I sure am writing a lot about Mike Huckabee these days even though my original goal is to encourage those in the faith. There is so much about his messages that resonate with me. Today I must admit I am angry. Why? I’m mad because it’s time to fill the car up again with gas, and the price just keeps going up and up. I have a smallish car, and I get great gas mileage. But it costs over $40 to fill up the tank. This increase doesn’t just raise prices at the pump; the jump in oil prices has raised the price for everything from airfares to apples. It costs more to deliver goods, and the producers pass the extra cost on to us. I read in today’s paper that the stock prices for the major airlines plummeted yesterday on fears that the economy is tanking and the price of oil is skyrocketing.

Our country is so energy dependent on foreign oil that we are like the five foolish virgins Jesus speaks of in Matthew 25:

1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9” ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

Like the foolish virgins, we all have lamps. In 21st Century-speak, you could say that everything that plugs into the wall or uses gasoline is like one of those lamps the virgins took with them. Unlike the wise virgins, we are not carrying around and using our own oil (or oil alternative). Like the foolish virgins, we in this country go to those who sell oil and buy it. We don’t have it for ourselves. And because of that policy, our country is literally trapped over a barrel. We keep paying extravagant prices because our people need the oil.

Mike Huckabee is the only candidate with the passion it will take to get this country out of the oil pit. President Nixon’s Project Independence would have had our country energy independent by 1980. But today our government is spending only 40% of what it spent back in 1979 to try to gain our independence.

In a recent debate, the other candidates told Mike Huckabee that it was very naive to think we could be energy independent in ten years. “It’s just not possible,” they said. Well, of course it’s not possible with that attitude! Huckabee has a positive, “can-do” attitude that is sorely lacking in Washington. Those entrenched in the establishment say it can’t be done, but I believe, as Huckabee believes, that “all things are possible.” Our God can do anything. The media and government were lamenting the horrible drought here in North Texas a year ago. Lake levels were at record-low levels. We were told it would take 26 years to refill the lakes. Well, guess what? God had other plans! In just one year, we received enough rainfall to not only fill the lakes and resevoirs, but engineers also had to release some of the water downstream. Our blessings were literally overflowing the banks of the rivers and lakes. If we turn to Him for wisdom, He will make our paths — and our pocketbooks — straight.

Huckabee’s stance on energy independence is this: he will lead us to energy independence by the end of his second term, period. From his website:

When energy shocks and crises come, we take aspirin to deal with the pain, but we don’t address the underlying symptoms. This oil addiction is killing us. We have to stop popping pain pills and get ourselves cured. For all these years, we’ve never lacked the means, just the will. We’ve never harnessed the real energy source that independence requires – the energy of the American people.

Popular Mechanics magazine had an article in June 2007 about a car being released in India that runs on compressed air with zero emissions! Whichever country comes up with the best alternative to oil will reap many, many profits as oil reserves worldwide become depleted and demand increases. Wouldn’t you rather countries come to America for the solution? I’d much rather be filling the lamps of others!

I want our next President to be a leader and a motivator. I want someone who will lead us into wise choices. I’d rather be like one of the five wise virgins who brought along extra oil for their lamps. Wouldn’t you?