These are times that are trying many souls

Over the course of the past year or so, we have witnessed catastrophic earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, New Zealand and Japan.  We have seen a tsunami suddenly kill thousands of people and cause turmoil and anxiety even unto this present hour due to the problems at a nuclear power plant in Japan.  We have seen volcanoes erupt in Iceland and ice storms in places that rarely see them.  Through it all, the United States of America was basically unscathed.

Over the past few weeks, the forces of nature have unleashed their fury upon the very heart of America.  Through wildfires burning in Texas, flooding along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and the current incredible outbreak of tornadoes; there is no longer any feeling of invincibility in this land.  As if the current situation were not bad enough, a very active hurricane season looms just ahead.

In due time, all the damage being done by all these natural disasters will act as a financial stimulus as people will find jobs rebuilding houses, businesses, churches and other facilities.  But, in the short term, the current situation is too much for many to bear.  Losing one’s home or business is a traumatic experience that leaves deep scars in someone’s hearts for years to come.  Obviously there are many hurting people around right now.

The frustration people go through dealing with insurance companies, government agencies, financial institutions and employers is hard to understand unless a person has lived through a major disaster or worked with those who have.  People can talk about “trusting God” all they want, but when your home is a pile of debris, your place of employment is demolished and your creditors want payments NOW; the pressure many times literally breaks people and demolishes families.

In 2006 I took a very long and difficult trip to Cameron, a little town on the coast of southwestern Louisiana, which had been utterly destroyed by hurricane Rita the previous year.  The area was a ghost town as it had been literally forgotten due to most of the emphasis being placed on Katrina damage.  As I trudged through the sand looking at the destruction I came upon a few very haggard people hanging around a white tent.

When I inquired as to what was going on, I was told of how there used to be a church ministry that brought food to that tent twice a week but had run out of resources and had to stop.  My heart ached for these poor people who received no aid from FEMA, the Red Cross, Salvation Army or any other group except one lonely ministry who could no longer find the resources to get food to them.

I was not able to do much but the pictures I took of the people and their plight did make their way to some agencies which in due time were able to get some resources down there.  The town had literally fallen through the cracks due to all the other needs.

As people attempt to put their lives back together in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Virginia; I pray that those of us unaffected by the current onslaught of floods and tornadoes remember those whose lives have been turned upside down.

These are very troubled and turbulent times and many of our brothers and sisters are hurting right now.  If ever they needed a friend to lend them a hand or a shoulder to cry on it is NOW.  If there was ever a time to redouble our prayers and “stand in the gap” it is NOW.  If there was ever a time to intercede on behalf of those who are struggling to stay sane and alive, it is NOW.  Truly this is a time to pray for and reach out to all those engaged in the worst battles of their lives.

There is plenty to be nervous about

I would not say that I am afraid, for I am not; but I will readily admit that the incredible things happening with the weather and economy make me very nervous.  There is a huge difference between being afraid and being nervous.  One is counterproductive and the other is the natural reaction to uneasy situations.

Just four years ago I would have been working 20 hours per day finding relief supplies for tornado victims in the St. Louis area and flooding victims in southern Missouri.  I know my days of trying to “save the world” after every disaster ended some time ago, but I am still deeply impacted as I see images of destruction and hear reports of catastrophic flooding soon to cause untold problems in many areas.  Throw into the mix some of the worst wildfires Texas has ever seen and you have a truly troubling situation building.

I study weather and I have seen from multiple sources that the upcoming month of May will be MUCH COOLER than normal throughout much of the USA except along the Gulf coast.  The last two times this happened were 2005 and 2008 which were years that produced hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma; and 2008 which produced hurricanes Gustov and Ike.  Many experts are already warning of the imminent possibility of multiple strikes by huge hurricanes along the United States coastline this summer.

For a very long time I used to study and try to understand economic concerns.  What is currently happening is so distressing that I no longer have the desire to try and figure out what is happening and about to happen.  Contrary to what media outlets are saying, there is a period of hyper-inflation just around the next bend.  We are already seeing it in the constantly rising prices for gasoline and food.

It is estimated that nearly 15% of all Americans have had to raid their retirement accounts to find resources for emergencies.  I know this is true for I am one of those 15% and am not proud of it.  But, when all other sources of income are removed, and expenses pile up; there is no place left to go but to the IRA or 401k that was supposed to provide income for 25 years or more after retirement.

