For Now, This Is All I Can do.....

In September 1939, Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Polish men, women, and children were rounded up and placed in ghettos and concentration camps. Thousands were forced into slave labor producing war materials to help to Nazis win World War2.

Later in the war, American bombers began pounding German oil fields, factories, and cities. The Nazis responded by firing anti-aircraft shells at high altitudes at the bombers. The shells would explode at the determined altitude and the schrapnel, called flak, would rip planes and airmen to schreds.

Aircrews started noticing that a more than normal of these shells did not explode. They would slam into the aircraft and then.........nothing. One day a shell burst through the fuselage of an American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress carrying a crew of about a  dozen young American boys.

The shell did not explode. the young crew brought the unexploded ordinance back to it's base in England, where it was carefully examined and taken apart.

Inside the hollow area where the gunpowder that caused the shell to explode was supposed to be, was actually a  small note instead. The note was written by a Polish man or woman working under slave labor in a Nazi factory producing these anti-aircraft shells.

The note read, "For now this is all I can do"......

The person who wrote that note could not fly a bomber or a fighter plane, they could not shoulder a rifle, or lead an army to liberate Europe and save democracy, but what they could do was save the lives of young Americans trying to make it back home by making a faulty bomb.

Most of us can not be a Billy Graham, a Martin Luther King, or a Churchill, but we can all do something. and that's the way I see it.....

1 Old Man, 70 Years, and ONLY 3 PREACHERS!!!

My Daddy, my Old Man died on Friday, May 3, 2002. 5 days earlier on Sunday, April 28, 2002, we celebrated Homer Bruce Dupree's 70th birthday. On Saturday, May 4, 2002 the qoute of the day in the Opelika-Auburn News was, "When an old man dies a library burns down."

And boy did a library burn...... stories, generations, links to my family heritage all burned down. Except for a few stories I still remember... much like early Spanish explorers destroying ancient Mayan and Aztec records and ruins and nothing but a few stories left.... dog gone shame.

If my Daddy told you something you could take it to the bank. If he told me someone was a good man..... he was a good man. If Homer told me a fella was bad....he was a bad fella....No if's and's nor but's about it.

In my Daddy's(1 old man's life) 70 years of life, he only cared or liked 3 preachers. Daddy was never a church going man. Bad experiences with preachers left a bad scar on him.... except for 3 preachers.

Many a Sunday come and gone with Mama and me begging Daddy to go to church.... many a Sunday asking in vain... with no success at all.... except for 3 servants of the Lord would he want to listen too.

Preacher Number 1) Billy Graham. Daddy would sit many times listening to Rev. Graham's Crusades night after night. "Billy Graham is the only good, honest preacher there is.", he would say.

Preacher Number 2) Rudet Adkinson. Bro. Rudet and Homer Dupree somehow connected. I believe it was by Bro. Rudet's farming/poor stories... simplistic sermons that my Daddy could always relate too and understand. Daddy would always say, "Now I like Bro. Rudet, even though he is a preacher."

Preacer Number 3) Scott Smith. Scott was a good man who left a good job making plenty of money for the ministry and I'm thankful he did. Other than my parents, Scott had a profound positive influence/impact upon my life....even to this day. Daddy told me, "I like Scott.... he is a good man and has been good to you." Because Scott was good to Daddy's son, Daddy liked Pastor Scott Smith.

Preachers are to be trusted only when they earned their trust as anyone else, not because they have a title of a "preacher/pastor"... thats the way Daddy saw it and thats the way I see it too......

What America Means To Me

July 4th 1776, is the birthday of the United States of America. It is the birthday of liberty, freedom, and democracy as you and I know it. The Declaration of Independence was signed by men who placed their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor upon the alter of sacrifice, rather than to submit to tyranny.

Fortunately, for us and the world, the war for America's independence was bestowed a victory by a merciful Creator. Think about it.... our founding fathers, mothers, and their children thumbed their noses to the mightiest military and navy the world had ever known.... with determination, an iron will, and God's blessing did the birth of a new nation, concieved in liberty was born.

What does America mean to me?.... It means that I have the ability to chose our leaders and voice my opinions without fear of being jailed. It means that my family and I can enjoy a Sunday afternoon ice cream without fear of road side bombs. It means I can own a firearm. It means I can choose where I work, who I will marry. It means I can be a Christian, a Buddist, a Protestant, or a Catholic, or an athiest without fear of being imprisoned by a Gestapo type police force.

It means I can vote, I can petition my govt., I have freedom of and from a particular religion, I can read a privately-owned newspaper, I can assemble with others to protest my govt. without a fear of a Tiananmen Square type govt. crack down. It means that I have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

In the words of the Declaration of Indepence,---"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness," .... it also means that I have the right as an American to resist domestic tyranny when the Constitution is being perverted and spat upon.

Happy Birthday, America!!!!

Just Be Yourself... It's OK

Rhiannon read me a story about a married couple who have been married for 35 years. The wife just found out her husband has been gay the whole length of their marriage. Horrible... horrible the fact that her husband lied to himself, his wife, and his family. Now everyone is devastated.

I remember my Daddy used to always say that you never can tell about people. They will do one thing in public and another behind closed doors. Over the years I have witnessed first hand what my old man was talking about. I used to be surprised and shocked about "Honorable" and "Saintly" people's shortcoming, but now I just shake my head and keep moving.

