Watch for the Backlash

Rain was forecast for today, so I left my house early, postponing my first cup of coffee, to avoid traffic on the morning commute. Arriving without incident, I put on a pot of coffee and reached for my coffee cup. There are a variety of coffee cups in the office cupboard displaying appropriate sentiments for almost any kind of day. There is even a blank coffee cup to write whatever sentiment you want on it with chalk. Sometimes I like to write "Go Away" or "I don't Care" just to see if anybody notices.

During session, I frequently reach for my Davy Crockett cup which states, "You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas."

But not this morning. This morning I reached for the cup that says:

Good morning, this is God! I will be handling all your problems today. I
will not need your help- so, have a good day. I love you!

It is based on the scripture 1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon him; for He cares for you.

Do you cast all your cares on Jesus? The thought made me remember my experiences as a kid in learning to cast a fishing rod. While I was growing up my grandparents had a fishing camp on the bay in the lovely metropolis of Smith Point, Texas. The area consisted of a few year 'round residents, a couple of fishing boats, a convenience store and mostly seasonal beach houses for the fisherman who wanted to get away. That was where, with my siblings and cousins, I learned how to hotwire a boat, that three determined youngsters with a fishing net could catch an armadillo, and how to fish.

Before continuing, I want to mention that I do not like to eat fish. I do not like to smell fish. Don't try to help me by telling me to try the fish you have because it doesn't taste fishy or it tastes like chicken. I'm not all that fond of chicken, either. And, besides, I like not liking fish. So there.

But, I did enjoy fishing as a kid.

Several times each summer, my dad would pack us all up and take us fishing. When we were younger, he would take us out in the boat, give us each a cane pole with a line on it and we would throw it over the side. We gradually graduated to a rod and reel with Dad casting for us and handing us the rod to reel it in. With three kids, by the time he got all the rods casted, kid number one was ready for another throw.

Then came the summer where we were each given our own rod and reel and instructed to go to the pier and fish from there. It necessitated our learning to cast by ourselves. I can remember like it was yesterday the first day out with our new found freedom. Carefully baiting my own hook, I pulled the rod back, made my best imitation of flicking my wrist as my dad had done so many times and watched as my bait went flying through the air to thunk in the water while the hook and sinker wrapped themselves around the end of my rod. Note to self: take the brake off before you cast the reel.

Once again, I baited the hook, made sure the brake was off, pulled back my arm, flicked my wrist and heard the satisfying whir of the line feeding out. Progress had been made. Of course, I had the snarliest backlash you have ever seen. Unraveling it was rather time intensive, so I sat down on the pier to start the process. Now, while I was doing all this, my brother was having problems of his own. Not knowing that I was now in the path of his cast, he flung his line out to sea. Looking up, I saw the lead sinker and the slimy-baited hook on course to hit me in the head. As I reached up my hand to protect my face, my brother was rewarded with the first catch of the day - the palm of my hand.

My fishing trip was over. But, I learned a lot of valuable life lessons out there. First, life isn't as easy as it looks. Second, sometimes we become victims of other people's casting.

Think about that in light of the scripture to cast our burdens on the Lord. Really, Lord I try to do that, but, sometimes I forget to take the brake off and the problem just wraps around me. Other times, I end up with a snarly backlash. While I am trying to unravel it, somebody else's casting of burdens seems to whack me upside the head.

Like fishing, with time and practice, casting your cares on the Lord gets easier. He doesn't care if you are not accomplished at casting. You can always return to basics. Just take the cane pole, drop it over the side and let gravity do the rest.

Whining and Dining

There are few things over which I lose sleep. Last night it was one of my basset hounds.

Samuel, an eight-year-old lemon basset who was given to me as a puppy by my daughter when my beloved dog died generally delights my soul. His antics over the years have cracked me up as we have learned really important lessons about co-habitating with hounds.

For one, basset hounds generally do not use their ears and their noses at the same time. Created by God to be a scent hound, they are not what you would consider to be good listeners. It was a beautiful day when I arrived at home yesterday. Sam was enjoying the weather and feeling his oats. Sometimes when a basset hound begins to bark, they forget to start. Our neighbor swears that Sam is deaf and just can't hear himself barking. If only the rest of us could be so blessed.

