Time will tell

The Election is over. The popular vote has been counted. Obama has won. A new day has dawned. History has been made. Now it will be time to see what happens. One thing that needs to happen is that Christians had better keep praying! While not to be redundant, it’s what Obama stands for and what he has said he would do that is frightening!

Obama has said that he will repel the ‘defense of marriage act’. He has also said that he would appoint federal judges who ‘rule with empathy toward the weak, less fortunate, or historically disenfranchised.’ He also has said he supports gay rights and same sex marriage. He is for the ‘fairness doctrine’. If enforced, it will change the voice and influence of every Bible believing Christian in witness, business, speech and church. If enforced, Born-again evangelicals who chose to vote for Obama will suddenly realize that they have ushered in the spirit of the anti-Christ with one check of the pen.

The media has said that race was not a factor. Partly true, mostly false. For whites, voting for a African American man was not a problem. Many did. That is true. I would have also IF he had displayed a conscience for Biblical values. But not so from the African American side. Many African Americans voted for Obama because he was African American. That is racial. Forsaking moral issues and the fact that Obama is the most extreme liberal ever … Ask this question to your friends, “Would Obama have won if he was white considering his liberal views?” More than likely not. We will never know. But all this is not the real issue here. History was made and I am glad that we can vote in an African American President! The issues are not about race, but about values, beliefs, morals and principles.

Look at how the media has tried to demoralize and demean Sarah Palin. Their strategy? Give her the Dan Quayle treatment. Make her look like a simpleton; one that is out of touch with main stream America. Criticize her hair style, her clothes, her motherhood, her make-up, her speech and accent, and values. Make her look like a liability. Make subjective statements that most women did not vote for her. Makes one wonder if the media sees her as a threat to their future ideology propaganda.

I take strength in the fact that my hope is in the Lord, the maker of Heaven and earth. I am not a Christian because of who is or who is not president, how good or bad the economy, or whether or not we have freedom of speech. I am a Christian BECAUSE of what Jesus did for me on the Cross. My hope is in the Lord!

Absentee Voting

Alright, I don't get it. What's with this election and absentee voting??? Said on the news tonight that some states are keeping their polling stations open 4-6 longer each day to Accommodate. Accommodate what? I thought you had to have a 'good' reason to vote early. Like being away in another state for college. Or going out of the country for work. Somebody must have changed to law. On the news they are showing long lines of voters coming out early to vote. Where are they going on November 4th? Something just doesn't smell right in this ruckus.

Speaking of which ... who is going to sort out the mess with ACORN? Looks like we will need to have a third world country overseeing our election soon to make sure there is no fraud! Well duh .... we look over the shoulder of everyone else to make sure they are fair and square and here we are guilty as sin. In case you haven't figured it out yet, our country has turned a corner of moral ineptness. Adeios to the good ole days of honest and integrity.

Sarah Palin Rally

On Monday, October 13th, I had the opportunity along with my good friend and co-partner, Pastor Chris Swortzel, to go to Richmond Virginia to see and hear Gov. Sarah Palin give a speech. What impressed me the most? Several things. The politeness and respectability of the crowd. No pushing or shoving. No tempers, very little trash even though tens of thousands were straining to get a glimpse of Gov. Paliln. They were even polite to the hecklers who showed up. Second, after the pledge of allegiance to the flag, there was a public prayer for the event, our nation and the candidates! This was really special in the face of the fact that just last week the VA State Police banned prayer from their workplace using the name of 'Jesus' or 'Christ'! Third, the character, humility and posture of Sarah Palin. Honoring her husband, God and her children along with her pledge to honor life and biblical values was refreshing.

I had to keep reminding myself that this was indeed a public political event!

Grandson Kyan

Angie Williams and Pastor Ed on WAZT-TV

Angie and I were the featured guest on Dean Wealty's Family Forum program this past week. The 30 minute segment will be shown on WAZT Friday, October 10th at 8 pm and Sunday, October 12th at 8:30 pm. The show will also be available on http://www.wazt.com/ the following week to view online. We discussed the church's role in politics, the moral decline, separation of church and state, and the position of the candidates.

Qualifications to be President

Much energy has been wasted over whether or not a person is qualified to be President of the United States. There are only two criteria stated in the US Constitution:

1. Only native-born U.S. citizens (or those born abroad, but only to parents who were both citizens of the U.S.) And one must live in the United States for at least 14 years to be president, in addition to being a natural-born citizen.

