My daughter is working on math homework and to get the answers she must follow the correct formula. She could follow another formula or even make one up herself, but in doing so she would be wasting valuable time and effort. The math teacher is not interested in her creativity or her ability to spin a yarn as elaborate as any novel published. Her teacher is only interested that Hannah can take the information that has been proven to work, plug in the variables give to her and obtain the "correct" answer.
I layout the story above to draw a parallel to our homework. We were assigned by birth to be citizens of the most blessed nation to ever exist. We were given the formula by which this great nation was formed, even given written documents with the answers given particular variables. All we need do is follow the equation and we know the answer.
Typical Sunday morning sitting in church I was convicted that we don't have a leadership problem or a party problem or even a money problem in this country. What we have is a heart problem. There is study after study that conclude Americans die from heart disease more than any other disease. I submit that our country suffers from the same disease.
We are studying Philippians, which is a must read for those who desire to "save" a nation. Two weeks ago the message was Phil 1:1-11,Koinonia- “fellowship, sharing in common, communion.” I found this particularly interesting since our fore fathers often referenced fellowship and sharing in common or "the common good". I know from their writings that the fore fathers of this nation but incredible emphasis on scripture and prayer. They were drastically concerned with integrity and morality.
Last week our discussion continued Phil 1:27-2:4, Unity. Verse 27 reads "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy..." The five words- "conduct your selves in a manner worthy" come from the word politico, where we get our word politics. Ummm makes one wonder. The founders of this nation went to great pains in the documents (formula) they left behind to emphasize unity. Something about "We the people in order to form a more perfect union". They wanted everyone to play nice in the sandbox. That is why individual liberties were (are) so important. In a free country Sally can worship who, what, where and how she wants, and Sam can do what he wants and they can still be neighbors. Now that is not to say there shouldn't be boundaries. I think we all agree we need laws, we need order, we even need a government. What we don't need is a bunch of fussing n fightin over things that no one is ever going to "convince" the other.
Today was Phil 2:5-11 Humility. How Christ's incarnation wat the ultimate act of humility. Christ left absolute exhalation for lowly humanity. He waived His divine rights in an act of utter humility to fulfil the plan (formula) of God. This was the proverbial straw for me on the political front. Then I remembered something that I read on my twitter about "you can't change actions until you change hearts".
See that is the disease, we are trying to "change" people from the outside in, when we know that the only way to truly change someone is from the inside out. Our message at the Tea Party was one of unity, being neighbors, getting to know one another and masterminding together in an effort to coelese. That message hasn't changed. For me it has even become more evident that the only way to "save" America, is to change Americans, and that can only be done from the inside out.
Tonight during my reading time I came across the story of "The Velveteen Rabbit" by Margery Williams. The story is about stuffed animals in a playroom that talk to each other.

"What is real?" asked the Rabbit on day. "Does is mean having thinkgs that

buzz inside and a stick-out handle?"

" Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you when

a child loves you for a long long time, not just to paly with , but really loves you, then you

become real".

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are real you

don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once like being wound up?" he asked,"or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once. You become. It takes a long time. That's whya it donesn't

often happen to people who break easliy, or have sharp edges, or have to be carefully kept.

Generally by the time you are real, most of your hair has been lvoed off, your eyes drop off

and you get loose in the joints, and very shabby. But these thinkgs don't matter at all,because

once you are real you can't be ugly , except to people who dont' understand."

May we all be loved like an adored teddy bear of a precious child, and may we all love each other as Christ loved us in His ultimate act of humility.

God's Speed

This is YOUR money Fayetteville

Here is exactly what the Tea Party Movement needs to be "fighting" against. The Fayetteville School Board is entertaining asking the people of Fayetteville for a tax increase in the midst of the worst economic times in recent history. I just have a few questions. Ones that we answer in our home before we buy anything these days?

1. What is the cost?

According to 3 estimates 112.1 million to 134.2 Million


2. Is this a need or want?

Definitely a want we already have a Highschool


3. How does this affect our financial plan?

Does the school board have a financial plan, or are they trying to keep up with the Jones's?


4. How do we pay for this?

Oh I know lets further stress the households of the people we are suppose to be serving by furthering them in debt and increasing their taxes


5. What the heck are we thinking?

ummmm maybe they are not there yet...perhaps we should form a committee to explore this question.

I would encourage anyone who lives in the Fayetteville School district to start making your voices heard, unless you are just wanting to pay more taxes, spend more money on aesthetics, and teach our children that the goal is to make sure we have the "Best" looking school not necessarily the "Best" quality school.

Wanna "do something"? Start here, start now!

Fayetteville school board http://www.fayar.net/schoolboard/currentboard2.html

Here is a column by Bob Caudle that is a must read on this issue....


