The RECORD

By Steve Whiting, esq.

The following guest column ran in a December edition of the Portland Press Herald. It is authored by No Slots for Maine board member Steve Whiting.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a profusion of stories and editorials, appearing in both the press and the broadcast media, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the opening of Hollywood Slots in Bangor. Many of these stories have repeated the gambling interests' claims that the Hollywood Slots operation has made more money and spurred less crime than expected. Digging a little deeper shows otherwise.

First look at expected revenues. In April 2004, six months before the Bangor facility opened, it was projected by the developers that the total amount of money bet would reach $825 million per year, and that 90% of bets would be returned as winnings to the bettors. Thus the net gambling revenue (meaning the net losses by gamblers) that was expected by the developers prior to the operation of the facility was 10% of $825 million, or $82.5 million per year. That figure is fully consistent with betting behavior in other parts of the country.

The projected revenue of $82.5 million per year works out to $6.9 million per month. In the first twelve months, the net revenue of Hollywood Slots has risen to around $3.45 million per month, exactly half of the $6.9 million projected. Thus the first year's revenue experience at Bangor does not even come close to "beating expectations."

Similarly, the early crime data also comes as no surprise to those who follow this subject. Economists Earl Grinols and David Mustard, for example, have conducted an impressive study of the impact of casino construction on crime rates on a county-by-county basis throughout the country. They report there is no major impact on crime in the first year or two of operation.

However, after that initial quiet period, the situation deteriorates badly, with a steady rise observed, especially in property-related crimes. They found the rate of robberies in an average casino county rises from 100 robberies in a given time period before the opening of a casino up to 236 robberies in a corresponding time period five years after opening.

There are two main reasons for this delayed impact. First, the bettors themselves change with time. Psychologist Robert Breen has found that personality changes associated with the onset of gambling addiction take a year or more to fully develop. Secondly, most gamblers have access to a certain amount of wealth, such as retirement savings or the equity in their home. It would take even a truly dedicated gambler some time to lose, let's say, $150,000 at his favorite slot machine. It is only after an addicted gambler exhausts his own financial resources that he is likely to turn to crime to support his habit.

Over the next year or so of racino operation, full-blown gambling addiction will manifest itself in many of the racino's clients. Studies referenced on the No Slots for ME! web site have found that gambling addiction typically accounts for 40% of casino income. This means, for one thing, that we can expect to see further increases in monthly revenues, probably to a number very close to the $6.9 million projection.

But revenue gains coming from rising rates of addiction is a losing proposition for the people of Maine. Economists Grinols and Mustard have found that the financial cost of casino gambling to society just about matches, dollar for dollar, gambling revenues. Most of these costs originate in the out-of-control behavior of addicted gamblers, and the financial burden that this behavior places on their families, their employers, the police, the courts, and the penal system.

The first year's experience at Hollywood Slots does show us something, after all. What we have learned is that Mainers are just as vulnerable to the treacherous allure of slot machines as people in other parts of the county. All Mainers, including those who don't gamble, will get the bill for the large social costs that this vulnerability implies.

By Rev. Dallas E. Henry

A story is told about a famous preacher long ago who pastored a church that was filled every Sunday by people who traveled miles on foot just to hear his messages. One day, as the church was emptying, a passerby asked one of the people in the church why this preacher's messages were so compelling. The person responded without hesitation, "This preacher will take you up to the mountain and down to the valley, he will bring you to laughter and to tears, he will have you jumping with joy and then falling to your knees - - - but - - - by the time he is finished, he will always have you at the foot of the cross."

This week is such a week, where the mixture of emotions range from the exuberance of Palm Sunday with the crowds that must have followed not only Sunday, but Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday, through the streets of Jerusalem, to the intimacy of the Last Supper on Thursday and the anger of the announcement that one of His closest friends would betray Him, to the desperate prayers in Gethsemane's garden late Thursday night --- the final week of Jesus life on the earth with a full range of emotions and circumstances. All of it led to the foot of the cross on Friday --- to witness the sacrifice of a Savior for the sins of the whole world --- even your sins and mine.

