The Footpath Chapter 5

Her pain was intense. She opened her eyes expecting to be lying in the half plowed field. But that’s not where she was. Confusion clouded her mind. Where was she and how did she get here. Everything was cloudy and out of focus. There was someone in the room. She knew by the form she saw – although who it was remained a mystery. She could see no details. It was like she was living in a world of sketches with no substance. She was lying down – that she knew for sure. Beyond that fact everything else was mystery. How she longed to go back to sleep.

Sleep wasn’t an option. Extreme, agonizing pain tore at her mind. As near as she could tell the pain was coming from her hip or her leg. Her mind was having trouble recognizing the exact source of the pain. She concluded right now it didn’t make that much difference. She needed to deal with the pain not examine it. It occurred to her as long as she was feeling pain her body was still working like it should. For her, at this particular time, pain was a good thing.

“Funny how perspectives change with a change in circumstances,” she thought. She would have never welcomed pain before. But now it seemed like a friend (albeit an ornery one!)

The events leading up to this pain began to replay themselves in her mind. It was almost like she was on auto pilot. Her mind had a mind of its own, if that made any sense at all. She remembered waking up that morning (or was it yesterday morning, doesn’t matter) excited about being with her dad. She was going to spend hours with him plowing the field.

She remembered having breakfast with him. It was a big farmer’s breakfast – eggs, home fries with mom’s wonderful gravy and pancakes drizzled with their own maple syrup. They needed a good breakfast because they would be spending hours preparing the field for planting. How she had enjoyed that breakfast. Mom cooked such good meals.

Before going out into the field they had to feed the chickens, gather the eggs, milk the small herd of Holsteins and lead them out to pasture. She remembered thinking “no wonder dad gets up at 5:00 a.m. By the time he eats breakfast and gets the chores done its 6:30 a.m. and dad always wanted to avoid the heat of the day when plowing the fields.” He wasn’t always successful. He knew farming was the one occupation where “make hay while the sun shines” was literally true.

When she got to the barn her dad was busy attaching the plow to the tractor. After dad checked the oil and filled the gas tank he walked to the front of the tractor and with one crank of the engine the tractor leaped to life. Dad climbed aboard first then helped Arlene to a spot near his seat. He pushed the clutch, shifted into second gear and they were on their way to the field.

She remembered getting to the field but nothing after that.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of movement. The figure she had seen near the corner of the room was slowly moving toward her. How she wished she could see more clearly. Was the figure someone she knew or an apparition? If it was an apparition was it good or bad? If it was good, like the angel of death, or something, was she near death? It seemed a thousand questions ran through her hurting head. This was the first time she noticed it. Her head was throbbing. Now she had something else to worry about - did she have brain damage? The fact that she was asking herself this question gave her a sense of comfort. Would someone who had brain damage ask themselves this question? But if she did have some kind of internal brain injury then perhaps the figure she had seen wasn’t real. It did look other-worldly.

She glanced toward the place where she had first seen the figure. A twinge of fear released itself through her body. The figure was gone! How could that possibly have happened unless she really did have a concussion or worse? But didn’t concussions make a person feel sick? She didn’t feel sick. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? At that moment she realized she didn’t feel hunger either. What was going on?

Again she glanced toward the corner where the figure had been. More fear surged! Now there were two figures. It looked like they were talking to each other. What kind of plans could they be making? Were they talking about her? Both figures began moving toward her. For the first time she felt intense dread.

The Footpath - chapter four

After the mines closed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula employment opportunities plummeted. Many people who had called the U.P. their home left for greener pastures. Those who stayed remained because of their love for the land. There was no possibility of abundant living. Of course there were those flatlanders who vacationed in the peninsula and the money they spent was welcomed. But when the snow came and ice closed the channel all grew still and quiet except for their stomachs. Living off the land was not as easy as some made it sound. There had been those who wove romantic tales of self-sufficiency. There were others who believed the tales. But those who lived there knew self-sufficiency really meant being satisfied with less “sufficiency” than before. When the going really got tough one small meal a day would suffice.

David’s father loved the land and loved the small farm he had worked for nearly twenty years. He found pleasure in studying trends of crops. Which crop would bring the most money per bushel next year? His choice of which crop to plant was a vital part of farming to him. The more years he worked the farm the more accurate his predictions had become. There seemed to be a correlation between experience and correct choices.

His dad had taken every opportunity to teach David about life and living it well. The farm provided a perfect backdrop for life’s object lessons. While sitting on the porch one warm summer evening sipping cold, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and swaying back and forth in the porch swing the conversation began.

“You know how much I love this farm, don’tcha Dave?

A strange way to begin a conversation, David thought, then answered ”course I do.” He glanced down at his dust covered sneakers and once again his attention was focused on his aching feet. It had been a long hard day. Every muscle screamed for rest. Yet, the day had been wonderful. And the lemonade? The lemonade was oh so good.

