What I've Learned from Being Fat

I have all the excuses in the world.  I could probably even convince you that I have some good reasons for being fat.  It's so ironic because I used to look at fat people and think to myself, "Really, just get off the couch and stop stuffing your mouth".  And now I have a totally different perspective and maybe even sympathize with "chunky" people when I reach down to tie my shoes and it is hard to breathe.  Some of you know exactly what I mean!

I have learned some lessons from being fat and am still learning some. 

For example, I have learned that having a plan is important.  Without a plan for exercise and eating and sleeping, I find myself making excuses day after day after day.  If I don't have a plan to exercise, I always seem to plan on doing it later.  I set "start" dates for my plan. I tell myself I will start on the 1st, or the 15th, or the 30th and until that time I pig out and gain ten more pounds waiting for that "special" date.

And without an exercise plan, my eating habits suffer.  If I am not disciplined, it makes sense to go to Taco Bell for a chicken burrito and buy a cheap meal, right?  And, I don't want to offend the ladies at the office that slaved over a birthday cake for one of the plant employees by not having a piece.  That would be rude.  And, the funny thing is that if I do eat healthy, some people look down on me, claiming that I think I am just better than they are.  (what they are really saying is, "You are making me feel uncomfortable because I know you are doing the right thing and I don't want to do the right thing.  It is more comfortable if you will just pig out with me".)

And if I don't have to get up an hour early to exercise, I don't have to go to bed at a decent hour.  And this vicious cycle just keeps going around and around.

The biggest lesson I am learning is that I need to focus on all areas of my life, not just business or my marriage or my boys.  In regards to my weight, I start and stop and start and stop.  My wife gets pneumona and I stop losing weight.  She gets better and I start again.  I have a lot on my mind and I am not sleeping well at night so I don't get up and exercise and if I don't exerise I figure I might as well have a nice fat-filled meal at a local restaurant.  And I start to gain weight again.

But if I would just stay the course and focus on my health, everything else seems to fall into place.  I eat healthy, I sleep better, I perform at work better, I feel better, I have more confidence, I think better, and I keep things in better perspective.  I know I would feel and look better and have a better future healthwise if I would just get the work done and stay focused.

So why wouldn't I get focused and lose the weight and keep it off?  Obviously, the pain of the future in my mind is not greater than the temporary pleasure of a fat-laden meal or the ease of sitting on the couch.  I need to get to a hopelessness in my life regarding my weight.  I know it sound strange but I need to focus on the negative outcomes of my life if I don't lose weight.  Diabetes, heart attacks, cancer.  All of these should be enough for me to get moving again.

I have learned to not be so critical of others from being fat.  That is a good thing.  I also have learned that I need to apply the focus that I have in other areas of my life to my health.

What a hard lesson for me to learn!! But I think I am ready........again.

Ebony and Ivory

"Ebony and Ivory" is a song that was written by Paul McCartney and sung by McCartney and Stevie Wonder.  The words to the song are:

Ebony And Ivory Live Together In Perfect Harmony
Side By Side On My Piano Keyboard, Oh Lord, Why Don't We?
We All Know That People Are The Same Where Ever We Go
There Is Good And Bad In Ev'ryone,
We Learn To Live, We Learn To Give
Each Other What We Need To Survive Together Alive.
Oh, how it would be nice to be back in 1982 and have the nice warm racial fuzzies that this song produced.

But it is not 1982, and today I am disgusted by the hate speech being spewed by the Black Caucus leaders.  They are inciting violence, mainly against white people.  And their thug gang followers are following their leads.  In an article from the American Thinker yesterday:

"Late last month, Denver saw a possible return to violence, as couples leaving restaurants were being attacked by a group of black men with baseball bats. The Denver Police have renewed warnings of those attacks.  
The brutality  in Denver is disturbingly similar to violence occurring elsewhere, nationwide.  In the last few months alone, a young white lady named Shaina Perry was taunted and beaten in Milwaukee. A young white man named Carter Strange had his skull fractured by a mob in South Carolina.  David Strucinski was beaten into a coma by a mob in Bayonne. Anna Taylor, Emily Guendelsberger, and Thomas Fitzgerals were beaten and kicked to the ground in separate Philadelphia flash mobs.  Every weekend in July, mobs have attacked in Greensboro, NC.  In a mostly-white suburb of Cleveland, witnesses reported large groups of "teens" walking through the streets, "shouting profanities and racial epithets," and one man was viciously beaten while leaving a restaurant with his wife and friends.  

In all of those cases, the victims were white and the attackers were black.

Then there are the ominous stories that no one has ever heard about. For instance, a mob of 150 "young people" descended on a small, predominantly white NJ town named Winfield Township during a firefighters' carnival. Perhaps the townspeople are merely lucky that there wasn't violence. Isn't the racial mob mentality scary enough that we shouldn't have to wait for violence before we take it seriously?
It cannot be emphasized enough that these attacks often occur in suburban areas where the black groups have to leave their own neighborhoods and purposefully travel to areas that are predominantly non-black, to attack non-black victims. For instance, in one of the many flash mob attacks in Chicago,  Trovulus Pickett, 17, was part of a group that attacked and robbed several victims, including a 68-year-old doctor.  The attacks occurred in the North Side, which is 15 miles away from Pickett's home. This indicates a serious level of planning and potential racial targeting. If these were just run-of-the mill robberies, it wouldn't be too surprising. But the social problem we're looking at is large groups, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, sometimes armed, engaging in racially-focused violent crimes." 

The Washington Post, New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune, have all openly stated that they will refuse to report on the racial facts of these violent crimes. 

In my opinion, this policy makes all of these organizations de-facto accessories to these crimes.  And Barack Obama and Eric Holder are also responsible.  Barack Obama and Eric Holder, by what they have done and what they haven't done, as well as by what they have said and what they haven't said, have also clearly encouraged these racist crimes. At a certain point, which I think has already been passed, a person that is complicit in a crime becomes a conspirator in the crime. Not for at least 60 years has America had such a racist and criminal President and Attorney General. 

So what does the Black Caucus and Obama want from us?  Nothing less than complete capitulation.  And it all starts with the President spewing his anger towards the "have's" and "have not's" of this country and causing unprecedented division.  He is empowering these thugs with his silence.  And I wish someone had the guts to point this out on a national level.  And I wish some of my black friends would take a stand.  Only then, will these extremist Black Caucus leaders take notice. 

I find it ironic that Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Memorial was unveiled this week.  It would be so refreshing to live in perfect harmony and to judge a person by the content of their character and not their skin color.  However, power and money are very powerful "drugs" and it appears that the Black Caucus leaders of Congress don't want to heed King's words but rather twist them for selfish reasons.

If you think I am somehow bending the truth or sensationalizing this topic, take 4 minutes to listen to the following.  You will be shocked.

Obamas Gone Wild

In January 2009, before the president signed his failed $787 billion stimulus bill into law, Barack Obama lectured America saying, “Everyone must sacrifice for the greater good… Everyone must have some skin in the game.”  And I can verify that the people of Kentucky have listened.  I know several people that can't afford water or electricity for their homes, others that can't make house payments, and still others that can't afford to go to the local Dairy Queen.  But ironically, it seems that Barack and Michelle haven't been sacrificing for the greater good themselves.

It was reported last week that the Obama's have spent over $10 million over the past year on their vacations. I not only find this bit of news disgusting, I find it un-presidential.  Although, I didn't support all of her revelations in the White House, I do find it ironic that the press often chided First Lady Mrs. Reagan for wearing borrowed dresses in the White House.  How refreshing would that be right now? 

But  instead of borrowed dresses, Michelle takes Air Force 2 and other military aircraft to the Obama's vacation spots so that she doesn't have to wait two hours for her man.  According to the Gateway Pundit, Michelle's spending "is ‘disgusting’ and (she's)‘a vacation junkie’, they say the 47-year-old mother-of-two has been indulging in five-star hotels, where she splashes out on expensive massages and alcohol.

