A new day

November 5, 2008. The world is a different place today, not better, not worse, but different. Today, for me is jumble of emotions, I am sad, a little angry, dazed and confused, and a little scared. I am also hopeful, thankful, part of me is at peace today, these are the parts I want to think about, concentrate on, thank God for. It's hard to do...but I must.

I have been praying, fasting, reading the Word over the past few months like I never have before. It’s sad that it took a national election to drive me to do this. I have always felt as a though I was a fringe Christian. I wanted all the benefits but was pretty reluctant to put in much of the effort that being a follower of Christ demanded.

I was reluctant to lose some bad habits, some bad attitudes that I have held on to for years. I don’t know why it was so hard for me, but it was.

I suppose the stakes of this election really drove me to rethink my relationship with the Lord. It caused me to realize that my hope is not in things, not in myself and my own ability, and not in which party controls congress or the whitehouse.

I have always prayed that God would speak to me, give me assurance of my own salvation, give me some sign that he loved me, forgave me, and then when I did not feel much better, I began to doubt. Doubt is a powerful enemy. Doubt can cause you to feel like no matter what you do, it’s not good enough. Doubt can cause you to feel like giving up. Doubt is one of the worst emotions you can have, it destroys your hope, robs you of your joy, causes you to lose your will to fight.

This election was the catalyst I needed to get me back into regular prayer time, regular devotions. It was only when I started to come to God, seek him for a reason other than to ask him for some sign he was out there for me, that I started to really feel him.

I do believe that God wants us to pray for ourselves, we are ultimately responsible for only one person, us. But when we start to focus our prayers on someone else, some other cause, pray unselfishly, that we can begin to see God moving in that circumstance and then in our own. It’s like seeing the forest for the first time when you have only been concentrating on the tree right in front of you.

The election of Barack Obama as president is not a mistake, it’s not just chance, it’s not because of anything he did, anything anyone advising him did. His rise to power from a basic unknown over the course of the past 5 years to the most powerful man in the world is part of a plan, it’s a brushstroke in the painting that God started many years ago when Jesus Christ was born.

I am still disappointed, that probably won’t change any time soon. With all the prayers and petitions being made to God for this election, I really believed, or wanted to really believe that God would answer our prayers. He did answer our prayers, not in the way that we wanted or expected maybe, but none the less, he did.

Our hope, my hope is not in anything other than the Lord anymore. I feel a new calling, a new energy actually to get out there and get involved more than I have in the past. I think that many people, myself on the top of the list, were still hanging onto some belief that a man, in this case John McCain, could stem the tide, put a finger in the hole of the leaking dyke. This country and this world have been slowly slipping away down the slippery slope, and no man, no institution, no president can stop it, only God can do that. And he will, in his time, in his way.

I believe this country and indeed the world is ripe and ready for an awakening, a revival, and I just could not see how this was possible with anyone but the republicans or John McCain in charge. But I don’t believe that now. If I can feel a new energy, a new urgency, and a new motivation, than perhaps others can as well.

I am listening to the Rich Mullins song, my deliverer is coming right now. This song always get to me…it’s my anthem I think. I always picture in my mind, Jesus, on a white horse, right arm outstretched sword in hard, horse up on it’s hind legs, ready to charge into battle. An army of angels and saints behind him, ready for the word to come and save us all. God is a just God, he filled with mercy, but also filled with justice, and he will rain both down on us.

Feeling a little blue.

I just took a look at the latest poll numbers and the electoral college map. It's pretty blue.

There are the red states of the heartland, flyover country as they say, but there are a lot of blue states on that map as well..too many.

I remember pretty vaguely, but I do remember 1984, when Reagan won his 2nd term in a complete landslide, the map was Red, all red, except for Minnesota and DC. That was great...I remember even then a feeling of happiness and peace. Reagan, 4 more years, we can relax, we are in good hands.

I look at this map now, all this blue, it makes me confused, it makes me angry, and most of all, it makes me blue.

