Guest Post By Ken..... BARRACK OBAMA - SHOULD CONSERVATIVES SUPPORT HIM

Since the votes were tallied and the final election results were in naming Barack Obama winner of the 2008 election, there have been countless discussions and postings concerning conservative support for Obama because he would be the Nation's President. After all whether one votes for the person who sits in the Oval Office or not he is the President of all Americans.

Over the last few days this conversation has come to the fore front again with Obama telling GOP lawmakers that they cannot follow Rush Limbaugh and expect anything to get done. On the other side of this coin Rush has stated that because of his conservative beliefs and principles that if Obama pushes the socialist agenda that he stated during the campaign he does not want him to succeed because of the path it would take the Nation.

Now that Obama is President of the United States, then the question for conservatives is once again, " do we support Obama because he is the President ?" To this question, as a conservative, I would have to follow my conscience and principled beliefs and say emphatically, "NO !"

There are those, who because he is President, that would consider this attitude to be unpatriotic and nothing that I state here will convince them otherwise. But to my fellow conservatives I offer this explanation as to why we cannot support Obama or even state that we do because he is the President.

Though I do not support Obama, I still and always will respect the office of President of The United States. But for me to use that respect for the office and state that because a certain individual is holding that office, I should then support what he does would be hypocrisy on my part.

Nothing that Obama has stated as his policy, goal o the direction he wishes to take this Nation agrees with my political, moral and ideological beliefs or principles. For me to state that I support the President but not his policies is a similar argument that was used by the left concerning the status of our troops and their mission in Iraq.

Throughout that political discord liberals continually stated that they supported the troops but not their mission. Conservatives countered the cry from the left with, " how can you say you support the troops but not what they are doing ?" The same argument holds for Obama. How can we as conservatives state that we support the President but not what he is doing without falling into the same counter accusation from the left that we used during the troop support argument ?

If I am completely honest with myself and my convictions, then I have to admit that I do not want Obama's agenda to succeed and therefore cannot support him just because he is the President. If he insists on continuing the agenda that he has stated and that he has already begun how can I state that I support him and hold true to my beliefs and principles ?

Of course I would hope for the sake of the country that he understands the short and long term ramifications of what he is doing and what he plans to do and the negative impact it will have on the country. Not to mention that the socialist ideas that he presents take this Nation down a path that was never intended by our Founders.

I believe that the moves that he has made and is planning on making weaken this country and make us even more vulnerable to attack from our enemies. He is taking us back to a pre- 9/11 atmosphere and as such the security of this country could be threatened in a way that it has not been since that fateful day in 2001.

His socialist agenda promises to take this country down a path that may never be reversed. I ask you, how many government programs once started have ever been stopped ? The answer is zero and Obama plans expanding government more than any other President including Franklin Roosevelt.

If we do come under attack, as an American I will rally behind the President as we should and pray that he has the wisdom and sense enough to handle the situation in a manner that protects and preserves our Nation. But to state that I will support him just because he is President is not holding true to who I am and those values and beliefs that have formed my ideas, my morals and my principles.

Do I want him to fail ? Absolutely not ! But I cannot support what he plans which will bring failure and insecurity to this country both economically, morally and in the protection of the country and our people.

Did I agree 100% with President Bush ? No, in fact there were numerous times that I did not support what he was doing. His immigration stand, increasing entitlements, bailouts just to name a few were policies that I could not support. But generally I agreed with the direction Bush wanted to take the country and in the way he stood fast in protecting the Nation after 9/11. As a result I could support him while disagreeing with certain policy issues.

Obama presents and entirely different situation. I find nothing that he says or any part of his very liberal agenda that I can agree with. I do not believe that what he is and will do has any possibility of taking this Nation anywhere but Socialism and weakening our security. How then can I support him as President ?

Our Founders faced a similar dilemma when they gathered to ultimately bring about the birth of this country. They respected the British Monarchy, but not the King who held the throne and especially not his policy toward the Colonies. As a result they created a new form of government that was formed from their beliefs and principles which came from the inability to support King Charles and his agenda for the Colonies. Had they supported the King, they would never have signed the Declaration of Independence.

Am I suggesting that we rebel against the Obama Administration and begin a new Nation ? No, but I am suggesting that we take every opportunity to make it known through the blogosphere, discussion with friends and family and especially in constant contact with everyone and anyone in Washington, that we do not support the President's agenda and emphatically know that it will take us the wrong direction and threaten the security of each of us.

This is our responsibility as a citizen. Our Constitution begins with the words, "We the people." These words were not written by James Madison because they had a certain poetic ring to them. They were included at the very beginning of the document that created our government and the laws that formed our Nation as a testament of who we are and what our responsibilities as Americans are to each other and our country.

Those in government do not dictate to us what we are to do, even the President. It is our responsibility as Americans to tell them what we expect and then hold them accountable to those expectations. As a whole we Americans have forgotten this blessed liberty which was instilled in this country from the very beginning.

Is it radical to stand against our leaders when we disagree with them ? Some today consider it to be. But if we truly believe in our Constitution and understand how our Nation was founded and what the words found within this precious document provide in freedom, then we will also understand that we cannot support that which we believe is wrong and it is our duty to stand against it especially if it is the agenda of a President whose ideas and policy promises to change the very foundation of our country and the principles instilled by our Constitution.

Ken Taylor B

RNC Takes First Positive Step

After a day of casting multiple ballots, the Republican National Committee voted to make former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele as Chairman.

There are some concerns about Steele, as he is more moderate than most conservatives would prefer. However, he is a fresh breath of air into party that needs to modernize, and decide that they are tired of the 1050s look...

I listened just moments ago to the acceptance speech delivered by Steele, and it included references to "conservative principles" and the conservative party. I think there is some danger here that he truly does not understand what is needed, but for now, his attempts at making the party cool again are working....Let us hope that he considers tax cuts cool...

Just When You Thought the CC Crew Had Gone Far Enough....

(Please start the music before reading. It's more fun that way.)

Those with spines of linguine and Obama voters beware!!! For in their great wisdom and folly, the shiny batch of conservative malcontents that got together to rub out this blog called Conservative Convictions have extended and invitation to the great and plaid master of the ever-out-there-ish-ish blog entitled Sane Political Discourse to come before you as a regular and postify his confrabulations (and made up words (and parentheses (ad nauseum (because he can (6 this time (count 'em))))) for your reading pleasure and eventual mental reprogramming. And so, here he is, to explain himself in only ways he would dare, he who is the wisdom and the light, the legend of legends, and more humble than the greatest of the humbly humble, the illustrious Patrick M!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*tenuous applause*

Okay, that was a little over the top, but if you can't start out with an overblown, ego-feeding intro, what's the point? SO let's get to the real intro, Patrick M style:

The Beginning - I grew up in small-town Ohio. Spent eight F'ing years in Catholic School. Went to college around here before going to Dayton to finish. Moved back. 'Nuff said.

Writing - I started this worthwhile pursuit in 7th grade. I wrote on a pre-Mac apple clone, printed out on green and white striped tractor feed paper (that you couldn't tear the tractor feed off of). It was a festival of dick and fart jokes. I moved on to some short story and poetry by my last year in high school. It was a few years later that I wrote a short story that created the universe which you can find on my blog Stories from the Front Row, which may lead to the book (also in process). And the poetry, such as it is is on yet another blog. More on the blogging.