The ‘top source’ told the National Enquirer: ‘It’s disgusting. Michelle is taking advantage of her privileged position while the most hardworking Americans can barely afford a week or two off work."

Expensive vodkas, spas, hotels, and huge entourages are just a few things that the Obama's delight in while so many in America are struggling right now.  But the vacations are just a part of the outlandish spending that is going on.  Extravagent, opulent gala balls, over-the-top dinners for rock stars and actors, exclusive performances at the White House, date nights that total in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and double the secret service of any president, take the Obama's spending to unprecedented levels.  And you and I are paying for all of it!

It all seems like a very bad episode of "Obamas Gone Wild".

Living in the desert

I watched some show this weekend, 20/20 or 60 minutes.  The show's focus was about teenagers that had been kicked out of their houses and were homeless to one degree or another.  It was sad really.  And it made me appreciate the life that I have and the opportunities that Dena and I are able to provide for our boys.

It struck me that what the teenagers on the show really wanted was to be acknowledged and loved by their parents.  These teenagers were willing to put up with a lot of trouble and inconveniences that weren't typical or normal.  I think we all want normal.  I think we all want to be loved.  And we often say that we want our lives to be trouble-free and easy.

But I am reminded of a saying that states that having all clear, sunny, beautiful days all the time will eventually create a desert.  Of course we all wish for easy, smooth, and trouble-free days, but obviously, that is not reality.  I think it may be that way by design.  If every single day of our lives was a happy, wonderful, sunny day, we soon take for granted that happiness and the baseline for our happiness and appreciation would move to a different level.

So how should we deal with the good days and the bad?  How do we cope when the sun isn't shining and our way isn't so clear?  I think one of the keys to making the most of our lives is to take all things, good and bad, and make a deliberate effort to decide that we are going to make the best of a particular situation.  By practicing this effort daily, we will find that situations become clearer to us and that even the bad days become bearable, even teaching us valuable lessons that we couldn't learn without them.

But given the choice today, I still think I will choose the bright sunny day!

The Narrow Road

I wrote a blog not too long ago (Is Heaven for Real) about a boy that claims to have gone to heaven.  Some time ago I saw that boy, Colton Burpo, and his family interviewed on Good Morning America.  The book has been number one on the New York Times bestseller list.  Obviously, the book has struck a chord with the American public.  Obviously, many, many people are interested in the subject of heaven.  I know I am.  I want to go to heaven.  I want my family to be in heaven.  I want my brothers, and sister, and cousins, and friends to go to heaven.  But it can be so confusing about how to get to heaven nowadays.  There are conflicting messages that are spread with "cultural" Christianity that is taught in many of today's churches. And it appears to me that this "cultural' Christianity often conflicts with what the bible says.

"Cultural" Christianity tells us we can say a prayer and we are assured of going to heaven. That's it  This current cultural teaching stands on the premise that we are saved by the grace of God, there is no way we can earn our way to heaven, so just sit back, enjoy life, and when the end comes, we will be in a better place.

And I understand why modern theology wants to promote this idea.  I think it's because it's really hard to be a Christian today.  We want to be hip and relevant in today's society.  We don't want to be too different.  It may cost us a promotion.  It may cost us friendships.  Simply put, it may cost us too much (This is a hard concept for people in northern Nigeria to understand that are gunned down by Muslims for professing their faith, but not Christians in America).

We want to watch our TV shows that celebrate having affairs and homosexuality.  We want to have music on our ipods that legitimize abusing drugs and that worships women's bodies, and promotes having casual sex with anyone and everyone.  We want our women to dress sensuously and leave very little to the imagination, we want to murder unwanted and inconvenient babies, and we want to have the freedom to divorce our spouses when times get tough or some "hottie" comes along and makes us feel good about ourselves.  Then we go to church and ask God to bless us and help us to live our best lives.  And let us share heaven with Him when we die.

Jesus taught that a good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit.  In other words, if we are doing something that doesn't fit what the bible teaches we are not living a pleasing life to God.  Of course we are human and we will fail.  But we need to be in a constant state of change.  When we screw up, we need to confess, and let God direct us in His ways.

The bible says that the path to heaven is narrow and that people will someday say to to God, "Lord, we talked about you and we did all these things for you.  Surely I can get into heaven". And God will say. " I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness". I don't know about you, but that verse terrifies me.

So, I challenge myself and you.  Should we watch shows on TV that celebrate casual sex and homosexuality and reckless lifestyles?  I believe God cringes at those shows.  Or should we listen to music that celebrates drugs, and killing, and having sex with your mother?  God is disgusted by those songs.  Should women dress in clothes that leave little to the imagination?  God despises women flaunting their bodies in public.  Should we kill babies for our own convenience?  God loves children and is angry when you murder them.  Should we divorce our spouses because someone better came along?  No, God does not approve of divorce and has provided very few exceptions for it.

Billy Graham has stated that he believes less than 5% of all of the people that have come forward at his crusades will actually go to heaven.

A very sobering thought indeed.  And a very narrow road for sure.

The Cowboy Life

I used to watch Bonanza and every John Wayne movie that was on TV with my granddad.  And I loved them.  Nowadays, I occasionally get "stuck" on a channel that is playing an old re-run and it brings back good memories.  When we used to visit out West on vacation, I would try to envision what it was like to have been a cowboy in the old West, blazing new trails, building log cabins, and living off of the land.  I know it is more "romantic" in my head than it was in reality, but I do like the values that were portrayed in the old TV shows.

But nowadays, being a cowboy is a bad thing to many people.  I think some of that notion comes from our press who vilified Presidents Reagan and Bush as "reckless cowboys".  I also think that some of the bad connotation comes from our education's history teachers who teach that the cowboy was the bad guy that harmed the nature-loving, kind, gentle Native American.  While I am sure some of that is true, I have a different view of the cowboy.  Obviously, I have never been a cowboy and don't know personally what takes place in the cowboy community.  But I have my perceptions.

I see the cowboy as a rugged individual that still, to this day, rises before the sun, rides the range, working the land and his herd of cattle, despite a blizzard or flood or drought.

I think the cowboy makes a deal with a handshake and his word is his bond, something that is stronger than any piece of legal jargon on a piece of paper.

I see the cowboy as steady and thoughtful, making decisions that are deliberate and well thought out.  After all, his livelihood could be determined by those daily decisions.

I see them lending a helping hand when needed, not whining and crying when something doesn't go as planned,  determined, strong, and not willing to take a shortcut for the sake of getting done earlier in the day.

I suspect we will hear quite alot about cowboys in the near future.  And most of it will be negative because Rick Perry is from Texas and appears to be George Bush on steroids.  This blog is not intended to be political.  I don't know enough about Rick Perry to say I will endorse him.

This blog is intended to make you think.  Think about what cowboy persona stand for and what the "old school" version of a cowboy is. 

I, for one, would welcome the cowboy values in my community.

Yeehaw!!

Alone Again, Naturally

To think that only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
Looking forward to well who wouldn’t do
The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much, as a mere touch
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt
Talk about God and His mercy
Or if He really does exist
Why did He desert me in my hour of need
I truly am indeed Alone again, naturally

This song was released when I was the tender age of eight.  Strangely enough, it has been stuck in my mind since 1972, maybe because it was a number one hit and played over and over on the radio when that was all we had to listen to.  The Irish singer, Gilbert O'Sullivan, had a hauntingly unique voice and the melody was easily etched in my mind,  even though the song is about a guy planning on committing suicide after being left at the alter and then later about the death of his parents. 

While I don't personally have anything in common with the song, sometimes I find myself singing the "alone again, naturally" part when I am at the campground.  This week has been no exception.  No one is here.  It is very quiet.  All I hear for hours at a time is the birds singing and the cicadas and crickets chirping away.  Sometimes it is lonely. And if I have my wishes, I wouldn't spend quite so much time alone.  I would be home with my family.

When I first arrived in Kentucky, I despised the time alone.  Especially in the winter months when I was confined to 20 feet of camper space and there is absolutely no sound; no birds singing, no bugs chirping, no crickets or frogs at night.  Nothing.  In fact, sometimes it can get a little eery. 

