My life may not perfect but it is blessed because I have a wonderful Lord and Savior who knows me and loves me anyway!


Saturday, October 18, 2008

Yep It's True- I'm voting Democrat

In lite of all the trues, I have decided to change my party and votedemocrat. I have listed all the reasons below that have changed my mind onthe things I want, so here is my list:

I'm voting Democrat because English has no place being the official languagein America. I'm voting Democrat because I'd rather pay $4 for a gallon of gas than allow drilling for oil off the coasts of America.

I'm voting Democrat because I think the government will do a better job ofspending my money than I could.

I'm voting Democrat because when we pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq, I knowthe Islamic terrorists will stop trying to kill us because they'll thinkwe're a good and decent country.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe people who can't tell us if it willrain in two or three days, can now tell us the polar ice caps will disappearin ten years if I don't start riding a bicycle, build a windmill or inflatemy tires to proper levels.

I'm voting Democrat because it's alright to kill millions of babies as longas we keep violent, convicted murderers on death row alive.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe businesses in America should not beallowed to make profits. Businesses should just break even and give the restto the government so politicians and bureaucrats can redistribute the moneythe way they think it should be redistributed.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe guns, and not the people misusingthem, are the cause of crimes and killings.

I'm voting Democrat because when someone with a weapon threatens my familyor me, I know the government can respond faster through a call to 911 than I can with a gun in my hand.

I'm voting Democrat because oil companies' 5% profit on a gallon of gas areobscene, but government taxes of 18% on the same gallon of gas are justfine.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe three or four elitist liberals shouldrewrite the Constitution every few months to suit some fringe element thatcould never get their agenda past voters.

I'm voting Democrat because illegal aliens are not criminals, are notsucking up resources through government aid, hospital services, education,or social services, but are just people trying to make a better life by coming to America illegally. We can't blame them for that, can we?

I'm voting Democrat because now I can now marry whatever I want, so I've decided to marry my horse.

Makes ya wonder why anyone would ever vote Republican, doesn't it?

Friday, August 8, 2008

How Do You Decide Who To Marry (a kid's point of view)

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids)

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -- Alan, age 10
No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. -- Kristen, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. -- Camille, age 10

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. -- Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids. -- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. -- Lynnette, age 8(isn't she a treasure)
On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. -- Martin, age 10

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns. - - Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich. -- Pam, age 7
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. - - Curt, age 7
The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. -- Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9(bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? -- Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favorite is........

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. -- Ricky, age 10

Monday, August 4, 2008

Wife, Mother, Career Woman...Does Superwoman really exist and keep her sanity intact?

This is a question I have asked myself for years. Can a woman try and fill the shoes of all of the rolls of wife, mother, and career woman and keep her sanity intact? Well, after years of hands-on research, my professional opinion is NO WAY!!!

I used to try and do it all. I worked a full time job, served time on the PTA, homeroom mom, soccer mom, drama mama, girlscout parent, band parent, sunday school teacher, youth group parent, slumber party hostess, birthday party deluxe hostess, cook, maid, fashion buyer, dog washer, home-improvement, super human being!! Whew!! Oh yes, somewhere in there I tried to find time to be a wife to my wonderful and patient husband!

I am not just speaking as someone who doesn't have a clue! I had a clue but, was it the right clue? Did I really think that I could "have it all" or so the world defined as such? I finally got a clue when I looked in the mirror one day and realized how much time was slipping away. I had lost valuable family time and valuable ME time! I decided it was time to adjust my priorities. Was having money for "stuff" really that important? Had I put having "stuff" above my own health and the happiness of me and my family????? I knew we had to downsize in a hurry or I would be dead by the age of 40! NO woman in her right mind, can do each of these jobs and do any of them good enough to be acceptable! I don't care what anyone says! Now, I'm not talking single moms here. I've been there and done that and lived to tell the tale! I admire ALL single moms who manage each of these positions. When you aren't given a choice, you do what you have to do. I just knew that I wasn't in that position any longer and I DID have a choice.

