1) Visit Israel – Turkey – Greece – Italy – Germany to explore Christian roots

2) Visit Norway – Scotland – Ireland – England to explore my Ancestral roots.

3) Visit each State… 26 down.

4) Cruise the Inland Passage.

5) Take Antarctic Cruise.

6) Visit every Major League ballpark.

7) Spend the entire Spring Training in AZ.

8) Spend 1 month in a war zone.

9) One 3 month deployment on a Trident submarine.

10) Take a trip with Anthony Bourdain.

FOOD:

11) Eat Lutefisk

12) Make sausage out of a whole cow… like everything but the moo!

13) Make Dinner for a President.

14) Get cooking lessons from Iron Chef Michael Symons.

15) To own my very own Bistro.

16) Eat Durian with Andrew Zimmern.

17)  Do a Dinner Impossible with Robert Irvine.

18) Have a Dinner Critiqued by Gordon Ramsey.

19) Try out for The Next Food Network Star.

20) A Throw Down with Bobby Flay

ADVENTURE:

21) Learn to fly.

22) Jump out of a plane: Yes with a parachute.

23) Climb Mt Rainier.

24) Stand on roof of Space Needle.

25) One at bat with Felix Hernandez pitching.

26) Niagara Falls and a barrel.

27) Drive an Indy car.

28) Blow something up. (Legally)

29) Cross US – Mexico border illegally.

30) Fly in a Space craft.

  PERSONAL:

31) Finally conquer Greek and Hebrew.

32) Get a Doctorate.

33) Write my autobiography.

34) Write my commentary of the Bible.

35) Learn Spanish – Mandarin – German

36) Write my Diet/Cookbook.

37) Run for President of US.

38) Pay for my Mom to take New Zealand – Australia trip.

39) Write a book, that gets published.

40) Run a marathon.

SPIRITUAL:

41) Be absolutely prepared for Martyrdom.

42) Be absolutely prepared for any ministry.

43) Hit the tape with every last ounce of energy spent.

44) Keep eyes focused on Christ.

45) Plant a Church from the ground up.

46) Preach just once at a Large Gathering.

47) PRAY MORE.

48) Memorize one verse from each book of Bible.

49) Spend one year in Mehalt, Romania assisting Pastor Daniel Petrut.

50) See more of my family saved by Grace alone through Faith alone because of Christ alone that they may use Scripture alone and give Glory to God alone.

2) I can reasonably expect 20 more good years left to accomplish the work God has put me here for.

3) I’m Pre-Trib and Pre-Millennial… So I don’t expect to have another 20 years before Jesus returns.

4) AARP hasn’t sent me my application yet. I’m fine with that since I do not want my old age to be about being a whiney liberal sniveling for more government handouts.

5) I have noticed that the people who don’t like me speaking my mind are the ones who think that I should have to listen and accept all their silly meanderings.

6) BTW… I am a CURMUDGEON, not that four letter word you would substitute it for

7) Bob Dylan’s Slow Train Coming album is possibly the best Christian album of all time.

8) Losing My Religion by REM is one of my worship songs… it perfectly expresses the utter  vulnerability I have before the Holiness of God.

9) I’ve seen way too many Christians fret, moan, pout over music selection, young and old alike. If you don’t like the song… praise God for the hearts it does touch.

10) Just in case you wonder: My favorite worship music for Church is one man-one guitar leading us through the hymnal balanced with contemporary songs. The Christian expression is to vast to be stuck in certain decades.

11) I pray a lot and never enough.

12) I wonder why Christian churches do not relate Ezekiel 23:20 to their own attitudes towards God?

13) The US has never acknowledged Christ as Lord and Savior, therefore we have never been a “Christian” nation.

14) Our founders acknowledged a generic God who is creator and sustainer. The US acknowledge that we are a nation religious in nature and the 1st Amendment is there to protect that.

15) I love how so many people treat me as I am stupid/dumb when my IQ is greater than about 97% of them.

16) Yes I am smart enough to understand that my intelligence has not always shown in wisdom!

