Over the past week my mind and heart have been on a roller coaster and it has all been caused by politics.  From a high point when the House voted to defund Obamacare to yesterday when the Senate stripped that provision from the Continuing Resolution, I have found myself frustrated, concerned and down right angry. 

When I get like this, there is only my Lord and Savior who I can turn to that calms me and gives me peace.  I do so by way of prayer.  It can be in thought, it can be in the spoken word, but it can also be in writing. As a writer, I find that putting my prayers on paper makes them much clearer to me and it also affords me the opportunity to revisit or revise them to deal with those times in the future that I might have the same feelings again.  Because, you see, as a mere mortal, I know that allowing these thoughts to enter my heart will surely come again, but I vow to continue my fight to keep myself true to Him.

Here is my prayer:

Dear Lord and Savior, I come to you today with a heavy heart which is troubled.  I worry about the future for me and my loved ones in a nation which seems to increasingly lose your spirit and love.  I am especially concerned about a government that is trying to replace you with its earthly power, and I know that not only is this impossible but it is also futile.

At the same time, I find myself becoming angry.  My anger is focused at those who are trying to implement these changes even though I know that the feelings I have are never the answer.  Help me to apply your guidance in these situations and use love as my response even though professing love toward those who I feel are doing me wrong is a very difficult thing to do.  Calm me, soothe me, and give me the peace to clearly control what I am thinking and use your strength to make me better, stronger and more capable of being a Christian soldier, using love as the way to reach those who would wrong me, my loved ones and the country that I love.  Make me an example of goodness and light so that I might influence others by living the Christian life.

Help me not to falter, although I know that I will, and keep me assured in knowing that I may always look to you for help and guidance in such future times, always remembering that by loving and following you and your example in thought, word and deed the day will come when I, too, will inherit the promise of Everlasting Life.

I ask this prayer in your name, Amen.

Wow, I feel better already.  Now I know I will stray again, but God understands that I, like all mankind, will sin again.  But I also know that He will stand by me and be ready to show me the way again whenever I need.  All I have to do is ask Him, and that applies to all of His children.

Have a great day with the love of Jesus always in your heart, and may God show us the way, the truth and the life. He is waiting.

While following the Defund Obamacare process for the last month or so,  I seriously began to wonder if I wasn't watching the demise of our political system.  After all, despite the way things are reported, Obama has basically refused to negotiate his position with the very bodies that are responsible for funding the process.  He has presented himself as above the law, above the people, almost as if he does indeed think he is a Messiah or maybe a monarch.

I saw hope when the House of Representatives finally took a strong stand against the Affordable Care Act since this one act is terribly dividing our country while also destroying our medical system and a big part of our freedom.  But then the Senate got into action, and when I watched the likes of McCain, the mainstream media, and even Congressman Peter King get ugly simple because Senator Ted Cruz spoke what we know is the truth, my hopes again faltered.

So now the issue is back in the House and in the hands of John Boehner, a Speaker of dubious conservative credentials and a man known for wanting to cut any kind of deal, no matter what it does.  I guess we'll just have to wait a day or two to see what he tries to do and with it, to find out how the conservative majority in that body responds.  I fear that they will cave under Boehner's pressure from the Republican Establishment and do what the D.C. elites want: give the Democrats what they want.  And if they do, we will witness over the next few years the total destruction of private healthcare, which is just what Harry Reid openly says is the ultimate goal.

Now having said all of that, history provides some evidence that in the end it can still turn out differently.  Those of you who are younger may not remember, but America found itself in a similar position in the 60s.  After John Kennedy was assassinated, and Americans felt hopeless, a very tyrannical and obstinate man, Lyndon Johnson, assumed the Presidency.  And Johnson decided that while America was in "mourning", he would be able to put through all of Kennedy's dream legislation in one big push. With big majorities in both Houses and his ability to arm twist both parties (after all, he had been Senate Majority Leader and was a master of hard ball politics), he set out to do just that.  He cajoled, he threatened, he promised, and he did anything and everything to bring about the Great Society, that pie in the sky liberal program which has cost us trillions, has given us dubious results at best, and is still with us today. 

