The Obama/Rick Warren Double Standard

(This picture is from the Presidential Debate held at Saddleback Church)

Wow, this is a great article from Rasmussen Reports' website. I am proud that they were courageous enough to publish it. I'm not failiar with the author, Debra Saunders, but I will give her a huge high-five anyways!


Free the Saddleback One
A Commentary by Debra J. Saunders
Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Gay civil rights groups -- the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force -- are calling on President-elect Barack Obama to yank his invitation to Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren to give the inaugural prayer on Jan. 20. They demand tolerance from others, but won't spare any for those with whom they disagree. Unless of course, that person is Obama, who, like Warren, opposes same-sex marriage. Then they get real ecumenical. Not to mention, very forgetful.

"I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian -- for me as a Christian -- it is also a sacred union," Obama said at a presidential candidate forum at the Saddleback Church in August. Obama could not make his opposition to same-sex marriage clearer.

It's true that Obama opposed Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban approved by California voters in November, on the grounds that codifying a same-sex ban would be "divisive" -- whereas Warren endorsed the measure.

Obama supports civil unions -- "I think my faith is strong enough and my marriage is strong enough that I can afford those civil rights to others, even if I have a different perspective or a different view," Obama explained. Warren spokesperson Kristin Cole told me that Warren "is OK on civil unions, but does not believe in redefining marriage."

Then why are gay leaders applauding the election of Obama, while calling on him to exclude the participation of the Warren? It makes no sense -- unless they had convinced themselves that Obama did not mean it when he said he opposed same-sex marriage. As long as they think he lied, he still can be their hero.

Because Warren clearly meant what he said, he's a villain. Forget the campaign Warren began to organize 1 billion Christians to fight global poverty and scourges like AIDS. Ignore the countless children he has helped save. Think only of the feelings he has wounded.
In the modern world, words speak louder than actions. And there is always an incriminating video clip out there.

In that spirit, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force cited an interview Warren gave on beliefnet.com and charged that Warren went "so far as to equate the marriages between same-sex couples with incest and pedophilia."

Warren did say, "I'm opposed to the re-definition of a 5,000 year definition of marriage. I'm opposed to a having brother and sister be together and call that a marriage. I'm opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I'm opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that a marriage."

Is that equating same-sex marriage with incest and pedophilia? If it you want it to, sure. Or you could see the quote as proof that Warren holds traditional religious views -- and cut the guy some slack.

You know, show tolerance while seeking tolerance.

Instead, many critics have chosen to brand Warren as a "hater" and a "bigot" -- words that fire up the base and alienate everyone else. They are sending the message that anyone who dares speak as Warren did -- except Obama, of course -- runs the risk of being tarred and feathered, 2008-style. Think Scott Eckern, who resigned as artistic director to spare the California Music Theatre in Sacramento from a boycott threatened because of his $1,000 donation to the Yes on Prop. 8 campaign.

I suppose the Warren critics could argue that gays and lesbians simply want the same rights as others; that this is a big country, with room enough for the traditionally devout and same-sex couples.

Except groups like the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force do not want to make room for people like Rick Warren. They want him muzzled and out of the picture.

.COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
See Other Political Commentary
See Other Commentary by Debra J. Saunders
Views expressed in this column are those of the author, not those of Rasmussen Reports.

This article Found Here.

Christmas Spoof Song 2008

In keeping with the tradition started last year of providing a funny Christmas song or two, I've decided to put up the "14 Days of Homeschooling".

We LOVE this song, since we've answered all these questions a million or so times (no one ever said I was good at math, so just take that with a grain of salt). We particularly enjoy the "Can they go to college" and "Are they socialized" days.

If you don't homeschool, I hope you still find it funny!

14 Days of Homeschooling
To the tune of “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

On the first day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can you homeschool legally?”

On the second day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the third day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fourth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fifth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the sixth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the seventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the eighth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the ninth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “They’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the tenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the eleventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can they go to college, I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., can you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the thirteenth day of homeschool I thoughtfully replied: “They can go to college, yes you can do this, they can have graduation, we don’t like the prom, we do it ‘cause we like it, they are missing nothing, we’ll homeschool forever, WE ARE NOT STRANGE!, We give them P.E., and we give them tests, they are socialized, AND WE HOMESCHOOL LEGALLY!”

On the fourteenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How can I get started, why didn’t you tell me, where do I buy curriculum, when is the next conference, WILL PEOPLE THINK WE’RE STRANGE? I think we can do this, if you will help us, can we join P.E. and we’ll homeschool legally.”

Christmas and Music and Parties...

Well, here's a little more personal update for once!

Christmas preparations are in full swing. Birdie, Buddy and I have gotten our Christmas Eve Program pretty well figured out, although we still have a good deal of work to do. Dad's been out of town a good deal lately, although this is the last of it until next month. That has put us rather behind in other Christmas things, but we'll catch up.

I am venturing out into the homeschool teen social world here for the first time tomorrow. There's a Christmas party of some sort, that evidently includes a White Elephant exchange, being held for the teens in the homeschool support group out here. I guess I'm getting more outgoing, because I didn't take forever deciding if I wanted to be around a million people that I don't know... I'm actually really looking forward to it!

Also, looming in the shadows is graduation... I'd never really thought of actually being IN a graduation. GradUATING is different that a graduATION in my mind. But, Mom was like, "of course you're going to be in a graduation, didn't you assume that?" It took me a few days to realize how much a ceremony kind of mile-marks it, and I'm glad I'm in it now. However, the best part is that I have the opportunity to perform in it, and I've chosen to SING!! I haven't sung in so long. I can't wait! In the process of choosing a song to sing, I stumbled upon this one, and I really like it (Don't know if I'll sing it for graduation, but it's really worth listening to a few times):




Merry Christmas!!

December 7th, 1941 and the "Never Forget" Slogan

Pop Quiz: What happened this day 1941?

Answer: The day all Americans began waiting for VJ day, i.e., the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. We were thrown into a war to the west of us, along with the war we were already fighting to the east in Europe.

