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 short memory of the American population

Talk about short memories; I think most Americans have totally forgotten how despite ample warning signs, we were constantly being told “all is well” with the economy all the way until the bottom fell out last October. Here are a few examples. One year ago today, this was the leading headline:

FEDS SAY NO RECESSION; ECONOMY GROWS 0.6%

The Fed had just finished their meeting and announced that despite two straight quarters of growth well under 1%, there was no recession, and probably would not be one. Here is an example:

“Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, earlier this month, acknowledged for the first time that a recession this year was possible.”

Is the all wise chairman of the Fed Mr. Bernanke really so dense and uneducated that at this time a year ago he was still not sure a recession was coming? Is this really the kind of “leader” we want overseeing the entire financial realm in this country? Anyone who would believe that the recession caught the Fed off guard needs to go back to sleep and wake up again in twenty years.

Just one year ago everyone was appalled that the unemployment rate was so high. How high was it? Here is a line from a story written one year ago today:

“During the first three months of this year, job losses neared the staggering quarter-million mark. The unemployment rate has climbed to 5.1 percent and is expected to move higher in the coming months.”

Hmmm, I wonder if it did go higher. The US unemployment rate rose to a new 25-year high of 8.5 percent in March 2009. From 5.1% to 8.5% in one year; yes, I would say that it did go a little higher.

One year ago we were just starting to see the effects of the run up of oil and gasoline prices. All eyes were on inflation as the price of gasoline, milk, wheat and corn were skyrocketing. One year ago the price for crude oil was around $118. This was considered at the time to be so high it could never be sustained. Guess what, by July 4^th, the price was up to $145 and it could not be sustained at that level.

Right now, on April 30^th, 2009 oil is trading at $51 per barrel after dropping as low as $36.51 in January. If the economy is bad now, which it is, imagine what it would be like if oil was still at close $150 per barrel and gas prices were near $5 per gallon instead of under $2?

The point of all this is that somebody knew something long ago but they were not taking about it. I refuse to believe all the wild and crazy things which have taken place the past year in the economy just “happened” and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men never saw it coming.

For what it is worth, I bet very few people knew this fact. Last year the Dow closed at 8,258.13 on April 30^th. As of this moment on April 30^th, 2009, the Dow is at 8,288.79. Incredibly, despite massive lay offs and the demolition of thousands of businesses and constant bail outs of the big banks—the Dow is at the same point it was a year ago. What this means I do not know other than the clear truth that somebody somewhere knows a heck of a lot more about what has gone on, is going on and is to go on than they are letting us know about.

My four month ordeal of trying to get my heart fixed right

Back in 1997 I went from being in pretty good health to having major medical problems in a matter of a few months. Starting in early June of that year and going through December 22^nd, I was subjected to eight heart catheterizations and the placement of six stents in the right coronary artery. Additionally I developed sudden onset asthma which was not controlled by anything. Later it was determined that the asthma was an allergic reaction to the aspirin I was prescribed to take.

In March of 2008 while in Wichita, KS helping out after my dad’s stroke, I was rushed to the hospital where two days later double heart by-pass surgery was performed. Instead of solving all my problems, complications from the surgery compounded them over the course of the next few years. Two trips to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota failed to correct anything and in fact a misdiagnosis of the problems made things worse in 2000.

As suddenly as the problems appeared they pretty much disappeared by around 2002. In 2004 I had my 15^th heart catheterization and was pronounced to be in excellent shape heart wise. By 2006 my cardiologist said I was free to live without worry concerning my heart issues for they had all stabilized and presented no problems. In 2007 he gave me the green light to do whatever I felt like doing exercise wise with no fear of hurting myself.

In November of 2008 I started having chest pains for the first time in perhaps 5 years. After a stress test, the cardiologist determined that to be safe I needed a heart catheterization which took place on January 22^nd of this year. Much to the cardiologist’s dismay and surprise, instead of finding nothing wrong, he found one of the grafts from my 1998 by-pass was almost totally clogged and another major artery had two places well over 75% blocked.

