“And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…”  (I Chronicles 12:32) Never would I describe myself as a great theologian, a professor of God fascinated with historical events of Biblical proportions. I’m far from it. My faith is rather simple. God said it. I believe it. Jesus did it. I receive it. That settles it. But somewhere along the way of my private personal pursuit of God and all things Holy, the twelve tribes of Israel and their various identities caught my interests. One tribe in particular had a unique identity. The Tribe of Issacher were men who understood the times which gave them great wisdom and knowledge (I Chronicles 12:32). They were aware of what was going on in their day and in their lives, but they also knew what to do about it. The timing of God is KNOWING and DOING. Once you know His plans and purposes for your life, you can confidently go forward putting them into action. He will make you time sensitive so you can cooperate with His guidance. I remember reading a story that came out of the hippie era at Haight-Asbury in San Francisco about an overdosed young man who wrapped an alarm clock around his arm with duct tape. All it had was twelve numerals and a face but no working parts. People would stop him and say, “Hey, what time is it”? He would stare at the clock and say, “It’s RIGHT NOW man, that’s what time it is!” The time is RIGHT NOW for we who support Governor Palin. Like the Tribe of Issacher, we are aware of America’s time and we know what to do about it. We know what is taking place on Capitol Hill, and We the People are the voices (and votes) needed to steer our nation toward conservative principles such as smaller government and energy independence. It is 2010… a new year, a new day, a new beginning. We have the opportunity this year to stop that out-of-control liberal socialist machine during the mid-term elections. Purpose in your heart to stand up for our nation alongside Governor Palin by letting your voice and vote be heard. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Get in the game! The time is NOW.     

  The gloves were off and the game was on in Madison, Wisconsin on Tax Day, Saturday, April 16, 2011 where Governor Sarah Palin declared, "And the 2012 election begins here... Mr. President, game on!" during a rousing speech aimed at the debacle of Obamacare and other left-wing policies crippling the American economy. Governor Palin's supporters were out in droves-- and in the sleet and snow-- to see the woman they believe (and I do too) will be the next President of the United States. In true Sarah-style, she wowed the crowd with her message of American exceptionalism and "we can do it" spirit. The following is Governor Palin's speech in its entirety as written on her Facebook page, with photos added by me for emphasis. ____________________________________________________________________ Hello, Madison, Wisconsin! You look good. I feel like I’m at home. This is beautiful. Madison, I am proud to get to be with you today. Madison, these are the frontlines in the battle for the future of our country. This is where the line has been drawn in the sand. And I am proud to stand with you today in solidarity. I am here today as a patriot, as a taxpayer, as a former union member, and as the wife of a union member. What I have to say today I say it to our good patriotic brothers and sisters who are in unions. I say this, too, proudly standing here as the daughter of a family full of school teachers. My parents, my grandparents, aunt, cousins, brother, sister – so many of these good folks are living on teachers’ pensions, having worked or are still working in education.   A pension is a promise that must be kept. Now, your Governor Scott Walker understands this. He understands that states must be solvent in order to keep their promises. And that’s what he’s trying to do. He’s not trying to hurt union members. Hey, folks, he’s trying to save your jobs and your pensions! But unfortunately some of your union bosses don’t understand this, and they don’t care if union members have to be laid off. No, they want to protect their own power, and if that means forcing a governor to lay off union workers, then so be it; they’ve proven that is fine with them. But that’s not real solidarity! Real solidarity means coming together for the common good. This Tea Party movement is real solidarity! Well, I am in Madison today because this is where real courage and real integrity can be found. Courage is your governor and your legislators standing strong in the face of death threats and thug tactics. Courage is you all standing strong with them! You saw the forces aligned against fiscal reform. You saw the obstruction and the destruction. You saw these violent rent-a-mobs trash your capital and vandalize businesses.  