Picky or not picky, that is my question.

I spent infancy through a huge part of my teenage years in Hong Kong, but most of that life I left behind was a blur. I dealt so much with confusion, fear, insecurity, and rage that I carried this identity even into 3 of my 4 years of college life at the UofM. I was a bit deprived of a healthy social life. For 10 years, I was one of the youngest and littlest student in class. But I was constantly in trouble and was bullied. I could never concentrate on anything because I was so worried about my life! So, let's say bad grades didn't help my popularity with anyone. I was labeled all these things in school and home, ADD, problematic, most popular student in the principal's office... I even started cutting myself when I was in 2nd grade. See, I remember because I was in agony. Some kind of void in my heart that made me so empty and angry. But even then, I knew I was not to do anything to end my life because God had a plan for me. Not that I knew which god, what god, or how? I didn't know what was going on, even though I was surrounded by idols my mom had out, grandma talking jehovah's witness, and maids talking catholics and dad talked atheism etc. Long story short, I got into the wrong relationships, ran away from home, and ran away from God.

So how was my life redeemed??? RADICALLY.

Abigail brought home a craft from last Wed and it was sitting out, being a nuisance. I told her, let it go, throw it away, don't hold onto it. If the old doesn't go, the new won't come. She looked at it, sang a goodbye song to it, and threw it away. I told her, see, when Jesus redeems us, we have to be willing to throw away our old self, and put on a new self that is from Him. I know God is continuing in His transformation in Him so that He may be glorified. Since seminary life, I have learned so much from the Lord. Phill has been amazing. He is patient with me and loves me with an unexplainable love. Because of what the Lord has done for me, I am not going to be picky.

I am not picky with the car I drive. I am not picky with my space of living. I have never been picky about food but I am not going to be picky with whom I eat with. I will not be picky with the people I am going to be friends with. (I used to not want any friends) I will not be picky with the people I am going to serve, smelly or not, Asian or not, godly or not, hateful or not. I will not be picky with petty things that have no eternal value or implication. I am not picky about what I wear but it has to be honoring to my husband and kids. In short, I refuse to be picky about things that are not of eternal importance. But I will be picky about wise counsel, and I will be picky about my kids' friends. I will be picky about what we see, and I will be picky about what we listen to. I will also be picky about what we read, and picky about what we wear. I will even be picky about voting in the right people who support high moral values. Not to mention, what we celebrate and put on the pedestal, because all I will glorify is Jesus Christ. I will be picky about the words that comes out of our mouths, and the kinds of foods that go into our mouths. I will be picky about my Christ centered home life, parenting and marriage.

See, people don't have to love me for me to love them. They don't even have to like me for me to love them. I love being at the seminary. After I was redeemed, I almost immediately wanted to go to seminary. But I have gone through rough times here in seminary. Seminary is not perfect. I used to think people who go to seminary must all be really holy and set apart. The fact is, it's a business and an organization. It is a school. And just like any organization, whoever can pay the money can get in. Now there are certain rules, statement of faith, and higher moral standards, but there's no control of the hearts of the people even if their hands had signed documents and their mouths had talked a knowledge of faith. It's truth. But the beautiful thing is, most people I have met are godly people who love me unconditionally without wanting anything back, and I have been blessed. I am not going to be picky on who can love me or not. =)

God help me to discern what to be picky about and not picky about. Help me to love with no conditions. Continue to teach me to let go of the old and put on the new. Help me to speak in truth and love. Continue to disciple me through Your words and wisdom. And help me to go to bed earlier. haha.. In Your Son's name I pray. AMEN.

Daddy Daughter Dance

Abigail has looked forward to this year's daddy daughter dance since last year's daddy daughter dance! She was so excited when Phill asked her out this Thursday, she said, "Yes of course daddy!! I've been waiting for this!" According to Phill, she asked him to watch her dance by herself and only let him slow dance with her once. hahaha Abigail is blossoming into this independent, expressive, and wise little girl. We pray every day that she will understand and accept God's plan of salvation, His grace and mercy, and His will for her.




Our Heavenly Father, thank You so much for Abigail. You have blessed us with her for a while and we are so glad. Help us to not be a hindrance to her and help us to show her more of Jesus in us in everything we do, say, and not do and not say. God help us to point her towards You. Reveal Yourself to her and chase after her. Have mercy and grace on us and her. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.

