The Conservative Independent Rant

Bethlehem, Gethsemane, Calvary

2011-12-24T15:01:00.000-08:00

With fellow believers I celebrate this Christmas season with joy and gratitude. What a significant time this is. It is wonderful to be able to have this time to gather with family and acknowledge the importance of the birth of The Savior of the World.

As I’ve thought about His birth I’ve pondered about how important it was that Christ demonstrated His willingness to Atone for us. Each Sunday members of my Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, partake of The Sacrament bread and water in remembrance of His sacrifice and Atonement. There is a specific prayer offered for this ordinance, here is the prayer for the bread:

O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember Him, and keep His commandments which He has given them, that they may always have His Spirit to be with them. Amen.

One of the important aspects of the bread is that by partaking of it we are demonstrating our willingness. The bread represents His body. He took upon Himself a body in order to Atone for us, it was His demonstration of willingness. How utterly significant it is that the place where He was born, take upon Himself a body, is called Bethlehem which means “house of bread.” There are no coincidences in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Here is the prayer that is said on the water.

O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God the Eternal Father that they do always remember Him, that they may have His Spirit to be with them. Amen.

There is an important difference in these two prayers. In partaking of the bread we demonstrate our willingness. In partaking of the water we demonstrate that we do. Just as Christ actually did perform the Atonement as He shed His blood in taking upon Him our sins and sufferings in Gethsemane and on Calvary.

Christmas is all about celebrating the life of Our Savior and His willingness to take upon Him the glorious mission of The Atonement. In celebrating this we acknowledge with humble gratitude that He fulfilled His mission. Jesus Christ is the light and life of the world. He lives, I know it. Merry Christmas.

Light Rules

2011-12-21T15:25:00.001-08:00

I once heard a story about a young man who was fascinated by light. He equipped his pick-up with several varieties of headlights. At one point he was thrilled to obtain an airplane landing light. He was able to affix it on his car. He took a friend of mine up into the mountains and demonstrated its brightness by turning it on into rather dense foliage. All became visible, including some very shocked deer looking bewildered at the intensity of the light. The young man was one night driving in the mountains and happened to be come upon another car. At the time he had just his regular headlights on. The other driver coming his way flashed his brights signaling that the young man’s lights were too bright. The young man in turn flashed his light indicating that his headlights were at their normal setting (of course I imagine they were a little on the bright side given his fascination). The two drivers exchanged several more brightening signals until the young man finally became frustrated and went ahead and turned on his airplane landing light. Needless to say the other driver stopped in his tracks and from then on discontinued his brightening. Now, I think the story is funny, though I don’t know how happy I’d be if I was the other driver, it was a rather “in your face” moment. But, I was recently thinking about this story in working with my clients.

Many of the kids I work with have come from some heinous situations and have had to deal with dark evil. The best remedy for this is to shine an intensely bright light, to have an “in your face” moment with evil. So, we talk about truth, we face it in all of its ugliness and beauty. There is no hiding when you shine a light that bright.

I’ve also been thinking about light in terms of Christmas. I love the fact that a bright star was one of the signs of Christ’s birth. He brought light into a dark world. I marvel at the feeble attempts of society to try and dim His light. Congress has attempted to ban members from wishing their constituents a Merry Christmas. Some historians have attempted to change the term B.C. (Before Christ) to B.C.E. (Before Common Era). All across the country attempts are being made to stamp Christ out of Christmas from vandalizing to outlawing nativity scenes. Try as they might their attempts will fail. You simply cannot shut off that bright of a light. People will continue to celebrate Christmas, and will do so with the true spirit of Christ. Even if they try to change it to the Common Era, they will never be able to hide the fact that the Common Era started with the birth of Christ.

His light will not be darkened. We just need to have eyes to see the truth. The sun rules the day, the moon and stars rule the night. No matter how dark it is the light always rules.

Merry Christmas and may we all continue to follow His light in wisdom, faith, hope and love.

The Secrets We Keep

2011-11-30T14:52:00.000-08:00

2 Chronicles 7:14
King James Version (KJV)
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

So, I work with a lot of kids these days in my profession. Its great and fun and very rewarding. But, it also requires a willingness to be able to go through some difficult sessions hearing about difficult things and sometimes facing some defensiveness. Healing so often requires overcoming barriers. One of the barriers that comes up a lot, especially lately with my treatment of children is secrets. Too often secrets are a result of shame and a desire to hide. These types of secrets have a strong tendency to keep children (and let face it adults too) stuck in old and hurtful patterns. Once a client begins to develop a sense of trust it is important to begin to address the secrets they have been keeping that are barriers to healing. There are five common areas in which kids keep secrets that keep them stuck and hurt.

1) Lies they’ve told
2) Things they’ve stolen
3) Things they’ve broken
4) People or animals they’ve hurt
5) Sex things

As you can imagine talking about these five areas can become a bit uncomfortable, especially when shame is involved in keeping the secrets in the first place. But, when these beautiful brave kids begin to open up about their secrets you can start to see a change in their very countenances. Releasing the secrets takes down barriers not just to their pain but also to their hearts. They can begin to really accept the love from others. It’s a difficult but wonderful process and I’m so proud of these kids when they are able to go through it.

The more I’ve thought about this process the more I’ve realized its appropriate for all of us to really address. Of course with my mind the way it works I also see a connection when it comes to our government. I think that in order for there to be real and honest change in our current government they are going to have to reveal all truth, all the things they’ve been trying to hide. Without that, no true healing can take place and we will just continue to see a vicious downward spiral no matter which party is in office.

1) Is there any doubt that our government has told lies. So common are lies that the media barely addresses it anymore. There is simply a wave of the hand dismissing the fibs politicians tell, because that is just what politicians do. There are lies, then there are lies told to cover up the other lies until there is a virtual mountain of lies. Its not just the current congress or current administration, this has been going on for a long time. Is it any wonder that the public has a hard time trusting its government.
2) Stealing is basically taking ownership of something that does not in fact belong to you. I understand the necessity of taxes. We do need to have some order, so we need to have a government and it needs a way to operate. But, when the government instituted the income tax it began to take away something that belongs to us, our property, our income. When the income tax was first introduced the politicians promised it would only be a tax on the wealthiest Americans. Wait you mean they lied?! Shocker. Our government has become addicted in a way to taking our money and using it for all sorts of stuff, that honestly is just unnecessary. They’ve tried to convince us that we need their services. The reality is they are using our money to give us things less effectively than we could get ourselves. They’ve made themselves a necessary middleman. The misuse of our funds needs to have a huge spotlight shone on it. They take from us and then try to convince us its for our own good. That’s enough. Our government needs to learn that they cannot just take without consequence.
3) There is simply no way to adequately address any of these areas when it comes to our government. What have they broken? Well, plenty. Breaking all sorts of laws, and the prescribed measures of the Constitution. They’ve also broken things they’ve said they built for us, Social Security, Medicare etc. Probably the biggest thing they’ve broken is trust. Once that is gone, its very hard to get back. Coming clean with all the things they’ve broken is a start.
4) People they’ve hurt. Again there is probably not a list adequate enough to cover this. The government has made itself out to be some granter of mercy. The reality is that is not their job, and they are harming the merciful processes that belong to the people. They create a problem, and then they’re cure just makes it worse.
5) Sex things. For those who say that character doesn’t matter and that morals are only relative I say bunk. Sexual addictions reveal all sorts of sickness. Morals and character does matter. We are so used to seeing unfaithful politicians that it sometimes barely makes news at all. Being unfaithful to marriage and morals, a commitment which should be second only to our commitment to God, speaks volumes about the ability to stay faithful to other things.

Our country needs a healing, a miraculous one. The only way true healing can take place is if all the secrets our government officials have been keeping are revealed. We need a big ol bright spotlight to shine on all the darkness. That is how we turn from the wicked ways, seek His face and receive that blessing. We must reveal, repent and pray. I have seen miracles. I testify that God can heal our land as He has healed so many things. But, we have to put ourselves in the position to receive that great blessing.

Thoughts on Governor Palin Not Running

2011-10-06T07:55:00.001-07:00

In the end when we are all called before God Our Creator and asked to make an accounting of our lives, He will not ask what positions we held or how much money we made or how many people we influenced. He will ask how we treated the most important people in our lives, our family. Did we put them above other concerns? He will ask what we did with the gifts He gave. Life, Liberty, Responsibility, what did we do with those, and did we defend them not only for ourselves but for our family and those who follow? And He will ask about our hearts. What became of our hearts? Were they turned to Him? Were we filled with compassion and mercy and gratitude? This is the final accounting. There is no possible way for me to know what is truly in Governor Palin’s heart and all the things she has done with her life. But, by their fruits we can know some things. She has a servant’s heart. That service has always centered on her family, then to her community, then of course also to her country. She loves God, her family and her country in that order. I feel the same way. I am disappointed, but I also feel like I understand, not completely but I understand that she is following God’s guidance. I’ve said all along that she has my support whether she runs for president, senate, or straight for the hills to just spend time with her family because I trust that she is guided. If all she does is continue to be a great mom then her life will be a resounding success story. Of course she’ll do more than that and I look forward to standing by her side in standing up for God, family and this blessed country.

Sarah Emily Jordan

Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness: In That Order

2011-09-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Why does the liberal left, who wants more government, more laws and less choice value abortion so much? It seems to be the only "choice" that so many on the left are willing to defend. I know I'm not the only one to ask that question and notice the odd discrepancy. But, I've thought about it more this past little while, especially in light of our Vice Presidents despicable comments supporting China's one child policy and the more recent despicable lawsuit won by the couple who sued their OBGYN for not informing them of their child's missing limbs. They claim they would have aborted him had they known. What a disgusting message to send to that poor child. Anyway its been on my mind. Thinking about it recently the ideas of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (formally property in the original draft) popped into my head. I realized it wasn't just those rights that were significant but its also the order they were placed in that is significant.

Life is first. I'd been thinking about that original question in terms of liberty (why liberals value abortion). But, the reality is that leftism first does not value life. Thus leftism only respects the choice to end life, not just in terms of abortion but also in terms of euthanasia. Its important to note also that leftism tends towards eugenics as well. The leftist ideologies end up in sacrificing some life for the false ideal of the greater good.

The Founders were very deliberate when it came to crafting the founding documents. They were not just deliberate in including life, liberty and property/the pursuit of happiness, they were deliberate in the order.

The most basic fundamental God given right is life. If you do not respect life, than you have little respect for the next one, the power to direct that life. Without respect for the first two foundational principles than the third, the power of ownership/responsibility for what we do with our lives is likewise given little respect.

It goes more basic than those three principles. The leftist mindset also discounts individuality. I believe there is a power in unity, but that power can only be properly accessed when individuals make the decision to be unified. Its funny to me to watch governments attempt to artificially promote unity after they've witnessed the power of the real thing. For instance Argentina started the Falklands War hoping for the nation to rally in unity after witnessing the actual unity generated with their hosting of and winning the World Cup in 1978. Or here in the United States look at the government pushing idea of making 9/11 a service day. I don't disagree with that idea necessarily, but I do recognize that it is borne out of a desire to manufacture the unity we felt by choice that day.

It goes more basic than individuality still. Life, liberty, property/pursuit of happiness and the individuality with which we all experience these things are gifts from God. We don't have rights because we are superior beings or from any man made gift, we have them because we are children of a loving God who wants us to grow.

We understand that the great and marvelous day when swords will be made into plowshares and peace will reign, will be that day because the people will choose it, they'll choose God and to return to Him. Until that day we must protect the ability to eventually make that choice. That means we allow life to continue, allow for the right to choose to continue to allow for the consequence of our choices to be followed through be they good or bad, easy or difficult.

We stand at the dire moments and say as has been said in past generations, dispensations and times. We will live the gift we've been given and protect that gift for others even if that means giving up our own. I will gladly sacrifice other pursuits, in the pursuit of my children's right to pursue their own happiness. I will use my liberty to choose to protect others' liberty. I will use my life to stand testifying of my God and of His merciful gifts. I will stand shoulder to shoulder choosing to unite with others who will do the same.

Learning

2011-09-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

Every experience has worth, especially if you learn something from it. The past several months I've experienced many great things, a few difficult ones, but all of them worth it. God family and country is how I best keep things in perspective and in order God is first in my priorities. I've drawn closer to Him this past while, and am very appreciative.

Family has been a major focus for this past little while. Its been appropriately time consuming. Not only have I been able to spend with my own family but my work these days has been largely focused on helping families come to a healing.

I've maintained some of my country focus through all this. I have the opportunity on Tuesday nights to co-host a blog radio program, you can catch it here if you're interested :), with Thomas Schmitz and Ranae Durfee. Its a blast. I've also been spending some time volunteering for organize4palin. If you're interested in being part of that you can go here to sign up to be a volunteer.

I've not taken time to blog, but I'm determined to get back to it. Its not much of a contribution but I still think its important to write and share Conservative principles and values and stand up for my country in anyway I can, including writing on a little known blog.

Today I want to just share some things I've learned from my experiences the past couple of months.

Fear Is Okay to Feel, But Do What's Right Anyway

Not long ago I was working with one of my kid clients on trying to learn how to trust. She kept covering her face with her hands, at one point I just took her hands in my own and looked right in her eyes. I could tell it was hard for her. But, then she did something that she hadn't done before, she told me how she was really feeling, how scary it was to try and trust somebody, and did it looking right into my eyes. It may not seem like much to someone who doesn't know this kid. But, right then I knew she was showing more courage than I could begin to myself. I've never been so utterly betrayed by the people who are supposed to love me, as she had. I've never had to re-learn how to trust, and not just specific people, but the whole concept of trusting. There she was actually trusting me with her feelings, and it was hard and scary. But, in order for her to truly heal she had to be able to learn to trust. In order to have a healed heart she has to learn to share it. Its going to be a roller coaster path for her, but she has continued to show courage in the face of fear. She's not the only one. I've been able to see that courage over and over again. It takes amazing courage to tell the truth, especially of that truth is unpleasant and we fear that it may have scary consequences. Americans need to have courage like that kid. We've got to look our problems in the eye and tell the truth about what must be done. Its going to be hard, but it has to be done if this country is going to truly heal.

Kids Aren't Just Our Future They Are Our Present

As I said there were some difficult experiences these past couple of months. I needed a bit of healing myself, nothing to big just life being life. One of the most healing experiences came with a family campout. There is nothing, nothing like greeting family again after an absence. Hugs absolutely rock. My nieces and nephews melt my heart. I loved sitting around a campfire and having them around singing silly songs and just being together. Having the healing experience of being with my family helped me to cherish my relationship with them more than ever. God has gifted us with relationships. What we do with that gift is incredibly important. Its important to acknowledge that what we do now will affect our children's future. But, while we work to secure a safe and prosperous future for them we must cherish the relationship that we have with them now. Through every difficult experience we have arms to hold us, and relationships to cherish. Love your family, love them dearly. Laugh and cry with them. Live life and honor those in our lives as gifts.

Miracles Happen

A couple of weeks ago I had a request of God. I asked Him to open my eyes to see more clearly the miracles He is working. I've seen too many in my lifetime to count. But, something unique happened to me in answer to that prayer. I was literally seeing multiple miracles a day. Big miracles. I saw peoples hearts changing, families turning corners to where they were actually starting to heal. Unexpected blessings came in the form of miracles including this rather humorous and yet merciful one in which someone lost my phone number. That's a hard one to explain but for me it was most definitely a miracle. Miracles happen every day. When our eyes and hearts are open to it we see them clearly manifest. And as we see we also are filled with another miracle, gratitude. I call gratitude a miracle because its more than just a feeling. It literally changes our physiology to be grateful. It moves us to action, to humility and most importantly it moves us closer to God. Miracles do happen in all of our lives, and they will continue to happen for our country. My eyes and heart are more open to it, and I'm excited to see it all go down.

I'm grateful for my experiences and I'm grateful to be learning. I'm also grateful to blog :) and will be doing more of it. I want to be anxiously engaged in good causes, keeping that perspective of God, family and country.

Save The Family, Save The Country

2011-07-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month I had the honor and blessing of participating in a week long camp dedicated to the healing of families affected by attachment issues. I got to witness some amazing miracles. I got to see some amazing hearts and lives. I have been able to watch some of the struggles and continuing miracles in the weeks that have followed. There is nothing, nothing that will be more important to the saving of this country than the work of saving families.

Throughout history there have been individuals who have risen up as leaders when they have been direly needed. I am reminded of one of my heroes, William Wilberforce. He was a man who was driven by faith and the belief that God had called him to do a great work. He is best known for his work in ending the slave trade. He was an amazing man, and he rose to the challenge given to him. What drove his faith? His testimony of Jesus Christ. For Him to be a Christian was more than a title it meant a way of life and a way of being. He was an authentic Christian and he asked his fellow citizens to live up to the mantle of Christianity. His work was the making of a better world. No one can argue that his work and his life was a resounding success. He is safely with The Lord now, but his example and inspiration live on.

Nancy Thomas reminds me very much of William Wilberforce. She has that same caliber of character and has been a driving force across this country in the salvation of families. She is a Christian woman who lives her faith out loud and in every action. She has dedicated her life to saving children and families. She is kind of America's Mother Teresa, though I'm sure she would shrug off such a comparison. It was such an honor to meet her in person, to see her in action and to participate in the work that she does.

When a person decides to live congruently with their faith and purpose they are able to access the power to truly change lives and hearts. And when they do it from a pure servant's heart that power becomes magnified. When they do it pleading to God for His help and seeking then to do His will, well miracles cannot help but follow.

The family is the most basic foundational unit in society. Defending and strengthening the family is fundamental to protecting our nation and our liberty. Such a time as this requires such a person as Nancy Thomas, just as Wilberforce's time required him.

Nancy Thomas uses the principles that we all know to be true, most basically that we are children of God. Somewhere in all of us we know we must trust God, commit to living His principles, and then own up to and make restitutions for our mistakes. God is our Father. Here on earth we've been blessed with families. It is within our families that we learn to trust first our parents and love, again first our parents. That sets up the foundation for the rest of our lives. Sadly there are many individuals who've not experienced this. Miss Nancy is determined to heal the damage caused by the breach of trust and to heal the children and their amazingly beautiful and compassionate parents who want that same thing. And boy have miracles ensued.

Nancy trusts The Lord with all her heart, knows her purpose and lives it. She is a mortal ministering angel, and so are the faithful devoted individuals who staff their camps. And I cannot say enough about the parents, many of whom adopted their children, who love their children enough to be bigger, wiser, stronger and kind and hold these suffering little ones in their arms providing the healing that only a parent can. I was reminded of what The Lord's work is all about, healing. Especially healing and blessing children is essential to who He is. The week of camp I read again and again a passage in The Book of Mormon which details s marvelous experience during Christ's visit to The Americas from 3rd Nephi ch. 17

5-And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, He cast His eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon Him as if they would ask Him to tarry a little longer with them.
6-And He said unto them: Behold my bowels are filled with compassion towards them.
7-Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.
8-For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you.
9-And it came to pass that when He had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and He did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto Him.
10-And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at His feet, and did worship Him; and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss His feet, insomuch that they did bathe His feet with their tears.
11-And it came to pass that He commanded that their little children should be brought.
21-... and He took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.
22-And when He had done this He wept again:
23-And He spake unto the multitude, and said unto them; Behold your little ones.
24-And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.

For the full account see

That is what happens. We come to Him and we bring others to be healed. Both get the immense blessing and joy of being in His presence. I've experienced both, and both are awe inspiring. Then of course the children. They still have angels round about, and some of them are mortals.

There is no more important work than saving the families. If you'd like to learn more about Nancy Thomas and her work check out her website.

Remembering

2011-05-30T21:12:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day, what an important day of observance it is. The purpose is to remember those who've given their lives for this country while serving in our Armed Forces. Its origins in the United States come during The Civil War and aftermath. As I was contemplating this day, in gratitude I remembered having recently watched a documentary about the art of war which highlighted the battle of Gettysburg. Here is part of that video. Watch both parts 8 and 9 for the full story.

Little Round Top became the final and best defense for the Union Army. As I was watching this I wondered how was it that the Union was able to find the absolute best position? How was it that after loss after loss the Union army was able to win this monumentally decisive victory? I then remembered another video I had seen.

What led to the Union victory at Gettysburg? God. A good man and a good leader turned to God in the most dire needs, and God took the matter into His hands.

As we gratefully remember those who've given their lives for our freedom. We should also remember He who is the author and the protector of our freedom. Thanks be to our heroes proved as they stand and fall mercifully in our behalf. And thanks be to Our God who has preserved this nation. We must humbly turn to Him now as ever.

Unknown Soldiers

2011-05-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

I have long believed that our soldiers offer us tremendous examples of service and sacrifice. May I offer my grateful congratulations on their efforts this past weekend in bringing Osama bin Laden to justice. Good work everyone, God continue to bless you and your loved ones.

Its important to say a word about President Obama's role in all of this. Some would ask if we Conservatives will give him credit. Totally, I'll definitely give him credit for making the right call. Congratulations and thank-you Mr. President. I support the principles he followed in this matter. Gitmo and enhanced interrogation were key. Mr. President, thanks for allowing the military and the intelligence community to do their jobs, unhindered by your political ideologies. I'd love to see our President apply more Conservative principles and see just how successful they can be too.

This incident has reminded me of a principle that our soldiers are again a tremendous example of, being willing to do the right thing regardless of who knows it. A lot of that comes from perspective. I believe the most important perspective is an eternal one.

To live with an eternal perspective is to know that the choices we make in this life will have eternal consequences, good and bad. It also means that our works are known by God. Those who properly carry this perspective understand that God sees our negative works, but also that our good works may never be known by any but God. In a world where so much attention is paid to celebrity and where everyone is supposed to have at least 15 minutes of it, to continue to do good works whether or not anyone sees is incredibly honorable.

I was thinking about this concept recently as I was reflecting on the sacred experience I had a few years ago of visiting The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The significance of that site is great. Those brave soldiers gave their lives in the defense of freedom and their fellow countrymen. Their names are unknown yet their devotion and their courage is honored. We do not know their names, but I take comfort in the fact that an all-knowing and all loving God does. When they passed from this life, while making the ultimate sacrifice for us, they went to Him who knew their deeds and their sacrifice.

They represent every soldier who has ever fought for us. Countless brave men and women have been willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. I marvel at our soldiers. They are willing to heroically and bravely stand in our defense, whether they get praise and recognition or not from the public. I know some, and always tell them thank-you (which seems woefully inadequate). But, it is impossible to know and thank them all. Again I take comfort in knowing that God does know them.

Our soldiers are exemplary, meaning we should strive to be like them. We must be willing to stand up and fight for what is good and right and true, regardless of whether or not anyone knows it. We can rest assured that when it comes to our actions the two most important people will know, ourselves and God.

We must be willing to have God alone know our good works. For Him alone to know the work we do to stand up for the freedom He has granted us.

My name may never be known in any wider circles than my own family. But, God, He knows. He knows my heart and He knows what I'm trying to do. There is honor and then there is valiance. I hope to return to Him with valiance.

Too often I'm guilty of wanting my voice to be heard. But, the only one who matters is Him. I will stand before Him one day and make an accounting of my life. I will make an accounting for what I did with the precious gift of freedom and if I made the way for the freedom of my posterity easier.

Take a Bow

2011-04-08T12:55:00.001-07:00

An ancient story is told about a wicked man who wanted to be king. His name was Amalackiah, but I just nickname him, the jerk or wicked dude or something along those lines. I’ll try to summarize it, basically the guy was a terrible human being. He lived in a free land, where people elected their leaders. This jerk sought supporters who were also attracted to power and he hoped they would elect him to be their king. Alas, he did not win enough support and the land remained under free rule. But, this evil guy still wanted to be king. So, what he did he do? He decided to become king of the enemies. He took his loyalists went over to enemy lands and convinced the enemy king to fight against his own people. Here’s where he gets crafty. The leaders of this enemy army were not exactly thrilled with the prospect of going up against the evil dude’s former homeland. They always lost. You see the free nation was also one which relied on God and constantly sought His protection in seeking righteousness. Well, God did protect them and the enemies never won. So, as I said the army was reluctant. Wicked guy decided he needed to win the support of the army so he secretly met with the army leader and won his trust by convincing him he wouldn’t have to go up to fight. Then Mr. Evil slowly poisons the leader of the enemy army. During this process he won the confidence of the army and after the leaders’ death he took control of the army. Then he decides the time is right for the ultimate prize, he still wants to be king. So, he marches back to the enemy king having successfully gathered the army under his new command. The king comes out to greet the servants of total jerk evil guy. The servants take a bow in his presence and when he goes to command them to arise they stab him to death. Well, these servants of evil dude then blame the murder on the kings own servants who had fled (not surprisingly). The wicked man then comforts the queen on the death of her husband, marries the queen and since he’s the leader of the army and the queens new husband he gets named king of the enemy. Nice story eh? Its actually pretty despicable. He ends up going to war with his once homeland and costing countless lives, including his own. This whole event was driven by power lust and the end result was nothing but sorrow.

Now, murder and such is not going on in our highest levels of government (well not that we know of), but certainly the same type of evil attitude is pervasive amongst politicians. Anytime we see our leaders bowing before the supposed powers we should be incredibly suspicious. Too often a bow is just a pretense for a power grab. I must also note that I do not believe there is so much an effort made towards having a king as there is to maintain some sick oligarchy.

You probably think I’m going to talk about our Presidents continuous bowing. Which I admit drives me bonkers. But, actually I was thinking about this subject in relation to the establishment Republicans and the pundits who support them. I’m no longer shocked by the disparagements that these people throw at Governor Palin. I have however started to ponder what it is that drives their attitudes and actions.

To me it seems that they are suffering from a similar paradigm as that evil dude, and his followers. They seek power. And in the end they are willing to bow down in order to offer some pretense of submission when in reality they are looking for any opportunity to grab their own power. I know what you want, Kristol, Frum, Krauthammer, O’Reilly etc. etc. etc. and on and on, you want a piece of the power. You want to have your voice matter to the rest of us, so you tell us what we are supposed to think.

Look the Democrats/Liberals/Progressives/Leftists make their platform and desires easy to spot. The establishment Republicans and their ilk, well they try to thrive in shadows. They look for ways to get what they want while still cloaked in some semblance of Conservatism. Its slimy, gross and I’m on to it and so are a lot of Americans. So, go ahead keep it up people. Keep bowing before the media, seeking their praise, and the left seeking their support. Bow to the slime and the filth and the corruption that has pervaded our government and the media that was supposed to protect us from it. You’ll be exposed. Understand the consequence. You are culpable in the destruction of freedom and the country which has best been its protector. While you continue to try to tear down one of the few political allies America and Americans can truly rely on, we will keep standing beside her and our country. Our freedom is worth the fight. And power will once again rest with who it belongs to, the people. We will keep relying on God and not on your supposed wisdom. We will keep looking for leaders who do the same.

Some History

2011-03-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

I had a history Professor back in my college days who tried to convince the class that history doesn't repeat itself. His argument was that there is no exact repetition, names change, environment changes, places change etc. Well, it was not so long ago that as I was thinking about that Prof. and another couple of lectures he gave it dawned on me that he was a huge Progressive. The idea that history does not repeat itself is essential for the Progressive ideology, because they have to believe that it will work someday even though so far it has not. Yes, indeed the names change, and environment and all that. But, for crying out loud a simple examination of history shows that it does indeed occur in patterns. That's the whole reason to learn history, so that we can learn what to do and especially what not to do. Its a gift, and it is far underutilized thanks to a great many things including faux educators.

I have several historical ideas for blog posts floating around in my head. I've needed to just sit down and start committing them to paper, or computer screen whatever you want to call it. So, I'm going to divide the ideas up in to a couple of areas and then just go from there.

I've loved history for a long time, and have had a particular fascination for the 20th century. One of the things I've found interesting is how little attention is paid to the early 20th century. Is it a coincidence that that era is famous for beginning the Progressive movement in America? Doubtful. There are so many current events that can be better understood by understanding the early 20th century. Look WWII gets well deserved attention, but what about WWI? Do you want to understand what is happening in the Middle East? You have to know about the early 20th century. What about the radical elements that existed in the early 20th century, Anarchists joining up with Socialists who are supposed to be on opposite sides of the political spectrum, what in the world? One of the absolute scariest events in The United States and the world occurred in the form of devastating illness, and it hardly ever gets spoken of. So, one of the areas I'm going to focus on is early 20th Century history. Buckle up, its going to be, well it might be boring for some people, but I think its a fun journey.

Bureaus. If you think history is boring, you will likely think I'm one of the most boring people ever to want to delve into the history of bureaucracy in America. Doing the research I did on Psychology and the Left, and noting the ties with the FDA really opened my eyes to how much damage the practice of regulations has done to the American way of life and our Constitution. So, come along and discover just how nasty the EPA is, or the DOJ. Oh, and what about the ATF? How the heck did Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms go together under one bureaus? Progressivism holds the key, say it with me, Prohibition. Sounds like fun right?

I've long been puzzled the Progressive ownership of group think. So, many groups in American society seem to identify with the left, which seems totally incongruent with the history of the Left. Where did the idea for Native American boarding schools come from? What about internment camps for those of Japanese descent? What about the excessive number of abortions performed on minorities in America? Does the Progressive left in America really represent minorities? Simply put, no. From slamming the door on immigration to turning women's rights into abortion on demand, the left has a long history of treating the groups they claim to represent poorly. I'm going to take a good hard long look at this.

Suggestions and tips are most welcome. As I already wrote, I love history. It is a gift and I intend to continue learning from it. One of the most important words in the English language is remember. We must remember who we are, and where we came from and what is really true. Then we can truly move forward walking in the light that is knowledge and humbly seeking to be wise.

Author of Liberty

2011-03-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage.

Okay so I here I go again talking about God. Why did God grant us freedom? Why did He allow for mistakes? It’s because He allows us to grow individually to, dare I say, progress. He would have us become our greatest selves. That cannot be accomplished by force, it can only be accomplished by choice. Will we make mistakes? Of course. Each one of our lives gives insurmountable evidence of that. History is replete with examples, which have included terrible consequences. But, we can make good choices too.

God plays an active role in providing grace, an enabling power, to those who acknowledge His hand and seek His help. Grace is real. It is also necessary to acknowledge the reality of evil. For me the summation of evil is anything that turns us away from God. I think the term “evil” gets thrown around too much and directed inappropriately. So, understand that I do not write this lightly, I believe that Progressivism is evil. It has turned people away from God and towards man. There are Progressives who invoke the name of God, but do so with their own agenda and ends in mind. Progressivism attempts to take a moral mantel. But, believing that evil can be controlled or altered by another form of evil (turning from God towards man for solutions) is nonsensical in the extreme.

Progressivism has caused damage in our nation for a century. To undo that damage, to truly seek a restoration is going to take a mighty miracle indeed. In order to have God active in the miracle of restoration we are going to have to be on His side. In times of crisis in this country we have sought Him, and He has been there. Great leaders have humbled themselves before Him. We need the Author of Liberty. He blessed us with it, He will sustain those who seek to preserve it. We need leaders who will kneel before the Almighty with a firm reliance on Him, and His direction. We each need to be leaders in our own right.

So great is our need now, it rivals any previous crisis. The attacks have been deep and sustained. Covered in cloaks of our welfare, the reality is that Progressives have laden us with chains of debt, of immorality, of oaths broken.

I’ve thought recently of an incident in the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Missouri Executive Order 44 was issued in October 1838 by Governor Lilburn Boggs. Boggs stated " ... the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace" Artist Andrew Knapp depicted an incident commonly referred to as “Majesty in Chains” The Artist describes the scene:

"Majesty in Chains" takes place in Richmond, Missouri, sometime in November of 1838. The Prophet and his associates had been taken prisoner at Far West, Missouri, and were awaiting trial at Richmond in some rough log houses situated near the courthouse. Six men at a time were chained around the ankles with a long chain that was held to each ankle by a lock. Parley poignantly recounts:"In one of those tedious nights [imprisoned in Richmond in a rough log house] we had lain as if in sleep till the hour of midnight had passed, and our ears and hearts had been pained, while we had listened for hours to the obscene jests, the horrid oaths, the dreadful blasphemies and filthy language of our guards, Colonel Price at their head, as they recounted to each other their deeds of rapine, murder, robbery, etc., which they had committed among the "Mormons" while at Far West and vicinity. They even boasted of defiling by force wives, daughters and virgins, and of shooting or dashing out the brains of men, women and children.