So, Sam commenced to barking. Wanting to stay in as good standing as possible with my neighbors, I stepped out on the back deck and called his name. He quit barking (quite unusual) and turned and looked at me. That is my clue that he has heard me. I called for him to come into the house. He just stood and looked at me. I started to count, as if he would respond to, "You better get here before I count to three." Realizing that negotiating with a dog is only slightly more ridiculous than with a kid, I stepped off the deck to go corral him. He immediately crouched down in his "time to play" stance, barking at me and running around the trees inviting me to give chase. That used to work, because as a puppy, he generally had something that belonged to me and not in a puppy's mouth to egg me on. It had been a while since he has been so puppyish, so I joined in the game for a few minutes and then herded him into the house.

Sitting back down to continue quilting, my peace was once more disturbed by Sam's incessant whining. In addition to barking, Sam has a massive vocabulary in whines, grunts, groans, and murmurings. This particular whining was his reminder to us that he thought it was dinner time. It wasn't, but it didn't take long to bust out the feed bowls to shut him up. He and his sidekick, Tillie, both agree that dinner time is their favorite time of day. With the beasts fed and happy, there were a few hours of peace.

While Sam is the larger and older of the two bassets, he tends to be somewhat of a wimp. We have had problems in the past with Tillie taking his food away from him and growling at him when he wants to get up on their chaise lounge with her. Not a dumb dog by any means, Sam has learned that he can "tattle" on Tillie if she does not give him what he wants. Last night in the middle of the night, what he wanted was to be able to lie on the chaise lounge in the spot that was closet to the back of the chair. It is a lot like the kids arguing about who sits where in the car. He whined at my bedroom door until I came into the living room, causing Tillie to give up her position to see what was going on. As soon as she moved, he jumped into his preferred spot and we were all happy again.

What's the moral of this story? Well, first, my husband loves me very much. That is why I still have basset hounds. Second, it is probably getting close to time to remind the dogs who the boss is. They seem to be forgetting. Third, just think how much like basset hounds we are in our relationship with God. How often do we whine, groan, moan, and complain about where we are in comparison to where we want to be? How often do we get into circumstances where we have no business? How often do we "tattle" to God to report that someone is in a position we think we should be in?

The most amazing thing is that God loves us anyway. Think about that next time you are howling at the moon.

As for the basset hounds, they will sleep in their crates tonight so that I do not have to mediate their differences in lieu of sleep. I'm not sure what God is going to do about you.

The Logic of Choice

There are two things for which I have a low tolerance - incompetence and a lack of logic. Having worked in retail sales for years, incompetence in employees who meet and greet the public grates on my nerves. It is generally caused by a lack of training, and therefore the fault of management. Presumably, if an individual is properly trained and continues to be incompetent, he moves to the status of former employee. He should never be the first impression a customer receives about a company.

But, that is not my point for this missive. The news on talk radio this morning is about the National Organization for Women's (NOW) objection to a proposed commercial to be aired during the Super Bowl. "Is their objection about the scantily clad females portrayed in beer commercials?" you might ask. Or, have they risen up in objection to the abuse of frogs in Budweiser commercials?Of course not. They are opposed to an ad featuring Tim Tebow and his mother. For those of you who live in closets and don't know, Tim Tebow is a Heisman trophy winning college football player for the Florida Gators. (Yes, he is going to make a lot of money when he goes pro.) Why does NOW object to an ad with this young man? Because the ad talks about the fact that when pregnant with Tim, his mother was seriously ill and doctors recommended that she abort the pregnancy for her health's sake. She chose not to, and, as they say, the rest is history.

NOW is petitioning CBS to pull the ad, saying that it is divisive and could cause some women to not take the advice of their physician. Once again, the logic of my gender disappoints me. NOW is pro-choice. Tim's mom made a choice. However, NOW doesn't like her choice, so they don't want anybody to hear about it. What kind of logic is that?

The truth is, NOW is a group of women who are misguided and blind to the truth of God's purpose and plans for their lives. Lord, forgive them. They know not what they do. And, Lord, forgive me for my judgmentalism (about NOW and incompetence). I know better.

Craft from the Past

Quilting is a lot like life. Random pits of material all pieced together can result in a glorious finished project. And, it can take a really long time to get all those little pieces in their proper places.

