The College Politico has transferred! Click the picture to see the post... sorry about the inconvenience

There are many stories in the Bible we can all relate.  The story in Acts 3 is just one of many that says alot about the Apostle's Jesus left behind.  On the surface of the message, a miracle is told which shows the Apostles in a different light.  Now we will take these words we read and come at in from an entirely different direction.  Within these verses, we will see more than a physical disability, we will see our spiritual disability.  Let's take a journey together and dive into the deep mystery of God's Word.  With the help of the Spirit, watch as the truth unfolds before your very eyes.  I pray you will be touched by what you learn an dhunger to dive deeper still into God's hidden mysteries.  We will use the story told here to show how we all have one disability or another. 

Here, a man crippled from birth is physically carried to the temple gates to beg others to meet his physical needs, in the same way, we, as people, who are all spiritually crippled from birth are gently wooed daily to the foot of the cross.  The man is symbolic to each one of us.  Just as his physical handicap has hindered and limited his life, our spiritual handicap has hindered ours.  His handicap prevented him from walking.  Doesn't seem too serious until you look at how this one thing affects his life as a whole.  No longer is he independent of others.  He must now rely on the compassion of others to fulfill his vital needs.  Since he can't physically walk, he can't work.  No work means no provisions for himself or his family, but the disability doesnt stop there.  Now he is the talk of the town.  The town's views and perceptions have now changed.  Pity, ridicule, and even separation become apart of his daily life, not to mention, he is now looked upon with contempt, often being pushed to anonymity.  Does this sound spiritually familiar?

We are born full of sin.  As we walk in the world, we become polluted by its ways and by its thoughts.  Our sins open the door to our battleground in our mind.  We begin to deal with the repercussions of our lifestyles - depression, addictions, self-centeredness, separation, condemnation and more wage war inside us.  In the condition we are, we are no help to ourselves much less others around us.  Maybe we are not handicapped in a physical sense, but spiritually we are held hostage in our minds and hearts by the circumstances of our lives.  The mind controls our destiny, crippling us in the very spot we stand.  We, whether, we admit it or not are no different than the man here.

Everyday this man relied upon someone to carry him to a place where he would beg others for help.  What better place than at the gate of the temple?  What better people to ask than those who claim to be God's chosen?  God stood for love and compassion for our fellow brethren, right?  Yet, this very day would be one of great significance to us all, even today.  This very day, this man's life would change forever. His actions would now determine his destiny and he didn't even know it.  Sitting at the gate of the temple is where it all begins.

In the Old Testament times, it was the temple gate. Today it is the foot of the cross. Just like this man, everyday God carries and woos us to the foot of the cross.   Both places are a place of life-changing decisions.  Both places are a place where the choices you make determine your eternity.  The Bible says that as Peter and John attempted to enter the temple court, the crippled man asked them for money.  Peter and John could have easily reached into their pockets and given him exactly what he asked, but they didnt.  Looking straight at him, they demand the man's attention.  Why do you think they did that?  Though the Bible doesnt say, we can figure there was a reason, as we shall soon see.

The man's obedience to their request was the key to what would follow, but this wasn't the only key.  The Bible says that the man also expected something from Peter and John in return for his attention.  Now the Bible doesn't speak about Peter, John or this man's character or their faith, but we can believe that each played a significant role in what was about to happen.  Remember the Day of Pentacost had came and as promised the Holy Spirit rested upon the Apostles.  They were changed, bold, fearless, faithfilled men,  In faith and fully enabled by the Spirit, they perform a miracle, giving this man a gift from heaven - his healing.  In faith, the man not only received this gift, but believed enough for the miracle to come to fruition.  The amazing thing was, the Apostles showed love.  THey didn't stop at mere words, but reached down to help the man to stand.  Immediately faith and expectation resulted in manifestation.  What was once weak, now became strong. What was once crippled, now became restored.  Again, does this sound familiar? Spiritually crippled, God demands our attention to look to Him.  If we are obedient and do as He asks, we can expect Him to fulfill our request.  Though He has the power to give material riches, He gives a gift more priceless than that.  He reaches into the crippled parts of our minds and hearts, and helps us up.  Immediately, our spirits become strengthened, enabling us to rise, walk and praise His Holy Name.  What was the key?

The key was the choice to look to the Father, from where our help comes.  The key was our obedient faith to expect whatever comes our way.  The key was believing and receiving in faith the impossibilities.  When God woos us to the foot of the cross, we must choose to look, to accept, and to believe on Him.  He does the rest. He calls forth all we need.  He reaches down in compassion and love to help us rise again.  He empowers us, strengthens us and leads us back to Him.  We, in return, should give Him glory and praise as our handicaps are now our strengths.

