Saturday, February 27, 2010

Lent 2010, Day 12

Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours. Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we [do it to receive a crown of eternal blessedness] that cannot wither. Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary. But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit]. I Corinthians 9:24-27 Amplified Bible
As the Winter Olympics wind down, we learn of new athletes and their struggles for medals. We cheer their victories and feel sorrow for those who didn't quite make it to the winners circle.

No doubt, St. Paul was thinking along similar lines when he penned the verses above. In those days, the winner received a crown of laurel leaves, today the prize is a gold medal and, possibly, money from advertising contracts. But even the best Olympic prize pales in comparison to the gift of God's grace.

Beware!

Every day for the last two years, I have received emails and newsletters from numerous sources regarding the precarious financial position we citizens of the United States are in. The mildest warnings made my hair stand on end while the more trenchant made me wonder if there is any hope at all. Even John McCain, RINO, now says, "President Obama is leading an extreme left-wing crusade to bankrupt America." "Coruptocrats" have made selfish, stupid, and even criminal decisions that robbed all of us.

The mass media continues to babble about recovery, but serious sources keep saying "unsustainable." This chart from the Committee for Economic Development predicts that our debt will reach 60% of GDP by the end of this year.

Now is the time to get your own financial house in order, remembering that cash is king during recessions and depressions. Now is the time to demand that your Congressional Clowns STOP SPENDING immediately. Now is the time to pray for your country.

Lent 2010, Day 11

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:7-10
Here St. James neatly sums up the whole point of Lent in his thoroughly practical guide for Christians. This is the time for self-examination, for repentance, for confession of sins, and for new starts. The disciplines of Lent do not mean that happiness is bad, but rather, getting rid of our personal baggage allows us to experience more happiness ourselves and to bring more happiness to others.

Once a dear friend and therapist explained to me that holding on to grievances and petty sins was like carrying a heavy tow sack everywhere I went. It was tiring. It kept me from doing all that I wanted to do. It altered my vision of reality. Like many others, I had experienced needless tragedy because of another's selfishness. But only by letting go and giving that tow sack to God would I be healed.

Lent is the time each year that the Church reminds us to get rid of our tow sacks, to work on our own weaknesses, and draw near to God. Then we will be lifted up by God.

Friday, February 26, 2010

How Stupid Does He Think We Are?

At yesterday's "Summit" Harry Reid assured nervous Americans that the Republicans were the only ones who had mentioned reconciliation as a method for passing Obama's health care proposal. He not only chastised Lamar Alexander for his request that Democrats take the reconciliation process off the table, he insisted that Alexander was entitled to his own beliefs, "but not his own facts."

Some of us distinctly remember that it was just last week that he chastised Republicans for opposing the possibility, by telling them to "stop crying over reconciliation."

Way back in the Bush administration, both the media and the Democrats called it the nuclear option. That was when it was to be used just to approve of judicial appointments. Now that it's a take-over of 17% of the economy, it goes by the innocent sounding term, "reconciliation."

So Much for Insurance Profits

Lamar Alexander: "Now, some say we need to rein in the insurance companies -- maybe we do -- but I think it's important to note that if we took all the profits of the insurance companies, the health insurance companies entirely away, every single penny of it, we could pay for two days of the health insurance of Americans, that would leave 363 days with costs that are too high."

It's hard to see how Obama can continue to demonize the insurance industry as a major factor in rising health care costs after yesterday's "Summit on Health Care." Of course, he and the Democrats are fast becoming experts at ignoring the obvious.

They studiously avoid mentioning the impact of trial lawyers and frivolous lawsuits on costs. Even more important, they avoid even considering the impact of the stupid laws and regulations they themselves have burdened the American people with since WWII. They even disregard common sense reality that adding layers of bureaucracy not only increases costs, it also decreases effectiveness.

Obviously, saving money on healthcare to benefit the citizens of the United States is not their goal. Like the faux concern for the environment, it's a method of gaining additional control.

Lent 2010, Day 10

I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me. O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; you have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Psalm 30:1-3

No one knows how many incidents in our lives come about as a result of prayer, either our own or someone else's prayer for us. Even when everything goes wrong, we often discover later that it all worked out better for us than if we had gotten our way in the beginning. Just as the horrible crucifixion on Good Friday worked out for the good of all humanity, so our own tragedies can become victories and healing points in our lives and the lives of those whom we love. We always have reasons to praise and extol the Lord.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Hat Tip to PowerLine


Thanks to PowerLine for this great cartoon illustrating the current situation in the Healthcare debate. Pray that the Republicans continue to be uncooperative!

