it's about to get political up in here.

Up to about six weeks ago, my vote was decided. I passionately supported and advocated for Ron Paul throughout the primaries and was even a delegate to the Cherokee County convention, and selected to be a delegate to the State and alternate to District. I have a friend who went to the National convention. I saw and heard firsthand accounts (videos, photos, first person updates) of the corruption there. I do believe so very much in everything Ron Paul represents. I respect the momentum that he has gained over the last couple of elections. It saddened me that he was squashed and silenced by the ignorance of the American voter, the media, and even by his own party. I was determined to write him in yesterday, and leave it at that. I thought I would respect myself more in the morning. 

But then the first Obama/Romney debate happened. I didn't want to pay it any attention. And then I watched it later, and saw how Romney really spoke clearly and articulately about the state of the economy versus the state of things in the last four years. It wasn't that he swayed me with his words. He made me do some serious thinking about my life and what it meant to stand for what I had been standing for. That the issues and things that I was passionate about really may have contradicted the way we ACTUALLY live... I had the realization that on one hand I was shouting about how we need less government and a return to the Constitution, and on the other hand, we were on unemployment, food stamps, WIC, and Medicaid all at once. We took advantage of the available government benefits and those benefits seriously floated us through the hardest times...

I began to recognize that my political mentality was extremely disconnected from my actual reality. I was in a sort of political denial about how the last four years had affected our family... 

All the things that had happened to our family since September 2009... somehow those things were not in the forefront of my mind when I considered how I would be voting this election. Why? I don't know. You see, in September 2009, I was laid off from my fancy corporate job. I'd been there for 9 years, had been laid off once and brought back during the 2001/2002 recession. Our income dropped by about 70% after that layoff. After I went on unemployment, our income was still down by about 50%. I started my cake business and took care of my nephew to make a little money. Things were tight, but okay. Then my husband lost his job in late July 2010. I was 7 months pregnant with Noah. He was a contracted worker at that job so he couldn't get unemployment. There was no two week notice. He was simply told not to come back to work. He worked in the health insurance industry. After the Affordable Care Act was passed, the health insurance companies he worked for didn't want to pay the same commissions, so he was laid off. 

So around the time our baby boy was born, we were down to living on just my unemployment, and on food stamps. My kids had been on Medicaid for over a year. Once Noah was born we were on WIC too. We were probably receiving the equivalent of $2K in government benefits each month. My husband was trying his hand in the insurance industry but without salary. I was taking care of very small children during the day and night and couldn't see how I could work and do cakes and take care of my nephew (well, I guess that was working). There was no income outside of these benefits. Eventually, the mortgage stopped getting paid. Eventually, we started getting foreclosure notices. We scrambled to get out of our home into a place where we could live and try to get on our feet and try to sell the house. We were receiving handouts left and right from concerned friends and had an amazingly supportive family. There were many hard times during that period.

The truth is, the benefits we received from the government were a lifesaver. I understand why people want and need government help to get by through hard times. So many benefits... SO wanting to not need them, but so desperate.  It truly saved us and took the edge off of our financial strain. I understand where the need comes in for these benefits AND I also understand how being on them can make it hard to see a way out of poverty and welfare... when you receive $700 a month in food stamps, $1300 in unemployment, $200+ in WIC vouchers and untold medical costs covered by Medicaid, and you sit down and realize that you need to make $40K+ a year just to have enough cash after taxes to cover these expenses WITHOUT the benefits in place, it can be a daunting thing. It can make being on welfare VERY comfortable. It means that neither my husband or I had to work two jobs (even though maybe we should have been), made us available to our children, meant we had time to work on the place we had to move into when foreclosure was imminent... meant that Jason could pursue a commission only job because the unemployment was there... It became -- not comfortable... it was always slightly uncomfortable paying with the EBT card... I was always grocery shopping late at night to cash in all my WIC vouchers so I didn't hold up the line during busy hours...  always a little pride swallowing going on every time I had to drag my kids to the Labor Department or WIC Office... always explaining away to family and friends why things weren't better... It was never comfortable... but inside, we had the safety net and all of those experiences were worth the security of health care for my kids, food on the table, and money to keep the lights on and gas in our cars. 