17) My biggest career mistake was in not taking advantage of the Army’s offer to educate and train me for any career I wanted. My ASVAB test scores were high enough for any field.

18) My greatest scholastic mistake was in not finishing HS with good grades… I had the ability to do 4.0 work and test scores to get scholarships to any university. I should have kicked drugs, doubts and indecisiveness to the side.

19) My biggest business mistake was in not saving money. I’ve had many great ideas and no resources to make them happen

20) Other people’s opinions are like armpits: Everybody has a couple they usually stink and are best kept to themselves.

21) I’m old enough to be President… just saying.

22) My retirement plan is called Rapture… I can’t afford to quit anytime sooner.

23) I do have to admit the atheists I know are smarter than the Christians I know; but not by that much.

24) My best boss was a woman. Betty Ketchum. I never had to guess what she thought. She was very up front.

25) The worst was a male lawyer who owned motel franchise. It was all quite legal and yet so unethical.

26) Bosses Dave and Jackie Cotton showed me the meaning of Grace and Mercy. While I deserved to be arrested and punished they attempted to bless me with needed help and concern. Yes in another show of lack of wisdom I didn’t take their help

27) I hate to say this but most church elders I have seen really aren’t.

28) Deacon’s should be seen and not heard. <seriously think about that one for awhile>

29) When did We the People turn into We the Political Parties???

30) The National Anthem should be changed to Rockin’ in the Free World

31) Like a Rolling Stone Dylan’s prophesy of America in this millennium???

32) American Pie best Rock song ever? I think so.

33) A bbq cook off should be in the Presidential Election process.

34) While we are at it  ALL US State Dinners should consist of BBQ Ribs, Mac n Cheese and Cole Slaw. Now that’s what America is about!

35) If Politicians were beers than Romney and Obama would be Miller Light. Tastes great – no – less filling! Neither are the Sam Adams we deserve to have :\ Having Budweiser the number one beer in America explains a lot about why except the politicians we do… Advertising over substance!

36)  No one would be happy if I stuck around for the next 50 years.

37) Go read Titus 3:4-8… I’ll wait!

38) It just may be time for citizen’s to arm themselves for a new revolution!

39) Most people who dislike #38 are more afraid to loose their toys and money than loosing their freedoms.

40) I don’t mind Obama care if they put heavy taxes on Alcohol, Tobacco, Processed foods, Sugar, Weight Loss pills, Soda Pop, Etc.

41) It wouldn’t take a lawyer to understand our laws IF we would stop electing lawyers to make them.

42)  Most American Christians will be mad when they find out that Jesus will not have elections in the Millennial Kingdom.

43) I would love to see 90% of voters this year write in NONE OF THE ABOVE… Obama would still win. But it would be nice to have to hear him say that he does NOT have a mandate from the people.

44) Since when is the Lesser of Two Evils an valid voting plan! Americans should tell the two parties that if all they got is Obama and Romney they need to go away until they have someone worth bringing to the table.

45) I love churches who complain that America has lost it’s Christian roots but still have the American flag on their alter to the Pastor’s right… In the position “superior” to their Christian flag. OOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPSSSSSS! Logic implosion.

46) Yes please check the US Flag Code that’s what it means.

47) Yes… By the way, I do love my country, but my primary citizenship is in Heaven

48) Some people say that I “just stir the pot”. Well I’ve seen what happens to pots that aren’t stirred. It may look great from the top; but the bottom is a mess of burnt sludge.

49) If I have offended you, please understand that I really ain’t sorry. I ain’t necessarily trying to… but some people have to be.

50) Jesus is a Sovereign Lord: Isaiah 40.

Dear Raj (owner of Texaco on Lincoln and First in Port Angeles, WA),

On March 27th my 17 year old son had someone buy this product at your store. He ended up in the emergency room at Olympic Medical Center. Thank-you not.

Your employee Cassandra says that you are the one who orders this product and that it is quite popular… In fact the person ahead of me in line bought some. Their conversation about it is what sent me over the edge. I was honestly not nice to her.

