Saturday, July 12, 2008

Tony Snow Dies (07.12.08)

One of my favorite Conservative commentators and White House press secretaries Tony Snow passed away today after a battle with colon cancer. He was a great Conservative voice and a great man by all accounts.


Here's the statement released by President and Laura Bush:
Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of our dear friend, Tony Snow. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Jill, and their children, Kendall, Robbie, and Kristi. The Snow family has lost a beloved husband and father. And America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character.

Tony was one of our Nation's finest writers and commentators. He earned a loyal following with incisive radio and television broadcasts. He was a gifted speechwriter who served in my father's Administration. And I was thrilled when he agreed to return to the White House to serve as my Press Secretary. It was a joy to watch Tony at the podium each day. He brought wit, grace, and a great love of country to his work. His colleagues will cherish memories of his energetic personality and relentless good humor.

All of us here at the White House will miss Tony, as will the millions of Americans he inspired with his brave struggle against cancer. One of the things that sustained Tony Snow was his faith - and Laura and I join people across our country in praying that this good man has now found comfort in the arms of his Creator.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Do Aliens Exist? (07.08.08)

Some co-workers and I were discussing the existence of UFO’s and aliens today. I know, strange topic at work but there was a reason behind it.

Anyways, one co-worker said that she could believe in UFO’s and aliens. Her reasoning is that in such a huge amount of space with galaxies and planets existing far beyond what we can see, why would God just create on one planet which takes up a very small amount of His creation.

I disagree. I believe that there are no aliens on other planets and that UFO’s are just unidentified until we identify them as something man-made or rock from space. Here’s my reasoning: The Bible begins with the words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” He very clearly has the “earth” singled out meaning that there is significance to it. Genesis then goes into great detail about how much effort God put into designing this planet, the animals, and us humans. No other planet or alien species is mentioned anywhere in the Bible (God’s inspired Word).

Then we get to the New Testament. In comes Jesus. The Bible points out in simple terms (John 3:16) that Jesus is God’s ONLY Son. Now, if Jesus died for our sins once and for all here on earth and He’s God’s only Son, what is the salvation plan for the other alien planets? Did He go and die on their planet too? Are they a perfect species that don’t need to be saved? Do they automatically go to heaven? Do they just cease to exist when they die?

There are too many unanswered questions that don’t reason with what God wrote for us. I think that God designed the heavens as a way for us to see how vast, all-powerful, and creative He is. Just look at His creation at night. Then use a telescope. It’s amazing work!

So, there you have it. My co-workers reasoning and my reasoning (in a little more detail). I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Send a comment and I’ll put it on the blog posting.

Beam me up, ah, I mean – until next time!


Friday, July 04, 2008

Happy Independence Day!

Here are some quotes from America past that show this country is a Christian nation.


“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. And the people whom He has chosen as His own inheritance.”
—Psalm 33:12, NKJ

“For the advancement of the Christian faith in the name of King James the ‘Defender of the Faith.’”
—Mayflower Compact, 1620

“And for the support of this Declaration,with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our Sacred Honor.”
—United States of America Declaration of Independence

“It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor.”
—President George Washington, 1789

“Finally, let us not forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither by their veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light, and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate its principles with the elements of their society, and to diffuse its influence through all their institutions civil, political, or literary.”
—Daniel Webster, 1851

“The people of these United States, from their earliest history to the present time, have been led by the hand of a Kind Providence, and are indebted for the countless blessings of the past and present, and dependent for continued prosperity in the future upon Almighty God....The great vital and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and driving truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
—The United State House of Representatives, 1854

“Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of The Redeemer (Jesus Christ) of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise, and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian... This is a religious people. This is historically true. From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation...We find everywhere a clear recognition of the same truth...These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass or organic utterances that this is a Christian nation.”
—United States of America Supreme Court, 1892

“A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about.”
—President Woodrow Wilson

“The good (in the USA) would never have come into being without the blessings and power of Jesus Christ... I know how embarrassing this matter is to politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen and cynics: but whatever these honored men think, the irrefutable truth is that the soul of America is at its best and highest, Christian.”
—Dr. Charles Habib Malic, Ambassador to the U.N. from Lebanon, 1955

“When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.”
—Prov. 28:2, NLT

Thursday, July 03, 2008

The Monsoon 2008

Tonight we had our first "storm" of the monsoon season! We had the lightning (lots of lightning), thunder, wind, and a little rain. It wasn't what you would call a big storm but it was a start to what will hopefully be a good monsoon season this year.

The last few years have been more like a nonsoon than a monsoon. More storms expected tomorrow night. There's usually a good one on the 4th of July here in Phoenix.

Have a great day!


Nathan