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What’s Up in Local Sports

By: Calvin Hastings

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14 year-old Archer Price just about pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Gaston County Golf History.   The 8th grader at Gaston Day School finished one shot behind Larry Cloninger in last week’s Gaston County Amateur Golf Tournament.   It was Cloninger’s third Gaston County Amateur Title.   The 46 year old Cloninger birdied hole number 17 and finished with a par for the win.   Price made the cut last year but finished 35 over par, 22 shots off the pace.   The tournament raised over $21,000 for Cancer Services of Gaston County which provides education about cancer prevention and detection, assists cancer patients and funds cancer research.

The Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame has added four new members.   They include former Gazette sports editor and longtime CBS sports golf reporter John Derr, current Clemson Tiger golf coach Larry Penley, former amateur golfing champion Charlie Smith and championship basketball coach Dave Robbins.   In addition Cindy Cloninger was named the Bennie Cunningham Fan of the Year and Mack Hanna was named the first ever recipient of the David Poole Service Award.   The service award was named in honor of Poole, who died in April at the age of 50.   Poole was a 1977 Hunter Huss graduate and a longtime supporter of local sports.

The Gastonia Grizzlies have a new head coach.   The Grizzlies last week hired Jason Plourde to replace Eli Benfield who was not asked to come back after coaching the Grizzlies for three seasons posting a record 64 wins and 100 losses.   Plourde is currently the pitching coach for Belmont Abbey.  General Manger Jesse Cole interviewed three candidates before choosing Plourde.   This past summer, Plourde was the coach of the Fayetteville team in the Coastal Plains League.  The Swampdogs advanced to the second round of the playoffs after posting a 30-23 record.   Plourde is originally from California and played baseball at L.A. Valley College.

The Lincoln Gators are looking for boys and girls basketball players in grades 5th thru 12th for its upcoming spring 2010 basketball leagues.   For more information contact Ernest Vinson at 704-530-2844.

Lincolnton dragster Doug Herbert has a new sponsor.  This past weekend at the Carolina Nationals at the Zmax Dragway in Charlotte, Herbert carried  the sponsorship of “tiwi” on his Top Fuel Dragster.   Herbert lost two teenage sons in a 2008 automobile accident.   Todd Follmer’s teen aged son lost his girlfriend when she lost control of her car and hit a tree.   After the accident Follmer developed the “tiwi” teen driving mentoring system.   And after the death of his two sons, Herbert formed B.R.A.K.E.S. which means Be Responsible and Keep Everybody Safe.   The B.R.A.K.E.S. program is a non-profit foundation.   Herbert uses the B.R.A.K.E.S. logo and a photo of his sons on his dragster to help create awareness and to educate young drivers about the importance of driving.   B.R.A.K.E.S. provides hands on training to help teach teens on how to prevent an accident while the “tiwi” system uses technology to help teens learn good habits in their first years on the road.

The West Lincoln High School Sports Booster Club is having a golf tournament on October 3rd at the Lincoln Country Club.   Lunch will be served at noon followed by a 1:30 pm shotgun start.   The tournament is  four man Captain’s Choice and will cost $55.00 per player or $220.00 per team.   For more information call the West Lincoln Athletic Department at 704-740-7832.

Hats off to the  5 and 6 year old West Lincoln Optimist t-ball all stars.  The team finished 2nd in their district and team members included Trace Gilmore, Ryan Waters, Lawson Harkey, Chloe Norman, Adam Fortenberry, Jayleigh Drewery, Christopher Moxley, Zack Prorock, Luke Stewart, Chade Norman, Mason Huitt, Dylan Lamberth, Christian Neal and Judd Harrellson.   The team was coached by Cory Norman, Sarah Ross and Bill Fortenberry.

