Post on Ben Ferguson’s Twitter Threats to Amy Smith Delayed

I will get to this post in the AM. In the meantime I thought you would like to see why lots of snow in Raleigh is rather unexpected.

View of the driveway from my garage door on Wednesday


This picture of an abandoned mower was taken on my connector street today.

Comments

Post on Ben Ferguson’s Twitter Threats to Amy Smith Delayed — 55 Comments

  1. We had frozen precipitation for the 3rd time this year…for my part of Texas, this is a first.
    We had lows Wednesday of 17 and 18 on Thursday. We are just not prepared for this.
    The schools closed, county and city governments closed. There are broken water pipes all over the towns and cities, including many city water mains. Businesses were forced to close due to no water.
    Someone was wondering if this school year is just a waste. The districts lost so much time after Harvey, and now they are closed several times after the snow/sleet/ice storms.
    Someone pondered on the social media, ” Our kids are not going to learn anything this year.” And in truth, they’re correct. Even after Ike and Rita, there wasn’t this much time lost in classes.

  2. From 2010:

    https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-27470500.html

    The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) December 11, 2010

    “A judge Friday ordered a pastoral marriage counselor to talk with prosecutors about sessions he had with a Bartlett man and his wife in the months before she was shot to death last year. Criminal Court Judge Bobby Carter, however, stopped short of allowing that information to be put before a jury next March when the husband, Thomas Pate, is tried for first-degree murder. That decision will be made later.”

    “‘I’m directing (the counselor) to answer questions in this limited instance because I’ve got to know what he knows before there’s anything for me to rule on,’ Carter said, in considering the defense claim that the counseling sessions are privileged and confidential. ‘If it’s something I determine is privileged, it will remain privileged. (Pate’s) opinion about God is not relevant, but if he admits to doing this or thinking about doing this, that might be different.'”

    “Pate, 27, is charged with killing his wife, Micah Rine Pate, 26, a nurse from Searcy, Ark., where the couple met at Harding University. He reported her missing on April 30 last year, but the following day told Bartlett police he accidentally shot her in the head while target practicing near the Loosahatchie River Bottoms near Lakeland.”

    “The couple had been receiving marriage counseling from teaching pastor Andy Savage of the Highpoint Church at 6470 Reese. Defense attorneys Leslie Ballin and Richard Townley argued that both Pate and Savage have a right to assert the marriage counseling was privileged and private. State prosecutor Missy Branham said she does not know what defendant Pate said in the sessions, but that there may be comments he made that would indicate his motive for the shooting.”

    “‘She makes a reference in her log book that the counseling is not working,’ Branham told the judge. ‘We don’t know what was said. That’s what we need to find out.’ Carter cautioned against making the interview of the pastor ‘a fishing expedition’ and said he would consider only comments Pate made that could be relevant to his wife’s shooting death. The judge said any one-on-one sessions Pate had with Savage would be privileged, if they were in the context of counseling. Attorney Jeff Rosenblum, who represents Savage, said the pastor will comply with orders of the court. ‘We simply want guidance,’ Rosenblum said. Pate, who is free on $500,000 bond and living in Georgia, is scheduled to be tried March 7.”

  3. Mail carrier got stuck at my mailbox today.

    My dad and my hubby towed the truck out.

  4. @ K.D.:
    They’ve been doing a ‘here’s some homework for your school day’ on snow days here so you don’t have to make up time. But we haven’t had too much, couple days this week and even that was just for caution (and ice) cause most of the snow was gone after a day.

  5. We are on the opposite side of the troughs dropping down into the Midwest/South. Incredibly warm the other day for Jan. Nice.

  6. 2 inches of snow in the ATL and its the end of the world…people fighting over the last loaf of bread and milk carton, empty shelves…

    2 inches of snow in my native Minnesota and people say to themselves “hey, did it snow out here?…I was too busy watching the Vikings win!”

    Boo.

    Yea.

  7. Today we laid my father to rest in the National Cemetery in St. Louis, MO. My dad served in the Korean war. My dad died last Saturday night in what has been described to me as a beautiful passing. One breath he was here, the next moment he met Jesus, his blessed Savior face to face. Around 75 family and friends came to the funeral this morning to pay tribute to may dad, a wonderful man. My nieces sang one of his favorite songs, “It Took a Miracle”. It’s an old song of the church and one my dad sang often. If you know the song, sing it to yourself, in honor of my dad, Stanley Phifer. How we loved each other.

  8. @ Harley:
    In contrast, the chair that hired me 30 years ago died Tuesday, and was burried Th. He was a active, conservative/reformed Jew, so the service was very traditional Jewish….. a big contrast to a Christain funeral… in fact, the differences between Judaism and Christianity are probably most striking in how funerals are conducted/subject matter during the service..
    Further, they need to be put in the ground ASAP……. while they probably used backhoe to dig grave, Jewish tradtion is that witnesses at the grave service shovel dirt into the grave… problem was, the dirt pile was frozen solid!

