Ideas? And Thanks!

This is the 113th post on The Self-Inflicted Blog. While not exactly a celebrated or significant number, it does take up a little space and gives a trivial statistic.

On those same notes, The Self-Inflicted Blog has been read 245 times, so far, during the month of April. It looks like we should break 400 reads, which is a decent number in my humble opinion. I thank everyone for reading and hope that it is enjoyable and informative; but mostly purposeful and thought provoking.

I do wish to make the site better, but I am limited as to how much I can do. I would like to give the site a little "Facelift", but I run Windows Vista, and you would be surprised at how lousy and incompatible it can be. Not to mention, I am not a computer whiz; even sort of.

I also wish to write about things that interest you; not just to voice my opinion. So I welcome any and all feedback. I received many good ideas the last time I asked for feedback, and was able to implement some of them. So if you have any more ideas, send them this way.

I do appreciate all of your support. And i do wish for this site to be successful; and I try to remember that success is measured in many ways. If you have any thoughts, ideas, gripes, or wishes, email me at ronnie_mason@hotmail.com and I will do my best to balance it all out and make The Self-Inflicted Blog one of the sites that we all like to read over and over.

May God Bless All of Us!

Ellipsis

Today is another day that I will try to clear away some clutter, scribblings, and musings that are piled up on my desk. So this may be more random than usual:

I see Nadya Suleman, a.k.a. the Octomom, is actually trying to get a trademark on the name, "Octomom". She has plans to franchise. I am not sure of what kind of merchandise she will sell, but I am certain that it will be very classy and child-friendly, as she loves her meal tickets, I mean children, very dearly. She could easily be mother of the year if it weren't for several celebrities that come to mind...give me a break...

And speaking of children, why is it that when I can't sleep and decide to get up early, that my kids decide to sleep in? How do they know? Do they plan this stuff behind my back? Either way, I wouldn't trade them for anything; just loan them out for a while. And the quiet morning has been nice. Too bad I'm not much of a morning person, it would have been especially nice.

I read about another potential planet the other day. And this potential planet possibly has a prospective ocean that may potentially be as deep as our real, unimagined oceans.. And the proof of these probabilities? The possible planet is close to the same size as the Earth. Wow! Now that is evidence that is difficult to debate against. That doesn't explain why Venus doesn't contain life; but I think that potential rules apply to prospective galaxies and do not adhere to those of our own Solar System. As far as I can follow anyway...

How about the Car Czar? Weren't Czars prominent in Russia? I'm just asking...anyway it seems that another Obama chosen sycophant has been tied to a scandal. This time in the form of the kickback scheme of the New York State pension funds. I know this is old news, which was barely reported by our fair-minded mainstream media, but I still wonder if Obamas judgement is what it has been built up to be. It couldn't be the company of people that he keeps, it must be as innocent as judgement; our president really cares. He even said so. On T.V....

I have been chomping at the bit to write more about the Tea Parties that were held last week, but again I will digress. Except for saying that it turned into a battle between Fox News and CNN; and once again regular Joes lost out. Or did they? I think enough regular Joes caused enough stink that it concerned the liberals, who are gaining more power every day. A friend of mine sent me a good article written by Michelle Malkin, on the new documents put out by the DHS, Department of Homeland Security. The article made me very nervous, and that is no joke. The document, not the article written by a journalist, reads," Right wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment." Basically calling those who protest against the liberalization and nationalization of America, terrorist suspects. And I'm not embellishing here. I plan on blogging on the Political and Economic climate later, so I will be brief today. But everyone should read the document for themselves and not take my word for it. It is scary. Thanks, Greg for sending me that nightmare!...and wouldn't Jefferson be a suspected terrorist when he said that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing? I'm just asking...

And on the terms of nationalization, my friend, Mark sent me an article reading," U.S. May Convert Bank Bailouts to Equity Shares." Which means that the government will OWN AND OPERATE more of the banking system. Now that's scary. And again, I will digress until a later date. but this scares me as well, and I don't scare easy. And again I quote Jefferson, "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies..." And now "they" will be controlling both, with "they" being the government that does not represent the desires of the people any longer. We has better wake up and remember Jefferson again, " A government big enough to give you al that you want,is big enough to take away everything that you have."

