It's a MO BO GO Thing

Dear America,

the thing is,
nearly every page we turn to dissects and illuminates the fraud in our midst...

speaking of Rules for Radicals, written by the Community Organizer in Chief for the ages, Saul Alinsky.

To understand how we --- America --- got here, is to fully comprehend, digest, and learn from Chapter 8...The Genesis of Tactic Proxy.

Beginning with this:

"THE GREATEST BARRIER to communication between myself and would-be organizers arises when I try to get across the concept that tactics are not the product of careful cold reason, that they do not follow a table of organization or plan of attack.  Accident, unpredictable reactions to your own actions, necessity, and improvisation dictate the direction and nature of tactics. Then, analytical logic is required to appraise where you are, what you can do next, the risks and hopes that you can look forward to...But I cannot overemphasize that the tactic itself comes out of the free flow of action and reaction,  and requires on the part of the organizer an easy acceptance of apparent disorganization."

America has been engulfed by the community organizer in some way, shape or form, for decades.

It has been free flowing and perfect.

It has been organized and disorganized, has created chaos from order, with precision.

It has played with us, all of us, at one time or another... while we were sleeping, totally oblivious to the actions in the dark of night, carelessly preoccupied in the light of day.

And just to be crystal clear, as the Chicago Sun-Times proudly admits on the back of the book  -- it is precisely these tactics, this cultural upheaval bible, the lovechild masterminded from the distinguished organizer, himself, Saul Alinsky, that shaped the young, impressionable minds of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Who would have ever thought; never in America would it be thought possible for any of it to take root, let alone take the very shape of  the things to come.

The power of tactics --  compounded with the power of position, promises, and principles -- by accident,  through action and reaction,  by "necessity," and with improvisation  in tow --  the politicking of policy making by ideology and by number is continuously in motion, in action [sometimes by pen and by phone, other times, just by a State of the Union address, but most of the time, behind our back].

And speaking of which, how often do we actually take a look back?

How often do we take a double-take, and double check the progress, the results?

Well, Mark Alexander, of The Patriot Post -- just a guy this girl holds in high regard -- took the time to do just that this week:  2014 SOTU The MO BO Show

Considering the review of TWO SOTU's,  and that Alexander has added a list of umpteen current stats, enough to make your eyes pop out .... little old me, g,  doesn't feel a need to say much more.  SO...MO BO GO! 

[And looky there, all of a sudden my theme for the week surfaces to the top -- my MO:  say a little bit, then pass myself off to the experts...genius] 

happy friday everybody...

and just because a few of us may still be feeling a wee bit off...lend me your ears to this.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's the State of the Taking of a Major Step Backwards Thing

Dear America,

this girl is seriously looking forward to the State of the Taking of  a Major Step Backwards Speech tonight...for it rears it's ugly head everywhere we look.

given past performances, rest assured the president will leave half the nation gasping in applause, with the other, gasping for air.

and right on cue, methodically orchestrated leaks of what he will say has already lifted the hearts and minds of the masses -- the selectively uninformed, the gainfully underemployed/underachievers, and the bevy of low-information followers.  Those people AND the liberal elite, of course.

I fully intended to bounce in here this morning and begin picking apart a speech yet to be heard.

Having already learned of the president's intention to use Executive Order to increase the minimum wage of any brand spankin' new federal contractor, see here -- as predictable as the morning sun in southern California,  who are we kidding, it wasn't going to take much to get a rise out of me.

Some of this stuff just gets so old.

How may times do we have to go over this? 
A federally assured minimum wage across the board?
A cost of doing business reprehensibly manufactured from a stockpile of bureaucratic misfits, taking into effect from sea to shining sea, obtrusively indiscriminate of the subtleties of various industries or of the unintended consequences sure to follow?  I mean, c'mon, minimum wage usually equates to minimum effort, skill, or investment or all of the above!  And it's intended to simply be a starting point, not a career to raise a family.

But then, out of nowhere -- almost out of thin air -- came this sudden shift!   It was a stroke of genius, I tell you!  And brushing alongside my melancholy, like a prince lifting me up in his arms, my heart was rescued.  Sound the Gutenberg Press!

Yup.
Just like that.

And you, too, can get some of this action by going to my secret garden.

And on that note -- given it's length --  this girl will spare you of partaking in any other juggling of words, or slight of hand and heart from this woeful commoner.   No, true excellence in the free market exchange of conversation awaits somewhere else -- fully illuminated and enlightened -- it's somewhere way better than here.

