The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind...

How many times must a man look up before he can see the sky? Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry? Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind; the answer is blowin' in the wind. How many years can a mountain exist before it's washed to the sea? Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist before they're allowed to be free? Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head, pretending he just doesn't see? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, The answer is blowin' in the wind. Bob Dylan, 1963

I woke up in the middle of the late evening—again. This is common for me becuase I don't get the luxary of falling asleep at normal times, but last night while reading world news via the web, it was eerier and more disturbing than other nights a wasted. This morning my heart ached by the ingested sights, absorbed sounds and unbelievable tragedies around the globe. Thousands of defendless children died a despicable death a few days ago. Over 1/3 of all reported deaths were small children. The images were quite disturbing.

Does Chea Jia Va or Cyclone Nargis ring a bell in your thoughts? Probably not and it’s not your fault.  It’s just one of many insular blessings (or curses) we enjoy about being in America... outofsightoutofmind, obladi-oblada-life-goes-on!

Thousands and thousands upon thousands have been killed in Mynamar (aka Burma). A cyclone with winds up to 120 miles per hour swept through the Irrawady Delta and thrust a wall of water 25 miles inland last Friday, May 2 (PST). Think Katrina in the Gulf region of the United States, creating a massive, colossal disaster.

In China, another beastly terror took place. A temblor shook its ancient ground later on Monday. The earthquake trembled violently under a magnitude 7.9, struck at 2:28 p.m. (2:28 a.m. ET) with its epicenter about 50 miles northwest of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. 15,000 deaths are estimated (it will be higher, some officials report).

Both of these country’s governments are suspicious, spooked of outside nations, and in their indifference and senseless political posture, the government’s marionettes, put on the "dog ‘n pony show" instead, and are stonewalling international aid?! They are actually turning back foreigners and ignoring pleas to accept outside experts who could save countless lives before time runs out. Their backwater politicians and inhuman agendas have now become emblems of what is wrong in this Godless world.

Unfortunately, earthquake prediction technology is not available, as of yet. But unlike the cyclone, it had been tracked for days before it smashed against the coast of Myanmar. “When we saw the (storm) track, I said, 'Uh oh, this is not going to be good," said Mark Lander, a meteorology professor at the University of Guam. "It would create a big storm surge. It was like Katrina going into New Orleans." Forecasters began tracking the cyclone April 28 as it first headed toward India. As projected, it took a sharp turn eastward, but didn't follow the typical cyclone track in that area leading to Bangladesh or Myanmar's mountainous northwest. Instead, it swept into the low-lying Irrawaddy delta in central Myanmar. The result was the worst disaster ever in the impoverished country.

Burmese officials and government heads knew about the impending doom. Its residents were notified swiftly and promptly, but opted to do nothing! No mass exodus, no evacuation plans, nothing. Evidently, many of the residents did not want to leave their homes and heed the dangerous warnings.

Similarly, many Southern Californianos are not heeding the impending, predicted earthquake, the ‘big-one.’ From the 1971 San Fernando Valley, 1987 Whittier, and 1994 Northridge earthquakes, my wife and I have learned our lessons. We’re ready. In two ways we’re ready:

1) The temblors and natural disasters to come.

2) The imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ

Matthew 24: 4-8 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Take Heed—the answer, my brother, is blowin’ in the wind.