But over the past three and a half years, I have learned to embrace the quietness and the solitude and the time alone.  I am able to read and digest incredible amounts of wisdom  and information from the books I read.  I am able to think.  And pray.  And plan; plan for when an opportunity presents itself and I move on to the next journey in my life.

And when that time comes, I hope to be able to spend some time alone to clear my head and focus and plan and read and write.  After all, I think I would miss my time alone, naturally.

Riding Life's Wave

I have never met Jacob Brewer and I probably never will.  But we are loosely and distantly connected.  A few weeks ago, Jacob got to ski on the lake where I have my camper.  At first glance, that doesn't appear to be such a big deal.  However, if you live near this peaceful 300 acre lake, you would know that the "no-ski" rule is strictly enforced.  The game warden is tough and always patrolling.  And the fisherman get cranky when anyone messes up their chance to haul in the "big one". 

But this day was different.  It was Jacob's 21st birthday.  So, this was a day of celebration for Jacob and his family.  But it was even more than that.  This was Jacob's last big hurrah, his wish granted.  You see, Jacob comes from a skiing family.  But throughout the years, Jacob has only been able to ski twice before, once when he was one year old and another time when he was six.  And this will be Jacob's last time around the lake.  Jacob has a terminal illness with a life expectancy in the mid-20s.  Jacob can't walk. His disease is characterized by degeneration in muscles and causes difficulty in walking and breathing.

When his father and brother released the towing ropes next to Jacob, ending his ride in front of where his family was gathered, Jacob's ear-to-ear grin was visible to everyone on shore.  "Jacob is so very, very happy, and it couldn't have turned out better" said his mother, Debbie Brewer.

I wish Jacob was born without any disease and I wish Jacob didn't have this illness.  Unfortunately I can't change that.  But I can learn from Jacob.  I can take inventory of what I do have; my health, my abilities, the freedom to walk and run and enjoy simple things such as mobility.  And I can learn about courage, and love, and a "can-do" attitude that is willing to take a chance and face down fear and overcome obstacles.

Thank you Jacob for the life lesson.  Thank you for so courageously riding life's wave!

There is Still Time on the Clock

Turn on the radio or the television and you are almost assured of getting a little depressed. Things are not exactly easy right now.  The economy is tanking.  People are scared and hopeless.  And some of the things that we are seeing overseas, such as rioting, may not be in our too distant future.  I live in an America right now that is much different than how it was when I was young. 

But I am not ready to throw in the towel.  I am not ready to turn out the lights.  I still believe.  Just like Jimmy Carter did, Barack Hussein Obama and his administration are making it tough nowadays.  But there was life after Jimmy Carter and I am holding out hope that there will be life after Barack Hussein Obama.  After all, I believe Americans need to quit looking for a President who will fix their life.  Whomever is elected next will only be a man.  We can't elect a Savior! 

Someone who has always emboddied that spirit to me is Jimmy V, Jim Valvano.  He was the head coach of North Carolina State in 1983 when they won the NCAA Championship as a huge underdog and in one of the greatest NCAA final Championship games in the history of the tournament.  As memorable as that game was to me, Jimmy V's speech on the night of March 4th, 1993, when he was awarded the inaugural Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award at the first annual ESPY Awards was, to me, his crowning achievement and a lesson I will never forget.

Some of the excerpts from his speech are as follows:

"It's so important to know where you are. I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. You have to be willing to work for it."

"I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm," to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality."

"Don't give up, don't ever give up." That's what I'm going to try to do every minute that I have left. I will thank God for the day and the moment I have. If you see me, smile and give me a hug. That's important to me too."

"Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever." 

And that should be the lesson that we take away from this speech and the lesson that we should apply to our lives, especially now and in the days ahead when things could get worse.  Any man and his administration can take away our liberties, they can take away our freedoms, but they can't take away our minds, our hearts, or our souls. 

We can be the ones with real hope.  We can be the ones with real change. There is still time on the clock.

Obama's Version of The Ten Commandments

I saw the following posted on a T-shirt the other day.   It is obvious that our President lives according to his own set of Ten Commandments.  These certainly aren't the Ten Commandments that I learned in Sunday School but they do seem appropriate for Obama and his administration. 

The Ten Commandments According to Obama

Thou shalt have no God in America, except for me.  For we are no longer a Christian nation and, after all, I am the chosen One.  (And like God, I do not have a birth certificate)

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, unless it is my face carved on Mt. Rushmore

Thou shalt not utter my middle name in vain (or in public).  Only I can say Barack Hussein Obama

Remember tax day, April 15th, to keep it holy

Honour thy father and thy mother until they are too old and sick to care for.  They will cost our public-funded health-care system too much money

Thou shalt not kill, unless you have an unwanted, unborn baby.  For it would be an abomination to punish your daughter with a baby

Thou shalt not commit adultery if you are conservative or a Republican.  Liberals and Democrats are hereby forgiven fo all of their infidelity and immorality, but the careers of conservatives will be forever destroyed

Thou shalt not steal, until you've been elected to public office.  Only then is it acceptable to take money from hard-working, successful citizens and give it to those who do not work, illegal immigrants, or those who do not have the motivation to better their own lives

Thou shalt not discriminate against they neighbor unless they are conservative, Caucasian, or Christian

Thou shalt not covet because it is simply unnecessary.  I will place such a heavy tax burden on those that have achieved the American Dream that, by the end of my term as President, nobody will have any wealth or material goods left for you to covet.

It is said that the best humor has a twinge of truth to it, peppered with a bit of exaggeration and/or untruth.  You may not find this parody of the Ten Commandments very funny because, sadly enough, I believe it rings too true of our exceptionally narcissistic President and some of his blind followers. If you think I am kidding, read the following exerpt from an Obama "lemming" in Minnesota last week.  If you change just a few words that this man, Pat Tulo, used to praise Obama, it is very close to some prayers that I have heard uttered at the dining room table and by bedside at night.

"Hello, Mr. President.  I’m Pat Tulo (ph) from Cannon Falls Township. 

First, I want to echo the sentiments of those who have spoken before me in praising you and thanking you for all of your efforts and all the things that you’ve tried to do during probably one of the most difficult situations faced by any president in the face of unreasonable obstruction and opposition.  So thank you."

Excuse me please.  I have to go to the bathroom now.  My stomach is feeling very queasy after reading that statement again and I am afraid I may vomit.

A Spark that is now Smoldering

I am sure this blog will seem a little self-serving.  It is not intended that way.  Recently the blog hit a "milestone" of sorts and I thought I would share with you some my thoughts about what has transpired with the blog throughout this year.

I never really intended for the blog to grow and to be read by several people and I am simply amazed that this little blog project of mine has grown by word of mouth as much as it has.  I started blogging on January 2nd of this year (2011) as a way to connect with my family members and to share some of my thoughts, opinions, and feelings about life with them.  As many of you know, I travel weekly and have lived in Kentucky for over 3.5 years. I have no TV, one campground neighbor (the maintenance guy), and from October through March, I have no running water.  So, this blog has been a way to communicate to others when I am in the middle of nowhere.  Along with reading, my blog has become my hobby.  And the results have been fun, interesting, and rewarding for me in many ways.

Along the way, I have had many conversations with my boys, my wife, my brother, my brother-in-laws, my dad, and several friends that I probably would not have had if I had not written a blog.  It has opened lines of communication that I did not expect.  And that is a good thing, mostly.  I have also had tough conversations with people because they have been offended by the blog.  I have had several people write me "nasty grams" that weren't always fun to read.  And I have had people personally attack me for things that I have written.  But in the end, I am OK with all of the unpleasant things because the flip side has been so rewarding.

By many standards, this blog is very small.  I look at some blogs and see bloggers get 100K plus hits for one blog.  Not with The Campfire Chronicles.  I have between 35 and 350 hits per day.  I have had over 5000 visitors since I started.  But considering that I have shared my blog address with only 10-15 people, I am still amazed at those numbers.

