Friday, December 17, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Chet's Testomony
The Great Providence of God In the lives of Bug and Chet Wood
Spring 2010
Let's go back to the year 1928 to a very little town called Stephens, Arkansas. There is a small house there where a young seventeen year old girl is going to give birth to a little girl. Right now, this mother-to-be is suffering with pains that she had never experienced before in her lifetime - extremely hard labor pains. There were two other women there with her, assisting in whatever way they could. One was her loving mother and the other one was an old Negro woman, called "Deet" who was just like a dear family member. As Deet was wiping her forehead with a damp cloth, she said to her, "Child, you thinks you gonna die, but you aint!" Well, it wasn't too long before she delivered her baby girl. The Lord brought me forth into a whole new world - a world where I would experience much happiness and much sorrow. I couldn't have had a more sweet, kind, and loving mother - ever!! I experienced this preciousness in her toward me all the days of her life and I'm so very thankful to my beloved Lord for this!
Sadly though, I can't say that about my daddy. He left my mother and me when I was a few months old - maybe about two years old. This was at the time of the great depression and times were really hard. My mother and I went to live with my grandparents - her mother and daddy, my granny and papaw. By now, my grandparents were extremely poor, too, because papaw had lost all of his money and bonds when the banks closed. One of the things that I remember about the depression is that, for a long time, our daily meal consisted of fried Irish potatoes. Then, once in a while, we had some fried chicken, gravy, and biscuits. Later, papaw was able to buy a couple of pigs and this was wonderful! We ate all that those pigs had to offer - nothing was wasted!
Times were still very hard so my mother had to find a job. Since there were no jobs in Stephens, she went to a little larger town, twenty miles away, and got a job as a waitress. She would come home on the weekends and bring two or three bags of groceries! One time, she brought home a box of "Ritz Crackers" and they were the best things that I had ever eaten!! I had two cousins who were also living with us. So, I snuck off with that box of Ritz Crackers and hid from my cousins, then, I ate so many of them that I got sick as a dog! Even to this day, I don't even like to look at a Ritz Cracker box!
Now, unbeknown to me, in the great providence of God, three years before I was born, God had given to two loving parents, who lived in a town called Sayre, Alabama, a little baby boy, whom they affectionately called "June Bug". What a plan God had for this little boy and little girl, called "Chet". Through many trials and circumstances in life, He would bring these two together!
When I was about nine years old, my mother met a man who was visiting in Arkansas. They were married about a year later and we all moved to Birmingham, AL. (Now, you're beginning to see how God is moving in His great providence.) There is so much that I need to say, but, I've got to keep this as short as possible. This man, my new stepfather, was what they called back then, a Chiropodist, now called a Podiatrist - a foot specialist. They eventually opened a Foot Clinic on 4 th Avenue North, downtown Birmingham, right across the street from "Forbes Piano Company". He trained my mother in Podiatry. The Lord blessed her greatly and she became a very good and highly respected doctor. Back then, you didn't go to school, as you do now, to learn Podiatry. You were taught by someone else. So, you see, these people back then were the great pioneers in foot care. However, the time did come when they were required to attend the University of Chicago to study for a period of time. They also went through strenuous exams to test the depth of their knowledge concerning foot care. From then one, they had to be licensed the same as any other doctor. My mother was among the top group who scored the highest! I was so proud of her!!
I really didn't like my stepfather. In time, he became very mean and hateful to my mother. He sort of had a Jekyll & Hide personality - you never knew how he would be from one moment to another. I also believe that he was jealous of my mother. Many of their patients desired her service above his, because of her warmth, friendliness, and gentle care that she had toward them.
This marriage finally ended, the practice dissolved, and in the end, my mother was destitute again. She was left with nothing. She later went to work for a company that required her to be located in another state. I was around eighteen years old now. We found a place for me to live in West End. It was a very pretty two story brick home where young working women lived. It was owned by two elderly sisters and they provided the needs and care for those young women.
In each room there were two roommates. My roommate was Agnes. She was so nice and we got along really good. (Now, see again, how God is going to move in His great providence.) As time went on, Agnes would tell me about this guy that she knew (I can't remember the details concerning her knowing him.) She would often tell me, "Oh, how I wish that Bug Wood would call me for a date!" One day, the telephone rang and they called Agnes and said that the call was for her. In a few minutes she ran back into our room and said, "Guess who that was!!" Well, from her excitement, I replied, "Well, it must have been Bug Wood!" He had asked her for a date and wanted to know if she could also get a date for his friend. She asked me if I would go and I said that I sure would if it meant that she could date Bug. This happened about three times with me dating three of his friends. I finally got fed up with his friends and told Agnes to count me out from then on.
Christmas came and Agnes was going home to be with her family for about two weeks. One day the phone rang again and they called me to the phone. When I answered it, it was Bug. He asked me if I would go out with him. I said, "What do you mean, you are Agnes' boy friend?!" He said, "Look, I'm not obligated to anyone". He didn't realize how Agnes felt about him, and, as far as he was concerned, she was just a very nice girl that he had known in the past. As most of you know, by now, my career was, at that time, a professional dancer. I also taught for "Arthur Murray Dance Studio" and taught dancing in several city and county schools. So, getting back to the phone call, I said to Bug that I had a floor show that night, and, if he wanted to take me there, then, I would go out with him. Well, my dear ones, that was it!! As the old saying goes, "the rest is history"! In God's great providence, He brought us together for fifty six years! But, needless to say, I dreaded when Agnes came back from visiting her family, because, I didn't know what I would say to her. Oh my, she was really mad at me and hurt. I don't blame her. It was hard living in the same room together for a while. But, everything turned out good in the end. Bug and I were married in the First Baptist Church of Birmingham and Agnes was my "maid of honor"! The great providence of God!!
Even though Bug and I were not Christians at that time, God was so good and merciful to us. He gave us a brand new little brick house, Bug graduated from the University of Alabama, and then, He gave us a precious little girl that Bug named "Lynda". Then, in time, he also gave us a very dear son-in-law, Bobby, and three dear grandchildren, Jason, Kevin, and Mandy.
Bug and I didn't go to church, but, a neighbor who lived across the street from us, used to carry Lynda to Sunday school and church. One day, she said to me, "Chet, I don't mind taking Lynda to church, but, you and Bug need to be going and taking Lynda yourselves." I knew that she was right and the Lord used her words to convict me. More and more He continued to convict me of my sins. By this time, I was thirty years old and Bug was thirty three. One night when Bug came home from work (3-11 shift), he came into our bedroom and saw me on my knees praying. He said to me, "What do you think you're doing?" He told me later, that as soon as he had spoken those words, God struck his heart and he said to himself, "This is what I should be doing."