Lent 2010, Day 9

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:14-15
Lenten introspection brings nearly everyone face to face with his own unforgiving attitude. We assure ourselves that he/she/they don't deserve it. And we're probably correct. They often are undeserving fools and miscreants, who won't even admit they're wrong. We try to ignore that twinge that comes up every time we think of those who have hurt us.

But always, we are reminded that we, too, are unworthy. And so we swallow our pain and our pride, and will to forgive again, to forgive forever, and to finally let go and forget it.

Jesus knows our difficulties. That's why He added the explanation above just in case His followers tried to ignore the part of the Lord's prayer that says, "and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

Conflict of Interest

The show trial that's going on in Congress over Toyota's safety engineering is a definite conflict of interest. Number one, it's unfair competition when the owner of General Motors undermines the major competition.

Number two, the relentlessness of the stories in the media indicate that Congress is catering to the UAW, not to real concerns for safety. Toyota workers have repeatedly refused to join the union which is so desperate for members that they're backing Card Check.

And then there is the sad spectacle of using questionable "experts" to denigrate Toyota. Joan Claybrook is the Carter appointee who forced automakers to install air bags despite vehement warnings that the technology was not yet developed enough. As a result, 65 deaths, mostly infants and children, occurred because of exploding air bags. Clarence Ditlow is notorious for approving the use of rocket igniters to "prove" on NBC that GM pick-ups were unsafe. These two are favorite anti-business expert witnesses. It's time the public remembered their names and protested their testimony.

On the international front, humiliating the head of the world's largest auto manufacturer on television before members of Congress is poor diplomacy. It's bad enough when the hypocritical Congressional Clowns self-righteously attack American CEO's. It's another thing altogether to do it to someone from a culture where saving face is so important that suicide is preferable to public indignity.

After this week we can hardly expect any other foreign companies to build plants in the US and give jobs to our countrymen.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Lent 2010, Day 7

“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:14-15

We choose whom we will serve a thousand times a day. It's not just a once in a lifetime decision, as anyone who has ever quit smoking can tell you. During this Lent, let us make our choices consciously and with a greater awareness of God whether it's choosing our attitude, spending our money, or arranging our priorities.

Lent 2010, Day 6

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “ If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Romans 12:18-20

We all need to remember this admonition in the midst of our angry society, especially when it's our feelings/beliefs that are being stepped on. Nonetheless, it's the more mature person who seeks to follow the wisdom in Proverbs 25:21-22. During this Lent, let us strive to make it an habitual part of our lives.

Stolen Votes

I've only seen this one story about a Democrat precinct worker testifying that she stole more then 100 votes during the 2006 primary election in Kentucky. Yet, she explained in open court that the chief election officer in the county told her how to do it.

According to Wanda White, the thievery was easy. Just distract the voter before they finished, change their selections, and then pull the lever for the voter. She was also instructed to accompany people who had sold their votes into the private booth to make sure they voted for the people who paid them. Buying votes was so common that politicians banded together to buy votes for the whole group, instead of paying less money for individual votes.

Where's the outrage by the mass media? Where are the follow-up stories? Why has this only been in a local paper, The Lexington Herald-Leader and Sweetness and Light? How many other counties and states have even more voting corruption? I seem to remember barrels of ink and trainloads of paper being spent in the 2000 election when Bush was accused of stealing an election in Florida. Why is everyone silent about Democrat vote stealing techniques?

Sunday, February 21, 2010

I'm with Walter

Walter Williams' take on the upcoming census was posted on Jewish World Review last Wednesday and I agree wholeheartedly. His most important paragraph is: "What to do? Unless a census taker can show me a constitutional requirement, the only information I plan to give are the number and names of the people in my household. The census taker might say, "It's the law." Thomas Jefferson said, "Whensoever the General Government (Washington) assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force.""

Not only is Obama's census wasting money like drunken sailors and not only are they figuring out ways to cook the books to keep Democrats in office, they're trying to invade our privacy.

Andrew on ACORN

Please use 10.54 minutes of your time to watch this video of Andrew Breitbart as he accepted the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award from AIM for uncovering corruption at ACORN this past year. He's funny as well as correct in his assessment of the mass media.

(Note: I copied the code to my blog, so that it would play at FairKaye, but Google would not allow it to be published.)

If you have lots of time or you're seriously putting off yard work today, take another few minutes to watch the first part of his speech where he explains his astonishment at discovering that people from "fly over" country actually are wise, decent people with a sense of humor. That was the beginning his conversion from liberal to conservative.

