The Hacker A Novel
Ken Corre
The Hacker Copyright ¤ 1997 by Kenneth A. Corre, M.D. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or downloading or uploading or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher/author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. The book may be ordered through the author by contacting: www.kencorre.com Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author publisher. ISBN: 978-0-983-01101-9 Library of Congress Control Number: Printed in the United States of America
Dedications ♦ In loving memory of Jan Stark-- spirited and loyal friend, earth-mother, happy soul, who was always generous with her deep insight, sweet-caring, love, and emotions . . . ♦ To the men and women of the Simi Valley Police Department (especially Lieutenant Gordon Weeks, Detectives Jay Carrott and Kathy Schatz) and to the Beverly Hills Police Department (especially Sergeant Mike Foxen and Officer Ron Derderian). ♦ To the incredible editorial skills of Mr. Pat LoBrutto. ♦ To the cover design/graphic art skills (and friendship) by Karen Maxwell of FLUX. ♦ To my loving wife Bonnie, and children Brian, Melissa, Alex and Alana; and to my extended family. ♦ To all my wonderful friends, many of whom I work with on a daily basis. ♦ To Connie and Katie of Village Books and to Chuck Morrell— your unwavering and ongoing support from the very beginning. Mann.
♦ To the writing and directorial prowess that is Mr. Michael
The Hacker
Chapter 1 March He is a knight in shining armor, his head shrouded in a black helmet with a heavy face shield. His arms are covered in heavy protective gear that project into the glass booth. He is ready, masterful, and undaunted. Or so he thinks. Any King and Queen would be honored to have this fierce soldier at the head of their army. Fuck the King, he says to himself. I should be King. They do not appreciate my magnificence. They will see. And fuck the Queen, the biggest bitch in a realm of bitches. The room itself is dark, but the glass booth radiates an incredible incandescence. It is so bright that without protective eyewear it can obliterate the retina of the eye and blind a man, perhaps permanently, in less than a few seconds. The initial flare up of the welder in the oxygen-free environment yields the most intense and pure white light. The Knight views it with deep religious reverence. As he begins welding, explosions of extraordinary color take place, dancing into the air as they fly off the tubular titanium joints being melded. It is a ballet of colors and shapes reminiscent of the aurora on the sun's surface. The images often change dramatically in tenor without warning. Unimaginable shapes of hate and evil suddenly dominate over the bright white light and colors. The images of hate appear dark against the blinding, white light. Sometimes the images are so intense that he has to stop welding, catch his breath, and allow the sweat to evaporate. Increasingly, he hears voices, words, and names accompanying these horrific images. Sometimes the words and names coalesce into a command, a mission from the highest source. At times, he looks to the source for guidance and receives no reply. He has to be patient. The foreman enters unnoticed and approaches Mr. Vitrelli. There is no response to his voice. When he taps Mr. Vitrelli's shoulder the Knight stands from his stool with the speed of a cornered animal, extricates his arms from within the glass booth, and turns to meet his attacker. A large knife materializes from nowhere and the foreman fights for his life. During the scuffle, the flap of the welding helmet flips up and the ambient light from behind the open door catches Mr. Vitrelli in the 1|T H E H A C K E R
KEN CORRE
face. He immediately becomes limp. The foreman wriggles out from underneath the paralyzed Knight and runs to the parking lot, never to return. In later statements, the foreman will swear he heard Mr. Vitrelli utter the words "mother" and "cunt" repeatedly. Since no skin was pierced and Mr. Vitrelli has no record, no formal charges are ever lodged against him.
