Gifts

"God has given each of you from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you." -I Peter 4:10

Pastor Barnett always says that God doesn't need our money, He needs our obedience. We tithe and give offering because the Bible says to (Mal. 3:10 & II Cor.9:7).
With our obedience comes God knowing that when we are faithful in the smallest of things He will give us greater things. He continues to bless us when we are faithful.
This leads me to ask this question:
How can God help us grow in our talents if we won't help grow His kingdom? We often ask for God to bless us, or to help us find the perfect job or mate. Well, then why aren't we planting seeds? Why aren't we asking God to help us develop our talents, so that when we are blessed, we can bless OTHERS?
Being a blessing to others doesn't mean that you give cash away all the time. Sometimes, blessing others is a talent that needs to be developed in other ways. Being a friend who listens. Maybe being the one who sends an encouraging email or gives a phone call to say that you were thinking of someone. We never know what people are going through. Sometimes, developing your spiritual gifts may be as easy as learning to listen to that inner voice that nudges you to speak to someone you don't know, and maybe befriend them.
You will never know how you can be a blessing if you don't let God develop your gifts. Be faithful in the smallest things, and He will give you more.

My Favorite

"Every good and perfect gift comes to us from above, who created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, He never changes or casts shifting shadows." -James 1:17

Mother's Know Best

When I was younger I wanted nothing more than to be independent and free. Especially from my mother. Why is it that young women need desperately to be away from our mothers, and yet we need them near?
I never realized how much I loved my mom, or just how much she loved me until July. I mean, I always knew that she loved me, but I didn't get HOW MUCH. Our relationship is strange, especially since she is not my birth mother. I've always been grateful to her for giving up her life to take me in. I've always been thankful for the sacrifices of her family, for me. They made me one of them. But I never really got it, until now. In a weird way, I never appreciated her the way that I should have.
July came and I was moving to Las Vegas. I was terrified of leaving home. I was afraid to drive alone. I didn't want to go, but I did. Mom gave up her weekend at the last second to drive with me. She wanted to make sure that I arrived safely.
When it came time for her to leave me, I cried. I was like a little girl standing in the school yard on my first day of kindergarten. I had never been without my mom. What would I do now?
I immediately became lonely. I didn't know if I could survive without this woman that had become my best friend, my mentor and the woman I wanted to be when I grew up.
Now that I am in DC- she worries about me. I am so far away. She doesn't ever hear from me. I try to explain that it's because I don't want to disappoint her. I haven't done all of the things that I said I was going to do. But in a way, I think she is proud of me, even if she hasn't said it.
I called her today. I cried and told her I wanted to come home. She said okay.
So, now, I am getting ready to leave this place so far away. I wanted my independence. Now all I want is my family.
I can't wait to see my mom!!

Return, O Israel

As I was reading my daily devotional, I realized how great it is that God knows us so well. In this time of my need, there was my devotional. It is exactly what I needed to read. I too, am in the midst of a private battle. I have finally given in to God and come to know the bittersweet defeat. I would rather lose myself to God and His will than lose my soul anyday.
It is now that I surrender fully to God.

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"If you will return, O Israel, says the Lord..." -Jeremiah 4:1

Our battles are first won or lost in the secret places of our will in God’s presence, never in full view of the world. The Spirit of God seizes me and I am compelled to get alone with God and fight the battle before Him. Until I do this, I will lose every time. The battle may take one minute or one year, but that will depend on me, not God. However long it takes, I must wrestle with it alone before God, and I must resolve to go through the hell of renunciation or rejection before Him. Nothing has any power over someone who has fought the battle before God and won there.
I should never say, "I will wait until I get into difficult circumstances and then I’ll put God to the test." Trying to do that will not work. I must first get the issue settled between God and myself in the secret places of my soul, where no one else can interfere. Then I can go ahead, knowing with certainty that the battle is won. Lose it there, and calamity, disaster, and defeat before the world are as sure as the laws of God. The reason the battle is lost is that I fight it first in the external world. Get alone with God, do battle before Him, and settle the matter once and for all.
In dealing with other people, our stance should always be to drive them toward making a decision of their will. That is how surrendering to God begins. Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning point—a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest—our best for His glory.

-Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest Devotional (www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost)

No What Ifs

What if I never make it? What if I never find the love of my life? What if I already met him, and I passed him by, for what I thought was a better find? What if...What if...What if...
I have determined that I will have no "what if's" in my life. From now on, Carpe Diem. Live life to its fullest. Pray to God that I stay in His perfect will, but if I don't, know that His grace is sufficient and expansive enough for Him to bring me back to where I need to be. And besides, no one else may love me, but He always will.

How Long?

I am sitting here on the couch watching "Joey" with Chris. The premise of the show is that Joey's nephew has moved in with him & is looking for dating advice. The nephew finally gets a girls number and there is a debate on how long to wait to call someone. Well, I am going to clear up the confusion for all of you men out there, and for the women who expect a call that night (ridiculous) and the ones who think three weeks later is acceptable.
Situation One:
You are at a party/bar/club/church/restaurant. An unknown approaches you. You talk, have great banter and he asks for your phone number.
If he doesn't call within three days, forget it. It's not happening. If he calls next week, blow him off. He was obviously not that interested and you should not be either.
Situation Two:
A friend introduces you to someone. Because you share a mutual friend, there should be some sort of communication within 24-48 hours, even if to say "It was nice meeting you, but..." (you don't want to make your friend have to explain to the other friend that there was no chemistry, be man, or woman enough to do this yourself, and quickly)
Situation Three:
You go on a date, expect a call within 48 hours (I believe 72 Hours is too long). If the date was terrible, guys, call and break it off the next day. Don't put off what you can do today for tomorrow. Fish or cut bait, one of my FAVORITE sayings when it comes to relationships. If it was great, why would you want to wait? Call her in the mid afternoon to let her know you enjoyed yourself.
RECAP:
Women don't want someone who is overly bearing. A call that night, or even the next morning may seem to be a bit too eager for a woman, and it can turn us off. HOWEVER, if you are overly aloof, we may think you are stuck on yourself, disinterested, or just a complete jackhole.
Take your time, but hurry up!

Seeing is Believing

It doesn't feel like Christmas. I was talking with a co-worker from Pakistan. In America, Christmas is so commercialized. We've lost touch with the "Reason for the Season," the birth of our Lord and Savior, the one who came to Earth in the form of a baby to die on a cross. In Pakistan, Christmas is a time for family and reflecting. I think that the pressures have gotten to us in America, and our greediness is to blame.
Working in retail allows me to come into contact with a lot of people. I hear children saying, "I want, I want, I want." I see so many people charging. Rarely is there a cash buyer. What is it worth if you end up spending three times the price in credit card interest?
When did Christmas become less about being thankful for what we do have; family, friends, health and freedom; and more about how much crap we can acquire?
I hope that when I am blessed enough to have a family of my own, I will not succumb to the pressures of spoiling my children. I hope that I will not be one of those women that demand expensive gifts to "show how much they care." Caring is year 'round. If one or two days a year we expect expensive trinkets because the men in our lives don't show they care the other 364 days of the year, maybe we should have known our men and their lack of emotional availability before we married them?
So, hold me to it. No Tiffany's for me (not unless I am blessed enough to have a man that can pay CASH and pay the other bills). I would rather be comfortable than confined by debt.
Christmas= Christ's Day. Let's stop asking, "What did I get" and ask, "What do I already have that I am thankful for?"

Nothing to Fear, but Fear Itself

Well, I've been talking about this for a while and I have finally made my decision.
I'm going home to Phoenix!
It's Christmas Eve, and as I sat in service and listened to the preacher, I realized that this was not what God had intended for me. I know that He allowed it. I know that I learned many valuable lessons from this experience, ones that I might not have learned otherwise.
One thing I realize is that my whole life I have tried to please others. I've been afraid of disappointing anyone. I've been afraid to make my own decisions. I've been afraid to say that I was wrong.
Well, here it is in one sentence. "I WAS WRONG." -and that's not a bad thing.
I am going to start facing my fears.
Maybe I won't always live up to everyone's expectations, but I've already exceeded my own.
I'm not giving up -I'm just starting a new journey in life. Who knows where this one will lead me. I know one thing is for sure...THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. (It feels great to know that you can ALWAYS go home, and to know that I am.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Seeing Purple?

