I am Convinced: President Obama Needs Prayer

So, after 4 months of our new President - how is he doing?

I saw a celebrity on Mike Huckabee's show a couple of weeks back; Tony Danza. Huckabee asked Danza an open ended question regarding how he felt about the new administration. Danza's response was something like, "We are just so fortunate that he decided to be our President." Another celebrity started his time in front of a camera with the platitude, "Isn't it just great that we have an intelligent, knowledgeable, wonderful man in the White House now?

So, there are some who are extremely pleased with what they see so far.

Then there are others who are just as profoundly disappointed in his out of the gate performance. You can just shred off this criticism by saying it is negative emotion of the losers, but frankly the reality is that those who are disappointed tend to quote facts and figures. The reason I am asking the question now as opposed to a month ago is that I believe the old mantra "Obama just inherited the problem" is now over. Oh, sure Democrats and their most loyal media people are going to beat that drum incessantly. But the truth is that he is rapidly having to focus on repairing his own mistakes now. A recent article elaborating on that was titled something like, "52 days in office and 52 mistakes; 1408 to go . . . " I hope not. For all of our sakes, I hope not.

My Pastor, shortly after the inauguration sensed that he heard God say that Obama would have what he called a “stealth anointing”. God would move upon Obama in a way not unlike how He moved on Saul who became Paul. It is the best way I know to pray for our President. And if the lack of success is any indicator, he is getting closer to the point where he will be open to this huge transformation. At that point, he will really need our prayers, because like Paul, his allies will become his enemies and we Christians will need to surround him and protect him.

No Warmth for the Global Warmers

This is getting old. And it is stupid. It is stupid that over and over the same type of thing happens. Global Warmers trying to promote or prove global warming get frozen or blown off their location. Will they ever learn? Read about it here.

The latest challenge occurred as “scientists” ventured to the North Pole to measure the polar ice. Now that is good because apparently they have been verifying the ice thickness with fly-overs. Actual core sampling is more accurate.

Well, things didn’t go well. Here is a quote from the leader:

“We’re hungry, the cold is relentless, our sleeping bags are full of ice,” expedition leader Pen Hadow said in a statement e-mailed yesterday by his team. “Waiting is almost the worst part of an expedition as we’re in the lap of the weather gods.”
The severe weather is jeopardizing a journey aimed at projecting when global warming may melt the entire Arctic Ocean cap, a phenomenon that scientists say might trigger further gains in temperature.

Darn, how can you prove global warming at the North Pole when record cold and ice keep you from your task?

It’s the Gore Effect again!

Can You Handle More Truth?

Two years ago, I posted a link to a 47 minute long video clip on this blog and asked that you take the time to view it. I called the post "Can you handle the Truth?" I knew that many people would not have time to view it. But I wanted it to be on the Truth Seeker blog because Evan Sayet stated a truth that very effectively cuts through issues called “How Liberals Think.”

I know some watched it and in one case it caused an intense family argument. Mr. Sayet, who was once a liberal was sharing profound truth about what liberals believe and why.

Two years later he was given another opportunity to talk at the Heritage Foundation. This time his talk is an hour long. So here is what I am asking. Turn on your TV. Turn to one of those detective shows you watch week after week and figure out that it is a rerun. Instead of wasting that hour, put some headphones on and listen to Evan Sayet. He is entertaining, articulate and he makes you think about things you should think about.

Who AreThey? Why Shouldn't We Know?

There has been a realization recently of a nefarious group called Journolist. Journolist is an invitation-only website where liberal issues are brought up, discussed, and shaped. From them, liberal policies and approaches to news stories and information filters are formulated. Apparently membership to Journolist consists mainly of Democrat political strategists along with journalists, from television, newspapers and the blogosphere. Have you ever wondered why the Democrats have been so consistent in covering only certain talking points on issues and avoiding other important issues over the last couple of years? Given the randomness of perspective that has always endured in the press, it has been a mystery why lately this untalked about lock step of thought and reason has manifested so pervasively. Now we know why. Part of the entry agreement into Journolist is the pledge to never discuss its existence to outsiders. The realization of this group is now coming to light. It would be very healthy for America if the membership of this exclusive club was known by all Americans.

Think about it. The advantages of a journalist being a member of Journolist are enormous. You get the inside scoop for your stories. The more you regurgitate the party line, the more you get to contribute to the give and take of the formulation of positions. In this day and age when major news media establishments are headed for bankruptcy, this is probably the most secure lifeline a journalist could ever have. Where old-school news people had to get out and dig to get on the inside for stories, the inside is automatically opened for you. And there is the oh so enticing seduction of insider power that comes with this package.

