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WEBMASTER'S MESSAGE

Visit "FairTax.org" READ the information and see for yourself how this plan could eliminate the IRS, income tax, capital gains tax, as well as several other taxes. Also see for yourself how the Fair Tax as proposed would generate around 358 Billion dollars more a year than the taxes it would replace while improving life for the MILLIONS of people in this country that live at or below the poverty level by allowing them to keep their ENTIRE paycheck. Allowing our entire National Debt to wiped out in as little as 37 years. A plan that is so simple that Politicians won't believe that it can work. A plan that will finally make the "Made in America" label competitive again. Allowing a future for our children and grandchildren that wouldn't include crippling debt that we dumped on them. There are many pro's to this option and the only con is that the Govt. would have to close the IRS...what a shame! "FairTax.org" read it, study it, tell all of the politicians in your state that you support the Fair Tax option and if they won't act on it to put it to the people and let US vote on it...afterall "WE" the people means all of us not just the politicians! Pray for guidance from God and allow your children's children a chance at a life without a national debt that can never be repaid.

Charles "Jody" May

COPING

In these uncertain times it is easy to get wrapped up in things that we think are important that might not really be what we should be focused on. Economic turmoil, terrorism threats, and a job market that doesn't seem to be rebounding anytime soon is a scary thought for even the strongest of people. But, isn't the thought of an eternity separate from God even more frightening?

Yes, all of the things I mentioned are things we deal with on a daily basis but facing them alone without God is even scarier. As you look for answers to questions like how to pay your bills, provide food, shelter, and clothes for your family remember this; God will never forsake you and will never allow you to go through any trial alone. The hardest part for me of being a Christian is to, no matter what is going on in my life, remember to be thankful to God for all of the blessings I do have in my life. It is very easy to get caught up in the "woe is me game" and forget the truly important blessings we have in our lives.

Blessings like family, friends, and a God that loves us even though we don't deserve it. We are all born sinners into this world but we don't have to stay that way. God is so gracious that we all we have to do is ask for his forgiveness and we get it. So remember when you are praying to God about your personal financial, health, or spiritual well being remember to thank him for his unconditional love and grace that allows us to come to him with our problems no matter how big or small. It is easy to pray when we need something, but let us never begin to think of God as the "magic genie in the lamp" that we only need when things are going bad. Thank him, praise him, and above all else be faithful to him. God is good ALL THE TIME and ALL THE TIME God is good! God bless you and your family and may he have mercy on us all and forgive us our sins and answers our prayers in his way and in his time.

AWESOME

You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you've ever heard fills the air. The sound is high above you. A trumpet? A choir? A choir of trumpets? You don't know, but you want to know.. So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren't the only curious one. The roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are open, and people are staring at the sky. Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store. The Little League Baseball game across the street has come to a halt. Players and parents are searching the clouds. And what they see, and what you see, has never before been seen. As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the earth. Every hue ever seen and a million more never seen. There are no shadows. Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at a time, until they occupy every inch of the sky. North, South, East, and West. Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison, over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the Cherubim and Seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy.. The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver-bearded elders and a multitude of souls who join the angels in worship. Suddenly, the heavens are quiet, all is quiet. The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns and there "He" is.. Jesus. Through waves of light you see the silhouetted figure of Christ the King. He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop a billowing cloud. He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his declaration: "I am the Alpha and the Omega." The angels bow their heads.. The elders remove their crowns.. And before you is a figure so consuming that you know, instantly you know: Nothing else matters.. Forget stock markets and school reports. Sales meetings and football games. Nothing is newsworthy.. All that mattered, matters no more.. For Christ has come. This morning when the Lord opened a window to Heaven, he saw me, and he asked: "My child, what is your greatest wish for today?" I responded: Lord please; take care of my family, my friends, the person who is reading this message, their family and their special friends. They deserve it and I love them very much." The love of God is like the ocean, you can see its beginnings but not its end. To some it may sound dumb, but the person who sent this to me was impressed with its timing. Let us see if it is true.