Bamm Bamm Byers is at it again.   Kings Mountain graduate and world wrestling champion Dremiel Byers will lead a 21 member U.S. team in the World Championships this week in Herning, Denmark.   Byers competes in the Greco-Roman at 264.5 pounds. He won a world championship in 2002 and a world bronze in 2007.

Former Gardner Webb baseball player Blake Lalli was named to the Southern League all star team.   Lalli was third in the league in hitting at .313.  Lalli hit five home runs and drove in 52 in 188 games this season for the Chicago Cub affiliate Tennessee Smokies which is a Double-A team.

Hats off to former Crest Charger Heather Moore.   Moore became the youngest member ever inducted into the Tri-County Youth Bowling Association Hall of Fame.   Moore won state titles in 2006 and 2007 as the North Carolina state singles champion.  Moore also hold several scoring records within the Association and is the group’s only four time Bowler of the Year.

One of our golf contest sponsors, Pine Grove is holding their Tin Cup Fall Classic golf tournament October 3rd.   The format will be a four man captain’s choice with a cost of $200.00 per team including lunch and refreshments.  There will be awards for the top three teams plus prizes for the closest to the pin and longest drive.   For more information contact Tony Parker at 704-480-9233.

Gardner Webb defensive tackle Matt Goods was named the Big South Conference Freshman of the Year for the second time in three weeks.   Goods leads the Big South in sacks and tackles for loss through three games.  The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday, October 3rd at VMI.

What’s Up in Prep Football

By Lewis Carpenter

I am becoming the worst predictor of football games around.  My record this week was   5-7, bringing my overall total to 20-16.  I am going to have to improve. I picked some upsets that did not happen.  It is a good thing I am not betting on these games.  I would lose my money.

A recent article in the Gaston Gazette announced the student-trainers for the Shrine Bowl games.  Forestview senior, Aaron Marshall, was named student- trainer for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, held at Wofford College in Spartanburg in December.  Aaron plans to attend Appalachian State or Western Carolina University to study sports and tactical medicine.  Catherine Owens, North Gaston Senior High was named student trainer for the Oasis Shrine Classic.  She will attend East Carolina University to study athletic training and pursue a Masters Degree.  These two Gaston County students were the only student-trainers named for these games.  Congratulations to these fine young people.  Just proves my point that we have some fine students in high school in this state.  Young people sometimes get a bad reputation, but here are two who are excelling.

Here are my picks for this week.  Wish me luck.

CLEVELAND COUNTY GAME OF THE WEEK

Ashbrook @ CREST -  Crest is coming off a big win over Shelby and an open date.  Having time to prepare for Ashbrook.  Crest should win this one handily.

LINCOLN COUNTY GAME OF THE WEEK

North Iredell @ WEST LINCOLN  -  West is 2-3 and at home.  North is 0-4 and probably is not ready for West’s running attack.

GASTON COUNTY GAME OF THE WEEK

Kings Mountain @ SOUTH POINT -  South Point is at home and on a roll.  Kings Mountain will have its hands full to try to stop the “Raiders” and their “Redbone”.

THE REST OF THE BEST

HUNTER HUSS @ North Gaston -  North is coming off a their first win, but Huss has too much firepower for the “Wildcats”.

FORESTVIEW @ Burns -  Burns is still winless and Forestview has only lost once.  Burns will be tough at home, but the “Jaguars” should prevail.

Southlake Christian @ EAST LINCOLN -  East Lincoln is 2-2 and coming off a big win over previously undefeated Bandys. I couldn’t find out much about Southlake, but East is hot right now.

North Lincoln @ MARVIN RIDGE -  North has won one game, Marvin Ridge is 5-0 and a 3-A team.  Too much for North Lincoln on the road.

Harding University @ EAST GASTON  - Harding is 0-4 and East is 2-3 with a big win over East Lincoln.  East Gaston to win at home.

Draughn @ BANDYS – Draughn is 0-4, Bandys is 4-1 and smarting over their loss to East Lincoln.  They will not lose two in a row.