The Great Society was FDR's socialism on steroids and it was the dream of the liberals.  They had other great plans at the time and it looked like nothing could stop them until...........Vietnam.  Johnson pushed heavily for our major involvement, upped the ante for America with the Tonkin Gulf Resolution (many still think that was contrived) and, voila, his influence and power rapidly waned.  With it came the growth of a new conservatism, which had been revived by the failed 1964 candidacy of Barry Goldwater with its primary spokesman being Ronald Reagan, and twelve years later Ronnie became President.

Over eight years, Ronald Reagan embarked on a mission to show America that conservative principles were the basis of the American dream and were what brought us to greatness.  But, alas, after his two terms were up, the RINO element of the party, a jealous group who never liked Reagan in the first place, came back to predominance in Republican circles and through the two Bushes, with Bill Clinton in the middle, we drifted back in the direction of government as our savior. 

Then along came a man with no background, no substance, and really no talent (save his ability to read a teleprompter), and the American masses swooned toward him, blaming George W. Bush for everything wrong in their life.  It wasn't true, but the media reported it over and over again and remember, if you tell a lie long enough people begin to believe it.   Now W made some major mistakes with his support for big government, but at least his heart was in the right place.  But with Obama, well, it's all about him.  America doesn't really matter so much.

So now the RINOs have once again surfaced to use a two by four on the faces of the American people.  And with it, much of the hope for our future is in question, because as surely as I am writing this, Obamacare can only further our destruction as a free people.   And if the other things that they want to be complicit in, notably immigration and don't even count out Obama's tireless quest for gun control and destruction of Christian freedom, the deed will be done.

But this week also brought some renewed hope, for a bunch of young Patriots are rising, and the voice of Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and some of our older stalwarts like Jeff Sessions and James Inhofe have relit the flame.  And now it's up to us to stop electing and reelecting RINOs and elect true conservatives who will represent what America is all about, not what the Beltway wants.  It's time to say goodbye to the McCains, the McConnells, the Corkers and the Alexanders, men who have been infected with their own selfish desire and self-importance and who have used you for their own personal advantage.  If you live in a red state, there is never a good reason to elect a RINO or a Democrat because, in the end, they will betray you in Washington.  You have to, in Reagan's words, trust but verify. If we do that, a new and revised version of Reaganism can capture the hearts and imaginations of  America again and we can put people back to work in a truly free society.

That's my hope and dream America and I hope you will join me.  So don't despair and don't get angry, just harness your energy to getting the job done.  God bless you and God bless America. Let's return her to greatness and with it our prosperity.

As I watch the current activity surrounding the Continuing Resolution, the debt ceiling and the ties of both to the Obamacare debate, I think of Ronald Reagan, a stalwart and true leader who we miss so much today.  And I think of him because I wish so much that the Republicans had a leader of his caliber today.

Oh, I know that the Democrats control the White House and that makes it difficult for a leader other than the President to galvanize attention.  And I also know that a political leader with such a grasp of "the gift of gab" as well as "the sense of the people" as Reagan doesn't come along often.  But I also know that the biggest problem that the Republican minority has today is weak and indecisive leadership that inspires no one, not even most of the political class it is surrounded by.

Let's face it, folks, both Mitch McConnell and John Boehner are timid, they inspire no one, and they seem more agreeable to finding a way to support the bidding of the Democrats  than the will of the people who elected them. 

Now once in a while they show some sign of backbone, like Boehner did last week on the House CR vote, but then they quickly go wobbly as I think they will do that now as well.  They seem to say that we can't do what is necessary right now but just wait until after the next election.  Really?  Isn't that what we were told after 2008 and 2012.  In the middle we supported a large number of Tea Party-backed candidates who were responsible for Boehner becoming Speaker and yet he has done everything in his power to hold them in check.  And the Senate, well, we elected some wonderful new Senators but the old school group continues to whine and wheeze and play "patsy" with the Democrats while being surly toward their Conservative Republican colleagues.

