Abigail and Dolley

GOP Media Betrayal

2012-01-28T10:49:00.001-05:00

Abigail and Dolley have you ever seen such a spectacle as we have witnessed in the past month? Tried and true, trusted media outlets, commentators, and institutions have betrayed the faith we have placed in them. It is baffling and disconcerting to realize that there is almost no one left to turn for news that is not propaganda force fed to us by a GOP establishment bent on their own power and control. No where is this more evident than at Fox News; with the exception of Greta, Hannity, and Brett who are still playing it straight.

Rush has said for years, the reason he lives in Florida and not NYC or DC is that being human, you want to hang out in your social group. You want to be liked and respected, you want to be invited to the right parties, you can not help it you are human. What is the best way to fit in? You must conform to the crowd, you remember high school? Well, we don't change that much.

The truly shocking thing to me is the vitriol directed at Newt, as if he was the enemy. Really? When did a Conservative Icon become the enemy? When did one of the greatest idea man of our age become worse than BHO? I just shake my head and say that we are indeed living in strange times.

There are several that have struck a deep chord in me and my trust and respect in them is gone forever: Beck, Coulter, Hume, and Drudge. Thank God for Rush and Brietbart...

Mourning My Dad

2012-01-18T19:13:00.000-05:00

Mourning my Dad is hard work. Being who I am, ya'll know I have done my research on grief. I do not expect that I will go through all the stages in perfect order, nor do I think there will be a timetable. I merely wanted to understand what was coming my way. I'm still in the shock and disbelief stage right now, it is hard for me to fathom a world where Jack Robinson is not here.

The grief comes in waves and I am comforted by talking about him, comforted by writing about him. Nobody is sick of me yet, so I am taking advantage of their sympathetic ears while they are willing to listen to me. I am in regular contact with all of my family, even my extended family is feeling the loss of such a good man.

In the days leading up to the funeral, I had to think about what I was going to say. Each Daughter had a minute or two to say something about him and I struggled with what I could possibly convey in such a short period of time. The night before the funeral, I was talking with some of the family and feel like the Lord laid on my heart that I should tell folks how Dad mirrored God the Father. This is what I said:

"When I was four years old, someone pointed to picture of a man I did not know and asked who it was. The answer was that he had been the best man at Jack and Pat's wedding. I was appalled and quickly spoke up saying, "MY Daddy was the Best Man at that wedding!" I believe I speak for all of us girls, when I say we all felt the same way. Dad was one of the rate people in this life that preached the Gospel without saying a word. He modeled Godly behavior to all of us and especially showed us what a loving Father was like. As a result, I have a wonderful relationship with my Heavenly Father.

I understand the reverential fear that the Proverbs speak of. I understand the protectiveness and intense love that He feels for me and how no matter how bad I screw up, I can never loose his love. I understand loving discipline and even at my age Dad would come and talk to me if he did not agree with something I was doing. I carry with me a fierce desire to make Him proud of me.

Everyday, when I pray the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father" carries with it all the warmth and love that it is supposed to and I have my Daddy to thank for that."

In the days that have passed, I realized that my relationship with the Lord has been primarily with Jesus. My prayers, my conversations, my images - they were all about and to Jesus. The other night as I was praying, I felt a strong presence of God the Father and was comforted beyond measure. When I was feeling bruised and battered and buffeted by guilt and regret, I felt the protective hand of the Father on my behalf and I was safe. I will trust in this process, I will thank God for his provision, and I will rest while He keeps watch.

Jack Robinson - A Tribute

2012-01-08T20:37:00.006-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers my Dad, Jack Robinson went to be with the Lord on Friday, January 6, 2012. He leaves behind a powerful legacy and he was an exemplary man who deserves a tribute. I figured in the trillions of pieces of data on the internet, such a fine man deserves a few, so I will endeavor to do him justice. For the purpose of this blog, I will not attempt to write a biography but instead I'd like to pay tribute to his life from a daughter's perspective.

Jack Robinson and Family

Dad was one of those rare men who preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ without speaking a word, he lived it. The Holy Spirit resided quietly behind his kind brown eyes. He was a church going man but was never "religious". He dragged me out of bed every Sunday for the entire 18 years I lived under his roof and believe me I complained almost every Sunday. He never wavered. His favorite Scripture was Rev 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. He realized that salvation was each individual's choice and he loved the below picture and would always point out that Jesus did not have a door knob on his side of the door.

He was honest and demonstrated it to me one Christmas when a store clerk gave him too much change. Times were lean that winter and he loaded me back up in the van and drove back to the crowded mall to return the extra cash. I groused about going back and told him he should just keep the money since it had not been his fault. He shrugged and said, "That would be stealing. How is it different than if I would have gone in and taken it from the register?" Several months ago, I was faced with the same situation and after an internal struggle handed the extra money back to the surprised cashier who commented on my honesty. I just smiled and said, "I was raised that way."

Jack Robinson was a smart guy and well respected in the field of mechanical engineering. His name is on several pattens and a report he did was presented before Congress but you would never know it by talking to him. He was quite humble and always praised others intelligence while never bragging on himself. My 10 year old son commented the other day that his Grandpa Jack had known how to do all kinds of stuff but he never bragged. That is indeed some of the highest praise a boy can give a man.

When I was 12, my Sunday School Class needed a teacher so I volunteered him. He taught for most of the next 31 years. Dad opened the Bible to dozens of students, young and old, who gained an understanding and appreciation for God's Word in ways that they never would have without him. He took his role as a teacher seriously and would make time during the week to prepare and plan his lesson for the following Sunday. One of his concerns after his heart attack was that somebody needed to take care of his class. He was especially intrigued and interested in eschatology and my husband and I both share a wonderful memory of the day he came over with his charts and bible verses and explained the sequence of events in End Times Prophecy.

Dad and me with his Mom and Dad

We shared a love of science and the study of God's world. We could talk for hours about the proofs for a young Earth and a Creator. While he was in the hospital, we spoke of the marvels of the human body and its intricacies. We were blessed with several hours to just sit and talk, we enjoyed each other. I know there will be many times over the course of the rest of my life that I will wish my Dad was around to talk about some interesting fact or another.

The Original Captain Jack

Dad was great with kids, his own of course, but also with our friends. When I was really young, the neighborhood children would hear the rumble of his Dark Green GTO coming down the street and greet him with cries for him to play "Monster". He'd laugh, his brown eyes sparkling, and give the kids what they were clamoring for by sticking out his long pointed tongue, dragging a leg behind him with arms flalling, all the while growling, "I'm gonna get you kids... Raaaahhhhh!" Screams of delight mixed with a touch of childish fear filled the neighborhood as the children ran for cover. The kids loved him. There was one boy, who had lost his Father in Vietnam, that would come over and ask if "Jack could come out and play?"

Dad was rough and tumble with his girls. My earliest memory of him is playing, running from him. If he caught you, you knew you were getting tickled and he was a great tickler. He wasn't too rough and he didn't hurt you when he tickled you. I guess he had a lot of practice on his two younger siblings and his four daughters. He called it "The Claw" and depending on where he was tickling you it changed names, my particular spot was the "Knee Claw". It would send me into near apoplectic fits of laughter. He had a weakness though, if you could get to his feet he'd throw all us kids off and run away. He was so very ticklish on the bottom of his feet.

He was quite gracious and would never mean to hurt your feelings. He'd praise the worst drawing or eat the worlds most horrible pancakes with a smile. Jack Robinson took the words, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" to heart and you rarely would hear him speak ill of someone else. He never engaged in gossip and did not want any part of folks who did.

Daddy's Girl

Dad was a handsome man and the first love of all us girls. I remember being quite devastated to learn that I would not be allowed to marry him when I grew up. We adored him and I believe it could be said that we were all "Daddy's Girls". Many a boy tried but few ever managed to live up to our Dad's example. He became the model for Manhood but also the living example of our loving Father in Heaven. I relate to God the Father in a way that would not be possible had my Dad not demonstrated his strong, protective, and fearful love to me.

He put his family first, always. He drove older cars so he could afford Christian Schools for us girls. He faithfully made generous child support payments for many years. In spite of a divorce, he never abdicated his role as Father in our lives. He left a job of many years to avoid going overseas. He demoted himself when he realized the job he had grown into was going to take too much time away from his family. Engineering changed over the years and he commuted long distances and worked long hours when he had to do so. He wasn't happy about it but he was a man of honor and he did what he had to do to provide for his family.

God gave Dad four girls and he raised us to be "tough". We were all athletic, we all played and excelled at sports and he was always there to watch and to teach. He had a great jump shot and I do not know if I ever won a game of Horse or Cat with him, I don't know if anyone ever did. He taught me to play softball and must have thrown the softball to me and with me several thousand hours. He did the same for all of us girls and in later years he got to with my son.

In Canada with his Grandson

One of the greatest honors of my life was to share my precious son with him. He was Grandpa Jack's boy and quite proud of it. They got to fish, sharpen knives, build bird houses, and drive the tractor. They hiked to the Indian Rock and flew through the air on the zip line, then they'd pile up in the man cave upstairs and laugh at the Three Stooges. There was always a swagger in my son's steps after he spent a few hours with my Dad, he would come home with a confidence and a reassurance of his manhood. I regret that they will have no more time, but I praise God for the time they had together. I think all who knew him and loved him are feeling that way.

As he passed away, I was overwhelmed with peace and comfort that he was not dead but alive in Christ. The blessed assurance of salvation and the peace that surpasses all understanding has sustained me through these difficult days. I know that he lives in all of us who he loved and loved him back. His wit, his humor, his intelligence, his faith, and his spirit survive in us. I will endeavor to do my part in living up to that legacy and honor his memory with my life.

Jack Randall Robinson

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.

Migdal Edar, "The Tower of the Flock"

2011-12-24T09:50:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers some years ago I read the story of the shepherds, the significance of Bethlehem, and the wonderful plan of God. Every Christmas I am reminded of the story and wish that more folks knew and understood the significance of Bethlehem.

You see, Bethlehem was where the lambs of the temple were kept and raised. These were the perfect lambs of God. The shepherds who tended them were trained in the laws and the rules of the law. They were special, set apart, and holy unto God.

Midgal Edar - over the fields of Bethlehem

It was no accident that there was no room at the inn, for the true Lamb of God would not be born in a house but in a pure, clean, and holy lambing barn. The final sacrifice for our Sin, the Holy Lamb of God, born for us in that special place.

The depth of the story, the significance of the place, the foreshadowing of the event in Genesis is full of wonder and majesty. We do indeed worship a Holy and Blessed Lord. If you'd like to read more, check out these links:

Why Bethlehem? and Christmas Past Messages from Abigail and Dolley

Merry Christmas, Friends.

How Do They Make It Through?

2011-12-23T15:49:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have been much less introspective these days. The lost days of 2010 are retreating into the past and the rebuilding and renewal days of 2011 are coming to a close. I have turned outward to my country, my friends, and my work. I am passionate about the up coming electoral season and will work to play my part as a citizen. Lest I become too absorbed in the world, I am disciplined in my prayer time.

I find myself increasingly burdened for those who are without Christ. They play across the landscape of my mind, I see their faces, I weep for them in their lost state. I pray earnestly that they come into a relationship with the Living God. I wonder how they make it through this hard life without the blessed assurance that they are love, saved, and not alone. How do the deal with sickness, death, or unemployment? How indeed?

I pray, "Lord, if you would have me witness, give me the words and the opportunity." From my human perspective, I want to argue with them, I want to convince them of the truth. I want to use reason and logic, I want to use history and prophecy. I want to prove to them the validity of faith and in the end I feel totally ill equipped for the task. I have been a Christian since I was a child. I do not believe I have ever helped lead anyone to the Lord.

My husband, on the other hand, has been privileged to lead hundreds to faith and help guide hundreds more along their journey. Perhaps these folks will be credited to me in Heaven because I have worked very hard to enable my hubby to have that opportunity. Regardless, the burden for souls does not abate with large successes, you either have it or you don't. I feel it intensely.

Blogger has added the analytics tab to the settings for easy access to their analysis. When the blog was first launched, I was very intent to promote it and bring traffic to the site. Today, I am just thankful that I have this small forum and that I have faithful readers who stop by and have a cup of tea with me every now and then. Perhaps there are some, who have stumbled upon this blog and been encouraged. Perhaps there are some, who have been directed here and enjoyed their stay and even learned a thing or two. I hope I have been a light, I hope that the love I feel for the Lord has come through. I hope the love I have for our Country has been represented well. In short, I hope I have been a good and faithful servant,

Bless you all, my Friends.
Dolley

Email Rumors, Social Media, and a Healthy Dose of Skeptism

2011-12-15T18:25:00.001-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers do you remember the world before email? If you remember that time, then you will also remember the first time you received an email that tampons were giving women cancer, that Nutra Sweet was killing people, and that their were spiders lurking under public toilet seats ready to strike. Maybe you received an email about a gang initiation with headlight flashing or a prayer request for a cancer patient; in the beginning, we passed them on as true! We typed dire warnings to our friends and colleagues, MUST READ! There have always been Urban Legends but email made them instantly accessible to everyone and they flew from keystroke to email box with lightening speed.

Eventually though, cooler heads prevailed and sites such as Truth or Fiction.com and Snopes were launched to combat these internet rumors. You will occasionally still get one via email but not like in those first days of email. People have become wiser, they are skeptical, and they do their own research.

I think we need to employ this same level of wisdom, skeptism, and research to news stories of the day and specifically to smear pieces put out to destroy one GOP candidate or the other. Much like when email began, this is our first Presidential election where Social media is coming into play on a big way. In that regard, we have not yet developed the same level of control we exhibit about hairless cats that turn out to be giant rats that eat your other pets...

Come on people, we need to get a grip here.

Conspiracies EVERYWHERE!

2011-12-14T08:36:00.002-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers it is a testament to the age we live in, where trust of the media and public officials has reached such a low level that anything is plausible. The libertarians are the absolute worst about spreading this kind of thing. There is a rumor running rampant among the Paulbots that the FEMA prison camps are opening back up and they are all going to be herded into them before the election, presumably so Ron Paul won't be elected President. They buy into this garbage with a fervor that is amazing.

Another Libertarian lie is that Newt Gingrich is a big government Progressive who believes in a New World Order. They are compiling videos of Newt speaking of historical politicians who are on their "Progressive Enemies Lists." There is no context to these videos, no more that 10 second snippets, and they prove nothing except that the compilers are out to paint Newt as an evil enemy.

If you want to look at someone's beliefs is it really necessary to dig into their nuances when the surface level behavior does not support your hypothesis? Think about it, if Newt was a Progressive wouldn't his speeches, his institutions, his books, and his movies reflect his core beliefs? I would venture a guess that in the dozen years since Newt left public office he would be free to pursue his Progressive Agenda uninhibited by the need to be reelected.

Just look at Gingrich Productions, does this site seem a Progressive media site to you? Look at the DVD titles:

A City Upon a Hill - Rediscovering American Exceptional-ism
America at Risk - Post 9/11 dangers facing the USA
Nine Days that Changed the World - The Pope and Poland and how it was the first shot in destroying the Iron Curtain
Ronald Reagan: A Rendezvous with Destiny
Rediscovering God in America Part 1 and Part 2 - Our Godly History
We Have the Power - American Energy

Does that seem like Titles a Progressive would produce? No? Me either.

Newt - the Progressive?

2011-12-14T08:16:00.000-05:00

Is Newt Gingrich really a Progressive in disguise? Glenn Beck seems to think so and is absolutely tearing up the airwaves to insure everyone who is still paying attention to him hears it, too. I heard the interview that Beck did with Gingrich last week - I also saw it. I saw how Beck was rolling his eyes, not paying attention to answers to his questions; the man had clearly made up his mind before the interview started and it was a sham to try to prove to his audience that he "gave him a chance to explain these things." Immediately after hanging up with Gingrich, he got Bauchmann on the line and they held a Newt bashing. Beck is publicly supporting and endorsing Bauchmann, so take this assault with a grain.

I've been a long time fan of Beck's and have caught him on the radio in the weeks leading up to this "interview" and was appalled at the lies he was spouting. I kept yelling at my radio, "That is propaganda, Glenn! Do your research." I was relieved when Newt agreed to do the interview and figured that once they had a chance to speak and once Beck had done his research he would quit with the smear, alas I was wrong. Beck has revealed himself to the public, what others in the industry have known for a while now, he is a charlatan.

Many pundits have been open about their dislike of Newt and while I don't agree with them, I respect their right to feel that way. Beck has taken it several steps further and he is dead to me. He has incorrectly labeled Newt a Progressive - a label that Beck has raised to the level of evil incarnate to his audience. He has then gone on to say that anyone that supports Newt over Obama is doing so because they are a racist. Then he goes on to say the furor over his remark comes from the Progressive GOP media...ummm, no Glenn, it's from your former audience.

Now the Tea Party is once again racists. The liberal media will make hay out of this one. Glenn's attack on Gingrich is absolutely irrational. Thanks a lot Glenn. I would venture a guess, he will have Paulbots swarming to his side but what of the 35% of GOP voters that are supporting Newt? What of the Reagan Democrats who are emerging from hibernation? What of the 45% of Tea Party folks that are supporting Newt? They are gone and once you loose folks in a manner like this, they don't come back. Bye Glenn, you broke my heart.

This Present Darkness

2011-12-03T12:10:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have to admit that I wept before the Lord today. I fell to my knees and sobbed. I cried because when I speak the truth of Christ, many condemn me. I cried because a good friend of mine claimed I was deaf to racial insensitivity and when I sought him out, to show me, he condemned me for my blindness. I cried because we heard the same speech in different ways, and if we did, then I will never be effective in outreach. I cried because the world's financial system is on the precipice of a bottomless pit. I cried because the new unemployment figures are lies and for people hurting everywhere. I cried because I have friends that are not saved and the Rapture is coming soon. I cried today because Billy Graham is gravely ill and the world will be a much darker place without him. I cried today because I have prayed for the Lord to come and get us but I never realized how dark it would be here before He came.

2 Timothy 3

The Dangers of the Last Days

¹ You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. ² For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. ³ They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. ⁴ They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. ⁵ They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

Denial of Evil and the Appeal of Ron Paul

2011-12-01T09:07:00.001-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I am deeply disturbed by the rise and popularity of Ron Paul. The unlikely assent of an elderly, squeaky voiced, isolationist, Libertarian begs the question - why? Why have hoards of people latched on to this man and why are they all but worshiping him? Furthermore, why are they so ANGRY with everyone else? If you have run into any of them online, you will know of what I speak. They are collectively vicious tongued zealots who gleefully libel all of the other candidates and spread lies and smear, like jelly on toast.

I believe I have figured out the appeal, these folks are deeply afraid. They are afraid of what is happening to our economy. They are afraid of what is happening on the world's stage and they are afraid of where Big Government is taking us. Okay, most of us are also afraid of that, so what is the difference? The difference is, that Ron Paul preaches a gospel that there is no evil in the world other than us, if we would just behave, evil would leave us alone.

You have to admit, it is sort of enticing. I mean, if we could just behave in a certain manner and evil would disappear, that seems like a pretty good deal. The Paulian worldview, at its core, asserts that you can control evil. His followers are buying into this with a fervor and a zealotry that always attaches itself to a cultish figure that claims to have the answers and is the only one who can save them.

Unfortunately, Ron Paul and his supporters are wrong. You don't control evil by being good. It is naive and while understandable, ultimately very dangerous. Evil exists in the hearts of men and in the powers and principality, in the spiritual dark places of wickedness and the only way to defeat it is to fight it. To shine the light of righteousness on it and to go after it with everything that you have.

We as a nation are tired of fighting off the evil. We look around and see spent lives, endless war, collapsing world economies, ineffective governments and we say enough! I just want to go home and live my life! Leave me alone and I will leave you alone, okay? Have we been perfect, of course not! Have we made mistakes, yes but is it time to retreat? To stop being a global force that stands up to the evil in the world and says, "Not so fast, Buster." The results, if we were to follow the Paulian plan, would be disaster on a scale of which the world has never seen. Evil does not change, evil does not get nicer, evil only grows and seeks to destroy all that is in its path and it wants to consume all that is good and righteous in this world.

Don't fall for the lie folks, it's an old one and if you pay careful attention, it smells of fire and brimstone.