If we hadn't had the option of being on these benefits, I wonder how we might have handled our desperation differently. Would a greater level of desperation have caused us to fight harder for our family's financial future? Would that pain have been worth it and would we be better off now than we actually are? Part of me thinks we would be, but the other part of me thinks it helped us maintain some sort of dignity. Would having absolutely nothing have triggered a drive within us to do anything and everything to get out of this hole? The answer is obvious. Although I know we would never have been left homeless, I still think that fire would have been hotter under our butts to get the cash flowing and provide for ourselves.

So when I really started thinking about what it would mean for me to write in Ron Paul... what it would mean for our family, for our economy... what it means is that the bailouts and propping up of the economy through TARP that happened in 2008/2009 and further stimulus that has happened since might not have happened... it would have meant that the economy would have been allowed to hit rock bottom... something that many economists say might have been the best thing for this "free market". For the market to have tanked the way it should have and rebuilt itself on its own would have ensured a real robust and stable recovery for the economy. On a micro level, it would have meant the same for our family... I am pretty sure. But that vote literally would contradict the very way we had been living... looking the gift horse in the mouth so to speak... saying "lower taxes! no more government handouts! smaller government!" while being the quintessential recipient of government welfare benefits... again, can we say DENIAL?

So, I stopped certifying for unemployment in August 2011 because of the weight on my conscience even though I was eligible to continue certifying. I stopped getting WIC for that reason too. Honestly, it has been hard to let go of food stamps and Medicaid for my kids. But the thing with us is that WE WANT TO BE OFF OF THEM. We talk about even letting them go... allowing our family to struggle without taking anymore from the government... to rebuilt in a way that means we fight for every penny that we have. Even though it's comfortable, WE DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE RECEIVING HELP FROM THE GOVERNMENT. We want our little micro-economy to thrive and flourish. We want to be done with this season, even though we know that even if nothing ever changes, God is still good, and he still loves us, and is still for us, and we can trust him no matter what the outcome... whether things change or they don't change... he is still so good and that he is ENOUGH. Coming to a place of acceptance of where we are, and not wanting out has been one of the hardest lessons to learn, and one that I continue to learn. 

In order for us to get off food stamps, outside of just telling them we don't want them anymore (VERY hard right now with only $1000 a month income and I am sure very hard for others in the same position, so I DO understand people who want more government and voted for Obama), we need income. We need Jason's efforts as a sort of investment broker for OneCare to continue to be fruitful. We need a stronger economy. We need investors who feel confident enough to invest in the company my husband has been trying to raise capital for... We need corporations - large and small - who feel their futures are bright enough that they want to hire, not freeze hiring or God-forbid, lay people off because they are on the docket for being taxed to death to pay for Obamacare. 

And as I speak, the DOW is down 360 points. The markets are sliding. The confidence level of investors now that Obama has been re-elected is not there. In conjunction with the fact that Obama has plans to tax the hell out of the rich - BTW - the folks that EMPLOY PEOPLE and INVEST in small business and fuel the growth of new business... this also means that the Dodd-Frank bill is here to stay, and the banks are going nuts. 

If this isn't an indication on whether or not the free market feels like they're going to be in a climate for growth in the next four years, I don't know what is. 

And I'm scared.

And it was this fear that led me to change my vote a few weeks ago. A friend of mine said something that really resonated with me when I was on the fence about things. She said, "we have to stop the bleeding". And it really caused me to reflect, not only on where my family is and has been, and the precipice we are currently on that is directly contingent on the confidence of investors, and where we hope to be going in the next year, but on the fact that we are NOT better off than we were four years ago. The Federal Reserve remains unchecked, pumping the economy full of printed money, artificially propping things up... and this will eventually lead to further recession, further struggle for Americans, the devaluing of the dollar and inflation.

