Rotan, TX, Home of First Texas Six-man Football. Jews Die in Nazi Camps.

 

For “Travel Tuesday”, Let’s visit Rotan, TX, in the Texas Panhandle Plains Region.

“The Texas Panhandle Plains region offers visitors a wide variety of experiences from the breathtakingly beautiful canyon lands, to the Old West heritage that is still evident today. You can visit the birthplace of Buddy Holly and many other famous artists, explore a wide variety of museums & exhibits, or simply enjoy the wide open skies that have attracted visitors for generations. Discover the adventure of the Texas Panhandle Plains.”

ROTAN, TEXAS.

“Rotan is at the intersection of State highways 70 and 92, near the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos in northwest Fisher County. A community called White Flat, named for the powdery white gypsum sand that lies near the surface of the land, had been established at the site before county organization in 1886. By 1900 White Flat had a school that also served as a Methodist church. The settlement struggled to survive until 1906, when lots were staked for rapid development after the Texas Central Railroad decided to locate its western terminus there.

Lance Theater in Rotan, Texas.

A post office application that year necessitated a name change, as there was already another White Flat post office in Texas, and the community was renamed for Ed Rotan of Waco, a major investor in the railroad. By the time the community incorporated in 1909, it had two banks, three hotels, three churches, telephone, water, and light service, an ice house, and a bottling works.

Rotan is in Fisher County, TX:

Fisher County (H-11) is on U.S. Highway 180 west of Abilene in the Rolling Plains region of central West Texas. Roby is the county seat; Rotan, the county's largest town, is 225 miles west of Dallas, 65 miles northwest of Abilene and 125 miles southeast of Lubbock.

Fisher County comprises a region that has been the site of human habitation for several thousand years. Archeological artifacts recovered in the area suggest that the earliest human inhabitants arrived around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, and evidence of Paleo, Archaic, and Historic cultures have been found in the county. Following these earliest inhabitants were the Lipan Apaches, who had settled in the region by the sixteenth century; later, around 1700, Comanches and Kiowas drifted in from the north, and Pawnees, Wichita, and Wacos occasionally hunted along the upper Brazos valley.

The Old Indian Trial, which crossed the county, was used by various Indians to travel between the Plains region and Central Texas. Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado traversed the general region in 1541, and José Mares crossed it in 1788 while searching for a more direct route from Santa Fe to San Antonio. In the spring of 1847 Robert B. Marcy traveled along the Old Indian Trial through Fisher County on his way to El Paso; he camped for two days near the site of present-day Rotan.”

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Texas six-man football

“The first six-man game played in Texas was on September 29, 1936 between Sylvester High School and Dowell High School at the high school football field in Rotan, Texas

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6 Man Football

“Six-man football is a variant of American football that is played with six players per team, instead of 11.  A much faster paced game than 11 man.”

texascountryreporter says:

“In small-town Texas they play a special variety of football with 6 men on the field, or they don't play at all. Blackwell High School's only reserve player is out for the season, meaning the 6 remaining boys play every play, every quarter, every game.”

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Game play

A six-man playing field.

 

 

A six-man football team preparing for play.

“Six-man is a fast-moving game played on an 80-yard (73-m) long by 40-yard wide (37-m) field (instead of the normal 100-yd (91-m) by 53¹⁄₃-yd (48.8-m) field used in 11-man football). Furthermore, the game specifies a 15-yard distance (14-m) from the line of scrimmage to gain a first down, instead of the normal 10 yards (9 m).

All six players are eligible to be receivers. On offense, three linemen are required on the line of scrimmage at the start of the play. The person to whom the ball is snapped cannot run the ball past the line of scrimmage; however, if the ball is tossed to another player, that player can run or throw the ball and the person to whom the ball was snapped is still an eligible receiver. All forward passes to the player who snapped the ball (center) must travel at least 1 yard (1 m) in flight.