And the blog is definitely international now. I have regular visitors from the United States (of course), the United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada, Finland, Bangladesh, Denmark, Malaysia, Germany, India, South Korea, Russia, and the Philippines.  My thought is that there must be a lot of bored people out there in the world!

If I could change one thing about the blog I would want more comments and responses.  For the number of people that read the blog, the comments are very minimal.  So take a few minutes occasionally and tell me when you think I have gone off the deep end or if you think I hit the nail on the head.  I enjoy friendly banter back and forth regardless of whether I agree with you or not.

I also have made some recent changes to the site.  On the right hand column, you can now follow me on twitter, see my twitter posts, sign up to follow me on e-mail, see my current reading list to follow along if you want, you can become a Campfire Chronicle member, and the most popular blogs (according to number of hit) can be viewed just below my daily blog (click on the title to read).

So tell a friend about the blog  And let me know what you are thinking.  I have enjoyed the process to this point and look forward to even more visitors and comments in the future. 

Thanks for reading.

Starbucks Sermon

I have some family members that are crazy about Starbucks.  I don't think a day goes by that they don't consume some delicious Starbucks.  And is it no surprise.  The founder of Starbucks, Howard Shulz, wanted to bring a world-class coffee and the romance of the Italian espresso bars to the U.S.  But that wasn't his main goal.  His main objective was to enrich people's lives.  In the fall of 2010, Starbucks posted their best financial performance in it's nearly 40 year history.  Shulz believes that Starbucks is poised to profitably grow, not just by opening new stores, but also through having deeper customer relationships and offering innovative offerings.  With more than $10 Billion in annual revenue, serving nearly 60 million visitors a week in 16,000 stores in 64 countries, and 200,000 partners (Starbucks calls their employees partners), they are certainly a force to be reckoned with.

So, I found this YouTube video interesting and a great example of how people of faith should reach out to others in the community when facing conflict or differing opinions. 

Enjoy The Campfire Chronicles Sunday morning message.



Osama bin Laden Movie

It was announced this week that a new movie will be released just before the presidential election next year about the killing of Osama bin Laden.  I highly suspect the timing of this movie and while I don't know what the contents of the movie are for sure, I am confident that the movie won't show Obama playing golf and having to be dragged to the White House to view something that he feels is unnecessary and wrong.  I am fairly confident that this movie will portray Barry Nobama as a great war hawk, seeking the revenge of 3000 innocent souls that perished on September 11th, 2001. And if the movie perpetrates this lie, it will be an obvious attempt to help with Obama's re-election efforts.  And it will be a shameful lie!

But the movie made me think about the day that Osama bin Laden was killed and the days that followed.  Quite frankly, I was pleased that a threat to the United States was taken out.  I was relieved that this threat to American security was interrupted.  I was proud that we exacted revenge on the person that took 3000 innocent souls and disrupted the American way of life for the foreseeable future.

So I was confused and perplexed regarding some of the blogs and tweets and posts that I read regarding bin Laden's death.  Some of my friends say that they had a "heavy heart" because Bin Laden so strongly opposed the teachings of Christ throughout his life, and therefore, must have gone to hell the instant that he was shot in the head.  They quote verses such as the first part of Ezekiel 33:11 that states, “Say to them, As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.”

Matthew 5:43-48 was another verse used. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

I get it.  I don't think we should celebrate the death of a man in the streets of our nation's Capitol and in the bars of America.  I don't think we should say terrible things about the Pakistanis or the Saudis as a race.  I don't think we are supposed to celebrate a soul going to hell. We are supposed to love the people that are hard to love.

But I get confused when I read the bible and read about how God wiped the Egyptians off the face of the earth when the Red Sea collapsed.  I am confused when David, a man after God's heart, killed Goliath and cut his head off in victory.  I am confused when the message from Christians seems to be to just pray and ask for a miracle.  I am not advocating death and war but I personally am convinced that several times throughout the bible, God asks his people to use common sense to avoid death, or imprisonment, or capture, including the killing of enemies to protect country and family.

I understand that God doesn't want even one soul to end up in hell.  But I find it ironic that Christians are so burdened over bin Laden: over just one soul.  What's my point?  There are over 155,000 people that die every single day of every single year.  Why aren't we concerned about them?  There are approximately 42 million abortions, or 115,000 daily abortions.  Why don't these same people have a heavy heart regarding the people that are dying every day or for the abortions that occur daily?  Why don't they have a heavy heart for the 270,000 people that face death every single day of every single year?


I find it hypocritical to feel "burdened" about Bin Laden and not about the souls of people that die daily.  If you are so concerned about people's souls, get off of your couch and stop watching Desperate Housewives on Sunday night.  If you are so concerned about people's souls, have the guts to go door-to-door and tell people about God's grace.  If you are so concerned about people going to hell, help the poor and elderly and widowed instead of buying yourself a new car to impress your buddies.  If you are so sad about bin Laden's soul going to hell, then have your neighbors over, become a friend to them, and tell them about the greatest gift ever given.

I admit that I am a hypocrite.  I admit that I don't take action when I should or as often as I should.  I admit that I have a long, long way to go to be the example that I should be.  I know that you can point the finger at me for several issues in my life.  I know that I should probably keep my mouth shut, but this self-righteous attitude regarding one soul frustrates me terribly. and, to me,  is the epitome of hypocrisy.  

If the death of one evil person causes you to be sad and "heavy hearted" what are you going to do about the hundreds or thousands of people around you?  Don't tell me about it, don't blog about it, don't "tweet" about it, don't post it on Facebook. I already know you are upset.  If you are so concerned about just one soul, get off your butt and do something about all the people around you.

William and James

In 1837, the United States faced similar circumstances that we are facing today.  The U.S. was in a financial panic.  Markets were plunging, banks were locking their doors, and people were wondering if the economy would ever recover.  But in the midst of this tough economy, a visionary by the name of Alexander Norris had an idea and planted a seed that would affect all of us, even today.

Alexander Norris had two daughters.  One was married to a candle-maker, the other to a soap-maker.  Each man's business depended heavily on animal fats.  Rather than seeing his daughter's husbands compete for the same raw materials in a depressed economy, Norris begged them to go into business together.  To keep the family peace, they both reluctlantly agreed.

Today, the two brothers are known for turning animal fat into a fortune.  From Pepto-Bismal to Pampers, William and James created a company that has more then 250 brand name products and has become a worldwide powerhouse with annual sales of more than $40 billion and more than one hundred thousand employees.

William and James last names?  Proctor and Gamble.

Gas Prices Dropping $.30 to $.50 a Gallon

We all need some good news these days.  It has been doom and gloom, well, since shortly after our current president took office.  So, here is the silver lining: the price at the pump will go down over the next several weeks.  It only makes sense that it will.

Crude oil dropped to $79.30 a barrel for September, closing at $85.72.

Patrick deHaan, senior energy analyst for GasBuddy.com says that the national average for gas will fall to $3.25 per gallon in the next two to three weeks as retailers slowly lower their prices to reflect their drop in cost.

It's also obvious why gas prices will drop.  Our economy and the world economy is tanking. People don't have jobs and businesses aren't making as much of what businesses normally make and sell.  Therefore, they are using less oil and gasoline.

James Williams of WTRG Economics notes, "Weak economies engender low oil prices.  Stock market volatility illustrates the lack of confidence in recovery and an increase in expectations of another recession."

Some financial experts have warned of an impending recession.  Just last week, following Standard and Poor's downgrade of the U.S. credit rating, Peter Schiff, an economic advisor to Rep. Ron Paul said:

The fiscal situation is going to deteriorate because we are either in or on the cusp of a recession.  And remember, contrary to previous recessions, this one is starting with unemployment above 9 percent, starting with interest rates already at 0, so imagine what's going to happen when we get to the next round of fiscal stimulus.  They're going to blow the deficit off the charts.  And of course, the Federal Reserve can't do anything on the rate front, all they can do is print more money, which destroys the value of U.S. bonds.