Workage - I've really found two things that I seem to do well: dealing with people and figuring out anything electronic. I've worked on computers since I was 6 (an Apple II Plus), have spent more time working at various locations for RadioShack (long story) and after some really crappy jobs mixed in there, I find myself doing Internet Tech support. At least people are glad to hear me because I am on the same continent.

Comedy of Errors - I can divide my love life into several periods. I'm not going to go into details, but there are three significant ones, one that scarred me emotionally for a long time, one that lacked a personality, but led immediately to the third, who left me with two children and an intense dislike of bad mothers who squeeze out children. It's been over a year since I became fully single again, although I still have to deal with my ex, because of the kids, despite winning full custody. But, one thing she gave me (despite bills, BS, and two children was:

Blogging - I fired up SPD shortly before booting her ass from my apartment. Essentially, my writing had ground to a halt between working and taking care of three children (yes, I'm counting her as a child) nonstop. So, with things in motion to remove her from my daily annoyance, I decided to get into the world of blogging. I churned away for several months, fleshing out some of my ideas, putting myself into the role of a presidential candidate, and generally begging family to read my blog so I had more than a hit or two a week. But one weekend, I was listening to a rebroadcast of Hannity, when someone called in from KC Missouri, and mentioned her blog. That happened to be Dee over at Conservatism with Heart. And from there, I began to visit and find more blogs, mostly conservative, some liberal, some completely socialist. And from there, I grew SPD to something worth reading. I don't remember how I ended up there, but I made my way here by way of Jennifer's blog. Again, 'nuff said.

The Politics - If you have yet to visit SPD, let me give you my particular conservative slant, as discussions here have really revealed all the splits in greater conservatism. I'm more of the libertarian mold. I focus mainly on the fiscal and governmental role aspects of conservatism and have conflicting views with my social brethren over government enforcement of morality. In other words, while I have aspects of my faith that lead me one direction, they sometimes conflict with my belief in limiting government involvement in our daily lives. A post I did on abortion explains this tension the best. And I am far from a party man, especially when the GOP has abandoned many of the principles that catapulted it to power in 1980 and 1994. Which means I can finish with:

Blogging Philosophy - One thing that I decided when I started blogging was that I didn't want my blog to degenerate into incessant namecalling, which was a hallmark of the extremist blogs. So, while I'm not above copious amounts of humor, blasting someone who deserves being blasted (Mike "Huck-a-duck" Huckabee, and mocking those who deserve to be mocked Barney Frank), I generally treat every politician with a minimum of respect, and will judge them only by their comments and actions of the day. Except Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, and their tinfoil hat brigades, because there has to be someone to laugh at.

Big Honkin' Finish and Plugs - It's getting late in the day, so I'm going to have to go to sleep (or pass out while typing). But I shall return to pontificate soon enough. And since I'm not a fan of crossposting my stuff, you'll be able to delve into more of my buttery goodness by clicking on this big-assed link to my other blog: Sane Political Discourse. I promise I won't staple anything to anything in the process. And if you want to email me on anything you don't want every mofo ever ill-bred to read (and response is guaranteed), it's patrickmspeaks@gmail.com.

Thank you, and good night.

White Men Can't Jump So Be Nice to The Black Guy

Into the White House strolls the most unprepared President in modern history, but Barack Hussein Obama is also the first person of color. He has no resume to recommend him, save a series of rather remarkable electoral successes. He also comes in with the most radical agenda in the history of this country, except for perhaps Woodrow Wilson and FDR. Nearly 49 million people voted against him, yet, he enjoys stratospheric popularity, even among elected Republicans. Why?

I'm no psychologist but I've seen this before. The phrase that comes to mind used to be the subject of 80s sit coms. "Some of my best friends are_____." I have a theory about Obama's outsized popularity and it has nothing to do with issues. It has to do with fear. As infants, we are born with only one fear, the fear of falling. As we mature, we take on all kinds of phobias and among adults, the fear of public speaking has long held the top slot, followed by the fear of snakes, heights, etc.

If you could do a double secret blind poll of white adults, for many, the fear of being called a racist would rank right up there with the fear of public speaking, which ranks higher than the fear of death. So it stands to reason that so many, who would be naturally critical of Obama, have backed off. Now, it's also current reality that most conservatives (those that would be critical) are also not black.

Now, as one born in an era when the clerk typed "Negro" in the box for "race" on my birth certificate, I hereby give leave to white conservatives to criticize Obama. White liberals, feel free to chime in too! One of the phrases that emerged from the Bush administration that I really liked (although, I didn't like the program it was associated with) was the soft bigotry of low expectations. Now, I know that this will subside somewhat over time as it becomes clear just how radical and wrong Obama is, but by then, much of the opportunity to make a difference may be lost.

To be clear, I'm not advocating the kind of hateful rhetoric that was assigned to Bush by the left because most of that was mean spirited and reflexive. I'm talking about considered expressions of honest philosophical differences. Besides, I'm sick of seeing the guy playing basketball while he's in motion and everyone else is standing still. He must take after his mother's side athletically, because the pictures indicate that you couldn't slide a piece of paper between his shoes and the floor when he "jumps" and everybody knows white men can't jump!

Obama Will Explain to the Arab World That We Aren't the Enemy....

...and they will apologize and quit trying to kill us!
(Did I tell you the one about the... oh, nevermind!)

Obama chooses Arab network for first TV interview

CAIRO, Egypt – President Barack Obama on Tuesday chose an Arabic satellite TV network for his first formal television interview as president, delivering a message to the Muslim world that "Americans are not your enemy."
*snip*
The president expressed an intention to engage the Middle East immediately and his new envoy to the region, former Sen. George J. Mitchell, was expected to arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for a visit that will also take him to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

"My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy," Obama told the Saudi-owned, Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel.
*snip*

WOW! All we have to do is tell them that we aren't their enemy and they will stop trying to kill off the infidels. Interesting? Why didn't President Bush think of that? Oh, yeah. I remember! President Bush was busy trying to protect us after radical Muslims destroyed the Twin Towers and killed off 3,000 innocent civilians. I guess he wasn't in the mood to tell them that "We aren't your enemy."

Note to Obama: They don't care! We aren't Islam and their agenda is to kill off everyone who doesn't convert to Islam. Gads, this is so infuriatingly frustrating! They will stop trying to do us in when pigs fly.

Another excerpt from the article:

"What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating," Obama told the interviewer.

Read it all here.

Yes, it's America's fault because we are dictators, folks! That's why 9/11 happened. That's why the USS Cole was attacked. By the way, Clinton was president when the USS Cole was attacked. I suppose he wasn't friendly enough either.

Well, Obama is going to talk to them and tell them that we aren't their enemy and everything will be hunky-dory. After all, they are simply misguided people filled with love for all people and don't have a prejudiced bone in their bodies. This entire thing is a simple misunderstanding and is all our fault because we are dictators. BARF!

Just a reminder. Perhaps Obama needs to watch it:



Please scroll down for another new post as well............

Settled....Once and For All.........The gloves come off!

I truly started this out as a comment in the last post, but I think we need to get this settled once and for all, and this is the only way I can think to do it. I am frankly tired of other "conservatives" coming here and telling us how to run our blog. I can safely say that none of here have done that to you have they?? If so, please by all means enlighten us. Most of your comments here are about his policies......and none of here have ever said that we are going to support the policies. So where is the issue, the problem, the misunderstanding??

I truly have to wonder if the people who come on here just to attack this blog, and you know who you are, actually read it. When I say read, I mean really read and try to understand it, not just pick out words here and there and try to twist them around. As we have said time and time again, we will fight Obama when he goes against our beliefs, values, and vision for America. How can you possibly find fault in that?

