Family Tracks

Abbott and Costello on Unemployment

2012-02-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard something and it just didn't ring true? You may want to be encouraging and positive, but something just doesn't feel right. It's confusing when I watch the news and they talk about businesses laying people off or going out of business and yet, the unemployment rate is supposed to be going down.

I loved Abbott and Costello. I've spent many hours laughing at their approach to logical issues. I don't know if this is a routine that they did in their career - but it's a great way to look at what "may" be happening within the ranks of Obama's team.

It's a sad commentary but their style will leave you chuckling.

COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America.

ABBOTT: Good Subject. Terrible Times. It's 9%.

COSTELLO: That many people are out of work?

ABBOTT: No, that's about 20%.

COSTELLO: You just said 9%.

ABBOTT: 9% Unemployed.

COSTELLO: Right 9% out of work.

ABBOTT: No, that's about 20%.

COSTELLO: Okay, so it's 20% unemployed.

ABBOTT: No, that's 9%...

COSTELLO: WAIT A MINUTE. Is it 9% or 20%?

ABBOTT: 9% are unemployed. 20% are out of work.

COSTELLO: IF you are out of work you are unemployed.

ABBOTT: No, you can't count the "Out of Work" as the unemployed. You have to look for work to be unemployed.

COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!!

ABBOTT: No, you miss my point.

COSTELLO: What point?

ABBOTT: Someone who doesn't look for work, can't be counted with those who look for work. It wouldn't be fair.

COSTELLO: To who?

ABBOTT: The unemployed.

COSTELLO: But they are ALL out of work.

ABBOTT: No, the unemployed are actively looking for work.. Those who are out of work stopped looking. They gave up. And, if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.

COSTELLO: So if you're off the unemployment roles, that would count as less unemployment?

ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!

COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because you don't look for work?

ABBOTT: Absolutely it goes down. That's how you get to 9%. Otherwise, it would be 20%. You don't want to read about 20% unemployment do ya?

COSTELLO: That would be frightening.

ABBOTT: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means they're two ways to bring down the unemployment number?

ABBOTT: Two ways is correct.

COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?

ABBOTT: Correct.

COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?

ABBOTT: Bingo.

COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to just stop looking for work.

ABBOTT: Now you're thinking like a democrat.

COSTELLO: I don't even know what I just said!

And now you know why Obama's unemployment figures are improving!

I think Washington structured taxes according to this Abbott and Costello clip!

God loves you,

Debbie

Happy Birthday Ronald Reagan

2012-02-06T09:59:00.000-08:00

Ronald Reagan was a great president. I feel privileged that I lived during his presidency. Happy Birthday to a great man!

I hope you will teach your children about this great man and that you will dig around for the truth about his life and his beliefs. The left is trying to discredit the fact that through his beliefs, this country excelled. The more we abandon his beliefs, the more we slip into socialism. The following includes many quotes from President Reagan. If you look in the left sidebar, you'll find more.

The following is brought to you by American Minute

A graduate of Eureka College, IL, 1932, he announced for radio stations in Iowa. He married Jane Wyman and had children Maureen and Michael. He was a Captain in the U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II, then became an actor, appearing in over 50 films. He was President of the Screen Actors Guild, switched from Democrat to Republican, and became Governor of California.

His second marriage, to Nancy Davis, 1952, had children Patti and Ron.

His name was Ronald Reagan, born FEBRUARY 6, 1911, and died June 5, 2004.

At age sixty-nine, he was the oldest person elected U.S. President, and sixty-nine days after his inauguration, he survived an assassination attempt. Ronald Reagan stated at St. John's University in New York, March 28, 1985:

"Government that is big enough to give you everything you want is more likely to simply take everything you've got."

Ronald Reagan remarked to the Heritage Council, Warren, Michigan, October 10, 1984:

"Henry David Thoreau was right: that government is best which governs least."

In his 1964 speech, A Time for Choosing, Ronald Reagan stated:

"I suggest to you there is no left or right, only an up or down. Up to the maximum of individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism; and regardless of their humanitarian purpose, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have, whether they know it or not, chosen this downward path."

In 1961, Ronald Reagan stated:

"One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It's very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project...James Madison in 1788...said: '...There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations.'...

What can we do about this?...We can write to our congressmen and our senators. We can say right now that we want no further encroachment on these individual liberties and freedoms...We do not want socialized medicine...If you don't, this program I promise you will pass...and behind it will come other federal programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have known...until, one day...we will awake to find that we have socialism.

And...you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children, what it once was like in America when men were free."

Ronald Reagan stated in Beijing, China, April 27, 1984:

"I have seen the rise of fascism and communism. Both philosophies glorify the arbitrary power of the state...But both theories fail. Both deny those God-given liberties that are the inalienable right of each person on this planet, indeed, they deny the existence of God."

On March 20, 1981, at the Conservative Political Action Conference Dinner, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC, Ronald Reagan stated:

"Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid. That's why the Marxist vision of man without God must eventually be seen as an empty and a false faith - the second oldest in the world - first proclaimed in the Garden of Eden with whispered words...'Ye shall be as gods.' The crisis of the Western world...exists to the degree in which it is indifferent to God."

On May 17, 1982, in a proposed Constitutional Amendment on Prayer in Schools, President Ronald Reagan stated:

"Our liberty springs from and depends upon an abiding faith in God."

President Reagan proclaimed:

"Now, therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, in recognition of the contributions and influence of the Bible on our Republic and our people, do hereby proclaim 1983 the 'Year of the Bible' in the United States. I encourage all citizens, each in his or her own way, to reexamine and rediscover its priceless and timeless message."

Ronald Reagan wrote in his article, "Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation," The Human Life Review, 1983:

"Lincoln recognized that we could not survive as a free land when some men could decide that others were not fit to be free and should be slaves...
Likewise, we cannot survive as a free nation when some men decide that others are not fit to live and should be abandoned to abortion."

At the Alfred M. Landon Lecture Series, 1982, Ronald Reagan stated:

"We can't have it both ways. We can't expect God to protect us in a crisis and just leave Him over there on the shelf in our day-to-day living. I wonder if sometimes He isn't waiting for us to wake up, He isn't maybe running out of patience."

At Reunion Arena in Dallas, 1984, Ronald Reagan stated:

"Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience....without God there is a coarsening of the society; without God democracy will not and cannot long endure.... America needs God more than God needs America. If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under."

WOW!

God loves you,

Debbie

Mr. Obama's State of the Union

2012-01-26T05:46:00.000-08:00

Before I comment on the State of the Union Address, let me pass along a story someone sent. I've thought about this story for a long time. While I teach and live by the old version, I agree with the point the new version is trying to make.

The ANT and The GRASSHOPPER two versions:

Two Different Versions ... Two Different Morals

OLD VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE OLD STORY: Be responsible for yourself!

( Both Ron and I remember our school teachers telling this story and insisting everyone be like the ants. My teacher used this story to point out to several students that if they didn't get their act together they would be like the grasshopper and never be successful.)
MODERN VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving.. CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green...'

Occupy the Anthill stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the SEIU group singing, We shall overcome. Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright has the group kneel down to pray for the grasshopper's sake, while he damns the ants. President Obama condemns the ant and blames President Bush 43, President Bush 41, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the Pope for the grasshopper's plight.

Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer. The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar and given to the grasshopper.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn't maintain it. The ant has disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackled, once prosperous and peaceful, neighborhood.

The entire Nation collapses bringing the rest of the free world with it.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2012.

When we watched the State of the Union, Ron and I were definitely not impressed. Ron thought it was more of the same and frankly boring. I had only one thought. "Mr. Obama is very quick to spend my money and with his nose in the air he loves to tell me what he thinks is right for my life. Unlike the American way his entire speech was not about inspiration, being a better American or working harder together. His speech smacked of "I don't care if you like my policy or not. I want it so I'm going to ram it down your throat." Oh yes, I will be very careful how I vote.

God loves you,

Debbie

Debating attacks - Watching the Fox news Debate

2012-01-16T19:48:00.000-08:00

Ron and I are working late. The office light is on and we are both banging away at our keyboards. Because we are concerned about the upcoming elections, the Fox News Debate is on. Romney and Paul are arguing about attacks from other countries and I'm feeling a little panicky. I don't feel panic about the debates or the fact that we need to be strong and we should go to war to protect our country.

I am filled with panic about my life and my country. Ron and I are working on a marketing plan for several ideas. We are pushing the limit with our finances. We are fasting and praying for our children and their needs. We are also fretting about the needs of our parents and what the days ahead will be for them. We are concerned about our friends and disappointed with greedy churches. We feel pressured on every side and thoroughly disappointed with the state of our country.

If you want my vote, give me a candidate that promises a country with honor and citizens committed to making their lives better. You want my vote? Support less government and more God in our lives. You want my vote, don't promise more money - promise more values and families defined by honor and decent living.

In three months I will be a grandmother. I want that child to have hope. I want that child to believe in America. I want that child to have the advantages I had when I was growing up. I want that child to be safe from predators and safe from evil. I want that child to feel like the future is bright with promise and dreams are attainable.

Can anyone make that happen? Of course they can. America was all of that until we became the country of greed, me first, give me what I want and I don't care what happens to you. Don't get me wrong - I'm not talking about abdicating responsibility to evil unions and dictating governments. I'm talking about men and women who are willing to personally sacrifice to make this country better.

The problem is I know that government and elected officials can't do any of that. Making America great depends on good people stepping up to the plate and doing all they can to "build" a better America. You and I (coupled with Biblical principles) are the only ones that can change America. Yes, we need a president that supports those ideas....but he can't get the job done until each individual citizen decides they will do any and everything possible to create a better society. (That includes your pocketbook)

Sigh*** It's a big task. Are you up to the challenge?

God loves you,

Debbie

Don't forget the important gifts of Christmas

2011-12-18T05:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

I am looking forward to the important gifts of Christmas. The ones that last a lifetime. The gifts that keep on giving all year long. They are wrapped with paper that outshines all others. The gifts I'm talking about are the personal smiles, sweet memories and beautiful moments that we share with loved ones and friends. Those little snippets of time that keep invading our thoughts all year long. The moments that leave a lump in our throat but sweep all the cobwebs from our aching hearts. When the tiniest sweet moment is through we take a deep breath and drink in a freshness that seems to clear away all the sadness of this evil world.

Take time this Christmas to hug all your friends and family. Hold them tight. Whisper that you love them. Listen to their stories, share a laugh and be thankful for those who have blessed your life so much. My Dad just posted this wonderful story on his blog. I hope you enjoy this little present of goodness.

Operator please

June 23, 1998

When I was young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember well the polished old case fastened to the wall. The black receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother used to talk to it.

Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person - her name was “Information Please” and there was nothing she did not know. “Information Please” could supply anybody’s number and the correct time.

My first personal experience with this genie-in-the-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer.

The pain was terrible, but there didn’t seem to be any reason in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway.

The telephone!

Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear. “Information Please,” I said into the mouthpiece just above my head.

A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear.

“Information.”

“I hurt my finger.” I wailed into the phone. The tears came readily enough now that I had an audience.

“Isn’t your mother home?” came the question.

“Nobody’s home but me.” I blubbered.

“Are you bleeding?”

“No,” I replied. “I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts.”

“Can you open your icebox?” she asked. I said I could.

“Then chip off a little piece of ice and hold it to your finger,” said the voice.

After that, I called “Information Please” for everything. I asked her for help with my geography and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before would eat fruits and nuts.

Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary died. I called “Information Please” and told her the sad story. She listened, then said the usual things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was un-consoled. I asked her, “Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?”

She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, “Paul, always remember that there are other worlds to sing in.” Somehow I felt better.

Another day I was on the telephone. “Information Please.”

“Information,” said the now familiar voice.

“How do you spell fix?” I asked.

All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest.

When I was 9 years old, we moved across the country to Boston.

I missed my friend very much. “Information Please” belonged in that old wooden box back home, and I somehow never thought of trying the tall, shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall.

As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me. Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy.

A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle. I had about half an hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator and said, “Information, Please”.

Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well, “Information.” I hadn’t planned this but I heard myself saying, “Could you please tell me how to spell fix?”

There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, “I guess your finger must have healed by now.”

I laughed. “So it’s really still you,’ I said. “I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time.”

“I wonder”, she said, “if you know how much your calls meant to me.” “I never had any children, and I used to look forward to your calls.”

I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister.

“Please do, she said. “Just ask for Sally.”

Three months later I was back in Seattle. A different voice answered “Information.” I asked for Sally.

“Are you a friend?” She said.

“Yes, a very old friend,” I answered.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, she said. Sally had been working part-time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago.”

Before I could hang up she said, “Wait a minute. Did you say your name was Paul?”

“Yes.”

“Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called. Let me read it to you.” The note said, “Tell him I still say there are other worlds to sing in. He’ll know what I mean.”

I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.

Merry Christmas - God loves you,

Debbie

Real faith is born out of pain

2011-11-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

I've been praying for several weeks for God to bless my family and friends, to give me a fresh understanding of His Will for my life and my mission...and to take me to the next level of faith.

That's often a dangerous prayer to pray. Anytime you ask God to change you spiritually - there will be a test. You will have to study and the final exam will be difficult. What I've learned though is that real spiritual growth never happens without struggle and pain.

I am leery of churches who want to make it "easy" for someone to come in the doors. It's admirable that they believe that once a person walks inside the church doors - that God will be present and there will be no way a visitor can resist the overwhelming power of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, their theology and psychology is a little mixed up.

Millions of people have heard the call of Christ. They sat in services that were filled with the moving of God and the Holy Spirit - and yet they walked away. Why? Because we are given free will and their will to hold on to their sin was greater than their will to give it all to Jesus. They were not convinced that they would be accountable for their sin and so....they walked away. Jesus only knocks on the door of their heart, he doesn't break it down and force His way in.

If those people had the inner will to walk away when they were uncomfortable, how much more will people ignore the real message of Christ if they are "comfortable" in their sinful nature? Think of it this way. How many times have you heard a person say, "My life is going good. I have great friends, I'm well liked and I don't have a lot to worry about - I think I'm going to change everything in my life."

99% of the time when people are comfortable and feel like their life is on the right track, they are more worried about "NOT" changing anything than they are desire to mix it up.

Today, when I asked God to take me to the next level of faith - I was reminded that it will require some type of struggle. In order to possess a deeper measure of faith, I will have to use that measure and that will mean facing some type of struggle. I broke into tears and sobbed. Is there no other way? The soft answer returned, "No other way...but I'll be there. I'll walk beside you. Don't let go of my hand."

What do you want from God today? Do you want him to show you more of his Glory than you could ever imagine? Do you want him to take your faith to the next level? Ate you prepared to hold his hand and walk into darkness?

God loves you,

Debbie

America's youth and the death of intelligent thought.

2011-11-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

It's often hard to explain to others how I look at the world. My new book, The Mommy Detective attempts to help others see what I see when I look at problems. It shows my thoughts when it comes to my world view, parenting, faith and a host of other issues. Basically, I feel that the only way to a good life is to know the truth. If you base it on what you've heard or what someone has told you to believe - you can be fooled. You may think you have a good life but around the corner a train wreck is on it's way.

I don't want to be surprised negatively with a horrible ending to a particular train of thought. For example if I believe that God doesn't exist because some atheist professor told me that in a classroom, what happens if he's wrong? What happens if I get to the moment of death and find out that my Christian neighbor is right. With no time to change, I will suffer the consequences of another person's research.

If I plan to build a part of my life on any philosophy, I am going to constantly question my beliefs to be sure I'm right. The most dangerous position to be in is one where you can never test your theories or where you look at life through selfish eyes. I've know wonderful Christians who loved God but still viewed the world through very small selfish eyes. For that reason I tell people constantly - show me something that is better than the way I live and I'll change. But...first you have to prove to me it's better. Since I know my platform extremely well and I've tested most every view - they back off quickly.

We are headed for some very difficult times. People are voting and spouting a lot of ridiculous theories and refusing to investigate their validity. That will lead us to a slavery based society. We may not be in physical chains - but we will be mentally chained. We must train our children to think logically and to thoroughly test every area of every philosophy they choose to live by. Without that kind of scrutiny we will bite the apple once again and our society will slip into desperate chaos.

Guess who rises to the top during a chaotic situation - evil - always evil. People usually don't turn to good people during a crisis because the good person will require some form of hard work.

Angel Hunt posted the following video on her blog. I am grateful she did. I hope you will watch the entire video and ask yourself - "Do my philosophies have the kind of holes in it that the interviewer revealed? "

God loves you,

Debbie

Scandal, scandal, scandal

2011-11-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

Is anyone questioning the scandals that seem to crawl out of the woodwork when something good is happening?

I'm not a mind reader. I don't know if someone I've never met is telling the truth or not. I can't put my arm around a total stranger and vouch for his/her integrity. But it does seem that either a truly good person doesn't exist anymore or some people are willing to perjure themselves for the sake of ten minutes of fame. The real problem with the justice system and the media is that once a person is accused, the accuser can run away and hide. He/she isn't prosecuted. The life of the accused is ruin and there's no way to get it back.

I don't know Herman Cain. I've read his bio and I've listened to him speak several times, but I can't tell you for sure that he isn't the kind of man that would sexually harass a woman. Yet...it does seem suspicious that no one says a thing about him until....he rises in the polls and looks like he might be a shoe in. Then all of a sudden four women are on the bandwagon to demand that he's a bad guy. It seems like socialists, democrats, liberals and Mr. Obama's team are so desperate that I wouldn't put it pass someone in that army of individuals to do something dastardly.

If you factor in a little "discernment", it is possible to say...This person or that person just doesn't seem to be the kind of person to do that. But... there again, who really knows.

For what it's worth, it doesn't seem to me that Herman Cain looks or acts like the kind of person that would demean any woman. Something here doesn't ring true. Besides, have you seen his bio??? It doesn't look to me like he would have time to harass anyone.

I guess we will have to see how this all plays out, but I'm a little sad. I don't think the media is trustworthy and I think most reporters would bury a candidate they didn't like for the price of dinner at Denny's. I don't think they would bat an eye at ruining any one's life. So to put this matter into their hands is like asking a crocodile to babysit a rabbit. He wouldn't care about lost revenue, he'd just be glad dinner was served.

I guess the only real option here is to pray. Pray for Herman Cain, pray for more honorable reporters and pray that God will have mercy on America.

God loves you,

Debbie

Welcome the Holidays -Hallelujah!

2011-11-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

I was working on a sad news topic when Ron sent me a link to the following video. I had tears in my eyes by the end of the video. It's inspiring and wonderful. It's about time children are taught that faith can be inspiring and fun.

I hope you will pass this video around as you welcome the coming holidays.

Now don't you feel better???

God loves you,

Debbie

Girl Scouts - a liberal organization

2011-11-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

I remember growing up in a world where you could trust the philosophy and integrity of organizations like boy scouts and girl scouts. I am sad at the overwhelming work new parents have to do in order to protect and defend their child and the Christian, conservative way of life.

I have never confronted someone who disagrees with me and intentionally hurt them. I've always been as nice as possible to everyone. I enjoy expressing my views and being respectful enough to hear theirs.

I've spent many years looking the other way when images, lifestyles and philosophies I don't agree with are displayed. However, we don't live in a world where the true meaning of "diversity" exists. Diversity, compassion, acceptance is only available for liberals and their agenda. If I want to invite a group of like minded people to enjoy a meeting or day with people who "think like I do"....you can be sure I'll be attacked and someone will yell that I'm being divisive. That's poppycock! The real definition for what's happening in America today is "attack from the left, from liberals, from gays and from Muslims". The agenda is to break down the family, destroy Christianity and eliminate any thought in America that doesn't promote the idea that any and everything is okay.

We are losing our freedoms and it won't be long until we will have to fight to regain what we've lost. Don't get me wrong. I hope these freedoms can be replaced peacefully.

It's just not logical when Muslims (or their representatives) attend a Catholic school and then sue because they don't have a prayer room dedicated to their faith. Duh! You want a Muslim prayer room - go to a Muslim school! Don't try to destroy a Catholic school from within.

In every segment of society atheists yell about how offensive a cross is or how they can't stand to drive past a grave because it has a flag or some religious symbol. To believe that lie, I would have to see every atheist as a weak minded, feeble dysfunctional retard that doesn't have the ability to turn his head and look away. And...that even the slightest symbol of Christianity would overpower his weak mind and cause him immediate pain. How lame is that?

But these pathetic Christians who are believing in something that isn't real - we have to stomach a constant stream of television images, off the beam scientists and pornography pushers. And these poor Christians that need a crutch because they are so weak - we somehow are strong enough to resist the constant garbage we have to view.

Today was the last straw. Today I learned that innocent little girl scouts are the new stream of prey for liberal agendas. This is from the American Family Association....

The Girl Scouts of Colorado has flip-flopped on a decision not to let a 7-year-old boy join their organization, now saying he is welcome even though he's not a girl, according to FoxNews.

The Girl Scouts issued a statement to the local Fox affiliate, saying they are an inclusive organization and will accept "Bobby." The troop leader who turned him away made a mistake, they said, and the situation is being rectified. "If a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout," the statement said.

This follows a long history of liberal leanings by the Girl Scouts of America:

Girl Scouts supports Planned Parenthood
Girl Scouts recognizes many "gods"
Girl Scouts advances lesbianism and radical feminism

The Girls Scouts of America has lost it's way and lost its mind. A boy is not a girl, end of story.

AFA is proud to recommend the Christian-based American Heritage Girls as an alternative to the Girl Scouts of America. American Heritage Girls has over 13,000 members in 41 states.

To view this article AFA - Girl Scouts now allow transgender

I have just one thing to say to the Girl Scout representative that said, "If a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout."

How stupid! According to his/her rationale - If I identify myself as an eagle and my family presents me as an eagle - then I must be an eagle and the scientific community should welcome me as such. I doubt that living on mountain top and flying around the valley will be possible. I'm not sure I could build a nest large enough or that I would be comfortable killing small animals. But...if I say it loud enough and demand that it's true - then surely it must be. Hum...who said that originally - oh yeah - Hitler had a lot to say about faith and lies....

Check out Brainy Quotes

"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed."

"It is always more difficult to fight against faith than against knowledge."
"It is not truth that matters, but victory. "
"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it. "
Sounds familiar Adolf Hitler

It's like Abraham Lincoln said "Just because you say a dog's tail is a leg doesn't make it so!"

The sadness in all of this is not the stupidity of the adults - although that is important. The sadness is the child. Seven year olds don't have the social or mental capability to understand "who they are". They are simply following the parents who are planting an idea. This entire situation is a lie and in the process a life is ruined. Children are followers and if you choose to lie to a child - he doesn't know the difference. It's so sad that America has stooped so low that we now give in and allow our citizens to lie. Without knowing and living by the truth - we will eventually become a nation of slaves.

God have mercy on us.
God loves you,

Debbie

Negative complaints can kill Holiday memories

2011-10-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

As we approach the holidays I hear the same old complaints. Adults squash their child’s ability to find the positive in life by complaining about all the work that accompanies a good time. No matter where they live, what kind of home they have or what the finances are – children hope that maybe….just maybe….the holidays will be filled with a little spark of fun and a few moments of love and genuine happiness.

Even if the child has never had it before, even if there’s no hope of it happening – the tiniest spark of desire will be there. Maybe just maybe - there is a Santa. Maybe just maybe - there is a Jesus. Maybe just maybe - I’ll be excited or happy or loved – even if it’s just for the moment.

Crashing their hopes and dreams, Mom or Dad enters the room screaming about chores that must be done and how they hate the holidays because of all the work. Even in homes where holidays are celebrated and children are treated with respect – Mom often mutters under her breath until little Sally decides that Christmas isn’t a fun holiday after all.

Little feet dance with anticipation in the long line to see Santa, while mothers argue, fuss and pull at their children until seeing Santa is the end result of an exasperating trip. Children’s eyes are wide with excitement as they glance at the live trees on the lot. They smell the pine, crunch along the saw dust and imagine twinkling lights over large packages. Then Dad barks about how heavy the tree is or how much sap will be on the carpet and little eyes droop with the heaviness of fake holiday cheer. No wonder so many young adults would rather spend the holidays with their friends. The joy of a decorated house and loving family interactions has been replaced with bad attitudes and impossible goals.

You don’t have to come right out and stand against the holidays in order to destroy them. You can simply “complain” them to death.

“But Debbie, that’s not fair. I work like a dog during the holidays and I’m exhausted. Shouldn’t my family pay attention to me and allow me to vent a little?”

It’s difficult to suffer in silence. I know. I’ve done it many times. The question should not be what do you need – the question should be what is the goal? If you goal is to inspire your family to enjoy each other during the Holidays, then all the little snide remarks about greedy companies, selfish in-laws and demanding children does not support your goal.