“Why” you may ask? Because I am not stupid nor do I appreciate BS.

She started to defend your sales because it is sold as an “incense” and is marked as Not For Human Consumption.

Her discussion with this other customer led me to understand that it is well known by your store that the buyers of this product are using it as a drug, not an incense. “Not for Human Consumption” wink-wink.

1) What this product highlights is it’s “Extremely High Potency”… This does not refer to it’s aroma. It is in reference to the high amount of synthetic THC. So much in fact that those who smoke it are like Dead Men Walking.

2) I’m not sure, but I think you are intelligent enough to understand that THC, synthetic or otherwise, is not necessary for incense.  It adds ZERO to the aroma… It’s only essential if it is to be used as a drug to get high.

3) You, I am sure, also understand that this synthetic THC is not naturally a part of the generic plant material used in it’s making. It is there because it is purposely added for it’s drug effects.

4) Also, I am pretty sure you know that since it came onto the market it has had several of the synthetic THCs banned… and is only barely legal since it uses one (or more) that hasn’t been prohibited yet.

Raj, please understand that I really hate such deception and manipulation…

When it comes to this kind of drug use you have the hallmark of substance abuse in being dishonest about what it is really used for.

You know, it’s one thing that my children are constantly being told that drug and alcohol use will make their lives better… It is another, entirely, when business people like yourself encourage them to be so deceitful about it.

So, Raj is the profit really that good? Is it worth it to keep selling this product even though young people will be vomiting charcoal at OMC?

One of these days there will be a parent that will have enough of a case to sue the profit out of you. To be honest, I will smile on that day.

For now I will just , almost, quietly go about to see if I can make your business have to publically acknowledge that you care more about a dollar than you care about being concerned for the youth of this community.

Good Luck,

Live Long and Prosper,

Douglas Lee Sr.

The title has already upset the Evangelical wing of America.

Please sit down and breathe in and out slowly. You will be OK in the end. (hint: read Revelation, Jesus Wins)
Supporters of SSM, you may join them. You need to relax too.

You all see, Scripture has plenty to say to each of us and is never a really good tool to validate that God loves our side more than theirs.

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (1 Co 5:9–13). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Church, can we at least honestly admit that Homosexuality has been the last of sexual sins that isn’t somewhat tolerated by the Church.
We have excused, by the millions, young couples that have been living together. Pornography is rampant in both men and women with not much more than a zealous finger wagging. Watch what young women wear to a Sunday service lately? How about Christian divorce rates? Yeah let’s not mention that.

So can we finally drop the moral superiority?

SSM proponents, will you do the same?

You should! Your moral claim is that marriage should be about two adults who love each other.

That sound you just heard was the crashing of your morality smashing headlong into the mean old wall of logic.

The line that SSM has just drawn is ultimately as arbitrary as the old line. You are just on the other side now, but have left many other people behind.

No, I am not discussing the so called slippery slope that will lead to polygamy and other such activities…

What I am confronting you with is that by your own logic they should be as legal as SSM. For you to have a moral and logical superiority you need to be less hypocritical than the Church.

You don’t have it.

What SSM proponents have is nothing more than a legal edge. Which is to say 51% of the vote?

That’s how it works in America. It is not about what’s right, it’s about majority.

And the Church is able to say that it’s not the end of the world…

The Church should be able to say “Congratulations on your legal victory”.

But, we do stumble when it comes to that! Why?

It comes down to definitions… What is marriage?

Submit one to another, in the fear of the Lord.” Ephesians 5:21

Actually the church and the SSM proponents have the same problems when it comes to defining it… They start with the word “right”.

This is where we all get into trouble. Marriage is not a personal right. Just read the rest of Ephesians 5, it is a relationship contractually based on each party obligating themselves to the total benefit of the other.

This is where the church needs to acknowledge that we have no superiority over SSM. The church has suffered huge failures in marriage, and truthfully cannot legitimately call outsiders to answer where we have failed.