Recent studies have indicated that the housing market for super expensive properties is rebounding and doing fine.  Those with plenty of money are spending it on lavish homes that cost well over a million dollars.  Those homes in foreclosure are also being purchased by people with money and then rented out to desperate people who have lost their homes.

Meanwhile those homes in the $100,000 to $600,000 range just sit there.  No one qualifies for a loan and no one has the money to pay the huge down payment to move up or down.  Most of us live in these kinds of homes and are stuck in them for many years to come.

I cannot do nothing about the weather or the economy so all I can do is pray for wisdom for those deeply impacted by both.  May God grant us all great patience and understanding so as to make the right decisions and have the means to help our neighbor, brother, parent or child in need.

The train has left the station and the wreck in right around the corner

This slow death by strangulation is too much to bear.  I would rather simply be knocked unconscious and awakened when it is all over.  I cannot stand this Chinese water torture any longer.  Why can’t they just play their trump card and end this madness?

Anyone on the Republican or conservative side knows the end is near.  The only reason their pundits keep talking so much is to make their big bucks on talk radio before it is shut down.  Can you blame them for wanting to make a few more millions before taxes take them all away?

My guess is that the powers that be are simply waiting for the official declaration of Al Franken as winner of the Minnesota Senate race before the fireworks begin.  Once the Democratic super majority is in place, the Republicans are relegated to the status of troublemakers, whiners, obstructionists and permanent minority party.

We all know what is coming , so why drag it out?  Nationalized health care, cap and trade policies for the environment, dismantling of the military, strong arm tactics against those opposing all this stuff, fairness doctrine and countless moves to legalize sin of all kinds are on the horizen.  With no one to stop all this stuff, it will shortly become law along with the nationalization of business after business and the systematic stripping of wealth from the old rich to give to the new poor.

The train has left the station and all the blockades in the world are not going to stop it.  They may temporarily slow it down, but this train won’t stop until it reaches its duly appointed station which is the turning of the United States of America into just another socialistic state under the control of the UN, the IMF and whatever other international agency that wants what is left of this once proud land.

Did you notice the Chinese have pretty well stopped buying Treasury Bonds?  If that isn’t a sure sign that the end of America as it has been known for the last century is near, I don’t know what is.  I hope you like train rides and ultimately train wrecks, for that is where we are heading very soon.

For what purpose are we here on this earth?

I have not posted on this site for quite awhile due to physical problems which had to be addressed. Now, after spending ten days in a hospital waiting for my blood to thin enough to allow the three new stents placed in my heart to not clog up; I am finally ready to again post on this site.

I have had ample time to consider many things over the past few weeks, not the least of which is attempting to answer the greatest question anyone can ask, which is “why are we here?” If a survey were taken of 1,000 people asking them why they are on this earth, I am sure there would be little agreement on an answer. In other words, the true answer to this question lies in the individual views of the one answering the question.

For many people, the main reason they have to “carry on” is either financial or family oriented. Many times these two things are so intertwined that they become one and the same. Millions upon millions of people wake up every morning to go to work to earn a paycheck to pay the mortgage and provide food for their family. This goes on for 50 years or so and then they retire to go play with their grandchildren.

Is our purpose in this life really only to make money to in turn spend it on spouses, children or ourselves? Is this really the grand design and reason for our being? Does every child born into this world have nothing else to look forward to in this life than 12 years of school (or 16 or more), 50 years of work and a few years of golf before the wheels fall off physically? Is the greatest reward to be earned in this life really only a nice house and a big family?

For the vast majority of this world’s population, there is really nothing else to explain life than the daily ordeal of doing what is needed to survive. Those of us living in the superficial prosperity of the West fail to understand that billions of people wake up each day not knowing for sure where the means will come from to live another day. Truly the biggest motivation for most people to live is the will to survive. That is why in many countries and cultures those who are weak are quickly forgotten and left to die.

The great scheme currently being promoted is one of “spreading the wealth around”. Through socialism and communism, the idea is to take from the rich and give to the poor thus creating a level playing field for everyone. Of course this sounds fantastic to those at the bottom of the socio-economic pile but for those at the top, it is the worst of all scenarios.

Whether it is right to force those who have succeeded in making a lot of money to share it with those who have not is open to debate. If those with the means would simply give to those who don’t, then there would be no problem. But, those with the means many times hoard what they have and not do not share but continue to get more and more. Yet, is the answer really to tax or otherwise force those who have an abundance to subsidize those who have little?

