Friday, February 19, 2016

Tomorrow's Republican Primary in South Carolina....

Image result for norman rockwell vote
Via Image via

Tomorrow is Republican primary day in South Carolina.  Nobody here asked me, but if you're looking for my thoughts on how to vote I offer the following......

Read the following from Ace of Spades HQ (here's an excerpt so go read the whole thing here) ;


Let It Burn: The conservative choice [Weirddave]

—Open Blogger

Anger. You're angry.

I get that, because I'm frickin furious. I mean, I-better-not-have-a-drink-to-calm-down-because-I-might-never-stop-drinking livid. The damage done to our country in the past two decades but really in the past seven years is mind numbing. Not only has TFG thumbed his nose at the founding principles of this nation while doing an in-your-face touchdown dance at conservatives, but “our” party, the Grand Old Pussies, have continually rolled over before him while begging for scraps of his magnificence for their table.

We've done our part as citizens. We gave the GOP a majority in the House in 2010 so they could stop him, and when that wasn't enough, we added the Senate in 2014. We've donated, politicked, canvassed and phone banked. We have made ourselves perfectly clear, chasing the dayglo Speaker of the House from his perch and electing patriots like Dave Brat in Virginia.

And what has the response been? Disdain. Scorn. Anger. How dare we question our betters? From colluding with Democrats to prop up the brittle bones of the senile Thad Cochran in Mississippi, to passing the cromnibuss pork spending bill after Boo Hoo Boehner resigned to the repeated attempts, such as the Rubio/Schumer Gang of 8 bill, to shove nation-killing amnesty down our throats, we have been ignored, insulted and reviled. Even today the DC establishment is pulling out all the stops to get Rubio elected so that they can serve their Chamber of Commerce masters.

Enough. If these people have forgotten that they work for us and are determined not to remember, then it is up to us to forcefully remind them.

Let

It

Burn.
 
That decision, it's easy. What's not so easy is, as Ghostbusters might put it, is choosing the form of the destructor.
Let's survey the field. Kasich is a joke, a big government Republican pining for the days of Nelson Rockefeller. Ben Carson is a decent man who has been seduced into being a never ending, multimillion dollar bot compiling an email list for future fund-raising efforts. Jeb Bush is the last gasp of the Bush dynasty, running 10 years too late and Marco Rubio is the slickly packaged Madison Avenue pretty boy, America's last, best chance for amnesty. If Mexico is your vision of America's future, then Marco is your guy.

That leaves Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

Trump is sheer bravado, 1.21 jigawats of pure testosterone. If you want to stick your thumb in the eye of DC elites, well, Donald will stick his thumb, palm, wrist and forearm right into the skull of the Washington cartel. Balls to the wall, damn-the-torpedos, full speed ahead American arrogance, that's Donald Trump.

Ted Cruz, on the other hand, is the slow knife, the knife that takes its time, the knife that waits years without forgetting, that slips quietly between the bones. That's the knife that cuts deepest. He’s the smartest guy in any room, and his great sin is that he’s a class traitor. He went to Princeton and Harvard, checked all of the right boxes on his way up. The DC elite look at Ted Cruz and they see someone who is one of them, except he won’t play ball. He has principles. He takes the promises he made to the electorate seriously He actually seems to believe in that rah rah America crap the rubes in flyover country revere.

AGAIN, READ THE REST HERE


FINALLY, here are a couple of  comments from a Redstate commenter that sum it up for me.  I totally agree with these statements:

    • Avatar
      Cruz is the only guy currently running in the top three that when he places his hand on the Bible and swears to "Protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America" I will actually believe him.
    And also this:

    Avatar
    Ted Cruz's complete lack of endorsements is; in and of itself, the best endorsement of all, and the only one I need!
    The fact that he has all the right enemies tells me he's just the man for the job.

    (Blog post is here)

    Take some time to be in prayer about your vote and then GO VOTE!!!

    Tuesday, November 17, 2015

    What ever happened to "Thank You"?




    1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
    Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; 
    for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.


    The first "real" job I had was working as a carhop at a drive-in restaurant in my hometown of Bartlesville, OK.  I wasn't quite sixteen at the time.  The job was an interesting entry point into the world of work and allowed me to earn a little money which was pretty cool to a teenager.  My next job was a cook at an A&W drive-in, followed by a long stint at a Braum's Ice Cream store, interrupted by a short tenure in the electronics department selling CB radios, cheap stereos and vinyl albums at our local TG&Y store (that was an early version of Wal-Mart, look it up if you care kids.  We always said TG&Y stood for Turtles, Girdles and Yo-Yo's.)



