Since Rick and I have turned Satchel's post on the speaking abilities of Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama into a comment fest of which fictional character we would vote for president, I figured I would make it it's own blog post. I was first for Scooby Doo until Rick pulled in Luke Skywalker ... so then I switched my vote to Wolverine.
Which fictional character would you vote for president? And, if you were to pick their vice president, who would it be?
One thing that drives me crazy is when politics and faith meshes and partisan politics becomes the message of the pulpit. I find it unbiblical and unholy. I think it is divisive to the Body of Christ and beyond damaging. No balance seems to be found. Well, until Rick (from Concept 53), pointed me to this article from Christianity Today and I was quite surprised ...
But if we look at politics from God's perspective, we see that he has a deep and abiding interest in all people being treated fairly. If God favors any "special interest group," it is the poor, the hungry, the unborn, the handicapped, the prisoner--those with the least access to political power.
This is why we Christians should never allow ourselves to be, as the press has often characterized us, just another special interest group pleading for our agendas only. But if we were a special interest group, we would be lobbying for the dignity of all, especially those who can't always speak for themselves.
So maybe a particular candidate isn't going to cut your taxes or vote for your favorite program, but the real question is, will he serve all the people, or only the loudest?
I think one of my biggest problems with those who would so easily sweep the poor and disabled under the political rug and say they are not as important to God ... is that it speaks against Jesus. In that series I just had a fit over ... they literally claim that. They say that because feeding the poor does not rate in God's top ten (the Ten Commandments) that it isn't as important to God as abortion and gay marriage.
Jesus said this about the Ten Commandments ...
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:29-31
In Matthew 25:31-46, He speaks volumes regarding the poor, sick, the prisoner.
But, what really gets me in all this ... what I call this new partisan trend of diminishing the teachings of Jesus ... is that Jesus said ...
"Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." - John 14:10-11
So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him." - John 8:28-29
My spirit cries out to God for the unborn, the poor, the disabled, the homeless, the prisoner, the tortured, the hungry, the needy, the elderly ... the lost. I just pray one day that if we are going to claim that there is an actual Christian platform ... that platform speaks for the whole Bible ... not just the parts we deem qualified as pet projects.
And, while I am on a roll and tired of all of this absurdity ... check out this link:
Now ... let's understand something real quick. To be pro-life ... you can be for supporting life outside the womb. I highly recommend it. Wanting babies to be born and then not caring what happens to them afterwards is not pro-life, in my opinion at all. We need programs to help mothers have their babies and take care of them. We need compassion. We need to be dealing with the adoption issue. We need to start targeting the reasons why women choose to have abortions. Reducing the number of abortions is a good thing.
But ... and that is a very big "but" ... you cannot be pro-life and support the Freedom of Choice Act. It is not possible. Goverment funding of abortions? Minors getting abortions across statelines without parental notification? Unrestricted partial-birth abortions? Abortion completely on demand? The end-all-be-all of abortion legislation?
Sorry, that isn't pro-life. It isn't even close.
Addendum: I am not saying that you cannot be pro-life and vote for Obama. I know a few people who are and they have their reasons why. I am just saying that Obama is not pro-life by any meaningful definition of the word.
Mike Huckabee was the best candidate this nation had for president with the most consistent Christian platform. But, Conservatives didn't like him because he believed in helping the poor and fighting Wall Street greed and K Street corruption.
And they probably didn't like it that he said ...
"I do not spell G.O.D. ... G.O.P. Our party may be important, but our principles are even more important than anybody's political party." (source)
And so McCain got the nomination.
Last night, I was shown a broadcast of Kenneth Copeland's that was about politics. Preaching politics from the pulpit seems to be the thing these days. Pastors have crossed the line from preaching about the moral and spiritual issues of abortion and gay marriage to actually taking down a whole party platform bit by bit and using the Bible to do so.
In the last few elections we have heard everything from you can't be a Christian and vote Democrat to now if you are a Christian and vote for a Democratic candidate you will be cursed by God. Here are just a few of the finer points made in the show ...
Poor people are poor because of spiritual matters. Basically, they aren't right with God so they are poor because if they were right with God they would be prosperous. And, no matter how much you help the poor, if they aren't right with God then they will always be poor ... spiritually and financially.
Some Republicans love to jump on the socialism bandwagon. It is all you hear. Obama is a socialist. Obama wants to spread the wealth. Obama this. Socialism that. Well, I have said my piece on what Republicans call socialism (which is not what socialism is, but whatever) So, I am not going to say anything more in this post about it ... I am going to let this interesting article do it for me ...
Gov. Sarah Palin's remarks in Springfiled, Mo., are a good example: "Senator Obama says that he wants to spread the wealth, which means -- you know what that means," she said at a rally on Oct. 24, 2008. "It means that government takes your money, (handed) out however a politician sees fit. Barack Obama calls it spreading the wealth, and Joe Biden calls higher taxes patriotic. And yet to Joe the Plumber, he said it sounded like socialism. And now is not the time to experiment with socialism."
She has repeated the line in Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and most recently in Leesburg, Va., on Oct. 27, 2008. It consistently evokes boos and jeers from a crowd protective of the American system of government.
But is Palin stoking their anger honestly?
Socialism refers most commonly to a system in which the government owns the means of production and distribution of goods. That is, the state truly is responsible for creating and spreading the wealth.
When it comes to helping feed the poor, I can get quite vocal. I know it and if you have read me for even a few months ... you know it too. Which is why I want to tell you about Angel Food Ministries.
