MY UNCLE SAM

I won’t be there to say goodbye to my uncle homeward bound.

This one who always greeted me warmly and with my aunt

Shared their good home and food with strangers and family.

The familiar form and firm handshake that assured me that

Here I was accepted for who I was, and here I was welcome.

So many wonderful memories of days gone by preserved

Within eternal thoughts of fellowship, hearth and home.

God blessed so many of us through you, Uncle Sam,

Who thought of others first in the everyday specialness

That described the Halvorson home on the farm

Where children and their parents would explore

And visit and stop awhile to remember and perhaps

To forget some time-worn experience or two.

Summer and winter, springtime and harvest,

Long walks around the lake, milking cows or

Harvesting hay for yet another winter and

The snows that would surely come to us all.

Some others who have strayed so far from field and farm

Would do well to study one who fashioned a mansion

In his kingdom by a lake and taught others to appreciate

The majesty of a friendly smile and easy conversation

That brought such sweet comfort, quiet conversation and rest.

The world’s a large place if you care to explore, and yet

I wonder if the best sort of discoveries happen within

Our well-placed nests away from noisy paths’ allure.

We trace our footsteps to the barn and hear familiar sounds

Of crickets, dogs and cats and swishing tails that remind

Ourselves that here we sink our roots and cultivate our oasis,

Mowing the hay of a thousand familiar roads and homeward go

To evening chores and well-earned rest. Rest easy, Sam, and know

That we will not forget your friendship and devotion to those you loved.

Margaret and your friends are waiting with the Christ

You served so well. You leave us with fond memories

Of good times long ago when we shared your cozy home,

And winter’s stormy blasts were never so cold when invited

To come inside your safe and welcome harbor.

Sinewy Norwegian who taught Americaness to us all

With your thoughtful ways and neighborliness for those

Both far and near. That quiet strength which towers above

And subdues the restless heart and knows that

Most experiences are better when shared with those you love.

We’ll miss you, Sam. God speed you on your way!

Mark Overt Skilbred

THOUGHTS FROM ISAIAH 45

THOUGHTS FROM ISAIAH 45

“This is what The Lord says to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I Am The Lord, The God of Israel, Who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob My servant, of Israel My chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge Me. I Am The Lord, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged Me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides Me. I Am The Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, The Lord, do all these things. You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I The Lord have created it. Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the Potter, ‘What are You making?’ Does YOUR work, (oh mankind), say ‘he has no hands’? Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘What have you brought to birth?’ This is what The Lord says—The Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question Me about My children, or give Me orders about the work of My hands? It is I Who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My Own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. I will raise up Cyrus in My righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild My city and set My exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says The Lord Almighty. This is what The Lord says: The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and those tall Sabeans—they will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you, coming over to you in chains. They will bow down before you and plead with you, saying, ‘Surely God is with you, and there is no other; there is no other God.’ Truly you are a God Who hides Himself, O God and Savior of Israel. All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced; they will go off into disgrace together. But Israel will be saved by The Lord with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame and disgraced, to ages everlasting. For this is what The Lord says—He Who created the heavens, He Is God; He Who fashioned and made the earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—He says: I Am The Lord, and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek Me! in vain.’ I, The Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right. Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save. Declare what is to be, present it—let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, The Lord? AND THERE IS NO GOD APART FROM ME, A RIGHTEOUS GOD AND A SAVIOR, THERE IS NONE BUT ME. TURN TO ME AND BE SAVED, ALL YOU ENDS OF THE EARTH; FOR I AM GOD AND THERE IS NO OTHER! By Myself I have sworn, My mouth has uttered in all integrity a Word that will not be revoked: Before Me every knee will bow; by Me every tongue will swear. They will say of Me, ‘In The Lord alone are Righteousness and Strength.’ All who have raged against Him will come to Him and be put to shame. But in The Lord all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult.”(NIV)

