Take Down The Birdhouse

The analogy is absolutely right on . . .
Maxine tells it like it is!!!!

I bought a bird feeder. I hung
It on my back porch and filled
It with seed. What a beauty of
A bird feeder it is, as I filled it
Lovingly with seed. Within a
Week we had hundreds of birds
Taking advantage of the
Continuous flow of free and
Easily accessible food.

But then the birds started
Building nests in the boards
Of the patio, above the table,
And next to the barbecue.

Then came the poop. It was
Everywhere: on the patio tile,
The chairs, the table ..
Everywhere!

Then some of the birds
Turned mean. They would
Dive bomb me and try to
Peck me even though I had
Fed them out of my own
Pocket..

And others birds were
Boisterous and loud. They
Sat on the feeder and
Squawked and screamed at
All hours of the day and night
And demanded that I fill it
When it got low on food.

After a while, I couldn't even
Sit on my own back porch
Anymore. So I took down the
Bird feeder and in three days
The birds were gone. I cleaned
Up their mess and took down
The many nests they had built
All over the patio.

Soon, the back yard was like
It used to be.... Quiet, serene
And no one demanding their
Rights to a free meal.

Now let's see..
Our government gives out
Free food, subsidized housing,
Free medical care, and free
Education and allows anyone
Born here to be an automatic
Citizen.

Then the illegal came by the
Tens of thousands. Suddenly
Our taxes went up to pay for
Free services; small apartments
Are housing 5 families; you
Have to wait 6 hours to be seen
By an emergency room doctor;
Your child's 2nd grade class is
Behind other schools because
Over half the class doesn't speak
English.

Corn Flakes now come in a
Bilingual box; I have to
'press one' to hear my bank
Talk to me in English, and
People waving flags other
Than 'Old Glory' are
Squawking and screaming
In the streets, demanding
More rights and free liberties.

Just my opinion, but maybe
it's time for the government
To take down the bird
Feeder.
If you agree, pass it on; if not,
Continue cleaning up the poop!

Six Truths About Trust

I read this today. It was written by Michael Josephson from the 2009 Josephson Institute of Ethics. It is pretty powerful!

"There are six truths about trust that must be understood and dealt with.

First, there is no shortcut to building trust. Rebuilding it on the rubble of lost credibility is much harder. The antidote is nothing less than scrupulous and consistent honesty—especially when the truth is costly.

Second, where trust is important, there are no small lies. Falsehoods, however small they seem, are like germs. Without the antibody of trust, they cause infections that can kill credibility.

Third, the lethal quality of lies lasts long after they're told. Lies told years ago have an immediate poisonous effect on trust when they're discovered. Think of all the prominent people who've been undone by the discovery of trumped-up old resumes.

Fourth, while honesty and forthrightness don't always pay, dishonesty and concealment always cost. It's true that in some settings nothing good may come of admitting wrongdoing, but it gets a lot worse when you don't.

Fifth, lies breed other lies. It's harder to tell just one lie than to have just one potato chip. Once you start deceiving, it takes more and more bodyguards of new lies to protect the old ones.

Finally, don't be seduced by the "I'm just fighting fire with fire" excuse or all you'll end up with is the ashes of your integrity. Self-justifications aside, you can't lie to a liar or cheat a cheater without becoming a liar or a cheater."

Abortion

A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said: Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even one year old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together.

So the doctor said: "Ok, and what do you want me to do?"

She said: "I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this."

The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: "I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too."

She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.

Then he continued: "You see, in order for you not to have to take care of two babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms."

The lady was horrified and said: "No, doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!"

"I agree," the doctor replied. "'But you seemed to be ok with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution."

The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point. He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb. The crime is the same!

Together we can help save precious lives!

Whispering Hope

When I have gone to get my hair and nails done these past couple of months, this music, without the words has been playing. It is on a CD of music, but my beautician has never heard the words, so I thought I'd find them via the internet. I'm sure many of you will think the music is very slow, and 'hokey', especially after hearing all the tributes to Michael Jackson, and hearing his music played all day. I, for one, and hopefully, for many of you, will take to heart the words of this song.

He is our HOPE!

Soft as the voice of an angel,
Breathing a lesson unheard,
Hope with a gentle persuasion
Whispers her comforting word:
Wait till the darkness is over,
Wait till the tempest is done,
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow,
After the shower is gone.

Refrain

Whispering hope, oh how welcome thy voice,
Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.

If, in the dusk of the twilight,
Dim be the region afar,
Will not the deepening darkness
Brighten the glimmering star?
Then when the night is upon us,
Why should the heart sink away?
When the dark midnight is over,
Watch for the breaking of day.

Refrain

Hope, as an anchor so steadfast,
Rends the dark veil for the soul,
Whither the Master has entered,
Robbing the grave of its goal.
Come then, O come, glad fruition,
Come to my sad weary heart;
Come, O Thou blest hope of glory,
Never, O never depart

Fire! Fire!

J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) wrote the following in Fire, Fire!:

Beware of manufacturing a god of your own: a god who is all mercy but not just, a god who is all love but not holy, a god who has a heaven for everybody but a hell for none, a god who can allow good and bad to be side by side in time, but will make no distinction between good and broad in eternity. Such a god is an idol of your own, as truly an idol as any snake or crocodile in an Egyptian temple. The hands of your own fancy and sentimentality have made him. He is not the God of the Bible, and beside the God of the Bible, there is no God at all.

