Has it occurred to anyone that life is really a very strange thing? I mean, we're technically eternal beings, and yet we can't really tell, or at least we don't act like it. We're locked into this finite material universe, in which there is a start and finish. Yet, that's not really what we are. In reality, we don't have a clue what we are really like, and won't until we're out of this universe, because we simply can't even fathom anything else...
And if we think it's weird for us, just imagine God, who is not only eternal, but created the universe we're locked into for the moment, deciding to subject himself to the same thing.
While we're here, we can't seem to keep an eternal perspective. Yet, in reality, our life on earth is simply a rabbit trail off the highway of existence. While we believe what God has said about our lives, Jesus' life, and the ultimate plan, we don't always, or even usually, live that way. Why?
Well, all I can say is that it must have to do with the fall, and yet, I wonder, did Eve really have an eternal perspective when she ate of the fruit? Or did she, but it was simply overridden by the temptations? In which case, she was little different from us, except that she was only able to sin in one way, where as we are sinners by nature. Well, it's an interesting discussion, but still, we have the same issue at hand: why?
Why put us into this material universe at all? Why cause this disconnect from eternity?
I can't answer, and I don't suppose it's something that truly can be answered, for the same reason we have to ask the question in the first place: we are finite.
Whether we can answer all the why's and why-not's, the entire topic is one that ought to be given much thought. People talk about living eternally and then apply it to things like, "don't focus on gathering wealth" and "go into ministry - it's the most important" et cetera. But, what about the truly every day? What about getting so caught up - in our schedules, relationship issues, plans for the week/month/year, church and even just the things that keep our life on earth going: shopping, cleaning, cooking, sleeping, eating - that we completely lose sight of REAL life. Real life - the life that goes on forever, that will either end in eternal agony or eternal joy, glory and fulfillment in complete fellowship and communion with God.
Forgetting is ever so easy... and ever so serious.
November 8, 2009
September 22, 2009
September 17, 2009
Keeping An Eye Out
In general, there's so many things going on it's hard to keep track of it all, but here's some highlights to remind us of what we're fighting for, how much we've done, and how important it is to keep going over the next three years:
First, here's some great footage of the 9/12 March on Washington. This is impressive stuff:
Also, yesterday, Gary Bauer quoted a speech made by Mike Pence about Joe Wilson. The entire speech was excellent, so here it is [courtesy of VA Social Conservative]:
Keep watching the ACORN Prostitution Scandal as well - if you hadn't heard, they've now released video's from Baltimore, MD, Washington D.C., New York, NY, San Bernadino, CA and now, their latest, San Diego, CA - every one more incriminating and unbelievable than the last. Be sure to go back to earlier posts on BigGovernment.com and see the earlier ones. It's well worth the time.
First, here's some great footage of the 9/12 March on Washington. This is impressive stuff:
Also, yesterday, Gary Bauer quoted a speech made by Mike Pence about Joe Wilson. The entire speech was excellent, so here it is [courtesy of VA Social Conservative]:
Keep watching the ACORN Prostitution Scandal as well - if you hadn't heard, they've now released video's from Baltimore, MD, Washington D.C., New York, NY, San Bernadino, CA and now, their latest, San Diego, CA - every one more incriminating and unbelievable than the last. Be sure to go back to earlier posts on BigGovernment.com and see the earlier ones. It's well worth the time.
September 16, 2009
EOD Report - Interesting Joe Wilson Commentary
If you're not familiar with Gary Bauer's End of Day Report, go Here and sign up - it's good stuff. Today, EOD had some interesting comments about the Joe Wilson issue, and some especially interesting quotes from Mike Pence:
"Republicans Defend Wilson
Yesterday I urged Republicans in the House of Representatives to stand up and defend Joe Wilson (R-SC) when the vote to discipline him came to the floor. Wilson, not surprisingly, was reprimanded by a 240-to-179 party line vote. (Seven Republicans voted against Wilson, while 12 Democrats voted for him).
Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, the current Republican House Conference Chairman and rising star in the GOP, was one of the strongest voices for sanity in the debate. Pence spoke on Wilson’s behalf on the House floor yesterday, telling his colleagues: “The American people want better. The American people want less politics and more jobs. They want Congress to set aside petty partisan politics and come together to take action to get this economy moving again.”