    None of these jobs paid especially well.  I think I made $2.50 per hour at Braum's (plus 10% off everything in the store) which wasn't bad considering that minimum wage in 1975 was $2.10 an hour.  All the rest were strictly minimum wage jobs with, sometimes, a few meager tips.  Not much pay for what seemed to a teenager like hard and sometimes tedious work. But still I think they taught me the value of work and a few other things that I still carry with me today.  One of those things is the importance of saying "Thank You"!  All of those early jobs were obviously in the service or retail industry and in every case my boss told me we were always to tell our customers thank you after they paid.  They drilled that in to me and would scold me if they happened to catch me letting a customer leave without a thank you!

    For me it was almost second nature to say thank you anyway since mom and dad, especially mom, preached to me from a young age the importance of good manners.  

    Joe and Nadine Harder
    (1968)
    Why, we even had lessons in elementary school about how to act with good manners.

    I suppose I'm getting old and grumpy, but it seems like I rarely hear "thank you" anymore when I check-out at a store. In fact, I'm often the one to say thank you when a cashier hands me my receipt and merchandise.  Am I being overly sensitive or is it a sign that these retailers don't care an awful lot about my business?

    I miss some of the old values of courtesy that were once pretty common in our society.  I don't know why it's fallen out of favor but whatever the reason I wish we were quicker to offer a heartfelt and courteous "thanks" or "thank you" to people that do something nice for us.  Not to mention an occasional "please".  It seems like the world was more polite when I was younger.

    In this season of thanks take time to be a little more intentional to let people know you appreciate them by offering a kindly please or thank you.  You might make someone's day a little brighter and maybe they'll pass it on!






    Tuesday, October 14, 2014

    Praying for America

    A challenge for us all.....

    We pray for leaders who have faith in Jesus and who seek to govern as servant leaders.  Leaders who will seek your wisdom and guidance for our nation, O God, while acting with the wisdom, compassion, conviction and courage which comes through faith in you, almighty God and Father!

    "Freedom of Worship"  Norman Rockwell  1943
    It's election time in America once again.  What a great blessing God has given us, the right to elect those who will lead our federal, state and local governments!

    " we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. "
    Abraham Lincoln
    November 19, 1863

    These days we do a lot of complaining about "those people in Washington"!  They're too liberal or they're too conservative, they're too extreme or they’re not extreme enough!  Are we ever happy?

    As a Christian I have to admit a little shamefully that I'm guilty of that blame game as well.  And many of my Christian friends do the same.  We complain about our leaders and criticize their every move.  "They" are ruining our country, we say!  Often we get way too wrapped up in the politics of the day to the point of forgetting that God is sovereign and no matter what happens His power overcomes all of mankind’s failings.  If I put my trust in Him then I know things will turn out okay.

    I am God, and there is not other; I am God, and there is none like me.
    I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.
    I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'
    Isaiah 46:9-10

    The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
    Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
    Psalm 9:9-10

    Christians need to do more to influence the course of America.  We need to be engaged in our communities and in our political process at all levels.  We need to stand up for our faith and our values!  But perhaps the most important thing we should do, which just so happens to be one of the easiest, is come together and pray for our nation!  I think this is one of the times in the history of our nation that we need to rise up and ask God to deliver us!  Unlike some who might say that we’re worse off than we’ve ever been I think there have been times like this in our past.  As bad as things might seem now, how difficult it must have been during the darkest days of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, the Great Depression and Pearl Harbor.  Surely during those times Americans felt that their nation was at risk!  And during those times they turned to prayer!


                                                        Prayer at Valley Forge by Arnold Friberg

    As we approach another important election, and aren’t they all important really, I ask you to join with me to pray for our nation.   And I would challenge you to pray every day from now until November 4th.  Here’s my prayer:

    Dear Lord, you have so richly blessed America and we give you thanks for those blessings.  Our forefathers came to you seeking guidance to build new lives and a new nation.  Our nation was founded on the knowledge that you, almighty God, granted all people certain rights and that to secure those rights we must institute a government which receives its’ power through the consent of the people.   Lord, once again, it is time to exercise this right of consent and elect a new class of leaders for government at all levels.  I pray, Father, that you’ll bless the upcoming election and direct us as we vote.  Grant us wisdom to elect those who will lead according to your will and desire for our nation. 

