Tricare Prime

I wrote an email to my provider, Tricare, concerned about my health care status. I saw on their site that Tricare would be included as an approved plan under the New Obamacare. I wanted to know specifically if Tricare Prime would be available. Silly me, didn't save a copy of my letter to them, but in general, I said that I started Prime because I knew that my Down Syndrome son was going to have problems later in life, and now I'm being penalized for having done something novel at a young age...planned.

You see, at the time I signed up, here's the difference in the two plans: Standard had no Premiums. You paid nothing per year, and each time you went to the doctor, you paid 20% of the doctor's visit. If you have a child that you know is going to have lots of doctor's visits (a handicapped child), that could get costly. It had a catastrophic cap that was fairly high, for a military family who doesn't make very much. Face it, we don't pay our enlisted men a high salary. Not for a family of 3, when the mom doesn't work. And when you have a special needs child, finding child care is DIFFICULT. They see a Down's child, and go.....UH....I don't think so. And if you think you can say discrimination, think again....there just suddenly aren't any vacancies. I was a stay at home mom, whether I wanted to be or not. At first, I didn't want to be, but it grew on me.

Prime, it cost only $460 a year, and then $12 a doctor's visit. That sounds great to a lot of people and at first we only had a few doctor's. But trust me, it's paying off now. I have 5 doctors. My son has 2 (he would have 3 but he's not being followed by one, his primary is doing it), my other son is ADHD and is getting 4 visits a year for meds. My husband's blood pressure WAS under control until all of this hit the fan. My son has had 3 heart surgeries, 2 of which were open heart.

That's the difference between Standard and Prime when we signed on. So, back to their response. When they answered me, they were really vague. They didn't give the Obama line...you'll get to keep your insurance. They started explaining Standard for retirees. Now why would they do that? I didn't ask about Standard. I asked if I would get to keep Prime. So I guess my answer was, "No, you're going to be shuffled off into Standard."

They're explanation of Standard for Retirees? You have a premium of around $960 A QUARTER! That's an increase of 735%! Did any one else have their premiums go up 735%? Is that redistribution of wealth? Do you know what I make a year? My husband makes $15 an hour, which translates into $31,200 a year. He gets a retirement from the military of about $16,590, so together that's $47,790 a year. And our insurance went up 735%. We are now going to have to decide between insurance and eating. How about that Pelosi? The fine would be cheaper. Put me in jail. At least I can eat.

I have 2 kids. I guess they want them as wards of the state so they can brain wash them. This is unconstitutional. Never before have I been required to buy something in order to be a US Citizen. Papers, please...no not citizenship papers, your proof that you have health care coverage.

Lori Ann Smith

Coming soon.....Progressives in History blog translated into Spanish!

I have a friend from Columbia (a LEGAL immigrant) who is going to translate my blog about the progressives through history into Spanish! This has been weighing heavy on my heart for a while. The left does not want the Spanish speaking members of our society to know this part of our history. I do. Sandra came here looking for a better life. She is a conservative, a Cub Scout Leader for her son, a great citizen and addition for our country. She is disappointed in where this country is headed and said she would gladly translate for me. She doesn't want to see this country become another Mexico or Cuba.

So be looking for it....You will have permission to copy and paste it and disseminate it to whomever you desire that speaks Spanish.

Lori Ann Smith

Re-Post of Progressives in History

Education is our best defense. I've committed to posting this every month, along with the names of all the progressive Congressmen. This is something we can not forget. We will not forget as long as I have breath in me. If the Progressives in office want America to forget, they will have to erase it from our minds, our print, our electronic media. In the old days, you could just burn the books. What are you going to do now, Obama?

Progressives in History

My husband has an excellent set of History books, college level, that are just astounding in their insight. As a matter of fact, they're the ones I used in my Open Letter To President Obama. (Which I may post at a later date.) I've been tossing around the concept of the 100 year plan that the Progressives had, and, though it doesn't come out and say they had a 100 year plan, these books are where I got that idea. I've been asked a couple times to explain that, so this is my attempt to do just that.

At the turn of the century, the liberals chose to call themselves Progressives because they figured the people would be for progress. We were making huge leaps in progress at that time. There were new inventions all the time: the telephone, electric lighting, the automobile, the streetcar, the airplane, motion pictures, marketing of goods was quickly being developed, farmers were enjoying unprecedented prosperity and gold had been discovered in 1896 in Alaska. Although there had been a banking panic in 1907, there was a framework of prosperity set. We had a mindset of progress, of prosperity in America. All the progressives had to do was link themselves to reform and progress. And they also linked big government to progress. You had to have big government in order to have progress, in their minds.

They had already established Darwinism as fact by this time. The fittest survive. The unfit die out. There is a quote from John D. Rockefeller: " The growth of a large business is merely a survival of the fittest.....This is not an evil tendency of business. It is merely the working out of a law of nature and a law of God." So, by linking these concepts together, they established as fact that those against them were against progress, and would die out because they were weak. They were becoming more elite, a higher form of society, evolving. They were also pushing that the United States was a democracy, or that it ought to be. We are a Republic, not a Democracy. But as you see here, the progressives were the elite, not the conservatives. They were not for the common man.

In 1911, they turned their agenda to the school system. Charles A. Ellwood said, that the schools should be used as "a conscious instrument of social reconstruction." The progressives wanted to throw out religious and humane learning, (I take that as the humanities, or arts) and experiment with what would work. They wanted to "socialize" the young. This is when child-centered education began. This started the schools down the road towards what we have now, with the Department of Education taking the control away from the teacher in the classroom.

The progressives had even crept into the Christian movement, according to these texts, who call them the social gospellers. It calls them the most vicious attackers of the American economic system, calling for reform of our tax system. So, in the early 1900's socialists had infiltrated the churches and were calling on reforms and using God's word to back it up. They are the ones who basically were against the free market and started this whole movement that it was against God to be rich.

This is when muckraking became popular. I guess that's what we're doing. Expose articles became popular because the people were hungry for the truth about what was really going on. They list David Graham Phillips' Treason of the Senate...sound familiar?

Originally, Democratic Parties in the south were deemed private parties and excluded blacks. Even with the 14th amendment, blacks were only allowed to vote in the general elections. I guess they didn't want them voting until they had decided who they could vote for. And the south and become solidly Democratic. The progressives were the ones who pushed for segregation. They turned on the black voters. In the late 1800's there was no segregation, there was natural separation, but no forced segregation. By World War I, widespread segregation had been established in the states of the old Confederacy and the neighboring states. By 1930, Birmingham ordinance prohibited Negroes and whites from playing dominoes or checkers together. Two things need to be noted. Segregation was imposed by whites. White superiority was proclaimed, and black inferiority was assumed. Booker T. Washington, a prominent Black leader of the period, told everyone: "to suffer in silence," and to exercise "patience, forbearance, and self-control in the midst of trying conditions." He wanted them to improve themselves and compete in the market. What a smart man, beyond his years. But I have to admit, I don't think I would be able to under those conditions. I believe it was all orchestrated to chose a scapegoat for their future plans. And it's despicable to choose a whole race for your plans...

Did you know that in 1894 they tried to institute an income tax but found it to be unconstitutional? The constitution says that taxes are to be given out by the states according to population, and by consent...and that's not an income tax, is it? The progressives got around that by amending the tariff bill. This was our first redistribution of wealth, from the rich to the subsidized or unproductive in society. In 1913 is also when we ratified direct election of our Senators. Originally, the Senators were to represent the States, not the people. It was supposed to be one of the checks and balances, so the States had some control over congress.

The progressives were in power nationally from 1901 until 1921, covering the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt referred to his program as the Square Deal, and Wilson had his New Freedom. Neither one professed to be socialists, but they set the country on a path towards socialism. Roosevelt said himself, "The New Nationalism puts the national need before sectional or personal advantage. . . .This New Nationalism regards the executive power as the steward of the public welfare. It demands of the judiciary that it shall be interested primarily in human welfare rather than property..." Wilson said of his New Freedom, "I believe that the time has come when the government of this country, both state and national, have to set the stage...for the doing of justice to men in every relationship of life....Without the watchful interference, the resolute interference, of the government, there can be no fair play between individuals and such powerful institutions as the trusts. Freedom today is something more than being let alone. The program of a government of freedom must in these days be positive, not negative merely." In other words, it's the government's job to be pro-active.

The history book says that in the 1920's, the intellectuals felt alienated from America. They fled to Europe.

The Great Depression began with the stock market crash of 1929. Herbert Hoover was the President, and was considered a cold and calloused president. Actually, he believed that the government should play no roll in picking Americans up out of the low place they were in, that it should be the place of private charities and businesses. He said that once government became the saviour, they would forever be dependant on government aide of some kind. Sound familiar? The Depression was the end of the conservatives in power. So the conservatives only had power from 1922-1932. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected in 1932, and the progressives were back in office. He accused the present administration of too much spending, but said that he would spend money on American citizens in order to keep them from starving in the depression. Does that sound familiar? Blame the past administration and spend, spend, spend, but I have an excuse to do so.

At no point in history had any administration had so much been done in the first 100 days to "take care" of the American people, or assert so much authority over our economy. Unless you count the current administration. At one point Roosevelt openly threatened congress, saying if they didn't act, he would take the power and act himself. We were in the midst of a Depression, so the American people didn't see it as a usurpation of power.