67 years ago, Americans didn't want yet another war, but they saw how clearly we didn't have a choice. In the Japanese we found an enemy more imminent even that Hitler at the time. Hitler was attacking our allies, while Japan had attacked American soil. We had to fight, even with all the rationing that was already happening, all the hardship, all the death. We entered yet another theatre of war where thousands of our sons, brothers and fathers died in a single battle.

We enjoy the freedom that they died for. We appreciate the families all over America who skimped, saved, and went without in order to allow our troops to have what they needed in order to gain freedom for Europe, and for us... the same freedom we now enjoy. Thanks, to all WWII Veterans, and all Veterans throughout our country's history.

But, what about today? Birdie announced to me what day it was as soon as I got up. Then, I checked email real quick, and found the Rasmussen Reports Daily Update waiting for me. I skimmed their headlines, and found something most disconcerting. "Confidence in War on Terror Declines" read the headline, and my stomach realized I hadn't eaten yet. Read the stats, or just know that only 47% of those polled believe that the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror.

This is blatantly false, for one thing. We continue to turn over more and more sections of Iraq to the Iraqi military forces. Just this single statement implies so many other significant facts. In order to turn it over, we had to:

- Have control over those area's in the first place

- Have quelled things enough in that area that we and the Iraqi forces were comfortable having a less experienced force control them

- Train the Iraqi forces to the point that they could take over

- Build an infrastructure for them to operate in

The list continues. Can you imagine how much it must take to first have an Iraqi military to put in place, and then be able to put them there?

All that, along with the myriad of other things that the Main-Stream Media refuses to tell us, doesn't spell W-I-N-N-I-N-G? We haven't had another terrorist attack on our soil since the war began, that doesn't spell W-I-N-N-I-N-G?

This of course, brings us to the connection I want to make between December 7th, 1941, and December 7th, 2008. In 1941, America was outraged and reeling from having suffered an attack on our own soil. If you can remember, in 2001 we were also reeling from an attack on our soil. Four of them. There might have been more planned.

No American wants war, but we knew, and more importantly, President Bush knew, that if we were to keep our country from suffering another similar attack, we had to take the fight to the terrorists. We did. Congress supported it. President Bush ordered it. We did go to war. Now, because the political winds are so apt to change, it is proclaimed political suicide if a Democrat or Moderate should DARE to support the War on Terror that our brave military men and woman have sacrificed s0 much for. Republicans are war-mongers because we want to keep America, and other free countries, from yet another devastating attack like we had on September 11th, 2001.

In 1941, we didn't forget what Japan had done. We fought. We won. That's how wars are supposed to go: they attack, we protect ourselves, and the attackers don't do it again.

In 2001, it seemed America had covered herself in bumper stickers, window clings and flags with pictures of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and that spot in Pennsylvania, proclaiming, "We will NEVER forget".

America: we have forgotten. It is shameful, wrong, and it brings tears for me to think that the American People could so easily forget such an awful time. I must echo they song by Darryl Worley, "Have you forgotten/how it felt that day/to see your homeland under fire/and her people blown away/have you forgotten when those towers fell?" We have, and we now need to remember.

Change You Do Not Believe In

Here is some excellent commentary on Obama's current and future actions. Really good, especially since I've been having withdrawal symptoms from Rush not being on the air for the past two days... Get Well Soon!!

Anyhow, here 'tis:

Brace for the Change You Do Not Believe In
A Commentary By Tony Blankley
Wednesday, December 03, 2008

From The Huffington Post and Daily Kos to National Review and The Washington Times -- and all the mainstream media in between -- commentators are puzzling over who the dickens President-elect Barack Obama really is. On the progressive left, they are beginning to fear he may not be for "redistributive justice." On The Wall Street Journal free market right, they are seeing in his economic team the possibility that he is really as safe for capitalism as a banker. Karl Rove has concluded: "(The) announcement of Mr. Obama's economic team was reassuring. He's generally surrounded himself with intelligent, mainstream advisers."
Those impassioned by the anti-war slogan "no blood for oil" are getting nervous. According to Politico, Jodie Evans -- a CodePink co-founder who, with her husband, helped raise a lot of money for Obama during the primary and general elections -- recalled her interaction with Obama: "It has gotten to the point where he sees me coming and before I am close he just keeps repeating, 'Jodie, I PROMISE, I will end the war, I promise I will end the war.'"
The mainstream media, still warmed by the success of their work electing Obama, comfortably headlined an article on the topic in the National Journal: "The president-elect's appointments reflect his confidence in his own idiosyncratic blueprint and his ability to hold together an eclectic administration."
It is a pity the conversation about what Obama might actually do as president didn't begin in the media until after the election. But not to worry. As Emma Goldman, a 20th-century anarchist and Marxist, is reputed to have said: "In America, elections are the opium of the people." Well, we have had our fix, no matter how uninformed we were during the injection.
There is something degrading about serious, prominent political people of the left or right (to say nothing of the broader public) being forced to play policy hide-and-seek with the president-elect of the United States. And there is something presumptive about a president-elect who is very satisfied to keep the public guessing about what he stands for and what he plans to do. It is redolent of the most cynical of 19th-century European politics. But if he wants us to play the guessing game, I'll play.
I suspect that free market advocates need to be careful not to jump to early conclusions about Obama. The fact that he has selected a senior team of credible, centrist financial men and women does not mean he is committed to free markets. As a cautious, shrewd man, he understands that he must steady the markets and the economy before he can start on his more ambitious, redistributive policies. As he said last week, don't worry about the centrist, experienced Clinton appointees he is selecting; it is his job, as president, to be the change.
Unlike some of his supporters, I take Obama at his word. In my reading of history, men with his level of intentionally displayed self-confidence should be believed when they earlier have asserted grand -- even grandiose -- goals. Whether they are actually that self-confident or tormented by secret self-doubt, it often leads to efforts at grand and "heroic" public policies once in office.
And as long as the president-elect will not declare himself publicly, these foolish psychological games are necessary. So I rather doubt that a man with his self-image is likely to be content to leave the White House eight years from now having been a mere steward of Republican capitalism and military policy. I suspect he wants to play for the history books and do something dramatic with America. I suspect, as he says, he intends to be the change -- and not merely of the "can't we all just get along?" variety. In fact, I suspect he doesn't want to get along with his philosophical opposition; he wants to overwhelm us politically.
On the foreign policy front, likewise, solid appointments may not lead to solid policies. Remember during the campaign when he was on his way to Iraq and he was quite dismissive of the role of the top generals? Once again, he used the phrase "my job, as president," and he said it is to make the policy. He said the generals' job is merely to carry out his orders. That was a very unrealistic view of the relationship between civilian and military leadership -- even by the example of such towering civilian leaders as FDR, Churchill and Lincoln.
Here is my suggestion to those who disagree with what, during and before the campaign, Obama seemed to be saying about economics, diplomacy, culture and foreign policy: Do not take too much comfort from his appointees. Brace for the change you do not believe in.

