The Way the National Anthem Should be Sung....

Cactus Cuties
(Source lubbockonline.com)

My buddy Phil and I have had a number of discussions regarding celebrity renditions of the Star Spangled Banner.  Most of the time it's when they completely mess it up.  Forgetting or adding words, screeching out the melody or singing off key!  Not often is there a memorable performance of our National Anthem.

But the other day Phil sent me an email titled, "This is the way the national anthem should be sung..."  It pointed me to a YouTube video of a vocal group known as The Cactus Cuties from Lubbock, TX.  It will give you chills.  See for yourself......

(Source YouTube)

Great video isn't it?!  These girls can really sing.

While looking for the YouTube video I also found this performance of Amazing Grace....

 (Source YouTube)

Awesome!

Matthew 18

 ² He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. ³ And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven

Why gas prices are skyrocketing......

If you use gasoline, and who doesn't, you've no doubt noticed that prices at the pump have gone up a little!  Okay, they've gone up a lot.  Conventional wisdom would say that oil prices must be going up as well.  In fact, oil prices have gone up some but are nowhere near as high as they were four years ago.

If that's not the cause then the next bit of conventional thought would point to increased demand for gasoline.  Remember your high school economics class, when demand goes up, prices rise in response.  When demand goes down, prices usually drop as suppliers compete for fewer consumers by lowering prices.  We saw this with oil in 2008 when the price of oil dropped precipitously when the world economy tanked and oil consumption went south....

Oil Price Crash in 2008
(Source InflationData.com)

The same graph shows oil prices have rebounded but are still below 2008 levels.  So what gives?  Oh and one more thing, gasoline consumption is below 2002, yes, 2002 levels.  Here's the chart.....

So, gasoline demand is really low. oil prices are a little high but gas prices are increasing rapidly.  What's going on here?

The answer can be found at this link from Forbes magazine, Gasoline Prices Are Not Rising, the Dollar Is Falling.

In a nutshell, our friends in Washington are printing money to finance our national debt.  This oversupply of dollars is devaluing the dollar which is causing the price of gas to rise.  The author does a great job explaining how the dollar is being devalued.  He does this by showing the price of oil in terms of the amount of gold required to buy a barrel of oil.  It turns out that the amount of gold required to buy a barrel of oil right now is actually below the historical average proving that oil prices aren't rising in real terms but that the dollar is getting weaker.

Inflation is an ugly thing and it's being brought on by our friends in Washington due to extreme government spending and borrowing.  Inflation is very damaging to an economy and our leaders seem hellbent on spending our nation into oblivion.  But paraphrasing Glenn Reynolds over at the Instapundit blog, things that can't go on forever will eventually end!

The last time we saw this sort of thing going on was when Jimmy Carter was president.  I was in high school  when he was elected but remember how big a disaster he was.  I never thought I'd see a worse president in my lifetime.  Surely people would be too smart to elect someone worse than Carter.  I was wrong.  I've now seen the worst president of my lifetime!  I hope no one worse comes along.

I will make a bold prediction, however.  If gas prices continue to rise or even if they stay at current levels I think it will be the undoing of Obama.  This hurts people in many ways.  It hurts when they fill their gas tank and increases the cost of everything we buy.  People notice that and Obama owns the policy that's causing this.  Too much government borrowing and spending!

God Reveals Himself When We Least Expect It....

God reveals himself so often when we least expect it.  Last Thursday I took ol' Baxter outside for his morning constitutional and rounded the corner of the house to a beautiful crescent moon....

It was just before sunrise and the moon was bright and clear in the February winter sky.  It was strikingly beautiful to see it among the bare branches of the tulip popular in our backyard.  It's a little harder to see the moon here but it gives the wider view that caught my attention....

Admittedly, I don't really look forward to Baxter's morning walk.  But when I saw the beautiful pre-dawn sky I was suddenly overwhelmed by the presence of God.  He created such a beautiful place for us to live.  The colors, sights, sounds, smells can be so moving!   Scripture tells us that God is evident in nature..

Psalm 19
 ¹ The heavens declare the glory of God; 
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
 ² Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
 ³ They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
 ⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world.
    In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
 ⁵ It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
   like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens
   and makes its circuit to the other;
   nothing is deprived of its warmth.


So often Christians wonder why they don't feel God's presence.  It can be a frustration to people seeking Christ.  But often I think that's because we think in human terms.  We think God will reveal Himself in ways that meet our expectations when, in fact, God acts in His own special way.

