A LITLE MEANS A LOT

I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY. MY HEALTH IS GOOD, MY FAMILY IS FINE, AND, FOR THE MOMENT I STILL HAVE A JOB. NOT EVERYBODY CAN SAY THAT. THINGS ARE TOUGH, AND DURING THE HOLIDAYS FOR MANY FAMILIES THEIR SITUATION BECOMES LIKE AN OPEN WOUND. YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK AND ASK YOU, OUR LISTENERS,TO GIVE WHATEVER YOU CAN, WHETHER ITS MONEY, A GIFT, FOOD, WHATEVER TO A CHARITY. IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A BIG THING. BUT IT ISN'T. EVEN AFTER CHRISTMAS,FAMILIES CONTINUE TO SUFFER. IF EVERY ONE US DONATES JUST 1 FROZEN TURKEY, OR JUST 5 DOLLARS (WHICH IS ONE FAST FOOD LUNCH), OR PICKS UP A SIMPLE 10 DOLLAR ITEM AT A STORE, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. PLEASE SLOW DOWN FOR 1 MINUTE IN THE NEXT 9 DAYS-LOOK AROUND, APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE. YOU'LL FIND ONCE YOU DO THAT, ITS A LOT EASIER TO GET SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER MEET. MERRY CHRISTMAS

IT'S TOUGH OUT THERE

My good friend lost his job in July because of cutbacks. Recently my company decided to change our vacation policy. For me it meant losing 2 weeks of vacation a year. My boss asked me how I felt about that. I said, "Well, I still have a job and I am thankful for that. It's happening everywhere, and it doesn't surprise me." Some people are really upset about the change in policy. I get that-but we all have to slow down and look around. Our country's unemployment rate is skyrocketing, and you know what-nobody is hiring people. In the big picture, those 2 weeks of vacation mean nothing. We have all had to make sacrifices of one kind or another with our job. A radio talk host in Minneapolis was asked to take a 10% cut in pay to limit the number of layoffs the station would have to make. He said yes to that in a heartbeat. So if your company is asking you to do more with less, or forgo a bonus, or take a small cut-it could be a lot worse.
Think of my good friend. And I bet you have a good friend who has been affected as well.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

IT WAS SAD TO REPORT FOCUS ON THE FAMILY LAID OFF 149 PEOPLE BECAUSE THEIR DONATIONS ARE DOWN THIS YEAR. THE ECONOMY CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE AND PEOPLE ARE BEING VERY CAREFUL HOW THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY. I'M SURE DONATIONS ARE DOWN AT MANY ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY. AND TO HAVE IT HAPPEN JUST BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS MAKES IT ALL THE MORE PAINFUL. THE TOPIC OF FOCUS ON THE FAMILY'S POLITICAL ACTION ARM CAME UP DURING THE PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING THE LAYOFFS. THE GAZETTE REPORTED THEY SPENT SOME $500 THOUSAND DOLLARS ON AN ISSUE IN CALIFORNIA CONCERNING GAY MARRIAGES. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THAT MONEY IN RELATION TO OTHER DOLLARS FOCUS HAD AT ITS DISPOSAL, THE REPLY FROM A FOCUS OFFICIAL WAS "IT COMES FROM A DIFFERENT POT OF MONEY" AND IT WOULD NOT HAVE HELPED. FOCUS ON THE FAMILY CAN CERTAINLY DO WHAT THEY WANT AS A BUSINESS. BUT WHEN THINGS GET TO A POINT WHERE YOU ARE LETTING PEOPLE GO ON THIS SIDE OF THE BUILDING BECAUSE DONATIONS ARE DOWN, SHOULD YOU CONSIDER SPENDING CUTS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING WITH FOCUS ON THE FAMILY ACTION? FOCUS CONSIDERS FOCUS ACTION AN IMPORTANT TOOL IN SPREADING THE WORD ON RELATIONSHIPS AND MARRIAGE, FAMILY, AND FAITH. I'M SURE IT IS, AND PERHAPS BECAUSE OF TAX ISSUES AND SUCH YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MOVE MONEY FROM ONE POT TO ANOTHER. HOWEVER, GIVEN THE FORECASTS FOR A DOWN ECONOMY FOR THE NEAR FUTURE, SHOULD FOCUS ON THE FAMILY PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON ITS EMPLOYEES HERE IN THE SPRINGS, AND THEIR EFFORTS TO GET DONATIONS BACK WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE THE LAYOFFS? FOCUS ON THE FAMILY IS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION-NO QUESTION. BUT THE PAIN BEING FELT HERE IN COLORADO SPRINGS OVER 149 GOOD PEOPLE LOSING THEIR JOBS HURTS. AND FROM COLORADO SPRINGS, ITS TOUGH TO SEE THE RESULTS OF WHAT A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS MAY HAVE BOUGHT YOU IN CALIFORNIA.

Politics

Hi Everybody,

So Barack Obama went to Washington to meet with President Bush. I read where the President wasn't happy to learn that some of his conversation with Mr. Obama was already leaked to the press. Mr. Obama needs to remember loose lips sink ships. This will be a much different Presidency for obvious and not so obvious reasons. I like the fact that Mr. Obama has hit the ground running. What worries me is, if the American people think Mr. Obama can go to Washington and immediately fix all that ails the country, many citizens will be in for a shock. The President is like the quarterback of a football team-he gets too much credit when the team wins and too much blame when the team loses. The stakes are so much higher with the 1st year of Mr. Obama's presidency-The collapse of many institutions on Wall Street, The Economy, 10 million Americans currently out of work. There is much to be done. The blame goes to both sides of the aisle. But the view must be forward and not in the rear view mirror. Mr. Obama has everything going for him, a majority in the House and in the Senate. The country is watching and waiting. The Democrats have wanted control and now they have it. The game looks easy from the sidelines. Its much different when you are on the field.