Conservative With A Heart

The other night I watched a movie from the Hallmark Channel about a lady that saved orphans during World War II. I was moved by the fact that one woman was able to make such a difference. Then it dawned on me that often times it is just one voice, one person, or one family that takes that extra step and makes the impact that moves the world. The truth is that we should all be that one person.

One Life CAN Make a Difference

1. Your life is not perfect, I get that. There may be clothes piled up (clean or dirty doesn’t make a difference if they are still piled up). You may be struggling with running late, being unorganized or some other habit that tends to slow down the process. There will always be a reason or excuse NOT to get involved but you have to push through to make a difference.

2. You may not be in a position of authority, but you can write to your congressmen and senators. You can sit down with your family and discuss the issues that you are passionate about. You can take some time to LEARN what the issues are. Knowledge is a empowering and the tongue is the only offensive weapon in the arsenal (according to Ephesians 6).

3. You may be very busy in your own life (especially if you have children that are into extra activities). It only takes five minutes to call up a friend, send a nice note or let another person go before you in line. Would you be willing to give up five minutes if you knew it could change the world?

4. It takes smaller pieces to make a masterpiece. Try to see the smaller parts and quit focusing on the larger image. You can be one of the grains of sand that creates the sandcastle even if you have no idea how the sandcastle will come together.

Without one person there would be no Christianity, there would be no emancipation proclamation, there would be no “dream” or Obama. One voice and one person has made a difference since the beginning of time. What are you going to do today that will begin to make an impact on the world?

It has been said that if you are conservative when you are young that you don’t have a heart but if you are liberal when you are older then you don’t have a brain. That simply isn’t a true statement. There is no right or wrong when it comes to your personal stance, but being conservative is an easy and compassionate path to follow.

Steps to Being Conservative

1. Learn history. The more that you understand about how this country came to be (from the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving to the founding fathers to civil rights) then the more that you will understand how faith and values have played an inherent role in the establishment of the THESE great United States.

2. Read and understand the Constitution of these United States of America.

3. Realize that although we act as one country we are – by the very creation of the unity – fifty different states working as these United States of America.

4. Reach out to your neighbors. Getting to the top of the game is not about seeing how many others can be elbowed out of the way. True success is marked by the number of successes that lie in the wake.

5. Recognize and accept the cost. The founding fathers literally risked everything to insure a better life for their children and the future. It is imperative that we all being to ask “what am I willing to sacrifice to make life better for my children?”

Anyone that is willing to stand up for freedom, success and the traditional values that have made these United States great can be a conservative. There is always room for more conservatives because the more success that there is then the more success that there can be.

Yesterday I received a phone call from a lady that wanted me to come get some of her plants. She calls me every time she divides her plants even though I don’t see her or hear from her any other time of the year. She does it because of the respect that she had for my Grandmother and Grandfather (who have been gone for two decades).

The character that the two of them had has carried over to the third generation. I am reaping the results of the character of my grandparents. It’s proof to me of the importance of character even in this day when your word, your integrity and your character seem to be the least important thing around.

Tips for Building Character

1. Be on time. It seems like a small thing but if I can’t trust you to just be where you say you’ll be when you say you’ll be there then how can I trust anything else that you say?

2. Say no. Stop hem-hawing around the issue and say no if you are unable to attend an event or if you have no intention of attending.

3. Finish what you start. Our children have to complete any activity that they start even if it turns out that they don’t love it. Everyone should have this mind set. Once you commit to doing something – teaching Sunday school, participating on a board or cleaning a park – you should do it consistently and with all that you have until the end of the term. If there are no terms then give a sufficient notice so that you can be replaced before you leave.

4. Follow the rules. You may not agree with all of the rules but if you will break one then how can I be sure that you won’t break another? Besides, it’s hard to tell the kids to follow the rules when you don’t follow them yourself (this DOES include the speed limit).

Character matters and it will not just follow you but will follow your children and grandchildren. Leave a legacy that they can carry proudly.

The other day I was asked about how I feel about the direction of the country. The economy is still struggling and the government is spending like they are printing money but I believe that the country is headed in the right direction. It has nothing to do with circumstances or even stimulus packages. The country is headed in the right direction because of the people.

The news media has portrayed a recent poll about the direction of the country as a rise in support for Obama. The truth is that people are seeing these United States as their own once again and are feeling like it is possible to make a difference.

