Shonda Ponder

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 20: Genesis 1:20

2009-02-22T06:09:00.003-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 20: Genesis 1:20
February 22, 2009
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:20 -- And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

The fish and the birds were created in the same day. The fish can't breathe in the open air, and the birds can't breathe in the water; but, both are equally important to God, or He wouldn't have created them.

When God created the birds, He foresaw a time when the birds would feed the Israelites as they wondered for 40 years in the wilderness. When He created the fish, He knew one day He would have to use a great fish to swallow Jonah, so that Jonah would be convinced to do as God willed. Know this: everything God creates is at God's disposal. What you are going through right now will one day be solved by God's great creation, if you seek to honor Him.

Does this mean you won't make mistakes? No. Jonah made a big mistake when he ran from God's will in his life. The same creation that God uses to help you can envelope and chastise you as you look upon it. What God does, however, is out of pure love for you and the rest of His creation.

There is as much a purpose for you today as there was yesterday, and the day before. There is a place for you in God's creation, just as the birds have the air and the fish have the water. No one else can fulfill the purpose for which you were made.

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began... (2nd Timothy 1:8,9)

God can will that you go through some pretty uncomfortable times in order for His plan to work. Jonah wasn't happy with the task that God commanded of him, but it didn't stop him from getting the message that God wasn't going to let up until he did it. When you choose to follow God, you choose to let Him use you as He wills. You will never be comfortable outside of the will of God.

Just remember, Jesus taught that He had come to give us life, and to give it more abundantly:

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

He also taught that:

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (Luke 9:24)

You may not see the logic in God's will for your life, but if you learn to let go and let God, you will enjoy life so much better in the end, because the will of God will strengthen you, and you will be called blessed.

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Introducing: The Stuff Gazette

2009-02-22T06:00:00.004-06:00

I've started a new blog on blogspot to log some interesting information on the internet. It's called "The Stuff Gazette". This site is merely for the sole purpose of helping people find products and services they can use on the internet for all sorts of purposes.

I hope you will visit my new blog. You can get there by clicking here: The Stuff Gazette
Shonda Ponder

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Devotionals of Recovery: Day 19: Genesis 1:19

2009-02-13T23:18:00.003-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 19: Genesis 1:19
February 13, 2009
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:19: And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

There is always another day. When you mess up, repent and move forward. Each day is a first day. Keep that in your mind as you go about your daily tasks. God will lead you where you need to be when you need to be there.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)

There is always something new to learn each day about the world, and about ourselves. When we think we know all, we are failures of the worst kind because we don't allow ourselves the opportunity to learn from our mistakes.

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10)

You will never have a day where there isn't a potential to make mistakes. But, if you follow God's lead, you may have a day that glorifies God in the end.

==============================

Devotionals of Recovery: 31 Days to Transformation

2009-01-26T11:53:00.011-06:00

Are you recovering from a big blow in your life that has left you depressed, in doubt about your own sense of judgment, or on the road to destruction? Are you addicted to something that you are trying to break free from? Do you need a word from the Lord to help you along?

I have written Devotionals of Recovery to help you, as I have sought to help myself. I used the first chapter of the Book of Genesis, because in seeking to rebuild your own life, you must allow God to create a new creature through you. If you are a Bible believing Christian, then you know that when you come to know Christ as Saviour and Lord, you are a new creature in Christ. The old man has passed away. Each time you backslide and end up in a place you don't want to be, God uses that to teach you how to be the creature He created you to be.

I hope that these devotionals will help to guide you back onto the road that God wishes for you to take in your life.

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15, Day 16, Day 17, Day 18, Day 19, Day 20, Day 21, Day 22, Day23, Day 24, Day 25, Day 26, Day 27, Day 28, Day 29, Day 30, Day 31

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Click here and send a blank email to subscribe.
=========================

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 18: Genesis 1:18

2009-01-26T11:18:00.003-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 18: Genesis 1:18
January 18, 2009
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:18 -- And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

The light rules. There are two great lights. One is lesser, one is greater. Which one will you live in? Which one will you let rule your life? God gave us a choice when He created two. He created the greater and the lesser. His plan includes both. What God creates, God can destroy.

The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. (1 Samuel 2:7)

He did this so He could give man free will. Man has no free will if he cannot choose his own path.

God didn't just give man free will, though. He told man which path he should follow, not which path he could follow. He laid out basic instructions to man in the Bible that would lead to long life and contentment.

Which path will you follow?

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Devotionals of Recovery: Day 17: Genesis 1:17

2009-01-18T10:10:00.002-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 17: Genesis 1:17
January 18, 2009
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:17 -- And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light on the earth,

God doesn't take a light and hide it where no one can see it. He sets it high so it can light the way for all who are around. We are called to be children of the light.

While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. (John 12:36)

When you focus on anything but God, you are not living in the light. Your everyday problems stay problems that you can't get out of. Jesus is the light that we need to see by.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:19)

You may think that no one understands you, at times. This is true when you live among children of the night. You must remember that it is not them that you need to look for your answers to.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:5)

The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. (Proverbs 13:9)

Stay the course. Keep walking in the light, and even your dark days will seem to be like a firefly in the night: small, quick, and easily swatted.

======================

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 16: Genesis 1:16

2009-01-14T12:45:00.002-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 16: Genesis 1:16
January 14, 2009
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:16 -- And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
The light of day will always outshine the light of night. When good things happen in your life, it has more influence than the bad things that happen in your life. The good things that happen in your life will direct the paths that you take from there on out, unless you choose to stay in the dark.

Many times, we tend to spitefully sit where we are at under a dark sky. The negative emotions we experience envelope us and cause us to angrily fight going anywhere else. Jonah experienced this after he was sent to Ninevah to do God's work there. There is no record of him after that in the Bible. Job also experienced this, when he lay on his bed in depression, and his concerned friends came to stay with him. Job finally got off his bed, and the life God blessed him with was much better than the life God took away from him.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. (Psalm 27:14)

Sometimes when we are in the darkness of our lives, it is better to wait for the Lord to lead us. We must always look forward to the light, even when we are angry about the dark.

Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. (Micah 7: 7-9)

Micah says that he has sinned against God. When we are in darkness, it is usually because the choices we have made in life has led us there. We have sinned. And, because we sin, we have to bear the punishment. (I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him).

When you show God that you are willing to accept the punishment, you are showing Him that you are willing to change. Being willing to change means that you go through the doors that He will eventually open to you. But, you must wait for those doors to open, and when they do, you must accept that He wants to bless you, and not punish you any longer. It may be that He uses the experience to bless you further, if you are sincere.

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Devotionals of Recovery: Day 15: Genesis 1:15

2009-01-10T12:04:00.002-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 15: Genesis 1:15
January 10, 2009
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:15 -- And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

God wants you to live in the light. He doesn't like darkness of any kind. When you are confused, or unsure, you may say that you are "in the dark" about something. When you find yourself in the dark, it is always good to ask the Father for light. He will give you what you ask for, if it is done with a sincere heart.

Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. (Psalm 112:4)

God allows the darkness because He wants you to choose the light. He wants you to ask Him to lead you into the light. If you choose to remain in the darkness, the problems you are facing cannot be solved.

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Devotionals of Recovery: Day 14: Genesis 1:14

2009-01-08T23:59:00.005-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 14: Genesis 1:14
January 8, 2009
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:14 -- And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

God created the day and the night. God doesn't abandon what He creates. He has a purpose for all that He creates. If it is not useful, it is not there.

Some days seem pointless to you as a mere human being. But, we must remember that those days were not created for you; but, rather, were created for God. If you are walking with God, those days would have purpose. If you are centering your thoughts and desires on yourself, those days seem pointless, because you are not in concert with the purpose in which those days were created.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1

When you experience one of these days that seem to have no purpose, try a little soul-searching. Ask yourself what you can do to please God by being there for someone else. No matter how insignificant an activity might be, the person you are there for may see it as a great blessing. In the end, God works His purpose through you.

Every small thing you do can be used to God's glory. God does not discount the little things you do. God doesn't take them for granted.

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Reconsidering the Posse Comitatus

2009-01-06T14:36:00.002-06:00

"Re-thinking the Posse Comitatus Act October 5, 2001 (re-edited and updated July 25, 2002)
Written by Shonda M. Ponder

The Posse Comitatus Act is in trouble. It is the only thing that stands in the way of stripping us of our freedom right now, and there are some in the defense department who are calling for a review of it. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz is one of them. Senator John Warner, R-Va, is another.

"We saw from within the cities and towns and villages of this great nation came the enemy.When that type of thing happens, we have to bring together every asset in the United States of America, irrespective of where it comes from - military, civilian and the like," Warner has stated, according to an Associated Press Report

Much of the threat of terrorism has been linked to the illegal drug trafficking, which is financing the weapons and training of the terrorists. For this reason, Bush has been adamant that this "War" is a "different kind of war", but is treating it with the same force as the "War on Drugs." The War on Drugs is the only other effort that has had to carefully examine the Posse Comitatus Act.

On September 24, 1999, Brigadier General Dorian T. Anderson sought to provide Title 10 military units in support of drug law enforcement agencies to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the continental United States. At a hearing held by the Committee on Government Reform about the drug threat along the Southwest Border, he stated:

"I would like to emphasize the words 'in support of.' With domestic law enforcement agencies in the lead, military units support their efforts with capabilities that are requested by law enforcement officials. We accomplish this support by deploying elements such as aviation reconnaissance units into operational areas. All supporting personnel are briefed on the Joint Chiefs of Staff Standing Rules of Engagement, trained in the legal constraints of the Posse Comitatus Act, intelligence oversight regulations and the environmental laws and statutes in the area in which they operate. Units deployed by Joint Task Force Six provide positive, 24 hour command and control of all assigned personnel through appropriate measures to ensure force protection, prevent accidents and ensure successful mission performance."

Previous reports on domestic terrorism have always sought to incorporate the Posse Comitatus Act into any plans of deterrency without such calls for considering to change it. In a report called "Domestic Preparedness against Terrorism: How ready are we?" on March 24, 2000, before a House Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs And International Relations, Brigadier General Bruce
M. Lawlor stated:

"A key point to make here is our relationship to the Lead Federal Agency (LFA). Under no circumstance will U.S. Joint Forces Command or JTF - CS (Joint Task Force - Civil Support) be in charge of the consequence management site. We will always act in support of an LFA, and will participate as a follow-on consequence management force behind first responders and state assets that normally arrive at the incident site first. The Commander of JTF-CS and his permanent staff, through constant exposure to the issues inherent in operations in the United States, will be able to apply the strengths resident in a military organization. They will do this in complete compliance with the Constitution, the Posse Comitatus Act, and other applicable laws."

The point to be made here is that every act of civil defense done in accordance with the suggestions made at the hearings reveal that there is no need whatsoever to do away with the Posse Comitatus act. The problem that seems to have arisen is not whether or not the Posse Comitatus act is a valid subject of reconsideration. The problem stems from the public's "right to know" about certain military operations within civilian territory.

In a recent press release sent by Norm Olson of the Michigan Militia Corps, Wolverines, he resounded his frustration that the Government was not keeping the citizen militia informed of its actions within the United States, and that it could cause endangerment--both of civilian lives and military personel. Olson maintains that the government's failure to incorporate the citizen militia for matters of home defense security has done much to encourage the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. After all, the Posse Comitatus act does not apply to civilian law enforcement, and the citizen militia is answerable to the county sheriffs, which are civilian law enforcement in their areas.

See Also:
Bush Touts Homeland Security Dept.
Mon Jul 22,10:27 AM ET

U.S. Mulls Military's Domestic Role
Sun Jul 21,11:31 PM ET "

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Why The Major News Network's Ratings are Low

2009-01-06T14:28:00.002-06:00

This was originally written in 2002.
By Shonda Ponder

If there is one thing I have learned these last few months, it's that...well, frankly, news sucks. I used to be able to turn on the internet and be barraged with all kinds of interesting activist organizations. Now, in the wake of September 11th -- and all the subsequent legislation and political cataclysms -- it seems as if journalists have become afraid to speak their minds.

Fear. It's a new thing to us Americans. We touted and protected and defended 1st Amendment rights, then we realized how close the 1st Amendment is to what we call "action". Next, we decided that anyone who doesn't speak like, think like, or act like what we consider to be the norm should be investigated, and possibly denied their freedom. We were told that we should not live in fear; to go about our daily lives as we have before, because to live in fear would mean that the terrorists won.

No wonder journalists are afraid. If they really printed their opinions, or even reported what is actually happening, they could lose their jobs -- or worse: they could lose what little freedom they actually have.

I read stories in the newspaper today that tell me how great the government is, and how they are doing everything to protect me from terrorists. When I pick up the telephone, I think, "Am I being tapped?" When I use my credit card, I wonder, "Is someone watching what I buy?" I read an article the other day how grocery stores are losing money because Americans aren't shopping as much. Could it be that I am not the only one who thinks this way?...

Oh, I understand. I understand that very few people out there who are struggling to come to terms with this new lifestyle of fear will actually ask these questions out loud. After all, no one wants to be investigated just because they can think for themselves.

It would be refreshing, however, to see more journalists who are not afraid to tell us what is really happening, rather than try to get a Democrat or Republican elected. I'd like to know the facts, not who's to blame. I'd like the opportunity to place the blame for myself, as an average, everyday American.

I took journalism in high school. And, I dare say that what these journalists and reporters report today would have probably got me an F, if they turned it in to my teachers. All the opinions and political biases should be done away with. They have no business being in a newspaper. The newspaper and TV news stations are not there to tell us how to think. Their jobs are to report the facts so we can make our own decisions. And, most importantly, their job is to report the other side of the story as well.

One of the most important things I learned in journalism was that there are three sides to every story: the person's who caused it, the person's who was the victim, and the person's who witnessed the event. How often do we hear the other two sides of the story?

The truth is, I think that, after September 11, 2001, Americans actually wanted to be told what to think, because they honestly didn't know what to think. It's always safer to let someone else make the decisions. But, is it best?

I don't know why I am writing this, except to say that I can understand why newspapers are losing their audience, and why television news stations are losing their ratings. Wake up, people. It's the same reason people have stopped showing up at the polls: lack of variety, lack of excitement, lack of real news, and lack of control. We have no control over anything anymore. We don't even control how we are supposed to think anymore.

I think people have finally come to realize what they still refuse to admit, and God help us all if they ever admit it:

Freedom isn't free.

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Devotionals of Recovery: Day 13: Genesis 1:13

2009-01-06T10:38:00.005-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 13: Genesis 1:13
January 6, 2009
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:13 -- And the evening and the morning were the third day.

There is always a new day. It may seem, at times, like the world as you know it has ended. When this happens, you must see this as a new beginning. The world itself has not ended, only the world as you knew it to be.

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22)

If you are depressed, the worst thing you can do is lay down. If you lay down and give up, you are committing a slow, arduous suicide. If you are committing suicide, then your faith is to be questioned. Therefore, no matter how hard life seems to be, the best thing you can do is keep going. Get up, do the things you have to do on a daily basis. Soon, the dark tunnel you are in will end. You will see glimmers of light, you will slowly rebuild your hope.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. (Psalm 27:14)

To "wait on the Lord" does not mean to stop living. It simply means that if you walk the path of righteousness, your hope is in Him, that He will take care of the things that cause you pain.

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Be Thankful

2009-01-02T12:55:00.002-06:00

Written by Shonda Ponder
All verses are taken from the KJV Bible

1 Thessalonians 5:18 -- In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

God has given you many things over the years. If you look at your life just one year ago, how drastic have the changes been? Sometimes when we look back, we imagine a time when we never thought we'd be where we are today, doing what we are doing at that moment.

The question becomes, then, why? What does God have planned in your life that got you where you are right now?

So, today, I challenge you to be thankful for where you are right now. Ask God to use your circumstances to help you do the Kingdom Work He wants you to do. Pray that where you are is profitable to the Will of God in your future.

====================

Dear Friend: An Invitation

2009-01-01T10:22:00.001-06:00

I am a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I serve with my whole heart because He paid a debt I owed that I could never repay no matter how I try. I serve with joy and gladness, for the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations. (Psalms 100:5)

I wish I had the time to tell you how God has given me so much to be thankful for in my Lord Jesus Christ. I have tried, but hearing, ye have not heard. (Matthew 13:13) Maybe it's because you have not experienced my God the way I have, and you find it hard to relate. Or maybe you feel as if you are not good enough to approach the light of His Glory. I can only speculate as to what your reasons are, for I have invited you to join me in the praise and worship of my Lord, and to join me in His Kingdom work as He has instructed me to do , when He said, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: And Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:19-20). Yet you linger, and refuse to quickly honor the invitation.

Friend, you don't have to be on good terms with yourself or God to approach the throne. For God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

As a servant of God, I am not perfect or sinless. I am, however, forgiven. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13) And because I am saved, I am a new creature. My old life is passed away, and I have a new life. (2 Corinthians 5:17) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is a gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created unto Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

You see, I can never do enough to repay God for sacrificing His only son for me. I can only believe He did it because He loves me, just as I am. Even so, faith, if it has not works, is dead. (James 2:17) Therefore, I cannot, in good conscience, after the price my Lord paid for me, continue in my sins. I could not change who I am. But my God can. When I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, I gave Him permission to mold and shape me as He would have me be. This is because once I realized the total price of my sins, I was convicted to serve with all my spirit, constantly striving to cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 6:1) Even striving to perfect myself, I am constantly reminded that no matter what I do, I will never be righteous enough, For there is none righteous, no, not one. (Romans 3:10)

I have said all this to teach you, friend, that if you are waiting until you are "perfect enough", it will not happen. You need not linger or have excuses not to accept my invitation any longer. God is calling you to join Him in His kingdom work. Do you really want to disappoint Him after what He's already done for you?

Jesus never condemned the sinner, though he begged them to repent. Therefore, neither do I condemn you. (John 8:11) To do so would be blasphemy, for I am not perfect either, and am unworthy to cast stones at your character. (John 8:7) What I say to you, I say out of love, as Christ has commanded us to love one another as He first loved us. (John 3:35) Having said that, It is my duty to inform you that the Kingdom of God is at hand. (Matthew 10:7) It is because of that that I would be derelict in my duty if I failed to write this letter to you.

You see, once again, I am pleading with you to come and worship the Lord with me. I don't understand why it is so hard for you to accept my invitation. Can't you hear Jesus saying through me, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) What relief you will have when you realize that you have eternal life, rather than condemnation! For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Friend, I beg you to linger no more! You have been invited to eat the bread of life at my Lord's supper table! when I think of you, I remember a parable Jesus told once of a man who fixed a great supper. He invited certain people. These people who were invited all had some excuse for not wanting to show up. It doesn't matter what their excuse was. So, he told his servant to go out onto the streets and gather the lower classes of people to eat in their place. (Luke 14:16-24) I believe he did this because He knew they would appreciate his efforts more. (Luke 14:14) How is it that you cannot appreciate what my Lord has to offer you? If you won't come, God will invite someone else in your stead.

I have prayed for you, my friend. I have pleaded with you; and, now, I am writing this letter as a last attempt before I go on my way to invite others, as the servant of the Lord has been instructed to do. Please do not make excuses, for God will not accept any excuses on the day of judgment. Jesus has instructed that we should always be prepared, because you may not be alive tomorrow to repent, and if you are, what if He returns for His servants? Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day, nor the hour wherein the son of man cometh. (Matthew 25:13) And, if He does, do you really want to take the chance of hearing Him say "I know you not"? (Matthew 25:12)

But if you still refuse the invitation, it is my duty to leave you alone and to shake the dust of my feet on the way. (Matthew 10:14)

My Lord is a gracious God. He has patience with you for now, but I beg you, my friend, not to test my Lord's patience for long. he has been known to curse those who continue in their sins. (Deuteronomy 28:15-68) Maybe you are already experiencing some of them. I hope not; but, if you are, repent, and God will turn those curses into blessings.

Jesus taught a parable about a prodigal son, who defied his father, spent his inheritance, and wound up slopping pigs for a living. Finally, he determined to be his father's servant, if only his father would take him back into his home after what he'd done. When his father saw him coming, he welcomed his son home, rejoicing with a great feast and restoring his place in the home. God will do that for you if you let Him. (Luke 15:11-32)

Please accept my final invitation to join me in the praise and worship of my Lord at 1st Biker's Church in Texarkana, Texas. We are located at 12th and Walnut. If you don't want to go to that church, then find one you are comfortable with, but we will accept you with open arms if you do.

With Agape Love for You,

Your Servant in Christ,

Shonda M. Ponder
903-794-7241

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Things I've Learned This Year

2008-12-31T10:58:00.003-06:00

1. Just because someone helps you doesn't mean he cares about you as a person.
2. Letting go and letting God doesn't happen until you let go.
3. People who are emotionally unavailable are emotionally unavailable.
4. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.
5. Negative emotions are by-products of bad decisions.
6. Sometimes the best vengence is just moving on.
7. As long as there is God, there is always hope.
8. Emotional wounds heal over time just like physical ones.

Re-dedication

2008-12-28T14:07:00.003-06:00

Today I re-dedicated my life to God. I have strayed off the path and out of His will until I became someone that I couldn't stand. All I've wanted was to find the way back.

It's funny how sin has a way of enticing you. It makes you think you can compromise who you are supposed to be for a time and still get the desired results. Sometimes, however, it's better to just step back and say, "God's got this. I think I'll just stay out of His way."

Letting go and letting God is so much easier before you take that first step in sin. Giving up control of your life is hard, granted; but it is necessary in order to gain what God has planned for you to have. If you do not let God do the driving, you will end up lost on the road of life, not knowing how you got where you are.

The truth is, I do know how I got where I am. I know that my decisions weren't the ones that God wanted me to make. I know that I chose the route I took because I didn't trust God to give me what I wanted. And, it's true. He wasn't going to give me what I wanted; but, what He wanted me to have is so much better than what I could do for myself.

I feel refreshed now, in my spirit. I feel at peace. I know that the day will soon come, however, that I will fight the things that led me into this wilderness again. What I have to do now is decide what I'm going to do when that battle takes place again.

==============================

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 12: Genesis 1:12

2008-12-28T13:36:00.003-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 12: Genesis 1:12
December 28, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:12 -- And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

When God makes a command, it happens. When He opens His mouth and speaks, action occurs. Nothing happens unless it is the will of God.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we accept the task He has set before us. Sometimes, that task is not clearly defined, accept that we are to follow the rules laid out to us by our Basic Instruction-book Before Leaving Earth (BIBLE). It is our job to make sure that we stay on the path directed by our Father in heaven. If we fail to do so, we will walk into thorns and thistles, not to mention an ambush of evil.

And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. (Deuteronomy 8:2)

Bad things don't happen to good people. Bad things that happen are simply a test of your faith. God doesn't want sissies in His army, anymore than He wants self-centered leaders. God can't do His job effectively if you continue to keep trying to tell Him how to do it. He wants you to follow Him, to act on His command, to not question His decisions, and finally, to trust Him.

And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper. (2 Chronicles 13:12)

Sun Tzu's strategic book on warfare is nothing compared to God's. God has won every battle He has ever fought. God is your protector and your vengence against would-be oppressors. All you have to do is stay in the will of the Father, and let Him do the rest.

Don't worry: if you make a mistake, God will make sure that you recognize that mistake, and He will be on the path waiting for you to return as you fight your way back.

===========================

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 11: Genesis 1:11

2008-12-24T09:31:00.003-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 11: Genesis 1:11
December 24, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:11 -- And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth: and it was so.

Everything God creates has a purpose. God did not create you to sit idle. He doesn't intend for you to sit by and watch as events unfold. God created you as a part of His plan. If you were not in God's plan, He would have not created you.

(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) (Romans 9:11)

God gave you talents. He made you unique. He gave you certain intelligence and ability, just as He did the grass of the field and the fruit trees. All of this is so that you may seek Him with your free will, which He allows you to have. God doesn't want robots to do His bidding as He pleases. He wants true companionship, true love, true belief. God wants you to choose to be on His side. He won't force you to do anything, but He will make it inconvenient for you to do anything else, in the long run.

If there were no free will, there would not be a need for God to forgive us of our sins. Our free will was the reason for the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. We can choose God as our leader, or we can choose to follow our pride. Until we humble ourselves, and realize that our pride is not greater than God's will, our lives will have no fulfillment.

Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. (Isaiah 48:17)

Understand that God created you for a reason. God gave you everything you need, and what He has not given you, He can as need arises. Until you are focused on living for Him, your life will not be comfortable, or convenient, or peaceful.

=====================

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 10: Genesis 1:10

2008-12-23T10:55:00.005-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 10: Genesis 1:10
December 23, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:10 -- And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

God names everything that He creates; then, He labels it. You were made by God, then He named you. Your name became who you are. If you will look at all the names in the Bible, they had meaning. Your parents named you what they would, but it was God who inspired them to call you what they do, whether they know it or not. Your name has meaning.

This does not mean that you will forever be the person your name says you should be at birth. Abram was given a new name in his old age: he was called Abraham. Jacob, the con-artist, was given a new name as a young man: he was called Israel. God has the power to re-name you according to His own will.

God divided the dry earth from the waters. Then He called that "good". He sets aside His children in order to accomplish His goals. What God sets aside according to His purpose, He calls "good".

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

So be assured that you are special in God's eyes. He created you with a special purpose in mind. Believe in yourself as a child of the Most High God, and embrace the tasks before you with determination and willpower. God will be there to see you through.

=======================

Need to Know

2008-12-23T02:41:00.004-06:00

Today I found out something I didn't want to know, but desperately needed to know. For me it was a sense of release upon finding out. Truth sometimes hurts.

I am struggling now with what action (or non-action) I should take in the wake of this information. Should I give up? Should I walk away and not look back? But, given the circumstances, how do I do either of those?

Is it worth it for me to continue as I have? Or, should I just shelve everything for a look-see at a later date?

I don't know. I hate those words, being who I am. I despise the not knowing. I can't grasp the concept of never finding out. But, in this case, what would bring me the most knowledge?

Sometimes letting go and letting God seems so hard. Sometimes, it's the only thing you can do. This time, however, I think that God took over, and gave me no choice.

I guess I should be thankful. I'll have to wait and see whether this is the case.

========================

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 9: Genesis 1:9

2008-12-16T11:34:00.004-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 9: Genesis 1:9
December 13, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:9 -- And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Water is the most powerful natural resource on earth. Water has destroyed, and water has restored. The Bible has in many ways shown respect to the power that water on earth is capable of, from the flood of Noah to the Living Waters that flow from the Holy city of Revelation. But, the creator is always mightier than the creation.

The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. (Psalm 93:4)

God gathered the waters in one place so that dry land could appear. It was on the dry land that the first man was created. God protects us from the raging storms of our life in much the same way. With a word, He can quiet the fears of all of His children.

