Last weekend, I decided to replace the two toilets in our house.  As a person ages, it gets harder and harder to get up off the throne, especially when the seat is lower than sitting in a chair. So, I did my research extensively, trying to find the best toilet for our budget, and for our bu…..  oh, never mind with that comment.  We will, after all, be spending a lot of time sitting on those seats in the coming years.

I did not realize that Lowes lists hundreds of models, with many in the $500-$900 price range! Who knew there are self-cleaning, heated, powered, fashion toilets? So, after a couple of days of spreadsheet comparisons, looking at seat height, GPF (gallons per flush), flush valve sizes, rough-in measurements, and of course, customer ratings, I chose the model I most wanted. Fortunately, our local Lowes reported 6 in stock. So last Friday, we went to pick them up, one for each bathroom.

I knew that the bathroom off the master bedroom would be an issue, as I had worked on a leak once before. The flange was well below the level of the floor. Rather than putting in two wax rings (they really do break down over time), I decided to put in a “flange extender kit”.  The instructions make it look pretty easy. Just set this on top of the existing flange, with the seal provided, drill some masonry screws in, and mount the toilet. Little did I know that the existing flange was installed before the concrete was poured for the house! I had to chip out enough concrete to be able to insert the flange extender into the space where it needed to go.

My “one hour – tops!” estimate was grossly insufficient. The first toilet took 6 hours to install, almost all of that being preparatory work.  The second installation gave me two advantages: I knew what I was doing, and I had more room to do it in!  It only took a mere four hours to install!  Trying to chip away about 1 1/2 inches of concrete in a near perfect circle, and with a flat level bottom surface – is not at all easy.

But the result is spectacular! I know that these toilets will give us no problems for many, many years to come!  They only use a fraction of the water we used to use, and yes – it is much easier to stand up!

Frank

I woke up this morning with the thought that there is a big difference between compassion and tolerance.

When I talk with my liberal friends (yes, I have several), they point out that conservatives are not very compassionate, whereas liberals are very compassionate. That conservatives are judgmental at best, and bigots at worst. They claim we are not very tolerant of other’s lifestyles. By and large, liberals equate “conservatives” with “evangelical Christians.” While I agree that many evangelical Christians are more judgmental than compassionate (to our shame), I would also argue that to be a true Christian requires one to be less tolerant of other lifestyles. Let me explain:

Being judgmental is to hold yourself above the person you are judging. The thinking goes like this: “I hold to a standard of behavior, and you have not met that standard.” In other words, “I am better than you.” There is a lot of confusion over a Christian’s responsibility to judge. The Bible tells us in some places not to judge, and other places to judge. Here is the difference: We are not to judge those outside the faith – that is for the Lord to do. We are to judge those who claim to be Christian, but continue to live in sin. Most people do not understand or practice this distinction.

Being compassionate is to be understanding in a way that offers comfort and relief. Jesus was the picture of compassion. We can all do better at this.

Being tolerant is to look the other way when someone does wrong. Think about it: what is it that we “tolerate”? “Tolerate” implies wrong behavior! This is the word the liberals have redefined: their “tolerance” means to accept someone’s lifestyle when it is different from your own. That definition ignores the Christian’s responsibility to call out sin for what it is.  By changing “wrong” to mean “different”, they are trying to remove the guilt factor from their consciences. They are asking Christians to go along with that, and we cannot. Our Lord was and is very intolerant of sin.

So when the liberals want us to be more tolerant, they are asking us to look the other way when they are doing wrong. They make it sound like tolerance is a good thing, a necessary thing for us all to get along. The problem is, a Christian cannot be tolerant of sin. We can be compassionate toward sinners; we can and should be less judgmental (See Philippians 2: 1-5); but we should not condone sin (aka be tolerant toward sin).

In truth, it is the liberals who are very intolerant of Christians. They are guilty of the very thing they charge us with. Our liberal courts are already intolerant of Christians by ruling against Christian businesses who refuse to serve homosexuals, or refusing to allow challenges to evolution, or throwing all mention of God out of public places.

