Rally

Today was the John McCain rally in Hanoverton. We got there at about 6:50 am, with doors opening at 8. We got in line by the principal of our academy, and a few high school students with him, so we had people to talk to. Vicki and my nieces joined us shortly after we got there.

We got to meet Uncle Sam while waiting in line. I got a picture of him with a few kids from our academy.

The doors finally opened at 8. We had to go through metal detectors, and take off any political buttons and remove all electronical devices. They checked all cell phones, and wanted them turned on, not sure why, though it has been suggested that they might want to make sure they are really cell phones and not a harmful device.

The rally was in the United High School gymnasium. I figured on sitting, but Mom and my sister went marching onto the floor and up to the gate around the stage, so we were as close as we could have gotten. With McCain due to arrive at 10, we had a lot of time to wait. After we stood for awhile, they started handing out signs, flags, pom poms, and other things, so everyone started chanting and getting worked up.

A large group of people came in wearing t-shirts that said "Joe the farmer", and on the reverse side, "don't tax us for working hard". That amused me. I saw a sign saying "Matt The Paramedic", and one for a truck driver, don't remember the name. There were signs all over. I even saw a couple of people with Obama shirts.

The school band played a few songs, one of the students led in the pledge to the flag, and a choir of kids sang "The Star Spangled Banner".

In between, they played loud country music - way too loud. I did hear a cool song I liked, talked about farmers, and the chorus went like this " he just takes the tractor another round, And pulls the plow across the ground,And sends up another prayer. He says: "Lord, I never complain, I never ask: 'Why?'"Please don't let my dreams run dry,"Underneath, underneath this Amarillo Sky." I thought it was a neat song to play.

They put up a few local candidates to speak. Tim Ginter, running for Senate, prayed - he was or is a pastor, Adam Booth, running for county recorder, Jim Hoppel, running for Commissioner.

The closer it got to 10:00, the more worked up the crowd got. Also, the more TV crews and photographers were wandering around. They seemed to like my nieces and focused their cameras on them a lot.

McCain finally did arrive around 10, joined by his wife & daughter, Rudy Giuliani, and Lindsey Graham, senator from North Carolina. They all spoke, except for McCain's daughter. Most of it I have heard before, but it was still an awesome experience. I took a lot of pictures, but most of them are really blurry for some reason - my camera usually takes decent pictures.

After McCain spoke, they went around shaking hands, and I did get to shake his and Cindy's hand, which was exciting. I wish Sarah Palin had been there, but it was still an exciting experience, and I am glad I got to go.

Update: mewspapers today (Saturday), put the crowd at up to 5000 people.

Rallies, Effigies, & Pianos

A man in West Hollywood is making national news. For Halloween, he has hung a likeness of Sarah Palin at his house with the noose around her neck. McCain is shown in his chimney surrounded by fire. Several people complained to police about it being a hate crime, but the police said it was just bad taste. Several neighbors weighed in with their disgust, though one woman thought it was funny. The reporter asked her how she would feel if it were an effigy of Obama, and she admitted it would make her angry.

In other news, an effigy of Obama was hung froma tree in Kentucky, and police took it down immediately. Hmm. Do I detect a double standard here? I really think it is in bad taste to hang one up of either Obama or Sarah Palin, as much distaste as I have for him, but it really infuriates me that his is taken down, and hers' is left up. I wonder what would happen if someone in the same neighborhood hung one up of Obama. Would the same police who said it was only bad taste, say the same, and leave it up? I think they would change their tune, or it would get changed for them.

Speaking of Obama, he said something I agree with! I read a clip from his 30-minute infomercial - he said he would not be a perfect president. Wow. Ya think?!

A Hillary supporter in Iowa has been doing her research and found out that the Obama campaign flushed several Hillary votes and threw away packets full of them back during the caucus. In addition, her supporters were bullied, and people from other states were bussed in to vote for Obama. Other such tactics happened in other states. Pathetic that the Democrats cheat even on each other. It is looking like she may have won the nomination had everything been done on the up and up. Story here: http://www.newsmax.com/timmerman/obama_voter_fraud/2008/10/27/144303.html?promo_code=2A89-1

McCain is going to be in Hanoverton, OH on Friday morning, about 8 miles away or so. Mom, Dad, and I are going, and I think Vicki and my nieces. I am disappointed that Sarah Palin won't be there, but it will still be exciting. :-) Hopefully I will be seeing the next president of the USA. A bit of trivia here, according to the newspaper, the last time a presidential candidate visited here in Columbiana County, was John F Kennedy in the 60's. Lyndon Johnson came here as president, and we have had some vice presidents visit and vice presidential nominees, but no presidential candidate since Kennedy. I for one, found that of interest. :-)

I have finally sold my piano. I have mixed feelings about it. I can use the money, and I rarely play it - it just gets in the way and gets dusty - but yet a part of me is sad to see it go. I don't think I will regret it though, and it will give me much-needed Christmas money. :-)

I am not feeling discouraged about this election. I have heard too many stories about Republicans being hung up on by pollsters and read too many statistics of polls from other elections to put much stock in the polls. We can still win this election, and I hope and pray that we do.

One Issue Voting

I was reading an interesting blog that Focus On The Family linked to, by author Randy Alcorn. He presented a good case on why anyone that is pro-life should vote for McCain. It got my wheels turning. I have heard and read of more than one person that is pro-life, yet voting for Obama. They say there are more issues you should vote on besides pro-life.

I personally feel the killing of the unborn is THE most important issue of the day. It is murder, no matter what they want to call it, and is there any crime worse than crimes against children?