And the cycle just keeps going and going until we hit dead bottom and start to rebuild from there.

Still, for those of us that are fortunate enough to have jobs, the reduction in gas prices will be a welcome relief. 

If Warren Buffet Said It, It Must Be True, Right?

Warren Buffet caused quite a stir yesterday with his op-ed piece in the New York Times when he said it was time to tax himself and his other super-rich friends.  In his op-ed he said, " Last year my federal tax bill — the income tax I paid, as well as payroll taxes paid by me and on my behalf — was $6,938,744. That sounds like a lot of money. But what I paid was only 17.4 percent of my taxable income — and that’s actually a lower percentage than was paid by any of the other 20 people in our office. Their tax burdens ranged from 33 percent to 41 percent and averaged 36 percent." 

Ending his op-ed he also stated, " But for those making more than $1 million — there were 236,883 such households in 2009 — I would raise rates immediately on taxable income in excess of $1 million, including, of course, dividends and capital gains. And for those who make $10 million or more — there were 8,274 in 2009 — I would suggest an additional increase in rate.
My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress. It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice."

Many of my liberal friends are almost wetting their pants over this article.  Blogs, posts, and comments at the water cooler make them look like laughing hyenas going in for the kill.  But they are drunk from drinking their "lefty lib Kool-aid" and aren't sober enough to listen, analyze, and dig deeper to find out why or how Buffet can make such claims.  They hear him say that he should be taxed more, and they run to the hilltops and shout at the top of their lungs, "I told you so, and it is true because super-rich Warren Buffet said so." 

Well, I was influenced by a man that attended college down the road from where I grew up and once said, "Trust but verify".  So I have taken Ronald Reagan's advice and looked a little deeper into why Buffet would say such things.

Buffett is not sharing the real reason that he doesn’t pay much in the way of income tax relative to his great fortune.  The secret is hidden in plain sight.  Berkshire Hathaway does not in fact pay dividends.  Mr. Buffett’s secret which you can find blasted all over the Internet is one of his famous quotations:

"Our favorite holding period is forever"

You only pay income taxes at any rate on realized appreciation.  An investment with a holding period of forever incurs a capital gains tax of 0%, while all along the holder can be getting wealthy from appreciation. I am not a CPA.  I do not invest with Berkshire Hathaway and even I know that there are no taxes on unrealized capital gains.

What Buffet has been doing for decades is investing and growing the businesses he invests in. He is so ridiculously rich that he could have retired decades ago.  However, Buffet has continued to invest as pure entertainment.  So if he doesn’t sell, he enjoys a tax free "hobby". And Buffet's hobby just happens not to be taxed by Congress. But if Congress had chosen to tax his (ie Berkshire’s) unrealized gains every year, Berkshire would be a tenth of its current size.

You don’t see Buffet calling for the current taxation of unrealized gains do you ? Why should he care what rate of tax is applied to the tiny proportion of his real income that the IRS can tax as taxable income. Even if he paid 200% tax it would be completely irrelevant to him, as his taxable income is tiny compared to his real income. 

He’s a complete phoney.

Now you know the real reason Mr. Buffett does not pay a lot of income taxes.  Sorry to ruin your party my liberal friends!

The Emperor Has No Clothes

 I have paid into the system for the past 30 years, but I don't expect to ever see a Social Security check.  I am not counting on one penny ever being sent to me.  But my granddad is another story.  He is 96 years old and he counts on receiving Social Security and Medicare. 

So my ears perked up when the president made an announcement recently saying that payments on Social Security and Medicare may stop if the debt ceiling was not raised.  And then I got angry.  Why doesn't the government have the money to pay to my granddad?

What Americans should ask themselves is, "Hey, wait a second, my Social Security check and my Medicare benefits are borrowed? I thought I paid into a trust fund?  I thought I worked my whole life to pay into some system and now you cant pay my money back and you're claiming that the money is being borrowed?"

We all know these were idle threats and scare tactics.  However, the point is if the president's threats would have come to fruition and he did cut off Americans benefits, then the wake-up and the message to Americans is, "Hey, your Social Security benefits, your Medicare benefits, what we're paying soldiers in the field, all these things that are being cut off, this is borrowed money.  This is not money we have or money we saved for you. This is money we are borrowing from your children and your grandchildren, and we have no way of paying it back, and that alone should send a chill up the spine of millions of Americans.  And we want to raise the debt ceiling?  And borrow more? Pundits are now talking QE 3?  Are you kidding me?

The president stated that he needed to have the debt ceiling raised in order to help America out of our current economic situation.  STOP!  His policies and ideologies have created the problem.  And we need to start holding him accountable. 

I am sick of this president and can very easily let my emotions take over when I discuss his failed policies and ideologies to others.  However, Obama has to be measured by an objective standard that every president has to be measured by.  When I look at the election next year, what he's really going be coming to the American people and asking for is an extension to his contract. He wants a four-year extension to his contract to be president of the United States. So we have to measure him, and how do we measure him? Well, unemployment. Unemployment is higher, significantly higher than when he took over. What about the value of people's homes?  The value of people's homes are down. How about the national debt? The national debt is up significantly higher with no solution in sight and none offered by him.  What about GDP?  Our nation's GDP is at an all time low. 

By every measure that you can measure a president, things have gotten worse, and significantly worse, and that's what he has to be measured by.  He has a flawed ideology. His view of government and the people in his administration is a flawed view that takes us away from the things that have made America exceptional.  And part of this president's problem, quite frankly, is incompetence. I honestly believe there's a lack of competence in terms of being able to do the job and the ability to lead on some of these critical issues and the result is being paid by millions of Americans who can't find a job or are working twice as hard to make half as much, who see their country being bankrupted.  And listen closely to the next campaign speech or White House briefing from this president.  There are no serious solutions being offered by this president.  None. Zero. Nada.

This president is the emperor with no clothes.  This president is the "Manchurian" candidate.  This president is a man that was swept into power by the "perfect political storm" and has absolutely no business leading the greatest nation in the history of the world.

Barry, it is way past time to go!!

Like a Little Child

I sat on the plane next to a four-year old.  Most people would think that is a crazy idea, but I was willing to take a chance.  The little girl was adorable and seemed to be really happy.  And, in fact, she was.

All the way to Nashville, I found myself smiling and enjoying the on-board entertainment that she was providing.  She sang "Jingle Bells", "God Bless America", and "Jesus Loves Me" to name a few songs.  She asked her Mommy if she could make songs up and sing them.  I then heard songs like, "I am going to Nashville to see my Daddy", and We're flying on a big, big plane" over and over and over again.  She also would sing 'Ding, Dong" when the bell dinged for seat belts to be buckled or electronic devices to be turned off.  Along with the songs, she made wonderful observations like, 'Wow, we are really really high up" when she looked out the window when we were still at the gate.

This little girl made me think about another little girl named Heather Miller. Heather was a 10-year-old tomboy when she was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone and tissue cancer.  She fought for 15 months but lost her battle with cancer on January 29, 2010.  She was only 11.  I am told that she always had a huge smile on her face and that she never complained, even through the unbearable pain that she suffered.  She affected the lives of several Steelers football players as well as my niece Stephanie and set an example for all of us regarding faith, courage, and love. 

There is no big lesson to be learned here I guess.  But when I take the time to stop and listen and observe, I find that I learn so much about life from little children.  They have such an incredible appreciation for small things in life.  When they color, they color in bright, wonderful colors.  They are awed with simple things like being so high up in an airplane, even when at the gate on the ground.  They sing when they are happy.  They cry when they are sad.  They teach us how to face adversity.  They teach us about the important things in life.  They live for the moment.

I hope I can become more like a little child.

Summer's End

Tonight I said goodnight to my son just like the "old days".  He was in bed early and I got the opportunity to lay down with him for just a few minutes and reminisce about his summer.  It was fun to hear that he had the time of his life.  He started off the summer by setting a school record at a meet at Vanderbilt and things just kept rolling from there.  A trip to Florida, then Chicago, then Kentucky to hang out with his running buddies at the camper for three days.  He got his first acting role and will be featured on a video.  He hung out at the pool, played fun pranks on his buddies, and sometimes just hung out enjoying his freedom.  And we can't forget that he started dating "seriously".

