So, now it’s OK to take advantage of our OWN oil resources (remember “Drill, Baby Drill!” and all of the angst THAT idea brought to the left?), the President decides to ‘secretly’ (can you say “blatant reverse psychology manipulation of the press”?) go visit our brave soldiers in Afghanistan, AND we’re pledging to get tough on terrorism….something STINKS. Have we ever heard him (our Marxist President) say or do ANYTHING even remotely indicating he even likes this place? Likes our independence? Respects our honorable military?…nope…I don’t buy it.

Of course, he’s never faced an upcoming election period that could cost his Socialist agenda dearly, either. I have a feeling he will do everything he can think of to make himself appear to be something he’s not, nor has any intension of being between now and this November. I bet he even becomes (falsely) more of a ‘centrist’ by all appearences…but don’t fall for it! I certainly won’t…

Amidst all this chaos…God loves me…

THAT’S what all the furor was about? A warm fuzzy with a little humor thrown in to spice it up? Were they serious about protesting so loudly to CBS to drop the ad? I’d like for the NOW (National Organization for Women) ladies, as well as the Planned Parenthood folks to point out the evil intentions of the Focus On The Family Super Bowl ad. It just isn’t there in plain sight. None of us were able to fully understand the mean spiritedness of it…We need help from our left leaning organizations to ‘see’ the harmful nature of it since we are lowly, stupid, blind, Bible thumping, gun toting followers of the under-educated right wing…

Perhaps if Joy Behar had been calling the game for us, she could have taken a second to point out the hate speech contained in the Tebow ad…..Oy VEY!

Amidst all this chaos…God loves me…

Breathe in. Breathe out. Now, back in, and out. Eat. Take a bath. Get some sleep … grow up, find a mate, or not … move out of your parents house … try NOT to move back in … try to make more than you spend … if you spend too much, stop it …

Come on, have we ‘advanced’ so far in this computer/electronic age that we actually require a LIFE COACH? I understand we sometimes need counseling, or financial planning help, resume’ assistance, job placement help … but HELP WITH YOUR WHOLE LIFE?

Perhaps this is a government sponsored program. So THAT’S where all that TARP money went …

Amidst all this chaos . . . God loves me . . .

Growing up watching Dad fly-fish while I used a ‘cane-pole’ got old pretty quick on those family vacations. It seems every time Dad would take the time to ‘teach’ me to “be patient”,  and to “let the rod do the work”, “remember ten o’clock-two o’clock” etc, I’d tangle it all up, quickly throw something, whine and complain, then BOOM.  There I’d be, back to standing there with a ‘cane-pole’ watching his effortless casting that looked like Tinkerbelle waving that wand. It made absolutely NO sense for this skilled sportsman to say those things to me, “he must be daffy” I’d think, or “he’s telling me the opposite because he doesn’t want me to learn” and then I’d try it my own way. What I would give to go back in time, abandon that ridiculous, youthful notion that I really knew better. He was so wise about EVERYTHING at a time when I believed he was completely clueless. He was the same way in teaching me about horses~that a tiny movement with my little finger was enough to send the right signal to my horses mouth . . .in my stupidity, I ‘knew better’ . . . that jerking the reins hard enough to get his attention was the way to go. I was about as flexible at learning as a brick. I wonder how much of Dads fishing gear I ruined and horses I soured?

At 14 or so, I was scared enough of him to at least look like I was trying it his way, and so finally it clicked. What do you know? That beautiful, soul rhythm portrayed in “A River Runs Through It” really can be had by the average Joe . . .or Jane as in this case. And it’s not about catching fish, though that’s a fun part of the sport. It’s about living in rhythm. We love Fly-fishing even now, and it seems like every time we go, I can hear Dad’s voice in my mind~”Not yet, wait, let the rod do the work. Don’t lose your load.” That was the one thing he’d say over, and over, and over, “Don’t lose your load.” That took me about 6 years to understand what it even meant. Fly line floats. When it’s floating out in front of you, and it’s time to cast it out again, logic says to jerk it with force and sling it hard backward, then with mighty force fling it forward again. That’s what I tried for all those brick-headed years. That’s why every time, the fly line landed in a heap either in front of me or right behind. (I can hear his voice in my head here) When you lift the line up to cast again, the friction of the floating line against the water loads your rod ( that’s why the tip of your rod bends. That energy has to go somewhere.). When you stop your ‘cast’ at the ten o’clock’ mark, that’s when your rod does the work. The energy stored in the rod tip is what forces the line straight back behind you. The hardest part is to STOP at ten o’clock, and let that rod do the work! Then, when you move your arm forward, STOP at two o’clock~again, hard to do~and let the rod move that line straight out in front of you. It defies logic. If you’ve ever tried it and given up, please try again. It can be done, and it’s a lot less work than you think.

