Thursday, November 17, 2016

Post Election View

I was sad to see the outcome of the election.  This has been a complicated election and hopefully there will never be anything like this in the future.  There is such hate on both sides.  I have seen pictures from schools that kids are writing white power and other hate messages in the bathrooms.  There are protesters who have signs that say "Trump is not my president."  This is really showing that as a nation we really haven't grown much due to this kind of thinking.  It always seems that when someone in power chooses to share their hate that brings people out of the woodwork and they are not afraid to share these thoughts with the world.  

I do not think that everyone who voted for Trump agrees with his hateful thoughts.  We have a short memory and think that since a party is in office for four or eight years that we then need the other party to fix America (neither side seems to do much of anything for the people).  I really hope that Trump does change things in Washington, but if he doesn't then I'm still turning to God either way.

 We Christians are called to pray for our leaders.  1 Timothy 2 says that we are suppose to pray for our leaders so we will live in peace, this pleases God.  God gave us the Ten Commandments, but everything else He said is a command.  He doesn't offer suggestions timidly, He is I AM and does not ask things from us that we are incapable of doing.  We are expected to follow His commands whether we want to or not.  I believe we have the right to our opinions and can disagree with a leaders policy, but we are not to bash on them.  I can't believe how many Christians I know that have bashed on Obama these last eight years feeding right into the fear machine.  Our media doesn't help, leading sheep to the slaughter by using fear.  I think that in some cases there must be some prejudice underlining those comments since they were the worst comments that I have ever hear of any president.  But no one would admit that.  Hiding behind a political party to spread hate is no excuse.  We are called to a higher standard no matter what party is in office.  OK, I have let my Facebook friends know how I feel about Trump because I don't agree with the hate that he so causally spreads.  When he takes office I am called to pray for him and our country so are you.  God knew Trump was going to be president before we even were a country.  He has got this, that I am sure of.  God is calling us to turn to Him instead of another leader.  God is the only one who can take care of this country and He keeps showing us that by the leaders that we have, but we are too busy focusing on what the other party has done wrong to see the real issue.

This is going to be a big test for a lot of Christians besides me over the next four years.  I hope you will join me in giving this all to God.  I assure you that when this happens, I mean giving 100% to Him, you will be peaceful facing the unknown.  This my friend is not a drill, this really is the unknown.  Maybe we need a support group for this sort of thing!

I am now stepping down from my soap box.

If Christians would stand up for God then who knows what would happen in the world.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

US Vote 2016

I hope you will go out and vote today if you haven't already voted.  Thankfully Tennessee had early voting so I got to vote a couple of weeks ago with no lines.  I hope the polls will stay open as long as there are voters in line.  Hopefully in the future all states will have early voting, it is crazy that some don't have this option.  We are four years away from one hundred years since women got the right to vote in America.  It is a privilege and a right that we have.  Women were arrested and beaten, Emily Davison in England died for this cause just so we could cast our opinion in the world of politics. 

I know this election is unlike any ever and it is historic.  Either a woman will win for the first time or a business man who has never held a political office will win.  Many women I know didn't want to vote for either and everyone has the write in option. 

I hope this election will start a conversation of what is acceptable and unacceptable to say while running for president.  Both sides have said things that they should not have, but Trump definitely was worse. 

Women are judged differently, I think even more so by other women.  If Clinton was a man this would be different.  I have seen so many women defend Trump, I guess it's because they are a die hard Rep.  The women who came forward to accuse Trump are vilified, by other women.  Yet if that happened to their daughters (more than likely at some time in their lives it will happen) they would be furious.

I think in one hundred years this election may be remembered differently than how we see it today.  I think God is trying to get the attention of Christians.  With this election and the last election I think He has put before us two Saul type of nominees.  Remember the Israelites wanted a king in 1 Samuel 8:7 and God said "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king."  We should not look at leaders to fix everything, we should look to God.

Brace yourself this may rock your world - God is not a Republican.  If you look at the platforms for both parties they both fall short of the Bible.  I know Christians usually vote Republican and I'm not saying to change parties, but if both parties fall short of the core of Christianity then who should we vote for?  I don't know, but I believe God is trying to get our attention and putting Romney a Mormon 2012 and Trump 2016 as the nominees has been very frustrating for many Christians I know. 

I do know that some people in our country have gone crazy or maybe they were always this way, but because Trump has spoken freely about such hatred they are going off the deep end.  That behavior should not be American in an way.  Although I know our history is steeped in that way of thinking.  We should be civil to each other even if we have different views. 

Personally I voted for Clinton.  I am not a charity or church so I can freely say that.  Why?  Look I'm not happy with the Dem platform, but neither am I happy about the Rep platform.  I voted for the person who I thought would be the best fit for our country and could do the job.  I couldn't fathom voting for someone who seems to have such hate for women, blacks, Latino, war hero's and the disabled.  Did I miss any group?  Not to mention, no experience in politics.  If you are a Clinton hater that is OK, I'm not happy with some of her decisions either.  She is in the spotlight so it's easier to see her faults while we keep ours all to our selves and judge from afar.  No one is perfect, except Jesus!  My kids especially my daughter will take it for granted that a woman could get the nomination and possible the presidency.  So many other countries have already had women leaders.  It seems like no one is talking about the possible first woman president, which seems strange to me.  We are independents and until a party follows the Bible I think we will stay that way. 

God knows every single leader we will ever have in ALL countries and in Daniel 2:22 He says that He rises up and disposes leaders.  He knows what He is doing, even if it looks like chaos to us.