These posts usually crop up around the time school starts. And don’t be surprised if you see my usual “This year’s high school seniors” post in a few months. But I ran across an article on BuzzFeed that had some real gems that I had to pass along.

Marty McFly traveled back in time 30 years to 1955… in 1985… 28 years ago (ouch).

When Ralph Macchio was the Karate Kid in 1984, Mr. Miyagi was 51 years old. This year, Ralph Macchio is 51 years old. (Holy paint the fence, Batman!!)

And, just in case you still have some breath in your lungs, allow my to punch you stomach one more time. This is a picture of a Motorola Razor flip phone… IN A MUSEUM!

You may now return to your regularly scheduled nap. You’ll want to be rested up because this afternoon we’re playing dominoes in the nursing home common room. (Please bring your teeth.)

The blog has been way too serious lately. It’s important for your perspective to know about the bad stuff. Yes, the world sucks. Life sucks. But it’s equally important to enjoy life! Don’t take it too seriously. No one makes it out alive.

So let’s try to have some fun while we still can. I’ve been poking around in my brain for some pointless frivolity to share with you. I’m going to start with this week’s white board quip.

Thinking outside the box today. There’s WAY more room out here.
– Tracy Jordan (30 Rock)

Yes. Let’s do that. Get outside the box and stretch.

[Sorry. No humor today. This one is deadly serious.]

“The Arab Spring” is now the Christian Winter throughout the Middle East, and United States foreign policy is firmly on the side of the Jihad.

Somewhere between a quarter and a half million Coptic Christians (It’s hard to say for sure, because so many have been kidnapped and killed.) have fled Egypt in the two years since Jihadists overthrew the secular government (with Bronco Bomber’s* blessing). Those who remain face torture and death because of their faith.

After the NATO supported overthrow of the (admittedly corrupt) Libyan dictatorship, Jihadists have taken over the country. Now Libyan Christians are tortured to death for the crime of “proselytizing Christianity”.

Before the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and subsequent installment of a “democratically elected,” radical Islamic government, there were 1 million Iraqi Christians. Now there are fewer than 400,000. Many fled. Many were butchered in the name of Islam.

In October of 2010 Jihadists stormed a Baghdad church. The Iraqi military (with US overwatch support) barricaded the doors, essentially locking the sheep in with the wolves. Dozens of Christians, unable to escape, were slaughtered (including babies [warning: graphic video]). The official US account of the attack was a “robbery gone wrong.”

Sadly, many of the Christians fleeing Iraq when to Syria where the government, although certainly corrupt, was secular and thus tolerant of Christians. Now, however, the Arab Spring has spread to Syria. Much of the West, including Bronco Bomber*, are aiding the “freedom fighters” (actually Al Qaeda backed Islamist militias).

The Assad dictatorship in Syria is evil. But now; just as in Iraq, Egypt, Libya, and others; the world must decide the better of two evils: A corrupt dictator or radical Islam. Because the West has become completely blind to religion and religious persecution, they will inevitably side with the Jihadists yet again.

Syrian towns and neighborhoods that have been traditionally Christian for over 1000 years are now devoid of Christians (at least those openly professing their faith). The stories told by Christians fleeing their ancestral homes are chillingly reminiscent of Jesus’ own warnings of persecution.

“We left because they were trying to kill us. They wanted to kill us because we were Christians … Those who were our neighbours turned against us.” (18-year-old , former resident of Homs, Syria)

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.” (Matthew 24:9-10)

“At the end, when we ran away, we went through balconies. We did not even dare go out on the street in front of our house.” (Noura Haddad)

“So when you see the abomination of desolation … flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. (Matthew 24:15-18)

Where will it stop? Syria? Lebanon? Jordan? Turkey? Chechnya? The Balkans? Europe? I’m not saying that this is the end of the world. And I’m not even sure I have an answer to the problem of choosing between dictators and Jihadists. I just want my readers to know that there is so much more going on that you will see on Good Morning America or CNN. And there are some things that you need to know. (If you haven’t before, please click the link in my side bar, “TheReligionOfPeace.com “)

Do you know what the Bible says about the End-Times? You need to. (What a convenient segue!) I’m going to teach an in depth study of Revelation at my house this summer. It’s something I’ve known for years I needed to do. I’m getting the word out on Facebook, but I’ll be sure to post dates and times here on SYNS too.

* It occurred to me that I’ve been using the term “Bronco Bomber” for so long, some of you might not know what it means. Just say it out loud, fast, and you should be reminded of a certain political figure.

When, in 2008, the state of Oregon expanded Medicaid, there were three times as many people who wanted the government subsidized, “affordable” coverage than the plan could afford to cover. This turned out to be a perfect petri dish for testing the effectiveness of socialized medicine.

A recently published study compared about 6000 people who got into the expanded program with about 6000 who applied, but lost the lottery. According to Liberal socialism, those who got the coverage should have been dramatically healthier, happier, and richer. At least that’s what the Obamacare debate would have us believe.

In fact, the study found that “Medicaid coverage generated no significant improvements in measured physical health outcomes in the first 2 years, but it did increase use of health care services…”

In short, socialized medicine spends more money without making anyone healthier. Hmm. More spending with no benefits. Yep. That sounds like Liberalism to me!

Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

Oh that I had in the desert a travelers’ lodging place,
That I might leave my people and go away from them!

For they are all adulterers, a company of treacherous men.
They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land;

For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the Lord.

– Jeremiah 9:1-3

“If it comes out, it comes out. Flush it.”

Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

– I Corinthians 6:9-10

“I’m not amazed because I’ve seen worse ads and websites than this.”

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

– Romans 1:24-32

“I hope that every player makes a decision that leads to their own happiness.”

Sometimes I lose myself. But it’s ok. I usually know my way back to me.

I’ve gone to find myself, so if I get back before I return, please ask me to wait.

It’s Work From Home Friday! Here’s another episode of Quick Hits with Trint!

Steven (high school youth minister) published the video from both middle school and high school mission trips. I went to San Antonio with the middle schoolers during spring break.

If this doesn’t tug at your heart, you should see a cardiologist right away; You probably have a cold heart of stone.

Here’s the back story.

According to this news article (which I admit is from a ring-wing-nut web site), recent data released from the Centers for Disease Control shows that, in 2008, sexually transmitted diseases infected more new people than college graduations and new jobs combined.

Frighteningly, there were six times as many new STD infections among 15-24 year-olds than the total number of college graduates that year. Six times!!

According to the CDC, there were more than 110 million Americans living with an STD in 2008. (And that’s five years ago! How many more since then?!) That’s basically one in three. Statistically, if you can ride in the car pool lane, someone in your car probably has crotch cooties.

So, at what point do the Liberal nut jobs concede that their “they’re going to do it anyway,” “free condoms for kids,” sex ed programs (that started before I was in junior high) don’t work?

If you want to guarantee that you won’t get an STD, you have one option and one option only: Be a virgin when you marry a virgin. Anything less, and you’re playing against the odds.