So having said that we have no one approaching Reagan in leadership and a Reagan is probably a "once in a lifetime" kind of guy, why did I mention him?  Well, I did so because good leaders are each different and can be packaged different ways.  While the charm and charisma of Reagan is rare, we are now finding some smart, energetic, and freedom loving folks surfacing who have the potential to be not another Reagan, but a new brand of leader who can inspire and motivate our nation once again to greatness.  I am talking about folks like Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Scott Walker and others who have the willingness to put it on the line and define the terms clearly so that Americans understand that we need to grab control of our nation again.  I'm talking about people of character who put their nation first and their election second.

This is a time-consuming process and it won't solve our ills immediately. Boehner and McConnell will continue to try and cover their own backsides in rhetoric while Obamacare and higher deficits continue.  But this younger breed of thinking Conservatives, and I also include the much maligned Sarah Palin because she has a lot to offer, is building support and momentum through their willingness to "buck the system" and stand courageously while the insults are hurled at them, often by members of their own party.  These folks are strong, dynamic and fearless and Americans are starting to watch closely and like what they see. 

Rand Paul drew many followers in his earlier filibuster over the drone issue.  Ted Cruz, with the strong supporting presence of Mike Lee, eloquently showed clearly how pathetic and dangerous Obamacare is to the nation's health system.  Scott Walker defied the odds in Wisconsin and has turned its economic fortunes around by freeing up business and the education system from the union fist.  And Sarah Palin, well Sarah is just being Sarah, fearless, outspoken and able to put the thoughts that many of us have out in the public domain so that we have a voice.  She can draw a crowd as well as anyone and bring them to positive action.

And as for the old, doting Republican politicians who want to continue doing things the old way while losing more and more elections, it's time for them to face the music and go home.  The surly McCain, always angry with Conservatives, needs to go home.  Lamar Alexander has compromised principles once too often.  Mitch McConnell has spoken out of both sides of his mouth too much and John Boehner needs to be primaried.  I can talk about retiring the geriatric set, folks, because I'm a senior citizen and I'm tired of the old way myself.  After all, the geriatric elitists in D.C. have played a leading role in destroying my own healthcare and retirement through their malfeasance in office.  It's time for the National Republican Party to return to its conservative base and once again represent we, the people, not them, the lobbyists and bureaucrats.  It's just that simple.

While none of the outstanding young conservatives mentioned is Ronald Reagan because there will always only be one Reagan, they offer talents, leadership and a voice that clearly offers a Reaganesque approach to government and that's what we sorely need.  Somehow I know that our beloved Ronnie is sitting on a beautiful cloud in the sunshine this morning, looking down on pitiful us and smiling at these young, future national leaders.  Trust me, his spirit lives on in them and will infect the country over time, especially as they see just how bad things have become, all a creation of cheap politicians who refuse to face reality.

I am a baby boomer and I remember the years of Lyndon Johnson through Jimmy Carter when things were about like they are today.  Everyone was looking for something for nothing and the politicians were more than happy to oblige in return for giving up your freedom.  That is where we find ourselves today and opening the eyes of Americans to the truth, not political correctness, is the way to recover.

So be of good cheer, Conservatives, because this too shall pass.  But we have to be strong, outspoken, and always standing for what is right and good in the eyes of our Lord, for he will work miracles through the people who truly support His message.  And I truly believe that young people of the caliber I mentioned above will lead us back.

Praise God, everyone, be of high hopes and good cheer, and God bless America. We will not surrender and we will prevail.

Living in rural Florida near lakes and swamps, you always have to keep your eye out for gators nearby.  We haven't had any significant problems but there is always the first time.  And with a large number of pets who like to explore, particularly cats and dogs, it's always on my mind.

