Read this slowly

Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so often?

When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand.

Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow.

Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen in uniform.

"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."

"Hello, Jack." No smile.

"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."

"Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good.

"I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this once."

Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?" "I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct ." Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.

"What'd you clock me at?"

"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"

"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as saw you. I was barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.

"Please, Jack, in the car"

Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window.

The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad.

Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license?

Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.

"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.

Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost?

Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke?

Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:

"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it- a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters, all three of them. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever hug her again.

A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left."

"Bob"

Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.

Life is precious. Handle with care.

THE LAW IS THE LAW

So if the US government determines that it is against the law for the words "under God" to be on our money, then, so be it.

And if that same government decides that the "Ten Commandments" are not to be used in or on a government installation, then, so be it.

I say, "so be it," because I would like to be a law abiding US citizen.

I say, "so be it," because I would like to think that smarter people than I are in positions to make good decisions. I would like to think that those people have the American public best interests at heart.

BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I'D LIKE?

Since we can't pray to God, can't Trust in God and cannot post His Commandments in Government buildings, I don't believe the Government and its employees should participate in the Easter and Christmas celebrations which honor the God that our government is eliminating from many facets of American life.

I'd like my mail delivered on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving &Easter. After all, it's just another day. I'd like the US Supreme Court to be in session on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving & Easter as well as Sundays. After all, it's just another day. I'd like the Senate and the House of Representatives to not have to worry about getting home for the "Christmas Break." After all it's just another day. I'm thinking that a lot of my taxpayer dollars could be saved, if all government offices & services would work on Christmas, Good Friday & Easter. It shouldn't cost any overtime!

.....since those would be just like any other day of the week to a government that is trying to be "politically correct."

In fact.... I think that our government should work on Sundays (initially set aside for worshiping God) because, after all, our government says that it should be just another day....

What do you all think????

A Christmas Miracle

Hope this finds you and your family well and enjoying this wonderful Christmas season.

Miracles happen throughout the year and there is no better time to say thanks for the greatest miracle of all....the birth of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful gift! No gift ever received can take the place of this wonderful gift. I have included the story of another Christmas Miracle below for your Christmas season enjoyment.

Christmas Miracle
by Susan Leonard

When I recall precious Christmas memories, I think of a very special story, one which represents the magic and glory of the season. This is a true story, as told to me by my husband -- a professional Santa Claus -- of a real Christmas miracle which he experienced. A story that I think will cause YOU to believe ...

Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see my Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl.

"Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"

"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly. Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.

Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.

"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.

"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ...." the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors. "The girl in the photograph ... my granddaughter ... well, you see ... she has leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes. "Is there any way, Santa ... any possible way that you could come see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa."

Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do.

Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what he had to do. "What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying," he thought with a sinking heart, "this is the least I can do."

When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's Hospital. "Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face. Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier that day. "C'mon .... I'll take you there," Rick said softly.

Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall.

Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and saw little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met earlier that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed, gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with a weary, sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and concern for Sarah.

Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!"

"Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV tubes intact.

Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder and excitement. Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes.

His heart melted, and he had to force himself to choke back tears. Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the room. As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering "thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes.

Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year. As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's bed, holding hands.

Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels. "Oh, yes, Santa ... I do!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you," he said.

Laying one hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease. He asked that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, "Silent Night, Holy Night ... all is calm, all is bright." The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all.

When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own. "Now, Sarah," he said authoritatively, "you have a job to do, and that is to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!"

He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he had to. He had to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE.

"Yes, Santa!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them and they wept unashamed. Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quickly and rushed to Santa's side to thank him. "My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. "This is the least I could do." They nodded with understanding and hugged him.

One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap. "Hi, Santa! Remember me?!"

"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her. After all, the secret to being a *good* Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the only child in the world at that moment.

"You came to see me in the hospital last year!"

Santa's jaw dropped. Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her, for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited just a year before.

He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.

That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed -- and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of hope.

This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well. He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered,

"Thank you, Father. 'Tis a very, merry Christmas!"

Publisher's Note:: This story has circulated widely on the Internet over the last 3 years with "Author Unknown" in the byline. That was how I originally received the story and published it. With a sense of relief and gratitude I can now give credit where credit is due. The story was told by Mark R. Leonard, a professional Santa Claus and written by his wife, Susan Leonard, a.k.a "Mrs. Claus:" http://www.geocities.com/santa_mark/miraclestory.html.

