The Patriot Academy Blog

Thanks be to God the election is over!

I have a confession to make. I hate politics. The Lord wired me as a policy
wonk and though I try to pretend to care about politics, it is really only a
means to policy implementation for me. Some people in this realm crave the
crowds and enthusiasm of a political campaign and are bored by the
legislation and policy discussions. Give me a stack of legislation to read
and access to the legislative reference library and I am as happy as a
basset hound chewing on a pig’s ear.

Having been the candidate in two campaigns myself, my response to the
election this past Tuesday was the same as to my own – Thank God that’s
over! In one of those elections I won the seat I was running for.
Circumstances eventually made me regret the win on some days. In the other
election I lost the seat I was running for. Circumstances soon made me
rejoice the loss on most days.

So, how do I respond to the election of a candidate with whom I disagree on
just about every level of every fundamental policy near and dear to my
heart? After giving thanks that the process is over, the answer for
Christians is easy. We are to pray for our leaders so that we may live a
peaceable life (1Tim: 2:2).

My prayer before the election was that the Lord would have mercy on us as a
nation. God always answers prayers. There is the “yes” answer where I see
exactly what I asked for. The “no” answer where I see my will was not lined
up with God’s will. And then, there is the “bet you didn’t know that what
you asked for would look like this” answer.

I have the distinct impression I have received the last type of response.
But it did not come as a complete surprise.  Two weeks before the election
the Lord prompted me to read Micah. As I wrote in my journal that day, “As I
read through the book there was much on judgment and destruction and little
on hope and mercy. It is the prophecy of a nation getting EXACTLY what it
deserves for its sins.” But then the lord showed me a scripture to meditate
over:

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my
salvation; my God will hear me. Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I
fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my call and executes justice for me. He will bring me forth
to the light; I shall behold deliverance.”

Our nation is suffering the consequences of its actions. Our core issues
continue to be spiritual, not political. We should be on our faces before
the Lord, regardless of who sits in the Oval Office.

So, suck it up. If you are grieving, get over it. If you are rejoicing,
enjoy it in moderation. Either way, begin fervently to pray for our nation.
Pray for godly wisdom and protection for our president-elect and his new
administration. Pray about what you can do to help to heal the division in
our nation between political parties and races. Pray the Lord will have
mercy on us and deliver us.

Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

Proverbs 3:25-26

I’m back! Did you miss me?  I realized this morning that since I last wrote the price of a gallon of gas has gone down at least a dollar, the weather has changed from summer to fall, and the headlines were dealing with the economic bailout, not the upcoming election. Wow! A lot can happen in a month.

Our family is dealing with the illness of my father-in-law. He has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung disease that progressively worsens over time. He was a heavy smoker for forty years and worked in a steel mill – both factors contributing to the severity of his condition. In addition to dealing with the disease, we are dealing with the complications of the treatments he has been given over time to lessen the symptoms. Heavy doses of steroids reduce inflammation in the airways. They also leech calcium out of the bones, resulting in extremely painful stress fractures in the spine. In the past six weeks, we have had calls notifying us of three trips to the emergency room, the last one a life flight call.

Each time he has rallied. Each time we have rejoiced that this was not “the call.” My mother-in-law entertains the idea that if we can move him to a better climate, if they can clear up the infections in his lungs, if they can adjust his medications, if they can . . . then he will get better. But, apart from a miracle from God, COPD is what it is. The outcome is determined; the timing is all we are waiting on.

And, so it is with our nation. We have fallen into the quagmire of socialism – with the consent of both political parties. As conservatives waged the war to prevent the spread of socialized medicine, they were unprepared to prevent the socialization of our banking system and auto manufacturing industries. In an attempt to not lose what we have, we have passed policies that will end in our losing our freedoms. Like steroid treatment for COPD, government intrusions into the markets leech economic freedom from our foundation. It is a temporary fix that will kill you.

Socialism is what it is. The outcome of socialism has been determined. It results in higher taxes, fewer choices and creates a disincentive to productivity. Allowing the philosophy to take its natural course will result in the end of those freedoms which make our country great. The timing is all we are waiting on. Will it happen on our watch?

