Evil has abounded on earth for as long as men have walked it. Murders, whoredoms, corruption, and so much more plagued people in Bible times and plague us now. We find in today's world, though, that the lines are running together--there seems to be more gray for people than black and white. Most of us know to not murder our brother or steal from our neighbor, but some people give little thought before killing their neighbor's reputation through unsubstantiated gossip, or cheating on their income tax.
Some evil is so subtly disguised that it often appears to be good on the surface. Usually, the perpetrators of such things are counting on the fact that you will believe the outer presentation without digging any deeper.
We are living in times when we have to be extremely cautious. Most adults know that gangs are evil and would never join one; but, what about a "gang" at work or in your community who encourage you to break the Sabbath to go to a barbecue, or tell you that the words of a song, or content of a 'R' rated movie won't hurt you.
"...evil will befall you in the latter days:..." (Deuteronomy 31:29)
Jesus has promised to return someday and rid the earth of evildoers. No one knows exactly when that will be, but the signs we are given in scripture have been happening all around us. And because Jesus warned us and told us the signs, we know His return is soon.
There are those who will lie to us and flatter us, using our insecurities and fears to lead us like puppets to their fold, until we realize too late that we are enslaved and bound by their will because we didn't take the time to investigate the truth. They will take your money and your free will, all the while telling you that it's for the greater good; and, then, the day will come that you will realize, probably too late, the greater good of which they spoke was their own pockets and power.
We've said it before, but it bears repeating: Pray always, pray without ceasing, that you may not be deceived:
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" (Ephesians 4:14)
Jesus will come again. Know His teachings, rely on His word -- they may be all that will protect you when cunning men try to deceive and lead you away. His return will be cheered by the righteous and feared by the wicked. No matter how difficult the future becomes, we have nothing to fear if we have faith in God and fight evil.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
A Modern Day Esther
We found this article on another site and thought it worth sharing:
WASILLA, Alaska — Shortly after taking office as governor in 2006, Sarah Palin sent an e-mail message to Paul E. Riley, her former pastor in the Assembly of God Church, which her family began attending when she was a youth. She needed spiritual advice in how to do her new job, said Mr. Riley, who is 78 and retired from the church.
“She asked for a biblical example of people who were great leaders and what was the secret of their leadership,” Mr. Riley said.
He wrote back that she should read again from the Old Testament the story of Esther, a beauty queen who became a real one, gaining the king’s ear to avert the slaughter of the Jews and vanquish their enemies. When Esther is called to serve, God grants her a strength she never knew she had.
Mr. Riley said he thought Ms. Palin had lived out the advice as governor, and would now do so again as the Republican Party’s vice-presidential nominee.
“God has given her the opportunity to serve,” he said. “And God has given her the strength to carry out her goals."
Interviews with the two pastors she has been most closely associated with here in her hometown — she now attends the Wasilla Bible Church, though she keeps in touch with Mr. Riley and recently spoke at an event at his former church — and with friends and acquaintances who have worshipped with her point to a firm conclusion: her foundation and source of guidance is the Bible, and with it has come a conviction to be God’s servant.
If you like you can read the remainder of the article:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/us/politics/06church.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
WASILLA, Alaska — Shortly after taking office as governor in 2006, Sarah Palin sent an e-mail message to Paul E. Riley, her former pastor in the Assembly of God Church, which her family began attending when she was a youth. She needed spiritual advice in how to do her new job, said Mr. Riley, who is 78 and retired from the church.
“She asked for a biblical example of people who were great leaders and what was the secret of their leadership,” Mr. Riley said.
He wrote back that she should read again from the Old Testament the story of Esther, a beauty queen who became a real one, gaining the king’s ear to avert the slaughter of the Jews and vanquish their enemies. When Esther is called to serve, God grants her a strength she never knew she had.
Mr. Riley said he thought Ms. Palin had lived out the advice as governor, and would now do so again as the Republican Party’s vice-presidential nominee.
“God has given her the opportunity to serve,” he said. “And God has given her the strength to carry out her goals."
Interviews with the two pastors she has been most closely associated with here in her hometown — she now attends the Wasilla Bible Church, though she keeps in touch with Mr. Riley and recently spoke at an event at his former church — and with friends and acquaintances who have worshipped with her point to a firm conclusion: her foundation and source of guidance is the Bible, and with it has come a conviction to be God’s servant.
If you like you can read the remainder of the article:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/us/politics/06church.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
Friday, September 5, 2008
Double Standard
Sarah Palin has completely shaken up the Presidential campaign. The Democrat’s are scared to death of her and the liberal media is attempting to completely annihilate her by denigrating her experience and her role as mother. Evidently, a woman can do and be anything as long as she is a liberal woman.
