Storm Bill, so my thinking may be a bit clouded. Migraines wipe out serotonin, which puts one in the dumps for awhile. I remember Isaac was BLIND, and Jacob walked leaning on a staff. When the LORD said, "Dieing you shall die", He did NOT say that the dieing would be painless. Not that I remember. I have friends suffering from chronic bowel disorders, and one with Lupus affecting her heart, and several with mirgraines, and one who is sadly childless. What was it the fellow said? "Life's a ***** and then you die." Even Paul said, "I would rather depart, to be with Christ, but because it is needful for you, I will labor on" - or something to that effect. I'm glad he said that. Because I don't have to feel guilty when I would rather be GONE from this painful world. But I will say with Paul, "If it is needful for you LORD, that I remain, then I will keep working." I wonder at times, whether Paul just had a different experience, back in the first 40 years after the resurrection, than we have today. He expected that when the elders anointed someone, that someone would be healed. Period! So Paul THOUGHT the experience of believers would continue to be that predictable. We ask. God grants!! I mean, was it misleading for Jesus to tell John, "Behold I come quickly" ? Don't know about your definition of "quickly" or "soon", but 1900 years + doesn't even come close to mine !! Was Paul correct in every statement?? Did his view apply to EVERY situation?? Should females be quiet in church, and never have authority higher than a male's authority. So then "Judge Judy", or female Supreme Court Justices are NOT according to God's will??? (Or EGW either for that matter.) I don't think we can "understand" - this side of eternity - WHY God allowed things to be soooooo painful. We just have to trust Him, 'cause He showed us that He loves us. I guess it's like major surgery. You have to get through the pain, to be healed. This world is "the pain" - and Heaven will be "the healing".

I beg to differ. satan may appear to be bound be our civilized western way of thinking. Talk to missionaries who have been in the back woods of Asia and Africa. Try to convince them that satan is "bound" on those continents, where people are cursed with affliction and even death by evil shamans. Even Christian missionaries have died as a result of these curses. Many shamans have had their power broken off by God at the bidding of devout spiritually gifted missionaries. When demonic power is made manifest in the western world at the end of time, it will blow most of us away.

This campaign, or the TV late nights, is going to be one of the most humourous ever. #RunBenRun

If I decide to become a woman, will I have to shave off my mustache? I've had it since high school, except I think I took it off a time or two in college. I would prefer to keep it since it's been a part of my identity.

If I ever had any fond memories of my dad, they are long forgotten. He was, and still is, a sarcastic, insulting, rage-aholic. I suspect he was not treated well, having been a child of older parents. His mother came here from Germany, and his father was of German descent also. I hope my children have better memories of me. When I married their mother, I became an instant father of two cute little girls. Add two more girls of our own and we had a houseful of fun, at least until the teenage years. That's when we became involved in the craziness of Wayne Bent's the Lord Our Righteousness cult. Thank God he is in prison, now. After a few years of marriage, we moved into the northern California woods, off the grid and away from TV and movies. In the woods, the children had to create their own entertainment when not being homeschooled or working on the day-to-day chores. All of them became excellent readers, well ahead of their grade levels. In fact, the youngest learned how to read on her own, just by eavesdropping on her older sister's lessons. Anyway, I hope I have made a positive impact on my 4 daughters' lives. They usually send me clothes or sci fi dvd's on Father's Day. My two step-daughters, now adults, have said that they were glad that I was their "dad" instead of their biological father.

Nice and I didn't even notice!

One thing I remember, because my Mom used to tell me all the time, was that he needed shoes, but he used his last dime to buy me and my brother a chocolate bar. That's the kind of man he was.

Very interesting question Won. Back in '68, I had just got back from my 2 yr military service. It was either Nov or Dec, and it was snowing, was driving to work out in Long Island. We were driving up a ramp to get on the highway and her car got stuck in the snow. I got out to push and I saw 2 guys coming up, they asked if they could help, and helped push us up the ramp. When I turned to thank them they were gone. I noticed no footprints to where they had gone or even where they came from. The only footprints were mine and the cars. So we realized they were angels. Never did notice if they were white, black, etc., or maybe I just don't remember!!

