September 2008

Genesis 50:19-21
19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

Wow! I am reading the Bible beginning in Genesis and going straight through in addition to any additional studies. I read this passage this morning. Joseph had every reason to hate his brothers. They had betrayed him and sold him and even plotted to kill him. But he didn’t judge them because he is not in the place of God.

God used the evil the brothers had done against Joseph and worked it unto good! And recognizing that neither was he God, in a position to judge, and that God had used these evils to work good, Joseph nourished his brothers and their children. He comforted and spoke kindly to them!

This is so much against most people’s natural reaction. Turn the other cheek? No way. You hurt me and I hurt you. I am ashamed to say that, in the past, I have practically made that an art form. Aggressive, passive, passive-aggressive — so many ways to bring hurt or wish ill on people.

This ties in to a theme that my pastor spoke about on Sunday night which is to be at peace with all men.

Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

All men. Not just those we like or who treat us well. My pastor went on to discuss that even as we do good things we should be certain that our motives are completely pure. If there is even a tiny corner of our hearts that happens to have a hidden agenda of some sort, then the action is no good.

I have prayed that God continue to work on that tiny corner of my heart, that He fill it with his light and his love, that he forgive me my stubbornness, and I have thanked Him for opening my eyes and my heart.

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First of all, the economic picture is scary. But I have no control and no answers so I try to find the funny where I can to keep it from beint overwhelming. This was shared by a member of Studly’s web site.

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This guy has a plan I like. Not sure about the math? I think I might write this guy in for President November 4th. Send this on and maybe we can put him in with write in votes.

I’m against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.

nstead, I’m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a “We Deserve It Dividend”.

To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S.Citizens 18+ who paid taxes in 2007. Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child.

So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a: “We Deserve It Dividend”.

Of course, it would NOT be tax free.

So let’s assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.

That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.

But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.

A husband and wife team has $595,000.00.

What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?

Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.

Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads

Put away money for college - it’ll be there

Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.

Buy a new car - create jobs

Invest in the market - capital drives growth

Pay for your parent’s medical insurance - health care improves

Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And, of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.

If we’re going to re-distribute wealth let’s really do it…instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 (”vote buy”) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we’re going to do an $85 billion bailout, let’s bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+ who paid taxes in 2007.

As for AIG - liquidate it.

Sell off its parts.

Let American General go back to being American General.

Sell off the real estate.

Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.

Here’s my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn’t.

Sure it’s a crazy idea that can “never work.”

But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!

How do you spell Economic Boom?

I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion

We Deserve It Dividend more than do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.

And remember,” The Birk plan” only really costs $59.5 Billion because

$25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.

Ahhh…I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

Kindest personal regards,

Birk

T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic

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a/k/a Maniac (not manic) Monday!

Well, I had posted earlier about the triple-Ds that were going to make up my day today.  So, how’d it all go?

Devotionals — My new devotional blog is up and running at A Journey In Faith.  My testimony and my first Bible verse are up.  It’s very young yet so, if you visit, please be kind!

DMV — Wow, what craziness!  Studly was interviewed by the Administrative Review people for over half an hour and then I had to be interviewed.  And then they wanted to interview one more person besides us!  I get that the State of Florida wants to be sure that he is a safe driver and all that but they were reinstating licenses for people with multiple DUIs left and right while we were there.  Studly hasn’t had a moving violation in over 25 years!  Who’s the bigger danger here?  At least they gave him a 30-day temporary permit.  I thought he was gonna have another heart attack with me driving!!!

Diminishing — I have a weight loss blog mostly ready to go.  Wednesday is my start date both for working toward being more healthy and for opening the blog.  I’m pretty psyched about both!

The Failed Bailout — I don’t know what to make of it all.  I think that the plan wasn’t a good one but I don’t have anything better in mind so who am I to judge?  But what was cool?  When I picked up Nic from school, he already knew about it!  They had been discussing it in his Law Studies class!  His Law Studies teacher is incredibly cool in the way that he incorporates real current events — on the world, national and local levels — into his classes whether they were a part of that day’s lesson plan or not!  I know that Studly and I are having ongoing talks as to what (if anything) we can do to protect our family from this economic crisis as much as possible and then, after we’ve done what we can do for ourselves (because we both believe we have to do our part) we’re going to leave it with God.