I had listened till I became so disgusted, shocked, horrified, and so filled with the spirit of indignant justice that I could scarcely refrain from rising upon my feet and rebuking the guards; but had said nothing to Joseph, or any one else, although I lay next to him and knew he was awake. On a sudden he arose to his feet, and spoke in a voice of thunder, as the roaring lion, uttering, as near as I can recollect, the following words:

'SILENCE, ye fiends of the infernal pit. In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still; I will not live another minute and bear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die THIS INSTANT!'

He ceased to speak. He stood erect in terrible majesty. Chained, and without a weapon; calm, unruffled and dignified as an angel, he looked upon the quailing guards, whose weapons were lowered or dropped to the ground; whose knees smote together, and who, shrinking into a corner, or crouching at his feet, begged his pardon, and remained quiet till a change of guards.

I have seen the ministers of justice, clothed in magisterial robes, and criminals arraigned before them, while life was suspended on a breath, in the courts of England; I have witnessed a Congress in solemn session to give laws to nations; I have tried to conceive of kings, of royal courts, of thrones and crowns; and of emperors assembled to decide the fate of kingdoms; but dignity and majesty have I seen but once, as it stood in chains, at midnight, in a dungeon in an obscure village of Missouri."Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, pp. 209-211.

Majesty in chains moments have occurred throughout history, often as terrible evil attempts to overcome goodness. It feels as if we are in such a crossroads now. It is our duty to stand, shackled as we may be. We stand, mocked though we have been and will most certainly continue to be. We stand knowing the God who authored our liberty will sustain those who seek to uphold this marvelous gift. It is His majesty.

Our fathers' God to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright,
With freedom's holy light,
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God our King.

A Very Progressive Valentine's

2011-02-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this scene is one of my all time favorites, very well acted by David Hyde Pierce, hilarious. I was watching it again a couple of weeks back and said to myself "self, that's Progressive thinking for ya." Every time they try to fix a problem, via government, they end up making things worse. Then they have to try and fix the problem they caused with another not well thought out solution, causing more problems and so on and so on. Maybe its just a lame excuse to share a classic scene, but I think it works :)

Psychology and the Left: An Awakening

2011-02-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

So, in my daily conservative website visits I opened a link to a New York Times article which had me shaking my head and laughing and saying "duh". Of course I will give some credit for an awakening by the left to the reality of how skewed the field of Psychology is. The article is titled "Social Scientist Sees Bias Within" by John Tierney.

From the article:

Discrimination is always high on the agenda at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology's conferenc, where psychologists discuss their research on racial prejudice, homophobia, sexism, stereotype threat and unconscious bias against minorities. But, the most talked about speech at this year's meeting, which ended Jan. 30, involved a new "outgroup."
It was identified by Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at the University of Virginia who studies the intuitive foundations of morality and ideology. He polled his audience at the San Antonio Convention Center, starting by asking how many considered themselves politically liberal. A sea of hands appeared, and Dr. Haidt estimated that liberals made up 80 percent of the 1,000 psychologists in the ballroom. When he asked for centrists and libertarians, he spotted fewer than three dozen hands. And then, when he asked for conservatives, he counted a grand total of three.

That's when I started laughing. I was totally unsurprised by this revelation, but its a little absurd in its reality. Three, three conservatives in a room of 1000 psychologists. I have to say that calling the conservatives a "new outgroup" was a little much for me. There is nothing new about the fact that conservatives are far outnumbered in the field of psychology. Its just the fact that the truth is getting out about it that's new.

Dr. Haidt made some poignant observations, continuing from the article:

"This is a statistically impossible lack of diversity," Dr. Haidt concluded, noting polls showing that 40 percent of Americans are conservative and 20 percent are liberal. In his speech and in an interview, Dr. Haidt argued that social psychologists are a "tribal-moral community" united by "sacred values" that hinder research and damage their credibility-and blind them to the hostile climate they've created for non-liberals.
"Anywhere in the world that social psychologists see women or minorities underrepresented by a factor of two or three, our minds jump to discrimination as the explanation," said Dr. Haidt, who called himself a longtime liberal turned centrist. "But when we find out that conservatives are underrepresented among us by a factor of more than 100, suddenly everyone finds it quite easy to generate alternate explanations."

And here is where I started saying "well duh". Reality check, there is no way that the field of psychology is adequately representing or addressing the greater needs of the population. They absolutely do discrimate and have a bias towards especially conservative ideology.

I recommend reading the whole article it actually makes some good points about the effects of bias and also taboo topics. But, I need to share the bit that had me shaking my head:

For a tribal-moral community, the social psychologists in Dr. Haidt's audience seemed refreshingly receptive to his argument. Some said he overstated how liberal the field is, but many agreed it should welcome more ideological diversity. A few even endorsed his call for a new affirmative-action goal: a membership that's 10 percent conservative by 2020. The society's executive committee didn't endore Dr. Haidt's numerical goal, but it did vote to put a statement on the group's home page welcoming psychologists with "diverse perspectives."

Well, I hate to put a damper on their proposed solution, but conservatives are definitely not going to go for an affirmative-action goal. With this suggestion they are proving they don't understand conservatives at all. Conservatives are not about equality of numbers. I for one would rather been seen as a human being with a valuable viewpoint, rather than a number to fill their conservative quota.

Dr. Haidt did make the suggestion that his fellow psychologists should subscribe to National Review an to read Thomas Sowell's "A Conflict of Visions". In the end educating is going to be the only way to solve the problem. Pat on the back to Dr. Haidt for waking up some psychologists. I hope they do crack open a conservative book, the numbers of conservatives might increase once some realize that its actually just common sense. Oh and they might even realize that liberalism doesn't work, like ever. :)

Anomaly

2011-01-30T18:21:00.001-08:00

"History has shown that especially effective leaders tend to emerge during periods of great change. For every turning point in American history, a creative leader--right for the times and uniquely suited to the task--took the helm." Donald T. Phillips from The Founding Fathers on Leadership

I was talking with my friend Ranae recently and she told me about a book she is reading about the Founding Fathers and Leadership. She shared with me the above quote, and I was reminded of a concept that I've seen displayed repeatedly, anomalies. Anomalies are things that are so different from their surroundings as to be notable. They stand out and can serve as beacons for others to follow.

I use the term 'anomaly' in counseling work a lot, because well I see it a lot. I've seen individuals who have come from horribly long established patterns of familial abuse, going back generations, who are so different from their families that they barely even physically resemble them. These individuals are some how able to withstand the onslaught and come out of the other side, not unharmed, but determined to not carry on the cycle. Its as if these individuals were specifically chosen to lead their families out of darkness. I see the very hand of God in those miracles. He assigned amazing people to end abuse and restore some sanity. Its not just in abusive families. I see anomalies in adoptive families also. Whatever it is that motivates parents to adopt children has to come from such a pure and open place. Adoptive families are like shining anomalies who were able to find each other. Adoption can be a tough row to hoe, for both parties, but it seems they are blessed with an extra measure of strength to not just withstand but to be refined to a point of graceful magnificence. I could go on, but suffice it to say there are anomalies among us, people so exceptional as to be blessed with the ability to change patterns, hearts and lives.

The more I learn about the founding of our country the more I realize that the Founders themselves were anomalies. How were these people able to stand up against a "long train of abuses" and a mighty military force to win their independence? They were remarkable men and women who were exceptionally qualified to lead. It seems that there was a general understanding among them that what they set out to do was impossible, were it not for the Divine. So, they carried forward, trusting in God, and trusting that in the end something remarkable could take place, and it did. Look at the nation they established. Boldly and uniquely exceptional. Watching now as the Middle East is broiling in the strife of protests I'm reminded how rare a thing true freedom is. There are calls to support Democracy in those countries. I don't disagree with those calls. We should support the struggle for freedom wherever it takes place. But, history has seen these protests before. France, Russia, Argentina, you name it; people rise up to fight oppression, but there is rarely that single message, rarely a reliance on anything other than a desire for something different than what they currently have. What ends up restoring order is usually an iron fist. I hope for better for Egypt and other countries going through these painful changes. But, The United States of America is the exception not the rule, hence the saying 'we are an exceptional nation'. We're an anomaly. So, what makes the difference? I think the key is in our Declaration of Independence: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor." The touch of the Divine, and the trust in Him. Whereas others reached first for weapons of protest, our Founders first reached to God. And He makes all the difference. I can hardly fathom how frightening it must have been to embark on the great American experiment. The hypothesis was that man could indeed rule himself. The most necessary ingredient is a trust in divine Providence, and the morality that flows from that trust. A city on the hill indeed.

There in the Declaration is the key to being a positive anomaly. Its the same regardless of the circumstance. Those who firmly rely on Divine Providence are able to not just survive but to become something better than we could on our own. That firm reliance manifest in a unified pledge to consecrate our very lives, fortunes and honor, can set us on a path to become our greatest selves. We can be the lights of the city on the hill.

Now, at this crossroads in our history, when the time demands a uniquely qualified leader, I, with gratitude, acknowledge that God still has a hand in the affairs of men, and He has chosen people to rise up to the task. I remember when I first started researching Sarah Palin often asking myself "Geez, where did this lady come from?" There was no political pedigree from which she was destined. There was no financial backing from her chosen party. There was only a desire to serve and a will to make it happen, and most important of all a trust in God from a very young age. Sarah Palin did not set out to change the world, she set out to live a life of service and to trust that God would continue to guide her in ways she could best serve. She is so different from any other politician out there in her personal and political history. She goes against all the conventional wisdom, she's an anomaly that the conventions of media and politics just cannot understand. Right here, right now, she is the right person to lead in whatever way God will ask of her. Its stunning in its realness.

I must also note, that as I've met with other Palin supporters I've seen the very same anomalous traits. I use the term supporters, because its more than being a fan. Supporters are people who understand the times and understand the needs and understand the leader. Supporters are people who if able gather together from all over the country determined to continue in the great cause of freedom. And so to you anomalies I say keep shining. Others will recognize that light and will follow. There is so much goodness in this country, people who only need a direction to look to in order to best focus their efforts. 'Many are called, but few are chosen.' To be chosen is entirely up to us, its our choices that determine who we are and set the course for our lives.

It is a turning point in history. It is my great honor and blessing to be here at the crossroads with you, and standing shoulder to shoulder with a leader who is willing to take up the charge. Freedom is worth fighting for, and God has our backs and fronts and sides. Carry on.

A Powerful Turning Point

2011-01-14T12:09:00.001-08:00

I dearly and sincerely wish my previous post was the final word on the Arizona tragedy. Unfortunately this event marked a major turning point. Whatever frayed thread still connected the “mainstream” media to the American public has now been severed, by the media. I’ve long noted and pointed out the extreme bias and agenda driven coverage in the media. But, the behavior from so much of the left and media over this tragedy is beyond anything I’ve seen. So intent are they on tearing down any who stand for the Constitution and Conservative values that they barely made it a few hours before placing the blame for the shooting on the Tea Party, Conservative radio and Sarah Palin. It has been such a disgusting display I could hardly fathom it, particularly when my thoughts were still centered on the tragedy itself.

So, “mainstream” media I’m going to attempt to briefly explain two concepts with which you seem to have an inability to understand (likely on purpose), power and Sarah Palin.

Those who seek for power only realize how little power they actually have. That realization is hard for a power seeker to deal with. So, they end up trying to take more and more of it. This is where tyrants come from. It doesn’t matter if they want power in order to do good things. If power is the goal than a tyranny is the eventual outcome. The agenda that seems to drive so much of the “mainstream” media is a “Progressive” one. For some reason government is the go to answer for all that ails society. The media has become a cheerleader for Progressivism. The media in a way has caused more frustration for me than the government because their job was to protect us from government not to promote it.

An ironic thing about power is that those who end up with the most actual power are those for whom power was not the goal. For those who sincerely and genuinely want to serve, power ends up being a byproduct. But, because power wasn’t the goal, they use power to meet their end goal of serving. There are three principles which really do lead to power that I’d like to explain: sacrifice, morality and consecration.

Sacrifice means giving up something. And if your goal is service it often means giving of yourself and giving up something you have for the benefit of others. Here’s an example; Sarah Palin gave up political power in order to better serve her family, her state and her country. It was a huge political risk, one that so many in the media assured us would result in her political demise. But, it cannot have escaped your notice that she’s actually more powerful now. You in the media cover her re-tweets for crying out loud. She sacrificed with the goal of serving and she ended up with more power. Imagine what would happen in the media if you sacrificed your agenda in favor of serving the people by providing us with knowledge rather than you bias. Knowledge of truth really is power.

Morality is doing what is right because it is right. It means being congruent with what you know to be true. It means not putting your wants above the needs of others. When a person is moral they are able to act as their whole selves, there is no divided allegiance, there is truth and living it. Sarah Palin lives what she professes, in other words she walks the walk. For example, she is pro-life in belief and action, thus bringing the precious gift of Trig into the world. You in the media seem to operate with “moral relativism” meaning you’re moral if you say you are regardless of whether or not it’s true. Our need is to be informed, yet you continue to want to push your own agenda, thus ignoring our need, even to the point of manipulating the public with false information.

Consecration is dedicating oneself to a cause greater than self. Sarah Palin has consecrated her life to her husband and children. She consecrated herself in service to her city, state and country. But, before she did any of those things she first consecrated her life to God. There is no better ally. You in the media, if you’ve consecrated yourselves at all it has been to ideology and agenda. That master will not uphold you. A tyranny will control you as much as it will try to control any of us. Only God can truly set us free. As a country we proclaim “In God We Trust”, it has only been because this nation has turned to Him that we’ve been upheld in every trial. There is no greater place to turn to. Sarah Palin understands that and has called on us to turn to Him. You in the media continue to ask us to turn to government. You’ve chosen the weak side.

Media because you do not understand power you completely missed the opportunities to tell the real stories of the Arizona tragedy. You should have reported the tragedy as it happened without editorializing and finger pointing. Your job is to tell the truth. You could have told us of the lives lost and families suffering. You could have told us of the miracles of comfort, of the right people being in the right places to help, of courage. It could have been the power to unify, but instead you continued to seek for power and control over the people you claim to serve. The result is division and further weakening of your role.

As for your continued attacks on Governor Palin, you in the media have attempted time and again to engage in a power struggle that she is not willing to join. She only wants to serve. You end up wrestling yourselves and in the process become fatigued beyond the point of being able to reason and/or function properly. Step back and realize that your real power lies in serving the people, in providing knowledge. As for your view of Governor Palin’s power you seem to focus on only whether or not she will run for and win the presidency. But, surely there must be a part of you that realizes that keeping her from the presidency is not going to end her power, else why would you be working overtime to not just damage her chances but to destroy her as a person. You’ve branded her an accomplice to murder. Is there any lower you can go? But, you will not limit her power, because that is not what she seeks. She seeks to serve her family, country and God. It may well be that she will wield that power as President of The United States, I certainly hope she does. But, if she decides not to run, rest assured her power will far surpass any of your supposed power.

Media you’ve turned the corner, you’ve revealed yourselves to be power mongers, weakened by your struggle for it. You’ve revealed your intention towards a centralized government of control. So I say “so long” to your influence over common sense Americans. The power is with the people, as it always has been. If the time should come when you feel up to trying to actually serve in your role of informing the public I’m sure there will be a place for you. Try for some humility and remorse and a real desire to serve. In the meantime I’ll continue to stand for and support those, like Sarah Palin who really seek to serve.

Thoughts and Prayers

2011-01-13T12:09:00.000-08:00

I along with the rest of America watched with horror and a deep sadness as events unfolded in Tucson Arizona this past Saturday. Words simply cannot express the atrocity of it all. Events like that offend every sense that is America. I have spent much time on my knees praying as well as keeping a prayer in my heart. I pray for the much needed comfort for the families and other loved ones of those murdered. I pray for the continued recovery of those wounded and blessings upon their loved ones as well. I'm very mindful of Representative Gabrielle Giffords whose survival is in a word miraculous. An attempted political assassination is so unthinkable that getting my mind around it is difficult. I pray for the nation to be able to recover. I pray in gratitude for the interventions in her and others behalfs and for the bravery of those who put a stop to it all. In times of such tragedy our best source of comfort and guidance is God, and as a nation we ought to unitedly turn to Him.

Fasting Invite

2011-01-13T07:17:00.000-08:00

Esther 4:16 Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night and day; I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.

Governor Sarah Palin has referenced this Bible verse on several occasions. She operates with a desire to do what is right even if that costs her political power and/or a political future. What an incredibly admirable outlook and belief system. The reference so perfectly describes her servant's heart. However, another part of this verse is also notable at this time, the three days of fasting.

We all are very aware that Governor Palin is at this time prayerfully considering a presidential run. To say that this decision is significant would be woefully inadequate, its huge and will have an impact on not only her, but her family, her state and this country. The Governor undoubtedly is making fasting a part of her decision as well. We know she has done so with other huge decisions such as her resignation. This too is incredibly admirable. Governor Palin turns to God to guide her life, and sincerely seeks His counsel and will. What a leader for our time.

From one of our country's sacred hymns: My Country, 'Tis of Thee
Our Father's God, to Thee
Author of Liberty ,
To Thee we sing,
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God our King

There is a King of America, and He is God. Governor Palin is at this time going to Him, as she always does, with the petition to have His guidance in making this decision. I'd like to invite you to join an organized three day long fast with the purpose of petitioning our King in her behalf, that He will make His will known to Sarah Palin and to the Palin family in regards to a presidential run. This invitation is going out to Palin supporters on several other blogs and websites.

The fast will start on Friday the 21st through Sunday the 23rd. If you'd like to join choose whichever day works best for you. Remember that fasting is more than just abstaining from food and water it is also prayerful and purposeful. Remember also that if fasting from food and water is not an option we do not want to exclude you from this effort. Governor Palin wrote in Going Rogue how she encouraged her son to choose some other thing rather than food to fast from when the family was deciding about her resignation. Whatever you feel would be an appropriate fast for you we would dearly love to have as many as want to, to join us.

Remember also that prayer and fasting is not about changing the will and mind of God. Rather, it is about changing us, so that we can be aligned with His will and His desired blessings for us. This is not a fast with a desired outcome, other than that He will make His will known to Sarah Palin and her family and to give them whatever guidance and support they require at this time.

2011 Is The Beginning of 2012

2011-01-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

So, I have this odd feeling about this new year. It feels like its not just the start of 2011, but that its also the start of 2012. Now, that might just be a coping mechanism, a way to shorten the Obama Presidency in my mind, or to deal with the reality that there are no Olympics this year. But, I think its just a reflection of the critical time we live in. The country is literally at a crossroads and our decisions in the next two years are going to be influential long past our own generation. I want to be ready to hit the ground running to restore the true principles of freedom that this country was founded on, and that provided the means for greatness.

Sarah Palin has written and/or said a lot of things that have inspired me and made me ponder and seek for guidance and answers. There have been a couple of messages recently that have really stuck with me. She has said in multiple interviews during her promotion of her latest book, that we are to be salt and light. This is a message taught by Jesus Christ, and I very much believe in its importance. But, I think that the Governor has used that particular message very purposefully. It is poignant and pertinent in our efforts now.

Salt is used to preserve. What an incredibly necessary role we all have to play at this time in preserving the principles of freedom and the sacred Founding Documents which outline those principles and provide guidance for governance. I recently heard some liberal spout off a favorite talking point that dissension is the highest form of patriotism (of course they don't use that saying much these days because they want us all to get along . . . with them). I said out loud to my T.V. "Hogwash! No it isn't!" or something to that effect :). Dissension is not the highest form of patriotism. The highest form of patriotism is fidelity to true principles of freedom. That fidelity sometimes necessitates dissension, it certainly did for our Founders, but the dissension itself is not the clearest indicator of our patriotism. We must seek to preserve what is truly freedom, the freedom to succeed and the freedom to fail, the freedom to choose our own way in life and not be dictated to. We must be dedicated to the same cause for which our Founding Fathers and Mothers were dedicated, the knowledge that all men are Created equal with certain inalienable rights. We seek to preserve our God given rights, not to create new ones. The fire of freedom has not gone out, but it is certainly weaker and is in danger. Preserve and strengthen it.

Light helps us to see clearly. Thus light and truth are often synonymous. We must get the truth out there. We must get the truth out about Sarah Palin specifically, the contributors here are doing a marvelous job. We must also seek for and shine bright lights on the truth about American Exceptionalism. We must broadcast what is great about America, with the humility afforded to those who recognize blessings. We must also seek for and tell the truth about those who would destroy the true principles of freedom. Progressivism is tending more and more towards tyranny. Progressives would have us believe that the government can take care of us. They would have us believe that to suffer is a great and unnecessary tragedy. They would rob us of our ability to grow. Here is a truth that must be told. Life is full of tragedy and triumph. The tragedy is not the real story, the triumph is. And the triumph isn't just in overcoming the tragedy, it's what you become in the process of overcoming. And the very best way to overcome the tragedy is with the help of Our Creator, the giver of rights and freedom and personal peace. He knows us best and knows what we can become and He will help us on our way. We can be made far better people with His help than we could on our own. This nation, while far from perfect, was founded in a way which grants the citizens the best opportunity to become our best selves. Our rights are guaranteed and should be treasured. That truth needs to be preserved and shared.

The other message from Governor Palin which has really stuck with me was from the National Review article she authored just following the mid-term elections. In it she says this, "The meaning of the 2010 election was rebuke, reject, and repeal. We rebuked Washington’s power grab, rejected this unwanted 'fundamental transformation of America,' and began the process to repeal the dangerous policies inflicted on us. But this theme will only complement the theme of 2012, which is renew, revive, and restore. In 2012, we need to renew our optimistic, pioneering spirit, revive our free-market system, and restore constitutional limits and our standing in the world as the abiding beacon of freedom."

I don't think I can add much to this wonderfully succinct and clear message. But, those words "Renew, Revive, and Restore" have played over and over again on my mind. That really is what its all about. 2011 is the beginning of 2012. Our mission is clear, Governor Palin laid it out beautifully. This message should be spread far and wide, shouted from rooftops, made into bumper stickers, baked into berry pies (reference to the movie Amazing Grace :), whatever we need to do to get it out there. Americans want that. Americans still believe in the principles that are just waiting to be renewed, revived and restored.

Might it require dissension? Well, yeah especially since Progressives are ruling and stand in stark contrast to what America really represents. But, it won't be just for dissensions sake, its because we are faithful to freedom.

I look forward with great anticipation to what these next couple of years will bring. I'm quite certain that there will be difficulties. But, I'm also certain that there are going to be amazing things happen as well. I have the remarkable blessing to be associated with amazing people who are examples to me of faith and courage and steadfastness. May we continue faithful and true, and may the joys overcome the trials. Go USA!!!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is caroling. I have a fairly large family, so this is just a few of us. But, I wanted to share a bit of us singing.

A very Merry Christmas and God Bless.

A Town A Garden A Tomb A Miracle, Remember

2010-12-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take eat; this is my body. Matthew 26: 26

One of the tenents of my faith is the weekly sacred ordinance of partaking the Sacrament, bread and water, in remembrance of Christ's body and blood. I know this is something common among most Christian faiths. It was introduced by Christ Himself just prior to His death. I was recently asked to teach a lesson on this sacred covenant and I wanted to share some of the things I learned in my study.

When Christ took upon Himself a mortal body, He demonstrated His willingness to fulfill His mission, to Atone for the sins of the world. The Atonement actually began its fulfillment when He took that first mortal breath. For an essential part of the Atonement is for Him to be able to understand us intimately. He knows what its like to be a mortal, hunger, thirst, disappointment, betrayal. All those things that are associated with mortality He knows. He knows because He had a body and He experienced it all.

He tells us there in Matthew that partaking of the bread is remembering His body. Its a recognition of His mortality and His willingness to eventually die for us. How utterly fitting it is that Christ took upon Himself a body in a little town named Bethlehem, the translation of which means House of Bread. It touched me to realize that my weekly partaking of the Sacramental bread is in a way a weekly observance of Christmas. For isn't it at Christmas that we celebrate His life, that He took upon Him a body. We remember Him.

As I was thinking about that my mind went, as it often does at Christmas, to one of my most favorite Christmas memories. It was in April :) My classmates and I got to go to the little town of Bethlehem, which was a good experience. But, the night before was even better. We went to a place called "Shepherd's Field" just overlooking the town. There we told the Christmas story and sang Christmas songs. And as it got dark you could just imagine where the new star might have been. I love the shepherd's in the Christmas story. I look forward to the day when I can do as they did, to kneel at Christ's feet and adore Him.

The little town eventually led to a garden, where He shed His blood, and which we also remember as part of the Sacrament, then to a cross, then a tomb in another garden. And 3 days later, miracle of miracles a resurrection, opening the way for us all to live again.

That's Christmas, that's what we remember. I will love Him forever for what He has done for me, and for mankind.

May we all enjoy the warmth and love of this Christmas season. And may we always remember Him.

God Bless,
Sarah Emily Jordan

Either Change Your Tune Or Change Your Mascot

2010-12-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

Elephants never forget, right? At least that is what they say. As I've been thinking about the Republican establishment and their talking points about the 2012 presidential elections I have to say they are reminding more of squirrels. How is it that a squirrel can watch another squirrel get hit by a car and than go and get itself hit? Why don't they learn from the past experiences of the other squirrels? It's because their squirrels. Learning from past experiences of others is a decidedly human trait. At least its supposed to be.

History is an incredible gift, and it is incredibly underutilized. I was recently wondering why it was that progressive Democratic presidents, like Woodrow Wilson and FDR, have won re-election. I did this weird thing called historical research and here's what I found out:

1916 Election, Woodrow Wilson (D) versus Charles Evan Hughes (R)
Mr. Hughes was very well respected. He was at the time of the campaign a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. He was also an important leader of the progressive movement. Wait a second . . . he was a progressive? He was in fact so progressive that he had the endorsement of the Progressive party. So, let's get this straight the Republicans decided to nominate a progressive to go up against a progressive? Makes sense right, why give the people a clear and distinct choice when you can just muddy the waters and get your progressive agenda through no matter who wins? Woodrow Wilson won re-election and Charles Evan Hughes eventually found his way back on to the Supreme Court where he backed Franklin Roosevelt's ideas for collective bargaining and Social Security.

The people eventually had enough of the progressive movement and voted in Harding who was followed by Calvin Coolidge, an actual conservative who actually brought some prosperity back into the country by backing away from the progressive agenda. But, as progressives had done for the past 100 or so years they came back. Hello, Franklin D. Roosevelt. He won re-election 3 times. How?

1936 Election, Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) versus Alf Landon (R)
Alf? Its short for Alfred, I'm sure others will join me in thinking of the acronym for Alien Life Form (the name presents me with an opportunity for another acronym later), but I digress. The Republicans decided they needed to nominate a "moderate". A moderate back than kind of means the same as a moderate does today, probably a progressive liberal. Alf was the governor of Kansas at the time, and yes he was known as the leader of the liberal Republicans in his state. Alf had been a big supporter of Teddy Roosevelt's Progressive Party in 1912. Alright Republicans! You nominate a progressive Republican to go up against a progressive Democrat again. The people were not given a clear choice, so they went with the progressive they knew.

1940 Election, Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) versus Wendell Willkie (R)
Wendell actually never held an elective office. He was a corporate lawyer. Oh and get this he was a member of the liberal wing of the GOP. If I had been alive at the time I think I probably would have pulled out all my hair in frustration. Another progressive, really? Yep, in fact after he lost the election he apparently had enough liberal/progressive credibility to be hired by Roosevelt as an ambassador at large. He went on a worldwide tour and came back preaching the virtues of one world government. In a way he was even more liberal than FDR.

1944 Election, Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) versus Thomas Dewey
This election was going to be hard for Republicans no matter what, as the country was at war. But, no surprises here, Dewey was the leader of the liberal faction of the Republican Party. And he lost. *Sigh*, they really had a hard time learning their historical lessons.

1964 Election, Lyndon B. Johnson (D) versus Barry Goldwater (R)
Its important to discuss this election because this is the one that liberals/progressives like to throw in conservatives' faces to tell us that conservatives don't win. Goldwater was a conservative breath of fresh air and he had a really cool bumper sticker slogan , AuH20 (in case you're ever on Jeopardy and the category is "Campaign Slogans"). But, he was going up against a man who by the time the election was held had been in office for only 1 year. Johnson had not yet put in place the greater part of his "Great Society"/"War on Poverty" agenda, so their wasn't a real progressive agenda to fight against yet. Plus, and I think this is really important, the nation was still in shock. Our President had been assassinated. It would have been very difficult for any Republican candidate to beat Johnson, who had been chosen by Kennedy to replace him in case of such a tragedy. That Barry Goldwater made as much headway as he did is rather remarkable. Goldwater re-introduced conservatism in America, and lucky for us there was someone ready to take up the torch when the opportunity came, I'm quite certain you already know the name before you read it, Ronald Reagan. He in fact made quite the memorable speech in 1964 in support of Goldwater.

1980 Election, Jimmy Carter (D) versus Ronald Reagan (R)
President Reagan broke the mold, finally. Finally the American people were given a distinct choice between progressivism and conservatism. He famously called for Republicans to raise "a banner of no pale pastels but bold colors." He knew that there must be a clear difference between the Republican choice and the Democrat. And he knew that the clearest most differentiated stance, one which more Americans can get behind, is a conservative one. Yes, we can be a big tent party, but you have to set the stakes firmly on the right/conservative side, or else the tent just folds in on itself. Reagan is the model that Republicans, desiring victory over progressive Democrats, should follow. Stop putting up watered down versions of the guy already in office. Give the people a choice. Reagan won, big time, and so did America.

1996 Election, Bill Clinton (D) versus Bob Dole (R)
I don't think I need to say much about this one. This was the first time that I voted in a presidential election. I remember taking a good hard look at both of the candidates and deciding that I could barely tell the difference between them. The Republican strategy was to put up a "moderate" again, good one s/.

So, here's the challenge to the establishment Republicans, are you elephants or are you squirrels? Are you actually going to remember or are you going to attempt to convince us to yet again try to make a run across the moderate/liberal/progressive highway? Conservative America is wide awake right now, and we are on to your agenda. We know that "compassionate conservative" is really code for liberal/progressive. We hear talk of the candidates that you want to put out for us to get behind. Too many of them are what I'm going to start calling A.L.F.S. ( A Loser For Sure, not in life just in presidential politics). Do not expect me or any conservatives to get behind a candidate whose own state sponsored health care reform bill was a model for the federal health care reform bill that we want repealed and replaced. Do not expect me to get behind somebody who views government as some compassionate entity that needs to release prisoners based on his own judgment. Do not expect me to get behind anybody who will hold their finger to the wind and than talk up a good conservative talk but has no record to prove it. I want a proven conservative. I want someone who loves the Constitution and is determined to fulfill her oath to defend it. I want somebody who is so set on standing up for conservative values and doing what's right that she is willing to give up political power for those values. I want someone with a proven record of conservative policies which led to a more prosperous city and state. I want a Commonsense Conservative. If you want to know what that means check out Chapter 6 of Going Rogue Here's some quotage:

At its most basic level, conservatism is a respect for history and tradition, including traditional moral principles. I do not believe I am more moral, certainly no better, than anyone else, and conservatives who act "holier than thou" turn my stomach. So do some elite liberals. But, I do believe in a few timeless and unchanging truths, and chief among those is that man is fallen. This world is not perfect, and politicians will never make it so. This, above all, is what informs my pragmatic approach to politics.
I am a conservative because I deal with the world as it is-complicated and beautiful, tragic and hopeful. I am a conservative because I believe in the rights and the responsibilities and the inherent dignity of the individual.

The lesson is there to learn Republicans. We need a conservative, not just in word but in deed. The country needs Sarah Palin. She's got my vote for 2012. So, Republicans you can actually try to live up to your mascot, you can be the animal that never forgets. If you don't learn it, than you're mascot should be a squirrel.

Sarah Palin 2012! Renew Revive Restore America.

Christmas From Space

2010-12-08T12:19:00.001-08:00

I happened upon this video a couple of months back, and looked forward to sharing it here on my blog in December. It is the Christmas message from the crew of Apollo 8 as they were orbiting the moon.

Can you imagine a message like that being shared today? It would be so refreshing. It reminded me of one of my favorite astronaut stories. When I was in Israel I had many opportunites to visit Christian sites in Jerusalem. During a day long tour of sites we went to a set of steps leading up to the southern wall of Old Jerusalem. Our tour guide related to us the story of Neil Armstrongs visit to Jerusalem. He asked the tour guide if there was any place that he could identify where Christ most definitely would have walked. The tour guide informed him that Christ would have most definitely walked up those steps in order to get into the Temple area. Armstrong than went and stood on the steps and said that standing there meant more to him than walking on the moon. I was touched by the story. In fact I took a picture of my own foot on those steps :)

I love faith in God and what it does for people. In fact to use the same reference that the Apollo 8 astronauts did, before the earth was touched by God it was without form and void. That is what we as individuals and we as a country would be like if we didn't trust in God and let Him work in our lives. It is only in His hands that we can be made something more, with purpose and direction. All goodness is in and from Him.