Esther's ASL variations

It all started when we had Abigail... for years, we have incorporated an ASL curriculum into our homelearning. Lately, Esther has really picked up lots of signs. The simplest ones like more, all gone, please, thank you, etc... I guess she just had to make it "her own" language. The funniest one she has done is please. Instead of rubbing the shirt, she rubs the pants!!! hahaha anyway, see for yourself.




Our Heavenly Father, these are Your children. Help Phill and I to parent them the way Your word has us do so. Tonight I lift Esther up to You. Train her and reveal to her that You are her heavenly Father. I pray that You will open her eyes and ears and heart to You. Help her to love You with all her heart , soul, mind and strength. Have mercy and grace on her. Show us her strengths so we may direct her to Your will for her, and show us her weaknesses so we may teach her to be alert and on guard. Teach Abigail and Isaac to love her and care for her. And teach Esther to work with them in harmony. Hear our prayers and be our Light. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.

February

We had started a to-do board for Abigail and she has done beautifully. Every morning, she is responsible for making for bed, brushing her hair and teeth, changing into play clothes, taking out her bible and worshiping God and pray, and greeting her siblings and us with a kiss. She has done all those things and the sweetest for us, is to see her spending time in God's word and to hear her little prayers. I pray Abigail will continue to desire an intimate relationship with You, Jesus, all the days of her life, and seek a husband who will make her holy. Ephesians5:26

Verse for week 1: God, I will hide Your words in my heart so I may not sin against You. Ps119:11

week 2: 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

week 3: 115 Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God!

week 4: 160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are everlasting.

Lord, thank You for Your word. Thank You that You have given us freedom in Christ. Make Your word alive in my children as we believe Your word will never return void. Let us see You active in their lives and help them to remember You always. I pray for their salvation and ask You to reveal Yourself and Your plan of salvation for them. Do not let me be arrogant, impatient, angry but rather, patient, gentle, kind, and loving towards them. In Jesus' name we ask these things. AMEN.

Submission

Submission to Christ without submission to the Scriptures is submission to a self-made Christ, not submission to Christ. -John Piper

The outcome of submission is in the hands of the Lord. - Debora Pearl (pw at birchman)

Worship

I've been at the shed for 2 years leading worship since I doubted God and tried to give up what He's called me to do. I think within a week I had written that blog, we received a call from the children's pastor asking if Phill led worship and Phill said no, and she asked then who did God want from your family to lead worship at the shed? And Phill said, my wife. I pray I don't forget these moments when God shows up. He has given me lots of affirmation and people who carries me through. And I will tell you, every week I get up there, I still get butterflies. I'll be honest, I have even hyperventilated. I'm blessed that the children's worship pastor took me under her wings and let me grow. There's so much I want to do, learn, and expand. But I know it's all in God's timing. He says be still, be patient. God I worship You and You alone. I don't want to lead worship if in my heart You find any sign I am not worshiping You! I hate that I seek affirmation from anyone while I lead worship. I hate that I am distracted sometimes when I sing. I hate that I can't fully worship You after a long day. Lord, I don't want to do it if this is not honoring for You. I don't want to be on that stage throwing up because my focus is so much on how I'd look or sound or lead! God take that away from me. Fill me with Your Spirit and help me focus on You while I am leading these kids, pointing them towards You! I just want to worship You with the gifts You have given me. I long to be with You. Help me to love what You love and hate what You hate. Humble me and use me if You want to. I am blessed to be called Yours. I love you Lord. You are my Savior and my God. Cleanse my heart and call me to You. I am going to wait for You. In Jesus' name I call upon. AMEN.



["Choose honor, partner with the vision, and be faithful with what you are given. Earn the trust, honor leadership, opportunity to see what the Lord will do in my life when I am faithful with what I have right now... It's not an easy thing but a rewarding thing."

"Worship is a connection between me and God... imagine everyone corporately came in already connected to God ready to praise God."