So SSM please learn from our mistakes. You will not get any better results if you all focus on your own wants/needs. Selfishness ruins all marriages, to one degree or another.

Ultimately, the Church will accept that our society has granted a civil right to those we would disagree with. In time Pastors, and others, will start noticing that at the top of licenses there has always been a check mark for either Religious or Civil. And let’s face it; it’s a nice little side income for churches and clergy.

The worldly marriage of a man and a woman (in Ephesians 5) is to represent the spiritual union of Christ and his Church, so the only thing the church may not do is confer any Spiritual blessing(s).

The first thing we notice about this relationship is that it is Hetero, different. It is not a same as relationship. Any Civil Union that does not represent this is not a Spiritual Union.

But let’s not stop there!

We also see that wives are to Submit to their own husbands. Not men! Women are not to be submissive to men – a Wife is to submit to her husband. Nor should she be submissive to any man but her husband. She is to, by definition, willing place herself under her husband’s authority. Any Civil Union that does not represent this is not a Spiritual Union.

Men, our submission is further defined as Love. Not the give her wilting roses every so often thing. The word love is over used and so poorly defined.

This love is macho to the extreme. This love is about sacrifice.

It’s like the soldier who jumps on the grenade; or the agent who jumps between the President and an assassin’s gun.

Husbands who aren’t sacrificial have no Spiritual Union.

Every part of a marriage being a Spiritual Union has to do with the idea that husband and wife represent Christ and his Church. How close we are to matching this example is how spiritual our unions are.

1 Peter 3:7 Even tells husbands that God will listen and respond to us as we ourselves listen to our wives. When we see the words Weaker Vessel think of Ming Vase; something to be treated delicately because they are unique, priceless, deserving utmost respect and placed where it may be honored and admired by all.

So Church we can view SSM as either an attack or a wake-up call. We cannot stop everything the world wants. If our only advantage is the Hetero thing and we fail as much in the other areas we have no greater Spiritual Union than Homosexual marriages.

While the Church may not bless the civil unions of homosexuals, they are not our greatest enemy of marriage… We ourselves are!

TITUS 1:6-9 ESV  if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

1 TIMOTHY 3:1-7 ESV The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

       I Read the other night a facebook comment about there being no religious tests to be made for candidates. And as comments were given the idea that it is also bad for individuals to do the same was repeated.

      Hmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!???

      Of course I don’t want to agree with them!

      But, I have to ask: What would God through Scripture tell us about testing any candidate?

      I’m not sure but I have a feeling that those opposed to this kind of test would have to agree with at least some of these points. Who knows?

NOT a FOREIGNER – Deut. 17:15 Well that one is a given… and all candidates are compliant. Yes Birthers I know what you are thinking! Please just sit down and place hands over your mouths.

NOT a WARMONGER – Deut. 17:16 Kings accumulating horses had to do with military might. Not in protection as much as in conquest. God isn’t into expanding His kingdom through force. Even David, the one after God’s own heart, wasn’t allowed to build the temple because of this. I don’t believe that this is an issue with any candidate.

NOT a SKIRT CHASER – Deut. 17:17a Self explanatory, or should be. Cain and Gingrich have some difficulties here, and deserve to have points taken off due to this issue. Newt is especially troublesome with this. He just doesn’t sound like a man who is sorry for the hurt he has caused by this.

NOT a MONEY GRABBER – Deut. 17:17b It’s national SERVICE not business! Our whole system flunks this test.

CITIZEN FIRST / RULER SECOND - Deut. 17:18-20  Once again I believe our whole system flunks out on this. Our elected officials are quick to burden citizens with requirements that they exempt for themselves.

KNOWS the LAW – Deut. 17:18-20  If you can’t remember them all you have to many.

NO OPEN ACCUSATIONS – Titus 1:6  Herman Cain did the right thing by removing himself.

HOW’S THEIR FAMILY? – Titus 1:6b  Has the candidate raised their family well? This is where the conservatives will be mad at me… Barack Obama shows to be a wonderful Father with good standards for his children. Gingrich? Hmmmmm?