It wasn't long after that that he agreed to start going to church with Lynda and me. Bug and I didn't know anything about the Lord or His word. We hadn't been brought up in Sunday school and church as most of you have. But, dear brethren, from the time that we first put foot in that Baptist church, our lives were never the same again. We immediately loved that church and every soul there, especially our pastor, Ralph Fields! Now, brethren, as I look back, I really can't say just when the Lord actually saved us. The thing that I have to go on is to examine how our lives progressed and how the Lord lead us through His great providence. His church, His people, and His word consistently became more and more precious to us. Our love for Him and gratitude to Him was beyond words to describe. The things that we used to love is so hated now, and, the things that we used to hate are so precious now. And, I can hardly bear to think of the sins that I committed against my Lord - sins of commission and omission - a whole lifetime of sins! I despise every one of them that I committed against my Lord. Our lives were truly changed.
Then, we finally had to leave our beloved Baptist church in Fairfield because of different things. For instance, how the Southern Baptists were dispensing money (our tithes), what they were teaching in some of the seminaries, and, false doctrine, etc. It was then that the Lord led us to Minor Heights Baptist church under the ministry of Ferrell Griswold. This really changed our lives even more! We had never heard the Gospel proclaimed like this preacher did! The truth became so clear! We now understood what the words election, chosen, predestination, and the sovereignty of God, etc. meant! Brethren, it was like a puzzle that came together! The whole picture of God's grace was clearly seen. How wonderful this was to us! We were blessed to be there for several years under Ferrell's ministry. And, then, a terrible split came in the church! I can't go into the details now, but, the court ordered us, half of us, to leave the church. So, we left with Ferrell and Ron Rumburg, who was Ferrell's associate and Head Master of the school. We came out with nothing - no money, no song books or anything. The only thing that we came out with was Ferrell's master tapes of all his sermons.
Then, Ferrell died in 1982 and, a few months later, the church called Dr. Gary Roper to be our pastor. While Brother Roper was with us his infant son was stricken with meningitis. This resulted in complete deftness due to the heavy doses of antibiotics given in order to save the child's life. About three years later, Bro. Roper and his wife, Lucy, found it necessary to move to Memphis in order to place their son in a special school for the hearing impaired. They desired for him, not only to "sign", but, to be able to speak in order to communicate with all people. He was not sufficiently being trained in Birmingham, therefore, the necessity for the move to Memphis.
By this time, the church membership had been reduced to a fairly small number due to various reasons such as moving out town, illness, deaths, etc. Instead of calling another pastor, the church decided to disband and we would all go our separate ways. We proceeded to dispense all of the church's assets, such as, property, furniture, money, etc.
Prior to this, Bug was in charge of recording and duplicating the tapes for the church. While in the process of disbanding, Bro. Roper suggested that Bug and I start a private tape ministry. We gave serious consideration to this and decided that it would indeed be a good work for the glory of the Lord and the good of His people for we knew the value of the tape library. It consisted of all the master tapes of Bro. Griswold dating back to the 1950's up until he died.
Our willingness to start the tape ministry was presented to the church. The church then voted to give us the tape library, the equipment and $5,000 to get the ministry started. Soon, the church disbanded and then we were on our own. We must admit that we were very excited over this, but, have to confess that we didn't know where or how to start! By the time that we got the tapes, we discovered that they were all out or order and it took us almost a year to get them in the order that we thought they should be in. This was a tremendous job and we saw (after printing the catalog) that we had made a few mistakes. However, these mistakes haven't been a great problem. The Lord was surely gracious to us to this point!
The next step was - who would we send the tapes to - how could we get started? We were given ten names and addresses so we immediately sent them out, and, in a few days, we got a letter from one of the recipients stating what a blessing the tapes had been and thanking us very much!! Well…..the Lord was so good to us by sending us just what we needed in encouragement through that letter! We then heard from others that we had sent to and, then, we started getting requests for tapes from people that we had never heard of. The word was getting around about these wonderful Gospel tapes. We gave to all who asked for them.
It wasn't long until the Lord opened a mighty big door for us. We were made aware of the annual Southern Baptist Founders Conference held, at that time, in Memphis, TN. This was a gathering of pastors, deacons and their wives. Some believed and some were coming into the understanding of the Doctrines of Grace. We were able to obtain a list of those attending the conference between 1983 and 1988. We sent tapes to all of the pastors that were listed and the response was wonderful. It became apparent, by the letters that we received, that the pastors were recommending the tapes to other pastors and, on other occasions, pastors would send us names of pastors asking us to send tapes to them. We were staying busy! Later, the Lord opened other doors for us to go into several seminaries to provide tapes for the students studying for the ministry. We were extremely grateful for this opening, also. Gradually, our ministry primarily became a ministry to pastors, seminary students and missionaries. However, we always gave to all people who desired them.
Another huge door was opened for us when Bill Clark, missionary and editor of the Evangelical Times in England, printed an announcement or advertisement in his paper about our ministry and the offer of tapes recorded by Bro. Griswold. This resulted in extending our ministry to thirty eight foreign countries.
The last great event in God's providence in our lives is when He led us to Dominion Baptist! To be under the ministry of Ron Rumburg and Mark Liddle has been precious beyond words! And, too, dearly beloved, how can I express to you how much Bug and I have loved each one of you! My beloved Bug is no longer with me, but, I have you!! What a sweet, precious and loving family you are to me. How can I not praise the Lord for each one of you! My heart is overwhelmed with His goodness, kindness, and tender loving care that He has so lovingly bestowed upon Bug and me and each one of you! I want you to know how grateful I am for all your kind and encouraging words that you've spoken to Bug and me over the years. Thank you so kindly!!
I praise the Lord for so great a salvation, for washing away our sins with His precious blood and clothing us with His righteousness.
I praise Him for leading and providing for us all the way. Isn't it good to know that He does all things well - He makes no mistakes!! Sweet brethren, that's our Lord, that's our great God, our great King of kings and Lord of lords! Could we have ever imagined where His great providence would lead us?! Yes, us, such poor and needy sinners - so helpless and undone!!
Your sister, who dearly loves you all,
Chet
Spring 2010
Let's go back to the year 1928 to a very little town called Stephens, Arkansas. There is a small house there where a young seventeen year old girl is going to give birth to a little girl. Right now, this mother-to-be is suffering with pains that she had never experienced before in her lifetime - extremely hard labor pains. There were two other women there with her, assisting in whatever way they could. One was her loving mother and the other one was an old Negro woman, called "Deet" who was just like a dear family member. As Deet was wiping her forehead with a damp cloth, she said to her, "Child, you thinks you gonna die, but you aint!" Well, it wasn't too long before she delivered her baby girl. The Lord brought me forth into a whole new world - a world where I would experience much happiness and much sorrow. I couldn't have had a more sweet, kind, and loving mother - ever!! I experienced this preciousness in her toward me all the days of her life and I'm so very thankful to my beloved Lord for this!