There is no equivalent group on the right. For many reasons that I hope to cover later, it just isn't in our DNA. Our form of the Journolist is talk radio; hardly exclusive, hardly private, exposed for all the world to hear and partake in.

Now, a group like the Journolist group is not illegal. This is America, after all. But what I would like to know is that when I see an ABC or CBS or NBC talking head delivering news stories, I want to know if he or she is a member. When I read a political story generated by a reporter from the New York Times, it is important to me to know if the author of the story belongs to Journolist. Further, it would be very important if we knew whether or not the source of the story that the author was relying on for information is a member of Journolist. That will obviously help us understand the believability of their perspective on the issues better when we read it.

If the disclosure became mandatory, then perhaps maybe some day, membership in Journolist and other secret political/media webs would rightfully become a blemish to a reporter rather than a secret asset. And journalism, as a profession would be healed of its tarnished image

Understanding an Obama Economy

People have been dumbfounded recently about President Obama's lack of understanding when it comes to the economy, Is it that he doesn't understand? Perhaps he just understands a different version. This story will help to explain.

=====================================================================

Mrs. Obama noticed that the White House fence was in need of repair and over breakfast she told her husband it needed to be fixed. Believing this was an opportunity to put people back to work, he instructed a White House official to get 3 bids from contractors from across the country. The Official then contacted contractors from Tennessee, Chicago, and Minnesota. They all showed up 3 days later to bid the job.

The Minnesota Contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with his laptop. "Well, he says, I figure the job will run $900. That would be $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me.

The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring. He sharpens his pencil and makes a few phone calls. Then he says, "I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me.

The Chicago contractor doesn't even measure or figure, but leans over to the White House official and whispers, $2,700.

Incredulous, the White House official says, "You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?

The Chicago contractor whispers back, "$1,000 for me, $1,000 for you, and we hire the guy from Tennessee to fix the fence."

"Done" replies the government official.

Now you know why the Stimulus Plan will cost so much and what Obama means by trickle-up economics.

(borrowed and adapted from Melisa Clouthier's blog)

Democrats versus Reality

Yesterday, I glanced at a news item on TV and it was showing the inclement weather in the eastern part of the U.S. It’s March and the whole East Coast was getting a real blizzard. As I watched it I thought to myself . . . somewhere in that snow storm there is a global warming conference going on. Today, I found out I was right. There was a major global warming demonstration scheduled in Washington DC. How did I know? For the past six months all global warming conferences have been subjected to the Gore Effect. What is the Gore Effect? It doesn’t seem to matter where or when, but if you plan a Global Warming conference or symposium, or rally, or whatever, then count on it; a winter blizzard will accompany it. I think God wants the “true believers” in global warming to have to trudge through lots of snow to attend these conferences. Here is an account from usually politically correct Time:

But then came the snow. As 2,000-plus young activists — according to the organizers — gathered in the Spirit of Justice Park near the Capitol, bystanders were greeted with the surreal sight of a global-warming protest occurring in the middle of a freak March snowstorm. They chanted slogans like "Who is hot in here / There's too much carbon in the air" while huddling against the windchill. The greatest risk to the protesters wasn't aggressive cops — the D.C. police, just as chilled as the activists, had little interest in confrontation — but frostbite from the hours of marching and standing in the cold. "It's icy out there, so be careful," organizer Joshua Kahn Russell told the crowd before the march began.

The Gore Effect. It has happened so much over the past 6 months that it is now predictable.

Now, that is funny, but this is not so funny. I am sure it is going to be known as the Obama Effect. I noticed that it became predictable last week when President Obama spoke on our dire situation and the stock market reacted with a several hundred point drop. Then Ben Bernanke, the Treasury Secretary spoke the following morning. He gave facts and he gave figures. He gave as good of information as he could and he gave his observation of when our markets would heal. The markets rallied that day. Up over 300 points. That evening Obama, encouraged by the rally that day, did a preliminary State of the Union speech in front of Congress. The results were another several hundred point crash. Since then, every time he talks, the market crashes. It is not uncommon for people on blogs to now be pleading with him to just button his lip. The Dow is now well below 7000.

In an attempt to turn around the Obama Effect today, President Obama, using all of his intelligence on the subject told us that we should be buying stock. I am not sure who he thinks has investment money left to start buying. But the coup de grace came when he got all investment technical and said.

