One Solitary Life - an essay on the life of Jesus Christ

"One Solitary Life

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself...
While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth � His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life."

Arlos V. Fee

Arlos V. Fee
Pleasant Hill
Arlos V. Fee, 80, beloved husband, father, and grandfather went home to our Lord on August 26, 2005, at Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines, after a long and valiant fight with cancer. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, August 29, with full military rites, at Sunset Memorial Gardens on Fleur Drive. Visitation will be Sunday evening from 5 to 7.

Arlos will be remembered and mourned by his wife of 50 years, Millie; daughters, Marsha Ver Steeg of Carlisle, Debbie Fee of Pleasant Hill, and Linda and Jeff Frey of West Point, NY.; grandsons Cory Frey of West Point, NY; and Chris Frey of Shaw Air Force Base, SC; granddaughters Kate Ver Steeg and Stephanie Ver Steeg both at home. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ores and Arnie Fee; his brother, Robert Fee; and sister, Ardythe Grove.

He serviced with the Army in World War II and the Korean War. He received a Purple Heart for injuries suffered in Korea. He was an avid gardener, keeping a large vegetable garden as well as several apple trees. He was also a skilled wood-worker.

The Fight Is Over

Dad lost his fight with cancer this morning at 8:15. My mom, sisters, and I were all with him when he passed. Linda called about 6:30 and said the nurse had told her Dad's passing was close, up to 24 hours away. Mom and I figured we had some time before we needed to go to the hospice. About an hour later Linda called again and said the nurse had come back and said that Dad's passing was very close and that we should get there as soon as possible. The hospice is only about ten minutes away, so we got there just after 7:30. I called my pastor, Alan, right after we got there and told him and he came right away and got there a half hour before Dad passed. Alan got the chance to pray with Dad one last time. I'm glad he got that chance. Dad prayed to accept Jesus as his savior not too long after he was told there was nothing more the doctor could do for him. That was my main wish for him.

The End Approaches

Sunday morning Dad made the decision that it was time to go to Taylor House Hospice because when he got up during the night to go to the bathroom he almost fell. He has gotten progressively weaker and unsteady on his feet.

This afternoon when he tried to get up to go to the bathroom he couldn't stand so he asked for a Foley catheter. He is getting so weak now. Mom says he has told her he is ready to go, he is tired of fighting. I can't say I blame him, he has been fighting this cancer for almost 5 years now.

Last night and tonight my sister, Linda, and her husband, Jeff, are spending the night at the hospice. Linda said that last night Dad would wake up and not know where he was for a few minutes. She would talk to him a little and he would be ok. During the day he is sleeping more and more. The hospice nurse that came to the house said that he would sleep more and would probably die in his sleep.

Linda is supposed to go back to West Point on Saturday. I don't know if she can get more time off or not, I hope so. I asked Chris, my nephew, how much time he had off from the Air Force. He said he could take as much time as he needed but after this weekend he would be in the negative for leave. I think Jeff can take as much time as he needs and that he probably has plenty leave coming to him. I don't know what will happen.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

Pepperoni Pizza

Robust and dominant. When you go for something, you go full force. You tend to take control of situations easily. And in return, you get a ton of respect.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

The Worst News

Tuesday Mom and Dad when to see his oncologist for the results from his blood work and possibly another chemo infusion. The doctor told them the last infusion hadn't done any good so he was recommending stopping all treatment. He said Dad could have 2 weeks, 2 months, or up to 6 months. They talked about all their options for home care, hospice care, or whatever. Today Mom called the Home Care service and the admitting nurse came out to help us decide what we wanted to do. Dad decided he wanted to stay home as long as we can take care of him. He is getting so weak he can't stand for long. Last night when mom and dad went downstairs to shower he had trouble getting back upstairs. This morning he couldn't even stand long enough to shave.

The saddest part is that Mom and Dad's 50th anniversary is on October 10 and Dad's 81st birthday is on October 24. I don't know if he can last that long. I hope he can. I want them to have that anniversary and I want him to have that birthday. I'm not ready to lose my daddy yet!

I was also told that Tuesday was the last day of my assignment at DataVision.

Today is the first day of the Iowa State Fair. I had planned on going today but with everything going on I'm still home and I'm not sure I will be going today. This will be the first time in 5 years I haven't gone the first day. Even last year, a month after my surgery, I went to the fair. I bought 2 tickets in advance so I hope I get to use them.

www.IowaGOP.org : News

"7/28/2005 - Vilsack calls for a partial repeal of the tax cuts Congress passed over the past four years.

