Riddle time

If you know them than don't answer!

You are walking through the valley of the sunmen and the moonmen when you come across a fork in the road. You know that sunmen always tell the truth and moonmen always lie. You need to determine which way to go and there are three men sitting on a log next to the fork. You need to determine which is a sunman and which is a moonman so that you can get accurate directions. so you ask them "Are you a sunman or a moonman?" The first one mumbles something, the second says "He said he is a sunman, this is true I'm also a sunman." the third says "They are lying, I am a sunman. Now, given this information, can you tell me which is which and why?

A Father and son are going fishing one morning when a car swerves and hits them head on. Both are injured and taken to the hospital where they are brought to separate operating rooms. The surgeon turns to the nurse in the boys OR and says "I cant possibly perform the surgery...this is my son." How is this possible?

A man leaves home travels 90 feet makes a 90 degree turn, travels 90 more feet another 90 degree turn 90 more feet and yet another turn, travels 90 feet back home where there are two men in masks waiting for him. What is this man doing?

A man enters a jail, stands in front of the cell where there is another man imprisoned. The jailer asks him what relation he is to the prisoner. The man replies..."Brothers and Sisters I have none but this mans' father is my fathers son. How are the two related?

Where I'm coming from...?

One of the most profound things said to me lately is that it's sometimes scary where I am coming from. What was so poignant about the particular comment was that it came from someone that had a great deal of influence upon who I am today. I have to say that the comment took me back a bit. I can only assume that sometimes I may overstate my case. Let me clear the record on a couple of issues.

1. I believe the bible to be true, particularly as it relates to Jesus Christ and the salvation of the cross. This belief, just like any in my life, is not an emotional or heartfelt reaction to years of suggestion. Although I am passionate about it now, I came to true faith only after questioning the very foundations of Christianity...the veracity of scripture, alternative gospels, tampering by the early church, The divinity/humanity question, the paradigm shift in Christianity to esoteric experience, and many, many , many, more. In short, I have done my research. An exhaustive collection of books and essays over the last eight years that has brought me to a very comfortable place intellectually with what I know in my heart to be true that Christ Jesus was both God and Man, Came down from heaven and sacrificed himself as just payment for the sin of the world. He was crucified, he died, and was buried. On the third day he rose from the dead and revealed himself.
When I talk of faith...this is it. I couldn't possibly list all of the sources I have used to come to this conclusion. But if your curious I suggest a series of investigative books by Lee Strobel. Lee was an agnostic and an investigative journalist for the Chicago Tribune. His wife, also an agnostic, converted to Christianity and Lee set out to prove to his wife that her new found faith was misplaced. Problem was that after seeking out the worlds foremost experts, amazingly, the empirical evidence and provable facts pointed to the veracity of Christ. Through faith I have been made aware of the sin in my life. This is the reason for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus and the immeasurable display of love and mercy from an almighty God. If you disagree, I respect you, but in order to convince me that I am mistaken, it will take more than an opinion such as I don't believe that, or that's true for you but not for me. Show me the evidence that discounts it, Give me the reasons other than inconvenience and conviction that would cause you to turn away from the very clear words of scripture told by numerous sources from different backgrounds without collusion. I promise you that I have and will continue to look at every objection to the foundation of my world view. I consider it irresponsible for anyone to assert anything as improbable and unbelievable as the life and death of Christ Jesus without examining every objection and every criticism. I humbly proclaim the gospel of Christ not because I think I am worthy, but because I think he is worthy. I am not a priest, a pastor, or prophet. In fact in the grand scheme of theology and evangelism, I am the last person in the world anyone should listen to. But I ask you not to take my word for it. Do the research, ask the tough questions, and look deep for the answers. As much as anyone can, keep an open mind, seek out both sides of the argument as not to fall to one persuasion or the other. In the end...I am confident in God and that all will come to know him.