Solutions - Not Talking Points

2011-11-25T10:32:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers, people are hungry for concrete solutions. I, for one, am sick to death of campaign slogans and political positions. Without an actual plan, political positions are defacto advocation of the status quo. We elected Barack Obama on "Hope and Change" without specifics, and the fact of the matter is that he has led with no specifics. Obama has abdicated his role as President to the czars and the liberals in Congress to absolute disastrous consequences.

Ultimately, that is why I could never get behind Ross Perot. He did not have a plan, simply stating we need to get to Washington and have a look under the hood and let the experts fix things. It rang hollow then and it still does today. We the people, want some meat on any candidates proposal. Perry's talking point about, "We need to get America workin' again" was great the first 5 or 6 times he said it, but when you went looking there was no plan to actually accomplish anything. He has since released a plan but in the interim proved to most Americans that he's not up to the task of taking on the smooth debating Barack Obama. In a stroke of complete irony, it was ultimately a poor debate and a mangled explanation on illegal aliens that sunk his campaign. Perry has been handled horribly by the same people who parted ways with Newt early in the summer... Now, Newt grabs that third rail and in the end may actually strengthen his candidacy and have it play in the general election. Put your big boy pants on folks, Newt is on a roll!

Finally, everybody is up in arms about immigration. People are politically posturing all over the place with impassioned absolutes. They feel quite righteous in their political purity, but therein lies the rub. Where is your plan? It's great to have principals and positions, but what are you actually going to do about it? I believe we have to stop being Political about this. We need to leave our Party/Candidate jersey's at the door and finally do what is right for our country.

Here are a couple of links to detailed solutions, no matter the outcome of the election, these serious proposals should be examined and adopted in whole or in part.

Immigration Overhaul
Newt on Immigration

Why I Left the Cain Train

2011-11-24T09:25:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I find that I am increasingly insulted by the arrogance of some who subtly suggest that I have been fooled into supporting Newt Gingrich. Others assume that I left the Cain camp because of the media firestorm over the sexual harassment charges; the facts declare a different story. I left several days before that story hit the headlines. I determined, in the end, that while I like and admire Herman Cain, his grasp of the issues is too shallow for this election. His inexperience in the field for the job he is seeking is a major strike against him. Honestly, we have had a novice in the White House for three years and I don't think the country can take more on the job training.

I have serious questions about 999 and sent them to the Cain campaign for clarification. Eight weeks later, I still have not received and answer. I went to his web site and searched for solutions on the most pressing items of the day. There is little more than a paragraph or two of surface level positions and answers. I have to say, "Where's the Beef?", Cain is missing the substance that I require. The difference between Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich was readily apparent in the Lincoln Douglas debate held in Houston. There is really no comparison between the two when it comes to substance.

Further more, I am astounded that after putting Obama in office with little experience and not much in the way of a voting record that we would seriously consider doing that again. Herman Cain does not have years of public service and votes to substantiate his points of view. I can live with that, but on the converse with over 7500 votes in the House, Gingrich opponents will single out a few to hold up as objectionable. They refuse to place them in the context of the times and instead use 30 years of hindsight to pick apart a record. If they actually bothered to look, they would find that Newt has addressed many of these votes in recent years and realized himself some of them were mistakes. We have no such record on Cain, his supporters assert that we have to take the man at his convictions and that what he represents now is how he will govern; yet they will not apply the same logic to other candidates.

It is lamentable to me that avid supporters of the Cain Campaign have turned on Newt like a brood of vipers. When the two candidates were hanging out in the 6% range, there was a camaraderie between the two camps. During Cain's rise this mutual admiration remained. I am sad to say though, that the friendliness from the Cain supporter has evaporated as quickly as his lead has disappeared. The Newt Camp remains largely friendly to the Cain folks but the reverse does not seem to be true. Cain supporters have been willing to jump on every attack with a vengeance, refusing to entertain the whole story and seizing upon the opportunity to proclaim a fellow conservative as a villain.

For me, this election is about substance and real solutions. Newt has said over and over again that he trusts the American people to sift through the rhetoric and the hyperbole and make a good decision. I can only hope he is right.

Political Purity, Flip Flopping, and Changing Positions

2011-11-19T13:55:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers, I have been a busy girl. Since declaring myself a supporter of Newt Gingrich, I have become a social media warrior for the cause. Much of my creative energy, writing, and talents have been given to persuading my fellow conservatives to join me. I believe I have been moderately successful in this endeavor. None the less, my sweet little blog has been terribly neglected and I shutter think what my once so important Google Analytics would tell me if I had the heart to look! I will strive to do better.

Now, on to the subject of the day: the consideration of political purity, changing positions, and flip flopping, all of which are playing a part in this primary season. Many will hold up their esteemed candidates and declare ideological purity. They claim that purity to cause and ideals must trump governmental compromise. They proudly proclaim that their candidate never strays from absolute purity. They fail to recognize that purity and inflexibility in our form of governance translates to ineffective and non-existent leadership. Purity of purpose leaves no room to actually accomplish the things we elect leaders to do. The purists do not seem to understand that even the Founding Fathers had to compromise, flex, and sacrifice some of their beliefs to actually get things done. The case in point, the northern delegates that were against slavery. If they followed in the "Purity" model, they would have never compromised and then where would we be? I guess speaking with English accents...

Then we have the flip floppers. These are the political animals that hold no position or conviction other than the ones help by whatever audience they are addressing at the time. They stand for everything and hence stand for nothing. The flip flopper does not hold a firmly held conviction and it is said that a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways. The flip flopper is the lukewarm drink of water that voters spit out of their mouths in disgust. These political opportunists are interested only in power and position. They care for nothing except their own personal aggrandizement and as such must be rejected completely.

Thus, we are left with the Position Changer. This is the politician who once believed, spoke, or campaigned for an issue and has since changed their mind. The purists rail against this claiming that the perfect candidate would never do such a thing. The flip floppers gladly post videos showing the perceived flip flop and accuse the Position Changer of being a pot calling the kettle black, yet therein lies the rub. People change. People grow and learn, adapt and study, they take some ideas and strengthen them and they take others and say, "No, upon further review I don't believe that anymore." Contrary to showing weakness, those who can grow and learn from their past positions show an emotional and intellectual growth that the purist lacks and the flip flopper will never know.

Given the choice between the three, I will take the position changer because at least they have thought about it. They have studied it and examined it and researched it - whatever that may be. Typically they have the intellectual honesty to say that in the past they were wrong, they made a mistake, and here is why they now believe as they do. The position changer is also in the unique position to engage with others who believe as they used to about and issue and come to a solution that solves the problem and moves the country forward. That my friends is what we elect them to do in the first place.

Newt Gingrich - The Environment

2011-11-05T16:33:00.003-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers some of you long time readers will know that I have written extensively about the Environment. Most of my articles have focused on the misguided policies on one hand to the fanatical religion on the other. One of the reasons why I initially rejected Newt Gingrich for President was the commercial he did with Nancy Pelosi on "Climate Change". Honestly, it still disturbs me. It was a horrible idea and one of those missteps people make. To all the critics out there who will post a link to the You Tube video of Gingrich on the couch with Pelosi, I would say that with a character such as Gingrich there are about 17 layers to the man and we can not define a career or a person by segments.

I do not pretend to understand all there is to know about this complicated man and his beliefs, I will tell you this is what I have been able to extrapolate from my research. He is an avid naturalist, he loves animals, and he views the Earth with a stewards heart. He is a Christian, he believes in a Creator, and thus he takes the biblical view that man is given dominion over the Earth with a responsibility to care for it. He will also tell you he is not a scientist but that there is enough concern in the scientific community that we need to be cautious.

When asked what role he felt man played in global warming, he admitted he did not know but in typical Newt style told the crowd what he did know from a historical perspective. The Earth at various points has been much colder than it is right now, but it has also been much warmer. He shared the common sense scientific view that the sun is the primary driver of our climate and that it is well documented that sun spots have direct correlation to the Earth's temperature. He went on to add that he doubts that humans are more important to climate than the Sun.

On policy, you do not want the Federal Government trying to manage local challenges. He wants to completely disband the EPA and replace it with a business and solutions organization. There is a direct correlation between environmental policy and energy policy but that is for another blog.

If you have some time, here is a link to a conversation:
http://fora.tv/2008/03/20/The_Business_of_Going_Green_with_Newt_Gingrich#fullprogram

Getting Back Together with Newt Gingrich

2011-11-04T07:55:00.001-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers, I have had a ton of fun this year "dating" the candidates. At one time or another, I entertained them all, as I wrote about in Dating the Candidates. I am pleased to announce that I am sporting a big ole engagement ring and have made my choice: Newt Gingrich. As my previous blogs have covered, Newt and I go way back and I initially rejected him out of hand (Newt Gingrich - The Candidate I Did Not Want to Like). He IS like an old boyfriend that you get back together with, one where you know his flaws, one where you know his mistakes, but one where you decide the good far outweighs the bad.

Your best friends are quite skeptical, your Mother is heartbroken, and your Father looks across the dinner table and sends him "You better be good to my daughter" looks. You try to convince them that you've made the right choice and if they love you, they will give him a chance. In the end, it's his responsibility to convince them, not yours. Newt is smart enough and articulate enough to win them over.

Why have I come to this conclusion? Well, I have been leaning this way for several weeks and have watched all of his interviews and speeches - I mean all of them, since he announced. I have read just about every news article written; at least the ones written by people who don't believe that conservatives are minions of evil. I have researched the 21st Century Contract With America. I have dug into the dirty laundry. and looked at the high profile mistakes, missteps, and scandals. I've prayed about it.

What finally convinced me? I have to say it was the video embedded below. I have worked with manufacturers and distributors my whole career. As a salesperson, I have watched manufacturing sputter and in the case of furniture, textiles, and woodworking, all but die in the great state of North Carolina. My livelihood depends on a healthy manufacturing environment and at the end of this video I was imagining the big fat commission checks that were going to grace my bank account if this man becomes President.

Alas, I am not merely voting my pocketbook. I have chosen to support the candidate with the best ideas, the clearest understanding of the issues facing the country, and the greatest experience and credentials in the field. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to give Newt a serious look.

A Child's Drawing

2011-10-28T09:10:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, as I was driving to work, I was in prayer before the Lord. I was surrendering my day to Him and asking Him to use me in anyway He saw fit. As I sat at the stop light, I was struck by how absolutely inadequate and fallible I am, even in the midst of obedience and faithfulness. In my human skin, this is as good as I am going to get. I am doing all of the things we are directed to do as Christians: I am praying, reading my Bible, going to church, surrendering my will to his direction, and humbly worshiping before the Lord, yet I am still so full of sin.

He gently stroked my head and brought this image to my mind. As a parent, often your small child will come and present you with a wonderful drawing they have made for you. Perhaps it is a card or a picture that they have sat at their table and lovingly made you something special. They present you with the art work. They are proud and hopeful that you will love it, it was the best they could do. You smile broadly and gush over how beautiful it is, you hug them and thank them for the wonderful gift. You do not look at it and judge it for what it is not, for most certainly it is not the Mona Lisa! Even so, you recognize that the offering is precious because they are incapable of doing better and you love them and the picture, exactly the way it is.

That is the way God sees us and our offerings to Him. Not as a critic, but as a loving parent. I am so grateful for that. I must try to remember, when I look down at my little offering, that I should not be a critic, either. For one day, I will stand before the King and the offering I give to Him will be more magnificent than any artwork ever created by human hands. I will be perfected by His hand and molded in His love and we will rejoice together in this marvelous thing He has done.

Newt Gingrich - The Candidate I Did Not Want to Like

2011-10-17T20:16:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers some of ya'll might remember a few weeks ago, I wrote about dating the GOP candidates. I concluded the blog with the statement that I was not even considering Newt Gingrich because he felt like an ex boyfriend and I was not going back. Well, keeping with that theme let's just say that Newt showed up at my door this weekend with flowers, candy, and a bad ass old sports car that I certainly would look good driving around in.

He smiled his big ole smile and sweet talked me into taking a ride with him. I had forgotten how much fun he could be and most of all I forgotten how darn smart he was and I do so love a smart man. The more we cruised around, the more I remembered our first romance. I remembered the balanced budgets, I remembered the reforms, I remembered all the great times... then he started telling me how he had changed since we broke up. He told me of his plans for our future and the thing about Newt is, I believe him. Not only do I believe his intentions, but I believe in his ability to get the job done.

We spent a lot of time together this weekend. He wooed me with talk of judicial reform, lean six sigma, training and governmental transformation, repealing Obamacare and Dodd/Frank, and the appropriate executive orders... that new 21st Century contract with America, well that will get this Tea Party Girls heart thumping. Stay tuned.

Manufacturing in America

2011-10-15T08:56:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have had a wonderful opportunity in my new position to sit and visit with business people from across the spectrum. While confined to a geographic region, these business folks hail from companies large and small and cover the gambit of industries represented in the Southern USA. I thought I would share some of the insights I have gathered on these conversations.

"We are doing very well but we are just waiting to see what this economy will bring..." - this is the overwhelming sentiment among business people. Company health is solid, there is plenty of cash in the bank, and they have fundamentally changed the way they do business. Risk and capitol investment are on hold, expansion is not in the cards right now, and even if they wanted to the banks are not lending.

"American manufacturing is returning. Companies that had previously moved production to China are reopening factories in the USA. We shipped an order to a factory in Mississippi that has not made this product in over a decade." This my friends is good news. The cost of fuel and labor has made the Chinese goods much less attractive. If you factor in the absolute corruption in the communist run country you get a picture of a collapsing model. I have written about the labor market in China before (Chinese Manufacturing) and how American workers and firms have a huge intrinsic advantage.

"We are always hiring at the plant but it's hard, dirty work and nobody wants to do it for $10/hour." Hmmm, this one surprised me. I guess when you get down to it, unemployment pays about the same wage and a lot of folks figure they are better off waiting for a higher paying job. The thing about that is the benefits that this company pays equal about $8/hour and unemployment doesn't give you that. Imagine though, if the income tax rate for corporations was cut to 9% what could happen to wages in this plant.

"Lead times on finished products have gone through the roof and retailers are still making Christmas purchases." This plays into the first point but is quite telling. Christmas purchases are usually completed and shipping commences in July - October. Here we are in mid October and they are STILL buying. For the first time in a decade, we did not have a peak season surcharge out of Asia. This is a significant and fundamental change in the business cycle. Folks are not producing on anticipated demand, they are producing by the order.

The companies that have survived this Great Recession have hunkered down, changed their behavior, mitigated risk, and saved their money. The weak, inefficient, and poorly run enterprises have been weeded out. Many misplaced workers are busting with ideas and the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in America, just cash starved and waiting for a break. A repeal of the stifling regulatory climate, tax system overhaul, and new leadership is all that is missing. November 2012 can't get here fast enough. When this thing turns and it WILL turn we are going to see an explosion. I guess I picked a good time to go back into sales...

Dating the Candidates

2011-09-27T18:54:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers it came to me today that I am dating the candidates running for the GOP nomination and they are trying to date me. I represent the Southern Evangelical Conservative Woman voter. I am also a Tea Party Girl who happens to be a darn good business woman. All that said, I am going to be one of the toughest people around to get to walk down the aisle with you oh GOP hopeful. You see, I am coming out of several years of a bad relationship and I don't trust the GOP in general.

My first date was with Ron Paul. Many of my Tea Party friends said he was the one for me. It was still very early in the process and I really liked what I was hearing. We met at a bar and talked all night. We had so much in common! I loved his stance on fiscal issues, taxation, the constitution, and limitations of the federal government. It was a wonderful night! We agreed to meet again and he showed up the next day wearing a tin foil hat and talking about fences to keep Americans IN and that it was okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I smiled sweetly, plead a headache, and haven't returned his text messages since. All his friends keep trying to convince me there is nothing wrong with the tin foil hat but ummm, nope.

My next date was with Michelle Bachmann. Definitely a Tea Party favorite a real patriot and a strong woman. I like that. She won my support when she ask Tim Geithner, aka Ernie the Elf, and Ben Bernake, aka the Godfather, where in the Constitution they found the authority for Tarp and the actions of the Federal Reserve. She organized the Tea Party Caucus in the House, spoke and organized many grassroots rallies and was a light in the darkness of the 111th Congress. I was excited about our date! Now, I know this is petty, but hey, I'm a girl and I can be. Her accent just grates on my nerves... that was the first thing. Then throughout the date she kept saying embarrassing things to the waiter like happy Birthday Elvis. She also failed to properly defend the subject of submission to your husband, which could have been an excellent bully pulpit moment. She seemed to me as if she had prerecorded answers to all my questions and we just failed to connect. She's still a facebook friend but I don't think I will be going on that next date.

My next date was Rick Perry. What a man! I love his Texas swagger and indeed he is a fine looking fellow. His record in Texas is stellar and I have a fondness for a strong cowboy. He threw his hat in the ring and I turned my head. All of my Ron Paul friends started having a duck about this guy - calling him names and painting him in a horrible light. It felt like Sarah Palin all over, like my friends were liberals on a smear campaign. It was a bit disconcerting. I read a couple of sound articles about various things that folks were saying and I had to admit that while it was not completely settled in my Tea Party heart I have run enough businesses to recognize that as a leader you sometimes have to make decisions that are not popular. You have to do what you think is right and stand my your decisions. I also realize that I have changed over the course of the last 10 years. The country has changed! What it meant to be a conservative in 2001 is vastly different in 2011. If I can change well then so can a candidate. So me and Rick we went on a couple dates. I liked him, I liked his style, I liked his record, but ole Rick and I we've got to part ways. I stood up for him on the Gardisil issue. I stood up for him on the NAFTA super highway. I even played the devil's advocate for him on the illegal immigration tuition issue but at the end of the day my friends convinced me that it is indefensible given my core values and beliefs and I've got to side with my friends. I still like you Rick, but we can't date anymore. Keep doing a good job in Texas and I'll call you sometime.

On to my newest man, Herman Cain. Oh, Herman is a charming man. He's simply delightful; smart, articulate, and with a great sense of humor. His background appeals to the American Spirit in me - a self made man from humble beginnings. He talks straight and he's got a plan that I can really get behind. The more I watch, the more I like. We had pizza and a beer this weekend and I am excited about this weekend when we are supposed to go to a show. I'm doing my research on him but the more I see the more I like.

Let me briefly say that John Huntsman or Mitt Romney will never be in the running. Huntsman because he is a douche who keeps talking about America being broken at her core and Mitt because he is a country club Republican who makes me want to vomit. Newt and Santorum, well they feel like that old boyfriend and I'm not going back there.

But hey, I'm not engaged to anybody at this point and honestly, I think I would vote for the Cookie Monster over Barack Obama.... so woo on you GOP candidates, woo on.

9/11 - Ten Years Later

2011-09-12T17:32:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I still cry about 9/11. Not just on the anniversary either. I suppose not many people do that anymore. The odd thing about that is, I don't cry easy or often. I was traveling yesterday, alone in the car for 8 hours. I turned on XM Radio and listened to the coverage and of course, I cried. I make myself do it every year; I relive that day. I take myself back and I force myself to remember, to feel, and to cheer for the heroes.

For me, United Flight 93, the plane that the passengers took down in Shanksville PA has the most profound effect on me. This is not to minimize all of the other dramas and stories that took place that fateful day, no they are equally note worthy but Flight 93 has always touched me deeply. In contrast to the first three planes, the passengers on UA 93 knew what was going on. They had been delayed on the ground, they were missing a 4th highjacker, and the Lord had assembled an unbelievable cast of characters for His work that day.

UA 93 represents the valor of our country rising from their seats and saying, "No More!" The bravery and the determination of those passengers embodies the American Spirit at its best. The movie that chronicles the events of the day is a must see for every American.

What is the Tea Party?