Reasons the Country is Headed in the Right Direction

1. People do no longer trust the media for their news. They are digging into the truth for themselves and then spreading the word by grassroots efforts and just sitting around the picnic table.

2. Individuals are speaking up to their representatives in all levels of government to let them know they are unhappy or that they do support the stands that are being taken that goes against the norm.

3. Consumers are recognizing that debt is enslaving for their personal lives but also for their government and are demanding that the government sticks to a budget just like individual households and businesses must stick to a budget.

People see that the country is moving in the right direction because they are taking personal responsibility. They believe in their own abilities and that is reflected in the direction that these United States are now moving.

Many Americans are fed up with how the government is spending their money. In an attempt to get the attention of the politicians, the average people are holding “Tea Parties” all around the country. You may not have head about it because the main stream media isn’t giving it much leverage.

The focus is on the amount of debt the government is building up. One little girl was wearing a t-shirt that said “get your hand out of my piggy bank.” People are waking up to the realization that all this government spending will have to come out of the pockets of taxpayers.

It is not right for ordinary citizens that are paying their bills and fulfilling their debts should be required to also pay for the minority that isn’t spending responsibly. It is fortunate that the internet is allowing ordinary people to share information and to come together through these tea parties and other gatherings. Many of the tea parties around the country are scheduled to occur on April 15th to remind the government that it is the people that the politicians work for and not political groups, companies or organizations.

Understanding the government finances is important to your daily life. Higher taxes mean more challenges to living (or getting) a debt free life. More spending means more taxes. Make your voice known – have a little tea.

The Glenn Beck program on Fox News was a shock to my system yesterday – Friday. I don’t always watch the program, but the house was quiet and I needed a break from my work. It will run again on Saturday, March 14 at 8 pm CST but I recorded it anyway. It was that powerful.

It left me with the hope that I could make a change – in me, in my family, in my area and even in my country. The program launched the 912 Project which calls all of us to look to 9 principles and 12 values that helped make this country what it is and to put those all back into our lives – and into our country.

• Honesty
• Reverence
• Hope
• Thrift
• Humility
• Charity
• Sincerity
• Moderation
• Hard work
• Courage
• Personal responsibility
• Friendship
1. America is good place, not perfect, but good.
2. I believe in God and He is the center of my life.
3. I must try to be a better, more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority.
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness and not a guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have. I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree or share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them. They answer to me.

Glenn Beck has called us all to meet up again on September 12, 2009 – just six months from now – and share how we have changed this country for the better.

Change is good and the 912 Project was the right motivation for me at the right time. I intend to watch the program again with my husband and my older children. My hope is to watch it with friends and other family as well. The more people on a mission to change then the more that change will rock the world!
I’m still kicking around the possibilities of what I need to do and what I can do and what I am willing to do. The Founding Fathers were all willing to sacrifice everything to make a change. They did it for their children and the future of the country. I am taking time to pray over what I am willing to do, to give up or to become to secure the future for my children and grandchildren.

What will you do in the next six months to make a positive change to you, your family, your town, your state and your country?

When people start thinking about their debt, they are usually focused on their own future. Very few people understand how their own spending habits will affect the lives of their children. The truth is that your debt will put a burden on your children. The higher the debt, the more enslaved your children will become unless you learn how to break the debt curse and start NOW!

The problem is that children learn what they see. If they see you using credit cards, buying what ever you please and always getting more and more with out thought then that is the pattern of behavior they are likely to follow. If you think your financial situation is bad, then multiply it by ten and that is the direction you are sending your children.

It is possible to get your whole family back on the right track. It will take some communication, lots of honesty and a willingness to cut the fat!

1. Sit down with the whole family and discuss the financial place you are currently at and the financial goals that you want for the future.

2. Make a budget for all the necessities that you currently spend money on each month.

3. Put a limit on non-essential items and activities each month.


4. Set a savings goal for each month and work towards that goal as a family.

5. Teach the children the reality of the financial world. If they get an allowance then go ahead and begin taking “taxes” out of that money. It can go into a tax fund and the whole family can vote on how to spend that money each year.

6. Open a savings account for each of your children. Encourage them to do odd jobs for friends and family and to save a large portion of that money.

7. Think more about giving than about getting. Look at ways you can use your time, resources (including money) and energy to help the people around you.

8. Take care of what you have already. Keep the house and the car picked up and in order. Clean and straighten it daily. Show respect to the things that you have in your life.

