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 may 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, finger-pointing, and entrenched interests? Cold war 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

GUANTANAMO VS. HARDIN, MONTANA

GUANTANAMO VS. HARDIN, MONTANA

Hardin, Montana made the news recently by offering its high security prison as a possible relocation facility for Guantanamo detainees. I have been through Hardin several times and recommend it as an ideal location which will furnish much-needed employment and economic stimulus for the State of Montana, as well as present a viable alternative to the facility at Guantanamo. This would be a “perfect fit” for the dilemma confronting our government, and we should move quickly toward the implementation of this much-needed change. Bipartisan support in Congress for this solution will go a long ways toward restoring our international image and show the world that we intend to right the wrongs committed in our handling of prisoners-of-war. Let’s help President Obama to fulfill his commitment to close Guantanamo prison by moving ahead in a bipartisan manner!

Mark Overt Skilbred

SPECTER AND BIPARTISANSHIP

SPECTER AND BIPARTISANSHIP

Now we’ll have bipartisanship, whether the Republicans like it or not. The lack of bipartisan support for the Obama administration, particularly regarding the fiscal stimulus package has exasperated both Democrat and Republican voters at a time when cooperation and expediency are urgently needed to prevent even more economic damage from being done. I applaud Senator Specter’s candid remarks which were addressed to both houses of Congress and the American public. Now is the time to work together on programs which can quickly turn this economy around and head it in a new direction. The whole world is hoping for signs of improvement and depending on us to lead the way forward. Doing nothing is the worst thing we can do in this present moment, so my hope is that other Senate and House Republicans will join Senator Specter in supporting the Obama administration’s efforts to make the economic corrections which are necessary to move us forward quickly.



