Dear Mr. President/President Elect/congress

Do ya'll really get what it is like to live as the "average American"? Your definition of middle class is far above what my family recieves. Yet, my husband and I and our 3 children try to eek out an existence in a economy that is reeling. You all say we are not in a recession. That does not compute. When a parent has to choose between feeding their child, buying groceries or paying a bill, that my friend is a recession. I am a stay at home mom, yes, by choice. However, that choice is made because to put my child in day care would cost most of what I would make. You say you know what it is like to live on little. Somehow, I do NOT believe that. I do not believe you have ever skipped meals so your children would have food in their mouths. I do not believe you ever had to let your child go without birthday presents or Christmas presents. Yet thousands in this country to. My kids, thankfully get to eat every day. Yet there are some children in THIS nation that go to bed hungry. There are children in THIS nation that have no shelter, no bed, no warm coat. Why? We are supposedly the greatest nation on earth. Where is the proof? I have a medically needy child. I have insurance but it does not pay enough to help with my child's needs. We stopped therapy because insurance would only pay a small amount. Countless families with children who have greater needs than my own, go without. In a nation, where we delcare we are free, families are entrapped by debt beyond their control. I am not talking consumer debt. I am talking medical debt and the sheer effort to keep their family, clothed, fed, and sheltered. While congress and high government officials get raises we get nothing. Why can't people who are making 6 and 7 figure salaries take a pay cut instead of laying off the people on the bottom of the ladder. It does not make sense that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. What is our national tragedy? That people in our nation have to scrape just fo feed their families while they are "just above the limit for assistance". Maybe one day, all children can be equally fed, equally clothed and get equal medical care. But then again, maybe not because only the rich deserve cars with the highest rated safety standards. Only the rich deserve the best insurance and medical care. Only the rich deserve the best education, while the rest of us are not worthy. Sad isn't it. But then again, do you really care, after all you will not go to bed hungry or cold tonight.

Why I chose a Rainbow

The Rainbow is a sign of God's promises. He promised Noah to never flood the whole earth again was the original sign of the rainbow. But to me the rainbow speaks of more of God's promises. The rainbow always comes after a rain or a storm. In our lives when we are going through hard times, we can know that somewhere there is a rainbow. That His promises are new every morning. In a world filled with bad news, politics that turn ugly, wars, the need for our soldiers to come home to their families, poverty, government waste of our resources, all manners of evil things people to do to each other, hunger that goes unresolved and so much more; we need some rainbows. I have to watch world events now, trusting God has the answers because in all I see there are no answers apart from Him. No one seems to have any answers as to how to make our world a better place, more caring, more compassionate, and more understanding of our fellowman. People are so busy trying to push agendas, make money, spend money or solve conflicts they have no real idea about they forget about compassion. In a world where hearing about bombings, earthquakes or murders is just another day of news, we need some rainbows. People are attached to every news story. People's lives are being torn apart and we spend far to much time judging them or trying to do armchair resolutions to the issues. We don't get involved, we don't pray and we often have forgotten the latest news story by the time the next show comes on. Instead, what I need to do is pray for my government, the Lord knows they need some divine help. I need to pray for the people whose lives have been changed in catastrophic ways. I need to pray for people, yes, Brittney Spears. Has anyone ever taught her how to be a mother? Does anyone love her for who she really is on the inside, the lost little girl? Does anyone care that she probably cries herself to sleep at night, grieving for the life she can't control and can't get ahold of? Has anyone really tried to help her without judgement or taking pictures? She needs a rainbow. She needs love and compassion. I see so many stories that if these people just had some love, compassion and tender loving care, perhaps their lives would be better. It is easy to judge the events of the world and know how you would do it better, but it is harder to have compassion in the circumstances to pray for those involved. I too am guilty of judging and assumptions when I should be down on my knees praying for these people. God forgive me for not praying. Maybe we can be makers of rainbows by spreading some love, compassion and prayers around. God will honor that. When we humble ourselves and pray, He will heal our land. That is what the word says. All I know is we have a war where people are dying, on both sides of the conflict and all those people need prayer. We seem to have a government run amuck with no answers to problems here or abroad and they all need prayer. As I watch the candidates line up for 2008, I have no idea who I will vote for at the moment. But I can pray. I can pray that God will somehow bring about a change that will help and not hurt. A change that will be lasting and beneficial for everyone and not just the wealthy. So I plan to spread some rainbows, even if it takes shedding some tears while I am on my knees in prayer.