Babysitter Boy for Bowlers — Anth is babysitting on Monday nights.  His older sister (this is my 36-year-old stepdaughter) and her husband are on a bowling league so Anth is babysitting my 9-year-old boy/girl grandtwins for some extra cash (he’s still looking for a job!) and so the kids don’t have to be at the bowling alley late on a Monday night.  It’s kinda funny because when we were talking about it the other day with our oldest son (my 33-year-old stepson), he cracked up.  I asked what was so funny and he said he remembered when Big Sis used to babysit Anth during his baby and toddler years and now Anth is babysitting her kids.  It is kinda funny… Gosh, we’re all getting old!

Oh, and I found out The Love Dare is coming on Wednesday!  Woo hoo!

Anyway, that was my Monday.  How was yours?

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Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

I think that probably many of us have been in the position of asking why bad things happen to good people. Or thinking to ourselves that there is just too much bad stuff going on in our lives and why is God allowing it. Are we not mostly good people, after all?

All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. What does this mean? I have done a lot of studying and praying on this through all the turmoil in my recent life. Certainly I don’t believe that God sends the bad things or that they are His will for us. Rather, I think that we all have free will and, in using it, sometimes the bad that comes from using that free will bumps up against other people. Take, for example, a family in a car coming home from fireworks on the Fourth of July who are hit by a drunk driver. (This was a true thing that happened to people my family used to know.) God didn’t will that to happen, I don’t think. A drunk driver did that.

What God did do was to work in and on the half of the family that survived the accident and drew them closer to Him. He was able to do this because they left themselves open to Him, listened to Him, and prayed to do His will through this horrible tragedy. And they were blessed. Certainly it was a hard and horrific time for the surviving dad and daughter to have lost the mom and other daughter. I can’t even comprehend it. But they allowed God to use that tragedy to work. And He did. He always will for those that love Him (that part is easy) and who are called according to His purpose (that part can be a little tricky if you’re stubborn and willful).

I pray for God to allow me to be still and quiet, to hear His whispers to me, and to be open to allowing His will to be done through me — even when I don’t know what or how or why.

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This is a really big week in our house. On Monday, Studly has the big review with the DMV to determine his status as a driver. This has been a big, involved thing. I have no way of knowing which way it’s gonna go. It will be really bad for him psychologically if he’s told he isn’t fit to drive anymore.

I’m splitting off two new blogs from this one. I have prayed about this and I feel like I am being called to start a devotional blog. I hope to open it Monday afternoon (depending on Studly’s state of mind after the appointment). It’s called A Journey In Faith. The link is live but there’s only a hello post there right now.

The second blog I’m starting is devoted to weight loss (mine, of course!) and therein lies the diminishing part. I’m sick of being fat, sick of being tired, sick of being sick so it’s time to get serious about doing something about it. Y’all know I was there before but then the pneumonia hit and it was all I could do just to get through each day. Even though I’m still not well, I’m enough better to get serious about getting fit. At this point, it isn’t about looking better as much as it is about feeling better! And the blog will help to keep me honest. Thanks to Dorsey whose courage in sharing her weight loss efforts is helping me to do this and to Sara who is always a tremendous cheerleader!

So, by the end of the week, Apron Strings and Angst will be back to its original purpose of being a mom/life blog — probably with a smattering of faith and the weight loss issues but more focused on parenting. And y’all can all wait eagerly with some trepidation to hear about Anth’s job hunt for seasonal work at the mall, which is on our agenda for Tuesday!

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Oh, not literal angels. Maybe, in fact, heroes is a better word.  Back in August, I wrote about a woman I had met, Diana who is a hair stylist, who cuts hair for people in nursing homes and in the home for people who are disabled and not easily able to get out and about, that sort of thing.  It helps them to feel and look better which, of course, is good for them overall.  It is her ministry.

She came Friday to do my husband’s hair (to get ready for that all-important, can-he-or-can’t-he-drive appointment with the DMV tomorrow).  What’s particularly remarkable is that her husband had been in the hospital for an unexpected procedure that day (so I certainly would have understood if she had canceled) and, in true hospital fashion, everything had run late so she called to let us know that.  I told her that, since her day had gone haywire, it was fine if she had to reschedule.  She insisted on coming because she had made the commitment and my husband was counting on her.  They came right from the hospital; she even brought her husband (who is a doll himself!) with her.