I have a spring fed pond on my property in which I have never seen a snake or a gator, just fish turtles.  I guess it's because the water is quite fresh and gators naturally like murky, mucky water.  There is, however, a pond very close to my property line in a meadow which is a different story.  It backs up on a swampy area and during mating season it's not unusual to see a gator there.  Now my animals are pretty smart and I've never had a problem with them going down there ..........up until now.

I have one little dynamo, Molly, a Jack rat terrier, who is in to everything.  And she is nosy and I have to stay on top of things with her.  Fence, barbed wire, you name it, Molly will figure out a way to get through it without a scratch.  My neighbor has reported that the gator has been back recently so I have to figure this one out.  But there is one strong point about Molly, she is wicked smart and quick, so I guess I'll just try to keep her in sight at all times.

Here she is in all her glory, just standing by waiting for action---usually it's one of the barn cats.  Notice her ears are pulled way back, the sign she's ready to go.  Just so she doesn't decide to take on a gator we'll be okay and she usually knows not to tangle with something out of her league.

I truly love this little scamp and all of her antics and she keeps things lively around here.  And another thing, the little visitors from the woods that come calling from time to time stay clear when they know Molly is around.

Molly is another of the animal stars in my new book, Honey, We Shoulda' Bought The Ark, now available from Amazon.  Check it out, the direct link to my author page is: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1478701064

Animals, truly special gifts of joy given us by a gracious and loving God.  Care for them and love them.  It's what He expects us to do.

As I listened to Ted Cruz last night, I thought about all of the money that government spends and wastes and how it never tires of wasting more.  Here was a man from Texas, sent to Washington by the voters to do just what he was doing, being abused, cursed at and ridiculed by not just the Democrats but also some in his own party.  Men like John McCain and John Cornyn, working behind the scenes to undercut him, are particularly noteworthy for their cowardice and weakness.  Senator Cruz is articulate, intelligent and thoughtful and I think that his opponents, especially those in his own party, want to shut him up because they know that the truth is getting out and they are on the wrong side of the issue. Cruz can run circles around these windbags and they know it and fear him.

Waking up early and firing up my computer, Ted is still at it.  He's going on sixteen hours and still looks strong.  That's what you get when you elect a man of conviction and substance instead of many who find it more important to be invited to the biggest cocktail party or be found favorable by the Washington Post.

No one can dispute factually any of the information Cruz provides.  And the evidence is clear that this monstrosity of a law, this Obamacare, will do nothing to cure our health woes because that is not what it's about.  It's all about control, telling you what you can and can't do and using the force of the law to force your actions.  And, unfortunately, it's proponents include many Republicans as well as Democrats.  And that's what is so sad and disastrous for our country.  We have a large number of elected leaders who really don't care about the citizenry, they just want to maintain their perks and power.

It is hard to believe my country has fallen so far so fast.  We elected a President who clearly has no experience and no qualifications, who was and is a true believer in the worst sense of the word to lead our government and many elected members of the political class just fell in line behind himlike a bunch of lemmings waiting to run over the cliff.  The national media, the so-called Fourth Estate, didn't even attempt to examine his record and background even though it was clearly available and not what Americans usually expect.  Even worse, those same politicians who jumped on the President's bandwagon have the audacity to criticize Cruz behind his back; one senior Republican even reportedly used the F-bomb about Cruz, substituting it for truthfulness and honesty, traits often missing in the goings on of Washington.  Ironically,this is the same Senator who always complains when there is not "comity" in the Senate, yet he is one of the worst offenders.  I'm sure he knows who he is.

Friends, I don't know where this current action is headed.  I know that those of us supporting Cruz are in the majority of the public but in the minority when it comes to the cowardly political leaders.  And I do know that this issue is not over.  Americans can't afford this healthcare travesty, they will not be served well by this travesty, and they clearly don't want it.  And Washington is very close to putting us in bankrupty. So I say to those in Washington it is time for you to wake up and start doing the job that you were sent to do --represent those who got you there.   And if you are not willing to do so, I feel that a rising tide like you've never seen before will sweep you out of office so fast that you won't even see it coming.  The "Sleeping Giant" is awake and will not be denied. Elections are coming up again soon and we aren't happy, particularly with the Senate.  We will not allow the sewer that Washington has become to spread its stench throughout our land.