Over the past year my daughter and I have spent a considerable amount of time piecing a double wedding ring quilt top. On Saturday, we finished the quilt top and managed to get the quilt on the frame where I will spend the next year (or more) quilting it.

Quilting is actually a craft from my past. With the exception of a few baby quilts for really special babies, the last quilt I made was for my then 5-year-old daughter, Kristi, some 20 plus years ago. Early last year she brought that blanket to me to make the case for a new one. It has been well-loved, having covered her almost every night since she was five. As a result, much of the quilt top is thread bare. Parts of it are just no longer existent. She made her point that it was time for a new one.

When we moved to Austin 18 years ago, I came with a slightly poor attitude about yet another move. Finally, grudgingly consenting to the move, I vowed that all I was going to do when we got settled was quilt and knit. (God chuckled.) I had no intentions of getting to know anybody or getting involved in anything, because if I did we would just move again. (God probably laughed out loud.)

When we had lived here about two months, I developed a pinched nerve in my neck. Sitting down to quilt or knit would cause my arms to go numb. During my prayer time one day I cried out to the Lord and said, "Surely Lord, you can use me for something." And, that was the day when my life as I had known it up to that time totally changed. That was 18 years ago and the partially quilted quilt that was on the frame that day remains unfinished.

It was refreshing to discover that getting back to quilting was a lot like riding a bicycle. There is still a little girl who likes to help and a dog at my feet. But, the little girl is my granddaughter, rather than my daughter. The snoring dog is Samuel, rather than Fritz. The rhythm of guiding the needle through the layers of material came back in a flash. I continue to bleed when a misguided needle pricks my finger.

What has really changed is my attitude. No longer would I presume to tell God how I intend to spend my time. That is an excellent reminder for me during this year of transition and once again I lift up my prayer, "Surely Lord, you can use me for something."

Praying that prayer now with my eyes wide open to what the answers could be remind me that it is time to fasten my seat belt and get ready for the ride!

Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand. Proverbs 19:21

Whoville

The special election in Massachusetts yesterday to fill the senatorial seat left open by Ted Kennedy's death had pundits, partisans and the president all sitting on the edge of their seats awaiting the outcome. When the results came in, it was not even nail-bitingly close. The republican swept the seat that had been held by a democrat for the past 45 years with 52 percent of the vote.

I woke up this morning with the thought that it is a good day not to be a democrat. Keep in mind that in this environment, I am frequently glad not to be somebody else. For instance, every time there is a hearing with legislators and the TxDOT, it is always a good time not be be TxDOT. Even when my opinions and beliefs differ, I can appreciate that what others are going through may be painful.

Reflecting on the news reports of the Massachusetts race made me wonder about how the win would be interpreted. For example, all things considered, it may not be a great day to be a republican, either. The independents and democrats in Massachusetts just elected a pro-choice republican to go to Washington. While that may be as good as we can get in Massachusetts, it is not as if the man is a strict conservative constitutionalist.

The good news about the outcome is that the people should now have the attention of the elected officials. But, can we agree on the message we are trying to send?

Many democrats believe that the failure to pass health care and carbon cap legislation is the reason they are vulnerable. They feel the democrats have the presidency and majorities in both the senate and the house. If they would just do what they were elected to do, then they would not be losing seats. Of course, the other side of the coin is that the people have realized exactly what the president means by "hope and change" and they are now hoping they can change their minds about who they elected.

Having watched the arena for the better part of 20 years, it seems to me that there is more of a disconnect between those elected to office and those who elect them than ever before. I have spent most of those years in the bowels of the Texas Capitol attempting to to get legislators to turn the tide of a large and intrusive government. While Texas has always had a strong core group of conservative legislators, we have only slowed the erosion of our constitutional rights, not stopped them.

The events going on around us today with the surge of the Tea Party movement remind me of the Dr. Seuss book Horton Hears a Who. Horton, an elephant, hears a speck of dust calling to him. It turns out that the speck of dust is actually a tiny planet, home to Who-ville. Horton clearly hears the Whos and wants to help protect them. However, the other animals in the jungle think that Horton is crazy. It finally takes every single Who in Who-ville, even the shirker known as JoJo shouting out in unison "We are here! We are here! We are here!" for all the animals to be able to hear and respond to the Whos.