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39)

Much like the apostles, we can be assured of our safety from life's raging storms by only asking "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4:38)

Numb

2008-12-15T14:48:00.004-06:00

I am numb all over. I feel as if life itself has let me down. I gave all I could give, loved all I could love, prayed all I could pray, said all I could say, and nothing happened.

I feel as if I were addicted to a bad drug that isn't there anymore and I am suffering withdrawels. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?

I'm not dead yet.

I'm losing weight rapidly, at about an inch every two weeks. I've lost two pant sizes in the last month and a half. When people ask how, I shrug and say, "I don't know."

Emotional Stress.

I'm not feeling sorry for myself anymore. Now I'm just trying to survive, and make sure that I don't get behind on anything else, and catch up on what I need to catch up on.

Surviving is not living.

Surviving is work.

I'm alone because I choose to be. God forbid I should let someone else cause me more pain and heart-ache.

God forbid I should cause any to anyone else.

But, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know that I'll ever let anyone else in, but I might reach out soon enough.

===================

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 8: Genesis 1:8

2008-12-13T11:47:00.000-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 8: Genesis 1:8
December 13, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:8 -- And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day

Heaven is the place between the above and the below. You don't want to be above anyone. You don't want to be anyone's foot stool. You want to stand firm and move around freely. God created you as a unique and free individual, with free will and unlimited potential. God sets the only boundaries we should follow. God makes the rules. What God says will come to pass.

Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. (Psalm 74:17)

Have faith that who you are is not determined by your circumstances. God has the power to open doors that you didn't even know were there.

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 7: Genesis 1:7

2008-12-13T10:28:00.000-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 7: Genesis 1:7
December 12, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:7 -- And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

When God says something, it comes to pass. When God commands something, He uses whatever means necessary to make it happen.

And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD. (Ezekial 21:7)

God doesn't create something and then leave it alone. He creates, and then He watches what will happen with His creation. If the creation starts to stray from its intended purpose, God guides it back to the right path using whatever means necessary.

And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth. (Job 37:12)

So, when your life seems out of control, take comfort in knowing that the Lord your God is guiding you, and if you follow His lead, things will start to make sense in time.

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 6: Genesis 1:6

2008-12-13T10:17:00.000-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery
Day 6: Genesis 1:6
December 8, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:6 -- And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

God divided the earth from the sky, the light from the dark, the evil from the good. Until he did this, there was confusion. God set the whole world in order so you could be assured of the difference between right and wrong.

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

God doesn't like it when you are confused about which way to turn, because this proves that other influences in your life have stepped in to become who He wants to be to you. Others will always provide obstacles in your path to righteousness. Rest assured that those who lead you astray will have their day of judgment.

I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. (Galations 5:10)

Your confidence should be in the Lord, that no matter how badly you mess up, He has the power to give you peace. He has the power to make all things new. He has the power to fix the broken hearted.

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 5: Genesis 1:5

2008-12-13T09:53:00.000-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery
Day 5: Genesis 1:5
December 8, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

There is always a first; the first day of your life, the first time you took a step, the first time you spoke, the first day of school, etc. Each first helps you gain confidence in your abilities. Each first helps you in your decision making for the future. Each first is a new beginning for a certain part of your life. Take comfort in knowing that before the first of anything in your life happened, God was there; and, when the last thing happens in your life, God will be there.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Revelation 22:13

The first days are always the hardest. These are the days of the creation of the rest of your life. These days will shape you and mold you into the man or woman God created you to be. The first days can be as painful and scary as taking your first step as a toddler once was. Isn't it ironic that, as a toddler, your fear was replaced by sheer determination? Why do you suffer fear the way you do today, when your past firsts have already proven that determination can overcome your weaknesses?

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 4: Genesis 1:4

2008-12-12T13:36:00.000-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery
Day 4: Genesis 1:4
December 7, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

God divided the light from the darkness. He keeps the darkness in your life from overpowering your light days. The bad things that happen to you can never keep the good things away from you.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:5)

When you come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it doesn't mean you are perfect. It just means that you are forgiven. It doesn't mean you won't make mistakes, it just means that you will be able to repent and know that those mistakes won't keep you from the Father's love. Any time you walk away from God, you can rest assured that God will be there waiting with arms open wide to receive you when you run back.

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

Sometimes the darkness in your life seems to be a tunnel with no end; but, there is an end. There is a light at the end of every tunnel, especially if you have excepted Christ into your life. .

He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

So, when you are in your dark times, all you have to do is keep going. Keep walking through the tunnel. There is nothing inside the tunnel that will keep the Lord your God from pulling you out. Sooner or later, you will see the light, and as you approach the end of the tunnel, that light will grow brighter.

You will feel joy again. You will feel love. You will feel happiness again. All that the light gives you is yours, if you just continue to walk toward it.

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 3: Genesis 1:3

2008-12-12T13:31:00.000-06:00

Devotionals of Recovery
Day 3: Genesis 1:3
December 6, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

God made light. There was light even before there was a sun, and that is miraculous. There can be light in your heart, even when there is no reason in your life to obtain it.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

When there is light in your heart that God creates, there is no darkness that can put it out. We become clean, and whole. The healing power of Jesus takes away all our suffering from the sin and unrighteousness in our life.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

When you mistrust yourself due to your past mistakes, this fear puts undue strain on other relationships and events in your life. When you trust God, and walk in the light of His love, you have protection and confidence.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

Trust in God. Only in Him can you be made whole. He can create in you a light that can never be put out. He can erase your fears, and give you the confidence you need to move forward as His child.

Let Go and Let God: Steps in Victorious Living

Devotionals of Recovery: Day 2: Genesis 1:2

2008-12-12T13:18:00.001-06:00

Friday, December 6, 2008
Devotionals of Recovery: Genesis 1:2
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible

Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

God has the power to make something out of nothing. When you are at the worst times of your life, and all the doors around you seem locked shut, God has the keys to all of them. You look into the mirror and you tell yourself that you are worthless, that you are nothing, and that you have nothing to offer. But God is the God of creation, and God can form you and mold you into something that is worthwhile and beautiful.

Where the Spirit of God is, there is life. As long as there is life, there is the pursuit of happiness. Only by being free, or without burden, can we ever truly obtain happiness.

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

You must lay down your burdens at His feet. You must give Him your heart, your pains, your sufferings, your hurts, and your failures. Until you can do this, you will never see God in all His Glory, as He transforms your burdens into something beautiful.

To simply say that you believe in the Spirit is not enough. You must accept the direction that the Spirit is willing to take you. In order to do that, you must be willing to communicate with the Spirit, and heed the advise and direction that the Spirit is taking you.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galations 5:25)

When you are at your weakest, it seems hard to talk to anyone. It is hard to pray, because you do not trust your own judgment. You have made mistakes, committed wrongs, and the only person you have to really blame for the problems in your life is yourself. How can you ask God for what you need, when you have misjudged your needs so badly thus far?

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)

God hears the groanings of the Spirit, just as He heard the cries of the Israelites when they were in Egyptian bondage. It pains God to see His people suffer. As any good parent, He seeks ways to protect His children. You haven't received the spirit of slaves that leads you into fear again.

Instead, you have received the spirit of God's adopted children by which we call out, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15)

Until you can trust and follow the lead of the Spirit, you will never know true peace, happiness, joy or freedom.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

The Spirit will not let you die.

Devotionals of Recovery

2008-12-12T12:59:00.001-06:00

by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible

Day 1:

Genesis 1:1 -- In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth

There are many theories on the origin of Heaven and earth. Our schools teach us that a "Big Bang" created our solar system. But the Bible teaches us that God did it. God, alone. Many schools refuse to let God into the classroom today, because if they did, they'd have to admit that they don't have all the answers.

With a word, God created the heavens and the earth. John 1:1,2 says that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. The Bible tells us that God's creation, itself, was an act of grace. John 1:14 says And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His Glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

God made everything, without question (Hebrews 1:10). When God spoke the world into existence, the promise of Christ was already made, in that God used the word to create the world, and the word was Christ who was made flesh. This is evidenced by the prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17:5: And now, oh Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

We must, therefore, acknowledge, before we can even profess to believe that Christ came to save us from our sins, that He created the world in which we live. David acknoweled this belief when he said "of old has thou laid the foundation of the earth. And the heavens are the work of thy hands." Because, if we can believe God created it, we must also believe he will take care of us. Nehemiah 9:6 says Thou, even thou art God alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts, the earth and all the things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all. And the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Jesus Christ is Lord. Before the mountains were rought forth, or ever thou hast formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. (Psalm 90:2)

When we concede that God alone created the heaven and earth, we are exercising faith in God as our creator. The world was not made spontaneously out of nothing, unless there was a God to design such an event. By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.(Psalm 33:6) Jesus was the Word made flesh, to save us from ourselves, who would chose to believe that the world's existence can be explained through science. Jesus came to teach us that we don't have all the answers, until we trust God completely. When we put our faith in God, God is our answer, andthe only right answer, at that!

It takes what God requires, our faith, to believe that God is the reason for our existence. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3) Only by faith can you be saved from your sins, and by believing Jesus is Lord can you obtain eternal life.

When we admit that God created the world, and we confess our faith in Jesus as Lord of our lives, we admit that God, who commanded the light to shine our of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

What God makes belongs to God. Psalms 74:16 says, The day is thine, the night also is thine; Thou hast prepared the light and the sun. And, God gives a purpose to everything He creates. (Psalm 104:19). If God gave purpose to the Sun and Moon, then surely God gave purpose to you and I. We may not always follow God's purpose for our lives, but God is merciful and just, and He forgave us from the beginning, and Jesus Christ is proof of that! (Psalms 136:5-9) ...his mercy endureth forever. Jesus Christ was that mercy made flesh. His death on the cross was the ultimate act of mercy for the salvation of mankind.

When God created purpose for everything He created, He gave everything in creation rules to live by. Rules are boundaries that, if crossed, exacted punishment from God. When parents set boundaries for their children, they are giving their children rules to live by. When the rules are broken, the parents -- who love their children and want what's best for them -- then have the responsibility to punish them. He hath compasseth the waters with bounds, until day and night come to an end. Job 26:10. when God makes rules, the rules are permanent. There is no discussion. God is God. God is wisdom.

Man has no wisdom unless God allows him to have it. Solomon knew this when he wrote that wisdom was in the beginning of the world "When he gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment, when He appointed the foundation of the earth." (Proverbs 8:29)

Because God is the creator, we owe Him reverence. We should honour His boundaries, and we should also remember that what God creates, He can also destroy. It is only by His grace that we are allowed to exist. (Jeremiah 5:22). When we live outside of God's laws, we cannot prevail, and God knows this. This is why He gives us free will. He knows that we will return to Him for comfort when we realize we cannot win without Him. Peter knew this when he wrote concerning those who scoff at God, knowing this first, that there shall come in the last day scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the Fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water. (2 Peter 3:3-5)

God also pointed out His authority when He asked Job: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou hast understanding?" Then He goes on to inform Job how He set the boundaries on the foundations of the earth. (Job 38:1-11) Nothing happens without God, who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed forever. (Psalms 104:5) As a matter of fact, the whole chapter of Psalms 104 rehearses this fact.

There is no God but God. The strength of God surpasses any judgment and there is no proof that can argue to the contrary. He is the God who rulest the raging of the sea.(Psalms 89:9)

The Bible is full of praise for God's grace in His creation. God is omnipotent. He is, was, and always will be. He knows every cell, every ounce of water, every strand of hair on our bodies. He made us who we are.

God always makes everything in abundance. Some of what He makes, He uses now. He saves the rest for later use. While we may, at times, think we have no purpose, we must remember that God has a purpose for all creation, and He uses each creation according to His will when the time is right. God prepares that which He intends to use. We are always a work in progress! And, whatever problems we encounter, God is able to fix for His purposes. (Psalms 93:4)

Even the Prophets of old knew that Christ was Lord. Agur asked, "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in His fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?"(Proverbs 30:4) Agur didn't claim to know everything, nor did he claim to be wise, but he knew god. And this knowledge alone made him wise counsel to Solomon.

When you concede that God is creator, then you open yourself to the wisdom of God. If God can create, then he can use even the seemingly useless to fulfill His purposes. (Psalm 78:3) The God, which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people (Psalm 65:7) can quiet the actions of any enemy of His children. The Lord God is in control (Psalm 92:8) and no other entity, be they called science or idols, can be compared to His greatness (Psalm 89:6)

What God creates, God can destroy if it does not serve His intended purpose. when mankind became so wicked that it exacted the wrath of God, who chose to destroy mankind in a flood, God used one righteous man to save what was left of His creation. God wiped the slate clean. He got rid of the evil and kept the good. If He can do that in the world (Genesis 6:20), He can do it for us as individuals.

God uses His own discretion when He creates. He doesn't need our advice, but we need Him. He doesn't do anything He doesn't want to do. He answers to no one. He is God. (Jeremiah 10:12) God alone is wise. We are nothing without God's wisdom. (Psalms 104:24).

If God is wise, and if God is just, then doesn't it stand to reason that God will provide for His creation? (Job 38:41). Behold the fowls of the air: For they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly father feedeth them. Are ye not much beter than they? (Matthew 6:26) God created man to rule over His creation (Genesis 1:28). If He will provide for the birds, doesn't He have a greater sense of responsibility for us?

There is nothing God cannot do. He will go to any lengths for those who love Him. (Psalms 93:1). And, because God is so good, it is our responsibility to live within the bounds He has given us. We must learn His laws. We must follow His rules (Psalms 119:68).

And we must have faith in Him.

2008-12-04T16:13:00.001-06:00

I find myself starting over again at this point in my life. It's as if all my efforts have been thrown in my face and grinded into my skin. My emotional net worth has been reduced to nothing.

I am going back to God for help, as usual. I am the one who withdrew from Him, and now I am the one who has to make amends for it. It's funny, because at the time, I thought I was where I was supposed to be. But, I wasn't. I was simply where I wanted to be and hoped that was enough. It wasn't.

I am now taking inventory of my life. What do I have? What do I want? What do I need? and Where do I go from here?

I am going to get on my knees and ask God to take me where He thinks I should be, and to allow me to prosper in that direction. I don't know what else to do. I don't want to do anything, but if I have to do something, it has to be this.

I am suffering from major depression right now, and fighting to keep it from controlling my health and mental well-being. I am exercising, forcing myself to continue to work. I am forcing myself to eat. I am forcing myself to bathe and clean the house. I am forcing myself, basically, to live.

This, too, shall pass.

Right?

Let us hope so.

==========================

Shonda Ponder at 40

2008-10-31T15:35:00.002-05:00

October 30, 2008 was my fortieth birthday. I was behind on bills, again. I had no money to party with; and, I was fighting depression because I had no phone minutes and couldn’t even talk to my kids. However, I had a lot to look forward to.

The first thing I did on my fortieth birthday was settle disputes on my email list that threatened the integrity of the Citizen’s Network Alliance if it wasn’t addressed. The dispute was religious in nature, and the fight was over who’s religion was the true religion. In the end, God won out; not because He was forceful, but because He was, period.

I left the house to pay some bills, so I could prepare for the celebration ahead. On the way back home from paying my computer bill, I got stopped by a cop for going 13 miles over the speed limit. He let me go because it was my birthday (and I have no record). I thanked him and went on my way.

Around 5:00 PM, I was disappointed and depressed. No one said “Happy Birthday” to me. No one called me. There was no cake. My boyfriend usually gets cake for all his friends on their birthday, and I felt he wasn’t even thinking about me. I started crying. Brad, my boyfriend, said, “Cheer up, it’s your birthday.”

I said, “Why. I got no phone call, and no cake, and no money.” He brought out a big Chocolate cake with chocolate candy icing and the words, “Happy Birthday, Shonda” on top. Everyone in the bar sang “Happy Birthday” to me, and we all ate cake. Then he said, “I can’t believe you thought I wouldn’t get you a cake for your birthday.”

We ate at China King, my favorite restaurant, and then we went bar hopping. I wanted to go somewhere different, because the Arrow bar was too much like home. I wanted to do something different. We went to the Frosty Mug, and I drank wine coolers and sang a song on Karaoke with Dave and Vickie Vaughn.

Then, we left there and went to the Double R, where Brad almost had to back up a Banshee who was trying to cool a potential problem in the bar. I drank two margaritas and a Budweiser, and I met Patty, and Christy Kirby, who knows my mom. We talked about how men have testosterone and women have pheromones, and how men will always go for the women who will use them rather than the good girls, and vice versa.

When we decided to go home, I accidentally tripped on the step out the door at the Double R, and landed on the concrete with a skinned knee and elbows. Brad thought I hurt myself, and asked, “All you alright?”

“Yes, I just need the courage to get back up.” The wind had been knocked out of me, but I got up, and walked to the van and we went home and finished up the night.

=======================

Introduction to Email Protocols

2008-10-27T11:20:00.001-05:00

Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)

Part 7: Introduction to Email Protocols
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

Okay, now that we've spent time highlighting some important pointers about how to make your web site promotion-friendly, now we are going to talk about how to make recruits work for you. Once you have mastered the art of managing all of what we have covered so far, and a few more pointers we will cover, please be advised: your journey in the promotional arena is far from over.

We will discuss many more ways to promote your messages, and we will offer you many ways to enhance your skills on these subjects. But, for now, if all you are hoping for is a good solid web site that works at the grass-roots level, what you have already learned is sufficient for that. This section will help you to enhance that effort and make the grass-roots promotional quality even better.

Once you have your web site up and running, and you have laid out all the points of communication and interraction with your potential recruits, you will want to find a way to make that potential even stronger by putting your recruits to work. One way to do this is through the use of email. Most, who are amateur recruits in this area, simply will copy and paste your message from your web page onto their email and then send it to everyone in their address book. This is great for promotional value, but it also tends to open up other potential recruits to problems that they would rather not have.

For instance: most people who are likely to talk to other people about your work do not want their email addresses publicized for the world to see. If other recruitERS see that email address, they are likely to abuse it by adding it to their lists without permission, simply because the message may be in line with their own, and they make the assumption that the person who received that message is also an active recruitER. This may sometimes cause potential recruits to ask to not be sent any more messages from this person, and could cause them to drop out as an active player completely.

So, when sending emails about your message to great numbers of people you will need to have followed certain rules of thumb in order to keep the peace and to gain the trust of any potential recruits that may come to help you in the future. You must always be mindful of their privacy. You must always be thankful for their efforts. And, you must always work to make sure they are representing you in the best way possible so as not to cause any future misconceptions about your message.

It is virtually impossible (no pun intended) for you to know who your many recruiters are on the World Wide Web. So, here, we are going to discuss some wasy to cover your own behind in light of certain problems that may or may not arise in the future.

At Friends of Liberty, from time to time, I'll get emails that ask me to stop sending them emails from my lists. Sometimes, these are from people who are not even on my list. In order to insure that I am not violating any laws against spamming, there are certain rules that I must adhere to in order to be assured that no interruption of my networking ability will occur. We will speak about how to go about this as well.

This is Part 7 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

============================

Losers

2008-10-27T11:09:00.001-05:00

Originally written on May 16, 2002 - by Shonda Ponder

One of the things that frustrates me the most about Patriots and Freedom-lovers is their overwhelming desire to lose. While we keep griping on email lists and websites about how the government is infringing on our rights, we are, in essence, contributing to the government's efforts to expunge our Bill of Rights by refusing to do anything about it.

Here are some common phrases that I get tired of hearing on a day to day basis.

***"The American People are uneducated. What the American People needs is to be educated on how their rights are being taken away, then they will do something about it!"

The reality is, most Americans DO know what is going on. The problem that the general public has with this "educated information" is that they don't know what to do with it, or about it. What needs to happen, in my honest opinion, is that the American People need to be taught how to write letters to their congressmen. They don't need to be told that they should. It isn't that they don't think it would work, it's that they don't know how to do it!

I know this because I can sit here and tell someone who runs yourwebsiteforfreedom.org that they should send out a press release about their website, and nine times out of ten, I will get ignored. When I finally get down to the root of the problem, it turns out that they do not feel confident in sending those press releases because they don't know how, or who to send them to.

***"That organization only wants to make money. So, I won't support them"

Okay, let's look at this phrase for a minute: Let's say the organization in question has a website at 101gunfacts.org. And, let's pretend that this website gets five million hits a day. That would make their internet bill closed to $600 per month. Their phone bill is likely $500 per month, due to phone calls to radio stations, and
people who need their story verified on gun infringements. And, if 101gunfacts is a news site, they have to use the telephone to do interviews, and $500 is really a REAL low estimate of what it probably actually costs. This does not include postal newsletters for people who do not own a computer. The monthly mail-out costs including shipping and handling can run close to $200 per month (again, a REAL low estimate of the probable actual cost). The organization probably employs someone to work and update the site if it is updated daily -- which amounts to at least another $500 per month in service fees for scripts and software, and let's not forget labor.

Now, let's say they send out an email that asks people to donate. They get 2% of the total emails sent out that will respond. That is roughly one hundred thousand people who visit their website who will more than likely write to encourage them to keep up the good work. But, the scary part is that only 2% of those will donate anything to support them. So, 2,000 people end up sending a donation that they probably
will only send once per year. Do you think that will cover the costs of running such a large organization (especially if the organization has a recruitment program, complete with Television and radio ads that also cost quite a bit of money -- and let's not forget the staff members who often have to work full time for the organization and have families to feed and bills to pay as well!) for the whole year?

And you wonder why they keep asking for donations, or they start offering products for sale to meet their expenses? There is no such thing as a free ride, even when it's free.

By not supporting that organization you are helping the government infringe on your rights.

***"We had a rally for (your favorite cause) the other day, and none of the media showed up!"

Oh, that's a good one. Let me ask you this: Did the chairmen of the organization who put together the rally send out timely press releases that were professionally written? By this I mean, did they check for spelling, punctuation and grammar, and did they provide the correct contact information, complete with dates and times. And did they hold a press conference about the rally at the rally, after sending a media
advisory inviting the media to attend? Nine times out of ten, the answer is "No".

But, people like to complain about being ignored, don't they?

***"No one supported (your event)"

Before the event, did you solicit the support of nearby businesses? Did you search for sponsors aggressively? Or, did you just put up a passive note on your web page about needing sponsors, while you negated to send a press release out about the existence of your website?

If you want to do something pro-active, rather than complain about what is not being done, the best thing you can do for your cause is learn how to promote it.

Friends of Liberty offers that information for free in our Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur. All you have to do is sign up for it. Friends of Liberty doesn't just tell you what you need to do, we show you HOW to do it.

If you aren't signing up for it, do us all a favor and stop griping over things you refuse to do anything about.

==============================

Link Exchanges

2008-10-27T10:57:00.001-05:00

Part 13: Link Exchanges
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

Another good way to insure great promotion is through link exchanges. Most web site owners love to be able to see their sites listed on other sites for recommended eading. And, you will be tempted, as you travel the internet, to list everyone you come across on your links page.

This is great, if you are looking to help everyone. However, this does not insure that you, yourself, will be helped.

When you are creating your web site, you will want to create a separate page for just links. This will insure that people who come to visit your site will see only what you want them to see on the front page of your site. Then, if they want any more information from other sources, they can go to your links page and check out all the great links there.

In order to further promote your links page, you can place an email address where people can write to you if they wish to be listed on your links page. At Friends of Liberty, we provide a submission form for our readers to submit their web site if they wish to have it linked to us.

When you get requests to have another site listed on your links page, you must first be certain that your own site has a chance for promotion on their site before you accept. For instance, when you get a link submission, the first thing you do is go to their website and check to see if they have placed a link to your site on their site. If they have not, you should write to them with a simple email to explain to them that the policy at your web site is to only provide a link to those sites that provide a reciprocal link. You should tell them that you will re-check their site in a few days and then reconsider placing their link on your links page. Usually, the link is found on their site with-in one or two days, and then you can follow up by placing their link on yours.

But, don't stop there.

Be sure to also list those sites who have simply linked one of your articles of interest to them. Sometimes they won't tell you they have done so, and you find out when you are checking your referring URLs in your stats area. Anyone who helps to further your work should be listed on your links page -- even if the site is not related to what you are doing.

The promotional value of a simple link on a good web site is highly profitable toward getting your message out.

This is Part 13 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

===========================

What are Meta Tags?

2008-10-27T10:49:00.001-05:00

Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)

Part 11: What are Meta Tags?
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

If you've followed all of the ideas and information I've presented to you so far, then you are well on your way to making your message work for you. With the information that is presented so far, you have completed all the necessary steps in making a grass-roots effort come alive. With the new recruits you gather using these techniques, you will be able to make your message go further than you have ever dreamed possible.

So, now we are going to discuss a few more ways to tweak your work so that your message will be seen by many more eyes, and we will discuss the importance of each of them as they relate to your success.

Let's talk about metatags for a moment.

"What in the world are Meta Tags?!", you are thinking.

According to one marketing business on the internet, "Meta tags are an important part of a site's Internet presence and visibility. They are specific instructions for search engines spiders and robots." But, if you're like me, that didn't tell you what you want to know. The best way I know how to explain it is like this:

In most of the HTML mark up of nearly all web sites on the internet is a section where you can place the title of your page. This section is usually marked in the HTML code by the HEAD <> tags. Inside these tags, you can put a keyword and description code into your webpage that will attract search engines.

Search engine companies will regularly "spider" the internet for new sites and pages to add to their search engine's performance. This automated process also serves to "rank" your site's visibility. Most people on the internet will use a search engine to find what they are looking for.

Wouldn't it be nice if that person saw a link to your site every time they looked for something on the internet?

The goal is to get your site ranked in the top ten position when using certain keywords in a search engine to look for information. Many times, it is useless to put one keyword in a metatag that best describes your article. The best thing to do is type in several good keywords that describe your website.

To demonstrate how this works, go to http://www.1blink.com (a search engine web site that searches about five or ten engines when you type keywords about information you are looking for into the search field at the top of the page). When you get there, type in "Friends". This is a good keyword for Friends of Liberty, since the word is widely used, and is part of the title. When the search completes, you will probably not see "Friends of Liberty" on the front page.

Most people who use the search engines don't go past the first couple of pages of results. So, we want to try to get on the first page. Another fact: Most people will type in more than one keyword when they are looking for information. So now, type in Friends and Liberty. (separate the two words with a comma). The first thing you see in the results of the search is a link to the Friends of Liberty web site.

"How did you do that?" you ask.

We use Meta Tags. There are many ways you can insert metatags onto your web page file. If you are reading this from the article at the Friends of Liberty website, here is what you can do to see what it looks like if you use Windows 98. (I don't use other versions of Windows, so am unfamiliar with how to tell you to do this with other versions).