Scripture promises that, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Notice it doesn’t specify whether the Lord needs a Republican or a Democrat in office to achieve His purpose – only His people on their knees.

Tomorrow is Election Day. The results matters. But, regardless of the outcome, do not assume that this is “the call.”

Lord, forgive us for engaging in politics when we should be on our faces in prayer. May our hope only be in You.

Continuing to read about the history of the banking crisis in 1933 . . .

Everyday the crisis was allowed to run meant the closing of more banks, the
flight of more gold, the loss of more tens of millions and hundreds of
millions in savings, in values, in business losses. But Hoover was powerless
to do anything effective without the concurrence of the new President
because he lacked powers to act alone and he would nave to get the powers
from Congress, or at least an assurance that Congress would validate his
assumption of powers. Roosevelt had no wish to stem the panic. The onrushing
tide of disaster was sweeping the slate clean for him – at the cost of
billions to investors and depositors. The greater the catastrophe in which
Hoover went out of power the greater would be the acclaim when Roosevelt
assumed power.[1]

It is rather sobering to watch the current events unfolding around us and to
see the similarities to the crisis our nation faced in the 1930s. As a
freedom-loving, anti-socialism preaching policy analyst, I have often
pointed to that period as an historic turning point where the claws of
socialism crept out of the swamp and got its first grip on our nation. I
have never truly understood how a free people could stand by and allow such
a thing to happen.

Now, watching current events and with a better understanding of people,
policies and politics, I see history better in light of those circumstances
and the future better in light of history. And honestly, I don’t think I
like what I see.

Our markets are in a crisis brought on by politicians who wanted to give all
things to all people; by consumers with a buy now / pay later mentality; and
by a market that overlooked fraud and poor management in its willingness to
pocket a profit off the foolishness of the first two groups. The result is (
as any cat owner can picture), we have coughed up one big, fat, slimy fur
ball.

I could focus on the solutions. Do we bail out, do we not? Who benefits if
we bail out? Who loses? Is it a political ploy to shift the election? If so,
by whom? What are the consequences if government fails to act? But, truth be
told, I am lacking in mercy and inclined to believe that government gets
what it subsidizes. I cannot see any path to solve the problem that does not
lead more into socialism and loss of freedom for Americans.

BUT, it is safe and easy to say that sitting in my office where all I have
to offer is an opinion.  I thank God I am not in the position of offering an
opinion on the record as to what action an elected official should take.
Interestingly enough, the most important thing that we need at this time is
a perception of security at the national level. We need to feel secure in
our homes, our economy, and our health. But, security is just that – a
perception. In reality we are secure only in our relationship with our Lord
and Savior. Everything else is up for grabs.

Our leaders understand that in a way we cannot. One of the primary roles of
a president (or elected officials) is to remain calm and champion a solution
to such situations. Failure to do so will result in the public losing all
faith in our nation’s economy and leadership, resulting in a stampede of
fickle followers to the safety of the first person who will promise them
prosperity. That’s how you get socialism and communism and dictators – when
people perceive that anything would be better than what we currently have.

Today, I pray for our leaders – for our President and his advisors; for the
leaders of both parties; and for the leaders in the business realm that they
will not faint during this time of adversity. I pray that they will come
together for the good of the country and craft a solution for our current
economic troubles that will serve the nation and the world well. And, I pray
for the people of this country, that they will recognize that the government
we have is the one we have chosen. That these situations will continue as
long as they believe that government “owes” them something they should be
responsible for getting on their own. Finally, I pray for justice for those
who have manipulated the politics or the economics of this situation at the
expense of the security of their neighbors and the nation. May God have
mercy on them.
_____

[1] The Roosevelt Myth, Flynn, John T., Revised edition 1956, pgs. 20-21.

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Disclaimer: This is a very short discussion of the economy. It would take a lot more time and paper to fully discuss the issue of bailouts, foreclosures, etc. More than one party is at fault and, yes, I think the heads of some of the mortgage companies and banks should lose everything but their shirts if they entered into shaky loans. They have a fiduciary responsibility to their investors regardless of what the politicians were urging them to do. And, if warranted, criminal sanctions should be considered. On the other hand, people who entered into mortgages which they could not afford do not have my sympathy. The question is, will the solution be worse than the natural consequences for our country?

