Free Republic

Do you believe in God? Do you believe - as the bible says - that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of all who believe in him? If you do, then, terrific! You are on the path of life, the path of eternal life. The bible tells us that those who rest their faith in Jesus Christ will live eternally in heaven. Though life here on earth is only temporary and often times painful , the life in the kingdom of God that is to come - although it is often difficult for us to imagine from where we are...

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) officially launched nationwide on Tuesday Oct 1st, 2013. Since Wednesday there have been primarily negative reviews of the new Exchange system due to poor Marketplace performance. [see Forbes article] Unexpected hold times, website crashes and delays, as well as unexpectedly high monthly premiums have prompted public outrage and frustration. Therefore, as a licensed health insurance agent and fellow consumer, I would like to present a helpful list of options to those individuals who are attempting to purchase a new "Obamacare" plan at this time.

Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th President of the United States and is now seated in a position of power and privilege that few men have ever experienced. What must that be like - to go so quickly from obscurity to international fame? What affect would it have on one's sense of responsibility and sense of self? How heavy would the burden be to meet the needs and expectations of those who helped put you into power? How far does one become removed from the common man's conundrums, and yet how similar could the untold emotions range? ...

There has been a great deal of concern expressed by the government regarding poor individuals and families who are unable to purchase health insurance because of the cost, or because insurance companies have denied them coverage due to preexisting conditions. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care act is supposed to remedy this situation at the expense of those who are healthier and wealthier. The goal is to force millions of citizens to pay more for their healthcare coverage, or bring them into "the system" for the first time, thereby increasing revenue to insurance companies in order to offset the potential...

CNN aired a speech given by President Barack Obama where he poked fun at Fox News while challenging the people who watch that cable news channel to "go on the website, see what the prices are, see for yourself what the choices are, and make up their own minds ... I promise you if you go on the website and it turns out you're gonna save $100, $200, $300 per month on your insurance ... even if you didn't vote for me, I'll bet you sign up for that healthcare plan." Fox News is the #1 News Channel with a...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Supreme Court ruled that federal law shields vaccine makers from product-liability lawsuits in state court seeking damages for a child's injuries or death from a vaccine's side effects. The high court on Tuesday ruled for Wyeth, which is now owned by Pfizer Inc, in a lawsuit brought by the parents of Hannah Bruesewitz, who suffered seizures as an infant after her third dose of a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine in 1992. Pfizer and other vaccine makers had argued that a Supreme Court ruling for the plaintiffs could open the door to a flood of lawsuits -- many...

Fellow San Diego examiner Anna Cheuvront recently published an article entitled "President Obama talks about his faith at the National Prayer Breakfast." Within the article, President Obama is quoted as saying: "My Christian faith has been sustaining for me over the last couple of years and even more so when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time. We are reminded that ultimately what matters is not what other people say about us but that we are true to our conscience and true to our God."President Obama claims to be a Christian, yet that claim has been...

PHOENIX (Reuters) – An Arizona mother who tried to swap her 2-year-old daughter for a gun was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Wednesday, court officials said. Tanya Leathers was given the prison time by Maricopa Superior Court Judge Joseph Kreamer under terms of a plea agreement reached in the January 2010 incident and another unrelated crime two months later. The 35-year-old Mesa, Ariz., resident, also known as Tanya Nareau, pleaded guilty last month to unlawful sale of a child, attempt to commit misconduct involving a firearm and vehicle theft. ...

Strokes are rising dramatically among young and middle-aged Americans while dropping in older people, a sign that the obesity epidemic may be starting to shift the age burden of the disease. The numbers, reported Wednesday at an American Stroke Association conference, come from the first large nationwide study of stroke hospitalizations by age. Government researchers compared hospitalizations in 1994 and 1995 with ones in 2006 and 2007. The sharpest increase — 51 percent — was among men 15 through 34. Strokes rose among women in this age group, too, but not as fast — 17 percent. "It's definitely alarming," said...

Christina Aguilera opened Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, TX by singing our National Anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, in what may go down in history as the most embarassingly horrible rendition ever performed in public since Rosanne Barr's supposedly comedic version in 1990. Christina not only took the liberty of diva-ing up every single line within the song ... she completely forgot "O'er the ramparts we watched" and tangled up the subsequent lyrics as she proceeded to strangle every ounce of heart and soul out of the remainder of our precious anthem. Instead of the lyrics reflecting the emotional upheaval felt...