At the top of your window, you will see, in the grey area, some buttons that are titled "file", "edit", "view", "go", "favorites", and "help". Click on "view"
Click on "source" in the "view" drop down box that you just accessed You will see a notepad open up with the HTML source code of the web page. To see what the metatags look like, look between the HEAD <> sections, below the TITLE <> section. You will see Meta Name <> tags with the variable for "Keywords" and "Description" which will be entered into any search engine that "spiders" this page. Notice the keywords in the "Keywords" section of the meta tags: promotion, advertising, amateur, Friends of liberty. This means that if a search engine has spidered this page (which is rather doubtful if this page was just published) then you can access this page using that search engine via those keywords.

When creating meta tags, make sure your keywords and description are relevent to the content of the page on which they are encoded.

If you are looking for ways to create your own meta tags, you can find scripts pretty much anywhere on the internet. Here is one that will get you started at Hotscripts.com . According to one webmaster, "Don't be discouraged if you fail to get meta tags to work for you. Sometimes, even your best efforts will fail."

This is Part 11 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

===============================

Announcement Lists Vs. Discussion Lists

2008-10-27T10:37:00.001-05:00

Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)

Part 10: Announcement Lists Vs. Discussion Lists
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

Some people confuse announcement lists with discussion lists. Here I'll try to be brief in explaining the difference between the two.

An announcement list is simply that: a list that is used for making special announcements. Most organizations use such lists to relay action alerts or special announcements concerning upcoming events, or simply announcing what is new on their web site. For web sites that update more than once per day, it is good to wait until the very end of the day to make any announcement.

Most people who will sign up to your lists do not want to get a barrage of emails every day. Yes, the information is good. Yes the information is important. But for those who only have a limited amount of time to spend on the internet, deleting hundreds of messages a day is not an option.

Discussion lists are great for think tanks who like to exchange emails concerning a project or idea. When you have a substantial amount of subscribers to your discussion list, this effort can sometimes be overwhelming for new recruits, who struggle to keep up with what each message is referring to. So, you must make sure that your discussion list stays on topic, or is at least informational in its content.

Some new recruits will join a discussion list without understanding that the list is meant to support group participation and exchange of emails. This could cause them to want to unsubscribe quickly, due to the amount of emails they will receive. When this happens, rather than be angry at them, try to find out why they are unsubscribing, and then offer to sign them up to your announcement list, which they may be able to handle better.

It is always better to try to hang on to your recruits than to let them go away angry.

In order to insure that each recruit is signing up to the list that they feel comfortable with, make sure you have included on your subscription page a description of each list, and how many emails they can expect to receive (approximately). This way, they will have no excuse not to know that the list that they will sign up to will be either high or low volume.

Another good strategy is to build your list with a company that allows you to put messages in a digest form. Some email list companies have a feature that allows you to click a button that will automatically change the format in which you receive emails into a once-daily digest. This way, if your recruit wants to stay abreast of the discussions, they can opt to receive just one email per day with all the latest discussions included in it, rather than have each email mailed individually.

Tailoring your message to fit what your recruits can handle allows you to be able to individualize each recruits' talents to your own benefit. Remember, not everyone is alike, nor is everyone pleased by the same things. In order to accomplish your goals, you will have to learn to do it in such a way that makes other people willing to work with you to the best of their ability.

This is Part 10 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

==============================

Managing Email Lists

2008-10-27T10:29:00.001-05:00

Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)

Part 9: Managing Email Lists
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

Email is one of the most productive ways to get your message out. There is nothing like clicking a button and having a message delivered to hundreds of people at once. But, in today's atmosphere of contempt against spammers, it is vitally important that you follow certain protocols and netiquette in order to not offend those you send your messages to.

One way to help you ward off any accusations against you as a spammer is to make a list of ONLY those people who are interested in the same subjects you are interested in. Then, rather than decide you are going to email them every time you have a message to send, ask them if they are interested in receiving your messages. For first time efforts, it won't hurt to send out a one time promotional email, with a note at the beginning of the email telling the recipient why you are sending them the message, and asking him or her to reply with "subscribe" if they wish to continue to receive your messages.

Once you get an idea of who all is interested in your messages, you will want to change the format in which you send the messages. For instance, you need to find a way so that you are not having to go through your address book every time you send a message. Most people do this by creating a third party email list with a company such as Yahoo! or Topica. At both of these companies, all it takes is signing up, following a few simple instructions, and you are on your way. Also, both companies will provide you with promotional sign up boxes so that your readers can sign themselves up to your lists (which you can place on your web site) without you having to do it for them. Likewise, they can also unsubscribe if they wish without you having to do that for them as well.

Click Here http://list-etiquette.com/ for some great tips on how to best manage your lists using proper netiquette!

Starting your own email list with a 3rd party company will save you many headaches when it comes to managing your lists. You will hardly ever have to worry about getting the email addresses wrong. If someone wants to unsubscribe, they can do so for themselves (most of the time). And, you can set it up so that they can even subscribe themselves, if you want. All you have to really be concerned with is letting others know that your list is there, and how they can sign up.

Never sign someone up or send them email if you do not have permission to do so. This can cause confusion, headache, and a lot of angry would-have-been recruits.

Do NOT go through your address book and put everyone on the "TO" line of the email message. If you do not have an email list from a 3rd party company, use the BCC field or send them one at a time. Potential recruits do not like to have their email blasted out for the world to see. (Trust me, learn from one who found out the hard way...)

Do not start a discussion list until and unless you have ample time to spend managing it. It will be your responsibility to keep up the quality of the emails, prevent spammers from attacking your lists, and insure that cross-posting is in line with your own messages. It is strongly suggested that you have a good-sized announcement only list before you venture into the world of discussion.

Once you have set up your 3rd party list, make sure that with every email you send, you send instructions for how to opt in and opt out for the reader. This way, they can do so without having to email you and request that you take them off. And, they can do it themselves.

This is Part 9 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

============================

Correspondence

2008-10-27T10:20:00.001-05:00

Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)

Part 8: Correspondence
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Let's face it. As Patriots, in today's world of Anti-American propaganda and the twisted mindsets of those who like to villify the Founding Fathers for their beliefs, it is obvious that as Patriots we already have one strike against us. That is, we already have an offensive message, in the eyes of many of the brainwashed public today. Our job is to win people over to our cause, and in order to do that, we have to be vitally careful about how we go about doing so.

So, here are a few rules to help you "win" people, rather than drive them away.

We must remember that there are those who do not understand your contempt of the United States Government. As patriots, we must paint the picture that we are not ANTI-GOVERNMENT. When someone confronts us as being too extremist in our anti-government points of views, we must take the time to explain to them that we are not anti-government. Instead, we must explain to them that we are PRO-CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT, and then we must explain to them how what we have taught is in line with the Constitution.

In doing so, we must never resort to personal attacks. The sheeple out there that you are teaching are mere children in a classroom of millions of megabytes of information. With this picture in mind, you must constantly and consistently be patient, and sensitive that what you are teaching them is something that is very foreign to them. The schools and classrooms of today's world have totally warped their thinking, and the allegience that they have been taught has been a lie. But to them, it is truth. To them, it is all they know. And, they will defend it until you lead them by the hand and show them a better way and make them want it.

Put yourself in their place: How would you feel if someone came and attacked you for doing something wrong that you thought you were doing right, rather than patiently explaining to you why you are wrong and showing you how to do it right? We all make mistakes. We all are human. We all will offend someone for something sometime in our lives. It is how we react to those challenges that will show your worth as a teacher, a preacher, or a leader in any way.

There are times when you will receive hate mail that causes you to scratch your head and wonder what in the world made those people write such mean things? Why are they attacking you? What did you do to deserve the mean words they said to you? When this happens, think of them in terms as little children who's parents have given you charge over them for a day. When you don't let them play on the swingset all day, and you make them come inside for their nap, they will scream and holler at you and tell you how much they hate you. Tomorrow, when they think about their actions, they will feel ashamed of how they reacted toward you.

They may still feel that they were right and you were wrong, but the contempt will go away if you are patient and do not reply in kind.

When you ask people to take part in something, many times they will act like teenagers who have been told by their parents to do their chores. Some of them are good kids. They won't like what they have to do, but they understand that if they don't do it, their lives will be miserable. Others are mediocre kids. You have to keep pushing them to get them to do whatever you need them to do. And then there are those who are spoilt rotten and used to doing what they want when they want and think that if they don't do it, it won't matter. Those are the ones you have to either spank, or give up. In today's world, spanking has received much controversial discussion. So it is much more productive to work with those few who will go out on a limb to get the job done, and the rest you treat as Christ instructed to his disciples.Shake the dust off the bottom of your feet and walk on.

Do not shut them out, lead by example. The only time you should ignore a potential recruit is if he has consistently shown contempt for your work, and has not stated why he feels the way he feels.

I know you are asking, "What does this have to do with promotion?", at which I will take this opportunity to explain:

When you go to your local Burger Joint, USA and order a whopping beef burger with everything, and you only get half of what you ask for, would you accept what you are given? No. You would likely return your burger and demand that the management make your order right. If the management shows contempt for you in return, you will never return to that business ever again. BUT, if the management has sympathy for your trouble, and offers to help you personally, and shows attention to your aggrivated condition, and works to make the order right, it will likely leave you with the impression that maybe it was an honest mistake, and you're willing to give that business a second chance. You may even tell others how great the management is there.

If you consistently return, however, and you know the burger is going to be
bad, and you consistently ask for help in correcting the problem, the management will eventually start ignoring your contempt.

As the messenger, you are the manager. Your burgers are the message. If someone doesn't understand the message, they will return it back to you with contempt. How you react to them will determine whether they will return to hear more of your message in the future, and whether they will tell others about you.

If however, the potential recruit continues to return, and you consistently have the same problems with this recruit until it is obvious that he has no desire to accept your message or there is nothing you can do to please him, then you have no choice but to stay in line with what you are doing and focus on those who do appreciate your message and show promise of becoming a recruitER.

This is Part 8 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

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Permission granted to repost any article in its entirety, so long as the URL is included in the post, and proper credit is given to the author, unless otherwise specified.

===================

Unforgettables

2008-10-25T15:42:00.001-05:00

Part 6: Unforgettables
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

When building your website there are certain rules that you must follow in order to insure that your site will get promoted through the natural process of "word of mouth". So, in this section we are going to talk about a few of those rules.

Do you remember (if you are old enough...) back in the 70's when you would watch television and see all the commercials that would appear during your favorite prime-time tv show or sit-com? One that comes to me are the Coca-cola commercials:

Coke: It's the Real Thing!

Or, there was the song: "I want to buy the world a coke and live in harmony...." (or something like that, don't quote me).

And then, there were the Dr. Pepper commercials. My mom still remembers one from when she was a child:

"Dr. Pepper is the friendly pepper-upper"

And, of course, there is the famous Oscar Mayer commercials:

"My bologna has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R
My bologna has a second name it's M-A-Y-E-R
I love to eat it every day,
and if you ask me why I'll say ...
Because Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!"

Who could forget that?

It's that very quality -- the "unforgettableness" -- that makes promotion work. The way a business goes about implanting images or "seeds" in your mind about their product by the way they present their product is called "branding". As a web-site, Friends of Liberty uses branding techniques to help get the word out about Friends of Liberty on the World Wide Web. After all, writing, "Dear Friends of Liberty" is much better sounding than "Dear whoever values freedom and liberty". The meaning of the words, "Friends of Liberty" can change to fit whatever context you are using it in at the time.

For instance: Friends of Liberty, as the name of a website, makes it obvious that when you come to this web site, you are going to be presented with information from those who value liberty. Friends of Liberty as an organization makes obvious that this organization is about and for those who believe in Liberty. Friends of Liberty as a person, when speaking to those on our email lists, makes the title a more personal one for our readers to understand and enjoy. And, last of all, the title "Friends of Liberty" is an invitation in itself to become involved.

This type of advertising is also called "Branding". Branding is usually done by using logos. Logos are "subtitles" that tell the potential recruit what your site is about in about as easy as possible a language so that they will remember. Branding is like putting a face on the written word.

Your title should be something that everyone in America can relate to and identify with. In the Patriot Community, in some cases, it should be something that America should identify with if they don't. Your title and logo will be what makes or breaks your organization.

Before Friends of Liberty was Friends of Liberty, our title was "Freedom-Lovers International". Some family-friendly search engines would not accept our links because the filters on those engines would quarantine the title, due to the "lovers" part of the title. This caused the filters to treat it as a possible pornographic site. So, rather than be stubborn and take the chance of much needed information getting out to the public, we changed our name. As I look back on this, I am sometimes thankful, because Friends of Liberty has had much more success than Freedom-Lovers International ever had.

The name "Friends of Liberty" was suggested by a nomination process, and agreed upon by our readers before we ever used the title. (At this point, I'd like to give a big "THANK YOU" to Daniel New, who first presented the title as a possible alternative).

Once you have your title and your logo all planned out, you need to make sure your site has certain pages on it that the readers can go to for reference about yourself. You should have a page dedicated solely to telling the readers who you (or your organization) are and what you believe, and why you have created that web site or organization.

Then, you need to put your organization's contact information on another page. Some smaller organizations can include the contact on the "about" page, but for larger organizations that use multiple email accounts, a separate page is more convenient.

You should NEVER post everything on one page. This is because if you have great numbers of different types of information, the page can become rather large, and it makes it hard to download. If a potential recruit sees your link and decides to find out more about you, and then when he gets to your page he has trouble downloading it, or it takes more than 60-seconds to download it, he will simply skip it, and you will have lost another potential recruit -- plus many more under him.

A good rule of thumb to remember is that most people are in a hurry even when they are not in a hurry. Most people, by nature, are impatient and demanding. This is not a bad thing. This is why and how things finally get done. But, coupled with impatience and demanding attitudes are people who constantly seek to get away with doing as little as possible. If you make them work in order to get your message, then they will simply not read it at all.

This is why good communication skills are a must.

Last, but not least, you should ALWAYS include a press release page on your website. Let's face it, the reason most media won't touch the content on your website is because they don't have permission to do so. Press releases that are issued regularly help the media by giving them certain permissions to contact you that you otherwise would not have.

We will go into more about press releases later, as they will be the most important work you will do in your promotional endeavors.

This is Part 6 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

-----
Permission granted to repost any article in its entirety, so long as the URL is included in the post, and proper credit is given to the author, unless
otherwise specified.

===============================

How to Get Started with a Web Site

2008-10-25T15:35:00.001-05:00

Part 5: How to Get Started with a Web Site
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Let's say you have information about a certain congressman that you believe the public needs to know. Your first question is going to be, "How do I get my information out to the general public?"

There are many ways to do this. Among the most popular ways are email lists and web sites. Most good email lists work better with a web site to accompany it, so you might want to consider starting a web site first. We'll talk about web sites in this section.

Of course, the first thing you will need to do is learn HTML. (That's short for Hyper-text Mark-Up Language). The language is really simple to understand, once you get the hang of it. Here are a few sites that will help you:

HTML made REALLY easy (I recommend this one completely!)
HTMLementary
HTML for Beginners

Or, if you have time to sit down and read for awhile, you can buy HTML For Dummies®

I would also strongly recommend that you obtain a free web site from someone like lycos who offers them, or geocities. This is so you can have a "dummy" site to practice with.

If you are looking to get started with a more professional web site, there are lots of great hosting companies out there who will be happy to help you out. At this point, I'm going to make a shameless plug to the web hosting company I use for Friends of Liberty, Intersurge. The people there are really great about helping you fix any problems you may encounter while managing your site (and best of all, they're Patriot-friendly).

Another great company out there is FreeHostingWeb.com. They will host your site for only one initial start-up fee, including the registration to your domain of choice, and then for up to 500 mb bandwidth for free, for as long as you own your site.

If you are still unsure about how to build your own web site, and don't understand certain terms like "bandwidth" and "disc space", you can also get Web Design for Dummies

This is Part 5 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

=========================

Heading Off Email Problems

2008-10-25T15:28:00.001-05:00

Part 4: Heading Off Email Problems
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

Once you have a website, you may be concerned that putting your email out on the world wide web will open you up to abuse by spammers, hecklers, and stupid people. This is to be expected. If you have a problem with receiving such emails, then (speaking from experience) public service is not for you.

You might as well hang it up.

As a matter of fact, you might as well get completely off the internet.

If, however, you feel you can put up with this in order to reap the benefits of having the ability to promote your cause, you may wish to take certain steps that will help you manage your email box.

Here are some simple rules that you may wish to follow:

1. Obtain an email box that will be specifically used for information regarding your website or business on the internet.
2. Use this email box that you have created for ONLY the work you will be doing for the furtherance of your message.
3. Never put your private email box address on the world wide web.
4. Never sign up to links pages with your private email address. Always use a special address that you have created specifically for the furtherance of your message.
5. Check your public email box often. This is because it will be filled quickly if your message is successful in being promoted -- whether by spammers or by true inquirers.
6. Never sign up your public address to lists, or allow anyone to invite you to their lists using that address. You may want to set up another email box specifically for lists. (And never, EVER, anger a list owner! Getting vital information out to email lists is a big part of your promotional endeavor, which we will be getting into later.)
7. There is really no way to get rid of spammers, short of starting an email war. And, usually, when you finally get rid of one, ten more will take its place.

There are a number of options you can use to split up your email into manageable slots. The most popular way is the use of free email boxes. (Especially among those of you who like to keep your identity at a low profile, while promoting your message).

But, the most professional way is the use of your own domain. For instance: Friends of Liberty has an email box at yahoo, which I use for some business purposes, such as managing all the yahoo lists I am a member of. But, for communication on the website, I will use one of two different addresses. For public correspondence, I use editor@.... For more private correspondence concerning my work, I use shonda@.... While my very own, non-business private junk address is ponderaa1@... (I usually go in about four times a day now to delete everything, I get so many emails through there, that is why I use the alternate email addresses for business correspondence).

For some reason, people in the media are more likely to take an organization that has their own domain set up more seriously than free email address domains or web sites. The more professional you look, the more seriously people will take you.

This is Part 4 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

================================

Open Yourself Up

2008-10-25T15:10:00.000-05:00

Part 3: Open Yourself Up
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

In Part 2, we discussed the importance of making your message easy to understand for potential recruits. In this part, we are going to discuss how you can keep those potential recruits and make them solid recruits. The best way to keep potential recruits coming back is to not only give them something they can understand, and is simple to follow, but to also allow them to interract with you so that they feel comfortable following up on the simplistic information given them.

How many times have you been to a website and thought it was great, but you felt uncomfortable about disseminating that information to others because you had no way to answer questions by those you would send the message to? For instance, let's say you are new to 2nd Amendment studies. You have come accross a great website with lots of information about the Constitution and the 2nd Amendment. You are totally supportive of gun rights. And, in your excitement, you copy and paste the message on that page to a number of people in your address book.

In less than twenty-four hours you have received three emails asking you questions about whether or not the 2nd Amendment is reserved only for the military and police.

Uh Oh.

Being new to 2nd Amendment studies, you aren't sure how to answer that, and their questions have caused you to formate your own questions in your mind. So, naturally, you return to that website that gave you that information -- because if you don't come up with an answer, your credibility has been shot among those you sent that information to.

You search the website, and you see lots of great information, but no answer to your question. So, in desparation, you search for someone you can email with your questions.

There is no email address to be found.

The potential recruit in this scenario is likely to never return to the site, and never recommend the site to anyone else, ever again. Your attempt at trying to send the message to the American People just lost a viable recruiter, and countless recruits to your cause has been lost.

Most people, on the internet today, use their email religiously. It is so much simpler to click a button than to handwrite a request and spend 35 cents for a stamp. And then, who wants to wait two weeks for an answer to a simple question? So, it would stand to reason that if you are looking to promote a message, you need to provide a simple, easy way of communicating with your potential recruits, and you need to be sure you look forward to that communication as often as possible.

When someone writes you an email and you don't answer it until a week later, many times, by then, the potential recruit has forgotten all about it, and any chance of sowing the seed that you planted into his mind is already gone. That is why you should take the time to answer each and every email that comes your way. (There are some emails that are not worthy of being answered if you want to keep the momentum of your message going. We will discuss this later).

So, let's look at where we are now:

1. First you have to have a product, idea, thought or service. Without this step, none of the others matter.

2. Then you have to make that product, idea, thought or service available to
the public.

The message has to be easy to understand, and simple to follow. There has to be a simple way of communicating with any potential recruits who have questions about your message Many times, a potential recruit will want to know who is giving them the
information that they have received, and what, if any, their ulterior motives for giving this information is. It is always good to have a section of your website dedicated to telling the potential recruit about yourself, or your organization. A good example of this would be the American Center for Law and Justice web site http://www.aclj.org/ . As you enter the site, you see a navigational column on the left side of the page that makes it easy to obtain only the information you are looking for. This makes it easier for potential recruits to find information that will help them decide whether or not they wish to join such an organization.

In the navigational column, you will also find a link that is titled, "About us" (or something similiar). After clicking on this link http://www.aclj.org/about/welcome.asp , you are directed to a page that explains in detail who the ACLJ is, and what they believe and promote on their web site. This is professional, quick, and easy to understand.

While we are looking at the ACLJ web site, let's look at the top bar. What do you see in the center? That's right, a great big "Contact the ACLJ". However, when clicking on the ACLJ contact link, you are taken to a page that gives the impression that if you are not donating to their cause, they don't want to hear from you. This may or may not be the case, but the impression is there. How many of you would continue to make an inquiry from there?

I remember an incident recently where, as media, I visited a certain website. On this website, I found some information I thought my readers would enjoy. But, in order to post their material, one of the requirements is that we had to have an email address so that the readers could make inquiries to the author about any questions they had. I was unable to find the email address on the website, so I wrote to the webmaster and asked him if there was a specific email I should use to contact the organization. I received a reply that gave me the Post Office box to mail any inquiries to. This just simply would not do, and the post never got posted on my site.

When dealing with internet media, most of the time you are going to see a requirement that any person who submits any writing has to have a working email address. The scenario above is a good example of why.

When getting your message ready for promotion to a wider audience, you should always ask yourself: "If it were me looking at my message for the first time, how would I react?" Nine times out of ten, your impression will be your reader's impression, and you will need to work to correct any problematic scenarios that may confront you in the future.

In the next section, we will be talking about problems you will encounter publicing your email, and how to fix those problems before they become problems.

This is Part 3 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

Building Your "Pitch"

2008-10-25T14:20:00.000-05:00

Part 2: Building Your "Pitch"

by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

The first thing that any potential customer, buyer, or listener (which we will call "recruit" for the sake of the discussion) will look at is the quality of the message. So, when you start thinking of promoting your product, idea, thought or service (message), you have to think about how attractive that message is to the general public. In Part 1, we discussed the essential foundation of promoting: that is, having a message to promote to begin with. In this part, we are going to discuss how to tweak that message so that when you start using your promotional skills, you get to keep the benefits that go along with it: solid recruits.

What is the first thing you look for when you go to an advertiser's site?

Information.

That's right: information. Whether it be information about the product or information about the producer, either way, you are looking for information. So, naturally, before that advertiser ever sent out that advertisement, he had to make sure that the information was there for you to follow through with if he hoped to make a sale.

This means, in plain english, if you have a message to give out to the American People that you want them to follow through with, you have to tell them what the message is in simple terms. And then, if you want the American People to do something with that message, you have to explain it to them so that it is easy for them to understand and follow through with.

After all, what happens when you get to that advertiser's site and the product is not there? Suppose you see a picture of the product, but no information about how to purchase it? Would you buy it upon looking at first glance? In your busy day, would you look around the website for a few minutes to try to figure out how to purchase it? Would you find an email address and write to the advertiser and ask? Most people would not. Most potential customers would simply go to the next site or the next email if what they see from a first impression is not what they expect.

Suppose that the message WAS there? Suppose you saw the product, and you read about how great that product was and what it could do. Then, suppose you were really hyped up about that product, but could find no information about what to do in order to get that product for yourself. The advertiser just lost a sale. In about three or four weeks, you will go to your local shopping center and then you may see that product. Chances are, you will buy that product from them. But, the advertiser who sold the product to you will get nothing to support the advertising dollars that they spent telling you about the product.

If you own your own web site, and you spend quite a bit of time maintaining the information on that website, then you understand the frustration that comes with telling someone about a great book and having them buy it from another bookstore rather than you, so you can support your work. That's why making sure you give your potential recruits the information they need is important. Most people, by nature, want to support something they believe in. If you don't offer them a way to do that, they won't.

So the best way to get your message out is not only to have a message, but to be able to present that message in as simple of terms as possible, so that the potential recruits have only minimal work to do for themselves in order to follow through.

Let's take a look at where we are now:

1. First you have to have a product, idea, thought or service.

Without this step, none of the others matter.

2. Then you have to make that product, idea, thought or service available to the public.

The message has to be easy to understand, and simple to follow.

I can't recall how many times I've visited a website that had lots of information on it that didn't make sense. The cause was just, I'm sure, but the presentation of the information was so hard to follow that I would skip the whole message and go on to the next web site.

How many of you have ever read the Bible all the way through? If you weren't a literary person who enjoyed Shakespeare or any of the other classic literature, then you probably are thinking, "Not me, all those thees and thous and whatsoevers get me confused." In the Patriot Community, there are a lot of great web sites out there who are very information-oriented, but forget that most people do not speak legal talk.

When I was a child, my mother worked full time. So, to help ease her burden, she decided to let me do the cooking so when she came home, dinner was already done and ready to eat. She would set out a peace of paper with instructions for me to follow each day when I came home from school. It would look something like this:

Shonda,

Please make sure you put a load of clothes in the washer. There are some clothes on the bed that need to be folded. When you are done with that, clean that mess off the coffee table. Then you can start cooking at 5pm.

Here is what we are having for dinner tonight: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes.

To fix the meatloaf, first you will need to get all your ingredients together.

====

(I'm going to skip this part because I think you got the idea)

One of the ingredients happened to be diced onions. Keep in mind, for a nine year old who had a limited vocabulary but a high IQ, which my mom knew I had because of previous testing at school and arguments with school administrators who wanted to skip me up a grade or two, I had no idea what "diced" meant. I sat there dumb-founded for the longest time, trying to figure out what "diced" meant. Finally, I knew it was going to get me in trouble, but I figured I'd be in more trouble if I didn't get dinner fixed, I called my mom at work.

Of course, she answered with: "YOU CALLED ME AT WORK JUST TO ASK ME WHAT DICED MEANT?" and then told me to look it up in the dictionary. DOH!

But the point is, had I not had my backside to worry about, I probably would have never had supper done that night. Most of your readers don't have backsides to worry about, (some of them simply are...but we won't go into that here...) and if you don't tell them in simple terms the first time, they'll probably just go somewhere else.