Rep. Pence also noted, “Ironically, because of Joe Wilson’s outburst, we have been engaged in nearly a week-long debate about what’s really in H.R. 3200. In fact, now the American people know there's nothing in the Democrat’s bill in the House that requires an individual to verify their identity or citizenship.”
He closed his statement by saying, “Last Wednesday was not a good day in the House, but today is worse. Today we see politics overwhelming the institution. The American people are tired. So let me say again … I urge my colleagues to vote ‘no’ on this resolution, put attention back on the work that the American people sent us here to perform, and that is to serve the interests of their families and the interests of this Nation with everything we’ve got. I’m with Joe; vote no.”
I want to share these comments because many of you have responded to this report frustrated with the Republicans in Congress for their perceived reluctance to stand up and fight back against the radical Left. The Republican leadership IS fighting back, despite facing a huge Democrat majority and Big Media that is marching in lockstep with the liberal agenda in Washington. I urge you to keep an eye on Mike Pence in the future."
Also, I should give VaSocialConservative a great deal of credit for suggesting I watch Mike Pence in the first place.
"Republicans Defend Wilson
Yesterday I urged Republicans in the House of Representatives to stand up and defend Joe Wilson (R-SC) when the vote to discipline him came to the floor. Wilson, not surprisingly, was reprimanded by a 240-to-179 party line vote. (Seven Republicans voted against Wilson, while 12 Democrats voted for him).
Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, the current Republican House Conference Chairman and rising star in the GOP, was one of the strongest voices for sanity in the debate. Pence spoke on Wilson’s behalf on the House floor yesterday, telling his colleagues: “The American people want better. The American people want less politics and more jobs. They want Congress to set aside petty partisan politics and come together to take action to get this economy moving again.”
Rep. Pence also noted, “Ironically, because of Joe Wilson’s outburst, we have been engaged in nearly a week-long debate about what’s really in H.R. 3200. In fact, now the American people know there's nothing in the Democrat’s bill in the House that requires an individual to verify their identity or citizenship.”
He closed his statement by saying, “Last Wednesday was not a good day in the House, but today is worse. Today we see politics overwhelming the institution. The American people are tired. So let me say again … I urge my colleagues to vote ‘no’ on this resolution, put attention back on the work that the American people sent us here to perform, and that is to serve the interests of their families and the interests of this Nation with everything we’ve got. I’m with Joe; vote no.”
I want to share these comments because many of you have responded to this report frustrated with the Republicans in Congress for their perceived reluctance to stand up and fight back against the radical Left. The Republican leadership IS fighting back, despite facing a huge Democrat majority and Big Media that is marching in lockstep with the liberal agenda in Washington. I urge you to keep an eye on Mike Pence in the future."
Also, I should give VaSocialConservative a great deal of credit for suggesting I watch Mike Pence in the first place.
September 1, 2009
A Great, Simple Idea for Action
[I recieved this as it was passed around through a loop of Tea Party goers and other activists in my area - great idea!]
This great idea is being passed around the Tea Parties... In her own words:
"This is not a forward. I came up with this myself.. If you agree, please do it with me. I've written over 400 postcards, letters and emails already. You only need to do six. Thanks, Katy."
I believe that the majority of Americans are good, hard-working people. For too long we've been silent because we were going about our business raising our families and making the country work. Now everything that we've worked for all our lives as well as our inalienable rights guaranteed by God and inscribed in the Constitution are being stolen from us by the current Administration and Congress. It's time to DO something!
We are NOT an angry mob! We are NOT un-American! We just want the government to follow the U.S. Constitution. In our own way way we are doing what the Patriots in 1776 did, fighting to stop a tyrannical Government. I do NOT want anyone to be violent or ugly or disrespectful. What I AM asking is that you do a very simple, easy act that will have a great impact.Each of you buy six postcards and six postcard stamps (which are 28 cents). Send one to your U.S. Representative and to your two U.S. Senators. If you don't know their addresses (ours are printed in the daily paper) you can find them at:
http://www.house.gov/ for your Congressman and http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm for Senators
Even if your Representative and Senators do not support Obama's plans for our future, (ours don't, thankfully) they need to know that we are behind them to give them courage to stand up to the loud hateful voices that the Axis of Tyranny getting ready to unleash.