This is all that Obama has offered my micro-economy... artificial prop-up and hand-outs. Hear me right - we applied for them and are thankful for them and we understand how hard it is to let them go, but the reality of what this has meant for us on both the micro and macro level is really starting to hit me... and we are realizing decisions need to be made. To do on a smaller level what we hope to achieve on a larger level... 

I voted for Romney yesterday... something I swore up and down that I would never do. But I did. And I am proud that I did. I voted for the future of my family. I am proud that I voted for where I want to be, and not where I am. I am proud that I voted for someone who had the credentials and experience to take something broken and turn it around. Bain Capital is a private equity firm... they took public companies, acquired them and bought out their shareholders, fixed them up to make them profitable and brought them public again. That's capitalism at work. I didn't want to admit it, but he was the lesser of the two options provided ... the current road meant the chances of more struggle were real. The option of Romney meant an increase in confidence for the folks that could directly affect our family's future. That's what I feel that this country needed. That's what I believe the more promising option that would give us the confidence to get off of food stamps and Medicaid and get back on our feet again. Where it would have hurt my pride to admit that I voted for Romney in the past, now I feel like I woke up to the reality that sometimes you have to work the  imperfect system in order to get the best results with the options at hand. Romney was the option at hand to help turn this thing around. But America wanted something different. 

And today, I am reeling from it. The market is reeling from it. This is what America wanted. And this is what they'll get. All of the social issues mean nothing if the basic well being of the people of this nation can't feed and clothe themselves and have the dignity of employment and housing. In which case, they might want the bigger government and all of its benefits. And my fear is that "they've" got us right where they want us. Dependent and stagnant with nowhere to go. 

And that is all I've got to say about that. 

But before I close... please know, I understand why people voted for Obama. I get it. I get why his "plans" appeal to many. I get all the social issues attached to being a Democrat vs a Republican that get people all riled up. I am neither Democrat or Republican. I chose this platform to share my thoughts on the outcome of this election and how I feel it will affect my family's future. And your future. God have mercy on us all. 

Read more posts about this last year here. 

more thoughts on amendment one.

As I've thought more about this subject, and what I said in my first post, I felt the need to add a few things... 

1) I believe that marriage is a sacred and spiritual covenant that was, in my opinion, designed and handed down by God to man to fulfill both parties (historically and Biblically a man and a woman) involved and for the benefit of furthering mankind. The covenant protected the man and woman and their offspring spiritually, emotionally and physically. Furthermore, the relationship between Christ and the church is described in the male/female terms of Bride and Bridegroom. Therefore, marriage is a sacred, spiritual act of making covenant with one another, historically and Biblically between a man and a woman... I believe in this sacred union. Whether or not I believe couples in homosexual relationships may enter this same covenant with God and one another is not up to me to decide. It is up to God to decide... because I do not believe that the law, any man, or any entity outside of heaven has the authority in heaven or on earth to change how God views this covenant. If he designed it this way, then that's that. So it's a moot point for any of us to get our panties into a wad about what the law says, because it really doesn't matter what the law says, since the covenant is between two people, with God... it's his deal to honor it or not honor it, not mine. It is a spiritual covenant. Now if the law attaches to it's existence things that may hurt vulnerable people, like children or anyone that may already be at risk, then I have a problem. 

2) In the case of Amendment One, it's passing DOES bring into existence things that will hurt vulnerable people, thus my concern and belief that it's passing not only crosses the line politically, but crosses the line and actually seems to punish those in unmarried heterosexual AND same-sex households. I can say with some level of certainty that I do not believe this is God's heart, nor do I think that it pleases him that this is actually being done by some in His name, when it does nothing but alienate those He came for from the church and Christianity, and actually causes harm - actual harm. 

Now if the government would stay out of everybody's personal business (provided their business does not affect the life/liberty or property of another human being) in the first place, none of this would actually matter. There would be no entitlements to strip away to begin with. But since there are, and those rights/entitlements actually provide protections under the law in circumstances where someone's life, liberty and property may be affected, well, this is cause for serious concern.

Since I am unsure how many of you may have clicked the link to read about what actually will happen to those affected by the passing of this law, here are a few details - please be advised, this doesn't just affect same-sex relationships, but ANY domestic partnership:

Source: protectallncfamilies.org

A child of an unmarried parent could lose their health care and prescription drug coverage.

