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Home Archives for My Life

12/26/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Rocky Mtn News Features Providence Bible Church, Denver’s Newest

The cover of the Christmas Day edition of the Rocky Mountain News featured a story on two churches - Denver's oldest and Denver's newest. The latter is the Providence Bible Church. Several years ago I met the eventual pastor and co-founder of Providence, Jason Janz, and have since agreed to be a prayer partner for the growing church. I am excited to read the updates of this exciting ministry that Jason sends out. It's a blessing to see more attention brought to this work:Providence Bible Church is a multiethnic congregation launched 12 weeks ago in Five Points. Using the media-savvy instincts of his generation, Pastor Jason Janz, 35, spent early donations on creating a DVD to tell Providence's story. The one-time rebel knew what kind … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General, My Life Tagged With: Christmas Day, churches, co-founder, congregation, Denver, donations, DVD, Jason Janz, ministry, multiethnic, New Testament, pastor, prayer, Providence Bible Church, Rocky Mountain News, worshippers

12/23/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio Episode 6 Tonight: Jim Pfaff

Tune in at 9 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the sixth edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. Confirmed co-hosts are Joshua Sharf and El Presidente. The guest will be Jim Pfaff, Colorado state director of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation and keeper of the site Opinion Times. Topics of discussion will include AFP Colorado's new report "Keeping Colorado Competitive". Don't forget. If you miss the live broadcast of tonight’s show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life Tagged With: Americans for Prosperity, Blog Talk Radio, co-hosts, Colorado, El Presidente, Jim Pfaff, Joshua Sharf, Keeping Colorado Competitive, Mount Virtus, Opinion Times, podcast, Rocky Mountain Alliance, widget

12/23/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Democrat Rollie Heath Wants to Use Economic Downturn to Kill TABOR

It only took seven weeks after the voters of Colorado said no to a statewide proposal that would have gutted the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) - a proposal pushed by a campaign that heavily outspent the opposition - for the Democrats to be back at it again. From today's Denver Post:Rollie Heath, a Boulder Democrat elected to the Senate, said that as lawmakers grapple in the coming session with cutting as much as $600 million from the budget because of declining revenues, they should also look at TABOR, a revenue-capping provision of the state's constitution. The state is in a timeout from TABOR's tax-revenue limits, but that timeout expires in 2010, when Colorado will have to begin refunding to taxpayers any revenue it collects … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life Tagged With: Amendment 59, Boulder, budget-cutting, campaign, Colorado, Democrats, Denver Post, eventuality, flexibility, foresight, lawmakers, limit, opposition, Referendum C, revenue, Rollie Heath, shortfall, state constitution, state government, state senate, statewide proposal, TABOR, tax limits, taxes, Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, taxpayers, timeout, voters

12/22/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

This is Christmas: Our 2-Year-Old Serenades Us with “Away in a Manger”

Okay, we're light on the politics here for a little while. It's too close to the sacred celebration of Christmas, and most people are completely tuned out anyway. Last night, the older Virtus girl (still nearly 2 months shy of her 3rd birthday) gave us a remarkably clear and *almost completely accurate rendition of "Away in a Manger"--the first verse lyrics with a little melody, anyway. Little things like that show the spirit of Christmas is growing in our household. So much to be thankful for (yes, we ARE rich), and many extra blessings beside. Fancy presents are nice (but overrated--if I see one more of those annoying Lexus commercials, I think I'll scream), though there aren't as many of them this year. Baked goodies I can rarely … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General, My Life, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Away in a Manger, baked goodies, blessings, Christmas, Family, fancy presents, friends, household, Lexus, price tag, rich, spirit, thankful

12/17/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

If You Think the Auto Bailout is Bad, Wait for the Price Tag from Card-Check

I've written before about the bad deal for workers if Congress passes the poorly-named Employee Free Choice Act (aka union card-check legislation). But what kind of impact could it have on the economy? In a recent 8-minute iVoices podcast interview, Barbara Comstock of the Workforce Fairness Institute says it's "more of a threat" than the proposed bailout of the Big 3 auto makers: As my good friend Joshua Sharf frequently remarks about putting the Democrats in charge:Progressively more intrusive. Progressively more expensive. Progressively more restrictive. Sadly, the disease is all over Washington D.C., with no apparent hope for recovery any time soon. Hold on to your hats. And your wallets. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, National Politics Tagged With: Congress, economy, Employee Free Choice Act, impact

12/16/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio On the Air Tonight at 9 PM

Remember, Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio is on the air tonight at 9 PM local Mountain Time. El Presidente - one of tonight's co-hosts - has the details. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, My Life Tagged With: Blog Talk Radio, El Presidente, Rocky Mountain Alliance

12/15/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Blog Silence: RIP, Jim Cannon

