It would be interesting to give this a try...

This is not my veiw, but some of it makes good sense!

 

 

 

This was in the Waco Tribune Herald, Waco , TX Nov 18, 2010

Put me in charge . . .

Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, then get a job.

Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal ligations. Then, we'll test recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine and document all tattoos and piercings. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, smoke or get tats and piercings, then get a job.

Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your "home" will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be inventoried. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and your
own place.

In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or you will report to a "government" job. It may be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo
and speakers and put that money toward the “common good.”

Before you write that I've violated someone's rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules.. Before you say that this would be "demeaning" and ruin their "self esteem," consider that it wasn't that long ago that taking someone else's money for
doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem.

If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system rewards them for continuing to make bad choices.

AND While you are on Gov’t subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes that is correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Gov’t welfare check. If you want to vote, then get a job.

 

Get the Vaseline out!

Politics 101…Get ready for the deal of the century when the Republicans cave in and raise the debt ceiling with the Democrats!  I tried to raise my debt ceiling, but the bank would have none of it.  Yes, I will have to file bankruptcy because they won’t loan me anymore money; however, I can’t pay them back, so I really don’t want to borrow anymore.  I wonder if the same bankruptcy laws and rules apply for the USA?  If so, I think the USA should file chapter 7 bankruptcy, I get to keep my house and up to $10,000 worth of stuff…the good news is I get to dump a lot of debt.  14 trillion + dollars’ worth of debt would be erased if the government went bankrupt!  There is the issue with the government assets, when you file bankruptcy all of your assets are sold on the court house steps at a sheriff’s sale…You could get a good deal on Yosemite park, an F-14, NASA, the Washington monument, or the White House just to mention a few items.  I’m sure the new owners would do a better job running or using government assets than the present owners. 

Politicians will not let this happen for one big reason because they would have to go on a cash basis and could no longer borrow money for at least 7 years until they get their credit score up just like a regular citizen.  With exception of the military how can we lose, most of the government agencies we have would be gone (cut in spending) and politicians would quit because they weren’t getting paid (win win). 

Seriously, when will disconnect between the government and reality be addressed?  I think it will take a real Tea Party type uprising to get the point across to the blind politicians running our country into the dirt.  I guess I shouldn’t care…its easier just to ignore it.

         

Why entitlements are wrong

Food stamps, Medicaid, welfare, and section 8 are just a few the government hand-out programs that are in place from our government funded by tax payers.  How can such a noble idea be so wrong?  In theory government help is a good idea; however, those that are on the dole become so dependent on the gift they are unwilling to seek their own funds from employment or any other source.  What was designed to be help enables a person to lose their desire to make their own living and rely solely on the government for their supply.  Another issue with these programs is fraud, which is rampant in each of these programs.  A combination of corruption and poor management by the government is a recipe for failure and loss of faith in the programs by those that pay for them, the tax payers.  Many people making their own living resent those that are on the dole and view them as lazy unproductive bums.    

What I have mentioned is fairly obvious, but what is the solution?  End all entitlements that are hand-outs (not Social Security or Medicare because they are designed to payout what is paid in) including subsidies for farming, oil, and cooperate welfare.  How can this be done without staving and preventing care for the genuinely poor folks that indeed need help?  The burden of caring for the poor would be shifted to the churches and the missions located on just about every street corner throughout the entire country.  If the government is so good at caring for the poor why are there organizations like Salvation Army, Wheeler Mission, Good Will, and Gleaner’s food bank?  Funding these organizations would make more sense and cut down on fraud because a recipient would have to prove their need to receive help.  This would be a bit bumpy at first, but after the transition was made to which ever organization was chosen by the recipient they would be better off.  In addition, the above mentioned organizations have programs designed to train and assist a recipient to find their own way to contribute to society.  This idea shifts government’s role of supplying poorly run and corrupt entitlement programs to the people supplying real help to those in true need while providing hope.  God will take care of His people if we allow Him to do so through other people, government supply is not the answer!  If anyone in true need walks into my church they are taken in and given help and I am certain that people of this blessed nation would help all of those in real need of help; in addition, give them hope by assisting them in finding a pathway to provide for themselves.                     

Heaven within?

    Now that the dust is settling from the passing of the manmade prediction of the rapture or what I now call Jesus awareness day because so many folks did talk about the subject.  True, the prediction was purely speculation; it made good conversation and some funny jokes.  With that being said, I wish to share a concept that I have been thinking about for some time.  WARNING!  This is just a concept; although, this is thought provoking and something that presents a totally different idea from conventional wisdom, so please read it with an open mind.   

    It began when I was studying about Alzheimer’s disease in my psychology class.  Alzheimer’s is a ruthless disease that robs individuals of their memories.  Let’s face it without memories what is the value of life?  Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases all relate to the loss of neurons in the mid-brain, which eventually prevents the recall of memories.  I feel that a person’s memories are still intact; however, recalling memories is prohibited by the deterioration of neurons needed to transfer memories from storage to working memory.  If fact, I speculate that all of our memories are stored with-in the brain and just because we cannot recall everything does not mean that all memories are not stored or exist.  It is not known what causes the loss of these neurons and the only real cure is one that prevents the loss of neurons, which has not been discovered. 