I feel like I did when Michigan was playing in the national championship game against North Carolina in what, 1992? Michigan was down a couple of points, but you just knew that it was not over. You had the feeling of apprehension, nervousness, yet some excitement cause you just had a gut feeling everything was gonna be ok.

Then Chris Webber gets the ball, dribbles a few times..and timeout..what..ok, he just called a timeout, that's ok.....wait..what..what a technical foul...what the heck...HE DID NOT KNOW HE HAD NO TIMEOUTS!! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING..!!!!! OHHHHH...there has to be some mistake, maybe it was a mistake call, yes there has to be an explanation for this. But there wasn't, it was over, a couple of free throws from North Carolina and it was all over.

I feel a little like that now. I truly felt that this election was gonna be ok. The night of the Republican Convention when Palin spoke was electric, I felt on top of the world. This was going to be OK. Something will come out on Obama, the American people will wake up. There is no way that we could elect someone so radical. I was wrong...this past few weeks has been a nightmare, bad debate after bad debate, smooth talk by Obama, the media refusing to cover his problems with Ayers, ACORN, Wright.

But yet, even last week, I had real hope, just like when Webber got that pass and started to dribble down the court. I was so sure that he was gonna be the hero. He wasn't..it was all just a big disaster.

I am trying to put on a brave face, I listen to Rush and Hannity, they keep saying 19more days, anything could happen, it's not over, keep your head up. Well maybe it's not over, but it's close. These polls may be off a little, but the people of America seem to have spoken. I am not a negative Nelly, I have been so optimistic, I have been making myself sick. But at some point, you have to face the reality that it just might be done. Don't flame me for saying this, cause you are all thinking it to.

They would rather vote for a smooth talking snake oil salesman who promises everything, but has no real intention of delivering on much of anything. Even if Obama really believed some of the things he is saying, where is he gonna get the money for all this stuff. He will rob you and me for it. Spread the wealth around is what he told Joe the plumber. Not to mention what he is gonna do to the supreme court. It is truly very disheartening.

No, just like in 1992 and 1996, we are gonna get what we pay for. I am so confused by a lot of what I am hearing from people out there. I have heard things like, "I know he is not telling the truth, and I know I will hate it when I vote for him, but I will never vote for another G*DD#$M republican as long as I live." That makes no sense to me. People admit that his past associations with Ayers and ACORN and Wright are troubling to them, but we just need a change. It's like another world, I feel like I am living on Bizzaro Earth or in some other dimension or something. We are all gonna wake up and President Reagan will tell us that we are a shining city on a hill, America's best days are still ahead of us. Sadly, Ronnie is no more, all we have are our memories.

I keep telling my wife how upset this is making me. It's like standing by while you watch a friend being eaten by a bear and you can't do anything about it but shout at the bear, maybe throw a rock or two.

Hey America, wake up...this is wrong, you are being suckered...don't be a fool. No one listens, no one cares, we just need a change...any change even if it's the wrong change. Well, America, if this is what you want, you will have to live with the consequences...oh and so will the rest of us.

The only thing giving me comfort right now is my belief that God knows what he is doing. He has a plan and we have to believe that he is smarter than we are. It's hard for me, it always has been hard to just let go, let go and let God as they say. So really this is good for me..maybe God is teaching many of us to just trust him more. Lean not on your own understanding.

God puts people in positions of power and his time and for his plan. Really if you look at it this way, Obama and everyone voting for him are the ones being used. They are being used by God to fulfill his ultimate plans for this country and the world. Barack Obama is where he is, not because of anything he has done, not because of who he is, and not because he is the master of his own fate. He is where he is only because God is seeing fit to put him there. He rules ONLY because God sees fit to allow it.

That actually makes me feel a lot better...Obama and everyone voting for him are unwitting players in some game that God is ultimately going to win, for himself and those of us who trust and believe in him and his wisdom.