There were probably more people shouting for Jesus and praising Him on Palm Sunday than there were any other day of His life. Yet Jesus knows that He will be dead before the week is over. It is true that when we are on the top, it's easy to get caught up in the praises of others and forget that this is not what life is all about. Praise can blind us to God's call upon our lives. A big head can make us think that life is all about us instead of God's will for our lives.

It is our human tendency to want to be liked and admired. What happens though when maintaining the praise of others forces us to wander away from the will of God for our lives? Being popular can lead to our persecution.

Jesus never let fame and popularity go to His head. The next day He comes back to Jerusalem to cleanse the temple and to teach the people. No matter how high we rise, like Jesus, our primary calling is to do the will of God which includes speaking unpopular things, at times.

As leaders in the Kingdom of God, each of us has been placed where we are in order to be a spokesperson or mouthpiece for God. We must be careful not to allow our popularity ratings cause us to be silent when God wants us to speak.

Jesus life is a warning to us that when God uses us to make a difference, the enemy is likely to attack. The Bible tells us, "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." There is no way to be faithful to Christ without encountering some form of persecution in our lives. Sometimes it's the actual act of being faithful that causes us the problem.

Jesus expected trouble to erupt around Him. Before He made it to Jerusalem, Jesus told the disciples that the chief priests will arrest Him, and have Him killed. The disciples brushed it off by saying, "We will never let anything like this happen to you."

We often think, when things go wrong, while trying to do right, we have missed the will of God for our lives. The truth is; we may be more in the will of God than ever before.

Just a few days after Palm Sunday. Jesus washes the disciples feet. They eat the Last Supper together in the upper room. They cry together because Jesus says that one of them is going to betray Him. To make matters even worse, Jesus tells them, "All of you will deny me tonight." They all declare that He's mistaken and that they will stand by His side to the end. Peter even states that he's ready to die for Jesus. [We all know what happened.]

Then Jesus leads them out to the Mount of Olives. This is a garden area with trees. The disciples are encouraged to spend some time in prayer. Jesus goes a little further from them and has the greatest battle in prayer that He's known to date, while the disciples are sleeping. His mission is so great that angels come to minister to Him. He's under such stress as He prepares to die for us that, in praying, the sweat on his forehead falls like drops of blood to the ground.

Here is a question to ponder: Is there something in your life that needs to be disturbed? In other words, is there a long-accepted value of yours, or habit, or practice -- something in your life that Jesus would be displeased with if He were to walk through the gates of your existence today?

Not a pleasant thought, is it? Perhaps you woke up, today, remembering that it was Good Friday - - and now you're being asked to consider what thing in your life the Lord detests. It was for those very things that Jesus suffered and died. It really is Good Friday. 2,000 years ago, He did that for us. And since He did this for us, are we willing follow Him? Are we willing to take up our cross? Our walk of faith isn't just about having a bubbly feeling for Jesus¦ It's also about facing the harsh realities of our humanness.

Here is another question¦..Is there something in your life that is troubling to which Jesus can bring peace? In other words, if Jesus can bring calm to a colt never-ridden and its mother, then would He not have the power to bring peace to the chaotic parts of our lives?

A story is told of a pastor who made his monthly trip to an assisted living center to sing for the residents there. They enjoyed having him come because he sang songs that they grew up with. He began by singing a couple of "cross songs," being sensitive to the time of the year that it was.

There was a new man and his wife there¦ and the man spoke up after the first several songs and said, "I want to sing ˜Silent Night."

The visiting pastor kind of chuckled and said in a quick-witted playful voice, "I love that song but my guitar isn't able to play it between January 1 and December 1." and everyone laughed. He sang a couple more songs.

Then the man's wife spoke, this time a little louder and quite a bit more insistent, "WE WANT TO SING ˜SILENT NIGHT."

The pastor could see that neither of them was kidding and neither cared that it was in the middle of Lent and on the threshold of Holy Week, where Jesus wasn't just born but was over 30 years old by now! There was no getting around it¦they sang Silent Night.

