I have watched elections come and go. I have heard promises made and few promises kept. Every campaign, both Democrats and Republicans promise change is coming to Washington, but nothing ever changes. Charlie Reese, former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel has addressed this as follows:
'Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both Democrats and Republicans are against deficits, why do we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, why do we have inflation and high taxes. You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations, the House of Representatives does." Reese goes on to say that one hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. His final statement is: "We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess."
I am convinced that neither of the present two political parties in the United States will ever do anything about our problems. Time has proved that and change of power has done nothing to change these problems. In fact, they just make it worse. We began to have energy problems in the Carter administration. Since that time Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, and Bush 43 have had 28 years to do something, and nothing has been done to free us from foreign oil.
I am proposing a new political party called "The Serving Party." People in this party will serve the people of the United States. No one becomes a member of the party without being a servant. I want a president who serves our people. I want two senators from each state who serve the people of their state. I want representatives who represent us. The election that is upon us will once again prove that nothing will change. Being an elected official is not a license to do what is necessary to make sure his/her pockets will be filled for retirement. Being an elected official is for one purpose TO SERVE. Frankly, I am tired of Democrats and Republicans. President Truman called the 80th Congress a "do nothing Congress." That was true then and it is true of Congress now.
If you think this a good idea or a stupid idea, let me know.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY
Write About Jesus was very fast-paced and since I was not feeling well before the event, the event itself and then Monday evening at the St. Charles Convention Center with my friend Dr. Arthur Mallory and Governor Mike Huckabee and many other pro-life citizens of our country was almost too much to believe.
WAJ was inspiring, a time of learning, having fellowship and little time to sleep. Of course, it is always fun to be with the clinicians Sue invites to this event. The veterans of WAJ and the new clinicians were a perfect faculty and mixed well with the registrants. It is special for me to watch the interaction of clinicians and registrants, clinicians and clinicians as well as registrants and registrants. We missed a lot of folks who usually attend the workshop, but we met a lot of new folks who became instant friends.
One of the things I shared at worship was that not only should the folks learn a lot about song writing, but they should expect a blessing. The blessing might not come from WAJ, but there should be a blessing. The second thought was that great undertakings usually come from great feelings. The folks attending WAJ should endeavor to obtain great feelings because I believe great songs come from great feelings. Dr. Mark Tolbert, our interim pastor said: "We should say 'Yes God. Now what is the question?'" If you want the blessing and the great feelings, say "Yes God. Now what is the question." The blessing and the great feelings come from God, not WAJ.
I could write a book about Arthur Mallory. He is the perfect serving-leader. He has always been that. He was president of Missouri State University and led that university into an expansion program that made a small college into a great university. After leaving MSU, he became Commissioner of Education for the state of Missouri. He was the best commissioner we have ever had. Parents As Teachers was Arthur's idea. To this day, he says that PAT is the best export Missouri has. I have had the privilege of listening to him and tapping his brain. He knows more about education than anyone I know.
Arthur was the Master of Ceremonies for the Vitae program last evening. He and Governor Huckabee made for a great program. Gov. Huckabee made an excellent speech, sharing many experiences he endured in his bid to be president of the United States. I was impressed by his personality and how he made those around him feel comfortable. Sitting at a table with the governor, Arthur, Sue, and our friends Ed and Janet Watkins was just about as good as it gets.
WAJ was inspiring, a time of learning, having fellowship and little time to sleep. Of course, it is always fun to be with the clinicians Sue invites to this event. The veterans of WAJ and the new clinicians were a perfect faculty and mixed well with the registrants. It is special for me to watch the interaction of clinicians and registrants, clinicians and clinicians as well as registrants and registrants. We missed a lot of folks who usually attend the workshop, but we met a lot of new folks who became instant friends.
One of the things I shared at worship was that not only should the folks learn a lot about song writing, but they should expect a blessing. The blessing might not come from WAJ, but there should be a blessing. The second thought was that great undertakings usually come from great feelings. The folks attending WAJ should endeavor to obtain great feelings because I believe great songs come from great feelings. Dr. Mark Tolbert, our interim pastor said: "We should say 'Yes God. Now what is the question?'" If you want the blessing and the great feelings, say "Yes God. Now what is the question." The blessing and the great feelings come from God, not WAJ.
I could write a book about Arthur Mallory. He is the perfect serving-leader. He has always been that. He was president of Missouri State University and led that university into an expansion program that made a small college into a great university. After leaving MSU, he became Commissioner of Education for the state of Missouri. He was the best commissioner we have ever had. Parents As Teachers was Arthur's idea. To this day, he says that PAT is the best export Missouri has. I have had the privilege of listening to him and tapping his brain. He knows more about education than anyone I know.
Arthur was the Master of Ceremonies for the Vitae program last evening. He and Governor Huckabee made for a great program. Gov. Huckabee made an excellent speech, sharing many experiences he endured in his bid to be president of the United States. I was impressed by his personality and how he made those around him feel comfortable. Sitting at a table with the governor, Arthur, Sue, and our friends Ed and Janet Watkins was just about as good as it gets.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
SOME THINGS I WISH I HAD SAID
There are a lot of statements I wish I had been the first to make. Thinking back to my early years of going to church with my parents, I recall some statements by a few of my pastors. Dr. Willis E. Howard was the pastor under whose leadership I accepted Christ as my Savior and was baptized. He was a great preacher and always came into the morning worship wearing a tux. During his sermons, he would frequently ask: "Listen, are you listening? Are you sure you are listening? He later wrote two books entitled:"Are You Listening?" and "Are You Sure You are Listening?"
During my teens, Dr. Fred C. Eastham was our pastor. He was a man's man. He used to say "I'd Rather Be a one legged optimist than a four-legged pessimist."
Charles Wellborn was my pastor at Seventh & James Baptist Church. He was a student at Baylor when that campus experienced a student-led revival that spread to Dallas, Houston, Ft. Worth, Atlanta, Birmingham and other cities across the south. Wellborn once said: "We Baptists are many, but we are not much."
Jim Rohn, one of the great motivational speakers of our day, once made an inspired statement. As he was in a hurry to get to the airport and was caught in traffic, he said the following: "Let's turn this frustration into fascination." He was looking at all the cars causing the delay.
My friend Ed Watkins once told me: "I would rather have influence than power any day."
President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: "Freedom and opportunity are not a license to climb upward by pushing other people down."
It is always inspiring to read materials that make an impact on your life. It is interesting that you don't have to have a personal relationship with people who are inspiring. How inspiring Jesus must have been to persuade the first disciples to leave their work and families to follow him. No that is REAL inspiration.
During my teens, Dr. Fred C. Eastham was our pastor. He was a man's man. He used to say "I'd Rather Be a one legged optimist than a four-legged pessimist."
Charles Wellborn was my pastor at Seventh & James Baptist Church. He was a student at Baylor when that campus experienced a student-led revival that spread to Dallas, Houston, Ft. Worth, Atlanta, Birmingham and other cities across the south. Wellborn once said: "We Baptists are many, but we are not much."
Jim Rohn, one of the great motivational speakers of our day, once made an inspired statement. As he was in a hurry to get to the airport and was caught in traffic, he said the following: "Let's turn this frustration into fascination." He was looking at all the cars causing the delay.
My friend Ed Watkins once told me: "I would rather have influence than power any day."
President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: "Freedom and opportunity are not a license to climb upward by pushing other people down."
It is always inspiring to read materials that make an impact on your life. It is interesting that you don't have to have a personal relationship with people who are inspiring. How inspiring Jesus must have been to persuade the first disciples to leave their work and families to follow him. No that is REAL inspiration.
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