I read the most recent edition of Newsweek which leads me to ask ONE question: Huh?
I am sickened by the obvious bias that is apparent and overwhelming in the back to back articles. The first ("Audacity of Hope") tells a tale of a new DNC savior, if you will, named Barack Obama. In the latter ("Mr. Right"-even has condecending tones to the title!), Rick Santorum is a meanie and we all should fear and loathe him.
I am NOT someone that you should ever go head to head with on a Santorum debate. I think the man is a great leader with morals and values. He also has a soul that hasn't been sold to get where he is and he admits his mistakes from his past and doesn't make excuses for decisions that he made. He takes responsibility, and encourages others to do so as well, which may be why the "free thinkers" can't stand him. [on a side note: I also pledged to him almost two years ago, that if he ever ran for President (obviously, after our beloved W was out of office), I would drop everything to help him in his race.]
Which all this ranting is leading somewhere, and that somewhere is here.
How can you praise one individual for "not knowing where he stands, but we know that he's a God fearing man." and condemn another for being a "devout and devoted family man -father to six home schooled children -and a senator determined to champion the church's traditional moral principles in the public square."?
I think it has to do with the lines leading up to, or following both of these sentences in each article. Obama is 'multi-racial' and praised by Harry Reid, a liberal Mormon senator from NV, the new Minority Leader, since Daschle's ousting. Santorum, however, is a white Catholic, he homeschool's his children (Oh No!), and, here is the worst of it all, Santorum is close to the White House.
If Santorum was John McCain, someone who has no party loyalty. Someone who would actually consider (or not publicly deny-same thing in politics, by the way) that he may take a shot at the VP seat for a DEMOCRATIC nominee, then the liberal media would have NO problem with him! It's because of Rick Santorum's faith, and the fact that he won't sellout, that he has cheapshots being taken at him.
Newsweek claims that Obama & Santorum are on the road to the WH in '08. They even have the nerve to compare BO to JFK by saying, Barack will be the same age as JFK when he runs (and takes office).
Oh well, since Barack has the power to 'unite' the red states and the blue states, so that we all see purple, I guess he is the answer to all of our problems. Except, we still dont know where he stands on most issues, and being a Catholic, we know where he SHOULD stand, but then again with Reid, Kerry and the rest of the left wing loonies throwing their support behind him, I think we all know where he lies.
I personally would like to keep seeing RED, so as Republicans, we all must do whatever is neccessary to make sure that we keep up the fight. Elections are not won in election years. They are won when we let down our guard and get complacent.

Pomp and Circumstance

I think I am beginning to grow up. Seriously.
Today I went for coffee at the Capitol Hill Club. This is a pretty prestigiouis place, located next to the Republican National Committee's headquarters and across from the Cannon House Office Building. As I walked in I noticed that I was relatively unaffected by the fact that I was there.
I didn't care if Karl Rove was inside, I just was unimpressed. Who cares about getting into a place that you have to be a "member at" just to have a cup of coffee?
Maybe as I get older I am harder to impress, or maybe as I get older I care less and less about impressing people or having to be impressed.
Why is it so important for people to be known? In the movie "Anchorman" Will Ferrell's character is at a party & says to a woman, "Hi, I'm Ron Burgundy, I'm pretty important. People know me around here." I feel like that is EVERY person I meet here. I like that the woman responds with, "I'm very happy for you." These are my exact sentiments!
I am tired of the game. I am tired of people wearing their resume's on their sleeve. Who cares who you work for? Who cares how you dress? I don't care if your bag came from Coach or Target, if its cute, work it. I am tired of people only talking to you if you can do something for them. I am tired of people only hanging out with people that look a certain way. I am tired of the BS, basically. Everyone needs to CHILL OUT!
Am I naive, or does the rest of the world operate this way? If so, I never noticed it before, and I'd like to go back to where it is doled out in more subtle undertones of arrogance.

You Can Putt

As I walked into my bosses office on that fateful Sunday afternoon, my eyes began to well up with tears. It was my first day on the job. Jen and I had just finished one of the LONGEST and most BORING meetings of our life. It was information overload.
My boss, MRS, called me into his office. He could tell that I was upset, or that something wasn't right. I was afraid, I was alone, and I hated Las Vegas with a PASSION.
I sat down at MRS's desk and we started to talk. My voice quivered and I told him all of the things that I was feeling and just how overwhelmed I was with being in a new place, and being all alone. Then it started to happen, the thing that every man on the face of the Earth hates. I started to cry.
Do you know what MRS's response was? Suck it up or get out, or at least that was it in a nutshell. He said to me, "If you get sad, you can putt." (MRS was not known for being a softy at that time. I was his 5th field staffer -all the others before me had been canned, and I was on my way out too, obviously. Now he's a big softy.)
MRS had this golf putter in his office and he & the boss used to hit the balls around the office when things got to be a bit stressful. I thought, "What an idiot," at the time. Now, I think to myself that I had to prove to myself that I could stick it out. That I could make it on my own.
I was alone and afraid. I didn't want to stay in Vegas, but I was needed there. The President's job was on the line. I had to suck it up because I didn't have a choice. MRS thought I was a joke. I had to prove to HIM that I wasn't a complete retard. If for nothing else, I could not leave until I showed everyone that homesick or not, I was going to work my tail off.
This is a different situation though. I have a choice here. I am not needed. I can do anything I want. That was my excuse for moving out here. I am young, I am single. I don't have anything to lose. I have no attachments and no one to answer to. Now is the perfect time.
Well, I am thinking that now may be the perfect time to throw in the towel. I am not a quitter, so that's why this is so unique for me. Normally, as I did in Vegas, I would be stubborn and pig headed & stay just to either A) tick someone off or B) prove myself to someone that didn't believe in me.
Being here has made me upset, not anyone else, and I've found that I've proven myself to the only person that matters. ME. Anyone that needs me to prove anything to them doesn't really care about me or believe in me in the first place. I am the one that has something to prove to myself.
This time around, I need to prove to myself that I really can go home. I always want people to be proud of me. I want verbal praise. I crave that in my life for some reason. Now, more than ever I am going to show myself that I can be a successful person without having to be miserable. I need to humble myself. I need to suck it up and say, you know what? I made a mistake. I wasn't supposed to be here, but I am going to make it right. I will face everyone that I told I was supposed to go, and tell them they were right, I was wrong.
One of my favorite sayings is that God gives us free will. If we stray from His will, He will always lead us back down the right path if we listen for His voice.
I'm listening now. I think it might be time to putt.

We'll see though. It's been a hard day. I need to get some sleep. I'll let you know what I decide to do tomorrow...

In Christ Alone

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." -Philippians 3:7
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You Can't Take It With You

I've noticed that it's the little things in life that seem to mean the most.
Have you ever noticed how caught up we all get in looking our best, and acquiring mass amounts of useless crap? I know that when I die I won't be able to take any of the garbage I've acquired to my grave, or beyond, so why is it so important?
Every January 1st most people make a New Year's Resolution, one that usually isn't kept. I am making mine early, and I am going to keep it. I am going to stop worrying about who's wearing what, and what kind of car so & so is driving. I don't care that I don't have the nicest car or the top of the line clothes. I know that I can't afford to drop money left and right on a whim. That is okay with me. I just don't act like it most of the time. I usually throw a mini-temper tantrum (only God is invited to this one) and say "Why does (insert name here) have this & that, and I am working so hard and I have nothing?!"
I need to learn to be a good steward of what God has given me. I need to learn to be thankful for what I do have. I know that God wants to bless me, His word says so. I don't doubt that for a minute. Maybe I am not in my dream job right now. Maybe I did work really hard in the past, but I got too big for my britches. I believe that sometimes God needs us to take a different route to get to our final destination. I believe that sometimes God wants to humble us.
Have you ever heard the saying that the Poor are closer to God? It's true.
I am BROKE right now, and my faith in God has grown exponentially. I am learning to rely on Him all over again. It's not by my strength, but by His. He will take care of me.
So from now on, instead of worrying why I don't have, I am going to start thanking God for what I do have.

Good Word

"But Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence." -Jeremiah 17:7, NLT

He is Still on the Throne

Pastor Barnett always says that no matter what your circumstances, God is still on the throne. He doesn't stop being God & He doesn't stop loving you just because your life isn't perfect.

Having Absolutely Nothing to Do with Politics

A friend recently approached me with a question as to what he should do with the current predicament he found himself to be in with Men's Shoe fashion. Apparently tassels are everywhere to be found. He asked me what I thought. Here is my honest opinion on the shoe industry's illustrious love affair with the tasseled shoe for men (and if they put it on a woman's shoe, I will probably boycott the company forever).
A man under the age of 33 should NOT ever wear a tasseled shoe. I only say NEVER because the only time it is appropriate on a younger man is when they are capable of pulling off the YUPPIE look, a la Don Johnson in Miami Vice, circa 1984. If a man can wear a white suit (which I also don't recommend anyone trying, this is not amateur hour here) or a HOT pink polo shirt (collar always popped) with loafers & no socks (Tammy- I'm thinking Kenny is in this mix somewhere, he can pull off the tassels, but he is like 35)...I'm digressing here- THEN TASSELS ARE ALLOWED. I say older men can pull this off because if they don't have a knowing, loving woman in their life, they don't know any better and we accept it by default.
The second option is if you work in the financial or science industries. I mean, and not to sound like a slam or anything, but you guys are known for being dorks, right? Okay, look at it this way: 1) You are probably intelligent and you have money (or at least know how to manage it well enough to make it look as though you have money)- therefore, most women will over look the shoes (even if they do have the dreaded tassel). AND 2) Most of the men I have known that are bankers, accountants and science geeks usually make me laugh so hard I almost pee my pants (this friend included), so once again, tassels are overlooked.
Point being, any man that will not object to a woman dressing him and wants to spend an hour or so with any said woman in question, all you have to do is say, "I don't know what kind of shoes to get, can you come to the mall with me?" You are making a woman very happy in many ways: 1) You are telling a woman that you want her to spend your money. 2) You are giving a woman permission to go shopping. 3) You are admitting in advance that you will probably screw this up if you do it on your own.
The Navy Blue Dilemma:
NEVER WEAR BLACK WITH NAVY BLUE. I have seen a lot of this lately. I am extremely upset, and somewhat offended. When did this become okay? I never got the memo, and even if Mr. Blackwell himself gave the okay, I am going to veto this decision. Burgundy shoes? Yes. Brown shoes? Okay. Black? Never. (Unless you are a Marine in Dress Blues, then you can do WHATEVER YOU WANT!!) Greg, the fact that you just admitted to me that you are an offender today, as I write this, makes me seriously cringe.
When in doubt, ask a woman. If there isn't one around, go to Banana Republic or Nordstroms and find the nearest gay guy. Oxfords, Greg, Oxfords. They look great with everything.