The only fair and equitable way of collecting money to run a government of other organization is to impose the same flat rate on everyone the way sales tax does today. If everyone paid the same rate, then no one could claim they are being singled out to give more than anyone else. If everyone had to pay 8% of their income in taxes, then the playing ground would be level for all.

What difference does it make to tell the wealthy to pay 35% of their income and then allow shelters and other ways for them to hide their assets so they end up paying less than many at the 15% rate? Why not simply tell everyone they must pay a set percentage of their income and provide no shelters or credits or other silly ways to provide escape routes for those who can afford good accountants or attorneys to find them.

No one likes paying sales tax, but as long as everyone has to pay it, then one can complain that much. Those who make little buy little and pay little in tax. Those who make much, buy much and pay much in sales tax. Certainly the sales tax on a 5 million dollar yacht is just as much of a burden to the one with the means as the sales tax on a 50 dollar item is to those without.

There must obviously be something greater to account for life than just making a living. That purpose is of course, in my mind, to love God and share His love with others. Herein lies the great reason for drawing breath. All else is vanity and shortsighted to say the least.

The Last Charge of God’s Light Brigade is Mounting Up–Are You In?

It appears by all indications that 2009 is the year something of profound importance spiritually is going to take place in this world. With leaders handpicked by those in the upper echelons of power, the world reeling under the pressure of recession and more and more people feeling like finally a man is in control in the United States who can change everything for the better; it certainly looks like a classic case of the enemy getting ready to play his trump card.

If this is true and the enemy is planning to implement his longstanding plan to institute a one world government, financial system and religion; those who know the truth from the Bible better get their heads screwed on straight quickly for there will not be time once events start happening at breakneck speed.

Neither I nor anyone else knows for sure what is going on in the hallowed halls of Washington, the plush offices of New York or the stuffy enclaves of Europe; but it certainly appears that all the individual pieces of the puzzle have been put in place and now it is time to start putting the puzzle together. Never before, in modern recorded history has there been such a confluence of power brokers along with crisis after crisis in need of someone to diffuse them as the present.

Without question and with no hesitation I can say with full assurance that the man governing the United States gives every indication of being the perfect candidate for the antichrist. Up and down the line, he measures up to the criteria laid out in the Bible for this ultimate powerbroker. If he continues to succeed in what he has managed to get done the first week in power much longer, then I believe anyone who believes we are living in the “end times” must awake and honestly evaluate who this man may REALLY be.

In trying to put together the records given by Paul, Peter, John and Jesus along with the Old Testament prophets, it is very hard to develop an ironclad timeline of specific events which are to take place leading up to and during the final week of Daniel’s prophecy. There are certainly some things which are undeniable and indisputable, but there are also many other things which are very difficult to assign a specific time and place as to their occurrence.

Last March I had a dream which shook me to the very depths of my soul. I rarely receive dreams which have any spiritual significance, but this one did. The basic elements of this dream were that a cloud of darkness would overspread the United States and cause panic and fear and finally immobilize the masses and turn them into subservient subjects. I honestly thought at the time this cloud of darkness was either weather related or the effects of a nuclear attack.

I now know this dream of impending darkness dealt with the collapse of the American economy as it had been known. I now know that the darkness that is overspreading this land is that which is being caused by the deliberate dismantling of the free enterprise system (otherwise known as capitalism) and replacing it with a forced version of socialism and/or fascism. All that has gone on is going on and will go on is not by accident but by deliberate design to break down American families and businesses to the point they must abide by government dictates in order to survive.

All the trash talk about “economic stimulus” packages and the like is all a smoke screen to cover up the truth of what is really happening. All symbolic meetings such as went on yesterday in Washington are part of a cleverly conceived plan to convince the public that what is being debated and voted on in Congress is legitimate when in reality it is as contrived and illegitimate as anything promoted and developed by the devil and his human associates.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are eyewitnesses to the events which are ushering in the “last days”. There is no doubt in my mind that there is about to be a rapid fire succession of events which will appear to produce unparalleled peace and prosperity for a season in this world. There is also no doubt in my mind that those of us who wholeheartedly believe in the rapture of the church will soon be taken from this cesspool of iniquity called the world and transported to our eternal home in the heavenlies.

