It Happened to Me

Recent events reminded me of a life lesson learned long ago and far away.
My brief and reckless rebound marriage to my second wife had resulted in huge amounts of debt before she left me and all the debts.
I was frantic.
How could I make my financial ends meet?
I even worried about my ability to pay child support to my first wife, who also was struggling with our two children and another child with her new husband.
Then, as I forlornly sat, watching the televised Spring General Church Conference from the darkened back row of the chapel of the Zionsville (Indiana) Ward (congregation), I heard one of our Priesthood leaders promise us that the blessings of Heaven would pour out to us if we paid an honest tithe and increased our fast offerings.
When he first spoke this counsel, I shrugged it off as not applying to me and meant only for others.
After all, I already was paying an honest tithe as well as paying what I thought was a more than adequate fast offering, and still was mired in mountains of debt.
Besides, why should Our Father in Heaven help me out of a situation that resulted from my own poor choices?
Then, he said it again, and I slowly began to pay more attention.
Finally, I realized that this counsel applied directly to me.
Still lacking conviction in the outcome, I nevertheless gulped hard and vowed to triple my fast offerings.
It was a tremendous leap of faith for me to do that, because simple math showed that any increase in my expenditures only would make my personal financial disaster much worse.
And so, each payday thereafter, I first paid my tithes and then my tripled fast offerings, but not understanding how my financial plight could be resolved without an unforeseen influx of large amounts of money from a heretofore unknown source.
I wondered if and how that would happen.
Time passed, and I continued to abide by my promise to the Lord, all the while also doing my absolute best to be an extremely frugal money manager.
Then, after the end of the year and as I was doing my annual tax returns, I suddenly realized that I now was completely debt free and living completely within my means.
It just didn't seem possible, and I frenetically checked and rechecked my budget and tax returns, over and over again.
It simply was true that, while I was continuing to struggle but faithfully paying my tithing and increased fast offerings, the Lord quietly answered my prayers and blessed me so much that I could scarce believe or receive it all.
It was and is a lesson in personal responsibility and faith that I shall never forget.

Pogo & the GOP (a Dialogue with a Friend)

XXXXX,
The GOP's previous mantra could have been, "We have met the enemy and he is us."
It really concerns me that some still don't seem to get it.
Your analysis seems right on target to me.
Larry

Postscript: There is no such thing as a "sure win", but perhaps the smartest politician of all was William Tecumseh "Cump" Sherman.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Larry:
I think you're a sure win this November. The only saving grace to the repubs having screwed themselves the last 5 years is that the dems have screwed themselves even worse the past year. Isn't that how much of life is? He who screws up the least, wins.
XXXXX

He Made My Day

At the local Food Lion Supermarket check out line earlier this afternoon, there was an extremely elderly man in front of me.
He was clutching a bouquet of roses, which he proudly proclaimed were for his "sweetheart wife".

Blizzard Boulevard in the Boondocks

This is not the kind of blizzard that I enjoy so much at the local Dairy Queen.

There's at least two feet or more of snow on the ground hereabouts, it keeps coming down, and the word on the weatherman's street is that it won't stop until Sunday morning.

Still, there's nowhere else that I absolutely have to be and nothing else that I especially have to do.

It's during times such as this that I am especially grateful for the "Emergency Preparedness" self-sufficiency program that is taught and encouraged by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Homeland Security

A meek and gentle lady had just returned to her home from church services, when she was startled by an intruder, who had tied up the rest of her family and was ransacking their home.
She screamed: "Stop! Acts 2:38!" (Repent and be Baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven.)
The burglar froze in his tracks, as the good woman tremblingly called 911.
When the officer quickly arrived and arrested the intruder, he asked him: "Why did you just stand there? All she did was scream a scripture at you."
"Scripture?" replied the burglar.
"She said she had an axe and two 38s!"

Moral: Knowing and applying the Scriptures in your life truly can be a lifesaver for you and your family.

Kump announces bid for House

The Journal, Martinsburg, WV

Falling Waters man is vying for 52nd District seat

By Jamie West Journal Staff Writer. Posted: January 30, 2010

MARTINSBURG - When people ask how Larry D. Kump is doing, the answer isn't one they're used to hearing. "I'm goofy," he often replies.

Most times it's in reference to his personality and mood, an accurate depiction of his affable demeanor. Although, Kump said, people occasionally follow his response with, "Yeah, and I'm Donald," hinting at the two famous Disney cartoon characters.

Though Kump admittedly likes to joke, he is all business when it comes to the well-being of West Virginia.

A firm believer that anyone can make a difference, Kump announced Friday that he will run for the 52nd District seat of the West Virginia House of Delegates. Delegate Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, has represented the 52nd District since 2002, and recently announced his intentions to run for the West Virginia Senate.

Kump said he has been involved with government in one way or another throughout most of his life and has been an activist for personal freedom issues.

He said that after being approached by some county Republican leaders, they persuaded him to make a run for office.

"It was always a someday issue for me. I hadn't been thinking about doing that at this point in my life, and my daughter said to me, 'Dad, put your pom-poms down and get in the game,' so here I am," Kump said. "The amount of support I've already gotten from people has just really humbled me, and been really incredible."

Kump is running as a Republican, but considers himself more of a Libertarian/populist. His job history includes being the chief aide to the Republican leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate, executive director of the Indiana State Employees Association, the regional governor of the Maryland Classified Employees Association and most recently as a case manager specialist with Roxbury Correctional Institution in Hagerstown, Md.

Some of the issues he is passionate about include being an advocate for fiscal restraint and lowering or eliminating certain taxes. "I just think it's, for lack of a better phrase, cruel and unusual punishment to tax people on groceries and home heating fuel. Those are necessities that people need to live," Kump said.

He also has noted that people in the Eastern Panhandle often go to Maryland or Virginia to get their gasoline because of the cheaper prices. "I think the West Virginia gasoline tax should be lowered so we can compete with surrounding states," Kump said.

Though he is retired, Kump now finds himself busier than ever, but he said it's a "happier busier" and that he enjoys being active. He also has fought through two terminal cancer diagnoses and a house fire.

"I was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1989 and given six months to live, and in 2002 I was told I had terminal cancer again in another area, and both of them went away by the grace of God.

It had to be that," Kump said. Now he wants to fight for the people and be their listening ear and representative.

"One thing the people won't get from me is political pandering," Kump said. "I'm not going to be one that glad-hands and goes to places just to get re-elected. What they can expect from me is to respond to every citizen that contacts me and to be straight-forward with what I'm for and what I'm against.

All legislative seats at all levels of government belong with people, and you need to listen to them.

"I really have a lot of sympathy with the little guys and gals out there, and not just in Berkeley County, that are trying hard to make financial ends meet, and are busting the gut.

We've got the elderly, the single parents, people that are just really hard pressed, and I think West Virginia could do a whole lot better for them than what they have," Kump said.

For more information, call Larry D. Kump at (304) 274-3104 or send him an e-mail at kumpster@mymailstation.com.

-Staff writer Jamie West can be reached at (304) 263-3381, ext. 132, or jwest@journal-news.net.