Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

I was physically nauseous this morning reading posts from various friends about their opinions on Obamacare being passed. Is it just me, or do things seem to be getting more and more ridiculous? Everyone seems to have an opinion. Well, I guess here's mine!

I was raised in the Statehouse of Indiana around politicians. I'm the daughter of a retired law enforcement Lieutenant. The government and it's actions have always had a direct effect on my family. My mother was a republican and my father has mostly swayed democrat. This doesn't make me smarter than the next guy. All it means is that somehow, politics seeped into my blood. Politicians are supposed to stand for the people they represent. I am starting to get the feeling that's not the case these days!

Also, let me express the fact that my first goal in life is to try and be fair and just. I don't judge or dislike anyone based on their religion, race, sexuality, handicap etc. I think many of my friends can back me up on this. I'm a fairly tolerant person.

But enough is enough, people. Obamacare isn't even the issue. The fact that the intention behind Obamacare means "better" or "more" healthcare for the poor also isn't the issue.
But if we're going to talk about Obamacare...let's talk about it. Providing free healthcare should not be the government's job. It should also not be the government's job to feed you, shelter you and clothe you. What is fair for the government to do is assist Americans with the tools they need to be successful. Funding things that help people grow - like education costs or funding non-profits that assist the needy. I know! Why don't we mandate that everyone has to get a college degree or at least a Diploma and the government has to pay for that. If you don't get a HS diploma than your parents will be taxed. If you don't get a college degree then you will be taxed! You don't like that idea? Well, it's just about as ridiculous as mandating that everyone has to have insurance or be penalized for it. It takes away an element of personal freedom. The issue is freedom and it's place in our society. 


Freedom doesn't mean you should be able to "do whatever you want".  It also definitely does not mean if you're poor the government has an obligation to help you. It means you have a CHOICE to decide what you want to do with your life. It doesn't mean your choice is free from consequence, whether positive or negative. 

I grew up poor. I grew up in a single parent home with a father who, luckily, always paid child support and a mother who fought between trying to take care of me and take care of herself. We went without hot water sometimes. We ate ham and pickles for dinner a time or two. We spent a few years living in a really crappy neighborhood. My neighbors across the street were drug dealers. We even had food stamps some times. But my mom wasn't raised poor...in fact, she was raised the opposite. And as no reflection on the love I have for either my parents or their parents, my mom chose to be irresponsible with her money. Those choices meant we sometimes went without essentials. She was a smart, capable woman. She caught a tough break and the choices she made after that led to some crappy consequences. I was still loved and care for...which is why I feel like I'm a fairly adjusted person, but I struggle with balancing a budget for myself sometimes. Why? I could assume it is because I never really learned how to live within my means when I was a child. Even when we were poor and I went without, I don't really remember being told no very often.  I also lived as a teenager in the era where pagers (remember those!?), cell phones and the internet were just getting their edge. Entitlement became more and more a part of my generation. We are all a product of the choices we make and the way we are taught.

However, as a nation, we are the product of the choices our leaders make. We must not take this so lightly. We shouldn't like a President because he's cool, or because he's bi-racial, or because he supports gay marriage or because he's atheist, Christian, Buddhist, or a Texan. We shouldn't dislike a President for the same reasons.

At the end of the day, we need to look out for each other and be better neighbors. We need to be financially responsible OURSELVES. If we are ill, then we need to find a way to get better. Medicine is not the end all, say all of our health. Heck, a good dose of better sleep, healthy food, exercise and lots of water can remedy a lot! If the government really wants to help, then wouldn't it be smarter to invest money in people who want to fulfill their own pursuits of life and liberty by giving more grants and funding to mental health facilities, the arts, real food incentives and non-profit organizations? Why in the world would it be a good idea to make it mandatory for everyone to have health insurance? It only means that someone else has to pay for someone who can't afford it. Our children think they are entitled to everything before they hit puberty. How does this help? Americans think they are entitled to everything before they've worked hard to get it. Why is that? Because our leaders have allowed us to think that we are all entitled to the "American Dream" without having to really work for it.

