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

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

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

The Mideast and Tony Blair: Self-Governance and the Global Empire

As we work our way into the 21st 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

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 AFTER HIS OWN HEART! Soli Deo Gloria!

Mark Overt Skilbred

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 half-an-acre per-person-on-the-planet. Again, half-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 some of 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 hopes 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

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

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, agriculture infrastructures such as irrigation projects, terracing, reforestation, and some eco-friendly land eclamation, 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 today’s outlook, 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

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

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; green housing and proper warehousing solves many flood-related issues; and research is being done globally to resolve many other weather, pest, rust, mildew and 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, in particular, 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 victory 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 price-stabilization globally, 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

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 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

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

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

A Slippery Slope

We have murdered over 50 million babies 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 practice homosexuality will be judged by God individually, and nations who approve of these things and 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.

Mark Overt Skilbred

Ignorance vs. Innocence

Ignorance vs. Innocence—6-12-08

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 it with. I have heard such people criticize those who have read their Bibles many times with statements like “they are so legalistic.” This same sort of individual probably memorizes their driver’s manual so they can pass their driving test, but then criticizes a Christian for knowing what their Bible says. This individual, who is so very practical when it comes to a temporary event like a driving test, is then very impractical when it comes to understanding God’s Will for our lives. Are they truly that naïve, or is it something much worse—deliberately NOT WANTING TO KNOW God’s Will for our lives? Maybe they think that if they are ignorant, that God will overlook their sins? Perhaps they think that if they don’t have a basic understanding of the Bible, that God will judge them 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

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

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

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

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