    While somewhat of topic, given TWW deals with abuse in the Church, it is interesting to see/experience the contrast (Judaism vs Christainity) to remind us what is most important in Christianity..

  9. Harley wrote:

    How we loved each other.

    Harley,
    I can’t tell you how much it warms my heart to know that you have been so blessed. I hope that memories of your dad always bring a smile to your face.

  10. K.D. wrote:

    ” Our kids are not going to learn anything this year.”

    They are going to learn that the real world trumps the virtual world every time – a valuable lesson IMO.

  11. Dan from Georgia wrote:

    2 inches of snow in my native Minnesota and people say to themselves “hey, did it snow out here?…I was too busy watching the Vikings win!”

    From one Minnesnowta native to another: Question – Do you know what they call summer in Minnesota?
    Answer – Just a few days of bad ice fishing!

  12. Meanwhile in Chile, sex abuse victims are accused of slander!
    https://www.apnews.com/77f4a7e9779940a48e2347c852516d3c/Pope-shocks-Chile-by-accusing-sex-abuse-victims-of-slander
    Quote: “Anne Barrett Doyle, of the online database BishopAccountability.org, said it was “sad and wrong” for the pope to discredit the victims since “the burden of proof here rests with the church, not the victims — and especially not with victims whose veracity has already been affirmed.”

  13. Jerome wrote:

    The couple had been receiving marriage counseling from teaching pastor Andy Savage of the Highpoint Church at 6470 Reese.

    http://www.wbtv.com/story/20866231/a-look-ahead-thomas-pate-opens-up-about-murdering-wife

    Thomas Pate plead guilty to 2nd degree murder of his wife but calls it an “accident” – kind of like an “incident”.

    Thomas Pate was having an extramarital affair:

    “That other woman, who is a school teacher and dance instructor, told Bartlett police she and Thomas were having an affair. In fact, the two spent Easter weekend together in Tunica just before Micah died.”

    “But Thomas maintains they never did anything more than just kiss the other woman.”

  14. Harley wrote:

    Today we laid my father to rest in the National Cemetery in St. Louis, MO. My dad served in the Korean war. My dad died last Saturday night in what has been described to me as a beautiful passing. One breath he was here, the next moment he met Jesus, his blessed Savior face to face. Around 75 family and friends came to the funeral this morning to pay tribute to may dad, a wonderful man. My nieces sang one of his favorite songs, “It Took a Miracle”. It’s an old song of the church and one my dad sang often. If you know the song, sing it to yourself, in honor of my dad, Stanley Phifer. How we loved each other.

    I’m sorry for your father’s loss, Harley. May his memory be everlasting. By the way, I know that hymn and will sing it shortly in honor of your father. “We do not grieve as others do who have no hope.” Blessings to you.

  15. Harley wrote:

    How we loved each other.

    I’m so sorry for your loss Harley, but so warmed by this description of your relationship.

  16. Dee, I hope you are also recovering well from your bronchitis (I think that was it) recently & that the meds issue sorts itself out today for the parents. Look after your self properly please!

  17. @ Jerome:
    I literally gasped at this one although I can’t say why. Is anybody shocked andy was not helpful (and for all we know probably harmful).

    Harley, I am sorry to hear about your father. My condolensces. It sounds like a beautiful service

  18. Lea wrote:

    I literally gasped at this one although I can’t say why. Is anybody shocked andy was not helpful (and for all we know probably harmful).

    http://www.wbtv.com/story/20866231/a-look-ahead-thomas-pate-opens-up-about-murdering-wife

    1. The husband Andy was counseling (Thomas Pate) was having an affair (the other woman admits) but Pate says it was only “a kiss”.

    2. The husband, Pate, was convicted of 2nd degree and is now in for life, but he calls it an “accident”, similar to “incident”.

    3. The husband was preoccupied or addicted to adult literature.

    4. He’s “sorry”. From prison Pate says, “I’ll never be as sorry for anything in my life as I am for this accident with my wife.”

    Same playbook. Is this a club or a coincidence?

  19. http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/10295273/congregation-mourns-murdered-bartlett-nurse

    “26-year-old nurse Micah Pate disappeared from her Bartlett home this week. On Saturday, Bartlett police charged husband Thomas Pate with her murder. Over the last two years, the young couple regularly attended services at High Point Church.”

    “‘I think if there’s ever an appropriate time for us as a church to get on our knees and pray, this is the time,’ said High Point Lead Pastor Chris Conlee….’We don’t know what happened,’ he said….Conlee says it’s up to the authorities to find out what happened, and it’s up to the church community to love both Micah and Thomas Pate.”