Due to fears of needing surgical backup, I went to another hospital on February 11^th (with another doctor) to have a huge stent placed to fix the blockage in the graft. This was a very serious procedure and demanded the utmost of skill to be done right. Thankfully it went exactly as planned and to this day there have been no complications. Praise God.

Instead of sending me home the next day per normal protocol, the doctor was persuaded by others to keep me in the hospital and transition me to Warfarin (blood thinner). Five days later, the blood was still not sufficiently thinned so when the doctor returned from a vacation he decided to go ahead and place the other stents in the second artery instead of waiting a few months as originally planned.

The placement of the second and third stents on February 17 was a disaster. Nothing went as planned including the placement of the stents. Unlike after the first stent, the next day I felt horrible instead of better. I was abruptly discharged on February 19^th in the evening with no instructions to speak of. By February 28^th I could not breathe and felt like I had pneumonia. I went to the emergency room expecting a dose of antibiotics.

After a CT scan of the lungs, it was determined that I had a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung) from lying around the hospital for 8 days. I was immediately admitted and put on a very high dose of Heparin and Coumadin. I was finally discharged on March 4^th. The next week, March 9-13^th, I had doctor’s appointments, trips to the clinic to monitor the blood and a trip to the Emergency Room. The next week I had doctor’s appointments or procedures done 4 of the 5 days.

I saw finally saw my regular cardiologist again on March 18^th who was very concerned about my condition. He ordered various tests and upon seeing him again on April 1^st he determined yet another heart catheterization was needed, and it was scheduled for April 22^nd. He did this although he again didn’t think anything would show up. Just as it happened back in 1997, everyone assumed my chest pains and other symptoms were either in my mind or something not related to my heart. Just as in 1997-98, the doctors were wrong.

Starting April 8^th, I started having crushing pain in my chest upon walking. My entire physical condition suddenly deteriorated and by Friday, April 10^th, I was told to check into the local hospital through the ER for a heart catheterization on Monday, April 13^th. I spent Easter weekend in the miserable state of being in a hospital arguing with doctors and nurses about whether anything was wrong with me even as I had constant chest pain.

The heart catheterization on April 13^th once again shocked the cardiologist. It showed that the second and third stents placed in February had failed. One was only about 70% blocked, but the other was initially thought to be 99% blocked. The substitute cardiologist doing the procedure said he could place new stents, but with no surgical backup there was about a 20% chance of a major heart attack resulting in probable death.

Not liking the 20% odds, the only other option was to go by ambulance to another hospital in the county which was much bigger and did have surgical backup. Thankfully, my regular cardiologist was there and agreed to do heart catheterization number 20. He placed three more stents on April 13^th during the second heart catheterization on that day.

I now have one artery with 6 stents from 1997, another one with one and now a third one with 5 stents. As the cardiologists told me the next day, no more stents can be placed in that artery. If these medicated stents fail (and if they do it is usually after 8 or 9 months), I must have emergency by-pass surgery which I have been told I am not a good risk for.

Here in a nutshell is my life for the past few months: Three hospital stays of 9 days in February, 5 days in March and 5 days in April, five heart catheterizations since January, an increase in prescription medication from 8 to 16 drugs, 4 CT scans and numerous know it all doctors and nurses who either told me nothing was wrong with me or that I would die in two days if I didn’t take the medication they prescribed.

Needless to say, the constant procedures and stays in the hospital have produced unbelievable stress for both my wife and me along with our financial situation going from bad to disastrous. Just the drugs I take amount to hundreds of dollars per month. Adding in the never ending co-pays for doctor’s visits along with the $750 per visit co-pay for each stay in the hospital— the situation is not pleasant.

My wife is just now getting better from numerous stress related ailments (heart rhythm problems along with other woes) brought on by last four months. This week I finally start a prolonged round of cardiac rehabilitation. The hope is that through the various drugs, exercise and prayer we can see these last three stents work as they are supposed to and come next Thanksgiving I am enjoying the holiday and not being rushed to the hospital for emergency by-pass surgery because the medication was finished.