Tony Blankley is executive vice president of Edelman public relations in Washington.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
See Other Commentaries by Tony Blankley
See Other Political Commentary
Views expressed in this column are those of the author, not those of Rasmussen Reports.

[and not necessarily those of the.joyful.one, but I'd say a large part of them are :-) ]

First Significant Snow in CO!!

Hurray!! I'm so happy, we are getting a bunch of snow today! According to Buddy we have 9 inches, as of an hour ago, and it's continued to snow steadily since! It is SO pretty. The fog and snow won't let us see the mountains, or really very far at all, so it's like we are in a little snow globe that we can't see out of. It was snowing on and off yesterday, and it snowed some Friday, and Thanksgiving, but those were just showers, with no more than a half an inch, but this is FUN! We've been celebrating Lightsmas by decorating the house for Christmas, and this makes it feel so much more "Christmasy"!

Unfortunately, Dad has to travel, so pray he can get out of the driveway, and out to the airport!

Pray! (Year of the Bible Project)

Over the last year, I have been involved to different degrees in The National Year of the Bible Project. Earlier in the year, before we moved, Dad and I lobbied on Capitol Hill (a lot of fun, and seemingly productive). Now, of course, I'm involved via long distance calls and email.

Here's the point, though. The project is doing it's best to put together a calling blitz into the Congressional Offices, to begin in the next week or so. I think it will work very well, and that we have a good chance of putting a lot of influence into the hopper.

Unfortunately, the National Coordinator of the Year of the Bible Project, who is in D.C. right now, and is arranging this whole blitz, is having significant computer troubles. Actually, it has crashed (by my count) about 7-8 times over yesterday and this morning.

So here's the deal: we need prayer, and we need it now! There's a lot of great things going for us right now, but not a whole lot can be done with the computers up and running. A lot of contacts have to be made over the next day-and-a-half, and many of them require a least some amount of computer work... so please pray for the contacts themselves, and also pray that the problems with the computer can be figured out, asap.

Homeland Security Alert

I wanted to quickly explain a new "gadget" of sorts I just added to the sidebar. The "Homeland Security Live Terror Alert" is something I saw on another site and liked. Here's why. People seem to be forgeting at least the implications of 9/11, as well as the fact that we are a nation at war, and it is not an aggressive war... we are on the defense... they attacked us first!!!

So, I hope that the little reminder of the hightened security level we are at will also remind everyone who and why we are fighting, or for some, that we are fighting at all.

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday:
God bless the troops, God bless America, and may we follow God always.

FF: Thanksgiving!... Christmas!... Lightsmas... Tossmas?

Thanksgiving is coming, and we are all looking forward to it.

After that, the exact day after, actually, starts a family tradition that is very longstanding. This year it got a new name, though, "lightsmas". It is the day we all celebrate decorating for Christmas, and of course, putting up the absolutely necessary lights (Buddy's pride, joy and passion).

Then comes Christmas, we're looking forward to that too.

But there is one holiday that we are enjoying already, have been since late October, and will be until late December...

Tossmas.

This holiday was made up by Stuart Shepard on his video feature, Stoplight, in early November, 2007. It was presented in this Stoplight:

&abouttext=Focus Action's CitizenLink&aboutlink=http://www.citizenlink.com allowfullscreen=true allowscriptaccess=always>

I was hoping that they would do something concerning Tossmas this year, or at least move last year's up to the top of the list. I am very happy to say that they made another one this year:



Now, this is all well and good, and the video's are quite funny, and it makes a good point, but why is this a Federal Friday post? Because, it is time we spoke out and quit letting ourselves be marginalized when we are indeed the majority - something that the republican party needed to learn a few years ago, by the way. It is our holiday... Christmas. It is Christmas that makes all the stores their money, and we need to remind them of that.

Pure and simple, political correctivism has gone too far, and we ought to put some pressure on people to stop it. The AFA has also started a Christmas campaign, and we have ordered some of their stuff, it's great.

In other words, get out, say "Merry Christmas" to every store clerk you talk to, even if they say "happy holidays" or whatever, become a passionate participant in Tossmas, and recognize the importance of this issue.

(Happy Thanksgiving, and Merry Christmas early)

Prayer: Guidence for Short Story

I recently wrote a short story (about 2,000 words), that I really like, called The Storm of the Soul. In many ways it encompasses many of the things I have learned over my years of struggling with health issues. It is a good story. I think it will appeal to many different people in many different situations. I believe it will glorify God. It's main character is a man, which I find easier to write, so I was more comfortable writing the character, and I hope that made him more understandable.

With all of these things I like about it, I am seriously looking into the best way to publish it... or I was. Then, I found out about a short story contest that this story will probably do well in. The contest requires that the story not be published. So, I'm waiting until after the contest, hoping that perhaps I can win and get a little extra capital to start this venture with.

I really think that I ought to do something with the story, publishing it or somehow getting it available to people, and it would be nice to have a small source of income from it as well.

All that said, I would really appreciate prayer on what I should do with this story, and also that I can win the contest.

Thank you to our Veterans

I can say it little better than President Bush:

"Today, we send a clear message to all who have worn the uniform: Thank you for your courage, thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you for standing up when your nation needed you most." President George W. Bush, today

Obama: Proof that Reaganism is Alive

With all the "centrists" working to bring the Republican party away from the Conservative values enshrined by President Ronald Reagan, it is easy to start believing that Reaganism is dead.