“What you’re now seeing is a profit and earnings ratios get to the point that buying stocks is a good thing if you have a long-term perspective on it,”

Well thanks, Barry but it isn’t the “profit and earnings ratio” it is the Price and Earnings Ratio. A ratio of profit and earnings? That would be meaningless. Note to those of you who voted for this guy: When it comes to the real world of economics, your guy is clueless. And our economy is tanking every time he tells us what he plans to do about it.

The best thing for us would be for Obama and Gore to go to Camp David and convince each other how smart they are – in private – for an extended period of time. No cameras, no microphones, just stay up there. They have their own reality and they are welcome to it. We would be fine without them.

Two Hospitals - Two Visitors

Just thought I would let you know about the experience of two hospitals recently. One is in a brand new hospital in Derby, England. The other is in a hospital in North Carolina. Each reports of several hospital personnel seeing spiritual visitors. But that is where the similarity ends.

Here is a link. Sources at the hospital in Derby report this:

"I don't want to scare anyone any more than necessary, but felt it was best I made you all aware of the situation and what we are doing about it.
"I've spoken to the Trust's chaplain and she is going to arrange for someone from the cathedral to exorcise the department."
One source told The Sun: "There have been dozens of sightings over recent weeks and people are scared witless.
"Several have seen a male figure cloaked from head to toe in black darting between rooms and through walls - especially in departments near the morgue.
"It's affected morale so much that bosses decided they had to act."

Oooooh man! That is worse than worrying about catching a staff infection. That’s a brand new hospital, too. Talk about ruining the grand opening!


But then there is the hospital in North Carolina. This is a Christmas day story. There are several You Tube stories on it. This is the most complete.



Let the video encourage you. The little girl was pulled off of life support. The death angel was probably lurking that hallway as well. But its purpose was trumped by the this being that was so bright that the light reflected off the floor.

Now is this something new? I think the new thing is the Internet. We are able to share and learn of these things instantaneously. I think these phenomena have always been with us. Don't you?

Time to Realize What Just Happened

Well now I am impressed. They did it. President Obama signs it today. He flies Air Force 1 into Denver and with as much fanfare as they can create, President Obama ratifies the largest tax increase that citizens of this planet have ever seen. With it, we in America have come full circle.

Remember your history? Remember, prior to this nation being founded a small incident in Boston Harbor? It was quite frankly insignificant. But it stood for a principle that turned out to be the start of a whole new standard that changed the world. Men stormed on board an English freighter, grabbed the shipment of English tea and threw it into the harbor. The famous cry of “No taxation without representation!” resounded and was forever remembered.

Think about what happened with the Stimulus Bill. “Stimulus?” It was the largest taking of citizen’s income in the history of the planet. It diverts more of our future income, directing it to the U.S. Treasury for its purposes. I remember, prior to the election that so many people were concerned that Obama was in favor of that socialist belief of redistribution of wealth. “That’s ridiculous!” was the reply. This spending package is the greatest redistribution of wealth that has ever happened in the earth’s entire history. And it was done by a Congress and Senate voting on a document that they did not even read. No taxation without representation! The Democratic leadership had no interest in anyone being able to read ahead of time what they were voting on. Our representatives did not have an opportunity to represent us. The casting of their votes was meaningless.

I believe that arrogance of power is the only reason a leader would do what Obama and King George did. Why did they impose their absolute power over their people? Because they could. I believe it fooled King George into thinking that his actions would have no consequences; that the people he was imposing his will on were powerless to stand up for themselves. They did stand up for themselves. Let us hope that this generation still has some of the principles and courage that our ancestors had.

A Marriage in Trouble

I have heard of some marriages like this. The courting was great. The romance was great. The wedding plans were great. The wedding was spectacular. Wedding album showed all the right photos.The plans they made for their marriage are wonderful. Now that they have come home from the honeymoon things just don't seem right. Then over the next few weeks, you get clues that things are not right. In your head you start hearing "Doo doo doo doo" (twilight zone music).

I'm getting the same clues regarding the Obama Presidency. On the surface this thing looks ideal. Great inaugural photos. Supporters are in denial. But the signals lately are not good. Obama's brain trust fails to answer the call because they don't pass the simple test of paying taxes. (Don't even go there about the "high bar". Paying your taxes is the lowest step these people couldn't get over.) Obama farms out the authorship of the Stimulus Package bill to big spending liberal Nancy Pelosi and it comes in looking like a San Francisco shopping spree. He then sends Geithner, his money guru to Capital Hill and the poor guy literally gets laughed out of the room.