Madison, you held your ground. Your governor did the right thing. And you won. Your beautiful state won. And you know what – people still have their jobs because of it! That’s courage. And that’s integrity. And that’s something that’s sorely missing in the Beltway today. Because let me tell you what isn’t courageous: It’s politicians promising the American voters that, as we drown in $14.5 trillion debt, that they’re going to cut $100 billion out of this year’s budget. But then they cave on that and they reduce it down to $61 billion after they get elected. Then they get in there and they strike a deal and decide, nah, they will reduce that down to $38 billion. And then after some politics-as-usual and accounting gimmicks, we find out it’s not $38 billion in cuts. You know that $38 billion – we don’t have it; we’re borrowing it. We borrow from foreign countries to give to foreign countries, and that’s insanity. We find out it’s not even $38 billion; it’s less than $1 billion in real cuts. Folks, that $352 million in real cuts – that’s no more than the federal government is going to spend in the time it takes us to hold this rally today! That is not courage; that’s capitulation! Now, there’s a lesson here for the Beltway politicos, something they need to understand; the lesson comes from here in Madison. So, our lesson is to the GOP establishment first. And yeah, I’ll take on the GOP establishment. What more can they say about us, you know?  So, to the GOP establishment: if you stand on the platform, if you stand by your pledges, we will stand with you. We will fight with you, GOP. We have your back. Together we will win because America will win!  We didn’t elect you just to re-arrange the deck chairs on a sinking Titanic. We didn’t elect you to just stand back and watch Obama re-distribute those deck chairs. What we need is for you to stand up, GOP, and fight. Maybe I should ask some of the Badger women’s hockey team—those champions—maybe I should ask them if we should be suggesting to GOP leaders they need to learn how to fight like a girl! And speaking of President Obama, I think we ought to pay tribute to him today at this Tax Day Tea Party because really he’s the inspiration for why we’re here today.  That’s right. The Tea Party Movement wouldn’t exist without Barack Obama.  You see, Candidate Obama didn’t have a record while he was in office; but President Obama certainly has a record, and that’s why we’re here. And hey, media, it’s not inciting violence and it’s not hateful rhetoric to call someone out on their record, so that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to do it to be clear. That’s right: we’re here, we’re clear, get used to it!  Candidate Obama promised to be fiscally responsible. He promised to cut the deficit; but President Obama tripled it!  Candidate Obama promised that fiscal responsibility; but President Obama flushed a trillion dollars down the drain on a useless “stimulus” package and then he bragged about the jobs he “created” in congressional districts that don’t even exist! That’s right; on this, White House, you lie. The only thing that trillion-dollar travesty stimulated was a debt-crisis and a Tea Party!  Now, the left’s irresponsible and radical policies awakened a sleeping America so that we understood finally what it was that we were about to lose. We were about to lose the blessings of liberty and prosperity. They caused the working men and women of this country to get up off their sofas, to come down from the deer stand, get out of the duck blind, and hit the streets, come to the town halls, and finally to the ballot box. And Tea Party Americans won an electoral victory of historic proportions last November. We the people, we rose up and we decisively rejected the left’s big government agenda. We don’t want it. We can’t afford it. And we are unwilling to pay for it.  But what was the president’s reaction to this mandate for fiscal sanity?  Less than 90 days after the election, in his State of the Union address, President Obama told us, nah, the era of big government is here to stay, and we’re going to pay for it whether we want to or not. Instead of reducing spending, they’re going to “Win The Future” by “investing” more of your hard-earned money in some cockamamie harebrained ideas like more solar shingles, more really fast trains – some things that venture capitalists will tell you are non-starters. We’re flat broke, but he thinks these solar shingles and really fast trains will magically save us. So now he’s shouting “all aboard” his bullet train to bankruptcy. "Win The Future"? W.T.F. is about right.  And when Wisconsin’s own Paul Ryan presented a plan for fiscal reform, what was Obama’s response? He demonized the voices of responsibility with class warfare and with fearmongering. And I say personally to our president: Hey, parent to parent, Barack Obama, for shame for you to suggest that the heart of the commonsense conservative movement would do anything to harm our esteemed elders, to harm our children with Down syndrome, to harm those most in need. No, see, in our book, you prioritize appropriately and those who need the help will get the help. The only way we do that is to be wise and prudent and to budget according to the right priorities.  Now, our president isn’t leading, he’s punting on this debt crisis. The only future Barack Obama is trying to win is his own re-election! He’s willing to mortgage your children’s future to ensure his own. And that is not the audacity of hope. That’s cynicism!  Piling more debt onto our children and grandchildren is not courage. No, that’s cowardice!  