Proverbs 18:24

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." -Proverbs 18:24

People have swept into my life like a summer breeze, and swept out just as quickly. In our lives we meet people that are around for a moment, a season, or for a lifetime. No matter what the time period, or reason that they are there...They just are.
How often have we taken for granted those that stand by us, lift us up, encourage us, and basically just put up with our garbage? I know that there are too many times, more than I can count on both hands, and probably feet, that I have done this. So, to all of my great friends, THANK YOU. I would not be who I am, good or bad, without you.

Yuletide Carols Being Sung by a Choir

Have you ever looked at your life and thought about things that you take for granted?
I am sitting here, and I realize that a lot of my friends back home are in the Christmas Play. They are on stage as I write this. That makes me sad. Not for them, for me. The things that I have tried so desperately to get away from, are the things that I missed the most.
I miss getting to the church early and going into the prayer room. I miss setting up my makeup station and screaming that someone has stolen my (insert one, or all of the following): lip brush/concealer brush/ blush brush/ red lipstick, eye liner. Or because someone has set up their stuff in my station. GRRR! Then an adoring fan brings me a Gingerbread latte from Starbucks. Then my fans begin to line up so that I can make them beautiful for their closeups. I laugh and make jokes. I enjoy what I do. It makes me feel good to know that people rely on me. To know that people think I do a good job. It may not be much, but I've always liked making people happy. I don't know when I decided that that was a bad trait to have.
Then, I look down at my watch and realize that the curtain is going up and the choir is singing "Joy to the World" and I have to be on stage in 5 minutes and I am so NOT ready! I go screeching down the hallway, running down flights of stairs, and usually bumping into four to five random cast members. Then a devoted friend helps me change into my costume (remember when we did the 1800's scene? Hoop skirts & bonnets... Fake British accents. Charles Dickens is the picture of Christmas!).
Then I get to go on stage and sing and dance and act cheesy. I have fun. It's my life. I've been running from this for the past few years because I have been running from being someone that everyone wants me to be. I was trying to find out who I was. I knew who I was the whole time.
I miss going with all of the Youth Group kids to Starbucks, or to Dairy Queen, or Rolberto's (for greasy, yummy, Mexican food), or TP-ing at one of the pastor's houses. (I think JP is still ticked about that!) Let's also not forget about late night trips to the Super Walmart!
I miss hanging out with my mom. I miss seeing my friend's kids & hearing them talk about seeing Santa. I want to watch White Christmas with Lynda. I want to laugh at every line of Elf with Missy- because you're a cotton headed ninny muggins! (And play Apples to Apples & WIN!) I want to drink hot chocolate and talk with a friend. Do you know I haven't even watch my Christmas staple movies yet this year? (The original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman," & "Charlie Brown Christmas.")
So, moral of the story...It took me moving FAR away to realize that there is no place like home.

Drip, Drip, Drop Little April Showers

WHY IS IT RAINING SO MUCH?!?!
It's already rained this once this week. It rained all day today. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. Ugh. I didn't know that I moved to Seattle...
Anyway, today was a depressing day, but I am getting over it. There is something about the rain that makes me want to sleep, or watch an old movie, or do both. I slept until 11:30 (don't tell Chris, he might have a heart attack) and then I read, and then I watched the news and then part of a movie. So lets just say that it was a totally meaningless day. But I loved the fact that I didn't have to interact with anyone and I didn't have to be intelligent or happy for anyone.
Patty called me and we were supposed to go to a political happy hour. Since neither of us felt like being 'social' we decided to meet for dinner.
It's nice how complete strangers turn into the most trusted friends. We met at this great Italian place and had some pasta (GASP! Carbs!!) and a bottle of Pinot Grigio (a must). She really encouraged me to keep going and not to give up on DC. She also let me know that it was okay to make mistakes (see earlier posts about stupid southern men) and I will be okay. Its nice to hear someone else say it every now and then. (Sometimes my pep talks that I give to myself are not so convincing.)
So after a day of rain, and the thought of getting up at the crack of dawn to go to work at a department store, I actually have gained a bit more confidence and I know that things are going to be okay. Rain or shine, things are going to be okay.

Psalm 66:19

God is faithful. He answers prayers. He takes care of those that are faithful to Him and His word. I am standing on His promise that says, "For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

I am asking for prayer for favor here in DC and for God's hand to guide me in the right direction, that I would cross paths with those that will help me find the job that I am supposed to be in. I also need God's provision financially.

Thanks for standing in prayer with me.

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on Earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in Heaven." -Matthew 18:19

Apathy, Party of 200, Your Table is Ready

Well, I was shocked when I logged onto to the Arizona Young Republican website (www.arizonayr.com) today to read the "Victory" note that was posted, along with a dashing photo of our President. I love that so many people take so much pride in doing so little. It would have been more proper to say, "Thank you Danielle, Amanda, Gabi, Val, Jess..." (I know I have left out a few names, but unfortunately, not many.) I hate to sound bitter or hateful, but here I go anyway.
Since when does being a part of an organization, by name and a membership due ONLY, entitle you to the fruits of others labor? I can name on one, MAYBE two hands the people who were faithfully out working at the grassroots level to see our President re-elected, from the YR's group. It's amazing how NOT EVEN OUR CHAIRMAN went to phone banks, and actually MADE CALLS. I mean, it's one thing for you to go and do the work and occasionally chit chat, as Danielle, Jessica, Gabi & I did, but it is QUITE ANOTHER to show up & not do a damn thing. I understand that people are busy. I understand that we all have lives. Let's take a little pride in our country though. This effort was not an effort to elevate ourselves in the eyes of others, but to elevate our President in the eyes of his constituents, fellow citizens and neighbors.
In two years we have to make damn sure that we get Napolitano out of office. Will the YR's turn out in FULL FORCE then, or will it be another pathetic attempt to look as though we are working, but really not doing much of anything? What would have happened if George W. Bush was not re-elected? How many people would have then said, "What could I have done differently, or more so to change the outcome?"
We should never have to ask ourselves this question under any circumstances. The answer should always be, "I HONESTLY did everything I could."
One hour a week makes more of a difference than no hours ever.

Hurry Up & Wait

Well, here I am in our Nation's Capitol. I wonder why though. I mean I am sitting in my apartment not doing anything but praying that my phone will ring or that someone will send me an email saying, "We want to hire you. You start tomorrow."
Alas, this has not happened. So I hurried out here so I could sit and wait. So here I am...Waiting, and waiting some more, and still waiting. I get to start pounding the pavement tomorrow. (Joy of joys).
Tonight I am going to the Bush-Cheney HQ in VA to volunteer (everything comes full circle, doesn't it?) and hopefully there I will make some new contacts that can help me in my quest to reach the top.
So as I keep waiting, I will keep you all updated on my search.