Also write the Axis of Tyranny Obama, Pelosi, and Reid. That uses up the six postcards. Their addresses are below:
President Barack Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington DC 20500
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
235 Cannon House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
S
enator Harry Reid
522 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Keep it short and simple (a requirement on a post card) but don't delay! They will soon be back in session after Labor Day, so mail it between August 31 and September 4 so you can FLOOD THEIR OFFICES with a Tsunami of mail! Snail mail makes a huge impact on elected officials, but letters take too long since the anthrax scare in 2001. They go through a quarantine of several weeks. Postcards are faster and cheaper to mail, too!
God Bless America
Katy Jones
Kerrville, Texas
This great idea is being passed around the Tea Parties... In her own words:
"This is not a forward. I came up with this myself.. If you agree, please do it with me. I've written over 400 postcards, letters and emails already. You only need to do six. Thanks, Katy."
I believe that the majority of Americans are good, hard-working people. For too long we've been silent because we were going about our business raising our families and making the country work. Now everything that we've worked for all our lives as well as our inalienable rights guaranteed by God and inscribed in the Constitution are being stolen from us by the current Administration and Congress. It's time to DO something!
We are NOT an angry mob! We are NOT un-American! We just want the government to follow the U.S. Constitution. In our own way way we are doing what the Patriots in 1776 did, fighting to stop a tyrannical Government. I do NOT want anyone to be violent or ugly or disrespectful. What I AM asking is that you do a very simple, easy act that will have a great impact.Each of you buy six postcards and six postcard stamps (which are 28 cents). Send one to your U.S. Representative and to your two U.S. Senators. If you don't know their addresses (ours are printed in the daily paper) you can find them at:
http://www.house.gov/ for your Congressman and http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm for Senators
Even if your Representative and Senators do not support Obama's plans for our future, (ours don't, thankfully) they need to know that we are behind them to give them courage to stand up to the loud hateful voices that the Axis of Tyranny getting ready to unleash.
Also write the Axis of Tyranny Obama, Pelosi, and Reid. That uses up the six postcards. Their addresses are below:
President Barack Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington DC 20500
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
235 Cannon House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
S
enator Harry Reid
522 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Keep it short and simple (a requirement on a post card) but don't delay! They will soon be back in session after Labor Day, so mail it between August 31 and September 4 so you can FLOOD THEIR OFFICES with a Tsunami of mail! Snail mail makes a huge impact on elected officials, but letters take too long since the anthrax scare in 2001. They go through a quarantine of several weeks. Postcards are faster and cheaper to mail, too!
God Bless America
Katy Jones
Kerrville, Texas
August 28, 2009
Keeping An Eye Out - Federal Friday
Hello everyone!
I know it's been a while, which is why I've got four items for you!
First, I've got a quick update on Secondhand Smoke, the bioethics blog I follow... It moved!! Here's the new address. If you've not read him before, I highly recommend it. The bioethics debate affects our basic rights so it is very, very important to be abreast of what is going on, scary though it may be.
Second: Whew, after something heavy like bioethics, you'll need something lighter. Here it is, one of my favorite Stoplight video's from the past month or so:
Hope you enjoy this!
Third: A lot of people probably got a chance to see this live, and more have likely seen this video, but I want to be sure everyone at least knows it exists. Glenn Beck interviewed Rush Limbaugh a few nights ago on Fox. It's a really great interview, available here - take a few minutes and watch it, or read the transcript if you prefer.
Forth: Last but not least, if you watch Glenn Beck's show on Fox News, you may have noticed the US Debt Clock. You may not have noticed that it's also a real website that anyone has access to. Anyhow, here it is, and I hope you take a look at it. I'll also be linking to it in my sidebar links.
Colorado is a wonderful place, and as summer is drawing to a close earlier than I'm used to from Virginia, I'm feeling that political spirit rise a bit early... hope you do too, there's a lot at stake this summer. Go to your town hall meetings, if you have any, get connected with some email loops from tea party or 9-12 groups, spend a few hours at some rallies, calling senators, et cetera and perhaps we can turn this country around!
