Book of Blog

It’s one of the most horrific crimes imaginable, and it’s growing worldwide. An estimated 300 to 500 children are for sale in Seattle and other Washington cities.

Thanks to the explosion of child pornography, the demand for sex with minors and sexual materials featuring children is skyrocketing. The demand far outweighs the supply.

As a result, children and young teens are being kidnapped and forced to perform for money under threat of death.

As unbelievable as this may sound, this is happening in virtually every country and every state in the union, including at least five cities in Washington.

Buyers will pay hundreds–sometimes thousands–of dollars for a young child or teen. The market is unimaginably lucrative. To criminals, children and teens are expensive products that can be sold repeatedly, yet cost little or nothing to acquire and maintain. That’s the formula for modern day sex slavery.

ANOTHER KIND OF SEX PREDATOR

The youngest children are simply being kidnapped and moved from one part of the country to another. The older ones, generally age 12 to 17, are befriended by a good-looking young man or woman, who acts friendly and gives them expensive gifts.

After a reasonable period, the “friend” suggests a sleepover or weekend trip. The girl is then taken to secret location where the actual pimp takes possession of her. She is then drugged, raped and child sex trafficking.jpgbeaten regularly and forced into prostitution. She is threatened with death if she tries to escape. She is then moved from city to city and sold to an endless stream of strangers.

In an attempt to stem the tide of child sex trafficking in Washington, I have introduced a bill to help rescue these exploited children and severely punish those who take their innocence.

Senate Bill 6476 would dramatically increase penalties for recruiting, selling, transporting or purchasing underage children for sexual purposes.

SEVERE PENALTIES FOR SEX TRAFFICKING

The bill would raise the penalties for commercial sex abuse of a minor (“pimping”) to a Class A felony, carrying a 7- to 26-year prison sentence and a maximum $5,000 fine. Currently it’s a Class B felony, which carries a minimum sentence of just 1.75 years. The bill would elevate commercial sex abuse of a minor (buying) from a Class C felony with a $550 fine to a Class B felony, with a 1.75- to 12-year sentence and an additional $5,000 fine.

In the case of adult prostitution, law enforcement officers are trained to arrest and charge the prostitute, while only marginally addressing the seller and buyer. In the case of minors, or those who were kidnapped or coerced into prostitution as minors, police are dealing with victims.

As children and teens, they had no choice. These kids have been so abused they don’t know who to trust. They have no safe place to go. To treat them as criminals simply adds another bad dream to an already nightmarish existence.

CHILD VICTIMS NEED SAFETY

My bill would provide these exploited children with a safe haven, where they can be helped out of bondage and into a new life. It would also help focus law enforcement attention where it should be: on the recruiters, buyers and sellers.

The bill was heard by the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee and will likely move on to the full Senate for a vote. I’ll keep you posted on what happens.

Sincerely,

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it’s enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.

For a musician, it’s the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I’m told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing.

It was a fun, low-pressure gig – I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the ’40s to the ’90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic, “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. “I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?” she asked.

“No,” I replied. “We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?”

To my delight, she accepted my invitation. “You choose,” I said. “What are you in the mood to sing?”

“Well, do you know any hymns?”

Hymns? This woman didn’t know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look, “Name one.”

“Oh, I don’t know. There are so many good ones. You pick one.”

“Okay,” I replied. “How about ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow’?”

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, “Yeah. Let’s do that one.”

She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing.

“Why should I be discouraged?
“Why should the shadows come?”

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

“I sing because I’m happy;
“I sing because I’m free.
“For His eye is on the sparrow
“And I know He watches me.”

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, “Oh, y’all go back to your coffee! I didn’t come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin’ to drink, just like you!”

But the ovation continued and I embraced my new friend. “You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!”

“Well, it’s funny that you picked that particular hymn,” she said.

“Why is that?”

“Well,” she hesitated again, “that was my daughter’s favorite song.”

“Really!” I exclaimed.

“Yes,” she said, grabbing my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual. “She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week.”

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence: “Are you going to be okay?”

She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. “I’m gonna be okay. I’ve just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything’s gonna be just fine.” She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Was it coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Was it coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it’s no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything’s gonna be okay.