It was fun and it was the best summer that he has ever had.  But tomorrow it is over and he starts his senior year of high school.  As we talked, he realized that, while he will still have fun throughout the school year, that there are big responsibilities that he will have to take seriously.  He will need to keep his GPA up.  He will have some pressure to perform at incredible levels in track in the Spring.  And he will be even closer at the end of his school year to taking that big step towards being on his own and heading for college.

It doesn't seem possible that Josh will be a Senior.  Honestly, it is bittersweet.  Dena and I are thrilled for Josh to pursue his dreams and to experience his senior year.  We are thrilled that he will start to pursue his passions and build towards his future.  But there is a little twinge that nags at the heart to know that soon things will never be the same again.  Josh will move on just as his brother has and Dena and I will be "empty-nesters".  

But for now, we are focusing on the present.  We are focusing on what a special time in our lives this time is, for Josh and for us as parents.

So Joshy, have fun!  Enjoy your Senior year.  Work hard and play hard.  Finish the year knowing that you gave it your all.  At the end of the year, have no regrets.  And at the end of the year, that will be good enough.

Words of Wisdom

I am still enjoying a few days off with Dena (and loving every minute of it).  So today's blog is going  to be a cheat of sorts.  As many of you know, I have been reading a book, The Mentor Leader, written by Tony Dungy.  Instead of formulating a story or writing about a personal experience, I thought it may be helpful to quote some of the book.  Whether you are the Captain of a group of firefighters, an office manager, a roofer, or a stay-at-home mom, I think we can all benefit from the wisdom that Tony shares with all of us.  Some of the quotes from his book are as follows:

"As critically important as I believe a shared vision is for leadership in an organization, character is even more fundamental and essential.  If people aren't comfortable with their leaders-who they are and what they stand for- they won't stick around long enough to hear about the vision.  Vision matters, but character matters more."

"To succeed in any endeavor, we have to know what we're doing and why we're doing it.  That doesn't mean we have to have all the answers, but it does mean we must have a solid foundation of skill, ability, and knowledge."

"If people in  your organization can't rely on you- whether on the big things or the little things-how are they going to follow you?  They may follow you for a little while, but it won't be with passion or full commitment."

"When a leader creates an appropriately healthy, stimulating, and nurturing culture and is dedicated to mentoring people, valuing them, and giving them the tools to succeed, the organization's vision and mission are not only achievable but also sustainable."

"God created us each with different talents, abilities, and strengths.  We are also unique in our life experiences, outlooks and personalities.  Because of our differences, we will excel in different ways.  Some things that are simple or obvious to me won't be for you and vice versa.  It's the combination of our diverse strengths that makes the team stronger."

"Every team member is important to the whole, yet the team can move on without any individual.  "Important but not indispensable" is how Coach Noll put it.  He used to say, "We need every man on this roster to win, but no player is so important that we can't win without him." He encouraged everyone to work hard because each one's contributions were valuable, but no single player was the primary reason for our success."

"Our world is rapidly changing and complex.  New ideas and situations come flying at us.  Are we able to adjust and adapt, to learn and grow and be prepared?  If we're not sure, then we must read to broaden our understanding and deepen our knowledge.  Even if we think we have a handle on things, we should read anyway.  We also need to listen to and engage with others as we embark on the path of mentor leadership.  Success is something we will achieve together."

I hope these words of wisdom from Tony Dungy are as inspirational and challenging to you as they are to me.

Twenty Five Years and Just Getting Started

Twenty five years ago today, at the tender age of twenty one, I was driving a used yellow Ford escort to a church that was built as a private school.  I was getting married in the gymnasium of that school-building-turned church and I was more than a little nervous.  I honestly had my doubts about getting married that day.  Not because of Dena but because of me and the real reasons that I knew we were getting married. 

Throughout the years, Dena and I have discussed this issue several times.  We were friends and I was a friend to her family.  Our other close friends and relatives were getting married, and we both needed some stability to our lives.  We needed to combine incomes to continue to make it on our own and Dena seemed to me to be a logical person to help me with my situation. Dena came from a stable family and I knew she had a solid work ethic and would help with our share of the finances. I felt like she was a "good, sturdy" woman.  And I was different than other guys that Dena had dated before in that I was a hard-bodied jock with a fun personality.  She decided she would take a chance also.  We loved each other but had some difficult times dating but both decided we would stick it out because we didn't want to go home.  And after all, we had scheduled a wedding and our friends and relatives were attending.  It would be an embarrasment to call the wedding off and send everyone home.  So we did it.  We got married.  No kidding.  That was about the extent of our thinking.

And life seemed to cruise along.  Dena and I kept getting promotions.  We kept moving up the ladder and it seemed the logical thing to do to start to have children.  So we did.  And things were fine most of the time.  Life just kept moving along.

But throughout the years, we drifted apart emotionally.  And we struggled.  And things got pretty bad between Dena and me.  She was into her career and I wasn't so hard-bodied or as fun as I once was.  And we bottomed out as a couple.

And then a strange thing happened.  We both started to fight for our marriage.  We realized that we did love each other and that we wanted to make it work.  We figured out, that despite our ridiculous reasons for getting married, that we would rather be married than be apart.  And we wanted to live together as a family.

So today marks the 25th anniversary of the day that we got married.  Today, I truly believe I am the luckiest guy in the world.  Dena is still a "good sturdy woman" and she is a fighter.  It's probably the only reason we are married today.  But she's more than just a "good sturdy" woman, Dena is also fun and laughs easily.  She allows the boys and I to make fun of her when she says silly things and she laughs with us.  She is still a "worker bee" and makes sure the boys and I are completely taken care of.  She holds down a great job while attending every cross country and track meet to root for Josh and every concert that Spencer plays.  And she is sexy.  No, she doesn't dress sexy, and doesn't get her nails done every month, but she.........well, that's really none of your business!!

So, thank you Dena.  Thank you for making "us" work.  Thank you for being a great example to me of how to compliment our differences to make us a great team.  Thank you for having my boys and the sacrifices you have made personally to raise them.  Thank you for teaching me how to fight fair.  Thank you for being an incredible lover.  Thank you for being you! Thank you for loving me!

And thank you for our first 25 years together.  I hope and pray we get to celebrate another 25 years together. I want to grow old with you.  I want to celebrate our life together.  I can't wait to spoil grandkids together.  I can't wait to take this journey into Fall and Winter with you.

And, Lord willing, if we do make it to 50 years of marriage, I promise you that I will do everything within my means to walk the beaches of Hawaii together on Saturday, August 9th, 2036.

I Love You Dena!!!!!!

Sam Davis

Five years ago, Dena and I hosted a "Showalter Reunion" in Tennessee.  One of the things that we organized was a bus trip to Nashville to tour the capital building and to let the out-of-staters learn a little Southern history.  That day one of the stories that our guide told captured my attention and has stayed with me since that time.  The story was that of Sam Davis. 

He was born on October 6, 1842 in Rutherford County, Tennessee.  He grew up in the comfortable environment of an upper middle class family. The oldest son of Charles Lewis and Jane Simmons Davis, he attended the local Smyrna schools until leaving home in 1860 to attend Western Military Academy in Nashville.

After attending school for only a short time, the Civil War started and in 1861, Sam joined the army before Tennessee had officialy seceded from the Union.  Sam saw considerable action under Robert E. Lee in 1861 and then moved west with Company I of the Ist Tennessee Infantry Regiment in April of 1861 where he fought in Shiloh, Perryville, and Stones River.

Early in 1863, Sam became a member of "Coleman's Scouts." By 1863, the Union Army occupied much of Middle Tennessee. Sam and his fellow scouts worked behind enemy lines disrupting communications and collecting information on the troop movements of the Union forces for the Confederate Army. Even though they wore Confederate uniforms and traveled with passes signed by Confederate General Braxton Bragg, the Union army considered them spies if captured.

