Wednesday, May 21st - Hero: Veterans

Every year at Memorial Day a couple of things happen: I thank GOD for the long weekend, and I thank GOD for all the men and women that have given years of their lives to fight for our freedom. Some of them, that meant ALL their years.

I consider myself a tough person. I like to think that I would stand up for what I believe in, even to the point of death. For sure I could do it for my family and friends, for my God, probably even for any child. But to do it for my country, for all those faceless and nameless people? I don't know. For me it would be easier to focus on who I was fighting against I guess. Even then, not sure I could give it all.

Both of my grandfathers fought in WWII, one on the ground and one on the sea. My father fought in Vietnam. My stepbrother James was in Desert Storm and is currently on his second tour in Iraq. These guys are the very definition of True Heros.

Of course, a Hero doesn't stop being a Hero when the war is over or when their tour ends. It extends to every aspect of their lives. These are men that woke up every day of their lives and did their jobs. No whining, crying, or carrying on. They had a duty to do and they did it. Integrety is in their DNA. Work Ethic was a phrase coined from their actions. Not because they wanted glory, or because they were gunning for promotions. Because they knew that having a job was a blessing. It meant they could provide for their families. Because they knew that having a family was blessing in itself.

Speaking of Blessings... I am very blessed to be born into the family I was. I'm not sure why I was chosen to be, but I can never thank God enough for it. I was lucky enough to never, not once, wonder if my Father or Grandfathers loved me. I always felt safe, too. I knew that they would protect me against anything. I also was able to believe everything they told me to be true (well, the barking spiders Papa Curtis talked about was a stretch, but you get the picture). When my Grandfathers said God is real and Jesus died for me, I never once doubted it. Same as when they told me I was smart, or pretty, or that I could swim, my belief in them made it real to me. When it would storm out, and my Dad told me not to worry, it was that simple. I didn't. I still don't.

My Hero line says Veterans. All these men are / were. They could all very well be the same great men without that experience, but I think there is something there about Honor and Duty. I think it also brought to them a bigger sense of appreciation for what we have in this country, freedom and prosperity and the ability to be with our families. I think they passed this appreciation on to us, made us better people, gave us an advantage in this world. Through their sacrifice.

I hope that I can honor that. I hope that I never forget that.

Peace, Love, and GOD,
Tracy

Friday, May 16th - Hero: Bobby King

Yes, this is my husband. He is fishing in the Wal-Mart Open and is currently in 6th place.

Now, he has to weigh-in today and he may fall, but it doesn't matter. He is being very cool under pressure and knows exactly where the credit lies. I have every confidence that he will give it his best effort and will give God the control.

You see, our life has been a little unsettled lately. The business at Cabinet shop has been basically dried up. Bobby has only gotten paid 2 out of the last 9 weeks. That's pretty devastating to a Household budget to say the least.

What's so incredibly amazing about that, however, is that every single time I start wondering how we are going to make it, how we are going to be able to buy groceries or gas, God sends us a miracle. First was the Tax Rebate, then there was an unexpected expense check, then a couple of small jobs for friends. And now, he has the opportunity to make some money by fishing. In a tournament that he didn't find out he was fishing in until 2 days before.

God is faithful to those who are faithful in him. Obviously we have prayed alot and our church has prayed a lot for his situation to change. Prayer is so very powerful.
But so is tithing. You see, through this whole struggle, the one thing that I have refused to cut out of the budget is our 10% tithe. From experience, I know that our tithe check is the best investment I make. At minimum it is a 1 for 1 return, in that I have NEVER missed that money. At best it is uncountable. For instance, what is happening in our lives right now.

If you don't tithe, I would seriously consider it. Not that God needs your money - far from it. It's just that it's a true act of faith. Face it - we put more importance on money than anything else we have. By giving it to Him, we are showing our faith in His word and His promises.

I hope to be an testament in this. God has never once failed to provide my needs when I have trusted Him. In the 10 years that I have been tithing, He has increased my income 200%.

Think AG Edwards could do that?????????


Peace, Love, and GOD,
Tracy

Tuesday, May 13th: Zero: The Feminist Movement

Probably not the most popular position I could take, but the bra-burners and other FemiNazi's really screwed things up for the rest of us.

Women in the workplace started in earnest back during WWII when all our men were off fighting. Pretty understandable that everyone needed to do their part to stop the Nazi's and Empirical Japan.