Want solid proof that it isn't?

Of course you do...

Here it is.... the long awaited proof....

Barack Obama.

Why?

He used Reagan's (i.e. the Conservative) platform.

Don't believe it? Here's a very well thought out article written by Scott Rasmussen, arguing (in my opinion empirically) that Reaganism Is Not Dead. Read the article, and then tell me that we need to appeal to the liberal "centrists".

Federal Friday: The New Reagan Revolution

There is a lot of speculation as to what Obama will do, when he will do it, etc. There is also some speculation, particularly amongst evangelicals, quiet as it may be, concerning whether Obama's presidency will have any ties to the end-times prophesies found in Daniel, Matthew and Revelation.

I will deal with the latter first. Allow me to ask a question. Supposing, somehow, we were able to say absolutely and without any doubt that Obama is the antichrist (I am NOT suggesting this, please simply follow for a moment). How would we react? Would we not still fight those policies we disagree with that he presents and supports? Would we not still do all in our power to support those things that we believe must be supported? So, in fact, it really doesn't matter if he is, isn't, is going to be, et cetera the antichrist? Therefore, isn't it simply a distraction from more important issues, a distraction that we needn't deal with?

The end times are a very interesting and worthy study. However, trying to fit current events into them beyond simple speculation and curiosity seems to me to be a loss of the point.

Now, as to what, when and how Obama will do what he does. Yes, there are many fights ahead of us. There are many things to be dealt with. Yes, strategies are good things, and yes, we must be prepared to deal with them. However, we simply must not go overboard in trying to win every single battle before those battles are even begun. Here's something to chew on: Obama can't do everything at once either, and we will match his pace.

I, obviously, love politics, and I think them terribly important. I do think that many of the values I hold dear are at stake. Only a few years ago, I would have been truly concerned, somewhat frantic, and planning to build a bomb shelter in the basement until my parents talked me out of it, if this situation had happened then. However, I must say that I am not really all that frantic or overwrought. Concerned, yes. Ready to fight, yes. But, I think we simply must take measured steps. This DOES NOT mean standing down. I actually think that it means fighting even BETTER.

Here is what I am suggesting. Deal with the NOW. Simple as that. Once inaugurated, Obama has promised that one of the first things he will do is repeal DOMA (the Defence Of Marriage Act). Let's deal with that battle when it comes. If he next tries to pull out of Iraq, let's deal with that when it comes. When he tries to allow all abortion, all the time, for any reason, we will deal with that when it comes. Let's truly deal with it, but let's not overstep ourselves.

Here's a great way to accomplish this. Michael Reagan, Ronald Reagan's son, has launched a new website, http://www.reaganaction.com/. It is not yet fully functional, but it is supposed to be sometime next week. I would suggest that you read what he has to say.

What he is trying to accomplish through the site is to spread a daily action piece, usually taking only a few minutes, to inundate Congress and the White House with calls, faxes, emails etc, telling them what we think, and turning us, the "masses", all into political activists. I see this as an excellent way to deal with each battle as it comes, and REALLY deal with it.

Now, of course, I don't know how the site will work precisely, but the idea is what I like. This is how we all can and must deal with the next four years. We mustn't get weary, we mustn't lose our fighting spirit (if you don't have one just now, go read the page that's up on Reagan Action) and we must start the New Reagan Revolution!

Scorpion 5

Our family has "adopted" any number (over 50) college students in the past. Many of them have become older brothers and sisters to Birdie, Buddy and myself. Of course, as most students do, they end up graduating and leaving us (or we leave them as we traipse across the fruited plain), but we still keep in touch with most. As it happens, one of them, Daniel Noa, is very interested in the business of movie making, and has made some excellent films in the past.

His most recent release was Smuggler's Ransom, an excellent Cold War film that includes a suspenseful story line and a strong salvation message. Click to see the Smuggler's Ransom Trailer.

More recently, though, Daniel has been working on another film, Scorpion 5. The trailer, found at the aforementioned link, is very good at suggesting the suspense of the movie. Regarding the movie itself, having read a script of it, I will say that this is not the movie you are led to expect early in the film. I was thoroughly surprised by the ending, as I think most will be. All I can say is that it is a great story, and that you should watch it.

In short, go watch the trailer, get your curiosity thoroughly aroused, and check back for more on its release and whatnot.

And no, I'm not sending you the script... you'll just have to wait! *evil laugh*

Federal Friday: Polls vs. Election Reputation

I know it's Wednesday, but since I will be campaigning from either Thursday night or Friday through Tuesday of next week, I have to put up this week's Federal Friday rather early. (Besides, there's something I want to write about)

The Rasmussen Presidential Tracking Poll released today puts us at a 3 point race: Obama 50% McCain 47%. This is a large improvement for McCain. As the report explains,

"Prior to today’s update, Obama had been ahead by four-to-eight points every single day for 33 straight days..."

This poll also has some other interesting numbers, including:

-One percent (1%) of voters prefer a third-party option and 2% are undecided
-Among those who have already voted, it’s Obama 54% McCain 45%
-As for those who have not yet voted but are “certain” they will do so, the race is tied at 48%
-Two percent (2%) of these “certain” voters plan to vote for a third party option while 2% say they are undecided

Why this sudden change? Rush has been saying for the last two months that the polls would tighten as we got closer to the election. Interpretation: the pollsters must hedge their bets. Remember in the Bush/Kerry race? They had practically called the election for Kerry by noon (citing poll numbers that had been played with) trying to get the remaining republicans from 'bothering' to go vote. Then, Bush won. All the pollsters looked like fools... and they don't want that to happen again. So, since you can't prove by actual vote counting what actually happened in the weeks leading up to an election, but you can certainly prove what happened just before and during the election, they're straightening out their act.

And to further ensure that their reputation doesn't get further tarnished, this was included in the Rasmussen report:

"It will take another day or so to determine whether today’s numbers
reflect a lasting change or statistical noise."

Now, I really can't blame them for further hedging their bets, but I do think it helps prove the point.

Conclusion: This race is terribly tight, and every little bit of volunteering, and certainly every vote will, does, and must count!