A child could be taken away from a committed parent who has loved them their entire life if something happens to the other parent.


It threatens existing child custody and visitation rights that are designed to protect the best interests of a child.

Amendment One would interfere with protections for unmarried couples to visit one another in the hospital and to make emergency medical and financial decisions if one partner is incapacitated. 

Any couple that isn’t married could have their legal protections revoked. 

Passing down of a family’s legacy and prosperity (a family's will and trust) could be invalidated by the amendment.

Only married women would qualify for domestic violence protections. Unmarried women would be left vulnerable to their attackers and stalkers.

Women in Ohio have already been through this. When Ohio’s amendment passed, which was less dangerously broad than Amendment One, abusers were released from jail and cases were thrown out of court.

A single or widowed senior couple could be forced to marry to keep their legal protections, which would cause them to lose benefits such as pensions, health care, and social security.

And with all that being said, I leave you with a few scriptures: 

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25: 35-41)

Blessed are the poor in spirit,  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn,  for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3-10)

amendment one.

So, I begin this post with great trepidation ... anticipating judgment from my family and friends and possibly even my church community. And that's okay. 

I'll cut to the chase. I'm not happy that Amendment One was passed today in North Carolina. Not happy at all. 

I guess because I am a Christ-follower, that means I must be lumped with "those barbarians" as described by Sarah Silverman on the twitter #amendmentone hash tag feed... I guess, because I am a Christian, you would expect me, naturally, to agree that the government - state or federal, whatever - should define marriage for me, and everyone else, because you know, homosexuality is a sin, and those homosexual "sinners" must have the government stick it to 'em, illegitimize their relationships, since of course, God must not recognize their long term commitments or unions as being anything of consequence to them or anyone involved. 

There are a couple of facets to this issue for me. One, the older I get, the more I pay attention to politics and follow my heart, and the more I reference the Constitution, the more I realize that the government has absolutely no business whatsoever in the private affairs of it's citizens, unless those affairs affect the life, liberty and property of another person, in which case of course, there would be a law broken and grounds to prosecute the person who broke that law. This includes the issue of gay marriage. The truth of the matter is, if a person is gay, and that person has a partner who they want to marry and commit to for the rest of their life, has absolutely no affect on my legal rights or my marriage. Period. So frankly, from a purely political perspective, it shouldn't even be a political issue. The problem is, it has been made a political issue now in 30 states, and attached to "it" - the "definition of marriage" - are all kinds of protections, rights and entitlements that upon establishment of "it" by the government, those who do not fit within that definition have said protections, rights and entitlements stripped away. You can read more about the potentially devastating effects of this here. In a nutshell, some of the most vulnerable in our society would be horribly, negatively affected. There is something very, very wrong about this thing that some believe is so very, very right. 

And since we're talking about those that are most vulnerable... last time I checked, Jesus pretty much was all about those who were most vulnerable; those that were outcast, unloved - the dredges of society... in fact, last time I checked, he spent a great deal of his time in ministry just hanging out with those folks... the rejected, abandoned, mocked and the lost causes. He continually upset the religious establishment with his message from the Father, doing only what he saw the Father doing, the new covenant of Love, that would bring all men into right relationship with God through his eventual and ultimate sacrifice, planned from the foundations of the world. Folks, I could go on and on about this, but right now, with as much energy as we spent debating about "gay marriage", we need to be building each other up in love to reach out and show the love of Christ to our lesbian, gay, transgender and bi-sexual neighbors. Cause frankly, that's what Jesus would do, and would have done, and well, does. 

Yes, I know what the Bible says about homosexuality. I also know what it says about all kinds of other sins and chances are we are all - including myself - guilty of committing those sins, even some habitually. The Cross is The Great Equalizer. And if that is true, why do you treat this community of people, many of whom already have strained relationships with their families, have endured great pain and loss to "find themselves" and be true to who they believe themselves to be, searching for any kind of peace in this world, those who are perpetually scorned and misunderstood even by secular society, with the same - if not worse - kind of treatment than the world? This is the kind of stuff that turns me off from mainstream Christianity, and leaves me longing for more and more of communion with others who long to truly follow Christ, weigh the cost of discipleship, and want to hold each other up and help each other to step out and be the Love of Christ to those who need to see it most. I need that... so badly.

