Someone asked me the other day why I don't like Mike Huckabee. I couldn't pin it down, other than the fact that i just don't think he's everything he is claiming to be. So I spent some time tonight hunting it down a little bit.

First of all, Governor Huckabee claims to be a big tax cutter. His record in Arkansas indicates otherwise. The following is from the Arkansas Times back in May:

"Huckabee said that he had a consistent record of tax cutting and that he had slashed taxes in Arkansas "94 times." His record is this: He signed one big tax cut, a 1997 income tax revision drafted and passed by the other party.

"He supported two other smaller tax cuts that became law. He fought elimination of the sales tax on groceries. He raised taxes far more than he cut them. He raised them so much that treasury surpluses set records his last two years in office."

I'm also concerned about his ideas on immigration. This is from a letter by Gary Bauer, the head of the Campaign for Working Families:

"When he was governor of Arkansas, Huckabee supported legislation allowing illegal immigrants who had attended Arkansas high schools to participate in a scholarship program to attend college. Huckabee lost that debate, and the bill failed.

"He also strongly opposed an effort by State Senator Jim Holt, also an ordained Southern Baptist minister, to end taxpayer subsidies for illegal immigrants in Arkansas and to require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. Huckabee denounced Holt's legislation as "race baiting" and 'demagoguery.'"

Not only did he call his opponent's bill un-Christian and un-American, but he claimed to drink a different "Jesus juice" than Senator Holt.

That leads to what I think is bothering me the most about this guy, which is exactly what seems to be fueling his momentum. And that is his outspoken claims of Christianity.

Let me explain before I offend. There is nothing I would like more than for the man in the White House to answer to the authority of Jesus Christ. There can be no higher calling. One of the primary reasons I have stuck by President Bush is because I believe that he seeks God in his decision making, and I know he values the same things I value. I want my president to believe in something higher than himself. Otherwise, we might find ourselves having to deal with a Hugo Chavez or Vladimir Putin, or at the very least just another guy in office with no apparent moral authority who risks national security for the sake of his own gratification.

But at the same time, I don't want someone in office who will justify all of his actions as the only appropriate Christian response. We in the body of Christ are a VERY diverse group. God has given His children a myriad of personalities and passions. If we all were exactly the same, not only would it be a very boring faith, but an extremely narrow one as well.

I've often heard someone say, "I just don't understand how you can be a Christian and support so-and-so or such-and-such." I'm quite sure those very words have escaped my lips. But over the past couple of years, my eyes have been opened to the fact that my view of the world is not necessarily always the only way to go.

For instance, let's look at the poor. While we are all called to be merciful, there are some Christians whom God has especially bestowed with the gift of mercy. I must confess, it doesn't show up very high on my spiritual gift roster. But a person who is high on mercy will look at the poor in a very different way from someone who isn't. They might theoretically like the idea of "teaching them how to fish," but when they are standing there with the hungry one, they want a fish, and they want it now. They believe you can sort out the rhetoric later. Does that make them less of a Christian because they believe in welfare programs and government subsidies? Of course not. Does it make them a liberal in this particular area? Probably so. But in this example, conservatism may not be the more compassionate choice.

Yes, I get onto liberals constantly. I get angry enough at them to spit on a frequent basis. If you've spent any time reading my blog, you are not surprised by this. But I confess that I generalize about them far too often. I'm usually speaking out of my passions, and that causes the rhetoric to be a little heated sometimes.

But let's look at something like abortion. There are many Christians, including James Dobson, who use abortion as a litmus test for any elected official. I personally think this is a mistake. I think that it is incredibly dangerous for Mr. Dobson to lead a political movement away from the chosen Republican nominee (assuming it's not Huckabee, I guess) based on the fact that he doesn't like their abortion records. We don't have to look back in history very far to see what happens when a major percentage of the voting block goes for a third-party candidate. And the security stakes are just so high.

I don't have time to go off on this tangent right now, but perhaps soon. I'm reading a book right now called "The Myth of a Christian Nation," by Gregory Boyd, and it is about the dangers of mixing Christianity with politics. It is fascinating, and I think well worth the read.

But back to my point. I don't believe we are going to change abortion in this country through the courts. Not the Supreme Court or any other. I believe the only way to reduce abortion in this country is to change hearts and minds. Overturning Roe v Wade won't do anything but send the issue to the states (which would be better, undoubtedly). If overturned, you would very soon see a legal abortion map that looks much like the election map of 2000. Your coastal states would have legal abortion, along with some in the Midwest. People living in fly-over country would have to make travel arrangements in order to terminate their pregnancies legally. Could this ever happen? It's possible, if we end up with a very conservative bench. This TERRIFIES those who consider themselves pro-choice, and it's one of the reasons they have such a vehement hatred for conservatism.

But would outlawing abortion really keep a determined woman from carrying out her plans? Probably not. It might inconvenience her, and could possibly endanger her life if she chooses to go to a back room clinic somewhere.

So what do I think is the answer? Education and the love of Christ. I think my mom, by working for the past couple of decades in a crisis pregnancy center, has done far more to defeat abortion than angry protesters outside a clinic who terrorize the young women going in and cause them even more agony than their choices already have. Showing a pregnant woman her ultrasound goes a million miles farther in encouraging her not to abort her baby than showing her pictures of grotesque aborted fetal tissue and calling her "Baby Killer."

My friend Cheryl is an adoption advocate. She is using her time and energy to help others pursue building their families through adoption. We need more of this. We need adoption to become the most acceptable course of action for an unwanted pregnancy. This will take time and a lot of effort, but it is doable.

Picketing and screaming or simply writing a check to the National Right to Life are really the easy ways to fight abortion. It may not be practical to dream that the climate of our culture could really shift towards life, but isn't it worth dreaming? Isn't it worth praying and working towards in whatever way possible?

I'm out of time, so perhaps I can pick up here another day. I've just really been thinking lately about the whole Christian Right and the shift towards trying to solve the world's problems politically rather than changing hearts. (Incidentally, if you can find a copy of CNN's "God's Christian Warriors" I highly recommend you watch. It's eye-opening.)

We're called to love people. We're called to offer Jesus to a dying world. We're not called to get caught up in anything this world has to offer, including our government.

Don't get me wrong - you know I enjoy politics. I love the game of it. I love my right to vote, and I consider it one of my highest calls as an American. But I need to spend more time pursuing those things which are eternal. What am I called to do as a Christian? To study the Word. To pray. To love. To offer hope in a desperately dry land.

Will you join me?

I miss my blog.

I really wish I had time to write more. I still think. I still opine (just ask my poor husband.) I just can't find the time to sit and write. Something about three kids and homeschooling. And life.

So much to talk about, it's hard to pick just one. So I think I'll start with the most cynical.

Does anyone out there think it's just a teensy bit possible that the whole escapade at Hillary's headquarters on Friday was staged? Does that make me a conspiracy theorist? I just find the facts a little too irresistable.

The man who did it told his family to watch the news that day. He was drunk. He armed himself with flares. No one got hurt. The whole thing was a 6-hr media circus.