2. One must also be at least 35 years of age to be president.

So the two valid questions would be: How old are you (maybe that is why we have never had a woman on the ticket before) and where were you born? The other obvious ability would be to convince the public to vote for you.

Congratulations to Sarah Palin. She is qualified to be on the ticket.

Web links to check out on the 2008 Election

The Hon. James David Manning, PhD speaks about the election:
http://www.atlah.org/broadcast/ndnr07-28-08.html

Obama speaks about his faith:
http://conservativegirl.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/obama-slips-up-and-talks-about-his-muslim-faith/

Sarah Palin speaks about her faith:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1766638341

More election thoughts ...

Well here we are on this west end of the political conventions. From the statistics it is apparent that many wanted to hear the keynote addresses of those running for President and those chosen for VP. For us as Christians, we must stand for values. We openly acknowledge that no one is perfect. All of us are a story in progress. The important part is the direction on the heart. God calls people who are imperfect to leadership. He loves and shows favor to people who openly declare their allegiance to Him.

Proverbs 28:12. When good people come to power, everybody celebrates, but when bad people rule, people stay in hiding.

So how do we decide who is 'good' and who is 'bad'? We can always find 'bad' in a good person, and 'good' in a bad person. Matthew 15:11 says, What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’” So from this we can conclude that words are very important.

Unfortunately, in our culture you can not take everything at face value. You must look at the context of what people say. In this day and age we are fortunate to have the internet, UTube, GodTube and many others. You can look up speeches, voting records, appearances and all sort of other valuable things to help understand the context of a candidates 'words'. So all we have to do is google Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, John McCain and Sarah Palin. Look at what they believe, where they go, who they support, what they stand for, what they vote for, what they vote against, what they say in speeches, and etc. Most of the text of their speeches can be found on the internet.

So what kind of things are important to God? For some it would seem like the most important thing is the absence of war. But that doesn't hold water. As horrible as war is and while it should not be the first option, it is a nation's right to defend it's liberties, defend the defendless, promoting justice and the checking of evil. So what else is important? The preservation of life for children and orphans, the sanctity of human life, (more babies have been killed in America from abortion, 50 million, than all the causities of American war combined) longevity of marriage between a man and a woman, generosity, compassion, good and faithful stewardship -- in wealth, in ecologly and the environment, (but remember, we are to worship the Creator not the created), teaching people to fear and honor God, teaching absolutes, learning the different between right and wrong, and moral values -- for a short list.

In this political race there is a stark difference in what the candidates believe. As Christians, we must not get caught up in being members of a certain political party. Our identity is in Christ. We must stand for candidates who stand up and honor God. We have a obligation as citizens of this earthly kingdom to vote. We must vote values. There is a Biblical mandate to be salt and light to our nation.

Just this past week on CNN James Carville, a Democratic strategist said, in speaking for all Democrats ... "that things like being pro-life and teaching creatism are things the Democrats do not find attractive!" I would like to say to Mr. Carville that I (and a lot of other born again Christian think these issues are very attractive) and I would think God finds these issues very attractive as well! I plan on voting for candidates who are concerned about issues that God says are important. I hope you will also.

Values are important. Who we stand for and who we vote for says a lot about our on world view and belief. Washington reflects the values of the majority voters in an election. There is no excuse for not voting. And yes, it is right to vote for God fearing candidates!

McCain's choice for VP

Wow, what a bold move! McCain's choice of Sarah Palin (AK) as his pick for VP is wonderful. A pro-life woman (her fifth child born in April this year has Down Syndrome), a traditional view of marriage, and strong on tapping in on national natural resources is a great choice. While I still think Condoleezza Rice would have been a stronger ticket, Palin is a welcome relief from the same ole - same ole routines of the past!
Glenn Beck has an excellent interview on her taped earlier this year on CNN. He says that she is the real deal.
While many will question her experience, as Beck said today, she is an under-study with McCain as a mentor ... the way it should be. On the other side you have an under-study running for President with the mentor as VP.
It will be interesting to see how things develop over the next few weeks.

Trip completed ... well almost!