In Whist or Bridge if the person in the lead has an Ace -10 and he suspects his partner has the King then he leads his 10 first. The opposition puts his Jack on the 10 and it looks good for him until the partner hits it with his King. With the King comes the inevitable taunt "You sent a boy to do a man's job!" It's beginning to look like that in Washington.

Democrats can respond that they were successful in getting the Stimulus Bill passed and things are going their way. But when you look harder, the reality of America isn't just summed up in the 61-37 vote in the Senate. America also consists of its people, and polls of people show a different percentage mix. And just as importantly, America consists of its GNP - of the collective businesses and production capacity. That isn't measured in polls, unless you call the stock market a poll. And it just gave a huge thumbs down. Doo-doo-doo-doo . . . .

Obama had to go back into campaign mode to try to muster up poll support for the stimulus package. He gave the microphone to a woman who pleaded for a kitchen and a bathroom. He gave it to a McDonald's employee who wanted better benefits. It apparently worked well enough to get the Senators to approve the Bill. But I predict that this form of extreme (and extremely dishonest) media manipulation will become ineffective if he tries it again. I think he just spent a very big portion of his political capital on this. Three weeks into his term of office. Things are not like we were lead to believe. They can posture and grandstand all they want. This marriage is in trouble.

Understanding Matthew and the TARP Funds

Wow - read the comments from my last few posts!

The Bible gives a great parable in Matthew 25:14-30. Jesus told this parable right after his triumphal entry. Given some assets of different sizes, three people were told to put it to work. It tells of two who invested and got returns and the third one who simply hid his money for fear of losing it. When the Master returned he took the money from the one who could do nothing with it and gave it to the one who knew how to use it.

Congress passed the TARP Fund Bill in record time. The original premise was that the bank regulators would buy bad loans (assets) from hemorrhaging banks to get them off the banks' books. But very soon into this plan the Regulators (FDIC) had to admit that they were not prepared to take on these assets. You see, we are not talking about notes and mortgages here, we are talking about houses and their owners, buildings, land, and stores, etc. Real physical properties that all needed real hands-on property management, people management teams. The FDIC consists of accountant types in expensive suits. What to do?

Perhaps FDIC should come up with a remedy like the Master did in the parable. Perhaps the FDIC should simply give the TARP money to the working banks and tell them to go buy out the unhealthy ones with all their bad loans. After all, we know how to manage the physical assets that their bad loans represent. My Bank did get TARP money. Please understand why we got it and take a big hint from me as to what we are to do with it. (I cannot discuss this beyond what I have said here).

PS

I like to gripe about the frustration of the times and I will likely continue to do so. It helps to give you an inside look at what I see. Anonymous knows me and so does OrangRecneps. We still have a picture of his 3 wonderful children on our refrigerator. Perhaps Kevin understands best. He once informed a commenter that posting an opposing argument to me was like peeling a banana for a gorilla.

It's all good and I love the interaction.

Let's Talk About Greed Some More

My last few posts have generated some replies that have shown the volatility of the issues at hand. I titled my last post "Greed". I was incensed that a preacher told his congregation that we were in this situation because of banker greed. I guess some agreed with that. My unstated point was that we bankers have been easy targets for that disingenuous remark.

My point in previous posts has been that we do not need government to fix these problems, especially by such heavy-handed interference.

Who comes to my rescue but Milton Friedman in a great 1979 Phil Donahue interview. The name of the video is "Greed"



Friedman's last questions for Donahue are the question for Obama supporters. I believe dim-wit Donahue even understood for a moment.

Greed

The other night on TV I saw a preacher giving a highly emotional sermon about the financial troubles of today. If I heard it correctly, he said he asked God about the reasons for the financial crisis and then was reminded that greedy bankers had taken advantage of poor people by making them home loans. They had no ability to pay them back, causing the disaster. I of course had heard that version many times but I had not heard anyone claim that he got that information from God. At the same time that I asked God if he really told the man that, the camera panned the congregation and I saw that it was obviously a group that was hearing exactly what they wanted to hear. They were all nodding their approval as he shouted out his revelation.

I have been immersed in this specific issue for my entire career. Much of my younger career was spent defending my profession against the charge that these greedy bankers simply would not lend money to poor people who needed houses. I never understood that charge because lending is all about income and credit, not about politics and race.

But now we are being blamed for just the opposite and yes, our motivation is that we are still greedy.

Now I am not going to defend all banks and all their decisions on how they lent. But I am a firm believer in things coming full circle when it comes to real estate lending. Real estate is technically a commodity. It is what they call a "hard asset". When you lend to a business, you are lending based on many intangibles (the business's reputation, its management philosophy, its brand recognition, etc). But hard assets are always about simply supply and demand. Politics can mess with supply and demand for a while, but the value of hard assets tends to self-correct over time. It is now in the self-correcting mode.

