A Very Big God

I have felt for some time that God is bigger than I have given him credit for. And so I have made it a point for years to really stretch myself and get to know the God of the scriptures. It has become a passion of mine to separate what man has taught me about God from what the scriptures actually teach about God. Not that those two are always different, but they often are. Man, by nature it seems, tries to define and explain who God is and what he will and won't do, maybe because that helps them keep their faith when God doesn't respond the way they want him to. And then we come along and add our own interpretation to what man says about God and think we have a clear picture. For example, when you hear a pastor say, "God hates divorce," what do you really hear? Most people hear, "God hates those who are divorced." It may not be a conscious thought until we find ourselves in that category, and then it can be devastating. But what does God's word say? God's word doesn't make any distinction about divorce saying it is any worse than any other sin that breaks his heart. The thing he hates most about divorce is the pain and suffering it brings to everyone involved, and how far this is from the joy he intended marriage and family to be. And how much more pain and suffering are added when we think God hates us because we are divorced? Or how about a definition of God that says, "He doesn't do that anymore. That was in the Old Testament before Jesus came to live in our hearts." Or, "That was in the early church when miracles were needed to get it established and help it grow." Doesn't it seem that we have shrunk God down to our own finite definitions of who he is and how he will behave and when? Does that seem wrong to anyone besides me? I read these words somewhere recently: We’ve shrunk God with conditions and expectations ~ we’ve taken his grandness and washed him in the hot water of fear and logic until he’s shrunken and small ~ God is bigger than we can grasp. I think more of us need to go back to studying ~ really studying ~ the scriptures for ourselves, and let God's Holy Spirit speak to our hearts about who he is, what he wants us to know about himself as he reveals it. I don't think we can ever define God, who is infinite, with our minds which are finite. I don't think we can ever say, "sure he could do that, but he won't, he just doesn't do those things anymore." I say, let God be God. Let him surprise me with his mercy, surprise me with his blessings, surprise me with his power, surprise me with his grace, any time he wants to. I say, come to God as a child comes, without definitions and limitations, just lay out for him all that you are and think and want, and let him do with it what he will. And then be satisfied with his response, knowing that his heart toward you is good and his love for you is beyond your understanding. Even when God says no, we can know that it is out of his loving heart for reasons of his own, and not because our faith is small or we have hidden sin or he loves us less than someone else. These are some of my thoughts today. I just love God. For who he is, and not for who I think he is or who I want him to be. Just for who he is. And his love surprises me every day. God is bigger than we can grasp.

By God's oh-so-amazing grace,
From the Rewritten Princess

Forgiveness

Paul warns us that unforgiveness and bitterness can wreck our lives and the lives of others (Eph. 4:31; Heb. 12:15). As someone has said, forgiveness is setting a prisoner free and then discovering the prisoner was you. I used to think forgiveness came easy for me, I didn't feel I harbored any anger or bitterness over my childhood abuse. It took quite a bit of counseling to realize that I hadn't really forgiven, I had simply split from my emotions so effectively that I didn't "feel" the anger and bitterness that I had hidden deeply away below the surface. But even though "anger and bitterness" were hidden and buried, they still had a very powerful impact on my daily life, and on the people around me. I first had to believe that I had not deserved all that happened to me, none of it was my fault. As I began to look at myself as a normal, lovable child with value, then look at what my abusers did to that small child, slowly the anger began to surface. This was a necessary step. I was terrified that the anger would overwhelm me, so it took a while for me to let go and trust God to walk with me through it, but God was so patient and tender. The anger surfaced, and there was a lot of it, and I had to keep letting it come until God seemed to say "enough." He even had to identify for me all the people I was angry with, which meant bringing up more memories I hadn't thought about for many years. In the end, choosing to forgive, acknowledging the truth of what I had suffered, made the forgiveness real, not cheap. It also wasn't easy ~ it had to be a process of letting go over time. Forgiveness is a choice. It is not a feeling, but an act of the will. As Neil Anderson wrote, “Don’t wait to forgive until you feel like forgiving; you will never get there. Feelings take time to heal after the choice to forgive is made.” I had to acknowledge that it did hurt, it did matter, and I didn't deserve any of it. I think the reason I feel so free and at peace today is because of this step of forgiveness. I found that I had to forgive more than I at first realized. And then I had to deal with anger I felt for God that I hadn't recognized before. I would never want to walk through it all again, but it has been more than worth it to be where I am today. I have learned much about letting go of control, about trusting God. Still more to learn, but I am not who I used to be. I am a new creation. God is more amazing than I ever could have imagined or appreciated before. My heart is so much more capable of receiving the love he has lavished and is lavishing on me. I can't get enough of him. I just want to soak him in like a sponge. If you struggle with forgiveness, I pray you can also come to this place of peace on the other side. God is so very, very faithful.

