When Lies Are All They Have

"Wherefore hear the Word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.  Because ye have said, 'We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:'..."  Isaiah 28:15

Well, it finally happened.  Hillary Clinton, our Secretary of State, showed up to "testify" before Senate and House committees.  If the American people thought, by any stretch of the imagination, they would get answers to the slaughter at Benghazi, they were sorely mistaken.

When asked why she, the UN Ambassador, and the President himself lied to the American people about the reason for the attack, Hillary Clinton stated simply, directly, and with clenched fist, that it just didn't matter.

Don't do a double take.  Don't ask "excuse me?"  Yes, she said it.  And the entire administration and their minions in the Senate and House gave her a standing ovation...at least, in their minds.

See, that's what they have wanted all along.  Now that their incompetent Marxist is back in office, they just don't care.  The administration kept her from testifying just long enough (...yeah, yeah, yeah, she hit her head, poor thing...who actually saw that, by the way?) that they can now get completely away with brushing the whole thing off.  Four dead Americans mean nothing, to any of them.  For all her fist waving, and denying she ever saw the requests for protection from the embassy, her testimony was nothing more than the last words from an uncaring, uninvolved, and uninterested administration.

Will she or anyone else be held responsible?  Don't be ridiculous.  She left those hearings unscathed.  The Republicans in attendance have proven they are too whipped to even ask any sensible questions, or demand plausible answers.  The strongest challenge came from an all-too calm Rand Paul who told her, had he been President, she would have lost her job.  Wow.  Ouch.  The Cheshire-cat grin on her face the whole time showed how much she feared anyone in that room.  As for the Dems, had they been wearing lipstick, the kisses they planted on her sizable rear would have shown brightly on camera.

If I had my hopes, I would hope that the American people demand more.  I would hope that the wimps on the Republican side of the aisles would grow at least one pair among them, and fight for us.  I will be writing and telling them so.  I would hope that the survivors and family members of this terrorist attack would scream bloody murder and shove her "What does it matter?" right back down her throat.  I would hope that ABC, CBS, and NBC would report the truth about this and so many other stories.

I'm not holding my breath.

Stay What?

"Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God."  3 John 11

I opened my facebook page last week and saw that an old friend of mine had encouraged another friend to "stay liberal."  This friend of mine is a person I always considered to be far more intelligent, educated, and well-versed than I.  He was always one of the first to question questionable authority; one of the first to take a stand against a teacher's opinions.  He always spoke up when he thought a punishment or judgement was unjust or undeserved.  I supposed that is why his instruction to his "friend" puzzled me so.

"Stay liberal."  Hmm.

I thought at first he could have meant "stay generous."  But most liberals are only generous with other people's wealth, so I quickly dismissed that.  I even considered he meant "stay open-minded," but, when discussing any liberal mind-set, who am I kidding?  There was no getting around the obvious conclusion...he meant, in every political meaning of the term, "stay liberal."

He might just as well have said to this friend, "stay willfully ignorant."  Do not let the truth cloud your judgement, override your better instincts, or, heavens-to-Betsy, change your mind or your vote!  Learn nothing at all from the past 3 1/2 years, trillions of dollars of debt, or a national reputation ripe for flushing.  (Note: all liberals are not ignorant.  Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and their lap dogs in congress know exactly what this administration is up to; but as long as YOU are ignorant and it keeps them in power, they just don't care.)

He might also have urged, "stay blinded."  As long as you are not willing to see for yourself, friend, you can be led anywhere, in any direction, and not fear at all that your next step will be into thin air.  As long as the union, welfare, bail-out and TARP hand-outs keep coming, keep those blindfolds on!  Incompetent leadership is at it's strongest when those being led have no clue to the destruction ahead.

Lastly, and sadly, he might also have added, "stay deceived."  Lies, upon distortions, upon backroom deals, upon unconstitutional acts and legislation have made this administration the most untrustworthy and deceitful in American history.  The latest and greatest lie of this "liberal" regime is "I have added less national debt than any President in the last 60 years."  (The New York Times didn't even fall for this one!)  Yet, the free out-pouring of the kool-aid has produced a mini-nation of zombies who simply don't care.  Oh, they will, one day, when it is far too late, and they are far too weak to fight back at all.

So, with the urging and support of your friends and government, "stay liberal"...and, while you're at it, stay weak, stay lazy, stay uninvolved, stay silent, and stay safe.  They'll take care of everything...won't they?  Stay foolish.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." -- 2 Corinthians 5:7-8

My precious friend, neighbor, and sister in the Lord, Rita Stevens, stepped into glory last Wednesday evening. I wrote earlier about her in "The Bravest Woman I Know". I won't elaborate on that here.

Rita was faithful to the end, claiming God was great above all, able to heal or to take home. As I left her hospital room for the last time, I knew it was likely I would not see her in this world again. But I share the hope, as she did, that we will meet again, in the place He has prepared for His children.

