1.    Americans will purchase and decorate 180 million eggs this Easter.

2.     I’m old. To me, #24 = number twenty-four.  To my two younger girls, #24 = hashtag twenty-four. 

3.     I still like Rand Paul for President (at this time).  However, I do like the way Ted Cruz is not ashamed of his beliefs --- we need more of that from our politicians.

4.     Opening day in baseball is April 05.  The Phillies are probably one of the few teams that are not getting excited about coming north.

5.     My 10 year-old daughter Grace has Wisconsin playing Duke in the NCAA finals in her bracket, which may happen, given that they are both in the final four.  She always picks Wisconsin --- because she likes their cheese.

6.     Don’t tell my wife, but I still need to get her some “peeps” for Easter – she loves them, especially when they get stale.

7.     John 3:16. 

8.     Tom Brady jumped off a cliff into some water while on vacation.   Move along.  Nothing more to read here.

9.     And the winning name for the baby rhino that was recently born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is … Kiama. My vote of Murray didn’t win.

10.  I’d have more respect for Charles Barkley if he decides not to attend the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis based upon his perception that Indiana passed a law to discriminate against the LGBT community.  Talk is cheap if actions do not back it up. 

Ant colonies are made up of classes. There are the queen ants, the ants that mate with the queen, the soldier ants, and the gathering ants.  Each one has a role and goes about their job for the benefit of the colony.  Similarly, most of us who are either in one of the three classes, acts just like these ants.  We go about our daily business, working, paying taxes, and being good little citizens.  We may complain at times, but we still go to bed and get back up the next day and do it all over again.  All the ants want and expect is to live in a colony and work together, without fear from the outside coming in to invade their world.

As I wrap up this four part-blog series that I called “Battle of the Classes”, I am reminded of the movie “A Bug Life” from 1998.  The movie is about a colony of ants that is forced to gather food for a group of grasshoppers and not for their colony.  The grasshoppers understood all along that in order to stay in power, they had to instill fear into the ants. The many seasons of gathering food for the grasshoppers sucked the life out of them. The ants began blame each other for their misfortunes instead of looking to remedy the situation. However, an unsuspecting ant from the working class named Flik convinced the other ants that they outnumber the grasshoppers and possess have the power to overcome the grasshoppers. A plan to rid the grasshoppers once and for all was planned and executed.  

Like the ants learned in this movie, its only when we stand up for ourselves against the government, our elected officials and party elites that they will begin to take notice. 

You, the individual, have all of the power.  They know it.  It’s time for you to stop complaining and battling the other classes.  It’s time, for the classes to join hands and battle the establishment and not each other --- just like the ants.  


Now, who wants to be Flik?  Maybe its me.

BELIEVE.ACT.SERVE.  The Future is Now.

1.     Of the 16 teams left in the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, I successfully picked 7 of them.  I still think Kentucky will be cutting down the nets in early April.

2.     We saw Cinderella on Saturday night – loved the movie.  My favorite character is the mouse named Gus-Gus.

3.     Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." 

4.     My birthday is this Thursday.  This past Friday night, I was out to dinner with some friends, at which time we kicked off “the year of Tim” – in honor of my big birthday that arrives in 2016.

5.     The following is a title from a story on a major internet news site on Monday: “Our poop could be a literal goldmine worth millions.”  So, what government grant paid for this study?

6.     The Presidential race has started for 2016.  The first horse in the race: US Sen. Ted Cruz . “I believe in you. I believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of America. And that is why today, I am announcing that I’m running for president of the United States.”

7.     Thank you for the prayers for my mom who remains at a rehabilitative hospital due to complications from a stroke.  She is a fighter.

8.     I read an article in LNP yesterday saying that politics is not for the faint of heart as attacks come from the media, the public and other candidates.  As I contemplate running for state office someday, I wonder if articles like this are meant to discourage people like me?

9.     I am a libertarian when it comes to the federal government issues, a conservatarian when it comes to state government issues and a conservative when it comes to local issues.

10.  Always Act how you Believe.  Don't Serve others if you are not willing to follow your Beliefs.

In my previous two posts, I wrote that the established political class as well as the government has been successful in creating resentment between people of all economic climates.  Keeping this resentment alive means more money for their coffers so that they can fight for one of the three classes’ interests.  By convincing a class that another class has harmed them, the harmed class looks for someone or something to save them – enter the government or a political party on the white horse.  “Vote for our party,” they say, “and we will fight for you.”

I am convinced more than ever that the majority of those in power really don’t want to help the classes inasmuch as they want to continue pushing their agendas by using the classes.  If the government wants everyone to be equal, then why not help all classes equally? 

So how do we change the battle lines so-to-speak and bring the governance of this nation back to the people?  In other words, how do “we the people” begin to dictate policy rather than the parties and government?  We do this by changing the mindset of people that individuals have the power and not the government. When individuals learn that they can help themselves, they will become more and more confidant in their problem solving abilities.  When an individual feels empowered, government’s dependency becomes less and less.  Suddenly, instead of resenting the other class, people in all classes will become of one body and of one mind.