Sadly though, I can't say that about my daddy. He left my mother and me when I was a few months old - maybe about two years old. This was at the time of the great depression and times were really hard. My mother and I went to live with my grandparents - her mother and daddy, my granny and papaw. By now, my grandparents were extremely poor, too, because papaw had lost all of his money and bonds when the banks closed. One of the things that I remember about the depression is that, for a long time, our daily meal consisted of fried Irish potatoes. Then, once in a while, we had some fried chicken, gravy, and biscuits. Later, papaw was able to buy a couple of pigs and this was wonderful! We ate all that those pigs had to offer - nothing was wasted!
Times were still very hard so my mother had to find a job. Since there were no jobs in Stephens, she went to a little larger town, twenty miles away, and got a job as a waitress. She would come home on the weekends and bring two or three bags of groceries! One time, she brought home a box of "Ritz Crackers" and they were the best things that I had ever eaten!! I had two cousins who were also living with us. So, I snuck off with that box of Ritz Crackers and hid from my cousins, then, I ate so many of them that I got sick as a dog! Even to this day, I don't even like to look at a Ritz Cracker box!
Now, unbeknown to me, in the great providence of God, three years before I was born, God had given to two loving parents, who lived in a town called Sayre, Alabama, a little baby boy, whom they affectionately called "June Bug". What a plan God had for this little boy and little girl, called "Chet". Through many trials and circumstances in life, He would bring these two together!
When I was about nine years old, my mother met a man who was visiting in Arkansas. They were married about a year later and we all moved to Birmingham, AL. (Now, you're beginning to see how God is moving in His great providence.) There is so much that I need to say, but, I've got to keep this as short as possible. This man, my new stepfather, was what they called back then, a Chiropodist, now called a Podiatrist - a foot specialist. They eventually opened a Foot Clinic on 4 th Avenue North, downtown Birmingham, right across the street from "Forbes Piano Company". He trained my mother in Podiatry. The Lord blessed her greatly and she became a very good and highly respected doctor. Back then, you didn't go to school, as you do now, to learn Podiatry. You were taught by someone else. So, you see, these people back then were the great pioneers in foot care. However, the time did come when they were required to attend the University of Chicago to study for a period of time. They also went through strenuous exams to test the depth of their knowledge concerning foot care. From then one, they had to be licensed the same as any other doctor. My mother was among the top group who scored the highest! I was so proud of her!!
I really didn't like my stepfather. In time, he became very mean and hateful to my mother. He sort of had a Jekyll & Hide personality - you never knew how he would be from one moment to another. I also believe that he was jealous of my mother. Many of their patients desired her service above his, because of her warmth, friendliness, and gentle care that she had toward them.
This marriage finally ended, the practice dissolved, and in the end, my mother was destitute again. She was left with nothing. She later went to work for a company that required her to be located in another state. I was around eighteen years old now. We found a place for me to live in West End. It was a very pretty two story brick home where young working women lived. It was owned by two elderly sisters and they provided the needs and care for those young women.
In each room there were two roommates. My roommate was Agnes. She was so nice and we got along really good. (Now, see again, how God is going to move in His great providence.) As time went on, Agnes would tell me about this guy that she knew (I can't remember the details concerning her knowing him.) She would often tell me, "Oh, how I wish that Bug Wood would call me for a date!" One day, the telephone rang and they called Agnes and said that the call was for her. In a few minutes she ran back into our room and said, "Guess who that was!!" Well, from her excitement, I replied, "Well, it must have been Bug Wood!" He had asked her for a date and wanted to know if she could also get a date for his friend. She asked me if I would go and I said that I sure would if it meant that she could date Bug. This happened about three times with me dating three of his friends. I finally got fed up with his friends and told Agnes to count me out from then on.
Christmas came and Agnes was going home to be with her family for about two weeks. One day the phone rang again and they called me to the phone. When I answered it, it was Bug. He asked me if I would go out with him. I said, "What do you mean, you are Agnes' boy friend?!" He said, "Look, I'm not obligated to anyone". He didn't realize how Agnes felt about him, and, as far as he was concerned, she was just a very nice girl that he had known in the past. As most of you know, by now, my career was, at that time, a professional dancer. I also taught for "Arthur Murray Dance Studio" and taught dancing in several city and county schools. So, getting back to the phone call, I said to Bug that I had a floor show that night, and, if he wanted to take me there, then, I would go out with him. Well, my dear ones, that was it!! As the old saying goes, "the rest is history"! In God's great providence, He brought us together for fifty six years! But, needless to say, I dreaded when Agnes came back from visiting her family, because, I didn't know what I would say to her. Oh my, she was really mad at me and hurt. I don't blame her. It was hard living in the same room together for a while. But, everything turned out good in the end. Bug and I were married in the First Baptist Church of Birmingham and Agnes was my "maid of honor"! The great providence of God!!
Even though Bug and I were not Christians at that time, God was so good and merciful to us. He gave us a brand new little brick house, Bug graduated from the University of Alabama, and then, He gave us a precious little girl that Bug named "Lynda". Then, in time, he also gave us a very dear son-in-law, Bobby, and three dear grandchildren, Jason, Kevin, and Mandy.
Bug and I didn't go to church, but, a neighbor who lived across the street from us, used to carry Lynda to Sunday school and church. One day, she said to me, "Chet, I don't mind taking Lynda to church, but, you and Bug need to be going and taking Lynda yourselves." I knew that she was right and the Lord used her words to convict me. More and more He continued to convict me of my sins. By this time, I was thirty years old and Bug was thirty three. One night when Bug came home from work (3-11 shift), he came into our bedroom and saw me on my knees praying. He said to me, "What do you think you're doing?" He told me later, that as soon as he had spoken those words, God struck his heart and he said to himself, "This is what I should be doing."
It wasn't long after that that he agreed to start going to church with Lynda and me. Bug and I didn't know anything about the Lord or His word. We hadn't been brought up in Sunday school and church as most of you have. But, dear brethren, from the time that we first put foot in that Baptist church, our lives were never the same again. We immediately loved that church and every soul there, especially our pastor, Ralph Fields! Now, brethren, as I look back, I really can't say just when the Lord actually saved us. The thing that I have to go on is to examine how our lives progressed and how the Lord lead us through His great providence. His church, His people, and His word consistently became more and more precious to us. Our love for Him and gratitude to Him was beyond words to describe. The things that we used to love is so hated now, and, the things that we used to hate are so precious now. And, I can hardly bear to think of the sins that I committed against my Lord - sins of commission and omission - a whole lifetime of sins! I despise every one of them that I committed against my Lord. Our lives were truly changed.
