A Remembrance: Yes, Vicki Williams left for Heaven a day after my last supplement concerning her. I was thinking over what I might have said, if I had been at her memorial service and if I had been asked to say a few words. Truly, I realized, what I had said earlier just wasn't enough for such a fine lady, Sister in the Lord, best friend....list is long. When I went to work for the State of Alaska and moved back to Fairbanks in 1990, we met Vicki at a small cafe at 22-mile Chena Hot Springs Road. The place was famous for it's pies and they were sure good. She was a waitress there and quite friendly, and she had invited us to check out her church in Fairbanks- named "Lighthouse Christian Center", at the time. Later, it was renamed "Door of Hope" as Lighthouse joined with another church, a former Nazarene Church that had become spirit-filled. Made all the local newspapers. Suddenly we were a church of nearly 1600 people with a staff of 12 pastors. The number of employees shrunk down within the first year. Vicki had introduced us to her husband, Jim and their three children. Jim became my best friend and their oldest daughter spent a time as John Leroy's, our oldest son's girlfriend. Shortly afterward arriving at the church, Mona and I found ourselves as the youth pastors, Mona taught on Intercessional Prayer and I became the worship team's percussionist- I played congas. Along the way, Jim and Vicki became our leaders in Marriage Ministries International- to help couples with their marriages, and we soon became leaders of this fine training group. When we left the youth ministry, Mona and I became home church leaders, and along the way I retired from the State of Alaska. For 13-years Vicki wrote music, sung and played both keyboard and guitar. She was an extremely talented woman and she used it all for the Lord. I stood off to the side on my congas and simply enjoyed myself as we worshiped the Lord. Jim and Vicki's friendship was extremely vital to us and when they left Alaska, I may have wept a few tears for I missed my friends. Now our kids have all grown and have kids of their own in most cases, but we beat them to becoming Great-grandparents. My heart and prayers go out to my best friend Jim, I think of him almost daily. He has the most caring and listening ear I have ever known. As a team, the two of them helped so many people over the years. Yes, I miss Vicki, but I know where she is and we'll see each other again soon enough. Anyway, that's what I wanted to say and after all this is my journal.
Book Report: Just a note, I am currently wrapping up a third book for the "Badge and the Cross" Series. Actually, this one, entitled "Homeland Security" , is two books, of approximately 250-pages each. Trying to avoid the super books, like "Legend of Silene". Still have two books, # 1 and # 2 of the "Badge" series, and my 13-part "Fire & Ice" Series, awaiting editing by Susan Smith. She is working on those now. She is a volunteer editor and right now she has the summer off from college. I am hoping "Rookie", Book # 1, will be in the publisher's hands by early July. I'd appreciate all your prayers in my literary endeavors.
The Moose Pass Solstice Festival is coming up soon, June 18-19 and my books will be on sale. People come down from Anchorage and all over the Kenai Peninsula to join in with us. We have a lively beer garden with 18-hour live music, a large auction to support our volunteer fire department/library, lots of food and sales people by the bunches with crafts of all kinds. Always a lot of fun.
I've got lively 60's music playing on the house sound system, makes it hard to type at times as I feel like dancing. Going to tray to go outside later and cut weeds. I place an old couch cushion on the ground to make it comfortable. Canaan got the weeder out and did just a fantastic job, but I got after the heavy alder trees trying to take root. It's been a while since Mona had her hands in the garden, but she has dozens of flowers that keep coming back. Some of the spruce trees I helped along are now over 12 feet high and they look great. Sadly we have to cut one down as it is right next to the house and a fire hazard. We're working on getting our wood supply in early and Canaan's been on the phone a lot making that happen. She also works as my primary care provider to make sure I eat, take my pills and stuff. I last weighed in at 182-lbs, which I weighed in my sophomore year of high school. Weird. We're working on getting me back to 200-lbs.
Canaan's husband, Patrick and his best friend, Raymond, found really decent, but hard work jobs down at the Seward Boat Harbor. Roger is back with us and he's helping John Alex do the house cooking, house chores and baby-sitting. We have 9 or 10 adults living here and two Great-grandchildren.
