Where It All Went Wrong

I am not a numbers person. Anyone who knows me well will tell you that. Balancing my checkbook is a daunting task for me. However I run a small business and have managed to run it pretty close to debt free for the past 7 years. Granted, I only have one employee, me, and very little overhead. I am very blessed in that I have a very "money wise" spouse that has helped me stay on track and not borrow to keep the business afloat. That is his philosophy and I have heeded his advice and it has served me well. Now as a small business person I have felt the poor economy to some degree, but all in all things haven't been too bad and so far the doors have stayed open. I hope that this will always be the case, but there are certain realities in business one must soberly understand. If someone does it better, cheaper or faster if will effect my bottom line. If I don't do my part and keep on top of trends in my industry and in the business world, my business will suffer. If my debt outweighs my profit I will sink. The "fittest" and the best survive and that is the way it is. It is the natural trend and it is to be expected. I think small business owners know this better than anyone. I find it strange that large corporations don't seem to understand this. It is pretty apparent to me and I am no economic genius. Maybe I just feel the pain a little sooner because I am such a small operation. I don't know. Just common sense I think.

So now we have this big bail out that is supposed to come in and save the day. I have some questions. Where is congress going to get all this money? What happens the next time all these corporations and banks start to sink? Who saves them then? When does it all end? How many generations will feel the effect of these decisions? I think I probably know most of the answers to those questions and you probably do too. I hope you do. We will pay for this. We will pay again unless someone starts thinking and soon. It will effect our children and their children for probably a long time. Again, just common sense I think.

Galations 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Now, I have this four year old little girl. She is incredibly honest. She will make statements like "I want a piece of candy" or "I want that toy" or "I want to watch Dora". You know she doesn't say she needs any of these things, she says the word want. She is quite accurate. She doesn't need candy, she needs healthy food. She doesn't need a toy, she has many, but she needs warm clothes to wear. She doesn't need to watch Dora, she could watch something else, but she does need a warm place to sleep at night. Kids are amazing. Most the time they are pretty honest and there can be some pretty awesome lessons in that. We adults should pay more attention. Maybe as adults we should be a little more honest with ourselves and others?

Mark 8:36-38
36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

This all might be an over simplification, but you need to remember I am not a numbers girl.

Want: to desire; wish or long for.

Need: something useful, required, or desired that is lacking.

There is a difference. Do you see the difference between the two definitions? No one wants to admit it, but wants and needs are not the same. If we don't have the money for what we want, we have no business buying it.

Ok, so this is where I believe it all went wrong for our country. What I have observed over the years is a lot of folks who want what they really don't need and are very willing to go into debt over it. This represents your average Joe, like myself, to big corporations that overextend themselves. It is a lack of wisdom. Quite honestly, I have done it a time or two in my life and I pretty much have always had my hand slapped as a result. I have learned the painful way that I don't like having my hand slapped so I try real hard not to do that anymore! America is getting it's hand slapped for getting greedy, managing poorly and not watching it's bottom line. It is natural. It is to be expected. It must happen so we can gain wisdom and not do it again. Congress wants to stop that hand slapping, but they will only delay it. This might anger you or scare you and I am sorry if it does. It is the truth. It will only be more painful if delayed. It will hurt people that deserve it and it will hurt people that don't deserve it. It already is and congress can't stop it. It will rain on the just and the unjust. We must learn once again to be a nation that loans and doesn't borrow. We must again be a nation of producers and not consumers. We need to learn to be competitive and not apathetic. It is time we have a work ethic again and not get drunk on the sweat of others. The whining of the wants will be hushed and muffled in the loud groaning of the needs. This is beginning to happen.

Proverbs 21:20 says, "There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up."

I must say this one last thing. Know Who your provider really is. It isn't Uncle Sam. It isn't the company you work for. It isn't the business you run. It is the Lord God Almighty. If you are a believer you have nothing to fear, honor Him in your life and in your finances and He will provide for you needs.

Philippians 4:19:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

God bless you and good night.

Unaccountable America- Blameshifting And Generation X

1 Corinthians 13:11:11

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

I am part of a generation that blames everyone else for their troubles. Now I understand that when you are a kid you can not control everything that comes your way. Having been given a birds eye view of our foster care system here in Georgia I am pretty convinced of that. As a child you are vulnerable to the whims of the adults around you. A lot of tragedy occurs because of irresponsible adults that victimize young children and I have been a witness to that first hand as a former foster mother and adoptive parent. A statistic I am more than familiar with is the amount of inmates in our prison systems that come from broken homes and out of our foster care system. That being said I do believe in personal responsibility and when one becomes an adult the blame and excuses game must end.