As a Christian, I believe we are all created in the image of God and have the ability to love and be kind because of that. I also believe we are a fallen, mortal creature who has tendencies opposite to the ideal image of God and perfection. So, even as children of God, men are not born equal. And if you don't believe in God, then you probably would think this already. We all have strengths and weaknesses. We all have challenges. Some of us are born Mozarts, Einsteins and Edisons. Most of us aren't! Some of us are taught to be angry, some of us are abused. We are the victims of other's freedoms until we are old enough to say or think differently. Someone has to be the janitor and someone has to be the CEO. We keep trying to make everyone "equal". I agree, we should be fair to everyone who is human and we should have the same rights as everyone else because we are human. But when did we start to blur the line with having rights and just having? We need less Veruca Salts and more Charlie Buckets in this world.

I digress....I could go on forever.

(Don't even get me started on how the government officially declared pizza and ketchup as VEGETABLES so they could be considered healthy lunches for kids in public schools.)

Let the discussion commence.

Peace.

I have felt very restless lately, very unsettled, very confused.

Here are some things I needed to hear:

Like those who were alive at the time of His mortal ministry, there are some among us who look for physical peace and prosperity as signs of the Savior’s wondrous power. We sometimes fail to understand that the everlasting peace Jesus promises is an inner peace, born in faith, anchored by testimony, nurtured with love, and expressed through continual obedience and repentance. It is a peace of spirit that echoes through the heart and the soul. If one truly knows and experiences this inner peace, there is no fear from worldly disharmony or discord. One knows deep down inside that all is well as far as the things that really matter are concerned. - M. Russell Ballard

Peace—real peace, whole-souled to the very core of your being—comes only in and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When that precious truth is discovered and gospel principles are understood and applied, great peace can distill in the hearts and souls of our Heavenly Father’s children. Said the Savior through Joseph Smith, “He who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23).

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

• • 
  “Agree with thine adversary” (Matt. 5:25).
• • 
  “Love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44).
• • 
  “Judge not” (Matt. 7:1).
• • 
  “Love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matt. 22:39).
• • 
  “Condemn not” (Luke 6:37).
• • 
  “Forgive” (Luke 6:37).
• • 
  “Love one another” (John 13:34).

True personal peace comes about through eternal vigilance and constant righteous efforts. No man can be at peace who is untrue to his better self. No man can have lasting peace who is living a lie. Peace can never come to the transgressor of the law. Commitment to God’s laws is the basis forpeace. Peace is something we earn. It is not a gift. Rather, it is a possession earned by those who love God and work to achieve the blessings of peace. It is not a written document. It is something that must come from within.

 “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but a triumph of principles.” (“Self-Reliance,” in Ralph Waldo Emerson: Essays and Lectures, New York: The Library of America, 1983, p. 282.)

True peace must not be dependent upon conditions or happenings. Peacemust stem from an inward contentment built upon trust, faith, and goodwill toward God, fellowmen, and self. It must be constantly nurtured by the individual who is soundly anchored to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only then can a person realize that the trials and tribulations of daily life are less important than God’s total goodness.

Lasting peace is an eternal personal quest. Peace does come from obedience to the law. Peace comes to those who develop character and trust.

No peace will be lasting unless it is built upon the solid foundation of eternal principles such as love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self. Those who love their neighbors can bring peace and happiness to many. Love can build bridges to understanding and tear down walls of suspicion and hate. Christlike love can bring peace into any neighborhood. With that kind of love each of us can help resolve petty differences, be they in the home or community.

When we properly blend into our lives true principles of love, honesty, respect, character, faith, and patience, peace will become our priceless possession. Peace is a triumph of correct principles.

Edna St. Vincent Millay said: “There is no peace on earth today, save the peace in the heart at home with God. … No man can be at peace with his neighbor who is not atpeace with himself. …” (“Conversations at Midnight,” Collected Poems,Harper & Row, Copyright 1937 and 1964.)

A key to peace, then, is service. Christ said: “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” 

(Matt. 23:11.)

The Lord has said: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39.)

If each person would have peace within his soul, then there would bepeace in the family. If there is peace in each family, then there is peace in the nation. If there is peace in the nations, there is peace in the world.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

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