Family

Well, I heard some exciting and devastating news today. Have you ever heard the word "ambivalent?" I first heard that word only a few years ago and have since jokingly taken that as my middle name. I have such strongly mixed emotions about so many things in life. I just received news today that two very, very special people in my life have sold their house and are moving out of town. This couple is more like close family than mere friends. Now granted, they aren't moving across the country or around the world. But until now they have lived close by and their unwaivering love and acceptance and friendship has meant more to my husband and I than I can even express. They have walked with us through the worst times of our entire lives, and they did so without judgment, without question, and without hesitation. This was healing balm to my soul during a time when my soul was dying under brutal assault. At the same time that I am feeling this tremendous sense of loss over this news, I am also very excited for them. God has blessed them so very richly as he has provided a way "out of the blue" for them to be closer to their kids and grandkids. With the economy what it is here in Michigan, the chances of them selling their house for a decent price are close to nil, and yet, without their house even being listed for sale, God provided a way. God is so good. God is sooooooooo good. My two dear friends will ALWAYS be in our prayers, for good health, unending joy, wonderful new friends, a home filled with peace, and the true rest that comes from trusting God in all things. And I hope they realize that they will have a couple of out-of-town visitors stopping in from time to time for a cup of coffee and a good chat. My husband and I will miss you terribly, my friends, but we are truly happy for you. You are loved.

How To Tell If Your Feet Stink.

I got this in an e-mail today. I thought it was hilarious! I thought it might be good to go more on the light side today. (I love to laugh ~ don't you? We laugh A LOT at our house. I hope you do, too.)

By God's Amazing Grace ~ Rewritten Princess

TRUST

Wow! Trusting ~ really trusting ~ is so hard for me. I have come so far, and I am much, much better at trusting. I have had to learn to trust even myself. To trust my feelings, my hunches, my intuition, my wisdom, my parenting skills, my ability to hear and respond to the leading of the Lord. Probably the hardest thing was learning to trust God (even though I was a Christian), because trusting God means I have to let HIM be in control, which means I CAN'T be the one in control. Wow! That was a hard one. As a child I learned that survival was completely up to me. Emotional survival, physical survival, you name it. As an adult I clung to that habit for years, not letting anyone get too close, always maintaining control of my surroundings and my relationships and ALL things within my "realm." And I found out the hard way that this kind of control actually sets you up for MORE abuse, not less. Because we were not created to live that way. We were made for relationships. We need each other. Okay, I have stopped wearing my mask, I have stopped "splitting," I have let a number of people get inside my walls, and I must admit, though scary, I do like this better. I have found that it is possible to let someone know you fully and not be rejected or humiliated or emotionally trampled. As a result I now have a wonderful support system of friends who hold me up when I need it, counsel me when I need it, pray for me often, and I do the same for them. It's pretty awesome. Even my relationship with my amazing husband has grown into a thing of great beauty.

In this whole process of growth, I have also learned MUCH about trusting God. Why was this the hardest of all? Well, I have learned that He does, indeed, love ME. Not just the world in general of which I am a part, but me individually. I have learned that Jeremiah 29:11 is true. (Look it up!) I have learned that He has been with me from the very beginning, and He has even given me mental pictures of where He was and exactly what He was doing during some of my WORST memories of childhood abuse. So yeah, it has been an amazing, difficult, painful, awesome, wonderful journey.