Way.

Look at it as a redistribution of wealth of ideas!  Thy kingdom is yours for the taking.

So without further adieu, may your fingers waltz to the pages of The Daily Bell, and a post written by Richard Ebeling, in The State of the Union Address Obama Should Deliver.

It explains everything.
Not even kidding.

It explains everything. 
May I also recommend that you take your time...

But you, dear sir, Richard Ebeling, along with everyone @ The Bell, are brilliant; a knight in shining armor, and dare I say, should be crowned king.   [But what do I know; I'm just a girl --  usually plum exasperated by the day and the life in America --  venturing simply to keep up with it all and record it once in awhile, give or take what seems like a fortnight.] 

Enjoy.

Make it a Good Day, G
 

It's I Like the Idea of a Black President Thing

Dear America,

you would think it would be the progressives out front on this...

you would think it would be all about looking ahead, not back...

you would think it would be personified in ushering in a new era through election, by the people and for the people, celebrating the first black American president -- and thereby, catapulting America into a brand new world all over again, reveling in the New American Heritage Dictionary's definition of a more perfect union...finally.

But then again, maybe it's just me.

Having said that -- and purely upon the merits --  this girl could not vote for this president.

For the record, perhaps the only thing this girl appreciated of this man before he became president was what seemed to be a natural eloquence when framing his dreams and visions of one America, under God and according to the Rule of Law.  This president was, and is, very good at it.

Until perhaps now.

No, now he is just making a mockery of both position and principles.

Here's the entire paragraph plucked from The New Yorker, the puff piece getting all the buzz, expressly written by David Remnick: On and Off the Road with Barack Obama --

Obama’s election was one of the great markers in the black freedom struggle. In the electoral realm, ironically, the country may be more racially divided than it has been in a generation. Obama lost among white voters in 2012 by a margin greater than any victor in American history. The popular opposition to the Administration comes largely from older whites who feel threatened, underemployed, overlooked, and disdained in a globalized economy and in an increasingly diverse country. Obama’s drop in the polls in 2013 was especially grave among white voters. “There’s no doubt that there’s some folks who just really dislike me because they don’t like the idea of a black President,” Obama said. “Now, the flip side of it is there are some black folks and maybe some white folks who really like me and give me the benefit of the doubt precisely because I’m a black President.” The latter group has been less in evidence of late.

Let's regroup, shall we?

74% of the voters in 2008 election were white.  Obama gained 43% of that voting share (McCain got 55%) .  Last I checked, without that white vote of nearly half, Obama would not have been elected, or re-elected in 2012.

Perhaps equally telling, is what comes in the statements immediately thereafter:

"There is a historic connection between some of the arguments that we have politically and the history of race in our country, and sometimes it’s hard to disentangle those issues,” he went on. “You can be somebody who, for very legitimate reasons, worries about the power of the federal government—that it’s distant, that it’s bureaucratic, that it’s not accountable—and as a consequence you think that more power should reside in the hands of state governments. But what’s also true, obviously, is that philosophy is wrapped up in the history of states’ rights in the context of the civil-rights movement and the Civil War and Calhoun. There’s a pretty long history there. And so I think it’s important for progressives not to dismiss out of hand arguments against my Presidency or the Democratic Party or Bill Clinton or anybody just because there’s some overlap between those criticisms and the criticisms that traditionally were directed against those who were trying to bring about greater equality for African-Americans. The flip side is I think it’s important for conservatives to recognize and answer some of the problems that are posed by that history, so that they understand if I am concerned about leaving it up to states to expand Medicaid that it may not simply be because I am this power-hungry guy in Washington who wants to crush states’ rights but, rather, because we are one country and I think it is going to be important for the entire country to make sure that poor folks in Mississippi and not just Massachusetts are healthy."

The president continually holds the present day accountable according to the way it was, not the way it is --   "But what’s also true, obviously, is that philosophy is wrapped up in the history of states’ rights in the context of the civil-rights movement and the Civil War and Calhoun. There’s a pretty long history there."  


"Obviously," he says.  You could be one of those people -- you know, those who legitimately see government growing too big --  BUT that would just be plain wrong, or misguided, at best.

"The flip side is I think it’s important for conservatives to recognize and answer some of the problems that are posed by that history..."

Which is hilarious, considering that much of that "history" came at the hands and lawlessness of the southern, liberal, white democrat, coming at a time well after a Republican White president -- Abraham Lincoln -- took this country to hell and back on behalf of preserving civil rights for all Americans!

