The Walker Report

It's Confirmed...I'm an Idiot

2010-01-12T00:53:00.005-05:00

There are some things in life that I simply cannot explain. For example, about six months ago I started to get a subscription to "Rolling Stone" magazine delivered to my house, and my office. I have no idea why in the world I started to get a copy of their magazine. I have not been billed for a subscription at either locations it is being sent to.

Around the office I'm pretty well known for being a conservative guy, so when Rolling Stone started showing up my co-workers wondered if I had started to change sides a bit. It has become somewhat of a therapeutic ritual for me to get the magazine in hand, and rip it from top to bottom. The magazine really tears nicely...they must use recycled paper.

However last week I decided not to tear the magazine apart because I was drawn in by the cover of the issue. The background was solid black with big red block letters that read "YOU IDIOTS!" The address label covered up the tag line that was underneath the headline (a really smart thing to do by a magazine company I might add if you want people to actually read your articles). "You Idiots" referred to the top seventeen people that are blocking advancements in regulations regarding climate change, at least I think that is what they call it these days. I cannot remember since they moved so quickly through "the next ice age," "global warming," and then "climate crisis." I personally thought climate crisis would stick but it turns out that the majority of the general public does not respond well to alarmist overtones. So, since my climate obsessed friends are so smart they started a very positive new message with "Go Green" (for the record I think recycling makes sense, saving energy makes sense and being responsible makes sense, but not nearly to the level of placing the very existence of all living things in the balance on account of human impact on climate). Perhaps we should have a contest to predict the next climate slogan...food for thought.

After reading the article I realized what I had already suspected, and that is that the notion of a global climate crisis is not a fly by night thought, and it will take a long time to dispel. Proponents of climate change in the public and private sectors as well as in the media have been building a case for a long time without significant challenges. Faulty scientific evidence partnered with misplaced funds, powers of government and media coverage have brought the issue of climate change to prominence.

Let me make something clear...Rolling Stone magazine has a right to publish an opinion on the issue. They can call me an idiot for not agreeing with them, it does not hurt my feelings. What does appal me is the presentation of a pathetic argument cloaked as truth, an event that is far too common in media outlets today.

The fact of the matter is that the cover of the most recent Rolling Stone provides a very helpful lesson regarding how the liberal media fights battles. Their message is, "if you don't agree with us, you are stupid." No facts or counterpoints are needed, we are right and you are wrong.

The media has all their bases covered. They supposedly report facts, are not biased and protect and inform the public. The resume the media carries for what it is supposed to be provides license to act for how it truly desires to be, but only as long as we the people allow it to be so.

How then do we fight such forces in our day? We must report facts and inform the public of truth. Most of all we must inform ourselves of truth. Truth is a toxic word in our time but we must not let that derail us from seeking it out. We must reject the notion that truth is some nebulous enigma that cannot be obtained. There is such a thing as truth, and we must fight to ensure that it is discovered. We must also be willing to stand on truth and nothing more. Our opinions matter but they pale in comparison to truth. Opinions change but truth remains constant. If we are to retake the battlefield of the minds of the general public in regards to issues like climate change, we must build our arguments on truth more than opinion, sarcasm or humor.

We must be willing for a time to be called idiots, in the hope that truth and truth alone will vindicate those who earnestly seek it.

Taking Chances

2009-10-27T20:47:00.003-04:00

Well it has been a while hasn't it. I've been quite busy with work, coaching and campaigning recently but that is no excuse for letting the blogging world fall through the cracks. After all, I've come to the conclusion that excuses are obstacles that were not overcome, and regret is knowing you could have overcome them (that may be the first quotable thing I've ever said). So no excuses regarding the blog, I've just dropped the ball.

The fact of the matter is that at some point we all make excuses, and we all experience regret. Those of us who say we don't have any regrets are the ones that have simply bought into our own excuses. We buy into our excuses because the potential regret that could accompany them is often too much to take, so we believe our own version of the story instead. Eventually, if we make enough excuses that is all we know how to do. We even take good aspects of our life and turn them into excuses for other aspects of our life. We use work, family, friends, circumstances and fears to keep us from all kinds of things, and often turn those good aspects of our life into the enemy of action.

I wanted to write a blog entry before my upcoming City Council Election results were discovered to talk about taking chances without excuses or regrets. I wanted to talk about taking chances before I knew whether I won or lost.

I consider myself a fierce competitor, and I think most people in my life would agree with that assessment. I try to find a lot of avenues to compete in. I love sports and that has been the most common vehicle for my competitive nature to take root. I also like to compete in business and other recreational activities as well. It is just in my blood.

There is one area of life that I am trying to learn how to compete more with though...myself. I think we are often scared to compete with ourselves. We fear the inner pain of failure if we try and don't succeed and sometimes we may even fear succeeding even more.

At this stage in my life I felt that it was time to start competing with myself in new ways. Therefore, I thought it was the right time to jump into the political arena on the local level. I love the city of Mebane. I love the people that live here and it will always be home to me. I also love the American system of government (at least what I think the system was intended to be).

The equation was perfect for me to get in the game, to compete with myself and silence the potential excuses and in the words of the famous Nike slogan, "Just do it."

I'm still learning how to take the right chances in life, and I have a long way to go. I don't think I've ever (a) taken the chance of being really in love (that's a topic for another day though), (b)I haven't had anywhere close to a real risk taking Christian ministry and (c) I've never run for political office. On second thought, I can finally scratch something (c) off that list, now it is past time to get work on (b), and maybe (a) will even come about at some point.

Win, lose or draw I wanted to get in the game. I'm glad that I did regardless of the outcome, no excuses and no regrets.

President Theodore Roosevelt said it better than I ever could: "It's not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or when the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."

God bless my friends until next time.

How Easily I Forget

2009-09-11T01:06:00.003-04:00

It was a normal morning. The alarm went off as usual at about 6:30 a.m. I rolled off of the elevated bunk bed in room 427 of Craige Dorm at the University of North Carolina. I was a freshman, less than a month into my new found college life.

I made the usual walk to my 8 a.m. Geology class. It was a nice morning, not too hot but certainly not cold either.

About 30 minutes into class a fellow student raised his hand and said, "professor, a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center." The professor paused for a moment and said, "wow, we'll have to check on that after class."

I instantly packed my bag and ran out of class. I couldn't get to my phone fast enough and when I did I dialed my Dad's office as quick as possible. At that time in his business he was traveling to New York City about once a month...and I thought it was his week to be there. He worked around the Trade Center district when he was there. I don't think I've ever been happier to hear his voice on the other end of a phone line before.

I sprinted back to my dorm room with a million thoughts still racing through my head regarding my Dad and the whole, "what if he had been there" scenario running through my brain. When I got to my dorm room there were about 7 other guys sitting in the floor watching our TV (it was the best room design in the dorm's history of course). I said, "what's going on?," and at that moment, 9:03 a.m., the second plane hit the other tower.

Time stopped.

The smoke poured out of both buildings, flames shot out from every side. The image was not hidden, it was on every channel for hours, days and weeks.

Everything that was a surety in our country in an instance was shaken. Nothing really seemed to matter that a few hours earlier was so pressing.

One thing that was certainly not pressing was the quiz that I was scheduled to take at 6 p.m. that evening...at least it wasn't to me. My teacher however had a different perspective. She claimed there was no other convenient time to make it up, so class would proceed as normal. The following week she also offered her personal opinion regarding the Congress singing God Bless America on Capitol Hill. She said, "I didn't understand that at all, how gay was that." What ensued was what I consider to be my one real act of disrespect to a superior in a classroom setting. I slammed my fist down on my desk and said, "that's it, I can't take it anymore." To a certain degree, I lost it.

I'm quite sure that that teacher will never forget the lecture she received in the following minutes regarding patriotism, or her lack there of. I'll never forget getting a C+ in a class that I could prove that I had an A- in.

I'll tell you what I almost forgot though this year, September 11th all together, and I can't express how sad that makes me. I didn't think about it until about midnight, and the ramblings you're reading now are the result of a man that can't sleep because he has those same thoughts that ran through his brain 8 years ago all over again.

How easily I can forget something that happened such a short time ago. Shame on me.

I hope that I will remember the gift of each new day, and the importance of knowing the One that so graciously provides it.

God bless everyone....and God bless the United States of America.

Sadly Triumphant: A Tribute to Pastor Steve Henning

2009-08-17T23:17:00.008-04:00

Today is a sad day. Today is a joyful day. Today I mourn. Today I rejoice. Today I sing, pray and speak with both joy and sorrow. No, I am not a schizophrenic.

Today the world lost a dear man. The church lost a dear leader. I lost a dear friend.