And the headlines and major stories all over Good Morning America this morning? Hillary taking charge during a crisis. They talked all about this being the perfect opportunity for her to show America how she could handle herself during crisis. She cancelled everything as soon as she heard the news and went into full-fledged management mode. She wanted to fly to Rochester to be with the families of the hostages, but wasn't allowed to immediately. She offered to do whatever it took to diffuse the situation, even speaking to the hostage taker. Once it was all over, she was immediately there with the families. Man, she sure has impressed me. I think I might have to vote for her now.

Please just don't spend too much time thinking about the fact that her poll numbers are down and it looks like Obama just might beat her in Iowa. Which is not good when you are the inevitable nominee. Overlook the fact that her biggest competition with Rudy is that everyone in the country got to see him "handle" 9-11. I'm sure she and her image makers hadn't given either one any thought.

But perhaps I am being too cynical. Too Republican. The fact is, I'm not sure there is a candidate out there that I might not at least question whether this was a staged event. Such is the state of our choice in 2008.

Whether it was fake or not, the orgasmic media fest over Hillary's amazing composure under fire is very, very real. And it makes me want to vomit.

It's going to be a long next couple of months until she has this nomination thing cinched up. Although fighting Oprah may prove to be her most formidable opponent yet. At least it'll be fun watching her squirm.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

We've spent the last four days putting up Christmas decorations. What's sad is it feels like we just took them down a couple of months ago. I know we've done a ton of stuff this year, but it somehow feels like a blur.

One of my favorite things about having kids is seeing things through their eyes. Everything about Christmas is exciting and new all over again. Taking Bryant to Lowe's is an experience I will forever cherish. He gets excited just pulling in the parking lot. And when we walk through the doors into that Winter Wonderland of giant blow-up Christmas paraphanalia, he just about jumps out of my arms. "Oh Wow!" he says over and over. It's enough to bring tears to my eyes each and every time.

Bradley said yesterday, "When is Christmas EVER going to get here?!" I so remember feeling that way as a kid. Somehow when we get older, Christmas rushes up on us so quickly, we rarely find the time to actually enjoy it.

So my challenge is to slow down and enjoy. Enjoy the smells, the lights, the beauty of the Christmas story. Share in the enjoyment of children over the agonizingly slow progression of days over the next month. You'll have to fake this agonizingly slow part, of course, but give it a shot.

Revisit the wonder. A Savior is born.

Raingutter Regatta

Last night was the Raingutter Regatta for Bradley's Scout troup. He and Jeff spent many hours this past weekend getting his boat ready. He did all of the artwork himself, and was so proud of his boat. It really looked cool. I loved the sea serpent he put on the sail.

In the school cafeteria, there were five tables set up with raingutters so the boys could race their boats. In the past, they've used straws to blow their boats, but apparently someone forgot them last night so they had to just blow right on the sails. Brad was all prepared for the straw technique, but he figured it out pretty well.

Bradley lost his first race, but won the next one because his opponent got disqualified for helping his boat along a little too much. It's amazing how the mother bear persona rises so quickly in me. It's a boy scout boat race, for Pete's sake, and I'm watching this, yelling (in my head, of course) "He's cheating!" Fortunately, the Boy Scout leader noticed without my pointing it out and they disqualified him. Winning by disqualification didn't bother Bradley a bit. A win is a win.

They even let Bailey give it a try.

The boy that won the overall race had designed a special aerodynamic sail. (I'm sure his dad had nothing to do with that.) Nobody even had a chance to beat him. Seemed to go a little against the spirit of the competition to me, but since the kids didn't seem to be bothered by it, I certainly wasn't going to point it out. That's what my blog is for. :) I bet there will be a whole lot of aerodynamic sails next year, though!

Trophy or not, I'm so proud of what Bradley accomplished. He worked so very hard on his boat. It looked cool. It stayed afloat. He had great sportmanship. What more could you ask for?

I'm just glad I'm not the one who had to clean up.

Two Bama boys, hoping for better luck next year.

Yesterday I took the kids to Alabama to see their grandparents and other extended family since we won't be there for Thanksgiving. We had a great day, and the kids were so happy to get to go.

Here's Bryant Gene with Grandaddy Gene "Poppa G" Swords. At one point Poppa G spit over the side of the truck into the woods. Bryant, who mimicks everything, is now periodically making a hocking sound and pretending to spit. Cool tricks.
And this is what happens when your kids find the camera and you are otherwise occupied.
Carrie Beth and Bailey, posing for Brad.

It's a shame they never have any fun.

I'm blogging today, primarily because it's been a week. I really don't have much to say. This week has been so, so busy. Don't you hate it when you just plow through a week, never feeling like you have time to sit and reflect on anything?

Today I have very much enjoyed myself. I guess I'm getting in the cooking mood for the holidays, because so far today I have made little cocktail weinies for Bradley because he tried them at Publix the other night and has been begging for them ever since. Who knew grape jelly and chili sauce could be so palatable to an 8-yr-old? I also made a pumpkin dip that I had the other night and have been craving ever since. I think I'll pause and share the recipe, because some of you may need an easy appetizer this week.

2 blocks of cream cheese
1 30-oz can of pumpkin pie mix (not plain pumpkin)
1 lb powdered sugar

Mix and serve with graham cracker strips or ginger snaps. WARNING: This makes a LOT of pumpkin dip, so you may want to try and half it.

Anyway, I also made a very hearty cheesy-beefy-noodley soup for dinner tonight with our buddies. I'm planning to make broccoli cornbread to go with it, and I'm very much looking forward to it. To top it all off, I made peppermint brownies. Not an especially healthy ensemble, but a yummy day nonetheless.

I'm itching to get my Christmas decorations down out of the attic. I wanted to do it today, but since we'll be here all next weekend, I guess it's better to just wait and get them down on Friday. But I can't wait for the house to be all aglow!

I have only bought one Christmas present. Some years I'm very motivated and have almost everything bought by the weekend after Thanksgiving. I'm not feeling like this will be the case this year. The weekdays are just so busy, and on the weekends I just want to sit here like I'm doing right now. Of course, football only has a couple of weeks left, so my Saturdays will be a little more open here shortly. (sniff, sniff)

I'm watching LSU and Ole Miss right now. So far LSU is only ahead 14-7. I imagine this will not last long. Georgia got their act together and beat Kentucky. (But did anybody see that AMAZING interception in the first half? It was the third turnover for GA, and the Kentucky guy literally came out of nowhere and just took it away from him. It was beautiful.) Jeff just told me Alabama is tied with LA-Monroe. And last I heard, Tennessee is getting beat by Vandy. I imagine it's possible for the Vols to pull it out today, but I have a feeling we'll lose to Kentucky next week. I'll be shocked if we make it to the SEC championship. In years past, when all Tennessee had to do to get to the SEC championship was beat Vandy and Kentucky, it would have been a no-brainer. But this has been one of the craziest seasons in college football I can ever remember. When has being in the top 5 ever been such a kiss of death as it has been this year?