2. Barack Obama is a decent and good man. I disagree whole heatedly with his view of government and its' role in the life of the electorate. I am passionate about the election because I love this country. I wouldn't care to speculate about all of the peripheral issues that have guided the thinking of Barack Obama, but rest assured he is not for capitalism as we know it. I disagree with him on abortion, and traditional marriage, on tax policy, energy Independence and direction, health care. I think he would be an excellent negotiator but he has revealed a tendency to give up too much to very dangerous people. I don't hate him, I don't think he is a bad guy, I just don't think he is the best guy for president. Let me end with this...In government, through the wisdom of our forefathers, we have designed into it's structure a braking process that allows for slow methodical legislation to be passed only after careful consideration by opposing views. This means that America needs the Barack Obamas and Nancy Pelosis of Government. In order for our government to serve effectively the right needs the left and vice-versa. It magnifies the checks needed to achieve balanced government. I am proud to have both sides although I identify with the right. And so I appreciate Barack Obama and his views. I would even go so far as to say I admire his courage and applaud the historical value of an Obama presidency. But his platform undermines my vision for America, and so unsurprisingly to anyone that knows me, I have argued for a different vote. That's as far as it goes.

3. I am a husband and father, a son, a nephew,a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a friend and not one of these any more important than the other. I get mad and sad. I get my feelings hurt and I am sure I hurt feelings. I love with passion and fight with equal passion. I am not above admitting when I am wrong and I am usually quick to apologize. But I will loyally defend my family and I will be there when ever they need me. I love to embrace the ones I love and I try to be the second to let go. I am much more interested in others than I am in myself and I am constantly trying to learn from the people around me. I'm opinionated and argumentative, but I am also open minded and can listen. I stand for morality, freedom, and strength, but above those I stand for humanity and compassion. They are not opposites. I want the best for my children and the most for my family. I wish upon NO person harm or trials. I am learning to love openly, care abundantly, and give graciously. I strive to put God first, not very well at times and I understand my calling to spread the gospel of Christ. I work hard because my mentors where hard workers and I want to be viewed as I view them. I believe in commitment and honesty. And that my friends in a nutshell is where I am coming from...

Southern California Fires

Hello Everyone,
I am not usually the one to write, however Matt has been sent to the fires in southern California. I just wanted to let everyone know that he is there and ask that you all keep him, the other firefighters and the residents in that area in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank You With Love

Before you vote

I was putting together some research to make this very argument when I was e-mailed this from a friend, I don't believe I could put it any clearer so here it is.

Dear family and friends,

Several people have shared emails about the election in the past months, so after the debate I thought I’d share my thoughts. I’ve been asked if I’m excited about a black man possibly being elected. My reply is that I’d love to see a black man as president…but not a black man with the views of Barack Hussein Obama. Understand, I’m not a huge fan of John McCain’s, but when comparing him to Obama, there really isn’t a choice. I could stop this message there, but I want to detail why I so strongly oppose Obama.
The USA is clearly the greatest country in the world. It’s not perfect, but it is better than any other. If you disagree, as Obama obviously does, based on many of his statements, let me ask a few simple questions:
a. Which country has foreign students clamoring to study within its borders because of the great educational opportunities and freedoms offered?
b. What country is so desirable to reside in that people risk their lives to get there, whether by legal or illegal means?
c. What country provides financial and military assistance around the globe, without so much as a “thank you” from many of those it provides for?
The answer to all: The good ol’ United States of America.
Either Obama isn’t smart enough to realize this (doubtful for a Harvard grad) or he simply doesn’t like the free society and traditional values America is founded upon. We’re in grave danger the day we elect a man to lead this country when he doesn’t even like this country. Is it too harsh to say he doesn’t like the USA? I don’t think so. Consider that Obama admits he has been greatly influenced by Saul Alinsky. In fact, his job as a Community Organizer was with one of Alinsky’s surrogate groups (ACORN). If you’re not familiar with Alinsky, I’ll let him speak for himself. Here’s what Alinsky wrote in the dedication of the first edition of his book, Rules for Radicals.

"Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: From all our legends, mythology and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins -- or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom -- Lucifer."
In addition to his admiration for the devil, Alinsky called for radical actions to overturn the US government and to establish a socialist state in America. Those who believe in Obama say he didn’t really understand Alinsky’s true motives. Well, let’s look at some of his other friends, at least the ones he hasn’t been able to hide from the public:
Exhibit A: William Ayers and Bernadine Dorn—American terrorists who bombed the pentagon and other US buildings. They called Charles Manson “cool.” These two are still involved in radical activities behind the cloak of teaching at universities and they have yet to apologize for their terrorism. “Kill your parents, that’s where it’s at, man!” was one of Dorn’s more infamous sayings.
When asked to explain his friendship with Ayers, Obama said Ayers bombed the pentagon when he, Obama, was eight. Well, Obama wasn’t eight years old when he sat on boards with Ayers. He wasn’t eight when he and Ayers gave speeches while Obama was a state senator. Obama was an adult when he endorsed a book by Ayers on juvenile crime (a book that basically said detaining violent juveniles is wrong and racist). Obama was not a child when he launched his political career in Ayers’ home. Obama was a grown man when Ayers put him in charge of the distribution of $56 million in grant monies designed to “radicalize students politically.” The chief beneficiary of the funds was ACORN (more on them later). Despite what Obama says, it is not racism to tie him to terrorists.
Exhibit B: Jeremiah Wright –Obama’s pastor for twenty years—is a man who perverts the gospel of Jesus Christ, praises terrorists and supports the murderous Palestinian state while denouncing Israel. Wright exalts Louis Farrakhan, claims Iran is good, and says America is evil and deserved to be attacked on 9/11. Wright says there are no opportunities for blacks in America (yet, he, the Obama’s, Franklin Raines, and other blacks have made millions in America). Apparently, there is opportunity out there after all.
Exhibit C: Anthony Resko – convicted felon and major contributor to Obama’s campaigns. Resko had millions of dollars funneled his way by then State Senator Barack Obama to make improvements in poor, black communities, including low-income housing units. Funny thing is…the work was either never done or was done so poorly that many of the buildings are condemned or about to be. Even funnier, Obama was able to purchase a plot of land at well below market value with the help of Anthony Resko. Wow, what a coincidence….
Exhibit D: “Father” Flager—a radical, so-called priest who speaks against the US and Israel, champions abortion on demand, and divides the country with his racially motivated rants.
Exhibit E: ACORN, a corrupt housing lobby that regularly engages in voter fraud and intimidation to promote its liberal agenda. ACORN staff in at least twelve states have been arrested and/or brought up on charges for fraud. This week ACORN offices in NV were raided. Some of the supervisors were found to be felons involved in identity theft crimes. Scandals exist in NV, FL, VA, PA, WI, OH, NC, NM, and others. This organization is where Obama cut his teeth and he’s still close to them. He’s tried to distance himself from ACORN but can’t. His campaign contributed $800k to ACORN for their “get out the vote” drive, and he represented them when the federal motor voter law was passed. Madeline Talbot, an ACORN executive praised Obama for his work with them and asked him to train staff members. Obama is quietly supporting efforts by the ACLU and ACORN to give convicted felons the right to vote. Similar efforts are ongoing in VA.
Hmmm, a presidential candidate who seeks the votes of felons…that’s the kind of change we DON’T need. Incidentally, I had to review some of ACORNs records in a previous job, so I know firsthand that they are corrupt.
Exhibit F Khalid Abdullah Tariq al-Mansour (aka Don Warden), an influential, radical who advocated on Obama’s behalf to get his acceptance into Harvard Law School. Who is al-Mansour? A known supporter of terrorists and a radical who has told audiences, among other things, that it is okay to brutalize and kill white people.”
The list goes on, but hopefully, you get the picture. If the saying that you can tell a great deal about a man by the friends he keeps is true, Obama is obviously a shady character at best. Despite these facts, many still say Obama is going to help the poor and the black community. Oh really? Obama spent years in Illinois “helping” poor people. Interestingly, those people are still poor, while Obama and his friends, like Resko and ACORN, are richer.
I’ve heard it said that Obama understands issues relating to blacks and cares about them. Does he? Consider his 100% approval rating from Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and the ACLU. What do these agencies have in common? All have policies geared to oppressing or eliminating the black race. Where’s the proof? I’m glad you asked.
Planned Parenthood (PP) was founded by Margaret Sanger (atheist, racist, eugenicist, and supporter of communism). How did she view blacks?
"We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds, and with engaging personalities. The most successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don't want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members."
-- Margaret Sanger's12/19/1939 letter to Dr. Clarence Gamble. Original source: Sophia Smith

So, the founder of Planned Parenthood wanted to use blacks with social service backgrounds and engaging personalities to lead blacks blindly to the slaughter. Sounds like Barack Obama fits her qualifications, doesn’t it?

