No justification for this much debt

Recently, I overheard a friend of mine talking to his daughter about a school project that was due soon. The exchange was all too familiar.

“Most people haven’t even started theirs yet, Dad. You should be glad that I am at least doing something.”
“I’m not raising ‘people,’” he said. “I am raising you.”

The daughter’s justification for her actions (or lack of) reminded me of some of our elected officials in Washington when talking about the trillions of dollars of debt they have approved.

Their justification: The Bush administration did it too.

It would be too easy to point out the fallacy in trying to compare the deficit spending to fight two wars and he recent “stimulus” spending. In fact that point makes itself.

That being said, justification of today’s spending by comparing it to a previous administration’s spending is asinine. “George Bush put us in debt, so we are going to put us further in debt.”

Last week’s anti-tax and spend tea parties were a direct result of such thinking and justification. While some tried to paint it as “angry rich folks and corporations,” unbiased observers saw it for the grassroots outcry it was.

People don’t want to see their kids and grandkids hamstrung with debt. They don’t want the next generation to be the first that does economically worse than their predecessors.

The Democrat-controlled Congress and the White House are on a fast track to bankruptcy if things don’t change. Bailouts and entitlements are not the way to bring back this nation to economic greatness.

The Bible says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7 NIV)

Regardless of your professed faith (or lack of) there is an undeniable truth in that passage. Anyone who has been harassed by bill collectors knows they are slaves to their debts. Every paycheck seems to be eaten up by debt service.

Just imagine what our nation could accomplish if it were debt free? We indeed are becoming slaves to our national debt.

It is time for the electorate to become like the father who refuses to accept his child’s justifications. We need to remind our elected officials across this nation — both Republicans and Democrats — that we are not looking at what the Bush administration did. We are looking at what they are doing now. And we will hold them accountable.

America abolished slavery more than a century ago. Why in the world would we accept economic slavery now?

Pelosi is more than out of touch

As hundres of thousands of Americans shouted a cry of protest to excessive taxation and government spending in the form of “Tea Parties,” some legislative leaders made it clear how out of touch they really are with average Americans. One leader in particular was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D – Calif.

While being interviewed by a Fox affiliate in San Francisco, Pelosi belittled the protestors and their cause.

“...What they (the protestors) want is a continuation of the failed economic policies of President George Bush which got us in the situation we are in now,” Pelosi said.

“…We call it astroturf, it’s not really a grassroots movement. It’s astroturf by some of the wealthiest people in America to keep the focus on tax cuts for the rich instead of for the great middle class.”

As a personal eyewitness to the Bossier City-based event, I can assure Ms. Pelosi that there were people from all walks of life protesting — old and young, rich and poor.

The diversity of the protestors was not a Bossier-only phenomenon. Photos and video from across America told the story of this truly grassroots movement. Cities large and small held tea parties, and attendance far surpassed anyone’s expectations.

As someone who has grown somewhat cynical in my “old age,” I was thrilled to see such an outpouring. Americans are not as apathetic as we once thought.

I am also a proponent of healthy debate. To have a different opinion or philosophy is not a bad thing. However, when the debate goes from disagreements about policy and philosophy and becomes an attack on the person, it is a dangerous problem.

Which brings me back to Ms. Pelosi.

Her comments about Tea Party organizers and attendees not only show a lack of connection to the heart of America, it shows a dangerous disregard for it as well.

U.S. Rep. John Fleming, R-La., told the crowd in Bossier City, that Pelosi rules the House with an “iron fist” and that rank-and-file Democrats go along with whatever she says, regardless of their constituency. Herein lies the danger.

If America is to remain a free nation, it will take more than just Tea Parties to protect it. It will take “regular Americans” harassing their elected officials to the place where they stand up to Ms. Pelosi and others like her.

Elections have consequences. However, the power (for now) remains with the electorate. It is time for all Americans to get involved on a daily basis. With email, Facebook, Twitter, letters to the editor, and the like, there is no excuse not to be in contact with the people we are paying to represent us.

Get involved. Stay involved. Fight the good fight.