But did you notice when he gave that polarizing speech last week there was a little gem in the speech. Maybe you missed it. But he spoke about the social contract and the “social compact.” Well, Mr. President, the most basic tenet in that social compact is adhering to the consent of the governed. That would be “We the People.” President Obama, you do not have our consent. You didn’t have it in November. And you certainly don’t have it now. You willfully ignored the will of the American people.  You ignored it when you rammed through Obamacare.  You ignored it when you drove up the debt to $14.5 trillion.  You ignored it when you misrepresented your deficit spending.  You ignored it when you proposed massive tax increases on the middle class and our job creators.  You ignored is when you went to bat for government-funded abortions and yet you threw our brave men and women in uniform under the bus, Mr. Commander in Chief.  You ignored it when you got us into a third war for fuzzy and inconsistent reasons, a third war that we cannot afford.  You ignore it when you apologize for America while you bow and kowtow to our enemies, and you snub our allies like Israel.  And you ignore when you manipulate the U.S. oil supply. You cut off oil development here and then you hypocritically praise foreign countries for their drilling.  And when hardworking families are hit with $4 and $5 a gallon gas and your skyrocketing energy and food prices as you set out to fundamentally transform America, you ignore our concerns and you tell us we just better get used to it.  Well, Mr. President, we’re not going to get used to it. Not now. Not ever. You ignored us in 2010. But you cannot ignore us in 2012.  Mr. President, you and your cohorts threw all the hatred and all the violence you could at these good folks in Madison, Wisconsin. But you lost here.  And Madison, you defended the 2010 electoral mandate. You are heroes, you are patriots, and when the history of this Tea Party Movement is written, what you accomplished here will not be forgotten.  Your historic stand brought down the curtain on the last election. And the 2012 election begins here.  We will take the courage and the integrity that you showed all of America. We will take it and we will win back our country!  God has shed His grace on thee, America. We will not squander what we have.  We will fight for America! And it starts here in Madison, Wisconsin!   It starts here! It starts now! What better place than the state that hosts the Super Bowl champs, to call out the liberal left and let them know: Mr. President, game on!  God bless you, Wisconsin, and God bless America!

  Submitted by ClarkAK I once heard a description of Margaret Thatcher that's stuck with me all these years - "Everyone is against her, except the People". The same is certainly true of Sarah Palin - "Everybody is against Sarah Palin (Except the People)". Seemingly it's Sarah against "all of the powers that be". I admire and respect Sarah Palin tremendously. She is an honorable, decent, God-fearing, pro-life woman who has been vilified for being all of these things. Thankfully I'm not held captive to liberal network news presentations and biased newspapers and magazines anymore. Truth has no agenda with me. And the truth is that Sarah Palin is a true American spirit whose heart bleeds red, white and blue. She has the typical American family, and has a son who courageously served in our US military.  She is a woman of sincere faith, and has a strong moral compass, from which she won't waver. She is so grounded in the Constitution that it will always be her guide in leading the country. Her love for America joyfully and effortlessly pours out of her. She wants what's best for our country and yet some people just hate her for the sake of hating. Go figure. Sarah Palin shares a laugh with family gathered on her parents' lawn in Wasilla, AK (Photo: TLC) Never dismiss a person with character. Governor Palin is full of selfless grace and dignity. She has expressed more than once that if there is someone else out there who she believes knows how important it is to fight for freedom and to protect our Constitution, she would support them for President. With all due respect to Governor Palin, my answer is - "There is no one else out there Sarah! Please run for the sake of our nation and our children's future!" True reform has to come from without since the insiders resist all attempts at breaking the status-quo and their own selfish self-interests. As Palin noted during her recent speech in India, "Too often, Republicans have the fighting instinct of sheep." Insiders never do what they promise they are going do. They never fix any problems and care more what the media thinks of them then the people who voted for them. Sarah Palin is a threat to every over-educated, elitist, upper crust, insider in DC. Their ability to take shots at her comes as easy as taking their next breath. But the truth is, if she were elected president, their lofty-throned lives would be forever changed. The fear from the Left is obvious and predictable. The Left is scared of strength, because they know they can't bully and defeat it. Sarah Palin is not only strong but intelligent and they hate that. But, there's fear also from the entrenched armchair Beltway Republicans. Fear that Governor Palin will win and take away their power-cookie jars. This is what happened to the Alaska's 'Corrupt Bastards Club' after she won in 2006. They scurried deep into the shadows like