Current events or historical facts?

Still the reforms, the projects, the adventures in social reconstruction followed “treading on each others heels, so fast they came” – bills to supervise the traffic in investment securities, to prevent the foreclosure of farm mortgages, with one to save the owners of city homes from the mortgage incubus, bills to regulate the railroads, bills for federal action in the oil industry.

Meantime committees were in session investigating the crimes of the past – the sins of big business, of the bankers, the railroads, of Wall Street and of the power barons. Washington had become a headline-writer’s paradise.[1]

I love the bumper sticker that says, “If you aren’t worried about what is going on around you, then you haven’t been paying attention.” While I generally discount worry as a non-productive activity, recent trends in the financial markets have gotten my attention. So, I began to research the most historic banking crisis in our history and found the quote above in a book about Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The economy is an interesting thing. Left to itself without too much interference, it can hum along nicely and serve us all well. There are a lot of technical aspects of economics, but let’s keep it simple. The most important thing necessary to make a sound economy is consumer confidence. When citizens are secure in the knowledge that they will have money tomorrow to buy the goods and services they will desire or need, they tend to freely spend or invest their income. When they are convinced that the “sky is falling” they tend to hold more tightly to their money.

So, the question is, “If enough gloom and doom is preached, can we talk ourselves into a crisis?”

The answer is a resounding “yes.”

When I worked in retail sales, there was a story shared at one of our meetings about the owner of a hot dog stand. The gist of the story was the self-fulfilling prophecy of the owner who was told that business was down. In response to the news, he reduced his orders of hot dogs and buns. He turned away customers because he ran out of food. The more customers he turned away, the fewer repeat customers he had. So, he ordered fewer and fewer hot dogs until, one day, he closed his stand altogether.

We are in an election cycle where one party benefits from the failure of the other. In order to convince voters that a change is needed, voters must “feel the pain” of the poor economy. In all honesty, times may be slower than the booms to which we have become accustomed, but if  people were more responsible in their use of credit and the politicians would quit requiring and rewarding bad behavior, the markets might actually make a natural correction.

However, if the politicians succeed in convincing the voters that we are in crisis, that is the one sure way to ensure that individuals will stop spending disposable income, make a run on the banks and hoard their cash. Prices will increase, products will become scarce and pessimism will rule. In other words, we will close the hot dog stand.

Keep things in perspective. The poor in our nation have a higher standard of living than the wealthiest in most nations. We do not have universal health care, but no one is turned away at an emergency room for medical care. Eating out, computers, televisions and cell phones are luxuries, not necessities.

Most of us have everything we need and most of what we want. If you have neighbors who are hungry, feed them. If they need a place to stay, take them in. If they are cold, buy them a coat. If you wait for the government to do it, none of us will be able to afford it.

[1] The Roosevelt Myth, Flynn, John T., Revised edition 1956, pg 12-13.

Let’s talk about your driving. Better yet, let’s talk about your reaction to other people’s driving.

I have the distinct pleasure of living in a small town north of Austin which is well known as a retirement community. Sun City, a neighborhood for residents over 55 is just down the road from us, so we have learned to practice defensive driving on a regular basis. It is not uncommon to see an elderly driver ma a right turn out of a left-hand lane or a left turn out of the right-hand lane.  Some of the elderly drivers in the area have slower reflexes and drive more cautiously, causing great frustration on the part of some of their younger counterparts.

On the other hand, I work at the Capitol in Austin, just adjacent to the University of Texas, so I get to commute with many young students on the freeway. Unlike the more mature members of my home community, many of these young people drive faster, change lanes more unexpectedly, and take risks I would not consider taking. Rather than being oblivious to their surroundings, they tend to have words and gestures to share with anyone who does not drive like they think they should.

What both groups have in common is that they do not drive like I think they should. There was a time in my life when that would have really irritated me. In all honesty, there was a time when I was more like those younger drivers with rude comments about everybody’s driving around me.