I have repeatedly said that I will challenge him on his policies and his actions that I think are wrong. Already, in my opinion, it's not a good start for him. I have already said that in my previous comments and posts, so I can't imagine you finding fault in that either.

So the fight begins and the fight will continue as long as necessary. Gayle, Craig and Patrick, also has been taking him to task on their blogs, if you happen to read it, which I highly suggest. Mine and Roberts, haven't seen much action since we have been devoted to this blog and have let ours go for a little bit. We all have different opinions on certain issues, if we didn't we wouldn't be human. Our opinions come from our background and our experiences and something would be seriously wrong with this picture if we all agreed on everything. That is one of the reasons for various authors.....to offer varying viewpoints on the issues that we are faced with.

I do have a few questions for you to answer and maybe, just maybe, we can break through this battle and come together as conservatives. If not, then there frankly isn't much hope for 2010 or 2012. If we can't even find common ground among ourselves than how are we supposed to be a united front against liberalism?

Let me ask you a few questions if I might......

What steps have you taken to change anything besides venting on your blogs?

I have already contacted my representatives, telling them my opinions on the issues as they have been happening. Other than that, I really have no other ideas at the moment, so if you have anything productive, please do share.

Do you feel that we should sink down to the level of the way the liberals treated Bush?

I do not. I don't like his policies and if you have read anything I wrote, I've said that time and time again. To lower myself to petty name calling and Obama bashing does nothing in my opinion but lessen my integrity. How easy it would be to do that....but I hold my actions to a better standard than that. Just a couple months ago you were all complaining of Bush's treatment and yet you do it to Obama? Don't you find that just a little hypocritical. Do you find it wrong that we don't sink to name calling? Like Gayle said we are all different and we express it different ways. We, here at CC have taken the high road because we feel it is very important to see the vision and follow that road, and not get lost in the other paths.

Do we crash your blogs and tell you how wrong you are and that you are not true conservatives.?

What gives you the mindset to do that to ours.


Why is it wrong to see the bigger picture here instead of focusing on the man himself?

When I say bigger picture, I mean the future of America. His policies now will affect tomorrow, and our children's tomorrows.....shouldn't we be focused on that rather than the man himself. Would you really rather see another 9-11 or the Great Depression just to see the man fail? To be able to tell say, I told you so? Is that what you want for your children's future? I certainly do not. The only time I want the man to fail is when a policy goes against what I want for the future of America. To make a general statements saying "I hope the man fails" is ultimately saying the same about America and I just can't wish that this great nation fails because of our dislike of the president.

I sincerely hope that you answer these questions and are able to see that we want the same things as you do. We have the same goals.....a conservative future!

Bootstraps By Patrick (Our New Author)

This post is by Patrick at Sane Political Discourse, and I am happy to announce that he has agreed to join our team. I've been reading his blog for a while and I love his no-nonsense way about him. He tells it like it is. It is not only refreshing but desperately needed at this critical time in history. Welcome aboard Patrick!


Let me begin by excerpting one more sentence (with critically necessary edit) of the president's inaugural address:

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.

While I was reading through the multitudinous comments to my Wednesday and Thursday posts, one thing tied them together. And it also reminded me of some of the dumbest comments of the dumbest Obama voters (the ones who expect Obama to magically make their problems go away). And

Far too many people have become dependent on others to survive.

I know, it's a statement of the obvious, but it had to be done. Because at this point, with the deepening recession, we're approaching the point where we can be cast irrevocably into the type of command economy that worked so well for the Soviets. And with the mentality that others must provide us stuff, we're poised to accept it.

Now here's where I tie my earlier posts together. The Obama/Newdeal v2.0 post was about, in essence, unrelenting assumption of power and responsibility over our daily lives. My post arguing that the old guard of the civil rights movement are becoming the source of racial tension now has a side corollary: far too many in the black community still cling to the idea that the deck is stacked against them, and therefor government is required to "balance" things for them.

Other things catch my eye. Walking past the TV a minute ago, I saw two stories mentioned at the bottom of the screen (over the three seconds it took me to get from the kitchen (for coffee) to the bedroom (to type this)) indicating two states were having financial problems keeping up with unemployment. Every news break on the radio details the latest bad numbers. Hell, the damn commercials try to sell shit based on the idea the economy's doing a swirl around the crapper.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the assload of bailouts pouring forthwith from Washington, and how people claiming to be conservative saying that they "have to do something" to justify it.

But this post is not about blaming the government. Because blaming other people is a step on the road to expecting government intervention in the name of "fairness." And the simple fact is that we are reaching a point where we're simply going to run out of money trying to "help" people.

I know, because I've been there (and am still not wholly free of government largess).

So here's the point. We need to get responsible for ourselves and for our families, and encourage others to do the same.

Now I know many of you are already self-sufficient. And I know there are people who have had bad things happen that are overwhelmed by the hits that keep coming. But for this to work, it's time to take it to the next level.

I'll be honest, it won't be easy. But the idea is that we take care of our friends, our family, and ouur neighbors so that the government doesn't have to. I do make exceptions, though, if people seek self-destruction despite our help. But you all know the differnece between the person who blows his money on crap while his ouse gets foreclosed and the family that's struggling to keep up with medical bills while one parent is on the roles due to layoffs. We need to embrace our common faith, both in each other and in God (or an equivalent morality for you atheists). We need to support those businesses that serve us best and that strengthen our community (even to returning to some semblance of the Buy American mentality). And charitable giving should be embraced to help other people, tax deductions be damned, which means donating time, food, personal items, and clothes instead of just money to a charity.

And we need to demand that people in our personal circle take care of the messes they have created, the children they have produced, and others they impact daily.

Simply put, we're not going to drag ourselves out of this mess by waiting for the Stimulus of the Week (add that under Asshat of the Week?) to show up from Washington or the next check from the state to deposit (I assume you go direct deposit rather than messing with paper).

This is not a new idea, but it is forgotten as we isolate ourselves (oh, I'm guilty here). It would be truly amazing if we banded together at the local level to support each other rather than sitting around in our houses looking to far-off governments to plunk their magic twanger and bring relief and prosperity through the most inefficiency method.

So grab up them bootstraps and start a'pullin'.

Positive Outlook........Half Full or Half Empty?

I am going to expand a little on Robert's last post called the Call to Conservatives. I do not like Obama. Let me make that loud and clear right now. I have a problem with a lot of his policies and I have the feeling that in the future, we will be addressing them as time goes on. The election is over, done, finito and no amount of whining and complaining is going to change the outcome. The worst possible thing we, as conservatives can do right now, is to wallow in self pity instead of fullfilling the vision that we see as our future. I ask you what good it does to sit on our blogs and complain? What possible good does bitterness serve us? As individuals we can make a difference. As a united front, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish but as evidenced in the comment section of the last post, we are not.

"You must start with a positive attitude or you will surely end without one." ~Carrie Latet



It's actually a very easy concept to grasp. When I first learned to ride my bike, I fell down time and time again. It would have been very easy to just sit down on my bruised butt, cry a little bit (or a lot), and complain about how hard it was to ride, and give up. I didn't do that. I got back on the bike, probably a little more gingerly than before, mind you, but I got back on and tried again. I fell again, but I got right back up, and tried again. After a bruised butt and ego, and a lot of Band-Aids, I finally learned to ride my bike. It wasn't easy, and certainly wasn't always pretty but I did not give up. I rode that pink bike with the handlebar pom-pom's, like I was Lance Armstrong. Eventually, I even managed to ride with no hands, but that is getting off track......Anyway, the point to this little flashback was to demonstrate the importance of a positive attitude.