God continue to bless this country. We so need Him.

Marvelous Light

2010-12-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

Today marks the beginning of this years Hanukkah. What a significant celebration this is, and may I wish a blessed Hanukkah to my Jewish friends and to all of us. Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights commemorating an amazing and miraculous event. The Maccabees had won a victory over the Seleucid Empire and regained their Temple. They re-dedicated the Temple which had been desecrated by foreign forces and part of that ceremony was the lighting of the eternal flame. They only had enough consecrated olive oil to last 1 day, but it mercifully and miraculously lasted 8, the time needed to prepare more oil. A story of light, marvelous graceful light. I love it.

Light to me is beautifully necessary and symbolic. One of the symbols of light for me is found in our seasons. My favorite season is Fall, I love it when it starts to cool and I can wear jackets again. I'm also one of those people who enjoys the cool and snow of Winter. Yes, the driving can be a bit rough, but snow is beautiful. Spring is pretty, but it gets my allergies all active. And summer is often too warm for me, though I admit to enjoying the increased swimming opportunities. That all being said there is one thing that I really miss in winter, light. I love light. Light brings clarity, light brings truth, light brings growth and joy.

There have in the past been wonderful and inspiring messages about being morning again in America. I think the analogy is appropriate and thought provoking. But, I've also thought about another analogy in reference to light, coming in to the light of summer.

There will be times of dark and there will be times of light, that is the way of it. There will be difficulties, but there can also be joy. But, right now it feels like the dark dominates in this country. Its akin to the feeling I have when I leave for work in the morning when its still dark, stay indoors all day, and than come back home when its dark. It can get a little bit depressing for some. I look forward to the weekends :) Right now it feels like we are in a perpetual winter. Yes, there are times of light, but boy do I long for more, I long for the light of summer.

Its about time that we start heading in to a spring, and even better yet start looking forward to a summer again. How do we do it? We seek for the things that light brings, clarity, truth, growth and joy. We seek with everything that is in us. We can actually change the seasons of this country, cool huh.

Another thing I love about light is the truth that as long as there is even a pillar of light than there is no complete darkness. The sun rules the day, the moon rules the night, and even when the moon isn't there the stars rule. Seek it out, find it, and share it so that it spreads. There are so many people searching for truth and light and clarity. There are so many people in this country who shine in their goodness and continue to make this country great. And as long there are young men and women willing to lay their lives on the line to protect our freedom than there will always be light. Our task is to reflect it into every corner.

Marvelous light, and amazing miracles still exist and can continue to do so as we keep standing for truth. Most especially as we keep trusting in God, He'll keep lighting the way.

Prepare: Have a Grateful Heart

2010-11-23T12:49:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago I had the privilege of participating in the C4P meetup. I have to say I am continually impressed by the quality of people that congregate at Conservatives4Palin. They are good, humble people who love their country and are willing to do whatever they can to put it back on the right track. We see in Sarah Palin a leader who has had a tremendously positive impact for good in America and who will continue to do so. I offer my heartiest congratulations to the organizers of the event, and to the participants for the excellent people they are. My biggest takeaway from the event is that America is good, because there are so many great people who love this nation. Keep up the amazing efforts everyone.

We were blessed to have some wonderful speakers, all of whom were inspiring and informative. For a wrap up of the event you can read Whitney’s excellent piece here My biggest takeaway message from the speakers is that right now we need to prepare. I need to prepare for any eventuality, including a Palin presidential run, but more in general I need to prepare to do whatever I can to help this country. This message struck home to me especially during Tammy Bruce’s speech. As I was getting ready to leave the event Tammy happened to cross my path and she spent a few moments chatting with me. She gave me a hug and than repeated that same message to prepare. God speaks through others very often, and I felt the Spirit in her message.

As I’ve thought about what things I need to do in order to prepare I’ve contemplated physical preparation (like I need more sleep for instance :), financial preparation, spiritual preparation and so on. But, I feel like my greatest need in preparing is to get my heart in the best shape possible. I’ve written before about the heart, and how its functions include a great deal more than just pumping blood. You can read about that here

One of the amazing things about the heart is that our emotions play a role in heart health. The healthiest emotion for your heart is actually appreciation/gratitude. As an example I’d like you to see a couple of tracings that I just recorded today. The first tracing was taken as I was reading an article about the TSA. The second tracing was taken using a simple regulated breathing technique for the first 2 minutes, and than activating a positive emotion for the last 2 minutes. I wanted to feel gratitude so I thought about how I was inspired at the end of last week to get my snow tires on, I hadn’t checked the weather reports but felt it would be a good idea. These past 2 days we’ve had near blizzard like conditions. I’m really grateful to have those tires on and have had no problems. You can see a clear difference in the patterns.

TSA Reading

Grateful for Snow Tires

It cracked me up to see the result of this little experiment. Even an untrained eye would be able to discern there's a big difference between the two readings, I apparently don't like the TSA much these days. Gratitude, even for something simple, goes a long ways for making your heart healthy, and for decreasing stress and increasing your ability to think clearly. The grateful heart has a calm and easy flow to it. It is more efficient. There is a strong connection between the heart and the brain, a grateful heart makes it easier to problem solve. Also, a grateful heart should help you feel energized.

As I've thought both about the necessary preparation that a grateful heart is, and of course the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday I've tried to come up with lists of things I'm grateful for. This past year my gratitude can be summed up into one word for which I'm most grateful, mercy.

I'm grateful for the mercy of healing. I had a pretty good injury this year, that is almost 100% healed, our bodies and the capacity to heal is amazing. I'm grateful to witness and in some small way participate in the healing of the clients I work with.

I'm grateful not just for my own health but that of my loved ones as well. Our family welcomed three new little ones this year. They are all healthy now, though a couple of them gave us some big scares. I sure love these little ones, and the fact that God helped them and our whole family through some big trials is incredibly merciful. Being able to hold them is such a merciful thing. There's just nothing like looking into the eyes of a little one and them looking back and feeling safe enough to close their eyes and sleep.

One of the most merciful aspects of my life is to belong to the family I do. I'm incredibly humbled to be counted among the most inspiring, good hearted people you could possibly imagine. My biggest heroes are in my family. Their love sees me through much. I'm grateful that through His mercy The Lord places others in my life that have had such a positive impact on me.

I;m grateful for the mercy that our men and women in uniform show us. Through their sacrifice our freedoms our secured.

I'm grateful for the mercy of forgiveness. What a gift that is. I've needed it. It is humbling to recognize that God can change me. I've got so far to go. But, what a miracle it is to take a fallible person and to assure me that I still have a role to fulfill, that I can truly serve others.

I'm grateful for the mercy that is The Atonement of Jesus Christ. He is my Savior in every way, and every good gift every tender mercy is because of Him.

Prepare for any eventuality; start with preparing your heart. The very best thing for your heart is gratitude. Seek to be grateful, open your eyes to see God's wonders. Those who are sincerely looking and are sincerely grateful will see His hand in all things.

Those Aren't Secret Weapons

2010-11-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

So, I had a really great weekend spending time with Conservatives who support Sarah Palin in Chicago. I’ll be writing more about that in the coming days. But, I have to write about something that occurred before I even left Spokane.

There’s nothing like a personal experience to give you stronger opinion on a matter. So, with all the chatter about the increased use of the body scanner I was fairly certain that I would be one of the chosen to use that amazing technology. I must just have a dangerous look about me or something. So, off to the blasted machine I went. I stuck my hands on my head, in the type of impersonation of a moose that you’d do for some kid’s song, walked out of the thing and than was informed that there was a ping that had to be checked. The ping was apparently a zipper on my sweat shirt. So, thought I maybe they’ll just have me remove the sweatshirt. Nope, my zipper I guess gave probable cause that I may be concealing something and so, not only did I get the naked maker scanner treatment I also got a frontal pat down. My thought at the time, ‘yeah those aren’t secret weapons, those are my boobs.’

I actually felt bad for the TSA lady, she seemed like a nice middle aged woman, who’d rather be doing just about anything else than patting down some unknown person. My thought for her was ‘why aren’t you guys protesting against doing this to people?’ She kindly explained to me that it was probably my zipper but that she had to do the pat down, and I’m thinking ‘blame the zipper all you want, but the fact is you’re giving me a boob job because of a stupid governmental mandate.’

These are random checks; there is less than 50% chance that a terrorist concealing a secret weapon boob bomb would get caught, according to these methods. I really question their effectiveness. Its like doping in sports, the producers of the illegal performance enhancing drugs are already working on the next concealable type before the rule enforcers have figured out how to detect the current one. Terrorists have likely already figured out multiple ways of defeating the backscatter, meanwhile we have to discuss the necessity of molesting nuns.

As a mental health professional I must also register another concern. The kind of pat downs being used are most definitely akin to sexual molestation. We warn children all the time to not let strangers touch them, what the heck are they learning now? And another thing, what about kids and adults who have experienced sexual abuse/trauma in the past? I’ve not read anything addressing the reality of PTSD for instance and the stress inducement this kind of treatment could give rise to.

How many more freedoms are we going to endure being stripped away (and in this case, that’s a very accurate statement), under some false pretense of security? The freedom from unwarranted searches and seizures is one that is guaranteed in our Constitution. It’s right there in black and white, well yellowing paper. I’m far from the only one to find it all completely unreasonable. I have to pay the price for some lunatic terrorist’s actions. Oh and not only that, I have to pay the price for the governments incompetence. They are the ones who did not catch the flippin underwear bomber, so the answer is for them to take more power for themselves and leave us with less freedom. The body scanner and pat down procedure are a slow response to a government failure. They have to be seen doing something.

This idea that we all have to sacrifice our rights for security is the reason that freedom gets lost. And honestly doesn’t this let the terrorists win, when fear is in charge?

I’m not sure what the solution is. Some have proposed the idea of having airlines themselves be in charge of security. That way if people prefer the security of having a full pat down they can go with that airline, or if they’d rather have a series of questions they could go with another airline. We should certainly learn from successful operations like they have in Israel for instance. But, this solution thrown out there, with little testing or veracity is just not a viable one.

This is all in direct violation of the IV Amendment to our Constitution. I personally have not done anything that could give probable cause that I’m a terrorist. And certainly the elderly in their walkers, and children who need leg braces to walk have little probable cause. A tyranny of security is still a tyranny.

I Pledge Allegiance

2010-11-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

I want to say thank-you to all of our veterans, those who are currently serving in our military, and their families and loved ones. There is nothing that I could ever do to equal your valor and service. Perhaps the best we can do to honor your sacrifices is to do our level best to stand up for what you have defended, our country and our freedom.

How many times have I said the Pledge of Allegiance? I’ve really no idea. But, standing in a room crowded with freedom loving Americans with whom I had had the privilege of volunteering my time with, that was the first time I can remember getting choked up and my eyes springing a leak when trying to recite those important words. Its not that I had never meant it before, I’ve always had a sense of patriotism. But, there in Anchorage Alaska I had done something more than just say the words, I’d put it into action. The experience humbled me.

I was invited a couple of months ago by Bill Peck to go to Alaska during the final days of Joe Miller’s campaign to be a United States Senator, and assist in those final get out the vote efforts. I was a little hesitant, but it did not really take me long to decide that it would be a great opportunity to actually be more involved in politics, out there on the forefront trying to help a worthy candidate. Now, I know some would question why I would get involved in some other states political business when I have my own state to tend to. Well, I have been involved here in Washington, a friend and I started a local group to address political concerns and Conservative principles. Washington has a completely mail in voting process. So, our little group met and we discussed our ballots and the issues and candidates. We didn’t tell people how to vote, but rather just informed them and encouraged the spreading of the information and the message to exercise our right to vote. I sent in my ballot several weeks prior to the actual election. So, I was indeed involved in my own state politics. But, I can understand the criticism from some who question why I would involve myself with another state. Well, Joe Miller was the true Conservative candidate in Alaska and I was grateful for an opportunity to help him in some small way. The outcome in Alaska is as yet undetermined and I’m still pulling for Joe. It was an honor to meet him and his wife and I think he would be a great Senator.

So, my experience in Alaska was unforgettable and went by very quickly. First off I must say a word about the stunning beauty of the state. I only saw a tiny piece of it. But, from the moment my plane was flying in to Anchorage and I saw the sun rising above the bay I was impressed. The mountains are inspiring in their proximity and beauty. One of the thoughts that I voiced aloud is “how could anyone be here and not believe in God.” I mean His handiwork up there is awesome. I also have to say that I was deeply impressed by the people I had the honor of meeting. Obviously I was only getting a snapshot of Alaska life, and Alaskans, but I was welcomed and got to see the down to earth, live life as it comes prevailing attitude. If I got a sense of Alaskans it was common sense, and a tight knit yet welcoming community.

I was informed that I should be prepared to hit the ground running. So, when my fellow volunteer and friend Don (aka Bestbud) picked me up we went right to a campaign office and were soon assigned an area to go knocking on doors reminding people to vote. We were joined by a young man and his wife who were both enthusiastic and dedicated. So, on went my warm socks, boots and hat, and a knocking we did go. Now, knocking on doors is something I’ve done before, in fact as a missionary in New Jersey many moons ago, but, it had been awhile. Still I was grateful for the chance to get out there and do something, even if it was uncomfortable. Comfort too often leads to apathy and apathy is the great instigator of non-action, and I think I’ve done away with apathy when it comes to politics. So, it was fun to talk to strong supporters, but I also have to say it was good to come across less than friendly responses as well. We have to be willing to take a stand and speak up, in an appropriately cordial way.

Later that day we were able to meet up with another friend from the online world, an Alaskan native. She took us to the famous Moose's Tooth where we enjoyed some fabulous pizza and a totally informal environment. Even later we ended up going to Rum Runners, get this, it really is a restaurant and there were kids there that were like 5, scandalous I know.

I was welcomed into a home, where I enjoyed a comfortable stay. My hosts were very kind, and I appreciated their willingness and openness at having me there.

The next day I was able to attend an LDS Church service. Again I felt welcomed and relaxed by the members. Later, I was able to attend another Church service with my friends at Anchorage Baptist Temple Several of the candidates introduced themselves there including Joe Miller. It was a great service led by Dr. Jerry Prevo, and I was touched by the amount of community involvement this Church had, they were truly making a big difference in the lives of a lot of people. Afterwards it was great to see people mingling with and around the various candidates.

Than we headed out to the Mat-Su Valley, and had particlar interest in visiting Wasilla. I don’t know if you know this about me, but I’m kind of a supporter of Sarah Palin :) It was a little surreal to be in her home town. We got to stop by several of the sites that she mentions in her book Going Rogue and that played a role in her life, including city hall where she served as Mayor. It was a delightful experience and it was again an honor to meet some amazing people there. It’s a beautiful town, and I’d love to go back someday.

The next couple of days were focused on the campaign. For me and Don that meant we spent a lot of time waving signs on the corner of Northern Lights Blvd. That was actually rather fun. There was a bunch of Miller supporters there with us, all excited and enthusiastic about not just Joe Miller, but Conservative values for America. It was always fun to get honks and waves. And can I tell you I did think it was fun to have the people that gave us the thumbs down, or the middle finger up. We would just smile and wave happily, that way the surrounding cars could assume it was a positive response from them :)

We were able to attend a fun concert in support of Joe by Bryan White and Andy Griggs. Andy had a great song called Amen that people should definitely check out; boy did we all get into that.

Then Tuesday evening there was the big gathering of supporters. We all were anxiously awaiting the results. I stood and chatted with people I’d not met before that night while we watched the returns from all over the country. Cheers ensued and than of course some groans of disappointment. But, lets be honest Election 2010 was an amazing one for Conservatives, especially with a historic takeover in the House. There are some valuable lessons to be learned from this past year, Sarah Palin has outlined some in a tremendously clear and concise way. Like I said I’m still pulling for Joe, and we’ll see in the next couple of weeks how that all turns out. But, all in all it was an inspiring if tiring evening.

I think I got choked up during the pledge because I felt I had finally started making some headway on keeping that pledge. No longer am I complacent or content to watch my country deteriorate, I’m determined to do something, to step up and speak out.

Progressivism has been around for over 100 years and has been doing its damage for that long. The Tea Party activities, which I certainly identify as a part of, have been around for about 1 and ½ years. Look at the amazing effect it has had on just this most recent election. I think the media and certainly Progressive Democrats/Republicans would love to see the Tea Party fade away. Sorry that’s just not going to happen. I for one leave the 2010 elections pumped up to continue and grow my involvement in the political process. I’m in it for the long haul, and I’m far far from alone in that sentiment.

We move forward. When people say we are being extreme we say ‘yeah it’s extreme, extremely sensible and extremely necessary.’ We keep standing up and speaking truth. We keep trusting in God, and we keep seeing what is good and right about America, because there is much goodness here because of the goodness of the people.

If you’d be interested you can listen to my most recent blog radio program The Grizzly Hour here where you can hear more of my and my brother’s take on the election and also an interview/chat between Don and I while we were up in Anchorage.

Two Years Later: Same Message

2010-10-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

I've written here before about an experience I had just prior to the 2008 election. The campaign had been a tough one for me to watch, I confess to having felt quite anxious about the whole thing. As it became clearer what the likely outcome may be I remember feeling disheartened and still anxious. One day as I was fretting over what was soon to come I felt a peace wash over me from head to toe. It was God reaching out to me in one of His tenderly merciful ways just letting me know that things were going to be fine. One of the things that amazes me about a relationship with God is that it is infinite in the amount of lives that can be touched by Him, and yet at the same time intimately personal. He knew I needed that, and that peace is something that I reflect on often.

2010 has been a fascinating election year again. And though I have been quite involved in it, and will be up until the end of voting this coming Tuesday, I have not felt that same anxiousness. The message that was given to me two years ago continues today, its going to be fine no matter the outcome.

God has given us the gift of life. He has also given us the power to direct our lives, we are agents unto ourselves. That is freedom, the power to choose for our own selves what we will do. One of the consequences of that freedom is that there will be tough things happen in our lives. Those tough things are just part of mortality, they can result from our own choices, from the choices of others or just by the circumstances that occur in life. So, when we look at a voting/decision process we recognize that the choices of others might not always feel like they are the best for us. But, here is one of the most miraculous and merciful realities about God, He can take any situation, regardless of its cause and sanctify it for the benefit of those who choose to trust in Him.

God has a purpose for each one of us. Life is not so much about what we do as it is about what we become. He has the ability to make something far more out of us than we could ourselves. So, we turn to Him pleading for His help, and He is always there to offer it. That doesn't mean that life is going to be easy. What kind of person would any of us be if every step of life was a piece of cake? But, He will strengthen us and give us peace when we need it.

In order for God to sanctify our experiences for our benefit we must make the choice to allow Him to do so. That is elemental to trust. Making the choice to let Him help us means not to just say "okay God do your thing," it is to strive to be obedient to continue standing up for what is right and good and true, repenting when necessary. It means standing up for principles of freedom, that God given gift, and doing whatever we can to build up others around us.

There has been a constant in my life. Through dark times and light, through trial and triumph God has always been there for me. Throughout the history of our country He has been there, from George Washington and his faithful army, to Abraham Lincoln's fight to maintain the union. Through World Wars and terrorist attacks, He has been there sanctifying the hardships for the benefit of those who trust Him, throwing His loving arms around us. We have made that claim as a nation, that we trust in Him. Let us stand by Him at all times and all places and any circumstance we encounter, that's what He has done for us, surely we can do the same for Him.

I have made the decision that I'm in it for the long haul. Turning things back around in our country, back towards the Constitution and the principles of freedom that it was founded upon, is going to take a long-suffering effort. But, as long as our first decision is to recommit to trusting in God, in His peace and in His process of sanctification, than things are going to be fine.

God continue to bless this great nation of ours, made great because the people are good and we trust in Our Creator. Regardless of the outcomes of elections things can be even better than fine, they can be amazing. When we stand up for God and for goodness we find ourselves shoulder to shoulder with amazing people and we see miracles. May we continue to be who we are, may we continue to trust in God.

O Captain My Captain

2010-10-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

Heads up this one is going to have religion in it.

I want to tell you about three of my favorite soldiers. First off one of my favorite people in the Old Testament is a soldier, his name is Jonathan. Jonathan was the son of a King, Saul, and by human understanding would have rightfully had claim upon the throne. But, Jonathan was a man who trusted in the Lord. He trusted in the Lord in battle and in life. 1 Samuel 14:6 Jonathan says to his armor bearer “it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.” That was the way he operated trusting that the Lord would be there to assist His people constantly even in circumstances when they were outnumbered. Jonathan is famous for his friendship with David. He understood that the Lord had anointed David to be the next king of Israel, and supported his friend and the Lord in that anointing. He is an amazing example to me of faith and friendship and loyalty.

Ask a Mormon kid, or adult for that matter, who their favorite person in The Book of Mormon is and one of the common answers you will hear is Captain Moroni. He was a captain in a time when the liberty of his people was threatened by not just an outside force but traitors from the inside. From Alma 46:12-13

12 And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it – In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children – and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.
13 And he fastened on his headplate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land –

Moroni prayed to God for His favor on their liberties and the cause of the Christians, and he then went out among the people hoisting up the title of liberty and asking who would join him. Many did, and they eventually won their war.

One more soldier to share about, Sergeant William Allen Jordan of the United States Air Force, who served our country at the Phu Cat Air Base in the Vietnam War. Just prior to going to Vietnam, during his 36 week training in Biloxi as a communications technician, Sergeant Jordan made a decision to turn his life over to The Lord, being baptized and making promises to The Lord he fully intended to keep. During his 11 months and 29 days tour in Vietnam he kept those promises even on threat of death. Such was his strength in his convictions and his promises that even while surrounded by corruption and immorality he stayed firm and true. His faith and strength has been a blessing on generations of his family. When I told him that I was going to be writing this post and asked his permission to write about him he said to me that he wasn’t a captain. I told my father that it wasn’t about him being a captain, but rather who is Captain was and is. My father is the man who has taught me the most about loving my country and loving The Lord, because that is who is Captain is.

We are living in amazing times right now. It is a time when the country and our freedoms feel very much in danger. And yet, it is a time when amazing people are stepping forward to defend what is good and right and true. When The Lord is our Captain than we need not fear, but can move forward with faith and trust. It need not be anything other than a battle of words and ideas, in fact I dearly hope it never goes beyond that. But, we can still use the principles of these three soldiers whose Captain is God. Be loyal to our loved ones at any cost. And no matter what honors or gifts we think we may be entitled to, trust that God has us and our loved ones well in hand and just move forward continuing to do that which is right. Raise the banners of liberty high and be an example of a believer. Let the principles be clear and concise and invite others to join with us. And no matter what, even on threat of death, stand by the promises you’ve made to others and especially to God.

Our Captain is The Lord, the Founders of our country knew it. Like Patrick Henry said in his famous “Liberty or Death” speech, “There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.”

Let us move forward in faith, and hope and trusting in our Captain, in peace and commitment. Amazing times call for amazing people and I believe we are up to the task as long as we rely on Him.

How to Recreate a Constitution

2010-10-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Justly revered as our great Constitution is, it could be stripped off and thrown aside like a garment, and the nation would still stand forth in the living vestment of flesh and sinew, warm with the heart-blood of one people, ready to recreate constitutions and laws. Woodrow Wilson

And so it begins. One of the Progressive hallmarks is the belief that the Constitution of the United States is a "living document." This means that it is supposed to change with the times. So, Progressives have been for over a 100 years now working to change the document. The early Progressive era occurred in the early 20th century up through the 1920's. Franklin D. Roosevelt's long presidency was the 2nd era of Progressive change. Lyndon B. Johnson began a 3rd era of Progressive change, one that continued until the halt that was Ronald Reagan. Unfortunately after that Progressive change has continued at an ever increasing speed. How have they done it? Well, they first started by working to change it through the Constitutions' own prescribed measures, amendments. Four amendments to the Constitution came about during the early Progressive era.

Amendment XVI- Federal Income Tax. The founding fathers would have absolutely opposed this amendment. One of the rights that the Constitution was established to protect is the right of property. Property includes income earned. Initially this amendment was proposed as a tax only on the rich. But, it opened the doors for taxing any and all people gaining an income. It has become so entrenched that we hardly notice how much money the government takes from us, and feel grateful to get a tax return back which is just a pittance of the money we put in. This was the beginning of the re-distribution of wealth in the US.

Amendment XVII-Popular Election of Senators. This one was an attempt to democratize our Republic. There was a reason that the founders had Senators appointed by the states. The founders formed the federal government to be as least powerful as possible. The states were supposed to be far more influential than they are now. Many Americans are hardly informed about the actions of the federal government. Ask yourself how aware you are of what your state government is up to. Imagine if your federal Senators were determined by your state representation. We would all be more informed and more involved, and our Senators would be more responsible to the states that sent them there.

Amendment XVIII-Prohibition. I'm no fan of alcohol, especially having worked in the addictions area of behavioral health. But, prohibition was the attempt to take away something people already had, and it was done under the guise that it was for their own benefit. It was a mandate from the government to the people. And boy did the people respond. Crime related to the illegal production and use of alcohol was rampant. Prohibition was eventually repealed. I think at that time those of the Progressive bent realized that if they wanted to reform society they needed to do it in another way, a sneakier way.

Amendment XIX-Women's Suffrage. Alright I'll give credit where it is due. The Progressives jumped on board the women's suffrage band wagon. They hoped that women, who were by and large more supportive of prohibition than men, would maintain that mandate. One of the hallmarks of the Progressives is their attempt to identify with groups, and to maintain support from those groups. That has certainly been the case for women.

So, there we have it, the first attempts to recreate the Constitution. Now days people hardly realize there was a time in America when our income wasn't taxed and when people were more involved in state politics. I do very much appreciate women's suffrage but I sometimes cringe at the reality that Progressives have used identity politics to further their own agenda and really to make women feel that if they don't support "progress" they are somehow not real women. We didn't have our rights secured only to be told what to do with those rights.

But, as I said before I think Progressives learned a valuable lesson when it came to prohibition. They learned that mandating behavioral change through the Constitution was not going to work. If they really wanted society to "progress" towards perfection they would have to go around the Constitution.

Recently Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) was asked about the Constitutionality of the healthcare reform bill and had a rather telling response.

You know what Congresswomen? You make an excellent point. Where in the world does the Constitution give Congress the power to create Social Security, a banner FDR era deal, and Medicare a banner LBJ era deal? The answer is it doesn't. But, Congress believed it knew what was best for us. And since the likelihood of either of these programs passing with 2/3 majority of not just Congress but also 3/4 of all the states was not super, they went around the Constitution. I have to confess here that sometimes I get a little bit grouchy for the fact that previous political generations have saddled us with these monsters. Both Social Security and Medicare are so deep in the red, recovery is going to likely take generations.

Congress continues to do the practice of passing unpopular legislation, as evidenced by the recent passage of Obamacare. It is certainly irritating in the extreme and does not bode well for the future. What bodes even worse is the Obama era (which lets face it he is just carrying on the antics of recent presidents albeit with more rapidity and volume) tactic for implementing Progressive reform, this recreation of the Constitution.

An October 6, 2010 article from the LA Times details the Obama administrations new strategy following the November elections. White House senior advisor David Axelrod had this to say "It's fair to say that the next phase is going to be less about legislative action than it is about managing the change that we've brought" The article explains that ". . .the best arena for Obama to execute his plans may be his own branch of government. That means more executive orders, more use of the bully pulpit, and more deployment of his ample regulatory powers and the wide-ranging rulemaking authority of his Cabinet members." Ummm, I don't know what is more disconcerting, the fact that they're doing this, or the fact that they are doing it so openly. I mean don't get me wrong I don't want them to do this in secret, it just seems like the administration thinks that people are just going to go along with this lovely new approach. Are they really that arrogant?

The Washington times recently ran an article called Tyranny of the Unelected by Wayne Crews. In it Mr. Crews presents some interesting facts such as, "Congress passed and the president signed 125 bills into law in 2009. Your tireless federal regulatory agencies were even busier: They issued 3,503 rules and regulations." That's jaw dropping. Here's another fact, "The year's Federal Register - the daily depository of federal regulations - already tops 61,000 pages." Here's another, "According to research conducted for the Small Business Administration by economists Nicole V. and W. Mark Crain, annual off-budget regulatory costs exceed $1.7 trillion, an amount equivalent to more than half the level of the federal budget itself and on a par with the stratospheric annual deficit." Crews goes on to introduce a proposed legislation called the REINS Act (Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny) to try and address the beast of executive regulatory madness.

So, we've gone from amendments, to Congress passing whatever the heck bill they feel like regardless of its actual benefit or approval, to the Executive branch taking a completely unconstitutional role in regulating our affairs. For good measure let's make sure we include judicial activism, when judges rule according to what they feel is right, not what the law is. And what do we have to show for all of this? Debt well past our ears and the ears of our grandchildren, a government that feels it can do whatever the heck they want without any consequences and a Constitution sitting there just waiting to be followed. Those who want our government to address the ever-growing problem of Social Security and Medicare, or who dare to say that regulatory agencies like the EPA should have some accountability, or who have the unmitigated gall to mention that our leaders really ought to start following the Constitution are branded as extremists. What the flip is going on here?

There is a way to come back to sanity. It starts by acknowledging which principles work and which ones don't. We don't need a new Constitution, we need to follow the one we have. The Progressive changes have not worked, and no amount of money or effort is going to suddenly, magically make them start working. The Republic our founders set up was built on principles not the numbers of citizens. Those principles of freedom can work regardless of how many people are here, or how many different places we all originated from. Freedom works, it really does.

To Chile and Its Hero Miners: Thank-You

2010-10-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful story. I have just been transixed the past 24 hours watching as the Chilean miners one by one were brought out of the dark and back up into the light into the waiting arms of their loved ones. I have been thoroughly impressed with the process by which the miners have been rescued, great planning, great job reaching out and accepting help.

One of the things that has been most touching for me is to hear about the amazing faith and hope of this group of men, and their families, and really the country of Chile.

“There are actually 34 of us because God has never left us down here." Jimmy Sanchez.

“I’ve been near God, but I’ve also been near the devil, God won.” Mario Sepulveda

“Thank God we’re alive, I know now why we’re alive.” Edison Peña

Simply amazing. It has been a Major Miner Miracle. The miners found light in the darkness, and found it in God and in each other, as well as their connections with their loved ones above. We all have experiences that feel like we are coming back into the light. Watching this whole event unfold, I've had a song running through my head, which I wanted to share here. I planned on doing a whole bunch of video with it. But, I think I'll just stick with one photo of light and let you just listen to the song. Let your mind and heart run your own video :)

Grace, Mercy and Sanctification

2010-09-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

"We can absorb a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever . . . we absorbed it and we are stronger," Obama reportedly said in an interview with Bob Woodward.

I don't know really know what the President meant by that comment. It does sound cavalier and fairly arrogant to me. But, it got me thinking about those things that did help the country through that horror. On September 11th and the days that followed the country turned to God. Congress members sang "God Bless America" on the capitol steps. There was a massive gathering of citizens in Churches across the country to pray in unity with bells tolling simultaneously. The prayers in song, in speech and in hearts sent out by a humble nation beseeching Our Creator, were answered. To say we "absorbed" the attacks is to dismiss the miraculous blessings of divine grace, mercy and sanctification that were so necessary.

God shed His grace on this country following September 11th. So, what is meant by grace? It is a divinely bestowed enabling power. God blessed us with the power to overcome. Grace is the power we didn't know we had until we needed it. And we didn't know we needed it until we humbled ourselves enough to recognize it. To receive grace requires more of us than just asking. It requires us to put ourselves in a position to have access to true power. The attacks were not what humbled us, it was turning to God that humbled us, and than He enabled us to overcome and keep moving forward.

Grace is necessary for mercy. Mercy often is described as forgiveness. Well, forgiveness is indeed a merciful act, but mercy is more broad than that. To me mercy is a restoration of that which was lost. When combined with grace it becomes divine, and thus it is a power to restore those things which only divinity can. We all lost a sense of peace, safety, and freedom that day. God blessed us with buckets of mercy in order to restore those things again. Understand that sometimes that restoration takes a while. In fact the attacks are still very raw in some ways. But, through grace and mercy there is overcoming and there is restoration and it continues today.