Steve Hennining, a long time missionary to the nation of Costa Rica and member of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Mebane passed away after an extended bout with cancer. He was 45 years old.

I did not have the privilege of knowing Pastor Henning to the depth that I would have liked. We only spoke on a few occasions and our conversations never lasted more than what seemed like a few moments. He was always kind in his words and always showed genuine care in conversation. He seemed like an inquisitive man, genuinely hoping to gain insight into your life and he always remembered the information you conveyed. In other words, he actually listened to what you had to say.

Steve was an outstanding father. No, I never saw him give instruction to his children or watch him lead his family in worship time, but I have witnessed his children during his illness and have seen them act more mature than their years, constantly polite and good natured. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that they have strong parents at home.

Steve was outstanding at his work. It is easy to envision Pastor Henning doing a number of different occupations other than being a Pastor. It is not hard to imagine him teaching at a university, practicing law at a major firm or running a successful business. He was well composed and well spoken, personal yet commanding. He was a talented man.

There are so many things about Steve that I do not know. I don't know what his favorite food was or what music he liked. I don't know what sports he enjoyed playing or if he ever tried to play an instrument. I don't know where he went to high school or what he dreamed of being. But I do know one thing that Steve was, he was a Christian.

Perhaps to some being described as merely a Christian would be an insult. Perhaps some would be offended by trying to encompass the totality of their being into an identity that is outside of their personal traits and achievements. Most people want to be known for what they did or what they thought. Some want to be known by their title or rank. Not Pastor Steve.

Being a Christian was more important to Steve than being a Pastor, a Husband, a Father or a Friend. Being a Christian was his life. He understood that being all of those other things would only matter in the ultimate sense if they were held in the context of his attachment to his Saviour.

Today, being a Christian is all that ultimately matters to Pastor Steve still. There is no question that he was an outstanding Husband, Father, Pastor and Friend. He was all those things and more. But at the moment of his passing from this world to the next, the only criteria that was of any concern was whether or not he had an attachment to his Maker through the blood of his Saviour. At the gates of heaven, no plea other than Christ's work and righteousness would have done Steve any good.

So today tears fill the eyes of those that knew Pastor Steve. We remember his family and friends who will miss him dearly. We look back at the joyful times we shared with him while he was here. And as we mourn we are comforted with the fact that at this moment he is far more joyful than we are, far more healthy and in touch with a reality that we cannot fathom. At this very moment, Steve is seeing and savoring His Saviour like never before...nothing more and nothing less than a Christian.

"John B. Walker Files to Run for City Council"

2009-07-30T16:04:00.007-04:00

John B. Walker

Source: Mebane Enterprise - Face to Face with the Candidates

John B. Walker, a lifelong Mebane resident, has filed to run for City Council.

"I am very excited at the prospect of serving the citizens of Mebane on the Council if I am entrusted with that honor," he said.

Walker said he feels a burden to help his generation get involved with the political process. "I believe I have a responsibility to lead my generation in community involvement and activism. Mebane has a long standing tradition as an outstanding community, and that is a credit to the citizens of Mebane and our government officials. It is my desire to uphold and protect the strong traditions and principles of this community, and help Mebane grow in a responsible manner moving forward."

Walker acknowledges it will be critical in the coming years to have government officials who understand the balance between progress and fiscal responsibility. "To be honest our State and Federal Government could learn a thing or two from Mebane," he said. "Mebane continues to operate on a balanced budget and yet manages to endorse projects that benefit the entire community, not just special interest." Walker cited projects such as the new soccer fields, the renovated library and new Veterans Garden as examples.

"I am thankful that Mebane has been able to grow and fund new projects, but also keep taxes at a low rate," he said. "If you are looking for a candidate that will raise taxes in the cause of having more projects I am not your choice. I intend to fight tax hikes especially in these challenging economic times. Low taxes make Mebane attractive to new businesses that can provide jobs and ease the tax burden on families within the community."

Walker said he is encouraged that Mebane has elected responsible leaders in the past that understand the balance of progress and responsibility. "I am running for City Council to continue the sound principles of government that have presided over this community for years. I am not trying to re-invent the wheel."

Holding a position of leadership is not new for Walker. "I have been blessed to be in positions of leadership my entire life," he said. "I grew up in an atmosphere where leadership was encouraged and expected. I owe so much to my parents, Ken and Julie Walker, for teaching me that leadership is not about being in charge, but rather it is about helping people by acting on the principles of faith, responsibility, service and character. I intend to implore those same principles as a Council Member if elected."

Walker is a graduate of Eastern Alamance High School where he was president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and captain of the Soccer and Golf Teams.

He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and was a candidate for President of the Student Body. While at UNC he was also appointed to the Student Senate and was an Executive Overseer for the UNC Fall Forum. He is also a 2008 graduate of the E.A. Morris Fellowship for Emerging Leaders Program, an organization co-sponsored by the E.A. Morris Foundation and the John Locke Foundation.

Walker currently volunteers as an assistant high school soccer coach and has volunteered in the past as a little league basketball coach with the Mebane Recreation Department.

He is a member of Grace Reformed Baptist Church where he has served as a Sunday school teacher and usher.

He is a Partial Owner and Sales Manager for RE/MAX Diamond Realty.

Walker encouraged readers who had questions to send him an email at johnwalker@mebtel.net.

"I love Mebane," he said. "I am thankful to call Mebane my home, and hope to serve the citizens of this community for many years to come."

July 4th...A Celebration of What Once Was, and Can Still Be

2009-07-02T23:11:00.002-04:00

In two short days I will be sitting at one my favorite places on this earth. I'll be on a boat dock at Hyco Lake, with close friends and booming fireworks against what is fore casted to be a perfectly clear summer night sky. I will be celebrating the 4th of July, most likely clad in my now famous American flag swim trunks that make only two appearances every year.

I love the 4th of July. There are many practical reasons to love the 4th: friends, cookouts, hitting the lake, fireworks and maybe even a round of golf. It certainly beats the average day at the office.

More importantly though I love celebrating the 4th because in so doing I get to celebrate America. There has never been a country in the history of the world like the United States. It is unique in every way except one; like every great civilization before her, America is beginning the sad road of deterioration, and it has happened much earlier than it's predecessors.

It has been appropriately stated that "freedom isn't free." It could also be said that the practice of freedom is hard and demanding. Freedom requires hands on involvement at every level, first and foremost on the individual level. America and her people are gladly handing over freedoms that were secured with the blood of brave individuals who believed that dying for freedom was better than living under tyranny.

At this point some of you are scratching your heads. You look around and you don't see tyrannical abuses or a Nazi regime taking control. After all, I just said I'd be at the lake kicking it back with a bunch of friends in two days...so what am I talking about? Friends I'm talking about the steady forfeiting of individual responsibility and individual liberties all under the supposed flag of freedom.

Take a look at some quotes from some of the founding fathers of our nation and consider how far removed we are from their original intentions:

"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." – Samuel Adams

"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned -- this is the sum of good government." – Thomas Jefferson

"Any people that would give up liberty for a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams

"Can the liberties of a nation be sure when we remove their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people, that these liberties are a gift from God? Thomas Jefferson

"A feeble executive implies a feeble execution of the government. A feeble execution is but another phrase for a bad execution; and a government ill executed, whatever may be its theory, must be, in practice, a bad government. --Alexander Hamilton

“How can limited government and fiscal restraint be equated with lack of compassion for the poor? How can a tax break that puts a little more money in the weekly paychecks of working people be seen as an attack on the needy? Since when do we in America believe that our society is made up of two diametrically opposed classes—one rich, one poor—both in a permanent state of conflict and neither able to get ahead except at the expense of the other? Since when do we in America accept this alien and discredited theory of social and class warfare? Since when do we in America endorse the politics of envy and division?” Ronald Reagan

This weekend I will celebrate America. I love her and always will. I will celebrate those who have gone before me, and those who have given everything to secure so great a nation. I will celebrate what America by the grace of God has been, and what she can be again if we are willing to stand up and refuse to give such a heritage away.

On this 4th of July, may God bless each one of you, and may God bless the United States of America...what she once was, and what she can yet still be.

Feeling Small

2009-06-09T23:39:00.002-04:00

All the lights are off except for the glowing light of my laptop. The only noises I hear are the tapping of the keyboard and the rain pounding the window that is a few feet away. Every now and then the thunder rolls and even shakes the house at times. In other words, I'm taking in a typical North Carolina summer thunderstorm, and it is fantastic.

I love listening to thunderstorms, and if it wasn't dangerous to be outside in one I'd march right outside and take in the live show. Storms are fascinating to me. The combination of thunder and lighting, mixed with rain and sometime hail is incredible. It reminds me of how "small" I really am.