If your goal is to bring your family together in peace and enjoy the time you have with them – negative thoughts, complaints and rants should not be allowed. If your goal is to have everyone bow at your feet because of the work you’ve done – then perhaps you need to draw up a contract that will produce a well thought out Thank You rather than simply voicing your complaints.

This year, rather than personally concentrating on the birth of Christ, perhaps parents should concentrate on the teachings of Christ. Philippians 2:14 is a great place to start.

“Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life – in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”

Perhaps we need to ask ourselves if our children turn their backs on God because we presented his birth in such a negative light. Yes, we told them the story of the Nativity. Yes, we told them Jesus is the way the truth and the life. But did we also turn Thanksgiving and Christmas into such a flurry of negative comments that we not only turned them off on the holidays but we also turned them off on the love of Jesus?

God loves you,

Debbie

I hate it when people "settle"

2011-10-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

I love all my clients and all my friends. I really love my family and those I feel like are family.

I try to give good advice and I'm very careful when counseling that I don't push too hard or crush any one's toes.

However....that said....I hate to settle for anything less than the "best for me". That may not be the best for you...you have your own best. I just can't fathom someone who knows they are settling but they just don't care any more. It's as if they feel like they don't deserve the best or they are just too "tired or lazy" to try anymore. NO...No...No...!

The first place that anyone can go to begin the process of building your self esteem and becoming a better person - the first place to go is to insist that you are not going to settle for anything less than the best your life can be! Don't settle for a spouse, don't settle in your job, don't settle in your dreams and for heaven's sake don't settle / give in / sell out - yourself. Be the very best that you can be.

I've made a ton of mistakes and I've had to walk back to several crossroads and start over. Each time I have I've re-committed myself to the highest standard. I'm committed to racing for and reaching for the highest best for my life.

Someone sent an e-mail full of pictures from Wall-mart. Pictures that showed the worst that people can be. Some of them were so bad that the only possible response was a guttural "that's disgusting". Over all though, I felt pity. Pity that those people were so starved for a little attention that they were willing to look their worst to be recognized. They settled for disgusting looks because they were too lazy or too dysfunctional to work for and deserve a respectful look.

I thought about the thousands of people all across this country that are buying into the settling routine. They take their cues from pathetic shows like bridezillas. For the sake of money producers trot out dysfunctional emotionally crippled people as if they are worthy of our attention. Instead of getting help for an emotionally starved spoiled brat, producers exploit their dysfunction. They promote their need for attention and provide a means for them to settle for negative attention. Reality show participants don't stop to think that people are laughing at them, that they are being ridiculed and that they have settled for the worst form of bullying.

Instead of reality show adults pursuing their highest goal - being respected for their classy ways, their intelligence, their good looks - reality shows parade a host of dysfunctional ugly people in front of us that promote....."I'm pathetic but I'm settling because I'm either too lazy or too mixed up to work for anything better.

It's so sad to me that people think so little of themselves. It's refreshing to follow someone like Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Whether I agree with all her opinions or not - you have to admit that she was well educated, extremely classy and the best she could be. I like watching actors like Denzel Washington and others that strive to be the best they can be. Even knowing that she didn't pick the right person the first time around - you have to admire a person like Princess Diana who worked hard to be the best she could be.

I hope you will spend a little time today asking the question - Am I settling? Have I settled for a steady date that isn't going to help me be my best - just because I'm tired of trying? Have I settled for a bad job just because I don't want to study and go for the good job? Have I settled for friends that make me unhappy just because I don't want to find friends that will support me and push me to be my best?

If I've settled in any area of my life....why am I settling and what can I do to change and be my very best!

So why do I hate it when people settle? It's a waste. It's a waste of a life, of a family, of a generation. When you aren't your best - people around you suffer as well. Don't waste your life. Be your best.

God loves you,

Debbie

Nelson Mandela on education

2011-10-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

A site on Linked In asked a question about education and helping special needs children. I was intrigued by a quote from Nelson Mandela. The writer said, "I agree with James' quote of Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.”

Here was my response.

While I understand where Nelson Mandela was coming from and what he was trying to accomplish, he was not correct when he said Education is the most powerful weapon. Yes, education is vitally important and no matter what condition a child deals with - education is probably #2 on the list. But if you really want to change the world or if you want to make a difference in your child's world - you must always start with parenting. A child's parent or caregiver determines the home environment that promotes the child's "view" of his world. Parents are the primary source that builds a child's thought process. Parents can either help teachers and education or they can destroy the child's desire to learn. Even when a teacher "thinks" he's won over a parents influence - when you follow that child down the road - years later you'll discover that a parent's influence remains a primary factor even if it's subconscious.

Why else do counselors and psychiatrists probe into your childhood and whether or not you love your parents? It's because we all know that true empowerment or lack of begins in that home. Even when an adult seems to have drastically changed his life and is nothing like his parents - he will often admit that their influence is still present in several areas of his life.

That's why I'm totally convinced that Parents are the only force in the world that can totally change a community, a country or even the world - in 20 years or less. We are raising the next generation and we will have an impact on thier beliefs - good or bad. If schools, civic groups, churches and other groups would start with the parent first and then branch out - they could literally change society.

I understand that this discussion is slanted for special needs children as well as the public school and their response to helping "all" children learn. It still doesn't matter. The condition of the child is not the issue. There is a need, a bond and a God given purpose for the family. There are dynamics between parent and child that simply can't be duplicated anywhere else. What you do in your home does not stay there - it will follow your child his entire life - period!

God loves you,

Debbie

Mr. President....Mr. President

2011-10-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

This great video doesn't need any comment. Great job Ray Stevens!

Children raised in unchristian homes...

2011-10-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

My Bible study group gave me a wonderful birthday celebration at my home last week. As I looked around the room at the precious friends I was filled with love and complete admiration.

Admiration? Most of them were raised in unchristian homes. Many of them had to struggle to find salvation. I am always awe struck by people who fight to find the saving power of Jesus.

No...I'm not contradicting my last post. I am so grateful for my Christian home and the care my parents took to help me find Jesus. Yet, when I think about all the stories I've heard of how difficult it was to grow up in some unchristian homes - the abuse, the rejection, the hopeless feelings - all the problems those people faced and yet.....God reached out and grabbed the lost sheep. He called to them and they responded. He completely changed their lives.

Well....my experiences may be safe and loving and comforting - but they don't hold a candle to someone who has fought evil and wrestled with satanic powers and emerged victorious! That precious person deserves adoration. That precious saint deserves to be applauded and given the stage.

I hope that everyone reading this blog will realize how important it is to build a Christian home for your children. They need to see the love of God in you. It will help them avoid the sorrow and pain that so many children from unchristian homes have to endure. But....and this is very important....when you survive and go on to find the love of Jesus "in spite of" an unchristian home - I believe you deserve Heaven's highest honor.

It's kind of like being in the military. I am very thankful that I did not grow up in a military home. I would not respond well to someone else determining where I live and how I conduct the business of my home. I would hate being forced to do what they want when I know it's not right for me. I'm a freedom based person and would not want to give that away. I'm not sure that it's good to ask small children to endure the hardships that the military imposes on their lives. For that reason I am grateful that I avoided marriage with a military person.

However, do I respect and honor every person in the military? You bet. Do I stop and clap when I see them in the mall or an airport. You bet! Have I stopped them from time to time just to shake their hands and say thank you. Absolutely!

That's why if you had to struggle to find Jesus - if you grew up in a situation that made it hard for you to see his face but you continued to search for Him - I am so very proud of you. I am humbled by you. I admire you and wish I had a medal just for you.

I believe when we get to heaven and God begins the task of handing out medals and crowns - I believe your crown will be bigger than mine and I will be so very proud of you!

In one of my Dad's sermons he challenged us to think differently about Heaven's rewards. He asked, "Who do you think will receive more honors? A woman who had a drunkard for a husband. He made it difficult to feed and care for their children because he drank more than half of what he made. She did what she could for all eight children. She made things to sell and she made all their clothes. She read the Bible to them and prayed for them. They walked to church every Sunday morning knowing that if they didn't return fast enough and get dinner on the table - mom would be attacked. Every child became a Christian and two went on to be ministers. When this woman arrives in Heaven perhaps she will stand in line beside a well known evangelist. He was raised in a Christian home, married a Christian woman and had a relatively quiet Christian life. He traveled and preached to a lot of people. He was treated with respect and honor. Hundreds of people became Christians because of his work.

If Heaven is where justice is applied and all is made right, who do you think will receive more honors? I think the woman will. Not that the evangelist did anything wrong. He too will receive a crown and the joy of living forever with Jesus. But he received a good chunk of his reward while here - she didn't. I think Jesus will take her in his arms and swing her around. He will do the dance of joy with her and be delighted that she followed Him and made it to Heaven. I think at that moment every angel will fold their wings and every saint of Heaven will be excited. I think everyone will understand that she earned her reward and she deserves it!

For all of you that have fought to find your salvation - I am so proud of you! You inspire me! Praise God for you!

God loves you,

Debbie

The Saving Power of Jesus Christ

2011-09-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Me and Dad
Biloxi, Mississippi

Today is my birthday. I woke with tears in my eyes. No....it's not because I'm older. I woke thinking about my long life with Jesus. I cried because He is my dearest friend and not because he saved me from Hell. I cried because he saved me from so much more.

I remember the Sunday night I sat on the front pew of my Dad's church when I was only six years old. That night is still very fresh in my mind. My little legs couldn't reach the floor but they swung in rhythm as mom and dad sang an upbeat song. It was a warm night in Biloxi, Mississippi. The windows were open and a soft breeze with a hint of ocean swept through the church. Dad moved behind the pulpit to preach. I don't remember what he said or even the topic of his sermon. But I remember thinking about all the times my parents sat with me and told me about Jesus. I thought about the Sunday school teachers that showed me pictures and told me about a man who would love me forever and would never leave my side.

I remember my Dad talking about sin. I knew I shouldn't lie and I knew I should obey my parents but sin meant very little to me. Instead, I stared into the eyes of my Dad and I wanted to know the man he was talking about. I wanted to be friends with a man who was as wonderful as my Dad said he was. I pictured my mom and dad walking down a path with Jesus walking between them. Yes, it was the simple Sunday school drawings of this Jesus....but for me, it was very real.

Then I saw it. I saw the glistening eyes of my Dad. My dad never cried. It didn't matter what kind of pain it was - emotional or physical - my dad never cried. He could make a joke out of any situation. He could fuss about injustice and stupidity - but dad never cried. That night, the tears didn't run down his face....but I saw not only the film of tears that he fought to contain - but also the deep understanding that everything he was saying about this friend of his was completely and totally true. His depth of emotion connected with mine and all I wanted was to be friends with this Jesus. I wanted to know what my parents knew. I wanted Jesus to see me and to love me in the same way he loved my parents.

When Dad gave the alter call I pushed off that uncomfortable wooden bench and joined several others at an old fashioned alter. I knelt and folded my arms on the alter. I laid my head on those little arms and began to cry. At six-years old that's all I knew to do. I didn't have sins to repent. I didn't have dreams to ask for. All I could think to say was, "Jesus please come into my life and love me. I want to be your friend."

I kept thinking what it would be like to know that this great man was my friend. I desperately wanted to know that we would walk together, that he would take care of me and that all three of us - my parents and I would have this man as our friend.

My Dad put his arms around me and prayed a simple prayer. My mother knelt beside me and walked me through the sinners prayer. I did everything I was told, but none of it made me feel any different. It was the emotions of knowing who Jesus was and the desperate need to "feel" his presence in my life that kept the tears rolling down my cheeks.

The alter cleared and as always mother and dad stood at the back of the church shaking hands and talking with friends. I returned to the front row seat and continued to cry. I don't know why the tears wouldn't stop except that I was so desperate to know that Jesus and I had cemented our relationship. Some people may criticize my tears or the fact that my parents allowed it to happen. But I would not be the same person today if my parents had not allowed me to follow the sweet path of redemption. For me those tears were a journey. A journey that allowed an innocent little girl to commit her entire life to Jesus Christ. I will always be grateful to my parents for introducing me to Jesus Christ. I will always be grateful to the grandparents, aunts, uncles and various saints that supported my faith and shared their testimonies of God's love.

I remember Dad and the strong arms that lifted me off that old wooden bench. I remember laying my head on his shoulder and crying. I remember him stoking my back and telling me how glad he was that I knew his best friend. I sat between mom and dad as we drove to a restaurant. 10 or 15 friends from church were waiting. Dad sat at the head of the table. I sat between him and mother.

I didn't look around. I still wasn't sure that Jesus had heard me. I bowed my head and tears rolled down my cheek. "Did you hear me Jesus? I so want to be your friend." Mother saw my tears and asked what was wrong. I told her I just wanted to be saved. I wanted Jesus to be my friend.

She put her head close to mine and we prayed again. She assured me that it was done. That Jesus was not one to hold his love from anyone that wanted to know him. She smiled wide, patted my hand and kissed me on the cheek. I heard the words. I knew my mother wouldn't lie to me. But I still didn't feel like it was done. During the entire meal I swiped at tears. I picked at my plate because it was too hard to swallow.

The ride home was quiet. I prepared for bed as I always had.  Mom and dad both knelt by my bed and prayed a sweet prayer with me. They turned out the lights and left the room. I lay in the dark and watched a flicker of light from the hallway. Again the tears streamed down my face. I thought about all the Sunday school stories I had heard, the songs about Jesus and the smiles from older people who had walked with him. I closed my eyes as tight as I could, "Jesus please be my friend. You can have every part of me. You can have everything - all my toys - you can even have my dog. I just want to be your friend."

It's impossible to explain what happens when love rushes into a heart and changes you forever. I've been successful in business but it is a drop in comparison to feeling your heart burst with the love of Jesus. I've been married and had three children but none of those joys compare with the overwhelming love of Jesus.   I've received awards. I've experienced many exciting and wonderful emotions - but nothing....nothing I've ever experienced matches the moment that Jesus came rushing into my life. Nothing can hold a candle to the overwhelming all consuming feeling I had when Jesus came into my heart. That feeling has held on for 54 years. It has guided me through every decision and every situation in my life. He has never left me. Even when I was in pain and screamed at him. Even when I debated and fussed about his will. Even when I was so distraught that I shook a fist at the sky and yelled, "Where are you!" He never left me for a moment. 54 years later I love him more now than I ever have.

I worry about churches that promote the idea that becoming a friend of Jesus requires nothing more than repeating a statement. I personally don't believe that's how it works. If Jesus does not stir your emotions, he probably doesn't live in your heart. Humans are always emotional about things that touch them. I once knew a 6'3" man who never cried, never was especially nice and never showed emotions of any kind. I saw that man hit his finger hard enough with a hammer to shatter the bone. His jaw tightened but nothing more. He wrapped it in a towel and continued to work. That rigid tower of strength was brought to his knees by a child. His love of his daughter broke him. And she finally led him to Jesus Christ who broke him further.   After his encounter with Jesus it seemed the entire world took on a new intensity. He saw everything differently and everything touched him deeply. He became even more powerful because he now could touch all people and all his emotions. He was clearly a changed man.

Beware of faiths that offer no power and no change.

Today I have served Jesus 54 years of my life. I think too many people believe that the only reason to consider God or Jesus is to avoid Hell.  They think of Jesus as a one gift Savior. I have been hurt by people who are jealous of the life I've had. I was never molested. I didn't live in a dysfunctional home - in fact my home was filled with love, peace and wonderful music. I always knew I was totally loved. I married my soul mate. I had three wonderful children. We avoided teen rebellion and they have grown to be remarkable adults. I have great in-laws. I have never been arrested. And even though I can debate with the best of them, I don't scream or get into violent arguments and I don't hold grudges.

For me....being friends with Jesus and understanding what he wants to do in everyone's life - has saved me from much more than Hell. He saved me from experiencing the dark evils of this world. He kept me from drugs, addictions, broken relationships, heartache, pain and sorrow. Oh I have suffered! No one gets out of this life scott free. I've had my heart broken into a million pieces. I have had times of complete despair. I've been attacked both emotionally and physically. I've been betrayed, and criticised and stomped. I've been embarrassed and lonely. I've been put down because I have a good life...go figure. I'm dismissed as if doing something right makes me a freak in this life. The reality is that I didn't do any of this on my own....it's all because of Jesus - yet I'm the one being rejected. There have been times when I let my guard down and Satan was quick to flood my life with temptation.  I've been stupid and lost several of those battles - but when I realized I was drifting away, I called on my friend Jesus for the strength and I ran back into his arms.

I worry and pray for those who are jealous of my life. I would never hurt them or treat them differently because they didn't meet Jesus when they were young. Instead, my only desire is to comfort them and to help them find the love that only Jesus can give. I believe he can heal any life. I believe Jesus can make all things new. My only thought is to be part of God's plan to say...."You can have my life too. That's what Jesus offers for everyone."

I've never understood this love affair with sin. In fact, I've tried to study sin and it's affects on people. Every sin the Bible warns about has only fleeting moments of fun or rewards. The rest of the time it's full of pain and sorrow. Why would anyone purposely choose pain and sorrow for their life? It's illogical. The consequences are always so full of pain and they last so long that I could never come up with a good enough reason to participate. It's kind of like saying, I'll give you 20 milllion dollars. You can buy anything you want with the money. You can live like a king and no desire will be refused. At the end of one year, we will have the right to cut off one arm and one leg. It doesn't matter what we do with it - the cost for you receiving 20 million dollars is that you will lose one arm and one leg. Why would anyone do that?

How about 50 million dollars? But at the end of three months we will kill your child and harvest their organs for others. What????

That how I see sin. Sin offers a lot of good stuff in the beginning but the following price tag is way too much! The saving Power of Jesus Christ is that he says, "Stick close to me and there will be very few consequences. I will teach you how to have the best life possible. There are things you can't have or they will cost you pain....but if you avoid those and stick close to me and my commandments you will have a great life. You will receive rewards that never end. You will receive the most important things in life. You will find true contentment and joy with your life. Pure satisfaction will be yours. And when others (no fault of your own) cause you pain or when accidents happen - I will be there to help you through it."

To me.....that sounds like a great deal! A fantastic plan. To me that's the best part of the Saving Power of Jesus Christ. When I look beyond how wonderful He is...how much I love "who" He is and how fantastic it is to be near him......then I see this wonderful gift of a great life and I am amazed! I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't want Jesus to swipe their life clean and start over - with Him as the architect prepared to create His personal design for their great life.

After 54 years of being a Christian I can testify that He has never let me down and Jesus has always been there. You can trust Him and you can take it to the bank that He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Jesus has always been my friend and the best thing in my life.

If you want to know this wonderful man, please send me an e-mail. Your life will never be the same.

God loves you,

Debbie

Childhood vaccinations

2011-09-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

My parents and I have an ongoing debate about the safety of Nutra Sweet. I "always" have an allergic reaction to any Aspartame and I can't use it at all. I can't believe how many foods have aspartame in it. Knowing that Nutra Sweet (aspartame) has traces of certain chemicals like formaldehyde, I've wondered if those chemicals (even at trace levels) can build up in our system and cause problems. Medical issues that were rare in the 30's have marched to the forefront in today's society. I'm not buying into the belief that it's just because we have access to more information and documented cases. I think there are other factors.

Most people think very little about the chemicals they ingest. I believe our bodies are majestically and wonderfully made. We are in complete balance. It's when we offset the balance of our bodies that problems happen. This goes wrong because we lack some vitamin. That happens because we aren't getting the nutrients we need. By the same token....when we ingest a chemical that changes our balance - we can suffer major problems. Perhaps being diligent about the purity of the foods we eat and staying away from as many chemicals as possible is a better way to live.

Don't get me wrong - I do not believe we should refuse to medicate our children when they have a severe flu or illness that will take their life if we don't agree to an antibiotic or medication. When the illness is present you must use every measure possible to help your child! What I'm talking about is allowing your child to consume massive amount of nutra sweet (aspartame) and hope that it is safe. Why would you want to take a flu shot that might contain brain damaging mercury or MSG? Why not choose a safer route?

Many of you know that I'm going to be a grandmother. Yeah! My daughter called the other day and asked what I thought of flu shots while you are pregnant. Red flags instantly waved in my brain. First of all, pregnant women are cautioned not to use any drug. They are encouraged to keep their lives as natural as possible. Why then would you even consider a "chemical" flu shot? Why take the chance?

I called Dr. Lazar and asked for his opinion. He was furious and after a long talk promised to send more information. We are going to have a vaccine event at his office in Ann Arbor, Michigan on September 24th. If you live close, I hope you will attend.

In the meantime, you can click over to my Mommy Detective blog and read my first post on Vaccinations. This is a big issue and I would like to know what you think?

God loves you,

Debbie

Too much love may corrupt your child.

2011-09-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

Ron and I had a wonderful evening together. I fixed coconut cream pudding, coffee and we watched TV. It's always nice being with Ron.

We both were challenged by an old 1962 movie, The Miracle Worker. It won two Oscars and 17 other awards and nominations. It's a fantastic movie about Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan. For those of you that don't know the story of Helen Keller, at 19 months she suffered "an acute congestion of the stomach and brain (probably scarlet fever) which left her deaf and blind.

Losing her hearing at such a young age kept her from doing more than making guttural sounds. After Alexander Graham Bell suggested that her parents contact the Perkins Institute for the Blind, Annie Sullivan was sent to be her tutor. Annie found her in a terrible state. At age 9 she was a spoiled wreck. She ate off every one's plate, pitched temper tantrums and had no respect for anyone or their possessions. Annie fought to teach Helen outward discipline so she could also teach her the discipline needed in order to learn.
I sat on the edge of my seat when Annie Sullivan was talking to the parents and said, "Mrs. Keller, I don't think Helen's greatest handicap is deafness or blindness. I think it's your love and pity. All these years you've felt so sorry for her you've kept her like a pet. Well, even a dog you housebreak."

And later.... "Pity for this tyrant? Is there anything she wants she doesn't get? I'll tell you what I pity... that the sun won't rise and set for her all her life, and every day you're telling her it will. What you and your pity do will destroy her, Captain Keller."

To be fair, my mother has often said..."I guess I just love you too much." We all understand the great love parents have for their children. It's that love that carries us through the most difficult times. But...when that love only gives out and never teaches the child to also give - love then becomes a method of corruption. Real love will search for the "best" ways to help a child succeed. Yes, we protect them from harm -but we refuse to protect them from life. Parents who want the "best" for their child will fight for the right of the child to learn, to be unselfish, to have the discipline to achieve. Without fighting for those rights for your child --- you condemn them to a life of overindulgence, depression, loneliness and pain.

After convincing them that she needed two weeks in a nearby cabin - alone with Helen, she was able to break the spoiled nature and help Helen see what discipline would do for her life. At one point James, Helen's brother was talking to Annie at the cabin window. Tears came to my eyes when he said...

"Sooner or later we all give up, don't we?" (He was trying to convince Annie to give up on Helen.)

Annie: "Maybe you all do, but it's my idea of the original sin."

James: "What is?"

Annie: "Giving Up!"

Annie saw something in Helen that she felt was worth fighting for. She saw her potential if only she could get through to her. Annie believed in Helen when her parents didn't. Her parents only saw Helen as a deformed child, a weakling, a child to be pitied. Imagine what Helen's life would have been like if Annie hadn't believed in her.

I see this problem all the time. Parents, teachers, governments, philosophies....everyone wanting to look like a saint and touting "I care"..."I love them so much". They build elaborate philosophies or programs that give, give, give and ask for nothing in return. They feed or give to people until they are lazy, overweight, weak, spoiled individuals who don't have a clue about how to have a successful life. In their warped minds being rich or having everything they want equals some sort of life.

As we celebrate Labor Day today, I hope someone will join me on the stage and be proud of the entrepreneur, the hard worker, the intelligent, the strict mom and the overachiever! I'm sick to death of promoting the lazy, spoiled, overindulgent. It doesn't matter if it's a reality so called star or if it's a lazy person who is capable of work but chooses to take welfare instead. I don't care if it's a wealthy star or a single mom -if they require nothing of their child - it's wrong.  Like Annie Sullivan, I believe the spoiled life is torturous and as far as I'm concerned it's the worse form of child abuse!

Proper discipline isn't without compassion! Compassion, understanding and a generous heart should exist in every one's life. If that compassion or love interferes with determination, hard work, achievement or social graces - then your love and compassion will corrupt the soul.