In response to Vilsack's comments, Iowa Republican Party Chairman Ray Hoffmann of Sioux City said that raising taxes will erase the country's economic progress of the last few years.

'I think Gov. Vilsack just doesn't get it. Tax increases just don't work, they never have worked and I don't think they ever will work. A tax decrease has worked,' he said.

Read the Full Story By Dan Gearino Globe Des Moines Bureau here.

I couldn't agree more! All tax increases have ever accomplished is a cut in spending by businesses and reduced spending by consumers. You can't spend what the government takes away. And it seems the government is all too willing to take your money. Especially when the Democrats are in office!

Small Changes

Last Wednesday night, the 27th, I had an appointment for a haircut. All day long I kept trying to decide if I wanted to keep my hair the style it is or do something different. At this point just about the only thing different I can do is let my hair grow longer. Tomorrow I have an appointment to get my hair colored. I had it colored auburn quite a while ago and I am going to go with a little bit redder color this time. The color was a little to subtle last time I think.

DailyJoke

"A recent survey has compiled all the qualities that people expect from the perfect pastor:

Results of a computerized survey indicated that the perfect pastor preaches exactly 12 minutes.

He frequently condemns sin but never upsets anyone.

He works from 8 a.m. until midnight and is also a janitor.

He makes $60 a week, wears good clothes, buys good books, drives a good car, and gives about $80 a week to the poor.

He is 28 years of age, but he's been preaching for 30 years.He is wonderfully gentle and handsome.

He gives himself completely but never gets too close to anyone to avoid criticism.

He speaks boldly on social issues, but must never become politically involved.

He has a burning desire to work with teenagers, but he spends all his time with senior citizens.

He makes 15 daily calls to parish families, visits shut-ins and the hospitalized, spends all his time evangelizing the unchurched, and is always in his office when needed."

Doohan's ashes to be sent into space - Access Hollywood - MSNBC.com

"Doohan died at 5:30 a.m. at his Redmond, Wash., home with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side, Los Angeles agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens said. The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease, he said."

A sad day. Farewell Scotty!

News / Stem Cell Research Doing Evil to Do Good - Institute for Creation Research

"Criticism has been sharp both in the United States and abroad as stem cell research advocates emphasize the medical breakthroughs that studies might accomplish.

Yet, many including not a few scientists and President Bush have opposed expanded embryonic research because of the issue of where these embryonic cells come from. When the House of Representatives recently voted to lift the ban on stem cell funding, President Bush threatened to veto, citing the ongoing destruction of emerging human life (AP 2005)."

How Observant Are You?

Overall, Your Observation Skills Get: B+

Your senses are pretty sharp (okay, most of the time) And it takes something big to distract you!

How Observant Are You?

Happy Hysterversary?

One year ago today I was in the hospital at the University of Iowa to have a hysterectomy. I feel like this year has been a steady improvements over last year. This year I am working 40 hours a week and hopefully on August 2 I will be hired on permanently at DataVisioin. It's a boring job but the money is decent. The most important thing about it is it pays the bills.

What's Your Expression Number?

Your Expression Number is 1

You have the skills to be a top executive or businessperson. But first you must develop your natural capacity to be a good leader. You are truly original - with a creative approach to life and a very sharp mind. You reach for the sky, and you have the potential to reach it. Assertive and straight forward, you have little need for supervision. You are self-confident, self-reliant, and courageous in your convictions. While you sometimes fear loneliness, you prefer to be left alone. A bit self centered, you may be hard to live with at times. You also have a strong dominant streak - which can push others away at times.

What's Your Expression Number?

The World's Shortest Personality Test

You are pure, moral, and adaptable. You tend to blend into your surroundings. Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends. You believe that you live a virtuous life... And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye. As a result, people tend to crave your approval.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

More Chemo

Last Friday Dad had a CT scan and Tuesday he saw his oncologist, The doctor said the tumor had grown a little bit, so Dad is scheduled to have another round of chemo next week. He also has another appointment with the neurologist next week. Maybe he will be able to tell is what caused the swelling in Dad's brain last month.

