“I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” – Winston Churchill

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday, April 16, 2019. I will confess that I scrambled up yesterday's edition, therefore, it may have been more discombobulated than the normal mix. It was a rare early morning that I could tip-toe around the kennel where Mr. Bentley sleeps and make it up the stairs without him getting all riled up. Maybe that's the application of 'letting sleeping dogs lie'. Most days he is at my feet begging me to quit typing where we can focus on something more important. Him. I do have an injury connected to Mr. Bentley. He gets so agitated and animated when he knows I am getting dressed to leave for Church I finally determined to put him out of our bedroom. Therefore, this past Sunday, being the strong disciplinarian, I decided to put my foot down. I had him out the door but he knew what I was doing so he got back by me before I could stop him. Once inside he used his speed to evade me. I finally caught up with him on the other side of the bed but when I did I slipped, went down on one knee, and locked up my hip. It hurt like old Billy-heck but I was also laughing. Now I feel like Jacob in the Bible when he was given a limp. The wife said my problem is I laugh about stuff instead of being angry. She wants me to get an x-ray. That too is funny. To me. I do hope this stuff you rub on for pain helps. Just joking. Hey, you might as well laugh because there is always time to do the crying. Later. Much later. I hope.

When you think you've pretty much seen it all, hang on. The Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, a physician, was the fellow who gave a detailed description of how to let a baby die in order to preserve the late-term abortion bill. Before a committee debating the late-term abortion bill, he was asked about a baby scheduled for abortion that was born alive. He went into excruciating detail about how that child would be left to die. Six weeks later he signed a bill into law in the state of Virginia with these provisions: ~  Animal Cruelty Law, under the new law, which comes into effect July 1, anyone who "tortures, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or pain, 'or' cruelly and unnecessarily beats, maims or mutilates any dog or cat" can be found guilty of a Class-6 felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500. ~ I think this is very much a sign of our times. Here's the biblical text that is used by all sides to try to defend their positions: Exodus 21: 22 "If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." The people who are for abortion claim the 'no harm follows' pertains only to the prospective mother. However, the Hebrew language would suggest it has to do with when the child comes forth, therefore, if the child is born and is okay, then the first provision would be followed. If the child comes forth and is harmed then the second provision would apply. God is against the murder of innocent children. I also recently heard the quote from the head of a large abortion clinic who said that babies should not be considered to be human beings until after they have lived for at least 30 days. These are some sad times we are living in.

It would be an interesting exercise to research the original Hippocratic Oath sworn to by those entering the field of medicine as physicians. This document dates back to ancient Greece. More modern oaths have updated the language and often they have done away with the prohibition against aborting babies that was included in the original oath. The original document was a thoroughly pagan view of the doctor's responsibilities, however, even it recognized the sanctity of life. You can Google and read the ancient document, some that followed, and the ones in use today. While we claim to have come a long way in our development, the Bible makes it clear that the fool has said in his heart there is no God. (Psalm 14:1) These are things that swirl around in my heart and mind from time to time. The animal cruelty law is not a bad law. But, protecting animals while advocating the killing of unborn and even born babies, that, my friend, to me, is end time stuff. I am not a prophet or the son of a prophet, but God will not overlook these atrocities. We have His Word on it. May God help us to see what He would have us to do. Amen. .....More later.