So here's how we did it! We packed up the big city life and opted for small town America. A slower pace of life in a lakeside community. (That REALLY helps with the stress level and I hightly recommend it!). We stopped paying high-dollar private school tuition, and opted for home school. We learned that places like GAP, Abercrombie, and Saks Fifth Avenue would no longer be a part of the budget. It wasn't necessary. Not like it really was before but, you do tend to get caught up in the trends when surrounded by it without even realizing you are being caught up! Who need the mall when you have WALMART in your hometown and that's about it on choices. We traded in our business suits for shorts and flip flops! I even go to the store in my pajama bottoms! I wouldn't have been caught dead like that in the city!!! Most days, it's no make up, our hair up in pony tails, t-shirts and shorts. It doesn't cost us $200 a week in gas because everything is a 5 minute drive or less here in our town. We can make a tank of gas last two weeks or more. We don't go on vacation anymore because we LIVE our vacation everyday! We eat healthier, we live healthier! This town has become our family and we wouldn't have it any other way!

Is trying to be Superwoman really that important? There are other ways to be super for your family. Nothing is more sacred than watching your child grow up before your eyes instead of having to be told by a daycare worker of their accomplishments. My advice: If you have the option of career or motherhood (notice I didn't say "and"), ALWAYS choose motherhood. You will be eternally grateful for having all of the moments instead of just some of the moments.

Our children NEED moms if they are going to survive in this world. A mom is a superhero!! Being called Mom is title enough. The "super" is implied!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED-UPDATE!!!

I should clarify! Kevin is not my brother. I was sent this precious story by my good friend, Erin. I thought it was such a wonderful story of how we should all be child-like in our faith. I just wanted to share the beauty of it. I didn't even think that anyone would think Kevin is MY brother!!! After reading it again, I can see how it might appear that way! SORRY!!!!

Why do some people only cry out to God in times of crisis?

How many times have we heard someone cry out to God in times of crisis? I think back to instances such as 9/11, Columbine, Hurricane Katrina, etc. and think about our media, who otherwise would put up a tremendous fight about religion, call on us to PRAY as a nation for those who are suffering. We are raising a confused generation here. They are told that God has no place in our schools or in our government, even though this is a nation founded on religious freedoms and principles. Yet, when we suffer, we want to turn to God to ask his help and forget that God needs to be thanked when we are blessed! People want to pray to God to ease the pain and suffering but out of the other sides of their mouths, they will blame God for allowing such tradgedy to occur. Do you really think that our God would allow pain and suffering just to feed his ego so that we are forced to call on him for his help?? I don't think so!

My God is a God of peace, love, mercy, and grace. He is there on the mountain tops and rejoices with me. He carries me through the valleys when I am too weak to stand. The founding fathers of this nation got it right. In God We Trust.....and we should! Until we do as a unified nation, it is up to the individual to raise up their children to know their God, trust their God, and love their God with all of their heart. Above all else, our children need to know the meaning and live the definition of the word "RESPECT". If this is a foundation building block, the structure of their lives will remain strong and steady.

This is an email I received from my good friend, Erin. This is what got me to thinking about what I wrote above:

An atheist was walking through the woods. 'What majestic trees'! 'What powerful rivers'! 'What beautiful animals'! He said to himself. As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer . He tripped & fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & ; raising his right paw to strike him. At that instant the Atheist cried out, 'Oh my God!' Time Stopped.The bear froze.The forest was silent.As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky. 'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to cosmic accident.' 'Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? A m I to count you as a believer'? The atheist looked directly into the lig ht, 'It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian'?'Very Well,' said the voice. The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke: 'Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen.'

Friday, August 1, 2008

GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED

This was sent to me by my good friend. Kevin is not my biological brother, but he is my brother-in-christ. I look forward to meeting him someday.

GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED


I envy Kevin. My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...'

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.

He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.

The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied.

He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.

His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.

He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple.

