A few truths...

First truth:  If you give a man a fish he eats for a meal. If you teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime.

Jobs that rely on the government as an employer can't be sustained. It's a bandaid at best. If you can empower small businesses - or even large corporations - to be able to grow without fear of regulations and restrictions and tax implications then you can create TAX PAYERS instead of people who are dependent on more and more government spending.

Second truth: If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, then will I hear from Heaven and heal their land.

What was the first thing people did during/after 9-11? Pray. There was a resurgence of people turning to God. Yet... here we are ten years later and we are excluding prayer from the memorial? How quickly we forget.

Third truth - for the man in front of me in line at Dollar General yesterday: While you're buying cat food and sharpie markers - two purchases I wholeheartedly support - you might think about picking up a little deodorant. I can show you where it is. And... DG also sells cough syrup that might help with that phlegmy cough that you insist on directing toward me.

Fourth truth: If you fall and cut yourself before you leave the house to go pay for your insurance, stop and take a minute to wipe the blood off of your arm and maybe put on a bandaid so that I don't have to gag and heave while I clean it off my desk. We don't have rubber gloves at the office.

Fifth truth: It's one thing to leave skid marks on a gas station restroom that can be hosed down. It's quite another to leave them in your insurance agent's bathroom. Your mama doesn't work there. Clean up behind yourself. And a courtesy spray of lysol would be appreciated. Or maybe next time you should hold it until you get home.

Sixth truth: I raise rebels. I don't mean to. I consider myself sort of a conformist. Maybe. Austin left for school yesterday dressed neatly in a golf shirt and nice jeans instead of his usual bleach stained tshirt and pajama pants. I should have known something was up. It was "dress disaster" day at school... kids were supposed to dress as crazy as they could. My child, the non-conformist, did his best to do the opposite. It's the best he's looked all year.

Seventh truth for my teenager: I own you. I own your bed, your phone, your tv, your game system. Sue owns the building and I am legally obligated to her. You have nothing. Therefore, until you have your own name on a lease or deed or mortgage somewhere, you will not have the freedom to keep your room just this side of an A&E special.

Eighth truth for me: you are not strong enough (any more) to lift a twenty pound sack of cat litter. You will pay for it for days and days afterwards. You can pretend to be fine but your spine knows the truth.

It's Friday. I'm tired. I *might be* just a tad cynical as the week has worn on. I am having horrible stomach pain from the meds that make my other joints not hurt. So it's achy hands and feet or achy belly. I'm not sure which I prefer.

We have a new staff member starting on Monday. I was so excited that D hired someone that I hugged her. I really did. Later, my co-workers told me I was too eager and was going to scare her off. Hehe.

Alllll I know is that Lord willing, I'll be back in this nest in 12 short hours. Have a great Friday y'all!