Christmas blues

Ok, so It is Christmas and I have so much to be thankful for, but, I have the blues.
in recent months finances have been tapped out due to unforeseeable circumstances and I am not able to participate in the capitalistic retail extravaganza we call Christmas.
My kids are are getting very little this year, but are fine with it. I am very proud of them. On the other end of this spectrum is my self portrait staring me in the face saying if only you were rich. My mind is filled with the desire to do so much for my family, especially at this time of year,but sadly the funds just aren't there.
If I was wealthy though I would not know the depth of my children's character. This knowledge is invaluable and has provided me with a wealth that many parents never get to realize. So although I am having a some-what blue Christmas, I am also celebrating a couple of births not usually associated with the holiday. One of my children gave me a card that says its not about the presents or the money or the food, It is about the love. She then wrote in her own part thanking my wife and I for teaching her that.
There really is wealth far greater than money and diamonds and gold. God has truly blessed us with these fine children, and I am eternally grateful for them all.

please give five stars

We the people...

We the people of The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA have allowed high brow arrogant rich bureaucrats to ruin our country and lives for far too long.
We the people in order to reform a more perfect union establish justice and ensure domestic tranquility must vote with a purpose. We must demand that our votes be counted. We no longer have need for the electoral college to cast votes on our behalf. Lets face it they don't always vote the way the American populous would have, so if they are not going to do their job properly lets eliminate them from the process. Your vote should count and so should mine. Last election and the one before we got screwed.
We the people of the United States of America need to demand accountability from our elected officials. Why Do congressmen and senators get paid so much more than the average American that they are to represent ? I believe they should be audited annually to ensure integrity. Lets make sure they are not getting paid to vote a certain way. Lobby kickbacks and gifts, must stop! Members of congress should not have an expense account. They make more than enough money to pay for their own dinners and parties. Lets face it our Government does not give a rip about us as individuals, All the politicians see is money. Tax dollars to use any way they want. They waste our money on other countries and do not provide health care for the American who spends his life paying the tax money in. We send billions to Mexico only so they can end up in the same situation a little farther down the line.Negotiate the annexation of Mexico, We won't have to worry about bailing them out, we won't have to worry about them entering illegally,We will gain some very skilled workers, and of course lets not forget those tax dollars.
They send our children to die in a war so that they can protect their interests in the oil industry.$ 10 Billion a month is being spent on the war in Iraq, and I don't know how much more in Afghanistan. I just heard recently we owe china 500 billion? what for?
I will be looking into that.
We the people of The United States of America deserve more for our hard work than empty promises, lies, and an uncaring government body.

I remember as a child being so patriotic, now I just feel like my government is just out to screw me. That is not the way it should be, so I will be voting for whatever good it will do. I will be calling my Government officials and asking questions. I will waste more of my time writing on this blog in the hopes that it might be read and make a difference. And all of this I will be doing on behalf of...
We the people of The United States of America.

What makes you special ?

Do you feel like you are somebody special? Not that you are better than others,but special just because you are you. You should. Everyone is unique,We all have our own talents and perspective on things.Even Identical twins are not truly Identical. Yes they look alike and share some or many of the same qualities,yet they are still individuals. Far too often people lose that feeling of being special due to the overbearing nature of others who in turn lost their specialness in a similar fashion.
These poor souls have that internal recording saying " If I am not special you can't be either." The inability to measure up to the standards of a parent or other role model is like course sandpaper to our specialness. How many times did you do something as an act of kindness as a child, only to be scolded or rejected. Did you pick flowers for your mom only to be told they were weeds. Did you try to make your bed, only to be yelled at for having your stuffed animals on the floor. When you said you wanted to be a movie star, or musician,or writer, or president or whatever, were you told that you can do anything if you work hard for it, or were you told that it was a pipe dream. Were you told the world needs ditch diggers, or janitors or some other less glamorous job. Don't get me wrong our society could not exist without these people. My point is are they happy in their job or are they just doing it because someone sqaushed their specialness.
How about your relationships in school? Did you get made fun of?Or maybe you were making fun of others to try and make yourself feel special.Maybe you were a bookworm and would have been the next noble prize winner, or maybe you were overly creative and on your way to being the next Picasso. I am not telling you to give up your job and follow that dream from however long ago, But I am saying to look inside yourself and find that special person and that dream you had, and realize you are still special.
(I also am not saying you can't follow that dream whatever it is.)
You are special! We all are. We are all equal too. Go ahead and tell yourself:
I am special. I am somebody. I am a worthwhile human being. God did not waste his time when he made me. I am lovable,and I am willing to give love to others,because they are special too. I deserve respect and courtesy, just as others deserve respect and courtesy from me.
In case you are wondering. Yes I too had lost my specialness, It was seeing myself through the eyes of my wife and kids that gave it back. Yes, I am special too.
Now go hug someone special.