The problem is that it started a movement of a fringe of women thinking that working like the men would solve all their problems. Women who were dissatisfied with their husbands and their children started thinking that they would be taken more seriously if they were bringing home some money. Maybe the men would help them more around the house if they were equal in their money making, and working the same hours.

Sure, and Elvis will be our next president...

I have no problem with women that want to work. I think we should have the very same rights as any man. Our brains are completely capable of performing nearly every job a man can. Of course, there are exceptions, same as their are jobs men cannot do.

What burns my but about the whole things is that it has gotten to the point that there is no option anymore. Unless you marry a man that makes a great living, or inherited money, or you inherited money, you will have to work (unless poverty is an acceptable option for you). DIC's (double income couples) have driven inflation up, caused the explosion of processed foods and fast food restaurants, the need for multiple vehicles, bigger homes, more self-contained entertainment for our children, etc, etc, etc. Starting to get the point? We no longer have the CHOICE.

What's ironic is that the very movement designed to "empower" women actually hurt them. Yes, we can make the same pay as a man these days. Yes, we can hold powerful positions in corporations and government. But at what cost? We lose out on our children's lives, we lose out on our health and the health of our families, we lose out on having meaningful relationships with our friends.

For example, I have a great friend from High School that I have to send meeting requests to weeks in advance just to have lunch! The most recent attempt has been put off 3 times because our schedules are so busy.

I think that most of us are fat because of working as well. We rush home from work and cook a meal made up of primarily highly processed ingredients out of a box. It's eaten in 15 minutes before scrambling around trying to finish all our household chores in the 3 hours we have before bedtime.

We fought for this????

I bet the men are laughing their asses off about this. After all - what's changed for them? I bet most of you working moms out there have days like mine:

Wake up at 5:45 - make the coffee, feed the animals, take the dog out to potty, jump in the shower, get dressed, start a load of laundry, check the pantry for dinner.

Leave for work at 7:20, take an hour lunch to go to the bank, the post office, drop off bills, fill up with gas, and then go back and eat at your desk) get off work at 5pm. Go to the gym for class from 5:30-6:30.

Home by 7 (unless there are items you need from the grocery, then 7:30) Fix dinner, put clothes from washer into the dryer. Try to sit down and rest but realize there's a layer of dust on the tables so you grab the pledge and dust during commercials.
Fold and put up clothes, also during commercials. If you are lucky and don't fall asleep on the couch, maybe you will have the energy to take off your makeup and put on some moisturizer before going to bed. After all, we need to stay looking fresh for our husband and the men we work with, right?

Those men, whose days go like this: Out of bed at 6:40, out the door at 7:00. This way they can get to work 1/2 hour earlier than you and talk behind your back about your 'banker's hours'. For lunch, they can go eat or go to the gym. Then leave at 5, go home, eat, watch TV, go get in bed, try to have sex and get angry when their wives say they are too tired...

Now, tell me this, do you think maybe the Feminist Movement was dreamed up by a man? I mean.. COME ON!!!!

Peace, Love, and GOD,
Tracy

Monday, May 12th: Hero: Moms

If you are a Mom, then I salute you.

Mom is a pretty expansive word. This can be Mom, Grandmom, Great-Grandmom. They can be birth, foster, or adoptive mom.

You can be a mother to your child, your students, or your pet. You can be a mother to your spouse, for sure!

Basically, if you put someone else's needs above your own, or keep giving and doing for someone even after you have reached your breaking point, you are a mother.

Being a mother of a daughter who has graduated and is looking at college courses, I have been through several stages of motherhood. It can be exhilirating, exhausting, devastating, wonderful, amazing, and most of all, humbling.

I never really felt before Erika was born. Not really, really felt. I'm not exactly an emotional person, but sometimes just thinking about my girl I feel like God is squeezing my heart. It becomes hard to breathe and my eyes sting. It's what being in love feels like I suppose.

I know that our Bible calls God 'Him' and 'He', but if you stop and think about it, God is both masculine and feminine. How could He not be? You can't create something that is not in you.

And that, my friends, is what is truly amazing about God. That's what gives me goosebumps and makes the hairs on my arms stand up. That feeling that I get when I look at my child, that lump that grows in the back of my throat, those tears that burn the back of my eyes.. That feeling is what God feels for me... it's what He feels for you... For all of us, His children... His creations.

This is just one more reason I know that God is real, that God is our Creator. How else do you describe the pure, unadulterated joy that comes from being, and being loved by, a Mother?

Peace, Love, and GOD,
Tracy