One of the biggest lies, apparently, was Social Security. It was also the biggest redistribution of wealth programs the socialists ever came up with. It was set up as a 1% tax on wages and a 1% match by employers and was to be put in a trust fund in the Treasury. An accumulation was to occur. It was set up to slowly increase. Later it was described as an insurance program, I suppose for insuring when you retire. There were programs set up within Social Security that were redistribution programs from the beginning: unemployment compensation, aid to dependant children, maternal and child care, to crippled children, to neglected children, for public health programs. Social Security turned out to be a pyramid scheme. The people coming in to Social Security pay the ones who came in a long time ago. Don't people go to jail for setting up pyramid schemes?

Harry S. Truman became President upon FDR's death, but it doesn't claim he was a progressive. Although he didn't run as a progressive, his Fair Deal plan included a national health insurance for Americans, new "civil rights" legislation, Fair Employment Practices enactments, housing legislation, farming legislation with subsidies, and expansion of the welfare programs...sounds progressive to me. He instituted subsidies to reduce the rent for low income families. The minimum wage was increased to 75 cents an hour. They also increased low interest loans to farmers. The national health insurance was voted down because the people realized it was the first step to socialized medicine. One bill called for paying subsidies directly to farmers instead of driving up the cost of farm products when farm income fell below a certain level. They said it sounded too much like socialism.

When Eisenhower got elected in 1956 there was little known about his political views. Would he get rid of the welfare state? He was the first Republican since the beginning of the New Deal. He described himself as "basically conservative," and said that, "in the last twenty years creeping socialism has been striking in the United States." But, by 1954, it was clear that he wasn't going to take on the welfare state. Eisenhower accepted the Welfare state as fact. Eisenhower came in talking about how frugal we should be, but he had the highest deficit in peacetime history to that point: 12.4 billion. He turned out to be a middle of the road Republican. Or is it a DIABLO? Either way, he couldn't turn the tide back from the path to socialism.

In 1960, we elected John F. Kennedy, the youngest man elected to the office of President of the United States of America. He did institute several programs, but this series said he had a hostile Democratic congress. Upon his assassination, Lyndon B. Johnson became President.

Johnson pushed the Great Society, which was real close to being openly socialist. Apparently, Barry Goldwater saw the significance of it, and he pushed for liberty in his campaign and lost the moderates to Johnson. Johnson wasn't bothered by scruples, and used a combination of arm twisting, cajolery and trades to get the bills he wanted passed in a Democrat controlled Congress. the National Republican Congressional Committee classified it as a 3B congress: bullied, badgered and brainwashed. Does that sound familiar? Johnson probably did more for the socialist movement than did any modern president. The only thing that stopped his momentum was the Viet Nam War. It also ended his presidency.

After World War II, America has even pushed Welfare abroad. As quoted from this history book, " ...the United States promoted welfarism and subsidized socialism in Europe." The European Recovery Program allows countries to trade with each other, yet shields them from the world market. They are also dependant on the United States.

This brings our history up to modern times, so I'll quit here. Besides, my mind is boggled. I am now in my generation, and had just no idea of what had gone on before my birth. The victor writes history. And history is being rewritten all the time. Luckily, we have the power to elect our officials, and we have periodically disrupted their plan through out these 100 years. But you can see how the path has wandered and meandered through our history. We are well on the path to a nanny state. I have gotten a much better appreciation for President Hoover. I had always heard that he was the cold and callous man, that he wouldn't even help people during the depression. But that isn't entirely true, is it. It's like the Bible says. Give a man a fish and help him for a day. Teach him to fish and help him for a life time. If we continue to put people on welfare, and leave them there, they will have learned helplessness. I have a handicapped son. When I was teaching him self-care when he was very young, I was told not to give up when he acted as though he didn't know how to do it. Any child will act as though he doesn't know how to get dressed if he thinks you're going to dress him. Why put out the effort if he doesn't have to? If he can stand there and hold up his arms and you'll put on his shirt, why should he struggle to do it himself? It's called learned helplessness. If I show how hard of a time I'm having, you'll come help me, and I won't have to do it. I did the same thing to get out of weeding the cucumber with my mother. I weeded the cucumbers instead of the weeds. It's human nature.

Sooner or later you have to cut off the aide. I'm not against Welfare. Maybe there should be a time limit. That would encourage people to do something to better themselves. Everyone falls on hard times, and needs a hand up. But, there are an awful lot of nanny state programs, and there are people out there to tell you how to play the government and get your "fair" share. And to broaden government aide to include 150% of poverty and include government run health care? I don't think so. We should be shrinking government involvement. We need another Herbert Hoover about now.

Source: A Basic History of the United States, Volumes 1-5, by Clarence B. Carson, copyright American Textbook Committee, 1985, Tenth Printing, July 1994

Note added in March...the health care bill has passed, signed by Obama, and he's even bribing the American people. There are entitlements for Americans who make 400% of poverty. They are penalizing the young, by causing all student loans to go through the government. What a crock. And pre-existing conditions for children up to 26 were supposed to be covered immediately, but they forgot to put it in the bill. Rep Stupak caved on Pro-life language, based on an executive order, which he admits isn't worth the paper it's written on. Obama has been making deals, threatening congressmen, twisting arms, to get this bill passed, when in the past he has admitted that if you pass health care with less than 60%, you can't govern a nation. So, what does he intend to do? There is 76% of the United States against this bill, but he shoved it down our throats anyway. He wants a revolution so he can declare martial law and suspend the election and declare himself a dictator. Educate yourself. These are radicals from the 60-70's who would have already turned to burning the streets had the tables been turned. They can't figure out why we haven't.

I say we all start wearing tie dye shirts and make fun of them. Let's bring back the groovy talk, wear our hair long, in pony tails and start sporting peace signs. Peace out....groovy....freaky, deaky...man.

Lori Ann Smith
Fighting for Freedom with my dying breath.
Pray for peace

Self-Declared Socialists in Congress

Here is a list of Self-Delcared Socialists in our Congress....memorize it...carry it with you. I got it from http://www.tysknews.com/Depts/gov_philosophy/dsa_members.htm

Co-Chairs
Hon. Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07)
Hon. Lynn Woolsey (CA-06)

Vice Chairs
Hon. Diane Watson (CA-33)
Hon. Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX-18)
Hon. Mazie Hirono (HI-02)
Hon. Dennis Kucinich (OH-10)

Senate Members
Hon. Bernie Sanders (VT)

House Members
Hon. Neil Abercrombie (HI-01)
Hon. Tammy Baldwin (WI-02)
Hon. Xavier Becerra (CA-31)
Hon. Madeleine Bordallo (GU-AL)
Hon. Robert Brady (PA-01)
Hon. Corrine Brown (FL-03)
Hon. Michael Capuano (MA-08)
Hon. André Carson (IN-07)
Hon. Donna Christensen (VI-AL)
Hon. Yvette Clarke (NY-11)
Hon. William “Lacy” Clay (MO-01)
Hon. Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Hon. Steve Cohen (TN-09)
Hon. John Conyers (MI-14)
Hon. Elijah Cummings (MD-07)
Hon. Danny Davis (IL-07)
Hon. Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Hon. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)
Rep. Donna F. Edwards (MD-04)
Hon. Keith Ellison (MN-05)
Hon. Sam Farr (CA-17)
Hon. Chaka Fattah (PA-02)
Hon. Bob Filner (CA-51)
Hon. Barney Frank (MA-04)
Hon. Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11)
Hon. Alan Grayson (FL-08)
Hon. Luis Gutierrez (IL-04)
Hon. John Hall (NY-19)
Hon. Phil Hare (IL-17)
Hon. Maurice Hinchey (NY-22)
Hon. Michael Honda (CA-15)
Hon. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL-02)
Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30)
Hon. Hank Johnson (GA-04)
Hon. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Hon. Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI-13)
Hon. Barbara Lee (CA-09)
Hon. John Lewis (GA-05)
Hon. David Loebsack (IA-02)
Hon. Ben R. Lujan (NM-3)
Hon. Carolyn Maloney (NY-14)
Hon. Ed Markey (MA-07)
Hon. Jim McDermott (WA-07)
Hon. James McGovern (MA-03)
Hon. George Miller (CA-07)
Hon. Gwen Moore (WI-04)
Hon. Jerrold Nadler (NY-08)
Hon. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (DC-AL)
Hon. John Olver (MA-01)
Hon. Ed Pastor (AZ-04)
Hon. Donald Payne (NJ-10)
Hon. Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
Hon. Charles Rangel (NY-15)
Hon. Laura Richardson (CA-37)
Hon. Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34)
Hon. Bobby Rush (IL-01)
Hon. Linda Sánchez (CA-47)
Hon. Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
Hon. José Serrano (NY-16)
Hon. Louise Slaughter (NY-28)
Hon. Pete Stark (CA-13)
Hon. Bennie Thompson (MS-02)
Hon. John Tierney (MA-06)
Hon. Nydia Velazquez (NY-12)
Hon. Maxine Waters (CA-35)
Hon. Mel Watt (NC-12)
Hon. Henry Waxman (CA-30)
Hon. Peter Welch (VT-AL)
Hon. Robert Wexler (FL-19)

They have 7 principles:

Dignified Work
Environmental Justice
Economic Redistribution
Democratic Participation
Community Empowerment
Global Non-Violence
Social Justice.

There are ll members on the Judiciary committee: John Conyers [Chairman of the Judiciary Committee], Tammy Baldwin, Jerrold Nadler, Luis Gutierrez, Melvin Watt, Maxine Waters, Hank Johnson, Steve Cohen, Barbara Lee, Robert Wexler, Linda Sanchez [there are 23 Democrats on the Judiciary Committee of which eleven, almost half, are now members of the DSA].

Lori Ann Smith

It's a Trap

OMGOSH! It's a trap, and I just realized it....this health care bill is now law. We can not open up the states to commerce across state lines BECAUSE of the commerce clause!