The bottom line is, I am concerned about the hearts and lives of the people who will be affected by this amendment. I am concerned about the further reach of government into the affairs of its citizens. However, I am encouraged to find that so many other believers stand in agreement that the law itself is not so much what matters, it is how the law affects the most vulnerable - in heart, mind, body and spirit - that makes it unjust. It is about the heart; about the love. His love changes, and we need a lot more of that love in and through us. Jesus often overlooked the law of the day in the interests of redemption... look at the woman caught in adultery... enough said, right? We need to love like he loved, and if that is all we seek to do in this life, it would be more than enough. 

Here are a couple of links to inspire you.

The Marin Foundation

Chicago Pride Parade Reconciliation

It's Super Tuesday! (last good political post, I promise - unless Ron Paul is the nominee)

So I thought I'd share with you my favorite Ron Paul stuff!

and this is a great exchange that took place on Facebook with my friend Joe that shows what us supporters are up against within the GOP:

Friend:
Just casted our early vote for Newt. That was easy!
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OtherGuy:
Wish Newt had a chance overall but I think santorum is gonna be our best bet..but let's be honest..we are all going to vote for ABBO (anybody but Obama).
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Friend:
OtherGuy, I don't necessarily think Newt is out of anything yet. These super pacs have changed that dynamic for sure. Besides, Santorum is weak on fiscal policy and is a big labor guy. Newt is the only candidate with big ideas, is the only one who's actually accomplished stuff in govt, and would be the best guy to debate Obama. Plus, he actually believes in scrapping the tax code and implementing something similar to 999. So, if Newt can pull out Ga and take either Tn or Ok, he can get back in this thing.
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OtherGuy:
I hope you are right Friend!! Newt would make Obama look like the bafoon that he is in a debate..TelePrompTer or not Obama would not stand a chance against a true conservative that has logic and common sense on his side vs. "I feel" and "rich white people are bad" cause that is the only thing Obama is gonna run on.
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Joe:
@Friend.....good that you got out there and voted!....personally wish it was cast for Ron Paul, but everyone's got their person/issues....Newt has disappointed me more over time and unfortunately has embarrassed himself
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Friend:
Joe, I do like SOME of Paul's beliefs but he really doesn't have a shot, which is why he's been sucking up to Romney by attacking the other candidates. I agree Newt isn't perfect but ultimately, you have to look at experience. Other than being the constant Devil's advocate, what bills / accomplishments has Paul made in all his years in Congress? And to think we can ignore Iran as a nuclear threat is pretty foolish, in my opinion.
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Joe:
oh, it's ON!!!!......hahahahaha.....as to Paul having a shot, what chance has Newt got? Ron Paul's got the youth, independents, Ladies, and pots.....as far as experience, how about being a soldier, a doctor / economist/ philosopher, an icon....Newt's got a legacy of getting his groove on....Newt's got a record of achieving big government, for bailouts, for special interests...Paul has the AMERICAN individual's greatest chance at freedom and liberty at heart (including social freedom AND FINANCIAL freedom)....freedom to self govern is given from our Creator, and Ron Paul is the CHAMPION of this Constitutional principle. Lastly, Ron Paul is a father to 5 children, 18 grandchildren, and has personally delivered more than 4000 babies....AND he protects Life which is our most sacred gift.