Hickory @ HIBRITEN -  Hibriten is 4-0 and hard to beat at home.  Hickory will have to have to have help to win this one.

Bessemer City, Cherryville, Clover, and Lincolnton  are all Open this week.

In researching the medical care available at high and middle schools in our four-county area,  I have talked to Dennis Noble, Athletic Director for Gaston County, and Jim Taylor, Athletic Director for Cleveland County.  I have not yet contacted Lincoln or Catawba counties.  Cleveland County requires that medical personel be at both high and middle schools games.  This is usually rescue squads and EMT’s .  An athletic trainer is at every high school game in Cleveland County, plus rescue squads and EMT’s .  Gaston County does not require medical assistance at middle schools, but most of them are covered by local rescue teams and EMT’s .. Gaston does require medical personel at high school games.  Sports Plus also provides an athletic trainer for every high school.  They also provide a free clinic on Saturday morning to evaluate injuries and recommend treatment.  Also ,many teams have local doctors who volunteer at games,  most of our local high schools have this luxury and we applaud those doctors who volunteer their time.  We will continue this subject in a later article.

“Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise”, I will see you next week in the WHAT’S UP SHOPPER.  Go see a game and support your local students.

- See Ya,  Lewis.

What’s Up with Hollywood Sports

By Kevin Hastings

You can tell we’ve all missed football so much by the amount of attention and scrutiny the “experts” on television and radio give to the smallest of things.  I wrote a couple weeks back about being prisoners of the moment and this week was a perfect example of just that.  If you paid attention this week you’d think that Tony Romo and the Cowboys were the worst QB and team in history; the Saints are going undefeated; the Patriots are plumeting, and even more exaggerations trying to boost ratings.  Just be careful what you hear, watch, & read the first few weeks of the season because in the NFL there’s always one rule that you can follow:  You never know what’s going to happen and it’s impossible to predict these things.  Be patient, it’s a long season and we’re just getting warmed up.  We’ll know a little more after the trading deadline in Week 6. If you’re new to the column each week we countdown to the playoffs by eliminating one team per week from Super Bowl contention, then rank the remaining teams in order of chances to win the Super Bowl.

Last Week: 8-8 / Overall: 18-13

Eliminated:  Rams, Lions, Broncos, & Browns

Key: Team (Record, Playoff Seed)

Fat Lady’s Warming Up Division

28.  Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) - I’m pretty sure that next week we’ll be burying this dead horse.  Too bad we buried the Broncos already, even though they’re the worst 2-0 team in NFL history.

27.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) - The Bucs aren’t that bad.  They’ve just played two teams that were better than they were.

26.  Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) - The Jags are slipping a little but with no fans in the seats and an owner with an eye on Los Angeles, who cares?

25.  Carolina Panthers (0-2) - It’s not looking good in Charlotte and this week they travel to Dallas and Jerry World.  The Panthers can’t start 0-3 or their season is over.  Dallas will be steaming off the loss to New York and can’t wait to get their first victory in the new stadium.  The Panthers have got to take care of the ball or they’ll be in a shootout with Dallas and trust me Panthers fans; you don’t want Delhomme in a shootout.

24.  Miami Dolphins (0-2) - Miami looked decent but the lack of arm strength from QB Chad Pennington really does hurt this team.  I thought  on Monday Night the Fins would have been better letting Pat White run the 2-minute drill.

23.  Tennessee Titans (0-2) - I stated earlier Denver was the worst 2-0 team in NFL history.  Well, the Titans are the best 0-2 team in the league this season.

Fighting For Their Right To Party

22. Oakland Raiders (1-1) - I have no idea how the Raiders pulled off a victory in KC.  The Chiefs are bad but the Raiders aren’t THAT much better than them and pulled off the road victory.  Too bad they can’t play KC every week!

21.  Cincinnatti Bengals (1-1) - Don’t look now but the Bengals are one of the flukiest plays in football history from being 2-0.  Just thought you should know.