Before he was elected, this president was neither "red America" or "blue America," but imagining America to be the color purple.  Moreover, whether or not he was On or Off the Road, Barack Obama didn't seem to be about black America or white America, at all -- for this was the very reason why America fell for him so hard and so fast.   Obama lived the embodiment of two worlds, melded into a statesman over time and history and ultimately making way for an American milestone. (Or so we thought.)

Today, now more often off base and entirely off his inaugural message of unification and assimilation and affirmation of American ideals, in principle and in action -- this president leads by false premises and empty promises and now force, as this president declares allegiance to his pen and phone.

Here's an interesting turnabout, and seems to fit quite nicely with this discussion...

Courtesy of the Drudge Report, here's a link to an article on  WND by Garth Kant: Liberal Icon urges Obama's Impeachment. 

Telling WND, [Nat Hentoff] "firmly believed the president does not care about due process, the separation of powers, the concept of a self-governing republic or many other basic American ideals." And adding, "what Obama is doing now is about as un-American as you can get."

"Apparently he doesn’t give one damn about the separation of powers," Hentoff said.
Obviously, this girl added.

This is why, David Remnick, "Obama lost among white voters in 2012 by a margin greater than any victor in American history."  Presidency by Executive Order is prohibitive; no matter the color of the skin, it goes against the character of who we are.

A good friend of mine, someone I see almost daily, said to me that she was soooo excited for Hillary -- feeling free to add,  this country needs a woman president... that all things considered, it would be about damn time, blah blah blah... wouldn't she do a better job at it...blah blah blah. 

And I just about bit her head off.

Oh the willpower it took.

I stopped for a few deep breaths and then...
 promptly bit her head off.

It's like c'mon! !  Are you kidding me?  You would settle for this "what difference at this point does it make" liar to reconcile the playing field, as if to give some kind of time and context warped feminine mystic a chance?  Are you serious?   A woman who decidedly chose to 'stand by her' man, over and over and over again, presumably for political gains under grotesque public shames -- as his philandering little billy played hide and seek with various cohorts?  Or how about the Clinton's being drowned in controversies, even before taking the Oath of Office? 

The thing is -- this gal couldn't care less about any of it; she felt it was just time for a woman and that this woman -- Hillary -- seemed to have paid her dues and earned it, no matter where the arguments on the merits were to lead.  Woman to woman, hear me roar -- this makes me want to puke.

Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority of women -- white, black, Hispanic, Asian, other -- voted for Barack Obama, too.

Some may have voted for him because he is a liberal, while for some, even better, because he is a progressive; but for some -- if we are going to be honest (including 95% of the black vote)  --  they voted for him because he IS black -- and surely many because he was not an old white, conservative male, right girls?  

And anywho, just like the president said -- "There’s no doubt that there’s some folks who just really dislike me because they don’t like the idea of a black President...Now, the flip side of it is there are some black folks and maybe some white folks who really like me and give me the benefit of the doubt precisely because I’m a black President.”  What's the big deal in that, right -- no  harm, no foul.

[Something not covered in any stat, however, is taking into account how cute Obama is...now that would be telling, oooh baby baby, oooh baby baby...but I digress.]

Obviously, Michelle frowns upon us voting by sex appeal.

But just to clear up any lingering confusion, Mr. President -- when you say, with regards to some folks who really don't like you, that it's just because they don't like the idea of a black president -- you are clinging to a history shared with however many other stupid Americans.  And that is simply placing ignorance before progress.  Thanks for setting us up for taking us another fifty years back.  [And how ironic, given this news broke on the Honorable Reverend Martin Luther King holiday.]

I happen to like the idea of a black president....even a black woman president -- as long as that idea comes with conservative principles, an honest track record, a solid plan for America's future, and clings to the Rule of Law, wholeheartedly -- without apology, without ceasing, and with a whole lot of Divine Providence leading the way.   For without ALL of that coming together in one idea -- he's just another arrogant, shortsighted, empty, powerless man thinking he's in charge of the world anywhere from four to eight years.


Make it a Good Day, G
 

It's by Pen and by Phone and by Horse and by Blog Thing

Dear America,

the goal for today is simply to record a stunning declaration made by our president...

this is, after all, a day in the life of America;
this is, unapologetically, a diary -- created for the sole purpose of safeguarding the ebb and flow of freedom and liberty and happiness in America;
this is, to date, an unregulated, free to be you and me, platform, providing a place to say things anyway I want...

yay, me!

