Saint Matthew's

Via the Drudge Report – scientists are testing a drug that can eliminate sleepiness. So far, they’ve only tested monkeys, but the results according to the testers seem promising.

In what sounds like a dream for millions of tired coffee drinkers, Darpa-funded scientists might have found a drug that will eliminate sleepiness.

A nasal spray containing a naturally occurring brain hormone called orexin A reversed the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys, allowing them to perform like well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests. The discovery’s first application will probably be in treatment of the severe sleep disorder narcolepsy.

The treatment is “a totally new route for increasing arousal, and the new study shows it to be relatively benign,” said Jerome Siegel, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA and a co-author of the paper. “It reduces sleepiness without causing edginess.”

They come out with this now after I’ve stopped consuming obscene amounts of caffeine to try and stay awake. I’m now getting some sleep, which is new for me.  So just imagine what I could do with this nasal spray … I’d never stop working.

“It’s not like they’re Jesus Christ and his 12 disciples, or anything like that. We’re going in there to try to win.” NY Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora on the Giants playing the undefeated New England Patriots Saturday night at Giants Stadium.

This morning, evil showed its ugly head once again as a homicide bomber murdered former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The killer fired shots at Bhutto and then blew himself up, killing upwards of 20 people and injured scores of bystanders.

I’m tired of people trying to equate these terrorist murderers with those who are fighting oppression.

Instead, this band of evil soldiers are fighting to oppress those who disagree with them.

And that is evil.

We Christians should have the courage to call these people who they are: evil killers who slaughter the innocent.

Can’t believe I haven’t taken the time to blog in over a week? That’s a long time, even for me.

But the past week has been relatively hectic. I think you can guess why.

On that note, a belated Merry Christmas to everyone.

Today, my schedule is calm. I have to get a few things written for this coming weekend’s services. However, that will be done from the comfort of home.

To be honest, I am tired. It almost feels like a hangover. No, I didn’t drink yesterday. It is just being overly tired has this “hangover” feeling. Maybe I need sleep.

I am tired of politicians jumping on the "Faith Bandwagon" as they run for political office. It makes me sick. I don’t vote for a politician because he or she is a Christian; I vote for the person who would best serve the office they are seeking.

I don’t vote for or against a politician because they are are wearing their faith on their sleeves or around their necks as a cross dangles there. No, they can be the most "Christian" of candidates, but if their positions on issues is opposite of what I believe, I could not vote them. Plus, dear sinner, politicians who wear their faith as a badge of honor many times turn out to be flawed hypocrites, saying one thing and doing another.

While I am happy that Christians are taking part in the body politic, don’t tell me that you’re a God-fearing Christian. As Nike says, "Just Do It." No need to lecture me about how many times you go to church or how much money you donate to help spread the Gospel. Just be a God-fearing, Christ-following person in your life. We’ll get the point.

Self-named evangelical Christians are breathing heavy that former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is leading the Republican race in Iowa. They see him as one of their own. That’s fine, but we’re not electing a preacher. We’re electing a president. If a Christian supports his positions on the issues, that’s great. But when we minimize our choices to picking someone simply because they are a Christian, we’re selling our nation short.

Last night, a friend called me around midnight and we ended up talking about this issue. He asked me if I was supporting one of the candidates running for president. If you don’t know, I am a registered Republican, but I am much more conservative than some of the stances that the GOP espouses today. I find myself splitting my ticket every election because sometimes, "my party" puts up "stinker" candidates. And, sometimes, I find that I actually like people who are running for office in other parties.

My answer to my friend – who cares who I support for president? It is going to be my choice. I don’t preach "Elect so-and-so;" I preach Christ crucified.

To be honest, right now I don’t know who I will support in the primary coming up on February 5th. I really don’t. But in the end, it is going to be my choice. Maybe I will tell you who I voted for; maybe not.

But my choice is going to be on who will be, in my opinion, the best president.