The best thing we can do for ourselves and for our children is to insist that the only honorable life is one filled with hard work, intelligence and determination! Even when you make it to the top, there is still more work to do. If you are privileged enough to have a lot of money - then get busy working to set up businesses so others can work. Don't selfishly blow $500,000 on a wedding that won't be remembered 5 years down the road. Don't selfishly blow $50,000 on some classic car to collect dust in your garage or another $1,500 on one meal. Instead use your talents and your money for good.  Get a life! Going on TV and acting like a spoiled brat, cussing at everyone and thinking the sun rises and set on you....isn't a life. Get busy and do something important with your life. Fussing about who kissed who or whose going to go out with you is just stupidity - and unfortunately teaches impressionable teens to be just as spoiled as you are. The same goes for the average family. If you are promoting spoiled behavior within your family - you doom your children to a life of sorrow.

Sorry....there are several things I get really fired up about. Laziness and spoiled behavior ranks near the top with stupidity following close behind.

So what happened to Helen Keller once she learned a little discipline? She finished school and graduated from the prestigious Radcliffe College - cum laude - in 1904. She spent 25 years struggling to learn to speak so others could understand her. She remained close to Annie for 49 years. Unfortunately, Annie married a socialist and that influenced Helen politically (so sad). But...you can't deny the great accomplishments she achieved.

During her lifetime, she received many honors in recognition of her accomplishments including the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal in 1936, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and election to the Women's Hall of Fame in 1965. She received honorary doctoral degrees from Temple University and Harvard University and from the universities of Glasgow, Scotland; Berlin, Germany; Delhi, India; and Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was also an Honorary Fellow of the Educational Institute of Scotland. She mastered five languages and wrote 12 books.

It is truly amazing what an individual can do when they refuse to give up, when they are determined to work hard and when they are committed to making a difference in their world!

Have a wonderful Labor Day,

God loves you,

Debbie

Fun thoughts to ponder

2011-09-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

Darlene's Daily

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The greatest use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.

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The sheriff of a small town was also the town's veterinarian. One night the phone rang, and his wife answered. An agitated voice inquired, "Is your husband there?"

"Do you require his services as sheriff or a vet?" the wife asked.

"Both." the caller replied? "We can't get our dog's mouth open, and there's a burglar in it."

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Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store or under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends.

- Cindy Lew

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THE YELLOW LIGHT

The light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.

He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, ''I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him.

I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally....I assumed you had stolen the car.''
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How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it. - G. Elliston

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In the Army during Operation Desert Storm, I found myself in a world that had changed little since Biblical times. With so few creature comforts available, packages from home containing cookies and canned goods were received with great anticipation.

When I got a box from my sister, I happily tore into it, only to discover just how far from home I really was. She had filled it with packages of microwave popcorn.

~'''*`~'''*`~'''*`~'''*`~'''*`~'''*`~'''*`~'''*`~'''*`~'''*`~'''*`~'''*`~'''*`

Thanks Darlene for this fun filled page! I hope the Yellow Light will make us all think twice before doing anything "that Jesus wouldn't do" :)

God Loves You,

Debbie

Can America's children be successful in school?

2011-08-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

I am frustrated with professionals that think huge problems can be solved with a specialized approach. In other words addressing one side of a problem somehow makes all the other sides fall into place.
As a Mommy Detective - and hopefully a relatively smart individual - I understand that our lives are complicated. That means that our actions are often based on an array of circumstances and variables. We respond to our world because of the hundreds of interactions in our lives. Something that happened in grammar school is compounded by a host of other issues that build on the first. As the problem forms layers, the original issue is masked.  As issue upon issue develops, we begin to respond to our world in a negative way.  Like the layers of an onion, it's hard to tell where one layer ends and the next begins. It's important to always remember however, that no action is ever based on one circumstance. We are complicated creatures.

We are constantly being changed by our environment and our relationships. We find insight and change because of something we read, hear or view. Most problems can't be solved by changing one situation or interaction in our lives. Most problems are caused by and must be solved with multiple changes.

For that reason, I get upset when some new author or professional wants to announce to the world that if we changed just one thing - crime would go away, children would be smarter and the economy would grow.

In order to cause real change, we must look at all the issues - not just one. For example, I watched Michelle Rhee on Fox news this morning (at least until the power went out). To give her credit, she is a very smart person and knows a lot about education. She is extremely upset about teachers vs. the reading and math scores of children across this nation.

I agree that some people choose teaching just for the benefits, money and summer vacations. But, I also think there are a lot of teachers who are dedicated to their jobs and will do anything necessary to promote the success of their students. Ms. Rhee agrees with that statement.

While you can't ignore bad teaching - you can't put the entire blame in that one area. There are other reasons our children are not succeeding in school. Ms. Rhee also agrees but continues to come back to the one area of ineffective teachers. Consider the following....

1. Parents are not involved in their child's education. They turn their child over to a school and hope for the best. With both parents working, time scheduled for every sporting event possible, music and art lessons and multiple chances to socialize - there's no time left for Mom and Dad to get involved in the Academics of their child?

2. Parents, media and social groups do not promote the desire to be smart. I hate movies like Dumb and Dumber, all reality shows and most radio talk shows. They promote the underlying theme that it's more acceptable to be angry, stupid, out of control and a sexual pervert. They look down on the hard working kid who makes straight A's, wants a virtuous relationship, hopes to marry for love...not just sexual attraction... and plans to work to make this world better. Instead their vocabulary is incredibly small and the only way they can express their feelings is with cuss words. (Unfortunately too many parents are infected with this stupidity disease) They don't promote character but instead center solely on money and things. Their self-esteem is not based on intelligence, wisdom or solid relationships so they strive for fleeting moments of praise based on looks or anger rather than on real worth. They think it's smarter to take the easy road to fame rather than the dedicated road to a life of honor. They would rather act like an idiot for the camera than be smart in designing a good life. Fun for them is anything that gets attention instead of gaining proper attention for doing something worthwhile. And then we wonder why children are depressed or having a hard time fitting in..duh!

With these mentally destroying subversive actions being promoted 24/7 by the media and outside sources to our children - it's a wonder any child chooses the path of knowledge and wisdom. Most parents allow their children to idolize dysfunctional stars rather than promote a healthy self-esteem. Without good role models...why would a teen want to study?

3. Socially our children are being taught to strive for the "stun gun" rather than for intelligence. The "stun gun" approach is anything that you choose to stun those around you - and take their attention away from judging your capabilities. Instead of striving to be recognized for their abilities most children would rather have the fleeting praise for some outfit, piercing or bad behavior. When we allow our children to go for the stun gun approach, we eliminate their desire for worthy based praise. When we eliminate personal competition, we eliminate the drive to achieve higher goals.

4. It amazes me that parents allow their children to "skip" over the logic of life. For example, we allow them to follow fads and think it's an expression of who they are. Baloney! Fads drive children to be one of the crowd....to fit in....to be the same....to walk like zombies and leave their looks in the hands of greedy designers.  There is a difference between "class" and "fad". Fads usually don't make you look good. Fads are based on greed. When a person has more than enough clothes to look his best - designers come out with some new "fad" hoping to force you into spending more money. Fads are never about making you look good. Fads are about dipping into your pocket. Thank God for the parent or child that says - "I'd rather have control over how I look and save my money so I can buy a new car. I'm not going to spend my money on clothes that aren't flattering so some actor mogul can waste my hard earned money on himself.

Real class on the other hand is a way of dressing so that you look your best. It's individualistic and will play down your body's negatives and highlight your body's positives. Looking like a bum will cause you to act and study like a bum. Looking like a well dressed high achiever will help you psychologically strive to do better. Duh!

Our children should be taught to strive for wisdom, intelligence, class and an independence that refuses to let CEO's determine how to spend their paychecks. Instead we are raising children that are like stupid little sheep being lead around by actors, designers and reality stars who don't have enough talent to fight their way out of a paper bag. We allow them to teach our children to be angry, selfish and lazy. They spend more time thinking about sex than their own future and don't see that they are trading real success for fleeting attention.

4. Parents are not teaching their children common sense. Children instead are allowed to act as if nothing matters but their desires - and they don't have the ability to put the entire picture together.   For example, because some high school drop out rapper (I think I'm an artist but I'm really not) doesn't have the intelligence to pick out clothes that fit - our teens blindly follow his lead. Don't they realize that no intelligent person is going to take them seriously when they can't even figure out their body size? What employer is going to hire someone that can only use one hand because the other one has to hold his pants up? Who wants to hire someone that doesn't have the intelligence to understand and purchase a belt so both hands can work?

5. Manners are an extremely important educational tool. Manners teach discipline. Discipline determines your ability to follow through a project, to sit still and listen, to understand consequences and problem solving - manners are vital to your child's success in school. Show me a child that can't say Please, thank you or I'm sorry - and I'll show you a child that has some type of problem in school.

I've actually talked with teens who insisted they had to follow the fad of bad clothes, greasy unkempt hair, bad language, poor manners and bad grades. They fussed with me about how important it was to fit in, be accepted and try to be popular. It's so sad when years later they knock on my door to see if I can provide answers for their lives. At 30 they cry on my shoulder and wish they had their youth back. "I'm working a dead end job because I was too stupid to use my school time wisely. I've wasted my life and now that I have a child it's even harder to try to repair the damage I've done. What am I going to do now? Why didn't my parents love me enough to say no?"

Sad...so sad....:(

I'm one of those terrible tough parents who required my children to think about their actions and their futures. One by one each child has thanked me for forcing them to stay on the road to success. A parents paycheck often doesn't arrive until a child is 30 or even 40.

Education does not have a one cannon fix. If we want our society to do better and our children to actually learn - we better look at the social issues that are impacting our children. We need to change the entire focus of this new generation in order to make a real impact on their future success.

I'm currently reading The Essential 55 by Ron Clark. I encourage all parents to take a look at this book. It will give you a great place to start your child on the road to education and success.

God loves you,

Debbie

Interview with Debbie - Are there solutions to every problem? #2

2011-08-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

Are there solutions to every problem? #2

While I believe that God has an answer for every problem, I also believe that we often walk away from problems that could be handled if we were committed to the work. Don't get me wrong...I think that we should pray about all our problems and we should allow God to be 100% involved. But I also think that sometimes we can answer our own prayers if we are willing to work on it and willing to consider all the clues. Let's look at some examples.

Let's take a newlywed couple that's fighting over money. Is it really something to fight about? Shouldn't it be more of a math problem. Maybe each person should be willing to give 100% to make the bottom line come out in the black. Instead, they fill every moment with negative thoughts about not getting what they want out of the situation. They point the finger at someone else without considering that there are some changes they could make.

I've heard some pretty awful statements about children. "My child is a brat." "I don't know why I ever thought having children was the right thing to do." "I don't wish them harm....but I'm sick of my kids. I need a break." Without realizing it, these parents have subconsciously given up. They are complaining rather than problem solving.

Yes...I personally believe that every problem in life has a solution. No....you can't magically change a handicapped child into a mentally perfect child; but...you can find ways to make the journey with that child pleasant. No, you can't make a full bankruptcy go away as if it never happened. You can work on a plan and get your financial house in better condition. Even when it seems like your relationship with an old friend will never be repaired, you're willingness to continue to be nice may finally break a frozen heart.

If you want a better life, the first thing you have to do is change your own attitude. Be determined to find answers to your problems even if it means hard work, a different attitude and an idea that's outside the box. Be willing to change and you'll always come out on top.

God loves you,

Debbie

Interview with Debbie - Are there solutions to every problem?

2011-08-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

Do you really believe there are answers for every problem?

Yes, of course I do. I feel that way because I’m a Christian and I believe that God is all knowing and all powerful. What does it say about God if he made the world and all inhabitants but he doesn’t have answers for our problems and doesn’t want to be involved?

Thinking that God is not involved in our lives or that he doesn’t have answers reduces God to a simple creative artist. It takes away his power. I believe God always answers our prayers but he may not give us the answer we want. He might say one of four things.

1. No
2. Yes
3. Not until you are ready
4. Not until someone else is ready

I’m sure that some folks who have been hit with terrible tragedies feel as though God could have intervened or maybe they are mad that it happened in the first place. That’s a hard pill to swallow unless you look at the facts.

God can be all powerful and ready to help you and give you a good life….but your actions or the actions of those around you - can throw negative forces in the mix that change the dynamics of the situation.

God may also have a marvelous plan for you, but if you stomp your foot and shake your fist at him in defiance refusing to follow the plan – it may not materialize.

God might then go to work to develop a new plan…a plan that will get you out of the mess you are in, but no matter how much information he sends your way…if you aren’t listening how can He help you? Like a little two-year old in a mall and on the run….no matter how much God calls you and demands that you come back, you keep running.

Sometimes God says No because he knows there's something better coming at a later date.
It’s important to remember that even though God is loving and does all He can to help us…He ultimately works through us. Our participation in His plan is a key element of success.

There are also times when God demands that we use our brain. He expects us to study hard, be careful to make good decisions and use His instructions to be wise.
Of course there are times when we are simply victims. We didn’t do anything to cause the problem and like Job there’s not a lot we can do to get out of the problem. Car accidents, abductions, rapes, evil men and women and yes….even some Christians can create true victims that have little power over the situation they are in. That’s when the rest of us must be compassionate and allow God to use us to bring about a God inspired solution to other people's problems. To me, the greatest sin of all is when God asks us to be involved in a solution for someone else and we refuse. While our faith does ask "everyone" to work as hard as they can on their own problems....our faith is also based on compassion and love.

Again, if we as by-standers listen to God’s gentle voice, become A+ biblical students and dedicate our lives to living for Him; we can be part of the solution to the majority of problems in our lives and others as well.

God loves you,

Debbie

What a fantastic month I've had!!!

2011-08-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

July/August 2011 is one of those times I'll look back on and laugh about. It has been a wild ride and I'm loving every minute of it.

The first of July I made a trip to Georgia to visit with my folks. We had a great time! We had a lovely 79th birthday party for my Dad. Mom is 83 and seeing them together, visiting in their home, talking about all the great times we've had - sigh :) it was great!

I met with my agent's assistant while I was there. She participated in the 2011 International Christian Retailers Show held in Atlanta. I held my breath and prayed for God's guidance when she explained that the producer for a well known nationwide radio show was interested in me as a guest. I was thrilled but prayed all the way home that God would be my focus and that he would guide my steps.

I left Mom and Dad's and drove to Nashville. My new agent provided a fantastic hotel room in the heart of the music district. I met with Rebeca Seitz (my agent), Steve Feldman (3 time Hollywood Emmy winner) and their assistant Jessica Dotta. We talked for several hours. Steve made me feel so comfortable that I didn't even pay attention to the large camera he was holding. I have two pages of projects to complete ASAP. I hope you will click over and take a look at the agency Reclaim Management. They have the wonderful vision of taking great stories through the entire process. They not only represent the author but they take care of the author. And if the project is worthy, they plan to move it through all points of digital media as well as on the big screen. It's a big vision but one that needs to be realized. I hope you will pray for every one at Reclaim, for all the artist and for God's help with funding.

You can be part of their vision. They have a program where you can donate the price of one movie to their cause. That small donation will build with others to provide the funding for great movies with a traditional conservative view. If you would like to see better movies being offered then join with them and help fund great movies for everyone! You can write or call the agency for more details.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all that I needed to accomplish, I talked my way back to Ohio. Well...I dictated a lot of notes into my phone. I would like to have plunged right in, but after two days of catching up with Ron, doing laundry and getting ready to go again - I gave Ron a kiss and headed for Michigan.

In Michigan Jamie took commercial pictures for Dr. Lazar. He's a talented doctor. He's helping Jamie and I get our physical lives in order. I'll tell you more about him later. I also talked with him about doing a seminar in Ann Arbor.

Next Jamie and I scurried to Chicago. I met with my editor, Ginger Kolbaba of Marriage Partnership and Kyria.com. We had a great time together. Ginger is a wonderful young lady and the dearest of friends. In fact, I love all the workers at Kyria. They are talented, dedicated women who are working hard to help equip their readers. You must click over to Kyria.com and check it out. You can subscribe to an online digizine (which is wonderful) or read some articles for free. You can also download these awesome resources for almost any meeting you can think of. It's a fantastic website! Be sure and search for my name so you can my articles. ;)

Ginger suggested several writing assignments and I have a ton of notes on articles to come! I hope you will at least sign up for the Kyria newsletter so you'll be informed when my articles post.

We left Chicago and traveled to Iowa to be with the Jansen clan while Jamie did Senior pictures for cousins. Then it was back home. I had 36 hours to prop my feet up and catch my breath before Amie arrived. She was a bit tired from her 16 hour trip from Tucson, Arizona, but she had big news....SHE HAD REALLY BIG NEWS.....On or about March 31st, I'm going to be a grandma! Wow! How cool is that??? Amie was here for a week. We shopped and registered and giggled and talked. It was a great time.

What a fantastic month! But now it's time to get down to business. It will take me a bit to get everything organized, changed, tweaked and out the door for you....but, I hope you'll stay tuned. There's a lot of exciting things to come.

God loves you,

Debbie

We are born with a need to be loved and we never outgrow it!

2011-07-22T06:29:00.000-07:00

When my children were born the viewing window displayed a worn piece of paper.  In bold letters it said, "Every child is born with a need for love....and they never outgrow it!"

That statement embodies the foundation for all our self-esteem. No matter how hard an individual tries, they will never be able to stand totally and completely alone. They can boast about it and announce they don't care what the world says.....but the truth is that we all care. We all want to be liked even when we are fighting big issues and driving a large program like say....Governor Christie. He appears to be tough as nails - and he is a tough politician. Great! But I bet he goes home at night to a very strong family who is waiting with open arms to embrace him and give him the love and support he needs.

In my minds eye I see people like Governor Christie, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Billy Graham - I see them all standing on a platform - alone. It looks like they are out there facing the world - alone. But if you lift the skirt around the podium, you'll see 50 people standing beneath the podium. They are the pillars that are holding up his platform. They are the ones that feed his need to be loved and supported. They are the ones that help him dodge the stones being thrown at him. They are the ones that help him decide everyday to get back on the platform and do the right thing.

When a person is void of loving supporters who understand the mission, understand the life, support the goals and overwhelmingly support the individual - that person can't succeed. That person will become dysfunctional. That person will not be able to heal after an attack and will eventually crash and burn.

WE ALL NEED LOVE AND SUPPORT.

But I'm a nobody Debbie. I just go to work and do my job and come home to pet my dog. Why would I need anyone?

You need just as much support as the man on the firing line. You need to know that your life matters. You need to know that you are loved and valued as a human. You need to be connected to others in this world in order to feel that you have a life. So...get out there and make some friends. Reconnect with your family.

How?

The best way to receive love is to genuinely give it. And the best way to do that is to see the good in others. When you see something that makes you smile or that you enjoy about another person - TELL THEM! Don't hold back.

For example, if your boss comes in dressed really nice, what do you do? Most people think "Oh that's nice." but wouldn't dare say anything. How silly! Everyone loves a compliment. It's not brown nosing to let someone know they reached a goal. Everyday we get dressed and go out into society - our goal is to look nice...to be beautiful. Don't go overboard and act like she just won Miss America. Make it a simple compliment of - "Nice dress." as you turn to go back to what you were doing. That kind of compliment can make a person's day. It will leave both of you feeling good. You will know you helped her to feel good about her choice and her day will be better knowing she has been recognized.

When the mail gopher drops by your desk with a ton of mail for you, why not say, "Thanks John. Oh, and by the way - I've watched how committed you are to your job and to making sure the deliveries are on time. Thanks. I appreciate it." That's all you have to say to make his day.

My wonderful friend Pat Sanders sent me a great e-mail today. I hope you enjoy the following story.

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.  She told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment. Over the weekend, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" "I didn't know others liked me so much."

No one ever mentioned those papers again.. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose.. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature. The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to view her student. One of the soldiers moved beside her and whispered, "Were you Mark's math teacher?"
She wiped a tear and nodded yes. The soldier stared into the coffin.  "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, the teacher attended a luncheon and sat with Mark's parents and classmates. His father smiled at the teacher. "We want to show you something." He took a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it." Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher recognized the paper as the list containing good things about Mark.

Mark's mother wiped her eyes. "Thank you so much for doing that.  Mark treasured it." All of Mark's former classmates gathered around the teacher. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."

Chuck's wife said smiled, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."

"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary." Vicki, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times." She quickly added, "I think we all saved our lists."
The teacher broke and cried.  She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again. She cried thanking God that she had done something to help her students feel loved. She cried knowing that their lives had been changed because of a simple act of love.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

Good story Pat, thank you! I hope you will spread a little love and appreciation today!

God loves you,

Debbie

How can we change America and the world?

2011-07-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

Contemporary psychology promotes the idea that when we are born we are complete. Every thought, every action, every disposition is in place and there's really nothing anyone else in the world can do about it. Government, society, ideologues play into that philosophy by agreeing that a person is who he is and that since he can't change without help..."the masses".....should be told what to do and what to think. Of course that's a contradiction - if governments and ideologues can tell you what to do and get you to change - why can't parents or friends?

Parenting is the lowest common denominator! Everything in this world comes back to parenting - everything! Society begins with parenting. Governments begin with parenting. The person you have become and will continue to be is rooted in parenting.

How can you say that? What about people who don't have parents?

Someone took that role. Babies can't exist on their own. They don't have the ability to feed or care for themselves. Someone must take on that role and help them at least reach the level of being able to survive alone. And even if they were on a island and their parent died when they were four....being without a parent and trying to exist alone would turn their life in a different direction. Those formative years are the most important to a human. And the person that's shaping those years will determine the future direction of that life. P-e-r-i-o-d!

But what about our personality, our uniqueness, our intelligence...don't they shape our lives as well?

Of course they do - but it's the percentage we should look at. We are environment and family based people. There's been a lot of research done on this. That's why when a person goes to see a psychologist - the first topic he wants to discuss is your family. "Tell me about your mother - your father - your home growing up." Yes we can be influenced by other forces, but it's our need to be loved and accepted by our family that drives us. It's all the swirling and subconscious movement of our formative years that festers and bubbles up into our conscious lives.

You my dear are a beautiful design created first by God. He gave you a soul, a heart to love, a mind to think and his love to grow on. The moment you were born, your need to grow in love propelled you to crave touch and intimacy with others. It begins with a mother and father showing you both sides of pure protective love. Good parents will protect your innocence, your physical well being and your mind. Good parents provide a safe environment where you can build your faith, your self esteem, your talents and your love and compassion for others. In this safe environment you learn to work hard, to develop a pure love for others and how to not only fit in society but how to help society become a better place for others as well. In other words, your family - your environment - teaches you how to be the best person you can be so that you will go out and impact society.

As you rub up against others you do change, but strong individual rooted in truth will refuse change based only on a dysfunctional need to be accepted by others. The goal is to only change if you were truly wrong. The goal is to be a light of right - a person who stands for the truth and is willing to share that truth with others. It's only then that our society goes forward.

As long as parents are sending dysfunctional teens and young adults into the world - this world is doomed! It's only when parents decide that their biggest and most important job is to deliver a whole and healthy adult to society - that's when America changes! That's when churches get better! That's when crime diminishes! That's when the entire world is impacted.

As long as parents want to foolishly promote that they have nothing to do with their child's life - the world will be on a downward spiral to impending doom.

The solution isn't to take children away from parents. If you think parents are missing the mark with their children - just wait until you see a child raised by a government. That's absolutely the most dysfunctional child on the planet.

The solution is for parents to understand their job, their calling and how important their love is. When parents are as committed to raising a healthy child as they are to taking care of their own bodies or being successful at work - that's when the world will change!

God loves you,

Debbie

Compassion can be deadly

2011-07-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am easily moved to tears. When I find out that someone is being mistreated, my emotions can take over and I'm not only a mass of tears but I become an energized force trying to find a way to help the victim.

It's important that all of my readers understand what I'm trying to do. I don't want to misjudge anyone or to cause anyone to slip into clinical guilt. But there are several components that you need to understand.

Compassion must be in full bloom when you are a Christian. You must look at the pain in the world and jump to help. You must be moved to tears by the needs of others. Like Jesus on the cross, you must look at your enemies and be so moved by their needs that you whisper, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."

Unfortunately, many people stop there. They think that God is all about forgiveness, that he is all about making you feel good and that he has nothing to do with judgement or helping you move forward.

The truth is that as a "Teacher, Minister, speaker, writer" I have the God given responsibility to point out the "Good" I see around me.....but I also am called to point out the "Problems". That's hard! I don't want to hurt anyone. We live in such a demanding and critical society that everyone is filled with stress and suffering from low self-esteem. We often feel as though everyone is out to attack and we are so desperate for approval and love that we would rather continue making mistakes than have anyone offer suggestions for change.

When we allow compassion to overshadow truth, we deny ourselves the chance to grow. The truth is that growth and change is steeped in criticism and negative reflection. I've never heard anyone say...."My life is going great! I'm making lots of money, I have a great family, I love my job....I'm having the best time of my life! You know, I think I'm going to change everything. I'm going to get a different job, a different family....etc...." You get the picture. No, as long as everything is okay in our life - all of us, including me - we will hold our breath and hope that nothing changes.