This month's Reader's Digest had an article where they featured several people and how they were voting and why. One young man was a Pentecostal Christian, who claimed to be pro-life, but was voting for McCain, citing reasons such as the war, and a few others. Even if there weren't the issues of Obama and his affiliations, and the scary things he has said, is the war or economy reason to vote for the most pro-abortion candidate to ever run for office? I think not. Yes, war is bad, but God has used war. He has commanded His people in the Bible many times to fight against another nation. Never has He ordained the killing of innocent babies because their mothers are selfish and don't want to deal with the results of their own actions.

I'm just not sure the majority of Christians are pro-life enough. I have a dear friend that I first worked with at Dutch House about 13 years ago. I have kept up with her pretty well since, and she sends me Christmas cards & birthday cards, and I send her. She is a Christian, but voted for Gore because her union supporting son told her she should. She once told me she thinks abortion shouldn't be illegal, for she would rather someone get an abortion in a clinic "than in a back alley with a coat hanger, and suffering complications and/or death. This is a Christian woman who is supposedly pro-life.

I have thought about her statement occasionally, and I disagree. This may sound un-Christian and cold-hearted, but a woman who is trying to kill her baby would deserve complications and/or death. Let me draw a comparison: if a man walked into a school with a gun, intent on killing even one child, or more, and in the process, himself suffered injury or death, we would look on and feel justice was served. He got what he deserved. So does it not make sense to feel if a woman suffers complications from killing an innocent life, she in a sense, got what she deserved?

I fear sometimes, even we who are pro-life, conservative, and Christian, have bought into the idea, just a little, that a baby inside the womb is different somehow, and not as important as one outside the womb. There are those who say they are pro-life, except in cases of rape or incest. I hope no one I know ever has to deal with that, but it is still a baby. Does it make it ok to terminate a life, just because of how it came to be?

I know some may say the same thing that I got over schooling - I am not married, I have no kids, so what do I know, but as Randy Alcorn pointed out in his article, Jesus spent a lot of time with children and warned about hurting one. I cannot imagine how abortion makes Him feel. Rev David Blowers once preached a message on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday about this issue, and he made an interesting statement. He related the story of Cain & Abel, and how God told Cain that his brother's blood was crying to Him from the ground. Rev Blowers then said, if Abel's blood cried to God from the ground, can you imagine what all the blood of the babies this nation has killed is doing?

Should we be one issue voters? I think it depends on the issue. And abortion is one such issue. It is more important than the economy, taxes, yes even national security. Randy Alcorn gave a good illustration. He compared a pro-life candidate voting for a pro-abortion candidate to someone who says they are pro-Jew, voting for Hitler, because he seems cooler, and has some good ideas.

McCain isn't 100% pro-life. He could be stronger, but of the two, he is definitely the one who is pro-life. Obama doesn't even lean that way. Doesn't even look that way.

If people used common sense. Those who are married and don't want kids - use birth control, get an operation - whatever - and those who aren't married, use the best birth control - abstinence, and if they are too stupid to wait for marriage, then use some form of birth control.

This whole abortion thing started because people wanted their actions to not have consequences, and all too often that "consequence" was a baby.

I have never been overly excited about McCain as president, but felt he is definitely the lesser of two evils, a belief that has grown stronger day by day. His pick of Sarah Palin got me excited about the ticket, but it is his pro-life stance that is the main reason I am voting for him, and shame on people who call themselves pro-life and/or Christian, and are voting for Obama because they feel other issues are more important than saving the unborn.

In closing, there are pro-life people who claim that Bush didn't do anything for the pro-life movement, and what can McCain do. But as Mr Alcorn also pointed out, Bush appointed pro-life judges to the Supreme Court, as McCain will most likely do. We all know what kind of judges Obama would appoint. If Obama is elected, one of his first actions - and he has said so - is to sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which would undo any progress that has been made by the pro-life movement. Let's not vote by our pocketbook, but by our morals, and God's Word.

Revival & Bold Authors

We just came through a 6-day meeting at church. Henry Miller was the evangelist, and he and his wife did the singing. I will admit, I didn't look for them to sing as well as they did - I only heard them once, and that was when the whole family sang, so I was pleasantly surprised. One night, they roped Brant Luther into helping on a song - awesome job - and one night, their one daughter sang with them. I had never heard him preach, but really like his preaching. I made it Tuesday-Friday. Mom and Dad went to Paul & Pam's Saturday, and as bad as it sounds, I stayed home - I needed some alone time.



I went to bed not feeling too great, and woke up at 2 needing to spend some time with the porcelain princess. I ended up spending more time there than I wanted, and it wasn't any better when I got up Sunday morning, also feeling sick to my stomach, so I stayed in all day Sunday.



Mom and Dad took out Paul & Pam's anniversary gift, a lighthouse. Dad made one for here several months ago - I was amazed at the size when I saw it - it is taller than I am, and even has a rotating light in the top. The one he made Pam was slightly smaller, but not by much - they had to take it out in the van with 2 seats out. She was very surprised and happy with it. Mom and Dad's here:



















Brock & Bodie Thoene are great Christian authors that I have been reading for ages. I had an embarrassing experience with Brock once. He called the bookstore where I worked, and after he identified himself, I said that I read a lot of their books, and he asked if I liked them, and I foolishly said "most of them", he asked which ones I didn't like, and after I 'ummed and uhhed", he had mercy and dropped it. :-) Anyway, I have been on their site and am impressed by their blog entries. They are quite outspoken about the election, and have some interesting things to say about how it could affect Israel. They don't make everyone happy, and printed a couple of letters from people unhappy with them, and their responses. One woman declared she was going to sell all their books she has and donate the money to Obama's campaign. They suggested she donate to a crisis pregnancy center instead.