And while on Jefferson quotations," A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labour the bread it has earned- this is the sum of good government." Reread and think about that one...

What is with the new law proposals dealing with hate crimes? And what is a hate crime? And are there any love crimes; to be diametrically opposed? Or inversely implied? And Iknow this makes me sound "hateful" and worse, the dreaded "C" word, close minded; but I don't understand the logic behind making harsher penalties for hate crimes. Not too mention that it is a slippery slope. Where will the line be drawn a to what is hate? And with the "current economic and political climate" as stated in the DHS papers, we may all find ourselves guilty of such hate crimes. And if I were gay or black or Latino, I would not want such further polarizing laws. If we, being all people, really want more freedom and less discrimination, then we need a set of laws that apply to each and every one of us; not an extra ten year sentence if a certain type of person is the recipient of a crime. And if we say we want justice and an even shake, then we couldn't accept preferential treatment in the law books, or in our every da life. If we do want the preferred, gold-card treatment dealing with our civil liberties, then we are proposing to gain the upper hand, not equality; and make as ourselves as guilty as those we oppose in these terms and codes. Maybe the right to be as wrong as our neighbor is what i really at stake here. And don't get me wrong, I am against the mistreating of anyone regardless of whatever reason. But I don't feel we need more laws to enforce; laws that could be misused by whoever is in control on whatever day or whichever courtroom. People should be punished for their crimes; that ideology is about all that keeps me from being a Libertarian. But further classifying laws will not benefit our society...

I try to steer clear of the homosexuality issue, but it is getting more difficult to do everyday. I have seen people, both homo and hetero, hurt too often by other people. I have seen "church people" mistreat people that Jesus died for; just as He died for the self-righteous. I have seen "secular" people hurt caring people with harsh words and judgements. I know that people are gonna mistreat people and whatever trait of the other is the most prominent is the easiest target; but we need to love and respect each other. There was a good example on Facebook the other day; two friends and classmates of mine, on total opposite ends of the spectrum, had a discussion on the subject of same sex marriage. There was no name calling or hatred. Each showed respect despite totally disagreeing. Granted, these two are wiser than most of us, and probably more caring as well; but we can all strive to leave our comfort zone and listen to each other. I applaud Heidi and Bill Ed for inspiring me and being a paradox as to how we should conduct business these days. Our nation will have to face some deep, dividing issues very soon and I just hope and pray that our hearts are right before our mouths engage debate.

And that is it for today. I am having trouble editing, so ignore the many mistakes; as I will not proofread today due to the technical issues and my lack of prowess. May God Bless everyone and have a great weekend!

Is It Still Easter?

Happy Earth Day, whatever that is. And here's to the other 364 days a year that anyone could care less about their carbon footprint. Kind of like Valentines Day; here's some chocolate and a flower so that I can ignore you and take you for granted the rest of the year. Oh yeah, I love you...

We may not say those actual words with our mouths, but we do say them with our actions many times. Instead of attempting to alter our lifestyles or character traits, we designate a day to "celebrate, remember, and become aware", then our conscious is eased. We do it for Christmas, for our Veterans, for our spouses, our independence as a nation, so on and so forth. Does anyone remember Easter? You remmebr, the holiday we had two weeks ago. You know, the one that made it ok and semi-chic to say that we love Jesus and that we remember the cross and an open tomb. Do many have the courage to take the same stand today? Do we feel like we may be a little fanatical if we yearn for God today, on a regular Wednesday, nearly twenty days removed from Easter? Wouldn't it be easier to take a stand if it were more popular? Couldn't we make or convictions convict us at a more opportune time? If it weren't just me, myself, I would take a stand for Jesus; all I'm waiting for is a crowd, and I'll be the loudest person praising God.

Contrary to popular belief and hope, it all starts with one person, and it starts with ourselves. So for my part, I scratched my blog that I had worked on earlier; all about freedoms and government and things that interest me, and am refocusing on a blog I wrote a couple of weeks ago, "Easter Evermore", at least in my thoughts. But I deserve no medal or accolades for doing such.

