Obama’s First Term Accomplishments


  1. When Obama was inaugurated in January 2009, there were 80,507,000
    American civilians age 16 or older who did not have a job or seek one.
    In December 2012, there were 88,839,000—thus, the increase of 8,332,000.

    Also, in January 2009, there were 32,484,808 retired workers
    collecting Social Security benefits, according to the Social Security
    Administration. By December 2012 that had risen to 36,719,288, and
    increase of 4,234,480.

    The increase in the number of Americans not participating in the
    labor force during Obama’s presidency outstripped the increase in the
    retired workers collecting Social Security by 4,097,520 persons.

    Twice the number of people retiring have dropped out of the work force. Wouldn’t that be news if the number of students who drop out of school was double the number who actually graduated? And yet somehow Obama got a second term.

    Before President Obama took office, the labor force participation rate
    had not been as low as 63.6 percent since 1981, which was the year
    President Ronald Reagan took over from President Jimmy Carter.

    Well at least he is doing equally as wells as former President Carter.

  2. Obama’s second accomplishment.
  3. Continuing the trend of paying people not to work, Obama has succeeded in adding to the roles of the DISABLED. Not only do the working people have to support those who refuse to work, and have retired from work, now they must also support those who for one reason or another can not work. Could it be possible that one person in every 13 is disabled? Or is it more likely that one person in every baker’s dozen simply learned how to scam the other 12? This is an upward trend that has been steadily increasing over the past decade.
  4. According to this report many of the unemployed are applying for disability benefits under Social Security, as a way to extend their unemployment benefits.

  5. The report states:

    Half of the benefit recipients suffer from “mental disorders”
    and “musculoskeletal disorders” (such as back pain). “Mood disorders”
    alone account for over 10% of this group. And once someone starts
    receiving these benefits, it’s almost impossible to take the off the
    program.
    In 2011 only 1% of the recipients lost their benefits
    because they were no longer deemed disabled. So how much is this program
    costing the US taxpayer? Apparently quite a bit.

  6. Applications are up nearly 50
    percent over a decade ago as people with disabilities lose their jobs
    and can’t find new ones in an economy that has shed nearly 7 million
    jobs.

    The stampede for benefits is
    adding to a growing backlog of applicants — many wait two years or more
    before their cases are resolved — and worsening the financial problems
    of a program that’s been running in the red for years.

    New congressional estimates say
    the trust fund that supports Social Security disability will run out of
    money by 2017, leaving the program unable to pay full benefits, unless
    Congress acts. About two decades later, Social Security’s much larger
    retirement fund is projected to run dry, too, leaving it unable to pay
    full benefits as well.

    Much of the focus in Washington
    has been on fixing Social Security’s retirement system. Proposals range
    from raising the retirement age to means-testing benefits for wealthy
    retirees. But the disability system is in much worse shape and its
    problems defy easy solutions.

    The trustees who oversee Social
    Security are urging Congress to shore up the disability system by
    reallocating money from the retirement program, just as lawmakers did in
    1994. If Congress does not act, the disability program will collect
    only enough payroll taxes to pay about 85 percent of benefits after the
    trust fund is exhausted in 2017.

    And yet we are continually told year after year that Social Security is sound. The trend is not to LIMIT or reduce it’s use but to continue to expand it to include even more people.

  7. Congress tried to rein in the
    disability program in the late 1970s by making it tougher to qualify.
    The number of people receiving benefits declined for a few years, even
    during a recession in the early 1980s. Congress, however, reversed
    course and loosened the criteria, and the rolls were growing again by
    1984.

    The disability program “got into
    trouble first because of liberalization of eligibility standards in the
    1980s,” said Charles Blahous, one of the public trustees who oversee
    Social Security. “Then it got another shove into bigger trouble during
    the recent recession.”

    Last year, Social Security detected $1.4 billion in overpayments to
    disability beneficiaries, mostly to people who got jobs and no longer
    qualified, according to a recent report by the Government Accountability
    Office, the investigative arm of Congress.