It's not easy being "GREEN"

As we look at the problems our world is facing with global warming, polluted water and air, and the rising cost of energy; We begin to see the hazards of taking the easy way out. For years we have stayed with fossil fuels because they were easy and because the people getting rich from them did all they could to keep us dependent on them. Wake up humanity it is time to change. We are at a point in history where we can destroy the world for all time or begin the process of repairing the damage we have done. I like the idea of my great grandchildren having parks with real grass and fresh air, instead of a sweltering inferno where they must endure toxic gases and pollutants as they struggle to survive. I realize many people might think I am exaggerating, but think it through and you will find I only scratched the surface. As we kill off the vegetation through deforestation and rising global heat, we kill off the food we need and the oxygen we breath and we create an avalanche of bad news. The rain forests cool the air as it passes on its way to other parts of the world. To put it in perspective: It is summer and you walk outside barefoot, If you walk on the bare ground it is unbearable, but if you walk on the grass, it is cool to the touch. The sun is giving off the same radiation to both,but while bare ground holds the heat, the vegetation dissipates it.
Now add to this the greenhouse gases we are pumping out into the air from our fossil fuel societies and we have a very scary and very real problem.
What can we do? If you can afford it, go solar! Solar energy is clean.It is there whether you tap into it or not so why not. The set-up is not cheap, but the energy you get from it is. Regardless of your financial status you can vote for leaders who will support the clean air reformation. You can contact your government leaders and tell them you demand legislation to make solar affordable for all people.
Recycle! No I don't mean ride used bicycles. Think about this: If a company uses 25% recycled materials and they produce 200,000 plastic bottles a day,that means they saved enough raw materials to make fifty thousand bottles. Recycle #2,this is the used bike, kind of. Instead of buying a bottled water at the store,( which by the way is usually just refrigerated tap water) Buy a sports bottle and refill it. I fill mine 1/3 of the way then freeze it.So when I am ready to go out I add cool water and it stays cold, for a long time. Think about the things you can reuse instead of sending them to the landfill. The time has come for all of us to start caring about more than just our own selfish wants and needs.
I know there are those who think because JESUS is coming back that they don't care or don't need to worry about it. To these people I have 2 things to say: #1 Jesus said he was coming soon, But in the scope of an endless exsistance how soon is soon.
#2 Remember the parable where the guy buried the money his master had given him, the punch line of that is I made you responsible over a little and you knowing how I am did nothing with it.(Please note the lack of quotation marks, I paraphrased.) So God gave us this beautiful world,and made us responsible for it. How do you want to give it back? Personally I like to return things better than I got them, or at least the same.

Christians for Obama

As a Christian I fail to see how anyone would vote for Mccain. To vote for him is to vote for War, higher gas prices, and continued privilege for the very wealthy.
Senator Obama wants to use clean energy, end the war, and help the average American.
Are people really so stupid that they will base their decisions on the sound of a persons name? O.k. yes, a lot of people are that stupid. I am hoping that the intelligent people will see the truth and help others to look past their prejudices.
We have come a long way in this country, integrating people from every color, nationality, and walk of life. We are the great melting pot. Like the ingredients that go into the pot, all the flavors blend together to create something better. My point here is that WE are ALL part of the same stew. We are AMERICANS. It does not matter if your name is smith,O'malley, goldberg,washington,or Obama. We all want a great leader for our country. That leader is Obama. He wants the same things for us that we want for ourselves. When was the last time anyone in washington was willing to act in the interest of the average american? Don't let this opportunity pass us by. Vote for a better America, Vote for a better life for yourself, Vote for Obama.