But today I find I still have some trust issues. I am currently unemployed. I am one who has been pretty much steadily employed since my first job at age 14. My most recent job was one I could do from home, which I loved beyond belief. That job has come to an end, and I find myself 100% opposed to going out to seek another "conventional" job. I want to stay home SO badly. I don't know that we can pay our bills on just my husband's income. We are trying to cut every unnecessary cost we can think of: I cancelled my hair cut appointment and will begin cutting my own hair (which I have done before so it's not impossible); we are cancelling memberships in things like video rental service; we are learning to do without many things we never gave a thought to before ~ we just picked them up; we are consolidating trips into town as much as possible; looking for things we can sell ~ all very good ideas anyway... learning to be better stewards. And at the beginning of August when I received my last paycheck I believed God wanted me to stay home and to TRUST Him for the provision. At the beginning of August that was pretty easy. Now it is almost the end of August ~ the time when I would have received my next paycheck ~ and I find that TRUST is starting to be more of a challenge. DOES God want me to stay home? SHOULD I go out and find a job? If He is saying no, trust me, I will supply, then looking for a job is disobedience and is a step backward in learning to trust. But I don't see HOW we can pay our bills without my income.

I am reminded of a quote from John Eldredge in his book Waking the Dead.

"Wisdom is crucial. But wisdom is not enough. Wisdom is essential . . . and insufficient. Saul of Tarsus was headed to Damascus, 'breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples,' with official documents granting him permission to arrest all Christians in the city and have them sent to prison (Acts 9:1–2). Now, you and I know that Jesus changed Saul’s agenda rather radically before he ever reached the city—the blinding light, the voice from heaven, the total realignment of his worldview. But the believers in Damascus don’t know all this. As they wait in fear for Saul’s arrival, God speaks to one of them, a man named Ananias, and tells him to go to the house where Saul is staying, lay hands on him, and pray for him. Understandably, Ananias suggests this is not such a good idea. 'Lord . . . 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' (9:13–14). It’s okay, God says, he’s my man now. Against wisdom Ananias goes, and the greatest of all the apostles is launched. The Bible is full of such counterintuitive direction from God. Would you counsel a father to sacrifice his only child, the only hope for the promised nation? Certainly, it wasn’t wisdom that compelled a fugitive to walk back into the country where he was wanted for murder, a land where all his kin were held as slaves, march into Pharaoh’s palace and demand their release. Was it reasonable to take a fortified city by marching around it blowing trumpets? What’s the sense of slashing the ranks of your army from 32,000 to 300, just before battle? It was dangerous advice, indeed, to send the young maiden before her king unbidden, and even worse to send a boy against a trained mercenary. And frankly, it looked like perfect madness for Jesus to give himself up to the authorities, let himself get killed."

So... I'm still trying to learn the "wisdom AND revelation" part of trusting God. Right now, I believe God is saying to stay home ~ which of course doesn't mean do nothing and be lazy, but to pursue other things. So, I am staying ~ but I must confess, my knees are shaking a bit.

I appreciate your prayers and your comments.

Life and Death

Here is a thought I read somewhere the other day: Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Wow. That made me stop and think. Does this stir any thoughts or feelings in you? It made me think about how easy it is to let your "comfort zone" dictate who you are willing to talk to and who you are not, or where you will go and where you won't, or whether to ask your boss for a promotion or a raise, or speak the truth into a friend's life who may be struggling in some way. The purpose of life is about so much more than our comfort, don't you think. We should be stretching ourselves, following the Holy Spirit wherever He may be leading, not worrying so much about personal comfort. We should be willing to set God-size goals, goals that can only be reached with God's help. We need to be asking our Lord how He wants us to spend our time, even our rest. Do you unwind in front of a TV? Is that how He would want you to unwind after a long, hard day? Does spending an evening in front of the TV move you any closer to your goals, or does it just "comfortably" bring another day to an end? Are you learning, growing, becoming more intimate with the God you love? Are you striving so much for what the world values that you don't have the time or the energy to pursue God or His goals in your life? If you are, do you think that is by accident, or do you think the enemy of God has anything to do with that? Do you think this grieves God? Wow ~ heavy stuff. I told you that phrase at the beginning of this entry made me stop and think.