What does all that have to do with politics? Not much. Just like fly-fishing has little to do with catching fish. It’s about living, in rhythm. In the last few years, we’ve seen an unprecedented amount of spending . . . of money that doesn’t exist. Obama has just brought it to everyones attention because he wants to spend more of this imaginary money. We’ve got very serious problems in the health care system, and major changes need to happen. So why is the public so against the Pelosi bill? Because we don’t know what it is, and it may bankrupt us, that’s why. Is it because 60%  or more Americans want the uninsured to suffer because they can’t pay 700 dollars for an aspirin? No. Something has to change in our ‘big picture’, the whole climate of this country needs to shift. It’s time to re-cast. So far, this administration has made the same mistakes I made when I was ten. They are trying to force this legislation (among others) down our throats, just like I tried to force that fly line way out behind, then in front of me. Yesterdays election results in New Jersey and Virginia are this administrations fly line piling up in a heap. Stop the shotgun approach, learn from what works, and let’s do this right within the boundaries of The Constitution. Health care is not a ‘right’, but we ought to be able to take care of people in need. Let’s do this with wisdom, compassion and thoughtfulness.

The Republicans are standing by silently with their ‘cane-pole’, and the Democrats are busy trying to untangle. This is OUR opportunity. The American spirit MUST rise and do this thing ourselves. Politicians ain’t gettin nowhere. If we’re going to keep this Republic, and I think we should, we need to teach these guys how to fly-fish. I believe we are finally getting Washington’s attention~they work for US.

The “grass roots” movement we’ve seen in the last couple of months isn’t Republican OR Democrat. It’s American. Let’s not get frustrated or give up. Our best days are ahead of us. . . if we don’t lose our load.

Amidst all this chaos . . . God loves me . . .

A friend of this website sent us the following, and we couldn’t HELP but share it with you! Thanks CD, for sending this to us. Whoever the original author is, summed up a few of the differences between liberals and conservatives better than most . . . enjoy:

If a conservative doesn’t like guns, they don’t buy one. If a liberal doesn’t like guns, then no one should have one.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, they don’t eat meat. If a liberal is vegetarian, they want to ban all meat products for everyone.

If a conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat his enemy. A liberal wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.

If a conservative is homosexual, they quietly enjoy their life. If a liberal is homosexual, they loudly demand legislated respect.

If a black or Hispanic American is conservative, they see themselves as independently successful. Their liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of government protection.

If a conservative is down-and-out, they think about how to better their situation. A liberal wonders who is going to take care of them.

If a conservative doesn’t like a talk show host, they switch channels. Liberals demand that host’s they don’t like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn’t go to church. A liberal wants all churches to be silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it. A liberal demands that his neighbor pay for his.

Amidst all this chaos . . . God loves me . . .

Well, Nancy Pelosi says we’re weeks away from having H.R. 3200 Health Care bulldozed down our throats like a goose in preparation to become foie gras.  Just like the genie can’t be put back in the bottle, you can’t ‘un-see’ something or ‘un-ring’ a bell . . . I fear that once this (ravenous, nasty, stinking, clumsy, spitting) camel has his nose under the tent it’s just a matter of time before he’s all the way under wreaking havoc . . . in every aspect of our lives. He won’t just stand there in the corner, ya know . . .

It’s become increasingly apparent that our current president doesn’t only want to  “fundamentally change the United States of America”. After all the apologizing, in addition to throwing Israel under the bus (God HELP us!) . . . he wants the majority of the world to love him so that he can put into motion an eventual ‘One World Order’. Yes, I’ve said it HERE while I still can: Barack Obama is an ambitious, intentional liar, and he wants to rule the world. If I’m still alive, call me crazy twenty years from now.

You know what the socializing of medicine means to us, don’t you? Beyond health care, eventually it means that fat-nanny government knows whats best for us to do for a living, how much we should make, what we can own and use, where/how we travel, what we should eat, what our beliefs should/should not  be, and among other things, how long we should live needing assistance. Of course there are some (very FEW in comparison) good things in this bill, but real wisdom reminds me that “A little leaven, leavens the whole loaf”. It’s NOT a Republican or “Right wing conspiracy”, Mr. former President Lech . . . it’s a right vs. wrong thing . . . just like it was when you were chasing skirts around “The Resolute”. Believe me, I don’t like the Republicans any more than I like the Democrats right now. They’re all grand-standing to keep THEIR jobs.

If it’s true, that we are “weeks away”, what can WE do? For starters, in a recent podcast Crash served up a great reminder: 2 Chronicles 7:14 in the Bible says, if my people, who are called by my name, will 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. . . firstly get your vertical relationship right, then work on the horizontal ones. Life is just better when you’re living right, even when circumstances around you are horrible!

