Please watch this video before November 4, 2008. And please pass it to all you can. 

This is just too important. 

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

We’re coming down the stretch to what from here, appears like a shear cliff in the distance. My hope is that it’s just an optical illusion, and that while it looks like a cliff, there really is just a step off & slight bend to the left. In the last leg of this journey to a new administration, I personally experience waves of concern/content depending on which news coverage I watch. I know, I know. I should be ashamed that I pay such close attention to something I can’t change. I wish I could pull my eyes away from the ‘media’, but it’s like trying to avert myself from reading my own reviews. I can’t help myself. In the past, if a critic hated a performance of mine, I still read & re-read what they’d write trying to find something redeeming in their opinion. Maybe I should ditch the ‘news’ and seek solace in working at our farm. After all, the wild mustang we adopted from the government doesn’t care if he was captured in a red state or a blue one. And he certainly doesn’t care if I can sing, act, be funny or cry on cue. He doesn’t care about polls, or who I’ll be voting for. If he could vote, he’d vote for who ever says they’ll feed him. . . . Always in favor of a meal at someone else’s expense. Uh-oh. I suppose we can guess who he’d vote for.

In it’s simplest form, this is the difference between the two main political parties in this country. Lao Tzu  said, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” This is easier than so many people are making it. If you aren’t catching any fish, find another fishin’ hole. In other words, train for and seek a different job. They are EVERYWHERE. Just look at the want-ads sometime. If the fish you’re catching aren’t big enough, fish in deeper waters. Take more risks & try more things to enhance your career. If you’re not catching the kind of fish you’d like, change your entire approach. After all, it’s not likely you’ll land a yellowtail tuna using a dry fly & a 4 lb. test line. Change careers all together. Maybe it’s time to be an employer rather than an employee.

I can’t change the election. I can only cast my vote. It represents me, one time, per election. That’s my part. I cannot force someone to ask questions that they think unimportant.  Those of us who are willing to say to the Emperor ”You’re standing there naked. You are wearing no clothes at all.” seem to be dropping like flies. But I’m still here, and I have no problem seeing past the beautiful communicator/rock star that Barack Obama is. I would say to his face (albeit politely), Sen. Obama, you have a lovely way of speaking. Even eloquently inspiring. But because you are a good orator, it seems that you are just repeating someone else’s words. When you haven’t been told what and how to say something, what do you think? It appears to me that you ARE a socialist, and I’d prefer you answer the tough questions now rather than show me later. But if you are NOT going to answer any questions, I’m going to the farm. I have work to do. And by the way, I can get my own fish, thank you.

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

WWJD, “What Would Jesus Do”, is a question or a phrase that has become quite common when attempting to make a decision or to determine the acceptability of certain behavior.  Given the seeming importance of the Presidential decision we face, it seems that if the question, WWJD, is not germane in this case where should it be applied.   So…what would Jesus do, or how would he vote in this contest?

Some of the issues at the forefront of this election cannot definitively be decided from a purely Christian perspective.  Scripture is silent on many issues, leaving us to make rational decisions by applying reason, logic, perspective and wisdom to both subjective and objective information.  There are, however, a couple of distinct differences in the worldview and positions of the two candidates that are clear in their alignment or lack of same with God’s position.  With the explosion of both the credit and equity markets and its catalysts as well as the fallout from the debacle, these two issues have taken a backseat in recent political and social discussions.  They are, none the less, still front and center in God’s mind….He has told us so.

The positions of McCain and Obama on LIFE are clear.  Forget the rhetoric about “we all want abortions to be infrequent and safe”,  Obama’s position is squarely in the pro choice camp.  McCain, on the other hand, is solidly PRO LIFE…..which is the real pro choice position, except it represents the choice that would be made by the unborn child if they were able to vote for themselves.  WWJD?   He has told us in scripture that He is definitively for the protection of the body and soul of the person that Psalm 139 tells us He knew when he/she was in the darkness of the mother’s womb.

McCain believes that marriage is a covenant relationship between one man and one woman.   Scripture says that a man “leaves his home and mother and cleaves to his wife”.  This is definitively clear.   Similarly, scripture decries the unions and illicit relationships between two men or between two women.  In this case  the answer to WWJD is, likewise, clear.