2|T H E H A C K E R
Chapter 2 June 8 The peaceful morning is interrupted as a tall middle-aged man runs up the long and gradual grade of Starlight Drive. His gray sweatshirt has deep water-rings on both the front and the back. Nearing the end of the five-mile run, he has found his stride. Although the headband does not help his thinning blonde hair to stay in place, it does keep the sweat from pouring down his face. About ten feet behind him, and quite winded, is his dog Luke, named after the physician who chronicled the life of Jesus. His tongue fans widely as it drapes far over the edge of his jowls and undulates with his panting. As they proceed, an occasional neighbor picking up a newspaper gives a wave or thumbs-up sign. The suburban habitat is filled with all the charm of an old neighborhood, replete with the lush vegetation of grand old trees and no sidewalks. Beautiful Jacaranda line the street and their fallen flowers form a bed of purple matted to the road by the morning dew. The two lunge toward the driveway of a small two-story home in a final spurt of energy. The beauty of Great Pass, Colorado stands in stark contrast to the metropolis of Denver that looms roughly twenty minutes away. Unlike suburban Great Pass, Denver has to deal with a rapidly growing population and the attendant problems of poverty, crime, tension, filth and decadence. Crawford stops abruptly in his driveway and begins walking briskly in circles, hands on his hips, to keep his aging and exhausted muscles from cramping up. He pants, while Luke does the same lying on the cool grass like a pot-belly pig. As soon as Crawford catches his breath, he begins his post-exercise stretching. Standing, he twists in each direction to stretch the expansive muscles that line each side of the spinal vertebra. Taking a sitting position, he straightens his legs and bends forward to touch his toes in order to stretch his hamstrings. As he bends forward, his baggy sweatshirt pulls up his back and off his hips, revealing a holstered handgun. Luke starts barking, as he always will, when Crawford does this particular exercise. 3|T H E H A C K E R
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His wife, Claire, comes out of the front door. Her bathrobe covers the short nightgown on her mildly pudgy body. Because her dark brown hair is unkempt from the night's sleep, her gray roots are more obvious. She carries a small silver plastic object in her hand. "How'd you know I was back?" asks Crawford. "Luke's barking is a dead giveaway. You got called about tenfifteen minutes ago," she says coldly as she holds his cellphone out to him. "Who was it?" "I don't know. I didn't look," answers Claire, knowing very well who it was. "But I'm getting tired of this, you know?" Crawford stands up quickly and takes the cellphone. Claire turns abruptly and goes back inside. He depresses one of the buttons and a phone number comes up. "Oh, no. Not on a Saturday." Luke follows Crawford into the house as he walks to the coat rack in the entrance hallway. He removes the pistol from his back holster and places it in the holster hiding under his jacket. Claire is within earshot in the kitchen. "Where's Paul?" he asks. "Either sleeping or studying, as usual. Where else?" "Did he go out last night?" "No. Why?" Crawford turns and moves to the kitchen as he continues to talk: "After everything we've been through with him, don't you still get the feeling he's avoiding us?" "No, but I often get the feeling he's avoiding you." Crawford pauses for a moment looking at Claire and then turns to his cellphone and dials. At that moment Paul walks into the kitchen. His hair is short and he is handsome despite the numerous piercings in his ears, one in his left eyebrow, another in his tongue. Not exactly what Crawford, or Claire, for that matter, had in mind. But he is gifted, doing very well in his first year of college. They hope that he is close to the end of the transition through the touchy phase. How and when and why their only child physically morphed is much more troublesome to Crawford than Claire. Paul assumes his father just isn't proud enough to bring him to his work anymore, where everyone is straight-laced like him. Even the undercover guys aren't allowed piercings. There is also the issue of the sole tuft of facial hair located just below his lower lip. 4|T H E H A C K E R
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"Crawford here. What? Yes I do. What's the address?" Crawford snaps his fingers and Claire reluctantly fetches a pad and pencil for Crawford. He writes down the number and ends the phone call. "Ruff, ruff," mocks Paul. "She's not a dog." "What street?" asks Claire looking at the pad, trying to ignore Paul and hoping Crawford will do the same. Crawford ends the call. "Monroe." "My God, that's not too far from here." "Is it your impression, over the years, that I treat your mother like a dog?" "Whatever." "I gotta go." Crawford grabs his things and heads out. "Hope this doesn't take too long."
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Nurse Teddy Bear Learns About Food Allergies Written by: Ann Lempert Deutsch Illustrated by: Students with Food Allergies
Copyright Š 2012 Ann Lempert Deutsch All rights reserved. ISBN: 466285648 ISBN-13: 9781466285644
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to Dennis, Dara and Matthew, to children with food allergies, and to people everywhere who need to learn about food allergies.
It was September 6th at 7 A.M. “Get up!! You’ll be late for the first day of school!” said Mr. Carewell as he tried to wake Nurse Carewell up. “A few more minutes” Nurse Carewell said. “I can’t believe summer is over! I’m not ready to start another year. It went so fast, it feels like the last day of school was only yesterday!” “But not for me. I was so excited,” said Nurse Teddy Bear. It was the first day of school and I couldn’t wait to go. I had been home with Nurse Carewell all summer and now it was time to go back to school.
