Hugh Jackman Came to the Walmart Saturday Morning Meeting for Little Ichabod's Birthday

David Hobson - one of the singers, above.
4 years ago (edited)
I lead a blessed life, and part of that blessedness is being afforded the opportunity to sing with the most talented people on earth. This Christmas special was an example of this "sharing of voices" to proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ, Hugh Jackman's personal Lord and Savior. I was thrilled to exchange stories with Hugh between costume changes concerning the Holy Scriptures and our mutual faith, and, of course, our mutual love for shark hunting. As you know Hugh has a ravenous appetite for shark (or "sharkies" as they are called down under) and loves to hunt them on his own terms, by hand. When the Christmas special was over everyone picked up their wraps and coats, walked outside in the cold air, departed in carriages, or some in their cars, and vanished into a black night, thinking of something we knew long ago.

We were very impressed with Hugh Jackman at the Christmas Walmart meeting, a year or so ago. He accepted a card from a little girl, during his talk, and came out into the audience after the meeting - unheard of! - to meet the little girl and say hello to her mother. Jackman then stayed around to shake hands, and Team Jackson headed over to him to say hello.

No other celebrity has stayed around to sign more than an autograph or two. Usually they are spirited out, like Paul being let down in a basket at night (Acts 9:25).

This time a little boy dressed as P. T. Barnum, so the CEO and Hugh waved the boy down for photos. More kids arrived for photos. Jackman posed with all of them.

When Jackman was at the Christmas meeting, he sang full-force from Le Miz and belted out the Christmas hymns with the WM choir.

At a junior talent show in Australia,
Hugh Jackman played the role of Wolverine. A prodigy!

 Formal Greek lessons started later, after Marty translated all of John's Gospel from Latin. Later, we did the same in Greek.

"Is This Your First Saturday Morning Meeting?" No, More Like My 80th. Just Another Walmart Team Jackson BBQ

 Grandson Alexander agreed to pose in my Tilley hat,
holding my walking stick.

This is our schedule for monthly Saturday Morning Meetings at Walmart:
5 AM - I wake up and do some cleaning and coffee brewing.
6:30   - Pick up Little Ichabod at the Little Ichabode.
7:00   - Arrive at a Walmart location or the outdoor, tent-like AMP for the 8 AM meeting.

We arrive so early at the famous Saturday Morning Meetings that we often sit directly behind the celebrity guests, Walmart executives, or Walton family members.

 LI did a hilarious imitation of Arnie discussing his early morning
shopping trips at Walmart, during delays in filming.

This Saturday, we had a row of reserved seats ahead of us, and some younger people sat there as special guests. LI wondered where they came from, so I asked. "We are interns at WM; we're in business school."

The young intern wanted to know about LI's job and mine. She looked at me and asked, "Is this your first Saturday Morning Meeting?"

 Geena Davis sat in the row ahead of us at one meeting.
She began an annual movie festival for Bentonville, a town which has no movie theaters of its own.

I said, "No, it's my 80th or so. We go to all the SMMs, unless he is out of town. And we attend the shareholders' annual meetings too. My wife and I have lived in the area for seven years - for the grandchildren - and their parents." We named a few of the celebrities we have seen live, from our press row seats. Our favorite remains - Hugh Jackman.

Sandra Bullock came to the SMM
immediately after her Oscar win.
Many military heroes are honored at the meetings - and their super-safe truck drivers are routinely honored and applauded.

We had a fun BBQ event for the whole family, where most of the birthdays fall within 30 days. Mrs. I has extra time to spend with our son, before the rest of the family arrives. So we catch up on all the developments and technology changes of the moment.

LI was my first Greek student, so I told him about how well the Bethany New Testament Greek classes are going.

 Hugh Jackman stayed afterwards to
meet guests and shake hands.
We did not miss that opportunity.

Walmart Shareholders Meeting - A Dream Come True for the Booze Brothers. They Missed Seeing Their Fave No-Talent Singer-Dancer, Katy Perry

Katy Perry

Little Ichabod and I went to the Walmart Shareholders Meeting, which  combines their business meeting with an entertainment extravaganza. They keep one guest secret  from everyone, and that star sings at the end of the meeting.

I was curious why the normal line-up during the meeting was not long on celebrity. In the past many of the entertainers were nationally known (perhaps more in my generation). Finally, I said, "Is there a mystery guest?" LI did not know.

I remembered Celine Dione singing in the past, coming out at the very end while people went nuts taking photos.