I like to be reminded of my relative standing in the world. Now, don't misunderstand what I'm trying to convey. I do not want to diminish the significance of human beings. On the contrary I would like to elevate human beings as being fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. Our culture has done it's utmost to degrade humans to nothing more than the end result of an evolutionary cycle. We're told we are simply one step higher than the rest of the "animals." That mentality cheapens human life, opens the door for the degrading of the human body and makes murder nothing more than a human hunting season. We are not animals, we are human beings.

However, being a human also means understanding our relationship to things that are greater than us, not just less. When God made people He put them in charge of subduing the creation. Among other things he gave man dominion over the animal kingdom and the ability to "work the earth." That is why it is okay for us to eat meat from cows and chickens and fish from the sea. God made them for man's good and His glory. We are to carry that stewardship with a sense of dignity, respect and responsibility.

On the other hand God did not put us in charge of natural forces. It is this aspect of my manhood that I enjoy in particular. I wake up every day, get ready for work and drive off thinking in general that I'm in control. But I can't control the weather. I can't control how much the sun will shine or if a hurricane will hit my state or if a drought will set in for months. I have zero control over the weather. Furthermore, I have zero control of pretty much everything else as well. I can't keep a car from running a red light and I can't keep track of every germ that floats around in the air. In reality I can't even keep my own heart beating if it decides to give out. I really can't do anything.

What I can do is that I can be connected to the One who does control all those things. I can be dependant on the One who has my best interest at heart. I can rest confident that no storm or trial will touch me that has not been appointed for my everlasting good. That is the beauty of being dependant on God through Jesus Christ. As John Piper recently said in a sermon, "it is loving for Christ to demand our dependence." He is telling us to be dependant on the one source of real fulfillment and joy. He is telling us to depend on the one source of safety and security. He is telling us to depend on the one thing that is a sure hope. It is isn't selfish for Him to demand our love and trust, it is in fact loving on His part. God's greatest gift He can offer man is Himself, and He has freely given all of Himself to us through Jesus Christ.

Our view of God is often completely backwards. We think that somehow God exist to make our lives comfortable and fun. He is there to fix our problems when they arise and not get in the way when things are going relatively smooth. We treat prayer like a light switch for the bad times, and are content to leave God in His corner during the good times.

My friends, God does not like to be treated like a puppet or a whipping boy. He is the one that created the thunderstorm that currently rattles my windows and He has the ability to stop this man's beating heart in an instance. Not only does He deserve respect and admiration, but He deserves love and adoration.

He deserves it because He's earned it by being who He is, and He commands us to that end out of a love that knows that our highest good can always be found in our highest aim, Himself.

Think about it.

I Can't Sleep...Yet

2009-05-21T00:57:00.003-04:00

This is not an unusual circumstance for me. The alarm clock is set for 6:45 a.m., which means I will hit the snooze about three times and then finally roll out of bed (or off the couch). It is currently 1:00 a.m. on Thursday morning and in approximately eight hours I'm supposed to run a sales meeting. Nights like this one are becoming far too common.

Yesterday (which actually still feels like today) was extremely stressful. It was one of those days that helps to explain pre-hypertension (indication of high blood pressure) and an increasing count of grey hairs that cover my head. In short, it helps to explain how a 25 year old feels like he is going on 40.

Of course it should be noted that I don't know stress on a day to day basis in the real sense of the word. Real stress is living in a forsaken village in a third world country with 4 children to feed and no running water. Real stress belongs to the likes of my dear friend Ryan who is faithfully serving the United States of America in Iraq while his wife is pregnant back her in North Carolina. That is real stress, the likes of which I have only experienced in bits and pieces at different times in my life.

But life is relevant to our individual circumstances and our personal situations have a tendency to feel much bigger than they may actually be.

Nights like tonight also bring about unwanted questions and concerns most of the time. On the "good" days we don't typically ask, "am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing?" On those good days we don't wonder where our soul mate is hiding or if we'll achieve our dreams of success and the such. We just live.

Stressful days rarely offer such levels of convenience and peace of mind. Stressful days lead to rambling thoughts in the early stages of the morning. (If you are reading this post you should not need any more evidence of that fact).

But stressful days also remind us of grand realities. For instance, I'm a huge Phil Mickelson fan. I love watching him play golf and I support his go-for-broke style of play. It makes the game fun to watch. I've been hoping that he would win the US Open this year. In past years I've "stressed" over it during the tournament. I've pulled quite hard for him to win like I pull for UNC or the Red Sox. Today I learned that Phil's wife Amy has been diagnosed with breast cancer. All of sudden, Phil winning the US Open doesn't seem so important. He might not even play in the event, and I don't blame him at all. It's a golf tournament....a golf tournament. The matters that we stress over can be brought into moments of clarity very quickly if we consider the big picture.

So what is my big picture this sleepless evening? Well I suppose the short answer for me is that I am beyond blessed. I have a family that I've been through a multitude of trials with, and we still love each other to death. I have friends that are as faithful as soldiers in battle to each other. I have clothes on my back and food regularly to eat. I get to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine and the peace of a summer thunderstorm. In short I'm beyond blessed.

But most of all I have peace of soul. If we're truthful with ourselves we'll admit that our sleepless nights are almost a direct reflection of an unsettled soul. No words have to be uttered or heard. Our thoughts just run laps in our heads and we toss and turn inside. What we all really want is peace within. Well my friends I have such peace. I have the peace of knowing that if I don't wake up tomorrow on this earth, that I will wake up in the presence of Perfection. My soul is at peace because it knows the settled feeling of forgiveness. It has the serenity of a paid for salvation because of Jesus's work. It has the knowledge that all the worst and best days on this earth combined cannot compare to one day in heaven.

As I'm reminded of this peace that is mine, I suddenly feel the urge to rest my eyes for the night. It turns out blogging about the blessings in my life is a better practice than counting sheep.

If you can't sleep tonight, try recounting your blessings...and if that practice leaves you lacking, try grabbing hold to ultimate source of peace that I described earlier.

Lord willing I'll see you again next time, until then God bless and take care....I'm off to get some sleep

I'm Back, but Free Speech Has Left the Building

2009-05-13T17:32:00.013-04:00

I have been on a long break from the blogging world over the last couple of weeks and I must confess I have missed the practice. I have come to the conclusion that not many people read The Walker Report as of yet, but it is still a great place to get out a few thoughts on paper instead of keeping them up in my brain. After all, there is only so much storage room up there, and I think it is getting full at the moment.

The topic for today is free speech and tolerance. "Free speech" has always been a buzz phrase in American rhetoric, with the word "tolerance" joining the party in the last couple of years. It would seem at first glance that free speech and tolerance are a natural fit. After all, if you are going to allow free speech, you better be able to tolerate what is being said.

Unfortunately, as is the case with most freedoms, freedom of speech has become sorely abused.
For example, it has often been said that the economic system of capitalism is doomed to fail without morality. Without morality, capitalism opens the door for greed, extortion, obsession and fraud to run wild. Freedom of speech is a lot like capitalism; without morality freedom of speech opens the door to vulgarity in language, acts of debauchery and abuses of protesting rights.

Despite the potential dangers of our free society, it is without a doubt the best system of government ever devised by man. Freedom cannot cower down to it's abusers, but rather it must overcome them through the exercise of it's ideals in the purest form.

On April 19th of this year Carrie Prejean, the reigning Miss California, answered a question during the final round of the Miss America Pageant that exemplified the principle of free speech (By the way, I'm not a fan of pageants. I just think they are kinda ridiculous and I didn't even watch this years controversial event). She was asked a question, and she gave an honest answer about what she thought. She wasn't spewing hate speech or making fun of people, she simply said she thought marriage should be between a man and a woman. That's right folks, she simply said she agreed with the general practice of human civilization for the last couple thousand years and the general principles of pretty much every major religious system. She stood her ground on an issue of belief instead of copping out to win a beauty pageant. America should applaud miss Prejean.

The sad reality of the matter is that Carrie Prejean has been criticized, mocked and ridiculed for her response in that pageant. She was almost stripped of her title as Miss California. Make no mistake about it either, the only reason she was almost disqualified was because of her response to that question, not some high school photographs.

Today, the director of the Miss California pageant, Shanna Moakler, resigned her post over issues of conscience. She felt she could not be associated with a pageant group that was associated with the likes of Carrie Prejean and her narrow minded, hateful opinions.

What has happened to freedom of speech? What has happened to freedom of religion? Why is it that certain people preach tolerance and have zero tolerance for anyone that disagrees with their opinion?

You may think you have freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the freedom of press. But friends I assure you that if we continue down our current course, the freedoms that you once or do enjoy now will erode away into the sinking quick sand of this "tolerant" society. We're already well on our way down, but I intend to do whatever I can to help us out of our sinking state. I humbly ask you to do the same.