1 | Nurse Teddy Bear
Matthew, Age 12 Allergic to all nuts except almonds 2
We ate breakfast, brushed our teeth and kissed everyone good-bye. We got in the car, buckled our seat belts and drove to school. Meadows Elementary School is a mile from my house. When I arrived, I saw children outside playing, many with their new backpacks and sneakers. Nurse Carewell got out of the car. As she approached the school, she knew summer was behind her and she was ready to start another school year. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed seeing the many smiling faces of the children.
3 | Nurse Teddy Bear
RESOURCES
American Academy of Pediatrics, www.aap.org
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, www.foodallergy.org
National Association of School Nurses, www.nasn.org
New Jersey State Department of Education, www.state.nj.us
SnackSafely.com, www.SnackSafely.com
Allergy and Asthma Network, www.aanma.org
Ann Lempert Deutsch | vi
About the Author A very special thanks to all of the talented children from Ann’s school who contributed their wonderful illustrations to this book.
Ann Lempert Deutsch, RN, MSN, CPNP
Ann Deutsch has over 35 years of nursing experience, 17 of those years working as an elementary school nurse. She enjoys educating children, parents and the school community about food allergies, and hopes this book will be used to help all teachers, children and families be better informed and sensitive about food allergies. Ann is married with two children of her own.
IF YOU ONLY KNEW ME Seeing Your Pastor from a Different Perspective
JERRY W. BEAVER
If You Only Knew Me By Jerry W. Beaver Copyright, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0-9827038-2-3 ISBN-0982703821 All Scriptures are quoted from the KJV Bible All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of Jerry W. Beaver.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to pastors and laity who have mentored, encouraged, stood by me, as well as counseled me through my years of ministry. Some of these people have gone on to Heaven, while some continue to be a source of encouragement. There is a long list of men and ladies that I am indebted to, first of all pastors such as Pastor Dewey Weaver, Dr. Jack Baskin, Dr. Jim Sumpter, Pastor Myron Powell, Pastor Tim Hallett Sr., Dr. Paul Monroe, and Dr. Onsy Whicker who led by example, and by their sound wisdom has helped me be a better pastor. Secondly, this book is dedicated to the faithful laity of the church that God has put in my life that has shown me what it means to be a good church member, laborer, and an encouragement to the pastor. People such as John Faulkner, Bill Ramey Sr., Mike Robison, Mary Burbridge, Lila Boyd, Warren Martin, Gene Huxhold, Jimmy Gilmore, Bill Carpenter, and many others that would be unknown by most of the world, but they are known by the pastor because of their faithfulness to the pastor and his work that God has called him to.
Table of Contents
Dedication..................................................................................... 3 Introduction.................................................................................. 7 Chapter 1: The Great Need....................................................... 11 Chapter 2: This Man Whom We Call Pastor.......................... 19 Chapter 3: What Is the Pastor's Job Description?.................. 79 Chapter 4: Loving the Pastor and Blessings Associated with It.................................................................... 127 Chapter 5: The Blessing to the Pastor.................................... 165 Chapter 6: What Are His Burdens?....................................... 171 Chapter 7: How Can You Be a Blessing to Him?............... 189 Chapter 8: What About His Spouse?..................................... 199 Conclusion................................................................................ 213 Appendix................................................................................... 215 Endnotes.................................................................................... 225 All Scriptures are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible (KJV)
Introduction
It was a late October at the Gateway Baptist Church, in the hills of Virginia. This was a special Sunday night church service to honor a pastor who had served over forty years in the same church. A host of speakers were lined up from all over the country—preachers, Christian school teachers, and faithful laity—to share how this country preacher in cowboy boots, named Pastor Dewey Weaver, had made a difference in their lives. It was my turn to speak, and I stood. Now before I tell you what I said, I must give a little background to my personal story. I had been led to the Lord by Pastor Weaver after he had suffered a stroke that could have potentially removed him from the ministry. Before I was converted to Christ, I was a longhaired, motorcycle-riding, rock-and-roll band member who had stumbled in to hear this preacher preach one morning, and then, consequently, came to know the Lord as my Savior. I was called by the Lord to preach under his ministry, and God has given me many years to pastor.