"It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect it’s successful outcome.” ~William James

It might feel good to sit on our blogs and whine and complain about the state of things, but until we take a pro-active role in changing things, nothing will get accomplished. We need to have a positive outlook in order to make the changes that are necessary to bring our vision to fruition. We need to stand by our convictions and fight with all the ammunition in our corner. This country needs direction and we need to be the ones to supply it. Together we can do that.........

"Sometimes we are limited more by attitude than by opportunities." ~Anonymous

"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it." ~Anonymous

"I never saw a pessimistic general win a battle." General Dwight David Eisenhower

"If you have the will to win, you achieved half your success; if you don't, you have achieved half your failure." ~ David Ambrose

A Call To Conservatives

Tomorrow, a new President will be sworn in to serve our nation and defend her form our enemies. This is a monumental even in our nation’s history; one that regardless of politics can be looked back upon in years to come. There aren’t many events that occur in a person’s lifetime that can be seen as historic while they are evolving, but President Obama will indeed make history.

History will also be made regarding the events and supporting characters. We look back at the Reagan years and today see that the federal deficit exploded, creating a trend that continues to this day. What we often do not remember is the refusal of a congress, controlled by the opposition party, to make good on their word to provide spending cuts to offset approved expenditures.

I wish for a successful administration and that the President guides this nation through its current dark hours. I do not wish success for many of the items on the upcoming agenda, for I will surely find many of them to be tragic and ill-advised. However, it would be unpatriotic and un-American for me to wish failure on a President.

I will support my President at every opportunity. I will oppose him when his actions strike at the heart of my convictions. If he sends our forces in harms way I will support him and those forces, whether I believe in the mission or not. I find it reprehensible to do otherwise. I am not suggesting that we abandon conservative beliefs; indeed, I find the need for mature and consistent leadership to be at the heart of conservatism. We must make decisions for the general welfare of our people, in line with the Constitution, and we owe it to present a well reasoned and philosophical opposition where it is necessary.

We are issuing a call to all conservatives to rise above politics. For too long, our nation has been divided along ideological lines. This is not a bad thing as both sides have their opinions and beliefs as to the role of government and the proper administration of the nation’s business. It becomes a negative when our legislators act as politicians, and not statesmen. Every liberal idea is not bad, just as every conservative idea is not good. No matter who is in control of the White House and the Congress, we point fingers and call names. It isn’t just bloggers, but the very people who are supposed to represent us in the hallowed and solemn halls of the most benevolent government in history.

Have you ever been involved in a circular argument with a spouse or a child? Child 1 says he does A because Child 2 does B. Child 2 says he wouldn’t do B unless Child 1 didn’t do A first. That is exactly what happens in Washington. It has to stop, and someone has to be the adult influence to make it so. If conservatives want to move forward and return to principled leadership, this is our role beginning tomorrow. We must act as statesman, placing the good of the nation before our party. We must step forward and stop the blame game and the finger pointing and the name calling. We must refrain from special prosecutors when the President or his people jaywalk. We MUST NOT repeat the Lewinsky fiasco, which was only an issue because we made it one. We must focus on the business of America – terrorism, financial stability, and responsible yet restrained government.

Join us in refusing to concede that we can do nothing more than whine and complain and play politics. Join us in demanding that we stop procrastinating, make tough decisions, and bring this nation to a new era of prosperity. It begins tomorrow

Thank You, Mr. President

Post Submitted By Ken Taylor at The Liberals Lie, The Conservative Truth

Eight years have passed bringing us to the final full week of the administration of George Walker Bush, the forty third President of The United States. A few weeks back I posted about the legacy of President Bush so this will not be about what he will leave behind but a personal story of gratitude for what he has done for our Nation as he has led this country through some of the most historic and troublesome times in our Nations history.

President Bush is a good, honest and principled man who has been the target of the most vicious attacks by the media and the left of any sitting President in our history. He has been vilified and demonized by so many that it is no wonder that he leaves office with low approval ratings because this attempted destruction has been the goal of the left and much of the media since the 2000 election.

As a result the true accomplishments of President Bush will take the calming nature of time to show just how much this President has done and how he has protected this Nation during a time in which a lesser leader would have sat back an allowed events to control him rather than being proactive taking the initiative to act as his conscience dictated.

As a conservative there were times during his Presidency that I was somewhat aggravated with President Bush. I have found disagreement with some of his spending policies especially when he compromised and teamed up with the likes of Ted Kennedy and others who used his nature to ,"reach across the isle," as an opportunity to take advantage of him and create entitlements that have done more harm than good.

While President Bush reached across the isle, those who grasped his hand in a non-partisan gesture, stabbed him in the back after they got what they wanted. I also found frustration as he refused so many times to take the offensive when he was attacked and seldom took his case to the American people which allowed the left and the media to have a field day in condemnation and vilification even when his actions proved right and succeeded.

But the true nature of this good man also prevailed as his love for this country, his belief in the cause of liberty and his dedicated steadfastness in fulfilling his oath of office to, "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, " drove him to action and principled resolve in protecting this Nation in the wake of 9/11.

And defend and protect is exactly what he has done which will be his greatest accomplishment as President as he not only prevented another attack in keeping American safe after 9/11, but took the fight to the enemy with such strength and resolve to this Islamic foe whose cowardice kills innocent people. President Bush recognized this evil and went after it with an assured vengeance that has kept them running and decapitated their ability for more than seven years.

He understood that this enemy would not yield to negotiations or pacification but that the only course was action through strength in defeating this evil enemy. His faith in the tremendous ability and dedication of our brave men and women in uniform and his caring leadership as Commander in Chief has protected this Nation and brought freedom to thousands who had known nothing but oppression in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

It has been comforting to me to know that each night that I lay down on my pillow that because of the principled dedication of President Bush and the sacrifice and equal dedication of the troops that he led as Commander in Chief protected this Nation from harm and that while he and the heroes he led and served were on watch nothing or no one would again attack us.

Yet I also knew that this relentless enemy continued to seek opportunity too attack America and kill Americans. But President Bush stood fast and with our troops on the front line both he and they said, "not on my watch," and This Nation is better for it. And because of that sincere dedication we owe both President Bush and our troops a debt of gratitude that we can never repay.

Their love for this country and respect for their Commander in Chief has defended our freedom and strengthened the cause of liberty both here and abroad. And while our troops deserve praise for their sacrifice and tremendous accomplishments in defense of our Nation, President Bush deserves like praise in his ability to stand firm when others would have fallen. To hold fast when others would have let go and to continue to fight when his detractors and opposition said to surrender.

His belief in freedom and it being a gift to mankind from God drove him to stand when political opposition and polls would have caused a less principled man to yield to save his popularity. He understood that to lead one does not necessarily remain popular and chose rather to sacrifice that popularity in order to make the decisions and actions needed to protect this Nation.
For this dedication he has been condemned because he refused to yield. His love for this country and his belief in its greatness were far more important than good poll numbers or the praise of the media. History will vindicate him for this dedication and this Nation remains free and strong because of that same dedication.

While the politically correct look forward to January 20 when President Bush will peacefully transfer to his successor the Presidency in one of the greatest traditions of our Republic, this conservative and millions like me will miss him when he leaves office. President Bush deserves our thanks for what he has done and his many accomplishments. He deserves our respect for his principled steadfastness in the face of undue opposition.