What happened between the time that greedy bankers shamefully refused to lend to poor people and the time when greedy bankers shamefully lent to poor people? A lot of politics happened. Gaining votes happened. Votes used to be worth a chiken in every pot. Then the value went up to a car in every driveway. Finally it became the driveway, itself.

How that equates to banker greed, I have no idea.

No Stimulus!!!

Thursday night, President Obama reminded Democrats in Congress in a speech that he won the election and that fact gives him a mandate to solve our financial crisis. He urged Congress to listen to him rather than listen to his constituency and pass the Stimulus Package.

Friday, it appears that three liberal Republicans caved based on a few adjustments in the bill and promised to vote for the bill giving the Democrats enough votes. However, I do not think this is over. According to Senators they are being besieged by calls, emails, and petitions against the stimulus.

I know that the best cure for our current situation is simply to allow our businesses the time to climb out, themselves. I also know that the Democrats cannot ignore the opportunity to bring European type socialism to the United States. I believe we need to resist this at all costs.

What to do:

At the very least, go to this website and sign the petition. There is even a place to add your comment if you wish. NO STIMULUS !!!

What a Honeymoon

There is just too much coming at us too fast. Here is the Administration that was supposed to bring real intelligence, skill, and ethics in to run the country. Like the smartest Captain ever, with great fanfare, Obama finally got to sit at the controls and expertly pilot our ship into the air. But with this take off, it looks more like another plane headed for the Hudson River.

Remember just prior to the election Joe Biden wagging his finger while making the absurd announcement that paying more taxes was more patriotic than paying less taxes? Well, the new Administration and its fawning press want you to forget that one.

Remember Obama saying he would not hire lobbyists into his administration? Uh - forget that, too.

When asked in a private moment by Chris Wallace what his biggest realization about Presidency was, Obama replied that at this level, all decisions are big ones. Ksnorghph! (sorry, I just snorted coffee up my nose). Oh really? Ya think?

Here is a run-down of some issue that were recognizable prior to the election and are now rearing their ugly heads.

1. In his short career in the Illinois State Legislature and the U.S. Senate Obama's favorite decision was to refrain from voting. He would vote "present" when roll call votes took place. It was an obvious cop-out strategy. That way he actually kept himself from having to defend a stand or position. Not the best training for his current job.

2. During his campaign Obama simply surrounded himself with people who would not provide cogent opposing arguments to his positions. Well . . . POOF!! That umbrella of protection is gone! It's the real world now. Over the last eight years, many Democrat positions were merely based on being anti-President. Many of their arguments were petty and political. The only reason they had traction was because the media loved to publish anything that was anti-President. Now Obama has to come up with real solutions, not just anti-Bush rhetoric. He admits, that is really hard to do.

3. Part of Obama's big sell was the promise that he would create a team measured by a "high ethical bar". Does anyone remember that Blago ran a campaign that promised a "high bar" based on the fact that the previous Illinois Governor was being prosecuted for corruption? Let's face reality here. Democrats, especially Chicago Democrats have rendered the "high bar" rhetoric meaningless. So far, all we have seen is shameless liars and tax cheats who seem oblivious to what the term means.

4. Obama's idea of International Relations with hostile countries is based on his collaborative nature. He wants to use the force of his personality to have a chance to present reasonable common ground. I work for a pretty large company with over a thousand employees. In a situation like this, a collaborative way of operating is good. But as Dick Cheney warned just today, there are people (leaders of very dangerous countries) who have no interest being collaborative with us. They oppose us with every breath they take. One of the horrors of WWII was the Kamikaze pilots; people who would do the unthinkable just to destroy as many of us as they could. We are now faced with regimes that use that tactic as their standard offensive weapon. They believe that blowing themselves up in the middle of a grade school classroom full of our children would be an ideal fulfillment of their life. Obama needs to get it through his thick skull that they view his collaborative overtures as stupidly naive. They chortle at the recognition of reality that our new leader is clueless about their intent and purpose.

5. His lack of respect for our military is just catastrophic. Obama is the first President since the tradition started to shun a banquet on Inauguration night honoring our Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. Not only that, but during his campaign, Obama shunned our wounded soldiers when he could have visited them in Germany, choosing to get a good workout instead. One of the things that Obama and his supporters couldn't comprehend is the fact that under Bush, many military personnel would simply re-up at the end of their tour of duty. To the Lefts way of thinking, we should have run out of military personnel at the middle of the campaign because no one in their right mind would waste their time, much less risk their lives fighting for democracy in the Middle East. But not only did we not run out of military personnel, they got better and better because the experience level became very high under the Bush Presidency. That is about to change. Look for a real crisis to happen now regarding maintaining numbers. The military is now Obama's military. It's an all volunteer military. Obama can switch things around and make sure that the Generals who think like him take over. But with no one to lead, they will be in big trouble. . . BIG . . . TROUBLE !!