specific to Paul's electability, check out the lastest Rasmussen poll which for the first time just put Paul above Obama in a national poll

please show me proof that Paul and Romney are in cahoots? Ron Paul has run as a Libertarian (although he's been elected 12 terms AS a Republican...b/c he IS an Republican!)....and in 2008, he bowed out and supported the institution of greater PARTY choice and agreed on 4 principles to give a platform to 3rd parties in the national media.....the Libertarian party is trying to court Paul...the Americans Elect site has him as the highest for their 3rd Party bid....AND Ron Paul is playing by the Republican rules and taking it all the way to the convention

look up Paul's record on what he has SUBMITTED to Congress.....tons of stuff...and now they are finally PAYING ATTENTION to him after he's been saying the same thing about the economy for the last 30 years....if anyone learns anything in this election cycle it should be about inflation, the business cycle, booms/busts, Keynesian vs Austrian economics, investments, monetary policy, fractional reserve banking, and the Federal Reserve System.....our ... nation has awoken to the fact that WE ARE BROKE....and crippling our children with uncontrollable debt....look over the waters and see what's going on in Greece

not sure if you were aware that getting things "up to the floor" to vote in the House is CONSIDERABLY more difficult that the Senate. the House is very controlled and often time if you are not the "whip" kind of party-tower you don't get JACK

Ron Paul is the only soldier left in the GOP race. he HAS and WILL defend our country. unlike Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Bush, or Obama, he would DECLARE war....he would take it to the American people....if we have been attacked or have eminent danger, it could be voted in Congress, war declared, get in and get out.......we haven't had a declared war since WWII.

Obama has continued spreading us thin all across the world and this is what Al Queda would love.....at the same time we are crippling ourselves with crushing debt!.....read Art of War...the enemy prefers you wear yourself out; less they have to fight!

the biggest thing the neoconservatives want us to learn is that radical Islamic terrorism is a reality and we should know how to protect ourselves from it. i get that. however, we must be careful not to overrreact. unfortunately, we often move to hyper-security at the sacrifice our Liberty. this leads to things like the PATRIOT Act and the NDAA. we quickly give up our 4th amendment, 1st amendment (and probably 2nd amendment) rights.

I get a lot of Christian friends who say that Ron Paul doesn't support Israel. This is hogwash. Ron Paul was the ONLY candidate who stood by Israel when they decided to attack Iraq's nuclear site in the 80's. Ron Paul believes that self-reliance and self-determination is important and supports Israels independence. Ron Paul believes in sovereignty..especially sovereignty of the PERSON!

War should never be taken lightly. Consider for a moment the 105k civilian casualties in the Iraq war alone. how important is their life?......(as a Dad, read a book called "A Child's Garden: a story of hope"...GREAT book!)......Ron Paul has a CONSISTENT Life ethic. he is in favor of a Just War theory. we don't casually go into war, but when we do WE KICK SOME ASS and get er' done..........also consider the CIA-birthed concept of "blowback" and the cooperative/nationalistic psychological tendencies associated with attacks in people's homeland

Don't get me started on subsidies, crony-capitalism, bank bailouts, SOPA, insider trading, military/industrial complex, etc., etc.

hey! at least Paul has got the partial audit of the Fed up through Congress....and we find out the banks got 700 billion openly from the U.S. taxpayer and in the background the Fed was creating 7.7 TRILLION dollars and loaning it to the banks at 0% interest.......Paul's got a bill that he's been trying to pass FOR YEARS that would restore the 9th and 10th amendments for States rights and effectively reversing Roe v. Wade

pretty much most of the bills up there in Washington serve special interests....what has ANY politician gotten done in Washington...they are two-sides of the same coin deciding how they want to spend our money on stuff we couldn't give a crap about except our TROOPS and maybe our National Parks.
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Friend:
Damn Joe, you definitely know your stuff dude. It's amazing how passionate Paul supports are. Unfortunately, it's just not realistic to think he can win. Honestly, you can say the same about Newt's electability. Personally, I wanted to vote for Herman Cain but we all know how that turned out, "You want the job, right?" But in the end, I'm like OtherGUy, I'll vote for anyone but Obama!
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RON PAUL 2012!!!

this time last Sunday...

It was just as windy and sunny as it is today. I had been amped for the Ron Paul Rally for several weeks and Sunday (the 26th) was the day. We packed lunches and our two Kelty kid carrier backpacks and headed over to the Marietta Square after church, with Ron Paul signs in tow.

