I STILL don’t get it…

Ok, when you go to any countries President/King/Queen/Religious Leaders/etc., you go in your “Sunday Best” as it use to be called. Well, everyone but the US sports teams of course… And possibly our President and his wife when they visit important people…

That said, Christians call God our King. So when we go to His house the Church, why are we no longer wearing our “Sunday Best”? Yes, I know, the important thing is to come to Church in the first place. I get that, and I understand that. BUT!! And that is a big BUT!!

But, you are going to visit and listen to your King. Wear your best cloths, even if they are not great, wear them. This normally doesn’t mean your rattiest shorts, beach flip flops, tank tops, holey blue jeans, etc. In today’s economy, at least here in the US, almost everyone has better cloths than what I just described.

When I was a child, in the 60s and 70s I don’t think I ever saw anyone go to Church in play cloths. Just today I saw someone at Church in her pajama bottoms and fluffy slippers! Yes, you read that right, in pajamas and slippers!! FLUFFY slippers!

Dressing down for God just doesn’t make since to me, although it shows to me further signs of secularization and further rot in our societies. Not a pretty sight in my eyes…

In Christ,

Don

The US government…

Two hundred plus years ago, the US was formed and we voted in our government. The initial intent was to have a government of the people for the people, by the people. We set term limits on our President, but I think we forgot to set term limits on Congress. I don’t think back then they figured people would WANT to do it long term, because they were all farmers or other business people that had jobs outside of their civil service of serving the people, and they had to get back to their jobs. This is why they had long breaks throughout the year, to bring in crops, to plant crops, or to insure their businesses were running right.

We still have those breaks, why? This is their only job. They should be working year around. Yes, they should spend some of their time in their home States, but it should be working time, and they should be taking care of business five days a week, year around, except for legal holidays and leave time (vacation).

I think it is time to take back our government. It is time to put term limits on our Congress. Two terms max, just like the President, in their life time.

While we are at it, while they are serving the public, they must continue to pay into Social Security, instead of the Congressional programs, and those funds are currently in the Congressional Retirement program, need to go into the current Social Security program, closing that option for Congress (kinda like what Congress did to the “Old Military” folks a few years ago in shutting down their medical and retirement benefits) to have, no matter how long they work in congress, to retire for life with great benefits, better than those they serve, US!

While these folks are in office, they must follow the same laws that everyone else must follow, no bouncing checks, not sex crimes, etc., with the ability to get off on them. (And when they are out of office, they still need to follow the laws…) When they freeze federal employee benefits, their benefits should be frozen as well, such as pay increases, medical benefits, etc.

We need to get our government back to a government for, by and of the people…

The mess they call Social Security Tax…

Over the last 31 years I have poured a TON of money into the US Social Security Tax system. From 1994 until 2002 I was making a VERY strong 6 figure income, and a good percentage of my money went to the Social Security Tax. Before then and since then I have continue to pour a good chunk of change into the system, all with the expectation that when I retire in ten to fifteen years, I will receive a nice retirement check form the Social Security Administration based on my taxes taken, interest rates, etc. I would also receive free or partially free medical care.

Now, and for the past few years, I’m hearing more and more frequently that the Administration is going broke (and why wouldn’t they be, when they are paying our Congress and Past Presidents social security retirement even though they didn’t/don’t contribute, AND their income can not be stopped, even if the Administration goes flat!! They will STILL get their payments!), and that I may not receive my payments.

I’m at that age group that is on the borderline of not getting it or getting it or getting a partial payment. Those under 47 today are pretty much assured of NOT getting it according to what I read on the SSA web site a few months ago. In fact, several companies are no longer taking taxes out for those under a certain age. I know of three people personally that are not having SSA taxes taken from their pay checks as they are under 40 and the company isn’t taking the tax out.

So, what happens to MY money that they took from my pay check all these years? I want it back, and I’d be mostly happy if it just comes straight back with out the interest I COULD have been making if I put it somewhere else instead of the mandated social security tax.

And, I’m STILL having the tax taken out of my paycheck today. This doesn’t have me happy if I’m not going to receive the benefits that I was supposed to be getting from paying into the system…

Let’s find a way to get this fixed and resolved, as I’m sure there is a way to do so! It will take some digging, and would include not paying Congress and Past Presidents retirement from the SSA system, which they don’t pay into anyway, but hey, you get what you pay for (or don’t get what you don’t pay for!)!

President Obama and his birth certificate…

Ok, President Obama had an interview in the last couple of days:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/38914715#38914715

In this he says, and I paraphrase, he doesn’t time to go around with his birth certificate plastered on his face.

My question is, has it ever been shown yet, to the people of the US that is, and why does he think we want him to plaster it on his face, rather than in newspapers, and on the air? In a manner that we can verify that he was in fact born in the US, and not in Africa as his Doctor that was there has said, his Grandmother has said (early on, now she says Hawaii), and those that were there have said?

Health Bill….

As we move even closer to a socialist regime here in the US with the voting in of the Health Reform Bill, I begin to wonder if our elected officials even listen to the People of the US? With over 50% of the Nation NOT wanting this bill passed, it is being passed. Largely without support, but purely to stoke egos and make people feel like they did something.

Reform of our medical system needs to be done, piece by piece, step by step not in one big swoop! Issues should have been resolved one step and issue at a time, without any added “pork”. Just the issues, and one at a time! In this manner there would be no uncertainty and the people would have been better able to respond and accept or decline on each issue. The President and everyone else would actually have gotten better support in this manner as well!

