New Home Defense Firearm

So since Amy and I have been married, I have been wanting to get a home defense gun! I like the idea of having a way to protect my family in the unfortunate occurrence of an intruder in my home. My father in law was out here this last week and we spent some time looking at guns. He ended up buying a Springfield Armory XDm 9 mm. The XDm is much like the XD except it is outfitted with a match barrel and match trigger. It is a little more accurate and ergonomic. It is also about a $100.00 more expensive. As cool as the XDm is it was a little overkill for me. As we browsed the different options we both were sold on the Springfield Armory handguns. They are incredibly safe new style semi-auto pistols. I ended up buying the Springfield Armory XD .40 cal. They are similar to a Glock in the look and feel. Both being a polymer handgun with a striker fire system. (But feels like a double action stroke when the trigger is pulled.) They have multiple safety feature including a palm safety that has to be pressed to chamber a round as well as to pull the trigger. I liked the way the XD felt in my hand and I wasn’t fond of the Glocks angle as it is held. The Springfield is set up more like a 1911. I went to the range and shot 100 rounds through it and just love the way it feels. I chose to go with the 40 S&W caliber. It is a very fast and large round. It is primarily what the police departments issue based on the ballistics of the round. I was considering the .45 but decided not to go with that round based on cost and overall performance. I am using hallow point round for home defense and regular target rounds to practice. My first time at the range and I was making groupings at no more that 6 inches. Most being at around 2 inches. (25 ft) I can’t wait to get out and shoot some more. I am the first to admit that guns are not for everyone, but I just love it! I think it is amazing that we live in a country that we can exercise our right to bear arms.

Conservative Radio Talk Show Hosts Sound Ignorant!

So I do my fair share of listening to conservative talk radio. For the most part I agree with most of the things that they stand for and say, but I am a little suprised at how strong they are coming at Obama on the economy. Even If I don’t agree with Obama’s plan he has been behind the desk as President for less than 2 months. I mean if things are going to get better in the economy it is going to take a lot longer than two months to see anything happen! People what change so bad that even some of Obama’s supporters during the election are jumping ship. To me the rant on how unsuccessful Obama is so far sounds a bit ignorant to me. It takes more that two months for a person to go through the precess to refinance a home, let alone completely overhaul the economic system of the United States. Do I think the stimulus plan is a good thing? Well yes and no! I think there needed to be help for the banks and there needs to be money for infrastructure projects and money to promote new innovation as well as alternative fuels, but I do not believe bailing out large companies that are not able to produce products that people want to buy is the right thing. It goes against the the core principle of a free market economy. It is as simple as supply and demand. GM is a perfect example of a company that needs to file bankruptcy and then reinvent itself. For me the bottom line is that Republicans can whine all they want about Obama being president, but the Republicans did not put a candidate out there that had the ability to give Obama a run for his money. Conservative talk radio hosts need to start re-energizing the party by talking about what can be done now in order to win back Congress and do a little less sulking about Obama and his economic plan.

Hope – What happens if it doesn’t work

Hope is a powerful word. The merriam webster dictionary defines hope as:

intransitive verb1: to cherish a desire with anticipation  :transitive verb1: to desire with expectation of obtainment2: to expect with confidence. 

You can’t talk about hope without understanding at the core Trust. With this economic stimulus package ready to be spent into our economy and a president who has promised hope – I can’t help but to think – what if this doesn’t work. I know it’s pesimistic and not a popular thing to think, but I am looking at a country that needs so badly to believe in something. A country that is scared about their future and desperate for someone to believe in. Obama was elected with the promise of hope and change. My question is this – what happens when the economy takes longer to recover than what is anticipated or if it doesn’t recover? Fundamentaly I am more frightened by the potential for how people are going to respond when the honeymoon is over and they realize that Obama is not the savior, than I am about our economic ressesion. 