“Do you know why I love this farm?”

“Yea, ‘cause you spent a lot of your life here.”

Dad chuckled. “Of course, that’s part of it but there’s another reason.”

David wondered what other reason there could be. Maybe the refreshing lemonade at day’s end was a reason. Or perhaps the breaks they were able to take during the day spending their time sitting in the shade and fishing in the creek.

“The real reason I love this farm is ‘cause it has been the best teacher I have ever had in my life.”

David thought of his teachers at school. There weren’t too many teachers he would put into the category of best. He really didn’t like school all that much. When someone asked him what part of school he liked his standard answer was “the part where I get to leave.” He didn’t like any of his teachers this year. Of course next year he might have Mrs. Brown…

His thoughts were interrupted by his dad’s bass voice.

“Look around, Dave, what do you see?”

“I see work,” he quipped

“Look closer.”

“I see hay fields and corn fields, animals that need to be fed and milked, a dog, three cats and a dead mouse.”

“Let me tell you what I see. I see progress. When we first moved to this farm the fields had been left alone for a while. They were overgrown with multi-flora rose, queen ann’s lace, poison ivy and poison oak with a little sumac thrown in for good measure. Each day would be another challenge. I wanted to quit or take a few days off but I couldn’t. The farm depended on me. One day off would lead to another and another and the fields would start being overgrown with weeds again. I just couldn’t let that happen.”

His pause let Dave know this was an important subject. He needed time to process and remember what was being said. When his dad was convinced the pause had done its job he continued.

“So I got in the habit of doing certain things at certain times. I learned what to do to accomplish as much as I could in each season of the year. In the winter when snow covers the fields I make repairs on the machinery. Plow points need to be replaced, several bearings in the bailer need to be replaced, the corn planter needs welding and the plates may need to be replaced. I want to have all of this kind of stuff done before we need to use them again. In the spring the fields have to inspected, larger rocks removed, plowed, disked and planted. The summer and fall are harvest time. Nature never hurries anything so we have to learn to work with the seasons not against them.”

“Okay, dad, can I go play now. My lemonade’s gone.”

“I know you don’t understand all of this yet but one day what I am telling you will all make sense. I am leading up to something you need to remember.”

“It must be really important.”

“”It is.”

“Can I get another lemonade then?”

“Sure, go ahead and fill my glass while you’re at it. I’ll wait but don’t be gone too long.”

When David returned his father had a faraway look in his eyes. “What could be so important,” he wondered. He didn’t ask knowing his dad would eventually tell him if he needed to know. He sat on the porch swing again and handed the lemonade to his dad.

His dad picked up the conversation where he left off.

“Those fields I was talkin’ about and the seasons are lessons we need for livin’ our life.”

“Really? I thought they were just dirt and warm and cold.”

“Nope, they’re far more than that.”

David thought “Dad has been in the field way too long. Maybe the sun finally fried his brain.” He thought it best to keep his thoughts to himself. His dad looked like he was thinking hard too.

“What I’ve discovered in my years of farmin’ is what life’s all about. See, the field is like a person’s life. A field can’t give back more than it has in it. There are things called “nutrients” in the soil. It’s the stuff that makes crops grow big. Of course what the plants take out of the soil has to be put back. In the early spring I have to add fertilizer to the soil in order for us to get good crops. It’s a lot like life. Can’t get any more out of our life than what we’ve put in. Ever wonder why some people have so many problems?”

“Well, now that you mention it I do. I’ve noticed one of my friends seems to lie a lot. Another one of my friends steals things from people’s yards but he calls in borrowing.”

“Without the good stuff going in to a life no good stuff can come out just like a field.”

“What good stuff?”

“Oh, you know, stuff like truth, nobility, what is right, pure, lovely honorable and honest – these kinds of things.”

“Dad, you can’t just go out and buy these like fertilizer.”

“No you can’t. These things are free but most don’t know where to find them. And even if they did they don’t just grow wild in the soil we call our life. Just like I prepare the field for planting our life has to be prepared for planting too. In life, like farming, the soil is important but so are the seeds. Even after I have done everything I can to guarantee a good crop – there is never a guarantee. There are certain things only God can do. Rain and thunderstorms and sunshine, well, He’s in charge of these.”

“Why are you tellin’ me all this, dad?”

“Mostly ‘cause you are growin’ up an’ I want to make sure you are doing it right. But there’s something else botherin’ me some.”

“What is botherin’ you, dad?”

“You know how hard its been the last few years, right. Been hard to pull ahead money wise with the price fluctuations for crops lately. I have done all I can do but I think God is preparing the field of my life for another crop.”

“Is this a riddle, ‘cause I don’t understand what you are sayin.’”