We only change when someone points out a problem. We only consider different choices and different thoughts when we are challenged to do so. It's important that in our desire to be compassionate and not judge unfairly - that we don't shrink away from being honest or offering an opinion that is desperately needed in order to spark change. Using Compassion as a reason to ignore sin will produce the same deadly results as participating in sin.

One of the largest components to the failures of today's youth is their inability to accept thoughts and opinions different from their own. Like little spoiled children the liberal calls the patriot names because he can't tolerate a different opinion. The atheist sues the state because he apparently doesn't have the ability to turn his head when faced with a cross. Our children are so weak that they can't sit quietly while one child bows his head to say a silent prayer.

In order to find strength we have to be able to challenge ALL our beliefs and all our actions. By challenging them, turning them over and looking at them, tearing it apart and looking for every clue - we become stronger in our beliefs. Challenging your beliefs does not mean you are a bad person or that you don't know what you are doing. Challenging your beliefs doesn't mean you are walking away from them. Challenging your beliefs or your life is simply a way of cleaning up the inconsistencies, strengthening the foundations and becoming a brighter light with your life.

Recently, I received a comment (to be released once this is posted) about my post Mega Church Pop Stars. After reading the comment I stopped and prayed for the writer. I could hear his desperate need to be understood and loved. I am sure that he is overworked and struggling with all the demands of pastorship. He is probably one of those precious few that does more than preach - they actually live it. While he may not have needed my thoughts, perhaps others do. Here's my response.....

I am so thankful that you wrote. Thank you for your comment. After reading it I stopped and prayed for you and your church. I am truly sorry if my post made you feel bad in any way.

I would like to address some of your issues. First of all, I do feel called by God for what I'm doing. I'm very careful that everything said on these blogs has been put through a time of prayer and contemplation first. I posted about the church we visited two weeks after we were there. I prayed many times about the thoughts that burned within my heart. I am sure there have been times when you knew you had to preach a sermon that would step on toes. You probably begged God as well to let you skip that sermon and yet you couldn't because you knew the problem existed within your congregation. I'm sure that as you contemplated preaching that sermon, you were worried that the people who didn't need it would take it to heart and those that do need it will walk away untouched.

While you may not have needed what I said....I know there are others that do. America has a lot of problems and unfortunately many churches aren't meeting those needs or training their congregations to meet the problems with deep faith and strong convictions. The contemporary church is not as strong as other generations have been simply because individuals are so distracted by the world they live in. The reality is that the church will lead us out of our problems but only if pastors get real about faith and less worried about being a star. I am positive there are a few large churches that take care of every member and work hard to be sure the truth is taught. I visit, listen to and research the theology of many churches and I've found that most of the time - not all- the motive is not "disciples"....the only motive is numbers that will produce funds that will produce more programs that will make everyone feel like stars. That was my only point.

Also, on this blog I've recommended the book "5 ministry killers and how to defeat them" by Charles Stone. This book is wonderful and I recommend that every pastor and member of a church read this book. I liked it because it reprimanded members who didn't take "scriptural" care of their pastors. I also cried when I heard this pastor talk about being "called" by God. I think the reason a pastor can get into the pop star role is because he's made pastoring a job. No pastor should ever think of his position as a job. Once it's a job you are forced into the role of pleasing people rather than God. You are forced to make compromises in order to keep "the job". It's only when a pastor is "Called by God" and is determined to only follow God's leading - that's when he can't be touched by the whims of stardom.

How do I know that? Because I do have a minister's license. I've spent many hours studying the Bible and discussing God's calling on individual lives at a christian university. Both of my parents are ministers and my Dad built three churches completely on his own with no denominational help. I helped with those churches while I was a teen, during my college years and continuing into my married life. I was as close to being a pastor without the title as you can get. My grandmother was an evangelist and I have over 34 ministers, evangelists, missionaries, deacons, and various church workers dotted throughout the extended family. My entire life has been church. I've held every position within the church - including board member. You are right that I've never held the "Pastor" label, but as an only child I sat at many supper tables and listened as my parents (family and friends who were pastors) discussed the problems and trials of the church. When I was old enough I became a part of those discussions and prayed with my parents for answers.

I've watched my parents cry at the pain directed at them by church members and I've heard their prayers when they simply didn't have the strength to face all the stress that went along with being God's shepherd.

The difference for me is that I also watched them defiantly buck trendy misconceptions in order to stay true to their calling. They insisted that they were not allowed to "change" any part of the word of God in order to boost their own attendance.

The difference in the Mega Pop Star pastor and the dedicated pastor is simple and easy to spot. It's easy to tell the "motive" of both people. A pastor called by God will always think first of the "spiritual truth" rather than the desire to "appeal" to any generation. A pastor who simply seeks a job will always be concerned about his own appeal.

Dr. Foth is one of my favorite speakers and pastors. He served many churches and has worked as Senate Chaplain and director of the White House prayer breakfast. While speaking at a conference he said, "We must always remember that God is as pure as water. He is the living water. We don't need to add anything to him or help him in any way. He can stand alone." He used an illustration of coke. "Coke has water in it, but the formula for coke is pages long. It will rot your teeth and cause all kinds of medical issues. Water has a very simple formula H2O. You can drink all you want and it will never harm you. In fact, it will keep you healthy. When we add things to Jesus we dilute him and make him weak. When we use the simple message of Jesus Christ and allow him to work - miracles happen."

I get hundreds of e-mails asking for more posts on churches and their purpose. Many of these people are finding their spiritual instruction on line from people (pastors?) like me. I am reminded of a small verse in Ephesians 5 that gives us a clue into God's requirements. Paul told husbands to love their wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, - and he went on to say in Eph. 5:26 "that he might present it (the church) to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." I believe that God wants us to strive for just such a church. Can we be perfect? No....but I believe we should try to do all we can to get as close to that goal as possible.

Thank you again for commenting on my blog. I hope that God will bless you and give your ministry his power. I will be praying for you. Please feel free to contact me at any time through my website at www.debbiejansen.com

God loves you,

Debbie

INDEPENDENCE !!

2011-07-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

My Uncle Don sent the following to me. I cried while reading it. This bit of history will bring all the flags and all the pomp down to individual determination and commitment. I hope that our generation will be able to protect and defend this country with the same courage and loyalty that our fore fathers did!

While, the 4th of July is a time for great celebration, we sometimes lose sight of its true meaning. The following gives us all a better understanding of the sacrifices made by those who helped create this Great Country we enjoy today.

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.

Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson Jr, noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

They gave you and me a free and independent America . The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!

Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: Freedom is never free!

Ask this brave young man who lost his father....

God bless America!

God loves you,

Debbie

Darlene's Daily

2011-07-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

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As we look to the promise of tomorrow, may we never lose sight of the beauty of today.

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One woman was talking to her friend, "You should listen to my neighbor," she says. "She is always bad-mouthing her poor husband behind his back. I think that's so rude. Look at me! My husband is fat, lazy and cheap; but have you ever heard me say a bad word about about him?"
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There is never time to do it right, but there is always time to do it over.

--Carl W. Buechner

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My 17-year-old niece asked me if she could use my name as a reference on her resume', which she planned to submit to a local fast-food restaurant. I agreed.

A few days later she called and told me to meet her at the restaurant later that afternoon. When I asked her
why, she replied, "The manager wants me to come in for an interview, and she told me to bring my references.

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You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. --Golda Meir

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Two buddies are fishing, but they haven't caught anything all day. Then another fisherman walks by with a huge load of fish. They ask him, "Excuse me, but where did you get all those fish?" The other fisherman replies, "If you just go down the stream until the water isn't salty, you will find a ton of hungry fish." They thank him and go on their way.

Fifteen minutes later, one fisherman says to the other, "Fill the bucket up with water and see if the water is salty." He dips the bucket in the stream and drinks some. "Nope. Still salty."

Thirty minutes later, he asks him to check again. "Nope, still salty." One hour later they check again. "Nope. Still salty." "This isn't good," one fisherman finally says. "We have been walking for almost two hours and the water is still salty!"

"I know," says the other. "And the bucket is almost empty!"
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Live the life you love.....Love the life you live.

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Thanks, Darlene

Have a wonderful week-end!

God loves you,

Debbie

Parenting posts

2011-06-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

While most of my parenting articles are posted on the Mommy Detective blog, I do post articles here as well. I hope you enjoy the following:

Should small children give gifts?
A Parent's cuss word
Heartfelt moments
Happy Family
Practical application for Happy Family
Summer Monsters
Good parenting can change the world
Christian Parenting
Spoiled Brat prevention
A Happy Home
Believe in your children
Are you afraid of your own dog?
Painful parenting
Great questions
Spanking
What makes a winner?
A Parent's Reward
Why is life so hard?
Kids and giggles
Boredom

We are in the process of going through all 495 posts and pulling out the ones on parenting. Please check back for the rest of the list.

God loves you,

Debbie

Ronald Reagan Quotes

2011-06-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Ronald Reagan was a great man. He was president when my children were just babies. It was the beginning of my political journey. I hadn't paid a lot of attention to the political scene. I was busy getting my degree, dating, making sense of life and then getting married and starting a family. I know....I was one of those political short sided late bloomers. But then I had children and all of sudden their future (which was connected to the future of this country) was vitally important to me.

Add to that the fact that listening to President Reagan was not only informative, but incredibly inspiring. I felt like I could make a difference. I felt like it was up to me. And....I "wanted" to get involved and change the world for the better.

I don't think he had a deeper insight or was giving us information that wasn't readily available - it was the way he delivered what he had to say. He owned it. You knew the words were not being read....but that they were a part of his own life. He believed in the concepts he promoted. He truly believed that America was a great country.

Lately, I've found myself quoting President Reagan a lot! I find comfort and hope in his words. I enjoy the humor he used to convey his message and I often sit for a moment to reflect on something I've just read. I thought it might help you today to read his words. I hope that you will not only find hope and comfort - but that you will see him as the great president and honorable man that he was!

All of the following quotes were made by President Ronald Reagan. The first one is my favorite and so very true. All quotes highlighted in red are important for the family. Enjoy!

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.

Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we've ever known.

A people free to choose will always choose peace.

A tree's a tree. How many more do you need to look at?

Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have.

All great change in America begins at the dinner table.

Before I refuse to take your questions, I have an opening statement.

But there are advantages to being elected President. The day after I was elected, I had my high school grades classified Top Secret.

Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.

Democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.

Don't be afraid to see what you see.

Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.

Facts are stubborn things.

Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.

Going to college offered me the chance to play football for four more years.

Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.

Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.

Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.

Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.

Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them.

Heroes may not be braver than anyone else. They're just braver five minutes longer.

History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.

How can a president not be an actor?

How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin.

I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself.

I call upon the scientific community in our country, those who gave us nuclear weapons, to turn their great talents now to the cause of mankind and world peace: to give us the means of rendering these nuclear weapons impotent and obsolete.

I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress.

I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life.

I never drink coffee at lunch. I find it keeps me awake for the afternoon.

I've never been able to understand why a Republican contributor is a 'fat cat' and a Democratic contributor of the same amount of money is a 'public-spirited philanthropist'.

I've often said there's nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.

If the Soviet Union let another political party come into existence, they would still be a one-party state, because everybody would join the other party.

If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen.

Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith.

Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music.

Man is not free unless government is limited.

Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!

No mother would ever willingly sacrifice her sons for territorial gain, for economic advantage, for ideology.

Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.

The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.

The taxpayer - that's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.

There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect.

There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.

When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.

While I take inspiration from the past, like most Americans, I live for the future.

Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.

Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.

You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way of eating jellybeans.

Gotta love a man who loves Jelly Beans....

God loves you,

Debbie

Who has died for you?

2011-06-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

When I feel uneasy or uncomfortable in my faith, I always ask the question..."Who has died so that I might live?" That statements causes an abrupt halt to anything that's not right in my life and immediately sends me into a grateful mode.

With all that's going on in America it's easy to get side tracked about who is doing what and how that's hurting us and what in the world are we going to do about it.

As we near July 4th, I think it's time to ask the question - "Who has died so that I might be free?" It doesn't matter if the war was one that you liked or not. It doesn't matter if the job is one you wouldn't do. What does matter is that another human being decided that he/she would put their life on the line so that your freedom would continue. That's a powerful statement for anyone!

A friend of mine, Jerry Parker, sent me a link to the "virtual" wall for Vietnam vets. Vietnam virtual wall I couldn't stop clicking around, crying and praying for the victims and their families. I was overwhelmed with the 18, 19 and 20 year olds that were willing to die for my freedom.

I hope you will take the time to check out this website. Think about how large it would be if WWII vets were included. Think about how many young men and women have gone to war since then - how many are serving us now.

Take the time to pray, pray, pray for our Country and that America will always be home to the free and the brave! Pray that in this country we will always be free to worship God and to be a Christian Nation. Pray that your children and grandchildren will not be denied the freedom we have enjoyed.

President Reagan said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction." How true!

God Bless America!

God loves you,

Debbie

America vs. Socialism vs. the Family

2011-06-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on that plan"..

All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A....

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Could not be any simpler than that.

Socialism has been tried within the family unit and it never works! When parents decide to become a "government" entity and hand out anything the child wants without requirements, goals, restrictions, achievement levels or demanding a work ethic within the home....the child ultimately begins to feel "entitled" to everything the parent has without reservations. The child becomes spoiled and demands even more. The parent feels overworked, frustrated and burnt out with the child. When the teen years hit and the arguing mounts - hurt feeling, broken relationships and rebellion are able to destroy what once was a loving family.

There is no place for Socialism within the family unit. Your job is to train your child, become his mentor and earn his respect. Those three traits will build a strong relationship that will last a lifetime.

God loves you,

Debbie

Darlene's Daily

2011-06-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Darlene Mooberry from Knoxville, Iowa sent today's post. Have a wonderful week-end!

How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras - teach patience to its young?

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Smith goes to see his supervisor in the front office.

"Boss,"he says, "I've been volunteered to help move furniture for my mother-in-law tomorrow, and my wife needs me to help with the attic and the garage, moving and hauling stuff."

"We're short-handed, Smith," the boss replies. "I can't give you the day off."

"Thanks, boss," says Smith, "I knew I could count on you!"

**~****~****~****~****~**

One of the mysteries of life is that occasionally some piece of it will be perfectly understandable.

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Riley's mother gets off work at 5am. One morning Riley got up on her own for school, got dressed, did her hair and put her backpack on ... all without waking her mother. (Riley's mother takes turns with other moms taking the children to preschool and that day another mom was driving.) When Riley's ride came she left -- without waking her mother. When her mother woke up and Riley was gone she was obviously frantic. She called the school and found out Riley was OK.

That night at dinner her mother said, "Riley, don't ever do that again. Wake Mommy up when you go to school. I thought somebody stole you!"

Riley replied, "Mom, you know me. If anybody would steal me they would just bring me back!"
'**~****~****~****~****~**

Life is said to be a game -- but how can we play if we don't know where the goal posts are?

**~****~****~****~****~**

Two patients limp into two different medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement.

The FIRST patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.

The SECOND sees his family doctor after waiting 3 weeks for an appointment, then waits 6 weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn't reviewed for another week and finally has his surgery scheduled for 3 months from then.

Why the different treatment for the two patients?

The FIRST is a Golden Retriever.

The SECOND is a Senior Citizen.....

Thanks Darlene!

God loves you,

Debbie

June weddings

2011-06-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

My son Jamie is a wedding photographer. If you ever need a photographer, please check out his website at http://www.jamiejansenphoto.com/. Not only will you get great service, but you will also get the best pictures around. He does all my pictures and well....if he can make me look good, he can make you look fabulous!

Jamie told me that June is the by far the most sought after month for weddings. I have been wondering if perhaps you've been to a wedding this month. Aren't weddings fun? Everyone is dressed in their very best and they are trying to be on their best behavior. (At least most of the weddings I attend are that way.)

So if the wedding is so wonderful and everyone seems so happy....why are Americans getting divorced so easily? Why when couples promise to love for eternity, does it often end three months later? Jamie sadly explained that every year at least one of the weddings on his calendar will end in divorce before he can finish the technical work on their pictures. How sad?

I believe there are 5 things that must be in place before any couple decides to marry. If you are picking out a wedding dress before these areas are secured....you are in trouble.

1. Make sure you are not marrying for love only. I know you've heard me say this before - but it's the #1 reason so many young couples divorce. I've heard several young girls say, "I know he's probably not right for me, but I can't help it....I love him!" And each of those girls were divorced within two years. Love can't cover all problems. In fact, when something goes wrong - love is one of the first emotions flying out the window. You can't count on love to make up for the fact that you really aren't suited to that person. Your love also will NOT be able to change that person. Make sure everything about your relationship is right - even before you consider love. Love should be the icing on your relationship not the basis for it.

Of course the other side of this point is that you shouldn't marry someone you don't love. Like I said, everything should be right and then if love is there - book the church.

2. Realize that Marriage is not some kind of magical door that will change both of you once you pass through it. All the problems that you experience before marriage will follow you through marriage. If he cheated before - he will cheat after. If she nags before - she will nag after. Marriage never changes problems but it does exaggerate them.

3. Make sure your spouse can be trusted and that they have shown you every side of their personality. How can you be sure? Pay attention to the way they treat others. If he fusses at or disrespects his mother - once you are married and he's comfortable - he will disrespect you. If she mistreats her girlfriends and takes advantage of them - she will mistreat you. Marriage will not magically change personalities! Whatever a person is before they marry...they will continue to be that after marriage! Don't be afraid to ask other people what they think about the person you are dating. Trust them to tell you the truth - and listen to it! They will save you problems later on.

4. Talk about your goals, dreams and desires. Make sure your fiance is willing to follow you in your dreams. Make sure you are totally honest with them about all the problems you will have to face together. Don't discuss it once and forget it. Make it a familiar topic and make sure they "honestly" understand your desires and how you will have to sacrifice to make it happen. If possible, allow them to be a part of your goal before the marriage. For example, if you are a daycare owner - take them to work and allow them to see what you do as well as all the demands you will face. If you are an executive, take them to an office dinner and see how they act as well as allow them to hear about the demands that will be placed on you. Be involved before hand and you may prevent arguments after your wedding.

5. Be willing to walk away in order to love for the greater good. Huh? Make sure that your sights are on having the best marriage possible and not just on acquiring the person you are dating. Get your head out of the "excitement" of dating and marriage and into the process of "deciding" what is best for both of you. Love your fiance enough to walk away and save them and you the pain of divorce later on. If you can be logical about the relationship rather than 100% emotional - you'll be centered enough to make a good decision and hopefully enjoy that decision until the day you die.

God loves you,

Debbie

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

My father has been a minister for the past 61 years. He was a missionary and literally preached his way around the world, through jungles of Peru, in Mexican villages and all across America. He was a missionary pilot and built three churches from the ground up. Yet...with all he's done in his life, he still found time to be a great Father.

Happy Father's Day Dad! I love you!

The first formal "Father's Day" was celebrated JUNE 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington.

Sonora Louise Smart Dodd heard a church sermon on the newly established Mother's Day and wanted to honor her father, Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, who had raised six children by himself after his wife died in childbirth.

Sonora drew up a petition supported by the Young Men's Christian Association and the ministers of Spokane.

In 1916, Woodrow Wilson spoke at a Spokane Fathers' Day service.

President Nixon, in 1972, established Father's Day as a permanent national observance.

On Father's Day, 1988, Ronald Reagan said:

"Children, vulnerable and dependent, desperately need security, and it has ever been a duty and a joy of fatherhood to offer it.

Being a father requires strength...and more than a little courage...to persevere, to fight discouragement, and to keep working for the family."

Reagan continued:

"With God's grace, fathers find the patience to teach, the fortitude to provide, the compassion to comfort, and the mercy to forgive. All of this is to say that they find the strength to love their wives and children selflessly."

President Reagan ended:

"Let us...express our thanks and affection to our fathers, whether we can do so in person or in prayer."

I hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day! Remember, you can also celebrate with your Heavenly Father....thank goodness we all have Him.

God loves you,

Debbie

A Child's Faith

2011-06-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

Shirley and Marcy

A mother was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe. So she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance so he probably wouldn't notice her.

The neighbor agreed since she was up early with her toddler anyway. It would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well. The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew. She did this for the whole week.

As the two children walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week.

Finally she said to Timmy, "Have you notice that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?

Timmy shrugged. "Yeah, I know who she is."

"Well....who is she?"

"That's just Shirley Goodnest and her daughter Marcy."

"Shirley Goodnest? Who is she and why is she following us?"

Timmy kicked at a rock and explained. "Well, every night my mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers 'cuz she worries about me so much." Timmy stopped to pick up a stick and toss it in the grass. "And in the Psalm, it says, Shirley Goodnest (surely goodness) and Marcy (mercy) shall follow me all the days of my life. So, I guess I'll just have to get used to it!"

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy be with you today and always!

Thank you Darlene for this beautiful story. I love the innocence faith of children.

God loves you,

Debbie

Biblical chart

2011-05-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

I called my Dad tonight about a little problem I had. He sent me something I've never seen before. It was so good that I couldn't resist sharing it with all of you. I hope you will print this out and put it on your fridge. If for some reason you can't copy it off this blog....write me and I'll send it to you in an e-mail.

HANDY LITTLE CHART

YOU SAY GOD SAYS BIBLE VERSES

You say: "It's impossible"

God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)
You say: "I'm too tired"

God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"

God says: I love you (John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )

You say: "I can't go on"

God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"

God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5- 6)

You say: "I can't do it"

God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"

God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"

God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 )

You say: "I can't forgive myself"

God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"

God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

You say:"I'm afraid"

God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

You say:"I'm always worried and Frustrated"

God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You say:"I'm not smart enough"

God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say:"I feel all alone"

God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

Thanks Dad....I really needed this today!

God Loves You,

Debbie

Singing in the Night - Philippians 1:19-26

2011-05-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder how some folks can keep their spirits high even during dire circumstances? Everyone....no matter how strong a Christian - everyone has a breaking point. There will be times when even the strongest Christian will cry out to God in desperation, despair or even depression.

The miracle of the Christian faith however, is when we are privileged to watch precious saints stand in some kind of stream from Heaven and endure Satanic attacks with unbelievable grace and joy. I hate to admit it but I'm not always one of those people. I'm very optimistic and I diligently look for positive ways to view my circumstances. Yet when I'm in pain and overwhelmed - I often let God know about it! I'm not always quiet and I'm certainly not using grace to it's fullest advantage?!?

In Philippians 1:19-26, I believe there's a clue as to how to handle life's disappointments. It's such an important passage, I'll include it here for you. I'll begin with the last sentence in verse 18.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, (19) for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!  I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.  Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

Paul had learned the secret. Nothing on this earth matters when compared to being with Jesus. If you step back from all your wants and desires....all your needs....Step back from everything on this earth and simply look into the face of Jesus - Everything becomes clear. If you are a Christian and you know that you will "graduate" into the arms of Jesus when you die - then life and everything here is unimportant. Once you wrap your mind around the reality of Heaven and all it offers, holding on to earth feels ridiculous. Fighting to have that relationship, competing to own that possession or even worrying over looks, fame, finances - it all reminds you of little "toys". You begin to feel like a mature adult with no desire to cry over some worthless McDonald's happy meal toy. After all, you are holding Heaven and all it's unimaginable joy and wealth. Earth looks small, restrictive and completely unimportant. Compared to Heaven earth is but a pebble in your shoe.

And yet our life here is important.  What we do here can make a difference. God insists that we "occupy" until he comes. He insists that we go on about our daily work and that we have an impact on others so that our work and our life will point them to Heaven. So...we can't just sit on a rooftop and wait for him. We must be about our father's work. We must continue.

In this passage of Philippians Paul argues with himself about desperately wanting to be with Jesus. Finally going home represents the greatest joy of all. Yet, he also realizes that he has "fruitful labor" to accomplish. For that reason he must continue to work and do all that Jesus wants him to do.

I'm comforted when I look at this life the same way I viewed my education. Elementary school was preparation for High school. High school prepared me for college. It wasn't until I left college that I felt my life really began. The 80 or 90 years I have on this planet is merely education - a preparation for Heaven. I'm preparing the only thing that will go with me into the next life --my soul and my brain.  Who I become and what I believe about life and God will follow me into Heaven. It's in Heaven that the party and real life actually begins!

No matter what you are going through, I hope today you can find a place alone with God and get into the stream from Heaven that helps you to see only the "Godly" importance of your being. Acquiring things, holding on to fame or accomplishments, being popular or even pushing ahead at work.....all these issues are only important in the framework of doing what God has called you to do. If you are a Christian and everything you are and everything you have were to disappear tomorrow - it's not really important. It's only a toy that amuses here on earth but dissipates when we cross over.