On November 20, 1863, Sam traveled towards Chattanooga where he was captured by Federal Troops near Minor Hill, Tennessee.  Sam carried papers that contained critical information on troop movements near Nashville and Pulaski, as well as eleven newspapers and various personal items for General Bragg. Among the papers found concealed on Sam was information that could have only come from the desk of Union General Grenville Dodge. Convinced that one of his own officers was supplying information to the Confederates, Dodge decided to put pressure on Sam to identify his spy. He offered Sam his freedom in exchange for this information. Sam refused, so General Dodge ordered a court martial.

The court charged Sam with being a courier of mails and of being a spy. Sam admitted to being a courier, but pled not guilty to the charge of spying. The military court convicted Samuel Davis on both charges, and sentenced him to hang. On the gallows, General Dodge offered Sam one last chance to save his life by revealing the source of the papers he carried. Sam stated with his last words that "I would die a thousand deaths before I would betray a friend," and was hanged on November 27, 1863.

Davis wrote a letter to his mother before the execution. "Dear mother. O how painful it is to write you! I have got to die to-morrow --- to be hanged by the Federals. Mother, do not grieve for me. I must bid you good-bye forevermore. Mother, I do not fear to die. Give my love to all." There was a letter for his father, too. "Father, you can send after my remains if you want to do so. They will be at Pulaski, Tenn. I will leave some things with the hotel keeper for you."

He was hanged by Union forces on November 27, 1863 on his 21st birthday. As he was trundled along to the hanging site on top of his own coffin, Union soldiers alongside the bumpy wagon road shouted out their respect for him. Supposedly the officer in charge of the execution was flustered by Davis' youth and calm demeanor and had trouble carrying out his orders. Davis is alleged to have said to him, "Officer, I did my duty. Now, you do yours."

Today, Sam Davis as held up as an example of honor, courage, and loyalty for all those in the Volunteer state to emulate.

Chisel Away!

I can relate to the part of this skit (below) when the guy says that he still feels like a little child that gets up every morning and dresses like an adult and tries to act like an adult but knows deep inside that he is just the same, little anxious, scared kid trying to muddle my way through life as a man.

I can also relate to the man in the skit when he says he looks in the mirror and doesn't see a masterpiece.  Deep inside I know all of my faults and insecurities and it is much easier to see them than it is to see my full potential, and what I should be.

I completely understand the control issue that this man struggles with as well.  I want to control my wife and my boys.  I want them to see the world like I do.  And that simply isn't the case oftentimes.  I want to control my surroundings and I want everything to be the way I think it should be.  It's the reason I probably have exhausted myself during the holidays throughout the years.  I want my family to have the perfect Christmas, and Easter, and Thanksgiving, and Fourth of July.  But deep inside, I know it's not possible to control everything and deep inside I know that I would be happier if I didn't try so hard to control things, and emotions, and the thoughts of others.

I can say I want God to chisel away my faults and insecurities, but to be honest, most of the time I want Him to chisel away at the things I am willing to let be chiseled. I can only pray for the courage to be chiseled into the father, and husband, and friend, and leader that I am meant to be.

Please take the next nine minutes to be challenged.  I hope it will be worth it for you.

Enjoy your Sunday!!

Lucy's Wellies

I am worn out from the constant "drumbeat" of political and economic gloom and doom.  I can't write about anything political right now.  I feel like it has consumed me the past few weeks.

So I want to write about something more positive, more effective, something that we will all need in the days ahead in our personal lives, politically, and in the workplace.  The thing that we need is FAITH.  Faith requires action and preparation.  And long-term success requires faith - faith that your efforts to plan and execute that plan will lead to the desired results.

I love movies.  Sometimes a visual image can convey so much more than written word.  Such is the case in the movie The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  One scene in particular demonstrates what faith in action is all about.  If you saw the movie, you will recall that Lucy, the youngest of the four children, discovers a winter wonderland when she ventures to the back of the old, magical wardrobe.  When she returns, she tells her siblings and they think that she has lost her mind, especially after she leads them to the back of the wardrobe and no winter wonderland appears.  But, the next night, Lucy decides to head back to the wardrobe by herself.  As she gets out of bed, she passes her slippers and instead puts on her "wellies"-her rubber boots-as a beautiful smile spreads across her face.  You see, that says it all.  She is not going to check things out again, she is going back into the winter wonderland and into the snow where she will need her boots.  She has faith.  She is optimistic.  And she is taking action.

As Tony Gungy says in his book The Mentor Leader, "As leaders, we must lead with confidence in our shared vision and in the future.  If we're not optimistic about what awaits us in the future, no one else will be either."

Keep the faith.

Thanks for the example Sam

I don't know about you, but I have been pretty down about the debt ceiling deal this week.  I am also frustrated with this administration and the future of our country. 

But yesterday something happened that encouraged me a little.  I went to Walmart to pick up a few things for the camper and when I left the store, a man named Carlos looked me in the eye and said, "Thank you for shopping at Walmart.  Have a great day." 

After getting out of debt and starting to live comfortably, Sam Walton still had a vision for something new.  And despite different businessmen telling Sam that his store idea was terrible, he still pursued his dream.  Sam Walton followed his dream, passion and vision and created a worldwide phenomenon employing two million associates in the U.S.; one man affecting the lives of mega millions.

Carlos thanking me for shopping at Walmart, Sam Walton's legacy, reminded me of the power and impact of just one man. And I felt inspired.  History is full of individuals like Sam Walton who changed the world.

So we all must stay committed to do our part to take back America.  Like Sam Walton, one committed man or woman can make a world of difference.



Universal (not religious) Values

In his "Call to Renewal" speech, Obama said:

"Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all."

So, let's skip the religious argument for this blog.  Let's leave God out of the abortion argument just this one time.  Let's use a completely secular approach to abortion that is "amenable to reason" — an approach that seeks to show that abortion "violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all," just as the president insists. Can we make an argument against abortion that is reasonably strong?

I think the answer is "Yes"!  Here's why;

In his book Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments, Randy Alcorn notes a number of completely secular arguments for why abortion should be prohibited by law.

First, he says, medical textbooks and scientific reference works consistently agree that human life begins at conception. Some of the world's most prominent scientists and physicians' testimonies to Congress have asserted this scientific fact.  Most pro-choicers love science until it comes to conception.

I believe one could argue without question that there is more scientific evidence for life beginning at conception than there is for global warming. However,  the president adamantly supports protection of the environment and dismisses the need for protecting the unborn. Is that reasonable?

My brother is a hunter.  He spends hours planning, practicing, and making sure everything is in place for when that huge buck comes past his deer stand.  However, if he is uncertain whether movement in the brush is caused by a person, does this uncertainty lead him to fire or not to fire? I guarantee with 100% certainty that Matt would not fire if there was any doubt whatsoever.

You're not a hunter? How about an example that we can all relate to.  If you're driving at night and you think the dark figure ahead on the road may be an animal (or a child) , but it may just be the shadow of a tree, do you drive into it or do you put on the brakes? I think it is safe to assume that you would brake.

If we find someone who may be dead or alive, but we're not sure, what is the best policy — to assume he is alive and try to save him, or to assume he is dead and walk away?  Entire medical careers, practices, equipment, and industries are built around saving a person's life if there is a remote possibility of saving them.
Whether a Christian or an atheist, I believe it is safe to say that, with the examples listed above that the vast majority of society would always choose life.  "Whether a person of faith or not, the right to life is not something theoretical or hypothetical — it's personal and fundamental to all...and an unjustifiable or careless breach of that right is universally agreed to be a crime".  Want proof? Remember the anger just a short time ago regarding the Casey Anthony trial? 

Want another argument that is "amenable to reason"?  Nearly everyone I know believes discrimination is deplorable. Yet the argument that a woman should have the right to an abortion because the fetus resides within her body is an act of discrimination. Alcorn contends that to be inside something is not the same as being part of it. Furthermore, human beings shouldn't be discriminated against on the basis of their residence.

