Food Stamps

On the news today I heard a democrat saying that food stamps stimulate the economy and he was glad to see the increase in food stamps. Do people really buy into these lies? I would like to see an analysis of how much the government spends on distribution, administration, and maintaining ever dollar of food stamps. I bet we spend over $10 for ever $1 we distribute. Maybe if we took this money and actually helped people get work, not only would we help feed the needy but also give them self accomplishment. Making people dependent on the government does nothing to help people or the economy.

Stop the Lying!!!

I just listened to Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. She is a prime example of what is wrong with the two party system. She, being a Democrat, only wants to just blame the Republicans and put no fault on the Democrats. She uses half truths in order to make the points she wants to believe. Or worse, uses those half truths to make other people believe things she wants them to rather than the whole truth.

The truth is both Democrats and Republicans are to blame for the financial debt and instability. Look at a little history that people ignore. The Democrats were in majority of the Congress the last two years of President Bush. That is when the largest debt increase occurred. Yes, Bush could and should have vetoed the excess spending. This is one example of why I say both are to blame.

Here is a graphic that shows the breakdown:
http://radioviceonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/US-Debt.jpg

Now for the S&P. Many Democrats and Rachel Maddow wants to say only the Republicans are to blame. They choose to leave out this part of the S&P statement.

http://www.standardandpoors.com/ratings/articles/en/us/?assetID=1245316529563

Our opinion is that elected officials remain wary of tackling the structural issues required to effectively address the rising U.S. public debt burden in a manner consistent with a 'AAA' rating and with 'AAA' rated sovereign peers (see Sovereign Government Rating Methodology and Assumptions," June 30, 2011, especially Paragraphs 36-41). In our view, the difficulty in framing a consensus on fiscal policy weakens the government's ability to manage public finances and diverts attention from the debate over how to achieve more balanced and dynamic economic growth in an era of fiscal stringency and private-sector deleveraging (ibid). A new political consensus might (or might not) emerge after the 2012 elections, but we believe that by then, the government debt burden will likely be higher, the needed medium-term fiscal adjustment potentially greater, and the inflection point on the U.S. population's demographics and other age-related spending drivers closer at hand (see "Global Aging 2011: In The U.S., Going Gray Will Likely Cost Even More Green, Now," June 21, 2011).

So here is my plea. It is time for Americans to quit automatically believe the information they hear from their politician or media personalities that bend the truth. Let’s all start looking to all the facts and quit allowing people to lie to us.

Sister's Testimony

This is my sister's testimony. I thought it was worth sharing.


Growing up, my parents took me to church and I played the part. I got baptized at 12 years old and I remember wanting to tell my friends, but I was afraid to. Unfortunatly the only reason I got baptized then because I knew I was supposed to. I never really was changed.

Years later I met and married Bryan and we moved to Beebe. We ended up visiting Union Valley Baptist Church and I remember thinking that I had never been so captivated by a sermon before. I grew up going to church but it was different...I never paid attention and I guess looking back it was a mostly a social thing. UVBC's pastor, Brother Tommy, kept my attention (and anybody that knows me well knows that I have the attention span of a gnat).

So Bryan and I decided to join Union Valley, and since I had never been a member of a Baptist Church before I was baptized (Aug. 1999). Soon after that I started reading the Left Behind Series and it scared me. I never felt "changed" but at this point since I had already been baptized twice I kept my mouth shut.

My mom died in March of 2004 and I really took a step back and looked at my life. I heard a song recently that says "I despise my own behavior. This only serves to confirm my suspicions That I'm still a man in need of a savior." That's exactly how I felt (only not the man part because I'm a woman). I hated myself and I struggled with that for almost two years.

I worked at Children's Hospital every other weekend until last summer. Finally in August I got a Monday through Friday position at Children's and I was finally able to attend church services regularly. August through November I really struggled with my insecurity about my salvation. I remember a communion night in late fall that I really lost it. I was crying so hard thinking to myself "He went through the horrific beating and hung on that cross for me, and I am too afraid to come forward because I worried about what my family and friends will think?" I just remember thinking that everybody I knew would think to themselves that I had been faking it for so long and that I was a liar. I was ashamed at the fact that I never "gotten right" earlier.