The next time you feel like GOD can’t use YOU, just remember:
* Noah was a drunk
* Abraham was too old
* Isaac was a daydreamer
* Jacob was a liar
* Leah was ugly
* Joseph was abused
* Moses had a stuttering problem
* Gideon was afraid
* Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
* Rahab was a prostitute
* Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
* David had an affair and was a murderer
* Elijah was suicidal
* Isaiah preached naked
* Jonah ran from God
* Naomi was a widow
* Job went bankrupt
* John the Baptist ate bugs
* Peter denied Christ
* The Disciples fell asleep while praying
* Martha worried about everything
* The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
* Zaccheus was too small
* Paul was too religious
* Timothy had an ulcer…AND
* Lazarus was dead!

God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren’t the message, you are just the messenger. God bless.

[A friend sent this to me via email this morning. Every week our newsletter mentions our need to trust God and that His eye is on the sparrow. So we thought this appropriate to reproduce it here (and we don't think it is copyright).]

Recently, I was in a disagreement with several youth leaders who were promoting the DVD “Jesus, Save Us From Your Followers.” The premise of the DVD was Christians owed the homosexual community an apology for centuries of bigotry and judgment. The creators of the “documentary” established confession booths at homosexual events – not for the homosexual to enter and confess their sin, but for the Christian promoters to confess their sin of bigotry and hate to the homosexual who would enter.

A quick definition of hate: standing up for the truth of God’s word is “hate.”

I argued with these pastors and leaders from the Scripture. They, in turned, argued back that I was narrow-minded and old-school and that I could never understand their ways. To them, it did not matter the multiple Scriptures condemning the practice and the participants; it did not matter to them Jesus’ example of praising the prophets for their hateful ways (modern definition) rather than condemning them as narrow-minded; nor did it matter to them these homosexuals were on the road to hell and their method would do nothing to turn them back. And, in the end, I refused to “agree to disagree.”

It is hard for the church – and especially youth pastors – to stand up for the truth because they are more interested in what the church looks like than what the message of the Gospel is. This is ironic, because these are the same people who are supposed to address the problem of peer pressure to our youth, yet they cannot handle the problem themselves.

Molotov Mitchell has a short video out that addresses this issue: What should be the Christian response to the homosexual? [scroll down to "My Gay Friends" - depending on when you read this, it might be a ways down the list.]

[movie deleted because of script conflict]

This is where the pavement hits the road as the young police officer fights for his life in a winner take all battle.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We wish for you, in 2010, the greatest prosperity and blessings.

A WORD ABOUT YOUR PROSPERITY:

Over two thousand years ago, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to be born like one of us – to die for all of us. He paid the price for our sin. Our sin is in our nature and our nature is to reject God and His authority; and we cannot pay for that, not even with our own blood. But God, Himself, came to earth, became one of us. He willingly left His splendor in Heaven and suffered death at the hands of men – the hands of men He created, in order to bring us back to God. That is why Jesus said, He came to give us life more abundantly (John 10:10).

This is why birthday parties for Jesus really miss the point: Christmas is not a celebration of Jesus’ birthday. We are not celebrating another year older, nor are we celebrating the date of His birth. We are celebrating God’s greatest gift to man, the gift of Himself and His willing sacrifice – we are celebrating Christ’s triumph over sin and death, so we can live with Him forever; and He gives us freedom on earth, no matter our lot in life.

In the days of old, and Bible times included, it was common to celebrate with song, festivities and the giving of gifts whenever a people received a great victory, military or otherwise. So, too, in our giving of gifts to family and friends, we are celebrating the salvation and redemption God has given freely to man. This is why we give – not to fulfill some materialistic lust, though it appears we have devolved into this as a society. When we give our gifts, let us remember the reason for the giving – Jesus has conquered death, and that is our greatest victory.

The best way to celebrate Christmas is to receive the gift God has given to men (read John chapter one). This gift was God who became man, who died for our sin in our place. Everyone who repents of their sin and receives this gift will have everlasting life. This is true prosperity and the greatest prosperity, indeed.