Climbing Forward Makes it Hard to Look Back

On to the next phase of my life! I'm moving to D.C. in two days. I cannot believe it!!
When I was younger I had something that my dear friend Katie would refer to as "Divine Ignorance," referring to the phrase, "Ignorence is Bliss." I was perfectly content to never go anywhere, meet anyone or do anything with my life. Obviously that all has changed.
I am stepping out in complete faith, believing that God will grant me CRAZY FAVOR and I will land a great job when arrive, since I have exactly $200 to my name, and I owe a LOT more than that in bills for this coming month. It's weird because I believe that anything is possible and I am hoping and trusting for the best. "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, we trust in the name of the Lord our God."-Psalm 20:6-8.
God has always been faithful, and He has brought me too far for me to give up now.
Pastor Barnett spoke this morning about being a quitter, a camper or a climber. I have always been a camper. Content to stay in one place once I reach a plateau, never wanting or longing to move forward, being complacent in what God has given me. I have decided that God has called me to be a climber. To reach higher. To go farther. How can I glorify God when I am not consistently trusting in Him and aiming to do His great will in my life? The Bible says clearly that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those that earnestly seek Him." -Hebrews 11:5-7
I have chosen to earnestly seek God and God's will for my life.
Years ago I believed that I was called to be a wife and a mother. That was it. And while those are huge undertakings I do not believe that I would be happy if I had followed that path, unless I kept my divine ignorance and went with the "what you don't know won't hurt you" theory. After all, If you don't know there is grass on the other side, how can it be greener?
Anyway, I've rambled on incoherently for long enough. I am going, and hopefully you will read of great things to come in my life on this site. I will keep you all updated.
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1

Civility is Not a Sign of Weakness

The title line for my blog posting today was taken from President Kennedy's inaugural address in 1961. If you have never read it, it is beautiful. (http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres56.html)
Today was a day of reverence for myself. I awoke to a dreary day with clouds and drizzle. There were no birds chirping or squirrels playing outside. I thought to myself, this is the perfect day to go visit the National Cemetery. It is hard to go to a place as reverent and beautiful as Arlington when the sun is shining brightly and the birds are singing. You want to go on a day when you feel as though you could cry anyway, so why not make it a cry for a good reason. I went to cry and remember those who have died for my freedoms.
When I arrived however, I was quite shocked to hear all of the people around me yelling and talking and laughing as if they were in an amusement park. The sight is so magnificent and devout, I could never bring myself to go there with another person, because I feel that remembering those whose lives were given for our freedom is something we should do in solitude. I was disgusted to hear how many people acted as though these soldiers lives were nothing to be thankful for. Then again, I am the kind of person that always has, and always will think that it is better to err on the side of respect (I even found myself shooshing people at President Kennedy's tomb).
It may be out of turn for me to say it, but are these the people who might have been the "human shields" months ago at the beginning of the Iraqi war? The people who did not have respect for the lives of the Iraqi's and thought nothing of our soldiers? If you cannot respect a fallen life, why would you enter the grounds in the first place?
It is painful for me to think that the memory of those that were so brave, and so unfortunate is trodden on daily by those that go to ANC, just for the sake of going, not because they want to thank the soldiers or remember that our Freedoms are precious. To some people Arlington will never be more than a tourist site.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/

Changing Leaves, Changing Lives

Here I am in our Nation's Capitol. Well, not really. I am sitting in an apartment in Rosslyn, VA. But same diff. I am a hop, skip & a jump from D.C. (literally about 2 metro rides away, or 10 minutes).
Okay, so anyway, like I was saying before all of the technicalities- I'm here in Washington, D.C. and it is so beautiful! I love it here. All around me the leaves on the trees are changing colors and there are squirrels frolicking in the brightly colored red & orange piles. It is so different from what I am used to. This place is so picturesque. Almost like a Thomas Kincaid painting or something.
I have met a lot of really great people while I have been here and I am enjoying my time so much. Thinking about moving here is scary, but at the same time very exiting. It is a chance for me to prove to everyone, but mostly myself that I am capable of being more than a secretary or a housekeeper.
I remember back to when I was younger, and even just a couple of years ago, all I wanted to do was get married and have kids. That was because I didn't think I could do anything else. Not that I am implying that marriage and family are small feats or insignificant in anyway, I just didn't have drive or ambition for anything else. I was merely going to settle for the least, what I could get by with in life without trying.
Here I stand today. I am young, intelligent, and ambitious. The only problem with that statement is that so is everyone else in this town. I have had to prove my whole life that I could do things that everyone else said was impossible, showing the nay-sayers that little people can do big things. So here I am, waiting for someone, anyone to give me a chance to be more than an assistant. Begging for an opportunity. Hoping that someone will see in me a spark or something different. I know that I don't have a higher education, so I will have to work harder than others that have a degree (or five), but I don't mind working hard, I've done it all of my life & I will do it until the day that I die.
I will be traveling home next week for Thanksgiving and hopefully by then I will have an update as to what is to come for me. Until then, I will keep pounding the pavement, so to speak (and boy do my feet hurt!) and annoying people until they give me a chance.

A few quotes on ambition to leave you with...

"If you have a great ambition, take as big a step possible in the direction of fulfilling it. The step may only be a tiny one, but trust that it may be the largest one possible for now." -Mildred McAfee

"A person who aims at nothing is sure to hit it." -Unknown

"The men who succeed are an efficient few. They are the few that have ambition and will power to develop themselves." -Herbert N. Casson

"Great ambition is the passion of great character." -Napoleon Bonaparte

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." -Thomas Carlyle

"To those of you that earned honors, awards and distinctions, I say well done. And to the C students, I say you, too, can be President of the United States." -President George W. Bush

(that last one was my favorite, I afterall was a C student!)

Moving Ahead and Leaving the Past Behind

Four months ago I started this blog and I HATED Las Vegas. I didn't think I would make it through my time here. I felt like I was in a prison.
Now that I am sitting in my office, clearing off my files from computer and emptying filing cabinets and I can't believe that I am leaving. I have built relationships and come to love my life here.
I am sitting here thinking about the first time I stepped foot into this office. I am thinking about the internal changes that have taken place in my life. I think that this AMAZING opportunity has changed me for the better. It has taught me that I am stronger than I thought. I am able to do so much more than I ever could have dreamed. I learned what I want out of life, and what I expect from myself. No longer do I have slight dreams, I have God-sized aspirations, knowing that only with Him can I accomplish anything.
I am excited for the next phase in my life. I am excited that you all will be coming along for the ride, so to speak...
Many thanks for your love and support.

Don't Like America? Move to France...

Well, I was watching the news tonight & I heard the remark that there are American's that can't stand President Bush so much that they would leave for Canada. Well, personally, if that's your feeling, please go.
I was NOT a fan of Bill Clinton, and I have my issues with many politicians, but I believe that if we as an American people elect these leaders, we must live with them. I also believe that we live in the greatest country in the world. The country that allows you to openly hate others without oppression. In fact, those of us that are on the Right are more oppressed, even though we are the majority, more than the left wing minority.
If you hate freedom, and you want to leave, no one is stopping you.

FOUR MORE YEARS!!

Okay, so it's finally over and after all is said & done, W is STILL the President.
I put blood, sweat & tears into this campaign, and it is finally over. I have to say that it is some what anti-climactic. I mean, after everything it is all over.
I want to say thank you to every person who gave up and sacrificed something to make sure our President was re-elected. I am so overwhelmed by the amount of people that took time off of work to come out and walk precincts and make phone calls to constituents. The grassroots efforts were amazing, and we could not have won this state, or any state without the volunteers. Especially the ones who came in early in the morning and stayed late into the night. The women who never saw their husbands, and the children that stayed in the lobby and put together yard signs while their parents made calls. The husbands giving up their hot meals and clean socks so their wives could come down to help do data entry & schedule poll watchers, or anything else we may have asked for. It brings tears to my eyes when I think of how many sacrificed and that they were so ready and willing to do so, never even blinking an eye when we asked them to do some of the most ridiculous and most tedious tasks possible.
I cannot say it enough, THANK YOU. There are no words that can express the way that I feel about the people that I met during my time here in Nevada. You all were a GREAT help to me, and to our President. Take care and keep in touch.
Val

Can't We All Just Get Along?

With only three days left to go in the campaign you would think that Republicans would be united. ESPECIALLY those working towards the same cause. Unfortunately I have seen more chaos within our party in these past few weeks than I have in my whole life.
Everyone is out for their own career and their own self gratification. I have never encountered so many people that think that they are God's gift to the Earth, the Republican Party or to the President himself. (It also amazes me that so many people think that if they call ME I will directly talk to President Bush about what Mrs. Jones or Mr. Smith think we should be doing differently within the campaign. Yeah, sure, I'll get right on that, as soon as Karl Rove & Ken Mehlman leave the oval office I will go ahead & march myself in there & get that policy changed!)
Anyway, I said all of that to say, its time for Republicans & Democrats for Bush to stand up & unite. We are all working towards the same prize. Another four years. A sure way to get Kerry in the White House (Ugh, those words in the same sentence make me sick), is to continue down this road of selfishness, caring only that we look good, instead of making the President look GREAT.
Remember, 3 days left. Vote your conscience. Vote the Issues. Vote for W.

Five Days to Victory...

Okay, so here's where the campaign stands as of right now. (A Re-Cap for those of you living under a ROCK!)
There are 10 Target (Battleground) states in the election this year. Each state is chosen for many different reasons. One way is how many electoral votes the states have (http://www.fec.gov/pages/ecworks.htm) , another is the percentage of votes that went to Al Gore or George W. Bush in the 2000 election.
A Quick Breakdown for You (www.RealClearPolitics.com):
Bush 48/ Kerry 46/ Nader 1 (I still am shocked and amazed that Nader can get a whole 1% of the vote).
The Electoral Vote as of now stands at 232 Bush to 207 Kerry (HECK YES!). With 10 Battleground states, and the BIG ones leaning towards Bush, I see a light at the end of the tunnel...The angels are singing "HALLELUJAH!"
I leave you with these parting words. In 2000, Bush lost the state of New Mexico by 187 votes. EVERY VOTE COUNTS.

::MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT ON NOVEMBER 2nd::

VICTORY!

"VICTORY at all costs, VICTORY in spite of terror, VICTORY however long and hard the road may be; For without VICTORY there is no survival." -Winston Churchill

Just another 12 days.
AMAZING...I cannot wait to sleep.

Love you all. Be good & remember to Vote for George W. Bush!!

I Am SO Tired!

Sorry to any and all of you who have been reading this and waiting for something new. Unfortunately, I have been so busy & so tired that I haven't been able to write anything new, and I have had nothing exciting happen lately. My other problem is that it hurts to use my brain, so doing any creative writing is a bit difficult.
Feel free to skim through my past thoughts, and when this is all over (or maybe sooner) I will have something new posted.

Be Strong and Take Courage

My first post on this blog was about being courageous enough to face your fears and to make things happen. Things have been happening here in Vegas, that's for sure.
This morning in church, Pastor Paul read from Deuteronomy & Joshua. The scriptures he taught from talked about facing our fears and how God goes before us. HE makes a way for us. We don't need to fight the battle, its already been done, we just have to claim the victory and walk in it.
We live in a weak society. Everyone is looking for the easy way out.
The Bible clearly states that obedience is better than sacrifice. God may tell us to do something that we don't want to do, in the end, if we are obedient to His will and His calling we will be blessed abundantly.
We need to stop looking for the easy way out. Nothing is free, and anything worth something is worth stepping out in faith for and obeying for a moment or two of discomfort. I for one would rather be uncomfortable for a few months or years, rather than living a lifetime of regret and what ifs.
If you feel that there is something telling you to make a change or to step out in faith, do it. Stop making excuses, face your fear. It may turn out to be the greatest opportunity of your life.
A true leader recognizes the next step, and courageously pushes on. Are you a courageous leader?
"Courage is what we do with our strength. It's doing the right thing rather than doing what's convenient."

Remembering Those Worth Remembering

When I think about that morning, it feels like it was just this morning. There was a knock on my bedroom door. And I yelled, "I'm up!" -As is my custom, because I hate to wakeup, so somehow yelling that I'm up makes me feel like its okay or justifiable to keep my lazy but in bed for another five minutes. I heard Carolyn yell through the door, "Get up! We've been hit! Get up!"
I immediately became filled with fear. My emotions were running rampant. I didn't know what to think, or what to say. I ran out of my bedroom and into the living room. I sat there on the couch, in awe and utter silence. I cried uncontrollably. I kept my eye on the TV at all times. I made sure that when I left for work I knew what was happening. I listed to talk radio all day and the news all night. Hoping. Praying. Thinking to myself, "We have to do something, but what?"
The next few days were a blur. I remember saying things that I normally would not say. I remember mustering up the courage to tell someone that I loved them and could not live without them. Thinking, "What if Phoenix is next? Will they know how I feel?" Suddenly I was right with God, and right with everyone I knew.
I thought to myself, and I prayed to God. I thanked him for sending us a leader as wonderful as George W. Bush. The right man for the job. The one who would stand up and protect us.
As we near the election, I get tired and I get fed up and I think, I just want to go home. I want to see my family, I want to see my friends. Then I remember those worth remembering. The thousands that died on September 11th. The millions that died at the hands of Saddam Hussein. I cannot think of a better reason to get to the polls on November 2nd and make sure that George W. Bush is re-elected than those men and women that fight on daily to make sure I have the freedom to vote. He will make sure we are still a strong and protected country, at least for another four years.

Here Buildings Fell, Here a Nation Rose...

As I sat in my office watching Governor Pataki make his introduction last night, I thought to myself, "This is by far the most moving moment since 9/11." Governor Pataki praised the citizens from around the country that had rallied together in a time when the Nation needed them the most. The unity was breathtaking and awe inspiring. There are few times when we can actually use these words truthfully.
Last night would be one of those nights that would render this to be truthful. I saw a man full of character walk out onto a stage, and look into an audience of people, and into a camera speaking to millions and almost pierce the very being of those watching because of how humble he is.
There is never a question of George W. Bush's intentions. He wants to be President for another four years because he believes that he can do great things for a great nation. He knows that this world needs a strong and decisive leader. He is those things and so much more, including kind, caring, and humble.
John Kerry cannot be described by any of these words, nor should they ever be used in the same sentence as his name. Here is a man that stands for nothing, and falls for everything. He shallow and shady. As Dick Cheney said today, "More shifts with the wind than just the wildfire." And he is right. Depending on who Kerry is talking to, you will get a variation of answers. Nothing is definite, nothing is final.
Thinking back to the days after the Towers fell, and the Pentagon was hit, I remember the unity that was felt. The sense of Pride that we as Americans took. I remember how we would do anything for a neighbor we had never talked to before. Suddenly things that were not important passed away.
It is time for America to become united again. To realize that without a strong, steady and decisive leader we may have many more September 11th's to come. Its a scary thought. When it comes down to it though, these are the facts we have to face.
In President Bush's speech last night at the RNC Convention, he said, "Since 2001, Americans have been given hills to climb, and found the strength to climb them. Now, because we have made the hard journey, we can see the valley below. Now, because we have faced challenges with resolve, we have historic goals within our reach, and greatness in our future. We will build a safer world and a more hopeful America — and nothing will hold us back."
It is our job as Americans, as citizens that have the RIGHT to VOTE, to do just that. We live in the greatest country on Earth. We have freedoms that most people could never even dream of. If you want to keep those freedoms, and not have to worry about waking up one morning and having to learn to speak Arabic, I suggest you vote wisely. Although the War on Terror is a tough battle, we must never forget the price of freedom. As it is inscribed on the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C. "Freedom is Not Free."
Men have shed their blood, given up their lives and died for us. All so we could have the very freedoms we take for granted. I am a patriotic American. I do think that America is the greatest place on Earth. I also believe it when I hear the words of Tony Blair, "A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in...And how many want out." Take pride in our country. Take pride in your rights and freedoms. Vote to keep them.

Flip Flopping to the White House

I received a call last night from a friend of mine. Let's just say this guy doesn't exactly have the most conservative ideals. He is probably one of my only (if the only) Left leaning friends I have.
He called me and wanted to discuss the mocumentary "Fahrenheit 9-11." I told him that as of yet I have not seen the movie for two reasons. One: I do not have time to go see movies, although I would love to have two hours to myself to do nothing but veg out. Two: I REFUSE to give my money to anyone who lambastes and smears another's good name for the sake of their own personal gain.
Gary and I started talking about discrepancies in the movie, that I have heard about and read about. I also started talking to him about how John Kerry & Michael Moore like to say that President Bush took too much time to address the nation after the first attacks on the World Trade Center. Did you know that John Kerry admitted himself that he sat silently, inactive for over 30 minutes between the attack on the Towers and the Pentagon. Interesting.
Kerry also has claimed within the recent weeks that, even knowing what we know now about Saddam & WMD's, and various other issues that we went to Iraq over, he still WOULD have voted FOR the resolution to go to war. But he still voted against the money to support our troops after he helped send them there.
Then there is the latest debacle. Kerry's own campaign website touted that he was the VICE CHAIR of the SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. That was actually Bob Kerrey, of Nebraska. John Kerry was actually absent for 76-78% of the public hearings for the SIC. (Hardly something that is acceptable for a Vice Chair of a committee). Since Kerry is claiming that his eight years of service on the committee is a qualifying factor for holding the highest office in the land, I would suggest that he might want to show up for the hearings, otherwise I am just as qualified to be the POTUS.
As for making erroneous claims of leadership within high ranking Senate Committees, and then taking days to make corrections after you are caught...Probably not such a hot idea.
How can any American, in good conscience, vote for someone who changes their mind so frequently, but does not have the backbone to back up their decisions? Being the MOST liberal voting senator, even ahead of Teddy Kennedy, but pandering to the moderates, the pro-life vote ("I believe life begins at conception, however...), and the anti-war crowd (although it's funny that his newest tag line is "This is John Kerry reporting for duty!") has got to be a hard job to do . No wonder he can't remember who he is, what positions he's held or what experience he has. When you start lying like that all of the time, you are bound to start believing it yourself. You forget what is fact and what is fiction.
I say, stick to the truth, be who you are. Stop pandering. If you are a liberal, pinko commie, be a liberal, pinko commie. If you are a right wing nut job, be a right wing nut job. Have a position, know the facts, stick to it. Even when people don't like what you say, if you know why you believe what you believe, people will listen to your ideas a bit more.