Angel Food Ministries has been feeding families since 1994. They started feeding 34 families and now feed over 500,000 families across 35 states. Each month there is a different menu and a box consists of fresh and frozen items. The food is good. There are no out-dated boxed goods or produce that is almost too ripe. Typically, one box can feed a family of four for one week or a single senior for almost a month. A box just costs $30. There are also special boxes that can be purchased along with a regular box and they vary in cost (usually around $18 to $20+). There are no limits to how many boxes a person can buy. Plus, they also accept food stamps.
If you have a heart for feeding the poor, please look into donating to this wonderful ministry. You could also buy a box for a needy family in your community ... introducing them to Angel Food. :)
I get so tickled by accusations that the Left has turned Obama into some kind of diety. I have remarked before regarding Christians who refer to Obama as the The One, The Anointed One, The Messiah ... and how shameful that is. They should know better. Yet, they still make those comments.
But, what about Sarah Palin? Have you stopped to actually read what people say about her? I don't see any difference. If the Left has made Obama into a diety ... then the Right has done the same with her. She can do nothing wrong. No matter what stupid thing she lets fly out of her mouth ... they find it charming. She is a Christian. She doesn't lie, stoke hate, mislead, or do anything that is wrong in the eyes of God. And, if you say otherwise then you might as well reserve your seat in hell right now.
This election isn't even about Barack Obama and John McCain anymore and if you think it is you have deluded yourself. Barack Obama is running against Sarah Palin. McCain and Biden might as well just sit down. They aren't even needed. She is the Conservative candidate. If you don't believe me, say something negative about her and watch the emails fly.
Here is where I stand on political issues. I thought I would post them because it will allow me to flesh out my position and it will give you the information you need to know where I actually stand on political issues instead of just assuming you know ... which happens more often than not. I may add to this list as I think of issues that I have an opinion on.
ABORTION
The Bible says we are not to commit murder. I am pro-life. I believe partial birth abortion should be banned. If the mother's life is endangered, induce labor or do a cesarean. There should be an attempt to save the baby's life as well as the mother's.
If early abortion is going to remain legal ... it should be regulated. I am fine with the morning after pill. I think there should be programs to help pregnant mothers have their children and take care of them after they are born. I think we do need to look at ways to reduce abortion.
EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS
I don't believe for one minute that we need to be making babies just to kill them for their stem cells. If there is another way to get them, I don't know.
My little NoNo is napping and I am listening to worship music. I always play worship music for her when it is time for her to take her nap. She has been listening to it since she was in the womb and it does more for her than any lullaby could ever do. If I were to turn it off ... she would wake up.
I have been on the balcony at church for over a year now. The church's sound system is up there and I have always had access to it to play worship music ... even when there is no service and I am just up there working. I have spent many an hour up there worshipping God and having intimate time with our Lord. Sometimes to the annoyance of others who do not like to worship the Lord as loudly as I do. LOL!
Anywho ... I am off of here. I need some God time.
My sister posted this over on Facebook and I just had to share ...
It definitely gives you something to think about. Are we under the yoke of Satan or the yoke of the Lord? Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light in Matthew 11:30. Does that feel like the yoke you are under? I know it doesn't for me at times.
Sometimes we forget to keep the most important thing ... the most important thing.
These people have lost their collective minds ...
ATF disrupts skinhead plot to assassinate Obama
Federal agents have broken up a plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 102 black people in a Tennessee murder spree, the ATF said Monday.
You know, the flyers the "aryan nation" got to passing out about Obama were bad enough. Now they want to kill some black people too. But, killing them isn't enough. No ... they want to decapitate a few of them as well. And, the cherry on top .... kill Obama or die trying.
But, we don't breed stupidity and hate in America ... nooooooo. Not us.
Oil prices go through the roof. People can't afford to drive like they did before. People stop driving as much. Oil prices fall. Gas becomes more affordable after costing an arm and a leg for some time. So, what happens? OPEC cuts production to try and drive prices back up because ... you know ... they have to make boocoo bucks or they ain't happy. It isn't working though.
Economic crunch has families still holding tight to their money. Christmas is coming and a lot of people don't know what they are going to do. Local programs are getting cut like crazy ... including programs that help with Christmas. Food banks are struggling. People are living without heat. Utilities prices are still too high for many.
I am just waiting for it to be Bill Clinton's fault. It always is. :)
How much I love my church? I do. I love to be there. I love our church family. I love my pastor and his wife. I love our worship leader. I love their families. We have such a loving and supportive body of believers. And, I can't wait to get there ... whether it be Sunday morning and night or Wednesday.
Our pastor is so funny. He is a formidable man. He is tall and big, but not fat at all. Some people are a little intimidated by him, but I tell them that they don't know him if they are. Once you get to know him ... he will crack you up. And, he is so loving and easy to talk to. He loves people. He has such a heart for the lost and the downtrodden.
One thing I love about my church is that our pastor speaks biblical truth from the pulpit, but never preaches politics. He may tell you that he knows who he is voting for ... but he will never tell you who you should vote for. He will tell you to pray about your vote and to pray for our government and it's leaders. But, you never hear him preach a party line.
I love how open he is to the Holy Spirit. He may have prepared the greatest sermon ever ... but if the Holy Spirit prompts him to allow worship to continue ... then he will. He will change a sermon in a minute if the Lord gives him something else. We have had services where we did nothing but pray for each other. There have been a few where our pastor has felt prompted to pray for every single person in the sanctuary.
Every Sunday morning I watch two different pastors on TV. I watch Ed Young and Joel Osteen. Both very different men with very different preaching styles, but I have always enjoyed them both.
This morning, while I was dressing, I was listening ... more than watching ... Ed Young. He was talking about how some people seem more interested in saving the lives of unborn baby turtles than they are the lives of unborn children. I agreed.