I am fully aware of the controversy surrounding statements such as I just made. I am fully aware that merely saying them arouses pure venom and hatred within some who vehemently deny any of these things will ever take place. I understand that others feel just as strongly that all is going to be fine and God will establish His Kingdom on earth via the hard work of His people preaching the gospel and building churches. To each they must establish what they believe and then abide by it.

As for me and my household, I look at the unrelenting trials and tribulations which have befallen so many good and honest believers recently as the final testing by God to establish who is worthy to be considered the remnant which will participate in the marriage supper soon to start. Those whose trust and confidence is in this world and/or their church or themselves will never receive the call to appear before the Lord in the air to be taken to the place where we will enjoy the wedding feast.

While the overwhelming majority of Christians will be somewhat aware that a few “freaks” have vanished from their company, they will go on living the same as before assuming their own abilities or the power of their government will save them from any horrible things that might arise. They will rejoice as they see apparent peace in the Middle East, harmony among nations and the restoration of prosperity again. To them, all will indicate they were right all along.

But, just when they say “peace and safety” sudden destruction will come upon them as labor upon a woman with child. Seemingly from out of the blue, peace will turn to war, harmony to discord and prosperity to poverty. As the world collapses around them, they will only then remember the words of those “freaks” who warned such a thing would happen. But, alas, it is too late and they must come to grips with the realization the great tribulation is upon them.

It is not too late to get your heart right with God and totally commit yourself to Him. It is not too late to once and for all break away from the systems of this world and find the freedom that comes to those who fully and totally trust in the Lord and not in man. It is not too late to bow down before the Lord and repent once and for all of everything that has prevented you from living in the presence of the Lord. It is not too late to fully turn your heart, soul and life over to Him who saved you and called you with a holy calling.

I beseech you to consider these words carefully and weigh them in your heart against the sense knowledge “hope” that somehow things are going to get better in this world through the works of men and women sold out to those who control this world. What takes place in this world in the days and weeks ahead is exactly what God will allow to happen which in turn will lead to the most dramatic seven years in the history of mankind.

As for me and my household, we are committed to doing whatever it takes to speak the truth in love so others can hear of what is coming. We are committed to no longer compromising with the world on matters of heart and loyalty. We are committed to placing our faith totally in God and with full confidence yielding to His sovereign will. We are committed to never turning back to the weak and worthless elements of this world. We are committed to serving Him with all our hearts until He calls us home.

I pray you take stock of your situation and make sure your heart is right before God and that the affairs of this life have not so beaten you down that you have unconsciously compromised your faith by yielding to the demands of this world. I pray you return to your first love and allow your heart to rest in the everlasting loving arms of your Savior and Lord. I pray you lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily distract us and weigh us down.

I pray that in these final hours of these final days that each and every one of us neglect not the gift God has placed within us and instead stir up that gift into the flame of compassionate outreach to others who are falling away faster and faster each day. I pray that no matter what the enemy does to tear down, distract or apply pressure; we all stand fast in the faith, unswerving and unashamed of the Gospel of Christ Jesus which is our very life.

We only have a little time to put on the armor of light and raise the standard of Jesus Christ one last time to this dying world. Soon, and very soon, that light will be gone as those bearing it will be taken out of the way so the son of perdition may have “his day”. Soon, and very soon, those who remain will face the full force of a world gone totally mad for a season. The hour of our message being needed is NOW and so is the hour of our decision to rise above our personal woes and move out as God’s last brigade of light and hope to a world who desperately needs us.

Oink, Oink–The upcoming Pork invasion in the economic stimulus package

If there were such a thing a “truth detector”, the readings would be setting off all sorts of alarms based on the insanity flowing from our nation’s capital. Things being said and promoted are so far off the chart of logic that I wonder if there are really any people who believe them. We truly live in a time when most ideas and decisions are literally upside down from the way they should be, and far removed from what the majority of people really want.

I would tend to agree with some who have stated that the rash of executive decisions announced the past week are nothing more than “pay back” to special interest groups whose help was needed to get the current crop of politicians elected. The same thing happened in reverse eight years ago which reversed what happened back sixteen years ago. Each new administration seems to feel it has the right to abruptly change those policies it doesn’t agree with and that can be done via Executive Order, as quickly as possible.

Where this policy is to be expected, some of the other moves by the new administration should be raising eyebrows and sending warning signals to those seeking rational and objective leadership. Of course many think it is a good thing that one by one the agenda of the “right” is dismantled and replaced with a radical agenda that is predominantly “leftward leaning”. I really don’t see why this should surprise anyone and I don’t know how different things would have been if the November election results would have been reversed.