Pretending to close the meeting, Katy Perry's make-up was advertised in a video and she strolled out with her dancers to do a three-song set. I said to LI, "The Booze Brothers dream come true!" That explained where the entertainment budget went. One can only imagine what makes her successful in a land gone to the dogs.

Geena Davis in a League of Their Own

We arrive early at the monthly Saturday Morning Meetings. Very early. At one meeting we sat behind the Walton (Walmart) heirs and top executives. I have talked to two of Sam Walton's children, Alice at the museum and Jim after a meeting. The family owns 51% of the stock, which comes from Walton planning his estate early and dividing the shares.

So - one meeting we were in the row behind Geena Davis, who was introducing the annual Bentonville Film Festival.

Hugh Jackman was very kind to a little girl who brought him a card during the
Christmas meeting. He greeted the family afterwards and stayed
to shake hands with those, like us, who wisely stayed around to say hello.
He is the only celebrity guest to do this - ever.

We watched Hugh Jackman leading the Christmas carols at a December meeting and shook hands with him afterwards.

Anderson Cooper came to one meeting to promote his autobiography. Once again we were front and center. We are in so many reaction shots at the meetings - cameras aimed at the crowd - that I advised LI to look toward "our" camera to avoid the monitor-stare look.

Arnold Schwarzenegger never stops entertaining.

We were fairly close to Arnold at another recent meeting. He loved telling stories about how films get made. Some fans know that he is famous for going to Walmart at all hours and buying large quantities of stuff between takes.

We spoke to Google's VP of global sales, Philipp Schindler,
after another meeting. 

More Love, More Joy in Gardening - More Lovejoy. Stop Hating on God's Creatures

Here is the first Sharon Lovejoy post.

Just as all the traditional denominations have departed from Creation and Christian doctrine, so have gardening and farming experts apostacized from natural principles in their fields. Most books advocate chemical solutions which are absurd from the perspective of soil health, plant production, and our own benefits.

How many want to feed Roundup, insecticide, and herbicides to our families? Few can afford the organic produce offered at stores, but anyone can grow them easily.

A major emphasis in Sharon Lovejoy's work is this theme - Stop hating on all those creatures: moles, crows, wasps, hornets, ragweed, dandelions, etc.

Her heavily researched commentary is backed by the facts,  gutting the chemical addictions of modern gardening and farming. Every single plant and animal has a profound effect on the rest, and relying on one or the other cure is bound to have a house-of-cards effect on the delicate balance of Creation.

Lovejoy's experiments and research have demonstrated that trashy methods work best. For example, weeds and native plants support the bee population, which pollenate the produce we want to enjoy. A harmless dandelion patch (a valuble herb with attractive flowers) benefits birds and bees alike.

My mother wondered why I did not clean up the sunflower stalks in New Ulm. I said, "Birds love them for perching all winter, and the roots slowly decay into the soil to feed the earthworms." Sure enough, when snow accumulated in our backyard, the birds rested on those stalks in their search for food and danger.

Gardening gossip is often wrong and short-sighted. Once alarmed by the sight of slugs, people start finding ways to kill slugs. But most of the slugs work under the soil and become part of the food cycle, feeding toads and smaller creatures. Slugs are almost pure moisture, so they are little storage tanks. Tear apart a diaper for the same effect? Slugs store moisture for free, and they are shredders, with rasping mouths that reduce organic material they find.

Lovejoy makes a great point that removing pests means taking food away from the pests' predators. So if the aphids are all picked off, what will the the ladybugs eat for dinner? The predators may be a bit delayed but they show up when the gardener avoids sprays, blowtorches, and other torture devices.

Cleaning up may remove ladybug eggs, destroying the chances they will hatch and eat thousands of pests. Likewise, the hornets' and wasps' nests are Orkin headquarters, borrowing a little space in order to prowl the garden and attack larvae. We had wasps come into the house in Bella Vista, the buggiest place we ever lived, but we were never stung. Likewise, bee stings are a rarity in the garden.

A little experience shows how true this is. When I was enchanted with ponds, I created my first one in New Ulm. As soon as it began to ferment, with algae growing in the sunlight, a dragonfly showed up, gracefully darting around to eat airborne insects. I did not have to order one, buy one, or summon one. The dragonfly obeyed its software, written by the Creator and came to the food.

Jean Valjean would sing, as a gardener

Give them peace
Give them hugs
They are young
They are only some bugs
You can take
You can give
Let them be
Let them live.
Le Miz

Turning the Content Upside-Down: UOJ Specialty. Boycott the Emmaus Conference

Hugh Jackman shook our hands--Ichabod and LI--at a Walmart meeting.
When a college student heard that, she swooned,
"You shook Hugh Jackman's hand?"