Mercy is necessary for sanctification, the process of making something holy. We look back on that day with great sorrow, and also great respect, for those who were lost, many many heroes among them. One of the greatest miracles there is, is for something good to come out of something bad. It is truly divine. God can and does sanctify trials for our welfare. In short it is not trials that make us better people. Rather trials bring us to our knees, to God, and He makes us better. We were better, we were more unified and charitable to one another after that. To continue the process of sanctification we have to be willing to learn the lessons from that day, those attacks, and the processes we went through for overcoming.

We know our country will continue to experience trials, that is just a reality. But, if we have an attitude of just absorbing the next one, we are not exercising the humility necessary for the gifts that will get us through, grace, mercy and sanctification.

We are facing plenty of trials right now as a nation. We could most certainly use these gifts now. The answer for our trials is the same as it ever was, turn humbly to God.

Psychology/Psychiatry and the Left: Part Three

2010-09-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Atrophy. That's the word I think of when it comes to the results of so much of the practices of psychology/psychiatry over the last 100 years. There has been a lessening of personal responsibility and of personal belief in ones own strength to overcome.

Before I get too caught up in the descriptions of what I see that is going wrong I actually want to talk about positive changes, some positive trends. As you could probably guess from my previous posts I'm not a huge fan of diagnosing. I understand the point of it, particularly in providing direction for treatment. But, I just don't like labeling people especially at a young age as being dysfunctional. One of the newer modalities that I really like is positive psychology. Not long ago a new assessment tool was released to help "diagnose" character strength and virtues. I really appreciate this tool and its focus. By using it clinicians can identify with their clients those strengths and attributes that will help that individual overcome the problems they are currently facing. Human beings are equipped with an ability to heal when possible, and to adapt if necessary. That doesn't mean its easy or quick, just that we have the capacity. It also doesn't mean it has to be done alone. Sometimes our greatest strength lies in the supportive people we have around us.

What I like about positive psychology is that it helps individuals understand their own resources and to take charge of their own change. Clients are strengthened in the belief that they can be successful at overcoming because of themselves, not because of a pill or any other expert. My clients who make improvements own that change, and get all the credit for it. I'm humbled to be able to assist in some way, but they are using their own mental muscles to get better. They are then strengthened not just for the current trial but for whatever else might come their way. By virtue of our humanity we will all go through difficult things. It is essential to know we have the ability, the strength, to overcome.

I have also noticed, and am a part of, a rise in the use of "alternative" treatments. They are called "alternative" because they do not fit the medical model. Some examples follow. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing or EMDR taps into the human systems' ability to process through trauma. Emotional Freedom Techniques or EFT which looks at helping individuals realign their own internal energy. Biofeedback which makes individuals aware of their own physiological processes and than clients learn skills to change their current processes into more healthy patterns. All these modalities have shown a shift in the approach to mental well being, more client focused and client driven. They all help to make a client aware of their own power for wellness. I don't wish to make an endorsement of these modalities as much as to make note of that pattern, the individual is the expert for their own systems and they have the power to heal themselves. I'm encouraged by this shifting, especially when I consider the effects of the medical model and government involvement in the mental health professions.

I love good parents, they are quite simply one of my favorite things. By 'good parent' I don't mean perfect parents. In fact one of the things I tell parents is that it is absolutely essential that they be imperfect, because their kids are, and they have to know you can be imperfect and still be good. Good parents do their utmost to help their children with whatever needs come up.

When parents are struggling with helping their children's emotional state or in their ability to focus often look to experts to help them. We have in society right now an absolute flood of children being medicated for ADHD and Bipolar disorder among other things. I'm troubled by this. I want to make it absolutely clear that I do not hold negative judgments of the parents who are seeking whatever help they can find. To be sure there are some kids who truly do have some positive changes when on medication. Parents who look for ways to help their children are good parents hands down. But, the mental health professionals have not done an adequate job of informing parents of all the statistics of efficacy (or lack thereof) of medication nor of informing parents of the negative realities that can result, such as stunted growth, disregulation of physiological systems and possibly dependence (even life-long) upon medication. Parents have been made to believe that someone else is the expert on raising their children. That is simply not the case.

Parenting is one of the hardest things in the world, but every parent is up to the job. I would encourage parents to look at alternatives to medication if able and to use those God given parenting skills. Absolutely seek support but recognize that you are the expert, the final say on raising your child belongs to you. You've got all the muscles, continue to strengthen and use them.

Now in speaking about government intervention I will be speaking specifically of what I've seen with clients who use Medicare Medicaid and SSI/SSDI for their mental health needs. I have no negative judgment on those individuals who use these programs. They are making use of what is available to them. Most people who use these programs feel they have few or no other options available to them. This is of course by design. The results of using government assistance in the mental health arena are detrimental. As there is a reliance on government for mental health there is a decrease in personal responsibility. That goes not just for clients but for professionals. I cannot stand having insurance dictate to me what treatment should be, and Medicare/Medicaid is the absolute worst at this. The practitioner is made to behave as if the government is the expert, which of course than separates the client even further from the reality that they are in fact themselves the expert and master of their own healing.

From my experience in working with individuals on government assistance for mental health services, I'll offer a few observations. These individuals have a much higher rate of missing scheduled appointments. I'm not sure I know the full extent of what that means, but I think when individuals feel less invested than they also feel less responsible. I've also noticed that efforts are made to maintain disability or financial status. In order to do so clients would tell me they could not seek better employment or make other significant improvements in their lives. If the point of government assistance is to truly assist, why than are individuals feeling and staying so stuck?

Another disturbing aspect I've noticed is government dictation of medication. Medicare, for instance, recently expanded their roles making more people eligible. This increase was not accompanied by a sufficient increase in available funds. At that time the medications that the government program would cover were altered, because of expense. So, I had clients who had become dependent upon a certain medication that suddenly they could not obtain, or afford. Can I say it was more than a little scary, in fact for some the reality was a life or death situation. I was quite frustrated with that development and can see it getting worse as we continue to march towards socialized medicine in the United States. Yuck!!

Now given all that I'll let you in on my ultimate and quite frankly unrealistic goal as a mental health professional: To work myself out of a job. I love my work. I love being able to be a support for others. My guiding principles as a therapist are 1) to have unconditional positive regard for every individual I work with 2) that the very best answers for an individuals problems come from the individuals themselves, my job is to guide them there and 3) that my absolute most basic relationship with my clients is that I'm their sister. The best thing I can do for my brothers and sisters is to be a support and to help them discover their own power and responsibility, their own muscles again.

I ponder again that original question that brought me into writing this three part post. Why would Communists want to take over the field of psychiatry? I think in the end it comes down to making people feel and believe that someone/something else is and/or should be in control and is the expert in keeping them safe. As a mental health professional I say phooey! Parents have the best answers for their kids, individuals have the best answers within themselves. The power really is inherent in the people.

I of course also believe strongly in God and that He has blessed us with the abilities to heal and grow and change. He has provided ways for all of that to occur. Healing may include social support, therapy, it may even include medication (just be educated on its use). I would never presume to know all of the right answers for each individual, but I do believe each individual can know them for themselves. I start out each work day on my knees, I know I need His inspiration. He will guide us all to the best practices and solutions. He gave us the muscles, He also gave us the tools to build them up.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read all of this. I know it was considerably longer than any thing else I've written. I just felt it was important to find out for myself and than to share with others what my own profession has been up to. Truth rocks, and so does sharing it.

God Bless,
Sarah Emily Jordan, MA, MA, LMHC

Psychology/Psychiatry and the Left: Part Two

2010-09-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

History

So, today's discussion will be about drugs and docs, the former first. In doing so I think it is important to take at least a brief look at the history of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the government agency charged with the regulation of drugs. The FDA has its roots in the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. This act was signed by one of Progressivisms headliners Theodore Roosevelt. But, there is another figure who should be included in the discussion of the 1906 Act. His name is Upton Sinclair, and he was an avowed Socialist. The webpage for the FDA mentions Mr. Sinclair in its history.

Upton Sinclair wrote a book called The Jungle , his purpose in doing so was to convince the American public of the injustice of the Capitalist system. The book details some of the rather disgusting conditions of a meat packing plant. Instead of turning to Socialism the American public was simply grossed out. Sinclair famously stated "I aimed for America's heart and hit them in the stomach." Indeed. Sinclair was a very active Socialist in fact running for political office in California on the Socialist ticket with little success. He had a little more success running on the End Poverty in California (EPIC) ticket. His goal was the same for both tickets. He said about his EPIC run "The American people will take Socialism but they won't take the label. I certainly proved it in the case of EPIC. . .I think we simply have to recognize the fact that our enemies have succeeded in spreading the Big Lie. there is no use attacking if by a front attack. It is better to outflank them." Typical leftist m.o. is to change the name but not the goal.

I still have more studying to do before I form a complete opinion on the FDA, but just looking at the origins, and the leftists who influenced it certainly gives me pause and is a little off putting to say the least.

Psychopharmacology

Much of the information in this section comes from an eye opening book by Robert Whitaker titled Anatomy of an Epidemic

Drugs for mental health issues were first introduced in the mid 20th century. It was at this time that the Psychological fields were floundering a bit in trying to determine which direction and theoretical orientation to commit to. The model that won out was a medical one. A medical model means diagnosing and than treatment. Treatment in medicine of course includes well medicine.

Some important historical milestones include the 1938 Food and Drug Cosmetics Act, Whitaker explains on pp. 55-56 "The law required drug firms to prove to the Food and Drug Administration that their products were safe (they still did not have to prove that their drugs were helpful), and in its wake, the FDA began decreeing that certain medicines could be purchased only with a doctor's prescription," Also in 1946Congress passed the National Mental Health Act which meant that the government could sponsor research in the mental health field, providing grants. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) was established three years later to oversee the reform. Yipee! The left specializes in regulation, and the mental health field gets to participate in that big time.

In accordance with the medical model for mental health in 1952 the Diagnostic Statistical Manuel (DSM) for mental disorders was published. The DSM and the subsequent revisions became the staple for diagnosing in the mental health arena. I must say my hardbound copy of the current DSM IV-TR has been a joy and is quite a useful doorstop among other things. It certainly is interesting to consider the various diagnoses that have been added and removed from the DSM. But, for now it is important to note that it originates from the medical model and is relied on for much of mental health treatment.

Alright so we see some of the groundwork that had been laid out, let's take a look at some of the drugs. In 1954 the FDA gave its stamp of approval for a drug called Thorazine. It was initially billed as a tranquilizer but through a metamorphosis which included government and media became a disease fighting pill rather than just a tonic. Shortly after Thorazine's introduction a new "happy" pill called Miltown was also introduced with promises of Nirvana (the propaganda for this pill included a Salvador Dali exhibition for which he was paid quite well). Ch. 4 in Whitaker's book gives these details and more about these 2 drugs. Miltown became a predecessor for more modern drugs such as Prozac. Thorazine was given all sorts of credit for success in decreasing the amount and time of hospitalizations for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. But, Whitaker on pp. 92-94 uses hard facts to refute that notion. Here are some highlights. Prior to the introduction of Thorazine people admitted for a first schizophrenic episode in the 40's and 50's 75% were recovered enough in the first three years to return to the community, the majority within the 1st year. Returning to the community meant back to family and even work. California records from 1956 after Thorazine's introduction found that 85% who were not prescribed medication were discharged within 18 months. Those treated with the drug had a lower (74%) rate of discharge. So, why does Thorazine get credit as some breakthrough drug for schizophrenia patients being discharged from hospitals at an increased rate?

Well, credit was given to Thorazine when in reality it lay elsewhere. As Whitaker explains on p. 93, "The 1965 Medicare and Medicaid legislation provided federal subsidies for nursing home care, but no such subsidy for care in state mental hospitals, and so the states, seeking to save money naturally began shipping their chronic patients to nursing homes. That was when the census in state mental hospitals began to noticeably drop rather than in 1955, where Thorazine was introduced."

Well, blow me over with a feather, a government program caused a decrease in the appropriate care a certain population would receive? Whitaker goes into great detail on a number of diagnosis and their preferred medications. I highly recommend reading his book. Of particular note are the absolute explosions of the diagnosis of ADHD and Bipolar disorder. This is a disturbing pattern that has long been an irritant for me. While I believe that there can be some benefits from medications, I have felt strongly for some time that we are overdiagnosing and overmedicating. Whitaker's take down of Prozac is particularly well done.

Whitaker presents some other significant facts that I wish to highlight here. Social Security and Disability payments from the government are programs from the ideological left. From p. 250 Major Depression is the leading cause of disability in the US for people 15-40 year olds. With Bipolar Disorder 85% used to recover from this previously uncommon illness now only about 1/3 function well. In 1955 46,000 people were hospitalized with Anxiety and Manic Depressive (Bipolar) illness, today 40 million people have one of these diagnosis. More than 1.5 million people are on SSI or SSDI and that number is increasing at a rate of 250 children and 850 adults daily. I suppose it is possible that we are just struggling that much as a society, but it certainly begs for more explanation than that.

I'm just presenting facts here, and as I've stated before coming to any real conclusions will require much more study. A friend recently directed me to a book titled Manufacture of Madness by Thomas Szasz. But, I have to say that what I've found so far is in a word disconcerting. Given that psychology has been used in the past to justify the eugenic process of weeding out undesirables can you blame me for wondering if it continues to be used so now? As my boss Dr. Thurber pointed out to me "why put them in camps or sterilize them when you can just imprison them in their own homes."

Experts

Now one more note about the medical model. Doctors became the experts. I want to re-iterate here that I know some fine people who are psychiatrists and I do not wish to disparage them in any way. But, I do wish to point out that the model and orientation of psychiatry is driven by medication and by psychiatrists being the overseers of it.

One expert psychiatrist I want to highlight is Dr. Benjamin Spock. In doing so I'd like to state that I do not necessarily disagree with all of his assertions. But, he is one of the most famous psychiatrists in recent history. He became a go to expert on parenting. But, Dr. Spock also was quite politically active. He was a part of a movement called the New Left. Sounds inspiring no? It was a coalition of several leftists organizations. Dr. Spock advocated strongly for the passage of medicare. He was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War. In 1972 Dr. Spock was the presidential candidate of the People's Party. Dr. Spock's platform called for free medical care, legalizing abortion and marijuana and guaranteed minimum income for families. I say as a sidenote that I find it a little shocking that a man known as a huge advocate for children was also a huge advocate for abortion. Again I don't disagree with all of Dr. Spock's techniques on parenting, but it is an uncomfortable reality that politically he was so far to the left. To refer back to part 1, why would taking over Psychiatry be a Communist goal? Well, I don't yet know the full answer to that, but to note that one of Psychiatry's biggest names was on the Communist side of things certainly says something.

The concluding post on the subject will be my personal perspective in working in the mental health field.

Psychology/Psychiatry and the Left: Part One

2010-08-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

APA’s founding was part of a large number of changes occurring in the United States then, including:
• The emergence of academic disciplines such as psychology, economics, political science, biochemistry, and physiology These new disciplines quickly developed advanced degrees that provided credentials to validate the disciplines’ members as experts.
• The progressive movement in politics, which called for a more efficient, less corrupt, social order.
The synergy of these two developments—specialized expertise and rationalized government—helped create the need for trained personnel to fill the new professional niches created by the demands for a more efficient society.

I thought it would be hard to find the connection between psychology and progressivism. But, no that quote comes from the American Psychological Association's (APA) website. You get the sense that there is almost a sense of pride in the connection. Certainly they are not hiding anything.

This piece is not an attempt to tear down the fields of psychology and psychiatry. I like and respect too many people in both fields to try to take them all down with a broad brush stroke. It is rather a telling of the truth. We must have the truth and the whole truth in all its glory and shame in order to effectively understand where we are at and than to move in a forward direction.

I have long known that in general the mental health field professions have leaned towards the left, particularly in academia. I fortunately had professors who were not preachy about their beliefs, and were open to and respected our own theoretical orientations and beliefs. They taught me to have an attitude of unconditional positive regard for my clients, and treated me as such. It is imperative in the profession to treat others and their points of view with dignity and I have striven to do so. At the same time there needs to be an acknowledgment that leftist ideals have permeated the paradigms of psychology.

I had never really thought about a direct connection between progressivism, and it leftists cousins, and psychology/psychiatry until I was introduced to the 45 communist goals first brought to light in 1963. I was taken aback by 2 of those goals #38 "Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat]." #39 "Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals." Well, thought I, 'what gives?' Why is psychiatry something Communists were even interested in. I began to research psychology, psychiatry and the left. One of the things that I found is that there is a heck of a lot more research that can and should be done. I present what I've found so far with the desire to make the truth known.

Early History
When I began researching this topic I first wanted to see if the subject had already been researched and written about. Very quickly I found an article titled "Psychology and the Progressive Movement" by John Chynoweth Burnham in American Quarterly Vol. 12 No. 4 (Winter 1960) pp. 457-465. Now my history professors would probably frown on me referencing an article form 50 years ago. But, I found it to be very pertinent and honest. Burnham writes frankly about progressivism and psychology's involvement in it. He succinctly describes progressive ideology, "The essence of the movement was the 'firm belief that to a considerable degree man could make and remake his own world.' Although the progressives did not all believe that man is inherently good, they agreed at least that the human being is malleable." Bingo Burnham! This is the mentality that progressives subscribe to, man can alter mankind. Of course it takes the geniuses controlling the masses in order to shape us correctly (according to progressives). Burnham also writes "Direction was to come from the Man of Good Will who had transcended his own interest; he governed by right of his own moral superiority." There we have it, the good will doers had the intention to govern those considered beneath them.

Psychology in the 1890's and early 1900's was a fairly new concept. Direction for this new science was still being determined. And as the APA points out in its own history the chosen direction coincided and was linked to the progressive movement.

One of the key things I've realized in researching this topic is that there is a wealth of information and it will be impossible to cover every subject thoroughly in just a matter of a few blog posts. These are just going to be highlights, a place to start. One area that I know is going to require more investigation is some of the specific individuals involved in psychology and psychiatry and their various theoretical orientations. One of the rather intriguing figures is John Watson. He is perhaps the most well known behaviorist. Burnham quotes him from 1913, "Psychology as the behaviorist views it is a purely objective experimental branch of natural science. Its theoretical goal is the prediction and control of behavior." Ah yes, "control" what a lovely leftist bent that has to it. This is not to say that Watson considered himself a progressive, that will require more research, but I think it is safe to say that this view of psychology would have been attractive to progressives. I personally think Watson had some valuable tools for helping to overcome behavioral problems. But, what is to be considered a behavioral problem and who is to be controlled?

The Feebleminded
There is one subject that progressives and psychology absolutely came together on, eugenics. I recently completed a read of Edwin Blacks War Against the Weak I did not agree with all of his conclusions but he gives an excellent account of the history of eugenics. It is one of the ways in which progressives have historically tried to control and perfect what they viewed as a malleable population. It is an attempt to breed a superior race. It has quite a history in the United States. And there was a reliance on psychology to determine who were the fittest and also who needed to be reduced. In the United States forced sterilization was legalized and employed in a number of states. Burnham summarizes "The eugenics movement, advocating the sterilization of the insane, defective and criminal persons in order to improve the race represented the progressive attempt to deal with that part of man which was more malleable." Those who did not improve the race were classified in groups, perhaps the most prominent is what eugenicists termed "feebleminded."
Black in his chapter "Legitimizing Raceology" introduces us to one of the leading eugenicists of the early 1900's psychologist Henry Goddard. First off I want to note that Goddard eventually abandoned eugenics (p. 85) Its important to tell the whole truth including this turn around, though by that time his renunciation was not well noted by the eugenicists who were using his paradigm to further their ends. His early work was damaging.

The following paragraph is a summary of Black's information presented in pages 76-85. Goddard was a powerful ally in the eugenics movement. In order to justify the sterilization of the feebleminded there had to be a way to determine who fit that criteria. In 1905 the first "intelligence test" was introduced in France by Binet. Goddard was hired in 1906 to direct research in Vineland New Jersey's Training School for the Feebleminded. He began to assess the patients for their intelligence and eventually came up with his own modified version of the test. As a side note we can thank Goddard for the term "moron." Understand that eugenics had a very obvious racial tone to it. What were the results of Goddard's "testing"? Here are a couple of examples 40% of immigrants tested as feebleminded and 60% of Jewish immigrants in particular classified as "morons". Tests applied to Blacks as reported in the "Archive of Psychology" reported that Blacks scored 3/4ths as well as their white counterparts, with pure Blacks testing the lowest about 60% lower than whites. This is all of course offensive in the extreme and to believe such drummed up numbers would be (pardon the use of the word) moronic. But, the intent of eugenics was to create a perfect race and for most of its subscribers that did not include anyone who did not fit the Anglo-Saxon mold. Yes, psychology was used to not just justify racism but a movement to purge the United States of those who were different, the mentally ill, the immigrants, and non-whites. The progressive M.O. of calling anybody they don't like "stupid" has been a very long tradition indeed, and unfortunately some psychologists played a role.

Further study of eugenics yields all sorts of information including its ties to the most famous and horrific attempts at race purification and genocide. Historically it is necessary we gain and maintain an understanding that the Nazi's gained much of their eugenic ideas from American eugenicists. It is also important to note that they also used psychology as a justification.
The early history of both psychology and progressivism are intertwined. In the next segment I will be discussing diagnosis, drugs and the new left. "Live long and prosper"

Difficult Decisions, Difficult Truths, Turns Out the Easiest Answer is the Difficult One

2010-08-13T21:12:00.001-07:00

We like to avoid difficult things. Its human nature. But, when we do we end up making it harder on ourselves. Consider some examples.

First off a lame one, doing the dishes. I suppose there are people out there who actually enjoy doing the dishes, but I think they are probably in the minority. Most of us avoid doing them. A common occurrence is the piling up of dirty dishes and letting them get all crusty or gross, or there is the practice of "letting them soak" which just leads to disgusting, stinky, stagnant water (I have a bit of a pet peeve about that:) Its harder to clean dishes that are crusty and gross. Honestly the easiest way to do dishes would be to clean them right after they are used. At least rinse them off and load the dishwasher as you go. That way at the end of the day (or whatever time period) the only chore is to start the dishwasher, rather than facing a mountain of dishes when all you really want to do is go to bed and often you just leave it until morning. So, why don't we clean the dishes at the most opportune time? Because we think its difficult, we put off the unpleasant. The reality is the easiest answer is the one that seems hard at the moment.

Alright so a political example. For decades the government has been letting the financial dishes pile up. And boy are they dirty and crusty and nasty now. Political cycle after cycle our elected officials have tried to take the easy/lazy way out. Push the debt onto the next cycle and just try to please the masses with some delectable delights. They've been stuffing our faces hoping we won't notice the mess they are leaving behind.

Well, somebody sometime is going to have to finally clean it up. Its far better to do it right now, to do what seems difficult so that it is not more difficult later. We also have to take a look at the difficult truths about where we actually are at financially. Here are a couple of highlights from a presentation from David Buckner of Columbia University. The US debt in 1990 was $3.2 trillion, in 2000 it rose to $5.6 trillion, that is a 75% increase. In 2010 it has risen to $14.4 trillion, which is a 157% increase. Understand a very important truth, this dramatic debt increase is a combination effort from both Republicans and Democrats. The easy answer would be to just vote in a different party. But, change of a name doesn't seem to change the direction. The difficult answer, the right one is to elect people who will face this terrible truth, that this is all unsustainable, and do something about it, not words action. Here's more difficult truth. Right now interest on our national debt is at the lowest level in history. Now, before you start thinking it is good news, understand that means interest can only go up. The United States owes interest on $14.4 trillion dollars even a 1% increase in interest adds $144 billion, a 10% increase would add $2.3 trillion. Here's more, the $14.4 trillion is just what we owe our lenders (other countries, most notably China). But, for the first time since its enactment Social Security is in the red, this year. As of now the US has promised $6.6 trillion in Social Security, funds that are not there. What is even more difficult is how much is promised in Medicare, $36.3 trillion. Those 3 things combine total $57.3 trillion in promises. Right now that equals $184,000 that each US citizen (men, women, and children) owes in promises.

We must look this terrible truth in the eye and go forward to make difficult decisions. And it is a guarantee, it will be difficult. The government has got to stop spending. They have got to cut out entitlements. They have got to quit making empty promises.

Another difficult thing that absolutely must be done. We have to learn history, all of it, especially the difficult things. The most important lesson from history is to never forget. Forgetting spawns the repeating of mistakes. We have to take a good hard look at what we believe and find out if its true or not. Sometimes we even have to be willing to let our hearts break for learning the truth. I have recently been doing research on Psychology and its ties to Progressivism. Boy, I tell you what, it breaks my heart to report that there are some nasty crusty dishes in the mental health field. I love my work as a counselor. But, I have to tell the truth of what I've found. I'll be posting a rather lengthy piece shortly (be forewarned). Its uncomfortable to learn history sometimes, but its absolutely necessary.

One final example. Jesus Christ promised that His yoke is easy and His burden light. That's the truth. And yet we have this tendency to try and seek a different answer. For some reason we get it in our heads that seeking righteousness and divine help and healing is somehow difficult. The difficulty is really just in humbling ourselves. But, it must be done. In striving to keep the commandments we actually make our lives easier. We don't have to be burdened by the consequences of sin. We need God more than ever. Choosing Him, will pay off more than we can now imagine. Don't just turn to Him, run to Him.

Now, I've got to go start the dishwasher :)

God Bless America and Americans as we move forward with faith and courage. The difficult truth, the difficult decision often ends up being the easiest path for us and for the generations to follow.

Becoming Who We Ought to Be: Forgiveness

2010-08-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Life is all about who we become. Its about becoming our greatest selves, the people God knows we can truly be. To help along that journey He gives us commandments and instructions. One of the things that we are commanded to do is forgive.

Forgiveness is, unsurprisingly, something I work on quite a bit with my clients. When someone does us harm the most immediate reaction we go into is self-protection. Anger and fear serve the purpose of guarding our hearts against further damage. They are kind of like walls that get put up. The problem with walls around our hearts is that nothing can get in and nothing can get out. We become stuck where we are at. And behind that wall resentment and other such negative things build up.

Why is it that God asks us to be forgiving? Well, for one thing He is forgiving and we are trying to become like Him. For another it can help the person who committed the offense to move on in their lives. But, I also think that forgiveness is for the sake of the forgiver. Its a release, it takes away a burden that really just doesn't belong.

Its easy for me to say that forgiveness is something I work on with my clients. But, I admit that it is a struggle for me as well. Sometimes its a big struggle. Amazingly The Lord continues to work with me in His tenderly merciful way and helps me remember to take my own advice. Its humbling.

I recently needed a reminder about forgiveness and was blessed to view the following video. This good man is nothing short of heroic and I wanted to share his message here.

God continue to bless us as we strive to become who we ought to be. His grace is sufficient for all those who seek such blessings.

Random Thoughts on What Must Be Done

2010-07-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

-First off some quotage:
We all share a reasonable and, in many ways, admirable reluctance to leave the safety and peacefulness of private life to take up the larger burdens and challenges of active citizenship. The price is high, and it is easier and more enjoyable to remain within the shelter of our personal lives and our local communities, rather than the larger state. To enter public life is to step outside our more confined, comfortable sphere of life, and to face the broader, national sphere of citizenship. What makes it all worthwhile is to devote ourselves to the common good.
When one observes the pitched battles that rage around persons of strong convictions, who do not accept the prevailing beliefs of others, it is no wonder that those who might otherwise wish to participate find more hospitable outlets for their civic interests. When one of my friends began feeling the urge to get involved, his spouse glared at him and said, "Don't even think about it. We love our life the way it is." And that is not an unreasonable perspective, not at all. But is reasonableness always our standard of review on this question? I hope not.
During my youth there were many wonderful sayings, now considered trite, that provided cryptic, yet prescient guidance for my life. Among them was one based on Luke 12:48: "To whom much is given much is required." Perhaps such sentiments are embarrassing in sophisticated company today, but I continue to believe this with all my heart.
I do believe that we are required to wade into those things that matter to our country and our culture, no matter what the disincentives are, and no matter the personal cost. There is not one among us who wants to be set upon, or obligated to do and say difficult things. Yet, there is not one of us who could in good conscience stand by and watch a loved one or a defenseless person-or a vital national principle-perish alone, undefended, when our intervention could make all the difference. This may well be too dramatic an example. But, nevertheless, put most simply; if we think that something is dreadfully wrong, then someone has to do something.
Justice Clarence Thomas
Francis Boyer Lecture American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Washington DC
February 13, 2001

Boy did Justice Thomas state it well. He is my favorite Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He just gets it. Please go here and read the entire speech, just amazing and inspiring.

-Second. There were a couple of things that I have been working on recently that just were not working out the way that I wanted them to. I kept asking God about it and ended up just feeling more frustrated. Finally I shut up, and just used the incredible power of listening in prayer. In the quiet He reminded me of truths I already knew but had not been applying. We follow The Spirit, the guidance that He is giving us. We do what we know is right. And then we turn it over to Him. We trust Him to do whatever He meant to happen through us and through others. We trust that He will sanctify ours and others actions for the benefit of those who need it. Do the work and than watch the miracles. His answers are always better than what we ask for. Seek to do His will.

-Thirdly. It seems like I've been engaged in this cause for a while. But, I'm not tired at all. In fact lately there have been some new decisions made, perspectives gained and a renewed sense of commitment. Nothing earth shattering, but I'm going to be doing some new things. I pray for the courage to follow through with them. We must do what we can right now, and not worry about whether or not we get any recognition or thanks. God knows our hearts and our works, His is the only approval we really need.

-Fourthly. I feel the need to make an appeal to my fellow members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You know what this land is, a land of promise. And you know what this country and its freedoms mean to us. Without the United States of America there would be no religious freedom, and no restoration. I for one feel that its time that we break away from the shackles of apathy and/or indifference and stand up for this gift of a nation. We need to stand together with every faith, religion and creed to protect our Country, our Constitution in memory of Our God, Our Religion, Our Freedom, Our Peace and Our Families. We do this because it is right and because it is worth fighting for.

Refudiate Progressivism for A Return to Normalcy

2010-07-25T19:24:00.001-07:00

"A Return to Normalcy." I first heard that phrase from one of my college history professors. He said it with this goofy grin on his face and than looked around expectantly at the class waiting for us all to join in on the joke. We simply stared back at him.

He was speaking about Warren G. Harding whose slogan of "A Return to Normalcy" was mocked by the Progressives as a sign of his stupidity. My college professor pointed out to us that "normalcy" wasn't really a word. I remember thinking 'actually I think I've heard it before' (in fact it passed the spell check test). He went on to explain that Harding and his V.P. choice of Coolidge obviously had questionable intelligence. I confess I don't remember what else he talked about that day but for some reason the whole "normalcy" controversy stuck with me.

Here's the thing normalcy was indeed a word, it was not used all that commonly but now you hear it on a fairly regular basis, I grin whenever I hear some leftist use the term on a news program :)

The past couple of years I've learned more U.S. history than I did in 4 years of University study. Of particular note to me is the history of Progressivism and the slow but sure erosion of our Constitution and freedom due to that ideology (and whatever name they try to disguise it as e.g. Liberalism, Social Justice, Populism). Progressives believe quite simply that they have superior intellect. Well, the problem with having a superiority complex is that you have to spend a bunch of time proving that you are superior and that others and their beliefs are inferior. Hence the attempts to paint Conservatives as dummies.

Woodrow Wilson was supposed to be some big brained intellectual. In fact he was nicknamed "The Professor". But, Harding and much of the nation saw the obvious, Progressivism had screwed up the nation, and work had to be done to get it back to normal, thus the slogan. Progressives rather than highlighting their policies, which are in a word foolish, instead tried to frame the debate in intelligence comparisons, and they've been doing it ever since.

No other politician these days can get the same amount of attention from writing a book as Sarah Palin gets from writing a tweet. Boy, did the media come down on her hard for writing the word "refudiate." I love how the media preaches to their own selves when they come down on her for anything. But, when they threw a fit about "refudiate" I have to say I was laughing out loud, and thought about good ol Harding and his "normalcy." Get this "refudiate" has actually had some use starting in the 1980's. It actually doesn't matter too much, but the fact that it is already being used more popularly in some circles cracks me up. They try and try to mock, but to no avail. I love the word "refudiate" now, and it definitely fits with how I'd like to treat Progressivism refute it and repudiate it, just get rid of it. Oh and by the way the revelations from the Journolist stuff while not surprising are very validating. Please spread the word on that, go to dailycaller.com buzzword journolist.