cockroaches when Sarah became governor. Among her many other achievments, remember folks, she cut spending when Alaska had a surplus. That kind of practical thinking scares the moose snot out of big government wanna-bees. Many Republicans have the fighting instinct of sheep. (Except when it comes to fighting against Sarah Palin running for President) When Republican snobs like George Will and Charles Krauthammer feel compelled to join the liberal chorus and insult Governor Palin, they also insult middle America. They don't think like us or for us. To them, Sarah is "The One Who Shall Not Be Named" in their suave Foo-Foo cocktail parties and a more dangerous threat than Obama and the Democrats. How revealing that GOP elites echo the Left's same talking points in attacking Governor Palin. I'm still waiting to see any substantive criticism of Palin from any of them. What policies has she advanced that doesn't stand up to their critical analysis? How come these so-called "conservatives" tear down the one person that stands up for the same principles that they have professed to stand for as well? At my age and with my 'hard-knocks' life experiences, I don't need a George Will, Karl Rove or Politico to tell me what to believe, or to instruct me about their version of 'conservatism'. I used to think these talking heads researched and came to their conclusions based on facts and principles. Not any more. That train left the station long ago. When a housewife-turned-politician runs circles around you, steal your base out from under your noses and make you all appear like idiots on issue-after-issue it's time to hang up your hat. Sarah is an existential threat to Washington because they will never own her. Run, Sarah, Run!! I want a president who can delegate and manage, and knows enough to seek out the proper consultants. Governor Sarah Palin has the background, expertise and most of all the moral fortitude to take a stand to do all this and preserve America as Reagan's "shining city on a hill." I trust her 100% that she would do what she was elected to do. That is to be a conservative first and foremost. April 19th marks the 237th year anniversary of "the shot heard around the world". The first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War erupted at the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. I support Sarah no matter what she and her wonderful family decides, but should she decide to run for president, this would truly be a second "shot heard around the world." Everybody Is Against Sarah Palin (Except The People). I stand with Sarah Palin! I like the odds!  Sarah Palin: We Need To Restore America

  "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power..." (I Corinthians 2:4) Not one to just talk-the-talk but instead to walk-the-walk, Governor Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, demonstrated their belief in God's abundant life by giving birth to a precious baby boy with special needs. Trig Paxson Van Palin made his world debut on April 18, 2008 at the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer, Alaska. Gov. Palin and her son Trig soaking up some sun in Arizona on November 5, 2008 "The moment he was born... my heart overflowed with joy... I felt a love I had a never felt before and a compassion I didn't even know was there... Trig is a miracle", Gov. Palin often says of her fifth child. Speaking to more than 9,000 at the Women of Joy Conference in Oklahoma City on April 15, 2011, Governor Palin made it known in no uncertain terms that when it comes to Trig, "There are our standards of perfection, and then there is God's standard of perfection." Women of Joy worshipping the Lord in Oklahoma City where Gov. Palin made the keynote speech Governor Palin continued demonstrating God's goodness to those present with her encourarging faith-building words of wisdom. The following are excerpts from her message of exhortation: "Your passions and interests were given to you for the service of others and our Creator.” “In Matthew [Chapter] 5, Jesus taught something… ‘Bless those who are hurt and mourn’, and He said they would be comforted… they’d be blessed… when people insult… and make things up about you, or say false things because of His Name.” “Jesus’ blessings are directly tied to getting out of self and risking our hearts in service to others for His sake. That is what our purpose is, and He didn’t promise it would be easy.” Gov. Palin demonstrating God's power and grace to Oklahoma's Women of Joy “Our road… I know the Palin’s road, hasn’t been easy… if you were to ask people like my parents or your parents if their most important growing years were their easiest years, they would tell you ‘no’, because with trial and struggle comes significance and the power to live with purpose.” “My prayer for all of you through this conference, starting tonight, is that this year you’ll really hone in on seeking opportunities to focus on taking the steps forward into what God’s prepared for you…  to grow more tender to Jesus [and] to really listen to his voice… forgo any role of victim to pursue the role of visionary.” “You’ve got to learn to deal with unnecessary criticism because the critics will always be there.” Dance, Sarah, Dance! “The bottom line, gals, is to be a ‘woman of joy’, you might as well dance.”   