(Also see Polls vs. Us, and particularly the Stoplight video included)

A Letter from Dutch Sheets

I received this via an email loop. This really brings into perspective how all Christians can be involved, even if you aren't a "boot on the ground" so-to-speak actively campaigning.

For those not familiar with Dutch Sheets, (I must admit that I've never heard of him, but I like this letter) go HERE.


Letter from Dutch Sheets

Due to IRS rules, this letter is from me personally and is not from any f the ministries I am associated with. (Also because of IRS rules, I cannot send it to my ministry database and therefore need your help in getting it out.) Do with it as you see fit, but my desire is that you forward it to as many praying friends as possible.

October 20, 2008
Dear Praying Friend,

In 2000, I wrote the 2nd most important letter of my life—a call to prayer for the elections of that year. I'm now writing what may be my most important letter. I knew the importance of those elections in 2000 was beyond any in my life up to that point and that the spiritual warfare surrounding them would be unlike anything any of us had ever seen. That letter was read by millions of people and I believe millions of them responded by praying. I also believe the prayers turned the tide.

You may question whether President Bush was the right choice; obviously, he has made some blunders in his tenure as president. But two of his decisions alone left no doubt he was God's choice: Roberts and Alito. These two Supreme Court Justices have proven critical in the process of breaking the hold of humanism, death and anti-God agendas that have ruled the Court for 50 years. I assure you that more devastation—the shedding of innocent blood, immorality, decay of the family and an erosion of our godly heritage—has flowed into our nation through that institution than any other door in America. Many times more. The poison allowed into America through their decisions is beyond any of our abilities to articulate.

The reality in America is that you don't need to control Congress or the White House to rule the nation. You only need 5 people – 5 out of 9 on the Supreme Court. And for decades those who disagree with just about everything you and I stand for have been in control! In Bush's two terms, the process of turning this around began with the appointments of Roberts and Alito. Now, we win some cases 5-4 and lose some 4-5. (We barely outlawed partial birth abortion. The vote of onejudge saved thousands of babies from this horror.) We need one more conservative Justice for a consistent majority, then more to build a strong majority.

In Obama's own words, "the next president will appoint at least one, perhaps two or more Supreme Court Justices." He's right. Almost certainly two or more older, liberal Justices are waiting until after the elections to retire, in hopes of Obama winning and appointing more liberals to replace them. And he certainly would. He voted against the confirmation of Roberts and Alito. So did Biden. And Biden led the fight against Justice Thomas several years back, another of the 4 solid conservatives. Make no mistake about it, the two of them do have a litmus test for Supreme Court Justices, and a major part of that test is Roe vs. Wade. McCain and Palin, on the other hand, both have very strong pro-life positions. This alone makes the choice for President simple. To vote for the 2nd and 3rd most liberal Senators (Obama and Biden), both of whom are firmly and blatantly pro-abortion, would be unconscionable. Obama has actually said that if he wins, he would like his first action as president to be the signing of the Freedom of Choice Act, which would eliminate every other law against any aspect of abortion (partial birth abortion, parental notification, etc., etc.). And with a democratic majority in the House and Senate, pretty much any legislation he and Biden want to pass will be a slam-dunk. There are many other unrighteous positions they hold but this position alone makes the choice easy. If they win this election, it will set America back decades in the cause of life and the restoration we seek.

Just as many of you do, I too, want to see a first black President, but not Senator Obama. To allow that noble and godly desire, the economy or one's position on the war to trump this issue of life and death for the innocent unborn is simply wrong. The scriptures teach that if we choose first to exalt righteousness and turn from evil, God promises to heal our land (see Proverbs 14:34; 2 Chronicles 7:14). It is righteousness that exalts a nation, not wealth, prosperity or armies. If we will finish the process of removing the curses of death and anti-God laws off of America by electing a president that will continue to shift the Court, God will grace us with breakthrough in other areas such as the economy, the war against terrorism, etc. My faith is not in a person, and certainly not a political party, for the healing of America, but I know God's word and His ways well enough to know that our decisions do move Him to action or inaction.

Now to the heart of my reason for writing this letter (I realize I am "preaching to the choir"—most of you who know or listen to me are conservative enough to vote for McCain and Palin.) I have not written any appeals for prayer concerning this election because:

1) others have, and
2) I believe our movement has matured to the point that the prayer base of the Church is already praying.

But I now feel the need to raise my voice. I am appealing to you to pray for these elections the next two weeks like you've never prayed for any in the past.

Faithfully. Passionately. Boldly. Ask God for His mercy and grace.

We deserve His judgment for removing His influence and authority from our government, schools, homes and businesses; for the killing of 50 million babies; for leading the world in the consumption and exporting of pornography; for passing laws to reject His; etc. But mercy triumphs over judgment and in His wrath He remembers mercy. In 2000 we actually lost the popular vote and won the election—talk about grace! Please pray for this grace to be released again. But I am also asking you for something more than normal prayer. For those of you who understand spiritual warfare, I am asking you to also include this aspect of prayer. There is no doubt that we have entered a Daniel 10 moment in time: "Then he said to me, 'Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia'"(Daniel 10: 12-13 NAS). The spiritual warfare in this election is incredibly fierce, and just as it was in Daniel's day, is all about the restoration of a nation. And also like Daniel, we must keep praying until we win the battle in the heavens.

In August of this year I predicted that September would mark a shift in momentum for these elections. This happened with the appointment of Sarah Palin as the Vice Presidential nominee (who is a true Esther in our generation), but when the economy began its meltdown and the media ramped up their unprecedented attacks on Palin, that momentum wasn't sustained. But we can see it turn again if we approach this battle as the spiritual warfare it truly is and bind the evil forces involved (see Matthew 16:18-19). The reality is that this election can be the breakthrough we need to fully shift the Court (and ultimately our nation) or it will be an immeasurable setback that could take many years to reverse—if ever.