“I am trying to tell you I don’t think I can keep the farm…”

The Footpath - chapter three

It was cold, bitterly cold. The wind drove the cold through his wool coat and into his bones. He had heard stories of people who froze to death in the bitter temperatures of Upper Michigan. Was he the next victim? It didn’t seem so. People who died of hypothermia gradually fell asleep. He was waking up. How could the winter have arrived so soon? He craved warmth – somewhere – anywhere, but there was only the bone jarring frigidness of an uncontrolled Michigan winter.

David was born and raised in Manistique, Michigan, a larger city in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula situated on the north shore of Lake Michigan about 75 miles from the Mackinaw Bridge. Of course, during his early years there was no bridge. Anyone who wanted to visit the flatlanders would take a ferry across the chasm of water separating Upper and Lower Michigan. This worked fine for the months when the water flowed freely. But when the ice formed the two pieces of land were separated for a few months – almost half a year would be more truthful. There were those people who would journey onto the ice and walk across. Some of the u-pers owned dog teams or snow machines and would venture across the ice to visit family and friends on the other side. Some came back; many didn’t. David often wondered what happened to those who failed to return. Sometimes he would make up stories to explain their disappearance. Perhaps they were traveling on a sun bright day and suffered snow blindness. Perhaps they were a little too sure of themselves and unaware of the thinning ice pack until it was too late. Perhaps they simply found life below easier or more interesting than life in the U.P. He wondered did they find a good reason to stay or did they just never make it to the other side? No one knew for sure. The uncertainty was reason enough for David to stay where he was. He had no desire to tempt fate. At least not this early in his life.

No wonder he was cold. He was helping his dad tend a winter trapline. It was exhausting work. It seemed he had broken six or eight miles of trail. He probably hadn’t because dad was the one who normally broke trail. But if being tired and hungry was any indication he had broken trail for hours. It was tough going in the winter but made more so by the snowshoes he was wearing. His snowshoes were smaller than his dad’s. They were called bear paw’s although they were much larger than the pas of even the biggest black bear. His dad was wearing his beavertail snowshoes. They had been given this name because they were shaped like a beaver with a protruding tail of the wood frame extending behind the webbing. They were also called Michigan snowshoes presumably because they had been invented in Michigan.

They had made water sets for mink – but any muskrat and martin they trapped were welcome too. Of course the prices were not high and it seemed to David the work of skinning, scraping and stretching was worth far more than what was being paid for the fur. But the days were tough. His dad was never able to land a high paying job. He did what he could to keep food on the table and clothes on the backs of his wife and five children. Dad had learned something no one could learn except through deprivation. David could see it in his eyes. He knew one day he would have the courage to ask his dad why he still had a twinkle in his eye and a spring in his step. Now was not the right time.

He had learned to hunt, trap and fish for survival and enjoyment at an early age. In fact, if David wasn’t doing chores on the family farm he could be found in the woods or along one of his favorite streams. He was captivated by nature. Every day, if he was observant enough, he would uncover a new secret in nature’s abundant array of solutions. His world was fascinating.

The extreme cold of today left little time for exploration and discovery. Dad and he were checking traps as fast as possible removing any animals who had stepped into the trap and resetting the trap for another catch in the next couple of days. Because of the cold weather not many animals had ventured out. Their catch so far was sparse. It had been a nice walk except for the shivering.

“Hey, dad, you getting’ cold?”

“I’m a little cool but this isn’t too bad. The temp is still above zero. It’s quite a pleasant winter’s day, if I do say so myself.”

“Are you sure you’re only a little cool? I think my fingers are frostbit.”

“Just keep moving them. We’ll be home soon.”

Those words, “home soon” were music to his ears. He liked being outside but like dad always said when he wanted to quit what he was doing “too much of a good thing isn’t good.” He almost stopped in the middle of the trail to dream about home – being in the cabin once again enjoying the family. Of course being in the cabin would take him out of the cold too.

“C’mon son, stopped lollygagging. We have to keep moving if we are going to get home in time for supper.”

“Dad, why do you enjoy trapping?”

“Well, not sure enjoyment is a word I would use. It’s more of a necessity for us. I have learned necessities are easier if you discover something enjoyable in them. I enjoy being outside in the winter. Some folks want to stay in and when the time for spring planting comes they are almost too weak to work. I don’t ever want to be like that. I could be, I know. So trapping is an excuse for me to get outside and enjoy God’s frosting on His cake.”

“Frozen cake you mean! Everything is so lifeless and dead”

“Even in the cold life doesn’t stop. Oh, it may take a nap but life is still here. The birds still flit about. The rabbits still explore. The foxes still run after the rabbits. The squirrels still scamper trying to remember where they put that lost nut. The deer still walk about munching on cedar trees. And the coyotes and timber wolves still prowl. There’s a lot of life to be seen in the winter.”

“Well, I’m not feeling much life in my fingers. My fingertips have stopped hurting and have turned into icicles.”