God bless until next time.

A Part of Something

2009-04-09T23:07:00.002-04:00

I don't know Roy Williams. I've never met Dean Smith or Michael Jordan. I never put on a Tar Heel uniform or officially played in a sanctioned athletic event at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (Although there were some legendary basketball games between 2001-2005 at Woollen Gym that are still debatable) I never got to be in a locker room celebration with Jawad Williams, Vince Carter or Julius Peppers.

But there is one thing I've been fortunate enough to be for the last 25 years...a Tar Heel.

Some of my earliest memories in this world revolve around Kenan Stadium and the Dean E. Smith Center. Section 210 Row E in the Dean Dome is one of my favorite places on this earth. From that view I saw Vince Carter dunk on Tim Duncan, Brian Reese hit a game winner at the buzzer, a long winning streak against Clemson continue and I watched Tyler Hansbrough break every record that stood in his path.

This past Monday night being a Tar Heel meant sitting in Section 206, Row 6, Seat 7 of Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It meant driving 14 hours with four of your best friends to have a chance to see a championship won in person.

It meant telling about 400 Michigan State students waiting in the freezing cold outside Ford Field that they would enjoy the wind and snow far more than the basketball game that they were standing in line for.

It meant chanting "Tar....Heels" at the top of your lungs despite being drowned out by 60,000 people hollering "go green...go white" (by the way, I've never heard a school chant that actually cheers on the other team while attempting to be one sided).

It meant staring through binoculars to watch Antwan Jamison, Vince Carter, Julius Peppers, Sean May, Raymond Felton, Phil Ford, Donald Williams and Wes Miller among other alums take their seats together across from the UNC bench...UNC legends turned into fans. Some of the aforementioned players had their dreams of winning a NCAA title crushed at similar venues, but it did not make them bitter or regretful towards the 2009 team. They simply loved being a Tar Heel.

It meant watching Michael Jordan step to mid court at halftime to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and being able to say, "he went to our school." It also meant that Jordan was more worried about his Tar Heels and the score than he was about the Hall of Fame.

It meant fighting through an army of angry MSU fans to get down to the lower level in order to get a closer view of the celebration.

It meant racing across the city of Detroit to get a good spot at the team hotel to welcome back the Champs.

It also meant knowing that thousands of people, hundreds of them friends, were celebrating on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill and wishing that somehow there was a way to be in two places at once.

Carolina Basketball and being a Tar Heel are not the same thing. But being a part of Carolina Basketball, even just as a fan, is a huge reason that being a Tar Heel is so incredible. Carolina basketball is about winning, tradition, class, academic excellence, team and family. In other words, Carolina basketball encompasses all the things that make being a Tar Heel great.

On Monday night every Tar Heel once again had the privilege of being reminded how fortunate we all are to be part of something much bigger than any one of us. Being a Tar Heel does not top the list of my priorities. It does not super cede my relationship with Christ, my family or my friends. But in terms of practical enjoyments in this thing they call life, there is nothing quite like being a Tar Heel.

It will not take another National Championship to make me appreciate being a Tar Heel, but it certainly will not hurt the cause. So until next time, enjoy being a part of something...enjoy being a Tar Heel.

9.3 Trillion Deficit??? Believe it

2009-03-20T20:08:00.000-04:00

Obama budget could bring $9.3 trillion in deficits
AP – President Barack Obama makes remarks to representatives of the National Conference of State Legislatures, …
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's budget would produce $9.3 trillion in deficits over the next decade, more than four times the deficits of Republican George W. Bush's presidency, congressional auditors said Friday.
The new Congressional Budget Office figures offered a far more dire outlook for Obama's budget than the new administration predicted just last month — a deficit $2.3 trillion worse. It's a prospect even the president's own budget director called unsustainable.
In his White House run, Obama assailed the economic policies of his predecessor, but the eye-popping deficit numbers threaten to swamp his ambitious agenda of overhauling health care, exploring new energy sources and enacting scores of domestic programs.
The dismal deficit figures, if they prove to be accurate, inevitably raise the prospect that Obama and his Democratic allies controlling Congress would have to consider raising taxes after the recession ends or else pare back his agenda.
By CBO's calculation, Obama's budget would generate deficits averaging almost $1 trillion a year of red ink over 2010-2019.
Worst of all, CBO says the deficit under Obama's policies would never go below 4 percent of the size of the economy, figures that economists agree are unsustainable. By the end of the decade, the deficit would exceed 5 percent of gross domestic product, a dangerously high level.
White House budget chief Peter Orszag said that CBO's long-range economic projections are more pessimistic than those of the White House, private economists and the Federal Reserve and that he remained confident that Obama's budget, if enacted, would produce smaller deficits.
Even so, Orszag acknowledged that if the CBO projections prove accurate, Obama's budget would produce deficits that could not be sustained.
"Deficits in the, let's say, 5 percent of GDP range would lead to rising debt-to-GDP ratios that would ultimately not be sustainable," Orszag told reporters.
Deficits so big put upward pressure on interest rates as the government offers more attractive interest rates to attract borrowers.
"I think deficits of 5 percent (of GDP) are unsupportable," said economist Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. "It will lead to higher interest rates to the point where it will force policymakers to make changes."
Republicans immediately piled on.
"This report should serve as the wake-up call this administration needs," said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "We simply cannot continue to mortgage our children and grandchildren's future to pay for bigger and more costly government."
But Obama insisted on Friday that his agenda is still on track.
"What we will not cut are investments that will lead to real growth and prosperity over the long term," Obama said. "That's why our budget makes a historic commitment to comprehensive health care reform. That's why it enhances America's competitiveness by reducing our dependence on foreign oil and building a clean energy economy."
Obama's $3.6 trillion budget for the 2010 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 contains ambitious programs to overhaul the U.S. health care system and initiate new "cap-and-trade" rules to combat global warming.
Both initiatives involve raising federal revenues sharply higher, but those dollars wouldn't be used to defray the burgeoning deficit and would instead help pay for Obama's health plan and implement Obama's $400 tax credit for most workers and $800 for couples.
Obama's budget promises to cut the deficit to $533 billion in five years. The CBO says the red ink for that year will total $672 billion.
Most disturbing to Obama allies like Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., are the longer term projections, which climb above $1 trillion again by the end of the next decade and approach 6 percent of GDP by 2019.
Among about a dozen major changes to Obama's budget, Conrad is looking to curb Obama's 9 percent increase for non-defense appropriations to show short-term progress and insists that the long-term deficit and debt crisis will have to be addressed via a special bipartisan commission.
"The budget that I'll submit will cut the deficit by more than two-thirds over these first five years," Conrad. "These imbalances are just absolutely unsustainable."
The worsening economy is responsible for the even deeper fiscal mess inherited by Obama. As an illustration, CBO says the deficit for the current budget year, which began Oct. 1, will top $1.8 trillion, $93 billion more than foreseen by the White House. That would equal 13 percent of GDP, a level not seen since World War II.
The 2009 deficit, fueled by the $700 billion Wall Street bailout and diving tax revenues stemming from the worsening recession, is four times the previous $459 billion record set just last year.
The CBO's estimate for 2010 is worse as well, with a deficit of almost $1.4 trillion expected under administration policies, about $200 billion more than predicted by Obama.
Long-term deficit predictions have proven notoriously fickle — George W. Bush inherited flawed projections of a 10-year, $5.6 trillion surplus and instead produced record deficits — and if the economy outperforms CBO's expectations, the deficits could prove significantly smaller.
Republicans say Obama's budget plan taxes, spends and borrows too much, and they've been sharply critical of his $787 billion economic stimulus measure and a just-passed $410 billion omnibus spending bill that awarded big increases to domestic agency budgets.
The administration says it inherited deficits totaling $9 trillion over the next decade and that its budget plan cuts $2 trillion from those deficits. But most of those spending reductions come from reducing costs for the war in Iraq.

Response to Obama's Speech

2009-02-25T16:06:00.002-05:00

Some people have asked me today how I felt about Obama's speech last night. Let me first of all say that I like President Obama's demeanor and speaking ability. In my opinion he is the best at connecting to people through speeches since President Reagan. I wish he was a conservative because there are a lot of things that I like about him. However, there were a lot of things in his speech last night that didn't add up. For one thing if we triple the deficit through spending laws (now a reality and soon to increase), and we decrease the deficit by half by the end of his first term, the deficit will still be more than it is right now. For example: if the current deficit is 1 trillion dollars, and we spend 3 trillion dollars, the total deficit by the end will be at 4 trillion. So if he cuts that 4 trillion in half we are still left with 2 trillion in deficit. I am pasting an email below that I received today from a group called American's for Prosperity...I think it sums up the points from the address last night rather well. God bless you all until next time.

