Monday, August 8, 2011

So the Tea Party is to blame?

I have just about heard all I care to hear from these career politicians that the Tea Party is blame for the U.S.'s credit rating being lowered.  I hope the public can see that the REAL issue is that for too long this nation has spent, and spent, and SPENT beyond its means.  It is exactly like what happens in your home if you continue to spend more than you earn.  You will go into debt and that debt, along with the exponentially increasing cost of carrying that debt, will begin to spiral out of financial control.  The next step is the credit bureaus notice that you are carrying too much debt and are at a greater risk of defaulting on your debt and they lower your credit rating.  All the folks to whom you owe money see this and say, "Oops, we may not be able to get our money back from this guy.  Let's raise his interest rate so we can recoup our investment faster before he goes bankrupt."  Suddenly your expenses are raised, but your income has remained the same (if you are fortunate).  What are you to do?  If you have any sense, you quickly figure out how to reduce your spending.  If you don't, the debt just 'snowballs' out of control and you go bankrupt. 

This is where our nation is.  There are a few sensible people in congress who realize this and they are demanding our nation cut expenses.  So let's (referring to the career politicians who want to protect their phoney-baloney jobs) point to the commission's comment about the deadlock between parties being a part of the decision to lower the nation's credit rating and totally ignore the uncontrolled spending frenzy WE have carried on for decades!  Folks what this country needs is an end to entitlement programs and enforced term limits on all public offices.  We need to quite funding needless research programs with results that totally useless.

Wake up, America!  We are on the brink of chaos!  It is time to stop pointing fingers and admit that we have all played a part in creating the mess we are in.  Let's work to find a solution.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Inturrupted

Do you ever get interrupted?  Better question--Do you ever get annoyed by interruptions?  I confess I do at times get annoyed by interruptions.  I was born before the ADHD age so I was never diagnosed with attention deficiency, but I do seem to have trouble staying on task.  I begin to work on something and within two minutes other things are coming to mind that need my immediate attention.  I've had to restart this blog three times! 

The most annoying problem comes when I am working on a sermon.  I have a train of thought and then it happens.  Someone comes in my office; I remember something I need to do; a text message beeps on my phone; etc.  Something always breaks my train of thought.  I never seem to be able to reach the caboose (yeah, I know--they don't have them anymore.  Of course, any younger readers out there are asking, "What's a caboose?").  You see how I digress?  I seems to take me a long time to get back to where I was.  That's why Friday (the day I usually take off) is my best sermon writing day.  Sometimes I stay home and work on my sermons there, but even there distractions exist.  The phone rings; Oreo growls to go outside; a really stupid movie is coming on! 

This week my sermon is based on Peter walking out on the water to Jesus.  But right before this story, Jesus has learned about the death of his cousin, John the Baptist.  He is greived and wants to go to the other side of the lake to reflect.  The crowds follow him.  Jesus allows himself to be interrupted.  He teaches them and then feeds the thousands there with just five loaves of bread and two fishes.  It is important for me to know that Jesus had the time to have his plans interrupted.  I have often found that when I am interrupted by someone, ministry happens.

Ok, time to work on the sermon.  Who's going to interrupt me?  Bring it on!