Greed breeds stupidity

Hi everyone,

  I'm going to share another of Nikki's emails, with her permission of course!  I don't know if you can really relate to what she is going through or not, but certainly at SOME time in your life you were the underdog or weren't treated fairly.  If you can honestly say, "No I haven't" then you must live on another planet, but good for you.  You can just skip reading this post then because you wouldn't get it anyway.

 I can recall my father waxing his car and how it used to gag me.  My father, who never touched me lovingly or said any loving words that I can recall, used to fondly rub his car down with wax.  You know the process.  You get some wax on your cloth and then rub and rub and rub until the paintjob looks brand new.  The whole process takes hours to do your whole car. 

 My father, who didn't have a minute to spend building up his daughter, would spend HOURS waxing his car.  In my opinion, that's what our current Governor and staff are doing--they're waxing the polish instead of cleaning up the mess on the inside.  "We've got money coming in," is all they see while North Dakotans lives are falling apart as a result.  If you still don't get it, then read Nikki's email but I'm warning you--it's NOT pretty!

 TO THE TRUTH!!!

Dawn



Hi again,

The term 'growing pains' is a political cover word to make it sound like something 'nice' is going on out here. There is nothing nice about it. And there is no 'growing' - there is only 'destruction'. The latest 'pain' is Dalrymple soliciting 30 states to send MORE people and MORE out of state businesses out here, to trample us even more, while we don't have the room or desire for the thousands who have already invaded.

There is NO REASON TO DRILL AT THIS RATE. And it is JUST PLAIN STUPID AND TOTALLY UNCARING to cause MORE problems... yet that is exactly what he is doing. And, why?, one might ask. Because of the dollar bills they get to roll in.

Never mind how many more lives are taken by cold-blooded murder and highway deaths, how many more crimes now assail us, sewers over-flow, towns dry up from lack of water, crop lands get sold for concrete, electric grids burn up from over-capacity, landfills overflow from over-capacity, trash lines the roads/ditches/pastures/fields from 'campers' and drivers just heaving out their trash, rapists assail us to where a lady can no longer go to Walmart after dark, roads that used to have scorio for our farm and ranch trailers have been pulverized to gumbo and pot-holed to undriveable, farmers and ranchers can no longer afford scorio or even get it because we don't own oil companies to pay the outrageous prices, grocery stores/hardware stores greedily gauging us, strip joints becoming front page news for all their 'business', classes being given to women to learn to use weapons of self-defense, pistols in our vehicles and purses to defend ourselves, locks on doors we've never locked, locks on barns/trailers/tack sheds, locking our homes just to sleep at night, truck drivers and pick-up drivers running our tractors literally off the road, school buses being run off the road to where we have cops riding in them now, people who drive the actual speed limit being run off the road, students and families losing their homes because a $250 apartment just shot up to $2,500, cattle dying from the road dust which causes lung distress and death, cattle being killed on our open rangeland roads, private water wells going dry from the drilling and fracking disturbances, agricultural land being driven up to prices so high that no farmer or rancher will ever afford land again, elderly being shoved out of their lifelong homes from the price gauging, ...

our own people can't afford to start up businesses because the state government monopolizes the Workmen's Comp insurance and gauges OUR people so badly they can't even get started, YET... Dalrymple tells out of state businesses to come on in and wipe us out... AND NOT PAY PROPERTY TAXES... while at the same time, continually opposing Measure 2, saying that WE would be giving out of state property owners a benefit - all the while, though, Dalrymple and the state OFFERS THAT BENEFIT to every business to wipe us out. Why aren't NORTH DAKOTANS given the no-property-tax benefit instead of out-of-staters??

What is even more stupid (if that's possible) is to set this outrageous number of wells to be drilled every year, and INCREASE the number we already CANNOT HANDLE, when we can't even ship the oil, or process the oil, or capture the gas that is burning into the air. We are BEYOND CAPACITY and IF WE HAD A GOVERNOR WITH ANY SENSE, (ie, PAUL SORUM has the sense we need), NO MORE BUSINESSES OR PEOPLE would be allowed to come here. How entirely STUPID it is to continue to CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS. Yet that is exactly what the H-D dynasty is doing. It's the big spot-light, remember? At what point will the spotlight shine the truth: "spotlight on stupid". 

Articles from WISE agricultural people are printed - and ignored! - inclusive of "are you going to eat and drink oil?" We have a growing population, and H-D dynasty doesn't have sense enough to PROTECT OUR AGRICULTURE. Do you realize that throughout history, a nation that loses its agriculture becomes impoverished and vulnerable to the rest of the world?