As you and your family reflect on God's unfailing love and enjoy this special time together, I wish you a wonderful Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. Are you a believer?

If you think you have problems then perhaps

you should watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg

The current administration has another present for you

CHICAGO — "Dozens of terrorism suspects being held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will be moved to a little-used Illinois state prison that will be acquired and upgraded by the federal government, an Obama administration official said."

http://www.texasinsider.org/?p=19630#more-19630

Just what I wanted for Christmas.......... a prison on US soil. Why? I already have one on US soil at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Check out the Pork Report

http://biggovernment.com/2009/12/11/pork-report-december-11-2009-puppet-show-edition/

Is Government Debt the Next Shoe to Drop

http://zentrader.ca/blog/?p=2432

Great effort, but the outcome could have been better

Caught an earlier flight back into DFW last Friday so I would have plenty of time to make the trip down to Mansfield to see the local football team participate in their semi-final contest. The team more or less gave the game to the opponents in the first half. The second half was a different contest. The local team made a 'championship' effort to come back and take the lead. A great effort by these young men to go up 20 to 19. Then the wheels fell off....................


I counted at least nine paid professionals (may have been more) on the sidelines, and more than likely there were at least two paid professionals in the pressbox for a total of at least 11 paid professionals. These professionals are paid to lead these young men, and have been entrusted with the chance these young men have now reached. At a minimum the total salaries paid to these professionals is most likely in the neighborhood of $750,000 plus benefits. You ask what does this have to do with the efforts of these young men?


Professionals have been entrusted as overseers and developers of young men. They have been entrusted to make key decisions for these young men, and help lead these young men through the contest with strategy. With less than two minutes to go in the contest and the local young men within the opponents ten yard line, not a single professional bothered to look at the counting down of the play clock. The play clock ...tick....tick...tick...tick... reached ZERO. These young men were assessed a penalty for taking too much time to get a play off. Eleven paid professionals and not one bothered to look after the interest of these young men by calling time out. The time out was no problem for these young men still had a few banked. This 'slip of interest' may or may not have been the game changer. The one thing known for sure is no one will ever know as to the significance of this 'slip of interest' in regards to this athletic contest.


Young men hat's off to a great effort, and perhaps next time one of the paid professionals will be paying closer attention to the details. Champions are disciplined to pay attention to the details.


Details make champions.

Local governments have a gift for you this year

A Lawsuit!

http://www.caller.com/news/2009/nov/21/rockport-to-challenge-texas-open-meetings-act-n/

http://www.kwes.com/Global/story.asp?S=11540032

Local governmental entities want to use your tax dollars to gut the Open Meetings Act in Texas. They feel they need more ability to discuss issues and come to conclusions outside a public meeting. Will you accept their present?

Trust in government

"Those in government are subject to the same imperfections of human nature, the same greed, as everyone else."

Thus, in his "Farewell Address" of 1796, George Washington warned:

"The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create whatever the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of the love of power, and proneness to abuse it, which predominates in the human heart is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this proposition."

Similarly, Thomas Jefferson (Notes on Virginia, 1784) warned:

"Mankind soon learn to make interested uses of every right and power which they possess, or may assume. The public money and public liberty...will soon be discovered to be sources of wealth and dominion to those who hold them; distinguished, too, by this tempting circumstance, that they are the instrument, as well as the object of acquisition."

Do we currently have an elected representative that is not greedy?

Washington "spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers" is this not true today?

Jefferson "public money and public liberty...will soon be discovered to be sources of wealth and dominion to those who hold them" is very true today at any level of government. Once a taxpayer funded entity gets your tax dollars they act as if it is their own money. They totally forget that you entrusted them with the money. The hired staff then determines how best to not use your money and your elected representatives just go along for the ride.

Place your trust in government for they know best..................

And these folks want to run our health care system

The Federal Government's current $12 trillion in debt will nearly double to $21 trillion over the next ten years, according to projections by the CBO. Of the $9 trillion increase, more than half will be to cover interest payments.

What can the average guy on the street do about our runaway spending? Nothing.

Sure, we can vote each November for the candidate we think is best. We can write to our representatives. We have freedom of speech. But beyond that, all we can do is watch politicians drive our great country into financial ruin.