Please understand what I am saying: if we engage in this battle and do what I am asking—in mass—we will win; if we do not, we will lose. I, for one, don't intend to allow the latter. I am in Washington, D.C. now (October 20-22) with Lou Engle and a team of prayer leaders from around the nation to war for this election. Join us! Lose some sleep, miss some meals—pray! Pray like never before for these elections. And as you do, involve yourself not only in petitioning prayer but also in spiritual warfare. Use your God-given authority over the plans and strategies of satan's kingdom. Bind all witchcraft that is working to control the outcome, including occultic powers that are suppressing truth. Release Christ's Kingdom rule in every way the Holy Spirit leads you.

Don't be deceived and don't lose hope (if you have to, turn off the TV.) It is not too late to turn these elections. God is plenty powerful enough to do so. The real question is will we rise to the level of prayer and spiritual warfare necessary to release that power. And remember, we don't need a majority of Christians who are willing and able to do this—only a praying remnant. We can do it!

Here are some practical suggestions to consider:
1) Fast (a meal a day; a day a week; a Daniel fast; 3 days; 10 days;TV; etc.) and spend the time praying.
2) Agree in prayer with someone everyday for God's will to be done.
3) Form/participate in prayer groups regularly. Churches could prayeveryday.
4) Take time in every gathering to pray. (Take 15 minutes in everyservice to pray for the elections. Turn an entire service to harp andbowl style intercession—worship and prayer combined.)
5) Join 2 or more on a conference call and pray for 15, 20, or 30minutes.
6) Pray on the way to work (and on the way home).
7) Pray before you go to sleep.
8) Pray before church services.
9) Ask God to give you His strategy—He will!

In His grip,
Dutch Sheets

Federal Friday: One Vote to stop Democratic Halloweens

So, with all the serious political postings of late, I decided to provide some comedy relief. Now, personally, we don't celebrate halloween, but this cartoon is very funny - and representative of the liberal viewpoint - so it belongs in today's Federal Friday.

The poor kids... just trying to make their way in the world of candy gathering, and they get stripped of the fruits of their labors!

NO!! That is not what is happening! The Democrat is trying to take away the fruits of their labors. But, if we reach the analogy to our current situation, we see that the kids (voters, taxpayers) are able to decide whether or not the Democrat (Obama and other candidates) gets to do what he plans.

(Now, of course, I can't make it all fun and games, so here's the serious section)

With that in mind, remember, no matter what the media, politicians or others tell you, your vote will count! This video is a little longer than usual, and isn't a Stoplight, but is very good and well worth the time.

One last thing: the polls that aren't being manipulated are still showing either a 2 point race, or tighter! Make up that slight difference by showing up in greater numbers than anyone imagined possible!

Campaigning and Snow - An Excellent Combo!

So, the night before last, it snowed! We had about an inch of accumulation, although if it had all stuck it would have been much more. Then, last night, it snowed again for about an hour! (no accumulation, but we're so happy to actually be seeing snow when winter ought to be starting that we don't really care!)

We realized that the only one of us that had boots that fit was Buddy, so Birdie and I had to go and get some. Of course, we went to Walmart. But before we left, Birdie said something about the two of us maybe getting matching boots, and that if we did, she would succeed in getting me to wear "girlie" boots. Well... it just so happens that the opposite took place :-). The women's boots were all terribly un-functional (is that a word?). I had entered the store knowing that I was getting men's boots (women's shoes aren't fitting right these days, so I get small mens instead). Well, after about 10 minutes, Mom and Birdie come find me in section where all the heavy boots are. Here's the punch-line: Birdie ends up getting the same pair I got (in a smaller size) - matching boots, right? - and they are VERY not feminine at all!! I found it quite funny.

So, since I'll be working on one of the Gen-J SAT's (Student Action Teams) and we've already had snow, I am hoping and praying that God will give me two of my favorite things at once - a snowy campaign! I think that would be SO fun! I know a lot of people, including Dad, would disagree, but that's what I think.

Oh, and a number of people that we know from back east are coming to run some of the teams, which will be a blast!! (JL and DN in particular, and all the others!)

Oh, and if you all would pray for my health and particularly my energy level to hold up during the campaigning, I would really appreciate it (My knees could use some prayer too... make that my legs... make that all my joints). Everyone keep praying for all the campaigns all over the country, especially for McCain-Palin!

Polls vs. Us

Worried about the polls? Well, before I explain why not to be, here's a quick primer on polling:

Let's say there's a poll of 11 people to see whether the color blue is generally better liked than the color red. If you have 5 people in the room who always like blue better than red, and you have 4 people in the room who always like red better than blue, and 2 people that cant seem to make up their mind, than you have to fudge the numbers to reflect the way those people's tastes are.

It's the same in a political poll. If a higher percentage of voters usually vote democratic, than the numbers must be able to reflect the actual make-up of the American population.

The Problem: Because the numbers do have to be manipulated in this way, and most people don't know how the math is actually done, often a poll can be manipulated by simply changing the demographic numbers that are imputed into the raw data. Also, even if the current demographics are imputed correctly, those are not necessarily the demographics that are actually going to show up to vote.

The Point: Polls are not exactly trustworthy, as they often are based on a person's perception of how the demographics are actually going to be ON ELECTION DAY.

With that said, here's a BIG encouragement that you can change the reality of the demographics on election day:




So, GO VOTE PEOPLE!!! This race is so much closer than you will ever hear in the media. They want you to think that it is all sewn up for Obama... if you believe that, look at this: a bi-partisan poll that is widely accepted in the political realm (not that you'll hear about it anyplace but on Rush Limbaugh). This poll puts us at a one point race in battleground states (they're calling them swing states this year, but anyhow).

Get out, pray for this tight election, and be strong!

Federal Friday "Just ONE Reason!" = Abortion

A number of people have mentioned that they would like "just ONE reason" to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket. On my last Federal Friday post, I think I provided some good reasons NOT to vote for Obama, and thereby good reasons to vote for McCain-Palin. But, if you want a reason to vote for McCain-Palin for there own sakes, here is one:



I have had the opportunity to come into close contact with a number of Special Needs children and adults. It pains me when people try to marginalize them socially, but in particular when these wonderful human beings become the targets of infanticide disguised as "choice"... abortion. Sarah Palin in this video has voiced what people who believe in the preciousness of life, particularly that of Special Needs children, have been waiting to hear from a prominant public figure for years. This deserves GREAT applause.