 



When I have plenty of grading to do, listening to Les Miserables is great fun - the one above is all music, on stage, with a mass chorus and orchestra, and the best singers in all the roles.

I played the Hollywood version  of Les Miz for my English and literature classes, so I have seen or heard both versions many times.

There is just one problem with the movies - the plot has changed. In the novel, Jean Valjean's future son-in-law Marius is not a revolutionary. Instead, he is tricked into being at the barricades, which are a backdrop for a novel about poverty and unrest in 1800s France, after Napoleon's great dream dissolved at Waterloo.

But in the Jackman movie and the stage presentation above, the barricades are central to the story of Marius as a revolutionary leader.

Red and Black Song - http://www.azlyrics.com/l/lesmiserablescast.html

Red: the blood of angry men!
Black: the dark of ages past!
Red: a world about to dawn!
Black: the night that ends at last!

Do You Hear The People Sing?

[Enjolras:]
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

[Combeferre:]
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?

[Courfeyrac:]
Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!

[All:]
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

[Feuilly:]
Will you give all you can give
So that our banner may advance
Some will fall and some will live
Will you stand up and take your chance?
The blood of the martyrs
Will water the meadows of France!

[All:]
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes

***

The movie makes a bloody, senseless revolution sound so romantic and fun. In fact, the revolutionaries are all alive again at the end of the movie, singing and waving the red banner! Even the Paris street urchin with the British accent - is singing with a big grin on his face instead of a bullet in his heart.

UOJ does the same thing with justification by faith alone - changing the plot completely:

• Nowhere is it found in the Scriptures - UOJists call it "The Gospel."
• The Reformation only taught justification by faith - UOJists call their dogma the Chief Article, when that term was only applied to justification by faith.
• The Book of Concord editors fought against the Calvinism of UOJ, but the UOJists find their pet prevarication here and there and everywhere in the Confessions.
• Halle Pietism (Stephan's and Walther's) taught UOJ, so UOJ is called the hallmark of Lutheran Orthodoxy.
• UOJ did not take over the Missouri and WELS leadership until fairly recently, Gausewitz being a good example of justification by faith alone, but the SynCons call UOJ their everlasting and eternal truth.

We Heard George W. Bush Today - Walmart Meeting, BBQ, Batman Gifts. Composting the Leaves

George W. Bush came to Bentonville, Arkansas
to promote his book about his father, George H. W. Bush.

We went extra early to the Walmart Saturday Morning Meeting, to hear to his former staffer Dan Bartlett interview him. 

Dan Bartlett now works for Walmart.

W. fascinated the audience as he spoke about his father, his presidency, and his father's. He brought down the house by admitting his birth at Yale New Haven hospital was a political mistake.

LI was born at the same hospital. Chris and I worked at the Yale Medical complex. She helped a famous professor, Dr. Joan Fassler, with research - as she had at the University of Waterloo. I gathered and copied medical articles for researchers in a government program.

More than once I wore LI in a baby carrier and met Chris at the Yale Medical Library, our joint employer. I found it convenient to leave the Yale Shuttle Bus for a Baskin Robbins French Vanilla malted. The owner asked, "How much malt?" I told the owner, a fan of malteds, "I want enough to make me cough." He said, "I know what you mean."

Laura Bush came another time to promote her book, charming everyone,
but we have not seen the current president or his wife.

Friends went with us to see the George W. Bush Library in Dallas. We went to Dealey Plaza the same day.

The younger Bush is often called W for short, so that became my nickname among the Intrepid Lutherans who organized around a blog. The WELS leaders always blame me for the trouble caused by their own corruption, dishonesty, and false doctrine. The Intrepids heard that so often that I became "W" as a joke on WELS.

After the meeting, Chris heard all about it from LI, who told her about the technical revolution and the new high WM stock price.

I fired up T-Rex and we had a great meal. Unfortunately, a brief spell away from the grill meant the bacon blazed up and turned to ash.  We had homemade cheesecake and other delights.

Alex got Batman birthday gifts. He suggested a Batarang for next year's birthday. I looked it up with him on Amazon and sent him one for Wednesday, not for next year. He went outside with me and the helper to rake leaves for the compost. Snow is coming. We filled up the compost and put the garden hose on branches of the dead tree. Alex told our helper how they would divide the job up - division of labor. Our helper wondered how he become junior assistant. Seniority! Alex was raking leaves for me several years ago.