Then I heard Ed talking about government as a "monster" and how the mean ole government punishes success in America. That mean ole government takes money away from successful people and gives it to lazy, weed smoking, no goods who drink beer and don't want to work. I went, "huh?" I turned around and there he was on stage with the Democratic donkey and Republican elephant behind him.
I turned off my TV.
I think this may be my last post for a minute or two. The blog is running errors and I have some php scripts not behaving very well. I don't know if it is MT4 related or not. The host is checking into it and hopefully everything will be fixed soon.
You don't have to sign-in right now to comment, unless you want to. I am still working on the CAPTCHA thingie so it is not implemented yet either. A chickie of mine went through some major hassles just trying to comment here (and still hasn't been able to) so I am hoping this will fix that.
Hopefully, I will be back tomorrow. :)
Update 10:16 PM: Well, the core dumps have been dealt with. CAPTCHA is now working! They were unrelated, but I finally figured it out. You only have to use the captcha thingie if you don't sign-in to comment. But, now ... all comments are automatically approved. Of course, if that gets abused, I may go back to moderation and only automatically post the comments of those that I trust. :)
I am still running an error on one of my files. I have no idea what the issue is, but I am still working on it. Plus, it doesn't appear to be affecting the blog in any way ... so that is good.
I am not the only one talking about "socialism" these days ... or at least what most Republicans call socialism. Check out Oh, yeah? Well, your mama's a socialist! Here is a taste ...
Thus, taking tax rates on the wealthiest Americans back to the level of the Clinton years -- the biggest boom in American history -- is "socialism." Nevermind that rates on the rich were more than twice as high under that infamous socialist Dwight Eisenhower (McCarthy labeled him a communist). Fixing a health-care system that is leaving behind millions of Americans -- socialism. Worrying about the greatest income gap since the 1920s or how average Americans have seen their income go down under George W. Bush -- socialism. Investing in public works -- socialism, socialism, socialism!
This wing of the GOP, which is about all that's left of a once-diverse party, argued that Social Security and Medicare were socialism. Its members still believe this, although most keep their opinions under wraps, and long to kill those programs. Yet in power, they don't hesitate to use the heavy hand of government to redistribute income to the wealthy. Facing a reality-based crisis, the Bush administration partially nationalizes the financial system -- and pumps $750 billion of "your money," largely unsupervised, to the rich bankers who helped cause the meltdown. But that's not "socialism," see...see?
Plus, I love the name of the blog ... Rogue Columnist. :)
Hat tip: A Different Street.
I have to tell you about this blog. The Cantankerous Christian is a blog I came across thru Christian Bloggers and the name alone made me want to go read it. The blog author is Corey and he is from Kentucky too ... though he is on the other side of the state. Corey has a gift for writing. Seriously. He can pull you into a post within the first few lines. His love for God is so obvious. And, honestly, I am blessed by his blog. He reminds me with every post of God's unfailing love and the transformation that is supposed to be me.
His blog convicts me regularly and through that conviction I find spiritual enlightenment and a desire to love God and His people more.
Here are a couple of his posts. I strongly suggest you read more than just the few I list.
I do warn you that Corey loves Christmas (how can you be cantankerous and love Christmas?) and loves Christmas music. His player automatically plays some tunes for your listening enjoyment. If you do not want to get into the Christmas spirit, I advise scrolling to the bottom of the page and turning the player off. :)
Little Foot came home today telling me about her school's faux election. There were 10 votes for Obama/Biden. There were 157 votes for McCain/Palin. As the children in her classroom heard the results, some decided to share their feelings ...
"Obama stinks!"
"Black people stink!"
"I don't want a black president!"
"If he gets elected, the KKK is going to shoot him!"
Fifth graders ... you got to love 'em. Especially in the county schools around here. Yep ... we have a good ole time with the children and their enlightened point of view (first-hand obtained from their loving parents). My oldest is getting quite used to all the "zebra," "nigger," "oreo," and "mutt" commentary. Oh what fun it is to live in a rural area more known for it's backwood mentality than it's intelligence. I spent more time in her principal's office last year than probably all the kids put together.
You know, if Obama wins or loses ... it should be about his character and his politics. Not the color of his skin or the malicious lies spread about him. The fact that we live in such a modern nation but still have human beings willing to demean themselves by using racist language just kills me. With all the advances we have made ... too bad we still have people who refuse to be human beings ... but still have the audacity to refer to anyone else as a "nigger."
Like I said ... stuff:
I need to work out the way MT4 does pages. Where the old MT put a _ between words in the title of a post to make the URL ... the new MT puts a - and so now my navigation is messed up. If you go to an old post and it links to another post ... that link will be dead. As in dead-as-a-door-nail dead.
I still haven't worked out CAPTCHA either. I am thinking about allowing anonymous comments just so people don't have to jump through hoops just to comment. Last time, I became a major target for SPAM. I haven't had any trouble with that this time around. I don't know if I want to go back there or not.
Also, I cannot figure out how to get my individual category pages to show all the posts in that category. Right now it just wants to show the last ten ... which is what I have set as the number of posts to show on this page. Somehow I have to figure out how to get the category pages to ignore that setting.
I wish blogrolling.com would get it's collective booty together and make it to where I can access my blogrolls again. I need to add some links and delete some links. I know they got hacked by the idiots who believe Mohammed is a Massenger ... but still. It is taking too long.
I think I am going to have to go through this blog one post at a time to get everything back in order and I am not crazy about that idea at all. Really.
Blogdigger Groups hasn't updated since July and they aren't answering emails. Frustrating. I got an email stating they plan to be back in business in about a week.
Oh well. I will deal with it all eventually. :)
I guess Conservatives are only fiscally conservative when it comes to spending money on social programs ...
RNC shells out $150K for Palin fashion
The Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.
When it comes to war and fashion ... it is spend, spend, spend.
Update: ISOU is talking about the $13,200 that was spent last month on make-up.
A few years ago, I was a professing Christian who had fallen away from the faith. To say I was a "backslider" was an understatement. I had slid so far back in some regards, there was no way you would ever have even considered me a Christian in the first place. I was definitely living "the way of the world."
I knew I was not right with God by no means. My mother would tell me I was saved because I had came to salvation as a child. But, I didn't feel that way. I knew I was living a sinful life, going through the motions of "apologizing" to God and asking Him to forgive me ... and then doing whatever I wanted. I figured there would always be time to "live" like a Christian later. I wanted to do things my way for the now. Plus, I was a good person. There were lots of people far worse than me.
There were times that I would seek God more earnestly and want to have Him in my life. It was during one of those times that I came across a website and it changed me. When I first came across The Way of the Master, it had Kirk Cameron as the first thing you saw and he asked you if you were a Christian. You picked "yes" or "no" and then he would walk you through the ten commandments. I realized real quick that I was in serious spiritual trouble.
It irritates me to no end when I see Christian bloggers refer to Barack Obama as "The Messiah," or "The One," or even "The Anointed One." I know you think you are being cute and sarcastic, but considering the fact that you also claim to be a Christian ... you should know better. Also, you are anything but cute. Believe me.
I have heard Obama state a few times that he is a Christian. As one of the brethern, I accepted that and felt there was no reason to doubt his Christian testimony. That is not to say that I won't say that I believe the man is misguided ...
"So, I have a deep faith," Obama continues. "I'm rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people. (source) (emphasis mine)
Hmmm. Wrong.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ~ John 14:6
I won't say that Obama is not a Christian, but he is obviously one who needs to spend a lot more time in the Bible. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Christians out there that play politically correct instead of speaking the inerrant Word of God. It is a way to play fast and loose, appeal to others and play nice, without being one of those "intolerant" Christians.
Note: There are other things Obama said in that interview that leave me perplexed and wondering how much discipleship he has actually had. You really have to read it.
Hat tip: The Lawman Chronicles
It seems NoNo's favorite thing to do is throw all her toys off her walker, bouncer, and even her high chair ... and then scream for me to come and pick them up. This is such a joy for her that she does it over and over again.
She also loves to go backwards in her walker and then scream when she realizes she can't go any further. Usually, a wall is impeding her progress and mommy must come and save her and pull her back to the middle of the room so she can do it all over again.
NoNo has also perfected the fake cough as well. She loves to perform this trick and will even crack herself up in the process. It is too funny.
Enough with the mommy blogging. I am outtie!
It is nice that the price of gas is going down a little bit ... just in time for Christmas. Interestingly enough, food prices are not decreasing. Funny, I could have sworn they said food prices increased because of the price of gas. If it costs more to ship it then the customer has to pick up the tab. Now that it doesn't cost as much to ship it ... we are still paying the same price.
I am no conspiracy theorist, by no means, but some things just make you wonder. It seems that the rich just keep on getting richer and richer ... especially off the backs of the American family ... middle class and poor alike.
At this point, I am just trying to figure out how to buy Christmas for eight children. Four live with us and four don't. Child support is eating us up, but that should get a little better in a year. My hubby's oldest daughter will be turning 18 next year. Unfortunately, his oldest son's mother will most likely try to raise her child support for the umpteenth time. She already gets the most right now ... and asks for a raise every year ... and every time she loses a job.
Shorty, my middle girl is needing new cheer shoes. She is signed up to go to convention with the youth group. Plus, she is needing a passport for a missions trip. All in the next few weeks. That is almost $300 altogether. And, that does not even include the funds we need to raise for nationals next year or the missions trip she is going on!
Where all this money is going to come from ... I have no idea. But, I know the Lord provides and I am counting on Him to help us find a way. I think we need a bailout *cough* rescue package. But, I don't see the government giving us one. But, that is okay ... I have God and He has the real rescue package! :)
When I wrote, Intention Is What Counts, I felt like something was missing. I read the post over and over again before I published it ... and a few times since. I made a few changes, but still it felt like something was missing. Then I went to church last night and Pastor talked of love and I knew that was it ...
If we really love God ... we will love people.
Now, of course, a lot of people feel that if we really love God we will love other Christians. But, that is only one aspect. If we really love God we will love the brethern, but we will also love those outside of the Body of Christ. We will love people.
Jackie Melton asks:
"As Christians shouldn't we want God to receive the glory, rather than the United States of America?"
Of course! And, God gets the glory when His children do His will. Jesus plainly states that we are to do for the poor in Matthew 25:31-46. I will quote a small portion of that scripture here ...
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
Now, I read this scripture on two levels. There is the spiritual and the physical. We are going to discuss the physical, but the spiritual is just as important, if not more so.
I know. It is silly and I am not even sure why I did it other than it is easier to update my Facebook with it than anything else and I love me some Facebook!
Why anyone wants to know every little thing you do or why we would bother to tell everyone about such things ... is a mystery to me. But, it is kind of addictive. So, I am definitely all a'twitter. :)
http://twitter.com/therogueangel
Update 3:56 PM: If you are on Twitter ... let me know. I need to follow some people around like a crazy cyber stalker. Ha!
When H.L. Hussmann, the author of God's Greatest Passion, was at my church he shared a quote that I have fallen in love with ...
