Continental Divide by Tommy Nelson

Continental Divide by Tommy Nelson

 The Continental Divide
It’s October. In a couple of weeks we will have an election.  One of the most defining for our future.
One of the most controversial in our history. One in which evangelical leaders are divided who have always been united.

I have never spoken on this in 40 years, but we need to get a Christian perspective on what’s about to happen.


So . . . let’s talk politics, biblically. Is that possible? Yes it is.  One of the leading questions of early Christianity was, “How can one be a citizen of heaven and a citizen of Rome?” The New Testament answers this repeatedly.

• Jesus said “render to Caesar…” Pay your taxes.
• Paul said, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.”
• He said to Titus, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, ready for every good deed, to malign no one…to be uncontentious…to be gentle” The Christian is to be a model citizen.
AND...
• Peter said, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake” “For the Lord’s sake,” Not because government deserves it but because you revere God.
• Paul wrote to Timothy, “First of all, pray for kings and all who are in authority.”
• Paul took this from Jeremiah 29:7 as to how Israel was to conduct itself in the Babylonian exile. “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will have welfare.”
• Joseph influenced Egypt for the good.
• As Daniel influenced Babylon for the good.
• As Nehemiah, Mordecai and Esther influenced Persia for the good.
The people of God are to be a blessing to their cultures.
Not removed from
Nor hostile to their cultures.
So, until the government asks us to do what God forbids, we are the best of citizens.
But our influence in this country can be greater.
We are historically rare. We can be directly involved. We can “vote.” We have a say. We have what virtually none have had throughout history. Until 1776, no one had a say in their rule.
But . . . From 1776 to 1848, in just 70 years, most monarchies were gone. America had started something! France will follow. We were an idea whose time had come, as throughout the world men had had a gutful of the irresponsible authority of kings. Of authority bestowed through birth not merited through character.
And in the place of monarchies there arose constitutions. Official obligations and restraints set forth in
writing through theologically informed reason, an absolute law, outside of man, by which he must be
ruled, and to which rulers were accountable. A constitution - the incarnation of just rule in paper and
ink
− administered through representative leaders
− placed there through an informed majority
− who voted for those they believed the wisest and best of men, whose job was to follow this law.
− Or as Mr. Lincoln said, “A government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
− A leadership bestowed through character not conception. Would it work?
No one knew. It had never been done.
It was “The Grand Experiment.”
A government not flawless but CORRECTIBLE; through elections and persuasion and amendments,
rather than coups and revolts.
People putting people in charge. It was called a representative democracy.
And a new vocabulary arose. Politicians, politicking, Political parties, candidates, campaigns, primaries,
speeches, debates, voters and mudslinging and corruption.
The system has problems, but I prefer it to monarchies because we don’t have bloodlettings. With the
exception of our Civil War where half our country killed the other half over a breach of the Constitution
concerning inalienable rights. And I am amazed at our constitution’s invention in Philadelphia in 1787.
A group of 55 men replaced millennia of kings with a constitution in just 112 days and it has lasted for
229 years. And it had never been done before. It is said that as Ben Franklin sat and observed the
carving of the sun on the horizon on the headrest of George Washington’s chair, he wondered, “Is that
sun rising or setting? Will this be a new day in history or a disaster?” No one was sure.
That’s why only 39 of the 55 delegates at Philadelphia signed the Constitution. Sixteen weren’t sure it
would work.
The best way to govern? Through Jesus Christ, “righteousness incarnate,” “wisdom incarnate.” He will
not be elected. But until He returns a representative democracy is a good way.
But two problems present themselves in electing leaders. One is the need of getting elected and staying
elected. For this a politician needs “popularity.” The majority must like him. But wise rulers cannot
always be popular, thus an “elected official” feels a tension between leadership and job security.
Between doing right and preserving a career. This is why some said it would not work, as it would
devolve into a popularity contest.
But another problem, just as dangerous, is that proper elected leaders demand an informed and wise
voting public.
A proper standard must be present throughout the culture.
If not, an ignorant population will get what they deserve. 51% can be as terrible as a tyrant when they
are misinformed.
So potentially, “universal suffrage” is dangerous. That is why public mandatory education and universal
suffrage emerged at the same time in our country. The Horace Mann Common School movement began
just after the Constitution. Every young person – future voters – had to be educated in basic reading
and writing, in morals, citizenship and yes, the Bible as only a morally responsible people could select
proper leaders. A people and a culture are reflected in their elected leaders.
But, this is the political system we have all been born into. And, like it or not, we have the responsibility
to be informed and vote. Because the cause of death of a Representative Democracy is not just
ignorance of truth but also apathy. A-pathos: “don’t care.” An apathy arising from discouragement that
says, “I’m just one person,” or “the candidates are flawed,” or “I’ve got other things to worry about.”
But the Book of Proverbs says…
“If you are faint in the day of adversity,
Your strength is small.
Deliver those who are led away to death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, “Surely we did not know this,”
Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?” (Prov. 24:10-12 NKJV)
Meaning, it is in the difficult day that you must be strong. When evil has gained control, that is when
you must stand. You must be a hero when heroes must be. And you can’t use the excuse of ignorance.
God knows that you know because God watches over you and cares for you. And you will be
accountable for your silence.
And this is where we are in 2016.
Two candidates. Both flawed. Seriously. Both children of the 60s. My people. One five years older
than me. One just three.
Both “true nature’s child. They were born, born to be wild.” One an activist. One a capitalist.
Is it a meaningless election? Will we lose either way? An election called “The Clump.”
No. This election will be enormous in our history. As the Republican and Democratic platforms are
headed in polar opposite directions. Not just politically, but theologically and morally. Half of our
country will be elated on Nov. 8. Half outraged.
Because an enormous disparity of worldviews has finally surfaced in our country. One that has been
brewing beneath the surface for 100 years, ever since our move from modernism to post-modernism in
the 50s and 60s. “Modernism” is seeking truth, not through the Bible but through man’s reason.
Modernism believes there is truth but it’s up to man to find it. Modernism failed. Because of the
prevailing question of “Says who?” There was no final, eternal, infinite, outside of man, divine authority.
“Post-modernism” followed. Post modernism is inventing your own truth. You play God. It’s called
Moral Relativity or Existentialism.
It is the abandonment of final truth and it has dominated the latter half of the 20th century.
Some have resisted and stayed theistic knowing post modernism won’t work. Like us. Conservatives.
Holding to the Bible, a standard outside of man; to biblical right and wrong, moral and immoral.
But post-modernism has affected everything: sexuality, the arts, the family, gender, education, the
military, sports, entertainment. Post-modernism laundered sin. And political parties have polarized into
the two worldviews. Theistic and Post-Modern.
Republican – Democratic Absolute – Relativistic Traditional -Modern
biblically informed – humanly reasoned. God centered laws – man centered freedom.
Pro Life – Pro Choice
In a broad sense Christian and non-Christian.
Is there final truth? Is there revealed truth? Biblical, divine truth? Or does man get to make the rules?
Is “truth” just a word?
This is the elephant in the room. And I don’t mean the Republican elephant. The elephant that all are
aware of but no one speaks of. Is abortion wrong? Is same sex wrong? Is ANYTHING wrong? Why?
And how do we know? The elephant in the room is God.