Last night, I watched with disappointment and dismay as President Obama -- with Speaker Pelosi applauding loudly behind him -- rolled out literally hundreds-of-billions more in spending and tax increases.
It was like watching one of those horror movies where the bad guy keeps coming back...with even more scary big government programs that have failed the American people time after time. If you're keeping score at home here are the biggest boondoggles with the price tags attached:
"Continuing Resolution" legislation to fund existing federal programs at $410 billion -- an 8.7% increase in spending over the last year which is the biggest increase on domestic spending since the Carter Administration. Currently being debated this week and next.
Obama/Pelosi Housing Bailout at $275 billion. Proposed now and will be debated within days.
Bank Bailout at estimated $1 trillion. Details of this new Bank Bailout are still fuzzy but the numbers are huge. Debate to begin within weeks.
Nationalized Health Care proposal is to be announced this Thursday. The President is saying his "health care reform…will not wait another year." We know what that means. Hundreds of billions more of your money and less individual health care choice for you.
So far, the Obama/Pelosi agenda has been all spending while taking our nation to historic debt levels. Last night, we saw the first big Obama/Pelosi tax increase. And it is genuinely massive -- try $1.2 trillion over the next decade on ENERGY, the one sector of the economy where prices are lower at the moment.
President Obama and Speaker Pelosi are now championing a "Cap and Trade" scheme that will ration energy while increasing taxes. A version of this proposal was introduced last year as the Warner/Lieberman Cap and Trade bill. Here are the key details from last year's legislation that are the basis for the Obama/Pelosi plan:
$1.2 TRILLION Tax Increase over 7 years on gasoline, home energy and really all energy in next decade. Source: Congressional Budget Office, April 10, 2008
this tax would cost the economy 3 to 4 million jobs according to an analysis by the American Council on Capital Formation
the average family would lose over $4,000 per year in purchasing power (and remember the Pelosi/Obama tax cut was only $800 per couple)
Gasoline prices would increase anywhere from 77 to 145 percent--that means prices of about $2 a gallon now would go up to $3.50 or even $5 a gallon.
In addition, the Washington Post has reported that President Obama's budget will also include income tax increases. More on that once we have the details tomorrow.
The numbers are staggering. But there is more. Under the Obama/Pelosi "Cap and Trade" scheme, for the first time the federal government will literally ration energy -- deciding how much energy should be available and at what cost to families and businesses. The impact on our families and economy will be disastrous. - (Source American's for Prosperity)

Back In Action

2009-02-04T10:25:00.002-05:00

Good morning everyone. I have been silent for the last couple of weeks in the blogging world and decided it was time to get back in the game. I hope everyone has been doing well.

I promised that I would write a few things about our new President so I'll try to address those things today and hopefully get back on a normal schedule here of at least posting once a week.

I thought the inauguration was an interesting event. I was blown away by the amount of people that were attendance. The crowd looked like it was set up for the five most popular rock bands of all time in one joint concert. I was thrilled on one hand to witness an increased interest in American politics. On the other hand I was deeply concerned by the apparent lack of focus on America, and the heavy focus on one individual. Millions of people were shouting "Obama, Obama," they should have been chanting "USA, USA." The inauguration is a celebration of the peaceful transfer of power that is unlike anything else in the world. The United States is bigger than one man. The three most powerful words in the history of our country are "We the people," not we the people under such a person's presidency. When free people willingly decide to give more of their personal liberties away in order to submit them to anothers authority, the slippery slope towards government control has already begun...and my friends we are now on that slope. (Truth is we've been on it for quite a while now, but I think it is getting worse.)

Anyways, that was my rant for the day, now onto thoughts concerning the new President. I like Obama's demeanor a lot. I like his positive nature and the way he shows respect to other leaders such as he did arranging a meeting with all the former presidents who are still in the land of the living. I like listening to his speeches, even though I disagree with a large portion of the content in them. I like the fact that he is multi racial (yes I'm claiming him as part of the Caucasian group as well). Let me add a quick side note in at this point, can we all just move on with the issue of race? Yes we have an African American President, and yes I think it is a good thing for America that we've come far enough that that would happen. But folks, if we are ever going to get by the racial divide that still exists then we must stop recreating the divide amongst ourselves and that exhortation applies to all of us.

I am very disturbed by some of the policies that Obama has already announced. I think that closing Gitmo down is an extremely stupid decision for many reasons. I think the stimulus package is not a stimulus package at all, but rather a huge well fare check that will not do any significant good to our economy. I hope the senate has enough sense to put the brakes on this whole operation and start thinking about a common sense solution to this mess.

In closing let me say that I am pulling for President Obama to do well, as long as he does well within the confines of freedom not the growing design of socialism. I hope he doesn't forfeit our security in an effort to placate to other countries or leaders. A lot remains to be seen.

How do you feel the President has done thus far in his early decisions?

God bless until next time.

Thank you President Bush

2009-01-15T20:16:00.003-05:00

It is hard to believe that President George W. Bush is about to finish his 8th year of service as the President of the United States of America. A lot has changed in my own life and I imagine a lot has changed in your life during the last eight years. Some changes have been good and some of the changes have been bad.

I have always been interested in politics. I remember watching President Reagan give his farewell address to the nation, and I remember watching George H.W. Bush take office. I remember Bill Clinton's tenure and the publicity that surrounded his time in the White House. I was enthralled with the election in 2000 between Bush and Al Gore. I was glued to the TV every night during the controversy that surrounded the results being figured out for the state of Florida and the rest of the nation. I enjoyed watching history unfold.

I remember the great optimism that America possessed as President Bush tried to enact new policies and reestablish a sense of moral stability to the Washington. Things for the President went well for the first year.

The world changed forever on September 11th, 2001. I sat in shock as we all did on that day, stunned at the sights I saw on my television. I was in room 427 of Craige dormitory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the time. I sat in that dorm room with about ten other guys as we watched the events unfold.

President Bush never wavered in his leadership following the attacks on September 11th. The country was united, and determined to see justice done on behalf of our great nation. Time went on and the battle grew hard over the coming years, but President Bush never wavered. He made some decisions that were not easy to make, and perhaps some that were incorrect looking back. But President Bush always acted in a manner that put the safety of Americans first. When his approval ratings began to drop he did not waiver. President Bush was more concerned knowing that you and I were safe than he was what the pundits in the media said about him.

Making fun of, being angry at and blaming President Bush for the world's troubles became the most intellectually lazy mantra that I've ever seen in my lifetime. If something went wrong with the economy it was the President's fault (even though it was the U.S.A. Congress, both Republican and Democrats, that led the charge for the changes in federal housing initiatives starting in the 90's that started the demise of our financial system...how about a big round of applause for people like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd for their outstanding work on behalf of American citizens while the President gets his bashing). Even this week Nancy Pelosi and Dodd and others have blamed the way the bailout money has been handled on the President...and who wrote the legislation??? (Congress did for those that were not aware) There are reasons to not like President Bush, but most people have no clue why they don't like him. It is not too dissimilar to people liking President Elect Obama for no other reason than he's popular. The fickleness of the American people shines through in both cases.

I will miss President Bush. I'll miss knowing that there is a man who made it his sole purpose to protect the people I love and this great country no matter what the cost. I'll miss knowing that even if I disagreed with his decisions, at least I knew where he stood on the matter. I'll miss knowing that there was a man in office who made it a priority to honor God more than men. I will miss President George W. Bush, and I am forever in debt to him as an American citizen for the service he has given over the last eight years.

Next week I will attempt to welcome and honor our new President, Barack Obama. Contrary to popular belief, I am hopeful that he will do well as our next leader. America needs him to do well.

God bless until next time...

The Game of Life

2009-01-11T00:21:00.006-05:00

Reality TV is not a new concept. Sure, stranding a bunch a strangers together on an island was a new idea. Having people race around the world in a wild contest is a pretty novel thought. I suppose that getting a group of overweight people together to see who can lose the most weight in a small period of time makes for a pretty interesting show. But make no mistake about it, reality TV has been around for as long as television has been around. The original and still the best reality TV can be found in the world of Sports.

Reality shows come and go, but sports haven't gone anywhere. Sports have been around for centuries. Sports have survived culture changes, wars, economic troubles and even technology changes. Not only have sports survived, they have thrived amidst the changing times. How have sports been able to have such remarkable staying power?