So how do we empower individuals and stop these battles? My 10-step process is below:

1.     Get right with God.  Ask Him for forgiveness for those times when you resented someone just because they were rich or because they were buying groceries using SNAP (food stamps), which is paid for tax dollars.

2.     Be positive everyday. Believe in yourself. Stay true to your principles. Don’t let the government, a politician or a political interest group tell you how you should feel. 

3.     Change where and how you get your news. Turn off FOX News.  Turn off the network news.  Start listening to local news.  Start reading your local newspaper again.  Think locally, not nationally.

4.     Research local charities and donate $5.00 each month to one that interests you.  It’s not so much the amount of money you donate, as it is the commitment you make to that charity.  Once a commitment is forged, you may even start to donate your time as well.

5.     Love one another.  Be nice to everyone from all races. Love your spouse.  Love your children.  Be nice to your neighbor.  Be nice to your coworkers. Build relationships with people from all walks of life.

6.     Read. Get Educated. Start to read books, articles or blogs from people you do and do not agree with politically or socially.  In order to talk to someone you disagree with, you first must understand why they believe the way the do.

7.     Stop complaining about this nation and the direction that you think it is heading. Start thanking God that He allowed you to be born here. Pick one issue that concerns you.  Research it and come up with a solution.  Take that solution to your local representative.  Stop complaining and do something.

8.     Vote.  Do research about each candidate before voting.  Educate yourself on the issues and ask questions. When you vote, you become invested in your candidate.  And, if your candidate wins, hold them accountable on what they said during their campaign.

9.     Help yourself.  Don’t look for a handout at first. You’re smart.  You’ll figure it out.  But if you need help, look to your family or neighbor first, instead of the government.

10.  Learn from your mistakes, but don't look back.  Remember the past.  Use your experiences to map and make your future.  The past is the window into the future.

I wrap up the “Battle of Classes” with p/t 4 next week…have a great weekend.

BELIEVE.ACT.SERVE

1.     Is anyone getting a McDonald’s Shammrock shake today?  Not me – I’m not a big fan of mint.  I don’t even like the thin mint girl scout cookies.

2.     There are knitting groups at various nursing homes in the area that knit prayer shawls for patients at the Heart of Lancaster hospital.  These ladies are true servants who go unnoticed to most everyone, except when you have a loved one in the hospital.

3.     Spring arrives on Friday – we made it through the winter.

4.     “Dad.  Did you know that the whale shark is the largest fish.  And, people can swim with them without being in danger?”  Just another random conversation topic from my daughters on the way to school.

5.     My son corrected me over the weekend regarding Frankenstein. Frankenstein was the last name of the person that created the “monster”.  Here all along, I thought the monster was named Frankenstein. 

6.     Top five for President in 2016: Paul, Walker, Cruz, Pence, Fiorino

7.     "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

8.     Yes, I am wearing green today; therefore, if you see me, you can’t pinch me.

9.     I struggle with this thought: The US has nuclear weapons.  Russia has nuclear weapons.  No one seems to care.  Who are we to say that other countries can’t have a nuclear weapon?

10.  Congress wants to give the President close to $90 billion to fight ISIS – more than he requested.  Two thoughts: a) Aren’t we as a nation broke?  Where will the $90 billion come from?  b) So we bomb ISIS and cripple them.  Then what?  Do we establish a US presence in the Middle East?  Do we rebuild the area?  We are always willing to make plans pre-war, but post-war seems to be an afterthought.  Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

 -----------
11.   Tim’s bonus thought for the day:  Don’t mess with happiness.

As I wrote in my post from Friday, we have a battle of the classes going on in this country.  We have politicians, bureaucrats and community leaders that pit the poor against the rich and the middle class against the poor.  If the middle class is struggling, well, let’s blame the poor who receive welfare because we are told that they take up all of the money.  Likewise, the rich are pegged as those mean people that continue to get tremendous tax breaks in order for them to sustain their opulent lifestyles; that you, by the way, can’t have because of them.  Basically, each of the classes begins to resent the other one.  So where are they lead to go?  To the government silly. And like good little sheep, we follow without saying a word.

There is a battle of the classes going on in this country.  Sadly, it is not between the rich, the middle and the poor.  It is between the political class and everyone else from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich.  As someone once wrote, “…we the people bear the brunt of political power and pay the price in lost liberty, property, and opportunity.”

As long as governmental entities and the two major political parties continue to create a deeper chasm between the classes, they are happy.  They gain power.  The keep control.  To the established political class, dissention amongst the classes = happiness.

Political elites manage each situation - that they help to create - in order to benefit themselves.  So, what do we do?  Before I give you my thoughts later this week, please read the following first two paragraphs from the Declaration of Independence.  It seems that those signers from 1776 who “…pleadg(ed) to each other (their) Lives, (their) Fortunes and (their) sacred honor…” had the same feelings about the British crown that I do today about our over reaching government:

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.— That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,...”