But, we are now going into higher taxes, more government control, where no control should probably be, and a time of more paperwork and headaches…

State of the US…

Over the last few years, I have felt more and more that the US needs to step back from the world to an extent and look at itself a little closer. We are spread out all over the world in other nation’s business, but we are not taking care of our own business here in the US.

As a nation we appear to be more worried about the sick, hungry and homeless around the world, and less so with those here in the US. We have many many people here in the US that are without work, hungry and homeless that we should be taking care of. We, as individuals and as a nation, tend to send a ton of money to other nations to help their homeless, hungry and those without work. I have no problem with helping others, and I highly recommend helping anyone we can, anywhere, but why are we forgetting our home front? Can’t a good portion of that money stay here and fix our own ailments?

Part of the reason we have so many homeless and hungry people here in the US is the cost of pretty much everything. Due to our

As our military continues to shrink, we continue to send troops to nations all over the world. We have our presence all over the world, and we try to control those areas any way we can. While our people are in these places, in many cases, dangerously so, we have many issues going on here in the US that require attention. Let’s bring our troops home, strengthen our boarders to stop attacks on our great nation, and work on ourselves instead of worrying about other nations, unless they, as a whole nation call us for help, and agree to foot the bill for us coming over to help. If a nation wants us there to help, let’s go to a process where they pay us to do so. And let’s only go if they ask us to come, not if we feel that we need to help them out to become more like us. (Being more like us is not always a good thing….)

The reason we have so many people out of work and homeless is the cost of pretty much everything in the US is too high. This is because each person wants to make more money than we probably should make. We need to look at the cost of making things, lower our wages (or freeze them were they are now), which will help in reducing the cost of producing new things. We need to then look at the cost of medical care. And not the way the President is currently doing it…. I also think that we could very much go back to more barter sales. They are there now, but it could grow!!

Many of the Christian Churches here in the US are busy sending their “Missionaries” to other nations in order to bring more people into their faith. I agree with the concept, very much… But I say we have MANY people in the US that need to hear the Word as well. Why are we sending our resources overseas, when there are many people in this nation that need us as well? What is a better way to taking the Word overseas is to train people from that Nation here, in the US, and then let them go back home and spread the Word to their people “their” way! Makes a lot more sense to me to go this way…

Many people are going overseas to adopt infants and small children. We have many, many kids in the system here in the US that are very much in the need of being adopted by a loving, caring family. We are we going overseas and taking kids from their heritage when we should be helping these kids locally? Yes, I know that the laws here in the US make it very hard to do so here in the US. But that can be fixed. We need to look at these laws and make it so that adoptions can happen in the US in a better manner, and with a bit of an easier path.

While I am not 100% behind bringing everyone home and locking down the boarders and totally closing in on ourselves, as I think International trade is important, but I do think we need to put most of our focus on US and not on other nations… Let’s regrow our nation into a strong, united nation and get all of us in the US in valid housing, be it hospitals, apartments, homes, etc, being feed daily, and cared for by the right people. Let us dig into why people feel the need to do drugs, as from where I sit right now, that is a key problem here in the US. We need to clear up the drug trafficking, and the only way to do that is to stop the users from using it, and to do that, we need to get a strong grip on why they do the drugs, and then snip that need…

Ok, sorry for the rambling and soapboxing. Had to get it off my chest…

Dressing right for the occassion…

When you go to visit the President of the United States at his house, you will more than likely be dressed to the best you can. If you were invited to meet the Queen of England you would put on your best suit or dress and get all cleaned up for the event. If you go to visit the President, King, Queen or leader of any nation at their home, I am pretty sure in most cases you will dress up for the event.

These last few years I have seen the clothing at the Christian churches I have gone to or go to diminish to the point of people wearing shorts, t-shirt, and shower shoes. (I don’t care what you say, flimsy, plain (and in many cases “designer”) flip flops are shower shoes. Not street shoes…) Now, I am told by many that I should be happy that the person is even coming to Church. This I have to agree with. But I don’t agree with the clothing choice, and what I feel is disrespect they are showing to God. It looks like to me they are saying “Oh, I guess I better go make an appearance, so let me through my comfy cloths on so I am at least comfortable while I am there.”

The Christian faith, in general, considers God our King. The Church is by biblical announcement the House of God, our King. Give our FOUNDING King the same respect we give our Secular Kings, if not more respect! Church is not a place to be comfortable and all relaxed. It is a place to worship God in community and a place to show your respect to God. Do so with your clothing, your thoughts and your actions, not just your actions (of showing up).

Now, don’t get me wrong. If you are of low income and can’t afford a suit, nice dress, etc. Clean your best clothes you have and come to Church. BUT, if you have a nice dress or a nice suit, or can afford the same, wear it in respect of your true King!

Look back at the pictures of prior to about 20 years ago of people in the US and around the world. (I don’t know if this is happening all over the place, but it sure is all over the US as I see it!) You see each person, from the youngest child to the oldest person present wearing, proudly, their best clothing. They are PROUD of what they are wearing and they are HAPPY to wear it. Now, I understand the kids, and many of the adults, can’t wait to go home and get out of these “uncomfortable” clothes, but they are proud of what they are wearing to Church.

I can remember seeing people wearing those clothes to the after Church events such as picnics, etc, playing in the Church yard, etc. After Church and the events afterwords were over they went home and changed. If the Church had a Church meeting that evening, they remained dress and would go back to Church again, still dressed up.

Why have we gotten so self centered and moved away from showing God, our King, the respect we would show our secular Kings (Presidents/etc)?

In Christ…