Lent 2010, Day 5

In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Luke 4:11

For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:11-12


The first verse above quotes Satan, as he tempts Jesus in the desert. The second verse is the actual Old Testament passage that he uses to dissuade Jesus from accomplishing His mission on earth.

Fortunately, Jesus did not fall for Satan's public relations campaign. Imagine the kick start Jesus ministry could have had if only He had jumped without injury. Instead He quietly began a teaching and healing mission that abruptly stopped with His beating and crucifixion while angels stood by, apparently helpless to prevent the murder of the most innocent man who ever lived.

Our God-given common sense and ability to reason will only carry us so far. Always, we must submit our best ideas to the scrutiny and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Bible gives us guidance, but nothing replaces our real relationship with the God who loves us more than we love ourselves.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Lent 2010, Day 4

“But now the justice of God has been manifested apart from law … the justice of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith” Romans 3:21-25

"What then is the justice of Christ? Above all, it is the justice that comes from grace. . . . Before the justice of the Cross, man may rebel, for this reveals how man is not a self-sufficient being, but in need of Another in order to realize himself fully.

Conversion to Christ, believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this: to exit the illusion of self-sufficiency in order to discover and accept one’s own need – the need of others and God, the need of His forgiveness and His friendship. So we understand how faith is altogether different from a natural, good-feeling, obvious fact: humility is required to accept that I need Another to free me from “what is mine,” to give me gratuitously “what is His.” Pope Benedict XVI, excerpt from Message for Lent 2010

May God grant us the grace to let go of our illusions, to face reality, and to accept Divine inspiration instead of relying only on our own understanding.

Droughts and Global Warming

USA Today reported in June 2007, "Dry episodes have become so persistent in the West that some scientists and water managers say drought is the "new normal" there. Reinforcing that notion are global-warming projections warning of more and deeper dry spells in the Southwest . . ."

Later, those of us who live in the Southeast, Atlanta to be specific, were warned that we must get used to permanent water shortages, dig up our common Southern bushes, and plant only drought tolerant plants. At the same time, more stringent watering rules were put into effect that only permitted watering three days a week before ten a.m. if the homeowner held the hose in hand - no sprinklers allowed.

The rains came in 2009 - enough to cause September flooding nearby - and to fill lakes, streams and underwater aquifers in most of the country. Last week USA Today admitted, "the nationwide drought that had farmers, communities and entire states fighting to conserve water has reversed in the most dramatic turnaround since federal scientists began keeping records."

No mention was made about global warming this time. Hmmmm. I guess it has nothing to do with wet or normal climates (not weather), just dry ones. Or, are they admitting that man made global warming is an unproven theory, not settled science?

Unexpected -- Again???

With unswerving regularity, the mass media daily headlines the "unexpected" events and data of the Obama administration. Yesterday the Associated Press used their worn out headline: "Jobless Claims Rise Unexpectedly." They must have believed Obama's promise about the infamous Stimulus Bill despite decades of history to the contrary.

Here is a graphic about joblessness. The figures are correct except the typo about January 2090 instead of 2009.

Also interesting to note is the difference between the way the media interprets jobless data. When George Bush was president, an unemployment rate between 5% and 6% was never praised and often used as proof of a Bush recession. On the other hand, throughout the Carter administration, the media frequently mentioned that 6% unemployment figure might reflect too high of an expectation in the modern era. During Obama's tenure, nearly all media outlets hype the good news if only the unemployment rate doesn't fall as much as predicted.

See Sweetness and Light if you want more information about Bush and unemployment.

Lent 2010, Day 3

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:23-26


Lent encourages us to "reboot" our lives, just as we reboot our computers. We offer ourselves to God by willingly accepting the situation we're in at the moment. In return, He showers us with the grace to become the whole, healthy, wonderful person He had in mind from the beginning of creation by "defragmenting and optimizing" our personal operating system.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Environmentalists Are Dangerous

Rachel Carson, revered by many as a saint of the environmental movement, is responsible for more deaths of innocents than Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot and other twentieth century pikers put together. As a result of her book, Silent Spring, sixty million people have died from malaria.

For forty eight years, the Mass Media, the education establishment, and other cultural leaders have consistently ignored or ridiculed those who questioned the world wide ban on DDT. Those critics have complained since the book was published that Carson manipulated the data and made wildly exaggerated claims. However, to date, the ban still stands while the body count continues to mount.

