About a month ago, Glenn Beck gave this challenge to his TV audience.

  My parents and I decided that we would take up this challenge ourselves, remembering the many times when we had be out of work for years at a time, and people had helped us with love gifts.

  So today was the big day! After I finished school and some other things, mom and I got into the car and decided to head over to Wal-Mart to pick up some things. Before we left though, mom got the idea that we should get a Wal-Mart gift card as well as some food. We put our money together and got a $30 gift card and several bags of groceries.

  As we got into the car to head off to the Workforce mom said, "Karen, we need to pray about this and that God would direct us to the right person to give this to." I agreed, and as she was driving, I prayed for God's guidance and will to be done with this gift, and that He would help all of those around the country that were doing the same thing.

  After going on a wild goose chase to find the Workforce (that's a whole other story in itself), we finally made it to the parking lot. As we walked up to the doors, a woman came. I stopped her and asked if she was unemployed. She said "Honey I've been unemployed for a year and I'm on disability." She was in a hurry, but then I asked, "Do you have children?" She sighed and said "Yes I do." I then pulled out the gift card from my pocket and said "This is a $30 Wal-Mart gift card that we would like to bless you with, and we have some bags of groceries if you want them"

  The woman looked at the card, put her hand over her mouth and as she started to cry asked, "Are you serious?" Mom and I both said yes, and we held her as she cried for a moment. As we loaded the groceries in her car she told us something that blew Mom and I away. She said "I'm suppose to take my youngest daughter down to Texas Children's tomorrow for tests, and I didn't have money to buy the gas for the trip" Now Mom and I realized why we had been led to get the gift card.

  Then the lady asked, "Why are y'all doing this, what church are you from?" I answered, "Ma'am we're not with  our church, we were just lead to do to this for you because we're your American brothers and sisters, and Americans take care of Americans. She again wiped the tears from her eyes and said "that's right...that's right."

  Finally before we left, I gave her my pocket New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. She thanked me again telling me that she only had some children's Bibles for her girls in the house.

  As we drove away, I thought about how great it was to help her. I'm planning on talking to my parents about doing this once a month. We give to charities regularly, but this was very personal. Again, it was an American sister helping another American sister in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mom, dad, and I are glad we took Glenn Beck up on this challenge of kindness.

~Karen

From The Blaze:

After a great deal of speculation about Glenn Beck’s future on television, here is the freshly-inked news release. There will be a couple of key headlines out of this…yes, there is a new agreement with Fox News but this is the first confirmation that Beck will “transition off of his daily TV program” later this year.

The program has obviously been a great success for Beck and for Fox News, and the relationship between the organizations seems as strong as every.

This news release does leave some key questions unanswered for now, primarily, does Glenn have plans for a daily TV or video program down the road? The Blaze will be tracking reaction and speculation about this news release throughout the day. Check back for updates.

FOX NEWS AND MERCURY RADIO ARTS ANNOUNCE NEW AGREEMENT

(New York, NY) Fox News and Mercury Radio Arts, Glenn Beck’s production company, are proud to announce that they will work together to develop and produce a variety of television projects for air on the Fox News Channel as well as content for other platforms including Fox News’ digital properties. Glenn intends to transition off of his daily program, the third highest rated in all of cable news, later this year.

Roger Ailes, Chairman and CEO of Fox News said, “Glenn Beck is a powerful communicator, a creative entrepreneur and a true success by anybody’s standards. I look forward to continuing to work with him.”

Glenn Beck said: “I truly believe that America owes a lot to Roger Ailes and Fox News. I cannot repay Roger for the lessons I’ve learned and will continue to learn from him and I look forward to starting this new phase of our partnership.”

Joel Cheatwood, SVP/Development at Fox News, will be joining Mercury Radio Arts effective April 24, 2011. Part of his role as EVP will be to manage the partnership and serve as a liaison with the Fox News Channel.

Roger Ailes said: “Joel is a good friend and one of the most talented and creative executives in the business. Over the past four years I have consistently valued his input and advice and that will not stop as we work with him in his new role.”

“Glenn Beck” is consistently the third highest rated program on cable news. For the 27 months that “Glenn Beck” has aired on Fox News, the program has averaged more than 2.2 million total viewers and 563,000 viewers 25-54 years old, numbers normally associated with shows airing in primetime, not at 5pm. “Glenn Beck” has dominated all of its cable news competitors since launch.

 

I'm happy to see Glenn Beck go in this direction, but will be sad to see his show end. Don't worry, lots more will be coming in the months ahead!