Knowing Jesus Christ and understanding the Heavenly vision - is the truth that will keep you singing through the night. It is the only truth that can set you free from every pain and sorrow of this world.

Last night my heart was heavy with burdens that seemed to crush me. I sat in my big fluffy living room chair and cried. I asked God to wrap his arms around me and to solve the problems I faced. It took a while, but gently and patiently God led me to the truth. "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Nothing here on earth can take away my real treasures.  Nothing here can take away the fact that when God calls my name and decides it's time for me to go home....I win. I get it all! I will live forever in paradise with Jesus Christ. I hope you too will accept him as your best friend. I hope when the time comes...we both will sit as his feet - big smiles on our face - never once thinking about the swirling problems of earth.

God loves you,

Debbie

Prayer works

2011-05-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

I've been praying with several people about some problems they had. I'm excited to hear that those problems are being resolved. I firmly believe that God answers prayers. Sometimes his answer is "wait" and sometimes he answers - "no". But...I'm always thrilled when he answers with a yes.

A few days ago I took the time to click over to my favorite website. I checked on Kyria.com Last year Today's Christian Woman magazine (top seller in the industry) became a digital magazine. It's a wonderful site and I do hope that you will join. The articles are fabulous and there are a lot of wonderful Bible studies and other resources that you can purchase, download and print up to a thousand copies for your Sunday school or other study groups. Please check it out...I know you will love it.

Anyway....I clicked over to the editors blog to see if my friend Ginger had written anything. Her article Little surprises was about God answering a quickly whispered insignificant prayer. It brought tears to my eyes. I thought back to the first time God had ever answered a prayer for me.

I hope you will enjoy going down memory lane with me. Here's my comment to Ginger's article.

Your article maybe cry! Thank you so much for writing about this.

It made me cry because it reminded me of the very first time God answered a prayer - just for me. I was about7 years old, just beginning my walk with God and trying to be the "good" girl that Sunday school lessons promoted.

It was a long time ago when as an elementary student I sat in a wooden desk with hands folded while a very strict teacher tapped a long thin stick on her desk. It was near the end of school, a very hot day with absolutely no breeze flowing through tilted windows. Chalk squeaked across the blackboard and left dots of dust on the floor. Our books smelled musty and the #2 pencil I held seemed to weigh two pounds.

I wiped my sweaty hands on my new pink dress, stared at the problem on the board and wished there was something fun to speed up the afternoon. The second hand on the massive black and while circular clock seemed to drag as if time actually wanted to stand still. Tick, tock, tick, tock. It felt as though the day would never end.

I remembered my Sunday School teacher telling me that God cares. She had bounced on her high heels and squealed with excitement. "God loves you and wants to be there for you. You are his child." I wondered if he really cared about musty books and scowling teachers. I squinted out the window and decided it was time to find out. I took a split second to bow my head, "God if you are really there, please let something fun happen."

Within minutes the face of that harsh teacher smiled. She tapped her stick on her desk and announced. "Children. You have been so good today, I have a special surprise. I've brought a piece of bazooka gum for each of you. After you open it, save the paper. On your way out of the room you must throw the gum away. I won't tolerate anyone misusing this privilege."

For the next 20 minutes I happily chewed my bubblegum. I remember looking out the window at the blue sky and trying to wink like my mother often did. I wanted God to know that he was now my friend and that I was convinced he would always listen to my prayers.

Insignificant...not at all. The point was not the simplistic prayer or the fact that the world was filled with bigger needs than a 20 minute escape from boredom. The point was that God listens to all prayers....even the ones that are simple triggers to let us know that he's watching, listening and always there. God listens to the children and the aged, the pastors and the businessman. He listens to the wealthy and the poor, the hidden and those with fame. God listens!

Prayer works! It's a fact. Whenever we bow our heads in honest appeal - God hears us. 53 years later I can honestly say, God has listened to every prayer and has been the best friend I could have ever had! :)

No matter what you are facing.....no matter how hard the task....how rough the road ahead....how scary the problem....give God a try. I can promise you that He will listen. I hope that you will make prayer a daily experience for your entire family. Teach your children to pray. Pray with your husband. Pray with your friends. Even if your circumstances never change - pray and I promise you that God will let you know that he is there.

God loves you,

Debbie

Lincoln - the Emancipation Proclamation

2011-05-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

The Emancipation Proclamation brought to you by American Minute

The first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation

Just 70 miles from Washington, DC, the Battle of Antietam took place on September 17, 1862.

It was the single bloodiest day in the Civil War with the North and the South both losing over 10,000 men.

This costly battle convinced Britain and France not to recognize the Confederacy.

A week later, President Lincoln announced he would issue an Emancipation Proclamation, effective January 1.

Three weeks after the battle, on OCTOBER 6, 1862, President Lincoln met with Eliza Gurney and three other Quakers, saying:

"We are indeed going through a great trial...In the very responsible position in which I happen to be placed, being a humble instrument in the hands of our Heavenly Father...as we all are, to work out His great purposes..."

Lincoln continued:

"But if, after endeavoring to do my best in the light which He affords me, I find my efforts fail, I must believe that for some purpose unknown to me, He wills it...

If I had been allowed my way, this war would have ended...But we find it still continues...We must believe that He permits it for some wise purpose of His own."

Lincoln concluded:

"We cannot but believe that He who made the world still governs it."

I love the way our forefathers recognized the purpose and plan of God. I also am amazed at how they fully understood that humans are not always able to comprehend the plan of God. I struggle with that on a daily basis. I am always wondering how my current circumstances fit with the plan and purpose of God. Even as I struggle with his will, I do not allow my simple human spirit and the inability of my understanding - to ever demote God because I can't understand him. Instead I choose to trust Him....confident that He has my best interest and the best interest of the world in mind.

My mother wrote a song about this very problem. Her CD and sheet music are now being offered on my store. You can find I Don't Need to Understand at My Store

The first verse goes like this...."Sunshine comes and sunshine goes, then shadows linger; Darkness fills the night with mystery and care. But within my heart a gentle voice reminds me, “Fear no evil,” Jesus said, “for I’ll be there.”

The chorus affirms President Lincoln's thoughts. "I don’t need to understand, I just need to hold his hand.
I don’t need to ever ask the reason why. For I know He’ll make a way thru the night and thru the day;
I don’t need to understand, I just need to hold His hand."

God loves you,

Debbie

Mr. President, Why do you hate me?

2011-05-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

The other day I was watching an insignificant TV show where a small child looked up at his parents and just blurted out the truth. He "innocently" asked questions about the 800 pound gorilla in the room that everyone else was avoiding. For the next few days I couldn't help but imagine what I would say to Mr. Obama if we ever met - or if I knew he was going to read something I wrote. Here's what I would say.

Debbie Jansen - about age five

Dear Mr. Obama,

I don't know what I did to cause it, but I find myself constantly asking the question...."why do you hate me?"

We have never met so I'm pretty sure it couldn't be something that I've said. Maybe you've read my blog and you don't think I'm being respectful because I won't call you "President Obama". Let me assure you that it's just a tiny little protest against the way you are hurting me. It's a tiny little personal protest because the pain you have caused me makes me feel that you are "not" my president. You couldn't hurt me as you have and still be my president. If I was ever on television or a radio show, I would force myself to do the right thing, observe protocol and respect others that believe in you. In that situation I would certainly call you "President Obama". I hope that clears things up. Is that why you hate me?

Maybe you are worried that I'm so upset about what you've done to my country that maybe I would be mean to you if we met. Maybe you think that I would try to cause some harm to you physically. Let me assure you that if I vacationed in Washington and...
I went walking early in the morning and
if you were also walking around the gates of your home and
you glanced my way and waved...I would not yell at you or try to hurt you in any way.
I wouldn't run up to you and ask for your autograph because...well, because you are trying to take all of my freedoms away - but I wouldn't yell at you. So I'm wondering...why do you want to hurt me? Why do you hate me?

Maybe you are worried that if you could get away from your bodyguards to take a quiet walk and that if you tripped and broke your ankle and no one else was around but me,
Maybe you think I wouldn't help you.   I would you know! Of course I would. I'm a Christian and even when I don't like the policies of another person - I wouldn't hurt them. I would defend myself from their attacks - but I wouldn't hurt them. If I stood over you and you were physically in trouble, I would be kind. I would do whatever I needed to do to get you help. I would even put my arm around you, let you lean on me and I would bear your weight until we could hobble back to your home. So, I'm wondering. Why do you hate me?  Why do you want to do me harm? If I was hurt - if I had the broken ankle - would you help me?

I understand that your parents had issues and that those issues shaped your life. I understand how parents can influence a child and change their perspective on other people. But...you were able to move beyond the middle class stigma. You obtained large amounts of money and you live a mega rich lifestyle. You have every convenience you need. All your wants and desires are being met. You have all kinds of people seeing to your every wish. In fact, you have all the things you cite "the rich" for having. You are one of them. Yet...you still feel compelled to take away my freedoms. Why do you feel you need to take my money, my child, my possessions? Why do you hate me so much that you feel you need to take from my life in order to make your own life important. Maybe if you come to my home and see the leaking roof and the torn couches. Maybe if you watch me work 12 hours a day hoping that my writing will encourage others. Maybe if you see my exhausted husband worry about making our mortgage payment.....maybe then you wouldn't hate us so much. Maybe then you would feel blessed and you wouldn't want to interfere and hurt us like you have. Maybe then you would have compassion.

Maybe you hate me because you think too much about philosophies and concepts.
Maybe if you came to my house and overlooked the comforts we don't have.
Maybe if you petted my dog and looked at pictures of my children.
Maybe if you took the time to find out that I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't cuss, I've never been arrested and I do everything possible to be a credit to this country - maybe then you would respect me enough not to hate me. Maybe then you would want to keep my personal freedoms in tack.

Do you hate me because I try to shine a light on inconsistencies? Is it because I believe in the freedoms this country has always fought for and the fact that Everyone - absolutely everyone should be allowed those freedoms. Maybe it's because I believe that your freedom stops where mine begins. Maybe it's because I think everyone - including politicians - should follow our rules and laws. Maybe it's because I think everyone has a voice and the right to make their opinions known. Is that why you hate me?

Maybe Mr. President....maybe if you put all the rhetoric aside and allowed me and Ron to take your hands, bow our heads and pray for America....maybe then you wouldn't hate me so much. Or is it my religion? Maybe you don't like me because of my religion. How can that be? After all, you say you are a Christian. Are you a Christian Mr. President?

Maybe if I showed you pictures of all the times I've cried for America.
Maybe if I showed you pictures of all the times I've put my head on my Bible and sobbed for America.
Maybe if I showed you pictures of all the times I've talked with sweet little old ladies and out of work men and tired frustrated pastors and scared young adults....Maybe if I could show you how many people you are hurting - maybe then you wouldn't hate normal conservative hard working people like me.  Maybe you just need to spend more time with us and see that we are the real backbone of this country. Maybe once you understand that if you restrict or hurt us - the country will die and take you down with her. Maybe you just don't want to face that fact. Is that why you hate me?

Like I said, maybe it is a faith thing. Some people don't live their faith. For some people it's a way to win an argument. For me, my faith is everything. Maybe that's why you hate me.  Maybe it makes you nervous because I pray so much or I don't believe in murder or stealing or lying. Maybe it's because I want people to be responsible for their own actions.  Maybe it's because I want people to be smart and logical. Maybe it's because I think I have the right to pray or to go to church on Sunday. Maybe you think I would be less of a threat if I wore a burka or was an atheist. Maybe you hate me because I want the liberal, Muslim, homosexual or atheist to give me the same respect and tolerance I'm expected to give to them. Does that make me a radical? Is that why you hate me?

I've racked my brain trying to figure out why you think you have the right to hate me and more importantly to make laws that hurt me. Why do you think you have the right to take away my freedoms? Have I ever done anything to hurt this country or to hurt you? Why do you hate me?

Why do you target my children - our children? Why do you hate me and my friends so much that you just don't care how we feel. What did we do that was so wrong? Are our bodies so offensive to Michele that she thinks she has to rid this country of everyone that doesn't have a perfect model body? Maybe you both just don't like anyone that's not like you. Maybe you think punishing anyone that doesn't agree with you is okay. Maybe you think that if you could clone you and Michelle and have nothing in this country except Obama people - then the world would be at peace. Boring! But....is that what you want? Is that why you hate me?

Why do you hate me so much that you want to take away my parenting abilities? Do you really believe that I'm so stupid that I can't care for my own child? Do you honestly believe that the only way to grow healthy, wise, mature adults is for you and the government to take over parenting? To indoctrinate my child? In effect that means you hate my life so much that you can't bear to know I'm influencing my children. Is that why you hate me so much?

Do you hate me because I want to preserve goodness? There are some philosophies and habits that will destroy the very foundation and lives of the people that live in this country. Evil must conquer. That's it's only purpose. If we allow evil a foothold, we will be conquered. Do you hate me because I want to fight against evil?
Please Mr. Obama. Please stop hating me. I don't hate you. I disagree with the very core of your philosophy. I believe in the founding fathers and their dreams for this country. I believe that it's only through understanding the faith that this country was built on that we will achieve true peace and harmony. I believe that all hate should stop but that we have to be responsible for our actions. That means that some actions are wrong and must be stopped because they will destroy freedom. That means that we must have boundaries and "logical compassionate, responsible" laws. That means that no one - not even a judge - has the right to hate or show partiality to even the smallest of God's creatures. While my beliefs seem to be in direct conflict with yours, I don't hate you. I don't wish you any harm and I don't want to take away your freedoms or your money.

So for the life of me, I can't figure out why you hate me?

Are you wondering the same thing?

God loves you,

Debbie

Isn't it harsh to talk about sin?

2011-05-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Debbie,

I really love reading your posts. You do a great job of explaining the tough issues especially about family matters. I am wondering about your last post. Isn't it kind of harsh? I don't think my pastor wants fame. It's true that he's never been in my home, but I get the impression that he does care about the people he preaches to...... Could you also explain why you spend so much time discussing politics and church when your blog is called Family tracks. -J

Dear J

Thanks for writing and giving me permission to answer your questions publicly.

Of course there are thousands of wonderful pastors who do care about the people they serve. You can never lump everyone into the same pot. But, there are a few facts we must consider.

First of all, sin is harsh. There's just no way around the fact that when people engage in sin - life will be harsh. I have a choice. I can do the popular politically correct thing and simply look the other way - or I can love my readers enough to be honest about what I see.

I spend a lot of time fasting and praying for my family, my friends, my readers and the world. I hate sin. I hate the destruction it causes and the way it changes the hopes and dreams of those who must suffer through it. I know that the best thing I can do for those I love is to be honest and confront sin.

Is it more loving to say nothing and let my readers march to judgement with hidden sin - or - tell the truth, help my readers get rid of sin and then rejoice with them when we all make heaven?

Sin is a lot like the Abraham Lincoln quote. "How many legs does a dog have if you call a tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." How true. Many contemporary Christians want to rename sins. They think if they find a way to "accept" or "justify" sin that God will go along with them.

I have a healthy respect for the power of God. I understand that GOD is the final word. It really doesn't matter what I think. I'm not going to judge people. The only voice that really matters in all this is the voice of God. The only opinion that really matters is God's.

No one has God's permission to change the rules. There is nothing in the Bible that even hints that we have the right to change his word in order to please others. In fact, there are many scriptures that warn against doing just that!

Let me restructure yesterday's example. Let's suppose you die and you find yourself standing before God. He begins to ask questions about your life. Some of it is good but then he comes to one of the major sins. He asks..."You never repented over this sin. In fact, you told others that you didn't believe a loving God would require you to rid your life of this sin. I gave you over 15 scriptures including 4 that said "Thou shalt not" and you still continued in the sin. What part of no didn't you understand?"

I don't believe at that point that you will stiffen your shoulders and argue with the Almighty All powerful God. Will you have the courage to say, "Well excuse me. I just couldn't believe that you would get yourself in a snit over that. After all, you tell us to be compassionate. Where is your compassion? My pastor didn't tell me I had to be so stiff. My friends didn't encourage me to stop - why should you? I thought you said you loved me. Why would you take this fun thing away from me? I didn't hurt anyone with it - well, not anyone that was important. You're just being mean."

Can you imagine anyone saying that to God? That brings us back to what I've said many times before. God made us. He knows how our bodies, minds and hearts work. He knows what will give us a great life and what will not. He is also a holy and righteous God. There are some absolutes that he can not accept. He will never be okay with sin! It is our job to learn about his character, his demands and his love. Once we get in line with his plan for our lives...we find out that it is a thousand times more satisfying than anything we might choose to hang on to.

Have you ever seen a spoiled child making a huge fuss and hanging on to a broken piece of candy that he found in the dirt? "Mine, mine, mine. This is mine and you can't have it." The adult is trying to calm the child down and explain if he will throw away the broken dirt laden piece of candy, he can choose a brand new piece from a pile of new lollipops. The child refuses to listen and continues to fuss and scream.

Another child who has been taught some discipline and logic, listens to her mother, relinquishes her candy and marches into the store to pick out something wonderful.

That's the scene I imagine when I hear so-called Christians fighting for their right to lie or steal or have an affair or hurt the generation that preceded them. Christians are to be mature, logical, kind and understanding. We are to follow God's rules, study his word, live a sin free life and be prepared to move into eternity at any moment.

Ephesians 5:25-27

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

While this verse begins with a directive for husbands, it also goes on to confirm what many other verses teach - Jesus loved the church (that's all of us) and he loved us enough to die for us. But....he wants us to be sanctified, clean and to present ourselves to him without any blemishes. No spots, no wrinkles or anything that might be displeasing to a holy God.

That means that we are charged with seeking out and destroying the sin that may be in our own lives. Yes, J - that's often harsh. That means that we look at ourselves and are willing to say, "You know, I better not do that anymore. That might not be where God wants to take me.

Churches are changing. Like a huge wave crossing this country, churches have the idea that bigger is better and that being hip is best. They have bought into the thought that if they look like the people they want to preach to, that maybe those people will feel comfortable and will accept Christ. Unfortunately there's bad theology in these new ideas.

Jesus Christ doesn't need your help! He doesn't need us to change him in order for him to appeal to a sinful man. He doesn't need a publicist or a go between. He doesn't need your rationalization as to how to make him more pleasing. Jesus Christ can touch anyone he chooses. He doesn't need special music and he doesn't need to be accepted. He doesn't need to be repackaged or redesigned. All he needs is one willing Christian to speak up and say, "Do you know Jesus?" He can pretty much take it from there.

Remember Saul? Saul killed Christians. Acts Chapter 9 begins with "Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples..."  Saul worked for the Jewish High Priests and was delighted anytime he found a Christian he could kill.

God didn't need any one's help. God struck Saul with a light from heaven.   He fell off his horse and was immediately blinded. God sent him to Ananias who prayed, (vs. 13-15) "God I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the Chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kinds and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

Can you imagine if Ananias had said, "Well God, I think maybe if I just accept him like he is and if I eat what he eats and dress like he dresses - maybe then he won't be so angry about you."

God and Jesus didn't need Ananias's help. They had the situation well under control. It's always wrong and actually very sinful to rob God of his character and who He is. When we do that we strip him down to some namby pamby grandfather without the authority to rule.

Want proof? The Barna group says that over 76% of today's youth is leaving the church. What reason do they give? The church isn't representing the true nature of God.   Hum.....

As far as why I talk about politics, religion and other issues - it's because families are not islands. You are raising adults that will be sent into the world to leave their mark. They will face all the things we talk about on this blog. If you don't train them to handle false teachers, to date, to vote - to be a light to this world - they will fail the first time they meet some negative issue. You and I need to discuss what's happening in the world so you can pass on a logical solution to your child. You and I need to discuss issues so your family can practice and become strong influences in the future.

Hope that helps....keep the questions coming.

God loves you,

Debbie

Mega Church Pop Stars

2011-05-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

Recently Ron and I visited a local church. It was a denomination that we trusted and we hoped we would find comfort and encouragement.

It's getting harder and harder for us to find music that fits the Christian compromise and provides some sort of inspiration to mature audiences as well as young people. We stood and tried to smile politely while several young people who obviously had never seen a chord chart banged and screeched their guitars until the audience was battered into a ringing stupor.

The prayer was more of a generic call to the four winds than it was a genuine conversation with a familiar God. After a long list of announcements and a video of flashing lights that pleaded with us to attend a dinner, the pastor finally took the stage.

He was about our age but looked as if he had been dragged into a teeny bop mall by a group of Hollywood designers. His hair was salt and pepper but spiked high enough to make any rock star proud. He had a tan that would make George Hamilton jealous. He wore cowboy boots and jeans that were frayed and torn at the knees. He wore a sports shirt - collar unbuttoned - under a suit jacket. He proudly waved a hand that revealed a gaudy gold and diamond ring and a gold watch so big that selling it would have funded a small clinic for a week. He jumped and jittered when he talked and tried to look hip. He introduced his wife so she could make an announcement. She took the stage in 4 inch heels, Tammy Faye makeup and a short skirt. I had to look at the bulletin again to be sure I was in church and not at a seminar on how to look young even when you aren't.

Looking around the room I wondered who they were trying to appeal to.  90% of the congregation was my age, dressed in suits and sitting with their arms crossed. Someone was filming the service so maybe, I thought, maybe he's going to show it on the local Rock and Roll station.

I did my best to get past the way he looked and moved on to what he was saying. For 20 minutes I struggled to pay attention. Not because I was tired or didn't want to be there, but because it was an elementary Sunday School lesson. I dare say if anyone in the audience had attended church or Sunday school for the past 5 years - they did not need this simple sermon. Most people were yawning or doodling or even dozing off.

Finally he showed another video that was nothing more than a moving background with words while some deep throat narrator read the script. I assumed this video was for people in the audience who couldn't read. At this point I punched Ron and gave him a tsk tsk tsk for dozing off. He rolled his eyes and whispered, "I need something stimulating to stay awake."

Finally the pastor caused both of us to resurrect. He boldly announced that God was so impressed with a prophets dedication that he was going to accept the prophets prostitute wife as God's own bride! That got my attention. I scrambled to find a pen and write down the scripture reference but he didn't include that in his tirade about how God wants us all to keep coming back even when we sin and that God will always always always forgives. "After all" he yelled, "we are all his children and he loves us so much he can't bear to turn us away."

With this proclamation Ron and I sat up straight and began shaking our heads no.  We believe that God loves to forgive us even when we fail at ridding our life of sin....but....even with God there is a limit. (Romans 1:28)  I was writing fast and furious in order to keep myself from jumping to my feet and yelling "Are you crazy?" Obviously we didn't want that kind of scene. This pastor was almost begging the congregants to sin and test the fact that God wasn't really about Hell but only about loving. Finally my anger turned to fear and then to compassion. I began to cry for all those listening. I began to wonder what kind of other lies he was telling this congregation. I wondered how many people would be lead astray because this pastor wanted fame.

How do I know he wanted fame? That's all most pastors talk about any more. They don't talk about how much time they spend visiting the elderly or shut ins. They don't talk about sitting at a young mother's kitchen table and discussing the Bible while she washes dishes or praying with those in the hospital all through the night until miraculously they recover.

Nope....no time for that kind of foolishness. Pastors have laid that kind of talk down or simply delegated it to someone whose not as important as they are. Pastors have to have time to get a tan and run 5 miles a day to stay in shape --- for who? Pastors have to have time to meet with business people and design all sorts of programs so they can draw in the crowds.

And who teaches and prays and makes a personal connection with the congregation? Sometimes the staff - but more than likely that job goes to....no one. That single mom either has to commit to another Bible study in order to make friends or go it alone in her problems. GET INVOLVED is the mandate. How can we help you unless you are involved?

Once many years ago when I asked what I thought was a caring pastor to visit my dis-illusioned son he replied, "Now Debbie. I don't have time to go out and visit with everyone that calls on me. Tell your son to come to church and get involved. If he's in my inner circle I'll have plenty of time to meet his needs." I had to hang up quick before I exploded. What about Jesus command to go out and search for the one lost sheep? What about Jesus call to go into all the world? What about Jesus rebuke of men who favored one sheep over another?

Being a pastor isn't about numbers or how cool you look. Being a good pastor is about being a great shepherd. It's about searching for the lost and being willing to spend whatever time is needed on one single sheep.

I'm terribly afraid that when God begins his judgement of the church, most of the numbers will disappear. I'm afraid when God returns He will find people who saw the church as a safe place to join and have fun without being forced to study and know the character of God. I'm afraid that many people attend today's mega churches so they can tell their neighbors they are Christian, speak some Christianise and have a social club that's safe and fun. All the while they sit in the back and hide the very sins that will keep them out of heaven.  Thinking that it's just a matter of accepting that there may be a God but never surrendering to a Savior - they rock along happy that the church they attend is an insurance policy to avoid Hell in the afterlife.