Doesn't matter - it's in the past

I have become a full-fledged member of the "Facebook" generation. Not only have I joined, but I have found many friends that I had lost touch with over the years.

It is funny how many people from your past you forget, but they don't forget you — or vice versa. The "reunions" online bring back memories of the "good old days."

The human mind has the unique ability to only remember the "good times." Somehow we get sucked back to the days of high school, without the pain and drama of the actual events during those years.

We forget the pain we felt, or perhaps even inflicted, during our "less mature" years in life. Everyone is older, supposedly wiser, and have moved on from those bygone days.

Earlier this month, I turned 40. As I passed the milestone, I reflected on the first half of my life. I have certainly had my share of ups and downs — and I certainly have not "arrived" yet.

It is a wonder any of us survive the stupid mistakes we make throughout life. But we do and seem to grow from them. We learn that putting others ahead of ourselves is a sign of maturity. We also learn there are consequences to actions.

The one thing we cannot do is live in the past. This is hard for those who feel like they missed key opportunities in those early years. Some still hang out with high school buddies, do pretty much the same thing they did then. Other seeks out those supposedly "lost opportunities" in some quest to right the situation.

For me, I have learned that remembering the past is not a bad thing, but living there can hinder your growth. There is a reason we are not built with rearview mirrors.

I have made my share of apologies for past actions to friends from "days gone by." And have learned that I held on to it tighter than they did in many cases. I have also learned that my life is so much better than I could have imagined and in most ways, so much better than I deserve.

In the movie, "The Lion King" (yes, I watched it) Simba is lamenting about what he did in the past and how he can never go back to the pride he ran away from. At that point, the old, wise monkey smacks him in the head with a stick.

"Ouch! Why did you do that?" Simba asked.
"Doesn't matter. It's in the past," The monkey said.
"Well it still hurts."
"Yes, the past can hurt."

I think we all can take a lesson from this exchange. No matter how much we want to stay in the past, it is just that — the past.

Take what you like from today's blog. Use what part of it helps in your life. If none of it applies to you, then put it in the past where it belongs.

May the Blog be with You.

Introducing your presidential cabinet

With all the news surrounding President Obama and his choices for his cabinet. I would like to offer the following nominations… based on a long, thoughtful process.

Department of State
Secretary: Pope Benedict XVI
Everyone comes out to see him when he travels. And would you tell the Pope “no” when he’s negotiating?

Department of the Treasury
Secretary: Dave Ramsey
Smartest money man out there. Of course, the debt snowball would eliminate several government programs. “I’m sorry, but welfare is below the line right now.”

Department of Defense
Secretary: Master Chief from “Halo”
If you know him, then you know why.

Department of Justice
Attorney General: Judge Andrew Napolitano.
Whatever we need done, I am sure legalzoom.com has the right form.

Department of the Interior
Secretary: Ted Nugent
No one understands “Great America” better than this man. All Federal Parks would immediately see jumps in visitors thanks to the new “Big American Game Hunt” program.

Department of Agriculture
Secretary: Michael Szymanczyk, CEO of Phillip Morris USA.
If he can do for the food industry what he’s done for tobacco… well.

Department of Commerce
The GEICO Gekko
If he can make insurance interesting, then other areas should be a piece of cake.

Department of Labor
Secretary: Jerry Lewis
Who can think of Labor Day without thinking of Jerry Lewis?

Department of Health and Human Services
Secretary: Klee Irwin, colon cleansing advocate
All problems solved — and flushed.

Department of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary: Ty Pennington
“Gentlemen, move that cabinet position.”

Department of Transportation
Secretary: Gary Kelly, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer, and President of Southwest Airlines
“We are now free to move about the country.”

Department of Energy
Secretary: Louie the Lightning Bug
Because the oil industry doesn’t have a cute mascot.

Department of Education
Secretary: The entire cast of Sesame Street
They did more to educate kids than most of the education system

Department of Veterans Affairs
Secretary: John Rambo
Who else would “fight” for veterans?