I'm better nor worse than anyone else. I'm not trying to be preachy or self-righteous; I'm coming forward with a confession that I have been consumed with liberties and hockey games. My thoughts and concerns are about monies and lifestyles. I fret about getting the house painted this spring or doing some interior work on my home. I have spent too much time playing on the computer and not enough on my praying and studies. So I';m not pointing fingers at anyone; but I feel the need to keep myself accountable on the things I say and write, and pray for consistency in my actions and speech. And I hope that this rubs off on others; I hope to do my part to take a stand and not have Easter to be another Earth Day.

Computer Issues

Experiencing technical problems and time management issues today. No Self-Inflicted Blog today. This is your opportunity to read a better written blog today.

God Bless!

My Struggle Today

Politics have always interested me. I know that may come as a surprise to a great many people. But I do enjoy politics.

Or I did enjoy politics, is probably more accurate. There is little enjoyable about politics these days. I find myself struggling more and more in the effort to be a good citizen and a Christian. I desire to be as Christlike as my sinful self can be, first and foremost. That will always be first priority, or at least I pray that it will. And I live in the U.S.A. where I wish to be an informed and vocal citizen in an effort to do my part to make this great country ever better. And I don't intend for that to be any kind of patriotic bombast; I am sincere in my hopes and efforts.

And the struggle between being a Christian and being a citizen was never as much of a, well, struggle let's say, as it is for me in the here and now. And to be honest, I am not always certain as to why that is so.

Some of it has to do with rights. It seems like everyone has every kind of right to perform any kind of action or say any kind of thing that any kind of person desires; except a Christian. Not a cultural christian, but a God-fearing follower of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. When I express my opinions on same-sex unions, abortion, evolution, stem-cell research, and many other topics, I am viewed as either a fanatic or a close-minded, backwards buffoon who wants to revert to the fourteenth century. Or both. For some reason, my personal views, how I interpret the Bible, and how I understand our Constitution to read NOW all clashes together and makes a big, brownish-black blob of reasoning; instead of a portrait of red, white,blue and red and white, that it once did.

We have found so many loopholes and technicalities in which to live by that even the deepest and more coherent thinkers become confused as to how to live in Christ and Country at the same time. We have trivialised the monumental and made social mountains out of political molehills. In both our churches and our government. We have become complacent in areas that need urgency and have taken on dead-to-right severity in our opinions on issues that can wait. The water is so muddy between rights, freedoms, separations, and free will that it has become difficult to be diligent in our Faith and in our citizenship. At least it has for me, many times.

And I think that it is so because I refuse to be be a lukewarm Christian and a lukewarm Citizen; and I am experiencing a struggle between the two that rarely existed in the past.

But I am a big advocate for the separation of Church and State, don't misunderstand that. If you want to see abuse of the treatment of peoples and neglect of needs and hopes, look no further than the bureaucratic mess of our churches today or the dogmatic government we are currently under. By combining the two, we will certainly be doomed to hopelessness. But I think that many people misunderstand the concept of separation of church and state, and the actual, applied separation thereof; it is separation, not absence, that is the ideal behind the constitutional concept.

Maybe my desire to serve God and the U.S. causes a struggle because our views are clouded due to the misconceptions people have of our church and our constitution. And we want to give everyone the right to be heard, regardless of how informed they actually are. Maybe too many people think that you can balance issues and faith by taking shortcuts or making compromises between the two. Or maybe I am too arrogant and ignorant for my own good and just can't See the forest for the trees. As much as I hate to admit that, it is a possibility.

Why else would I have such a struggle? What other reason could there be for me to find it so difficult to encourage others to follow God and accept Jesus as Lord when the Holy Spirit convicts, while trying to encourage the same people to become informed, active, and concerned about issues that affect our lives?

Whatever the reason, this is not the direction I had planned to go today; but it is too late now. Hopefully I was listening to the Holy Spirit as I voiced concern over our country. Hopefully I'm finding my way through this struggle...

Bombast; for Samantha

Some random thoughts for today:

Today is Tax Day and I see where many cities are having, "Tea Parties". Not to toot my own horn, well actually, I am tooting my own horn, but I suggested that we hold a Tea Party back in the fall when Bush/Paulson started all of this TARP/bailout junk. Go back and read the blogs (and how is that for an indiscreet shill?!!?) But my point was that we are facing taxation without representation all over again; and that our out of touch government needs to listen to us, "we the people".