"The first time that Jesus came in the flesh, He died for the lost of the world, gladly laying down His precious life that others might have true life! Now that He is enfleshed in you, I wonder what He wants to do?" ~John Willis Zumwalt
Doesn't that just hit you? When you look at Christ in that way ... that He is enfleshed in you ... what do you think He would have you doing? Seriously ask yourself that question and post your answer in the comments or even on your own blog.
What would Jesus have you doing?
Trackbacks are welcome. They are moderated, but I will approve them. I would love to see what you come up with. :) I will be posting my answer as well.
I have been working on installing CAPTCHA so that if you don't want to sign-in to comment, you won't have to anymore. You can just input the little letters or numbers or whatever they are ... and just be done. I won't have to worry about spam and you won't have to jump thru hoops.
Did it work out? Well, no! I finally got it configured to have it, but then the images didn't actually show up and I don't know why. I can see them when I go directly to them in my browser, you just can't see them on my blog.
Maybe one day ...
I have to send a shout out to my gurlie. She has created her first ever blog, OleFashGirl, and is new to the world of blogging. We don't always agree politically, but she is great and I love her. We are church family even though her mean ole hubby done moved her away from us! I will forgive him though ... well eventually. ;)
Go say hi and tell her that I sent ya!
So they debated again. John McCain made some good points. Barack Obama made some good points.
I was glad to see Obama addressed Ayers and ACORN. I also loved how he brought up that it was President Bill Clinton that put us in a surplus and how quickly it was squandered.
I think he exaggerated when he said McCain has done nothing but launch attack ads against him. He has attacked him, that is true, and numerous times ... but not every ad has been an attack.
I wasn't happy that McCain misconstrued how much in taxes "Joe the Plumber" would pay. I have never met a plumber that made over $200,000 a year. But, I live in Kentucky. Maybe they do in New York or California. But, I can tell you ... I got tired of hearing about "Joe the Plumber." That phrase is getting as old as "Hockey Moms" and "gosh darnit!"
Trying to cipher through the muck that is our political system is what I imagine sifting through raw sewage would be like. Nasty. I keep going back and forth between FactCheck.Org, On The Issues, and each candidates website (Obama, McCain). The lies. The mudslinging. The half-truths. It all just leaves me cold.
I feel McCain has sold-out. He has let his campaign run wild and he is posturing way too much. Also, I do not like Sarah Palin one bit. Every single time I hear her name I think, "Prissy, Preening Prom Queen." I want to hurl when she winks and talks all stupid like it is endearing or cute. It makes me want to send her a memo ...
"You are running for one of the highest offices in the land. Quit acting like you are at the Miss America Pageant, you twit! All that petty crap just doesn't cut it. Plus, you ain't cute. Really."
Then there is Obama. Obama wants to sign the Freedom of Choice Act. I don't agree with it. Period. I am all fine with my tax dollars to help feed, clothe, house, and care for those who have not. Really. I am. I feel it totally honors God for me to do so and to do so without complaint. But, pay for abortions? Hmmm. Nope. Don't think so.
Ray Comfort, from Way Of The Master, has a contest going on for atheists over at his blog. All you have to do is write an article about why you do not believe in God in 200 words or less. The winner gets $100 and their article published. Runners up will also be published with a rebuttal by Ray himself.
It is going to be interesting.
I read it somewhere, though I don't remember where now, that Christians should either create caucuses in both parties so that they can influence candidates and law on both sides ... or they should start their own party since neither the Republican or Democrat parties truly represent Christian ideals.
Sometimes I think that would be the smart thing to do ... and then I go read a bunch of Christian blogs and realize that we can't even agree with one another on what our Christian ideals are. So much for that idea!
Update 5:22 PM: You know ... the more I think about it the more I like the idea of caucuses. I don't think that another party would be a good idea. Seriously. Look at the Green Party. They don't get much accomplished. And, Independents are mostly closet Republicans. But, caucuses would probably be able to influence the parties and maybe even things out a bit.
I read a post not too long ago talking about how Obama consorts with terrorists and he lied about it. It made it sound like Obama and this man were best friends. Well, as I continue to research the candidates ... hoping I will become comfortable voting for one ... I came across an article on FactCheck.Org declaring different. It says ...
Sen. John McCain has dialed up his attacks on Sen. Barack Obama's past association with former Weather Underground activist Bill Ayers. He released a 30-second TV spot Oct. 10 claiming Obama "lied" about Ayers. A day earlier he announced a 90-second Internet ad claiming that Obama and Ayers "ran a radical education foundation together" and suggesting Obama was being untruthful.
Groundless, False, Dubious
We find McCain's accusation that Obama "lied" to be groundless. It is true that recently released records show half a dozen or so more meetings between the two men than were previously known, but Obama never denied working with Ayers. Other claims are seriously misleading. The education project described in the Web ad, far from being "radical," had the support of the Republican governor and was run by a board that included prominent local leaders, including one Republican who has donated $1,500 to McCain's campaign this year.
Uh huh. So, Obama worked with this man and so did a lot of other people ... including Republicans ... on an education project.
Worship service was so good yesterday. Both services. I loved the song selection and the atmosphere. Sometimes I just wish I could just get off the balcony and go down there with everyone else. I would love to just get lost in adoration for our King. But, I remind myself ... what I do is just as important as worshipping our Lord. My service facilitates the worship of our Savior by the congregation. I am just one. They are many.
I still miss it sometimes.
But ... hey ... I did get a little praise yesterday. We had a guest speaker, H.L. Hussmann. He came up on the balcony for me to set up his powerpoint presentation. After service he complimented me on what a good job I do. I was a bit embarrassed, but it was nice.