20.  Washington Redskins (1-1) - The good news is that the ‘Skins won on Sunday.  The bad? They got booed by their own fans AFTER the win!  That’s pretty remarkable and you have to play pretty bad to get booed after a win.

19.  Buffalo Bills (1-1) - T.O. got his first TD but also dropped another sure TD after a week of bashing QB Trent Edwards.  Some things never change.

18.  Seattle Seahawks (1-1) - I was high on the Seahawks this year with a healthy QB and a new weapon in Houshmanzadeh at WR.  Now Hasselbeck has a broken rid and it’s tough to play QB with a broken rib.

17.  Houston Texans (1-1) - The Texans are looking like the Texans of always.  One game they look like world beaters and the next they look like egg beaters.  If you’re gambling on the NFL this season stay away from this team.  They’re a lot like Gump’s box of chocolates.

16.  Chicago Bears (1-1) - Cutler settled down after last week’s 4 INT performance and loss of Brian Urlacher for the season, and led the Bears to a win over the defending champion Steelers. Amazing what a week will change.

15.  Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) - Speaking of what a week can change, the Eagles went from NFC favorite to maybe 3rd in their division after McNabb hurt his ribs in Week 1 after dominating Carolina.  The Eagles D responded by giving up 48 points to the Saints, good job fellas.

14.  Green Bay Packers (1-1) - I’ll be wondering just what the Pack was doing on Sunday for the rest of the season.  How do you lose to Cincinnatti at Lambeau AND let Chad Ochocinco catch a touchdown pass then do the Lambeau Leap?  We’ll look back at this game later on as a turning point in the Packers season, good or bad.

13. Arizona Cardinals (1-1) - Look for Arizona to have a season a lot like they had last year.  One week they’ll be dominant and the next look lost.  The defending NFC Champs are in a battle in the West with Arizona and San Fran.

IN THE PLAYOFFS

12.  New York Jets (2-0, #4) - The Jets have one of the best defenses in football keeping Tom Brady and the Pats from scoring a touchdown for the first time since 2006.  Before the season started I predicted the Jets would finish 5-11.  Uh…whoops?

11.  San Diego Chargers (1-1, #6) - I hate to say it but the Chargers are thisclose to completely falling apart.  If you watched this game on Sunday then you’d know that the atmosphere in Chargerland is circus like.  Poor L.T. can’t get off the trainers table to even help his team.

10.  New England Patriots (1-1, #5) - The Pats got completely shut down by the Jets  on Sunday, so why do I have them ranked ahead of the Jets?  Well, because New York has a rookie QB and the Pats have Tom Brady.  Remember, the season is 16 games long.

9.   San Francisco 49ers (2-0, #4) - I predicted the 49ers would finish 3rd with a 7-9 record.  Right now they look like the best team in the West.  If things go right the 49ers could steal their division.

8.   Dallas Cowboys (1-1, #6) - If you watched any ESPN or Sports Talk this week you would think the Cowboys lost by 25 points and stunk up the joint.  Fact is the Giants needed 4 turnovers, a half dozen fluke plays, Cowboys flags all over the field, and a last second field goal to beat Dallas.  Dallas dominated that game except on the scoreboard and mental mistakes, but that’s how the Giants win.  I don’t like to throw “Ifs” around but if that ball doesn’t bounce off Witten’s foot, if Felix Jones doesn’t fumble, if Scandrick doesn’t slip on the new turf, if that ball doesn’t get bobbled by Manningham and then fell in his lap, if Romo only throws 2 picks, if Flozell doesn’t trip Tuck, and if the last pass Eli threw gets batted down instead of batted straight to a Giants WR who happens to be at the exact distance the Giants kicker’s limit is, and if one of these happened maybe the Cowboys are 2-0 and we’re talking about the new ‘Boys rushing attack.  Dallas ran for 251 yards compared to the Giants 97.  The Cowboys will be just fine.