There is no question that America's citizens have been shirking their responsibility to elect men and women of virtue for years. And the fault is one of both omission and commission. When given the opportunity to make the critically important decision of who will lead our country, a majority of citizens do not even make the effort to register a vote. Others, more interested in what a politician can for "for them" rather than in who will best protect their inalienable rights, have elected people who allow their constituents to become enslaved to the government for entitlement and special interest perks.

The bottom line is that everybody should check their spirit about their reaction to the Massachusetts win. Make sure you are not a shirker and add your voice to the others in Who-ville shouting out, "We are here!" to the elected officials who are trampling on the Constitution.

Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles or is overthrown lest the Lord see it and it be evil in His eyes and displease Him and He turn away His wrath from him. Proverbs 24:17-18

Civic Literacy

At the age of 75 Thomas Jefferson was engaged, with his friend James Madison, in the creation of a public university in Virginia. The curriculum to be offered would "expound the principles and structure of government; the laws which regulate the intercourse of nations, those formed municipally for our own government; and a sound spirit of legislation, which banishing all arbitrary and unnecessary restraint on individual action, shall leave us free to do whatever does not violate the equal rights of another."

Wow! What a difference a few centuries can make. From our founding fathers understanding that a well-educated populace being necessary for self-governance to civic understanding today where the overall average score of a civics test given to a random sample of 2,508 Americans was a dismal 49 percent. This sample was conducted by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) in their American Civic Literacy Program.

ISI made five major findings and one note of interest in their study.

Finding 1: Seventy one percent of Americans failed the test. While virtually everyone did poorly, the worst demographics were in the age of 25 to 34; females vs males; Asian vs other races; divorced or separated; with children; less than $30,000 income; affiliated with the Democrat party rather than any other; conservative political ideology rather than liberal or moderate; never served in the military; and attended church weekly or more often. Less than half those questioned could name all three branches of the government.
Only 53 percent knew that the power to declare war belongs to Congress.

Finding 2: Americans agree that colleges should teach America's heritage through instruction in history, key texts and institutions.

Finding 3: Higher education adds little to civic knowledge. Most colleges add civic knowledge value to an individual. And, in some cases, college graduates score more poorly on civics exams after leaving the institution than they did upon entry.

Finding 4: Television - including TV news - makes Americans lest civic literate. According to the ISI report, "… a person's test score drops in proportion to the time he or she spends using certain types of passive electronic media. Talking on the phone, watching owned or rented movies, and monitoring TV news broadcasts and documentaries diminish a respondent's civic literacy."

Finding 5: An American with a bachelor's degree is unlikely to have a solid understanding of the founding or Civil War eras, core constitutional principles or market economics. Only 54 percent of respondents could correctly identify a basic description of the free enterprise system.

Note of interest: Officeholders typically have less civic knowledge than the general public. Thirty percent of elected officials do not know that "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are the inalienable rights referred to in the Declaration of Independence.


And, we wonder why we are losing our way. The loss of civic knowledge and understanding has lead to the decline of our nation. However, the information and resources are available for us to correct that deficit. Take responsibility to raise your own knowledge and understanding about what has made America exceptional. And, if you are an elected official, please consider some remedial education.

To read more results about the ISI survey and to test your own civics knowledge, go to http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/ .

Lord, help me today to remember all the things you taught me yesterday.

Dumb Luck and Good Timing

My devotional is late getting out today. It is almost 6 p.m. My entire day has been spent in a conference listening to a variety of perspectives on the issues which are currently facing our local and state policy makers. In other words, I have been having a blast.

Oftentimes people who visit my office ask me how I came to be in this position. My off the cuff answer is, "dumb luck and good timing." The truth is, and I am always mindful of it, is that the Lord orchestrated my steps to bring me to this time and this position. He did it long before I recognized or understood His purposes for me in this realm.

In the beginning . . . I was just a mom. The schools were giving my children a test and would not let me see a copy of it. That offended every sensibility in me, so the quest was on to find out why. It also triggered my first attendance at a school board meeting.