Yes I am a conservative and yes I think the trillion dollar economic stimulus package is the equivalent of taking weight loss pills for a quick fix, but that is besides the point. I am also supportive of my president – I desperately want to see him succeed. I am just scared about the demi-god status that surrounds Obama. It seems to me to be a house built on sand. A lot of promises in a world that won’t support them. What do you think – am I off base? Is my perspective to limited? Amy I fear mongering? I’m just not sure if I can trust the promises!

Cost of Freedom!

We live in an exceptional nation. A nation that is willing not only to offer our freedoms but to protect them as though they are a child of our own. I hear people talk about us living in a day and age of party politics! I don’t understand this statement as our country was founded under the premise that we should have debate on how governement should be run! It has always been about party politics. Party politics are what gives us a way to identify with a philosphy. I don’t want to get into the agenda of Republicans and Democrates right now – I will, I’m just pacing my self. I do however want us to unite on something regardless of whether or not we have a blue or red flag hanging from our back pocket. I came across one of the great political minds of all time, Thomas Paine. Here is a quote that I love……“Those who want to reap the benefits of this great nation must bear the fatigue of supporting it.”

There are no free handouts for the freedoms we experience. It comes at a cost. Let me be very clear. I believe Freedom is a right that applies to all humans not just Americans. Right now my proud country is bearing the fatigue of fighting for freedom and democracy in Iraq. We will reap the benefits. We will and we have. We are still free and we still have not had an attack on our soil since 911. Some things are worth fighting and dying for! Ask yourself this. Is my life or freedom worth any more than another?. (Even one from a third world country?)

Truth and Love

Truth and love…….. two principles that alone are good, but together have the power to transform the world!

 

Over the past couple of months during this season of politics, I have been asked by family and friends to engage in conversation arguing my beliefs or thoughts on candidates and views on politics and religion and at some level have entered into the conversation. I have been very weary to blog my opinions and views and very reluctant to enter into conversations that are obviously emotionally charged and biased. I do need to say that I have been pretty disappointed in how Christians have decided to conduct their conversations and voice their opinions. I have seen some very disappointing conversations that have moved way beyond having a conversation for the effort of being more educated and better informed. I have seen conversations become personal – attacking morality and character all in the name of truth! But here is my question to those of you that have had conversations that ended up heated so that your truth can be heard – where is the love that Jesus calls us to? 

See I agree that politics can bring up tough issues that we feel strongly about, but if differing ideas are not communicated in love they will never land. The second the conversation feels argumentative, people will put up their defenses and the message will not be received. I am just fed up with Christian’s alienating people for the sake of truth. YES – we need to stand up for truth, but we need to love people! We need to despise sin and for the record sin is sin….. whether the struggle is lying, cheating, infidelity, lust, homosexuality, pornography or gluttony. We need to fight against sin and make a stand, but we need to do that by embracing people no matter what issues they are dealing with. NO MATTER WHAT ISSUES THEY ARE DEALING WITH! I am reminded of Christ with the adulterous woman and those that surrounded her ready to throw their stones and Christ asks -those of you without sin cast the first stone! 

Here it is – all of us are broken and lost without Christ! So maybe we should just take a second before we speak truth and ask ourselves, what is my intention here? Am I focused on being right and winning or am I speaking truth with the purpose of loving people?

 

Thanks for letting me rant on my blog!

What role should the Church play on Politics?

 

It is an age old argument. What role does the church play on politics. Jesus was very clear that we should support the law of the land. As Christians we are to be in the world but not of it. The very nature of the gospel shows us a way to live that is focused on social change. It calls us to take care of the poor and sick. To help widows and the needy. It calls us to cloth the unclothed and to give shelter to the homeless. Jesus spent his time healing the lame and speaking to the underprivileged. So how do we live this Christian life in the context of our modern society. Does government have a role in Christians affecting change or are we supposed to act independent of politics and change society from within the church and para church organizations. I would love to hear your opinions!

I am thinking of hosting a political debat

I was thinking of hosting a political debate to get the various opinions on the upcoming elections and how our faith relates. Is their anyone that would be interested in this? 