I'll be maintaining blog silence for a little while, having received the news earlier today of my friend Jim Cannon's premature passing. His loss is our pain, but his relief from great suffering, at home with the Savior. Speaking personally, my life is richer for having known Jim - one of the founding members of the old Rocky Mountain Alliance. He leaves me with fond memories of his courage, graciousness, and compassion, in the face of extremely trying physical struggles. Please keep Jim's family in your prayers most of all. More to come later. In the meantime, Snaggletooth also has some kind words to share. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Commemorative, My Life Tagged With: blog silence, compassion, courage, fond memories, founding members, graciousness, Jim Cannon, kind words, news, physical struggles, premature passing, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Snaggletooth

12/15/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

“Un-American”? Michigan Bailout Rhetoric Reaches Fever Pitch

I can feel the pain of my home state of Michigan (and no, I'm not referring to the bitter cold temperatures we're experiencing here along the Front Range). The angst coming from the Motor City and its environs is palpable. One of the most poignant examples, at least from my perspective, relates to a scheduled weekend appearance by Kentucky's U.S. Senator (and former Detroit Tigers pitcher) Jim Bunning. Detroit Free Press columnist Brian Dickerson ripped Bunning a new one after the Republican Senator voted against the UAW's federal government bailout deal. Dickerson wrote:He may be losing his marbles, but U.S. senator and ex-Tiger pitching great Jim Bunning still has big brass cojones. After all, most of the GOP senators … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: "un-American", angst, automotive bailout, bitter cold, Brian Dickerson, Canadian, Colorado, columnist, committee room, deal, Democrats, Detroit Free Press, Detroit Tigers, economically inept, event, federal government, former pitcher, Free Speech, Front Range, Gibraltar Trade Center, government takeovers, Governor, hearings, hypocrisy, Interior Department, Jennifer Granholm, Jim Bunning, Joseph McCarthy, Ken Salazar, Kentucky, Lansing, lofty clouds, Michigan, Mitch Albom, Mitch McConnell, Motor City, ownership, pain, palpable, poignant example, powerful contrast, ratcheted up, Republicans, Ron Gettelfinger, temerity, Toyota, Tuesdays with Morrie, U.S. Senator, United Auto Workers, vote, weekend appearance

12/11/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Auto Bailout Dead for Now: GOP, UAW Won’t Strike Last-Minute Deal

Update: Colorado's own Ken Salazar voted for the bailout. John Hawkins at Right Wing News reports within the past hour that the automotive bailout deal is dead in the U.S. Senate for this year. Confirmed by the Associated Press:A $14 billion emergency bailout for U.S. automakers has collapsed in the Senate after the United Auto Workers refused to accede to Republican demands for swift wage cuts. Michelle Malkin reports only 52 votes in the U.S. Senate, eight short of the 60 needed for cloture to move the auto bailout forward. Good news. If this economic disaster ends up going forward, the Democrats and their UAW sugar-daddies will own it. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, My Life, National Politics, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: automotive bailouts, Democrats, economic disaster, good news, John Hawkins, Right Wing News, sugar-daddies, U.S. Senate, United Auto Workers

12/11/2008 By Ben 4 Comments

And on the 12th Day of Christmas…

So now that I've become famous enough to make the title of a post concerning my "eleven Christmas wishes", I feel impelled to respond. Seriously, though, a watcher's post - somewhat more thoughtful and reasonable than previous endeavors of post-election analysis - requires some significant clarifications. It is because I believe this debate about the future of conservatism and the GOP is important that I wade in so thoroughly in this post that so few of you will actually read from beginning to end. Here are the overarching problems I see with a watcher's declarations. First, he has a strong tendency to lump all "social conservatives" into a box without distinction, shake them up, and spill them out with one accusation after another. How … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life, National Politics

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Inside

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    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
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About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

Recent Posts

  • AI-Enhanced Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of Teen Innovation
  • My Baker’s Dozen of Top 2023 Reads
  • Common Learning Disabilities in Children
  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
  • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition

Colorado News

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National News and Politics

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Blogs Extraordinaire

  • American Thinker
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  • E!! The True Conservative Story
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  • Instapundit
  • LaShawn Barber
  • Lileks
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  • Michelle Malkin
  • NRO's The Corner
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  • Red State

Completing the Blogroll

  • Alarming News
  • Black Five
  • Blogs of War
  • Eduwonk
  • Flypaper
  • Fraters Libertas
  • Historical Conversations
  • IMAO
  • Jay P. Greene
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Christian Commentary et al.

  • Kevin Pierpont
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Conservative and GOP Sites

  • Backbone America
  • Cal Thomas
  • Colorado Republican Party
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Colorado Blogs

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Other Sites

  • Technorati
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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
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  • View from a Height

To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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