There was another woman, there for the first time, who began to weep openly as they sang a song that obviously pulled her heart strings and brought tears of comfort to her troubled soul. It's great the Lord, whose birth brought peace to the chaos of Bethlehem, can do that all year round for every generation in every time and every place.

And the last question is this: What price are we really willing to pay to further the cause of Christ? Are we at all moved to action when people attack Jesus and His teachings? Do we desire to speak up for what's right or do we look into the darkness to run and hide with our silence?

I regret how often I betray Jesus with my silence only later to say to myself, "I should have said something." Do you know why we remain silent? I believe it has to do with the possibility that we prefer the approval of others over the persecution of standing with and for Christ.

If we are going to walk with Christ, then there is a certain amount of persecution and rejection we must be willing to endure. We should expect it. We should even consider it joy to be able to face it. Not everybody is going to like us if we are faithful to Him. Not everybody is going to like our message because it's truth. We must be willing to stand alone at times. We must recognize that there will be times when it is going to hurt to be a Christian. We all know that persecution never feels good.

Palm Sunday began with praises, but the week ended in persecution. Jesus died on the cross at Calvary for sins He did not commit. If Jesus had been content with the praises, we would still be lost today. Christ paid an unimaginable price because of His love for us. Are we willing to pay a price to love Him back?

The Christian Civic League of Maine has been fully engaged in this war of the clashing of worldviews for over a century now and has some experience at the battle. Churches, ministries and individuals who partner with the League are also engaging in this battle and helping to win it. Please consider supporting the League with regular contributions if you haven't already. Another very important blessing to the ministry of the League is prayer. Pray for Executive Director Michael Heath, the staff and Board of Directors. The League has a prayer partnership network that receives regular prayer updates. You can contact the League office to become part of the network.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to those churches and ministries that are joining the 500-50-5 project. Support of the League has never been more important with daily attacks on marriage and family being introduced in our legislature. We could do so much more if the resources were there. If you haven't become a partner, I urge you to do so today. Maine's future depends on it.

May we be found faithful and fully committed to the cause of Christ here in Maine. May we be willing to endure persecution as we stand unashamed for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus.

The League is committed to proclaim the truths of Jesus Christ. It is bringing its influence to the State House. We won on LD 779. After the response through the Citizen Action Center, one of the Judiciary committee members said "With the hundereds of emails we have received, the will of the people is abundantly clear."

Also keep your eyes open for a report in the RECORD of the hearing having to do with granting homosexual couples even more benefits. It is LD 375. You can express your opinion on this one too. It is even more important than LD 779. A church denominational representative lobbied at the hearing IN FAVOR of LD 375.

If you haven't checked out our Citizen Action Center on the internet, you need to do it. Go here. This is a very easy and quick way to communicate with your legislators and others who you select. It can be done from the comfort of your home or office. To further help you, a message has been prepared for you to use or, even better, you can write your own. An initial registration is required and then you can use it on a regular basis. You will see a list of issues the League is interested in bringing a Christian/Biblical influence to. Please pass on this information to others you regularly communicate with.

And finally, if you are not aware of it, Mike Heath regularly speaks on current issues of today, from a biblical perspective. He speaks at regional conferences and radio programs, and also speaks in churches across Maine bringing an update of the work of the League.

Please consider having Mike Heath speak at your church for a "League Sunday". He teaches adult/teen Sunday School classes, using multimedia and leading a discussion. Mike also preaches on the subject of Christian Citizenship, bringing a biblical sermon in morning and evening worship services. He is glad to provide pulpit supply for pastors.

You may contact Paulie Heath to schedule an event with Mike.
Email: paulie@paulieheath.com

Thank you for your support.

Maine Campus Braces for Annual Homosexual Drag Show

The University of Maine at Farmington is known nationally for its annual ranking among the best small liberal arts colleges in America, according to U.S. News and World Reports. UMF is known locally as a hotbed of radical homosexual activism, led by the college's homosexual Alliance student organization.