6. Lastly, the bail-out fiasco. I believe this has the makings of a disaster for all Democrats in Washington. The huge Bail-out Bill has so many pages of pet Democratic projects that it will become the document that supplies everything needed by their opponents in the upcoming elections. Every Democratic Congressman and 1/3 of the Democratic Senators are very vulnerable here. Republicans have two years to find objectionable spending sprees that have been hidden in this bill. If Obama can convince the people that the Republicans are obstructionist and get the bill passed, it will become an albatross around Obama's neck.

7. OK - this is lastly. I have detected a theme from Obama. He wants Republicans and the conservative media to give him a chance. His message to them all is for all to be fair. The stakes are too high. Go easy on him. Go easy on his Administration. You mean like he did on Bush? The stakes were just as high. Did you detect a desire from the Democrats or their press to give Bush a chance? They were fully intent on taking him down. They opposed him every way they could, putting party politics ahead American soldiers lives and our Country's success. Now they want fair play?

8. Here is the last: This one is a longer term mistake, but it is real, nonetheless. Global Warming. Obama was quick to establish that his Administration is made up of true believers. It's a loser. He will have to eat his words on that, too. He had a real chance here to just say, "lets take one more look at the science." But no! He just trots along with the other lemmings on this one. That will prove to be a humongous mistake. The science supporting man-made Global Warming has been refuted. The issue of Global Warming ranks dead last among all issues by the public. The remedies for Global Warming are needless and expensive.

This is Barrack Obama's honeymoon. It will not get any better than this for him.

Heart Felt

Recently, my friend Strider included a very poignant video in his blog. It is one that fulfills all the criteria as a great video worth viewing. It has good music, a touch of humor and some deep thoughtfulness. It provoked me to jealously. Here is Strider’s video. Enjoy.

I think I can do that, too. I think I have found a video that captures all the high marks of a great 4 minute experience. Poignancy, thoughtfulness, etc. So here is my entry. This was sent to me by my great friend, Pastor Looney in Portland.

Take His Call: Make the Appointment

If you were God and you wanted to love on your people – I mean more than ever, more than the traditional level, with an increased level of intimacy, how would you go about getting their attention?

God knows that people are peculiar. His chosen method of getting our attention is to bless us. I think we parents get that strategy from Him. I love blessing my children. And I do it with the purest of love intentions. We all do. But isn’t it ironic when sometimes our outpouring of generosity ends up equipping them with the very things that help them to be more independent. I believe that God knows that happens with Him. I am really glad that even though he knows that, he doesn’t give up on that strategy.

So, what would you do?

Would you allow your people to realize that their independence, their resources, their ingenuity, their perseverance, yes even their faithfulness has caused them to distance themselves from you? Would you allow a season of struggling, trusting that your people would come looking for you?

Lately I have heard from several people that I love and admire. As we talked, they helped me come to the conclusion that there is a common thread running through Christianity right now. It is a thread of lack of intimacy in their lives – our lives - due to some very real, legitimate circumstances. These are some of the most faithful people I know. Yet I believe that God is showing us that faithfulness is wonderful, but it is not intimacy. Sure, love is faithfulness, but faithfulness is not love. Love is love. One-on-one time. And God’s message is that He wants the one-on-one time with each one of us. It is silly, having fun time. What you enjoy, He enjoys. He is calling each of us just to spend some time. Is He getting a busy signal from you? Is He getting a recording that says you will get back to Him later?

Have you been burdened lately with important things? Let’s do an experiment. Take a half day and devote it to just you and God. Concentrate on the just two things during that time. 1) that He is with you on every thought. Keep turning your thoughts back to him. Every time your mind wanders, just refocus it back to Him. No need to apologize, just come back to Him. 2) After you have briefly given all your current concerns to Him, let all your thoughts be about the present and your love for Him. Take Him for a pleasant walk, or shopping, or even a drive. Let Him show you sights and scenes or people. Ask Him to show you something that He loves about each person you see. And express back your love for Him.

My sense of this is that you will feel a relief of burdens. The sky will be lighter and you will feel more peaceful, more joyful. And, quite probably, you will find later that some of those burdens will have self-corrected.