I am gonna still get out there and vote my conscience, and am still going to pray that in the next 19 days God might change his plan and use John McCain instead. But if he doesn't, he knows why, and I will trust him, he is way smarter than me.

God/Jesus 08

Christians for Obama

I was cruising my Facebook page the other day and I came across something that I found troubling, at least to me. I noticed that someone that I know of and have respected from a distance has decided that they are supporting Barack Obama for president.

I know what you are probably thinking, come on Todd, all you ever do is talk about politics, can't you just give it a rest. I am feeling that way myself! I want to start to think about other things too.

I wish I could just forget about this...but for me, there is too much at stake in this election. When I see someone, who at least in my mind, should know the seriousness of what is on the line in this election, out there for Obama, I just have to ask why that is.

I don't want to pick any fights, I don't want to judge if anyone is a real authentic Christian or not...there have been times in my life where I did not feel very authentic myself. I have done enough judging and been judged enough..that I don’t want this to come across that way.

I am just trying to understand. I want to hear the other side. I am not so set in my ways that I can't listen and consider what other people have to say. Maybe I can learn something. I sure don’t have all the answers, just ask anyone close to me.

First, my perspective. To me, in order to support Obama, and cast your vote for him, you really have to leave the faith you claim at the door of the voting booth. Unless my understanding of being a follower of Christ is completely wrong, in which case, I have some real problems myself that I need to iron out.

It just can’t be for no reason, that people out there, people that we can be pretty sure don’t share our Christian faith, support Obama. The Larry Flynt’s, the Bill Maher’s, the Hugh Hefner’s of the world, they all are endorsing Barack Obama. Does that not speak volumes to you..it sure does to me.

Never in my life have I seen the lines been drawn so clearly between two candidates. The question of life and the issue of abortion are very important to me. I know I have brought this up before, in detail, and yes, I am unusually focused on this issue. Please indulge me further.

There is one candidate who believes that the question of when life begins says it’s above his pay grade, meaning he does not know or does not want to think about it. There is another candidate who stated without a moment’s hesitation that life begins at the very moment of conception.

Let’s also get one presupposition on the table right now. (A presupposition is the beginning point for someone’s worldview). If you don’t believe in God, Jesus Christ or have a Biblical worldview, your presuppositions are different from mine. If you are an atheist or a Buddhist or anything else, we are using two totally different measuring devices and we cannot come to any sort of understanding. In that case, we probably should just agree to disagree.

My presupposition or starting point is my belief in the Biblical God and his son Jesus Christ. My definition of a true authentic Christian is someone who trusts in the Lord Jesus as his savior, understands that without a personal relationship with him, he or she will not reach our ultimate goal, life with him in Heaven. There is no middle ground here, no substitutions and no compromise to my worldview. So if you don't believe these two things, you can stop reading because we can never agree on a starting point.

If you do believe these two things, than you also should believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. It was given to us as a guidebook to God's thoughts and feelings and requirements for our lives. If you don't believe that the Bible is inspired and completely and without question 100 percent true and accurate, you can also stop reading now.

However, if you believe all three of these things, our presuppositions on God and faith in Jesus Christ are probably, basically the same.

Now if our worldviews are basically the same, and we are starting from the same point, but you are supporting Barack Obama, I am talking to you I suppose. After saying that you believe these three basic truths, please, please explain to me how this is possible. I really want to know..because if I am missing something, I need to understand, I want to understand.

To me, the single most telling sign of a person’s worldview is his or her stance on abortion. I am not a one issue voter; there are many other things that concern me as well, gun control, taxes, and foreign policy. All these things however are secondary to me, and someone could still share my worldview and believe that raising taxes is ok. None of these things really matter Biblically in the grand scheme of things I don’t feel. But abortion is the litmus test for me to into someone’s true character.