This is Part 2 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

So many people, so little response

2008-10-25T14:14:00.000-05:00

Part 1: So many people, so little response
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

As a Friend of Liberty, one of the problems most of us have on the World Wide Web is getting visitors to our web sites, or getting information out to the people, period. Some of us wonder how that one web site attracted thousands of visitors while we struggle daily to even get as many as twenty. Well, because I am a Friend of Liberty, I thought it would be nice to share some of my secrets with you in how to obtain good quality promotional skills.

Much of the information I am going to share with you on this website may require you to make an initial investment in order to make it work. Don't worry, I'm not going to send you to a site where you will have to pay thousands of dollars in advertising fees. I'm not going to ask you for any money here. I'm simply going to show you how you can do it yourself for free, or at the very least, cheaply.

When I am done showing you everything I know, I will be offering this information in an E-book form, so you can download all of the information instead of certain parts. Of course, I'll have to charge for that. But for now, sit back, visit the Friends of Liberty website often, and enjoy the information I am going to share with you.

When you read these articles that I am presenting to you on how to get your information out, I want you to sit back in your chair, close your eyes, and think of a business that you know of is very successful. Then, I want you to ask yourself why it is successful.

Of course, the first answer you are going to come up with to the question "Why is this business so successful? If I were to sell that product and start my own business, how could I be just as successful?" would be: Advertising.

That's right. Advertising.

Think of it this way: Everytime you present something to the public, you are advertising a product, an idea, a thought, or a service. When you put together a web site, you are advertising what you know. But, as many of you know, putting together a web site isn't exactly all there is to it. Once you put together your web site, you will want to make sure everyone knows about your web site so they can come and visit it. So, once you advertise what you know, you have to advertise the advertisement.

Let's take a quick look at where we are right now:

1. First you have to have a product, idea, thought or service.
2. Then you have to make that product, idea, thought or service available to the public.
3. Then you have to advertise the availability of the product, idea, thought or service.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? Of course, many of you out there who have their own email lists, web sites, products or services that you have already put out there for the public exposure know that it's not as simple as that. For one, you are now asking, "How do I advertise so that others will be willing to buy it?"

For instance, you have your product, idea, thought or service (which we are now going to call just message, for short, from here on out). You decided you wanted everyone to know about this great message you have. So, you sent out a message either by website or email and got a minimal response. Now, you are stuck. What do you do from here?

Sure, it would be GREAT to advertise it on TV, but with a minimum wage or fixed income, that just isn't feasible for most of us. (Believe me, I know.). And, most of you in the Patriot Community understand that other Patriots are not going to dish out what it is going to take to help you, even though they know it would be in their best interest to do so.

So, the purpose of my information from here on out will be to help you to understand what is available, and how to use it to the best of your advantage. I don't guarantee results, but I do guarantee that if you follow all of my instructions, you will be much better off in the long run for knowing the information that I have to present.

=====
This is Part 1 of "Promotion for Dummies: How to Get Your Information Out to
the American Sheeple"

-----
Permission granted to repost any article in its entirety, so long as the URL
is included in the post, and proper credit is given to the author, unless
otherwise specified.

I'm Tired

2008-10-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

I'm Tired
March 14, 2002 - by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

Friends of Liberty is going to see significant changes, once again.

This is due to a number of factors:

Lack of help. Friends of Liberty has has great success in getting the news out to the public. We have been instrumental in helping all of our contributors at the FLI website get their information out to a wider audience. As a result, we have acquired a great many contributors. Most would call this success. However, when you have 50 submissions per day, and time enough for only one person to post 10 - 15, this causes a backlog of posts that need to go up on the site, and one person doing it all would require (literally) a 72 hour day.

Failure to help Friends of Liberty is not letting me down, it's letting all those contributors down.

Lack of confidence. Even though we have been successful, there are too many mentally retarded people who like to still tell us why it won't work. I'm tired of beating my head against the wall.

Lack of financial support. It seems that the more people come to visit the FLI site, the more demanding the bills get. We have to pay for the web host, the computer upkeep, the telephone calls, the internet service, and the electricity to keep it running -- not to mention training tools for the new volunteers who won't buy their own stuff (if we ever get volunteers -- which we have failed to do) And, since I am the only person who has been working FLI and begging for help for the past 8 or 9 months, I would literally be on here for 15 hours a day working. That is not an exaggeration. Therefore, my groceries have to be paid for and my rent.

Stagnation. It is obvious that in the Patriot community there are those who bound and determined that anyone who is helping someone else must be chastised and insulted on a daily basis, called crazy, made passes at, called senile, called a troublemaker, called an attention junkie, ignored, accused of profiteering for personal gain, and talked about behind their back without getting any facts from the person who is directly involved, or any confirmation that anything that was said about them is true.

If this is what being a patriot is about, I no longer wish to be one. I am simply an American who was wronged by the system and abused by those I have tried desparately to help until I cannot stand it any longer. I am through helping other "Patriots". I'm done with the jealousies, the innuendos, the lies, the deceit, the egos and those who would publicly call themselves a Christian and then privately ask for a picture of you -- naked.

I'm tired of those so-called Patriots who like to talk big about what they will do when, if, however, that is, when the time comes -- when the time has already come several times and there was no help to be found for the Patriots who called for help.

I'm tired of being told by a bunch of assholes who like to wear camoflauge and play with Paintball guns on the weekends telling me I'm not doing enough to secure our liberty when I work from the time I get up until the time I go to bed -- and then only to be insulted by the very people I'm trying to help.

I'm tired of having people angry with me when I fail to attend an event when no one offered to give me a ride to the event after I have lost my car due to not having the money to pay the payments after I have given EVERYTHING I HAVE to my work for Patriots.

I gave up everything. For this -- this is the thanks I get.

One thing is for sure and for certain -- I have great respect for Viet Nam Vets who went to fight and returned home only to get spit in the face and called names. Many of them are still suffering the effects of VietNam. I sympathize. After all this, I know EXACTLY how they feel.

I want to be able to go out with my family (what family I have left) and enjoy life now and then. I want to be able to leave home and not have to worry whether or not a site will get updated on time. I want to be able to answer the phone and not be barraged with accusations about my sanity. Insane? Insanity is hoping that Patriots really care enough to pull together and get the job done. The cold hard fact is they won't, and Norm Olson can tell you why.

My health has been damaged. My emotions have been on edge for too long now, and I suffer insomnia, depression and mental fatigue constantly due to overwork with little appreciation to show for it by way of help doing what I wanted to see happen for everybody.

I simply do not have faith in so-called Patriots anymore. Only a lunatic would stand there and get hit over and over again and not do any hitting back. Yet, that is what it all has come to for me, and for anyone out there who refuses to bow down to tyranny -- whether it be tyranny by the government, or by fellow men.

It is beyond me why anyone would keep supporting a liar. It isn't about truth, if you really stop and think about it. No one wants the truth. They want a social club. It's about numbers. The Associated Press is so big in their distributorship that it doesn't matter whether they tell the truth or not. It doesn't matter how anti-gun their articles are -- or how many times they try to ruin someone's reputation for doing the right thing. The American Public (including the patriots) will still post their articles on their websites and give them support.

And those in the Patriot Media are just as bad.

The Patriots will still gripe when they get ignored even though there was a time when they could have taken ABC, NBC, and CBS to task by creating a rival media that had great promise -- had they only had the courage and time to spare to help out, or the money to give if they couldn't.

I don't want your emails about how I shouldn't give up. I've had those for over two years now. No help has come. Your prayers have gone unanswered if you have been praying for me as many have said they would. The cold hard fact is "faith withouts works is dead". I want to thank all those who did give something. You will forever hold a special place in my thoughts. Unfortunately for all of us, it wasn't enough.

I'm not going to apologize and be diplomatic. Diplomacy, sometimes, is just another form of compromise. The time for compromise is over. The time for patience and waiting is over.

Friends of Liberty has never been about me. But, since I'm paying for it out of my own pocket, and since I have no help on the website, and since I own the domain name, from now on, I am going to take the time to write my own articles. I am going to do my own research, I am going to post my own stuff up there -- that is, when I feel like it -- after my house gets cleaned, my kids get called, my pets get bathed and my significant other is taken care of.

So, go ahead and get mad. Call me names. Tell me I'm crazy, and while your at it, go tell everyone that Friends of Liberty is about Shonda.

For now, it will finally be true.

That is, after I can figure out what to do with all these submissions..

Human Rights?

2008-10-25T13:47:00.000-05:00

Human Rights?

by Shonda M. Ponder
Originally written on May 8, 2001

We abort our babies and then watch those same mothers on the lawn of the White House try to do everything in their power not to give their children adequate protection against intruders or rapists by trying to take our gun rights, while they chant about how it's all for the children. Give me a break. We kill our babies for the children?

We allow the police to target white men for hate crimes while they turn the other cheek at black men who rob our homes and throw bricks at our cars. And then, in the name of equality, we open the prison doors and let minorities with chips on their shoulders out into the world just because there are too many of them compared to the number of caucasions who commit crimes. We let sex-offenders out of jail so they can live next door to us, while we jail someone with maximum penalties for having a joint in the ash tray of their car.

We medicate our children for being hyper instead of teaching them manners because we allow the state to call it child abuse if we discipline them. We refuse to teach our children moral values because we are afraid they might tell on us when they go to school, and God forbid we take them out of school and spend as little as two hours a day home-schooling them! Instead, we let high school teachers teach with nothing but a sports bra on, and elementary teachers with HIV sodomize and ultimately murder our children as they hand out condoms and talk our daughters into killing their unborn. We give them books entitled "Heather Has Two Mommies" while we suspend them for reading the Bible on campus.

We refuse to support the great community services that have always been there due to the work of the Boy Scouts because we want our boys to have a homosexual sleeping in a tent with them. After all, we are too busy trying to stay within the lines, keeping up with the politically correct way to do things.

Yeah. The U.S. now has no vote in the U.N.'s Human Rights Commission. Of course, after committing genocide on its own people for so long (WACO, RUBY RIDGE, etc.), barging in on people and holding them at gunpoint even though they are innocent just because they want to get tax records, kicking down church doors and dragging out members, threatening an 8 year old with a gun, kidnapping him and sending him to a bunch of tyrants, throwing people in jail for crimes that they create, and then incarcerating children for the simple act of pointing a finger...gee. Is it any wonder?

What exactly are Human Rights?

Presentation

2008-10-25T13:34:00.000-05:00

Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)

Part 12: Presentation
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

While working on (and off) the internet, I've come across some really great people who have some really great messages that need to get out. However, some of those people would do well in radio or as seminar or rally speakers, but when it comes to presenting their information on the internet, they are better off hiring someone to do it for them.

On the other hand, I've met some really great people who know how to say what they want to say in writing, and are skillful at crafting the use of the english language in books or on websites, but tend to stammer and stutter when it comes to getting in front of a crowd of people, or standing in shining lights. I am one of the latter type. If I were to get in front of a crowd of people and attempt to tell them what I am attempting to convey here, I would freeze. Or, I would stammer. I start to sweat, my knees start knocking, I fight tears...I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

But, what is even worse, if I were to do an interview on radio, or have my own show, very few people would take me seriously, even if I were a master orator. The reason is simple: I have a very thick East Texas accent that tends to make people think that I am "slow" or "stupid". So, I try hard to stay away from crowds of people unless I am attending an event merely for supportive or informational purposes.

Sometimes just knowing HOW to do something isn't enough.

When writing articles that you intend to submit to publishers, or even if you intend to publish it yourself, you should always be wary of the presentation of your work. For instance, mis-spelled words and bad grammar are usually a turn-off for some people in high places who are well-educated and are able to better help you by providing credence to your work, if they were to become one of your recruits. Also, the usage of proper english and language arts skills create charisma for your message by making it easy to read and understand.

Another benefit of learning proper language arts skills is the likelihood of promotional ability. If you write a great article, and you place it on the internet after making sure your work is checked, to the best of your ability, for good grammar and spelling, you increase the likelihood that an editor who can publish your work, where it can be seen by many thousands of readers, will ask permission to use your article in their next publication. The non-ability to use proper grammar and spelling skills is the equivalent of turning on the radio to hear some slow-talking southern drawl who can't pronounce words right, or tends to stammer and stutter throughout the program. It tends to grate on people's nerves, and most of the time they'll change the channel -- or, in this case, delete the message.

A good book to get you started would be English Grammar for Dummies.

Another good tool to have is a spell-checker on your email or Word program, which you should use religiously. Also, while writing articles or letters you know are going to be seen by important people (and your potential recruits are more important than anyone you will ever meet), it is good to have a dictionary and a thesaurus handy.

This is Part 12 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

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Permission granted to repost any article in its entirety, so long as the URL is included in the post, and proper credit is given to the author, unless otherwise specified.

The Benefits of Using Press Releases in Email Ad Campaigns

2008-10-25T13:22:00.000-05:00

Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur

Part 22: The Benefits of Using Press Releases in Email Ad Campaigns
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

If you know how to write a great press release, and if you know where to send them, one press release will give you more exposure than 100 paid advertisements. A good email campaign for press releases will benefit the distribution of your message over a thousand times more efficiently than any messageboard campaign, website, or advertisement. So let us discuss what a press release is, how to write one, who to
send them to, when you should send them, and what makes them so beneficial.

Let's face it: most of us, in the freedom movement, find it hard to "break into the media". Most of the time, if you stop and look at the overall picture, you will find that the fault does not necessarily lie with-in the media. For the most part, it is our inability to inform the media.

For instance, if you have a birthday party, and you fail to send out invitations, no one is likely to show up. Right? A good, newsworthy event is not newsworthy if no one knows that it exists. So, a press release is basically an invitation to cover a story, much like an invitation to a birthday party.

Speaking of which, if you send out an invitation, what are the protocols of all birthday party invitations? On a birthday invitation, many times you will find an RSVP contact information, as well as date of the party, place of the party, and an overview of what you can expect at the party. A press release works in much the same manner. Without the necessary protocols, your email may find its way to the trash can, and then you will get your feelings hurt because no one will show up.

It is much easier for one to blame the media for failure to cover a good story than to look at where the fault ultimately lies and to do something about it. This is why many organizations fail to get their message out to people who would benefit from the message the most -- mainstream America.

So, what is a press release? A press release is an invitation to the media to use information and to cover a story, giving them the necessary tools that will enable them to do the job efficiently and effectively to better benefit you.

According to one press release distribution service, Advanced PR, "The value of the exposure and recognition that a newspaper or magazine write-up, editorial or product feature, can have is often times enough publicity to launch small companies into multi-million dollar businesses and mid-to-large size companies into the millions!!!" They go on to say, "The golden rule is… 'If you get press attention, you
WILL GET ORDERS!' Businesses in today's world, cannot ignore this simple rule."

Yes, I know what you are thinking. You do not consider your message or event gathering a "business". But, in the grand scheme of things, your distribution of information is exactly that. And, if you want people to support your work by purchasing a product or making a donation, it is, in essance, a business. And, without press exposure, your organization or message will die a lonely death.

In the previous sections we discussed email lists, and now would be a good time to review what we discussed. The reason reviewing the email list section is important is because your announcement list (See Part 10 for a definition of "announcement list") will be the main tool you have for getting out good press events.

In the next section we will discuss the distribution of your press release.

This is Part 21 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

Casual Encounters with Business Cards

2008-10-25T13:05:00.000-05:00

Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)

Part 17: Casual Encounters with Business Cards
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

How many people do you talk to every day when you leave your home? As you go about your daily errands, you'll probably talk to at least five new people every day. Wouldn't it be nice to tell them about your message without saying a word?

Business cards are perfect ways to do that. For those of you who are in a hurry to get done what you need done so you can return to the comfort of your home, business cards provide a way for interested parties to get in touch with you at a more convenient time.

The great thing about business cards is that, for some, they are collector's items. Many people will file them away in a rolodex when they get home, even if they never contact the owner of the card. I, personally, use an old shoebox. But, sometimes, you might make an impression on someone who will call you out of curiosity.

In order to make business cards work best for you, you will need to make sure you place certain information on them that will invite the holder to seek information. For instance, if you have a favorite quote that conveys the message you have, you can place that on the card for decorative purposes. The background of the card should also convey your message in some way, although a plainly colored background works just as well -- so long as the needed information is on the card.

A few items that you should try to place on your cards are:

Your name
Your email address
Your web site address
Your phone number
And a post office box address (if you have one)
The name of your organization
Not necessarily in that order.

If you do not have a mailing address with a post office box that is designated for your work, it is always better to leave it off of the card, unless you don't mind strangers knowing where you live.

Business cards are great, for the simple fact that you can give them to anyone without saying a word. When you see that gal at the grocery market, discreetly slip her a card when you hand her your cash. When you go to the movies, or when you are standing in line at a check-out counter or concert, hand that person in front of you a card when you strike up a conversation with him, or vice versa. You don't have to introduce your message when you are busy. Just let them come to you.

Another great idea is to place your business cards in every piece of mail you send: your bills, spam mail return envelopes, letters, inquiries, etc.

Just think of a business card as being you, carried around to many different places, by many different methods. That person who got your business card may take it home with her and throw it in a shoe box for collection purposes. Days later, while she is at the dentist, she may strike up a conversation with someone who mentions a message similiar to yours. She will remember your card, and may possibly get that person's information so she can send them your card.

Never underestimate the value of a casual encounter.

Affiliate Banner Exchanges

2008-10-25T12:55:00.000-05:00

Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)

Part 14: Affiliate Banner Exchanges
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

Banner exchanges are similiar to link exchanges, except they are usually administered by a third party company, sort of like your email list managers, which we discussed earlier, are. Of course, if you wanted to, you could use your advertising banner rotation tool to exchange banners, on a much smaller scale, which would probably only be as effective as link exchanges.

Some banner exchange companies will pay you to promote their banner scripts on your website. These types of programs are called affiliate programs. We will discuss affiliate advertising programs later, as they will be a good source of revenue to help support the cost of keeping your web site online, and they work a little differently than affiliate banner exchanges.

Getting visitors to your site is only the first step. Let's face it, most Patriots out there are more concerned with working with solid recruits than paying any mind to how many visitors come to their web site. The problem with that way of thinking is that it tends to stall the process of gaining new recruits.

In certain marketing circles, a study was done to determine the effectiveness of web site advertising. This study turned up some interesting statistics. For instance, did you know that only 2% of your visitors will ever click on any advertisement on your site? If they all did, you'd have a better chance at getting your own message out to the public, due to the revenue it would generate for your organization. But, the cold hard fact is, they don't.

Out of every one-hundred people who visit your web site, only two will click on a banner. But, what is worse, only 2% of all the people who click on banners (which is only 2% of the people who visit your web site) will ever purchase anything from an advertiser that is on your website. Wouldn't it be nice if all your visitors clicked on an advertisement and followed through with making a small purchase? If this were the case, affiliate advertising would be all you would ever need to support your cause.

The truth is, affiliate advertising is a great way to support your cause. The trick is getting enough people to visit your web site on a daily basis in order to be able to reap the benefits. This is why link exchanges and banner exchanges are important to your promotional endeavors.

"But, I am not concerned with making money. I'm concerned with getting my message out."

What you have just said in that one sentence is where a lot of the Patriot community have failed. For instance, every month you have to pay for the bandwidth that your traffic uses on your web site. Let's suppose you barely have enough to cover your bills and you live on minimum wage. Especially if your work OFF of the internet requires phone calls and travelling expenses. The costs of supporting a growing organization can be tremendous -- especially if you want it to grow. The cold hard fact is, without money, you will never be able to do anything with the information that you have. And, without visitors, you will never be able to recruit. Attracting financial support will allow you to pay for advertising that will help you get your
information out to millions of people that you could never reach before.

But, if you are only concerned with being a small web site owner, and you have no plans to do any more recruiting or to grow, or to do more than you can afford to do out of your own pocket with no help, stop here. After all, if recruits were all you needed, then you should ask yourself why those websites who are getting millions of hits every month are still begging for donations?

Of course, it's easy to put a link up on your web site and say, "Please donate to my cause." The problem with that is that the general public sees that as a sign of failure. Most of the public won't support something that is not widely supported, and they will not invest in a company that does not turn a profit. Yes, it is a catch 22 in most areas. Without money your organization cannot grow. And without visitors, you do not get support. Also, the ratio of visitors to your site who will donate to your cause is equal to the ratio of visitors to your site that will respond to advertising.

Banner exchanges will help you attract visitors to your website. And, many times a banner exchange will do the job better than a link exchange simply because your banner will be posted on a great variety of web sites that are seen by many people who have never heard of you before -- whereas link exchanges only work by word of mouth if the visitor has been to your site and requested an exchange. Most banner exchanges do not pay you to host their banners, although some do. Rather, they will return a one to one exposure.

For instance, if someone clicks on the banner you have placed on your website, then your own banner will be advertised throughout the exchange everytime someone clicks on the banner exchange company's banner that is on your site. Some companies have millions of member sites in the exchange.

It's always good to find the one that works best for you.

This is Part 14 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

Handling "Problem Posters" on Your Email List

2008-10-25T12:49:00.000-05:00

Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)

Part 16: Handling "Problem Posters" on Your Email List
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

When managing your discussion lists, you will, no doubt, have some recruits on your list that you would rather not see post on that list. This is to be expected, as not everyone thinks like you do, and most people are interested in a variety of subjects -- some of which you could do without. Handling these type of posters, sometimes, is like walking on eggshells -- especially if the poster has their own individual following, many of whom may be members of your own list.

When confronted with these types of posters, never address them in public with your concerns. Always address them in private, in order to save them, and you, any embarrassment. If the situation looks like it might get hostile, stop any emails going to your list from that poster by setting that poster to moderated status. It is probably a good idea to temporarily do that while you correspond with him privately. You can save yourself some needless bickering if you do not have an autoreply that tells the poster you are moderating his emails.

If the situation does not resolve itself after a few emails, simply ban the poster from posting to your list. This can be done quietly. If the poster responds with contempt, simply treat him as you would any other contempt you receive: DELETE. Do not respond in kind.

In the same light, there may be times when you, yourself, are asked not to post. Depending on the situation, always treat list-owners with more respect than they give you. This will keep the door open for more communication in the future. Never close an "open door". And, if you ever do, never let them know you've closed it unless, and until, you have no other option.

Sometimes people you think you don't need right now, or have no use for, will be the most important people that you will have to deal with later. It's always better to shake the dust off of your sandals and walk on.

These rules should also be used for people who are not in leadership position. The simple, honest truth is no one knows what tomorrow may turn up. You should do well to prepare yourself for the unexpected at all times.

Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur

2008-10-25T12:37:00.000-05:00

(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)

Part 15: Using Other People's Discussion Lists
by Shonda Ponder

© 2002, Shonda Ponder

As your message begins to make it's rounds, and more people begin to patronize your work, you will, no doubt, be barraged with many invitations to join other people's organizations and efforts. At first you will find this as a source of excitement -- knowing that your message has reached so many people. But as your organization grows, this may become overwhelming, and if you don't take steps to control it early, you will likely find yourself buried in a heap of ... emails.

We discussed earlier about designating email boxes for different tasks in your organization. One such email box should be a sizeable box dedicated to list management. Lists, that is, that belong to other people.

It is never a good idea to turn down invitations to join discussion lists. But, before accepting invitations, you should check the 3rd party list manager that they are working on and see if there is anyway you can turn their list to "Read it on the web only" and still be subscribed to the list so that you are able to make posts to that list when and if you so desire.

Before posting on any discussion list, you will need to set your signature up so that it has a link to the web site where your information is located. This way, every email you send will be an invitation for others to check out your message.

Also, make sure that when you post to other people's email lists, you follow the subject matter at hand, and only post your message if it is in line with what the theme of the list is about.

Be very careful about replying to flames and insults. When someone insults you, or your message, it is sometimes wiser to push the delete button than to acknowledge ignorance. The same rules for replying to private emails should be used in discussion lists and chat rooms. If someone wants to debate your point of view, feel free to set up a separate list and invite people to join to continue the debate, without causing the list owner to have to step in and moderate the discussion in order to keep the peace.

The more polite you are, and the less work you give the moderator, the more likely you are to be invited to join other lists.

Do not post someone's information to another list you are on without their consent.

Be cautious in posting replies to what looks like personal requests for information or inquiries about your organization on a public discussion forum. Some people are not net-savvy and do not understand that when they reply to a certain address it is distributed to everyone on the list. How such people get on these lists is a mystery, but it does happen -- often.

Never respond to any discussion messages unless you have something to say. One liners often do nothing but cause an overload of messages for those who choose not to have the messages sent in digest form. Try to write at least one or two paragraphs in any response. This will serve to show those on the list that you have some knowledge of what you are discussing, and will also cause those who agree with you to check your own work out more often.

And, last but not least, do not post any information from another website on a public discussion forum without including the URL (or web address) that tells the reader of your message where you got that information. It is rude to do otherwise. Anytime you use information in anyway, the author and their URL, or, at the very least, their email address should always be included.

If you ever decide you wish to unsubscribe, please attempt to do it without fanfare. In other words, check to see if there is a way you can unsubscribe yourself, first. If this is unsuccessful, privately send a message to the list owner. Never post your request publicly unless it is as a last resort.

These same rules apply to messageboards and community clubs. This is Part 15 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"

Executing Criminals -- The Death Penalty in Focus

2008-10-25T12:08:00.000-05:00

Originally written on August 6, 2001 - by Shonda M. Ponder

The Death Penalty seems to be gaining a lot of attention these days from those who would like to see it removed from our society. Let me ask you...is death worth the consequence of a life taken?

On Tuesday, August 7 at 2:30pm at the old courthouse at 111 Main St. in Hickory, Ted Cummings, one of the trial attorneys for Ronald Frye, and Robert Null, one of the jurors in Frye's trial, will talk about their concerns with the scheduled execution of Mr. Frye.

Mr. Frye is scheduled to be executed on August 31st for the murder of his landlord. Serious concerns have recently been raised about the trial of Mr. Frye and the quality of defense he received. During the penalty phase of the trial, the jury was never told about Mr. Frye's past which would help explain his actions. Members of the jury have signed sworn affidavits saying they would have voted for life in prison rather than the death penalty, had they known about Mr. Frye's troubled past - which includes his mother's turning him over to strangers when he was four, and being beaten so badly that pictures of the wounds have been used in North Carolina police training on child abuse.

If you are a Christian, you will note that in the Bible's old testament there were many crimes that are punishable by death. Including adultery and fornication. God wanted his people to be a pure people at any cost. And, at the time, it was necessary for His work to be done the way He wanted it to be done.

