Mommiedaze

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Fear?

Watching the news yesterday I was bombarded with stories about the presidential election, high food and gas prices, war, terrorism, child predators and murders. Everything except disease and pestilence. In this 24/7 world I’m sure somebody, somewhere was reporting on that too.

Interesting and urgent as all those topics may be, none of them are really The Big Story.

FEAR.

That’s the real headline.

Be afraid because if the wrong person is elected president our country will fall apart.

Be afraid because if gas and food prices continue to rise you won’t be able to afford to drive anywhere, heat your home this winter, or feed your family.

Be afraid because wars are raging, people are dying, the world is unstable.

Be afraid because certain fanatic groups want to blow us up and take over our country.

Be afraid because someone out there wants to hurt your children and kill you.

I know there’s bad stuff going on out there. I know people are having a hard time. But spreading this message of fear only begets more fear.

What ever happened to Good Ol’ American Optimism and Ingenuity?

It was one of our most beloved presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt that said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!”

He was right you know.

If we hide under the covers watching the news, gripped with fear, we’ll never get up and fight off the monsters that are coming for us.

Did George Washington and the Continental Congress sit around talking about how afraid they were of King George?

Did Abraham Lincoln just let half the country secede because he was afraid it might start a war?

Did Martin Luther King, Jr. stay silent because he was afraid he might be unpopular?

Two of those three men, Lincoln and King, ultimately lost their lives because they faced their fears. Washington reluctantly became our first president, though he rather would have been relaxing on his country estate.

Every advance our country ever made in democracy, human rights and quality of life happened because courageous people ignored their fears, even when it was against their better judgment. They saw a world that could be better, a country that could be a Shinning City on a Hill.

It is my faith that alleviates my fears, and gives me courage to go on. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Even in these difficult times I know that God will protect and provide. I also know that bad things may still happen, but instead of worrying about them, I forge ahead. There’s always something better waiting out there. God has a plan to fulfill.

Washington, Lincoln and King all believed in God. Perhaps it was this that allowed them to face their fears, and believe there was a brighter future coming. Their sacrifices were not in vain, though Lincoln and King unfortunately didn’t live to see all the results of their courage.

I hope my three-year old son will grow up to love his country. I hope that he will find strength from God to face his fears. I hope that his generation will, as so many Americans before, forge ahead in the face of adversity because there is always the possibility of something better ahead.

Let’s stop being held captive by fear, and start once again pursuing Life, Liberty and Happiness.

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Slash your Grocery Bills with Angel Food Ministries

Gas prices are still going up. Food prices are on the rise. We may have to tap the kid’s college fund to heat the house this winter. (Ha! As if there’s a college fund. I haven’t finished paying off my higher education yet.) If I think about it all too long, I get a little dizzy and have visions of the world coming to an end.

When it comes to gas and energy costs, all you can really do is stop traveling, and turn down the thermostat. But a family still has to eat. The good news is that there is some relief when it comes to food costs.

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit organization that provides affordable groceries to families all over the country. For $30 dollars you can purchase one unit of food that is enough to feed a family of four for about a week. The actual retail value of the food is between $60 and $75. The menu is different every month, and includes both fresh and frozen items. You can purchase as many you units as you want, and there are no income restrictions.

We started participating in the Angel Food program last fall when I learned about it from my MOPS group. It’s saved us quite a bit of money, and I was pleasantly surprised by the items on each month’s menu. Everything from steak to chicken to pork chops. Even convenient and kid friendly foods like tater tots, mac & cheese and chicken nuggets.

Since the menu does change each time, there are months that the packages include more foods we like, and some months when everything doesn’t always fit out tastes. We take advantage of the months when the menu is full of foods that are popular at our house by ordering several units, and filling up our deep freezer and cupboards. Then the next month we might order less. We do still have to buy a few things at the market each week, but we definitely spend a lot less on food purchases.

I know some people might be reluctant to participate, because it sounds too much like a charity. But here’s the thing. Anyone that wants to save money on groceries can participate. It doesn’t matter if you make ten-thousand or a hundred-thousand a year. We could still get by doing all our shopping at the supermarket, but it doesn’t make sense when we can do this, and free up extra cash for any number of things each month.

Now, there are people who participate in the Angel Food program, because it’s the only way they can feed their family every month. There’s nothing wrong with seeking out help when you need it. Besides saving money, I feel like by participating we’re helping to support the program to make sure it’s around for the people who really need it to make ends meet each month. There are also quite a few people who order Angel Food packages to give to someone else who is in need. Thirty dollars a month is a pretty do-able amount for many of us to put toward helping out another family.

I really encourage you to go to the Angel Food website and check it out. You can put in your zip code and find a program near you. Many are located at churches, but you don’t have to attend the church to participate. Give it a try, and see if it works for your family. Even if you don’t participate, spread the word. You never know who might benefit from the program.

Can’t find a program near you? Go here to see how you can get one started in your community.

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Soon the Monkeys will be Pan-handling on the Corner or Zoo Part 1

We went to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo in Indiana yesterday. It’s about a two hour drive from our home in West Michigan, and well worth it. The Fort Wayne zoo is much bigger than the ones closer to home. I grew up in Northern, IN and visited there many times as a kid. A lot of things are still the same, like the giant statue of Mother Goose in the pond and the drinking fountain that looks like a lion with his mouth open. You stick your head in the lion’s mouth to get a drink.

Things have changed a lot too. Not just at this zoo, but all the ones we’ve been to lately. See it used to be when you went, you just paid the gate admission and laughed at frolicking monkeys and wondered if that little man-made ravine was really enough distance between you and the grizzly bear. You might need a quarter or two if you wanted to feed the goats in the petting zoo.

But now, there’s a hundred other things to do at the zoo besides walk through the aviary and hope you don’t get pooped on. Apparently not entertaining enough for the Wii generation, zoos have added all kinds of other activities to their rosters. And none of them are included in the price of admission. There are trains, pony rides, carousels, water rides and sky rides to occupy you when you get tired of watching sea lions dancing for fish. It also costs a whole dollar to feed the goats these days. I thought a gallon of gas was expensive. A dollar for a tablespoon of goat feed? At least posing for a photo on the turtle statue was free.

Oh, we had lots of fun. My son loved the canoe ride and the train. I’m not sure he even spent a minute looking at each animal exhibit, because he was too busy looking for the next thrill ride. By the time we left, we’d spent more on the extras than our gate admission cost.

I know zoos are non-profits, and like everyone else these days, they’re just trying to come up with ways to bring in more money to fund rising costs. But they could be a little more upfront. Perhaps a disclaimer at the gate warning you that the seemingly inexpensive price of admission is really just a way to get you in the door, then they will really sink their teeth into your wallet. Or what about an all-inclusive ticket so you can just pay for it once a not have to keep sticking dollar bills into those annoying token dispensers?

So if you’re headed to the zoo, brace yourself for the add-ons and bring lots of ones. Oh, and watch out for those penguins trying to make a buck washing car windows as you leave the parking lot.

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