Authors and celebrities take a chance when they do speak out, which may be why so few conservative ones speak out. It seems we are inundated with leftist celebrities speaking out and threatening to move to Canada - why don't any of them ever keep their promise?! I don't read much secular fiction, but occasionally read a John Grisham book, and was disgusted with him campaigning for Hillary, so I am sure authors and celebrities can experience fall out for speaking up, but I have to admire and respect the Thoenes for their actions. They aren't just ranting against Obama. They use Scripture and history to show where we are and what could happen to this country if Obama gets in.

They are experts in Jewish history and culture, and they feel that if Obama gets in, Israel will most likely strike Iran in between the election and inauguration, as they are not assured our being an ally under an Obama administration. And according to Jesse Jackson, that will most likely be the case.

Man, the closer we get to election, the more sure I am that if Obama gets in, this country will go through change for sure, and not the kind we want. I followed a link today to yet someone else who has done an Obama "praise song". This is a rapper from Kenya, and he even used words from the Lord's prayer in his song. There has never, to my knowledge, been songs written to conservative leaders. But there has been songs sung to Hitler and people like that.

In closing, here is an excerpt from a blog by Brock & Bodie Thoene. If you want some interesting reading, check out their site: http://www.thoenebooks.com/blog.asp

"In Germany, when Hitler came to power, it was a time of terrible financial depression. Money was worth nothing. In Germany people lost homes and jobs, just like in the American Depression in the 1930s, which we have read about in Thoene’s Shiloh books.

In those days, in my homeland, Adolph Hitler was elected to power by promising “Change.” He blamed the “Zionists” around the world for all our problems. He told everyone it was greedy Zionist Bankers who had caused every problem we had. He promised when he was leader, the greedy Zionist bankers would be punished. The Zionists, he promised, would be wiped off the face of the earth.

So Hitler was elected to power by only 1/3 the popular vote. A coalition of other political parties in parliament made him supreme leader. Then, when he was leader, he disgraced and expelled everyone in parliament who did not go along with him. Yes. Change came to my homeland as the new leader promised it would.

The teachers in German schools began to teach the children to sing songs in praise of Hitler. This was the beginning of the Hitler Youth movement. It began with praise of the Fuhrer’s programs on the lips of innocent children. Hymns in praise of Hitler and his programs were being sung in the schoolrooms and in the playyard. Little girls and boys joined hands and sang these songs as they walked home from school."

Letter From 2012 & Christmas Gift Idea For Lori

There are a few interesting articles that I wanted to link to. First off, "Letter from 2012", posted by Focus On the Family. A scary look at what life might be like if Obama wins. Note: they are not saying everything in the letter will happen, but could. An interesting, and scary - read.
http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf

Next up: A Democratic journalist gives his take on honesty, or lack of, in the media. Very good article: http://www.ldsmag.com/ideas/081017light.html

And on the ludicrous side, Obama is claiming there is a "righteous wind" at his back: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/10/obama-tells-vir.html

And also on the ludicrous, according to this moron reporter, socialist is code for "black": http://voices.kansascity.com/node/2493

On another note. my friend Lori seems awfully accident-prone lately. A few weeks ago, she wrecked her car and turned it into a "ghetto runner", and last week, she was playing volleyball and sustained a concussion from an elbow to the head. Her mother reads my blog sometimes, so I thought I would pass on a Christmas gift idea to her. Get the girl a helmet of some kind - it is obvious she needs one!! :-)

My oldest niece has Lori as a teacher. Maybe I should warn her not to ride with Lori or stand close to her in Volleyball............ :-)

Email Warning

This from Ann Coulter's site. It may be bad of me to post it, but it really amused me:

If you get an e-mail with "Nude Photos of Sarah Palin" in the subject line, do not open it. It might contain a virus.

If you get an e-mail with "Nude Photos of Hillary Clinton," do not open it. It might contain nude photos of Hillary Clinton. :-)

International Crisis & Drug Habits

If this was a ball game instead of an election, we would say that Joe Biden was our best player. He has said some pretty scary stuff this past week-end, that would scare me over to the McCain camp if I were an undecided voter.

According to Biden, he guarantees that if Obama gets in, within the first 6 months of his being president, we will face an international crisis, for the other countries will want to test him. He went on to say that the way Obama handles it will seem wrong to even his supporters, and his poll numbers will be in the extreme lows, but in the end he will be right in what he does. I am not making this up - Biden said this - not some McCain supporter. It hasn't seemed to make the news, but I heard clips from the speech on Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Link here: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/biden-to-suppor.html

The media seems to be ignoring this, but if McCain or even Bush had said the same thing about our side, the media would be demanding details. Wanting to know what information they are basing their ideas on. It would be front page news, but since this is Obama's camp, it gets ignored.

Another blatant case of media bias. The New York Times has done an article on Cindy McCain, making a big issue of her past addiction to pain killers. On the flip side, Obama, who is actually running for president, had a cocaine habit in the past, and they won't touch that. Why not?!

In other news, there is talk that Israel is thinking that if they are going to hit Iran, they had better do it while Bush is still in office, while they would have the support of the USA, whereas if Obama gets in, they might not have that support.

Colin Powell has formerly endorsed Obama, claiming it is not because he is black. Hmm, indeed? Powell has had quite the career, all at the hands of Republicans, and never endorsed a liberal/Democrat, and now he turns his back on his Republican and conservative background and endorses the most liberal Democrat ever who just happens to be the same skin color? Why is it when we whites don't vote for Obama, we are racists, but when the blacks vote for him it isn't?

My mom and sister had a run-in today with an Obama supporter. They were shopping at a store in Youngstown, and had their McCain/Palin pins on. The manager of the store walked past Vicki and did a thumbs-down, so she did a thumbs-up, and then he lit into her telling her what he thought of McCain and people who vote for him. Mom finally pointed out to the guy that he could get in trouble for harrassing customers and he changed his tune and started pointing out a few of Obama's faults.