(Oh, and to all of you in and around Virginia, there are early rumblings about the campaigns. Those are very important elections, so be sure to get involved there too.)
At the end of it all, God is in control of all this, so be sure to keep praying!
I know it's been a while, which is why I've got four items for you!
First, I've got a quick update on Secondhand Smoke, the bioethics blog I follow... It moved!! Here's the new address. If you've not read him before, I highly recommend it. The bioethics debate affects our basic rights so it is very, very important to be abreast of what is going on, scary though it may be.
Second: Whew, after something heavy like bioethics, you'll need something lighter. Here it is, one of my favorite Stoplight video's from the past month or so:
Hope you enjoy this!
Third: A lot of people probably got a chance to see this live, and more have likely seen this video, but I want to be sure everyone at least knows it exists. Glenn Beck interviewed Rush Limbaugh a few nights ago on Fox. It's a really great interview, available here - take a few minutes and watch it, or read the transcript if you prefer.
Forth: Last but not least, if you watch Glenn Beck's show on Fox News, you may have noticed the US Debt Clock. You may not have noticed that it's also a real website that anyone has access to. Anyhow, here it is, and I hope you take a look at it. I'll also be linking to it in my sidebar links.
Colorado is a wonderful place, and as summer is drawing to a close earlier than I'm used to from Virginia, I'm feeling that political spirit rise a bit early... hope you do too, there's a lot at stake this summer. Go to your town hall meetings, if you have any, get connected with some email loops from tea party or 9-12 groups, spend a few hours at some rallies, calling senators, et cetera and perhaps we can turn this country around!
(Oh, and to all of you in and around Virginia, there are early rumblings about the campaigns. Those are very important elections, so be sure to get involved there too.)
At the end of it all, God is in control of all this, so be sure to keep praying!
May 4, 2009
A Story: Nationalized
Nationalized is a short fiction work about the possible outcomes of nationalized healthcare. Generation Joshua has linked to it on their Facebook page, and I also encourage you to read it! I think it may be a great tool for encouraging awareness and involvement on this all-important issue.
Having had a lot of contact with the current private healthcare system, I will be the first to admit that it is by no means perfect, however I cringe to think what I and my family may have to go through if it were nationalized. The world of medicine is not cut-and-dried. It is not a world of if 'A' then 'B' - it is a world of "what is 'A', and what should 'B' look like". Any non-traditional illness needs to receive non-traditional treatments, and there are very large concerns that anything non-traditional may indeed be significantly limited - and you wouldn't believe how many people need that sort of help!
Anyhow, enough of my pontification, go and read the story, and I hope you think about it.
Having had a lot of contact with the current private healthcare system, I will be the first to admit that it is by no means perfect, however I cringe to think what I and my family may have to go through if it were nationalized. The world of medicine is not cut-and-dried. It is not a world of if 'A' then 'B' - it is a world of "what is 'A', and what should 'B' look like". Any non-traditional illness needs to receive non-traditional treatments, and there are very large concerns that anything non-traditional may indeed be significantly limited - and you wouldn't believe how many people need that sort of help!
Anyhow, enough of my pontification, go and read the story, and I hope you think about it.
April 29, 2009
A Shocking Message Regarding American Christianity
Oh, may God bless you through this... I have never heard any preacher so powerful, nor a message so... I can't describe it, but you MUST listen to this, I know it's long, but listen anyway.
God's Gifts
There have been many things happening here, but the one that I most want to talk about is God's gifts through the ACT.
Thank you so much for your prayers - it is only via prayer that this happened...
First, there was supposed to be a huge snow storm showing up early in the morning of the ACT, which would have canceled it.
Then, there was a particular place in the room I wanted - in the front near an edge, because I'm not used to working in a classroom and the people would have been very distracting.
Then, there was a big problem. When I was doing practice tests, as soon as I was done, I crashed physically and psychologically. Well, the real test went a full hour and a half longer than my practice ones did because they read all the rules in between every single section. So, guess what? At just the time when I usually finished, I really crashed, really bad, and literally just randomly filled in the ovals on at least 1-15 questions out of 40.