7.   Atlanta Falcons (2-0, #5) - When Atlanta added future Hall of Famer TE Tony Gonzalez I told a buddy and Panthers fan, “Well, sucks for you guys. That about wraps up the NFC South.”  The only thing standing in Atlanta’s way is Drew Brees and the Saints.

6.   Minnesota Vikings (2-0, #3) - You won’t hear much from the Vikes until the playoffs because in reality the regular season means nothing to this team.  They’re in Super Bowl or Bust mode and have perhaps the easiest schedule in the league.  As long as Peterson stays healthy this team should cruise to a #1 or #2 seed.

5.   Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) #3) - Now’s the time to steal some victories from Pittsburgh.  If Roethlesberger doesn’t step up the Steelers will miss SS Troy Polamalu and may lose a couple games before he returns from injury.

4.   New Orleans Saints (2-0, #2) - A few weeks ago I had an argument with a buddy who would bet his life that the ‘86 Celtics or ‘88 Lakers would easily beat the ‘96 Bulls in a series.  I said, “Chris, let me ask you one question, who’s checking Jordan?”  He said it didn’t matter because the rest of the Bulls couldn’t check the other guys.  My point was, at the end of the day Michael’s gonna beat whoever’s guarding him and force his will to win the game.  Well, right now Drew Brees is in Michael Jordan mode and it doesn’t matter who the other team is or has on defense because nobody’s checking Brees. For example, he put up 48 points on Philadelphia last week.  If everyone can stay healthy, here’s your NFC South champs, and possibly Super Bowl champs.

3.   Baltimore Ravens (2-0, #2) - Ray Lewis destroyed Darren Sproles to clinch the huge win for the Ravens over the Chargers.  RB’s Ray Rice and Willis McGahee are giving enough of a running threat for QB Joe Flacco to have plenty of time to find his receivers.

2.   Indianapolis Colts (2-0, #1) - The Manning brothers are sitting in the Top 2 spots this week and I don’t think neither will make it to the big game.  But, right now these are the two best bets in football.

1.   New York Giants (2-0, #1)  - I don’t think for one second this team is the best in the league. But they’re 2-0 in the toughest division and have a horseshoe up their rears so big they have to stand up on the team plane. Enjoy your time at #1 for now Giants,  it won’t last long.

This Week’s Predicted Winners:

Packers, 49ers, Patriots, Titans, Eagles, Bucs, Ravens, Texans, Bills, Bears, Chargers, Bengals, Raiders, Cardinals, Cowboys.  Upset of the Week: Lions

What’s Up in NASCAR

By Clint Spencer

Can Mark Martin pick up his first Sprint Cup Championship this season?  That is the question going through the minds of many NASCAR fans.  I know there are still 9 races left in the chase, but he may just amaze us all.  And if he doesn’t do it this year, he has two more years with Hendrick and maybe more to accomplish the feat.

Martin picked up his fifth win of the season Sunday by winning the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  This was Martin’s first win at NHMS and 40th overall.  Last week’s winner Denny Hamlin finished the race in second.  Juan Pablo Montoya finished in third and led the most laps with 105.Finishing in fourth place was Jimmie Johnson and he was followed by Kyle Busch in fifth.  The rest of your top ten were as follows:  Kurt Busch, Newman, Sadler, Biffle, and Bowyer. Martin came in Sunday’s race leading all other drivers in the chase because of his 40 bonus points that he received for winning four races during the regular season.  He is still currently in 1st and leads teammate Jimmie Johnson by 35 points.

SPENCER’S POWER POLL

1.  Mark Martin -  Can he make it two in a row with a win at Dover?  He finished tenth last time the series visited the Monster Mile back in May and finished fourth last year during this race.  I say his chances look pretty good.

2. Jimmie Johnson - Won at Dover back in May and looks to finish the sweep this weekend.  Look for a tight race between the #5 and #48.