Then, we finally had to leave our beloved Baptist church in Fairfield because of different things. For instance, how the Southern Baptists were dispensing money (our tithes), what they were teaching in some of the seminaries, and, false doctrine, etc. It was then that the Lord led us to Minor Heights Baptist church under the ministry of Ferrell Griswold. This really changed our lives even more! We had never heard the Gospel proclaimed like this preacher did! The truth became so clear! We now understood what the words election, chosen, predestination, and the sovereignty of God, etc. meant! Brethren, it was like a puzzle that came together! The whole picture of God's grace was clearly seen. How wonderful this was to us! We were blessed to be there for several years under Ferrell's ministry. And, then, a terrible split came in the church! I can't go into the details now, but, the court ordered us, half of us, to leave the church. So, we left with Ferrell and Ron Rumburg, who was Ferrell's associate and Head Master of the school. We came out with nothing - no money, no song books or anything. The only thing that we came out with was Ferrell's master tapes of all his sermons.
Then, Ferrell died in 1982 and, a few months later, the church called Dr. Gary Roper to be our pastor. While Brother Roper was with us his infant son was stricken with meningitis. This resulted in complete deftness due to the heavy doses of antibiotics given in order to save the child's life. About three years later, Bro. Roper and his wife, Lucy, found it necessary to move to Memphis in order to place their son in a special school for the hearing impaired. They desired for him, not only to "sign", but, to be able to speak in order to communicate with all people. He was not sufficiently being trained in Birmingham, therefore, the necessity for the move to Memphis.
By this time, the church membership had been reduced to a fairly small number due to various reasons such as moving out town, illness, deaths, etc. Instead of calling another pastor, the church decided to disband and we would all go our separate ways. We proceeded to dispense all of the church's assets, such as, property, furniture, money, etc.
Prior to this, Bug was in charge of recording and duplicating the tapes for the church. While in the process of disbanding, Bro. Roper suggested that Bug and I start a private tape ministry. We gave serious consideration to this and decided that it would indeed be a good work for the glory of the Lord and the good of His people for we knew the value of the tape library. It consisted of all the master tapes of Bro. Griswold dating back to the 1950's up until he died.
Our willingness to start the tape ministry was presented to the church. The church then voted to give us the tape library, the equipment and $5,000 to get the ministry started. Soon, the church disbanded and then we were on our own. We must admit that we were very excited over this, but, have to confess that we didn't know where or how to start! By the time that we got the tapes, we discovered that they were all out or order and it took us almost a year to get them in the order that we thought they should be in. This was a tremendous job and we saw (after printing the catalog) that we had made a few mistakes. However, these mistakes haven't been a great problem. The Lord was surely gracious to us to this point!
The next step was - who would we send the tapes to - how could we get started? We were given ten names and addresses so we immediately sent them out, and, in a few days, we got a letter from one of the recipients stating what a blessing the tapes had been and thanking us very much!! Well…..the Lord was so good to us by sending us just what we needed in encouragement through that letter! We then heard from others that we had sent to and, then, we started getting requests for tapes from people that we had never heard of. The word was getting around about these wonderful Gospel tapes. We gave to all who asked for them.
It wasn't long until the Lord opened a mighty big door for us. We were made aware of the annual Southern Baptist Founders Conference held, at that time, in Memphis, TN. This was a gathering of pastors, deacons and their wives. Some believed and some were coming into the understanding of the Doctrines of Grace. We were able to obtain a list of those attending the conference between 1983 and 1988. We sent tapes to all of the pastors that were listed and the response was wonderful. It became apparent, by the letters that we received, that the pastors were recommending the tapes to other pastors and, on other occasions, pastors would send us names of pastors asking us to send tapes to them. We were staying busy! Later, the Lord opened other doors for us to go into several seminaries to provide tapes for the students studying for the ministry. We were extremely grateful for this opening, also. Gradually, our ministry primarily became a ministry to pastors, seminary students and missionaries. However, we always gave to all people who desired them.
Another huge door was opened for us when Bill Clark, missionary and editor of the Evangelical Times in England, printed an announcement or advertisement in his paper about our ministry and the offer of tapes recorded by Bro. Griswold. This resulted in extending our ministry to thirty eight foreign countries.
The last great event in God's providence in our lives is when He led us to Dominion Baptist! To be under the ministry of Ron Rumburg and Mark Liddle has been precious beyond words! And, too, dearly beloved, how can I express to you how much Bug and I have loved each one of you! My beloved Bug is no longer with me, but, I have you!! What a sweet, precious and loving family you are to me. How can I not praise the Lord for each one of you! My heart is overwhelmed with His goodness, kindness, and tender loving care that He has so lovingly bestowed upon Bug and me and each one of you! I want you to know how grateful I am for all your kind and encouraging words that you've spoken to Bug and me over the years. Thank you so kindly!!
I praise the Lord for so great a salvation, for washing away our sins with His precious blood and clothing us with His righteousness.
I praise Him for leading and providing for us all the way. Isn't it good to know that He does all things well - He makes no mistakes!! Sweet brethren, that's our Lord, that's our great God, our great King of kings and Lord of lords! Could we have ever imagined where His great providence would lead us?! Yes, us, such poor and needy sinners - so helpless and undone!!
Your sister, who dearly loves you all,
Chet
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
orrin woodward on the sepration of Education and State
View Article Separation of Education & State
by Orrin Woodward on Thu 30 Sep 2010 07:33 AM EDT
Peeling away the layers of rhetoric from reality in our Public School System, one discovers an interesting paradox; even though Americans enthusiastically support the Separation of Church & State, strangely, they do not feel the same vigor for Separation of Education & State. What are the real differences between religion and education? By lifting the veil, looking underneath the shiny veneer, both reveal underlying presuppositions that are unprovable, making them more a matter of faith rather than science, requiring belief in doctrines that cannot empirically be proven true or false. The administrators (High Priests) of both genres feed the faithful accepted doctrines, brooking no resistance to the approved creeds. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not against organized religion nor organized education, the more of both the better, as far as I am concerned, for man and society. Everything in life boils down to faith when you track back to first principles, since it deals with world-views and beliefs. My question to the State School Board or, if I may be so bold, the Priests of Education, is why, during the founding of America, was it so important to ensure the State never crossed into the religious sphere, protecting the people against a powerful centralized State Church, even going so far as to make it one of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights? The government wouldn’t consider creating a State Church, requiring mandatory attendance every Sunday, teaching State Doctrines at State Churches in every neighborhood; but we yield to our government the same level of control, requiring mandatory attendance, not on Sundays, but Monday through Fridays, educating all adolescents in State Doctrines at State Schools (Churches). When State centralized education requires mandatory attendance of children at State School schools, teaching doctrines much like churches teach creeds,, reaching into every home, I get a bit concerned. The only options for parents, other than surrendering to tyranny, are to quit the public school system entirely, while still supporting them with their local taxes. This doesn’t sound like freedom to me.