The media took exception to Governor Palin’s attack on them, saying they had the right to probe her experience and expose her weaknesses. Isn’t it odd, then, that they don’t do the same thing to Senator Obama? Where’s the mention of his relationship with terrorist Williams Ayres and the $47 million Obama allegedly raised for one of Ayres groups? Why did it take 18 months for us to hear about Reverend Wright when it only took seven days for us to know all five Palin children’s names, Todd Palin’s DWI, Sarah Palin’s ex-brother-in-law’s name, and so many other intimate Palin family details, yet the liberal media ignores or glosses over Barack Obama’s glaring failings?
Why haven’t they reported about Public Allies, the group that Barack Obama cofounded? According to information Glenn Beck has received, A Public Allies training seminar in Chicago describes heterosexism as a negative byproduct of capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy and male dominated privilege. For more information on this, you can read Glenn Beck’s article at http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/14846/
In support of Sarah Palin, who is being compared to Margaret Thatcher, we are including the following Margaret Thatcher quotes. We feel they could easily be applied to Governor Palin:
I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left. ~ Margaret Thatcher
It's passionately interesting for me that the things that I learned in a small town, in a very modest home, are just the things that I believe have won the election. ~ Margaret Thatcher
Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country. ~ Margaret Thatcher
I owe nothing to Women's Lib. ~ Margaret Thatcher
If my critics saw me walking over the Thames they would say it was because I couldn't swim. ~ Margaret Thatcher
I've got a woman's ability to stick to a job and get on with it when everyone else walks off and leaves it. ~ Margaret Thatcher
The media took exception to Governor Palin’s attack on them, saying they had the right to probe her experience and expose her weaknesses. Isn’t it odd, then, that they don’t do the same thing to Senator Obama? Where’s the mention of his relationship with terrorist Williams Ayres and the $47 million Obama allegedly raised for one of Ayres groups? Why did it take 18 months for us to hear about Reverend Wright when it only took seven days for us to know all five Palin children’s names, Todd Palin’s DWI, Sarah Palin’s ex-brother-in-law’s name, and so many other intimate Palin family details, yet the liberal media ignores or glosses over Barack Obama’s glaring failings?
Why haven’t they reported about Public Allies, the group that Barack Obama cofounded? According to information Glenn Beck has received, A Public Allies training seminar in Chicago describes heterosexism as a negative byproduct of capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy and male dominated privilege. For more information on this, you can read Glenn Beck’s article at http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/14846/
In support of Sarah Palin, who is being compared to Margaret Thatcher, we are including the following Margaret Thatcher quotes. We feel they could easily be applied to Governor Palin:
I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left. ~ Margaret Thatcher
It's passionately interesting for me that the things that I learned in a small town, in a very modest home, are just the things that I believe have won the election. ~ Margaret Thatcher
Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country. ~ Margaret Thatcher
I owe nothing to Women's Lib. ~ Margaret Thatcher
If my critics saw me walking over the Thames they would say it was because I couldn't swim. ~ Margaret Thatcher
I've got a woman's ability to stick to a job and get on with it when everyone else walks off and leaves it. ~ Margaret Thatcher
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Strike One...
Welcome to political baseball! Last night Sarah Palin took the stage at the Republican National Convention and hit a home run with her speech, giving the Democrats their first strike out. As with regular baseball, they have two more strikes and they're out. We feel those two opportunities will come at the Vice-President debate against Joe Biden, when we anticipate that Biden will spend most of his time trying to find a base to stand on while Palin hits another home run. The third strike opportunity will be when John McCain and Barack Obama debate each other and Barack finds out that he forgot to bring his game mitt.
We have pulled a few of Governor Palin's remarks from her speech and posted them below. She definitely showed up with her game face on and the other team is beginning to realize that this is a game they can't play without wearing a cup.
Over the next few weeks, Governor Palin will be discredited, criticized, mocked, and scorned. But we have no doubt that she will continue to stand victorious in the face of the low-lifes who will attack her. Keep in mind that the attacks will come because the other side is frightened. They are frightened by a woman who knows who she is and walks her own talk. So they have to attack her type of feminism (keep in mind, they are for feminists and women's rights -- as long as it fits their rules for feminists and women's rights), and the way she mothers her children.
If by some chance she and McCain lose this election, she will still be a winner because she has a family who loves her, a state who reveres her, and self-assurance and confidence that will carry her through the ups and downs of life. How do we know that? Because she's already done it.
********************************************
Governor Palin's speech excerpts:
A writer observed: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity." I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.
I grew up with those people.
They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America ... who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.
They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town.
I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better.
When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too. (Blogger Comment: Ironically, these are the same small town, middle class people the Democrats CLAIM to represent, but have never understood. Governor Palin is actually one of those middle class people.)
Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.
And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.
I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening. (Blogger Comment: No one has ever been able to provide a job description for a community organizer. We still don't know exactly what experience Obama brings to political office. And, for the record, we don't BITTERLY cling to our religion, but we GRATEFULLY cling to Jesus Christ.)
And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.