In the New Testament, Jesus forgave an adulteress, knowing what her sins were, and that she was guilty of the crime in which the scribes and Pharisees had accused her. He told her to go and sin no more. Not to go and take the opportunity to sin more. However, in so doing, he did exactly what he set out to do: turn mother against daughter, father against son, and brother against sister. The forgiving society that Jesus would have had has given way to a society where slaps on the hand are acceptable punishment.

"They know they did wrong because I told them so. So now that they know, leave them alone." Somehow, I don't think this is what Jesus had in mind.

So let me attempt to straighten some people out here: Jesus forgave the woman because he COULD. He is God. He had the authority. And, she did exactly what He anticipated that she would do, and served Him from that day forward. He didn't do it to show us an example of how to live, he did it to show the scribes and the pharisees that they did not have the authoritative conscience inside them to be in the offices that they held. Don't tell your brother about the moat in his eyes until you get the one in your own out.

Only when you can own up and pay for the sins that you yourself have committed, have you any right whatsoever to condemn someone else.

Our government is full of murderers today...is it any wonder that they would wish to do away with the death penalty?

When a wrong has been committed there are ways in which you are supposed to react. It has been laid out in the Bible in both the old and the New Testament. The first step is to take your complaint to your brother in private. If the complaint has not been settled in private there, you take it to your brother in the face of two or three witnesses who are called to try to mediate between the two of you before any harm is done to either of you. If, in the face of two or three witnesses the dispute or complaint cannot be handled, there is only one place left to go--court.

A righteous judge has the power to oversee any sentence that is placed on the criminal. Most of the people in a jury trial setting have never committed cold-blooded murder or raped a four year old. I don't care what their past is like. A normal human being learns from other's mistakes, and from the past. My parents spanked me when I was a child. Sometimes they went overboard. This has not caused me to murder anyone. If anything, it has caused me to not spank my children unless they understood perfectly what they were getting the spanking for to begin with. And, many times, I find that spanking isn't necessary when they show remorse for the
wrongdoing--rather than the fact that they are going to get the punishment for doing it.

The death penalty is reserved, today, for those who have no regard whatsoever to any life whatsoever, other than his own--for whatever reason. If my son were raped and killed by a man who had a really horrible childhood, do you think I would care whether he was beaten as a child or not? I dare say, if my son were Mr. Frye's landlord, and he were murdered, the punishment should equal the crime. The crime was the murder of someone's son. Mr. Frye, therefore, should die regardless of what his childhood was like.

Families Threatened By Government Interference

2008-10-25T11:54:00.000-05:00

By Shonda Ponder
(This was originally posted in the Federal Observer)

The Education and the Workforce Committee approved H.R. 3839, the "Keeping Children and Families Safe Act," which reauthorizes the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and other related acts. One of which is neonatal harm.

This is a noble piece of legislation, but one that raises specific concerns. Parts of this legislation are aimed at protecting children who were born to an addicted parent from their parents. What, exactly, poses as "addiction"?

Cigarettes are addictive.

This legislation will open the way for Child Protective Services to snatch your baby from the hospital without your consent or authorization if they deem that the child is "abused" by your "addiction". Of course, parts of the bill require that CPS and Parents work together to insure that no violation of the Parent's individual rights are committed.

The operative word here is "together".

Yes, there are children who are left abandoned by their mothers in trash cans. Some of these mothers were not ever addicted to anything. There is no way to protect the children from these types of atrocities committed against them without first taking away the rights of every parent in the United States.

My mother was raised in a two bedroom home with an outhouse. She grew up, went to college and I never did without. But, there were times when all we had to eat were potatoes and eggs, both of which we grew ourselves. In today's world, CPS will not allow a family with more than 2 children reside in only a one bedroom home. And, if you have an outhouse, then the child is suspect for abuse according to their version of the law. Why is it that if your electricity gets cut off, it is required by the electric company that they report your home to CPS if there is a child living in it?

Is this freedom?

And the term neo-natal is something else altogether. How can the government even think of passing such a law that will protect children during pregnancy when they have already determined that children are not human beings worthy of Constitutional Protection under Roe Vs. Wade?

I'm not saying I disagree with that portion of the law. I am pro-life, and I believe that all un-born children are worthy of Constitutional Protection. But, I also believe that it is the parent's right to bring up a child in the way they see fit, so long as that child is not killed or maimed because of their actions toward their children. I hardly see how lack of electricity will kill anyone.

I smoked during both of my pregnancies. My son is at the top of his class in school.

My mother smoked when she was pregnant with me. It would have been outrageously wrong for me to have been taken from my parents because of that. There have been times during my childhood when we went without electricity because my mother was working and going to school and caring for me as a single mother, after she and my father divorced.

This law needs to be stopped before some good families are torn apart by well-meaning government agencies sticking their nose where it does not belong.

Related Links:

Education and the Workforce Committee approved H.R. 3839

About the socialistic nature of our government

2008-10-03T10:53:00.000-05:00

Cliff Kincaid wrote in an article entitled “Socialism is coming to America:

"It would be an exaggeration to say that we are getting close to anything resembling the Soviet system. But it is also a big mistake to call this a “bailout.” It is socialism. Why are so many in the media afraid of using this term? "

My guess is that if the media chose to use the word "Socialism" and got the American people finally believing that we are under Socialist rule, it wouldn't change anything. You'll be walking down the street, and on one street corner an old man will be ranting and raving on a park bench as he spoke to the guy next to him about how back in his day somebody woulda done something about all these socialist extremist running the country, while the guy nodded his head and thought to himself, "He's just a crazy old man."

And, then at the grocery store, some mother will mention crazy things her kids are asked to learn at school, then shrugs and says, "What can you do about it. Just teach them to follow the rules."

Nothing will change. Everyone will gripe, the email lists will go crazy; but, in the end, no one will do anything more than what they are already doing.

Even if God did raise up a leader, no one would recognize his authority. He'd get crucified. We've seen it before. And, what's bad is, we'll probably be the first to holler.

Ron Paul nearly got crucified politically when he voted "No" on the Patriot Act. Remember? And, I suffered attacks for telling everyone Bush was a Socialist back before 9-11. After 9-11, it was as if he were a god. Everyone worshipped him. I could do nothing but quit.

Until we become bold as a nation, we should be prepared to bow down to the gods of Socialism. "Bow down?" you say, "Never." Ah, but you do it every single day in so many little ways you don't even notice it anymore.

As media, my job was to cry the warning -- to be the "Watchman on the wall" so to speak. I did my job. But, my job was only effectual if someone listened. No one did.

Just call me a female Jeremiah. (Those who read the Bible understand). They didn't call him "the weeping prophet" for nothing.

About getting tattoos

2008-10-03T10:50:00.000-05:00

On one Christian email list I am on, the question was asked, “Are tattoos permitted? I am a member of the First Biker Church here in Texarkana. A lot of the new members who attend there are already tattooed. One of the members who was not approached our pastor, Brother Gary, one day and asked him if it was okay to get a tattoo. His response was that, in the case of those who were tattooed before they became a Christian, we are all new creatures in Christ, the old tattoos don't matter anymore. But, in the case of those who are already Christians thinking of getting tattooed, the answer was "Who will it glorify? You, or the Father?" when you can answer that, then you have your answer.

I, personally, am not tattooed. I thought about getting one on my leg once. It would have been a long Indian spear, with the feathers hanging off, to honor my Native American heritage. I never had it done, and the older I get, the less I really want to have it done. There is something about mutilating my body that repels me. I mean, I have trouble being motivated to put make up on, much less permanently marking my body.

What I think has to matter, Right?

2008-10-03T10:45:00.000-05:00

I happen to agree with every word from Chuck Baldwin’s pen. I admire that he can say what I can't put into words. What he wrote is precisely why I resigned from America's Media Alliance as President, and was willing to watch it fall apart.

The last time I spent time on the computer (about 5 years as President of America's Media Alliance, founder of Freedom-Lovers International, which later became Friends of Liberty, International, and advertising director of Sierra Times for awhile) I made a lot of mistakes. I let the world influence my decisions and eventually left God out of my work. I had forgotten that God was the reason and the drive behind my work, and my work did not prosper because of it. Oh, yes, I made a lot of progress, and inspired a lot of people, but my personal relationships and life took a turn for the worse, and eventually led to me quitting altogether.

I've spent the last few years, since 2002, getting back my life -- away from the computer, away from television, and away from the newspapers. Still, I was able to keep up with the news from co-workers, family and friends, though I was very careful not to respond to any opinions. When you meet your mortality face to face, God is so much bigger, and better than you are. Right now, I am thankful to Him for my great job, my home, my relationship with my children, and all the things I lost that I have slowly regained, due to stupid mistakes I made as a mere human being.

After much thought, and starting from scratch (literally), I have decided to come back. My opinion has to be worth something, right? If not, then I'll make it matter. This time, I'll do it differently.
Not everyone gets a second chance, but the internet makes it so easy...doesn't it?

I bought a computer for my birthday present to myself. Computers make it so much easier (and cheaper) to do what needs to be done in just about every aspect of your life, if you know how to use it. Before I turned it on, however, I prayed that this time, God would lead me to do the right things with it, and would bless my work on it. I am human, and it is inevitable that I will make mistakes, both on and off the computer. I don't claim perfection, just forgiveness.

I don't promise not to make mistakes in the future, but I do promise to look to Him more for answers to my problems.

Prayer Taboo?

2008-09-25T11:53:00.000-05:00

Judge Sandra Day O'Connor has ruled that prayer in Jesus' name is taboo. In a decision made at the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, she says:

"The restriction that prayers be nonsectarian in nature is designed to make the prayers accessible to people who come from a variety of backgrounds, not to exclude or disparage a particular faith."

It is my belief that, as a believer in Jesus Christ, NOT praying in His name is taboo. The Bible says:

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13)

Goals Met

2008-09-24T22:35:00.000-05:00

Today, I have met every goal I set 3 years ago. Today, I purchased a computer. It was the last goal I had back to being who I truly am. I am happy.

Now...it's time for new goals.

Back in the world...

2008-04-22T23:35:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'll be honest. I'm not perfect. I never will be. But, hey, God knows that.
I guess I figure right now I'm on a mission, and in the process of taking a test at the same time. That's the way my whole life has always gone.

But, to be honest. I'm having the time of my life. I'm getting to know myself in ways I never knew. I'm also seeing how stupid I've been in the past. And, I still pray every day. Now, it seems I need that more than ever.

I'll write again when I have better things to say, but this is pretty much the bulk of my life right now...in so many words.

At least I'm not depressed anymore.

:-)

It's been awhile

2008-02-05T15:07:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since I last blogged. Lots have happened. I've learned a lot, done a lot, and am still struggling financially, but at least I am still going forward and upward. I fell down from my stand on chastity once, but I repented and am going back to the right way. I was quickly reminded about why I took that stand to begin with. God is an awesome God. He's even there when you don't deserve him. And, I owe it to him to keep trying.

I'm not giving up on my dreams, or my calling. I'm just giving up on perfection. The only thing perfect about me is my God. He knows I'm not perfect. But if I don't try, I can't possibly prove I love him.

Biblical Ways to Be a Friend

2007-06-21T13:57:00.000-05:00

God created each and every one of us as unique individuals; each of us has our own unique gifts, talents, and personalities that make each of us who we are. For me, the gift is writing, organizing information and creating or finding conduits where the information flows. Unfortunately, God did not give me the gift to be a public speaker. I have never been good at standing in front of a bunch of people and speaking off the top of my head. It's funny he made me that way, because I have an overwhelming desire to teach. But, sometimes it's easier to write, then pass out articles I've written, complete with sources. As singles leader, then, I feel handicapped in some ways.

Ever since I was a child, I have talked to God about my problems. And, as a child, I talked to God a lot because I was lonely. Funny how I still suffer from the same problem today. But, the reason I talked to God was because I was a curious child. I wanted to know everything about everything, and the easiest place, I found, to get the answer was to go to the source. Can't get much higher source than God.

My need to know and my desire to tell everyone what I find out is the trait of my personality that led me to salvation. Who was this Jesus my sunday school teacher said loved me when I was four years old? Why did he love me? How can I believe he loved me? What did he do to make her think he loved me? When did he say that? Where is he? Once all these questions were answered for me, I was saved at the age of eight.

These traits in my personality also led me to take two years of journalism in high school. I later became president of America's Media Alliance. I home-schooled my youngest son for three years, and my oldest for two, successfully. Finally, these aspects of my personality lead me to continue to ask questions, which continue to lead me into a stronger faith in God.

However, I've found these traits to be a handicap when it comes to building relationships with people. This is because people tend to see me as nosy, too intelligent, and set in my ways. The reason I am so set in my ways stems from the fact that once I have the information, know the source, and have formulated my own conclusions, it takes a whole lot more information that most people have to change my mind. Therefore, I have concluded that it is going to have to take a special man, one that God makes especially for me, to take me away from single life.

Meanwhile, I enjoy reading without interruption. I enjoy watching shows that teach me what I want to know, without fighting over the remote, or listening to someone whine. I love to spend time on the internet researching material without worrying about fixing supper, or cleaning house. I love to spend my time talking to God (who is a great listener, by the way, about what to do with all the information I come across. I love having the time to write.

Having said all this, I'd like to talk about some issues God has brought to my attention this week:

The single's meeting on Saturday night was great. I came away from that meeting more confident, refreshed in my spirit, and eager to meet again tonight. Even though there were only four of us, we discussed issues that we needed to discuss, and probably never would have discussed them under different settings. However, on Sunday came the downward spiral in my confidence and my emotional and spiritual state of mind.

When I picked up Barty and Donna on Sunday morning, I was on a spiritual high because now I understood how much strength God gives to fight temptation to those who are obedient. I wanted to share my victory with everyone. But, by the end of the day, I felt alone, as I realized that no one is really interested in my problems or my victories. Never mind that saying no to sex is as hard for me as it is for Danny to say no to cocaine.

Danny, and others like him, go to N.A. to feel good enough about saying no to say no again. There, at N.A. are people like him who understand his problems. He feels supported there. I had no such support group. Sex is not something most people want to talk about in church. Maybe they should.

If Danny did not have N.A. to go to, would he still say no? Probably, but he wouldn't feel victorious about it. If he hadn't been introduced and become a member of the Biker Church, would he still worship and thank God for his deliverance? That's a question only Danny can answer, but it's unlikely he would have done it so soon. These thoughts made me think about the importance of friendships. It made me realize that so few of us truly understand what friendship is.

I realized, after my last long-term relationship ended, how slack I had become on nurturing my friendships. I realized this when I ended up staying at Randy Sam's homeless shelter because there was no one who could help me. My life was my work. And, the more I got involved with my church, the more I felt confident, having people who would help me if I needed it, knowing I was putting forth great effort to allow God to pick me back up. My apartment is proof of that. Today, I see people everywhere that smile and wave at me because I've proved my self-sufficiency due to my love of God and his mercy to me. But, even now, when I am sad, or discouraged, or need a pat on the back, or someone to just hold me and make me feel protected, the only person I can go to is God. And, sometimes I get tired of hearing the same thing from him all the time, "You are going to be okay. I made you. I know you, I'm taking care of you. Now, get up and DO what you are supposed to do."

Now, I know I need to hear that; and, I know I need to do that, but I would love to have friends who support me morally, the way Danny has when he goes to N.A.. I need friends who are there who understand where I am, how I got there, and who can support me emotionally as I struggle to fulfill the purposes God has for me.

I have struggled with a solution to this problem. The truth is, I don't know the solution. All I can do is teach others what I know about friendship. Maybe if we understand what Jesus needs in his friends, we can all learn to be friends to each other the way I need a friend to be.

So, what is friendship? In order to have a friend, one must know how to be a friend. None of us are whole, or truly happy without friends. Part of the problem is that we fall way short when it comes to growing our friendships. We don't understand that friendships, like plants, have to be nurtured, or they die. Though I find fault with some of his teachings, I heard Creflo Dollar, on TBN, Tuesday morning, say something that I had to rush to write down. After all, I collect information. This bit of information was as if God was speaking to me, through him. Dollar said, "Until you can be single and whole, AND SATISFIED, you ain't ready for marriage."

Until you can be single, and know how to build friendships, and know how to nurture them, and learn to respect them, you don't need to commit yourself to a life partner. I spent half the day thinking about this. He was right.

Most marriages today are based on the fulfillment of the pleasures of lust, or what can you do for me that I can't do for myself? Friendship is based on a true admiration of who you are.

Friendship happens in stages.

1) I hang out with certain people because I am genuinely interested in them as a person.

2) As I get to know them, I am willing to give more of myself and what I have to enable them to be who they need to be.

3) Finally, as the friendship deepens, I become protective of them, as members of my own family, whom I would die for if need be.

Life experiences has taught me to set boundaries to protect myself and my assets; but, many of us build walls around us, instead of simple boundaries, that prevent anyone from getting to know us and being our friend. Until we can operate with simple boundaries instead of walls, so that we can reach the last stage in our friendships, we have no business choosing a mate from the first two stages.

When we decide to choose a mate, we not only consider how we feel about that person, but how well that person nurtures friendship. Friends are the fruit of your character. In Matthew 6:17 Jesus said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs from thistles?" He was talking of how to discern who was a false prophet. But, we can discern who our best friends are by this method as well.

Can you trust your friends? Can you count on them when the chips are down? Would your friend give his life for you if need be? You can answer these questions by looking at the other friends he has. Do they trust him? Are they inspired by him? Do they protect him?

Functional friendship is mutual. Dysfunctional friendship is not good for your health, or your bank account. A true friend never takes more than he is willing to give. A true friend nurtures the friendship by giving more than he expects to get back. Then he watches to see if his friendship is growing. If it is growing in trust and integrity, the giving part is easy. If not, you may wish to re-evaluate who you've chosen as a friend.

Communication is defined, where friendship is concerned, as mutual permission to disagree. This means that give and take is involved. it requires listening skills as well as skills in self-evaluation.
So, while we discuss problems we have as singles, we need to discuss ways to get rid of those problems, and learn to nurture friendships that are real, unshakeable, and lasting.

Most people can count the number of friends they have on one hand; and they aren't sure about them. Even our best friends don't know everything about us. This is because in this day and age, we don't trust anyone completely; and, trust is the foundation of friendship.

True friends can be trusted with your life. Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Jesus was the best example of a friend that the world ever had. But, before I get into the example Jesus set for us in what constitutes a friendship, I'd like to go back to other Biblical examples of friendship.

In 1 Samuel, starting around chapter 14, I believe, begins the story of Jonathon and David. At the time they met (1 Samuel 18:1), David had already been annointed to take Jonathon's place as heir to the Kingdom, due to Saul's disobedience. To understand the nature of their friendship, you must understand who Jonathon was, as well as who David was. Jonathon was Saul's son.

Jonathon was not only Saul's son, he was a fearless warrior. Months before David came into the picture, the Israelites were fighting with the Philistines. The Philistines were winning. Finally, Saul retreated and ordered that no one eat anything until the evening, to petition God for revenge on the losses he'd taken that day. Furthermore, he ordered that anyone who did not fast was to be put to death.

Jonathon wasn't there when his father made that decree. He was pacing back and forth, fuming, in front of his men. He wanted to fight some more. He wanted to beat them. He wanted to bring honor back to his father's army. So, he and his men went and provoked the opposing army into attacking again. The Philistines bit the bait and war was on again, with Jonathon kicking butt, and Saul wondering why they were fighting again.

After the battle, on the way back to his father, Jonathon found some honey and broke the fast. And, as proud as Saul was, he was duty bound to honor his decree. However, due to the recent victory Jonathon had over the Philistines, the people of Israel threatened to revolt if Saul followed through on his decree, and so Jonathon was saved.

Then, Saul is told to defeat the Amelakites. He was told to destroy them off the face of the earth. He was told to leave nothing alive. He disobeyed God by bringing back a prisoner of war and all the cattle. So, God annointed to David, a shepherd boy who played the harp and wrote and sang songs for a living, to be King after Saul is gone.

When the spirit of God left Saul, he was distressed. Depressed. The only thing that soothed him was music. So, he sent for David when his servants told the king about the talent of the boy. Saul loved him so much that he made him an Armourbearer. This was the first training he received for his future office. Saul had no idea that he was training his replacement.

Soon, David went back home to be with his aging father and tend the sheep and do what he was doing before Saul called for him. Back to the good life. And, the Philistines wanted revenge.

Saul's army was camped on one mountain side, and the Philistines were on another, and there was a valley between them. David's three oldest brothers were on the front lines, waiting for action.

Jesse, David's father, called his youngest son and sent him to the front lines to see how his brothers were doing. He also sent him some bread to take to the head general to fish for information. They didn't have newspapers back then, so whatever David could find out, he would bring back to his father who would then let everyone else in the village know.

When David got there, he saw this giant idiot challenging God's army, and he let his brothers and all their company know what he thought about Goliath. "Who is this wimp that would taunt God's army? Why isn't anyone accepting his challenge?" David's brothers then admonished him to keep his mouth shut, accusing him of only wanting to see blood and guts. But David persisted. Finally, before he knew it, he accepted the challenge himself, and with nothing but a small pebble and a slingshot, he won Goliath's sword for himself, the Philistines for Israel, and was standing in front of Saul and Jonathon with Saul's head hanging from his hands.

That moment, Jonathon's soul was knit with Davids. David was his hero. David was fearless, and Jonathon loved David. But, the story doesn't stop there.

Saul put David as head of his army. Soon, the people were singing about how Saul had slain his thousands, and David his ten-thousands. This made Saul very jealous. He became so jealous, in fact, that he ordered Jonathon to kill David. Instead, Jonathon helped David escape, then went back to talk some sense into his father. Had Saul known that Jonathon had warned David to run, he probably would have killed Jonathon. He wasn't beyond that. After all, it nearly took a revolt to stay his hand once before, already. The risk Jonathon took further sealed the trust David had in him. Jonathon was willing to die for David and now David knew it. Do you have even one friend you trust that much?

You know, it really feels better when you are sick, or in mourning, broken-hearted, or in trouble to have a friend that really distresses with you. Most of us don't know how to be friends like that. You find out who your real friends are when you are down and out. Those who sit with you and keep you company when you are hurting are true friends. Job had three friends like that. Just three. He lost all he had and they got together and decided to make him feel better. (Job 2:11)

Do you have many friends like that? When you are lonely or depressed, do they come to you, or do you have to round them up?

In 2 Kings 1-14, Elisha loved Elijah so much that he wouldn't let him out of his sight. Elijah constantly tried to get Elisha to stay behind, but Elisha was determined to follow him where ever he went. He wanted to see what his friend did. He wanted to be involved in his friends life. How many friends do you have like that? Are you Elisha, or Elijah?

In 2 Timothy 1: 1-5, Paul writes a letter to his friend, Timothy. He knows Timothy is his friend and he loves him for several reasons:

1) Paul thinks of Timothy constantly
2) Paul prays for Timothy's well-being
3) Paul can hardly wait to be able to spend time with him
4) Paul knows Timothy feels the same way about him
5) They share a mutual faith in Jesus Christ.

How many friends do you have like that?

Jesus commanded us to be friends like all of the above. More specifically, he commands us to BE friends to everyone, regardless of how they feel about us. What does a Jesus type friendship mean?

1) You must know how to communicate. Communication starts with you. When someone asks you, "Where are you going?" or "Where have you been" or "What are you doing?" it is there invitation to accept them as a friend. Jesus hid nothing from his friends. John 15:13, Jesus said, "Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what the Lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all that I have heard of my father, I have made known to you."

2) Don't expect your friends to befriend you first. Choose your friends, and be a friend first. Jesus chose twelve men to befriend, as well as countless others. When someone needs you, be there. Don't expect them to come to you. In John 15:16, Jesus said, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." Yes, there are risks. Judas is proof of that.

3) Be forgiving. By being forgiving, even when a friend is treacherous, you are demonstrating the mercy Christ had as they drove the nails in his hands. You are proving you can be trusted intimately, as we now trust Christ.

4) Be loyal. A loyal friend would die, if need be, for a friend. Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than he that would give up his life for a friend."

5) Be protective. Don't place your friends in dangerous situations that could lead them astray. Christ died so that we could live. He died to save us, not condemn us. So, when you let a friend drive drunk, you are not being a friend. When you act stupid in public and put a friend in danger of guilt by association, you are not being a friend. When you ask your friend who is working behind the counter at McDonald's to give you some extra fries for free, you are endangering his livelihood, and you are not being a friend.

6) Be helpful. If someone needs your help, help them. Be careful not to enable them to sin, however.

7) Spend quality time with your friends. Why do you think Jesus spent so much time in the boat?

8) Have a servant mind. Do small things to make your friends lives easier.

9) Encourage your friends. When they feel bad, uplift them. When they need a shoulder, give it. Be there.

10) Be more interested in them than they are of you. In time, they will want to know more about you. They will learn to love you. They will become the friend you need.

Cornerstone

2007-02-23T12:16:00.000-06:00

Originally written in 2000 by Shonda Ponder

What happened in Waco at the Branche Davidian Compound was more than just a tragic government blunder. It was more than a cover-up. It was an act of God.

Those who died at the Branche Davidian Compound were martyrs for the cause of freedom, though many of them never knew what was happening even until the moment of their death. The survivors of the Waco fire are even just now seeing the full impact of the deaths at Waco.

Waco brought about a unity of freedom-lovers across the nation. It gave freedom a cause to defend, and the willingness to exercise its rights. Many eyes were opened to the dangers of Big Brother Government. Many comraderies were formed and bonded in love and understanding that there is something greater than Monday night football at stake here.
New vows were taken, and many pledged again their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors to fight the monster that attacked Waco--not the government, but the corruption within it that caused the murder of innocent victims all in the name of the children. Today, many have already paid the ultimate price for that pledge, though we may never even hear the names of half of them.

It is the martyrs of Waco that has brought the nation to its knees again in support of religious freedom. Many people have been admitted to the Kingdom of God through the influence of Waco in many different sects of religion. So, David Koresh did not ultimately die in vain, and neither did those innocent babies who were never seen alive again. Waco became a door, and a finger of God for the nation.

It is the martyrs of Waco that woke up many 2nd Amendment advocates, renewing the spirit of "You can pry my gun from my cold dead fingers" and causing the "Don't tread on me" flag to wave once again throughout the nation. For Koresh and his followers, guns were a way of life. For the government, it was a threat against the elite establishment that is hungry for the control of every facet of our lives. If Koresh were allowed to continue, he might have influenced more than the government could handle.

The government feared this so greatly that they decided to cut off their nose to spite their face and instead of taking him alive, they killed him and all of his followers they could get in hopes of setting an example. Today, they realize that it was probably a fatal blunder on their part.

