Chamblee54

This content was originally published August 25, 2008. … I saw an earth changing event at my grandmother’s house one day. Gran lived in a little apartment on Virginia Avenue. This was a few years before Virginia Highlands was trendy. I was staying with her one summer day, when I was ten years old. We walked down to the granite house, next to the golf course in Piedmont Park. Gran’s friend worked there. This was the summer of Beatlemania, and Gran’s friend made a point of telling me that she DID NOT LIKE THE BEATLES. ”If the Beatles were playing for free across the street, I would not waste the energy to walk across the street to see them”. …
… Gran and I walked back to her apartment to see “As the World Turns”. The show was interrupted for a news bulletin. Walter Cronkite came on the say that a North Vietnamese boat had fired on an American boat in the Gulf of Tonkin.We did not know, at the time, that this was a world changing event. I doubt Gran ever thought much about it. But our Congress used that incident … which turned out to be fabricated … to justify sending many more troops to fight in Vietnam. That war was a world changing event. We are still dealing with the effects of that conflict.
This content was originally published August 20, 2008. … I have heard about the Rasmussen Report. Recently, the reports show JSM pulling ahead of BHO. While it is a bit early, the candidates are fighting for momentum to carry them into November. America loves a winner. If a candidate is perceived to be winning, then more people will jump on the bandwagon. This applies to the war in babylon as well. Happy talk in the press is part of the surge strategy. …
… In my unpaid role as resident non Jesus Worshiper, I left the following comment at 22 Words yesterday. “I sometimes feel that I am the only non believer that comments here. You might consider that not everyone is impressed by your religion. Many shortcomings…selfishness, meanness, lack of respect for others…can be found in thoughtless, inappropriate preaching. Just because you are doing it for Jesus does not make it any less offensive. It also reflects poorly on Jesus” … To which another reader replied: “@Chamblee: You’re right, preachers can taint their own message. Can you expand on what you mean by thoughtless, inappropriate preaching?” …
… There are many, many examples of inappropriate preaching. There are two quotes that help. One is from a motivational speaker: “You need to sell yourself first, your company second, and your product third.” The second is the third commandment: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in Vain”. … Anyone can read to you from the Bible. Not everyone that does this has worthy motives. Some are crooks and thieves. For a person to preach to another, there needs to be TRUST. If you do not trust the person who is preaching to you, then that person is speaking in vain. …
… Trust has a brother named RESPECT. When you preach to a person who does not care for your message, you are showing disrespect to that person. When you preach without mutual respect you are speaking in vain. … This is not just the person you are talking to. It is everyone who comes in contact with your message. This is not just the words you speak, but your actions, the chrome fish on your car, the catchy phrase on your t shirt, and the Bible you make a show of carrying around. When you preach without trust and respect, you are speaking in vain. … Pictures today are from The Library of Congress Paul Carter took the social media picture in September 1936. “Untitled photo, possibly related to: Negroes on a picnic, Newport News, Virginia” … selah ©Luther Mckinnon 2025