As I see it, religious doctrines and educational doctrines are merely different sides of the same coin. Just as theories abound, teaching various religious creeds, suggesting the proper methods and principles to worship God, so too, theories abound teaching various educational creeds, suggesting the proper methods and principles to teach a child. Yet, somehow, we believe an omniscient State will select just the right creeds for our child, regardless of his or her circumstances, ignoring our child’s family life, religious principles, or career aspirations. Now I am a reasonable person, certainly willing to hear all rational discussions on the subject, but something strikes me as disingenuous, separating a man’s religious beliefs so completely from his educational beliefs. To use just one example, suppose a young man was taught in the home or church, that God made men and women for each other, under the sacrament of marriage. He might have a hard time swallowing any contrary doctrine, offered up in our State Schools. Now before you bash me as a sexist, gender hater, etc, please hear my point, the point is, shouldn’t the same freedoms that apply to religion apply when referring to education? Regardless of the specific doctrines one believes in, a higher doctrine ought to be the freedom to choose, since America is famous for being the “land of freedom.” No one should be forced to endure an indoctrination against his will nor forced to submit his children to the same treatment. If parents choose to send their children to another school, aligning better with their personal beliefs, they ought to have that right, transferring their tax dollars to the school of choice, instead of paying more. I believe in freedom of choice so much, that I would fight for your right to disagree with my beliefs, choosing to send your children to another school; the school of your choice. Freedom ensures that we all get the education for our children that we desire, not what the State desires. Free discussion and free choices makes us all better, that’s what makes America great.
Thomas Jefferson, one of the earliest and strongest proponents of religious freedoms, shared these principles with his fellow Virginia delegates, arguing that it’s unjust to charge Presbyterians, Baptist, Congregationalist, etc, to support the Virginia Anglican State Church. For example, if a Baptist moved to Virginia, he was required to pay a tax to support the Anglican church even though he didn’t attend nor believe the Anglican creeds. Liberty loving Virginians could see the justice in Mr. Jefferson’s views and repealed the mandatory tax supporting the Virginia State Church. The Separation of Church & State became a foundational plank in Virginia, eventually finding its way into the Constitution through the Bill of Rights, inspiring millions to come to America to enjoy religious freedom. An interesting aside is George Washington’s thoughts on the Separation of Church & State, believing that churches built character through faith and creeds, Washington was hesitant to see churches not funded by public taxes; therefore, he proposed to tax all citizens, but give them a choice of which church to support. Mr. Washington proposed a voucher program for religion, giving freedom of choice while ensuring that churches thrived to build character in the people for the benefit of society. No, I’m not proposing launching church vouchers, invoking the name of the great George Washington to bolster my position. I believe keeping government out of local churches, the true meaning of Separation of Church & State, has been a blessing, allowing each church to serve their God and congregations as they please, not requiring, nor asking for, government handouts.
My aside on Washington was merely to point out how important freedom of choice was to our Founding Fathers, a freedom sadly missing from our current Public School System. How many millions of children over the years, having conflicting beliefs with the High Priest of Education, went to private schools by the free choice of the parents, paying a tuition for private school on one hand, while still being taxed by the State School on the other hand. But let’s not forget the recent phenomena, if not outright revolution, called Home Schooling. Over the last thirty years or so, millions of children have been home schooled, a challenging endeavor, where parents choose to educate their children, receiving no pay, giving of their time and money in a labor of love, but still suffering from the tax load of a State School they are no longer employing. A young Thomas Jefferson, when faced with a similar situation in 18th century Virginia, confronted by the injustice of forcing parishioner of other sects to pay for a church they didn’t attend, loved freedom enough to do something about it. Maybe George Washington’s idea, if converted from religion to education has merit. School vouchers, a plan where each parent is given a voucher from the State to spend at the school of their choice, would solve the Separation of Education & State issue. Giving each parent a voucher, allowing each family to choose the school that best fits their needs, brings free enterprise and decentralization to the school system. The school options will increase and conflicts over doctrines will decrease by allowing parents to choose an education that marries with their religious beliefs and student's career choices. Perhaps America, that beacon of light, though flickering a bit of late, will remember its great heritage, standing against injustices, even if it doesn’t directly affect them; because tyranny, when given a chance to seed in society’s soil, sinks it roots deeply, consuming everything in its path.
I purposely kept this discussion at fifty thousand feet, not diving into the details of our State School System, not that there isn’t plenty to say, but only because I didn’t want to take away from my main message. Few will argue that our State Schools are broken, throwing more money at State Schools seems to be the only solution bantered about. I have learned over the years that, if the riverbed is wrong, pouring more water in the river isn’t the answer. Until we start working on the foundation, the riverbed, nothing is going to change. The riverbed change, in my opinion, is Separation of Education & State. Of course, the State System is failing, because the State is involved in an area that is shouldn’t be. Can you name any government program designed to serve the public that hasn't failed miserably? It’s not the teachers, nor the students, but the entire system based upon centralized control that must be rooted out. Thomas Jefferson understood this, which is why he decentralized religion from government, making a riverbed change; we need modern day Jefferson’s to decentralize schooling from government, making another riverbed change. I believe firmly that a free enterprise school system, where parents vote with their vouchers, rewarding excellence while punishing incompetence as all customers do in free enterprise, will build a world class educational system that can compete in today’s “flat world.” The key is for free people to make free choices. As over time, free people making free choices will always thrive over tyrannized people following State bureaucrats. Perhaps a Jefferson will step up, creating a Separation of Education & State as Thomas Jefferson’s created a Separation of Religion & State. God Bless, Orrin Woodward
Comments (15) | Permanent Link | Cosmos
by Orrin Woodward on Thu 30 Sep 2010 07:33 AM EDT
Peeling away the layers of rhetoric from reality in our Public School System, one discovers an interesting paradox; even though Americans enthusiastically support the Separation of Church & State, strangely, they do not feel the same vigor for Separation of Education & State. What are the real differences between religion and education? By lifting the veil, looking underneath the shiny veneer, both reveal underlying presuppositions that are unprovable, making them more a matter of faith rather than science, requiring belief in doctrines that cannot empirically be proven true or false. The administrators (High Priests) of both genres feed the faithful accepted doctrines, brooking no resistance to the approved creeds. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not against organized religion nor organized education, the more of both the better, as far as I am concerned, for man and society. Everything in life boils down to faith when you track back to first principles, since it deals with world-views and beliefs. My question to the State School Board or, if I may be so bold, the Priests of Education, is why, during the founding of America, was it so important to ensure the State never crossed into the religious sphere, protecting the people against a powerful centralized State Church, even going so far as to make it one of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights? The government wouldn’t consider creating a State Church, requiring mandatory attendance every Sunday, teaching State Doctrines at State Churches in every neighborhood; but we yield to our government the same level of control, requiring mandatory attendance, not on Sundays, but Monday through Fridays, educating all adolescents in State Doctrines at State Schools (Churches). When State centralized education requires mandatory attendance of children at State School schools, teaching doctrines much like churches teach creeds,, reaching into every home, I get a bit concerned. The only options for parents, other than surrendering to tyranny, are to quit the public school system entirely, while still supporting them with their local taxes. This doesn’t sound like freedom to me.
