Clarity & Wisdom in 1863

It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.

Know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?
We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

Abraham Lincoln October 3rd 1863

Happy Thanksgiving ~ snicker, snicker, snicker

I am truely amazed that I still laugh hysterically when I watch this episode of WKRP in Cincinati. This show had me in stiches in almost every episode, the writers and actors worked together well. They do not make them like this anymore.

slight glimpses of autumn

Here in N. Texas we rarely get the beautuful colors of Autumn but every once in awhile we get a glimpse of what Autumn is all about. Beautiful.

Nai Nai's Here

No our girls are not getting ready for Halloween, their Nai Nai is here and they are soaking up every ounce of every nanosecond they can possibly absorb.

Nauseated

Dear Penn State Students who are rioting in support of Joe Paterno,

KNOCK IT OFF!!! Everyone in the country realizes that it was Sandusky alone who tragically ended the childhoods of an untold number of children. BUT there also was an enormous failure on so many levels & by so many people to prevent further tragedy & harm to more children & provide justice for the ones already harmed.

Joe Paterno played a major part in that failure! Mike McQueary, who witnessed an assault occurring and did nothing played a major part of that failure, the athletic director played a major part of that failure; the administration played a major part of that failure. HOW IN THE WORLD can a person receive a position of honor such as Coach Emeritus after allegations of & being observed sexually abusing a child. Sandusky was rewarded it is that simple & it is appalling. Everyone who had a hand in NOT reporting these incidents to law enforcement authorities are responsible.

We all make choices in our lives & the choice by Paterno, McQueary, the AD, the Administration to NOT act in advocacy for these children, but in turn rewarded Sandusky with the position of Coach Emeritus are RESPONSIBLE in some way shape or form! They in effect, by their OMISSION TO ACT, gave Sandusky a free pass to continue his destruction of childhoods.
The Board of Trusties absolutely did the right thing in firing Paterno. By Paterno's OMITTING TO ACT (other than informing the Administration) he put countless more children at risk to Sandusky's torture & cruelty. JUST THINK OF WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF PATERNO STOPPED THIS WHEN HE FOUND OUT...HEAR THAT IT IS THE SOUND OF LAUGHTER BY THE CHILDREN SPARED FROM SANDUSKY'S TORTURE BUT INSTEAD ALL WE HEAR IS TEARS!

Yes, Paterno is a great coach & did deserve all the accolades of being a great coach but the moment he failed to notify police of Sandusky’s sexual abuse of children he forfeited the honor of being the head coach of Penn State, he forfeited the honor of receiving all the accolades of being the most winningest coach in college football, he forfeited the honor of respect from people like me. Paterno should not be allowed to coach even one nanosecond more of Penn State football. Paterno is not the only one who, by their inaction, should forfeited their jobs, accolades, & respect, there are many more & if Penn State Board of Trustees is serious about reestablishing the reputation of the school they will fire more coaches, staff, & administration officials, all of which turned a blind eye to Sandusky’s abuse.

Paterno’s comments to press & “supporters” outside his home last night were even more sickening to me as a human being. Paterno’s hollow statement of “I’m praying for these children” is just utterly unacceptable. For Paterno to come out and say he is praying for these children AFTER he did nothing and could have stop it ten years ago is absurd and ridiculous! What Paterno SHOULD have said is:

“I am sorry. I failed these children, I failed their parents, I failed this community, I failed school when I did not report Sandusky to the proper authorities. There is nothing I can do to now but admit I was wrong by not reporting what I knew ten years ago immediately. I am truly sorry for my inaction and beg forgiveness from the children who were hurt and their families and from God.”

Only after a statement somewhat like that will I accept his comment of, “I am praying for these children”.

In addition, the Board of Trustees should be adamant that any financial settlements that arise from this cover up should come solely out of the Penn State Football budget and nowhere else.