"One's body does not belong to another's body merely because of proximity. A car is not part of a garage because it is parked there. A loaf of bread is not part of the oven in which it is baked," writes Alcorn. "A person is a person whether she lives in a mansion or an apartment or on the street. She is a person whether she is trapped in a cave, lying in a care center, or residing within her mother."
Alcorn's reasoning doesn't seem "religion specific" to me.  The above quote has nothing to do with religion. Therefore, one can make the argument that abortion is an act of death by discrimination based on where an individual lives.

So what about the argument of individual's right to choose?  Should this right trump the protection of innocent life?  Alcorn writes:

"When I present the pro-life position on campuses, I often begin by saying: 'Yes, I'm pro-choice. That's why I believe every man has the right to rape a woman if that is his choice. After all, it's his body — and neither you nor I have the right to tell him what to do with it. He's free to choose, and it's none of our business what choice he makes. We have no right to impose our morals on him. Whether I like the choice or not, he should have the freedom to make his own choices.'"
Certainly this position is not "amenable to reason". Yet the same principle is thoughtlessly accepted when it comes to a woman's so-called "right" to choose an abortion.

Obama urged us to "explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all." without pointing "to the teachings of my church or evok(ing) God's will".

Through these examples and by the presidents own standard alone, the practice of abortion should be rejected and opposed.  There is absolutely nothing reasonable or humanitarian about the pro-choice position.

Now it is time for the people of faith to step up to the plate and support the girls and women who are faced with unwanted pregnancies and help by offering loving, caring alternatives.

How did we get here?

A quick lesson in how America got to this point.  We only need to look at Greece to figure out how we got here and where we are going.

The first, and one of the most critical things to happen,  is that the leftist, socialist politicians and leaders twist the laws of the land and demand that God and anything to do with Him must go.  Shortly after, Capitalism is attacked and the rich are as pegged as oppressors of the poor.  The left claims they are for the "little guy" and for equality and that the Conservatives are evil and want only the "big" companies and the rich to thrive.  Once elected, the Left takes political control, increases taxes and regulation, creates massive and costly entitlement programs, and then promise that they will give the "little guy" everything that the "big guy" has and everything that they deserve. (again under the disguise of helping the little guy)

It is not long before the Leftist, Socialists seize even greater power because, after all, who doesn't want a free lunch?  The media and halls of education are then used for mass propaganda.  The students then become economic "lemmings" and are indoctrinated to believe that big government is virtuous and philanthropic.

With permission from the public, the private sector is then bled dry by excessive taxes, strict regulation, and wealth redistribution via entitlements.  This in turn causes a recession or depression.  

Unemployment soars, economic opportunity diminishes, wealth is eliminated and the government runs out of other people’s money.  The system begins to collapse; government cuts back on entitlements because it can no longer afford it. The same Leftist politicians that taught the masses to hate private sector Capitalism and to trust Socialism are now the ones who are slashing their benefits and entitlements.   The masses feel betrayed and are disillusioned.  Rioting and political mayhem ensue and a once great country falls in calamity.

Sound familiar?  In the near future, we will have to slash benefits and entitlements, not just play politics, and then the rioting will begin, just as it did in Greece.

I will do my part to vote Obama out of office.  But even then, we can not count on real change, real hope, and optimism.  Whomever is elected in November of 2012 will still make mistakes and will still not have all the answers. They are human.  They will be fallible.

And it all seems to come full circle when you realize that this mess can only happen when the people put their trust in man rather than God and He is the first thing to to be pushed aside as demonstrated in this small lesson of how a nation falls.

The Future Betrayed

It's not just the Tea Party "terrorists" that have been betrayed.  All of America has been duped.  The "red herring" is the debt ceiling issue.  The real issue is the debt itself.  When Harry Reid praises a "bipartisan compromise", you had better head the opposite way.  This deal promises to make spending reductions (not cuts) over the next ten years.  Promises mean nothing in Washington. We need genuine, transformational reform and real spending cuts today, not a strategic Republican or Tea Party victory. The time for political expediency is over.  The fact is Moody’s has already warned us that no one has put a plan on the table that comes close to solving our long-term problem. Moody’s will downgrade us. This could happen tomorrow, in six months or maybe a year from now, but at some point in the near future it’s
going to happen. And it’s going to hurt. So we must be prepared. We are messing with the future of America.  We are playing with the future of the world.

I know.  That sounds like a Tea Party crazy talking.  But let me explain. Here's what will happen WHEN our credit is downgraded:

Your credit card interest rates will constantly raise.  Inflation will deplete your savings accounts, retirement funds, and your weekly paycheck.  Your interest rate on your mortgage will rise and banks will be very reluctant to loan money when your credit rating takes a nose dive.  Entitlements will be forced to go away such as food stamps as well as the green-energy projects that the Libs love.

The United States economy constitutes around 25 percent of the world’s GDP.  And we support the world when it comes to fighting the bad guys and keeping the world safe.  So what happens in those situations when we cant even afford to have the steps of the Lincoln Memorial cleaned?

So the media is trumpeting this deal as a great compromise and great success.  I don't think so.  There is no Balanced Budget Amendment included.  This deal raises the debt limit by about $2.5 Trillion (that's twelve zeros) while committing to reduce spending (not cut) by $7 Billion.  In other words, the first year of spending cut is $7 billion and when you consider that we deficit spend $4 billion a day, the real savings in the first year of this deal covers only two days of spending.  Two days.

Isn't that incredible, wonderful, bi-partisan compromise that we should celebrate?  I hope you are starting to feel just a tad bit betrayed. And I find it very interesting that when the Libs wanted to push through a $1 Trillion stimulus plan and Obamacare that they got is done without any compromise.

Why can’t Republicans take a stand? Why can’t they fight for the people who elected them? Why can’t they point out all the significant waste and fraud in the Federal government right now? Give me a break!

So what is the answer? I think it is simple.

You cannot spend more than you earn. You cannot run up the largest credit card bill in human history.  Stop chasing income earners overseas by threatening them with higher taxes, stop inflating their energy costs and stop punishing them with never-ending regulations.

In the next election, we must vote for more individuals that will take a stand a fight for the people that elected them.

Mr President, you are a disgrace and I am angered and saddened that you would betray America's future.

Extra Baggage

I was at the airport this weekend.  I know it may sound strange but I love being at the airport when I am not hurried and can take my time to observe.  It's fascinating for me to think about why all of these people are traveling.  It is obvious that some people are traveling for business.  It is fairly safe to assume that, by their appearance, some are headed for vacation and some "down time" at the beach.  But others are not so easy to figure out.  Are they traveling to go visit a loved one, going to a wedding or a funeral?  Are they possibly looking to move to a new city or state and why?

Although I enjoy people watching, there is also the downside of the inevitable person who refuses to check any luggage in and instead tries to put half of every material thing they own in the overhead bins.  They struggle and push and twist luggage around to make it fit where it won't.  Oftentimes they involve other people to get some help and their luggage ends up in two opposite ends of the plane.  And then when getting off the plane, they are the people that hold the entire line from getting off the plane until everyone helps them get their luggage from the back of the plane to the front.

I get it.  No one really wants to check their bags in.  But, if you have too much luggage, it makes it so much easier and smoother to get through the airport and onto the plane if you just check it in.

And I think it is that way with emotional baggage that we all have.  And it is just that way with life in general.  We often struggle with the baggage that wears us down and hinders our progress.  We refuse to let go of it.  We wrestle with it and try to take it along with us everywhere we go. Even when it is logical to let go of the baggage, we don't.  For some reason, we hang on to this emotional baggage and don't let it go.  Pride, hurt, stubbornness, and guilt all play a role at some point I am sure.

So the person that carries emotional baggage through life is not so much different from the person who refuses to check any bags at the airport.  I have emotional baggage and I need to check it in instead of dragging it around with me.  I need to stop letting it weigh me down at times and I need to stop letting it hinder my progress at other times.

So instead of all this useless baggage, let's all start dropping it off at curbside!!