"you can be a light shining anywhere"

"don't sing songs you cannot put your heart fully into "] - Kim Walker Smith

Prayers for Haiti

What is it like to wake up from a nightmare and have it continue as a daymare? As I shared the meaning of an earthquake to Abigail and Isaac three days ago, I also showed them some pictures and videos of Haiti. They had so many questions about this disaster and I was most touched when Isaac took my hand and said, mommy, I wanna pray for them. So the three of us, held hands and hearts, prayed for all those who were affected by the quake and for all the followers of Christ who are now stuck there to effectively show God's love to the people of that nation. Today as I worshiped the Lord, my heart continually break for them. But knowing that God is in control and that He always has a bigger plan than what is right in front of my eyes, I really started to pray that He will mobilize fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to spread their hope of eternity in Christ. It is not about the disparity of this disaster, but about the hope and harvest that will come out of the disaster.

God I pray that the nation will see the hope of Christ amidst disaster. I pray that our brothers and sisters in Christ will penetrate not just the villages to provide physical needs but also penetrate the hearts of the people to provide the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. Your Kingdom work be done. I ask You in Jesus' name. AMEN.

#2

Ok, so far I only have one on my NY resolution list which is to finish the one year bible and journal for Abigail. I have to say, I am working on it at my own timing. I do what I can is what I am trying to say. Which I think is ok. I am starting BSF on Wednesday mornings next week. It's gonna get busy. With 3 kids under 4, I am doing my best with every minute I have which includes resting and reflecting. Anyway, I have #2 for my list now. Here we go

2010 resolutions
1. one year bible
2. keep track of homelearning (it's really homeschooling but i have come to dislike that term in the past... day) budget, material taught, material used, and kids progress.....

wow that looked long. anyway, I have been really bad about keeping track of the homelearning stuff I have been buying and using. so.. there. lets see what we have done.

Abigail 4yrs (nov21,05):

Abilities-
intellectual: know how to write, read, spell her name and her siblings names. knows how to write, read, spell short vowel words and words with special sounds "oo", "ee", "or", "th", "sh". knows how to count to 100 with help. knows the value of each coin. knows the colors of the rainbow. knows to paint in one direction. knows how to color in different colors, shades and sections. knows when her birthday and her siblings birthdays are. knows the days of the week. knows the months of the year. knows how to read the hour hand on the clock.

spiritual: (can say these without help)
1.matt7:7-8 2.jhn3:16 3.jhn3:17 4.1tim4:12 5.eph4:29 6.prvb15:27 7.prvb10:4 8.gal5:22-23 9.deut6:5 10.jhn14:15 11.jhn14:6 12.matt7:9 13.1jhn1:5-6 14.rom3:23 15.2peter3:18 16.luke2:1-40 17.col3:23 18.eph6:1 19:eph6:11 20.Gen1:1 21.Gen1:27 22.Josh24:15

physical: knows how to ride bike without training wheels, knows how to ride 2 wheel scooter, knows how to swim and float, knows how to do a cartwheel, front roll, basic stretches and exercises, roller blade, single toe pirouette.

Enjoys - reading, dancing, cooking, taking pictures, singing, any arts and craft, swimming, playing with friends, ice cream, spaghetti, spending time with mommy

Strengths - arts and crafts, swimming, administration, classical learner

Under construction - critical thinking, shyness, self-concept

Interests - violin, piano, art, dance, swim

Isaac 2.5yrs (jun23,07):

Abilities-
intellectual: know how to spell his name and his siblings names. knows how to count to 20 with help. knows the value of pennies. knows his colors. knows to paint in one direction. knows how to color in different colors, shades and sections. knows when his birthday and his siblings birthdays are. knows the days of the week.

spiritual: (can say these with help)
1.matt7:7-8 2.jhn3:16 3.jhn3:17 4.1tim4:12 5.eph4:29 6.prvb15:27 7.prvb10:4 8.gal5:22-23 9.deut6:5 10.jhn14:15 11.jhn14:6 12.matt7:9 13.1jhn1:5-6 14.rom3:23 15.2peter3:18 16.luke2:1-40 17.col3:23 18.eph6:1 19:eph6:11

physical: knows how to ride bike with training wheels, knows how to flutter kick, knows how to do a cartwheel, front roll, basic stretches and exercises, roller blade, double toe pirouette. knows how to kick, follow, and dribble soccer ball. knows how to throw and catch balls. knows how to ride 2-wheel scooter.