1. You never know what's going to happen - This week has not been a good sports week for me. Last Sunday night UNC lost to Boston College at home in basketball. UNC lost to a team that was picked to finish next to last in the ACC. This is the same UNC team that was supposed to go undefeated. So how do they follow it up? By beating Charleston by 40 points and then losing again to Wake Forest tonight. The point is, it's unpredictable. For better or for worse you never know what will happen. However this theory is not only held to college basketball. Utah beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl...come on how many people saw that coming? Then to top it off 3 of the 4 top seeds in the NFL playoffs lose at home this weekend. Bottom line is, you never know what will happen in sports.

2. It gives each of us an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than ourselves - You don't have to play for a team to be a part of the team. That's why we go buy team gear and tickets to the game. That's why we yell at our TV's like the players can hear us. That's why we celebrate and call our friends when we win, or get depressed when our teams lose. Humans desperately want to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves, and sports is a relatively easy solution to that problem (although it should be noted that it is an unfulfilled solution in ultimate sense. Sports can not fill man's biggest void just like relationships, money and pleasure can't).

3. We all like to win - I like to think of sports as controlled war fair. Think about football in particular; two groups of people, lined up across from each other with helmets raised to the sky screaming at the top of their lungs ready to tear each other apart. Drums beat, fans scream and men hit each other and even make each other bleed all in an effort to win a game. We all have some base desire to compete...and to win. Even the most passive people in the world want to win. At the very least passive people try to stay alive, and that after all is a competition against death. But sports provide everyone with an opportunity to enter into competition even if we don't play in the game. Why do friends call each other after a rivalry game to brag about a victory that they had nothing to do with? I had nothing to do with UNC losing tonight. I was in my normal seat, I had my favorite shirt on and my UNC ring on my finger. Everything was in order on my end. We still lost, imagine that. The fact is I was trying to compete, even though I had nothing to do with the outcome.

4. There's always another game - We love sports because it is the ultimate opportunity for redemption. It was a terrible week to be a UNC fan. But we play again this coming week. If we don't win the national championship in April, there's always next year...see my point? We love knowing that there will be a second chance for us. Knowing that there will be a second chance in sports affords us the ability to pour ourselves into each game, because we know at the end of the day that win, lose or draw we'll get another shot at it.

Here is the thing though - life is not like sports. Life is a one shot deal. Sure we get second chances in certain respects but in other ways we only get one opportunity. Are you making the most out of the "season" of your life? You are in the only season you'll have. Every day is a God given opportunity to be a part of the game of life. The only tragedy is far too many of us treat it like a game, when in reality life is dominated by life and death issues.

The only way any of us can win in the game of life is to be rightly connected to the one who gives us life...God. God makes Himself available to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has overcome our biggest competitor, death. It is an opponent we cannot beat and an opponent we cannot draw up a good game plan for. I want to win at life, but I can only win if He leads team "John Walker," and carries me through to the finish line. We all have a team in life with our name on it that has a real record of accounts kept in God's stat book. The big question I have for you is, are you the only player on your team?

God bless until next time...

Welcome 2009

2009-01-01T11:08:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope that the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 was good for each of you.

A new year always seems to bring good feelings to people. I don't know anybody that dreads new years rolling around. People dread their own birthdays when they feel like they are getting old, but not new years. There are no gifts exchanged or times of family thanksgiving. New years is defined by one big worldwide party. New years is the ultimate excuse to celebrate something.

Why do we celebrate new years with such vigor? I suppose the answer to that question is dependent on who you ask. Some people just want an opportunity to party. Check facebook sometime over the next couple of days and see how many pictures get posted from last night for visual proof of that theory.

Some people simply like to mark the passing of time. We often forget how remarkable time is. Time just keeps on ticking. I imagine the clocks arms must get pretty tired because they never get a break. We like to remember our place in time, our place in the analogs of history.

Some people are looking for a fresh start on new years. Interestingly enough, it seems that some people look for a fresh start every year. New years comes and it's time for a new beginning. Then over the course of the next 364 days something goes wrong and a new beginning is warranted all over again. Some of us go through our lives constantly hoping for a chance at a fresh start. I think that 2008 left more people wishing for a fresh start than any other previous year in my life.

How will 2009 be for you? I have no idea how 2009 will be for me or for you. Anything could happen in this new year. The positive and negative possibilities are endless. My hope is that you will be able to live in a such a manner that you won't be begging for a new start in 2010. Enjoy this new year and thank God for the gift of life and the opportunity to live in this remarkable period of history. Have a fresh resolve to love the people in your life. Work hard and buy up the time that we have the honor of living through. I hope that I can practice what I preach this coming year...and I hope you have an outstanding 2009. God bless until next time.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T01:26:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas to everyone! I find it hard to believe that we are once again celebrating Christmas already. I just recently got settled into writing "2008" on everything and Christmas signals the fast approaching changing of the calender year all over again.

Christmas is my favorite holiday. I know, I know, Christmas is almost every one's favorite holiday. What is interesting to me is that Christmas was my favorite holiday as kid (shocker) and is my favorite holiday as a young adult, but for completely different reasons.

I was one of those kids that was so nervous on Christmas Eve that I couldn't sleep for hours into the night. My brother Brad and I would often have some of our longest talks (we shared a bedroom growing up) on Christmas Eve night. My brother knew I wouldn't sleep so he stayed up too to talk. As soon as morning rolled around I would shoot out of bed and start organizing presents in the living room and shaking boxes to see if I could gain just an idea of what might be inside. There's really nothing like being a kid on Christmas morning.

Time has a way of changing things in our lives. Nervous anticipation over what I might get as a gift has turned into nervous anticipation over whether my loved ones will like the present I got them. Shaking boxes to try to guess what might be inside has changed to neatly stacking boxes in front of my fireplace to ensure that I don't forget any when I deliver them on Christmas day.

Time with family has become much more precious to me than ever before. I've always been sentimental and loved time with family, but I've come to treasure the little things about family like never before. I appreciate the smell of Italian food that I catch as I walk into my Nana's house on Christmas Eve. I enjoy breakfast Christmas morning just about as much as opening gifts. I love to close my eyes and listen to my cousin play Christmas songs on the piano at night with the family gathered around. I love the warm embraces and "I love you's" that I get when I leave to go home.

But most of all, I love what Christmas really represents. I love to think about God, being completely God, coming to our earth in the form of a baby boy. I love to think about why He came. I love to think about what He became and what He accomplished. I love to think about He is alive and in heaven right now, no longer a helpless baby. Most of all, I love to think that with every passing Christmas celebration, I get closer to seeing Him face to face.

So this week, I hope we can enjoy the things about Christmas that really matter. Yes, enjoy the gifts...both giving and receiving. Enjoy your family and friends. Enjoy good food and good memories. But above all, enjoy Jesus Christ and all that His coming represents. If you've never enjoyed Christmas in that way, I invite you to discover the real meaning behind this wonderful season.

I pray that you will all enjoy a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. Let me also say Happy Birthday one of my best friends Chris...I wish you all the best and God bless until next time.

The Carolina Way

2008-12-18T23:04:00.002-05:00

If you read this blog then you probably know me well enough to know that my passion for the University of North Carolina is only out weighed by my passion for God, my family and friends and the United States of America.

I'm not a fan of the liberal politics that surround my beloved University. I'm not a fan of some of the ludicrous things that come out of that little town like a debate over whether a Christmas tree should be in the school's library. But make no mistake about it, I love the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I spent the best four years of my life in Chapel Hill. I say that in spite of the conviction that in order to live life to the fullest we must refuse to let any period of our lives be "the golden years." Every year that we are given the opportunity to live on this great planet we should live it to the fullest, and strive to make that period the golden time. But there are special periods in life that are unique and unlike any other time that we'll have the opportunity to live. My time at UNC was one of those special periods.

One of the great things about being a Tarheel is being able to participate in it's rich sports tradition as a fan. Tonight I had the chance to watch Tyler Hansbrough become the highest scorer in the University's basketball history. It is a remarkable accomplishment when you consider all the great players that have played in Chapel Hill. The best part of the entire night was the post game press conference. Yes, the press conference.

Roy Williams, Phil Ford and Hansbrough addressed the media in a lengthy press conference following the game. I heard three very different people, from three very different backgrounds and circumstances praising the same qualities that comprise the UNC tradition: Effort, Team, Hard Work, Perseverance, Sacrifice, Humility and most importantly "Family."

As I thought about the above mentioned qualities I realized a pretty simple fact, and that is that all of us have the ability to enact those principles in our lives. We can all give greater levels of effort, we can all be concerned about others more than ourselves, we can all refuse to quit, we can all give a little more and take a little less in our relationships and we can all strive to be more humble in the midst of success and failure. I fear that we are too content to praise those qualities in others while we excuse ourselves from the need to implore them in our own lives.