“Remember what I told you earlier – keep movin’ ‘em. You need to help the blood get all the way to the fingertips. When you give up in cold weather you begin to die – sometimes one finger at a time.”

“I know but they hurt when I move ‘em.”

“They wouldn’t hurt if movin’ ‘em wasn’t helpin’.”

“Okay, I’ll keep ‘em movin’. Is there anything else you like about trappin’?”

“Well I’ve discovered a lot about the devil from my trapline.”

“You’re kiddin’, right?”

“No, I’m serious. Of course it will take some time for me to share what I’ve learned and I would rather do that after you have discovered some ways trappin’ and the devil are alilke. Besides we are not so far from home right now. Let’s get this mink out of the trap and check the last two fox sets before it gets any darker. The cabin is only a half mile from here. You know what’s there?”

“A warm fire and a hot meal?”

“Exactly!” Dad said, with a smile. His smile always brought a feeling of warmth and security to David.

He imagined the warmth of the fire and the great meal he would have. He hadn’t noticed how hungry he was. A sandwich and a cup of tea at noon had helped but that was six hours ago. His hunger crowded out his thoughts of cold.

Shortly, however, his thoughts of hunger would be replaced by panic. The stillness of the dark evening was suddenly interrupted with a flash of bright light and an ear piercing explosion…

The Footpath - chapter two

Arlene was lost in her own little world – a world of tranquility and sunshine. Reminiscing about her childhood as she drove she relived her carefree days on the farm. She had to get up at sunrise and would put in a full day’s work but the satisfaction of accomplishment at day’s end was immensely gratifying. In her mind she was much closer to God on the farm than she was in the suburbs. Was she closer to Him because she depended upon Him more or was it because she didn’t have as many responsibilities? Perhaps, she thought, responsibilities steal our dependence on God.

She remembered the first time she was allowed to ride on the tractor with her dad. She felt so grown up, even though she was only seven years old. It was a bumpy, jostling ride to the field. When they arrived her dad had stopped the tractor giving her time to take in the beauty of everything around them. She had never seen a field like this one. It seemed to stretch into the horizon.

“Whatcha thinkin’ ‘bout?” her dad had asked.

“Dad, it’s beautiful” she replied. “I love the flowers growing here.” “Did you plant them?”

“Nope they’re just flowers that come up wild.” “But take a good look ‘cause they won’t be here for long.”

“Why do you say that?”

“This field needs to be plowed. It means the flowers will be destroyed by the plow. We hafta git this field ready for plantin’. When you plant a new crop everythin’ in the field has to go. You ready?”

“I guess so.” She wasn’t really sure what was going to happen but she was with her dad and that seemed to make everything okay.

The plow was lowered and the tractor began groaning as it pulled its weight through stubborn soil. She thought about his words every time new furrows were plowed. “When you plant a new crop everythin’ in the field has to go.” Her dad was right. Everything did have to go. The plow had no mercy on the field. She glanced across the field. The plow had done its job. The wild flowers were gone. All that was left was freshly turned earth. She like the smell but felt sad for the flowers.

They were a church going family and her dad took opportunities like this to help his children become better acquainted with the Bible. Her dad kept one eye on the plow as he shared what he called ‘God things.”

“Did you know the Bible has a lot to say ‘bout farmin’?” he asked. He didn’t wait for an answer. “Everthin’ you see out here was started by God. Fact is, God loves farmin’ so much He started His work right on a farm. It’s a fact!”

Arlene’s eyes grew wide. She had never heard anything like this before. She felt an out of the ordinary excitement and curiosity. She waited with anticipation for the next revelation from her dad.

“The Bible tells us God made man from the dust of the ground then put the breath of life in him. While Adam watched, God planted a garden with trees of ev’ry kind an’ put a river right through it’s middle and then put Adam there – tol’ him to take care of th’ land.”

She could hear the pleasure increasing in his voice. Dad loved talking about the Bible with his kids.

The words were scarcely out of his mouth when the tractor suddenly lurched as the plow jumped out of the ground. Arlene, who had been sitting on the rear fender was thrown from the tractor and slammed to the ground. Everything went black…

The Footpath - chapter one

“Finally here!” That was the thought in their minds when they awakened. They hoped the weatherman’s prediction was accurate – sunny and warm with a 10% chance of precipitation. What a beautiful day to begin their journey.

They had packed the night before in order to get an early start in the morning. The alarm had gone off at precisely 5:30 a.m. Breakfast was hurried because of the mounting excitement. They were out the door by 6:30 a.m. traveling by car to their drop off point. This was going to be the trip of a lifetime.

“They” were a father and two sons. The father, David, was an experienced hiker. Of the two sons, Josh was the oldest and Edward the youngest. This would be their first long hike together and they looked forward to the adventure.

David’s wife, Arlene, had grudgingly agreed to drop her “three boys” off. She was not an early riser and couldn’t understand their excitement. “It must be one of those weird male things,” she thought to herself. She wondered why they could be so eager to get up at 5:30 a.m. to take a long walk and be so unenthusiastic when it came to cleaning the basement.