Perhaps you’re saying that was a long time ago. Well, Sanger’s legacy lives on. Think about it…the majority of Planned Parenthood clinics are in black neighborhoods. Most of the abortions they perform are on blacks. Furthermore, earlier this year several PP clinics came under fire when a group wanting to expose the racist tendencies of PP called asking if donations could be made specifically to promote more black abortions because “the less black people the better.” The PP workers--at different sites--encouraged the practice and agreed with the callers! PP employees didn’t say “we don’t target a specific race at Planned Parenthood.” In fact, one worker spoke of her excitement over the request, saying it was “perfectly understandable” to want fewer blacks alive.

The ACLU, founded by Roger Baldwin (atheist, racist, communist, friend of Sanger), claims to fight for our civil liberties, but Baldwin provided his followers a strategy for their deceptions:

“Do steer away from making the ACLU look like a socialist enterprise. We want to look like patriots in everything we do. We want to wave a lot of flags, talk a great deal about the Constitution and what our forefathers wanted to make of this country—and to show that we really are the folk that stand for the spirits of the institutions.”

The ACLU is wed to PP, defending it at every turn. But there’s more. The ACLU continually fights against Christian principles in America while defending the “rights” of sexual predators. This is the organization that wants to defend terrorists caught on the battlefield trying to kill our soldiers (and us), because the terrorists aren’t bad people. So, who are the “bad people” that the ACLU wants to put in jail? Try military chaplains who pray in Jesus’ name and high school valedictorians who want to credit Jesus in their commencement speeches. Oh, and I can’t forget their war on the Boy Scouts. The ACLU sees Christians/Christianity as dangerous, not terrorists.

Obama’s friends in NARAL agree with him and his wife, Michelle, that partial birth abortion (infanticide) should be legal. I won’t describe how disgusting this procedure is in case someone has a weak stomach, but I encourage you to read about the procedure. After you do, remember that Obama and his wife, Joe Biden, and their support group (including the ACLU, NARAL, & PLANNED PARENTHOOD) are just fine with this. Partial-birth abortion is truly infanticide, and Obama, the “citizen of the world,” supports it.

Barack has promised gay and lesbian groups that he will end the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which will end marriage as we know it. Some ask, “What’s the big deal?” Well, when you define marriage based on “love” where does it end? What stops a 50 year old man from marrying a 14 year old girl if they “love” each other? What stops a 40 year old woman from marrying an 11 year old boy if they are in “love”? Taken at its logical progression, people will want to marry their pets, and they will be able to do so because “love” will be the defining factor. Once we go down the road of redefining marriage, we will eventually lose the family which is the foundation of any society.

Obama knows full well that statistics bear out the fact that gays do not want to be married, most want nothing to do with monogamy. Legalizing gay marriage in CA and MA did not result in a huge number of filings for marriage certificates, despite the way it was portrayed in the media. However, Barack’s agenda is to redefine our country, and this is part of the process

His commitment to the homosexual agenda is so extreme that Obama has said, “I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepherd Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENA).”

You might recall that Shepard was the gay man who was killed in a drug deal gone bad. Sadly, it was falsely reported by the media that he was killed by homophobic Christians. Liberals have used this lie to justify the supposed need for “hate crimes” laws. There is no need for a “law” to prosecute a hate crime. All serious crimes are based on hatred. We have laws in place to convict murderers already!