And that word "striving" ~ as I wrote that above, that, too, got me thinking. Is it bad to strive for worldly things, but good to strive for God? IS striving ever a good thing? I was recently praying and worrying over some family issues when God gave me a picture in my mind. The picture was of my infant granddaughter sleeping in my arms. And it occurred to me that she "strives" for nothing. She simply trusts. Is this what the scripture means when it says we are to come to Him as little children? My granddaughter does not worry whether her caregivers have forgotten about her needs, or whether she is safe in their arms, or what tomorrow may bring. She simply trusts. What does trusting God really mean? What does it really look like? What does God want it to look like?

These are just a few of my thoughts today. What are yours?

Healing those Wounds

Here is a quote from Ransomed Heart ministries that I received in my e-mail this morning. It is good.

****If you wanted to learn how to heal the blind and you thought that following Christ around and watching how he did it would make things clear, you’d wind up pretty frustrated. He never does it the same way twice. He spits on one guy; for another, he spits on the ground and makes mud and puts that on his eyes. To a third he simply speaks, a fourth he touches, and for a fifth he kicks out a demon. There are no formulas with God. The way in which God heals our wound is a deeply personal process. He is a person and he insists on working personally. For some, it comes in a moment of divine touch. For others, it takes place over time and through the help of another, maybe several others. As Agnes Sanford says, “There are in many of us wounds so deep that only the mediation of someone else to whom we may ‘bare our grief ’ can heal us.”

So much healing took place in my life simply through my friendship with Brent. We were partners, but far more than that, we were friends. We spent hours together fly-fishing, backpacking, hanging out in pubs. Just spending time with a man I truly respected, a real man who loved and respected me—nothing heals quite like that. At first I feared that I was fooling him, that he’d see through it any day and drop me. But he didn’t, and what happened instead was validation. My heart knew that if a man I know is a man thinks I’m one, too, well then, maybe I am one after all. Remember—masculinity is bestowed by masculinity. But there have been other significant ways in which God has worked—times of healing prayer, times of grieving the wound and forgiving my father. Most of all, times of deep communion with God. The point is this: Healing never happens outside of intimacy with Christ. The healing of our wound flows out of our union with him.****

This is out of a book by John Eldredge called "Wild At Heart" which is a book for men or for those trying to figure out men. I have one husband, two sons, two brothers, and numerous male relatives, so it was a great book for me to read. I like the part about how God heals each of us differently, and sometimes heals the same person differently at different times. He is so intimately involved with each of us that he knows just what we need (better than we do) and just when we need it (better than we do) and just how it should be delivered (better than we do). Isn't that awesome! And once we start that healing journey with him, he keeps it going, never willing to let it drop until we have achieved our full healing. He allows us a few breaks now and then to catch our breath, but because he loves us so very much, he doesn't want to leave anything still festering beneath the surface. He is gentle but firm, loving but thorough, faithful, merciful, grace-full, compassionate, and very, very effective. My journey has been a long one (or so it seems to me) and at times I thought I can't do this, I won't survive, I'll lose my mind or I'll die, but my loving savior had me the whole time. Rewriting your core is not a simple task. You pretty much have to be "broken" down to your core in order to do that. That even sounds painful. But I can tell you now that it was worth it. I am not who I was before. I am brand new. And the new me enjoys so much more intimacy with Christ, and I have learned through that painful process to finally let go of my intense need to control, and just trust God. Not that he is finished with me yet. But wow ~ he has brought me so very far.

I'd love to hear your comments. And I thoroughly recommend any books by John Eldredge. Another good book is The Wounded Heart by Dan Allender. There is a workbook that goes with Allender's book which I also recommend.