NOT ARROGANT, EASILY ANGERED, DRUNK, FORCEFUL, MONEY GRABBER – Titus 1:7  Most of these are already mentioned. Forceful? Someone who wants to make people do as they say.

HOSPITABLE – Titus 1:8  Someone who has brotherly love for people who are extremely different than themselves. How does a candidate deal with the opposing party? How does a candidate deal with gays, different religions, other nationalities, illegal immigrants, etc? God would choose one who deals with truth and compassion.

LOVER OF GOOD – Titus 1:8 Seeks to do what is BEST and MOST HONORABLE even when it is not expedient.

SELF-CONTROLED, UPRIGHT, HOLY, and DISCIPLINED – Titus 1:8  With the previous… Does the candidate show that they can do what’s right even if it’s against what their party/advisors endorse? Big job needs big shoulders.

INSTRUCTOR OF SOUND DOCTRINE – Titus 1:9  Calm down atheists. In the US sense someone who is able to teach the public with a Constitutional mind. Someone who would rather use differences to teach rather than win by force. Someone who refutes through the Constitution rather than through party loyalties.

      The trick with this is to hold each candidate to this and not just the other party. Democrats and Republicans surprisingly score similarly. That is because God is of neither party.

      God is interested in the Character of leaders much more than their political ideology.

I work as a call center for a major retailer, some advice

1) READING IS FUNdMENTAL: You are entering a legal contract when you purchase. Retailers have legal departments that write this stuff… There are exceptions and all kinds of details Shoppers tend to not know because they refuse to read more than the 1st line… Ignorance is no Excuse for the law

2) This is not Bait & Switch and other illegal advertising practices. Your silly accusations will not change the situation.

3) Retailers issue refunds at the time of cancellation… Your Bank and Credit card company may hold this refund up to 10 BUSINESS days before they put that refund into your account… Don’t scream at the retailer, call your bank.

4) Retailers have sent out record numbers of packages. This goes to say that there will be record amounts of problems. Sorry if you are one of those.

5) Shoppers also have a record number of returns. One major reason is buyers remorse of over spending… No offense but thank-you for contributing to the problem. Don’t have the money don’t hit the complete transaction button.

6) Retailer Greed: Yes greed is a problem with retailers trying to make a buck… And you spent 10 hrs on the phone trying to get an extra $5 off. Time, I figure, is worth $20 hr… so are you spending $200.00 to save $5? That’s greed also! Retailer greed is based upon the greed of the customer… that’s the greed that leads to most problems! Once again Thank-You for your contributions. PS: Jesus gave up his wealth that he may come and buy back those he loved from slavery, paying his all (His very life). Americans (even the conservative Christian types) Spend money they don’t have to buy someone they “love” something for the biggest discount possible, so as to not impact their own wants to much…. and then demand free shipping! (Total Disconnect)

7) Many Major problems with incorrect addressing on packages… It’s not the retailer’s fault you don’t know your address… Make sure you do it right the first time…

8) There ain’t no Magic Wands… things don’t change because you want them. They will change when we use a correct procedure to correct the problem… NO we can’t make an exception, everyone’s problems will be treated in the same way.

9) Emotionalism will not solve the problem… I understand that this is a Xmas present… that info doesn’t effect the solution… My computer system doesn’t really care if you are happy or sad, Sorry. Let’s keep to the pertinent facts. I can listen to your complaint or I can spend time solving the problem; which do you prefer? BTW Retailers are solving the issue as they said in the details (Go back to point 1)

10) Attitude is all important… This is just stuff… The happiest shoppers are the ones with the Xmas Spirit… Like the man in Florida buy 3 kids bikes for his church’s ministry to disadvantaged children… smiling through the order because he knew those kids would never know he was involved, and thanking the Lord for reaching out to them.

Best Buy cancels some Black Friday orders days before Christmas

blog.seattlepi.com

Some customers are still waiting to receive electronics purchased online in December and November, including some Black Friday specials.