So think about it. If this works that way, and I know it will, then what a way to problem solve! Do it again in a few days. Then do it again.

Here is what I have come to realize. We are entering into a time when our entire society is becoming downcast. Hope in a bright future by way of government, business, inheritance, hard work, perseverance, etc. is evaporating. How can God get these people to turn to Him for Hope except by showing them a hopeful faithful, loving church. We show the wrong message if we show the traditional church clean living message, or the traditional conservative behavior image. But if we show them a love of our Father, who looks after us, not because we deserve it, but because – we actively love each other, then they will see something they will not have an answer for.

New to Us, But Not New At All

In my previous post I wrote about the controversy over Obama’s choice of Rick Warren to give the inaugural prayer. The surprising thing about the choice is the overwhelming negative energy that is coming against it.

As a supplement to that article I want you to read another article. I trust that it will bring insight into the “new Christianity” that is exploding on the scene with all of its “righteous indignation” over the Warren choice. The article is written by J. Matt Barber. He recounts a recent sermon given by Pastor John Mabray of the Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Lynchburg, Va. You can read it here.

The process that I use to decide what goes into the Truth Seeker blog is one of just going by what the Holy Spirit points out to me. I wonder about the direction He leads me in sometimes. Usually later I find that he is showing others different facets of the same thing. I know then that it is important that we pay attention. While we may scoff at this “new Christianity”, there are others who will be lost to it. The Holy Spirit knows that it will be easier for us to stand on the truth when we know what is at stake. Since yesterday, apparently Warren’s Saddleback Church website has scrubbed some of its verbiage on homosexuals for it to be more palatable to the people who are enraged by his stance. I pray that Rick Warren and the rest of us continue to speak more like prophets than politicians.

Purpose Driven Choices

I think it is great that Barack Obama has chosen Rick Warren to pray at the inauguration. At this point Obama is demonstrating a desire to be inclusive. Some are unsure of his motives, but it is clear to me that he believes the mileage he gets out of this with Christians is worth it. Call this a "purpose driven choice." But the backlash of this choice also points out the beginings of a major movement among liberals.

Rick Warren is unapologetic about his views on homosexuality. His support for Proposition 8 in California has made this choice hugely unpopular to the gay rights community. He also did not back off in a public moment when he was asked by a prominent Jewish person if she was headed to heaven. His clear statements on the fact that Mormonism is a cult has scored no points with them.

It can be said that Rick Warren has no unpublished thought. With book sales topping 40 million there will be plenty of opportunity for critics to find one-liners and phrases to use against him. But there is more at stake by critics of Obama’s choice.

In an article critical of Rick Warren in Slate by Christopher Hitchens, you get a feel for how basic Christianity is being marginalized. Hitchens calls Warren a vulgar huckster. About Warren he states:

. . . if someone publicly charges that "Mormonism is a cult," it is impossible to say that the claim by itself is mistaken or untrue. However, if the speaker says that heaven is a real place but that you will not get there if you are Jewish, or that Mormonism is a cult and a false religion but that other churches and faiths are the genuine article, then you know that the bigot has spoken.

Do you get it? Warren may be accurately reflecting Christian doctrine. But if that doctrine is bigotry then it is beneath the new enlightened standards of the true Americans now in power. And if Warren needs to be held accountable for bigotry and discrimination then certainly the rest of us do too. There is no question that the liberal church, the one that doesn’t exclude people of different beliefs, is growing as it lines up with the standards of the political left. To them, it doesn’t make sense that God would make a narrow way. It should be a wide way. It should have no restrictive standards regarding peoples morals, beliefs, or sexual orientation. We know that Muslims need to ignore some hateful verses in their Koran. Fundamental Christians need to do the same with our Bible.

We are being marginalized. It is happening faster than we realize.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Well, we have learned something. In the Arab world the worst show of disrespect is taking off your Florsheims and throwing them at your enemy. That is a shocker. Here all along, I thought the worst show of disrespect in their culture was turning yourself or your vehicle into a bomb and detonating it in the midst of your enemies. And that was followed by sadistically killing men, women, and children who show the slightest resistance to your monstrous methods of ruthless domination. Does this mean that if we would have just left the Middle East alone they would have eventually progressed from those things to shoe throwing?

I hope President Bush is a little savvier to the system now. If he had do-overs I think he should have taken off his shoes and returned the fire. What do you think the world would have thought if then everyone in the room started heaving shoes? We would have a new standard of conflict resolution. But, you know the way it goes; pretty soon people would start wearing bigger shoes. Then they would wear boots.

