Governor Palin Heart to Heart in Haiti It's Christmastime. The lights, the carols, and the beautifully wrapped packages are all part of the sights and sounds of this magical holiday season. To some, Christmas is the shepherds, the magi riding their camels, and the angels singing “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). But we must not allow the sights and sounds of the season to take away from the true meaning of Christmas. As I thought about all of the gifts that would be given and received during this festive holiday celebration, my thoughts drifted far away to Haiti to the recent compassionate visit by Governor Sarah Palin, her husband Todd, and their daughter Bristol, as volunteers with Rev. Franklin Graham's humanitarian outreach, Samaritan's Purse. Following the January 2010 catastrophic 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti, the photos and news from that nation have been mind-boggling. The images have been inescapable from the quake-cracked structures to wars and rumors of wars to a deadly cholera epidemic. Gov. Palin and Bristol Palin comfort a cholera stricken infant in Haiti Yet in the midst of this country's great devastation, Governor Palin and family reached out to hundreds of Haitians by sharing comforting smiles, speaking kind words, lending helping hands, opening compassionate arms, and yes, even distributing Christmas gifts.  Governor Palin distributes Christmas gifts to Haitian children while volunteering with Samaritan's Purse As the Palins and other volunteers were lovingly handing out gifts to Haitian children, Rev. Graham commented that, "For most of these kids it is the first time they've ever had a gift in their life. Some... just sat there and didn't know what to do."  He went on to say, "It just breaks your heart. But at the same time it fills your heart to know that there's so many people behind this program that have prayed, that have worked, that have given." "The kids don't have much", observed Governor Palin, "yet they have smiles and they're looking around for... I think for some little bit of compassion that the rest of us can provide." "It's quite sobering, puts things in perspective, reminds us as Americans who have so much, that we were put on this earth to reach out and help those who are less fortunate", Governor Palin tells Fox News Channel's Greta Van Susteren after seeing the devastation first-hand. The Palins, Greta Van Susteren, and Rev. Graham inside one of the 10,000+ Samaritan's Purse shelters Shaking my thoughts back to the present, I pondered how over the past few days and weeks, the stores were crowded with shoppers who purchased many gifts that will be placed under Christmas trees. As these gifts are opened, there will be lots of bows, wrapping paper, and boxes strewn around the tree—all because this is the season for giving gifts. But as we open gifts in celebration of Christmas, let us remember that Jesus lived and died for one purpose—to redeem the world from the devil’s tyranny. God gave his greatest gift, His only Son, and we can pass the gift on by following Governor Palin's example of giving of ourselves to those in need.    

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!

  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!

  "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.”   

  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

      It takes more than horsepower to win the world's longest toughest snowmachine race over an unforgiving Alaska landscape, just ask four-time Iron Dog Champion Todd Palin. Drivers also need skill, knowledge, and the determination to stay in the race.  Iron Dog contendors also race with perseverance. Perseverance means “the ability to bear difficulties calmly and without complaint.” Perseverance keeps going and moving forward no matter what opponents say or do.  I once heard someone describe perseverance as "stick-to-it-ness".        Todd Palin is a world class snowmachine racer Four-time Iron Dog Champion Todd Palin   Team #22 Davis/Palin ready to hit the Iron Dog Trail, the longest toughest snowmachine race in the world Like her world class snowmachine racing husband Todd, 2008 GOP Vice Presidential nominee Governor Sarah Palin personifies perseverance. No matter how the mainstream media elite, the liberal political pundits, the late night talk show hosts, or even the nosy neighbor peering through a wooden fence may slander her, Governor Palin consistently perseveres. She forges ahead endorsing commonsense conservative candidates, speaking the truth with boldness at fundraisers and rallies, and shares personally from her heart at pro-life events without giving a fleeting thought to inevitable media backlashes and hit-pieces. In contrast to the Iron Dog Champion's perseverance and Governor Palin's "stick-to-it-ness", how then shall we describe the liberal agenda of this generation? It is like children calling to their playmates: "We wanted to play wedding, but you didn't want to be happy; so we wanted to play funeral, and you didn't want to be sad. So, in other words, what DO you want!?  What would make you happy!?"  The answer is, sadly, NOTHING! You might as well not even try, and thus Governor Palin does not TRY to accommodate the liberal agenda.  No doubt she provokes furious responses from those who oppose, but at the end of the day, I am certain that their spitting, their foaming at the mouth, their wide-eyed carryings-on leave them confused as to why they are going so insane over the self-proclaimed hockey mom from Wasilla. Here's how I'd like to apply it to commonsense conservative freedom-loving Christian Americans. Jesus said in John 15:18-27 that the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his Lord. If they were so offended with the Master, do you really think Governor Palin, a woman of devout Christian faith, can get by without getting anybody riled up? Well, she CAN'T.  In fact, she does everything exactly right, and she does it well, and humbly, and patiently, and with a good motive... and the liberal elite get so upset that they blame her for every ill on the planet. According to them, she must have had a hand in planning the September Attacks in 2001 and the Wall Street plunge last fall. She is the one causing the ice caps to shrink! She caused the deadlock in Congress, she engineered the Bird flu virus in her basement, and in their minds, there never WILL be peace and security as long as Governor Palin is on the loose. (Yes, it really is as Mahalia Jackson sings in Sweet Little Jesus Boy:  That's just the way things are down here below).  Silly, isn't it?     Gov. Palin with FL AG candidate Pam Bondi Endorsing Miller for AK US Senate Campaigning with Nikki Haley for SC Governor So what do we do? We vote for Palin-endorsed commonsense conservative candidates on November 2nd. We smile with both good humor and a heart of trustfulness, and pray, "Dear Lord, You know—much better than we do—how things are 'round here. Continue to give Governor Palin the bold strength to expose the socialist agenda seeking to take over our country. Protect her from the scornful enemies who plot to stone her dead! Keep her alive and her voice loud, Lord, and send her as many faithful supporters as can be gathered together across the nation. And one more thing dear Jesus: HEAL THEM ALL!"