The scary thing about debt is that it doesn’t just go away when you die. Everything you borrow and every charge you rack up will pass down to your children to sort out and pay. Not only do they inherit your debt, but your habits will teach your children the same habits.

If you want your children to live a life of freedom, then start teaching them today that they are enslaved by the people they owe. Debt is not a good way to live.

It was easy to sleep last night and I even went to bed early. My normal routine for elections is to stay up until the wee hours of morning to see what will be facing me for the next four years. This year I didn’t need to do that. My peace about the whole process is so perfect that I STILL don’t know who won the election.

I have a plaque that hung at my desk (where ever my desk might be) for many years. It was a little swallow on a branch: “I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow.” It is with that knowledge that I went to sleep last night.

The outcome of the election was something that was not easy to miss this morning. I knew it would be there when any of my electronics turned on. Although it was not the results that I voted for, there is still hope for tomorrow. There is always hope.

It is time for me to make a change – not so much in the way THINGS are but in the way my heart is. I need to pour my positive thoughts and prayers over this country. One person can make a difference and I intend to be that person. Join me in this new direction and together we can heal this nation.

My Prayer for the Barack Obama and the Congress:

Lord, thank you so much for all that you have blessed me with. This is an amazing country with some of the greatest opportunities in the world. I thank you for the people of this country that come together to build what others only dare to dream.

Lord, thank you for the wisdom and strength that you have poured over Barack Obama. Continue to give him Your Peace in ways that he has never before experienced. Let the full blessings of your Grace come to him and his family and all that are around him.

Lord, thank you for the men and women that are willing to walk away from their ordinary lives to serve in congress. Continue to give them the knowledge and understanding that they need to make the decisions to push these United States into a glorious future.

Paul warned repeatedly through out scripture that the time is now. The time is now for me to get serious about the prayers for my country and my leaders. It’s not those people that have messed up, but I am the one that has dropped the ball. There has to be time in each and every day for me to hold up the government in prayer and thanksgiving.

Lord, please forgive me and my lack of support for the people that you have placed in these offices. The ways of the Lord confound the wise and I have thought myself wise for far too long. Forgive my arrogance and give me the words and consistency to humbly pray for Your servants.

Heath care is important to most families, but very few practice it in their lives. Most of us wait until there is a problem before we visit the doctor’s office (or worse – go to the hospital). Men are probably some of the worst culprits out there. If it was a car, I bet things would be different. Universal health care is NOT the answer. Personal responsibility is the only way to make health care work.

See, with our cars, the everyday wear and tear isn’t covered by insurance. If we don’t want to spend big money on new brakes, a new transmission, new tires, or a new automobile altogether, we take care of the car daily. We take it to have the oil changed. The tires get rotated and balanced. The water level is checked and maintained.

Our bodies aren’t nearly as lucky. We push them and abuse them until they call for a time out with colds or hurt muscles and joints or something worse. If we treated our cars this way, no one would expect the government to come in and make it better.

On the flip side of this issue are the medical care professionals. Many of the doctors in the system today are there because someone told them they were smart and this profession was a way to use that intelligence to make money. It’s not all about caring for their patients.

Some of them have even adjusted their care to what the insurance will and will not pay. If the insurance won’t pay extra for a follow up visit (and the doctor will have to “eat” the cost) then he just doesn’t schedule a follow up visit. It doesn’t matter what is best for the patient – it is all about the bottom line.

Keeping with the earlier analogy, if I take my car to the mechanic up the road, he will fiddle with the car until he gets it right (and he doesn’t charge me extra for the privilege of getting my car fixed). I had to search long and hard for this mechanic because they don’t all work to the same standard. But he gets all of my business, plus as much business and I can send his way.

I also looked long and hard for a doctor that would take time to talk with me about my concerns or needs instead of herding me through the office like a herd of cattle. If my insurance didn’t cover his practice then I would pay the extra to still go there. I want a doctor that is as concerned with preventing issues in my body as he is with getting my insurance money.

So what is the answer? Hilary Clinton recently released a health plan that requires everyone to have health insurance. This isn’t the answer. The answer is to take health insurance BACK to what it was intended to be (insurance against catastrophic costs) and pay for the rest ourselves. If people had to pay for emergency room visits, there would be less people in the waiting room with simple colds.

More government involvement will not help. Personal responsibility will be the only way we can fix the health care system in America.