Generation X has spent a good deal of time exploring their pain and blaming Mom and Dad for their poor decisions. That has translated in our society to adults who can't take responsibility for much of anything and a new generation that thinks they are owed everything. I have never seen so many grandparents raising young children as I do today. That is shameful. You see politicians, sports figures, celebrities and many others who have behaved irresponsibly and blame everyone but themselves. We can not get beyond what we "feel" and that reflects in our actions. There is a time for mourning, but it seems we get stuck there feeling sorry for ourselves. We want a "bail out" for everything. Give me a free pass! I want, I want, I want. Give it to me now! I deserve it. I love the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the original, yes I am that old) and the character Violet could be a symbol of the last twenty to thirty years. "I want a golden goose daddy, give it to me NOW!!"

We don't want to have to work for anything. You owe me! You owe me because you didn't_____ or you wouldn't_______or ______ happened to me. You fill in the blanks. Honestly, it is getting tired. As a country we need to get beyond our toddler years. Life is hard and I am no stranger to that believe me. If one has had a bad time of it, it doesn't help him to stay in the mud wallowing around with the pigs. Tell him to get his backside out of there and point him in the right direction. That is the "loving" thing to do. You can give him hug too and tell him you love him, but please don't tell him it is fine if he'd like to stay there because it is not. Help him to learn how to survive and not to depend on you or our society. That is the kindest thing you can do for anyone. “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”—Author unknown

President Barack Obama made statements in his inaugural address about personal accountability. I really hope he understands what that means. There are some executive orders he gave this week that give me a different impression of what he meant by those statements. Irregardless, it starts with us. It starts with us personally, in our families, in our finances, in the work place, in our civility towards other human beings and the laws of this great country. The buck stops here baby. Step up Generation X!

Herbalmama

Beauty For Ashes

Isaiah 61:3:
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.



Faith is a phenomenon that the world doesn't understand. When they see it, it is puzzling to them. There is the christian believer that can walk through such suffering and such injustice yet remain faithful to their Lord. He is able to experience a "strange joy" irregardless of circumstances. He can forgive what seems unforgivable, love the unlovable, bear what seems unbearable and believe what seems to the world unbelievable. The apostle Paul attained it. In my life I have seen it. I have experienced it. Still not to the extreme that others walk it. They inspire me. They challenge me. They give me hope.



I look around and see the depravity of mankind. The cruel selfishness they can exhibit. Then I see the great love they can express and the true ripple in the stream of life that love can produce. That is the kind of "change" that is a pleasure to see and experience. That is an unworldly kind of love that in and of ourselves we are not capable of. This is the "Christ kind of love". As we surrender to His purposes, God will funnel this love through us. No one expects or wants trials or tribulations. In our humanness we don't posses the understanding that God has. He knows there is a sunrise a few more steps down that road on our journey. At that low moment the darkness is all encompassing. We are "now" creatures only seeing what is before us and it is tempting to allow ourselves to be swallowed up in the waves of pain we feel with each trouble we face. "Why" is a useless question as I have heard it said and a tired one at that I might add. Child like faith in a loving God is the only answer and the answer that produces life, love and forgiveness beyond worldly understanding. The Rock provides safety as the waves threaten to overtake us. We must cling to it.



1 Peter 4:12:12Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you.


God is with you in every moment of every struggle you might face. No matter what your human eyes see, no matter what your human ears may hear, no matter what your human brain may comprehend or not...He is with you.



Psalm 34:18:18The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.





Dedicated to my friend, who is experiencing what no mother should have to. I am praying for you! This darkness will not last forever. There is a sunrise ahead, and it is beautiful!

Our Tax Dollars Will Be Funding Abortions In Other Countries

Tomorrow, Thursday, January 22 2009 newly elected President Obama will be issuing an executive order on Thursday that will reverse the Bush Administration's policy that bans the use of federal dollars by non-governmental organizations that discuss or provide abortions outside the United States. This order will be signed on the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Ruling. That ruling legalized abortion in all 50 states.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/21/obama-lift-ban-funding-groups-providing-abortions-overseas/

Many Pro-Choice activists would be surprised to learn that people can have a change of heart. There are many, many stories of women that feel differently later in life about the choices they made long ago. It isn't as simple and sterile as it seems. These are real people that live real consequences and experience real pain. These are real children.