Can we say no? In matters of marriage, sexuality, gender, abortion, or the loss of religious freedom? IS
it possible to say , “No, that is wrong?”
Can they enforce compliance to their rejection like France did in 1789? As Communism did in 1917 . . .
as Nazism did in the 1930s. Is homosexuality a civil right that one cannot resist for fear of retribution?
Can a politician or court set aside a Biblical mandate? Can they determine a human in the womb is not a
human? Can they take your gun? Can they redefine marriage? Can they redefine gender? Can they
play God?
Make no mistake, this did not start with the Democrats. The furnace consuming us, we as a country
have stoked for a hundred years. We are being beaten with our own stick. Reaping our bitter sowing.
This didn’t just happen. It was cultivated by our own cultural ideas and the silence of the sentries, the
Church.
This election will slow the post-modern trajectory if there is a Republican victory, or accelerate the postmodern
trajectory if a Democrat victory. A direction that this present administration has promoted
zealously and unashamedly for eight years. A direction with no foreseeable stops. No logical stops.
Because whoever is elected will have a number of Supreme Court appointments that will weight
Supreme Court decisions one way or the other and affect this country for 30 years. This is the most
powerful aspect of the President; Commander in Chief of the military and appointer of the Supreme
Court. Most of what the president does moves like a barge, this is a jet ski. This election will put world
views in stone. Scalia is gone. Three more are going. The next president is in control as few have been.
Three Supreme Court decisions of late went 5-4 in favor of Conservatives: the Hobby Lobby right to
religious freedom in business, the Heller Case, the right of the individual to own a firearm, and of
government property having the right to exhibit a cross. Again . . . 5-4! Our historic freedoms were one
vote from extinction… That balance will tip with this election…one way or the other.
Because, when you vote as an American you vote not just for a candidate but for a party platform. What
it believes. And it is no longer merely a political perspective on economics, defense or foreign policy,
but a theological one. What is right? Wrong? And why?
Abortion; homosexual marriage treated as traditional marriage; “gender neutral”
These have never been considered right until recent.
Why? Because something changed. Because we have changed! We now believe differently. Our lenses
have altered. Our worldview shifted from God to man. Theistic to Modern to Post Modern. Our
previous assumptions of 200 years have vanished. Will that be good and liberating? The Democrats say,
“yes.” The Republicans say, “no.” Will it be wrong and corrupting? The Republican says, “yes.” The
Democrat says, “no.”
So you vote for what you believe will be a party’s consequences, direction. A party’s trajectory. You
don’t just vote for a candidate.
How will it affect my kids? Grandkids? Our future as a people? Our future hangs in the balance as
never before.
Because there are three points of conscience that this election deals with. By that, I mean points that
are not essentially political. Not the economy, foreign policy, the national defense or even health care –
but points of the national violation of the Bible’s teaching. They are abortion, the sanctioning of sodomy
or gay marriage, and the religious liberty to resist without reprisal or prosecution.
These are the legitimate fears of the Christian concerning the Democratic platform. Things not
perceived as bad politics but historically as evils. Things that the Christian believes, that I believe, will
corrupt us and will incur God’s wrath. Bad politics are irritants, these are self destructive.
First, the Democratic platform wants abortion on demand. Over the counter. The Republican platform
wants the repeal of Roe v. Wade, or at least the continuance of stipulations and restraints that
Christians have fought for since 1973: parental consent, sonograms, waiting period and the like.
Also, the Democratic platform wants gay rights treated as civil rights. Meaning the illegality of opposing
and of refusing to participate in anything of same sex. Just as one does not have a right to oppose
service because of race so one now cannot oppose and refuse a service because of homosexuality. In
other words the removal of the Christian freedom to obey God and His Bible. Ben Carson recognized
the fallacy of this “apples to apples” equating when he said to the gay community, “Do not regard your
sin as my skin.” If I were black, I like Carson would be enraged at such an equating. The Republican
platform wants homosexuality to remain as it has always been. A freedom and a personal right but not
a law of civil compliance. And the freedom to say, “I will have no part in such actions.” I will not provide
flowers for your gay wedding, a cake for your gay wedding or t-shirts or pizza for your same sex rally. Or
“You can’t make me facilitate what my faith condemns.”
All of these will make or break upon Supreme Court rulings:
• As Roe v. Wade in ’73 concerning abortion.
• As Engle v. Vitale in ’62 prayer in schools.
• And as of last July concerning same sex marriage regarded as a civil law.
Supreme Court law forms trajectory . . . as 60 million dead since ’73 would agree if they could speak. Or
generations of public school kids who have never heard a prayer in school. Or as Christians who have
now lost businesses over the loss of religious freedom. Or as the state of North Carolina understands in
saying, “No,” to the Supreme Court on gender neutral restrooms and are now being punished by the
NCAA. That’s why they’re called “Tarheels.” Or Christian teachers who are now quitting rather than
submitting to a requirement to not refer to boys and girls as “he or she” but by a gender neutral term.
The Supreme Court has created a world gone mad.
Why do you think Christian and private schooling and home schooling have exploded in the last 40
years? To escape the inferiority, enforcement, and encroachments of secularism.
And I will make a prediction – 2 of them. If Hillary wins and the madness grows and the irrational
spreads, private and Christian and charter education and home schools are going to explode… and the
government will begin to inhibit.
And mind you the Democratic agenda is not a conspiratorial thing or behind the scenes. The Democrats
generally are proud and open concerning their progressiveness, their tolerance and open mindedness.
They are proud of their intolerance of Christian morality and of you!
When Michelle Obama speaks as she did at the Democratic National Convention four years ago of
woman’s freedom to do what they will with their own bodies and the freedom to “love who you will
love and marry whom you will marry” – the response was and is an ovation. They glory in their shame.
As Jeremiah said, “They have lost the ability to blush.”
One of our female staff read the Democratic platform and said it was “sin in writing.” That is the
Christian perception of the Democratic platform.
The Republican candidate is flawed partly because he has never been a politician so has seen no need to
cover things up. He is a 60’s pagan.
• He’s had bad marriages
• And a bad demeanor . . . like a hard pragmatic businessman. I think that’s why he’s popular.
Because, he’s not a politician and can tend to hold politics in contempt. He’s one of us in that
we are tired of politicians, of political correctness, of playing to the media, and weakness in
leaders. But he has rough edges. Each week brings new surprises, because he just does not
care! Things that make you good in business can make you bad in politics. Ten years ago he was
immoral and employed filthy, unguarded and suggestive language. But then bad language did
not kill 60 million babies, enforce sodomy, take your firearm or take your religious freedom.
He is as unpopular for his directness and assertiveness as the Democratic hopeful for her liberality.
But if elected, has submitted 11 possibles for Supreme Court nominations that have been called by
fundamentalist theologian Wayne Grudem “a conservative dream team.” And he has chosen as a
running mate, Michael Pence, the poster boy for conservative values.
• He has plans for Islamic immigration and illegal immigration so decisive that they have drawn
criticism. And some of his references, his generalizations, have been offensive to the Hispanic
community. He does not weigh his words.
• He plans to create jobs by freeing up businesses to expand by lessening taxation. Our
government punishes successful businessmen . . . to the tune of 40%. We have the highest
taxation of business in the world. Government need not create jobs. I know that much.
Business does, but they won’t when they are continually punished for succeeding. Like
