When Illusion Meets Reality

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas, got all the presents you wanted, spent time with family and friends and didn't eat too much yummy food.  Another Christmas is almost over, but the memories will stay with us until we celebrate again next year.  Let us not forget to be thankful each day for our Lord.  Let us never fail to talk with him, seek out his guidance in our lives and his loving protection as we go about the next 365 days.

We are happy, healthy, blessed and very thankful.  We take nothing for granted.  Sweet hubby, sneaky sweet elf, was very sneaky this year.  He gave me scented candles, which I always like.  He gave me gift cards.  But the sneaky part was that hubby gave me not one, but two, beautiful necklaces for Christmas.

I don't wear a lot of jewelry any more, but I do always wear a necklace.  These two necklaces are beautiful.  I will wear them proudly and regularly because 1) they are given with love from the love of my life;  2) they are made by crafted hands and are works of art'  3) they are made from elements created by God and mined from the earth that he created - gold, emerald, diamond.

I read at another blog, I can't remember where now, that many people this year are ashamed to tell people what they get, hesitant to tell what they have, because elements of our society and politics have made success a negative thing, a thing to be ashamed of. 

For some reason those in Washington have vilified anyone who works hard and makes it on their own and conversely lifted up those who have less, as if the successful somehow robbed those less fortunate.  Those who have worked hard to educate themselves, to get a good job, to keep a good job, to pay their bills and live within their means are shamed because everyone isn't equal.

Well everything isn't equal, it never has been and never will be.  I will wear these necklaces proudly. 

For some reason this reminds me of something Mark Steyn said.

What happens when reality kicks some Liberal's lofty illusions in the teeth?  You have a collision of illusion and reality, and it's not pretty.  Listening to Mark Steyn filling in for Rush Limbaugh this week was pure joy.   The first caller was a woman named Shannon I think, who called herself an "educator".  She made some stupid comment that "war never accomplished anything".  Other callers, along with Steyn, proceeded to 'educate' the educator that, in fact, war has accomplished much including the creation of this great nation. 

Steyn said that the t-shirt Shannon was probably wearing with the peace symbol on it wouldn't do anything to protect her when evil knocks on her door.  That's when illusion meets reality.  This analogy could be used for any number of silly statements and actions by the Left.  It's easy to live in ivory towers, spouting niceties, but when reality hits those illusions we see how rice-paper thin they really are.

This kind of thinking is one of the problems the United States is suffering from today -- illusions.  Illusions that everybody has a right to job, home, insurance, car, internet, HDTV, and on and on.  By right the Progressives actually mean every person must have everything, but somebody must pay for all of this.  Illusion meets reality again.

At some point most of you reading this will get tired of working and having a third or more of your income taken away to provide for the rights of others.  This can't go on forever. The few cannot continue to carry more and more of a nation's burden on them without snapping. 

Be proud of what you have, you worked for it, you earned it.

 

Comments

[Cristy Li]

Great Post

[Layla Gonzalez]

Merry Christmas Debbie. I am happy for you and your gifts are beautiful. Enjoy wearing them. They are well earned and deserved.

My apologies before the new year begins to you and Mr. Grouch. Can't take it back, but maybe just begin anew. I was wrong to get angry at someone I do not know and it does not matter really in the end, it was how I reacted and what I said that showed that I am human and frail and the tongue is as unruly as the Bible states.

I hope you both forgive me and even if not, God bless you both and I really do still pray for you all every day, and I truly am thrilled for you Debbie that you have such a wonderfully loving husband - that makes your gifts all the more precious.

I hope you don't delete this. None of us is perfect and we all make errors and mistakes, I am big enough to admit I am wrong. No neither of you owe me a darn thing and that is fine-I know that. But I just wanted to make my peace before the year closes and the new one embarks.

God's blessing to you and yours and may your life continue to prosper and be full of love, happiness, joy, and love.

Humbly,
Layla

[R.J. Godlewski]

"She made some stupid comment that 'war never accomplished anything'."

