Proud of America?

My dad sent me this forward and I thought it was worth sharing with you.

It Couldn't Be Said Any Better



2 MICHELLES, 2 AMERICAS & SHAME vs. PRIDE

By Michelle Malkin

Like Michelle Obama, I am a "woman of color." Like Michelle Obama, I am a working mother of two young children. Like Michelle Obama, I am a member of the 13th generation of Americans born since the founding of our great nation.


Unlike Michelle Obama, I can't keep track of the number of times I've been proud - really proud - of my country since I was born and privileged to live in it. At a recent speech in Milwaukee on behalf of her husband's Democratic presidential campaign, Mrs. Obama remarked, "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country, and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change."


Mrs. Obama's statement was met with warm applause from other Barack supporters who have also apparently been devoid of pride in their country during their adult lifetimes. Or maybe it was just a Pavlovian response to the word "change." What a sad, empty, narcissistic, ungrateful, unthinking lot.

I'm just seven years younger than Mrs. Obama. We've g rown up and lived in the same era. And yet, her self-absorbed attitude is completely foreign to me. What planet is she living on? Since when was now the only time the American people have ever been "hungry for change"?

Michelle, ma belle, Barack is not the center of the universe. Newsflash: The Obamas did not invent "change" any more than Hillary invented "leadership" or John McCain invented "straight talk." We were both adults when the Berlin Wall fell, Michelle. That was earth-shattering change. We've lived through two decades' worth of peaceful, if co ntentious, election cycles under the rule of law, which have brought about "change" and upheaval, both good and bad. We were adults through several launches of the space shuttle, in case you were snoozing. And as adults, we've witnessed and benefited from dizzyingly rapid advances in technology, communications, science, and medicine pioneered by American entrepreneurs who yearned to change the world and succeeded. You want "change"? Go ask the patients whose lives have been improved and extended by American pharmaceutical companies that have flourished under the best economic system in the world.

If American ingenuity, a robust constitutional republic, and the fall of communism don't do it for you, hon, then how about American heroism and sacrifice? How about every Memorial Day? Every Veterans Day? Every Independence Day? Every Medal of Honor ceremony? Has she never attended a welcome-home ceremony for the troops? For me, there's the thrill of the Blue Angels roaring over cloudless skies. And the somber awe felt amid the hallowed waters that surround the sunken U.S.S. Arizona at the Pearl Harbor memorial.

Every naturalization ceremony I've attended, where hundreds of new Americans raised their hands to swear an oath of allegiance to this land of liberty, has been a moment of pride for me. So have the awesome displays of American compassion at home and around the world. When millions of Americans rallied to help victims of the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia - including members of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group that sped from Hong Kong to assist survivors - my heart filled with pride. It did again when the citizens of Houston opened their arms to Hurricane Katrina victims and folks across the country rushed to their churches and offices of the Salvation Army and Red Cross to volunteer.

How about American resilience? Does that not make you proud? Only a heart of stone could be unmoved by the strength, valor, and determination displayed in New York , Washington , D.C., and Shanksville , Pa. , on September 11, 2001.

I believe it was Michael Kinsley who quipped that a gaffe is when a politician tells the truth. In this case, it's what happens when an elite Democratic politician's wife says what a significant portion of the party's base really believes to be the truth: America is more a source of shame than pride.

Michelle Obama has achieved enormous professional success, political influence, and personal acclaim in America . Ivy League educated, she's been lauded by Essence magazine as one of the 25 World's Most Inspiring Women; by Vanity Fair as one of the ten World's Best-Dressed Women; and named one of "The Harvard 100" most influential alumni. She has had an amazingly blessed life. But you wouldn't know it from her campaign rhetoric and her griping about her and her husband's student loans.

For years, we've heard liberals get offended at any challenge to their patriotism. And so the y are again aggrieved and rising to explain away Mrs. Obama's remarks.

Lady Michelle and her defenders protest too much.

Contemplating a Life Well Lived

Yesterday we went to a memorial service for Annie Brokaw. It was a truly beautiful celebration of a life well lived. The church was packed and I'm sure many of those in attendance were not Christians, but had been touched by a life that was lit by the love of Christ and His salvation. Annie dealt with her cancer with real faith and dignity. I have never observed a marriage that was such a partnership. They said she wanted to die before Christmas (which she did on Dec. 22, 2007) so her family could enjoy the holiday without the shadow of her pain and sickness. Such unselfishness! I was deeply touched by the words of those who shared. She was loved by many and will be remembered well.

It made me look at my own life. I wonder if I'm a real life witness of how God's love has changed me to those I meet. I wonder if I have that spirit of trust and acceptance when circumstances I can't change come into my life. I wonder, when looking at my life, my husband and kids could honestly say that I lived for others and cared for them more than I cared for me.

It is my heart's desire to be able to look back on my life and know I have lived well, walked with God and loved at every opportunity.

The Beginnings of Balance In Your Life

I recently read the book "Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas" by James Patterson. In it was a quote that I found remarkable and thought provoking. I'll give you the quote and see what you think about it...
"Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends and integrity, and you are keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls--family, health, friends, integrity--are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered. And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life."

So....what do you think???

Treat 'Em Rough & Tell 'Em Nothin'!!!

My Granddad Robison was a really special man in my life. This was his dating advice to me: "Treat 'em rough and tell 'em nothin'! I found it to be good advice for me and have passed it on to many younger people I've come in contact with. I've gotten many of interesting responses to my advice. Some people look at me like I'm terrible. Some think I've lost my mind. Some just ignore my advice. And then there are others that question it and want to know just what I mean by it. So I'll tell you...