But, God allowed what I think is a miracle - The snow was held off until the afternoon - I got the front CORNER seat, so I only had one person next to me, and I was next to the window, which was wonderful! Then, as to the crashing, first of all, that section that I crashed on, went JUST FINE! It wasn't my best score, but it was one that I had gotten before. However, the complete score, the composite was HIGHER than I have ever gotten through all the practice tests... It's amazing!
Praise God!
Thank you so much for your prayers - it is only via prayer that this happened...
First, there was supposed to be a huge snow storm showing up early in the morning of the ACT, which would have canceled it.
Then, there was a particular place in the room I wanted - in the front near an edge, because I'm not used to working in a classroom and the people would have been very distracting.
Then, there was a big problem. When I was doing practice tests, as soon as I was done, I crashed physically and psychologically. Well, the real test went a full hour and a half longer than my practice ones did because they read all the rules in between every single section. So, guess what? At just the time when I usually finished, I really crashed, really bad, and literally just randomly filled in the ovals on at least 1-15 questions out of 40.
But, God allowed what I think is a miracle - The snow was held off until the afternoon - I got the front CORNER seat, so I only had one person next to me, and I was next to the window, which was wonderful! Then, as to the crashing, first of all, that section that I crashed on, went JUST FINE! It wasn't my best score, but it was one that I had gotten before. However, the complete score, the composite was HIGHER than I have ever gotten through all the practice tests... It's amazing!
Praise God!
April 3, 2009
The ACT and Other News
I know it's been terribly long since I posted something that wasn't a video or political commentary, but I really have been doing a lot lately.
First, I completed geometry! Yay!
The amazing part is that I started it on February 4th, and then finished it on March 4th! I honestly don't understand how I did that, except that all of a sudden, just after finishing the Chaparral Cleanse that I think I mentioned, my brain "turned on" as I call it. I was able to do math better than I have literally in years.
That means, (drum roll) that I have actually finished all my high school coursework!!! I.E. I have graduated high school but haven't "walked" yet!!
That left me with exactly one month to study for that dreaded, avoided and generally feared ACT. I have now been studying for that month, and will be taking it tomorrow. I was doing quite well on the practice tests until yesterday, when I suddenly got a 19 (on a scale of 1-36 with 36 high) on the READING section of all things! I've been getting scores in reading between 30 and 34 or so, and then all of a sudden I got 19? It doesn't make sense. But, I think it may have something to do with the form of the test, that was the first one I did online. With the online tests, it scores for you and everything, but it also gives you much smaller type and you have to scroll through the text that you're reading, which I think makes it much harder to reference while asking the questions, so I was going far more by memory. (SAT people, on the ACT you can reference the passages as often as you like while answering the questions, and that includes the writing prompt).
Anyhow, I've been turning my clock around in preparation for this, and have been getting up consistently at 6:20am - an amazing feat for me! But, this morning and yesterday, I've been waking up at around 5:30, and having trouble getting back to sleep. That's hard, because I'm losing a bunch of sleep that I really need.
I could really use prayer about the ACT, that I'm not nervous, and that my brain doesn't just decide to quit on me and go to sleep, and also that I'm able to rest well today and tonight.
On another front, we have finally decided on a Church - send up a flare! It certainly took us long enough - 7 months since we moved here. It's a small congregation about 10-15 minutes from us, which is very nice, and we really like it. At the end of it all, we were deciding between that church, which we'd been visiting off and on for a few months now, and another that was down on the west side of the city. It was a hard choice! But, even though we picked the one closer up here, I'm actually getting involved in a group from the one further down in the city.
Actually, I'm scaring myself, because the group I've started attending is, get this, the college and career group! AHHHHH!!!!! It's just that I felt like it would be silly to join a youth group for 2 months until I had gone through a graduation ceremony just to leave and join the college group. And, since I've never been in a youth group, I didn't really think this was the time to start. So, I am now attending this group, and I have enjoyed the two weeks I've been to - there would have been more, but I had to skip a week, long story.
Oh, and really funny, Dad, my father, who is technologically advanced, but perhaps not so much on the Internet until recently, got a Face book! So, if you've got one, send him an friend invitation for me.
