Unlikely Good Samaritans

Four good samaritans

Some books have rough covers; others, frightening covers.

Some of those same books also have stories within them to match their covers.

Yet once in a while — unexpectedly, surprisingly, refreshingly, shockingly, happily — light bursts forth from the darkness.

So amidst the bad news, how about some good news?

The detention deputy was sitting at his desk when the inmate attacked. The deputy is 64; the inmate 40 years his junior.

Deputy Kenneth Moon had another disadvantage: He was the sole deputy in a jail pod that houses 62 inmates. The only nearby people who could help him were there because they have been charged with attempted murder, home invasion, drug dealing.

And yet they did.

The first one, Jerry Dieguez Jr., is in jail on an armed home invasion charge. When he saw inmate Douglas Burden put Moon in a chokehold, Dieguez didn’t hesitate.

He ran behind the desk and landed a haymaker of a punch on Burden.

Inmates Hoang Vu and Terrell Carswell also provided backup. […]

While Dieguez, Vu and Carswell kept Burden off the deputy, another inmate came charging over.

David Schofield […] reached over to the deputy, took his radio and called for help.

The inmates are credited with saving their jailer’s life.

Source: Inmates saved deputy’s life during attack, sheriff’s office says

Swine Flu and Church

Is your congregation taking any extraordinary measures to avoid or limit the spread of swine flu (aka, H1N1 flu in deference to The Vast Pork Rib Conspiracy)?

Several Portland-area congregations are adjusting their rituals to prevent the spread of H1N1 flu. So far, the faithful keep coming to services.

The priest at St. Juan Diego Catholic Parish in Northwest Portland still consecrates wine and bread for Communion, but parishioners have given up sharing the wine and receiving wafers on their tongues. They no longer hold hands during the Lord’s Prayer, and the handshakes and hugs that used to accompany the “sign of peace” during Mass are now simple bows.

[…]

Many Protestant churches, synagogues and mosques are also advising congregations to take what are becoming the usual precautions — installing hand sanitizers, encouraging hand-washing and reminding people to stay home if they’re sick — but many individual communities are taking additional steps.

Lake Oswego United Methodist Church has adopted “holy fist bumps” during the sign of peace, says the Rev. Steve Sprecher.

[…]

Gresham United Methodist Church encourages members to wash during the service. “We are offering people a squirt of the disinfectant Purell while they are in line for Communion,” the Rev. Jim Parr Philipson says.

Portland synagogues take similar precautions. Since celebrating the Jewish High Holy Days in September, members of Congregation Shaarie Torah in Northwest Portland have substituted fist bumps for handshakes and hugs, says Rabbi Arthur Zuckerman, who was nursing a cold last month. A few in the congregation have come down with H1N1 flu, but they’re staying home, he says. “People are pretty astute about this. It’s not brain surgery.”

Source: Swine flu is altering how people worship

Walking Sticks

Andrew and I each had our own this morning when we went on a hike to-through-around our back forty.

We saw cows (dead and alive), trees (dead and alive), and creeks (dead and alive). I shot some of them.

But first, a photo I took yesterday morning, looking in the direction we headed for our walk this morning:

cows coming home at daybreak
cows coming home at daybreak

Read it all

Boggle 6

Time to launch another round! As usual, this is one played in real life by three Roths an evening (a few weeks ago by now):

Our fourth game of Boggle
Playing this game will may keep your mind young(er)!

Here’s my usual reminder of how we play the game here at Ain’t Complicated:

  1. Minimum word length: four letters
  2. No plurals created by adding s
  3. Maximum words per player per day: five
  4. No time limit
  5. Only what you can see

Item 5 means do not use online sources to generate words. This rule applies only for the first two days of the game.

Remember, please: Five words per player per day.

(And tell me: Where else can you plan genuine, real-from-life Boggle online, huh?)

Free Auto Sign

In white, non-reflective letters:

“Dear Friend, WHERE WILL YOU SPEND ETERNITY? Seek The Lord While He May Be Found. Isaiah 55:6”

I am acquainted with Roger. (Here’s something he wrote: Two Exciting Investment Opportunities.)

You won’t get junk from him.

I’m sure.

Watchman Gospel Signs: for your auto

Order your free gospel sign here (and yes, you have to pay for shipping): Watchman Gospel Signs.

(And tell him “Hi!” from Mark Roth for me, please.) 🙂

Above all, love God!

since November 9, 2005