My son and I were discussing this recently in a phone conversation. He, by the way, is very good at following this advice. He used the phrase "It helps you guard yourself", and I thought this was good. So often, Christian kids especially, think they must always be "nice". Now I like "nice" much of the time, but I believe in dating, a young person should be looking out for him or herself. You don't owe anyone anything, especially persuasive, possessive, sleezy people who want to make you feel guilty because you have discovered they are not what you are looking for.

I believe, despite the "I Kissed Dating Good-by" crowd, that dating is a good time to try out different personality types and see what it is you like and don't like. It's also a good time to have fun! It is not a time to lose your independence or compromise your principles. It is not a time to get walked on either. You should be able to assert your ideas and opinions into any relationship. When it's a dating relationship, just keep in mind that this person you are dating is very possibly not the person you will marry. It is most likely NOT going to be a long-term relationship, so I suggest you keep that in perspective by "treating 'em rough and telling 'em nothin'!(-:

I must add, now that Susie Schulte suggested she might apply this to her marriage... all that changes once you are married! Even engagement and pending marriage changes the rules of this venture! Suddenly you are looking at a permanent lifetime relationship and that means you treat 'em alot better and tell 'em most things!!(-:

Environmental Puzzle

The following is a letter to the editor of the April 6, 2007, Fairplay Flume by Jerry L. Casebolt of Hartsel, CO.

Which house belongs to the environmentalist?

House #1
A 20 room mansion (not including eight bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house all heated by gas. In one month alone, this mansion consumes more energy than the average American household in an entire year. The average utility bill runs over $2400 monthly. In natural gas alone (a fossil fuel), this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. And it's in the South, not a northern or Midwestern "snow belt."

House #2
Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university, this house incorporates every "green" feature currently available. The house contains only 4,000 square feet (four bedrooms). A central closet holds geothermal heat pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 76 degrees F.) heats in winter and cools in summer. The system uses no fossil fuels, and consumes 25% of the electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into purifying tanks, then the cistern. This water irrigates the yard.

House #1 (20 room energy guzzling mansion) is outside of Nashville, TN. It belongs to that renowned environmentalist/filmmaker Al Gore.

House #2 (model , eco-friendly house) on a ranch near Crawford, TX, (also known as "the Texas White House") is the private residence of the President of the United States, George W. Bush.

So whose house is gentler on the environment?

Yet another story you won't hear on CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC or read about in the New York Times or the Washington Post. Indeed, for Mr. Gore, it's truly "an inconvenient truth"...No kidding.

I, the writer of this blog, have one thing to add to Mr. Casebolt's letter to the editor. We can reasonably include most of the liberal, environmentalist Hollywood actors and actresses in this atrocity. The homes they own all over the world would fit the description of Mr. Gore's home in TN, yet they want the rest of us to spend our extra cash on Hybrids, as if this one thing would be the force that turns the global warming theory around. I'm afraid their hypocrisy is showing.

Circle of Life

I got a call from my friend to let me know her mom had died this morning. Her mom had been married for 60 years, had 5 children and many grandchildren, and even several greats. She'd led a wonderful life and had been a strong Christian forever. We had all prayed the Lord would take her soon because she was losing all quality of life and was ready for heaven. My friend was rejoicing that her mom is now walking on the streets of gold, but so sad that she will never see her mother in this life again. Death is such a bittersweet thing for the Christian. We feel such a pull from this life, even though we know that this is just the tip of what eternal life is all about. My friend said to me, "I just don't know how people get through this without the Lord."

As I sat and thought about my friend and how she must be feeling as she drives across Iowa to be with her dad, I couldn't help hoping that her newest granddaughter makes it to the funeral. Payge Grace is just about 1 month old and lives far enough away that my friend doesn't get to see her often. It's amazing to me the way new life brings comfort when suffering the loss of an older life. I was pregnant with my youngest when my granddad died. My grandma took enormous comfort from that new baby born a couple months after the funeral. God was so wise when he created life to continue from generation to generation. Somehow, holding that baby will give my friend comfort, and will remind her of the hope that God gives us through Christ. He always know what we need.

Tangible vs. Intangible Gifts

This Christmas season has got me thinking about gifts. God sent His Son to earth as a baby. This was a tangible gift. This baby could be held, he ate food, he made noise. There are many intangible gifts connected to this Child as well. These gifts we can't see or touch, like His amazing love and abundant mercy.
It's understood that this time of year we spend money, time and effort on tangible gifts that can be placed under our tree. I think this is a good thing. It's an appropriate time to show our love in a tangible way, just as God did by sending Jesus.
But what about the intangible gifts we'd like to give? When we think about those nearest and dearest, we can wonder, "What do they need from me?" Perhaps it's a little more patience and understanding...compassion...forgiveness...trust...things that would help strengthen our relationships.
Some of the intangibles that might come to mind may not be within our power to give. One loved one might need a purpose for life, another could need courage in dealing with a difficult situation. There could be a need for more perseverance, or maybe the need is for inner peace. Self acceptance, the ability to compromise, a need to be more tolerant, or less critical... There are many intangibles we'd love to hand out to our loved ones that would help them mature or make their lives easier, that we just aren't capable of giving.
That's when we give the gift of prayer. God is perfectly able to give any and all of these intangibles when we ask Him for them. I encourage you to take a little time this holiday season to evaluate what lasting intangible gift you would like to give the people you love. If it is within your realm of capability, give it abundantly and freely. If it is a gift only God can give, then ask God for it. "Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven." (James 1:17)