Those of you who are unfamiliar with Bible prophecy need to understand that every Word that God speaks is true. In fact, it is impossible for God to lie—even one time. His Perfection is on display all around us, and as you come to know Him through the Bible and His Holy Spirit, you will realize that without Him this world and universe would not exist. Isaiah is a prophet who is referring to events which had not yet taken place, including the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon and their enslavement of the Jews, the conquering of Babylon by the pagan Persian king Cyrus, the freedom which Cyrus granted to all the Jews in Babylon who were willing to return to Jerusalem, his provisions for their safe return and protection and the rebuilding of their temple. From this introduction, God and Isaiah go on to explain that God makes use of whichever kings and kingdoms He desires to do His Will. It is important that the Jews understand that if they are unwilling to obey God, that God uses others who are not a part of the Jewish nation to do His Will. He says that even though Cyrus doesn’t acknowledge God, that he will do His Will “for the sake of Jacob, My servant.” God and Isaiah speaking for Him go on to say that another outside group, the Sabians will testify to the Jews that there is no other God besides the Lord. He further clarifies His position by reminding the Jews that He has not commanded them to seek Him without reason, and that He alone is able to speak the truth and do what is right. God and Isaiah finish by saying that before God every knee will bow and by Him every tongue will swear that in the Lord alone are Righteousness and Strength. This passage is especially meaningful when we consider how many still do not acknowledge The Lord and His sovereignty over His creation. God tells us that now and in times to come we have no right to question Him about His children or about the work of His hands. He reminds us that He created the earth and created mankind upon it. Furthermore, He says that He decreed these things from the distant past. He planned everything and had His prophets declare future events, so that we would acknowledge His Wisdom, Creation, Omniscience, Power, Authority and Perfection when we see these events take place in precisely the way that He said they would. It has been said that the probability of God’s numerous prophecies all coming true is the equivalent of having an explosion in a fireworks factory result in the creation of New York City. But did you know that not one of God’s prophecies or prophets has ever been wrong? And yet there are those who believe that creation itself is a myth—some fabrication of philosophy and religion which rejects the possibility of a self-created universe. When created beings declare themselves to be the result of coincidental and evolutionary processes, they see no need for a Creator and reject astronomical odds which authenticate God’s existence. When they refuse to communicate with God’s Holy Spirit and continually reject His influence in their lives, they are in danger of being excluded from God’s Kingdom. Thanks be to God for His patience and loving kindness which strives with mankind’s spirit in order to draw us into His Kingdom. Psalm 53 says: “The fool says in his heart ‘There is no God’,” and there was a time that I was such a fool. Although I was raised in a family that believed in God and I attended church and Sunday school regularly until I got out of high school, except for a “brief campfire-dedication” at Bible camp when I was fifteen, I had not committed my heart to God. When I was seventeen, I was having trouble deciding whether to attend trade school or college, so I asked my Mom what she thought I should do. She said that when she was my age she began asking God to open the door that she should enter and to leave the other doors closed. With that in mind, I began praying every night in a half-hearted way, since I had no real relationship with God. After about a month, I heard a voice in my head say, “You’re talking to yourself.” I assumed incorrectly that the voice I heard was my own thoughts, and once that seed had been planted, I began to question everything I had been taught in church and Sunday school. By the time I was twenty, I was a full-blown atheist, had read everything by Ayn Rand, and embarked on a philosophical life without God. My father was a Lutheran pastor and I was a junior at a Lutheran college in the Midwest, so I kept my thoughts to myself until I dropped out of school for a semester before my senior year. I called my folks one night and told them I was an atheist. I felt bad after telling them, and communication with my parents suffered a temporary setback—at least regarding my lack-of belief in God. I was a private atheist, generally preferring to keep my thoughts to myself, and very few besides my parents knew the extent of my unbelief. Soon after graduation, I went to Alaska with one of my college roommates in order to find work on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline project. I was successful, and along with 15,000 other workers, I worked from start-to-finish building the pipeline. There were a couple of carpenters that I worked with, and one day while eating lunch, we discovered that one of us was a Christian, I was an atheist, and the third guy was an agnostic. I remember that the agnostic said that we sounded so sure of ourselves and seemed so convinced of our beliefs, while the best he could come up with was, “I don’t know.” I remember thinking, “Now THERE is an honest man.” I began to realize that I had no way of proving that there was NO God, anymore than my friend the Christian could prove that there WAS a God. I was about 24 by now, and after the pipeline finished when I was 27, I headed for Europe and then on to California to try my luck in the sun. I continued working in construction for awhile, and I remember coming home every night and hearing on the news about this guy called “the dumpster murderer” who was torturing and killing little kids and disposing of them in dumpsters. It just seemed to go on and on and I believe he had killed 24 kids by the time they caught up with him. That really got to me with my agnostic philosophy, because I realized that there were some things that I did know, and I became convinced that this was no mere sociological deprivation and that there must be such a thing as evil, because this guy certainly was evil. Then I realized that if there were such a thing as evil, there probably was such a thing as good, and I had lots of evidence in the people I had known which substantiated that view. This launched me on a quest which eventually led me into the New Age Movement that was flourishing at that time. I used to read anything I could get my hands on related to spiritual things, had a crystal hanging from my rearview mirror, and I especially hung out at a new age bookstore close to my home. After spending about 10 years working through my agnostic philosophy, one day in July of 1984, I was over on the right-hand side of the store looking through some material on Eckankar, when I saw a book with a cover that reminded me of Kahlil Gibran’s ‘The Prophet’ which I had read in college. I read through it briefly, and soon realized that it was a book on Satan worship. The words stood out on the page: “If you would like to summon Satan into your life, repeat these words….” I never finished the sentence, closed the book, put it back on the shelf and walked out of the store. As I stood there, I felt an electric shock go from my tailbone to the top of my head, and I felt fearful. I asked myself why, because I had always been pretty fearless and willing to explore new possibilities. I pondered this experience and avoided the new age bookstore in the meantime. One month later I returned and headed to the left-hand side of the store and was surprised to see a copy of a King James Bible on the shelf. I asked the proprietor about it and she told me that once in a while they sold Bibles too. I paid $17 for it, took it home, brought it with me everywhere I went and read it from cover to cover in one month. At the Lutheran college I attended, I had taken four semesters of religion, so I wasn’t a complete stranger to the Bible. I had done my lessons and was familiar with the stories, but they had been nothing more than assignments to me. This time as I read the Bible, I eagerly looked forward to the next time, and the reading came alive for me. At the time, I lived on the west side of the Van Nuys airport in the San Fernando Valley. By this time it was September, during fire season in California, with Hercules planes being loaded with red powder at the Van Nuys airport, besides the usual jet and helicopter traffic of a busy municipal airport, and I remember thinking how unusually loud it was that day, as I was beginning to read the Gospel of John. For those of you who are not yet familiar, that Book begins with: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bare witness of Him, and cried, saying, This was He of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for He was before me. And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time. The Only Begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.(KJV) I was alone there in my home with my thoughts, reading and enduring unusually loud sounds coming from the airport, and as I began to read the first verse of this passage, and continuing on through about the 18^th verse, I remember thinking “these are the most beautiful words I have read in my life.” As I spoke these words to myself, I realized that I was crying and feeling joyful and going stone deaf all at the same time. As I sat there experiencing a silence so still that I could have heard a pin drop, I heard a voice say, “EVERY WORD YOU ARE READING IS TRUE. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DOUBT ANY MORE. AND JUST LIKE YOU WERE AFRAID, (and the Voice caused me to remember my experience reading in the Satanic book two months before), BECAUSE ‘IT’ WAS REAL, I AM ALSO REAL” And with that, I sat there in stunned silence, with tears running down my face and full of joy, slowly recovering my hearing and becoming aware of my surroundings again. I realized then and now, as I recall the experience, “that God is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” All of the doubts that I had experienced from age 17 until 34 faded away and were replaced by the faith that only The Holy Spirit can provide. I went from doubt and fear to certainty and hope, which the intervening years have only served to increase. My former doubts about the truth of the Bible and the existence of God were changed in an instant, as faith entered as a free gift from God. Now when a particular passage isn’t clear to me, instead of experiencing doubt, I ask The Holy Spirit to provide the interpretation for Me and to reveal the Truth of that passage. I have not doubted the Truth of God’s Word in Scripture since that day in September of 1984. My life changed from uncertainty about the past and present to faith that God will provide whatever is necessary for my life. My years of doubt and searching for 17 restless and sinful years have now been replaced by more than 24 years of faith and hope. During this time of Christian growth, my wife and I have raised 5 children and experienced many of the joys and sorrows which family life brings. Our lives have not always been easy, but God has never left us alone or without hope. When we need Him, His Holy Spirit is right there with us during our problems, helping us to realize that “this too will pass.” I am reminded daily of my own inadequacies, and that helps to keep me humble and away from a path of hypocrisy. One of my favorite verses is “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) I encourage you to put your trust in God, get to know Him through daily Bible reading and prayer time, and daily seek to know His Will for your life. God is always looking for you, so make sure that you are always looking for Him too! Life is a journey which continues on into eternity. Be sure that you have your priorities straight and follow hard after God. His Holy Spirit will make sure that you continue on the right path that leads to life everlasting. May God shower you with His Love and grant you blessings, now and for evermore!

Mark Overt Skilbred

WORLD DIPLOMACY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY AND BEYOND

WORLD DIPLOMACY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY AND BEYOND

I am a writer/blogger who is interested in diplomatic solutions more than all other options, but who recognizes that proper governance must enforce the rule-of-law, especially when its neglect will result in civil war and anarchy. That being said, I support reforms when they do not conflict with God's laws and when society-as-a-whole will benefit from the change. Some of the subjects that interest me include: diplomacy, sustainable food-supply, geography, good-governance, health, liberal arts, morality, music, politics, prison-reform, religion, safety, science, sociology and teaching frameworks. I have a Wikizine on Zimbio called "World Diplomacy For The 21st Century And Beyond" where you are welcome to contribute articles and comments. I am interested in promoting suggestions for the improvement of world diplomacy and how its general pursuit may rid itself of useless baggage and other hindrances to diplomacy. Have we learned enough from our mistakes to move toward the solutions that are so desperately needed? Cold-war tactics are a pointless exercise that risk unnecessary provocation of world-neighbors. I believe that their continued use is a deliberate ruse that prolongs the terms of vested-interest groups who wish to hide in an anonymous role behind puppet-diplomacy. We can short-circuit their plans by exposing their tactics on the blogging world-stage and force them to confront us on our terms. Diplomacy must include more than the selfish ambitions of a few players who seek to turn the world into private divide-and-conquer fiefdoms! Join me in refusing to accept anything but the very best diplomatic solutions for our planet!

Mark Overt Skilbred

LEVEL PLAYING FIELDS

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[Edit] | Written by MarkOvertSkilbred on Aug-21-08 6:17pm

From: markovertskilbred.blogspot.com

LEVEL PLAYING FIELDS

There is no such thing in life as a level playing field. We are unequal individuals competing for our slice-of-life with other individuals who may have more, less, or similar advantages and disadvantages. Even individuals with similar circumstances may still have different opportunities presented to them, which creates an advantage for one and not the other. Perhaps a person has golden opportunities early in life, but not later. When government attempts intervention in this leveling process, it becomes a subject for public scrutiny at all levels of society. How might this supervision escape common criticisms and gain more widespread public and private approval? Methodology is the key to acceptance, when coupled with a keen awareness of perception and historical perspective. Judicial intervention risks initial charges of unfair advantage followed by countermeasures intended to thwart end results. Framing the case properly results in beneficial guidelines for future leveling measures. Ultimately, society rises and falls based upon our progression towards our ideals of justice and equality.