So my hat is off to Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Mike Lee and the other Patriots willing to lead the fight tyranny against the people of this country, the very people the political class is sworn to serve.  And I am proud, very proud to #StandWithTed.  I hope you will join me.  Wherever you go today and whatever you do, just say: I #StandWithCruz.   #KeepCruzing everyone.  And God bless America.

Something interesting and unique is going on in the politics and governments of the Free World.  Many of our friends and allies are transitioning their governments from a heavily socialistic operating style to one more in line with America's traditional free enterprise system.  Many have learned the hard way that the more government interjects itself into every nook and cranny of your life, the less productive and capable of self-sufficiency we become.

Just look around us.  The trend started a number of years ago with Canada throwing out the Liberals and replacing them with Conservatives and Stephen Harper, who have brought business to life and a much higher standard of living. Mr. Harper has opened the gold mine of fossil fuels through fracking and the country is thriving.

After Canada came the British, replacing Gordon Brown with David Cameron. While the Prime Minister is less conservative than I normally like, I mean he is no Maggie Thatcher, he has nonetheless taken some positive steps to bring England out of the doldrums.

And more recently, Australia and now even Norway have replaced a liberal mindset in governance and policy with a conservative approach.  And yesterday, despite predictions of gloom, Angela Merkel won a resounding reelection in Germany.  The most responsible and most prosperous nation in Europe clearly gave her Center-Right government a clear vote of confidence.

There is even a growing likelihood of change in some other European socialist democracies as well.  Since Mr. Hollande has come to power in France, his administration, operating in a fashion similar to that of Obama, now finds itself very unpopular and falling out of grace quickly.  And Spain, with its extensive push for "green" jobs being a dismal failure with unemployment now in the stratosphere, is likely to alter its direction in the future as well.  More and more citizens of the world are finding that socialism and real freedom don't mix very well.

So sadly, that leaves the United States.  The Land of the Free and the Home of Brave has surrendered its world leadership and economic prosperity at a time when so many of our friends have seen the light.  We have now twice elected a man with no executive or leadership skills, clearly lacking any experience for the office he holds, and now as President we continue to suffer decline and morass. 

Just look at things.  Unemployment is stubborn, the percentage of working age adults in the workforce is the lowest its been in over thirty years, productivity is abyssmal, we're in the process of scrapping the best healthcare in the world, and government entities treat us like the enemy through illegal and unconstitutional spying on just about everything we do.  Despite having the most fossil fuel reserves in the world, we have frittered that away while government pushes for expensive alternatives which are nowhere near ready to exploit and more and more of our youth are graduating without any good job skills and with many of our young women set to become unwed mothers.  God has been mocked, lawbreaking and crime is rampant, and despite this the government wants to eliminate our ability to defend ourselves.

Over the next few weeks I want to focus on some of our biggest problems, what they are and where they are leading us.  I won't cover them every day but will mix them in with other subjects of interest that will be popping up.  As a blogger, it is hard to plan for tomorrow with so many issues surfacing daily.

Whenever you see a blog entitled What's Holding America Back? (with a number assigned to each issue) it will be indicative of a continuation of this opening.  Such issues as Education, Morality and God, Energy Self-Sufficiency, Pride and Patriotism, National Security, National Sovereignty, Privacy and Capitalism will be discussed one by one on different days.  I hope it will be helpful in sorting out what we need to do.   And while I don't have all the answers, in fact probably not many, I know that Americans need to get serious real fast about these issues or our nationhood and freedom will likely be lost. 

I look forward to "talking" about these issues in the days.  Until then, God bless you and God bless America.

