Give to Ceasar...and to Swine Odor Management Research?

Luke 20:22-26

[22] Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" [23] He saw through their duplicity and said to them, [24] "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?" [25] "Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." [26] They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.

I have no problem paying my fair share of taxes. It is right; it is fair; it is Biblical. They pay for our schools, our roads, our police and our parks. I like all those things (minus some issues with the schools, but that is another post) and we need them for our way of life to work.

But what is going on in Washington is wasteful, which is decidedly unbiblical and wrong.

I prefer my taxes to go towards things I use, so will someone please explain to me why my tax dollars are going toward textile research in North Carolina? That is right, $1,000,000 for the Textile/Clothing Technology Corporation in Cary and $1,000,000 for North Carolina State University in Raleigh. I like textiles, they make my clothes stay together. But I would like an explanation from Congressman David Price as to why my federal tax dollars need to be spent on this.

And I know that Detroit is having serious problems. So I am pretty sure that $3,800,000 for the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy for preservation and redevelopment of a public park and related business activities in the Corktown Neighborhood is just what they need to get Detroit running again. But I live in Virginia, so Sen. Carl Levin, what impact will said Conservancy have on my life?

And, while I know Mississippi is a tourist mecca, why are my tax dollars flooding into that state? I have never been there, but maybe I should visit to see what my hard earned money has bought. $46,756,750 of your hard earned tax dollar are being spent on 38 projects proposed by Thad Cochran, including: $950,000 for Audubon Mississippi for a nature-based education facility; $950,000 for Downtown Jackson Plaza, Inc. for construction of a civic gathering place; $475,000 for the JATRAN light rail feasibility study; $427,500 for Natchez riverfront trails; and $380,000 for renovation of Jackson’s Thalia Mara Performing Arts Center. In March, patrons of the Thalia Mara Performing Arts Center could enjoy a rendition of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” In April, the Arts Center will present, “Bob the Builder: Live.” Tickets range from $15 to $36.50.

Bob the Builder, huh? I wonder how he is with economics. Can we fix it? I sure hope so.

I attended DC's tea party today, it was wet and cold and cut short by a possible bomb (aka box of tea bags). But people were fairly pleasant and seemed to understand what this movement is all about. It isn't anti government, or anti tax, or anti Obama. It is anti waste.

We want accountability from the people who are supposedly representing us.

I want term limits.

I want earmark reform.

I want the people in Washington to listen.

And I don't want to pay $1,791,000 for swine odor and manure management research in Ames, IA.(it's true, look it up).

Finally, let me make a predicition, a mass exodus of incumbents in 2010.

All the stats come from the Citizens Against Government Waste 2009 Pig Book. It can be found at http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2009

Hoofbeats

A conversation I had with some liberal, Obama loving, co-workers right after the inauguration.

Them: Emily, don't you know we are all going to have to work together to make [Obama's presidency] work?

Me: Okay, I will do my part by letting you know when I hear the hoofbeats of the apocolypse.

Them: You just hate him because he is a democrat.

Me: No, I disagree with his plans because I think he is going to run this country in the ground.


This is what I deal with everyday. Sigh.

On a brighter note, fast forward 3 months, these same co-workers are screaming about bank and private business nationalization.

Seems to me that someone tried to tell them so.... are those hoofbeats I hear in the distance?

Manufactured Crisis

A thought came to me the other day on why people are freaking out about this economic crisis...it is a real one.

We live in a world that manufactures crisis to increase ratings. Most of these crisis are solved by the media within a 24 news cycle and then the news anchors, blogs, and pundits are on to the next thing.

Things like a West Nile outbreak or a salmonella contamination are so blown out of proportion, they have you thinking you are probably going to be the next victim, that is until it disappears from the news tomorrow.

Political correctness issues, correct job titles for women, no Christmas trees in public places, women who won't take off their headscarves for a photo, are thrown at us thousands of times every week.

We begin to think that these are the real problems in life. We have been so desensitized to crisis that when it doesn't disappear in 24 hours, people cannot handle it.

The media can't solve it, the politicians can't talk their way out of it, the best minds in business can't wheel and deal their way out of it. Maybe this is God's way of telling us to quit trusting in man and return our trust to Him.