You noticed the same thing I did. I agree, but would add not just for human beings. How God saves human beings is a subset of how God saves the Universe. It's incredible that God could do this. Romans 3:21-29 describes this wonderfully.

I've got a lot of fun memories of my Dad. I was 3 1/2 years old and it was Christmastime. My mom took me and my brother down to the department store to see Santa Claus. I remember being in absolute AWE because Santa knew my name, and he knew exactly what I wanted for Christmas (a book). It wasn't until years later that I finally figured out that Santa had been my Dad. Then over the years, Dad played Santa for Portland-area high schools, community centers, and any place he was asked. Another vivid memory I have is when Dad and I went hunting for a gold mine in the hills just west of here. In the 1930's an old Indian would come into town with gold nuggets that he'd mined. No one could ever find where it was, but it had to be fairly close, as he was always on foot. Dad and I figured the mine had to be on the Round Top mountain. So, one Sunday we decided to take my brother's big 14-passenger van out for a drive, and then decided to go up Round Top. We got onto a deeply rutted logging trail winding up the mountainside, full of rocks and bushy overgrowth on either side. We managed to break off one of the side mirrors as we chugged up the side of the mountain. After 30 minutes we came to the top, where there was an old lookout tower. But also on top of the mountain was a group of the notorious Outsiders Motorcycle club. I don't know who was more shocked.... me and Dad, or the cyclists watching in disbelief as this big ol' van came around the rocky top. LOL Dad and I got out and looked around for a stream or any evidence of a mine, but it was so dry, nothing was evident. After about 45 minutes, we decided we'd better head back home..... THEN we noticed we had a flat tire. On top of the mountain. With nobody by the cyclists looking at us. Dad looked at me, and I looked at Dad. Dad said, I hope your brother has a spare tire in the van. I said, "I hope so too, because if he doesn't, I'm not the one who's going to walk back down the mountain and hitchhike into town." LOL Well, we did find a spare, got the tire changed, and made it back home. I always wondered if my brother found out how the mirror got busted.

LOL. I was quite bored by the race so far but this is going to be fantastic!!!!

Gerry, my heart is sad for this journey that you and your sweetheart are taking. I pray that she is comfortable and thank God that you are near. ((( Dr Gerry )))

This is not about politics. Don't twist it in that direction.

I'm sure that many believers prayed for escape from death or torture at the hands of the Romans. But they had to be ready to suffer for Christ's sake. Today, we're not put into burning oil, or stretched on the rack, or burned alive, or crucified. Here in the West, we have life pretty good - compared with the rest of the world. But we are tormented in OTHER WAYS. I wonder if we can think of our sufferings, as a testing. I was born without a C1. It's called Chiari Malformation. I've had chronic headaches and neck and shoulder pain for 37 years. When I get to feeling too sorry for myself, I try to think of others who have it worse off. I'm not in a wheelchair. I'm not living in a mud hut, or forced into marriage to a Muslim who beats me 4 times a day with a switch. I wasn't born with one of the terrible disfiguring birth defects, you see on the ad's for children's hospital. I have access to medical care and medications. My Mom had Alzheimer's. We finally had to put her into assisted living. She could not be left alone, and my husband and I both worked. (She microwaved a muffin for 30 minutes. Next thing the fire department was calling me from my house.) Anyway, I prayed and prayed that the LORD would just take her before she disintegrated further. My husband believed, but wasn't fully "settled" into it. One weekend he came over to see me, where I was covering at a hospital 2 hours away. He said the prayer before he left to go home. He told the LORD that if it was OK with HIM, and if HE would let Momma go, that he would continue to go over to the Sterling House to visit the folks there. The NEXT MORNING Mom had a massive stroke. She died 4 days later. My husband STILL visits the Sterling House to serve breakfast coffee every weekday morning on his way to work. Since 2002. He has to let them know if he's going to be gone for a few days. The ladies will worry. TALK ABOUT A WITNESS!! The night Momma died, two of the staff sat with us. One of them began asking questions about death and the afterlife. After 5 hours of Bible study by Momma's bedside, it was midnight and the staff suggested we needed rest. I kissed Momma, and whispered, "Your work is done Momma." "It's OK to go now." We barely made it to the car, and they came out to say she had passed. She will be very happy to learn about her last Bible study.