Scoring

Scoring is the same as in 11-man football, with the exceptions being on the point after touchdown attempt and the field goal. A point-after kick is worth two points, while a conversion made by running or passing the ball is worth one point; this is the opposite of 11-man football. In addition, a field goal is worth 4 points instead of 3. These rule changes were made because of the difficulty of successfully getting a kick off with so few blockers on the line compared to the number of defenders.

In both University Interscholastic League and Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools competition, a 45-point "mercy rule" exists to prevent lopsided scoring deficits (no such rule exists in the 11-man game). The game is ended under this rule if a team is losing by 45 or more points at halftime or at any point after. The mercy rule is alluded to in the title of the David Morse film about six-man football, The Slaughter Rule.

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Six-man football in the movies

The Slaughter Rule, released in 2002, used six-man football as played in Montana as the backdrop for an examination of the relationship between a fatherless renegade football player and his loner coach. The film contains a brief but adequate explanation of how the game of six-man football is played as well as footage of actual game sequences. The title refers to a rule in which a game is called in the second half if one team gains a 45-point advantage over the other. In Texas and other states, it is referred to as the mercy rule. When invoked, one team is said to have "45ed" the other.

Six Man, Texas, released in 2008, is a documentary film that explores six-man football as identity in the public high schools of the 160 small towns in Texas that play it.

The Seventh Man, released in 2003, documents two years in the lives of the Panther Creek Panthers, one of the storied programs in Texas six-man football. It features the narration of Val Kilmer.” 

More at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-man_football 

and: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Sixman_Football_League 

and: http://espn.go.com/high-school/football/story/_/id/3670709/six-man-thrives-rural-towns/

and: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/preps/football/2009-10-27-six-man-texas-football_N.htm

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Six-Man All Star Games This Summer  By: Shanon Hunt

“There will be a record number of all star games held this summer for the sport of six-man football. Five games will be played from the end of June to late July.
On June 29 the first annual Brazos Bowl will be held at Knox City. The annual Can-Am Bowl will be held the following weekend in Outlook, SK. Zephyr will host the Don Hardin Texas Bowl on July 13th.

The event, known as the Texas Bowl in years past, was renamed to honor the Six-Man Football Ambassador Don Hardin who passed away this spring.
The 2013 all star games will wrap up in Wolfforth, TX during the Texas Six-Man Coaches Association's yearly clinic. The Division II game will be held on July 19 while the Division I game will be held the following night.”  More at: http://lonestarfootball.net/article.asp?B=323

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6 man football Waco Live Oak Vs Azle Christian

“A tied game at 61-61. This is the last 59 seconds. Live Oak wins with QB Tyler Williams intercepting the ball at 10 seconds and a pass at 4 seconds to Michael Fullbright. Both teams are ranked #1 in their division and both teams were undefeated.”

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“There's nothing like it in Texas. For the past seven years, the best six-man high school football teams from across the state have traveled to Hico, Texas to compete in the invitation-only event. Ten teams, five games, one field, thousands of spectators all add up to one heckuva good time! Texas Monthly magazine has called it "the biggest day for the smallest schools in Texas!"  More at: http://www.hicosupersix.com/

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From me:  I used to follow Charlton football team in England, but that is soccer.  When I came to the US, I found American football very boring, as it seemed to stop and start constantly, not keep flowing like soccer.  This six-man seems a lot more lively.

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On This Day:

Thousands of Jews die in Nazi gas chambers; IG Farber sets up factory, May 21, 1942:

“On this day in 1942, 4,300 Jews are deported from the Polish town of Chelm to the Nazi extermination camp at Sobibor, where all are gassed to death. On the same day, the German firm IG Farben sets up a factory just outside Auschwitz, in order to take advantage of Jewish slave laborers from the Auschwitz concentration camps.