Their religion? Not high on my list.

I would never go to the hospital emergency room unless I was really, really in pain or sick. Back on my vicarage, I suffered with walking pneumonia for several weeks. Did I go to the doctors? Nah. I had “just a cough.” But when I started spitting up blood in the sink while I was shaving, I thought I had to go.

This morning, however, I didn’t wait. Around 4 am, I had a gallstone attack.

Arrrgh!

The pain in my upper abdominal area was like nothing I have felt since the last time I had one of these attacks in 1996. Oh, my! Did it hurt. This time, I didn’t try and play the tough guy; I got dressed and drove off to the emergency room.

That may not have been the smartest move, but I was feeling slightly better after the attack so I just drove myself. As I was driving, the pain came back, but I got to the hospital in one piece.

I kind of figured it was a gallstone, but I wasn’t sure. After a few tests, the doctors confirmed I was having an attack. I was given some magnesium (I think that is what they said) and told me to sit. After a couple of hours, I started feeling a whole lot better. They released me around 8:30 and I drove back home.

And now for the greatest bit of irony: As you know, I have been off coffee and caffeine for more than a month. So when the doctor asked me about my diet, I told him about my non-coffee drinking. At first, he suggested modifying my diet a bit to add more fiber. Then he made a suggestion that I drink decaffeinated coffee. Why? Some studies have found that coffee helps reduce gallstones in men.

Oh, I kid you not.

No, I have not purchased decaf coffee today. And I won’t.

If you haven’t read the post below, read it.

Then take a gander at the pictures that prove my point.

Arrrrggghhh!

I can’t believe the town did this!

Yesterday, we had a little snow, sleet, and freezing rain event. We received about two inches of snow, maybe. But it was compacted down with sleet and freezing rain. Overall, it wasn’t as bad at the weather forecasters predicted for our portion of Bergen County. Yes, the roads were terrible yesterday. But this morning, they seem to be in pretty good shape. What helps is that temperatures are skyrocketing (if you could call it that) into the 40s.

Lots of melting today.

Last night, my “Italian” got up a bit – OK, a lot of bits – when, after I returned home, I noticed that the walk in front of the parsonage and the long sidewalk behind and in front of the church and parsonage had been cleared. It really looked good until ……

The town came through with it’s high-speed pick-up plow. They covered both of our sidewalks with ice and snow from the roadway. Ugh!!

And when I say high-speed plow, I am not kidding. It is ridiculous. They sped up and down Grand Street. But they covered over everything that was cleared. Now, when they plow they usually cover over the driveway entrance; and that doesn’t bother me a bit. A shovel and a few minutes – it’s cleared.

But when they cover over THE ENTIRE SIDEWALK, I get angry. People here at the church – specifically our sextons – spent a long time clearing the snow and ice and now it looks like they didn’t do a thing. It is a shame. They worked too hard to clear the snow and the church grounds, only for their work to be spat upon.

Yes, it gets me angry.

Madison Square Garden has been a under the microscope this week. First, they settled a sexual harassment lawsuit with a former worker, costing its owners $11.6 Million. Then yesterday, the New York Times reported on the apparent tense relationship between the New York Rangers and the New York Knicks, which isn’t very close even though they train a few feet from one another over in Westchester.

Today, Page Six of the New York Post piles on with their political cartoon:

I know – this really has nothing to do with church or God. But as a sports fan, I am like one of those people driving past on the highway looking at an accident. I just can’t take my eyes off of the Garden mess.

Watching the news this morning, I couldn’t stand it. No, not the daily barrage of sad and depressing news that is reported on every single day. It was the weather forecast.

Why is it that when the first major snow fall of the season is predicted, people get all goofy? It is like they never saw snow before? Schools are closed or are closing early and lines at the check-out counters in supermarkets are packed to the gills. Even if we get up to 8 inches of snow today, the local municipalities will clear the streets before tomorrow morning, thus making it easy to get to a supermarket to pick up bread.

