Christmas dinner is over, our guests have all left, full to discomfort but carrying armfuls of leftovers for later.  We missed being with and having family with us, but our neighbors joined us and we had a great time and a delightful meal.

I can't help thinking how little we give thanks for what we enjoy each Christmas, and how we fail to celebrate the life of Him who makes it all possible.  We came to His birthday party and we are the ones who get the gifts.  He has been giving us the best gift for over 2000 years, and somehow we fail to give Him the thanks he deserves.

While we have a lot of things in this country that we complain about, and a lot of things we need to change, one of the things we really need to do is get back to our Christian foundations, and recognize why it is that we live in the best country on earth, in spite of its faults.  We can correct the faults, but only if we recognize who it is we must please to be allowed to make the needed changes.

In 2008 we will all have to decide who it is that we want to bear our standard and be our political leader.  We will have to do our homework in order to make the right decision, and sadly, too few of us are willing to do the work, but instead will be led around by the nose by the news media or opinion columnists.

I support Ron Paul, but I know why I support him.  I didn't come to this choice lightly, but have studied his background and his record as a legislator.  I find myself in agreement with him on about 99% of the issues, and the 1% where I don't fall in line with him is insignificant.

If you are leannig toward a particular candidate, look into his record, not his campaign pledges.  Discover whether you and he agree on the issues that matter most to you and our nation.   If taxation is an issue, how did he do in this area, whether as governor or as a legislator, what is his position on your right to keep and bear arms, what is his position on the right to life, where does he stand on the gay marriage issue, How does he feel about socialized medicine, as planned by Hillary, or for that matter any involvement by the government into our medical choices.  Does he have a plan to solve our illegal immigration problem or is he for some sort of amnesty?  Does he want smaller government or does he want to increase the size, as George Bush did? 

All of these and other questions should be in the forefront of your mind when you make your choice before the caucuses or  your states primary. 

I'm tired of voting for either a Democrat or a Democrat light, and most of those we have to choose from are not true Republicans, but RINO's Republicans In Name Only.  If the choice we get in 2008 comes down to "the lesser of two evils" count on me not to participate.  I have voted for the lesser too many times.  In fact, Ronald Reagan is the ONLY president I voted for that I felt good about when I did it.  At least I know in my primary I will have a chance to vote for a candidate I can truly feel good about, even better than I did about Reagan.  I may not get a chance to vote for him in the general election, but it's not because I didn''t study all of the candidates first.