I don't have a solution to the economic problems, but I do have a piece of advise. Stop worrying and pray. I have had trouble with panic in the past and have found the Psalms to be a comfort. David knew real crisis and wrote many of the Psalms. Some verses I find especially fitting for our current situation is:

Psalm 146:3

Put not your trust in princes, Nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. The following verses are ones I have quoted again and again to people who have asked me where my stability in times of trial comes from. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount gave believers an outline of how they should go about their lives:

Matthew 6:25-34

²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

These are not lilies. I like sunflowers more than lilies and the point is still the same.

²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

My ability to deal with crisis does not come from myself. It comes from a faith that is bigger than me or any other human could provide.

The Blue Box Lies

The macaroni in the blue box is lying to you. This homemade macaroni will ruin any future experience with boxed macaroni. Be prepared, once you have had it, you won't go back.

Not Blue Box Macaroni

20 oz. elbow macaroni (16 oz. if you are planning on baking it)

Cook macaroni according to package directions.

3 c. (24 oz.) 4% cottage cheese

Put cottage cheese in a food processor and run until smooth.

1/2 c. butter

Melt butter in a large sauce pan (large enough to fit 4 cups of liquid, plus 4 cups of cheese)

1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Keep the saucepan on medium heat. In small amounts, stir in flour, garlic salt, pepper, and salt. Use a whisk to mix it to get all the lumps out.

3 c. half and half cream
1 c. milk

Mix the cream and milk in a separate bowl. Over medium heat, adding about a half cup at a time, add the mixture to the saucepan. Again use the whisk to keep it smooth before adding more liquid. After it has all been added, bring to a boil for 2 minutes or until it is thickened. Make sure to keep stirring to keep it from burning.

4 c. (16 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Turn the heat off and add the shredded cheese to the saucepan, mix until melted. Transfer the cottage cheese from the food processor to a large bowl and add the sauce to the large bowl. Mix well.

When I make this recipe, I drain the macaroni, add it directly to the sauce, and serve. I use a large metal bowl to mix everything together. The bowl has a lid so I can put it in the fridge and just portioned it out when I am hungry for it.

If you like baked macaroni, mix the sauce and noodles together in a bowl and then transfer to a greased 9" x 13" pan.

1 c. dried bread crumbs
1/4 c. melted butter

Mix butter and crumbs together and sprinkle over the top of the macaroni.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees till it is bubbly.

I originally got this recipe from Taste of Home, but I have altered a few things and used magic to remove all the calories...

Religious Reboot

The coming evangelical collapse | csmonitor.com

Coming from a very strong healthy church, it is very easy for me to see a sick church. One of my hardest struggles in moving to a new state has been finding a solid church. I can honestly say that I have visited more sick churches than healthy ones and that is sad.

I have annoyed more than one person with my dislike of the megachurches who cater to everyone. It almost makes me sick to my stomach when I go to a church on Sunday morning and am subjected to rock music, skits, and a feel good sermon. It doesn't make me feel good, it makes me feel bad. I feel bad for myself, who wasted a Sunday morning on something I could have gotten watching Oprah (who I refuse to watch), and I feel bad for everyone else who is getting fooled into thinking this is what will get them to heaven.

I can't help but think that a lot of "Christian" churches have brought this on themselves. They have sold out their doctrine in favor of decorating a new building, chosen entertainment over evangelism, and tried to commingle coffee bars with the Commandments. The combination of all these accommodations and concessions, along with their decision to pick and choose what to follow in the Bible has uprooted their foundations. It is no wonder that they are crumbling. A crisis of this magnitude could cause America to become like France, a godless, dark country. It it my hope that we have a religious reboot and true revival will take place before it is too late for American Christianity.

You Go Joe

'Joe the Plumber' sues over Ohio records probe

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96O2D380&show_article=1

Take these people for all they are worth.

The way Joe was treated is dispicable, it still is dispicable.

This guy made the mistake of catching Obama off guard and without a teleprompter and, because Obama doesn't speak off the cuff, he accidently said what he really meant.

So of course the logical course of action would be to go after his character, dig up his tax records, and spread it all over the mainstream media.

The Obama thugs did a better job vetting a random guy who asked an honest question at a campaign stop than any of their loser nominees.

This is what Obama and his cronies do to private citizens who get in their way.

Demean, discredit, and destroy.

Satanic Poses

Indonesia holds yoga festival despite Muslim fatwa

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.da993057fc1b3034b22c1f2903602b9f.01&show_article=1

Last time I checked, I didn't see people practicing yoga blowing themselves up in the streets. Maybe those clerics should check their priorites.