How many are going to a Tea Party today? I hope to attend, or at least drive by and honk my truck horn, but I have a full plate today. And a heathen child...

The NHL Playoffs start today, and today is a big day for my St. Louis Blues! Today is the first time that the Blues will play in a post season game since their record 27 year consecutive playoff streak was broken four years ago. And it is also the first time that the Blues have been in the playoffs since my son was born. I'm not superstitious, but I was beginning to consider putting him up for adoption! But now all is well and he can learn about real, playoff hockey. And my wife can remember how stupid the madness of the post season makes me...

Is anyone else tired of hearing about the Obamas dog? Dang! Give it a rest. I usually enjoy most of the "first pet" stuff and realize that it makes our president seem to be more of a rel person to us common-folk; but enough is enough! Maybe the Obamas should have gotten a horse, so when it dies the media can continue to ride into the absolute ground.

There was something else I was going to mention here, but my memory is as reliable as Joe Biden's. Oh well, maybe it will come back to me.

I have not mentioned it yet, but I think the president was right on in dealing with the Somalian pirates by sending in the navy seals. Way to go Mr. President! Just don't stop here; finish the job.

I see more and more articles that life insurance companies are lining up for bailouts and TARP money. My question is, why the change in our rates and premiums to offset losses by insurance companies if Uncle Sam is just gonna give you free money? It is free money isn't it? So will my rates go up again if my insurance company shows a loss for the year? Even if the government bails them out? And when will the government appoint an insurance czar? When will insurance companies be owned by the government?

Speaking of insurance companies being owned by the government, will the government give bailout money to my health care provider when they are forced out of business by national health care? How does that work?

I'm still thinking on the "End of Christianity in America" but not lead to write on it yet.

And speaking of Christianity, does anyone remember Jesus and the cross and the empty tomb now that Easter is three days in the past? Did Jesus raise from the dead only to be forgotten until December 24th? Is it still cool to type, "Thank you Jesus " on my Facebook page, or will I be seen as fanatical if i type that today? How many of us have gone back to thinking of ourselves, then others, then God, now that Easter is such ancient history? Of course we have bills to pay, jobs to do, people to see, and places to go; and true Faith does slow down our lifestyle a bit, doesn't it?

And I will end on that note. Have a good day.

Easter Evermore

I hope that everyone had a good Easter Sunday, and was able to spend quality time with family and friends. But more importantly, I hope that Easter will be to us than just a few days or a season. I hope that we all live like everyday is Easter; and that we remember not only the cross, but mostly that we remember the empty tomb.

And make no mistake, the tomb is empty! Despite all of the crazy theories and speculations as to what may have happened to Jesus body, we can be certain that we have the faith and knowledge that we serve a risen Lord. We can trust that our relationship with God, through Jesus, is a relationship between the living; not a relationship between one living and one set of bones.

Never do I remember so many conspiracy theories or so many being so vocal about their doubtings on the resurrection of Jesus. I can't remember there ever being as many programs on History or Discovery Channel, stating the doubt of a risen Saviour. Everyone wants proof of Jesus and no one wants to have much Faith, for fear of being called unintelligent or backwards; or worse, close-minded.

And today, I will spare you of all of the statistics, documentation, and other evidence that the Resurrection is real. But please Email or contact me with any questions you may have, personally. I can also recommend some good reading on the subject if you don't just want my two-cents.

And I can do this not because I am some kind of Bible scholar, historian, or archaeologist. I can relate to the doubts and help answer the questions because I too have been a seeker who needs something tangible in order to grow my Faith. I took God to task when He said to try me and test me. I believe when Jesus told the disciples to consider the costs before following Him, that He wishes for ALL of His followers to have the same considerations today, just as they did two thousand years ago.

I am like doubting Thomas. I wanted to believe. I knew what everyone was saying. I heard the whispers and grumblings on the streets. My heart knew what was real and authentic. But I wanted to know the TRUTH. And like Thomas, I have no problem being loyal and bold in my actions if I know that I am serving the Truth. I hope that I will not have to surrender my life for God, as Thomas did; but I would like to believe that my Faith is strong enough to stand up to that task if God lead me to do such.