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

BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS

BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS

Lines blur when examining our emotions, logic and motivations for defending our homes and countries against invasion, depending on how close you happen to be standing to the disaster, how threatened you feel, how imminent the danger to you and your loved ones, how accessible the enemy, and the overall state of national defense. This is a subject that could use further scrutiny, and one which we should explore as individuals and nations. It is far better to have guidelines in place for dealing with a crisis rather than waiting for the fatal moment to arrive and then flying by the seat of our pants to undesirable destinations. In retrospect, most modern warfare, needless slaughter and destruction of international cultures could be avoided by thoughtful examination, careful introspection and realistic diplomacy instead of investing our blood and treasure. Because in World War I&II there were such massive losses of life and limb, culture and wealth, (estimates of the human casualties for both wars exceeded 100 million lives), it is imperative that serious students of history seek to avoid their repetition. I would like to think that true diplomats are willing spokesmen for responsible solution and sustainable harmony, who are too-often ignored by political forces which pursue darker purposes. Global peace depends on temperaments and political and military recommendations which are most appropriate to the occasion--neither too passive nor too harsh. Similar to a family, we all need to maintain some degree of rational equilibrium when living in such close proximity to one another. Caveman thought and reaction lose their appeal in the modern world where instant communication and modern weaponry have created an urgent need for diplomacy and appropriate reaction to various assaults on our established cultures. How do we decide which actions deserve our attention and response? When the world disagrees with our vigilante plan of action, should we forge ahead, oblivious to the collective wisdom of our most-trusted allies? We who would instruct the world—do we fail to heed instruction? Are our motives purely peacekeeping and bridge-building? Perhaps if the Western response to 9-11 had been to collectively “turn the other cheek” and patiently strengthen our ties with each other and our allies in the Middle-East, we may have encouraged those in authority to reign-in harmful and destructive elements within their own borders and build regional consensus. Rather than assuming a broader conspiracy against the West by our Middle-Eastern brothers, we could have viewed the actions of a few as the exception to an otherwise more stable and self-regulated political environment. Our over-reaction has polarized the region by insisting that lines be drawn between their cultures and their loyalty to the West. It is likely that the increase in Muslim fratricide can be blamed more on loss of infrastructure in the wake of regime-change, than on historical precedent. Can the erosion of the Middle-Eastern mindset towards the West be improved through greater respect for their cultural autonomy? Are political and economic impotence the perceived and actual reasons for their disagreements with the West, or are religious and cultural differences at the core of the conflict? When the citizens of Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, and Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank demonstrate a desire to choose their own systems of law and governance and clearly desire less interference in their internal affairs, what is our justification for further confrontation? Because our methods of civil and moral law have tended to diverge not so much in principle as in methods of enforcement, does this justify condemnation and contempt? We also have a history of exploitation and mistreatment, rather than the careful examination and rehabilitation of our misunderstood and neglected native populations, our imported slave populations and our dissident and criminal elements. Our own Code of the West, in effect until fairly recently in our nation’s history, was enabled and enforced as long as we deemed it effective, yet we wag our hypocritical fingers at those whose legal systems, through the use of all measurable indices of crime and dissidence, have historically tended to maintain greater civil harmony with less injury than those who would be their instructors. We cannot expect other nations who have ancient and stable systems of law enforcement to adopt our Western methods and timetables as though we shared the same historical development. Those who live in glass houses and moralize about the methods used by others should carefully consider their own hypocrisy before throwing stones. There are those in the West who pride themselves on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, while denying these same freedoms to others. By focusing on governmental differences rather than on our shared interests in tolerance and development, we delay our diplomatic progress and risk further polarization and its attendant perils. If the governing systems of the West are truly superior to those of our Middle-Eastern neighbors, then this truth will be self-evident, and history will benefit when we lead by good example, and reward us with success without needless struggle for domination. We can do a better job of encouraging others by practicing diplomatic restraint and developing more hopeful agendas. If our Middle-Eastern strategy towards Israel and her neighbors is merely the defense of Israel from her more surly neighbors, why not bolster her defenses without further antagonism of her enemies? Just as Israel’s right to defend herself rests upon the same claims as freedom-loving peoples everywhere, depriving or restricting her neighbors’ ability to create their own sustainable culture is ideological hypocrisy as well as a recipe for disaster. Since Christianity, Islam and Judaism share common religious roots, whose purpose is devotion to The One God’s eternal principles of law and justice, why is it that in the pursuit of such lofty aspirations, we forget our shared faith in the command to love our neighbors as ourselves, which is the fulfillment of all the law and prophets? If our Mid-Eastern policies result in the further proliferation of anti-American sentiments among grassroots Muslims, wouldn’t any logical diplomatic assessment infer that our policy is misguided? A shared commitment to basic standards of human decency and infrastructures which support the common dignity and beneficial development of humanity must engage in those border-neutral pursuits which strengthen our shared advancement. The command to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” presumes a proactively-peaceful and helpful attitude, agenda and actions. When Madison Avenue seeks to create the desire for goods and services, do they begin by destroying the lives and homes of potential customers, and then assign blame and make demands that their victim-customers help to pay for the new infrastructure? Shall we blame the victims for their political and physical inability to reign in harmful elements, or should we rather assist them in their decision-making ability by presenting viable alternatives as choices rather than mandates, and show by our own good example that we are patiently working toward stability and humanitarian solutions? Are bullets and bombs the key to a peaceful and holistic diplomacy? Why not discourage rogue elements by treating the majority as our friends instead of lumping them all into the same category and assuming the worst about their character? If the carrots the West is offering to the Middle-East are not desirable, helpful, wholesome and constructive, why are we surprised by rejection and retaliation? When you plant weeds, should you be surprised at the harvest? If our motivation is the protection of the West, why not counterbalance the opposition by modeling an effective strategy, while observing their methodology and their peaceful and aggressive behaviors from a diplomatic frame of reference and formulating an appropriate solution in solidarity with our Western partners? If we are promoting democracy as the Mid-Eastern savior, why do we increasingly appear as intruders, both uninvited and unwelcome? With current human casualties in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank numbering well over 2 million dead, wounded and destroyed lives, with shaky infrastructures in peril of military and economic collapse, and ancient cultures in ruins, the least that we can do is to admit our misguided premise and fundamental failure to bring stability to a troubled region. None truly believe that our results justify the incalculable and ever-increasing costs of these wars in terms of human and financial capital. We are in desperate need of an overall rethinking of our Mid-Eastern policies so that they are aimed at peaceful coexistence and mutual development rather than political and military posturing. Narrow-agenda anarchy, guerrilla warfare, and various other methodologies of revolution which overthrow leadership and encourage mayhem and destruction are tools which will fall into disuse when we remove the motivations which created them. One wonders how different the perpetrators are from their victims when both the methods employed and their results are so similar. Is our opposition to certain governments based on real or perceived injustice, or is it merely an excuse for our own intolerance? Globally, one out of three people are Christians, while one out of five people are Muslims. Since together we represent over half of the world’s population, and in-name if not in-example, we are devoted to The One God, isn’t it about time that we learn to get along without torturing and killing each other? Forgiveness is a basic Christian requirement, while Muslims consider it exemplary and recommended, if not mandatory. Surely not all of those who in-name are Christian practice forgiveness, any more than all who in-name are Muslim do, still we all benefit from the free and willing forgiveness of each others’ daily trespasses. Rather than attempting to outdo each other in a race to the bottom of our diplomatic ladders, we should use every opportunity to encourage each other in the promotion of a more stable and peaceful world, where tolerance and goodwill are the hallmarks which replace the weapons of war and fanatical rhetoric. We can begin by inviting all the participants in these regional conflicts to a diplomatic roundtable which will focus our efforts on stability and self-governance which is supported by a world community whose goal is sustainable and lasting peace and goodwill. Now is the time for the bold pursuit of reconciliation between these brothers who have so far resisted each others’ individual claims of cultural autonomy and freedom. Perhaps the world together can accomplish what we have been unable to achieve by our own efforts—a Middle-East whose culture, dignity and autonomy are able to peacefully coexist with her Western neighbors. When the source of our diplomatic inspiration is brotherly love and goodwill toward our neighbors, boundaries are transformed into bridges of hope. May God help us as far as possible to build an enduring and peaceful planet and a diplomatic framework that will inspire future generations to pursue harmony in their regional and global dialogues, and let’s begin this process today, before pointlessly destroying any more lives through misguided diplomatic adventures.