Right, Mr. President?

Yay, you...
I mean, c'mon, look at you now...saying just about anything you want, any way you want, without regrets, and without any semblance of respect of this nation and it's founding principles and finest intentions, firm on Constitution.

From The Daily Caller:

“One of the things I’ll be emphasizing in this meeting,” he said, “is the fact that we are not just going to be waiting for legislation in order to make sure that we’re providing Americans the kind of help that they need.”

“I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone,” the president asserted, “and I can use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions and administrative actions that move the ball forward in helping to make sure our kids are getting the best education possible, making sure that our businesses are getting the kind of support and help they need to grow and advance, to make sure that people are getting the skills that they need to get those jobs that our businesses are creating.”

“And I’ve got a phone,” he continued, “that allows me to convene Americans from every walk of life — nonprofits, businesses, the private sector, universities — to try to bring more and more Americans together around what I think is a unifying theme, making sure that this is a country where if you work hard, you can make it.”

I chose this link because it comes with live proof.

You can hear the president for yourself.

Listen to this American president and wonder, just what in the world have we done?

He isn't going to wait for the people's house to write legislation, by law.

He has a pen.

He has a phone.

And most worrisome, he is not afraid to use either of them to affect change, making unilateral decisions, his way or the highway.

He can organize organizations; he can "convene Americans from  every walk of life" that meet the demands of his ideologically driven agenda, without ceasing; because if he works hard enough, he can make it happen, with your help.  Just give him the go ahead; just hand him the baton and let him do what he needs to do.

Can you just imagine it, if George W. Bush had said something like this?

Americans of every walk of life would be storming the gates of the White House and demanding an executive impeachment.

Now, granted, for many of us -- we saw this coming.  Just like universal healthcare, it begins with a nudge and ends with a shove it, and into an early grave if so be it.

But the arrogance!

The fascist amongst us is our president?

Are you kidding me? 
YOU, Mr. President,  have decided you are not going to wait for legislation to come out of Congress?  You are just gonna come right out and say it now -- out loud?  You have every intent on acting on this notion -- without delay?   That's outrageous!

You have a pen and a phone...

With a comment like that -- here's an old gthing namedropping flashback -- where, oh where, is Naomi Wolf at a disturbance like this?

Where is the riddling of questions from the press peanut gallery, non-stop?

No, here's a good one -- just where in the world did our 1787 boundaries go?

These days, these times --  how astounding, mind blowing, and sobering.

And bear in mind -- this presidential penchant for power comes on the heels of a Benghazi Senate Intelligence Committee investigation that confirms the depth this administration has gone to hide the truth behind the attack at the American consulate, upon the anniversary of September 11, 2012, and the events leading up to it.

Hindsight being what it is:  this cover up led to a president's re-election. Without this cover up, this girl would not be sitting here shell-shocked "by pen and by phone," becoming ultimately reconciled, in theory anyway, by blog.

Oh whatever, happy Thursday, right, Americans of every walk of life... it's 78 degrees with sunny skies here in beautiful Southern California.

[Indeed.  And isn't that a flighty way to end on a day like today.]

Make it a Good Day, G





 

It's Putting Indexes and Nonpaper into Perspective for the Ages Thing

Dear America,

sinking to the lowest common denominator is not my idea of a good time.

but here we are,
sinking.

and rapidly.

When Barack Hussein Obama became president of these fine United States, we ranked sixth in this index -- today, down six, and coming in at #12.   Now granted, it would be of my belief that America dominates numero uno, year in and year out, without even thinking about it, with both hands tied behind it's back [stealing the popular phrase from the EIB Network, the place where Excellence in Broadcasting never disappoints...].

Which reminds me --
continuing on a theme from yesterday (yes, the same yesterday tragically cut short by an opportunity knocking at my door) --  we were last discussing our God given talents and our freedom to make something wonderful with whatever that may be, there isn't a day that goes by without el Rushbo reminding his listeners of how lucky he is to be doing what he was born to do. 


Amen to that, Rush.  Amen.

The thing is, he affirms his blessings while he affirms his raw, rogue, educated, knowledgeable, seasoned, wit and wisdom of America's fundamentals, both past and present, and painstakingly alongside all of her highs and lows.

He affirms his worth!  He doubles down on his value, to his listeners and beyond, every single day without hesitation, without feeling uncomfortable, and more important, while striking the perfect balance of humility and grace in between breaths.  No matter what your political ideology, it is brilliance in broadcasting and citizenship rolled into one.