To My Children, family and loved ones,

About the time I turned 30 I looked at my father and exclaimed that I had wished that I had listened to him while I was growing up. He asked why “what did I say that you should have listened too”? “I don’t know” I paused “I wasn’t listening”!

Yes, it was a bad joke (and an old one too).

But there was so much truth in it also.

On Sunday, October 20, 2002 our conversation ended…

Dad had a Heart attack on Monday evening.

Tuesday morning I got a call from mom… I know it’s important when mom calls. She doesn’t call to chitchat.

Dad had a heart attack and is going to be sent to Virginia Mason in Seattle for a heart catheter/angioplasty. That happened on Wednesday.

They determined that he needed some bypass’. This was done on Thursday morning.

Thursday evening he was sent to his room for the night. That’s when something happened. What exactly we don’t know…

Father was rushed back into surgery. Past the waiting room door. The look on the medical teams faces were not the kind you like when your parent is involved.

I still feel surreal when I remember Mom’s fear and pain. I had to hold her back from father so that the staff would be able to do their work.

Early Sunday morning… I got the call to come back to Seattle… it was time to remove the life support.

I had the opportunity to have 10 minutes alone with him.

“I wish I had listened”. “I’m not ready to be the ‘Man’ of the Family”.

Nine years later, I think I better understand what I was really trying to say…

“Dad, I know many things about you; but I feel like I know very little about who you are. I not sure what you felt about different things… I don’t know your favorite color… “

“What did you feel when your parents divorced”?

“Dad, what was it like to have lost two kids in tragic deaths”?

“Dad, how did you meet mom”?

“What were your dreams as a teenager”?

“What dreams did you have for me”?

I got just a taste before that week. just a taste.

The week before I was at an IFCA Conference in Lynnwood, when Trina called because CPS had been called about some rumors, asking me to get home ASAP.

I didn’t have my car there and didn’t want to be disruptive to those I was with.

So I called my father who dropped everything to come get me.

He shouldn’t have done so… He was instructed by his doctor to not drive much and not to drive far.

My dad was a stickler for the rules. More so than anyone I ever met.

He had higher rules, I guess that only he could understand (and sometimes only he could appreciate).

That ride between Lynnwood and Sequim was the first and definitely the last time I seen an opening into that heart and soul of the man.

He shared some of his thoughts on child raising. He shared some thoughts about my ministry and upcoming ordination. He shared that he felt ill-equipped to express spiritual matters. He shared regrets about not being more a part of his family’s lives…

At 30 – I should have listened

At 40 – I got a glimpse.

Now as I approach 50, I see that I need to do something for my children & grandchild (more to come???).

As my children are growing up and scattering I realize that I need to express my thoughts and feelings towards things. I need to let them know not just what I did, but why…

The reason I write is because I want to know who I am and I want for my family to know my heart and soul…

I hope you can say that they heard my heart! 

Love,

Dad

19 October 2011

1) The US dollar must go back to being tied to something of tangible value.

2) There will be an end to the two party system. Congress and Senate must be Non-Partisan.

3) Borders will be enforced. Illegal immigration will not be tolerated.

4) The US will develop a system for non-citizen workers to easily and affordably be documented to work in the US, while retaining privileges of citizenship solely to US citizens.

5) The US must live within a balanced budget of 105% of projected tax receipts.

6) Welfare and Social Security shall be reasonably phased out.

7) IRS codes will be reworked and simplified,and a flat tax for corporations and personal income shall be placed.

8) The US shall expedite energy research and development to end the need of foreign resources.

9) Legalization of Marijuana, with proper enforcement to minimize under-aged use.

10) Divesture of the power by the central government back to States and Local governments.

11) Acknowledging the civil right to marriage for Gays and Lesbians that does not interfere with the Religious rights of us opposed.

12) A Year of Jubilee shall be enforced where the debt of the private consumer shall be voided… and more stringent standards shall be placed to discourage over use of credit.