But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people. (Blogger Comment: Good for her. We can't be the only people who are sick and tired of the liberal media pushing their own candidate and trying to make Governor Palin's very normal life look like a scandal.)
But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart. (Blogger Comment: What a refreshing change that will be!)
Our state budget is under control.
We have a surplus.
And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes.
I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.
I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.
If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged - directly to the people of Alaska. (Blogger Comment: What would it be like to have more of our money to keep for ourselves?)
I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history.
And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.
That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart.
The stakes for our nation could not be higher.
When a hurricane strikes in the Gulf of Mexico, this country should not be so dependent on imported oil that we are forced to draw from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
And families cannot throw away more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil.
With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.
To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas.
And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we've got lots of both.
Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems - as if we all didn't know that already.
But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.
Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more nuclear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.
We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers. (Blogger Comment: Thank goodness that someone is willing to do something to help our energy dependence. Nancy Pelosi is too busy saving the planet -- what's she going to do when she's done saving the planet, only to turn around and realize she's killed her own country?)
And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.
But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.
This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.
Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.
Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.
Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.
Congress spends too much ... he promises more.
Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.
The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses.
How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio ... or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia ... or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.
How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy? Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. (Blogger Comment: You Go, Girl!)
Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the current do-nothing Senate, not long ago summed up his feelings about our nominee.He said, quote, "I can't stand John McCain." Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we've chosen the right man. Clearly what the Majority Leader was driving at is that he can't stand up to John McCain. That is only one more reason to take the maverick of the Senate and put him in the White House. (Blogger Comment: As Nevadans, we can attest to the idiotic statements that Harry Reid makes. Harry, who is in the Senate to promote his own agenda, has lost all interest in representing Nevadans. We're pretty confident that Nevadans are going to let Harry retire in 2011.)
And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely.There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain. (Blogger Comment: AMEN!)
We have pulled a few of Governor Palin's remarks from her speech and posted them below. She definitely showed up with her game face on and the other team is beginning to realize that this is a game they can't play without wearing a cup.
Over the next few weeks, Governor Palin will be discredited, criticized, mocked, and scorned. But we have no doubt that she will continue to stand victorious in the face of the low-lifes who will attack her. Keep in mind that the attacks will come because the other side is frightened. They are frightened by a woman who knows who she is and walks her own talk. So they have to attack her type of feminism (keep in mind, they are for feminists and women's rights -- as long as it fits their rules for feminists and women's rights), and the way she mothers her children.
If by some chance she and McCain lose this election, she will still be a winner because she has a family who loves her, a state who reveres her, and self-assurance and confidence that will carry her through the ups and downs of life. How do we know that? Because she's already done it.
********************************************
Governor Palin's speech excerpts:
A writer observed: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity." I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.
I grew up with those people.
They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America ... who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.
They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town.
I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better.
When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too. (Blogger Comment: Ironically, these are the same small town, middle class people the Democrats CLAIM to represent, but have never understood. Governor Palin is actually one of those middle class people.)
Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.
And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.
I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening. (Blogger Comment: No one has ever been able to provide a job description for a community organizer. We still don't know exactly what experience Obama brings to political office. And, for the record, we don't BITTERLY cling to our religion, but we GRATEFULLY cling to Jesus Christ.)
And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.
But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people. (Blogger Comment: Good for her. We can't be the only people who are sick and tired of the liberal media pushing their own candidate and trying to make Governor Palin's very normal life look like a scandal.)
But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart. (Blogger Comment: What a refreshing change that will be!)
Our state budget is under control.
We have a surplus.
And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes.
I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.
I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.
If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged - directly to the people of Alaska. (Blogger Comment: What would it be like to have more of our money to keep for ourselves?)
I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history.
And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.
That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart.
The stakes for our nation could not be higher.
When a hurricane strikes in the Gulf of Mexico, this country should not be so dependent on imported oil that we are forced to draw from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
And families cannot throw away more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil.
With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.
To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas.
And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we've got lots of both.
Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems - as if we all didn't know that already.
But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.
Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more nuclear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.
We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers. (Blogger Comment: Thank goodness that someone is willing to do something to help our energy dependence. Nancy Pelosi is too busy saving the planet -- what's she going to do when she's done saving the planet, only to turn around and realize she's killed her own country?)
And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.
But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.
This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.
Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.
Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.
Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.
Congress spends too much ... he promises more.
Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.
The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses.
How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio ... or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia ... or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.
How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy? Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. (Blogger Comment: You Go, Girl!)
Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the current do-nothing Senate, not long ago summed up his feelings about our nominee.He said, quote, "I can't stand John McCain." Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we've chosen the right man. Clearly what the Majority Leader was driving at is that he can't stand up to John McCain. That is only one more reason to take the maverick of the Senate and put him in the White House. (Blogger Comment: As Nevadans, we can attest to the idiotic statements that Harry Reid makes. Harry, who is in the Senate to promote his own agenda, has lost all interest in representing Nevadans. We're pretty confident that Nevadans are going to let Harry retire in 2011.)