I have mentioned it a few times here that I am a (somewhat passionate) Ron Paul supporter. And with Super Tuesday coming up, I will make a little plug for my main man.


If you are of the conservative and/or libertarian persuasion, or independent, or even liberal and unsure, or unhappy with the current state of our nation, I ask that you take a moment and watch this, this, this, this, and this.

For me, the status quo is just not an option, whether "Republican" or "Democrat". I want a man who will adhere to the Constitutional principles upon which our nation was founded, which results in true personal, financial and national liberty, ends these un-winnable Wars (including the drug war), ends the Fed and restores our monetary system (among MANY other things).

Now, there are a lot of people who like Ron Paul, from very conservative folks who are unhappy with the GOP establishment, to the very "fringe" folks (read: pot-smokin' hippies, 9/11 Truthers, etc) who might even turn those conservative folks away. When you start talking about the government getting out of the regulation of moral and social issues, you might also mean ending the costly "war on drugs", among other things. There are very good reasons for ending the drug war, and I support the belief that it is a gross misuse and abuse of taxpayer dollars. However, when we walked into the park last Sunday, and the most prolific symbol I saw being waved about was a big fat marijuana leaf, well, I was a little frustrated.

I've already debated this issue hotly with my fellow Paul supporters on Facebook after the rally, once it came out that we were not the only ones a bit frustrated that the "Legalize It" folks seemed to dominate the rally. See, I have no problem with that initiative on its own. The thing that frustrated me the most was that the presence of this message was so heavy that it made it seem that this was central to Dr. Paul's message to those white collar, white upper-middle class suburban Atlantans who were driving around the Square, seeing the rally going on. For many folks, the hope was that Dr. Paul's message would be heard by those curious about his message and that minds would be changed. Instead, I am (along with others) afraid that they may have gotten the wrong message about what Dr. Paul stands for. Yes, he stands for smaller government and personal liberty, however if and when this nation goes down in flames, it won't matter if you can legally smoke pot or not... we need his financial and economic policies implemented NOW, and that is what I think will appeal to the masses - a real, viable, peaceful and responsible solution that will turn America around.

But, anyway... all in all, the rally was good. I would have loved to hear more folks speak about Dr. Paul's position on the issues, versus some of the cheesy music they had going. T-MOT (the Minister of Truth) was there though, playing some good Jimi Hendrix tunes with his band the Axis Experience ... that was cool. :)

More than anything it was great to see the turnout in support of the only candidate with a real plan to save this nation... if you don't know about him yet, you ought to find out!!

Here are some photos from the event:

hello there

Hi guys - right now I am eating a combo or red cabbage slaw and kale apple salad, smelling the delicious pot roast I've got cooking in the kitchen and trying to squeeze in a happy little hello to all of you while watching the live stream of the Troops March on Washington for Ron Paul. I obviously failed to keep up my regular Friday Faves/Flashback/Feb Photo a Day post on Fridays... WHAT KIND OF A BLOGGER AM I!?! Geez. Aw, hell. Anyways...

It's been a busy weekend. Friday night we went to our monthly worship circle - a gathering of musicians and artists each third Friday of every month where we just sing and play and freestyle it with Jesus :) It is always fun but we had to leave a little early this time for the sake of our kids who had had minimal naps that day. We spent the entire day on Friday cleaning out the garage at the old house, trying to get the last bits of stuff out of there in preparation for closing on March 3rd. Unfortunately right on the heels of that closing date is also a new foreclosure date, so we really need everything to go through... with how "well" one end of a corporation knows what the other end is doing, I am a little nervous that a glitch is possible. We are proceeding with hope and thankful that we are NOT losing the house at this point.