~Karen

So happy for our friend/staff member Victor!!

~Karen

  Last night Glenn Beck held his own election coverage for his Insider Extreme audience. This mix of comedy and news (Glenn Beck style) would briefly have an interruption cause by a caller. Taylor, Victor and I had been chatting about how this was our last election before we could vote! So, I decided to call into Glenn Beck's special show to tell him how excited Taylor, Victor and I were. One thing lead to another and Mr. Beck asked for the web-site.

  So, from Taylor, Victor, and I, we say "thank you Mr. Beck" for the compliments on what we try to do, and for what may come!

 ~Karen (for Victor and Taylor as well)

  This whole week I am checking out Washington DC with some of my family. Yesterday (Aug. 28 )was a day I will take with me my entire life! Radio talk show host and Fox News channel host Glenn Beck held his Restoring Honor rally on the lower steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and the event was a mixture of honoring the troops and an old time revival!

  There is no way I could possibly describe the whole event in words. Much of the first half was a blur, but the parts that stood our to me the most were Dr. Alveda King's and Glenn Beck's speeches. Instead of paraphrasing, why don't I let them speak for themselves.

These are just highlights of Glenn's speech.

They are both right! God is the only way, and if we rely on Him and trust in what He asks us to do He can do great things in this nation. Mr. Beck spoke on how the young people in this nation are going to play an important part in our nation. He's statement that the next George Washington or Abraham Lincoln could be in the crowd was a stirring, hopeful reality.

  It cannot be a reality, though, if we as young people sit by and say "I'm to young to learn or be involved in all this stuff". No! We are never to young to turn to God for help, we are never to young to know our history, and we are never to young to make a positive difference in the world. God can use anyone...even a former slave trader, to impact the world.

  Honor is hard to come by in today's world. However, what if we as young people made it easy to find it in us. Just think...we are the next generation that will be the next congress, the next senate, the next president, the next fathers, the next mothers, and the next preachers. If we realize that this nation was founded by men who knew they could only accomplish things through Almighty God, and we took that same belief in God's grace ourselves, God could use us.

  I beg you to turn to God. Dr. King, the Continental Congress, George Washington, and Abe Lincoln could not have done what they did unless God was with them. As the next generation coming up, if we wish for greatness, we must turn to the One greater than ourselves.

  I will never forget 8.28.2010. I pray that all will  take this challenge...to turn our lives to God, and defend and stand for what our founders set up.

~Karen 

  Ok, first things first, watch this video of Congressman Pete Stark at town hall meeting in his California district.

  I'm totally appalled with this congressman's actions and attitude! Did you notice how many times he made reference to the Minute Men killing people? That is not the job of these men, and they don't kill people! They are simply citizens that have volunteered to watch out for their homes!

  Rep. Stark needs to understand that there is border violence, and the border guards are stretched so thin that they can't handle the amount of people coming over! Glenn Beck compared Stark's attitude to that of King George of England. I believe that is an accurate comparison, in that King George knew what was going on in the colonies, but made light of it and the people. You don't treat people like this, especially those that voted you (and can vote you out) into office!

  As I've said before, I have no problem with immigrants coming over if they use the front door. If you come over illegally 1.) you are breaking the law and need to be punished, 2.) you are submitting yourself to almost slavery with the wages you accept, and 3.) you are taking jobs and benefits that belong to American citizens! I want immigrants to come over, but just do it the way my great-grandparents did...legally!

  Congressman Stark needs to apologize to these Minute Men for his demeaning words, and I think his time in the House needs to come to an end.

~Karen 

About two weeks ago Glenn Beck's new book, The Overton Window , came out. This is the description given of the book from glennbeck.com

  "A plan to destroy America, a hundred years in the making, is about to be unleashed . . . can it be stopped?

There is a powerful technique called the Overton Window that can shape our lives, our laws and our future. It works by manipulating public perception so that ideas previously thought of as radical begin to seem acceptable over time. Move the Window and you change the debate. Change the debate and you change the country.

For Noah Gardner, a twenty something public relations executive, it's safe to say that political theory is the furthest thing from his mind. Smart, single, handsome and insulated from the world's problems by the wealth and power of his father, Noah is far more concerned about the future of his social life than the future of his country.

But all of that changes when Noah meets Molly Ross, a woman who is consumed by the knowledge that the America we know is about to be lost forever. She and her group of patriots have vowed to remember the past and fight for the future?but Noah, convinced they're just a bunch of freaky conspiracy-theorists, isn't interested in lending his considerable skills to their cause.

