Stop waiting on God!

I am so tired of hearing people say, "Well, I am waiting on God."  Stop waiting on God and take action to solve your own problems. God is not going to do for you what God equipped you to do for yourself. I know a family that is "Waiting on God" to build a room on their small house so their mother will have her own room. Do they really expect God to deliver nails, hammers, saws and timber to their doorstep. They have internet, cable television and a car. They need to decide what is a priority and stop blaming God for their mother not having her on room.

God warned Noah and NOAH build the ark. Noah did not wait on God to build the ark. I do not take that story in the Bible literally, but it sure teaches me a lesson not to wait on God to do all the work.

In most cases if you do not have what you need it is because you have not taken action to solve your own problems. I know there are exceptions. The elderly, physically and mentally ill, children and people with special needs often need a helping hand, but if you are healthy and sitting around on your butt waiting on God remember -  the Bible says those that do not work should not eat.

IF YOU DO NOT BUILD IT GOD CANNOT BLESS IT!

What makes us family

It is not flesh and blood, but love, respect and loyalty that makes us family. I have recently witness jealousy and quarreling among a Filipino family and I realize no matter what their blood relation is too one another they are not really family. Yet, they expect the benefits of a family relationship because of blood ties.

The cousins that have not taken advantages of the opportunities they have been given expect the cousins that have worked, educated themselves and done without so they could have more at a later date should share equally with them and guarantee they can live the same lifestyle.

Philippine CRAB mentality at its best! Jealousy at its best! I drew the line in the sand when I helped a brother and sister open a small cafe, people who have been dedicated employees of mine for ten years and now all the losers in their family want a piece of the action. I owe the family nothing and I will not give them nothing nor will I allow those that have served me faithfully share with the losers what I have given them. I have tried to help the losers over the years and they would rather party than invest in their future.

I have given the mother money over the years to only find she gave it to the losers in the family and made out like it came from her - buying prestige.  The mother ask me for 300,000 peso to purchase and stock a place in a public market for me only to find out that was a rouse to get the 300,000 she had no intention of opening anything.

I invested in five cows for the oldest brother and half of the calves were suppose to go to my employee and he would keep the other half.  He sold the five cows before they ever had calves and my employee got nothing. It was justified by the family members by saying he was the oldest child and the youngest owed it to him. It was not the youngest child's money it was my money and I owed him nothing.

Expats,be very careful when you get involved with helping Filipino families. It is not all that it appears to be. I have helped families all my life and I admit I have been burned a few times, but in the Philippines I have been burned EVERY time! I helped neighbors until my home became an open door mission and I had to stop helping them. They came to think I owed it to them to help them out of their messes. When the help stop they stop visiting. It is strange the true Filipino friends I have are the ones that have never ask me for nothing and expect nothing but my respect and love. They are always there in good and bad times. I do not know how many grandmothers Filipinos have, but one beggars has ask me to help bury six.

I was ask many times to help one Filipino family always in crisis only to have another Filipino show me the family's facebook page and find that I was paying for a grandaughter to participate in beauty pageants, expensive preschool, modeling classes, etc. Yes, I admit I was the FOOL!

Romney is as dirty as the rest!

I said I did not care what Mitt Romney said, but. I do! I do not care what he said about the election because he gave away the 2012 election, but I was disappointed to discover that Mitt Romney was as big a liar as all the other politicians. Prior to his speech to try an bash Trump I thought he was a good and decent man, but he is as big a politician as all the rest.

2012 I watched as Romney said how great Trump was and this morning I watched as he said how stupid Trump is - POLITICS.  I thought Romney was a Christian (Mormon) before a politicians, but I have discovered he is all POLITICIAN.

Don't Let the establishment tell you how to vote!

I do not understand why so many Americans are so gullible. For over thirty years the Republican and Democrat Parties have promised us the same thing every election cycle and NEVER DELIVER!

Both parties have a candidate in 2016 that will promise to bring change and yet those that complain the most continue to support the old political bosses that have caused the problems. I am not a supporter of Bernie Sanders because I want nothings to do with Socialism or a Welfare State. I cannot say for sure that Donald Trump will deliver, but at least he has not promised me or you change for thirty years like the establishment and never delivered. I am willing to give him a chance!

I could care less what Mitt Romney thinks of Donald Trump it was Mitt Romney that failed us in 2012 not Donald Trump. I could care less what Karl Rowe thinks of Donald Trump he has failed us in every election since Bush and not Donald Trump. Rubio and Cruz can be bought if not the establishment would not be willing to get behind them. The establishment know they cannot buy or control Donald Trump. President Trump will take to the media and twitter if the Republican and Democrat establishment do not deliver and they know it.

If the Republican Party is to remain vital, then it is, in the truest sense, vital that we understand change is necessary and the establishment does not want change because they will lose control of the party.

