AMID ALL THE CHAOS

AMID ALL THE CHAOS CAN WE FIND PEACE?
Well, before I get to the answer for that, I want to comment a bit on what is going on around the world, literally.  Some time a few months ago, a virus got it's foothold on someone in China and they then passed one of the feet to someone else and so on and so until eventually the whole world was infected to some degree or another.  Panic buying set in and people pushed and shoved to get hold of ( of all things) toilet paper.  That resulted in empty shelves and then more panic buying. Eventually the markets got a handle on the chaos and brought a little calm into the storm.  Now, shelves are getting a little more stocked. Not much and only with certain items, but still some calm.  And so the government got involved.  And finally passed a stimulus package to assist the poor and the rich.  As always they found a way to get their sticky hands on some tax payer money and then give some of it back to said taxpayers.  So, here is what I have determined from my little knowledge of what it taking place.  Each individual that makes less than $75,000.00 a year will get $1200.00 and families with children will get an additional $500 per child.  This is a one time payment.  In addition to that, it is tax free.  Also, small businesses will be compensated for having to cut back or close down and large businesses will also be compensated to some degree. Landlords can't evict someone for non payment of rent and financial institutions can't foreclose because of nonpayment of mortgage payments and utility companies can't cut off your utilities and late payments will be waived.  OK. That's all well and good, but also included in that stimulus package was something for the pig pen, also known as PORK.  And here is what the news has reported. I'll list it with out a lot of the commentary that was in the news article. This package that started out as a 250 page article wound up to be 883 pages. Nancy Pelosi and her team ramped this up to 1,404 pages and 2.5 Trillion dollars. That was eventually cut back to 2.2 Trillion dollars. So, in addition to the stimulus to the people the Senate bill gave $25 million to the John F. Kennedy for the performing arts. The house version upped that to $35 million. The Senate bill gave $75 million to the Corporation for public broadcasting. The house bill upped that to $300 million. $1.2 billion of the house bill requires airlines to purchase expensive "renewable" jet fuel. The Senate bill eliminated this item. The house bill allocated $1.1 billion to the Institute of Museum and Library services. The Senate bill awarded them $200 million. The senate bill gave $400 million to the federal Election Assistance Commission to assist States with "election security grants" This is down from the $4 billion the house bill provided.
This is just a sampling of many of the things that is included in the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill. 
During the past three years Republicans and Democrats have helped drain the U.S. Treasury from Left and Right.  Our national debt increased from $10 Trillion in 2008 (end of Bush Presidency) to $19.6 Trillion in 2016 ( end of Obama Presidency) to $23.6 Trillion in 2020. The current virus and the aforementioned package plus the loss of tax revenue will drive it even higher.  This is just a sampling of the article that came out.  There was more.
Now, for the calm in the storm.  The Lord is in charge and always has been. He knows what is going on and will take care of this in his own way.  We, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have been admonished for decades to be prepared. Get out of debt. Stay out of debt. Have a years supply of the necessities where possible. If we have been following that admonition we have no need to fear, but can like the man in the old story, rest well at night, because we were prepared for the storm.  President Nelson, President of the LDS Church, recently ask that members of the world join this past Sunday for a world wide fast to end this virus.  We must have faith in the fast and that the Lord will honor that fast if we as a people will turn to Him as He has ask us too.
And so that is the reason I can feel a measure of peace and calm during this current storm and chaos.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK