Who Cares Why Rattlesnakes Bite... So What ... Kill Em On The Spot

Common Sense Commentary: Having been born and raised in Sweetwater, Texas, the Rattlesnake Capital Of The World, I understand this fellow Texan's logical way of dealing with rattlesnakes and terrorists. RB 

 Rattlesnake Logic from a Logical Man....In Texas

The news media will spend weeks trying to determine why these men did what they did in Boston . They will want to know what America did to make these brothers so angry with us. They will want to know why these men were not arrested before they did something unlawful The media will be in a tissy about the new era of home grown radicals and about how they could live among us and still hate us.

 

Here in west Texas , I have rattlesnakes on my place. I have killed a rattlesnake on the front porch. I have killed a rattlesnake on the back porch. I have killed rattlesnakes in the barn, in the shop and on the driveway. I kill every rattlesnake I encounter. I kill rattlesnakes because a rattlesnake will bite me and inflict me with poison. I don’t stop to wonder why a rattlesnake will bite me. It will bite me because it is a rattlesnake and that is what rattlesnakes do.

 

I don’t try to reason with a rattlesnake…I just kill it. I don’t try to get to know the rattlesnake better so that I can find a way to live with the rattlesnakes and convince them not to bite me…I just kill them. I don’t quiz a rattlesnake to see it I can find out where the other snakes are because (a) it won’t tell me (b) I already know that they live on my place…I just kill the rattlesnake and move on to the next one.

 

I don’t look for ways that I might be able to change the rattlesnake to a non poison rat snake. I just kill it. Oh, and on occasion I kill a rat snake, because I thought it was a rattlesnake at the time. Also, I know that for every rattlesnake that I kill, two more lurk out there. In my lifetime I will never be able to rid my place of rattlesnakes.

 

Do I fear them? No! Do I respect what they can do to me? Yes! And because of that respect I give them their fair justice….I kill them.

 Maybe as a country we should give more credit to the jihadist terrorists for just being rattlesnakes! Kill them where you find them.
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I give them no credit for eating rats and mice...
even as a public service. Folks in Sweetwater eat
rattlesnakes ... after they kill em. RB

The Battling SEALS Of Benghazi

Common Sense Commentary: Many a man, and woman too, has exposed their true self in a single off the cuff comment, which destroyed their effectiveness to lead, from that moment forward.   The comment, "just a bump in the road", quoted in this, now famous poem, could very well change the course of history in our country.


The Battling SEALS of Benghazi
             By anonymous Marine Officer

We're the Battling SEALS of Benghazi,
no fame, no glory, no paparazzi.
Just a firey death in a blazing hell,
defending the country we loved so well.
It wasn't our job, but we answered the call,
fought to the consulate, 'n scaled th' wall.
We pulled twenty countrymen from the jaws of fate,
led them to safety, 'n stood at th' gate.
Just the two of us, 'n foe by th' score,
but we stood fast to bar th' door.
We called for reinforcement, but it was denied,
so we fought, 'n we fought, 'n we fought, 'n we died.
We gave our all for our Uncle Sam,
'n Obama didn't give a damn,
just two dead SEALS, who carried the load,
no thanks to us, we were just "bumps in the road"

"Bump in the road" quoted from president Obama's
comment, about such incidents, in an interview.

And Then It Is Winter

Common Sense Commentary: Every season of aging has it's own benefits and liabilities. I have now seen all four of them and can honestly say that each has an equal weight of blessings, challenges and yes, even difficulties.  I would like to be rid of the difficulties but I wouldn't exchange old age to be young again. I have enjoyed all of my 82 years, but.... one life on this earth is enough for me.  I don't want to live, on this earth,,, beyond whatever time God has for me. I can't think of anything more undesirable than to live beyond 100 years with physical pain, failing memory, weakness and burdening those I love most.  No, winter is the last season of the year and of the four seasons of life as well. But, in the four seasons of life, there will never be another Spring .... except the resurrection, and that's good enough for me.  I think heaven will be eternal Spring, youth, health and happiness....  There are no more tears or pain or old age ... where Jesus and our heavenly Father are.  Join us there ... I want to see you, my friend,  .... forever and ever and ever. RB

 

AND THEN IT IS WINTER

          Author Unknown

 

You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.

 

But, here it is... the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

 

But, here it is... my friends are retired and getting gray... they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!

 

And so... now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last... this I know, that when it's over on this earth... it's over. A new adventure will begin!

 

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done... things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.  

 

So, if you're not in your winter yet... let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. What ever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. Do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life.

 

         -------------------------------------------

I am not the author, but I must add this. When it is over on this earth, we will discover that this life was only the preliminaries to see who will participate in the main event of eternal youth, health, happiness and eternal Spring ... in God's very presence. RB

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them... Ecc.12:1-5

Islam From The "Experienced Eye" View Of An Anti-Nazi German

Common Sense Commentary: Negligent, cowardly pacifists and lazy slugs are also peace loving. The following article was written by a peace-loving German who did not take the Nazi's seriously until they confiscated his family's wealth and property and threw him into a concentration camp.  He knows whereof he speaks. RB


Dr. Emanuel Tanya, a well known and respected German psychiatrist, is a man whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, who owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism.
'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come.
My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'

We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectra of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.

The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honour-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.

The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous. Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.

The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a war mongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet. And who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?

History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.

Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.

Now Islamic prayers have been introduced into New York and other public schools in Ontario,

and, yes, in Seattle too while the Lord's Prayer was removed (due to being so offensive?)

The Islamic way may be peaceful for the time being in our country until the fanatics move in.

In Australia, and indeed in many countries around the world, many of the most commonly consumed food items have the halal emblem on them. Just look at the back of some of the most popular chocolate bars, and at other food items in your local supermarket. Food on aircraft have the halal emblem, just to appease the privileged minority who are now rapidly expanding within the nation’s shores.

In the U. K, the Muslim communities refuse to integrate and there are now dozens of “no-go” zones within major cities across the country that the police force dare not intrude upon. Sharia law prevails there, because the Muslim community in those areas refuse to acknowledge British law.

As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts -- the fanatics who threaten our way of life.

Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just ignores these facts without speaking out, is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and pass this on to your friends.

All Hell Is Breaking Loose

in the world, in general.... Out of control crime, wars, natural disasters, drug abuse, incurable diseases, ecological deterioration, currency wars, mammoth indebtedness, perverted relationships,  fatherless homes and a thousand other crises. At such a time, globalization.... to deal with these impossible problems, with world-wide support,  is only natural.  Politicians world-wide are grabbing at straws to "save the world system". World Law would be cheaper to finance, more efficient, less partial, and more powerful in controlling and taxing people, stopping crime with a world digital currency that couldn't be stolen but could be taxed more effectively.  World health would also be more efficient, cheaper and more "equal" to the poorer nations.  World water authority would equalize the use and supply of water so that each person on earth would have the same amount... less for some and more for others.  Ecological Law would stop oil companies and big business from polluting our deserts, swamps and endless reaches of the frozen north and south poles.  World Food distribution would relieve the masses of human populations of hunger and equalize hunger among all peoples. A World Peace Commission could be armed with the most high-tech weaponry to force peace upon nations and individuals who insist on their own selfish rights or unequal freedom. National Constitutions and Laws would be dissolved in favor of World Equality Laws enforced by a World Law Enforcement Agency (WLEA).  It all makes perfect sense... if there are no personal freedoms, no Bible and no God. Such a system befits evolved, human animals which were not created by some God way up yonder someplace.

So you see dear friends, world leaders are not plotting to bring in the Anti-Christ. They support a world government for "logical, practical reasons".  Necessity is their cause.
They are not aware that the moving hand of Satan is pulling their strings ... so all hell is breaking loose ... world-wide.  It is so very apparent in our own nation. Suddenly the majority of our voters are Socialists, Fascists or Closet Communists.  Though they would never admit it, their actions, politics, and votes prove it is true.

All hell is breaking loose in the Religious world as well. Strange new and old cults are popping up everywhere. Sound, Biblical doctrine and spiritual convictions are no longer practiced in most denominations, churches or professing Christian lives. Even common moral standards have been abandoned by most of them. False prophets abound... even in once Biblical churches. A self-righteous salvation has replaced  Eph.2:8-9   "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:   Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Strangely, even many previously fundamental, Bible believing churches and Christians are drifting away from sound Biblical standards into a "lukewarm" morass of idle faith.  Jesus said it in Matt.24:24...  "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

Even once strong Christian families are falling apart under the stress, confusion, and temptations of a wild, wicked world. These "End times" signs were fore-told by the prophets and even by Jesus ...."Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:   For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.   The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.   And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.   And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.   Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?"  Luke 12:51-56.
If your faith is not embedded deeper than your skin, it will not survive the trials,  tribulations and heart-break which are arising, like an ugly fog, up from the swamps  like foggy-bottom D.C.  Take up the slack, look up and hold on to the things that really matter in life .... especially your family and your Bible. Not Jesus ... because He is doing the holding ... on to you.  RB

The Highest Of All Human Callings: Seeking Truth

Common Sense Commentary: "Study to show thyself approved of God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim.2:15. 

God has put absolute truth in every area of creation and reality, in the universe. That truth is self contained within each thing  and in complete harmony with all the rest of creation's truths. The study of truth is truthology . Ology means study. The ultimate truthology is theology... the study of God. "The" is the expression of a "definite article", singular in it's number, unique in it's character, one of a kind in it's exact essence. There is only the one true God in the one universe. His name is Jehovah. He is the triune God as we, created in His image and likeness, are triune beings... body, mind and spirit.

Everything in God's creation is absolute truth. All truth is God's truth. The truth about evil is, that it is a lie. The Devil "...  is a liar and the father of it" Jn.8:44. That is the truth about him.

The seeker of truth will find it in God's word .... "... thy word is truth" (Jn.17:17) and in Jesus Christ ... "I am ... the truth...." (Jn.14:6) and in true science, which is the explanation of creation ... "... skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science...." Dan.1:4.  For all of these, Satan has his counterfeits ..."science falsely so called" 1 Tim.6:20. And, "False Christs" Mark 13:22.
The study of God's creation is, in fact, the study of God the Creator or it is nothing worth while. If you do not see God in creation, you are not very much of a scientist.
"If... thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." Deut. 4:29.

God has filled this earth with marvelous benefits and blessings for us to enjoy, but of them all, He Himself is the greatest blessing to seek and find. And when you find God, who is also seeking your attention, you then find all the other blessings, in Him. Jesus promised, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt.6:33.  I must also add, seek friends, companions, husbands and wives who are also seekers of truth.

Now.... "Run ye to and fro through the streets... and see... if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth  judgement, that seeketh the truth...." Jer.5:1.  RB

Common Sense Arrives And Departs With Spiritual Commitment

Common Sense Commentary:When light arrives, darkness flees out the back door. When light departs, darkness fills every corner, crevice and crack. The light of right is departing. RB


TOP-10 "Only In America " observations of the departure of Common Sense.

10) Only in America ...could politicians talk about the greed of the rich at a
$35,000.00 a plate campaign fund-raising event.

9) Only in America ...could people claim that the government still
discriminates against black Americans when they have a black President, a
black Attorney General, and roughly 18% of the federal workforce is black
while only 12% of the population is black.

8) Only in America ...could they have had the two people most responsible for
our tax code, Timothy Geithner (the head of the Treasury Department) and
Charles Rangel (who once ran the Ways and Means Committee), BOTH turn out to
be tax cheats who are in favor of higher taxes.

7) Only in America ...can they have terrorists kill people in the name of
Allah and have the media primarily react by fretting that Muslims might be
harmed by the backlash.

6) Only in America ...would they make people who want to legally become
American citizens wait for years in their home countries and pay tens of
thousands of dollars for the privilege, while they discuss letting anyone who
sneaks into the country illegally just 'magically' become American citizens.

5) Only in America ...could the people who believe in balancing the budget and
sticking by the country's Constitution be thought of as "extremists."

4) Only in America ...could you need to present a driver's license to cash a
check or buy alcohol, but not to vote.

3) Only in America ...could people demand the government investigate whether
oil companies are gouging the public because the price of gas went up when
the return on equity invested in a major U.S. oil company ( Marathon Oil) is
less than half of a company making tennis shoes (Nike).

2) Only in America ...could the government collect more tax dollars from the
people than any nation in recorded history, still spend a Trillion dollars
more than it has per year - for total spending of $7-Million PER MINUTE, and
complain that it doesn't have nearly enough money.

1) Only in America ...could the rich people - who pay 86% of all income taxes
- be accused of not paying their "fair share" by people who don't pay any
income taxes at all.

Many People Use Satanic Methods Without Realizing It ... No Excuse!

Common Sense Commentary: Atheism is not the opposite of God, it is the
absence of God in the life of an unbeliever.

The Satanic Bible

 

 The primary character flaws, of Lucifer, which drove his actions and cost him
his exalted position as the "Light Reflector" of God, was, lying, jealousy, greed,
hatred and lust for power. He didn't lose those failures when he lost his light and
was left in the darkness of Genesis 1:2. At that point, his greatest goal was in
tricking Adam and Eve and their descendants, the entire human race, into similar disobedience and rebellion against our Creator, God.  His initial accusation
against God was lying about God, and then, twisting God's word, and calling
God the liar.... "Hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree ...." That is not
what God said. God said, "Of every tree  ... thou mayest  freely eat...." except
one.  Then Lucifer said,  in direct contradiction of God's warning that they would
die, if they disobeyed,"Ye shall not surely die...."  So Satanism is lying against
God and, in turn, denying and contradicting what God Himself says in His word, 
and calling God the liar besides.

 Satan's twisting of God's word is both lying and calling God a liar.  This is the
primary identifying characteristic of Satanism, though it may be done more
subtitle or deceptively.

To give you just one up-to-date example of Satanism, in the last 50 years, I
will direct your attention to "The Satanic Bible" published by Anton LaVey
in 1969. It contains the core principles of the religion of LaVeyan Satanism.