UMF will host the homosexual students group's annual Drag Show on campus on Thursday, April 26th at 9 pm with free admission for those who attend. The Alliance's co-chairman, Andrea Bechen, states in the March 26, 2007 edition of the campus Farmington Flyer newspaper, You will see men dressed as women and women dressed as men and other people dressed as genders you may not be certain of. There will be loud music. There will be dancing. There will be overt sexuality. And it is a (obscenity deleted) of a lot of fun. The Drag Show story rated front-page, above-the-fold treatment by the campus paper, written by Farmington Flyer staff writer Shannon Field.
Bechen, a self-described feminist, agnostic lesbian and rabid gay-rights activist, went on to explain in the story, "the Alliance accept(s) sexual minorities like gays, lesbians, bisexuals, pansexuals, asexuals, transgendered individuals and others." Further, Bechen noted, "The Alliance has a pretty progressive political standpoint because queer politics unfortunately still fall on the 'liberal' side of the spectrum."

The story details the University administration's alleged attempt last year to have the radical homosexual group cease their activities during the "Family and Friends Fall Fest Weekend." Bechen states that the group's public radical homosexual activities would not have been well received by the parents of fellow UMF students and that the group is UMF's well-known queer secret.

UMF's Alliance student group was known as the Rainbow Educational Alliance of Diverse Individuals, or READI, until recently. In addition to the annual Drag Show, the group partnered with UMF's Department of Psychology last year to promote a so-called lesbian lunchbox which was a comprehensive program designed to provide workshop participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to make schools safer and more affirming places for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender students according to a UMF press release no longer available on the University's website.

From the University's website: "Does this sound like you? You're OK with people who have different ideas and values. Our student clubs are proof of that: GLBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning) Alliance, UMF Democrats, etc. Farmington students are open minded, tolerant and willing to listen to different ways of thinking."
The President of the University of Maine at Farmington is Dr. Theodora J. Kalikow, who insists on being referred to as Theo. Dr. Kalikow is actively engaged with the State Sub-Cabinet for Multicultural Affairs, and she chairs the University of Maine System's Diversity Committee, according to the University's website. She is not married. She can be reached at 778-7056 and by email at kalikow@maine.edu

The Vice President for Student and Community Services, Celeste Branham, states on the University's website. I, too, welcome your questions and the expression of concerns. I am always willing to talk with parents about their sons and daughters... She can be reached at 778-7087 and by email at cbranham@maine.edu

By Rev. Dallas E. Henry

It's when you see the world and live out your morals based on the Word of God. A believer's morals are dictated by the Word of God and what it says. Every individual needs to firmly establish where they stand on moral issues in life. Everyone is aware that our world is heading in a direction that would have been unheard of 10 or 20 years ago. As Christians, we need to take a stand on issues that are facing our nation today or we will lose our freedoms that we are presently enjoying.

Too many Christians today don't know what a world view is, nor do they live by it. Few Pastors today preach on it, perhaps because they themselves don't live by that standard. We should always go back and find out what the Word says concerning everything from the Great Commission (Evangelism) to how we live (Morals).

In his book and a subsequent research report on world views, author and researcher George Barna made waves by citing statistics showing just 9% of all born again adults and just 7% of Protestants possess a Biblical worldview. That information created curiosity regarding the world views of the nation's religious leaders and further prompted Barna Research to conduct a national survey on that topic among Protestant pastors. The numbers are now in and the outcome may again shock many people.

Based on interviews with 601 Senior Pastors nationwide, representing a random cross-section of Protestant churches, Barna reports that only half of the country's Protestant pastors 51% have a Biblical worldview. Defining such a world view as believing that absolute moral truth exists, that it is based upon the Bible, and having a Biblical view on six core beliefs (the accuracy of Biblical teaching, the sinless nature of Jesus, the literal existence of Satan, the omnipotence and omniscience of God, salvation by grace, and the personal responsibility to evangelize), the researcher produced data showing that there are significant variations by denominational affiliation and other demographics. The obvious reason why churches today our struggling with morals and the Word of God is because half of the leaders and religious teachers don't have one either.