The Republican Party must adapt to the needs of the people if it is to survive.  The Republican establishment must begin to listen to the people instead of giving us lip service. Anyone with a brain knows that things cannot continue as they are if America is going to have a chance to once again become the country it once was.

The establishment has done everything they can for years to prevent change and the Republican Party has slowly been taking it last breathes. A man like Donald Trump comes along and Primary turnout is greater than it has ever been before. He has given the party a chance for a new life.

The young people have left the Republican Party because it has become boring, unchanging, and irrelevant and does nothing to make their personal lives better. The Republican Party establishment is totally unconnected to the life experiences of the average American.

We became a party unelectable in 2008 and 2012 with establishment candidates and will do the same in 2016 if we do not take back our party.

Donald Trump brings hope to the American people while the establishment continue to backbite, point fingers and fall out blaming each other for the party’s failures. The ones at the top of our party have lost sight of the outside world (outside Washington) they figure if it is good for those running Washington it is good for all of us. Was it not Cruz on the floor of the Senate calling Mitch McConnell a liar – and Cruz speaks of RESPECT! It is the party establishment losing us elections not the party faithful. The institution is costing us elections. Cruz is a hypocrite, liar and snake!

In any organization if you are to keep the main thing the main thing it is inedible that at some point you have to initiate change. The people are no longer the main thing for the established party leaders Democrat or Republican. Let us gamble on Donald Trump and kick the establishment out and maybe at least have a chance he will deliver what we have been promised for decades and never gotten.

It is time Karl Rowe takes his little white chalk board and goes home. I am sick of his acting like a political pundit that knows what is best for America. You and your buddy Chaney gave us Iraq, McCain and Mitt Romney and they all cost us elections.

Manny Pacquiao you have demonstrated what bigots and hypocrites some Christians are.

Once again Manny Pacquiao has demonstrated how a lack of education can keep a man in ignorance. Manny you need to watch National Geographics and not cartoons on television. If you did you would know that other species besides man have same sex partners. Manny, Christians pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar,so pay your debt to the people of the Philippines - TAXES! I would never say anything negative about your ability to fight in the ring, but unfortunately that does not qualify you to represent the people in Congress, Senate or as President. The message I think you send to the young people of the Philippines is education does not matter or is not important.'I will be President with a third grade education'.

You may say you're sorry in an attempt not to lose endorsements and votes, but what comes from a man's mouths speaks for his heart. You my friend are a bigot and are misguided in your theology.

 Manny Pacquiao - compared same-sex couples to animals. “It’s common sense. Do you see animals mating with the same sex?" YES, Manny I have! "Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female,” Manny, read something besides a boxing magazine. "If men mate with men and women mate with women they are worse than animals.” Is that another one of your direct quotes from the bible - show me where it says that homosexuals are worse than animals. It also says women and men do not have sex outside of marriage - you know what I mean.

I think your time would be better spent not making disingenuous apologies and seek forgiveness from God.

Manny you said, "God only expects man and woman to be together and to be legally
married, only if they are in love with each other.(Manny in case you did not know marriage in biblical time had nothing to do with love, marriages were arranged.) It should not be of the same sex so as to adulterate the altar of matrimony, like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah of Old." Manny, did God say it was okay to have sex with others after you went to the altar of matrimony. I have always thought Sodom and Gomorrah was about rape and incest, but I am sure you know more about the bible than I do.

I wrote a blog a few weeks back on should we make idols of celebrities - Manny has demonstrated why we should not!

Questions for Pope Francis

Pope Francis I love you, but who are you to judge the convictions of Donald Trump's heart when it come to his being a follower of Christ or not. I wish I could ask you if it is Christian for men of the cloth to rape children. Is it Christian for the leaders of my church, the church I have devoted my life to, to cover up those sins? Is it Christian for Bishops to live in mansions while people starve around the world? Is it Christian for priest to take personal money from the collections and you know they do? If we are going to judge we need to judge our own before we start judging others.

I opposed the war in Iraq at the time - Did Donald Trump?

Donald Trump is being attack by Republican politician’s for saying he opposed the war in Iraq and thinks it was a mistake.  I know this is probably shocking to many Republicans and some Democrats, but there were Republican voters back then who possessed the foresight to know that the Iraq War was going to be something we would regret for many years to come. We stood on street corners in front of Federal Buildings around the country carrying signs protesting our participation in the Iraq conflict. Those who opposed the war in Iraq from the very beginning took no end of abuse for taking that position.  We were booed, threatened and had cigarettes flicked at us by fine upstanding people passing by who believed the lies being told them by politicians. We were often resented by other protesters because we were older, conservative and Republican – we were not one of them.  