Sobibor had five gas chambers, where about 250,000 Jews were killed between 1942 and 1943. A camp revolt occurred in October 1943; 300 Jewish slave laborers rose up and killed several members of the SS as well as Ukrainian guards. The rebels were killed as they battled their captors or tried to escape. The remaining prisoners were executed the very next day.

IG Farben, as well as exploiting Jewish slave labor for its oil and rubber production, also performed drug experiments on inmates. Tens of thousands of prisoners would ultimately die because of brutal work conditions and the savagery of the guards. Several of the firm's officials would be convicted of "plunder," "spoliation of property," "imposing slave labor," and "inhumane treatment" of civilians and POWs after the war. The company itself came under Allied control. The original goal was to dismantle its industries, which also included the manufacture of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, so as to prevent it from ever posing a threat "to Germany's neighbors or to world peace." But as time passed, the resolve weakened, and the Western powers broke the company up into three separate divisions: Hoechst, Bayer, and BASF.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went to get Jay, as we were going to the next town, as I really needed to see a doctor.  Jay had to pick up some parts for a double gate that he is building for someone.

We went straight to the clinic, but the receptionist said that there would be an over 2 hour wait, and to come back at 12.30pm for the 1.00pm appointments.

We went to Home Depot, Lowes, Conroe Fence Supply, and back to Home Depot again.  Instead of ordering the translucent roofing the same as the panel I bought the day before, I settled for a grey clear, like the dark tint on car windows.  It will let in more light, and it will blend well with the dark blue shingles on my roof. They have quite a bit of it, so we can go back for more, instead of having to special order anything. 

We bought some lunch to eat in the clinic parking lot. At 12.15pm there was already a line at the reception area. Once I had been registered, I went back to the van to eat my lunch.  At 1.00pm, I didn’t have to wait long to see a doctor, and she said that my shortness of breath could be bronchitis, or an allergy. She said that my lungs sounded clear.  She also said that the smoke coming from the agricultural burns in Mexico has been affecting a lot of people the last few days.

“Smoke Reducing Visibilities Texas to Louisiana

News - May 19, 2013; 9:54 PM ET   “Smoke from fires in the Yucatan Peninsula will continue to affect parts of Texas and Louisiana for the first part of the week. More at: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/smoke-to-affect-texas-louisian/12700119 "

The doctor said that the nebulizer breathing machine that I had borrowed for the cat, was a good thing to use, and approved  the brands of liquids that I have to use in it.  She called in a Prednisone prescription to our local Kroger pharmacy, but when we got there, it wasn’t going to be ready for at least an hour and a half, and we couldn’t wait.   So I will have to pick it up today.

AKC Under Fire. Rescue Dogs. d-CON Poisons Wildlife. Wild Horse Roundups. Safe From Hog Poop? Unclean Foods! Vasco da Gama. Levi Jeans. White House.

 

For “Mammal Monday”:

AKC Under Fire from Some Breeders and Animal Welfare Advocates

“Critics of the American Kennel Club (AKC) say the club is lax in performing inspections. They also point out that the AKC often lobbies against legislation designed to protect the rights of animals, fearing stricter laws might result in a decrease in AKC registration fees – a percentage of which come from questionable breeders and puppy mill operators.

In the last few years, a number of breeding kennels that passed AKC inspection have subsequently been raided by law enforcement and the owners charged with animal cruelty. Many people who acquire a purebred dog believe the AKC “stamp of approval” means their pet is healthy and of a certain quality. In reality, the only thing AKC registration papers insure is that both parents of your dog are also registered.

In addition to rubber stamping kennel inspections, the AKC also actively lobbies against proposed legislation intended to improve conditions for dogs in breeding kennels.

Reputable breeders, dog owners, animal protection groups, law enforcement agencies and lawmakers are increasingly speaking out against the AKC’s policies and practices.”  Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/05/15/akc-under-critic.aspx

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AKC failing to protect dogs?