Here is a quote by Norma McCorvey. Norma McCorvey is the Roe part of Roe v. Wade.
She wrote in her book, Won by Love,
"I was sitting in O.R.'s offices when I noticed a fetal development poster. The progression was so obvious, the eyes were so sweet. It hurt my heart, just looking at them. I ran outside and finally, it dawned on me. "Norma," I said to myself, "They're right." I had worked with pregnant women for years. I had been through three pregnancies and deliveries myself. I should have known. Yet something in that poster made me lose my breath. I kept seeing the picture of that tiny, 10-week-old embryo, and I said to myself, that's a baby! It's as if blinders just fell off my eyes and I suddenly understood the truth--that's a baby!"
I felt crushed under the truth of this realization. I had to face up to the awful reality. Abortion wasn't about "products of conception." It wasn't about "missed periods." It was about children being killed in their mother's wombs. All those years I was wrong. Signing that affidavit, I was wrong. Working in an abortion clinic, I was wrong. No more of this first trimester, second trimester, third trimester stuff. Abortion–at any point–was wrong. It was so clear. Painfully clear." http://www.leaderu.com/norma/nmtestimony.html

God forgives. God heals. God restores. God loves you.

My heart hurts right now. That is about all I have to say tonight. God bless America. Please pray for President Obama.

Is RESPECT a dirty word?

1 Peter 3:15-16:15But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.
16[And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear ([unimpaired), so that, when you are falsely accused as evildoers, those who threaten you abusively and revile your right behavior in Christ may come to be ashamed [of slandering your good lives]. (Amplified Bible)



You have your opinions, I have mine. "Potaitoe, Potahtoe, Toemaitoe, Toemahtoe"....lets call the whole thing off! Don't worry, I can spell potato and tomato.



If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you probably know that we are called to a higher standard. I hope you do. We are called to respond to one another and others in a courteous and respectful way. We are not to compromise what we believe or hide our heads in the sand. We are to speak in a way that communicates respect for the individual. However, as human beings we all have the tendency to insert our emotion and forget about what the Word challenges us to do.



Unfortunatley, believers are shrinking from discussion about "The Hot Topics" because they are afraid of the response they might get or perhaps people will get mad at them. I don't know, but that isn't a correct response either. We are not to fear man.



Galatians 1:10Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).



We are not supposed to bow down to the worlds standards. We are not supposed to keep quiet and just accept the "status quo." We happen to live in a country that currently allows us to voice our opinions. That is a really good thing and I truly hope it stays that way.



It is possible to logically explain what you believe and do it in a kind, respectful way. There is no guarantee that it won't cause offense. The Word of God offends people because it is the truth. The truth hurts sometimes and honestly the truth will either make you better or bitter. Some people get bitter. That is beyond your control.



What is in your control is your delivery method. If you are attacking the person and they really didn't ask for your opinion, you are wrong! If someone asks you what you believe about something and you answer them honestly and in the most kind way, you have shown them respect. We have some folks here in my neck of the woods that wave around pretty vile signs and yell at people when they drive by. They have no respect for anyone. It doesn't communicate the true message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it is a huge turn off. I don't like being identified with them. They are just as mean and hateful as the some of the liberal folks that storm churches and throw blood on people. That spirit is very similar. It is based on hate and anger. If you want to be heard, no matter who you are, love and respect people.

1 Corinthians 13
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.


So I look around and I see people everywhere who are bent on getting their way. You can't make people believe what you believe. You can not force them to accept what you believe or your agenda whatever that might be. Respect it seems has become a dirty word. I hope that changes, don't you?



God bless,

The Herbal Mama

Politically Correct=The Word Police?

Lately I feel as though I am living in the book 1984 by George Orwell. Well, maybe not to that extreme, but there has been a definite shift in our thinking in this country and quite honestly it is a frightening thing. Mr. Orwell called it, the powers at be, "Big Brother". I am going to be referring to them as the "The Word Police". "The Word Police" tolerate very little opinion that doesn't line up with theirs. By "The Word Police" I mean and I am referring to some of the left, primarily the loudest and most angry ones. They are disrespectful and quite honestly rude. The crazy part of all this is that they make up the minority. Roughly 89 % of all Americans believe in "a God", yet a small but loud group of atheists today had plenty of attention by our media as they demanded that President Elect Obama not use God's name or The Bible when he is sworn in to office tomorrow. As a Christian I believe my right to believe the way I do is under attack. I am very fortunate to live in the South where my beliefs are not uncommon and even if they are not agreed with, they are at least tolerated to some extent. Whether you agree with this or not our founding principles in this nation are deeply rooted in Christianity or at least The Bible. Some say the founding fathers were not Christians, but Deists and while that might or might not be true they did look to the Word of God in designing our government. Principles such as Liberty and Freedom are rooted in the New Testament. Our laws draw similarities to The Ten Commandments in the Old Testament. Yet, the very freedom that these people have been given to be loud and angry and demand that God and all His influence be removed, is given to them by our Biblically rooted governmental system.