So the next time you hear claims of “intolerance”, consider which definition they are using…

Frank

This election year certainly highlights how far we have strayed from the standards of conduct established by our founding fathers. On one side, we have someone who is a pathological liar with no grip whatsoever on the realities facing our nation. On the other, we have a pathological bully who cannot pass up an opportunity to spew insults toward anyone who crosses his path.

If you can persevere beyond the lies and insults, the differences are like night and day.

One wants to let all refugees in to include terrorists, the other wants to shut down our borders until we can sort out who the terrorists are (a seemingly impossible task).

One says the country is doing wonderfully, the other points to crises in our national defense, economy, education, and balance of trade.

One wants to promote dependency on the government at the expense of those who work, and the other wants to bring jobs back from overseas so everyone can work.

One is the poster child for “politically correct”, the other is the antithesis of “politically correct”.

One wields the media like an arsenal, the other takes the beating from that arsenal.

One is backed by everyone who believes they are entitled to a comfortable life, the other is backed by those who are tired of paying for those so-called entitlements.

Both want to run a campaign based largely on discrediting the other.  While this strategy is nothing new, these two have taken it to a new extreme.

A nationally syndicated columnist recently wrote “The election is Trump’s to lose.” And he is doing a fine job of it, from what I can tell. Message to Trump: Stop insulting everyone, concentrate on the national issues, and you’ll win.  Message to Clinton: Go to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

Well, we just finished both political conventions – and the differences couldn’t be more clear.  I’ll let each of you reading this decide for yourself what that means.  My point in this post is that no matter who wins, it doesn’t matter.  Romans 13:1 says clearly: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”  

While I would argue that God is not necessarily in charge of what goes on, he most certainly is in control of what goes on. When Satan offered Jesus the nations of the world if He would worship him (Satan), it was not from a false position of ownership. In Ephesians 2:2, Satan is referred to as the ruler of the kingdom of the air (and by context, the ways of the world). So at the present time, it would seem that Satan, not God, is in charge of the affairs of man.

But do not despair, he can only do what God allows him to do, and that only for a predetermined amount of time.

So in the big picture, it does not matter who sits on the throne of America, God allowed him/her to be there – and that person will fulfill God’s will for our nation (whether it be to our benefit or our detriment [judgement]). As a Christian, our role in our nation’s affairs should be on our faces in sackcloth and ashes begging God’s forgiveness. Nothing in politics will ever improve until this nation turns back to God.

Frank

It’s hard to believe it has already been 1 year!  Exactly one year ago today, with the entire Knight clan in Pennsylvania, Jerry and Olivia were wed on a perfect day. We wish them all the best in life. May their love for each other grow stronger through the years, and may God bless them richly.

Congratulations, Jerry and Olivia!  We love you.

Mom and Dad

… which is why I am liking Donald Trump more and more: Trump is taking on the political establishment head on.

Yes, he is arrogant. Yes, he comes across as a bully. Those are the reasons I have been very slow to show any support for him as the conservative candidate. But after last night’s acceptance speech, I am on board with Trump. He gave a very passionate (and at times, compassionate) message of America First. It was obvious he is going after the votes of those who feel slighted or disadvantaged under the current regime. I would like to see the GOP specifically going after the black and Latino voters more, because his message hits them right where many of them live. The fact is that no presidency or party  in my lifetime has really helped our inner cities in terms of education, crime, employment. The Democrats have thrown tax payer dollars into food stamps that only encourage dependency on the government, thus ensuring an enduring voting base. But that does nothing to improve their quality of life, and bring them into the middle class. Historically, the Republicans have done even less for our inner cities. It is good to hear Trump wanting to change that.

As far as foreign policy, there is no comparison between Trump and his opponent. We have had the finest military in the world for many years. However, the military is only as effective as the politicians will allow them to be. We could have ended terrorism in 1990, but the military was never allowed to finish the job. Somehow, I believe Trump will allow the job to be finished. Unapologetically.

