Welding Class

So, I'm going to be taking a welding class this spring from Katy ISD's evening continuing education class. I'm taking it with my good friend Tom. It's six three hour classes held on Wednesdays. It doesn't start until late March, but I can't help but lookup the gear I'll need for the class.

The teacher says I have to have a welding helmet, welding gloves, safety glasses, long sleeve cotton/denim shirt, full length cotton/denim pants and enclosed denim/leather shoes. I got the pants and shoes covered.  Here's what I'm looking at for the rest of the personal protection equipment.

I think I'd like a light weight welding jacket that I can also use for wood turning. I found this one on Amazon. It's not too expensive and it looks kind of "snazzy".

Welding Jacket

For the gloves I found these. They are some of the thinner gloves that I found. I'm ordering them plenty early, so if I don't like them I can return them.

Welding Gloves

This is the helmet I'm looking at. It’s an “Amazon’s Choice” with 4.5 stars, 820 reviews and 90 answered questions. I haven’t ordered one yet, I’ll probably get one early next month. One of the reviewers said you can purchase magnifying lenses for the helmet. He said he bought some 2x and it really helped his “50 year old eyes”. I have 50+ year old eyes!

Welding Helmet

Jacket link: http://amzn.to/2C8XJcT

Glove link: http://amzn.to/2BQeM7Z

Helmet link: http:// amzn.to/2nQM5yY

RANT.

I'm tired of the dung heap belief that “caring for the poor” is giving other people’s money to the poor. That's crap and that's what politicians do. Dear Joe B. politician, if you truly “care for the poor”, take your hand out of my wallet and stick it where the “sun don't shine”, your own dang wallet. Taxes are taken from individuals through the threat of force. Stop forcing people to give to your favorite cause. How about giving away some of your own money!

What's crazy, I mean really crazy, to the point of being crazy stupid, is thinking that Mr. Joe B. politician is compassionate. Come on, it's real easy to give away someone else's money. How compassionate is that?

How do you care for the poor? By caring for your neighbor! If you let your neighbor’s house get repossessed and you didn’t help, shame on you. If your neighbor is going bankrupt from medical bills and you didn’t help, shame on you. If your neighbor can’t put food on their table and you didn’t help, shame on you. If you don’t know your neighbor . . . well, you know the rest.

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:2-4 NIV

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Matthew 19:21

They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Acts 2:45

Notice how Jesus taught, "when you give", "sell your possessions".  It's about YOU doing.  Come on, let's stop looking to big brother government to do what we should be doing.

It raining, it pouring . . .

We've has some ferocious rain this morning. Flooded streets are everywhere. I can't leave work. The home street is flooded, and my home has a leak in the roof! Yuck.

Conspiracy

"Don't call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don't live in dread of what frightens them."
Isaiah 8:12

I love this verse for several reasons.

First, it reminds me that "conspiracy" has been used for thousands of years, probably for all time, to frighten us

Second, it reminds me that everything is NOT a conspiracy.

Third, it reminds me to live differently, not "like they do".

Verse 13 tells us how to live.

"Make the Lord of Heaven's Armies holy in your life.
He is the one you should fear.
He is the one who should make you tremble."


Thanks brother Peter for sharing this verse with me.

Love and Justice

So far, I've only seen reports, in the news media, about Americans rejoicing over the death of Osama Bin Laden. I find those reports troubling. I understand the desire for justice. I understand rejoicing at justice, but justice is not God's greatest and highest cause, redemption is the greater cause. Like my wife said, and many others of my church family have echoed. We rejoice over God's redemption. We morn death.

“But love your enemies, do good to them . . .” Jesus (Luke 6:35)

I don't think you can rejoice at the death of someone you have been called to love.

Really?

Sweet

Sweet, lovely, new snack, at least for me.  Ya gotta have the red pepper.