Opinion and Commentary

Just my own thoughts and opinions - They aren't intended to start anything, just let my friends and family to get a glimpse of what is going on in my head and my heart.   I started this years ago before "Blogs" were in vogue. 

Many are copies of letters I've sent to Congress or to Talk Radio hosts or posted as comments on Bulletin Boards or in response to an article in a paper or news website. 

                                                       10-11-09

Dear Congressman Barton,

I've just purchased a home in Arlington and have moved from Grand Prairie.  The worst thing politically for me is leaving Kenny Marchant's district.  He might as well had my own "To Do" list in his pocket, he represented me so well!

I have not had time to research your record, but from perusing your on the issues page, I see that you have stated many of my own views. 

I am a Conservative Christian American Single woman.  My prefix is "Miss" (which is missing from your list, so I didn't select anything)  Please do all that is legally and humanly possible to protect my interests as a Fiscal and Social Conservative. 

I will pray for you regardless of your votes, and I will support you politically as long as you represent me. 

God bless you,

Toni

Who remembers this:?

http://www.healthreform.gov/index.html

Here's how I filled it out:

Thank you for sharing your story and sending in ideas about why we need health reform this year.

Share your questions and ideas for changing Health Care for all Americans:

Where is the button for those who DO NOT support the current Health Care Reform? Do we need reform? YES! Do we need a multi-trillion $ overhaul that blows up the whole system and mortgages our future? NO!!!!!!!!

I'd like to buy a policy that will follow me no matter what state I move to. I'd like to have an "A La Cart" method of choosing health coverage, opting out of coverage that is not important to me.  I'd like to purchase health insurance from the best insurer with the best coverage for me regardless of where the company is located. I'd like to buy coverage that is independent of my employer so I have flexibility and mobility. I'd like to limit lawsuits so the doctors have protection from frivolous lawsuits - but still hold them to the highest standards and expectations of modern medicine. Let's PLEASE introduce market forces and common sense into the current plans!!!! Please????

                                                           10-15-09

NFL Enterprises LLC

Attn: Commissioner Roger Goodell

280 Park Avenue

New York, NY  10017

Dear Mr. Goodell,

I am a life long Redskins fan - living deep in enemy territory in Arlington, TX.  I have loved the NFL from my birth - in the shadow of RFK Stadium. 

I have had countless of joyful and heartbreaking hours rooting for my beloved Redskins.  Some of my most favorite memories are sitting on the patio, picking a bushel of crabs clean as we watched the Redskins play. 

Competition, rivalry, sportsmanship - all describe characteristics I love about the NFL. 

Today, however, I am terribly disappointed in the unfounded, unsubstantiated, and slanderous attacks on Rush Limbaugh. 

I am no great defender of his (he has offended me on more than one occasion!), but since when does someone have to prove they DIDN’T say something?  And since when do quotes that are KNOWN to be false get repeated over and over with impunity? 

If there are other, legitimate reasons for rejecting his bid, fine.

But, if you know the slanderous statements are false, man-up and defend a fellow American!

Sincerely,

Toni

                                                February 4, 2009

Dear Blue Dog Leadership,

I am a conservative Christian and I am writing to encourage you to continue to work for a fiscally responsible financial bill.  The hope of a stable economy and future may very well rest in your hands!

I vehemently oppose the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009.  In its present form it is PORK, PORK AND MORE PORK!

I am in the process of purchasing a foreclosed home in TX.  I sure could use a raise and that’s not going to happen in this economy.  But, a TAX BREAK would result in an increase of my disposable income. That works the same as a PAY RAISE!  Please help make the tax cuts broader and permanent.  (I promise to spend my money at Lowes, Home Depot and Wal-Mart!)

It really bothers me when I see my money given away to things that don't work, waste money and that I believe are un-American and unethical (i.e: abortion funding, STD prevention, free contraceptives, ACORN, bonuses for the Fat Cats, universal health care, etc.)  

What ever happened to personal responsibility and self-discipline? (That's a rhetorical question.  I do know the answer.  The root cause of all social problems is SIN and the only answer for sin is JESUS!)

I wish the government would make its budget the same way we honest, hard-working Americans do: spend within your means, take responsibility for your own choices and actions, save for a rainy day and don't go looking for a bail out when times get tough.

When there is a REAL emergency Americans have always unified and gotten through by helping each other.  That should never change!

Keep up the good work.  We will ALL be better off for it!