    Read more here:

  8. The combination of a generous welfare system
    and a sharp recession is what led to long-term unemployment in Western
    Europe starting in the early 1970s.
  9. And what is congress or the President doing about any of this? Absolutely nothing. In fact America does not place too much confidence in their elected leaders since congress currently enjoys a mere 14% approval rating. America believes congress is most likely unable to address the big issues facing our economy.
  10. But do not look to the President to lead us out of this mess either. He enters his new term with the lowest approval rating of all post-WWII Presidents. America does not have much confidence in his ability to lead.
  11. There are two ways to look at this information. One way is to say things are so bad they can only get better from here since at this level there is actually no where to go but up. That would be a very optimistic view. The most likely scenario based upon the previous performance of all the key players, is America has a darker future facing her, and her elected leaders are incapable of dealing with the tough issues we face as a nation.

    It would appear the only thing any of these leaders are interested in is their own political careers and their own personal gain.

    Where then do we look for solace and help? We must look to the American people. We must put our trust in our fellow man. We must encourage the majority of American people to take matters into their own hands and deal with the fecklessness of their elected leaders. We must acknowledge that those whom we have elected are not capable, nor prepared to address the problems facing America. Each of us must handle our own affairs with decency and honesty. And for that to happen we need to embrace the foundations that have made this country great. Our faith in God and the moral code he left for us.

    The future of America rests in strong families and individual responsibility. We need to look out for each other and stop looking toward Washington for fixes. It should be obvious by now that they are not the solution to our problems but the reason for most of them.

    This is a view from the nest. What say you?

    But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

    This has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.


This was well worth passing along. Too many, I believe, have fallen into the the “happiness” trap. As Christians we are a “blessed” people, and it is because of our relationship with Christ that we find joy and happiness. Joy and happiness are not the pursuit, Jesus is. As we surrender ourselves to be filled with more of Christ, then we find the true love, joy, peace, and happiness that the world can not offer. Only Christ can give us ‘everlasting joy’.

Now that is truly a blessing.

Kaysie's avatarmy cup runneth over

cupsstarbucks

We chatted over empty Starbucks cups but her voice sounded emptier. “Where are God’s blessings?! I can’t see them. My life is nothing but a wreck; I’m not happy and I sure as heck didn’t ask for all of this. I’m done. I just want to be happy.” And her eyes run far, but not as far as grace will chase after her.

My heart leans hard into the truth I know, because her world is seasick. I hold my cup tight and pray for light to flood this dark place.

“Blessings are not the life raft, dear. They will sink you every time you trust them. They were never meant to be the root of your joy. Only Jesus, the Fount of Blessings, can calm your stormy heart and fill you until you are brimming.”

“Happiness” was never the calling or the prize. (Luke 9:23-27) But we push this heavy…

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Kid’s Letters Get Action!


  1. Today Obama went on Television with the cheery faces of children who supposedly wrote letters to him asking him to end gun violence. So playing Obama Claus he quickly wrote his own letters to the American people telling us what he is going to do. Those children apparently had their letters answered.
  2. Since it is appropriate to use children to advance our causes and to solicit others to meet our needs then I too shall present to the American people letters written by children asking for help. These however were not addressed to President Obama, well at least that we are aware of. These letters where written to Santa Claus. Let’s see what these children were asking Santa for Christmas 2011.
  3. Have you seen any photo ops, or any television appearances by our President with these children? Has he addressed these concerns with as much fervor as he addressed the requests for the end to gun violence? If you answered no then go to the head of the class. You see Obama has an agenda and he is ONLY INTERESTED in his agenda and not what is good and right for the American people. He will gladly parade children before the American people if he can exploit them for his own purposes.

    I want to see the faces of the little children who asked Santa Claus for a job for mommy and daddy. Mr. President will you read those letters on TV? What executive orders can you write that will put mommy and daddy back to work?

    Next time kids instead of writing to Santa Claus address your letters to Obama Claus, since Obama seems to care for the needs of all the little children of the world and is moved to take quick. decisive action as a result of receiving such letters, perhaps you can get him to do what we the taxpayers can not. FOCUS ON JOBS AND QUICK SPENDING OUR CHILDREN’S MONEY!

    This has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.

There Will Always Be Rulers Who Will Suppress the Truth


I am not sure where I first read this but I thought it was worthwhile to be passed on to my readers so I did. Unless we come to an Epiphany of God through Jesus, unless we realize that God is with us in the form of man the God-man Jesus, then we have not had a true encounter with the living Christ. Wise men were seeking the King of the Jews. What they found was a 2-year-old boy. What they knew was a star had guided them to the very place the King of the Jews could be found. Having met the one spoken of by the prophets of old, they were warned in a dream to leave a different way because Herod had desired to kill this child king.
The three Magi before Herod, France, early 15t...