“Choosing a dog can be a challenging task, and though there are many shelters and rescue organizations with dogs that need homes, some people choose to go through a breeder thinking that they they are more likely to get a healthy dog and know more about it’s history.  For this, a great many people rely on the American Kennel Club (AKC) for breeder recommendations, operating under the assumption that when the AKC endorses a breeder it means that breeder is taking excellent care of their dogs, following a high health standard, and indeed breeding healthy animals.

Evidence is mounting that this is not the case at all, that in fact certification by the AKC means very little, except that the breeder in question has paid a a fee to the AKC.  When Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States was asked whether seeing “AKC approved” on a breeders website or facility meant you were getting a healthy, humanely raised dog he said this ”Absolutely not. It really is just a piece of paper without any value for dog welfare.”

So, when it comes time to add a canine to your family, do the research as you would for any large purchase. Even though a dog doesn’t cost as much as a car or a house, it is a family member.  Check out the facility yourself, talk to people who have gotten dogs from that breeder, and if the breeder won’t share information or let you tour the kennels, think twice about getting a dog from them.”

More at: http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2013/05/akc-under-fire-for-protecting-bad-breeders/

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Rescue Dogs.

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Wildlife Conservation Groups Join Fight to Ban d-CON Rat Poisons.

Manufacturer rejected safeguards against accidental poisonings

April 29, 2013   Washington, D.C. —   “Today, conservation groups took legal action to support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) efforts to ban sales of several harmful rodenticides.

Gray fox suffering from rodenticide poisoning.
(Courtesy of WildCare by Melanie Piazza)

“American Bird Conservancy, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club, represented by the public-interest law firm Earthjustice, filed a motion to intervene in landmark administrative proceedings before the U.S. EPA.

The rodenticides at issue, marketed by multinational conglomerate Reckitt Benckiser LLC, under the brand name “d-CON,” do not comply with safety measures established by EPA in 2008 to protect children, wild animals, and pets from accidental poisoning.

“Reckitt Benckiser profits at the expense of American natural heritage,” said Greg Loarie, an attorney at Earthjustice representing the groups seeking to intervene, “We will do everything we can to support EPA’s decision to ban these poisons.”  More at: http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2013/wildlife-conservation-groups-join-fight-to-ban-d-con-rat-poisons

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Wild Horse Roundups Draw Accusations of Cruelty

“The Bureau of Land Management has countered these criticisms by claiming that the roundups are indeed necessary to control horse populations and prevent overgrazing of the land. They say the horse population doubles every four years, and the roundups are required to thin the herds. But Suzanne Roy, director of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, says that wild horse overpopulation is a BLM-created myth, that overgrazing is due to livestock like sheep and cattle, not horses.”  Watch this report to learn more.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2012/06/18/exp-jvm-horse-roundup-update.hln

And Willie Nelson talks about it, too:

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2012/06/19/exp-jvm-willie-nelson-horses.hln

From: http://www.pawnation.com/2013/05/14/wild-horse-roundups-draw-accusations-of-cruelty/

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Conservation Groups Notify USDA of ESA Violations Related to Arkansas Swine Facility

Protecting America's First National River May 6, 2013 Mount Judea, AR —

“Animal waste from factory farm could jeopardize endangered species, contaminate America’s first national river:

A coalition of conservation and citizen groups sent a notice of intent to sue today to the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding its Farm Service Agency’s loan guarantee for an industrial 6,500-pig swine facility on the banks of a tributary that flows straight into the Buffalo National River—an action that was not properly examined and may violate the Endangered Species Act. The facility, C&H Hog Farms, is under contract with Cargill, an international producer and marketer of agricultural products.

Buffalo National River.  (NPS)

Designated in 1972 by President Richard Nixon as America's first national river, the Buffalo National River travels freely for 135 miles and is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48 states. The river watershed is home to over 300 species of fish, insects, freshwater mussels, and aquatic plants, including the endangered snuffbox mussel, the endangered Gray bat, and the endangered Indiana bat. A popular camping, canoeing, and fishing destination, the Buffalo National River attracts more than one million visitors a year.