ANOTHER WORD ABOUT GIFT GIVING:

Solomon and the queen of Sheba demonstrated the best template for gift exchanging: when visiting bring a gift from your wealth – gold, silver, costly spices, jewels and such. Your host, in turn displays his wealth and you choose what you will. It was noted in the account the queen of Sheba left with more than she brought. Visiting trumps hosting.

PLEASE ENJOY THIS VIDEO AND SONG:

MERRY CHRISTMAS – from Dean and Robin and Unique Motif !

We wish you and your family a very merry Christmas celebration and a Happy New Year. We wish for you, in 2010, the greatest prosperity and blessings.

PROSPERITY does not consist in the quantity or substance of the things we possess, or how much money we have in the bank.

Over two thousand years ago, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to be born like one of us – to die for all of us. He paid the price for our sin. Our sin is in our nature and our nature is to reject God and His authority; and we cannot pay for that, not even with our own blood. But God, Himself, came to earth, became one of us. He willingly left His splendor in Heaven and suffered death at the hands of men – the hands of men He created, in order to bring us back to God. That is why Jesus said, He came to give us life more abundantly (John 10:10).

This is why birthday parties for Jesus really miss the point: Christmas is not a celebration of Jesus’ birthday. We are not celebrating another year older, nor are we celebrating the date of His birth. We are celebrating God’s greatest gift to man, the gift of Himself and His willing sacrifice – we are celebrating Christ’s triumph over sin and death, so we can live with Him forever; and He gives us freedom on earth, no matter our lot in life.

In the days of old, and Bible times included, it was common to celebrate with song, festivities and the giving of gifts whenever a people received a great victory, military or otherwise. So, too, in our giving of gifts to family and friends, we are celebrating the salvation and redemption God has given freely to man. This is why we give – not to fulfill some materialistic lust, though it appears we have devolved into this as a society. When we give our gifts, let us remember the reason for the giving – Jesus has conquered death, and that is our greatest victory.

The best way to celebrate Christmas is to receive the gift God has given to men (read John chapter one). This gift was God who became man, who died for our sin in our place. Everyone who repents of their sin and receives this gift will have everlasting life. This is true prosperity and the greatest prosperity, indeed.

Merry Christmas!
/s/ Dean and Robin

America will remain free if we are willing to fight tyranny from without and within. This is a video produced for Matt Shea, who is running for Congress in Washington State to fight for liberty against federal tyranny.

Within the next 12 months, the United States Treasury must refinance $2 trillion in short-term debt, yet massive deficit spending continues.

AT WHAT POINT DO WE GO BANKRUPT?

Frankly, I’m worried for our nation and for the state of Washington.

Within the next 12 months, the United States Treasury must refinance $2 trillion in short-term debt, along with additional deficit spending, estimated at $1.5 trillion.

This is simple economics: The Treasury can’t borrow $3.5 trillion in only one year. That’s nearly 30 percent of our entire Gross Domestic Product! Where will the money come from?

Typically, to minimize its interest burden, the Treasury borrows for short durations and then “rolls over” the loans when they come due. In theory, as long as they can extend the debt, there’s no problem. And that has led to ever greater amounts of debt for ever shorter durations at ever lower interest rates.

PAYDAY IS SOMEDAY

Sooner or later, creditors start asking themselves: What are the chances I will ever actually be repaid? And that’s when the trouble starts. Interest rates soar. Funding costs skyrocket. And bankruptcy is certain.

In fact, economists Alan Greenspan and Pablo Guidotti created a formula to accurately predict when a country will go bankrupt, or “default.” The Greenspan-Guidotti Rule is simple: If a country does not have enough in reserves (savings) to cover all of its foreign short-term debts when they become due, it will default.

When this happens, we become a terrible credit risk, and speculators target our bonds and currency, making it impossible to refinance the debt. Then default is certain. Using this scale, the U.S. has reached guaranteed default.

BIG DEBT, LITTLE SAVINGS

The U.S. holds 8,133.5 metric tons of gold worth about $300 billion, 725 million barrels of oil reserves worth roughly $58 billion, and $136 billion in foreign currency reserves. Altogether that’s about $500 billion of reserves.