This is an excerpt from a blog by Terry Jeffrey:

"The Commerce Clause that Robert Gibbs says President Obama will use to claim that the federal government does have this power is no more difficult to understand than the words that protect our private property. It says: "The Congress shall have power ... To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes."

If you live in California and engage in a transaction with someone in Mexico, you are engaging in "commerce with foreign nations," and the federal government can regulate that transaction. It cannot force you to buy breakfast in a restaurant on Tuesdays. But if a restaurant you freely patronize buys grapefruits in Mexico, it can regulate that grapefruit transaction.

Similarly, if you live in Ohio and engage in a transaction with someone in Florida, you are engaging in commerce "among the several states." The federal government cannot force you to buy oranges once a week, but if a grocer you freely shop with buys oranges from a farmer in Florida, it can regulate that orange transaction."

Do you see? If we open up the state lines and allow people to buy insurance across state lines now, they will be engaged in commerce among the several states and the federal government will be involved. We have got to appeal this law. So why did they not see this? Why did they not just regulate the insurance companies by opening up the state lines before? They're goal is not to regulate the insurance companies but to PUT THEM OUT OF BUSINESS and make them appear to be the bad guys at the same time. If they were to flat out regulate them, and they went out of business, it would be obvious that the government was the bad guy. We can't have that, because then it would be obvious. They have to be underhanded. The American people are too stupid to figure this one out (in their minds). They have to be kept in the dark.

This is NOT about regulation or they would have taken the Republican idea of opening up the market and allowing commerce across state lines. They could have regulated it with the Commerce Clause. This is about a take over of another industry and turning this into a single payer industry, when all the insurance companies fail.

Spread this to everyone you know.....email it....post it on your blogs....make this go viral...this is vitally important....call Rush...call Hannity....get this out...

Lori Ann Smith

Congressional Reform Act of 2010

A friend of mine posted this. It originated with Chief Yellowhorse by way of his friend. I think it's so great, that I'm posting it here. I want everyone to email it, copy and paste it onto their own blogs, spread it around everywhere you can.

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Congressional Reform Act of 2010

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[1]. Term Limits: 12 YEARS ONLY, one of the possible options below.
A. Two (2) Six year Senate terms
B. Six Two (2) year House terms
C. One Six (6) Year Senate term and Three (3) Two (2) Year House terms
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Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

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[2]. No Tenure / No Pension:
A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
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Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
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[3]. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.

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Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, server your term(s), then go home and back to work.
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[4]. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
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[5]. Congress will NO LONGER vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

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Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
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[6]. Congress looses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

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Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
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[7]. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people.

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Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
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[8]. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/11. The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

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Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

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E-MAIL THIS TO EVERYONE ON YOUR E-MAIL LIST

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Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9

I'm just a tad young to remember the radicals of the 60's. I don't really understand how President Obama does. He was born in 1961. That means he's 2 years older than me. So in 1969 he was only 8 years old. A little young to be taking over the government. In the 70's, when it was still going strong, he was in school. I don't know his history real well. I don't know when he came to Chicago and started studying at the feet of his radical teachers, but I know THEY were in the radical movement of the 60's. But, in 1979, he would have been graduating from high school. Let's see, that puts him leaving Hawaii, right? Transitioning to Chicago? Getting ready to start college. I do remember 1979. I was a Sophomore in high school in 1979-80. I was a bit of a radical myself. But I never would have thought of overthrowing the government. I was a Democrat, but not a socialist. Socialist was a bad word where I came from.

Hippy apparently had a different meaning in my circles. Hippy meant the guys who hung out and did drugs and wanted peace at all costs. Peace, man. They didn't wear shoes, hung out at the park and wore their hair long. They protested the Viet Nam war and spat on our boys when they came home and called them baby killers. That's what we were taught. But is it the truth? Apparently not. Apparently they didn't want peace. Apparently they wanted anarchy.

I love my country. I would die for my country. It was the early 80's that sent me into the military. I have to admit, though, that it was mostly a lack of a job that did it in the beginning. No patriotism in the beginning. But how can you serve this great nation, and not come out patriotic? I have to look at the Congressmen who claim to be Democrats and voted straight down the Democratic line and yet claim to be doing it for their country. They know it's sending us into socialism. How do they sleep at night? What did Obama sell them? Or did he threaten them?

Obama believes in his ideals just as strongly as we do. He would die for his version of America. But, I believe it goes beyond that. I hesitate to state my beliefs and you'll see why as you read this. I've believed this for a while, and it scares me to my socks. We, as a nation, have got to promote peace beyond all other measures. We have got to reel in those who would promote anything else. We have got to keep cool heads.

I posted a previous post about a revelation I had, based on a lesson from my son. I'll summarize here, for those that didn't read it but you can find it on my blog (http://loriann12.blogspot.com). I transferred my son from a magnet school to a charter school with 2 months left in the year. They only had 2 slots left for next year, so my hand was forced to move him early. He had a horrible first day and came home crying for 30 minutes. It caused me to burst into tears as well. I felt like I'd ruined his life, but I know it's the best thing for him in the long run. He's ADHD and this school has only 1 class instead of rotating between 3 classes this year and 6 classes next year. It will give him 3 years to learn organization. As I was explaining to him that I knew he thought his life was ruined, but this was actually best for him, I heard God telling me the same thing about health care and my nation. What if the vote had gone the other way? There would have been riots in the streets from the have-nots. "What, we don't get free health care?"

There are crazies on both sides and it's a powder keg out there. Obama is doing everything he can to tick off whoever and everyone he can. He wants to become a martyr for the cause. He knows that at some point he will make someone mad enough to do something stupid. It only takes one crazy person to do something really stupid and it's like lighting a match over a keg of gun powder.

He is on tape as saying that it is too expensive to move from socialism into Marxism. Yes, that is a fact. BUT, given the choice between anarchy and a dictatorship, the people will choose a dictatorship. Obama is not worried about being voted out of office. He knows one of two things will happen. Either there will be no vote because he will have instituted martial law because someone will have TRIED to execute him and failed, or they will have succeeded and we will have anarchy and his plan will be carried out by someone else.

WE HAVE GOT TO PUSH FOR PEACE AT ALL COSTS. We must not fall into anarchy. Those who know me, know that I am ex-Navy. I have been saying pray for peace but prepare for war. I am not exactly a pacifist. I am not afraid of battle. I may be a peacetime veteran, but that is because of when I was born. I can't help that I was born in a time when there was no war going on. What was I supposed to do, start one? I got news for some of you out there.....if I had not stopped the Russian submarines from breaking through our defenses....y'all would be speaking Russian now, and Russia would not have fallen. You tell the ships in WWII that sub-hunters are not important in this fight. You tell people who man the radios that intelligence is not important, and where the submarines are is not important. I have never slighted the grunts on the ground...don't slight me. And you know who that's for. I'm back.

It's like Glenn Beck said, we have to become peace-makers. Even if it's the last thing we want to do. We can still fight, with in the law. Obama is doing everything he can to incite riots. He wants anarchy so he can usher in Marxism. You can't usher in Marxism when the people have a Republic. The only way to make Marxism palatable is when you have anarchy.

Lori Ann Smith
America's Voice Corps
Standing on the Ramparts
http://loriann12.blogspot.com

Wake Up America

God still speaks to us through our children. I pulled my son out of a Magnet math and technology public school, and put him into a Charter school that is housed inside our church. Originally I wanted to wait until the school year was over, but they only had 2 seats left for next year (thus, this year), so I had to come in this year so that I didn't lose next year. My hand was forced. I only wanted to put him in this Charter school for the 6th grade because he doesn't rotate classes and with his ADHD it would give him time to settle down before high school.

Today was his first day at the new school. Yesterday was the last day at his old school, and he had a half day warning that he was leaving. When I picked him up, it seemed to go well enough, but things fell apart after we got home. He complained to me for a half hour about how horrible this new school was. He's in the top 1%, and was immediately labeled as weird. Apparently it's small enough that his IOWA scores got out and they knew he was smart...or it just shows, one or the other. But, after 30 minutes of hearing how I'd ruined his life, I couldn't take it and my heart broke. I burst into tears.

As I'm sitting there tears running down my face I'm remembering my own experiences of being transferred in the 2nd grade 2 weeks before Christmas break from a city school in Cape Girardeau to the "country" school. When I graduated valedictorian in the 8th grade, I was still the new girl to some. And as I was sitting there and put myself in my son's shoes watching his mother cry, I still couldn't stop myself. He tried to back-peddle...."It's OK, Mommy, there's lots of nice things about the school."

All the things I had planned to say to him about buck up, be brave, etc. melted off my lips. I told him it was a decision I couldn't reverse. This is the best thing for him. I was thinking to myself, I know you're terribly disappointed because it didn't turn out like you'd hoped, but this really is the best thing for you.

And then the Holy Spirit tapped me on the shoulder. Well, not literally, I'm not crazy. But the correlation was there. I have been praying for what's best for our nation for a really long time, for over a year now. Sunday I felt such disappointment that I even took it to God. How could you do this? This is not what I expected. How could this possibly be good? When my son was faced with the tears on my face, he started looking desperately for the good things about this new school. I started doing the same thing. Is it possible, I'm faced with the tears on my Father's face? I'm sure he's been in my shoes of feeling my pain.

We, as rational people reacted in a rational way. We sought law suits to fight this outrageous bill. What do you think would have happened had the bill gone the other way? Do you think a nation of have-nots would have reacted the same way? If the 30% that I've heard quoted had not gotten their entitlement "free" health care on Sunday, do you think it's possible they could have turned their anger to the streets? Washington could have burned. Of course we'll never know. Maybe this will give it time to cool down. Maybe if we can reverse it, it won't go so badly when that does happen.