As for politics, I have nothing to say. Well, you know that's not true, but I just don't feel like wasting the energy. It's been fun watching Hillary get beat up by the media a little the past few weeks for her flip-flopping, but they've all jumped back on the suck-up express after Thursday night's debate. Let's just face the fact that she will be the Democrat nominee. There is really no question about this. The only question is who the Republicans are going to combat her with.

Will we try to go Giuliani, because we think he has a chance in the blue states, even though that means he's not a conservative? Do we go with Romney, whose positions on issues truly change according to the listening audience? (It worked for the first President Clinton, didn't it?) Do we go with Crazy John, who prides himself on being a maverick, aka, Democrat? Or how about Fred? Could he pull it off or will he ever be able to get people to take him seriously? I just don't know. The prospects are a little dim, which is frankly why it depresses me to think about it too much, so I'm trying not to. Amazing that we'll know in less than 90 days who the nominees will be, and then the games will really begin. Last time I was psyched because I LOVED my guy and I couldn't wait to watch him go for it. This time, not so much. Feels more like the Bob Dole years, in a sad sort of way.

The one bright spot is that Congress has an approval rating of 11%. This is way lower than the President's, although his is certainly less than stellar. I heard someone say the other day that O.J. Simpson's approval rating was 16% in a 1995 poll. Congress is less popular than OJ at the height of the murder scandal. That's saying something, I think. Unfortunately, the ones truly being hurt by this political battle over the war are the troops. The Democrats are refusing to fund them w/o time limits for withdrawal. The President is refusing to give them this kind of power.

In this latest bill, Pelosi demanded a 15-day waiting period before any American unit could be moved into Iraq, which would completely hamstring those people on the ground who actually KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING and are fighting this war. Can we say Vietnam? The Democrats have tried to compare Iraq to Vietnam in many different ways, and in this way they are right on target. If we allow the war to be run by politicians, we will lose. There is no plainer way to state it. You'd think this would be the lesson learned 30 years ago, but apparently not by a long shot.

So, I guess that's all I have to say about that. I really don't want to get worked up. I just want to sit. And so I shall.

LSU is still only up by a touchdown. They are currently ranked No. 1. That's not been a good place to be so far this season. We shall see...

I have to share what our kids did for about four hours today. As background, Bradley is an official Cub Scout this year, and at the meeting on Tuesday night they learned how to hammer nails into wood, and all the boys made their very own tool boxes. It was really pretty cool.

So today Brad asked his daddy if he could hammer some wood, now that he has experience. Jeff said, Sure, why not?

So he and Bailey gathered up some wood and started hammering. In a little while, McKenzie and RileyGrace showed up, and soon it was a veritable wood-working frenzy in the garage. They built a little bed for one of the stuffed animals. At one point, I came out and they literally had a structure going up, with walls and a roof beam.

This structure soon ended up in my front yard, and a lemonade stand was born.

As you can see, it wasn't long before they had gotten the attention of several neighbors. Amazing how many kids show up when lemonade is available. It doesn't hurt to live in a neighborhood where kids outnumber grownups by about 30% either.

At one point I counted no less than 12 kids in my front yard. They were just hanging out, having some lemonade. It was so cute, I just about couldn't stand it.

These four have been raised together. They had no chance but to be friends, because they are thrown together so often. But the fact is that they seek each other out constantly, and I love it. They can have fun doing just about anything together.

I think we've got many years to enjoy watching them grow up together. Who knows what adventures the future holds?

Especially with these two...

No words could ever do this picture justice. But this is an accurate snapshot of my day today.

It's almost midnight, and I really don't have time to be blogging. I should go to bed, shouldn't I? I'm not one of these people who makes a habit of staying up late, so I won't be all I can be tomorrow if I don't get some sleep. Usually the Andy Griffith whistle is my Pavlov's bell. I hear it and I'm out like a light. But I had some work to finish tonight, so here I sit on my couch and all is quiet in the house. Seems like a good time to blog. However, I'll attempt to keep it short. :)

I've mentioned several times recently that my Bible study group has been doing a study on the life of Jesus. It's one I've done before, but it was six years ago, so it has been really great to do again. There are lots of things in this study that have had me thinking. One is about all the people that Jesus encountered that were possessed by demons. Why was it so common back then? Was there really this huge increase in demonic activity simply because the Christ had come to earth, Satan's territory, and he wasn't all that welcome here? Or is demon posession a more common ailment than we like to think?

What has me thinking about this tonight is the recent school shooting in Finland, of all places. This is not a country where gun violence is commonplace. The country is literally in shock over this student taking the lives of several classmates and a principal. He was apparently smiling and laughing throughout the grim ordeal. I'm thinking that in order to do something so evil, you must be possessed by demons. Violence is a hallmark of Satan, and he truly delights in the shedding of blood. Certainly we can't imagine Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris not being possessed. Or more recently, Cho Seung-Hui. Or Saddam Hussein. Or Osama bin Ladin. These are extreme, obvious cases of Satanic activity.

I live a pretty sheltered life. But I'm sure if I began to hang out in the types of places where my Jesus would be hanging out if He came today, even in my own small town, I'd probably encounter all kinds of things that would shock me, enrage me and make me extremely uncomfortable. But as He said, He came for those very ones that needed Him the most.

Speaking of my sheltered life, from time to time I reflect on how easy my life has been. It's a scary thing to write down if you carry any superstitious tendencies. But I was talking with a close friend the other day about how I've never truly experienced deep pain. I've experienced death, but not of anyone so close to me that I literally felt a part of me had died. I've experienced a shattered heel (very painful indeed, but I'm not speaking physically here.) That did force me to rely on others for help, but it isn't the kind of thing that sent me into a depression. It just happened, and I dealt with it. I've experienced rejection, but never on a level that made me want to crawl in a hole and never come out. My life has been good.

I have an amazing husband, three gorgeous kids, a church I love, friends that I would do anything for, and vice versa, a loving family, nice house, etc., etc. I have a job I love and a boss that I am deeply, spiritually connected to.

I'm not saying these things because I want something bad to happen. I absolutely don't. I know God has protected me from many horrible things. For instance, when Bailey was 2 years old, we were in a really bad car accident. As we were leaving for our destination 30 minutes prior to the wreck, I heard God tell me to look at Bailey's car seat. What I discovered was that although she was buckled into her car seat, the seat itself had not been fastened in. We had driven all the way to Georgia like that earlier in the day, and were about to drive all the way back to Tennessee. That was God, without a doubt in my mind. Had she not been buckled in when we t-boned a car going 65 miles an hour, I can't even allow myself to think about what could have happened.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the Lord protected me and the kids from a horrible, fatal car crash on I-65. How many other times have I been protected and didn't even realize it? Surely it must be thousands.

There always seem to be those people in life who can't catch a break. It seems like they are hit with one catastrophe after another, until you are crying out to God for them, "Enough is enough! How much more can a person take?" And you wonder, why is all this happening to them? Then the survivor's guilt kicks in and you wonder, when is it going to be my turn? And you start waiting for the shoe to fall.