And there is no way on Earth that I would have the boldness, or even any consideration for standing on such Truth, if I didn't know that it IS the Truth. I have no desire to die for any ideology or psychology. I am not noble, nor am I overly chivalrous when it comes to my own life. It is sad to admit that, but there is no need for me to lie. I am no hero nor champion of any cause.

But Thankfully God hasn't asked me to die for Him; He asks me to LIVE for Him. And to live for Him every day, not just Easter season. Long after it is acceptable to mention Jesus on my Facebook page or blog about the Truth the day after Easter, God asks me to live for Him every day, all day. Not just the handful of days that Christianity is in vogue.

Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. My walk with God lead me to question and search; to watch the documentaries against Christ and to look at all of the evidence, for and against the resurrection. My Faith grew as I discovered more about the Bible and about God. And that Faith now sustains me; more than any facts or evidence ever could.

I have a LIVING relationship with a LIVING Saviour. There is no need to prove or disprove that. It is the Truth that is in me. And it can be the Truth that is in you.

And that Truth has asked me to live everyday like it is Easter Sunday; to remember the cross, the empty grave, and the supernatural power that made it all happen, so that I, a sinner worse than any, may have Salvation. And to forget that supernatural work in my life as I forget what I ate for Easter Dinner is not only illogical, but it doesn't speak well of a relationship in which I confess that I would like to think that I would die for.

So my desire is to live my life as it is Easter evermore. Please pray for me to have the strength, discipline, and continual desire to accomplish this.

Random Stuff and Lists

TGIF!

And hopefully the Obamas will remain on American soil for some time. And I can't believe I typed that, and meant it. But I am tired of the media telling me what a success the European Tour has been; when in actuality Obama accomplished absolutely nothing. And I do mean nothing. All of his requests and plans were squelched individually by every nation that he expressed needs/wishes from. Even after all of the sucking up and groveling. The man intended to sell out his country for HIS personal ideals, and still came up short. All of the bowing and apologizing didn't help him one bit; and more importantly did nothing except polarize Americans here at home. But my oh my, they sure have a sense of style; and looked good while bombing out overseas. But at least every nation likes us now that Bush is gone and the savior is our president. I wonder if Obama realizes that he is being beat by his own game. Or if any Americans can really see the writing on the wall...

But that is enough vitriol for a Friday. May as well keep it light. I planned on sharing some thoughts on The End of Christianity in America, but I just don't feel like it is something that I need to do today.

So how about some good, ole' lists:

Five Things I Would Give the Queen of England (and still be better than Obamas gifts)
1- A Toaster
2- A Ronco Knife Set, and only three easy payments
3- One Calculator
4- A Missouri, "Show Me State" Collectors Edition Spoon from Boomland
5- Sincerity


Top Groups I Wanna Hear On My Pandora Stations:
1- Anthrax
2- Dave Potts
3- Zakk Wylde
4- Ty Tabor
5- Galactic Cowboys; and not just from "Let It Ride" CD

Things I am Reading This Week
1- The Book of Isaiah, God
2- The Way of a Pilgrim, Anonymous
3- Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton

Good Things In Sports This Week:
1- The Blues are looking good for the playoffs
2- Baseball season is here, and I'm glad for some reason
3- Tyler Hansbrough won a NCAA championship


Video Games I Am Playing Currently:
1- Civilization 4; Fall From Heaven Mod, PC
2- Super Mario Galaxy, Wii
3- Wii Music, Wii

Food That I Crave Today:
1- Alice Springs Chicken, Outback (and yes, it is the ONLY chicken I crave)
2- BBQ Pork Steak, mine
3- Bacon Cheeseburger, Brandy
4- BG's Supreme and Potato Skins, BG's
5- Ice Cream, anywhere or any kind

And that is about it. As you can probably tell, it is already the weekend in my feeble mind.

Have a Great Weekend and don't forget the Real reason to celebrate Easter every day. There is much to learn from The Cross; but none more important than the love of Christ.