There's another possibility as well. When all these things start kicking in that we the conservative bloggers have warned you about for the past year, more people will wake up. That 30% will shrink. The numbers who are Patriots will rise. We will learn that this was possibly the best thing for us. Now, the insurance companies are being forced to carry a 85/15 debt to coverage ratio. In the past it's been 65/35. Have you heard of any business being able to operate when 85% of their business is debt? All the insurance companies will go bankrupt. It's a government take-over of the insurance companies. We're headed toward single payer. Don't say we didn't warn you. We have a Liar in Chief. If you tell a lie often enough, people will believe you. Hitler was a socialist, too.

The result of my son not switching classes yesterday? He just spontaneously checked for his homework...for the first time this year. It appears to have been the best thing for him after all.

I'm a Patriot, and always will be. Until they come to take me away.

Lori Ann Smith
Screaming from the Ramparts

Honesty and Integrity

My dad raised me to believe that a handshake was all that was needed to seal a deal. He told me (and I believe it's doubly important as a woman) that your handshake tells a lot about you. Your handshake should be firm, but not "clingy." No one likes a limp, dead handshake. Grasp firmly and pump once. I remember when I graduated from Boot Camp, they told me that the Admiral had arthritis and not to shake his hand hard. I had to fight that training, and I think I got nervous at meeting an admiral, and squeezed too hard. But, he smiled at me. A handshake tells a lot about you.

I wonder how the politicians in Washington shake your hand? Do they look you in the eye when they do it? Or are they so used to lying to you that they can look you in the eye as they lie? Where are we, America, that we can just lie down and accept lying from our politicians? We accept it as business as usual. When did this go down the tubes? Our founding fathers were men of principal. They had integrity. They were the best of the best; a few good men; chosen to serve our country; not only the Marines get the best. Why can't we get the best to serve in Congress?

Did this all start with the progressive movement as well? Did the progressives decide that men who went to war were ill equipped to run a country? So they put up for running mates men who shake your hand with limp wrists, much like the lacy collared European running mates of the 1700's I see in pictures. With the snuff boxes and the dandy poses. America has never been that. We've been the coon skin hat blazing a trail to the west. Well, while we were blazing a trail to the west and leaving the business of governing to someone else, that someone else snuck in and stole our government.

Where has the integrity gone? When a man in the highest office in the land can not be satisfied with checks and balances and go around them, we are in trouble. He wants to set himself up as king. He wants a legacy. No other President has wanted to leave a legacy. They have wanted to improve America. They have wanted to help the American people. This man is not only ignoring the American people, they know more than he does about how this will damage America. Unless of course, he knows full well what it will do to America and that's his plan all along. Then, of course, he's being honest and up front. He knows it will destroy America and that's what he wants to do. The only way he's being dishonest is in implying our best is the status quo.

Did integrity change in the 1960's? That's when a lot of the politicians in office now where coming into their own. My dad is older than most my generation. My dad is 78 now. He was one of those don't trust anyone over 30. in the late 60's. In 1969 he would have been 37. So, Obama wouldn't have liked him. He would have been an older generation. But he raised me with values that Obama apparently doesn't have. And now this man has the oval office. I wish more men like my dad were in office. And my dad is a democrat. I've told my dad, who thinks I'm too political, that if this was a case of the other guy got in office, I wouldn't be blogging. But this guy isn't a democrat. This ain't my daddy's democratic party. This guy is a radical. I'm not the radical. I'm a radical like my founding fathers.

Lori Ann Smith

American Pie Lyrics

I grabbed this from the Internet:

Because there are so many subtle explanations to be found in this song, we have included the explanations in the lyrics below. Please note that not all songs will have as much explanation as American Pie!

A long, long time ago... I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance,
That I could make those people dance,
And maybe they'd be happy for a while.
But February made me shiver,
With every paper I'd deliver,
Bad news on the doorstep...
I couldn't take one more step.
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside,
The day the music died.

Comments: "That music used to make me smile" very much represents the happier optimism of the 1950s in America. He also identifies Buddy Holly by the month of his death (February) and the "widowed bride" he left behind. Holly's passing had a profound effect on McLean: as it will become clearer in the next verse, this music and the simple innocence and optimism of it has its corollary in the psychology of America in the fifties, so that the day the music died becomes the day the innocence and optimism died - blow number one. McLean delivered papers as a boy.

Soo..Bye, bye miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good ol' boys were drinking whisky and rye?
Singing this will be the day that I die
this will be the day that I die

Comments: "American Pie" was not name of the aircraft that Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens died in, as is often assumed. But rather it is a simile to apple pie, an American icon. The Chevrolet itself is a familiar icon of 1950s America. Also, given that a drive to a levee carries the suggestion of romance in a car, we can almost see him on a date here. But the date is over, the levee is dry - someone he once loved has betrayed him; something that once gave him sustenance has evaporated. One of Holly's hit songs was "That'll be the day that I die".

Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so
Do you believe in rock n roll
Can music save your mortal soul
Then you can teach me to dance real slow
Well I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Then I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
but I knew that I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singin'...

Comments: Here, he is saying that America as a whole was beginning to shift from faith in God to faith in music. Dancing began decreasing in the 60s, due to psycedelia and the 10-minute guitar solos. The "pink carnation" reference is an obvious reference to Marty Robbins' hit single that had the words "A white sport coat and a pink carnation…"

Bye, bye miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good ol' boys were drinking whisky and rye?
Singing this will be the day that I die
this will be the day that I die

Now for 10 years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
In a voice that came from you and me
And while the King was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
While Lennon read the book of Marx
The quartet kept practice in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died

Comments: McLean is writing this song in the late 60s, about 10 years after the plane crash that killed Holly, Valens, and the Big Bopper. The "rolling stone" comment can be attributed to either Bob Dylan, who sang "Like a Rolling Stone" or the Stones themselves. Or both. The jester is clearly talking about Dylan, who played in England for the Royal Family. In the movie "Rebel without a cause", James Dean's character lends a red windbreaker to a man who gets shot and killed. And while the King (Elvis) was looking down, the jester (Dylan) stole his thorny crown (#1 in the hearts of the fans)… John Lennon literally studied Marxism around this time period. The quartet practicing in the park refers to the concert the Beatles had at Shea Stadium in NYC. A "dirge" is a funeral song, which makes sense, since they "sang" them the "day the music died".

Helter Skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with the fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
While sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
'Cause the players tried to take the field,
The marching band refused to yield.
Do you recall what was revealed,
The day the music died?
We started singing

Comments: McLean starts flying fast in this verse, shifting gears rapidly. Helter Skelter was a song on the Beatles' White album that inspired Charles Manson to lead his followers in the infamous murders committed. He begins talking about drugs in the next part, with "Eight miles high" a reference to a Fifth Dimension song banned because of drug-oriented lyrics. "Landed foul on the grass" is referencing one of the Byrds who was busted for marijuana. The "jester on the sidelines in a cast" refers again to Dylan, who spent nine months in seclusion after a terrible motorcycle accident. The following lines ("Cause the players tried to take the field/The marching band refused to yield") are about the Kent State massacre in 1970, where four students were killed and nine wounded. The players are the Ohio National Guard members who gunned the anti-war idiots down.

Bye, bye miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good ol' boys were drinking whisky and rye?
Singing this will be the day that I die
this will be the day that I die

There we were all in one place
A generation lost in space With no time left to start again
So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candle stick
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend.
As I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in hell
Could break that satan's spell
And as flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw satan laughing with delight
the day the music died.

Comments: This verse is entirely made up of references to the tragic events that took place at the Altamont Motor Speedway, California in the fall of 1969 at a Rolling Stones concert. "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Sympathy for the Devil", both songs by the Stones, were played at the concert. A riot ensued, and McLean blamed Mick Jagger here ("As I watched him on the stage my hands were clenched in fists of rage") for not stopping the riot by simply stopping the band from playing anymore. The notorious motorcycle group "Hell's Angels" were hired for security, and a fan was killed by one of them, resulting in Satan laughing with delight "the day the music died" even more than it already had…

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father Son and Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
They were singin'

The girl who sang the blues is Janis Joplin, who died at a very young age (smiled and turned away). The next 7 lines are all reactions to the plane crash, as well as to America having lost its mind over the years. The three men compared to the holy trinity in this analogy are obviously Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper.

**Interesting fact** The tragic flight was originally supposed to haul Holly, Valens, and country music start Waylon Jennings; however, Holly approached Jennings' bassist and asked if Jennings would mind giving up his seat for friend the Big Bopper. Jennings agreed to take the bus, but with some friendly fun poked at Buddy Holly. Holly said jokingly, "I hope your bus stalls on you!" Jennings playfully responded, "Yeah, well I hope your plane crashes!" As you might guess, those words went on to haunt Jennings every day for the rest of his life. Jennings passed away in 2002.

Bye, bye miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good ol' boys were drinking whisky and rye?
Singing this will be the day that I die
this will be the day that I die

_____________

This song just felt like today.

Lori Ann Smith

The Rape of America

I wrote this 22 years ago, but it seems so appropriate now, I'm posting it. I have no idea why I wrote this 22 years ago, there was no reason to. At that time in my life, I was transitioning out of the Navy, actually waiting to leave for Philadelphia to get out of the Navy. I believe I left Bermuda on the 12th of February. I was engaged, I wasn't even married yet. I was going home for 8 months, to get married and fly back to Bermuda a dependent. Perhaps I wrote it for such a time as this.