Yes, I have failed in my attempt to keep this short. But part of what got me thinking about all of this tonight was sitting behind a sweet, precious lady at choir practice. Her name is Carol, and she has brain cancer. She was supposed to go to Thailand with us in June, but was diagnosed just a month before the trip and was obviously unable to travel with all the treatment she was going through.

Tonight we were rehearsing a song called, "Lord, I Run to You," by Tommy Walker. Some of the lyrics say, "Lord, I run to you. No one else will do. Lord, you said we'd face trouble, pain and tears. But to be of good cheer, be of good cheer. For you have overcome the world."

I sat there behind Carol, who was holding the sheet music in one hand, and had the other lifted high in praise to her God. Carol, who is walking with a cane. Carol, who is wearing a scarf over her head to hide the loss of hair. She is facing unimaginable pain and fear, and yet knows exactly where her help comes from. Thank you, Jesus.

I am not suffering from "my life's too good"-itis. I'm perfectly content to go on with no major waves of pain. I just wish I could be sure that my faith would stand firm in the face of such trials. I pray that it would. I pray that God opens my eyes to the suffering going on all around me, and makes me a willing vessel to minister to those in need. Right now my days are so consumed with the busyness of daily living, I fear that I'm missing out on opportunities that are right in front of me.

All this to say, if you are in pain, I hope you have the power of the Holy Spirit working inside you. He can help you be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world. Run to Him.

Is anyone else watching Sunday Night Football on NBC right now? I am completely dumbfounded by their apparent week-long campaign called "Green Is Universal."

In an effort to raise awareness for global warming, they have turned off all the lights in the studio and are shooting in the dark by candlelight. It is the most absurdly pathetic thing I have seen yet in this mind-blowing anti-humanity hysteria.

And aren't they being a little hypocritical? I mean, why not just play the football game in the dark? How many watts are they burning out there right now? Or should we just ban all night games altogether? Monday Night Football producers would certainly understand, I'm sure. It's all about saving the planet, right boys?

Will someone please STOP THE INSANITY!!!!!

Happy Halloween!

Bradley asked me yesterday if I celebrate Halloween. I told him I celebrate candy.

Hope you had a trick-or-treatin' good time! :)

For some reason I am still unable to upload my Halloween photos. Whenever that issue gets resolved, I'll post my little cuties. Bryant was a monkey (could there be a more appropriate costume?), Bailey was a cheerleader from High School Musical, and Bradley was Superman. They were all too, too cute.

This week I have been plagued with doubt over my decision to homeschool. As we've gotten a few weeks into it, it's hard to remember all the things that drove me to pull them out in the first place. Something about the grass always being greener on the other side.

Last night I asked one of my neighbors who I'm good friends with if I am now the neighborhood weirdo. She paused entirely too long before answering that people were just shocked. It is a calling, she said, and none of us have ever experienced anything like that.

So I spent the rest of the night fretting inside my head that everybody thinks I'm weird. I know if you are a man reading this, that's much less easy to understand than if you are a woman, but just trust me.

My mom reminded me last night that it really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, because I didn't start this to please others. I did this because I felt really strongly that the Lord was telling me to. And if He called me to it three weeks ago, I don't think that He would suddenly just change His mind. So I decided that I needed to revisit that aspect and realized that most of what was bothering me had to do with what other people think.

I look around at people in the grocery stores who see me with these obviously school-aged kids and wonder if they are wondering about us. When I send my kids outside to release some energy and they are running around screaming like wild banshees, I wonder what my neighbors are thinking. I wonder what all the ladies at my former bus stop are thinking. In reality, I know that it's most likely none of them are thinking about me at all, at least not more than in passing. I know everyone is far too busy with their own lives to spend time thinking about mine. But it's just whispers from the Enemy, trying to get me to question and doubt. And it works.

So last night the Lord woke me up around 12:30 (using Bryant as the venue) and gave me about 30 minutes of rocking him to think. He reminded me of all the reasons why I'm homeschooling, and what has come out of it so far.

Here are a few:
1) Almost every morning I've had time to get up and actually spend some time with God before the morning rush, which is actually only rushed now on Tuesdays, when we all have to get up and get out of here by about 8:15. Every other day I can let the kids sleep as late as they want. This allows for MUCH better moods in the morning, and much more rested kids.

2) Each day, my kids are actively engaging in Scripture. In the past three weeks, they have memorized Psalm 1. Bradley reads to us out of the book of Mark each morning. And since I'm currently doing a Bible study on the life of Jesus, I'm able to comment and question him on the stories by pulling from the things I've been learning myself. We've had some really great discussions.

3) Bradley has started underlining passages of Scripture in his Bible. There isn't really any rhyme or reason to what he underlines. He's just imitating what he's seen others do. I'm totally fine with that. He's learning that you can be interactive with Scripture. I think it's great.

4) He's also doing an inductive Bible study for kids from Kay Arthur on the book of Jonah. It is so neat. It's written from the perspective of teaching him how to be an investigative reporter and write the story of Jonah. So he's doing all the who, what, where, when and whys, and learning how to apply that to the Bible. It's really fun, and it covers the writing portion of his language arts, all while teaching him the details of the story of Jonah.

5) Bailey's reading has improved dramatically. She struggles so much more than Bradley did, but we are finding things that work for her. I'm loving the time with her in my lap really working hard to sound out her stories. At times I start to get so impatient, and this patience that can only come from the Lord just washes over me. It is so sweet.

6) Bradley is reading several chapters a day of good literature. They are all stories with fascinating characters and stories that teach valuable character lessons. He never complains about his reading assignments (well - never may be strong, but it's very minimal.) At times he actually reads farther than he has to because he's so into it. This is one of my favorite things by far.

7) My kids are learning to enjoy being with each other. Yes, they still fight occasionally. But because they are together all day and serving as each other's primary playmate, they are getting along so much better than they were when they saw each other far less. It's quite a phenomenon.

8) Bradley is taking piano and has ample time to practice each day. He is hungry for it and doing incredibly well. I can't wait for the house to be filled with sounds of him playing.

9) They are both taking swimming at the rec center for p.e. I love that they are getting this training in the four basic strokes so they can be competitive swimmers if they want to be, but at the very least have a sport that they can do for the rest of their lives. My granddaddy swam until he was 90 years old. I love that they are building this foundation that we just wouldn't have had time for when they were in school.

10) NO HOMEWORK!!! :)

These are the main ones that have come to mind. But it all boils down to the fact that I'm able to teach them what I want them to learn, and at a pace that is perfectly suited to each of them. I'm learning that Bailey understands much more mathematically than I ever knew. I'm learning that it's okay to not start school until 10:00 a.m. if Bryant is needing extra attention that day. Flexibility hasn't ever been a strong suit of mine, so this is definitely stretching a new character point in me.