Having left the issue unresolved, the Lord moved our family from Houston to Austin. The education problem was a state issue, not a local issue. Not knowing anybody else, I joined a group of like-minded parents to try to change the issue. They convinced me to run for the school board. Meeting residency requirements by only 10 days and running against the incumbent board president guaranteed my certain loss. Except for that God thing. No one was more surprised than I when, after the votes were counted, I found I had won the election. Praise the Lord!

During the same period of time, still having time on my hands, I volunteered for the Texas Conservative Coalition, the conservative caucus in the Texas House of Representatives. In the beginning, my forte was making the coffee. But, our executive director was caffeine driven, so that was a critical skill set. As time went on, my passion for parental rights, individual liberties, and conservative principles in general surfaced. To my surprise, I discovered the Lord had naturally wired me with some pretty special policy skills. For one, issues to me are black and white. (No that is not a racial slur.) It is just that on principled issues, it is not difficult for me to sort through all the extraneous information and identify the particular principle in play. I can read legislation and it is as if my eyes will immediately go to the problem areas. It took a while for me to understand that this is just a gift.

Fast forward a few years and my volunteer time turned into a part-time then full-time job. I went from making coffee to reading legislation and writing reports and eventually ended up as executive director of the organization. It was the coolest job I ever had.

But, there came a time when God's grace for that position was removed and it was time to leave. That's when Rep. Corte suggested I work for him as his policy advisor. He tells me I am not paid to agree with him, but to advise him. My husband says that's a good thing because I would be so unemployed if I were paid to just agree with someone.

And, that pretty much brings me up to the policy conference today. I count it all joy that the Lord allows me to come to an office and do exactly what I love to do and call it work. They even pay me! What more could I ask for?

Oh, and by the way, in 1995 we amended the Texas Education Code so that parents could see those tests.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; thy steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever. Psalms 135:8

God's Promises

News recently reached me about a situation which has been the subject of my prayers for years. It was not the answer for which I had been praying.

Now what?

Honestly, my first reaction felt much like being kicked in the stomach. "But, God...," I said. "What about your promises? This is an issue you have put on my heart to pray over."

After a while reason overtook my emotions as my mind went through all the promises God has given me over the situation. The things of this world are not the final answer. The game is not over. God's resurrection power remains. Nothing I see negates the assurances the Lord provides. My lack of understanding does not make God's promises invalid. And, the current events did not take the Lord by surprise. Acknowledging the situation as God's problem not mine, enabled me to begin to lift it up in prayer again.

The promises of God are not bound by our time here on earth. They are designed for eternity. My concept of how those promises will be fulfilled do not limit the Lord in His ability to work great things in the lives of those around me. I trust in Him to fulfill those promises, and I resist the temptation to tell Him how He should do it.

And, I thank God for His promises and for answered prayer.

The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. Psalm 12:6

Note to Self

Note to self: do not say or do anything stupid today.

"Stupid" is a censored word in our household. In the world of five-year-olds, "stupid" is not a nice word. Hannah reminds me of that if I happen to forget and blurt it out. But, since this is just a note to myself, I can go ahead and say it.

Our church has embarked upon a 21 day fast. When praying about what to give up, I decided that cutting out all television would probably make the most significant impact on my prayer life. While not a particularly avid watcher of most shows, my number one weakness is the news. I confess I am a news junkie. There is probably a 12-step program for that, but going cold turkey with a prayer fast should sustain me.

And, truth be known, now is a great time to take a break. After 21 days, the daily coverage is likely to continue to be health care and the fact that Democrats and Republicans do not play well together. So, how much could I miss? Since being current on the news is actually a part of my job, I continue to listen to the radio and read newspaper accounts of what the reporters consider significant in the world. And, that is why the note to self today.

Senator Harry Reid made an ill-advised (that's the politically correct version of "stupid") statement about President Obama during the campaign that has just become public due to release of a book. There is a huge public outcry, not because of what he said, but because of the way the media and political left is treating him compared to the time that Senator Trent Lott made a similar ill-advised comment.

There is an obvious double standard. Why is that news? The number one life lesson I attempt to impart to my children and all the young people I mentor is that life is not fair, and some people are stupid. Once again, the media makes my point for me.

While impartation of that principle is to explain about 4/5th of everything you read in the news, it can also serve as a caution in our own lives. Politically, as a conservative Christian without a lot of restraint on calling things as they are, I recognize the big red target painted on my chest. Should something ill-advised slip from my lips there will be negative consequences. It will be unpleasant. And, it will be my own fault.