If you're wondering why you don't "feel" God's presence in your life I would urge you to spend more time reading your Bible and engaging the Lord through prayer.  How can we feel His presence when we don't even take time to read the letters He's written us, i.e. scripture, or simply having a conversation with Him through prayer?

I don't know if I'm a "committed" Christian but I know that since I've made it a point to pray and study God's word I feel God's presence in my life in such a deep and moving way.  I didn't feel that before.  Was that because He wasn't there?  Of course not....

Isaiah 41
¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you; 
   do not be dismayed, for I am your God. 
I will strengthen you and help you; 
   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand

Matthew 28

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

If you seek to know God better take the time to learn how to recognize Him when he taps you on the shoulder.  Educate yourself in the word and prayer so you can understand His ways of reaching you.  The other day He tapped my shoulder and said, "Look at the beautiful sky, moon and trees that I created!".  How easily I could have missd His voice if I wasn't more aware of the ways he acts.

He's doing His part but it's our responsibility to be able to recognize Him more easily. God reaches us every day, right where we live and struggle and rejoice. He meets you in the frustrations and the joys. Will you take the time to learn His language?

Here are a few simple, practical steps to take to be more aware of God's voice in your life:

1) Read one chapter from the Old and New Testament each day. If a chapter is too much start with one verse.

2) On your way to work or school tomorrow, turn the music off in your car and take a few minutes to pray while you're driving.

3) Before you go to sleep tonight thank God for another day of life and the grace of Christ.

4) The next time a thought hits you "out of the blue" ask yourself what God might be saying to you.

5) Read a book called Mere Christianity written by C.S. Lewis.

Steps one through four are pretty easy. Step five requires more of a commitment but is well worth your time.

I will include those who read this in my prayers in the hopes that God is using me to reach out to you. May you recognize His voice and let your life be changed!

That's it for now from the Ponderosa.

May the grace of Christ be yours!

Why can't our government produce a budget?

It has been something over 1000 days since the Congress has passed a budget.  Hard to believe isn't it?  You're asking yourself how, then, can they still be spending money.  They're doing it by passing continuing resolutions.  I guess the political climate is just too spoiled for the Dems and Reps ubs to come to a spending agreement.

One of the things I really don't understand about our federal government today is why can't Obama sit down with the leaders of Congress and produce a budget?  The process we have today is totally out of whack.  Yesterday, Obama submitted a budget to Congress and it was immediately labeled as dead on arrival by the Republicans.  Even the Democrats were non-supportive of the president's budget.  The best they could do is keep their mouth shuts and say nothing except for Emanuel Cleaver (Dem from Missouri) and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus who called Obama's budget a, "...nervous breakdown on paper.."!  Why does it have to be this way?

No rational organization develops a budget like this.  I work for a Fortune 500 company and at every level the budgeting process involves meetings in which all the stakeholders bring their thoughts together in a meeting room.  They decide on spending targets and then there's a constructive give and take in which everyone weighs-in to establish spending priorities.  I'm also on the administrative board of my church and we pretty much follow the same practice.

How difficult would it be for Obama or Speaker of the House John Boehner or Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to schedule budget writing sessions for the three months leading up to the budget deadline.  No one's going to get everything they want but they could surely hammer out a compromise budget that wouldn't be "dead on arrival" the day it was introduced!!

How can grown men and women act so childish when so much is at stake?  Pray for leaders to emerge who will move past the political gamesmanship we see in Washington today.

How much do you know about your country? (take the test)

Think you know a lot about American government and history.  Via Ace of Spades HQ blog here's a quick thirty-three question online quiz.  Click here ---> TO TAKE THE CIVICS TEST

Ace says "... the average score was 49%. College Professors got 55%. Elected Officials displayed their quality with a 44%!" 


Not too encouraging is it?  Take the quiz and post your score in the comments.  


Not bragging but I scored 85%.  Beat that if you can.

(EPILOGUE) Never leave a tomato alone in a house full of cats....

Further developments after last night's post about the feline tomato torturers living here at the Ponderosa.

I can't really say why but after writing last night's post I put the tomato back on the counter.  Maybe the senility I thought had escaped was more real than I thought!  I really don't know why I did it, okay!  The tomato certainly wasn't worth eating.   I'm sure I would've thrown it away this morning but last night it seemed like it needed to stay. I put it on the counter near the sink behind a couple of glasses and between a bottle of hand soap and a 2-liter Coca-Cola.  I then went to bed certain that the persecuted tomato was in a secure position.

Safe and Secure!!