The point is that in many different categories, things will be radically different than they were before as Congress starts the process of pushing through key elements of the new administration’s plans for “change”. Whether desired or not, these elements are on the way and will start showing up soon in areas affecting all of us. Whether we like these changes or not makes little difference for once laws are written, they are laws and must be obeyed.

Once the economic stimulus package is ever finished and the endless changes and amendments are added, there are few who really think it will end up under a trillion dollars. The unfortunate reality is that once that bill reaches the President’s desk to be signed, it will have more pork in it than most slaughterhouses. Cozy little earmarks and little spending measures will be buried in the bill in such fine print no one will catch them until after the bill passes.

It is an absolute given in Washington politics that the most powerful members of Congress make sure they somehow bring home the most pork each session. If they don’t, they don’t stay long in Washington. States with long serving Senators and Representatives manage to squeeze money out of even basic bills for their state or district. Then, when re-election time comes, they make sure they remind everyone how much “good” they did the preceding term.

I sometimes pity some of the small states or those who have only brand new Senators or Representatives. It is a foregone conclusion these places will get very little pork the first few years. I guess this is why there are so many extremely elderly Senators. The states keep re-electing them due to how much money they send back home instead of their positions on major issues.

Since no one seems to care how much money is spent to stimulate the American economy, look for more and more additions to the spending bill when it reaches the Senate. For the life of me, I don’t understand why they don’t just make it a ten trillion dollar bill and give each Senator a few hundred billion to “play with” for their states. Of course they could just send us all a million dollars and we could in turn tell Washington we don’t need a Congress anymore for we have enough money to run things ourselves.

44th President–Greatest ever or worse than any–Let God and time be the judge

For the multitudes trying to transform President Obama into the reincarnation of John F. Kennedy; the only words I feel appropriate are the famous words spoken in 1988 during the Vice Presidential debate. At the time, Sen. Lloyd Bentsen had this to say to Sen. Dan Quayle and his comparing himself to Jack Kennedy. “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy: I knew Jack Kennedy; Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.” President Obama is not John Kennedy, even if he succeeds in pushing the Governor of New York to appoint JFK’s daughter to the United States Senate.

For the multitudes trying to transform President Obama into the reincarnation of the Rev. Martin Luther King; the only words I feel appropriate cannot be written in a public blog post. This comparison is even more revolting than that to JFK. What Martin Luther King did was so unique and phenomenal due to the times in which he lived, to compare what Mr. Obama has done to what Martin Luther King did is to diminish the historical significance of Rev. King’s accomplishments.

For the multitudes trying to transform President Obama into the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln; the only word I feel appropriate is “huh?” Other than being from Illinois, I fail to see why there should be any comparison between these two men. Any attempts to do so are in my mind comical.

For the multitudes trying to transform President Obama into the reincarnation of Franklin Roosevelt; the only words I feel appropriate are that this is the one comparison that is worth considering. The similarities dealing with the economy are eerily similar as is the general condition of the nation. With a solid majority backing his decisions in Congress, the similarities become even more matched. But, even with a somewhat similar financial mess on his hands, the challenges awaiting our 44^th President are similar in outward appearance only to those faced by FDR 76 years ago.

Why not let President Obama be his own man instead of squeezing him into the mold of those who lived and served years or even centuries ago? Why must everyone feel the need to always compare one person with another? Is it not possible that a person can end up being uniquely different than anyone who preceded him?

I wish only the best for our new President. Why shouldn’t I? If negatives happen, they will end up directly impacting me and my family. If positives happen, not only will my life be better, but President Obama will make his own history as someone capable of pooling the collective resources of great people and dealing with the worst financial crisis since the depression FDR had to deal with.

I refuse to participate in the constant negative, sarcastic and unprofitable rhetoric being propounded by conservative talk show hosts. They relentless attack every move Obama makes like there is an election coming up next month. Hey folks, the election was two months ago and you lost. Get over it. Don’t do what the Democrats did after Al Gore’s humiliating defeat in 2000. They never let go of the bitterness and anger.

Unless someone in authority comes up with a better plan than the ridiculous excuse for a stimulus package being rammed through Congress at this time; this country is going to fall, no matter who is leading it. The very idea of throwing trillions of dollars at the economic problems facing this country is shortsighted and historically not a good example.