Hello! What is wrong with this picture? So lets see if I am getting this right....you, "The Word Police", want me to say what you want to hear and agree with everything you say and do. You want to remove my right to free speech, but keep yours because you have decided that what I believe and say does not line up with what you believe and say. You want to abolish God, any trace of Him and enslave us all to your way of thinking?

Wow! Send in The Word Police or should I say send in the Clowns? The irony is comical to say the least.....in a very sad and frightening way. You have your freedom because of a governments accountability to principles taken from The Word of God, The Holy Bible.

A line from The Declaration of Independence:


We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

A verse from The Holy Bible:

Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Can anyone tell me where we are going?


Where are we going?

This country has given individuals the right to conduct their lives in a way that is of their choosing, but within the confines of our laws. We have laws that exist to protect our society as a whole. These laws have been put in place by officials elected by the people. Remember that 89%? Those are the people.

Many people from many different countries have desired such a freedom and left their home countries in pursuit of our way of life. Is that freedom and liberty coming to an end? If "The Word Police" have their way, that might very well be the case. There are some things that I believe are wrong and some things I believe are right. Should I not be allowed to respectfully disagree with you or you with me? That isn't the American way.

Well, that is my Pondering The Great Questions for today.

God bless,
Herbal mama

Is Feminism A Curse?

Yes. This answer comes from a former feminist.
This might seriously start a fire! I have never shied away from fires though. I don't mind being bold for the right reasons.

From what I have read of early women's rights activists they had very good intentions. You know what they say about good intentions. Some things were very clear. Women were being hurt and abused and had been for a very long time. They were devalued and treated like second class citizens. Something happened. They got mad. They became offended. They took matters into their own hands. They had a plan. Very much like Sarai did in the old testament when she struggled with her own barrenness.

"Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal." Genesis 16:1-2

God had promised her a child, but rather than wait on the Lord, she took matters into her own hands. In her old age, He asked her to have faith. Nothing is impossible with God. However, Sarai chose another path. God did eventually bless her with Isaac, but not before Ishmael arrived on the seen via Hagar.

No I propose that what we know as modern feminism is rooted in a very similar manner. Anytime one is offended and takes action rather than calling on "our All in All", our Creator, we risk calamity. Such was the case with Sarai, and all you have to do is observe what is going on in the middle east to see the results of that decision.

Anyway, back to feminism. Somewhere in the midst of the bra burning and the marches and the trying unsuccessfully to juggle work and home...we forgot to seek God. This mistake has cost us dearly as a society. We now have mass amounts of gender confusion, children who are lost and out of control, a public school system that can't and honestly shouldn't have to control them, men abandoning their wives and children as they have lost their roles and respect in the family. We have abortion and throw away children and we put them in "the system" and ask our government to raise them. Are we better off? We have become a matriarchal society and it seems things are just getting worse. No, we (women) can not do it all. The family was not designed to work that way. God has an order and we have forgotten it. What we are living in now was born of offense and we are dealing with the consequences of it! Nothing born of an offense will ever prosper.

If we are loving our men as Christ loves us, we will love them whether they behave or not. That doesn't mean we put ourselves or our children in a dangerous situation, but we don't become offended at every turn of the wind either. Christ-like love is without qualification. He didn't die for the well behaved. He died for all. If we are truly following in his footsteps we will learn to submit ourselves to our husbands in obedience to God, not because they always deserve it. Simply because we love God. Honestly, do we always deserve love? Yet, we have a Savior that loves us even when WE are in the mud.

Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)
9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?

Now I hope you understand, as I have come to, that in God's economy women are not second class citizens.

1 Peter 3:7b (ESV)
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

We don't deserve abuse or mistreatment. We are co-heirs with men to the kingdom of heaven! We are equal in value, but our roles are different and unique. There are some things that only we can do and should do, as it is with men. Men are to be our protectors and the leaders in the home. Men are to submit to Christ, their Head and we, in obedience to God are to submit to our husbands. That calls to question, should they (husbands) not operate in obedience to God should we also be disobedient to God in dishonoring them? No, as mom said "two wrongs don't make a right!"

Well that is my "Pondering The Great Questions" for today!
God bless you.
Herbal Mama