So this morning we slept in as is common on Saturday.  I sit down on the sofa to enjoy some coffee out of my favorite Frankoma Pottery mug.  I've just placed the rim of the mug to my lips when Katelyn, who's sitting in the chair across the living room, says in an ever so innocent voice, 

"I FOUND THAT TOMATO IN MY ROOM THIS MORNING!!"

I stopped in mid-sip and in the back of my mind I heard that weird "eek-eek-eek" violin sound you hear in a slasher movie when the monster's doing his slashing thing!  I looked at Katelyn and said what any concerned father would say, "What did you say?"  She said, "That tomato was on the floor beside the fan this morning!"

When Katie got up this morning here's what she and Baxter found...

(DISCLAIMER:  This photo is a depiction of historical events and may not accurately portray the actions of certain felines, canines or humans living in this house!)

Baxter Discovers Abused Tomato!!

Are you kidding me?  Somehow the tomato was extracted from its' save haven behind cups and bottles on the kitchen counter, knocked onto the floor and then transported UPSTAIRS to Katie's room! 

The episode Thursday was solely the work of cats.  How do I know?  Baxter was locked up in his cage and so he couldn't possible bother the tomato even if it was on the floor.  Only cats were involved.  But last night I suspect a team effort...

JASPER

PLUS

BAXTER

EQUALS

Stewed Tomato!!

That concludes this update from the Ponderosa!  One last thing, if you have tomatoes and cats please protect your tomatoes!  It's our duty to protect the innocent!

THE END

(No animals were harmed during the making of this blog post...only tomatoes!)

Never leave a tomato alone in a house full of cats...

As some of my readers know we live with six cats and one dog.  One of the cats stays outside most of the time but the remaining five never go outside.  Needless to say five cats make for some interesting times.  The following story chronicles just the latest example of a life lived in a cat's world.

Yesterday evening the wife and I had to be at the high school to work on a PTA fundraiser.  A beauty pageant if you must know, but that's a story for another day!  Anyway, back to my story.  We had to be at the school pretty early and knew we wouldn't be home until late.  We didn't have time to eat before we left so since dinner was going to be late we wanted it to be a light meal.  We decided to have a taco salad.  The plan was to have everything prepared ahead of time and then put it together when we got home.  I stopped at the grocery on the way home and bought the ground beef, taco seasoning, tortilla chips and a tomato.  The wife went on to the school.  I browned the beef, put it in the fridge and left for the school a little later.  Little did I know that events had been set in motion that would have me questioning my sanity within just a few short hours.

So we got home and that's when the trouble began.  I started to get out all the ingredients for the salad starting with the tomato that needed to be diced.  I had left the tomato on the counter next to the tortilla chips....or so I thought.  When I went to get the tomato this is what I saw......

Notice what's missing?  Yea, the tomato was gone.  I know it was right there.  I poured it out of the grocery bag when I got home.  But no tomato now.  I moved all the stuff around on the counter.  Still no tomato.  What the heck happened to my tomato?  

This is where old people like me start to worry a little.  Okay, so I'm about to turn fifty-three.  Maybe I've got early onset senility!  Did I really put the tomato on the counter?  Did I really take it out of the bag?  Did it fall out of the bag in the car?  Shoot, did I really buy a tomato or an even more disconcerting thought, did I, in fact, go to the grocery store?!  It sure seemed like I did but maybe I blacked out and it was just a dream!  No, I KNOW I bought a tomato, brought it home and left it right there on the counter!  What next?

Okay, I'm an engineer, I solve problems every day!   So how to methodically solve this?  Where could I have left the stupid thing if it didn't actually make it to the counter?

How about the car?  No tomato in the car.

Could it be in the trash in the kitchen?  Luckily the trash had just been emptied that morning.  No tomato in the trash.

What about the big trash dumpster in the garage?  It's pretty empty as well thank goodness.  Still smells bad in the dumpster though.  No tomato there either.

Did I accidentally drop it in the garbage disposal?  Nope.

Well, it's nowhere to be found.  I've pretty well ruled out all the causes that could be my fault so it's time to explore the possibility that an outside influence caused the disappearance of our tomato.  Meet the most likely outside influence....

Jasper the Cat

Like most trouble that happens in this house I now suspect a feline!  And anytime we suspect cat trouble we go looking for Jasper.  He's my daughter's cat and he's the orneriest of the bunch.  This caper has his catprints all over it!