March 25, 2009
Daniel Hannan
This is an amazing video - if only one of our American Republicans would speak out this way towards Obama.
January 29, 2009
Federal Friday: Republican's Going the Right Direction!
Below is commentary from Gary Bauer's End of Day Report, but first, I first want to state some things very clearly concerning what has happened regarding the "Stimulus" Bill:
1) Nancy Pelosi and President Obama shut out the Republican's from having any say in the "stimulus" bill... I.E., not one Republican wrote one word of it!
2) The Republican's stood strong against the "stimulus" bill, and not one Republican voted for it!
Translation: Not ONE Republican can be tied to this bill... if (or, rather, when) it fails, not one Republican will be able to become the Democratic scape goat!
This is excellent news... yes, even though the thing passed, it is a huge step in the "Right" direction for the Republicans! (Please pardon the pun)
From Gary Bauer's End of Day Report:
GOP Stands Firm!
Congratulations to House Republicans! Few thought they could do it, but they held together, stood firm and voted unanimously against the pork-filled monstrosity. The bill is over 600 pages long, and by one estimate it will cost us approximately $1.8 billion per page.
Of course, the liberal media wait until the day after it passes the House before they tell the American people what is in the bill. Remember all those “shovel ready” infrastructure programs President Obama promised? Well, the Boston Globe reports this headline today, “Only 5 percent of $819b plan would go toward infrastructure.”
The New York Times tells us, “Components of Stimulus Vary in Speed and Efficiency.” Speed and efficiency should be the most important considerations in any serious stimulus bill, but this was not a serious stimulus bill. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that most of the money will not be spent until 2010 or years later. In addition, the Associated Press reports today that the bill may even allow illegal aliens to qualify for additional benefits.
Here’s the truth: This is not an economic stimulus bill at all. It is a Democrat Party stimulus bill – payoffs to leftwing special interest groups with your tax money! The public may slowly be waking up. A new Rasmussen poll finds that only 42% of likely voters support this “stimulus” plan.
But even with the GOP voting unanimously against the bill, and even with 11 brave Democrats also voting against it, this budget buster passed by a wide margin of 244-to-188. It passed because the Democrats defeated dozens and dozens of conservatives in the past two elections by outspending us and outworking us.
This vote should be a wake-up call to conservatives who have walked away from the GOP, who backed third party candidates with no hope of winning or who just didn’t bother to vote at all. Elections have consequences. And when conservatives don’t participate, the Left will always win.
Here’s my point: The next two years will be rough and there will be many setbacks. But Republicans are fighting back! And rather than focusing our frustration on our friends in the minority party, let’s remember who is setting the agenda and who control Congress – Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. Now, let’s get to work rebuilding our conservative movement so we can take back Capitol Hill in 2010! There are reasons to be encouraged about the future, and I will report them in the days ahead.
Media Distortions
Big liberal media are very good at taking a falsehood and repeating it over and over again until it is accepted as fact. Let me tell you what you’re going to hear in the next few days, because it’s already started. The Republicans are going to get slammed day after day for opposing the president and for “irresponsible partisanship,” as Nancy Pelosi’s press release put it today. After all, President Obama went to Capitol Hill and spent two hours with Republicans trying to win their support. How dare they vote against his top priority!
But bi-partisan means that both sides give up something and both sides get something. This bill was written by Democrats and the Obama White House. None of the GOP’s ideas were incorporated in the bill. It was Obama and Pelosi who killed bi-partisanship – not the GOP.
Here’s something else you need to know. In the next few days, the Left will flood GOP offices with angry messages, saying they will never get reelected. If your representative is a Republican, please call and thank him or her. The number is 202-224-3121. Simply ask the operator to connect you to your congressman’s office.
I went to Capitol Hill today to thank as many House Republicans as I could. Then I went to the Senate, where the fight is about to begin, and I encouraged Senate conservatives to close ranks behind our key principles of lower taxes, less spending and support for traditional values.
Campaign for Working Families
2800 Shirlington Road
Suite 930
Arlington, VA 22206
Phone: 703-671-8800
Fax: 703-671-8899
1) Nancy Pelosi and President Obama shut out the Republican's from having any say in the "stimulus" bill... I.E., not one Republican wrote one word of it!