The pastor gets to feel like a rock star, the church member gets to hide his sin and they all have fun doing the program happy dance. Until......God and his holy angels swoop in and yell, "That's it. Everybody out of the pool!" God sits on his throne and begins to pronounce judgement on all the lives that haven't followed his Word.

"Did you take care of my sheep!" God yells at pastor pop star.  He straightens his shoulders and announces, "I had 3,546 people in church last Sunday."

God slams his hand on his chair. The angels bow their heads and fold their wings. "Out of those 3,546 people only 47 are going to be saved. I repeat....Did you take care of my sheep!"

"Ahhh....well.....you see sir.....I uh....I preached about loving each other and well....they just didn't listen."

God stands up and his base voice booms. "Did you tell them about sin? Did you visit 92 year old Aunt Lucy that helped to start your church? Did you give her communion and pray with her when she was lonely? Did you sing her favorite hymn until she finished wiping tears from her eyes? Did you visit Mary when her husband died? Did you pray with John when he lost his son?"

"Ahhh...well....um....they weren't on my schedule. It must have been an oversight on the part of my secretary. I'm an important pastor you know."

God raises his finger and growls. "Did you tell the pre-teens that premarital sex is a sin? Did you tell them that all liars will have their day in hell? Did you tell them to respect their parents - did you respect their parents?"

The pastor is now on his knees. "I had 3,546 people in church." His voice trails off as God motions to the angels of judgment.

"I commit you to everlasting Hell. You did not respect my people. You did not teach them about me. You were just as wicked as any sinner."

I personally don't want a hip pastor or music that appeals to local bars. I don't want a pastor that would be more comfortable on TV than in my living room. I want a pastor that knows the way to heaven. I want a pastor that I feel comfortable crying on his shoulder or telling him my problems. I want a pastor whose both compassionate and kind but knows enough about sin to guide me to heaven - not send me to hell. I want someone who knows that he has been given the greatest honor of all, he's been asked to be a shepherd to God's flock.

Hum....makes you think doesn't it?

God loves you,

Debbie

Political Thoughts

2011-05-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Perhaps we need to investigate why our forefathers believed as they did. Are we missing something with our current political policies? Perhaps our forefathers knew that once you begin to chip away at our uniqueness you erode our exceptionalism. Perhaps our forefathers felt that while we grow we need to preserve the core of our beliefs and our strengths.

We used to be called the melting pot. When I heard that as a child, I imagined a huge black cauldron that had soup in it. Now that I'm older I realize what makes a good soup. A good soup is a blending of flavors. Each ingredient adds something to the pot but it gives up it's own flavor in order to blend together and make a "new" and different flavor. You may add onions to a pot of soup but if onions are all you taste then it can't be a melting pot of blended soup. Instead it becomes onion soup only. The onions must give up their flavor so that it can be blended with other ingredients to make something new....to make a new soup that stands alone in flavor.

Last night I made a blended soup. I used onions, garlic, red bell pepper, chicken bouillon, chicken chunks, corn, celery and something new....I added smoked paprika. The soup was wonderful! But as I sat there enjoying every bite I realized that the flavors were different from what I normally enjoyed. I had created a wonderful new taste with the melting of flavors. The smoked paprika had added some new taste. It wasn't a harsh paprika taste but it created this wonderful new dimension that gave the soup a depth of flavor. I couldn't pick out a distinct paprika or onion or even garlic taste. They had all blended to make something new.

That's what America should be. A blending of people and backgrounds. None of us should stand out but instead we should all be committed to one goal - American Patriotism. We should all be committed to American Strength, American freedom and American exceptionalism. We should be the best. Not the best woman or the best Mexican or the best Indian or even the best heritage with relatives dating back to the Mayflower. While we may celebrate those things within our groups - we should not demand that others be like us or even adopt our heritage. Instead, we should and must be the best AMERICANS...period. We should love the American flag, the pledge of allegiance and American capitalism. We should be Americans to the core. If you were born elsewhere and have become an American citizen then your loyalty should be to America. You should embrace her as you would new parents who decided to adopt. You should be proud to be a part of the country you have chosen.

Why would that be important? If we don't blend then we aren't connected. If we are more concerned about being Dutch or Italian or Muslim than we are about being American then fights break out and we lose that connective string that keeps us moving forward. I don't understand why anyone would come to this country or stay in this country if they adamantly disagree with the country - unless they simply want us to fail so they can steal our land. If we are constantly fighting about who we are or who we should be...then we fall victim to another old but very wise statement, "A house divided against itself will not stand." - Abraham Lincoln

Read the entire speech and you'll see that President Lincoln was explaining that if we fight each other one idea will win out. The two ideas stand as opposites and will determine what kind of country we become. Fighting and straying from the core of who we are will ultimately change the entire framework of America.

Wikipedia states....
The speech contains the quotation "A house divided against itself cannot stand," which is taken from Matthew 12:25: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." Lincoln was referring to the division of the country between slave and free states. The "house divided" phrase had been used by others before, and by Lincoln himself in another context in 1843. Most famously, eight years before Lincoln's speech, during the Senate debate on the Compromise of 1850, Sam Houston had proclaimed: "A nation divided against itself cannot stand." During the War of 1812 a similar line appeared in a letter from Abigail Adams to Mercy Otis Warren. Mrs. Adams wrote "... A house divided upon itself - and upon that foundation do our enemies build their hopes of subduing us."

Seems to me this has been a problem for a long time. I hope America will wake up and learn from our forefathers. I hope that we will understand what it means and what kind of commitment it will take to be "One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all!"

So today....I renew my oath...."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."

God loves you and God Bless America

Debbie

Interview with Debbie - Does God have answers?

2011-05-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

Do you really believe there are answers for every problem?

Yes, of course I do. I feel that way because I’m a Christian and I believe that God is all knowing and all powerful. What does it say about God if he made the world and all inhabitants but he doesn’t have answers for our problems and doesn’t want to be involved?

Thinking that God is not involved in our lives or that he doesn’t have answers reduces God to a simple creative artist. It takes away his power.

I’m sure that some folks who have been hit with terrible tragedies feel as though God could have intervened or maybe they are mad that it happened in the first place. That’s a hard pill to swallow unless you look at the facts.

God can be all powerful and ready to help you and give you a good life….but your actions or the actions of others can throw negative forces in the mix that change the dynamics of the situation.

God can also have a marvelous plan for you, but if you stomp your foot and shake your fist at him in defiance refusing to follow the plan – it may not materialize.

God might then go to work to develop a new plan…a plan that will get you out of the mess you are in, but no matter how much information he sends your way…if you aren’t listening - how can He help you? Like a little two-year old in a mall and on the run….no matter how much God calls you and demands that you come back, you keep running.

Think for a moment where we would be today if America and our government had not answered the call of the Jewish people suffering under the brutal Hitler? God provided an answer because our men were willing to stand up for those who couldn't fight for their own freedom.
It’s important to remember that even though God is loving and does all He can to help us…He ultimately works through us. Our participation in His plan is a key element of success.

REMEMBER - God never forces anyone to do anything. He works through us and through our will. Because he waits to work through us, often there are times when Christians suffer as victims.
There are times when good Christians are simply victims. Don't be discouraged if you are doing all you can and the answer hasn't come. There are times when we are truly victims and did nothing to cause our problems. But again....God has to work through other people. That's why it's so important to listen to the leading of God. Often we are being asked to "help rescue" someone in pain. Be careful in those situations but don't ever run away from being God's help to ease the suffering of those around you.

In some situations we didn’t do anything to cause the problem and like Job there’s not a lot we can do to get out of the problem. Car accidents, abductions, rapes, evil men and women and yes….even some Christians can create true victims that have no power over the situation they are in. That’s when the rest of us must be compassionate and allow God to use us to bring about a God inspired solution to their problems.

Again, if we listen to God’s gentle voice, become A+ biblical students and dedicate our lives to living for Him; we can be the solution to the majority of problems around us.
God loves you,
Debbie

Is Christianity doomed?

2011-04-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

My heart sank and I felt my stomach roll. I was about to check a new website when my eye caught an article on the aol home page. Wisconsin church members charged with abusing infants

I hesitated and thought about not reading the article. So many people are giving Christianity a bad name because they don't know the truth. By their ignorance or because they have psychological issues, they are actually working "against" the truth of the gospel and are more on the side of Satan than on God's side. It just breaks my heart to read these accounts.

But...because I'm also dealing with the need to teach you about "false prophets" and how you can know for sure who they are....I felt I had to read the article.

I cried.

I cried for the abuse and the future of those children. I cried for the way they will always view God and I cried for how long it will take for them to obtain a normal self esteem.

Here's a bit of the article......

Pastor Philip Caminiti, 53, and his brother, John Caminiti, 45, were charged with a dozen counts of child abuse last week and also pleaded innocent. The victims included 12 children ranging in age from infancy to 6 years old, according to the sheriff's office.

"During interviews with detectives, Phil expressed his belief that the Bible dictates the use of a rod over a hand to punish children. He stated that children only a few months old are 'worthy' of the rod and that by 'one and a half months,' a child is old enough to be spanked," according to the sheriff's office release.

"Throughout the investigation, the church members were open with detectives about their 'Spare the rod, spoil the child' philosophy. They described using wooden dowels and wooden spoons on the bare skin of children, starting as young as 2 months old," the sheriff's office said.

......Agh!!!!

Can you believe this garbage? Can you see Jesus taking a wooden spoon to a baby that barely knows the scent of his mother or father muchless the difference between right and wrong?

I cried for the harsh way innocent babies are being abuse. Until children can use language to express some sort of knowledge of wrong doing - they live in a very simple world. They don't mean to cry when you are busy - they simply don't know any other way to tell you they are hungry or wet or tired or bored. To spank a one month old is not only barbaric it says that the adult is one of the most cruel selfish beings on the planet. What kind of deranged mind would insist that an innocent baby obey?  It seems this lunatic who calls himself a preacher doesn't really care for his members but instead is only interested in control and absolute quiet while he's speaking. He is not caring for them or loving them as Christ would. My only thought for him as a person is to wonder how he is going to feel when God gives him the same mercy he has shown the children in his flock.

While I have taught that we need to help a baby know what to do in certain situations (by the tone of our voice only) even that form of communication shouldn't be considered until the child is sitting up and totally tuned in to your facial expressions and your voice. Those first few months of sweetness and innocence should be used to build a bond between you and your infant.  That's when you cuddle and share your love through physical touch. That's not a time to introduce pain and suffering. (Actually pain and suffering should never be used anytime during any relationship.)

According to this article the children often were punished when they cried or failed to sit still during church services, a former church member told authorities. "Phil was very strict about children being quiet during church," the complaint states.

Sounds to me like a bully who doesn't want to be interrupted. This type of behavior from a so-called preacher and the behavior of a congregation that allows him to get away with this nonsense is exactly why Liberals view Christianity in a negative way.

Want to know why we are losing the spiritual battle in this country? It's because Christians who are living a truly Christ centered life are not speaking up and people who are as controlling as the Taliban and other wacko groups are moving to the front and taking over.

It boggles my mind that 1/10 of our society is now taking the stage and demanding that 90% of society do what they want. Between Muslims, gays, liberals, atheists and politicians - we are being attacked on all sides. But even if you add all those people together, they only represent a small percentage of our country. So tell me.....Why are they taking over and making Christians bend to their every desire?

According to one survey there are only 1.2 million gays in America. The LGBT bloats that to around 12.7 million. But check out this number....there are 311,883,291 people in America. Of that amount there are 60.3 milllion married couples or 120.6 million individuals that believe in marriage. Yet...we have the GLBT dogma shoved down our throats every day. Why? How can a small percentage of America demand that I hear their message on a regular basis but I am gagged, tied up and thrown in a corner if I dare mention Christianity?

According to The Barna group there may be a bloated 12% of non believers in America. But the 2008 Gallup poll declares only 6% are actual atheist and the Aris Poll states that less than 2% are atheist. But....get this folks.....82% of Americans believe in God and call themselves Christians? Why in the world are we allowing atheists to demand that we keep our holidays and our testimonies in hiding?

Churches....something is terribly wrong with your new approach to society. All I hear is that churches are redefining themselves to reach the youth of this nation. Yet, the statistics show that the 83% of people that called themselves Christians five years ago...that number has now dropped to 76%. Why? All those young people the church is redesigning for....those are the ones that feel church doesn't adequately reflect God. (Read Where have all the churches gone? ) Maybe they aren't fooled by all the "redefining" and miss the steady, faithful God of the Bible.

Let me see if I can bring all my thoughts together for you.

1. Crazy people who obviously don't know scriptures and haven't had an encounter with God often use our faith as a way to abuse others - those people are being allowed to have a pulpit.

2. Non-Christians are demanding - LOUDLY- that Christian talk and Christian living be discounted and put down. We are nuts and should be discredited and even jailed for our beliefs.

3. Even with all our pandering and all inclusive preaching - even with our redefining of the Bible and the theology that has stood for over 2,000 years - we are still losing followers at an alarming rate. People who are truly searching for the living God can't find him in organized churches.

What's wrong?

Answer: Pay attention this is will be hard to understand. It's difficult to explain but I'll try to say it slowly and use very simple language.....

"God doesn't need our help! He can reach people without our feable attempts to market Him. Jesus and his theology is simple. Add to it and you lose everything. Take away from it and you lose everything. Stick to the simplicity of Jesus and the truth of God's word and you will shine brighter than a diamond!"

That's it folks.  When churches make "numbers" more important than Truth of theology - God will leave the building and you will fail.

When churches redefine the Truth of God's word in order to keep the peace or make it palatable for non-believers - God will leave the building and you will fail.

When churches hurt any age group or show preference to any demographics - God will leave the building and you will fail.

When churches deny the cross or the seriousness of our faith -   God will leave the building and you will fail.

When God leaves the building and no longer inhabits your church of choice, you are no different than any other social club in your community. Memberships in social clubs bounce with the whims of a person's life. No one commits an entire life to a social club. No one is willing to die for a social club.

If Christianity is to survive in this country then each one of us must dedicate our lives to seeking the truth of God. We must be willing to approach our pastor or board and "demand" that truth is preached. Once we find a church that is willing to stick to the principles in the Bible and understand them based on the character of God....then we must devote our lives to sharing the good news of our Bible and our church with others.

Why aren't people interested in going to church? The church and it's members have not been able to prove that Christianity makes your life better. Church members have done a lousy job of showing the world that Christianity works.  Contemporary believers have become just like our liberal friends. We get divorced at alarming rates, our children find drugs, we have affairs, we cheat, we lie...."you are neither hot nor cold...I will spew you out of my mouth."

My life has been wonderful because I've lived it according to the Bible and God's principle. I've taught that wonderful news to my children and others within our family.

Can you say that? If not....why not?

God loves you,

Debbie

Thank God for Children!

2011-03-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

In a time when life seems so heavy....I thank God for children. They take all our problems and toss them out the window with their simple and loving faith! Jerry sent this to me and I laughed out loud. There is nothing more beautiful and fun as the simple faith of a beautiful child!

Judas Asparagus

This is so cute and should bring tears of laughter to your eyes. I wonder how often we take for granted that children understand what we are teaching?

A child was asked to write a book report on the entire Bible. Here is what was written:

The Children's Bible in a Nutshell

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one,' but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.

Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.....Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.

Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff.

Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David.. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore.

There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, "Close the door! Were you born in a barn?" It would be nice to say, "As a matter of fact, I was."

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans.

Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.

But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

Thank you God for laughter!

God loves you,

Debbie

American Christians in Danger - Franklin Graham

2011-03-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

I read this article and my heart broke. As I study the New Testament I understand the fear the disciples must have encountered when they saw the Roman Guards enter the Garden of Gethsemane and take Jesus away. They knew that they could be next. Peter was one of the strongest disciples Jesus had. Peter made great statements to Jesus. He emphatically proclaimed his love for Jesus and the fact that he would never leave his side. Within hours he denied Jesus three times. He was so frightened that he even cursed and swore that he didn't know Jesus.

If fear can turn a man like Peter and make him run away, how can nominal Christians who go to church because it's fun and are fed the weakest kind of feel good theology - how will they be able to resist fear and stand strong for God? How will the name it and claim it spoiled bunch be able to stand strong when they are faced with the most horrendous forms of violence and torture?

In John 15: 20-23 Jesus says...."Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well."

In other words some people react to the message of Christ with humility and a desire for forgiveness. Others will arrogantly deny God and will be so adamant about their beliefs that they will treat you the same as Christ was treated just because you believe in him. And some will not only hate you, they will kill you.

In John 16:1-3 Jesus goes on to say, "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me."

Wow! Can you relate this to today's situation in America and around the globe? Christians are being persecuted, called horrible names, blamed for the world's problems and virtually demeaned as being stupid or deranged just because we believe in God. Add to that the fact that our churches are not producing strong theologically sound Christians and instead are playing to marketing themes just to fill pews. There is a great void of truth that's building like a swirling hurricane. Within this void of truth is a group of harsh killers waiting to take over and destroy the name of Jesus and all who believe in Him.

Be very careful that you are on the side of truth. Your soul and your place in eternity will depend on you knowing the truth. This is not a game. Franklin Graham was recently interviewed. Please listen carefully to what he has to say about the coming violence that's gearing up to take over this country.

You can find this article at Franklin Graham: World's Christians in Grave Danger
By Chris Gonsalves and Kathleen Walter

The Muslim Brotherhood, with the complicity of the Obama administration, has infiltrated the U.S. government at the highest levels and is influencing American policy that leaves the world’s Christians in grave danger, warns internationally known evangelist Franklin Graham

“The Muslim Brotherhood is very strong and active here in our country,” Graham tells Newsmax. “We have these people advising our military and State Department. We’ve brought in Muslims to tell us how to make policy toward Muslim countries.

“It’s like a farmer asking a fox, ‘How do I protect my hen house?’"

That same Muslim Brotherhood is fomenting much of the rebellion and the deteriorating social order roiling the Middle East, forcing millions of Christians to flee for their lives, says Graham, son of beloved evangelist Dr. Billy Graham, and founder of The Samaritan’s Purse international charity.

“Under [Egypt’s Hosni] Mubarek and [Jordan’s] King Hussein and other moderate leaders, Christians had been protected,” Graham says. 11 million Christians live in Egypt and I ear for them, because if the Muslim Brotherhood comes to power, you’re going to see a great exodus of Christians. Same thing in Tunisia and Lebanon. I fear for the church because the Muslim Brotherhood is going to be a very terrible thing.”

A new report from the Roman Catholic aid agency 'Aid to the Church in Need' supports Graham’s contention that the persecution of Christians worldwide has worsened exponentially in the past few years.

According to the report, Christians face increased suffering in 22 countries around the world, with Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Nigeria being among the worst countries to be a Christian in today.
The persecution has gotten markedly worse over the past two years according to the organization.

“The proportion of countries with a worsening track-record of anti-Christian violence and intimidation would be higher were it not for the fact that in many cases the situation could scarcely have been worse in the first place” the report’s authors wrote.

More than 75 percent of religious persecution in the world is currently being carried out against Christians, the report concludes.

The Vatican formed a special committee late last year to address the flight of Christians and the rise of militant Islam in the Middle East. In his New Year’s message, Pope Benedict XVI said Christians suffer more than any other religious group because of their faith

Asked if President Barack Obama was doing enough to protect Christians at home and abroad, Graham says, “No. If anything it’s the opposite.”

“Muslims are protected more in this country than Christians,” he says. “The president has made many statements but he doesn’t back them up. We have to do more to protect the Christians in the Muslim world. Their lives are in danger.”

In recent weeks, Obama administration officials have stepped up the defense of their inclusive stance toward Muslims in their ranks. Deputy national security advisor, Denis McDonough, said last week that President Obama is actually trying to prevent terrorism by "dispelling the myths that have developed over the years, including misperceptions about our fellow Americans who are Muslim."

"When it comes to preventing violent extremism and terrorism in the United States, Muslim Americans are not part of the problem, you're part of the solution," McDonough said at an interfaith forum in Sterling, Va.

Graham, however says what Obama is really doing is "giving Islam a pass" rather than speaking openly about the "horrific" treatment women and minorities receive.

"We certainly love the Muslim people," Graham said in an earlier interview with Newsmax. "But that is not the faith of this country. And that is not the religion that built this nation. The people of the Christian faith and the Jewish faith are the ones who built America, and it is not Islam."

Thank you Rev. Graham.

I hope all of you will click on the link to the right of this blog and check out how many people have been killed because of the Muslim belief. While you are at it....check out this peaceful religion that believes in honor killings, cutting off hands for theft and marrying 8 year old little girls. Don't hate and don't base your beliefs on here say. Get the truth. Research and know what they believe. We need to know what this religion is really about before we allow them to take over our court system and demand elite protection under our laws.

God have mercy on us.

God loves you,

Debbie

Stealth Abuse - Abuse that's revealed during Economic hard times

2011-03-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

Originally I wrote this for a magazine, but decided to print it on my blog instead. I hope you will share this post with anyone that's feeling the pain of economic downturn. We must be careful not to hurt the ones we love just because we don't know how to handle financial misfortune.

Stealth abuse

Paul fidgeted, rubbed his temples and took a loud deep breath. His wife Sarah shook her head at his lack of concentration. Pastor Reinhoff concluded his sermon unaware that Paul was not impressed. After the last amen, Paul bolted for the door and fled to the safety of his car.

He tapped his finger on the steering wheel. “I can’t believe they are taking so long. Who are they talking to? I bet she’s talking about me. Just wait. I’ll make sure this never happens again.”

Sarah called to her excited children. Tears stung the corner of her eyes as she waved to friends. It would not be a pleasant Sunday afternoon.

According to the American Bar Association, approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States. 90% of pastors I surveyed in 2010 admitted calls for help with aggressive behaviors were higher than normal. 100% of counselors said inquiries are up but sessions are down. Presumably callers can’t afford the fee.

Marta Pelaez is president and CEO of Family Violence Prevention Services in San Antonio, Texas. A clinical psychologist, Marta oversees a shelter for battered women and children where the demand for admission has tripled in recent months. Marta explained that as of April of last year they saw numbers increase. “Last year, at this same time, I had 68 – 70 on my daily census. I called this morning and we had 184.”

While abuse statistics are staggering, they are also misleading. Abuse victims who feel hopeless, helpless and embarrassed often refuse to report their abuse.

Paul’s grip on the steering wheel turned his knuckles white. “You have no idea how this makes me feel. I’m not a bum. I’ve worked hard all my life. It’s embarrassing to watch people look at me with pity. I know what they are thinking.”

Sarah blew her nose and wiped her face. “Our friends love you. They wouldn’t…” Paul yelled. “Shut up. Just shut up. I can’t stand this anymore.” He beat the steering wheel causing the car to swerve. Sarah reached to the back seat to comfort the children who were crying.

Economic hard times and loss of income can reveal abuse in good people who ordinarily are kind and supportive. Various reasons for this sudden outburst of anger can include illness, addiction, affairs, lack of spiritual knowledge or a desire to abandon all responsibilities.

The most challenging reason for abuse hides like a stealth bomber until the economy takes a dive. Families that have built their goals exclusively on financial success will suffer the most when the economy dips. Surrounded by possessions they don’t see the stealth approach until depression and disappointment is securely in place. By placing more importance on acquiring “things” rather than building strong relationships, these families can face a deeper depression during hard economic times. Depression and embarrassment over the loss of possessions coupled with the fear of failure can cause a person to slip into abuse.

According to Biblical principles, marriage is not about acquiring possessions. It’s not a business with a bottom line. When a marriage is defined by financial goals success can be derailed by a failing economy.

Christians are encouraged to trust God during all forms of distress. “Nothing is impossible with God” unless….we believe that God’s will is complete financial success and prosperity. That belief can seep into our families and destroy our ability to stick together and survive. God is just as powerful in hard times as He is when times are good.

How can a successful family who has fulfilled every desire survive the loss of Dad’s job? How can you remain healthy when your lifestyle is tied to your self-esteem? Good Christians who enjoyed being the benefactor for the church may feel guilty when they need the services they once sponsored. Abuse is never the answer. Strong Family relationships will always help us survive tough times.

Paul slammed the door to the car and stomped inside. He slumped in a chair in front of the TV. Sarah kept the children away and hurried to fix Paul’s favorite lunch. She sat it down in front of him and smiled. He glared at her and exploded with anger. Sarah was afraid. The children ran to the doorway and began to cry. Paul threw the dishes toward the TV, stood and hit Sarah. As she dropped to the floor Paul saw his true reflection in the eyes of his startled children.