God Bless

Some Thoughts on Evolution

I am pressed for time today and the Sun is shining brightly, so this may be a quickie today:

I have a few thoughts on Evolution. I'm not sure why, but I have some random thoughts on it. For starters, I still don't see why Evolution conflicts with Religion so intensely, at least in it's basic theory. Actually, I do understand but do not agree with many of the arguments. And I do understand that "science" and "liberalism" not only make for strange bedfellows but for an alliance that looks to destroy Christianity, as well as some other religions. But just because Evolution has been take to the umpteenth degree and is used as a weapon instead of a tool, it still should not cause such a row. At least in my opinion. If a theory as flimsy as Evolution unnerves my faith in God, then I need to be reading the Bible more than I need to be reading a textbook. And maybe Christians need to learn to act like Christ Himself in our everyday lives instead of acting like Christ's bodyguard in matters of politics and science most days.

I have gone back and forth on the issue of whether the Earth was created in seven literal days or seven billion years. And I will probably change my mind on the issue seven hundred more times before I die. But I DO know that God created the Earth however He chose to create the Earth in as many days/years as He decided to do such creation. I see no reason for conflict or schisms. And it only becomes a distraction when matters such as creation/evolution take the place of our thoughts in matters of our walk with God. Don't get me wrong, I love to read and study things that I am unsure about or things that I don't understand. But there are times, many times, when I should be a little more pragmatic about the realities that surround me in my everyday life; instead of squandering thoughts and time on things past and less significant to my life that should be an emulation Christ.

And Evolution is such a flimsy theory. And we must remember that it is still only a theory regardless of the dogma that science and liberalism brandishes it with. The fossil record is incomplete. The methods of dating fossils is questionable. The study of neutrinos and such, alter dating methods and standard models. Not to mention the common sense questions that Evolution doesn't recognize: Like why such a diversity of animal life on the planet? But that may be more of an adaptation question... But why are there so many kinds of birds? And why aren't all living things birds? Or fish? Or amphibians? If evolution teaches that survival goes to the fittest, then wouldn't billions of years only produce a handful of species as it weeds out the inferior species? And why are humans the only beings with souls? When did we evolve into having souls? Why don't animals hold elections? Why don't animals have mayors? Why has no other species invented a tool; not used a stone as a tool, but created a tool out of more than a stick and a rock? Why did humans evolve to such a higher degree? What church does a lizard attend? Who will a chimpanzee take to Senior Prom? What is the reason...I guess you get the picture.

Science has it's place. And for someone who always attacks "science", I actually love to read scientific stuff. I just happen to find that science and learning reinforces my faith instead of disrupts it; like many people who try to use "science" for doing to most of us common Joes. I rarely find much of a conflict except in the dogmatic proselytism yielded by many churches and "science" alike.

I planned on getting into more subjects,but spent my time on just this one. So much for brief thoughts, huh?!!? Friday I plan on writing about "The End of Christianity in America." And I'm certain that it will not be as brief as I plan either.

I will end here for today after I thank everyone for reading and supporting this blog. I enjoy it immensely and I do hope to cover a broader scope of topics; and drift away from so many politics.

So Thanks for reading and I hope that everyone has a good day!

In An Effort to Clear Away Clutter

I am trying to clean my desk today, with little success. I have come across many scribblings and scratch ideas on about a thousand pieces of paper. In an effort to rid my little corner of the houe, today's blog will be more random than usual; I am gonna share some thoughts and miscelaneous minutae in an effort to find my desktop again.

"Nothing is wrong with change, if it is in the right direction" Winston Churchill.
I think this is something that we all need to remember these days. Change can be scary and hard to accept, and many people are resistant to it. But we need to remember that all change is not good change. And i bet a lot of people are finding this out the hard way, yet may be unwilling to admit it. But never fail, many in our government will tell us one thing then do something different. Oh, wait. That's not change, thats a lie....

"God never wrought miracles to convince atheism, because His ordinary works convince it." Francis Bacon.
Not much one can add to this....

I read that the other day was "Denim Day", in an attempt to "Take a stand against Rape." Have we come to a point so low that we have to have a "day" to stand against rape? Are there really people who are actually for rape? And "Denim Day" is kind of like "Hair Day" or "Fingernail Day". All those who wear shirts today are taking a stand against violence. I guess that is a creative way to pad the statistics. Maybe the "Denim Day" people need to work in government. Or maybe they do already....

