Ok Houston, here we go...
First things first. Sheila's phone number is (202) 225-3816. Don't email, call!
Today the House is voting on the "stimulus" package that Obama and most Democrats support. Our representative is no different. I just called her office and confirmed that she is in support of this. However, I talked to a wonderful lady named Judith who was very good in talking this over with me. Our representative is led to believe that 2/3 of the stimulus will be spent in the first 18 months. By other estimates by the Congressional Budget Office, only 16% of the package will actually be spent in the first 2 years.
She said her whole point in supporting this is to create jobs and get this economy moving again. Then, very awkwardly, she threw out the term "tax relief". Kind of funny.
So this is what I told her. I asked her to let the Congresswoman know that I am against this stimulus because over a third of it is geared towards expanding government (which it is), it contains very little that will stimulate the economy now (which it doesn't), and if she really does want to create jobs then REAL tax relief is the way to do. I asked her to pass along that we should cut the corporate tax rate in America by 10% and that the federal income tax rate should be cut as well in order to give companies incentives to hire (they get to keep their money and therefore create an income for someone else) and people will have more income to spend, invest and save.
She thanked me for my comments and assured me the congresswoman would know my views. I thanked her for her time and said, "We're all trying to do the same thing, I'd just like to see jobs actually created."
So if you're in our district, I urge you to call. It's one thing we really can do today instead of feeling helpless with the news. There's A LOT of opposition to this and Congress needs to know about it.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Inauguration
After returning from Washington D.C., I started thinking about the state of our country these days. One of the most memorable parts of my trip was going to the Jefferson Memorial at around 7:30 at night. It was pitch black except for a few lighted posts along the sidewalk leading up to the monument. Once inside, there are 4 different quotes from him talking about the freedoms American's should experience and the belief that God should be central to our governing decisions. I was inspired by this. I sat inside the memorial (all by myself by the way) and just stared at his statue and his words. It wasn't a worship type thing at all... I was just truly impacted by the forward thinking of this man. What insight, what conviction, what decency was at work in him when he was alive?
Coming back home, I watched 2 documentaries on George Washington and Andrew Jackson. For different reasons I found myself viewing them in much the same way as I had viewed Jefferson last week. These men weren't perfect... they didn't even live "privileged" lives. They simply found the cause of freedom something worth giving everything they owned to experience. We've lost this as a nation. Instead of giving, we've turned inward to protecting our interests before others. We've become pretty selfish... so much so that even when you try to give you ask yourselves questions that I don't think they would've asked back then. Will we be able to survive without this? Their answer, "I won't be able to live if I don't give my life for this cause." It's so inspiring to me!
On the eve of this inauguration, inspiration isn't a word that I tie to politics anymore. So I thought I would share something I heard on the radio the other day in hopes that you will be inspired. They were talking about inaugural addresses and went all the way back to George Washington's very first inaugural address as President of the United States. This had never been done before so there wasn't really a precedent to follow. After taking the oath of office with his hand over the Bible, he leaned down and kissed the Bible with his lips. After that, he followed by opening the Bible to Deuteronomy 28 and read from the chapter about the blessings and curses a nation can expect to experience depending on their devotion to the Lord. I read this chapter today and in light of the state of our country and the attack on religious freedom and truth, it was a very chilling chapter to read. Filled with truth, but when thinking about our current government... little hope.
"Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. But now, all who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment."
Isaiah 50:10-11
I read this this past week and it was talking about the urge to do something when you see something that is in real need of fixing. Our first question is always, "What can I do?" This verse makes that question uncomfortable for me now. I don't want to ask that of myself in fear that I'm following my plans to fix whatever the problem is. I need to be less concerned about what I need to do and more concerned about what I'm naturally doing.
We've been created uniquely in the image of God. Each one of us with different personalities and characteristics being a single representation of a God that's beyond explanation or characterization. His representation is endless. Therefore, if each of us could be everything that we were made to be, do you think the Lord would be glorified with our lives? It's so much more realistic to me than trying to put me into a role that I don't really fit into. I'm in computers for a reason, and out of fine arts and stunt devil work for a reason. It has to do with my design.
What state would our country be in if we paid attention to how we were designed and lived in accordance to the natural heartbeat that God placed in us to follow Him?
Coming back home, I watched 2 documentaries on George Washington and Andrew Jackson. For different reasons I found myself viewing them in much the same way as I had viewed Jefferson last week. These men weren't perfect... they didn't even live "privileged" lives. They simply found the cause of freedom something worth giving everything they owned to experience. We've lost this as a nation. Instead of giving, we've turned inward to protecting our interests before others. We've become pretty selfish... so much so that even when you try to give you ask yourselves questions that I don't think they would've asked back then. Will we be able to survive without this? Their answer, "I won't be able to live if I don't give my life for this cause." It's so inspiring to me!