Foreigners own 44 percent of our debts, which means we will owe them at least $880 billion in the next 12 months – an amount far larger than our reserves. With $1.5 trillion more of deficit spending slated for this year, our total funding requirements will top $3.5 trillion.

As the United States continues to move closer to defaulting, creditors hesitate to buy our bonds knowing the value of the payback is uncertain. If the U.S. defaults, our state’s ability to borrow and our businesses’ ability to borrow and grow local economies will also be at risk.

We will only become solvent again when the government stops spending – both at the state and federal level.

Sincerely,

[Ed note: We have not had much opportunity to repair this site the last two months, but we will be back at it soon. Meanwhile, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas! This is an article submitted to a 1999 Louisville Sentinel contest to find out who had the wildest Christmas dinners. It won first prize.]

As a joke, my brother Jay used to hang a pair of panty hose over his fireplace before Christmas. He said all he wanted was for Santa to fill them.

What they say about Santa checking the list twice must be true because every Christmas morning, although Jay’s kids’ stockings overflowed, his poor pantyhose hung sadly empty.

One year I decided to make his dream come true. I put on sunglasses and went in search of an inflatable love doll. They don’t sell those things at Wal-Mart. I had to go to an adult bookstore downtown.

If you’ve never been in an X-rated store, don’t go, you’ll only confuse yourself. I was there an hour saying things like, ‘What does this do?’ ‘You’re kidding me!’ ‘Who would buy that?’ Finally, I made it to the inflatable doll section.

I wanted to buy a standard, uncomplicated doll that could also substitute as a passenger in my truck so I could use the car pool lane during rush hour.

Finding what I wanted was difficult. ‘Love Dolls’ come in many different models. The top of the line, according to the side of the box, could do things I’d only seen in a book on animal husbandry. I settled for ‘Lovable Louise.’ She was at the bottom of the price scale.

To call Louise a ‘doll’ took a huge leap of imagination.

On Christmas Eve and with the help of an old bicycle pump, Louise came to life.

My sister-in-law was in on the plan and let me in during the wee morning hours. Long after Santa had come and gone, I filled the dangling pantyhose with Louise’s pliant legs and bottom. I also ate some cookies and drank what remained of a glass of milk on a nearby tray. I went home, and giggled for a couple of hours.

The next morning my brother called to say that Santa had been to his house and left a present that had made him VERY happy, but had left the dog confused. She would bark, start to walk away, then come back and bark some more.

We all agreed that Louise should remain in her pantyhose so the rest of the family could admire her when they came over for the traditional Christmas dinner.

My grandmother noticed Louise the moment she walked in the door. ‘What the hell is that?’ she asked.

My brother quickly explained, ‘It’s a doll.’

‘Who would play with something like that?’ Granny snapped.

I kept my mouth shut.

‘Where are her clothes?’ Granny continued.

‘Boy, that turkey sure smells nice, Gran,’ Jay said, to steer her into the dining room.

But Granny was relentless. ‘Why doesn’t she have any teeth?’

Again, I could have answered, but why would I? It was Christmas and no one wanted to ride in the back of the ambulance saying, ‘Hang on Granny, hang on!’

My grandfather, a delightful old man with poor eyesight, sidled up to me and said, ‘Hey, who’s the naked gal by the fireplace?’ I told him she was Jay’s friend.

A few minutes later I noticed Grandpa by the mantel, talking to Louise. Not just talking, but actually flirting. It was then that we realized this might be Grandpa’s last Christmas at home.

The dinner went well. We made the usual small talk about who had died, who was dying, and who should be killed, when suddenly Louise made a noise like my father in the bathroom in the morning. Then she lurched from the mantel, flew around the room twice, and fell in a heap in front of the sofa. The cat screamed. I passed cranberry sauce through my nose, and Grandpa ran across the room, fell to his knees, and began administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

My brother fell back over his chair and wet his pants.

Granny threw down her napkin, stomped out of the room, and sat in the car.

It was indeed a Christmas to treasure and remember.
Later in my brother’s garage, we conducted a thorough examination to decide the cause of Louise’s collapse. We discovered that Louise had suffered from a hot ember to the back of her right thigh.

Fortunately, thanks to a wonder drug called duct tape, we restored her to perfect health..

I can’t wait until next Christmas.