Mark Overt Skilbred

TOO BIG TO FAIL?

TOO BIG TO FAIL?

The banks want less governmental oversight? According to a comment in today’s news, someone in the treasury department, who is a holdover from the Bush administration, is requesting less governmental interference regarding how the bailout money should or should not be spent, including whether it should be loaned to foreign companies or withheld from domestic consumers. First of all, how appropriate that an administration which prided itself on fiscal non-intervention should seek to reinsert itself with more of the same failed rhetoric that got us into this mess in the first place! The notion of deregulation which led to our fiscal collapse is making another attempt to steer us away from the real culprits in this fiasco—the banks themselves. This Bush appointee essentially argues that no matter how well-intentioned the government may be in its oversight, that it is in no position to make requirements of banks, which are in a much better position to judge credit-worthiness, etc. If that were really the case, there would be no demand for governmental oversight in the first place! The banks—especially the large insolvent ones, lost their opportunity for less governmental oversight when they accepted the first bailout dollars. Does it really need to be explained to them that the American public is unwillingly loaning them money which they don’t have and passing along higher taxes to their grandchildren to bail out banks which were fundamentally under-regulated and were allowed to grow so large that they pose a threat to the stability of the national and world economy? Banks should be nationalized and broken up into small independent banks which are much easier to regulate and far easier to take over and recapitalize or sell in case of failure, without jeopardizing our banking system and our economy. The theory of “too big to fail” has sustained another torpedo strike in this latest congressional hearing, and now Gulliver finds himself protesting by way of his spokesperson that the Lilliputians have restrained him without cause and are seeking to govern his free exercise. Furthermore, Gulliver claims that he knows a lot more about his business than the Lilliputians do, and therefore deserves to proceed unimpeded to conduct business which he feels is more beneficial to his interests. Additionally, Gulliver feels that the Lilliputians have no rights in their own domain to restrict his movements or to make demands regarding his care and maintenance, including the cleanup and removal of waste generated by himself. The scale of Gulliver’s corporate ego is only matched by his disdain of the little people around him who are desperately attempting to go about their daily lives unimpeded by the giant in their midst. Similarly, the Spanish Armada considered itself too big to fail until it encountered a much more maneuverable British Navy. We Lilliputians have witnessed the rise of big business, big banking, corporate greed and mismanagement, and we know when Gulliver has overstepped his bounds and is in need of restraint. Indeed, the whole world agrees with us that a day of reckoning has come for those who endanger the fragile lives of Lilliputians and many of their companions throughout the world. There are those who argue that the use of the term “nationalize” is too harsh and polarizing, when in-fact it is prudent and necessary for the legal representatives of the Lilliputians to make it clear to Gulliver that he is an unwieldy giant who is trying to maneuver in a land where he is devouring more than his share of the land’s abundance, that he is bankrupt and no longer welcome in his present form, and that it is not okay with the Lilliputians for him to bribe and corrupt their government officials in order to curry their favor and influence their voting and to make-off with any additional resources, nor is it alright to enslave their children and grandchildren with false promises of easy credit and beneficial results to ensure another round of banking and wall street bailouts. Too big to fail? Better to ask “how are the mighty fallen?” and proceed with the governmental oversight which is now necessary to restrain Gulliver before he continues to maim and destroy any more of our precious national resources and citizens. If it were possible to find a mirror large enough to reflect the image of Gulliver, perhaps he would realize that he has been shipwrecked in a storm of his own creation, that he has been beached in a land where giants are not welcome, and that he is now restrained by the cords of the people who live here in order to protect the land and her citizens from further encroachments. Nationalize the banks!

Mark Overt Skilbred

SKILBRED COMPARATIVE WEATHER CALENDAR

SKILBRED COMPARATIVE WEATHER CALENDAR

This is a useful tool for comparing weather data based on
angle from the sun. Try checking Google weather by city
for that date and see how similar they are! Note the
following example:

23rd and Mountain, Upland, CA — Current Conditions

Daily Summary for March 18, 2009


Current: High: Low: Average:
Temperature: 87.1 °F 87.1 °F 54.2 °F 65.5 °F
Dew Point: 43.7 °F 48.5 °F 31.3 °F 39.2 °F
Humidity: 22% 58% 22% 39%
Wind Speed: 0.0mph 0.0mph - 0.0mph
Wind Gust: 0.0mph 0.0mph - -
Wind: North - - South
Pressure: 29.97in 30.06in 29.97in -
Precipitation: 0.00in

(By scrolling down and entering the corresponding date
in the weather history date selector, you will see
the following comparison history:)

23rd and Mountain, Upland, CA
Daily Summary for September 24, 2008

Current: High: Low: Average:
Temperature: 86.7 °F 99.0 °F 65.1 °F 80.2 °F
Dew Point: 44.5 °F 59.8 °F 34.0 °F 46.6 °F
Humidity: 23% 48% 22% 31%
Wind Speed: 0.0mph 0.0mph - 0.0mph
Wind Gust: 0.0mph 0.0mph - -
Wind: North - - South
Pressure: 29.97in 29.98in 29.78in -
Precipitation: 0.00in

The following list shows the corresponding
angle-distance date based on proximity to
winter and summer solstices.