That same history professor tried to disabuse us of the notion that history repeats itself. I didn't really get that either. I mean the names change, but history is most certainly cyclical. Here in the United States we've been battling utopian ideals (which is Progressive's goal) from the very beginning. Alexander Hamilton stated in Federalist Papers #6 "Is it not time to awake from the deceitful dream of a golden age and to adapt as a practical maxim for the direction of our political conduct that we, as well as other inhabitants of the globe are yet remote from the happy empire of perfect wisdom and perfect virtue?" To that I say 'here, here Mr. Hamilton, Amen to that!' The reason my history professor has to believe that history does not repeat itself is because he has to believe that one of these times utopian ideals will work. The reality is their ideological attempts fail, every time.

So, we continue to stand up for the Constitution and for Conservative values, and Progressives continue to try and push the idea that society can be perfected by government oh and that Conservatives are dumb. Round and round we go on the history cycle. And time and time again principles of freedom turn out to be right and good policy for the nation.

It is a Progressive trait to keep trying the same tactics over and over again even when they don't work. And not just policies I mean campaign tactics. Well, Harding became president. They tried to label Coolidge as a dummy too, because he didn't talk much, roaring 20's anyway? Ronald Reagan was labeled an amiable dunce, well he was an incredibly successful president, ended the cold war and was instrumental in ending an evil empire and bringing down an iron curtain. Maybe that's why I got such a laugh out of the media/leftist/Progressives attempt to use "refudiate" to label Governor Palin. Are you sure you all wanna go there? I mean I hate to break it to you but history does kind of repeat, labeling someone as a dummy hasn't worked out for you all that well, it certainly has worked out well for Conservatives though :)

Focus

2010-07-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

To the Progressives among us, I know what you are doing. Long have you worked in relative ease as you have done so in secrecy and darkness. Like shadow particles one by one you've laid a foundation and built up a structure hoping we would not notice the gathering gloom. You knew our attention could be diverted to other things. But, you had to know that one day it would be obvious what you are building. And now the shadow particles have all combined and we can clearly see the structure attempting to block out the sun. Its a tower as foreboding as Babel ever was.

But, your attempts to block our view from light will be in vain. Humanity longs for light and truth and humanity grows impatient when you try to block it. You've gotten away with it for long enough. Now, its time to tear it down, piece by piece if we must. We reveal your works.

Those who believe they can socially engineer society know that in order to do so they must cast shadows over the very things that are the most important. Thus we see the attempts at tearing down the family. Thus we see the attempts at trying to rid our country of our faith and our religions. There has long been an attempt to create a state religion perhaps best described as secularism. It is time to shine the brightest light possible that of Our Creator, Our Father God.

If we are to be successful in this goal to tear down the tower we must put ourselves on a path to do so. We must align ourselves with God. In order to do so we must work to tear down our own personal towers. Are there things we need to repent of? Duh, we are all human and thus perpetually in need of that merciful gift of repentance. In order to do so we must be willing to shine a tremendously bright light into our own lives and hearts to disperse whatever darkness, shadow particles, there are within us. Remember redemption is real and a precious gift, humbly seek it.

I feel to speak of a pattern that I've noticed often. It is very human of us to want to fix problems ourselves. We cast about for solutions within our own finite grasps. Solutions may be found there, but they are rarely the best ones. I think most of us our control freaks. We like knowing we are in charge and when we feel out of control we feel weak. Here's the reality the best answer is always to turn to God, to run to Him even. We are weak, we need Him. The Progressive ilk would have you believe that humanity can solve any issue. But, we know in each one of our hearts that we must humbly turn to God. We need to focus on Him. I would remind you to think of the story of Peter walking on the water. When he kept his eyes on The Lord he could do it. It was when he got distracted by the storm that he began to sink. That is why those who wish to provide human answers will do their utmost to keep us distracted from the real solution, knowing if they keep us focused on the storm we could fall right into their hands. So, focus on The Lord, the greatest source of light and no shadow will prevail.

Only lighted souls can affectively cast out the darkness. God be with you and me in the fight to defend this country and freedom. Let us pray together to know what we must repent of, and move courageously forward doing so.

The A-Team: Mama Grizzlies

2010-07-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

From Compassion Versus Guilt by Thomas Sowell. Ch. 4 Politics “Left Versus Right”
“When bright young educated people are choosing careers those who believe in a free market economy often choose careers in that economy. Those opposed to such an economy are more likely to become intellectuals, politicians, lawyers or parts of various liberal or radical movements. For the intellectual and political battles the deck is stacked both quantitatively and qualitatively. The political left sends its A-team into battle against the B-team of its critiques who have their A-team in the market place. The historic drift to the left in the western world over the generations reflects in good part this imbalance in the world of ideas, rather than any success of left wing politics when actually put into practice. Such policies have a record of economic disaster around the world, especially in Communist countries. But, they are roaring success politically in maintaining the support of academic and media intellectuals.”

Thomas Sowell makes an excellent and salient point here. Of course I think most of the things that Sowell says are excellent; the guy is a genius of common sense. And while in that piece he focused on the free market A-team it has recently sunk into me that there is another A-team out there who was focused on what they do best but has now been stirred into political action, moms or as Sarah Palin refers to them “Mama Grizzlies”

Mom’s have chosen to put their families first above all else. They have employed their considerable talents in the most important work they can do, raising their children. Moms in America have historically been able to concentrate on that while trusting that their freedoms are ensured and that their children’s futures will be bright. But, now there is an awakening occurring as people across the country realize that our children’s futures may not be so bright, and our freedoms may not be safe. When moms, who have sacrificed so much for their kids, see danger they will respond.

The various Conservative A-teams are certainly rising up and taking stands, but none so powerfully as the A-team Mama Grizzlies. They had been able to be comfortably in their homes, their caves if you will and just nourish their cubs. But, danger lies at the entrance, and moms aren’t going to take that quietly. There lies within these women every capability necessary to turn things around in this country. And they are realizing it. And I love it.

When danger is on the horizon our very best selves can answer the call to action. Moms sense the need to be involved and they are getting involved in all sorts of areas from local to state to national politics and platforms. Sarah Palin is certainly the most notable of these Mama Grizzlies. She is ever playing that point guard position in this A-team. But, there are some other amazing women stepping up into leadership roles, Nikki Haley, Michele Bachmann, Sharron Angle and a whole host of other women are taking a very public stand. God bless them in their efforts. But, the movement of Mama Grizzlies is also supported at the grass roots level. Its women who show up to tea parties, their children often in tow that are making this movement strong and lasting. Its women deciding to make their voices heard in townhall meetings and city council meetings that are making the roar of the Mama Grizzlies echo across the country. Its women learning the Constitution and history than teaching it to others who are turning the tide back to principles of freedom. God bless the moms of America who are standing up now. They have realized that we must bring our best selves to the fight. They are realizing that no longer can they simply rely on others to do the job for them, so they will get in there and do it themselves.

“If you have a problem if no one else can help. . . maybe you should hire the A-team” Well, the call has been made and the Mama Grizzlies have answered.

And now a corny video for your entertainment.

Darkness and Light

2010-07-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

This post will have very little to do with politics.

I spent the weekend with some of the most wonderful people on the planet. It was humbling for me, a perpetual screw-up, to be surrounded by such goodness. They are people that will do whatever they can to further the cause of good and truth and freedom. They unabashedly love their families and their country and God. I was inspired. I felt like there was an increase in light in my life just for the sheer privilege of rubbing shoulders with magnificence. They are people with purpose and with the courage to follow that purpose. I cannot speak highly enough of them and will do whatever I can to support the same cause and to try and follow their example. Today I feel so blessed to have had that increase in light in my life. Thank you C4P community.

I came back to work and have been catching up on writing initial evaluations. I work with beautiful beautiful people who have endured so much ugliness. Facing that again was like this Mack Truck crash of light and dark. Knowing the truth about what some of these dear souls have endured hit me hard. I have to admit I just sat on the floor and cried. Evil exists and it persists. And I hate it. The casualties of darkness are numerous from children being harmed in the worst ways, to women who have to suffer the long term emotional damage of abortion, to any number of things. Casualties need not be fatalities and I and so many good people are working to try and help. But, the stark contrast between darkness and light just seems to be getting clearer.

There is supposed to be both, darkness and light that is the way of it and has been from the beginning. There are seasons when it is darker longer, that is also the way of it. But, God created the sun to rule the day, the moon to rule the night, and even when there is no moon the stars provide some light. No matter how dark it gets the light always rules. In that truth there is incredible hope. There is also hope in knowing that winter does indeed eventually lead to summer. There will come a time when the greatest light of the world will rule at all times.

For now we keep moving forward. We keep trying to battle against the darkness of corruption, immorality, lies and abuse. We keep connecting with others who are people of light and conviction of truth. We know who wins in the end. So, shine the light, be who you are out loud, speak the truth, repent when you screw up, and pray always.

God bless the good people of this world, and God be praised for letting me know so many of them.

Seek Not for Vengeance

2010-06-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

Today I found out some information which was brand new to me, but has actually been around since December of 2008. It was circulated in the British press but for some reason never made it across the pond to our media. The 2008 story can be found here.

President Obama’s grandfather was apparently imprisoned and tortured by the British government. The torture sounds particularly horrid and repulsive. When I heard the story and read it, my first question was ‘Why didn’t we know this?’ It is essential for us to understand history so we don’t repeat it and also to understand context. I can understand if there are not exactly warm feelings between the Obama’s and the British government, but that needed to be known. The media stand condemned for their continued lack of service, whether it be due to ineptness or to push their own agendas. We need to know the truth, the whole truth. I do not think this history in any way disqualifies Obama from being president. But, it is imperative that we know and understand history and the context that it provides.

History is rife with examples of abuse and horror and despicable acts. It is absolutely necessary that we learn it. My own familial history contains some horrors at the hands of our own government. My grandmother was taken from her home on the Turtle Mountain reservation in North Dakota and put into a boarding school in Oregon. She was beaten for speaking any language other than English, understand that she only spoke her native tongue at the time. She was sexually assaulted, and degraded verbally, all because the government decided that Native Americans needed to be assimilated. They basically attempted to stamp out Native culture by force. I know where that came from, Progressivism and its never ending search to perfect society. Does it make me angry? Sometimes and I also feel a deep sadness. But, mostly I feel resolute. I resolve to tell history as it really is, and to make sure that people understand context.

There is something else that is absolutely essential to understand. In the United States of America we are founded on independence. Inherit in independence is individual responsibility. That means each one of us individually own up to our own lives. We face consequences based on our own actions be they good or bad. That applies to each of us, past, present and future. There are so many mistakes that have been made along the way. But, any search for retribution is counter-productive to the cause of America. We don’t seek to fix the past by messing up the present with animosity and historical liability. We learn from the past. We seek truth in history in all of its gory detail. That way we know what not to do, and we understand one another better. Vengeance and retribution for past wrongs do nothing in moving our nation forward; rather it hinders us in the mire of contention and bitterness.

Mr. President reading the story about your grandfather brought tears to my eyes. That should never have happened it was an injustice to say the least. Is it possible to move forward now though? Especially for the betterment of the people you have been asked to serve. If there is any part of you that has treated Great Britain, our ally, badly because of the abuse your grandfather endured it must be addressed. We cannot hope to move forward if we are stuck in the past.

I will never cease to tell the history of Progressivism. I want people to understand what horrors it has led to. From political prisoners during Wilson’s time to internment camps under FDR. From Sanger’s horribly obvious racism towards African Americans to abortion being the number 1 killer of that very population. And yes, I will tell the story of the Native population and their mistreatment at the hands of the “enlightened.” But, I don’t do it out of vengeance I do it out of a dire need to tell the truth. I do it because I dearly want our nation to steer clear of repeating those mistakes. I do it because I want to understand and I want others to understand.

God has promised to sanctify our trials for our benefit if we turn to Him. That happens on an individual basis. But, the more people that are able to experience that in our nation the more it can actually happen on a national level. We can heal from our wounds, even the self-inflicted ones, but, only if we are truly willing to do so, by the only means that actually work. Vengeance and retribution are not those means. Truth and knowledge and a forgiving heart are. God bless us as we struggle through life, as we remember those who’ve struggled before us and understand all the struggles are worth it if in the end we can hand a better nation to the next generations.

Heal Us

2010-06-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

It’s been one of those months. One that as you are rounding the final curve you suddenly see things a little more clearly. But, in the midst of it, felt like every stride was a bit of a struggle.

A couple of weeks ago I busted up my hand. It was in a rather stupid accident, but as my mom says there really are no “smart” accidents. Anyway to sum it up I took too wide of a turn on my bike, my front wheel hit wet grass and went out from under me and I hit pavement, with my right hand taking the full force of it. Bleeding ensued (which looking back, stitches may have come in handy, no pun intended), and so did the swelling. It ends up there were multiple injuries from busted blood vessels to some small hairline type fracturing and a sprained wrist. I’m right handed so suddenly I was having to learn some rather important skills with my non-dominant hand. Suffice it to say I had a string of bad hair days :) I did manage to type through the pain (I did it for you my dear blog readers), but slowly. It’s on the mend now, though I’m still cautious about hearty handshakes. All in all it was kinda tough, but it certainly gave me some perspective. Plus I got particular delight when some of the kids I work with seeing my hand all bandaged up and learning of my spill than proceeded to instruct me on the proper way to ride a bike.

My little hand incident is nothing compared to what some of my clients have been going through this past month. I tell ya, the adage “when it rains, it pours” is so very true sometimes. I cannot go into any detail. But, suffice it to say there have been some heartbreaking moments. With all of my heart I wish I could do more to take away the pain that these dear individuals and families have experienced and are continuing to. What support I do offer seems but a pittance of what they really need. I can stand next to them and get my shoulder under their burden with them, but I can’t suck away all the pain. On rare occasion after a session ends and my clients have left I close my door and just sit on the floor for a good long while wondering what more I could do to help them. That’s happened more than once this past month. The answer is I’m not the one who can help them the most. They need a healing, but it has to be a Divine one.

So, with the clarity I’ve been blessed with as I’ve rounded this final turn this month I realize how real that Divine healing can be. Take my hand to start with. How amazingly miraculous it is that having sustained such trauma it has found a way to start healing. How did that happen? Well, that’s the way The Creator made it. He put within each one of us the power to eventually heal. It really is quite remarkable. Think about the fact that it got all swelled up. As impressive as it was to have 2 hands that looked remarkably different in size, shape and color on just one individual, it is also a miracle. An injury swells up to prevent you from using it more and injuring it further. It’s remarkable isn’t it? And it was purposefully made that way. Even the fact that it causes physical pain is a testament to the healing process. So, you go to a doctor and say it hurts when I move it the doctor is going to say, than don’t move it, duh. It helps us to immobilize it and let the healing process take place. Maybe it’s a silly way to look at it, but I feel really grateful to God for making the healing process possible. It is one way in which we heal, we simply let the process run its course, even if it’s painful it is part of the process.

Now, those longer lasting hurts require a little more intervention, a Divine one. I’ve made a study of Christ and His Atonement. The healing aspect of Our Savior has long been a tender testimony for me. I’ll love Him forever for providing that for me and for all of us. When I think of His ministry and all the miracles He performed while in mortality I marvel at what the healings teach us. Is it possible for Christ to heal in an instant the way that He did during His ministry? Of course it is. But, His ministry was a short 3 years and in that time span He had to demonstrate to us who He is and what He does for all of us. So, while He could heal us instantly as He did than, that is not often the way He works with us now. He goes beyond just a mere healing, He actually sanctifies even the most tragic and heartbreaking circumstances for our benefit. Talk about miraculous. I testify that His healing hand in the lives of those that will let Him do His work is real and efficacious. I’m blessed with many clients who believe the same as I do, so we get to talk about applying Christ’s Atonement in their lives and work together to make that happen. He is there waiting to help, to embrace, but He has to be invited to do so. There are few things sweeter than seeing a beloved individual get through all the pain and come out the other side whole and better than they could have been without the pain in the first place. Words cannot quite describe it.

Now, as I’ve thought about this past month, and the perspective and testimony that has been strengthened and improved my thoughts turn to my beloved nation. We are in desperate need of a healing. And our unified cry should be ‘Heal us O Thou Great Jehovah!’ He can, I know it.

Take first the example of what He has already given us. I know some will consider me a kook for saying so but this nation; its foundational principles and structures, were Divinely inspired. There is a mechanism for healing. And guess what? Some of it involves some pain and other uncomfortableness. We may have to learn to use our weaker parts more effectively while our dominant hand heals up. We must allow things like the free market system to go through its pain, or else a proper healing cannot take place. We must also allow for a healing to take place when there are catastrophes and tragedies man-made or otherwise. It is okay to feel pain, it part of the process. We must be allowed to survive and than to thrive. No amount of government intervention can do what the natural process of time and natural healing can do. A process that was put in place by our Founders under the guidance of Divine Providence.

Well, United States it has been one of those centuries. The damage that has been done to this nation and our Constitution by the Progressive/Liberal/Leftists has been in the extreme. Forgive me for being a little gross here, but it’s like a festering wound that has to have all the puss cleared away before we can actually get to the real and deep wound. Clear away corruption and than work on the wounds inflicted by faulty means used to further blatantly anti-freedom ends. It is heartbreaking to see principles of freedom brushed aside for the goals of power and greed and utopia. The reality is no man can do for our country what God can do. No matter how much the government tries to be merciful they fail miserably. Its time for us to turn to God and not to government for the healing. It promises to be painful and difficult and at times it will bring us to just take a seat and catch our breath. But, it must be done. The Great Jehovah, Lord and Savior can heal this nation, but He has to be invited to do so. And we must be willing to let Him do His work of not just healing but sanctification. It can happen and we can get through it all and end up even better. He is a God of miracles, and we need that now more than ever.

Progressives and Anarchists: Let's Dance. . .Wait What?

2010-06-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

So, I listen to Glenn Beck. Big surprise right? Anyway this past week he was talking about how during the big rise of the Progressive era there were also anarchists and somehow these two groups found each other. But, why? I mean if you think of the American political spectrum these 2 groups would be very opposite of each other, with the farthest left being tyranny (total government) and the farthest right being anarachy (no government). Well, I'll discuss the why's a little bit more after I discuss the fact that it did indeed happen.

When I was listening to Glenn all of a sudden I had a memory pop into my head. My talented cousin was in several musicals and plays while in high school, one of them was entitled "Tintypes" set during the early 20th century. She played the part of Emma Goldman, a famous anarchist at the time. At one point her character and the character of Teddy Roosevelt engage in a heated discussion and then they break out into this bizzare love song and dance. It was quite a funny scene, but when it popped back into my head recently I had the sudden and shocking realization that that actually was a metaphor for what really did happen. Yes, these two opposing sides joined up, in some kind of bizzare dancing fiasco.

Let, me tell you a little about Emma Goldman (1869-1940). She was Russian born and emigrated to the US in 1885. In New York she began to be interested in the anarchist movement. She eventually became a kind of spokesperson and writer for the cause. Goldman's brand of anarchy differred from the traditional no-government type in that it required revolution, it was radical. Though she decried some types of violence, she and her lover Alexander Berkman planned an assassination at one point in order to further their agenda. She worked to inspire others to rise up for a revolution. And she was willing to join with those who should have been on opposite sides.

I happened upon this interesting document. After Ms. Goldman's passing a memorial service was held in New York. I took the time to do a little research on some of those who spoke.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the peeps. John Haynes Holmes, Unitarian minister (note that Emma Goldman was not exactly a fan of religion), pacifist, anti-war activist. He helped found the ACLU. Roger Baldwin, one of the founders of the ACLU. Some of the ACLU's landmark cases took place under his direction Scopes, Sacco and Vanzeti, and the challenge to the ban of James Joyce Ulysses (Joyce as in the Joyce foundation? hmmmm). He was a one-time Communist, though he later denounced Communism, but continued work in the ACLU. Jimmy Carter awarded him a medal of freedom. Norman Thomas was a 6 time presidential candidate (that's cool) for the Socialist Party of America (doh!) He championed Progressive causes. Rose Pesotta was an anarchist and feminist labor organizer. Harry Kelly was another anarchist and a lifelong activist in the Modern School movement. Dorothy Rogers early civil rights activist (now honestly I do think that's cool), and a staunch defender of FDR's New Deal (dang it). Leonard Abbot, he presided :), radical thinker, socialist also into the Modern School thing. Martin Gudell, was Emma's guide while she was in Spain, he worked with the propoganda department of the CNT-FAI's (nice). Rudolf Rocker, an anarchist without adjectives (I think that means whatever the heck he wants it to mean). He was active in the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He was part of the a wing called Die Jungen (The Young Ones), who were unwilling to wait for the predicted collapse of the capitalist society (that was Marx' prediction), and instead wanted to bring it about by revolution.

So, yes Emma Goldman and other anarchists mixed with Socialists, Communists and Progressives. But, why? Why would opposites attract? Well, they are on the opposite side of the horizontal political spectrum. But, if you add a vertical one you might see why. For this you get to see my amazing handwriting that a friend once described as 13 year old boy handwriting.

These peeps were all radical. They all wanted to bring America as was than known down. Achieving that end would than lead them to their own devices and agendas. Dance together on the floor of radicalism, and after the dance than they could take each other out. It reminds me of Survivor where they form alliances to get so far, but than in the end they are left to battle it out themselves for the big prize. In fact I have to throw in this amazing quote from Ms. Goldman herself "If I can't dance I don't want to be part of your revolution." Well, they let her dance. Check out this scene from the Broadway presentation of "Tintypes" (I have to say I preferred cousin Devey's portrayal, she is wicked talented :)

So, why bring this up? Well, the reason we study history is to learn from it. Right now there are radicals among us. In fact a lot of them are in the government. There are Progressives, there are Socialists, there are Communists out there being influential. There are likely anarchists too. And I'm quite certain they are willing to unite in order to bring America down so that they can than fight over the scraps. We must be mindful and watchful and realize their agenda.

On that spectrum right in the middle of the horizontal spectrum is where the founders placed The Constitution. On the vertical spectrum we ought to be right in the middle too, appropriately active and knowledgable about civics and the need we have to be involved. That is the best check against the downfall of this nation.

Called and Chosen for Now

2010-06-06T11:58:00.001-07:00

This particular post has been swirling around in my brain for a while. It has taken a couple of different forms, but I finally decided I just need to sit down and write it and let whatever is swirling around at this moment take some kind of shape. Hopefully it's pretty:)

On Memorial Day I went with several members of my family to a local cemetery where we placed flowers on the grave sites of our fallen soldiers. One of my nieces and several of my nephews were with us. I was touched as they placed the flowers and said a vocal thank-you. My niece even began hugging the headstones. It was rather sweet. I appreciated the opportunity to be able to teach a little about the importance of history and honoring our heroes.

I love history and have made a study of it. It sometimes really sinks in that the people I learn about are real. It does so forcefully when I learn about the Founders and other historically significant people to me. It sinks in when I read Scriptures and acknowledge that the authors lived, breathed and testified. One day I will meet all of these people, my heroes, including those faithful and good people whose actions went widely unnoticed but are heroes none the less. I want to be able to say thank-you and to look them in the eye and tell them I tried to do my part, scratch that, that I did do my part. That I stood by Christ and Zion and freedom. That I was never ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That I knew what was right and sought to do so, and repented when I fell short. I want to be able to look them in the eye and acknowledge their sacrifice and assure them it was not in vain as I too upheld freedom and faith in whatever way I could.

Life is the same as it ever has been in any age. Its about what you become, its about how you serve others. The good amazing men and women, the heroes have given me something to shoot for, a goal to emulate. I fall way short, pretty much daily, but I just keep getting back up.

The ultimate goal, the unattainable in this life goal, is to become like The Savior. If I fall short of my mortal heroes and yet get back up, than trying to become as The Savior is like a perpetual crawl. Perhaps that is why kneeling in prayer is such a natural thing to do. I desperately beseech God's help. This isn't some self-righteous rant. I'm painfully aware of how imperfect I am, how much patience God must have to work with me hour after hour. He does so out of love. The thought of the Atonement of Christ, when I can get my mind around it enough to begin to comprehend, takes my breath away. How could He, pure holiness, take the weight of every sin of every vile action and thought? I think of things not only I've been through, but people I know and care about have also. I think of the people I'm blessed to work with and the heartbreaking, and wrenching things they've shared with me. And the reality is I cannot really shoulder their burden, much as I sometimes wish I could. I can't because I don't really know what it was like to go through. But, The Savior does, because He did. Why? Love, in its purest and most powerful form. He is ultimate freedom, safety and love all in one being. And He stands there in the midst of our storms beckoning us forward. He is unafraid of the storm. He already passed through not just His but all of ours. And just at the moment we feel like we'll fall He reaches out that hand, lifts us up and encourages faith. He is my view, my ultimate goal. He knows each one of us, and He knows our great potential.

Christ in Matthew 20:16 states that "many be called, but few chosen." I have pondered that distinction and have concluded that to be chosen requires us to choose. It is up to us to heed the call to become what He would have us be. Once we have made that choice we trust in God to help us.

These days I hear a lot that we need to find a George Washington, or Thomas Jefferson or other important founders and historical figures. I've said the same kinds of things, in fact I recall a post where I talked about having a modern day William Wilberforce. But, I've come to realize that the heroes of yesteryear were men and women called and chosen in their times for specific reasons and purposes. I do think we need to learn from them and to do our best to develop the same positive characteristics and virtues as they did. But, I've also grown in my respect for the people living today. So, many are out there doing their very best to try and help this country. I have concluded that we don't need George or any one else back today, we simply need to be our very best selves, to make the same choice that they did; to answer the call and choose to become what God would have us be.

Every single one of us was put on the earth right now, in the right place and circumstances for very specific reasons. Our task is to become our best selves. Do we shirk the call in fear or apathy? Or do we face the fear and just go ahead and do it anyway? Do we act and put others needs before our wants? Or do we coast today knowing someone else down the line will pick up the slack? Do we honor our heroes? Do we honor ourselves and our callings? To be chosen is up to us.

Watching my niece and nephews honor our heroes made me realize how important of a practice it is. But, I also honor them, and who they will become. There is no need for them or any of us to feel like we need to be someone else. We just need to be our best selves. I want the children in my life to know they can be anything they want to be, based on who they are, not who anybody else is. We can do as our heroes have done, we can trust in God, and strive to become what He knows we can. We can apply the magnificent Atonement in our lives and become better through His grace. We all are the ones we need now. The country is in our hands, hands created for this time. Choose to use them.

Justice and Mercy: A Message to Politicians

2010-05-23T23:42:00.000-07:00

Alright all you current government officials out there. This post is in order for me to give you some downright truths that I hope you can take a hold of. I believe there are some good people who go into politics. I believe many go into public service with the attitude to do just that, serve. But, unfortunately it seems that far too many get sucked into some corrupt greedy vortex. Again I believe there are some good people in politics, so this message does not necessarily apply to all of them, but most.

Why is it that the American public doesn't trust or really like our Government officials? Have you seen Congress' approval rating these past couple of years? I think many politicians would say that people just don't agree with their political parties or they see that the Government is not moving quickly enough. Those might be partially to explain the dislike. But, honestly I think at the root is that the American people know in their guts that the Government officials are not being just. Justice is fairness and equality before the law. Most of us Americans know that too many Government officials put themselves above the law. We see people not pay their taxes and get a promotion. We see backroom deal making. We see greedy land and money grabs. We see broken promises. We see the attempts to mollify the people by presenting short term solutions, which actually in the end just make things worse. We see lying. We see immorality. We see corruption seething through and through in both parties. Seeing all of that going on, why in the world would we trust? Why in the world would we feel any sense of compassion towards a Government that is increasingly feeling oppressive?

I believe with every part of me that redemption is possible. I've felt it in my own life. I've seen it in the lives of others. I've seen miracles, and to deny the reality of redemption would be a farce and a discredit to what I know to be true. So, my message to politicians is that you can come back. You can return to that feeling of just wanting to serve. But, mercy is only possible if justice is served first. In order to find mercy you have to come clean. You have to put it all out there in the open. You have to be painfully upfront and honest with yourself first, than with God, than with the people you took an oath to uphold. The Constitution is the guide, and that is "We the People." There is no shortcut to this. But, believe me when I say you can absolutely find mercy once you've taken the proper steps.

I used to teach Sunday School and Scripture study out at one of the prisons in my area. It was such a heartwarming experience. I was blessed to work with people who were in the trenches of repentance. They taught me so much about my own life and the steps I need to take in order to truly find mercy. One of the sweetest experiences I had while there was watching a musical of David and Goliath with the inmates. Now, the musical has its rather corny bits, but this one song in particular was really touching for them and me. In fact there were tears streaming down the faces of some of those inmates. They felt that hope that comes from knowing that there is mercy. These were people who were willing to pay the penalty for their crimes, knowing that at the end they could find compassion, redemption and mercy.

The song is an exchange between David and Saul. Saul had started out as a good and righteous king, but he became corrupt with power and wealth. I have thought of this song much in the past little while when thinking about our current politicians.

I say again, there is a way back. But, the only way to mercy is to answer the call of justice. You must step forward into the light and take the courageous step of revealing the truth, every layer of it. Come into the light and feel how cleansing sorrow can be, and how utterly magnificent redemption and mercy are.

My Cup Runneth Over

2010-05-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

My brother and sister in law have a tradition of naming their children Bible/religious names. It's a little 7 Brides for 7 Brothers ish, although they are more creative. So, far there haven't been any discussions about naming a child "Hannah or Hagar or Hephzibah" but they are planning to have a few more :)

My newest little niece was welcomed by their family this week. Mom and baby are doing well. Her name is Selah. If you are like me you are probably racking your brain to figure out where you've read that word before, knowing it is in the Bible somewhere but not sure where. Here is a Bible Dictionary definition, "A musical term that occurs 71 times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk. Its meaning is uncertain. Most likely it is a direction to the musicians to strike up, either with a louder accompaniment or with an interlude while the singing ceased." The best part of that definition is that it doesn't really have one, so I feel at liberty to make up my own.

To me Selah means to sing with joy. So, much joy in fact that it feels like my cup runneth over. It probably isn't surprising that knowing her name comes from Psalms (of course it does say it in Habakkuk, no offense to Habakkuk, but I think I'll stick with saying it comes from Psalms, even though it is fun to say Habakkuk, and to write Habakkuk :) that the day she was born I had perhaps the most famous Psalm running through my mind. And the most prominent line to me that day and in the days since is what I've already alluded to, "my cup runneth over." I understand a little better what David felt when he wrote that line. As each one of my, now 17, nieces and nephews runs through my mind I feel so much joy and gratitude that it just cannot be contained, and I feel to sing with joy. God has so blessed my life, my family is one of the greatest of these blessings.

Joy is what family is, or at least what family should be. Yes, there are difficult times and most definitely yes you can get through every one of them if love is the guide. Joy is more than happiness it is not fleeting, it goes more to the core of your being and radiates outward. My family is a wellspring of joy in my life, one that I shall be eternally grateful for.

Many in society today try to come up with counterfeits to family. All one has to do is watch an evenings worth of network television programming to see that there is an attempt to belittle and alter the perception of family and family values. People long for the joy and relationship that family brings so they search for it in things like gangs. There are those on the left who wish to takedown the family entirely. Read "The Coming Insurrection" or read Alinsky's take on the family. There is a knowledge that indeed the family is the most fundamental and important unit in society. So, for those who want to change society to fit their own paradigm and agenda there is a recognition that the family must be taken head on and out. Thus the attempts to counterfeit. The reality is though they may try to approximate the structure, they can never get the joy. Joy is too pure to be manipulated like that. Pray for families. We need good strong families to turn society around.

Pray for parents and children, brothers and sisters, and even aunts and uncles to be guided in peace and love and joy. I'm forever grateful for the joy that is in my life. It sometimes literally takes my breath away to realize how truly blessed I am.

I welcome every new family member with open arms and open heart, and do so with a song of joy, a joy that overflows.

To The Republic

2010-05-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

How many times have we uttered those words? They are memorized by children across the nation and recited in public gatherings daily. It is spelled out very specifically that our allegiance is to the Republic. We know that this nation is a Republic. And yet for the last 100 years there has been an effort to label us as a Democracy. Unfortunately the effort has paid off. Too many people in our country believe us to be a Democracy. True there are some Democratic elements, but we are in fact a Republic.

I wonder how the Founder's felt about Democracy, hmmm.

"Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." John Adams

"Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths." James Madison (from the Federalist Papers #10)

Somehow I get the feeling they didn't like Democracy too much. I wonder how the felt about a Republic, hmmm.