Even more important than the presidential issue, is the issue of the Supreme Court. They figure a couple of seats will open up on there in the next presidential term, and I have heard little rumblings that in an Obama administration, Hillary Clinton could be a possibility. Yikes!

Added to the scary stuff going on, the president of France - if they have a president, or whatever his title is - has approached Bush about the economic crisis and is talking the need for a global currency.

I don't know if this is all part of the end times, and if Obama becoming president is all part of God's plan, but he is doubtless the worst thing that could happen to America providentially. We shouldn't take the attitude, oh well, the end is coming, this must be it. We should still fight. Vote. Not take this lying down! If someone was trying to shoot me, it could possibly be in God's plan - His time to take me from this earth, but I'd sure fight for my life anyway!

On the bright side, and there always is one: a caller pointed out that about this time last election, the polls had Bush 11 points behind, and he won. McCain is a lot closer than that in the polls with Obama. The polls cannot be trusted, and it isn't over yet. All we can do is pray, and go vote!

Hunters Beware. Criminals, Rejoice

I am not considering a career as a political blogger, but feel this election could be the most important one ever, and one which could change a lot of our freedoms. I don't hunt, but have been concerned with Obama's stance on guns. Dad gets "American Hunter", the official magazine of the NRA (National Rifle Association), and in this issue, they devoted about 8 pages to Obama & Biden's stance on guns and went issue by issue, showing how he has voted and what he has said. He is now trying to claim he isn't for banning guns, but his record states otherwise. Anyone who is a hunter and votes for him, is a brainless idiot. Here are the facts:



1) supporting a ban on handguns. During his first run for Senate in 1996, he said on a candidate questionaire that he supported legislation to "ban the sale and possession of handguns." Obama claimed his staff had filled it out incorrectly, but a version later appeared in his own handwriting saying the same thing.



2) Voted to ban most rifle ammunition. In 2005, Edward Kennedy proposed a ban on practically all center-fire ammunition used for hunting or any other purpose.



3) Opposed self-defense. He is for prosecuting people who shoot used guns for self-defense in their own homes. Wonder what he would do - sit down for talks with no preconditions?!



4) Supported reckless lawsuits designed to bankrupt the firearm industry. He and Biden both voted against a law prohibiting political lawsuits against the firearm industry.



5) Opposes Right-to-Carry. Obama has voted consistently for banning any citizen from carrying weapons, other than law enforcement.



6) Supports gun registration



7) Voted for one-gun-a-month legislation



8)Voted against confirming pro-Second Amendment Justices to the US Surpreme Court - Second Amendment is the right to bear arms.



9) Supports local and state gun bans.



10) Supported bans on standard capacity magazines. This would ban all single-shot and double-barreled shotguns 28 gauge or larger, and many semi-automatic shotguns would be banned, along with hundreds of models of rifles and handguns. This bill died, otherwise, anyone who possessed one of these guns 90 days after the bill would have been passed, would have faced felony charges.



11) Supported increasing the excise tax on firearms by 500%. Yes - 500%. Right now, long guns and long gun ammo are taxed at 11%. Handguns and handgun ammo are taxed at 10%. In 1999, Obama proposed increasing these taxes by 500%.



12) Supports laws mandating the use of "micro-stamping". "new technology on each and every semi-automatic handgun sold in New York State that will trace the gun back to its original buyer and seller. It is called "micro-stamping" - a tiny mark on the firing pin and the breech of the weapon that leaves a distinctive signature on the cartridge when it is fired."



13) Supports mandatory waiting periods.



14) Served on the board of directors of the most anti-gun foundation in America.



Yes, people get killed by guns, but taking guns from law-abiding cititzens won't take care of that problem, also, drunk driving kills as many or more people, and Obama isn't out there trying to crack down on beer sales.



I saw a bumper sticker once that said "if they outlaw guns, only the outlaws will have guns". I don't own guns, and am totally bored by hunting (besides, the last time I hunted, I got lost!) - but am all in favor of people hunting - and I like the meat! But this is just one more freedom we could lose if Obama gets in, so warn your hunter friends.



And a final word to Barrack Hussein Obama, not that he will read it: Just what would you do if an intruder broke into your home and threatened the safety of YOUR family?

Clearing Something Up

There has been an issue mentioned by McCain a few times that I didn't get. That Obama wants to do away with secret ballots for labor voting. I mentioned it to my dad, and he cleared it up, so just in case anyone else out there didn't understand the issue, or didn't know about it, here is the 411. :-)

Right now, if there is a vote at a place of employment on becoming part of a labor union, the workers vote by secret ballot. Obama wants to do away with the secret ballot, and have open voting, where people have to raise their hands, letting everyone present know who is for and against the union coming in. Big deal? Yes.

If this happens, it will make it easier for unions to take over companies. Many people will be afraid to vote no, and the ones who do will be an open target for the union reps and the people who want it, to pressure them to give in.

No wonder the union workers of America are so for Obama. My dad worked in the coal mines in PA for several years until he got hurt. He is on disability - can do some things - so he still gets stuff from the United Mine Workers of America, and man, are they pushing for Obama to get in, more than any president they ever endorsed. They have mailed more stuff in favor of him, and even sent out a pro-Obama CD out - not that we listened to it.

I personally think unions are bad for the most part. Places of employment should be able to pay what they want, and if people don't like it, they can move on, not go on strike and hold up the company's production, or in the case of teachers, hold up the education of kids.

All that aside, it was interesting to me to have this issue explained to me. It makes sense to me now why the union is so pro-Obama. He will help their cause like no other president ever has, if he gets in.

