Easter

Yesterday was Easter and Paula and Nadia organized a kids club type activity day at the new home here in Cuernavaca. They had pool games, painted eggs and some treasure hunts involving prizes for the kids. Here's a couple photos from the day.

Alex and Adrian playing a pool game.

Alex painting eggs.

Adrian painting eggs.

Cielito getting the eggs ready for painting.

Me, doing what I do best.

HB2Y Jason

Happy Birthday Bro, I hope and pray that this year is a good one for you with progress in all areas. Thanks for all you have done for me and the help you have been over the years. I'll see you soon!

The Country of Texas

DISCLAIMER: I got the following email from a friend of mine living in Texas and having been born and raised in Texas I found it quite funny. This is not however a political statement of mine or something I believe in, just an email for a good laugh.

THE COUNTRY of TEXAS

In case things get a little tough after Jan 2009

Please note that Texas is the only state with a legal right to secede from the Union. (Reference the Texas-American Annexation Treaty of 1848).

We Texans love y'all, but we'll probably have to take action since Barack Obama won the election. We'll miss you too.

Here is what can happen:

1: Barack Hussein Obama becomes President of the United States and Texas immediately secedes from the Union.

2: George W. Bush will become the President of the Republic of Texas. You might not think that he talks too pretty, but we haven't had another terrorist attack, and the economy was fine until the effects of the Democrats lowering the qualifications for home loans came to roost.

So what does Texas have to do to survive as a Republic?

1. NASA is just south of Houston, Texas . We will control the space industry.

2. We refine over 85% of the gasoline in the United States.

3. Defense Industry--we have over 65% of it. The term "Don't mess with Texas ," will take on a whole new meaning.

4. Oil - we can supply all the oil that the Republic of Texas will need for the next 300 years. What will the other states do? Gee, we don't know. Why not ask Obama?

5. Natural Gas - again we have all we need and it's too bad about those Northern States. John Kerry and Al Gore will have to figure out a way to keep them warm....

And don't forget that Texas - unlike the other 47 Contiguous States has its own Electrical Power Grid. No power outages here!

6. Computer Industry - we lead the nation in producing computer chips and communications equipment -small companies like Texas Instruments, Dell Computer, EDS, Raytheon, National Semiconductor, Motorola, Intel, AMD, Atmel, Applied Materials, Ball Misconduct, Dallas Semiconductor, Nortel, Alcatel, etc, etc. The list goes on and on.

7. Medical Care - We have the research centers for cancer research, the best burn centers and the top trauma units in the world, as well as other large health centers. The Houston Medical Center alone employees over 65,000 people.

8. We have enough colleges to keep us getting smarter: University of Texas, Texas AM, Texas Tech, Texas Christian, Rice, SMU, University of Dallas , University of Houston , Baylor, UNT (University of North Texas ), Texas Women's University, etc. Ivy grows better in the South anyway.

9. We have an intelligent and energetic work force, and it isn't restricted by a bunch of unions. Here in Texas, it's a Right to Work State and, therefore, it's every man and women for themselves. We just go out and get the job done. And if we don't like the way one company operates, we get a job somewhere else.

10. We have essential control of the paper, plastics, and insurance industries, etc.

11. In case of a foreign invasion, we have the Texas National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, and several military bases. We don't have an Army, but since everybody down here has at least six rifles and a pile of ammo, we can raise an Army in 24 hours if we need one. If the situation really gets bad, we can always call the Department of Public Safety and ask them to send over the Texas Rangers.

12. We are totally self-sufficient in beef, poultry, hogs, and several types of grain, fruit and vegetables, and let's not forget seafood from the Gulf. Also, everybody down here knows how to cook them, so that they taste good. Don't need any food.

13. Three of the ten largest cities in the United States, and twenty-three of the 100 largest cities in the United States, are located in Texas. And Texas also has more land than California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Vermont combined.

14. Trade: Three of the ten largest ports in the United States are located in Texas.

15. We also manufacture cars down here, but we don't need to. You see, nothing rusts in Texas, so our vehicles stay beautiful and run well for decades.

16. Most importantly, we have the Dallas Cowboys!! America's team with 5 Super Bowl Championships.

This just names a few of the items that will keep the Republic of Texas in good shape. There isn't a thing out there that we need and don't have.

Now to the rest of the United States under President Obama:

Since you won't have the refineries to get gas for your cars, only President Obama will be able to drive around in his big 9 mpg SUV. The rest of the United States will have to walk or ride bikes.

You won't have any TV as the Space Center in Houston will cut off satellite communications.

You won't have any natural gas to heat your homes, but since Mr. Obama has predicted global warming, you will not need the gas as long as you survive the 2000 years it will take to get enough heat from Global Warming.

Signed, The People of Texas

P.S. This is not a threatening letter - just a note to give you something to think about!

SLEEP WELL TONIGHT THE EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU!!

''Life's tough......it's even tougher if you're stupid.''
-- John Wayne

Seven Pounds

I don't usually put up posts about movies as it is such a touchy topic with some. Some people are very strict in what they see others have no guidelines at all. So to recommend or not recommend a movie can become a fast way to paint a target on your back from either side. So by not posting about movies you can avoid the whole issue.

Today I am stepping out of the norm to recommend the movie Seven Pounds with Will Smith in the leading role. If I had to give an age recommendation I would put it at YA's and up maybe Sr Teen if seen with a Shep and really discussed. The movie has certain elements that we don't promote as a Family in general. And that is the extent of my disclaimer.