During a down economy, physical abuse can escalate. Mental and emotional abuse can also devastate families. It leaves no visible scars but can last far longer than a black eye or a bruise. The top four reasons for economic stealth abuse are disappointment, overload, blame and loss of self-esteem.

1. If your marriage was built on financial goals, economic loss can lead to severe disappointment which can escalate to desperation. When you can't provide the desperately needed braces or the new birthday bicycle, severe disappointment attacks your self-esteem and self-worth.

2. When powerful emotions collide, even gentle personalities can respond to loved ones in anger. Fatigue, worry, lack of sleep, feeling like a failure, feeling as if you’ve let your family and church down, feeling as if your dreams are crashing around you, overwhelming fear, loss of hope, feelings of paranoia or even jealousy that a co-worker is doing well can combine into a weight that may cause you to explode with anger.

3. If your family chooses to point fingers rather than show love and support, the bread winner may feel like a caged tiger. A caged tiger feels as if he’s lost all options and lashes out at anyone near the cage. The family can make it worse by appearing to bang on the cage bars by asking for "stuff" or demanding "participation" especially when the breadwinner is overworked and tired. This action will most certainly be met with angry growls and mental attacks.

4. When multiple emotions swirl together, the provider can view the family as all or part of the problem. The simple act of bringing a treat to his four year old can become stressful if dad is behind on the house payment. The lack of a quarter needed to share with his child represents failure. If Junior continues to want the experience, dad’s disappointment can turn into anger against the child. The resulting outburst can hurt the child and the relationship.

Christian families can build strong relationships and find creative solutions for stressful times. Families must pull together in times of crisis. It will define who you are. Engage your children to find fun ways to survive. Make it a game to save on utilities, food and clothes. Concentrate on love and your non-financial goals as a family. When love and respect binds the family, you’ll be amazed at how little you need to survive.

To combat depression, individuals – especially the provider - should concentrate on the overall success of the family rather than individual desires. The “all for one and one for all” mentality can take the focus away from individual actions. This will give the provider time to adjust his/her feelings of inadequacy. Teens can be engaged to look at the family budget, share suggestions and help with work. Elementary age children can participate in chores or saving money games like turning off lights. When the family begins to function as a “unit” committed to the survival of all, getting through the crisis can take on a game mentality that will provide individual relief from blame. A great example of this is the black and white movie “I remember Mama”. The family pulled together and survived difficult times. They also bonded while caring for struggling individuals.

You can diffuse stealth abuse by emphasizing family relationships while rejecting unnecessary possessions. Contentment with basic needs can help you release emotions of bitterness, disappointment and fear. Philippians 4:12 “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Knowing that your family can survive any adversity will empower everyone. Relationships first should be your new goal. How can you do that when you are suffering? Here are 6 ways to experience the healing power of strong relationships.

1. Play the hand game. Every time you feel disappointment or sadness, hold both hands out in front of you. In one hand imagine the life or soul of your spouse. In the other hand imagine a check for $10,000. Which would you chose? You can only choose one.

When your child is nagging for a toy, imagine a check in one hand and a cancer free body in the other hand. What would you do? Would you choose her life or the ability to give her “stuff”? This exercise can help you define real needs and discard unnecessary desires.

2. Make saving a game. Fussing about costs will keep everyone on edge allowing anger to soar. Instead create a game board that promotes saving money by turning out the lights or cooking at home. The weekly winner gets breakfast in bed and the ability to choose Sunday’s menu.

3. Find new ways to enjoy each other. Insist on “Personal” moments during your busy day. For example, declare a coffee time with your spouse before bed. Make something special to go with coffee even if it’s a saltine cracker with a little jam. Designate 30 seconds a day – per person – to give them a compliment and enjoy who they are. You’ll be making memories that will last a lifetime.

4. Celebrate family talents. Encourage Dad to finish his woodworking project. Display new handmade decorations. Enjoy being musical, artistic or creative in the kitchen. It’s amazing how a new coat of paint, fresh cookies or a mended outfit will give everyone a “can do” attitude.

5. Always point to a brighter future. Hope can overcome feelings of depression or disappointment. Rather than concentrating on solutions five years away, look for hope in smaller doses. Find little moments during your week that materialize quickly. Celebrate those moments and chart your success no matter how small. If you have two dollars more this week than you had last week – you are making progress.

6. Pray together as a family. The old saying, “The family that prays together – stays together” is still true today. Instead of allowing hard times to break your family and cause abuse, ask God to help you become closer to those you love.

Paul sat on the floor with Sarah in his arms. Tears fell down his cheeks and puddled on her shirt. “I’m so sorry. I am so ashamed of what I’ve done.” Sarah tried to smile. Paul touched her swollen lip and cried harder. “How can you ever forgive me?” His broken spirit led him to counseling and a new philosophy. He was determined that money would never be more important than his family.

The great depression was devastating to this country. Millions of jobs, homes, farms and businesses were lost. Yet for every depressing story there are those that remember the depression with a sparkle in their eye. Why? Because it taught them to love their family, that God is faithful and that strong relationships can weather any storm. You too will be able to look back on this time with a smile if you placed your hope in God while building strong family relationships.

For permission to reprint this blog post….please contact Debbie@debbiejansen.com

God loves you,

Debbie

Hell is getting hotter....Am I right or am I right???

2011-03-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

As I told you in the post Snakes in your Brain - not knowing the truth can destroy you. Listen to the following clip of an alleged pastor in Michigan, Rob Bell. In his desire to fill his church with the fluffy bun theory (see my post Where's the Beef?) this alleged pastor is touting a theory that no one should worry about Hell. I think it's cool that a liberal news station MSNBC still employs a Christian with enough guts to take this guy on. Listen carefully to his answers. This guy is like a small child in a candy store. He doesn't want to make sense....he just wants it all.

Listening to this video was painful. I actually felt bad for Rob. It must be exhausting trying to walk the fence, being sure not to tip to far to either side. I thought about a wonderful verse in Revelation 3:15-16. We should be in Revelation - right??? After all, we are talking about Heaven and Hell.

Revelation 3:15-16 "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Wow...that verse should make you feel warm and fuzzy. Don't take bets on where you'll be "spit" to. Don't mess with me! I can pull hundreds of scriptures out that insist that there will be thousands...millions of people that will inhabit Hell. And...if you take those scriptures out of the Bible, you are left with a namby pamby powerless nothing of a gospel. Take those scriptures out and you will gut the very strength of the gospel. Am I saying that Hell, mean spirited torture or demands by God are the only things that matter? Absolutely not! But they are part of the mix that keeps us focused on the message. Knowing the consequences of your actions will keep you striving for the good. Knowing the penalty of wrong doing is what keeps you moving forward. Knowing that this is wrong and that isn't will help you to focus on the greater good.

NEVER FORGET THAT THERE ARE ABSOLUTES TO THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Absolutes sent him to the cross and absolutes will either send you to Heaven or to Hell.

Humans are cunning. We know how to negotiate our way into getting what we want. It's only when we understand consequences and that those consequences will be upheld that we actually turn our head enough so we can see the value of goodness.

Rob Bell is dangerously close to saying that we are little Gods. I clicked on several of his you tube showings and in one he was boasting about the story of Peter walking on the water. In this rant he is excited because he doesn't feel that Peter starting sinking because of a lack of faith in Jesus....Rob feels he started sinking because he didn't believe in Peter. Rob goes on to say..."Wow...that's what we need to do more of. We need to understand that it's not all about Jesus - we just have to believe in ourselves."

As I was listening to that I wondered....Did he fall asleep in Seminary? Was he present during Sunday School? What happened to this guy that he could twist the scriptures so badly?

There are three things I want to point out to you.

1. You better make sure your pastor and your Biblical training is based on the truth. Your soul and eternity depends on it. I'm sorry to tell you that you can't stand before God and point your finger at your pastor and scream, "You can't send me to Hell. I didn't know any better. IT'S HIS FAULT!" Sorry darling....that won't work.

Philippians 2: 12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Your salvation is up to you dear.

2. Make sure your pastor isn't basing his theology on his own journey. When Rob Bell said that some of this was based on his own journey....I knew then that he was not sharing the gospel of Christ. NONE of the teachings of faith should be based on your journey. YOU are not the savior! Base your faith on the gospel of Christ only.

3. Make sure your pastor or teacher isn't looking for fame, money or has grandiose desires. Any of those will naturally take him down the wrong road. As I've said before, anytime a church is more worried about the pews being filled than about taking care of the individual saint - they are in trouble. The main function of the church is to guide saints in their walk with Christ. If you have 1,500 members but they are more interested in singing fun songs and going to cool parties than going to a Bible Study....you have a problem. If your church has 1,500 members but Christ comes tomorrow and only 5 people make it - what good is that??? I actually heard a quote from Rick Warren where he said, "Don't do Bible Studies. People already know more Bible than they can practice in their lives." WHAT??? Maybe he needs to study his Bible a lot more.

I hope that all of you will hold your pastors accountable. Make sure that your #1 mission is not to fill the pews but rather to disciple strong men and women for Christ!

God loves you,

Debbie

Where's the Beef?

2011-03-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Watching the devastation in Japan brings me back to a religious thought that's been brewing for quite a while. Where's the beef?

There are some commercials which, even without a jingle, have become virtually iconic, such as Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?” For a very long time that phrase was used to question anything that did not appear to be genuine and Clara Peller, the little old gray-haired lady who uttered it, made it famous.

In 1984 Wendy's aired a commercial titled "Fluffy Bun". Actress Clara Peller and two other elderly women are investigating a massive burger bun from a fictional competitor which uses the slogan "Home of the big Bun." In the middle of the big bun is a minuscule piece of meat. They poke at the meat and look at it from all sides causing Clara Peller to say, "Where's the beef?". When there's no answer she gets louder and louder. "Where's the beef!?!"

The other two ladies poked at it, exchanging bemused comments ("It certainly is a big bun. It's a very big bun. It's a big fluffy bun. It's a very big fluffy bun.") before being interrupted by Peller's outraged, irascible demand. Sequels featured Peller yelling at a Fluffy Bun executive on his yacht over the phone and approaching fast food drive-up windows that were slammed down before she could complete the line.

The catch phrase was repeated in television shows, films, magazines, and other media outlets. It became the catch all for anything fake, not living up to it's promise or being a complete disappointment.

What does this have to do with religion? I find myself asking the question over and over....where's Jesus - the substance - the meat of our faith? We have big churches in this country, big mega star pastors and big programs designed to do everything except teach deep spiritual truths. We have big concerts and some church buildings are even desecrated by allowing secular programs and shows to take over. It seems that most pastors are more consumed with "getting people to attend" than they are with "getting people saved." And while the church worries about marketing, our country is falling apart and faith values are slipping away. Out of the 4 divorces in 5 marriages in this country, 3 of them claim to be Christian homes. Something isn't right.

In Hebrews 5, the author is talking about the Superiority of the Priesthood of Christ. He's discussing the trend of people to discredit Jesus. Finally in the 11th verse, he's had it. He realizes that it takes maturity and a deeper knowledge to understand the truths he's trying to explain.

Hebrews 5:11 "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

6:1-2 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment."

This scripture and a silly Wendy's commercial keeps me scratching my head and wondering why this generation of churches is moving so far from the true - deeper message of Christ. Why would any Christian or church body buy into the false teachings of people like Rick Warren and other religious super stars? Why would we want to infect the message of Christ with an addictive desire for money and fame? Rick Warren teaches that the church is just a business and should be run as such. He goes on to teach that adhering to the teachings and demands of our faith isn't as important as filling the pews. Marketing and giving the people what they want is more important than insuring that they make heaven. Unfortunately, that's nothing like the Bible. The entire message of the Bible is based on the simplicity of the salvation of Christ. We should be 100% involved in the responsibility for teaching others to "mature" in Christ so they will make Heaven.

The simplicity of the son of God dying on a cross has been distorted by the message of "come here and we'll make you feel good."

I just shake my head and think, "Where's the beef?" Where's the meat of the word? Where's the anchor that you can hold on to in the time of a huge disappointment or a huge problem.

Japan was hit with a 9.0 earthquake. I watched in horror as homes - probably filled with unsuspecting residents - were swept away in the following Tsunami. I couldn't watch the videos and heartbreaking pictures as if I were comfortably watching some movie. Each picture, each destroyed home or car held an individual and if that individual did not survive - he/she met God at that moment!

The thousands of souls that appeared before a righteous and holy God didn't need a watered down, happy go lucky, I feel so good faith! They needed the meat of the word. At the moment of intense pain, or sorrow, or fear or death....they needed a Savior. At that moment they didn't have time to do research on the strength of God. They didn't have time for a recall of their lame pastor. They didn't have the ability to throw up their hands and ask for a two day stay until they could get their spiritual lives together.

In that moment they needed to "instantly" know, understand and cling to the verses of the 23rd psalm. "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me."

When only devastation and ruin lay around them; when they had no water and no food...how comforting to cling to the verse, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."

How in the world can your cup overflow in the middle of such a tragedy? I can't explain it to you unless you can eat the meat of God's word. If you have grown up in a watered down, flimsy, where's the beef kind of church - you can't possibly understand the maturity and strength that a Christian feels when he has matured on the meat of God.

The commentary of my NIV Bible explains that Hebrews 5:14 makes a clear point....Christian maturity involves time. It involves growth in the knowledge of the Word of God and experience in the use of the Word in discerning between good and evil. In other words, it doesn't come overnight. It probably won't be a lot of fun to sit and study or to learn to trust God when life is uncomfortable. It doesn't come through contemporary music, it's not about feeling happy or good or getting everything you want and it doesn't come through signing a membership card. It comes through knowing your Bible, learning to lean on Jesus and discerning between good and evil.

I remember old saints talking about the huge economic, food, weather and personal pain associated with the pre and post depression times as well as the pain of WWII. They cupped my small face in their hands and with strong but tired eyes said, "You hold on to God. Learn all you can from Him. Never fight the bad times - they will teach you how to be strong. Then you too will know how big, how great and how comforting is the love of God." I watched those saints live out a Godly life of strength and maturity. It was amazing to watch God working in their lives. None of them were financially wealthy but they were rich beyond my wildest dreams - rich in the strength of life and in the things of God.

You will never truly experience the greatness of God by limiting your knowledge of him to a contemporary non-theologically based "I need to feel good" fluffy bun church. You will never learn how to be a strong Christian if your Bible is kept in the closet or collects dust on the nightstand. You will never learn the power we have in Christ if you are not pushing yourself to obey each and every commandment.

The greatness of God is learned. It's learned by reading and studying the scriptures. It's learned by striving to do the righteous thing even if it hurts you. It's learned by obeying all of God's commandments - not just the ones you like. It's learned by going through the tough times and learning to lean on Jesus. It's only then that you will know that Jesus is all you will ever need. Jesus is the beef!

God loves you,

Debbie

Snakes in your brain....

2011-03-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

Just typing the word "snakes" makes me feel woozy. I have an intense fear of that animal. I don't think it would have to bite me to kill me....just coming face to face with it would be enough for a heart attack.

Over 25 years ago I had a horrible nightmare. I dreamed I was waving goodbye to a friend. I got in a little car - a VW bug - and reached for a helmet. I put the helmet on and started the engine.  When I reached to put it in gear I felt something move under the helmet. There were small snakes under the helmet and they were crawling all over my head. As they squirmed out of the helmet, I screamed and apparently woke myself up. I was horrified and sat on the side of the bed crying for about an hour.

I was going to include a picture of Medusa here. In Greek mythology Medusa was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster. She was beautiful but had been cursed by Athena. Enraged because Medusa lay with a suitor, Athena transformed Medusa's beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone.

Thinking back on my dream, my head felt like the images of Medusa.  Unfortunately, my hatred/fear of snakes is so strong that just looking at pictures of Medusa made me uncomfortable. So...if you want to see her, you will have to google it yourself :)

After the nightmare, I called my mother and asked her to pray. We prayed for just a few minutes and she interrupted the prayer by asking, "Do you want to know what the dream means?"

You have to understand that my mother and father have a very powerful prayer life and a direct connection to God. I've seen hundreds of miracles happen in their life and I am positive that God often directs their thoughts. "Yes...of course mom....what does it mean?"

"The dream is about your brain. You have to protect your brain from infection."

"Infection?"

"Not a virus or anything like that. The one thing that can infect a Christians life is believing a lie. Lies will change your life.  Lies will destroy the good in your life. Nothing else matters except knowing the truth. After all the Bible says, "Know the truth and the truth will set you free." You can't grow as a Christian or go anywhere God wants to take you if your beliefs are wrong. In your dream you were preparing to go somewhere. You've always wanted to be on God's path. The one thing that will stop your journey - or change it and take you in the wrong direction is lies. I think your dream is about the fact that you need (like all of us) to be very careful about the information you believe. You need to make sure that any new idea or belief is strictly based on the scriptures. And...you also need to be careful about what you believe about life. You know as well as I do that you can't arrive at the right decision if your information for that decision is flawed."

I've never forgotten that dream or that conversation with mom. Even before the dream I was careful about "investigating the truth". After that dream I've been a compulsive truth seeker.

Over the years I've watched a lot of people accept flawed information and try to base their lives or important decisions on that flawed information. Basing a decision on lies will always turn out bad.  Why would I ever want to do that? Why would anyone want to make a decision when they know there is a possibility of failure?

Unfortunately, that is what is happening to our country. Men and women who have not been successful in their personal lives try to give "instructions" to those around them. They desperately want to be respected, they know they have messed up, but they stick to the premise of lies and distortions. Once you dig into a person's life and actually find the truth - you may find that the thing they are holding on to so desperately may be the thing that is ruining their own life. You may find that they are not all that happy or fulfilled. That's why I'm so adamant about finding the truth in any situation. That's why I lay all my beliefs out before you in a logical way. That's why I try to center in on the truth....without truth no life can ever be right!

So why would some people hide the truth about their lives? Why wouldn't they be honest? Pride and avoidance of their own pain can cause them to lie. They don't want you to know they are hurting. They want to be respected. They don't honor your life by trying to prevent you from hurting. They would rather lie and puff up their own life than admit to anyone that they made a mistake. They keep moving, keep talking, keep pretending because facing the truth of a failed life is too hard to face.

Once I met a young man that was in the gay lifestyle. It was just a quick acquaintance and once our business was done I would never see him again. I asked if he was happy. He shrugged, "Is anyone?" I shared how happy I had been and how my life had turned out. I told him about Jesus and said that I hoped he would find happiness. I was very careful not to ask him to change. Instead I was chatty about what I was experiencing. His eyes filled with tears and he quickly swiped them away. "I wish I had known the truth. There's a lot to this lifestyle that no one wants to talk about. There's a lot of pain and a lot of disappointment." He closed down and didn't want to talk anymore. When our transaction was done I smiled and put my hand on his. "I will pray for you that God will give you truth."

Truth is the most important thing in this world. Without it you are destined for pain and sorrow. You must face the truth about yourself and your own feelings no matter what kind of pain that causes. You must be willing to discuss any area that causes you or others pain. You must put every desire and need on the table to be examined from every viewpoint as well as inside and out. You must closely guard your feelings and be sure that you deal with others in a logical and careful manner. You must always be willing to say, I'm sorry or I was wrong.

Our country, our churches and our families will never be successful until we get the snakes out of our brains and face the hard cold truth.  I have a problem with liberals and spoiled Christians who refuse to face facts or investigate problems by being logical. It's not about truth for them. It's about what they "think" is truth.

Suppose I decided to make a simple yellow cake. I don't have all the ingredients necessary to make it the traditional way...or maybe...I just want to do my own thing with the cake. I dump flour into a bowl and use tea instead of water for the liquid.  I use baking power, salt and eggs but for flavoring I use tomato paste. I add chocolate and coconut just to give it texture. I mix it up and bake it. Because of the baking powder, eggs and flour it looks like a cake. It rose properly and I can transfer it to a plate.  Since I didn't have sugar I decide to frost it with solid Criso and butter. I even take the time to put the Crisco in a bag and decorate the cake.

Finally, I present this concoction to you and say, "Look I made a wonderful yellow cake. Would you like to try it?" I dare say that after just one bite you might insist that it's not a yellow cake. "Oh but it is! I followed most of the recipe. I used flour and eggs. I used baking powder and salt. And...just like the recipe called for I used Crisco and butter in the frosting. It has to be a yellow cake!"

That's the problem with so many "new and contemporary" decisions being made in this country. When you move too far from the truth or the "absolutes" the end results of your decisions will be disastrous. Just because you use a traditional church building, mention Jesus a lot and ask people to pray - does not mean the building is inhabited by the spirit of the living God. There is a specific formula for bringing the power of Jesus into your life and into your church. If you stray from that formula - you will not have the blessings of God.

You can insist that sugar water can be substituted for gas, but when the engine freezes up you can't deny the absolute that sugar will not run an engine. You can go on insisting that something else is wrong, but you are still sitting on the side of the road while everyone else passes by. Ignoring the cause of your predicament doesn't get the car moving.

When you advise a young child that sex is okay at any age and that multiple partners in a lifetime is fine, you must accept the fact that diseases, heartbreak and unwanted children will follow. Just denouncing that fact doesn't relieve you of the responsibility for telling a lie or for ruining a life.

Churches in America are becoming less and less powerful. According to a Barna study group, more people are leaving the church every year than are joining. More young people would rather "create" their own faith than to submit to the teachings of the church.  Almost 90% say they are Christians but 70% say their faith doesn't affect their life in any way.

The truth is that the Church is losing it's power because there are snakes in the pew. My grandmother was a wonderful evangelist and traveled all over the south. She built 5 churches and held huge tent revivals. As a teen I remember being sad about some problems. I sat close to her while we talked. I put my head on her shoulder and whispered. "Grams, why is there so much trouble in the church?" She patted me and softly gave me this very wise answer.

"When the church was being persecuted from without, we grew. We held to the scriptures, each other and God and we grew.  All our problems got worse when Satan got smart and joined the church."

That statement is so true now. I hope you will join with me today and pray for the churches of this country.  So many of them are playing with the souls of their members by concentrating on "marketing" and appeal more than the simplicity of Jesus.

God loves you,

Debbie

Can you take the heat???

2011-02-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

Bible Study with Debbie....Philippians 1:15-30

In this passage, Paul is trying to accomplish several things. First of all he wants to be upbeat and positive about his current imprisonment. He's clearly concerned for his safety....but he doesn't want his friends to concentrate on the possible danger he was in. So...he drifts back and forth from rejoicing about the fact that God was going to take care of him and mentioning the "death" issue. Four times in this passage he mentions death and his willingness to die for Christ. It must have been a real possibility. And....it seems that he was almost relieved to think of going home and leaving all the problems behind him.

Have you ever had to "work" at your faith? I certainly have. I know that God can take care of me, but it's oh so easy to let your mind wonder about all the what ifs and how will I handle it if he doesn't come through. The Christian life is not easy. It's not about accepting Jesus and then gliding along through life without a care. The Christian life is not an Insurance policy. Christians have to take a lot of heat and unlike the undisciplined person....Christians are required to find a way to be pleasant even if the fire gets hotter. (check out the story of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego in Daniel Chapter 3)

By verse 25 Paul has resolved the issue and as if he took a deep breath he says..."I know that I will remain and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith." In other words...."Oh well. I guess I need to remain here in order to help you and keep you moving forward."

In verse 27 he adds...."Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Paul pleads through the entire book of Philippians for his friends to do the right thing. To stand up for Christ and to be a good example.

That's the trick isn't it? Doing the right thing at just the right time. Being the person that God has called you to be. Handling all your problems as if you had the mind of Christ and encouraging those around you by letting the love of God shine light on them as well.

Don't miss the fact that even while Paul is struggling with the danger issue that he's also struggling with the self-esteem issue. Look back at verses 15-18. Paul talks about other preachers and teachers who seem to be doing the work out of "selfish ambition". These guys were a lot like many of the preachers I know today. They were more interested in collecting bodies, accolades and money than they were in making disciples of Christ. In order to further their own cause they were making false accusations against Paul.

That must have been really hard to take. Negative comments are always hard to take....but they would be especially difficult when you are in prison. Yet, Paul fought the desire to be angry by concentrating on the important fact that Christ must be preached. "The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice."

Human nature wants recognition for a job well done. All of us want to know we are loved and appreciated for our hard work. I hope today we can take a lesson from Paul and humbly let God know that "HIS DESIRE FOR US" is our goal. Where ever that takes us....recognition or invisibility - it doesn't matter as long as His will is accomplished. Denouncing our need to be noticed will be difficult - but in the end we will be glad that we did our job, we accomplished the task before us and that we stayed true to his will for our lives. Only then will we be able to hear those wonderful words:

"Well done thy good and faithful servant. Enter now into the joy of the Lord."

God loves you,

Debbie

On the mend....