Now for my semi-official disclaimer concerning my NEWS Site. Be wary of propaganda, out-right lies, fairy tales and fabrications. But, I do try to list the truth, as it is reported. Be fore I get started, I wanted to mention that last week- I believe, NBC went on the attack to discredit "Gatestone Institute News". I found their article to be disquieting, defamatory and even worst a bold lie. NBC accused them of being "Anti-Muslim Think Tank, and this was echoed by the Russian media. Oddly enough, Gatestone publishes a lot of good article asking for the protection of non-jihadist Muslims. I've been an avid reader of Gatestone and have used their articles in my journal for sometime, as you know. Yes, they print stories about jihadists and terrorism, and and antisemitism, but that's not all. They print items and the wrong on this earth that effect Muslims, Jews, Christians and others. They try to get stories out that show the oppression of the little guy, the changes in governments. The transformations that are occurring in Europe and the UK are frightful. These are not the countries I remember studying in school and reading about as I grew older. In the last ten years these countries have become anti-American, anti-Christian in many of the lands, and filled with criminal elements.
When I was a kid we had three TV stations in the LA Area of Southern California: ABC, CBS and NBC. NBC was my favorite, but I decline to watch anything connected with them now. There is an ugliness they preach and it is scary to see the changes in my own country. But, please check out the article and review it for yourself. We had black and white TV until I was 13 and then my Dad brought us a small color set. Wow, Disney was really cool in color. Now I have this 46-inch monster in my living room, but no football- yet. I still cannot believe the Oakland Raiders are going, or have gone, to Las Vegas. I can imagine a third of Oakland's population might move with them if they can find jobs in Vegas. Oakland's fans are simply crazy and I used to be one in the old days. Now I just enjoy football. Too bad they don't televise high school football- less politics and pure sport.
NEWS SITE:
GATESTONE: France- Report- An estimated six million people, one-tenth of France's population, reside in France's 1,500 neighborhoods now classified as "No-Go-Zones", also known as "Sensitive Urban Zones", but not patrolled by police due to the danger there by urban gangs. President Macron admitted France had lost the battle over drug trafficking in many of the cities. He has as now promised a new plan for July, 2018. In the meantime he has called on local administrations to deal with the crimes and criminal element. ALSO- HAMAS announced the "Great Deception" in a video release. "Instead of having the people revolt and turn against us, we're sending them to the Gaza Fence." "Let therm revolt freely." "Before that, at least 50% of the martyrs at Gaza were Hamas terrorists."
PATRIOTIC VIRAL NEWS: Report- "George Soros, billionaire is spending his millions to buy elections across the country (US)." ( Yes, the same man who spent millions to break Greece, Italy and Spain's financial network before announcing he was turning his sights on the United States. He supports the far-left, pro-illegal immigration and has shown himself to be weak on crime.) ( Yes, I am not fond of the man. I'm only curious if he might be breaking some election laws, but so far he hasn't moved on Alaska, so those states he is "helping", can decide for themselves. )
THOUGHTFUL MIND QUOTE: " I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of misery or unhappiness is determined not by circumstance, but by our disposition." Martha Washington- former 1st Lady.
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON: "Feds to spend millions on jewelry, clothes, that monitor how much you drink." ( Tax dollars at work-again.)
JERUSALEM POST: International High Court declares Israeli Defense Force conduct on Gaza Border to be legal. This will make it difficult for the International Criminal Court to declare the IDF's conduct to be a violation of international law.
ALSO- "Israel to UN Security Council: Iran still testing ballistic missiles." ALSO- "Egypt, Qatar, proposing truce between Israel and Hamas."
GLOBAL TIMES: Sweden- Report- Swedish State informs its citizens of how to cope with crisis of War, with household brochure.
FRANCE NEWS: France to fine men for wolf-whistling at women. ALSO- France, UK and US to demand new Syria chemical weapons investigation by United Nations.
SPAIN NEWS: Women take to the streets in Spain, demanding funds to fight domestic violence. Spanish Woman also launch their own #MeToo Movement.
ITALY NEWS: Migrants suffer amid rising anti-immigrant sentiments in Italy.
GERMANY NEWS: Hamburg becomes first German city to place ban on older model diesel vehicles.
IRAQI NEWS: 40- ISIS Brides sentenced to death in Iraq after only a 10 minute trial.
GREECE NEWS: Turkey accuses Greece of protecting "terrorists" from failed coup of 2016. ALSO- Tensions rise between Turkey and Greece causing some to fear a war is looming.