Thank you Mr. President for keeping us safe. Thank you Mr. President for putting our country first. Thank you Mr. President for standing true and strong. Thank you Mr. President for your leadership and dedication. Thank you Mr. President for being who you are and for being the right man at the right time for our Nation. Thank you Mr. President !

The Greatest of These is Love!

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down. It is thrown into the fire. You can tell each tree by its fruit. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do what my Father in heaven wants will enter. "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord! Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we drive out demons in your name? Didn't we do many miracles in your name? 'Then I will tell them clearly, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who do evil!'

Matthew 7:19-23

Two days before Christmas, the husband of the sister of one of my high school classmates died of liver cancer. They had been married 24 years. They did everything together and had no children. She told me that she lost her "soul mate."

Christy was one of my sister's best friends in high school but as life goes, we live and our paths diverge and we lose touch with one another. I hadn't seen Christy since high school. We grew up in Carbondale, Il, a small university town, our homes less than 2 miles apart. Out of the blue, I get an email from Christy one night telling me that she and Colleen, my classmate, were at her home, which as it turns out is about 4 miles from my home here in Nashville. How ironic, I'd lived here for 15 years and never knew she was here, let alone, so close.

Here's the heart of the matter. I love the lord Jesus Christ! He is my savior and hope. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus. Christy and Colleen related to me how Christy had been harangued by co-workers about her husband's soul salvation. Many of them, co-workers and she says Southern Baptists, were telling her that he was in danger of hellfire if he did not confess Jesus...

I also love Nashville, it has been described as the most churched city in the country. I understand the desire to share the Gospel, even the admonition to do so but who among you believes that this is the way to go about it? Mind you, her husband was diagnosed in October and died, as I mentioned, 2 days before Christmas.

I shared with Colleen and Christy a conversation I had with someone I met while purchasing a new set of tires. He said that he met a woman from Hawaii who said that Nashville is the most unfriendly town. He and I made a discovery or had a revelation, the woman was probably right at least as it relates to the unchurched. We tend to live in our own bubbles or circles that involve church here in middle Tennessee.

My younger children attend church school, my older children's core of friends are college aged members of the church or those who have been adopted by that impossibly huge gaggle that seems to move in unison and were they to be high enough off the ground, they would appear to NORAD as incoming.

Aside from work, there is prayer meeting, teacher's meeting, youth and children's choir rehearsal, praise team rehearsal, church basketball league, church super bowl parties, picnics, school programs, church Valentines day, Christmas parties, etc. Oh and then there's church service and we eat together after church and usually on Friday nights. I'm not complaining, to the contrary, it's a wonderful support system. Have we become so isolated, however, that we have lost touch? We are called to be a peculiar people, not a people detached from reality. I don't have answers, just questions that I will commit to prayer.

Soliciting Answers - The Purpose of Government

Throughout the historical documentation of political philosophers, there are a variety of opinions regarding the purpose of government. Why does man decide that he is best served by rules made by other men? How are an individuals interests served by becoming submissive to an entity that may or may not share priorities?

Is the purpose of government to protect individual rights? Is the purpose to preserve the government structure itself? Is the purpose to determine the moral and ethical constraints of behavior?

Please respond with your thoughts.

"The Call to Dunkirk" Launches Mass Exodus From Public Schools

Christians called to mass exodus from public schools and it's about time!

Critics of America's public school system have launched a new effort highlighting the need for Christians to exit the system.

The initiative -- dubbed The Call to Dunkirk (video posted below) -- was launched by Dr. Bruce Shortt, author of The Harsh Truth About Public Schools; Rev. Voddie Baucham, author of Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God; and the founder and director of the Exodus Mandate Project, retired U.S. Army Chaplain Lt. Col. E. Ray Moore.
*snip*

For more on this story go here.

I've often said if I had children who were young enough to be in K through 12 grades, I would do everything in my power to keep them out of the public school system. The video I've posted below does a good job of explaining why. I know several people who have chosen to homeschool, and I congratulate them on having made that choice. I will pray for this effort by The Call to Dunkirk initiative to be a great success!

The Call to Dunkirk

Cross posted at Dragon Lady's Den

A New Year, A New Calibration

There is a theory in psychology known as the Gestalt Theory that posits that the mind is self organizing, seeks patterns, and that the whole is different than the sum of its parts. The image above is an example of Gestalt, where moving from A to D the mind sees a triangle, an S, a mace (or a sphere with cones/horns), and finally a snake or sea monster. In fact, these are visual perceptions of items that are not really present in the image you see. The mind is self-organizing, and craves patterns and consistency. We view with awe the uniformity of marching bands or Marines in a parade. We seek to find order in chaos.

In my professional world, a fact of life in management is a concept we use called a clean point. A clean point is the realization and agreement that things have become out of control; perhaps a process was not the right process or staffing inadequate to meet demands which has resulted in poor performance. A clean point is where we stop doing what wasn’t working and move forward with a new process or procedure or perspective.

Because of the two things above, I believe we see the stroke of midnight on a new year to be a clean point. We realize that something about our lives or about ourselves is not where we would like it to be. Listen to the resolutions given by friends and family. Among them I am sure you will hear multiple promises to lose weight, spend more family time, drink less, take better care of the yard, and the list is infinite. We use New Year’s Day to calibrate where we are, and look where we would like to be 365 days later. We seek to find order in chaotic lives; we seek patterns that can be relied upon. We know that our lives are more than the sum of the parts, otherwise there would be no triangle to be found.

I think America needs a clean point. I think that we have allowed ourselves to be distracted by the continuation of processes and trying to improve those processes that we simply refuse to acknowledge that sometimes it is best to do nothing at all. Sometimes it is necessary to make massive change to processes. I believe firmly that the election of 2008 and the Obama administration is the perfect opportunity for a clean point in this nation.

I shall say upfront that I do not agree with the liberal agenda for many items that are on the horizon. I can also say that a man who engaged the Clinton steamroller and the Republican machine in places like Virginian, North Carolina, and Mississippi, and stepped onto the podium to accept the Presidency, and did so without barely breaking a sweat, is made up of something as yet unproven. The President-elect has made courageous and important decisions regarding his cabinet. I am not sure of another time that an incoming President has asked senior cabinet members from another party to remain on the cabinet. I see left wing ideas, but I also see a centrist movement and a few right wing ideas looming as well.

We believe that the GOP has become weak, and has allowed conservatism to take a back seat to the other priorities of the party. We seek to change that. We seek to reinforce the nation’s desire for responsible and effective government. We seek to re-establish the Constitutional aims of our founders, but speaking out to our nation and our representatives that we must have a clean point in America. This clean point must be to define what we want from our nation, demand changes to the waste and corruption of politics, and move forward with the aims of success and prosperity for our nation and her citizens.

Change your new year’s resolutions. Make a resolution to be involved, active, persistent, and loud in the demands for conservative principles for our country. Don’t worry, there is much lifting to do and the weight will fall off. We have the perfect opportunity to take conservatism to new heights and new definitions. As the new year begins, there will be many opportunities for you to help us define conservatism. Roll up your sleeves, the four year ride begins soon.....

A Conservative Lost In Liberal-Land.

My trip to the Smokey Mountains was awesome (do people still use that word?) and very enlightening. I've always heard the term southern hospitality and I've always known that the north and south were different, but this trip really opened my eyes.