The Satanic Bible
“Satanism advocates practicing a modified form of the Golden Rule.  Our interpretation of this rule is: "Do unto others as they do unto you"; because if you "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and they, in turn, treat you badly, it goes against human nature to continue to treat them with consideration. You should do unto others as you would have them do unto you, but if your courtesy  is not returned, they should be treated with the wrath they deserve.”  "wrath"? RB― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible This is, of course, the opposite of what Jesus was teaching his disciples. I have heard the Golden Rule perverted to "He who has the gold rules", which is bad enough, but the perversion of Satanism is worse. It not only encourages an extreme reaction to a minor offence, but violence in response to unimportant and even unintentional rudeness. I have observed this heresy, most commonly, in prison populations and in the streets where most of those prisoners came from. You hear it so often in prisons and jails ... "I stabbed him cause he disrespected me".  The victim may not have even known why he was stabbed.  The attacker may have felt disrespected because the other guy looked at him wrong or mispronounced his name  or some other innocuous infraction that most people would overlook or not even hear.  Married couples sometimes get so angry at each other that neither can say anything at all which is not taken out of context or twisted to justify their shouting  and screaming reaction .  Often, the other person didn't say it wrong, the offended one hears it wrong or latches on to any little thing they can pervert. I have even seen this Satanic reaction in church members who are out of sorts with someone they don't like or disagree with.   Whoever uses this method in their disagreements with others, it is wrong, and a method of Satanism. It is also commonly seen among Muslims in their dealings with those they call, "Infidels". They can lie to them, rape them, steal from them and even kill them with impunity.  What it is .... is Satanism. RB Link: http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/2983296.AntonSzandorLaVey From Wikipedia: The Satanic Bible is a collection of essays, observations, and rituals published by Anton LaVey in 1969. It contains the core principles of the religion of LaVeyan Satanism, and is considered the foundation of its philosophy and dogma.[1] It has been described as the most important document to influence contemporary LaVeyan Satanism. [2] Though The Satanic Bible is not considered to be sacred scripture in the way the Christian Bible is to Christianity, LaVeyan Satanists regard it as an authoritative text[1] as it is a contemporary text that has attained for them scriptural status.[3] It extols the virtues of exploring one's own nature and instincts. Believers have been described as "atheistic Satanists"[4] because they believe that God is not an external entity, but rather something that each person creates as a projection of his or her own personality—a benevolent and stabilizing force in his or her life. [5][6] There have been thirty printings of The Satanic Bible,[7] through which it has sold over a million copies.[8]

 

 

 

 

Unforgiveness Backfires! Forgiveness Shoots Straight To The Heart

Common Sense Commentary:

Forgiveness is giving up a prideful grudge against someone and giving, in it's place, an humble obedience to God. Forgiveness of an offender is not easy, but it is easier than the burden and decay of an unforgiving spirit. The more spiritually mature and wise a person becomes, the quicker and more sincere their willingness to forgive. Grieving unforgiveness is opposite to the essence of God and robs a person of time, peace, joy, love and even health. To aim an unforgiving grudge at another person is as self-destructive as aiming a shotgun, whose barrel is full of dried mud, at them ... and pulling the trigger.  Unforgiveness does far more damage to the unforgiving heart than it does to it's target. That is why, when Simon Peter asked Jesus how many times he must forgive his brother, Jesus answered, "seventy times seven". Jesus knew, not only the redeeming power of forgiveness upon the guilty, but the abundance of the fruit of the spirit within the forgiving heart. Love is far more powerful than hate. Love gives life to the giver and the receiver.  Hate gives only regret, pain and death. RB


"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?   Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." Matt.18:21-22. 

When Is A Co-Incidence A Divinely Appointed Incidence

Common Sense Commentary:  "And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing ...." Ex.9:5. Nothing is accidental with God and we are "called according to His purpose". Rom.8:28. RB

THE SPARROW AT STARBUCKS

            By Unknown Musician

This is a very good example of a "God-incidence."  (Similar to what many people call a "co-incidence").

The SPARROW at STARBUCKS - The song that silenced the cappuccino machine.

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth. For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right.

Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing. It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in.

During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked.

"No," I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?" To my delight, she accepted my invitation. "You choose," I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?"

"Well. ... do you know any hymns?" Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. "Name one."

"Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one."

"Okay," I replied. "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?"

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one." She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing, "Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?"

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

"I sing because I'm happy; I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me."

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!"

But the ovation continued.. I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!"

"Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said.

"Why is that?"

"Well," she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song." “Really!" I exclaimed.

"Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual... "She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week."

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. "Are you going to be okay?"

She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine." She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, remember, Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Samson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Peter denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, And Lazarus was dead!

No more excuses now!! God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.