Any honest historian knows that it was World War II that brought the world out of The Great Depression and not the money FDR and Congress threw at the problems. Once this country HAD to start making everything from tanks to ships to airplanes and bullets, the economy was jumpstarted faster than through all the stimulus packages attempted for the preceding eight years.

President Jimmy Carter deliberately drew down the United States military by starving it of funds during the horrible economic times in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Once Ronald Reagan took office, he immediately sought to cut taxes and up the amount of money spent on the nation’s defense in a huge way. Those two moves, more than any other, prompted the economy to throw off its lethargy and within a year or two embark on nearly two decades of amazing growth.

Most experts are comparing the current recession to that of 1980-82. That inflation driven recession was not overcome by throwing money at banks and other insane moves. It was overcome by giving American citizens and businesses such a huge tax break, they gladly spent which got the economy moving again. At the same time, huge contracts were given to major defense contractors who in turn hired unemployed workers in droves.

The biggest question which will determine whether President Obama will be viewed as a success or failure is whether he and his friends in Congress turn the United States into either a socialist state or worse—a fascist one by having the government take over everything; or whether he stands up to his friends and fights to rejuvenate American businesses and families through tax cuts and policies designed to promote growth not just a safety net.

I most certainly pray not only the “experts” but the United States and the world for that matter wait until well after the first glorious 100 days before erecting statues, naming highways and otherwise christening President Obama the greatest President ever in this country. Perhaps he may end up being such, but it would take history many generations to make that call accurately. One cannot be judged by the immediate results one produces.

Whether President Obama leads us to the Promised Land or to ruin; as Christian our role is to pray, pay honest taxes and follow the laws of the land. I will do those things with a pure heart and nothing more. I will allow the judgment of the new administration to be made by the Great Judge God and the time needed to see if short-term fixes indeed produce long-term positive results. By these long term results we will indeed be able to know what commenced today with the swearing in of our 44^th President.

Misplaced and dilusional optimism running rampant in D.C. this week

In most respects, I want to crawl into a hole and come out in next week. I look forward to what is happening this week in Washington about as much as sleeping naked on my frozen pond. There is nothing happening this week that I believe is anything other than the reflection of a nation who about to reach the end of its glory. All the talk of “hope” and “change”, which will fuel exorbitant optimism that all the woes that drug this country down this past year are over, will never happen.

No one man, no matter how handsome, skilled in giving speeches and popular is able to turn the United States of America around. Many think FDR did, but his policies (if they really did any good) took years to take effect and the changes took even longer. Just because everyone is down in the dumps doesn’t make it right for them to suddenly lose all sense of rational thought and get stuck on stupid.

Surveys allegedly show that well over 70% of Americans think that somehow their new President is going to wave a magic wand and solve all the problems of the country AND all their personal ones too. What this means is that well over 70% of Americans have lost their collective minds. There are no magic wands and no President is able to talk or spend America or Americans out of their problems. Why and how so many people believe this is troubling and frightening.

Back in 2001, after the horrible tragedy of 9/11 surveys showed 90% of Americans believed their President would lead them to victory over the forces of evil which caused the disaster. Within a very small amount of time the percentage of those who believed that dropped to 60% and by the time the man leaves office Tuesday, barely 30% believe he did any good in eight years. The point is that Americans are notoriously fickle in their optimism and loyalty to their leader.

In 1991 at this time, President Bush the elder had just launched “Operation Desert Storm”. Almost the entire country was solidly behind the effort, helped along by songs like Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American” and others. To most Americans at the time, the whole thing was equal to watching the Olympics. Their “team” was beating the daylights out of the Iraq team. At the time, Americans thought George Bush Sr. was the greatest President who ever lived in the White House. By November of 1992 they had voted him out of office in a humiliating defeat.

I wish President Obama all the best. I pray for him because my Bible says to. I pray he makes the right decisions and leads this country the best he can. But, he is still just a man. He is not a god and does not possess some type of supernatural ability to instantly solve all the nation’s problems or mine. Perhaps he will enter office with a 70% or greater approval rating. Perhaps the economy will turn around with all the spending and by next year he will have a 90% approval rating. If it happens, it happens.