The car left the highway and began its meandering journey down a country road. The speed of the car now greatly reduced only caused the anxiety of the three males to build. They began to complain about her lack of speed when suddenly a speeding pickup truck rounded a blind corner nearly colliding with their vehicle. Arlene was quite shaken by the near collision and had to stop the car and take a couple of minutes to put herself back together. “I never have liked these dirt roads,” she spouted. “You can’t see far enough ahead to avoid what’s hurtling toward you.”

The speed of their travel slowed significantly but no one complained. That was one near miss which was too close for comfort. Besides the slow speed gave David and his two sons a chance to begin noticing some of the peculiar beauty of the open fields and wooded acreage they would soon call home. Their excitement had dropped to a manageable level which seemed to bring peace to Arlene.

Arlene had not liked the idea of this trip from the beginning. What she had experienced early in her life had continued to haunt her to this very day. Dave didn’t bring it up very often because it always seemed to upset her. Josh and Edward didn’t even know about it. When David had first talked with her about this trip she was absolute in her stance – David would never take her sons on this kind of trip. David’s argument had been this kind of trip would give Josh and Edward a life experience which would help them to more fully understand and appreciate what Jesus had said so many years ago. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) The words “narrow” and “small” had a disturbing impact in her life. She was sure these words disturbed other people too. Would she ever be free of the feelings which wouldn’t die?

Her thoughts retraced those terrible days she had experienced years ago. Why couldn’t she let them go? What gave them so much power over her? She was so overcome by these thoughts she never heard David’s warning…

The Ethics of Big Business

I have a friend who attended a recent auto union gathering.  The members were assembled to vote on a new agreement with General Motors (actually Big Government Motors).  There were concessions they would have to make if they were going to keep their jobs.  I understand voting to lose benefits for yourself.  Jobs are scarce and everyone has to make adjustments.  What I don't understand or agree with is Joe Union Worker voting to eliminate the benefits of workers who have retired.  Retired workers were promised certain benefits.  Now they no longer exist.  I guess union workers really don't care about former union people.  The attitude seems to be "kick 'em to the curb."

What I am really miffed about is healthy workers eliminating court ordered payments from GM to workers who were injured on the job.  Because of the lackadaisical attitude of management and a failure to follow safety procedures my friend was hit by a forktruck.  GM was declared to be at fault by a judge and ordered to pay $$$$ every month to this injured worker.  The responsibility of GM to continue to pay workers injured on their watch has been overturned by a union vote.  My anger is boiling because at the urging of union leadership fellow union members have voted to override a judgement in a court of law.  How can this be legal?  In fact, how can this be moral or ethical?  When will we begin to look at things from the other person's point of view as well as our own BEFORE we make a final decision?  One day those who made this awful decision will likely be "kicked to the curb" by others.  After all some principles never die.  Among those is this one "we reap what we sow."

Unite - Are You Kidding?

This is not original with me.  I received it in an e-mail.  The author is not identified.  I share the ideas presented here and wanted to share it with you.

I have noted that many elected officials, both Democrats and  Republicans, called upon America to unite behind Obama.  Well, I want to  make it clear to all who will listen that I AM NOT uniting behind Obama! 

I will always respect the Office which he holds, and I will acknowledge his developing abilities as an orator and wordsmith, But that is it. 

I have begun today to see what I can do to make sure that he is a one-term President! 

Why am I doing this? 

It is because I do not share Obama's vision for America;

I do not share his Abortion beliefs;

I do not  share his radical Marxist's concept of re-distributing wealth;

I do not  share his stated views on raising taxes on those who make $150,000+ (the  ceiling has been changed three times since August...I think it started at $250,000); 

I do not share his view that the military should be reduced by 25%; 

I do not share his views on homosexuality and his definition of marriage;

I do not share his spiritual beliefs (at least the ones he has made public);

I do not share his beliefs on how to re-work the healthcare system in America;

I do not share his Strategic views of the Middle East, and certainly do not share his plan to sit down with terrorist regimes such as Iran. 

Bottom line, my America is vastly different from Obama's, and I have a higher obligation to my Country and my God to do what is Right! 

For eight (8) years, the Liberals in our Society, led by numerous entertainers who would have no platform and no real credibility but for their celebrity status, have attacked President Bush, his family, and his spiritual beliefs! 

They have not moved toward the center in their beliefs or their philosophies, and they never came together nor compromised their personal beliefs for the betterment of our Country! 

They have portrayed my America as a land where everything is tolerated except being intolerant! 

They have been a vocal and irreverent minority for years; they have mocked and attacked the very core values so important to the founding and growth of our Country! 

They have made every effort to remove the name of God or Jesus Christ from our Society! 