As for the ENA, proponents say it would prevent businesses from discriminating. For example, a Christian bookstore would be required to hire an openly gay person if the person had relevant experience. Failure to do so would mean facing penalties for discrimination, including fines and/or jail time. This goes against our freedoms and logic. The question has to be asked: why have liberals never sought to require Planned Parenthood to hire a Christian to be the Executive Director under the principles of the ENA. Maybe Tom Brokaw should have brought some of this up during the debate. Wonder why he didn’t? (I’m being facetious…we know why he didn’t).

So, why are radical liberals like Obama pushing “hate crimes” legislation? The root is an attempt to silence Christian speech. Supporters of hate crimes laws seek to outlaw portions of scripture such as Romans 1, which speaks against homosexuality. If you don’t think this is possible, do some research about the situation in Canada and Europe. Each country has banned parts of the Bible. Rest assured, Obama wants this for America.

You might be thinking, “Obama’s a Christian, he wouldn’t try to silence Christian speech.” Well, it takes more to be a Christian than simply saying “I’m a Christian.” Do not forget, Jesus said, “if you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jesus commanded that we not kill. Obama advocates abortion on demand (more on this later). Jesus said Israel is His chosen nation and people. He gave the land of Israel to His people. Obama accuses Israel of occupying Palestinian lands and of oppressing the Palestinians. He also employs advisors from the Carter Administration, one of the most, if not the most, anti-Semitic presidencies in history. Jesus said homosexuality is an abomination. Obama says it’s a normal activity, and wants to teach kids as young as 3 years old this philosophy.

From those few examples, you can make up your own mind about Obama’s faith, but I have to add one more thing…Jesus WAS NOT a community organizer, despite what Obama’s followers tell us.

Obama has said that he will eliminate our nuclear arsenal, that he will not develop any new defense systems, that he will disarm much of our military forces, and meet with terrorists like Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmedenijad and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, without pre-conditions. What Obama fails to realize is that you cannot negotiate with a person who wants to kill you. How do you negotiate with people who aim to wipe entire nations, including our own, off the map? Were he alive, I’d be curious to know what Neville Chamberlain would say to Obama about negotiating with crazed dictators. Chamberlain learned the hard way in dealing with Hitler that the only way to negotiate with a madman is after you have defeated him.

Obama’s economic policies are scary. He wants to raise taxes on corporations, which will cause more corporations to leave the US for cheaper locales, which will equal job cuts. His voting record exposes the fact that he has voted to raise taxes on families making $42k per year (I know he says that isn’t true, but he can’t run from his thin voting record). He promises to lower taxes for 95% of Americans, boasting that only the top 5% of taxpayers will see an increase. That would be quite a feat considering that only 78% of Americans pay any taxes at all. He speaks of the middle class, but his energy policies will cripple the middle class with increases in gas prices and heating bills.

He supports universal health care. If this sounds like a good idea, take a good, long look at the systems in Europe, Canada, and Cuba…those folks are trying to come to the US when they’re sick, not vice-versa. Obama wants to raise the death tax, giving the government more money from a deceased person who worked hard and wanted to leave an inheritance to family members. This hurts everyone, including the middle class.

He doesn’t want to tap into the vast reserves of oil in our country (he has reversed his position only because of poll numbers). He wants to continue our dependence on foreign dictators who hate us. He says he will invest in alternative fuels, but that won't help us today, tomorrow, or for years to come. We will still need oil where exploring alternatives. His plan leaves us vulnerable. He says we will show strength to the Russians if we conserve energy. I, for one, don’t see how wearing my sweater in the house during the winter months will make Putin shake in his boots. Obama tells us to keep our tires inflated and get tune-ups so we won’t need to drill for oil. Well, maybe someone can remind him that the majority of cars on the road today don’t really need tune-ups and that most cars let us know when our tires are getting low on air. Talk about being out of touch….

Basically, it makes no sense for our country to be at the mercy of people who hate us when we have our own oil. I see this as a national security issue. We have the technology to drill safely and to harness nuclear energy which would create jobs, and increase usable income for the middle class. Obama opposes both steps, despite the fact that other countries are drilling off our coastlines. He and Biden (and other radicals) falsely claim it will take ten years “to get a drop of oil” even if we start drilling now. This isn’t true and they know it, but even if it were true, don’t we have to start at some point? In the 1990s Bill Clinton used the same logic. Had we started drilling then, even if the 10 year fallacy was true, we would never have seen $4 gallon gasoline in 2008.

