A lot to think about...

A friend forwarded this to me... it is a great explination of what I have been at a loss to discribe... a concern for our nation...

Subject: America asks for a king
By: Laura Hollis, Esq. - Sunday, October 26, 2008

I am an attorney and professor of law and entrepreneurship, so I usually confine my commentary to matters of public policy, and leave theology to those who have chosen that field of study. But since today is Sunday, I will take the liberty of making an observation with a more Biblical bent. As one who has taught entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking for nearly ten years, I am distressed by the apparently overwhelming sentiment sweeping Americans that they must now be taken care of. I know from years of studying the matter that a society in which most members are – or can be – entrepreneurial, is a society where upward mobility is the rule; where wealth is created – not just “spread around”; where hope is common currency; where the inevitable problems are viewed as opportunities to find sustainable solutions, and where those solutions are typically new industries, new companies, and new jobs.

An entrepreneurial society is a society where most people wish to, and know they can, take care of themselves, their families, and even others in need. Where charity and philanthropy are fellow-travelers with success. Joe the Plumber’s exposure of Obama’s “spread the wealth” philosophy exploded like a flash fire, not only because that philosophy is utterly anti-American, but because it is shortsighted, and immoral. It is short-sighted, because in an economy that is a bit battered and fragile, what we need are more businesses, more workers, and more wealth creation in the private sector, not more government programs and more people depend ent upon them. It is short-sighted because it is a failed business model. And, as we saw with the collapse of major lending institutions a few weeks ago, a failed business model, made larger (or “spread around,” if you prefer) by government, is not just a failure, but a catastrophic failure. So it was with the irresponsible lending practices foisted on American banks by the government, and so it will be with the irresponsible spending and doomed reliance on government largesse that Obama and the Democrats are peddling as salvation. And the inevitability of its failure is why Obama’s philosophies are not just foolhardy, but immoral.

It is immoral to deceive well-meaning people about what you intend to do with their money. It is immoral to take by force from those who produce, give to others who do not, and call it “charity.” It is staggeringly immoral to create an ever- larger class of dependent, helpless people who will be doomed to starve when the unsustainable system you have created collapses. And most of all, it is profoundly immoral to set yourself up as a secular messiah of sorts, assuring people that you will take care of them, eliminate hardship, heal the planet, and hold enemies at bay by the sheer force of your own hypnotic rhetoric.

Obama’s economic and social theories have been debunked and disproven (at great human cost) so many times over the past 100 years that it’s laughable anyone still believes in them. But at least his designs on the country are understandable. Those who crave power will use any tactic, as long as it works. It’s the fact that it’s working that is inscrutable to me. And this is where the Biblical references come in.

Americans’ attitude toward this posturing, self-important, po litical zealot remind me of the Israelites’ demand for a king, as recounted in the Book of Samuel:

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, 'You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.' But when they said, 'Give us a king to lead us,' this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: 'Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. As they have done from th e day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.' Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots … He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a t enth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.' But the people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. 'We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.' When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, 'Listen to them and give them a king.'
(1 Samuel 8:1-22)

The comparisons are telling: Americans are understandably fed up with corruption, greed, and perversion of justice in our leaders. But till now, we have asked for no king, because we could take care of ourselves, and because we have always been a godly people. But look around now – our children languish in failing, crumbling, unsafe, and undisciplined schools, many of which are merely bastions of social experimentation. Our cities are riddled with crime. Our families are devastated by divorce, abuse, illegitimacy, absent fathers, and definitions of “marriage” that fluctuate with the sexual predilections du jour. Our culture – books, films, music – is saturated with violence and perversion that even the smallest child is exposed to. And of course, one cannot forget – the high watermark of freedom and femininity, and the litmus test of liberty for the Left is the unfettered right to kill our own children in our wombs (or leave them to die outside of them). This is what we, as a nation, have brought ourselves to.