Home again, home again, what a relief it is!! To sleep in a bed that does not rock and roll. Oh, that's is reference to the Amtrac Train ride. Actually, it went fairly well. The trip from Seattle to Chicago was a straight and solid 48 hours of travel. Our coach was in the middle of the configuration. Which meant that the coach was fairly controlled since it was connected to out cars. We arrived in Chicago 1 hour late than scheduled, mostly due to 2 EMT stops in the middle of nowhere. Rescue Squads met us along the tracks to take the unfortunate into the hospital. Then a freight train which was ahead of us hit some debri and did some damage to the engine. So we had to wait patiently for him to get repaired and move off the main track. We had extactly 1/2 hour in Chicago to find our next boarding. Speaking of chaois the terminal in Chicago would be a good definiation. This part of our trip was much rougher and difficult. We ended up with our coach being the last car in the configuration. Not a fun ride as you are the whip of the train. Anyway, we made it safely home ... 2 hours late. Now for the fun part of going through pics and all that stuff. It may take days!! Glad to be home.

A new form of travel ...gawking!

Ok, I admit that its not the best idea ... but after travels to Kenya, Colorado, Alaska, Britsh Columbia and Alberta, we almost have it perfected! It takes time, skill and a backseat driver who will 'calmly' sit in the passenger seat. It's called gawking. One good thing about gawking in Canada is that they have rumble strips on both shoulders of the road AND in the middle line. The only problem is that it makes the road really small. Here's how it goes. Both partners need to be seriously looking either at the scenery or looking for wildlife. The camera needs to be carefully placed beside the driver. Each partner has their own set of binoculars. The driver looks intently out his side window while keeping the car between the rumble strips. The backseat driver looks intently out his/her window while practicing an ancient ritual of sudden totally unexpected high pitched screams -- particularly if you happen to be on a road that does not have rumble strips. Sometimes the driver needs to practice the art of driving with his/her knees while looking through binoculars or trying to frame a scene in the viewfinder of his/her camera. It is best to be driving under the speed limit and with your headlights on. You need to be aware that occassionally, you will provoke the wrath of youthful drivers who are jam'in on their radios and have never looked beyond the headlights of their car.
Have fun and happy gawking!

Last Leg of Journey

Good Morning from Lake Louise, Alberta! I am sitting in our hotel room at Lake Louise Inn, a great place to be. Unfortunately, there is no AC in the rooms, so we will need to figure that out by tonight. We are here for two nights. We are on the last leg of our trip before heading home. From here we will make our way back to Seattle Washington by Sunday afternoon for a three day date with the Amtrak Train.
This is a beautiful place. We are almost on image overload. We feel like our computer memory is about to explode. There is so much to see. The Canadian Rockies are awesome. There is nothing you can humanly do to try to even capture one per cent of the God given splendor. We serve an awesome God. Last night we walked the trail around Moraine Lake which is close to Lake Louise. So peaceful. There were only a handful of other people on the trail compared to the thousands at Lake Louise. Today, we will attempt to brave the large tourist crowds and walk the trail partially around Lake Louise.
We are looking forward to getting home. It has been a great trip. God has given us so many special moments to cherish. We worship Him!! I would put some more pics on, but it’s almost an insult to what we have seen.

Time to say good-bye!

Well, it is hard to do. It's time to say good-bye to Alaska. Maybe it would be better to say, "see ya later"! The trip so far has been wonderful. Just about the right amount of time in each place. It is hard to comprehend the vastness and magnitude of this place. It blows your mind to think about it. Snow covered mountain appear and disappear in seconds!! We just left GlennAllen this morning, the home of the North American largest National park; 13 million acres. We were able to see Mt. Drum, Mt. Sanford, Mt. Wrangell and Mt. Blackburn all in one shot, but only for a few minutes. I tried to take pics but the skyline is hard to take and it just does not do it justice. We have met wonderful people. Creationist are easy to spot. They walk around with their hands up in the air singing and saying things under their breath about God. The mountains here are just incredible. Huge. It's time to say bye for now. Yes, I could easily come back to hunt some time. That would be a great experience. In a hour or so, we will be on the plane for Seattle. Off to another spectacular part of God's creation. I can't wait!!