However, quite seriously, there is something transpiring regarding our leader that in my opinion is ominous. What attacked us on 9-11 was pure evil. What we have been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan is pure evil. What Israel is resisting is pure evil. Yet with every passing moment the intellectuals of the world work on finding ways that we can live with, tolerate, and even adopt pure evil, rather than eradicate it, much less slow it down.

Out of 9-11 there came a President who accepted the challenge of eradicating this evil. The instant global respect that President Bush received from everyone who knew he was right was tangible in the air. It instantly transformed our nation and strengthened the backbones of our allies. But, from that moment on, the intellectuals of our country took every opportunity they could to chip away at President Bush's respect. They literally allied themselves with this evil’s propaganda producers to form a net that captured and maintained every corrosive thought and action that lowered the stature of Bush and the cause of fighting this evil.

Of course, the initial salvo that ushered in this campaign was the Abu Ghraib controversy. The initial incident was discovered, harshly dealt with, and ended by the military. It was over. No Iraqi prisoners were hurt, injured or killed. They were humiliated. The half dozen juvenile Americans who produced their armature photos were put into custody and harshly dealt with. It was at that point that the New York Times came into possession of a DVD that opened it up to the world. They knew that exposing it to the world would provide the perfect vehicle for the enemy to turn the tables and portray America as evil. They knew the enemy would use it to maximum effect and they had to know that more American soldiers would die because of it. They made their decision and they put it on their front page - for 41 consecutive days. Even the smallest amount of very basic, elementary, simple cordial respect for our President, our country, or even the cause should have prevented the New York Times from doing what they did. They didn't have any. The rest of the war revolved around the issue of which power, America, or Al Qaida deserved the Iraqi citizens' respect. We are finally winning that battle.

The amazing thing through all of this is the obvious depth of character of the man. As a result of these efforts, George Bush has lost the respect of many Americans and world citizens. But through it all, he never became disrespectful. He honored leaders, allies, opponents, those who served him, and all Americans. He found himself in unfair humiliating situations and never pursued revenge. He pursued justice where he could and did not seek retribution when pursuing justice was not possible.

Of all the tough things that Obama has before him, there is one that is to me of the gravest concern. It is not just Obama's problem; it is his supporters' problem. Their culture is that of being shoe throwers. They have so profoundly drank from the well of disrespect that they know no other way. You see it in families. Children who disrespect their parents grow up and become perplexed when their children disrespect them. Fatherless men and women, people who have no respect for their fathers, get none themselves. In that situation they know of only one way to get it. They demand it. To President Bush, respect is an internal thing, an important part of his compass. But to Obama, I fear it is external. It is image. Therefore it is armor that can and will be pierced.

People have posed the question, what would have happened if that man would have thrown his shoes at Saddam Hussein? I have a more interesting one. How would Obama have reacted if it would have been him? I don't think there are many men or women that could stand the tests that the past eight years have thrown at President Bush. I don't think that our fellow countrymen understand the seeds they have planted with regards to that issue. My fear is that Obama will most certainly have to live with the fruit of this ugly vine. And therefore we will also have to live with it.

Two-State Solution

Since the election I have had a real uneasiness in my spirit regarding our new President and the Middle East situation. Obama has attempted to allay fears by making statements supportive to Israel. However, in his collaborative style he insists on surrounding himself with people who seem to have more sympathy for the Palestinians than for the Israelis.

I have commented in the past about how opinions here and even in Israel are changing and cooling off regarding Israel’s destiny. The rapidly rising consensus in the world is that the Middle East needs the Gandhi approach. We remember Gandhi as a little Indian man who stood for nonviolence. But to hundreds of millions of Indians and Pakistanis Gandhi is the one who took Muslim belligerence and solved it with a two-state solution. Gandhi is the one who drew a line to separate most of the Muslims from the Hindus by creating the country of Pakistan. Since then over 1 million people have died due to border disputes, and most recently in Bombay the slaughter seemed to tell the world that Gandhi’s plan didn’t work.

However with the Middle East in mind, this two-state solution like the one in India seems to be the right thing to do. It is being touted as the rationale of non-violence. The missing question is: nonviolence by whom? The solution doesn’t end the racial hatred by the Muslims. It only provides another Petri dish to grow and multiply the virus of hate.

The uneasiness I have been feeling is that Obama, a peace loving, collaborative pragmatist is the perfect sucker for this solution. Here is a great You Tube video from Little Green Footballs . It shows a very articulate member of “The 18”, a group formed to debunk the two-state solution. You will find him very compelling.