2011-09-05T09:36:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers the debt debate recently has been a wonderful opportunity for the left and the liberal media to point the finger at the Tea Party as being the problem. This is true insanity and I am saddened to see recent polling that 50% of Americans now have an unfavorable opinion of the Tea Party. The liberal Congressional Black Caucus is a major player in this strategy and many fear their lies and rhetoric will begin to incite riots. I am having a fb discussion with someone regarding this and I would like to share with you my response to the assertion that the Tea Party was an extreme movement:

I have been involved with the Tea Party since the very beginning and I will absolutely assure you that it was never and has never been about skin color. It has always been about the scope, size, and intrusion of the Federal Government. The people that consider themselves part of the Tea Party are a huge cross section of Americans. We believe that there is TRILLIONS of dollars in waste in the Federal government and that must be addressed. We believe that business and free enterprise are over regulated, stymieing the American ingenuity and growth. We believe that private enterprise, charity, and individuals can do EVERYTHING better than the federal government. Nowhere in these beliefs is there a vein of "terrorism" or "racism". The return of the 10th amendment is not some sort of sick twisted way of instituting racism, it is a call for the Federal government to operate within the bounds of the Constitution. Furthermore, from a historical perspective the states that would have in the past used the 10th amendment to propagate racism were controlled by the Dems. The Tea Party does not identify with those positions nor would we have been on that side of history. The Dems and the progressive own that dubious distinction, history bears that out quite effectively. You state above that the rhetoric from the Tea Party is angry, threatening, and dehumanizing can you please provide an example? I know I can site dozens of examples where the left has used violent rhetoric against this movement.

Some Observations

2011-08-23T21:39:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have noticed something recently, people are agitated. They are short with each other and the level of just under the surface anger is rising. I am a member of several conservative fb groups and the discussions on some of the treads are just down right nasty. Mostly due to trolls whose sole purpose in life is to evoke anger in others but the volumes are rising.

I must say that if BHO had been vetted by the MSM or by the DEMs during the 2008 Primaries like Rick Perry has been this last week and a half, I doubt he would be President. There have been all sorts of drive by shootings at Perry and at first I bought into them but then Michael Reagan posted a very fair and balanced article on the issues, not the sound bites and I began to change my mind. I continued to see the bashers out there I attempted to guide them to the same site that had thoughtfully laid out the issues and show them the the other side only to become the target of their rage. It was quite illuminating.

So, I have not yet made up my mind on who I will support but never the less, here is the article I found so interesting, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.The Pesky Truth

Bankruptcy 101

2011-08-11T19:17:00.003-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I don't usually copy and paste, but I had to share this from fb:

Bankruptcy 101...

It's easy to dismiss individual programs that benefit non-citizens until they're put together and this picture emerges. Someone did a lot of research to put together all of this data.

Often these programs are buried within other programs making them difficult to find.

A Real Eye Opener
WHY is the USA BANKRUPT?

You think the war in Iraq was costingus too much? Read this:

We have been hammered with the

propaganda that it was the Iraq war and the war on terror that is bankrupting us.

I hope the following 10 reasons are

forwarded over and over again until

they are read so many times that the

reader gets sick of reading them. I also have included the URL's for verification of all the following facts...

1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments.

Verify at: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iic_immigrationissuecenters7fd8 <http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iic_immigrationissuecenters7fd8>

2. $22 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps,WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.

Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.HTML <http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.HTML>

3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on

Medicaid for illegal aliens.

Verify at:
http://www.cis..org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.HTML <http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.HTML>

4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English!

Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.....0.HTML <http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt....0.HTML>

5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.

Verify at http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML <http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt...01.HTML>

6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.

Verify at:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/%20TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML <http://transcripts.cnn.com/%20TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML>
http://transcripts.cnn..com/%20TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML<http://transcripts.cnn.com/%20TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML><http://transcripts.cnn.com/%20TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML<http://transcripts.cnn.com/%20TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML>

7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.

Verify at: http://transcripts.CNN..com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt...01.HTML <http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANscriptS/0604/01/ldt...01.HTML>
<http://transcripts/ <http://transcripts/> .." href="" href="<><>
" href="" href="<>

8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers.

Verify at: http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.HTML <http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01..HTML>

9. $200 Billion dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.

Verify at: <" href="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRI<http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute/./.org/PDF/deportationPDF>

10. In 2006, illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances to their countries of origin.

Verify at: http://www/. <http://www/..rense.com/general75/niht.htm> rense.com/general75/niht.htm < " href="http://www/..<>http://www/..<>
" href="; " ' href="" rel=nofollow target=_blank>; 20w.drdsk.com/articleshtml <" href="<>
" href="" href="<><>

The total cost is a whopping

338.3 BILLION DOLLARS

Are we THAT Stupid?
YES, FOR LETTING THOSE IN THE U.S. CONGRESS

GET AWAY WITH LETTING THIS HAPPEN YEAR AFTER

YEAR!!!!!

If the Tea Party are Hobbits; John McCain is Saruman

2011-07-30T10:56:00.007-04:00

So, according to John McCain, we in the Tea Party are Hobbits? As a fan of the Lord of the Rings, I am not particularly disturbed to be called a Hobbit. After all, the Hobbits were specifically suited for the task given to them; destroy evil where it lived.

They were cunning, kindhearted, and did not concern themselves with their their foreign neighbors (at least in the sense that they did not want to become embroiled in their internal machinations and squabbles). Life in the Shire is ideal; they work hard, they enjoy food, and they socialize with great gusto. They run their affairs quite well on their own.

Hobbits are small and particularly good at hiding, blending into the landscape, and going about their business whilst the Ringwraiths (Demons) stalk them. The Hobbits are stalwart and show an incredible resistance to the power and lure of evil, a resistance that no one else on Middle Earth seems to possess. They are doggedly determined in great conflict to see the thing done, even if it costs them their lives. In the face of sure defeat, overwhelming odds, and incredible evil, they trudge forward.

Hobbits shake their head in disappointment at the news from Isengard (Washington DC) and the fall of their supposed ally (although they have NEVER liked or trusted him), Saruman (John McCain). Saruman was not interested in doing the right thing, he was simply interested in retaining power. He chooses sides not by what is right, but by who he thinks will win. His resolve is weak and treacherous and he seeks to destroy those whose actions highlight his own failures. Even in the end, when the great evil was defeated, Saruman sought to punish and scourge the Shire. Saruman was not a good guy and neither is John McCain.

Lest John McCain forget, it was the Hobbits who brought down evil in Middle Earth and it was the Hobbits who ultimately destroyed Saruman and throw him out of the Shire. The day may seem dark, evil may look as if it is winning, but the Hobbits have the ring and they aren't stopping until they hurl it into Mordor. Saruman should have never made an enemy of the Hobbits.

No Longer One of the Statistics

2011-07-18T20:33:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers many of you know I lost my job in January. It has truly been one of the most difficult periods of my entire life. I have ALWAYS worked and have never been out of a job. It is really tough out there and I am very fortunate that my industry has not evaporated in this Depression. I feel for the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and construction companies that have seen their business disappear. Many private companies are surviving only through the patronage of the behemoth Feds. It is indeed a sad state of affairs and does not seem to be getting better.

Alas, I am happy to report that I have secured another position and began today. It was glorious to awaken this morning with somewhere to go! It was wonderful to meet new people and to live outside my own head again. I have to also give a praise report that the Lord saw me and my family through this difficult time and I am eternally thankful for His provision, protection, and guidance.

God Bless you Abigail and Dolley readers. Thank you for visiting and for your support during this tough time.

Missing or Murdered - No One will ever know unless you are a pretty white girl

2011-07-05T19:22:00.000-04:00

This post was originally published in early 2009, but it is as appropriate today as it was then.

Are you beautiful? If not, are you at least smart? If you are beautiful and you are smart - well, you hit the genetic lottery and you are by our societies standards our most valuable. We are all instinctively aware of this, but it was first brought to my attention while reading Dr. James Dobson. Dr. Dobson pointed out that for children in our society that are neither beautiful or smart parents need to validate and encourage those children for what they DO have to offer. He used the example of the notorious mass murderer, Richard Speck, who over the course of an evening, murdered eight nursing students in Chicago. A reporter commented that it was made even more tragic because all of the girls had been so attractive. In one off hand comment, he revealed what we truly believe, if you are beautiful, your life is more important.

National news coverage is only given to tragic abductions and murders of pretty white girls. When is the last time you saw a black child getting national news coverage? What about an ugly kid? Or what about a boy? I can answer that for you - you haven't. You can probably name the ones that come to mind: Jonbenet Ramsey, Polly Klaas, Elizabeth Smart, Jessica Lunsford and the latest Britanee Drexel. So our all inclusive media, who worships at the altar of promoting equality, fail, yet again, to present the news in an unbiased fashion.

I am by no means underplaying the seriousness and heart breaking reality of families dealing with the worst nightmare I can imagine. I am merely pointing out that if you are beautiful you get the coverage. Many of these families have channeled their tragedies into foundations that spot light this issue and have done great things to help save other children. John Walsh of America's Most Wanted, Mark Klaas of the Klaaskids Foundation, the Nationwide AMBER alert system - all beauty from ashes, made possible through national exposure of these cases.

Thankfully, there is someone who knows the pain these families suffer through, who comforts the grieving, and cares for the lost and the forgotten! He is incorruptible and eternal, He loves you so much He died for you. Jesus knows, and praise Him for that - because we fallible humans sure don't!

Thanksgiving 2022

2011-06-30T10:25:00.006-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I did not write this and if I knew who did, I would give them credit. This was copied off a Tea Party Page on facebook, for now they have not shut those down...

"Winston, come into the dining room, it's time to eat," Julia yelled to her husband. "In a minute, honey, it's a tie score," he answered.

Actually Winston wasn't very interested in the traditional holiday football game between Detroit and Washington . Ever since the government passed the Civility in Sports Statute of 2017, outlawing tackle football for its "unseemly violence" and the "bad example it sets for the rest of the world", Winston was far less of a football fan than he used to be. Two-hand touch wasn't nearly as exciting.

Yet it wasn't the game that Winston was uninterested in. It was more the thought of eating another Tofu Turkey. Even though it was the best type of VeggieMeat available after the government revised the American Anti-Obesity Act of 2018, adding fowl to the list of federally-forbidden foods, (which already included potatoes, cranberry sauce, and mincemeat pie), it wasn't anything like real turkey. And ever since the government officially changed the name of "Thanksgiving Day" to "A National Day of Atonement" in 2020, to officially acknowledge the Pilgrims' historically brutal treatment of Native Americans, the holiday had lost a lot of its luster.

Eating in the dining room was also a bit daunting. The unearthly gleam of government-mandated fluorescent light bulbs made the Tofu Turkey look even weirder than it actually was, and the room was always cold. Ever since Congress passed the Power Conservation Act of 2016, mandating all thermostats - which were monitored and controlled by the electric company - be kept at 68 degrees, every room on the north side of the house was barely tolerable throughout the entire winter.

Still, it was good getting together with family. Or at least most of the family. Winston missed his mother, who passed on in October, when she had used up her legal allotment of life-saving medical treatment. He had had many heated conversations with the Regional Health Consortium, spawned when the private insurance market finally went bankrupt, and everyone was forced into the government health care program. And though he demanded she be kept on her treatment, it was a futile effort. "The RHC's resources are limited", explained the government bureaucrat Winston spoke with on the phone. "Your mother received all the benefits to which she was entitled.---- I'm sorry for your loss."

Ed couldn't make it either. He had forgotten to plug in his electric car last night, the only kind available after the Anti-Fossil Fuel Bill of 2021 outlawed the use of the combustion engines - for everyone but government officials. The fifty mile round trip was about ten miles too far, and Ed didn't want to spend a frosty night on the road somewhere between here and there.

Thankfully, Winston's brother, John, and his wife were flying in. Winston made sure that the dining room chairs had extra cushions for the occasion. No one complained more than John about the pain of sitting down so soon after the government-mandated cavity searches at airports, which severely aggravated his hemorrhoids. Ever since a terrorist successfully smuggled a cavity bomb onto a jetliner, the TSA told Americans the added "inconvenience" was an "absolute necessity" in order to stay "one step ahead of the terrorists."

Winston's own body had grown accustomed to such probing ever since the government expanded their scope to just about anywhere a crowd gathered, via Anti-Profiling Act of 2022. That law made it a crime to single out any group or individual for "unequal scrutiny," even when probable cause was involved. Thus, cavity searches at malls, train stations, bus depots, etc., etc., had become almost routine. Almost.

The Supreme Court is reviewing the statute, but most Americans expect a Court composed of six progressives and three conservatives to leave the law intact. "A living Constitution is extremely flexible", said the Court's eldest member, Elena Kagan. " Europe has had laws like this one for years.---- We should learn from their example", she added.

Winston's thoughts turned to his own children. He got along fairly well with his 12-year-old daughter, Brittany, mostly because she ignored him. Winston had long ago surrendered to the idea that she could text anyone at any time, even during Atonement Dinner. Their only real confrontation had occurred when he limited her to 50,000 texts a month, explaining that was all he could afford. She whined for a week, but got over it.

His 16-year-old son, Jason, was another matter altogether. Perhaps it was the constant bombarding he got in public school that global warming, the bird flu, terrorism, or any of a number of other calamities were "just around the corner", but Jason had developed a kind of nihilistic attitude that ranged between simmering surliness and outright hostility.

It didn't help that Jason had reported his father to the police for smoking a cigarette in the house, an act made criminal by the Smoking Control Statute of 2018, which outlawed smoking anywhere within 500 feet of another human being.

Winston paid the $5,000 fine, which might have been considered excessive before the American dollar became virtually worthless as a result of QE13. The latest round of quantitative easing the federal government initiated was, once again, to "spur economic growth." This time, they promised to push unemployment below its years-long rate of 18%, but Winston was not particularly hopeful.

Yet the family had a lot for which to be thankful, Winston thought, before remembering it was a Day of Atonement. At least, he had his memories. He felt a twinge of sadness when he realized his children would never know what life was like in the Good Old Days, long before government promises to make life "fair for everyone" realized their full potential.

Winston, like so many of his fellow Americans, never realized how much things could change when they didn't happen all at once, but little by little, so people could get used to them. He wondered what might have happened if the public had stood up while there was still time, maybe back around 2011, when all the real nonsense began. "Maybe we wouldn't be where we are today if we'd just said 'enough is enough' when we had the chance," he thought. Maybe so, Winston. Maybe so.

Transformers 3 Movie Review

2011-06-29T12:01:00.002-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers my guys and I got a sneak peak at the movie Transformers 3 - The Dark Side of the Moon last night. In a nut shell, save your money. That is unless you like brainless action with improbable story lines. The movie felt very much like Independence Day, started out promising and ended up being hookey and campy. Another comparison is Spiderman 3, all special effects and no real story. Like the Spiderman trilogy, the Transformers trilogy slides with each installment. I will say, at least in Spiderman they kept the same girlfriend. Meghan Fox might be a pain in the neck, but she would have at least added some continuity to the story.

There are so many plot holes in the film it is hard to know where to begin. The absolutely unrealistic relationship between Sam and his new girlfriend, Rosey is one of the most glaring. They have no chemistry, she is far out of his league, and the viewer is left wondering exactly how these two are together. In the end, we really don't even care. Where was John Voit? He was awesome as the Secretary of Defense in the previous films. Instead, he is replaced by Francis McDermont who plays a complete caricature of a woman in power. The viewer is intrigued with the addition of the very talented John Malcovich, but alas I am not even sure what he was doing in the story. He dropped in, hinted that he was going to be awesome, and then disappeared.

There are two distinct parts to the film, the story and then the action. The producers abandoned any type of engaging story to simply spoon feed drivel. They then put whipped cream on the turd in the form of loud and long spectacular action sequences and expect the adoring public to dig in. It was special effects overload and frankly it got boring. My advise to Hollywood, spend a little more time and money on the story after all if you seen one Transformer go from a car to a robot, you've seen them all.

Bridesmaids - The Movie

2011-06-21T10:14:00.001-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers recently I spent a wonderful afternoon with a friend. We had lunch and then a chick flick. We heard Bridesmaids was entertaining and funny and since I was preparing for my 10th time down the aisle as a bridesmaid, it seemed like a great choice. I will admit that I laughed, but much of the humor is about being embarrassed for the main character. That kind of humor has always been unsettling to me. You know what I am talking about, sort of that "Meet the Faulkers" humor? I kept saying out loud, "Oh, no... don't do it..." In addition, there are parts of the movie so crude and disgusting that I just could not watch.

The movie is not appropriately titled, in my opinion it should have been called, "She's Coming Undone" or "Hitting Rock Bottom". It was painful to watch the horrendous decisions the main character made throughout the entire movie. Time and time again she self destructed, allowed herself to be horribly used, and succumbed to jealously and selfishness at an alarming rate. She debased herself on a number of occasions and made a complete fool of herself throughout the movie.

2011 has been the most trying year of my life and I have said dozens of times, "How do people without Christ get through something like this?" Behold, on the big screen was my answer in the form of Bridesmaids. The character had no center, except that she loved to bake, it had been her passion and she stopped. Everyone around her thought that if she would just bake again, her life would turn back around and she would find salvation in the "Nice Guy". To give the movie credit, it took more than a cake to get her life back on track but even with the "happy" ending it was quite pathetic. It left me feeling the overwhelming emptiness that must accompany those without faith and hope.

Ironically, I was reading a book called, The Upside of Down: Finding Hope When it Hurts.
It is a work that takes the reader through life changing crisis and allows them to not only get through it, but to become stronger at the end. It is a journey through understanding, accepting, healing, and empowerment. It is a gentle reminder that God loves us even when times are tough and He is strong enough for us to rely and depend on him. So if you find yourself at the end of your rope, do yourself a favor and do it God's way, otherwise you might find yourself starring in your own "Bridesmaids" movie.

Does HE Have Your Attention Now?

2011-05-26T09:46:00.000-04:00

Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Nuclear Disasters, Floods, and Mud Slides have descended upon the Earth with a ferocity never recorded. Global Financial collapse looms as the dollar plummets, the integrity of gold deposits is called into question (Fake Gold Bars), and the stability of the stock market is in serious doubt due to an ever growing and insidious Global Financial Scam. Real unemployment is quickly approaching levels not seen since the Great Depression. Global Warming has been unmasked as a serious hoax through Climategate. The World's Savior, Barack Obama, so lauded by the lost as the Messiah, has proven himself a humiliating, bumbling and weak buffoon as clearly demonstrated by this video, Worst Foreign Trip Ever. Wars are being fought across the globe, the world is lining up against Israel, and the great restrainer, the USA, is stretched to the absolute limit and going broke. Disease and starvation annihilate the Third World especially through malaria and AIDS. The irony is that both conditions are preventable with DDT and abstinence coupled with Biblical marriage, respectively. In short, this world is teetering on the razor's edge of disaster and evil seems to be ruling the day.

Do not be deceived, these calamities are not random. They are designed to demonstrate to human beings that they are not in control of this Earth. We are not the supreme authority here and nothing in this life is safe, permanent, and secure. Everything can collapse and things we have held dear seem to be running through our fingers like sand. There is but one who is steadfast and true. There is one hope for a suffering and dying world, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Does HE have your attention, now? If not, what's it going to take? Do not be a hard-hearted and stiff necked fool! Do not reject the gift of salvation that costs you nothing and saves everything. If you have already made that transaction but continue to live in self sufficiency, is HE calling you back into fellowship with him? If you are an on fire believer are you praying for this lost world and conforming yourself daily to be like Christ to the damned?

It is time to wake up folks, these are the birth pains. The Lord is rich in mercy and desires that no one should reject Him and damn themselves to eternal torment. HE loves you, HE died for you, and HE wants you to come to Him and have fellowship with Him. If you have never before asked the Lord into your life, all you have to do is pray something like this:

Lord Jesus, I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe that you were born of a virgin, crucified for my sins, and on the third day rose from the dead. Please forgive me of my sins, come into my heart and save me. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Counting Your Blessings in America

2011-05-23T09:41:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I was at the pool yesterday and was completely overwhelmed by how blessed we are in this country. I know that is not an original thought, but it became so true to me as I lay there in the sun watching the families around me. There is one family who adopted a boy from Africa. In Africa, he was an orphan, likely by disease or war. He was born into a world where his life expectancy is less than 50, where child soldiers are used in brutal civil wars, and where AIDS is as common as a cold. How different his life is here, in middle class America!

I have been watching a series on Nexflix called Monarchy. They are documentaries about the oldest Monarchy in the world, that of England. The first three episodes chronicle the struggles of the Dark Ages. What a terrible and brutal time to have lived! You and I could have been easily born then as opposed to now.