    We pray for leaders who have faith in Jesus and who seek to govern as servant leaders.  Leaders who will seek your wisdom and guidance for our nation, O God, while acting with the wisdom, compassion, conviction and courage which comes through faith in you, almighty God and Father!

    Lord, grant us a spirit of revival in America!  Let us turn from selfish desires and work together to rebuild what is broken, take care of those in need, protect the innocent and provide hope and a future for all who seek it!  Open our eyes to turn to you for deliverance and a brighter tomorrow!  Lord bless us for a new generation as you’ve done so many times in the past with leadership that honors you and the principles of freedom and hope with which since the days of our founding, you’ve so richly blessed America!!

    In the name of Jesus I pray!

    Amen







    Tuesday, October 7, 2014

    Learning to Trust God....



    But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
    Jeremiah 17:7


    ...Jesus told him, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
    Mark 5:36


    A few weeks ago our topic of discussion during Sunday School was how we trust.  More specifically, how we come to place our trust in others and in God.  We ran out of time before we got to discuss some practical ways to increase our trust in God so I thought I'd complete the discussion here.

    We don't often give much thought to trust, but just as we rarely give notice to our hearts beating or lungs expanding, trust is vital to living.  Think of the things and people you trust.  You trust that the lights will come on when you flip the switch on the wall.  You trust the sun will come up tomorrow morning. There are people you count on and trust to be there for you in good times and bad.  Mom, dad, a sibling or that dearest of friends.

    Where does trust come from?  For most of us we don't automatically trust new people we meet.  Trust is something very precious.  We give it away only after we're certain the person receiving it is worthy and capable of holding it.  We can give our trust to someone in a moment of crisis based on a person's credentials or expertise.  For instance, when we're having a heart attack we trust the cardiologist, who we most likely have never met, to heal us.  We place our lives in their hands.  But more often the process of granting trust occurs over a period of time as we work or relate to someone.  This happens with friends, associates at work, comrades in arms and lovers.  It happens in our relationship with God as well.   For some, trust in God comes during a time of crisis when there's seemingly nowhere else to turn.  But for many trust in God develops over time as we grow and mature in faith.

    Trust and faith might seem to go hand-in-hand, especially for Christians, but one doesn't necessarily follow the other!  Faith in God's existence doesn't ensure we're ready to trust God in all things.  Accepting Jesus as my savior doesn't guarantee I'm able to release control of my life to him.  Even though we say we trust God and have faith He will take care of us, we want to go our own way, solving problems and living life using our own meager abilities.

    So if trust is earned should we expect God to earn our trust?  God doesn't really owe us anything but whether we deserve it or not, incredibly, God has earned our trust by His actions since the beginning of time.  He has been faithful since the day He created us.  Faithful to provide for us even to the point of sending Jesus, His son, to the cross to die for us so that we can reside with God for all eternity. God didn't have to earn our trust but because He loves us so much He did it anyway.  He's gone out of His way to show that He is trustworthy.  If we have faith in Jesus we have to see that he deserves our trust.  We have to return God's faithfulness and love by trusting Him with all aspects of our lives.

    Trusting God sounds easy but like so many aspects of our faith acting in trust can be difficult.  How do we learn to trust God more.  I saw an excellent article entitled How to Trust God When Life is Hard and they suggested the following ideas for trusting God more:

    1)  Let go of the idea that life should always go your way.
    2)  Turn to God in prayer and ask for help.
    3)  Seek stories from others about how their trust in God has been rewarded.
    4)  Be thankful for God's blessings to remind you that He is to be trusted.
    5)  Seek encouragement from others to move beyond yourself.
    6)  Adopt an eternal perspective.

    I would add a few others:

    7)  Turn to God's word and see how people in the Bible trusted God.
    8)  Ask yourself what your life would look like if God was totally absent to acknowledge His        
         presence in your life.
    9)  Remind yourself that trust in earthly things is often misplaced and that in the end, when all others
         fail you, God is true and faithful.  He deserves your trust.


    Perhaps you have other ways that you've come to trust God more.  I'd love to hear them.

    Pray for God to reveal the times in your life that He has fulfilled your trust in Him:

    Dear Lord, it isn't always easy to trust in things unseen but we feel your presence in our lives.
    We see the beauty of your creation and live under  the fulfillment of the promise of grace you made to us through Jesus' life, death and resurrection.
    Strengthen my trust almighty God!  Open my eyes to the ways you touch me so I can grow more confident and trust in you more!  
    Move me to take steps of faith and trust in you, my provider and savior.  
    Show me how to trust Lord and how to be more faithful to you.
    In Jesus I pray and trust.  
    Amen.