God is sovereign, omnipotent, omnipresent and all knowing…..He not only speaks truth He is TRUTH.  God is not schizophrenic.   His character will not allow Him to say one thing in His Word and turn a blind eye to the actions of those who defy His Word.  He, therefore, IS NOT in support of the Obama positions on these two issues.  I would like to think that this means that McCain will be elected, but Scripture is silent on this subject.   I do remember that Pharoh was once in power and he severely oppressed God’s people.  The end result was exactly as God planned even though the journey was, doubtless, uncomfortable to say the least.

WWJD in the voting booth?  Although I do know from The Word what God’s ultimate plan for me, us, the US and the world is,  His immediate or intermediate plans are less clear.   I do believe Jesus is coming, not to take sides, but to take over.  By putting together what God says His position is on the two issues discussed above with the plethora of other clear issues in this race, I am led to vote for McCain / Palin.  I hope and pray that we are granted another opportunity, under a McCain/Palin administration,  to get our national house in order and that the  implosion of our financial structures will prove to be the catalyst that precipitates this change.  I am terrified of of both socialism and a lack of protection of our sovereignty under an Obama rule.

I have a question for our in-house master mathematician, Crash AND any other conservative to-the-core friends out there. First, let me express myself this way—I DO consider myself a conservative, and the die-hard conservatives were saying that “We NEED this rescue plan, even though it is tough to swallow”, etc. I am only conservative, certainly NOT a die-hard. I was and AM against this stupid bail-out blunder we’re now chest deep in.

On to my question that I have heard others propose before (lest you think it original). I just can’t seem to get a satisfactory answer. Why didn’t the government impose opening up a limited, say 3 year period, on making a 10 % capitol gains tax? Why wouldn’t the super influx of money into the market have gotten us past this? The only real ones that would suffer & drop out of the race are the yahoos who were making and taking bad loans to start with. Lot’s would be hurt, but not near the casualties that we’re suffering & going to suffer. That to me as a parent is just teaching character through consequences. 

I’ve yet to see, even months or years into the future where this 700 Billion is going to prove to have been anything other than rocks piling into the bottom of the boat. As of today, the financial earthquake is still just a tremor leading to ‘the big one’.

Anyone in the class want to help me out here. . . .anyone? Anyone? Bueller? 

Amidst all this chaos . . . God loves me.

You can now listen to Just Talking It Up 21 in the player on the left sidebar of the blog, or on iTunes!

THEIR KIDS…OF ALL AGES….Guest Adam Swetlik, Regional Development Director for All Pro Dad, a division of Family First.

Adam’s riveting life story provides a great backdrop for the assistance All Pro Dad can be in the lives of Fathers and their kids. With 50% of Dads out of their kids lives and another 30% disengaged it means that 80% of kids are impacted negatively by the relationship or lack of one with their father. In this poignant and insightful interview, Uncle Bud explores with Adam Swetlik 10 specific and simple ways Dads can have a lifelong positive impact on their kids. DON’T MISS THIS!!!

On this day, I celebrate one short sentence that changed everything about my life. As a child, I never dreamed I could have landed the biggest, finest fish in the sea, but somehow, someway, it was God’s plan! Yes, he’s a little too organized, a tad too cheerful in the morning, and works way too hard, too often. I’ve often described our differences in this way: Before I met him, I’d done most everything you can do that’s wrong, and he’d never so much as had a library book over due. All true. Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout. 

The greatest gift (besides salvation) God has given me in this lifetime, was the opportunity, the ability, and the wisdom all those years ago to utter that little sentence that changed the world as I knew it. “I do”. . . I did, I would again in a heartbeat, and I love him far more today than I did the day I married him. Why did he choose ME to be his wife? But, that’s not the biggest mystery! The real question is, why does God love me that much? It just doesn’t make sense. But here I am.

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

I found this on the www.foxnews.com political section. Talk about elitist. I think that Obama fella is just a little too big for his britches. . . .

“CHICAGO — Media organizations will have to pay up if they want a prime spot to cover Democrat Barack Obama’s Election Night party in a downtown lakefront park. 

Obama’s campaign, awash in money after raising a record-shattering $150 million last month, is asking news organizations to pay anywhere from $410 to $1,870 depending on where they want to be and if they want telephone or Internet service in Grant Park. 