Also, remeber that this is not simply an issue of aborting Special Needs Children, this is about ALL abortion, as in completely unlimited abortion.

So, in short, applaud Sarah Palin's views, and applaud Senator McCain for choosing someone with this much grit! This could be that ONE reason you need... it's certainly the only one I need.

Resting...

Thank you all so much for your prayers... we made it, and found out that it wasn't the transmission after all! With all the bustle going on, I lost what it actually was, but we fixed it.

We aren't back home yet. We're staying at Aunt Love-My-Dogs' house to visit and rest before heading home.

I've spent the last few days on the couch as much as possible, although I'm considering taking a walk this afternoon, perhaps. Can't wait to get back home... it's great to visit with fam, but those absolutely amazing mountains are calling.

Best be on to other things... have got a number of semi-pressing issues in the email box that I need to deal with.

Prayer for... the car

We are indeed on the road on our way to the funeral for Grandpa. It is hard on everyone, of course, especially for Mom as she deals with details on that end. I'm already feeling various negative effects of the travel, and everyone is tired.

We especially need prayer for our car. We've had a number of problems with the van over the past month, but it isn't what it should be. Dad is quite concerned about the transmission... it just isn't right, and we have a significant reduction in power. Because of that, it's taking a lot of patience to get up to speed. Overall, we are simply taking longer than we ought to be. But, that isn't our biggest concern, we're just hoping we can make it in tonight.

Also, with these problems, Dad doesn't want me driving any more, so he's doing the whole day today... while working... me typing/navigating... him calling/talking/dictating... it's a busy place in the front seat!

Please pray:
That we make it, and can figure out what's wrong and get it fixed.
For energy, safety and health.

Thanks all.

Prayer for the fam

Hello everyone. I've not been posting because of the busyness of moving, but also because I've been feeling pretty bad. It's a long story, but I'm taking an herbal tea every night that is killing off a lot of bacteria and stuff, and it's making me feel worse. Please pray for energy for me, and that this tea helps me in the long run.

Well, I decided to post today, because we are going to be in a tight spot soon. My Mom's Dad is dying of cancer. He isn't a Christian (we think), and we're not expecting him to last more than another couple weeks. Mom is already out there, and the remaining four of us are all getting ready to be able to leave with six hours notice. It's a bunch of early prep work right now... honestly, all our supplements are going to take me much of the afternoon to figure out, plus other stuff. Also, Dad has to work in the middle of this.

One particular fly in the ointment, is that the family relations aren't very smooth, and things may be very difficult... Mom in particular needs prayer for this.

Please pray:
- That we will all have the energy to do this trip.
- That I will be able to feel good enough to help Dad with the driving.
- That we won't take to long to recover from it.
- For the family situation to smooth out.
- For time lines, details and logistics to all fall into place easily,
- And, especially for Grandpa's salvation.

Thanks all for your prayers. I will update as I have the time.
Philippians 1:3-4

Federal [almost] Friday: Mr. Obama?

First, may I say that I fully support the McCain-Palin ticket, and particularly McCain's pick of Palin. We went to one of their rallies, heard them speak, and particularly heard the huge enthusiasm of the crowd - if anyone is worried about the Republican energy level, fear no longer, we are as energized as we come!

There are two reasons I am writing. Both are widely available on the Internet.

1) The "sound-bite of the day".
The now-infamous blip: "Jesus Christ was a community organizer, and Pontius Pilot was a governor", started on blogs, was repeated by numerous Obama-people, sniped at Governor Palin and is simply offensive to Christians.

This has a number of overtones:
I. That Obama (a former community organizer) is comparable to Jesus Christ, the Perfect Lamb of God. This is obviously offensive to those who believe that Jesus Christ died for the world, rose on the third day, and is equal with God.
II. That Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin has committed some sort of action comparable to condemning Jesus to death. This is an absolute snipe at her - without even a clear accusation.
III. That a community organizer counts as part of the list of needed qualifications to be President of the United States of America. Senator Obama has a very thin list of accomplishments, and his job qualifications list is also sparse - usually called a thin resume. This is again a snipe at the competition without really providing the reasons why he thinks he is qualified.

As a note here, I would like to add this. Many people are very upset with comments made by Sarah Palin and numerous republicans about community organizers. I would like to say that they are missing the point. From my perspective, these comments are not pointed towards community organizers, but are aimed at Obama and his claim of qualification for the Presidency. They are not intended to slam community organizers.

Mr. Obama? How long will you allow yourself to be compared with Christ, and how long will you allow your supporters to snipe at your very worthy opponent, Sarah Palin, without so much as leveling a clear accusation?

2) Iraq War Veteran's own "Mr. Obama?"
This video is incomparable. It is the best articulation against Obama I think I have heard, especially on the issue of the War on Terror in Iraq:



Please, send out this link and spread this video as much as you can, it is too powerful to leave alone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

Conclusion:
Well, Mr. Obama? What will you do? Will you dare to renounce your follower's comparison of you and Jesus Christ? I hope so. Will you dare to renounce their sniping at Sarah Palin? I doubt it, if you did they wouldn't have anything else to throw. Will you dare to listen to this man who has been defending YOUR country for YOU against those who, whether you believe it or not, want to destroy YOU? In short: Will you dare to change?

The Kansas City/Colorado Springs Debate

Some may not know, but just a week or so before the house sold, we suddenly were looking into changing direction from Colorado to Kansas City (KC). The reason was a disturbing piece of legislation passed by the Colorado State legislature and signed into law by the Governor - S.B.200. It was an "anti-discrimination" bill, making "discriminatory" acts and - if you believe it - areas illegal and able to be prosecuted. That's all well and good, until you hear what it actually does, and why.

The bill focused on the LGBT crowd. Among the 23 areas affected by the bill was the labeling of public restrooms as segregated by gender - no longer allowed in Colorado because of this bill. It also outlawed a business owner/employee from refusing to provide a service to a member of the LGBT crowd on religious grounds.