“This factory farm will produce massive quantities of waste just six miles from the Buffalo River, and that waste will be spread on land that is right next to one of the Buffalo’s major tributaries,” said Emily Jones, Senior Program Manager, Southeast Region at National Parks Conservation Association. “We are talking about one of the most beautiful areas in the country. To think that our government would allow this hog factory in the watershed without examining its impacts is unconscionable.”  More at: http://earthjustice.org/our_work/cases/2013/protecting-america-s-first-national-river

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Maybe more people ought to go by the Bible.  Leviticus 11:7-8 forbids eating pork:

Joel Osteen teaches Christians clean/unclean foods! No pork!

Here is the reason why God instructed us not to eat pork or unclean foods:

“Pig's bodies contain MANY TOXINS, WORMS and LATENT DISEASES. Although some of these infestations are harbored in other animals, modern veterinarians say that pigs are far MORE PREDISPOSED to these illnesses than other animals. This could be because PIGS like to SCAVENGE and will eat ANY kind of food, INCLUDING dead insects, worms, rotting carcasses, reta (including their own), garbage, and other pigs.”

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On This Day:

Vasco da Gama reaches India, May 20, 1498:

“Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama becomes the first European to reach India via the Atlantic Ocean when he arrives at Calicut on the Malabar Coast.

Da Gama sailed from Lisbon, Portugal, in July 1497, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and anchored at Malindi on the east coast of Africa. With the aid of an Indian merchant he met there, he then set off across the Indian Ocean. The Portuguese explorer was not greeted warmly by the Muslim merchants of Calicut, and in 1499 he had to fight his way out of the harbor on his return trip home. In 1502, he led a squadron of ships to Calicut to avenge the massacre of Portuguese explorers there and succeeded in subduing the inhabitants. In 1524, he was sent as viceroy to India, but he fell ill and died in Cochin.”

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Levi Strauss patents copper-riveted jeans, May 20, 1873:

“Acting at the behest of a Reno, Nevada, tailor who had invented the idea, Levi Strauss secures the necessary patents for canvas pants with copper rivets to reinforce the stress points.

Born in Buttenheim, Bavaria, in 1829, the young Levi Strauss emigrated to the United States in 1847. Strauss initially went into business selling dry goods along the East Coast, but in 1852, his brother-in-law encouraged him to relocate to the booming city of San Francisco. He arrived in San Francisco in 1853 with a load of merchandise that he hoped to sell in the California mining camps. Unable to sell a large supply of canvas, Strauss hit on the idea of using the durable material to make work pants for miners. Strauss' canvas pants were an immediate success among hardworking miners who had long complained that conventional pants wore out too quickly.

In 1872, Strauss received a letter from Jacob Davis, a customer and tailor who worked in the mining town of Reno, Nevada. Davis reported that he had discovered canvas pants could be improved if the pocket seams and other weak points that tended to tear were strengthened by copper rivets. Davis' riveted pants had proven popular in Reno, but he needed a patent to protect his invention. Intrigued by the copper-riveted pants, Strauss and his partners agreed to undertake the necessary legal work for the patent and begin large-scale production of the pants. Davis' invention was patented on this day in 1873. In exchange for his idea, Strauss made the Reno tailor his production manager. Eventually, Strauss switched from using canvas to heavyweight blue denim, and the modern "blue jeans" were born.

Since then, Levi Strauss & Company has sold more than 200 million pairs of copper-riveted jeans. By the turn of the century, people outside of the mining and ranching communities had discovered that "Levi's" were both comfortable and durable. Eventually, the jeans lost most of their association with the West and came to be simply a standard element of the casual American wardrobe.”