All I know, is that realistically speaking, the odds do not favor a sudden and abrupt change in anything other than the National Debt. Things fall apart far quicker than it takes to rebuild them. Anything short of a National debt forgiveness program is bound to take months, if not years to produce the desired results. Problems which took years to develop cannot be solved overnight, no matter how much “hope” the people have.

My problems lie with the mentality of the American population and their misguided belief that their self pronounced “savior” can lead them to the promised land of financial prosperity and wealth without having to work or save for it. This entitlement and welfare state way of thinking is doing nothing but setting Americans up for an even greater disaster than the one which has taken place the past few months.

Wisdom, patience, hard work and prayer will pull this country out of the cesspool of depravity it has sunk into. Realistically speaking, I don’t think there is any more chance of these things being operated by the incoming President and Congress than the outgoing. All I see for this country is years of falling deeper and deeper in debt and only deferring to the next generation the horrible end game catastrophe such debt is bound to produce. For now, America, enjoy your misplaced and delusional “optimism” for that is all it is.

Dealing with the the terror and fear of failure

Fear has a way of gripping, seizing and otherwise stopping people in their tracks. Fear of failure has to be the greatest of all fears next to the biggest one—fear of death. When the fear of losing all one has worked for to obtain confronts a person, the instinctive reaction is first panic and then irrational actions. Both of these reactions generate negative results which compound the problem.

Fear is like a disease which creeps into the mind and slowly but surely takes over thought patterns and influences the decision making process. Fear is irrational and thus the decisions made out of fear are irrational. Fear is counterproductive and thus when allowed to influence our thinking it generates results which only serve to foster more fear.

The purpose of a terrorist attack is to generate fear and panic more than anything else. The immediate destruction is important, but the long term fear is the main objective. Terror is not a nice word, and to terrorize is one of the ugliest words in the English language. Nothing harms people more than to live in a state of terror for in that state there is no freedom but only bondage.

Fear and terror are the cruelest of all slave masters and they rule with an iron fist. When a person, community or nation is ruled by a tyrant utilizing fear tactics, the resulting submission is obtained at the cost of individual initiative and personal liberty. Living under the cloak of fear produces nothing but bondage and a timid lifestyle void of any risks and joy.

The greatest realm of fear currently is of course finances. With the ongoing, and seemingly never ending onslaught of negative news regarding everything from the Stock Market to house foreclosures to job losses, etc there has settled over the world a growing fear that things will never be as they were during the years of prosperity fueled by unbridled greed. As the reality of horrible mistakes made years ago catches up with the current situation, things just keep getting worse due to the enormous deceit and evil practiced by so many for so long.

Times are tough and getting tougher by the day for millions of people. The numbers of us who have to deal with the gnawing fear that within a few months there will not be enough money to even pay the mortgage, let alone all the other bills, is growing daily. Those who have lost 50% or more of their net worth and have gone from equity positions to being “upside down” in their homes are the ones most at risk of yielding to fear.

Somehow there is a way out of the wilderness and that way can be found if fear is kept at bay and sound practices of financial stewardship are practiced. As is evidenced by the current flood of negative earnings reports by major corporations, Americans have been cutting back on purchases which is the only sound and logical thing to do in times such as these. But, in so doing this, the ripples spread throughout the whole economy as one sector after another suffers a downturn in business. It is, indeed, a vicious cycle.

Whether all the bailouts and stimulus packages which have come and are coming will really do much to stimulate the economy, promote job growth and halt the foreclosure crisis is open for debate and won’t be known for months or years. What is a known reality is that if fear is allowed to take hold and dictate decision making whether in Washington or everyone’s kitchen table; the results will be opposite to what everyone desires and the problems will compound.

In these troubling times, it behooves the wise person to first be patient and secondly be prudent. Now is not the time for outlandish and risky moves. If ever there was a time to dig in and hang on, it is now. Budget your resources as best you can with the mortgage being most important followed by utilities and other living expenses. The vultures circling who lured us into getting their credit cards will just have to live off the scraps for awhile. The tactics being employed by the major banks by cutting credit lines and raising interest rates for even good customers is deplorable and I pray it backfires on them.

Normally I would never advocate paying the minimum per month on a credit card bill, but if it comes down to paying more or losing your house; it is a no brainer. In due time all this will work out one way or the other and we all will either be living in tents somewhere or the ship will right itself and the good times will come again. Until then, the main thing is to stay calm and not panic. Refuse to act out of fear and of course trust in the Lord for guidance, provision and wisdom. That is all any of us can do.