In response to my blog about Obama being the anti-Christ, a friend of mine sent me an interesting link. I am not sure what the guy's motivation is for setting this blog up, if he is against Obama, or if he is for him and this is making fun of people who point out the messiah-like following - regardless, this is an interesting blog to check out. It has quotes by various people, and other information that is rather scary what people think of him. I still don't believe he is the anti-Christ, but just check it out:
http://obamamessiah.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Brunner Wins

Approximately 1/3 of new voter registrations in Ohio have discrepancies. 200,000 of 666,000. Jennifer Brunner, Ohio Secretary of State, was ordered to implement measures to have the ones in question check out. She refused, so the GOP sued and a higher court ordered her to do so, but alas, the Supreme Court has sided with her and she does not have to implement voter fraud prevention methods. http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/17/ohio-secretary-state-files-extension-compliance-circuit-court-voter-fraud/



I am really frustrated. As I said in my last post, Republicans have done their share of things too, but here we have a Democratic Secretary of State refusing to check into 200,000 voter registrations that have discrepancies, and the courts siding with her. If the governor ordered it, I guess it would be checked into, but he too, is a Democrat, so the chances are as slim as Frosty the Snowman surviving at the equator.



It may not do one ounce of good, but I put polite calls through to both Jennifer Brunner's office and the governor's office to protest the handling of this issue, and also emailed them. Should anyone else feel the inclination to do so, here are the phone numbers. I figured I may as well let my voice be heard, so should anyone else decide to do so, I figured I'd make it easy for you:



Jennifer Brunner: (614) 255-4255, email: questions@jenniferbrunner.com



Governor Strickland: (614) 466-3555, email: keith.dailey@governor.ohio.gov

Democrat Means Dirty

I am fed up with Democrats. Republicans aren't perfect, I know that, and politics is a dirty business, but the stuff coming up this election is ridiculous.

I think Sara Palin is awesome. She has breathed new life into the Republican party, and the Democrats know that, so they have been after her more than any VP ever nominated. First, they attacked the baby issue and tried to say it was her daughter's, which proved completely untrue. Then they sent 30-some people to Alaska to dig up anything they could - too bad they don't do that with Obama, but they would never touch him.

Next up: the Saturday Night Live skit suggesting incest on the part of Todd Palin and his daughters. By the way, these late night "comedian types" are making fun of Republicans to Democrats 7 to 1. There have been incidents of anti-Palin t-shirts that are so vulgar I still don't know what they say - Fox news said it wasn't fit to show.

The newest thing is coming up in LA - they are having a pageant and want any women who resemble Sara Palin to come and be in it and strip. What on earth are they trying to prove?!

It is ok to put up Obama signs, but all over there are stories and incidents of what people face for putting up McCain signs. One man kept finding bags of dog feces in his pick-up truck. Turned out to be his Obama-loving neighbor who didn't like his McCain signs.

McCain signs are stolen more than Obama signs. Also the latest thing, they have gone after poor Joe the plumber and dug up that he doesn't have a plumber license and other things like tax stuff - what was their motivation for tearing into the poor guy? Guess he dared to criticize Obama's health and tax plans.

This Acorn deal seems to be a Democrat deal. Fact for sure, the Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, Democrat, hid 200,000 new voter registrations that had discrepancies and fought having them investigated, which a higher court intervened in, thankfully.

There are a lot of questions about Obama that need answered. There needs to be more investigations into him than into Sara Palin. She is just running for VP. He is running for the highest office in the land, but we are accused of being hateful when we try to bring up anything about him that is true, yet stuff like incest skits is fine as long as it is a Republican.

I am sure all Democrats aren't hateful and willing to commit any criminal act to make sure their candidate gets in, but the things I have listed and many more instances out there make you wonder just what being a Democrat are about. I really am afraid what our country is in for if Obama gets in. We will have a Democratic president and Congress, and nothing will be able to stop them. Our very right to free speech could be in danger - it seems they can say what they want, but they want us silenced.

I could receive some hate comments for this, but so far, the only hate I have gotten is when I dared criticize home schooling. Thus far, any post I have done on Obama has gotten none. Strange. Not that I want hateful comments, but it seems when you take the opposite viewpoint of people, they cannot handle it sometimes.
McCain/Palin 2008

By The Company We Keep

There is a saying that you can tell the type of person someone is, by the company he keeps. I believe that is true. Looking over my life, the people who have hung around me the most, are the ones I have the most in common with. Politically, theologically, etc.

Daily, it seems there are more reasons that come up that Obama would be bad for this country. It seems the media and Democrats are trying to railroad him through with no regard to who he is and what he stands for. Besides the issues, such as his stance on guns, abortion, taxes, and the like, I am also worried about the friends he keeps. These people keep popping up, and he keeps distancing himself from them in hopes of gaining the presidency. It seems they all have one thing in common: They hate America.

Jeremiah Wright. Obama's pastor for 20 years. This has been swept under the rug, and Obama claims he didn't know his pastor felt the way he does. Is that possible? I have known my current pastor since we were in college together, pretty close to 20 years now. I have a very good idea where he stands on many issues, even political, by how he has lived his life, and the content of his messages - not that there is politics in them, but I know he loves America. There is no way Obama sat under a man who he looked on as his spiritual mentor for 20 years, and was blind to how he felt about our country. No way.

William Ayers. This man was anti-war and anti-America. He tried to blow up the Capitol building and the Pentagon, and wishes he had done more. Obama claims he was only 8 when Ayers did all those things. That is true, and I was even younger, not much more than a baby, but I would avoid the man at all costs as an adult. Obama served on boards with him. He was chairman of a board that gave money to Ayers for a couple of schoolings Ayers was trying out. Slight change of subject, what kind of college would hire this man, and what kind of garbage is he teaching his students?!

