Be Prepared for Anything

I read a fascinating article just a little while ago detailing a Russian analyst’s prediction that the United States will fall apart in the summer of 2010.

Igor Panarin has predicted that the U.S. dollar will bottom out, civil unrest will escalate and U.S. morals will degrade until the country finally implodes.

He further postulates that this implosion will bring about a division of the United States into six separate regions that will be taken over by foreign nations - such as Canada, the European Union, Russia, Japan, China and Mexico.

I think he’s on the right track in saying that morals and civil unrest will continue to degrade the U.S. from within, but I’m not convinced his time frame - and his end prediction of foreign takeover - are accurate.

Readthe article for yourself and see what you think. Do you personally think Panarin is onto something?

Israel is a constant hotbed of violence and potential violence. Once again, it’s erupted.

The Bible speaks of nations coming against Israel and hating the nation and we’ve seen it constantly throughout the years.

So the current conflict between Israel and Hamas should come as no surprise. Even Iran is trying to get in on the action by recruiting  volunteers to fight against Israel.

The hatred the Arab nations have toward the Jewish people dates back to the time of Abraham. In a nutshell: Abraham had a son with his wife’s maidservant. The son was named Ishmael, but was born out of Abraham and his wife’s disobedience. God had told Abraham he would have a son and would become the father of nations, but Abraham and Sarah couldn’t stand to wait on God’s timing. So they worked out a plan for Abraham to conceive a son with Sarah’s maidservant. The son was named Ishmael - but he wasn’t the son that God had promised.

Later Abraham and Sarah - in their old age - conceived and had a son named Isaac.

Through Isaac the Jewish people multiplied and out of Ishmael came the Arabic people.

So the hatred the Arab nations have toward Israel stems from the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac.

Unfortunately, Americans seem to have the naive belief that peace can be reached between the Arabs and the Israelis - but this conflict has been in effect for thousands of years and won’t be solved by some handshakes and a couple of pats on the back.

I think we are going to see an escalation of conflict involving Israel, following Biblical prophecy that nations will rise up against the Jewish people.

As an American and a Christian, I believe the scripture in which God states that He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel.  I just hope America continues to stand with Israel.

With the economy spiraling downward, I’m just curious: Is the current status of the economy making you change your spending on Christmas?

We make homemade gifts every year, but this year we’ve increased that to save money.

We’ve also cut back on the amount spent on gifts by placing a limit and a budget on buying. With three kids, the budget can get really high, but we’ve tried to limit it to no more than $125 per child. We also have put a limit of no more than three or four gifts per child. We don’t buy for anyone else. Everyone else gets homemade gifts - my brother, sister-in-law, parents, grandparents, friends etc.

So back to my original question: Are you cutting back on your spending and/or gift giving this Christmas? If so, how are you doing it?

It’s been icy here in my neck of the woods. The ice came in on Sunday evening/Monday morning and temperatures have hovered around 20 degrees.

Brrrrr! It’s cold! My chickens have been asking me every day “What the heck is going on????” but they’re still giving me eggs! I went out this morning - slipping and sliding through the yard - and collected eggs. One was still quite warm - fresh from the chicken!

I don’t have any snow melt salt, but regular table salt can be used if nothing else is available. Cat litter can also be used to add traction on icy steps and walks, but it doesn’t melt away like ice. So I’d only recommend it if you have nothing better.

That sounds a little harsh, sure. But maybe some recession living could be a good thing. Maybe we all need a wake up call - because hey, we’re living in a world and a time where many people are self-centered, self-serving and in love with money and things.

Now, granted, not everyone is like this, but in America it sure seems like the majority fit into the selfish, money-hungry crowd.

So my thoughts are that a recession could be a good thing - a chance for people to wake up and smell the reality. A chance for people to regather their humanity. When all of our money and expensive toys are gone and we’re feeling a little desperate, it makes you stop and think about what’s important: Family, friends, faith.

What do you think?

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was taken into custody by federal authorities early Tuesday morning. His Chief of Staff John Harris was also arrested.

Blago - as we Illinoisans call him - is being charged with federal corruption charges stemming from a three-year investigation. In essence - to name just a few of the things Blago has done: He’s been trying to sell President-Elect Obama’s Senator seat to the highest bidder for the financial benefit of he and his wife. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

We Illinoisans have known the Governor was corrupt since he took office in 2003. He’s shown time and time again his disregard for justice and honesty in politics and has been simply a part of the Chicago Machine that controls Illinois.

From the news in the past few months that his mistress had given birth to his child (his wife apparently wasn’t surprised - because hey, everybody in Illinois knew about it!) to his temper tantrums, to his refusal to live in the state capitol of Springfield (he uses taxpayer money to charter flights from his Chicago-home to Springfield to run the state) - Blago has been a controversial governor for Illinois. I personally say “good riddance” - he’s done nothing but harm to the state.

Today is December 7 - the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This event ushered the U.S. into the World War that was currently raging.

When I was growing up, remembering what happened during World War II was a big deal - both of my grandfathers fought during that war and I knew several veterans. Many of them have now passed on - including one of my grandfathers. It seems as though today -  67 years later - young Americans are tainted by the war in the Middle East and don’t seem to respect the sacrifices that were - and still are - made for our country.

One of my grandfathers refused to speak about his experiences serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, but my other grandpa told me lots and lots of stories about his time in the Army. He died in 1982 when I was 10 years old and I wish I could remember those stories. He was proud of his service for his country. He was proud that he stood with other American soldiers to protect those who were being harmed and taken advantage of.  My husband’s grandfather was somewhat tight-lipped about his Army service. He spent his first night in Europe removing dead bodies from the battle field. His also earned a Bronze Star - but he would never tell anyone in the family what he did to earn it. The story behind that honor went to the grave with him.

I was raised to respect the President and the flag - because I had family members who fought to preserve that respect.

Where has the respect gone?

Where has the respect for our collective history gone?

All that I can say is this: Thank you Veterans - thank you for the hardships you endured. I am sorry for the horrific things you had to see during your service, but I thank you for your courage.

Since it just came out that we’ve “officially” been in a recession since December 2007, I’m just wondering what people are doing to survive.

Have you changed your lifestyle to survive? Maybe you’ve started carpooling, pared down to one vehicle, started cooking from scratch more or started shopping at thrift stores. Have you stopped eating out, started working more than one job, cut back on Christmas spending, or the like? Have you moved into a cheaper home or moved in with family to cut expenses?

I’m just curious because I know that in my family we’ve had to buckle down and change several things to meet the economic crunch, but I’ll blog about those things later. I’d love to know what changes other families have made to  make it through these tough times.

I’ve been hearing from several people who are facing layoffs and cutbacks in their job (or their husband’s job) and it’s no different at our house. The jury is still out on possible cutback or layoffs at my husband’s workplace, but we are hoping for the best while planning for the worst.

If you’re in limbo with the possibility of job instability, you probably don’t want to spend a lot on Christmas gifts. There are ways to create a wonderful Christmas for loved ones without spending much on it.

Make homemade gifts - even if you’re not crafty you can bake cookies, homemade bread, or other goodies. Make gift certificates redeemable for babysitting, lawn mowing, tree trimming, grocery shopping, etc.

If you must spend money on gifts, choose inexpensive practical gifts: Gift cards for fast food, movie money, a favorite book, a basket full of the makings for an Italian dinner at home (pasta, sauce, parmesan, loaf of Italian bread, a couple of candles, etc.). Check at thrift stores - many times I’ve found toys still in packages or practically brand new. Look for dishes that complete a set your mom owns. How about a stack of books on World War II for the history buff in your family?

These are inexpensive and practical ideas.

More later!