Too many people asked too many questions, and those people did not live in compounds or isolated places (like the Weaver's in Idaho did). The people were too smart to band together so the government could suppress them quickly, as was the plan in the "Communist Manifesto," and today, the internet has become the weapon of choice for many freedom advocates. It is safe, effective, and legal. And it holds a lot more power than did the Liberty Tree before the Revolutionary War.

Now, the government is discussing ways to limit the privileges of internet users, trying to find a way to do it so that it is not rebelled against by the public.

This is a new era. A new look for the nation, and a new sense of freedom has come about that many are reluctant to let go of now that they have discovered it. David Koresh and the victims of the Branche Davidian Compound in Waco will go down in history books as a milestone for freedom.

In Texas, "Remember the Alamo" has been forgotten and replaced with "Remember Waco". The rest of the nation has adopted the logo "Never Again."

Freedom has become a lifestyle worth dying for because 17 little children were killed by an entity that says it only wants "what's best for the children".

The start of a restoration of the Great Republic envisioned by our founding fathers has come alive, and it will not stop until it is respected once again by those in power.

Waco, I salute you, and I thank you for being the cornerstone for the foundation that will make the American Dream a reality once again.

Making the Sacrifices

2007-02-23T12:12:00.000-06:00

Originally written in 2000 by Shonda Ponder

The Founding Fathers gave their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors. What are we giving today?

Many patriots in the freedom movement today who are trying tirelessly to restore this nation back to the Constitutional Republic it was founded upon are making the same sacrifices. We may not hear most of their names. We may never see most of their faces, or shake their hands, or even have the chance to say, "thank you."

Some are shot and killed, some are burned alive. Some are, today still, political prisoners who have not even been charged with crimes and have no way of fighting the system without our help. Some have given their all and are now living on barely enough to keep them alive and are still giving. Some are sacrificing their marriages, and their relationships with their children while they promote those very things, their lives becoming a martyr for the cause. From Randy Weaver's wife in Idaho, to the Branche Davidian survivors, to Kenneth Vardon of APFN, to many others who would never speak out loud of the burdens they carry at home.

The exchange of information in this day of computer technology has sky-rocketed and the myth that conservatives are "poor, un-educated, and easy to command" has been successfully proven false. The work done by these brave and daring souls who refuse to sit on the fence waiting for something to happen is the reason that we are able now to enjoy what few freedoms we still have left.

The questions that remain now, in light of the new gun confiscation activities in several states, and in light of IRS harassment, and forcing of the people to become spies on each other by requiring them to ask their fellow citizens to "show me your papers, please," along with the fact that too many cringe and cower when you start talking about what is wrong in this country, despite the right to freedom of speech, is, "What now?"

Many of these patriots who have given their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors today have been begging for help before it is too late, knowing that there would soon come a day when what they are doing won't be enough without the help of the general public. Now they are seeing this happen.

Laws are getting passed that restrict our freedoms before they have the chance to send out a petition. The news is mainly covering what has already happened rather than what is going to happen and how we can stop it. Any information that we get is in the past tense rather than the present. It is much easier to change things before they happen than to change them after.

The "soldiers of passion" that are tirelessly fighting today are, one by one, dropping out of the race. The reasons vary, from no financial support, to lack of resources. How are we going to keep the enemy from taking any more guns from us if we don't have the guns to threaten them with? And how are we going to create and place more "soldiers of passion" if we don't support those that are already there? And how are those that are already there going to continue the fight when there is nothing left for them to fight with?

When a "mover and shaker" has done all he can do alone and is forced to ask for help, he is often attacked, accused of "seeking personal gain" and labeled a "patriot for profit" when the truth of the matter is that due to the time and money involved in this work, without that support the work will not grow and spread.

While the reporters on ABC, NBC and CBS get to live in nice homes and never have to worry about their children going hungry, conservative writers and journalists often volunteer their work covering and promoting events as they happen. Yet, if they ask for payment, they are asking too much.

Isn't it time to start fighting fire with fire? While the enemy is using money to their advantage, we are losing the fight. The patriots have done all they can do as individuals. Isn't time for something bigger?

As with all wars, the "Information War" is not cheaply fought.

We have Had Enough - By Shonda Ponder

2007-02-23T12:08:00.000-06:00

(This was originally written in support of the 50 Million Round March on May 29, 2000, for the Sierra Times)

As women we have watched as our children are shot in the school rooms and have tried alternative schooling for our children so that they wouldn't have to deal with that. But, not only do we get in trouble for trying to do our motherly duty and protect them, we have to fight their fathers in order to do so. Why? Because men would rather make a dollar than protect their children.

We have fought the doctors, nurses, teachers and day-care workers in order to keep our kids drug-free from ritalin and other forms of methamphetamines, but their fathers don't have the time to get to really get to know their children and it is much easier to listen to a woman they don't know than to listen to the wife they are constantly arguing with about the subject, even though she knows the child better at times, because she is with him more.

Our men, who spend their hard earned money on expensive toys for themselves rather than quality time with their families, have fallen into the traps of liberated women, and are now demanding that their wives follow suit. They just flat don't want to take care of us anymore. It is too much work.

Never mind that the liberated women out there have done more to mess up our children than anyone. They would rather put their children on drugs so they can get rest away from their children when they come home from work (if they haven't aborted those nuisances) so the children can be walking zombies that never learn right from wrong. They sit those children, who are too "down" to do anything, in front of that box full of sex and violence, and since that is all they see, that is all they learn. Is it no wonder they go to school then and kill other kids?

What is worse, it is those liberated women out there who are the teachers and day-care workers we have to fight everyday from undermining our own authority over our children.

So, us women who still believe in traditional values, and are still trying to raise our children to respect God and Country, are tired of taking matters into our own hands. We are looking for a few REAL men to take up our cause. We heard about those 40K morons who went to Washington, and with minimal support from a few real men in order to teach those killers for gun-control a lesson, many of us liberty-loving, conservative and Godly women showed up, too.

How many liberal husbands supported their women as they attacked our children that day? How many freedom-loving husbands supported and honored their wives as they went to counter that attack? If the conservative woman was not there, it was because, in this day and age, a woman can't afford to be conservative. There are no men around to take care of them anymore. There are no men who will stand up and support their wives in order to be honored back in the long run.

Men, let me give you a little secret. Women like to be protected, not owned. They like to be taken care of, not forced to take care of themselves in order to pay half the bills. The reason there are so many "liberal" women out there today is out of necessity. If a woman has to support herself with someone, it is just as easy to support themselves alone.

When will the men be men?

The men, who are using loneliness to excuse drunken rages and beating their wives because they feel inadequate enough to care for them completely blame us women for all the world's problems. Men like the idea of women helping to be the bread winner of the family today. Don't they realize that if their women get a job and become equal bread winners, that they won't be home when their men are to take care of them? Don't they realize that women can compensate for loneliness a lot easier than a man can?

Men, who think only in terms of sex and dollars have found out that that they can take care of themselves a lot easier than they can support a family, and they can go to a bar and get sex anytime they want. They don't stop to think that the reason they can do this a lot of times is because the women who go to that bar are tired of the men that they have not being men.

Oh, but it isn't all the men's fault.

Women, who have been raised in the government training camps don't beg their men to go to church with them any more and to share those quality outings with their children. After all, we were all descended from apes, so there is no God to answer to. Life was much better when men felt forced to spend a few hours on Sunday listening to Godly sermons and told that God would punish them if they were bad husbands or fathers.

We have mistakenly molded our men into being more "sensitive" and loving, and have not instructed them that it is okay to be leaders and put their foots down when needed for the betterment of the family as a whole.

Now, when we are faced with surrendering our children because men won't stand up and be men, we, as conservative women, are stumbling around trying to find a few good men who will instruct us on how to use a weapon for self-defense. We are afraid. We have no man to protect us or our children anymore.

Those men out there who do try to be real men and protect the traditional values of God and Country are constantly being (a) ridiculed by society as being an extremist, and therefore being forced not to talk about it or educate anyone else, (b) feared by their liberal wives who are concerned about the social life their children are not enjoying due to being "different" or (c) they are accused by their women of being too strict or too demanding.

(A note for you liberal women out there: If a man is willing to work 3 jobs in order to pay the bills and buy your clothes and put food in your mouth and your kid's, so he can have someone there for him to cook, clean and rub his back when he gets home--any way he wants it rubbed--is that asking too much?)

And now, in light of losing the Constitution that allowed our men to be free men, and knowing that our sons (read: our CHILDREN) will have no choice but to be compliant, we are humbled, and we are putting our foot down to protect the rights of our children.

We women have had enough.

We have already been forced to give our children up to entities that will turn them against us in the long run. We have been forced to live alone rather than with a liberal man who thinks anything goes. We have been forced to fend for ourselves, rather than have half our bills paid by a "domestic partner"/roommate, and half of our saving squandered on a good time.

Why should we pay more taxes for that?

For you men who are reading this and saying to themselves, "you just haven't found the right one yet," we say if there are any real men left out there after we have so carelessly dispersed of them, then show us.

We want you to prove it by meeting the 50-Million Round Challenge that Jeff Head and SierraTimes.com are promoting. We want to see pictures of you on father's day, being real fathers and real heads of your family, at the gun range.

Why? Because when our childeren get to be 18 years old, we want their God-given right to self-defense by use of a weapon or any other peaceful means still in-tact. We don't want them to have to pay for a privilege that is, by the words written in the first ten amendments of the Constitution, a right.

And good mothers don't like to see their children hurt when they don't have to be. Responsible mothers teach their children to care for themselves...in every way.

Men, women like to feel loved. If you are, indeed, a man, we want to see you stand up, for once, for liberty and justice in love, honor, and protection like men should do for your family and for yourself. We want the proof. We want the pictures.

We want hope.

If We Could Face Our Fears

2007-02-23T12:06:00.000-06:00

(Originally written in 1999, by Shonda Ponder)

We have a crisis in our country today.

The crisis I speak about is not the presidential impeachment hearings. It is not the recent rise in hate crimes. It is not the dangers our children face each day as moms and dads across America drop them off at public schools. It isn't the religious persecutions around the world that seem to be untouchable by the separation of church and state that has been planted in our way of life for the past 30 years. It isn't the crowding of prisons due to victimless crimes; nor is it the rising numbers of deadbeat parents. It isn't the break-up of the family, or the lack of role models in the land.

The crisis isn't campaign finance, or the outrageous amount of taxes we pay each year. It isn't nuclear warheads pointed at different countries around the world; nor is it the rapid destruction of rain forests. It isn't global warming, natural disasters, man-made pollution, or endangered species. It isn't terrorism, war, or slavery. It isn't the federal reserve, international moneychangers, or even welfare reform. It isn't illiteracy, differentially-abled persons, or unemployment. It is not the economy, stupid.

The crisis we are facing in this country is fear. It is knowing that something is wrong and refusing to rock the boat for fear of being labeled a dissident.

I believe that it was Roosevelt that stated, "The only thing men have to fear is fear itself." Today we have come to understand the meaning of those words all too clearly.

Too many times men and women change the subject rather than face controversial issues. Too many times we tend to give our children the benefit of the doubt rather than offer them advice whether they need it or not. Too many times we defend our public officials simply because we voted for them, rather than hold them accountable to do the job we voted for them to do.

For too long we have allowed the government access to our pocketbooks without saying a word for fear of being labeled a tax-evader. We fear speaking up for our rights to the very people who swore to protect those rights. We fear police who harass and intimidate rather than serve and protect.

We fear arrest at our places of business for failure to I-D eighteen-year-olds who are allowed to die for their country without parental consent but are not allowed to decide whether or not they are responsible enough to drink a beer. We fear arrest for sexual harassment if we ask someone out on a date more than once. We fear being labeled racist if we promote someone of the wrong color, regardless of his or her ability. We fear being labeled stalkers, kooks, or fanatics if we attempt to hold our public officials accountable. We fear being politically incorrect when we speak at a public forum.

Yet we don't realize that the chains of slavery are fastened by fear. It is fear that keeps man from actively pursuing his natural tendencies regarding life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When we fear we are more inclined to accept 2nd best, rather than strive to have the best at any cost.

There was a time when our heroes were admired for the lack of fear they seemed to show. Today, I am ashamed to say societal stature rather than dissident opinions measure our heroes.

My heroes are still those of the past who uttered such words as "give me liberty or give me death" or "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

If only we could think like those men and have the courage to draw that line in the sand and stand up for our beliefs and control over our own lives as they did. Maybe then we would be able to tip our hats in appreciation of the officer on the streets without fear. We could call our public officials and tell them thank you rather than complain. We could say to our children, "Stand up straight. Show respect. THAT is the president of the United States of America coming."

If we could just have the courage to face our fears and look them in the eye and say, "I'm not backing down. No retreat, no surrender," we might then be able to see a glimmer of hope that our children and our grandchildren will not have to wear the chains of slavery our government has forced upon us in the name of Peace.

Freedom is Not Free: a Speech Given at a Waco Remembrance Rally in 1999

2007-02-23T12:05:00.000-06:00

The sacrifice that the Branch Davidians made was a price paid for us to all be aware with the knowledge of what is happening in our country. It is a price that, I am sorry to say, not all of us would be willing to make. We all have our excuses.

Speaking of excuses, I won’t mention names, but recently I received an e-mail from a young man whose talents were VERY worthy for the cause. This young man had a knack for making people actually listen to us. He was soft-spoken, sensible, and had the ability to speak his mind without offending the opposition.
We were proud to have him as a part America’s Media Alliance.

He is a prime example of what happens to all of us at one time or another. His frustration at the lack of response from the public, as well as his financial inability caused him to reconsider his position, and to make a long story short, he backed out of the movement.

His reasons were as follows:

*His monthly phone bill was about as much as his rent.
*His travel expenses along with lost wages while pursuing stories was too high.
*There was a lack of help from sponsors.
*He had sympathy with others who were in like positions in the cause.

He quoted a phrase in this letter that was from an essay written by Thomas Paine, “Some men have a strange aversion to arms, yet are willing to risk every shilling in the cause…”

*He has received countless numbers of death threats, which included his wife and his children being threatened.
*He asked the question, “If you live in fear, are you really living?”
*He said that most so-called patriots give in to peer pressure. Most expect everyone else to do the work it takes while they profess themselves to be patriots, yet refuse to get off their behinds and help in whatever way it takes.

This is a quote from his e-mail:

“The simple fact is for all of our hard efforts, for all of our money spent, for all of the time spent bitching at beaurocrats instead of bouncing our children and grandchildren on our knees, very little has changed. People, especially so-called patriots, continue to pay illegal taxes, thumbscan, consent to warrantless searches, and in general, kneel to those that wish to keep them enslaved. The slavemasters in this world actually do little to enslave us. We do all the work for them. We love being slaves. Slaves are secure. They have very well defined boundaries, and hence, little is unknown; the unknown is, after all, what humans fear the most.”

Further into the letter he said:

“Americans sense that as a whole, “patriots” are wishy-washy, and really stand for very little. That is why I no longer have it in me to show up to events myself. I have a very real understanding of Martin Luther King, Jr’s “Letters from a Birmingham Jail” now. This is my letter from the jail I am now freeing myself from. For those of you who have not read it, do so. He writes about his disgust for the “white clergy”. While admitting that racism and racist policies, laws, etc. were wrong, none seemed willing to do very much about it. His disgust stemmed from the fact that they knew the difference between right and wrong, yet continued to perpetuate the wrong. I feel the same. Right now,” he goes on, “In fact, for quite some time, I’ve had more respect for the enemies of this nation that for the patriot community. THEY stand for SOMETHING, even if it’s wrong.”

I read this letter, after I received it, over and over. Each time, I felt a little different.

The first time, I was stunned. He put in words what many of us have felt and have been frustrated with over and over again. We all have given thought at one time or another, for one reason or another, to just throwing up our hands and saying, “I quit.”

After reading it again, more carefully, thoughts began to race through my mind. What if everyone was to feel the way he does and throws in the towel? What hope would our children have? How could we look them in the eye and say, “It was all for you.”

Our Founding Fathers faced loyalty to the crown dead on. They created friendships and a circle of people that they could trust to stand up for their beliefs. They knew that the chance of survival was minimal. They knew that their numbers were small. They knew that what they were asking for was not popular, nor was it supported. Not “politically correct” is the phrase we use today.

When the Revolutionary War was fought, only 3% of the population were among those who stood up with the Founding Fathers. 3%. And that was after exercising their talents in the press for several years. They had written pamphlets, started newspapers, written letters, and held public meetings as well as private ones. They knew that even that was grounds for getting them killed, legally, and with the King’s blessings.

Had they thrown in the towel, we would not feel the need to be able to protect our freedoms today. We would not have the ability to create the press the way we have today. The information would not be important. Many of us would have grown up in a different atmosphere, with different beliefs, because that is all we would have ever been taught.

While I was exploring the Internet the other day, I came across one of Captain Nemo’s web pages. On it was an essay I would like for you to read. It is called “The Price They Paid.” I am including it here with the permission of “Captain Nemo.”

THE PRICE THEY PAID
Author Unknown
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men where they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.

Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well educated.

But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British navy. He sold his home and his properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers or both looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis, had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such are the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution.

These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged this pledge:

"For the support of this declaration, with the firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

They gave us a free and independent America.

What will you do to keep it?
-----

I thank God for the fight I am fighting today, for the sacrifices I have to make for the cause, and for the friends that are standing up and being counted as one of us. I thank God for those who died and were tortured and were shamed in front of their family and peers so that I COULD stand up today and appreciate the freedoms that I am fighting hard to protect for my children, and my grandchildren.

The Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honors so that I COULD stand up today with something worth standing for.

Why should I not give as much as they?

Why should we all not give as much?

In closing, Freedom-Lovers International would like to thank America’s Media Alliance, and all of the freedom-loving alternative media, patriots, and militia groups out there who are fighting tirelessly to reverse the trends of the Elite Special Interest groups, who’s main agenda is to bring us all into slavery in the name of peace.

I honestly believe that we all were chosen to live in this day and age for a reason. And that our great great grandchildren will benefit from our tireless labour.

That, alone, makes the fight worth it.

God is a Terrorist?

2007-02-23T12:04:00.001-06:00

(Originally written after 9/11 on January 2, 2002 by Shonda Ponder)

The Associated Propagandist, I mean Press, has reported that residents in Boca Raton, Florida have panicked because a skywriter wanted to spread a Godly message by writing it in the sky.

Geez. What's the world coming to?

No doubt, if Jerry Stevens, who wrote "God is Great" in the sky, would have wrote, "Bush is Numero Uno" instead, the AP wouldn't have had a story. So why, all of a sudden, has God become the enemy?

It's a shameful world in which we live when we have to be afraid of being labeled as a terrorist just because we mention the word God. After all, Jerry didn't write "Allah is Great". The panick would have been conceivable if he had, though still not right. After all, it wasn't God-fearing men that attacked the World Trade Centers. It was followers of Allah.

Here, in this great country, where one is free to believe in any God he wants, we are now being asked to keep God hidden because it might terrorize somebody. Just who, pray tell, are the paranoid extremists in this country when we can write "Busch Beer, Tastes Great" but not "God is Great" in the clouds? Who, really, are the paranoid extremists?

Most of the Right-Wing "extremists" that I know want only one thing: they want to be left alone. They want to live their lives as they see fit, and not have to get arrested or harassed when they leave their homes to travel. They don't call the cops when they see a mother chastise her young child in public for misbehaving. They don't call the FBI when they see their neighbors bring in some rough-looking individuals next door--until it affects them directly. Yet, when they try to homeschool their children, some nosy, paranoid neighbor wants to call CPS on them. When they return home from a hunting trip, the FBI seems to want to butt in because some extremely paranoid person wants to get rid of that "terrorist" in their neighborhood. Or, some Rosy O'Donnel groupie thinks he must be a criminal since he has a .22 Shotgun.

Face it, all us conservative parents can't even let our children be children because some crazy, paranoid teacher might be alarmed if our children want to play cops and robbers, or draws a gun. We are becoming a society that lables homosexuality as normal while they try to institutionalize anyone who believes in the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. It's okay to teach our young children about sex in schools and that sex is natural so long as it feels good, but it is wrong for a grown man to ask someone out on a date more than once lest he be accused of sexual harassment.

And now, God is a terrorist. Go figure.

Bend Over, America!

2007-02-23T12:02:00.000-06:00

(Originally written on November 4, 2001 by Shonda Ponder)

Over the past few years we've seen big changes in how our government operates. In the wake of the "War Against Terrorism," we are all called to make certain personal decisions that never before were questionable in our minds.

Most of us won't ask, we'll just follow the status quo, calling it "necessary" in light of the circumstances. Others will protest, while signing the dotted lines and giving their souls to the enemy. A few others will scream, and be incarcerated for failure to comply with the new standards. In the end, they, too, will give in--thinking they will be able to scream better if they just follow the rules. And, some will die fighting the monster that our government has become, and be written off as being whacked out mentally, or dangerous kookes.

This is the New World Order. Know it. Recognize it. Call it what it is. In the end, there is nothing you can do to stop it. The only thing you can do is decide how you want to get screwed.

Recently, 2nd Amendment advocates were appalled at the intent of the UN to interfere with national sovereignty in an attempt to disarm the world. Many of those same people are so busy trying to "get used to the new normality" since the September 11 attacks that they have not paid attention to what is going on with the UN now--and Bush will be able to effectively sign over any sovereign status our Bill of Rights has in order to further the agenda of the New World Order.

The New World Order has only one obstacle in its way. A world-type government must be able to agree with member nations on one idea, and then work from the foundation of that one idea to create effectively a government capable of ruling the world.

What agreement must the world reach a consensus on in order to create this "New World Order?" The question of who is to be considered a terrorist. After all, if a person is not considered a terrorist threat by the United States, and the United Nations wishes to punish the person for allegedly being a terrorist, this will cause friction between the two entities. They must both come to the same consensus on, not just who, but how a terrorist is labeled as a terrorist.

In the end, there will be only one way to label a terrorist. A terrorist will be anyone who disagrees with the policies and agendas set forth by the government, and is a potential obstacle in the way of it's goals.

In order to make sure that there is so-called "justice" against the alleged terrorists, the government must be able to find and root out any potential "problems" inside its borders. Many have debated the use of the National ID as a means of deterring terrorists. The idea was quickly struck down as being too blatant and "too much" for the people to accept right now. But that hasn't stopped New World Order proponents as they have searched to find an alternative solution to this problem.

The answer to that problem has almost been reached by utilizing the tools already available and in place for such an introduction: the driver's license.

The Executive Committee of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) passed a resolution recently establishing a Special Task Force on Identification Security. The Task Force will build relationships with other stakeholders, including Congress and federal agencies such as the departments of Transportation, Justice and State, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Social Security Administration and the President’s Office of Homeland Security, to improve coordination and credentialing security.

"There's no need to create a new national ID card," said Jason King, the group's spokesman, according to an article in the Washington Post, "Let's just make what we have better."

But the AAMVA is not the only group working on such technology to insure identification. Drexler Technology Corporation develops and manufactures LaserCard(R) optical memory cards and chip-ready Smart/Optical(TM) cards -- a combination of optical memory card and smart card. LaserCard optical memory cards are used for "Laser Visa" border crossing ID cards, resident immigrant ID cards, and national ID cards, which are "digital governance" and "homeland security" applications.

"Digital governance" and "homeland security" applications represent Drexler's principal LaserCard markets today. "Digital governance" means the utilization of digital information technology to facilitate or expedite the process of governing by a nation, state, region, municipality, agency, institution, or commercial enterprise. The card is used for identification and as proof that the cardholder is authorized and has been granted certain rights and privileges by the card issuer. The LaserCard's high-security features inhibit counterfeiting and data tampering and provide controlled access to the benefits granted by the card issuer. For "homeland security" applications, the emphasis is on denying unauthorized persons those rights and privileges.

Drexler Technology and its wholly owned subsidiary, LaserCard Systems Corporation, are based in Mountain View, where Drexler manufactures cards and LaserCard Systems manufactures optical card read/write drives, develops optical card system software, and markets card-related data systems and peripherals. In addition to the "Laser Visa" cards made for the U.S. Department of State and the digital permanent resident "Green Card" made for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Drexler Technology also makes optical memory cards for other customers, such as the U.S. Department of Defense, the Government of Italy, and a state government of India.

One can see how easy it would be to incorportate identification data into one computer, under one legal entity that can be easily controlled by the government.

Identitrak is a UK based company that works to provide microchip implants for pets and other animals that can be used for tracking their behaviors and whereabouts. Recently, they have began working with the local Crimestoppers communities to help catch thieves. How easy would it be for such a company to decide to provide such technology for the implementation of a national identification?

In order to bring about the acceptance of the New World Order (in all its facets), the need for it must be made strong enough for the people to accept it. If people were not afraid of terrorists, would people accept Gray Davis's actions securing the bridges or the highways in California. Patience has been urged by the California Homeland Defense task force, and the people are accepting it.

With the possibility of biometric microchips, which are already being used by some health centers to regulate drugs within the body, come the need to get the people to accept such a dire idea. On October 17, 2001, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy said on the floor of Congress, "We also must make sure we develop the best possible biometric technology to identify potential terrorists entering the United States, such as facial recognition or fingerprint systems. The USA Act includes a section proposed by Senator Cantwell that requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on the feasibility of enhancing the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System and other systems to better identify people with foreign passports or visas who may be wanted in connection with criminal investigations in the United States or abroad."

Right now the people will accept this because it only affects immigrants. But, sooner or later, immigration will prove too broad a spectrum to keep up with, and the only solution will be to have everyone, including the citizens of the US, entered into a national database.

Once all of the countries of the world follow suit, the only obstacle standing in the way of the "New World Order" will be to incorporate all of the information into a single database. The United Nations will only need access to each member country's computers in order to accomplish this.

According to the book of Revelations in the Bible (KJV), Chapter 13, verses 16 and 17, it says, "and he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

This verse alone will cause the powers that be to question the loyalty of those who claim to be Christian. The paranoia that has been let loose by the governments in response to the terroristic threat on the nations will not stop at condemning anyone who refuses to take a stand against the idea of a national identification for religious reasons. After all, if they are not FOR their government and it's agenda, then they are against it. And if they are against it, then they are terrorists, and will need to be made obsolete.

In closing, America is no longer the home of the brave and the land of the free. We have effectively traded all that in, in order to prevent further terrorist attacks. Because we will be powerless now to stop the scope of powers we have given our government, we will see a pale horse with a rider named "Death" who will kill a quarter of the world's population by violence, hunger and pestilence.

Now is a critical moment. We must stand to oppose this. We must stand up for every last tittle of what made our American way of life so great. If we do not do so now...

Bend over America. Time to reap what we sow.

