The Rules Are the Rules: Government Shuts Down 11-Year-Old's Cupcake Business!

The Rules Are the Rules: Government Shuts  Down 11-Year-Old's Cupcake Business - dailycaller.com

Excerpt from this article:

"The government has pulled the plug on an 11-year-old Illinois baker’s oven. A day after a local newspaper ran a story about the young and ambitious Chloe Stirling, who operated a cupcake business out of her parents’ kitchen, the local health department came calling. 'They called and said they were shutting us down' ...”
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During my 9 year career as a healthcare worker I've taken care of  countless people with cancer - including many like this 11 year old 'would-be' businessperson. To paraphrase Mark Levin, you should view the Illinois Health Department with the deepest contempt you can possibly imagine!

By the way, I wonder if there are any 'Rules' that state that a politician has to read a $1.1 trillion bill before they vote to approve it? (see: Who Read 1,582 Page $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill? Congressman: Nobody Did!)

Recommended reading:

I Want to Grow Hair, I Want to Grow Up, I Want to Go to Boise! - Children Surviving Cancer, by Erma Bombeck:

Was John Calvin the 'Father of Capitalism?'

 Stocks End Higher for Sixth Straight Week, Tech Leads - Reuters

The Bible does not say that money is the root of all evil. At least my Bible doesn't say that (I use the Authorized King James version!).  It does say that the 'Love" of money is the root of all evil though.  The Bible says:

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil (I Timothy 6:6-10, emphasis mine).

But our Lord Jesus has a lot say about money. Here are just two examples:
 
"Again I tell  you that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 19:24

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust do corrupt and where theives do break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust doth not corrupt and thieves do  not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21

I think it is a true saying that our Lord Jesus talked more about hell than he did about heaven, and he talked more about money than he did about both heaven and hell combined!

I think Jesus is totally opposed to the materialism of our age (and the poor can be just as materialistic as the rich!). But Jesus is not opposed to money. He is opposed to the love of money, which is a big difference.

The Bible says:

"But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his kingdom which he swore unto thy fathers." - Deuteronomy 8:18

We had a missionary couple speak at our church recently, and they said that on average, it costs about $40,000 a year to support a 'boots on the ground' missionary in a foreign country. That money is not going to come from people living on welfare who spend their money on cigarettes and beer and Lottery tickets. Chances are much of this money will come from people who work, and save, and invest their money wisely, so that they have extra to give to the Lord's work here on earth.

One of my relatives was in the banking industry for many years. She used to say, 'Invest in the Lord, for the returns are out of this world!'

Recommended reading (articles by Dr. Don Sweeting)

Celebrating the Legacy of John Calvin - Pastor, Preacher, Reformer, Church Planter Part 1

Celebrating the Legacy of John Calvin - Influencer of Culture, Government, Economics, Education, Part 2
Celebrating the Legacy of John Calvin - Theologian, Author of The Institutes, Part 3

Further recommended reading (my posts):

Calvinism Refuted - And Defended!
The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Go Hungry

Are All Car Salesmen Sleazy?

Recently someone wrote a letter to the newspaper comparing  politicians to 'sleazy car salesmen.' The following day the wife of a car salesmen wrote a letter to the newspaper defending what her husband does and criticizing this former letter writer for stereotyping car salespersons as 'sleazy.'

I'm sure most car sales people are decent people who earn their living in an honest way providing a service that people need. But there are a few bad apples that spoil the whole pie. Let me tell you about a recent experience I had with car salesmen.

Over the period of 6 months I got 4 letters from a particular car dealership saying that because I had done such a good job paying my bills on time, I qualified to either get my current car loan refinanced at a lower rate, or to trade it in on a newer car. Each time I got one of these mailings I called up the dealership, told them I was happy with my car, but that I would like to refinance at a lower rate. And each time they said, 'Well, we really can't refinance your car, but we can get you into a really good deal on a new car!'

Then about 2 months ago I got another mailing from this same car dealership. It said that I had positively won 2 of the following prizes: The first one was $10,000. I knew I wasn't going to get that one.  I think the second one was a Hawaiian vacation. I knew that was not going to happen.  I don't remember what the third one was, but the fourth one was a fishing pole. I thought maybe this is worth looking into. I was going to buy a fishing pole anyway.

So I went down to the car dealership. I told the salesman that I was happy with my car and I just came because the flyer said I had won two prizes. Well, first of all he told me I had to come back the next day. OK whatever. So I came back the next day and I sat quietly in my chair while this man badgered me with every sales technique known to man.  I told him no at least 20 times. He just would not take no for an answer.

Finally, after another 90 minutes of hammering away at me, hoping to break down my sales resistance, he went and got his sales manager. I was expecting to be able to calmly tell the sales manager that I was not in the market for a new car, that I just came down to collect my free prize. But the sales manager was more pushy than the first salesman. The sales manager even tried to lay a guilt trip on me, suggesting that I was wasting their time coming in when I was not really serious about buying a car. Unbelievable!

And you know what the worst part of this was? I never did get my free fishing pole! I got a couple of scratch tickets which turned out to be worth zero, and I got a Wal Mart gift card for $10.  It is sales people like these that give politicians a bad name. Or is it the other way around?