As I see it, religious doctrines and educational doctrines are merely different sides of the same coin. Just as theories abound, teaching various religious creeds, suggesting the proper methods and principles to worship God, so too, theories abound teaching various educational creeds, suggesting the proper methods and principles to teach a child. Yet, somehow, we believe an omniscient State will select just the right creeds for our child, regardless of his or her circumstances, ignoring our child’s family life, religious principles, or career aspirations. Now I am a reasonable person, certainly willing to hear all rational discussions on the subject, but something strikes me as disingenuous, separating a man’s religious beliefs so completely from his educational beliefs. To use just one example, suppose a young man was taught in the home or church, that God made men and women for each other, under the sacrament of marriage. He might have a hard time swallowing any contrary doctrine, offered up in our State Schools. Now before you bash me as a sexist, gender hater, etc, please hear my point, the point is, shouldn’t the same freedoms that apply to religion apply when referring to education? Regardless of the specific doctrines one believes in, a higher doctrine ought to be the freedom to choose, since America is famous for being the “land of freedom.” No one should be forced to endure an indoctrination against his will nor forced to submit his children to the same treatment. If parents choose to send their children to another school, aligning better with their personal beliefs, they ought to have that right, transferring their tax dollars to the school of choice, instead of paying more. I believe in freedom of choice so much, that I would fight for your right to disagree with my beliefs, choosing to send your children to another school; the school of your choice. Freedom ensures that we all get the education for our children that we desire, not what the State desires. Free discussion and free choices makes us all better, that’s what makes America great.
Thomas Jefferson, one of the earliest and strongest proponents of religious freedoms, shared these principles with his fellow Virginia delegates, arguing that it’s unjust to charge Presbyterians, Baptist, Congregationalist, etc, to support the Virginia Anglican State Church. For example, if a Baptist moved to Virginia, he was required to pay a tax to support the Anglican church even though he didn’t attend nor believe the Anglican creeds. Liberty loving Virginians could see the justice in Mr. Jefferson’s views and repealed the mandatory tax supporting the Virginia State Church. The Separation of Church & State became a foundational plank in Virginia, eventually finding its way into the Constitution through the Bill of Rights, inspiring millions to come to America to enjoy religious freedom. An interesting aside is George Washington’s thoughts on the Separation of Church & State, believing that churches built character through faith and creeds, Washington was hesitant to see churches not funded by public taxes; therefore, he proposed to tax all citizens, but give them a choice of which church to support. Mr. Washington proposed a voucher program for religion, giving freedom of choice while ensuring that churches thrived to build character in the people for the benefit of society. No, I’m not proposing launching church vouchers, invoking the name of the great George Washington to bolster my position. I believe keeping government out of local churches, the true meaning of Separation of Church & State, has been a blessing, allowing each church to serve their God and congregations as they please, not requiring, nor asking for, government handouts.
My aside on Washington was merely to point out how important freedom of choice was to our Founding Fathers, a freedom sadly missing from our current Public School System. How many millions of children over the years, having conflicting beliefs with the High Priest of Education, went to private schools by the free choice of the parents, paying a tuition for private school on one hand, while still being taxed by the State School on the other hand. But let’s not forget the recent phenomena, if not outright revolution, called Home Schooling. Over the last thirty years or so, millions of children have been home schooled, a challenging endeavor, where parents choose to educate their children, receiving no pay, giving of their time and money in a labor of love, but still suffering from the tax load of a State School they are no longer employing. A young Thomas Jefferson, when faced with a similar situation in 18th century Virginia, confronted by the injustice of forcing parishioner of other sects to pay for a church they didn’t attend, loved freedom enough to do something about it. Maybe George Washington’s idea, if converted from religion to education has merit. School vouchers, a plan where each parent is given a voucher from the State to spend at the school of their choice, would solve the Separation of Education & State issue. Giving each parent a voucher, allowing each family to choose the school that best fits their needs, brings free enterprise and decentralization to the school system. The school options will increase and conflicts over doctrines will decrease by allowing parents to choose an education that marries with their religious beliefs and student's career choices. Perhaps America, that beacon of light, though flickering a bit of late, will remember its great heritage, standing against injustices, even if it doesn’t directly affect them; because tyranny, when given a chance to seed in society’s soil, sinks it roots deeply, consuming everything in its path.
I purposely kept this discussion at fifty thousand feet, not diving into the details of our State School System, not that there isn’t plenty to say, but only because I didn’t want to take away from my main message. Few will argue that our State Schools are broken, throwing more money at State Schools seems to be the only solution bantered about. I have learned over the years that, if the riverbed is wrong, pouring more water in the river isn’t the answer. Until we start working on the foundation, the riverbed, nothing is going to change. The riverbed change, in my opinion, is Separation of Education & State. Of course, the State System is failing, because the State is involved in an area that is shouldn’t be. Can you name any government program designed to serve the public that hasn't failed miserably? It’s not the teachers, nor the students, but the entire system based upon centralized control that must be rooted out. Thomas Jefferson understood this, which is why he decentralized religion from government, making a riverbed change; we need modern day Jefferson’s to decentralize schooling from government, making another riverbed change. I believe firmly that a free enterprise school system, where parents vote with their vouchers, rewarding excellence while punishing incompetence as all customers do in free enterprise, will build a world class educational system that can compete in today’s “flat world.” The key is for free people to make free choices. As over time, free people making free choices will always thrive over tyrannized people following State bureaucrats. Perhaps a Jefferson will step up, creating a Separation of Education & State as Thomas Jefferson’s created a Separation of Religion & State. God Bless, Orrin Woodward
Comments (15) | Permanent Link | Cosmos
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Gianna Jessen, supravieĊ£uitoarea avortului | Abortion Survivor Gianna Je...