Reverence and Awe. The Importance of Having Good Friends & Faith in Your Life

I received an email from a VERY good friend this morning asking for prayer. I began thinking of how I have my own issues that I could use prayer for. I then asked myself, why am I not using the God-given gifts of His very own people? The Bible says that if two or more gather together in agreement, that whatever you ask will be heard.
I then started thinking about how as Christians, or mild-believers, our tendency is to only go to God when we need something. We only pray for our friends when they are need. Why do we not lift them up in times of strength and peace asking for continued blessings?
One of the greatest aspects of our Christian faith is that we are surrounded with others that believe as we do. They are there to lift us up, to encourage us, as we are to be there for them. There is much uncertainty in life. I think that God purposely makes life this way. It forces us to fully rely on Him, to 'lean not on our own understanding.' If we knew every turn that we would take in our lives, we may not ever reach our full potential, we would never be forced to face trials. We would never fully grow or be stretched.
Life was not meant to be comfortable. We were meant to step outside of our comfort zones, to think outside of the box, so to speak.
So I said all of that to say, prayer is important. Having friends that are like minded are important. I am thankful for every person that has ever prayed for me, every person who has ever influenced my life in any way, shape or form. I am glad that I don't always know where God is leading me. I am glad that sometimes I look ahead & cannot see what is in store. I am also thankful that when I look back, God has always lead me to where I am standing now. I never have to fear what lies ahead, He is always with us, and He will never leave us or forsake us.
"Serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear for our God is a consuming fire." -Hebrews 12:28-29

Don't Get Married If You Can't Stay Faithful

What happened to people getting married and staying married, and more importantly, staying committed to each other? Has everyone on the face of the Earth forgotten their vows once they say "I Do?"
I was watching Fox News this morning (as all good republicans do), and they did a story on websites that are catering to marrieds looking for dates. They listed several websites, and there was one owner and operator of a website that actually admitted that he too cheated on his wife.
I know that it may seem naive of me, but I'm an old fashioned kinda girl. Once I get married, I am hoping and praying that my husband will stay faithful to me, and that we will stay married, "Till Death Do Us Part..."
I met a man this weekend who was in the middle of his second divorce. He had two children with both of his ex wives. He was only 34 years old, and extremely self centered. I was trying to read this man. He was not bad looking, by any means, but the way he carried himself was quite awkward. He said his second wife had cheated on him several times, but he still loved her. Well, I've never been in this situation so I can't really judge, but knowing my personality, it would have to be an act of God for me to stay with someone who did that to me, but is there a chance?
I don't condone cheating on spouses, or significant others for that matter. But what the heck has happened to our society? The divorce rate is rampant, and on one website alone they listed over 160,000 members looking to cheat on their spouses.
Something is extremely wrong with a society that would condone such behavior. In a recent poll taken, 50% of men and 40% of women cheat on their spouse. Which leads me to the question, why even get married in the first place?

Sex on the Brain? Not Using the Word in the Same Context.

The anti-Bush/Cheney crowd is using the media as their force, as usual, to remind everyone that Dick Cheney told Patrick Leahy to "Go F--- Yourself." While I do not condone the usage of expletives, I cannot say that I blame VP Cheney. If I had the chance, I probably would have said it too. With that being said though, it is not cute or funny (well, maybe a little funny, in this instance) to swear at colleagues, or anyone for that matter.
However, the media is comparing the Cheney quote to another campaign quote uttered from the other side, "Shove it." -Isn't that convenient? They've forgotten that their fearless (hopeful) leader, John F. Kerry used the F word himself just a few months ago. In a 'Rolling Stone Magazine' interview Kerry pandered to the "hipper, younger crowd of today's pop culture," by saying, ''I voted for what I thought was best for the country. Did I expect Howard Dean to go off to the left and say, 'I'm against everything'? Sure. Did I expect George Bush to f - - - it up as badly as he did? I don't think anybody did."
At least Cheney's was said in a bit of a fit of rage. I think we all (or almost all) have uttered a few words we ought not to have when our tempers were a bit heated. But why would someone vying for a position as high as the President of the United States say it in an interview, so non-chalantly, as casually as a trucker at a rest stop would say it?
It's simple. John Kerry is not cool. He rides his Harley, trying to act hip. He uses the F word, trying to sound hip. The fact is, he is not like any of us. Especially those of us in our mid-twenties and early thirties. He wants us to think he is hip, but the reality is, we almost all think he's boring as watching paint dry. Can any of us really relate to his life? He speaks in such a drone, I think the only way he could get the younger generations to pay attention to what he was saying was with the expletive.
Of course the media has let this slide. They choose only to remind us of Cheney's short comings. Kerry is a political genius in their minds, and it is okay for him to swear. Once again the proof that the media is slanted to the left.
Oh well, if this is the intelligence level that today's politicians are sinking to, we may be in trouble, or in for entertainment. Can you imagine what the next G8 Summit may sound like? Or even a meeting with the UN? Although, I think someone may need to tell Chirac and Schroeder to "Go F--- Themselves," it's not really the best way to get the respect we deserve or command the authority that we already have.
Just my random thoughts for the day...

We Are Not All the Same

I was reading a news article recently that said that in the year 2000, 41% of women voted Democrat, but that has now shifted to a percentage split at 34% Democrats, 31% Republicans, and 33% Independents. Of that though, the vote is split even more. Women who have children tend to vote more conservative (no matter what the party affiliation) because of issues that may effect family and education.
The issues that tend to be deemed the "Women's Issues" are not things that necessarily determine the way the majority of women in this country vote. While there are some who are staunchly pro-family and pro-life, they do not determine who they vote for on a single issue basis, for the most part. The same is true for the opposing side. (6% of pro-life women polled vs. 3% of pro-choicers polled said that the issue Life/Family/Marriage would determine how they vote in this upcoming election).
Ann Richards said today at the DNC Convention that "Men vote Republican, it's up to women to vote Democrat." I've never heard such comment from a 'progressive' woman. Wasn't the point of the feminist revolution to give freedom to women everywhere to make their own decisions? Apparently not if you don't agree with Richards, Steinem and Rodham-Clinton.
The media will not give in to the idea that the political atmosphere is quite different today, in 2004, than it was in 1974. Equal pay, workers rights and women's issues are all important, just not the only thing that we vote for, or look at when choosing a candidate, for the most part.
The most important issues weighing on the minds of American women are the Economy, Homeland Security, and Healthcare. The same three issues that are at the top of the list for the majority of men in this country.
I am not saying that the other issues are not important, because the reason I am republican is mostly because of the social issues. Those issues do determine why I vote the way that I do, however, when it comes down to it, I am going to vote for the most qualified candidate, and weigh all of the issues, not just one.
It's time to look at the issues, and let the media know that Women are progressive and intelligent and that is why we will vote for George W. Bush.

HATE-TRIOTISM

As promised, here are (some of) my thoughts on the wonderful hypocrisy that is Michael Moore.
Yesterday at the DNC Convention he was quoted as shouting, "The right wing is not where America is at. Most Americans, in their heart, are liberal and progressive. It's just a small minority of people who hate. They hate. They exist in the politics of hate." He then went on to say, "They're not patriots. They're hate-triots, and they believe in the politics of hate-triotism. Hate-triotism is where they stand, and patriotism is where real Americans stand."
Apparently he hasn't heard himself speak lately. I have never heard anyone speak with such vitriol for anyone, as Michael Moore has about President Bush and this administration. Even Hillary Clinton nagging and Al Gore's drone put together do not come close to the obsessive style of ousting Bush.
Moore has devoted his whole life to exposing "the lie" that is George W. Bush's presidency. Apparently he hasn't watched any of his own "masterpieces." -He is consistently incorrect with facts, purposely editing quotes in a manner that would imply the guilt of W. And his BIG LIE of the link between Al Qaeda and Saddam to 9/11.
I am fine with people speaking their minds, but I don't appreciate when the said person is so unintelligent that they cannot come up with a factual representation of their side of the story. If you think that this administration misled the people of America, fine, that's your opinion, but PLEASE, have an intelligent defense, and make it reasonable before you set out to convince every living person on the face of the Earth of the guilt of one man.
Michael Moore claims that Republicans & Conservatives, "they are up at six in the morning trying to figure out which minority group they're going to screw today." Really? I don't recall the democratic party doing much to HELP minorities, other than giving them hand outs and disabling them more than they ever have been. (And besides that, I think he is giving WAY too much credit to most Americans, regardless of their partisanship, do we really think of anyone ever, especially at 6:00 in the morning)?
Apparently Moore forgot to mention the lavish penthouse he resides at in Manhattan, and the fact that his child goes to private school. (I'm not saying these things are bad, but I also don't shout at others who provide their families with the same luxuries). If you are so concerned with the drug problem, or the gang violence that is a common occurrence on any street in America, get off your butt and do something about it. Don't blame others, don't expect others to do something about it, especially when you have the means to help.
Moral of the story, Michael Moore is the pot, Republicans are the kettle. Don't shout hypocrisy when you are just as guilty, if not more so.