This oil has been here for thousands of years. A limited number of wells should be set, according to our RESOURCES AND CAPACITY AND OUR PEOPLE, AGRICULTURE, AND LIVES should be the priorities for setting those limits.

GREED BREEDS STUPIDITY. And we are suffering the results of 'greedy, stupid' government.

If this writing seems 'hard' to take, then those who think so need to come out here and see what 'hard to take' really is. Try living with a pistol within finger-tip reach of your pillow at night, and fearing driving on our once-upon-a-time 'safe' roads, and once-upon-a-time 'safe' living. Our quality of life has PLUMMETED... and as it continues to spiral downward, Dalrymple tramples harder.

So, there's an answer to your disbelief, that you think they 'care' about people. NO, they do not. All they care about is rolling in the dollar bills and being in the big spotlight. We are their victims.

Furthermore, the OIL COMPANIES created the jobs that are here - NOT THE GOVERNMENT. But, alas, they take credit for what they have no credit in; and dodge responsibility for what they destroy; and cover up what the truth really is.

The big show about how Dalrymple sends 'millions of dollars' out here is a JOKE. Since when does a dollar bill bring someone back from the dead... become wheat/sunflowers/barley/corn/hay... quench the thirst of a person or animal who needs water...feed a hungry mouth... stop a rapist.... stop a fire that has consumed thousands of acres because out-of-staters throw cigarettes out windows... restore to an 82-year old man the homestead of 3 generations that is now a pile of ashes from another fire??? Throwing dollar bills at us, while INVITING MORE TROUBLE, is so beyond stupid and pathetic I truly can't find the words for it. And THAT, is our Governor and leaders of our state.

There is so much more, you would get tired of reading about it. Yet, we have to live it. More stupidity and waste by one of the most atrocious government agencies also escalates nothing but trouble - the infamous wretched social services fools. While a boyfriend rakes in $6000 a month, an un-wed girlfriend living with him collects welfare! And, to make bad worse, the fools of the SS declare that every child in a camper is 'homeless', which is ludicrous. Their parents are there, they have heat, cooling, food, beds, and more amenities than some of our own homes do. Yet the SS in all its idiocy declares these families to be in an unfit living situation. That entire agency should be abolished for far more reasons that this. As I said, the list goes on and on. And the catch-all word 'infrastructure' and throwing money out here while bringing in more trouble... what words are left... 

We are BEYOND CAPACITY and not one single more person or business should be allowed to come here. Our OWN people should be exempted from property taxes, and our OWN people should be able to start up a business. And our AGRICULTURE should be PROTECTED, NOT DESTROYED. And, as noted above, the drilling should be LIMITED according to the priorities I mentioned.

You said you wanted evidence; well, come on out and see for yourself. It won't be a fun trip.

We USED to live in the greatest ranch country, safe, family living, in the country. Now? We live in the oil PIT. It didn't have to be this way. If we could have gotten Paul Sorum in, he would have used good sense, and protected our lives and agriculture, while still allowing the oil to be drilled - at a reasonable rate. He has no need of a spotlight. He cares about PEOPLE and NORTH DAKOTA, not spotlights!

 

Nikki

LOVE

Robert and I pulled out of organized religion to keep the Sabbath, as outlined in Scripture, 14 years ago. We have studied faithfully what the Bible says about different truths on our day of rest and worship. Yahweh (God the Father) has shown us many wonderful things about Himself when we take the time to be still with Him on the day that He hallowed at creation.

When we started our home school 17 years ago, we began memorizing the 10 Commandments. The children were little, so we just kept it simple, and did the short version that is printed everywhere. However, as the children grew, I wanted them to memorize the Commandments as they are written in Exodus 20. We read these passages over and over until, little bit by little bit, these words came from memory and I knew that we had indeed put them into our heart.

Exodus 20:8 - 11 reads like this and I quote from memory:

REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY.

SIX DAYS SHALT THOU LABOR AND DO ALL THY WORK,

BUT THE SEVENTH DAY IS THE SABBATH OF THE LORD THY GOD:

IN IT THOU SHALT NOT DO ANY WORK,

THOU, NOR THEY SON, NOR THY DAUGHTER,

THY MANSERVANT, NOR THY MAID SERVANT,

NOR THY CATTLE,

NOR THY STRANGER THAT IS WITHIN THY GATES:

FOR IN SIX DAYS THE LORD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH,

THE SEA AND ALL THAT IN THEM IS,

AND RESTED THE SEVENTH DAY:

WHEREFORE THE LORD BLESSED THE SABBATH DAY,

AND HALLOWED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The SEVENTH day IS the Sabbath of the Lord thy God! It is a holy day--a day to rest from our labors and just trust in Him to have all of the answers to the problems of the approaching week. It is also a time to rejoice in how HE has saved our neck in the past week! I love, on the Sabbath, to recall ALL the times that He gave me the wisdom that I needed to deal with a difficult situation; how HE gave me the strength to do all of the work that He lined up for me; and how HE led me beside still waters even in the midst of all the controversy I faced that week. WOW--GOD IS SO AWESOME THAT HE DESERVES A DAY TO BE HONORED IN THIS SPECIAL WAY!!!