The Denomination Gap:

An example of the gap among churches is reflected in the outcomes related to the nation's two largest denominations, the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church. (Of the nation's 320,000 Protestant churches, more than 42,000 of them are Southern Baptist and more than 35,000 are United Methodist; these two denominations alone account for roughly one-quarter of all Protestant churches in the U.S.) The Southern Baptists had the highest percentage of pastors with a Biblical worldview (71%), while the Methodists were lowest among the seven segments evaluated (27%).

Among the other segments examined, 57% of the pastors of Baptist churches (other than Southern Baptist) had a Biblical worldview, as did 51% of non-denominational Protestant pastors, 44% of pastors of charismatic or Pentecostal churches, 35% of pastors of black churches, and 28% of those leading mainline congregations.

Barna says that 6 out of the 7 congregations where their pastor has a Biblical worldview, the congregation does not share the same thoughts or worldviews. The reason could be that it's a lack of respect for the office of the Pastor, or they don't care. If churches would come together with their Pastor and share the same Biblical worldviews, the impact on our society would be powerful.

If all of the 51 percent of churches were to follow the leadership of the Pastor concerning the Biblical worldviews of the 6 that Barna mentioned earlier, the churches would be a force to be reckoned with. Governments would be coming to us for advice, and revival would sweep across the land.

In Col 2:6-8, Paul emphasizes that receiving Jesus is not enough. The challenge is to continue to live in Him. How do you do that without having a standard or a Biblical worldview to follow?

The distinction between beginning and then continuing in the relationship with Christ is critical. The Evangelism techniques today can overemphasize the decision to believe in Jesus and become a Christian. When this happens, too little attention is given to living out the Christian experience. Paul expresses very well that receiving Christ and being built up in Him are linked together.

Donald C. Posterski, in his book Reinventing Evangelism, says it this way: "Becoming a Christian and being a Christian are like sunshine and warmth, they are inseparable. If people today accept Christ but remain as mere infants in Christ, they are in danger of premature spiritual death. I Cor 3:1 says, 'Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly, mere infants in Christ.'"

So our goal should be to grow in our knowledge of God, the morals set out in the Word and Evangelism. All this needs to be done with purpose and without compromise. The ways of the world are often inviting. Satan is crafty. He is clever and very patient. He will be found to return and return again at a more convenient time. Without the full armor of God and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, the people of God will be persuaded to go in the world's directions.

How Do We Know This To Be True:

Of the ten moral behaviors evaluated, a majority of Americans believed that each of three activities were morally acceptable. Those included gambling (61%), cohabitation (60% ), and sexual fantasies (59%). Nearly half of the adult population felt that two other behaviors were morally acceptable: having an abortion (45%) and having a sexual relationship with someone of the opposite sex other than their spouse (42%). About one-third of the population gave the stamp of approval to pornography (38%), profanity (36%), drunkenness (35%) and homosexual sex (30%). The activity that garnered the least support was using non-prescription drugs (17%).

Perspectives of morality vary tremendously according to people's faith commitments. Of the seven faith groups studied, evangelicals were the least likely to accept each of the ten behaviors as moral. Less than one out of every ten evangelical Christians maintained that adultery, gay sex, pornography, profanity, drunkenness and abortion are morally acceptable. In contrast, every one of those ten behaviors was deemed morally acceptable by more than one out of ten people from each of the other six faith groups studied. (The other faith segments included non-evangelical born again Christian, notional Christians, adherents of non-Christian faiths, atheists/agnostics, Protestants, and Catholics.)

It is not my desire to present a message of doom and gloom, but rather stress the importance of what Paul is saying in Col 2:6-8 -- "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principals of this world rather than on Christ."

Even though the stats indicate that it's getting worse and not better, believe it or not, God is still working behind the scenes bringing people to Himself, setting churches on fire and people are getting saved.

With that in mind we must be aware of the facts and at the same time strengthen our faith and realize that God desires to use the church for something great and wonderful. The church is here to guide people into truth found in the Word of God. We must be concerned about the church's view of morality and the larger question of its Biblical worldview. If we do not define where we stand on issues, it will be easy to be swept away and form our own doctrine. Some have called it "The Gospel according to me."

