You ask us to comment on what it means when the scriptures say that a
man who intends to build a tower must first sit down to count the cost.

To me, it means a couple of things, at least.

One, on a national level, we have overspent.  We could debate about
what areas of national life have included overspending, but the fact
remains that we have overspent.  I don't agree with Ron Paul on lots of
things but on that I agree: we can't continue to spend beyond our
ability to back it up.  The most obvious place to cut would be on those
special interest authorizations which go to states, at the behest of
their legislators...earmarks.

We are in danger, as a new poster stated today (Jan. 2) in being
"financed" by those who do not have our interest at heart, i.e. Saudi
Arabia, China, and others like that.  Just as we send valuable
technical goods to China,  information from which COULD be used by the
Chinese to hurt us in the event of war,  we allow the Chinese and Saudi
Arabians to "bail us out" and get control of our financial
institutions.

On a personal level, this scripture means that I must be circumspect
about spending.  I can afford no more "earmarks" in my private life,
any more than in the nation's life.  But if the $l00 a barrel oil
announced today becomes $300 a barrel (Lou Dobbs' speculative
prediction today on CNN with Wolf Blitzer) none of our circumspection
is going to cut it.

In other words, we have to rely on the Lord to "fix it" no matter what
efforts we make.

Fix it, dear Lord!

Mariel