It was not difficult for us to figure out that Iraq was about to become our next Iran. We understood that it was a religious dispute among Muslims that had gone on for generations and no outsider was going to fix it or end it. We felt sorry for the weaker Muslims, but were thankful the conflict had not been brought to our shores and knew if we interfered it would cost American lives and accomplish nothing. Saddam Hussein, just as the Shaw of Iran, had not caused us problems the problems in Iraq were internal problems and between Muslims. 

Rightly or wrongly some of us believed the reason for America’s involvement was oil. If that was the reason then China should thank us for getting involved because they benefit from the oil not us. I always believed some politicians feared a return of oil shortages as experienced during the Carter years and the oil corporation’s feared lost profits and assets in Iraq. The oil industry's political donations may have influenced politicians to make bad decisions. 

I agree President Bush was close to gaining a better Iraq, but he or anyone else would have solved the problems within Iraq and outside of Iraq among Muslims. If we would not have gone in to Iraq then Obama would not have had any American troops to bring home. I also agree that Obama made a terrible mistake in withdrawing our troops after we were engaged in the internal conflicts of Iraq. It did not take a Middle East expert to know that Iran would attempt to fill the vacuum when we were gone.

John Kasich, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio have all said at one time or another they would not have invaded Iraq in the first place, but that they would not have withdrawn our troops after we were there as Obama did. Rand Paul said the same thing, but that's no surprise. Jeb Bush has even made statements that the Iraq war was not a good idea. Do you remember the Kelly question to Jeb Bush “… if you knew then what you know now would you have invaded Iraq” – it took five days for Bush to come up with a final answer? Trumps mistake in stating he opposed the Iraq war was he made it a personal attack on President “W” Bush to upset Jeb Bush. That would have worked if Trump was running as a Democrat, but he claims to be running as a conservative (progressive) Republican.

 With everything that has happened over the last dozen years, including events of just the last year, it's very hard to say that the invasion was a good idea. Iraq has loomed large over every aspect of US politics and foreign policy for more than a decade.

Republican politicians had moved the debate to the 'surge', where they had a much better argument to make. The ‘surge’ created an opening for a political solution, which never ended up happening and I personally never believed would.

 In the 2008 presidential race, the Iraq 'debate' was largely fought over who was right about the surge. Donald Trump has in 2016 brought the debate back into a territory that the Republican establishment does not want to go – should we have invaded in the first place. 

Public opinion has turned decisively against the Iraq war. But political fights recently have largely been fought over ISIS, whether there should have been a full pull-out from Iraq, chaos in Syria, Libya and Yemen and more. Most American I think would agree we have to stop ISIS and other terrorist groups, but Republican politicians and Democrat politicians, including Hillary Clinton and John Kerry who supported the invasion of Iraq, would like to leave the question if we should have invaded in the first place in the closet never to be revisited again – Donald Trump has opened that closet door.

Would we have the ISIS problem we have today if we had not invaded Iraq – I guess we will never know? The invasion certainly destabilized the Middle East even further. Today we are in such a hellish situation in the Middle East that it is hard to defend the original invasion.  Did the invasion speed up the terror coming to our shores?

I am sorry it is not the ‘hawks’ in Washington that deserve any credit for Iraq it is those politicians who had the good sense to oppose the Iraq invasion from the outset. Iraq is a reality and we now must try to make the best of it and unfortunately that probably means leaving troops in the Middle East for many, many years to come – perhaps forever. It means increasing our military presences which means modernizing and increasing our military. It means it is going to be even more difficult to lower our National Debt. But, most of all we must consider Americans may have died and suffered for nothing.

Yes, some Republican voters were arguing at the time against invading Iraq, on the grounds that Iraq did not pose a threat to the U.S. imminent enough to justify an invasion. Some Republicans and I was one of them were publicly shouting themselves hoarse, pointing out at the time that, at the very least, there were serious questions about whether Iraq really posed the threat the Bush administration and other politicians claimed it did.

Jeb Bush said, "…the focus needs to be on the future." We should always focus on the future, but we should never forget the past. I do not think we should let the present moment pass without acknowledging that those who were most focused on the future during the run-up to the war in Iraq were the ones working to stop it from happening.  

In closing, I would like to give credit where credit is due Vice President Al Gore and Illinois State Senator Obama and twenty-one other Democrats like Teddy Kennedy opposed the Iraq war from the beginning and publicly stated they did at the time – all politicians that I would have never voted for.  Bernie Sanders an Independent who was in the House at the time was against the invasion. I only know of one Republican who spoke out loud and clear against the invasion and it was Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island who is now a Democrat. I have no recollection of Donald Trump saying anything whatsoever in public about invading Iraq before the war began, although I am not sure I even knew who Donald Trump was at that time.

It was not just those in the Bush White House who were responsible for the tragedy, but leading Democrat members of Congress as well, some of whom are now in senior positions in the Obama administration supported the invasion of Iraq. There is enough blame to go around in both parties.