ANGELS EXIST, but sometimes, since they don't all have wings we call them FRIENDS, SUCH AS YOU.

Pass this on to all of your true friends. SOMETHING GOOD WILL HAPPEN TO YOU TODAY.

Expect the Best of Your Teen

Teens today face a multitude of problems that as teens we never did. However, that doesn't me you shouldn't expect the best from your teen. As parents it is our responsibility to keep informed of the temptations our teens face and help them navigate the waters of adolescence. It is possible to have a loving relationship while not letting your teen get out of control. Keeping an open line of communication is key. You want your teen to understand that even though you may not always approve of the choices they make that it doesn't change the fact that you love them and that they can always come to you. Explaining of course that doesn't mean there might not be consequences for their actions.

Discipline is a must. "Just" discipline that allows you to keep a good relationship with your teen while teaching them that certain behavior just won't be tolerated. And that is the trick isn't it? What is just? And how do you keep the line of communication open if your teen knows there maybe punishment that comes with a particular behavior?

Unfortunately, there isn't one answer that works for every teen. It is something that each parent has to determine based on their teen. The one constant that I have found that all the parents I know with this ideal relationship with their teens have is a love of God. Christianity plays a huge part in giving parents the strength and wisdom to help their teens as they become young adults.

So remember it isn't a bad thing to "expect the best from your teen" as long as you remember that you should also expect the best from yourself. Be a "do what I do" example for your teen not a do "what I say" parent, because believe me setting a Godly example for your teen to see will mean so much more to them than anything you could say. Even when you think they aren't paying attention they are. God bless you and your family and good luck!

Brenden Foster: 'I had a great time'

By Elisa Jaffe, KOMO News, Seattle, Washington

BOTHELL, Wash. -- The day I met Brenden Foster, I met an old soul in an 11 year old's body. "I should be gone in a week or so," he said calmly. When I asked him what he thought were the best things in life, Brenden said, "Just having one." I didn't understand how this child, who was a year younger than my own son, could be so courageous facing death. "It happens. It's natural," Brenden told me. Three years ago, doctors diagnosed Brenden with leukemia. The boy who once rushed through homework so he could play outside found himself confined to a bed. But there was no confining his spirit. "I had a great time. And until my time comes, I'm going to keep having a great time," he said. Brenden's selfless dying wish was to help the homeless. "They're probably starving, so give'em a chance," he said, "food and water." But Brenden was too ill to feed them on his own. So volunteers from Emerald City Lights Bike Ride passed out some 200 sandwiches to the homeless in Seattle. Then Brenden's last wish took on a life of its own. A TV station in Los Angeles held a food drive. School kids in Ohio collected cans. People in Pensacola, Florida gathered goods. And here in Western Washington, KOMO viewers from all over took part in the Stuff the Truck food drive in Brenden's honor. Hundreds with generous hearts donated six and a half huge truck loads of groceries and more than $60,000 in cash to benefit Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline. Brenden touched hearts all over the world. His wish came true, and he lived to see it. "He had the joy of seeing all of the beautiful response to his last wish," said his grandmother, Patricia McMorrow. "It gives him great peace and he knows that his life has meaning." "He's left a legacy and he's only 11," said his mother, Wendy Foster. "He's done more than most people dream of doing just by making a wish." Days before dying, Brenden surprised us with a sudden burst of energy. He wanted to get off the oxygen, hop out of bed and go buy a video game. Wise beyond his years, but still a kid. "I have been so blessed to have this child. A mother couldn't ask for a better son," Wendy said. The B-Man, as his family called him, had one more wish before going: sprinkle wildflower seeds to save the bees. He had heard bees were in trouble. Someone answered B-Man's wish. A retired pilot asked his pilot and flight attendant friends to sprinkle wild flowers around the world, from Bali to Brazil, on Brenden's behalf. When asked what made him sad, Brenden said, "When someone gives up." Brenden Foster never gave up. Even as he clung to his last hours of life, Brenden kept giving. "Follow your dreams. Don't let anything stop you," he said.