Today, family and friends will remember her in a service at her Church; she will then be taken, as she requested, to Arlington National Cemetery and interred in her husband's gravesite.

There is a scripture in Proverbs about a virtuous woman. Verse 31:18 says, "...her light does not go out by night." Rita's loving, radiant light will never go out. It lives on in her family and friends, in everyone she ever met. Today she shines like the sun, safe and whole with her Lord. There is our peace and comfort as we honor her life.

We love you, Rita. No goodbyes; we'll meet again.

The Evil Men Do

"You have heard it said, 'an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. Whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also. ... You have heard it said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven... Matt 5:38-45, excerpts

The morning in Tennessee was sunny and beautiful. My grandson was playing around my living room floor, and my daughters and husband had left for work. I'm sure I was doing my usual morning puttering, dishes, dusting, cleaning up whatever Caleb had spilled last...when the phone rang. My husband told me to turn to the news and find out what was going on in New York City.

The puttering stopped cold; I'm don't remember breathing; I couldn't tell you if the world was still turning. I was struck numb watching one of the towers of the World Trade Center blazing from what appeared to be a plane having gone mysteriously off course. Then, in horror, I watched a second plane fly into the second tower; and only a few minutes later, reports of a plane having struck the Pentagon, and another crashing in Pennsylvania. I called Dennis back and told him this was no accident...we were under attack.

These are my memories of September 11, 2001.

What happened that day cannot be forgotten, swept under a rug, imagined away, or rewritten. The destruction was greater than that of Pearl Harbor, the worst attack on American soil in our history. It was formulated, financed, and carried out by lunatic, fanatical followers of a religion built on hatred, deceit, and violence. Though there are those members who do not advocate the radical elements of this religion, very little is said or done within their ranks to stand against the terrorists who threaten to destroy every person or political power who opposes them.

And now, having said all that - -

I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Most High God. My hope and my faith is in Him, and my guide through this world is His Holy Word. Over two hundred years ago, at the founding of our beautiful nation, safeguards were put into place to guarantee that I would be able to worship in freedom as My God directs. I am free to pick up a Bible and read it at any time, in any place, contrary to what some would have me believe. The same laws which protect my Bible also protect my grandson's copies of the Harry Potter books. They protect every newspaper in the country, every magazine from "Highlights" to "Playboy"; and, those laws protecting the Christian's Bible also protect the Jew's Torah, the Hindu's Gita, the Buddhist's Sutra, and the Muslim's Quran.

I would never, whether urged by my government or my Church, become a part of any group wanting to burn any book at any time. I do not believe the writings of the Quran; but I defend the right of others to read and believe it. If I do not want anyone showing disrespect for my faith, I must not show hatred for theirs.

To those who will be burning the Quran on Saturday...I hope that you will at least be honest with yourselves and the rest of the world. You are not honoring Christ; you are only fostering ill will and mistrust. In my humble opinion, this "convert or destroy" philosophy of yours makes you just another bunch of radicals. I'm praying you will allow the Grace of God to change your hearts and your plans. If that does not happen...I'll pray for His mercy and His protection.

The Bravest Woman I Know

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he is also become my salvation." -- Isaiah 12:2

I have always felt a little...oh, who am I kidding?...waaay more than a little sorry for myself since we moved to Florida. So far away from family and friends, I envied Dennis being able to get out and actually see and talk to people. Because I am back in TN every summer and for various holidays, it hasn't been possible to become really involved in the Church we attend, so I really haven't made even casual acquaintences there. I began praying for God to send me a friend, just someone I could visit, and talk to, pray with, even if just once in a while.

Turns out, right across the street, lived Rita Stevens, a tiny woman with a huge smile, who had been praying virtually the same thing. Rita and I would see each other at the mailboxes, or while out fooling with the lawn and plants, but never really connected until one day when I mentioned how much I loved her hair style. She laughed, told me it was a wig, and that she would let me borrow it. It was then she began to share with me her fight with cancer.

Rita and I began walking around the neighborhood in the mornings, and there are times I visit just to talk. We have a lot in common. Both of us grew up poor, in large families; we both like antique stores, sewing, and our coffee black. We have husbands whose careers have left us alone quite a bit, and we love to talk about our children and grandchildren. In our time together, I have learned how long and hard her fight against her cancer has been. Not that she complains...ever. Her faith, strong and sure, is the most remarkable I have seen. In our prayers together, I'm the one bursting into tears. She does not talk about the pain, but about the God whose healing touch eases it. She doesn't complain about the weekly visits to the oncologist, but praises the Lord for being able to reach out to others in treatment. The doctors and nurses are amazed at her attitude and confidence in Him, and her willingness to help strengthen and encourage others even as she fights the battle herself.

Rita just called me, laughing her infectious laugh, wondering how my Mom is, and how I am; then finally got around to telling me the Doctor has found new tumors in her shoulder. She knew I would be upset; by the end of the call, she was reassuring me. "God has this all in His Hands, and I don't want you to worry," she said.