"The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind." Thomas Jefferson

"A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect and promises the cure for which we are seeking." James Madison (from the Federalist Papers #10)

"The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered deeply, perhaps as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people." George Washington

"There is no good government but what is republican. That the only valuable part of the British constitution is so; because the true idea of a republic is 'an empire of laws, and not of men.' That a republic is the best of governments, so that particular arrangement of the powers of society, or, in other words, that form of government which is best contrived to secure an impartial and exact execution of the law, is the best of republics." John Adams

"The republican principle demands that the deliberate sense of the community should govern the conduct of those to whom they intrust the management of their affairs; but it does not require an unqualified complaisance to every sudden breeze of passion or to every transient impulse which the people may receive from the arts of men, who flatter their prejudices to betray their interests." Alexander Hamilton (from the Federalist Papers #71)

So, it really doesn't take a whole lot of intense research to realize that yes, we are a Republic. Republicanism is the foundation for this free nation, not Democracy. So, why in the world does everybody believe that we are a Democracy. Well, its because it is part of the Progressive agenda to convince us that that is what we are. But, as it turns out the politicians now don't really even care what the majority of the people want, case in point the recent Health Care Reform passage. They achieved their ends of convincing us we are a Democracy, and then pushed forward to accomplish whatever else their agenda calls for. In short it calls for controlling the masses. How do you control the masses? You convince them that you are giving them what they want, and that they need you as their leader to continue to do so. Than you convince them that you know what is best for them, and then give them that. If it sounds like it is approaching tyranny that's because it is. Democracy ends up tyranny eventually. And then because people despise tyranny they will eventually revolt into all out anarchy. The Founders knew that, it's time that reality was broadcast more to the nation.

Since I've already used a bunch of quotes (this has been one of my easier posts :) I'm going to give you a bit more. When I was a teenager I read a novel with a message that has stuck with me ever since. I was recently re-reading it. It is called The Freedom Factor by Gerald N. Lund. It has a lot of sappy parts, and it is kinda old, but it has a pretty powerful message. It centers around a young Senator's aid, Bryce, who is working to pass an amendment to the Constitution that will make us more of a Democracy. He gets a visit from one of the Founding Fathers, a Nathaniel Gorham, who participated in the Constitutional Convention. I thought the following conversation was very well depicted and explains the difference between Democracy and Republic. It starts with Bryce.

"Well, maybe it's time you opened your eyes, Mr. Colonial America. Maybe it's time this tired old democracy you created got a new shot of adrenalin."
"we didn't create a democracy," Gorham said softly. "You still can't see it, can you?"
"All right, so you created a republic and not a democracy. It is still supposed to represent the voice of the people."
"Do you really understand the difference between a republic and a democracy?. . .Don't you know why you've got a national debt big enough to build every man, woman, and child in the solar system a solid-gold outhouse? And why half the world is on the verge of bankruptcy? Don't you see the basic flaw in a true democracy?. . . A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government because sooner or later the people come to realize that they can vote themselves direct benefits out of the public treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidate or the program promising the greatest benefits from the public treasury. That's what killed Rome. Even the emperors couldn't keep up with the constant demand for bread and circuses. Sooner or later the government goes bankrupt. Democracy always collapses over a loose fiscal policy, and inevitably no matter how long it may take, it will always be followed by a dictatorship... And all this talk about giving more say to the people. That's what's happening here. In the last few years the primary function of the United States government has become the redistribution of wealth-taking money through taxation from one segment of society and giving it to another. . .The real movers behind this amendment, the ones who drive those long black cars and live in the luxurious apartments in Georgetown, don't give a tinker's dam about the voice of the people. They're after power, pure and simple. The Constitution stands in their way and their sole purpose is to remove that and every other stumbling block that prevents them from reaching their goal. . . It's bread and circuses all over again, Lad. And your amendment is one more step on the long road to so-called democracy. If you can't see that, and get others to see it, then may God help you, son. God help you all."

With determined sometimes methodical deliberation the minds and wills behind this transforming idea, of making us into a Democracy rather than what we really are, have led us all carefully to that door. Marching us along a path of which if we could see beyond Democracy we would find it continues and it leads straight to tyranny. It always has, it always does, and it always will.

We need to restore the truth that this nation was founded as a Republic. We need to restore those principles. We need to weed out the corruption and the political machines in order to be able to do so. But, we also just need to spread the truth about this country. We've pledged our allegiance to the flag and to the Republic she represents. Let us honor that pledge. Tell people like it is, we are a Republic.

Reunion

2010-04-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

If you have read my blog before you may have picked up on the fact that I dearly love my nieces and nephews. They bring such a joy and light into my life. I have moments when I just absolutely fall in love with these little guys, and moments when I fall in love all over again. They just have a way of getting a hold of my heart.

I forewarned that I would likely be blogging about the next newest one when they come along. So, today my brother and his wife welcomed a new beautiful baby girl into the family, and I'm just grinning ear to ear. Sadly for me her family lives quite a distance away, so I'm not sure when I'll get to hold her for the first time. But, with little Anna-Elizabeth that moment of absolutely loving her has already happened.

Several months back my brother and his wife learned that there was a possibility that Anna-Elizabeth had a condition which had she tested positive for would have meant that her chances of surviving until birth were not great, and chances of long term survival were slim to none. That was wrenching news for me to hear, and I'm just an aunt. I can't imagine how it was for her parents.

In my worry and anxiety over my nieces’ welfare I turned to God in prayer. The answer I received was the tremendous blessing of a sense of who Anna-Elizabeth is. I got to sense her goodness and to know that for her family, including good ol' aunt Sarah, that she would bring a unique and sweet spirit. She is simply lovely. She is equipped with one of the most powerful things the world needs right now, peace. From that moment on I felt like I already knew her.

The testing for that particular condition obviously turned out great. This sweet little girl looks to live a long happy and blessed life. It is such a blessing to know she is here safe and sound. I feel like when I do get the chance to hold her and spend time with her it won't be a first meeting, it will be more like a reunion.

Life is full of sweet reunions, sweet memories and tender mercies. The Lord blesses us with reminders of who we all truly are, His. We're all connected. Days like today are the days that I can see more clearly that we really are each others' brothers and sisters and should in reality treat our meetings with each other as reunions. Wouldn't it be cool if everyday everybody saw each other more clearly? Should not these sweet reunions reinvigorate within us the reality of our compassion for one another? The connections we have should motivate us in a great and real way to give goodness, to stand for what is right and true and precious, to protect virtue and morality, not just for our own sakes but also for our precious loved ones. To hold a loved one with an assurance that your love has been manifest is a sweet reunion indeed. And we ought to seek for those as often as we are able.

Life is good and blessed. I'm grateful for days like today to remind me of that, and to be able to recall later. God bless us, as He continually and faithfully has. God bless the good people and the good families of the earth. May we see more clearly His love for us, and see more clearly the love we already possess somewhere within us for each other.

Yet Another Charge

2010-04-18T23:34:00.000-07:00

Racism, Violence, and now Sedition all charges leveled at the people who disagree with the current direction of the government. Sedition? Really? We have a divine right, which is protected by our Constitution, to speak out. We have a right to tell our government when we are opposed to their actions. It is "We the People" not 'we the government'. The government and especially the Constitution belongs to the people. We have a right, maybe even a duty to correct the government. Its not sedition its us exercising our rights.

These pundits claim that to pronounce that our government is acting in tyranny is seditious. Well, the definition of tyranny is absolute power (no napkin required its an easy definition). I and many others recognize that the rights of the people are being undermined by our own government who were sent to represent us. Understand that to take away the rights guaranteed by the Constitution is to grant the government more and more power. It is heading towards tyranny. If I have to find myself charged with a crime for saying so, well than I'll probably have good company. To level charges at us like racism, violence and sedition is an attempt to silence us from exercising our rights. It is an attempt to squelch the voices of dissent against a government. It will not work.

There were some other people who spoke about tyranny.

"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of men." Thomas Jefferson.

"Tyranny like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." Thomas Paine

"Of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people, commencing demagogues and ending tyrants." Alexander Hamilton

Like I said I'll be in good company. If that company includes the likes of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin well that doesn't sound so bad.

To those who are leveling those charges of sedition I say to you now: I will stand and defend YOUR right to speak. I will stand and defend YOUR right to gather. I will stand and defend YOUR right to vote and to encourage others to exercise their rights as well. In doing so I understand that you and I will disagree. But, it is your right. It is time you recognize that it is mine as well.

Fulfilling Our Motto

2010-04-11T22:29:00.001-07:00

A couple of days back I heard an intriguing question asked that really got me thinking. If you could wave a magic wand and change something in D.C. what would you change? It didn't take long for me to come up with an answer but once I got the answer I started thinking about how it could be brought about. If I could change something I would get rid of the corruption, I would have a return to morality.

Many of us will remember a rather famous quote from Ben Franklin given outside Independence Hall when the Constitutional Convention of 1787 ended. A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin,” Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" His response was, "A republic, if you can keep it." It is a great quote, but I recently ran across the rest of the conversation. Mrs Powell asked Franklin what he meant by that. His response was "This Republic, which we have given you with this Constitution, will end in despotism, as other forms of government have done before it, when the people become so corrupt that they are incapable of any other form of government."

Corruption and immorality are absolutely seething in Washington D.C. and in far too many places across the country. There are way too many examples to really begin to cover them all. Corruption and immorality are bipartisan. Make no mistake if we are going to return to more freedom than we are going to have to root it out of the political machine on both sides. The solution to this is going to have to be bipartisan as well. I have to believe that most people regardless of their political persuasion and preferred ideology will agree that corruption must be done away. I know that there have been a lot of politicians and their ilk who believe that the ends justify the means. That is nonsensical. Corrupt means will always corrupt the ends. We cannot have an honest debate about any of the issues until the underlying corruption that clouds every act, and debate is taken out.

Right now it seems as if we are in a very real fight to retain freedoms in America. There are few things more beautiful and resounding than a freedom loving soul who is willing to stand and fight for freedom, not just for themselves but for the benefit of others including those who would stand against them, and especially including future generations. Our soldiers are perhaps our best example of this. But, its time we are willing to follow suit. We need to engage in this battle to return to morality and to rid out corruption because our very freedoms and our Republic depend on it. In order to accomplish the great task of rooting out corruption and bringing back morality, we must first do it ourselves individually. We must turn to God in full trust and commitment.

We are imperfect, and bound by human frailties. But, the cause of freedom goes beyond any of that. The cause of freedom existed before the world was and it still exists in every heart. Our task is to embrace it, to nurture it and use it to better ourselves and to serve one another. In the end there is nothing that can conquer freedom, for it was divinely bestowed and freedom and its guardians will be divinely upheld. Because of that reality before we can fully engage in the battle to rid out corruption and bring back morality we must turn back to God.

As in any time, and perhaps more than any other age we absolutely must turn to God. He is freedom's greatest ally for He is the giver. We need His peace, we need His strength, and we need His freedom. He and His ways have been rejected time and time again. But, He is persistent in His loving ways; He will not give up on us. Now in the dispensation of the fullness of times as we ready for all of Scripture and prophetic hope, faith and words to be fulfilled we must fulfill our motto, "In God We Trust."

We have no illusion of ease. But, we know the final outcome. The time for apathy, indifference and fence sitting is over. Choose your side

I have no idea what the battles will be like. I hope with all my heart that it can remain a battle of words and ideas. We must do our utmost to prosper peace by being at peace ourselves, than with our families, than with other loved ones, radiating outward to larger and larger spheres of influence as best as we are able.

The path to freedom and the path to peace are the same, whether personal or on larger scales. The path is only with our God. He has given us the proper measures to follow. We must commit to following and keeping His commandments. There may be heartache. There may be pain, but overshadowing all of that is the freedom, peace and joy promised to the faithful. If we stand with Him, He will stand with us.

This all is not just a question of our country. It goes beyond that. It is a longer, eternal view. Our course for eternity is set by the paths we choose in mortality. If we truly believe in God, we need to take a stand for Him. If we truly believe in freedom, we need to take a stand. If we truly love our families and friends and others we need to take a stand.

It is an hour of not just decision, but actions. May God continue to bless this bastion of freedom and its citizens. May His grace continue to be shed. We ask this knowing He will keep His promise, for He is ever faithful, ever kind and ever graceful. The final measure is whether or not we do our part.

A Walk

2010-04-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Several years back I had the blessed opportunity to spend several months in Israel. I've written here before about some of my experiences. When I come upon a religious holiday I cannot help but to have some sweet memories come flooding back to me. At this Easter season I again draw inspiration and hope.

Last Sunday was Palm Sunday. I remember clearly gathering on the streets of Jerusalem, palm frond in hand, with a crowd of fellow Christians. We began a walk down into the Old City where we would join together in a worship service. It started raining buckets as we slipped along down the cobbled streets. But, nothing could dampen the joy of that occasion. How amazing it was to walk through the city as Jesus had done on many occasions. On Palm Sunday He rode into the city triumphant and welcomed, though soon so many would turn on Him. It was an honor to walk there that day.

One of my favorite places on the planet is the Garden of Gethsemane. I was able to spend time there sitting in the shade of an olive tree. There I pondered the magnificence of His Atonement. I marvel at the love, and mercy that He has shown to me and to all of us.

Tomorrow is Good Friday. I've had the blessing to walk down what is called The Via Dolorosa, the Way of Suffering. It was the path He walked as He carried the cross, symbolic of our weight that He took upon Himself. What a blessing it was to walk down that same path.

I've seen Golgotha, the place of the skull. I again marvel at the sacrifice He so willingly gave for you and for me.

I've walked in the Garden Tomb. It is quite possibly where he was laid. I rejoiced as I received the message, "He is not here, for He is risen." In that message is hope and life and joy forever.

It remains a blessing in my life to have those precious memories. But, although those have served as powerful reminders of my testimony, my real testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ has not come because I walked where He walked, its because He walks with me. Along my journey He has been there ever faithful, ever merciful and ever with open arms waiting to receive me. I love Him dearly and will thank Him eternally for all He has given. My greatest hope is that I can one day be in His sacred presence and be able to kneel at His feet and express my gratitude.

The only thing that I can imagine greater than being in the presence of My Savior, is being there with the people that I love. To all of you I wish a very Happy and Joyous Easter season. I've learned much of Christ, from the people I know. Thank you and God continue to bless.

Sarah Emily Jordan

I happened upon this excellent video, a rendition of Chris Rice's amazing song "Come to Jesus" sung by Kenneth Cope. It captures some of my feelings about the Savior Jesus Christ.

If We Only Had a Brain

2010-04-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

I don’t mean like each one of us individually. We all have brains. I guess I could make all sorts of statements about that, but will leave it alone. I’m talking about if we were able to just take a look at America’s brain. I am a Counselor by profession and one of the modalities that I use most frequently is Biofeedback and specifically, Neurofeedback. Biofeedback employs technology to help people consciously self-control body activities and symptoms which they may have thought were involuntary. Neurofeedback is biofeedback for the brain. Basically we hook up a client via an EEG encoder to read brain wave activity and than use a behavior modification protocol to alter unhealthy brain wave patterns.

Brain wave frequencies are determined by how fast they occur within a second. The following identifies the common names of groups of frequencies and the general characteristics associated with that group. It comes from John N. Demos book Getting Started with Neurofeedback.

Delta 1-4 Sleep, repair, complex problem solving
Theta 4-8 Creativity, insight, deep states
Alpha 8-12 Alertness and peacefulness,
readiness, meditation
Beta 13-21 Thinking, focusing, sustained attention
SMR 12-15 Mental alertness, physical relaxation
High beta 20-32 Intensity, hyperalertness, anxiety
Gamma 38-42 Cognitive processing, learning

Okay, got it? Good. I know the question, what the heck does that have to do with the nation? Well, if I could get a hold of the nation’s brain I think it would be kind of clear cut what kind of treatment course I would set out on.

Let me give you some examples, using some of the reaction the brain often gives to circumstances. The slowest brain wave activity, Delta, is often present when someone has experienced some kind of injury. This is because Delta is where the brain goes in order to heal itself and the whole body. Delta can be a perfectly healthy reaction. If you get sick or have an injury, you get sleepy so your body can heal. More traumatic events produce more Delta. Trauma can be physical such as a traumatic brain injury, but it can also be mental and or emotional. Particularly if a person has repeated trauma the Delta activity can be even more present, and harder to get unstuck.

Theta is also a common reaction to trauma. Theta like Delta is appropriate and healthy in some circumstances. But, sometimes people can get stuck in this pattern when they are trying to escape unpleasantness. Producing a lot of Theta can be associated with a kind of “fogged out” feeling. Individuals with ADD/ADHD often produce a lot of Theta.

Alpha rocks. It is the frequency where people are able to self-sooth, and resolve some of the negative experiences they have had. It is a place of meditation and clarity.

Beta is the thinking brain wave group. It is predominantly present as we are problem solving and focusing on mental tasks. But, if we are thinking too much than it crosses over into High beta.

High beta is overactive when people are ruminating, and than can lead to anxiety.

A common situation that I will come across is an individual who has experienced some serious trauma and so their brain has gone into slower wave activity, Delta and Theta. At the same time the brain knows that it needs to be alert so it figures out a way to wake itself up quickly when needed, often times that means kicking up the High beta. So, a person can be anxious while at the same time have a fogged out feeling. Its akin to driving down the freeway with your emergency brake on. It’s pretty uncomfortable to say the least. The treatment protocol for this situation is pretty simple we have to train the brain to decrease Delta, Theta and High beta activity. At the same time we also train the brain to increase Beta activity, including SMR. Also, we need to teach the brain to produce a healthy amount of Alpha.

I’m not going to go into too much more detail. Check out Demos’ book which I referenced earlier if you’re interested in learning more. Its cool stuff and I’m grateful to include it in helping people.

But, I was thinking about if I was going to apply a treatment protocol to America’s brain it would be very much like the one I described above. So many people describe America as “waking up” right now. What is it that we are waking up from, well from what our Founder’s described as “repeated injury.” People have become far too accustomed to entitlements that are literally bankrupting us like Social Security and Medicare. They have also become accustomed to government corruption and sleaze. Its happening anyway, so people just shut down and hope it will go away. Every once in a while we get shocks to the system that are like that High beta, think of something like September 11th. Boy, did people wake up then to the danger we are in. But, eventually a sleepiness, a fogged out kind of feeling resumed.

What we really need is to go into some of those more healthy type activities. We need to encourage thinking through rationally. We need to encourage a calm alertness. And we need to get back to encouraging more Alpha. America needs to feel good about itself. We need to realize that it is within ourselves that we can find the solution for problems. Instead of pretending that there are no real injuries, or threats of injury, we need to be awake to the fact that they exist, and that solutions also exist. We can be solution oriented instead of just reactionary. The more that we can encourage the positive activity the less likely it is that we will fall back into the old stand-by of falling asleep.

Maybe this is a corny post, but I think if America had a brain this would work. And if we treat the nation like it is a brain, it just might go a long way in healing things up and moving forward.

A Great Society

2010-04-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

This might be a little controversial but I’m going to write it anyway. A Great Society is possible. A society in which there are no poor, and everybody is truly equal can actually happen. We have a prescription for making it come to pass. It would mean every individual fully embracing the commandments of God. That’s it, that’s the solution to the nations and in fact the worlds problems. We just need to follow the path that Our Creator has outlined for us. If people individually made the decision and the commitment to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ we would be absolutely enveloped in peace and safety.

Tell people that the true path to freedom and peace is living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and boy will you get shot down in our society today. The thought of encouraging people to live the commandments fill the leftists with horror. They would say that you cannot force people to do that. To that I say *Ding Ding Ding* you got it! To force people to live a certain way is antithetical to God’s way. He has given us life, and He has also given us the sacred gift to direct our lives. That is why a Great Society could only be achieved by people CHOOSING to follow the path God has laid out for us.

So, yes I agree it cannot be forced. But, than I need to point out, that while many on the left balk at the idea of forcing people to be religious at the same time they would attempt to try to force their agenda on the populace. The leftist ideologues preach their own “enlightened” prescriptions for societal greatness. They know that in order to push through their agenda they have to mandate it to the people. In a real sense they believe themselves to be better than God, and in their arrogance they are driving society to the brink of failure, slavery and destruction. In their arrogance they look to themselves as the answer for perfection, denying the truth that that kind of miracle would only be possible through Divine help.

People have been taught and now embrace the teaching that freedom means escaping responsibility and consequences. Our society today is propping up bad behavior by trying to absolve people from the consequences of that behavior. Abortion is the most glaring example of this attitude. The result of teaching that freedom is to be free from consequence is that excuse after excuse and escape after escape has to be put in place to try to cover for all the unintended consequences that follow. Those excuses and escapes come in the form of more control from those in power, laws mandating what people must do, laws that redistribute property, including money, laws that do away with life in order to make way for more irresponsibility.

Our government attempts to perfect society and yet is turning its back on the principles that if individually applied would actually create a wonderful haven. Honoring and keeping the commandments would go farther than can now be imagined in making this society great. The leftists crave the result, but deny the method. They crave the power to do it by their own means, which history has proven again and again is an impossibility. The result of freely choosing to live God’s commandments is more freedom and peace and equality and charity towards one another. The result of forcing equality of wealth and property is apathy, indifference, anger and a dependence on government to the point of slavery.

A truly great society requires the humility to rely on someone other than ourselves, and other than some political power. It takes relying and truly trusting in God, not just saying it but acting on that trust, following His lead and His word. I would never presume to tell anyone how to live their life. But, I will point out the obvious. Keeping the commandments would solve society’s problems. I invite others to consider this reality and to take a stand with Christ. The essential element of a good society is good people. Our Founders knew this, and thus made absolutely sure that freedom of religion was secured. Christ can sanctify us to be our best selves, through Him and walking in His way. I invite you individually and this nation to turn to Him and live.

When Taking a Stand Really Means Selling Out and Sitting Down

2010-03-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some rather powerful quotes regarding the sanctity of life and against abortion on demand.

"In conclusion, even if one does take life by aborting the baby, as a minister of Jesus Christ I must also inform and-or remind you that there is a doctrine of forgiveness. The God I serve is a forgiving God. The men who killed President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. can be forgiven. Everyone can come to the mercy seat and find forgiveness and acceptance. But, and this may be the essence of my argument, suppose one is so hard-hearted and so in-different to life until he assumes that there is nothing for which to be forgiven. What happens to the mind of a person, and the moral fabric of a nation, that accepts the aborting of the life of a baby without a pang of conscience? What kind of a person, and what kind of a society will we have 20 years hence if life can be taken so casually?
It is that question, the question of our attitude, our value system, and our mind-set with regard to the nature and worth of life itself that is the central question confronting mankind. Failure to answer that question affirmatively may leave us with a hell right here on earth."

The Reverend Jesse Jackson

Go here to read his entire piece.

And here's another,

"While the deep concern of a woman bearing an unwanted child merits consideration and sympathy, it is my personal feeling that the legalization of abortion on demand is not in accordance with the value which our civilization places on human life. Wanted or unwanted, I believe that human life, even at its earliest stages, has certain rights which must be recognized – the right to be born, the right to love, the right to grow old.
On the question of the individual’s freedom of choice there are easily available birth control methods and information which women may employ to prevent or postpone pregnancy. But once life has begun, no matter at what stage of growth, it is my belief that termination should not be decided merely be desire."

Sen. Edward Kennedy

Go here to read the entire letter.

I can hardly fathom why some who have previously taken a stand for the sanctity of life can than sell out that principle to follow lock step in with their chosen political party. Both of those gentlemen did that very thing. Rep. Bart Stupak has now joined their ranks. I held respect for Mr. Stupak while he maintained a principled stand against the abortion language in the Health Care bill. I held hope that he would continue with that stand. However, he sold out for 3/4 of a million dollars, in order to fund some airport renovations. He used a security blanket of an Executive Order. An order that can be rescinded at the drop of a hat. An order from the most pro-abortion President in the history of this country. An order which legally can have no sway over legislation. It means nothing.

If you are going to take a stand, you take that stand no matter what bribes or threats or whatever comes your way. Life is precious, its worth cannot be quantified. You have shamefully turned your back on the unborn. It is a harsh truth, but it most be told. You have sold out and sat down.

A Few Thoughts

2010-03-21T20:11:00.001-07:00

Well, our House of Representatives (maybe I should write "Representatives") has now passed a historic Health Care bill. Congrats to all of us for getting something we did not want. I admit to feeling bummed out. But, I also feel some resolve. It is going to be an interesting year.

I heard reference today that this was a historic bill along the lines of passing Social Security and Medicare. I thought about something that hadn't dawned on me before. I have previously remarked on the feeling of disappointment I had in realizing that those previous political generations who gave us Social Security and Medicare really did not think about the consequences they were passing on to future generations. Both programs are disastrous and are coming apart at the seems. The consequences are debt and theft. I know for a fact that the money the government has collected from me in both of those programs will never again fall into my hands. I accept that and will just move on. But, I want to point out that they were people who took a stand against both of those programs. And I want to make sure that they know I'm grateful that they did. Thank-you.

Speaking of consequences, I also want to make sure that I make it known that Democrats and Progressive/Liberals are not the only ones to blame for this debacle. I've written before that Progressives bust through doors that have been opened by others. Teddy Roosevelt opened the door for Woodrow Wilson. Hoover opened the door for FDR. George Bush opened the door for Obama. And there are many Republicans, people who claim to represent Conservative interests, who have opened the door for this passage. Much was made about the idea of the "Slaughter rule" or deem and pass. It did not need to be employed but if it had been used much of the blame should have been placed at the feet of the Republicans who pulled that maneuver first. It is more important than ever to make sure that the people we support for elections actually represent our interests. No longer can we take it for granted that people live what they say. I will do my utmost to only support those who support true principles of freedom, the founding principles of this country.

I do not feel any despair. I am hopeful that this nation will continue to wake up to what is being lost and what our responsibilities are. The Constitution starts with "We the People" it is our government, we need to remind them of that. We do that peacefully exercising our rights to gather and to speak out. God continue to bless this country.

Heartstrings: The Ties That Bind

2010-03-13T23:22:00.000-08:00

Just a few weeks ago my sister and brother in law welcomed a new little fellow into their family. His name is Austin. If you are wondering if I'm always going to write about whenever I have a new niece or nephew the answer is "yeah probably. you got a problem with that?" I can't help it, these little ones grab my heart so quickly and easily and they always help my perspective. Just as a heads up, there are 2 nieces on the way this year, maybe more (in case some of my siblings are keeping secrets, which of course is their prerogative :)

Anyway, little Austin has had a rough start to life outside the womb. He is barely 3 weeks old, and already in the hospital for a second time, not counting his birth. The first time I met the little guy he had all these wires and tubes hooked up to him. The heart he immediately grabbed was already breaking at the site. He is so very little, and I want so much for his life to be as uncomplicated and healthy as can be. I have already spent much time on my knees praying in his behalf, and much time with tears in my eyes.

Last weekend as I was visiting him at the hospital I took up the post of holding little Austin while camped out on the hospital bed. Now, when you are holding a sleeping baby and you are propped up in a comfortable position you can't help but go in and out of consciousness yourself. It was very comfortable and peaceful, even with all those wires. Somewhere along the line one of his little wires came unstuck from him and ended up sticking to my shirt. And wouldn't you know it, it was the one measuring his heart rate. And because of the way I was holding him, that little wire had found itself right at my own heart. Well, maybe I'm sappy and corny but I thought it was symbolic. Symbolism to me is a physical representation of a spiritual reality. And thus it was with Austin and I, our hearts are connected. The little guy is a part of me. That is why I plead in his behalf, and why I cry. I want so much for the very best for him. If I could take his place I would.

So, why write about this? Well, it is my blog and he is my nephew. But, for the larger sense it is because it has helped sharpen my perspective. Again, that is one of the blessings of having little ones in your life, they make you see more clearly. Most of us would give anything to make our precious little ones' lives better. Most of us would sacrifice in a second to make sure they don't have to suffer needlessly. We want to pass on to them a world better than the way we found it. We don't want to pass on any undue burdens. I may not be able to take their place as they go through the various trials of life, but I sure as heck am not going to make them take my place either.

So, stand up do your part. Now, is the time. Embrace your little ones, and live your life knowing you can indeed pass on a better world. Know that they are counting on you. Maybe it is corny and sappy to say "think of the children", but honestly is there a better motivation? It is one of the great causes of our lives, to ensure goodness in the lives of the next generation. That is one of the reasons I feel so passionate about the things I see going wrong in our country and our society. I refuse to sit back and wait for somebody else to come along and fix the debt and the corruption and the tyranny that is infecting the nation, when we can do it ourselves here and now. We have been blessed with freedom, we need to make sure that gets passed on. So we go through whatever pain and suffering we must to set the country back on the right path. Pain will not last, but the ties that bind do. Thank God in Heaven forever for that truth everyday, and live to honor it. We are connected, the hearts have indeed been turned to the children, let's make sure they stay that way. Make sure that freedoms' beat continues strong for us, so that they will have the chance to keep it beating strong themselves.

Fall On Your Knees

2010-03-08T22:50:00.001-08:00

I've written before that this country needs to go through a 12 step recovery program. I guess you can take that opening statement as a warning that I will be speaking about it again, at least a couple of the steps.

At the crossroads of history there lies a decision. Who will we put our trust in? From the very beginning of this nation that decision was consistently made. We put our trust in God first. Than we put our trust in the people.

Unfortunately these past years (however long you want to calculate that to mean), there has been a shift. It comes from our leaders, and their ideological cheerleaders. The shift is to place our trust in government. This belief is pushed repeatedly even after the government has proven itself to be untrustworthy. Promises are broken. Corruption abounds. Backroom deals are common place. Morality is a passing thought. Few stand for something other than their own self interest. And yet the beat goes on. The insistence continues that we must turn even more to the government for answers. And the power hungry continue to lap it up.

Information is eeking out these days about the blatant corruption that engulfs our nations capital. The media grudgingly has to report it. This is not a Democrat and Republican issue. It engulfs both spectrums. And it has to stop. If we are to continue, if we are to pass a better nation on to the next generation, it has to stop.

Step one. We must admit that things are out of control, they are unmanageable. We must admit the glaring truth that there is no way that the government can get us out of the mess we are in. A mess they created quite frankly. This message has to be shouted from the rooftops so that everyone is armed with the truth. Washington is broken. We cannot fix it alone.

Step two. We have to re-affirm our belief and our trust in a Higher Power. Whatever that Higher Power is for you, than amen and bless you. We have to come to the realization, the belief and the faith that this Higher Power can restore us to sanity. For me that Higher Power is God. I humbly put my faith in Him. I know He can work miracles. I know it because He has done so in my life. I know it because I have seen it in the lives of others. He can restore. He can redeem. I believe that with everything I am. He can save this country.

Step three. Recognizing that we cannot do this alone, and recognizing that their is a Higher Power who can help us, we must make the decision to let Him. It is a conscious decision. It was the decision made at the inception of this nation. The founders protected our right to worship. We must do so now. We must beg for His hand upon this nation. We must humble ourselves and acknowledge that trusting in government has failed. We must humbly acknowledge that He is the answer.

Only with an honest and thorough completion of those first three steps can the fourth step proceed. It is an honest and sometimes heart wrenching evaluation of all the consequences of previous bad decisions. The completion of this step sometimes requires re-affirming the knowledge gained in the first three. They are the basis, the foundation for true change.

So, this is my plea America. Fall on your knees. This is a crossroads. Which path will we take? The one prescribed by an ever more corruptible government and media. Or the one prescribed by our loving Father, our Creator, our God. The decision we make now will determine the outcome.

We need God as much as any previous generation. We need His strength and support. We need truth and decency and unconditional love. He waits with open arms to receive. We trust God first. Then we can trust the people. If we are for Him, than nothing against us can have a lasting victory. If we stand with Him, He will stand with us. The most freeing thing we can now do is to let Him do His work in us.

God Bless America.
Sarah Emily Jordan

An Inconvenient Meeting

2010-03-04T01:49:00.000-08:00

What exactly do the climate change peeps have against plants. I mean really. Do they not realize that carbon dioxide is necessary for plant life. And yet, that is exactly the substance they want to limit. Rude! Well, apparently the plant kingdom has finally had the last straw. It is rumored that after house plants across the country viewed the new Sun Chips commercial touting their environmentally safe bags they spread the word. Yes, ladies, gentlemen and the plant world at large Sun Chips is making their new bags out of plants. The horror. The following transcript was obtained from Tree-Span.

Opening introduction presented by Mr. Douglas, chair of the committee to counsel about all the world's problems, but especially global warming.

Mr. Douglass: Welcome my friends and comrades in the fight against global warming. We gather to present new found information, address specific issues, discuss solutions and to pledge to take action.