By Obama’s logic, we should stop fighting the “war on poverty” because we haven’t seen any results. People are still poor. We should also stop embryonic stem cell research (another way of taking human life) because no medical breakthroughs have been discovered from this method, only adult stem cells which don’t require taking human life have proved fruitful. But, logic for radical liberals is one sided…it’s their way or the highway.

Obama says our troops are “air raiding villages and killing civilians.” He has said that Iran and Venezuela are “tiny” and that they “don’t pose a threat to us.” A Commander-in-Chief who believes our soldiers are murderers and doesn’t think our sworn enemies are threats...I don’t know about any of you, but that doesn’t make me feel safe.

When talking to his wealthy friends, Obama calls Christian, working class people “bitter” and says we cling to our “guns and religion” with “antipathy” for those different than us. Yet, when in the presence of the middle-class, he claims to love us. I think it’s safe to say that this professional politician is in the habit of telling people what he thinks they want to hear—this is hypocrisy.

Obama blames the current economic crisis on “the policies of George Bush” and claims he called for regulation years ago. I ask that you do some research on this. You’ll find that the Bush Administration tried, though not hard enough in my opinion, to bring reform to Fannie and Freddie but liberal democrats and some liberal republicans blocked it time and again. John McCain spoke in 2005 about the dangers of the situation. Again, liberal democrats such as Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Chuck Schumer, and, yes, Barack Obama blocked the attempt. They were receiving huge contributions from Fannie and Freddie (only Dodd received more money than Obama) and they protected their cash cows and blocked proposals to regulate the agencies because they were benefiting, never mind the taxpayers--you and me. . Two of the biggest perpetrators of this travesty (Franklin Raines, who made $90 million while running Fannie Mae, and Jim Johnson) are advisors to Obama. Another, Jamie Gorelick served in the Clinton Administration and made over $70 million while with Fannie/Freddie.

Video is available online of Barney Frank and others praising the leadership of Fannie and Freddie as recently as two years ago, claiming republicans just didn’t want poor people to have homes. Now, the people responsible for this mess, including Barack, are saying they had nothing to do with it and are being praised in the media.

There is also the Sarah Palin factor. Many emails are critical of her while touting Obama. So, let’s compare the two starting with Palin. She has served as Alaska’s Commissioner for Oil & Gas, the most powerful commission in the state, served as a successful Mayor for four years, and as the Governor of a state with an $11 billion budget for over 2 years, where she is the most popular Governor in the USA. From all appearances, she is a supportive mother and wife, practicing Christian, charismatic, and tough. She has been called dumb or worse in the media, but has clearly dispelled that myth. She has been criticized because her husband had a DUI. It is rarely mentioned that the DUI was 25 years ago, before they were married.

Her Pentecostal faith has been labeled “weird” and she’s been the object of ridicule because she, apparently, takes the Bible literally. Well, God says the Bible is His word, so it should be taken literally. She’s taken heat because her husband attended a rally where seceding from the union was discussed. Additional criticism has come because she supports abstinence before marriage and her daughter is pregnant. Finally, she’s been criticized for not aborting her child. Imagine that, we’re living in a time when NOT killing your child is considered a bad thing.

Contrast that with Obama. He served as president of the Harvard Law Review, but no record exists of his accomplishments there. He was elected, with the help of Bill Ayers, as State Senator in one of the most liberal bastions in America. Once in the senate, he accomplished little, voting “present” in most cases, never making a tough decision. He says he has made tough decisions, such as his vote against the Iraq War. Perhaps someone should remind Barack that he wasn’t in the senate when that vote was cast. He has also attained recognition for his stance against the Infant Born Alive Protection Act on at least 3 occasions. This act would have guaranteed medical care for an infant who survived an attempted abortion.

Let me repeat…Obama voted against a bill to give medical care to a child surviving an abortion attempt. His reason: “We’re saying they [the children surviving abortion attempts] are persons entitled to the kinds of protections provided to a child, a 9-month delivered to term. I mean, it would essentially bar abortions because the equal protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child.” –Barack Obama, March 2001. This is nothing short of infanticide.