Mark Overt Skilbred

AGRICULTURAL ZONES

AGRICULTURAL ZONES

In a previous article called “Greed and Poverty,” I referred to agricultural zones as being a partial answer to solving our global food shortage. Although there could be many variations of agricultural zones, they will have certain shared characteristics--They will be a part of a global set-aside program supervised by a variety of government entities. These will exist alongside other agricultural production and will resemble the other programs in every respect except that of free-trade. Free-trade carries with it a competitive nature that is not present in an agricultural zone. The purpose of the zone is to allow for global accumulation, storage and distribution of agricultural products that is kept separate from the supply and demand sector. The immunity from competition enables the exchange of agricultural commodities on an even-par basis that recognizes costs-of-production and distribution, but avoids the negative hoard-and-scarcity cycle that characterizes free-market tactics. This method allows the accumulation of staple agricultural items to proceed to sustainable levels of storage and distribution and limits the effects of hoarding and scarcity. Overproduction can also be more easily absorbed with improved storage capabilities and better methods of distribution. As these various cooperating governmental entities increase their interdependence and global cooperation, and as efficiencies are improved, other projects will be implemented to increase arable acreage, while respecting environmental-impact globally. Various lands which may already be included in set-aside programs as prudent conservation efforts, can now be included as a part of this increasing arable acreage. Techniques which have been in widespread use in various areas where arable land is at a premium, can now be implemented to transform these less-desirable, but nevertheless usable areas into productive cropland. Measures such as desalinization, irrigation, terracing, greenhousing, trellising and canopies can be further augmented with state-of-the-art mechanization and transportation infrastructures to integrate with the existing global networks. At the same time, individual efforts at personal gardening should be increased. As we each do our part to supply ourselves and our neighbors with fresh fruits and vegetables, the effect will be the stabilization of local demand and an increase in available global supply. Global nutrition and abundance begins at home. When these agricultural zones are implemented globally, each governmental supervisory unit will facilitate the proper production, storage, receipt and distribution of these agricultural products in-keeping with per-capita guidelines based on available nutritional recommendations. Global storage data will constantly monitor existing planting, production and harvesting schedules worldwide and provide supplemental climate and weather-related information that will affect the scheduling, storage and availability data. Scientists, engineers, planners, logisticians, experts in production and storage techniques can regularly exchange vital information that will enable more efficient global-monitoring, disaster-preparedness, production, storage, transportation and receipt of agricultural items. The goal of such a management system is to prevent starvation and malnutrition. As such, it will emphasize the burden of responsibility that all of earth’s citizens share. We are each responsible to do our part to provide for ourselves and others. None of us is able to see what the future holds for us individually. But all of us can do our best today to contribute to the general welfare of our planet’s sustainable food supply. We now have the capability of increasing food production exponentially on a global basis. Our techniques of greenhousing, terracing, irrigation, crop-rotation, planting, increasing yields, harvesting, storage and transportation have never been so efficient. We have the accumulated, documented wisdom of many generations to guide us in this task. What we have lacked heretofore was the will and the leadership to move forward. WE ARE ALL ONE PEOPLE. Those of us who have not recognized this yet will rely on those of us who HAVE to show us the way. So let us begin now to educate and empower those most qualified to lead us forward. Not only are we able to influence existing governments, but WE LITERALLY ARE THE GOVERNMENTS that will accomplish this great task of eliminating starvation and malnutrition globally, and within our own lifetimes. Let us resolve to make sustainable and nutritional food a priority for the planet and all of its inhabitants.

Mark Overt Skilbred

YES! WE SERVE A GOD OF FREE-WILL!

YES! WE SERVE A GOD OF FREE-WILL!

Yes, we serve a God of free-will! Does this mean that He will allow us to see His blueprint or that He has already told us everything that He will be doing in our future? That would limit His freedom. I am happy for everything we have been told in the Bible and by the Holy Spirit, and I trust that the One Who made us will continue to do everything perfectly, with or without our help. I am not comfortable with God-in-a-book types of theology, that seem to presume that we have been privy to all that God has been about and everything that HE WILL BE about. That sort of God-on-a-leash or God-in-a-box thinking relegates Him to a very man-centered and
small-time-god status that only a humanist could appreciate. Just as only God could make order out of chaos, He will graciously lead us out of our chaotic ways of thinking when we humbly ask for His help. "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you." Creation is not just in the past, but is also in the present and in the future! What we are observing is the "eternal fingerprints of God" as we follow in His wake, as we walk in His presence and as we look forward to living with Him in future glory! May God help us to
be the kind of companions that God desires us to be and that He truly deserves us to be--creatures AFTERHIS OWN HEART! Soli Deo Gloria!

Mark Overt Skilbred

GOD IS TRUTH!

GOD IS TRUTH!

After all, does truth need to be defended? Isn't truth its own defense? The same can be said of God. Isn't God His OWN defender? He is, after all, an unstoppable force, that is VERY convincing! I choose to ally myself with God. God IS the truth that wise men seek! May we all seek Him diligently! Soli Deo Gloria!

Mark Overt Skilbred

MORAL LEADERSHIP AND THE OLYMPICS ON THE WORLD STAGE: CHINA, RUSSIA AND THE USA

China, Russia and the U.S.A.: The Olympics and Moral Leadership On The World
Stage

The conflict in Georgia underscores the ongoing public debate over leadership in an ever-changing political landscape. In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, alliances were reaffirmed in the West, to avoid a potential re-emergence of cold war at some point in the future. There has been the perception of a world-at-peace that encourages further cooperation between an ever-larger group of nations unified against global conflict. Notable exceptions include Bosnia, Chechnya, Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, and more recently, Georgia. Those who aspire to world leadership have historically relied on military might to accomplish their goals. Once this has been accomplished, and an infrastructure has been established, the
dominant world powers have attempted to retain control with a variety of measures, including world trade, military alliances, and a perception of overall moral leadership. The frameworks for this leadership may differ widely in origin, but the court of world-opinion will largely determine its success or failure. The political dialogues regarding which system is superior, and the reasons why this-is-so will vary for obvious reasons of vested interest, but the goal is still the domination of one system over another. World opinion matters, so we are not surprised, for example, that China seeks to put her best foot forward in striving to impress all of us with her accomplishments on the world stage which the Olympics provides. We understand that public perception weighs the benefits and successes together with the failures and misperceptions in the court of world opinion. Similarly, Russia has her own stage on which to display her new-found wealth of resources and trade alliances. How this all works-out when the dust settles is dependent on many factors, not least of which is moral leadership. Each of the competing systems has displayed moments of greatness and moments of moral failure. Every competing governmental system seeks to justify its failures as a necessary means-to-an-end-approach that will culminate in improved conditions for all concerned. Hitler's quest for Arian supremacy was derailed by the world's perception that German leadership at the cost of forty million lives was just too- expensive. Japan's world-domination-quest into China and the Pacific also proved to be too costly in terms of lives destroyed. The use of the atomic bomb by the U.S. in Japan is still used as prima-facie to deter those who aspire to world leadership through violent means. How then do we determine, as a world community, which governmental system is superior to all others? Totalitarian regimes testify that their superiority rests, in part, on their ability to preserve peace through authority. Democracies claim that their strength is derived from a system which empowers their citizenry to aspire to and achieve greatness. Participation in either system requires trust that the system will afford both opportunity and protection for its citizens. When economic turmoil strains political alliances, and civil conflicts spill over borders to extract solutions, the world watches and waits for news of a moral nature. Who did what to whom, and for how long? Was this necessary? How can these issues be resolved so that a lasting peace is the result? So let us journey to a higher peak from which to observe our earthly struggles: The One God who made us all and permits and enables the governments that exist to perform
their duties, also has a high moral platform from which to observe and determine the outcomes of our various cooperative and competitive systems of governance. He is very concerned about outcomes, since this is the planet which He created, sustains, and will ultimately rule over Himself. But God is also very interested in the means-to-an-end that we employ. It is not all
right with Him when we abandon moral principles for the sake of expediency. In the meantime, as we have been left to our own devices, let us unite with each other in the resolve to find peaceful means of solving our differences. The world has abundant natural resources and gifted leadership to enable us to resolve our differences, provide for our needs and support each other in the beneficial development of our planet. Let us all accept our just criticisms with the humbleness to admit when we make mistakes in policy and let us make the most of every opportunity for friendship and cooperation in the world around us. As China is showing us, they also welcome this opportunity for friendship and cooperation with the world. If we exchange our fears for celebration and treat our neighbors as friends, who knows what great things may be accomplished? Our optimism with the things that unite us, and our patience with each other in those things that divide us will go a long way toward building bridges of cooperation between us. The same can apply to our Russian neighbors, who also are recent converts to our western ways. All of us have experienced a little wounded pride in the way we are perceived by the world around us. We, as individuals, are affected by national policy and its consequences. When our country loses standing in the world, we can relate to how Russia has felt in its policy failures and its loss of standing on the world stage. The danger that all of us face is that the recovery of our national dignity may seem to be more important than achieving a harmonious and working relationship with our neighbors. There is room for all of us when we behave like good neighbors, but there is no room for any of us to destroy each other with our words and our weapons. In the Olympics, there are those who compete for individual glory, team spirit, and national pride. The forum is that of a shared interest in athletic excellence. We draw inspiration from those whose skills and patient resolution have guided their lives for many years in preparation for these
games. How much more should we all endure the discipline of a shared responsibility with our neighbors for the preservation of our earth. Let us resolve to be humbler and better neighbors to those who share our planet with us. Our thanks and admiration to China for hosting us in these magnificent Summer Olympic Games of 2008. May God bless us all as we work to overcome those obstacles that still separate us and build bridges that unify us.