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Street in front of the White House closed to traffic, May 20, 1995:

“On this day in 1995, to the likely dismay of Washington, D.C.-bound road trippers hoping for a glimpse of the presidential residence through their car windows, President Bill Clinton permanently closes the two-block stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House to all non-pedestrian traffic as a security measure.

Other options--including stopping traffic at checkpoints at either end of the compound or limiting traffic to cars and small trucks--were ultimately rejected as impractical, and likely to create an even more unwelcoming atmosphere than closing the road entirely. As officials in favor of closure pointed out, the areas near Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street (the home of Britain's prime minister) had long been closed to vehicular traffic for security reasons.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went to get Jay, and had our walk down there.  Jay put the white Tuftex Deckdrain roofing over the screen porch, but as it isn’t translucent, it makes my living room dark.

Ray and I bleach-washed all the surfaces and items in my little bathroom where Roni’s mama cat and her kittens had been.  Mama had even scattered all the things out of the medicine chest.  The 4’ window sill in there looks very bare, as the only things that the mama cat didn't break are the two big steins.  The carriers that had been used to transport them to their new dwelling, had been returned, so they had to be disinfected, too.  Being a foster mom, I have to disinfect anywhere that non-vet checked animals have been, to protect my fosters.

I am feeling a bit better, and not losing my breath like before, but I will try to get to the doctor today.

Feast of Pentecost. Inherent Beliefs. Blessed Are the Poor. The Power of God in Your Life. Species Protection. Smart ForTwo Car.

 

For “Scripture Sunday”:

The Feast of Pentecost and Its Meaning For All Mankind

This year, the Feast of Harvest is this weekend.

“Pentecost has three different names. Those names point to different aspect of what the day means.

The Feast of Harvest

The Feast of Weeks

The Feast of Pentecost

All three names above apply to the same Holy Day or Feast! Why is that?

There is always good reason behind what God does. With a short review of the meaning behind the names mentioned above, we will get a deeper understanding of God’s intention’s about that day and its implications for all humanity.

It might sound simple, but God has a plan. It was determined from the very beginning of time. The book of Revelation states as much when it says, “the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8 See All...).

The Passover begins this plan with the shedding of an innocent lamb’s blood. Ancient Israel daubed this blood on the door posts and lintel. This was a sign of protection that spared the life of the firstborn child (Exodus 12:29-30 [29] And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. [30] And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. See All...).

Following this comes the seven Days of Unleavened Bread. During these seven days, there was a very special event that has a great deal to do with the resurrection of Jesus and the giving of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. It’s a day when a special offering was made called “the wave sheaf offering” (Leviticus 23:9-12 [9] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
[10] Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
[11] And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
[12] And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. See All...).

Three things stand out about this offering. First, it was a sheaf made from the firstfruits of the early barley harvest (v.10). Second, a sheaf of this harvest was to be waved before the LORD to be acceptable to him (v.11). Third, it was to be accompanied with a sacrifice of a lamb without blemish. This was the early barley harvest. The first ripe barley was harvested and waved before the LORD to be acceptable to him.

How do these three things apply to observing this festival today?

God’s plan of salvation for humanity begins with the forgiveness of sin. First is the Passover Lamb. Jesus fulfilled this sacrifice—He is the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. See All...).

Second, the ripe barley represented the first of the harvest presented to God by the priest. Jesus was the embodiment of this sheaf—which was the very first ripe grain of the firstfruits of the harvest—when He was resurrected and ascended to God the Father (1 Corinthians 15: 20-23). When Mary saw Jesus after His resurrection, John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;  See All... records that Jesus said, “Do not touch Me for I have not yet ascended to My Father.”

Third, it has to be acceptable. Jesus, being sinless and perfect His entire life, was an acceptable offering to God.