Enjoys - anything physical, reading, playing drums, playing with daddy

Strengths - gymnastics, soccer, creativity, outgoing, eclectic learner

Under construction - critical thinking, individuality, self control, sensitivity, phonics

Interests - anything physical, reading, drums, piano

God Help me to be more organized and help me to spot what gifts You have given them. Give me wisdom to raise them and help them develop their strengths. Open my eyes to their learning styles and teach me to be graceful with them. I pray You will open Abigail's eyes to Your plan of salvation and to her need for You at the conditions of her heart. AMEN.

ye shall also be rationed out when ye are old and sick

original article on the end of this web page

Hold the Mayo (Clinic)

On June 3 of this year, President Obama wrote a letter to two Senate Chairmen who, at the time, were working to overhaul the health care system: Senators Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.). In the correspondence, President Obama encouraged them to "ask why places like the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and other institutions can offer the highest quality care at costs well below the national norm. We need to learn from their successes and replicate those best practices across our country. That's how we can achieve reform that preserves and strengthens what's best about our health care system, while fixing what is broken." A little over a month later, the Mayo Clinic spoke against the House health care bill, which President Obama endorsed, saying "[t]he real losers will be the citizens of the United States." What would President Obama make of the Wall Street Journal reporting that the Mayo Clinic will no longer accept Medicare patients at its primary care clinic in Arizona as part of a pilot program to determine if it should also drop Medicare patients at other facilities serving more than 500,000 seniors?

HBAC

Crazy things are happening people. Phill and I are on the same page about having more babies. Naturally. After what had happened to all 3 births with CSection, we are still hopeful for a natural birth. How crazy and unhuman is this??? Maybe God has something bigger planned here and now we just have to obey and have faith. In Matthew 17, Jesus said, "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." and Luke 17,"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." Hebrews 11 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." I've been soaking in His teachings of faith for the past week now and I am trying to figure out how in the world I can gain more faith. I am going to need more and more and more. I want to have more and I want to be sure of what I don't know. It is about living a life of abandonment. It is about giving up my will and living His. It's all crazy isn't it? But I am willing. Not because I am adventurous. Not because I am brave. Not because I can. But because I cannot. I am still afraid. And I am imperfect. I pray all I do will ultimately glorify Him. So this time around, we both have peace about waiting for at least 2 years before we get pregnant again. We will be saving money for a HBAC, which is homebirth after Csection. I know how people get when I say homebirth. It's scary. It's not safe. But even statistics and facts have proven that's not true. If we end up having a high risk pregnancy with health complications, then of course, we'll end up having surgery again at a hospital. But when a pregnancy has no complications, in which none of my pregnancies had any, homebirths are perfectly perfect. My hurdle is to get the babies here early, and that's one of the most important discussions i will have with my midwife. I have had 3 pregnancies and 3 babies and with each Csection, I have learned so much more about VBACs and now HBAC. I know we can do it and it's only crazy and abnormal for the America society. I have had so much struggle with no wanting any kids ever again because of my surgeries and I have prayed so much for the Lord to show us the next step, and when Phill started saying he believes God wants to bless us with more babies, I just knew I have to get reading and planning already.

Lord give me the peace. Give me the faith. Give me everything we need to obey Your will. Thank You for blessing us with Children, for it is said that our Children are arrows of our youth. Help us in this painful journey of our child birth experiences. Heal me of my fears, pains, memories, and past. I can't do this but You can. Continue to put people in our paths and prepare us for the next adventure. Show me what You will have us do. Humble me, help me decrease so You may increase. Help us to be Christ centered in parenting our kids and towards each other. We love You. We pray You will continue to mature us and draw us closer to You. Let us participate in Your Kingdom plans. I pray this in Jesus' name. AMEN.

So howz about some 2010 resolutions

I haven't done a new year's list since 10 yr old but here we go:

1. Finish reading the one year bible and write notes in it for Abigail

Okay, I'm done for now. I don't think it's a list if it only has one thing on it. Maybe I'll think of more during the year while I fall short of God's glory again and again.

My Father in Heaven, Thank You for blessing me in countless ways. Thank You for giving me an abundant life even when I didn't deserve it. Thank You that You have shone Your light into my darkness and saved me. I will always remember the first moments I encountered You. Continue to transform me into a more Christ-centered spouse and mother each and every second of my life. Let me be consecrated to You and Your Word. I pray that my kids will know You in an intimate way. Help us to decrease as You increase in their lives. Remind us to glorify You in everything we do. Prepare us for Your plans. Equip us to share more of You to others. Allow me to minister and serve my husband, my kids, my neighbors, my friends, and everyone around me. This is my continual prayer that You will use me for Your Kingdom work. This is in Your Son Jesus' precious and holy name I pray. AMEN.