Believe.Act.Serve. The Future is Now.

Until we talk again.

1.     Please, please people.  It’s REGARDLESS – not irregardless.

2.     I stepped on the scale this morning.  Time to cut back on the potato chips.

3.     “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in you power to act.” – Proverbs 3:27

4.     I had a wonderful Daddy-Daughter date with my 8-year old Gabbie this past Saturday night.

5.     At least Gov. Wolf did what he said he would during the campaign when he unveiled his budget – he wants to increase taxes and increase public school funding.

6.     Congratulations to my home office assistant Bailey – our Yorkie – for being named my employee of the month for March.  Her naps lying at my feet were never missed.

7.     Principles – not interests – should dictate our lives.  One’s interests lead to bad decisions.  Principles keep us grounded moving in the right decision.

8.     Apple might become the first $1 trillion company.  It would take me almost 32 years to count to 1 trillion.  Here we go…1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12...

9.     Want to see Easter Eggs dropped from a helicopter?  Bring your kids to my church’s 9th annual Easter Egg Hunt.  Go here for more information.

10.  My next blog post coming Friday: “Battle of the Classes”

On a recent business trip to a mid-western blue state, I had nice conversation with a bartender.  The chat started at sports and ended with politics.  The political conversation encompassed everything from the 2016 presidential election to unions to abortion.  He was pro-choice and asked me why conservatives seem to forget about protecting life after a child is born and why do republicans appear as the party against the poor and disadvantaged?  Interesting questions.  Below was my response to him…

“First, my answer my surprise you.  I am a registered republican and believe in less government – this helps everyone.  Second, I am pro-life.  I firmly believe that life begins at conception and that the unborn must be protected.  I agree with you that most conservative republicans are quick to ignore the children after birth.  Yes, they criticize the influx of children into our southern border, they are more than willing to bomb foreign lands, which may harm innocent children, in order to wipe out our enemies, or are too quick to complain about the welfare state in this nation.  Yet at the same time, republican politicians proclaim from the mountaintops of their pro-life stance.  To me, their proclamations do nothing more than to fill their campaign coffers and rile up the base.  My prolife position is one of before and after.  In other words, we must do our best to protect (before) and sustain (after) life after birth. Do we need to address the dependence on welfare?  Yes.  Do we need to secure our border?  We as republicans, and I’ll throw in some of the evangelical Christians in here, must be ready to face the outcome that results from children being born --- that they need to be supported and protected.  This means that we must be willing to pay some taxes to support those less fortunate children.  We must be willing to educate the parents of those children and to promote job training and other self-sustaining methods.  As a Christian, I have a responsibility to help the poor.  Now, that doesn’t mean that government is the answer; however, since government is involved heavily at this point in the welfare state, we must use government at some level to have programs that lead to sustainability.  It’s so very easy to lump everyone who receives a government handout as lazy and ungrateful.  While I am certain that those people are out there, I am just as certain that there are those who are thankful for the assistance.  Again, I am a firm believer in less government.  Government intrusion into its citizens’ lives must begin to be diminished; otherwise, we will lose our right to pursue happiness as the Declaration of Independence so eloquently proclaims.  So to wrap up this long explanation, I say this…if we are to be consistent, then we must be pro life BEFORE and AFTER birth.”

The bartender looked at me and said that you sir, you are no republican…although you are not a democrat either.  What do you consider yourself?  “I’m a republican who believes that everyone in this country deserves a chance.”

As I was leaving, he extended his hand to me and said that he wished more people who have differing views would be able to talk as openly and freely as we did, without the animosity that generally ensues.  “Me too”, I said.  “Me too”.

BELIEVE.ACT.SERVE

Each Tuesday, I post 10 random thoughts on just about any topic.

1.     The “what color is the dress?” question from social media last Friday told me one thing – people are bored and are looking for an outlet.

2.     It’s about time Christians take off their halos, stop condemning, judging, and start serving.

3.     Luke 2:43,44: “…and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But his parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for him among their relatives and acquaintances.”

4.     My top 5 for President (post CPAC): R. Paul, S. Walker, B. Carson, B. Jindal, T. Cruz

5.     Hard to believe that “The Sound of Music” is 50 years old.  For what its worth, my favorite song is “Do Re Mi Fa.” – nothing like a drop of golden sun.

6.     One of my favorite meals is: rib eye streak (med-rare), green beans, smoked-gouda cheese mashed potatoes, and homemade apple pie for dessert.  And of course, a cold beer.

7.     Yes, it’s true.  I had a curly perm when I was 25.  All pictures have been destroyed.

8.     We are just 4 months away from Lititz Springs Park’s 198th July 4th celebration (I’m the overall event chairman) – lititz4thofjuly.com

9.     Just like Mary and Joseph in Luke 2:43 & 44 (see item #3 above), how often do you lose sight of Jesus during your daily routines? If you do, turn around, change direction, and find Him.

10.  This time next week, my youngest child will be 8 years old --- good by car seat --- it’s been a long time coming.