Christian Love

Question: When we show love to someone who is living in sin or has committed an obvious sin, are we condoning their sin? (Let me preface my remarks with this: I know that because of my abused background and the commitment I made with myself as a small child that I would never treat anyone else that way, I tend to lean heavily toward grace and I may get a bit out of balance in that direction. Balance is always the key, I think, even with grace, but "tough love" is a concept that completely escapes me.)

I am speaking of those who know right and wrong or some sense of it. I feel that what a person in sin needs to know is that their sin is not a reason to be unloved, or unaccepted ~ by me, by God, or by the church. (Now, I do know that there is such a thing as evil ~ there are evil people. And that is a different story. An evil person has a black heart, does what he does deliberately, with no thought of right or wrong, just twisted personal pleasure at someone else's expense. No conscience. No repentence. God may not have given up on them, but they scare me, so I try to stay away.) Most people don’t need people to shun them so they know they have sinned. They are very away of their sin, and they pretty much expect to be shunned in the church, and this ought NOT to be the case. It is so true that “they will know we are Christians by our LOVE,” and they will desire to know the Jesus we know. Not by our judgmental attitudes. Not by our well-placed words of reminder to let them know our disapproval.

Please permit me to tell you a story about when I got saved. My best friend at school invited me to a revival meeting at her church when I was 14. If you’ve heard anything about my testimony, you know that I was not a happy child, did not come from a good home at all. My extremely abusive stepfather had passed away recently. So I went to the revival and I was blown away by the message. I had never really heard about Jesus before. I had heard OF him, but not about his love or grace, or how he died for me… I started crying some time during the service, and by the time it was over I was sobbing my eyes out. Maybe you can imagine how love-starved I had been my entire life, so the words of God’s love were more than my young heart could stand. My friend offered to go to the altar with me as they played “Just As I Am.” When they prayed with me I continued crying, but it felt like an amazing weight had been lifted from me. I was more excited than I had ever been about anything. (I remember it all like it was yesterday.)

Over the next several weeks, I continued going to church with her and coming home all excited, telling my mom and my two brothers all about this Jesus. My mom had had an even worse life than my own, and as an adult had been married many times at this point. She had divorced the first several extremely abusive husbands, given up 3 children for adoption, was now trying to hang onto the 3 kids she currently had, and had just buried her latest abusive husband. My mom and both brothers agreed to come to church with me one Sunday, all three of them were picking up my excitement. They dressed up in the best they had and we all went off to church. I couldn’t wait to introduce my family to the church members and the pastor. Well, when the time came, every single one of them made sure my mom and my brothers (1960s rebellious long-haired boys) knew that they didn’t “condone” their lifestyles. I couldn’t believe it. I cried all the way home. I never did get my brothers back to church after that. After several weeks I did get my mom to come to church with me one more time. The reception was the same. She never came back again. A few years ago, shortly before my mom died, she let me know that she had accepted Jesus into her heart. Those were 3 souls that were ripe for the harvest that Sunday years ago, and I believe Satan used GOD’S PEOPLE to place a major stumbling block in their paths. The picture of my mother’s face that first morning in church will stay with me forever. She already knew shame, she already felt unloved and unlovable ~ she really didn’t need to be reminded of any of it. This picture always comes back to me when I am tempted to be unloving toward another sinner. Generations of family history could have been broken that Sunday morning. Who knows how things might have been different had God’s people LOVED my family that morning, and introduced them to the God who, “because of his great love for us…made us alive with Christ even when we were DEAD IN TRANSGRESSIONS.” God ~ who is rich in mercy!!

None of us are perfect. But most of us are doing the best we can under whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. We as Christians are instructed by God only to LOVE the unlovely, the sinner. Love them into the church. Not by “condoning” their sin, but by showing them that “while they were yet sinners, Christ died for them.” They are not unlovely, unlovable, untouchable, unacceptable, shameful, or trash. They are sinners who need to know they can be saved by Grace. They need to know of God's great mercy, forgiveness, faithfulness, unending and unconditional love. And they are very precious to my Savior, who even now is interceding on their behalf at the right hand of God Almighty.