Again, may I quote Starship Troopers (1997):

Dizzy: My mother always told me that violence doesn't solve anything.
Jean Rasczak: Really? I wonder what the city founders of Hiroshima would have to say about that.
[to Carmen]
Jean Rasczak: You.
Carmen: They wouldn't say anything. Hiroshima was destroyed.
Jean Rasczak: Correct. Violence has resolved more conflicts than anything else. The contrary opinion that violence doesn't solve anything is merely wishful thinking at its worst.

[Debbie]

R.J.: Exactly correct. You should have heard this woman. You should have heard the comments. They put her to shame.

[Jenny]

RIGHT ON, RIGHT TRUTH and the wonderful Debbie! This is such a great post, jam-packed with the truth EVERYONE needs. This rebellion against success is simply rebellion against God. God commands us to do whatever our hand finds to do, with all our might ... which in the natural course of events, will secure success ... not only financial but in other areas of life as well. I often tell my children, the good stuff is all the way down in the middle of anything you decide to do or believe in. Don't skate around the fringes, hoping to catch a glimpse or a whiff of the rich pickings. Get in there, get your feet wet and your hands dirty, and clean up on all the goodies there are to be had in life! And your GORGEOUS necklaces are a perfect example of that. Because you have CHOSEN to honor God with your life, He has blessed you with a loving husband and material comforts. AS IT SHOULD BE. Success, prosperity, riches of all varieties are not to be hidden in shame but celebrated and openly enjoyed. Praise God for the means, the wherewithal, and the opportunity to work and succeed.

Because it was on that account that I was given my dream Christmas present: the camera I wanted. And with that I shall take pictures that may even lead to more material success. Who knows? It's a free country.

God bless you, dear Debbie! Glad you're feeling better and so happy for you that you had a sweet Christmas with your love.

[Debbie]

Christi Li: Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful little girls. I hope all is well with you.

Jenny: I'm so glad you got the camera you wanted and will enjoy seeing the beautiful pictures you take.

I got sweet hubby a Canon Rebel EOS T21. It's a heck of a camera. He has been reading the manual and learning about all the capabilities it has.

Merry Christmas to all.

[Trestin Meacham]

As someone that is seeing Third World poverty first hand, I have to agree with your post. Their poverty does not come from our success, it comes from corruption and laziness.

[New Attitude]

Trestin, it is great to hear a firsthand view of the truth. Evil and corrupt government has done more to kill and starve their own indigenous peoples than any other single factor. Liboturds like Michael Moore blame capitalism. Capitalism has fed, housed, and clothed more people than any other economic system the world has ever had. Capitalism combined with our Judeo/Christian values and freedoms in this country has created opportunities for everyone and anyone to succeed.
Oh, and great post Deb!

[Debbie]

Trestin: Thanks for that. I hope you are safe there, do take care.

The Left seems to think everything is a trade off. If you have a nice *whatever*, that must mean somebody else has to do without something, ... WRONG!

Because you have a nice "whatever* it means several people had jobs creating, producing, selling that item.

New Attitude: Well said. The opportunities are there for everyone here in the US. As hubby says, it has a lot to do with decisions we make along the way.

Thanks all.

[Angel]

you deserve the stunning jewelry girl...nice post too..wer'e snowed under big time in NYC!!!

[Debbie]

Thanks Angel. I've been watching the snow in your area. We've had snow all weekend.

[planck's constant]

I thought I posted this earlier, but it did not take:

Merry Christmas Debbie, thanks for visiting.

Those who are not successful and blame it on those who are may as well blame rainbows for the gloom in their lives as if the coruscating colors in the sky were taken from their now darkened dwellings.

Enjoy your success.

[Debbie]

Layla: I just found your comment in the "spam" folder and have published it. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and an even better New Year.

I notice you have a new blog, I'll be over to check it out.

Happy New Year.

[scentedcandlelover]

Scented candles are a great way to escape through aroma therapy, scents can bring back old memories and create new memories aswell and the best of both worlds is being able to get a quality scented candle and not have to pay for the "quality" prices.