He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. '


He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Kevin won't be surprised at all!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Faith in our Youth

I just spent a fantastic evening driving some of our youth group to an inner-city worship service in Joplin, MO. What a great experience! First of all, I am so proud of our kids. They are such a good group of young ladies and gentlemen. They reflect behavior that coinsides with wearing the name of Christian! These kids give us so much hope for the future. It's refreshing to see kids who are well behaved, respectful, disciplined, and loving to each other. Thank you all for being so great! I look forward to seeing what the future holds for each of you! Love you all!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Dear Barack You're Wrong About Small Towns

Dear Barack: You're Wrong About Small Towns

(Originally written and published by Will Manly who is a reporter for The Hays Daily News and The Stir) (KUDOS TO THIS KID! WHAT A POWERFUL MESSAGE TO ALL AGES OF THIS NATION ABOUT BARACK OBAMA! HIS GRAMMAR AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE MAY NOT BE PERFECT BUT, HIS MESSAGE IS LOUD AND CLEAR! LISTEN UP, AMERICAN CITIZENS!)

Dear Barack Obama:

I grew to like you over the last year. I've always thought of you as dangerously naive at best. Eloquent, gifted, genuine, yes. But dangerously naive at best.

I couldn't vote for you--but not because of your funny name or your lunatic pastor. I couldn't vote for you because you say we should raise taxes (even on the rich, who I'm convinced already pay too much), and because you say we should abandon Iraq (which I'm convinced would be surrendering a war we must win), and because you don't respect the Second Amendment (which I'm convinced should disqualify any politician from any office).

Still, I've liked your message of unity and your ability to inspire. And, since your rise I've hunted, quite frantically, for young conservative leaders with your talent. (to my relief, I found Bobby Jindal.)

And I've long said if you beat Hillary Clinton, you will have done your country a tremendous service. But anymore I'm having a harder and harder time rooting for you.

First came your wife's comment about being proud of America for the first time -- conveniently, right after you started winning primaries. Then came your own words about your grandmother, who is just a "typical white person" - a racist, or at least someone with racist tendencies. (I'm a "typical white person" I suppose and I'm no racist. In fact, little makes me angrier than when it's insinuated that I am.)

Sometimes people say things they don't really mean. But this is a pattern.

Last week, we heard your comments about small-t0wn America. Someone at a San Francisco fundraiser asked you why it's so hard for Democrats to win in rural areas. You said: "You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them...So it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them..."

Is that a minority? HEY CLETUS, GET THE GUN? (If only we had a job to go to, some time in the last 25 years...)

Here's a thought: Maybe gun rights voters know gun control laws kill people and steal freedom.

Here's a thought: Maybe some of us have moral objections to any immigration system that forces rule-followers to wait decades for legal status, and reward border-violators with amnesty.

Here's a thought: Maybe some Americans cling to their church because their pastor is Nice person, because they find love there, because the have something they can believe in.

Here's a thought: Maybe, just maybe, us simpletons in small towns find it harder to be bigoted than all o' y'all city folk. Maybe in small towns, where everybody knows your name--and how hard you work, if you pay your taxes, how well you treat your neighbors, how often you volunteer in the community, and whether or not you're a good parent--people see the content of your character, so they don't give a hoot about the color of your skin. (But I grew up in a small town where about one third of the population is of a different race than me. What do I know?)

And here's my favorite thought of all: Maybe small-town folks are --really--capable of thinking. All on our own.

You re wrong about why small-town Americans don't' vote for Democrats.

We don't vote for Democrats because we're self-reliant so we don't like the government trying to "solve" everything for us. And because you tell your rich friends in San Francisco that we're dumb. And because, each election, whichever one of you is running for president traipses all over the country telling us you have all the answers, that you're the one on our side. That you understand and respect our way of life.

But each time, a little bit here and there slips out--and by the end of the campaign, we can tell what you think about us. And we manage to learn who you really are.

And we see you're just a horse's ass.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

I like this place

I'm really enjoying this blogging thing! It gives me a chance to vent!