Other Walmart meeting stars, from previous meetings.

Joe Montana.

Tim Tebow.

Hugh Jackman led the Christmas singing at the meeting
and shook hands with LI and me fterwards. 

Arkansas Voters Pick Cotton

Tom Cotton is a combat veteran,
unlike the President - who combats veterans.

Combat veteran Tom Cotton (R) is far ahead of Mark Pryor in the early voting. We heard Mark Pryor at the Walmart meeting some time ago. Last year, Tom Cotton spoke at Ecclesia College, with several dozen Duggars present. I met him and wished him well, "Even though you went to the wrong school."

Cotton grew up on a farm and went to Harvard Law. He was mentioned as the next Senator as soon as he was elected Congressman (first term). We were talking to Alice Walton and her friend from the U. of Arkansas when the subject came up.

If Cotton is elected, the entire delegation to DC will be Republican instead of Democrat. Arkansas has remained the most Democrat state of the South, and the new governor (Asa Hutchinson) may also be replacing a Democrat.

The future governor's wife was at a David Barton lecture sponsored by Ecclesia College recently. We are in a heavily populated and prosperous area of a rural state, so everyone is always coming through here. Thanks to Walmart Saturday Morning Meetings, the celebrities, entertainers, and newsmakers make regular stops and speak. My favorite was Hugh Jackman, because he stayed after to shake hands with the audience, after leading the audience in Christmas hymns.

LI and I walked over to shake hands with Jackman when he stayed after to shake hands with the audience at the Walmart Christmas meeting. He led the Walmart choir in Christmas hymns and wowed everyone with his voice, but even more with his warmth toward a little girl who came up to give him a drawing.

Hugh Jackman was a star of musicals before he was Wolverine,
so he starred in Les Miserables.

Masters of Mammon Love Mammon Masters

Christian Post
When asked about the conviction of David Yonggi Cho, founder of world's largest Pentecostal congregation in South Korea, for embezzling $12 million from his church, popular pastor John Piper took the opportunity to warn pastors in the U.S. who might "love money," in a recent message.

"With every public dishonoring of Christ, every public dishonoring of His Word and His Gospel, and His Church, it makes me angry and it makes me sorrowful," said Piper in a recent episode of Ask Pastor John.
Yonggi Cho who pastors Yoido Full Gospel Church and oversees a network of churches numbering 800,000, was found guilty by a South Korean court for committing breach of trust and corruption amounting to $12 million, according to Yonhap News Agency.

He received a suspended sentence of three years in prison with a five year probation and was ordered to pay a penalty of $4.7 million by Seoul Central District Court on Feb. 20.

One of Cho's sons, Hee-jun, who serves as secretary general of Yeongsan Christian Cultural Center and was a former chairman of Next Media, was sentenced to three years in prison.

Glende demonstrates pastoral counseling -
at least he didn't take this sheep to court!

***

GJ - Mrs. Ichabod and I went to the Billy Graham School of Evangelism at Wheaton College when I was in the LCA. Don't judge - Paul Kelm and WELS sent people there too.

Cho was quite famous already, and this was in the mid-80s. When he was done with his talk, I went up on the stage and shook hands with him. I try to meet celebs, because there is only one chance - usually. That is how I shook hands with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and the CEOs of Walmart and Sam's Club.

Cho had the weakest handshake I have ever experienced, second only to Charles Colson (Watergate fame), who was also a speaker at Wheaton College.

Later I read Cho's horrible Fourth Dimension book, where he promoted Asian occult religion in the name of Christianity. The basic theme was - God can only give you what you demand in prayers. Be specific and he will give you every single thing you want. Not a bike, but a 15 speed with a bell and a leather seat and a special light. The so-called Vision Statements are a reflection of Cho's sick, narcissistic, pagan religion. As you can see below, WELS was lapping it up like ice cream about to melt in July.

When Paul Kelm ran his evangelism school, I was required to go. The place was packed with Shrinkers and minders (but I repeat myself). One of these dolts began extolling Cho. I raised the objection that Cho was a pagan false teacher. The Assemblies of God kicked him out, and the AG is not known for its discipline.

My critical response was met with awkward silence. I had panned someone's favorite author, his hero, his path to fame and fortune. Later, Jim Huebner (one of the Shrinker-minders) said they laughed at me behind my back for objecting to Cho.

The Shrinker who followed Rogerz Zehms in St. Louis sold Cho books out of a case of them he brought to a WELS seminar on campus ministry. WELS used every single structural element to promote Church Growth, because the Church Growth stars were already in charge of the apparatus.