Actually, though this post appears to be about the Sabbath, that was not my original intention. You see, the point that I was trying to make here is that we can get all wrapped up in proving to everyone else that we have done our homework and we KNOW that we're right and they're wrong. But this very process of arguing over who is "Right" and who is "Wrong" must certainly grieve the heart of the God of all love. Certainly we don't impress HIM when we cut some one's throat just to prove to them that we were RIGHT!!!!!!!!

I'm thinking now of one fine, young man who I'm sure will never read this. How grand it is to "Study to show ourselves approved unto God," but what is the point of all of the studying? When the heart's goal is to study, just for the point of having head knowledge, I must argue that God is not greatly impressed.

Certainly, I'd much rather that young men be studying the Word, and about the Word, than out dating a different girl each week. However when one gains knowledge and imparts it with the world, simply for the reason of proving oneself smarter or better or more learned than everyone else, then I must say that this is pharasitical type thinking.

Robert and I keep coming, over and over, to the fact that GOD IS LOVE. When I was getting confirmed in the Methodist church in Eureka, SD almost 4 decades ago, I volunteered to recite

1 Corinthians 13 at the service. I'm sure that most of you know that that chapter in the Bible is called the, "Love Chapter." My heart burned within me that day with the desire to get people to see that LOVE is what matters more than anything else in the whole wide world. I still recall people crying later, saying how it had touched their hearts.

Although I can't recite the whole thing right this minute (although we worked on it in school last year), it IS buried deep inside my brain. I will recite the first 3 verses from it to help to make my point as these are God's words and not my own.

THOUGH I SPEAK WITH THE TONGUES OF MEN AND OF ANGELS,

AND HAVE NOT CHARITY (LOVE),

I AM BECOME AS SOUNDING BRASS

OR A TINKLING CYMBAL.

AND THOUGH, I HAVE THE GIFT OF PROPHECY,

AND UNDERSTAND ALL MYSTERIES,

AND ALL KNOWLEDGE,

AND THOUGH I HAVE FAITH THAT

I COULD REMOVE MOUNTAINS,

AND HAVE NOT CHARITY (LOVE)

I AM NOTHING!

AND THOUGH I BESTOW ALL MY GOODS

TO FEED THE POOR,

AND THOUGH I GIVE MY BODY TO BE BURNED,

AND HAVE NOT CHARITY (LOVE)

IT PROFITETH ME NOTHING!!!!!!!!!

There really is nothing more to say. ALL of our efforts to impress God with words of wisdom to fellow human beings means absolutely nothing to God IF THOSE WORDS ARE NOT MOTIVATED BY LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are simply sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal if we write, or talk, or move, or do anything at all, without love being the motivation for what we do.

What IS love? Well, I urge you to study the rest of 1 Corinthians 13 to find out if you're not really clear on this. Better yet, commit it to memory. I'm always amazed when I hear people comment on how much Scripture they have memorized. They'll say all kinds of grand passages about God, and HIS love, but very few can recite the love chapter. WHY? Well, it's my hunch because being loving really IS a hard thing to do. In fact it's absolutely impossible for us to do in our flesh, being we're filled with sin.

It's not natural for us to suffer long; be kind; envy not; vaunt not OURSELVES; not be puffed up; seek not our own; be not easily provoked; be not puffed up, think no evil, bear all things; believe all things; hope all things; and ENDURE all things. THAT'S A LOT OF SELF-SACRIFICING, ISN'T IT?

Yeah well, if we want to be like God is, then we will let His Holy Spirit work in us to BE love to everyone that we meet. It really doesn't matter what I want, or what I may desire, what matters is what is best for the other person!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT'S WHAT LOVE DOES!!!!

Over and over Robert keeps saying to me, "What the Bible boils down to, in my opinion, is that if I want to be like God, THEN I WILL LOVE OTHERS!!" With all of my heart, I believe that he is RIGHT!!! Oh, to have a heart of love for the world as my Heavenly Father has--THAT IS MY DESIRE.

To love, then, to love. When there is love, 2 people can sit down and discuss every issue in the world and agree to disagree and walk away being fed by the knowledge that the other person still respects them even though they are not seeing things the same way.