Our worship leader says she believes I have a calling on my life for the service I do. I hope that is true. I know I do love it and I love serving the Lord. And, while I admit it is nice to get the occassional compliment and know that I am doing a good job ... I remind myself that it is about the treasure in heaven ... not the praises here.
Anywho ...
I really did enjoy hearing H.L. Hussmann though. He was really good and I am not just saying that because he complimented me either! :) Seriously, I loved his message. You can really tell that he has a heart for evangelism too. He is quite funny and he did a really good job of engaging the congregation.
I was able to pick up his book, God's Greatest Passion, and I cannot wait to read it. A review will be forthcoming as soon as I am done. In the meantime, check out the links in this post. Dude blogs! I love it. Plus ... you can buy a copy of his book.
I haven't been able to get online for more than a couple of minutes today. NoNo has cut her first tooth and she isn't liking it one bit! She has cried and cried and cried. She is finally resting a little right now.
Time is flying by! It seems just like yesterday that we were bringing her home. Now she is cutting her first tooth and I expect her to be crawling in a matter of days.
She is such a miracle to me. The Lord has blessed me so much and I am so very thankful. I just want to praise Him and worship Him. It is like I am just going to burst from the joy of it all.
Update 10/13/08: NoNo cut her second tooth yesterday! So now she has her bottom front teeth. It is just so precious! Except, of course, when she grabs my finger and bites the fire out of it ... but, it is still cute. :)
I don't have a lot of time to blog right now. I need to get to church and get our Pastor's computer hooked back up and ready to go. He will need it when he comes in Monday morning for sure, if not tomorrow.
Anyway ... I wanted to point you to some really awesome posts that I read this morning. They spoke volumes to me and I hope you will enjoy them as well.
First is ...
Some of us have formed an unholy alliance with a political party which forces us to spend time defending them and their policies. Others of us have refused to be good stewards of the miracle of transformation God desires to work in our lives, and we have been caught up in the things of this world. Until we change, both as individuals and as church families, our great nation will continue to decline.
And then there is ...
It's Not Just Politics. A Word of Warning to Christians.
I sometimes wonder what happens to Christians around election times. I support democracy in America. But more importantly, I am first a subject in a holy kingdom. The rules of that kingdom supersede the rules of this kingdom. In that kingdom, gossip, slander and lies are against the rules. So is hatred, idolatry and fear mongering.
Both are really good posts, with honorable points and intentions. They are definitely worth the read. So ... what are you waiting for? Check them out!
Well, since I do not have any mountains nearby, I am more than happy to shout the news here, if you want to call it that, that I am a socialist. Yep, I sure am. I believe in feeding the hungry. I am fine with the USA having a food stamp program. I believe in helping single parents go to college and do better for themselves and their children. I believe we should have Pell Grants and Federal Student Loans. I believe we should have programs that allow people with low-income to get daycare for their kids so they can work and/or go to school to get an education. I am all for feeding babies. I think WIC is awesome! I also love the fact that we have Health Departments that help children stay healthy and get vaccinations.
I even love it that we have public housing and HUD. I think it is wonderful that I live in a country that wants to ensure that all children have a safe place to live with electricity and clean running water. I think it is great that we have commodities for the elderly. I think it is just dandy that when someone loses their job, they can get unemployment and healthcare for their kids. And, I totally support having an SSI program so that lower-income parents can get assistance for their disabled children and disabled adults can get help too.
And, because I support all those things ... I am called a socialist by some Republicans and Conservatives. But, you know what? I am totally fine with that. I am a Christian and I love my Lord. I thank my Savior that I live in a country where we believe in helping "the least of these." For not one minute, do I believe we can just chuck all that on the "church" either ... because "we" are the church. We make up the Body of Christ. And, as a member of that "Body" ... I am more than happy for my tax dollars to go to programs that help people. That help children. That help the elderly. That help the poor. That help "the least of these."
Oh ... and if you are wondering where this came from ... well, a commenter over at Pursuing Holiness said all socialists are satanists. And, we all know that if you support welfare programs than you are a socialist. I also said that I would proclaim my socialist title from the mountain tops ... so here I am.
By the way, here is the actual definition of socialism, not the right-wing version.
Related Posts:
A group from my church went to the Lakeland Revival a few months ago (June or July). During the week they spent there, I went to another church member's house and we watched the revival on GodTV. I wanted to see if I could catch some of them on TV. Instead, I got to see Catherine Mullins on the stage singing Revelation Song ... one of my favorite songs. She was awesome! She sang and sang and sang. She jumped up and down and still sang. She never missed a beat or a breath.
Catherine Mullins is the worship leader for Coweta Community Church in Newnan, Georgia. All you have to do is hear her sing and you will know she has an annointing on her. Her ability to lead worship is a God-given gift and she has her own CD now! I cannot wait until I get my copy!
Her website is catherinemullins.com. Go check out some of the videos of her posted on her site. She also has a blog too. If you love worship music ... you are going to love her.
There are maybe three people from my church who have sent me political emails. All three have been full of things about Obama, most of which have not even been true. When asked politely not to send me such stuff, two have obliged. One has not. Instead he has sent me more emails with the latest being so ugly that I could not read it all.
For some reason, he has felt it necessary to describe abortion to me in great detail while claiming that all Democrats are for abortion. According to him, all Democrats are to be hated and we are evil ... evil ... evil people with no morality or decency at all. No Christian can be a Democrat. Obama is the anti-christ and if he had his way all pre-born babies would die a horrible death. And, so on and so on and so on.