3.  Denny Hamlin - The driver of the #11 is listed third in points but he is actually tied with Jimmie Johnson.  Both drivers have 35 points separating them and first place.  Another strong finish at Dover could send Hamlin closer to first.

4.  Juan Pablo Montoya - Came very close to picking up his first win of the season.  If Hamlin would have been in first, he would have found the wall.  It is only because Montoya respects Martin that Montoya was not in victory lane.  Climbs seven spots to fourth.

5.  Kurt Busch - Climbed two spots with his sixth place finish.  This isn’t Kurt’s first rodeo so he knows how to play the game.

6.  Tony Stewart - 14th place is a respectable finish but not when you’re Tony Stewart and you’re in the chase.  Falls four spots.

7.  Ryan Newman - A solid effort out of the #39 team moves them up three positions in the standings.

8.  Brain Vickers - Managed to bring home an 11th place finish which was good enough to keep him in eighth.

9.  Greg Biffle- The driver of the #16 was another big mover in the points this week.  His ninth place finish was good enough to move him up three spots in the chase.

10.  Jeff Gordon - A 15th place finish knocks Gordon back four places in the points.  I believe his back problems will hinder him from winning another championship this year and maybe for the rest of his career.

11.  Carl Edwards - I do not believe this will be the year Carl Edwards wins the Sprint Cup.  A lot can still change but he has not had the same dominating presence that he had last year.

12.  Kasey Kahne - Lost an engine early in the race and finished 38th.  Definitely not the way you want to start the chase.  It is also speculated that the engine department at RPM is upset over the merger between RPM and Yates.  What happened on Sunday could happen again which is unfortunate for Kahne.  On the other hand Elliot Sadler, another RPM driver finished 8th.  Could it be that Kahne has had the better engines all along?  I am not much of a conspiracy theorist but it seems kind of odd that your best driver lost his engine while the worst driver finished 8th.

Prediction for the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway:  These two drivers both look to make history.  One wants to pick up his fourth championship while the other hopes to win his first.  One wants to go back to back at Dover and the other wants back to back wins.  Look for Johnson or Mark Martin in victory lane.  My gut says Johnson but the fan in me picks Martin.  It’s a toss up this week.

What’s Up with a Day Trip

By Michael S. Jones

Taking a weekend trip to Asheville over Labor Day was a great mini vacation for my wife Barbara and me.  The trip involved checking out the historic  views of Asheville.  Having gone to Asheville and surrounding areas many times over the past forty years, for business and pleasure, we decided to make this trip a little different.

Living close to Asheville you sometimes think let’s pack the car with the kids and run up there and  back and cram all the excitement we can in one day.  Actually I learned  this great way of experiencing mini vacations from my father, the truck driver,  who took us to a lot of places but never let us slow down enough to catch our breath.  To his defense he did have four sons two years apart in age.

Fast forward  to 2009 with Barbara and me deciding a trip to Asheville would be a nice change of pace if we let ourselves change the pace.  No looking at our watches and making sure that we had to be at a certain location and certain time.  We would just take a leisurely ride up the mountains and check out the sites.

Our first stop was to be the Biltmore House.  Arriving there around 10:00 am Sunday morning I noticed that  there were significant changes from the last time I had visited the Biltmore House 20 years earlier.  No longer was there the simple guard house where they took your tickets and directed you to the front of the Biltmore House to park.  Now they have a very large welcome center with facilities to watch a small movie about the Biltmore House and explain the history and expansions of the Biltmore Estates.

Now the Biltmore experience is a much more involved tour than the tours I remember from the past.  They have gone to great measures to make your experience  more pleasurable.    You have the opportunity to take a self guided audio tour that is well worth the experience especially if you enjoy learning the historical aspects of the Estate.