From the moment that we arrived, you could just tell things were different, it was just a feeling that is almost indescribable. Our first stop was at the Cabin rental building where we were greeted with genuine cheerfulness. Notice that I used the word genuine, like it's somehow born and bred into them at a young age. Anyway, we got directions and were on our way. The climb up the mountain to our cabin would make even the calmest person a wreck. Mountain cliffs on both sides. Have they never heard of a side rail before? Suffice it to say that we went very slowly and since I am back home to write this, we did it quite successfully.

We did a lot of sightseeing through the mountains, hit the aquarium, raced on the go karts, but what I want to focus on right now are the shows that we saw. First was the Comedy Barn. It was hysterical, and could even keep the staunchest, Bah Humbug, grouch in stitches.
I've enclosed a video below, and although it wasn't the one we attended it made us laugh so hard that we had to purchase it. If you somehow make it threw the video without getting downright hysterical, then there is just something seriously wrong with you.

**I should warn you, put down all drinks, and make sure you have gone to the bathroom before you attempt to watch this.



Now that you have been entertained, I will actually get to the point of my post. One thing very unique about the Comedy Barn is that is was wholesome family comedy. You didn't have to worry about the F-bomb getting thrown all over the place nor did you have to explain to your kids that a blow-job is actually when people get a job at a car wash and they blow the cars dry at the end of it. (You think I am kidding?) They somehow were able to make everyone of us, from three different generations laugh our butts off, and at the same time pride themselves on their family styled comedy. Half way through the show, they honored the veterans for their service and had them stand up to be recognized. What a sense of pride and thankfulness I felt at that moment. It hit me somewhere throughout the show that this NEVER would have worked in New Jersey. Besides the fact that they had cloggers and sung about a "Tender Tennessee Christmas" the reaction of the people back home would not have been the same. Northerners would have thought it hokey and probably made fun of everything they were doing. You might be asking yourself well, you are a northerner, so why didn't you? Even if you weren't particularly asking yourself that, I will tell you anyway. My family is southerners in disguise. We are so out of place up here in liberal valley it's like the show, The Beverly Hillbillies. So when we have a chance to visit the south, it is almost like coming home.

The next show we attended was The Black Bear Jamboree. A magical night, but another example of how very different the north and south are. People were polite and pleasant, not the usual...."Follow me" you get, like this is the last place they want to be, when we were getting seated. The show was full of singing, dancing and dare I say it...... GOSPEL. They actually celebrated the real reason for the season. They sung about the birth of Christ and it was a very poignant reminder to everyone there that Christmas had nothing to do with lights, tinsel, gifts and stockings and everything to do with Jesus' birth.

There wasn't one thing in particular that made me realize how very different it was between the north and south. It was as if we were visiting a totally different country. Southern hospitality is a living, breathing thing and this experience really restored my hope in America. I realized that the values and beliefs that are non-existent up here are bountiful down there and it just confirmed how much harder I needed to work with my kids, on instilling those same values. It's a difficult task I have ahead of me, when so many of their friends, are very different than what I expect of Anthony and Nicholas.


Being from the north doesn't make you a bad person, just as being from the south doesn't make you a good one, but there was just a fundamental attitude that was very different between the two places. The atmosphere here in Jersey, is stifling, it is crowded and people are just not friendly. They seem to have the "What can you do for me attitude", where as in the south, it felt more like "What can I do for you?" The atmosphere down in Tennessee was just genuine and welcoming and the people actually were polite and used phrases like "thank you" or "yes ma'am." Sometimes I feel downright lost up here. The people, the places, the values, and the atmosphere are so completely different. God seems to be welcomed down there, wherever you are, while here, He is only allowed certain places. Sometimes southerners get a bad reputation but I truly think that we would all be a lot more content if we took some lessons from them. Especially that southern drawl......that was music to my ears!

The mountains all around, reminded us every day of the beauty God has bestowed upon us. You could see HIs beauty in the clouds that floated over the mountaintop and the trickling streams running throughout the mountains. There was a sense of peace there that I have never found anywhere else. The air was fresh and clean and it was a wonder how the simple act of breathing felt so good. As I sit here in yankee-land, I am thankful for the memories that I will always hold with me and I hope those that are able to experience that beauty and magnificence every day, appreciate what they have been so blessed with.

Cross posted at Palace For A Princess

Wishing You Peace of Mind

(Painting by Ron DiCianni)

Although I run a political blog, for now I’m avoiding politics like the plague, with the exception of reading what other bloggers post. In fact, if it weren’t for the political postings of others I wouldn’t have a clue as to what’s going on, which wouldn't be such a bad thing, at least for awhile. It's a matter of sanity and wanting some semblance of peace during this sacred time when we observe the birth of our Lord.

As usual, before Thanksgiving and right after Halloween was over, the commercialization of Christmas began. There’s not much on the boob tube about the real reason for the season, including movies. After we finished with Christmas Dinner I sat down to watch some movies on Hallmark, knowing they would be running Christmas movies all day long. I watched two, which were moving and entertaining, but neither of them had anything to do with the birth of our Savior. I believe the fact that I wasn’t surprised in the least says a lot.

No, I’m not going to even get into the War on Christmas in this post, because it will dampen my spirit and I’m feeling quite pleasant and mellow. I feel at peace right now because I do know who is really in charge and it isn’t any of us, no matter what we think. It isn’t even Obama! LOL!

All that build up and preparation for one short day! WHEW! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone would hold the spirit of Christmas in their hearts all year round? I don’t mean by going out and purchasing items either. I’m talking about being upbeat and pleasant and not walking around with a frown on your face. I see so many people when I do get into town who walk around looking like a living spirit of Doom and Gloom! I want to tell them, “Smile. You’re alive! You aren’t living in a mud hut somewhere scratching for roots to eat! You aren’t living in a place where you might be hauled out of bed in the middle of night and shot! You aren’t crippled up so badly that you can’t get around by yourself without help. Be thankful at least for those things.” But of course I don’t say anything. I would be perceived to be off my rocker. Besides, they may be slightly deranged and I might have my rocker knocked off! That’s another thing… we shouldn’t have to fear saying what’s in our hearts to anyone, stranger or not.

Christmas cheer should be something we hold in our hearts all year round, not only during the Christmas season. I’m going to attempt to hang on to mine, and that’s why I’m avoiding politics for a little longer than just on Christmas day. The nastiness going on in the world is simply too depressing. It’s a matter of self-preservation. So I will visit my blogger friends and risk running into political posts, but it’s not quite as bad as having a newscaster bleat all the bad stuff going on in the world.

To those of you whose blogs I may not have managed to visit to wish you a Merry Christmas, I’m doing it now. MERRY CHRISTMAS! To my Jewish friends I wish you a HAPPY HANUKKAH! To everyone I wish you PEACE OF MIND! All of us who are paying attention to what's going on in this world desperately need it, and it isn't an easy thing to achieve, so it's the best thing I can think of to wish for you.

This picture of our black lab Sweetie was taken on Christmas morning. She's getting a bit gray around the muzzle, but she still knows the joy of playing with her squeaky toys just like she did when she was a pup. She likes to play catch and she loves to fetch. She knows what peace is. We should all be so lucky!

Cross-posted at Dragon Lady's Den

Merry Christmas Eve!

Despite what has been an unusual Christmas season for me, and a heavy heart/mind this year, a friend reminded me late last night of love and joy! Christmas is here!

If you find yourself wanting Christmas stories that don't involve red-nosed reindeer, longhaired yaks, yams for dinner, or the bustle of crowds with every discussion about Christmas, take a trip over to Cathouse Chat and enjoy Kat's "Carnival of Christmas!" You can probably find yam recipes and there are stories about the Christmas rush, but there is some good reading there.