Then, one day, I was challenged to control my anger and frustration. It was suggested that instead of spewing suggestions about what the drivers should be doing, I should try blessing them instead. Finally, I grasped the fact that people were not getting up in the morning with the express intention of finding a way to frustrate me. My blood pressure was shooting through the roof while they continued to sing along with the radio, drink their coffee or talk on their phones oblivious to my increasing wrath. I was allowing them to steal my peace while chances were; they didn’t even know they had upset me.

The first “Bless you, you Idiot for cutting in front of me” was a little sarcastic and difficult to deliver. However, as I developed the habit of saying, “Bless you” each time I was offended I found that I was actually beginning to feel slightly more charitable and a lot less offended. Like most things, repeated often enough, blessing other drivers has become a habit.

Certainly no one reading this would be considered an annoying driver nor a person who responds poorly to others who are perceived to be annoying. But remember, you are young and inexperienced or have been. Or, you are older with slower reflexes or will be. Either way, you have a choice on how to respond to those around you. Proverbs tells us it is our discretion to be slow to anger and it is our glory to overlook a transgression.

So, quit reading this on your Blackberry while driving so the guy behind you can stop complaining about you!

The Lord gifted me with a quick wit and a sharp tongue. I generally have a ready response for most situations. When I get angry, rather than getting flustered or loud, logic sets in with the capability to slice and dice an opponent to shreds. It isn’t pretty. Nor is it godly.

At about the age of 16 I believed I had the response for any situation. At 19, I began to understand that delivering the response did not always mean I won the battle. As a wife, I learned that volume could not be substituted for logic. When I became a parent I realized that sarcasm and wit was wasted on a three-year-old. Not to mention the fact that delivering the perfect line did nothing to improve a toddler’s behavior and it often got thrown back at me later.

After the age of 35 I began to work in public policy and came to understand the power of words when delivered to and twisted by the media. It was at this point that I began to realize that most people who believe the media misquoted them actually said exactly what was printed; it just wasn’t what the speaker meant. I learned to measure my words more carefully to ensure that when reading a quote of something I said, everyone would understand exactly what I meant.

Now, in my fifties (old, advanced in years) I more fully understand the concept that death and life are in the power of the tongue. I also know that, because our words do have so much power, we have a responsibility to curb what it is we say. I cringe when I hear a child belittled for spilling a drink in a restaurant. When I hear a wife disparaging her husband, it is all I can do to not warn her (ok, sometimes I do chime in) of the damage she is doing to her marriage and the self esteem of the husband she loves.

This message has come home to roost so strongly that I find I cannot even find joy in sneering at or ridiculing liberals. Don’t get me wrong, I still find socialists, liberals and ill-advised individuals annoying. And, in all honesty, I don’t mind speaking ill of socialism, liberalism or stupidity, but I now try to confine my rantings to policies, rather than to people.

Next time you are watching the news, discussing politics, driving in traffic or playing with a child, remember that the words you speak have the power of life and death in your life, the life of the person to whom you are speaking, and the life of the person about whom you are speaking.

That’s a lot of power.

Think about it.

And, that would be the reason why your mother always said, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

It is a difficult time in the State of Texas. Hurricane Ike, a storm of historic magnitude slammed into the coast last week leaving mayhem and destruction in its path. Galveston Island was heavily damaged, cities were literally wiped off the map, and Houston suffered extreme water and wind damage. To the credit of those in authority, mandatory evacuations prevented the loss of life seen in similar storms in the past. But still, lack of electricity, shortages of gasoline and problems with the water supply are making life difficult for those who have weathered the storm.

In our family, one of the consequences of the storm is that my husband’s parents are staying with us for an undetermined amount of time. Initial estimates were that electricity would not be restored at their home for five weeks. That estimate has since been reduced to a more realistic three to four weeks. Jerry and I have been married for 35 years. I am richly blessed with in-laws who truly consider me to be their daughter. There is no question that I am loved. Likewise, I love and respect my in-laws as if they were my own parents.

So, you ask, “What’s the big deal?”