(All information was gathered from George Barna research and can be found here)

The Christian Civic League of Maine has been fully engaged in this war of the clashing of worldviews for over a century now and has some experience at the battle. Churches, ministries and individuals who partner with the League are also engaging in this battle and helping to win it. Please consider supporting the League with regular contributions if you haven't already. Another very important blessing to the ministry of the League is prayer. Pray for Executive Director Michael Heath, the staff and Board of Directors. The League has a prayer partnership network that receives regular prayer updates. You can contact the League office to become part of the network. Thank you for your support and may God richly bless you and your ministry.

May we be found faithful and fully committed to the cause of Christ here in Maine. May we be willing to endure persecution as we stand unashamed for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus.

The League is committed to proclaim the truths of Jesus Christ. It is bringing its influence to the State House. You can log on to the Record web site here and read about the proposal to ban ministers from "Approving" marriages in Maine. By the way, we won on that one. After the response through the Citizen Action Center, one of the Judiciary committee members said "With the hundereds of emails we have received, the will of the people is abundantly clear."

Also keep your eyes open for a report in the RECORD of the hearing having to do with granting homosexual couples even more benefits. It is LD 375. You can express your opinion on this one too. It is even more important than LD 779. A church denominational representative lobbied at the hearing IN FAVOR of LD 375.

If you haven't checked out our Citizen Action Center on the internet you need to do it. This is a very easy and quick way to communicate with your legislators and others who you select. It can be done from the comfort of your home or office. To further help you, a message has been prepared for you to use or, even better, you can write your own. An initial registration is required and then you can use it on a regular basis. You will see a list of issues the League is interested in bringing a Christian/Biblical influence to. Please pass on this information to others you regularly communicate with.

And finally, if you are not aware of it, Mike Heath regularly speaks on current issues of today, from a biblical perspective. He speaks at regional conferences and radio programs, and also speaks in churches across Maine bringing an update of the work of the League.

Please consider having Mike Heath speak at your church for a "League Sunday". He teaches adult/teen Sunday School classes, using multimedia and leading a discussion. Mike also preaches on the subject of Christian Citizenship, bringing a biblical sermon in morning and evening worship services. He is glad to provide pulpit supply for pastors.

You may contact Paulie Heath to schedule an event with Mike.
Phone: 207.215.6886
Email: paulie@paulieheath.com

You can join other churches and ministries in financially supporting the League by visiting here

Thank you for your support.

For your convenience, here is the link to the Day Of Truth Teen witnessing project for Public High Schools to counter the Homosexual project called Day of Silence.

There are also good materials for Day Of Truth from PFOX; Parents and Friends Of Ex-Homosexuals.

By Col. Myrl Allinder

Russ Fiedler called last week. Remember Russ? Former combat Marine, Korea vet, taxicab driver in Washington DC in the late '60s. And Christian businessman. Maybe I should say, Christian businessman.

Russ led over 5,000 taxi-riders to salvation by witnessing to them in the back seat of his cab whilst he rushed them about the nation's Capital. Then, in 1969, using his taxi-driver earnings, Russ went to the most popular commercial radio station in DC, and paid to have the Bible read every morning for 15 minutes during the rush-hour time of 6:00-6:15 a.m. Just the Bible. No ads, no pleas for donations, no comments on the Scripture. The daily Bible reading was a phenomenal success, and it continues today over the same commercial station, though, ahem, at slightly higher cost than in 1969.

Also last week my BW of 51 years was delivering meals to the blind, the widows, the crippled, and the elderly through Meals-on-Wheels. I'm the designated chauffeur every Wednesday for route 7 out of St Paul's Lutheran in Clearwater, FL. Mrs. P. is a legally-blind 80-year-old one-legged widow who lives in a 2nd floor walk-up, which is the best her 60-year-old daughter can afford while working two jobs to pay the rent. Usually my BW yaks with her M.o.W. customers, so I bring along a newspaper or two, a crossword puzzle, and a good book. Last Wednesday, though, I didn't even get started on the sports page before my BW was back out to the van. "Mrs. P. has a problem and we need you to come fix it for her."