Beware of making selections from your Bible to suit your taste. Dare not to say, ‘I believe this verse, for I like it. I refuse that, for I cannot reconcile it with my views’. Nay! But O man, who art thou that repliest against God? By what right do you talk in this way? Surely it were better to say over EVERY chapter in the word, “Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth”. Ah! If men would do this, they would never deny the unquenchable fire.


http://conservativeblkwoman.blogspot

You Might Be A Redneck

You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God.'


You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.

You might be a redneck if: You still say ' Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'

You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when someone prays.

You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.

You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have.

You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an American flag, nor intend to.

You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.

You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and raised your kids to do the same.

You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to a friend.

'Nuff Said

My Son, The Graduate

Our son, Joshua, walked the 'walk' yesterday! He got his BS in Business Administration! We are so proud of him. He has been working on this for a very long time.

I read the following in a devotional this morning, and it spoke to my heart about our children.

Solomon declared, “Children are a heritage from the Lord”—an invaluable legacy He has bequeathed us. “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth” (v.4) is his striking simile. Nothing is more worthy of our energy and time.

Thank you, Lord, for our precious son, Josh.

We also thank him for the other two...they are so special too!

The Economy

It is a slow day in the East Texas town of Madisonville .

It is raining, and the little town looks totally deserted.
Times are tough, everybody is in debt and everybody lives on credit.
On this particular day a rich tourist from the East is driving through town.

He enters the only hotel in the sleepy town and lays a hundred dollar bill on the desk
stating he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night..

As soon as the man walks up the stairs, the hotel proprietor takes the hundred dollar
bill and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.

The butcher takes the $100 and runs down the street to pay his debt to the pig farmer.
The pig farmer then takes the $100 and heads off to pay his debt to the supplier of feed
and fuel.

The guy at the Farmer's Co-op takes the $100 and runs to pay his debt to the local
prostitute, who has also been facing hard times and has lately had to offer her
"services" on credit.

The hooker runs to the hotel and pays off her debt with the $100 to the hotel proprietor,
paying for the rooms that she had rented when she brought clients to that establishment.

The hotel proprietor then lays the $100 bill back on the counter so the rich traveler will not
suspect anything.

At that moment the traveler from the East walks back down the stairs, after inspecting the
rooms.

He picks up the $100 bill and states that the rooms are not satisfactory...... Pockets the
money and walks out the door and leaves town.

No one earned anything.. However the whole town is now out of debt, and looks to the
future with a lot of optimism.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how the United States Government is conducting business
today.

Our Anniversary

Today is our 44th wedding anniversary. It has been a great ride, and mostly because we can always laugh at each other, and with each other.

This could be our house today!

Pickles

By Brian Crane

Goals in Your Life

Rules for Being Human

God made you, and He is the One in control, but these things apply to all people.

"You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for as long as you live.

How you take care of it or fail to take care of it can make an enormous difference in the quality of your life.

You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time school called Life.

Each day, you will be presented with opportunities to learn what you need to know.

The lessons presented are often completely different from those you think you need.

There are no mistakes - only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error and experimentation.

You can learn as much from failure as you can from success.

A lesson is repeated until it is learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms

until you have learned it. When you have learned it (as evidenced by a change in your

attitude and behavior), then you can go on the next lesson.

Learning lessons does not end. There is no stage of life that does not contain some lessons.

As long as you live, there will be something more to learn.

There is no better than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here,” you will obtain

another ”there” that will again look better than your “here”. Don’t be fooled by believing

that the unattainable is better than what you have.

Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another

person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself. When tempted to

criticize others, ask yourself why you feel so strongly.

What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need.

Remember that through desire, goal setting and unflagging effort, you can have anything

you want.

Persistence is the key to success.

The answers lie within you. The solutions to all of life’s problems lie within your grasp.

All you need to do is ask, look, listen and trust.

You will forget all this. Unless you consistently stay focused on the goals you have set

for yourself, everything you’ve just read won’t mean a thing"

From an Ann Landers column.

Three New Navy Ships

by Vermont Woodchuck

USS REAGAN CVN-76
Seeing it next to the Arizona Memorial really puts its size into perspective… ENORMOUS!

Capability
Top speed exceeds 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refueling
1. Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years
2. Carries over 80 combat aircraft
3. Three arresting cables can stop a 28-ton aircraft going 150 miles per hour in less than 400 feet

USS William Jefferson Clinton CVN ½

The ship is the first of its kind in the Navy and is a standing legacy to President Bill Clinton ‘for his foresight in military budget cuts’ and his conduct while holding the (formerly dignified) office of President.

The ship is constructed nearly entirely from recycled aluminum and is completely solar powered with a top speed of 5 knots.
It boasts an arsenal comprised of one (unarmed) F-14 Tomcat or one (unarmed) F-18A Hornet aircraft which, although they cannot be launched on the 100 foot flight deck, form a very menacing presence.

As a standing order there are no firearms allowed on board.

This crew, like the crew aboard the USS Jimmy Carter, is specially trained to avoid conflicts and appease any and all enemies of the United States at all costs.

An on board Type One DNC Universal Translator can send out messages of apology in any language to anyone who may find America offensive. The number of apologies is limitless and though some may seem hollow and disingenuous, the Navy advises all apologies will sound very sincere.

In times of conflict, the USS Clinton has orders to seek refuge in Canada.

USS BARACK OBAMA To be Detailed

No political offense intended!!! (Snicker)