COMPARATIVE WEATHER CALENDAR:

December 21 ----- December 20
December 22 ----- December 19
December 23 ----- December 18
December 24 ----- December 17
December 25 ----- December 16
December 26 ----- December 15
December 27 ----- December 14
December 28 ----- December 13
December 29 ----- December 12
December 30 ----- December 11
December 31 ----- December 10
January 1 ------- December 9
January 2 ------- December 8
January 3 ------- December 7
January 4 ------- December 6
January 5 ------- December 5
January 6 ------- December 4
January 7 ------- December 3
January 8 ------- December 2
January 9 ------- December 1
January 10 ------ November 30
January 11 ------ November 29
January 12 ------ November 28
January 13 ------ November 27
January 14 ------ November 26
January 15 ------ November 25
January 16 ------ November 24
January 17 ------ November 23
January 18 ------ November 22
January 19 ------ November 21
January 20 ------ November 20
January 21 ------ November 19
January 22 ------ November 18
January 23 ------ November 17
January 24 ------ November 16
January 25 ------ November 15
January 26 ------ November 14
January 27 ------ November 13
January 28 ------ November 12
January 29 ------ November 11
January 30 ------ November 10
January 31 ------ November 9
February 1 ------ November 8
February 2 ------ November 7
February 3 ------ November 6
February 4 ------ November 5
February 5 ------ November 4
February 6 ------ November 3
February 7 ------ November 2
February 8 ------ November 1
February 9 ------ October 31
February 10 ----- October 30
February 11 ----- October 29
February 12 ----- October 28
February 13 ----- October 27
February 14 ----- October 26
February 15 ----- October 25
February 16 ----- October 24
February 17 ----- October 23
February 18 ----- October 22
February 19 ----- October 21
February 20 ----- October 20
February 21 ----- October 19
February 22 ----- October 18
February 23 ----- October 17
February 24 ----- October 16
February 25 ----- October 15
February 26 ----- October 14
February 27 ----- October 13
February 28 ----- October 12
March 1 --------- October 11
March 2 --------- October 10
March 3 --------- October 9
March 4 --------- October 8
March 5 --------- October 7
March 6 --------- October 6
March 7 --------- October 5
March 8 --------- October 4
March 9 --------- October 3
March 10 -------- October 2
March 11 -------- October 1
March 12 -------- September 30
March 13 -------- September 29
March 14 -------- September 28
March 15 -------- September 27
March 16 -------- September 26
March 17 -------- September 25
March 18 -------- September 24
March 19 -------- September 23
March 20 -------- September 22
March 21 -------- September 21
March 22 -------- September 20
March 23 -------- September 19
March 24 -------- September 18
March 25 -------- September 17
March 26 -------- September 16
March 27 -------- September 15
March 28 -------- September 14
March 29 -------- September 13
March 30 -------- September 12
March 31 -------- September 11
April 1 --------- September 10
April 2 --------- September 9
April 3 --------- September 8
April 4 --------- September 7
April 5 --------- September 6
April 6 --------- September 5
April 7 --------- September 4
April 8 --------- September 3
April 9 --------- September 2
April 10 -------- September 1
April 11 -------- August 31
April 12 -------- August 30
April 13 -------- August 29
April 14 -------- August 28
April 15 -------- August 27
April 16 -------- August 26
April 17 -------- August 25
April 18 -------- August 24
April 19 -------- August 23
April 20 -------- August 22
April 21 -------- August 21
April 22 -------- August 20
April 23 -------- August 19
April 24 -------- August 18
April 25 -------- August 17
April 26 -------- August 16
April 27 -------- August 15
April 28 -------- August 14
April 29--------- August 13
April 30 -------- August 12
May 1 ----------- August 11
May 2 ----------- August 10
May 3 ----------- August 9
May 4 ----------- August 8
May 5 ----------- August 7
May 6 ----------- August 6
May 7 ----------- August 5
May 8 ----------- August 4
May 9 ----------- August 3
May 10 ---------- August 2
May 11 ---------- August 1
May 12 ---------- July 31
May 13 ---------- July 30
May 14 ---------- July 29
May 15 ---------- July 28
May 16 ---------- July 27
May 17 ---------- July 26
May 18 ---------- July 25
May 19 ---------- July 24
May 20 ---------- July 23
May 21 ---------- July 22
May 22 ---------- July 21
May 23 ---------- July 20
May 24 ---------- July 19
May 25 ---------- July 18
May 26 ---------- July 17
May 27 ---------- July 16
May 28 ---------- July 15
May 29 ---------- July 14
May 30 ---------- July 13
May 31 ---------- July 12
June 1 ---------- July 11
June 2 ---------- July 10
June 3 ---------- July 9
June 4 ---------- July 8
June 5 ---------- July 7
June 6 ---------- July 6
June 7 ---------- July 5
June 8 ---------- July 4
June 9 ---------- July 3
June 10 --------- July 2
June 11 --------- July 1
June 12 --------- June 30
June 13 --------- June 29
June 14 --------- June 28
June 15 --------- June 27
June 16 --------- June 26
June 17 --------- June 25
June 18 --------- June 24
June 19 --------- June 23
June 20 --------- June 22
June 21 --------- June 21

I hope that this proves to
be of some help in your
weather predictions!