And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely.There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain. (Blogger Comment: AMEN!)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Roll Call ~ Oregon and New Jersey
Welcome to another Roll Call. All information comes from each senator's website.
Gordon Smith (R) Oregon
Smith's foray into politics began in 1992, when he was elected to the Oregon State Senate. Upon his election to the United States Senate, Smith became the first U.S. Senator from eastern Oregon since 1938.
Health Care
Ensuring the health and well-being of our citizenry is one of the greatest responsibilities of our government. I believe that the foundation of a healthy nation begins with a strong health care safety net and affordable health care coverage for all Americans. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I have worked to develop policies that ensure Medicare and programs such as Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provide health care coverage for low-income individuals, remain strong and financially sustainable for years to come. I also have sponsored a number of initiatives that will benefit the State of Oregon, like increasing flexibility for the Oregon Health Plan and making coverage more affordable and accessible for small businesses and the uninsured.
Another important step to improving the health of our nation is to focus on mental health. As a founding member of the Senate Mental Health Caucus, I am working on legislation to improve access to vital mental health care services and to break down the stigma associated with mental illness. In the 108th Congress, we took a monumental step toward this goal with the passage of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, which augments suicide prevention efforts at the state and local level and on college/university campuses. This Congress, I am working to ensure passage of federal Mental Health Parity legislation that would help alleviate some of the burden placed on individuals and the public mental health system due to lack of access to treatment through many private health insurance plans.
As Ranking Member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, I have had the opportunity to lead discussions on ways to strengthen Medicare, Medicaid, and public/private retirement programs, and to expose companies that prey on seniors with marketing scams. During my tenure as Chairman in the 109th Congress, I also highlighted issues such as long-term care, retirement security, disaster preparedness, America’s guardianship system and conducted stringent oversight over federal programs such as implementation of the Medicare prescription drug program. In the 110th Congress, I will continue to work on enact policies that protect seniors and ensure the long term sustainability of our entitlement programs for generations to come. (Blogger Comment: So many Americans are confused as to the role of government -- apparently this includes U.S. Senators. It is NOT the role or responsibility of government to take care of the health of its citizens. That is the responsibility of the citizens. Government-sponsored health care is socialism. Socialism was one of the greatest fears of the founding fathers. The role of the U.S. government is to ensure the safety of its citizens, not the health, not the prosperity, or anything else that requires the government to forcibly extract money from its citizens. While it sounds nice for everyone to pitch in and take care of each other, it's only charitable when we do it voluntarily and when it's done outside of the government's mandates. Certainly communities are welcome to come together and form health care co-ops to help each other, and we would encourage that kind of solution. But we do not believe in or encourage any type of socialism, no matter how great it sounds. The government has never been able to oversee any type of social program in an equitable manner, nor should we encourage them to keep trying to implement social programs that are destined to fail. The big question in health care is why aren't we demanding insurance reform so that we all can have affordable health care? Is it because Washington is corrupt and rely on lobbyists for support and money? We're just wondering how much money Washington receives from insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyists.)
Education
Making quality education affordable and more accessible to every American is one of my top priorities as a U.S. Senator (Blogger Comment: not the role of government).
While it is of the utmost importance that we hold our schools and our teachers to the highest standards, the federal government must also support schools’ efforts to improve. (Blogger Comment: On the contrary, the federal government needs to get out of education. It has been a mess since they became involved.) For this reason, I have consistently voted to support more federal government spending on education. (Blogger Comment: This guy must be a moderate Republican. More federal government spending sounds like a liberal ideal.)
During my years in the Senate, I have been a constant advocate for Head Start and Early Head Start. I have long supported increased funding for both programs, and I appreciate the relationships I have developed with the early education community. These programs have a tremendous impact on the lives of the children and families they serve.
I have also worked with my Senate colleagues to launch an initiative that will help parents and children save and pay for their education needs (Blogger Comment: let's cut to the chase. He wants more taxes.). The proposals build on the various tax cuts and education reforms that Congress passed as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. I also introduced a bill aimed at helping people save money for college and have voted to increase the maximum Pell grant award (Blogger Comment: this is getting tiring, but we'll continue to repeat it until Washington gets it. This is not the role of government. College is voluntary and citizens are responsible for their own education. Why do people continue to believe that Washington politicians are professional educators?)
Education should be a priority for all Americans and requires no less than the support of both the federal government and state governments to improve academic performance (Blogger Comment: Oh boy! See all previous blogger comments).
Economy
I have always believed the best economic policies are those that foster the entrepreneurial spirit that has made our country great. And like most Americans, I believe families are best able to decide how to spend their hard earned paychecks (Blogger Comment: Really? Because you just took away all our money for your education and health care programs). I strongly supported President Bush’s tax cuts because I believe they helped provide Americans the additional tools and freedom they need to better fulfill their dreams (Blogger Comment: We have a dream - We have a dream that some day we'll be able to keep most of our money to take care of our own education and health care. We have a dream that some day Washington will stop trying to micro manage our lives and stop lining their pockets with our taxes.).