The Lord's On My Shoulder

2007-02-23T12:00:00.000-06:00

The Lord's On My Shoulder
Originally Written in 1980 (I was twelve) by Shonda Ponder (me)

The Lord's on my shoulder
And he's getting bolder
As long as my live is lived
He's getting stronger
and it won't be longer
Til my soul I will give
He's my only sight
And I know I'm right
As to where my last flight will be
He's my only strength
As I climb the length
Of the golden stairs I see
He's all history
He's a big mystery
The Lord, He knows everything
He's bigger than the world
Stronger than the wind
And softer than the music I sing
I do not worry
For I cannot hurry
This life that is passing me by
For in days ahead
As I am led
The garden I see will be nigh

God Give Us Strength

2007-02-23T11:59:00.000-06:00

God Give Us Strength
1983, by Shonda Ponder

Dear Lord, give me strength
to understand
the meaning of his love for me
Oh, God, give us leingth
so our love can
last throughout eternity
Jesus, give us love
forever-lasting
so we can give our love a lifetime go
And, Father, like cooing white doves
let ours fly higher
and each day, let our love grow

I Warned You

2007-02-23T11:55:00.000-06:00

September 23, 1992 by Shonda Ponder

Did you honestly think I'd wait forever
Each time you pushed me away?
Did you not take my heartaches into consideration
Each time I begged you to stay?
Did you think I'd hold on and never let go
And that my heart would never grow cold?
While you were laughing at my crying shame
I warned you that it would get old

I warned you a long time ago
But you took for granted my needs
I said that I could get over you
But you took for granted my pleas
And now someone else is holding my heart
Right in the palm of his hand
And now you think I should say I'm sorry?
Is it beyond you to understand?

I don't love you anymore
I closed my heart and locked the door
I gave you love too much before
Now I don't love you anymore
And I'm not sorry for what I've done
The clouds are gone; I see the sun
I know I left you all alone
But I'm not sorry for what I've done

Butch: My Hero

2007-02-23T11:45:00.000-06:00

I was about two-years-old when my dad brought home a tiny puppy, not more than five weeks old. He was black, with brown markings on his nose and around his feet. He wasn’t a pedigree, or specially bred dog. He was just a mutt. My dad told me his name was Butch. After that, Butch became my hero.

My mother didn’t like animals in the house, so we made him a bed of old shirts and rags and placed him in the garage. Every day I would play with Butch, pulling him by the ears, or picking him up by the legs. I was just a baby, myself, so Butch didn’t really mind.

As he grew, he would follow me around the yard. When I would slide down the slide, Butch wanted to slide, too. It wasn’t long before he learned to climb the ladder behind me, and slide down near my back.

When my mom re-married, we moved to the country. There were woods all around us, with a beautiful pond, and a large garden during the summer -- with all kinds of vegetables growing in it. Butch would follow us down the trail to the garden, and bark at all the bugs and grasshoppers that he would stir up, on the way.

During the spring, we would go camping at the lake, and Butch would welcome the invitation my step-dad would give him to jump in the back of the pick-up and go with us. He liked to follow us into the water, and splash the water on us, when he would shake his black fur at the shoreline. At home, he could be found on the porch most of the time, basking in the warm heat, as his tongue hung out of his mouth.

On fall mornings, he would bark to warn me that the school bus was on the way. Later in the afternoon, he would be there to greet me when I got off of the same bus. He would walk in front of me, to warn me of holes in the road, or snakes I might not see.

During the winter, it would sleet and snow. We would go outside and skate on the ice, in our front yard. One year, Butch re-discovered the slide. My neighbors and I would laugh at him, when he would climb the ladder and slide halfway across the yard, then turn around and do it again.He thought it was fun.

One spring, when my baby sister was only three, I was left to care for her while my mother went to work. I sent my sister outside to play while I fixed lunch. I knew Butch would take care of her.

It wasn’t long after she went outside, that I heard her scream, and Butch was barking madly. I opened the door to see what the problem was and heard her scream, “SNAKE!” She was doing as she had been taught to do when she saw a snake, she was standing still and screaming for help.

I ran out there to see the snake better; then I knew I had to get her out of striking distance of the snake. I didn’t have any idea how I was going to do that. Finally, I said, “Butch, I need you to get his attention so I can kill him.” I didn’t expect Butch to respond, but he did.

Miraculously, Butch picked up a stick in his mouth; then ran to the other side of the snake, away from my sister. He tossed the stick in the air and barked. The snake turned around and struck toward him, missing him, and giving my sister time to run away. I went into the shed and brought back a hoe, and with Butch’s help, I killed the snake.

A few years later, I spent the summer with my real dad. When I came back home, Butch could hardly walk. I was informed that he had heart worms, and that the doctor said there was nothing he could do for him. I spent the next few weeks feeding him and petting him. Finally, one day, I cried as I told him I loved him.

“You’re the best dog anybody could have ever had,” I told him, “And, I’m gonna miss you something awful. But, I don’t know what to do to make you better.”

The next day, he was gone. I guess he knew that I was saying goodbye. A few months later, we found him in an old bathtub full of water at the edge of the woods. It was his way of sparing me anymore pain.

In this life, you are likely to cross paths with many heroes. If a hero’s qualifications aren’t limited to human beings, then I would have to say that my dog, Butch, was definitely one of mine.

Losers

2007-02-23T11:43:00.000-06:00

May 16, 2002 - by Shonda Ponder

One of the things that frustrates me the most about Patriots and Freedom-lovers is their overwhelming desire to lose. While we keep griping on email lists and websites about how the government is infringing on our rights, we are, in essence, contributing to the government's efforts to expunge our Bill of Rights by refusing to do anything about it.

Here are some common phrases that I get tired of hearing on a day to day basis.

"The American People are uneducated. What the American People needs is to be educated on how their rights are being taken away, then they will do something about it!"

The reality is, most Americans DO know what is going on. The problem that the general public has with this "educated information" is that they don't know what to do with it, or about it. What needs to happen, in my honest opinion, is that the American People need to be taught how to write letters to their congressmen. They don't need to be told that they should. It isn't that they don't think it would work, it's that they don't know how to do it!

I know this because I can sit here and tell someone who runs yourwebsiteforfreedom.org that they should send out a press release about their website, and nine times out of ten, I will get ignored. When I finally get down to the root of the problem, it turns out that they do not feel confident in sending those press releases because they don't know how, or who to send them to.

"That organization only wants to make money. So, I won't support them"

Okay, let's look at this phrase for a minute: Let's say the organization in question has a website at 101gunfacts.org. And, let's pretend that this website gets five million hits a day. That would make their internet bill closed to $600 per month. Their phone bill is likely $500 per month, due to phone calls to radio stations, and people who need their story verified on gun infringements. And, if 101gunfacts is a news site, they have to use the telephone to do interviews, and $500 is really a REAL low estimate of what it probably actually costs. This does not include postal newsletters for people who do not own a computer. The monthly mail-out costs including shipping and handling can run close to $200 per month (again, a REAL low estimate of the probable actual cost). The organization probably employs someone to work and update the site if it is updated daily -- which amounts to at least another $500 per month in service fees for scripts and software, and let's not forget labor.

Now, let's say they send out an email that asks people to donate. They get 2% of the total emails sent out that will respond. That is roughly one hundred thousand people who visit their website who will more than likely write to encourage them to keep up the good work. But, the scary part is that only 2% of those will donate anything to support them. So, 2,000 people end up sending a donation that they probably will only send once per year. Do you think that will cover the costs of running such a large organization (especially if the organization has a recruitment program, complete with Television and radio ads that also cost quite a bit of money -- and let's not forget the staff members who often have to work full time for the organization and have families to feed and bills to pay as well!) for the whole year?

And you wonder why they keep asking for donations, or they start offering products for sale to meet their expenses? There is no such thing as a free ride, even when it's free.

By not supporting that organization you are helping the government infringe on your rights.

"We had a rally for (your favorite cause) the other day, and none of the media showed up!"

Oh, that's a good one. Let me ask you this: Did the chairmen of the organization who put together the rally send out timely press releases that were professionally written? By this I mean, did they check for spelling, punctuation and grammar, and did they provide the correct contact information, complete with dates and times. And did they hold a press conference about the rally at the rally, after sending a media advisory inviting the media to attend? Nine times out of ten, the answer is "No".

But, people like to complain about being ignored, don't they?

"No one supported (your event)"

Before the event, did you solicit the support of nearby businesses? Did you search for sponsors aggressively? Or, did you just put up a passive note on your web page about needing sponsors, while you negated to send a press release out about the existence of your website?

If you want to do something pro-active, rather than complain about what is not being done, the best thing you can do for your cause is learn how to promote it.

"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

What is a “Hero”?

2007-02-23T11:39:00.000-06:00

When people think of heroes they are likely to think of presidents, or cartoon characters. Some people think of their favorite football player.Others have more simple heroes, such as the local policeman or fireman. Few people actually stop to consider what heroism really is.

True heroes don’t “leap tall buildings in a single bound” as Superman does.Nevertheless, Superman is considered a fictional hero because he saves people from impending disaster. One wonders whether Superman would be so quick to rescue those in need if he were a mere human.

Heroes are not heroes just because they are elected president, although some presidents may be heroes. George Washington could be considered a hero because he led an inexperienced army against the mighty military of England. His actions have helped secure a better future for us all.

People who speak well in public are not necessarily heroes, either – although some public speakers have become heroes. You must ask yourself if you think George Bush isa hero because he made a great State of the Union Speech, or is he a hero because he freed the Iraqi people?

The local fireman who goes to work every day to put out fires is not a hero simply because he is a fireman. He is a hero because he risks his lifeto save those who put themselves in danger’s way. And, those firemen who left their homes and traveled thousands of miles just to help the 9/11 victims in New York City are heroes, indeed.

Heroes are made through action, not position. Heroes are those special people who are worth emulating, because they take no thought to the safety of their own lives when they reach out to others. They are the soldiers who throw themselves on grenades to savesomeone’s life. They are the men who lead a nation to change at the cost of a bullet in thehead. They are the ones who throw your child out of the street when a car is sure to hit them. Heroes are heroic because they are willing to make sacrifices to ensure the safety of others, without hesitation, and without thought to their own well-being.

Heroism is the ultimate act of unselfishness.

My Walk With God: January 1 - February 22, 2007

2007-02-22T10:27:00.000-06:00

I stayed with a friend during the past few months, renting a bedroom for $35/week. I began attending church at the 1st Biker Church, a mission of the Missionary Baptist Church in Texarkana, Tx. I found a church home and eventually became a member there.

I worked my way up to Grill Operator at Waffle House, and continued to better myself in every way I could see possible. I even started selling Avon.

At Church, we started doing a study by Henry Blackaby called "Experiencing God". I was amazed. The study taught us how to know and do the will of God. As I continued for weeks in the study, I felt myself growing as a Christian, feeling my desires shift more from my self to my God. My depression left me, and I began to see where God was working around me, and I sought to adjust my life and join Him. Sometimes it wasn't possible -- or, rather, maybe I wasn't called for such tasks.

I began keeping a diary, in the form of a letter, which I decided at the appropriate time (when the notebook is filled up) to give it to my pastor. It documents my experiences as I learn to walk with God.

I've decided to include portions of my letter here, in hopes that it will bless whoever reads it.

My Letter to the Pastor and Members of the 1st Biker Church of Texarkana

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

I just thought I'd write to let you all know how I am doing in my walk with God, and how your misistry is leading me to grow in my Christian Faith.

After joining you in our study of Experiencing God, by Mr. Blackaby, I have opened myself to be led to learn and do the will of God. I've learned from past experience that Go prepares you for what is to come throughout your life. I have felt this even more so as I began this study.

I told you, for instance, that I was being led to sell Avon. Though I don't think, now, that it was making money that was the reason for it, it was the reason I agreed to do it. (oops). Maybe God knew that I wouldn't turn Him down, and that is why He put that particular task before me.

Now I see why.

As bad as my finances were, and still are, it gives me an opportunity to witness that I don't have at the Waffle House, where I work. It teaches me to trust God when things aren't looking to bright, to take risks, and to be determined and persistant, not to mention patient. I am investing more than I make, but the lessons learned is worth what I have invested, as it is with God's work.

As I pass out each brochure, it is comparable to the ministry of God. I may or may not get an order, but I plant the seed of interest. The seed can be passed along to others who may be interested. God is telling me that He is like my Avon Business. Each brochure represents a Bible teaching, or Word of God. As each disciple spreads the word that He exists, as each brochure is passed from hand to hand, the results are fruitful. Some produce $10 Sales, some $100, some $500, just as God's word results in saving souls. But it takes a Good Steward to do the work of spreading the brochures and the Word of God. And, God is explaining to me that He wants me to be a good steward of the faith.

And, God promises fruit to the obedient, so I can't give up.

In the meanwhile, I've also learned that God uses your circumstances to complete His will. I have been forced (as of February 8, 2007) to seek shelter at Randy Sam's Homeless Shelter for a time. I do not consider it a fall-back, or an obstacle. I, rather, consider it a blessing.

As I study my Bible at a table in the shelter, I have openned myself to allowing many people to walk by and initiate God-inspired Conversations that allow me to witness to them.

The Experiencing God study has prepared me in so many ways to deal with my current circumstances, and to seek more knowledge. I recently finished reading "The Great Controversy" by Ellen G. White, copyrighted in 1888. I was so engrossed in it that it took me a month and a half to read it all; and, it prepared me for the next book I chose to read, "The Purpose Driven Church", by Rick Warren.

"The Great Controversy is, basically, the history of the Protestant Church, and it expounds on the battle between God and Satan for the souls of the world. It touches on the past, then explains in Biblical depth, what the future holds. I was impressed by the forward by Ellen G. White, before I read the first chapter, because it fit in with what I had learned from the study.

As I began reading "The Purpose Driven Church", I was impressed with how much of what I've learned in "Experiencing God," and "The Great Controversy" were put into practice by Rick Warren. It's as if God led me to read all these books in the order I am reading them in.

I've learned to pray to God as each day starts for guidance to do His will. And, I pray that God uses my circumstances to Glorify His name, but I sure would like to be freed from some of it. (Sigh) Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, O Lord. Amen. Hey, If Jesus can pray that way, so can I...right?

I've invited about 10 people to come to church with me on Sunday morning. I don't know how I am going to get them all there if they accept, but where there is God's will...

Having just written that, I realize how much, I guess, I am acting on faith by doing that.

While I know I am where God purposes for me to be, I am, however, wondering what He is preparing for me in the future. I know this, too, is training. Knowing this, I am seeking every opportunity to obey when an opportunity presents itself.

I've chosen to write this letter because Paul wrote letters to the churches to encourage them in the midst of his afflictions. It is in the same spirit I am writing you now. I hope it will encourage you in your work, and the church, and I will cotinue to write as I continue to mature as a Christian.

I have a friend, at work, who has been doing a lot of self-help reading by authors such as Tony Robbins and other "Get Rich Quick" gurus that teach him to "look inside himself" for that "positive energy". Last night, as he sat there reading, I commented on what he was reading. When he explained, I said,"I'm reading a book by Rick Warren called 'The Purpose Driven Life'. He asked me what it was about. I explained, "It teaches me to look to God for my purpose in life, rather than at myself." He tried to argue that you couldn't do God's will without being right with God. I said, "You can't get right with God until you seek to know Him." I went to my car and retrieved the book, and showed him. He looked it over with interest.

Thank you all for your prayers concerning my two friends at work. I am delighted to see how God is responding in their lives because of it.

As I see God at work around me, I am encouraged to keep on the path I am walking with Him. Thank you so much for pointing me in the right direction!

I began reading "The Purpose Driven Life" on Tuesday. I was delighted that, in the beginning of the book, it stated all I had said to my friend at work. It brings me back to the verse about how God will bring His word into rememberance when it is needed most. And, it makes me feel so special, having been chosen by God for the task of helping lead others to true peace. "You can't get on right terms with yourself until you start with God," I had said.

In reading "The Purpose Driven Life", I came across a sentence that said, "Those who are trusted with something valuable must show that they are worthy of that trust." How valuable is a human soul? I felt honoured that God has given me the opportunities of late to Witness for Him.

Through a car ride, or by loaning a dollar here and there to help someone, or just plain companionship and fellowship, I feel closer to God in this homeless shelter than I did staying with my friends before.

There are days at the shelter that are more lonely and sad than others. Valentines Day was one of them. this day of love seems so far away from me that it hits my spirit like a ton of bricks, and all I can do is pray for the strength to get me through it. It is probably more self-pity than anything, so I try hard not to let it overtake me. I try to keep my focus on being in the will of God, because I know God will see me through -- as He always does. And, when you have God as your sweetheart, who else do you need.

The shelter has become a haven for me to become closer to God in so many ways. As I have been lacking in companionship, God is providing on a daily basis. As I have lacked in knowledge, god has provided time for me to study. I don't hunger or thirst. I am seeing stumbling blocks I didn't understand before now. I am witnessing, ministering to others, and building friendships that I hope with last.

God works in mysterious ways. He trains us for bigger assignments. His patience is merciful. And, my secrets are safe with him. I know of no better way to praise Him, than by telling others what I am finding out about Him on a daily basis.

I am in love with Him, and He is the only love I have that I am willing to share intimately with others.

Sunday I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to Church. But God (and it really WAS God!) saw to it that my car was fixed just in time. All I can say is that when you let go -- really let go-- and let God, God does His job! I prayed that morning that God would use my problem to bless someone. I told God, "Only you know why my alternator belt broke. You know I can't afford for anything to go wrong. But all I can do is trust you, Lord. You know what you are doing." He then sent an angel to me, who led me to a benevolent gentleman, who fixed the problem...and even refused payment.

There are times in my life when I feel God isn't there, but I know he is. During those times when I feel God is far away, I've learned to keep Him near in my heart, and to continue to work toward God as if He were making His presence known.

On Tuesday, February 20th, there was a Lutheran Ministry there at the shelter. I really enjoyed their services. Then, a lady approached me and said, "God has impressed it upon my hear to tell you that He has not thrown you to the wolves. He loves you. He is watching you. And He is here. He loves you."

I felt the tears come to my eyes, but I nodded and smiled and said, "I know."

One shelter resident, Justin, comes to talk to me now and then. He is taking care of an older man who travels with him from city to city, as he does odd jobs and ministers to those less fortunate by discussing Biblical truths. I let him have my book, "The Great Controversy", to take with him when he leaves. He will be one I miss.

I have had the opportunity to help several of the women at the shelter by sending them to Waffle House to apply for a job. Tonight, a third girl came to me for help. CPS has her child placed in a foster home, and she is trying to get on her feet so she can have him back. I sent her with a note to the hiring manager, who is working with me to help the needy.

I am now reading a book by Rod Dreher called "Crunchy Cons". As a Christian Activist, it is my opinion that politics and religion go hand in hand, no matter how hard separatists work to make people believe otherwise. There is a lot that politics can teach a Christian, especially if he is conservative in nature. Sometimes I think God is a conservative activist, but after reading "Crunchy Cons", I see where God has His hand in Liberal activism, as well. At any rate, I have come to understand that having an open mind does not mean that you are to be "broad-minded". (Matthew 7:13-14)

While I was at work Sunday night, I was told by a new girl that she was considering home-schooling as an option. I then had the opportunity to preach the bonding value of home education, and how it affected me and my children. I told her how, even today, we all are thankful for the experience, and my children respect me more for my efforts.

One employee at Waffle House began reprimanding me for talking so down on public education, saying I had no right to diss what many have found fulfilling. He touted social negligence and then tried to use God to defend his points, saying God wants children to have a good education. I argued that God gave the job of educating children to the parents, not the government, and that fellowship (i.e. socialization) should be done with people who are like-minded. (Deuteronomy 11:19)

She considered both of our viewpoints, but it is obvious she is a Christian, and I was able to give her helpful information about where to look for curriculum and further information. I think my witness was better.

I understand that not everyone is called to Homeschool. But, I believe God especially blesses those that do it.

There are a group of men at the shelter that I call "Justin's Group" because they sit around all day (when they aren't working) discussing the Bible. They talk about other things as well, but somehow, even in those discussions, the Bible is brought out and scripture is referred to. I have noticed how others in the shelter have paid attention to that table of men, and how it is encouraging some unlikely people to pick up the Bible and start reading it. I really am going to miss Justin when he leaves.

Moving Around

2006-11-03T22:19:00.000-06:00

I've been moving a lot lately. For $150.00/month, its hard to find a comfortable place to reside. But, that's all I can afford right now, until I get my car paid for.

As of right now, I owe $3297 in back taxes for a bar I shut down (that I still say I didn't even sell that much beer in!). Then I owe $133 for a water bill from that same bar. I owe $260/month for the car, then $255/month for child support, as well as $60/month for non-criminal probation fees until I get my child support caught up. And my car insurance is $40/month.

Other than that, I pay for my gas to get back and forth to work, my cigarettes, and my food (when I don't eat at Waffle House, where I work), and my basic personal hygiene necessities. I am not that far behind on most of my stuff, and I am catching up on all of it slowly. But, it's wearing me out to get there.

What I like...

2006-10-29T18:27:00.000-06:00

My favorite TV Show used to be Stargate SG-1. But lately I haven't had a TV with cable. My favorite movies are Shawshank Redemption, Independence Day, Armageddon, Forest Gump and Postman.

I like Country Music. I can tolerate Hard or Soft Rock, but if I had to choose, I'd listen to Classic Rock. But, I was raised on Country, and I know more about it. I hate Rap or Punk. I like blues. I don't like jazz.

I write poetry. I have two notebooks full of poems from 12 years old on up. I had one published in a book called "Field of Dreams".

My ultimate dream is to one day write a book.

Childish Secrets

2006-10-24T13:09:00.000-05:00

Is it just me, or is it childish for someone to ask you to keep something secret that really isn't worth keeping a secret? For example, a good friend of mine works out of town. He came into town and I talked to him on the phone. He said he didn't want anyone to know he was in town.

Now, he has his reasons. For instance: owing people money, having to hide from the law, not wanting to talk to certain people. I guess I'm just too up front. I try to never owe anyone, so I don't have to hide from my debtors, I don't do anything wrong, and when I do I own up to it. And if there is someone I really don't want to talk to, I'll tell them up front.

Kind of makes me think he's trying to deceive me, too.

I'm Called

2006-10-17T15:04:00.000-05:00

There are times in my life when I have felt that I am being led. There are times when I feel so compelled to take action, I can't help but take action.

For instance: I ran a bar for about seven months. I loved the people, the business, and the work involved. But, for some reason, the business kept going downhill, no matter how hard I worked or how much I tried. I closed down the business on the last day of October, knowing I would have to find a job to make ends meet when I did so. A little voice in the back of my mind said, "Go to the Waffle House." I really didn't want to.

I put in my application at several places, talking to managers, but not getting anywhere for 2 days. On November 2, I broke down and followed my "gut" and went. I asked to speak to the manager on duty, and when she came to me, I stuck out my hand to shake hers and said, "My name is Shonda Ponder. I owned the Nip & Sip Bar and Lounge up until 2 days ago. I just closed it down due to lack of business. I owe child support, and I'm so far behind on bills I can't see straight. I need a job. Can you help me?"

She handed me an application, sent me to speak with the district supervisor, and I started work at the Waffle House on November 3rd, 2005.

I have been there nearly a year now. I have worked every shift, and I have never missed a day of work. Up until 2 days ago, I haven't even been late except for once, due to having to go to court, so I had a valid excuse. The day before yesterday, I overslept after working a 15 hour day the night before...and I have so many hours this week that it didn't really matter. I was still sent home early to keep me from having overtime this week, that day. Today, I was asked to clock out early due to my hours being too close to max.

Last week I got another one of those "gut feelings". So, this time, I didn't fight it. I applied for a management position at Waffle House. I've spent the last week volunteering my server time to training servers and helping on the grill. I think its all going to happen soon. I'm looking forward to advancing my experience with Waffle House.

I've had this gut feeling before. It has always sent me where I was needed most, whether I liked it, or not. The last time I had this feeling, I attended Texas Best Seminars, which later grew to be America's Media Alliance, of which I became the first president.

I've homeschooled my children on a "gut instinct". It worked for them. Both of them are much better off today than they were or would have been, had they remained in pubic school at the time.

I left Texarkana before that on that sort of feeling; and, it was that feeling that brought me back home. I've learned that God has a strong way of communicating with me, and that it is always best to follow whereever He leads me.

I've never been sorry.

Favorite Links Updated

2006-10-11T17:30:00.000-05:00

American Singles
Christian Bloggers
Commission Junction
Google Search Engine
Firstgov - Every government office and agency
Newslink - online newspapers
Newswatch Magazine
PerfectMatch.com
PlentyofFish.com
PR Newswire
SinglesNet.com
Texarkana Rocks
The city of Texarkana
U.S. Newswire Press Releases
Waffle House

Truckstop Angel

2006-10-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

Written Aug of 2003

Pat and I had been on the road all day. So, tired and hungry, at approximately 2:00 AM, we pulled into a Petro Truck Stop to rest for the night just outside of Wytheville, Virginia. Pat gave me a $20.00 bill, and I went into the restaurant to order our meals.

At a table, which seemed to be the only one occupied, a dark-haired, clean-cut man with olive-colored skin and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache sat. He was sketching a picture of a reggae artist photo, which was lying on the table before him, as he spoke to the waitress. I ordered my food, then commented on his talent.

The man smiled and asked me where I was headed to.

"California," I replied, "but we don't have much time to get there, so we may have to give up our load to a team." I explained that I was just along for the ride, thinking of trying to get hired by the company in the future, therefore Pat was a solo driver. Then he asked me where we were from.

"I'm originally from Texarkana, Texas. But, I've lived in Houston, Texas for the past four years," I answered, "That's where I met Pat. We've been together for three years now, and his company seems to think it would look better on my application if we were married -- but, I've already been married twice, and his mom had a really bad marriage before, so we're waiting."

The stranger smiled and congratulated me for the three years we had under our belts, then he asked, "Do you have children?"

"Yes," I smiled, "I have two."

"How old?"

"My oldest is seventeen, and my baby is twelve. They are with their dads."

The conversation then changed for a moment at he pointed at his sketch and said, "I travel and draw for people while they tell me their stories. I spent some time in San Antonio, Texas. Are you familiar?"

I told him I lived in Austin for four and a half years before I moved to Houston, and that I liked to write articles, poems and short stories. "I paint pictures with words, rather than brushes," I explained again commenting on his talent, and telling him I missed my computer.

"An artist uses his talents for therapeutic purposes, whether he paints with pictures or with words," he said. "Tell me about your sons."

I smiled as I thought for a moment how to begin. Then I began:

"My oldest son was born when I was seventeen. When he was about a year old, he started having seizures. The doctor didn't know why, but to be on the safe side, he ordered him to be put on Phenobarbitol. Epilepsy runs in my family, but my son had a low-grade fever for awhile, so it could have very well been caused by that.