Now is your moment what type of people are you going to be
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
By Chris Brady "Genteel Back-Channeling
Images Teams are endlessly interesting because they are made up of people. People, as we will learn throughout our lives, are mind-bogglingly complex. First of all, we get to deal with the two genders. Then we get to deal with those who are single and those who are wed, those who've been widowed and those who've been divorced, those who have children and those who do not. Then we find that people come from different cultures, speak different languages, and worship in different ways. We also discover that there are personality types or temperaments. Additionally, we are told that there are various natural "love languages." Then there are the youth and the elderly and the rest of us in between. Also, there are those who like the New England Patriots, and those who don't. But there is one more variation among individuals that I find worthy of mention, and it is this: how they behave when dealing with others.
Working with other people takes a special skill. It requires emotional maturity, patience, acceptance of others and their views, flexibility, the ability to listen, a certain degree of humility, the ability to influence, and the need from time to time to apologize. Some people tend to get pushed to the side in group settings, while others tend to do the pushing. Interactions vary according the an infinite number of combinations of the factors described in the first paragraph above. But there is one tendency, call it a trait, if you will, that is supremely destructive to human interaction and certainly to the functioning of a team. Some call it Passive Aggressive behavior, but when one reads the clinical definitions and professional opinions associated with that term, it doesn't quite fit what I'm discussing here. Nope. For our needs, we'll need to invent a new term. Let's call it:
Genteel Back-Channeling
Just what exactly is Genteel Back-Channeling? It's the behavior of a person who is genteel in public but acidic in private. He or she will not confront the person with whom there is a problem, but will tell others all about it later. Genteel Back-Channelers are masters at involving those who are not part of the problem nor part of the solution. They expand the circle, so to speak, amplifying the problem. They throw gasoline on a spark instead of water. This type of person is conflict-averse and gossip-prone. He or she won't handle issues head-on and out in the open, but rather will "back channel" by trying to build up a coalition of people who "side with their view" through whispering campaigns in the shadows of the hallways. These people are political in nature: they play games and keep score. They generally get their feelings hurt, carry grudges, pout, and assign motives to the behavior of others. Genteel Back-Channelers can make the best of first-impressions but are usually marked by a trail of relational wrecks behind them.
How can you spot this behavior? Here are some signs:
1. "Hey, can I speak to you after the meeting?"
2. "I didn't want to say this in there, but, . . . ."
3. "Do you agree with what Bob said? I"m not so sure . . . ."
4. "Can you keep a secret?"
5. "I love Bob to death, but . . . ."
6. "I didn't tell Bob this, but . . . ."
7. "Bob's a great guy, has some great qualities, it's just that . . . . "
8. "I don't think Bob knows how the rest of us are feeling . . . ."
9. The "silent treatment"
10. Acting like nothing is wrong in public when they've said negative things in private.
It is important to understand this type of behavior because Genteel Back-Channelers appear nearly everywhere groups of people work together. Rare is the team or organization that doesn't have at least one in a position of influence. To have a highly functional team, however, Genteel Back-Channeling cannot be allowed. Otherwise, factions will develop, relationships will be damaged, political games will be played, and what happens "behind the scenes" will trump anything that happens out in the open.
So what do you do if your organization, team, work group, or (swallow hard) family has someone or several someones demonstrating Genteel Back-Channeling behavior?
1. Confront the situation head on, in love.
2. Give clear guidelines for acceptable behavior, but also for those which will not be tolerated. Make sure the whole team understands what's expected. (For the correct way to confront issues and resolve conflict, see my friend Orrin Woodward's blog.)
3. Pray for the offending individual, and for a sweet spirit in yourself as you deal with him or her.
4. If destructive behavior persists, remove the individual from the team or group. This will often be difficult, but entirely necessary. A dysfunctional team is no team at all. In some cases, you will simply have to disassociate with the person.
5. Check yourself against this kind of behavior and make sure your own example is beyond reproach. If it hasn't been, apologize and seek forgiveness.
If you have ever had the great fortune of working on a highly functioning team of people, you will know there are very few situations more fun and exciting, or more productive. But such a special situation can be utterly ruined by one person with that dangerous blend of pride and cowardice; the Genteel Back-Channeler. Like a little bit of arsenic in a batch of brownies, it doesn't take much to ruin the chemistry of a team.
There. You can't say you haven't been warned. (Just don't tell anyone who told you. It's just a secret between you and me. I love those other people to death, but . . . .)"
Images Teams are endlessly interesting because they are made up of people. People, as we will learn throughout our lives, are mind-bogglingly complex. First of all, we get to deal with the two genders. Then we get to deal with those who are single and those who are wed, those who've been widowed and those who've been divorced, those who have children and those who do not. Then we find that people come from different cultures, speak different languages, and worship in different ways. We also discover that there are personality types or temperaments. Additionally, we are told that there are various natural "love languages." Then there are the youth and the elderly and the rest of us in between. Also, there are those who like the New England Patriots, and those who don't. But there is one more variation among individuals that I find worthy of mention, and it is this: how they behave when dealing with others.
Working with other people takes a special skill. It requires emotional maturity, patience, acceptance of others and their views, flexibility, the ability to listen, a certain degree of humility, the ability to influence, and the need from time to time to apologize. Some people tend to get pushed to the side in group settings, while others tend to do the pushing. Interactions vary according the an infinite number of combinations of the factors described in the first paragraph above. But there is one tendency, call it a trait, if you will, that is supremely destructive to human interaction and certainly to the functioning of a team. Some call it Passive Aggressive behavior, but when one reads the clinical definitions and professional opinions associated with that term, it doesn't quite fit what I'm discussing here. Nope. For our needs, we'll need to invent a new term. Let's call it:
Genteel Back-Channeling
Just what exactly is Genteel Back-Channeling? It's the behavior of a person who is genteel in public but acidic in private. He or she will not confront the person with whom there is a problem, but will tell others all about it later. Genteel Back-Channelers are masters at involving those who are not part of the problem nor part of the solution. They expand the circle, so to speak, amplifying the problem. They throw gasoline on a spark instead of water. This type of person is conflict-averse and gossip-prone. He or she won't handle issues head-on and out in the open, but rather will "back channel" by trying to build up a coalition of people who "side with their view" through whispering campaigns in the shadows of the hallways. These people are political in nature: they play games and keep score. They generally get their feelings hurt, carry grudges, pout, and assign motives to the behavior of others. Genteel Back-Channelers can make the best of first-impressions but are usually marked by a trail of relational wrecks behind them.
How can you spot this behavior? Here are some signs:
1. "Hey, can I speak to you after the meeting?"
2. "I didn't want to say this in there, but, . . . ."
3. "Do you agree with what Bob said? I"m not so sure . . . ."
4. "Can you keep a secret?"
5. "I love Bob to death, but . . . ."
6. "I didn't tell Bob this, but . . . ."