Through smaller government (Blogger Comment: Can you say headache? Because that's what this guy is giving us. Didn't we just read that he believes the federal government needs to get more involved in health care and education, but now he wants us to believe that he's for smaller government? Can you say stupid? Because that's what he believes we are.), disciplined spending and continued tax reform, I believe that our economy will continue to expand, enabling us to reduce the deficit and pay down the federal debt, while at the same time lessening the tax burden for American families.
As a member of the Senate Finance committee I have had the unique privilege to be closely involved in formulating economic policies aimed at growing the American job market, and increasing the vibrancy of our economy. Recent trends suggest that equipping Americans’ natural ingenuity with a favorable tax code has helped revive our economy, and I am proud to continue my commitment to that end (Blogger Comment: That would be great, but he hasn't said anything that makes us believe that he's actually going to vote to reduce taxes. He has too many programs to fund at our expense.).
Gordon Smith (R) Oregon
Smith's foray into politics began in 1992, when he was elected to the Oregon State Senate. Upon his election to the United States Senate, Smith became the first U.S. Senator from eastern Oregon since 1938.
Health Care
Ensuring the health and well-being of our citizenry is one of the greatest responsibilities of our government. I believe that the foundation of a healthy nation begins with a strong health care safety net and affordable health care coverage for all Americans. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I have worked to develop policies that ensure Medicare and programs such as Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provide health care coverage for low-income individuals, remain strong and financially sustainable for years to come. I also have sponsored a number of initiatives that will benefit the State of Oregon, like increasing flexibility for the Oregon Health Plan and making coverage more affordable and accessible for small businesses and the uninsured.
Another important step to improving the health of our nation is to focus on mental health. As a founding member of the Senate Mental Health Caucus, I am working on legislation to improve access to vital mental health care services and to break down the stigma associated with mental illness. In the 108th Congress, we took a monumental step toward this goal with the passage of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, which augments suicide prevention efforts at the state and local level and on college/university campuses. This Congress, I am working to ensure passage of federal Mental Health Parity legislation that would help alleviate some of the burden placed on individuals and the public mental health system due to lack of access to treatment through many private health insurance plans.
As Ranking Member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, I have had the opportunity to lead discussions on ways to strengthen Medicare, Medicaid, and public/private retirement programs, and to expose companies that prey on seniors with marketing scams. During my tenure as Chairman in the 109th Congress, I also highlighted issues such as long-term care, retirement security, disaster preparedness, America’s guardianship system and conducted stringent oversight over federal programs such as implementation of the Medicare prescription drug program. In the 110th Congress, I will continue to work on enact policies that protect seniors and ensure the long term sustainability of our entitlement programs for generations to come. (Blogger Comment: So many Americans are confused as to the role of government -- apparently this includes U.S. Senators. It is NOT the role or responsibility of government to take care of the health of its citizens. That is the responsibility of the citizens. Government-sponsored health care is socialism. Socialism was one of the greatest fears of the founding fathers. The role of the U.S. government is to ensure the safety of its citizens, not the health, not the prosperity, or anything else that requires the government to forcibly extract money from its citizens. While it sounds nice for everyone to pitch in and take care of each other, it's only charitable when we do it voluntarily and when it's done outside of the government's mandates. Certainly communities are welcome to come together and form health care co-ops to help each other, and we would encourage that kind of solution. But we do not believe in or encourage any type of socialism, no matter how great it sounds. The government has never been able to oversee any type of social program in an equitable manner, nor should we encourage them to keep trying to implement social programs that are destined to fail. The big question in health care is why aren't we demanding insurance reform so that we all can have affordable health care? Is it because Washington is corrupt and rely on lobbyists for support and money? We're just wondering how much money Washington receives from insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyists.)
Education
Making quality education affordable and more accessible to every American is one of my top priorities as a U.S. Senator (Blogger Comment: not the role of government).
While it is of the utmost importance that we hold our schools and our teachers to the highest standards, the federal government must also support schools’ efforts to improve. (Blogger Comment: On the contrary, the federal government needs to get out of education. It has been a mess since they became involved.) For this reason, I have consistently voted to support more federal government spending on education. (Blogger Comment: This guy must be a moderate Republican. More federal government spending sounds like a liberal ideal.)
During my years in the Senate, I have been a constant advocate for Head Start and Early Head Start. I have long supported increased funding for both programs, and I appreciate the relationships I have developed with the early education community. These programs have a tremendous impact on the lives of the children and families they serve.