So, today as I pray, I will thank God that he orchestrated my fast so that I don't have to watch all the hoopla about Reid's comments. And, I will ask that He help me to set a guard about my mouth. For those things that we say can be as powerful (and painful) as those things that we do.

He who keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. Proverbs 21:23

Blessings From the Lord

When my three children were young, I had a sign in my house that said, "Lord, give me the patience to endure my blessings." I was reminded of it this weekend as we had the pleasure of our granddaughter staying with us. Hannah is five. She made her debut into the world on her Pops' fiftieth birthday. They have a relationship that cannot be invaded by mere mortals such as Migi (my grandma name).

I don't remember parenting being as exhausting as grandparenting can be. Maybe that is because being a parent is what you do while you are doing everything else. Grandparenting is what you do instead of everything else.

We started out Saturday morning on a quest for yarn for a new sweater for Hannah. The green sweater she has had for years is now too small, but she refuses to give it up until she gets a new one. After resorting to calling the manufacturer of the sweater to see if they still make it, my daughter decided to punt to Migi. She told Hannah to bring the sweater to my house and I could make one like it. In order to nail things down a bit, I asked Hannah what it was about the sweater she liked.

"The sparkly green. The zipper. The hoodie."

"What about the cable design?"

"Yes. And the pockets."

The quest was on. Designing the sweater would not be too tough. But, that sparkly green yarn was going to be a challenge. Fortunately, in a moment of compromise, when we found the EXACT color (thanks be to God) she decided she could settle without sparkles as long as there were pockets, a hood and a zipper.

When she stands next to my chair to watch me knit and tells me the things she loves most about me is that I make her things, she guarantees that I will be designing whatever she wants for as long as she wants.

Then, there is bedtime. Hannah hates to sleep alone. When she comes into our room in the middle of the night and I return her to her own bed, she is like a boomerang. Before I can get settled in, she is back again. Last night, I resolved that she was going to have to sleep in her own bed so that we could all get some rest. She countered my comment with a suggestion that Pops sleep on the couch so we wouldn't be so crowded. The third time I returned her to her bed, I told her to stay there. After about twenty minutes (a good faith effort on the part of a five year old to get to sleep) she returned to my side of the bed.

"Migi, I just don't like to sleep by myself."

I caved. I figure she will get over this stage before she goes off to college (her mother did). This age is all too fleeting to worry about little knees in the middle of my back for another night. She climbed in bed and snuggled up, drifting off to sleep almost immediately.

So this morning, as I attempt to drink enough coffee to compensate for a lack of sleep, and stretch to work out the kinks in my back caused by sharing our bed with the little one, I am reminded to pray for the patience to endure my blessings.

A hug and a kiss when she gets home from school today will be more than sufficient to compensate me for any of my troubles. And, by the time her daddy comes to pick her up this evening I am sure I will be sorry to see her leave. I assume I will get over that about bedtime.

Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Psalm 127:3

BRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I am a blessed woman indeed. The temperature outside is 23 degrees with a forecast that it will get into the teens tonight. Rather than face the cold and drive to the office, I decided to work from the comfort of my easy chair in front of the fireplace. I love the technology (and the boss) that makes that possible.

One of the few things my husband and I do not see eye to eye on is the weather. If the temperature falls below 75 degrees he starts to moan about possible frost bite. That same temperature is nearing my threshold for concern about heat exhaustion. Since he is the one responsible for shoveling the snow, he won the battle on living in a climate where snow is a once in a decade (if God must) scenario.

It wasn't always so. Back in the early '80's the company Jerry worked for transferred us from our lifetime home of Houston, Texas to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (One of the perks of living there was that I learned how to spell "Milwaukee".) We arrived in November.

My first observation about weather in Wisconsin was that the sun does not shine in November. We could not contain the excitement when it began to snow on Thanksgiving. We reveled in our first ever white Christmas, went sledding in January, ice skaing in February, began to whine about the cold in March and were positively mortified that there was still snow on the ground at Memorial Day. Jerry contends there are three seasons in Wisconsin: July, August and winter.