Fifty Days Later—The Feast of Weeks or Harvest

“The Feast of Weeks of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest” (Exodus 34: 22) is represented in the later harvest after the early barley harvest. Today, we recognize this day as Pentecost, which is the Greek name for it. It is a Holy Day and is described in Leviticus 23:15-22 See All....  This time the first ripe grain of the later wheat crop was cut and waved before God by the priest. This was also a firstfruit offering, which was holy to the LORD. God’s people are called firstfruits (James 1:18 See All..., Revelation 14:4 See All...). It’s fitting then that God gave His Holy Spirit—which is His guarantee of resurrection to eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:5 See All...)—to His Church on this Feast of Harvest.

Notably, in Leviticus 23:22 See All..., God ends the description of this Feast of Weeks with the instructions to Israel to leave the corners of their fields un-harvested for the poor to eat. Everyone is included in the meaning of this day.

This year, the Feast of Harvest is this weekend.”

From: http://www.ucg.org/doctrinal-beliefs/feast-pentecost-and-its-meaning-all-mankind/    Article by Arthur Suckling

Read a more in-depth explanation of this Holy Day and its symbolism here.

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Inherent Beliefs

“One of the most important things I’ve learned in my three years of marriage is that everyone has grown up learning different ways to do daily tasks: washing the dishes, doing the laundry, folding clothes, etc. I had to learn that my husband’s way of folding a t-shirt is just as effective as mine. In fact, his way actually saved some time. So I put my pride aside and quickly learned a more effective way to get laundry done. This is a simple example of how learning something new can actually be good, even though it’s not the way I was raised.

When it’s simply a difference in how our t-shirts are folded, changes don’t seem that big of a deal. However, there are things we might have been taught growing up that could potentially keep us from personal growth. This concept occurred to me as viewers have been calling in to the front desk here at UCG after seeing the recent Beyond Today episode “Has Religion Lied to You?”, which challenges the doctrine of the Trinity. Are we afraid to look at the hard questions that come up when they question our long-held beliefs?

The book Is God a Trinity? states, “Most people assume that everything that bears the label ‘Christian’ must have originated with Jesus Christ and His early followers. But this is definitely not the case. All we have to do is look at the words of Jesus Christ and His apostles to see that this is clearly not true” (page 11) . It’s difficult to realize that what we have learned from our parents, society, or mainstream Christian churches might not be what the Bible actually teaches. Are we willing to start proving what we believe from the Bible?

I’ve learned over the past couple of weeks that the answer is sometimes no. When some start to see that the Bible does not support ideas that they’ve grown up with, such as the celebration of Easter, or the belief in the Trinity, I’ve been confronted with statements like, “I’m not comfortable going against what I’ve always been taught” or “I don’t want to become more confused by adding in a different idea that goes against what I think.” I realize this isn’t easy. I realize it takes a lot of faith and perseverance to find the truth.

2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” This says scripture is profitable for correction when what we’ve always been taught goes against what the Bible teaches. When we read a verse that points out a flaw in our behavior, attitude or something we’ve learned, do we read over it or take time to look into how we might need to change?

Personal growth can only come from realizing the flaws in ourselves or our beliefs and making a commitment to becoming more like Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.” In order to have the same mind of Christ, we need to allow God’s Spirit to work in us to make the changes in our lives and overcome the fear of personal evaluation.”    From: http://www.ucg.org/blog/inherent-beliefs/ by Whitney Creech

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Blessed Are the Poor

 

“An Amazing Fact: The richest man in the world is Mexican-born Carlos Slim Helú. At age 71, he is worth an estimated $74 billion, surpassing Bill Gates at $53 billion.

Born to Lebanese parents in Mexico, Helú made his fortunes in telecommunications. He is chairman of Telmex, a Mexican phone company that controls 80 percent of the landlines in the country. Helú is so wealthy that his net worth is equivalent to over seven percent of Mexico’s GDP.

Perhaps what is most remarkable about him, however, is his frugality. Though he is the richest man in the world, he still lives in the same modest six-bedroom house that he has resided in for more 30 years. Not only this, even though kidnapping is prevalent in Mexico, he still drives himself to work.