The problem was a broken plug-in prong on the electric vacuum cleaner cord. Mrs. P. had tried to help her hardworking daughter with household chores by vacuuming her own tiny bedroom. She was distressed and upset over the broken plug, had no money nor transport nor means to repair/replace the plug. I wasn't exactly happy about the broken plug myself; I had plans for my afternoon and didn't want to try my amateur electrician skills at replacing the plug. Well, no problem. I would carry the vacuum cleaner to a place I knew on Drew street, pay a few dollars for the repair which shouldn't take over an hour, and get on with my plans for the afternoon. Besides, pure religion and undefiled before God is to comfort widows. (James 1:27) I felt very religious.

I got to the appliance repair place I knew on Drew, which I found had been closed for a year. Looking under the Yellow Pages, there were several Appliance Repair shops, but not one would accept the tiny job of replacing an electrical plug and/or cord for a vacuum. Then I remembered: the BW had spent a lot of money at XYZ vacuum company. I'm sure they'll be glad to help out with this problem. And they were.... for $80! $40 for a new cord (they don't do plug replacements, only cords) plus $40 for the labor.

Disgusted and glum, I headed back home when the BW asked, "What other vacuum repair shops were listed in the Yellow Pages?" I hadn't looked under 'vacuum repair,' I had looked under 'appliance repair.' Sure enough, there was a listing under 'vacuum repair.' And only one. It was Matt in downtown Clearwater, near the hospital. Matt is a businessman, a Christian businessman. Or should I say, Christian businessman. "Matt, can you replace a vacuum cleaner wire right away?" "Yes, come on down, I'll do it while you wait."

There are no doves/crosses/lambs/etc. at Matt's shop. Still, I was expecting, hoping, he would charge something less than $80. "How much to replace the cord?" $26. "And then how much for the labor?" That's it, total price, cord and labor: $26. But why do you want to replace the cord? There's nothing wrong with the cord, just replace the plug. "How much to replace the plug?" $5. It took two minutes, it was professional, and Matt's replacement plug-in looked like the same original one-piece molded plug-in that came with the new vacuum cleaner.

The next fifteen minutes I sat quietly while Matt explained the Christian businessman philosophy he had learned from his dad, who had started the shop over 50 years before. "We are here to serve the people of Clearwater, not to make money. Yes, we need money to pay the bills, too. Yes, we want you to pay me on time. But I learned from my dad that the primary objective of business is to be a servant to the community. For us, that's servicing vacuum cleaners, not to make a lot of money. Vacuum cleaner companies have petitioned us to sell their products, which we 've considered inferior products. When we refused, the company rep would tell us we could make piles of money on the high-priced repair parts. But that's not the way my dad taught me to do business."

What did Job mean in Job 29:13? I found out when I delivered the good-as-new vacuum back to the poor, blind, one-legged widow. She couldn't have been more joyful if I had given her a sackful of money. And we won't tell your daughter how you broke the plug-in, Mrs. P. This will just be our little secret.

Myrl Allinder is married to the former Martha E. Smith of Augusta, GA since 1956. They rejoice in 4 children, and in 5 grandchildren. Myrl retired as a Colonel of Marines in 1986 after 29 years, 375 combat missions, and command of 3 squadrons. He served on the staff of the Secretary of Defense for 3 years, and as a Strategic Planner for the Department of the Navy at the Naval War College, Newport, RI for 4 years. His final job was Chief of Plans, Joint Deployment Agency, Joint Chiefs of Staff, developing Logistics War Plans for all Theaters, including the Middle East.

Upon retirement he served as a missionary in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America from 1987-2000. Today he volunteers in the Pinellas County Jail (4,000 prisoners, 1000 arrests per week), in the Suncoast Haven of Rest rescue mission (7,000 homeless); and as a Gideon distributes thousands of Bibles each year to students and foreigners in the Tampa Bay area. He is an usher at Bayside Church of God in Safety Harbor, FL, serving on the Missions Committee.