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IF YOU ONLY KNEW ME
When I stood that night behind the pulpit, I only got a few words out of my mouth when an aching came into my chest, and a quivering in my lower lip. The next thing I knew, for the first time in my life that I can remember, I was an emotional wreck. I have never been an emotional person at all, and would rather have you kick me in the shins than let you see my emotions. That night, however, I was literally a blubbering basket case. I would say two words and cry, trying to express the heart of thanks to this man that God put in my life. I knew he was not perfect, and probably had more problems than a fifth-grade math book, but that did not matter. I only knew that I loved him, and I knew he loved me, and he was a person who God put in my life that helped change me into the man of God that I am now. How many of us pastors wish we had a relationship with our people like that, and honestly, how many church members wish they had that type of relationship with their pastor? Well, let me state for the record that I don't think there is anything special about Dewey Weaver or me. However, there is something great about the relationship of an under shepherd (pastor) and his sheep (parishioner), and I really believe that Pastor Weaver and I have a model of the way God intended a relationship to be between the under shepherd and his sheep. This is the reason that I have chosen to write this book—to help the person in the pew, as well as the pastor in the pulpit, to realize some truths to help
8
Introduction
them have a better relationship. Cities are full of First Baptist churches and Second Baptist churches, as well as numerous other churches that have congregational splits because of severed relationships between a pastor and his congregation. So whether you're a layman reading this book, or a pastor, this book will help you in your pastor/member relationship.
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Chapter 1 The Great Need
T
o set the stage for the pastor and parishioner relationship, let's start by looking at the Lord's love and burden for humanity. When Jesus was moved with compassion toward His people, the Scripture says in Mark 6:34, "And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd. . ." Jesus was burdened because the people had no one to guide and teach them, so He did it Himself: ". . . And He began to teach them many things." Later on, right before Jesus' departure back to Heaven, his conversation with Peter in John 21:16 went like this: "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep" (emphasis mine). Jesus was very concerned with the spiritual welfare of His people after He went back to Heaven. So Jesus commanded Peter to take on this responsibility.
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IF YOU ONLY KNEW ME
The Lord is still concerned today that His people and church be healthy and that there is a man of God to stand in the stead of Himself to guide His people. God set up the church on this earth to be an encouragement and a source of ministry until He came back for His own. "I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Tradition tells us that Peter was probably the pastor at the church in Jerusalem. Peter was commanded by the Lord to be the one who guided and fed the sheep in God's stead; thus, as a result, out of Jerusalem sprang all of the churches we have today. God desires that there is a godly man leading His people in every church today. It states in Ephesians 4:11, "And he gave some, . . . pastors and teachers," and in Acts 20:28, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." These verses establish the leadership and responsibilities of the pastor and his position. Then, in Hebrews 13:17, God gives the responsibilities of the person in the pew: "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." This verse establishes the respect and the duties of the Christians toward their pastor. God warns that if the pastor does his job without
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The Great Need
joy, it can be unprofitable for the parishioner. This leads to the conclusion that if the pastor does his job with joy, then it could be very profitable for the church member. Now as we look at the Great Shepherd's concern, and as we dive into the relationship between the pastor and the person in the pew, it is important for us to have a basic understanding of these verses and see God's heart when it comes to the pastorate today. Today our churches are in dire straits; churches are closing down and splitting like never before. The pastor's position has been deflated in society and, at times, even ridiculed. As I mentioned in the Introduction, this book is geared to help the people in the pew understand and better relate to the pastor that God has put in their lives. I believe this is very important because people in the pew by and large don't have any idea what a pastor may struggle with on a weekly basis. The Barna Group did a survey of 650 adults who identified themselves as Christians and discovered a huge disconnect between the pastor and his people. Twenty-five percent said they have no idea what might frustrate their pastor. Their apparent failure even to have considered this suggests that individualism has crept into many churches. Many come as consumers to get their needs met but don't feel responsible to invest enough to know how to help their pastors be most effective.1
13
What About His Spouse?