  20. @Harley

    My heart goes out to you and your family over your loss. The relationship you had with your father ministered to my soul and it’s so good to read stories such as yours in this day and age. May your memories be blessed by our LORD.

  21. Thanks for all the kind words on the loss of my dad. Today the healing begins. We were left in limbo for a week as he died last Saturday night. But because it’s been a hard winter and hard flu season, we had a difficult time getting the cemetery time and funeral home time. But God worked it out. All my dad’s grandchildren and great grandchildren were there. We are spending another day in my home town visiting with friends before heading back to Texas tomorrow.

  22. Jerome wrote:

    High Point Lead Pastor Chris Conlee….’We don’t know what happened,’ he said…

    And, dad gummit, the grieving widower doesn’t know what happened, either. Somehow he happened to be in the vicinity when the dad gum gun just went off. He does know the overzealous news media forced him to plead guilty. And he knows with certainty that he did not have sex with that woman in any way, shape, or form, because THAT would have been bad.

  23. JYJames wrote:

    1. The husband Andy was counseling (Thomas Pate) was having an affair (the other woman admits) but Pate says it was only “a kiss”.

    Newsflash, cheaters are liars.

    What do you want to bet andy took all his statements at face value?

  24. Jerome wrote:

    High Point Lead Pastor Chris Conlee….’We don’t know what happened,’ he said….Conlee says it’s up to the authorities to find out what happened, and it’s up to the church community to love both Micah and Thomas Pate.”

    Smashy smash smash!

  25. Jerome wrote:

    ‘We simply want guidance,’ Rosenblum said. Pate, who is free on $500,000 bond and living in Georgia, is scheduled to be tried March 7.”

    A guy who shot his wife got out on $500,000 bond and was allowed to leave the state?

    I have questions about Texas as well . . .

  26. Jerome wrote:

    “‘She makes a reference in her log book that the counseling is not working,’ Branham told the judge. ‘We don’t know what was said. That’s what we need to find out.

    Probably your standard terrible wife blaming marriage advice!

  27. Lea wrote:

    it was only “a kiss”.

    Both Andy Savage and Thomas Pate said, “It was only a kiss.”

    Both said they were “sorry” – one about the “incident” and the other about the “accident”.

    Both are occupied with adult issues – Pate’s addictions, and Savage’s teachings.

  28. Jerome wrote:

    The couple had been receiving marriage counseling from teaching pastor Andy Savage of the Highpoint Church at 6470 Reese.

    “There is still youth and honour and humour in you; don’t fancy they will last in that trade. Men may keep a sort of level of good, but no man has ever been able to keep on one level of evil. That road goes down and down. The kind man drinks and turns cruel; the frank man kills and lies about it. Many a man I’ve known started like you to be an honest outlaw, a merry robber of the rich, and ended stamped into slime.” – Father Brown by GK Chesterton

  29. Lea wrote:

    Probably your standard terrible wife blaming marriage advice!

    Andy Savage: “Do you BRIDE take GROOM …to be your lawfully wedded HUSBAND …in the Covenant of marriage; Will you be committed to HIM in every way; Will you submit to HIM as unto the Lord; …..”

    Protect the abuser; protect the pedophile; protect the rapist; protect the murderer………. Protect, protect, protect, as long as the criminal is male. ……… because females just don’t really matter.

  30. Nancy2 (aka Kevlar) wrote:

    because females just don’t really matter.

    No they don’t. Not in their world. They are simply breeding vessels, eye candy, and sex dispensers (although the order of these components can vary).

  31. @ Nancy2 (aka Kevlar):
    With Matthew Phelps it was the cough medicine. With Thomas Pate, it was an accident. Is this where it all ends up? The wife is no longer with us? She gives up her life and his story is supported [by the church, not necessarily by the authorities]? In the case of missionary Nathan Leuthold, his wife left us on Valentine’s Day. Ouch.

  32. Dale wrote:

    The shooting was consensual.

    How about, “I meant for the bullet to just kiss her” ???

  33. Your post brought back memories of my sweet dad as he served also in Korea, WWII and Vietnam. Air Force just about had to kick him out as he loved serving so much. My mom and dad, dear Christians, sang “It Took A Miracle” as a duet at each new church we joined as we moved 18 times! I know you will have moments of sorrow at the passing of your precious dad, but also such comfort that you will see him again! Thanks for sharing.

  34. JYJames wrote:

    3. The husband was preoccupied or addicted to adult literature.

    Remember “Perfect Porn Star Syndrome”?
    Where no RL mortal woman can ever match up to The Fantasy?

  35. JYJames wrote:

    Same playbook. Is this a club or a coincidence?

    There’s an “Old Testament” Star Trek episode title that applies on several levels:
    PATTERNS OF FORCE.

  36. ROFL. North Carolina winters are a joke.

    Of course I lived for years in an area where snow on Labour Day isn’t unusual.