On the eve of this inauguration, inspiration isn't a word that I tie to politics anymore. So I thought I would share something I heard on the radio the other day in hopes that you will be inspired. They were talking about inaugural addresses and went all the way back to George Washington's very first inaugural address as President of the United States. This had never been done before so there wasn't really a precedent to follow. After taking the oath of office with his hand over the Bible, he leaned down and kissed the Bible with his lips. After that, he followed by opening the Bible to Deuteronomy 28 and read from the chapter about the blessings and curses a nation can expect to experience depending on their devotion to the Lord. I read this chapter today and in light of the state of our country and the attack on religious freedom and truth, it was a very chilling chapter to read. Filled with truth, but when thinking about our current government... little hope.
"Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. But now, all who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment."
Isaiah 50:10-11
I read this this past week and it was talking about the urge to do something when you see something that is in real need of fixing. Our first question is always, "What can I do?" This verse makes that question uncomfortable for me now. I don't want to ask that of myself in fear that I'm following my plans to fix whatever the problem is. I need to be less concerned about what I need to do and more concerned about what I'm naturally doing.
We've been created uniquely in the image of God. Each one of us with different personalities and characteristics being a single representation of a God that's beyond explanation or characterization. His representation is endless. Therefore, if each of us could be everything that we were made to be, do you think the Lord would be glorified with our lives? It's so much more realistic to me than trying to put me into a role that I don't really fit into. I'm in computers for a reason, and out of fine arts and stunt devil work for a reason. It has to do with my design.
What state would our country be in if we paid attention to how we were designed and lived in accordance to the natural heartbeat that God placed in us to follow Him?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Organic
21 posts in 2008? What a joke... I'm taking another approach to blogging. I'll still blog long things for those of you who like to see that I posted and then read it when you're off of work and won't get in trouble for spending an hour on a site. Don't worry. But I'm going to try to post short things too. Keyword is try... this does not come easily to me.
So we started something new yesterday. A way of eating that includes everything organic. Becky found out about the plan from her Dad & Step-Mom so we decided to do it too. So we go to the store and spend a couple of hours finding organic vegetables, fruit (did you know avocado was a fruit?) and anything else in the store that had an organic label on it. Pretty soon it didn't matter what it was, we just threw it in the cart and Becky decided that she would find some way to insert it into a meal.
At first it seemed fun. Eat healthy, feel better, live longer. As I came upon hour number 2, I started getting really sad. When Becky picked up rice milk is when it started. I had switched to soy about 6 months ago which I thought was a HUGE sacrifice. Apparently I had more room to grow... when Becky saw that I really didn't want it, she frantically started searching for something positive. Thinking she found it, she said, "Hey! Look at this. What does that say??" I looked and said, "October 2009". She said, "See it will last forever..." in which I said, "Oh joy! You mean I can drink this til October!?!"
Becky was great about it. She even joined me in humming the Undertaker's theme song (think of a funeral march... bum bum bum bum, bum, bum bum bum bum bum bum (I'm singing it in my head and just realized that typing the same word 10 times probably doesn't convey the song to you. Good luck with that.)) as we went to the checkout counter.
Good news: With having nothing at home to eat, we only spent $220. I was amazed it was under $300 and so was Becky. She was so worried about it, she said later that she was praying it would be under $300. Bless her heart.
So we started something new yesterday. A way of eating that includes everything organic. Becky found out about the plan from her Dad & Step-Mom so we decided to do it too. So we go to the store and spend a couple of hours finding organic vegetables, fruit (did you know avocado was a fruit?) and anything else in the store that had an organic label on it. Pretty soon it didn't matter what it was, we just threw it in the cart and Becky decided that she would find some way to insert it into a meal.
At first it seemed fun. Eat healthy, feel better, live longer. As I came upon hour number 2, I started getting really sad. When Becky picked up rice milk is when it started. I had switched to soy about 6 months ago which I thought was a HUGE sacrifice. Apparently I had more room to grow... when Becky saw that I really didn't want it, she frantically started searching for something positive. Thinking she found it, she said, "Hey! Look at this. What does that say??" I looked and said, "October 2009". She said, "See it will last forever..." in which I said, "Oh joy! You mean I can drink this til October!?!"
Becky was great about it. She even joined me in humming the Undertaker's theme song (think of a funeral march... bum bum bum bum, bum, bum bum bum bum bum bum (I'm singing it in my head and just realized that typing the same word 10 times probably doesn't convey the song to you. Good luck with that.)) as we went to the checkout counter.
Good news: With having nothing at home to eat, we only spent $220. I was amazed it was under $300 and so was Becky. She was so worried about it, she said later that she was praying it would be under $300. Bless her heart.
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