Review of Our Sarah: Made in Alaska by Adrienne Ross  I had the honor of reading an advance copy of Our Sarah: Made in Alaska, written by Sarah Palin's father and brother, Chuck Heath, Sr. and Chuck Heath, Jr. Below is my book review of their intimate story of the person who captivated America upon becoming the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. While many have only seen her through the biased lens of the mainstream media, the authors take us beyond that veil, allowing us to see who Sarah Palin really is and how that person came to be. - Adrienne Ross How often have you embarked upon a reading journey only to find yourself so captivated by the words on the page that putting the book down is not an option? If you're lucky, you might encounter such a scenario a handful of times throughout your years. During these experiences, we allow neither hunger, responsibilities, nor sleep to pull us away because we find ourselves glued to the words on each page. These moments, though refreshing, are extremely rare. Our Sarah: Made in Alaska was one such moment for me.When it comes to Sarah Palin, everyone has a narrative, an impression, an opinion--and most have expressed them. Indeed, the verbiage on the subject is without parallel. But who would you rather hear from--those who claim to know her, or those who know her well, who have seen her at both her weakest and strongest moments, and have shared a lifetime of memories with her? Chuck Heath, Sr. and Chuck Heath, Jr. have promised readers an intimate look into the life of this political lightning rod who has captured the minds, if not the hearts, of all of America. They delivered. While many view her, and thus refer to her, as the former governor of the remote state of Alaska, her father and brother's vantage point is much closer--so close, in fact, that they're able to do what most, even her most ardent supporters, cannot do: refer to her, in earnest, as "our Sarah." The magic they have performed, however, is that the pages of their book, which hold the chapters of Palin's life, convince us that we on the outside are in that same place of familiarity, or, at the very least, that it's well within our reach.I had been curious about the logistics of how Chuck, Sr. and Chuck, Jr. would co-author a book in which they shared family experiences. For example, how would they refer to certain people? Would Mrs. Heath be "Sally" or would she be "Mom"? Would Sarah be "my daughter" or "my sister"? Simple things like that grabbed my curiosity. The style they chose was perfect. Through alternating chapters, each author is able to share his own reflections and emotions surrounding a particular event, as he remembers it and as he feels it.Though she is the subject of the book, and not the author, Sarah's spirit is very much there, from the first page. She penned the foreword, and like a tour guide, she leads us as we set out on the journey. But then she withdraws, handing us over to the capable leadership of authors she trusts. Trusting them, however, did not shield her from feelings of apprehension when they decided to write the book, and she candidly tells readers why she was conflicted.I began the reading with the knowledge that the father-son team intended to provide stories of family adventures, Sarah's foundation of faith, and the influences that brought her to the place where she now stands. Yes, I found those things. What I also found was that Our Sarah is every bit their story as it is the story of their daughter and sister. The quotations they use to open each chapter provide evidence of that; while they highlight words that she has spoken, they also highlight their own. I grew to understand them more through the things they experienced--some joyful, some quite painful. Chuck, Sr., in particular, gives a heartwarming depiction of his upbringing and the regrets with which he's had to live. Palin refers to her brother, Chuck, Jr., in Going Rogue as "all boy." The sense of adventure he inherited from his father is evident in Our Sarah, as he continues to enjoy activities that he enjoyed as a youngster. By allowing readers to view them so intimately, they provide a closer view of Sarah. No doubt, both father and son would tell us she has impacted their lives, as she has the lives of many, but through the experiences they detail, it is obvious that she is who she is, in large part, because they are who they are.   Chuck Heath, Jr. and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giluiani campaign for the McCain - Palin ticket in 2008 In Our Sarah, Chuck, Sr. and Chuck, Jr. give us a look into a family that worked hard, played hard, and loved hard, with details of each. Their portrayal of both Sarah Heath and, later, Sarah Palin confirm the belief that, should she ever choose to do so, she could walk away from political life, remain in Alaska, and be every bit as happy. Alaska is in her, just as the lessons she's been taught there, through the lifestyle she's received there, are in her. She doesn't need the national stage, but it has managed to get in her as well. She chooses to live the life she lives--not out of a need to be center stage, but out of a desire to make a difference. The authors inform the readers that even at a young age, big things seemed to be on the horizon for Sarah, and they tell us of people who, during the course of her upbringing, recognized her as someone "special," someone who just had a certain "something," and someone whose destiny called for greatness. They don't belabor the point, but it's certainly there.Our Sarah took me through the full gamut of emotions. In the span of neighboring pages, I found myself seething with anger, laughing uproariously, and weeping uncontrollably. I was riveted while reading just how close death was at different times, and moved at how far away answers to life's biggest questions sometimes were. I saw the frustration of both a protective brother, as he realized that there were battles he could not fight for his younger sister or shield her from, and a dad, as he observed his daughter so viciously wronged. Sarah's brother and father show us their lives and her life, so ordinary that as I read of their regrets, challenges, and questions, I thought of my own. Though we're all so very different in background and experiences, it's all quite familiar. The range of emotions, therefore, is only natural. Readers who have fixated on how