Faithfilled expectations bring about life receiving manifestation of the Spirit.

The Umbrella Cane.

Good for the rain and good for the sun and good as a weapon when I become a master at Cane-fu fighting.

Or should I go for the sword cane?  Or would I just end up stabbing myself?

I do have one worry about Cane-fu fighting.  Are we going to see young kids carrying around canes because they make good weapons?  Will we see cane-fu fighting in the streets between the elderly cripples and young thugs?  I have to master this soon to protect myself.  The cane jab looks painful.

Here is a link to a hilarious video about senior cane-fu fighting.

"Cane-fighting converts say one of the best things about the cane is that it’s a legal weapon that can be carried anywhere, unconcealed. “No one will tell you can’t take it on an airplane,” says Victor Cushing, a 68-year-old who teaches women’s self-defense at the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania."

(Ganked from www.oddculture.com)

I also thought I should hang around festivals, theaters and events and hire myself out. I could even put an ad in the paper.  My clients would pay for my ticket and I would let them use my handicapped placard so they would get great parking and great seats.  I would get to see concerts and Imax movies for free. I wonder if that is illegal.  Lazy people might even want me to go on vacation with them. There are perks to being handicapped. Travel with me and people let you cut in line, you get great seats in restaurants.  The possibilities are endless. I just have a sneaking suspicion it's not very ethical. But then again once I master cane-fu fighting I can become a bodyguard.

That's why I seem to puzzle over two questions which seem to point at the way we view this immortality and the how in viewing it this way it seems to have more of an effect to paralyze it then to catalyze it.

• Why is it that we always view immortality as being more of a suspension to the way things are here and now in the present rather then in the mystery of the unknown?
• Why do we always seem to look for that immortality in something we can possess as though it was materialistic, gnostic, understandable, or objective in reality?

In short I'm not sure I am able to answer those questions in the here and now. I think they are more something which we each can wrestle with over conversation and friendship. I might say though that I think immortality has less to do with a possessive nature and more to be about a relational submission (Luke 9:24-25).

In truth, this thought stream has all stemmed from an experience I had in the local Cyclepath which I went to this past week to pick up some new gloves for wheeling. I confessed to the gentleman behind the counter that I was extremely hard on my wheelchair with regards to the distances to which I pushed it. Upon questioning me as to why I didn't buy another more "suitable" wheelchair I blurted out in a spontaneous remark:

"What is the point in living if you can't out-live the wheelchair you're in while doing it?!"

I suppose it wasn't until later that I realized the effect the remark may have had on those who do not live in the same lifestyle that I am accustomed too. In brief, I have been finding great inspiration from the current Olympics and as my conversation with the gentlemen in the store was centered on the anticipation for the upcoming Paralympics I give great due to those athletes who are competing this year. But... let's give great due to the source of all original inspiration as I thank my heavenly Father for giving me the opportunity to live that statement out while looking forward to a future immortality which only he can define and I can submit to through my relationship with him.

"We would rather be ruined than changed."

W.H. Auden

"The whole law of human existence lies in this: that man be able to bow down before the infinitely great."

Fydor Dostoevski

How Much

In the state of California the minimum amount an employee must be compensated for an hour of work is $8.00. The federal minimum wage sets the minimum amount required by all employers in the United States, or businesses that employee people in the United States, to pay their employees. Should the federal minimum wage and that of a state be of differing values, employers of that state must pay the minimum that is most beneficial to their employees. Being that the California minimum is higher than the federal; all employers in the state must pay a wage of at least $8.00 an hour to all employees.

Exceptions

Various positions and types of workers may be exempt from California's minimum wage. These are stipulated by the experience and condition of the employee.

· Learners - employees in their first 160 hours of a position who have never had training or experience in that field or a related field of work. These employees must be paid no less than 85% of the minimum wage rounded to the nearest nickel

· Outside salespersons

· Individuals who are the parent, spouse, or child of the employer

· Apprentices regularly indentured under the State Division of Apprenticeship

Employees who are mentally and/or physically disabled are also exempt, as well as nonprofit organizations that employ disabled workers. After an amendment to the State Constitution in 2003, California state employees who are paid by the hour and do not work overtime may be paid the federal minimum wage in the event that the state enters a new fiscal year without a budget.