This woman has so much going on in her life but she is still finely attuned to the fact that she can make differences in people’s lives — making them look better, feel better, getting her whole attention for the time it takes to do their hair.  She didn’t want to be paid — this is her way of giving back for all of her blessings — but my husband insisted.  He told her to at least use the money for gas to get to her other non-salon clients.

You just hear so much bad about people in the world.  I just wanted to share a story about a real-life hero who is making a difference in people’s lives one shampoo or haircut at a time.  What an inspiration!

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This year is the first year my son gets to vote — and it’s a presidential election year so it’s kind of a biggie! Given that, and that the younger son is doing law studies in high school with an emphasis on the Constitution, there have been a lot of talks in my house about politics.

They want to know who I plan to vote for and why (which is not for the blog) but then, when I tell them my thoughts about the positives and negatives of each candidate and how I try to weigh them out, I get the most thought-provoking arguments/debates from the two of them! Sometimes they absolutely blow me away with their insights. And the questions, good gravy, the questions! You answer one, then you get “Why?” just like when the were toddlers! But their questions are on point and they really make me stop and think.

I just think it’s remarkable that they’re (and not just my kids, but kids in general these days) smart enough to have these insights and ask these questions. And I’m grateful beyond measure to live in a country in which they can ask these questions! Now, if I can just find some answers that will satisfy them!

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Can a movie, or at least the concepts from a movie, change your life? I think so and, judging from the standing ovation at the theater, the rest of the audience agreed.

First let me say that I was pleasantly amazed to have to see the 10:15 show this morning because most of the other show times were sold out. To me this says that if you make wholesome Christian entertainment, with drama, action, romance, humor and a strong ending (just like they do with other movies) the people will come to see it!

Second, take tissues. Either you or someone near you will need them, whether to wipe away tears or soda. Judging from audience reactions, different people were moved at different points in the movie but the only ones who weren’t moved were the ones young enough to not have any real life experience yet, who don’t have the “oh, yeah, that’s familiar” kind of thing. Be careful when you sip your Coke — some of the humorous moments (and there are plenty) catch ya by surprise! More than one person sounded like they snorted Coke out of their noses when they tried to laugh.

I have asked my husband to see this movie with me. I don’t know if he’ll go, probably not. He hasn’t been to a movie since 2005 when his kidneys and liver crashed and he ended up chair-bound. Movie theaters are frightening to him because they tend to be wet (spilled sodas) and have obstacles (candy, popcorn and such) that gets dropped on the floor and is hard to see in the dark. We did talk at length about it, though, and I think he’ll see it with me when it is out on DVD. I have stressed to him that an open heart is important. I can’t TELL you how much it means that he listened to me, all I said about the concepts in the movie, and that we DISCUSSED it — a real back and forth!

I think it is life-changing whether you have had a marriage on the precipice, whether you’re beginning to grow apart, or whether you want to make sure that doesn’t happen. Christianity, as per the advertising, is a very important element and the central theme; however, I think that many of the principles of The Love Dare can be practiced by anyone and in any significant relationship — parents, siblings, children, etc. That is just the feeling I got from what was demonstrated in the movie. I’ll know more after I get my copy of the book (due to arrive on Wednesday!!!).

I didn’t recognize any of the other actors but Kirk Cameron was believable. The southern touches will be instantly recognizable to any self-respecting southerner. The songs were great and I have to see if there is a soundtrack available. One of the lines I liked best was about what it means for a marriage to be fireproof.

My recommendation: GO!

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I have done some redecorating. Didja notice? I wanted my cyberhome to be more, well, homey. It put me in mind of the song “Bless This House” which has incredibly special memories for me of Christmases in Atlanta with extended friends and family with my aunt Eulaween, who sang with the purest voice like an angel sent from God Himself, and my cousin Melanie at the piano. I used to hate being dragged to Atlanta every Christmas morning but Mama insisted that we spend Christmas with the family. And, to this day and for the rest of my life, I will be grateful. Those are some of the best memories of my life. So here is “Bless This House” for you to enjoy.

“…Bless this door that it may prove,

Ever open,

To joy and love . . .”

“…Bless us, Lord, that we may be,

Fit O, Lord,

to dwell with Thee…”

This version is done by a child and done very well…

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