Better yet (as I believe that their IS truth in ALL areas) wouldn't it be grand if someone who has done a lot of studying in an area would quietly and LOVINGLY explain to others what they have learned with those who are ready to hear the truth in that area? Then the second person can lovingly and quietly explain a truth to the first person that they have been studying. In this way, the church would grow and prosper and be in good health. AHHHH--that all of Christendom would love each other as Christ loved the church and GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT!

May you all have a love-filled Sabbath tomorrow!

Dawn

Pet Peeve

OK. I've been thinking about this post for a couple of weeks--thinking about it and then putting off writing it. I was just listening to one of Dr. Veltheim's videos about how EVERY aspect of our lives affects our health, so now I'm ready to write about this topic.

As you may or may not know, I have been struggling for the past 3 1/2 years to recover from an illness which almost took my life in 2006. It's called shingles on the brain. I realize now that I got to be in that bad shape by stuffing every negative thought and emotion that I had. I can see now that this is a VERY BAD HABIT!

God gave us our emotions to be our guides through life. When we are angry about something, God is trying to move us to some action to make some change that is necessary for our continued growth. By stuffing the anger, we don't make the change; we don't experience the growth that was intended for us; we die a little bit more; AND the anger wears us out and becomes negative energy in our body/minds. This knowledge is giving me the courage to share what I have been holding in for a couple of weeks now.

Well, I have a pet peeve. It is when people say that they are interested in learning about something and then they turn against ME when I share with them what I know in an attempt to help them to learn it. IS IT MY FAULT THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE CHANGES IN THEIR LIVES? IS IT MY FAULT THAT GOD CHOSE ME TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF A BETTER WAY TO THINK, OR DO SOMETHING, OR BEHAVE? IS IT MY FAULT THAT GOD IS TRYING TO MOVE PEOPLE BEYOND WHAT THEIR PARENT'S TRADITIONS ARE AND INTO TOTAL OBEDIENCE? IS IT MY FAULT THAT GOD IS TRYING TO IMPROVE THIS WORLD BY HELPING US TO MOVE BEYOND OUR PETTY DIFFERENCES? IS IT MY FAULT THAT GOD HAS REVEALED GREAT TRUTHS TO ME THROUGH THE GREAT TRIALS I HAVE ENDURED IN THESE 52 YEARS OF LIFE ON THIS EARTH? IS IT MY FAULT THAT THE TRUTH MAKES PEOPLE, RAISED WITH LIES ALL AROUND US, UNCOMFORTABLE????????????????????????????

When I shared this latest incident with Jacob, he with his 14 years of wisdom said, "Mom, people just want to sit on the fence. They don't want to have to dig in deep and learn the truth because then they will have to pick a side and get off the fence. They will have to change their lives!" WOW!!!

I want to be perfectly clear here. I am not pushing any of my beliefs on you. All I'm asking for is this, "If you really DON'T want to know what I have learned about something, PLEASE DON'T ASK ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!! It's a waste of my time, which is poor stewardship, AND it ruffles my serenity.

Please pray for me as I struggle to shed my pet peeves and enter the true bliss of self-control. If anyone has any truly good ideas of how to develop THAT in my life, I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts. I REALLY WOULD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for your patience as I travel on this journey towards wellness!

Dawn

Cranford

We're off to the Dagley farm to help them plan for Prairie Days AND to learn how to write our own wills. Their lawyer neighbor is coming over to share with us and, seeing as this has been on our minds a lot over the years, we will go and see how to take care of this once. Last week, one of Robert's customers had a brother die suddenly. This was the nudge from the Lord that we needed to take this responsibility seriously. More on this later.

Our Sabbath was wonderful. We sang hymns for about half an hour and then I continued reading in BEYOND THE END TIMES. I cannot urge you too much to read this book! We'd be happy to loan you a copy as we have two, if you feel the Lord leading you to the truth in this area of understanding end time prophecy. It's a real eye-opener.

We started studying about Preterism about 10 years ago. Recently, though, Andrew asked if we might revisit this subject as he was so young the first time that we studied it. His comments are a blessing as we revisit this subject. I have become even more impressed with the urgency to help people understand that our very faith is at stake if He didn't come when He said He would!!!!!!!!! Here's the link to the International Preterist Association in case any of you are curious to learn more about this: http://www.preterist.org/

After church we watched Cranford. I should say that the rest of the day we watched the DVD Cranford which I checked out at the Bismarck library. WOW!!! What an amazing story about the need to TELL THE TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I need to get changed to go "Calling," so I wish you a great week in the Lord!!! I'm sharing some old time pictures because, as usual, the British Broadcast Company has once again got me dreaming about the "Good, old days."

In His service,

Dawn