 They have challenged capital punishment, the right to bear firearms, and the most basic principles of our criminal code; they have attacked one of the most fundamental of all Freedoms, the right of  free speech! 

Unite behind Obama? 

Not today. 

I am sure many of you who read this think that I am going overboard, but I refuse to retreat one more inch in favor of those whom I believe are sheep being led to slaughter, or at least to the kool-aid fountain!   

PRESIDENT BUSH made many mistakes during his Presidency and I am not sure how history will judge him. 

However, I believe that he weighed his decisions in light of the long established Judeo-Christian principles of our Founding Fathers!!! 

Majority rules in America , and I will honor the concept; however, I will fight to be a voice in opposition to Obama and "his goals for America ." 

I am going to be a thorn in the side of those  who, if left unchecked, will destroy our Country!!  Any more compromise is  more defeat! 

I pray that the results of this election will wake up many who have sat on the sidelines and allowed the Socialist-Marxist, anti-God crowd to slowly change so much of what has been good in America ! 

"Error of Opinion may be tolerated where Reason is left free 
to combat it."  (Thomas Jefferson) 

God bless you and God bless our Country!!! 

And It Came To Pass

And it came to pass on a delightfully bright and sunny spring day President Obama decided to get into the auto making business.  I am so glad this happened after he appeared on Jay Leno - at least that helped prepare us for the hilarity of his comedic role as the leader of the ever weakening country he has been chosen to lead.

Does he really think he has the answers for fiscal responsibility in the private sector of business when he can't keep his own political house in order?  I have never seen the government get involved in anything and improve it.  Once the government's hands are pulling the reins ruin and disaster soon follow.  

I am most agitated about the fact that ordinary citizens have no recourse.  We are supposed to smile and take it on the chin (or worse).  GM and Chrysler have both taken billions of our taxpayer dollars.  Their appetite for this money is insatiable.  But FORD hasn't taken a dime.  How is it possible one of the big three is remaining solvent while the other two are bankrupt?  

I have devised my own strategy for dealing with this problem.  If enough Americans would do this I believe it would make a difference.  I have decided not to do business with any corporation which has taken bail out money.  I will bank at a localized bank not a international one.  I will buy my next vehicle from Ford.  I will do everything I can to make sure I am supporting United States businesses.  Go ahead and scream about protectionism.  I don't really care.  There comes a time when we need to get our own house in order.  We don't need to spread our wealth to other parts of the world when our own citizens are begging for jobs.  Its time to stand up and support our own.  Its also time to send a clear message to the professional politicians that we will no longer put up with their double speak, lies and dishonesty.  Its make or break time for the United States.  I choose to put my energy toward the make side of the ledger.  I hope you will too.  

United States Depends on...

Talk Radio reports "Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) held a photo opportunity today with Congressman Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), Chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee and Dan Mote, President of Maryland University.

Speaker Pelosi said that funding from the recovery package to assist science and innovation was “already making a difference.” She said, “It’s a recognition that our country depends on education, on science and technology, and our recovery package reflects that.”

Congressman Gordon said, “There approximately six and half billion people in the world and of those who are working about half of those make less than $2 a day.” He hoped that money invested into science and research would ensure that future generations have a better standard of living."

This is precisely what is wrong with the current leanings of the leadership in the United States. Speaker Pelosi's insistence "that our country depends on education, on siciene nad technology..." is true but is also dangerous.  I have a penny in my hand.  It may be worth more melted down than it is as currency right now.  The overarching message on the penny is not about science or education or technology.  It isn't about the greatness of Abrahm Lincoln whose likeness graces the front of this coin.  The overarching message at the top of the coin is "In God We Trust."  While Speaker Pelosi rattles the empty cans of trust and dependence on education and science she is blatantly silent about "Trust In God."  

I am not saying or even implying education, science and technology are not important - they are. But overemphasizing their importance and ignoring the motto of the country is, in my mind, very close to treason.  Of course I have been known to overstate the obvious.  Let me make a stab at understating it.  Speaker Pelosi is leading by example.  The question is where is she taking us.  If the destination is a return to the original ideas which led us down the road to becoming the greatest nation in the world I will willingly and gladly follow.  But if the path leads closer to socialism or communism; if the road leads into the wilderness of servitude and want I will continue to write and live in opposition.

By the way Congressman Gordan, deporting our manufacturing jobs to third world countries has made us poorer and other nations richer.  If this hasn't helped stem the tide of poverty in some areas of the world why did we adopt the plan?  Other nations will not be helped by spreading the wealth.  Our financial base is like water in a glass.  Spill the water on the counter and it loses its depth.  Socialism has already proven non-effective.  Why are you pointing us in the direction of failure?