School Plan Needs Magic To Succeed
The definition of insanity: Ask people to vote to increase their taxes during a recession.
A new 21st century Fudville (Fayetteville) High School will cost more than $100 million to build, equip and staff, according to a recent report in The Morning News.
To pay for the school, the Fudville district likely will need a property tax increase of 4.5 mills — or more — based on figures given to the Fudville School Board during a workshop last week.
Who's running the show in Fudville? Harry Potter? You'd need a wizard to get people to vote for a 4.5 mill tax increase during a recession.
And now, to bore you with some facts and figures, only because I need to in order to point out other absurdities in the school's leadership, such as hiring a new superintendent for $200,000.
But according to a report in The Morning News, a new high school is the largest construction project ever undertaken by the district or board.
Other new schools or major renovations in recent years, such as Owl Creek School, at $17 million, cost a fraction of the estimated cost of a new high school.
Board members received three cost estimates from the project's architects and engineers. The cost was placed $134.2 million based on the master plan developed by Concordia LLC. Two variations of the plan developed by the school district staff were estimated to cost $121.1 million and $112.1 million.
Each of the plans include LEED Silver certified buildings, academic spaces, a new media center and a prominently placed performing arts center. The differences in the three plans involve use of some existing facilities and keeping the current administration building on the site.
Both of the variations developed by district staff show Stone Street closed with buildings constructed spanning the street. District officials have not officially requested the street be closed, and the Fayetteville City Council would have to approve any street closing.
Well, la-de-da.
Springdale upgrades Springdale High School and closes Emma Avenue.
Fudville feels it has to close a street to one-up Springdale.
Rogers and Springdale build second high schools.
Fayetteville doesn't because it wants to be the "super school" in Northwest Arkansas.
This whole "new Fudville High School," has become as much fun to watch as a "Three Stooges" episode. (One of the ones with Curly, not those other two impostors.)
The school board had the current school sold to the University of Arkansas before sitting on their hands until the UA withdrew its offer.
FHS officials sent a list of things they'd like from the UA, basically asking for a partnership ... in addition to the money.
That's like selling a house to somebody then going, "By the way, we still want to use the pool."
These people have formed committees to study a new school site, keeping the same school site, upgrading the school, and anything else you can think of to repeatedly keep forming committees.
Somewhere, there's an oversight committee to oversee the committee on oversight.
Next, they'll hire a consultant to study whether the feasibility committee is feasible.
But, then, they'd have to form a committee to make sure it's feasible to hire a feasibility consultant to study feasibility.
They've committee-ed the school district to death.
Here's just a suggestion to the Arkansas Department of Education: Let the Greenland School District annex Fayetteville.
In two years, Dr. Roland Smith, the state-appointed superintendent of Greenland will have turned that school district around financially.
Say what you will (and I have) about the Greenland School District, at least their students will know what the Greenland school looks like and where it is.
Fayetteville students should be so lucky.

Nullification~The Power of the People

re⋅pub⋅lic 
/rɪˈpʌblɪk/ [ri-puhb-lik]
–noun
1.
a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.

Tenth Amendment – Powers of States and people.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.



We sat idly by and allowed government, on ALL sides of the isle, to slowly envelope our liberties and freedoms. Giving way to an expanse of "nanny state" tactics, "big brother" laws, and the loss of sovereignty for our individual states and nation as a whole.



Several states in the US are now exerting their 10th Amendment rights, it is time for the people of Arkansas to unite to demand our sovereignty and to push off the federal government.


The Constitution's soul purpose was to spell out what the government can do.The key principle of the Constitution is simple: positive grant. Not a phrase we hear much any more. It's not hard to understand, the Constitution authorizes the US federal government to exercise only those powers which are specifically given to it in the Constitution. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Our founding fathers were so dedicated to the sovereignty of states here is what they had to say:

"The States should be left to do whatever they can do as well as the federal government" -Thomas Jefferson

"Each State, in ratifying the Constitution, is considered as a sovereign body, independent of all others, and only to be bound by its own voluntary act. In this relation, then, the new Constitution will, if established, be a FEDERAL, and not a NATIONAL constitution"
- James Madison

"the experiment of a consolidated republic, over a territory so extensive as the United States, is at least awful, when we can recollect no case in which it has been successful. If the people had believed it practicable, it would have been preferred to our system of division and union….State sovereignty was the only safeguard against the "infinitude" of the Constitution." -Patrick Henry

There is a lot of glamour in the national scene right now but we should understand that our power is on the local and state levels....