The times in history and the places other than America where we all could have found ourselves is astonishing. I could be a Muslim woman living in Saudi Arabia, I could be an African mother trying to stay alive and feed my son, or I could be a Chinese Christian facing death for proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Instead, I found myself at a private swimming pool where the parking lot was filled with new shiny cars, the swimwear was brand new for the season, and all around us were loving parents and well fed, loved children. No matter the circumstances that my family finds themselves in due to unemployment, we are still blessed beyond measure.

Ears to Hear

2011-05-08T15:34:00.002-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have a funny tale to relate to you. This afternoon I was out for my daily walk and prayer time. I do this about 5 days a week, weather and ankles permitting. We live in a nice neighborhood, but this world is crazy and I am always aware of my surroundings, you know a girl can not be too careful. So I keep an eye on work trucks, strange cars, and of course white paneled vans. Today, a black Explorer eased slowly past me and came to a stop about a dozen yards ahead. It seemed a little suspicious to me, so I turned down a side street that I had previously skipped trying to avoid whatever was going on in that vehicle.

When I got back to the main road there was no Explorer in sight, so I forgot about it and went on. I rounded the corner and the Explorer was back. It sped toward me and pulled along side quickly. There was a man and a woman in the car and I felt no menace from them. I expected that they would ask me for directions. Instead, in a Midwestern Accent and with an expression of complete exasperation the man said to me, "Do you know where that alarm is coming from?"

I must have smiled and replied, "That's not an alarm. Those are cicadas." He clearly had never heard of a cicada so I elaborated. "It's a bug."

He turned to his wife in astonishment and repeated, "It's a bug."

"Yeah, they come out about every 13 years or so."

He did not find it amusing but I quickly was, he shook his head and said, "It has been driving us crazy!" I laughed and walked off thinking of this poor couple driving around Charlotte trying to find the alarm that was going off! Well, I hope they can relax now and they sure gave me a good laugh.

Update: Since some of you live where you do not have cicadas, here is a short video of my backyard so you can hear for yourself. Enjoy!

Seeking God

2011-05-04T09:03:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers today's Scripture was 2 Chronicles 7:14 “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”

Books could be written about this Scripture and indeed a search for the term "seeking God's face" will return pages of results. Many of these talented authors are far more articulate than I on the subject but I will endeavor to convey a small amount of insight.

Often when we begin to seek God, we seek Him for His hand. We have fallen on our faces, we are in times of peril, and we know we must go to the true and living God for His divine intervention. Our prayers are for help, deliverance, healing - things God can do for us. Our relationship with Him at this point is one of a servant to a master, we humble ourselves before the Lord in supplication and submission. These prayers will often take time, we do not serve a God that has a drive up window, His timing is not ours.

While we are seeking His hand, He will reveal His face. We will begin to understand His love for us We will get glimpses of Him, not just His works. He will give us a hunger for a deeper relationship with Him, we will feel a devotion and a closeness to Him. The Holy Spirit within us directs our gaze to the Son and the Son allows us to see the face of the Father. Our relationship with Him now is one of child to loving parent.

When we come outside of ourselves and our circumstances, He will then take us to the next level, that of seeking God's Heart. This is when we begin to look at the world through His eyes and not our own. We begin to love the unlovely, to hurt for the lost, to pray for others in their need. Our hearts are changed to be more like His. Others see God through our lives and actions. Our relationship with Him now is that of a mature child in service to the King.

Ironically, at each step we must sacrifice ourselves to move to the next level. We can be full of self and seek God's Hand, but we must begin to sacrifice some of our own wants and desires to begin to see His face and we must humble ourselves completely before we see His heart. In each step, we must be diminished and God must be magnified. When you think about it though, is it really much of a sacrifice to be diminished within ourselves, are we all that great to begin with?

I found this handy little chart, Seeking God's Heart that I would like to share with you. Many blessings to you friends and may you find peace and rest in the Lord today.

Dying Daily

2011-04-30T15:14:00.001-04:00

Dying Daily is a subject that most people don't like to think about, let alone do. It is a process of daily bringing our natural self into total submission to God. To consciously saying, "I got nothing, Lord. Use me today to do Your will, not my own." Admittedly, until recently I never did that. I have lived my entire life giving lip service to surrendering to God but never actually doing it. I asked Him to bless me in my own pursuits and in my own desires but I rarely asked Him what He wanted me to do.

I think because I was afraid of what He would ask of me. In my mind, surrendering to God meant giving up all earthly pleasures, selling everything, moving to some remote foreign land to be rejected by the people He sent me to save and dying a horrible death from malaria. Surrender to God, equated to poverty, discomfort, sacrifice, and suffering - none of these things are all that appealing. Hey, I am being truthful here, surely there are others out there that think the same way.

So how did I go from living for myself to submitting to God? What brought me to the place where I die to self daily and give over complete control? That is simple, He brought me to my knees. Now I have been brought low before, faced hard times, suffered and walked through many a wilderness. I was close to God during those times but never broken. We have within ourselves untapped reservoirs of strength and will that serve us well in times of trouble but will also keep us clinging to self when we should have surrendered long ago.

There is a first death to self that occurs when we give our lives to the Lord, when we are born again and our spirit is changed. We go from being a condemned sinner to a new creation in Christ. This is eternal change that no amount of bad behavior can ever change because that would mean we were in control in the first place. Notice though, when we are born again - two parts of our being are NOT changed. Our soul and our flesh are not changed, these are what we have to learn to bring into check and into control. These are the things that have to die daily.

Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. ²⁵ Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

Maybe it is just me, but I fought this process HARD. One day in early April, I died. I died to myself. I had no strength, no pride, no will, no illusions of my own beauty, intelligence, ability - nothing. I wept before the Lord without the strength to raise my hands in praise. In the end, all I could say was "I got nothing, Lord." I wish I could tell you it was at that moment that the filling of the Holy Spirit took place. I wish I could tell you that a white light shown down in my living room and the angels came to minister to my battered soul. I wish I could tell you that peace, joy, and understanding replaced despair but alas they did not. I felt utterly alone, even though I knew I wasn't. I could not feel His presence, even though I knew He was there. That was the purpose, I had to die and death is not fun.

So what has happened since early April? Well, I continue to walk and pray with the Lord everyday. Some days I stagger more than walk for this dying to self is not a singular act, it goes on everyday. I am stronger and have moved into a depth with the Lord that is deep and meaningful. Mostly, there is peace and understanding that His will for my life is better than anything I could ever plan.

So dear Abigail and Dolley readers I encourage you to take a step of faith and every morning before you get out of bed say to the Lord, "I give you my life today. I surrender my own desires and my own will to You. Use me today, fill me with your strength, your wisdom, and your heart. Amen"

Holy Saturday - The Second Day

2011-04-23T10:11:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have been contemplating today, Holy Saturday for a few months now. This is the day after Good Friday and the day before Easter. This is the day that Jesus' body lay in the tomb. To the followers of Christ, this must have been the darkest day of their lives. Think about it for a minute, forget your knowledge of the Resurrection, forget that you know the end of the story, simply go to the upper room with me and imagine.

The Apostles are hiding, certain they will be killed if found. The fear of gruesome death and humiliation torments them. They have lived with Roman oppression, they know what happened to Jesus. He was the most powerful man on Earth and they killed him, how vulnerable they must have felt! How terrified would you be waiting for the knock at the door that signalled they had come for you?

Their friend Judas had betrayed the Lord and was gone. He had fallen prey to the lies of the Devil himself. With Jesus out of the way, the poor disciples who had cast out demons in Jesus name must surely know that the hoards of Hell were coming after them. With Jesus dead, they would be fresh meat for the demons.

Judas was the caretaker of the money for the group and it stands to reason he would have taken all of their funds with him when he left. So they are broke, with a price on their heads, and they are trapped. They have no way to pay off anyone to help them escape, how are they going to get food? The followers of Jesus had scattered and the people of Jerusalem had called for the Lord's Crucifixion, without funds there is no one to help them.

Then there is the disillusionment. These men had given up everything to follow Jesus - homes, families, business, position in the community. I am sure there were those in their families that thought they were crazy, that condemned them for not doing the "responsible" thing and leading a normal life. I am sure there were a few Mother-in-laws who had condemned them for leaving home and hearth to follow this rabbi. As they sat in the upper room that day, they had to face the crushing possibility that they had been wrong and everyone else had been right. Had they wasted the last three years?

Jesus had predicted his own death about a dozen times, but from all accounts His words seem to have been hidden from the Apostles. It was like Jesus had spoken in code and they had not heard or understood what He was saying. This is demonstrated by their disbelief on Easter morning and Thomas' rejection of the testimony of the ten. So I do not believe that they took comfort and hope that Jesus would rise again, this Saturday did not serve that purpose.

Holy Saturday was designed to buffet the Apostles. It was designed for them to reflect. It was designed to bring them to the lowest points in their lives and to prepare them for the work to come. Holy Saturday is what Christianity would be without the Resurrection - dead.

I believe we all have Holy Saturdays in our lives. Our dreams, hopes, aspirations, and loved ones are taken away on Friday. We curl up in hiding, mourning, and fear on Saturday. Saturday is lonely and scary but take heart Sunday is on the way. Sunday their is victory, new life, and resurrection! Praise God.

Holding Pattern

2011-04-21T16:36:00.006-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I feel like I am in the hospital. Everyday I wake up, stretch, take inventory and determine today is the day I will get to go back to life as normal. I anxiously await the daily visit from the doctor and pray He tells me I can be discharged. Up until now, everyday the answer has been, not yet you aren't strong enough. I argue and fight and try to show that I am indeed strong enough but the wise physician will not be swayed and I am forced to wait.

I look back over these weeks and realize I have needed this time. I know I have caught up on about 200 hours of missing sleep. I don't have black circles under my eyes anymore. I don't appear drawn and haggard. I've lost weight, gotten back into shape, quit smoking, and am closer to God than I have ever been. So while I have fought this "hospital" season tooth and nail, it has been good for me.

I find myself pondering this Scripture: Romans 5:3-4 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character and character produces hope.

I am working on the rejoicing part. I don't think it means we are masochists about suffering but that we realize when we are going through trials and tribulations that God uses that to do good works in us. In the case of this verse to give us perseverance, character, and hope. It is worth noting that hope comes last. I guess if we had an abundance of hope at the beginning we would not develop perseverance and character as we aught. That does not keep me from praying for it though.

No Freedom of Speech in the Scientific Community

2011-04-20T11:32:00.002-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have in recent months watched a couple documentaries that have concerned me greatly: The Great Global Warming Swindle and Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed. Both of these documentaries demonstrate that the Scientific Community is effectively silencing dissension on Evolution and Global Warming. They are taking away the Freedom of Speech for thousands of scientists that question the validity of these theories.

Careers and lives are being ruined for straying from the party line, even slightly. Mere mention of Intelligent Design can get you fired. I would venture to say that since Climategate, the opponents of Global Warming are not in as much danger as they were before, but that is really beside the point. Suppression of free speech in the scientific community hurts everyone. If scientists are not free to evaluate the evidence truthfully then real break through is not possible.

Scientists that make discoveries that bolster the arguments of the "other" side are forced to come out publicly and refute their findings in order to save their careers. A case in point is the discovery of plasma, red blood cells, and connective tissues in a dinosaur bone. (To watch the video, click here: T-Rex Blood Cells). This discovery flies right in the face of the old earth evolutionist of which the scientist who discovered it belongs. Instead of being free to consider the possibility that this dinosaur bone is hundreds or thousands of years old, the lady is publicly declaring from the rooftops that she STILL believes in evolution and just can't explain why the pesky facts don't fit into their theory.

There in lies the rub, the facts just don't add up. When scientists are discovering things that refute the pet theories they are too afraid to publish them, so they are hidden and covered up. I am not a conspiracy theorist but there is enough evidence out there to validate this point. Today, there are thousands of gifted scientists that will look through their microscopes, look at their data, and marvel at their discoveries but will be too afraid to share these with the world for fear that their careers will be ruined.

Israel's Faithful Generation

2011-04-10T12:25:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have been thinking about the wilderness lately, probably because metaphorically I am wandering around in it. Now the wilderness of a middle class American would make most of the rest of the world and previous generations scoff at the ease, but God meets you where you are and it doesn't have to be life or death for it to be serious in your life. The wilderness can be anything that leaves you anxious, worried, and fearful and is dominated by the fact that you in your own power can not change it.

In the wilderness, we look around and say if God doesn't show up, we are in big trouble. The wilderness if full of pain. We as humans hate pain and try to avoid it at all costs. The wilderness if full of uncertainty. We like to know where we are going and how we are going to get there. Your wilderness will be different from mine but regardless of the circumstances, walking in the wilderness is never comfortable.

From our perspective, we would avoid it all together, but from God's that is a different story. We are never closer to Him than when we are wandering in the desert. We never rely on him harder than when we are powerless. We never eat His Word and breath His Spirit more than when we are depending on Him for everything. Paul writes that we are never stronger through God than when we are weak. In our weakness, His power is made perfect. So we should rejoice in our troubles because when we are weak then we are strong.

Consider Israel's greatest generation - Joshua's Israel. The first generation out of the wilderness. These are the children that walked through the dry land of the Red Sea and beheld the great miracles of the Exodus. These are the children born in the desert who grew up on manna and quail. These are the children who looked up at the cloud of God by day and the pillar of fire by night. These are the people who the desert stripped fear, unfaithfulness, and murmuring from their hearts. These mighty warriors did not balk at marching around the walls of Jericho at the order of the Lord. These mighty men of God operated in His power. This generation was the only faithful generation of Israelites and they were products of the wilderness.

I encourage you today, if you find yourself in the wilderness consider the good that the Lord is working in your heart. In spite of your fears, trust the Lord to do a good work in you. Trust Him to see you through this trial. Hold on to the hope that we are at our strongest and most faithful when we emerge from the wilderness. Cast your anxiety upon the Lord, for He loves you. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and with all your mind, lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge the Lord and He will direct your paths. For we are not given a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Fear not, for He is with you always, even until the end of the age.

Spiritual Adulthood

2011-04-06T10:10:00.001-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers as many of you know, I lost my job at the end of January. After a lifetime of full time work, I have struggled mightily with unemployment but the Lord knew what He was doing. He knew that I was exhausted and had reached the end of myself. I needed this break for more reasons than I care to admit and He has sustained me during this time. I believe I have caught up on hundreds of hours of lost sleep but more importantly hundreds of hours of lost prayer time.

He has used this time to bring me back into full fellowship with Him. I had been distant from the Lord for quite some time and relying solely on myself. This has changed and I have returned full force to an every breathe dependency on the Lord. What is different this time though is that I am no longer a spiritual child or teen. I have moved into full blown spiritual adulthood.

Adulthood is marked by an understanding of God's Sovereignty while still believing in His promises. It is putting off the pettiness and testing of the adolescent years and recognizing that His ways are not our ways and His thought are higher than our thoughts. Adulthood also means we stop trying to manipulate God by striking bargains with Him - if you do this, I will do this or "putting out fleeces", if you make this happen then I will know what to do. In spiritual childhood, I unfortunately fell in with the "Name it and Claim it" crowd that assert if a promise is in God's Word you can bind Him to make that promise come true for you. This is a dangerous doctrine and does much to destroy the faith of baby Christians. I have to admit I have a fair few spirituals scars from this false teaching.

As we enter adulthood either in the natural or the spiritual many of us carry a lot of baggage from childhood and our teen years that we have to work through and throw off. I have been doing a lot of that lately. I used to believe that there was a place that I was going to arrive and that I was going to stay there. There is no such place while we inhabit this body. We will always strive and struggle but the important thing is to just keep going. Some days and seasons will be easy and others will be full of suffering, that is just life.

I think the essence of Spiritual adulthood can be manifested in the story found in Daniel 3. It is a famous story where three young Jewish men, who were chosen to be rulers in Babylon refuse to bow down and worship a statue. They are called before the king and face certain death. Look closely at what they say,

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. ¹⁸ But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Don't you admire their answer? They say we do not need to defend our faith to unbelievers. God is able, He will do it, but even if He does not we will not be moved. When you can say this with peace and rest in your heart my friends that is when you know you have reached adulthood.

Prayer Time

2011-03-25T08:21:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers years ago, I had a powerful prayer ministry. It was in the infancy of e-mail and before the media became such a task master. I took prayer requests throughout the day, chose a Scripture that I would write on and then passed the requests to about 50 folks who promised to pray. That Season in my life was richly blessed by a communion with God that was special to both of us. It was fostered by the availability of time, which is something I have not had much of since then.

I find myself once again with that very precious resource, time. Never one to squander a gift, I have decided to make use of it. I will dedicate a set time everyday to pray and will be willing to take your prayer requests before the Lord. Please email them to me at abigailanddolley@gmail.com or comment on this post and I will be faithful to pray for you.

Bless you all,
Dolley

The Garbage Truck

2011-03-23T20:32:00.003-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have to admit to you that this season in my life has been difficult. I've tried to keep busy but at times, I am so restless I could jump right out of my skin. So I walk, far and long. I talk to God and hash out all that has happened until it makes sense and I can file it away.

Today, my husband joined me on my walk. It was a glorious Spring day in the Carolinas. The trees were blooming, the breeze was gentle, and the tulips, pansies, and azaleas made it look like an Easter basket. The sky was perfectly blue and the morning air was brisk but warm. The exercise was nice, not too vigorous but enough to get my heart pumping. We kept up a running dialogue, speaking of nothing in particular. We enjoyed each others company and the beautiful day.

About halfway through the walk, our peace was interrupted. It was garbage day and up behind us came the garbage truck. It moved about as fast as we did and pulled along beside us. It was loud and its breaks squealed with every stop. It stunk of garbage and exhaust fumes. We could no longer talk, we no longer enjoyed the day, our whole world had been overwhelmed by this intrusion. We looked at each other and said, if the truck is going straight we are turning left up here to get away from it and we did.

Afterward, it occurred to me that the garbage truck was much like the enemy of our soul. He plops right down in the middle of God's creation. He ruins our lovely talk with our spouse and we loose sight of everything else. The screeching and the stench are overwhelming. We can not see the beauty around us, we can not carry on a conversation that doesn't involve or become influenced by the garbage truck, our lives have been invaded. What we often fail to realize is that if the garbage truck is removed we can regain our peace. It was still pretty outside and I was still with the love of my life, I just couldn't concentrate on those things with the garbage truck beside me.

We have to learn to turn away from the garbage truck, to back track, to run ahead, to veer to the right. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we hold spiritual authority over the garbage trucks in our lives and we need to remember that. We need to remember that there is a spiritual element in our lives and some of those things are garbage trucks. Not everything spiritual is good. The Word says the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. Do not be naive for we struggle against wickedness in high places.

Do you have a garbage truck riding beside you? Do you have a problem or a situation in your life that is overwhelming everything else? Has something dropped down in the middle of your walk with God or your marriage and taken the focus off all of the good and demanded all of your attention? Are you tormented by this thing?

If you are, then do something about it. Fast and pray, put on the whole armor of God. Pray to the Lord that He removes the garbage truck from your life and He will. He bought victory at Calvary through His blood, He has already won, you have to ask. It probably won't fix everything, it isn't a magic bullet but without the garbage truck you can once again see God's beautiful creation and appreciate all the wonderful things in your life that you have been missing out on.

IF

2011-03-21T10:11:00.002-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers yesterday I was in the Word, reading with my son and teaching him. We chose Joshua 14:6-15. It's an amazing passage of Scripture about Caleb. One of only two adults that left Egypt as a slave and entered into the Promised Land. Caleb is an extraordinary man of God, faithful and of stalwart heart. The passage relays his story and tells of the promise of land that he received from God through Moses for his faithfulness. He is 85 years old, the Lord has kept him as strong as he was as a 40 year old man. The land is Hebron - hill country with large walled cities full of giants - not exactly a retirement condo. The Israelites have fought for 5 years. It is time to divide up the land and the tribe of Judah is first. Caleb goes to Joshua and says you were there, you heard the promise, please give me this land and I will go and take it IF the Lord is with me.