"The doctor explained to me that if, within a year, he had no more seizures, we would take him off of it. Then he cautioned me that it had side effects. He explained that at the age of four or five, my child would be hyper, and that he may be a little slower than his classmates -- but, as he grew older, and on into adolescence, he would catch up. Bryant was normal." I stressed the word normal as I looked at the stranger.

The stranger nodded, raising his eyebrow to convey that he caught the meaning. I continued:

"As I said, I was young. Being a mother at that age was not easy. Neither was finding help. I gave him up to the only person who, I felt at the time, would help me, when he was two years old.

"When he turned four, just as the doctor warned, he bacame hyper. Without consulting me, my step-grandmother had him put on ritalin. He never should have been put on ritlin.

"When he turned eight, my step-grandmother gave him back to me. I had already had my younger son. I was married, and we were doing well. But, my older son was not right."

The stranger motioned for me to continue, noting my emphasis on the word "right".

"He had no conscience. He had no sense of right and wrong. In short, he was a monster. For two years, I tried. Finally, when it became evident that his actions were endangering the mental and physical health of my youngest son, I desperately sought anyone who would help me. I called CPS (Child Protection Services} for advice. I called my mother. I called his father's parents. Finally, after learning his dad was training in the field of child psychology, I called him. I begged him to take our son.

"Giving him up this time was like cutting off my arm to save my body. I felt I was doing the right thing. Now, after eight years of hard work and prayer, I can look at my son and see a normal teenage boy."

The stranger smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Oh, he got in trouble last year for having a pack of cigarettes, but if that is the worst he does, I'm happy."

"You did the right thing," the stranger said. "How about your younger son? Is his story as colorful?"

I smiled as I struggled to swallow the sudden lump that came into my throat. With tears in my eyes, I answered, "More so. My baby boy was...is the brightest beacon of light I have in my dark world."

"Tell me about him," he encouraged.

So, I began again:

"As I said, I had my oldest son when I was young. I missed out on a lot of his growing up. So, when my baby boy was born, I vowed that I wouldn't makethe same mistakes. I would see his first steps, teach him his first words, celebrate his potty training, all the privileges and rights a mother is supposed to enjoy. And, I wanted to do it right.

"I gave him the middle name of Seth, because -- just as Eve in the Bible named her son Seth 'because God gave me another son in the place of...' I felt I was being given a second chance.

"I thought, as I looked on those tiny hand and feet for the first time, about how I was raised. I thought of the times that I had told my mom what I wanted to be when I grew up, and she would come up with a thousand reasons why it would never happen, while telling me what she wanted me to do, instead. I thought of how often someone would start a fight with me at school because of how she dressed me, and how she would always take their side over mine. I thought of how she had called me a liar and forced me to live with my dad, then gave me guilt trips to get me to come back. I thought of the time I was stuck out in the streets with a baby and a suitcase, and she had refused to come get me, and of the time I was stranded in freezing weather with a foot of ice on the ground because my car broke down, and she had said it was too 'inconvenient' to come and get me. I wanted to protect my baby from that. I told him, as he lay there in my arms, that he could be anything, and one day he was going to be great, that he was going to be special, and one day he would change the world. I told him that where ever he wanted to go, I'd help him get there.

"The reasons were many more than those, but I'd have to get off the story of my son if I told you. Suffice it to say that my mother never believed in me the way I would believe in my son.

"The first time he said, 'momma', I got down on my knees and thanked God. Then I told my son how amazing he was, how special he was, and how great he would one day be. I did this again when he took his first steps, and I cried with him the first time he fell down, as I helped him up. I repeated all this when he cut his first tooth, drew his first picture, and every single other new feat he would accomplish.

"By the time he was three, I had taught him the alphabet. When he was four, he knew how to count to a hundred, and how to add and subtract. We spent hours talking about the moral lessons of old movies, books I read to him, and current news of the day. His babysitter said that he was her little helper, and that he was well behaved.

"When he started kindergarten, I begged my husband to go with me because I knew I was not strong enough to let him go alone. After, once again, telling my son how proud I was of him, I left him in the care of his new teacher, then went home and cried like a baby.

"We talked about his day at school, what he learned, how he liked his teacher, what his favorite activities were. His teacher favored him, as he became her little helper

"I still read stories to him from the Bible, and from books I was reading, and we talked at length still, when I had the time.

"My baby boy never asked for anything. He knew when I got paid. He knew we didn't have much money to throw around. When I would tell him to pick out a cereal at the store, he chose by price. He ate carrots and celery sticks, rather than candy. So, when I told him he could name whatever he wanted for his birthday, he said he wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese. I spent a whole paycheck to give him what he wanted, and I didn't complain to him about how much it cost me. When he, as was his habit by then, found out how much it would cost, he tried to change his mind.

"I wouldn't let him.

"I told him again how special he was, and that this time, he was worth it. He reluctantly agreed.

"When a substitute teacher at his school refused, one day, to let me take him home without a pink slip because she didn't know me, I decided to home-school him. How dare her to undermine my authority over my child! His regular teacher wanted to know if she had done anything to influence my decision to home-school him. I told her, truthfully, that she was a wonderful teacher, but that I wanted more influence in my child's life.

"As I began home-schooling him, I became aware of how good of a teacher my son was. I learned that it was not only what I said, but how I said it that could kill his self-confidence. I then taught him that there was no such thing as a stupid question, and if I didn't know the answer, we would find the answer together.

"I taught him to open doors for ladies, to pull back chairs, to respect his elders, and how -- sometimes -- God's laws and man's laws differ. I taught him of George Washington, Ben Franklin, Harriett Tubman, and Rosa Parks. He learned of Joseph, Walt Disney, and Alexander Graham Bell. He sat on the edge of his seat, wide-eyed and eager as I told him these tales. He was my life, my beacon of light in a dark world.

"I realized I had to set an example for him to follow after I was arrested in 1997. I then joined a local media association, of which I later became president. I visited Citizen's Communication at Travis County Commissioner's Court regularly, which my son watched on the local cable access channel at home as part of his history and civics lessons. One day, I stood up to defend home-schoolers and demand an apology from a commissioner who had publicly remarked that 'People who home-school are nothing more than trailer trash that don't even own their own property.' I demanded that she owed my home-schooled son, who was watching her, an apology, and I informed her that we owned property.

"When I returned home that day, my baby boy met me at the door. As I opened the car door, I noted the proud look on his face that said, 'That's MY Momma!' I wouldn't have traded that moment for the whole world. I hugged him and told him, through tears, again, how special he was.

"I bought some books from a Christian Book Distributor with which to school him. Then I opened up a Bob Can Run book and asked him to read it to me.

"'I can't,' he argued.

"'You can do anything you set your mind to do,' I told him, 'Just remember, with God, all things are possible.' Then I reminded him that he already knew the letter sounds. I challenged him to sound out the letters in the first sentence, not knowing if he would.

"He did as he was asked. When he realized he had read, 'Bob can run,' his eyes lit up as he voluntarily read the rest of the book to me, speeding up progress as he read. My husband was amazed. I then told my son, again, how special he was.

"After that, I needed only to place a book in front of him and tell him to read the directions. In three months, he had exhausted all of this first grade materials.

"When I told my mother what I was doing, once again she ridiculed me. She claimed she was 'concerned about his social skills'. I assurred her that I didn't have a problem keeping him away from drugs, teenage pregnancies, bullies, school shootings, or negative people. My son was proud of me; and, when I looked at him, I was proud of myself.

"As I taught American History to him, I became more involved in the political activities of the American Media Association. My husband and I began to fight over differing political viewpoints. I found myself more and more miserable as I worried about the kind of example this was setting for my son. So, when a political acquaintence asked me to move to Houston to help build up the organization there, I filed for a divorce.

"After explaining the situation to my son, my son agreed that moving to Houston might be a good idea. Life in Houston was a bad idea, however. The man I was living with had two daughters who were not brought up as well as I would have liked. His house was unkempt, and he refused to let me clean it. Soon, he let me know I needed to leave. So, I found myself homeless, looking for a job, and with a child to care for.

"I did the only thing I could do. I apologized to my son. I told him I had made a mistake, and that I was sorry he would have to suffer the consequences with me. I took him to stay with his real father, who had not seen him since he was a year old. Justin forgave me, assuring me that there was no way I could have known what would happen when we moved. He then told me that he was thankful to finally be able to meet his real dad. When my son was safe, 300 miles away, I searched for a job and an apartment of my own.

"I called him when I finally got settled a few weeks later. His dad wanted to know how I had accomplished so much with this child genious. 'He gripes about Clinton. He nearly brakes his legs to get to the door before a lady can open it. He says yes ma'am and no sir as if it were natural. He doesn't meddle with other people's stuff. He asks questions and reads the newspaper. Can I keep him?'

"'No,' I said, 'He is my reason for living. I want him back.'

"My new boss approved of my work habits, and encouraged me to bring my son to work with me. One day, as it stormed outside, Justin found favor in my Islamic boss' eyes by declaring, 'MOM! We should pray to God so he will protect us through this storm!"

"My boss said never had he seen so great of faith as my son had. His friends, who were visiting that day, concurred. My son showed his beacon of light, and I -- once again -- told him how special he was.

"I let him stay home while I worked, after I made sure he knew how to use the phone, lock the doors, and fix his own meals. Sometimes I would come home, and he would have built great, immaculate cities out of his Lego Blocks that even Job probably wouldn't have had the patience to build. Once, he was playing a game of Hearts on the computer that I didn't even know how to play, and he was winning. When I asked how he learned that game, concerned he'd let a stranger in the house, he showed me how to find the directions on the computer. I praised him, again.

"Once, I brought home a pizza and caught him watching Jerry Springer. He commented on the weird guests of the show, who were homosexual, prompting me to explain political correctness to him, and reminding him that God's laws were not man's laws. We talked about this at length, while he ate, then he thanked me, turned off the television, and went to bed.

"He never tired of asking me questions. 'When I learn to drive, how will I find my way everywhere. I get confused when we go to the store!' I gave him exercises to do to enhance his sense of direction. I taught him to read a map. 'What about cooking?' I showed him a recipe book, and explained what diced meant. Questions never stopped, and I never tired of answering them, or telling him how special he was.

"He learned, soon, that he didn't have to ask me questions anymore. All he needed was a dictionary, encyclopedia, or the internet to find the answers he was looking for. Oh, I still qot lots of questions, but mostly just to verify what he already knew.

"One night, I took him to work with me. As he sat on the sidewalk, in front of the store, talking to a co-worker, a robber came in and forced one of my managers and me to empty our pockets and lie on the floor. At gunpoint, we did as we were told. His accompliss had a gun to my boss' head, demanding he open the safe. I noted, while lying there that they hadn't locked the doors, and I prayed to God to protect my baby boy. 'Please, O Lord, don't let him come in this store right now!'

"My son later explained that he had started to open the door to come in, saw the robber with the gun to my boss' head, thought better of it and informed the co-worker to look, who then ran to call the police. 'It was like watching a movie. I could see everything through the glass windows!'

"Luckily, no one got hurt. Later that night, I took my son home and we had a long discussion about what he was to do if anything bad ever happened to me, his mother. At seven-years-old, he took this talk very seriously, at that point. I explained long distance phone calls, explaining where I kept the numbers if he couldn't memorize them. He hung on every word, and then we prayed to God to thank Him for His protection. Then, my son hugged me and went to bed.

"Soon, my boss sold his business. I was forced to look for another job, which I found at a local chicken franchise. The management there was indifferent to the fact that I was a mother, so I began working as a co-editor of a conservative internet newspaper, while I built my own web site to help make ends meet. I resigned as president of the AMA, which fell apart after that. I barely made enough money to cover rent, phone and food. Then, at Christmas, 1999, my car was reposessed just as I was starting my own business running errands for the elderly. I had to give that up, and began learning about commission-based advertising on the internet. After all, that was how my older son's father was making a living.

"My oldest son lived about a block away from me at that time, so I was able to keep in touch with him easily, and spend time with both my sons.

"One day in April of 2000, while I was at work, the police came and kidnapped my baby boy as he was sleeping. As I entered the gates of the apartment complex, I knew my son wasn't at home. I fearfully ran up the stares to my apartment and began searching the closets looking for him; then, I went knocking on doors. Finally, I forced myself to calm down and take a deep breath. I found a small, handwritten note on a memo pad sheet on the floor, telling me who had my son, and giving me a number to call.

"I called the Houston Juvenile Delinquent Center and demanded that they tell me where my son was and what right they had to take him! I told them under no uncertain terms, 'I want him back NOW!'

"When I was finally able to catch a cab, using my last ten dollars on my card, it was 10:00 PM when I arrived at the location they held my son. The first thing the woman asked me was "How well do you get along with your mother."

"I told her my mother was a control freak, and as long as she stays in Texarkana, and lets me live my own life in Houston, we got along great. A few moments later, a juvenile counselor came to take me to a private room for questioning.

"He informed me that on the ride over, the cops kept trying to tell my baby boy that he wasn't in trouble. My son just rolled his eyes and said, 'Oh yeah? Wait until my mom finds out I didn't lock the door to keep you out!' I smiled.

"Then he told me how they put him in a room with other kids as soon as he got there. Every corner of the room had different treats for kids. One had fruits and veggies; one had crackers and bread; one had candy; and one had drinks. He said my son went straight for the veggies, noting that that was odd for a child his age. I assured him it was not odd, and that my son had not been raised on candy. Then began the questions:

"'Where does he go to school?'

"'I home-school'

"'Has he been tested?'

"'The state of Texas doesn't require me to, but he knows history, he reads at a high school level. He does simple algebra. He can recite the scientific elements. He's only seven. If you want me to, I can.

"'What do you do in your spare time?'

"'I co-edit an on-line newspaper'

"'Do you attend parties, go to bars, etc.'

"'No, I don't drink. I don't smoke pot. I do smoke cigarettes. I drink tea.'

"'There wasn't much food in the house.'

"'I bring food home from work every night. We eat chicken, corn on the cobb, beans and rice, french fries, and fried okra.'

"'We noticed chicken bones on a plate on the floor.'

"I need to clean my apartment. I do that once a week on my days off.'

"'I was just verifying what you said. Frankly, we saw no mold or bugs, so it's obvious you don't let it get to bad. You said you co-edit a newspaper. Are you media?'

"I guess you could say that. I research news for writers. I just resigned my post with the American Media Association.'

"'Excuse me.'

"He left the room, then came back and said,

"'My supervisor is pressuring me to give your son back to you.' He took me out of the room and I met my baby boy in the lobby. All I could do was stare at him. I told him I was so worried, scared he was gone for good. He apologized for not locking the door, and I let him know that was the least of my concerns at that moment.

"The counselor informed me that it was against the law, in Texas, for children to be left unattended during the day if they were under nine-years-old. If they were over seven-years-old, they could be left alone after 6:00 PM. I asked him how he could expect me to work, then, seeing I was already struggling to just pay the bills. I told him I had a neighbor who would help me.

"When we got home, I called my mother. I asked her to let me borrow money for next month's rent, while I searched for a graveyard job. My mother said no, but I could come live with her and she would send me to college. I asked her if I could have my computer, so I could continue what I was doing on the internet. She said, 'No.' I asked her about home-schooling my son. She said, 'No.' So I said,

"'In other words, I have to live under your control, like a 32-year-old child, and not be able to do anything I want to do.'

"She said, 'Yes'. I said, 'No'.

"I sat my son down and told him what had transpired between my mother and me. I told him I was stuck between a rock and a hard place and I didn't know what to do. He asked me, 'What are our options?'

"'I can do what she wants and you will be physically cared for, but I won't be able to help you become all you want to be because she won't let me; or, I can call your dad; or, the state will take you. I don't know what to do. I don't have a job, now. We're rationing food, already. I have to do something. He offered to go to his dad's. So, I called his father, and his father agreed to come get him.

"The next day, a CPS agent came to inform me that I must be lying to her. It seemed that my neighbor said she had not seen my son. I took her into his room, as he napped in his shorts, uncovered him and said, 'There he is.'

"Then she started asking me questions about work, etc. I then told her, 'It doesn't matter what I tell you at this point, because tomorrow, he will be with his father in Nocona, Texas.'

"'Can you give me some way to verify this?' she asked.

"I gave her his paternal grandmother's telephone number, and informed her that his father was already on his way.

"That night, as his dad carried all his bags out, I knelt down to look my son in the eye. I told him, again, how special he was to me. I hugged him hard, and held back the tears as I begged his forgiveness. I told him again that one day he would be great, and that he would change the world.

"'I want you to dream dreams. I want you to have opportunities that I, or your dad, never had. See things we can only imagine. Do things we can only dream of. You'll be going to public school, now, so remember what all I taught you. Don't be afraid to ask questions. And, son, never, never let anyone tell you it can never be done. You can do anything you set your mind to do. With God, all things are possible.'

"Letting him go, that day, was like cutting off my body to save my arm. It was the hardest thing I ever did in my life, and I felt as if I had failed him, somehow. I then charged his father to not let my mother have access to him. I was afraid she'd find a way to put out his light. He understood, knowing my mother, and agreed."

The artist stranger was frowning when I looked at him again. He then asked, "How is your son, now?"

I smiled through teary eyes and said, "He's doing well. He was enrolled during test weeks, the last two weeks of second grade in Nocona Elementary School. After school let out, he received a letter from the NEA (National Education Association) with a plaque for scoring in the top 5% of the nation on his test scores. Since then, he's won 3rd place in Spelling UIL State Competitions in 3rd grade, and 2nd in 4th grade. As his 5th grade school year ended, he received a President's award for scoring in Texas' top 5% in his multi-level achievement testing. His father says he scored at high school and college levels in everything.

"I called him from Michigan last month to wish him a happy birthday. He asked me, 'Mom, you said where ever I wanted to go, you'll help me get there, right?'

"'Yes!' I answered.

"'Mom, I want to be a rocket scientist. I want to go to NASA. I want to go to the moon!'

"I got on the internet and sent him as many books on NASA and space that I could afford."

The waitress brought my food. I looked up, and noticed ten other customers sitting at the bar with coffee in front of them, staring at me. I paid my ticket, then picked up my food.

The Bible says that we should always be kind to strangers, because they could be Angels in disguise. I couldn't help but think of this when the stranger handed me a pewter-cross necklace, laden with turquoise. He said, "Your children have been given a great blessing. Your children are great, regardless of what may become of them, because they have a great mother. You did well."

I fought back the tears as I clenched the cross in my hands, thanking him and excusing myself by saying I needed to get the food back to the truck while it was hot.

As I walked back to the truck, noting the moon's reflection in every truck windshield on my way, I wondered:

If I had not done what I did, and how I did it, would my older son be entertaining the idea of helping problem children and reaching for lost souls? Would my baby boy, my shining beacon of light in a dark world, be reaching for the moon?

I thanked God for giving me the greatest gift of all:

Motherhood.

Pet Peeves # 1

2006-10-08T14:08:00.000-05:00

One of my pet peeves is grudgeholders. I don't have a problem with someone holding a grudge, per say, but if someone has a problem with me, it doesn't do them any good to be mad if I don't know why they are mad at me.

I recently had a friend who held a grudge for 2 months. During those 2 months, my feelings were hurt just about every day. All I kept thinking is all I have done is try to be a friend, so why was this person upset with me? After 2 months, this person holding the grudge finally came out and said what was wrong. We aired out our differences and figured out that the problem wasn't really a problem, and if we had talked about this 2 months ago, everything would have been better.

Goals and Internet Blues

2006-09-08T22:15:00.000-05:00

Sometimes life throws you curves, and you just have to duck. Other times, you watch the ball and catch it, then you gotta be quick to decide what to do with it. I'm at one of those points in my life.

After losing everything I owned, ending up renting a bedroom from a friend for $30/week, and working my butt off at Waffle House, I now have my own vehicle (which I need to renew tags and inspection on by the end of this month), my bank account is re-opened, a new cell phone, and I'm working on paying the taxes on that bar I had to shut down about 9 months ago (I owe $3297.00...I didn't sell that much beer!) My life really sucks right now...but I'm working on it.

I've been setting goals, and meeting them. So, right now, my newest goal (besides getting my taxes paid) is to get a computer of my own again, so I can keep up with this blog, among other things.

I hate getting a new cell phone or bank account and looking at all the pamphlets that come with them for me to read, and seeing in print about how I can take care of business by going to www.so-and-so.com to take care of my accounts online. It makes me wonder what they did back in the old days before there were computers. I mean, Computers are supposed to make life easier, right? But, for those of us who don't have them, it is an inconvenience.

Favorite Links Updated

2006-09-01T12:44:00.000-05:00

The city of Texarkana
Newslink - online newspapers
Firstgov - Every government office and agency
Google Search Engine
Waffle House
Texarkana Rocks
U.S. Newswire Press Releases
PR Newswire
Newswatch Magazine

Respect Yourself First

2006-09-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

I've learned that respect has to be something you have for yourself before you can ask anyone else to have it for you. You cannot demand respect if you are not willing to give it to someone else first, and you can't give away what you don't have for yourself.

A lady doesn't allow a gentleman to touch her unless he proves to her that he has good intentions. In order to make that happen, she has to respect herself enough to tell him "NO" and mean it. She never buys his drinks; She never gives him money; and, she never leaves in the same vehicle he is driving. She doesn't go home with him. And, she doesn't call him.

If he is interested enough in her, he will call her. He will be willing to treat her like a lady. And, he will prove he is willing to walk the line while he's doing it.

If there is one thing I've learned, it's that good men crave a woman like that. Because, if she can say no to him, she can say no to anyone else, and trust is a major issue when it comes to having a relationship.

Concerned Women for America

2006-08-30T22:50:00.000-05:00

I've been off the internet for quite a long time. Lately, I've been trying to research to see what is still out there that I used to be most interested in. I recently came across a few websites that I used to visit to get the news I used to post on my web site when I had one. Some of them I posted in my favorite links section, dated August 18. Today I came across Concerned Women for America. It's nice to see these ladies haven't changed. If you are a conservative woman in America, this website will help you learn how to get involved in what is truly important.

Time Heals All Wounds

2006-08-27T00:11:00.000-05:00

It's amazing to me how burned bridges have a way of rebuilding themselves. I have realized that even the biggest mistakes I have made in the past seem to have found a way to be corrected.

I guess part of it stems from the fact that the people involved are also in the process of bettering themselves. As we grow older and wiser, we all tend to change our views -- and sometimes we forget the past and vow to move forward. Then, when we cross paths with former obstacles, the mountains are no longer so high to climb.

I no longer have any enemies from the past. I feel vindicated, in that I am able to move forward and start anew without looking back at past hurts. I never realized that human nature allows for second chances.

I am thankful that God wipes clean bad memories.

2006-08-24T04:30:00.000-05:00

In the process of learning to like myself, I had to come up with rules. I knew if I didn't have a clear understanding of right and wrong, life would become confusing and complicated.

The world is full of people from different cultures, with different values, who form different opinions of what right and wrong. As I was growing up, I first looked to my parents to guide me in right from wrong; but, as I grew older, I realized there were times when I didn't agree with their decisions. Their opinion of right and wrong did not coincide with what I believed. I had began looking to a higher power.

I had read the Bible and realized that, although right may not have always happened in the Bible, God's opinion of right and wrong was never in a gray area. This was attractive to my needs. I learned to pray when I was confused; and, when I couldn't find the answer in the Bible, I looked to God for guidance.

Because listenening to God requires patience that I didn't have at first, I had to come to the realization that I wasn't perfect -- and no matter how hard I would try, I was never going to be. Mistakes are a part of life. They are essential learning experiences that communicate God's opinion of right and wrong when the answers cannot be found. It is inevitable that I am going to make mistakes in life. I firmly believe God does not condemn man for making mistakes, but rather for how he handles the mistakes he makes.

I was on a Christian e-mail list once, and I responded to an email that, seemed to me, a clear issue of right and wrong. After making the response, I was attacked because of my own imperfections. Clearly, I was a sinner. I had no room to form such a rash judgment, they said. I then had to defend myself, explaining to them that, while I claim Christianity, I never claimed to be a Saint. After all, if we were all perfect, there would be no need for Jesus to have ever existed.

Some may condemn me for going to a bar to socialize and drinking a Corona, now and then. I don't believe it is a sin to consume alcoholic beverages in a social setting now and then. I do, however, believe it is a sin to overindulge in any fom, whether it means getting drunk, gorging food, staying on the internet all day, sleeping too much, or working too much.

The Road to Contentment: Learning to Like Yourself

2006-08-20T09:57:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine once told me, in the dimly-lit setting of a smokey beer bar, that some people just never seem to find what they're looking for in life. They go through their whole lives angry, frustrated, and depressed. In their deeper selves, they are searching for that one thing that will make their lives complete. Some find it. Some never do.

As I stopped to think about how to respond, I realized he was right. All of my life has been a search for some greater purpose, or some small thing that would make me content. At 37-years-old, it seemed as if I had already lived five lifetimes of mistakes getting where I was at that moment. Now, I was sitting on a barstool with less than $25.00 to my name, and blowing it on a cold Corona -- because that is what I wanted at that moment.

I had already come to the conclusion, long ago, that life is what you make it. I never changed my thinking about that. The problem was figuring out how to make it what you want it to be.

As a teenager, when I would scream to my mother that "It isn't fair!", she would scream back how "Life isn't fair!" I remember thinking along the lines that life is what you make it. I remember wondering how anyone could go through life making it hard on everyone else just because they are bitter about their own situation. I wondered if I could inevitably make a difference.

Now, in mid-life, I am not so naive. I realize that I, alone, can't make a difference to anyone but myself. As I've come to grow with-in myself, to understand myself, and become who I am, I've realized that as long as I can like who I am and what I stand for, and believe in the greater cause and work toward that end, looking in the mirror at myself at the end of the day becomes a whole lot easier. Being able to live with myself the way I am is the first step to being content.

Being content, after all, is what we are all looking for. Whether money, or doing something meaningful, or ministering to others, or having a great career is what makes you content, it all starts somewhere. Learning to like yourself is the first step toward being content.

Things I've learned this year

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1. Sometimes love just isn't enough
2. There comes a time when you just gotta "let go"
3. An asshole ain't worth spending a dime on
4. If he don't have his own place, his own vehicle, and his own phone, he ain't worth giving the time of day.
5. There is nothing a man can do for me that I can't do for myself

Favorite Links

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The city of Texarkana
Newslink - online newspapers
Firstgov - Every government office and agency
Google Search Engine
Waffle House
Texarkana Rocks
U.S. Newswire Press Releases

Welcome

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This is a place to post my thoughts, my adventures, my memories and my learning experiences.