Brenden died in his mother's arms Friday November 21, 2008 he was and is a remarkable example of how God wants us to live our lives. If you have ever asked yourself "What would Jesus do?" All you have to do is think of Brenden and how he lived his life and you will have your answer. Brenden will be missed greatly, but Heaven truly accepted an Angel on Friday and I personally take great comfort in knowing that he is watching over me. God Bless!

Jody May, Christianity Connection

American Heroes

Remembering the "Indianapolis"

Sunday, the 29th of July was a quiet day. The sea was runnin five or six feet waves, just a beautiful day out. Didn't do too much, read a book, did a little tinkerin as usual. Had the 8:00 to 12:00 watch and just got off at midnight. A guy relieved me about a quarter to twelve. I went down through the galley and had a cup of coffee. Then went to my compartment and got a blanket off my bed and went back up on deck. I slept under the overhang on the first turret. My battle station was inside it so in case general quarters sounded, I slept underneath it. Just got laid down good, using my shoes for a pillow as usual and the first torpedo hit. I was up and down between the deck and the overhang of the turret like Yankee Doodle Dandy. And, I wondered, "what in the hell is goin on?"

I got out of my blanket and started to roll out from underneath the turret and the other torpedo hit. Another Yankee Doodle deal, all over the place. I started to walk forward to see what I could see and what I seen was about sixty-foot of the bow chopped off, completely gone. Within a minute and a half, maybe two minutes at the most the bow is startin to do down. It filled up with water that fast. Everything was open below deck and the water just flooded in and we were still under way, just scoopin water. Complete chaos, total and complete chaos all over the whole ship. Screams like you couldn't believe and nobody knew what was goin on. The word got passed down, "ABANDON SHIP"! It was maybe five minutes and we were really down in the water so we proceeded to abandon ship.

Jim Newhall and I went over the side holding hands. I got tangled up in the life line long side the ship. I got untangled and surfaced. I'm all alone so I swam out away from the ship, probably fifty yards, maybe one hundred yards, I don't know. I flipped over on my back and looked back and about two thirds of the ship was in the water, bow first and leanin to the right, the propellers were still turning. In the silhouette of the sinking ship I could see guys jumpin off the fantail like crazy. I went over the side with a life jacket. I pulled it off and gave it to one of the younger officers that was screamin his head off that he didn't have one.

Anyway, there I am layin on my back lookin at that and no life jacket. I don't hear anybody around me any place so I'm just kind of floatin and relaxin when low and behold, a potato crate floats by. Potatoes were packaged in wooded crates then. It was just an empty potato crate, made a good buoyancy to hold on to. Works as good as a life jacket I guess. Then pretty soon I heard some voices. I yelled and who answers me, my buddy Jim Newhall. So I swam over to where he was and there was quite a group of them. It's chaos and everybody talkin and a lot of the guys were wounded, burned and we were trying to do the best we could.

Day 1 The next morning we kind of counted heads the best we could. There was about 150 people in the group. We were scattered around quite a bit. Well this isn't too bad, we thought, we'll be picked up today. They knew we were out here after all we were due in the Philippines this morning at 11:00 so when we don't show they'll know. If they didn't get a message off, but we're sure they got a message off, they'll still know where we are so no sweat, we'll be picked up before the days over.

So the day passed, night came and it was cold. IT WAS COLD. The next mornin the sun come up and warmed things up and then it got unbearably hot so you start praying for the sun to go down so you can cool off again.

Day 2 When the sharks showed up, in fact they showed up the afternoon before but I don't know of anybody being bit. Maybe one on the second day but we just know we'll be picked up today. They've got it all organized by now, they'll be out here pretty soon and get us, we all thought. The day wore on and the sharks were around. Come night time and nobody showed up. We had another night of cold, prayin for the sun to come up. What a long night.