American Soldier's Wife
Lori Ann Smith
February 10, 1988

You took my husband from my bosom;
All my children yet to come
Will never be;
You raped my land of her goodness,
Took away her wholesomeness,
Her naivete.
Yet you ask me to forgive?
Forgive and forever live
Under your rule!
You ask me to accept the fact;
"It was discipline you lacked;
You were the fool
Who watched himself grow soft."

You ask, so an answer I do give thee:
With the last bit of moisture in me
I do spit at thee;
With my dying breath I do curse thee.

Victory can often be bittersweet;
Often it is better to honorably retreat
Than to savor the taste.
Victory can be less than you'd hoped for;
When dictation becomes a chore,
But yet a waste.
There are more like me,
Who do not accept your "victory."
Just look in our eyes.
You ask us to forgive you;
You ask something we can't do;
It's but more lies.
And we're through with deception.

You ask, so an answer we do give thee;
With the last bit of moisture in our bodies
We do spit at thee;
With our dying breaths, we do curse thee.

Thoughts on Health Care

Some last minute thoughts on Health care....The President apparently has been blasted for things not taking effect immediately, but us being taxed immediately. So to appease the broadest base of constituents, he decided to cover pre-existing conditions for children, up to the age of 26, immediately. I'm not 26. I'm 46. I have children under the age of 26 and I don't mind insuring them. Actually, I have a handicapped child who is on SSI, so he's covered by Medicaid (he would be covered by Tricare Prime if he weren't) and a 10 year old who would be covered by our Tricare prime for at least 8 more years, longer if he went to school. That's not the problem.

Consider this. Now insurance companies are told who they can insure and who they can't. This is socialism. They (I believe, as it was in the Senate bill and I haven't read this version) are also being told they can't raise their rates. If you go into a venture knowing it's high risk, do you expect to get it for free? Or do you expect to have to pay a little more? When my son was born we knew there would be health risks involved. We had a choice between Tricare Prime and Tricare Standard. With Tricare Standard, there is no yearly fee. It's practically free. It sounded great to the average person. You only pay 20% of your office visit. And there's a catastrophic cap. So, if something severe happens, to the average person, you're covered. You may not be covered for something chronic, but you are for something catastrophic. So, if you only go to the doctor once a year for a physical, it's great. But we knew there would be associated health risks with Down Syndrome. That's the definition of chronic....ongoing...life long. We knew that 50% of Down syndrome children have a heart condition. We also knew that we would be getting older, even though we were only 26 when he was born. Wow, if this bill had been instituted at the time my son was born, we could have been on my parents insurance. But I digress.

We did something rare and novel....we PLANNED OUR FUTURE. Do young people do that these days? We took the Cadillac plan. It was more expensive in the beginning, but it's paying off now. My son had 3 heart surgeries. Now I've been through breast cancer, epilepsy, high blood pressure, and let's say I have more than just a yearly physical. I have another son with ADHD. He has more than a yearly physical. It's been great up to now, with President Obama. I had a scare 6 months ago, thinking my breast cancer came back after 5 years. My government health care disallowed my digital MRI. They said it was experimental. My surgeon said it's been out for years, and isn't experimental and didn't charge me. How rare is that? My surgeon said every doctor in the United States should take Tricare Prime, for our veterans. But they don't. I know why. They now reimburse at 28%. Take heed, that's what it's going to be like if we get single payer. The doctors will be quitting in floods. And no one will be going to college for doctors. Those that want to work for the government already are. Those who go into the military as doctors either are very patriotic, or do to get their education in order to get out and go into private practice.

The president wants to start the "you can't be turned away for an existing condition for under 26" immediately. But, no one else gets health care right away. And they are still going to start the taxes right away. Let me ask you this: with this Congress that has had to be bribed for the past year to get this bill passed, do you really think this money will be there in 4-6 years? Where do you think your tax money will go? To study the tse-tse fly? To see if we can use bees to send messages to somebody?

And how are they going to get votes for it? Are they going to withhold water from someone else besides California? I heard about that one, too. What is this? Iraq? Do we have a dictator society?

I've told this story before, but I'm going to put it on the record here on my blog. I was a dispatcher for 911 in the Chicago area. When I got hired, I heard a story that was told, and I admit it could be urban legend, about how Chicago police deal with their own. It was told by a fellow dispatcher who had someone transfer to a suburb from Chicago and tried their tactics on a smaller scale and it didn't turn out so well. Apparently, when an officer gets out of line and does something the other officers don't like, they take care of it by themselves. It could be anything, snitching, not doing something, doing something they don't like, whatever. Any time the offending officer comes on the air, the other officers click their mics on, and basically walk on the offending officer's transmission. Dispatch can't hear him. They do this EVERY time he comes on the air, to come on duty, to eat, to make a traffic stop, whatever he does. This sends the signal that if he were to need help, dispatch wouldn't be able to hear him. Dispatch has to ask him to repeat a lot.

Well, apparently when they tried it right before I got hired, it backfired. A shot got fired over the air. The dispatcher had to do a roll call and see if all her officers were OK. From the story I heard one of the officers who clicked his mic in order to discipline the offending officer was doing a traffic stop and the person he stopped fired at him. He was doing a foot chase. Luckily no one was hurt, but that ended the Chicago tactics in that suburb. I never actually witnessed it because authorities got involved (according to the story) and told them not to do it.

THIS story is why I believe in the strong arm tactics that I hear. This was told to me in 1993. So it had to have happened prior to that. I don't believe they are above anything, any threats, any bribes, any dirty deeds to get what they want. These are radicals from the 1960's who decided they couldn't destroy American government from the outside so decided to play the game until they could get inside the government and destroy it from within. And now they are in the very top.


And one more point my husband noticed. They want to tax those who make $200,000 if they're single, and $250,000 if they're married. Why aren't the feminists all up in arms? Apparently a woman is only worth $50,000! Who is the most likely to be a single wage earner making $200,000? A man, or a woman? Aren't the feminists proclaiming that men make more than women and complaining about the difference in wages? Do they figure once they get married, she'll quit and start pumping out babies? So she's only worth $50,000? And what are the gays going to do if they're both men and they both make $200,000? I guess the marriage penalty goes into affect. So this bill is anti-marriage. It's cheaper to stay single.

We can not let up. Don't let them stop you by telling you that they have the numbers. Don't stop calling. Don't stop emailing. Don't stop visiting. Don't stop blogging. The battle is not over. This is not the only marathon. If this bill gets passed, we will have socialism in America. There will be no turning back. Don't let them tell you that we can lose this battle and still win the war. It will take a miracle to will if this piece of legislation passes. Of course, it might be for just such a thing that God has planned. Oh what a wicked generation that desires to see such a miracle in order to believe in God. But to have the faith and not see.......I would rather know my God exists and save us from the jaws of death and be called a doomsayer and know that it was my God who saved me, than to have that act seen.....

Lori Ann Smith

The Oxymoron of Health Care

So, President Obama is saying that the government take over of health care will get rid of the fraud and waste and abuse that is abundant in the insurance industry. Let's follow this logic to it's natural conclusion.

We have Medicare and Medicaid. Have you see the fraud, waste and abuse in those systems? Medicaid is set up for fraud, waste and abuse. And we want these people running all of our health care? Huh?

We want to get rid of fraud, waste and abuse. So why do we have to bribe the Congress to accept this bill? If this is such a stellar bill, why is it taking more fraud to get it passed? Are we saying that our Congressmen are so dishonest that they won't pass an honesty bill without some bribe in it? Well, if that's the case, how can we expect them to enforce it?

And these are the people that we want to hold the purse strings for 4 years and not touch it? Huh??? Do you really think the American people are illiterate? You were stupid enough to put the bill on line so we could read it, and we did. Bet you don't make that mistake again, and you didn't. But you know what, this is still America....YOU HAVE TO. You can't do like Pelosi said....pass the bill and then tell us what's in it. That's a dictatorship. And we didn't ELECT a dictator. You may try to turn yourself into a dictator or king, but you'll have a revolt on your hands. UNLESS, that's what you're aiming for. And then you'll be exposing your true goal. And we will all see the Cloward-Piven strategy. Collapse America so you can instill Marxism.

But, I digress. We have a corrupt Congress. They have been bribed and bullied into voting for this corrupt bill that isn't even about health. So what did you tell them? The security of our nation is at risk? Did you get the ones who are patriot by telling them it's a matter of national security? You tell the ones who don't want a single payer option that it isn't in there. You tell the ones who want a single payer option that it's a stepping stone to a single payer. We all know you plan to get a single payer. You tell people that no illegal immigrant will be covered. Then you tell everyone who that you're for amnesty. You don't care what you do to get this passed because your goal is to destroy America.

So, I ask again, how is a corrupt bill going to stop fraud, waste and abuse? This is all Saul Alynsky tactics. You have not addressed the question. This bill IS fraud, waste and abuse. Let's go to the money again. You're asking us to put in 4 years of our taxes. Do you expect America to believe that it's going into a lock box of some kind and will never be touched by these corrupt politicians who will have direct access to all of these monies? There are no lock boxes, and we know it. The left hand will never know what the right does (and lest you think that political, the right never knows what the left does either). America will never see those tax monies again. And once the money goes into the health care kitty, how can you repeal health care?