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

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

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 18th 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

MY UNCLE SAM

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

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS--THOUGHTS FROM LAMENTATIONS 3

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS—THOUGHTS FROM LAMENTATIONS 3

“I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath. He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed, He has turned His hand against me again and again, all day long. He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones. He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead. He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains. Even when I call out or cry for help, He shuts out my prayer. He has barred my way with blocks of stone; He has made my paths crooked. Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding, He dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help. He drew His bow and made me the target for His arrows. He pierced my heart with arrows from His quiver. I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long. He has filled me with bitter herbs and sated me with gall. He has broken my teeth with gravel; He has trampled me in the dust. I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.” I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your Faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust—there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though He brings grief, He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love, for He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men. To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land, to deny a man his rights before the Most High, to deprive a man of justice—would not the Lord see such things? Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins? Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” (The Lamentations Of Jeremiah, Chapter 3:1-40)

This remarkable passage records one of the darkest periods in the history of the Jewish nation, when the Jews had forsaken God, their rulers had perverted justice, and God sent Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Jerusalem and take Judah captive to Babylon. Jeremiah, who was God’s prophet in Jerusalem before, during and after the final invasion by Nebuchadnezzar and who witnessed some of the most horrific suffering by his people as a punishment for their sins, was placed there by God to warn the Jews, participate in their suffering and faithfully record the consequences of their sin for posterity. Lamentations is an extreme example of the lengths to which God goes in pursuing His chosen people. He remains faithful to them in their punishment until the bitter end, and even then cares for those in Babylon and those who remain behind in the land surrounding the ruins of Jerusalem. In the midst of lament there is hope and reassurance that our God is faithful! Even when His chosen people had been unfaithful to Him and deserved His punishment, God promised them that there would come a day when He would bring them back and restore them in Jerusalem. A much different example from the Book of Job shows God’s Omniscience and provision before, during and after a time of testing. In this case, God proves to Job and his friends that He is faithful in preserving Job’s life and restoring him to health and prosperity. This example of testing a faithful man for the purpose of increasing his faith and relationship with his Heavenly Father shows another extreme example of God’s faithfulness in the further improvement of an exemplary man. Although most of us never experience anything like the extreme tests of Jeremiah and Job, we still endure those difficult and particular tests which address areas of our lives which need improvement. “For I know the plans I have for you—plans to prosper you and do you good.” God wants us to realize that if He has remained faithful in the most extreme cases in history, that He will also remain faithful to us. We who are but dust have had the breath of life breathed into us by a God Who Is Faithful! Our lives are a gift of creation from a loving and Faithful God Who understands our sorrows and is acquainted with our grief. Maybe it has been awhile since you have talked with God. Perhaps you feel that He is no longer listening to you and you think that God has abandoned you. God asked Abraham and Sarah a rhetorical question, “Is anything too hard for God?” to which the answer is a resounding NO! Paul tells us, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39) Jeremiah and Job both questioned where God was in their circumstances and doubted that God was listening to their cries for help, and yet God was patient with their complaints and lack of trust and granted them eternal life with Him. God will reward us for our trust and faithfulness towards Him and has provided us with His Holy Spirit, Who will provide the strength and endurance that is needed for each day until we are reunited with Him in heaven. Life is difficult, and designed to be just as hard as necessary to bring us to the end of ourselves and to the realization of our need for a Savior. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) These familiar words provide assurance to us in our darkest hours that our God is faithful and committed to our salvation, if we will only trust and follow Him.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:1-7)

May God grant you the patient endurance which is needed as you confront your daily obstacles and may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Mark Overt Skilbred

THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH

THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH

There should be serious consideration given to a flood control project in the Red River Valley aimed at improving the management of one of America’s premier waterways and its environs. A similar project in Canada, undertaken to prevent a recurrence of the flood which damaged Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1950, which has now grown into a metropolitan area of about 700,000 people, has saved the Canadian government an estimated $10 billion in damage repairs just since 1969, when it was completed. The 1997 flood alone caused approximately $3.5 billion in damage on both sides of the border, including widespread devastation in Grand Forks, North Dakota, a city with a metro population of approximately 100,000 people. To give you some idea of the potential for devastation, residents in the Wahpeton-Breckenridge and the Fargo-Moorhead metro areas, along with thousands of volunteers and the National Guard are expecting river levels to surpass the record of 40 feet over flood stage, on Monday, March 23, 2009, while Grand Forks is preparing for levels above 52 feet. Forecasts of rain and snow are expected to further complicate sandbagging efforts surpassing one million bags, with calls for an additional second million or more bags as volunteers and responses increase to protect the lives and property of the Fargo-Moorhead area, a metro region of approximately 200,000 people. The states of Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Manitoba, Canada, which contain the Red River of the North have managed to survive numerous floods in the past through diligence, persistence and often massive relief efforts and capital expenditures. Thoughtful regional cooperation amongst the various states and Canada should develop a flood-control plan aimed at the protection of the lives and valuable agricultural lands and infrastructure which surround the Red River from its origin in Big Stone Lake in South Dakota along the shared boundary line of North Dakota and Minnesota and to its terminus in Lake Winnipeg in Canada. Various governmental entities, including the Army Corp of Engineers and environmental agencies, as well as the equivalent Canadian representatives should undertake a fact-finding study to determine environmental impact and the changes in infrastructure which are necessary to adequately address the needs of the various entities impacted by the Red River of the North and its environs. A proactive discovery team must consider the issues of safety, agriculture, transportation, parks and recreational use which are affected by a project of this magnitude. A proactive approach should consider the greater and lasting human and economic benefits of a venture that has the ability to transform the region by providing jobs and business related to the building of levees, dikes, catch-basins, dams, pipes, pumps, overflow and irrigation waterways, various connecting roadways and parkways and their maintenance and support networks. A prompt and inclusive strategy which focuses on areas of immediate need as well as future development is certainly long past due and necessary to safeguard and minimize future catastrophic flooding in the region. (Writer’s Note: Having grown up in the region, attended college at Concordia Moorhead and worked in the area, I know that due to the stoic nature of Midwesterners generally, and particularly those who live in this region, it is unlikely that the rest of the country and world would hear of this ongoing need for infrastructural change, were it not for the welcome, but intermittent reporting from news agencies.) For this reason, the rest of us need to be made aware of a situation that will not improve on its own with time alone. And because the best time to repair a leaking roof is before it begins to rain again, I recommend that we quickly employ much-needed stimulus dollars in a region which knows well how to stretch dollars, make the most out of gainful employment and has one of the best records of volunteer relief effort in the nation. Executive and bipartisan stimulus support for those improvements which create dollar-for-dollar savings in the long run and which will make up for the investment many times over in years to come are dollars well-spent, as we can clearly see from the example of our forward-thinking Canadian neighbors to the north, whose investments in infrastructure have been repaid many times over in real savings of human and financial capital.

Mark Overt Skilbred

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES: 28-GRAM DAILY MAXIMUM OF ADDED-SUGAR INTAKE PER PERSON?

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES: 28-GRAM DAILY MAXIMUM OF ADDED-SUGAR INTAKE PER PERSON?

CBS News had an interview this morning with a diet expert who was discussing the differences between sugar and high fructose corn syrup. It seems that experts are trying to discover the reasons for the recent increases in obesity and diabetes, and corn syrup is their number one suspect. Recently, American food corporations have begun to reduce their usage of high fructose corn syrup and are substituting other forms of sugar which have not received as much negative publicity as corn syrup. 28 grams has been fixed as the current maximum daily amount of added sugar in any form and for any diet, a level beyond which obesity and diabetes are possible and even likely. Current U.S. levels are nearing 4 times that rate of sugar consumption, causing widespread fears of dire consequences amongst leading health authorities. Experience seems to validate this figure based on current estimates, and certainly there needs to be a benchmark number established so that future studies will have a comparison reference point. We know that there was little obesity at the turn of the 20th Century, when far lower amounts of sugar were consumed and a higher level of exercise and physical work in that predominantly agrarian society were normal. Returns to those same levels of sugar consumption and physical activity have been rare in the past century, with notable exceptions being in the cases of those who pursue a much more physical and health-conscious life style. It has also been pointed out that at least there was no obesity in concentration camps during wartime, although there were other more serious health concerns, for obvious reasons. All other circumstances being equal, apparently levels of sugar consumption and exercise have a great deal to do with health and obesity issues. Walking continues to be the most highly recommended form of exercise, due to its adaptability to various lifestyle regimens and its historically low negative-impact rate. Other forms of aerobic exercise such as swimming, cycling, jogging, running, dancing, calisthenics, weight-lifting and various other workout regimens help to round out the list of other recommended exercise programs. Those who are just beginning to reverse their bad eating and exercise habits must proceed cautiously, particularly in the beginning, to avoid setbacks and delays to their progress. Consistency is the best friend of those who practice improvements of any kind, and will reward those who are most diligent. Slowly and gradually increasing the level and difficulty of exercise programs is far better than drastic changes, and of course, the older you are when you begin to make these lifestyle changes makes this even more imperative. Depression is a frequent cause and result of negative physical lifestyles, but can be reversed and eliminated by positive changes in diet and exercise programs. Examination of one’s diet should be the first step when seeking reasons for depression, and exercise is often referred to as “the poor man’s anti-depressant” because so many have reported the reduction and elimination of anti-depression medications as a result of exercise. As always, a holistic approach to health must include healthy diet and exercise choices accompanied by improved attitudes toward one’s fellow man, surroundings, and Creator. Vibrant and creative lifestyles can be found at all levels and ages of society, regardless of circumstances, so make the most of this life which we have been given!