Well, I am a rather ardent conservative and my father-in-law is a yellow dog democrat. For those who don’t know, a yellow dog democrat is one who would vote for a yellow dog on the ballot before they would vote for a republican. I did not understand the concept myself until shortly after my husband and I were married. It was then that I made the mistake of announcing, in my father-in-law’s house, that I intended to vote for a republican in the upcoming election. I was young, it was the first election in which I could vote, and I did not realize that there were some things that should not be shared in mixed company. Imagine my surprise when I was invited to leave my in-laws’ home for my announcement.

OK, technically, he kicked me out.  Back then, I was too hard-headed to apologize for offending my father-in-law. But, I was also too sensitive to take the news without crying. Jerry followed me out of the house, telling his dad, “I don’t sleep with you” when asked where he was going. I cried all the way home as Jerry tried to explain to me that there were some things his dad was just set in his ways about.

Now, 35 years later, our differences continue. We are in the middle of one of the most contentious political races I have ever seen. But, we are not at my father-in-law’s house. We are at MY house. Instead of watching FOX News, I have compromised and turn on MSNBC where we are bombarded with political coverage of the candidates. My father-in-law would still vote for a yellow dog. I’m still going to vote republican.

What’s the difference? I love my in-laws too much to make politics an issue. I know that to discuss politics would be foolish and recognize the proverb to be true. If I will just keep silent I will be considered wise. Sometimes the rule applies in situations other than with in-laws, too.

Time and experience have taught me that I am horrible at keeping tack of details unless I make a concerted effort to do so. Though the years I have come to understand it has a lot to do with the way my brain is wired. (That’s an explanation – not an excuse.)

For example, I can tell you I have read a paper on health care, what issues it covers, where it was from and what the picture on the front page looked like. But, chances are, if I filed the paper away I will not be able to tell you where I put it. I don’t call it filing. I call it playing hide and seek with myself. The solution is to hire a really good administrative assistant and bribe them with whatever it takes to keep them happy. They may not know what the content of the paper was or why you want it back, but they can always retrieve it for you.

When I went to work in the Capitol after 14 years as a stay at home mom, time management became a big issue for me. Juggling parenting, service as a school board member, working a legislative session and being a wife proved to be a formidable task.

I had to train both myself and my three children that my brain was not a sticky note and if they expected me to take action on an issue or be at a particular place at a specific time, they needed to make sure the issue was entered into my Day-timer.  I explained to them that they might go to school for 12 years and have a graduation coming up, but if the date of the ceremony was not on my Day-timer there was no promise of my attendance. In fact, my children were the only ones given the authority to write a date in ink on my calendar.

Now, I also walked as wisdom as a parent. Those appointments that required my attendance that my children may not have had an incentive to place on the calendar – meetings with teachers, PTA meetings, doctors’ appointments – were entered by me.

My Day-timer, since augmented by a computer and Blackberry, catches all my appointments, notes on phone conversations, lists of things to do and any other pertinent information I may need to retrieve at some time in the future. My adult children (or husband) may still call my administrative assistant to make sure she puts an event of importance on my calendar. Or, they may send me a reminder on my Blackberry. Time and experience have expanded that proverb so that they understand the truth of “He who trusts in mom’s memory is a fool.”

The take away message for today is that it is folly to limit yourself to what your mind can handle. Walking in wisdom includes things as simple as finding and using the tools that enable you to amplify your effectiveness and as complex as trusting the Lord for the next answer you may be asked to give.

Just as learning to trust a Day-timer system to get you where you are supposed to be at the right time must become a habit, walking in wisdom must become habitual. Study Proverbs, spend time in prayer, and apply what you learn. Then, make it a habit to do it all again daily.

Eventually, you look around and find out that somewhere along the way you began walking in wisdom.

It is a joke in my office (sort of) that I am not paid to agree with my boss. It is true that the representative I work for has specifically told me he is not paying me to agree with him. The joke is the thought that anyone could pay me to agree to anything.

But, it is a common error that people in power (or who want to be in power) surround themselves with likeminded people and do not entertain ideas which are not already their own. My boss has taught me the lesson that he already knows what he thinks.  What he needs is to hear from people who will challenge him to think more deeply or differently about a circumstance to determine whether he should stay the course or change direction.