communism, our government stifles ambition. Government should protect business.
• He also plans to get the government out of the church’s business and to restore religious
freedom and to protect the 2nd amendment.
• And to halt the Democratic trajectory on abortion and same-sex marriage which demands
Supreme Court decisions.
Pence has been quoted as saying,
1. “Let me assure you, the Trump-Pence administration will stand for sanctity of life and defend
the unborn from the first day we take office.”
2. “We will end late term abortions nationwide. As my running mate said not so long ago, ‘We
should not be one of the few countries that allow elective abortion after 20 weeks.’”
3. “The days of public funding for Planned Parenthood are over when the Trump-Pence
Administration arrives in D.C.”
The issues of abortion and same sex are not political. They are spiritual; revealed in scripture. When
violated they summon God’s wrath. And I believe they have done so already in our society full of
perversion, racial unrest, and violence within as well as ISIS and terrorism without. We have been, as
Paul said, “given over to a depraved mind to do those things which are not proper.”
We are now a reflection of the book of Judges, Israel’s Dark Ages, where “every man did what was right
in his own eyes.” Existentialism
Because without a theological base we have no moral base, thus people are either helpless or out of
control. Thus government must now not just govern us but parent us . . .
To a Christian, all other political issues must be subservient to these. Meaning no matter how he may
disagree on immigration, welfare, the military, or foreign policy, taxes, or the economy, he must not fail
to resist infanticide, sodomy, the destruction of traditional marriage, and the loss of Christian freedom.
If Trump is successful . . . for eight years . . . his VP would be the logical follow up. That could possibly be
16 years of halting the direction of an administration that has made the most radical rulings since Roe v.
Wade and the Fugitive Slave Law that forbid the resisting of slavery and helped foster the Civil War.
How can this happen? It is easy. The sleeping giant must awake. Twenty five million evangelicals did
not vote in the last election. We lost by 4 million. We are the largest demographic in our country. If
Christians, our sentries, the conscience of our country, step up, if they vote and vote wisely, not for
Utopia but for that candidate that will support through Supreme Court appointments the historic
Christian and American values, the rights and wrongs we were built on, we will win and regain a sense of
control. We can slow the madness for 30 years. We can’t stop it because the madness is not political.
It’s from man’s rebellion against the Almighty God. A madness of the soul.
A problem arises:
“Both are flawed, so I will not vote.” OR
“ I’m voting for a write-in candidate with no chance of winning as an act of conscience
an expression of Christian indignation - a political
sitdown.
You say, “I can’t support Trump.”
Can you endure Hillary and the Democratic platform, and an imbalance in the Supreme Court for 30
years? The loss of your Constitutional freedoms? Can you endure that?
Because, when all three branches, Executive, Judicial and Legislative, swing one way, “it is Vegas.” It is a
trifecta. It is total takeover. There is no checks and no balances. Not in just politics but this time in
outlawing traditional freedoms, Constitutional freedoms.
One that will curse your children and curse your grandchildren long after you’re gone. Does that bother
your conscience? You don’t fight the enemy by firing into the air.
Francis Schaeffer said 30 years ago, “If we as Christians do not speak out as authoritarian governments
grow, eventually we or our children will be the enemy of society and the state. No truly authoritarian
government can tolerate those who have real absolutes by which to judge its arbitrary absolutes.”
George Orwell saw this before his 1984.
In Presidential elections you vote for the better of the two. You vote for a platform; for possibilities. In
2012, I voted for Mitt Romney, a Mormon. We have idolized John and Bobby Kennedy both of whom
held marriage in contempt. All leaders are flawed to some extent.
It must be said that probably few of us had Donald Trump as our first choice. He wasn’t mine. I was
Cruz, Rubio, then Carson because they were open Christians. Most of us said, “What would you do if it
came down to Trump?” Well it did because the Republicans Party chose Donald Trump and entrusted
him with their platform. We all recognize that he’s somewhat unlikeable. We also recognize that it’s
somewhat scary to have a fellow as hard-nosed as he is to be in discussions with foreign leaders who
can be on the edge. And we recognize that he is untested in politics and we could all have egg on our
faces in the coming years. I assure you I will be praying earnestly for Michael Pence to guide him in the
civility of politics. But those things “might be”, as indeed in all elections there is a “might be” involved in
all leaders. But the Democratic platform is not a “might be.” It’s a “gonna be.” A “will be.” Donald
Trump is scary because of the unknown. Hillary is scary because of the fear of the known. Maybe I was
just raised different than some current evangelical leaders. I was taught not to lie down. I will vote to
oppose the loss of our freedom and the loss of life and the loss of the traditional family.
If the Democratic platform is enacted which their candidate supports with zealous passion, the country
we had will be no more. Secularism will have eaten into our viscera.
Political analyst, Eric Metaxas, in the Wall Street Journal wrote, “If Hillary Clinton is elected the country’s
chance to have a Supreme Court that values the Constitution- and the genuine liberty and selfgovernment
for which millions have died- is gone. Not for 4 years or eight but forever. Many say Mr.
Trump can’t be trusted to deliver on this score but Mrs. Clinton can be trusted in the opposite direction.
For our kids and grandkids are we not obliged to take our best shot at this? Shall we sit on our hands
and refuse to choose?”
Christian . . . Your freedoms are seen by this party as bigotry. Your beliefs are seen as bigotry. Your
rights as wrongs, and the Democratic Party wants to legally remove them by the courts. To accelerate
the erosion that has been creeping onward in our post-modern culture for 50 years. The river has eaten
away at the bank and it’s about to collapse. They will not stand your standing. If Hillary wins, this
election can be called “The Empire Strikes Back” as 60s radicalism, underground since the 70s, will live
again. “I have fought for children all my life,” Hillary says, “and I will fight for them until the end.”
Ovation!! “How about, let’s don’t kill them in the womb. How’s about let’s don’t invade their safety in
a restroom. Let’s don’t confuse their sense of gender, or allow children to decide what they are, or
forbid the 10 Commandments and moral law to be spoken in their classroom, or forbid the name of God
and Christ. How’s about let’s insure a normal set of parents, or not assault their souls with perversion
on the internet. Then tell me you fight for our children.”
If the Democratic ideology wins, the echoes of Philadelphia will fade to silence to the delight of these
people. Who say, “Speak to us no more of the Holy One of Jacob.”
My fear is two-fold: First that we are outnumbered. They may now be too many. Democrats are easily and naturally produced. Any who wish to cast off the restraints of divine laws can be Democrats and the arts, entertainment, the media, the colleges, and the culture surrounds and nurtures them. I fear we may be as the English at Dunkirk about to be pushed into the sea by sheer numbers. I also fear it may be too late. The blood of a generation of the murdered cries out. The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah has reached the ears of heaven and God has come down to see. Winter may have descended upon Narnia. The last 100 years may have come due. And as Habakkuk said, “I must wait quietly for the day of distress. For the people to arise who will invade us.” Thomas Jefferson said, “Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.” God may want Hillary Clinton in the Presidency as the rod of His chastisement, even as Jezebel in the days of Israel’s sin. She is the embodiment of the thinking of the last 70 years. Basically Christians in this country have found themselves at the Red Sea with no rational way of escape. All we can do is all we can do, and then, as a people, cry out for God’s might from outside our logic and limitations. God must intervene sovereignly in great might and open a way where there is none.  Christian, the barbarians are at the gate. It is an ancient conflict beginning in the Garden of Eden. “I will put enmity”, o devil, “between your children and the seed of the woman.”