Mark Overt Skilbred

PROCRASTINATION IS EXPENSIVE!

PROCRASTINATION IS EXPENSIVE!

I attended Concordia Moorhead from 1968-1972 and we helped with the sandbagging in those years just like they are doing again this year. Question: Since these periodic floods are cyclical to the extent that their recurrence is guaranteed for the future, what long-term plans have South Dakota, Minnesota and North Dakota made for the future? Have you asked the Army Corp of Engineers or some other agency to look at long-term solutions for the area from Big Stone Lake to the Pembina area, including dredging, reservoirs, agricultural diversion channels which could double as irrigation infrastructure, permanent dikes, levees, catch-basins, pumps, etc. with an eye to both the prevention of flooding and the enhancement of controlled irrigation of the fertile Red River Valley? Since future flooding is guaranteed if there aren't substantial changes made, why not begin now to put in place an infrastructure which will plan for future flooding, take advantage of precious water resources, and increase and broaden the further development of the region's vast agricultural potential. Rather than viewing this flooding as a temporary inconvenience, why not prepare for what is a predictable certainty and make use of this water resource for future generations? I know there will need to be several versions of environmental impact reports and political discourse between the states impacted and our Canadian neighbors, so this process should begin soon, so that we don't continue to pass this problem along to our grandchildren without addressing the issue and making an attempt to improve the existing infrastructures. I believe that the long-term savings and benefits are worth the costs involved and will more than repay future generations through enhancements to safety, agriculture, transportation, parks and recreation. By proactively pursuing a program which considers long-term savings through the prevention of future floods, such as the one which devastated the Grand Forks region in recent memory, we can make a compelling case for improvements which will be supported by all the federal and state agencies which are impacted. There will also be near-term benefits of employment and financial incentives which should attract business, capital and investment to the region. Since the Fargo-Moorhead area is centrally located in the heart of the Red River Valley, it is the logical place to regionally locate the solutions for this shared problem in an area which is best able to implement solutions. Sandbagging and other equivalent temporary solutions only serve to postpone the inevitable solutions for future generations, when costs will have certainly increased due to more-extensive redevelopment and infrastructure. It is not too soon to begin this process, and we should start now before another year and its attendant problems demand our attention.

Mark Overt Skilbred

THE WATCHMEN--THOUGHTS FROM EZEKIEL 33

THE WATCHMEN—THOUGHTS FROM EZEKIEL 33

The Word of The Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. “Son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?’ “Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.’ If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. And if I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right—if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live. “Yet your countrymen say ‘The Way of The Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. If a righteous man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. Yet, O house of Israel, you say, ‘The way of The Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to his own ways.” Ezekiel 33:1-20 (NIV)