Sincerely,

Toni

                                                           3-18-09

Dear Speaker Pelosi,

I am a missionary and I work with many, many Hispanic families here in the Dallas area.  They are wonderful people - hard working and family oriented.

The ones who come to this country legally have WONDERFUL lives.  Often, they are doing better than folks that have been here for generations!

However, the ones who come illegally live in constant fear of discovery.  They lie and teach their children to lie.  They are taken advantage of by people who know they won't go to the police and their lives are difficult and stressful.  They miss out on so many blessings because they are living in the shadows, afraid to come into the light.

Yes, something needs to change.  We need to make it quicker and easier to apply for legal entry and streamline the process.  BUT WE DO A DISSERVICE TO EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWS THE RULES TO PUT THE ILLEGAL RESIDENTS AHEAD OF THE ONES DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY!!!!!!!!

The only way that illegal residents will restore their self respect and dignity is to go back and do it the right way.  But we must make it possible for them to do it right and not get hung up in red tape and bureaucracy. 

Following the rules and enforcing the law is NOT un-American!  I learned in grade school not to cut in line and to play fair.  I have that same expectation of others - especially of my government and its leaders. 

If the law is wrong, don't turn a blind eye or praise people who break it - work to change it!  You are certainly in a position to do just that!

Forced deportations are not really necessary anyway. 

If they can't enroll their children in public schools, if they can't be hired, if they can't rent an apartment, they will leave on their own.  ESPECIALLY if they know that if they return home and follow the rules, they can come back in a relatively short amount of time and enjoy all the benefits of legal status and everyone will be better off for it!

I'm not saying turn people away from hospitals or deny sanctuary to true refugees, but we MUST teach people that obeying the law and living right brings blessings and benefits.  That is a spiritual truth as well as part of the real American Dream. 

Thank you for your consideration of my message. 

Sincerely,

Toni

I sent this to the "Tech-savy" White House Web site and DIDN'T EVEN RECEIVE AN AUTO REPLY!!!!

Dear Mr. President:

I am purchasing a foreclosed home in TX.

I have by-passed "free" first time home buyer grant money and I'm doing it myself.

I make a very small salary and I'm getting ready to buy a house that's less than $100K. 

I know, an infinitesimal amount compared to the numbers you see, but, I sure could use a raise!

I won't get it from my job in this economy. How about a permanent tax break? I promise to spend it all at Lowe's or Home Depot! 

Thank you. Toni

I have noticed that many of the congressional webstites require that you select a Title, yet few of them offer "Miss" as a choice. 

I usually select nothing, or if it's required I select Admiral or General - and then include a disclaimer in the body of my letter. 

I am definitely not a "Ms." since I don't like ANY of the historical connotations of that title - despite it being in common usuage now. 

Here is my Take After the Election: 

I believe that the root cause of ALL social problems is SIN. 

Given that; I also believe that Spiritually speaking, McCain got it wrong and Obama got it right:

It’s GOD First.    And, WE NEED CHANGE!

PRAY FOR REVIVAL!   FOCUS ON THE ETERNAL! 

(That’s why I’m in ministry and not politics.)

God bless you and God Bless America!

Love,

Toni

I was playing off the two campaign slogans: "Country First" and "Change, Change Change"

I was trying to make the point that, although I LOVE my country, I still believe it should always be "God First" in our priorities. And Change (as in renewal and revival) is the work of the Holy Spirit and is ALWAYS to be prayed for and sought after.

I found a number of verses that encouraged me enormously and I thought I'd share them here:

Seek first God's kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.

Matthew 6:33 (New Century Version)

God, King of Israel, your Redeemer, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, says:

"I'm first, I'm last, and everything in between.

  I'm the only God there is.   Who compares with me?

  Speak up. See if you measure up.

From the beginning, who else has always announced what's coming?

  So what is coming next? Anybody want to venture a try?

Don't be afraid, and don't worry:  Haven't I always kept you informed, told you what was going on?

You're my eyewitnesses:   Have you ever come across a God, a real God, other than me?

  There's no Rock like me that I know of."    

Isaiah 44:6-8 (Message Version)    

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:1-2 (Message Version)

As he (John the Baptizer) preached he said, "The real action comes next: The Star in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will change your life. I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out." 

Mark 1:7-8 (Message Version)

Jesus heard about it and spoke up, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out."   Luke 5:31-32 (Message Version)

The Lord has told you, human, what is good; he has told you what he wants from you:  to do what is right to other people, love being kind to others, and live humbly, obeying your God.   Micah 6:8 (New Century Version)

Jesus answered, "What's written in God's Law? How do you interpret it?"