I thank the Lord that He has brought this precious woman into my life. I have found a friend, a walking buddy, and a prayer partner. She is, without a doubt, the bravest woman I have ever known. Those of you who read this, please keep Rita in your prayers. As she puts it, "I know God is a healing God; but whatever happens, I am in His Hands."

"Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand;
But I know who hold tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand"

Thank You, Lord...and thank you, Rita.

Grow Up!!!!

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I put childish ways behind me." -- ICorinthians 13:11

Have you ever watched Dr. Phil, or Keith Ablow or any of those TV "Mr. Fix-it's"? I have, a few times, though not within the last couple of years. They made me want to claw at the TV, gnash my teeth, and scream at their whining guests, "Oh, for Pete's sake, GROW UP!!!!"

It is so sad to watch a family falling apart, in any circumstance. But, to me, the saddest of all are those families made up of nothing but children. There is a father, a mother, and any number of youngsters; but the ones who are supposed to be responsible, in control, and mature have given all that up in the name of anger, spite, and coming out on top. As the real children watch, helpless, afraid, and guilt-ridden, the "adults" wage war over everything in the home. Money, house, car, sex, friends, family, and (usually last) the kids are all lines drawn on the battlemap, and the one who walks away with the most, wins. Or so they say.


Some of these family affairs get downright trashy. I'll stop there, you know what I mean. With both parents claiming they "only want the best for the children", the children suffer most. Watching the two people whom they trust for their safety and survival destroy their lives and each other tears at their hearts. The Big Kids don't really care, as long as one can hold the other responsible for all of it. The Little Ones, if they could express it, know the truth; but they are very seldom heard. They are neglected to the point of abuse as the whining brats they call "Mom and Dad" slug it out, hurling accusations, insults and blame at each other, and showing to all the world the very worst in themselves.

I'm praying right now for a family in crisis. I, like everyone else watching, have my own opinions about the situation. Most of all, I am concerned for the children. Neither parent seems to be really thinking of them. Might and right seem to be all that matter to this pair of spoiled children. How sad. How deeply, terribly sad.

What's This Country Coming To?

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?.....And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness."

There are days I sit watching the news, practically dumbfounded by what I see.

America...the very name once stood for all that was just, right, and free in this world. She was the haven to which generations of oppressed, persecuted, and outcast souls came for safety and peace. America was hope and propserity for those willing to work. Millions upon millions fled war, dictatorship, famine and imprisonment to America's democracy, freedom and comforts. The US Constitution guaranteed a government created "of the people, by the people, for the people", with all the rights to life and liberty they had been denied in their own homelands.

Where is She, our beloved America, now? I was taught to be proud of my Land of the Free, Home of the Brave. I'm having trouble finding much of Her around anymore. Millions still come here; some come for all the same reasons, but the majority of others come looking not for a dream, but a free ride. Caring nothing for ourheritage, our laws or our pride, they expect our citizens to pay for their laziness and illegal activities. In fact, in many cases, they demand it as their right. Declaring their right to practice faith freely, some enter our gates demanding that Christians bow to their foreign and false faith in the name of "tolerance".

Our own government is working against its people. Taxes are imposed on a whim, on false data posing as "scientific evidence", or simply because some legislator wants to flex muscle. Our economy, the free enterprise system and business competition that made our country a leader in the world is systematically demonized and destroyed by those who seek to make us just another third-world generic country.

In short, our precious America is dying before our eyes. And, before you think I am laying blame at the feet of illegal immigrants, non-Christians, or corrupt politicians, let me be perfectly clear: it's my fault. And yours. Apparently, we haven't gotten angry enough. We haven't screamed loudly enough, we haven't gotten the attention of our government and made the powerful hear us. I was angry to the point of tears hearing that man in the White House on the Gulf oil spill. His lies no longer surprise me, I've become accustomed to the fact that he is incapable of telling the truth about anything. I was angry that no one appears to be standing up to him. It seems to me that we have just given up. I saw that a conservative organization in Iowa has decided to "sit out" the November election process because their candidates didn't win in the primaries. Yeah, folks, let's all just sit it out. That'll show 'em. In fact, the primaries thus far have not shown a very clear indication that there will be much change at all come November. We have simply thrown up our hands, thrown in the towel, and thrown our support to evil, deceit, liberalism and destruction.

To paraphrase Edmund Burke, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." My "nothing" phase is over. From now on, I will cry out against whatever I feel is evil or wrong in my Land. I am not a violent person; but I can put up a fight with my voice, my writing, and my vote. I resolve that I will not throw this country away; I will not let my freedom go; I will not stand idly and silently by as others try to take it from me. My trust is not in my leaders, their empty words, or my own power. I stand on the Solid Rock, greater than all person, principalities, or powers, and through Him I have been granted the privilege of living in America, Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave. I pray my children will remember me one day as one of the proud, free and brave.

God Bless America!