Doctor Zero has a post summarizing the details at The Green Death. He also includes information on other deaths caused by radical environmentalists. The radical Green Movement not only kills economies, it kills people too. It's time we demanded truth and transparency from these groups before allowing them any more power or influence.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Lent 2010, Day 2

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. Mark 1:12-13


Immediately after His baptism by John, Jesus spent forty days alone in the wilderness before beginning His public ministry. Throughout the Bible, forty days of preparation were often used before important changes or revelations.
* It rained forty days during the flood of Noah.
* Moses spent forty days up on the mountain before bringing the Ten Commandments to the Israelites.
* The Israelites spent forty days spying out the Promised Land before entering it.
* At the time of Jonah, God allowed the Ninevites forty days to repent and avoid judgement.

Following these examples, Christians spend the forty days before Easter each year to seek God, to conquer bad habits, and to gain new insights into the abundant life of the gospel. Lent is rich in graces; take advantage of it in a special way this year for yourself, your family, your church, and your country.

Defeat the Debt

Defeat the Debt is a website all Americans should bookmark. Among other things, there one learns:
* one million seconds will pass in 12 days
* one billion seconds will pass in 32 years
* one trillion seconds will pass in 31,688 years

No wonder Obama quietly, almost secretively, signed the bill that raised the US debt limit to $14,300,000,000. He did it late on a Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend. At one dollar per second, it will take us 453,138.4 years to pay off just the principal. Then there's the interest to factor in.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Lent 2010

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. I Timothy 2:1-2


If this verse were important during the Roman Empire, it is doubly applicable to our Constitutional Republic. For too long, Americans have been passive about our employees -- Congressional Clowns and other elected officials. We need to pray for them because everyone needs prayer, because they are making decisions that will affect our everyday lives, and because they have been given power and power tends to corrupt.

Prayer both enlightens and enhances political activity.

Happy Mardi Gras!*

Today is the day that Christians all over the world celebrate and thank God for the abundance He showers upon us before entering the austere lessons of Lent. A Mardi Gras prayer includes these words:

As our feasting fills us with gratitude, so may our fasting and abstinence hollow out in us a place for deeper desires and an attentiveness to hear the cry of the poor.

Those who participated in last fall’s prayer campaign (If My People) should also include thanks and heartfelt gratitude for these answers to our prayers for the United States:

* The elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts
* The failure of the Underwear Bomber’s attempt to blow up a plane load of passengers over a densely populated area
* The exposure of lying and fraud by the primary scientists behind the global warming theories
* The continued unraveling of the massive health care proposals
* The resignations of many politicians

Once again let’s join other Americans in praying for our country during Lent, which starts tomorrow. Much needs to change in our government, in our culture, and in our personal lives; let’s pray for improvement (i.e. realignment with God’s purposes) in all areas. Then after Easter, take note of the miracles that unfold.

Although I have often been Missing-In-Action for the last three months, I am returning to the daily blog today. I promise to have brief meditations every day to remind you to pray, as well as tidbits of political news you may have missed.

Or, there are other sites on the Internet where you might find inspiration:
1. 40 Days for Life is dedicated to prayers to end abortion in the U.S. They will begin a new initiative tomorrow.
2. Spiritual Exercises is a website for those who use Lent to examine their lives in the light of the Gospel. These exercises were first promulgated by St. Ignatius of Loyola and have inspired Christians for over 450 years. I have used them twice and found them quite helpful.
3. Once again the Aggie Catholics have come up with their Lenten website, which is full of information, many answers to questions, and links to other sites.

* Due to the mass media's deleterious emphasis and influence, few people still understand the true meaning of Mardi Gras, or St. Valentine's Day, or St. Patrick's Day, or Christmas, . . . .

Hitler Addresses Climategate

At last we've found Hitler's reaction to the expose of the ongoing fraud regarding the "science" behind the global warming theories!

Fairkaye brings it to you in case you missed it on YouTube.

PS Would all of you please inform your personal Congressional Clowns that they're going to look really, really stupid if they continue pushing the Cap and Trade bill. I understand that it's still viable.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Tax His Land, Tax His Bed

Posted at 24h Gold:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries, then
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his a**

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers,
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.

Put these words
upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me
to my doom..."

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.

Friday, February 5, 2010

We Knew It All Along

But, finally even the government bureaucrats have to admit that joblessness is much worse than previously reported -- 8.4 million jobs lost rather than 7.2 million. MarketWatch at WSJ tells the complete story that politicians were trying to hide. The most fascinating tidbit of the article is that the largest number of unreported job losses occurred during the first quarter of Obama's presidency.