The little word IF struck me like a thunderbolt. This is one of the mightiest men in the Old Testament. God's hand of blessing has been on him for 45 years. He is a walking miracle, he has seen God, he has seen the miracles of Exodus, Jericho, and countless others. He has been promised this land by Moses himself, yet he says IF the Lord Almighty is with me.

This is deep wisdom from an elder that we need to pay attention to - never presume upon the Lord. For His ways are higher than ours, his thoughts are higher than ours. Caleb is not having a faith crisis, he just knows the Lord has to fight the battle and he will not go if the Lord's timing is not his own. As confident as Caleb is in the Power and provision of God he still recognizes that he could be jumping the gun.

The lesson - don't presume upon God.

Class Warfare

2011-03-16T15:18:00.001-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I must admit to being somewhat removed from the trials and tragedies of this world. Frankly, I have my own troubles and taking on more is foolish and unhealthy. I did venture out today, I was running errands and caught a magazine headline that made me angry. The magazine was Mother Jones and the headline was "The Vampire Economy - How the ultra-rich are sucking America dry and can Obama survive their attack". The cover had a vampire holding a swooning woman with a red white and blue hat on. It was sickening and maddening at the same time.

I wanted to take a big sharpie and write "Liberal Propaganda!" on the cover, but alas I was in their territory, Earth Fare. I don't normally shop there. I always feel like I have walked into a temple or a shrine and I am disconcerted the whole time I am in there, rubbing shoulder with the patchouli smelling patrons. (Incidentally, they have the nastiest bathrooms around. The seats are always covered in urine and there is toilet paper and paper towel trash all over the floor - so much for the libs taking care of the environment... but I digress.)

The fact that someone would have the unmitigated gall to blame the rich for the collapsed economy is simply class warfare. To blame them for the continued depression is ridiculous. To paint Obama as a victim is even more ludicrous. It is not based in any economic theory. It is not based on any economic truth. It is straight forward, in your face, class warfare and we buy into this at our peril. For it is the ultra-rich who are holding their money until such time as it is safe to invest again. Then the economy will grow and the prosperity will gradually return. This will happen somewhere around the time when the White House is no longer held by the biggest purveyor of class warfare, which by last count is somewhere in the neighborhood of 693 days.

As for me and mine, we'll keep holding on.

The Accent

2011-02-27T11:16:00.001-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers as many of you may recall, I working on my first novel. I suppose it is technically a manuscript until it earns publication, but it is finished except for bits and pieces that need polishing. It has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done but also one of the hardest. One thing I have come to realize is that Charlotteans (of which I am one) order our words differently in our speech vs. our writing. I sometimes fly along as the words pour out and then must edit heavily so the poor reader does not stumble about trying to decipher what it is I am trying to say. It has been challenging to say the least and I wonder if the reader would appreciate me writing the dialogue as we speak or if I should clean it up. I hope I have struck a proper balance but seeing as most publishing houses are in New York City, I am sure they will have an opinion about this. They say you have to have your voice come through in your writing and that the best writers are distinctive. I hope the accent comes through, for it is one of the things that makes us special. Here is a section from the book, Love You Best.

Their accents were distinct and to the trained ear, one could tell them apart from the Mountain folk. They spoke a little faster and would say they did not sound, “Country”. They did not call their Mountain brethren Hillbillies, that is a nasty word and if one must use the derogatory phrase, it would have to be applied to folks that hailed from the deep Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky and West Virginia. North Carolina is a bit more cosmopolitan.

The Charlottean accent is soft and has a cadence and a way of ordering words that is distinctive. Notably, they did not take tremendous care in enunciating syllables, especially the latter syllables in a word. They would rarely if ever pronounce the “g” on any word ending in “ing”. Only when they are feeling very Southern or have had a few drinks do they drop the "r" and pronounced it “ah”, but it does sneak in here and there. So phonetically, “I hear you are going to the store” would be “Ay hear you're goin’ to the store.” as opposed to "Ay he-yah yah goin' to the sto-wah." It is an accent that is easy on the mouth and pleasant to the ear.

Saying Goodbye

2011-02-21T14:08:00.001-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers we lost our cat today. In the grand scope of things, maybe not such a big deal but it has me thinking. I take solace today knowing there is a Lord. I have a deep unshakable conviction that we are not here by accident and that there is a Creator who made us and regularly attends to His Creation. There is no direct Scriptures on whether or not pets go to Heaven, but as one pet owner put it, "I can't imagine Heaven without my animals."

The Lord we serve is infinite and he cares for us, better than an earthly Father. If our Fathers on Earth, who are sinful give us good gifts, how much more so does our Father in Heaven give gifts to those He loves. Jesus said, "In my Father's house there are many many rooms, I go there now to prepare a place for you that where I am you might also be." Thus, I believe the mansion I have in Heaven has a new occupant today, my sweet Tiggamarroo. He was a good cat and the last words I said to him this morning were, "Tell Jesus I said, Hello."

The Vase

2011-02-18T18:53:00.004-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers this will be a deeply personal post but I hope that you will be inspired by this story. I hope that some of you will find this blog and read this story and recognize yourself in the words.

I feel like when God created me, he started out with a beautiful white vase. On it, He wrote the story of my life. Each experience, each triumph, each trial was the art that He drew on the vase of my life. It was fired in the oven, glazed, and shone with glory. When I was 29 years old, I rededicated my life to the Lord and the Living Water of the Holy Spirit filled me completely. I prayed for a ministry and He put flowers in the vase. Beautiful creations that were there for a time to drink of the love of the Living God. These were my friends, my family, and my coworkers. The water was sweet and abundant and I was so proud of how beautiful the vase looked with the bouquet of people God had picked to keep me company in this life.

As the years went by, my work began to take a toll. The stresses of life were overwhelming and water began to leak out of the back of the vase. From the front, which everyone could see, all was well but the water was leaking. I stopped going to the faucet and getting filled up, the number of people in the vase was a heavy burden to carry and they started falling out of the back. Every month, little chunks fell off the back of the vase, but nobody noticed.

I stopped wanting to be around others who were full of the Living Water, they reminded me of what was missing and I resented it. I tried to fill the void with smoke, but it just evaporated. I could no longer hold on to all the people in the vase as the water leaked out. July 20th, 2010 I took a huge blow and the entire back of the vase blew out, shards and water flew everywhere.

I thought if I changed jobs that everything would be okay, I only looked at the front of the vase now. I presented the front in all its beauty but the back was missing and I was leaking water everywhere. The vase could no longer hold any flowers and the front began to show cracks. My family saw a crack here and there, my husband saw others, my friends saw others still, but I am a master at makeup and I quickly covered the cracks and everyone just said, "Well, sometimes vases get cracked." It's stress.

Over New Years weekend, the vase shattered. Now, everyone could clearly see the cracks and they began to tell me what they had seen. I insisted I was fine, no big deal, and I limped back into work, with only a little of the vase still in tact. That was the part that was making a lot of money, but they knew the vase was gone, too. When they asked me to leave the last remnant of the vase completely shattered. I was shattered into a thousand pieces.

I've been wandering around my house for the last few weeks looking for the glue. I have been wondering how in the world I am going to superglue this vase back together.

What I realized today was this, those broken pieces, the ones that broke off long ago are cemented in the table the vase has rested upon all these years.

The table is made of concrete and the Lord has taken those broken pieces and has been embedding them. If you look closely you can see each piece pressed into the mosaic. Those last few pieces scattered about are the just new pieces in the project. It's not yet done, the only thing that is certain is that it's not a vase.

I've put down my Super Glue. I will never be a vase again, but I'll be a table which is infinitely more useful.

The Engine That Makes the Economy Run

2011-02-17T20:18:00.001-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers there is a lot of talk about getting the economic engine of America running again. We have all sorts of government programs and they will all fall flat and cost us a fortune for little or no return. The economic engine of this country has been and will always be small business. There are millions of Americans out of work right now and I can tell you what they are thinking - how do I make a living now? Many will start or have started a small business.

What is the biggest impediment to small business? Regulation and red tape. We must remove these impediments to get the economy rolling again. We must make it simple for the guy that knows how to fix engines, to fix engines. We must make it easier for business to get patents to protect their inventions. We must make it so the small business person can get a loan to start their business. We need government to get the hell out of our way so we can make it. We must rethink the way we've always done things. We must look for new processes, innovations, and technologies. There is no shortage of entrepreneurs but there is an overabundance of bureaucrats. What we are trying to right now is dig out of is an environment that hampers the great American Spirit.

As for me and my family, we are going to make it happen for ourselves and in the process, we are going to live the American Dream. May God Bless you and may God Bless America.

A Praise Report

2011-02-10T18:37:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have to say that I am frankly stunned by the miracle of God that has occurred in my house. Yesterday I wrote to you all about my little kitty who was at death's door. The vet gave him about a 1% chance of responding to the antibiotic shot they gave him on Tuesday and basically prepared me to say goodbye to him this morning. Well, I have written a lot about faith and God's healing hand and from where we sit tonight, it appears we have had a miraculous healing. He is not out of the woods yet, but Praise God it sure looks like the little guy is on the mend.

I am so thankful!
Dolley

A Good Cat

2011-02-09T09:02:00.001-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I learned 2/8 that my kitty cat has an inoperable cancer under the base of his tongue. We gave him some inter-venous fluids and a shot of antibiotic just in case it was an infection and not the cancer the Vet suspects. Today will be our last day with him, he can't eat and he can't drink much. We won't let him suffer.

His name is Tiggamarroo and we got him about 6 weeks after moving in this house. He's only 10 1/2, we figured he'd be around a lot longer. He'll never reach old age, he'll never be frail, loud, and senile. When my husband leaves here tomorrow with him he will be much like he's always been, sweet. He's not got a mean bone in his body and tons of personality.

I figured such a good cat deserved a blog post. Goodbye Tiggamarroo, you are a good cat.

Tiggamarroo in his Garden

Truth

2011-02-08T12:38:00.004-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have been reading Ephesians 6 lately. This chapter is a favorite of mine for many reasons: it addresses how we as children are to obey and honor our parents. It implores father's not to aggravate their children. It gives us guidance on how we are to work and how we are to manage. Finally, it tells us that we are not just living a physical world that we can see and touch. There is a supernatural aspect to our lives that we need to understand and be aware. We are told to put on the whole armor of God as we resist the Devil and his lies and tricks.

The first item of the armor is the belt of truth. Why a belt? I mean a belt is the LAST thing you put on when you get dressed, right? Who puts on a belt first? What is God thinking here? I am not sure, but I think I have an idea. Follow along with me if you will.

First let's look at truth, in the original language it is aletheia. Aletheia signifying "the reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of a matter" and "not merely verbal, but sincerity and integrity of character".

Thus, we are told to start with the Truth. This is often one of the hardest things to do in human existence because the truth if often painful. Telling the truth at the beginning gives us no latitude to trick or manipulate.

We don't like the truth anymore, about ourselves, about others, about sin. We don't like it at all, we'd rather skirt around the truth, we gloss over the truth, we find the truth harsh and unwavering.

So we are told in Ephesians to begin with the Truth. That in itself is a tall order my friends. Something that going forward, I will endeavor to do. If I find that I can't, I will just be quiet. Nothing of good substance and honor can begin with less. Relationships, stories, business deals - they all have to begin with the truth. If we don't we have built our house upon the sand instead of the bedrock of truth.

It is of note that in the Old Testament the majority of times the English word truth appears it refers to our mouths. It is often paired with righteousness and refers to justice. In the New Testament most references are to THE truth. In the book of John, he refers to the Spirit of Truth which is the Holy Spirit.

For me, it's a lot less difficult to start out with the truth if I recognize that it is God's Truth where we begin. Knowing how fallable we are, HE gives us something to hold fast to and that is the Spirit of Truth.

May you be greatly blessed today and thank you for reading!

A Flower in Winter

2011-02-01T19:49:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have been using this down time to do something I have not done in more than 20 years - art. While I am a rank amateur and have no false sense of my talent, I find it fun. I wanted to share a thing or two with you, I hope they make you smile.

The God Spot

2011-01-31T09:13:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I am in the desert right now. Everything in my life has changed and I find that I am once again clinging to the Lord for direction and guidance. There is a lot of writing that will pour out during that time as HE reveals truths to me and I will explode with revelation if I do not write them. HE talks to me on a regular basis. Sometimes through a breeze, sometimes in an audible voice in my head, sometimes through other peoples words, sometimes by confirming truths to me in objects, songs, and scriptures.

Am I crazy? I don't think so, but some might disagree. I do not believe I am any crazier than those that have been called before me to do the mighty works of God. It must have seemed crazy to the Israelites to walk through the Red Sea. It must have seemed crazy for them to walk around the city of Jericho and blow horns. It must have seemed crazy for the disciples to leave everything and follow a Preacher. It must have seemed crazy to Saul on the road to Damascus. Daniel, John, and Ezekiel must have felt crazy for writing what the Lord showed them. Those that loved them and knew them must have felt all of their loved ones were nuts.

I have said these words multiple times in the last three weeks, "I cannot explain this to you right now." I cannot explain this peace that surpasses all understanding. I cannot explain what HE has revealed to me or what HE has shown me, I do not understand it all myself, yet. I will say though that HE does still talk, HE does still listen, and HE does still answer questions.

So let's just take this one little bite at a time and talk about the still small voice of the Lord. Up to this point in my life I have heard him clearly only on a few occasions and the subsequent confirmation of the voice has proven that it was HIM and not me. Why do all men seek to put a name on the voice? One thing can be said for man throughout the ages is that he is incurably religious. If there is nothing out there why have men always sought to explain it? I believe it is because within us, there is a God spot. A hole that was created in our Spirits that can only be filled with God.

Some seek to fill it with food, sex, drugs - things of the flesh that turn black and destroy their souls. Some seek to fill it with Religion, rituals, rules, and structures - they are seeking to put God in a nice little box. They are seeking to explain the unexplainable and they try to tame the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Some seek to fill this God spot with science and in the process create their own secular religion that leaves out the Creator. There are a myriad of ways that men try to fill the God spot but all will leave them cold and wanting because there is only one true filling of that spot and that is from the One who created it.

In these days, the Holy Spirit fills the God Spot and only HE can stop the endless pursuit. Only HE can give your spirit rest. Only HE can give you life, peace, and hope in this fallen and dangerous world.

If you are searching your restless spirit, if your soul feels empty, if you KNOW something is out there and nothing you have done thus far has given you rest, I can tell you what you need. You need the Holy Spirit. HE comes to you through the shed blood of Jesus. HE does not glorify HIMSELF but points you to the Savior. So if you are tired of questioning, tired of struggling, and tired of trying to figure it all out you've come to the right place.

It's a simple thing: pray, ask, and accept. You KNOW the truth and let HIM take you the rest of the way. Father, I believe. Help my unbelief. Send your Holy Spirit to fill my heart, my life, and my mind. Take away the doubts. Thank you, Lord for your Son who gave us the power to pray this prayer through his shed blood at Calvary. Lord, I need rest. I accept you, I worship you, I thank you for the filling of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Going Down the Egypt

2011-01-30T19:02:00.003-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I must confess, I am still not watching the news but I would have to be dead not to notice that Egypt is on fire right now. It is worthy to note that Egypt, Lebanon, and Israel are still in existence by their Biblical names and there is plenty in the Bible about Egypt. Did you know that anytime anyone travels to Egypt in the Bible they are said to be going "down" to Egypt? Anytime someone travels to Jerusalem it is said they are going "up".

I heard some preaching on this a while back and it is worth sharing with you now. Egypt in the Bible represents the World and Man's way. If you are headed down to Egypt you are seen as doing what the world tells you to do not what God would have you do. Egypt is full of all sorts of pitfalls for the child of God.

As for me and mine we are on the long journey out of Egypt and we have our sites on Jerusalem. I fear there is a desert between us, I only hope it is a short sojourn but I must remember it is in the desert where we learn to rely on God. It is in the desert where we feel HIM more fully. It is in the desert when the ways of Egypt and the fat we have accumulated in the world is burned off in the fiery sun. The people that come from the desert can face the enemies of God and carry his sword into battle and emerge victorious.

So I ask you today, are you going down to Egypt or up to Jerusalem?

Some Doubted

2011-01-29T15:18:00.001-05:00

…but some doubted. Three little words that stand out to me like a piece of pepper stuck in someone’s tooth. The phrase is in Matthew 28 verse 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

Let’s put this in context. It is the last chapter of Matthew after the disciples had witnessed Jesus’ life, miracles, ministry, death and resurrection. There a resurrected Jesus stands before them and when the SAW him they worshiped him, but some still doubted. What does that passage tell us about human nature? It tells us many things, mainly that in spite of seeing all of the great events in Jesus’ life, the disciples still doubted. Why do you think that is? I think it is because they did not at that time have the Holy Spirit within them.

Without the Holy Spirit we do not even have faith in the things we can see and touch. That is why people can go to church their whole lives and know in their mind who Jesus is but never make the commitment to let Him into their hearts. I think that is why so many professing Christians do not bear any fruit. They are Christians in name only. They come as far as they can in the Christian walk without asking the Holy Spirit to come into their lives. They have accepted the kernel of doubt in their own hearts as part of everyone’s faith. They do not believe when others profess to not have any doubts about their faith, because they themselves do not know the truth.

Now it would be easy to stand in judgment of the disciples at this point. After all they were THERE. They saw him, they touched him, they ate with him and saw him die and rise again. Surely, had we been in their shoes we would not have doubted. I would not be so certain myself. How many people do you know of that have had awesome miracles in their lives that they KNEW were from God, only to claim after the excitement wears off that it was just fate or circumstance or the wisdom of the doctors that saved them. How many times in your own life has the Lord delivered you and afterward you doubted that it was His divine intervention?

The Holy Spirit is what divides the New Testament Christians from the Old Testament Jews. Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ we are able to have the Spirit of God inside us at all times. During the Old Testament times the Spirit of the Lord would come upon people for a period, but that was temporary and He did not indwell the believer. That is the only thing that sets us apart. That is why those who profess faith in Christ but have never asked Him into their lives struggle. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is one of the most under appreciated movements in our modern day churches.

You can go to many churches and never hear a word about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit within us is the perfecter of our faith. He is the convictor of our conscience. He is the guiding force that keeps all of us in line and living for God and not ourselves. Only through the Holy Spirit are we able to have communion with God and worship Jesus our Savior.

So if you have doubts, in spite of knowing the truth, ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to you. Ask Jesus into your heart and welcome the Holy Spirit. Do not be one who knows the truth and does not act upon it.

The Second Day

2011-01-28T16:43:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have been thinking about the Apostle Thomas lately. Now stop for a minute, I will bet the vast majority of you thought to yourselves, Doubting Thomas. Am I right? I will bet that I am. Have you ever stopped to consider though that that is not a fair assessment? Have you ever thought that poor Thomas got a bad rap? Has it ever occurred to you that Thomas had a moment of weakness and that his faith, his work, and his reputation have been unfairly maligned?

Go with me for a moment, back in time and let's see where it takes us. Thomas was one of the Twelve, one of Twelve men chosen by the Lord to be his closest confidants, friends, and who would ultimately be responsible for establishing the church. Thomas left his home and family. He left his job. Thomas would have been considered crazy by all who knew him for giving up his life to follow Jesus. Any time a person is called by God to do extraordinary things there are those in their lives who throw up their hands in frustration! He should be fishing, he should be farming, he should be staying home and providing for his family - instead he is galavanting around Israel following a Preacher! The Romans were after them, the Jews were after them, the Darkness of this World was definitely after them.

Thomas gives up everything and follows the Lord. At Calvary, everyone except the women and John flee, they hide, they are afraid. Imagine this with me if you will - Jesus is dead. Thomas had endured ridicule, persecution, the snide comments of his mother in law all because he believed, he believed in Jesus and now Jesus is dead. In the tomb, buried.

Judas is dead, their friend had betrayed the Master. The Sanhedrin was trying to find him and he knew what crucifixion looked like and he is afraid. The remaining 10 hide out but Thomas has had it. He's sick of the whole darn thing. He's sick of church, he's done, and he leaves - by himself. While he is gone the Resurrection happens and all the other Apostles get to SEE the Lord. They don't believe either until they see, we do not call Peter, Doubting Peter, do we?