A friend of mine and I wer talking politics the other day and we were discussing socialism. And no, we weren't sitting at a cafe in Paris. And today i found a scribbling I had made about how socialism not only rids the people of their individuality, but it attempts to rid the people of their conscious. It presumes that our conscious is a burden and we would be all the better if we let our government make the decsions of who to care for in what matter. All we have to do is pay taxes. No giving to church or charitable organizations, just let the government decide where the money goes. And all we, the stupid masses, have to do is sit back and pay taxes upon taxes. Kind of scary to me. My conscious bothers me sometimes, but it is a necesary part of who I am....

How about all of the nice little "perks" and "faux pas" committed on the Obama European Tour? Isn't it nice that we can find something positive in everything the Obamas do? Isn't it nice that we can be so supportive? Isn't it nice that the media portrays Bush or Palin as rubes when they commit much lesser offenses to civilization? Isn't it so nice that we can trust our government AND our media?

And I'm so tickled that Michelle is remniscent of Jackie Kennedy that I have nearly wet myself. And talk about one figure head meeting another last week? That may be why the Queen was so gracious....I am so glad that style is more important than sbstance. And i'm so glad that old lady Laura Bush and her frumpy clothes are out of the picture. Now we have real first lady who understands the issues. At least that is how it is played in the press. I haven't heard one single, idea from Michelle. But at least she dresses for success like they used to teach in Middle School. Dang! I'm proud of her!

And once again Obama is NOT proud of his country and admires Europe more than the United States. It sure is a good thing he slept through those Jeremiah Wright sermons, I shudder to think of how Barak would feel if he had listened; or titled a book after Mr. Wrights' ideology....

And that clears away some of the clutter from my desk, but leaves some in my mind. But the natives are restless and I'm out of time. Have a great Monday, if such a thing exists.

The Need For A Powerful Voice

I've recently broken my "fast" from the news and have begun to try to catch back up on what is going on in the world. I see that the stock market is at a two-month high. I am so very glad, especially for all of those who are facing retirement. I do see that the unemployment rate jumped up to 8.5% for the month of March. Of course there are only about 5% of the people who are unemployed who actually want jobs. And as near as I can tell, the housing market is up or down, depending on the community in which you live. So all is not necessarily doom and gloom.

The Blues beat the Red Wings last night to reclaim the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. And the Blues are starting to get some ink now-a-days. It's been some time since people noticed the Blues, so it's nice to see some props heading there way.

I understand that the big news yesterday was Michelle Obama "handling" the Queen of England...must have been a slow news day. I was expecting knuckle bumps or a bear hug or something, until I saw the footage. The I thought, "big, fat, hairy whoop." I understand that there is a certain protocol one should follow when meeting the Queen, but I really fail to see the big deal. And maybe, just maybe, the over-taxed people of England are losing their zeal for paying for a lifestyle of a figurehead monarch. And I realize that I do not fully understand the royalty stuff and that I may have just upset a lot of English people with my ignorance, but I do not fully understand the royalty stuff. I'm from South East Missouri and the only royalty we have are the winners of the Cotton Carnival Contest and the king of the wild game cook-off. So I don't fully understand.

I am glad that Michell Obama didn't cause an international incident over something that trivial. And I also think that the matter was that trivial. So I have already had enough about how Michelle has broken barriers and how she has touched the heart of England and all of that bull. It just wasn't that big of a deal. But she will only get a positive spin from the news people. Maybe the Queen was afraid of being called a racist like everyone else who doesn't agree with the Obamas has been called. Maybe she felt bullied by Chicago style politics. I don't know and don't really think it much matters, personally.

And another thing on Michelle Obama, Why is most of the media now saying that she has emerged as a powerful voice? If I have read once where Michelle Obama is gaining all of this power and prestige, I have read it a million times lately. All I've seen her do is go on Oprah and the talk show circuit. Does that give one power? I've seen her talk to many school children. Does that give her this awesome voice? If so, then look out kids in the YMCA daycare today! When I get there, I'm forgoing my workout and I'm gonna give a speech that many a three year old will not forget. I'm gonna get me some of this power, voice stuff. It looks like it's awfully easy to do.