Our own Gayle was selected as "Pride of Place" this year for her Christmas posting, and given top billing. Congrats to you, Gayle, for a touching and remarkable story.

Jennifer and I are both humbled by the selection of our Christmas pieces to be included in the Carnival as well. Those pieces are here, of course, but they can be found under "Christmas Meditations" at Cathouse Chat. Jennifer, thank you for your posting and I hope your travels remain safe!

This time of year brings about rushing around shopping, baking, stress, love, joy, happiness, some grinchiness, and about every emotion one can experience. Take a few minutes and enjoy the work Kat did this year in continuing a Christmas tradition on her blog.

To all who may wander in here today and tomorrow, please accept the wishes from everyone here at Conservative Convictions for a safe, happy, warm, amazing, perfect, and fascinating Christmas!

Christmas Lost and Christmas Found

UPDATE - Dec 24,08: This post has been honored with a "Pride of Place" award by Kat who is hosting "Carnival of Christmas", a huge collection of great Christmas posts. That my meager offering won this honor - along with another post by Hoosier Army Mom for her post "The Men and Women of the Armed Forces" is a tremendous honor! Thank you so much, Kat!

We who celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th know who He is and I'm so thankful I know who He is. You see, I was raised by an Atheist father. I know my step-mother had been raised in faith, but she let my father have his way, so as a child Christmas didn't really mean very much to me after my mother died from cancer when I was seven. After all, I was only seven, so of course I blamed her death on God, and there was no one to dispel that notion until I went to stay with my grandparents for a year while my father dealt with his demons. I honestly can say that I have no childhood memories of Christmas except for one. Please don't feel sorry for me because I would truly hate that.

The year my mother died I remember Christmas because my father visited me and as a Christmas present he gave me my first bicycle. That's why I remember the Christmas of 1948. My mother died and I got my first bicycle. It didn't have anything to do with the birth of Christ. All other Christmas's from 1948 until 1958 have been wiped from my memory. There are many reasons for that, but the main reason is because I was truly miserable. I'm not going to go into the horrors of my childhood in any great detail, only to say that dealing with a verbally abusive alcoholic step-mother and an Atheist father who was gone most of the time somehow wiped my memory of those years pretty much off the slate, until 1957 when I met my future husband. I'm writing this on December 23rd, early morning on our 50th wedding anniversary, which seems surreal in itself. Fifty years! My word, the time goes by fast! Cherish your youth if you still have it, because it won't last long.

I have a very strong faith in our Lord, but I don't really know how I acquired it. It seems to be something that has always been with me. As a small child I felt the presence of God, and briefly lost that feeling after my mother died, but it came back soon thereafter, and when it did it was stronger than ever. I went to church whenever I could, but I had to go with a friend. My parents never attended church. Even with my faith in the Lord, I never put Christmas together with the birth of Christ. I don't know what I thought of Christmas because I seem to have some sort of amnesia. I suppose we had a Christmas tree and gave one another presents, but I don't remember. Perhaps I don't want to, but those Christmas's are lost, along with any birthday celebrations that may or may not have taken place. What ever the reason for the blank spots of my memory, I don't dwell on the past. I've always dwelt on the present and the future. The past is exactly that: The Past! The fact that I can't remember is probably a true gift from God.

I married a man who absolutely adores Christmas and knew about the reason for the season. I'm positive that my wonderful husband was sent to me by our Lord. When Walt came out of basic training at Ft. Ord, California, we were married in Los Angeles at City Hall the very next day and almost immediately got into his car and drove from LA to Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, where he was assigned for duty. I can tell you in all sincerity that I hated Los Angeles and detested my family, so when we left I felt that I had escaped the bowels of Hell. A strange thing to write on a Christmas post, but it's the truth. Many of you may wonder if I have forgiven my father and step-mother. The answer is yes. Absolutely! Nothing comes of carrying anger in your heart but the destruction of your own soul. To be honest, it took a long time, but I managed to forgive them both before they passed on. I do wonder sometimes if my father was surprised to discover he was wrong.

Christmas finally had meaning to me after our marriage. That first Christmas of 1958 was spent on the road driving across country to Ft. Belvoir, but even in a car with no tree and no presents, it was glorious! Every Christmas after that has been very special, but there is one that I will always remember more than any other. That is the one when my Lord sent my husband back to me alive and well from Vietnam. I'll never forget that wonderful and glorious gift, and never cease to thank God that I still have that gift! My husband is one of my life's greatest blessings. That was the Christmas of 1970.

Even though Christmas had no real meaning to me during my growing up years, it has been my favorite time of year for many years now. I learned the true meaning of Christmas and don't feel deprived in the least bit because of lost Christmas's of the past. On October 1st, 1941, my physical birth took place, but my real birth took place on December 23rd, 1958, a birth that I celebrate today. On Christmas Eve we will go to church to worship our Lord and celebrate His glorious birth, and in the morning we will do the traditional exchange of gifts, which we really don't need because we have each other, and that's the best gift either one of us has ever been given. I know I feel that way, and I also know my husband feels the same way because he tells me so almost every day.

I am so blessed!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

(A Christmas Cactus Flower snagged from Born Again Redneck Bourgeois )

This post is cross-posted at Dragon Lady's Den.".

Remembering Christmas

I remember as a child seeing pictures of the Magi from the east traveling across the dark deserts to see the Christ child in Bethlehem; those pictures colored drawings of men and camels gazing to the heavens in fascination at an enormous star glowing so bright as if it were reaching for the earth. The long tails stretching to the ground appeared to be God’s hand reaching down.

I remember many Christmas mornings from my childhood, although not really one in particular. I simply remember the coffee brewing and the excitement of my parents although in retrospect, and after being a parent myself, I realize that excitement was tempered a bit by the fact that they had played Santa and wrapped gifts until 200 a.m. The coffee certainly wasn’t the first pot of the day. I remember Christmas dinner which was always traditional, meaning it consisted of a menu of items that I didn’t really like. The entire family was present for those dinners, and that was the part my Mom loved the most.

One Christmas I do remember is because of a special gift I received for which I will be eternally grateful. I was about 10 years old, perhaps a year or two younger, and it was a tough economic time for many, much like today. A couple of years before I had been given an electric car, one of those toys that you plug in and charge for 12 hours so that a child can ride for about 30 minutes. I really liked that car, and took great care of it even at a young age. That year, my dad sat me down and told me that he wanted to give my car away. I was getting too big for it and there was a man he worked with who was having a tough time and wasn’t going to be able to buy any presents for his son. My dad wanted to give it to him so that his son could have Christmas.

I consented, reluctantly, and my car disappeared. Christmas morning made me forget it as there were new boxes and miles of colored paper that rapidly covered the floor. At the end of unwrapping, my dad pulled out a small package to be unwrapped. It was a gift from the man who had received my car. My dad opened it, and in un-Marine like fashion began to wipe his eyes which quickly became moist. Inside the wrapping was a little, brown, plastic horse with a cowboy. It was an inexpensive toy, probably fifty cents in those days, but has held a million dollars in importance to me to this very day. The note attached said that the gift was from a family that didn’t have much money and couldn’t compensate monetarily for the thing they had been given, but that love, respect, pride, dignity, and self-respect could not be measured.I don't remember the exact words, but this was how my dad explained it to me. He sent that cheap toy because we all have things to give; that we must always return the things that God had given as blessings, and that money was not important next to family and friends.

