December 2009 Newsletter

The Church Phone

Author Unknown

A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and worked his way eastward from there. Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and making notes.

He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued with a sign that read, “$10,000 per minute.” Seeking out the pastor, he asked about the phone and the sign. The pastor answered that the golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to Heaven, and if he pays the price, he can talk directly to God. The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way.

As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, Milwaukee, and around the United States, he found more such phones, with the same sign, and the same explanation from each pastor.

Finally, the man arrived in the lovely state of Georgia. Upon entering a church, he saw the usual golden telephone. But, this time the sign read: “Calls: 25 cents!”

Fascinated, the man asked to speak with the pastor. “Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone, and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven, and that I could use it to talk to God. But in 20 other churches, the cost was $10,000 per minute. Your sign says 25 cents per call. Why is that? The pastor, smiling benignly, replied, “Son, you’re in the South, now. It’s a local call.”

Georgia On Their Minds: Bills for 2010 Protect Constitutional Rights

On January 11th the Georgia General Assembly convenes for its annual 40-day session, but legislators began pre-filing bills November 16th. By December 17th they had introduced 39.

Senator Mitch Seabaugh pre-filed S.R. 793 to protect states’ rights as granted by the U.S. Constitution. It would amend the Georgia constitution with this: “All powers not delegated to the state or local governments by this Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the state or local governments, are reserved to the people of this state.” That reaffirms the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, giving states control of everything not specified for federal control.

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