Sunday, April 29, 2007

My Pride, My Heart and My Life

My sons are my pride.



Wesley is the oldest at 22. He is a Marine serving our country, as a field radio operator, in Iraq. He left in January and will be home for r&r in August. We talk to him every now and then and we can email him. We miss him a great deal but we know he is part of a very noble task. His wife Ashley is waiting anxiously for his return in North Carolina.


Michael is the next oldest at 18. He has completed basic training in the Army and has started his MOS school. He is going to be a meteorologist for the Army. He is now stationed in Oklahoma so he's not to far away and we talk regularly.


Jason is next in line at 15 years old. He is finishing his freshman year in high school and is on the drill team of the JROTC. He is enjoying this very much and is looking forward to serving our country as a Marine.


The youngest of the boys, at 4 years old, is Cody. He has ambitions of driving his mom crazy and being the White Ranger (because his sword shoots arrows).


My girls are my heart.






At age 20, Lindsay is the oldest of the girls. She is in college taking the basics while deciding which way life will take her. She is working full time at a law firm as a receptionist and assistant.




Sarah is 11 yrs old and is currently home schooled. She enjoys seeing her friends at church and having her cousins spend the night. She is a great help to mom.




Amy is the last of the Topping tribe. At two years old she has single handedly removed any desire to have anymore kids.


My wife is my life.


Rhonda changed my life 23 years ago when she became my wife. We've been through many of life battles together and with God's help we've came through stronger and better than we could have ever imagined.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Shouldn't we try to win the war we're in? I'm pretty sure we're there for some very good reasons. Why would we get started in this if we didn't think we could win? The answers are yes we should finish, and win, this war we're in, yes we are there for some very good reasons and no one would go into a war that they didn't think they could win.

If we listen to the mainstream media you will hear lots of stuff about why we went to war with Iraq and who is winning and why we should quit and come home. Most of the negative comments and rhetoric (not all, but most) is from the Liberals who are afraid we'll hurt someones feelings if we win.

The thing each person should do is look at the news from all sides. Right, left, Fox, CNN and any other views you can find and decide for yourself what YOU think. That's what I have done. I'm not beyond changing my mind about one thing or another but it will be because I decided to, based upon what I think.

As for me I believe we're doing a good thing in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are taking the war to the terrorist instead of waiting for them to bring it to us. We have saved thousands of lives by taking down the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Yes, there are more rouge nations out there that need our attention like Iran, Syria and North Korea and of course we should try diplomacy first. Perhaps we should be in Sudan or some other Third world country where people are being slaughter by their leaders.

I wonder if our military can handle anymore right now. They're spread pretty thin. That could be fixed by the draft. I know no one wants that but a program such as that in Israel could be very helpful.

Friday, April 27, 2007

A Ranger Speaks Out

Listen to this video. It's an Army Ranger who seems to know what he's talking about.


A Ranger Pours his soul out about the situation in Iraq...

SaveTheSoldiers.com     

Friday, April 13, 2007

No Man Needed???

The feminists dreams are about to be realized. Professor Karim Nayernia of the University of Newcastle has said it is theoretically possible to create a sperm cell from the bone marrow of a women. Of course they could only reproduce females. Read this: The Prospect of All-Female Conception
The thing that caught my attention is that the Professor said he didn't think there was any ethical problems as long as it was safe.
I'm thinking there is the same ethical problem that there is with human cloning.
I guess we're getting closer to not needing God or His creation. I don't really believe this could ever not need God, but it sure feels like the people building the Tower of Babel.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Words Worth Repeating



"To reflect on history
is not to dwell on hard feelings,
but to remember and learn from the past
in order to open a better future,"

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Flight

I like to fly. I've only flown a few times and I've enjoyed all of them. Especially since I have been fortunate enough to be able to take my whole family.
I love the way people look at us when we come up to the gate with a stroller packed with carry-ons, a two year old in the seat and a three year old in tow. You can see it in their eyes. They're thinking 'Oh my lord, please don't let them have a seat by mine'. They look up and then down, like if they don't see us we won't get on the plane. It's really very funny :).
Even though the kids aren't always quite, they have always been better than we gave them credit for. I know this because we were sitting across from a two year old, on the way to California, who was too tired to go to sleep or couldn't because of the pressure on her ears. We helped mom with books and colors to try to calm the little girl since we knew all too well it could have been ours. She finally went to sleep and her mom got some rest too.
I don't know who I felt sorry for the most, the little girl who couldn't get comfortable or the mom who was feeling the burning thoughts of many of the passengers.

Monday, April 2, 2007

Grace

GRACE
Recieving what you don't deserve.
MERCY
NOT recieving what you do deserve.


I heard a story about grace last weekend and the reality of it really came clear. I'll try to tell it:

It starts with a man in prison. There is no explaination why he's there, his guilt doesn't seem to be doubted by anyone but he has been there for 14 years and he has constantly been appealing to the governor for release.
Finally the wardon comes to see him and gives him the news he's waited on for years, he has been granted a full pardon. The wardon, expecting a joyful or at least a somewhat happy response, was surprised by the indifferent attitude of the inmate. The wardon explains that they had called his sister to pick him up. When he left he had the cell unlocked and the door opened, though the inmate made no move for the door.

A little later the custodian came through to clean the cell and was surprised to find the inmate still in the cell.
"Why are you still here?"
"I'm a prisoner, I belong here."
"But you've been set free you don't have to be here."
"Yes, I know. I have the paper right here. I just don't know if I can believe it."
The inmate returned to the bunk that had been the center of his world for so many years.

When his sister shows up she greets him with some question about why he's still in his cell. He explains he doesn't understand why he has been pardoned now after so many years of trying to get through to the parole board and he's not real sure it isn't some big joke. He confides that he really doesn't know how handle his new found freedom so he opts for the comfort of familiarity. Even though it is a prison cell.
She tells him that she doesn't know why or how, only that he is free. She suggests they just take a walk and he leaves the cell with her hand in his arm.

I'm sure I didn't do the story justice but seeing it brought tears to my eyes.
I wonder how many people don't accept Gods grace just because they don't understand it. Maybe they just can't they can't believe it could be for them. Since it can't be earned or bought it couldn't possibly be meant for them.

Well my friends (and readers of long boring blogs), it IS for you. Gods grace has set you free from the prison of sin if you only accept it. His grace shown to you through his son Jesus dieing on the cross, some 2000 years ago, and rising again three days later. He beared it all. All our sins, all our short comings, all our faults.
That's what Easter is all about. New life through Gods grace through Jesus Christ.



P.S.- I really didn't intend for this to become a sermon, but there it is.