different they are from Palin should be prepared to come away realizing something else altogether.Sarah Palin's father, whose love for the great outdoors took him and his growing family to the Last Frontier, was eager to find rewarding work, satisfying adventures, and robust competition. Their family of athletes learned to push themselves to the limits, and they reaped the rewards of perseverance and hard work. As I turned the pages of Our Sarah: Made in Alaska, I became increasingly aware that Palin did not arrive at such heights of personal and professional achievement by accident. Chuck, Sr. and Jr. show us how Sarah grew up with a competitive spirit, a stubborn streak, and dogged determination. Concerning sports, it was tenacity, not just talent, that brought her the success she enjoyed. She refused to give up. This didn't dissipate as she got older and faced bigger challenges. She enjoyed greater successes with seemingly insurmountable odds. Her own self-determination and hard work, coupled with her ability to garner the support of others, propelled her into a career of public service that eventually propelled her onto the national stage. Her faith in God, though it was misrepresented and ridiculed on the campaign trail, remain at the forefront of her life, something she inherited from her mother, Sally. And this is the first time, at least as far as I know, that Chuck, Sr. opens up about faith, as he transparently tells of the impact of God and church on his wife and children.Never before have I read a book that so passionately details the events of a life that it made me want a do-over. These authors stirred that within me. As I read, I began to feel that I had been cheated as a child. An upbringing in the cold wild of Alaska is not what I'm talking about. Snowmachining, hunting, and hiking sound wonderful, but that's not what I'm talking about, either. What the authors manage to do is adequately describe how they view the world around them, which they see in a way that I could not fathom as a child. Admiring mountains and lakes and the history contained in them never dawned on me when I was a kid. Getting up before school and hunting was certainly not something I ever did. Neither did it ever cross my mind that others were doing it. Even as a youngster of faith, I never led a group of my peers at school in prayer. Reading their details of this kind of life, the kind that Sarah enjoyed, made me wish I could go back and do it again, do childhood again, and do it the Heath way this time--with the adventures, the expectations to work, and the deep family bonds. Granted, it wasn't all fun and games in their family. There were hardships, too. There were risks, estrangement, discovering dead bodies--and almost becoming one. But their account of their upbringing sounds like truly living to me. Their book makes me want to love deeper, dream bigger, and run faster--literally and figuratively. I already knew much of Sarah Palin's fascinating life story, and I didn't think there was room to grow in my respect for her, but this intimate look, through the distinct perspectives of two of the closest people in her life, made me respect and admire her all the more. I do not know if that was the authors' intent, but they certainly accomplished as much.Of course, Chuck, Sr. and Chuck, Jr. take us through the 2008 vice presidential candidacy. Where were they when they learned she was Senator McCain's running mate? Did she ever drop a hint before then? What stood out at the start of her RNC speech? These answers are all in Our Sarah, along with deeper things like what causes resentment to build in a father and what causes it to melt like the snow at the end of an Alaska winter. Turning pages, I recognize names of people in the grassroots and blogosphere who have made an impact on Sarah and her family, promote her cause, and continue to provide support since the 2008 election, and I am reminded that she, like they, never forget even the little people who help along the way.Our Sarah helped me understand the humility that Palin exemplifies, as well, in spite of her fame and success. Chuck, Jr., having been a gifted football player, relates one of his favorite lessons from his father: "When you get to the end zone, act like you've been there before." Sarah epitomizes that type of grace. Never one to toot her own horn, you get the distinct impression that she takes everything that has occurred, particularly since 2008, in stride--the instant celebrity, the fortune, the opportunities. She's made it into the end zone, but she never spikes the ball. She acts like she's been there before. She acts like she belongs. Through the stories relayed by her father and brother, we see that she has been there and she does belong. With every early morning hunt, every basketball practice, every mile run, every child born, every sign-waving gathering, every campaign, and every speech she stepped into that end zone, and she learned how to handle it well because of her character, which was carved out of those lessons taught, people encountered, and experiences lived.Our Sarah: Made in Alaska lives up to its promise as an intimate look into the various adventures, challenges, and influences in the life of Sarah Palin. I couldn't put the book down. It inspired me, it fed my curiosity, and it left me wanting more. Glancing at the cover, before reading a word, I sensed the aura of family, home, and love that I also found waiting once I opened the book and began reading. Chuck, Jr. is not pictured on the cover, which I admit I find a questionable publisher's decision for a book that pictures both his co-author and his subject. However, on the cover or not, Chuck, Jr. is very much present within the pages of the book, as is his father, and, of course, as is his sister. The more I read, the more I connected with Sarah Palin and her family. The more pages I turned, the more deeply I understood who she is, not through the ill-intentioned--or even well-meaning--words of someone who doesn't really know her, but through the words of two people who have known her all her life and whose book has helped to make their Sarah our Sarah as well.Our Sarah: Made in Alaska will be released on September 25, 2012. The People for Palin thanks our friend and colleague, Adrienne Ross, for sharing her book review with our readers. We highly recommend following Ms. Ross's blog, Motivation Truth.        