Mark Overt Skilbred

TORNADOES AND BUILDING CODES: DEATH AND PERMANENT INJURY IN TORNADO ALLEY

TORNADOES AND BUILDING CODES: DEATH AND PERMANENT INJURY IN TORNADO ALLEY

I was raised in Wisconsin, North and South Dakota and Minnesota where winters are so cold that most houses have basements to keep the pipes from freezing, keep floors warm, and provide a place for furnaces, water heaters, pipes, pumps, storage, etc. An extra advantage during tornado season is the added protection that a basement provides. By being below ground, especially when protected by a sheltered stairway or root cellar, your chances of surviving a tornado are greatly improved. Imagine my surprise as I first traveled through Texas and Oklahoma, when I learned that basements are neither common or required by construction building code. It seems that unless there is another reason for building basements--such as extremely cold winters, that safety is not high on the list of building codes. The old song about justifying the extra money spent has been well-taught in tornado alley. To their credit, some home and business owners do have storm shelters and/or root cellars. My complaint is that all-too-often on short notice, residents have no recourse but to ride out a tornado in unprotected dwellings and just hope for the best. We can do better than this as a nation. I'd like to think that in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we are now better-prepared to handle hurricanes in the gulf coast. So what about tornado alley? How much more death and permanent injury will it take before our collective national, state, county, city, and local governments will step-up their building codes and require adequate basements, immediate-access storm and root cellars on all residential and business units? Don't complain about increased costs-of-construction, unless you are willing to tell the victims of Hurricane Katrina that fixing their pre-hurricane infrastructure was just-too-expensive! How long will it take and how many more lives will be destroyed before these requirements are finally met? Don't sacrifice any more lives to protect the mantra of cost-effective governmental oversight!

Mark Overt Skilbred

THE MIDEAST AND TONY BLAIR: SELF-GOVERNANCE AND THE GLOBAL EMPIRE

THE MIDEAST AND TONY BLAIR: Self-Governance and the Global Empire

As we work our way into the 21^st Century, some of us wonder how our systems of governance can best be integrated to optimize the areas of local, county, state, federal, and international jurisdiction which are already in place, so that a more harmonious relationship can develop amongst these various agencies. Mutual respect for each entity’s importance in the governing process will lead us toward gradual unification of vision and implementation of our various programs. When conflicts arise, refocusing our attention on those broad areas of agreement increases the likelihood of a favorable outcome for all participants. How might this approach aid governmental development in the Mideast? A search for areas of commonality reveals surprisingly few areas of disagreement—mostly territorial in nature, compared to a much larger area of shared vision for development. When viewed through the lens of commonality, borders become less of a wedge issue and areas of mutual benefit emerge. Similarly, NAFTA agreements benefit all party’s shared vision of a brighter tomorrow through cooperation that is able to springboard over boundary issues. As the various governing entities work together on common unifying themes, age-old barriers give way to more constructive and hopeful agendas. Examples abound, but a comparison between Canadian, Mexican and US border issues will suffice to illustrate this principle. The overarching reason behind Mexican-US border disputes is economics, which almost is not an issue on the Canadian-US border. Can anyone seriously dispute the contention that Mexican-US border clashes would fade to insignificance, were the economics to resemble the Canadian-US border? Certainly this all takes time, but the truth of this principle is obvious. Ignoring all the history of territorial disputes, and focusing on economic solutions for all parties should then be the central and unifying theme, not just for North and South America, but for the Mideast, Africa, and other negatively-charged political regions. Dialogue and zones of economic cooperation should perhaps be attempted first at the local level between area bureaucrats and business leaders. Surely there are enough shared interests in common achievable programs such as agriculture and fair-exchange trade agreements, shared transportation links, and other border-neutral pursuits. News agencies can help to encourage this process by refusing to publish hate-mongering interviews, and by focusing instead on unifying themes of a human-interest nature. Tony Blair’s patient resolve will bear fruit that will be remembered long after his terms as prime minister have faded into history. Unity, solidarity, shared faith and a determined hope for a brighter tomorrow will produce a bountiful harvest of mideastern peace. Great Britain is famous for fostering and maintaining trade and diplomatic relations with a diverse group of nations long after other relationships have soured. Best wishes to Ambassador Blair in his continuing efforts of goodwill in a troubled region. When great minds unite to maximize the common benefits, lesser minds are subdued by the force of the new reality implanted.

Mark Overt Skilbred

THE GOLDEN DOOR--A NATION LOOKS AT IMMIGRATION

THE GOLDEN DOOR--A NATION LOOKS AT IMMIGRATION

There are those who consider issues for their short-term impact, to the exclusion of clear evidence showing multiple long-term benefits. This is perhaps nowhere more evident than in the ongoing debate on immigration. This is a nation of immigrants--read the inscription on the Statue of Liberty. Since this is the case, and we are beneficiaries of the results of this open-armed policy throughout the history of America, we should be students of history, and continue to welcome strangers to our shore. There is biblical support for this position: Exodus 22:21 "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt." Exodus 23:9 "Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt." Leviticus 19:33-34 "When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God." Hebrews 13:2 "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." I Peter 1:1 "To God's elect, strangers in the world..." III John 5-8: "Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth." In these and many other examples, we see God's heart towards strangers and aliens. God often refers to Christians as strangers and aliens. Should not Christians, of all people most blessed, take care to help and befriend other strangers? God supports immigration! Economically, our country has benefited greatly from immigration. This is so, because God always honors those who respect those who are made in His image and are willing to share with others who are less fortunate. Those who say that this country doesn't have the resources to support immigration are limiting God's power. If God was able to feed a vast multitude in the wilderness for forty years by supplying them with the bread of Heaven, (manna=angel's food), and by bringing water out of a rock, and by not allowing their sandals to wear out, how much more able He is to supply all the needs of immigration. It is more likely that anti-immigration legislation is composed by protectionists seeking to promote their own selfish interests than by patriots trying to protect their nation. Even in this, they are misguided, because immigrants prove their willingness to participate physically in nation-building through their efforts on our behalf. Those who criticize the poor and help to perpetuate their misery by limiting their abilities to progress and be successful are limiting the ability of our country to progress and be successful. God is generous. Satan is selfish. WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

MARK OVERT SKILBRED

SOME BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS

SOME BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS

I'd like to put congress and the administration on a financial diet like the one recommended by the Grace Commission Report to Reagan on Jan. 15, 1984. They should not be allowed to spend one penny more than is collected in taxes, the budget should be frozen at its current level, congress should be mandated to repay every penny to social security since they began raiding it to finance Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, 10% of every tax dollar should be spent to pay off principal on the national debt and interest on the national debt should be set at 3%, all government services should be trimmed to the bone, including public education and postal services, all unnecessary bureaucracies should be eliminated, all lobbying should be declared illegal with 20-year mandatory prison sentences, the 1,020,780 square miles of U.S. land currently under the control of the federal government should be equally divided among the nation's 305,000,000 people, (which works out to about 3 acres per man, woman and child), and the revenues derived from this land as well as the ultimate control should be assigned to the people of the United States on a per-family-unit sectional basis. (Other than this, I have no opinion.)

Mark Overt Skilbred

REASON TO VOTE

REASON TO VOTE

Don’t vote for Obama just because he’s black and don’t vote for Hillary just because she’s a woman. Instead vote for John McCain just because he’s pro-life and against homosexuality! When in doubt, always vote for the candidate who best lines up with what the Bible teaches.