Day 3 The sun finally did rise and it got warmed up again. Some of the guys been drinkin salt water by now, and they were goin bezerk. They'd tell you big stories about the Indianapolis is not sunk, its' just right there under the surface. I was just down there and had a drink of water out of the drinkin fountain and the Geedunk is still open. The geedunk bein the commissary where you buy ice cream, cigarettes, candy, what have you, "it's still open" they'd tell ya. "Come on we'll go get a drink of water", and then 3 or 4 guys would believe this story and go with them.

The day wore on and the sharks were around, hundreds of them. You'd hear guys scream, especially late in the afternoon. Seemed like the sharks were the worst late in the afternoon than they were during the day. Then they fed at night too. Everything would be quiet and then you'd hear somebody scream and you knew a shark had got him.

It didn't ever get any cooler in the daytime. In fact, Newhall asked me, he said, "James, do you think it's' any hotter in hell than it is here?" I said, "I don't know, Jim, but if it is, I ain't goin."

We were hungry, thirsty, no water, no food, no sleep, getting dehydrated, water logged and more of the guys were goin bezerk. There was fights goin on so Jim and I decided to heck with this, we'll get away from this bunch before we get hurt. So he and I kind of drifted off by ourselves. We tied our life jackets together so we'd stay together. Jim was in pretty good shape to begin with, but he was burned like crazy. His hand was burned, he couldn't hold on to anything, couldn't touch anything.

Day 4 Then the next day arrived. By this time I would have give my front seat in heaven and walked the rotten log all the way through hell for just one cool drink of water. My mouth was so dry it was like cotton. How I got up enough nerve to take a mouth full of salt water and rinse my mouth out and spit it out I don't know but I did. Did it a couple of times before the mornin was over. That's probably why I ended up with salt-water ulcers in my throat. When we got picked up my throat was bigger than my head.

Anyway, we're out there in the sun prayin for it to go down again, then low and behold there's a plane. Course there had been planes everyday since day one. They were real high and some of the floaters had mirrors that tried to attract them, but nothing. Anyway, this one showed up and flew by and we thought, "Oh hell, he didn't see us either. He's gone." Then we seen him turn and come back and we knew we had been spotted. What a relief that was.

So he did, he came back and flew over us. It was a little PV1 Ventura. It was out on submarine patrol and he spotted us. He radioed back to his base and instead of sending some help out, the Navy sent one plane out. One PBY that came out and circled and radioed back to the base that there was a bunch of people in the water and he needed more assistance and more survival gear. The pilot ended up landin in the water and picked up a lot of guys, the single guys, one or two guys that were together so the afternoon went on. Late in the afternoon before dark there was another PBY on the scene. He dropped his survival gear and he dropped a little three-man rubber raft. Jim and I tried to swim to it. He made it but I didn't. I was just so wore out from holding him up and hangin on to him all day and the night before, I just couldn't make it but he did. About the time he got on it there was two other guys so there is three of them total in it and that's all it was made for, three.

Anyway, the other direction there was two guys in the water and the two guys in the raft told Jim, "we'll go over there and pick those two up". Jim said, "No, we're goin go pick Woody up then we'll go get those two guys." They said "Nope, we're goin to do it the other way." The raft contained those little aluminum oars that come in two pieces and Jim put one of them together and threw the other one over board. "Okay you guys, I don't want to be mean but we're goin over to get Woody and you guys are goin to do the paddling by hand. If you don't things, are goin to happen with this oar that you ain't agoin to like." So they came over and picked me up and that's how I owe Jim Newhall my life. If it had not been for that I wouldn't be here tellin this story.