Lift the Federal Ban on Offshore Drilling!

We just signed a petition demanding that Congress lift the federal ban on offshore drilling immediately -- before they take their month-long summer break. Members of Congress are doing nothing while gas prices soar. Let's put their feet to the fire! Join us in signing here: http://www.grassfire.org/108/petition.asp?PID=17662431&NID=1

Monday, July 21, 2008

Smooth Move Dummy!

Today was bazaar. Not only am I sick of being in my third week of poison ivy from head to toe and on my third round of steroids that make me VERY cranky and VERY hungry 24/7 but to top it off, I decided to try and cut my left thumb off! DON'T TRY TO CUT VEGGIES WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY WITH YOUR TEENAGE CHILD! Unripe tomato, very sharp knife, slip of the hand and PRESTO: trip to the doctor and stitches..... Needless to say, I had a little talk with satan and told him to leave my home because he is not welcome. I think I will go to bed now and end this day....

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Things to consider before voting in November

Print this out and take it and read it just before you vote this year......


INTERESTING DATA JUST RECEIVED ON TAXESSpread the word.....
This is something you should be aware of so you don't get blind-sided. This is really going to catch a lot of families off guard. It should make you worry.

Proposed changes in taxes after 2008 General election:

CAPITAL GAINS TAX
MCCAIN 0% on home sales up to $500,000
per home (couples) McCain does not propose any change in existing
home sales income tax.
OBAMA 28% on profit from ALL home sales How does this affect you?
If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes.
If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your
home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you
make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the
elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.
DIVIDEND TAX
MCCAIN 15% (no change)
OBAMA 39.6% How will this affect you?
If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama become president. The experts predict that 'higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.
INCOME TAX
MCCAIN (no changes) Single making 30K - tax $4,500 Single making 50K - tax $12,500 Single making 75K - tax $18,750 Married making 60K- tax $9,000 Married making 75K - tax $18,750 Married making 125K - tax $31,250
OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts) Single making 30K - tax $8,400 Single making 50K - tax $14,000 Single making 75K - tax $23,250 Married making 60K - tax $16,800 Married making 75K - tax $21,000 Married making 125K - tax $38,750 Under Obama your taxes will
more than double! How does this affect you? No explanation
needed. This is pretty straight forward.
INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)
OBAMA Restore the inheritance tax How does this affect you? Many families
have lost businesses, farms and ranches, and homes that have
been in their families for generations because they could not
afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved
ones will not only lose them to these taxes.
NEW TAXES BEING PROPOSED BY OBAMA
* New government taxes proposed on
homes that are more than 2400 square feet
* New gasoline taxes (as if
gas weren't high enough already)
* New taxes on natural resources
consumption (heating gas, water, electricity)
* New taxes on retirement accounts
and last but not least.... * New taxes to pay for socialized medicine
so we can receive the same level of medical care as other
third-world countries!!!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Why am I still up so late?

Okay, this is 3 nights in a row now! I'm still up at almost midnight wondering why I am still awake! Maybe it's the beautiful evenings we have been having here at the lake. I hate to see them end and don't want to leave the front porch.

OR MAYBE, it's the recent drama we had in the neighborhood and I'm afraid the drunk neighbor might pour Round-Up on my newly planted flower beds because we called the police on him for beating the crap out of his wife! You know, I could sleep on the porch if it wasn't for that guy! Turd...

Maybe it is because I am enjoying my life for the first time in a long time. My husband was almost killed in February of 2007. We have been living a life in and out of hospitals from coast to coast ever since trying to get him back to as normal as possible. We finally have a bit of a breather before the next surgery and I am getting to enjoy our life. Maybe this is the beginning of coming off of the Prozac! One can only dream.....

Well, I just got the light shut off on me which is my sign from the hubby that he is irritated by the clicking of the laptop in his ear. I guess I'll have to save more for another day.

Here's to maybe getting a little shut-eye tonight!!!