I thank you for your prayers and support through these most difficult of times. I am finally starting to feel better and for that I am thankful. But, the impact the past three months has had on our financial situation is another story. Any prayers for some miracles in that realm would be greatly appreciated and needed. We have a BIG God who has watched over us before and we are persuaded He will continue to provide for our needs. Thank you for listening and praying and I hope this summarizes what has happened in such a way that there remains no stone unturned.

Mercyman 53

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.

One last Thanksgiving before the great fascist/socialistic take over of America–Enjoy it

Here are some things which are unmistakable and undeniable that are the result of not only the election held three weeks ago, but many events which led up to it:

1. At the rate the United States Treasury together with the Federal Reserve Board is spending/loaning money; they very well may have succeeded in putting this country somewhere around 7 ½ trillion dollars in debt in 2008. There is no basis for this money, it was invented out of thin air and simply transferred into the National debt.

2. All the above mentioned debt will have associated interest which must be paid even if the principle is not. It is unfathomable how much just the interest payments will be on total debt, especially considering there appears to be no slowing of the money gravy train come January.

3. Any of us who through various situations got caught up in a minor version of what the government is doing debt-wise are viewed as bad and evil people for allowing ourselves to get into a few thousand dollars of debt, but the government can go trillions of dollars in debt bailing out banks and that is allowable.

4. Every day it seems we hear of another huge company or industry being “bailed out” by the government. Look closely at the definition of fascism; any movement, ideology, or attitude that favors dictatorial government, centralized control of private enterprise, repression of all opposition, and extreme nationalism. If what is happening in this country is not fascism, nothing ever will be.

5. Under the cloak of a multitude of new programs to supposedly get America back on its feet again economically; the new Congress will speed through both Houses incredible bills to be signed by the new President the day he takes office which will look good to many suffering Americans but will place millions of people directly under the control of the government. Once Americans start going to the government to pay off their debts under the new program announced today, the end must be getting near.

All of these things plus a truckload of other issues all point to the same unmistakable conclusion which is that the powers that be, whoever they really are, think they can pretty usurp most of the freedoms we have counted dear in this country for well over 200 years in a matter of a few months. It truly is almost surreal to witness events such as the heads of the “Big 3” auto makers get beaten down to a pulp and speak of car pooling to the next round of humiliation as they try to pry 25 billion dollars out of the same government which throws trillions around like candy.

Once the “Big 3” are reduced to the “Big 1” under governmental control, the emphasis will switch to the airline business and then to energy production and finally health care. As one by one, various industries and services are forced to consolidate and be “bailed out” by the government in exchange for direct oversight by the government; the fascist/socialistic society envisioned by secret societies for centuries will be on the doorstep.

What is a believer’s response to this ugly situation to be? What exactly are we supposed to do? Are we to become political activists and march on Washington demanding the government “behave”? Are we to write a billion letters to our deaf Congressmen and women demanding they fulfill their vow to protect the Constitution of this country? Are we to take to the streets with our guns and bombs and violently stop the Orwellian takeover of this country?

I do not believe we are to do any of the above. As bad as things are, and are going to get in this country, they are still far better than conditions in most of the world. As ugly as things are going to get financially and liberty wise in this country, they will still be better than the lot faced daily by billions of downtrodden people in the world every day.

No, our place is not to challenge the government and waste our time fighting the inevitable. The United States of America has spoken through the election results three weeks ago that they want change. The people of the United States deliberately voted to put into place the most liberal Congress in history along with a liberal President. What is in place in Washington represents the will of the people and that must be respected if we are not to descend into anarchy or a dictatorship.

Part of living in a republic or a democracy is that the will of the people expressed in elections must be honored. Conservative talk show hosts can bark and complain all day long about things, but that doesn’t change the inevitability of what is coming. The fact that mucho of the United States remains deeply “RED” does not change the fact that there was a “BLUE” tidal wave which swept over the country three weeks ago, especially in the Senate and House races.