2) The Republican's stood strong against the "stimulus" bill, and not one Republican voted for it!
Translation: Not ONE Republican can be tied to this bill... if (or, rather, when) it fails, not one Republican will be able to become the Democratic scape goat!
This is excellent news... yes, even though the thing passed, it is a huge step in the "Right" direction for the Republicans! (Please pardon the pun)
From Gary Bauer's End of Day Report:
GOP Stands Firm!
Congratulations to House Republicans! Few thought they could do it, but they held together, stood firm and voted unanimously against the pork-filled monstrosity. The bill is over 600 pages long, and by one estimate it will cost us approximately $1.8 billion per page.
Of course, the liberal media wait until the day after it passes the House before they tell the American people what is in the bill. Remember all those “shovel ready” infrastructure programs President Obama promised? Well, the Boston Globe reports this headline today, “Only 5 percent of $819b plan would go toward infrastructure.”
The New York Times tells us, “Components of Stimulus Vary in Speed and Efficiency.” Speed and efficiency should be the most important considerations in any serious stimulus bill, but this was not a serious stimulus bill. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that most of the money will not be spent until 2010 or years later. In addition, the Associated Press reports today that the bill may even allow illegal aliens to qualify for additional benefits.
Here’s the truth: This is not an economic stimulus bill at all. It is a Democrat Party stimulus bill – payoffs to leftwing special interest groups with your tax money! The public may slowly be waking up. A new Rasmussen poll finds that only 42% of likely voters support this “stimulus” plan.
But even with the GOP voting unanimously against the bill, and even with 11 brave Democrats also voting against it, this budget buster passed by a wide margin of 244-to-188. It passed because the Democrats defeated dozens and dozens of conservatives in the past two elections by outspending us and outworking us.
This vote should be a wake-up call to conservatives who have walked away from the GOP, who backed third party candidates with no hope of winning or who just didn’t bother to vote at all. Elections have consequences. And when conservatives don’t participate, the Left will always win.
Here’s my point: The next two years will be rough and there will be many setbacks. But Republicans are fighting back! And rather than focusing our frustration on our friends in the minority party, let’s remember who is setting the agenda and who control Congress – Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. Now, let’s get to work rebuilding our conservative movement so we can take back Capitol Hill in 2010! There are reasons to be encouraged about the future, and I will report them in the days ahead.
Media Distortions
Big liberal media are very good at taking a falsehood and repeating it over and over again until it is accepted as fact. Let me tell you what you’re going to hear in the next few days, because it’s already started. The Republicans are going to get slammed day after day for opposing the president and for “irresponsible partisanship,” as Nancy Pelosi’s press release put it today. After all, President Obama went to Capitol Hill and spent two hours with Republicans trying to win their support. How dare they vote against his top priority!
But bi-partisan means that both sides give up something and both sides get something. This bill was written by Democrats and the Obama White House. None of the GOP’s ideas were incorporated in the bill. It was Obama and Pelosi who killed bi-partisanship – not the GOP.
Here’s something else you need to know. In the next few days, the Left will flood GOP offices with angry messages, saying they will never get reelected. If your representative is a Republican, please call and thank him or her. The number is 202-224-3121. Simply ask the operator to connect you to your congressman’s office.
I went to Capitol Hill today to thank as many House Republicans as I could. Then I went to the Senate, where the fight is about to begin, and I encouraged Senate conservatives to close ranks behind our key principles of lower taxes, less spending and support for traditional values.
Campaign for Working Families
2800 Shirlington Road
Suite 930
Arlington, VA 22206
Phone: 703-671-8800
Fax: 703-671-8899
John Piper Takes On Obama's Abortion Stance
I can't preface this, because John Piper says it all...
Pray. Without Ceasing. Pray.
Pray. Without Ceasing. Pray.
January 12, 2009
Chaparral Cleanse
Ever heard of this? Well, some people have been trying to convince me to do this for a few years. I was actually planning to do it in November, but never did.