Glory to God in the Highest

God You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Thank You for Jesus and thank You for Your unending grace. AMEN.

True thanksgiving

... comes from contentment. This blog has reminded me of being content. Without God's saving grace, I would not be able to be truly thankful for anything right now. We are not entitled to anything but God has graciously provided a way for us to have abundant life. I cannot express how much I thank God for my new life and family. I am so grateful I can fall prostrate at His feet and weep. I am so thankful I am willing to lay down everything I want to be everything He wants. With His help, we will teach our kids to give it all and keep none. We will follow Him. Whatever it takes. Lord give us the wisdom. We can do nothing without You. Help us to continue growing our family and hearts towards You. AMEN.

Take over

I have been so stressed out! I need God to take over and let me rest. I admit I have a very moody personality. I can be really happy and outgoing, and I can be really depressed and hide like a hermit. I am not sure why, but I am still trying to find a balance. Right now I am suffering from some kind of stomach cramps and it's been hurting since last night. I sure hope it's not my appendix. There is a chance it's totally stress related cuz when the baby cries too much, I'd start hurting a lot. And when she got hold of a pair of scissors in the living room while I was in the bedroom, I heard Phill say to my 4 year old, take that scissors away from her, and I cramped up really bad too. I am trying so hard to balance our lives and find a good schedule for all the kids and at the same time trying to do things right with Phill. It has not been easy. I need so much help.

God, help! Give me the wisdom and strength. Alleviate my stress and take over. Have mercy and grace on my children. Continue to teach me, humble me, and search my heart. AMEN.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ABIGAIL!

POLARITY in worship

EXodus 24 1 Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2 but Moses alone is to approach the LORD; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him."

Psalm 100 1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

That's just not right

The Rationing Commission: Meet the unelected body that will dictate future medical decisions.

Wall Street Journal

As usual, the most dangerous parts of ObamaCare aren't receiving the scrutiny they deserve—and one of the least examined is a new commission to tell Congress how to control health spending. Democrats are quietly attempting to impose a "global budget" on Medicare, with radical implications for U.S. medicine.

Like most of Europe, the various health bills stipulate that Congress will arbitrarily decide how much to spend on health care for seniors every year—and then invest an unelected board with extraordinary powers to dictate what is covered and how it will be paid for. White House budget director Peter Orszag calls this Medicare commission "critical to our fiscal future" and "one of the most potent reforms."

On that last score, he's right. Prominent health economist Alain Enthoven has likened a global budget to "bombing from 35,000 feet, where you don't see the faces of the people you kill."

As envisioned by the Senate Finance Committee, the commission—all 15 members appointed by the President—would have to meet certain budget targets each year. Starting in 2015, Medicare could not grow more rapidly on a per capita basis than by a measure of inflation. After 2019, it could only grow at the same rate as GDP, plus one percentage point.

The theory is to let technocrats set Medicare payments free from political pressure, as with the military base closing commissions. But that process presented recommendations to Congress for an up-or-down vote. Here, the commission's decisions would go into effect automatically if Congress couldn't agree within six months on different cuts that met the same target. The board's decisions would not be subject to ordinary notice-and-comment rule-making, or even judicial review.

Yet if the goal really is political insulation, then the Medicare Commission is off to a bad start. To avoid a senior revolt, Finance Chairman Max Baucus decided to bar his creation from reducing benefits or raising the eligibility age, which meant that it could only cut costs by tightening Medicare price controls on doctors and hospitals. Doctors and hospitals, naturally, were furious.

So the Montana Democrat bowed and carved out exemptions for such providers, along with hospices and suppliers of medical equipment. Until 2019 the commission will thus only be allowed to attack Medicare Advantage, the program that gives 10 million seniors private insurance choices, and to raise premiums for Medicare prescription drug coverage, which is run by private contractors. Notice a political pattern?

But a decade from now, such limits are off—which also happens to be roughly the time when ObamaCare's spending explodes. The hard budget cap means there is only so much money to be divvied up for care, with no account for demographic changes, such as longer life spans, or for the increasing incidence of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.