Vote. Vote your conscience. And vote your brain. There is one person who I think of and am pressured by when I vote. A little fellow I can’t see. [PUT UP SONOGRAM] A little fellow who just wants a chance. A chance to breathe on his own. Who doesn’t ask for much. Just for tomorrow. And who would appreciate the adults around him to not invade his sanctuary and obliterate his right to life. It was not his doing that put him here.  I think of him. And of standing between him and those who seek his life because he’s inconvenient. To do that I am left with one choice.  And I think of those little guys he will grow up into. [MY GRANDKIDS PICTURE] Like these guys.  Do they look familiar? They’re my grandkids. I would like them to have the freedoms and the protection that I had. A semblance of a country that I knew as a boy. This election is a symptom of our nation’s ills.
Meaning:
− water does not rise higher than its source
− effects are not greater than their causes and you do not gather grapes from a thornbush.
− You will not find peace and the right from a theological and moral vacuum.
Our fountain has run dry.
Do you know this hymn?
“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.”

President Elect Donald J. Trump

If it were not so sad, it would be funny. It looks as though President Elect Donald J. Trump is already being blamed for the total destruction of the planet, all the future woes that have yet to be manifested, as well as all the negative actions that every citizen in the United States may ever commit. It is the President Obama curse in reverse.

While I did not agree with pretty much anything that came out the current administration of the last eight years, I did not burn down my neighborhood, kill police, show disrespect for the flag, or stage a sit-in anywhere disrupting businesses. I waited, spoke my mind and on, Tuesday, November 8, 2016, I voted.

I voted for Donald J. Trump because I do not believe that government sanctioned murder of babies in the womb should be a viable alternative to birth control, much less the sale of murdered baby body parts on the open market and that includes stem cells. While I doubt “Roe v Wade” will be reversed in the next 8 years, I would hope for a ban on abortions passed 19 weeks.

I voted for Donald J. Trump because I believe he will be a strong leader; he can be a catalyst to bring the country together; be a driving force in bringing jobs back to the United States of America; make a dent in the national debt by making the USA more friendly to job creation and by making it easier for childcare to be obtained within the workplace; and I believe he will increase our national security.

There have always been those on both sides that want to dissolve the Electoral College when their candidate loses. Popular votes are nice but it is naive to think that mob rule is a viable alternative. We are not a true Democracy. We are a Democratic Republic.

When Barack Obama became President, I was disappointed. While Romney was not my first choice I grit my teeth, held my nose and voted for him. There were other Republican candidates I would have preferred and I would have gladly voted for Herman Caine or Alan Keyes, My first choice for 2016 was Dr. Ben Carson, but I supported Donald Trump after he won the RNC nomination.

We have forgotten one thing in this election cycle – “Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of our peers.” It never was and never should be “Innocent until proven guilty in the court of public opinion.” While former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's crimes were broadcast for all the world to see, there is still that thing that we need to cling to – “Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of our peers.” No one person, no matter how powerful they are should be above the law, but they are also entitled to “Due Process” in a court of law. And, no, I am not giving her a pass. I am just saying that she is entitled to her day in an actual court.

Now it is time to stop the madness, if at all possible, pick our collective selves up by our bootstraps and try to work together. We can do it, as a country. Yes, the man, Donald Trump, said stupid, unkind and hurtful things. Haven't you? He is making the effort to become more Presidential. One thing I do hope he stops is his tweeting. Can we just try to work together until June 1, 2017? He will be President, not King. There will be only so much he can do.   

Ah, the Wisdom(?) of Not Paying Attention

In this day of electronic gizmos and cyber space, if one blinks, the screen can change, computers and phones can crash leaving us wondering where our world went. 

In the fog of cyber space we are then left with days of picking up the scattered, sometimes shattered pieces of our lives.  OR, maybe just trying to figure out settings for blogger and how in cyber space do I get my domain name renewed. 

Three weeks later, many hours on the computer, 3 phone calls of varying lengths, a moderate number of  temper tantrums, beeps and a few 'expletives deleted' and 2 nasty headaches, I FINALLY DID IT?!

The question mark is because I now have to wait until the domain name is fully registered.  During one of my moments of frustrated aggravation, I deleted my link to my domain name in blogger.  That was not smart.  Ah well.  Today after 3 hours of grumbling, calling and such, I got it done, but I have to wait 48 hours for everything to return to normal as a result of my impatience. 

You all have a GREAT day!

Shalom!  Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!!

The Morning After

The polls have been closed for hours.  There has probably been a rise in the intake of antacids and tranquilizers as people get over the "stunning upset" in the election for President of the United States of America.  It was a hard fought battle.  Donald Trump gave it his all and won.

We are rejoicing or we are weeping and spending the day hiding under the covers.  We are gloating over our win or we are in denial and cursing our loss.  This election was between not two people, but two polar opposite ideologies.  

The Continental Divide is a video that describes what was and is at stake.  It is well worth the time to watch.

Now we must take action.  What kind of action depends on how committed we are to bringing this country to a better place.  

If your choice lost, do you intensify the racial divide and try to make it as uncomfortable as possible every step of the way, or do you find points of commonality where disparate sides can come together and work toward a better tomorrow?

If your candidate won, how long do you gloat and how long do you continue with the disparaging remarks and memes?  

There are certain things over which we cannot compromise.  I voted for Donald J. Trump because he stood for life, Christian religious freedom, less government intrusion, better border security, fairer trade and business practices which bring jobs back to the marketplace, and a return to the rule of law.  It will not be an easy job.  He will not be able to accomplish everything, but he will accomplish something.  He has already given us hope.  And we desperately needed a good dose of hope.   