Northeastern New Jersey is not the boondocks. A heavy snowfall really isn’t the end of the world.

So this morning I watch the news and it is like doomsday. “It’s going to snow today, so you better get ready.” And then they tell us about all the things we have to do in order to “battle the snowstorm.” Ugh. We’re talking about a little snow, not lake effect snow that Buffalo gets hits with. They get three feet at a clip and I don’t think the people living there are too scared about it. But there we have our local reporters giving us the best advice to fight the snow. Please.

Sorry about venting on the news reporters who are just doing their jobs. But maybe I am getting tired of the canned “the world is coming to an end” stories whenever we have a snowfall.

* In other stuff, last night our Advent Midweek service was held. It went well. We had great attendance. One of the funny things that happened, when I was preparing for the Holy Communion service during the voluntary, I removed the veil and mistakenly lifted up the purificator (the “napkin” that is used to wipe the rim of the chalice) and dropped it on the floor, but I didn’t notice that I dropped it until I looked down and found my foot standing on it.

Ugh.

I had to exit stage left and run and get another one.

* Yesterday I made a pot of lentil soup while I was at home in the afternoon writing my sermon for last night. Whenever I make lentil soup, it is hit and miss. Sometimes I nail it; other times I feel like I missed something. Well, yesterday’s pot is one of the good ones. It was just good.

* And as an early Thursday morning reminder, the weather on Sunday morning doesn’t look good. Nor’easters are not nice storms. But you don’t have to miss church this weekend. That is why we have a Saturday night service at 6:30pm.

I don’t have  a lot of time today to write – I guess the Advent season is more busy than I thought.

But I noticed today that one month ago, I ceased drinking coffee and caffeine products. I haven’t fallen off the no-coffee wagon once, shunning even decaf coffee.

One month without coffee – for me, that is a feat. Amen!

I don’t know why, but I couldn’t sleep last night. I tossed and turned with my mind racing about a million miles a minute. I fell asleep for what amounted to two hours and then I got out of bed and got ready for church.

Suffice to say, today I am sleepy.

After the past couple of days, I am glad it is Sunday afternoon.

It has been a stressful, anger-inducing few days.

However, the strength of the Lord has seen me through.

One of the issues that has gotten to me is that a friend died Friday after a freak accident. While not getting into specifics, he threw a blood clot that caused his death. I’ve tried my best to cover up the hurt I am feeling, but sometimes it breaks through.

2007 has seen too many deaths in my circle of friends and family.  I pray 2008 is better.

Outside of being funny, today’s New York Post political cartoon from Page Six can be seen in different ways. First, one can just laugh at it and flip the page. Second, one could look at it, get insulted, and vow never to buy the New York Post again. Or third, one could just be confused as to what this cartoon really means.

Click on the picture below for a larger view:

Me? I laughed. The issue over whether a Mormon can be president is very silly in my book. When I go to vote, I am not voting for a person because of their religion. If I did, I would never vote because I do not support the theology of other Christian and non-Christian churches. I use my faith in my Lord Jesus Christ to help guide me to vote for the best person for the position, but I don’t bring a biblical or theological checklist into the voting booth with me.

And yes, I am still buying the Post.

Yesterday, I attended a Christmas Party where I thought there was going to be an open bar. Well, to my surprise, the bar was open, but it wasn’t really “open.” Instead, my friend who hosted the party wanted to raise money to support a battered woman’s shelter. Since he didn’t charge anyone to come to the party, he thought the best thing to do was to charge for drinks.

The cost – every drink was $10.00.

Yup, $10.00 for any one drink.

I can honestly say, I never ever thought I would pay $10 for a Bud Light beer.

Overall, the party raised more than $3000 for the shelter – not all from the bar, mind you. But I like the idea of helping those in need while having some fun. Doing something help women and children who are trying to escape abusive relationships, it made that $10 beer go down easy.