The debate would be centered around a few topics and a few questions on each topic. People could choose to debate on the topic they wish. We would limit the number of people in each debate to 4 and it would be moderated by myself. 

I just feel passionate that people have a healthy forum to discuss their beliefs and to be able for create an environment that promotes informed opinions. 

If you think this would be fun – please comment!

Russell Brand went to far!

I tuned into the VMAs last night and tuned out less than 10 minutes into it. Beyond the fact that I don’t agree with any of Russell Brand’s sentaments about politics in America – I am getting really frustrated at actors using the stage and their fame to promote a personal agenda that isn’t based in fact or reality. The real straw that broke the camels back for me last night was that Russell Brand isn’t even an American! His whole agenda is based around the fact that we have pushed our American agenda on the world, but how is that different than what he did from the stage? How is it that we allow someone for another country to get up on a stage in America that is being brodcast to millions of people and allow for such degrading statments about politics to be allowed. He attacked Palin – her daughter, Bush – nothing was off limits from a guy that is a comedian and looks like he stuck his finger in light socket while snorting a line of coke. How does anyone take this idiot serious? The frustrating thing is that there thousands of people that will. They will take his serious because they want to seem informed and they want to be cool. 

I was on a blog the other day and someone wrote that they were going to vote for Obama because it was the cool thing to do! This is where a majority of our young voters are! They are not fully informed and educated and really don’t have a desire to be. Thank God that we have States in the middle of the two coasts that are not swayed by pop culture politics. They are people that are hard working, that care about America, who’s sons and daughters have fought and died for our freedoms. This country is filled with people that care about our future! 

See for me it is not just about party politics. If the country looks intelligently at all the issues and makes an informed decision about what is best for the country and we choose to elect – I will have to live with that. I personally don’t think that when people see McCain and Obama side by Obama side and they start talking about the issues that there is going to be a question about who is best for America. But we need to draw the line on allowing a comedian that isn’t even funny from our country to come and influence people in America who are actually allowed to vote for what’s best in this great nation. Enough is enough!

America – The land of the free and home of the brave!

I don’t know about you but I am so proud to be and American! I love the fact that we live in a country that offers us the freedoms that it does. We life in a country that not only gives us the freedom to have a unique identity, but celebrates it! We are in the middle of an election year and there are some very strong and polarizing views from both political parties, but we have more in common that most think. We are Americans! We are Free! We have the abilities achieve success in our lives. We can worship freely! And the list goes on. This country needs to unite! And while that is a ideal that will not be able to be achieved completely, I feel like we can and should be more focused on what we can unite on and less on the mudslinging and anger filled arguments. With that said I am still proud that I live in a country that gives people the right to have and opinion and communicate it freely! This freedom would not be enjoyed if not for the thousands of men and women that have fought and many who have given their lives for our America! Our America is the home of those brave soldiers and I am proud to call them my neighbors, friends and family. 

Social Gospel good or bad?

 

What should my first blog be?

 

As our nation is on the dawn of an election, we as a people are starting our metaphorical political day with a cup of coffee, chatting about some very important issues! With issues such as a war in a country that for hundreds of years has opporated without the freedoms that we Americans have quite possibly have taken for granted. With domestic issues such as same sex marriage, universal health care, imigration, and alternative fuel we are living in an era where politics have monumental meaning on the world that we live in. These are issues that affect everyone, whether they wish to admit it our not. They are issues that start to shape how we view our beliefs and our beliefs start to shape our actions. Therefore understanding what we believe becomes vital for a life that is lived with purpose and a life with purpose is a foundational creed of a Christ follower.

Question begin to glare at us Christian’s during this tumultuous time in History; how does my belief in Jesus Christ shape my political views? Would Jesus have registered as a democrat or republican, or would he have strayed completely from the mainstream and registered independent? Do politics and religion cross paths or should they remain separated from one another? Is the social gospel relevant in today’s politcal  environment or does it go to far in declaring politics as the only way of shaping our religious environment?

I have my opinions, but I want to hear yours!