Americans are worried, stressed out and tired of having to be self-sufficient. They want the government to take over providing for their needs, providing vital services, taking care of their health, telling them when and what they can drive, telling them what they can and can’t eat, telling them what they can and can’t say in public and who they can and cannot worship as God. It appears that the vast majority of the people of this country simply want to exchange their personal liberties and the risks that go with them, for governmental control of everything and the supposed security which goes with it.

Allowing the government to run everything and provide for your needs and wants is the ultimate form of idolatry. If indeed what appears to be coming in this country actually does; then this land will be found guilty of utter rejection of God and the same fate awaits it as has befallen every other nation who turns their back on the one true God and willingly turns to idols.

The roar of gross idolatry grows louder every day in this country and will only keep getting louder in the days to come. Enjoy your liberty and freedoms while you can America, for the day is coming VERY SOON when such liberties will only be cherished memories compared to the controlled society we will all be forced to live in.  All any of us can do now is pray for those in authority that whatever they decide to do, it will not interfere with our ability to lead quiet and peaceful lives in all godliness and honesty.

2008 Election mirrors 1932; Same result, Democratic Domination for generations

If there is still a United States of America as we know it in 2010, the Republicans claim there will be the biggest switching of power in the House and Senate ever recorded. As appealing as this sounds to those on the right, I seriously doubt such a thing will ever happen.

Once “Obama Nation” takes over in January, he and his friends will ram one socialistic measure after another through the Democratic Congress. In the first 100 days this country will turn into a country Sweden will be proud to call a partner. Shortly after that, the Russians and Chinese will be rejoicing with their new partners; the USSA.

Meanwhile new “fairness” rules will muzzle the right wing broadcasters and bloggers. Equal time will have to be provided for someone from the left to rebut the propaganda spewed forth from agenda driven maniacs like Limbaugh or Hannity. Even the right leaning preachers will be forced to tone down their message or risk losing their tax exempt status.

Since the media already belongs to the left, all that will be needed is to shut down the renegade Fox news channel and any voice of opposition will be neutralized. A few old time right wingers will make the rounds just for the sake of fairness, but the “real news” will delivered by dyed in the wool left wingers.

With the voice of the opposition stifled, I don’t know if the resistance movement will have a chance to organize. Anyone naïve enough to think the left will give up power without a fight doesn’t know who they are dealing with. Having fought very hard to regain power in 1992, the left thought they could change America the first 100 days of the Clinton administration. They were wrong because America was not in a bad enough recession to willingly throw away its freedom.

Due to the recession/depression currently afflicting the nation, there has surfaced the desire for “change” at any cost. This growing mood has not only moved Sen. Obama into a strong lead, but is opening the doors to massive changes come January (if not before). The current proposal being floated by Rep. Pelosi of yet another 300 dollar economic stimulus package is just the tip of the iceberg.

If enough programs and packages can be put in place soon enough, there will be ample need for taxes to be raised which is inevitable due to the massive amounts of spending being proposed and done. Higher taxes, more governmental programs and more people behooved to the government for their daily bread. Sounds like a recipe for long term left power just as was accomplished the last time the country went into a recession/depression.

Odds are that as much as the right wing says they will take back Congress in 2010, they may end up in such a minority they will never take it back. If the left can succeed in getting the overwhelming majority of Americans on the government dole, then they will have succeeded in assuring themselves a majority in Congress and the White House for generations to come.

Except for two terms of the “Republican” Eisenhower in the 1950’s, and “Ike” was no more a Republican than Hillary Clinton is; this country had a Democratic President and Congress from 1933 until Nixon in 1969. Even with the election of Nixon/Ford between 1969 and 1976, the Congress stayed Democratic through the Carter Administration. The House of Representatives has been in Democratic hands from 1933 until the present except for the years of 1995-2007.

The point is that the policies of the “New Deal” placed millions of Americans at the mercy of their government. The government fed them, gave them work and protected what assets they had left. As dutiful servants, the people in turn gave the government their votes to keep them in power. Could it be that the events that have taken place the past few months will yield the same end result? I would say they already have and will for the duration of the history of this Republic.