These are problems that no amount of social spending will cure, and any promise to do so is a lie, because no amount of money will change people’s hearts. And yet, instead of reaching deep within ourselves to find the solutions, we now whine and mewl for someone to save us. And here he comes, Barack Obama, on a “righteous wind.” As with anyone who would be king, Obama will take our money and our property in ever-larger amounts.

Our children will be saddled with debt and beholden to a bloated government that will enslave the very people it promised to help. We will be at the mercy of our enemies. And no matter how bleak or desperate our own lives becomes, the leaders in Obama’s government will always thrive; such people always do. Nor is any of this is unique to Obama; it is in the nature of every king, and every government, which is why our government was originally set up to be limited, both to protect us, and to ensure our own self-reliance.

John McCain will not be a perfect President. But it is not necessary for the leader of a free, righteous, and entrepreneurial people to be perfect. I can support John McCain because he asks only that I vote for him, not that I worship him. And I will vote for John McCain on November 4th, not because he would be a better king, but because he does not claim to be one at all.

Neither McCain nor Obama is a king who will save us; we must turn instead to the only One who can.

Copyright © 2008 Salem Web Network. All Rights Reserved.

Election 2008

I have a very inspired friend and she sent me this email at the beginning of the week. I just wanted you guys to read it. I thought you may be as inspired as I was.

Hi friends,
I recently attended a debate at Fresno State for propositions 4 & 8. This morning as I was reading my Bible something steered my mind back to what the woman said who was representing the "No on 4" side. She told the story of Solomon and the 2 women who were fighting over the one live baby because one of the women had suffocated her baby in her sleep. Then the representative began to discuss how that story reminded her of proposition 4, and continued to stand up for the women's - children's - rights to abort their babies without telling their parents. Trust me, she didn't tie it in at all, but appeared to have the desire to show people of faith that she too read the Bible. I'll put this in other words: this woman quoted scripture to support her abortion proposition. She quoted pieces of the holy Word from the mouth of God. This same Bible discusses in depth how God is intimately acquainted with my thoughts, and that His eyes saw and planned those babies' UNFORMED bodies...before they were knitted together in their mothers' wombs, He KNEW them. Those were PEOPLE with purposes who were slaughtered for convenience and she's reading a Bible story?

I hate what they do. I hate the lies about the "faith based" organizations, as if that's a bad word.
As I ask myself how it came to this and who let this happen, I am reminded of Daniel. I am nothing great like the man he was, or a person of high esteem in any way. But I am going to get on my face, fast and pray, and beg God...the ONLY God, to forgive me and the sins of my country and my people and heal our land, and to shine His light on the truth. I'm asking some friends to consider doing this with me on November 3rd, the day before the election. Maybe, just MAYBE He will intervene for His people.
2 Chron 7:14-1514 if my people , who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
In Christ,
Alisa

Betsy... moving right along...

She didn't think this week was so fun.

Our little Zach... They could be in a catalog!

Yeah... we're in the bathroom at Macaroni Grill... so what. :)

Family Tree Project

So for Titus, I have been working on a family tree... so he can see all those people who we love, but are far away. I hope you guys like it! There are a few more pictures I need to get to finish it up... if you want to send me some, that would be great!

Here it is

Joplin!

Photobook
I just spent a super fun week in Joplin with Emily and my family and Lito and Tiffany! So much fun! I love my family!

Jury Duty

Whats happening...

This is where we started...

This is where we are as of yesterday... August 6, 2008. He is moving around a lot! I think I got to feel him on Friday night for the first time... which was fun... I was poking at him to get him to come play with me!

Emily and I are leaving this Saturday for Ozark. Keep us in your prayers as we travel. I am so excited to see my family and I am excited for the road trip, and I am excited for Emily!

So many good things are happening!

Emily's going to Ozark

Joplin here we come! So Emily got her loan and everything worked out. So we are coming!
August 9th is when we are leaving. We are going to try to stay with Jake in Oklahoma City. As far as the rest of our stops, we are not really sure. We should be there on Monday or Tuesday. I can't wait to visit!

If you have any suggestions as far as where to stop and where to stay let me know!
YEAH!