I have not watch a movie in the past few years that had a bigger impact on me, a movie that really got me thinking about my life, what I am doing for others and the reasons I am doing it for. Each one of us wants to have a life that counts, that makes a difference and one that would really affect the world, even if that world is only a handful of people. The choices that are made in this movies shows how each life can touch another, how each decision makes a difference and how we influence others.

If you want to see a movie that will make you ask the Lord if you are doing what you can, a movie that will bring a tear (or many) to your eye yet at the same time bring warmth of a life touched, changed and saved. Then I would recommend this movie.

This is not a movie to go into lightly for entertainment as it will make you ask of yourself,

"What am I doing with my life?"

I hope that when all is said and done and my umber is called, I hope I can say that I have done all that I could and that I gave all that I had.

April Fools Day

Today passed uneventful enough, maybe because I am usually the one playing the tricks and pranks on people and it has just been way to busy lately for me to plan anything that would be good and interesting.

One of my all time favorites pranks from the past though was BBC's spoof broadcast of growing spaghetti from trees in Italy and Switzerland. I ran across the article a few years back but looked it up again for you all. You can find the article about it along with the video that originally aired by clicking on this link.

Life Before Computers

Click to Enlarge.

Chemistry

Click to Enlarge.

The Ol' Cowboy

An old cowboy sat down at the Starbucks and ordered a cup of coffee. As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him.

She turned to the cowboy and asked, 'Are you a real cowboy?'

He replied, 'Well, I've spent my whole life breaking colts, working cows, going to rodeos, fixing fences, pulling calves, bailing hay, doctoring calves, cleaning my barn, fixing flats, working on tractors, and feeding my dogs, so I guess I am a cowboy.'

She said, 'I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women. When I shower, I think about women. When I watch TV, I think about women I even think about women when I eat. It seems that everything makes me think of women.'

The two sat sipping in silence.

A little while later, a man sat down on the other side of the old cowboy and asked, 'Are you a real cowboy?'

He replied, 'I always thought I was, but I just found out that I'm a lesbian.'

Good Guys

Just a random photo of Chris Brown, Philly Dee and I from the fellowship we had at the Family Birthday Party.

Self Motivation

I saw this video clip over on Angelina's blog of a little girls technique of self motivation. You should give it a try sometime esp if you feel like quitting.

Ange I hope you don't mind I borrowed the video without asking first, it's for the benefit of the world. Ha!

Tomorrow is...

...Friday the 13th.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia - or the fear of Friday the 13th is a very real problem for some. I personally think I am not very superstitious, but Ali (of Nathan) thinks I am. In seeing we have 3 Fridays that fall on the 13th this year, February, March and November I did a little looking into the origins of the supposed unluckiness of the day.

With the complete variety of the origins you have stories ranging from as far back as the Garden of Eden to as late as the book Friday the 13th about an economic crash written in the early 1900's. Some say it started with Norse Gods and others with the Last Supper. No matter where the story began the thing they all have in common is that Friday and the number 13 are unlucky, so combining them together and it's even worse.

Here's an excerpt of some of the superstitions taken from an article on UrbanLegands:

LEGEND HAS IT: If 13 people sit down to dinner together, one will die within the year. The Turks so disliked the number 13 that it was practically expunged from their vocabulary (Brewer, 1894). Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. Many buildings don't have a 13th floor. If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck (Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names). There are 13 witches in a coven. Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams. Don't start a trip on Friday or you will have misfortune. If you cut your nails on Friday, you cut them for sorrow. Ships that set sail on a Friday will have bad luck – as in the tale of H.M.S. Friday ... One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell once and for all the widespread superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky. A special ship was commissioned, named "H.M.S. Friday." They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday, and was never seen or heard from again.

Studies have been conducted to see if there are more traffic accidents on Friday the 13th compared to other Fridays. Some show that more people stay home on that day due to superstitions so there are actually less traffic accidents reported, so driving should be safer. At the same time, studies have shown that there are more hospital admissions due to traffic accidents on Fridays that fall on the 13 than on other Fridays. One such study showed an increase of 52%.

Even my accident where I got hit by a taxi was on Friday the 13th, in July of 2007. For that story read the post by clicking here.

I will conclude this post by saying, Stay close to the Lord, claim the keys and you will be okay on any day of the week even if it is Friday the 13th.

Building

While I was gone on my trip, back at home a team was sent for nearly a week to San Bartolo to help improve some of the villagers houses. Additions of rooms were added to 4 houses during that time. Here are a few photos from the team that went.

Fran adding the last nails, with Gabo good Mexican laborer that he is, looking on.

Phil, the Foreman adding the last piece.

Isreal, Fran and Gabo with one of the families who received an addition to their makeshift home.

Home

Adrian in the truck, he is a good traveler.

Just got home with Adrian, who will be with me here in Mexico til mid August. We are looking forward to the time we will have as well as me learning how to do his school. This is the first time I have been able to have him while he is working through his normal school year. It will be fun and we will make progress.

She's Gone

Yes Folks, she really is gone. My good good friend Celeste has answered the Lord's call in her life in a ministry that most of us could never do. We have been through a lot over the past decade, through each stage she has been a friend ready to help, through my highs and lows, my good times and bad times, she always had the guts and conviction to call it how she saw it even when I was the one out of it. And despite it all her friendship and love remained strong and true.

Cel, each one of us (your friends) who had the chance to live, work with or be friends with you have been most richly blessed.

You will be missed!!

E-Spresso

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