I wish I could say that I appreciated the lesson for the sake of the lesson, but I think that I appreciated the impact on my father – born during the Great depression, a Marine veteran himself of two wars, three children, and the daily efforts it takes to make men from boys. As I grew older I saw that toy every day in its prominent position on a shelf in my parent’s living room. Even today, 30 years later, I wind that horse at Christmas time and let him gallop for a short time to remind myself that what we truly have is love. To remind me that we are blessed with special people, not special things. Anyone can give a sweater or a football; to give someone love and admiration and to cherish what they offer is the real gift.

During the week of Christmas 1990 my brother and I were at Camp Lejeune, N.C. preparing to depart for Saudi Arabia. Several times that week our unit packed up and headed for Cherry Point, only to be returned to the barracks as our orders and priorities changed.

Christmas day saw a bunch of Marines sitting around a six-inch tree singing Christmas carols and praying. We knew what we were going to face - combat and miserable conditions for the foreseeable future - but the prayers were for families. Prayers that they would be comforted, and taken care of during the dark times. Prayers for them to be content, and happy, and to be able to anticipate our return and not be obsessed with the possibility that we wouldn't.

December 26th at dawn saw us loading an aircraft headed for the desert, and seven months of prayers that continued for families. I don't want to turn this into a discussion about Iraq, but for those who have never served with our warriors, they aren't concerned for themselves. They spend their days in combat zones worrying about their families. My biggest worry was not of death or injury, but in making a bad decision as a team leader that would cause one of my Marines to be injured or killed.

Within days, I saw first hand the stars that had guided the Magi to Bethlehem. Always an outdoors enthusiast, I was overwhelmed with the star filled sky and the amount of light that cascaded from the heavens. I may not have seen the Bethlehem star, but I did see the hand of God.

Those two Christmas memories are a little different. One is a reminder of how a fifty cent toy can mean more than a new car or a pony or an iPod ever could. The other, that we may find peace in the simplest of things. A brilliantly illuminated night sky showing me that peace and guidance were there for the taking, just when I needed it most.

In the intervening years I have asked for that divine guidance a number of times, and have been doing so for many days recently. Sometimes I heard the answer, sometimes not. Sometimes my mind is too cluttered or too determined to do it my way, even while I am asking for direction, that I don't hear the answer. The worst thing to know is that God is telling me to wait, that the time is not yet right for my answer to be revealed. I do know that God is there, he is listening, and sometimes just knowing that is enough.

Christmas is about giving, and giving is more than just something wrapped in colored paper purchased among crowds of people in shopping malls. It is about giving our hearts and even our very essence to something or someone on the outside. Sometimes it is giving something of yourself, with no expectation that it is even a gift. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the same is true for the value of things recieved. The best Christmas gift I have ever received was just this year, and the person who gave it to me paid nothing. It wasn’t so much intended for Christmas, but was given in the spirit of giving, just to give. The warmth of Christmas is spread not through wrapping paper, but simple conversations and the opening of hearts to let in new love and new possibilities. It is a time to renew old friendships and heal a rift with a neighbor. Pick up the phone and call someone you love that you haven’t talked to in years. Take an hour and speak to everyone on your Christmas card list. Drive your children to a dark place and let them wonder at the night sky. Let this be the year that they find their stars, or a little wind up horse.

I hope that this Christmas finds you in peace. Peace in knowing that you are loved and peace in knowing that others find peace in the love you give to them. Find peace in knowing that God gives without expecting in return, and loves without ceasing. May the celebration of the birth of Christ give you a boost into a new year!

My Christmas Post........

Christmas this year will be a little different than it usually is. By now, lights are on our house, lighting up the darkness, a tree is up with all the boys homemade ornaments, and the ones that we buy them every year as part of our Crispaldi tradition. I would like to say that the house is filled with smells of homemade cookies, but anyone that knows me, knows better than that. The house is decorated with garland and stuffed animals that sing when you touch them (you can tell the kids picked them out, if only to annoy us.) A manger scene sits in front of our tree and awaits the presents that will soon surround it come Christmas morning.

This year none of that happened. We will be spending Christmas down in Tennessee, (Pigeon Forge) in a log cabin, with my mom, and my sister and her family, who will be coming up from Texas. My sister has two boys that are Anthony and Nicholas' age, so I am sure they will have a lot of fun. We will be leaving today, so I wanted to get this post out because I am not sure how much opportunity I will have at a computer. 10 days in a cabin with four rambunctious boys gives new meaning to "cabin fever."

Where I am eventually going with all this, is that however and wherever you spend your Christmas.....remember the true meaning of the season. It isn't about gifts, or egg nog, or the perfect Christmas tree, it's about celebrating the birth of Jesus. We always take time on Christmas Day, to sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus....okay it might sound a little corny, but it's our way of reminding the kids that there is so much more to Christmas than just the presents under the tree.

In the coming days, appreciate the simple things, most of us take for granted, this season. The fact that you are surrounded by those that you love, and you can celebrate knowing that you are safe, and protected. While we gather with friends and family, our soldiers are alone with only pictures and precious memories. Remember those that are far away, missing their loved ones, risking their lives, so that we may celebrate however we may choose. Remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Wreaths Across America, has captured that Christmas spirit and have blessed those around them by carrying on this tradition.


"What started over 17 years ago, as one's man's dream to honor Veterans with Maine wreaths for the holidays, has become an annual event cherished by many. Humbled with a new understanding about the impact the Arlington Wreath Project has made, not only in honoring the dead, but recognizing the sacrifices of the living, Morrill Worcester - President of Worcester Wreath Company committed himself to doing more, by reaching out across the country." For more information click here.

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. I wish you a child like happiness that fills your heart with joy.

"The Christmas season reminds us that a demonstration of religion is always much better than a definition of it...especially in front of the kids."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I am sure many of you have read this poem before, but we can all use a reminder of what it costs to keep us free.




Merry Christmas, My Friend.


T'was the night before Christmas, He lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.
I had come down the chimney with presents to give
To see just who in this home did live.

As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,
No tinsel, No presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand,
On a wall hung pictures of a far distant land.

With medals and badges, awards of all kinds,
A sobering thought soon came to my mind.
For this house was different, unlike any I'd seen,
This was the home of a U.S. Marine.

I'd heard stories about them, and had to see more,
So I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
There he lay sleeping, silent, alone,
curled up on the floor in his one bedroom home.

He seemed so gentle, his face so serene,
Not how I'd pictured A U.S. Marine.
Was this the hero of whom I'd just read?
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?

His head was clean shaven, his weathered face tan,
I soon understood, this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night,
Owed there lives to these men, who were willing to fight.

Soon around the nation the children would play,
And grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom each month and all year,
Because of Marines like this one lying here.

I couldn't help wonder, how many lay alone,
On a cold Christmas eve, in a land far from home.
Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

He must have awakened, for I heard a rough voice,
"Santa, Don't cry, this life is my choice.
I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,
My Life is My God, My Country, My Corps."

With that he rolled over, drifted off to sleep,
I couldn't control it and continued to weep.
I watched him for hours, so silent and still,
I noticed he shivered from the cold night's chill.

So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
and covered this Marine from his toes to his head.
Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold,
with an eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold.

Though it barely fit me, I swelled with pride,
For one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside.

I didn't want to leave him, so quiet in the night,
This guardian of honor, so willing to fight.
But half asleep he rolled over and in a voice clean and pure,
Said "Carry on Santa, It's Christmas Day, all secure."

One look at my watch and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, Semper Fi and Good Night.

Written by....James M Schmidt
To see the story behind the poem visit here.

I couldn't decide which tribute I liked best, so I posted all three.