POLAND NEWS: Thousands of Polish citizens take to the streets to protest stricter abortion laws. ALSO- Polish Senate approves new Holocaust speech restrictions.
IRAN HERALD: Turkey sentences 104 Army plotters to life in prison for their involvement in 2016 coup. ALSO: Turkey's currency hits record lows.
BLAZE NEWS: Report- "What's Going on in Baltimore's Juvenile System?" Teen cop-killer suspect was arrest 4-times in 6 month and back on the street to gun-down police officer.
MOSCOW TIMES: New draft law proposes jail term for those who comply with US Sanctions against Russia. ALSO- Moscow Police arrest 42 suspects with new facial recognition technology in railway station. ( US already has this.)
GATESTONE: Report- United Nations only recommends "tiny token numbers of homes for Syrian Christians for resettlement in UK. Critiques accuse UN and UK for favoring Muslim refugees over Christian refugees, while it is the Christian refugees being targeted by ISIS in Syria." ALSO- United Nations tried to prevent the release of this information.
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON: Supreme Court denies Planned Parenthood challenge.
GATESTONE: UK Report- British Speech Activist and Islam Critic Tommy Robinson, acting as a citizen journalist, reporting live on camera at the Leeds's Courtroom, where several Muslims males were being tried for Child Rape, was taken into custody by British Police. In the space of the next few hours, he was tried, without council, and sentenced to 13-months in prison. The judge then put a news blackout on the Muslim's case throughout Britain. Robinson is being held in Hull Prison, where he risks death at the hands of Muslim prisoners.
JERUSALEM ONLINE: Report- Terrorists arrested who had planned the assassination of PM Netanyahu. ALSO- Terrorist's Gaza gasoline kites set 5-fires in Israel.
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON: UK Government debates changing Northern Ireland's Abortion Laws. ( This will probably lead to the rise of the IRA). ALSO- Religious Liberty Groups praise Supreme Court for their decision to back the baker who would not bake a cake for a gay couple's wedding. They also showed that the gay couple had multiple of other baker's to go to. This decision will back the business owners who refuse service at their choice, as the signs they posted said. (About time. A business owner reclaims the right to not serve someone, for many reasons, including their Christian faith.)
ALSO: Fed's spend another $347,176 studying if sex is good with contraception devices. ( C'mon, these are tax dollars- get real!)
UK NEWS: Eighty Afghan girl's schools closed over ISIS threat. ( Where's the Afghan troops? Quit relying on our troops and let them come home. 18 years is enough, already!!! Yes, I supported the war in Vietnam by going there, and now 5 of my sons have served in Afghanistan, some more than once. I have the right to gripe. Report is a lot more of our men and women would join their national guard if they didn't risk Afghanistan.)
FRANCE NEWS: Thousands take to the streets in Greece to protect the Balkans chancing their name to Macedonia. Greece says that name belongs to them.
SPAIN NEWS: Spain's new Prime Minister unveils Pro-EU Government dominated by women.
ITALY NEWS: Italy calls for toughened reforms on EU Asylum Rules. Some of Spain's politicians leaning toward removal of all refugees. ALSO- Migrant workers in Southern Italy talk of work strike, following the murder of a Malian ( Africa) man who was shot dead while gathering scrap metal.
INFO: These country news sites can be found by going to the country and adding either Telegraph or Local to see these stories.
MOSCOW TIMES: Report- Polls shows the majority of Russian "never heard" of protests against Present Putin's election. ( Seems Old Mother Russia may be back.) ALSO: Russia now wants only their troops on Syria's border with Israel. Report of Israel and Russian Air Force's butting heads in the skies over this border.
JERUSALEM POST: Report- "Rockefeller Bros Fund Give to Groups funding Palestinian Terrorism". (Yes, this is the New York Family who help fund and print out our national currency. )
That's it, Ladies and Gentlemen. Please, check out these sites for the complete stories I have listed. These leads come from May 24th thru June 6th.
Thank you for sticking it out and I do hope you check out my books an send me a critique. I value them, even the negative ones, which help me become a better writer. Folks, you have no idea how times I go over a manuscript before Susan gets it and even then we make mistakes.
God Bless all of you and may you have a great week. BILL