Secondly, you’d better start getting aggressive with your own health. This week, my husband and I have determined that we are going to start doing just that~watching what we eat, and exercising together regularly. We don’t have much choice. If this health care bill passes in ANY form, we can’t just ‘coast’ into our 60′s, 70′s & 80′s and believe that regular Dr. visits will guide us along with treatments and the occasional joint replacement surgery. That ain’t happening. So, as I said this bill has a few good things in it, and maybe one of the side effects is that we get in a little better shape. My only regret is that it’s motivated by fear of my own government. Wow.

Amidst all this chaos . . . God loves me . . .

I agree with our friends “Rick_and_Bubba” in reference to Jimmy_Carter’s asinine  assumption that anyone who disagrees with  President Obama is a racist. This morning they addressed a comment directly to Mr. Carter’s family . . .”Yall, somebody please, just put Paw-Paw in a home. . . it’s time”

You have to agree with the above paragraph, or you ARE a radical far-left flaming homosexual liberal. . . just admit it . . .

Amidst all this chaos . . . God loves me . . .

Do you wonder why “Ford” shows a slight increase in sales, thereby a tiny bit more ‘breathing room’? It’s NOT the government intervention that B. Obama will claim. Cash for Clunkers is just like every other government run disaster~it’s works for a minute or two . . . like jumping off a sky scraper is fun-flying . . . until you hit the pavement. It’s the pavement that hurts, not the jumping off. Unfortunately, you can’t have one without the other.

“Ford” has a long road ahead, but this ray of light is the result of common sense, not the ‘save the day’ buttinsky interference of our nanny, Uncle Sam. It’s the same reason our family shops at the little drugstore in our neighborhood that’s been there longer than I’ve been breathing. It’s not that I refuse to shop at “Walmart” . . . although I’m close to that since they’ve recently gotten in bed with this government . . . it’s that I have a deep appreciation for the personal efforts and success of the pharmacist and his family that have owned that place for generations. The prices may be a little higher, but a lot comes WITH that little extra money, and we don’t mind paying a more in that case. You get what you pay for.

Ford didn’t take any government dollars (OUR dollars) when it was being force fed like a goose is prepared for foie gras. We happen to own a “Ford” truck, and while it’s had serious issues that have made us regret owning a “Ford” in the past, because of our new ‘we know better than you’ administration and it’s policies, we’re “Ford” people for life. The minute they accept that financial funnel being shoved down their throat, we’re out. Bravo, “Ford”! Hang in there!

Another take on this unexpected early “uptick”. . . is it possible that people are rushing to buy a work truck or SUV before they are OUTLAWED? You know, gun sales are UP too. Perhaps these things indicate that we no longer trust our government for even such simple things as the car of OUR choice. I know I don’t trust them, and when we can afford it we want a NEW “Ford” truck, and a couple of hunting rifles. . .

Amidst all this chaos . . . God loves me . . .

Isn’t it a cool feeling when you see something from your childhood that’s been restored to it’s original condition? While cars have come a long way with safety features~seat belts, airbags etc, there’s still a warm, safe sensation that comes over you when you see a car just like Dad’s. Do you ever wonder how/why sights like that (temporarily) bring back the common sense of a simpler time? It’s more than just seeing a 1956 sedan look like new again. It’s getting a glimpse into a time when we weren’t ‘too big for our britches’ . . . when we had common goals, common friends and common enemies.  Back to when we weren’t sitting in front of a flickering box waiting for the next 100 shows to come on to decide from, or ‘surfing’ the world for news of who blew themselves up. We were healthier then. We might not have lived as long, but we lived more in those shorter years.  And it’s not just ‘nostalgia’, and missing the old days. We truly were healthier, in more ways than not.   

Like gorging on caramel as a meal 3 times a day, too much of a good thing is just outrageously bad. Instant media is a good thing, but too much can overload your brain circuit and short it out! Most of us have seen/heard so many that they just go in one ear and out the other. . .we think. . .but tune in and count the number of erectile dysfunction commercials thrown at you in a day. Or how many ‘has this happened to you?’ law firm commercials enticing you to sue someone. It’s all designed to grab you, tell you how important you are~you deserve more sex, more stuff, more money, more respect! For the sole reason: because you’re you! . . .and our government has become the biggest pitchman of them all! Folks, jobs and health care are not ‘Rights’.  We’re guaranteed the right to pursue happiness, not the right to happiness . . .

The worlds of “Face Book”, “My Space”, “E-mail”, “Satellite” & “Cable” TV, “Cell Phones”,  are all wonderful & we should be thankful for them! However, let’s not throw away time tested ‘tools’ for something else just because it’s easier. Keep things in perspective, and appreciate what your ‘elders’ appreciated. Yes, it’s nice to cool off in an air-conditioned den in a recliner with a remote in your hand, but it’s also nice to cool off by dangling your bare feet in a creek while you look for crawdads. Both are equally beneficial, and both come with consequences. 