So after a couple days he decides to check in with his friends, they tell him the Lord is alive, but Thomas knows better. You see the pain, loneliness, and confusion of the Second Day are with Thomas and he scoffs and says, "Then show me!" When he receives the same confirmation the other Apostles had he repents and believes but he is no different than the others.

So I ask you, in his place wouldn't you do the same thing? If you've ever had a Second Day, you will know what it is like. Jesus is in the tomb, everything you have believed to be true at this point is in question, and you are scared. So let's cut Thomas some slack.

The Gift

2011-01-26T17:04:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers sometimes the Lord takes you to a place where you can finally hear His voice. Recently, I went to such a place. There were many things He needed to tell me, things He needed to prepare me for, and somethings I still don't understand. In the center of all of it, I learned something I would like to share with you all now.

In the midst of our lives, we are missing it. We are missing the moments of our lives by not being present in them. We spend so much time thinking about yesterday and the past and contemplating and worrying over what the future may or may not bring, that we miss where we are right now. The gift we are given is simply this moment. That is all we are ever promised. We who are the recipients of this precious gift, let them slide by without notice. If anyone should be aware it is us, but we are too busy to listen and we miss most of our lives.

All I know friends is that at this moment, I have your attention and I am thankful for you. You readers who make this blog possible and who periodically give me the most precious of your gifts and that is your time. So, let me say thank you.

I vow to appreciate these times, these moments, this life and to no longer waste it on worry over the past or the future. I will simply be present. I hope that you join me and I hope as always that our time together is special. God bless you!

Dolley

A Football Tale

2011-01-21T12:06:00.009-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I would like to relate a story to you, a fictional "what if".

The story begins with Peyton Manning, three time MVP, Super Bowl Champ, and all around Super Star. Towards the end of the season, he is heavily recruited by the Chicago Bears. Peyton is happy with the Colts and he is honored and respected for his talent there. He has a team around him that buys into his style of play and they have a genuine bonding and affection for one another. At first he tells the Bears to go away, he is not interested. Circumstances and life seem to interfere and after loosing the AFC title game and missing the Super Bowl the Colts freak out and all of a sudden the Bears offer becomes more interesting.

Peyton meets with the Bears and they, like the Colts are a good organization and have a lot of similarities. They tell him they have always had Quarterbacks that hand off the ball and rush, but they want real talent. They want to build the greatest football dynasty the world has ever seen and Peyton Manning in the vehicle they want to use. They praise Peyton for his skills, not only on the field but in the locker room. They know he brings understanding of the front office workings, the coaching, the training, the facilities, the ownership, and of course the game. They make Peyton a very generous offer and tell him they are ready for him to come on board and help them build their dynasty.

With a heavy heart, Peyton leaves the Colts. The city mourns, the players throw parties, the ownership laments, the fans are all very sad. Peyton appreciates their love and support but is excited about the new opportunity. The Bears have promised all this and more and it is time to move on.

From the first days of practice, he knows this is very different from the Colts. All of the understanding and talents Peyton brings to the table are not needed at the Bears. He has made his choice and as a man of honor he is determined that he will be successful, because he always has been. Peyton is a winner and the Bears are paying him a good wage. He works hard, although they don't want him to do what makes him great.

You see, the Bears are structured that everything is controlled. Peyton does not have the freedom to make audibles at the line of scrimmage, the offensive coordinator calls in every play. They have had bad QBs in the past and their structure dictates that this is how they do it, these are the rules, and Peyton needs to follow these rules.

Peyton is shocked to discover that they expect him to be a scrambling QB. He has never done that in his career. In opportunities, of course he can scramble, he does it well but judiciously and only when all other avenues of a play have broken down. He is also disheartened to learn that his arm which is so good and so strong and made his career does not fit into the playbook, he is merely to hand off the ball to the players around him.

The players around him are adequate and some of them are even pretty good, but they are not allowed to buy into Peyton's philosophy in the locker room. The front office is always there making sure Peyton does not bring his aspect of the game to the other players. You see, the Bears have their own idea of what a locker room is supposed to be.

The draft rolls around and Peyton has great ideas about new players to recruit and trades to make. A couple of the key players that Peyton has played with in the past are available. The Bears have people to do that, so they tell Peyton, thanks, but we have our team. Peyton is once again bemused, but they are paying him to play for them and that is what he is going to do.

After the first preseason game, the coach makes a comment that all the other QB's they have had were scramblers and they were successful at it, Peyton should start scrambling. Peyton furls his brow and says, "But I have never been a scrambling QB only when I absolutely have too, but I guess I could try." He never gets off the line of scrimmage, he's not that kind of player.

The Bears bring in an outside trainer to show Peyton how to scramble. Peyton trains with the trainer, learns what he is telling him, and starts practicing. They are asking him to change his whole game and it is going to take a little time, Peyton is not a rookie and he has a style that will take him a while to unlearn. The new moves don't come naturally to him but he tries. After the second preseason game, they see that he is trying, but he is not getting the job done the way they like.

The Coaches and the front office look at him and he is nothing they want him to be. He is merely a high priced player that can't scramble and you don't need Peyton Manning to hand off the ball. So three games into the preseason they release him. He wasn't what they thought, they say. He's never going to be a scrambling QB and that is what they want, that is what fits their structure and their rules.

So all of the things that make Peyton Manning special were not used or in the end wanted by the Bears. He has failed there. Are the Bears a bad organization, no they simply thought they wanted something but they did not. No one likes ever thinks they are in the wrong and they tell themselves it was Peyton that did not understand what they wanted of him, not that they had changed their minds. Peyton Manning would have never left the Colts had he known what the Bears expected of him, why would he do something so foolish?

The good news is that the arm that had been giving him trouble is rested and healed. He also learned from the Bears and the outside trainer. He watched and absorbed because some of the things the Bears did were great, he just did not fit. He leaves the Bears facility that day with his pockets empty, they pay him nothing.

As he walks to his car, his ego is bruised, but he's still Peyton Manning. He's always been great but the Bears don't need him and he's tired. He knows what he has to do, the Lord has laid it on his heart. There is a new mission for Peyton Manning, a new road he is to travel, and the greatness of his football career is nothing compared to the new adventure ahead.

In this story, faithful Abigail and Dolley readers, your humble author is Peyton Manning. I am indeed looking forward to the greatness ahead. I can only pray that unlike in this story the company that lured me away from my great job will do right by me now that I have been released. When I left on Thursday I had no answers about severance. I am the sole supporter of my household and can only pray that God through men will take care of me and my family while I pursue other roads.

Thank you for your prayers, faithful readers! I need them.

Revolving Doors

2011-01-20T22:19:00.001-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers this has perhaps been the most jammed packed season of my life. So many things have happened and I am sure, like a Hebrew Word, they are best read backwards. Perspective shall be gained from looking to see what God has done and He has promised to light our paths and order our steps. I like so many am wondering where to turn and what to do now that some doors are closed and others have opened.

Tonight I sit with the laptop and think, why has this happened and what does it all mean. Many of my fellow countrymen are wondering the same thing, so I am not alone. I have reached the pinnacle of my career and found it cold and lonely. My true passion has never been in what I do, it has always been in who and what I love and that has never been my career.

So tomorrow, I begin a new adventure and adventure laid before the foundations of the Earth, an adventure that I was made for. All that has come before has been for now, all that I have ever known has prepared me for what I am to do. You see, last summer, in the midst of my struggles at the height of my despair I made a discovery. Better phrased, I was given a gift.

This gift has lain fallow for these last months, a dream, a vision, an impossible probability. I have been too caught up in the daily grind to pursue it and it has exerted itself and said, "You will ignore me no more!" You see it is not really mine, I am merely the conduit. So today, this January 20th in the year of our Lord 2011 we launch Pulse Points.

The proceeds in gross will Honor the Lord, He will get this first tithe, the first and the best fruits of this labor of love. For whom much is given, much is expected and I have indeed been given much. I would ask you faithful readers to remember me in your prayers. I will need them to stay strong, to stay faithful, and to stay true to my promises.

In Christ,
Dolley

Happy New Year Love Dad

2010-12-31T23:59:00.002-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers this post has been removed as it did not say what I wished for it to convey. The message though is simple, Jesus Loves You. HE wants you to live an extraordinary life. There is hope and peace and joy living in the light. HE loves you no matter what you have done, no matter how far you have fallen, no matter where you are, HE is with you. HE can change your future, you are not stuck in the past and you can be free.

To receive Christ all you must do is ask. Say this prayer to Him, believe it in your heart, and he will change you.

Lord, I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe your Son Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and that He died on the cross and rose again so that I might come to you today. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, show me You are real, come into my heart and change me O'Lord. Thank you.

What's So Special About Bethlehem

2010-12-25T10:55:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers - Merry Christmas! I love biblical prophecy, of all the proofs that God offers us, the proofs of fulfilled prophecy are some of my favorite. Today we celebrate Jesus' birth. Most know that he was born in Bethlehem, but what makes that significant? What was special about this place. Let's look at some of the prophecy together.

The Book of Micah was likely written between 735 and 700 B.C. and predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem in Judea. Mic 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting."
The New Testament proclaims that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and the Old Testament tells us where in Bethlehem he was born. A place called Migdal Edar, which means Tower of the Flock.

Mic 4: 8 "And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem."

Migdal Edar, the Tower of the Flock, was where the special passover lambs were raised. These were not ordinary lambs, these were consecrated and set aside specifically for sacrifice.

Thus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29) was born in the lambing barn of the special passover lambs. The shepherds which are keeping watch by their fields at night were the shepherds of Migdal Edar.

I could write for days and years on the subject - for the greatness of God is eternal and His mysteries are infinite. May you be richly blessed this Christmas and may the peace and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be upon you.

A Great Christmas (or anytime) Read

2010-12-20T10:22:00.000-05:00

I want to wish all of you Abigail and Dolley readers a very Merry Christmas. I hope the blessings of the Lord Jesus are abundant in your life as you remember the greatest gift of all, our Savior.

A few years ago I began reading the writings of Bodie and Brock Thoene. This talented husband and wife have written dozens of books, some of which capture moments in the Bible so vividly you will never read the Word the same way.

Their AD Chronicles are incredible reads as they take unnamed characters in the Bible and write stories around them. The crescendo of the stories are the parts that include Jesus; it touches the believer in a way that mere reading of the facts can not. For instance, in First Light, we meet the blind boy whom Jesus healed and whose parents were questioned and who was himself questioned by the Pharisees. In Second Touch we meet the lepers whom Jesus touches and heals. In Third Watch we meet the man who brings his demon possessed son to Christ who says, "I believe, help me with my unbelief". These passing and nameless characters are given lives, names, histories, and struggles. We praise God anew at the miracles they are the recipients of in the stories.

Beginning in the Fourth book and through the Sixth, we learn about Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, and the birth of Christ. While all of these books are good and full of revelation, they are in large part a repeat (over three books, no less) of information we already learned and know about from the last book of the Zion Legacy series, Jerusalem's Hope.

Thus, if you would like to dig down, deep into the symbolism, the meanings, and the foreshadowing of the Christian story I highly recommend these books. Jerusalem's Hope takes you into the world of the Bethlehem shepherds. You learn why these shepherds and their lambs were special and why it was so perfect that the Lamb of God was born there.

If you aren't much of a book reader and would like some juicy facts, check out this web site http://www.bible-truth.org/BirthPlaceofJesus.html

Many blessings to you!

I Finished It!

2010-12-18T21:36:00.003-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers some of you may recall, that back in March I declared I was writing a novel. I have over the years put pen to paper and begun three other novels. The first when I was about 16 years old, another when I was in college, and a third about three years ago. All of them were victims of either limited life experience, convoluted and way too involved story lines, or just plain full of so many holes and mistakes they were abandoned. This one, though, dear friends was different.

This book flowed out of me like breath. I did not spend a ton of time scripting the story, the story just told itself. Some of the chapters have only been read by me once and I did not obsess on editing what I had already written, I just kept going. From March through April I wrote feverishly; the story coming to me on my drive to work every morning and when I sat down that night, I already knew what I was going to write.

Alas, life gets in the way and I sent an electronic copy to a friend. A friend I knew loved to read the genre I was writing and one who I felt would give me good and honest feedback. Then my work life spun out of my control and the book sat unfinished and untouched for months. My friend was quiet and I began to fear that it was so horrible, she could not even bring herself to critique it.

Then, as life goes, I was blessed with a visit from her and she sheepishly admitted that she'd only begun to read the book a few days before and it was GOOD. I was so relieved, because unlike my other attempts she is the only one who has read a word of it. Even my beloved husband, George, had not read a line. Suddenly, the story started popping in my head again. The characters wanted to have their story finished.

Life has calmed down much in the last few months and I finished the book tonight. As I lay here, with my laptop humming away, I can not believe I actually finished it. Of course, that is simply the first part of the writing process and because much of the story was written in a whirlwind, it will have to be edited and anomalies corrected. I suppose if a book is a body, then I have finished assembling the skeleton. That is the frame though and truly the hardest part. I have to go back and give it tendons, ligaments, muscles, and skin but the story is complete and I am overjoyed.

Emotional Bank Accounts

2010-12-17T14:43:00.001-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I am indeed very privileged to have engaged in a mentoring relationship with a very wise gentleman. Friday afternoons have become the highlight of my week and I have grown tremendously in just a few short weeks. Being challenged, affirmed, and learning something in the process is one of life's greatest adventures. We are all in the business of living and if we stop learning we become stale and boring, even to ourselves.

This week, we were discussing interpersonal relationships and I shared one of the insights I gained many years ago. I believe we have an emotional bank account for everyone that comes into our lives. Based on the level of importance, each person starts out with an initial deposit. Subsequent transactions and interactions with that person are either a deposit or a withdrawal on the account. When we are involved with people that are constantly withdrawing from the account, eventually, the account goes into overdraft and after a period of time the account is closed.

This is true in all our relationships, even with those of your children, who start out with the very largest initial deposit of anyone in our lives. If all someone ever does is take from you and never put anything back, it is time to close the account. At some point in the future, the person may have a change of heart and seek to reopen the account, but that will require a meeting with the banking officer to determine if the necessary changes have been made in order to justify a reopening of said account.

So Abigail and Dolley readers as we approach the New Year when we all feel we have been given a new lease on life and an opportunity to begin anew, review the bank accounts in your life and close the ones that are in overdraft, send a warning to those who have reached a minimum threshold, and put deposits in the accounts were YOU are overdrawn.

Many blessings to you all,
Dolley

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-12T10:09:00.001-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers this year, I did my tree in the colors of THE King, inspired by Tudor velvets. Royal shades of red, blue, purple, green decorated with gold and citrine. It was inspired by an ornament I have had for years and always thought a tree after that fashion would be stunning.. I spent days getting it just right. It was a tough one! I think mostly because the deep purple and the royal blue disappear into the evergreen. Its actually quite beautiful in all sorts of light and it was a blast putting it together.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. I told you I have been on a creative tear! Merry Christmas loyal readers. You make doing this seem meaningful. May the Lord Bless you, may He make His face shine down upon you, and give you Peace. In the Mighty and Powerful Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bless you.

Love,
Dolley

Royal Shades of Blue, Purple, Green, Gold, and Red

I love her, she's singing to herself in the mirror

Butterfly

Purple Peacock on a hydrangea

Purple Hummingbird at his feeder

Blue Peacock looking over her shoulder

The Ruler of the Roost, this is a tough old bird

The Ornament that inspired the tree

I have tried 6 ways to Sunday to get these pictures to upload correctly, alas, we are in sideways world viewing the whole tree!

In the Day with no lights, check out the Butterfly!

The Topper

Merry Christmas from Dolley's Haven.

Friday Evening Ponderings and a Little Pep Talk from Dolley Madison

2010-12-10T19:50:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers, I have to say I am sorry. Many of you loyal readers have come to this site for political commentary and it just aint happinin'. I am sure as seasons go, I will once again pick up the pen and begin pontificating on the events of the day, but alas, I am tired of it. I am worn out with watching the left destroy my country. I am worn out with the daily political action alerts I receive in my email. I am not listening to talk radio, checking Drudge on the hour, watching Fox for hours on end, and going through my fb pages for interesting political articles and discussions. I am just not interested in any of it at this point. The pox on them all!

That does not mean that my brain has stopped thinking, oh contrare! I have had an absolute creative explosion in the last few weeks; my book, my garden, my house, and mostly my job. It has almost been a fugue. Many wonderful things have been born of this episode but the most profound was this statement:

Knowing where you want to go is one thing but knowing how to get there is another.

It came to me in a moment of clarity and suddenly all of the disenfranchised puzzle pieces fell into place and it started clicking. Everyone has dream, places they want to go, things they want to do, a life they want to live but without a plan, they will never be anything other than dreams. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step - I know it is hackneyed and clique but it is appropriate.

Start at the end and work backwards. Find the half way point and keep going - all the way back to where you are right now. Look at the difference between right now and your goal. Determine a time frame and set incremental goals that get you where you want to go. Write it down. Share it with others. Inspire yourself. Grow, learn, seek, improve but most of all move forward. No one is stopping you except yourself. Get out there and do it, you can, this is America, Baby.

We can still be whatever we want to be! We can still achieve the impossible. We can still make it, and rock the World while we are doing it because it is bred in us. It is in the fundamental DNA of the American Spirit and we are indeed Mighty and Great. So be a Patriotic American and live your dream, make your wealth, achieve your success. Take that first step, We The People are behind you cheering you on.

Take a Stroll Through the Autumn Garden

2010-12-03T07:06:00.028-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers take a stroll with me through the wonders of an Autumn Garden. It was the day after Thanksgiving and most would have looked at the gray sky and despaired but not me. I saw it as a perfect back drop for the bright and vivid colors of the Season.

Hibiscus, Balloon Flower, Pansies and others

Mums, Sedum, Ice Plant, and Pansies

Ageratum

Carolina Lantana, Pansies, Hibiscus, Baloon Flower, Dwarf Nandina, and Dwarf Conifer

Wild Flowers from a seed mat

Wildflowers from a seed mat

Ageratum

Carolina Beauty Lantana (it smells like lemons and butter)

Baloon Flower (it turns from green to yellow to orange)

Spirea

Pansy

Autumn Color on a random tree

Arborvite


During the summer these are bright electric blue

My Own Three's Company Episode

2010-11-19T23:37:00.003-05:00

Anyone that watched the 1970's Three's Company will recall that every episode was essentially about a misunderstanding. The misunderstanding would spark a funny series of comic events and in the end, the truth would come out, everyone would hug - See You Next Week!

So anyway, George and I are having a small dinner party on Saturday night and as my good friend, says everyone should have people over at least twice a year because you get your house in order when company is coming. Needless to say, we decided to finally finish a project that we started 2 years ago. All the colors are taupes and black/browns with red as the accent color.

New Paint!

We have needed a picture over the mantel on the main wall in the great room, that we could both agree on, for several years. George's one rule for whatever picture we ultimately chose was "No More Flowers" and I agreed to comply with his wishes. I discovered Art.com and have become enthralled with the site. I selected a really cool abstract

What I Ordered

To my delight my picture was ready in just days and was to deliver the day before the party. It was the final piece in a LONG project and I was eager to see it in person and hang it up. The package arrived right on schedule in a gigantic box. George set out to surprise me by unpacking it and hanging it before I got home from work. The packing was intense. Wired tape, multiple layers, straps, sleeves, and Styrofoam protected my new art it took him 30 minutes to unpack the picture, he was excited too!

Six Foot tall Boxes

He turns the picture over and its a boat.

A Freaking Boat?

He is stunned, at first he's pissed and thinks to himself, "What the heck was she thinking? This doesn't go! It will ruin everything. This sucks! Hang on, in all the years I have known her I don't think I have ever heard her mention a boat. I don't think she's ever said, "I love boats" or "I want a picture of a boat". She doesn't even like boats! Surely she would not have picked this picture for the Living Room! Oh, no! What if she loves it! What if she is so excited and will have her feelings hurt if I insult the picture. Well, it is a kind of nice boat... but if you could pick out a picture that would not possibly go with all of our stuff, it could very well be this picture. No, they sent us the wrong picture. I'd better call her, but I'll play it cool.... just in case."

Now if that would have been a Three's Company Episode, he would have tried to hide the print from me to keep it out of sight until after the guests were gone. Finally after a huge series of mishaps, I would have discovered the high jinx and laughed about it after the teaching/touching moment.