There are others who have been in the news, and they all seem to have a deep hatred for America, and as soon as the worst is known about them and their views, Obama immediately distances himself from him in all ways possible. But what if he feels the same way, down deep? What if America puts a man in office, who by his own admission felt oppressed by the whites, and who very well may harbor a hatred of this great country we love? To my knowledge, the man has refused to pledge allegiance to our flag on at least one occasion.

If my best friends and pastor hated America, some of them had tried to blow up some of our landmark buildings, and were constantly spewing hatred about our nation, wouldn't it be logical to believe that I feel the same way, since I hung around them all the time? I think that would be a logical conclusion. And likewise, I don't think it is a stretch of imagination to wonder if down under his charismatic messiah image, if Obama does not harbor a deep hatred of America, and has its worst interests at heart, and not its best, as any commander in chief should.

Relationship Advice

I ran into this on southerngospelnews.com, and thought it was pretty funny. Questions to kids about marriage and relationships, and their answers, courtesy of Melissa Brady:

How do you decide who to marry?
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -- Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. - - Kristen, age 10

What is the right age to be married?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. -- Camille, age 10

How can a stranger tell if two people are married?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. -- Derrick, age 8

What do you think your mom and dad have in common?
Both don't want any more kids. -- Lori, age 8

What do most people do on a date?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. -- Lynnette, age 8

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. -- Martin, age 10

When is it OK to kiss someone?
When they're rich. -- Pam, age 7

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. -- Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. -- Howard, age 8

Is it better to be single or married?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9

How would you make a marriage work? Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. --Ricky, age 10

Author: Unknown

Sticks & Stones

For the second day in a row, I have read a fiction book that stirred me, though this one for different reasons than the one I blogged about yesterday. It is another book I got a good deal on, Sticks & Stones. It is the second book in a Christian suspense series. The main character receives a note telling her that a body will be found at a construction site, and that "he deserved what he got, but it was an accident". The body turns out to be a skeleton of a teenager who had disappeared 25 years before.

It turns out that the boy had been a bully, and had bullied several kids in his neighborhood and school, so the police suspected one of his victims from years before.

I know the home school extremists who might read this, will use it for their "cause", but get real, bullies are everywhere. Schools, neighborhoods, playgrounds, church. I unfortunately, was one of those kids who was bullied. I can even pinpoint when it started. Fifth grade. A new kid for some reason singled me out. Throughout 6th grade, it wasn't too bad, just little incidents here and there. But then 7th grade came.

Looking back, I still blame sports. Most "normal" boys develop a fascination, and sometimes a seeming addiction, to anything sports-related. I did not. I'm not sure why, actually. I had several male cousins, though I was never around the ones on my mom's side much, but although I was around my male cousins on my dad's side, I was never close to. I can remember being teased by them and picked on by some of them fairly young. One of them would turn out to be one of my worst tormentors in high school.

I was the kid who always had his lunch, or things from it, taken - though as far as I can remember, they were always given back. I dreaded the teacher leaving the room, for I was always picked on by someone. One such instance resulted in my being held down by other boys while my cousin tried to stick a pencil up my nose.

No matter how quiet I was, and tried to blend in, they still sought me out. They would wait outside the door in winter to shove me into the snow. Most of the stuff I long ago tried to block out, and have succeeded with some of it, but looking back, I really can't pick out but a few boys - and girls even - who didn't bully me physically or verbally. Besides the abuse, there was of course the other things like my always being on the outside, and always being picked last in anything.

Some years back, they had a reunion for anyone who had ever attended the school. My sisters went, and couldn't seem to understand why I had no desire to go, but I have no fond memories of the kids I went to school with, only bad.

As I said, bullies are everywhere. I was a painfully shy kid when I went to Allegheny Wesleyan College. My college years were in no means as bad as high school, but even there, I ran into being picked on. It did get so bad at one point that an off-campus student who had seen some of it, went to the college president about it, and I finally got a reprieve.

One of my college mates used to do things to me, and said if I ever retaliated, he would take all the tires off of my car, and leave it up on blocks. He would have too. I don't know if it was a sign of what he would turn out like, but in spite of his having been a pastor, he ended up leaving his wife for a woman he worked with.

There are people who had it worse than I did. The book I read listed some websites, and I went to one called "Raven Days". There, I read stories of kids who went through some really bad stuff. They don't all suffer quietly. Some, like Eric Harris & Dylan Klebold, get to a point where they can't take it, and take guns to their school mates. Others commit suicide to get away from it all.

It leaves scars. Deep scars. To this day, I have difficulty making friends, especially with other guys. I still have a hard time believing that people actually like me. It has affected where I have worked. I feel more at ease working with a bunch of women, then men. On the occasions where I did work with other guys, like at Hobby Lobby, I was actually surprised that they seemed to like me.

I think other things in my life can be traced to it, even things like my taking it too personally when people disagree with me, viewing it all too often as a personal attack. It has definitely affected my relationships. It has skewed my view of God severely, and that is one I am not sure how to ever get past. When you grow up believing that no one likes you, of course that is going to spill over into the spiritual, and you are going to believe that God doesn't like you either.

Looking back, I wonder why I never reached a point that I fought back. I did hear at church and school not to fight back, to turn the other cheek, and all that. How would my life have been different had I fought back? None of us can second guess life, but I do believe things might have been a lot different for me. I don't think I would have to deal with some of the things that I deal with on a daily basis, but there is also the danger that I would have turned out to be a bully myself.

I hate injustice, whether it is aimed at me, or anyone, and that deep hatred could be rooted in what I went through as a young boy. If so, that is one good thing that came out of it.