This changes things.  If Jasper got on the counter he wouldn't see a tomato but he would see a nice, shiny, red ball.  And as every cat knows balls are meant to roll.  So, if he's the culprit, the tomato is almost certainly on the floor.  Let's go get the flashlight, because it helps fifty-three year old guys like me to have extra light, and find this tomato.  It must be here on the kitchen floor so let's go look...

(DISCLAIMER:  Photos which follow represent depictions of actual events and may not accurately reflect actions of the author or other human members of this household!)

Is it under the kitchen table?

No.  In fact, it's not anywhere in the kitchen.  How about the living room?

Is it under the sofa?

No.  In fact, it's not in the living room either.  Next, the dining room.

AND THERE IT IS!!!

Stupid Jasper had rolled the tomato off the counter and then rolled it through the house.  No doubt for most of the time we were gone.

My reaction....

Aarrrgh !!!

I thought I was losing my mind and Jasper was just playing ball.  And from the looks of things he, and most likely a couple of his feline friends, had a pretty good time chasing, clawing, and chewing this poor tomato.  And since cats don't play gently, the outcome was largely predictable if not entirely disturbing....

NO TOMATO FOR THE TACO SALAD TONIGHT!

So that's about it from the Ponderosa!  No tomato for taco salad last night but at least I'm not going insane.  Although sometimes I think someone is conspiring to drive me mad....

The End

NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED DURING THE FILMING OF THIS BLOG POST! 

(...but it was considered...)

The Pilgrims and Obamacare.....

How far we've come.  The Obama administration is backpedaling on its' policy requiring Catholic organizations to provide birth control to the employees in spite of church policies opposing birth control.  But regardless of the outcome we've seen the president's true stripes with regards to religious freedom.  This just days after Obama invoked the name of Jesus at a prayer breakfast when defending his administration's tax policy.

Here's an article from Catholic Online explaining the issue from a Catholic perspective. In a nutshell, the Obama administration, as a feature of Obamacare, would force the Catholic church to take actions which are totally counter to their stated religious beliefs.  In other words, the president and his administration are denying those of the Catholic faith their freedom of religion.

The president tramples the constitution which clearly states the following...

U.S Constitution

Article 1

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

In 1620 the Pilgrims came to an unknown, uncharted wilderness after suffering a perilous sixty-five day voyage in a cramped sailing ship.  Because of a strong faith in Christ they left the comforts of home and risked everything they had in the hope of finding a place where they could practice their religion free of the dictates of government.

Now, just shy of 400 years later, another overbearing government persecutes a people of faith.  Ironically, the U.S. government, a government which is "by and for the people", has decided it can dictate how its' people will practice their faith.

Our forefathers must be looking down and shaking their heads at what we've become.  Looking on in total disbelief at the irresponsibility we've shown by electing officials who totally disregard our magnificent constitution.  A constitution meant to keep government in check and protect free people from government persecution.   A constitution which has become a meaningless piece of paper for this administration.

Whether you are a Catholic or not, this should concern you.  Today they're telling Catholics how to practice their faith.  How long will it be until they decide to mandate the behavior of other denominations regarding issues such as homosexual marriage or the age of consent?

Your vote matters!  If you are a Christian, pray for America.  Pray for this election.  Pray that God will bring us leaders who seek God's guidance and wisdom.  Leaders that hold as precious the God given freedom upon which this nation was founded.

Halftime in America......

I'm not a big fan of Chrysler but this ad is awesome!  The first candidate for president who can convince the average American that he can cheer us on to the future greatness God has in store for us will win this thing in a runaway.

Halftime in America.....

Remember the last time a presidential candidate inspired us and reminded us that the greatness of America lies in the people?

Morning in America...

The Forgotten Man (Young People Should Watch This)...

Two powerful videos (via Ace of Spades) with a powerful message.  Young people, you especially need to watch this.

The American people have elected leaders who are spending America into oblivion and we're totally ignoring the financial harm they, and by extension us, are doing to this country and our future.  In 2011, 43 out of every 100 dollars the federal government spent was BORROWED!!  Since the government spent $3,600,000,000,000 ($3.6 trillion)  that means the government borrowed $1,548,000,000,000 ($1.548 trillion).  Total federal debt is now $15,400,000,000,000 ($15.4 trillion).  Your share of the debt is about $49,100.  If you spent money like the federal government and spent a total of $50,000 last year you would've borrowed $21,500.

McNaughton's paintings powerfully portray how a willing American populace is allowing and empowering our government to enslave us with debt.

ELECTIONS MATTER!  Vote for congressman, senators and a president who will exercise spending discipline when you step into the voting booth this November.