This caused us to seriously question whether or not we should move there. We seriously considered KC, until I found an article on CitizenLink that discussed the other areas of the country that are already taking on similar laws. The prevailing wisdom is that either S.B. 200 will be killed in CO, or it will become a "norm" in state laws across the country. Because of that information, and some other things, Mom and Dad decided CO was still where God wants us.

Politically, a very interesting part of the bill is how in the world it got through the legislature without a lot of fight. Colorado may be the "second California", but you'd think there would be some more hullabaloo about it.

Here's how it happened. A semi-silent yet very powerful gay-rights activist named Tim Gill, has been putting money into state-level senate and representative campaigns - and we are talking serious money with a lot of serious power to go with it. It's really quite brilliant how he's done it. Watch the video below to learn more... he is an interesting study for those who are politically inclined, and for those who aren't, I promise you want to know about this. (this one is about 6 1/2 minutes)



As a note, CitizenLink is suggesting that information about Tim Gill be circulated as much as possible in an attempt to make him more visible. To get the embed code for this video go here. For another shorter video, look up the Turn Signal video on the subject here.

Obama's [Shocking] Religious Views

I have been concerned about Obama - very concerned. I have also been particularly concerned about the conservative grass-roots and just how enlivened they may get, or more precisely, how enlivened McCain can get them. At this time, though, I am praising God that Obama is the Democratic candidate - he is the ultimate way that I see to get the conservative grass-roots very pumped and ready to vote.

That said, these short videos from [Focus on the Family] CitizenLink's "Turn Signal" news reports will make you want to go vote in November, and get the word out as much as possible until then.







To see other Turn Signal programs, as well as CitizenLink's other online video program, Stoplight, go here - they are great, I highly recomend all of them.

More details

The following is an email sent out by Mom this afternoon. I've edited some of the personal info out and replaced it with brackets...

[start email]

Hello Everyone!

We are so excited and surprised after all this time on the market (1 year and 7 months), we were planning to take the house off the market sometime soon! God had other plans for us...

He sold the house! Closing is set for [very early August], but it might be sooner.

The buyer's house must sell but is set to close [this week].

House inspection is set for [this week, the day after the buyer's house closes].

After those things, we don't think there are any "holes" so to speak.

We are planning to move to [Colorado]. [Dad] and [Mom] need to go there and buy a house!

We are going to be on a wonderful God-gifted vacation in the middle of this time of moving preparation in July!

Packing and moving ourselves completely is planned with John driving rental trucks a few times back and forth. We were advised not to do too much inside until after the home inspection is complete [this coming week]. Today our huge swing set is being disassembled by [Dad] and the kids.

We appreciate all your prayers for the many details that need to be taken care of!

Thank you all so much!

In His Grace,
[Dad], [Mom], [the.joyful.one], [Buddy], [Birdie]

[end email]

I would like to add this verse as a close.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,
declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8-9

-the.joyful.one

SOLD!! More updates on the way...

Friends,
Life just took a quantum leap in the past three days or so. Short story is that the house is esentailly sold, with a few minor contingencies. We will need to be out by late July/very early August.

For now, that's all the details I can provide... please pray that all the many details come together. We havce a lot of time constraint because of some outside circumstances not related with the house, so details must be micro-engineered in advance, which basically means in the next two or three days.

Also pray for everyone's energy levels, we're still sick and this is a huge stress both emotionally and physically.

Mom is working on a letter to send out via email (inbetween realtors, planning etc.) that I will probably post when it's done.

We are praising God for finaly giving us this go-ahead, and are relying on Him for the literal strength to complete this.

For those living around here, we will miss you all, and for those living else where, we still do, and we keep all of you in our prayers.

-the.joyful.one

Post 50 and the Ever Moving Easter

Is this amazing, or what? Not only is this the 50th post, it is posted only one day after the most recent post! *patting myself on the back*

So what amazing stimulus encouraged me to post so quickly and not procrastinate (as usual)? Well, I've always been confused about why Easter never seems to be in the same week or month, let alone on the same day.

Also, why is everyone saying that Easter is coming early this year?

To answer, here's an email thing that Mom sent me, which automatically means that it is true, useful information or a great comedy relief , this particular one being the former.

Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar
that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare.

Here's the interesting info. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:

1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).

2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

Also, for the PHC students (and perhaps college students in general, I'm not sure), this is why you're having a Spring/Easter break that isn't almost at the end of the semester like last year!

Quick... Before the Lion Comes!

As they say, March comes in like a lion, so I'm quickly getting a post on here before it comes. I know it's crazy that's it's taken me two months to post anything, but oh well...

Hm, first, did I ever mention that I actually recieved my Drivers License? Well, if I didn't, I am now fully licensed and am enjoying it.

I've had quite a bit of excitement over the past week, much of it good. On thursday of last week (the 21st) I got the oppertunity (organized by Generation Joshua) to go into D.C. and lobby at the Congressional Office Buildings! It was so neat! Then, on Wednesday, Gen-J asked me to write an article about it for the monthly newsletter, which, in the end, needed to be done by 10am on friday (today)! I got it done late last night, and I'm really happy with it :-). I'm going to see if I will be allowed to post that article anywhere else. If I can I'll probably post it on Thoughts of Aspiring Future Statesmen (http://futurestatesmen.blogspot.com).

Unfourtunately, though, the day in D.C. has really put me out of things. on the day after we went down, I had a migrane, little parts of which have sort of hung on, coming and going as they will. I've been really tired, and my brain was kinda fried until tuesday. Please pray that this passes.

Also, you can pray that some new, um, what are they, suplements I guess, that we're going to try (as soon as they arrive) will work. We've given up on prescription meds right now, and these new things are hopfully going to help.

Those of you here in VA who are STILL praying that we won't leave, don't panic, my hopes are not terribly high after 15 months, but we did have a good showing last week that sounded promising. Even if it's against you inner desires, please pray that we can get out of here, having the house on the market 15 months is really pushing it, don't you think? ;-)

I'm taking an American Government class with three other girls this sememster. It's been good, although a lot of work! I'm learning a lot, and enjoying it becuase of it's connections with politics.

Speaking of American Government, that's really the reason I'm online, so I'd best get to it. Have a good last day of February!