They also have very good facilities to dine at the estate, and shops that  enhance your stay whether it is extended or just a brief outing.   The one ticket price includes the very extensive tour of the house, gardens and winery.

Be prepared for a much longer tour than tours in the past, because they have opened  up many  rooms and areas that were not accessible in years past.

The gardens at Biltmore are always awe inspiring. It is amazing to see how the rich lived in the past and we owe a great debt to the Vanderbilt family for making it possible for us to experience it in a small way.  The grandeur of this estate is really a world treasure, not just a national treasure.

What’s Up with The Pet Guardian

The Pet Guardian

Animal Abuse is growing in our country. I am surprised at the percentage right here in N.C.  I shiver at the thought of poor dogs and cats and yes, even farm animals as well as horses being mistreated on a daily basis.  Often the newspaper  reports on such abuse.

A few weeks ago, the news reported on a 10-week old puppy with burns over 90% of its body, a broken jaw, and both ears  burned off. What kind of animal does such a thing to a defenseless innocent baby ? We all know 10-weeks old is still a baby!  Why do they do it?  Because they can!  Dogs and cats are defenseless animals with no way to defend themselves against these mean cruel abusers.  What could a 10-week old puppy do to deserve this treatment?

It saddens me to see all the pit bull fighting in N.C. and right here near my home.  Every day animals are being abused, starved, beaten, tied, shot, and run over. Can you imagine the devastation they feel?  The person they love and trust is abusing them.  No pet should have to be put through that.

I look at my pets and can’t imagine doing such a terrible thing.  I strongly feel if they can hurt an animal, they can hurt a child.

Having worked at GA Animal Shelter for a few years, I can tell you they know when they are being put down, and all the other dogs howl, they all smell the scent of death.

We animal lovers need to step up to the plate, and take action against such predators. Everyone of us can help the animals, by speaking up  to your local animal shelter,  police department  and your Congressman.  We need to pull together for this important cause. We must be a voice for animals in pain with no hope.  These predators are breaking their spirits and commiting a  horrible crime.  They need to be dealt with for their unforgivable actions.

Please readers, do not sit silent any longer, voice your opinion, help stop animal abuse!  Animals have rights too.  The right to respect, love and proper care.

You CAN make a difference in a dog or cats life.  Report abuse!  Observe your surroundings, report unsafe or cruel conditions.  Be a voice for those who can’t speak!  I have taken action and would highly respect you for doing the same thing!

Most times these predators get short discipline time and celebrities can get a slap on the wrist for these horrible acts.  Help make a change in the laws governing animal abuse.  Animal abuse needs to stop now!  Observe, report, take action!

If you are a true animal lover as I am, you can’t imagine doing such a thing to your pet!  It sickens and appalls me to even think about it.  Please speak out against abuse.  Report the abusers, write your Congressman and voice your feelings for a stricter penalty, and extended jail time.  Please HELP THE HELPLESS!

- Your Pet Guardian

I want to go on record and say that I have always been for progress. I enjoy the remote control to change channels for a television set and the speed of a microwave oven to bake a potato or make popcorn. I bought two cordless phones for my home so I could answer a call from different places in the house and I would not have to stand in the same place to talk to someone. An added blessing with a cordless phone is if you misplace it, you can touch a button on the base of the phone so the phone will make a beeping noise to tell you where it is hiding.

However, there are some modern conveniences that I have never bought. Take for instance the “Clapper.” This miracle of modern science enables you to control electricity by simply clapping your hands to turn lights, radio, television, etc… on or off at a whim. At first, I thought this would be a good item to have, but the more I thought about it, I changed my mind. Let’s say you’re lying in bed and hear a strange sound in your house. You decide to “Clap On” the lights to take a look. When the lights come on, you hear the sound of the robber “Clapping” to turn the lights off! The advantage in this scenario definitely belongs to the robber. Yes, this item is just too risky for me.