Bottom line: I love my kids. Right now I think this is what's best for them. None of the other stuff matters. As my good friend Kristen says, I don't think I'm going to see them to adulthood and look back thinking, I sure do wish I had spent less time with them when they were growing up.

I absolutely do not have time to blog right now, but I uploaded these pictures this morning and I want to get them posted. This past weekend was the annual Reid family trip to the mountains, wherever that may be. This year we went to Lake Cumberland, KY. We had a fabulously lazy weekend playing Scrabble, making S'mores, watching football and hiking in the woods.

Here are Bailey and my nephew Cooper taking in one of God's very best blessings, the ultimate S'more!

Bryant loved the Corn Toss game. He was actually a pretty good shot from a close range. :)

Here Bailey and Bradley are pretending to be a tree. The camoflauge would have worked a little better had they been standing in front of the woods. Like perhaps the next picture...

Out of 497 pictures, this is the best I could get of all four of them. Okay, maybe just 8, but it felt like 497.No caption necessary!

Cooper proudly proclaimed at this point in the journey, "Now we're REALLY walking in the woods!" Indeed we were. And they were gorgeous. If you look closely, you can see the water in the background from Lake Cumberland. It was so beautiful, even if it was down about 50 feet from it's normal level. That just gave us a chance to walk along the "bottom of the lake."

I absolutely can't resist making a spiritual connection here. This week I've been studying God the Father. What a perfect illustration here of how God holds our hand and leads us through the wilderness. If we keep our eyes on Him, we stay on the path. There is strength there, and blessed protection. And boundless, infinite love. Just like between these two guys, only infinitely greater than we can ever understand.

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure.
That He should give His only Son,
To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away.
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders.
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished.
His dying breath has brought me life.
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom.
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart,
His wounds have paid my ransom.

Random Thoughts:

I just heard Charlie Gibson discussing the fires with Michael Chertoff, the Director of Homeland Security. He said, "I bet the one thing going through your head over and over is 'Not another Katrina! Not another Katrina!'" Mr. Chertoff said, "Actually, what's going through my head is the overwhelming destruction that I've been a witness to all day." After a few more questions, Charlie was thanking him for his time and he said, "Nobody likes to see the government struggle." Really? I've heard some pretty giddy reporters dish on "struggling government" more times than I can count. Or does it just depend on which government we're talking about? I just thought it was a bizarre comment, and it gave me something to think about.

My children and I were almost in that wreck today on I-65. I had just gotten on the interstate at Cool Springs and it happened right beside me. I saw the car spinning around and watched a car crash right into the side of it. Everyone in my lane and the lane next to me shifted over to the right to avoid it. Had he spun in a different direction or ended up more in my lane, I would have been the one slamming into him, and there would have been absolutely nothing I could have done about it. I was shaking for an hour. Later I heard on the news that the interstate was shut down and it was a 10-car pile-up. But hearing that someone died in the crash completely stopped me in my tracks. Just a reminder that we aren't promised tomorrow. Hug your loved ones tight.

My children are delighting me and driving me crazy all at the same time. In the week that we've been homeschooling, they've memorized Psalm 1 (to music, of course), and Bailey has demonstrated that she knows a lot more than I think she does. Her reading has made some great strides. But she struggles terribly with the, this and that. It frustrates me to no end when she can read it in one sentence, and completely stall on it in the next. I'm not sure how to get this to stick in her head. But I'm loving the chance to try. They started swimming with a homeschool swim team at the rec center, and that's a lot of fun. The water's a little cold for them, but they think it's pretty cool to be able to swim in the off season. Bradley started piano lessons this morning. I love that he'll be able to practice as part of his school day.

Does anyone else wonder how many times we'll be required to watch Marie Osmond faint before this story goes away? I was really hoping she'd get voted off (does that make me evil?) but they let go of the bazillionaire instead. Marie apparently has some seriously devoted fans out there. That and a really big family.

Christmas is nine weeks from today.

I did a survey where you put in how you feel about political issues and then they match you up with the candidate you most closely identify with. I came up with Duncan Hunter. Yeah... who is that? But my next most closest candidate is Fred Thompson, which makes me feel better about the bumper sticker on the back of my van.

That's all for now. Tonight I'm thankful that I can go upstairs and get in bed with my husband down the hall from my three adorable babies (they're always adorable when they are asleep, aren't they?) I can't imagine going to bed in a stadium wondering if my house is still standing. But it's a reminder that most of what we cling to for security is vapor. It can be gone in an instant. It's the love we have for each other and our God that lasts. Cultivate it. Cherish it. Who knows what tomorrow holds?

My sincere hope is that anyone who read yesterday's blog will also read today's. I need to make a retraction.

The Lord wouldn't let me go to sleep last night until he dealt with me on a few things. Not the least of which was calling the Senate majority leader a blithering idiot. At the point in my day when I blogged yesterday, I wasn't feeling very charitable towards my fellow man, and I wish that I hadn't posted my immediate thoughts.

While I am still amazed that Senator Reid made such an error in judgement, I realize that he was trying to save face, and that apparently seemed like the best way to go about it. I still think it was a huge mistake, but I need to apologize for treating him with such disrespect. He still is an elected official of this country, and deserves to have me praying for him rather than disparaging him. It was the radical teaching of Christ to love our enemies, and I don't think our perception of their intelligence allows for an exception to that rule. If anything, I should extend him even more grace.

Last night I watched the last part of "God's Christian Warriors," that I had recorded off of CNN several weeks ago. I haven't yet watched "God's Jewish Warriors" and "God's Muslim Warriors." But I wanted to see what they had to see about Christians first. It is a fascinating look at Christianity in America today, and I must admit that some of it made me really uncomfortable.

The question about how involved in politics the church should be is becoming a pretty divisive one. There are some who say that it is the duty of a Christian to work the system as hard as they can and encourage everyone to vote to try and change the moral stance of our country through the ballot box. Jerry Falwell's legacy is a university and law school dedicated to educating young adults and sending them out on the front lines of the Christian Right to try and legislate morality. It really struck me that this is no different than the other side trying to impose their values on me through the courts. I don't think that this is necessarily the best choice.

The current trend of legislating behavior is really disturbing to me. Tennessee just passed a law banning smoking in all restaurants. Most people I know were pretty pleased with this because we don't like to sit next to smokers while we eat. However, now there is an attempt to ban smoking, a legal behavior, from outside parks. There are places in California that have banned it from private homes and vehicles. That is extremely troublesome to me.

Smoking happens to be the first target because it was a behavior many people find distasteful. But what about behaviors that seem detestable by some but perfectly normal to others, particularly when religious beliefs are in play? This is an extremely slippery slope, and any time we invite the Courts to determine our freedom, we are moving closer and closer to a Big Brother society. It really makes me nervous.

So, I have truly digressed, but my original point is that I'm feeling convicted that my political nature may not bring out my best characteristics. I am the most judgmental when I am thinking in political mode. So perhaps I should step back for a while and pay less attention to what battles are being fought in the capital, and work more on a local level to try and further the cause of Christ by helping those in need. He saved souls one person at a time. He didn't try to work the political system. And I don't remember him calling Pontius Pilate a blithering idiot.