Mark Overt Skilbred

PRISON REFORM: A VISION OF THE FUTURE

PRISON REFORM: A VISION OF THE FUTURE

Like many others, I would like to see prison-reform head in a refreshingly-new direction: toward public service, specifically. Eventually, as the model becomes a working-reality for those most-eligible for the program, others can increasingly be added to the program. As the percentages increase and increasingly-positive results are verified, new more-attractive programs can be added to those already in place, as well as proper incentives to encourage other inmates to apply for the programs being offered. Just as prison camps and penal colonies became institutional prisons, and just as chain-gangs became license plate factories and litter-removal crews, this program would elevate community service to new, more far-reaching levels. Some of those I envision would include: road-building, agricultural infrastructures such as irrigation projects, terracing, reforestation, and some eco-friendly land reclamation, recreational infrastructures: parks, hiking and bicycle trails, picnic areas, camping areas, building and maintenance projects on a national, state, county, city, and local level, solar-projects, etc. Inmate housing can become permanent infrastructure within the setting of each project. As inmate work increases in diversity and complexity, and incentive is created inside the prison system to be a part of this proactive community-building program, overall morale will also improve. Physical work increases body function, appetite and healthy brain-function. Prisoners are thereby encouraged to do well for themselves, their fellow prisoners, and society in general. When a job is well-done, these prisoners may well look back some day on a project they were involved with, and tell their families with pride, “Do you see this campground here in Yosemite? I helped build it! Do you see those cabins over there? I did the roofing and the drywall.” Contrast this positive outlook and new skill-sets with the average current morale and recidivism that describe our existing justice system, and you catch a vision of what our future could be like. Instead of “Do the Crime, Do the Time,” the new slogan could be “Let’s Build Our Future.”

Mark Overt Skilbred

PICTURE THIS GEOGRAPHY

During the period covering 1997-2005, there were 83 countries out of 193 that showed an improved GDP when compared with themselves and also in relation to the rest of the world. During this same period there were 101 countries out of 193 that had a GDP that got worse in relationship to the rest of the world. There were 2 new countries and 7 others that showed no change in relative position when compared to the rest of the countries:

…Countries.. Continents……Avg. GDPs……Total GDPs……...%

……20……..N. America………9985…………199,700…………11.008%

……15……..S. America……....6646…………...99,690…………..5.495%

……53……..Africa…………....2673…………141,669…………..7.809%

……45……..Europe…………20,031…………901,395………...49.688%

……46……..Asia……...............8210…………377,660……….. 20.817%

……14……..S. Pacific………...6714…………..93,996………….5.183% …_____ ………………… __________ … __________............................. …..193……………………………………….1,814,110……….100.000%

As is seen, Europe contains nearly half of the existing production of goods and services. Although currently, Asia only accounts for about 20% of the world's goods and services, the future looks very bright, because Asia contains more than 60% of the world's people--for production as well as consumption, as the following 2005 populations show:

Continents…….Populations……………Population Percentage………% of earth's land

Asia……..……3,913,842,171………………… 60.669%...............................21.4% Africa…………..891,437,541………………….13.818%...............................20.6% Europe………….729,341,014………………….11.305%...............................15.8%

America………...512,422,558…………………...7.943% ………………….14.8% S.America............371,271,037…………………...5.755% ………………….12.1% S.Pacific…………32,744,469……………………..510%.................................5.8%

……………….____________.............................________.......................................

……………….6,451,058,790…………………100.000%.........................................

I hope this helps in your analysis! We clearly have the manpower and resources to get the job done. Now all it will take is the willingness to cooperate with each other. I was encouraged by the 2008 Summer Olympics in China--how about you? Best wishes for a blessed fall and winter, and keep looking up!

Mark Overt Skilbred

LEADERSHIP IN THE CLASSROOM OF THE WORLD

LEADERSHIP IN THE CLASSROOM OF THE WORLD

The classroom sets the standard for student performance which leads us outward and motivates our inner resolve to pursue our dreams to fulfillment. Teaching therefore presents the opportunity to influence a generation positively and impact society generally. Successful leadership reaches beyond the classroom experience and into the world-at-large. Those who understand their roles achieve results that benefit others and provide examples which inspire leadership to rise to the next stage. Those who participate in education and government at the higher levels understand the importance of proper administration, which is able to reign-in harmful elements and achieve fiscally and socially-responsible frameworks. These are not tasks that special-interest groups are capable of developing, but must instead be entrusted to those who have demonstrated administrative expertise and achieved a high level of success. When all levels of education and government are administered properly, the resulting accomplishments inspire those who participate to greater levels of service and achievement. Everyone benefits from wise administration. Great things are accomplished when we subordinate our individual wishes to those developed through hard work and perseverance. Unselfish and patient effort results in justice and prosperity for all.

Mark Overt Skilbred

LET'S GO LAKERS!

LETS GO LAKERS!

LA Times/Lakers Blog—6-2-08: For me the long road to the finals began for Phil “let’s do it” Jackson with the ND state B.B. championship in 1963, when Phil singlehandedly put his Williston team on his shoulders and in a come-from-behind victory over Jamestown , led his team into overtime victory with six down-the-middle and up-to-the-elbow dunks! Sure, basketball is a team sport, but as Phil knows, the game is STILL WON by individuals who WILL themselves to victory by main force against all odds. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are good examples of this same “will-in-action” that will once-again win a national championship for the Lakers. Best of everything to Phil and the Lakers in 2008! Regards from Mark O. Skilbred, Arnegard ND Spuds, ’61 state champs (1958-1965), Boston (1971), Los Angeles (1977-2008)

Mark Overt Skilbred

IGNORANCE VS INNOCENCE

Ignorance vs. Innocence

There are actually large numbers of “Christians” who have not even read or studied the Bible. How does a person recognize the truth, when they haven’t even read the Book of Truth? You could tell such a person anything you wanted, and eventually they would accept your fiction as fact, because they have no truth to compare with it. I’ve heard some criticize those who know their Bibles with statements like “they are so legalistic.” Some will memorize a manual to pass a driver’s test, but criticize a Christian for knowing what their Bible says. These individuals, who are so very practical when it comes to temporary events like driver’s tests, can be very impractical in understanding God’s Will for our lives. Are they truly that naïve, or is it something worse—DELIBERATELY CHOOSING TO IGNORE GOD’S WILL FOR OUR LIVES! Maybe they think by remaining ignorant, that God will overlook their sins? Perhaps they believe God will judge their naivety less-severely than someone who knows their Bible? Does this work for them in school? Will their teacher give them a good grade for not knowing anything about their subject? Instead of trying to get as far as possible on ignorance and ignoring God’s Rulebook and Book of Facts, why not become familiar with what the Good Teacher has to say about us and our relationship to Him?