Plus, he wanted me to know that he detests all Democrats. Obama, Al Gore, John Kerry, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter ... etc. He names them one by one and declares his hatred for them. Then he tells me how McCain is a godly man with godly principles and as a Christian he must stand behind McCain.
I am serious. I have the email to prove it.
How anyone can equate being a follower of Christ and behaving that way, I will never know. That is so far from being Christ-like and it is so ugly. He doesn't even seem to care if what he says is true. What kind of witness is someone being behaving that way, saying things like that? He comes off more like a rabid dog than he does a Christian.
All I could do was sit there with my mouth open and wonder how he got that way.
You know I don't understand some of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I really do not. Sometimes, I look at them and the things they say and I wonder ... do they really know Jesus? Do they really feel His total and complete love for them? Or is He someone they hear about and speak about, but really don't have an intimate relationship with?
I read a lot of blogs; some conservative, some liberal ... some in between. Some of them are a mystery to me. I have no clue what political beliefs the author has. But, the ones that do talk politics ... well they reveal a lot about a person's heart. Some are caring. They want something better for those that do not have much. They want to feed the hungry and make sure that children have healthcare. Some have a heart for the unborn. Some have a heart for those on death row. Some want to make sure that those that need a hand up will get one. And, some want to make sure that the earth God gave us is taken care of.
Then there are the others. They say they are Christians but it is hard to tell behind the bile spewing from them. They will argue anything that does not mesh with the party line. They talk more about our man-made political system than they do God. Their side is right, righteous, and 100% right on target. The other side is wrong, evil, and has no merit.
Unfortunately, I seem to find more blogs like that than I do the first ones I spoke of and it is disheartening. It is truly discouraging. There seems to be a total lack of compassion or love. And, if you knew me ... I mean really knew me ... you would know what a change God did in me and you would understand how I cannot even begin to understand how you can know God and not feel love and compassion for His people and His creation. Or how you can be so angry and hostile in the same breath that you claim to have a relationship with the Most High God.
It just doesn't make sense to me.
I think Blogrolling.com has been hacked. Some idiot who can't spell is declaring that ...
ALLAH IS GREATEST
And Mohammed Hist Massenger
My reply: It's too easy. I am not even going to go there. LOL!
Update 10/9/08: The hacking attack is over. We can edit our blogrolls once more! :)
Update 10/10/08: Well, I was wrong about editing blogrolls. Blogrolling.com has been down since yesterday.
In Nepal, they have declared that a three year old little girl is their new living goddess. They say she is the incarnation of the Hindu diety Taleju and they decided this by having the child spend the night alone in a room among the heads of ritually slaughtered goats and buffaloes without showing fear.
Read that again ... the heads of ritually slaughtered goats and buffaloes without showing fear. How would they know if she was afraid if she was alone? And, who in the world would leave a three year old baby in a room with dead animal heads?
Not only did she have to go through all that, but they also removed the child from her parents. Now she lives in a temple and will remain there until she starts her period. At that time, she will no longer be a "goddess" anymore and will be returned to her family where the chance of her growing up and getting married are slim because they believe that men who marry former "goddesses" will die at a young age.
And, the horrible cycle will start over again. Once the "goddess" is removed from the temple, they will name a new baby to be their goddess, put her in a room full of dead animal heads and take her away from her family.
I think Obama just took John McCain down tonight. I really do. And, it surprised me. I guess I was expecting to see the John McCain of two years ago ... the one who was a maverick. Instead, we got the new, and not so improved, John McCain ... the John McCain who picks Sarah Palin for a running mate because he is ready to do backflips for the right-wing conservative vote.
I used to really respect him too. I still do ... just not like I used to. I understand he wants to win, but I think he had a better chance of winning before he sold out.
Update 10/08/08: If you want to know just how factual the candidates were last night, check out this article. It clears up a couple of things that were said last night.
While taking a stroll through BGEA, I found this and think it is just the sweetest thing ...
"On November 7, my father will celebrate his 90th birthday, and we'd like to give him a special gift. If you or someone in your family came to know Jesus Christ through his ministry, please share that with him. Send us your story--or a simple greeting--by November 1, and we'll put all the messages together and present them to my father when we celebrate his birthday. Thank you for helping us encourage him on this special day." - Franklin Graham
If you came to Christ via Billy Graham's ministry, please participate in this. It is such an awesome way to honor a man who has given his life to bringing the world to the Lord.
I have always loved Billy Graham and I cannot wait to see this movie.
I am just praying I can work it out so I can go see it this weekend. The hubby is going to FCF Fall Trace, a Royal Rangers event, and won't be here with me. I know he would hate to miss going to the movies with me ... but I think I would hate missing the movie altogether more.
If you have never checked out Billy Graham's ministry, I strongly suggest you do so.
We were given a poodle/cocker spaniel mix and she is so pretty and black ... and unfortunately way too timid. She sat on my husband's lap all the way home, but he let her out of the van, when we arrived at the house, and ever since then she has ran around the yard or hid under the trampoline. She won't come to us. She won't even let us near her. I have put out food and water ... but she ain't buying it.
So, now we are calling the man who gave her to us and asking him to come out here and get her. I don't know whether to just bring her in the house, once he catches her, and try to get her used to us or if I should just send her back to where she came from. I hate the thought of the latter because she doesn't look like they have taken very good care of her. But, I am not sure I can handle a dog that has issues either. I have my hands full with a six month old baby as it is.
Decisions. Decisions.
Update 10/06/08: The man that gave us Dollie refused to come help us get her. My husband took out a kennel filled with old towels and put it under the trampoline with food and water. As of last night, she was still under the trampoline. Today, we can't find her. I just pray she is okay.