In my quest to be more like Christ, I'm going to have to re-examine my priorities a little bit, and attempt to pray for those I disagree with rather than call them names. At least, I think, it's a good place to start.

I have no idea if this current once-a-week blog trend will continue, but it's the best I can do for now. Life is just way too busy at the moment. I'm really hoping it will slow down a little, but so far, not so much.

Last Saturday was great fun for us. My long-time buddy Ty and his wife Tanya and their three kids came to see us when they were in town for a wedding. We had a great time hanging out watching some football. I can't believe we have six kids between us. Life takes some crazy turns. Their intent was to leave after the LSU/Kentucky game, but none of us had any idea that it would last 4 1/2 hours! What a crazy fun game that was to watch. They got home later than they had planned, but there was no way to leave without knowing the turnout.

Obviously, being ranked in college football this year is the kiss of death. Poor South Florida. I was really kind of rooting for them. How bizarre would it have been for Kentucky and South Florida to play in the national championship game?! Perhaps this year will FINALLY convince some of the powers that be to seriously consider moving to playoffs. It's just ridiculous this way.

Our first week of homeschooling has gone really well. We took Monday and Tuesday off for Fall Break along with the rest of the county. So Wednesday was our first day. It was a little hectic, just trying to figure out some kind of routine. Bryant is not so sure that he is ready to share me all day with his big bro and sis, but he's going to have to get over it. His eyes are blue, but they sure seem green right now!

Yesterday we joined the BBC homeschooling group for a field trip. We went to Traveller's Rest, the plantation home of Judge John Overton back in the early 1800's. I didn't know it before yesterday, but Judge Overton was a close personal friend of Andrew Jackson, and also served as his campaign manager. It was fascinating to walk through his house and realize that just a couple hundred years ago, a former president of the USA was hanging out there quite a bit. It's hard to get your brain around those kinds of things.

Yesterday was Trade Day, so there were all kinds of folks there doing colonial crafts, such as long-hunting, doll-making, spinning and lace-making, just to name a few. You can't tell by the looks on their faces in this pic, but the kids were quite taken with this potter. He was extremely engaging, and it's just amazing to watch the clay take shape under a skillful hand. It was a great time for me to reflect on how I'm like that clay and the Lord is ever shaping and molding me into His will. I have so many imperfections, but He's able to just smooth and blend my mistakes into a work of art. One day I'll be a masterpiece, but I think we'll have to wait for Heaven to see that come to be!

Here Bradley is trying his hand at grinding corn. The stick didn't reach all the way around, so it was a little difficult, but he gave it a good shot.

The last thing we did was pick out baby pumpkins. There were tables set up for painting them. Bradley painted a mean and scary face on his. Bailey's was very pretty, but she ended up wiping it off and leaving it plain. So now her original pumpkin has a baby sister and they both sleep in bed with her at night. Again I say, we must get a pet.

Politics this week has been pretty amusing, what I've been able to watch of it. If you aren't aware, Rush Limbaugh auctioned off the letter that Harry Reid and 41 other Democrats sent to the president of ClearChannel asking for him to be reprimanded for his comments about "phony soldiers." Rush offered to match the winning bid and tried to get Harry Reid to do the same. The auction ended today at a little over $2 million. So over $4 million is now going to the Marine Corps - Law Enforcement Fund, a charity that offers college scholarships to kids who lose a parent in the line of duty. What an amazing chess move this was. Absolutely brilliant!

But Harry Reid went to the floor of the Senate today and actually tried to share the credit for this. He made a HUGE fool out of himself by saying how great this was, and that he never thought a letter from the Senate would raise that kind of money. He was encouraging people to bid on it. I can't believe that he is that stupid. Does he not realize that people were paying for proof of the absolute absurd incompetency of the Democrats in the Senate? What a blithering idiot. I'm truly astounded at his ignorance. But it's also made for a pretty good laugh.

On a not-so-funny note, during the SCHIP debate yesterday, Rep. Pete Stark from California made the following statement: "You don't have money to fund the war or children. But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the President's amusement." House Republican Leader John Boehner called for a retraction and apology to the President, but I'm unaware of one being issued. I would be shocked if one came.

There's lots of other stuff going on, but I just haven't had much time to investigate. Hopefully we will get in a rhythm soon and things will slow down a bit. I was thinking this morning about what I would be doing if the kids were in school. I thought about it for a couple of minutes, and realized that it really didn't matter. I am so happy we decided to do this. Already I feel so much more in tune with my kids after just three days. Morning are SO much more relaxed.

We are going to have hard days, no doubt. But for now, I'm sure we made the right choice. And I'm so grateful the Lord has given me this opportunity.

If you don't know these boys' fathers, you won't be as amused by this picture as I am. But if we could see a picture of Jeff and Brandon together as babies, this would be it! Logan came over last week to show off his new 'do. Looking pretty sharp, I think.

Today was the kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch. It was a tiny bit chilly, but otherwise perfect weather. I loved putting on a sweatshirt this morning!

Bailey spent the first part of the morning going through the hay maze, playing with corn and wheat in troughs, and going through a fun barn filled with all kinds of activities. Then we got to go on a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch and commence with the search for the perfect pumpkin.
The children were told to look for the yellow flowers that first bloom on the vine in the pumpkin infancy stage. Then they found the green pumpkins that still weren't ripe. They weren't supposed to pick anything off of a vine, but just look. Some of them had a hard time remembering that part.
Here's Bailey and RileyGrace on their quest. RG found one relatively quickly. Bailey made sure she looked at each and every one. When she found the perfect pumpkin, she named it Starly. She wanted to keep it the rest of the day, and was pretty upset when her teacher suggested the moms take them home for safe-keeping. She demanded that I promise not to forget to feed Starly lunch. Obviously, the child needs a pet.

This was Bailey's last day at public school. Bradley's class also took a road trip to see the downtown public library's rendition of Midsummer Night's Dream. How fun that they both got to go on field trips today.

Now we embark on our next chapter. I'm so thrilled that moments like this one won't be the exception anymore. :)

This is my friend Dana, competing in the Bassman Half Ironman triathlon in Tuckerton, New Jersey last weekend. She swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 miles, and then ran 13.1. I can't even begin to imagine doing that to my body, or what it would do to me if I tried. But I'm so impressed with her I just had to post her pic. Hope she doesn't mind! :)

It's been a week since my last post (Wow - that sounded kind of Catholic), so this one may be kind of long. It's not that I haven't been pontificating. Just no time to sit down and spew my thoughts.

I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that said, "It's a shame closed minds don't come with closed mouths." I was struck by how ridiculous that statement is. Because, isn't the common understanding of "open-mindedness" that everyone should be free to speak their views? I guarantee (based on the other bumper stickers the car was boasting) that the driver of that vehicle and I would agree on very few things. I'm sure they would consider me closed-minded because I disagree with them. Kind of hard to call yourself open-minded if you don't want to hear my side, isn't it? But that's logical, and there is no logic in liberalism.