Of course, most of us probably have the inclination to envy this man. Think of all the things we could do with only a fraction of his wealth! We have our wish lists that contain all the toys we’d like to buy. We have our dream homes and our fantasy vacations.

Yet Jesus gave a stern warning to those who are wealthy and for those who covet wealth. After a young man came to Jesus, asking Him what he had to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give his money to the poor. The young man turned away sorrowful, however, because he was too attached to his toys.

 
It was then that Jesus declared that it “is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:25). Key Text: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  - Matthew 5:3

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The program on WGN TV this morning:

Pentecost: The Power of God in Your Life

“Are you stuck in the rut of this world? Christ offers you spiritual power that can transform your life.”

Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-program/christian-living/pentecost-power-god-your-life

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On This Day:

The early years of species protection, May 19, 1715:

“The colony of New York passes a law making it illegal to "gather, rake, take up, or bring to the market, any oysters whatsoever" between the months of May and September. This regulation was only one of many that were passed in the early days of America to help preserve certain species. In recent years, endangered species laws have been enacted in order to criminalize poaching for the protection of animals. However, earlier versions of these laws were more concerned with insuring that hunters would have a steady supply of game.

In 1699, Virginia passed a law to prevent people from shooting deer during half the year and Massachusetts made criminals out of those who exported raccoon furs or skins from the state in 1675.

Fish and game laws were not restricted to the East, though. After the near extinction of the buffalo (it is estimated that many millions of these animals were killed during the western expansion of the mid-to-late 1800s), it became a felony to kill buffalo anywhere across the country.”

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Smart launches U.S. road show to introduce its microcar, May 19, 2007:

“Los Angeles, California, is the first stop on a cross-country road show launched on this day in 2007 by Smart USA to promote the attractions of its "ForTwo" microcar, which it had scheduled for release in the United States in 2008.

The cross-country road show that began in May 2007 allowed consumers in 50 cities nationwide to test-drive the ForTwo. On each stop on the tour, a large truck served as a mobile exhibit dedicated to the microcar, complete with interactive displays and virtual demonstrations. As Dave Schembri, president of Smart USA, put it: "The Smart ForTwo is all about urban independence and freeing people from the constraints of city driving." Under normal driving conditions, the ForTwo was designed to achieve 40 plus miles per gallon. The show was presumably a success: By September 2007, according to an article in MarketWatch, Smart USA said it had already received more than 30,000 registrations from potential buyers. The FortTwo went on sale in the United States in January 2008, at prices ranging from around $12,000 to around $21,000.”

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Yesterday:

My daughter and I had our Saturday morning phone call, and she is overjoyed that a German Shepherd dog that they have loved for over 2 years, is now theirs. His previous owner, who is away a lot of the time, realized just how much “Shep” loved my daughter and her family, and gave him to them.  He is 114lb, but he is heartworm positive, so they have to get him treated for that.

My two foster cats, Simba and Nila, are both settled down now, and eating well.

For some reason, I have been getting out of breath the last couple of days.  It started the day I groomed that big Collie, when I wore myself out. Yesterday morning, it was as much as I could do, just to tend to these three animals.  This is the time of year when it is humid, so everywhere I go the AC is turned so cold that it makes me shiver. I probably got bronchitis from going in and out of the stores.  I still have the breathing machine that was loaned me for my wonderful late Terry-cat, so I took the homemade cat mask off it, and put the people one on it. My neighbor, Shay brought me some liquid to put in it, and showed me how to use it. That helped quite a lot.

Then I felt well enough to drive to church, so Misty and I went to get Jay, and had a short walk down there.  Jay and I went all the way down the wiggle-waggle road that goes across country to the Conroe church’s morning service.  We didn’t get there early enough for Bible Study.  The sermon was about “This Is My Bible”,  and there was no potluck there this week, so we were home fairly early.

By the time I had some lunch, it was definitely a nap day.