In the end, he posed it to me in this regard, "Well, your picture got here and I think they sent you the wrong one. It has a boat on it...."

Having A Party

2010-11-17T21:07:00.001-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers some of you hard core readers may recall last summer when I lamented that We Don't Throw Parties Anymore . I said it was because the house was not finished and since the advent of Better Homes and Gardens people stopped having people over to visit. I submit to you, that I was correct in my original assertions, but neglected to mention one thing. If one would like to have friends over, there is no greater motivation to finish a project and spruce up the house than a party.

The house gets cleaned, the trash gets thrown out, the storage unit gets cleaned out, the walls get painted, art gets ordered, furniture gets moved and bought.... All the stuff that we said needed to get done but somehow never does, well all that gets done for a party. My good friend's husband says they should have people over at least twice a year simply for that reason and you know what? I agree with him and will tell him so when I see him on Saturday Night.

Will my friends enjoy the party more now that the house is fixed up? No, they are coming to see us - THEY don't care what the house looks like. I am blessed to be hosting new friends and old. The new friends arrive with a bottle of wine. The old friends show up an hour early and help you clean the bathrooms.... Luckily, the maid did those, the caterer is cooking the food, and the handyman has finished painting - I am simply going to show up and be the Queen that I am. Praise the Lord for His Mighty hand of blessings and great friends, old and new.

Free Phones

2010-11-11T19:50:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I don't have cable or local TV so commercials often escape my notice all together. I happened to catch about an hour of local news today and was appalled at the commercials directed at welfare precipitants on free benefits and specifically phones! Did you know you can get a free cell phone if you are on welfare? Did you know you can get two months free home phone service? What the hell! Go get a job and buy your phone! I am officially sick; we are broke.

Some Things I Have Learned

2010-11-09T21:12:00.035-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers - I have one of those strange minds that retains facts and bits of information, I know a little about almost everything.

Here are some tips:

If you suffer from dandruff throw away the special shampoos, in many cases they make it worse! Instead, everyday wet your hair in the shower, use a squirt bottle and put apple cider vinegar on your scalp, rub it in, let it sit for a minute, and rinse. Wash and condition as you normally would. Do this every day for 2 weeks and there after when you have a flare up. Works like a charm and you can wear black again!

If you have really rough sand paper skin on the back of your arms - cut out milk and watch it go away.

If you get an ant bite, mix baking soda and benedryl cream into a paste, it will pull out the poison and you won't have a sore for a week.

Under the skin and cystic acne will respond to Icthammol Drawing Salve. Simply put a healthy dab on, cover with a bandaid and the drawing salve will pull out the infection. You won't scar and the pimple won't last 2 weeks! Take an ibuprofen to reduce swelling and pain.

Kids will eat as much as they need. Don't artificially over ride their natural tendencies and they won't loose their God given regulatory sense.

Many of us adults HAVE lost our ability to regulate our food intake. The French say that the first bite of food that you take that is not as good as when you began is a signal to stop eating. Try it, it works.

If you eat something and your neck, back, or shoulders ache you may have a sensitivity, intolerance, or allergy to that food.

Women - go get fitted for a bra, most of us are in the wrong size.

Check your shoe size - it changes.

Gained a few pounds and the jeans don't fit as well as they used to? Favorite T-shirt all drawn up and doesn't hang right anymore? Downy Wrinkle Releaser works wonders on cotton clothes to smooth wrinkles and relax fibers that have seized up.

Pondering All Things

2010-11-08T07:40:00.000-05:00

Abigail and Dolley readers as in all creative things, inspiration comes in waves for me, so forgive me if I seem to sometimes be off the reservation! Ironically, we have worked so very hard over the last two years I find that I need a break from all things political, just for a little while. We will be vigilant and hold our elected officials feet to the fire to insure they do what we elected them to do, but I am going to gain a little perspective.

It's cold out now and there is tons to do in the garden to get ready for Winter. We are painting the inside of the house (at least the upstairs) and am very excited for a change. So I leave you with a couple of my favorite pictures, taken in the Autumn 2008. God Bless You!

The Inherent Decency of the Right

2010-10-30T13:33:00.001-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers it occurred to me today that the inherent decency of the Right has been on full display this election season as personified in Democratic Senate Candidate from SC, Alvin Greene. If you have missed Alvin Greene on the national stage you can attribute that largely in part to the hands off approach people on the right have taken toward this candidate. Watching or listening to Alvin Greene brings to mind the admonition of my Mother, "Do not stare or make fun of retarded people." For those of you who haven't had the pleasure, here is an Alvin Greene video.

Let's just pretend for a moment that this guy was a Conservative. Can you imagine Stewart, Olberman, Matthews, Maddow, Rhodes, Schultz, and all the other viscous liberal attack hyenas would do to him? Can you imagine if Alvin Green was a CGLB (Conservative, Good Looking, Brunette)?

The man won the SC primary largely because people thought he was the blues and gospel singer, Al Green. That is just pathetic. Ironically, I think Alvin Greene was the Lord's way of blessing Jim DeMint and honoring this great man for his service.

I am in the Charlotte Metropolitan area and thus, Alvin Greene is local politics in my media market. To a person, every conservative commentator and interviewer has refrained from destroying this guy. Mark Levin, who can be quite the ranter, was as polite as possible to him. The interviewers are embarrassed for him and Keith Larson of WBT has even tried to help him during exchanges. It is actually quite painful.

The Left would show no mercy if this guy was a Conservative.

The Toughest Women on the Planet - Conservative, Good Looking, Brunette Politicians

2010-10-30T10:30:00.007-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I must confess and it is indeed a sad day. I have determined I can never run for political office. You see I am a conservative, good looking, brunette (CGLB) and they are not allowed to run for public office any longer. While technically not illegal (yet) Bachmann, Palin, and O'Donnell serve as a stern and sobering warning for any CGLB who is considering public office. You better be ready, Sister, because you will be attacked with the ferocity of conflagration.

I have the added handicap of being nice and think of a good come back about an hour after someone insults me. My Southern Accent used when inconveniently speaking my mind and telling the truth would be fresh meat to the slobbering hyenas of the Mocking Stream Media. I would undoubtedly be destroyed. I am an Evangelical Christian, who happens to believe in a CREATOR. That immediately brands me a troglodyte. My pastor preaches the unvarnished truth of the Gospel and says a lot of Politically incorrect things like Sin, Redemption, and Hell. I am a believer in individual liberty and against violence towards children and women in all forms, which makes me an enemy of the "I want to kill your baby crowd". I went to a (gasp) State school where I got B's, so I am obviously an idiot and not worthy to grace the halls of Congress with my superiors. I am "in trade" as the English Aristocrats used to say while holding their noses. I have not lived a perfect life. My biggest offense though, is that I am cute.

How Much Does Government Regulation Cost You?

2010-10-26T19:48:00.002-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers for every product you buy, what do you think it costs you to pay for government regulation in that item? I think the price would astound you. Some costs may not be directly rolled into the price of the product but definitely reduce the amount of net income that goes back to a companies bottom line. Let me give you a couple of examples that I have noted recently.

I am working on a plan to move one of my branches to a new location. I found out today that I have to install an entirely new bathroom in the facility to comply with new county code related to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now, there are a handicap stalls in the existing facilities, but they don't conform to the new regulations. This new bathroom will eliminate the janitor's closet and will add an additional $15,000 onto the construction costs for the build out. I lost about 2 hours of my day today reworking the plan and we will get absolutely no value out of this expense. I have been in my industry for 20 years now and have never once worked with anyone in a wheelchair, nor do I believe I have ever even had a visitor in one. What is wrong with the existing facilities? They are 3" too small. Will we roll this into the cost of our product, no, it just increases my overhead.

The next one relates to transportation costs and I would like to specifically point out the air freight market. International or Domestic, Import or Export - it does not matter, if you are flying something to meet a critical deadline you are paying out the nose for security fees. Right after 9/11 the airlines started charging a War Risk Surcharge - $0.15/kg on every shipment and this past August due to 100% screening requirements we added another $0.15/kg for screening fees. Right off the top we have 0.30/kg for every shipment, then there are all the documents and paperwork needed to comply with security regulations and you add another $50/shipment. This might seem nominal at first glance but it adds up. Theoretically if you figure 2 million kgs of airfreight moving everyday the cost of security regulatory compliance is roughly about $220 Million dollars a year. That is added directly on to the price you pay for everything you buy. (My estimates)

There is nothing of intrinsic value that is added in either of the above instances, they are merely costs associated with complying with an ever increasing Nanny State that seeks to regulate business out of existence.

The Evil Rich Guy

2010-10-20T07:29:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have been on the road for the last few weeks visiting customers. The life blood of my branches with this new company is small and medium sized clients. All of these customers are "small business people". Their desks are cluttered with paper, they have care lines etched upon their faces, they are living on coffee and cigarettes, and they are trying to keep their employees employed and their doors opened.

One of the clients was a couple of High School buddies who got an idea for a product and launched a firm. One of the clients was a third generation in a family business that started out as his grandfather's general store. Another was a man who had worked in corporate America for years and started his own firm. All of them are hanging on, all of them are frustrated with the new environment in this country, and all of them said they would like to source in the USA but can't find anyone to manufacture their products.

We have to get out of these people's way. We have to stop punishing their success with punitive taxes and adding to the cost of doing business. We have to stop blaming these people for their success and we have to reward them for who they are and what they do.

Chinese Manufacturing and Why the USA Should NOT be Behind

2010-10-10T12:37:00.001-04:00

I recently had a very interesting opportunity to learn about Chinese Manufacturing from a gentlemen I met from Qingdao (pronounced Ching-Dow). We were picking on him for all of the Chinese Holidays and he explained why this was so. 80% of all workers in China are what we would refer to as long term commuters. Meaning that they leave their families at home in the countryside and come to the city for work. Only during the two week or one month holidays do they get to go home to see their families.

Guangzhou Train Station

Now from an American mindset, we would get in the car and drive home. Not so in China, they have to try and get a bus or train ticket. Eager workers can wait up to a week to try and buy a ticket, many will not be successful. Traffic jams in and out of the cities can last a week. Many workers once they finally make it home, will not return to the factories. Instead they take the money they have saved and open grocery stores and the like in their own villages. Thus, the highly skilled workers needed for complex manufacturing are always turning over.

Beijing Traffic Jam

This is where the American Manufacturing, workforce, and culture SHOULD be able to kick the Chinese collective butts. We have an educated, stable, and motivated workforce who can go home every night to their families. We also are the primary consumers of many of the products the world makes so shipping costs remain constant and are not subject to the massive fluctuations we have seen in International Freight.

So why are we loosing this battle? I contend we have two problems - Government and Unions. Both of which are represented as the "answer" to the current economic catastrophe we are in by the party in power. The Democrats represent bigger and more powerful entities that are in my opinion the most significant impediment to recovery and world competitiveness.

Government suppresses American Manufacturing in a number of ways but primarily with punitive taxes and regulations. Once again, the Democrats class warfare on the "evil rich" and their penchant for "safety" regulations render it virtually impossible to put out a competitive product.

Unions strangle the ability for businesses to adapt, change, and maximize a skilled work force by ridiculous rules and wages that far outpace the market. Pensions, lavish healthcare plans, and inflexibility also make it much more difficult to compete.

As I listened to the Chinese gentleman describing the real situation in the Chinese firms, I couldn't help but think that the Democrats actually admire China and if they had their way, we would be just like them. The American spirit will never be subjected like this though, they have forgotten who they are in their quest for control and power, but the American people have not forgotten.

We will begin to throw off the bonds of regulation, government, and communist unions. We will begin to rise again and we will not loose our place in the world, no matter what the Democrats would like. We The People will never submit.

Human Nature and the Progressive Tax System

2010-10-03T09:30:00.006-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers the below is not original material, but it so aptly illustrates the human nature at play in the culture wars that I had to copy and paste. The credit goes to C. Howell, although I am not sure if Howell is the original author.

Philosophy/Economic lesson 101:

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

Random Picture from the Internet

The first four men (the poorest) would ...pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20." Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's
bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so: The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

"I only got a dollar out of the $20,"declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $10!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I got"

"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"

The nine men surrounded the tenth man and beat the hell out of him...

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists, politicians and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier...and who could blame them?

For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

Ulysses S. Grant - We Have Been Lied To!

2010-10-02T17:16:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers until yesterday, if you had asked me about Ulysses S Grant, I would have told you that he was a Union General that was elected President. I would have said he was a drunk and presided over a very corrupt Presidency. He was a failure in business and died broke. I suspect that you my kind reader would have said something similar.

What would you say if I told you that portrayal is a lie? What would you say if I revealed to you that Ulysses S Grant was one of the greatest Americans to ever hold the office of President? What would you say if I told you that he was not a drunk? You are probably as shocked as I was to find out that we have indeed been so completely deceived in our recollection of this man, that the injustice of it is nothing short of a crime against history.


Ulysses S Grant - Photo by Matthew Brady

It was this picture that caught my attention. Most pictures of Civil War soldiers do not appeal to the modern eye. I can't recall ever looking at one and thinking, "Wow, he's handsome!" Thus, when I saw this yesterday, I had to find out who it was. I was shocked to discover it was Grant. The article was about how he was much maligned and how revisionist historians had painted such a false picture of this great American hero. I had to find out for myself.

Ten hours later, I could weep from the injustice. Ulysses S Grant was none of the things that I had previously thought except for the fact that he was a trusting man who was swindled out of his modest life savings and did indeed die broke. Even the story of his death speaks to a man of unwavering integrity and honor. In the throes of a painful death from throat cancer, Grant tirelessly composed and dictated his memoirs. The proceeds from their sale were intended to rescue his families fortunes and he did not succumb to death until they were completed.

Widely regarded as the most successful Presidential Memoir in history, they are still in print and reveal a genius of wit and insight. Mark Twain said of his memoirs that a thousand writers could not have tendered such a well turned book where few if any sentences required revision and the simplistic language conveyed and imparted greater meaning than most anyone he'd ever read.

This was not the work of a lifelong alcoholic on his deathbed. By all personal accounts and writings of those who knew him, Ulysses S Grant was a man of honor, temperance, and modesty. He was a champion of civil rights, fierce protector of the Confederate Officers in peace time, forged a humane and generous policy toward the American Indians, and crushed the domestic terrorism of the KKK. He was a fierce lover of his family, devoted to his wife, and indulgent and affectionate toward his children.

He was an artist, a writer, and perhaps the greatest horseman to ever hold the office of President. Grant was kind to animals and is said to have only been seen in a temper over a Teamster mistreating a horse. He had an incredible memory and 20 years after the fact recognized a soldier with whom he had shared rations with at the Battle of Shiloh. He recalled in great detail many aspects of battles, movements, and army life. We was disciplined in his manner and speech. He was humble and was always uncomfortable with the public adoration and praise that he received.

In all my research, I can find no contemporary of his who describes him as a drunk. There is no indication of this in any accounts written during his life time or after in dozens of interviews. The only allusion I could find of it was from WW Smith, who was a cousin and lifelong companion who indicated that Grant would occasionally not make himself available to people during the holidays while his children were home in favor of spending time with his family. On one such occasion, it was written of Grant that he was drunk when in fact he had been spending time with his children.

Alas, he was a Republican and continued Lincoln's legacy to honor and protect the Black man and to heal the nation of the wounds of Civil War. He was a brilliant General and an American Hero. He was revered and well loved. I suspect that liberal historians choose not to discuss this about him since it did not fit their purposes. Shame on them.

For citations and further edification, please visit: Ulysses S. Grant Homepage

Best Practices

2010-09-30T18:29:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley Blogspot is dedicated to exploring the logic and the facts behind issues of the day. So let us endeavor into another corporate buzzword that has been adopted into our lexicon. Best Practices - this one perhaps embodies a degree of common sense that others of its ilk have not done. It is not terribly fancy sounding and I seriously doubt that anyone uses it to make themselves look smart. Our Government and Corporate America are full of blowhard pretenders that hide their minimal intelligence and incompetance behind veils constructed of the latest catch phrases, can you say "Customer Centric" or "Social Justice"? In the case of Best Practices, though, the principal and thought behind it is actually not far fetched and for once, makes sense.

In all affairs; personal, professional, and governmental the examination of what works and what does not is nothing more than common sense. Why then do so many disregard this basic premise and proceed willy nilly down a path of failure or worse one of complete destruction? My Mother has a saying, "Those who do not listen, must feel." She is of course very wise in this regard.

It is frustrating to watch a loved one go down the wrong path, specifically if you yourself have recently done the same and tried to warn them of the pending outcome. It is nerve wracking to watch your company go down paths of futility and usually send me on a job search.

In the public arena where the stakes are higher and the costs are immeasurable we have an entire political class that constantly and consistently leads our local, state, and national government down the road to ruin. Our government is no longer concerned with doing things well and more concerned with doing things their own way. These ineffective measures have bankrupted us at all levels. We can no longer afford their arrogance and complete disregard for what actually works.

Economic stimulus - taxes and government spending have NEVER worked. Tax cuts and putting money in the hands of taxpayers and corporations have ALWAYS worked. Why are we doing the opposite?

Health Care - in states that have eased regulation on insurance companies, instituted tort reform, promoted medical savings accounts, allowed collective buying for small business, and fostered an environment of competition and free market - they are successful. Socialized and heavily regulated medicine are DISMAL failures. Why are we trying to choose the path of failure?

Environmental - common sense stewardship of the Earth, with Man in his proper place as Master and Caretaker of the Planet and not the subject of it leads to growth, prosperity, and a betterment of our World. Illogical is the idealogy that says that Man is subject to the Earth and Human concerns must always take a back seat to the needs of the Earth. This policy can be seen in full display in the absolute destruction of the Timber Industry in Oregon and Washington. Decreased numbers of the all important Spotted Owl took precedence over the lifes and welfare of human beings. The richest and most prosperous counties in the two states a decade ago now host 25% unemployment and are now the poorest. That in and of itself is a tragedy, but when you find out the Timber Industry had NOTHING to do with the Spotted Owls decline in numbers it borders on criminal. Yes, folks, the Spotted Owl is being killed by a bigger, stronger, meaner owl - yet the Timber Industry remains idle and our people remain unemployed and the human suffering that goes with the debacle is immeasurable.

Show me what works and do that! Is it too much to demand from our elected officials that they stop the waste, the favors, the pay offs and actually do what works and what is right?

Small Town America and Why We Still Matter

2010-09-19T10:41:00.005-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers, I went to a reunion yesterday. Not a family reunion, but an Small Town American reunion. A gathering of folks who grew up and around a small mill town on the outskirts of Charlotte. These days there is little difference between Pineville and Charlotte, but for those of us who grew up there, we know the difference. We remember the landmarks that are no longer there, we "Awwed" audibly when pictures of loved ones flashed on the screen during the memorial CD, we smiled at the pictures of the wild Southern boys and their jacked up muscle cars, but most of all we were happy to see each other and took pride in our heritage.

Now, the ruling classes and the liberal elite would have looked upon this group with contempt. You see we were in cut off shorts and T-shirts, we sang all the words to Sweet Home Alabama, and we raised our cups to lost friends and good times. We laughed at old stories, complained that we were still smoking and knew we should quit, and talked about our kids, grandkids, and small businesses. What the ruling class forgets is that these are the people that fix your cars, build your houses, and work in your factories. They are the back bone of this Country and will show up with a casserole when someone passes away, a tow to pull your car out of a ditch, and money to bail you out of whatever trouble you've gotten yourself into.

Their pride in their country is held in contempt by the liberal elitists who scorn their patriotism and hate this country. Their accents render them unintelligent in the eyes of the country club Republicans. Their faith is scorned by the academics that are too smart for God. They are Southern, so they must be racist, say the mainstream media. I say, they are wrong again. These are the people that built this country, their blood ran on the battlefields of history, their sweat plowed the fields, and their hands built the products that changed the world.

These are now the people who are muzzled and stifled by an over bearing government that makes it too difficult for the common man to start a business. These are the folks whose factories have shut down because regulators required too many expensive "safety" upgrades (for their own good, of course.) and taxed "the rich" at such a rate they could no longer afford to do business in this country. These are the folks that used to build your house, clean your gutters, and mow your lawn but now can't find work because there are illegal aliens that will do that job "under the table". These are the people who teeter on the edge now because the work is gone and the horizon is bleak. These are the people who recognize that when you talk about "the rich" you are really talking about their employers and they know their jobs won't be coming back until the government stops taking their bosses money at an alarming rate.