And then the world changes.

An unprecedented attack on U.S. soil shakes the country to the core and puts into motion a frightening plan, decades in the making, to transform America and demonize all those who stand in the way. Amidst the chaos, many don't know the difference between conspiracy theory and conspiracy fact?or, more importantly, which side to fight for.

But for Noah, the choice is clear: Exposing the plan, and revealing the conspirators behind it, is the only way to save both the woman he loves and the individual freedoms he once took for granted."

Positives:

  The fact that the Overton Window is a mixture of fact and fiction makes the book a great ride! I found myself reading a portion of the book, and then going to the back of it to find out what was true in that section. (Glenn Beck provided a section at the end of Overton Window that contains all the factual events in the book.) I felt as if I was on a learning treasure hunt where at any time a real clue would pop out in front of me.

  The main character, Noah, is portrayed as almost neutral at the beginning. I found this to be very thought provoking and fresh to see a character that was not so easily persuaded to one side. Noah goes through a lot of thinking and searching before he chooses his path, and Beck does not make the journey easy. I believe that's what gives life to this book, Noah acted more like a real person than a book character.

  I am a person that prides myself on being an avid fiction reader! I started reading adult, Christian fiction when I was 11, so I really love it! Because of that, I've come to where I can normally read a fiction novel, and figure out the characters and plot very quickly. Not so with the Overton Window! I found myself confused many times about some one's character traits. First I thought a certain character was good, then something happened that made me think it was bad, but then it did something really good again! I congratulate Glenn Beck for keeping the plot twisting in a unique way!

  The primary focus of the book is how people are trying to destroy our country from the inside, and how a few people are trying to save it. Beck clearly explains the use of propaganda in getting the public to believe a certain idea, and shows how the United Sates has slowly been morphed into a completely different nation than when she started. However, I will not expound further because I do not want to spoil the book for you! But I will tell you this, reading the book almost reminded me of when I read C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters . Seeing how evil works from the inside.

Negatives:

  When I heard Glenn Beck speaking about The Overton Window, he said that there was no sex and no language in it. The sex part he was correct on, however there is a noticeable amount of language in the book. About a dozen d---, half a dozen h--, one or two a--, and one SO- are used in the book. So, adults, use your own judgment. Teens, talk to your parents before reading The Overton Window, and suggest that they go through it with a black sharpie before you read it!

  While there is no sex, there are a few inappropriate situations. Molly is over at Noah's house for a certain reason, and they sleep in the same bed. Beck makes it clear that they stayed separate, but Molly does "tease" Noah a little. Another time they are over at Molly's and are napping in a hammock together. Again, teens, talk to your parents about this before reading it.

Conclusion:

  The Overton Window is a thriller, therefore it is a wonderful fast paced book. Full with wonderful fiction and fact,it makes for a great summer read if you are wanting to learn about the inner workings of those who wish to transform -- rather than restore--this nation. However, I do ask that parents read this book before your teens do to make sure everything in there is appropriate for them. Teens, if you want to read it, get your parents to read it first, and then if you read it go over it with them. Learn with and from your parents through this book!

~Karen

  We hear a lot these days about the word "justice". Economic justice, social justice, etc; but are these things even just?

 Definition of Economic Justice

Economic justice, which touches the individual person as well as the social order, encompasses the moral principles which guide us in designing our economic institutions. These institutions determine how each person earns a living, enters into contracts, exchanges goods and services with others and otherwise produces an independent material foundation for his or her economic sustenance. The ultimate purpose of economic justice is to free each person to engage creatively in the unlimited work beyond economics, that of the mind and the spirit.

 Definition of Social Justice

Social justice encompasses economic justice. Social justice is the virtue which guides us in creating those organized human interactions we call institutions. In turn, social institutions, when justly organized, provide us with access to what is good for the person, both individually and in our associations with others. Social justice also imposes on each of us a personal responsibility to work with others to design and continually perfect our institutions as tools for personal and social development.

  Do you see any problems with the phases in bold? I sure do!

  In the first phrase, institutions determine what job you will take, and how much you earn. This means that you don't get to choose to follow a dream, but you have to take the job you are told to take at a salary you may not want. Supposedly this is so everyone will have a job and be happy. Let me ask you though, if everyone's salary is the same to make things "fair" why should you strive to be better and work harder? There is no motivation in economic justice.