7. "Bob's a great guy, has some great qualities, it's just that . . . . "
8. "I don't think Bob knows how the rest of us are feeling . . . ."
9. The "silent treatment"
10. Acting like nothing is wrong in public when they've said negative things in private.
It is important to understand this type of behavior because Genteel Back-Channelers appear nearly everywhere groups of people work together. Rare is the team or organization that doesn't have at least one in a position of influence. To have a highly functional team, however, Genteel Back-Channeling cannot be allowed. Otherwise, factions will develop, relationships will be damaged, political games will be played, and what happens "behind the scenes" will trump anything that happens out in the open.
So what do you do if your organization, team, work group, or (swallow hard) family has someone or several someones demonstrating Genteel Back-Channeling behavior?
1. Confront the situation head on, in love.
2. Give clear guidelines for acceptable behavior, but also for those which will not be tolerated. Make sure the whole team understands what's expected. (For the correct way to confront issues and resolve conflict, see my friend Orrin Woodward's blog.)
3. Pray for the offending individual, and for a sweet spirit in yourself as you deal with him or her.
4. If destructive behavior persists, remove the individual from the team or group. This will often be difficult, but entirely necessary. A dysfunctional team is no team at all. In some cases, you will simply have to disassociate with the person.
5. Check yourself against this kind of behavior and make sure your own example is beyond reproach. If it hasn't been, apologize and seek forgiveness.
If you have ever had the great fortune of working on a highly functioning team of people, you will know there are very few situations more fun and exciting, or more productive. But such a special situation can be utterly ruined by one person with that dangerous blend of pride and cowardice; the Genteel Back-Channeler. Like a little bit of arsenic in a batch of brownies, it doesn't take much to ruin the chemistry of a team.
There. You can't say you haven't been warned. (Just don't tell anyone who told you. It's just a secret between you and me. I love those other people to death, but . . . .)"
Friday, November 12, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
where we sit
A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be very liberal, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth. She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch conservative, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his. One day she was arguing with her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying. Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?" She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over." Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA." The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That's a crazy idea, how would that be fair! I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!" The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the conservative side of the fence." If anyone has a better explanation of the difference between conservative and liberal or progressive or neocon I'm all ears. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test! If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one. If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed. If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat. If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone. If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life. If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect. If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation. A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him. If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels. Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down. If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church. A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced. (Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!) If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it. A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his. If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh. A liberal will delete it because he's "offended."
Monday, October 4, 2010
How to Cut Carbon Emissions (1010 No Pressure Ad) Sick!
this is a commercial for global warming the question I have for the Christians who are on board with this movement is what kind of people are leading you. this is a commercial that is so anti christian ( sacrifice the Individual for the sake of the masses, whether the Individual wants it or not) to me the line should be clear.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
"Rusty Chevrolet" by Da Yoopers
In My many vain attempts to explain the people who live in the upper peninsula of Michigan to people who live in the foothills (mountains) of Alabama I always fell short so now you can see for your self!!!!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
MARINE STUNS A TEA PARTY WITH THE FOURTH VERSE OF THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER
America was founded and kept by people who would fight for the god given rights by taking up their god given Responsibilities, If you want any one to blame for the size of our government we must only look to ourselves, I remember going about life thinking whats the most i can get out with the least i can put in, that idea leads to less responsibility and what you refuse to take responsibility for you will always become a slave to .
Friday, April 30, 2010
The 17th amendment
As I was going through the Constitution for my daughters history class I was explaining to her why checks and balances exists and why the different amendments were past when we came upon the 17th amendment and I thought to my self why is this one important? why didn't the founders put that in the original Constitution? I started Hunting around an found that the big push for having the senate selected by the state government instead of elected by the voters was done by Alexander Hamilton. The reason for this was that he wanted to be able to set up a part of government that wasn't subject to the whims of the masses Thus Creating two distinct Bodies. One being elected by the general people and was subject to Change every 4 years (the House of Representatives) In which all bills that have financial repercussions had to start in. The other being selected by your state government (much like the prime minsters in England) this Ruling class would serve 6 years. with the Idea that they were there to PROTECT THE STATES RIGHTS and keep a check on the Federal governments power. They knew from history that Masses can be swayed and Bribed into giving away their freedom for the so called Bread and Circus of the Roman era, As Hamilton stated the Senate is appointed as a natural check and balance to prevent the pooling of power at the Federal level. Then they went as far as Adding the 10th amendment to protect the rights.(The Selected senate is the acting mechanism to keep the federal government in check, like cars driving towards you passing you on your left keeps you driving to the right of the road, and the 10th amendment is like the law that states all cars shall drive on the right side of the road) well how do you get rid of such a check and balance with out repealing one of the Bill of rights that had to be apart of the constitution before it was adopted???? Easy make a law that every road is now a one way street!!!!!! In walks the 17th amendment..... You still have states rights (just like you "still drive on the right side of the road" in my example, there just isn't any one to stop people from driving on the Left any more) just like There is no one to stop The federal power grab from the states anymore. so, slowly over time the power has been pooled at the federal level and the bread has been handed out more and more, and government has become a dog and pony show (much like the Left lane drivers of the south who seem to be ok with driving in the passing lane 10 miles under the speed limit!! sorry) so that is why I am fully convinced that if The 17th amendment is not repealed the republic will be lost, NO MATTER WHO'S IN POWER
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
America Rising Video An Open Letter to Democrats
The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled [OVER TAXATION], and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt [$40 BILLION U.S. TAXES for global warming/Obama plan]. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance [EXPLODING WELFARE]."
-- Cicero, 55 BC (Roman Senator, PLEADING for less spending) --it never did turn and Rome did Fall history is meant to be learned from
Monday, January 4, 2010
Life in jungle is the only one to live
"In the Jungle when a lion awakes he knows that he must out run the slowest gazelle or he will starve and when the gazelle awakes he knows that he must out run the fastest lion or he will be ate. no matter if your a lion or a gazelle when you wake up you must be running." I read that quote in a locker room and I never really understood it thinking that I am nether a lion or a gazelle because I don't want to just survive, I want to Thrive, but now looking back I under stand that it not about surviving its about being awake most of us go through life day in and day out the same routine never really awake to whats happening around them they aren't chasing anything or running from any thing, they are just content to exist, Ben Franklin Said "that most men die at age 25 sadly they wait until 80 to bury them" you see that's about the time we stop "giving chase to" or "running from" in its that very act that awakens us, so I ask are you are you living life in the Jungle? If non maybe its time for a perspective check. what makes you come alive and wake up? are you in a race to squeeze every last drop of the ketchup bottle that we call life or are you living a life of quiet desperation? The only way to Truly test it is When you wake up are you Running
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