Compliance

If you are an employee who receives compensation that is less than the State of California minimum wage, you employer is in violation of the law. You are entitled to either file a wage claim with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, or file a lawsuit against your employer to recover lost wages. All workers in California, regardless of age and minus those who are exempt, are legally entitled to receive the state minimum wage.

If you have some better Jokes, Feel free to add a comment and share with the world.

I met the famous one-armed ping pong player today at the Bijing Olympics.

Nice woman. Only one arm but her handshake was very strong (obviously using her other arm).

Seing as we have so much in common - namely, both being champion ping pong competitorsat these Olympic Games - we got talking about life, love and talking weasels.

She said that she believes in them. I said no way. Then I politely changed the conversation topic to her losing out on winning Gold. She didn't like that. She hit me - with the good arm.

Like a gentleman, I just sat there and took it. She kept going for about twenty minutes before wearing herself out. Then I pushed her over and spat on her and called her names. She started crying. I felt sorry for her and ashamed of myself. That was, of course, until she regained her straength and continued hitting me - this time with her ping pong bat.

We'll meet up later and discuss important events in the world, I'm sure.

Can't hang around too long as I've got training to do (see previous post for my training regime).

Au Revoir from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Crap Fest!

Jesus Budda - Olympic-winner-to-be

Guide dogs assist those with limited vision maneuver safely, while hearing dogs are trained to make physical contact with their partner and lead them to the sound if their partner has a loss of hearing. They can also be trained to alert their partner if someone is calling or speaking to them. Service dogs are trained to assist those with limited mobility or other disabilities other than vision or hearing. They provide support for their owner to physically lean on them, open doors and drawers, pick up and carry objects, turn on and off lights, pull wheelchairs, open elevators and other numerous tasks that are difficult for the partner to accomplish. Seizure and medical alert/support dogs are specifically trained to support their partner when they have a seizure by summoning help, providing emotional and physical support, and keeping them safe. Some dogs can sense and alert their partner when they are about to have a seizure or other medical problem, giving the partner time to plan their actions before the onset of the attack.

With assistance dogs by their side, those with disabilities are able to attend college, drive, work, and live on their own. As Marcie Davis states in her book Working Like Dogs: The Service Dog Guidebook, “All of a sudden the impossible seems possible, and things you thought were out of your reach literally and figuratively are now obtainable. Virtually every area in your personal and professional life can be expanded and explored, including your vocation, travel opportunities, housing options, and transportation….Whatever you dreamed of accomplishing can be realized with the assistance of a service dog.” After bringing her first assistance dog into her life, she gained the confidence and ability to be more independent, obtained her own vehicle, and is now the president and owner of a business which specializes in public health and human service solutions.

To learn more about assistance dogs, visit the Delta Society website at http://www.deltasociety.org/. You may also visit the Assistance Dog International site at http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/, and the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners at http://www.iaadp.org/. Also, more information about these amazing canines—their work, training, laws governing their use, and where and how to apply for a service dog—can be found in Working Like Dogs: The Service Dog Guidebook by Marcie Davis and Melissa Bunnell.

Rain like we have not seen for a long while – all morning – pounding the streets in our area. They are trying like mad to get the skies blue – doubt it will be. They sent government around to inform us that we are not to tell people that the overcast sky and haze is pollution. We also had the government bring wheelchair ramps to every business in the area. Huge things no hand rails. It is now law we put them up. If not we will have to suffer the governments consequences. Which is quite shocking to me as I have been one of the few business I know of here that has long employed handicap. China has long discriminated against handicap. Our handicap staff had to leave town two months ago per the government – now they want the image of being disabled friendly – what a joke.

-- Judy

Why is there a gigantic table inside Starbucks set aside for handicapped people? Something about this seems both unnecessary and ineffective.

It's not as though the table is raised higher for people with wheelchairs to be at a more ideal plane. The legs are further apart, but the base of regular tables wouldn't interfere. The only difference is that it's a bigger table.

It seems more like a down syndrome table, or a table for people who have no muscular control and would spill things on the huge table rather than on the ground for once. Maybe it could be a table for people with giganticism, except it only afflicts their upper bodies.

Plus, even if they can utilize the handicapped table, it's not like they can navigate through the tight aisles in the first place.

Of course it was swimmer's ear!

Of course they could have easily called in the prescription!

Of course the hardest part will be keeping her out of the pool for 3 days!

An appt at 130 means the office will smell like lunch. 

My chances of being puked on today are very, very good.

HBL didn't like what I wrote here so it's gone and only the pictures remain.  I guess I'll move on to happier subjects..........or maybe not. 

HAPPY TRAILS, Y'ALL