Mark Overt Skilbred

HIGH EXPECTATIONS, TECHNOLOGY AND WORLD HUNGER: AVOID VICTIMIZATION BY BEING PROACTIVE

HIGH EXPECTATIONS, TECHNOLOGY AND WORLD HUNGER: AVOID VICTIMIZATION BY BEING PROACTIVE

Market-driven agriculture is wrong-headed. Waiting to grow crops based on speculation about market-return overlooks the needs of the global community. Much is known about the nutritional needs of humanity, yet we base our assessments of agricultural output on market-economics. If we are considering non-essentials, the law of supply and demand SHOULD be considered when regulating quantities of goods and services, but what is there about human nature that wants to take chances when it comes to food and shelter? Do squirrels really have more sense than we do, when it comes to these issues? Why do we wait for calamity to occur before considering our options? It is often said that we don’t produce enough food to feed the world. Close behind that statement is this one: overproduction causes prices to fall. Here we have the classic law of supply and demand. BUT THIS LAW CANNOT BE USED WHEN CONSIDERING FOOD AND SHELTER! If there isn’t enough arable land to grow enough food for the planet, then we need to add to our arable acreage by refusing to build on top of cropland, by turning more grazing land into cropland, through improving irrigation, desalinization plants, crop-rotation, terracing and trellising, green housing, and improving our distribution networks. Methods of storage must also be improved with grain dryers, proper packaging and warehousing. Distribution must be uniformly-based upon nutritional needs, and this must be done globally. The inevitable droughts, floods, hailstorms, and other weather-related issues must be counterbalanced through careful storage and stockpiling techniques. Irrigation solves many drought issues; greenhousing and proper warehousing solves many flood-related issues; and research is being done globally to resolve weather, pest, rust, mildew and many other issues. World seed banks perform a valuable preservation-service. Storage in particular can be improved exponentially just by employing current technologies of dehydration, air-tight containers, waterproofing, canning and packaging, proper labeling and warehousing and reliable transportation. Mainly, we need to reverse the trend of waiting for a crisis to occur before seeking a remedy. During World War II, gardening got a boost through implementation of personal “victory gardens.” Although nice-to-look-at, much landscaping is done for aesthetics and erosion-control. A large percentage of these parkways could be devoted to cropland. If everyone would plant a garden, or help others who did plant one, the quality of fresh produce would improve and everyone’s independence would also improve. The stress experienced through not knowing where your next meal is coming from causes unnecessary anxiety, when solutions are usually close-at-hand. There are endless possibilities available globally, through the use of greenhouses, canopies, roof-gardens, terrariums, personal gardens, raised-beds, grain-sprouting, etc. So how would this new attitude toward our food supply affect business-as-usual? If handled properly, it would create the following desirables: stockpiling of essential foods—up to a 10-year supply, vastly-improved sources of fresh fruits and vegetables from home-grown sources, economical improvement in the living-wage for individual workers, farmers, and large-scale farming ventures. This can be achieved through global price-stabilization, which seeks to establish realistic pricing for the consumer AND the producer, based on need-rather-than-greed. No one needs to get hurt if a fair assessment is made of needs, and an ever-increasing supply is achieved. When the value of agriculture is determined by supply, prices fluctuate, so every effort must be made to ensure fair profit-margins for producers as they increase their supply output. Those who gauge prosperity based on market-analysis, goods and services, the commodities exchange, stock-market volatility, various competitions involved with currencies, the global economy, GDP, and other economic indicators, overlook the essential truth that the only physical essentials are food and clean water, shelter, and a healthy environment. All the rest are non-essentials competing with essentials for a larger share of the planet and a larger share of our time and commitment. Let’s get our priorities straight and help to fix our planet while there is still time! I enjoy leisure as much as the next person, but there is a point that has been reached already, beyond which we dare not venture—that of our pursuit of non-essential distractions at the expense of life’s essentials. Stop the madness, folks! Return to sanity and the main ingredients of civilization.

Mark Overt Skilbred

GREED AND POVERTY

GREED AND POVERTY

Imagine a world where stability is the norm and instability is the exception. In this world we are imagining, there are no shortages of life’s basics: food, clean water, shelter, and a healthy environment. Although competition may still exist on many levels, it is no longer concerned with life’s necessities, but only with the non-essentials—those extra things that make life more fun and exciting. But this time, these non-essentials are no longer allowed to have priority over life’s essentials. Instead, life’s essentials are a part of a globally-protected agriculture zone. How can this imaginary existence become a reality? Let’s look at our situation and see: If every square mile of land were occupied, there would be around 5 acres per man, woman and child. That seems like plenty of land until you factor in climate, terrain, deserts, swamps, pastures, infertility, forests, barren rock and general misplacement of buildings on top of agricultural lands. That reduces the available arable land to only about ½ an-acre per-person on the planet. Again, ½ an acre of usable gardening space/farmland per person still seems like plenty of room until we consider various environmental abuses, incompetent soil management, government interference, inequitable land distribution, laziness and greed. Hopeless, you say? Perhaps, but maybe not insurmountable. When nations unite, great things are accomplished. This world has been given so many bright minds and abundant natural resources. I really believe that we have the ability to change this world into the kind of place that God originally intended. There have been times of relative peace and prosperity when nothing seemed impossible. Consider the years of post-World War II, when the world seemed to awaken from a nightmare to discover life anew. Then our dreams were golden, when no dreams were too large, and life was fresh and hopeful for millions of people all over the planet. Surprisingly, those countries which had suffered the greatest losses were among the first ones to rebuild. Their tragic memories were changed from sorrow to renewed vigor, a zest for living, and ultimately the rebirth of civilizations that had been destroyed by war. This rebirth sought a new world full of opportunity and fulfilled dreams, where everyone had a chance to build a life of hope for their family. These were not idle dreams, but were instead realities that were achieved by millions of families throughout the world. We are once again poised at such a crossroads. Will we, as citizens of the world, make a decision to seize this opportunity to fulfill our destiny and our dreams, or will we be satisfied to live in the shadow of former greatness, under of a cloud of disillusionment and shattered hopes? How can we begin to realize these dreams and make them our realities? We need to unite globally with others who share our vision of an achievable, prosperous and fulfilling life for all of our citizens. One good place to begin is by supporting efforts to reclaim arable land for agriculture. These are lands that have long remained unused through misappropriation and neglect. Let’s insist that cropland no longer be used for building construction sites. Let’s further insist that every vacant lot be made available for shared green spaces in every city and town on the planet. Let’s remove all unnecessary buildings which are mislocated on arable land, and finally let’s insist that cities, towns, industrial sites and other infrastructures be placed on sites which are unusable as arable acreage. When this has been accomplished, we will notice a startling thing—we have now increased our arable acreage to between 1-2 acres per person globally. When these crops have been planted, harvested, and properly stored, transported, sold at a reasonable profit and consumed by a thankful public, we will have achieved an economic substrata that is immune to inflation. Think about it—all the efforts to increase our available arable acreage, plant, harvest, store, transport and sell these agricultural commodities globally, will now be standardized into an ever-increasing quest for a sustainable and globally-affordable food supply that is no longer dependent on the former conditions of supply and demand. Our food supply will no longer be held hostage by the highest bidder and warehoused for the purpose of price-gouging and price-fixing. Alarmists will squeal that this will remove any incentive to sell agricultural products. They base this argument logically on other failed attempts at agricultural utopias. But they have forgotten that we now have the available ingredients for success at our disposal. In addition to all the bright minds, we have unprecedented infrastructures in place for communication, transportation, storage, preservation, security, fertility, nutrition and mechanization, in addition to a protected global agricultural zone that is immune from fluctuations that affect non-essential items that are a part of the supply and demand superstructure. We know, and have known for a long time, which agricultural items have proven to be successful in the past, which are high-demand items versus low-demand, nutritionally-superior, practical and sustainable. We also know quantities and calories of consumption based on current levels, and which supply levels fit the ever-improved global diet which includes a much-wider spectrum of all basic food groups. What then remains for us to accomplish these goals in our lifetime? First, we need the shared vision of ending hunger and reducing poverty. We may never succeed in eliminating poverty, but we are on the verge of at least ending starvation and malnutrition. These are achievable goals which need only proper planning by the greatest minds on the planet, the investment of time and energy necessary to accomplish them, and the agreement to global cooperation and mutual aid that befits a committed and humanitarian society. Let us begin now to move in this direction, trusting that God will empower us to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over all” that God has placed under our supervision.

Mark Overt Skilbred

FAITH AND SCIENCE

FAITH AND SCIENCE

Why is it always us vs. them, when it comes to faith and science? During the last generation and earlier, there was a war between creationists and evolutionists that bordered on hysteria. One got the feeling that God needed some help defending His creation from attacks by science and evolutionists bent on destroying the whole faith community. I know that God is well-able to defend His creation from attack single-handedly, and the worst that pseudo-science throws at Him will not so much as raise a Divine eyebrow in response. Still, for the sake of argument, I suppose it doesn't hurt to postulate a scenario where God is a nail-biter who has now been backed into a corner, and is defending His territory like a wolverine-at-bay. Imagine, if you will, those pagan scientists gleefully bludgeoning our Creator with "scientific" questions and paraphernalia designed to bring Him to His philosophic knees and cause Him to recant His entire legacy. What, after all, are we left with then, after the Creator has been put-to- the-sword and His death knell has been delivered? Will scientists proudly deliberate the death of yet another theory? What then is there left for them to make sense of and legitimize, when the only response they receive from the Creator of the universe is a most-profound and Divine silence? The answer will come slowly and by degrees--that God's existence is verified by His perfection. Only the Divine Mind could ever envision and carry out creation. As I travel, I take notice of my surroundings, and here is what I have discovered, quite independently from all those theories and theologies that I grew up listening to and attempting to assimilate: This planet we know as earth is extremely old—scientists tell us around 4 1/2 billion years or more. The last generation told us that the earth was no more than 6000 years old. They based this theory (oh yes, Christians also have theories) on the basis of biblically-recorded history. There is no doubt that the Bible is 100% true and verifiable as a historic and scientific document. Archeology is one of the Bible's most ardent supporters--one might say it is scientists' blueprint of the historical timeline. What scientists and theologians agree-on however, becomes a point of departure, when it comes to extra- Biblical theorizing. Christians admit that God has not told us everything about our history on the planet, and perhaps has no intention of clarifying the finer points of creation for us. That intriguing comment at the beginning of scripture is a puzzler for thoughtful theorists--that part that says "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Gap-theorists will ask this question: When is the beginning?-- 6000 years ago?--only to be answered with another question-- how old is God?--to be further answered: that God has no ending and no beginning! So then, how old is the world, if it was created "In the beginning?" My answer harmonizes Christians, scientists and thoughtful people of many persuasions: The world is extremely old, and so is the universe. Just as God has no beginning and will have no ending, God's creation is as timeless as God Himself. Creation is as old as the moment when God spoke it into existence, and creation will last until God says so! How long of a time-period is that? How long is eternity? Why do science and small-minded Christians insist that "god" is finite, predictable, definable, inept, error-prone and incapable of carrying out His plans? I have a message for you: Your "god" is too small! The God Whose I AM is too large for the universe to contain Him. He is timeless and fulfills all His purposes! After all the banter of what, where, why and when, God is still on His throne, high and lifted up. Theories abound, but God's reality never changes. Soli Deo Gloria!