There is no doubt in Gods word as I understand it, that children are important to God. If you are reading this far into my post, you understand the Bible better than I do probably. David talks about how we were known to God before our birth, we are beautifully and wonderfully made. Jesus tells us that if we harm a child, it would be better to have a millstone thrown around our necks and dropped in the water. There are many other verses and passages that speak to the miracle of birth, children...you know them, you have read them.

Liberals have done a good job with their assertions that they are the real champions of the poor, the downtrodden, and the weak. Jesus was indeed concerned about these things as well. He was a friend to the weak, the oppressed. So should we be concerned about them as well. Conservatives have not done a good job shaking the label that all they care about is money, the rich, big business at the expense of the poor, and the environment. I don't want to argue that, because frankly, I do believe that conservatives have some work to do there. But..consider this…

Who is without question the weakest of all...I would say unborn babies. What can they do to defend themselves? Nothing. If you do believe the word of God and what it has to say about us, being made in Gods image, all with a purpose and a reason for living, I believe there is no other conclusion than to believe that these fetuses are real people. Real people, just smaller and basically helpless. They are made after the image of the one true God. It does not matter if they were not wanted or expected. Heck, I was not wanted or expected. The circumstances of our birth are beyond our control, but I bet that most of you reading this are pretty glad you were born regardless of those circumstances.
So unborn babies are really people with rights, they are not just tissue. If you need visual proof , just look at a modern 3D ultrasound picture. They are in my estimation, people.

You can disagree when personhood happens. I think at the moment of conception myself, as does John McCain.. You could argue when brain waves start I suppose. You could argue that when the heart starts beating a guess…but I won’t argue that because I don’t think that is really truly debatable and knowable. But, when you don’t know something, I believe that is a reason to be extra cautious. We need to ere on the side of caution when dealing with something as profound and unique as the life question is. So the safe place to start is conception, it’s the only absolute knowable variant to this question. Anything else is a guess. One thing I do know is that no matter what stage of a pregnancy an abortion is done, its ending life.

Getting back to what I said previously, I would think that if you really believe that the issues of the poor, helpless, and weak are important and should be addressed, why you would not follow that conclusion to its ultimate end. Liberals are concerned about the planet, as we all should be; they are concerned about animal rights, as we all should be. But how did unborn children get overlooked? It's quite the paradox to me. .

Barack Obama is by all accounts not pro-life. He has one of the most liberal and dare I say vile voting records out there on the issue of abortion. He voted 3 times against a measure to provide medical coverage to babies born alive after a botched abortion attempt. Many of these babies were not going to survive outside the womb, but some may have. Babies have been born and survived that were barely as old as 25 or 26 weeks.

Please, don't just blow that off...think about it. A baby is born alive, possibly burned by a chemical induced abortion, maybe missing arms or legs from a botched D and C. And that baby is put into a bucket, alive and kicking, trying to communicate its pain to someone. The doctors and nurses walk away and close the door. That baby slowly bleeds to death, or slowly suffocates, or dies of hypothermia. Think about your own children. What would you do if your own child was treated like that? It’s inhumane and it’s plain evil to treat an animal like that, but a human being? Yet Obama votes against any measure that would even ease the pain and suffering of such a baby, let alone work to save her life.

I really could go on…but this post is already way too long for most people to want to read. We don’t even have to discuss how liberals view the family structure, how they view the institution of marriage. None of its Biblical is it? But let’s not even go there for sake of my sore typing fingers.

I just want someone to give me a clear answer, if you are a Christian, please tell me how you came to your conclusion that a vote for Obama is in line with what we know about the nature of Jesus Christ, his compassion for the weak and helpless, his views on the family, marriage, the church as a whole? Tell me how the democratic agenda is closer to the true nature of Jesus Christ. While feeding and clothing the poor are important, while housing the homeless is important. We all can agree that we all should do a better job in these things…myself included. But, how can we just look the other way when the abortion clinics are still open, when whole generations of people, made in the very image of God, are denied the chance to live for the sake of our own convenience.