Worse, it makes little room for medical innovations. The commission is mandated to go after "sources of excess cost growth," meaning treatments that are too expensive or whose coverage will boost spending. If researchers find a pricey treatment for Alzheimer's in 2020, that might be banned because it would add new costs and bust the global budget. Or it might decide that "Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller," as President Obama put it in June.

In other words, the Medicare commission would come to function much like the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which rations care in England. Or a similar Washington state board created in 2003 to control costs. Its handiwork isn't pretty.

The Washington commission, called the Health Technology Assessment, is manned by 11 bureaucrats, including a chiropractor and a "naturopath" who focuses on alternative, er, remedies like herbs and massage therapy. They consider the clinical effectiveness but above all the cost of medical procedures and technologies. If they decide something isn't worth the money, then Olympia won't cover it for some 750,000 Medicaid patients, public employees and prisoners.

So far, the commission has banned knee arthroscopy for osteoarthritis, discography for chronic back pain, and implantable infusion pumps for pain not related to cancer. This year, it is targeting such frivolous luxuries as knee replacements, spinal cord stimulation, a specialized autism therapy and MRIs of the abdomen, pelvis or breasts for cancer. It will also rule on routine ultrasounds for pregnancy, which have a "high" efficacy but also a "high" cost.

Currently, the commission is pushing through the most restrictive payment policy in the nation for drug-eluting cardiac stents—simply because bare metal stents are cheaper, even as they result in worse outcomes. If a patient is wheeled into the operating room with chest pains in an emergency, doctors will first have to determine if he's covered by a state plan, then the diameter of his blood vessels and his diabetic condition to decide on the appropriate stent. If they don't, Washington will not reimburse them for "inappropriate care."

If Democrats impose such a commission nationwide, it would constitute a radical change in U.S. health care. The reason that physician discretion—not Washington's cost-minded judgments—is at the core of medicine is that usually there are no "right" answers. The data from large clinical trials produce generic conclusions that rarely apply to individual patients, who have vastly different biologies, response rates to treatments, and often multiple conditions. A breakthrough drug like Herceptin, which is designed for a certain genetic subset of breast-cancer patients, might well be ruled out under such a standardized approach.

It's possible this global budget could become an accounting fiction, like the automatic Medicare cuts Congress currently pretends it will impose on doctors. But health care's fiscal pressures will be even stronger than they are today if ObamaCare passes in anything like its current form. And that is when politicians will want this remote, impersonal and unaccountable central committee to do the inevitable dirty work of denying care.

The only way to take the politics out of health care is to give individuals more power to control medical dollars. And the first step should be not to create even more government spending commitments. The core problem with government-run health care is that it doesn't make decisions in the best interests of patients, but in the best interests of government.

"Obamacare is not 'reform' -- given what it would do to spending, it's more like malpractice."

Obamacare: Buy now, pay later By Robert J. Samuelson (The Washington Post)
Monday, November 16, 2009

There is an air of absurdity to what is mistakenly called "health-care reform." Everyone knows that the United States faces massive governmental budget deficits as far as calculators can project, driven heavily by an aging population and uncontrolled health costs. As we recover slowly from a devastating recession, it's widely agreed that, though deficits should not be cut abruptly (lest the economy resume its slump), a prudent society would embark on long-term policies to control health costs, reduce government spending and curb massive future deficits. The administration estimates these at $9 trillion from 2010 to 2019. The president and all his top economic advisers proclaim the same cautionary message.
This Story

* Obamacare: Buy now, pay later
* ROTC for civilian service
* Gambling with the dollar

So what do they do? Just the opposite. Their far-reaching overhaul of the health-care system -- which Congress is halfway toward enacting -- would almost certainly make matters worse. It would create new, open-ended medical entitlements that threaten higher deficits and would do little to suppress surging health costs. The disconnect between what President Obama says and what he's doing is so glaring that most people could not abide it. The president, his advisers and allies have no trouble. But reconciling blatantly contradictory objectives requires them to engage in willful self-deception, public dishonesty, or both.