Department of Homeland Security
Secretary: John McLean from Die Hard
Hasn’t he been doing this job already? “Yippie Ki Yay!”

I trust each of my nominees will be confirmed with no objections.

May The Blog Be With You.

They Never Got A Bailout

Red Buttons was a well-known comedian in years gone by. His most famous bit usually came during the “Dean Martin Celebrity Roast” television specials.

Red would spout off about the fact they were have a dinner in honor of whoever was the “honored” that night, and that many famous people never “got a dinner.”

For example, Red would say, “Doctor Spock, who said, ‘Never raise your hand to your kids, it leaves your groin unprotected’... never got a dinner.”

The “never got a dinner” was funny, risky and always surprising. Sadly, Red died in 2006 and isn’t here to help us through today’s questionable economy with his unique sense of humor.

With America bailing out industries left and right — and with more lining up for their turn at bat, Red would have a field day with those who “never got a bailout.”

For instance:

The fast food industry, who said, “Have it your way, all the way to the cardiologist”… never got a bailout.

Or

The loan sharking industry, who said, “Breaking legs causes carpal tunnel”… never got a bailout.

Others…

The professional athletes coalition, who said. “We lost all our millions on bling and failed rap albums”… never got a bailout.

The Tobacco Trial Lawyers, who said, “Is there such a thing as fourth-hand smoke?”… never got a bailout.

The Corporate Board of Air America Radio, who said, “With Bush gone, we don’t have anything to talk about”… never got a bailout.

My apologies to the memory of Red Buttons… but I just couldn’t resist.

May The Blog Be With You.

Separated from Family

Absence makes the heart grow fonder… or so they say. By the way who are “they” anyway? That’s the subject for another blog.

In 1988, I was stationed at Keesler AFB, Miss., finishing up tech school when I received orders to Loring AFB, Maine. “Maine?” was the first word out of my mouth.

Being southern born and reared, and a former resident of Largo, Florida, I thought there were plenty of bases in the southern United States that would gladly accept me. I put in for Barksdale, Tyndall, MacDill, Patrick, and a host of other “suitable” locations. But the Air Force had other ideas.

The destination petrified me. What would I do “way up there,” literally thousands of miles from my closest friends and relatives?

I did what any 19-year-old would do — made a rash decision. I immediately picked up the phone and asked my girlfriend back home to marry me. Only after she accepted did I tell her about the orders to Maine.

To say the impending move rattled our relationship – barely 2 months old as it was — is an understatement. In the coming weeks, she would decide she didn’t want to move and I decided I didn’t want to marry her. The relationship ended before I ever left the southern United States.

My first six months in Maine were miserable. I was alone. It was frigid. I wanted to go home. In fact, every dollar I could scrape together would go toward a plane trip back home at every available opportunity. I grew to look forward to three-day weekends.

In time, I made some local friends and even got “fixed up” with a local girl. This time, I made no rash decision, and we were married just 11 months after we met.

The honeymoon was short-lived when Saddam Hussein decided to invade Kuwait and I was deployed to Diego Garcia — less than 3 months after the wedding.

Seven months later I returned home to become reacquainted with Tina, my bride.

Four months of “marital bliss” made way for the uncertainly of separation from the military and moving to a town neither of us knew to take a civilian job at a newspaper.

I had just done the same thing to my wife that had been done to me. She got “orders” and had to leave home.

It was just the two of us. I would like to be able to say that we became closer as a result of being so far from our families. To some extent we did. However, the distance also caused a sort of depression. No one likes to be totally cut off from family — no matter how crazy we think they are.

I was working long hours in my new job and she was babysitting my boss’ daughter. We co-miserated and got fat together.

Luckily my parents were only a 7-hour drive away and we made many weekend trips to survive those years in “solitary.”

It wasn’t until we found a small church in rural Alabama that we truly started to feel a little “at home.” All of a sudden we had a “church family” locally.

Today, Tina and I have the best of both. We live in a same town as some family members, and have a wonderful church family to boot. We appreciate the relationships we have because we know what it is like to be “isolated.”

Once we got into church, we realized that our “family” was bigger than we thought. That made all the difference.