When we reach out as missionaries, are we condoning sin? When we invite our neighbors to church or show kindness to a stranger, are we condoning sin? When we give out groceries from the pantry, or help a new mom with baby formula and diapers…? When we tell someone Jesus loves them just as they are…? There is a quote in a book we have been studying in Sunday school from “Philo of Alexandria.” It says “Be kind, for everyone you know is facing a great battle.” I find this very helpful in reminding me to be compassionate to all people at all times ~ we have no idea what each person is going through or struggling with, or how God himself may be dealing with them. But we can always be kind and encouraging ~ I try to be the one who “makes their day.” There is too much else out there that adds to our struggles.

I would truly love to hear feedback. I know there is right and wrong. I guess I just feel it is God's right to deal with those areas of our lives after we have come to Him. It is not my place to play the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of others, Christian or not, and try to convict them of their sin. That is not to say that loving everyone is easy for me ~ far from it. (And some are harder than others, as you can imagine from what you know of my background.) Nor am I one who NEVER judges. I have not arrived at perfection, nor will I this side of heaven. These are just my thoughts.

Losing Weight

OMGosh! I have been sooooo frustrated trying to lose weight. I have been desperate enough that I have tried many different things, including some that sound pretty crazy. I feel I must lose weight as my BP and cholesterol are very high. I take 2 BP medications which are keeping it in control, although doctors have told me that the meds only control the symptom of the elevated BP ~ but the condition that CAUSES the high BP still rages on, damaging blood vessels and internal organs. At my last physical they told me that my cholesterol numbers were the worst they had ever seen, and some were so high that they couldn't be calculated (whatever that means). So............ the weight loss dilemma. Oh yeah, and they tried cholesterol lowering meds and it turns out my body won't tolerate them.

I am happy to report that I have finally lost almost 3 pounds in the last 2 weeks. That doesn't sound like much, does it? But with every previous attempt I have bounced up and down 1-2 pounds, never losing more than 2, but bouncing up again. Finally my holistic chiropractor suggested I stay completely away from wheat for a while to see if that had any impact. What actually made him suggest it was my recurring plantar fasciitus (I know this is misspelled but you know, inflamation of the plantar fascia on the bottom of the foot). He said that for those whose digestive systems don't process wheat products effectively, the waste products produced often settle in the joints and the bottoms of the feet. Well I tried it, and my joints and feet are remarkably improved, and I have finally lost more than 2 pounds without bouncing up. I am optimistic about the future of my weight loss and overall health. So if you have similar issues, give it a try.

Women's Makeup

OMGosh! I LOVE makeup. I love trying new colors and techniques. Being blond, blue eyed, and fairskinned myself, not many dramatic looks work for me, but I love seeing them and learning the how-tos. I found the most fascinating YouTube video on makeup application. You have to check it out. Go to http://www.youtube.com/panacea81. I think you'll really enjoy it. What are you waiting for?

National Healthcare

I have a 21 yo son who currently is living at home. He was having a severe pain in his lower right side about 3 weeks ago, and 2 nurse friends told us it could be anything from constipation to something very serious, and advised him to see a doctor. Since he is not covered on our health insurance and he was too new on his job to be covered there, I told him to go to the local clinic for low income folks to save $$. Well, when he got home he shared his frustration and confusion. He said the doctor he saw mumbled so badly that he couldn't understand most of what he said and had to keep asking him to repeat himself. The only question the doctor asked him was if he was constipated. Son said no. Doctor mumbled that he had no idea what it might be, go home and take some ibuprofin and see if it goes away. My sone could not believe this and felt he had wasted his time. He went out to the front office and she said he owed $15 today and needed to fill out paperwork for government insurance. If he didn't file for the government insurance he would owe $185. My son thought he had misunderstood her so he asked her to repeat. She just said he needed to pay $15. So he did. A few days later a letter came in the mail stating that he must turn in the paperwork for the government insurance or pay the full office visit fee of $185! WHO charges $185 for an office visit?!! The only conclusion I can come up with is this: Those who get paid by government subsidy, that's who. AKA National Health Insurance! Doctors who are unqualified (go home and take ibuprofen and see if it goes away?!?!), who don't care (mumbles so he can't be understood), and overpriced beyond belief! What would National Healthcare do to the US? Can you spell bankruptcy? Can you spell long wait to get in? Can you spell incompetency? Can you spell DISASTER? Name one thing the government has taken on from the public sector and done better. Yeah, I can't either. What are people thinking? (By the way, think of the money he could have saved if he went to our family doctor ~ the best doctor in town ~ who gets you in with little wait, takes the time to thoroughly examine you, speaks clearly, is extremely knowledgable, and only charges $75 for an office visit.) OH MY GOODNESS! Can we stop the madness?!?!