 These "justices" also stress the importance of distributing wealth to those less fortunate, but even as The Center for Economic and Social Justice states, this isn't just about helping the poor. "Many confuse the distributive principles of justice with those of charity. Charity involves the concept "to each according to his needs," whereas "distributive justice" is based on the idea "to each according to his contribution." Confusing these principles leads to endless conflict and scarcity, forcing government to intervene excessively to maintain social order." This means that the more you make, the larger your contribution has to be to the community. However, you are giving to people that you don't know, and you can't choose what it is used for.

  You may say though, "Well what's wrong with everyone being on the same level economically?" Let me ask you a question that Sean Hannity asks some times, "have you ever gotten a job from a poor person?" The answer of course is, no. So one always has to make more than someone else, so that the richer someone can pay the not so rich someone. If applied these ideas can lead to economic ruin, because people will loose the incentive to work.

  Let's say you have a nice truck (Chevy of course), and you work at the hospital. One night while you are at work someone comes and steals the tailgate of your truck! Now, you worked hard to get that truck, make payments on it, and keep it looking nice. But some lazy person comes and takes it from you, now is that right? NO! (btw this just happened to my brother's truck) Now say you replace the tailgate, and somebody steals it again. You replace it, it gets stolen. Aren't you going to get tired of replacing it after a while?

  It's the same thing under economic and social justice. You work hard at your job, yet you have to give up a portion of your income to someone you don't know. After a while it would get harder and harder to work, because you are not getting what you need.

  So, why do I tell you all this? Many people our age believe that economic and social justice is the right way to go. So many organizations geared toward youth promote these ideas as the right ones, and what's even scarier is that the president and his advisers themselves agree with it! But it won't work. It is better for a person to choose where they want to work, who and how much they want to work for, and if they want to give to somebody else. This encourages people to work harder, because if you work harder you could get a better job or even start your own company.

  In our Declaration of Independence we are guaranteed the pursuit of Happiness. Read that again...the pursuit of Happiness. We are not guaranteed happiness, or a good job, or wealth, but we are guaranteed that in America we can follow a dream. We can choose our line of work, we can choose where to live, and in doing so we can try to find our happiness ourselves. It's not through government, it's not though organizations, it is though God and the path He gives us to walk. Walk the path He gives you, and know that anything else will ruin your pursuit of Happiness. 

  Today Congress is voting on HR 2499, “a bill to provide for a federally sanctioned self determination process for the people of Puerto Rico.” What all does that mean? Well, I have a friend that was a primary candidate for congress down in South Texas. She e-mailed a senator in Puerto Rico to ask him about this bill. She then sent the e-mail to me, and here is what this bill will do.

 "This bill does grievous harm to 900,000 Commonwealth supporters out of 2 million voters in Puerto Rico. It deprives Commonwealth supporters of their right to vote for Commonwealth as against statehood or independence. How will this happen?

  HR 2499 provides for 2 plebiscites which will be held in Puerto Rico as soon as the bill is approved in Congress. In the first plebiscite, Statehood and Independence voters will join up to provide a majority in favor of a change: that is, to change the present Commonwealth status to a different political status. In the second plebiscite Statehood will win handsomely because Commonwealth will not be on the ballot. Upon that victory, the Statehood Party’s platform calls for the implementation of the Tennessee Plan to seek Statehood. Under this plan, they will elect senators and representatives who will seek admission for Puerto Rico as a state of the union.

  As a result of this bill the next Congress will have to decide whether or not to grant statehood to Puerto Rico at this point in time. In order to grant statehood, Congress has traditionally required that the proposed state should have sufficient resources to support the state government and at the same time to carry its share of the cost of the federal government.[1] The House must focus on this question as to Puerto Rico before proposing an exercise in self-determination. If it comes to the conclusion that Puerto Rico in its present stage of economic development does not meet this requirement this bill should be defeated.

  Unlike Hawaii and Alaska or other incorporated territories that paid federal taxes before admission to the Union, the Commonwealth does not pay federal taxes and does not fully participate in some federal programs. In considering its ability to finance its government as a state and to pay federal taxes a threshold issue is the net effect of the flow of funds that will occur upon statehood: on the one hand increased federal transfer payments to the island on the other hand federal taxation and its depressing effect on the Island’s economy which does not now provide sufficient resources to meet the needs of Puerto Rico’s government. During the past five years, the Commonwealth has been unable to emerge from a structural deficit in its budget.