But, the real lesson on cold weather came that Christmas as our entire country was in a weather pattern much like we are seeing today. The record breaking cold front has the temperature on Christmas Eve hovering around the negative teens, with a north wind dropping the wind chill factor to 80 below zero. It was unlike anything we had ever experienced. The opportunity allowed us warm weather fiends to learn a few significant lessons:

1. Our new definition of cold would be when you could make ice cube in the garage faster than in the freezer. (We tested the theory.)
2. You cannot breathe air that cold. That's why all those people have scarves and hats that cover their entire faces and make them look like mummies.
3. Your car actually can freeze to the ground. The tires have a flat spot on them until they warm up. That was the "thud, thud, thud" sound we heard for the first few miles.
4. Nothing wards off the cold like a cheery fire.

The weather in Texas never quite matches what we saw in Wisconsin. But, this week it is cold enough to annoy Jerry and delight me. And, as is often true, I am reminded how fortunate I am to be married to a man with the good sense to not listen when I tell him how wonderful it would be to live in Wisconsin again.

Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? Ecclesiastes 4:11

Say Something Nice

There would be nothing for me to write about if not for drive time radio.

Yesterday morning the news flash was that France has passed legislation making it illegal to insult your spouse. Talk about the solution not addressing the actual problem. The marriage rate in France has fallen 30 percent in the last generation. There are only 50 marriages performed each year per 10,000 citizens. Currently 59 percent of children are born out of wedlock. Do they think it is because couples insult each other?

Healthy marriages has been a passion of mine for most of my adult life. Having married when we were too young to know better, my husband and I had no idea what "until death do us part" actually meant. Not being a Christian at the time, we settled on the plan that the only escape from our marriage would be in a "pine box." And, while I did commit to never divorce my husband, justifiable homicide has always been an option. Salvation and age have matured me a bit since our marriage. Even so, the image of Tiger Wood's wife with a golf club seems perfectly reasonable to me.

News reports indicate that the French law is intended to stop "psychological violence" in marriage relationships and it also applies to cohabitating couples. Prohibited actions include rude remarks about a person's appearance, false allegations of infidelity and threats of physical abuse. Does the person making the comment have to intend it to be rude? Or, is the offense committed because the person who hears it perceives it to be rude? Is it one person's word against another or does the offense need to be witnessed by a third party? Wouldn't you love to be the police officer responding to that call?

So, I guess my question for France is, "What are you trying to achieve with that legislation?" Is this supposed to strengthen marriages? Or, is this yet another indicator that France has surrendered any hope of being a civilized nation? When the lessons you should learn in kindergarten - be nice to others - has to be codified in order for people to treat their spouse with respect, you may be too far down the slippery slope to recover.

Meanwhile, back in America . . . don't start feeling too self-righteous. We have problems of our own and can't blame it on the fact that we are France. The good news is that our divorce rates are declining. The bad news is that the decline is due to a 50 percent reduction in the marriage rate since 1970. Thirty-eight percent of our children are born out of wedlock. Our divorce rate (like most statistics this is sort of a made up number), is around 50 percent.

So, why does it matter? It matters because marriage and healthy families are the model God intended as the building blocks of society. In-tact families offer love, protection, and instruction for children. It matters because children who are not raised in intact families have a higher rate of school drop-out, criminal activity, and drug use. Just about every negative societal marker has a correlation to whether or not a child was raised in an in-tact family.

It matters because the marriage relationship is reflective of the relationship between Christ and His church. Like the person who does not have a loving father on earth has difficulty relating to God as father, a society which does not understand the joy and benefit of marriage can never fully understand the relationship of Christ and the Church. I understand Christ's sacrifice for the church, in part because I have a husband who has laid down his life for me. I understand submission to God - even when I don't understand (or agree) - because I have tried the model of submission to my husband in my marriage and it works.

So, France, I have news for you. Passing a law making it illegal to insult your spouse is not going to help your marriages (or cohabitations). You might want to try what the writer of scripture suggested: Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage be undefiled; for God will judge the immoral and adulterous. Hebrews 13:5

Meanwhile, say something nice to your spouse today. They really like it when you do that.

Get Over It

On my drive into work yesterday morning I heard results to yet another poll that had been conducted. People were asked whether or not they like their jobs. Apparently, only 45 percent of the people polled actually like the job they are doing.