    After researching Alzheimer’s disease I couldn’t help to ask “why would God allow such a terrible thing to happen to His people?”  If you have been around someone with severe Alzheimer’s it is disheartening and sad.  I believe that no person can figure out God’s plan, but that shouldn’t keep us from trying.  I struggled to find an explanation for the loss of memory, which needs to be called lack of recall to support my theory. 

    Another factor used in the theory development considers the work of Sigmund Freud, who developed theories of conscious and unconscious and insisted that a person could repress traumatic experiences.  Could repression and Alzheimer’s essentially be the lack of recalling memory, not memory loss?  The unconscious is not fully understood; however, Freud argued that it houses our true self and coined the phrase Freudian slip.  Dreams are also associated with the unconscious and are an unexplained event that occurs within the mind. 

    Joining psychology and spirituality is what lead me to a theory that is opposite of what people think about the location of heaven.  If I were to ask you where heaven is would you not think up or outside of your body?  What if heaven was within your mind?  Yes, the answer maybe in not up or out!  Before you close the page and consider me a nut job consider my reasoning.  If this were true, when we die, we would retreat into our unconscious or memories (all the memories of our life are included).  God warns that all deeds good and bad will be judged, how can that happen if we cannot recall what we have experienced?  Have you ever wondered where memories go or what exactly are they made of?  They are invisible just as one’s spirit, but may be one and the same.  If you think the brain cannot possibly store every item experienced consider this; the eye never fills from seeing and the ear never fills from hearing, so why would the mind ever fill of memories?  If this theory is accurate then heaven is within each and every one of us!  Another interesting theory is that our own belief within may be our pathway to heaven, what better way to weed out those that don’t believe?

    I know this is a far-fetched theory with little proof to back it up, but who really knows what lies beyond death or what God’s plan entails?  Either a spirit cannot come back to this world or it is so great on the other side a spirit doesn’t want to come back…I tend to want to believe the later where ever heaven is.                  

              

Never talk about politics or religion!

Talking about the weather or your pet is usually a safe topic for conversations with others; although, mentioning politics can get ugly as it did last Friday night at our friendly gathering.  It was late and we were ready to leave when the politics started flying, I don’t know how it started, but it escalated to a fox news debate quickly and I seemed to be the moderator.  One of my friends has a liberal view and the other more conservative, which mirrors the division in our country in my opinion.  The debate circled around taxes, government regulation, and entitlements.  Who should get taxed, how much should people be taxed, more taxes on the rich, and the tax structure were discussed in painful detail, as the others in the room lost interest because this had become a two person argument.  I would have been fired as a moderator because this was getting intense and out of control.  Government regulation was next and it went no differently than taxes and the same for entitlements.  After two hours of heated debate, it was 5am by then, they both realized they were not too far from agreement on all of the issues; however, their own personal bias and preconceived thoughts clouded the path needed to find agreement. 

I have had a few days to digest the early morning political debate and have discovered that there are no solutions that will please everyone, for that matter anyone.  We all have our personal bias and sacred cows, but how do we find a middle ground?  The cable news shows make a good living promoting this divisiveness and love to stir up a divide between the left and the right.  Why does every issue have to be such a war between Dems and Repubs?  With our economy in such a fragile state this would be a great time to join together to provide solutions to our economic problems.  We have a choice when we vote, but that choice is bad and worse in my opinion.  The Republicans are a party of bad ideas and the Democrats are a party of worse ideas all designed for the politicians best interests, not the people.  We need sound leadership and I don’t care where it comes from, but we need it NOW.                        

How do you feel about gay people?

Love is Love

I may surprise you with the some of the statements I am about to make, but I feel there is an injustice in the way gay people are viewed in our society.  There are protestors at military funerals, gay hate crimes, and they are treated like second class citizens in many ways.  Whatever the reason a person chooses to be gay doesn’t matter; however, it does matter that others respect that choice.  Should a Christian accept a gay person?  What would Jesus do?  Let’s review who Jesus ministered to when he was alive.  It was the leapers, Samaritans, and other people considered low in society’s view at the time, in fact Jesus was at odds with the leaders of the Jewish society.  Is this not a lesson in tolerance and example for us to follow?  Furthermore, who is to judge others?  Those that take the opportunity to disrespect gay people illustrate their own insecurity and closed mindedness.  I may not understand why people are gay, but I will not fall into the pit of judgment and show disrespect.  Be kind to others and you will reap what you sow…            

Locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks

Bin Laden is dead!

Now that the dust has settled a bit from the killing of Osama Bin Laden I have had time to reflect.  A Proverb comes to mind that sums up a different way to address what has happened. 

Proverbs 24:17-20

¹⁷ Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
   when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
¹⁸ or the LORD will see and disapprove
   and turn his wrath away from them.

 ¹⁹ Do not fret because of evildoers
   or be envious of the wicked,
²⁰ for the evildoer has no future hope,
   and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

Look at the prison Bin Laden was confined in.  He could not leave his compound and was fearful of death every moment of every day and night.  What did he stand for?  Was it worth the cost?  What parts of God’s will was he living and teaching?  It certainly was not the Golden Rule…