The campaign to pass Obama's health-care plan has assumed a false, though understandable, cloak of moral superiority. It's understandable because almost everyone thinks that people in need of essential medical care should get it; ideally, everyone would have health insurance. The pursuit of these worthy goals can easily be projected as a high-minded exercise for the public good.
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It's false for two reasons. First, the country has other goals -- including preventing financial crises and minimizing the crushing effects of high deficits or taxes on the economy and younger Americans -- that "health-care reform" would jeopardize. And second, the benefits of "reform" are exaggerated. Sure, many Americans would feel less fearful about losing insurance; but there are cheaper ways to limit insecurity. Meanwhile, improvements in health for today's uninsured would be modest. They already receive substantial medical care. Insurance would help some individuals enormously, but studies find that, on average, gains are moderate. Despite using more health services, people don't automatically become healthier.

The pretense of moral superiority further erodes before all the expedient deceptions used to sell Obama's health-care agenda. The president says that he won't sign legislation that adds to the deficit. One way to accomplish this is to put costs outside the legislation. So: Doctors have long complained that their Medicare reimbursements are too low; the fix for replacing the present formula would cost $210 billion over a decade, estimates the Congressional Budget Office. That cost was originally in the "health reform" legislation. Now, it's been moved to another bill but, because there's no means to pay for it (higher taxes or spending cuts), deficits would increase.

Another way to disguise the costs is to count savings that, though they exist on paper, will probably never be realized in practice. So: The House bill is credited with reductions in Medicare reimbursements for hospitals and other providers of $228 billion over a decade. But Congress has often prescribed reimbursement cuts that, under pressure from squeezed providers, it has later rescinded. Claims of "fiscal responsibility" for the health-care proposals reflect "assumptions that are totally unrealistic based on past history," says David Walker, former U.S. comptroller general and now head of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Equally misleading, Obama's top economic advisers assert that the present proposals would slow the growth of overall national health spending. Outside studies disagree. Three studies (two by the consulting firm the Lewin Group for the Peterson Foundation and one by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a federal agency) conclude that various congressional plans would increase national health spending compared with the effect of no legislation. The studies variously estimate that the extra spending, over the next decade, would be $750 billion, $525 billion and $114 billion. The reasoning: Greater use of the health-care system by the newly insured would overwhelm cost-saving measures (bundled payments, comparative effectiveness research, tort reform), which are either weak or experimental.

Though these estimates could prove wrong, they are more plausible than the administration's self-serving claims. Its health-care plan is not "comprehensive," as Obama and the New York Times (in its news columns) assert, because it slights cost control. Obama chose to emphasize the politically appealing path of expanding benefits rather than first attending to the harder and more urgent task of controlling spending. If new spending commitments worsen some future budget or financial crisis, Obama's proposal certainly won't qualify as "reform," as the president and The Post (also in its news columns) call it. It's more like malpractice: a self-inflicted wound.

From frc,org - assisted suicide in health care

Health Care to Die for

Today's fact of the day is a fitting one for Friday the 13th, since H.R. 3962 promises to deliver the grim reaper to any patient signed up for the government health plan. Under Section 240 of the bill, insurance companies are required to provide information on "end-of-life planning" to people who are looking to enroll in coverage offered by the health insurance exchange. In the final bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) decided to strip the broader protective language that was adopted in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which means that H.R. 3962 will mandate the distribution of end-of-life materials about assisted suicide options in Oregon and Washington. At the request of Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), the pro-euthanasia organization Compassion and Choices also added "advance care planning consultations" as a new optional Medicare-covered benefit. This would open the door for Medicare to pay for end-of-life consultations that include assisted suicide options in states where it is legal. Both provisions include language that claims these sections don't encourage the promotion of "suicide or assisted suicide." But in crafting their state laws, Oregon and Washington redefined the act of assisting in a suicide as "death with dignity," explicitly stating that such action is not legally considered assisted suicide-even though by medical definition that is exactly what it is. Think such rationing of care could never happen? It already has in Oregon, where patients were told their state provided insurance would not cover treatment but would gladly pick up the cost if they went the assisted suicide route. Just don't call them death panels...

Abigail - first day on bike with no training wheels!

We are sooooo proud of her. She was so excited and surprised. Daddy prayed for her to learn before he went to work and we prayed and gave thanks to the Lord for her success afterward. I truly pray she will learn to give God all glory to all she does.

Thank you Father for Your faithfulness. Grow my children unto You and set them apart for Your Kingdom and work. AMEN.

"halloween" - It's just not our holiday

Last year, I blogged about halloween too and had a strong view against it and I still do. So before reading on, here's the post from last halloween. "And WHAT occasion is THIS?"