Socialist Leanings Continue

President Obama recently appointed the Governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius, as the Director of Health and Human Services.  Kathleen is a woman whose leanings toward Socialism are as blatant as those of the President.  She attempted to force legislation which would have created mandatory public funded health care in Kansas.  Fortunately the State Legislature was a little more sensible. So, instead of diversity in the President's cabinet we are getting more of the same. And it bothers me.  It bothers me because the guidebook of my life, the Bible, advises care in the selection of friends and counselors.  All of us tend to become like those with whom we associate. In my opinion the United States has been placed on a slippery slope sliding toward disaster.  The United States, instead of being a power to be reckoned with, is becoming a power to be ignored.  Like a school bully we can threaten a severe beating based on past victories but we really don't have the power (or is it "the will") to follow through.  We are no longer a leader we have become a follower - a follower of failed Soviet bloc and European attempts to govern with mandatory sharing of reduced resources.  

Such thoughts were whirring through my mind today when I began reading the Bible.  I have been wondering if there is any answer.  I asked at one point in my musings "is God delivering us into captivity or is Satan destroying us?"  If I could make a choice between the two I would choose the first.  However, when I began reading today I read something which gave me hope and I just had to share it.

"Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.  I said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.'" And God said to me, "focus on who I am."  It is easy for me to forget the greatness and almighty, everlasting power of God when I see the direction we are being forced to take because of the decisions of politicians who have little love for this country.  "Focus on who God is."  When I do focus on Him the enormity of the problems desolve.  

"Surely I have a delightful inheritance."  Focus on a future the present cannot destroy.  Do what you can to right the wrongs and direct others to the right path - but remember you have to leave this place to reach the next.  So don't lose sleep over unrighteous people who make unrighteous decisions which lead people down an unrighteous road.  You should expect nothing else from them.  "Surely I have a delightful inheritance."

"I will praise the Lord who counsels me..."  I don't take my orders from politicians.  They may succeed in pushing the country in the wrong direction but they will not push me in that direction as long as I allow the Lord to counsel me.  Focus on the directions of the Lord.  "I have set the Lord always before me.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure..."  Wow!  Thank you Father! Just what I need when I need it - that's what He continues to supply.  Live what you know is right.  Depend on the direction the Lord provides.  Trust in the care of the Father.  Now ask yourself - what do I have to fear?  

There's A Storm Coming

One of the first things I do in the morning after getting out of bed is look outside.  It's a habit I developed years ago.  It has stayed with me throughout my life.  It isn't very profitable I guess. I just want to see what its like outside. When I leave the safety of my house I want to know what to expect.

 Today the sky is heavily overcast.  The sun is hidden somewhere behind the thick layer of clouds. They aren't the menacing kind of clouds I sometimes see in the spring and summer. They are just overcast clouds and nothing to worry about – just like many of the days I have seen before.  The birds are still flying, dogs are still barking and all-in-all its just a normal winter day.

There are those people, known as weather prognosticators, more commonly known as weather forecasters, who are sounding an alarm.  They are saying a winter storm is coming.  It may dump seven or more inches of snow.  At times they predict the snow will be falling at a rate of two inches per hour.  That’s a lot of snow.

 But, you know what?  I’ve heard this all before.  Weather forecasters and even a government agency have made fearful predictions before.  Most of the time they don’t come true.  It has gotten to the point where I take everything they have to say with a grain of salt.  A shrug of the shoulders and an “oh, right…” trailing off my tongue and I continue on my way.

 Dire predictions are being heard today.  Predictions of things getting much worse before they get better; of house values continuing to fall; of joblessness continuing to rise and of rebellion and discord in our country are being stated publicly.  And, like my response to a winter storm warning, many people hear the predictions and dismiss them as the ravings of right wing lunatics or fear mongering newscasters.  

 Through the years I have learned even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while.  The fact of faulty predictions does not nullify the accuracy of truthful ones.  The danger in easily dismissing a warning is this - one warning may be right.  If we refuse to heed words of warning and the storm hits we are at best foolish and at worst doomed to experience all the violence the storm produces.

 Most of us choose to ignore the warning or worse than that to shut the forecaster’s mouth.  We figure if no one says it, it won’t happen.  The authorities tried to do this in the Bible, you know.  The rationale was if we deal with the troublesome talker the problem is solved.  “When the priest Passhur son of Immer, the chief officer in the temple of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate…” (Jeremiah 20:1-2a)  Deal with the man doing the warning.  Beat him.  Put him in jail.  Let him rot.  Skewed thinking, don’t you think?  We may be “more civilized” (whatever that means) in our treatment of voices of warning today – but we accomplish the same thing.  Shut them up, they are scaring the people.  Perhaps people need to become scared.  Perhaps we need to be shaken out of  the doldrums and given a good dose of reality.

 I heard a government official make this comment – “the government will have to take over the banks for a time until they can be stabilized.”  The truth is our government always begins with “for a time” but it never ends that way.  Once the government gets its hooks of regulation into any private enterprise “for a time” has vanished.  Government control never leaves.  There never has been and never will be anything free from the government.  Bailouts come tied with the governmental rope of regulation.  And in the government’s hands ropes are used for strangling.  Oh, by the way, I thought you'd like to know, it’s beginning to snow!

