One Month to Live

I digress from politics for a day to discuss something truly substantive and life changing. I picked up a book the other day called One Month to Live by Kerry and Chris Shook. What a scary notion...one month to live. So scary. So morbid, that I wanted to actually page through the contents to see what they could possibly have to write on the subject and yet I wanted to run from the book at the same time. What if I only had 30 days left on Earth? You mean someday I'm going to die? Well, I guess I always knew this, but somehow it just didn't seem possible for me. It is so distant. God wouldn't let me go until I was at least 80 or 90. Of course, I began thinking about what things would really matter to me. A month is 720 hours. Would I spend three of these on a Sunday watching the Pittsburgh Steelers? Would I yell at the referee for the lousy call? Would I spend more time watching the game than talking with my wife?



I find this to be a sobering question. A question everyone should be asking. A question usually ignored because we all think that death escapes us. Or it at least escapes us after all the 'real living' is done. Have you stopped to consider what your final thirty days on Earth would be like? What is really important to you?



It didn't take me long until I began to realize that much of my life, so far, has been spent in things that have little significance beyond myself. It is really sobering to think that latest Friends rerun I watched has no significance past the last second it ended. That Big Brother episode seemed so entertaining a few weeks ago, but now it seems like such a waste. We only have one chance to live. One chance to make a difference in the lives of others. One chance to get involved in activities that impact others long after we are gone. Isn't that significance what so many of us are really searching for? Isn't helping someone who is suffering so much more important than whether I have a 32" or a 50" hi-def television? We settle for self-indulgence instead of making a difference in other people's lives. Somebody else will help the folks in Galveston who've lost everything. Somebody else will help the homeless person. Somebody else will remember the single mother struggling to make ends meet. Somebody else will spend time with my family.



I encourage anybody reading this to take a hard look at how you spend your days. Nobody at the end of their life regrets the last business deal they didn't close, or that they earned 15% on their 401k instead of 20%. They regret chances not taken, and relationships not grown. Invest in other people. Invest in something larger than yourself. Discover who Christ is and why his message is so important to your life. If you do get the news one day that your life likely will be cut short, you won't care about the score of the latest baseball game, but you will care about your family, friends and those you've helped along the way. Your legacy will be one of investing in the lives of other people not doing what is best for number 1. These are the reasons for living and I pray that God reminds me of this every day.

Will America survive another 100 years?

America is drunk with gluttony. In my opinion, we've nearly completed the civilization "life cycle." We've gone the way of many prosperous nations before us. Nothing is good enough for us. The next car, boat, yacht, or home are never good enough. The more things we have, the less happy we are, so we must find bigger things to take their place. When that isn't enough, we just steal from folks. We are a people largely free from persecution and largely independent with no need for others. We certainly don't need God. We are too smart for God. We have God figured out. If he doesn't do things the way we expect him to, then he must not exist. After all, we can't see him, so he doesn't exist. Of course, I couldn't see the wind from hurricane Ike last night, but the dilapidated tree in my yard sure knew the wind was there. Everything can be proven by science. If it can't be explained by science, then it must be false.

Sound familiar to anyone? The Greeks maybe? How about the Romans, Persians, and Egyptians? They all succumbed to flat out greed. They watched their civilizations fall in stature under the weight of narcissism, hedonism, and open disobedience to God. They all were downgraded in importance at the time and choosing of an omnipotent God who allows disobedience for a season but not permanently.

Seems a lot like America 2008. Babies are murdered so a woman has a "choice." The caribou and whales are celebrated, but our older generation mothers and fathers made to feel unwanted. Save the ants but ignore your neighbor in pain down the street. Rampant sex everywhere. Deviant sex everywhere. More marriages ending in divorce than ever before. Petty theft becoming common and not really considered that big of a deal anymore. People protesting the death penalty for criminals but condoning partial birth abortion for the innocent. The environment almost worshipped like it is a God. Good being called evil and evil good. These are the times when persecution comes knocking.

There are many fine folks left in our country. We are still the most generous people on the planet. Over $300 billion in GIVING last year alone. We still have some members of the WW II generation with us. They remember the danger and suffering caused by evil left unchecked. But, alas, we have a new generation that largely has everything. They don't seem to need anything. We're becoming more and more isolationist. If we bury our heads in the sand far enough, nothing can happen to us. When this happens there is almost nothing that wakes us from the slumber except persecution. It is only then that we begin to realize we need God. We need each other. The things we once thought to be so important are now trivial. I pray it is not to late for us. I pray we take stock in the things which are actually important before they are taken from us and we are left with nothing. A nation with such riches can give abundantly and be trusted with more wealth, or they can be greedy and have it all taken away. Which path will your decisions take us towards?