    Friday, November 15, 2013

    Bill Cosby and Grandma from North, SC....

    Great clip of Bill Cosby and a grandma from the community of North, South Carolina.  This will make your day and if you're from South Carolina you should really get a kick out of this video of a portion of an old game show hosted by Cosby called "You Bet Your Life!"  













    Changing Seasons....


    Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
        wisdom and power are his.
     He changes times and seasons;
        he deposes kings and raises up others.
    He gives wisdom to the wise
        and knowledge to the discerning.
     He reveals deep and hidden things;
        he knows what lies in darkness,
        and light dwells with him.
    Daniel 2:20 - 22


    It's autumn in South Carolina.  Actually we're only about a month away from December twenty-first and the first day of winter.  The days are shorter and the temperatures are cooling.  There's a lot going on this time of year for me...yard work, help with football at the high school, work, holidays, etc.  But I still like to take time to enjoy the season.   What follows are some photos I took over the last four weeks.  Pics which show what I've been up to and the beauty of God's nature. 

    A hazy, early Saturday morning on the road in front of my house

    Autumn maples in my front yard (there's a house in there somewhere)


    Colorful crepe myrtles at ICAR


    Tracks leading to nowhere at ICAR


    Striping the high school football field one last time


    Sunset over the baseball field at the high school (football lights behind me)



    Moonrise (look close) at WHS football stadium



    Number 9 tee box at Pebble Creek Golf Course



    Looking out my back door at reminders of summer covered by the leaves of fall



    Golden sunset on a cold, fall evening in my backyard








    Tuesday, July 9, 2013

    Living, Loving and Sharing for Jesus...

    ...‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  (Matthew 25:40)

     Via ESPN  (http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2013/0705/espn_e_carry_on_b4_300.jpg)
    Go read this story, Why I Stayed, from ESPN, then come back here and let's talk about the practice of Christian discipleship.

    What did you think?  This is a moving story on many levels.  I don't know much about Lisa Fenn, the producer of the story who helped Leroy and Dartanyon.  I have no idea whether she is a Christian.  But I don't think I could find a better example of what it means to live Jesus' instructions in Matthew 25:34-40:

    “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

    “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, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’  “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

    The Christian church faces a number of challenges but one of the greatest is declining attendance.  In my mind that decline signals that the church has less relevance in peoples' lives.  People don't see a need for the church or Jesus in their lives.  Churches wring their hands and worry about this decline but we don't know what to do about it.

    Now before you say it, let me acknowledge that there are many churches that have escaped this trap.  These so-called megachurches are growing by leaps and bounds.  People obviously are finding something fulfilling at these churches which shows that at some level Jesus resonates with people in modern America.  I wonder how much of that growth is due to a personality or some kind of "entertainment value" but I'm not going to quibble over that if people are engaged in some way and if they're on a path to becoming disciples of Christ.

    But back to the story at hand.  Lisa Fenn saw a couple of vulnerable people in need and was moved to help them.  How many of us who profess to be Christians would have done what Lisa did?  What if we stopped worrying about attendance and just lived as disciples of Jesus, worshiping Him and living by his instructions in Matthew 25 to help those around us who are in need.

    Ask yourself the following:

    Am I ignoring the needs of people I encounter in my daily walk?

    Do I look past or maybe even criticize or mock the less fortunate?

    Am I willing to take a first step and approach people I might be uncomfortable with and at least offer them a kind word if not meet one of their immediate material or emotional needs?

    The church grows and has relevance when it lives as the Body of Christ motivated by the Holy Spirit.  But growth isn't everything and I think we obsess too much about the size of an individual church.  I had a friend once who was rather small in stature and he liked to say that "it's not the size of the weapon but the fury of the attack" that's important.  God has a place for both small and large churches in His kingdom.  People can be blessed by a Spirit led small church or a Spirit led megachurch.  We shouldn't limit God by worrying about church size.

    At our church we've begun asking hard questions about the effectiveness of our discipleship and ministries.   We're beginning  to evaluate every ministry and ensure that we're a church that's "Living, Loving and Sharing for Jesus".  The story of Lisa Fenn, Leroy and Dartanyon gives us a great example of what "Living, Loving and Sharing for Jesus" looks like.

    My prayer is that the Body of Christ, the Christian church, will call on God through prayer to fill us with the Holy Spirit and give us energy and emotion to worship and serve God by serving others.  May we worry less about the size of our church and more about our effectiveness as Jesus' disciples and agents here on earth.