Let's say health care passes. This congress starts taking the taxes immediately, but no one actually starts getting health care. Time goes by....and goes by...and now it's the 2012 election. Everyone who voted FOR health care is thrown out of office. Whoo hoo! We have Patriots in office. But we have two year's worth of taxes in the kitty, and no one has received health care yet. Huh? Even if all the congressmen were honest and it wasn't spent, what do we do with it? Do we refund it to the people? It would bankrupt America! But you know Congress....it's gone by now. So now, America knows they paid two years' taxes and didn't get any health care. There will be riots in the streets when they find out health care got repealed and they lost two 'year's taxes and aren't going to get that free health care. Why do you think Obama is bribing "middle class America?" Now everyone under $88,200 a year for a family of 4 is going to get free health care. That will make more people upset. That will supposedly cause more people to call their congressmen and senators and ask them not to repeal the bill.

It would collapse the economy. We would have Cloward-Piven once again, and in comes our savior with Marxism. We have got to stop this health care. If the president wanted to reform health care, he could do it much easier.

So, what an oxymoron.....use a corrupt congress to promote a bill for health that is supposed to get rid of fraud, waste and abuse, that you have to bribe them to pass, because it's not even about what it's supposed to be about and no one in America even wants.

Lori Ann Smith

Is it Time for Our Brook Besor?

OK, this idea is not new and original from me. I got it from a book by Max Lucado. It's called Facing Your Giants. I read it a while back and it impressed me. Max is a great inspirational writer. I've had my giants that I've had to face. I don't see how anyone can face giants in our lives without God. I recently faced one and overcame, with the help of this book, and God.

America is facing a Giant right now. This battle has raged for a year. There are many combatants and we're starting to grow weary from the battle. I see it in many faces. I hear it in the chat rooms. I feel it in the stress of the key boards. I've heard analogies of geese: the lead goose lags behind and another takes over for a while and lets the leader rest in the slip stream for a while.

Sometimes it goes beyond that. Sometimes there's a Brook Besor and there comes a point of exhaustion you can't go beyond. Sometimes the battle is raging on and you have rested and can pick up, but sometimes the battle will end before you have rested. Let me tell you the story of Brook Besor.

I'm going to tell it in my words, not Max's. David had been anointed king, but he wasn't actually in place as king. God knew he was king. But Saul wasn't ready to give up being king just yet. David only had 600 soldiers with him. David was doing his part and fighting the Philistines. He was also having to protect himself against the man who was currently king, Saul. David had led 600 men into battle and left the women and children at home. While he was away, the Amalekites swept in raided the village and looted it and took all the women and children hostage. Everyone blamed David because he took the men off to fight the Philistines. They took up arms to kill David. But he convinced them that if they gave chase, they could catch them and get their families back.

Well, they get as far as Brook Besor. When they get to the brook, 200 decided that the brook is just too enticing and they give up. How tired do you have to be when the refreshing water out-weighs the fact that someone kidnapped your family? How long do you have to fight until resting out-weighs going on? Did they not love their family?

David didn't judge, he took the other 400 and went on. The 400 rescued the wives and children. Can you see the reunion? The wives start looking for their husbands. They find a friend and ask, and hear, "Uh, no, he's back at Brook Besor, cooling his toes in the water." "Oh, no, he di-unt!"

But, David didn't allow that. Here's how David handled it: Don't do that after what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and given us the enemy who attacked us. Who will listen to what you say? The share will be the same for the one who stayed with the supplies as for the one who went into battle. All will share alike. (I Samuel 30:23-24 NCV)

He didn't say they were too tired to battle, he gave them dignity and said they chose to stay with the supplies.

Our battle against the tyranny of our day has stretched into over a year. Many have fought valiantly. Many have done their duty. Many are tired. Don't judge them if they lay their swords by the brook momentarily to rest a bit and dip their toes in the cool water. They're either closing their eyes briefly to rejoin should the battle last beyond the time it takes them to rest, or they'll join in our victory dance. Perhaps you are stronger than they, or perhaps they fought harder than you in the beginning, or longer than you. Or maybe they have more going on than you know about. Not everyone has only a few calls to make in their life. Judge not, lest you be judged.

Lori Ann Smith

Census Form

I received my Census form in the mail the other day. I've already sent it in.

I noticed a couple things about the form. The first thing I noticed is it came addressed to occupant. There was a form inside that said they would appreciate my cooperation and it's mandatory that I respond. They didn't say it was mandatory that I answer all 10 questions, just that I respond. They also said that the law says that we have to count everyone, then it goes on to say that these questions will help with yada, yada, yada. It doesn't say that it's mandatory that you answer all the rest of the questions.

Then I noticed that question number one is in it's own little box. All buy itself. The rest of the questions were separate, additional to question number one. I consider myself to be a fairly reasonable person. I am going to assume that they aren't going to come out and tell us anything. So, question one is the mandatory question. I answered that one. There are 4 people in my household. Question 2 is a redundant question. It's like saying, "Are you sure you didn't lie to us?" It's like saying, "No, really, I'm telling you the truth." If you never lie, you don't have to say, "Swear to God, believe me." Only the government, who lies all the time, would think of putting that in there.

But, I answered that question, too. Just so I could tell them that no one else lives in my house but me and my family. But I refused to give them my name or the names of my children. Are you kidding me? The education Czar is a pedophile. He's not getting the name of my 19 year old handicapped child. There are tax cheats in office, they're not getting my name, address and phone number so they can run my information. I was a police dispatcher. I know with a name, phone number and address you can get anything you need. And don't give me the malarkey about confidentiality. We have a President telling people to go on Face Book and turn people in who are against this administration. You don't think they'll be matching names up and finding their financial information? You can label me a conspiracy theorist if you want. They're not getting it.

I have a friend who has a friend on the Census team. I've been told someone will show up at my door. I have a vision of who that will be in my neighborhood. I don't live in such a great neighborhood. Well, out my back door, across the alley is great. They will watch your house for you when you go on vacation. Out my front door, is mixed. The ones that live here are pretty good, but I live next to a high school and we get a lot of out-of-neighborhood traffic that is not so good. And just 2 blocks away is really not-so-good. So the Census person shows up...even if they have the little Census badge...they are NOT coming in my house. I am NOT giving my phone number to a stranger. It will turn into Mercury Rising....YOU ARE A S-T-R-A-N-G-E-R!!!!! And that's not making fun of Autism...I have an autistic child. I've always said, Autism rocks. They're not getting my name. They can get a copy of my constitution. When they can point out where in it that it says I have to give them my name, phone number, ethnicity, etc., I will. Otherwise, I believe it's actually against the constitution to ask me what my ethnic background is. I'm Irish, English, Scottish, German, French, Blackfoot, Osage and possibly Cherokee. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

If they need anything else, they can ask Tim Geithner. He has my tax records. I would assume, since they are ASKING me, and not just going and GETTING it themselves, that they have to actually have my permission. Since that's the case, I have to give or not give my permission. If they didn't need my permission, they wouldn't be at my door, they would just go and get it without my permission. So, what's the debate? I'll do like they do. The debate is over. You're not getting beyond what the law requires. Four (4) people live in this house, and no I didn't lie.

Lori Ann Smith

Deeming

It sounds like a fraternity prank....Deeming. "We got caught deeming, and were put in jail overnight to get over the hang-over." Deem and Pass. If you say it fast enough it sums up the Obama Administration: Demon pass.

I truly thought someone was pulling my leg when I heard this and had them explain it to me. They want to WHAT?!?!?!?! This has got to be a joke. This is NOT constitutional. This is blatantly against the constitution, how in the world can they get away with this?!?!?!?!? Did I step into the twilight zone? I feel as if I am living two lives. I have my normal life that I live at home, because most of the people I know have their heads firmly buried in the sand and are sleeping through this whole thing. I couldn't wake them up if I planted a bomb under them and it exploded congressmen. They wouldn't wake up if President Obama himself "deemed" their land his own.

And then I have the news glaring me in the face. Congress wants to Deem into law a piece of legislation that no one but a few die-hard liberals/socialists want. A few who want to fundamentally change our nation into something that no one else wants, and they can't do it the way our founding fathers set it up to do, and want to go around the rules, so they're desperate to find a way, have found Deeming. "We know that no one will vote for this, so we are going to Deem it passed. We've talked about it and talked about it and we can't convince you it's good, so we're going to pass it anyway. Because you just can't see our way of thinking. You don't have the guts to get voted out of office and sacrifice yourselves." Yea, right.

Can't you see? They know that once put into place, this will not be able to be reversed! They know it. President Obama knows that he's a one term president and he doesn't care. He will have turned this country into a socialist nation and his job will have been done. In his mind, that will have made him great. He hates a Republic. He wants a Socialist Amerika.

The Democrat/Socialists (not the average Democrats on the ground - the ones who died for our country, but the ones who lied to average Americans) have always fed us with the lies that they were for the average guy....they are the ones who started the malarkey that America was a Democracy. Do you know the definition of Democracy? If America was a Democracy then ALL of AMERICA would be voting for every single bill that went before Congress and we wouldn't have a Congress at all. We are a Republic, with elected officials to run our country and do the voting for us, with the electoral college to elect those officials. We are supposed to make informed decisions on who we elect, and they run the government so we can run our households. They vote on all those bills that come up, not us. AND NOW the Democrat/Socialists are saying you are too stupid to know anything about health care and they need to vote for you. So, now that they want to take over the government, it's a Republic? What, did they suddenly become Republican/Socialists?

So, whatever they are, they are not for the little guy. They have shown their colors, and they are not red, white and blue. They are yellow. And they are formed in a streak right down their back. They don't want to vote on this bill. So they said, "Daddy, (President Obama) we don't want to vote, can't you just pass it without our vote?" You know what this tells me? They can't even get a simple majority. We are doing our job....the real Democrats are standing up for their country. Either that, or the politicians are afraid of not having their gravy train and being voted out of office. I don't care which it is. The politicians should be afraid of the People. Because when the people are afraid of the politicians, you have Tyranny. And that should never be the case in a free country.