Well, the polls are in and (at least) according to MSNBC, Biden won 51% to Sarah Palin's 38%. Unfortunately, I did not get to watch the debate live, so I had to read the transcript and catch some clips. But, I definitely agree with MSNBC's analysis that Palin was a bit shaky on questions she had not been prepped for ... or couldn't find in her notes.
Palin was shaky at times on less familiar issues. Not even halfway through the debate, Palin was asked a question about sub-prime mortgages but maneuvered back to the issue of energy where she was clearly more comfortable -- and where she had her lines down. It appeared to be a non-sequitur.
Also, I can't help but feel there is another reason that McCain picked her. She is kind of a female President Bush. She called the commanding U.S. general in Afghanistan "General McClellan." a couple of times and she has her cute, country "I am just like you" terminology down pat. She sprinkles her sentences with "bless their hearts" and she likes referring to those "hockey moms." But, I truely wonder if that cutsy stuff isn't going to hurt her. All that winking at the camera. It makes her come off condescending to the opposing side and more than a little arrogant.
She is quick to attack and she did more than a few times during the debate, setting Biden up ... especially in opposition to Obama. She tried to make him look like his stand on the issues are based on his current position as VP nominee.
Unfortunately, she comes off a bit dumb sometimes and it is hard to look past that. If she didn't have the answer in her notes, she was changing the subject to an issue she could talk about. But, I truly feel she did way better than that Katie Couric interview that left everyone wondering what in the world she was talking about. Way better.
At this point, I don't know if she is helping McCain as much as some think or if she isn't actually hurting him. Time will tell. But, in my opinion, I would be more likely to vote for her running the local PTA.
Now ... for Biden. I think he did a fairly good job. He has to work harder than Palin. I really liked his answer regarding gay marriage. Obama does not support gay marriage. He does support civil unions and rights for gays and their partners.
He was right to attack McCain's stand on the issues. McCain is the one running for the top office, not Palin. I think he did a fair job on that, but he could have done better. McCain has done some serious flip-flopping on some issues. Abortion being one. He has said that if Roe vs. Wade were overturned that it would lead to women performing dangerous procedures illegally, but on his website he says ...
John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.
Which makes you wonder considering Palin's assertion that John McCain does not tell one thing to one group and another to another group. And, if Biden would have been on his toes, he would have caught that. He did catch a few of them though.
Overall, he did good. He could have done better. But, at least he did come off personable and human ... especially when talking about the death of his wife and child. I like what he said about climate change and the environment and that he was ready to tackle the topic, unlike Palin. I wish he would have noted the Biblical mandate that we have to care for our environment. That would have been a good move on his part, in my opinion.
I was back on the Put Away Falsehood page and wanted to share just a couple of lines from it that just really resonate with me ...
Scripture tells us, even when we disagree, to "clothe [our]selves with humility toward one another" (1 Pet. 5:5) and to "put away falsehood" (Eph. 4:25).
... because when Christians spread falsehood, the world sees us and our witness is weakened.
We need to seek the higher ground - honest, open discussion about where the candidates stand and what they believe, no matter who we support politically.
Anyone who has ever read my blog back in the day, or has perused my archives, knows that I used to bash the fire out of President Bush. I wouldn't even refer to him as "President Bush." No, he was always just "Bush." That is how much contempt I had for the man.
Needless to say, I wrote some pretty nasty things about him. I don't think I was ever purposefully dishonest about him, but I didn't always make sure my facts were straight. Plus, my tone was extremely ugly. You could just imagine me spitting venom while reading what I had to say.
Then the Lord convicted me. He didn't tell me that I was wrong for feeling the way I do about a lot of what President Bush has done during his presidency, but He did tell me the way I addressed it was. He brought it to my attention that if George Bush was sitting in my church, was someone I saw there on the regular, that I would be addressing him and his actions a lot differently. I would be more diligent in making sure that what I said was true. That when I disagreed, that I would do so in love ... or atleast with some decorum.
And, the Lord was ... and still is ... right.
So, now I weigh my words carefully. I research the candidates. I treat every one of them as if they are sitting just a few pews from me. The truth of the matter is, they could be. Both of our candidates, and their running mates, are Christians. They are all a part of the Body of Christ and one day I will share a heavenly home with them.
What better reason is there to seek the higher ground?
You know something about. Yep, that is what the Associated Press should do. If you want to know why, check out this post by GetReligion on one of the AP's latest stories about Sarah Palin. It just really makes you giggle and shake your head ... while saying, "Stupid little Associated Press. You just can't help yourself."
The sad thing is, they are not the only media outlet publishing such articles. Check it out.
Abortion.
It makes you want to shudder when you even hear the word. It is ugly and horrific, yet it exists. It is a issue that divides a nation. It is the platform base of the Republican Party ... it is the issue that rallies Conservatives more than any other.
It boggles the mind that we live in a world so advanced that anyone would even consider abortion as an option. No matter how you look at it ... it is the killing of babies. And, it has existed since biblical times. Throughout the ages women have sought to terminate pregnancies that they felt they could not care for, for whatever reason. In their desperation, women have done horrible things to themselves and their unborn children while attempting to end a pregnancy. Women have even died trying to kill their babies.
Now we have Roe vs. Wade and women can end their pregnancies legally and safely. No need for hangers or chemical concoctions or even back-alley butchers. No, they can go to a clinic and have it done rather quickly. They don't need to have been raped, molested by a family member, or even have their own health in danger to do so. They just make an appointment, show up, and pay the fee.
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