Mark Overt Skilbred

ARABLE LAND VS BUILDING PLACEMENT

ARABLE LAND VS BUILDING PLACEMENT

One green-responsible subject I never see addressed is that of building-placement. To wit: Why are dwellings and buildings of all types placed atop arable acreage globally? Less than 10% of land is currently considered arable. An inclusive global-green plan must include proper placement as one of its foundational pillars. Poverty and infrastructure are frequently cited as reasons for disasters like Myanmar. Historically, floodplains like the Irrawaddy, Nile, Mississippi, and others have cost humanity staggering losses resulting from improper usage of arable acreage. With the ability to predict typhoon/hurricane/floods and high-speed transit modems, we must insist that a proper plan exclude all non-essential infrastructures on flood-plains and encourage residential and business development on lands better-suited to that purpose. We can conservatively double our arable acreage globally if zone-planning is properly implemented.

Mark Overt Skilbred

ALCOHOL

ALCOHOL

Does anyone else notice the pink elephant in the room—alcohol? No matter how hard industry and elected officials attempt to downplay the problems associated with alcohol, the facts cannot be concealed. Tobacco causes health problems for people, but alcohol destroys people’s lives instantly, progressively, and indiscriminately. Drunk driving kills thousands every year, and cripples many thousands more. Billions are spent every year protecting, repairing, and attempting to make-up for the evils caused by alcohol. Alcohol destroys families, not just through divorce, but through spousal and child abuse. Alcohol destroys friendships and good neighbors. Alcohol destroys your mind and health. If you don’t believe this, and you still believe the propaganda you hear about the benefits of drinking alcohol, listen to Dr. Daniel G. Amen, and what his brain-imaging results confirm 100% of the time! Would you like to shrink your brain? Drink alcohol! Want your brain to look like Swiss cheese? Drink alcohol! Grow up and look at the truth! Tell the loudmouths who support alcohol what a bunch of liars they REALLY are! Tell them to go get a REAL education before they try to tell the rest of us how good alcohol is for us and our children. Alcohol creates nations of dysfunctional under-achievers whose quality-of-life is far less than if they avoided alcohol. What kind of example are you setting for your children? You tell THEM to study and get good grades while YOU sit around in your most-recently-induced ALCOHOLIC STUPOR! Losers! Wake up! Stop drinking alcohol! And while you are at it, try and do something positive for our planet and its citizens!

Mark Overt Skilbred

A WORD ABOUT ARMCHAIR DIPLOMACY

A WORD ABOUT ARMCHAIR DIPLOMACY

There are those who would criticize armchair diplomats for their attempts to promote meaningful dialogue amidst a perfect storm of public debate. These range from newer versions of manifest destiny and still-newer editions of the Monroe Doctrine to those of isolation, protectionism, neutrality, imperialism, colonialism and other politics of a bygone era. The time has come for effective cooperation in the establishment of guidelines, unified efforts toward transformational change and answers which are based on diplomatic solutions more than all other options, but which recognize that proper governance must enforce the rule of law, especially when its neglect will result in civil wars and anarchy. We must support those reforms which do not conflict with God’s Laws and which will benefit society as a whole. It is necessary to promote suggestions for the improvement of world diplomacy and how its general pursuit may rid itself of useless baggage and other hindrances. Have we learned enough from our mistakes to move toward the solutions that are so desperately needed, or are we stuck in an endless cycle of one-upsmanship, revenge, fingerpointing, and entrenched interests? Coldwar tactics are a pointless exercise that risk unnecessary provocation of world neighbors, and their continued use prolongs the terms of vested-interest groups who attempt to shore-up their agendas by hiding in an anonymous role behind a curtain of puppet-diplomacy. We who address this diplomatic theatre from our respective armchairs have an opportunity to short-circuit the plans of these powerful vested-interests by exposing their tactics on the blogging world stage and forcing them to confront us on our terms. Our unity of purpose will successfully bring workable answers to the frustrated diplomatic roundtable and help to persuade leadership and provoke dialogue where needed. Our world diplomacy must be based on more than the selfish ambitions of a few players who seek to turn the world into private divide-and-conquer fiefdoms! Let’s refuse to accept anything but the very best diplomatic solutions for our planet!

Mark Overt Skilbred

A SLIPPERY SLOPE

A SLIPPERY SLOPE

We have murdered over 50 million babies, (more than died in World War II), in the name of personal freedom—the so-called right-to-choose. Should we be free to murder? How can anyone who claims to be a Christian vote for a pro-abortion or a pro-homosexuality candidate? God has made it so very clear that we are not to murder or be homosexuals. He will not overlook these sins. I realize “that He is patient, not wishing for any to perish,” but we are “putting God to the test” with these two issues and many others. The individuals who practice murdering children and those who practice homosexuality will be judged by God individually, and the nations who approve or turn a blind-eye to these evil practices will share in their punishment. If this continuing practice of murdering babies and practicing homosexuality does not grieve your heart, you are NOT a Christian. If you are a Christian, DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY CANDIDATE WHO SUPPORTS THE CONTINUING POLICIES OF MURDERING BABIES AND CONDONING HOMOSEXUALITY! You think that it doesn’t matter what we and others do here on earth, but God says that HE CARES, whether we do or not. A little more sin here and a little more over there, and the sins keep piling up God’s judgment against our country. Don’t you get it? The slumping economy is just another symptom of a nation that has lost its moral compass. Watch carefully the politics of a sinful nation!

Mark Overt Skilbred

THOUGHTS FROM ISAIAH 29

THOUGHTS FROM ISAIAH 29

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” You turn things upside down, as if the Potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the Potter, “He knows nothing”?