When I was in the 10th grade, my history teacher assigned a project. We were to design our version of a Utopian state. Everyone was given the freedom to come up with whatever we thought would be the perfect society, write it up and map it out.

As a 15-year-old living in a very intellectually enlightened community, it didn’t take me long to figure this one out. I designed a community where everything was equal. Everyone worked a communal land, and everyone got an equal share. There were more details, but this was the basic gist of it.

A week or so after we turned in our projects, my teacher gave them back to us. He told us that we had all come up with pretty much the same ideas. Then he informed us that what we had just envisioned as the perfect society was at least socialism, if not downright communism.

I was stunned. It was 1988. Communists were not good people. How could I have come up with this?

As we began to study communism and why it doesn’t work, I realized that equality for all is a nice dream, but will never become reality on this planet. Inherent within communism is the inevitability that the elite few will become wealthy and powerful, while the masses will be left to misery and starvation. In order for socialism to work, everyone must produce on an equal level. If you get the same amount no matter how much you work, no one will be inspired to work hard. Apathy becomes the rule of law. Everyone is miserable.

The colonists tried this when they first got to our great land. Captain John Smith realized that the only way they would survive is for the people to have ownership over something so as to give them pride and a reason to produce. Thus, his famous "He who does not work, does not eat." This is what makes America great today. Anyone – ANYONE – who is willing to work really, really hard can pull themselves out of a situation of poverty and create a life for themselves.

Now, the left in this country would never agree to that sentiment. They believe that the only way for the poorest among us to survive is if we redistribute wealth. They want higher taxes from the working classes to subsidize government programs for the weak and downtrodden. The dirty secret is they rely on those weak and downtrodden to keep them in office. So the worst thing that could happen to them is for their voting base to achieve success.

Hillary Clinton wants national healthcare. As a matter of fact, all of the Democratic candidates want this. Even the Republicans are afraid to call it what it is. But the policies being put forth by the left are pure socialism, and they are doomed to failure. Unfortunately, they can not fail without putting our economic vitality in danger.

The latest program that the Dems and W. are fighting over is the SCHIP program. This is supposedly going to afford healthcare to our nation’s most vulnerable, the children. The problem is that the program as it was initiated was to be offered to poor families making all the way up to $85,000 a year. Our President found this excessive, thus, the veto.

Yes, I think healthcare costs in this country are out of control. I wish there was a way to return to some common sense. Spending the night in the hospital should not cost $500 to $1000 just for the nice linens and yummy dinner alone. But because of trial lawyers and insurance companies, this is the situation we are in today. Healthcare is a choice, just like anything else we buy. It should not be a government subsidy.

I guess I am just really troubled by the direction my liberal counterparts would have us go. Granted, I understand the idealism behind their policies, as I proved as a sophomore in high school. But I’ve learned enough over the past 20 years that I know idealism doesn’t necessarily make good policy.

Socialism and communism have been put to the test. There is clear, factual evidence that they are incredibly poor choices. Please let’s not put someone in office that wants to take us down that road. It would be a disaster of astronomic proportion to our great nation.

Well, I have done it. After three grueling weeks of debate, contemplation and much prayer, we've finally decided to homeschool again. I ordered my curriculum yesterday and am working on the paperwork this morning to get them registered under an umbrella program. Last night I e-mailed all the kids' teachers and the school secretary, so the ball is definitely rolling.

Because I was worried about pulling Bradley out due to the fact he had told me he would miss his friends, I approached him yesterday with a compromise. I told him that we had decided to homeschool the second nine weeks, meaning he won't go back after Fall Break next week. But I told him that at Christmas we would evaluate how it was going. If we both agreed that it wasn't working, then he could return to school in January.

He said, "And then I could come back home for 4th grade?"

"No. If it doesn't work this time, I don't think we'll try again."

He thought a second and said, "Oh. Well, I hope it works then, because I LOVE homeschool!"

I couldn't believe it. I had spent the last five days agonizing over whether he would resent me for pulling him out, and this was his comment. Just one more confirmation from the Lord that I'm hearing Him correctly.

There are many reasons for this decision, but it all pretty much boils down to the same thing. I've not been at peace with my kids being in the system this year. One thing after another has led me down the road of rethinking our schooling choice. And the Lord has been so faithful to patiently lay it all out in front of me and make it abundantly clear that this is what he's calling our family to do. Yes, I believe homeschooling is a calling. No, it's not for everyone. But I do believe it is a privilege, and I'm grateful that this is what He's calling us to.

I'm scared to death of the logistics. Homeschooling around the Peanut Destroyer, as we so affectionately call Bryant, will be a challenge. I foresee lots of schooling being done during nap time. But I'm excited about what the days ahead will bring. I'm so thankful for this opportunity to have more time to invest in my kids. Because I think they're pretty cool. But I covet your prayers, because I have no illusions that this will be an easy task.

As my best buddy, Darlene, and I worked this out when we went separate ways in Kindergarten, the same applies today. I gave her permission to complain about school without feeling like I was going to try and talk her into bringing her child home. She gave me permission to complain about homeschooling without me feeling like she was thinking I should just put mine in school. It worked then, and I'm looking forward to it working now.

Now, as for the news. I'm sure many of you have heard about the newest Rush Limbaugh scandal where he supposedly called soldiers who disagree with the war "phony soldiers." I'm not going to spend a lot of time defending Rush because he is more than capable of defending himself, and he has three hours a day to do so to anyone who cares to listen. My anger over this story has little to do with Rush, and a LOT to do with our nation's pathetic excuse for Congressmen.

If you have only heard this story from the mainstream media, I'm sure you are under the misconception that Rush said all soldiers who are against the war in Iraq are phony soldiers. He's been deliberately taken out of context so as to provoke another scandal. Now, I happen to listen to Rush on a regular basis, and was listening that day. This is so not what he was talking about.

Last week, a true "phony soldier" named Jesse Macbeth was sentenced to five months in jail with three months probation for falsifying a Department of Veterans Affairs claim and his Army discharge record. This guy claimed to have been a soldier in Iraq. He claimed to have witnessed ungodly atrocities committed by American soldiers. His words were translated into Arabic and broadcast all over the Middle East. He is a traitor.

Not only is he a traitor, but it turns out he only spent 44 days in the Army before washing out of boot camp. He is not an Army Ranger. He didn't witness anything. But he has been held up by the anti-war crowd as a hero.

This is the man Rush was talking about. He was referring to Jesse Macbeth and the fake accounts The New Republic was publishing, and the half-dozen other cases where this has occurred. If you want to read the full text of Rush's self-defense, it's on his website. But that's all I'm going to say about that.

The thing that is completely blowing my mind about this is the fact that Harry Reid and some of his cohorts took to the Senate floor to castigate Rush for his remarks and challenge his patriotism. Can we just stop and think about this? What is the purpose? United States Senators are taking up time and tax dollars to bring the words (free speech, anyone?) of a private citizen in the free marketplace before the American people.