Barbara Boxer Gets Her Standing Ovation

During the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual & Transgendered Caucus this week (of course taking place during the DNC Convention), Senator Barbara Boxer, D-California, proclaimed that, "George Bush has decided that this year you are the scapegoat, and I'm here to tell you that nobody is going to make you a scapegoat." She then continued with "The choices of this administration are hurtful choices. No one should be rewarded for hurting people."
Really? Is that how she really feels? I remember her speech during the debates on banning Partial Birth Abortion, as compelling as her pro-abortion colleagues may have found it to be, I for one, was disgusted by it. If she feels that the Republican Party, one that stands for LIFE and the respect of it, is a hurtful party, then where does that leave the Democratic Party?
The Dems have repeatedly campaigned on the issues of "Women's Rights." When does the woman's right begin and the fetus' right end?
I can tell you that allowing a child to be killed only weeks from its own delivery cannot be something that 'feels good,' and yet the Dems are harassing the Bush Administration for their hurtful crimes. Over 44 million un-born children have been murdered, and WE are the ones that are hurtful.
Republicans are typically the ones who believe in the sanctity of life and the respect for the institute of marriage. We want a better America, a better world, and to provide a better life for generations that are to come. How is providing a stable environment for those that we care about, and those we do not know a 'hurtful' choice? Statistics have showed that with the divorce rate rampant, and the teen pregnancy, fatherless homes and abortion rates WAY up, the way to reduce these numbers is to provide stable homes, with a mother and a father, (not a mom & mom, or a dad & dad), and to teach abstinence to our teens.
These are not hurtful choices, Ms. Boxer, they are responsible choices. Responsibility is something that the Democrats have long since pushed out the window by allowing more Welfare cases, advocating abortion on demand, and of course the ever infamous decision to teach America's children 'sex-education' by showing them how to put a condom on a banana. I say it is time that RESPONSIBLE Americans show Ms. Boxer and her counter-parts that we do not agree with her or anyone for the matter, peddling irresponsibility.

Letting Teresa Heinz-Kerry Speak Her Mind

Teresa has said that had she known that her husband John was going to run for President that may have changed her mind on becoming Mrs. Kerry. She has always been outspoken and rude, and it is common knowledge that she is not looking out for the "little people" or the average American, you and I.
Kerry advisors have done a fantastic job of keeping the Queen Bee's mouth shut and keeping her on target with her campaign speeches, while she stumps for her husband. It is no secret that she was not interested in becoming a political wife when her first husband, the late John Heinz decided to run for public office way back when. At the beginning of this campaign season she was rarely seen stumping for her husband, and didn't even take his name until last year! She has been known to speak about her late husband with great affection without mentioning the one she shares her life with now. Unless of course she is sharing private details of their business transaction-like marriage, including the pre-nuptial agreement.
In her latest escapade of political trash talking she told a reporter to "Shove it." Apparently Mrs. Kerry thinks that this is appropriate, and acceptable language and behavior. John has refused to apologize and says "My wife speaks her mind appropriately." Really? Harassing reporters is hardly the way to win the vote of the American people. Not that one reporter can do much damage when CNN devotes a whole weekend to Kerry, his family & the running mate, the American people will have a hard time getting the whole truth.
Of course there is one upside to this whole fiasco. While some are disgusted by how uncouth T.H.K. is, others find it charming. One of those "others" is none other than Mrs. Hillary Rodham-Clinton. I can't say I am surprised though. Clinton and Kerry must be best friends or will shortly become best friends. They can make fun of the average Joe and the woman who chooses to stay at home and "bake cookies and have teas." I think the more that Heinz-Kerry opens her mouth, and the more that Rodham-Clinton stumps in her defense, the better off we all will be.
The best weapon in this situation is to let them keep talking. Sooner or later the real Teresa will come out, and when she does, no one will want to play.

Maricopa County Attorney Candidates on Illegal Immigration

Why is it that County Attorney candidates are campaigning on the issue of Illegal Immigration? I'll tell you why, because they know that most voters do not understand the roles of a County Attorney & they understand that Illegal Immigration is a hot-button topic, and they want to cash in, at all costs.
This is not the first time that one of the County Attorney candidates has run on a platform that has nothing to do with their actual roles & duties, if elected to the position. Andrew Peyton Thomas ran in 2002 on the platform of giving no plea agreements to child molesters, despite the fact that Attorney General (the position he was vying for at the time) does not prosecute child molesters. He is now claiming that he will stop illegal immigration.
Pacheco, like Thomas, has also implied that if elected he will end illegal immigration through prosecuting immigrant smugglers.
In a statement made by candidate Mike Bailey, he said "Although Maricopa County residents definitely pay the costs of illegal immigration, the County Attorney has no direct jurisdiction over immigration crimes. Still, we must absolutely hold the federal government responsible for the local costs of illegal immigration." He then added that the first step toward resolving this issue is to track the costs of illegal immigration at the county level.
At the current time neither the County Attorney's office nor the Adult Probation Office track the number of illegal immigrants committing crimes in this country.  What must be done is retracting those bail rules which allow illegals to be released and commit new crimes, which in turn the authorities are too slow to act upon a true punishment. I say deport them for not obeying the laws (which obviously they had no respect for by coming over illegally).
Who will you vote for when it comes to this important decision? Someone who is qualified as a former prosecutor who specialized in homicide and sex crimes cases, or two men who claim to have control over situations which they clearly do not.

Feminist Hell Begins at Costco

I was reading Nation Review Online today & I stumbled across this article that I wanted to post. I thought it was very interesting, and QUITE disturbing...No matter what your personal views on "selective reduction" is, this is something I believe everyone should read...I absolutely LOATH the way she says non-chalantly, "can we get rid of one of them, or two?"
I have attached the article from the NYTimes Magazine, with a link to the NRO article.
_________________________________________________________________ 
When One Is EnoughBy AMY RICHARDS as told to AMY BARRETT

I grew up in a working-class family in Pennsylvania not knowing my father. I have never missed not having him. I firmly believe that, but for much of my life I felt that what I probably would have gained was economic security and with that societal security. Growing up with a single mother, I was always buying into the myth that I was going to be seduced in the back of a pickup truck and become pregnant when I was 16. I had friends when I was in school who were helping to rear nieces and nephews, because their siblings, who were not much older, were having babies. I had friends from all over the class spectrum: I saw the nieces and nephews on the one hand and country-club memberships and station wagons on the other. I felt I was in the middle. I had this fear: What would it take for me to just slip?
Now I'm 34. My boyfriend, Peter, and I have been together three years. I'm old enough to presume that I wasn't going to have an easy time becoming pregnant. I was tired of being on the pill, because it made me moody. Before I went off it, Peter and I talked about what would happen if I became pregnant, and we both agreed that we would have the child.
I found out I was having triplets when I went to my obstetrician. The doctor had just finished telling me I was going to have a low-risk pregnancy. She turned on the sonogram machine. There was a long pause, then she said, ''Are you sure you didn't take fertility drugs?'' I said, ''I'm positive.'' Peter and I were very shocked when she said there were three. ''You know, this changes everything,'' she said. ''You'll have to see a specialist.''
My immediate response was, I cannot have triplets. I was not married; I lived in a five-story walk-up in the East Village; I worked freelance; and I would have to go on bed rest in March. I lecture at colleges, and my biggest months are March and April. I would have to give up my main income for the rest of the year. There was a part of me that was sure I could work around that. But it was a matter of, Do I want to?
I looked at Peter and asked the doctor: ''Is it possible to get rid of one of them? Or two of them?'' The obstetrician wasn't an expert in selective reduction, but she knew that with a shot of potassium chloride you could eliminate one or more.
Having felt physically fine up to this point, I got on the subway afterward, and all of a sudden, I felt ill. I didn't want to eat anything. What I was going through seemed like a very unnatural experience. On the subway, Peter asked, ''Shouldn't we consider having triplets?'' And I had this adverse reaction: ''This is why they say it's the woman's choice, because you think I could just carry triplets. That's easy for you to say, but I'd have to give up my life.'' Not only would I have to be on bed rest at 20 weeks, I wouldn't be able to fly after 15. I was already at eight weeks. When I found out about the triplets, I felt like: It's not the back of a pickup at 16, but now I'm going to have to move to Staten Island. I'll never leave my house because I'll have to care for these children. I'll have to start shopping only at Costco and buying big jars of mayonnaise. Even in my moments of thinking about having three, I don't think that deep down I was ever considering it.
The specialist called me back at 10 p.m. I had just finished watching a Boston Pops concert at Symphony Hall. As everybody burst into applause, I watched my cellphone vibrating, grabbed it and ran into the lobby. He told me that he does a detailed sonogram before doing a selective reduction to see if one fetus appears to be struggling. The procedure involves a shot of potassium chloride to the heart of the fetus. There are a lot more complications when a woman carries multiples. And so, from the doctor's perspective, it's a matter of trying to save the woman this trauma. After I talked to the specialist, I told Peter, ''That's what I'm going to do.'' He replied, ''What we're going to do.'' He respected what I was going through, but at a certain point, he felt that this was a decision we were making. I agreed.
When we saw the specialist, we found out that I was carrying identical twins and a stand alone. My doctors thought the stand alone was three days older. There was something psychologically comforting about that, since I wanted to have just one. Before the procedure, I was focused on relaxing. But Peter was staring at the sonogram screen thinking: Oh, my gosh, there are three heartbeats. I can't believe we're about to make two disappear. The doctor came in, and then Peter was asked to leave. I said, ''Can Peter stay?'' The doctor said no. I know Peter was offended by that.
Two days after the procedure, smells no longer set me off and I no longer wanted to eat nothing but sour-apple gum. I went on to have a pretty seamless pregnancy. But I had a recurring feeling that this was going to come back and haunt me. Was I going to have a stillbirth or miscarry late in my pregnancy?
I had a boy, and everything is fine. But thinking about becoming pregnant again is terrifying. Am I going to have quintuplets? I would do the same thing if I had triplets again, but if I had twins, I would probably have twins. Then again, I don't know.