One modern convenience that I have recently succumbed to is “dial waiting” on my phone at home. I have never liked talking to someone on the phone only to hear a “beep” and then hearing the person say, “Please excuse me for a minute, I have another call coming in!” Then they put you on “hold” in the shadowy abyss of dead silence. While you’re waiting you begin to wonder about the other caller who interrupted you. Was it someone with an important message? Was it an emergency? How long do you wait on “hold” before you hang up? These are some of the thoughts that enter my mind while I wait on “hold.” I did not want this option on my home phone because I wanted the person to whom I was talking to know they were important to me. However, with three kids living at home, and all wanting to use the phone, I was afraid I would be needed by a Church member.

With this in mind I conceded to the “Call Waiting” on my phone. It was all working fairly well until I called home from work and one of my daughters answered the phone. I can hardly tell them apart when I see them, but I absolutely cannot tell them apart over the phone. We spoke for a few seconds and she said, “Sorry, Daddy, I have to put you on hold, I have another call coming in.” I quickly said, “You better not put me on hold, I pay the phone bill and I want to talk to your…” Click and then silence. I realized that I was not being heard. My precious daughter had put me on hold before I could speak to my wife. I didn’t know whether to laugh or get mad. What upset me was my daughter thought there might be somebody more important to talk to than the man who pays the phone bill. She was telling me in her own sweet way, “Daddy, I might have a bigger fish on the other line, so sit tight till I find out!” As I was holding the phone receiver a strange thought about prayer came to mind. I wondered how many people talk to God only to allow an interruption to abruptly end the conversion. If I don’t like being put on hold by one of my daughters, how does God like it when we stop our prayers to do something else? Psalm 147:11 says, “The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness.” I don’t want “Call Waiting” when it comes to my prayer life. I want to be able to give God my undivided thoughts and attention. How about you? Is your prayer life a separated time for just you and the Lord, or is it a time of interruptions? Find the right time and place to spend with God, and make sure that nothing comes between you and Him. Remember, don’t give in to sin. Think about it!

Let’s Talk Bible - Since 1975

By Evangelist  W.C. “Dub” Dellinger

Why write on repentance? Well, here in the good ole’ American style, some have just about put true individual repentance in a box and shipped it out.  This is what the Father of all goodness hates.  Box it up and send it out.  No Godly sorrow.  The Bible does say Godly sorrow means to repent.  Never does it say “forgive me of my many sins”.  Back in the book of Ezekiel, it talks about many sins, but it says if the wicked will turn from all their sins that they’ve committed, and follow all the Lord’s statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live and he shall not die (go to Hell).  All his transgressions that he has committed shall not be mentioned to Him in His righteousness.  I hear so many praying on radio and in churches saying “Lord, forgive me of my many sins.”  When I hear this said, I ask them to tell me one sin they have committed.  They could not.  The Bible is against sinning.  Never just say a prayer.  Pray the prayer that Jesus taught the disciples to pray.  Don’t just say the prayer; pray it.  I hear some say they don’t believe He hears their prayers.  If you are a sinner, He will only listen when you ask for forgiveness.  Mark 1-15 says “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel.”  There is a saying I heard as a small boy growing up in the south that I would like to share.  It goes,” You can depend on God.  The question is, can He depend on you?”.  Living a Christian life is not easy until you have submitted your whole soul, mind and body to Him.  That means you are dead to the world’s offerings, sayings and doings.  That means a good spirit is in control, not just the body.  Happiness then is true in your life because you have some of your Savior’s spirit in you that adds up to everlasting life, where there is always peace and contentment.  I have heard someone say that the Lord made them do something.  I can tell you of assurance; the Lord will never cause you to do wrong. Under NO circumstances will He do that.  It is true that you can feel that you have been done wrong or are over powered in something, but you can be assured that the Lord does not and never will work against you; no Christian or even a sinner.  You study the life of Jesus.  While He was here, He always worked for the best.  And in all Christians, He expects the same.

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