If you have ever listened to Rush, which they are counting on the fact that you haven't, you would know that challenging his patriotism is about as ridiculous as challenging the Pope's Catholicism. He is tireless in his efforts to support our troops. They call in very frequently thanking him for supporting them. They know they have limited support from their government, and need someone with a platform like Rush's to stand up for them. The very idea is absurd.

But who is the messenger? Harry Reid? You have got to be kidding me. These guys have done NOTHING to build up troop morale; in fact, quite the opposite. How many measures have they proposed to defund the war and pull out in defeat? Dick Durbin compared our troops on the Senate floor to the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Jack Murtha - I can't even say his name without a visceral growl in my throat. These pathetic excuses for representatives of our country have spit on our troops over and over again, and they have the audacity to come to the floor and challenge ANYONE's patriotism?

Again, do we or do we not have free speech in this country? Suppose they hadn't taken Rush out of context and he actually had called the war-hating soldiers phony. What business is that of the United States Senate? He is not a government official. He is a TALK RADIO HOST!!! Give me a break.

Rush has challenged Harry Reid to come on his show and discuss this like a man. I'm sure he'll step right up to do that. As soon as pigs fly through a frozen hell.

There's a great op-ed in the New York Times today called, "Is Hillary Clinton the New Old Al Gore?" The title itself is enough to make you enjoy it. The article touches on the inevitability factor and whether or not that is a good thing for the Democratic party. Definitely worth the read.

I'm kind of getting worried about Fred. He's not doing as well now that he actually jumped in the race. But my hopes are still up. I really don't want to have to settle for Giuliani or McCain. Oh, I don't want to think about this right now. It's giving me a headache.

My dad sent me an article this week that I found interesting and worth sharing. I don't believe that America is on the brink of self-destruction, but I have long felt that if we are reduced to insignificance, whether by nuclear attack or something else, we will have brought it on ourselves due to apathy, ignorance and God-forsaken political correctness. Perhaps there's a lesson to be learned from the Greeks:
------
About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government."

"A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury."

"From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years."

"During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. from bondage to spiritual faith;
2. from spiritual faith to great courage;
3. from courage to liberty;
4. from liberty to abundance;
5. from abundance to complacency;
6. from complacency to apathy;
7. from apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage"

Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:

Number of States won by: Gore: 19; Bush: 29
Square miles of land won by: Gore: 580,000; Bush: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Gore: 127 million; Bush: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Gore: 13.2; Bush: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..."

Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.
------
Obviously there are some stretches in Professor Olson's conclusions. Certainly more people voted for Al Gore than those living in government-subsidized housing. It's quite a myth that all rich people vote for Republicans. And clearly the author of this article has an agenda against illegal immigration. But there are still some interesting points to be made.

Again, hear me say that I am more optimistic than this. I don't enjoy living in a state of doom and gloom. However, we do have serious enemies out there with our destruction in mind. Heck, we just let one of them come into the country and traipse around in his Members Only jacket making remarkably Democrat-like speeches about our President. (He actually mentioned Hurricane Katrina. Holy Cow.)

But I do think that the state of ignorance of most Americans, fueled by a politically-motivated media with only one agenda, to give power back to the liberal Democrats, spells potential disaster for our nation. I hope that Osama sends us some more tapes, preferably as close to election day as possible, to remind our brothers and sisters of the red, white and blue that we face a greater enemy than each other. Otherwise, I believe we are definitely in danger of national fratricide.

Perhaps it's just me, but that doesn't appear to be a look of love and admiration on Mr. Gore's face for his former employer. Can you imagine what might have been said during this exchange yesterday?

This is not a posed picture. My little baby boy loves books. I'm so proud!

Tonight he picked out this book off the shelf and it was upside-down. I started to flip it over for him and then figured it didn't really matter. As I was thinking this, he flipped it over himself to the right way. I was so impressed! He really understood that at least the pictures were upside-down. It was awesome.

I put him in the bed with the book and peeked through the door to see what he would do. He started "reading" it, so I ran downstairs to get the camera. When I got back up there, he was still engrossed. What a little smartie.

He's 18 months old today. We are so blessed to get to share life with these beautiful people.

Happy half-birthday, buddy!

Jon Stewart apparently asked Bill Clinton on his show last night how he would cope with going from being the leader of the world's remaining superpower to the husband of the first woman president. Mr. Clinton said he might not handle it well, even joking that he may slit his throat.

I know they want Republican cross-over votes, but that's taking campaign promises a little far, don't you think? :)

"Mom, I have to tell you what happened today."

"Oh, really? What happened?"

"We broke up."

"You did? How did that happen?" (At this point I'm totally picturing her singing "Gotta Go My Own Way," from HSM 2, since it's her favorite on the soundtrack.)

"I broke up with him. I told him I didn't want to be his girlfriend anymore."

"What did he say?"

"He punched me."

I wish I could say I didn't laugh. Think we should seek expulsion for sexual harassment?

While this still seems to be low on most Americans' radar, things are heating up to a volcanic level in the Middle East. Israel is almost certainly going to launch some type of preemptive strike against Iran if they feel that the point of no return is approaching with their nuclear program.

Today, the deputy commander of the Iranian air force said that they have a plan in place to bomb Israel if such a preemptive strike occurs. They have several targets in range and will be more than happy to take this action.

Meanwhile, there's an article on the Islamic Republic News Agency today reporting that an Iranian spokesman said that supporters of Israel would receive the final response to Secretary Rice's current visit to Palestine on World Qod's Day, the final day of Ramadan, which this year is on October 12.

I don't know about you, but that sends chills through my body. Perhaps it means nothing more than more rhetoric from President Crazy. I sincerely hope that's all it means.

But we need to wake up as a country and listen to what they are saying. A completely insane man is running a country full of people who would like nothing more than to see everyone in Israel and America disintegrated, and he is surging forward in his efforts to obtain nuclear capability. They are threatening us on an almost daily basis. We MUST do something about this.

It's not a matter of whether people around the world hate us. This is a matter of national security. This is a matter of what happens to the world in which we live, and more importantly, in which our children live. I believe this is one of our President's top priorities right now. I know he has very little political capital, but Congress has less. If this turns into a battle of the parties (which it undoubtedly will) we will become less and less safe by the day.

Next year, very little will happen outside of the campaign. The candidates will talk big, but have no power to do anything. It's up to you, W. Don't quit. You still have 15 months to go on your watch. We desperately need you to be strong.

I'd like to rent a mob and go protest Jessie Jackson. In what I consider a highly offensive and damaging statement yesterday, he criticized Senator Obama for acting like he's white.

Can anyone imagine what kind of an outcry we might be hearing from Jesse Jackson today if a white political activist criticized a white presidential candidate for acting like he's black? I mean, seriously, just imagine the media frenzy.

Why couldn't Jesse have been with OJ in that hotel room? Wasn't he one of his biggest fans?

What a hypocrite.