Knowledge is power, and we all need to be knowledgeable as to how to best protect our families, our liberties and our freedoms. Investigate the links below for more information on the 10th amendment and nullification.

http://www.xmission.com/~nccs/newsletter/mar95nl.html

What Is "Federalism," and How Is It Supposed to Work?
Widely regarded as one of America's most valuable contributions to political science, federalism is the constitutional division of powers between the national and state governments.
James Madison, "the father of the Constitution," explained it this way: "The powers delegated.to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the state governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, [such] as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce..The powers reserved to the several states will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people."1 And Thomas Jefferson emphasized that the states are not "subordinate" to the national government, but rather the two are "coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole..The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch of the same government."2...

http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2009/04/29/nullification-revisited/


http://newsok.com/sovereignty-could-make-us-stand-out/article/3366916


http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/04/15/bnews/br34.txt

National Day of Prayer Tomorrow

We will gather as a community tomorrow 12-1pm, below is information from the NDP flier, hope to see you there.


Why we Pray
The National Day of Prayer Task
Force is the Judeo-Christian expression of
the National Day of Prayer. Our mission is to
communicate with every individual the need for
personal repentance and prayer, mobilizing the
Christian community to intercede for America
and its leadership in seven centers of power:
Government, Military, Media, Business,
Education, Church and Family.

Join
thousands around the
nation in this campaign to
reclaim our country through
prayer. Through the Adopt
a Leader campaign, you
can encourage and pray
for a leader of your
choosing.

Pray
for the nation every
time God brings it to your
mind. You may also consider
gathering a small group of friends,
coworkers or church members
and joining with millions praying
every Thursday from noon
until 12:30 p.m.

Pray
for Election Day! campaign
is an effort to remind people of
faith of the importance of praying
for those in leadership. We are
asking people to fast and pray
for our nation’s leaders.

May 5, 2009
In this MegaVote for Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District:
Recent Congressional Votes -
Senate: Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009
Senate: Confirmation of Kathleen Sebelius to be Secretary of Health and Human Services
Senate: Budget Conference Report
Senate: Amendment to Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009
House: Congressional Budget for Fiscal Year 2010
House: Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act
House: Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2009
Upcoming Congressional Bills -
Senate: Helping Families Save Their Homes Act
House: Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act
Recent Senate Votes
Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 - Vote Passed (92-4, 3 Not Voting)The Senate passed this bill intended to combat fraud at financial institutions that receive federal money.Sen. Blanche Lincoln voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Mark Pryor voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Confirmation of Kathleen Sebelius to be Secretary of Health and Human Services - Vote Confirmed (65-31, 3 Not Voting)The Senate confirmed the nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to head HHS.Sen. Blanche Lincoln voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Mark Pryor voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Budget Conference Report - Vote Agreed to (53-43, 3 Not Voting)The Senate approved the conference report for the 2010 fiscal year budget resolution.Sen. Blanche Lincoln voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Mark Pryor voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Amendment to Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 - Vote Rejected (45-51, 3 Not Voting)This amendment to let judges cut the mortgage principal of homeowners failed to garner the 60 votes needed to approve it.Sen. Blanche Lincoln voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Mark Pryor voted NO......send e-mail or see bio
Recent House Votes

Congressional Budget for Fiscal Year 2010 - Vote Passed (233-193, 7 Not Voting)The House passed the conference report for the 2010 fiscal year budget resolution.Rep. Vic Snyder voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act - Vote Passed (249-175, 10 Not Voting)The House approved this bill that would provide local jurisdictions with funds to prosecute hate crimes.Rep. Vic Snyder voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2009 - Vote Passed (357-70, 7 Not Voting)The House passed this bill that intends to place new restrictions on credit card companies.Rep. Vic Snyder voted YES......send e-mail or see bio
Upcoming Votes

Helping Families Save Their Homes Act - S.896The Senate is scheduled to consider this bill aimed to prevent foreclosures and improve mortgage credit availability.
Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act - H.R.1728The House is scheduled to vote on this bill to reform mortgage lending practices.

Learning to operate n the tech world

Today I attended a seminar on how to become a "better, more effective" activist. Funny how life takes turns. One minute you are coaching softball, teaching Sunday school, running your business, caring for your family....and then the next you look around and decide "if I don't step up then who will".
As many Americans are discovering today, our way of life is not an accident. We have been remiss in our duties to protect and defend our rights, liberties and freedoms. So now in 2009 America we find ourselves back in a place where we must recalibrate. To once again be proactive as our government.
My intent with this blog is to keep a watchful eye on our local and state legislators, to hold elected officials accountable and to demand a transparent and honest government from the bottom up.
So today I facebook, twitter and blog all in the name of information and education, join me in the tech world where we can shore up one another.
God's Speed
Laurie