AFI list of top 100 quotes from U.S. movies

1. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” “Gone With the Wind,” 1939.
2. “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse,” “The Godfather,” 1972.
3. “You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am,” “On the Waterfront,” 1954.
4. “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” “The Wizard of Oz,” 1939.
5. “Here’s looking at you, kid,” “Casablanca,” 1942.
6. “Go ahead, make my day,” “Sudden Impact,” 1983.
7. “All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up,” “Sunset Blvd.,” 1950.
8. “May the Force be with you,” “Star Wars,” 1977.
9. “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night,” “All About Eve,” 1950.
10. “You talking to me?” “Taxi Driver,” 1976.
11. “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate,” “Cool Hand Luke,” 1967.
12. “I love the smell of napalm in the morning,” “Apocalypse Now,” 1979.
13. “Love means never having to say you’re sorry,” “Love Story,” 1970.
14. “The stuff that dreams are made of,” “The Maltese Falcon,” 1941.
15. “E.T. phone home,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” 1982.
16. “They call me Mister Tibbs!”, “In the Heat of the Night,” 1967.
17. “Rosebud,” “Citizen Kane,” 1941.
18. “Made it, Ma! Top of the world!”, “White Heat,” 1949.
19. “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”, “Network,” 1976.
20. “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” “Casablanca,” 1942.
21. “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” 1991.
22. “Bond. James Bond,” “Dr. No,” 1962.
23. “There’s no place like home,” “The Wizard of Oz,” 1939.
24. “I am big! It’s the pictures that got small,” “Sunset Blvd.,” 1950.
25. “Show me the money!”, “Jerry Maguire,” 1996.
26. “Why don’t you come up sometime and see me?”, “She Done Him Wrong,” 1933.
27. “I’m walking here! I’m walking here!”, “Midnight Cowboy,” 1969.
28. “Play it, Sam. Play ’As Time Goes By,”’ “Casablanca,” 1942.
29. “You can’t handle the truth!”, “A Few Good Men,” 1992.
30. “I want to be alone,” “Grand Hotel,” 1932.
31. “After all, tomorrow is another day!”, “Gone With the Wind,” 1939.
32. “Round up the usual suspects,” “Casablanca,” 1942.
33. “I’ll have what she’s having,” “When Harry Met Sally...,” 1989.
34. “You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow,” “To Have and Have Not,” 1944.
35. “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” “Jaws,” 1975.
36. “Badges? We ain’t got no badges! We don’t need no badges! I don’t have to show you any stinking badges!”, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” 1948.
37. “I’ll be back,” “The Terminator,” 1984.
38. “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth,” “The Pride of the Yankees,” 1942.
39. “If you build it, he will come,” “Field of Dreams,” 1989.
40. “Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get,” “Forrest Gump,” 1994.
41. “We rob banks,” “Bonnie and Clyde,” 1967.
42. “Plastics,” “The Graduate,” 1967.
43. “We’ll always have Paris,” “Casablanca,” 1942.
44. “I see dead people,” “The Sixth Sense,” 1999.
45. “Stella! Hey, Stella!”, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” 1951.
46. “Oh, Jerry, don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars,” “Now, Voyager,” 1942.
47. “Shane. Shane. Come back!”, “Shane,” 1953.
48. “Well, nobody’s perfect,” “Some Like It Hot,” 1959.
49. “It’s alive! It’s alive!”, “Frankenstein,” 1931.
50. “Houston, we have a problem,” “Apollo 13,” 1995.
51. “You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ’Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?”, “Dirty Harry,” 1971.
52. “You had me at ‘hello,”’ “Jerry Maguire,” 1996.
53. “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know,” “Animal Crackers,” 1930.
54. “There’s no crying in baseball!”, “A League of Their Own,” 1992.
55. “La-dee-da, la-dee-da,” “Annie Hall,” 1977.
56. “A boy’s best friend is his mother,” “Psycho,” 1960.
57. “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good,” “Wall Street,” 1987.
58. “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer,” “The Godfather Part II,” 1974.
59. “As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again,” “Gone With the Wind,” 1939.
60. “Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!”, “Sons of the Desert,” 1933.
61. “Say ‘hello’ to my little friend!”, “Scarface,” 1983.
62. “What a dump,” “Beyond the Forest,” 1949.
63. “Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me. Aren’t you?”, “The Graduate,” 1967.
64. “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!”, “Dr. Strangelove,” 1964.
65. “Elementary, my dear Watson,” “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” 1929.
66. “Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape,” “Planet of the Apes,” 1968.
67. “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine,” “Casablanca,” 1942.
68. “Here’s Johnny!”, “The Shining,” 1980.
69. “They’re here!”, “Poltergeist,” 1982.
70. “Is it safe?”, “Marathon Man,” 1976.
71. “Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!”, “The Jazz Singer,” 1927.
72. “No wire hangers, ever!”, “Mommie Dearest,” 1981.
73. “Mother of mercy, is this the end of Rico?”, “Little Caesar,” 1930.
74. “Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown,” “Chinatown,” 1974.
75. “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” 1951.
76. “Hasta la vista, baby,” “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” 1991.
77. “Soylent Green is people!”, “Soylent Green,” 1973.
78. “Open the pod bay doors, HAL,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” 1968.
79. Striker: “Surely you can’t be serious.” Rumack: “I am serious ... and don’t call me Shirley,” “Airplane!”, 1980.
80. “Yo, Adrian!”, “Rocky,” 1976.
81. “Hello, gorgeous,” “Funny Girl,” 1968.
82. “Toga! Toga!”, “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” 1978.
83. “Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make,” “Dracula,” 1931.
84. “Oh, no, it wasn’t the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast,” “King Kong,” 1933.
85. “My precious,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” 2002.
86. “Attica! Attica!”, “Dog Day Afternoon,” 1975.
87. “Sawyer, you’re going out a youngster, but you’ve got to come back a star!”, “42nd Street,” 1933.
88. “Listen to me, mister. You’re my knight in shining armor. Don’t you forget it. You’re going to get back on that horse, and I’m going to be right behind you, holding on tight, and away we’re gonna go, go, go!”, “On Golden Pond,” 1981.
89. “Tell ’em to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper,” “Knute Rockne, All American,” 1940.
90. “A martini. Shaken, not stirred,” “Goldfinger,” 1964
91. “Who’s on first,” “The Naughty Nineties,” 1945.
92. “Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac ... It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole!”, “Caddyshack,” 1980.
93. “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!”, “Auntie Mame,” 1958.
94. “I feel the need — the need for speed!”, “Top Gun,” 1986.
95. “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary,” “Dead Poets Society,” 1989.
96. “Snap out of it!”, “Moonstruck,” 1987.
97. “My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you,” “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” 1942.
98. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” “Dirty Dancing,” 1987.
99. “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!”, “The Wizard of Oz,” 1939.
100. “I’m king of the world!”, “Titanic,” 1997.