Athletes

What is going on with athletes these days? Why are they coming back after retirement to make fools of themselves? I can only assume it is their oversized ego. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I can't see anything else at this point. Brett Favre, what were you THINKING? A reminder of the fiasco of Michael Jordon's "comeback." I hate to be the one to break it to you, boys, but we do grow older, and our bodies just can't do what they once could do. Why not go out gracefully, with some dignity, allowing your fans to love you and remember you in your glory days? Brett, you have forever dropped to the very bottom of my list of good athletes. Not that you were ever all that high on the list as you have pulled many "ego stunts" before. But this takes the case.

For a real athlete, look at Josh Hamilton. He has more than talent in his list of attributes. Go to http://www.myflr.org/Blog.asp?PID=1138 and see what I mean. Ego is not the first thing you will notice about him. I am impressed. There are many other talented athletes who have learned the truth as well.

And I don't know a lot about Brett's replacement with the Packers, yet, but I must say I have been impressed so far at how he has handled the mishandling of the Favre issue by all those involved.

Big Government

Smaller, more honest government. On day one of the new presidency, I think the most important issue facing the new president is something other than the war in Iraq or global warming. I think he should begin taking really serious steps to decrease the size and scope of US government, and do away with corruption in politics (which of course would mean taking a long, hard, honest look at himself, whichever one is elected). I believe that if this foundational change was made, a great deal of the other issues would take care of themselves. So much of the government chaos and confusion is due to all the political posturing, everyone for themselves and no one for the good of the nation, and always more taxes so we can increase the size of a fiscally inefficient and irresponsible government instead of honestly evaluating what is working and what is not & cutting what is not before trying something new. Ask the experts who have nothing to gain politically by their answer, and they will tell you that fixing this would take care of most of the other ills of our nation and world - including global warming.

I don't believe this is overly optimistic or "Polyanna" thinking. Seriously. If the new president REALLY cared about America and the world, it has to begin with sincere HONESTY. Really, does anyone believe even half of what they hear out of a politician's mouth? They have a reputation, and for good reason.

And how does it make sense for a nation with the deficit we have to have huge $$ amounts earmarked for projects where it isn't needed, but that money can't be touched for any other project because it IS earmarked. Insanity. They robbed the SS fund for the General Fund, but they can't take from OTHER funds where it actually makes sense.

We see this here in Michigan where I believe I heard (not verified) that our economy as a state is the 2nd worst in the nation! Serious budget deficit, companies and jobs leaving the state in droves because of high taxes, citizens moving out in record numbers because of high costs and no jobs, but we have money set aside in the budget for projects where it isn't needed but can't be touched for anything else. So our politicians think the solution is to RAISE TAXES some more! Who will be left to pay them? How is it that people can get into positions of power with so little knowledge of economics and so little integrity or concern for the people they supposedly represent?

Am I wrong? I welcome your comments.

abuse survivor

I am wondering how many women reading this have been abused during their childhood. It seems to be a pretty prevalent condition. Many of us are overweight, have low self esteem, or even abuse others because of the pain we carry inside. I tried to bury my childhood memories so deeply that no one would ever guess and I didn't have to think about them. But I found that even though they were buried, they still impacted my everyday life and decisions. It left me vulnerable to further abuse as an adult. I would like to know if anyone else has any comments on this or has a similar story and would like to share. I have found the light at the end of the tunnel. How about you?