While it is customary for news organizations to pay their way when covering a presidential campaign, including transportation, hotels and Internet services, some have questioned the Obama campaign’s plan. 

“It smells a lot like paying for access,” said Al Tompkins, a former TV news director who teaches broadcast and online journalism at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla. 

For $1,870, a news organization can buy space on a main riser that will be covered, plus phone and Internet service, while $410 will get them space on a separate riser for photographers without out phone or Internet access, but with electrical power. A seat in a heated press filing center will cost $935 and include power, cable TV, Internet and food. 

There is one press credential reporters can get for free. It will provide access to a standing-room-only outdoor press area with no services that “may have obstructed views.” 

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

Why are Democrats so frightened by the word ‘socialism’? The Republicans are usually the ones accused of being “fearful”, etc. But I’m having a hard time getting one single left wing follower to call the elephant in the room by it’s proper name. Wake up liberal friends (yes, I have many liberal friends). We’ve danced around this word for about three months now. Socialism. Say it, and know what it means. Socialism. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth for good reason. Because we’re all angry over the economy, don’t let anger over-ride your intellect. Think. Read. Know. Choose.

Listen carefully: Barack Obama, while eloquent as well as charming is a socialist. Most politicians are manipulative. That’s just the nature of the beast. When you look at what he SAYS in written form rather than HEAR him actually speak, his intent becomes very clear. He is without doubt a socialist. How committed a socialist, I can’t tell and don’t ever want to find out. But know this: To a committed socialist, Karl Marx is a prophet and communism is the gospel. If you think times are tough now, just wait until he’s been in office a while. If we aren’t blown off the map first, we might be standing in lines to buy toilet paper before you know it.

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

At the risk of making this look like the personal complaint department, I just have to at least express an opinion here, as well as ask a few questions. While channel surfing (as no conservative would ever be caught actually watching CBS), I happened to see a teaser for an upcoming story on “CBS Sunday Morning”. The scene was the congregation of a large Catholic Church packed to the gills with people and their pets. Animals. In the pews of this church. It was not a rehearsal for a live manger scene. Yapping dogs, terrified cats, fat un-caged rats etc, all being clutched by assorted bizzarre humans. In this clip there was a voice-over that said something about the “annual blessing of the animals”, but I missed the exact wording. I was transfixed, hypnotized if you will by the shot of a young man (I think) holding the leash of his costumed dog sitting next to him with the man leaning over so the dog could lick him repeatedly on the mouth. Now, it’s possible that the man was blind, that the dog wearing the clown ruffle was really a “working dog”, and that the man had never seen his dog clean himself. . . but I doubt it.

What this implies to me is that the Church, all of us, I mean the MIGHTY CHURCH has dumbed itself down to reach the people, rather than offer the people hope—a hand up from where they are. I understand that animals are important, and that God went to a lot of trouble to ‘save’ them from the great flood on the Ark, that childless people depend on them for comfort and companionship. Heck, I have cried a boatload of tears over sick and/or dying pets even in the last year, but I don’t think I’d find it necessary to drag them to church with me. The vet’s office maybe, but not church. 

Are animals considered ‘holy’ by the Catholic Church? I’m not being facetious, I am asking because I am not Catholic. Do the Catholics believe that Jesus died for animals? Are they considered the same as human beings? Was this ‘Priest’ blessing these animals because he felt they needed it, or was he just pandering to the neighborhood & trying to boost attendance? 

No wonder CBS has only 18 viewers. Now that WAS facetious. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that all the news shows would cover such a story. I am wondering if the next agenda the left will be introducing is to allow people to marry their pets. After all, if the Catholic Church finds it acceptable to ‘bless’ them, wouldn’t it be discrimination if we didn’t allow them to ‘marry’? Why are animals entitled to be blessed as well as protected by ‘animal rights’ laws, but not marry their owners if their owners ‘propose’?

I think we’d better brace ourselves, because it’s not that far fetched . . . no pun intended. Just look a little to your left, you’ll see it coming. The Engineer of this train is none other than Barack Obama, the Conductor is Barney Frank, dancing & laughing as he takes up your ticket, and promptly tosses it out the window so that others may pick them up and board the train at the next stop. The caboose is manned by  . . . hmmm. Can’t quite make it out, but he looks like Karl Marx . . .

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