After serving in the state senate, he was elected to the US Senate, and has served there a total of about 150 working days with no real accomplishments. Oh, lest I forget, he was also a community organizer for ACORN, and later served as an attorney for ACORN. He has a wife who has never been proud of our country and thinks America is “downright mean” in 2008. He chose to attend a church led by a ranting, racist who curses America from behind the pulpit. Oh yeah, he also wrote in his memoirs that he was in a drug induced haze for much of college years.

In my view, Palin wins the match-up hands down. More importantly, she is at the bottom of the party ticket, while Obama is at the top of his party ticket.

Obama is not qualified to be President of the United States. Hillary Clinton said so, even his running mate, Joe Biden, said so. And while I’m thinking of generous Joe Biden, let’s not forget that he is the man who made $3.5 million last year and gave $3,000 to charity. Yes, this is the same Joe Biden who says its “patriotic” for us to pay more taxes.

As a final point, I cannot stress enough that the next president will choose potentially four Supreme Court justices. I do not want a radical Supreme Court that will legislate from the bench and try to force secular humanism down our throats, whether we want it or not. Obama has pledged to appoint judges like Ruth Bader Ginsburg (former lead attorney for the aforementioned ACLU) if he is elected. He has attacked Clarence Thomas as not being a judicial scholar and of not having the experience to have been appointed to the Supreme Court (way to support a fellow black man, Barack). I find it interesting that a man with no relevant experience can try to justify his quest to become president while having the nerve to say experience mattered for Clarence Thomas.

Simply put, as a Christian and an American, I cannot support Obama. The thought of him in power with leftists like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid at his side is scary. Should that happen on November 4th I will feel sorry for the future of our country, but will be thankful to God that my life and security are in His hands.

If you still choose to vote for Obama after reading this, it won’t change my view of you. We’re still friends and/or family, but I had to express my viewpoint because maybe some of you don’t know these things about Barack. Times are indeed tough, but Obama doesn’t offer any real change. His message is the same tired liberalism that we have seen from Jimmy Carter, Michael Dukakis, and others. He would have us believe that John McCain is George Bush. We need to remember that Bush isn’t on the ballot and McCain is not Bush. The socialist policies supported by Obama are what got us into the mess we’re in. They are not the solutions to our problems.

As I close, I ask that you pose this question to yourself: Were you better off in 2005 than you are in 2008? If you answered yes, think about what happened in 2006—the Democrats, under the misguided leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, took over. I believe that with those two and others of like mind being voted out of office on November 4th, we’ll see improvement. That’s the kind of change we need.

Take care, and thanks for taking time to read this!