But what, if anything, do "We the People" do now?  One thing we should not do is sit back and wait to see what the next election brings about.  We should not wait to see what President Trump will do over the next four years.  We should stay involved; hold his feet to the fire, get involved locally and pray!  Our apathy, our lack of interest in what happens in Washington DC with that "what-can-I-do" attitude is what got us in the shape we are in now.  That crappy attitude almost set us on a very bad course.  You cannot afford the luxury of thinking that we won so we can relax.  We have only just begun.

We have to work harder than we ever did the last 18 months.  We have to learn to show compassion without compromise.  We have taken the first step of an arduous journey.  The journey will only end if you sit back and refuse to take another step or you finish the journey with all the blisters and scars that come with it.  We are up to it with GOD'S help.  It will not and should not be easy!  Nothing worth fighting for should come easy.

Shalom!  Pray for the PEACE of an undivided Jerusalem!

We no longer live in a country of law and order

We no longer live in a country of law and order. The rioting and lawlessness is an orchestrated and well planned attack upon this nation and its law enforcement officers perpetrated by those in power with the money and will to buy off both black and white in order to fulfill their nefarious goal. Problematic people on both sides are being used to accelerate the violence against the races in order to create an environment in which the Federal Government can assume total control over every individual regardless of color or religion.

The impact of such a decision and actions will be, not to maintain law and order, but to gain control over a populace that insists the government has never given us freedom and therefore cannot take it away. There is no place for freedom within the confines of a Communist nor Socialist tyranny.

As the time grows near for the United Nations, Multi-National Forces or whatever name is applied to the invaders, fear will grow; fear prompted by riots, looting and anarchy. As the fear grows so will the desire for the Government to step in and take control and rid the citizenry of the 'haters', the ones who would maintain the laws of GOD and man. Will we be eliminated? Will we be made examples of? Will we be herded into re-education camps?

Reagan on America's Spiritual Crisis, Part 1
Reagan on America's Spiritual Crisis, Part 2
A Nation Begging for Destruction, Part 1 
A Nation Begging for Destruction, Part 2
A Nation Begging for Destruction, Part 3

Shalom! Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!

For Such a Time as This...

I struggle with the desire to become more politically active and the desire to serve GOD. Do I assume that GOD will not need me to do HIS will and I should stay out of it? Or, do I see the injustice as an insult to GOD as David, the shepherd, did and call Goliath out?

I do not assume to compare myself to David, who loved GOD with all of his heart in-spite of his wayward flesh. David was chosen by GOD to lead the nation of Israel. I was born for such a time as this.

Becoming politically active is more of a calling now than prior to the founding of this country. We, as citizens, were given a voice at the very founding of this country. We have been blessed, as a country due to our adherence to moral virtue put forth by ALMIGHTY GOD. In today's social structure we have tolerated, allowed, then embraced sin of all kinds. We have bowed the knee to special interests all in the mistaken belief that we would be seen as harsh or heartless if we did not. Meekness has been turned into a sign of weakness and given over to an orgy of licentious behavior. Forsaking GOD, we have become confused as to the very nature of our being. We no longer know even if we are male or female, and we desire to pass this confusion on to the innocence of childhood.

So politics is the cause of my angst. Deep sorrow consumes me as I see the Muslim influence grow ever stronger within this country, this United States of America, this country that I love. This country was indeed founded as a Christian country. Sharia law was never to be a part of it. Muslim contributions forced us to create the Marines who had to retrieve our ships and our countrymen from the Islamic terrorists who pirated our seas. We chased them from the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli. THAT was the extent of the Muslim contributions to the United States of America.

I am no longer silent. I have awakened. I am woman, hear me roar. I am NOT with her. I am with GOD ALMIGHTY and HIS NAME IS NOT allah. HIS NAME is JEHOVAH, YHWH!

This is a religious war. It is one that was declared upon all humanity 670 AD. We, the United States of America, did not declare it. But we sure can finish it!

Shalom!  Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!!

Oh, it's been a difficult week!

As I sit here in front of my computer, I think of those little, might I say petty, hardships I have had in my life.  My greatest disaster [feel free to add a great deal of sarcasm] the past several days has been that I lost, misplaced actually, a crochet pattern to a Christening Set that is just short 1 booty.

You crocheters out there may sense my distress at working so long and hard to finish this intricate pattern only to lose it just as the end is in sight.

I am distressed, but could actually give a whit about the pattern.  My concern is why it bothers me so.  My life is not in danger.  Our home is intact.  My husband is a saint (except for those tiny things that men do - seat up, whiskers in sink, dirty laundry on floor, etc.).  My child is brilliant, has a beautiful wife, and a stunning child.  And I am distressed over a pattern. 

That could all change in a heartbeat.  An accident changes things in less than 8 seconds.  That is how long it took my car to go ever so slightly off the edge of the road, hit a culvert, fly across the ditch, cross the road and land in a neighbor's yard.  It probably took me longer to write this than it took for the accident to happen.  I was quite fortunate.  My back was only broken in 1 place, my wrist in three, but the rest of my body was intact.  It only took a year to recuperate.  Well, for the most part.  But it could have been very different.  At my age, I could have broken a great deal more.  Recovery could have taken much longer.

I am blessed.  There are no imminent threats against my person.  No one is shooting at me.  No one is wielding a knife at me.  Or am I just looking at things through the fog of laxity?  And, yes, that is a real word.  Quite close to laxative.  When could say I was looking through a fog of loose bovine excrement. 

The terror is real.  The terror is out there.  I have no illusions about that.  All anyone has to do is turn on the "boob tube" as it was once called; check Facebook; look at any news site; and it is all there in glorious color.

The thing about where I live is that we tend to shoot back.  Most of us can and do own and know how to use a gun, actually many guns of various sorts and sizes.  Wyoming and Montana are wonderful states but is it ever cold!  That is not a question.  It is a statement.  Someone asked me why there were no reports of drive-by shootings in those northwestern states.  My response was, "They shoot back.  And besides 40 below keeps the riffraff out."  If you have ever been where it gets really cold, cold enough to freeze the metal in your wheels, you definitely understand. Cold produces its own speical kind of crazy.  Just like the desert produces its own really special wackos that actually want WW3.

No, I do not advocate more gun laws to keep guns out of the hands of citizens.  It should be easier for a citizen to purchase a gun, not harder.  Felons should not be allowed to ever own a gun if they commit a crime of rape, child molestation, or murder and are convicted of such even if they did not use a gun.  If a politician has armed security, they should never be allowed to advocate for any restrictions of gun ownership.  For one thing, they do not believe what they say, or they would not allow their security to carry guns. 

Back to the subject of terror.  Two percent of a billion followers of Islam are Islamic Extremists determined to overthrow everyone else by violent terrorist means.  The other 98% are going to patiently infiltrate government offices, schools, clubs, and every other aspect of our lives, smiling all the way, bit by bit changing laws, changing rules, and gaining control.  Doing all of this right under our noses in broad daylight, while we blink, sneeze or fart and look the other way.  We gradually lose our rights to say what we think, dress as we choose, work where we desire and be who we want to be.  More importantly, we lose the right to worship the ONE TRUE GOD, because it might offend someone.  We lose the backbone to say JESUS CHRIST IS LORD.