2011-02-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your prayers! I am totally convinced that God is going to bring good from this current problem. Several years ago I wrote an account of the problem I have with my arm. I was in shock when the doctor said, "If we can't fix this problem, we will have to amputate." My children were small and there was so much I wanted to do with my life. He saved my hand and arm then....and I believe he will continue to do so now. Please continue to pray that the therapy will bring about a permanent solution to the current problem.

Now as a writer....I often look down at my hand and smile. God has a plan for that hand. He is in complete control. Here's my story.....

THE VINE AND THE BRANCHES

by Debbie Jansen

After a busy Christmas season my left forefinger began to shake uncontrollably. It trembled for several minutes every hour. The shaking caused the top of my hand to ache.

“Dad, look at this.” My finger shook and an attached vein pulsated.

“That’s strange. How long has this been going on?”

“About two weeks.”

“Honey, you’ve been stressed out with all the work at church, the kid’s colds and your cake decorating business. I think it’s just stress.” I agreed and tried to put it out of my mind.

I tried to ignore the problem and get more rest, but the trembling increased and woke me out of a deep sleep. I can handle loud babies, decorating cakes, end to end meetings, and demanding men, but I can not go without sleep. I’m crankier than a two-year-old if I lose sleep. After a few sleepless nights, I was complaining to my doctor. He peered at me over his glasses and smile. “I believe it’s just a pinched nerve. It’s an easy fix. We’ll put a splint on it and I’m sure it will be fine in a few days.” The doctor’s comforting words made me feel better as I rushed through my day.

Two days later I was back in his office screaming with pain. The hand was swollen twice it’s size and wouldn’t move. He sent me to an orthopedic surgeon who found a small broken bone in the wrist. The surgeon didn’t like the temperature of the whole arm so he insisted I see a neurologist - immediately! After three tests the neurologist shook his head and explained, “The arm is dying. The fall that broke the bone also damaged a nerve. That nerve is sending a message to other nerves to cut off the blood flow to the entire arm.” To demonstrate he held my arm in the air. It began to turn a gray ash color as if it belonged to a dead person.

“What is the prognosis?” Dad put his arm around me for both comfort and physical support.

“She has a condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.” The doctor put his chart on the table and moved closer. “In a week the arm will be completely without blood and will begin to wither. She will lose all use of the arm. If it is injured, we will have to amputate because without blood it won’t heal.”

My mind was spinning. Amputation! How could I accomplish future goals without an arm? I wanted to do my daughter’s wedding cake. I wanted to play the piano in church. Dad looked away from me and stuttered for words.

The doctor broke into our shock by saying, “There’s a possibility we can fix it. We can try as many as six ganglion blocks. Hopefully, they will override the damaged nerve, allowing blood to flow into the arm. Sometimes the blood flow will heal the nerve and stop the problem. If it isn’t better after six treatments we can try surgery. With a little luck one of those will work. If not, we will have to amputate.”

Why does he keep using that word? I wanted to say something but I couldn’t breathe. I was still wobbly trying to deal with the term amputation. They wheeled me to the outpatient surgery clinic and asked me to lie down and prepare for the procedure. How am I supposed to prepare for this? The anesthesiologist took out a long needle that looked about three feet long to me. Okay so I was a little overwhelmed at the moment. Maybe it was only two feet.

“Please lay back. We will go in the front of your neck and hopefully isolate a nerve in your back. If we can locate it and deliver the right amount of medication, it will over ride the nerves in the arm and allow blood to flow. Understand?”

“NO! Are you going to push that needle all the way to my back?”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you just go through my back?”

“Too many muscles. We wouldn’t be able to find it. Ready?”

I wanted to yell at him but instead froze. His nurse moved my neck into position.

“Don’t swallow”, she whispered. “He will be near your vocal cords and we don’t want to damage your voice.”

“How long will this take?” My lips trembled and my shoulders tensed with fear.

“Five minutes. Exactly five minutes.”

Tears ran down the side of my face and created a puddle behind my neck. I didn’t swallow and barely breathed. The pain was intense. I was petrified. I begged God for mercy. I clinched my fists. Oh God, where are you. The anesthesiologist hit something that caused intense pain and felt like shock waves flowing across my back. I squeezed my eyes tighter. Have mercy. Please God, have mercy! I wanted to peek at the clock on the wall but I didn’t dare open my eyes. The image of him poking at my neck with his jack hammer wasn’t something I wanted to remember. Oh God, how much longer? Five minutes usually passes without a thought but this time it seemed like an eternity. The adrenaline was pumping, my heart was racing and I was in pain. Please God, please let this work so I never have to do this again.

“Thanks Sarah, we’re done.” I felt the nurse wipe my throat. I took my first deep breath and recalled an old song. There is a Savior, what joys express. His eyes are mercy. His word is rest. For each tomorrow, for yesterday. There is a Savior who lights our way. Thank God there is a Savior who cares about us and protects us each step of the way.

The first treatment was a wonderful success. Five minutes after the shot, I looked at the anesthesiologist and said, “Who turned on the heat?"

He smiled, “Look”, he said, “Watch!” I watched my arm turn fire engine red as the blood made its way to my hand. When the tips of my fingers were red, the paralysis was gone. There was no pain. I was moving my fingers wildly and laughing hysterically.

The anesthesiologist giggled with me. “Good, you’ve got a chance.”

The doctor peeked in to see how I was. “Look!” I proudly displayed my hand. “It feels great.” He nodded his approval. “Doctor, was my finger shaking so hard because it was damaged?”

“No.” He scratched his head and started writing in my chart. “Mrs. Jansen, I have no idea why it was shaking. Without blood it should have been completely paralyzed.”

My Dad choked back a tear. We realized the miracle God had preformed. God knew how serious the problem was even when I didn’t. We both believe that God caused a minor irritation to send me running to the doctor for help. What a loving God we have. He counts the hairs on our head. He knows when each sparrow falls and He even watches out for a tired mom.

No matter what problems you are experiencing, remember that God cares for you. He has more answers that you could ever imagine. He will stand with you no matter what the trial may be. Like my arm you must be connected to the blood source or you will die. Jesus is the Vine and to live the good life we must stay connected to Him.

My hand was like useless branches that must be discarded. When the blood (Jesus Christ) flowed through my veins, it brought the dead back to life. God can work miracles and give you the answers you need for your life.

“Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can’t do a thing. If anyone separates from me, he is thrown away like a useless branch, withers, and is gathered into a pile with all the others and burned.” John 15:5

God loves you,

Debbie

Attitude is everything!

2011-01-31T08:32:00.000-08:00

If you've read more than three or four posts, you know you know that I'm all about the attitude. It's your attitude that will determine if your parenting works or not. It's your attitude that controls the levels of your marriage. It's your attitude that determines the success of your spiritual life.

I'm currently struggling with a difficult medical problem. Hopefully it will be resolved shortly - and in a good way. (I appreciate your prayers) My darling husband sent me the following story and gave my attitude a boost. Answers are always a matter of God's, His love and our own attitude. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!' He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it!' You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?'

He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or...you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood.' Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or...I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.

'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.'

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident.
When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?'
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live.'

'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked.

He continued, '...the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me they would take good care of me. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.'

'What did you do?' I asked.

'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity''
Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.' He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude....I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' Matthew 6:34.

Please pray that God will provide a good report so I can continue to work without interruption........

God loves you,

Debbie

Why should anyone be a Christian?

2011-01-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

Before we continue a listing of Christian Traits....perhaps we should discuss why anyone would even want to be a Christian. What should you believe? Which way should you take your life?

I Googled, "How many religions are in the world?" According to World Christian Encyclopedia there are 34,000 separate Christian Groups. Then there are all kinds of other religions that contain many different Gods. In India for example, the Hindu faith claims to have 330 million faces of God. In our own country, native Indians have a God for almost everything that lives. There are wind gods and sun gods and plant gods and animal gods.

It's confusing. Especially if you haven't had what is called a Theophany. A theophany is where you have actually experienced a "manifestation of God or a Deity." So...if you haven't come face to face with God - how do you know that what I'm telling you is true? And furthermore....why would you want to live by my faith?

First let me assure you that if you don't believe in God - I won't attack you in any way. Just because we have different opinions doesn't mean I dislike you. And...just because I don't see any "logical" basis for other religions doesn't mean I think bad of those people either.

So...let's look at this problem from a purely logical standpoint.

I have a hard time finding a reason to even consider other religions. For example, I just don't understand why the Muslim faith is still around. Half of their participants are in slavery. As a Muslim wife you are demanded to have as many children as possible and....forget having the freedom to be who you want to be. The Muslim faith is awful to wives, children and anyone that goes against the wishes of the father or the "honor" of the family. And the biggest plus to the religion is that if you kill others in Allah's name, you get to experience virgins to your hearts content. While that may be enticing to some people - I want more of heaven than that. After a while anything loses it's pleasure. Being stuck in the sex mode for all of eternity isn't as appealing as having the freedom to enjoy everything God has been preparing for literally millions of years.  If he created everything here on earth and has been waiting and creating for centuries - don't you think he could come up with something better than 70 virgins?? Sounds like of pathetic to me.

Buddhism is even harder for me. Their take on this religion thing is that life is sort of a punishment. You are supposed to learn something from every life but you have to keep reincarnating until you finally reach Nirvana - which is a state of nothingness. Talk about a hard life!

Since I was in college I've issued a challenge. Bring me any faith that offers more freedom, more creativity, more of a good life and more rewards in the after life - and I'll change. Yep! You heard it here. Show me that your religion is better than mine and I'll change. The problem is in the details.  Some religions may sound good on the surface but in the end it disappoints.

I remember going to a youth group at a large church in Atlanta when I was in my early twenties. The speaker was a wealthy business man who lived most of his life as an atheist. His life was a mess! His business was failing and his family was falling apart. When his wife served him with divorce papers, he sought advice from a Christian friend. The friend said, "Look John, I know you can't bring yourself to be a Christian...but that doesn't negate the great advice in the Bible. Even if you never become a Christian, I promise that if you study the Bible and follow it's teachings your life will get better."

The businessman took his advice and spent the next few years studying and implementing Bible values. At the end of six months his business was growing. At the end of a year he was dating his wife and at the end of two years they were re-married. Now remember....he was not a Christian - he was only living like one. His only goal was to put the values of a Christian into practice in his own life.

Amazingly, at the end of four years he decided that God was real and that he wanted to give not only his heart - but his entire life to God. (Is that why atheist are so afraid of even the word "God"? Any connection to this Christianity thing is dangerous to their position.)

If the Bible is just a good way to live....what makes it so good? Why don't most people see the value?

There's been a lot of propaganda. Ask anyone if they think the Bible is made up of a lot of restrictions and they will probably agree with you. Even Christians are likely to say more about the "no no's" of the Bible than the actual purpose of why we follow this book.

The Bible is simply "God's word". But what does that mean? The Bible starts out with creation and then moves forward. With each book, Christianity begins to evolve. Until Jesus comes and begins to set the record straight about what he really meant us to be.

Let's pretend for a moment that we are like cars. We are assembled at the factory and then sent out into the world to do "our" thing. Some of us are made to race and some of us are made to carry groceries and kids. But....if something goes wrong in our engine - we aren't rolled up to the bakery for repairs. We go back to the people that made us.

That's what Christianity is! God made us and the Bible is His instruction book on how we work best.

But here's the creepy part that some people don't want to look at. They don't want to accept that there's some big dude in the sky that has even a small interest in what they are doing. They want complete and total control over their own lives. So....because they can't accept the big guy....they discredit and make fun of the Bible.

The Bible isn't all that weird. And...it is not a negative - "You can't do this" book. Go back to the car illustration. Suppose you bought a new $40,000 SUV. You decide that you can't pay for the car and the gas all at the same time. So...you brew up a concoction of rubbing alcohol and sugar. A little dash of this and that....a little corn liquor and voila! Gas! You decide you better call the dealership that sold you the car and tell them what you've done. "Great news! I've just invented a new gas. You'll probably want it for all your customers." The salesman screams into the phone..."No, please....don't do it. It will ruin the engine." You get mad. "You can't talk to me like that. I know what I'm doing. How dare you!"

The salesman quietly explains, "If you do this there's no way we will cover the cost to fix the engine."

You yell back. "You won't have to you jerk. I'm going to save the world money! You just wait and see, I'll be the one rolling in the dough. You don't know anything about me."

The thing is, you are convinced that you are right.....but you are gambling with a $40,000 car. You put your invention in the gas tank and start the engine. The car sputters and takes off. You are grinning from ear to ear. You did it. You showed those guys. You are rolling along on free gas. As the gas that was in the tank begins to mix with your untested solution, the car sputters. It slows and drags. It can hardly go. Finally smoke rolls out of the engine. It's clacking and clanging and the entire car trembles with the pain of it all. It dies a horrible death.

What happened? It was your car and you had the right to put anything in the tank you wanted. Why didn't it work. All of us know the answer to that question. It doesn't matter how much you believed in your invention, if the car wasn't "designed" to work with your solution - it's not going to happen.

Guess what? It doesn't really matter what you believe. If you don't do the stuff that's needed to make your life wonderful - it won't work! When your life falls apart because you are lying or cheating....it really doesn't matter what you believe. The results will be what they are. It's sad to me that most people wouldn't dare take the chance on ruining a $40,000 car but they have no problem gambling with their lives and all of eternity. As the old saying goes - "I'm a Christian. If you're right about the "no God" thing and I die and go into nothingness - I've still had a good life. If your wrong about the God thing and you die, you go to Hell." Hum.....

Let's go back to the Bible. I've studied it my entire life. I became a Christian when I was six years old. I participated in Bible drills, memorization and as a preacher's kid I've listened to thousands of sermons.

I realized early on that the Bible isn't about what you can't do.....the Bible is about living the "Good" life. It's an instruction manual on how to stay out of trouble.

Some people look at my life and say, "Man you sure have been blessed. You haven't had the troubles a lot of us have had." While I do thank God for making me who I am....it's the Bible that I credit with the reason I have a good life.

I came from a heritage of Christians. My parents were ministers, my grandmother was a minister, All grandparents and most of my extended family were Christians. My husbands family was the same way.

We have had good lives not just because they were Christians - but because their lives kept us away from the things that would "hurt" or cause problems in our lives. They passed on wise instructions that kept all of us from getting into stuff that would hurt our ability to have a great life.

For example - let's take the Ten commandments. The first four are about God. Since we are "logically" discussing this, let's leave him out of it.

#5 "Honor thy father and mother". What possible problem could that avoid? If I had a nickle for every time I heard someone say, "I hate to admit it but my parents were right" - I would be a rich person. If more children, teens and adults honored their parents they could learn from the wisdom they have. And even if you don't think your parents are wise (provided they also live by Biblical values) perhaps you can learn from their mistakes.

#6 Don't murder.  Well hello! Who wants to spend the rest of their lives in jail? And even if we lived in a society where murder was okay - who wants to be the one murdered? Or who wants to be so dysfunctional that killing is the only way to solve a problem. Ick! Instead of living a life of yelling, screaming and getting so angry that you flip out and kill your spouse....you have a different mindset. Look at all the problems and issues that you've avoided just by one commandment.

#7 Don't commit adultery. It would take a 15 page post to list all the pain this one will save. Just the guilt and therapy you can avoid will be worth thousands of dollars.

#8 Don't lie. Again...what's not to like about this little gem? Do you know how much trouble could be avoided in this life if people couldn't lie. Remember the movie Liar, Liar with Jim Carrey? Remember all the trouble he was in because he told lies?

The point is....The Bible isn't about taking away from your life. The Bible is about giving you a plan so you can have the best life possible. While others around you are struggling to figure out how to get down the street with their cars of life - you will be racing around the neighborhood and learning how to use all the tools to help your car sprout wings and fly!

Being a Christian is all about God. It's about loving him and appreciating all he's done for us. But it's also much more than that. It's about using his teachings to have the greatest life you can. My hope for you is that when your life is over that you will stand before a smiling God and say, "Wow! What a fantastic ride!"

God loves you,

Debbie

Who says this isn't a Christian Nation!!!!

2011-01-24T09:01:00.000-08:00

A good friend sent this to me.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. God bless this Marine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0fQd858cRc&feature=player_embedded

God loves you - and God bless America!

Debbie

The Donkey

2011-01-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

Since the symbol of the democratic party is a donkey....I think it's okay to use an old euphemism I've heard many times.

"If the donkey kicks me once it's his fault.....if the donkey kicks me twice it's my fault."

What that means is that it's often easy to be surprised by the actions of others. It's understandable to be naive and fooled by a crook - once. It's understandable to be naive and fooled by a fast talking salesman - once. But....if you are smart and you continue to let people take advantage of you....then it's no longer the crooks fault - it's your fault.

Once we have the information we need to make an informed decision....it's smart to use that information and avoid being robbed, hit, hurt, taken advantage of.....you get the idea. We can use information we have learned in the past to prevent the disaster in the future. To ignore the information means we are on the fast track to being hurt - again.

Over the past few days the news has touted the possibility that Mr. Obama is moving to the center and will be a hard person to beat in the 2012 elections. I couldn't believe I heard anyone say that! Are Americans really that dumb? Surely not.

The man promised to be centrist before he was elected the first time. He lied! He couldn't wait to get into office and prove his radical left agenda. We've been suffering every since. He's lied to us about so many things and proved to be inept and on a radical left race to socialism.

Why would you believe him ever again? Why would some people look at a one time speech and believe that he is going to do anything better the second time?

But Debbie....aren't we supposed to be kind and compassionate? People can change you know? Shouldn't we give him a chance?

Sure....give the drug addict a chance to get clean - but don't ask him to be a guard at the local pharmacy.
Give the alcoholic a chance to change - but don't ask him to be a fill in bartender when yours is sick.
Give an abusing spouse the chance to change but don't live with them and subject your 10 year old to another beating. Wait until the change has been proven and documented and you know that it's for real!

Our country's future is too important to trust this man...again. I'm counting the days and hoping that our luck will last and God will show us mercy until we can get him out of office. If he's elected for a second term, there's no hope for this country. You will see another massive move to socialism that we may not be able to survive and surely won't recover from.

So....my suggestion....do your homework. Look at his pre-election speeches. Hear what he said and then look at what he actually did or didn't do. Make the connections. Things like the fact that gas is going up and instead of letting companies in the gulf with safe rigs begin drilling again - he is stalling. Why? Watch Glen Beck and try to put all the pieces together. Gather your information and don't let that donkey kick you again!

God loves you,

Debbie

#1 Love me...Obey my commandments

2011-01-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

A true Christian will know who Jesus is and will work to obey his commandments.

Jesus had gathered all his disciples together for the last supper. If there was ever a time to give them cliff notes, this was it. Read John Chapter 13 and 14 and you'll see that the disciples just didn't understand all that was going on. They acted like small children wanting to be near him, sensing there was a problem, not knowing what to do etc... And then Jesus did a great and noble thing. He washed their feet. He talked quietly and slowly. He was not angry or ill at ease. These were the men he had chosen to carry on his work and now it was time to simply be friends. He knew that Judas had already betrayed him and yet...he was kind with him as well.

Chapter 14 starts out with a wonderful command.
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me.  In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

Now that we know the whole story it's easy to read that passage and know that Jesus is talking about Heaven. But listen to his last statement.  Verse 4 "You know the way to the place where I am going."

Here's comes the children.....Even though they had listened and followed for three years....In the next verse Thomas says..."Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

Jesus probably wanted to give a big sigh at this point and say, "What? What do you mean you don't know the way? Haven't you been listening!"

Instead in verse 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

Please pull out your Bible and read these two chapters, they are wonderful sweet urgings of Jesus. For today and our point today however, let's concentrate on the following verses. Consider this a cliff note straight from Jesus.

In John 14:15 Jesus said:
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.

How can you do that if you haven't studied enough to know what his command is? And notice he didn't say, "Do what the priests have told you." NO, he said do what I command. In other words, get it for yourself!

In John 14: 21-24 Jesus went on to say:

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Okay Friends....now you have it from the horses mouth. We can all close up shop and go home. That's your salvation in a nut shell.

If you say that you love God (Jesus) you will obey his command. If you don't obey then you don't love and you can't call yourself a Christian.

Period. End of statement. Everybody out of the pool!

Do you conveniently avoid certain scriptures? - You are not a Christian.

Do you twist the scriptures you don't like? - You are not a Christian.

Do you avoid church and learning about Jesus? Maybe it's just too boring. Sorry, You are not a Christian.

Do you work and study and cross reference - hoping, pushing and looking for a way to make the scriptures support the wrong you want to do? - You are not a Christian.

We must take the Bible as a whole, understand the writers, the life of Christ, the overall meaning, the cross references, the implied and the unimplied.

We must be doubly and 500% sure that we know who Jesus was and is - what his commandments are and that we are doing everything possible to obey those commandments.

A true Christian will love the study of the Bible because he "wants" and craves knowing who Jesus is and what His commandments are. A true Christian will not care if he's missing out on some fun or something he wants to do. All he will care about is that he loves Jesus and that he is obeying his commands.

Can you say that you know and obey the commandments of Jesus?

God loves you,

Debbie

What should a Christian look like?

2011-01-20T16:10:00.000-08:00

Over the next few months I'll be posting to a category called "The Christian".

Find link in Right sidebar

This category isn't about the outward "looks" of a Christian. This category is about the whole man/woman. The thoughts, beliefs, actions, motives, desires, looks and reputation of the Christian.

The definition of the word Christian is....
1. A person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ, or in the religion based on the teaching of Jesus.

used as a adj. it means.....
1. of Jesus Christ or his teachings
2. of or professing the religion based on these teachings
3. having the qualities demonstrated and taught by Jesus Christ, as love, kindness, humility, etc..
4. of or representing Christians or Christianity
5. humane, decent, etc...

But....the word that most Christians use to define their label is...."Christ - like"

Have you ever met a person who claims to be a Christian and yet...hasn't studied enough about Christ to know what that would look like? A lot of churches have stopped having Sunday school. Now instead of a deeper walk through the Bible and a systematic way to teach our children about the Bible, we have discussion groups in homes. Most of the time the emphasis is on visiting and eating rather than on real Bible study. The result - people who claim to be Christians but have no idea what that really means.

I even had one immature person say...."Just give me a list and I'll do what's on it." While that type of reduction of the Christian faith won't produce a true Christian - perhaps it will lead all of us into a deeper discussion of what's currently missing in our faith.

I hope you will join me here for "short" discussions about the traits and values of "The Christian"

#1 Love me - Obey my commandments

God loves you,

Debbie

Bible in American History.....

2011-01-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

It appears to me that some people just like to lie. They get a kick out of looking you square in the face and telling you something they know isn't true but try to use to "force" you to their way of thinking.

In the South we have several sayings about people who lie to prove a point.

"His tongue is long enough to cut his throat." "He can talk up a tow sack." (To fill a sack with foolish talk or nonsense.) "Crooked as a worm on a hook." "Like a Bug arguing with a chicken."

"He has a tongue for Tolling." (To lure, lead on, entice with lies.) "Rather tell a lie on credit than the truth for cash." (Prefers to lie.)

And my personal favorite....."Put grease in yer pan, yer fish is burning." (You are incorrect, lying, tell the truth!)

Lately....that's all I can think about as I post the columns from American Minute I started posting these because I thought they would be a wonderful topic of conversation around the evening supper table. Yet the more I post, the more I am aware that progressives have been viciously lying to us. I recently heard one leftist commentator say that it had been over 50 years since the government promoted Biblical study. Here's a few choice Southern sayings for that guy....

"His head is full of stump water." (Dumb) "He'd hold a fish under water to drown it." (Stupid, dumb)

I don't like calling people stupid or dumb....yet what else do you call someone that expects you to believe such a silly obvious lie??

I enjoyed the following post by American Minute. Amazing that I was busy living my life and never heard about this.

A Joint Resolution of the 97th U.S. Congress proclaimed "A Year of the Bible."

It was signed by Democrat Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil, Republican President of the Senate Strom Thurmond and President Ronald Reagan, who stated OCTOBER 4, 1982:

"Now, therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, in recognition of the contributions and influence of the Bible on our Republic and our people, do hereby proclaim 1983 the Year of the Bible in the United States.

I encourage all citizens, each in his or her own way, to reexamine and rediscover its priceless and timeless message."

Similarly, on January 25, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote the prologue of a special Gideons' edition of the New Testament & Book of Psalms distributed to millions of World War II soldiers:

"As Commander-in-Chief, I take pleasure in commending the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the armed forces of the United States. Throughout the centuries men of many faiths and diverse origins have found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel and inspiration."

FDR continued:

"It is a fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul."

All I have left to say is that anyone that believes this is no longer a Christian Nation --- "They are doing a heap of stirring but making no biscuits!" (A lot of talking with no results)
God loves you,

Debbie