Alarmist

I never thought I was an alarmist, but lately I've noticed a lot of alarmists out there and it's making me rethink how I react to issues. Often when I learn something that I have a strong opinion about, I react as an alarmist. I panic; my mind races; i'm easily agitated; I share the opinion readily with others; I expect others to react like I do. That is the definition of an alarmist. It's an unrational reaction to a nonsensical issue. It's also called a knee jerk reaction. With careful thought and consideration, a rational and intelligent person can view the issue with nary a wince. A logical person will evaluate both sides and arrive at a conclusion that requires little to no elevation in blood pressure.

After seeing the increase in alarmists in the world lately, I have to reevaluate my own tendency to do the same. For example, the swine flu. Every day we hear in the news that more cases are being diagnosed, schools are closing, people are quarantined and some even die of the illness. We also hear that there is a vaccine but there is a shortage or it hasn't been released yet. Oh!....the panic and pandemonium this is creating! Now let's look at the other side. The swine flu is not much different than the regular flu. Aches, pains, fever, lethargy. The vast majority of those who have gotten it in the US have fully recovered. Those who have died had compromised immune systems that would have died with any communicable disease they would have been exposed to. Sad, but true. The vaccine? From what I've heard, the long term effects are not known yet, since there has not been enough time to test it. We do know that too many vaccines are not good for us. It introduces too many toxins in the system and THAT weakens our immune system that we are trying so hard to protect. And what's with the shortage? Is it a way for the government to hold back as leverage for healthcare reform? Are people supposed to beg for it? Is the swine flu intentionally being put out there for the alarmists to do their job and get us all worked up about the pandemic and create a desire to have this unattainable vaccine that hasn't even been fully tested?

It reminds me of the time when I was a child and I was on a summer vacation with my family. We were outside on a very hot day on a tour that seemed to last forever (as it always seems when you're a kid). I was getting thirstier and thirstier as the time dragged on. At the end of the tour we hit a cafe and my dad ordered sodas for all of us. I grabbed the first one that got set on the counter, and chugged it until my thirst was quenched. It wasn't until the glass was half full that I had realized that I wasn't drinking a cola, but a root beer, which I hate!! It tasted awful after my desire for drink was satisfied. Had I not been so desperate to drink something, I would have taken the time to notice what drinks were being set on the counter. I would have selected the right one for me, based on logic and patience and not out of desperation.

After that episode, I try to way out the pros and cons of every decision and do my research carefully. A knee jerk reaction can hurt not only ourselves but others. Patience is a virtue
Ecclesiastes 7:7-9 (NIV) reads "Extortion turns a wise man into a fool,and a bribe corrupts the heart. The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

God bless!

The future for my kids

When I was a child, I remember my parents always watching the 10pm news on TV and always reading the daily paper that was delivered to our door. They spoke about current events over the dinner table which always sounded more like 'blah, blah, blah'. The importance of it, nor the passion they had of the issues never made a large enough impression on me to really care. I think I spent more time at school than I did at home and my education had a larger impact on shaping who I was and what I believed than my own parents. The education system was attempting to lead me into the direction of seeing things differently than my parents did. It was subtle yet an agenda that was succeeding. Throughout my teens and young adulthood, I was forming opinions based on what I had learned at school. Not that everything I was taught was bad, but there was a political and social message that was lying beneath the surface of the subjects being taught. It wasn't until I became an adult with responsibilities that I noticed how the events of the world impacted my life every day. From the price of gas changing daily to why the cost of renewing my driver's license doubled in 4 years to how my job's 401K fluctuated in value every quarter. It was no less than politics that affected everything in my life. When I became a parent, I realized even more so how politics affected my decisions. I couldn't just hold my baby in the car while my husband drove. She needed to be pinned down in a car seat that was securely fastened to the auto. The crib needed to fall within the guidelines created by some legislative group. How I disciplined her in public had to be restrained because of laws that were being created to protect children. I prayed real hard that she would never disobey me in a public arena for fear that I might have to scold her in ways that might 'offend' others or cause them to call the discipline police.

We seem to have accepted all these little subtle regulations because they come in the form of 'best for our safety and welfare.' We see it as a good thing without thinking about what's really happening. We are slowly moving toward accepting more and more regulation. I can see the point in requiring everyone to wear seatbelts when in a car, but when you think about it, isn't it our decision on whether we want to secure ourselves or not? If we are injured or die in a car accident, isn't it our own fault we weren't wearing it? Why should I be 'required' to put it on? If I choose to walk barefoot in the street and step on a piece of glass, isn't it my fault for not wearing shoes? Will I soon be 'required' to wear shoes outside my home? Is it possible that in the future, I could be issued a fine for not wearing shoes in public? How about getting fined for drinking coffee in a coffee shop that doesn't have a lid on it? Afterall, I could burn myself, especially if I'm texting someone while trying to take a sip!

My point is, we need to STOP accepting these little subtle regulations being imposed on us. It makes it all that much easier for legislators to impose even bigger regulations on us. Our freedoms can be taken away so easily, it's scary. I fear for my children's future here in America. Who knows what they'll be up against when they become adults. It's because of our next generation that I ask that when the opportunity arises to speak out or make a stand, do so willingly. Let your voice be heard. As citizens, we outnumber the legislators and we can do something!

When you pray, pray that we not only accept the plans the Lord has laid out for us, but also pray that He gives us the strength, courage and voice to make a difference for the sake of our children's future! I know He doesn't want us to sit on our laurels and watch us get run down. He has always called us to action! (Romans 11) He gives us the where-with-all to fight!....His fight!!...for His people!!!

Let's do this!!...for the Glory of God!