And I say, "BOVINE EXCREMENT!!"  Is there anything worth dying for?  You bet your sweet patooty there is! 

I am weary of the violent foreplay that these terrorists promote.  The kind that gets them sent straight to Hell and not to their mythical virgins.  It is time to eliminate their heinous asses. 

SHALOM!  Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!!

Can you REALLY give more than 100 percent?

I stole this from an email that was sent to me this morning but I cleaned it up.   It brings up a good point.  Can you really give more than 100%

No, I don't believe it is always true, but it does answer the question about some businesses.

***********************************************************************************************

This comes from 2 math teachers with a combined total of 70 yrs. experience.
It has an indisputable mathematical logic. It also made me Laugh Out Loud.
This is a strictly mathematical viewpoint...it goes like this: 
What Makes 100%?
What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?
Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%.
How about achieving 103%?
What makes up 100% in life? Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions: If: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z is represented as: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. Then: 
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K 
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98% 
and 
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E 
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96% 
But , 
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E 
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100% 
And, 
H-O-R-S-E-H-O-C-K-E-Y
8+15+18+19+5+8+15+3+11+5+25 = 132% 
AND, look how far brown nosing will take you. 
B-R-O-W-N-N-O-S-I-N-G 
2+18+15+23+14+14+15+19+9+14+7 = 150% 
 
So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty, that while Hard work and
Knowledge will get you close, and
Attitude will get you there, its the
Horse Hockey and Brown Nosing that will put you over the top.

Now I know why some people are where they are.

We Are Closer Than We Were

It seems, if only from the news headlines, that the entire world has gone mad, stark raving, toenail biting mad, nuts, and downright crazy. 

In my lifetime, there has never been as much idiocy as I have seen from politicians in my own country.  When brawls and screaming fits happen in other countries, it was mildly humorous.  But when it happens here, it is embarrassing and totally pointless.  It is all in the perspective one has. 

Rather than listen respectfully to opposing opinions, the Democrats decide the grown-up adult thing to do is stage a sit-in and block any progress that even had a modicum of a chance.  They screamed and yelled at one another like 18 month olds.  A 2 year old would have better sense.  And at least a 2 year old would not need help getting off the floor.  Bunch of old coots trying to relive childhood memories.

And they wonder why Donald Trump has gained so much traction.  How could he not?  He does listen to people. 

May GOD have mercy on us all.

Shalom!  Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!

The One That Got Away

You have all heard the fish tales of the fish that grows with each telling, and the fight to bring land it was long and arduous.  Of course that was long before cell phones with video cameras and instant access to Facebook.  There is no longer any joy in telling a 'story' than can be instantly refuted.

Then there is always the story about that special someone who slipped through our grasp and was gone before we could explain that the horrible act we committed was not a true picture of who we really are.  But the skid marks they left as they pulled away told a different story.  Youth seems to be wasted upon the young.  But then, we were or are all young once.

We were the one who got away from some unfortunate soul   We saw them at their worst and suddenly, before they could whip out their litany of excuses and beg us to stay, we were gone.

There is only One who cannot lose someone under any circumstance and that is GOD HIMSELF.  Once we become HIS there is nothing nor no one who can rip us from HIS grasp.  HE will never leave us, nor forsake us.  HE simply will not, no can not let one get away. 

Shalom!  Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!

Today, A Friend of 13 Years Died

Sweety's favorite spot. 

Today we lost a dear friend of 13 years. Sweety, our little tan nuisance left this world about 12:30pm. She was just a dog. But what a dog she was. She was a faithful follower, the kind we should be of CHRIST. She loved my husband the most. She followed him all over the property even though sometimes he forgot how slow her little legs would carry her and marched ahead without her.

Human life is above animal life as humans are the only creatures made in the very image of GOD.  There is no reason to place the life of a dog, dolphin, nor snowy white owl above the life or needs of the human race. I have heard many adults, parents of grown children, talk to and about their pets with more regard than their own children.  Some will even admit out loud and with great assurance that those little dogs or cats love them more than their own children do.  

Really?  I mean I like my pets, may even have great affection for them.  Some may say that I love them although I don't want to admit it.  Perhaps.  BUT!  I love my my husband, my child, my sister, and a several others a great deal more than any animal and would never put the welfare of an animal above them.  We are not all equal here on this earth.  We never were.  We were created in the beginning to be different.  We, humans, were created and the first job ever done was the naming of the animals by the first human.  Caretakers of the Garden, Stewards of the Earth's resources, and other titles were supposed to be ours.  We have, instead raped and pillaged the resources and out of a guilty conscience have elevated the animals above that of humanity.  

We have 5 more dogs.  We are pet owners.  We are not pet parents.  No way did I ever give birth to any 4 legged critter.  I was not Sweety's mom.  I was her owner, her caretaker, her everything (except when hubby was around).  I made sure she was fed if he forgot or at least fixed their food.  Nagged him to take them to the vet.  Reminded him to buy food although he seldom forgot to get them treats.  Nagged him to not give them table scraps. And the list goes on.  Shots, checkups, nail trims, anal gland expression, etc.  When we bought them or took the strays in, we assumed a responsibility to care for these, GOD'S creatures to the best of our ability.  Which we have tried to do.  Sometimes we do without things so they can eat better or get medical care.  We do it willingly because we choose to do it.  We don't have children living at home and we are not taking from anyone in order to care for them.

I will miss Sweety.   I held her in my arms as she died.  She was a good dog.  She was affectionate and demanding.  She was a good dog.  I will miss my little tan nuisance terribly for awhile.  Then I will miss the others terribly for awhile.  I do not know if they go to Heaven and don't want to get into that discussion here.  I want to be left with the hope that maybe sometime in eternity I will see her again and she won't remember that I called probably her 'turd' more than I called her 'Sweety.'

Shalom!  Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!

KISS

Some famous (or should I say infamous) person said, "It's the economy, stupid!"   And from there went on to prove that you do not have to have even an adequate knowledge of the simple word is to become President of the United States; nor do you have to possess high moral values; nor even a love for this country or the very Constitution upon which the United States of America was founded.

It appears that the very thing that has kept us free these 200 plus years is now on the endangered species list. The Constitution has always been a singular bastion of Freedom finding its roots in a field in England at Runnymede, near Windsor, as the Magna Carta Libertatum was signed by King John on June 15, 1215. And if you want to know more, simply follow this link.

We can be better than we are with GOD'S help. We seem, as a populace, to be outraged at the indiscretions of our leaders, while setting a worse example within our own state, even within our own homes.

We the people, of these United States of America, in order to form a more perfect union, chose to allow freedom to reign in the area of Worship, specifically, the worship of the Christian GOD and all that entails. It was not, in any sense to mean the promotion of Satanism as a religion, nor any of the offshoots in the form of pornography, child abuse and sexual exploitation. Nor was the Constitution in anyway supportive of abortion, hence the words when we declared our independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...” (Just as an aside, the original word was not "Happiness" but "Holiness."  Imagine our take on the Constitution had that word stood as originally written.)  