I think parents have a couple of responsibilities regarding their kids and bullies. First off, is to make sure they don't become one. Kids need to be taught that just because someone is different, or not into the same things they are into, does not mean they should be bullied and picked on. The other responsibility is to somehow help your kids to not be bullied. I don't think it is wrong to teach them to fight back, and not just take it. You can disagree if you want, but it is better than them growing up scarred and broken.

On a brighter note, I did get one apology from someone who was at least 3 grades ahead of me. A year or two after I had graduated from high school, I was at a camp in PA we went to yearly, and was approached by this kid, who had been out of school for at least 5 years or so. He apologized for the way he had treated me in school, and said he didn't really know why he did it. I told him it was probably brought on by my lack of interest in sports, and he said that was no excuse. I really appreciated his doing that.

Now, I don't have a "poor me" philosophy. I try not to think of my high school years, but yet, I live daily with the effects of it, so I don't know how to ever get totally beyond it. I just decided to blog about it, because the subject is important to me. Bullies do exist. Let's do all we can to help those who are victims.

Rescued

I just finished reading an awesome book, "Rescued", by John Bevere & Mark Andrew Olsen. The book is fiction, and I have looked at it before, but wasn't sure it was something I would enjoy reading, plus it originally came out in hardcover, which is always more expensive. I was at one of the Christian Bookstores in Boardman today, and they had a special on several fiction books: They were priced at $9.97, and if you bought 2, you got 2 free, which comes out to $5 a book. The manager, my sister's former pastor, really talked the book up, so I bought it. When I got home, I started reading it, and aside from eating supper, finished it in one sitting.

When I finished it, I just thought "wow!" This book makes you want to hit your knees and make sure if you died right now, you would be ready. Much has been said about the book "The Shack" being a "life-changing" book, which I disagree with, but this book, "Rescued", really does have the potential to be just that. Life-changing, and even eternity-changing.

This book is based on a non-fiction book by John Bevere, "Driven By Eternity". He wrote the fiction book hoping more people might read it and get the message that he wanted to get across.

I don't want to give too much of the book away, but the main plot of the book involves people being trapped in a submarine under the water. The story line is exciting and holds your attention, but then it gets to the "good" part that shakes you up and makes you think.

If you are feeling so-so about your salvation experience, if you are drifting, or even if all is well with you and God, you need to read this book. If you read my blog and are someone who regularly sees me, I am willing to pass it around. It is that good.

In closing, I don't intend to put this book above the Bible, but even Jesus used a good story to make a point and get people to think, and that is just what this book does. Makes you think, and take a good look at yourself. Get it, and read it. And pass it on.

Surrender & Crosses

A lot of people probably don't think I am capable of serious and deep thoughts, but occasionally, I get lost in thought, and behold - a deep thought!

There has been one thought on my mind a lot lately. I recently bought an awesome CD by the one member of the Booth Brother who is not a Booth, Jim Brady. One of the songs he wrote is titled "To Know You More". The chorus says "Only to know you more, that's what I am living for. Total surrender is the cry of my heart, Lord. I live and breathe, only to know you more".

Total surrender. It isn't something that is talked about much anymore. The first definition I found for surrender is "to yield to the power or possession of another". Sounds rather scary. To be honest, I am not sure I have ever reached that point. Total surrender to God. If we are surrendered to Him, we won't question Him, blame Him, doubt Him.

Jesus talked a lot about denying oneself, and taking up our cross and following Him. We don't like to talk about that. We want to hear about love, and what God will do for us. I admit, I have been there. All too often. I have told God, "look at what I have done, and am trying to do, why can't you do this for me?"

Jesus doesn't say what this cross is, and I believe that is because it is different for all of us. For some, it is going through life with an unbelieving spouse. A body defect, or disease. Childlessness. A single life. I could be wrong, but I think we all have something to bear, and it isn't aways something spiritual, but can help or hinder us spiritually, depending on our attitude toward it and God.

I decided some years ago, whether correctly or not, what my cross is. At least one of them. Who is to say we carry only one? And yet, I still find myself questioning God on it. Why me? I mentioned feeling I need to be more thankful. I also need to work on this idea of self denial and total surrender.

People use different terms to describe the same thing. My church calls it sanctification. Other terms have been given it, but it all boils down to the same thing: total, absolute surrender. Someone said it is giving God a blank piece of paper, and letting Him write on it what He wants. It is dumping everything that is our life, hopes, dreams, desires - all into God's hands and letting Him do what He wants.

The thing is, He really does know best. Life isn't fair, and often doesn't make sense, but He always has a reason. A life of full surrender isn't going to trip and fall when things look bad.

Looking back over my life, I have to admit that most of my problems lie in my view of God. I think if God loves me, He will act this way, and do that, and answer these prayers. If I were completely surrendered to God, would I expect Him to act according to my wishes?

There is a hymn we sing at church. It has three verses, and to sum the song up in a few words, it says "I will go where God wants me to go, I will be what God wants me to be, I will say what God wants me to say." Songs like that always scared me when I was younger. I was afraid God would take me up on it! I could never see myself as a missionary or pastor, but what if He called me?!

Being surrendered to God doesn't mean we are all going to end up on the other side of the world, or pastoring far away from family and friends. It does mean we give complete control of our life to God, and let Him do what He wants with all that we have, and all that we are. It is something I need to work on, and something we all need to do, if we haven't already.

More pictures

At least once a year, I get hit hard with a bad cold - the kind that makes you want to go to bed for a week. My throat started getting scratchy Friday night, and by Saturday night it had hit hard. I went to church in the morning, but stayed home during the evening service. My appetite is waning, which is the only good thing about it.