These are the people that loved Ronald Reagan and "hoped" Obama would live up to his promises of a "change". In the immortal words of George W Bush, "You fool me once.... wait hang on. Well, if you fool me once then, you aren't gonna fool me again."

Long live small town America! Enjoy the video.

The First Butts

2010-09-17T07:40:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers it has been really busy with the new job, so forgive me if the posts have become a little infrequent. I have a crazy and irrelevant sense of humor though, and as I see things that make me laugh, I will throw them up here.

Left to right: Princess Letizia of Spain, French first lady Carla Bruni and Michelle Obama, first lady of America.

I thought this was too funny - I really have a tremendous amount of contempt for Michelle Obama. The hypocrisy of this women is astounding. She gives new meaning to "Do as I say and not as I do." She could have done a tremendous job inspiring young black women. They desperately need a role model to stay pure, study hard, respect themselves, ect. Instead she lectures us on OUR diet when she clearly needs to look at herself with a hand mirror.

Laugh of the Day!

2010-09-16T20:50:00.001-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers this made me laugh out loud!

I'm As Mad As Hell and I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore!

2010-09-10T05:03:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers this Talking Points memo from Monica Crowley should get a reward! I could not have said it better myself. Enjoy!

I Love It When God Does Stuff Like This

2010-09-09T20:57:00.001-04:00

I love when God uses His sense of humor. Nothing stuck my funny bone more in the last few days than the latest debacle in LA. It seems there is a new $75 million dollar school dedicated to the Green Religion (can I bring suit against them for preaching their religion in public schools?) that has been named after Al Gore and Rachel Carson. The hysterical part is that it is sitting on toxic soil! Rachel Carson is responsible for the ban on DDT and thus responsible for the murder of millions through malaria. See the article from a few days ago! We all know Mr. Bozo Ozone Man and all the damage his bloated bloviating mouth has done.

Anyway, I was going to say it was ironic, but as Gutfield says in the below video that is not really accurate. Fitting is more like it. I think God said, okay folks, you won't post my Commandments or let my kids pray in school but you will erect a monument to "Gaya", take that!

Welcome New Abigail and Dolley Readers!

2010-09-07T19:30:00.002-04:00

Dear Faithful Readers,

I started a new job today and am very blessed to have a great opportunity. When the announcement went out today to the corporation, several enterprising colleagues Googled my name and were directed to this blog through a professional profile. I must admit that my eyes got huge when a colleague commented that their new GM was certainly "right of center"!

Now, I am not ashamed of this blog nor the opinions expressed therein, but life can be compartmentalized and I am essentially a private person in my professional life. It is usually best to get to know folks a bit before laying the full force and opinion of Dolley Madison on them. Within my professional career, I prefer my work, reputation, and colleagues to speak for me. I leave aspects of faith and politics within their appropriate realms.

I will be meeting with many of my new colleagues in a few weeks for a Global Meeting and look forward to getting to know each of them. So if you, kind reader, are one of my enterprising new colleagues who had the foresight to save the link to this blog before I removed it from my public profile, I hope you enjoy your visit here and I look forward to working with you.

For the rest of you faithful readers, thanks for visiting and giving me your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Testing Principals - If it Does Not Work in the Micro it Will Not Work in the Macro

2010-09-06T11:10:00.005-04:00

For a principal to be true in the Macro is must also be true in the Micro. Failed policies, beliefs, and philosophies ignore this truth and seek to impose their will on others. History often bares this out but as a society we are so self important we believe that because we are involved, this time it will be different. It will not be different, for there is nothing new under the sun.

Let me give you some examples:

Individually, we know if we work very hard for something we value it more than if someone just gives it to us. Examples in the Macro - public housing vs. private neighborhoods. Have you ever seen pictures of new public housing and then a retrospect of what the same housing looks like 10 years later? It is shameful, but demonstrates the point. If you are "given" a home you do not have to work for or earn, what insentive do you have to take care of it? None! If given a choice, which would you choose, where would you live?

Evolution vs. Creation - in Creation the beginning is God. In Evolution they can not tell you the beginning. If you can not start with the first atom and explain where that came from, everything there after is based on a false premise and is then applied to the world and the universe at large.

Sincere and honest belief makes something true, truth is individual, and should be tolerated as equally valid. This premise is applied to the macro of "personal faith" all the time, but it is ludicrous when applied to the micro. If I sincerely believe that the plate of potato salad in front of me is a steak sandwich no matter how sincerely I believe it, it does not make it true. If I sincerely believe that Ronald McDonald is the son of God does my sincere belief deserve the same respect as those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?

Truth is relative - If I sincerely believe I am an alien from Ork does that make it so? No, it only sends me to a mental hospital! If a rapist believes he is making love to a woman and that there is nothing wrong with that, does that make rape okay?

Communism vs. Free Enterprise - Communism ALWAYS fails in the micro and the macro. It is only in the minds of the Utopians where it doesn't. Unfortunately, there are enough mislead and deceived souls out there that will ignore history, ignore real world examples, and continue to live in LaLa Land.

Thus, I have briefly demonstrated the point that if something is not true at all levels then it can not be true at any level. We must reject the lies and insist on the truth. We must stop "tolerating" irrational suppositions and shine the light of sense, reason, and logic on the things that are only true in someone's mind. We must stop supporting policy and regulations that seek to ignore human nature and impose a misguided vision on those they seek to help. It is time my friend to stop humoring those who believe the lies and it is time to start speaking the truth.

Bring Back DDT - How the Green Religion is Killing People

2010-09-03T09:55:00.003-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I am not a scientist or an entomologist. Heck, I think I know the word entomology from watching CSI and Bones! I first became aware of the DDT ban and devastating effects to the 3rd World and the bed bug explosion several years ago. A group of my friends went to a brand new hotel at the beach and ran into them. It was horrible! They were all completely freaked out and even I (who was not on the trip) became obsessed with these nasty blood sucking creatures. Being "Dolley", I of course started doing a bunch of research.

I actually came across this video from Stossel while doing Global Warming research, but it is an excellent example of how junk science adopted for political purposes can cost you a fortune, but more important contribute to the deaths of innocent people. The portion about DDT starts about 1:40.

I have written extensively on the Religion of Environmentalist and if you care to check out back posts that link will take you to my musings on the subject. Let it be sufficient to say that at their core, Environmentalist love the Earth and hate you. You consume resources and your very breath is pollution and destruction. That is their worldview. Thus, it should not surprise anyone to learn that, one Environmentalist admitted that the primary problem with DDT is that it reduced the incidence of malaria in the developing world and thus increased the population.

That's right folks, it wasn't the safety of the chemical it was "Big Environment" deciding that kids in Sri Lanka did not deserve to live. 60 million people have died of malaria since 1972 because of the ban on DDT, that is 10 times more than died in the Holocaust. Many of these deaths were children... as a Mother I can not imagine the horror of 1 let alone 60 million.

Now we have Bed Bugs and God forgive me, but I hope they invade every environmentalist home in the country. I hope these nasty critters suck the blood from these Greenies as they have most certainly played a role in the deaths of these innocent people. They will sing a different tune if it is THEIR children waking up with bites and thousands of dollars of extermination bills and loss of bedding, clothing, and carpets. This is small in comparison to the mother in Africa whose child won't wake up ever again.

Perhaps it takes a bit of discomfort in our own lives for us to wake up and realize that we need to undo an egregious error. We need to bring back one of the safest, cost effective, and efficient pesticides known to man. Kill the bed bugs and kill the mosquitoes! BRING BACK DDT!

Facts and research for this blog came from the below sources. I encourage you to do your own investigation:
Howard Stern Says Bring Back DDT
New-Yorks-bedbugs-vs-Africas-malaria-crisis
Bring Back DDT and Science With It!
Bring Back DDT
1 in 10 New Yorkers Have Bed Bugs

Never Gonna Stand For This - New Patriots Anthem

2010-09-02T19:15:00.002-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers enjoy.

Obama Just Does Not Have This & That is Sad

2010-09-02T09:02:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have been fascinated by the rise in the polls of the popularity of GWB in recent months. From the fact that his approval ratings are up 20 points since April, to the Democratic poll that found that in Ohio 50% to 42% would rather GWB be President right now over Obama; all of these signs point to the fact that absence does indeed makes the heart grow fonder. Liberal commentator, Mark Shields, recently warned Democrats against continuing to vilify GWB as the Boogie Man because he was such a classy former President and a decent guy - it is going to back fire on them and indeed it appears that it has.

So I was cruising around You Tube today and watching interviews with GWB and was drawn especially to the ones he gave as he was just about to leave office. He is not surly or angry or lecturing about how the American people have turned on him. He is not defensive or full of condescension toward his detractors. He does not even seem particularly anxious about his legacy or what people will write about him. He is pleased with the job that he did and states emphatically when he gets home, he will look in the mirror and be proud. This man deserves our thanks and our honor for serving his country.

One of the videos I watched was actually the first joint interview that 41 and 43 had ever given and it was with Brit Hume. Upon observing this, my heart broke. It broke because of the love and affection between these two men and the foundation for which GWB was drawing to serve with such dignity and honor. It is a stark contrast to our current President, who is Fatherless.

Obama does not have a Dad to call and get the unconditional love that GWB speaks of that a President needs sometimes. He did not have a role model or a good mentor to give him a basis or character and foundation. He is an injured and scarred man who lacks the fundamentals of character to be able to stand within himself and his own character. It is so very sad and so very scary to realize that the current President is no where near the stature of these two and we are all the worse for the abandonment of him by his father.

Restoring Honor Rally - Reflections and Suggested Reading

2010-08-30T06:29:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I was moved to tears several times while watching the Restoring Honor Rally. I am not much of a crier, but will often weep before the Lord and for the love of my Country. I had many opportunities on Saturday, August 28, 2010, to do so. I was shocked at the overt aspect of Faith that was on such a public display. Usually, the only time I hear any of that sort of thing is at my church and my church is not a typical one in that it is not politically correct and my pastor is not afraid to speak the truth.

I read a couple of books, many years ago, that changed my life. Frank Peretti "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness" show how the natural and the supernatural intersect in ways that you have probably never thought about. They are parallel stories of the battle of good and evil here on earth and within the realm of Angels and Demons. These novels opened my eyes to the realities of spiritual warfare and the mighty power of the Word and prayer. If you have not already, I highly recommend that you read these incredible stories.

We are in our own Peretti novel right now and epic battle between good and evil. The choices we make must be made with prayer and circumspection. We must adopt a worldview that is not blind to good and evil. We must hold our country up before the Lord and truly beseech Him for restoration. No political movement, candidate, or government program can change the course of this nation - only the true Founding Father can do that.

Townhalls - What A Difference a Year Makes

2010-08-27T10:07:00.004-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers has it occurred to any of you that this summer has been relatively quiet on the Town Hall front? Compared with last year's headline grabbing rants, rages, and smack downs this year has seemed relatively tame. There are a couple of reasons for that: primarily, embattled Congressmen have avoided them like the plague. Some may suggest it is because people are disengaged and no longer care. I think the exact opposite is true, people are so far engaged they are no longer talking to those who will not listen.

The protesters of last summer are the candidates and volunteers this summer. They are in Washington this weekend for the Restoring Honor rally. They are volunteering at their local candidates offices. They are blogging and sharing articles with their friends. They are more involved and informed than I have ever seen in my lifetime. Ordinary folks have turned off CBS and tuned into PJ TV. They are mobilized, informed, organized, and ready to reassert a Government, of the People, by the People, and for the People. A Government of laws and not men.

The Political Class takes the calm at the Townhalls and their disregard of the Citizenry at their own peril because come January they will be coming home to live amongst us again, fortunately for them, we no longer Tar and Feather.

What's With the Chain License Plate Frame?

2010-08-24T18:14:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I was driving home today and noticed a chain license frame on the back of a nice minivan driven by a black woman. For years I did not know what it symbolized and thought they were actually quite stylish (yes, I know, naive...) until my husband informed me that it was a symbol of slavery. I must confess I was confused why anyone would want to sport that on their car - the last time I looked, slaves had been free for about 140 years.

There are a couple of Bible verses I have memorized over the years: "All things work together for the good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose." There is another that says, "What the Devil meant for evil, I have used for your good." Should those verses not be applied to every person who was brought to the USA in chains? Should we not be grateful that we are here and let go of the pain and the victim mentality?

I mean seriously, have you looked at Africa lately? Not exactly a bastion of freedom, opportunity, and long life, if you know what I mean. Anyone born in this country has been given a gift of immeasurable worth, why do you want to go back to slavery? Why do you put that on your car? I just don't get it.

Nancy Pelosi is Insane

2010-08-20T08:33:00.001-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi has said some bizarre things over the years: her comments about the Tea Party, her ramblings over passing the Healthcare Bill to see what is in it, but the latest gaffe shows her mindset very clearly. My news junkie readers will have seen it over and over again, but some of you may not have. See the video embedded below:

The mindset of this woman is amazing! Think about it - in her world people don't independently come up with ideas without money supporting them. Let that sink in for a moment. This means that what SHE believes to be best for the public has to be sold to them, backed by money, and they need to be convinced it is the best thing. Nancy Pelosi believes that YOU are incapable of independently coming to a conclusion that is opposed to what she believes and that you have to be funded by some special interest.

This explains her comments about the Tea Party, her insistence that it is a fake movement being bank rolled by some one else. This explains why she was so disdainful of opponents of the Healthcare Takeover as shills for the Insurance companies. If this finally clarifies her mindset, then what does it say about her? Folks are you really comfortable with this woman being 3rd in line for the Presidency?

Update: Apparently, I am not the only one who thinks she's a lunatic!

How Do You Measure Success?

2010-08-19T08:47:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers, I resigned from my job this week. I procured a better opportunity and have decided to move on, but the sadness that goes with departing is always something you have to deal with and this one was really tough. You see, I am not your typical corporate executive; SHOCKING, huh? I love "my people", I sincerely do.

For many years I prayed, "Lord, please give me a ministry." I wanted to do something grand and honestly, I think I was really praying, "Lord, get me out of Corporate America." Day after day, I headed to the office not satisfied but obligated to my family to make a living. To that point, I had enjoyed moderate success in my career but had stagnated for several years after the birth of my son. I plugged along and was biding my time waiting on the Lord to move and to move me.

One morning, getting into my car in the garage I prayed the prayer again, "Lord, please give me a ministry." As clearly as if He was in the room with me, He replied, "I already have." I was stunned! All the way to work that day, the words kept rolling around in my head. This wasn't going to be some grand ministry to feed the homeless or go to Rwanda, this was simply being Christ to those I worked with and giving of myself to them. I had been doing that for years but just thought it was WHO I was, nothing grand, just being myself. From that day forward, I looked at my work differently, I looked at my people differently.

I do not proselytize at work, unless someone seeks me out in that area. I just do the right thing, care about their lives, and try to honor Jesus in all that I do. I am so flawed, but the Lord uses that to draw folks to me. I am a contradiction - I am an on fire Christian but I cuss like a sailor. I am extremely professional and can play the game yet I tell funny stories, loudly. I am serious about my work, yet I laugh constantly. I write well and communicate better than most but I do not send rah rah corporate messages and hold stupid meetings to simply hear myself talk. I will wear a business suit and stripper shoes. I work hard, but only 40 hours a week. I am ALWAYS late. I make mistakes and will share them with my staff and laugh about how silly it was and how embarrassed I am. I will bust their asses when they screw up and hold them when they cry about a situation at home.

The company I worked for, when I got my "ministry" from the Lord, did not value all of the crazy contradictions that made me who I am, but I cannot be anything other than that, so needless to say, I would have been stuck in a corner in middle management forever if I hadn't left. Whilst I was still there, my boss attended some motivational seminar and returned with these words on his lips, "How do you measure success?"

He was all over the place with this buzz phrase, popping into my office unexpectedly to blurt out this question and then pop out again. I must confess I rolled my eyes because we were drowning in work and the sarcastic side of me wanted to say something like, "When I get you to quit spouting this stupid shit and let me hire somebody." I never took it seriously.

As it happens though, when I resigned from that job, all but one came into my office, hugged my neck and cried. They told me how much they had enjoyed working with me, how much I had taught them, and how much they loved me. They told funny stories about me and teased me about things I had done and said that touched them. Sitting in the parking lot, crying the night I left, I realized THAT is how I measure success. I am blessed to have encountered the same reaction yesterday as I departed a job that I have truly loved.

This time was a bit different, though. This time, I had been the leader not merely a supervisor. This time, I had been able to create a "Dolley Madison" culture and environment and my folks responded in kind. I am touched and humbled by their outpouring of love and support. If I never do another thing in my corporate life, I can honestly say, THAT is how I measure success.

Brand Loyalty and the Real Hope for America

2010-08-15T05:51:00.002-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I have written previously about Brand Loyalty and how the Republicans lost the faith of the American people when they abandoned their principals of small government, low taxes, and protecting the individual liberties of the people. This morning though, I began to think that this sword cuts both ways. The Democrats, you see, are forging their "Brand" with much of the American public that believed their advertising, but are vastly disappointed in the actual product.

They are much like the shoddy advertisers of years gone by that promised kids if they would send their money they could have a Sea Monkey farm, only to discover afterward that the Sea Monkeys were so minuscule no one could actually see them and they didn't look anything like what the ad showed them - they had been taken. The bitter taste of deception is one that the vast majority of the American electorate are feeling about the Liberal Progressives in Washington. You see, they didn't read the fine print that says, what you see is NOT what you get.

They are astounded at the arrogance, the spending, the corruption, and the complete and utter disregard of the will of the American people. I can only hope that the American people have realized, they bought Sea Monkeys.

I Still Cry About 9/11

2010-08-14T11:28:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers I sometimes wonder if I am the only one left that still regularly cries about 9/11. I sometimes wonder if on 9/12 all those in favor of a Mosque near the site would have been for it then. A Mosque at Ground Zero is like a Japanese Memorial at Pearl Harbor or a Nazi Clubhouse at a Concentration Camp. It is not about rights it is about what is right.

Can you make it through this 911 call? Can you? Can you tell me after you listen, that it is okay for our President and our Government to fund a trip of a cleric to raise money for this incredible slap in the face?

Kevin Cosgroves' 9/11 Last Call From World Trade Center - Watch the best video clips here

Speaker Pelosi's "Cash for Democrat Re-Election Program"

2010-08-08T08:30:00.000-04:00

Abigail and Dolley readers have you wondered why we have to pass MORE stimulus money when so much of what has already been passed is not spent? Well, here you go:

Speaker Pelosi's "Cash for Democrat Re-Election Program"

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann issued the following statement regarding next week's special House session to spend $26 billion for supposed "state aid":
"Next week, Speaker Pelosi is calling the 435 Members of the House to DC next week for the purpose of spending another $26 billion we don't have. We were on a six week hiatus, and members had scattered to the four corners of the Earth.
"The reason she wants to do this is because her members are in political trouble and she knows they will need the financial support of the public employee unions. This $26 billion represents a circle that works like this:
"Take $26 billion away from the productive private sector, deposit it in the US Treasury. Speaker Pelosi and the Democrat majority will then vote to send the money from the Treasury to politicians across the nation.
"State and local politicians then give the money to employees of public employee unions. The public employee union skims their share off the top of the worker's check first in the form of union dues. Part of the dues are funneled into the union's political action committee, which in turn will be spent on political TV, radio, Internet, and print ads, as well as union "boots on the ground."
"Speaker Pelosi and President Obama have already spent $3.6 trillion on stimulus. For them, $26 billion doesn't rise to the level of a day at the beach, so why bring us all back to DC after we were scattered?
"Could it be because their most loyal constituency and political foot soldiers, many of whom could be facing the never before seen horror of a government employee let go due to lack of state and local tax receipts, need to be reminded whose hand quite literally feeds them?
"Spending is the least popular item on the public's mind right now, but it looks to me like this $26 billion has more to do with fully funding the union political action coffers and making sure the left's political "volunteers" get the message to get out the Democrat vote.