Our Father...

 

 Christians around the world say this prayer every day.  It is a beautiful prayer, taught to us by our savior, Jesus Christ.  Christians say the beautiful words with their hearts, as well as with their voices.  But do we really mean what we say when we say this prayer?

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...do we ever take the Lord's name in vain?

 

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...do we really try to have God's will done here on earth by what we say, do, watch, and listen to?

 

Give us this day our daily bread...a recognition of our dependence on God's providence for the very necessities of life; knowing full well that the very talents we possess are gifts from God that allow us to provide the food we eat.

 

and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us...THIS IS HUGE!  How often do we "forgive" someone, but still hold a grudge?  Still plan our "payback"?  Still talk mess about the person we forgave?  Look at what we are asking God to do - forgive us the same way we forgive!  Once you ask for God's forgiveness, it is over.  He will never bring up our sin again; he will not hold it against us.  Once He forgives us, it is as if it never happened.  How often do we forgive totally?  Remember, you are asking God to treat you the way you treat others.  This could have eternal consequences.

 

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.  Help us to avoid temptation, and if we do go down that road, we ask God to please give us the grace to make the decisions necessary to be delivered from the evil that surrounds us.

 

 





Allowance Day in the USA

Each month food stamps, re-named the “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program”, are distributed to citizens of the U.S.A. who “need” them.

“Allowance Day” as I like to refer to it, is actually “Allowance Days” as the largesse of hard working Americans is distributed during the first half of each month among the following dates: 1^st, 3^rd, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, and 15^th.

People in need (a record percentage of Americans these days) can then use them to buy healthy, nutritious, wholesome snacks and foods which will help them and their children achieve more and get them off food stamps SNAP.  For example, with SNAP benefits, you can buy:

• Sodas
• Ice cream
• Candy
• Snack cakes
• Bakery items
• Wedding cakes
• Expensive meat & seafood (t-bones, rib-eyes, shrimp, lobster)
• Sugar laden cereal
• Toaster pastries
• Many other nutritionally devoid foods

Perhaps even more disturbing than what they can buy, is what they’ve given away: their freedom.  By being beholden to the government for the very basic necessities of life, they subject themselves to the whims and wishes of government.  I believe that most people currently on SNAP would do whatever government tells them to do in order to keep their SNAP benefits.  It is their allowance from the government – and it controls them.

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Caucus Actuals vs. Predictions

OK, so here it is - Sunday, February 7, 2016.  Caucus day in Iowa was Monday, February 1.  I took my best shot at predicting the outcome of that nights festivities (left of candidate's name).  Let's compare final totals (to right of candidate's name) to my predictions (all totals rounded):


Republicans
(Prediction - Name - Actual)
27%  Ted Cruz             28%
23%  Marco Rubio      23%
22%  Donald Trump   24%
  8%  Ben Carson           9%
  5%  Rand Paul             5%
  4%  Jeb Bush               3%
  3%  Mike Huckabee    2%
  2%  Chris Christie      2%
  2%  Carly Fiorina       2%
  2%  John Kasich         2%
  2%  Rick Santorum    1%

Democrats
(Prediction - Name - Actual)
50%  Sanders      50%
44%  Clinton       50%
  6%  O'Malley      1%

What's the Difference?

We all hate the rich, don't we?

Filthy, disgusting, slime-ball, lying, cheating, abusive rich people.  They screw the little guy over in order to get rich, and then the IRS to avoid paying taxes.  They have off-shore accounts, Swiss bank accounts, trusts, investments, accountants, lawyers, lobbyists, and minions of all types making sure they pay very little, if no, income taxes at all.  Many politicians and "leaders" in this country make a lot of political hay over the evils of the rich and their scheming ways. 

But is that much different from...


Anyone else who does all they can to avoid the tax man?:

- The waiter/waitress that does not report all their tips
- The person that babysits for cash only and doesn't report the income
- The "lawn technician" that does not report income
- The "handyman" that insists on cash payments, and then doesn't report it to the IRS
- The welfare recipient that sells their benefits for .50 on the dollar to get cash (obviously not reported)
- Drug dealers you won't find reporting their income to the IRS
- People who sell at garage sales, on Craigslist, et al. and don't report the income
- People who get loans forgiven by friends/relatives and don't report that as income


So next time you get on your high horse and bemoan the fact that "the rich" don't pay their fair share - do you?





Remember what happens when you put 'the' and 'IRS' together: 'theirs'

Iowa Caucus Prediction

OK, so here it is - Monday, February 1, 2016.  Caucus day in Iowa.  I'm going to take my best shot at predicting the outcome of tonight's festivities.  Without further adieu...

Republicans
27%  Ted Cruz
23%  Marco Rubio
22%  Donald Trump
  8%  Ben Carson
  5%  Rand Paul
  4%  Jeb Bush
  3%  Mike Huckabee
  2%  Chris Christie
  2%  Carly Fiorina
  2%  John Kasich
  2%  Rick Santorum

Democrats
50%  Sanders
44%  Clinton
  6%  O'Malley



Come back on Friday to see the actual results compared to my predictions.

It'd Be Funny If It Weren't True