I have also worked with my Senate colleagues to launch an initiative that will help parents and children save and pay for their education needs (Blogger Comment: let's cut to the chase. He wants more taxes.). The proposals build on the various tax cuts and education reforms that Congress passed as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. I also introduced a bill aimed at helping people save money for college and have voted to increase the maximum Pell grant award (Blogger Comment: this is getting tiring, but we'll continue to repeat it until Washington gets it. This is not the role of government. College is voluntary and citizens are responsible for their own education. Why do people continue to believe that Washington politicians are professional educators?)
Education should be a priority for all Americans and requires no less than the support of both the federal government and state governments to improve academic performance (Blogger Comment: Oh boy! See all previous blogger comments).
Economy
I have always believed the best economic policies are those that foster the entrepreneurial spirit that has made our country great. And like most Americans, I believe families are best able to decide how to spend their hard earned paychecks (Blogger Comment: Really? Because you just took away all our money for your education and health care programs). I strongly supported President Bush’s tax cuts because I believe they helped provide Americans the additional tools and freedom they need to better fulfill their dreams (Blogger Comment: We have a dream - We have a dream that some day we'll be able to keep most of our money to take care of our own education and health care. We have a dream that some day Washington will stop trying to micro manage our lives and stop lining their pockets with our taxes.).
Through smaller government (Blogger Comment: Can you say headache? Because that's what this guy is giving us. Didn't we just read that he believes the federal government needs to get more involved in health care and education, but now he wants us to believe that he's for smaller government? Can you say stupid? Because that's what he believes we are.), disciplined spending and continued tax reform, I believe that our economy will continue to expand, enabling us to reduce the deficit and pay down the federal debt, while at the same time lessening the tax burden for American families.
As a member of the Senate Finance committee I have had the unique privilege to be closely involved in formulating economic policies aimed at growing the American job market, and increasing the vibrancy of our economy. Recent trends suggest that equipping Americans’ natural ingenuity with a favorable tax code has helped revive our economy, and I am proud to continue my commitment to that end (Blogger Comment: That would be great, but he hasn't said anything that makes us believe that he's actually going to vote to reduce taxes. He has too many programs to fund at our expense.).
Frank Lautenberg (D) New Jersey
Working to improve the quality of life for all New Jersey families, Senator Lautenberg has fought to provide opportunities for every citizen (Blogger Comment: not the role of government. Americans have freedom to pursue their own opportunities.).
As the top Democratic member of the Senate Budget Committee, Senator Lautenberg helped negotiate the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which restored fiscal discipline to the Federal government, ended years of deficits and raids on Social Security, and actually created large budget surpluses. This helped keep interest rates low, increased business investment, and contributed to the greatest period of economic growth in our nation's history.
Senator Lautenberg has also been a strong proponent of keeping taxes low, especially for middle class families. The 1997 budget law, for example, included significant tax cuts for families with children. Senator Lautenberg also supported tax deductions to offset college costs, and abolishment of the so-called "marriage penalty." And he voted against the two largest tax increases in American history, in 1990 and 1993 (Blogger Comment: We have double checked and, yes, this guy's a Democrat. Does the Democrat party know that he's for low taxes?).
Beyond restoring fiscal discipline and supporting middle class tax relief, Senator Lautenberg has focused on promoting economic development in New Jersey. He's done it town-by-town, rolling up his sleeves to secure federal help for renewing local business districts like Pennsgrove and Paterson, or upgrading critical local transportation links from Cape May to Paramus.
Senator Lautenberg has fought to preserve or expand federal installations like McGuire Air Force Base, and win federal projects that create jobs from Moorestown to Princeton. Nationally, he's promoted technology and investment by backing tax credits for research and for investments in new businesses; by writing tough laws that punish foreign companies that steal American inventions; and by promoting federal defense conversion programs that put defense technology to work creating non-defense jobs.
He's fought for trade laws that are fair, protecting jobs at home and opening markets abroad. To prepare workers, he's backed programs for apprentices to smooth the transition from school to work.
Senator Lautenberg also has made it a priority to support programs critical to the economic security of average New Jerseyans. He has always strongly supported Social Security and Medicare, and opposed privatization plans that would lead to deep cuts in guaranteed benefits. He also has supported efforts to increase the minimum wage and provide workers with the job training they need to succeed in an ever more complex and technological economy (Blogger Comment: Now he's starting to sound like a Democrat. Any "program" from the government means more taxes and it's not the government's job to help private citizens "succeed".).
As a member of the Intelligence Committee and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, he worked to keep our military strong, while improving pay and living conditions for our troops.
Senator Lautenberg has also been a leader against terrorism. He wrote the law banning foreign aid to states that sponsor terrorism (Blogger Comment: That just seems like common sense. At least someone in Washington, D.C., has some left.). He authored legislation to deny tax breaks to companies that operate in states that actively support terrorism. He led efforts to increase US opposition to Hamas and other violent fundamentalist organizations in the Middle East. And he wrote the law that allows victims of terrorism to collect damages from countries that sponsor terrorist acts (Blogger Comment: Good luck collecting that.).