And so, my job is to analyze policy from a conservative perspective. I am paid to tell my boss what I know about a policy issue and how that issue will promote or violate conservative philosophy. Once I have done that, and not until I have done that, do I get to tell him what I think about a policy issue. The fact that I have worked with this particular legislator off and on for 15 years generally means we can reduce our conversations to shorthand or facial expressions because he pretty well knows what I think.

But, I do try to expand my horizons beyond those who agree with me in both my professional and personal life. In policy it is always good to know what lies ahead by understanding beliefs, motives and intentions of those in the arena. In the personal arena of my life I find I have learned the most about myself when I am put in circumstances that make me feel like a fish out of water.

Several years ago I went on a missions trip with a group of like-minded individuals to work in an orphanage in Turkey. Going into the trip, my greatest concerns were whether I would find anything I would be willing to eat (I’m picky) while I was there and how I would be able to communicate. I am so language illiterate that I can’t even speak Pig Latin.

Those concerns were quickly overshadowed when I entered the orphanage. In Turkey it is illegal to proselytize. So, Christian groups are only allowed to work with severely disabled children. Language is not a barrier when the children you work with are non-verbal. A hug and a smile convey the message. What I would eat or drink was not a consideration when I was told that children in that facility die every year from dehydration because there is no one to hold a cup to give them a drink of water.

The entire week was a series of what I know conflicting with what I was seeing. Sharing cups spreads germs. But a shared cup beats no cup. Unsafe playground equipment is a risk. But when a child may get outside only once every six months because there is no one there, you play around the risks. When I walked into a room with 20 disabled children on the floor it could be a depressing sight, except for the great joy that would light up on their faces just seeing us enter.

The moral of the story: Take the challenge to determine whether what you believe stands up to scrutiny. Don’t ever be afraid to sharpen the iron. The very best time to change direction is immediately after you determine you are headed the wrong way.

With basset hounds as the dogs of choice around our house, this verse loses some of it’s “umph.” A basset not only doesn’t care if you grab them by the ears, I think they may actually enjoy it. Our oldest basset, Samuel, has ears almost long enough to vie for the world record. Each ear is about a foot long. Of course, they are mostly designed to drag along the ground and funnel smell into his nose and not to enhance his hearing or listening abilities.

But, I digress. For purposes of today’s scripture, we will assume the dog in question is not a basset and that taking one by his ears will result in the loss of your hand or other significant injury. Perhaps the writer of this proverb was speaking from experience.

So it is when you intervene in an argument where you have no business. For example, as a grandmother, I never intervene when my daughter and granddaughter are engaging. (One reason is not my great wisdom so much as the fact that having raised the daughter, watching her with her daughter is a great spectator sport.) Likewise, disagreements between couples when your advice has not been requested are a “don’t go there” situation. That dog will always come back to bite you. If you sincerely care about someone, do not allow them to dump on someone they care about to you. Generally, God will give them the grace to overcome the circumstances, but you may yourself be holding a grudge because that grace has not extended to you.

But, the flip side of this issue is not that people are meddling in quarrels not their own as much as people are failing to engage in the battles they should be in. There are quarrels going on in our society today about key core values that many are failing to engage in. What is the definition of marriage? Does it matter if that definition changes? Who is responsible for the education and upbringing of children? Is it parents? Is it the “village?” If it is the village, who is responsible to pick up the pieces when the village idiots fail?  Why is killing unborn babies ever acceptable or legal? How much is too much on the tax rate?

I will never forget the first time I “grabbed the dog by the ears” on a public policy issue. I was not involved in politics or policy at the time. I was just a mom and I took exception to the school district refusing to let me see a copy of a test my children were taken. Once I got a hold of that dog, I refused to turn loose. It resulted in my serving on a local school board, working on the re-write of the Texas Education Code and being launched on the path where I walk today.

Along the way that dog chewed on me quite a bit. But, it is always better to be bitten for something you are supposed to do than for something you weren’t supposed to do. And, I would far rather sport the scars of those battles than suffer the consequences of refusing to battle.

So, go get caught up on your shots and grab some dogs by the ears!