My friends the science is settled. The earth is warming and it is our fault. We should have realized eons ago as we experienced ice ages and warm ups that it was really all down to us. You, I, all of us have been filling the air with noxious waste, oxygen. As I say the science is settled.

(applause that sounds strangely like the rustling of leaves)

For those who remain unconvinced, for those dummies who probably still think St. Helens didn't kill an entire forest I say wake up you saps. I will now cede the floor to cedar to present the overwhelming evidence.

(applause/rustling of leaves)

Ms. Cedar: Thank-you Mr. Douglass. If I may turn your attention to the front I have an amazing graph that simplifies the case and makes our responsibility clear.

(as the screen lights up there is an audible gasp)

Some member in the audience: It looks like a hockey stick

(some rather loud sniffling is heard in the audience)

Ms Cedar: Birch are you crying?

Mr. Birch: Sorry, I lost a relative to a pee wee hockey team that needed new equipment.

Unknown Audience Member: typical humans

Ms Cedar: As I was saying if you will notice the earth is warming at an alarming rate. But, may I also direct your attention to the accompanying increase of oxygen.

(an audible gasp)

That's right we are contributing to our own demise. We are responsible for killing our own home. I call upon my fellow plants to end this travesty.

(applause/rustling)

Unknown audience member: I blame Bush.

(Camera pans to where a Mr. Hydrangea is seated. He seems to be shrinking or shriveling on the spot with embarrassment.)

Ms. Cedar: Well, yes of course his policies certainly have increased our oxygen outtake. But, now we must concentrate on cleaning up this mess. The science is settled. And some September soon we'll be left with nothing but regret and some of Neptune's dissolved bones or something. What do we do about it? I cede the floor to Mr. Ash.

(applause/rustling)

Mr. Ash: We'd like to present some real solutions to our oxygen problem. First off Ginkgo did you prepare that handout.

(Camera pans to a Mr. Ginkgo who appears to be blushing, don't ask me how you could tell that)

good golly sir, you are completely unreliable.

Mr. Ginkgo: Sorry, I forgot.

Mr. Ash: Whatever, just take notes treeple. So, the question is how do we limit our oxygen output? First off we need to determine do we limit the growth of fruit bearers or just limit the fruit they produce.

Ms. Peach: Hold on there! Why do we have to suffer?

(a banana, a apple and a pear are seen flying up towards Mr. Ash)

Mr. Ash: My dear we all must make sacrifices it is for the good of the planet.

(murmuring is heard throughout)

Mr. Ash: Look we all knew this would have to come about. We have to make the hard decisions. We have to look at limiting the population of some of our, shall I say less desirable plants.

(a rather squeaky murmur is heard)

Mr. Ash: Oh calm down Ragweed. You too Dandelion. Its for the betterment of society. Besides I can't really understand what you're saying anyway.

(the squeaking vaguely sounds like 'suck sap jerk')

Mr. Douglass: Just how do you plan to do this Ash?

Mr. Ash: We are going to have to start rationing our water supplies. We will also have to redistribute some of the water away from the weeds.

Mr. Douglass: Sounds like quite the undertaking. How do you propose to do this.

Mr. Ash: I suggest immediately forming 5-8 bureaucracies. We than give them some grossly inappropriate amount of money and task them to do whatever they have read in various science magazines and college term papers.

A general cry from the crowd: Here Here!

Mr. Ash: Oh, and we are going to have to cap oxygen emissions. If people produce too much (looks significantly at the fruit bearers) well they are going to be taxed.

Mr. Douglass: Excellent! Well, meeting adjourned for the next hour while we all go out joy riding in our SUVS and jumbo jets. See you in a bit!

As the audience departs there several comments can be heard decrying the noxious oxygen.

The question now is, what exactly do the plants have against us?
I have to give credit to my family for contributing ideas to this particular post. My family is hilarious. Well, at least we get a kick out of each other :) Thanks guys.

I Don't Like Progressivism, In Case You Didn't Know

2010-03-04T00:51:00.001-08:00

So, I was re-reading the Progressive Party platform of 1912. Following which I took a nice hot disinfecting shower and brushed my teeth thoroughly. So, a couple of more points to make about Progressivism.

Progressives did not win that election. Progressives have never had enough support to be their own successful party, so they have had to leach off of both parties. Compassionate Conservatives are Progressives. And unfortunately the Democratic party is riddled with Progressivism. What I wouldn't give for some real Democrats these days.

How in the world has a party that did not win the major election guided so much of our national policy in the last century +? It's beyond ridiculous.

Some of the things that the Progressive Party platform called for :

- Fundamental alterations of the law and the Constitution. They pledged themselves to "provide a more easy and expeditious method of amending the Federal Constitution."

- Social Justice. According to Progressives "The supreme duty of the Nation is the conservation of human resources through an enlightened measure of social and industrial justice." Enlightened of course meaning they themselves get to pick out exactly what social justice means. Yuck!! I kind of think the supreme duty of this particular nation is to protect freedom.

- The Direct election of Senators. This was a move to democratize our Republic and also to place more control away from the states. Senators were originally to be named by the states' legislatures. Well, check that one for the Progressives.

- Organization of the workers, i.e. Labor Unions. Check that one too. And what a fine mess they have made.

- Health Care Reform. This started with the demand to unite all existing federal agencies dealing with health. Eventually the goal would be towards a universal healthcare system. That's why you hear Nancy Pelosi speaking fondly of Teddy Roosevelt a Republican (hmmm, Progressivism is the ultimate in bi-partisan. We can certainly all get along, if you are willing to play by the Progressive rule-book).

-Interference with corporations. "We demand that the test of true prosperity shall be the benefits conferred thereby on all the citizens, not confined to individuals or classes, and that the test of corporate efficiency shall be the ability to better serve the public." Thus corporations get dragged into legislative hearings, even while the legislature is boiling over with corruption themselves.

- Income Tax. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, thank the Progressives for this gem. There used to be a time when taxes were easy enough that even the Secretary of the Treasury could handle them without that confusing Turbo Tax deal. As it is now, the income tax is a befuddled mess, and getting messier.

- Parcel Post. Again a big shout and thanks to the Progressives for this one. Hey I use the post office, and use it to send packages often. But, I betcha dollars to donuts the private sector could have come up with a better way. Oh wait. . . even our President admitted that FedEx and UPS are doing better than the USPS.

Anyway that's just a quick roundup. And it certainly seems like the Progressives have done a bang up job. Where exactly are we going again? Progress to what end?

One of my favorite smack downs of Progressivism came from one of my favorite Presidents, Calvin Coolidge. He was President Harding's Vice President. The nation was well aware of how much President Wilson and his Progressive agenda had messed things up so they elected Harding and Coolidge who were decidedly against Progressivism. After President Harding's death, President Coolidge took over. He earned himself the nickname "Silent Cal." Part of that is that he really was just a kind of reserved fellow. But, part of it also was a Progressive meme touting him as someone who just didn't do much with his government position. Well, I say "bully" for Cal. That's exactly what the country needed. And it prospered quite a bit under his hands off treatment. The roaring 20's were roaring in part because he let them. Anyway he recognized that Progressives were denigrating our founding documents. Here is his awesome smack-down speaking about the Declaration of Independence.

"About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people."

For a silent guy he sure packs a punch.

So, here's the deal. Enough with the progress. Government is supposed to exist to protect our right to live and pursue happiness, and frankly to individually progress according to our own free will. Our government is not designed to take away all our boo boos and to make us a perfect society. We need to quit thinking about reforming, and start restoring the principles that already work, and that made us a strong great nation. All those Progressive ideals have just made us dependent and weaker. It's going to be tough to wade through the muck the Progressives have made, but its time to stand up and do it so future generations are not saddled with an even stinkier pile. Our country and the government set up by our Founders was the best form of government for an imperfect people. It did not need the massive changes that have been placed on it. The weight of the changes has been born by the people the government is supposed to represent. Enough already. Let's move forward instead of backwards. Let's restore freedom.

Dear Government: Please Separate Yourself from Religion

2010-03-03T23:30:00.000-08:00

Alright have you ever felt sick to your stomach and you just know that something is wrong. And you know it can't possibly have anything to do with stopping at Taco Bell on the way home. Oh wait. . . Well, anyway one of the things that I'm sick of (besides various food items) is how much the government is intruding on religion.

I think I've mentioned it before that here in Washington state the government is looking at imitating some of the religious groups programs for prison inmates. They want to do this because of the success several Churches have demonstrated in limiting recidivism. I think I've already expressed my dismay at the subject because the real answer is so glaringly obvious. If the Churches are successful let the Churches have more availability to do the job. For crying out loud, the government seems to specialize in trying to fix things that are not broken, and they invariably screw it up. It dawned on me the other day how much this action exemplifies a disturbing long lasting trend with our government. They keep trying to act like a Church.

Look at welfare. Again many Churches have phenomenally successful welfare programs. Instead of the government diving in and saying "oh me too, me too, I can save you too" the government should just get the heck out of the way. It is too late now to just completely scrap the system, there are too many people counting on government welfare being available. But, man oh man would things be better if LBJ had left his "Great Society" idea just locked up in his mind. The Churches do a better job. Again I see a trend that the government is trying to be like a Church.

There are other examples too. Consider the truth that our Founding Fathers proclaimed that we are endowed by our Creator with rights. But, government has been trying for a while to declare a bunch of new rights, job, home, health insurance etc. How very god like of you government, or maybe its more like that other guy, that maggot breeding bucket of puss who was vying for all of God's glory so people would worship him. Hmmmm. It is not your job to grant rights. We only set you up to protect the rights God gave us. Quit trying to be like a religion, separate yourself.

God is the only one that can truly offer both justice and mercy perfectly. As I've stated on numerous occasions government is supposed to limit itself solely to justice. Mercy belongs to the people. But, time and time again the government keeps diving in and trying to play the role of mercy. And of course they stink it up. You can't do both government. Trying to do both is like trying to be a Church. Knock it off!

Progressives wish to perfect society. Well, again this is not the role of government. Religion offers mankind ways to individually progress. Government protects the right to practice religion. They are not to mandate perfectibility.

Government has taken our Creator more and more out of the picture. But, they have learned that religion is successful so they are trying to emulate it without the whole God part. Neil A. Maxwell called it making secularism the state religion. You know what else government is even trying to promote a being for us to worship, the planet. Well, all one needs to do is look at history to see how well that kind of idol worship worked out.

Its beyond ridiculous. And I'm sick of it. Government needs to get back to limiting itself to law and protecting our real rights. Let us practice our religions, and worship God in whatever way we choose. If you do that you will see things get better without your help.

Well, that really was a rant. In closing I think I'll have a nice healthy salad tomorrow for lunch.

Victory

2010-02-15T21:52:00.000-08:00

Victory is one of my favorite parts about the Olympics. You get to see it every one of these "16 Days of Glory" as medals are won and celebrated. But, there are other deeper victories to be honored too. They are the victories that remind us about the truly important things in life. They remind us of the most important victories.

Having tragedy strike at the Olympics is emotionally wrenching. When I heard that Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili had lost his life in a training accident in Vancouver it broke my heart.

I love the Olympics. I love how people all over the world come together peacefully and compete. That tragedy strikes at these amazing events is a difficult reality to swallow.

I am reminded of the bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Just prior to that summer I had done a research paper on past Olympic tragedies and security issues. Mexico City where students died during a public demonstration, and of course the 1972 games in Munich where a massacre of Israeli athletes at the hands of terrorists were particularly painful events. So, these tragedies and the need to avoid such incidents were in my mind watching the Atlanta games.

I recall watching that night in Atlanta shocked to hear about the bombing. I stayed up most of the night wanting to hear any updates. The next day it rained. I watched the heptathlon event with Jackie Joyner Kersee who was in so much obvious pain. I remember thinking that it was so symbolic for how the Olympics felt that day, the heavens cried and the pain was real. Jackie pulled out of the event, at the request of her husband/coach. A few days later she came back and earned what I consider to be one of the greatest bronze medals ever in the long jump. Again it felt symbolic, she was injured but was healing and she had overcome. It felt like the Olympics could heal too, and overcome the tragedy. Sometimes after great tragedies come the greatest triumphs. Victory does not mean ease, in fact it often means there is a struggle prior. But, good can come out of sorrow and pain. In fact Paul in Romans testified to the fact that all things can work together for our good.

As I said the luge accident broke my heart. And still the event seems rather raw and bitterly, somberly painful. The victory that follows such a tragedy might be hard to find right now. Perhaps one can glean some comfort in knowing Nodar Kumaritashvili was fulfilling his dream, he was an Olympian, that victory can never be taken away from him. Perhaps there is a sense of victory in knowing that so many people all across the world united in prayer and well wishing for those affected. It is my dearest wish that his family and other loved ones felt some measure of comfort as a result of those prayers. That certainly would be a victory. I hope they find healing. Healing and victory are often related and exist together. I hope the family heals, I hope his teammates heal.

Is Nodar in a better place? Of course he is, but that knowledge doesn't take away the sting of loss. As I said before victory reminds us of the most important victory. That victory lies in the victory of Christ over physical and spiritual death. This for Nodar and for all of us is the key. So, I say to Nodar rest on my dear young Olympian. Rest on in the victory of The Savior who provides for us all that death cannot last for He overcame it. Knowing you are safely with Him makes your tragedy a little less tragic, though it certainly doesn't mean you won't be missed terribly. Your life leaves a mark on those who knew you personally. But, it also leaves a mark on all of us who watch the Olympics. Because of you we know that dreams can come true. Rest on blessed and safe and free forever more and of course victorious. Rest in peace.

Team USA: So Great a Cause

2010-02-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

Alright so guess what starts on Friday? The Winter Olympics!!! Guess who likes the Olympics?

Of course that might be really obvious by the fact that I've written about the Olympics before and by the fact that I have one of the more famous Olympic songs on my blog playlist. But, just in case, yeah that's me, I'm a huge fan of the Olympics. I'm way excited! I love all the awesome stories that come out of it, regardless of which countries they come from. But, I root for Team USA no matter what. So, though I doubt any Olympic athletes read my blog I want to make sure I put it out there. Have an amazing time, do your best, God bless, and I'm cheering you on, no matter what the outcome.

Writing about sports gives me the chance to draw upon some of my Sport Psychology background, and as I was thinking about Team USA I thought of some things I could write for the entire Team USA, as a nation. Jeff Janssen is a huge name in Sport Psychology and he has done some great work particularly with teams. He wrote a book called Championship Team Building which included the "seven C's". I'd like to address those in regards to USA. United we stand right? That makes us a team :)

1) Common Goal- That one is easy to find in the Preamble to our Constitution. "WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." That outlines our common goal, and indeed the great cause that is America. The blessings of liberty must be secured and to do that this magnificent Constitution must be upheld. We are free to become our greatest selves. Can mankind attain their proper character by force? Of course not, it must be done through a lifetime of trial and triumph. In order to grow one must cherish and protect freedom. That than is our cause, that than is what unites us.

2) Commitment- We know how committed our Founding Fathers were. They mutually pledged "to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor." How willing are we to do the same in order to preserve our sacred Union and our sacred foundations? I certainly see the example of our soldiers as the paramount one. They are willing to die for this cause. How about us though? We should be willing to give everything we can, not just for our own sakes but for the sake of coming generations. We need to commit ourselves to live and die for the cause of freedom. How willing are you to make personal sacrifices so that future generations don't have to deal with the tyranny of huge government or the tyranny of debt? If you feel that commitment than stand up, and make your voice heard, in whichever way suits you best.

3) Complementary Roles- What role should each of us endeavor to play in this cause? Whichever ones we feel most compelled to do. For some that will mean taking up some leadership roles. For others it will be being a support for good and honest leaders. Some speak with loud megaphones, some just share a conversation on the telephone. Regardless whatever role we have we should do it to our utmost. We need to be informed and we need to share that information with those around us. We all have a part to play. So, play to your strengths, and shore up your weaknesses. Find your voice, and use it.

4) Clear Communication- Oh yes, this is an incredibly important one. Our Founders thought communication was so important that they made sure that free speech and freedom of the press were specifically outlined in the Bill of Rights. Now, I won't go into too much about the media other than to say they have dropped the ball (reminder this whole post was supposed to have some sport element to it) big time. They were supposed to be our protectors against the government they have instead chosen a side and become cheerleaders. Well, I call *FOUL* It now falls to us the people to do our utmost to inform ourselves. We still have freedom of speech, so we use it. Discover the truth and share it. Now, another really important part of communication is listening. That is especially imperative in the next "C".

5) Constructive Conflict- Is conflict going to happen in this Team we call USA? Duh, of course it will. In fact our Founders were counting on it, they established a problem solving wing and a conservative wing for our government. They wanted to make sure maximum freedom would be upheld and protected and they knew sometimes that would require change. And for change to happen requires some discussion (sometimes it gets a little bit conflicty). They also set up in the Constitution the brilliant process of amending. The most key component to resolving conflict is listening. Conflict happens when 2 or more parties are sending a message and nobody is receiving it. So, somebody has to start receiving. Now, I for one have been listening rather intently to what our government is saying, because I want to know what they have planned. But, I do not stand alone in realizing they are not listening to us. And they wonder why there are some feeling a little contentious these days. Listen. Listen. Listen. There are solutions out there that would be beyond compromise they could actually be collaborative. But, government YOU HAVE TO LISTEN. The Conservative voice needs to be heard, that is the way it was set up.

6) Cohesion- Cohesion occurs when there is a genuine respect and time shared with one another. We need to get to know America better. We do that by getting to know Americans. We need to recognize that the greatness of America really lies in the genuiness and reality of American lives. Get to know your neighbors. Have open discussions with them. Unite with people on principles of freedom. Unite with people on caring for our families and for future generations. Forming a "more perfect Union" was not something done just once, its something we must continue to develop. Love each other, be merciful to each other. Regardless of what the government tries to do, do not let them dictate the warm feelings we have for one another.

7) Credible Coaching-

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

In this great cause that is America we have the best coach we could possibly want. We declare IN GOD WE TRUST. Why do we do so? Because we know it is from Him, that we have our rights. God has given us life, it is thus an inalienable right. To take that away would be a violation of divine right. God gave us the power to direct our lives. Thus liberty is an inalienable right. To constrain our agency is a violation of divine law. God gave us the ability to attain things in this life, including knowledge and property, those things which will help us most to grow. To rob us of our property is a violation of divine law. There are of course just causes to which rights can be infringed, but only when an individual or entity has used their rights to infringe on another, or when those rights are given up voluntarily for securing our freedoms. Having a government decide they know what is best for us is not a just cause to infringe upon our rights. It is an offense to our divine rights and our divine nature. The government is not the coach, they are not the ones in whom we trust. God created man, man created government. Man can be divinely inspired in the creation. But, it comes to the same end. For government to control mankind is an offense to Divinity and to us as His children. Again there are times when we willingly and freely give of some of our property in order to secure our freedoms. However, when government TAKES freedom to ensure security therein lies the error. Therein lies the seeds of tyranny.

We have our credible coach. It is the God in whom we trust. We need as a nation to remember where we came from, and to remember that He has given us our rights and has prescribed measures to best progress individually. But, we are free to do what we will with those rights. In order to best ensure ours and our children's freedom we must turn back to God, our Head Coach.

Well, there you have it. So, in these next couple of weeks Go Team USA!! And in our lifetimes, Go Team USA!! We have the ability to be the very best team. Our cause is just, our cause is great. It is to stand united in defending liberty for us and for our posterity Let us unite in so great a cause. Ready. . . Break!

AIRI: Abortion Hurts

2010-01-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

That is a reality. I've made no secret about being pro-life, having blogged about the issue on multiple occasions. There are a number of reasons why I am pro-life, and one of the reasons, I have talked about before, is because of the effects abortion has on the women who have them. I've written about the emotional effects, which I've seen first hand as a counselor. There are also some physical effects that I wish more people were aware of. I've recently happened upon a good informative website which presents research and discussions of physical and emotional effects of abortion. It is at www.afterabortion.org. I would encourage people to check the site out to learn more.

I would like to address another aspect, the spiritual effect. God's final crowning creation was woman. What an amazing yet true statement that is. It was only after creating mankind, finishing with woman that He saw that His creation was VERY good. To us, His crowning creation, He gave the gift and power of giving life. We have within us a divine nature, because we are His daughters, but also because He has entrusted us with the power to give life. It is a sacred gift, and with any gift and power of God, it comes with responsibilities and consequences. Giving life to another human being is a miracle. Regardless of what circumstances led to the pregnancy the life itself is sacred and should be honored as such.

When a woman endowed with the power to give life, instead ends that life it is an offense to her divine nature. It hurts spiritually. It seperates us more from God, than we already are as a result of mortality. It also seperates us from our true selves as His daughters. I realize that this kind of hurt may not seem significant to some, but I personally feel that this reality needs more attention in the conversation.

I do not post these comments as a condemnation upon women who have had an abortion. That is not my place to do so. I post this as a reality check to all of us to understand that our actions have not just temporal impact but eternal consequences. Please dear women, daughters of God, princesses and heirs to His kingdom, consider this reality. Be who you are, who you really are. Trust in God and His ability to see you through any trial. Seek Him and His direction and He will be found, and in the process you will find yourself as He made you holy, lovely, and strong.

AIRI: "Bush Did It Too" Is A Lousy Excuse

2010-01-29T10:24:00.001-08:00

Do I really need to say anymore than the title? I just hear this excuse so often when people complain about the current trajectory of the Obama administration. When I hear somebody say that I always comment to whoever is there or to the room at large (sometimes its just me an my teddy bear, poor bear has to put up with me) "so what you're saying is you agree with Bush." The people who wanted to change with President Obama have really only seen a few significant changes, they are speed and rate.

Obama is doing so many of the same things that George Bush did but just more so. More spending, more rapidly and with more damage. Using "Bush did it too" means that if you are okay with Obama doing it, than you must be okay with Bush having done so. I don't agree with either one. Stop borrowing and spending us into oblivion. Stop growing government. Two wrongs still don't make a right, that hasn't changed after all of these years.

AIRI: Accountability

2010-01-29T10:11:00.000-08:00

Here is a reality, everything has consequences. Those consequences may be negative or positive and sometimes neutral but they will never be denied. When we are accountable to others there will be consequences for how we treat that accountability.

To our government officials I remind you that you are accountable to those who hired you, the people. Lately that seems to have little effect on directing your behaviors. That is highly unfortunate for us, but it turns out to be quite unfortunate for you too.

In an appeal to you to change your corrupted ways I'd like to direct your attention to who we are all going to be accountable to, our Creator.

God gave us the gift of life. With that gift He also gave us the gift of agency, the power to direct that life. With that precious gift comes consequences and accountability. One day we will all have to stand before our Creator and give an accounting of our lives. We and God will judge.

The questions will not be "Well, what important positions did you hold?" or "So, show me the stuff you got down there." Rather He will ask us to account for how we performed the duties to which we were assigned by our own design or by calling. So, to all of us, but particularly to government peoples (yes, I know there are a few good ones out there :) I ask you to please knock off all that corruption. Knock off all that backroom dealing. Knock off all the being influenced by money, greed, outside interests, anything other than the people you represent. Knock off all the disregarding of your constituents. Knock off breaking your oath to protect and defend the Constitution. I guess in short I'd quote The Tick "VILLAINS I SAY TO YOU NOW, KNOCK OFF ALL THAT EVIL!" It's for the good of the people and also your own welfare. That is the reality.

AIRI: Compassionate Conservatism is Progressive

2010-01-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, was one of the first and one of the most influential Progressives. He is certainly a colorful character driven by adventure and I think compassion. He really wanted to help people. He got into government and decided to use government to enact his adventuring and compassionate desires. It was inappropriate and Constitutionally incongruent and it set us on a long winding Progressive road.

Progressivism has been bi-partisan from the beginning, first came Teddy than came Wilson. And it has remained bi-partisan, one is on the left and one is way on the left. The ones that are on the left, and who often identify in the Republican party have taken up the name of "Compassionate Conservative". A Compassionate Conservative/Progressive s often someone who has some socially conservative views and platforms but is willing to increase government, spend more money, and to use government to enact their personal compassion. George W. Bush is probably the most notable contemporary example of this. Here is a man who seems to be generous and compassionate, but he was willing to use way too much government, for example Medicare prescription plan. Mike Huckabee used his political power to commute a great many people who really needed to have justice rather than mercy. John McCain, who I absolutely honor for his many sacrifices for his nation, has decided he can best help his country by overreaching in political power, an example is his desire to grant amnesty to illegal aliens. I get it, you are nice people who want to help your country. I appeal to your compassion and to your reason. The very most compassionate thing you can do is get out of the way. Let the people be free to better their own lives. Thanks for wanting to serve, but please use that service to decrease governments influence.

I believe people can change. I believe that Compassionate Conservatives can come back to conservatism and play an important role in bringing to light the damage that Progressive philosophy has done to our nation. Please come back to the Constitution, please come back to government enacting justice and the people enacting mercy. It will be tough, you will be scrutinized, but we the people mostly want you to do the right thing. Own up to the philosophy honestly and openly and than let us know that you are willing to change course. America loves a good comeback story.

As It Really Is (AIRI): It's Progressive

2010-01-29T09:36:00.000-08:00

I'd heard it before but one day when I heard it I decided. I'm talking about the day when I was watching some news program and there was a discussion of increasing taxes on the wealthy. One commenter said it sounded like socialism. Then another chimed in and said with a smile (it could have been a smirk) "it's not socialism its a progressive tax." For some reason when I heard it that day I made the decision that I would no longer try to call it socialism, or communism, or whatever kind of other -ism. They want us to call it Progressive. Well, I'm all for calling people what they want to be called.

I also decided that I would research Progressives, learn as much as I could and than share what I learned with others. Lets call it what it is, and more importantly let's know what it is. If you've read my blog you know I've researched the Progressive philosophy and have reached quite a few conclusions. Let's just say I'm not a big fan.

Progressivism is a very close relative to socialism. But, I'm done trying to convince people that they are the same. Let's call it what it is. Bigger government, re-distribution of wealth, eugenics, government playing the role of mercy, government granting rights, teaching that freedom means a lack of responsibility and consequences etc. etc. Call it what it is, and than let people decide for themselves if that is the way they want our country to go.

To See Things As They Really Are

2010-01-25T22:15:00.000-08:00

So, sometimes I get a running theme in my life, work, thinking etc. Those themes sometimes spill over into my blog e.g. justice and mercy or restoring instead of reforming. Well, here I go again. The title says it all.

This theme comes originally from my work as a counselor. There are all sorts of obstacles that my clients and I have to work to overcome in order for real change to take place. One of those obstacles comes from a lack of complete information and clarity. Sometimes when a client will become stuck or stunted in their progress, I eventually discover that they had not given me all the information. I don't want anyone to think that that is some kind of put down on my clients, there can be any number of reasons why all the information is not put out there, including things that are up to me. But, it is a common issue that comes up. Once we can see the whole issue and understand it for what it is, we can face it head on.

I believe in redemption. I believe in healing. I believe that people can change. Correction, I know that all these things are possible. But, I also know that none of these magnificent realities can occur unless we see things as they really are, with clarity. We must have the truth, the whole truth.

There are a lot of things good about this nation. But, there are a lot of problems also. In order to fully address and hopefully correct those problems we have to see them as they really are. So, get ready for some posts related to this theme. Go USA!

P.S. This is my 100th post! That’s kinda wild.

Supporting Sarah

2010-01-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

I've had the experience on occasion of having the topic of Governor Sarah Palin come up in conversation. Okay, it happens more than occasionally. Sometimes my opinion has been politely dismissed (and sometimes not so politely, depending on who I am speaking with). The dismissal results from the correct assumption that I like and support the Governor and the incorrect assumption that liking her is tantamount to being blinded or "a kool-aid drinker" or whatever. That's hogwash! Confronting that attitude is frustrating for me because the reality is that I like and support the Governor because I actually have researched her record, her opinion, her stand on the issues etc. It cracks me up to have someone argue with me about one of her Facebook posts when they have not actually read it, and yet my opinion is the one that is dismissed. Anyway, I've done the research and have found Sarah Palin to be an excellent leader, politician and person. I wanted to reiterate here my support for her and to discuss some of my reasons for supporting her.

The 2008 election was fascinating from start to finish. I became increasingly interested in following it, watching debates and primaries and really solidifying my personal political beliefs. As it became obvious that John McCain would capture the Republican nomination, my curiosity turned, as did many others, towards possible Vice Presidential nominees. In researching I happened upon Adam Brickley's blog “Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President.” I was immediately intrigued. I learned a lot from that great site, but I also did what research I could on my own. I found interviews, op-eds, public records, whatever I could to find out more information. I went from intrigue to being impressed and than to a supporter.

The lady became Governor after running against the Republican incumbent in the primaries and than a former Governor in the general election. She stood up against corruption in her own party. She was not at all well liked by the Republican establishment, a huge plus in my book. She was a strict Constitutionalist, to the point that she was willing to lose favor with some of her base. Her willingness to do so actually did not hurt her popularity as she had incredibly high approval ratings. She championed not just ethics reform, but an ethics overhaul. Her staunch defense of ethics could have ended her political career, but she knew what was right and stood up for it, regardless of the consequences. She was willing to sue the federal government for placing polar bears on the endangered species list. She took on corruption in the oil companies and government and won. And really important for me she was a pro-life woman. So much so that she and her husband had recently welcomed a baby boy into their family. He happened to have special needs. I absolutely value congruency, being who you say you are, and living what you believe. I was and continue to be convinced that Sarah Palin has that.

So yeah, I liked her and I thought she would make an excellent VP choice. Family and friends can attest to the fact that she was a popular point of conversation for me that entire summer. I did not think McCain would pick her, but I sure hoped he would. I was ecstatic when he did. The campaign was brutal, but I'm not going to go into that much. I will say the media did not portray the Sarah Palin I had come to know. It seems they were unwilling to do even a smidge of real research. They were bent on distortion and destruction. What little trust I had of the MSM dissolved very quickly.

I never wavered in my support of Sarah Palin. But, since that time my support has changed. . . it is even stronger. Why? Because she kept doing things that made me like and admire her all the more. Let me explain.

In a previous post I discussed one of my favorite quotes from her

"Some days politics makes me roll my eyes and say 'I don't know if politics are in my future.' and it's certainly not the be-all, end all for me personally.
If there are platforms, opportunities for me to be able to effect positive change in people's lives, whether that's political or another venue I will embrace that.
But, I don't know if its going to be in politics or running for president in '12."

She has a true servant's heart and has continued to prove that. She is all about effecting positive change, in whichever way she can. That's honorable, that's admirable.

Another favorite is the oft quoted "politically speaking if I die, I die." She is willing to stand up and do what is right, regardless of the consequences. That is something she already proved in Alaska before and during her Governorship. Doing what is right, even and maybe especially when it is hard is a trait I look for in a leader.

One of my heroes is a man who gave up an elected political position because he felt he could better serve his people in another capacity. Early last year I was thinking about him and thought how amazing it would be to have a political leader who was willing to do something like that. This hero of mine lived a very long time ago, and I never thought I would see in my lifetime someone give up political power in order to better serve the people. When Sarah Palin resigned I understood why. I have this weird knack of taking what she says at face value. She felt she could better serve out of a political position, unhampered by the agenda set against any progress her administration was trying to make. I appreciated her decision, and am still a little in awe that I actually saw it in my lifetime.

Not long ago I blogged about the need for this nation look to God for answers. I pondered how amazing it would be for a leader to speak about the importance of God and seeking His blessings and counsel as a nation. Not long after posting that I watched an interview Sarah Palin did while spending time with the Reverend Billy Graham.

There she was saying exactly what I personally believe is one of the most important messages for this nation. Standing up for God and faith in this country is something that I support.

Way at the beginning of my blogging venture one of the things I posted about was how cool it would be for a politician to embark on a "What's Great About America" campaign across the country. I suggested that they discover the real greatness of America, within the lives of the people. The people make this country great. Sarah Palin, with her recent new gig with FOX announced that she will be doing specials on real life Americans what she termed "Real American Idols." She will be going around the country highlighting the greatness of America through the greatness of Americans. Like I said she just keeps doing things that I can really support.

I could go on. I've had a few personal experiences, including meeting her briefly, where I got to see that servant's heart for myself. I'm left to the conclusion that I originally had, that Sarah Palin is a good and decent person. Moreover I think she is a leader for our time. So, given all this and my own political opinion, I think the question is not so much 'Why do I support Sarah Palin?' The question is 'Why wouldn't I support her?' I mean come on, she is brimming over with qualities that I like and admire.