TO READ THE REBUTTAL BY JENNIFER GRAHAM (NRO) PLEASE GO TO www.jennifergraham.com  OR http://www.nationalreview.com/jgraham/graham200407220839.asp 

Needing a Constitutional Amendment to Stop Flag Burning

AHHHHHHHHHHH! What happened to being "Proud to be an American?" -Why do we need a constitutional amendment to get people to STOP burning our flag?
I am getting so frustrated with everyone using the FIRST AMENDMENT for everything that they do. Now Kerry-Edwards do not support an amendment to the Flag Burning Ban in the Constitution. Of course they don't. They are a part of the flag-burning, America-hating, French loving society of upper class elites.
Like I said earlier about the Homosexual marriage amendment, I don't believe that we need to amend the constitution everytime there is a debate on anything, HOWEVER, I believe that this is something that anyone with half a brain knows is a good thing to add. When men & women have died for the right to wave our flag in honor & with pride we should not allow others to burn our flag. I hold disdain for anyone who does not respect our nation and the rights and freedoms that come to them, simply because they were born here.
If you don't like America, and you don't want to wave our flag, go somewhere else.
And that's all I have to say about that...for now.

Alabama Law Makes Morning After Pills Publicly Funded

A new report out from the Alabama Department of Health states that ALL public clinics in the state of Alabama MUST supply women who THINK they may be pregnant with the so called "emergency contraception" drug.
Dr. Donald Williams, of the Alabama Department of Public Health stated, "If the emergency contraceptives were made more widely available, more than 4,000 of 10,000 abortions would be prevented in the state of Alabama." Public officials also stated that the initiative is in the "public's interest," and it is protected by the $5 Million Federal Family Planning Grants available. I don't care what your view of the subject is, I do NOT agree with publicly funding these types of services for ANYONE.
I know that this subject is very touchy for some, but here are a few of my thoughts on the issue.
How can we dole out drugs to women, who obviously aren't capable of taking a regular Birth Control pill correctly, and expect everything to be okay?
We do not have comprehensive research available to us that shows the side effects on women who take the drug numerous times within a short amount of time.
If a woman is promiscuous, and/or lazy, who is to say that she won't just skip using a b.c. pill or having her boyfriend use a condom & go straight to the FREE clinic for an E.C. pill the next day?
I think that a lot of the problem with today's society is irresponsibility. We have made abortion on demand legal, and in doing that we are essentially saying to men & women, "It's okay to be promiscuous. Don't worry about the consequences, if you DO get pregnant, all we have to do is give you a few pills, or do a 'minor' surgical procedure & you will be fine."
I think that the E.C. pills are sending the same message.
I know that some of you will agree with me & some of you will disagree. I guess we will never know the full impact of these drugs until someone's body has had enough & they die from it.

Counting My Blessings

Today is my birthday. Being away from home has been hard, but for all of my friends who have spent a birthday with me, you know today has to be REALLY hard for me.
My birthday is not really a day, but usually lasts about a week, or a month, depending on how we are all feeling. There can be anywhere from 5-35 people at one of these gatherings, needless to say, I love a party & I LOVE ATTENTION!
I have to say that I honestly thought that today would be somewhat of an out-of-sight, out-of mind sort of day for most people. It has been overwhelming how many people have called & written & sent e-cards. My co-worker even brought in flowers (pink, of course) & an oreo cake for me. Hearing Chandler & Kyle sing me Happy Birthday was the greatest thing in the world! Those two little boys mean so much to me! Its nice to know that they haven't forgotten me (I have to say that is one of my biggest fears!)
I try to count my blessings & remember daily that I have a lot to be thankful for. Today is a great day that has helped me do just that. While I miss everyone TREMENDOUSLY, I also know that you all still care about me, and it doesn't matter how far or near we are to each other, we will always be friends.
Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being there for me. Thanks for being great friends!

Except for Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism & Communism, War Has Never Solved Anything.

A word to those of you out there who are against the "War on Terror." -Grow up.
Millions of people died at the hands of Saddam Hussein & his numerous thugs. America is not the bad guy here. Remember what it was like for those people who lived under his rule? (No, not if you were watching CNN) -It was NOT a happy go lucky time. Get real.
He allowed his sons to rape young women. Men, women & children were killed for no apparent reason. He was steeling from the poor to make himself richer (have you seen those mansions? and how many of them he had? PU-LEASE!)
If you think that Iraq was a wonderful place before the U.S. & our allies (YEAY TONY BLAIR!) got involved, you are living in a psycho dream world & you probably take your political cues from the likes of George Soros & Michael Moore. (Don't even GET me started on those two...Rest assured there will be many blogs devoted to those two America Haters).
Just because we live in the "Land of the Free, the Home of the Brave," it doesn't give us the right to make a complete ass out of ourselves everytime we open our mouths. Freedom is something that was fought for. Blood was shed so that we can make asinine remarks. Shouldn't others have that right too?
If you believe so, I found this website, and I thought it was really cool : www.protestwarrior.com
Stay Brave, Stay Free...And remember to Thank God for the Freedom that allows you to thank God.

What Life is All About

I once heard someone say that if you aren't living on the edge, then you are taking up too much space. I thought at the time that was a ridiculous statement. After all, not everyone was called to be an adventurous individual, and that goes for me in my own personal life. I have come to realize that it is not necessarily the heroic acts that we hear of on TV or the radio, or the crazy nutballs that sky dive & bungee jump that make someone adventurous, it is taking an uncharacteristic step of faith.
Those of us who like to be in control (particularly the first borns in the family who like EVERYTHING to be just so) have a particularly hard time with being 'edgy.' I for one am not a spontaneous person. I need to have a plan, and a back up plan, and maybe one more plan after that, just in case. I have found though, that being away from everything that is familiar, in its own way has made me live on the edge, just a little bit. I'm not saying that I go out & party every night or that I am the talk of the town, or anything even close to that. On the contrary, I leave work every night around 9:00 pm & I head home. I don't talk to much of anyone, even my co-workers. Last night was Saturday, I was in bed by 8:30, and curled up with a good book & the news in the background , and asleep by 11:45. I know it doesn't sound edgy to most of you, but for those who know me best, this is a huge step for me.
I have always been the social butterfly, mostly because I am afraid of my own shadow. Deathly afraid of being alone, and always on the search for a new friend, or a new social setting. I am learning who I am, and what I want, for once in my life. I have no choice but to be on my own. It scares me to death, and even writing about it makes me cry, but you know what? I am going to be okay. In 3 months I will be home, with my friends, with my family, in my congregation. It will be like I never left...But on the inside, I will have focused on what I need, what I want, and where I am going. 
Maybe one day I will reach the top of the mountain of 'self-awareness' -but right now, all I want is to be aware of God's will. I believe it was His will for me to be here, alone. But not really alone, because He is always with us, He is always near, and He is always faithful. I am searching for His will right now, and for once, I believe that I have found it.
To me, this is the most adventurous, edgy thing that I have ever done.

Las Vegas, WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Well, its been an interesting week, to say the least.
I packed up my life (that which I could fit into my car, anyway) and headed out for the unknown.
I am still lost & trying to figure out what EXACTLY I am supposed to be doing, all I can really get from anyone is that I need to register about 12,750 new voters by October 1st, here in Clark County...so however I choose to meet those numbers is up to me.
My co-worker, Jen & I have started working on some different ideas- this coming Monday we are throwing a HUGE Free BBQ, where we will focus on new home developments & new voter registration. Things are a bit crazy- we have to do a 2,000 piece lit drop by tomorrow am. It's about 102 degrees outside right now, so we've decided to put that off until tonight.
Now for the exciting stuff...
I spent most of the day crying on Sunday, and an even greater part of the day on Monday I was hysterical. Tuesday I pulled it together & decided that my President needed me, and that is why I am here. It was time to suck it up, pull myself up by the bootstraps, and get on with it.
So even though I am lonely and afraid (and really don't know my way around, and get lost quite frequently) things are getting better. I figure if I can make it a whole 6 hours without crying, its a good day :) -so to say the least, this has been one of those things that if not for the love & support of my family & friends, and my passion for making America a better place & standing behind a leader that I believe God has placed here for this time...I doubt that I would be here.
So, if I can give up my life and move away from everyone that I know just to make sure that W is in office for another 4 years...what can YOU do to help re-elect YOUR President?