May the Blog Be With You.

Have you ever wondered, "Why?"

The events of the past several days in Specht household, our church and our nation could certainly cause one to ask "Why?"

From a historic election to the tragic loss of life for a close family friend, the question of "why?" has come to mind more than once. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does God heal some and not others? Why do major expenses hit when we are trying to save money? Why? Why? Why?

A Divine Appointment

For the past four weeks, I have been leading a bible study on the subject of "There's Nothing Too Hard for God." As a group, we watch a DVD about some miracle God has performed in the life of a real person and then discuss what we have seen.

This week's lesson was titled "No Illness Is Too Great." I had watched the video twice and felt prepared to lead the class.

Literally minutes before the beginning of church Wednesday, we received word that 8-month-old Jordan Buffington was not expected to make it much longer. He has been in the hospital since birth and his lungs just were not developing to the place where he could survive without the help of a ventilator — and now, even the ventilator wasn't getting the job done.

Doctors told the family there was nothing more that could be done.

I believe it was not a coincidence our class was slated to learn about divine healing. With the events leading up to class, we felt it appropriate to spend most of the time in prayer.

A Little One's Life

Jordan’s very existence was a miracle in itself. He had not been expected to live during pregnancy, and certainly wouldn’t survive delivery. He did both.

Bad report after bad report came during the last eight-plus months, and each time, Jordan overcame the odds and survived.

So why now? Why had God allowed Jordan to live this long, only to have him die now?

God and Job

As Christians, we look to the Bible for answers. We believe it is God’s will to heal — that the stripes upon the back of Christ Jesus were for our healing. (Isaiah 53:5)

The answer in God’s word is really something we don’t want to hear. It is also found in the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 55:8-9 (New International Version)

8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

When we ask “Why?” he says, “Because I am God.”

Not exactly the most comforting of statements, is it? However, it is true. We cannot see beyond ourselves and our circumstances. When we ask “why” what we are really saying is “God, you owe me an explanation.”

Even Job repeatedly asked God why he was going through the circumstances in his life. While we have the knowledge of God’s greater plan when we read the story in the Bible, Job was totally in the dark. In fact his friends said he must have some sin in his life that is causing this, and his wife even suggested he “curse God and die.”

When God finally answered, it wasn’t some grand explanation of the great plan for his life and its affect on thousands of lives down the road. He rebuked Job, asking him “Did you create the heavens and the earth?”

It was as if God was saying, “None-ya” to Job. However, God’s answer definitely follows Isaiah 55:8-9. As we see from our perspective of this story, the “way” as we see it is higher than the “way” Job saw it.

In the end, Job repented of his questioning and as we find out in the rest of the story, things are restored and increased back to Job.

God’s Answer to our Questions

Is it a sin to question God? Certainly not. But don’t be surprised when the answer to your question isn’t what you want to hear.

I believe God had a plan for Jordan while he was here on the earth for eight-plus months. I also believe that there is a plan in the works that will come as a result of his life here and his departure from the Earth Wednesday night. That doesn’t mean it hurts any less or that it is any easier to deal with the situation.

It also doesn’t mean we won’t ask “why?” It is human nature to want an explanation why things happen. And “Because I am God” is sometimes hard to just accept.

However, God promises in His word that he will help in this area as well.

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We need that peace when we don’t understand. And only the peace of God can accomplish that task. It is how we can deal with the “higher ways.”

With the passage of time, the pain of loss subsides a little. In addition, the plan of God will continue to unfold, bringing a little more understanding and acceptance.

I believe that Jordan Buffington received a complete and full healing in his body Wednesday night. While it wasn’t the “way” we wanted or expected, it was God’s “way.”

I am reminded of the second verse of the Hymn, “What a Day That Will Be.”

There’s be no more sorrow there
No more burdens to bear
No sickness no pain
No more crying over there
And forever I will be
With the one who died for me
What a Day, Glorious Day That will be.

On Wednesday, November 5, 2008, Jordan Buffington reached his “glorious day.” For that, I give God thanks.