Do I think that she is perfect? Heck no, she is human, and none of us are perfect. Do I agree with her on absolutely everything? No, but I don't agree with anybody on absolutely everything. That's not what support is all about. I support her because she believes in, proclaims and acts with correct and honest principles of freedom and common sense. So, just in case you did not get that, I like, support and admire Governor Sarah Palin. I would support her in whatever direction she would go in order to serve the people. She could choose to do any number of things and be successful at it. She could choose to stay in Wasilla and be a great mom, without any regrets and without any complaints from me. If all she wanted to do was be a spokesperson for the special needs community she could do so and her life would be a resounding success story. But, she has chosen to do more. She has chosen to stand up for what she believes. She has chosen to take whatever shots are slung her way in order to stand for principles of freedom. For her willingness to do so I'm struck with gratitude and frankly humility that a person would be willing to sacrifice their own well-being for the welfare of others. She has a servant's heart, and I think she likely feels the weight, that so many of us do, of the responsibility to turn things around, back to freedom in America. It's all our responsibility. Her being willing to take up that challenge, to do whatever she can, inspires me to do the same.

Now the question is how do I support her? To me it involves more than cheering from the sidelines, and definitely more than throwing advice at her. I trust her decisions, because I trust in the reasons for those decisions, to effect positive change for Americans. I tell the truth about her, and correct the distortions and misperceptions when I am able. I also keep her, her family and any Americans standing up for what is right in my prayers.

I want to use a bit of a religious example here in talking about supporting a leader. I want to talk about Moses. Yes, yes, I know I'm a religious nutjob, haven't I proven that enough already? But, I actually blame the media for the comparison between Sarah and Moses. They always talk about how she is a "polarizing" figure and it puts this image in my mind of her standing on the capital steps, holding up a staff and commanding the American waters/people to part. I mean come on, she didn't divide us, we are already divided and she is just a loud voice on one of the sides. So, anyway it's the media's fault that I'm making a comparison (I could blame Bush if I really wanted to). But, come to think of it I do like the idea of her walking into Congress and telling them to "Let my people go!" But, I digress.

Exodus 17 tells us that during a great battle Moses was told to lift up his arms. As long as his arms were lifted the Israelites were winning the battle. As soon as his arms fell the tide began to turn. Eventually the Israelites, realizing this, had several of their own go and hold Moses' arms up for him. This eventually led to the victory.

So, in this time when it feels like a battle is raging for the heart and soul of America do I look to one of our leaders and just encourage her to keep holding those arms up. Encouraging words are helpful but only to a point it doesn’t take any of the weight off. Do, I tell her how to hold her arms "You know if you turned that arm a quarter turn to the left, it might stay up a few seconds longer." Again advice, however friendly will only get you so far. No, what I need to do is stand with her, and take up my own responsibility in the fight. I take courage from her courage and I offer whatever assistance I am able to her, and to anyone who needs it. I stand for principles of freedom where I am at. Many hands make the load lighter.

When I think of Sarah Palin, I don't see her as a leader who is demanding that people blindly follow her lead. She's not a 'get in line behind me' kind of person. Rather she has taken a stand and invites us to stand with her. Well, I will stand by anyone who stands for the things she does. And while I'm standing there shoulder to shoulder if the occasion warrants, I'll hold up those arms.

A Great and Magnificent Gift: Redemption

2010-01-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

Any of my readers (I think I might be getting close to 10 now, give or take 5:) will know that I've made numerous posts already concerning religion. I guess you can take that as fair warning that I'm going to be writing on the subject again.

Many look upon religion as a code for moral conduct. Well, I certainly see that as an important aspect of religion. I highly appreciate and value individuals who live congruently with their beliefs, regardless of the faith they subscribe to. That is a quality I look for and even long for in a leader. Religion should make us better people. Any religion that does so to me is valuable and should be honored. This characteristic of providing moral conduct and the betterment of mankind was an important motivation for the founders of this nation to ensure and protect the freedom of religion. They were well aware that in order to be a free people, we needed to be a moral people. I therefore will stand up and defend the right of any person to practice their religion Christian, Jew, Muslim, Budhist, etc. so long as their belief system does not lead to harming others.

While I appreciate and defend any faith that betters the lives of its followers I have recently been reminded of the importance of standing up for my own faith. I guess you can take that as fair warning that I'm going to be talking about my own faith :)

80+% of this nation profess a belief in Jesus Christ. I therefore want to highlight Christianity and make a case for living this precious faith to its fullest. One of my favorite historical political leaders is William Wilberforce of the U.K. He made a point to call upon his fellow citizens and fellow Christians to renew their faith and to practice "Real Christianity." I highly recommend his book by that name. It is an excellent reminder to me of the need to examine my own life and ask if I am truly living my beliefs. I think others may benefit from the same.

Any good religion will help its followers to reform their lives in a way that makes them better. Christianity offers an additional key component for even greater benefit, a far greater gift than a code of moral conduct alone, Christ offers redemption. God is a just God. He will follow every law He establishes. No unclean thing can be in His presence. Therefore any sin in a person would disallow them from returning to His presence. God is also merciful. Mercy and justice are both satisfied in the sacrifice of the only perfect being ever to grace this earth. He answered the ends of the law and offered mercy to all of us who will receive it. His magnificent gift of redemption is for all. So, though Christianity does offer a code of moral conduct, and though Christ indeed was a great teacher, at the heart of Christianity lies Christ Himself, and His Atonement wrought so that mankind may be redeemed.

We are a nation whose vast majority claims to believe in Christ. We believe in His teachings. We should believe and follow His instructions for us. His Atonement has infinite capacity. Volumes have been and could continue indefinitely to be written and not contain all that He through His Atonement has offered for us. Humbly I would like to submit just a few thoughts on Redemption and in particular the healing that comes with it.

During His ministry Christ performed many miracles, the majority of which involved healings. In speaking of His ministry there are two things I want to point out. First though His lifetime was a ministration, His ministry beginning with the miracles of turning water to wine on through His death upon the cross spanned approximately three years. That meant in a mere three years He had to demonstrate to the world who He was, and what His role in our lives is. To show that He is the Healer required miracles of instant healing. I believe that can and does happen today. However, we must know that in the midst of the healing process, if we trust in Him, He will turn the process for maximum benefit to us. At times, often in fact, that means the process takes longer. Trust in His ability to sanctify our trials for our benefit. Trust that as you turn to Him you are in the healing process, but it might not be instant. Secondly His physical healings manifest also His capacity to heal us emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I will discuss this aspect in more detail.

The Book of Mormon is an account of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent and their dealings with God, just as the Bible details ancient Israel and surrounding areas. It contains the record of Christ's visit to the Americas in what I consider one of the most beautiful books in all of Scriptures, 3rd Nephi. Christ tells the people that they are the "other sheep" spoken of in John in the New Testament. At one point Christ invites all those who are suffering from any affliction to come and be healed. He provides a list of various ailments that serve as a nice list to discuss not only physical healing, but also emotional, mental and spiritual. He says to them:

Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you;

Christ had told the people previously "repent of your sins and be converted, that I may heal you." Thus, healing accompanies repentance, and is a part of redemption.

He heals the lame, those who experience that something just is not working right in their body or their life. He offers the healing power to overcome those defects. He heals the blind, those who have difficulty seeing, again whether that be physical or if that means not knowing what direction to go, needing the light that He offers. He heals the halt, those whose progression has ceased for whatever variety of reasons, He offers the way forward in His pathways of righteousness and peace. He heals the maimed, those who at one time felt whole but now whether by some other's hand or by their own mistakes are injured, He can make you whole again. He heals the leprous, the hallmark of which is uncleanness, He offers His ultimate cleansing power. He heals the withered (from the Spanish translation I learned this refers to atrophy), those that have been weakened by the circumstances of life including inactivity, He offers His strength. He heals the deaf, those who have struggled to hear, He opens the ears and hearts to truth. And finally He acknowledges that any affliction can be healed at His hand.

So, why am I discussing this? Well, it is probably obvious but I feel that this nation needs to turn back to God, not just for a moral compass, though that indeed is important, but also for healing redemption. I have felt the reality of His healing in my own life. I, like any earthly inhabitant, am a perpetual screw-up. I need redemption, and so do all of us. How amazingly merciful and glorious is the reality that that gift can be ours if only we receive. It is there for all of us, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. That great and magnificent gift is real, come unto Him, repent, be healed and be redeemed.

I testify that Jesus is the Christ and Redeemer and Healer. There is a way back to wholeness. It is there in His loving arms. As we find our way back to Him we will be received, not as a stranger, not as a guest, but like a child at home.

Arms Wide Open

2009-12-21T21:40:00.000-08:00

Not long ago I attended a workshop on relationships and bonding. At one point the instructor asked us to hug the person next to us. Well, I didn't know the person next to me and immediately I felt a twinge of anxiety. Now, I'm actually a fairly free hugger, at least with family and friends. But, I've grown more cautious on just handing out hugs willy nilly (is that how you spell that particular phrase?) particularly with my profession. However, I cannot solely blame my fear on that; the fact of the matter is I was scared to open myself up to a stranger. Lucky for me the lady next to me apparently had no such reservations. She got right up walked over and gave me a big and warm hug. If she felt any anxiety about it, she certainly did not show it. Right there something subtle changed inside me. Fear left, replaced with love. Yes, I think you can love people you don't even really know. I also realized in that moment, that though I talked about wanting to serve others, I was letting fear dictate too much of my thoughts and actions. I was too worried about my own self protection. I decided than that I needed to live and serve with my arms wide open.

There is a reason that I'm posting this message at Christmas time. I will attempt to make the connection. Per my usual, it might take a bit :)

Not long after my experience at the workshop I recalled another experience that I'd had. Some time ago I was working with a young woman who had faced some rather difficult circumstances in her life. She was a delightful individual to work with, optimistic despite her challenges. In the midst of working with me she was unexpectedly faced with a tremendously difficult decision. It was in fact one of the most difficult choices I've ever encountered as a counselor. Because of confidentiality I will not go into any more detail than to say either choice had some potential heartbreaking consequences. Needless to say she and her challenging decision weighed heavily on my mind for a time. I kept thinking about my responsibility. I of course would not attempt to make the choice for her, but knew I needed to be a support. I made it a matter of prayer. My question was simple "What should I do?" I did not know, and the answer was not forthcoming.

At some point during this time I attended a mid week religious service. While there my client and my question continued to weigh heavily on my mind. However, and I'm not sure how or when it happened specifically, but a couple of things changed within me rather simultaneously. It went from weighing heavily on my mind, to weighing heavily on my heart. And the question changed from "What should I do?" do "What does she need?". The change was subtle yet had a profound impact on me. And not long later while in the silence of a holy place the answer to what she needed came clear as day. She needed to be in the arms of The Savior.

I can hardly express how humbling that answer was for me. How in the world was I supposed to provide that for this young lady? But, I also felt at peace. God knew how. I just needed to be humble and attentive to learning. And I needed to be there for her, no matter what the answer was, offering support, encouragement, compassion and empathy. The Savior would take care of the rest. And that's exactly what He did.

Things turned out fine, as they always do when we put ourselves in His hands and especially when we put ourselves in His arms. We both openly acknowledged feeling at peace with her eventual decision.

I think providing the way for someone to be in The Savior's arms has many aspects. But, as I was reminded of the experience I thought living with arms wide open is one of those ways.

There is no greater example of living with arms wide open than The Savior Himself. In fact think about the symbolism of the cross. Willingly He gave us the greatest gift, His precious and Holy Atonement, and He did so with His arms wide open. He is love, complete, unfettered, and extended to all who will receive.

He is our example. We strive to follow that, humbly recognizing that we fall exceedingly short. But, still we strive. Christmas is all about giving. We honor and celebrate Christ's gift of love to us. And we in turn try to give that love back to Him. He taught that when we do a service to the least of our brethren (and sisters :) we do that service to Him. As we embrace one another, in whatever way we do, in a way we are accepting and giving that embrace to Our Savior and Redeemer. We love, we look for ways to share that love, and we do so regardless of whether or not we feel fear. If you seek to serve you will find a way. I’ve experienced that in my own life, and especially lately as I’ve tried to honor my commitment to live with arms wide open.

I asked one of my kid client's the other day what he was giving for Christmas. He quickly responded "I usually give my parents and my family hugs" Well, I thought that was just perfect. So, embrace your family, your friends, and even a neighbor you hardly know if you feel so inclined. One of life's greatest treasures is the love we share.

My favorite Christmas anthem is "Oh Come All Ye Faithful." I love the message of being in His Holy presence to adore Him. The third verse gets me choked up just about every time "Yea, Lord we greet thee." I long to one day greet Him, to kneel in His presence. The only thing I can imagine that would be better than being in The Savior's presence is being in The Savior's presence with my loved ones. Honestly, I'd love for there to be a crowd. That can happen as we open up to one another and love and let other’s love you back.

Oh come let us adore Him, with grateful hearts and open arms.

Merry Christmas and May God's richest blessings be yours,
Sarah Emily Jordan

Postette: Mad Libs

2009-12-19T19:29:00.001-08:00

Why do I keep putting "Postette" at the beginning of these last several posts? Not because they are little colorful squares with a little sticky on them. It's because they are cute and little.

Anyway, what do you think of the following vid? Understand this is a liberal host of MSNBC going after one of the most liberal Congress members out there.

So, I fully admit to finding some humor in that. But, really I want to say to the Progressive liberals who are really upset about this current healthcare bill, I feel your pain.

Dylan Ratigan is very upset by the fact that the healthcare bill in its current form only seems to help insurance companies. Honestly he has an excellent point. Of course his solution is to create a public option in order to provide "competition." What that would end up doing is to create government control. Now though the government will mandate we all have to buy health insurance, but limits our choices. The government gets to determine which insurance companies have acceptable programs. Yeah! How great will that be?

Guess what the government has proven time and time again, and poignantly in this whole health care debate? That they can be bought. Behold Lincoln, Landrieu, and today's addition Nelson. It's repugnant. Insurance companies are well aware how easily they can buy favors off our corrupt government. Ratigan, I agree with your assessment sir, well some of it. But, you get the picture.

And by the way, Ben Nelson, thank you so much for throwing the pro-life movement under the bus, for your pot of gold. Thanks to you and other pro-life Democrats, of which Harry Reid is one, who did not stand up for that principle, we tax payers who are pro-life will be forced to pay for abortions. It is morally despicable.

So, there you have it Progressive Liberals, I'm upset too. For different reasons maybe, but we can feel each other's pain. You guys are right that competition will be a good solution, just not from the government. The insurance market needs to be free. Competition will breed choice and improvement. Its one of any number of ideas that could actually improve our situation. Oh, and I feel your pain as you watch politicians you thought were on your side do little to nothing about stopping the bill.

But, I'm with you Libs, "Kill the bill!" The thing is ridiculous. It's gross.

Well, that wasn't a postette really (it was kinda medium), but I'm keeping the name, like I said it's cute!

Postette- Separation of Church and State

2009-12-15T22:38:00.000-08:00

-Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.- Thomas Jefferson 1802

So, I recently was reading a press release from my Church that stated there was going to be an increased emphasis on seeing to the welfare of the needy in our communities. I thought that was cool! That is such an important role of the Churches. I was shocked though when I read some of the comments following the article that reported the press release. Side-note I really need to stop reading comments, cheese whiz people can be mean to each other. Anyway some were accusing the Church of being socialist, some were saying that Conservatives were going to be mad about this, and such.

Wow! Some people really miss the point about Churches. They are separate from government. Thomas Jefferson made the statement he did in order to protect religion. Freedom of religion is essential to having a moral people. And a moral people will take care of those in need. Its not socialist, its charity in a purer form than government welfare.

And no Conservatives are not angry about taking care of those in need. In fact Conservatives want to give, just not via the government.

I've said it before, "get out of the way government!" Please government separate yourself from the mercy that belongs to the people, and especially the Churches.

Postette- A Climate Debt

2009-12-15T22:14:00.001-08:00

One of the more ridiculous ideas that come from the whole climate change scare is the idea that developed countries have to pay some sort of debt to underdeveloped countries by way of our emitting more CO2. Please. It drives me nuts that so many are willing to base economical and political systems on an unconvincing science. Also what is the deal with the climate debt. To me it is rather obvious that the leaders of those countries will continue to do with that money what so many have already done with free money. They will take it for themselves and do little to nothing to actually help their people.

If leaders of underdeveloped countries really wanted to help their people they would seek to establish a political system that resembles what our founding fathers established here.

The United States did not get to be the country that it is because other countries gave us a bunch of money. We became who we are based on protecting the gift that God gave us, not just life, but the power to direct that life. Government's role is to uphold and protect that most basic right.

Of course these days our Government is willing to dictate to us what we have to do. When that begins it ceases to be a protector and starts to become an overseer, which inevitably leads to tyranny.

Why are we going in the opposite direction of freedom in our own country, and why are we considering continuing to propogate tyrannical systems with ideas like a climate debt.

Families for Change - Spokane

2009-12-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

The Conservative Independent Rant is pleased to announce the formation of a local group to discuss past and current politics, and the actions we as citizens can take today. It is called -Families for Change Spokane- founded by Tara Mclaughlin and myself Sarah Emily Jordan.

This kind of group has deep historical roots. In fact these roots stretch back to before the American Revolutionary War. Before there was a single shot fired, there were groups of citizens meeting together to discuss their concerns, grievances and possible courses of action. From these groups came the ideas, definitions, motivation and commitment that would set the stage for the foundation of the nation that would become a beacon to all nations for freedom.

It was perhaps with a nod to the importance of these groups that the founders ensured that the right to peaceably assemble would be proclaimed and protected in our Constitution.

We, therefore are exercising that precious right.

There are many who have felt that our nation is not currently on the right track. Any in the Spokane area, who have concerns are invited to attend our meetings. We plan to learn from one another, to discuss concerns and ideas, and to discuss appropriate action.

We look forward to coming together peaceably. This blog will be updated periodically with meeting times and locations.

God Bless

Justice and Mercy Part (I don't know what number I'm on)

2009-12-06T14:15:00.001-08:00

Recently here in Washington State we had a very preventable tragedy strike. Four Police Officers were shot and killed in a brutal manner. Like many my heart goes out to the families and the fellow Police Officers affected by this travesty.

A lot of attention has been paid to the fact that the shooter had been granted clemency in Arkansas by the then Governor Mike Huckabee several years previous. While I believe the responsibility for this horrible event rests with the perpetrator, I do think the situation is indicative of a political philosophy, and the damage this kind of thinking can do. What possible philosophy could I be talking about? Well, if you've ever even glanced at this blog you probably already know the answer: Progressivism. Have you heard of it?

Progressivism has infected the general political mindset into thinking that Government is supposed to be compassionate. This infection has affected both sides of the aisle. Governor Huckabee demonstrates the Republican version of Progressivism also known as compassionate conservatism. I have pointed this out before, and will likely continue to do so: The Governments’ job is not mercy and compassion. Their job is justice and law.

Governor Huckabee strikes me as a compassionate person. But, he inappropriately used his Government position to mete out his personal feelings of compassion. Justice dictated that the man in question answer the ends of the law, to serve his time and debt to society.

I personally have experience within the prison system here in Washington. I teach Sunday School (I know you may have been expecting a juicier tidbit). It has been a wonderful opportunity to serve our brothers and sisters who are incarcerated. There are quite a few religious organizations that provide services for them. Prisoners who actively participate in a religious program while incarcerated have significantly lower rates of recidivism. The Washington State Government has started to more closely look at these religious programs to perhaps start similar state programs. Now, on the surface that might seem like a good idea. But, I'll tell you my reaction to it, "BACK OFF!!" The Churches are doing a good job. Perhaps the best thing the Government could do would be to allow the Churches even more access to the prisoners. The Government should not be in the business of being compassionate. They instead should ensure that prisoners pay their debts while also providing for other, appropriate organizations to provide the means for prisoners to receive compassion and mercy.

That's the same way I feel about welfare. The Churches do such a markedly better job than the Government at providing welfare services. People say, well maybe the Government should design their programs to more closely match the Churches. I say "BACK OFF!!" and "GET OUT OF THE WAY!!". The Churches do a better job. Government bureaucracies have become about examining behavior and results. While Churches are about the individual welfare of people. Thus the Government is directed only by what they can observe, and it takes a ridiculously long time to examine. Churches are directed by principles of mercy, compassion and individual redemption. Their work helps people change from the inside out, thus giving the individual the power, not the Government in changing individual situations and society in general.

The Government does not do a good job with mercy. These are just a few examples of that fact. It is unfortunate that we sometimes need tragedies to remind us of that. Please Government get back to your job of justice and law. Let us take back the responsibility for mercy and compassion.

I Will Not Yield

2009-11-29T15:21:00.000-08:00

Recently an online discussion that I was participating in turned into a discussion about terrorism. What sometimes happens with this subject is people will begin to express outrage at Muslim radicalists. While that may be appropriate, especially given that horrific events have occurred at the hands of Muslim radicalists, unfortunately sometimes people generalize to the Muslim faith and its followers as a whole. I'm not a contentious person by nature (than why is this blog called a rant? you might wonder) but, I recognize the need to stand up for what is right. I wrote what I thought was a carefully crafted reply expressing no desire to step on any one's toes but wanting to make sure people knew that I believed throwing the entire Muslim faith under the bus was unacceptable. It turned out the vast majority of the responses to my response were positive and appreciative. In fact there was only one respondent who seemed to get a little riled by it. The response from this person seemed well meaning (they said "with all due respect":) but their message back to me was "do some research."

I didn't really dwell on it much, but I did wonder what research was I supposed to do. The responder had apparently not thought my having lived in the Middle East was sufficient research. I am aware that the research suggested was likely supposed to be directed at studying radical Islam and their distortions and to study the terrorists’ cells that exist around the world, including in our own country.

Honestly, I am aware of these things. Let me state here unequivocally that I detest, despise and wholeheartedly reject and condemn terrorism in any form, and particularly when it disguises its vileness with religious distortion. Few things would please me more than the rooting out of terrorism in this world. I absolutely know the reality of terrorism. I have etched in my memory places and faces that have been impacted, even destroyed by this evil. My research has included seeing attacks on cities and people that I love. More knowledge would not increase my loathing, I'm already there.

Terrorism thrives off of hate. That is their high priced commodity. The price is high, because it destroys so many. So well practiced at their salesmanship of hate are the terrorists that they are able to convince many to actually commit suicide, taking out as many objects of their hatred as possible. What twisted logic promotes such vile behavior? Hate may be the commodity but power is the goal. There are a few power hungry leaders who know the power of hate and thus enlist it to manipulate for their own agenda. They disguise their power-thirst and hate in a shroud of religion, but it doesn't hide who they really are, maniacs driven by all things evil.

They proselyte hate, and the numbers of their followers is devastating to calculate. I fully support the efforts to rid this planet of this vermin. I hold out hope that there can be some redemption for the followers who have hearts remaining, but too many, it seems, are too far gone.

One way in which they seek to have power over us is in our own emotional responses to their behavior. They try to make us feel terror. They in fact try to inspire hatred in us. If they can make us hate them back than they have engaged us in their twisted view of a holy war and it becomes easier for them to breed more hatred on their own side.

I unequivocally state that on this matter I will not yield. I refuse to bend to their will of hating other people. I refuse to generalize their twisted view into condemning and hating an entire religion.

I have, in that regard, a secret weapon, its called perspective. My life has been blessed with experiences with many of the Muslim faith. And while I don't think those experiences give me special powers or anything; I do think they have shaped my perspective. When I think of Muslims I don't first think of terrorism. I see people. I see shopkeepers earning a living to support their families (and by the way I was terrible at bargaining, so I'm happy to say I helped them out more than I might otherwise have done). I recall conversations laughing at shared experiences and common ground. I recall walking through a Palestinian refugee camp where we were happily greeted. I see the interrupted soccer game when the kids previously playing decided to walk us down the streets of their little city and then invited us into one of their homes.

I remember the cute family that was walking ahead of me down a street in the Palestinian side of Jerusalem. I see the son turn around and smile and remember realizing he was the spitting image of my own brother, though with darker skin and hair. I think maybe that experience sums it up best. When I think of Muslims I see my brother. I see my sister. I see my family. I summarily refuse to feel anything but love and appreciation for my family.

In fact my anger at terrorists is compounded by the anger I feel towards them for what they have done to Islam. They've tainted the faith. It despicable.

I implore others to not give in to the desires of the terrorists. Do not give in to hate. By all means, by every means, we must stand up against terrorism and radical Islam. We must learn who they are, and where they are and what they are doing. But, that does not mean casting out the Muslim faith and all its followers. Do not let yourself become tainted. Love our brothers and sisters, for that is truly who we all are. Peace and love are more powerful and will in the end overcome. Never yield the sacred ground of your heart to the hatred of your fellow man.

God bless

Babel Anyone? Eh, No Thanks

2009-11-25T20:05:00.000-08:00

Genesis 11:3-9 (KJV)

3-And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.
4-And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
5-And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
6-And the Lord said, Behold the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
7-Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
8-So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city.
9-Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Religious nut job strikes again! I was thinking about Babel recently and what the whole incident was all about. First question, they used slime? How appropriate. Our information on this event is limited. But, from what I gather these people were trying to reach heaven through their own man-made scheme rather than the means that God had laid out for them. They wanted a meritless heaven. God seeing the detriment that the people had placed themselves in had to intervene. He blessed them with chaos, and a chance to start all over again.

Babel may have been the original, but over time their idea has caught on repeatedly, to the detriment of the people. And guess what? It is alive and well today. If you have read my blog before you likely already know what I'm going to say. If you haven't here's the heads up. In addition to quoting Scriptures from time to time, I also use quite a bit of my blog space to discuss Progressivism.

One of the things I think is common between the Babel folks and Progressivism is their perspective on humankind. It's actually a pretty finite perspective, because little thought is given to the power God has in our lives. Instead the focus is on what man can do for itself. They see mankind as imperfect (I agree with that) but that with proper guidance we can be made better (yeah, I agree with that too) and that enlightened intellectually superior humans can control and mold the masses into their Utopia vision (I totally agree with... oh wait, what?) That kind of thinking comes from a prideful reliance on man's own wisdom, a wisdom which historically repeatedly is flawed and can lead to well, chaos. Mankind is capable of great things. But, without a humble acknowledgment of not just some human frailty but the absolute necessity for Our Creator, we are left building structures that could fall given the slightest provocation.

Here's the thing, this Babel, Progressive finite perspective looks to change a society through man-made means. But, what really changes things is when we individually humble ourselves and open our hearts, minds and wills to letting Christ change us from the inside out. Blessed with that miracle of redemption, people can then go forward and help others do likewise through service, unconditional love and other Gospel principles.

So, do we let fallible man dictate what change we ought to embark on, or do we heed the instructions of our loving God.

To underscore these different perspectives I'd like to use a pairing that a recent newsmaker (unless of course you only rely on the MSM), and Obama administration official Anita Dunn used. Though where she viewed them as equally admirable I view them as polar opposites, Mao Tse Tung and Mother Teresa.

So, let's start with Mao. It's clear to me that he believed himself to be an enlightened individual capable of making his people into a perfect society. How did he go about this great change? Force, tyranny, mass murder (upwards of 70 million). It's nearly unfathomable the damage this one evil man perpetuated. The world, or his spot on it, was his for the moment and he played it for all he could. The moment was finite, though the damage far reaching.

Mother Teresa, a truly noble and great spirit, viewed things with an eternal and infinite perspective. She knew we have a Creator. She knew He has a plan for us, which includes the possibility for a real Heaven. She humbly submitted herself to a perfect and loving God. She thus allowed herself to be sanctified by Our Lord to be an instrument in His hands in helping His children. Her work brought others to God so they too could taste of His goodness. Again, Christ changes us from the inside out, rather than the tyrannical heavy hand of "enlightened" man which tries to force us. Having God in our life does not mean there will be an absence of trial. Rather, it means that trials can be sanctified for our welfare. They can be instruments of change. It's very humbling and very real.

So, am I comparing Progressives to Mao? I certainly think they have similar perspectives, though some different means. Are Progressives trying to establish a Utopia? Are they trying to build another Babel? Well, yeah I think they are, brick by slimy brick.

What then are some of their building blocks? One of the slimiest pieces of bricks has got to be eugenics. I've written on this topic before. But, it is basically the belief that a perfect society can be bred. Sound familiar? Well, understand that historically that kind of thinking (though more and heinously carried out on other continents) actually had roots in early 20th century American Progressives. Ideas of birth control and even forced sterilization started with people like Margaret Sanger. Wait, her name sounds familiar. Oh yeah she's the one Planned Parenthood is so fond of. Abortion follows along that same thinking. I've outlined before some of the target populations. Needless to say people are dying for the "enlightened" eugenics cause, really little people.

Another brick is the "Great Society" introduced by President Johnson, and his war on poverty. Since his presidency spending on welfare programs have increased by 400%. The poverty rate in the late 1960's? 13%. The poverty rate today? 13%. Thanks LBJ! You cost this country a whole lot of money, now we get to pass on an indecently immoral amount of debt to future generations. And what gets built in return, a whole lot of good people who feel dependent on their government for survival. What a crime, it's like slavery.

There are others. But, I want to move on and look at what we then need to do. Remember God's response to Babel came when the people had finally gone too far. Perhaps we can intervene prior to that. Perhaps we can adopt the perspective of Mother Teresa. We could also adopt the perspective of our Founding Fathers. They did not just think about their own moment in time and their own spot on the planet. They thought of future generations and what form of government would best protect freedom. They thought of you and I. We need to be thinking of future generations also. That may, scratch that, it WILL require sacrifice. Entitlements must be siphoned away. Current laws would need to be challenged. But, first and foremost we need to return to God. We need to walk in His ways. The government too often tries to act like our parent, they are not. In fact it’s more like we are its parents and need to be watching over it. But, God is our Father. We need to follow the guidance He has already laid out for us. He wants so much to bless us. We need to put ourselves in the position to receive those blessings.

Life is not about building our own Utopia, its about letting God build us up to be what He knows each of us can be. As fun as learning another language can be, I say let’s put a stop to this flimsy tower and let God build us up instead.

Guest Post Starring, My Sis!

2009-11-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

Lessons from Socialized Halloween Candy by Heather S.

Well our family sure enjoyed trick-or-treating this year. Our oldest daughter scored big on Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and our son got more than our dentist would approve of in Hershey bars. My husband and I were left whatever candy was not handed out on Halloween night. I might add a personal note that if neighborhood kids don’t want your econo-purchase goodies, an adult in need of a moment of quiet indulgence might find their kids hard earned wares more tempting then the leftover rejects. I’m hoping I am not the only person who struggles with this particular weakness, because the whole point of this narrative hangs on this one fundamental issue: I wanted a Midnight Milky Way really, really, really bad.

It might not come as a shock to you dear reader, but I redistributed the wealth of candy in our home. Oh yes, I socialized our Halloween candy. After all I did it for my kids own good. All that sugar is really bad for them. Their little growing bodies don’t need all those empty calories. They aren’t as experienced as I am in how to pace yourself through a bag of goodies. And oh, one last thing they don’t even realize I’ve done it.

I enjoyed all the premium goodness for days. After I put them to bed at night I would bring my husband a Reese’s and I would enjoy an Almond Joy. Maybe 30 minutes later we would do it again. I might also add that I’m on the fluffy side so all the argument toward dangers of over sugaring are lost on me. My husband and I got the benefit of a Halloween feast and we didn’t have to knock on one stranger’s door, say any silly phrases, or wear a Wonder Woman costume to get it. All we had to do is realize how short sided it was that we didn’t tax those kiddies for driving them around. (Thank you for the Snickers) Tax them for getting them dressed in their costumes. (Oh, that Kit Kat looks really yummy.) Tax them for making sure that those costumes were reflective and that they crossed the street safely. (I don’t usually eat Starburst, but in a pinch they do the job.) Tax them for caring enough to take their candy away before they make themselves sick. (Smarties? Is that all that’s left?) Tax them till it is all gone and we can start to look forward to Thanksgiving.

I know that this all seem a little malicious, and I wasn’t really that cognizant of the steps leading up to my glut-fest. The point I’m trying to make is that when we combined the resources we had in our little microcosm it benefited not the whole microcosm, but just the ones who controlled the resources. My kids had no way of regaining control of their hard earned resources because they are smaller than me, and weaker than me. Now if a mom who loves her kids more than air would take advantage of her kids, (I really didn’t mean to, but it happens sometime)… What do you think of those very well meaning representative who haven’t gone through 12 hours of labor to birth us, stayed up all night while we cough up a lung, or worked two jobs to get us braces might do if given a similar opportunity to utilize our resources.

Hmmmm. Still hope that you might get some of those Butterfingers?