We serve our Lord. We humble ourselves as Christ humbled Himself to serve, out of the goodness of our hearts, so when people forget the good we've done and write us or the church off after they've received blessings from our family, it hurts—deeply! Everyone says that we should not care what others think. However, we must care, and it is what my husband's ministry requires. What I have just explained to you only happens maybe once a month, but I can tell you it hurts for a month. I love being in the ministry and would not have it any other way, but it does have its unique challenges. Me: We often hear about how pastors' families live in a fishbowl. What are your thoughts on that as a pastor's wife? My wife: Before we entered the ministry, I never understood when senior pastors' wives would warn us just going into the ministry to beware of all eyes upon us and that life in the ministry is like living in a fishbowl. My thoughts were fish are in a bowl and just swimming around. Anyone passing by can peer into the glass bowl and see everything. People can monitor how fast or slow the fish are swimming, if their bowl is dirty, what's around the corner of the leaves, etc. But I later figured out the problem is that the fish cannot pull the curtain down or turn a light off to prevent onlookers into their lives. The same is true for those in leadership and the pastor's family, or at least it seems that way. Oh sure, we can go into our homes, turn off the lights, close the curtains, and lock the doors; however, in every sermon my husband preaches—I
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Conclusion
As we conclude our journey into the life of the pastor, I pray that you have been challenged to search out your thoughts and actions toward him. There are many faulty expectations put on the man of God by society and by church members at large. Many of the problems that we have seen are not because the pastor is not biblically qualified or not fulfilling what God has required but are the result of personality conflicts and other misunderstood motives. As a church member, you have a relationship with your pastor, and God wants it to be a good one. Thus the Lord wants it to be a blessing to you and your family. But just like we can hinder God from blessing us, we can hinder the man of God from being a blessing in our life. Let your pastor know that you're on the team, and you have faith in him. Let him know that you are not going to be an ear to his critics, but will defend him as he follows Christ. Pray for your pastor, and be faithful to the program of the church. Ensure that the church is supporting him financially to provide a good salary for him and his family.
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IF YOU ONLY KNEW ME
On a personal note, I always wanted to get out of college and go work for a man for several years, then go into the senior pastorate, like Bill in our story. I never had that privilege, God saw fit for me to go right into the senior pastor's position following graduation. However, I was a solo pastor, so I got to do all the jobs at church for many years. I have often thought that, if God ever saw fit to remove me from the senior pastor's position now, I would know how to be a great blessing to a pastor as an assistant. You have that opportunity—to be an assistant and blessing to your pastor. It will take a little thought, humility, and work. But it will be worth it at the end of the day, and you will be blessed by the Lord.
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IF YOU ONLY KNEW ME 8
Thom S., F. Rainer, Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples. Nashville, TN: B & H Pub. Group, 2006. 15-20. Print.
9
John Larue, "Pastors at Work: Where the Time Goes." LeadershipJournal.net (2001). www.Christiantytoday.com/ leaders/newsletter/2001/cln10103.html. Web.
10
Greg Olsen, The Lord is My Shepherd. Milwaukee WI: Ideals Publishing,1957.49
11
Fuller Theological Seminary. Survey of Pastors. Rep. Pasadena, CA, 1991. Print.
12
James Strong, Strong's Concordance, SwordSearcher, (Madison, N.J.)
13
William Burkitt,. Expository Notes ... on the New Testament ... 3rd ed. Bungay: Childs, 1825. Print.
14
James Strong, Strong's Concordance, SwordSearcher, (Madison, N.J.)
15
Daniel Sherman, "2011 Secrets to Understanding Your Pastor." Jan. 2011. Ebook.
16
Bob Vallier, "Preacher Central: Pulpit Committee Resources." Preacher Central: Resources for Preachers.
17
Larry W. Osborne, Sticky Teams: Keeping Your Leadership Team and Staff on the Same Page. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010. Pg 17 Print.
18
George Barna, "The Barna Group - A Profile of Protestant Pastors in Anticipation of "Pastor Appreciation Month""
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Endnotes
The Barna Group - Barna Update. Jan. 2001. Web. 18 Aug. 2011. <http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5barna-update/59-a-profile-of-protestant-pastors-inanticipation-of-qpastor-appreciation-monthq>. 19
Daniel Sherman, "2011 Secrets to Understanding Your Pastor." Jan. 2011. Ebook.
20
Osborne, Larry W. Sticky Teams: Keeping Your Leadership Team and Staff on the Same Page. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010. Pg 40 Print.
21
Daniel Sherman, "2011 Secrets to Understanding Your Pastor." Jan. 2011. Ebook.
22
Dan Burell, "What Your Pastor Wishes You Knew About Him." Web log post. Whirled Veiws of Dan Burrell. 9 June 2009. Web. 12 Aug. 2011. <(http://www.danburrell. com/?p=804)>.
23
The Alban Institute. "Needs of the Pastors' Wives." Pastoralministry.com, 28 Mar. 2001. Web.
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OTHER BOOKS WRITTEN BY JERRY W. BEAVER
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OTHER BOOKS WRITTEN BY JERRY W. BEAVER
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