Non Christmas news which saddens, enlightens and amuses

In these crazy days leading up to the December 25^th Holiday, it sometimes becomes easy to forget there is still a world out there which seems to take no time off for celebration of this Holiday. Various news items continue to surface, and no doubt will surface all the way through the 25^th. News doesn’t take a holiday off.

Just a few stories which came and went very quickly today with very few taking notice of them, portrays what this season represents to the millions upon millions of people who hold no firm religious attitude toward Christmas. For these people, there are far more important things going on than wasting one’s time pay homage to a baby born 2,000 years ago or a man in red suit who allegedly climbs down chimneys with no fear of law suits.

For those more interested in power, money and recognition; this time of year is a huge waste of time and resources which could be better spent advancing themselves or their pet causes. It is truly unfortunate that there is so little “good will” manifested anymore. People are simply too consumed with personal needs and greed to remember what this time of year is supposed to be all about.

Here is a very sad story which has HUGE ramifications if the courts rule a certain way. Please take a moment and read this and THINK about what this means to those of us who are taught and trained to help others by way of the parable Jesus Christ spoke of:

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Story?id=6498405&page=1

Reading this story truly pained my heart due to the warped and twisted view people now take toward those trying to save their lives. If the woman is allowed to sue her “good Samaritan” and if she wins an award, the shockwaves will reverberate through society for years to come. Christian charity necessitates “running to serve” and the very definition of “mercy” is the desire to help relieve the suffering of another. What is happening here is an attempt to get people to stop reaching out to help someone in need. This is a potentially horrible precedent.

The next story is also very sad, in an entirely different way. I am no fan of politics, and especially Minnesota politics (they elected a Professional wrestler as Governor years ago); but what the lawyers and prejudiced boards have to done to fraudulently throw a close election to an ex-Saturday Night Live comedian, is disgraceful and disgusting:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,470892,00.html

I have no stake in the results of this election nor do I live in the state involved, but I am an American and I hate seeing cheaters win. I have spent far too much of my life living with problems brought upon me by people unethically or illegally placed into positions of power simply because they cheated. Whatever happened to a fair and square fight? Perhaps we need to go back to the days of settling disputes with a duel.

The next story is really a very positive and heartwarming story that as usual never saw the light of day in the mainstream media. We all know the current President is not very popular and the current Vice President is even less liked. These men have been portrayed as warmongers who take great delight in seeing American troops come home from foreign lands in body bags. This story certain casts new light on the level of compassion and genuine concern these men have manifested to our fallen heroes:

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/22/bush-cheney-comforted-troops-privately/

Of course few of the many critics of these men believe a word of this story. What this story shows is the level of true compassion the two most powerful men in America have in their hearts for those who make the ultimate sacrifice for this country.

Finally, I could not let this short story go without at least calling attention to it. I am no fan of any of the people involved in this story; President elect Obama, Pastor Rick Warren or Rep. Barney Frank. My personal likes or dislikes aside, I do comment Mr. Obama for reaching out to a dyed in the wool Evangelical to give the invocation at his inauguration next month. It took both guts and some degree of political astuteness to make such a decision considering the hot button issue Proposition 8 continues to be:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aWyQ9etqA6sE&refer=worldwide

I do not know Pastor Warren’s motivation for accepting this invitation, but I am sure he had to expect a huge backlash from the left due to his very public opinions regarding gay rights, abortion and other social agenda issues. I am sure Mr. Obama had to have also known the fallout which would come from this decision. It somewhat amuses me to see such a public censure by a prominent legislator regarding the head of his party.

The list of interesting, obscure and amusing news will continue to flow unabated until the return of Christ, so it should not be surprising to see such a plethora of it near Christmas. My point in posting this two days before such a special day as Christmas is to bring back into our remembrance that for each one of us who genuinely love and appreciate the meaning of Christ’s birth (whenever it was), there are probably at least five in the world who could care less or have gotten so hard and blinded by the world they have lost the “heart” of the holiday.

Both the good and bad of people have no bounds. Even as the evilness of those who know not God or spend their lives trying to disgrace and tear down those who do love God increases, let us pray for God to increase our love, patience and boldness to never stop reaching out to a dying world with the love of Christ. May we, who know and love our Savior with all our hearts, make sure we find someone whose life has reached rock bottom this holiday season and help them see and know that Christ still lives today, for He lives in and through us.