The man said, "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself."

"Good answer!" said Jesus. "Do it and you'll live."  

Luke 10:26-28 (Message Version)

When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is:

Fear (respect & honor) God and keep His commands, because this [is for] all humanity.  

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Before the Election I posted this on YouTube

prompted by Laura Ingraham:

Hi, My name is Toni and you can find me at www.MissToni.com 

I have a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  I also have a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. 

I have worked with a mission in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for over 15 years and I am absolutely convinced that the root of all social problems is SIN and the only solution for sin is Jesus Christ. 

I am single and I have been faithful to my future husband, so I - like Sarah Palin - know a little something about "walking the walk and not just talking the talk" even when it is costly, difficult and goes against the pull of the culture. 

Drawing on my experience, education and personal convictions - I am supporting John McCain and Sarah Palin. 

Thank you and God bless you!

Nov 2009 

It's almost Veteran's Day, and I just wanted to say THANK YOU! and GOD BLESS YOU! to our service men and women.  I am in awe of you!  Words will never be enough, but I'd like to share an image:

I don't know if you saw "American Carol" or not, but I was moved to tears by one of the last scenes (No, seriously! Real tears.)

They showed a long line of soldiers spanning American history - from the Colonial Patriots until today.  It really was quite moving. 

America is forever in your debt!

First, I believe that the root cause of ALL social problems is SIN.  America needs a Spiritual Revival FAR more than it needs ANY political party or program!

That being said, I do participate in the political process.

After a mock election in their school, the kids I teach asked who I was voting for. They were shocked when I said McCain. I explained this way; Rights, Freedom, Liberty, Justice, Prosperity, Security... They are all MEANINGLESS if one is deprived of LIFE!  I vote PRO-LIFE first, then look at the other issues. Stated that way, the "self-evident truth" did not escape the children. They got it. It wasn't "above their pay scale" at all!

Responding to the question: Is Obama the Anti-Christ?

True Believers will not "accidently" follow the Anti-Christ.

Real Christians voted for him and are supporting him and are praying for him.

I couldn't get past his pro-abortion positions, but, now that he is President-Elect, I will pray for him as well.

I pray that if he is a Christian, as he claims to be, that his heart will be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit when he is out of line with God's Word.

However, more to the point of your question, I do think that it is entirely possible that this is the beginning of the end for the United States as we know it. America is not clearly identified in end-times prophesies, so if it needs to decline or disappear, this very well could be the opening of the "last act."

I try not to get into many End Times discussions because it really is all in GOD's hands - He has a plan and a timetable that we know NOTHING about. He is still on the Throne and I know that He will direct the paths of all who trust in Him and acknowledge Him. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

My thoughts on Abortion

I realized that a fetus was an independent person using just my common sense in 9th grade biology. (Anyone remember all those genetic characteristic lessons? Hair & eye color, widow’s peak, rolling your tongue, blood type? I’m sure we all got similar hand-outs.) 

Anyway, I had to ask my mom what blood type we all had. I learned that my Mom had Type O blood and I have A+.

Well, I didn't change to A+ at birth, so it stands to reason that I have been A+ since conception with a separate blood type and circulation system in utero. Hello? What does THAT tell you? (no medical degree required.)

It defies common sense to think that a pre-born human, with his own circulation system, brain activity, etc., lacking nothing more than time and nourishment to come to full term can be considered anything less than a BABY!  Far more precious than puppies, kittens or baby seals - as cute as they are.

The difference is whether or not they are wanted. If so, then, "she's having a baby." If not, then it's tissue or a fetus or some other way to mask the truth; IT'S A BABY. A HUMAN BABY!

When will America awake and put an end to this tragedy?! When will we leap to the defense of the defenseless - with at least as much passion as the PETA crowd?

Many aborted babies could have lived outside the womb given new technology and medical advances since 1972!

I’d settle for everyone agreeing AT LEAST to support a ban on Third Trimester abortions – but even that seems to be too much to expect from the so-called “enlightened” left!

And along those lines, where are the Women's Rights groups when girl fetuses are being selectively aborted for sex selection?  Isn’t that gender discrimination of the deadly sort?

And, how is it “preventing” birth defects when what you’re really doing identifying and is aborting "defective" babies? Where are all the advocacy groups then?

And where are the cries of racism when the majority of abortions are performed on brown and black skinned babies?  Check out a very sad web commercial at http://www.abortionracism.com/index2.htm (Don’t worry - no gross pictures.)