We see that the attitude of our hearts towards God is infinitely more important than our words. When it comes to God, talk is cheap, but heart honesty, submission and obedience are vital. When God says that wisdom and intelligence will vanish, He is speaking quite specifically to our generation, as well as speaking a warning to all generations. Those who devise clever ways to “hide their plans from the Lord” are singled out for woeful punishment not only for their evil plans and deeds done in darkness, but for believing in their hearts that any plans or deeds are able to be hidden from the One Who hears and sees all things, and especially the attitude of the heart. He calls this attitude “upside down,” because our understanding is so darkened that we believe our Creator is like us. Just like the clay that we are made from, without God’s Holy Spirit within us, we have no senses capable of recognizing our Creator for Who He is. The comparison of a created pot, which is incapable of reason, saying to the Potter that He did not make it and that He knows nothing is comparable to the preposterous human notion that God has not made us and does not see our plans and deeds. By denying their Creator, not only are humans who use this faulty logic inevitably faced with their own inability to rise above the level of mere humanity, but they deny the Spirit of God who is willing to indwell and grant wisdom to His creatures and communicate with them. The human heart is a complex creation which does its best work when exercised. So too is the attitude of the heart which, when exercised often in seeking after its Creator, is better able to communicate, fellowship, enjoy and live abundantly within God’s created universe. God has told us that he is actively seeking those whose hearts are turned towards Him. Earlier in chapter 29, Isaiah tells God’s people that even after they have been destroyed by their enemies that their dust is crying out to Him from the ground, and that He hears them. We know from Psalm 139 that no matter what our circumstances or location, that God is there with us and is helping us. Why do we wait for a problem to develop before seeking to communicate with our Creator? Some of us have a lone ranger attitude which tells us that we can do this on our own, while others question whether there is a God Who cares or is even listening to us. Still others struggle with sorrow, anger and depression, which affect our perceptions and heart attitude. Before you were formed in the womb, God knew you, and after you have returned to the dust, God will still know you and hear you. When will we realize that our Creator is also with us in the here and now? Should it take a foxhole experience before we begin to seek after God? Must a calamity occur in order for us to recognize our need for a Savior? Before our consciousness of being human occurs, God watches over us, and after our physical death occurs God is still caring for us, so why in these all-too brief years of our earthly existence do we fail to trust Him with our care? God longs to fellowship with us like He did with Adam and Eve in the garden before the fall, and is always watching for us like an anxious Father waiting for our return, and running to meet us while we are still far off. Have we said with the prodigal, “I will arise and go to my Father?” Tell Him that you want to come home and live with Him, and tell Him that you are willing to be a servant in His house if He will only accept you. As we are enabled to become Christians through the power of the Holy Spirit, and as strength is given to us on a daily basis to grow in faith, we are expected to “pray without ceasing.” Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” This is the most beneficial part of life’s difficulties—that we are more likely to have an attitude of prayer and a proper heart attitude during our times of trouble. In addition to our regular prayer time, let’s include God in our daily activities, in our problems, in our successes and in our failures. Would you like to impress God? There is nothing which impresses God more than a growing and vibrant faith. Ask the Holy Spirit to increase your faith!

Mark Overt Skilbred

THE PURSUIT OF TRUTH

The Pursuit of Truth

Science and Theology share a common task--how to seek, defend and preserve truth in the midst of a storm of theories that often conflict and agree in part or in full. The degree of discomfort created by this tension frequently causes confrontations between antagonists who are easily diverted from the pursuit of truth. Both sides are equally guilty of participation in these diversions, so there is no need to prolong this discussion with finger pointing. However, there is a better, more expedient, and much-less-costly method that can be used to resolve these conflicts. Jesus said that we should "turn the other cheek." As a parent, we learn to overlook immaturity in our children, choosing rather to shape our progeny with a less confrontational method. God has taught us this method with the patience he has shown towards us. He knows that "we are but dust" created in His image, that needs patient and diligent effort before the Good Potter finally molds us into His heavenly creations. By following God's patient example, and overlooking those more obvious points of contention in whichever camp you happen to identify with,you stay focused on your primary objective of pursuing the truth. Let's not get weighed-down with unnecessary battles that concentrate on our perceived differences, and instead devote our energies to discovering the truths that lie within ourselves and in the world and universe around us. Our combined efforts will be rewarded with harmonious relations between Science and Theology that will point other children in the right direction, instead of discouraging further discovery. The good examples we set for others advance the Kingdom of God AND the pursuit of science.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Mark Overt Skilbred

ALL-INCLUSIVE POLITICS

ALL-INCLUSIVE POLITICS

As we examine the electorate, it seems only natural to categorize voters along party lines. Republicans in 2008 tend to be the more conservative of the two-party system, and Democrats tend to be the more liberal party. We realize that there are many different viewpoints within each party that define the degrees and kinds of conservatism and liberality. Just as it is unusual for any two people to agree on all the issues, so it is even more unlikely for all members within political parties to completely agree. The inevitable compromises are predictably along “party lines” that have been established historically by the parties-in-question. The issues that are chosen for consideration then become a focal point for those seeking to move the party into adopting certain issues into the party platform. There are issues chosen for their universal appeal, such as national defense, where both parties favor a more-or-less strong national defense, but may disagree on its implementation. The methods of implementation may then become the “wedge-issue” that divides the two parties along party lines. Once these “wedge-issues” have been clearly defined, the electorate proceeds to vote for the candidate that they trust will best-be-able to implement the party platform. There are, however, certain issues that have not been chosen for their universal appeal, but have been formulated to persuade skeptics that their opposition is based on certain groundless and unsubstantiated fears and prejudices. Two such issues confront the electorate again in November of 2008, and they are “abortion-rights” and “homosexual-rights.” Advocates for these positions appeal to the electorates’ sense of fairness, justice and legitimacy. Arguments include the contention of Roe v. Wade that a mother has a “right-to-choose” life or death for a developing child. “Homosexual-Rights” advocates contend that individuals have the right to choose sexual partners from the same gender, enter into domestic partnership, and be recognized by the state and society as married in the same sense as heterosexual couples. Both of these issues have gone from being closet issues in the ‘50s and ‘60s to becoming “wedge-issues” in the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and now into the 21^st century. Proponents argue that justice demands that we legitimize freedom on behalf of pro-abortionists and pro-homosexuality advocates. The “umbrella of democratic principles” we are told, must protect these “minorities” from infringements that obstruct their exercise of freedom and its legitimization. There are some advocates who view questions of morality on their face-value, reasoning that “as long as no one gets hurt, what’s the difference?” Others seek to persuade us that we must choose “the lesser of two evils” and permit the mother to choose life or death for her child. Still others reason that no government, person or power has the right to dictate sexual rights and prohibitions to any human. These viewpoints can all be categorized as humanistic in the sense that their advocates represent the view that humanity can best determine the most legitimate course of action for its members. Some who hold these views claim that religion and even morality have no place in politics and the establishment of the rule-of-law. They reason that humanity can decide on a case-by-case basis what course-of-action should be taken. They argue that, as times change, so our public policy must change, in the same way that we set traffic laws and curfews. The impression has been created that religion and morality itself are the results of the evolution of codes-of-conduct that shelter us all under a common umbrella of shared protection—sort of a “you-don’t-bother-me-and-I-won’t-bother-you” mentality. The church is viewed as an enemy of those who would seek to implement moral self-determination. Governments and law enforcement bear the brunt of individual objections to the rule-of-law. The church boldly stands in contradiction to this self-deterministic attitude by stating that we are NOT the source of our own rule-of-law. The church says that laws and rules of behavior were given to us by God, that He expects these laws to be respected, obeyed, enforced, and lived-out in our daily lives. Furthermore, God expects us to be perfect, (since He is the One Who enables us), and to love His Laws, and to hate when His Laws are disobeyed. There are some “christians” who choose to ignore some of the commands of God, to their discredit. The best source of Truth is found in the Bible itself which will lead you into a relationship with God Himself, through the person of the Holy Spirit: “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” II Cor. 16:9. American law is founded on Biblical principles. God does not permit “killing-for-convenience.” Life is sacred to God, and those who deliberately take-a-life without legitimate cause risk God’s judgment of death for breaking His Law. Similarly, God’s penalty for practicing homosexuality is death. I am well-aware that reminding you of how these things stand with God is a bit old-fashioned, but I, like all Christians, have been told by God through the Bible and the Holy Spirit, that practicing and advocating abortion and homosexuality are both prohibited by God and punishable by death. You might ask, “well—who is this “god,” that we should fear him or pay any attention to him?” This was the same question Pharoah asked Moses and Aaron before the ten plagues of Egypt descended. Again, regarding homosexuality, you might ask, “who is this fellow, trying to tell us what to do?” This was the same question asked by the men of Sodom before God caused the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone that created the Dead Sea and the lowest point on the surface of our planet. Consider the following: Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath, saying, “I have installed My King on Zion, My Holy Hill.” I will proclaim the decree of the Lord; He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become Your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; You will dash them to pieces like pottery.” Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. Psalm 2:1-12. So I have some advice for you who call yourselves liberal, conservative or independent in the election which is fast-approaching: Consider wisely the issues before you. There is a God in heaven Who cares very much about the choices we make. Think about your children and those who share the planet with us. Don’t snuff out the beacon of God’s Love that has been present in America since its foundation. If you think that your independence is worth more than God’s kingdom, you are mistaken! Kiss the Son! Soli Deo Gloria!

Mark Overt Skilbred