And don't balk now, but his operations seem stronger than ever.

How can that be at a time when liberal think tanks and media corner the market -- manufacturing propaganda, spewing left wing ideology, and promoting the countless reprehensible and regressive regulations being pumped out of this administration as all the rage?   Marginalizing America's worth, taking her down a notch (or six) world wide, is settling the score.  And -- don't even think about it --  calling ourselves "exceptional" in any way, shape or form, that is totally out of the equation.

So, how can that be?  It BE because we are craving something he is dishing out on a daily basis, rain or shine.

But let's get back to "the index."

The United States and the United Kingdom have both fallen in decline, and dramatically.

Oh, what index, what list, pray tell?

Oh it's just some little thing called the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom.

These days, Free Enterprise doesn't seem to be raging like it used to be here at the birthplace of The Declaration of Independence and hence immediately, and unapologetically, monopolizing on Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness as if our lives depended on it.

Here's some quick perspective for you --
ESTONIA ranks higher than the U.S.!


Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand, Canada, Chile, Mauritius, Ireland, Denmark, Estonia all come before America.


If this is not a wake up call at the start of 2014, not sure what else is, hello?

Oops.
Correction.  
Spoke too soon.
Must sound the alarm for that little "nonpaper" agreement made with Iran.

Yeah, like what the world needs now is exactly this: some kind of secret agreement made with crazy people who revel in generating nuclear weapons in the dark of night and are not afraid to use them.

And our president has Iran's full support:

"My preference is for peace and diplomacy, and this is one of the reasons why I've sent the message to Congress that now is not the time for us to impose new sanctions; now is the time for us to allow the diplomats and technical experts to do their work,” Obama said. "What we want to do is give diplomacy a chance and give peace a chance."

How about we return to giving economic freedom a try, huh, Mr. President?
But thank you, LA TIMES, for bringing this breaking world news that makes me want to pull my hair and poke my eyes without ceasing!

Ah, but be not afraid my little friends, for as the press points out -- NO NEW RESEARCH can be done, no NEW reactors can be built.   The "nonpaper" affirms only what is already in the pipeline to keep on keepin' on.   Let's give peace a chance, shall we?   [And, if you could see me now,  something called the G reactor-index  is justifiably choking on the second best news on the day.]


But about that Economic Freedom Index above, there might be some comfort recognizing that Iran falls in @173.

And the countries not even ranked:

Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Libya, Lichtenstein, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria. [hmmm, wonder what they have in common...pirates, terrorists, and free radicals, oh my]

And with that I will abruptly close in a plume of nuclear dimensions.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's an Ode to Kickin' It with What We've Got Thing

Dear America,

happy monday.

it was Whitney Houston who once said something to the effect of ...

'God gave me a voice

to sing

and when you have that

 what other gimmick

 do you need to have.'

Enough said.

And that is what it's all about today.

It is truly fascinating to me how we all find 'our thing.'

Is it by accident, by luck, by perseverance, by hard work, by the gift of the Almighty through the balance of time, toil and ultimately, transcendence?

The ability to succeed in life --  given whatever it is we have to work with, no matter how grand or damned our beginning -- is a constant challenge to humanity; while leading this charge is what's known and widely assumed to be a gift or a curse, that thing called free will.

Sometimes things just don't go in our favor...
take for example the last couple of weeks in the NFL.

The Cincinnati Bengals -- who didn't lose a single game in the regular season -- lost to the San Diego Chargers in the first round of playoffs.   Oh they could have lost a game or two along the way...but nooooooooooo, oh snap...they lost the one game that, for all intents and purposes,  was for all the marbles.  Season over.  See you next year when you can try it again.

Now let's take a look at the Manning family.  Dad played football and then dad raised two boys to play football.  All quarterbacks,  All stellar careers.  Playing as if all the stars aligned and became one with the football.  Eat.  Sleep.  Hike.

[And speaking of which, I know what you're thinking given my so-cal roots...but you should also know me by now -- it's a happy day when Peyton wins, right kissy?...GO DENVER!]

The thing is, we do our best with what we're given and must quickly get over it with what we're not.

There it is, the key to life. 
Boom. 
And just like that...
So unexpected...
Out of nowhere...
how does she do it?

It's what I do...

But take for instance what just happened to me right now -- as I was just settling in to write my little heart out and in my head, lamenting how the holidays have kicked my hardworking, industrious little butt to the curb...