Abortion is a Human tragedy of epic proportions! 

God help us!

"Man made global warming" =

The HEIGHT of ARROGANCE!!!!

The Modern Day Tower of Babel

There are legitimate scientific, political, economic, and even spiritual reasons to promote good stewardship of our planet.

Recycling, re-purposing, re-using, restoring, renewing . . . these are all good and noble efforts to reduce cost and environmental impact of industry.  Restrictions and regulations are useful tools in promoting the general welfare.  I don't advocate abdicating our responsibility of caring for our world. 

But, give me a break! 

MAN MADE impact on a PLANETARY scale?!?   Did they check their common sense at the door?

Clearly there is climate change.  Sometimes rather dramatic.  I'm old enough to remember magazine covers predicting the newest Ice Age.

We should, by all means, study climate change CAREFULLY, compare with the BEST researchers - gain the BEST knowledge possible to make the BEST decisions possible. 

To do any less would be IRRESPONSIBLE.

But, to start from a position that climate change is MAN-MADE and then cherry pick (or fake) data to support your theory is REPREHENSIBLE and FRAUDULANT.

The original post was about a scientist who already believed in man made global warming and DIDN'T QUESTION THE DATA because it supported his position.   THAT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!!   That's not science at all!

People have bought into this scheme - hook, line and sinker!

NO BAIL-OUT!  Figure out a WORK-OUT and make people responsible for their own choices! Add accountability and oversight and we will go far to solve the current crisis and prevent future ones!

When companies make money, the executives get big fat salaries and bonuses; when they go bankrupt, the U.S. taxpayer covers the debt!?!

If these companies know that no matter how many bad loans and investments that they make that the government will bail them out, what is to stop them from continuing to do so?

When I was young and stupid and $15,000 in credit card debt, I worked 3 jobs, ate Raman Noodles and NEVER spent money on entertainment until I got out of debt.  Yes, I stuggled but, I LEARNED MY LESSON!  I haven't carried a balance forward on a credit card in years and NEVER WILL AGAIN!

I just want all vets everywhere that when I see you, my heart swells with pride and I often get misty. 

When it's possible, I maneuver close to you and say from the bottom of my heart, "THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!"

I hope you can see it in my eyes - I am so proud of you and everything you stand for. 

In the same way I would NEVER judge all service personnel on the behavior of a few bad apples, I hope you will receive the thanks of a grateful nation in spite of those who seek to diminish what you have done. 

God bless each and every one of you and those who love you!

"The question, then, becomes this: Is it really worth trillions of taxpayer dollars over 90 years to perhaps reduce global temperatures by 0.13-0.18 degrees Celsius?"

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299419,00.html

I finally found the link to an article that started me thinking about the absurdity of the claims of Man-Made Global Warming and the ridiculous lengths that the environmentalists are willing to go with little or no impact on global climate change. 

Don't get me wrong - I am absolutely in favor of common sense regulations to limit pollution and negative impacts of man on nature. As I posted before, it is our responsibility to protect and preserve our environment and exercise good judgment in the care and stewardship of our planet.....BUT.....

Laws and regulations costing Trillions of dollars that are harmful to the economy - with no meaningful impact on global warming

What can we do about it if people (and many Congressional leaders) choose to blindly follow what the MSM and global warming wackos say, instead of relying on reason?  

To cschneider@cbs.com  9-17-06

SHAME ON YOU! I was so happy to see that your broadcast had a delayed start on Sat. night so I could see the baseball highlights. Michael Young's 200th hit, Chone Figgins hit for the Cycle, Alfonso Soriano joined the 40-40 club  and a 12-6 Ranger victory.  This is what I got: Chuck Fisher: "One non-football note tonight, Rangers win 12 to 6 in Arlington over the Angels."  Cliff Caldwell (sarcastically) "Whoo whoo" and then they both laughed.   Great sports coverage, guys. (NOT!)  Alfonso Soriano, still a Ranger fan-favorite, joins the elite 40-40 club, Michael Young and Chone Figgins make history and all you can say is Whoo Whoo?

Again, Shame on you!

Prayer is not the LEAST we can do.  It's the MOST we can do!

Letter-writing, calling, talking, emailing, Tea Parties, marches, petitions . . . They all have their place to effect change. 

BUT THIS COUNTRY NEEDS A REVIVAL - PRAY FOR CHANGE AT ALL LEVELS!  AND, LET IT BEGIN IN ME!