You may love UNC or you may hate it. You may pull with all your heart for UNC's basketball team or hope they never win another game. At the end of the day, I hope we can all agree that we could all use a little more of the "Carolina Way" in our day to day lives. God bless until next time.

Church and State

2008-12-10T14:44:00.003-05:00

Where do we get the idea of "separation of church and state" from? I think most people would probably answer that it is in the Constitution. Where do you think it is in our founding documents?

The First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Do you see the words, "separation of Church and State" anywhere in the previous statement? I don't.

So the question remains where do we derive the principle? Most trace the principle back to Thomas Jefferson (although theologian Roger Williams initiated the concept). Jefferson wrote, "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his god, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their "legislature" should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between church and State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties."

The goal that Jefferson had was not to eradicate God from society, nor Christianity for that matter. Today people use the idea of separation of church and state as an avenue to get rid of Christian traditions and principles in our culture. Was the removal of God and Christianity out of government life and society the intention of the founding fathers?

I'll let them answer for themselves:

“In the beginning of the contest with Britain , when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers. Sir. were heard and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. . . . And have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?
“I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: ‘that God governs in the affairs of man.’ And if a sparrow cannot fail to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided by our little partial local interest; our projects will be confounded; and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a byword down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing government by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war, or conquest.
“I therefore beg leave to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our deliberation be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business.” -Benjamin Franklin

“Should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a school book? Its morals are pure, its examples, captivating and noble. In no book is there so good English, so pure and so elegant; and by teaching all the same book, they will speak alike, and the Bible will justly remain the standard of language as well as of faith.” - Fisher Ames (writer of the 1st amendment)

""Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited. ... What a Utopia. What a Paradise would this region be. I have examined all (religions)… and the result is that the Bible is the best book in the world. It contains more of my little philosophy than all the libraries I have seen." - John Adams

“ Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” -John Jay (first Supreme Court Justice)

"We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus" - John Hancock

“Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [the Fourth of July]?" “Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity"? - John Quincy Adams

“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” -Patrick Henry

I could paste a thousand quotes here but time and space don't permit such a practice.

The next time someone tries to use the idea of separation of church and state to eradicate a Christian holiday or practice, go back and read what the founding fathers would have had to say about the idea. God bless until next time.

(A special thanks to Mitch and Zane for researching a lot of the quotes mentioned above)

A Tribute to Committment

2008-12-01T23:12:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of being part of a celebration of my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary. It was an amazing time to reflect back on two amazing people that have spent the greater parts of their lives side by side. I doubt there are two people that could be more polar opposite by nature than my grandparents are.

My grandfather was born and raised in Cowpens, South Carolina. He enlisted in the US Navy at the age of 17 and went off to the Pacific Front of WWII. He faithfully served his country until the conclusion of the war. My grandfather (more affectionately known as Pawpaw) is a true extrovert; he knows no strangers, and no bounds. I have never seen an individual that is completely unafraid of any situation or anybody except for my Pawpaw. Even today at the age of 82 he operates a clothing business that is known throughout Burlington, NC--all out of the back of minivan.

My grandmother was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts (the best city north of the Mason Dixon Line). She was raised in a household of sisters and under the roof of two Italian immigrants. My Nana had never left Boston until my Pawpaw married her and brought her to SC (where he proceeded to leave her on the farm while he went back to war). My Nana is far more reserved. She is steady and unwavering. She is what I call a prayer warrior, often times caring for the ones she loves without recognition or praise.

My grandparents are totally opposite and they often clash. However despite their differences they have one abiding quality between them...commitment. They have been committed to each other through thick and thin. They have survived wars and recessions, deaths and family turmoils. Their love for each other and their common bond in Christ have kept them through all the years.

Where is such commitment today? Today people get divorced at times because their spouse just doesn't please them anymore. People split up because times get too tough. Coaches pledge to a given fan base that they plan to be their coach for years to come...and then sign with a different team the next week. Kids are encouraged to do their best but not to be too bogged down with success. Churches loosen standards because people just can't live up to God's standards anymore in this culture.

Commitment in general is an endangered concept. It is dying off with each bond that is broken and every promise that is unfulfilled. I doubt we'll see many more 60 year anniversary parties in the coming years, but I hope that at the least we see a renewal to personal commitments.

What does your commitment list look like? If you asked yourself the same question in 60 years, would any of the new entries match up with the old ones? I certainly hope so--and as they say, time will tell.

(For a brief video of the party for my grandparents feel free to check it out on youtube at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Ep-2RZ-fo

Thankful

2008-11-25T18:27:00.004-05:00

2008 has been a year to remember for me. Quite honestly it is a year that in many ways I don't want to remember. I cannot remember a tougher year in my life. (I realize how comical that sounds. Tough is not living in America with an air conditioned apartment and having pretty much free choice over what foods I eat every day. Living in a destitute village in Africa with no running water or food is tough. In many cases I have no idea what tough really is.) But in many respects life is all relative and in God's good providence we are where we are.

It would not do you or me any good to rehash the last year - and I imagine you don't much care to hear it anyways. After the roll-a-coaster ride of 2008 and all the trials & tribulations, I am more convinced than ever of one fact--I am a blessed man, and I am exceedingly thankful.

I am thankful for the United States of America. If you have read this blog before you know that I'm not the happiest person in regards to the recent election. However I am completely thankful to be an American. I love this country and love it's heritage.

I am thankful for my health. Why am I healthy? There is no other answer besides that God has given me health. He could have chosen to challenge me with disease or calamity but in 2008 to this point He hasn't, and I'm thankful for that.

I am thankful for my friends and family. If there is a better family to be a part of and a better set of friends to be associated with I have not met them. They have been constantly encouraging and uplifting no matter what the circumstances. They have tolerated my lack of love at times and indifference and have treated me with the utmost care.

I am thankful for my God. I am thankful that He loves me. I am thankful that He loves me so much He wants me to be a part of His family. I am thankful that Jesus loved me so much that He died for me and now lives. I am thankful that He takes my weak efforts and uses them for His service. I am thankful that He is coming again in His good time, and I will get to see Him face to face.

Wow, I guess the real question isn't "why God, has 2008 been so hard?," but rather "Why God have you blessed me so much?." Friends, I really don't know...but I am thankful.

The Age of Change

2008-11-17T23:25:00.000-05:00

Are you surprised by the "change" that has come to America? I for one am not surprised at all. Change is nothing new in this country, as a matter of fact it is routine. America has been changing for 234 years, sometimes rapidly and drastically. Now to be fair, for people my age the last couple of years have been the biggest period of change that we've seen in our lifetime if you go back to the turn of the century. But the reality is that I've only been alive for about 10% of the history in the United States.

People of my generation are enamored with the idea of change because they've never really been a part of any significant paradigm shift in this country. I think that people between the age of 18 -30 somehow think they invented the concept. Perhaps we should remember the phrase, "there's nothing new under the sun," when thinking about recent events.

Personally, I am far more enamored with the general changes in the world over the last 200 or so years than I am with the events of the last couple of months. What general changes you might ask? Allow me to explain.

To the best of my knowledge the world is about 10,000 years old (I do not hide the fact that I do not believe in macro evolution and that I believe God created the world exactly as it is described in the book of Genesis. I do not have time to go into details but perhaps that will serve as another post in the near future). So for the sake of understanding the argument I'm going to ask you to just go with me on that perspective for the time being. Do you realize how much the world has changed in the last 200 years?

Think about how the world functioned for thousands and thousands of years. For the most part wars were fought with swords, bows and arrows, horses and chariots. At night, if you did not have a candle or a full moon you couldn't see anything. The best form of communication for ages was word of mouth or at best written letters. For thousands of years things pretty much stayed the same.

Fast forward the clock to our present day and you see a drastically different picture. Wars are fought with nuclear and chemical weapons, missiles and automatic guns. We build boats that can house 10,000 people and we send people into space to reach the moon. At this present moment I'm typing a letter to virtually everyone and I have no idea who all the recipients will be. I get phone calls on my blackberry and I talk instantly to the person on the other line even if they are a half way across the country. If I cannot make it to a given ballgame it's no big deal, I'll just pull it up on my nice television and watch it from the comfort of my own home. The examples could go on and on.

Do you see the craziness in these changes? We are living in an unprecedented period of history and we just rock along like nothings new. Are we so busy just trying to exist in this fast paced changing world that we don't stop to realize how incredible it is to be alive at this moment in history? We are not smarter than our fore fathers. As a matter of fact in many ways I think we are dumber. But none the less, our technology has advanced far beyond any of our predecessors and at a much more rapid pace.

If God is in control of human history (and I believe He is), is He letting the ever changing world that we live in distract us from the bigger picture? I am of the personal conviction that God is doing far grander things at this present moment than any of the technological advances that the last 200 years can boast.