You like Andy Stanley, the gay activist son of Charles Stanley? Charles went to South Korea to study under Cho.

You like Fuller Seminary? Cho lectured there. In fact, Cho toured America, lecturing Christians about how to use the spirit world to get what they want. We spoke to two hynotized Pentecostals who just loved Cho.

Robert Schuller wrote the introduction to Cho's Fourth Dimension. Schuller's cathedral was sold off to pay for his debts.

WELS leaders promoted Cho because the South Korean phony had the same covetous eyes for loot. They have wasted millions of dollars on their pet plans and yet insist on even more to lavish on their favorites. If you want to know where WELS and Missouri are headed, look at Cho and his son.

Hugh Jackman and Duck Dynasty - Recent Walmart Meetings

I walked over to shake hands with Hugh Jackman after the last Walmart meeting.
LI was right behind me and did the same, saying a few words to the actor/singer.

We made a point to be early to the Walmart Saturday Morning meeting for December. We already knew that Hugh Jackman (Les Miz, Wolverine) would be in the area stores and very likely at the meeting. He was the best host ever at the annual stockholders meeting last year.

We went to the Fitness Center, where a large room was set up for the meeting. Usually the meetins are divided among the Sam's Club and headquarters meeting rooms. The Walmart choir sang popular music and Christmas carols.

We were quite close to the stage, positioned stage left. Hugh Jackman was relaxed, friendly, charming. A four year-old girl walked up with her drawing and Hugh was delighted. His father was converted to Christianity at a Billy Graham rally and raised his children in the faith. Jackman told some family stories about his father's pride in his work as a performer.

Jackman made a point of his Christian faith when he introduced the solo he sang from the movie. Best of all, he invited the Walmart choir to join him in singing Gloria in Excelsis Deo, with the audience singing the words on the screen, at the close of the meeting.

We were very impressed with everything Jackman did, but the end of the meeting was special. Jackman (unlike any other celebrity in four years) stayed after the meeting was completely over. He walked over to the mother of the little girl and talked to her. He shook hands with the Walmart executives. I saw my chance and took it.

I power-walked to the center, not far away, and reached out to join the few who realized what was happening. Jackman graciously shook hands with me and then with Martin (LI for Little Ichabod).
That was our favorite - of all the meetings we have attended together in the last four years.

Sometimes I am a little jealous of my cohorts' glamorous travels. Then I realize, "In Northwest Arkansas, the entire world comes to us."

Walmart featured Duck Dynasty's star, Phil Robertson, at their meeting not long ago.
He is the Duck Commander.

I started writing up Walmart Saturday Morning Meetings when the toxic blogger from Fox Valley referred to this area as Podunk-Land.

Sandra Bullock came to the meeting a few days after winning the Academy Award. Almost every celebrity expresses shock that a company can get an energetic crowd together for a 7:30 AM meeting on Saturday.

Contrary to the A and E channel's myth-makers, they did not make Duck Dynasty famous. But lately they have made the star even more famous, the star of every news show all day long.

Long ago, Phil Robertson began marketing his duck calls to Walmart by driving from store to store, on his own. That was off-spec for corporate marketing, so they had to write an official letter making him a vendor to Walmart.

Phil gave up a contract in professional football to keep on duck hunting, but he earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree. As they say around here, "He ain't no dummy."

As everyone knows by now, Phil is very popular for expressing old fashioned American values in the midst of public media besotted with pro-abortion gay activism and anti-Christian rants.

The Walmart audience is drawn from all over. They are the executives who run marketing, legal, computers, personnel, real estate, and store management. They loved Robertson several months ago, without any special news story.

I read today that Walmart sold out of every bit of Duck Dynasty goods. That happens with hurricanes and tornadoes, but not with news stories.

Entertainers Came to Our Little Area for the Walmart Meetings

Kelly Clarkston sang several of her popular songs.

Tom Cruise spoke about Walmart initiatives,
such as the $2 billion hunger program.

Jennifer Hudson finished the stockholders' meeting with her songs.

Hugh Jackman wore his Wolverine beard to host the show
and revealed a magnificent singing voice and great sense of humor.
LI and I agreed he was best host in years.

Walmart sponsored a free Elton John concert for associates' families.

Prince Royce was another talented singer on the program.

Recently the Norman Rockwell paintings came to Crystal Bridges, where we volunteer, drawing over 120,000 visitors. The exhibit became the talk of the region, with people asking one another, "Have you seen it yet?"