To improve the security of Americans here at home, Senator Lautenberg has worked hard to reduce crime and fight the scourge of gun violence. Over the strong opposition of the National Rifle Association, he won enactment of the law banning wife beaters and child abusers from owning guns. He was the leader in efforts to close the gun show loophole. He successfully blocked a program that gave guns back to convicted felons. He also supported a variety of other measures, such as the assault weapons ban and the Brady Law, to reduce gun violence. In addition, he cosponsored legislation to abolish parole and toughen penalties for violent criminals (Full Disclosure of the Bloggers: We are members of the NRA. We fully support gun rights. However, we also believe that convicted felons forfeit their gun rights when they commit crimes. As long as Senator Lautenberg doesn't support taking gun rights away from regular citizens, we don't have a problem with penalties being imposed on convicted felons. But if we find out that Senator Lautenberg supports gun bans on law abiding citizens, we will have a huge problem with that.)
As the grandfather of 10 children, Senator Lautenberg believes that a healthy environment is one of the most important legacies we can bequeath to future generations. He worked to pass the Safe Drinking Water Act and fought for extra treatment of drinking water to prevent vulnerable children from being poisoned by contaminants. He has also worked to preserve open spaces and keep our beaches and oceans clean and swimmable.
Clean beaches are crucial to New Jersey, which depends on the billions of dollars that Shore tourism pumps into our economy. To protect this resource, Senator Lautenberg wrote laws to require testing of beach water so our children don't get sick, to ban ocean dumping of sewage, to get garbage off our beaches, to control medical waste, to prevent oil spills and to stop oil drilling off our Shore.
The Senator has also worked to renew and improve the cleanup of Superfund toxic waste sites. He wrote the federal law to give citizens the right to know about the toxic emissions that companies spew into the air, water and ground. He drafted "brownfields" legislation, now law, to clean up abandoned industrial sites and promote economic development. He established a program to prevent pollution before it becomes a problem. And he helped create and expand federal parks and refuges, like the Sterling Forest, the Forsythe and Cape May refuges, and the Coastal Heritage Trail in South Jersey. He currently serves as the ranking Democratic member of the subcommittee on global warming (Blogger Comment: Seriously? We have a committee on global warming? How do we get our tax money back for this waste of time?).
Senator Lautenberg firmly believes that the key to his success was a quality public education that allowed him to take advantage of the GI Bill and succeed in college. He is committed to ensuring that today's children have the same opportunity (Blogger Comment: We have said this in previous blogs and will continue to say it. Why does the federal government think they know what constitutes a "quality" education?).
Unfortunately, too many schools are in poor condition and lack sufficient access to modern technology. To help our local school districts pay for crucial school building modernization, Sen. Lautenberg sponsored the Public School Modernization Act, to provide $25-billion in zero-interest bonding authority. New Jersey's share, estimated at $545 million, could have translated into about four million square feet of school renovation and construction (Blogger Comment: $25-billion??? See all previous blogger comments on government spending and the role of government.).
But Senator Lautenberg knows that some of our at-risk children need special one-on-one help. That's why he sponsored the Juvenile Mentoring Program Act -- or JUMP -- in 1992. One study showed mentoring produced dramatic results at a cost of just $1,000 a match (Blogger Comment: Obviously, kids make bad choices regardless of their parents best efforts. However, programs need to be community based, not paid for by the federal government.). Compare that to the roughly $25,000 a year we're forced to spend to put someone in jail once they've dropped out of school and turned to crime or drugs.
Senator Lautenberg also led the fight to authorize and fund a national Intelligent Transportation Systems program because he believes we are going to need smarter roads and vehicles to move both commuters and commerce efficiently in the next century. These types of initiatives can help reduce traffic and eliminate gridlock.
Besides building new transportation systems, Senator Lautenberg believes we must make our roads, rails and skies safer. Besides cutting into teen drunk driving by encouraging states to make 21 the national drinking age, Senator Lautenberg wrote the law establishing a national .08 blood alcohol standard. Senator Lautenberg also successfully fought attempts to expand the use of dangerous triple trailer trucks and other longer combination vehicles.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Making Change
We love this exchange that Bill Kristol posted on the Weekly Standard:
McCain aides, whose judgment I trust, are impressed by Sarah Palin. One was particularly amused by this exchange: A nervous young McCain staffer took it upon himself to explain to Palin the facts of life in a national campaign, the intense scrutiny she'd be under from the media, the viciousness of the assault that she'd be facing, etc.:
Palin: "Thanks for the warning. By the way, do you know what they say the difference is between a hockey mom and a Pit Bull?"
McCain aide: "No, Governor."
Palin: "A hockey mom wears lipstick."
We also love this video on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKFKGrmsBDk
Actual conversation in office ~
Edie and Sandy discussing the title for today's blog:
Sandy: "I like 'Making Change'."