I'm the eternal optimist....I like to believe in my daddy's Democrat party. I like to envision the meetings going something like this: the door closes and the Republicans are locked out. When the press has access, the Democrats are united, but when no one is looking, things fall apart. There are three kinds of Democrats: the socialist who wants a socialist Amerika and thinks the health care bill isn't socialist enough (like Massa), the politician who just wants to get elected and will do whatever it takes and is weak, and there are a few who present a united front in public, but behind that closed door, they would die for America and they won't pass this bill and they are the ones stalling this bill. I am clinging to that picture, with everything in me. I have family members who are Democrats. They fought in Viet Nam. They don't want to see this country fall. They are very patriotic. I can't believe that all the congressmen behind those doors are socialists.

We have to be ever vigilant. When you write, call and email your congressmen and representatives, include that Deeming is not constitutional. It is stomping all over the constitution. Oh, how our founding fathers are turning over in their graves.

Lori Ann Smith

A personal Opinion on Health care

I've labeled this a personal opinion, but I think it's an informed one. I have never considered myself a political person in the past. At least not until recently. My husband has been for 20 years. I've rolled my eyes at him, told him to shut up around my family, told him not to antagonize the Democrat members of my family.

Then I got a face book account. Someone I know was playing a game that involved a coffee shop. I love coffee. I thought, how fun, serve coffee to your friends. I think I'll go play that game. I'm really new to face book, didn't know what it involved. It's like a chat room, or Yahoo group. You can make it what you want it to be. They set you up with a "home page," and suggest you join a couple groups and get to know some other moms. I asked my husband what groups he thought I should join. Hey, there's a group called Hot Topics and Current Events. He said join that so we could have something in common to talk about. Sounds good to me. He's a talk radio junkie. Wakes up to it, brushes his teeth in the morning to it, his whole morning routine revolves around it. My 10 year old son says he farts talk radio.

Well, the first thing they were talking about was the health care bill...the one going around the House at the time...you know, the first one? This was the little one, the one that only had 1500 pages. Well, I didn't want to feel like I didn't know what I was talking about, so I asked if anyone had a link to it.....and I did something really novel....I started reading it. It scared me. I started saying things like, do you realize they're going to do such and such? Of course, I got blasted by the left as fear mongering. There's no way they're going to do that, you're just against everything (from the left). The insurance companies are evil. All the talking points. Israel is Evil. What does that have to do with Health care? They blast you with so many issues at a time, so that you can't concentrate on the big one. Health care.

Do you realize that if they take over health care, they are taking over 1/6th of our nation's economy? And it goes beyond that. They want to take over everyone's health. When this all started, there was a tack on bill, called Take Back Your Health Act, S. 1609. You won't believe this one. I'll try to explain it quickly. Let's say you have a chronic disorder, like diabetes, prostate cancer, breast cancer, metabolic disorder (not sure what that is, but it was listed), or a heart disorder and you're on Medicare (not Medicaid, but Medicare). The GOVERNMENT can mandate that you attend 72 1-hour sessions with your doctor for health classes. These classes will help you lose weight, stop smoking, lower your cholesterol, change your eating habits so that your cancer risks go down, etc. In other words make your risks lower for whatever it is you have to not come back. You can combine these classes in 6 hour blocks, and you can have them in groups (can you say drive them through like cattle?). You HAVE to show improvement, as measured by a drop of 10% in waist measurement, or points in your cholesterol, or whatever, but you have to show a 10% change in TWO of the groups OR YOUR DOCTOR DOESN'T GET PAID. I read the whole bill. It was only something like 3 pages long, maybe 5.

At the time, I sent it out over my face book. My uncle is a doctor and I was worried what this would do to him. He takes a lot of Medicare patients. He's a general practitioner in a small town. And if Obamacare goes through, the Medicare rolls are going to increase. I got blasted by my aunt. My uncle would never do this to his patients. I lost my cousin over it. She left my face book page and took herself off all the games that we were friends together on. Ummm, I never said HE would, I said the government would....I guess she saw the writing on the wall that I didn't....if the government didn't pay the doctor, the doctor would have to go to the patient to get paid. Well, if you read the whole bill, which I then sent to her, there is a 100% deductible. Which means that's exactly what is going to happen. You take the class, you don't actually quit smoking, Medicare doesn't pay the doctor, so the doctor comes to you to get paid for the classes. What if you can't pay? You didn't want to take the stupid class anyway, because you didn't want to quit in the first place. And who is the government telling you that you HAVE to quit? What are they going to do? STOP PAYING YOUR MEDICARE because you're a health risk? Can you say rationing? We can't afford to pay for everyone, so we're only going to pay for the ones who appreciate it? And how you appreciate it is by taking care of yourself? Can you really live with this?

Health care is what got me into politics....I'm awake now. So I guess it was a good thing. I don't do things part way. I've heard the term Yellow Dog Democrat. It means someone who would vote for a yellow dog if it ran on the Democrat ticket. I asked my husband a couple years back, "Aren't we Yellow Dog Republicans?" We are guilty of the same thing....we would vote for a yellow dog if it ran on the Republican ticket. Not all people who run on the Republican ticket are actually Republicans, and we have been shown that now. In my dad's day, and when I was a child, he told me that Republicans were for big business and not the small guy. Democrats were for the working man. He fell for the party line even when I was little. They have a good propaganda machine out. I've been doing a lot of research lately. They have never been for the little guy. They are for big government because they believe you are too stupid to think for yourself; they have to do it for you. They started the race wars so they could step in and regulate it. They started a lot of problems so they could step in and regulate it. You want something solved? Make it a problem, even if it wasn't before.

So, if the government steps in and determines what everything is going to cost, doesn't that spell price setting? That's big government. Big government means that they are running everything for you because they think you are too stupid to do it. That may sound nice to the average person who doesn't do that, but what if you're one of the people who wants to do that for a job? That means you can't unless you work for the government. Or you have to let the government regulate the crap out of you. Do you want that? You just voted the government into all the PRIVATE businesses that do that sort of thing. Where is private enterprise?

We aren't supposed to be little children that a mommy and daddy take care of things so we can go out and play. We are capable of doing our own finances. Grow up America and take a look at THEIR books. Do you want a tax cheat telling you how to do your health care? Tim Geithner is telling all of America that he wants your financial information because he wants everyone to submit things via electronic transfer. It's in the health care bill.....that's how they want all the insurance companies to submit their claims. And if they are out of compliance they get fined $1 per day per life covered. And who determines the policies? The US Government. Why? because they are now involved and you didn't ask them when you set policies and they want everything the same. So they get to set how it's the same. Follow their rules or they take their ball and go home...or rather they make YOU go home. And then they take your home away, and sell your land.

I think all this talk about the health care bill is close to being over is a set up to discourage us....just like Rush said. They are constantly trying to demoralize us. They are doing their best to make us give up. They are the ones like little kids. When you're kids are stubborn, you have to be more stubborn than they are. Since these are the teenagers from the 60's, we have to teach them like teenagers. They're too big to spank. We have to out stubborn them......we can not let them wear us down. We have to be steadfast and not waver in calling in and letting our representatives know this bill will not fix the problem....IT IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.

Lori Ann Smith

Lori Ann Smith

Count the Cost

We all have to count the cost of everything daily. Soldiers have to count the cost of defending their country before they join the military. Some don't get the opportunity because they were drafted. I was a volunteer. I did count the cost, although I have to admit I wasn't fully apprised of what I was getting into at the time. But, even had I known, I would have made the same decision. I would do the same thing. Granted, I am a peace time veteran. The cold war is nothing like being actively at war. It was still stressful, knowing that the Russians were right off the coast and could fire their missiles at any time. So, don't slight the stress. Ask my husband. When you get a US submarine doing an evolution with it's engines (because they still do it, I won't use the official term for that evolution, nor will I explain it for national security), because they can't surface and are covert, but need to get a message out, it's stressful. We did that. We were there to interpret that message and send it on. We didn't know what it said, just that they needed help. I knew the job was stressful.

There's a quote my pastor gave yesterday in church from Gucci: "Bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory." Things you pay dearly for, are remembered much longer than things you get cheaply. That's why America's freedom is remembered so dearly. It didn't come with a cheap price tag. It came with blood. I may not have bled for that freedom, but I put in my time and my stress to it's success. I maintained. I served. I held the fort. I am proud of my country.

There is another thing that comes with a high price tag. Taking a stand for God. I posted my testimony previously. When I decided to give my life to God, some may be wondering what that entailed. Did I suddenly stop everything I was doing before? Did I become a wet blanket and no fun to be around? Was I suddenly a holy roller? I would like to say that I lost all my old habits, I became just like Jesus overnight, but I'd be lying.

I'd like to start with the sinner's prayer. You've heard those words before, I'm sure. I'm not going to post your typical one that you've seen before. I'm going to post the one I actually said (as best as I can remember) that I actually prayed when I came to Him. "Lord, I know I've screwed up my life, beyond my ability to fix it. Please take my life, I don't care if you fix it, or not, but it's yours. If you want to fix it, that's great, if not, I'll stay here, where you're finding me now. My life is in Your hands. It's not my will, but Yours. I'm sorry for messing my life up. I want to change it, but I know I can't, without You. Please come into my heart and help me change. Make me want what You want for my life."