Saturday morning I headed to the Mass Precinct meeting for the Cherokee County GOP where delegates register for each precinct - the beginning of the delegate process for the 2012 election. The strategy that Ron Paul supporters have implemented is to have as many Ron Paul supporters sign up as delegates, which gives us a voice at the County, State and National conventions. Even though the GOP establishment can whittle down the list of delegates to whomever they want (slightly off-putting), we are still able to have a say in who the delegates actually end up to be - and we can oppose certain things like having delegates on the list who are not present (a new rule that "they" implemented this election cycle), whether those delegates selected actually represent our views, etc. I am proud to report that my husband and I are registered delegates, and for our precinct, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of those people that showed up are Ron Paul supporters - we were able to register 11 delegates, all Ron Paul supporters, for our precinct, and four alternates, also all RP supporters. The results nationwide are showing that Ron Paul is sweeping the delegates, even though the other alternatives may win more actual votes. We are very optimistic!

PS - I won't make this blog a politic vent joint, but I will occasionally mention my support for Ron Paul. So don't run! lol....

Saturday evening we spent with some cousins of Jason's that were in town for a cheerleading competition. Ate some good Mexican in the part of town Jason and I lived when we were dating - Buckhead! Good memories fo sho.

Sunday we went to church, then hung out with some friends for lunch, then went to my Mom's for meatloaf, black eyed peas, cole slaw, killer potatoes, and cornbread... then banana pudding for dessert! Holy mother of God... it was truly divine. The kids are crazy and I think it makes my mama crazy, heck it makes us crazy too. But we enjoyed time with Mom and of course her good cooking.

So there you go... there's my weekend for you... quick, and easy.

How was your weekend?

Love Brooke

something to eat, etc

Hey there everyone... Right now I am sitting with my husband trying to squeeze in a blog post while he prepares a scavenger hunt for our oldest son Dakota to eventually find his birthday present!!! Today is his eleventh birthday - just crazy to think that he is growing up so much, and so fast...  Shhhhh ... don't say anything, but grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc pooled resources to get him an XBOX 360 250GB with the Kinect console and four games!! He has been asking for this literally since before last Christmas. And with his Asperger's ... it's not good for him to play video games all the time, yet that is what he loves to do. So the Kinect is really good for him, because it keeps him moving, and kids with issues like his need that to kind of rewire their brains. I am hoping this is a beneficial thing for him. Moreover I am just so thrilled to be able to give it to him because I know how bad he has wanted it. That scripture about giving good gifts to your children has been rolling around in my mind for a few days now... between giving Noah cupcakes and Dakota this XBOX, I am getting a glimpse into the heart of God for me. It's kinda cool.

Dakota eating his birthday breakfast :)... eggs, lots of bacon and donuts (and OJ)

Anyway, a couple nights ago, I was inspired by this recipe to make something like it, but my own. I am overflowing with carrots, and trying to find interesting ways to use a carrot...well, I'm on that mission. Anyway, I came up with this moroccan style stew and I think you'll like it! Except for a little prep work it's easy - just throw everything in the pot and let it stew for 2-4 hours.

Brooke's Moroccan Style Stew
3 medium to large sweet potatoes, in 1.5 - 2 inch cubes
12 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
48 ounce can of beef broth (you can go veggie but beef adds a depth of flavor that I like)
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 cans garbanzo bean/chickpeas, drained and rinsed
15-20 pitted medjool dates, roughly chopped
1/2 jar of roasted red peppers
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom

Brown rice, couscous or millet, 4 cups cooked

note - I did NOT use the red beans... ended up cooking those for dinner another night, and used more diced tomatoes than that small can!

Directions:

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes and carrots. Add to the soup pot along with beef broth (or whatever broth you choose). 

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, add to the pot along with diced tomatoes, roasted red peppers and chopped pitted dates. 

Add all the spices, and give it a good stir. Crank the heat up to medium high, and get the pot rolling. Reduce to medium-low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and stew for 2-4 hours. Minimize stirring until the end of stewing, when the sweet potatoes and carrots will be soft, and when you stir them they will break up a little, thickening the stew. 

Prepare whatever rice or couscous you plan to serve this with. Ladle the stew over the rice in bowls and serve. 

sorry pic is a bit blurry... unsteady hand. I need a Speedlite flash so bad!

We had some friends over that night to watch the Republican debates. My friends enjoyed it and I handed out the recipe already!!

If you try it - let me know what you think!!

Love B