 

The Answer

I am doing a lot of thinking about the state of the United States.  I have a son-in-law who was spared being laid off a couple of weeks ago.  He knew something was afoot in the company he worked for.  The rumor was 30% of the global workforce would be terminated.  He didn't know if he was to be one of those or not.  He was fortunate.

It would be easy to think the worst is passed.  That's not so.  He has been told the company is bringing people to the States for training.  In fact, what is happening is the remaining stateside workers are expected to train the foreigners.  They will train them so the foreigners can take away their jobs.  

I am concerned for my children.  What does the future hold for them?  There is no way to tell.  I am not worried for myself.  I have been receiving Social Security for a year and my wife is now receiving it too.  We are set.  Our future is as firm as the government.  Wait a minute.  Now that I write that I'm not sure I like the sound of it.  I guess I have something to worry about too.

What about the politicians?  How secure are they?  They act as if nothing can hurt them.  Their future is as secure as the United States government.  Do they really understand this?  I have some questions for those who are elected to serve us.  Is your future really as secure as you pretend it to be?  Why didn't we hear anything about our senators and representatives losing thousands of dollars in the stock market?  Do they have investments there?  Why weren't they affected by the dramatic drop?  Did they receive information from inside sources?  Did they have information which protected them from significant loss?  Why aren't they nervous?  Aren't their jobs at risk?  Why don't they take cuts in pay and perks?  Is there something in the stimulus package which is a personal stimulus for them?  Out of the billions of dollars they want to give away are they giving some to themselves?  Their future is only as bright as the future of our country and right now the future is in doubt and the present is quite shaky.  

Then in answer to my questions and confusing ramblings I read this:

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  There is a river who streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.   God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts.  The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.  Selah.  Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations He has brought on the earth.  He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear, He burns the shields with fire.  Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.  Selah.  (Psalm 46 NIV)

The Fool

It occurred to me this morning, as I continued to grapple with the decline of prosperity and values in the United States, our country is being run by fools.  I use the  word fool not in the sense of the absence of any sign of intelligence but in the sense of any sign of good sense and/or judgement. Our beloved country is being subverted from within.  The very people we have elected to serve us have become drunk with the power of leadership.  As the old saying goes, if power corrupts then absolute power corrupts absolutely.  

I know you may take exception to what I am writing and that's okay.  One thing we still have, although I don't know for how long, is freedom to express our agreement or disagreement with others - commonly called freedom of speech.  Although this seems to be in jeopardy too.  

Only a fool would give billions of dollars away with no strings attached.  Who would have thought the men and women who are supposed to be serving us would give away our money with no rules of oversight to businesses which have proven themselves to be fiscally irresponsible.  The very businesses which would turn themselves down for a loan if they applied to their own bank are welcomed by politicians with arms full of free money.  I don't know what you call that but I call it foolish.

What is foolish for individuals is foolish for groups as well.  Do they think the wisdom of the Bible doesn't apply to them?  Are the laws of wise conduct suspended for politicians?  "A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor." (Proverbs 17:18)  The borrower is always servant to the lender.

Socialism Has Arrived

A pre-election interview in October of 2008 with now Vice-President Biden really had me steamed. In case you missed the interview I'll give the short version. WFTV's Barbara West was conducting the interview with Biden when she wondered out loud about a comment then Senator Obama had made to Joe the Plumber about spreading the wealth of the United States. She quoted Karl Marx and then asked Biden what the difference was between the philosophy of Karl Marx and that of Senator Obama.

You would have thought the sky had fallen on Senator Biden. He was flustered and refused (not failed) to answer the question. Was he not prepared for this kind of question? Or was he making an attempt to hide the well kept secret agenda of the far left politicians? With a chuckle designed to remove the embarrassment Biden asked "Are you kidding?" Ms. West answered "No." Senator Biden refused to answer the question. 

Later in the interview she wondered about Biden's comments that Obama could be tested early in his presidency. When she asked if this meant the United States was becoming weaker Biden shot back an angry stare and admitted he didn't know who was writing her questions. Which, of course, brought us no closer to the truth.

A report later stated the Obama people had decided to cut this station out of the loop of access to press releases. Was it Biden who stated, "this television news program has to be taught a lesson. If you ask the wrong questions you get cut off." Isn't this press manipulaton? Is the press being held captive by a political machine which is afraid to allow the general population of America to know the truth? What has happened to freedom of the press? Today "freedom of the press" means freedom to tell the American people what the elite think they need to hear. Are we really at a point in American life where we need someone else to make the hard decisions for us? If our politicians can hold the press hostage, if they will tell us only what they want us to hear and if our wealth, past and present, continues to be freely exported how far are we from living the definition of socialism?