I am glad that someone talked to my own unwed mother, talked her out of what she was going to do in July of 1973. I am here now, have a great family, two beautiful children, a loving and beautiful wife, only because someone decided to speak up instead of looking the other way. Don’t look the other way…don’t say to all the unborn children out there, sorry we needed a change, or sorry but I just don’t like Bush, or sorry but the economy is more important than you right now.

If you are a Christian and you are still on the fence, listen to that still small voice inside you. A vote for Obama is a vote against what you really believe, and I think you know it.

Ray Boltz

This is not new news, by I just heard it yesterday, so it's news to me. One of the most inspirational singer / songwriters that I know of has "come out" and announced he is living a homosexual lifestyle. You could have told me the that the grass outside my window was purple and I would have been less surprised...

I guess I should not be surprised...we are all sinners and only by the grace of God are we forgiven...but Ray Boltz..he has sung some awesome songs that have touched me and many many other people.

How is this possible...I mean he was married for like 30 years, has several grown children. This man has been in hundreds of churches and concert halls, Christian TV, how many funerals has "Thank You" been played at with not a dry eye in the house.

Eben though I have never met the man, have no real connection to him whatsoever, I find myself just plain mad at him. He has given the church and Christians another black eye. To me this is worse than Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard..this is like a sucker punch from behind.

He says he has been fighting these tendancies since he was a kid...he is tired of fighting them any longer. What? He said God made him this way so why go against what God intended? What? Has Ray ever read his bible? Has he ever thought about what this would do to not only his family, but the Christian church, to unbelievers who are looking for truth anywhere they can find it?

Frankly, I have little opinion on if homosexuality is learned or genetic...either way, it comes down to a choice to engage in that behavior. The act of being a homosexual is the sin, being tempted is not...Ray has chosen a lifestyle that puts him at direct odds with God..he is in my mind making a choice that insults God. I have more understanding for someone who chooses this lifestyle and has never heard the Truth...but Ray Boltz knows the truth and is rejecting that truth for selfish desires.

I am by no means without sin myself...And I am not saying that Ray's sin is worse than mine. To God, sin is sin...but I guess what frustrates me about this is the message is is sending to us all. If it gets too hard, if you can't fight the temptations of life...don't fight them..God is not big enough to bring us through. I think Ray should really listen to the words of his own song..The Anchor Holds.

Moving video from an Iraq war vet

I was surfing around today and found this video, it was good...don't forget to watch the man walking away...

Sarah Palin

First of all, I am very happy with the choice of Sarah Palin as McCain's VP nominee. Most of all, I am glad she is pro life. She not only talks the talk, she walks the walk. She just gave birth to a baby with Downs syndrome. Many many people would have chosen to abort the baby.

I would like you all to read the below quote, this comes from a poster at the Democratic Underground, it's a hate filled forum that I occasionally lurk at to get a feel for what the other side is thinking....usually I feel like I have to take a shower whenafter I read the crap on it... go to the link above and see for yourself and you tell me if voting democratic is still an option.


humbled_opinion (1000+ posts)
Fri Aug-29-08 03:36 PMResponse to Reply #134
151. What its as nuts as her!
She should have aborted the tissue and moved forward with her life... Stupid is as stupid does.

Birthday blues

Yesterday was my 35th birthday, and to be totally honest, I could have done without it. When I turned 30 it was not a big deal to me. I know some people get upset at 30....it didn't. 35, well, yeah...it made me a little down for some reason.

I think its cause my kids are just growing up so fast...but what are ya going to do. Time stands still for no man.

I was watching a Star Trek the other day in which Captain Pikard was feeling bad about his life and that he was getting old...he described time as a monster, stalking you your whole life until it finally gets you...no one can escape it. Through a bunch of different circumstances that happen in the movie, Pikard realizes that time is not a monster it is a companion that goes with you and provides you with opportunities and adventures. It's all comes down to your own perspective..well, I am still working on that. Time is ticking away...life is what you do between the ticks i guess.