During World War I, when my Mother was growing up, people were very poor, and my Grandparents, were no exception. Since Grandfather was away in the Czar's army, this didn't help the situation any.

One day, as Grandmother was getting ready to prepare supper, that turned into unforgettable cooking lesson, she sent my mother to the well, to get a bucket of water. She was preparing their favorite dish, borsch, it was no surprise to mother and her older brother, as a matter of fact it was always borsch, which consisted of cabbage and potatoes, any other vegetation and any pork ribs that could be found, usually none. They lived by a river, so there were many frogs around. In the summer time it was unbelievable the amount of noise that the frogs were able to produce. When Mother brought the bucket in with the water, unsuspectingly she brought in a guest, but she didn't know it. When the borsch was being cooked, and while stirring it, Mother noticed a pair of eyes floating on the surface. She was about eight years old and said "look Mom the eyes popped out from the borsch", Grandmother in a dignified manner took the large wooden spoon and scooped out the eyes, and said that's nothing, like it was a daily occurrence. Now, let me point out that it is a common expression in the Slavic language, when arguing and loosing your temper, to say the expression " Oh! I hope your eyes will pop out of you", an almost similar expression in the English language, "I hope you croak". Since, it is a common expression of hoping that your eyes pop out of you, leads me to believe that is where it has originated, from a cooking pot.

Now, there must have been a frog in the bucket, and yet how is that possible; to be cooked in boiling water with out jumping out on to the floor? By the way, the cooking pot, was not a shiny aluminum pot or a stainless steel pot but a cast iron black kettle pot, as a matter of fact my sister has a skillet made of cast iron, that my Dad had made for my Mother when they were engaged. When my Dad wanted to learn a vocation, his heart was set on being a blacksmith, but he did not have the physical stamina for that vocation, his second choice was a taylor, but his father could not afford that, so he finally settled for a cobbler. A profession that has served him and his family well. Being familiar with the skillet, there is this patina, if one can call it that, a brownish black oxide of iron that is formed on cast iron, so I can understand why the this critter was not easily seen. It seems that the frog started in cold water, and gradually the temperature was increased slowly, until it was to late for the frog, and it ended up being cooked and may I add, eaten. If you were to put the frog into hot water it would jump out, and yet this gradual warming of the water seems to be the answer. So you can cook a frog in water if the water heats up slowly. The frog is comfortable, until it is to late, and it's goose is cooked.

Now, it is a fact, that micro waves can and do cook things, like your microwave ovens and your cell phones, but, can it be, that your TV is cooking you? Could your Boob tube be cooking you? No, not from the radiation and there is some concern about that, but from, the stew of filth, that it puts out for your consumption. As you can see, I am not referring to the physical but the moral and spiritual. Should I ask the question, are you WELL DONE YET? This ability to cook you; is not just exclusively limited to the Boob tube, but all means of entertainment.

How did we, as nation arrive at this point? In this hot stew, that mainly consists of scum? We started out with the Lone Ranger, I Love Lucy, Roy Rogers, Jakie Gleson just to name a few and now, just about total scum. Even the news programs contain it share of scum generated from the highest office in the land, and even during the intermission you have to put up with scum. It didn't happen over night, this diabolical calculated plan took some forty years to accomplish its goal.

The TV seems like a private entertainment and no one in the world could possible know what you are watching ( except God ) and there is no record of the incident; however that is not the case with the internet. With every word and deed being recorded twenty times over, at some twenty locations world wide, for posterity and other DEVIOUS reasons, on the world wide internet, Matthew 12:37, takes on a whole new meaning " For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." A permanent record of all that I see and all that I do or send is stored at some twenty or more locations. And even the expression, is there enough EVIDENCE to convict you of being a Christian, has to take on a whole new meaning as well. That is why, we should use wisdom when dealing with the internet! Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves .

Can we honestly express the same desire that the Psalmist does in; Psalms 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. Psalms 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

We all have a desire to be entertained, in some form or another. If you were sitting in front of the TV set and saw something objectionable, such as, an obscene picture, the right action would be to turn it off. But, if they were to do it in a subtle way, where it was not to objectionable until you were half way through the program, chances are that you might watch the rest of it. A threshold has to be reached before we act, and just exactly what is our threshold, we see that the frog was fooled in recognizing its threshold. Reptiles are cold blooded, so a little heat is a welcome addition to their life, the change was so gradual, that it missed its threshold limit. I think our threshold limit is directly proportional to the time we spend in God's word. The less time we spend the higher the threshold, and the opposite is true, the more time we spend in God's word the lower the threshold; Which goes with out saying, if we have a dusty Bible we are living a dirty life, no two ways about it. It used to be, if you were to hear a certain words on the air waves you would blush, not any more, why, people have become desensitized, by hearing it mentioned on the air waves over and over. Do you get the idea that these are all (entertainment) bad commercials and SOMEONE is trying to sell you something, are you buying?

Do you think that the following passage could apply to this country? Jeremiah 8:12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

Ezekiel 24:3 And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it: 11 Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed. 12 She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire. 13 In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.

Are you WELL DONE, yet? How long do you have to sit in the pot.? How does Satan get you to sit still in the pot? We know that Satan is a Liar and the father of lies. How does he manage to convince you of the lie "Don't move or you will spoil the recipe".

John 8:44 ... He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

When this race is finished, whom do you want to say these words to you; "WELL DONE"!

Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Matthew 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

By

Pete P. Repich