Known by its Athabascan name “Denali”, meaning “Great One”, majestic Mount McKinley is located in Alaska’s Denali National Park.  With a peak at 20,320 feet high, Denali is the tallest mountain in the United States.  History tells us that the first settlers are believed to be nomadic hunters and fishermen who developed villages and fish camps on the rugged terrain, and by the early 1900s, settlers came to Denali for the prospect of finding gold and striking it rich.  President Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act on July 7, 1958 which made Alaska the 49th state of the United States of America, and Old Glory was proud to boast seven rows of seven stars. Despite the destructive earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck south central Alaska on Good Friday in 1964, hard working Americans with pioneering spirits from the Lower 48 continued to pack up their belongings and move north to Alaska in search of adventure and a better life.  Chuck Heath, Sr. and his family from Sandpoint, Idaho were no exception. Can you imagine what the Heath family thought as they soared above the Rocky Mountains and the Yukon in a Grumman Goose marveling at the lofty summits and snowy peaks of the Land of the Midnight Sun?  Never becoming dismayed at the enormity of their challenge or the uncertainty of their future, the young family pressed onward to Skagway via Juneau when others would have turned around and headed back home. Just as the Heath family encountered physical mountains upon their move to Alaska, our nation today is confronted with figurative mountains:  energy dependence, illegal immigration, socialized healthcare, record-high unemployment, disregard for the unborn, the debt crisis, and the war situation.  These troubling issues can seem daunting and permanent.  Never learn to live with a mountain of difficulty.  Instead, like the Heath family, move forward in faith without fear or intimidation.  As Chuck, Sr. moved his family into a small house in the tiny town of Skagway, he had no way of knowing that his infant daughter, Sarah Louise, would grow up to be a city councilwoman, a mayor, a governor, a vice presidential nominee, a best-selling author, and a serious contender for the American Presidency. Fast-forward to Fairbanks on July 26, 2009, as the infant daughter is now Governor Sarah Palin bidding farewell to the Alaska governorship by wholeheartedly thanking its citizens for allowing her to serve and challenging the media to respect freedom of speech and honor the American soldier by, “Quit making things up.”  Governor Palin may have walked off that Fairbanks stage into an unknown political future, but she had mountain-moving faith in that, “The steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord.” (Psalm 37:23)  Governor Palin stepped out of one realm and into another as she has effectively endorsed common-sense conservative candidates like Alaska’s Joe Miller, Washington’s Clint Didier, and California’s Carly Fiorina, who are ready to take the U.S. Sentate by storm, and gubernatorial candidates like Iowa’s Terry Branstad, South Carolina’s Nikki Haley, and New Mexico’s Susan Martinez who are principled leaders and know what is right for their state. Encountering mountains--- difficulties, problems, hardships, the unknown – in life is inevitable.  Like the Heath and Palin families, we all come across them.  Some of our “mountains” are big like the Rockies, and some are as intimidating as Denali. The secret to moving mountains is to never become separated from our statement of faith.  We must keep our words connected to our faith as we stand alongside Governor Palin to take our country back in the 2010 mid-term elections.  America’s best days are ahead, and there ain't no mountain high enough that can't be conquerored as we move toward conservative victory in 2010!