Of course people love to point fingers at Catholic priests for thier sins. But us Protestants have a few bad examples to: Jimmy Swaggart, Ray Boltz, Ted Haggard, Marvin Gorman, Jim Bakker. When Jimmy Swaggart got caught not once, but TWICE.... my Daddy did not go to church for years. We hold politicians and preachers up on a pedestal, forgetting that they are human as well and seem to be surprised when they are caught at the local motel. We hold them to a higher standard because they hold themselves to a higher standard. WHEN THESE PEOPLE ARE EXPOSED THEY HURT ALOT OF PEOPLE!!!


I am not perfect and I will never claim to be. But what you see on Saturday is what you see on Sunday. If I want a beer, I'll go to the local store to get one and not to the nearest county so no one will see me. If Rhi and I are out at a reastaurant for dinner (which is rare) and we want an adult beverage we will get one. If the local pastor walks by I will make no attempt to hide the drink. To do so would be dishonest to myself and hypocritical.

My wish is for everyone to be truthful for who they are, what they are. If people are dishonest to themselves they will not only hurt themselves, but others around them.

Be honest to yourself, your family, your friends and to God. If you do not want to be held to a higher standard, don't climb upon a pedestal. Just be yourself.... it's OK.

andthatsthewayiseeit!

Life and Things Just Happen...Nobody's Fault

In the recent days of the tornado destruction in Alabama and elsewhere, many have asked "why.?" No one knows why bad things happen to good people and why good things happen to bad people.

I am reminded to the day my Mama died of cancer. I was a very committed Christian. Taught Sunday school, went on mission trips, led lost hearts to Christ and so forth. Everytime the church door opened, there I stood. When Mama died it hit me hard. Here was a strong woman, who knew and could do most anything...wasted away to a mere 80 or so pounds before she died. I stopped praying for Mama's healing and began praying for her death. Her suffering was to hard to watch. Mama did everything and suddenly she was not able to do anything.

The day she died was the day I needed my Mama the most. I was still recovering from my illness, which I nearly died, my Daddy was legally blind and close to having a leg amputated.... it was a rough time. Over time I learned how to cook, wash clothes, iron, make up beds, give my Daddy insulin shots. One day I went to church and a woman gave a "praise report." She awoke that morning with a bad headache and was heartbroken she would not be able to go to church. She said that God healed her headache so she could go to church. Well, needless to say that did not sit well with me. Her headache was trivial to me.... my Mom's life was more important than her trip to church I thought. That was the last time I saw the inside of a church for maybe ten years.

Over time I realized my Mom's death was not God's fault. It was not even the devil's fault..... it was rather just life. Everyone one of us will one day die. Good things will happen to us, bad things will happen to us. Some are things that happen are random and some things are self-inflicted wounds (bad decsions).

Bad weather happens because bad weather has always happened. Death happens because everyone will one day die. Things happen because life happens. Life is unfair and will always be unfair. Life is not what happens to us, but how we react to it.

On this Mother's Day I will will miss my Mama... but I am happy God placed me in her life. I am thankful for all the good and bad things that have happened in my life. Those things have made me who I am today and I am very happy with my life and my family. God has blessed my life.

MANY BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO ALL OF US. DO NOT BLAME GOD NOR ANYONE ELSE, BUT INSTEAD HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD. CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN AND LEAVE THE REST UP TO GOD AND THE WIND.

.......andthatsthewayiseeit......

What Makes a Christian Be A "Real" Christian?

The only thing neccesary for a human to call themselves a Christian is for them accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. OK, well that's easy...so why is it so hard for a "Christian" to be Christ-like. If I knew the answer to that question, I would be living near the beach right now.

I usually refer to my Dad alot as each day goes by. Why, because if I could be more like anyone I have ever known it would be him. My Daddy was not a church going man nor religious man. He was the same at home, work, church or anywhere else. He loved, accepted, and believed that Jesus was Lord and Savior. My Dad's heart was good and his soul was good. My Dad lived a Christian life as straight as any man could ever, have, or will ever live.

One thing that seperated him from any other person that I have ever known was his heart was as pure and as good as any ..... was My Daddy never wore any "Christian Stripes" upon his sleeves. He lived an honest life, he was a good Dad, he was a good husband, he respected others, never criticized, others, he worked hard, he is the kind of man I wish I could become.

My Daddy did not have to profess to be a Christian. He did not have to wear "WWJD" symbols on his arm or clothes. He did not have to carry a Bible 24/7. He did not have to go to church everytime the door was open....... because if you watched my Dad, listened to my Dad, and saw how he treated others.... well Homer Dupree did not need to "profess" to be a Christian.... he lived like one should live. He did not need to procliam it, he lived it. He wasn't perfect, but close to perfect as I will ever live to see...........andthatsthewayiseeit!

Women Are God's People Too.....

The two most important people in my life are women. My wife and my little daughter. I have always supported the equal treatment for women, but it really it home when I first saw my little Boo on the ultrasound screen. Since then, my feelings on the equal treatment of women in every aspect of life on this Earth has become more profound.

I am deeply disturbed how men have used/still using religions around the world to subject women and girls to third class status. In the United States, women did not have the right to vote until a mere ninety years ago. In some Christian areas around the nation to this day, women can't do this, can't do that, but a man who is an elder hardly has any restrictions. America has been blessed. Our society has come to it's senses to include equal rights for women.

The plight of women in predominately Islamic nations is extremely disheartening. Women and little girls in the name of Islam and Allah are treated like garbage. They are denied an education, repeatedly subjected to beatings and rapes all in the name of religion.

Let me end with this. ANY MAN WHO USES ANY RELIGION TO PLACE WOMEN AND GIRLS IN AN INFERIOR, LOWER CLASS STATUS IS AN EVIL, SICK, AND TWISTED LOSER. His deserving punishment, I will not place into words.

.....and thats the way I see it!