No Grayson

Because I have comitted myself to God I think things unfold in the way that they do because of a divine plan. Some people think the divine plan means that they will be healthy and wealthy and that all things bad in life are punishment by God for some wrong you've comitted or a secret sin your holding on to. While I agree that continued sin in your life will take from your relationship with God and create difficulty, I believe that the good and the percieved bad are all part of God's plan. Again how to we learn to be strong, patient, loving, giving, humble, and sacraficing if we never have the opurtunity to have any of those attributes challenged. And so God places us in situations in order to learn, grow, and sometimes be reminded of what matters most to us. Last night was just one of those oppurtunities.
After spending all day at the kids school for their Fall festival...Grayson and Tanner wanted to stay with me at the festival while my wife who came for several hours (bless her heart) was tired and wanted to go home to feed Sierra. She agreed to leave the kids with me and she would be back in about an hour to pick up the boys while I stayed to help clean up. The boys had been playing games and running around all day but they still wanted to toss a foot ball around. There where probably 1000 people still at the festival and we ended up tossing the pig skin around for awhile until suddenly it happened. I turned around for a moment and Grayson was gone. Not 10 seconds had passed and I didn't see him. I asked Tanner if he saw his brother leave, and began searching the immidiate area thinking he couldn't have gone far...he didn't have enough time. A quick search and no Grayson, my pace quickened. I began to briskly walk to all of the places that would interest him, my heart began to beat rapidly and all my training at work that keeps me calm in crisis situations began to erode...I was worried. After about 2 minutes of searching which of course seemed like forever I began to realize that I had covered all the bases...every room knook and obvious cranny he might be in. I began to call his name, I instructed Tanner to split up and search seperately, I started telling everyone we knew (which was alot of people)and they began o search as well. My brisk walk became a run, 4-5 minutes had passed and No Grayson. My heart was not only rapid but beating hard, My eyes began to well up with tears and the worst began to cross my mind and I began to pray. I saw Tanner, walking towards me but No Grayson. He then informed me that Mom was here (If I wasn't in a state of panic before, that definitely pushed me over the edge)I ran back and forth through the festival calling his name and employing the help of everyone I could find. Wendy and I crossed paths and her face reflected everything I was feeling. And then one more corner and there he was. Our next door neigboor found him ambling through the parked cars next to where we playing football. He had gone back to the barbeque area to get his drink he had left and was walking through the cars to get back. Steve the guy that lives next door told him his mom was looking for him but Grayson refused to go at first saying No I'm looking for my Dad. Only when I saw him did I realize the tremendous weight I was carrying around for the last 7 minutes. The world stood still and I held him close to me. I took him to his Mom immidiately and they, after a little bit of tears, loaded up and went back home. When I got home, my wife was still upset (I understand), and wanted me to talk to Grayson sternly about taking off. She walked into the bedroom so that I could have a serious conversation with him about leaving without telling anyone. I got the Dad stern face and walked around the counter where Grayson was sitting. I glared at him wanting him to know I meant business. His head bowed because he knew he was in trouble and he looked up at my deadly serious face with only his eyes. My expression didn't change. Just then I could see a smile in the corner of his mouth. He knew he was busted but the long stare became a little uncomfortable and he nervously smiled and put his hand over his mouth. It was the cutest thing you've ever seen. I lost it, I began to cry and I grabbed him up in my arms and held him smiling and crying at the same time. I whispered to him I couldn't imagine my life without you and I carried him to bed and tucked him in. In the hustle and bustle of a new baby and a busy life, God reminded me what my son Grayson means to me and the desperate empty hole that would be left in my heart if anything where to ever happen to him. I couldn't be more grateful.`

The best

Today I went to the gym where I ran into this friend of ours. She smiled and made her way across the room and said "I just have to say that your daughter is perfect" An Interesting way of describing her but I could not agree more. Her litle face seems to light up when you talk to her, her hands motioning in different directions, you can almost see the desire for her to communicate. Her little eyes and ears perfectly wrapped around that button nose and those pursed little lips that remind me of Tanner when he was an infant. The way her hair and skin smell when she has had her bath. The soft silkiness of her hair. The strength of her grasp in such delicate little fingers. Her olive skin and dainty arms and legs. Can you tell I'm a just a little head over heels. A daughter...you know it still freaks me out when people ask me how many kids I have and I tell them that I have three. Almost like I have THREE! Holy Crap. (Im a big fan of the dad on everybody loves Raymond). She's my little goober and I can't help but kiss her all the time. Apparantly she isn't just my goober because everyone who meets her thinks she is just the best...maybe that's just what people say but I don't care. God saw it in his providence to grant us a little angel. And I will spend the rest of my life endevoured to the same committment I gave to my sons. To raise her under his grace, in the tradition of my own parents and that of my in-laws, to be...in this life...everything god has prepared for her. I wonder how she will live, what she will see and experience. I wonder what challenges she will face and what memories she'll carry with her. I couldn't imagine the journey, so helpless, so fragile, that Tanner would make when he was a newborn. But now I see it for what it is and realize that I just don't have that much time. In a flash she will be telling me shes getting married..........Sorry I just passed out for a brief moment. But now I can hold her close to me, the smell of her soft little skin and the baby blanket, her eyes closed in perfect peace under the blanket of love and protection she trusts me with. This is the love only parents can share with their childeren (OK maybe grandparents...I heard the heavy breathing as soon as I wrote the line, dont break a hip) But an all consuming love and devotion. This is the best!!!