At the time I prayed that prayer, the only people I knew were bikers. Bikers are some of the nicest people you would ever meet. Some would give you the shirt off their backs, even if it's the only thing they have. I fully expected to stay there. I expected to be preaching in the bars. But God didn't leave me there. I moved back home to my home town, in Cape Girardeau, for 4 years, then reconciled with my husband and moved on to Hawaii, where we got remarried. God doesn't always move quickly, but he moves. During those 4 years, I worked a factory job, just me and my handicapped son, never knowing what to expect in income. I had to sell a family heirloom to eat at one point. I felt like Joseph, being sold into slavery.

I still don't know why God gave me that experience, beyond the possibility of having to go through it again in today's time. Or maybe being able to relate my experiences on this blog. Or possibility even to be able to talk to people who are going through it now. Who would you rather talk to? An elitist who has never seen poverty, or someone who had to sell a family heirloom to eat? My mom is still mad at me for that one. I was too proud to call her and ask for money. And in case you're wondering, it was a marble statue that was handed down the family from about 3 generations and was instructed to be handed down the female side of my family. I had one son at the time, and had just been saved....I figured I would see grandma in Heaven and she would understand.

We're looking at a man in the highest office in our country right now who is older than me by a couple years....born in 1961...who is telling a nation of Obama Zombies not to trust anyone over 30. Who are you going to trust? The liberals have been trying for years to convince everyone they aren't racist. The conservatives are traditionally the Christians. Who are you going to trust? Someone who wants you to think for yourself, or someone who tells you how to think? Who are you going to trust? Someone who tries to teach you how to speak correct English, or who figures you're so dumb we might as well make your illiteracy into it's own language? (see Ebonics - and even Bill Cosby is against Ebonics). How Racist is that? It's not cultural, that's saying you're too stupid to learn correct English. That's saying "You're different." We say, "You're different?" The Bible doesn't recognize a difference. Neither does the constitution. All men (as in mankind) are created equal. So feminists don't get all up in arms.

If the feminists are all for women, why are they for abortion? Don't the female babies have rights? There are too many inconsistencies in things not of God. God is consistency. It's when mankind gets involved that things get messed up. The biggest question people ask me, is why is there sin in the world, why is there ugly things. Why were you molested at the age of 3 if there is a God? Why would God allow a 3 year old to be molested? How would I know beauty if I didn't see ugly? If you are only exposed to the beautiful things in life, do you know what's not? Look at rich kids. Do they appreciate anything in their life? Do you appreciate the things you have unless you lose them? Do you appreciate you kids until you see a handicapped child walk by? When you kid is being the worst he's ever been, and then you see that parent of an autistic kid walk by and you think, "There but by the Grace of God go I."

I don't mind being the example, if it brings someone to God. I've been through cancer, epilepsy, I have a child with Down syndrome and autism and a gifted child. BUT, I don't go through it alone. Sometimes it ain't a cake walk. I ain't gonna lie, sometimes I wish I could actually HUG God, because church friends will leave you. God doesn't, but he can't physically hold your hand. Once you step out in faith, Satan will attack you. If I had lived next door to the apostle Paul, I don't think I would have walked this walk, either.

But, also, God rewards you for your walk. Is it a tangible reward? Sometimes. Is it all the time? No. It's according to His will. Do we always know His will? No. I do know that the will for everyone is to walk the way He wants us to. That is in relationship with Him. It's not a list of rules to follow. It's talking to him, listening to Him. It's more than rules, it's a relationship. If you have a friend, and he does something you think is bad for him, you're not going to drop your relationship, are you? You may lecture him on how it's bad for him, but you won't stop being his friend. That's how God is with us, that's how Jesus is with us. And you can't bargain with him...you can't say, just let me do this, and I'll be better. He'll let you do anything you want. He's not going to force you to be good. You still have free will even as one of his children. But it's like with our children. There will be natural consequences. That's what America is going through now. We've fallen away. Can we come back? We are always one generation away from atheism. You can't inherit Christianity. Don't trust your children to absorb your principles. You have to teach them. And it's not "religion." It's all about relationship. God is a person. If you don't "get it" you don't "have Him."

Lori Ann Smith

My Story

OK, I can see there is a hunger for my story, as to the comments posted on the only "GOD" story posted on my blog. So I've decided to post my testimony on line. To give you some background to let you know where this is coming from, at one time I was a Christian clown. I have performed in maximum security prisons in Illinois and Missouri. I have performed in costume, and have had them change their minds and not let us put on our costumes and have had to perform in my street clothes and just pretend I was a clown with my troupe. When you perform, you have to come in in street clothes, set everything up, the put on your clown make-up and clothes, do your performance with a small meet and greet afterwards, and then take everything down and take off your clown make-up and put back on your street clothes to leave. Your face has to match your ID. The first time I gave my testimony it was a sort of surprise to my supervisor. I had felt lead by God to do it, and told him the morning on the trip down. I let him read it before hand, and he agreed to let me do it. I had a copy to let him read, but I had it on index cards and "performed" it. The cards were so I wouldn't forget it. It is a performance piece, but it is true. I had planned on taking off my gloves and stepping out of character and being "me" while I did it. This particular prison at the last minute decided not to allow our make-up into the prison and we performed our routines in street clothes. I came out as me and did this. This is not the EXACT piece I performed, because it has been updated to my current situation and read in my church a few years ago. But at the time that I did this in the prison system, 13 inmates came forward. No, I personally did not counsel them. A male member of the team did. So they were not coming to me personally to talk to a woman. There were men lined up to receive them. They knew they would be talking to men, and not me.

The Gift

Have you ever been given a gift for no reason, even though you didn’t deserve it? I want you to imagine this nice gift arriving because of a friend, or a family member, or a co-worker, or even someone you never met before. It’s in a nicely wrapped box, with a pretty bow on top. You’re so excited to get it ... That you take it to the back of your closet, still wrapped, stand up on tip-toe and put it on the highest shelf in the darkest corner, behind that stack of clothes that will fit someday. Maybe you think you aren’t good enough to get it, so you just don’t open it. Pretty soon you forget all about it and time passes; days turn into months that turn into years. Then something happens that clears all the clutter out of your closet and you find it. There it is, still wrapped.

Well, that’s what God did with me. He gave me a gift long before I was even born. He gave me a way to get to heaven, not because I deserved it, but just because He loves me. I found out about it from my grandma, my parents who took me to church, a friend in high school, an uncle and probably people I didn’t know and don’t remember. But I didn’t open this gift. I put it on the top shelf of the closet in my mind and forgot about it ... for 29 years.

Then God cleaned out my closet. He allowed my marriage to fail. He allowed me to accept giving custody of my special needs son to his father. He allowed my employers to make up lies in order to fire me. He allowed repressed memories of child abuse to come forward and He allowed me to remember details of sexual abuse at the age of 3. He allowed me to go to the bars every night and lose my reputation, even though it was unfounded.

My closet was now empty. No marriage, no son, no job, no reputation and memories of my childhood forever altered. All I could see was this package. I finally opened it. A gift doesn’t do you any good unless you accept it and open it. I had believed all my life that God existed. I knew that Jesus was God’s only son sent to earth to die for our sins; but I never accepted that He died for ME and MY sins. I never thought I was good enough for such a gift. Maybe I was waiting for the day I would deserve it, like waiting to get back into that size 6 dress. But one Saturday morning, through the haze of a hangover, I realized that there was something I needed to do in order to have this gift. I had to acknowledge that Jesus was MY Savior, that he died an excruciating death on the cross for me, and give Him my life. I did, then I apologized for messing that life up so badly, but it was His.
(That was 16 years ago. A year later, I got my son back. Four and a half years later I got my husband back. We now have another child and a wonderful church family. My life is not perfect. My oldest son still has Down Syndrome and has since been diagnosed autistic. I’ve fought breast cancer, and now have a seizure disorder. I still have my battles, but I no longer fight them alone.) (Updated for now.)

We’ve given you that same gift today. We’re just the deliverymen, though. The gift is from God and He gave it to you because he loves you: each and every one of you. Please don’t put this package on your top shelf. Open it today.


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At the end of my testimony I had an inmate come up to me and thank me. He told me that when we "Christians" come in to do our little performance for them they think of us as....and he hesitated. I finished the sentence for him and said, a little holier than thou? He said, "YES!" I told him, I'm just a sinner, saved by grace. I will continue to sin, because I am not perfect. I try, but I will continue to fail. I don't remember exactly what I told him, as it's been over 5 years. He impressed me; I hope I impressed him. I wouldn't change the things I've been through. God gives us the ugly so that we will know the beautiful. He has used the ugly in my life for good. I don't know how many times I have told people about the abuse in my life to have someone overhear it and say, "that happened to me, too, how did you deal with it?" And I had an opportunity to help someone. My God is awesome!

Our country was founded on God. BUT, that said, our founders wanted everyone to have the freedom to have no God if they wanted to. If you're an Atheist, you have that freedom. BUT, don't force me to be an Atheist. If I want to display the words of my founding fathers, which happen to include God, on my building, it's my right. It is not the right of anyone to include words that destroy America, that's insensitive, beyond words. But I don't mind if someone wants to display the summer solstice or winter solstice or whatever it is they celebrate. And yes, I know it's Wicca. But it's their religion. I don't force you to be a Christian. I also don't kill you because you're not a Christian. Don't kill me because I don't want to convert to Muslim. Our country is fast falling to the minority ruling the majority. Do you really think if the Atheists got control, they would allow Christians to exist? If the Muslims got control, they would allow any other religion to exist? Riddle me that. Our founding fathers left a country that was forcing a religion onto them, and now we want to go back to that, or exchange the state religion into Atheism? or Muslim? what about Frisbitarianism? I know, my clown coming out.....that's when you believe your soul goes up on the roof when you die....it's a joke, get over it.