And how about the gift exchange in England again!??! To cover up the fact that Obama gave a crappy gift of the DVDs we gave Gordon Brown, we had to stay true to the girth of our gift giving and give the Brits an IPOd this time. Wow! Is this what a powerful voice full of change gets us? The audacity of poor gift giving? I mean, wow! an I-Pod. My buddy just Ebayed one for twenty bucks. I know times are tough, but dang!...and did they at least download some songs first? And what was on it? "I'm the Man", by Anthrax? "Back in the U.S.S.R." by Paul or Elton? "Cult of Personality" Living Color? "Symphony of Destruction" Megadeth? "She Blinded Me With Science" Thomas Dolby? I shutter to think of the Obamas play list...

And how about what Timothy Geitner said at the...sorry, I can't do it. I start giggling when I think of Geitner...sorry....

I have seen that there are some key words coming back into play in the news. Like Diversity: meaning to become like I am, not like you are. Freedoms: meaning to have the ability to force your views on your neighbor; and only the most aggressive opinions count in the end. And Education: a word that is placed on any bill or legislature regardless of content, in hopes of manipulating people to accept said bill or legislature. Example,"You aren't against this trillion dollar spending on a bogus program of monumental expinditures are you? It will help education. You don't hate children do you? You don't want all of the children to die, do you?"... I am not sure if I really don't get it anymore, or if I do get it and can't believe what it is that I am getting.

It also looks like President Obama isn't having the success at the big economic summit meeting that he had hoped he would. I guess all those polls showing his favorability in foreign countries isn't as precise as one had been lead to believe. Or maybe foreign people realize that you can like someone, but still not drink their Kool-Aid. Maybe politics is more than a popularity contest after all, at least somewhere in the world. And maybe the president should have polled drinkability instead of favorability. Or likeability. Or responsibility. or...I'm out of ilities...

And I am out of rants for today. I guess running out of cliches and thinking of the Obamas I-Pod play list has chased of my muse. Not to mention I need to call the YMCA and see if their teleprompter is in working order; I have a big speech to give to the nursery!

God Bless and Have a good weekend!

"Do I really sound like THAT?"

“I said to get back in the playroom...”, the words forcefully spoken by my wonderful 5-year-old to his little sister. The instant the words and tone processed through my mind, I winced. I did not have to ask from whom he had heard those words spoken in such a tone. I found myself questioning, “Is that really the way I sound when I am trying to get my point across and get my children's attention?” My thoughts drifted to other moments when “joy” was not the predominant expression that I exuded toward my children. How harsh our words can sometimes seem when we allow the frustrations of life to culminate and those around us suddenly become the mediums to which we vent.

And in my moment of reflection, the loving, gentle Spirit of the Lord reminded me of my own relationship with Lord. Do I NEED correction in a firm manner at times, and does the Lord accomplish that in my life out of His love for me? Absolutely...but I know that He does not allow the frustrations of a sin-filled world to affect His discipline/correction to me. Therefore, why would I allow external circumstances to influence how I discipline/correct my own children...whom I love more than my own life?

I so desire for my children to see a joy-filled parent who disciplines out of love, not frustration...who does not allow the principalities of this world to interfere with my interaction with them...who displays all of the amazing qualities of our own loving God. My heart aches to think that in my own actions, I may have presented something other than the reality of who HE really is.

And stepping beyond the lives of my children, are there others to whom I have falsely displayed Christ? Have I accepted the excuses of life being a rat race and circumstances occurring that were beyond my control for my failure to always MAKE HIM LOOK GOOD? When I consider the cost...when I recognize a glimpse of His sacrifice...when I take a moment to ponder the love it took, how overwhelmed I feel. Jesus made no excuses when His life was at stake. Jesus, fully man, said “NO” to the temptations of life. Jesus died and ascended to heaven so that we could be filled with the same power He had. Jesus tapped into that power and “made HIM look good” in every area...every relationship...every circumstance. Do I? Do you?

It is a stunning thought to consider how many lives could be touched, changed, and encouraged if we were to exhibit the characteristics of Christ in our lives. Think of the people struggling to find purpose...those struggling to find worth...those struggling to understand adversity, temptation, and failure...those who feel defeated...those who feel unwanted or unloved...THINK of how their lives could be shaped by the amazing attributes of God through us.

No longer do I want to allow the excuses or distractions to which I have succumbed to prevent me from loving, accepting, and meeting the needs of people...from discipling my children for the sake of their restoration, not out of my frustrations...from displaying the characteristics of HIM so that I ALWAYS “make HIM look good”.