IN TIME

The TIME by which something must or WILL BE COMPLETED

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The second disturbing trend is that while the new water barons are buying up water all over the world, governments are moving fast to limit citizens’ ability to become water self-sufficient (as evidenced by the well-publicized Gary Harrington’s case in Oregon, in which the state criminalized the collection of rainwater in three ponds located on his private land, by convicting him on nine counts and sentencing him for 30 days in jail).

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A German computer hacker has demonstrated how easy it is to foil biometric fingerprint security by using nothing but commercial software and a couple of high resolution photos of one’s hand. To prove it, he recreated the German defense minister’s print.

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How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?

Dr. Seuss

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Not Just a Bad Budget Deal, A Shameful One

Policymakers in Washington DC have reached a new low with the latest budget deal. It is not only bad: it is shameful. The deal does NOT cut overall spending. It doesn't even cut the rate of growth of spending. It scraps $63 billion of existing planned spending cuts and replaces them with likely hollow promises of $22 billion in deficit reduction over the next 10 years. But the deal contains something else: $6 billion in cuts to military pensions, including cost of living adjustments to disabled veterans. That's right, the only real cuts are to wounded warriors. The US government will spend more than $1 trillion in each of the next two years, but Congress couldn't find anything to cut other than our disabled veterans? Keep in mind that this deal comes when, over the past 5 years, America has spent $3.7 trillion on welfare programs. Clearly, years as perfumed princes in the ivory towers of Washington DC have not taught some policymakers about the sacrifices better Americans have made for our freedom.

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Encountering the Lord

On a busy Friday morning in January, a man at a subway station in Washington, D.C., began to play the violin. He played six pieces for about 45 minutes. About 1,100 people passed by, but only a 3-year-old and six adults stopped to listen for a few moments. Everyone else rushed by. At the end of the session, the musician had earned $32.

Here’s what the commuters didn’t know: The violinist was one of the most talented musicians in the world. Joshua Bell had played one of the most intricate pieces ever composed on a violin worth $3.5 million. Several days earlier, Bell had played for an audience where the average ticket sold for $100. At the request of the Washington Post, Bell had agreed to be part of an experiment about perception and priorities. He would play exceptional music in a commonplace environment at a busy hour. The question was: Would people notice?

The results of the experiment suggest that no, most people would not. Blinded by the rigors of schedules and daily demands, people simply failed to see the beauty or hear the brilliance that resonated in the subway station on that busy Friday morning.

Which leads to another question: If people could miss such unmistakable talent right before their very eyes, what else are most of us missing in life? How much do we miss because we don’t have the time or the willingness to see and hear what’s around us?

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Brotherly Love

In Jewish folklore there is a story about how and why God picked Mount Moriah to be the site of His Holy Temple. There were once two brothers who lived in two villages and shared the land between them. Every year they would divide the harvest. One abundant year, the older brother who was married and had many children was worried about his younger brother who didn’t have a family. Who would support him in his old age? In the middle of the night the older brother secretly brought several sheaves of grain to his brother’s storehouse, but when he woke up in the morning he still had exactly the same amount of grain that he had the night before.

The younger brother was also worried: How will my brother support so many children? So, the younger brother decided to secretly travel to his brother’s storehouse and place several sheaves of his own inside, but in the morning, he discovered that he still had exactly the same amount of grain as he had before he gave any away.

This went on for two nights until on the third night, the two brothers met as each one was on the way to the other’s storehouse carrying several sheaves of grain. At once, they both understood what had happened and they embraced in brotherly love. At that moment God decided that the mountain where the two brothers met, Mount Moriah, would be the site of His future home. The love that the brothers had for each other drew God to live among them at that place.

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Yeshua (ישוע, with vowel pointing יֵשׁוּעַ - yēšūă‘ in Hebrew)was a common alternative form of the name יְהוֹשֻׁעַ ("Yehoshuah" - Joshua) in later books of the Hebrew Bible and among Jews of the Second Temple period. The name corresponds to the Greek spelling Iesous, from which comes the English spelling Jesus

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10th Biblical Month

Today, December 4, 2013, the new moon was sighted in Jerusalem at 3.62% illumination and 17.18 degrees above the horizon. This evening at sundown marks the beginning of the 10th Biblical month.

Rosh Chodesh Sameach!

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Sign Petition to Keep the Pressure on Iran

Iran's 'moderate' tone is no reason to ease the pressure. Just weeks away from a nuclear bomb. Tougher sanctions are needed now. Help Israel - Sign & Share the Petition!

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FEMA Camps: City to Exile the Homeless; It's not a Conspiracy Theory Anymore

Under the radar from the prying eyes of the public, South Carolina made it legal to get rid of their homeless problem. The people were given a choice, FEMA Camps or jail.

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Three Russian naval ships were sailing toward Syria in the eastern Mediterranean on Friday and a fourth was on its way, the Interfax news agency reported, citing a source at navy headquarters.

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No Place to Run

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” — Psalm 139:7–8

In the classic children’s book, The Runaway Bunny, Margaret Wise Brown weaves a wonderful story about a little rabbit who wants to run away from his mother. But he can’t. Every escape plan he comes up with, his mother promises to foil. The bunny wants to become a fish so that he can swim away, but his mother pledges to become a fisherman so that she can catch him. The bunny suggests becoming a bird so that he can fly away, but his mother insists that she will become the tree that he flies home to.

After many failed proposals, the bunny finally decides that he will be a little boy so that he can run away, but his mother is quick to say that she will become his mother “so that I can catch you in my arms and hug you.” “Shucks,” said the bunny. “I may just as well stay where I am and be your little bunny.”

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9/11: America's unfinished business

Twelve years after the 9/11 attacks, the trials against those who incinerated American women, parents, and children have yet to begin. How about we take care of that before we discuss avenging the mass murder of children in Syria?

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Never Forget

Twelve years ago 19 jihadis attacked the World Trade Center. We must never forget the price paid by the victims, their families and friends, and America, because of this jihadist attack. But we must also never forget why they attacked us – and keep telling policy-making elites why they attacked us.

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"I WILL EXTOL THE LORD AT ALL TIMES; HIS PRAISE WILL ALWAYS BE ON MY LIPS."

- Psalm 34:1

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7th Biblical Month

Blow the shofar! Today, September 7th, 2013, the new moon was sighted in Jerusalem at 5.01% illumination and 10.29 degrees above the horizon. This evening at sundown marks the beginning of the 7th Biblical month.

Chodesh Sameach and Chag Sameach!