God wants us to live for Him in the present moment! There are those who have lived for Him in the past, but they have become disloyal followers and have stopped living for Him in the present. There are also those who did not live for God in the past, but are now living for Him. And there are those who did not live for God in the past or in the present, but who will live for God in the future. God is patient, not wishing that any should perish, but He is also warning us that we cannot depend on our past relationship with Him to excuse our present evil. God wants us to follow Him in the here and now, and He has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us and give us victory over sin in our present reality. There is a war going on between the forces of good and evil in the here and now, and just as soldiers must daily prove their loyalty in their service to the king, so we must daily show whose side we are on by supporting God in the here and now. Never mind that you gave excellent service in previous battles, because our kingdom is endangered right now, this very day. What good is it that you helped God win previous battles, if you prove to be a traitor today? What sort of reward should you expect when your good actions are followed by the betrayal of your fellow soldiers and rebellion against the God you serve? Lucifer had been exalted to a prominent position in heaven before his betrayal and open rebellion against God. Should God praise and reward you for sitting on the sidelines while the enemy wreaks havoc on humanity? If you are only a spectator in the conflict, you could easily become a traitor or an enemy soldier. Jesus said that He wishes we were hot or cold, but because we are lukewarm instead, He will spit us out. In a similar fashion, God welcomes those who have deserted Satan’s army and are now seeking admission into the Army of The Lord. God says very plainly that those who turn away from evil are welcomed into His Kingdom, and their sins will be remembered no more. God is interested in the here and now because this is where the action takes place. Yesterday and tomorrow have their proper places, but both are constantly being affected by our present choices. Jesus gave us examples of those who were invited to the banquet, but gave excuses for not attending. Their places in the banquet hall were given to former outsiders in the highways and byways who were now compelled to come. The foolish bridesmaids who allowed their lamps to go out were refused admission for their failure to prepare. God has appointed some as watchmen, to warn us when we are doing evil and to show us the proper pathway to heaven, but it has become rare to hear God’s watchmen speaking the necessary words of warning. There are certain sins which recently are considered too controversial to mention, such as abortion and homosexuality. The supporters of these two sins are not afraid to speak in favor of them, and their representatives fight hard in state and federal legislatures and courts to win their approval, while God’s watchmen, soldiers and representatives are afraid to even bring the subject up! Why is this? God has given us His guidelines in the Bible so that we will have a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. In the Bible we find God’s rules for living in harmony with Him and with our fellow man. Why then do we not exhort each other to avoid these two sins and hundreds of other sins and evils that assault us on an hourly and daily basis? Are we more concerned with not offending others than we are about obeying God? Furthermore, God has told His prophets to speak the truth to us whether we will listen or not. Paul told Timothy to preach the Word both in and out of season. That sort of preaching has always been unpopular, except when the world is in the midst of a revival. You periodically hear nostalgic calls for revival preaching, and there are some who yearn for true revival, but the majority seem to be content to have their ears tickled week after week with the latest clever teaching, historical Bible commentary, theological debate, humanistic rhetoric, creation vs. scientific argument, ecumenical-political backslapping, pop-culture-hyped, frenzied and repetitious praise choruses, and whatever else currently passes for partially-religious entertainment, which seems to be more concerned about emulating the world than worshipping God. Even when there is nothing inherently wrong with our method of worship, if our main concern is to appear attractive to the world, we risk sacrificing our main purpose, which is to lead others to Christ and assist them in their pursuit of a Godly life. But for many churches, any extraneous activity which remotely resembles religiosity, which will not offend anyone and will attract new membership is considered acceptable, while warnings are considered too harsh. Many of today’s churches have elements within them who are more concerned about their finances than about their mission. So whatever happened to exhortational preaching? Where are the watchmen on the walls who warn us of ever-present dangers both without and within the Kingdom of God? The world says that it is a personal choice whether we practice abortion and homosexuality and that no one has a right to tell us what to do on these and many other issues. God says that murdering and willfully causing the death of innocent children and homosexual perversion of God’s plan of procreation are sins which are punishable by death. The lack of exhortation from the pulpit regarding these issues is so palpable that laymen are forced to scream in the streets, online and otherwise and are called religious wackos and right-wing zealots for defending, supporting and recommending the God they serve. When the Church refuses to do its duty in defending God and His Kingdom, God is well-able to raise up servants and soldiers who will do what is required. You will recall that Lucifer began his great fall from his self-exalted platform within heaven itself, and for this reason he and those who rebelled with him were cast down from that great height and made an eternal example of the end result of our rebellion against God. Our watchmen need to wake up, warn us to turn from our evil ways and make preparations for the Bridegroom Who is certainly coming soon. When their messages are passionless religious drivel that totally miss the mark of exhortation and leave us without motivation in our quest for a vibrant and living relationship with our Creator, we are in danger of becoming irrelevant and unproductive Christians who lack the necessary zeal to be good soldiers. If our watchmen have become complacent, who will recognize the voice of our Bridegroom when He arrives and be prepared to follow his instructions? Jesus says that we “diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life” John 5:39-40. Watchmen must do more than warn us of our failures—they must point us toward a relationship with Christ Himself. Only God can provide the zeal which will sustain us both in our battles with apathy and complacency and in our eternal conflicts with the forces of evil that surround us. Let us earnestly pray that God will provide us with watchmen who are worthy of their high calling, who will warn us about our many sins, preach the Word both in and out of season, and exhort us to fight the good fight of faith while there is still time.

Mark Overt Skilbred

COUNTERCLOCKWISE

COUNTERCLOCKWISE

1. Turn back the clock.
2. Think younger.
3. Act younger.
4. Commit to a healthy diet for your whole life.
5. Commit to a realistic exercise program for your whole life.
6. Make use of your renewed energy to help others.
7. Set a great example.

Mark Overt Skilbred

THE DANIEL DIET

THE DANIEL DIET

“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age: The king would then have my head because of you’ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.” Daniel 1:8-21 NIV

Many people would be helped by a change to a vegetarian diet. I have learned to make the most of illness to reform my diet. On April 5th I awoke realizing that my stomach was upset by what I had eaten the night before. I had a piece of lemon meringue pie which soon caused further upset and loss of appetite. Rather than fight the symptoms, I decided to study them and see where they led me. It took three days for my appetite to return, and I ate an apple to celebrate. I then ate an orange and followed that with a banana. I followed this order and fruit diet, eating only fruit and juice and one salad and one vegetable soup for the next 3 weeks. Then I switched to only vegetable salad for one week and this week I alternated, eating first fruit and then a vegetable salad, as my appetite allowed me. The logic was that by eating freely of fruits and vegetables, I could minimize my cravings and maximize the internal cleansing process. Ultimately, I would like to lose 50 lbs, but my main concern is to eliminate any potential for health crises by improving my body’s ability to defend itself. I feel that by July 5th I will have reached my weight-loss goal and established a good foundation for a better diet. Tomorrow begins my 6th week and I have already reduced by one full pants size. I have also increased my walking routine by one mile per day, and I hope to increase from 7 to 14 miles per day by the end of September. My energy level has improved and so I have eliminated caffeine from my diet, with the hope of deriving my energy from a combination of a vegetarian diet and a regular program of exercise. I added a multi-vitamin to my diet this week and this helped to increase my energy still further. I plan to add some forms of omega-3 in a modest amount, in order to supply other ingredients that my body starts craving. If you have any other recommendations for me, I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks!

Mark Overt Skilbred