We are no longer happy.  We are in no way Holy.  We are, however, enlightened. 

Now, it appears that we have become so enlightened that we no longer fear GOD nor respect HIS creation and kill our babies in the womb, eradicating our tax base (to put it in a more economics based perspective) and thereby assuring the knowledge of millions of people would be lost before it was ever discovered.

We are so enlightened that we no longer know who or even what we are. It appears that a lack of faith in GOD has proven to be our downfall in ways only Maximilien de Robespierre could have imagined. Although we have diminished the racial problem, now that we can self-identify as whatever race we choose, whatever sex we choose. And that is a good thing. Right? Affirmative action is no longer necessary as a white woman can now pass, excuse me, self-identify, as a black woman or even a black man and get hired as such. Wish I had known that when I was trying to gain entrance to University of Virginia in 1967 for an occupation other than nursing or teaching. I should have just cut my hair, put a sock in my drawers, bound my chest and gone as a man.

We are so enlightened that we do not even know what bathroom to use or even if we should. We have every appearance of being ashamed of this country and wanting it to be on a level playing field with third world countries, so why even have bathrooms, restrooms in public? Just use the one at home or go behind a tree. We are now living in fear due to the ridiculous. Our children are growing up in a time that only science fiction pornography used to promote. It is now here. In our attempt to label predators, we have made their faces and residences available on-line in a matter of seconds. There are apps that will notify you if a sex offender has moved into your neighborhood. The only problem is that we have yet to deal with the issue that causes them in the first place. .We have crime shows by the dozens for your viewing pleasure on an hourly basis. We have shows that deal solely with the solving of crime.

Over the years we have given the perpetrators as many rights as the victims of their hideous crimes. We have come to the conclusion that we must be more tolerant and, “Can't we all just get along?”

The simple answer is, “No, we can't.” JESUS said, “The poor you will have with you always..” I would like to also say that just like the poor, evil will be with us always until HIS return. Incarceration, while it does not stop evil, will at the very least confine it to a cell in a building; just as the death penalty cuts down on recidivism while not annihilating evil.

Things really are simpler than we like to think. You can change the shape of a person through surgery and drugs, but you still cannot change the DNA. There are true human anomalies such as chimera and hermaphrodites, but they are rarities. The attraction for the same sex is nothing new. Adultery is nothing new. Lying is nothing new. Sin has been around since the first act of disobedience. Humanity simply tolerates it, embraces it, and now calls it good. All the while calling those of us who wish to embrace GOD'S will and the tenets of Scripture as somehow hateful and evil. It won't be long before the fireman who saves a person from a burning building will be called hateful because, “maybe they wanted to burn up, and that fireman should have been more tolerant of that persons identity at the moment.”

May GOD have mercy on us!

Shalom! Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!

As Promised - The "Shocking Truth" about ViSalus and other MLM Businesses

Okay, I have given this a great deal of thought and am now prepared to tell you what you already know.

Multi-Level-Marketing, otherwise known as MLM is the basis for the majority of home-based businesses.  As long as you have or produce a product for sale it is not a "Pyramid Scheme."  That should come as no surprise since all business is built upon a pyramid type structure.  It starts with a single person who has a great idea, say Mr. Hershey and his idea for a chocolate bar.   He drags all his family into this wild idea for selling what most sane people make at home.  It's a hit!  He starts his factory with friends and neighbors investing and people coming to work in his factory.

Now Mr. Hershey becomes the President and CEO (1) of his company and has Vice Presidents (2) to help with running the company.  Then he has department heads (6) and supervisors (20) and then all the little people doing all the work. And guess what?  It resembles a pyramid.

Pres/CEO  =  BIG BUCKS
Vice Presidents  =  Big Bucks
Department Heads  =  big bucks
Many Supervisory Staff  =  bucks
Lots of Workers (generally people like you and me)  =  wages

There are folks that have a problem with that structure and want everyone to be equally compensated regardless of technical know-how, experience, initiative, or investment.  They are called Communists.   Socialists are just those on the verge of becoming Communists or Capitalists.  They are on the fence and want the ability to earn as much as one can as long as the government takes care of everyone.   Neither of these ideologies work for long.  Within 5 years most become dissatisfied, quit producing at capacity, and turn to apathy while consuming vast amounts of self-pity and spewing large quantities of hate and discontent or suffering in silence simply allowing themselves to be slowly dragged into the mire.  And that concludes my political commentary for this session.

Back to the MLM of business.

If you have ever been in business for yourself (and that includes mowing grass or doing odd jobs for people to get money for a new toy) you know one thing.  You discovered more than one thing, but one for sure.  That thing is - YOU work for every penny YOU make!  And the second thing you found out is - If YOU want more customers (therefore more money), YOU have to go rustle them up.  The third thing you realize is - If YOU want to make even more money faster, YOU go out, find more jobs and pay other people to do the work while keeping a percentage for yourself for taking the initiative to  find the work and make sure it gets done.

MLM works the same way.  Amway, ViSalus, Mary Kay, Herbal Life, Le-vel, Rodan + Fields, and thousands of other companies already have a tried and tested way to promote (advertise and sell) their products.   While there are variations on the theme, they are all basically the same.  You pay for the kit.  You learn from your sponsor, up-line, videos, conference calls, whatever they offer for training about the product and how to promote it.

They all show how great the product is and most hand out samples or invite you to parties to check it out.  Then comes the money pitch.  Almost everyone will at least listen to how you can make $1,500.00 per month easy.   And if that is possible, then think about having invited 3 more people to do the same.  By this time, your mouth is watering.   After I tell you the new BMW sitting in the driveway is the result of just a little more effort, your heart is racing and your mind is trying to list all those people you know who need this opportunity.  You get out your cash, your checkbook or your plastic, sign up and get your kit!

All good, right?

Hardly.   That person who dropped by and showed you this great opportunity did not realize you took him or her seriously and really saw the opportunity.  You were just a practice run and that was supposed to be it for you and that podunk town you live in.  After all it's really too far to drive to help you with your new business.  All the questions you have are basically going unanswered because you are waiting on someone else.  Meanwhile, not wanting to do anything wrong, you wait.  In spite of the wait, you become Rising Star Director!  Before the 30 days ended, but little did you know, to keep momentum going you should have done that in a week.  Who knew?  Some people did.  They just went out and did it.  They did not wait on anyone.

Okay, Rising Star is done, next is the BMW.  After months of promoting (pushing products on anyone who will listen) you qualify for the coveted BMW, but the next level remains elusive. 

Almost 3 years later, an accident throws a kink into this ribbon of wonderfulness.  Suddenly you are flat on your back with a literal broken back, broken wrist, some heavy duty pain medication and your up-line doesn't call.  Well, one calls from another state.  But, as far as there being that camaraderie, that overwhelming desire to make certain everyone in your team survives and thrives is only a fading mist within the ether of imagination and the stuff that on-line promotional videos are made of.