My feelings of halloween has been from a parenting spiritual battle point of view and there are several different views of halloween from the ministry angle here at the seminary. I totally understand the alternate festivals to halloween and believe there are some who are called to reach out during the events. There's "harvest festival", "cow town", "trunk or treat" etc etc. I still don't get why kids are allowed tons of candies but I can see the whole building relationships during these events and having an alternative for believers who want to have fun but without the gory side of it. So, in short, I don't condemn believers who celebrate it because we all have different convictions, backgrounds and cultures.

I was a little bothered on halloween this year because the ones who chose not to celebrate halloween were labeled the "legalistic". I felt bad so I talked to an older and trusted friend to see if they did it too. Cuz if they did, I think I'd really feel bad about not "participating" in the ministry side of it all. But guess what, they don't!!!! They had handed out candy and tracts one year, but they've been in Arizona where they were exposed to what halloween was all about and so they know it's a spiritual battle. I am so glad I got to talk to my good friend. And I love gathering reasons for not celebrating halloween, this year, I get to add a quote.  

"We don't celebrate halloween the same reason we don't celebrate Hanukkah. It's just not our holiday!" - Gayle Veitenheimer

God continuing to grow us and set us apart from this world. Help us to love one another and to win souls for Your kingdom. AMEN.

November - Adoption Awareness Month!

Help care for orphans

Lord guide us to the child you have already chosen for us to take into our home. Prepare us to love this child as our own. We will trust you in this process. AMEN.

"Adoption is the new pregnant!" - Sharon

Those who have imperfect wives love more than those who have perfect wives

I deeply believe God gave me Phill to remind me of His love and grace daily. Phill is not a perfect husband at all yet I have been amazed by his persistent love and grace towards me. I knew he loved me, but I am discovering more than ever the ways he loves me, as if I had only known the "tip of the iceberg" before we were married. The more grace Phill pours out on me, and the more love he gives me, the more I want to give back to him.

Just yesterday, I looked at myself (I literally imagined to be someone else looking at myself) and thought, "Man, I am a big mess. I have a terrible attitude, I am rude, I am mean, I am stubborn, and I am disorganzied." Then, just before I got fearful, depressed, and discouraged, my husband came to my mind. "Well, if I am such a big mess, Phill should have yelled at me, tried to divorce me, mocked me or something a while ago now... but I have never ever heard anything but affirmation, praises, and love from him...." And that's when this dawned on me. Those who have imperfect wives love more than those who have perfect wives! Phill loves me with a supernatural love that never dies!

On the day we first agreed to court each other towards marriage, he said to me, (and this is in front of a Dairy Queen in Miami) I promise to show you more of God in this relationship. My heart melted like ice cream and I wanted to marry this man knowing that I was willing to submit to him just as he had submitted himself to Christ. The more imperfect I am, the more I know he loves me. For when I fall short in being a mommy, a wife, a follower of Christ, or a friend, he is always here to pray with me and for me, love me, speak life unto me, encourage me, make me laugh, and hear me cry. Not that I will fall short more just to get more of his love, but that I will also love him back. The way Phill loves me, makes me want to love him more, pray for him more, love his children more, take care of this home more, and be a more Christ centered wife each day! I want to trust him, submit to him, serve him, and yet challenge him, stretch him, and "intense fellowship" (fight with a point) with him.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because [God] first loved us." 1John4:18-19

Heavenly Father, You are the perfect love that drives us to love each other with sacrifice, selflessness, affirmation, and till eternity. Continue to pour Your love into us so we may overflow and in turn pour Your love to everyone around us. I pray that You will continue to mature us in our faith, teach us to season our words with grace and sprinkle them with love, and have mercy on our children and children's children. Help us to be Christ centered spouses, parents, and friends. AMEN.

Hosanna in the highest

Break my heart for what breaks Yours, everything I am for Your kingdom's cause......

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God

Matthew 3: 31-34 So don't worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God renew my patience and my soul. Pour Your love in me so I may do so for my children, husband and others. I need Your help to raise the children. I need Your grace for I am not perfect at all. Lead me in Your peaceful path. Bless me with Your wisdom and Your words. Help me focus on seeking You and Your Kingdom and not mine. I lay down myself and desire to drink up Your living water. You are my rock and my salvation. Teach me to rest in You and give You my burdens. Continue to work in me and make me holy. Set me apart for Your works. AMEN.