On Sunday, December 11th, Doug James (my Sunday School teacher) was talking about the day that he was saved. He named that day as the day that he was forever changed. I knew I never had that. Then during the church service, Brother Tommy preached on whether we ever made time for Jesus. It really spoke to me. During the time of decision I was having an all out war inside of me. I was crying and struggling to break free. Then all of a sudden my cell phone starts ringing (I had no idea it was in my coat pocket) and it was the Chicken Clucking song. I scrambled to turn it off and I felt like dying of embarrassment. I thought to myself that it ruined what I was about to do. Then I decided that I wasn't going to continue to let Satan pull me away from what I needed to do. I had spent too much time running from the Lord when I needed to be running to Him. It's kind of ironic that it was the Chicken song (I have different ring tones for different people and only ONE that rings that tune)...it was like God was calling me a chicken. So I broke free from the guilt and shame and then it was like I couldn't get to Brother Tommy fast enough to confess that I had never made time for Jesus but I was ready to do it now. I thank God for being so patient with me and not giving up on me, even though I had long since given up on myself. I believe that God sends storms into your life for a reason and losing my mom meant finding God--completely.

Since then, Bryan and I really almost split. On Valentine's Day of this year we went to marriage counseling and when we left I had made of my mind that I couldn't do it anymore. For four days, I spent every second of free time trying to plan on how I would tell everyone (especially Madison and McKenzie). Bryan and I didn't speak to each other at all that week after Valentine's Day until Friday of that week. He wrote me a note telling me that he didn't want to give up on us. Also in the letter he told me that part of the problem lately was him struggling with his salvation because he had seen a peace about me since December that he had never felt. (I was shocked because he was the son and grandson of Baptist preachers and had even done some preaching himself as a teenager.) Even through the marital storm he could tell that I was changed since December 11th. Friday through Sunday morning I didn't talk to him about the salvation part because I didn't want to influence him either way. I just prayed almost constantly that he would either get saved, or if he was already saved and the devil was just planting doubt in his mind, then he would find comfort.

That Sunday morning was the snow and ice storm and many churches were closed. I knew that we needed to be there Sunday and so I prayed church wouldn't be cancelled. Well we had church and Bryan broke down in Sunday School and asked Jesus to come into his life. So I feel like God allowed us to absolutely hit rock bottom in our marriage so Bryan would take a step back and see what was really bothering him--he needed to give his life to Christ. These last few months have changed our lives and it's because of Him that we are now able to weather life's storms--TOGETHER! It took us longer than it should have, but we finally have given ourselves to Him.

Sorry this was so long, but I have to share my story. Thanks for allowing me to share it with you.

Encouraging Sunday School or Small Groups

With my last blog, there was some discussion brought up on Small Groups, Sunday School, or both. While this video does not address the differences in opinion of the preferred model, I thought it was a good video for encouraging people to get more involved. I personally like it because it does not assume that Sunday School is wrong, but instead encourages people to get more involved than just Service. This video could be altered to encourage Small Groups as well. I could see that being very useful at the Bayou with the push in Small Groups that is coming up. Sean, show your MAGIC!!!

Getting Past Know!

Ok, Sean has pushed me enough that I am going to post a new blog even though I have not full wrote it out and finalized it. Over the last year, I have been paying much closer attention to the churches in North America. I listen to a few by podcasts as well as I regularly talk with people at different churches. One things seems consistent among these churches. They are all having problems within their congregation. Whether the church is pastor led, congregational led, or elder led, they all seem to be dealing with issues in there congregation. To bring this point even more to the forefront, I actually had a kid say they they did not want to come to church because there was too much drama and back stabbing in the churches. Looking at this problems in churches, I have come to the conclusion that we have a bunch of members in churches that not gotten past "knowing" about Christ. Throughout our churches, especially in the South, it is all too easy to say the right things just because you "know" what to say. It is easy for these people to hide in large churches and unfortunately they often cause problems within the congregation and the community. So this brings up a question that I would love to hear from people: How can we address the growing population of people in church that have not gotten past Know? I look forward to an interesting discussion.

i-Share Again

Here is a copy of i-Share without the link.

Everything

I thought I would repost the last entry with the video in the page. I realize some people do not like to go to linked pages. Once again if this drama does not touch you I would like to know how?

Everything

This is a drama that I think should be performed in everything church across the world. Do not click on this link unless you are willing to open your eyes up to the evil that keeps us from God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GwdTg9l_bI