What becomes stark reality over and above all the pomp and circumstance of the infomercials and promotional literature is the irrevocable knowledge that your business is yours and yours alone.  Your business lives or dies, thrives or tanks on you and you alone.  It is, after all, YOUR business.  And although your sponsor/up-line does benefit from your continued success, you are ill advised to depend upon their continued interest, much less their unwavering support.

People, in the MLM business, come and go like rain in springtime; like meteors flashing through the sky; feathers blown by the wind.  There are many reasons why people become promoters or customers.  They become customers first because they know you, like you, and want to support your endeavors regardless of the product.  They stay customers because the products work and they like them.  People become  promoters for the same reasons as they become customers plus they see the potential of the business.

Why do people stay in any job or in any business?  Easiest and shortest answer is they like it.  It fulfills them.  They like the products, the hype, the money, and it makes them feel good about themselves, about life.  They have a purpose.  When they stop liking it; when it becomes drudgery, they either quit outright or they just let their business or job die a slow, painful death while waiting for retirement.

Another reason people will quit a particular MLM is a more inspiring company or a more lucrative compensation plan.  Loyalty is only as good as the money they can make.  Product quality is somewhat of an incentive, but if their goal is strictly monetary, product is a non-issue.  A great product is an asset, but an aggressive promoter can overcome a mediocre product. 

The product is great.  You have recruited several potentially great promoters.  Your customer base is solid.  But the money is not there.  Why?  Could be simply a matter of timing.  The day of the week, monthly closing, product returns, maybe just a bad day, week, or month.  Have you been consistent?  Have you kept up with customer or promoter recruitment?  Got any new customers lately?  Or have you been depending solely upon the success of your own team?

MLM is probably the one place you can have the most effect upon your life and the lives of others, but it is not for the faint of heart.  You must be committed to the nurture and welfare of your own business.  Circumstances, the weather, accidents, illness can all play a part in the health of your business.  But the doctor must ultimately be you.  

If your chocolate bar is old and grey and you are excited about it, you will want everyone to see the medicinal properties of old, grey, fungi-encrusted chocolate.  If you have the finest chocolate produced anywhere in the world but have no enthusiasm, you might get some folks to buy it and even sign up for auto shipment, but eventually those stalwart chocolate aficionados will find a replacement and move on.

I guess the shocking truth about ViSalus or any other home based business is that you can be your own worst enemy.  You can kill a solid business pattern by a lackadaisical attitude.

If you want it, go for it.  Just keep in mind that it is solely up to you.  Be consistent.  Stay for 5 years.  If you cannot stay in for 5 years, you have little or no commitment to your own success.  In that 5 years, give it your best.  Overcome obstacles.  Do your best to make it work for you!


Shalom!  Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!

Alex Dumas - He's 88 years old and still painting

Part of his War Series

Shalom!  Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!

When there is mankind, there is war.

Whenever man thinks he is in charge, there will be war.

10 Incredible Photos Of The Heroes Who Fought The Vietnam War 



Shalom!  Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!

What do you believe?

I do not believe the way most of the world believes today. And because of that, I am called a variety of names. None of which are flattering. I do not post any hateful remarks or vulgar language on Facebook. I no longer tweet, although I have a Twitter account. I do not carry signs, shout obscenities, and 'occupy' any place that is not mine. I do not riot and loot. Perhaps I am too lazy, but perhaps, I just do not believe it is right to do those things.

I believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of GOD; that there are no contradictions within HIS word only our faulty understanding and, at times, an intentional misrepresentation of HIS word. Sin is what severed our relationship with GOD and the death of HIS SON is what restored our relationship with GOD. There is only one way to GOD, not many. Sin is sin and must be forgiven not winked at nor glossed over. In order to be forgiven, we must be called by the Holy Spirit, repent, turn from our wicked ways, and fully give ourselves to HIM.

One man and one woman makes a marriage; not two women, nor 2 men. And no, not even Fluffy and Fido are to be united with man or woman into the Holy bonds of matrimony.

Honesty is not simply the results of taking a class in Ethics. Fidelity is not a matter of not crossing the line, it is not going near the line. Stealing a pen is a sin, just as stealing $10,000,000.00 is a sin. Or stealing someone's spouse or their virtue.

Sex should be the result of marriage and the intimacy shared by husband and wife. It is not a solitary activity accomplished before a computer screen. It is not a group activity, nor is it something to be shared by stranger after stranger while in various states of intoxication. Living with someone and having babies with them without the benefit of marriage is not the same as marriage and is one reason we have so many single parent homes.

Getting married a second or third or even fourth time is no guarantee that you really know what you are doing. It simply appears you are making the same mistakes a second or third or even fourth time.

You do not get married and live happily ever after with Prince Charming or the Beautiful Princess. If you want one marriage to work, you work at it. For the most part, it is boring, dull and not much fun. But, it can be life's greatest adventure. It is all in your perception of it.

I believe there is peace and harmony in life, but only through a relationship with JESUS CHRIST.

The easter bunny is a lie from the pit of Hell and I salute any child who is smart enough to run screaming from that, santa claus, and any other fictitious thing that adults dream up to foist upon unsuspecting children in order to sell candy, cheap toys and baskets filled with fake grass.

And why do adults force children to sit on the lap of some stranger and then tell them to run from strangers?

I believe in being honest with children and protecting them from the demons that run rampant through our homes on screens no bigger than a watch. And we wonder where they pick up trashy attitudes and language. Do you really have to wonder? Have you listened to yourself screaming at the kids? Have you listened to how you talk to your own parents? Do you take responsibility for your actions? Or do you justify what you do?

Think about it for a moment. When you ask your kids who they think they are talking to, remember when the tables were turned. Were you respectful of your own parents and do you justify your current disrespect claiming that they were bad parents? They were never there for you. They let you down. They abused you. They beat you. They made you eat stuff you hated. They kept you from parties and smoking and drinking and never let you have fun.

Get over it. Your own children are being ever so gently prepared by you to say the very same things to you and about you. They may even say the very same words you said. My, my, my. What a thought. What goes around, comes around. You reap what you sow.

I believe children are under-rated and under-taught. They are taught more foolishness than skills. They are forced to “remain children as long as they can” and parents are left wondering if their adult children will ever leave home. They do. They marry and return with their own children. Why? Generally because they wanted bigger and better right now and all they got was bigger debt and lots of junk they really did not need. Couples used to marry, get a one bedroom apartment and a beat-up old car and work for years to save for a house. They now want their DREAM HOME and NEW CAR/TRUCK before the vows are even said.

No, it is not always like that. Sometimes stuff just happens and you have nowhere to go but back home. And you just hope they will take you in. And they do because that is what family does.

Call me what you like. It hurts sometimes for a bit. But truly, by now, I just feel sorry for you, that you cannot or will not listen to the voice of experience. You must make those mistakes for yourself. You must hurt and fall and weep and whine and I will be there to help you up and whisper those words of wisdom, “I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen.”

Shalom! Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!