  In 2008 Puerto Rico’s personal income per capita amounted to $14,237, less than half that of the poorest state, Mississippi, whose personal income per capita that year amounted to $30,399, while the U.S. personal income per capita amounted to $40,208. At the time that Hawaii was admitted into the Union its per capita income exceeded that of 26 states.[2]

In November of 2009, Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate rose to 15.9% while Mississippi’s was at 9.6%. Most importantly, Puerto Rico’s labor force participation rate for 2009 was 44.1% while Mississippi’s was 57.9% and the U.S.’s 65.0%. Puerto Rico’s labor force participation rate is one of the world’s lowest and about one third of those employed are government workers.

  The amount of households under the poverty level is also alarming. More than 50% of households in the Island live under the level of poverty. This figure is even more alarming in those households led by single women, where the poverty level rises to 60.7%.

  With 4 million inhabitants and a population density of 1,113 persons per square mile, by far higher than any state, Puerto Rico has come to rely too heavily on federal transfers for its economic survival. In 2008 out of a total consolidated budget of $26.6 billion, $5.73 billion or 21.5% came from the federal budget --- mostly for healthcare, education and low-income housing. Direct federal payments to individuals in Puerto Rico totaled $10.46 billion --- mostly by way of social security retirement and disability benefits and veterans’ pensions and food stamps --- a 7.6% increase from the previous year. This figure accounts for over 20% of personal income in Puerto Rico.

It should be fairly obvious upon an analysis of this data that due to the burdens which federal taxation will place on the development of our Island economy if Puerto Rico were to be admitted into the union at this point in time it will become a permanent ward of the Federal Treasury.

  In order to avoid such dire consequences I urge you to alert your District about HR 2499 and to urge the House to focus on a roadmap and a strategy to take Puerto Rico to a level of economic development based on jobs in the productive sector so that at the proper moment it can exercise meaningful self determination by choosing from a position of strength and not from dependency between the options of improved Commonwealth, Statehood or Independence with a reasonable expectation that Congress will agree with the option Puerto Rico chooses for its future.

Cordially Yours,

Juan E. Hernández

Senator of Puerto Rico"

  So basically, this bill is sneaking Puerto Rico in as a state, even though the people don't want it. As a bribe though, the Puerto Ricans are getting tons of money to get out of their massive debt. (To bad when they become a state they'll have to pay taxes!)

  So why does the government want this bill passed so bad? Well, why is this administration against cracking down on the border? It's because they want votes! The administration knows it's in trouble with the American people, but if they can "help" certain groups they may get the votes to be re-elected.

  Keep your eyes open on what is coming. Stay informed about all this, and pray!

Yesterday I showed you all an e-mail from moveon.org. My article was even recognized and read by Glenn Beck during the first hour of his radio show today! But...moveon is not done. I received ANOTHER e-mail today, in which moveon described how they have already received $1 million in pledges, and now they are asking members to help them get to $2 million!  Here is the newest e-mail, and I have put the parts in bold that seem like veiled threats to moderate Democrats, to me.

"Dear MoveOn member,

Wow! Since Monday, MoveOn members have pledged over $1 million to support progressive primary challengers to House Democrats who vote against health care reform. That's incredible.

But with the final vote just days away, the House is still short a handful of votes.

So we're setting an ambitious new goal to keep the momentum building: $2 million in pledges by Friday. That's a serious sum for any challenger, and will make conservative Democrats think twice before casting a vote....

The Health Care Accountability Pledge is pretty simple: you say how much you'd give to a progressive challenger to support their campaign, and then we publicize the amount pledged, and make sure the media and every wavering representative know about it. Word's already getting out and will only build as the momentum grows.

And we need to keep the pressure up: the House is still a handful of votes short, and the conservative opposition—from the Chamber of Commerce to the National Republican Congressional Committee—is funneling millions into scaring off wavering Democrats.2

This is it. If we succeed, health care reform will be law by next week—but it's going to take an intense, nationwide push to make it happen. "

Moveon is trying to send the message loud and clear to all conservative Democrats! They are saying that if they (the democrats) don't vote yes on this bill, moveon will be throwing money at their competitors to make sure the moderates DON'T  win come election time! They aren't just calling and asking congressmen to vote their way, but they are threatening these men's careers!

What has happened to honor? Where are the politicians that are willing to look at money and say, "NO I'm going to vote for what is right, and not on bribes and threats!"? Where are they?

We can only pray that God will raise up an army of honorable leaders that hold to the truth, and will not back down to what is right!