Chaparral is an herb, that is used to cleanse the blood of impurities (toxins, germs, microbes and all the other "gunk" that gets trapped in there, particularly when you're sick and can't process them right). The Chaparral Cleanse, is 21 days of drinking one cup of Chaparral tea a day.
So, I was planning to start it as soon as some out-of-town guests left on or about the 2nd of January. But then, I ran into getting some graduation stuff ready, which ended up taking almost all week last week. Also, Mom's been sick, and I still haven't completely recovered from the holiday's and their accompanying activities. All that to say, it took me until this morning to start it.
So, I started it. Some people actually like the stuff evidently.
I don't.
I officially think that it taste's the way Weed-B-Gon smells!! The dried Chaparral leaf kind of smells like fertilizer, so that makes sense.
All I can do is sigh. I really think this will help me, but it will make me feel very sick over the next three weeks.
So, all that to say, I'm going to probably be quite sick for a while, so please pray that I am able to get through, and that all this will be beneficial. And, they do say that the taste will "grow on you". In my opinion, fat chance, but pray that it does.
Chaparral is an herb, that is used to cleanse the blood of impurities (toxins, germs, microbes and all the other "gunk" that gets trapped in there, particularly when you're sick and can't process them right). The Chaparral Cleanse, is 21 days of drinking one cup of Chaparral tea a day.
So, I was planning to start it as soon as some out-of-town guests left on or about the 2nd of January. But then, I ran into getting some graduation stuff ready, which ended up taking almost all week last week. Also, Mom's been sick, and I still haven't completely recovered from the holiday's and their accompanying activities. All that to say, it took me until this morning to start it.
So, I started it. Some people actually like the stuff evidently.
I don't.
I officially think that it taste's the way Weed-B-Gon smells!! The dried Chaparral leaf kind of smells like fertilizer, so that makes sense.
All I can do is sigh. I really think this will help me, but it will make me feel very sick over the next three weeks.
So, all that to say, I'm going to probably be quite sick for a while, so please pray that I am able to get through, and that all this will be beneficial. And, they do say that the taste will "grow on you". In my opinion, fat chance, but pray that it does.
January 2, 2009
Post-Christmas Post
Merry Christmas! We had a very nice Christmas, just the five of us. Our Christmas Eve play and evening program went very well, Mom and Dad LOVED it! I got another book from Lamplighter Publishers. I would have read it by now, but I have 3 1/2 books sitting on my night stand that I'm reading (one of them I'm reading for the third or fourth time, hence the "1/2"). I decided I have to finish at least one of them before I start another!
It has been officially announced that I have very good taste in clothes. You see, Birdie, Buddy and I went to a mall near here to do some Christmas Shopping, and Dad tells me, "If you see a nice sweater for your mom, get it, I'm not going to have time to go out myself for that". I came home with excellent deals on two sweaters, and Although one of them just plain didn't fit Mom right, she really liked the other one! Then, a first time experience for me, Mom and I went shopping early on the day after Christmas. It was actually kind of fun, especially since I was clothes shopping for someone else who was placing her clothes choice in my hands.
I would like to note that this DOES NOT, I repeat, DOES NOT imply that I now enjoy shopping, or that I like figuring out styles and trends, or that I am now a fashion consultant/personal shopper etc. It only means that Mom and I can go shop and actually enjoy it.
Happy New Year! 
For New Year's, Aunt J and Uncle A came to visit us, arriving the evening of the day after Christmas. We did a little touring around, they did some things on their own, we had some other family from somewhat north of us come to visit, played games, watched movies (Bourne Ultimatum was excellent, even for the fourth time through) and generally visited.
This, coming on the heals of the Christmas Week preparations, really did me in. I wasn't really feeling so good before Christmas because of all the things we were doing. I made it through Christmas Eve and Day alright, just pushing through on adrenaline, but that can only last so long.
I really just need to take a month off from life, but that isn't going to happen. But, I did have a really nice time over the past weeks, even though daily naps became a necessity and all that tiredness is rather depressing.
Now, I'm dealing with the "finish" syndrome, talking about bio's and pictures for graduation (oh, the scary word), and doing my best to actually be done when graduation pronounces me so!
Well, that's the update for now, hope everyone had a nice Christmas and New Year, and God Bless America (by saving her from herself).