Little Miss Stella

So Stella is the daughter of some good friends of mine... She is so picken cute... I got the priveldge of taking some 4 month old pictures of her today! And... I got to make two of the "accessories"... the tutu and the flower in her hair. Kids are so cute!



She wasn't buying this today...

The baby is a BOY!

3D... so cool



Well... we are all very excited... especially Darren and my Dad... we are even now... 3 girls... 3 boys...
I made so much stuff for a girl that I gave away some of it and I had people ask me to make stuff for them... so I made a blog for it... if you want to look. I'll be posting items that I am selling. It's on the list of people I love... aly's articles.

P.S. still probably going to Joplin in a few weeks. We are waiting to see if Emily gets a loan... if she does... we are going... if she doesn't... we aren't going... please pray!

Fun 4th!

A. I made the cutest baby pants of all times... I am so thankful for my crafty friend!

We had a block party... which went really well! Some pictures are from that and some are from our fourth of July. We went swimming and played tennis... I watched 3 nights of fireworks! I love them!

Betsy is Pregnant

Ok, so this is Betsy... Barely pregnant... She is due January 1st!

These are the two blankets I've made so far for the baby.... sock monkey and black & white... I know... I am a master seemstress! I have many skills!

And for those of you wondering... Its a girl according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar. And from my reasearch... it is a highly accurate tool. So we are going with girl... thinking Grace Abigail. So cute!

Words of wisdom

Lessons in Life
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it but it is really not his fault when things go wrong.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion ~ Today is it!
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone, everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. Remember nothing lasts forever!
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life ~ Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield when necessary.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Tracy Reinemeyer

Unfortunately Tracy passed away yesterday morning. Friday she started to turn, when she got an infection and it spread through different parts of her body. It is shocking that two weeks ago she was fine and now she is gone. I can't even really wrap my mind around it.

She is young and beautiful and one of the most amazing women God put on this earth. In all the ways I know, she is the embodiment of what God asks us as women to be. She guarded her heart and the hearts of her children, she was diligent, responsible, respectful, honored her husband and God, she was sincere, kind, generous, thoughtful, and loving. She was not extravagant, but when she did something for you it was from her heart and her sincerity made her gesture extravagant. She spoke with kindness, grace, and gentleness. She was encouraging and a teacher to her children, friends, and church family. I love her and will miss her greatly. It was my pleasure to know her. She left a huge mark on my life. I hope to pay forward the gifts she gave to me.

Please keep her family in your prayers. Joey (the little boy they just adopted) has only been in the United States for a few weeks and I'm sure this is confusing for him. Jake (her 9 year old) is obviously going to miss his Mom, and will need all the prayer we can give him. Her husband, Scott, will also need prayer as he sorts out all the things before him. She has an amazing network of family and friends, pray that they can know what to say or not say and when to help. Pray for strength, wisdom and discernment for all of them. God's plan is made perfect through weakness, I know He will be glorified through this situation, just as He was through Tracy's life.

Tracy

Tracy's Care Page

We had some news this week that really shocked our world. Tracy Reinemeyer, who not only has worked for us for the last 5 or so years, also goes to church with us, found out that she has acute lukuemia. She got back 2 weeks ago from picking up a little boy they adopted from China. His name is Joey and he is three. Super cute little guy! Anyhow... if you could keep Tracy in your prayers I would appreciate it. She is trying to get better, bond with her new son, and keep up with her 9 year old. She is an amazing woman, but there is only so much you can do from the hospital. Above is her care page. You can sign up to see pictures and updates for how she is. You can also post messages for her to read. She actually just got to meet Marissa from dancing with the stars.

Emily's senior pictures

This one with the face on the brick is my favorite!







So Tuesday I got the priveldge of taking Emily's senior pictures. Here are a few of the final choices! I was really excited to get the change to try out my photography skills!

Melissa look here!

Hopper said he uploaded some pictures to his myspace... I went to look at them and this picture was there... I started laughing!

P.S. Michele... is Silas getting his own page?