A Learning Experience for the Russell Family.

Though we were just alternates this year and were only seated to vote a few times, we still feel that not only did we take a stand for what we believe we also were influential at the convention. No we are not anywhere near the big dogs, but we did have some influence over some of them, or at least God did and were just the vessel that the Lord used to influence them.
Happy Birthday Angie. It was really fun to be involved in our friend Angie Huse’s birthday. She had her birthday on the last day of the convention. Someone, I shall mention no names but someone was able to get them to announce Angie’s birthday from the caucus floor and the whole deligate/alternate caucus sang ‘Happy Birthday’. Then at lunch we walked to mall and had lunch, someone secretly ordered her a birthday cake and when it was ready, we surprised her and sang happy birthday there in the food court. Then for dinner we went to Benihana’s and though it was an interesting experience with 23 people squeezed into seating for 16. And after the dinner there was another cookie cake, this time with a book of matches as the candles and another rendition of Happy Birthday.
Also on the last day of the convention we took all the kids up to see what it was like at the convention. They had been at the hotel during all our meetings and were glad to get out.
Jonny worked as a page during the whole convention and on the last day was even moved to a lead position.

While in Houston at the convention, a reporter from the Weatherford Democrat asked us a few questions. She asked us and several others to send her photos of the convention. I sent her about 8 photos and they printed four of them along with her article about the convention.


Her article was a pretty good representation of the facts about the convention. Though she was a democrat and not a republican. I was impressed to see that she wrote without a negative bias.

I would say that during the convention our favorite speakers were first and foremost, Mike Huckabee, but also included David Barton (Wall Builders), Tim Lambert (THSC), Newt Gingridge, Michael Williams (Railroad Commissioner) and even Paul Perry (running for National Chairman).
Well worth the wait. We and the Sorahs had planned to attend the Texas Eagle Forum Banquet. But it filled up before we called for reservations. Sadly the Sorahs had about 100 people in front of them on the list. We were however the 2nd ones on the waiting list. We were able to get in, but not until close to 8pm. It had started at 7pm. Basically all we missed were some songs and some of the eating time. The dinner was eloquent or fu fu as Darrel would call it. Each course looked like a work of art. We sat at a table for 8 and enjoyed getting to meet some of the other guests. But the best part far and away were the speakers. Not even mentioning the ones who gave short speeches when introducing the main speakers, we throughly enjoyed the featured speakers: Phyllis Schaffly and David Barton. Phyllis looked and spoke as if she were the queen of England, so refined and well spoken, yet beautifully Christian and graceful. She spoke on........ Next was David Barton, president of Wall Builders. He did an historical presentation on the War on Terror. He is very well spoken and an incredibly knowledgeable historian. He is also a delegate from our County (Parker) and is now a delegate to the National Convention. We also had the honor of meeting a man who was in the pentagon on 911, his office was completely destroyed by the plane and explosion and everyone in it was killed, but he was down in the hall at the water cooler and he lived though he was burned over a large part of his body and spent much time in the hospital.
Excerpts from Speech given by Michael Williams at the Texas Republican Convention.
..."I know the liberals think Americans are finally coming their way… that suddenly working families are for higher taxes and bigger government. But the election of a Democrat Congress is not an endorsement of Democrat ideas. The fact is Democrats campaign as conservatives so they can govern as liberals. The problem is Republicans started doing the same thing, so the people chose the real thing."..

..."As an African-American from the South, I am proud of the fact that someone who looks like me will be a major party presidential nominee for the first time in our nation’s history.
What Senator Obama has done is extraordinary. His nomination speaks well, not only of his own personal political skills, but of the America that exists today.
But Americans will not fall for identity politics over good ideas or slogans in the absence of substance or for promises and platitudes that are the wrong policy prescriptions."...

..."Change is just a slogan when the ideas are the Democrat leftovers of the last 50 years. When it is the same menu as McGovern, Carter and Mondale: higher taxes, bigger government and a steady diet of class warfare and expanded welfare."...

To read the rest of the speech go to:http://www.texasinsider.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3877

A full week for the family The convention actually started on Thursday, but on Wednesday they had grassroots training from 8am - 6pm and Darrel went to it and Jonny also had a meeting because he was a page at the convention. We drove from Springtown to Houston on Monday, Tuesday was the Battleship and monument. Wednesday was the training. Thursday the convention started at 12, but the exhibit hall opened at 8am.
Be Careful of your influence At one point early on Thursday they were debating whether the GOP was following it’s own rules. We had heard rumors about those we respect supporting opposing views. So we went out to find them and ask them. We found Tim Lambert of THSC and asked him to clarify his point of view. He did. But he was perhaps supporting some one we did not support and so we told him we did not support him. He said he did not support him either. I felt that I was suppose to say something to him about making sure others who respected him knew that he did not support this person. So about 30 minutes later it was Tim’s turn to speak from the convention floor. He spoke for a while then he said, someone questioned me today about my stance and they said..... and he quoted exactly what I said. At that point, I knew that 1) I needed to be careful of my words, because people might repeat them to over 7,000 people like they did that day and 2) I had an incredible amount of influence and needed to make sure I was consistently pointing toward the Lord Jesus Christ with my words and actions.