More Pics of Alaska

Well you asked for more photos so here they are!! Hope you enjoy them. God has been so good to us .. its been awesome. I guess the best I can say is that we just feel like worshipping, a lot!!
You have to understand that it has been one of the rainiest summers in several decades. It is also one of the coldest summers on record. We have heard different reports but the most consistent one is that they have only seen Mt. McKinley about 5 days this whole summer (60 some days)! We are at the point in their summer/fall where it can snow if it wants and most days look promising!! We asked the Lord to allow us to see McKinley and for about 1 -1/2 hours on Friday, July 25th see got to see it from about 220 miles away before it disappeared in the clouds.
Then we went up to Denali National Park on Sunday. The forecast was solid rain for the next 7 days and beyond. So after one miserable day in the park, we opted out to do a few other things of interest. Denali Dog Sled Demonstration, a 2 mile hike … in the rain and some other neat things. Meanwhile we prayed. We asked the Lord for two things. One, that he would put a break in the clouds. And two, He would allow us to experience McKinley in its majesty and that we could see some grizzly bears.
It rained all through the night and right up to the wee hours of the morning. Then an amazing thing happened … it cleared out. We awoke to broken clouds and no rain even though the forecast was calling for rain. All the way to Wonder Lake (6 hours) we were able to see and enjoy the splendor of the mountain. While at Wonder Lake it went back under complete cloud cover and completely disappeared!! By the time we were about 1 hour from being out of the park it started to rain and has been raining since! AND we saw 11 different grizzly bears/cubs. One was ground squirrel hunting!!
This year, less than 20 percent have gotten a glimpse of the mountain and we have been privileged to see it twice. In a normal year, around 30 percent get to see it. We are so blessed and reminded over and over of God’s goodness and favor.
For the next few days we will be traveling the Richardson Hway, from Delta Junction to Glenn Allen. One of the most scenic highways in Alaska. Can’t wait to see what God has created down there for us to enjoy!! I’ll try to get good pics.

More Alaska 2008

Ok, as per request, here are more photo's. Unfortunately, I cannot put everything on here. Wild animal count as of 5 pm today (Monday) Harbor Seals, Sea lions, bald eagle, Carribu, Moose, Dall Sheep, some dude from Iowa, and some small critters. Having a wonderful time even though it is raining everyday and cool. Tommorrow we go to Wonder Lake the next to last stop on the Denali Park ride. Hope to do a little hiking before coming back out. The bus ride to Wonder Lake is 11 hours RT.

Alaska 2008

It's hard to believe that we are actually in Alaska!! We have dreamed about this trip ever since we started to share dreams and aspirations. The sights of majestic mountain peaks are inspiring. It will be hard to keep a limit on the number of photos we take of snow covered mountain peaks and ridges. We have seen moose and mountain goats in the wild. We even got to see McKinney in the horizon on our first day. That is a God thing. Only about 20 per cent of the people who come to Alaska actually get to see the majestic mountain!! But we had prayed and God heard our prayers. We also hiked to see a glacier at Portage Glacier. It might be a little hard to fully appreciate the pic of the mountain goat. But this dude was about 200 feet up on an almost straight up cliff eating who knows what ... rocks?? Having a great time and enjoying it! Ed

Experiencing God's Protection

Recently we experienced God's protection as our daughter was involved in a single car accident on the Fourth of July. We saw the hand of Jehovah and His Holy angels as Karmen was able to walk away with only a few stitches on her wrist and the x-ray on her arm was negative.

A few days later, we were sitting on the front porch and I was rocking our grandson on the big wicker rocking chair. I thought there were big black flies buzzing around us. Eileen commented about it as she tried swatting at the pesty creatures. Suddenly we realized that the flies were actually bees! We walked into the house unharmed!! Later in the evening I went out to investigate and directly under the seat Kyan and I were rocking on was a good size hornets nest!

Thank you Lord for your awesome protection!! We are so blessed.

Ed on Local TV

I was a guest of Dean Welty's on the Valley Family Forum television show on Friday, June 27th. You can see a link to the show at www.wazt.com by clicking on the Valley Faith in Action button. We discussed issues facing America and what we as Christians can do. Rita Dunaway of the Rutherford Institute was also a guest on the show. It was a fun experience and a great time of interaction.

Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center

Our family enjoyed a week of tent camping at the Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center in Taono, Virginia. Jeannette, Crystal & Eric and little Kyan, and Aaron joined us for a time of rest, competition, and fun. For the first time in years, we survived without getting rained on. (We actually pulled up one night early because of the threat of severe weather).

For us guys, the competition included a running total of first (3), second (2) and third (1) place points in frisbee golf, basketball 21, pool basketball and minature golf. Aaron won the competition, Eric came in second and I came in dead last ... but close! We also had fun building campfires and swimming.

The ladies enjoyed time by the pool, shopping and taking turns caring for little Kyan.

This year, there were no raccoons, whipperwills or snakes. We did see deer, squirrels and heard a wild turkey hen instructing her chicks and of course the barking dog.

Tent camping is a wonderful way to make family memories. Every year we end up laughing around the campfire telling stories of past years. It offers a time to take life at a much slower pace and it helps to break the routines of life that we so easily fall into. We have been doing this for all our married life together.

It's a dark day in America

Today, in California, and across the nation, gay and lesbian couples are celebrating a victory. Going against God's moral law, common sense and the establish law of the land for centuries (Proverbs 22:28), they have convinced themselves to be right. As I reflected on that this morning, I thought about the words of the scripture which reads, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (NIV) (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25) Legalizing sin does not make it moral or right in God's sight.

Jeremiah says, "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." (NIV)

In our society people use the argument that they have a relationship with the Lord. Sometimes it is difficult to know how to respond when someone claims to have a personal relationship with the Lord yet their lifestyle does not reflect a life of holiness. Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" (NIV) You can be fruit watchers. Touting a personal relationship with Jesus does not give one liberty to change the moral law of God. Neither does it give us a right to forfeit a life holiness and purity.

I call us to seek God in these times. Join with thousands who will be going to Washington DC on August 16th of this year to call on the name of the Lord. Visit http://www.thecall.com/ for more information.

May God help us during these days.

Camping at Big Meadows

Well, what a weekend!! Eileen made the comment as we entered Shenandoah National Park, "sure hope we see some bears!" In fact, we saw a total of 14 black bear over a two day period. Another highlight was watching two Peregrine Falcons feeding through the spotter scope of a park ranger up on Hawksbill Peak. (sorry this photo is blurred). The weather was ideal for tent camping. However, on Saturday night a huge storm roared through dumping inches of rain. Good news?? Our tent stayed dry! We also saw about a zillion deer. Many of them just wander around within arms reach. Give an opportunity for excellent photo shoot. Our two oldest daughters Jeannette and Crystal -- husband, Eric and Kyan joined us.

Presidential Elections

Our nation is in trouble. It is no longer the right verses the left or Democrats verses Republicans. I don't think it is even about the liberal verses the conservative. It is more about good verses evil and the godly verses the ungodly. We are running rapidly toward the prophetic fulfillment of Romans 1: 18-32.

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." NIV Bible

Isaish 5:18-21 speaks about the seriousness of distorting Truth and a culture running wild.
"18 Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit,
and wickedness as with cart ropes,
19 to those who say, “Let God hurry,
let him hasten his work
so we may see it.
Let it approach,
let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come,
so we may know it.”
20 Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight." NIV Bible

There is hope for our nation. I was reading in Daniel 11 this morning. Verse 31-32 stood out to me. It says, "His armed forces (King of the North) will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him." NIV Bible

My friends we have a moral and spiritual obligation to our nation and our people. We the people of God need to take a courageous stand for the Lord. This is no time to run and hide. This is a time to take our call and faith seriously, stand up and be counted. The verses following in Daniel speak about suffering and persecution of those who resist evil.

I am concerned about our nation. Personally, this is the most disparing election pool I have ever seen. I think that we need to turn our attention to the the election of our Senate and House. We can make a difference in this branch of government.

I would also direct your attention to a national solemn assembly on the Washington Mall on August 16th of this summer. You can find more information at http://www.thecall.com/ . I hope you will consider joining us on this important occassion in our nations history.

Chincoteague Island

We just got back from a few days at Chincoteague Island in Virginia. We enjoyed our two days exploring Assateague Island with our good friends Bert and Cindy. We saw a bald eagle, several of the wild ponies, lots of birds, dolphins, a black racer snake, squirrels, a huge turtle, muskrat, and lots of other things of interest. We also climbed to the top of Assateague Lighthouse -- all 192 steps. We took a boat ride up the bay. In the evenings we enjoyed seafood. Lot's of it.

On our last evening we bought fresh seafood and prepared it ourselves. We had oysters, scallops, jumbo shrimp, monk, and clams in the shell. We also were able to see the Memorial Day parade on Main Street Chicoteague. We had a most wonderful time. Even got a little sun.

About me ...

Married to my beautiful wife -- Eileen



Father of four great adult kids -- Jeannette, Crystal (Eric), Karmen, and Aaron


Grandpa to one very special child -- Kyan Lewis


Born into God's family -- April 16, 1972

Senior Pastor -- New Beginnings Church --http://www.newbeginchurch.org/

One of my favorite quotes come from a doctor friend when asked about bleeding: "you will stop bleeding. The patient may die, but the bleeding will stop!"