That little factoid made my brain burn. First, at a time of massive unemployment, what a bunch of whiners we are to complain about the jobs we do have. I was raised with the work ethic that there was no job that was beneath me as long as it was legal and would pay the bills. The focus was on whether or not I was qualified to find and keep a job, and I don’t remember there being any prerequisite that I actually have to like it.

Second, if people hate their jobs so much, why don’t they do something about it? Surely they could find one of the other 55 percent of discontented employees and swap jobs with them for a day. They would probably discover that the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence, but it still needs to be mowed. Anyway, then they could be discontented with someone else’s job instead of their own.

Finally, I wonder how many of the 55 percent of people who hate their jobs really just hate having to work for a living. Perhaps they would hate any job that requires effort on their part. It is quite possible that we have reached the point where our work ethic has deteriorated to the point that it isn’t the job that is the problem, but the sense of entitlement to which we have become accustomed.

God doesn’t call us to be a bunch of ungrateful whiners. In fact, His word tells us Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So, we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

If you are a Christian who hates your job, you really have only two choices:

Change your job or change your attitude.

The Least of These

In church on Sunday, our congregation was blessed with the guest appearance of the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda. Their stories and their love of the Lord captured my heart. Last night, my husband and I were privileged to eat dinner and spend some time with two of these children and their chaperone who were staying with some friends of ours.

Uganda is a nation that is so poverty stricken we cannot even begin to imagine the condition. The country has been ravaged by war and the AIDs epidemic. With a population of 32 million people, half of whom are under the age of 15, the hope of the nation lies in its youth.

The Watoto ministry rescues babies and children off the streets and places them in a home in one of their three villages. Each home will house a mother and up to eight children. The members of the household function as a family. The children are fed, clothed and educated. Each child has medical insurance. I asked how long the children are allowed to stay in the homes, and it was explained to me that those homes are their families. They can stay until they are self-sufficient. A family does not kick a member out when they reach a certain age.

The fruit of the ministry is already evident. Some of the chaperones of the tour are former children of the ministry. They have graduated from university level and are working. Another graduate is a member of parliament in Uganda.

What struck me the most in our conversation was the things we each noted about the others' circumstances and environment. Michael, the 33 year-old chaperone of the two boys expressed that this trip was fulfilling a lifelong desire to see America. He says that it is evident that the Lord has greatly blessed this nation. Michael is a member of the church that sponsors the Watoto Villages. He has a degree in journalism and human resources. He shared with us that he has never made more than $75 in a single month in his entire life. He described the huts that many people in Uganda live in. It was quite a contrast to the home where we were sitting and enjoying his company.

Michael commented on our roads and infrastructure. The children are fascinated by our highway interchanges. Many of their homes have no running water or electricity. Contrast that to the fact that the majority of those living in "poverty" in our nation have color televisions and mobile phones.

I cautioned him not to be deceived by our wealth. Our materialism masks our spiritual poverty. I explained that we were living in a country where the ornate facade on the exterior hides the emptiness that lives inside. We are a nation in decay due to our turning away from God.

Uganda and the United States have little in common, except for the fact that the hope of both nations is in the Lord.

If you are interested in learning more about the Watoto children's ministry, you can check out their website at http://www.watoto.com/ .

And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. Matthew 10:42

Happy New Year!

The Monday after Christmas I received a call from my boss to notify me that, after 18 years of service in the Texas Legislature, he was not going to file for re-election. That day and the next were spent in a whirlwind of events preparing a news conference and fielding phone calls from the press and friends who were hearing the news for the first time.

Though the news was unexpected, it was not a surprise. The job of state representative pays $600 a month and requires extended time away from family with constant scrutiny and criticism from the press. The only surprise is that anyone can be as faithful to the job as some of our elected officials are.

The announcement means that the staffers in our office have one year to discern where we will be after December 2010.

A new position will be a major change for me. I have worked in the Capitol for the past 18 years, in Rep. Corte's office since 2000. But, as significant as the change may be, my eye is not on that milestone, but on what happens in the meantime. Life is marked by milestones, but lived in the meantime.

Join me this year as you enjoy your own "mean time."

... forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies aheas, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus Philippians 3:13-14