If you agree with this, pass along the comments in an email to someone. I don't care who takes credit for the sentiments, but maybe folks will wake up while we still have a chance. God Bless the U.S.A.

Conservatives are compassionate

Is anyone else tired of hearing how conservatives are for the rich? Why are there so few conservatives who can articulate the fallacy of this statement? Year after year we hear the media blathering on about this as if it is fact. Most conservatives don't even bother trying to explain where this is wrong. It's like we've conceded the argument. I'm not conceding it. I'll try to offer up a few ideas on the matter.

Start with taxes. Conservatives want to lower taxes on individuals and corporations. Right now, under George Bush the bottom 50% don't pay any income tax already. That sounds compassionate doesn't it?? Doesn't this actually help the middle and lower classes? Those yelling no, stay with me for a few sentences. One big reason our economy is stuck (besides high energy costs) is we have the third highest corporate tax burden among industrialized economies. Since I've been born (35 years), every time we lower the tax rate, income into the US Treasury goes UP...not down. Research income receipts at www.ustreas.gov and the facts will back me up. How is that possible? Lowering taxes offers incentives for folks to work harder. Folks working harder, take risks and often become more successful. They hire additional people who work harder to generate more income, and the cycle continues on and on bringing more income tax in even at the lower rate.

This principle is so common sense I can't see why people even argue against it. Say you are making $10/hr and the government decides to tax you 50%. That's $5. Are you really going to even bother working for a net of $5/hour? I doubt it. What if taxes were 10% or $1. Aren't you much more likely to bother working for $9 vs. $5? Why is this logic any different at the top of the income ladder? People taking on the risk of borrowing money to start businesses often by threat of losing their homes if they fail are not going to when 30, 40, even 50% of the money is gone before they start. So, I say conservative tax policy is actually for both the rich and the poor.

What about the church? Well, about 2/3rd's of the Christian & Catholic churches in America identify themselves as conservative. According to www.generousgiving.org, churchgoers give about 3.4% of their income vs. 1.1-1.4% for non-churchgoers. Non-churchgoers is a group of folks always polled as extensively liberal and progressive. In addition, conservative congregations give $2,627 per person/per year versus $1,582 by "liberal congregations." Who are the compassionate ones again?

Let's end with "teaching a man to fish." Conservatives always get attacked because we don't want our hard earned funds redistributed to others by fiat. This is interpreted as not caring. The principal here is: I worked hard, I paid for my college education, I took risks, and I don't want government just "taking" my money. I want and believe individuals, the church and other private enterprises should WANT to help these folks. My wife and I give a lot because of this principal.

Private enterprise almost always does things better than government. And many of us believe we should offer help but also teach folks how to be self-sufficient so they are productive members of society. Isn't that truly compassionate?? Giving someone on the street $10 so they can often turn around and buy beer or drugs is not compassionate. It is enabling and makes liberals "feel good" but doesn't actually accomplish anything. Soon the same person is back at it looking for free money so they don't have to work.

I'd like to hear from you. Am I all wet on this? What do you think. Comment me and get a dialog going.

Bye-Bye Keith

What wonderful news thine ears have heard. This past 10 days has been the most fun I've had since Al Gore lost Florida 8 years ago. It's like manna falling from Heaven. This is just so unexpected it seems too good to be true. It seems everyday brings better McCain poll numbers and more attacks on Sarah Palin's character. For me, today was extra special because the biggest hack on television is finally not allowed to run his mouth off during political coverage.


Mr. Hate Monger, Keith Olbermann, along with Chris Matthews have been dropped from political night coverage by MSNBC! How can this be? These are the beacons of fairness and tolerance. To me, this is a no brainer as Mr. Olbermann lost his journalistic integrity long before this. He is the only man on television I absolutely won't watch. Admittedly, Keith is a hit with the David Letterman and You Tube crowd, but the guy is just plain nasty. He distorts the truth and often mixes and matches sound bites from Fox anchors he doesn't like to make it appear they are less than honest and then passes it off as truth.


Join me in sending Keith a goodbye email at countdown@msnbc.com. Please keep it clean as we don't need to play his game.


During the Republican convention, Pat Buchanan was remarking that Sarah Palin has given the GOP base energy, and Mr. Olbermann replied, "Those reading US Weekly with the picture of her and her youngest daughter with the word `scandal' written across it won't be so happy,"


The true scandal is Mr. Olbermann still works for MSNBC.