This past Saturday (26^th of October) the “Heart of Hope” Run for Hunger stepped up to the plate to help children in need on Carolina Beach.  Usually, there are what I call ‘front’ people that you see who are the faces for any business operation.  Many assume those are the ones who do all the work but nothing could be further from the truth.  I have had many around me over the last years that do a lot of what others would call ‘grunt’ work but an invaluable part of making certain that all the bases are covered for events or meetings. 

I have always taken scripture literal in the Word of God.  For example, one is “Do it as unto the Lord.”  In any endeavor I try to perform as if God were my manager or employer.  I (as a human) perform much better knowing He is my boss and it stretches me to go the distance that I might not have ordinarily gone.  Do I fall short at times? Yes.  But, when I do I go to God, repent, dust myself off and start all over again.  Life is much too short to worry about the small things and yet it is the small things that I try so hard to get right.  I believe that ‘if you are faithful with a little you are given more.”  But, the key is that you have to remain faithful and very obedient.

I want to thank Marjorie Ard, Katie Altobellis, Susan Gahan and Dara Newberry (my daughter) for their steadfastness and abilities to help pull off this run so beautifully.  I could not have done any of it without them.  Katie garnered so much support in the way of donations and gifts; Susan kept up with recording these donations and sending thank you notes (which we still are in need of sending out more), Marjorie kept up with prayer intercession and Dara (my daughter) sold and sold this run, organized the whole thing and gave us a ‘look’ in our marketing that was beyond compare.  Also, I want to thank you Mandy, Tracy, Lisa, Suzanne and Mike for all you did and of course, all of our wonderful vendors!  We all have full-time lives but with God’s grace managed to do this for the ones who cannot help themselves and do not ask to be in these situations.

Thank you all for your support.  As I walked around talking to others I discovered that many do not even know of the need on the Island…yet it is there.  “Heart of Hope” will be around for a long, long time because there will always be children who need our help and we will strive to do it ‘as unto the Lord.’  

Molly           

We are headed into week three of the government shutdown and unless Republicans can get their priorities straight, troubling times are ahead.  If our lawmakers do not increase the debt ceiling by the 17^th of this month, some fear disaster will loom.  America will have to choose which bills to pay and which to ignore and perhaps this will throw us into another recession.

The last government shutdown happened because parties could not agree on federal spending levels and it lasted from December 1995 until early January 1996.  But the state of the nation was different then.  The economy was booming; unemployment at that time was around 5.5; compared to a little over 7 percent now.  Also, the key figures in the last shutdown and this one got along differently; then President Clinton and House Speaker Gingrich were at least open to negotiations—Obama and Boehner have not fared so well in their relationship.  Boehner has flatly said he will not negotiate.

What is interesting here is that Congress has had disputes over the budget before but this battle is not even over issues related to the budget but to health care reform.  The House wants Obama’s plan to be defunded but the Democrats are not backing down. 

It is disturbing because in most instances America has rallied together in times of trouble.  What makes this time different?  Has this nation gotten too big for just Washington to be able to handle?   What has happened to us as a people that we would risk national and global repercussions because we fail to compromise over ObamaCare???

The average American has not really experienced any backlash from this dysfunction that is going on in Washington now but what will be triggered if both sides do not find common ground will deeply effect many if this gridlock continues.

I believe that as we continue to decline in our traditional and moral values and keep allowing God’s name to be stripped out of many areas of our lives we will start to reap what we have sowed. For some reason this nation continues to declare its independence from the only One who can help us.