Today is a day that I'll always remember.  I can't say that it is always for fond reasons but I am thankful that things turned out well.  On September 23, 1969 I entered the Army and a period of life that profoundly changed me.The prior April, while finishing up my final year of college, I received my notice from the Selective Service to report for a physical examination.  Spending most of a day filing forms and being poked and prodded, I was told at the end of the day that I had passed all physical requirements and could expect a 1-A classification meaning I was fit for service.  While I was thankful to be physically fit, I had mixed emotions about what this meant since the Vietnam War was raging on and many of my classmates were becoming seriously anti-war.  I never felt that way but I did wonder if the war was worth all of the death and destruction that was ongoing while it continued on seemingly forever.

I decided I didn't want to be a 11B enlisted Infantryman so I applied for Officer Candidate School.  I went through a number of interviews, more mental and physical testing and was accepted, subject to prior completion of both basic and advanced individual training.  I was enlisted upon graduation from college in early June and received a delayed entry report date of September 23d, thereby allowing me a final summer to relax and get my "ducks in a row".  Asking for this delay was probably a big mistake but, then again, hindsight is always wrought with pitfalls.

One thing that was quite ironic was that after I received my acceptance papers I got a draft notice from my local Selective Service board.  When I called them I was told that I had to personally bring them the evidence, so I spent a day driving back home to present myself.  You see, the government wasn't any less incompetent back then than it is now.  Do you really think that Selective Service didn't know who enlisted and when?  I highly doubt that.

My final summer of freedom was spent in Richmond, Virginia and I found a job driving a route truck for the Coca-Cola Company, servicing their vending locations throughout the area.  It was hot and laborious work but it's the best I could do since I was marked as a "temp" just marking time until getting ready for war.  The pay was pretty good, however, and I had the weekends off so I spent a lot of time by the pool at my apartment complex and, unfortunately, worrying.  I read each day, and watched on TV, reports of the continuing struggle in Vietnam and the mounting list of casualties and deaths of Americans in that seemingly god-forsaken place.  And this is why I said my delayed entry was a mistake; it gave me time to think about what was ahead and too much time thinking about the unknown soon to be faced is never a good thing.

The summer flew by and the next thing I knew it was the morning of September 23d.  Dropped off at the local Greyhound station in my Eastern Virginia hometown, I boarded the bus for Richmond at 5:30 a.m for the two hour bus ride.  Upon arrival in Richmond, I reported to the AAFEES station in the Federal Building for more tests and long lines, spending most of the time amongst young men like me in our undershorts and T-shirts being herded through stations like cattle in the chutes at the stockyards.  To say that all vestiges of individuality were quickly being taken away is an understatement.

Finally, at about 4:30 p.m., we were dressed in our civilian clothes, marched into an assembly room and sworn into the Army in a mass formation.  Then I was given an envelope with records to take to my training location and a bunch of us were bussed to the train station to await the overnight train to Camden, New Jersey.  This was the first time we became aware that we would be taking our Basic at Fort Dix, New Jersey, not Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

I took a moment to call home for one last goodbye because I knew that the next time I would talk to family would be anybody's guess.  And as I boarded the train, I thought back about the day just completed and knew that it is one that I would never forget.  I knew there was much ahead of me that I knew nothing about, but I decided it would be best to treat it like an adventure, kind of like a game, albeit a game with serious consequences.  Frankly, that attitude is what made it okay.

Looking back, I can truthfully say that my military service was good for me.  It taught me much about rules and their consequences and why they are so important.  And I got to see parts of the world that I would never have experienced and I met many new friends from all over the country.  And I was proud when I completed OCS and received my commission as an officer and am proud to this day to be a member of the largest fraternity in the world: the United States Armed Forces.  Young men who did their duty and served their country became a part of something bigger than themselves and could look forward to finding fellow brothers wherever they went for the rest of their lives.  And I find some more of them every day and salute them as my Friends at Arms. 

I thank God for protecting me during those years, for giving me the strength to do my job, and I will always trust Him and honor my country.  It's too bad many today don't feel the same day about Our Lord and the most wonderful nation every created.  America is a bastion of freedom which takes sacrifice and hard work; let's strive together to never give her up.

God bless you all.