Source: Associated Press

Peter Kirsanow on Howard Dean and the GOP on National Review Online

"During a discussion with minority leaders and journalists on Monday, Howard Dean declared that Republicans are a pretty monolithic party. They all believe the same. They all look the same. It's pretty much a white Christian party. He further stated that the Republicans are not very friendly to different kinds of people and Democrats are more welcoming to different folks, because that's the type of people we are. Dean continued to defend his remarks as recently as Thursday."

Hmmm, I wonder how he explains the black J.C. Watts or the Jewish Ken Mehlman?

Adult Stem Cell Breakthrough Ignored - NewsMax.com: Inside Cover Story

"Adult Stem Cell Breakthrough Ignored
Scientists at Australia's Griffith University have engineered a breakthrough in the field of adult stem cell research that's so significant, say experts, that it could render the debate over embryonic stem cell research moot.

The results of the four-year research project showed that olfactory stem cells can be turned into heart cells, brain cells, nerve cells - indeed, almost any kind of cell in the body - without the problems of rejection or tumors forming, a common side effect with embryonic stem cells.

The poorly funded Griffith University team – which conducted its research with a mere $200,000 in grants – appears to have found a direct and non-controversial alternative to the use of stem cells derived from leftover embryos created during fertility treatment, reported the Australian newspaper.
"Our experiments have shown adult stem cells isolated from the olfactory mucosa have the ability to develop into many different cell types if they are given the right chemical or cellular environment," research team leader Alan Mackay-Sim told the paper.

Mackay-Sim's team of scientists managed to grow nerve cells, glial cells, liver cells, heart cells and muscle cells from cells harvested from the human nose.

The breakthrough, first announced two months ago, has been largely ignored by the U.S. media, which has focused on embryonic stem cell research as the only option to cure debilitating ailments like Hodgkin's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

As a result of the lopsided press coverage, California voters passed a $6 billion referendum to fund embryonic stem cell research last November, with similar programs proposed around the U.S. - though embryonic stem cell research has yet to show any significant medical progress.

In Australia, however, the medical community is excited over Mackay-Sim's adult stem cell breakthrough."


I wonder when the main stream media will cover this story. Maybe if it was an American study it get some notice? Probably not, the media prefer to advocate death.

Which Classic Story Role Do You Play?

You Are The Key Character
"It's what I was meant to do."
You are the true enigma. No one knows much about you, you do not understand much of yourself, and your life seems to carry no purpose. Yet regardless of everything around you - everyone knows that you are here for some reason, even if no one yet knows what that is. Things seem to simply fall into place for you. Almost as though some force is working either through you, for you, or around you. No matter your troubles, ou have been sent here to unlock something. This is your destiny.

Which Classic Story Role Do You Play?
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