Famous fitness guru Jack LaLanne died yesterday, Sunday Jan 23, 2011 in Morro Bay, California at the age of 96. Jack LaLanne was the son of French immigrants, born in San Francisco, California on September 26, 1914. So he was actually 96.3 years old. Not bad considering the average age of death in the United States is now 78.3 yrs, and man's years may now be limited to 120 according to the Bible. (Genesis 6:3) Jack LaLanne's life was changed at age 15 when he heard Paul Bragg speak about health and nutrition in Oakland, California. Jack went so far...

The federal workforce might first feel the wrath of the new GOP-run House’s budget cuts as a 10 percent reduction in the amount of government employees tops the list of $150 billion in slashes Congressman Kevin Brady, Texas Republican, is recommending. Brady’s cuts would shrink the annual budget deficit by about 12.5 percent. In his “Cut Unsustainable and Top-Heavy Spending (CUTS) Act of 2011,” Brady pushes for a “start” to spending cuts in Washington. Recommendation for spending cuts include the 10 percent Washington workforce reduction, immediate cuts to the White House and congressional Budgets and the elimination of several “obsolete”...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – First Lady Michelle Obama on Thursday urged parents to teach their children tolerance in response to the deadly Tucson shooting spree that touched off debate about political rhetoric. Mrs. Obama, who joined her husband at a memorial service for the victims Wednesday, issued an open letter to parents. Children are struggling, she said, to make sense of Saturday's shooting that killed six and left 14 injured, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. "We can teach them the value of tolerance -- the practice of assuming the best, rather than the worst, about those around us," she wrote. "We can...

PHOENIX (Reuters) – The bodies of two men were found near an abandoned Jeep Wrangler in a rugged area used by recreational vehicle owners for four-wheeling, Phoenix police said late on Friday. The dead men were not identified, but police said they received a call from a family earlier on Thursday reporting three missing persons. The family said that a 38-year-old man and two friends had gone four-wheeling after picking up the Jeep from a mechanic, where the vehicle was being repaired. ...

NEW YORK – Expedia Inc. has stopped selling tickets on American Airlines flights, the latest twist in a simmering pricing dispute between American and travel websites. "Expedia has chosen to no longer offer American Airlines fares on its website," American said in an statement posted on its website. "Customers looking to compare flights or fares online should visit other travel sites such as Kayak.com or Priceline.com for the most accurate and up-to-date information." The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline has said that it would like to sell more tickets through its own website, as paying to have its flights listed on...

BAGHDAD – Militants attacked at least four Christian homes Thursday night with a combination of grenades and bombs, killing two people and sending fear into the already terrified tiny Christian community. It was the first attack against the country's Christian community since al-Qaida-linked militants last week threatened a wave of violence against them. Christians went so far as to tone down their Christmas celebrations in what was a peaceful holiday, but the attacks Thursday night demonstrated the intent of militants to keep up their deadly pressure on the Christian community. In the deadliest attack, assailants in southwestern Baghdad threw two...

Two erroneous $11 doctor bills stopped Jeanne White from refinancing her home. The 49-year-old resident of Colleyville, Texas, says she was shocked to learn in October that the two medical bills, which had been turned over to a collection agency, had caused her credit score to fall to 680 from 757 — making refinancing far too expensive. "I was told I'd have to pay $14,000 in closing costs to get a 5.5% interest rate," Ms. White says, substantially more than she would have paid with a higher credit score. When Ms. White, a retired sales manager, contacted the doctor's office,...

At this time of year, Christmas songs seem to stir our hearts and minds with thoughts of Christmas cheer, jingle bells, sleigh rides, snowflakes, Santa, Rudolph, and of course the birth of Jesus in a manger long ago. And although many people bemoan the evils of over-indulgence, unbridled commericalism, as well as the absence and rejection of Christ during the Christmas season, few make the direct connection to the deceiver of the world - Satan himself. But did you know that one very popular Christmas song actually mentions Satan by name? This odd little piece of trivia is one I...

BALTIMORE – It's been a blessed year for the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who catapulted to prominence when they put a rare Honus Wagner baseball card up for auction to support their charitable mission. Problem was, the winning bidder never paid up. On Monday, the Baltimore-based order of Roman Catholic nuns got their $220,000 — the original bid — but have a different collector to thank. Dr. Nicholas DePace, a Philadelphia cardiologist, wired them the money and owns the card. He's been collecting sports memorabilia for 30 years, and he's a longtime client of Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. A staff...

One of the great things about the internet is how fast information can travel between friends, relatives, and strangers - especially when a situation is dire. When someone has a need, we can quickly respond with a few clicks of the keyboard to make things happen right away. That is hopefully the case with you, whoever you are, who happens to read this article today. ... "This girl goes to our church. Her name is Emily Wicks, she's 13 and has been missing since Dec 13th. It is believed that she had been trafficked! Please keep her and her family...