Jeff Ragan > Recent Status Updates

"The attack was made on a six-mile front & the British had the advantage from the outset. The sudden debouchent of the long line of tanks, closely followed by the infantry, all without the usual warning of a... artillery bombardment, completely surprised the Germans. The tanks broke wide gaps in the wire & subdued the machine gun nests, aiding the infantry through the defenses with a minimum of loss" (245).

"Our most dramatic moment occurred when Dame Nature got out of hand. Actor Leo Carrillo was on the stage when a crackling thunderstorm caused a power failure. As if it had been a rehearsed part of his act Carrillo stood a moment in the pitch darkness and then a single match flame blossomed. In the words of Father Keller he announced: 'It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness'" (242).

"Numbers illustrates one of the main themes of the whole Bible. The sin of the first generation could have led to the end of the story of redemption and the destruction of the people of God. But God does not abandon his people even in their rebellion and sin...God stays involved with his people because of his covenant love for them" (100).

"...'Go forth, & stand on the mountain before the Lord'...the Lord was passing by! And a great & strong wind was rending the mountains...but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing." - 1 Kings 19:11-12

"Our Black-chinned Hummingbirds mostly fly overland to Mexico, whereas many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly long distances across the Gulf of Mexico to reach Central America (especially on their northward flight; more individuals seem to fly along the coast when heading south)" (173).

"And as for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying 'You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'" - 1 Kings 9:4-5

"Of all the objective elements which define civilizations, however, the most important usually is religion...To a very large degree, the major civilizations in human history have been closely identified with the world's great religions; and people who share ethnicity and language but differ in religion may slaughter each other, as happened in Lebanon, the former Yugoslavia, and the Subcontinent" (42).

"And it came about when the priests came from the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord." - 1 Kings 8:10-11

"A statist paradigm...leads John Mearsheimer to predict that 'the situation between Ukraine and Russia is ripe for the outbreak of security competition between them'...A civilizational approach, on the other hand, emphasizes the close cultural, personal, and historical links between Russia and Ukraine and the intermingling of Russians and Ukrainians in both countries..." (37).

"'At the present time there is not in this country any actual output of ammunition of the types mentioned. Non has been expected.' As the French contracts covered only a part of the amount deemed necessary, it was not understood why the Ordnance Department had done nothing" (222).

"In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon...and God said, 'Ask what you wish me to give you'...'And now, O Lord my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king in place of my father David; yet I am but a little child: I do not know how to go out or come in...So give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine?'" - 1 Kings 3:5-9

"[Jesus'] certainty was elegant & overpowering in itself, & within the bounds of humanity, it was a testimony that he was God. Through this 'man,' God was saying...'You want to know how great I am? Except for being sinless, I will limit myself just as you are limited. I will subject myself to those same conditions, face the same stresses, & even then I will shine so brightly you will know that I am God'" (276).

"And he said, 'The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge: My savior, Thou dost save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; And I am saved from my enemies.'" - 2 Samuel 22:2-4

"Coming on deck at 7.40 am on 27 August, I found the ship on course, the helm lashed, and no sign of the helmsman. It was hard to believe but it did not take long to satisfy myself that David, who had the watch from 6 am to 8 am was not on board. After a hasty look in the peak, the galley, and the cabin I gave the alarm, turned out all hands,and gave the order to gybe" (534).

"But Ittai answered the king and said, 'As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.'" - 2 Samuel 15:21

"...if business didn't cross frontiers, armies would" (232).

"In the Old Testament the ingathering of all nations had been foretold. This promise was given to Abraham...and had been unfolded progressively. In the Psalms and Isaiah it is a refrain. But only with the coming of Christ and the breaking down of the wall of partition did this promise come to fruition and the implications become apparent. Thus the promise is revealed in fulfillment and operation" (242).

"The central theme of this book is that culture & cultural identities, which at the broadest level are civilization identities, are shaping the patterns of cohesion, disintegration, & conflict in the post-Cold War world...The survival of the West depends on Americans reaffirming their Western identity & Westerners accepting their civilization as unique not universal & uniting to renew and preserve it..." (20-21).

"'What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted & wept; but when the child died, you arose & ate food.' And he said, 'While the child was still alive, I fasted & wept; for I said, "Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live." But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.'" - 2 Sam 12:21-23

"...the Aaronic priesthood and the Old Testament sacrificial system all anticipated a greater reality, namely, Jesus Christ as final priest and sufficient sacrifice" (91).

"...in my opinion there never had been real cooperation on the Western Front between the British and French, that when one was attacking the other was usually standing still, and that the Germans were thus left free to concentrate their reserves against the threatened point" (213).

"Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord and he said, 'Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me this far? And yet this was insignificant in Thine eyes, O Lord God, for Thou has spoken also of the house of Thy servant concerning the distant future. And this is the custom of man, O Lord God.'" - 2 Samuel 7:18-19

"The Edwards Plateau Ecological Region alone supports 2.3 million Whitetails, or about 41 percent of the state total. Across the Plateau, the average is about one Whitetail for every 7 acres...The Central Texas Mineral Region (Llano Uplift)...consists of Llano County, most of Mason County, and smaller parts of the surrounding counties...deer densities are far higher here - a deer for every 3 to 4 acres... (151-2).

"For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike." - 1 Samuel 30:24

"The most common way I referred to myself and often thought of myself was as 'the Son of Man.' It was a name with two identities. In the book of Daniel the title referred to the future divine Messiah. It was also the way my Father repeatedly addressed his very human prophet Ezekiel. Literally, son of man means 'son of dust.' He is vulnerable, perishable, finite...At the same time...I was God" (261).

"I was proud of the corporation and proud of the men who were its elected officers. Bob Williford, once key clerk at the Dallas Hilton, now executive vice-president of the corporation... Red Ellison, bellboy, Abilene, vice-president in charge of the Western Division; Joe Binns, ex-Colonel in World War II, once manager of the Stevens, vice-president in charge of the Eastern Division" (218-9).

"And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God. Thus he said to him, 'Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father shall not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also.' So the two of them made a covenant before the Lord and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house." - 1 Samuel 23:16-18