Edie: "But I want to make sure that everybody understands that our point is that McCain and Palin will actually make change as opposed to Obama who can't even count change."
McCain aides, whose judgment I trust, are impressed by Sarah Palin. One was particularly amused by this exchange: A nervous young McCain staffer took it upon himself to explain to Palin the facts of life in a national campaign, the intense scrutiny she'd be under from the media, the viciousness of the assault that she'd be facing, etc.:
Palin: "Thanks for the warning. By the way, do you know what they say the difference is between a hockey mom and a Pit Bull?"
McCain aide: "No, Governor."
Palin: "A hockey mom wears lipstick."
We also love this video on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKFKGrmsBDk
Actual conversation in office ~
Edie and Sandy discussing the title for today's blog:
Sandy: "I like 'Making Change'."
Edie: "But I want to make sure that everybody understands that our point is that McCain and Palin will actually make change as opposed to Obama who can't even count change."
Monday, September 1, 2008
We're Baaack
"The Lord does notice us, and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that He meets our needs." - Spencer W. Kimball -
We watched this weekend from our home in Utah the preparations and evacuations associated with the oncoming storm of Hurricane Gustav. People loaded their cars, boarded buses and trains, unsure of what they would return to at the storm's conclusion. Would their homes be flooded or even standing? We even wondered what happens to their wages this week while they are away from their jobs. So many of us are one paycheck away from homelessness. Would that be the same for them?
It brought to mind a hymn we often sing at church, How Firm a Foundation. Following are three verses from the song:
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!
We watched this weekend from our home in Utah the preparations and evacuations associated with the oncoming storm of Hurricane Gustav. People loaded their cars, boarded buses and trains, unsure of what they would return to at the storm's conclusion. Would their homes be flooded or even standing? We even wondered what happens to their wages this week while they are away from their jobs. So many of us are one paycheck away from homelessness. Would that be the same for them?
It brought to mind a hymn we often sing at church, How Firm a Foundation. Following are three verses from the song:
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!
(How Firm A Foundation)
God is aware of our struggles and sufferings. Many people wonder why a loving God would allow the Hurricane Gustav's to come in our lives. There are so many reasons and most are unique to each individual; it's for him or her to decide the lesson learned. But probably the greatest reason for our struggles is so we remember and turn to Him. Only God can deliver us from life's storms; and it is through the storms that we learn what we are made of, but more importantly, what God is made of. His tender mercies are abundant; we just need to recognize them for what they are.
This life is temporary. Yes, we need shelter, food, clothing, etc., but they are temporary. The treasures we build in heaven are of the eternal variety. As it states in Matthew 6:19-21:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
We hope that people on the southern coast can return to their homes and find that all is well. Hopefully, they can get back to their jobs and schools quickly. We hope, most of all, that no matter what physical conditions exist when they return, that the Comforter of us all will wrap around them with His peace so that they will know that they have not been deserted or forsaken.
********************************************************************************
God is aware of our struggles and sufferings. Many people wonder why a loving God would allow the Hurricane Gustav's to come in our lives. There are so many reasons and most are unique to each individual; it's for him or her to decide the lesson learned. But probably the greatest reason for our struggles is so we remember and turn to Him. Only God can deliver us from life's storms; and it is through the storms that we learn what we are made of, but more importantly, what God is made of. His tender mercies are abundant; we just need to recognize them for what they are.
This life is temporary. Yes, we need shelter, food, clothing, etc., but they are temporary. The treasures we build in heaven are of the eternal variety. As it states in Matthew 6:19-21:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
We hope that people on the southern coast can return to their homes and find that all is well. Hopefully, they can get back to their jobs and schools quickly. We hope, most of all, that no matter what physical conditions exist when they return, that the Comforter of us all will wrap around them with His peace so that they will know that they have not been deserted or forsaken.
********************************************************************************
We enjoyed a relaxing weekend in our home in Utah where we were renewed by laughing, crocheting, sewing, and resting. Our sister, Gladys, was with us on this trip, which added some entertaining moments. The most entertaining moment, about which we will laugh for years to come, is one of those actual conversations in car that will have to stay in the car. However, there was another one we can share:
Actual conversation in car:
Gladys (while driving through a town between our Henderson home and our Utah home): "That is an ugly building. It must have been done in a southwest style."
Edie: "The only southwest style I want is in my food."
On the way home, we sto
pped by the Mormon Handicraft store in St. George to pick up some suckers for grandkids and friends. (Vicki--Sandy picked some up for you). We'll be going to Utah again in about a month. By then the weather will be cooling down and the beginnings of the seasons changing from summer to fall will be in the air. Have we mentioned yet how thankful we are for our Utah home?
Shout out to our niece, Maylene. We hope you had a happy birthday on Saturday.
Shout out to Doyle, Kim, and Chad. We enjoyed visiting with you--even if it was in the middle of WalMart.
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