Are you too distracted with just existing in this changing world to realize what a remarkable period of history you live in? Think about it as you flip from blog to blog on the web. Maybe there really is something new under the sun after all.

U.S. President - Manager or Leader?

2008-11-10T16:35:00.000-05:00

How do you define leadership? The concept of leadership may not be as easy to quantify as it might first appear. Are leaders born or are they made? Can a good leader have bad results, and can a bad leader have good results? Both, yes and yes (in my humble opinion) There are hundreds of questions and different perspectives when it comes to definitions of leadership.

With the acknowledgement that trying to define leadership is extremely difficult, I'm going to try and break leadership into two categories: managers and leaders.

Leaders package ideas together and sell them. Leaders convince people to follow new thoughts and new paths. Leaders often rise out of turmoil as most people shy back in fear of the unknown. Leaders tend to be persuasive, smooth and ideological. Their belief in their own sales pitch makes it believable and appealing...even if it is not fully understood or proven.

Managers are not game changers. Mangers tend to be good at maintaining the status quot without upsetting their followers to great degrees. They don't arouse emotions to great levels on either end of the ledger. Managers tend to get steadier reviews than leaders, because they don't rock the boat in either direction too strong. Managers are often the steadying force in an operation.

Throughout the history of the United States, our country has had a fair share of both leaders and managers as President. Some Presidents maintain the status quot for the most part while others have taken the country in new and different directions.

Consider the last 4 Presidents and the new President Elect
1. Ronald Reagan - Leader - In the midst of economic and military turmoil the nation turned to the conservative idealist for answers. Reagan blamed the federal government for most of the problems that the country was facing, promised to cut taxes and rebuild the military. Americans trusted him and he delivered on his promises. Reagan ended the Cold War and got America's economy moving again.
2. George H.W. Bush - Manager - Tried to maintain the status quot that Reagan had established over the previous 8 years. His experience was never questioned and most Americans didn't see a real need for a change after the Reagan years.
3. Bill Clinton - Leader & Manager - I would argue that Clinton was a little more of a manager than he was a leader. Clinton never really rocked the political boat and most people view him as a centrist. Clinton was inspiring to some but nothing to the degree of Reagan or Barack Obama. It could also be argued that had Ross Perot not run as an independent, Clinton would have never been in office...the country wasn't really looking for a huge change of direction and Clinton obliged by keeping things calm for the most part (I'm choosing to ignore for the sake of brevity things like environmental restrictions and housing initiatives that have proven harmful)
4. George W. Bush - Manager turned Leader - Bush was elected as a manager. Al Gore and Bush were both managers. Neither inspired the country with great speeches or new ideas. America voted to see which manager they liked better and the election was the closest in history. Something interesting happened to Bush after September 11th, 2001...he became a leader, and one people didn't like too much. National bipartisanship came down a few months after the attacks and America has been at odds with Bush's new vision ever since.
5. Barack Obama - Leader - Barack Obama, much like Reagan, takes over a country mired in uncertainty and doubt. He has taken the doubt and anger of many Americans and turned their thoughts to hope and change. He had a good sales pitch, and a good delivery. In my opinion the country saw Hillary Clinton and John McCain as managers when a leader was desired. They saw John Edwards, Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee as potential leaders without the minimum managing ability that is needed to balance the equation (although surprisingly Obama was left out of that requirement). Obama now has what all leaders desire...the power to enact their ideology. Reagan was able to enact his in the 80's, Obama will enact his starting next January. The question is, 20 years from now will America be happy with Barack Obama's ideology like they were with Reagan's? I have my doubts--time will tell for certain.

My attempt at finding common ground

2008-11-06T21:29:00.000-05:00

One thing over the past few months has become abundantly clear...Barack Obama and John Walker do not agree on many things in life. I think the President Elect may be slightly more important than I am right now in this country but who is counting?

In light of our many disagreements, I have found an issue that Obama and I agree on...College Football needs a playoff. That's right...we agree on an issue of sports. Take the top 8 teams (6 major conference champs, 2 at large bids) at the end of the season and have an 8 team playoff. The first round of games would be the Sugar, Orange, Fiesta and Rose Bowl...and then have a College Football Final 4 with 3 major sponsors. I think that would solve the money worries over losing bowl games.

Okay all jokes aside, Obama and I do not see eye to eye on issues far more serious than sports. However, Obama is the President Elect and I'm just an average citizen. So I'm going to give the man the benefit of the doubt for now. I am going to try and believe what he said after the election that he wants to work with Republicans and Conservatives to solve the problems that face America. I'm going to wait and see if his message of "hope and change" has any traction outside of empty words. I want this man to be a successful President. I want him to be successful because I want America to be successful.

The new President has gotten off to a rocky start with his "reaching across" the aisle promise by appointing Rahm Emanuel Chief of Staff. I'll chalk it up as strike one...not a good start but I'm not calling him out yet. I'm trying hard folks, I'm trying real hard.

God bless us all, and God bless America.

Election 2008 Response

2008-11-05T10:16:00.000-05:00

Good morning America. Last night was kinda crazy huh? A lot of things happened last night that many of us had anticipated for quite some time. Now the challenge is how do move forward (particularly if you are a conservative) and what did we learn from last night and the months before?

1. America has indeed "changed" - Barack Obama represents a new generation of thought in America. He is a rock star in a rock star culture. 50 years ago Obama would have never had a chance to win the Presidency. I say that not because 50 years ago a black man would have never won, but because 50 years ago a candidate acutally had to run on a record, not a mystique. Obama virtually has no record. That fact is almost undeniable. But he does have mystique. He has a wonderful ability to draw people in with his speeches. He has presence like no politician has had since Reagan. Will it take a conservative rock star to win the white house back in 4 or 8 years? Perhaps, or experience will become relevant again pending on Obama's success or failure.

2. The election, at least based on the popular vote, was closer than most people think. There are over 50 million Americans who thought Obama was the wrong choice in an election year that should have been a land slide in the popular vote for a democrat. If Obama and the congress try to enact extreme liberal policies, they will polarize the country far worse and create a new protesting group of Americans. Obama knows that he will probably have to be somewhat "centric" in his first term. It remains to be seen how far the liberals will want to push the envelope. Democrats didn't win yesterday, liberals did. Some democrats don't even realize how liberal their party has actually become...they just thought "hope and change" sounded good.

3. Which brings me to my next point - do Obama supporters know what they are excited about? Change what? I don't mean that critically or sarcastically...but last night was like a mindless chant of "yes we can." Yes we can what? Yes we can raise taxes, increase environmental restrictions, loosen abortion restrictions, decrease military spending, restrict free speech, spread the wealth, take away your 401k and the list goes on...does any of that sound positive? Well when you put it like that no it doesn't. Well unfortunately that is the reality. I have a feeling "yes we can" could turn into "shoot we shouldn't have."

4. This election will start a new race divide in America - this is a touchy subject I realize and I'm going to try to handle it with the utmost care. I find it sad that there were some (and I emphasize some) people who did not vote for Obama because he was black, and some who voted for him primarily because he was black. How sad it is that people in this country still would not vote for a candidate regardless of his positions because he was black. Equally as sad in my opinion, is someone who votes for a candidate because he is black. Over 90% of African American voters in NC voted for Obama. If they agreed with his positions then so be it. I fear though that it was not primarly about his position. Now there are exceptions to both sides. White people who voted for McCain aren't automatically racist and neither are black people who voted for Obama. I hope for the day when Martin Luther King's real dream will become a reality, that people will be "judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin." Last night my friends was not the fulfillment of that dream, I hope it was a stepping stone in the right direction.

5. Finally, where do we go from here? (primarily speaking to conservatives but not exclusively) - Do the values that you held to yesterday still matter to you today? Do you believe in a less intrusive federal government? Do you think that government should keep the tax burden on citizens low? Do you think that government spending, much like personal finance, needs to be in control and out of debt? Do you believe in the Constitution? Do you think that America is the best country on Earth despite her shortcomings? Do you think that the rights of the unborn is a cause worth fighting? Do you believe in a strong military? The list goes on. If you believe those things then yesterday was a bad day for you. It was a bad day for me. Today is a new day and the beginning of a new election cycle. America will vote again in the near future. If you believe in the items mentioned above and the value of their importance then I encourage and plead with you to make them a priority. Get involved. Talk to your representatives. Get plugged into a grassroots effort in some capacity. President Reagan once said "history may record with great astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to protect it."

I pray that God will give wisdom to our new President...I pray that Americans who believe in freedom and liberty will come together and figure out a way to get involved again. May God help us all, and may He bless and have mercy on America