The word progressive used to be a positive word meaning continuous steps to improvement. In this political climate, it’s meaning is more like the ‘medicinal’ usage when referring to a disease like cancer. In that case, I want nothing to do with ‘progressive’. The same goes for our country and it’s laws. When we look at where we are today, yes we need some changes. Health care and prescription costs are too high and we are in financial dire straits. Education, our legal system and on and on desperately need help, but so far all we seem to be doing is making it bigger and WORSE. It’s like we’ve got one of those beautiful 1956 sedans. When we try to start the engine it fails so we pull the choke out more, flooding it over and over. Knowing that a choke lever can help, we keep installing more ‘choke’s and every branch of government has theirs wide open trying to get the engine started again. It’s the only thing they know to do. Our politicians seem to have abandoned the common sense of our founding fathers . . . that usually less is more.

If the democrats wants to be known as the progressive party, let them. I don’t really care what the republicans call themselves. When they can figure out who they are, then they can decide. What we need right now is a ‘restorative’ party. We need to take our hands off the wheel, relax & take a few breaths. Over-reaction is proving far worse than no reaction. While we’re waiting for the flooded engine to drain, we need to cut out a bunch of those choke levers. When it’s so overused, it no longer acts as a primer or jump start. It does just the opposite. If we’re going to properly ‘restore’ the best country in the world, we need the owners manual that the original 56 signers left us on July 4, 1776. Everything and then some is spelled out in there.

Amidst all this chaos . . . God loves me . . .

Having just come from my first exposure to a room filled with ‘Home-schooling’ Mom’s, I’m still a bit bewildered by it all. Let me first say that now being a member of that coveted group, I can make a little fun of the ‘truth’. You know, like fat people can make fat jokes, black people can make black jokes, and gay people can. . .never mind, they only make fun of everyone else. Back to the subject~getting ready for this meeting, I found myself subconsciously putting on a little too much make up, a bit more jewelry than usual, and shoes that hurt my feet. I think I was trying to make certain that everyone would recognize the ‘rebel’ in me, that surely I’d not be mistaken for one of ‘them’. I have no intention of educating my kids into an Ivy League University before they turn 17. Making their clothes is not an option, and there is a time and place for flip flops. Make-up is my friend, I look awful with my hair in a ‘bun’,  and while comfortable, a floor length sleeveless muu muu is not part of my wardrobe. Besides all that, I like eating unhealthy, and though it may prove my early demise, why eat watercress & tofu when a moon-pie is within reach?

Walking in the joint, I automatically had kind of a chip on my shoulder. After all, our children are coming out of one of the finest school systems in the entire country. We loved being ‘normal’ there, and changing has been a hard, thought-out, prayerful process for us. We’re leaving behind something wonderful for the unknown~but it is RIGHT for our family. That we’re sure of. Miraculously for me (I’m terminally late for EVERYTHING), I was early. Strategically, I took a seat on the second row. The front row was just too bold, the back row was too non-committal. Funny how we think things through like this when we’re nervous, huh? There I sat, pretending to read some hand out materials, holding my Blackberry tightly in hand in case one of the die hards made their way toward me, I could fake a phone call from the Mayor, begging me to bring the kids back to public school . . . As the other ladies began to filter in, I tried not to look anywhere but the papers I had, or an occasional text message on the phone. After the room started to fill, there was laughter and small talk all around, and soon the seats around me were filling. I gathered the nerve to glance around for a few seconds . . . BOOM. It hit me, “Am I in the right place? These can’t be home-schoolers.” Where’s all the macramé? The unstyled prematurely gray hair and 1970′s eyeglass frames? No one is breast-feeding two children at once as she balances a 9 year old with a sippie cup on her knee. . .THIS CAN’T BE RIGHT.

As I sat there in amazement, I realized that almost all of these women look the way I wish I looked! Beautiful hair, stylish but modest clothes, manicures, make up, most were fit and tanned, some even wore their tennis and golf outfits. Suddenly I also realized how many familiar faces there were~and NONE of their kids are weird! The more the reality sank in, the more relieved I was. Further, the more out of place I felt . . . in a reverse kind of way. Remember at the beginning I said I’d put on a little too much make-up & jewelery? . . . Well, I sat there feeling more and more like Cher’s “Lavern” character, the leopard-leotard diva of the laundromat . . .to my amazement though, being the new kid on the block, none of them had any preconceived notions about ME. At least they didn’t let on so. I felt strangely comfortable, even supported. Also relieved, as the real discussions centered around ‘growing our children into an intelligent, Christian worldview’. That’s the real point.

And so, it’s official. I am a home-schooling Mom, and very proud to be. Even though we all know I really have the potential to screw up our children, but good. Wish us luck! More importantly~pray for our kids . . .

Amidst all this chaos . . . God loves me . . .