The three Magi before Herod, France, early 15th century. Stained glass: colored glass, grisaille; lead. Restored by F. Pivet, 1999. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Epiphanies are “aha” moments, times when we come to realize something that should have been as plain as the noses on our faces. This Day of Epiphany starts a chain-reaction of aha moments as the human family begins to recognize that Jesus the Messiah has come. The epiphany of which we speak is an increasing revelation that began with the shepherds and the Wise Men, extended to Simeon and Anna at Jesus’ presentation as an infant, then to John the Baptist and those who saw Jesus’ baptism, further to the servants of the wedding at Cana, and on to worshipers at his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. By the time this year’s season has come to its end at the Transfiguration, we will be reminded that God, who is greater than Moses or Elijah, is with us!

What we know of Herod we know primarily from a historian (Josephus) who did not like him, as well as from this testimony in Matthew. Herod was, by their testimony, insecure, paranoid, easily threatened, and ready to act violently if he thought someone might be in his way.
But in Matthew’s story, our Christian story, Herod is not just a maniacal historical figure. He is also stand-in for the powers of the world. These powers keep others from accessing truth they do not want to be accessed, and then try to control the outcome of any truth discovered.

The Magi are free agents initially drawn into Herod’s scheme as pawns. The angels in dreams send them home by another way; and in the verses following, send the Holy Family into exile in Egypt, also as free agents. Herod lashes out with extreme violence, ordering the execution of every Jewish male under age two unless he may have missed someone.

 God’s consistent activity in this story was Epiphany! God acted in surprising, transforming ways to subvert the powers that be and all they would attempt to stop God’s reign from being made known (Epiphany!) through Jesus. In nature, God arranged the alignment of planets viewed by the astrologers. Through the astrologers going to Jerusalem, the wrong people are asked and Herod’s suspicions are raised. Through Herod, the Magi discover where they need to go to find the king they seek. Through a series of dreams, God leads the astrologers and the Holy Family to safety in the face of what were very serious death threats from Herod. It is subversion after subversion, God never once using the “right channels” to spread the word of the newborn king and God’s kingdom surely coming to all the world. Not once. God always acted by Epiphany!

Not Knowing.

Have you ever thought of the things that the wise men did not know? Like Abraham, they set out on a journey, not knowing where it would take them (Hebrews 11:8). They did not know how long the trip would take when they decided to follow the star that appeared in the East. Then, they did not know how they would be received in the faraway foreign land. They did not know what the king would look like; nor did they know when or if they would return home. Yet they, like Abraham, chose to make the journey.

Following the light of God is a similar journey requiring faith. We often feel that we don’t know where our journey will lead us, and we certainly never know what we will find along the way. We do, however, know that God goes before us, and with us, and that the journey is not in vain.
 Notice the prominence of images of light in the Epiphany readings. So many people are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel — something to signal an end to the present madness. Their concerns and fears wear a dozen faces: loneliness, depression, economics, bullying, terrorism, disease, marital discord — the list goes on. Epiphany’s reminder of the unchanging love of God for us is as refreshing as a glimpse of light at the end of a dark tunnel.
God is still at work today to thwart the schemes and plans of the enemy of truth. His will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven. There is no greater power in heaven or earth that can outwit, outlast, out maneuver God. All the plans of evil men to suppress the truth will come to naught. God’s ways will flourish and all those who are willing to accept His guidance shall be delivered from evil.

This is the true meaning of the word Epiphany! Eureka I found it. I found the truth. I found life and purpose. I found the one who was foretold by the prophets of old. I found Jesus! So can you if you are willing to seek Him with your entire being. You must be willing to face opposition and overcome those who are more than happy to keep you ignorant of the truth. There will be many who will try to suppress the truth by their actions. They like Herod of old will do everything within their power to keep you from finding the truth and to hinder the truth from being found out.

You are being lied to my friends and I am here to tell you that you can get victory over Herod’s lies. His reign of destruction will not continue and will be brought to an end. But the Kingdom of God shall remain forever. Now that is something to shout EUREKA about.

eagle_feather_icon.gifThis is a view from the nest. What say you?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness.

Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey

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This has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.

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Separation of Church and State… Is That Even Possible?


When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. “And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.” Matthew 28:18-20 (GW)

Imagine for a moment that Jesus has just completed his three years of training with the disciples. He has been crucified and is now commissioning the twelve to go into the world and disciple the nations. Now imagine him also making this statement to them.

“Dear brothers, it is now time for you to share what you have learned from me. However, as you share with others be sure that you keep what I taught you separate from your social life. The principles I have shared with you only apply in situations inside your home. Do not try to make them fit into a social context. The miracles you saw in me can only be done in certain situations. Keep this in mind when thinking about praying for the sick or the lost. These truths will not work in society.”

Sound preposterous? It may, but this is the mindset of many in our world today. The spiritual does not mix with the everyday world. “What happens on Monday has no relationship to what takes place on Sunday,” they say.

These are the thoughts expressed so much in our day and time. If you heard it once you have heard it a hundred times at least. Separation of Church and State. The two should never mix. The two need to be kept apart.

The world would want us to keep our religion to ourselves and not to share it wherever we go. That is like asking you to live without breathing. It is not possible to live without breathing, nor is it possible to live your everyday life apart from Christ if you truly are a disciple of Christ. To truly follow him and live our life according to his principles it is impossible to live one way at church and an entirely different way at home or in society? Jesus would call this type of living hypocrisy. Either we are for Him or we are against Him. We can not serve Him only at our convenience for then we are not serving Him at all. We can not choose to love Him one day and ignore Him the next. 
 
We can not choose to follow His laws and commands only in the church since the laws were given to man before there was a church. The law of God was passed to Moses before there was a tabernacle or a temple. Moses was given the law of God and then instructed on how to worship Him. The law was given so that the Israelites would know how to live and prosper in the land God was going to give them. 
 
The laws were to be the principles by which God’s people were expected to live. God expected them to keep the law in all of society and not just the church. It is interesting to note that many of out founders knew how important God’s moral laws where to a civil society and based our own civil law on the Mosaic laws. No one would argue that murder is wrong. No one would argue that stealing is wrong. No one would argue that being respectful of our parents is a good thing for children to learn. No one would argue that infidelity in a marriage is destructive. 
 
Today however we hear that the law of God must end at the church door. We are told to not force our beliefs upon others, and yet those that say that have no problem forcing their beliefs on us. We are asked not to PRAY in public and yet how can we not when the world is faced with so many challenges? We are asked to not teach Christian values and principles, but how can we not if we actually believe that they are the way, the truth and the life? And yet it would seem that those who oppose God’s laws are winning the war on the separation of Church and State. Honestly how is that working out for our society? 
 
I can not force my views upon anyone since I do not have that power. All I can do is attempt to persuade others that God’s moral law is superior than anything man can come up with. Personally I have to choose for myself how to live in this world, whether I should obey the temporary dictates of man or the eternal law of God. I choose to obey the eternal law of God for I have found it to be just and right and holy and true. It is the only law that shows no partiality for all are treated equal under God’s law. There are no special exemptions for special interest groups. There are no lighter sentences for the well-connected. All are judged equally and punished accordingly. 
 
So by asking those of us who believe God’s law is superior to man’s law to shut up and keep it to ourselves, you have elected to be ruled by tyrants and subjected yourself to the inferior, biased laws of man. Remember those who make the laws exempt themselves from the law making the law only applicable to those who the lawmakers disapprove of.
 
If we acknowledge a Supreme lawmaker and judge then we have no control over how that law is going to be enforced, nor can we use the law to garner special treatment for ourselves, since we too will be judged by that same law and standard.
 
I can not separate my faith in God from His ways and laws. I can not live my life differently in public than I do in private. Since I believe

the teachings of the Lord are perfect. They renew the soul. The testimony of the Lord is dependable. It makes gullible people wise. The instructions of the Lord are correct. They make the heart rejoice. The command of the Lord is radiant. It makes the eyes shine. The fear of the Lord is pure. It endures forever. The decisions of the Lord are true. They are completely fair. (Psalms 19:7-9 (GW))

I shall continue to live my life by the law of God. You can have the inferior law of the land.

eagle_feather_icon.gifThis is a view from the nest. What say you?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey

tj201009292334-3.jpg
This has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.
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