So they picked me up, then we went and got the other two guys. Now there's six of us on this raft. It's getting pretty crowded but we run onto three other guys and we picked them up. Now there's nine of us on this little raft. It's just about dark and figure we'll make it through the night one way or another. About midnight, a little bit before there was a light shining off of the bottom of the cloud and we knew then we were saved. That was the spotlight of the Cecil Doyle. The Navy is on the scene. There's a ship comin. You can't believe how happy we were, guys screamin and yellin, "We're saved, We're saved."

Morning of the 5th Day The Doyle arrived on the scene and started pickin survivors out of the water a little after midnight. It was daylight the next morning that he came along side us in our little raft. Boy, what a happy day that was to get my feet on the deck again.

We got on deck and saluted the officer of the day and asked permission to come aboard, which was Navy tradition. All I had on was my boatson pipe hanging around my neck on a lanyard and I pulled it off and gave it to one of these guys. Why? I don't know, just happy to give anything I owned for bein rescued, I guess. Anyway, they gave me one spoonful of sweetened water and assigned a guy to me to get me cleaned up because we were all covered with oil. Had been oily for a day, which was a blessing. Had we not had the oil on us like we did, the sun would have really ruined us. It was a good thing we had the oil on.

So I went to the shower and got cleaned up as best as I could. I asked the guy, "Is this fresh water shower or salt water?" He said, "Fresh water." I turned my head up to it and opened my mouth and I tried to drink that shower dry. Got off what we could, junk off of me and they gave us clothes, dungarees of course, and found us a bed. All the crew was just the nicest people in the world. They gave up their beds and everything. I went to sleep laying on my back. Unbeknownst to me I noticed when I was showering that my legs were burned. Both legs were burned in the back, halfway between the thigh and the knee to halfway between the knee and the ankle. I went to sleep and didn't see the doctor. They had one doctor aboard and a couple of quartermen but they had more important things to do than take care of me. There was a lot of people in worst shape than I was but they tried to help. I went to sleep, I don't know how long I slept. I went to sleep with my knees drawed up in the bed on my back. I waked up and all that burn had matted together and I couldn't straighten my legs so I spent the rest of my time until I got aboard the hospital ship on a stretcher. They wanted to move me around so they put me on a stretcher.

They finally discharged us all from the hospital. They kept us all in the hospital, the whole crew until everybody was able to move out. Then they moved us down to what they call the submarine R & R camp. We thought we'd died and gone to heaven. This is not the Navy. You go to bed when you want and get up when you want. You go over to the kitchen and tell the cook what you want to eat and how you want it fixed, like downtown a café.

Well I was discharged on the 3rd day of December 45 and that was the end of my Navy career. I'm glad. I don't want to do it again but if I had to I would even at my age I would gladly serve my country again.

My granddaddy had a lot of sayings he'd always tell me...

Son, do right by your fellow man. Treat him as you'd like to be treated because your chickens will come home to roost. You reap what you sow. Sow good things and you reap good things.

I must have sowed some good seeds somewhere along the line. I've sure been harvesting good things. Found and married the woman I love with a ready-made family. Lot of people don't get to chose their kids but I did. It's been a joy in my life. I dearly love each one of them. Today, fifty years later, there is 32 grandkids and 46 great grandkids. Now that is a bunch of little rascals. We had a lot of good years together, had a lot of good times. Some of it wasn't so good. Sometimes we struggled, sometimes it was better but we've always been together. Do I know how to plant seed or do I know how to plant seed?

I live in a house beside the road and I hope I've been a friend to man.

Survivor Woody James left this life on Monday Sept 19, 2005 just shy of his 83rd birthday. He died late in the afternoon in a tragic car accident in Salt Lake City, Utah. Woody was my grandfather, and although this site was built for the entire crew of the Indy, both survivors and the fallen, it was done especially out of love for Woody. He was one great giant of a man, in stature and in action. My grandfather didn't waste a day in his life, and what a life it was. The words that Woody inscribed in a book of mine gives me comfort and seems a fitting goodbye:

"May you have a long and happy life, as I have had. - Love You, Grandpa"

I miss you Grandpa

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