Ring-y ding-y went the phone -- and making a little extra money was on the other line.

Cha-ching.
Backspace.
Change of plans.
Old G thing has a new play on the day. 
And suddenly, life is like a box of chocolates again.

It's okay; it's not time to hit the panic button yet, the Head Coach is staying; a couple hail Mary's from now and this girl will be back.  [But can I just say before I go that I can't believe I ever rooted for Chris Christie. ugh.  totally disgusted with myself for that miscalculation.  You wanna talk about gimmicks....]


Need something to read in my absence?  GO to Hillsdale, the Imprimis from December, A Rebirth of Liberty and Learning, by Larry Arnn, President.

It offers a great, quick hit comparison between our Founding Fathers and today's deadbeats.  And we'll pick up on the fifty yard line when we come back...no telling which direction we will go.

Make it a Good Day, G
 

It's a Day That Begs a Question, or Two, Thing

Dear America,

can't even remember where we were at
before settling in for a long winter's nap.

No matter.

The world keeps on keepin' on.
The Drudge Report keeps on drudging along.
While some people just get up and quit [check out Cheney, here].

It has become crystal clear over the last several weeks, that I seem to live a monk's life in comparison to the level of activity of many.... starting at the first crack of dawn and looking no further than extended family joyfully joining us for the holidays.

My house usually entertains three souls -- my girl, my boo, and me -- and it's pretty darn quiet.   Much like church mice, the three of us scurry around while deep into our own thoughts -- contemplative, springing internal, noise and everyday combustion remains purposefully out of range, choosing to watch the world be busy if we want to from the panoramic view.

We read.

We write.

We pray.

We cook.

We think.

And every once in a while, we spin off to be industrious, alive and doing our thing, being in relationship with others... unveiling our other side -- the one that actually likes talking and being engaging with others.

And just like that, we slip out of our robes and slip into a brand new mode, maybe even flashing a high kick or two, and begin parading around looking more Monk-ette (it's half monk and  half Rockette...and ooooh rah, the making up of words on the fly is a good sign for the old G thing, but I digress). 

But anywho, we integrate tuning in and tuning out as if on remote control.

We like our quiet.

I like my world to be at peace, as well.

Hate conflict of all kinds.  Avoid it usually, at all costs.

Isn't it sad with what has happened in Fallujah.  What a waste of industry, of life, of limb, of military funds, making any attempt to bring Iraq into a brand new day.  For what?  All to have Al Queda swoop in and snap it up and after the loss of thousands of lives later?

And since it was mentioned nearly right at the start -- have you seen the headlines of Drudge?  Every single day.  Every single day, the most horrific collection of news, of culture, of humanity and of the times is brought to the center fold.  It is one of the most unsettling places to land on the web in the every day -- and yet we must.  Matt Drudge takes a pulse of America and she isn't pretty.  What are we doing to ourselves, huh?


My Sunday ritual includes a block of time watching T.V. Ministry over my coffee.  It usually spans a local program, Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah, and of course, my favorite - Joel Osteen, and a Catholic Mass from the Heart of the Nation, with the priests changing from Sunday to Sunday.

This past week, Heart of the Nation's sermon asked a question:  What do you seek?

It's a good question.

Just maybe -- what we truly seek is not found outside our front door; it's not satisfied by a standing rib roast and garlic mashed potatoes with sticky toffee cookies for dessert, as delectable as it very well may be, especially shared with the ones we love; and it's certainly not satiated by an after Christmas boon(doggle) put on plastic...let alone staying in Hawaii with just a few friends to escape the kids, the husband, and the harried public life carried on the taxpayer dime!

Perhaps the cultural divide of what America stands for, and who we are, and more important, what we seek, can be answered from the inside out.   For it MUST be answered from the inside out, one at a time, and by our lonesome.  

The call to go inward is screaming at us -- to contemplate this Life, this Liberty, and this Happiness;  all of which seem to be quite uncomfortably in flux.   These United States, these 300 million pieces of a whole, have a choice between seeking and finding the things that tear us down and do us harm  -- or the things that lift us up and bring us unity, and redemption, and assimilation into one nation.

What have we done to ourselves?

What do you seek?

The strength to mutter the questions aloud seems to be a good beginning; it's something to think about anyway.  And it just so happens to be the place this girl inaugurates a brand new day in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Fourteen.  Happy Monday in this new year.

Make it a Good Day, G