Bow season has opened in Ohio - it is beyond me why hunters wear a ton of orange to avoid being shot during gun season, but try to blend in the surroundings in bow season - why don't they just wear all white when hunting in snow?! Dad went out this afternoon for the second time this season, and got a doe. We don't get overly excited about antlers - you can't eat them!


I thought I'd put up some more pictures of the kids that we took the other night. Poor Josiah had an incident last week involving his face and the pavement, so in some of the pictures we took, the mark on his face is noticeable.
















This was my favorite pose of Stephanie. Hard to believe she will be a teenager later this month.











Allison, age 10. (I think!)





















Caitlin, age 8, and the one who should have been a boy - she will pick up anything!



















Josiah, 7, and best buddies with Caitlin















Benjamin, 4. Not sure why there is no picture of him by the bridge, but he was the hardest one to get to smile normal.






















And lastly, Nathan, who will be 2 in December.

Church Fund Raiser & Picture Day

I had a brilliant thought hit me for a fund raiser for my church. We can sell the pews off to a church that needs pews! We evidently don't need them, as we seem to spend half the service standing.............. :-)

I stated once that there were things I like better about my Indiana and Ohio churches. One thing about Faith Mission, is we never stood to sing. Never. Mrs. Sankey was the song leader, and she was great. She let us sit. :-) Sunday am worship starts out with us standing for prayer, and then the pastor says those dreaded words "Please remain standing for the first song". That stretches into the second song...........see my point? Might as well sell them off and make better use of the money. :-)

I am just kidding. Well, not about standing too much, but about selling the pews, though lazy boy chairs would be nice......

We got the boys yesterday to watch while Paul and Pam went off to Amish country here in Ohio. They have been pretty good, other than Nathan (22 months) climbing everything but the walls. :-)

Today was Josiah's 7th birthday. He says the funniest things. Last night, I gave him a hug, and said "I can't believe you will be 7 tomorrow!" His reply - "and I can't believe you are talking right in my ear!" I took him over to the school today to play with his cousins during lunch, and had a nice time chatting with the principal, secretary, and a couple of teachers. Hope I didn't keep them from eating their lunches. :-)


This evening has been chaos central here. Paul & Pam got back around 4, then Vicki and the girls arrived not too long after. We dressed them alike - well, boys and girls, and took them over to the neighbor's covered bridge to take pictures. We had 3 cameras going. Benjy was the worst - he kept smiling weird, but we did get some good pictures. Vicki also got muddy up to one knee - she tried to jump the creek and didn't quite make it past the muddy edge. :-)







One of the better pictures taken - one of many, many that were snapped.........

Wish this one on the right had been taken from the front, but I still thought it was worth keeping. Katie & Josiah are the best of buddies.

Supper was awesome (and noisy)- stuffed chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, beans, stuffing, baked squash, & rolls. And of course, birthday cake. Paul, Pam, and Stephanie headed off to the AWC Homecoming, and Vicki went home, leaving the other 5 very would up kids here. Thus, chaos central. They were all pretty good, just loud. Speaking of loud, I was trying to get Joey's cap gun to work that I bought, and when it finally went off, I jumped a foot. :-)

If anyone from my church reads this, you can pass on my idea about selling the pews............

An Early Thanksgiving

It seems in the last few years, I have been descending into depression. My best friend is studying to be some kind of counselor, and is positive I am suffering from depression, and maybe he is right. It lessened when I moved to Indiana, but my last few months there, it got worse, and since moving back here, has gotten pretty bad. I think it is a combination of a few things, some too personal to mention here, but having to stay with my parents, and I am thankful for that - having trouble finding a full time job, plus other issues, has not helped. Plus, I haven't really connected much with anyone from church, and find myself wondering if I should have moved back, but as a very wise woman told me, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

It has affected my spiritual life. Sometimes we expect God to do certain things, act in certain ways, and when He doesn't, we become disappointed, and frustrated. It seems I spend most of my time pouring out my problems to God, and getting nothing in return. All too often, it has felt like my prayers were just bouncing off the ceiling.

I was praying the other night, and asked God what I am supposed to do. I didn't hear an audible voice, but had a very strong impression, and that was "be thankful". I do lose my focus on what is good in my life, and tend to look at what is wrong, and that unthanklfulness can become bitterness, and soon one is blaming God for everything.

I have been thinking a lot about this the last couple of days, and have decided it must have been God, and that I do need to be thankful. I'd say more thankful, but to be honest, I haven't been thankful at all lately. I am not going to blog a lot about it, but will mention a few things here to get myself started.

I am thankful that I do have a place to stay until I get a full time job and can afford my own place.

I am thankful that I have at least a part time job, and that is paying the bills I currently do have.

I am thankful for my family. Although I have no kids of my own, I would put my love for my 6 nieces and nephews up against most parents' for their kids. I am thankful for each one of them.

And I am thankful for friends. My Indiana friends: Steven, Cindy, Kim, and Kristin, who is now on the mission field. The four of us, Steven, Cindy, Kristin, and I, had a lot of fun times. Kimmy and Kevin, my best "non-holiness friends", I am thankful God brought you guys into my life. And my friends at church. Some of them I haven't really reconnected much with, but they are there, and have been a help and encouragement in the past.

I can't quit without saying I am thankful for freedom, my church, salvation, and second chances. Not many of us would have made it with only one chance, and I am thankful God has never run out of chances for me.

Off the subject of thankfulness, although I guess it is something to be thankful for: the house won't be too quiet for the next few days. Paul & Pam are spending tomorrow night in Amish Country - they somehow got a free motel stay - so the 3 boys will be staying here. When they get back some time Friday, we will be celebrating Josiah's 7th birthday, and my nieces will be staying also Friday night. Paul and Pam will be staying through Saturday, as they are going to Homecoming at AWC.