I personnally knew a retired Army general who owned 5000 acres in Arizona, whose southern fence was the border with Mexico. He constantly had to patrol his land to dispose of the dead bodies of illegal immigrants who died trying to sneak into our country. He estimated that 1500 people made their way into America across his land per year. I understand compassion for people who are hoping for a better life. But I also understand that unconstrained influx of the world’s poor will crush our schools, hospitals, and job markets.  Then there is the whole refugee issue. I completely agree that we cannot allow those refugees in until we have a way to positively sort out the legitimate refugees from those who will do us harm. Americans are worse off because we have not enforced our immigration laws. Period. So Trump’s message to control immigration is a welcome one.

The media continues to denigrate Trump’s message by telling half-truths and lies. What I heard was a man who is unashamedly Patriotic, and has a solid grasp on the problems facing our nation, and also has the internal fortitude to do something positive about those problems.

… I would be locked up a long time in prison.  The FBI “recommendation” that HC not be prosecuted is a complete mockery of national security and federal regulations. If a regular government employee had information that obviously should have been classified on a personal email server, that person would have been prosecuted. The excuse that it was not classified at the time is NO EXCUSE. When we are awarded a security clearance, we are trained in what constitutes classified information at the level of our clearance. She KNEW it should have been classified, and if she didn’t, she was incompetent to hold a clearance in the first place.

And who is the FBI making the “recommendation” to? I assume the Attorney General, who is an Obama appointee. Of course he’s not going to prosecute! He likes the power and prestige of his position.

I don’t always agree with Donald Trump in his methodology, but he is totally right in his assessment of this fiasco.

I just had to vent. This nation is doomed if she is elected.

aarrgghh.

Edit…  and now there is talk of Obama giving her a pardon, even without charges being brought! (to prevent her from suffering any punishment) Is there no end to this madness!?!?!

J.C. Ryle (1816 – 1900) said “There is a common, worldly kind of “Christianity” in this day, which many have – a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice – which costs nothing and is worth nothing.” 

It is shameful to say, but those words, written in the 1800’s, describe the vast majority of American churches today, in the 2000’s.  If the “church” looks like, acts like, and sounds like the unsaved world, there is no impetus for the unsaved to even consider Jesus or their sin. God has chosen his church to be the light and salt in this dark and rotting world.

What does it say about our Christianity if we don’t stand for the Word of God? God’s word is offensive to sin. The Law exposes sin; the Gospel rejects sin. We tend to cling onto our favorite sins. Therein lies the sacrifice – we are to sacrifice our sinful desires, sinful thoughts, sinful habits – because they are offensive to God. True Christianity is not cheap.  It costs us our sinful ways. It cost Jesus his life.

He died for our sins – it was the most He could do. I will live for Him – it’s the least I can do.

Frank.

As my time draws closer to retirement, I am finding myself doing a lot more research than I had anticipated. With multiple sources of income, I had to make sure that some did not offset others. Some forms of income offset Social Security, some do not. Had to do some research. Some of the calculations are not explained well for Civil Service retirement. Gotta research. Then there is the whole issue of Healthcare. I qualify for VA, but Deb does not, so we will probably stick with TRICARE, which has been very good for us. But TRICARE FOR LIFE has a different set of rules and deductibles. More research. Then there is the Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP – which is sizable, but has significant restrictions on how you can use that money. More research. Add to these things the actual process of a Civil Service Retirement, which is the ultimate example of government bureaucracy with dozens of forms to wade through and decisions to be made. Lots more research. It’s a wonder anyone in federal service actually gets retired! No wonder there is a significant number of deaths shortly after retirement! By the time you retire, you are exhausted from the process. So please forgive me if I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything for a week after retirement, whenever that is. I’ll be in recovery.

Oh, and I wrote a new poem going through the process of retirement….

I was cleaning out some old files when I came across a picture from 1985. It shows Jennifer riding Codweed, with me on Rascal, and Jerry in front. Codweed was the inspiration for two of my poems. He was quite a character. And Rascal was the best horse that ever lived, in my humble opinion.

(Click on the picture for a larger image.)