Happy Birthday and Goodbye to 787 Billion (with a B)!

We are living in some trying times, don't you think? Welcome to another edition of my myopic views of the events and circumstances that make up our days. I do hope you and yours are doing well on this Thursday, February 18, 2010. I don't know if you had a chance to celebrate the first annual commemoration of the signing of the 787 billion dollar stimulus bill or not. I do know that President Obama and his team have been going all out to make it look as if this astronomically huge amount of red ink was just what the doctor ordered. However, many of the folks back home, who are down in the trenches, can't find anything good to say about it. Some call it the porkulus bill and others say the numbers they have reported on how many jobs were created or saved are impossible to prove, therefore, even within the government agencies there seems to be huge differences in the estimates. I heard one fellow saying it's like buying a very expensive golf club and telling everyone it hasn't improved your score but you would hate to think how much worse your score might be had you not purchased it. Hello? We may have been born at night but it certainly wasn't last night.

Now we are told that any criticism of the President and his policies are a threat to our national security and, oh yeah, saying bad things about his performance has to be racially motivated because he is, after all, our first black president. I thought President Clinton demanded that designation for himself. I saw a CNN poll yesterday that said for the first time a majority of those polled do not want President Obama to have a second term. Perhaps he and his team would have been better off focusing on the people's business instead of junkets all over the world and trying to rewrite 100 years of social policy. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and yes my friends, it is still the economy, stupid! Which I believe was the Bill Clinton quote against George H. W. Bush back when they were competing for Presidential Gold. I know many of you don't pay that close attention to all of this but I do, and believe me, it does matter. I have noticed that after President Obama took office, what started out as almost a party time in the press briefings each week has turned very sober and somber. Don't get me wrong, they still spend more time blaming others than almost anything else but their satirical little one liners have quit working because no one is laughing anymore.

Where does this leave you and I as well as the other nearly 309 million Americans? Sadly, for literally millions it leaves them with no job, no income, and little prospects at this time. The good news is not to be found in what the Republicans have to offer or what the Independents might say they would do. The good news is God is still God and He knows all about it. We can be sure of His care and His working on behalf of His own as He works out His perfect plan and purpose here on the planet. Every day one side or the other claims victory but I am reminded of that meeting that Joshua had with the Captain of the Hosts on the eve of approaching Jericho. This was none other than God manifested in this larger than life figure. Joshua was stunned and asked whose side was this mighty warrior on. The response was clear: He had not come to take sides, He had come to take over. (Joshua Chapter 5) The grand old spiritual song encourages us to give up and let Jesus take over and He'll find a way for us. Let's not kid ourselves, these are very difficult times for many people and especially families with children. Yet, we who know the Lord can get up and go everyday because we know that He, in one way or another, will make a way for us! Amen. ......More later.